What do you duel for? Heh… what a stupid question to ask.
A low humming sound was heard as all around was nothing but darkness. Soon light began to shine as it got bigger and eventually filled the line of sight. The light revealed the surroundings as there were some leather seats and windows. It also was moving as, upon closer inspection; it was revealed to be the back of a car. The driver in front was wearing a hat as he focused on the road.
"Exciting, isn't it?" said a voice as it came from the driver, who said it in a straight tone to the passengers he was driving.
"Yup, I can't wait till we get there!" responded a voice as it was full of excitement.
The voice came from someone but not the person who had just dozed off and awoken. It belonged to the person sitting next to them as it came from a young girl. She had peach-colored skin with blond hair that had a magenta streak running through it. Her eyes were... as she was excited, given how she was moving about in her seat.
The person next to her was not.
"Aren't you excited, big bro?"
"I'd rather be anywhere else but here," said the boy, who was a year older than his little sister.
"Don't be like that. It's the first day of high school. Today we become teenagers transitioning into young adults. We enter a whole new world and explore many things to come!" said the girl with wonder in her eyes.
"I'd rather go back to my dream world. There are so many vegetables to throw at giant frogs," the girl's sibling mumbled.
"I will NOT be late on my first day, mister! My perfect permanent record is at stake!" shouted the girl as she got in his face.
"Ugh…" groaned the male teenager.
"Which is why I took the liberty of ironing your clothes, cleaned your underwear, charged your phone, bought you some supplies, prepped your cards, annnd that's about it!" said the girl.
"I love you, little sis, but you have serious problems."
"This is a chance for us to start over, bro. I heard this school is the BEST place to attend. I wanna do a lot of things, join a bunch of clubs, meet new best friends, and even…."
"This isn't some sitcom where everything is perfect. We just have more school… and school SUCKS," said the brother as he cut off his sister's small geek out.
"I'll gonna pretend that I didn't hear you say that. Now you got everything, right?"
"Yes, ma'am," mocked the boy to his sister, "Ever think you're too organized."
"Hey, every good plan needs to have some sort of organization! Without organization, there's nothing but pure chaos," responded the girl.
"You're starting to sound like Mom," muttered the boy as he turned back to look out the window.
The drive continued for a bit longer as soon, it arrived at its destination.
"There it is!" said the girl as she pointed at the window with the building coming into view.
The place was a large academy building with tons of space around it. To think, what once was a small high school had become one hell of an academy. One that taught not only academia but also Duel Monsters. With the amount of funding it received over the years, the place's owners could expand, and it also had extra land that housed forms for the different students.
The door opened as the two siblings exited. They looked at the front lawn as many new students were all about. Some were talking and making chatter.
"Like what you see?" asked a boy showing and flexing his muscles to a girl seated at a table.
"Am I supposed to be impressed?" scoffed the girl as she looked away.
Others were doing some yoga and early morning exercises. There were even glimpses of people reading. The driver exited the car, went to the trunk, and pulled out two pieces of luggage.
"Ready for the start of our new adventure, bro?"
"No," responded the boy with a dull tone.
The two grabbed their bags and slung their backpacks over their shoulders. With a collective sigh, they walked.
A woman watched the sea of new faces high above in their office. She stood tall as her hair... Despite being the principal for so long, she still looked the same as she did in her younger years. However, she could definitely feel herself getting old.
"To think, the more we grow older, we still look like we're in our 40s."
"Indeed, sister. Though I can't believe we've been doing this for so long. Feels like yesterday was when we decided to open the school for the first time. My, where have the years gone?"
"Indeed. A new generation is upon us; it's time to help these kids and future duelists to find their place. Are the exams ready to begin, Lulu?"
"Just about, Tia. I'll meet you in the dueling arena once I've taken care of some things."
"Very well. A new age is upon us."
An alarm went off as an overhead shot of the room was shown. A hand stuck out as it turned the device off. Before the alarm went off, the snoring ceased as the person under the blankets groaned. Once the alarm was off, the person sat up, yawned, and opened her eyes. She had an eager smile and badly frizzled-out, flyaway hair. One final cavernous yawn and a joint-popping stretch later, she was on her feet, stepping across the room to eye a calendar taped to a full-length mirror propped against one wall.
