Yu-gi-oh/MLP Season 1 Chapter 18

And the Race is On

Within the garage supplied to Twilight in Heartland Stadium, both she and Ruby looked over the duel runner supplied to her. It was certainly more advanced than the one Spitfire used; Ruby could feel a new energy source in there, but it wasn't Ener-D. What was it, then? Ruby looked over to Twilight, who was looking out of the entrance to the waiting crowd.

"I can't believe that I've gotten this far." Twilight said. "It seems like just yesterday that I was too scared of my own shadow to even pick up a duel disk, and now, thanks to you, I'm here." Ruby smiled. "I may have taught you a thing or two, but this was all you and Starswirl. You're the one who made it this far." She handed Twilight her helmet. "Now, make me proud."

Twilight put the helmet on and mounted her duel runner before heading out to the track, where the crowd cheered on. Unbeknownst to either of them, a device was hidden on her duel runner, waiting to go off. "ARE YOU READY, HEARTLAND?" Mr. Heartland announced over the speakers. "IT'S THE FIRST ROUND OF THE WORLD DUEL CARNIVAL! OUR DUELISTS ARE TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND WOLF!"

Twilight looked over to her opponent, a man with silver hair and a hungry expression. "I wish you good luck on your first official turbo duel." Starswirl said, which earned a smile from Twilight. "Thanks." She replied. The two duelists revved their engines, waiting for the starting light to turn green. Interestingly, the field spell activated wasn't Speed World 2, but a new field spell called Speed World Heart.

Twilight looked over the field spell; like Speed World 2, it gave both players a speed counter during the standby phase, but they also gained three speed counters whenever they summoned a monster from the extra deck, and could remove speed counters for different effects. Three let them draw a card, six gave a level 4 or lower monster from the extra deck, nine destroyed a card on the field, and twelve dealt 2000 damage to the opponent. It would take some getting used to, but Twilight was up for it.

"RIDING DUEL, ACCELERATION!"

They went off like a bullet, wowing the crowd who had never seen this kind of dueling before. It started out pretty neck-and-neck, but Twilight's training with Ruby let her take the lead, and thus the first turn. "I draw! I summon Magician's Valkyria!" (Level 4/1600) "Then, since I just summoned a spellcaster-type monster, I can summon Shadow Mage from my hand!" A shadowy double of Magician's Valkyria emerges from the ground. (Level 4/0)

"I then activate the effect of Traffic Magician in my hand, special summoning it since I have two or more spellcasters!" A magician wearing a hard hat and whistle flies in. (Level 4/1800) "I use my level 4 Magician's Valkyria, Shadow Mage, and Traffic Magician in order to build the overlay network! I xyz summon Alchemic Magician!" (Rank 4/1500) (Ruby 0-3) "I see." Starswirl said. "Speed World Heart rewards summoning as many monsters from the extra deck as possible."

"I activate the effect of Alchemic Magician! By spending one overlay unit and discarding a card, I can set one spell from my deck!" An overlay unit is absorbed into one of the beakers Alchemic Magician is carrying and it starts to boil and bubble. Alchemic Magician throws the beaker onto the ground, creating a set card. "And since Alchemic Magician gains 200 attack for every spell in my graveyard, it gains 200 attack for the spell I just discarded." (Alchemic Magician 1500-1700) "I end my turn."

"TWILIGHT HAS JUST MADE AN EXPLOSIVE START TO THE DUEL! NOW, LET'S SEE HOW WOLF RESPONDS!"

Wolf scoffed. "All that work for only 1700 attack points? Let me show you a real duel. I draw!" (Wolf 0-1, Twilight 3-4) "I summon Magnet Ape Epsilon!" A metallic ape whose joints are held together by magnets appears. (Level 4/1700) "I only needed a normal summon to get that many attack points. I set two cards and end my turn." Meanwhile, his two compatriots in a van elsewhere were hard at work, getting their little "surprise" ready.

"I draw!" (Wolf 1-2, Twilight 4-5) "I activate my face-down Speed Spell Overlay Boost! By removing 4 speed counters," (Twilight 5-1) "This turn, Alchemic Magician can attack once for every overlay unit attached to it." Both of Alchemic Magician's overlay units attach to her back as rocket boosters. (Alchemic Magician 1700-1900) "Alchemic Magician, attack Magnet Ape Epsilon with Alchemic Mastery!"

One of the boosters on Alchemic Magician's back ignites, propelling her forward and letting her punch through Epsilon. (Wolf 4000-3800) "I activate my face-down Speed Recovery! Since you just destroyed my monster by battle, not only is it returned to the field in the same position, but I gain a speed counter." Epsilon's shattered parts pull back together, leaving the monster no worse for wear. (Wolf 2-3)

"Alchemic Magician, attack again with Alchemic Mastery!" The second rocket ignites, and Alchemic Magician again destroys Magnet Ape Epsilon. (Wolf 3800-3600) "You little punk! You'll pay for that! Since Epsilon was just destroyed again, Speed Recovery gives me two more speed counters." (Wolf 3-5) Twilight rolls her eyes. "I set a card and end my turn."

"TWILIGHT HAS JUST UNLEASHED A BARRAGE OF ATTACKS ON WOLF! WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN A RESPONSE FROM HIM, BUT IT MIGHT JUST BE A DOOZY!"

