Yu-gi-oh/MLP Season 1 Chapter 1
Birthday Bonanza
Twilight walked through the street rather nervously. Well, more nervously than is normal for her. It bothered her friend, Spike, who was walking alongside her. "You okay, Twilight?" He was rather short for his age, with green spiky hair, which earned his nickname. "No, Spike." Twilight answered. "Something is terribly wrong." She leaned in close to him. "I think I have a stalker."
This got a laugh out of Spike, which Twilight was not happy about. "This is serious!" "What are you talking about?" "Well, this morning, my wardrobe was replaced with clown costumes! During class, balloons shot out of my desk! And during lunch, my food was replaced with a cake! Why would anyone do all of this craziness?" Spike pondered all of this, then remembered something.
"Say, what day is it?" he asked. "The fifteenth, why?" Twilight replied. "Well, there's your answer! It's your birthday, remember?" Twilight double-checked her memory. "Oh, yeah. It is! So, someone's wishing me a happy birthday? But why go through all of this to do that?" "Twilight Sparkle, what is a birthday?"
Twilight's expression soured upon remembering that HE was still there, floating in the air around her. Starswirl, a weird flying being made out of stars, and one she wanted to avoid, but he never seemed to leave. Since he didn't remember his name, she came up with the name Starswirl, on account of how he looked. "Birthdays are when people celebrate the day someone was born, how do you not know that?" Twilight answered, exasperated. "I told you, my memory is incomplete. You must do your best to recover all 99 number cards that hold my memory." Right, Twilight thought. During my duel with Sunset. What was all that? And that door?
"Twilight, are you talking to yourself again?" Spike wondered. Twilight turned away from Starswirl, frustrated by the conversation she was about to have. "No, I'm talking to Starswirl, remember him?" "Right! The invisible guy that only you can see. You know, Twilight, people already think you're a little unhinged. It won't help if you start talking to the air." Twilight stammered, trying to think of an appropriate response, before arriving at "Well, at least I don't have a body pillow of that fashion model what's-her-name!"
"Hey! I told you about that in confidence!" Spike protested before sticking his tongue out at Twilight, who responded in kind. The contest was interrupted as they realized they had finally arrived at Twilight's house. As Twilight turned to approach her house, however, she quickly realized her day wasn't over yet. "Oh no." she lamented, as a giant purple gift box of about her height was blocking the path from the fence to the house's door.
"Okay, maybe you do have a stalker." Spike admitted. "Tell you what. I'll open it. If it explodes, I'll take the blast." Before Twilight could protest, Spike was already at the gift box. He circled the present, examining for any details, but couldn't find any. Satisfied with his investigation, he reached his hand towards the lid and pulled it up. He didn't get a chance to see what was inside, as a puff of smoke erupted from the box, disorienting the two of them.
A figure darted out from behind the fence and grabbed Spike, shoving him in the box. The figure then hoisted the box up and began leaping away. "Spike!" Twilight cried out as she gave chase. Unfortunately, Twilight is not what you might call athletic, so she soon lost sight of the figure. "This way!" Starswirl pointed in a given direction, and Twilight followed. After a few minutes, they finally arrived at their destination; a decrepit old mansion that looked abandoned.
"You're sure she's here?" Twilight asked, hoping he said no. "I'm most certain." He answered. "She even seemed to be a resident, seeing as how she used a key to open the door." That's what I was afraid of, Twilight lamented as she walked past the open gate and opened the door. The room she entered was rather fitting, in Twilight's mind. A large entrance room with various door leading to other rooms.
Opposite the door Twilight just entered was a set of stairs. Atop that set of stairs was a pink girl in a frilly blue dress, her hair bright pink and poofy. "Twilight Sparkle?" The girl asked uncertainly. Twilight nodded, ready to hear the girl's ransom demands. "Then I have just one question for you: if you're here, who did I shove in the gift box?" The girl asked, scratching her head. "What?" Twilight asked, confused.
"That trap was meant for you! Who triggered it instead?" the figure clarified. Twilight realized what she meant and answered "My friend Spike. If your business is with me, then let him go!" The figure paced at the top of the stairs, thinking the matter over. "No, I can work with this." She then snapped her fingers and several tiles at the bottom of the walls opened. Several gift boxes identical to the one before flew out, arranging themselves in a grid pattern somehow.
