"Glad everyone is here," said Sunny as she gathered her friends in a room.
"I mean, four of us," said Zipp.
"Right, well, for now, that's all we have," sighed Sunny as she pulled out a remote and the screen projector behind her turned on. "So I just received word from Principal Celestia about the Friendship Games. We have a small idea of what to expect."
Sunny pushed the button as several things appeared.
"So according to the Friendship Games, since it's the 30th one, it's going to be big. One field of the Games will consist of Academia. Every subject from Math, Home EC, and everything in between. Also, some trivia."
"What kind of trivia?" asked Hitch.
"Anything. So be prepared," the girl responded to her best friend. "Another thing we're going to expect is several athletic events."
"Well, Hitch and I can cover those," stated Zipp.
"And then, of course, there's the dueling aspect. But… that requires at least a full team to participate. And we only have four."
"Make that five."
The four turned as Pipp appeared.
"Pipp?" said Zipp as she looked at her little sister.
"Sorry, guys. But… I'm back," said the pop star as she approached her friends.
"Yippee!" said Izzy as she rushed toward Pipp and hugged her tightly so that she lifted her off the ground.
"I missed your hugs too, Izzy. But it's too tight!" said Pipp, tapping Izzy's shoulder to lighten her hug.
"Glad to have you back, sis," said Zipp.
"Well, I had some help," responded Pipp as she flashed a wink, the older sibling understanding what she meant.
"Glad you're back, Pipp."
"Sorry to keep you guys waiting. But I'm here now, Sunny."
"Alright, we got five now," stated Zipp.
"We're still missing two," responded Hitch, as they still needed two more teammates.
While the five friends were going over the criteria for the upcoming Friendship Games, the three family members were in their dorm building, gathered around the living room. Mario stood behind the main couch with his arms crossed as Flurry and Roll sat on the couches facing each other; all three were currently watching the TV as the latest buildup for Isaac vs Applejack at Super Showdown was airing. The two duelists were gathered in the same room and sat down just a few meters apart. Juniper was between them as the mediator, and a camera crew was facing them.
"Welcome, everyone. Super Showdown will take over at the Las Vegas strip in just under three weeks. The main event between you, Isaac, and you, Applejack, has been set. But before that, Isaac, you're competing in a tag team duel tonight. And you've set to find a partner. So, going in, right now, it's a handicap. So I must ask, are you gonna ask Aj to be your partner for tonight's main event match?"
"Whoa, whoa, Juniper. You don't have to ask Aj that question because I don't want a partner. And at this point in time, she'd be the last person I want as my partner." said Isaac as he pointed and glared at the cowgirl.
"You're going to answer all my questions, huh, sugarcube?" said Aj as Isaac's action disrespected her. "You were going to ask me the question, Juniper?"
"Yes."
"So you gonna answer my question for me, huh?" said the cowgirl, glaring at Isaac again.
"Okay… obviously, that wasn't a good question, and that's on me," said Juniper, taking full responsibility for what just happened. "But let's talk about Super Showdown. This is undoubtedly the most eagerly anticipated main event in Super Showdown history. This certainly could be the biggest main event in Super Showdown history. So, Isaac… what does being World Champion, as a professional, what does it mean to you being World Champion?"
"Well, being World Champion, uh, solidifies the mountaintop. It solidifies that you've grabbed that brass ring. That's something I've worked very hard for my entire life. I grew up with this game. So being World Champion solidifies the fact that I'm the absolute best."
"Applejack, you recently talked about the hellacious journey personally for you to get back here. Have you changed your thoughts about what this match means?" asked Juniper.
"No, I didn't change a damn thing about what I thought. It means Applejack is in the main event. You can stop talking about it! The journey is over. It's Applejack versus Isaac for the third time and for the title of World Champion. That's what it is!" stated the country gal.
"It certainly seems to me, and certainly not degrading, what it means to be a World Champion because that's it. Anybody who journeys into the pro scene, as you have said, Applejack, is to be here for one thing and one thing only, and that's to become a World Champion. But it seems to me that the friendship between you two has heightened, to me, the personal animosity between you two."
"What's heightened a lot of things is the animosity, professional as well as personal. The fact of the matter is this: I never wanted things to go this way, Aj."