Oh, I'll show you a doozy, Wolf thought. "I draw!" (Wolf 5-6, Twilight 1-2) "I activate my other face-down Call of the Haunted, bringing back Magnet Ape Epsilon!" A tombstone appears with Epsilon's name, and the ape crawls out of the ground next to it. "Again?" Twilight asks. "Don't you have any other monsters?"

Wolf smirks. "I activate the speed spell Speed Fusion! If I have 4 or more speed counters, I can perform a fusion summon, using monsters from my hand or side of the field. I fuse the Magnet Ape Epsilon I control with the Magnet Eagle Delta and Magnet Crocodile Zeta in my hand!" A red metallic eagle and a metallic crocodile appear to join Epsilon. The three are then pulled together in a blurring swirl.

"The fangs, teeth, and pure muscle of my monsters join together to create an unstoppable beast! Fusion Summon! Appear, Electromagnetic Magnedragon!" A huge metallic dragon with golden wings like antennae flies in. (Level 8/3500) (Wolf 6-9)

"AMAZING! WOLF HAS JUST CREATED A HUGE FUSION MONSTER THAT TOWERS OVER ALCHEMIC MAGICIAN!"

"I then activate the effect of Speed World Heart, removing 9 speed counters to destroy one card on the field. I choose your face-down!" (Wolf 9-0) A bolt fires from Wolf's duel runner, destroying Twilight's set Negate Attack. "Magnedragon, show her who's boss with Magnet Force of Destruction!" The two wings of Magnedragon start to reverberate, creating a shockwave that flies towards Alchemic Magician.

"And when Magnedragon destroys your monster in battle, you take damage equal to its attack points!" "Too bad that won't happen!" Twilight replies. "I activate the effect of Star Kuriboh in my hand, preventing the destruction of my xyz monster by discarding it." A glowing puff ball appears and creates a force field that blocks the shockwave. (Twilight 4000-2400)

Wolf laughs. "Aw, it's so cute! But it won't help you forever. I set a card and end my turn." At this time, Twilight and Wolf were just nearing a bend, so Wolf's boys activate their surprise; the device attached to Twilight's duel runner inserts a virus that rewrites her auto-pilot to crash into the wall. However, since Twilight's auto-pilot is currently off, she doesn't even notice any change, much to their confusion and dismay.

"I draw!" (Wolf 0-1, Twilight 2-3) "I activate my face-down Xyz Wall!" Wolf interrupts. "This turn, xyz monsters can't attack or activate their effects! Your little alchemist is useless!" Twilight smirks. "Well, that would be a big trouble for me, if I was only using xyz monsters. I summon the tuner monster Ebon Synchron!" A black-colored satellite appears. (Level 3/900)

"A tuner?" Wolf repeated, certain that Twilight's profile didn't mention being able to synchro summon. "When I use Ebon Synchron for a synchro summon, I can treat an xyz monster I control as a monster with a level equal to its rank! I tune my level 3 Ebon Synchron with my now Level 4 Alchemic Magician! The stars align to create a brand new power. Descend to Earth and show off your brilliance! Synchro Summon! Appear, Galaxy Magician!" A wizard wearing a space-suit and carrying a star-map appears. (Level 7/3000) (Twilight 3-6)

"TWILIGHT HAS JUST COMBINED SYNCHRO AND XYZ MONSTERS TOGETHER! WHAT WILL THIS STRANGE NEW COMBINATION BE CAPABLE OF?"

"If I used an xyz monster to synchro summon Galaxy Magician, for every overlay unit that was attached to it, Galaxy Magician gains an overlay counter." Twilight explains as Alchemic Magician's Overlay units appear next to Galaxy Magician. "Galaxy Magician can attack once for every overlay counter on it. I then activate the effect of Speed World Heart, removing 6 speed counters," (Twilight 6-0) "to special summon a level 4 or lower monster from my hand, deck, or graveyard. I choose Force Magician!" (Level 4/1800)

"I then activate Galaxy Magician's special ability! By banishing any number of spellcasters from my field or graveyard, Galaxy Magician gains attack equal to their combined levels and ranks times 100! Stars Align!" The spectral images of Force Magician, Alchemic Magician, Ebon Synchron, Traffic Magician, Shadow Mage, and Magician's Valkyria all appear as constellations in the sky. (Galaxy Magician 3000-5300) "Galaxy Magician, attack Electromagnetic Magnedragon! Constellation Cascade!" Galaxy Magician points towards Magnedragon, and many stars fall from the sky onto it, vaporizing it. (Wolf 3600-1800-0)

"WITH A STELLAR SHOWDOWN, TWILIGHT WINS THIS ROUND OF THE WORLD DUEL CARNIVAL!"

...

The two duelists inside the van watch the duel from their TV with a sense of dread. They had just failed their boss and their employer. As if haunting them, one of their phones rang, indicating Rarity was calling. "Hello?" The one answered sheepishly. "What was that? Did you even do anything? I wanted her gone!"

"Well, our method relied on her using the duel runner's auto-pilot, but she didn't have it on." he explained, hoping it would satisfy her. "...I see. In that case, you're not getting paid. Oh, and this is how you kill someone, you utter morons." Those were the last words they heard before the bomb under their van detonated.

...

Twilight braked her duel runner and ran to hug Ruby. "I did it!" "Nice job, Twilight!" Ruby replied. "Congratulations. You're officially a turbo duelist now." Twilight beamed with optimism, ready for anything the World Duel Carnival would throw at her next.