"My name is Pinkamena Diane Pie, but you can call me Pinkie. We'll have ourselves a little duel, but with a special rule to spice things up. Every time you deal me damage, you can check one of these boxes for your friend. But every time I damage you, the boxes will be shuffled around. Care to play?" As she said this, Starswirl noticed a glowing number 29 on Pinkie's wrist. "Twilight, you must accept this duel. She has a number card."
Twilight looked over at Starswirl with a disapproving look. "And, you know, my friend is in danger." She then turned back to Pinkie Pie. "Fine, I'll duel you." She readied her duel disk and duel gazer as Pinkie did the same. "As the birthday girl, you get to go first." Pinkie commented. Twilight drew her card, ready to begin the duel.
"Let's see," Starswirl began. "There are roughly 64 boxes in here, which means we have only a 1.56% chance to find your friend on the first try. However, the chances will steadily increase the more you deal damage, so it would be wise to deal damage as many times as possible." Twilight rolled her eyes in frustration. She already knew all of that, why did he have to butt in?"I activate the continuous spell Galaxy Wave. Each time I xyz summon, I deal 500 damage to you. I then activate two copies of Star Point, which summon themselves as monsters." Two small stars appear on Twilight's field. (Level 4/0)
"I now use my two level 4 Star Points in order to build the overlay network!" As Twilight says this, the two stars take on a dark-purple aura and fly into a swirling portal. "I xyz summon Number 39: Star Sparkle!" A large sealed structure appeared before unfolding and reassembling itself into a translucent figure with stars over itself, carrying a staff and wearing a cape. (Rank 4/2500) "The effect of Galaxy Wave activates!" The spell fires a shot at Pinkie Pie who ducks in fear at the shot. (Pinkie 4000-3500)
Twilight immediately picks the box closest to her and opens it, but no luck. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn." "A rather impressive start." Starswirl commented. "Especially with those two face-downs." "It's my turn. I draw!" Pinkie declares. "I activate the field spell Big Birthday Party!" Around them, the room is covered in birthday decorations such as streamers and balloons. Normally, Twilight would be delighted at such a sight, but the ordeal she went through today as well as the current situation left her uneasy instead.
"Once per turn, instead of normal summoning, I can special summon a birthday monster to either player's side of the field. So I'll get Birthday Ticket," A golden strip of paper appeared on Pinkie's side of the field (Level 1/0) "while you get Birthday Popper!" A small birthday popper with googly eyes appeared next to Twilight. (Level 1/500) "Why are you giving me a monster?" Twilight asked, which Pinkie giggled at.
"Because, silly, presents are best when they're shared! For example, when Birthday Popper is summoned to your side of the field, you take 500 damage!" The popper, well, popped, startling Twilight. (Twilight 4000-3500) "And of course, since you just took damage, you know what that means." Pinkie snapped her fingers and not only did the lid on the box Twilight had opened pull itself back on, but the boxes themselves rearranged, causing Twilight to be spun around in the chaos.
"As for Birthday Ticket, when it's summoned to my field, I get to summon another birthday monster to your side of the field! I choose a second Birthday Ticket!" A second copy of Ticket appears on Twilight's side of the field. "When it's summoned to your side of the field, I draw a card. I'll then activate the continuous spell Birthday Gift Exchange! When I xyz summon, I can use Birthday monsters you control that I own. So, using our three level 1 monsters, I build the overlay network!"
The two tickets gain a golden aura while the popper gains a red aura before they are flung in the overlay network. "I xyz summon Number 29: Secret Santa!" A blue gift box appears before unraveling and rearranging into a mechanical rendition of Santa Claus, this version carrying a candy cane. (Rank 1/1000) So this is her number card, Twilight thought. If it's anything like Sunset's, I'm in trouble.
"I activate Secret Santa's effect! By using one overlay unit, he can place one card from my hand or graveyard on your side of the field." One of the three overlay units orbiting Secret Santa is absorbed into his cane. He takes the card from Pinkie's hand and starts his work, wrapping it in a box and handing it to Twilight, who awkwardly accepts it. She opens the lid and inside is a spell card which immediately flies into Twilight's duel disk, activating itself.
"Your present is Birthday Game – Pin the Tail! During your battle phase, your monsters have a chance of changing their battle position, but if you destroy a Birthday monster I control, you'll get to draw a card and destroy Pin the Tail! With that, I set a card and end my turn." "My newest observation:" Starswirl commented. "Duelists can use a wide variety of strategies, including those that make no sense. It would be best to find a way around this game if you wish to win the duel."