"Then you should probably have kept your word, huh, sugar! You said all I had to do was come to you and ask for a title match. I did that, and you shot me down. You said no! You went back on your word. So I had to take matters into my own hands, and if it meant dropping you on your ass, I'd gladly do it again." growled the country gal. "And I'll tell you right now, city slicker, I don't appreciate your voice when you mention my name. You might want to take a little bass out of your voice."
"Well, I might not," scowled Isaac.
"Okay, okay," said Juniper, trying to keep things on track.
"Hold on, Juniper. Let me speak. Let's simplify things. Let's take the cameras, the people, the glory, and the fame out of this match. Bam, they're not a factor. The fact of the matter is this, Isaac. You're the World Champion, and I want to beat you to become World Champion. Simple as that. Can we change how we got here? No! Just don't even worry about it. Just don't even go there. I did what I did to get the rematch that I rightfully deserve, the one that you screwed me out of. You got what I want. Simple as that!" shouted Applejack.
"People are wondering, uh, the animosity… do you two hate each other?" asked Juniper. "Personally, Aj, what do you think of Isaac? He is the champion. Personally? As a human being?"
"Personally, what do I think about Isaac? He's a wonderful human being who I thought had been a friend for over 15 years. Someone who I thought had my back. In my opinion, I could care less about you, Isaac. Personally."
"Your thoughts?" asked Juniper to her client.
"You know, i-i-it's no mystery. There's no mystery about how I feel about Applejack, and there's no mystery about how she feels about me. We've gone from good to bad, bad to good; we've done it all across the whole spectrum. The fact of the matter is this: professionally… I've earned Aj's respect."
"But I haven't earned yours, right? Because according to you, I'm not in the same class as your other opponents. You know people like Shining Armor, Rainbow Dash, Sunset Shimmer, Sugarcoat, Indigo Zap. Your words, remember!" scowled Aj at her former friend.
"Yeah," growled Isaac, looking at the country gal. "When we get on that field, she brings the best out of me as I do her. So you want to know how I feel about her personally… personally… I don't like her."
"I-I-I don't think we should let this degenerate from the…"
"I'm trying to be professional here!" said Applejack as she cut off Juniper after hearing Isaac say that about her. "Well, that shit ain't gonna last much longer if you keep sassing me!" The country gal glaring at Isaac.
"Well, well, let's focus back on Super Showdown…"
"How come you never asked me what it means to be World Champion, huh?" barked Applejack at Juniper for skipping over her.
"Alright, good question," responded Juniper immediately.
"You said what it's like to be World Champion to become World Champion, but you never asked me what it means to be World Champion, huh?" responded Aj as she went off on a tangent.
"Well, Aj, what does…"
"I'll paraphrase everything he said. And that's to be the number sum bitch in this industry!" yelled Aj as she didn't let Juniper talk. "Bottom line! That's my opinion of what being World Champion is. Don't you think you should ask me the question too, huh?!"
"W-Well, okay."
"Kinda one-side if you ask me!" shouted Aj.
"Alright, well, I'll ask you another question, if you don't mind. And that question is: As the challenger, the pressure is gonna be on you in the MGM Grand Arena because we're looking at one fall. One duelist when their Life Points reach zero. 60-minute time limit. He's the World Champion." said Juniper as she pointed at Isaac. "He does have to beat you, but you damn sure have to beat him. Strategically, does that change game plans, mindset, or is it still full speed ahead?"
"It's full speed ahead because when I get in there with Isaac in the MGM Grand Arena. 165,000 fans watching every single move that happens in that duel. Yeah, I got to beat that man. I've never dueled for an hour in my life, but if that's what it takes to get the job done, that's exactly what I'll do. My strategy is to go in there and do whatever it takes to beat Isaac. One, two, three to become World Champion."
"Isaac, without revealing your hand and your strategy, your mindset as your approach this… competitor to competitor?" asked Juniper.
"Revealing my hand and my strategy? The fact of the matter is this: You brought up a very good point, Juniper. Is that I don't have to beat Applejack, but she has to beat me. But as far as I'm concerned, that title is dangling over our heads, and we're both reaching for it. So I got one reason and one reason only to go inside that ring: to beat Applejack. It's just that simple. What, I'm just suppose to go in there and back off because I'm the champion?"
