"Do you have any idea what you all have done!?"
Flurry Heart was pacing back and forth in a locker room before her friends. The group stood before the girl with their heads down as Sombra and Cadance were off to the side, watching the girl address her court.
"Who's the backbone of CPA? Who's the quarterback? Who calls the shots around here?!" yelled Flurry as the berating of her team was just starting. "The disrespect you've shown Crystal Prep, Principal Sombra, and most importantly… Me. I'm the Final Boss. I'm head and shoulders above everyone! I run it all! And you go out there and do that! I didn't make every single one of you a part of my royal court just to embarrass and let CPA down! I didn't bring you into my kingdom just to fail! I didn't bring you all onto the island of relevance just to let you drown! You go out and dedicate duels to me, and you lose…! Apologize!"
The six all looked at Flurry with bewildered looks.
"I mean it! Apologize to me! Now!" demanded Flurry.
Nearly everybody turned to look at Axiom as if looking to him for some kind of guidance, being the closest one to Flurry.
"What are you looking at him for? You all look at me! You should be apologizing to me! Now apologize!"
"Flurry…" started Axiom.
"Listen up, I don't want to see nothing come out of your mouth unless it's, 'I'm sorry,' or 'I apologize, Final Boss,'" stated Flurry as she was firm in her statement. "If I were any of you, I'd listen, and I'd apologize. Do you understand me?!"
"We apologize," said Axiom as he did what was asked of Flurry.
"We're sorry," said Shirai as the others soon followed suit.
"Now get out of here! Go! Now! Get out of here!" yelled Flurry, still upset with her teammates.
The others obeyed as they began to file out of the locker room; Flurry stared each of her friends down for their disappointments. Cadance soon joined the others as she exited the room, leaving only Sombra and her daughter in the room as Flurry had her back to her principal. The girl was still fuming and letting her emotions run through her mind as she got the attention of her principal.
"Wise man!"
"Yes, my princess," said Sombra as he approached Flurry slowly from behind and leaned forward a bit to listen to his protege.
"You're the wise man, right? You're my advisor, right? So why am I doing your job for you?!" asked Flurry intensely. "You're the wise man to the Final Boss, so you can handle these types of situations! So I don't have to get my hands dirty. I agreed to be your student so you can deal with these things when I'm not around! So fix this!"
"At once, my student," complied Sombra as he left to deal with the girl's teammates for losing.
A small celebration was happening at Mario and Roll's dorm as music was blaring through the windows.
"We did it! Hooray!" yelled Izzy as she shouted at the top of her lungs, celebrating their much-needed win against Crystal Prep.
"I still can't believe it," said Hitch as he sat on the couch.
"Believe it, sheriff. We're still in this," said Roll as she slid up next to her friend and bumped her shoulder against his.
"Izzy!" yelled Mario as the boy was shown trying to keep the girl at bay. He had an arm out to hold her back as his other arm, which held his deck, was raised above him. The girl was trying to climb on her friend as she wanted to hold his deck.
"I wanna see your cool aliens again! Please, Mario! I promise I won't damage them," said Izzy, becoming even more of a handful for the boy to handle.
'"Izzy, fuck off!" responded the boy as he did all he could to get the girl away from him.
"It feels so good to wipe the smug grin off of your cousin and her teammates!" said Zipp.
"We know, sis," stated Pipp with a roll of her eyes.
"Look, everyone, I just want to say something. Izzy!" said Sunny as she got her friend's attention.
The girl was on Mario's back, still trying to reach for his deck when she heard her name being called. Mario took that opportunity to drop her on the ground. He expected her not to move for a bit, but Izzy popped up instantly and just smiled before she skipped over to the couch, not showing any signs of pain. Mario groaned for his actions not hurting Izzy as he listened to what Sunny had to say.
"I just want to say that I'm proud of everybody and what we accomplished as a team. Thanks to our combined efforts, we managed to stay alive and give CHS a chance. I'll be honest: I'd probably say no if you asked me a day ago if I felt like we'd be here right now. But I'm glad we did. So let's use this momentum and continue to win!"
"Amen, Sunny!" said Roll, raising her cup to toast the girl.
Apart from Mario, the others did the same, enjoying Sunny's little speech.
"So… speaking of the next event? What's it gonna be?" asked Zipp.
"Well, according to Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna. The next event will be a tag-team event. Two duelists from each side will compete to represent their school. Now, if we happen to win this tag event, then that means we'll be tied with CPA in terms of points. And… it means we qualify for the final event that takes place at night."
"So we just win tomorrow's tag duel in the morning, and at night, we secure our dub. Sounds easy enough."
"Do you ever not have your confidence run your mouth, rich girl?" retorted Mario as the girl glared at her friend for making that comment while Pipp giggled quietly.
"So… I guess the big question is… who's gonna duel?" said Hitch.
"Well, we know who's gonna be on Crystal Prep's side," said the heiress as she looked at Mario and Roll, as the pair knew what she was talking about.
"Okay, so that means Sunny has to take part in this event then," said Hitch as he looked at his best friend.
"Uh, right," responded the girl hesitantly. The thought of her previous duel with Flurry still weighed on her mind as small fears and nerves crept into her mind.
"Alright, so if Sunny is gonna be one half of the team, then who's teaming with her?" said Pipp.
"I guess that decision is up to you, Sunny. Who do you want to be your partner?" said Roll.
The others all looked at their friend as it was clear this decision was important to them and their captain and how it would affect their momentum going into the next event.
"Um, I'm not sure."
"It's alright. You don't have to make a choice right now. But we do need an answer by tomorrow morning." said Zipp.
"Take some time to think, Sunny," encouraged Hitch to his childhood friend.
"Thanks, everyone. I promise I'll make a decision by tomorrow morning," said the girl.
The others all began getting up as they needed to return to their dorms. Sunny hung back a bit as everyone was leaving and needed to do something. Mario and Roll were about to head upstairs to their own rooms when the boy's name was called out.