The girl was 15 years old, as she had moderate aquamarine eyes, moderate rose and heliotrope hair, and her skin was that of brilliant tangelo with light brownish gray fetlocks.
The girl's gaze flicked past rows of crossed-out dates and the activities written for them, stopping on one box adorned with a quartet of glittery stickers- sun, heart, two stars. Anticipatory glee yielded to consternation once she got a good look at herself in the mirror and blew a stray magenta strand away from her eye. A nightstand drawer was swiftly opened to reveal hundreds of rubber bands, one of which was quickly snapped on to secure the end of her hair in a single long braid.
Next, a backpack was settled in place on her shoulders. The bag was sky-blue, sporting a lighter blue-green flap cove emblazed with a sparkling mark that belonged to a card-designing company run by the person whose name it belonged to. The girl wore short jeans and a rainbow-colored shirt with a mark in the center that consisted of three pink stars, one being bigger, and a blue stela following up the bigger star. A big red jacket with long sleeves, white socks with sky blue stripes, and yellow sneakers. The teen gave her reflection an approving nod, having applied a second rubber band farther up the length of her braid. She saw the luggage next to her bed that she had packed the night prior and went to grab it.
"Sunny! You up yet!" called out a voice.
"Coming, Dad!" replied the girl. She did one last check to make sure she had everything she needed. "Perfect."
The girl exited her room, grabbed her luggage, and went downstairs. In the kitchen was her father pouring himself a cup of coffee when he saw his little girl standing before him.
"Look at you. All ready and prepped for your first day. Nervous?" asked the girl's father.
"Honestly, no. In fact, I can't wait to start," said the girl.
"Well, sit down. I made some breakfast for you. Figured it'll be quite some time before you return home," the man stated as he sat down.
Sunny placed her backpack and luggage down as she joined her father at the table. It felt like she was running around the house full of energy with the wildest imaginations yesterday. Now, here she was, all grown up, about to go to the school of her dreams and experience some memories she would carry for the rest of her life.
Sunny was munching on her food, and in her hand was the school's pamphlet; she was looking it over as she thought about something.
"So, have you figured out which dorm you want to stay in and which method you want to study?" asked Sunny's father.
"I don't know. There are so many options. Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum. All great in their own way, each with pros and cons." stated Sunny as she still hadn't picked what courses of Duel Monsters she wanted to study and what dorm she would want to stay in.
"Well, whatever you choose, I will support you 100%. Even though you're leaving, this will always be your home. So don't hesitate if you want to come back and stay."
"Thanks, Dad," said Sunny as she hugged her father, who embraced his daughter and rubbed her hair.
Soon the doorbell was heard as they broke apart.
"That must be Hitch. We promised we'd walk to our new school together," Sunny said as she answered the door.
The girl opened it, and it was revealed to be her childhood friend. The boy was of similar age to Sunny as he had moderate gamboge eyes, moderate arctic blue and aquamarine hair, and light gamboge skin. He wore a brown button-down shirt, a short-sleeved moss-green jacket with the mark of a golden shield, a horseshoe, two blue hearts on both sides of the sleeves, and long brown pants and brown casual boots. Like Sunny, he too had a backpack and luggage with him as, after saying goodbye to his grandmother, he made his way to where his best friend was so they could walk to their new school together.
"Morning, Sunny!"
"Hey, Hitch!" said the girl as she hugged her friend.
They pulled apart as they brought their right hand up.
"Up high, down low, hitch it to a post. Flip it sunny side up and on a piece of toast!" said both friends.
The two touched their raised hands together, lowered them, and touched again; he switched arms and rested his hand beneath hers, miming flipping a pancake; she clapped her hand onto his. The routine finished as she did a playful nudge and giggled.
"Ready?" asked the boy.
"Yup," said Sunny as she fetched her backpack and luggage.
She then stepped out and stood side by side with her friend. Sunny's dad came to the front door and hugged his daughter.
"Make sure you watch over her, Hitch. And try to keep her out of trouble," said Argyle.
"I'll do my best, sir," said Hitch, saluting Sunny's father as she rolled her eyes.
"Let's get going, Hitch! Bye, Dad!"
"Goodbye, sweetie!" said Argyle as he waved goodbye to Sunny and Hitch as the two kids walked down the sidewalk to their new school.
"So, Hitch? Where's Sprout?" asked the girl as she knew the troublemaker of a friend wasn't with him.