"Yeah, I'm glad you said that!" Aj immediately responded to Isaac. "Because I don't want you to be on defense the whole time in our duel. Yeah, I appreciate the fact that you want to beat me as much as I need to beat you. Because I don't want you on defense the whole night long. I appreciate the fact you wanna whip my ass, but it ain't gonna happen, sugar! I appreciate your mentality!"
"Oh, I'm glad you appreciate that mentality! I really do! I appreciate the fact that you acknowledge I wanna whip your ass and then some. Let's see how much you appreciate that in just three weeks when I tap that ass and more!" barked Isaac with intensity in his voice, causing Aj to smirk.
"You know you got that t-shirt of yours that says just bring it, huh? Well, that night when you're looking up at the lights and that little t-shirt that says just bring it… you will know that Applejack just brought it."
"Yeah, well, you got your little t-shirt there too that says: Yeehaw, bitch. Well, I say, just bring it, you say, yeehaw bitch. Well, at Super Showdown, why don't you just try to ride this bull, cowgirl? You'll see this rodeo ain't like the ones you've been to in the past. So saddle up, blondie!" barked Isaac.
"Well, obviously… the emotion and I understand what's at stake here," said Juniper, trying to reel things in. What's at stake is the title of World Champion? But in closing this interview, I appreciate your professionalism from both of you. I know it's not easy. Any closing remarks, Isaac? From the champion to the challenger?"
"Yeah, we could talk about one fall, two falls, 60 minutes, 60 days. We could talk about how I gonna give Aj the receipt she's gonna coming to her. I could care less if this is the end of our friendship. I could care less! The fact of the matter is this! The only thing that matters. Super Showdown, in the main event. Applejack and Isaac. One of the biggest main events of all time. The fact of the matter is this, I will give you every drop of sweat, every drop of blood, every ounce of energy I have. Win, lose, or draw. You are gonna get the absolute best of me at Super Showdown. And there's a reason why they call me the Prince. And there's a reason why they call me the best. The number one. The next King of Games and all that. Come Super Showdown, two unstoppable forces will meet. And all questions will be answered."
"Applejack, your final thoughts on this match?" asked Juniper.
"Yeah… without getting overly sentimental, I'll go on record and say it every single time that I've been in a duel with Isaac. He's brought out the absolute best in me. So when I roll into Super Showdown, do I want to beat you on a personal level? Oh, hell yeah, I do! But on a professional level, which bleeds over into my personal existence? I need to beat you, Isaac. I need it more than anything you could ever imagine. So that's the mentality when I roll into Super Showdown with the fact that Applejack is here and that I must beat Isaac to become World Champion. And there is no other way! There can be only one. There can be only one World Champion… and that will be Isaac when it's all said and done… Applejack. With all due respect!"
The two duelists glared at each other as they said their piece.
"Thank you two for your time. And best of luck to both of you at Super Showdown," said Juniper as she signaled for the camera to cut off.
"What do you make of it, prima?" asked Flurry.
"Nervous. For both Dad and Auntie Aj," said Roll.
"I'm more worried about whether they'll be able to make up after this is all done," said Flurry.
"Pff!" responded Mario as he turned to head to the fridge.
"So, did he send you guys front-row seats?" asked Flurry.
"Right here," said Roll as she showed her cousin the envelope they received this morning, which had front-row tickets their father had secured for the big grand event in Las Vegas.
"Well, I can't wait to see Aunty Twiliy," the Crystal Prep girl responded, looking forward to heading to Las Vegas for her uncle's big-time duel. "By the way, primo, I heard what you did?"
"What are you on about?" asked Mario.
"Come on, primo. Do you know who you're talking to? And do you know what I'm referring to?"
"I just helped a friend. That's it. Plus, I was tired of being a crying pillow," the boy responded.
"If you say so," smirked Flurry as she knew about her cousin's help getting Pipp to refocus. "So… are you two still joining your friends or…"
"I made my decision," said Roll as Mario was shocked to hear that from his own little sister. "I'll tell everyone what it is tomorrow."