"Mario, can I speak with you, please?"
The boy looked at his friend before looking at his sister, who gave an encouraging smile to her older sibling before walking up the rest of the flight of stairs to her room. The boy turned to walk back down the flight of stairs to his friend. Sunny sat on the couch and patted the spot next to her, indicating that her friend should sit beside her. Mario sat next to Sunny as the pair were now shoulder to shoulder. Neither said anything as Mario was moreso waiting for Sunny to speak about what she wanted.
"Look, Mario. I'm not mad at you. I'm not the type of person to hold a grudge against someone. It's not in my blood to be resentful. I know you had your reasons for what you did, and… I get it. But… be honest. Do I have a chance against your cousin?"
The boy looked at the girl as those innocent and hopeful eyes of hers tugged at his heartstrings. Given what went down between the two, he knew why she was asking this. The boy looked at his friend before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and rubbing it while sighing.
The following day came as the sun rose over the campus of CHS. It was the start of another day and possibly the start of CHS' comeback. Given their recent success the following day, they hoped to ride this massive wave of confidence into the next event. Following their talk from yesterday, Sunny had spent a good portion of the night weighing her options on who was the right individual. It wasn't an easy choice, but the girl soon decided to leave her room to meet with her team.
In their locker room, Flurry's friends were all gathered and awaiting the arrival of their captain and principal. Following their verbal thrashing from their leader and the punishment they endured from Sombra, the group managed to refocus and recollect as a unit. They had to await Flurry's royal command on who she would select as her tag partner to crush CHS.
"Hey, whatever happens, guys. Just know. Flurry has our best intentions in mind." said Axiom in his job as Flurry's right-hand man and temporary leader when she wasn't around.
"We all have one goal in mind. Take down CHS and restore Crystal Prep's name," said Athena as the group was ready to redeem themselves and their school from the embarrassment of yesterday's performance.
At that moment, the room doors opened, and their leader came in, and her mother and their principal flanked her. Flurry looked serious and strict as she began to examine her court. Flurry eyed each of her teammates as if giving them an evaluation on whether or not they would still be a part of her kingdom. She soon stopped before pointing at Axiom.
"I'm trusting you, Axiom!"
"I won't let you down, Flurry," said the boy as he bowed before the girl, showing his undying loyalty to his friend.
"I would hope not," Flurry responded as she snapped her fingers.
Sombra knew that was his cue as he approached the girl from behind and leaned forward as Flurry whispered into his ear. The principal of CPA heard what his student was saying as he nodded. With that, it was time for the next event as Flurry began to lead the way. The others soon followed as Axiom began to stand up, knowing this was his chance to prove his worth as Flurry's second in command and to represent the others in getting back in the good graces of their friend. Just as he was about to leave, Roxanne stopped him.
"What's the deal, Roxy?"
"I want to talk to you, Axiom."
"Make it quick!" said the boy as they were about to go on.
"It's about you and Flurry."
"And?"
"She really is all you ever think about, isn't she? Look, I know you're doing all this, so she'll like you, but if you go too far, she'll end up pushing you away. Maybe even hate you." said Roxanne to her friend.
"This has nothing to do with swaying Flurry's sentiments. I am simply her humble servant and friend. Just as you and the others are. I do what is in her best interest. Whether she cares for me or not is irrelevant."
"It really doesn't look that way to me. I'm willing to bet you'd follow any orders Flurs gives you if you thought it would make her like you and get in her good graces, am I right?"
"Any order? What a thing to suggest. But the answer is no. I will decline any directive that I deem would not be beneficial to her."
"Is that right?"
"Absolutely."
"So, say, for example, and this just hypothetically speaking… if Flurry commanded you to find yourself a suitable girlfriend, would you do it?"
"If it would benefit her in some way for me to be with someone, then yes, I would do it."
"It's easy to say that now, with no bridal party in sight. But say it was the day of the wedding? Nah, I don't believe it."
"I don't care what you believe! My only wish is to see Flurry fulfill her ambitions. We all said the same thing the day she was picked to be Principal Sombra's student: we would help her achieve her dreams at any and all costs. No matter what. All other matters pale in comparison."
"Axiom. 'Pale in comparison'. You've seen too many soap operas. I don't think you understand how the world works. At all."
"And I don't care what you think either! I would make any sacrifice to support Flurry. It's a shame you've never experienced such devotion."
"You're right. I don't have anyone like that right now. But… maybe someday I will?"
"Then maybe someday you'll understand. Until then, we will never see eye to eye. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have much to do. I have a duel to win, not just for us, but for us to get back in the good graces of the Final Boss."
With that, Axiom left as he hurried to catch up with the others. Roxanne was left alone with her thoughts and dwelling over the conversation she had just had with her friend regarding their leader.
"Axiom, I don't get you. Although… I do find your point of view just… fascinating," said the girl as she soon left the room.
Celestia and Luna were standing in the middle of the field as they hoped yesterday's victory was a sign of good things to come for them and their school. They looked and saw Sunny and her friends arriving as they approached their educators. Sombra and his crew made their presence known as they approached them. Sunny and the others saw Flurry and her friends as the tension between the two teams was still there from yesterday's event. All fourteen teens stood in a line facing their respective archrivals, each having fierce scowls and glares while not taking their eyes off the other.
"There's still time, Tia. Just forfeit, and you won't have to witness the slaughter of two of your students," said Sombra to the woman as he put his hand out, hoping Celestia might accept his offer.
"I'll take my chances, Sombra!" said the woman as she rejected the offer of her former lover.
Sombra merely smiled as it seemed the win from yesterday blinded Celestia's rationality, and was hoping to rely on that alone to win. Luna stepped forward to address the two sides of students as she cleared her throat.
"Students. We welcome you all to the next event of the Friendship Games. This event will be a tag team duel. Now, given yesterday's event, CHS has managed to accumulate enough points to stay alive. However, CPA still holds the lead. Therefore, if CPA wins this event, they will win the Friendship Games. However, they are still in should CHS win this tag duel, so we move into the final event. The one-on-one duel will take place tonight."