"He says he wanted to get a head start on showing off at the new school," groaned Hitch, as he knew how their troublesome friend liked to cause some mischievous.
"Well, it's not like he's gotten into serious trouble, right?" questioned the girl.
A limo was zooming along the street, belonging to a famous and wealthy businesswoman. The woman wore a fancy suit, purple heels, large black socks, golden bracelets and earrings, a golden collar with a purple diamond, a golden belt around her hips, and large purple painted nails. She was currently in the backseat as her pet dog was in her lap.
"Oh, who's a little cutie you are? You are, Cloudpuff! Yes, you are!" said the woman as he lifted her dog and rubbed her nose with the small fluffy mutt.
"Zephyrina! Sit up straight! A lady must always have an elegant posture." said the woman to her daughter.
"Mom, would you please not call me that?" responded the girl, who didn't like being addressed by that name.
Across from here were two girls. One older than the older, and each being the complete opposite. The oldest sibling was Zipp Storm, who had moderate cyan eyes, bright raspberry with brilliant rose, moderate cyan highlights made up her hair, and her skin was pinkish gray. The girl was the eldest child of the woman. She wore a pink blouse, a black jacket without sleeves, and blue jeans with a mark of a lightning bolt with a crown on top.
The girl next to her was her younger sister named Pipp Petals. Compared to her, they were complete opposites. Zipp was a rebellious girl and an introvert, while her little sister was the most popular influencer in all of Zephyr Heights, and she was really extroverted... sometimes so much that she could be annoying at times. Not to mention a diva, though despite all the fame she got, she was still the same kind and caring girl onscreen.
She had moderate spring-bud eyes, moderate purple hair, and pale, light grayish fuchsia with light magentaish gray fetlocks. She wore black heeled boots with very long black socks, a purple mini skirt with a drawing of a musical note with a crown inside it, a black jacket with short sleeves, and golden bracelets on both hands. Of course, her iconic tiara just added to her outfit.
The girl touched an app on her phone as it was live as emojis began to fly across the screen. She literally live-streamed everything going on in her life, and sometimes that included family and invading their privacy for juicy gossip.
"What is up, everyone? Shoutout to all my fans, the Pippsqueaks!" said the girl as she winked," So today's the day. I can't wait to make my debut at Canterlot High, a.k.a Canterlot Academy! I hear it's, like, the best place ever to attend. And, of course, I have my very own sister to come along with me."
Pipp then pointed her phone at Zipp as she raised her hand to the camera.
"Say a few words, Zipp. To all the Zippesters watching," said Pipp.
"Stop trying to make Zippesters a thing, Pipp! I don't want any followers!" shouted the girl to her younger sister as she swatted the phone away.
"Ugh, talk about rude and a total bummer. Okay, guys, I love you lots. Gotta go. Wish me luck. Pipp, Pipp, hooray!" said the girl as she blew a kiss as the livestream ended.
"I can't believe this is happening," groaned Zipp.
"Oh, lighten up, Zephyrina! This school has the highest marks among the school board. Plus, it'll help you to find a potential suitor so that you can take over the business when you're older." said Haven as she put on her sunglasses.
"Great, glad that's why I'm going and not to have fun," groaned Zipp as she slumped back.
"Madam! We're approaching the school!" said the limo driver as the CHS building appeared.
"Well, I finally made it. Just a few wrong turns here and there, but there it is," said a girl who had a backpack over her shoulders and was carrying luggage. "The has come… to make some new friends!"
The girl bobbed down the sidewalk, avoiding several potholes while humming happily. She had brilliant orchid eyes, light heliotropeish gray skin, and a gradient of brilliant cerulean to moderate cobalt blue hair. She wore a dress with flowers, a belt on her hips with her name, a purple shirt with long sleeves with a mark of a knotted heart with a button in the middle, and white casual boots. The girl bounced along as she made her way to the school entrance. She took it all in with an excited smile as she entered.
"And here is where you two will be staying," said Vice Principal Luna as she led the two siblings from before as they entered a room.
"Wow, this is… awesome," said the girl.
"We made it to for the ahem… requirements that were asked," said Luna.
The room was fitted for the two siblings as it contained two levels. The upper level having two rooms across from each other. A private bathroom, a TV, and a gaming console were hooked up. As well as a window for the pair to look at that overlooked the back of the school area. Compared to the location of the other dorms, this small private house was placed near a meadow full of flowers and had its own private swimming pool behind them.
