Of Games And Fairy Tales

by Wickerstein

Welcome to Ever After High, where the students must decide to follow their destinies, or play deadly shadow games. Whichever is more fun.

3. It's Time To- Part 2

Disclaimer: All respective characters and settings belong to their respective franchises.

Update: I re-edited most of everything in order to fit in a turn that I skipped over.

---

Some time earlier…

The morning started out well enough. Wake up, wonder if you were still at home, see your roommate already awake and at her vanity, the sun reflecting off of her golden blonde hair nearly blinding you, and asking yourself why there were acorns scattered all over your bed, and only your bed.

Well, she could always boil them later when she needed a snack. After performing her daily ritual of making herself as presentable as possible, she walked out the door much later than her ever-punctual roommate, bag in hand and a textbook for first period. Breakfast was, as always, an uneventful affair other than eating next to her friend Maddie, who was talking her ears off about the latest blend of tea she was trying out. The sample she gave her was good, but granted, all of her friend's tea blends were good, with only a…few hiccups here and there. Thankfully, she only had two or three more moles left to remove, internally grateful to her mother for the myriad of beauty spells and potions at her disposal.

Classes were, to put it mildly, monotonous, but to imply otherwise would cause her to acknowledge the unfriendly and condescending glances she kept receiving. Or, the castigating remarks over how evil she was to refuse to sign the The Storybook of Legends, and on such a momentous occasion that was to decide the future of so many, effectively depriving them of that. The villain side of the student body, however, was less caustic, if not outright praising her for how much she had sown discord and chaos on the order that Milton Grimm was so hellbent on maintaining.

By the end of it all, the only thing she wanted was to be in her room or the library, alone, to help gather her thoughts and see if she could transfer to another school. Someplace that didn't know who she was or force her into a pre-determined role.

Why did…I even come here?

Because Maddie was there? No, she couldn't do that to the only friend she had. Her father was certainly supportive, but he too wouldn't be used as an excuse.

Because…

It was because before ever coming to the school, after what her mother had done, she thought that going through her destiny as intended wouldn't be as bad as trying to subvert it, that she needed to redeem her mother's standing.

She had been proven wrong.

The book showed her all she needed to understand exactly why her mother wanted to avoid such a fate; a homeless outcast with nothing else but to spend her remaining days alone in a cold world that had nothing but contempt for her.

The very same fate that would befall her if she ever embraced such a destiny. Her loving father turning away in shame, Maddie closing her doors without so much as a cup of tea for warmth, but not before siring a child to perpetuate the cycle, and only then did the implications become so much worse. She couldn't imagine subjecting a child - much less her own - to go through such hardship.

It made her wonder . . . exactly how her own mother had felt after she was born.

She had once asked about her maternal grandmother, the precise moment escaped her, but it had to have been when she was around nine. The only answer her mother gave was that she had passed away some time before she married, and that was the end of it. Even then, the expression she saw on her mother's face told her that there was more to the matter than what she had been willing to disclose.

Or the somber glimmer she saw in her mother's eyes.

It was only when she was a little older, and her mother started to lay the groundwork for her campaign, that all of it...just didn't sit right with her. When the fateful day came that she and her father had received news of what she had been doing, and of her real plans, acts that went beyond the parameters of her fairy tale, they had tried to wash their hands of her once she was arrested and imprisoned.

Her father, however, was far from exempt from the fallout of her mother's brazen ambitions; he found himself thrust into the underbelly of politics when the other kingdoms and realms came to claim their pound of flesh. While they had no real reason to believe that he had ever colluded with his wife on principle, someone had to foot the bill for the damage.

Since then, her father would spend days and nights trapped in his study, out of the kingdom to meet with dignitaries and ambassadors, or in bed to recoup some lost sleep, all for the sake of averting any further conflict. A part of her, however, and she was sure that the man had seen through it as well, knew that it was all just a cruel farce. If their kingdom wasn't bled dry first, they'd no sooner rescind whatever titles they had and assume a more modest life.

Which…didn't really sound that bad to her.

Yet, despite their troubles, he was always all smiles whenever they were together, for however sparsely they could find the time, moments that she cherished before having to depart for Ever After High, leaving her to look forward to holiday breaks to escape the drudgery of school politics.

Now, there she was, sitting alone on a bench in Book End Square, savoring some of the coveted alone time she had been yearning for.

She drew her head back, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath to release the troubles and stresses of the day, muttering to herself, "What am I even doing here, Dad?"

"Not drinking tea, unfortunately."

She nearly jumped out of her seat, tracing the source of the voice to a girl that was leaning contorted over the backrest of the bench all the way that the tip of her hat was touching the seat, pouring a fresh, steaming cup of tea upside-down and defying basic physics.

"Tea, Raven?" The girl motioned the still upside-down cup forward; without the contents falling out, smiling from ear to ear at her friend.

Not really in the mood for tea, Raven Queen nevertheless considered it courteous to accept the offer and...reached her arm out just to grab the handle with an awkward degree of coordination and raw effort, and still, the tea did not spill. With a sigh, she said, "Thanks, Maddie. I guess some tea would do me some good."

"Oh, tea does plenty of good!" The girl, Maddie Hatter, straightened so that she was now standing on her head, her skirt thankfully remaining down…up, and folding her arms, her furrowed brows betraying concern. "Now what seems to be picking at the 'ol coconut?"