A lot was riding on this duel. As for CHS, if they managed to win this event, they would have a chance to go to the finals and potentially win.
"And now… will the first member of Team CHS step forward!" said Cadance.
Flurry and her crew eyed Sunny and her friends. Mario took a step forward as he was the one chosen to represent his team.
"Will Team CPA's first member step forward?" responded Flurry's mother.
Axiom wasn't hesitant to step forward and get in Mario's face. The tension was still there for both boys as this rivalry between the two heroes was far from over. Flurry smiled before she stepped forward and looked at Sunny.
"Seems you figured out you can't win by yourself, Sunny. So you had to enlist the help of my primo," mocked the Crystal Prep girl as Sunny glared at her. "Aw, what's the matter, smoothie girl? Too senile to make a real power-"
"You better show some respect!" shouted Zipp as she cut in and got in Flurry's face. "Check your behavior! No one speaks to Sunny that way!" The heiress was showing her colors in defending her friends. "Did you expect us to sit back and take your insolent brazen display!"
"Ha! You got it twisted. I'm not the one who needs a new attitude. Maybe you've missed it, but I'm the #bitch, and I will do nothing less than what I please, woo! I'm the backbone of CPA!" declared Flurry. She didn't get intimidated by Zipp's claims, as she'd heard them a thousand times. "Mad that I acted respectless? Well, it's 'cause no one could respect this." the girl pointed at herself and her body.
"Such a poor example of your behavior as an educator, Tia. I would've expected you'd keep a closer eye on your students and how they act in the presence of others. Trying to instigate fights? That's not what a model principal would allow." smirked Sombra as Zipp's display was saying a lot about Celestia.
"Zipp!" said Celestia as the woman made a face and gesture for the girl to cease her instigating trouble. The heiress reluctantly agreed as she knew she was embarrassing her principal before her competitor and didn't want to give him more ammo to use against them.
"No wonder I'm so respectless. I could eat you lot for breakfast!" declared Flurry as she looked at each and every one of her cousins' friends as they weren't even in the same league as her, and she could run them over with ease. "Let's get this started, Sunny! I've been carrying my school on my back even when I wasn't supposed to, but I decided to take that torch myself! So you want to talk about legends? You're looking at a future legend standing before you and your friends! So you think for one second, Sunny, that you can beat me with the help of my own blood, of my own family… good luck! Because when I win. I will finally get the adulation and appreciation that I deserve!"
The girl took a step forward and addressed the Crystal Prep girl.
"You know what's amazing about you, Flurry. This has been your MO since you've gotten here. You poke, you prod, you push buttons, and you call names for me and my friends. But name-calling's not gonna work this time. As I know that our paths will cross again, and when that time comes, I'll be ready." said Sunny as Flurry put on a confused look hearing Sunny say she was looking forward to when they would face each other again while the girl smiled. "You seem a bit confused, Flurry, huh? Well, it's because… I'm not gonna be dueling this time. Someone else will."
Flurry now raised an eyebrow as her group also had bewildered looks. The girl slowly turned to look toward Zipp as the heiress stared down the girl she wanted to get her hands on. She got in Zipp's face as the two stared.
"It's not me," smirked Zipp, further confusing Flurry.
Roll stepped forward, and Flurry turned to eye her younger cousin as if on cue. Sunny smiled as she was willing to let Roll take her place to join her brother's side in combating their cousin in this bloodline civil war. Nobody expected Sunny to make a bold move as she felt it was the best choice to let the two siblings fight their cousin.
"Then it's decided," said Celestia as she looked at Sombra with a smirk. The man grimaced as he huffed before walking away with the rest of his team, leaving Axiom alone with Flurry. Celestia did the same, taking the five away and leaving Mario and Roll to stand side by side while eyeing down their cousin.
"Are you sure about this?" asked Hitch to his childhood friend about her decision as they were walking toward their side.
"I have hope," said the girl to her best friend.
Flurry didn't appreciate Sunny pulling a fast one on her at the last second, but seeing her cousins wanting to fight her fueled her anger. Axiom took his place, standing by his leader as all four teens were staring each other down. Cadance appeared and got in between the four duelists, telling them to take their places.
"All right, you four. Here are the rules for this duel. Both duelists on each team will share Life Points. Nobody can attack until everyone has taken a turn. Furthermore, you're free to attack in this duel if your opponent has no monster to protect themselves. And the duelist's partner may choose to have their monster defend their partner if they so choose. Do you understand the rules?"
Neither side said anything, as Cadance took that as a yes.
"Then please take your positions."
Axiom did as he was told, but Flurry stared down at her two cousins.
"Sweetie. Save it for the duel. You know your father would say to settle things on the field." said Cadance to her daughter as she huffed and puffed before joining her teammates. "Mario, Roll, good luck." The Dean offered her support to her niece and nephew as they went to take their positions.
"We're gonna get out asses kicked again by Flurry, aren't we?" said Roll.
"Yeah, no doubt," said Mario to his little sister as both siblings prepared for the whopping their cousin would give them.
The two stopped and turned as they eyed Axiom and Flurry on the opposite end, the girl having her fierce scowl as she saw her two cousins as prey for her to maul alive. The two siblings strapped on their duel disks and slotted in their decks, the former emitting a yellow card tray and the latter having a red card tray. Axiom and Flurry did the same, projecting a purple and a light magentaish-gray card tray.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said the four teens' devices.
Roll and Mario's Life Points: 8000-
Axiom and Flurry's Life Points: 8000-
"Let's duel!" said all four teens as it showed a split screen, their faces with fierce and determined looks while holding their opening hands.
Their portraits came on the screen for all to see as Roll's was highlighted to indicate she would get the first move.
Turn 1: Roll (Hand 5)
"Well, hermana. Kick it off," said Mario to his baby sister.