"Well?" asked Luna to the pair.
"Whatever," stated the boy as he walked to his bed; he dropped his luggage near the bed and flopped on the bed, facing the wall.
"Sorry for my brother's behavior," said the girl to the Vice-principal, "It's just that… well… he's going through something."
"I understand," said Luna, "Anyways if you'll excuse me, I need to head to the arena to witness the dueling exams. I know you two were exempted from taking the exams, but feel free to stop by and watch. Just know that you two must be in the building so my sister can review the rules before you start your school year."
"Don't worry; we'll be there," said the girl.
"If you need anything, let me or my sister know," stated Luna as she left.
The girl turned as she saw her brother lying on his side facing the wall.
"So, big bro? Wanna go check out the duels?" asked the girl.
"Why? We're not taking the exams like everybody else because of… you know what," stated the boy.
"Well, if you're bummed out about not battling, I'm sure we can convince Principal Celestia to let you perform."
"That's not the point, sis. You know why we're exempt. It's the same reason why we got a private dorm, unlike anybody else, especially the rich kids." said the boy with a bit of volume in his voice as he was ticked off.
"Big brother, you know that's not true. Let's explore the school for a bit," said the girl as she tried to convince her brother, "I'll drag you with me if I have to. You know I'll do it!"
"Fine," groaned the boy as he got up and was led away by his little sister.
The pair walked into the main building as they saw many students who would become their classmates over the next year. While the girl was taking in the entire building, her brother had his hands in his pocket and kept trying to avoid eye contact.
Soon some chatter was heard as an entire crowd started to form. It got the girl's attention as she peeked over the shoulder of some of the students; in the middle was a boy who was busy showing off something.
"Everyone calm down. This is the latest Duel Disk model from Canterlogic. My mom says I'll get to keep it once her company starts mass producing them, " said a boy as she was flaunting the device.
The crowd began to make noises as they wanted to get their hands on the prototype of the latest Duel Disks that Canterlogic was almost close to releasing to the public.
"Guys, guys, settle down! None of you will ever get a chance to get your hands on it!" taunted the boy, "This duel disk is only fit for a king."
"Geez… do you think he's compensating for something?" snickered the boy to his sister.
The boy showing off the Duel Disk heard that, and all around him began to laugh at what was said.
"Bro, shh!" said the girl, as she knew how her brother's mouth often got them into sticky situations.
Soon the pair were approached by the boy, who was made fun of as he was unhappy.
"Well, looks like we got two jokesters over here! So you like talking about people behind their backs, huh?" said the boy.
"No, my brother didn't mean it, Mr…" said the girl.
"Sprout."
"Sprout. My brother is really sorry for running his mouth…."
"He'd better be, 'cause nobody messes with me and gets away with it," stated Sprout as he cut the girl off.
"Mama Mia… are you sure you're not in the drama club? You're giving a greaaat performance," mocked the boy as he continued to make fun of Sprout and his emptiness threats.
"Mario!" shouted the girl as her brother continued to run his mouth.
"Mario, hmmm? So THIS is the jokester. Well, funny guy, I'd watch myself and that mouth. You never know when it's going to get you into trouble." said Sprout as the two boys stared face to face with defiant glares. "I'll see you two around."
Sprout snickered as he left for the Duel Arena building for his exam. Soon the crowd also began to disburse, with some heading to the battle arena for their tests.
"Oh, GREAT going, Mario!" said the girl to her older brother as he did it again. "You just HAAAD to open your mouth and insult the first person we meet in this school."
"I'm not scared of HIM," scoffed Mario with a shrug, "Every school has "THAT GUY" who thinks he runs the show."
"Yeah, and that's why we keep MOVING from school to school," said the girl as she crossed her arms and shook her head at her brother's antics. "Mom and Dad wouldn't have liked to see you do-"
At the mention of their parents, something inside Mario snapped.
"WOULD YOU STOP BRINGING UP MOM AND DAD ALL THE TIME! THEY'RE GONE! THEY'RE NOT HERE!" yelled Mario to his little sister. The girl was shocked at seeing her older brother express anger toward her.
"If they actually cared about us, if they actually gave a shit about their own goddamn kids, they'd be here RIGHT NOW, but they're NOT!" shouted the boy.