"Hope it's the right one, cousin," said Flurry, looking at her family member.
In woodshop class, the sound of a wood being sawed was heard. Drills and other tools echoed around the room. Among the many sounds was Izzy, as the girl was wearing her goggles and humming to herself. She unscrewed a set of wheels from a small minecart; she put them on the tiny dancers she made and placed them on the platform. The girl lifted her goggles and smiled when she noticed some blueprints next to her. Izzy looked to her left as Phin was currently drawing up plans on a sheet of paper with many numbers and sketches. The Crystal Prep girl was mumbling as she grabbed a protractor and calculated the precise degree to which her design should have.
"What you got there?" asked Izzy as she peeked over at the girl's table.
"I'm mapping out my design for my creation," answered Phin as she drew one last line before putting her pencil down and looking at her blueprints.
On the sheet of paper was a sketch of a skyscraper.
"Ooh, nice," said Izzy. "But maybe you should add some flowers. I'm thinking, right here…"
"Don't touch!" said the girl as she swatted Izzy's hand away from ruining the sketch she made. "I spent fifteen minutes creating the perfect plan. I don't need anything ruining it."
"My bad. But are you going to have enough time to make it?" asked Izzy, as they only had ten minutes left before the teacher would check what they had made.
"I only need five," boasted the Crystal Prep girl as she got to work, and lowered the special goggles she wore on her head.
Izzy shrugged as she returned to her own project and grabbed a sandpaper to rough out some edges. Meanwhile, Phin got to work on making her design come to life. Izzy had put the finishing touches on her latest project as she made a mini stage with figures that were actors performing a play. She created a nice backdrop that depicted a forest full of mystery and wonder, along with crystals.
"Alright, Ms. Moonbow, let's see," said the teacher as he came by her desk and saw her project. "Oh, my. Very well constructed, Ms. Moonbow. Nice aesthetics and use of wood. Stellar work as always."
"Thank you," smiled Izzy.
Just then, the class's attention was grabbed. Some sounds began to play as Phin was shown with her project. She assembled her skyscraper and gave it a lavish coat of color. Not only that, but she added a small neighborhood alongside her initial design, as thousands of tiny figures were shown in different levels. At the top of the tower was a Crystal Prep flag.
"My, my, Ms. Phin. I'm amazed."
"Yes, of course," said the Crystal Prep girl with some cockiness in her voice. "As you can see, the initial design was to create an environment that reflects metropolitan society. As well as the rigorous work ethic often discussed in big cities."
"Excellent craftsmanship. Phenomenal colors. And an even superb design from which it stemmed. Congrats." said the teacher as he gave the girl her grade. "I didn't think anybody else could score higher than Ms. Moonbow. Good job."
"Thanks," said Phin as she looked at Izzy with a smirk.
The other students, CHS and Crystal Prep gathered around Phin's desk as they admired her work. Izzy just watched from afar as her figures shut down as if sensing the girl's thoughts about what she had heard. She looked at the project she had made, and it felt like it paled compared to what Phin had created in way less time than she had taken. When class ended, Izzy walked in the hallway as Phin approached her. Many other students passing by congratulated her on what she accomplished as the girl just soaked all the attention in as expected.
"Hey. How did you…"
"I've been drawing since I was a little kid," said Phin as she cut off Izzy. "My mom and dad said I had an artistic eye for things. As for me, I just love sketching things out. It bled into Duel Monsters, and I devised different plans and strategies for approaching my enemies. Flurry liked my skills so much that she named me the Architect. I've been the brains behind Crystal Prep's strategy against our opponents."
"Wow," said Izzy, impressed to learn more about the girl who was supposed to be her enemy at the upcoming Games.
"I do have a dream. I want to become an architect. I plan on going to school after I graduate. My dream is to be the world's top architect, " said the girl, who couldn't help but smile.
"Aw, that's a nice dream," said Izzy. "So, what about those goggles on your head?"
"These were a gift from my father," said Phin as she reached up to remove her goggles and look at them. "He got them when he went on a trip overseas. He's an art collector. And seeing as how I had a passion for drawing, one of the shop owners gave him these. They said it's been blessed, so whoever wears them can make their imaginations come true."