"Right," said Roll before glancing at Axiom and Flurry as she drew. "I draw!... I'll begin by summoning my Needle Sunfish(1500/100)!" A fish appeared as its mouth opened wide, and some needlers were shown inside it.
"Next, I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 2: Axiom (Hand 5)
"Then it's my turn!" the Crystal Prep boy responded as he drew. "I activate my D - Spirit spell card. Since I control no monsters, I can special summon one Level 4 or lower 'Destiny HERO' from my hand. So Say hello to Destiny HERO - Dunker(1200/1700)!" A man appeared as he had dreads for hair and wore a body suit, leaving his shoulders and upper biceps to be seen. "Next, I activate my Dunker's special ability. By sending a 'Destiny HERO' from my hand to the graveyard, you take 500 points of damage!"
Axiom's monster made a basketball appear as he dribbled it and showed off some fancy hand-eye coordination before shooting the ball toward the siblings' field; the ball landed before the pair and exploded, causing both to flinch and cover up.
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 7500-
"That's not good. They're already losing points, and Mario hasn't taken his first turn!" said Zipp.
"It's still early," said Sunny, believing the two siblings had plenty of time to stage a comeback.
"I end my turn!" said Axiom.
Turn 3: Mario (Hand 5)
"Then it's my move!" declared Mario as he drew and looked at his hand. "I summon my Elemental HERO Solid Soldier(1300/1100)!" A warrior covered in solid metal armor over its body appeared before he stood up. "Then I activate my monster's ability. When I normal summon him, I can special summon one Level 4 or lower 'HERO' monster from my hand. So I'm also summoning my Elemental HERO Bubbleman(800/1200)! I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 4: Flurry (Hand 5)
"It's time I whoop your asses, cousins!" growled Flurry as she drew her card, not even looking at it, as she already knew what it was and just picked another card in her hand without seeing. "I summon my Assault Wyvern(1800/0)!" A dragon appeared as it roared before swooping down by its mistress.
"I then place one card facedown and end my turn."
"And now that every duelist has taken a turn, they are now free to attack!" reiterated Luna over the mic as it was about to be Roll's decision on whether or not to strike the first blow.
Turn 5: Roll (Hand 4)
"So what do you think, Sunny? Should they try to attack first before they do?" asked Pipp as they watched their friends.
"It's still too early to say. They all have a monster out and at least a facedown on both sides. I guess it just comes down to who has the better strategy." said the girl to her friends as they hoped Mario and Roll could form some sort of plan to take down their cousin, even if the very idea was a long shot.
"It's my move. And I'll play the spell card, Aqua Mirage, and equip it onto my monster! Thanks to this, when I Xyz summon, my spell also counts as Xyz material." Roll stated that a water mirage of her monster appeared next to her actual one. "So I overlay my Needle Sunfish to build the Overlay Network!" The monster and its mirage clone turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air for a moment. A portal began to open in front of her as they entered, and a pillar of light emerged. "Now I summon a monster that's both feared on the land and in the water! I Xyz Summon, Submersible Carrier Aero Shark(1900/1000, OLU: 2)!"
"Alright, that looks like a solid opening play," said Zipp.
"I activate Aero Shark's ability! By using one overlay unit, you both take 400 points of damage for every card in my hand. And I happen to hold 4!" said Roll with a smile as her monster absorbed one of its circling orbs and began to load its missiles. "Go… Torpedo Takedown!" The missile was fired as it shot forward. The capsule broke apart, revealing 16 mini-missiles as Axiom and Flurry covered up with the weapons landing around them going off.
Axiom and Flurry's Life Points: 6400-
"And now, Aero Shark, take out her Assault Wyvern!" said Roll as she commanded her monster to her cousin's creature.
The twin sharks began to head toward the girl's cousin; Flurry wasn't intimidated and stood her ground. Before she could respond, Axiom's Destiny HERO Dunker appeared between Roll and Flurry's monster as it was destroyed.
"Huh?" said the girl.
Flurry looked over and saw Axiom with his arm out as he had commanded his monster to protect his captain from her cousin's attack.
"Well, that's gonna be annoying," said Roll as she could tell Axiom was doing his job as Flurry's right-hand man. "I end my turn."
Turn 6: Axiom (Hand 3)
"My turn! And to start, I'll banish my Destiny HERO - Maclious(800/800) from my graveyard to summon out a second one from my deck!" stated the Crystal Prep boy as his monster appeared on the field. "Next, I'll summon my Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude(1400/1600). I then activate his effect, so I flip the top card of my deck, and if it's a spell card, I can send it to the graveyard to use on my next turn. So here goes!" Axiom drew his top card and looked at it before sprouting a smile. "Well, what do you know? It's my Destiny Draw. That'll be good to use later."
"Stay sharp, sis!" said Mario to his little sister.
"Flurry, do you mind?" asked Axiom as he asked permission from his friend for his next move.
"Don't screw up!" said the girl.
"Assault Wyvern, take out Mario's Elemental HERO Bubbleman!" commanded the boy as the dragon soared and looked to destroy its target.
"I reveal my facedown, Bubble Shuffle!" said Mario as he touched his duel screen, and his facedown flipped up. "Thanks to this, I can target my Bubbleman and one monster you control in attack mode and switch them both into defense mode. So Assault Wyvern is going to have to pump the brakes!" The dragon quickly rose just inches from its attack, making contact as it flew back to Axiom and Flurry's side. "And there's more. Now I can tribute my Bubbleman for something better. Like this… my Elemental HERO Bladedge(2600/1800)!" Out came the boy's golden-encrusted monster as it flexed its muscles.
"You annoying piece of shit," growled Axiom as he didn't like that Mario managed to not only stop his attack but set himself up for his next turn. He looked over and saw Flurry was none too pleased with his screwup.
"I end my turn with a facedown."
Turn 7: Mario (Hand 2)
"My turn! Hey, sis, can I?"