"Brother… you know that's not true," said the girl in a sad and gentle tone.
"Yes, it is! Wake up, sis, this is reality! Not some story where everything turns out alright!" yelled Mario to his own flesh and blood as he began to walk off. "Now, leave me alone and have fun at this dump! You two deserve each other!"
"Big bro…" spoke the girl as she had her hand out and watched her older sibling disappear. "Well… guess I'll have to make this the best of this day… alone."
The girl couldn't help but put her head down and softly let some tears form in her eyes. Seeing her brother and how he acted whenever their parents were brought up hurt her to see how it affected him.
"Well, that was depressing," said a girl as she had been watching what had occurred moments ago between the two siblings and responded calmly. "You okay?"
"Y-Yeah," said the girl as she sniffed and quickly wiped the water in her eyes to prevent the girl next to her from getting the wrong idea. "How long were you standing there?"
"Mmm, how about two minutes? I arrived when the shouting started," said the girl, smiling. "Anyways, want to be friends?"
"Uh, sure," replied the girl as she could use some cheering up, "My name is Cinnamon, but everyone calls me Roll."
"Hi, new friend! My name's Izzy. Izzy Moonbow." said the girl as she shook hands with Roll.
Mario huffed as he walked along the halls of the massive school building. After the incident involving his sister mentioning their parents and going off, he needed some time alone. He sighed loudly as he walked and didn't pay attention as he accidentally bumped into someone.
The person was a girl, and they both fell to the floor. The girl's phone dropped to the floor.
"I'm sorry," groaned Mario as he put a hand to his head.
He reached out to grab the device as the girl did the same, with hers falling on top of his. The teens looked up as they came face to face with each other. Pipp had been exploring and vlogging her journey of the school when she bumped into the boy as she was too busy looking at her phone.
The girl reached to check on her phone to see if it was damaged when a hand appeared on it as hers fell on top of it. She lifted her head and stared Mario in the face. While the boy had a plain expression, Pipp felt her face redden. To think that the boy in front of her was not only handsome but, in her mind, was hot. She began to imagine the wind blowing as flower petals circled the pair, who gazed deep into each other's eyes.
"Sorry about that. Here's your phone," said Mario as he stood up with a nonchalant expression.
"Oh, it's f-fine. It's my f-fault," stammered Pipp as she stood up and was having trouble hiding the red on her face. "It's just, you know… the first day of school jitters? Heh, uhm…"
"Right," answered Mario, unamused, as he returned the phone to the girl, who grabbed it as their fingers touched ever so slightly.
"I'm Pipp Petals."
"Mario."
"Mario, huh? That's a nice name. I haven't seen you before. Are you also attending school?" asked Pipp nervously as she twirled her hair.
"I doubt I'll be here for long," said Mario as he thought of leaving this place.
"Oh, well… that's a shame then. I was hoping you'd stick around so I could see you again, heh. Well, if you need anything, feel free to text me or call; either one will do." stated Pipp nervously.
"Yeah, sure," said Mario as he didn't think much of what he said.
"Well, I need to get going. I need to head over to the Duel Arena for my test. Wish me luck!" said Pipp as she hurried off in a dash.
"Weird girl," said Mario. "But… I guess it couldn't hurt to see what kind of duelists I'll be seeing."
Mario then began to make his way toward the building. Pipp was now up against a wall as she had a hand over her heart, trying to calm it down. Upon seeing Mario, the girl turned red, warm, and funny. She felt all different emotions as she knew what this feeling was due to prior experiences. The girl was now picturing the boy she had met moments ago as the image appeared. Pipp was in full daydream mode with his caramel skin and brown eyes.
She could only snap out of it as a notification sound went off on her phone. She looked at it as she was reminded of the test she had to take. Pipp looked at the time and began to book it if she would make it for her slotted time. She was thankful that when she dropped her phone, the livestream had abruptly ended, which was good as she didn't want to appear like a mess in front of all her Pippsqueaks. The girl then had a thought run through her head.
"Shit! I never gave him my number!"
The Duel Arena building was jam-packed. The stands were half-filled as many students watched from the lower and upper parts. Down below, the massive arena was divided into sections where multiple duels could occur simultaneously. Watching them were Celestia and Luna, and a few other staff members. They paid close attention to what the incoming students did against their training bots.