"Really?" said Izzy as she found that to be fascinating. "I have something similar back home."
"What?" responded Phin.
"The Great Wishing Tree of Bridlewood. Where else?" replied Izzy, as if this knowledge should be common sense.
"Right…" said Phin. Clearly, she didn't understand what Izzy was saying, but she went along with it for her own mental benefit.
Izzy grabbed the goggles from the girl and strapped them on.
"Oh, cool shades!" said Izzy as she flipped the switch on the side of the goggles. The girl was going through the different shades she had installed herself, as she was a fan favorite of the rainbow setting with glitter fireworks going off.
"Give me that!" said Phin as she yanked her possession from Izzy's face and looked at the girl for touching her stuff without her permission. "Note to self: Remove the rainbow shade setting. I don't know why I installed that in the first place."
The Crystal Prep girl walked with her goggles in her hand as Izzy shrugged and skipped along with the girl. Phin was messing with her goggles as she flipped the other switch on them to be given a small schematic scan of her device. Once the device had finished running its scan, the girl looked at her goggles as a small display showed her the delete button for the rainbow setting shade. She lifted her finger to confirm the choice, but she hesitated. At that moment, the Crystal Prep girl had a brief recollection of a memory. It was a memory she carried with her as it consisted of her father.
The girl's father presented the girl with her goggles after returning from his latest trip. The girl was fascinated with the new toy as her father sat down and spoke with his daughter.
"I want you to know, sweetie. That nothing should restrict you from letting your creativity flow. If you always stay in the lines, you won't be able to explore about yourself. Great artists don't become great if they follow the same guidelines or designs. They take chances. So don't be afraid to change the plan every now and then. Who knows, what you redesign might be better than you originally thought."
The Crystal Prep girl heard her father's words as she sighed. Phin moved her finger to the deny button as the device powered down. She put on the goggles and flipped the switch on the right as the rainbow shade setting appeared, allowing her to see the beautiful sight and the glitter fireworks going off. For a second, the girl smiled as she shut them off and pushed the things up to rest on her head.
Both Izzy and Phin continued to walk through the halls. Izzy came to her locker to fetch something inside. As she approached her locker and opened it, to Phin's surprise, Izzy had a spray-painted glitter version of herself on it, which raised an eyebrow from the Crystal Prep girl.
"You spray-painted yourself with glitter on your locker?" asked the girl.
"Well, duh," said Izzy as she reached for her spray can and shook it before spraying her glittering portrait.
"Tacky," scoffed Phin.
"Hey!" said Izzy, offended by Phin's remark. She then gasped and went up to her painting with a smile and sparkles in her eyes. "Don't you listen to her. You're perfect just as the way you are. Aren't you, you cuty little Iz." She said cutely as she hugged her locker door with her painting while making kissing noises.
"How does Mario put up with you?" Phin mumbled to herself while Izzy still admired her self-portrait.
"We're both talented artists, aren't we?" said Izzy to her portrait and Phin.
"Please. I don't waste time with useless projects. Unlike you of all people." stated the Crystal Prep girl as Izzy ceased her hugging and looked at her to see the disapproving look on her face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Izzy.
"You really are an idiot, aren't you?" scoffed Phin. "Unlike you, I know what the hell I'm doing. Unlike you, I don't waste my time with little trinkets and stuff I just randomly put together. I'm a creator… not some junk collector like you. I design things. I make plans. I design the blueprints and follow them. I have a plan when it comes to building, you… you just think everything is a joke and everything is sunshine and rainbows. Listen up, hippie!"
Phin got in Izzy's face when she called her a hippie. The girl instinctively backed up and hit her locker as she stared into her competitor's eyes.
"I know what my future is. I know what it looks like; I have the planned roadmap. I have designed and created my future and my road to get there. What about you? Do you have your future planned out?"
The girl sank and made herself small. The intimidating presence of the Crystal Prep teen struck some fear in Izzy, but she backed off after seeing she had made her point.