"All yours, bro!"
"I now activate Aero Shark's ability!"
"Can he do that?" asked Hitch.
"If Roll gives him permission, it's fair game. Remember, in this tag duel, you and your partner are sharing the field, so essentially, you can share cards and effects if given the signal," stated Sunny.
"So now you two are taking 400 points of damage for every card I'm currently holding!" smirked Mario as another capsule was loaded and shot out. It broke apart and revealed several missiles that landed around Flurry and Axiom, dwindling their Life Points even more.
Axiom and Flurry's Life Points: 5200-
"And there's more where that's from! Bladedge, take out her Assault Wyvern!" the boy instructed as his monster raced toward the dragon.
"No, you won't!" declared Axiom. "Diamond Dude!" The monster heard the command of his master as he jumped and put himself in between Flurry's dragon and Mario's oncoming monster; he skated by and slashed his foe, resulting in its destruction while Axiom fell to a knee.
"My Bladedge's ability means it can deal piercing damage!" said Mario as they still lost some points.
Axiom and Flurry's Life Points: 4200-
Flurry growled as she looked at Axiom, who was on a knee. The boy panted heavily as he eyed his captain.
"I did it for you, cap!" said the boy as she scoffed at his statement.
"I end my turn!" responded Mario.
Turn 8: Flurry (Hand 4)
"I'm through playing games! Let me show you what God mode looks like! I draw!" proclaimed Flurry, changing her monster to attack mode. "Thanks for the help, primo! Because now, I can summon my Schwarzschild Limit Dragon(2000/0) from my hand since you control a monster with more than 2000 attack points!" A dragon appeared before it was shaped into an infinity symbol, with the head touching its tail. "Next, I activate the spell card, Ergosphere! Now, you'll se double because I can add another Schwarzschild from my deck to my hand. Then I can summon it just like before!"
"That's not good!" said Sunny as she recalled this move during her fight with the girl.
"I overlay both of my Level 8 Schwarzschild Limit Dragons to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Flurry as her two monsters turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A portal opened before her as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. "I Xyz Summon! A monster stronger than a cosmic storm! A behemoth with the ability to bend time to do its will! An interstellar terror, leaving destruction in its wake! Arise, my beast, for we shall claim victory for Crystal Prep! Come forth, Number 107: Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon(3000/2500, OLU: 2)!" A 3-D tetrahedron was shown as it began to pop out slowly and as it took the shape of the girl's mighty dragon.
"Game over!" smirked Phin as Mario and Roll were in deep trouble.
"This is bad, guys!" said Izzy, as they knew that when Flurry brought out that beast, all bets were off.
"Sunny found a way, and so can they!" said Zipp as she believed the sibling duo could beat Flurry and her beast.
"Yeah, but she didn't actually beat it. She just took it away. I don't think they can do the same!" said Hitch as their friends were in for the fight of their lives.
"Tachyon Dragon, take out my cousin's Elemental HERO Bladedge!" commanded Flurry as her dragon opened its mouth and fired his attack. Mario covered up as he witnessed his monster being destroyed and stood his ground.
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 7600-
"Now, Assault Wyvern, take out his Elemental HERO Solid Soldier!" stated Flurry as her dragon moved and used its razor-sharp tail to slice and dice the monster as pieces of its armor flew. "And now I activate Assault Wyvern's ability! Since it destroyed a monster in battle, I can now sacrifice to summon a dragon monster from my hand. It's time for you two to become chew toys again! Blue-Eyes White Dragon(3000/2500)!" Flurry slammed her card onto her tray as a white light shot up, followed by a mighty roar as her beast emerged.
"This just went from bad to worst," said Izzy.
"And since I summoned my Blue Eyes during battle, it can attack right now. Now, my pet… set your sights on my prima!" instructed Flurry as her dragon turned to spot the girl and immediately opened its mouth to shoot off its attack; the beam of white energy blasted straight through her monster and destroyed it. Roll stood her ground and covered up, but the attack left her with some bruise marks.
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 6500-
"Roll, you good?" said Mario as he looked at his little sister.
"This is bad! They have no monsters now! Flurry wiped all they had in just her turn alone!" said Zipp.
"I whooped you two when we were kids, and I'll whoop you now in front of your friends! You should know by now I'm the Final Boss for a reason! Can't nobody touch me, there are levels to this, and I'm at the top!" stated Flurry as she stared down her two cousins. "Axiom… acknowledge me!"
"I acknowledge you, Final Boss," said the boy as he did what he was told and acknowledged Flurry, who was basking in hearing that.
Turn 9: Roll (Hand 4)
"My move. I draw. I'll start by summoning my Right-Hand Shark(1500/1300)!" A small shark appeared with extra fins coming out in the shape of a hand. "And when I summon this little guy, I can add Left-Hand Shark(1300/1500) to my hand. And since I control Right-Hand Shark, I can summon him to the field!" Another small shark appeared similar to her previous one, with fins coming out to make it look like a left hand.
"I now overlay both of my Level 3 sharks to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Roll as her two monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened before the girl as they were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. "I Xyz Summon! Number 17: Leviathan Dragon(2000/0, OLU: 2)!" A massive tide rose as rising from it was a sea serpent dragon as it roared with the might of the seven seas.
"I now use Leviathan Dragon's special ability! By using one overlay unit, my monster gains 500 extra attack points!" said Roll as her dragon ate one of its Xyz materials, circling it and absorbing its power. "Now… Leviathan Dragon, attack Destiny HERO - Malicious! Shock Stream Blast!" The girl's monster whipped its head back as its mouth opened. It charged up before letting loose a powerful stream burst of water. The attack blasted Axiom's monster, destroying it and making the boy flinch.
"I play one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 10: Axiom (Hand 2)
"My move! And thanks to the effect of my Diamond Dude from the last turn, I can activate the spell card I discard. So Destiny Draw lets me draw two more cards! Next, I'll play this, Polymerization!"