Nearly all the students doing these exams had been accepted into the academy. This was being used so that the teachers could see where the kids regarded their knowledge of Duel Monsters and what their preferred method of summoning was so that they could place them in the proper dorms for the school year. Winning and losing meant nothing, but the students were still encouraged to give their best.
The students were also dueling with decks that the school provided for the exams. However, should someone have a deck of their own, they were allowed to use it, but most kids didn't have cards, so they were lent one of the school's decks. Duel after duel, result after result. Luna and Celestia wrote down everything they needed to see so that they could assign the proper classes to the students.
And speaking of students, someone was wrapping up their duel assessment.
"I now reveal my facedown, the trap, Ring of Destruction. So now I can attach it to your monster, and not only is it destroyed, but we both take damage equal to its attack points!" stated Zipp as her facedown flipped up.
A ring appeared as it had some fire on its ends and wrapped around the neck of her opponent's monster. Seconds later, it blew up as the monster was gone, and Zipp and the robot had their life points decrease. However, Zipp still had enough after the subtraction while the robot ran out, so she was declared the winner.
"Exam completed," spoke the robot as Zipp was given the win.
The duel ended as the girl turned to look at the panel assessing her battle. Celestia and Luna jotted down some final notes as they quietly discussed. The two women then turned to look at the girl.
"Congratulations, Ms. Zephyrina Storm," said Luna.
"We'll inform you of your results and scores after the assembly speech," stated Celestia.
Zipp nodded as she left the arena, as the next set of students was about to battle. Two students entered through the doors, stood in the aisle, and took it all in.
"Wow!" said Izzy, and Roll entered the giant area.
"Very big," said Izzy.
"You can say that again," responded Roll.
"It's very big," repeated Izzy as Roll merely chuckled at her new friend's zany behavior.
Sunny and Hitch were seated in a section of the stands as they were watching Sprout's duel.
"Just think, Hitch. We will be living here with our fellow classmates, and we'll bond over the next year. We get to follow in the steps of the duelists who came before us. They paved the way for us. Aren't you excited?"
"When you put it like that, it sure is," said the boy to his childhood friend. "So, what dorm do you want to get?"
"I don't know. It's like I told my dad earlier; there are so many options. Each has unique abilities; how can I choose one?"
"Thank you, Mr. Sprout. We'll tell you your results after the assembly speech," said Luna as she dismissed the latest examinee.
"Up next is Ms. Starscout," said Celestia.
"Oh, that's me. Wish me luck, Hitch," said the girl, standing up from her seat and walking past her friend to enter the aisle.
"You got this, Sunny. I believe in you," said Hitch as he gave a thumbs up to his childhood friend.
The girl passed Sprout, who was coming up the aisle, as she was heading toward the giant field. She made her way in front of the staff, evaluating the exams as they wrote some quick notes.
"Alright then. No need to be nervous, child. We're simply going to ask you a few questions." said Luna as Sunny nodded.
"First off. Name?" asked Celestia.
"Hello, my name is Sunny Starscout. I like to rollerblade and make incredible smoothies."
"Interesting… what are the special summoning methods in Duel Monsters?" asked Luna.
"The special summoning methods are Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum," answered Sunny.
"Okay. What made you come to Canterlot High besides the dueling program?" questioned Luna.
"Well, I heard this was a great place to make friends. So I wanted to do just that. Plus, so many people before me have attended this very same place that I want to follow in their footsteps."
"Last question: how much experience do you have playing Duel Monsters?" asked Celestia.
"Heh… um, well… I don't have my own cards, but I know the rules of the game," chuckled Sunny nervously.
The staff wrote down Sunny's response as they talked among themselves for a quick moment.
"Alright then," said Celestia, as she clapped her hands, "In front of you are four different decks. Each specializes in different summoning methods. Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Pendulum." The principal pointed at each of the colored deck boxes when addressing Sunny. "Feel free to pick whichever you want to use for the test. Just know whichever deck you choose and what summoning method it specializes in doesn't automatically place you in that dorm or what dueling classes you'll take."
"This is just to grasp your current skills and where you stand," added Luna. "Now then, Ms. Starscout. Make your choice."
Sunny nodded as she looked at the four decks before her. She pulled them out of the deck boxes, glanced at what they were, and read some of the cards' effects. Soon she made her choice and started her exam.