Raven delicately blew at the steaming tea before taking a sip. Huh, pretty good. "Oh, you know. Just another day of telling Headmaster Grimm that I still don't want to sign, telling the Three Pigs that I don't want to roast them, before clarifying that they just wanted me on their podcast for an episode on online roasting, and finally, telling the guys at my villain class, that; no, I don't want to assemble an evil alliance to instigate a coup d'etat and nail a half naked Grimm with a burlap sack over his head on a cross." She glanced dryly at a; relatively unsure on what the last part was about, Maddie Hatter, looking on at her in worry. "What about you?"

The mood over the mad girl flipped on its head as did she, righting to her feet with a clack of her shoes. "Oh, a splendid day of days as always, and a terrible yesterday of days to balance out tomorrow."

Raven giggled at the girl's ridiculous joke, or maybe a joke to make her feel better. The coy smile from the Wonderlandian would confirm it to be the latter. "Honestly, Raven," Maddie started, "you shouldn't take to heart what they say. Except maybe for the podcast. I'm subbed."

"Is it good?"

Maddie arched one eyebrow at her best friend. "You mean you've never watched Garbage Taste? They consistently rake in about a million views per upload."

"Huh," Raven rubbed her chin thoughtfully on the matter, considering it. "But anyway, it's not like any of it really gets to me, it's just…I'm not…that sure if I made the right decision anymore."

Maddie blinked, sitting down; not on the bench, but on thin air in front of the other girl, her pet dormouse peeking out from under her hat and pouring himself a cup of tea, her legs pressed together, hands poised over her knees. "You're having second thoughts? What about thirds? Or fourths?"

At Raven's nod, Maddie followed, "But I thought you wanted to subvert your destiny. A turnaround, a complete 180, and then bake a square root over the Eiffel Tower."

"The what?"

Maddie waved a hand to ignore the last part. "Is that really gonna be it? It hasn't even been a month and already you're going to toss in the trowel?"

"Well, you didn't exactly have a problem questioning me on it," Raven retorted. "And I think you mean towel."

"Goodness, no thank you," Maddie refused vehemently as if she was being offered something reprehensible.

"I'd think I should be used to that by now." Raven thought to herself.

"I was only offering my own perspective on it, Rae," Maddie explained. "Besides, that isn't exactly the most extreme thing to ever happen."

"Which would be?" Raven asked with an inquisitive raise of her brow.

Maddie rolled her eyes in thought. "Oh, like, say…playing a life and death game that'll decide your fate and the fate of millions, with the hope of not ending up in a cold, pitch black void where you can only pray for a sweet end to your existence. That sort of thing."

Raven blinked rapidly at what was…the oddest and most disturbing analogy she had ever heard, her jaw hanging slack. "What."

With a shake of her head, Maddie went back on point. "What I'm trying to say, Raven, is that if that's really, posilutely your choice, you should stick to it and see where it takes you. And, if it doesn't work out, you can always reconsider other career paths. Maybe fly fishing! I'm sure you can rack up an entire farm of flies and train them to do all kinds of neat tricks."

Raven giggled. "Well, that…doesn't sound too bad either."

"Either?"

The daughter of the Evil Queen shook her head. "Nothing." With a breath, she drained the rest of her tea, then rose from the bench and returned the teacup back to Maddie, who folded it like paper and slipped it into her carryall.

Slinging her school bag over her shoulder, she opined, "Let's make a stop to Charms Nobles. There's this new book I've been meaning to buy."

"That wouldn't happen to be a spell book to help you in concocting a spell or poison just for me, would it?" A familiar; and preppy, voice spoke, followed by the appearance of none other than Raven's roommate, Apple White, her blood red lips curled into an anticipatory smile as she crept near. "Oh, Raven, I knew that you were just lulling me into a false sense of security. Come on," she gently took hold of the other girl's hand, " as your frenemy and destined nemesis, I'll help you pick the evilest, diabolicalist-."

"That's not an actual word," Raven deadpanned, wondering to herself if Apple had some Wonderlandian in her, trying in vain to pull away from what was a surprisingly firm grip.

"Details," Apple waived the correction off, and finally let go when she noticed Raven struggling. "What matters, is that you're finally seeing the error of your judgment before-"

Raven's brows flattened, unamused as she cut Apple off, saying, "Have you…been stalking me?"

Stopping midstep, Apple withdrew from her and replied innocently, "S-Stalking you? Oh, that's ridiculous, Raven. I would never do such an inappropriate thing. Completely unbecoming of a princess such as myself. Whatever would give you that idea?"

A disbelieving Raven responded flatly, "Right. Let's go, Maddie."

"Wait!" Apple scurried after the departing duo. "Can…can I at least come, too?"

"Why?" Raven asked with more than a little suspicion.

"I'm also looking for a book to buy," Apple explained smoothly. "Another to add to my collection. This time, on Cinderella."

"Oh, right, your hobby," Raven recalled. "What's up with that? I mean, not that it's weird or anything, but, I'm curious."

Apple smiled, only too happy to explain, "I was always so enamored with the classics, to study and empathize with the struggles of the princesses of old, what challenges came between them and their happily ever after. It's always so good to learn from history, wouldn't you say?"

Raven huffed, "History, huh? I wonder how people are gonna look back on us when it's our turn to be in the books."