"Oh, boy!" said Mario, knowing that was trouble.
"I now fuse my Destiny HERO - Drilldark and Decider! With the help of this next Monster, your fates are about to take a terrifying turn for the worst!" Axiom's two monsters appeared before being sucked into a swirling vortex as it emitted purple and orange lights. "I Fusion Summon! Destiny HERO - Dystopia(2800/2400)!"
"Oh, that's bad news!" said Sunny, as Hitch agreed, given their run-ins with Axiom and his monster.
"I now activate Dystopia's special ability. When it's summoned, I can target one Level 4 or lower 'Destiny HERO' monster in my graveyard, and you take damage equal to its attack points. And I choose my Drilldark! Pummeling Palm!" Axiom's monster appeared as it leaped into the air with its fist glowing before coming down on Mario and Roll's field, making the sibling duo cover up as they received some pretty strong bruises.
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 4900-
"Now… Destiny HERO - Dystopia, attack Mario directly!" said Axiom as he went straight for the boy since he had nothing to protect him. "Dystopian Destruction!" The monster leaped high into the air as his fist glowed once more before diving fist-first at his target.
"Leviathan Dragon!" shouted Roll as she commanded her monster to protect her brother.
The dragon swam over to intercept the attack as it took the hit to protect its mistress' sibling.
"Roll!" shouted Mario as he looked over at his sister for doing what she did.
"It's fine! Because thanks to the effect of my Right-Hand Shark, an Xyz monster that was summoned using only Water monsters can't be destroyed in battle!" said the girl.
"Maybe, but you still take damage!" responded Axiom as the girl covered up.
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 4600-
"Next, by banishing a 'Destiny HERO' from my graveyard… I can activate this! D-Doom Dance!" said Axiom as his facedown flipped up. "Now your Leviathan Dragon loses attack points equal to my banished Diamond Dude!"
"What?!" said Roll in shock.
A beam fired from Axiom's card as it made contact with her monster, who roared as its strength was severely zapped away.
"Look at it now. It only has 1100 attack points!" said Pipp as she was concerned.
"And it gets worse- much worse! My Destiny HERO can attack your monster again!" said Axiom. "Go! Dystopian Destruction!" The boy's monster once more leaped high into the air as it dove with its fist and knocked Roll's monster back, and the girl was also sent flying off her feet and to the floor.
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 2900-
"Roll!" shouted Mario as he rushed over to check on his little sister. The girl was still conscious, and the boy was relieved that his baby sibling was okay.
"I now activate the spell card, D-Faceoff, and end my turn." Axiom smiled. "So if you want to keep using Xyz monsters, be my guest because I'll keep delivering the pain! Because with this card, at the end of our turns, D-Faceoff compares the total Level of our monsters, and if our total is higher, one 'Destiny HERO' gains attack points equal to one hundred times the difference in their Levels."
"Since Xyz monsters don't have levels… Roll's at a disadvantage!" said Zipp, as the five were more concerned. The pair was now in an even tighter situation, and Axiom had rendered Roll's bread and butter useless.
"We've got the upper hand now! Since Dystopia is Level 8 along with Flurry's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and your Leviathan Dragon has no level, Dystopia gains 1600 attack points."
"4200?!" said Izzy.
"Now I activate Dystopia's special ability! When its attack points change, it destroys one card on the field! So say goodbye to your only monster!" said Axiom as his monster thrust his hand out as a small vacuum port on its palm began to take effect and attempted to suck up Roll's monster.
"Don't think so! Because since I used Left-Hand Shark to Xyz summon my Leviathan Dragon, it can't be destroyed by card effects either!" said the girl as her dragon stood its ground as the vacuum died down from Axiom's monster.
"What?" exclaimed the boy as he growled at Roll for finding a way to keep her monster out. "You're just delaying the inevitable, Roll! If you think you're gonna rely on your brother to save you out of this one, think again! We have three powerful monsters ready to strike! And that pain doesn't stop there. Since Dystopia gained 1600 attack points, the other effect fo my D-Faceoff activates. It now deals you two 1600 points of damage!" A beam shot out and headed toward the pair. Mario used his body as a shield to pull Roll close to him. The boy was protecting his little sister from the blast as he willed himself to endure the pain.
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 1300-
"This is bad. Like really bad," said Izzy, as they were all concerned regarding the pair.
Mario managed to hold on as he loosened his grip to look at his sister. The girl was thankful to see her older brother take the bullet for her as it reminded her why she loved him. Mario flinched in pain as it was now her turn to check up on her sibling.
"Are you okay?" asked Roll.
"Yeah… I'm fine," grunted Mario, and with the help of his sister, he managed to stand up. Both looked over at their cousin and Axiom as they stared them down.
"All you two had to do was fall in line!" said Flurry to her cousins. "Now… I gotta make you two acknowledge me again!"
Turn 11: Mario (Hand 3)
"If Mario doesn't pull off something incredible this turn, then it's over," said Pipp as all eyes laid on the boy to somehow pull out a miracle.
"My move!" said Mario as he clutched his side momentarily before drawing his card. "First, I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards. Next, I'll play the spell card Miracle Fusion! So I can perform a Fusion summon by banishing my Elemental HERO Solid Soldier and Bubbleman from my graveyard!" The boy's two monsters appeared before being sucked into a swirling vortex, emitting purple and orange lights. "I Fusion Summon, Elemental HERO Gaia(2200/2600)! And thanks to my monster's ability, when its fusion summoned, I can target one monster on the field and cut its attack points in half. So I choose Destiny HERO - Dystopia. Then… my Gaia gains the attack points lost!"
"Did you forget about my Dystopia's ability? When its attack points change, it can destroy one card on the field. So say goodbye to your Elemental HERO Gaia!" said Axiom as his monster sucked Mario's monster into the vacuum port on its palm.
"Mario, why did you that?!" said Zipp as she couldn't believe the boy would do that when he knew what would happen.