"I didn't think so. You can waste your time with your little gadgets and projects while I'm going to be out there, actually creating stuff—real stuff. And I'm definitely not going to wing it by just throwing garbage together and putting glitter on it to pass it off as art. You're just a dreamer. I'm an actual master builder. As for you and me being the same, we share an artistic side, but that's where the similarities end and the differences begin! You're a tinker; I'm a master builder! I build things you can only dream of, if any! So stick to your trash, hippie! That's where you belong!" said Phin as she snatched Izzy's spray can from her hands.
The girl jumped a bit as Phin shook the can before spraying the glitter image of Izzy. The image went from Izzy herself to having the words phony on top of her and her in a crossed-out circle. The Crystal Prep girl then tossed the spray can into the trash. She gave one last huff through her nostrils and left, feeling pride in proving her point and showing that she and Izzy were not the same. Izzy watched the girl leave before looking at her glitter portrait and tried not to shed tears before closing it. As Phin walked away, she lowered her goggles to her face and put her hands in her jeans.
After leaving Izzy, Phin looked to head back to her guest room at the Synchro dorm building. She had her head down as she was in her mind when she was shown to stop walking. The girl lifted her head but kept her gaze forward.
"Need something, Cap?" asked Phin as it showed behind her was Flurry.
"Tough break," said Flurry as she leaned against some lockers with crossed arms.
Phin lifted her goggles and turned to look at her friend.
"You know, I figured after we spent time getting to know one another, we'd all be friends," said Flurry with a slight mockiness in her tone.
"That girl… she's just on another level. The things she does when it comes to creating. It's unethical; it's unheard of. Plus, she's too much." said Phin, not a fan of how Izzy put stuff together in her own way instead of going about it the practical and standard way. "The fact alone that she said we're similar disgusts me."
"Well, what do you expect from a CHS student? They're unorthodox. They try to think outside the box, but they haven't mastered learning and reinventing the wheel, like us," said Flurry as she got up and faced her friend directly.
"If Roxy was able to steamroll Izzy's ass with ease. I'll be the one to put her in her place for good. She's gonna learn the hard way that she ain't no artist."
"I had a feeling you'd want to deal with her," smiled Flurry as she looked forward to Phin taking on Izzy when the time came. "But there's some business I want to discuss with you."
"Well, I nearly got all the data I need to formulate our game plan. I just need more info," said Phin.
"I think I can help with that," smiled Flurry as she began to guide Phin away. The latter told her captain about the many plans she'd devise to take down Team CHS.
Hitch was in the library, sitting at one of the computers. The boy struggled with his latest assignment, as he had no clue how to start it.
"Come on! Think! It can't be that hard!" stated the boy.
"Having trouble, stud."
Hitch turned, and Flurry Heart sat a few chairs away from him. The girl lowered the book she was reading and batted her eyes at the boy. Hitch gulped immediately upon seeing Mario's cousin as his body heated up. He tugged at his collar before turning his head away and hiding behind a hand. The girl chuckled as she was going to enjoy her prey; Hitch was trying to compose himself as he was turning a bit red.
"Why are you looking away?" asked Flurry as she slowly approached the teen.
"'Cause, you know. Reasons," said Hitch, still not looking at the girl.
"Don't worry about my cousin. It's my business who I interact with," said Flurry, putting her hand out on the table and dragging it slowly until she reached the boy.
"Um, look, I-I d-don't want any trouble, and I-I k-know that…"
Flurry slapped her hand on Hitch's shoulder, and the boy yelped upon impact. He gulped once more, but he couldn't help but put his hand down and turn to look at the Crystal Prep girl. Flurry gave an innocent smile, and Hitch couldn't help but take his eyes off the attractive girl.
"I'm not here for any trouble… unless… you want some," responded Flurry with some flirtiness in her tone as she moved her hand down Hitch's shoulder. The girl felt the muscles on the boy's arm and admitted they were nice and strong.
"Uh,"
Hitch was stunned as he fell under the girl's spell. Feeling her hand roam about his arm, feeling his muscles, began to raise his temperature as if she kept this up, then something else might rise up. Flurry knew what she was doing to the boy as she removed her hand and sat backward to look at Hitch while resting her elbows on the table. The CHS teen fanned his shirt rapidly to regain his composure after having the Crystal Prep girl feel his muscles.
"Nice muscles, sheriff. I can only imagine how many girls want you," Flurry responded as she looked seductively at Hitch.