"I know that!" Twilight complained as she drew her card. "Anyway, I activate the spell Comet Bombardment! Since I control a spellcaster-type xyz monster, you take 300 damage for every overlay unit it has." Star Sparkle's two overlay units fly towards Pinkie Pie, pummeling her before returning to Star Sparkle. (Pinkie Pie 3500-2900) Twilight chooses another box to open, this time one a little further away from her, but it is once again empty. "I enter my battle phase, so let's get this over with." A blindfold appears over Star Sparkle before he is spun around by an invisible force. Luckily, after he is finished spinning, he is still in attack position. "Alright! Star Sparkle, attack Secret Santa with Star Power!" Star Sparkle charges energy at the top of its staff, then fires the energy at Secret Santa.
"I activate my face-down, Birthday Game – Shell Game!" Two small gremlins appear next to Secret Santa before disappearing behind three cups, which rearrange themselves so fast Twilight can hardly keep track. "Secret Santa and two of my Birthday monsters are hidden behind these cups. If you attack Secret Santa, all of my cards will be destroyed. But if you guess wrong, the Birthday monsters will be summoned to your side of the field, and who knows what they'll do over there!" Pinkie Pie chuckles to herself.
Twilight, hesitantly, points to the middle cup. "Star Sparkle, attack the middle cup!" Star Sparkle fires an energy beam at the middle cup, revealing another Birthday Popper. "Oops, you guessed wrong!" Pinkie Pie declares as the Popper bounces over to Twilight's side of the field and yells at her. (Twilight 3500-3000) "It's that time again." Pinkie snaps her fingers and again the boxes are reset, then rearranged. The dizzying effect causes Twilight to shake her head and glare at Pinkie Pie.
"I've had it with these stupid games! From my hand, I activate the quick-play spell Milky Way, letting Star Sparkle attack all monsters you control!" Star Sparkle fires another shot, this time at the rightmost cup. A flying collection of candy is revealed. "Ooh, tough luck. You attacked Birthday Candy, so he goes over to your side of the field as well." Pinkie Pie remarks as the monster hops on over to join Birthday Popper. (Level 1/0)
"When Birthday Candy is summoned, all monsters you control lose all their attack points." Star Sparkle and Birthday Popper are buried in a pile of candy. (Star Sparkle 2500-0) (Birthday Popper 500-0) "It would appear that you guessed wrong." Starswirl remarks. "Oh, did I?" Twilight replies sarcastically. "I end my turn." As she does, Secret Santa flies out of the last cup. "You're impatient." Starswirl chided Twilight. "If you wish to win against your opponent, you must learn their strategy so that you may best counter it."
"I draw!" Pinkie Pie declares triumphantly. "I use the effect of Big Birthday Bash to summon a Birthday Popper to my side of the field and another Birthday Ticket for you!" The monsters appear on their respective sides of the field. "Not only does Birthday Ticket let me draw a card, but Birthday Popper lets me gain 500 life points." (Pinkie 2900-3400) Twilight grits her teeth in frustration, but says nothing.
"Using the effect of Birthday Gift Exchange, I use the two level 1 Birthday Poppers and the level 1 Birthday Ticket in order to build the overlay network!" "Another xyz monster?" Twilight asked. "I xyz summon Birthday Sugar Rush!" A girl in rainbow-colored rags with wild hair appeared. (Rank 1/1000) "I use Sugar Rush's effect! By using one overlay unit, all my monsters can attack twice this turn." One of Sugar Rush's overlay units is absorbed into her hair, and she lets out a primal howl.
"Since each monster has 1000 attack points and our monsters have none, if you do not stop this onslaught, we will lose the duel." Starswirl explained as his body started to fade in and out. "And I will die." "Sugar Rush, attack Birthday Candy with Birthday Bash!" The monster leapt forward with manic speed, tearing the popper to shreds. (Twilight 3000-2000) "I'll do this again, just for fun." Pinkie snaps her fingers, and the boxes rearrange themselves again.
"Secret Santa, attack Star Sparkle with Holiday Fever!" The jolly elf twirls his candy cane and points it at Star Sparkle, summoning a blizzard. "I activate my face-down, Spacial Fold!" Twilight replies while trying to regain her footing. "My xyz monster isn't destroyed, and you take the battle damage instead of me." A portal appears around Star Sparkle, and as the snow descends on him, it is absorbed by the portal and reappears behind Pinkie, blanketing her in snow. (Pinkie 3400-2400)
Twilight takes the opportunity to search the box right behind her, but it is once again empty, which concerns Twilight, but she keeps her concern to herself. "Secret Santa, attack again! Holiday Fever!" Pinkie declares out of the snow as Secret Santa begins the attack anew. "I activate the effect of Star Sparkle!" Twilight counters. "By using one overlay unit, I can reactivate one spell from my graveyard. I choose Spacial Fold! Magical Talent!"