"Just what I was hoping for," smirked Mario.
"Huh?" said Axiom.
"I now play the spell card, Generation Next. Since our Life Points are lower than yours, I can either add or summon an 'Elemental HERO,' 'Kuriboh,' or 'Neo-Spacian' monster from my deck whose attack points are equal to or less than the difference in our points. So I'm bringing out my Elemental HERO Neos(2500/2000)!" Mario's ace monster appeared as it landed before the two siblings alongside Roll's monster. "I then play my spell card, Instant Contact! So by paying 1000 Life Points, I can special summon one Level 7 or lower 'Elemental HERO' or 'Neo-Spacian' monster from my Extra Deck. So I'm summoning my Elemental HERO Flame Wingman(2100/1200)!"
Mario and Roll's Life Points: 300-
"Your birdman doesn't have enough attack points to take down my Dystopia."
"Maybe not now, but I'm not done with my turn just yet. I now play the spell card, Skydiver Scorcher!" stated Mario. "Now, since I have an 'Elemental HERO' fusion monster on the field, I can use this spell to destroy as many of your monsters with higher attack points as my Flame Wingman. And then… you take damage equal to the highest attack points!"
Mario's monster soared high into the air as it was engulfed in flames. Axiom and Flurry looked up as they saw the monster high above before it began to dive down like a meteor.
"I activate my facedown, Xyz Tribalrivals! Since my Tachyon Dragon has two overlay units attached to it, this protects it from being destroyed!" said Flurry as a barrier came over her larger dragon. At the same time, her Blue-Eyes and Axiom's monster were blasted away.
"Either way, you're still taking damage equal to Dystopia's original attack points!" pointed out Mario.
"No, we won't!" exclaimed Axiom as he touched his duel screen. "I activate the effect of my Destiny HERO - Decider from my graveyard. By returning it to my hand, all that damage becomes zero!"
"No! They were so close!" said Izzy as Axiom just blocked Mario's move.
"I guess this is over," said Hitch.
"No, it's not! Look!" said Sunny as she pointed to the pair.
"Next, I'm gonna play Polymerization! So, I fuse together my Neos and Flame Wingman!" said Mario as his two monsters entered a swirling vortex, and it emitted purple and orange lights. "I Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Shining Neos Wingman(3100/2500)!" Mario's monster emerged as it shined brightly while descending.
Flurry and Axiom were none too pleased to see the girl's cousin bring out a powerhouse of a monster like that.
"My monster gains 300 extra attack points for every monster in me and Roll's graveyard! Time for a roll call!" shouted Mario as the spirits of his monsters appeared by his side, and the same was true with Roll by her side. "Since there are currently five monsters in our graveyard, Neos Wingman gains 1500 extra attack points!"
"That's 4600! I can't believe it… they might actually do it!" said Pipp as everyone looked on at what could be the final blow.
"It's over, prima! Neos Wingman, take out Tachyon Dragon and end this duel!" said Mario as his monster shot forward.
"Nothing is over till I say it's over! I'm the Final Boss! I call the shots!" yelled Flurry. "And from my hand, I'm activating the spell card, Maiden's Ultimate Wrath!"
A thunderstorm appeared as Flurry's monster flew into the air and saw Mario's monster coming. "Since you declared an attack while I have a dragon in my graveyard, I can activate this card from my hand. First, it lets me use my Tachyon Dragon to Xyz summon a monster that's one rank higher!"
"NO!" yelled the siblings' friends as they knew what Flurry was doing.
"With this one monster, I rebuild the Overlay Network!" shouted the Crystal Prep girl as her monster turned into an orb of light and hovered in the air. A portal opened as the orb was sucked in, and a pillar of light exploded. "Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! I Xyz Summon! Chaos Number 107: Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon(4500/3000, OLU: 3)!" Flurry's three-headed golden dragon appeared as it roared.
"Next, my Maiden's Ultimate Wrath allows me to attach my previous Tachyon Dragon onto my new one. Gaining its attack points!" said Flurry as her dragon shot through the roof with points.
"7500… there's no stopping that now," said Pipp as it was clear nothing could bring that Flurry's monster.
"So say goodbye, primo! Neo Galaxy-Eyes, take out his monster!" commanded Flurry as Mario's creature was still heading toward it.
"I'm sorry, Roll. I'm sorry I let you down," sighed Mario, as he had nothing to deal with Flurry's move.
"Yeah, well, I'm not. Because I'm activating my facedown! Underwater Quake!" shouted Roll as she slammed her hand on the ground, causing it to crack open. "By giving up my Leviathan Dragon, I can increase my brother's monster by the attack points of the monster it's battling!"
"No, you won't!" shouted Flurry. "By banishing my Maiden's Ultimate Wrath, not only do I negate your trap, but I can use its effect for my own!" The girl's dragon boosted its strength once more, nearly doubling that of Mario's incoming monster. "And you can't target my dragon with any cards or effects this turn!"
"It has over 10,000 attack points!" exclaimed Izzy as they all opened their mouths.
Both monsters clashed in the middle at that moment as a huge light show went off. Nearly everyone looked on as the struggle between Mario's monster and Flurry's dragon was fully displayed. The hero trying to fight back against the power of this powerful beast was failing. The attack was so powerful that it began to create powerful wind currents that were pushing the four duelists back as they tried to stand their ground. Their feet skidded along the field floor as they tried to hold on. Axiom was soon taken off his feet as Mario noticed Roll starting to do the same.
"Roll!"
"Mario, no! Focus, because… because I… I activate my facedown!" shouted Roll as her final facedown flipped up.
"Your trap ain't gonna work on my dragon!" stated Flurry, trying to hold on.
"Well, it's not targeting your dragon; it's targeting a card in my graveyard!" shouted Roll.
"From your graveyard?!" said Flurry in disbelief.