Apple's eyes sparkled with a driven confidence of someone whose purpose in life was set. "Oh, silly Raven. Should it be anything else? You, poisoning me, Daring riding along on his white steed to kiss me awake and claim me as his, and finally, the two of us riding off to a magnificently radiant castle on top of a hill, and ruling as King and Queen." She trailed off with a dreamy sigh as opposed to her roommate's silent shake of her head.

"Mhm," Raven agreed sarcastically, grinning non-humorously. "And, what do you suppose is gonna happen to me?"

"Why, you get thrown into a dungeon and think about what you did, but don't worry, bestie, I'll put in a good word for you," Apple assured her. "And that you'll only be imprisoned in the finest quarters fit for a queen until you're free to rejoin society."

Raven really didn't know whether to be upset or feel sorry for the both of them. "Whatever you say, App. Come on, might as well come along. The more, the merrier."

"Yay!" Apple tittered in joy. "I'm sure there's hope for us yet, Raven."

"Uh, yeah, no, I am not going to Yarns & Noble to buy a spellbook," Raven reasserted with a sigh, and grinned when she spotted the disappointment that flashed across the blonde's features. "Besides, they had to take out a lot of their catalog on black magic after what my mom did, and uh…let's say a slew of lawsuits over an incident involving…hagfish."

"Hm? Hagfish?" Apple repeated questioningly. "Why? What happened?"

"You know how slimy hagfish can get?" Both Apple and Maddie nodded. "I'll spare you the bare details, but there was this witch who…"

---

Elsewhere…

Darling Charming sat in her family's white and gold limousine carriage, transfixed on her Mirror Phone as she was perusing through her socials. A few memes, updates from her friends on Fablebook, then her messages, coming upon one from her father saying that Dexter couldn't make it. Mildly disappointed by this, she let it slide, doubly so when her father added in the reason, knowing how busy her brother could be with his studies.

She smiled as a few memories of Dexter surfaced, of how out of both him and Daring, they would spend time the most together, like when he would help her with homework, always patient when she had trouble and sometimes surprised by how quick she could be on the uptake in certain subjects. Her smile wavered when additional memories reared themselves, of how…reserved he became after the Evil Queen's rampage. Many fairy tales, kingdoms and realms had been impacted, as none before had there ever been someone with such an absurd aim to conquer, much less rule as the Evil Queen that went above the mere title or role she had to play.

But none were more damaged than Wonderland and its denizens.

Their Kingdom was fortified enough, which ensured that they were kept safe in case the Evil Queen or her forces would eventually turn away from Wonderland once it was properly subjugated, but thankfully, a timely, albeit lengthy, counteroffensive would put an end to the chaos. Her father was just one of the kings that led the charge against the rogue monarch, and would come to serve as an inspiration to his children and other aspiring princes…and maybe a few princesses like her. They had been safe, away from the conflict.

Perhaps…save for Dexter, who had been invited and went on a week-long trip with friends at possibly the worst time, and because the borders and portals had been closed off, he had not been able to find the opportunity to return home or contact them due to a communications blackout. Their mother had been beside herself, pining for anything from her son, be it a hint to his whereabouts or any confirmation; no matter how small, that he was alive and well.

Which was just another reason why she didn't mind that her father had elected to be the one to meet with her by the school gates in her brother's stead. Speaking of which, she smiled upon feeling the carriage pulling to a stop by a set of golden gates, and peeking out the window, her gaze was met with the smiling visage of King Charming. She eyed the maroon ascot draped around his neck. "He's in a good mood," Darling thought, preparing to step out of the vehicle and embrace the man that she hadn't seen face-to-face in a year.

"Dad," she greeted him as they came together for a father-daughter hug, and received a poke on the nose once they broke away. King Charming beamed at seeing her daughter, bearing so much of a resemblance to his wife in their youth.

"How's your mother?" her father asked after giving her a peck on the forehead, to which she replied.

"Same old," she answered with a shrug, then darted her eyes left to right. "Is…Dexter here? Daring?"

"Daring has Bookball practice, and Dexter's with his study group," her father informed her, gesturing to the staff to hurry along with his daughter's luggage. "Come, we can catch up over a meal. My treat."

Darling giggled at her father putting on the charm, even holding his hand out for her in a courting fashion. "So, this is Ever After High."

The brochures and online photos she had seen didn't quite match to being within proximity of it, an in-person assessment imbuing her with a sense of awe at how opulent it was for a school. The main building, though tall and imposing, had a naturally fairy tale flare to it, the afternoon sun reflecting harmoniously off of the white brick foundation, rendering it in a soft glow.

Looking on ahead, the grounds and courtyard were teeming with students as far as she could see, with some nearby glancing curiously in their direction, with her carrying all the telltale signs of being new. She could pick out a few familiar faces, guests from past balls like Ashlynn Ella, who was talking with who she could tell was Farrah Goodfairy from following her Fablebook and Flutter accounts. As she and her father were underway in an intermediary tour, passing by the stairwell leading up to the main door, her attention was momentarily drawn to the village, her senses picking up something unusual.

"Hm?"

"I said, what would you like to eat, darling?" King Charming asked his youngest.

Darling snapped out of whatever stupor she was in and fully faced her father. "Oh, uh, there's this restaurant I've been meaning to check out at Book End. Can we go there?"

King Charming nodded. "By the way, dear. Have you thought of the classes that you'll be taking?"