Star Sparkle twirls his staff and forms a constellation, which forms a circle. One of his overlay units infuses the circle, causing it to become the same as the portal from Spacial Fold. As before, the snow attack is flung through the portal and hits Pinkie Pie again. (Pinkie 2400-1400) This time, Twilight doesn't move from her spot. "You're not going to make another attempt to find Spike?" Starswirl asks. Twilight shakes her head. "I'm focusing on the duel right now." Pinkie Pie struggles out of the snow pile with a huff. "You're such a spoil sport! I went to all this trouble just to wish you a happy birthday and you ruin everything!" She stomps her foot in rage three times to emphasize the last word.
"I'll show you how to behave at one of my parties! Sugar Rush, attack Star Sparkle with Birthday Bash!" Sugar Rush starts charging towards Star Sparkle, which confuses Twilight. "But even if I take damage, Sugar Rush can't destroy Star Sparkle, since it isn't a number monster." "It doesn't matter if I deal enough damage to you!" Pinkie Pie explains. "I activate my spell Overlay Charge-up! By detaching two overlay units from Sugar Rush, its attack points are doubled!" The last two overlay units from Sugar Rush explode, propelling Sugar Rush forward. (Sugar Rush 1000-2000)
"Then I'll activate my second face-down, Arcane Boost! Star Sparkle gains 500 attack for every spell card in my graveyard until the end of the turn!" Star Sparkle is infused with energy (Star Sparkle 0-2000) "I then activate the effect of Star Sparkle to reactivate Mirror Reaction! Magical Talent!" Star Sparkle creates another constellation, this one in his own image. (Star Sparkle 2000-4500)
The real Sugar Rush crashes into the trio, the shockwave sending Pinkie Pie flying backwards. (Pinkie 1400-0) Starswirl stretches his hand towards Pinkie, and Number 29: Secret Santa is pulled towards Twilight, who catches it. "Any new memories?" Twilight asks. Starswirl looks at the card intently, then receives a vision of a glimmering city, bathed in light. "Astral World. That is the name of my home. I come from Astral World."
Twilight smiles as she walks up the stairs towards Pinkie Pie and offers her hand. "Whuh? What happened?" Pinkie asks, which doesn't surprise Twilight. Sunset didn't remember anything from their duel either, so that seemed to be a pattern. "You kidnapped my friend, remember?" Pinkie scratches the back of her head nervously. "Oh yeah, sorry about that. I guess I got a little carried away." She snaps her fingers, and another panel of the wall opens up. Spike, tied up and gagged, falls out of the hole.
"How did you know that he wasn't in one of the boxes?" Pinkie asks Twilight, who kneels down to untie Spike. "It was that one spell you played, Shell Game." Twilight explained. "It's a classic con game, where people are tricked into trying to find the shell in the cups when the shell has actually been hidden somewhere else. I figured you must have been doing something similar with the boxes."
Pinkie chuckles nervously. "I hope you won't hold this against me. I really don't know what came over me." Twilight, knowing what did come over her, shook her head. "Don't worry about it. We know you weren't in your right mind. Right, Spike?" Spike looks at his captor, who tries to summon her best puppy-dog eyes. "Eh, I guess for someone as crazy as Twilight, a birthday as crazy as this would be needed." This causes Pinkie to laugh and Twilight to stick out her tongue at Spike.
...
The next morning…
Twilight felt much better about herself. While her birthday was kinda hectic, not only did she manage to get another number card, she got a new friend in Pinkie Pie, who even goes to the same school as her, which explains how she was able to pull off all those pranks yesterday. As she continued walking to school, she heard a strange sound like crackling electricity, followed by a thunderous boom. This struck her as odd, since there were no rain clouds in the sky, but she jumped as she heard a sound like a crash ahead of her. She ran forward and saw a girl on a weird red motorcycle, crashed into one of the lampposts. "Are you alright?" She asked the girl, who massaged her head as she looked around. "I think so. Where am I, and who are you?" "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and you're in Heartland City."