"Go… Ocean Floor Eruption!" yelled the boy's sister as her card shone. She threw a card from her duel disk toward her brother, who caught it between his fingers. "Do it, bro!" Roll couldn't hold on any longer, so she was taken off her feet and blown away before tumbling to the ground.
"I activate… Underwater Quake!" said Mario as he held the card up high. "Neos… push through!"
The echo of the boy's yell got through to his monster as it willed itself to fight back. The wings on its back got bigger and brighter as if to tap into its inner power; Flurry's dragon turned on the pressure and power as it looked to fight back and take out its foe. Mario's monster took the attack as it raised its fist to punch at the attack; the fist made contact with the dragon, and a loud roar appeared before the massive attack exploded. The force of the attack was so powerful that everybody in the stands had to hold on to avoid being blown away. Even Sunny and the others ducked behind the barricade to avoid flying away; Mario and Flurry were flung back and hit the ground hard.
The spotlights flickered out for a second as the attack was so powerful it knocked out the power. A second later, the backup generators kicked in, and the spotlights lit up the darkness around. Everyone took a moment to compose themselves from the chain reaction that occurred. When they all turned to look at the field, Axiom and Flurry were on one side, and Mario and Roll were on the other. Once more, the boy held his sister close and shielded her from the aftermath of the attack. Soon, a sound was heard that caused nearly all eyes to look in its direction. The screen flickered while slowly coming back online before showing the four duelist portraits. However, the most important thing highlighted below was the results.
Axiom and Flurry's Life Points:... 0-
Winner: Mario and Roll.
"Holy Shit!" said Luna as she let that one slip from her mouth and blurted it into the mic she was holding; the woman couldn't believe what the screen was saying, as neither could anyone.
"Students…. The winner… is Team CHS! Flurry Heart has suffered her first loss in quite a while!" screamed the vice-principal.
"What… did she just say?!" said Flurry, sitting up and nearly going ballistic upon hearing what Luna announced to the entire crowd.
"Mario… we did it! We did it!" said Roll as she couldn't contain her excitement.
Near could the crowd as they almost instantly broke into a cheering frenzy! The roar was so loud that it rang across the dueling field. The boy took in the ovation he and his sister were getting, making him smile. Looking over at their friends for a moment, he, too, saw them cheering their hearts out and applauding. He then let go of Roll as he turned to address the crowd.
"Hey!" shouted Mario, getting their attention and making them go quiet to listen. "Come on! Let's go! We did it!" The boy excited the crowd as they returned back to cheering their hearts out. Mario then extended both his arms out and began to bounce them up and down, which started a massive trend as everybody was doing it. Roll soon joined her brother's side as she did the same.
"I can't believe it! We actually did it!" said Pipp, wanting to cry tears of joy.
"It happened! It happened! Mario and Roll did it! Flurry lost!" said Zipp as she too wanted to shout.
"I knew it… I knew there was hope," said Sunny, dropping to her knees and almost wanting to cry right then and there.
"Mario.. thank you so much," said Celestia to herself as if thanking the heavens above for answering her prayers.
Sombra's face told a different story. The Crystal Prep principal had his hands covering his mouth as his eyes widened in disbelief. Through his hands, he was muttering to himself.
"This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen. Flurry Heart doesn't lose."
Sombra quietly left the booth as Celestia was too overjoyed in their victory to even notice his departure. Mario and Roll were still bouncing their arms with the crowd as they weren't stopping anytime soon. Their friends soon joined in, and they bounced their arms up and down like everybody else, and some chanting was heard.
On the other side, CPA's crowd was in disarray as Flurry Heart had her hands on her head, clutching her hair tightly. Axiom came by his friend's side as he looked at her disheveled state.
"I didn't lose… I didn't lose… I didn't lose… I Didn't LOSE!" yelled Flurry as she was irate. "Axiom, tell me I didn't lose!" demanded the girl to her right-hand man.
"You…" Axiom tried to figure out how to word what Flurry wanted to hear, but he couldn't.
The girl growled as she shoved her friend to the ground and stood up.
"I don't lose! The Final Boss never loses! Nobody beats the Final Boss! I didn't lose! AGHHH!" shouted Flurry as she gazed toward the rest of her friends, who feared their leader and her chaotic state.
The girl began to make her toward their side as she walked past her friends and kicked over a nearby trash can before grabbing a folded chair and slamming it on the ground. She yelled in uncontrollable rage as she couldn't believe she suffered her first loss in quite a while, and it was to her cousins, no less. She soon began to walk away, still angry as the others followed her.
Watching their cousin leave, Mario and Roll looked at each other before the girl hugged her older sibling. To them, this win over their cousin meant so much. Roll let tears fall through her eyes as she was happy.
"We finally did it, big bro. We did it…"
Mario hugged his little sister tightly while he didn't shed tears; he, too, knew the feeling Roll was having. Being able to beat their cousin finally, words couldn't describe how good it felt.
"I love you, hermano."
"I love you, too, hermana."
The two siblings hugged each other as their friends soon joined their sides, giving them pats and high-fives for doing the impossible. They soon turned to face the entire student body as Mario started them up again by bouncing his arms up and down. The others joined in as their fellow classmates cheered their team on as they were but one duel away from winning the whole thing.
"We're in the endgame now," said Sunny with a smile as they pulled off a miracle of almost being outright eliminated at the very start, to now competing in the finals and actually having a chance to win.
Author's Note: Do you believe in miracles?! Mario and Roll have done the unthinkable. Flurry Heart is not unbeatable. Flurry Heart is indeed human. She is mortal. For the first time since she's enrolled at CPA, Flurry has suffered her first loss, and to her cousins, no less. How sweet is it! In this civil war, the heroes win! The mystique, the aura, the unbreakable armor, the invincibility that surrounded Flurry Heart is gone! Everyone wondered why Mario didn't win before against Flurry, because it was building up to something bigger. And that's Flurry's first loss in a long while, and how irate she is to even lose. Like Sunny said, "We're in the Endgame now." Mario and Roll win the bloodline civil war!