"Um, thanks. I guess," chuckled Hitch nervously, "But uh, I-I-I have more important matters to focus on right now. So…."
"Oh, I get it. You're loyal to her," said Flurry.
"Huh?"
"You don't need to say it, stud. I know Ms. Smoothie girl catches your eye every time you see her," the Crystal Prep girl said. "I have a special talent that allows me to see things. Get it from my mother."
"Oh, that's uh, that's nice," responded the boy.
"But… there's something different, isn't there? It's not the same anymore, is it?"
The Crystal Prep girl changed her seductive look to a more cunning one as Hitch's slight hesitation confirmed her claims. Hearing Flurry say that, his entire body changed on a dime. His hand on the table clenched into a fist as if something made him irate. The tension in his shoulders added more to his mental state.
"So?" asked Flurry.
"Look, respectfully, it's none of your concern. It's my business and my business alone. Please understand that," Hitch said as he looked at Flurry seriously.
"Alright. I get it," said Flurry, putting her hands up. I'm just giving some words, though. You'll need to face it sooner or later."
Hitch momentarily looked down after hearing Flurry's words.
"So, what are you working on?" asked Flurry as she turned around to look at the computer before Hitch.
"I was trying to complete an assignment for English class. MS. Cheerilee says to come up with a short story about something. Anything, she said. Creativity flows best when it's not restricted. But… I can't think of anything. And it's due tomorrow." sighed Hitch as he planted his arms on each other and rested his head.
"So you have writer's block, huh?" said Flurry as she could see Hitch struggling to work his mind to produce something. Well, believe it or not, I've been there. I've had tons of story projects where I had no clue how to start. But I got through it with a little trick. Want to hear it?"
Hitch lifted his head as he looked at the Crystal Prep girl.
"Pick one thing that catches your eye and work from there."
"How so?"
"See, at Crystal Prep, we're told a certain something, and it goes like this: Your life as art. You have to dedicate yourself to what you will do with your precious life. You need to discover your genius zone. You need to get out of your incompetence competence." Flurry stood behind Hitch while placing her hands on his shoulder. "Or how about this one? Steal like an artist. You need to know your family tree and who's inspired you. Who have you stolen from, copied some of their stuff, what did you like about their work, and what didn't resonate with you? What's your background? What's your tree? That's the fuel that drives our authentic creativity to own everything. The positive and the negative."
"Hmm."
Hitch took in what Flurry said as the words seemed calling to him. The boy's mind began to work as the gears turned. Flurry looked at the handsome teen she rested her hands on as he turned to face the computer. His hands began to reach forward as they touched several keypads and began to get to work. During his writing process, Flurry leaned forward and rested her head on Hitch's shoulder as she read glimpses of what the boy was writing. Once he finished, the printer made a sound as it ejected out Hitch's work. The boy retrieved it before glazing it over once before handing it to Flurry for the girl to read.
"This is good. Not bad. You'll definitely get an A for sure."
"Y-You think?" said Hitch as he rubbed his head, still uncertain.
"Need more confidence? Fine," sighed Flurry as she leaned forward and unexpectedly pecked Hitch's cheek, which stunned the boy briefly. The girl giggled as Hitch fell under the same effect as all the other Crystal Prep boys she toyed with.
"Uh, uh…"
Flurry patted his shoulder and winked, snapping Hitch out of his gaze. He took the paper from Flurry and pulled out his folder, safely putting it away to turn in.
"Well, listen. Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it."
"What? Just 'cause I'm Mario and Roll's cousin, and I go to your rival school, you think I'm an asshole?" asked Flurry with an innocent tone and pouting face while leaning forward with her arms behind her back.
"W-Well… yes?" responded Hitch nervously, not wanting to label Flurry as that in fear that Mario or Roll might jump him for calling her that.
"None taken," giggled Flurry as she did a quick twirl, making her skirt spin and Hitch's body act up again.
"Well, if there's anything I can do…"
"Actually. There is," smirked Flurry as she began to approach the boy.