After finishing her assessment, Zipp returned to her seat and looked bored. The test had proven easy for her, given that she secretly taught herself to play the game of Duel Monsters. Something she knew her mother would not like, given how she wanted her to focus on getting her education and finding someone she could take over the family business with.
If there was one thing Zipp hated more than boredom, it was sitting on your ass all day. And that wasn't her; she needed excitement and to move about. Staying in one spot was just not her style. And speaking of style… where was her little sister? After the two arrived, their mother began exploring and talking with Celestia and Luna while they explored the school.
Unlike Pipp, Zipp already knew which dorm and what classes she wanted. So during her assessment, she chose the Synchro deck. Just summoning as many monsters as possible and then combining them or tuning, as it was called to bring out high-level and powerful monsters, just spoke to her.
"Sorry, I'm so late, Zipp!" stated Pipp as she burst through the door.
"Where were you?" asked the older sibling.
"So I was like, vlogging, and let me tell you, you want to steer clear of the cafeteria on Mondays. It is not a pretty sight."
"Whatever," grumbled Zipp as she slumped in her seat and had to listen to her sister ramble.
"So anyways, I was minding my own business, looking fabulous, I might add, when I bumped into someone. I bumped into this cute boy who was very attractive," squealed Pipp like a little girl receiving candy.
"Yeah, that's great for you, sis. You got a boyfriend; good job," grumbled Zipp, as she wasn't interested in what her sister was saying.
She kept on slumping in her chair as she was tuning Pipp out; she went on talking about the boy she bumped into and went into great detail recounting their brief meeting. Eventually, the younger sibling was called for her assessment as she left to which Zipp was glad to have a moment of peace.
Mario was shown entering the arena's upper level as he came to a balcony. The boy was leaning on the railing as he took the massive place. He had heard about this place from… anyways; seeing it in person was different. The teen peered down to see the arena being used for multiple duels for the assessments as he couldn't help but scowl.
"We're exempt from taking this shit because we're special," growled Mario, "It's the same reason why me and Roll got our own private place when no kids, not even the rich ones, have. All because we're special. Bullshit. That's not the real reason. And it sickens me."
"Big brother, you know that's not true!"
"Yes, it is!"
The boy sighed as he recalled him yelling at his little sister. He knew he didn't mean it; it just… happened. He knew he would have to apologize if there was one thing for certain. Despite whatever issues he had with their parents, he would always love his little sister. Even her annoying side of being organized, he'd still love. As her big brother, he had to take care of her.
Soon the entire lights of the arena dimmed. Everyone had taken a seat; down below, Celestia and Luna came on stage to address the new class of students.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all! For those of you not aware, I am Principal Celestia. I run this school with my sister, Vice-Principal Luna. And I speak for both of us when I say, we look forward to what you all will accomplish in these next few years. Like so many before you, the students who once walked these halls all went on to do great things. Some earned degrees and went on to do different jobs, some started their own business, and even some decided to go pro and compete on the world stage of Duel Monsters. Here, we teach everything. What you do with the skills we provide will all be up to you? Do you have what it takes to grab the brass ring and take it to the next level? Will you be the new generation that paves the way for th future, just as those who came before did? Are you willing to show school spirit? Are you willing to give it your all?! Are you willing to fight until the last card has been played?!"
A sound of cheers was heard as they responded to Celestia's statement. The woman smiled as she enjoyed seeing the students' energies. The buzz, the energy, the roar of the crowd, chanting. It filled her and reminded her of why she and Luna loved their job of teaching and preparing the teenagers to become the adults they would soon be once their journey ended here.
"Now then... it's time! It's time to pave your road to the top! Time to pave your victory!" shouted Luna as she stuck a finger into the air as the crowd gave a loud and unison cheer.
"And so it begins... again," spoke Mario softly as he kept his glare. And just like that, a new generation of duelists was upon them.
Author's Note: Hope you all have enjoyed this new story that I've been quietly been putting together in the works. A Yugioh story featuring the main cast of G5. This was an idea that I've wanted to do and for the longest time, I contempted doing it. But I decided to give it a shot and I already have tons of ideas on what to do. So a few things, is that this serves as a sequel to my original Yugioh story, but you don't need to have read it to understand what's going to happen in this one. They'll just be small hints and easter eggs spread out for those that did read it can recognize them. Anyways, hope you all will enjoy this new story.