"Yes," Darling answered, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. "Princessology and Kingdom Management, Crownculus. I might even try out for Grimnastics. Damsel-In-Distressing isn't until my Second Year, right?"

"Indeed," King Charming nodded. "You can take things slow for now, Darling, seeing as how you've only just arrived. You have a lot to expect here at Ever After High, just as we have a lot to expect from you."

"I know," Darling acknowledged with her own nod. Just not that much. "I won't let you down."

"Oh, I have no doubt," her father said proudly, coiling an arm around her shoulder, chuckling. "Now, what's this restaurant you're-"

The father-daughter pair were interrupted and stopped by the sound of an explosion in the distance, as were the rest of the people around them. "What the-! What was that?!" Darling blurted out in question, clasping her carryall close to her, while her father instinctively came in front of his daughter protectively, instantly on the alert in trying to pin the source.

It was loud, albeit muffled, but not enough to render it too obscured, indicating that it had to have carried quite a bit of power, catching a light tremor in the air. He trained his sights in the direction of Book End, then took out his phone, ready to rally the local knights.

The Bookball team were startled out of their practice, the sound causing a sweaty and breathless Daring Charming to frantically take off his helmet to look up at the sky searchingly. "What was that?"

"Wh-Wh-What…was that?" Ashlynn Ella sputtered, so startled that she nearly toppled over had Farrah not caught her.

"I-I don't know," Farrah replied, just as unnerved. Helping Ashlynn right herself, she drew out her wand, starting to sense a change in the air that made her shudder. "S-Something's not right…"

Ashlynn looked frantically around the courtyard, seeking out the one person that could make her feel safe. "Hu-" She clamped a hand over her mouth, fearful of being overheard, and picking this up, Farrah led her down a stairwell. "We have to go inside," she told her.

Ashlynn shook her head. "I need to find Hunter," she whispered back.

Farrah was having none of it. "We need to take cover inside. Who knows what it could be."

"But-"

"Yo! For real?! Huntsman?"

Ashlynn blinked, hearing her boyfriend's surname, turning to her left to see two boys huddled together in conversation. "That's what he said on the phone, dude! Huntsman's at the park dueling with that nerd, Charming."

Ashlynn blinked, repeating what she had picked up on quizzically, "The park?" Something about a duel? A nerd...Charming? There was only one Charming she knew that fit that description, and...for him and her Hunter to be embroiled in a duel of all things, she could only react as one who knew both parties very well would.

"Huh?"

It wasn't a dainty, ladylike expression of shock. More like, a very blunt, very deadpan sound from someone who had just heard something that wasn't just unbelievable, but worryingly impossible. And even if it was indeed happening, she of all people knew how such a face-off would go down. Her Hunter, standing victorious, and Dexter, who would be lucky enough to get back up and not walk with a limp.

Farrah was wondering about it herself, having also heard the boys, and watched as they ran off to where the supposed duel was. "Um, so uh…"

"The park," Ashlynn said firmly.

Farrah asked tentatively, "Ashlynn, are you sure? I mean, the explosion…"

Ashlynn faced her fairy godmother to be. "All the more reason to stop them! I'm not sure why they could possibly be dueling, but we have to go there and tell them that now is not the time!"

Farrah still seemed largely unsure, but seeing the determination on her best friend's face, she knew that she wouldn't be able to put it off or deny her. With a reluctant nod, she conceded and said, "Alright. But stay behind me no matter what. Are we clear?"

Ashlynn nodded, remembering and feeling grateful that Farrah had taken Spell-Defense lessons.

---

Oh dear. We could be looking at quite the ruckus.

Hm, true. I do wonder how old Milton will react once this reaches him.

We could check?

---

The Headmaster's Office…

Milton Grimm was sitting behind his desk.

In his office.

Alone.

A factor that was significant for one thing, and one thing only.

That, after a grueling day of managing an entire building jam-packed with teenagers and keeping them in check, now was a period of time that he considered one of the few luxuries in the centuries he and his brother had been alive.

He was done with the day's paperwork, endured another droning faculty meeting, had to oversee the cleanup of yet another one of Kitty Cheshire's pranks, telling the villain class off that they couldn't mount a revolution to overthrow the school government in order to create an independent kingdom where they would get an extra slice of pizza for lunch, and spent another fruitless number of hours in trying to convince Raven Queen to sign the book.

It was all so tedious, so tiring, so...annoying, that the only thing he needed right now was to clear his head and let the stress just wash away from him. The burdenous hang-ups of the day had to stay where they were – in today. Sucking in a deep intake of air, he let out a satisfyingly calming breath.

The ringing of the alarm that his cup noodles were done helped. There was just something about the promise of junk food that kept him going. Peeling off the lid, his eyes shone with anticipation at the sight of the noodles drowning in the broth, the toppings ever so tantalizingly delectable, even more so because it was chicken flavored.

A little piece of heaven amidst the bleak existence that was his life.

First, the noodles, and his taste buds could only dance along with his teeth as he chewed, then sipping some of the soup to complete the experience. He could have gone with wine to soothe his aching soul, but he was in no mood to have Baba Yaga find him blackout drunk and passed out over his desk again.