When he lifted his head, Hitch finished pointing his stuff away, and Flurry was directly in his space. The boy backed up on instinct but bumped into the table as he had nowhere else to go, and the girl had cornered her prey. Before Hitch could say something, Flurry immediately began to move her hands up and down the boy's arms as the girl's touch really sent his hormones into overdrive.
"There's a small favor I need to ask. Just a small one," said Flurry in a soft, seductive tone as she leaned into Hitch's ear. The boy felt the girl's hot breath, which made him feel tingly. "Care to help me, sheriff?"
Hitch looked at the Crystal Prep girl when she pulled back to eye him. She then quickly leaned in and planted her lips on Hitch's, making the boy's eyes widen at the sudden action. The kiss only lasted for two seconds as Flurry backed off and winked. Hitch immediately turned around and gripped the table as he started to sweat. He took deep breaths as she tried to calm his body down after the sizzling action that the Crystal Prep girl gave him. A few moments passed as Hitch turned to look at Flurry; the girl was by the exit door, leaning against it while waving her finger at the boy.
"Follow me, stud," responded the girl as she disappeared.
"Mario, why is your cousin hot?" mumbled Hitch as he slapped his head to think straight. The boy slipped his backpack on as he followed the seductive siren.
The duel arena was shown as Hitch followed Flurry like a love-sick puppy. The girl giggled as she enjoyed playing with Hitch as she led him toward the building. She slipped into the entrance as Hitch paused. He looked up to see the doorway to the arena inside; the boy had an idea what the seductive siren was leading him into as he took a deep breath and proceeded inside. It didn't take long before Hitch made it to where the arena was, as awaiting him wasn't Flurry but somewhere else.
Axiom stood on the field, eyeing the Canterlot High boy with a smirk. Hitch felt the boy's gaze, which was rather intimidating. Flurry then appeared, coming behind Hitch and putting her arm around his shoulder to walk them forward.
"You see. My friend here has been itching for a duel, and I'd figured you'd be the best one to ask," said Flurry.
"M-Me? You sure?" said Hitch.
"Come on, now, sheriff. Do it? For me." said Flurry as she turned on the charm and used her signature innocent look to make anyone do whatever she wanted. And Hitch was no exception.
"Done!" said Hitch almost immediately to Flurry.
"Thanks," smiled the girl as she gave one last kiss on his cheek and giggled before stepping off the field.
Hitch was a mess as she rubbed his cheek with a finger before a clearing of the throat was heard. The CHS boy turned as Flurry's comrade, Axiom, stared him down. Meanwhile, Flurry was going up to one of the spectator booths as she stopped to look at Hitch from the stairs.
"I didn't even need to try. You may be hot, stud, and have some great muscles. But you ain't too bright." snickered the girl as her plan worked perfectly.
She continued her climb to the booth and opened it as inside were her two cousins and Phin. The latter was using her duel disk to tap into the duel's feed, which was about to go down between Axiom and Hitch. Meanwhile, the two cousins looked at Flurry as she smiled and entered.
"How's it going, Phin?"
"I'm already in. I have a quick rundown on Hitch's play style and deck. We just need a little more info, and we'll be good to devise a plan for him," said the Crystal Prep girl as she lifted her goggles to rest them on her head.
"Excellent. I can always count on the Architect to come up with the blueprints to victory," said Flurry to her friend as she patted her shoulder before walking toward her cousins. "Well, prima, primo. I hope you two enjoy the show."
The two siblings looked down at the field from their booth as they awaited how Hitch would fair this time against a Crystal Prep student.
Author's Note: So first off, originally the next chapter after this was a part of this. But, since it was way longer than I expected, because of the upcoming duel itself, I decided to split it into two chapters to make sure the focus of this chapter didn't get lost in the shuffle of what happens in the next chapter. So look forward to the upcoming duel between Axiom and Hitch. And as for this chapter, we get an inside look at Phin and see like Izzy, she has an artistic side as she has dreams of becoming an actual architect. However, she doesn't like Izzy and how she treats things that are considered art.
And in addition, it seems Flurry Heart seems to see something hidden deep inside Hitch. Something that he's keeping under wraps about a certain friend of his. What could that be? Either way, after helping him with his assignment, he's now returning the favor to the girl by going against her friend in an attempt to study him for the upcoming Games.