"Ah," he sighed serenely, "this is it. This is my sanctuary, my paradise. I wish not for this to ever end...unless, of course, someone were to barge through the door at that very moment; then I really would have to put my foot down. The students suffer along with me, and it's only fair. Perfectly balanced, as they say. If only Raven Queen had complied from the beginning, then my stress levels would be more manageable." He grumbled under his breath about these upstarts.

These…"Rebels". Peak originality right there, he might just trademark it. Then there were the "Royals", who he had little to worry about due to them making the conscious and proper choice of sticking to their roles. Finishing his noodles, he became lost deeper in thought. If this goes on for too long, I might just resort to more…drastic measures. It's my hope that it doesn't come to that, but if Raven Queen and those who begin to follow her example are to force my hand…

He let out a second, more tired sigh, putting down his now empty cup on the table. What else could go-

A loud noise that distinctly sounded like an explosion interrupted his train of thought, nearly sending him sprawling out of his seat with a jolt; a hand reached up to his chest as the thumping of his heart overrode his senses.

Why me…?

---

The park, a few minutes earlier…

Hunter grinned tauntingly at his opponent, having drawn first blood. "Good job, Sparkman." The hero monster looked back to his master, nodding from the praise. "And now I end my Battle Phase and go to Main Phase-"

"Just a minute, Hunt," Dexter interjected. "Did you forget? The monster that your Sparkman destroyed was Marshmacaron, so as a result, I get to Special Summon up to two copies of the little guy from my deck." Saying this, the duel disk flushed out two cards from his deck, which were then shuffled before being placed on a panel in face-up defense position. In front of him, two cards appeared in the same position, followed by two blob-like creatures that bounced straight out of each card, looking more lively and intact than their fallen brethren. The crowd seemed more receptive to their arrival, with many of the female and child portions gushing at how cute/cool they looked.

Hunter clicked his tongue, a grin still lurking on his lips. "Fine," he said, "I go to my Main Phase 2 and set one card face-down. I end my turn."

A thin smile tugged at Dexter's lips, readying himself to begin. "I draw." He went over his hand of five cards, drawing out a monster and placing it on the rightmost panel. "I Normal Summon Celtic Guard of Noble Arms, in attack mode." A monster leapt out of its card and landed on the grassy field of the park, then got into a stance, unsheathing its dual swords as it locked its sights on Sparkman, who had his arms crossed over his chest, staring the warrior down unflinchingly. The audience could only gape in awe, that an elven warrior had appeared before them, with some elves in the audience who played the game letting out cheers. "Because of his effect, I can also summon the Obnoxious Celtic Guard from my hand." Obnoxious emerged from his card in the same manner as his brother, sharing a nod of acknowledgment once he landed. His armor was identical to that of Celtic Guardian, save for it being darker in color.

---

Another Celtic Guardian?

Dexter switched his Celtic Guardian with Obnoxious, and his effect is that he cannot be destroyed by battle against a monster with 1900 or more ATK points, but Dexter still gets battle damage.

I see. Well, it would seem he has the advantage over the young Huntsman.

I wouldn't bet on it. You haven't seen what Hunter's HEROs can do.

Heroes?

---

Dexter placed a spell into the slot below Noble Arms. "I activate the Spell Card, Swords of Revealing Light." The audience were thrown back by an intense flash of light that appeared in the sky, before it broke apart and rained down from above, taking the shape of swords that converged around Hunter and his side of the field, freezing in place as if to obstruct him, drawing gasps from their spectators. Whatever was going on, they could only stand by and watch in fascination, save for those who actually played Duel Monsters, looking on at the duel in both disbelief and excitement. "I then place two cards face-down so that Noble Arms can attack."

Dexter entered his Battle Phase; numerous pop-up screens spread throughout the park that were within the Duel Disk's range showed the sequence as the icon with the initials "BP" turned highlighted in red. "Go, Noble Arms, attack his Sparkman!" Obeying his master, Noble Arms shot forward with surprising speed, ready to drive his swords through the enemy monster.

Many in the audience could only watch in bewilderment and shock, as if only now remembering that the elven warrior was wielding weapons that could very well kill, and were left equally baffled that the warrior in bizarre blue and gold armor didn't move, continuing to stand calmly as if he wasn't about to be slashed to ribbons. Some cried out for him to dodge, move, anything to get out of the way, but it was only when Hunter raised his hand that a card from behind Sparkman appeared in a flicker of energy.

"I activate the trap card, Hero Barrier." Out of the trap card emerged a metallic fan with four propellers, coming between Sparkman and Noble Arms, which then spun around with rising speed as it barred the elf from going through with his attack, stopping him in his tracks. Noble Arms squinted as the wind picked up in intensity, bringing a sword wielding arm up as he felt the stinging air friction against his eyes. "With Hero Barrier, I can negate the attack from an opponent's monster," Hunter said. "And since your Obnoxious Celtic Guard has only 1400 ATK, that should be the end of your Battle Phase."

Dexter snorted from the other boy's cheekiness. "I end my turn."

Hunter beamed. "Draw!" He slipped the card he drew into his hand, and his eagerness skyrocketed as it was the one he wanted. "For my Main Phase 1, I play the spell card, Polymerization!"

Dexter's smile faltered; this was going to hurt.

A number of the growing crowd cheered, also knowing what was to come next, while the confusion of those who didn't spread among the crowd, a number of them having just arrived and making their way through the spectators.

These included, but were not limited to, Raven Queen, Maddie Hatter, and Apple White, who had just finished perusing through Yarns & Noble and were on their way back to the dorms when they heard the burgeoning commotion. True to her word, instead of a spell book, much to the disappointment of her roommate, Raven had instead purchased a cookbook, as opposed to Maddie, who went for 'One Hundred and One Ways to Brew Tea', the author being an ancestor of hers. Apple, to her delight, had come upon a limited edition copy of Cinderella and her own story, purchasing them on the spot, along with one other book, to Raven's notice. When they went to check out their picks, Raven thought to sneak a glance at the third book that was at the very bottom of the other two, as it didn't seem to be another story; the young Snow White oddly neglected to mention what it was about.

Unfortunately, Apple had scooped up the stack of books from the counter for the cashier to bag before she could even get so much as a glimpse at the spine; she had been preoccupied with sorting through her own pile an instant before. She decided not to press the issue, letting the matter slide.

Now, the three of them found themselves standing amongst the crowd, gaping at the bizarre anomaly that they were witnessing. "Wha-what in the world…?" Apple nattered, utterly perplexed at seeing an elven knight being repelled by a propeller of all things. "I-isn't that Daring's brother?" She pointed to where the bespectacled sibling of her prince-to-be was, wearing some kind of…bizarre ornament around his arm and surrounded by two…blob creatures (that she couldn't deny looked kind of cute) and another one of the elven warriors that could be the first one's twin, who soon joined him after retreating.

Raven was easily just as puzzled, looking on with her jaw hanging open, unable to make sense of the scene. From the corner of her eye, she turned to see Maddie...shivering, trembling like a leaf. "Maddie? Maddie, what's wrong?"

The young Mad Hatter didn't answer immediately, taking a deep breath to help settle down the tension that was rattling her. She perked up a little from the question, giving a very fragile smile and responding with, "N-Nothing, Raven. I-It's just…"

"Whoa! Duel Monsters!"

"It's real! Real freaking monsters!"

Two sets of newcomers had arrived beside them, wearing eager smiles on their faces. One was a pair of boys their age standing a few feet across from Apple, likely their fellow students. The other pair was a boy and girl who looked slightly younger than them, indicating that they were underclassmen.

"This is so cool! I didn't think I'd get to see some Duel Monsters here, and they're real too! I gotta get a video of this!"

"Duel…Monsters?" Raven repeated apprehensively, watching as the boy took out his phone to record, the questions only multiplying.

Having barged in-between her and Apple, the girl standing just behind him, the boy sported short black hair and tanned skin, wearing a rather plain brown jacket over a cream colored shirt, with a pair of black pants held up by suspenders, his leather boots just a darker shade of brown.

"Uh, excuse me…" Raven called out to the lad in an uneasy but polite tone, torn between the expectation that he might recognize her and drive her off, and the need to speak to him. "Excuse me."

"Hm?" The boy stopped to notice her from the corner of his eye, and upon meeting her gaze, he asked, "Uh, yeah?"

She suppressed the reflex to let out a thankful sigh and wasted no time in asking, "Um, we're kind of lost on...what's happening here. Would it...would it be okay for you to explain what's going on?"

"Us?" The boy echoed inquisitively, then split his gaze between her and Apple, whose attention was also now on the boy. "Uh, okay? Sure. I don't think I'll be able to cover most of your questions, but I can give it a shot. Go ahead."

"Then let's start with something simple," Raven began. "What's this…Duel Monsters, you called it?"

The boy only needed to point at the very center of the growing crowd of people spectating, where two boys; upon closer inspection, they could now identify as being Hunter Huntsman and Dexter Charming, were facing each other while being surrounded by odd people and creatures. The backdrop was littered with strange holographic screens that showed figures and numbers. "That's Duel Monsters! It's a card game."

Raven blinked. "A…card game?"

The boy nodded. "Yep, a card game." Many were just as confused, with some having to seek counsel from those who knew what was going on, such as Tucker having to be the one to provide commentary to Sparrow and the rest of his group.

Hunter brandished the Spell Card that he referred to as 'Polymerization', declaring, "With this card, I can use materials from my hand and/or field to summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck. From my hand, I send Elemental HERO Burstinatrix and Elemental HERO Avian." He proceeded to insert two cards into the slot of the Graveyard, and from a slot right under his main deck, a card poked out. He smiled, pulling out the card and showing it to Dexter, which appeared to be a monster, but unlike the previous kinds that were colored light yellow or brown, this one was a deep purple. "Fusion Summon! Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!"

The card appeared as soon as he placed it on the panel to his right, and from it emerged a figure that shot upward in a blur. As the new monster reached its peak, it opened its wings, using the updraft to parachute down, and the crowd gasped when they got a better look at the creature.

They weren't even sure what to call such a…creature, only that it seemed to be a bizarre chimeric mish-mash of a green muscular ogre and a red dragon, it's draconic features making up the entire limb where its arm should be, which was the head, with a long spiny tail swishing about threateningly from his rear. It had a single, feathery wing that spanned nearly its full height; which made them more than a little confused as to how it even flew with such dexterity, the top lined with three black spikes. It had no visible mouth, but none were certain if it was wearing a mask, nor were any of them eager to ask, utterly intimidated save for those who recognized the monster from the get-go.

As was his master, who held no such apprehension. "You ready, Wingman?" Hunter asked.

The monster looked over his shoulder and responded with a thumbs-up, just as Sparkman had done.

---

Dear lord, who, or what, is that?

Elemental HERO Flame Wingman. A Fusion Monster, and part of the HERO archetype of monsters.

Archetype?

Basically a group or family of cards, which can be identified by a particular naming convention, and Hunter happens to specialize in using HEROS and their corresponding support cards. And, yes, that's HERO in all caps.

That…creature is considered a hero?

Come on, dad, ever read comic books?

…Well, some, but they always wear spandex.

Yeah, a lot of HERO monsters are conventionally costumed that way, but not all heroes wear capes, as they say. We've barely scratched the surface since HEROS happens to be some of the most abundant in its archetype, each with their own subgroup and playstyle, though they only ever have fusions and links.

You mentioned fusions. What kind of monsters are those?

Fusion Monsters are just that, which are monsters that are fused together to make them bigger and better, though that isn't always the case. This is done depending on the kind of card or method used, by sending the materials listed on the card to the Graveyard, return them to the deck, banish, or really, whatever is required, and HEROS were just some of the first archetypes that took it to a whole new level in terms of variety. All fusions are color coded purple.

Are Fusion Monsters powerful?

Depends. Due to power balance, there are fusions that are weak to being just downright useless, and some are just so powerful and consistent that they're outright banned or limited per player.

What is this-

Hang on, I need to make a call.

---

Maddie, who was watching the duel unfold before her, couldn't shake off this sense of unease; the energies saturating the air conflicted with her natural affinity for Wonderland. Chaos energy was volatile, and with how gathered and concentrated it all was in one place, she couldn't help but want anything more than to tuck herself under the littlest umbrella she could find. She let out a sudden giggle when she felt her phone vibrate, fishing it out of her right shoe and answering the call.

"Goodbye, this isn't me, how can I roll over and jump rope on a block of cheese? Maddie Hatter not speaking!" Maddie perked up at who it was on the other line. "Oh, hey Brooke, what is it? Uh huh, uh huh. You don't say? You don't say?!"

Maddie? I didn't say anything yet.

Maddie giggled again, "Sorry. So, what seems to be gargling in your fractals?" This time, she listened. "You sure? Uh huh, yeah, it's gonna take a lot of reevaluating of life as she knows it, but we could make it work. Yeah, I'll put her on the phone."

"Maddie, who's that?" Raven asked, pulling away from the boy, both he and Apple turning to her.

Maddie wiggled her phone in the air, and sang, "For you, Raven~!"

"Uh, okay?" Raven said as she took the phone off of Maddie's hands and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

Yeah, hi, Raven Queen? This is gonna sound super awkward, but level with me here. My name is Brooke Page, and basically? I'm the narrator. Or, rather, a narrator. It's actually me and my parents. Care for a spell?

Raven didn't move, blinking twice, then taking a moment to massage the bridge of her nose before deciding to spare herself from the mother of all headaches by replying, "Fine. Go ahead."

Hexcellent! Now, about what's currently going on…

---

Existential crisis aside, the duel could only keep going.

"Now then," Hunter began. "I activate the spell, Mystical Space Typhoon!" A strong gust of wind sprang to life from the card, prompting the people nearby to shield themselves from the whirling debris. "I target your Swords of Revealing Light for destruction." The typhoon collided with the spell, causing it to fizzle out at the same time the swords of light that were swarming Hunter dissipated.

Pleased with this, the young Huntsman stretched out his arm. "I will now enter my Battle Phase. Go, Sparkman! Attack Obnoxious Celtic Guard!" Just as he had done to the last monster he destroyed, the hero began to gather electricity between his palms, but unlike before, Sparkman kept himself rooted to the ground as he launched it in a straight line toward the elven swordsman, who appeared to be bracing himself. "Since my Sparkman only has 1600 ATK, your elf is toast."

Dexter was having none of it. "I activate the trap card, Magic Cylinder!"

Hunter stepped back in shock. "Crap!"

The young Charming grinned. "Magic Cylinder's effect is that I get to target your Sparkman and negate the attack, and then calculate his full ATK from your LP."

Two odd tubes appeared above Obnoxious's head, and the ball of electricity seemed to swerve in mid-air, and straight into one rather than its intended target. A second later, the ball of electricity shot out of the other tube, heading straight back; not for Sparkman, but for Hunter, who was now the one that had to brace himself for the coming collision.

"Hunter, look out!"

Hunter's eyes widened at the very familiar voice, accompanied by her silhouette, the electricity casting her in shadow as she placed herself between him and the blast without thinking.

"Sparkman!"

The hero didn't even need to be commanded; he grabbed hold of a frozen-in-place Ashlynn Ella, her life flashing before her eyes. He leaped behind Hunter with the girl in tow, going down on one knee and hugging her close so that his much larger body enveloped her, both he and Hunter becoming shields. The young Huntsman planted his feet firmly, bringing his arms up right before the electricity struck him head-on, drawing a series of screams from the crowd.

"Hunter, no!" Ashlynn cried out, reaching an arm towards him futilely as she struggled against Sparkman's grasp. "Let go of me! Who even are you?"

"C-Calm down," Sparkman muttered, his voice coming out between grunts.

"What?" Ashlynn paused at what the odd knight had said, before another, altogether different grunt snapped her back to the present. "Hunter?"

Hunter vigorously shook his head, taking a moment to gather his bearings and release a breath that he had been holding. Looking down at himself, he saw no distinct abrasions or burns. Other than some mild stinging, he seemed fine. "Huh, guess I'm okay. Nope! Wait, the stinging just got worse! Grr, Seth, you son of a-!"

"Hunter!"

On his knees, he turned his head to look over his shoulder, the pain he was feeling overridden. His vision was momentarily flooded by Ashlynn's dress as the girl lurched at him in a silent, yet firm embrace. She didn't say anything, only that she was beside herself with tears and didn't care about anything else other than her boyfriend being alive.

Hunter found himself at a loss for words, the high that he had been riding on for most of the duel winding down. "Whoa…Ashlynn-"

"Don't!" she cut in, burrowing her face into his chest. "Just don't! What...just what was that? What's going on?" She pulled away from him, and his heart ached a little at the sight of her eyes, which had gone bloodshot. "Just what the hell is going on?"

Hunter blinked, tongue-tied. "Uh…" he stammered. "I-"

Farrah Goodfairy entered the scene, hunched over and out of breath, a hand on her chest. "Ashlynn! Thank goodness you're alright…"

Seeing this, Dexter sprinted up to them, locking eyes with Hunter once he was near enough. He heaved out a sigh and said, "Should we call it off?"

Ashlynn, beyond confused, asked, "C-Call what off? What is even going on? Aren't you…I heard that you two were dueling…"

Dexter shrugged, replying calmly as if he hadn't just bore witness to his roommate getting electrocuted, "We are."

Naturally, Ashlynn could only gape in barely constrained disbelief. "What? This is…"

Hunter sighed, scratching the back of his head as he got back to his feet, reaching out for Ashlynn to grab his hand. The young Cinderella, still utterly lost, could only absently grab hold and pull herself up to her feet, stumbling a little that Hunter had to help keep her balance. "Listen, Ashlynn, I know how this looks, but I-" He rolled his eyes. "Okay, I can't explain this, at least not on such short notice. Just know that all of it will make sense once this is all over, I promise."

"But…what even is this?"

Dexter stepped forward, looking back to see that his monsters had followed him to the amazement and apprehension of those watching. "This? We're playing Duel Monsters."

"D-Duel Monsters?" Ashlynn's gaze wandered, seeing the strange creatures and elves with them. "That...card game?"

"Yeah," Hunter nodded. "You've seen me play it on Master Duel."

Ashlynn looked torn; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You call this a card game?" she exclaimed, grabbing her boyfriend by the arms to emphasize her point. She was shocked that he didn't even flinch from the admonishment; he looked at her as if she were the one acting strange.

"Hunter was never in any real danger," Dexter said as he stepped forward. Both Ashlynn and Farrah, who had come next to her best friend to comfort her, turned to the bespectacled Charming. "There really isn't anything for you to worry about, Ashlynn. Solid Vision is perfectly safe."

"Solid…Vision?" Farrah echoed bemusedly.

Dexter gestured to the dual disks both he and Hunter were wearing, and the monsters surrounding them. On cue, screens projecting their faces appeared all across the stadium. "What you're all seeing right now is the latest technology from Seacrest Industries, developed for the express purpose of further enhancing the experience when playing the card game, Duel Monsters. Combining technology and magic, the cards come to life to offer a more immersive duel, but that isn't to say that it's dangerous, as you've all just seen, the disks help buffer any real damage that you might take and instead, depending on the settings, can either just sting a bit or not hurt at all. So, there really isn't any actual danger involved." That ad fee better be worth it, Seth. He motioned to Hunter to prove his point, who smacked his chest as a sign of confidence that he was a-okay.

The crowd of people began talking among themselves, with many discussing and debating on the spot, while others were still somewhat lost and confused. Surveying the entire scene from the top of a stairwell for the vantage it offered were King Charming and his squad of knights, standing by in case they needed to intervene, and they almost did when Hunter was struck by that errant blast of lightning. Darling was with him, insistent on coming along to see for herself and only managing to barely convince the man with the promise of retreating at the first sign of danger. Arms crossed over his chest, he observed with sharp eyes on what his son was actually doing as opposed to the "study group" excuse he gave.

On her end, Darling could only offer a sympathetic furrow of her brows at her brother. He's so grounded. Regardless, she found herself intrigued by the duel, having watched it play out halfway through in fascination before that girl intervened, and being particularly drawn to the two elven swordsmen by Dexter's side.

Daring and his Bookball buddies had also arrived on the scene during the game, and thanks to a few of his teammates who played, were explaining to him what was happening, even though he could barely make sense of some of the terms they were using.

"Listen, Ashlynn," Hunter started, massaging his forehead. "I'll explain everything to you later, but just know, nothing is going to happen to me. I will be perfectly safe, perfectly okay. I can promise you that."

Ashlynn opened her mouth, about to disagree once more when she saw the gleam in Hunter's eyes, telling her that he wasn't going to back out. For some reason, she couldn't even begin to fathom, much less rationalize, but he was only ever this way when he was set on something.

It was the same look she had seen on him when he had confessed his feelings to her.

"You…you're really going through with this?" she asked, her worry not abating as much as it had been before. It was then that it occurred to her how they must have looked together at that moment.

And to her astonishment, at how little she cared.

Farrah gently placed her hands on Ashlynn's shoulders. "Come on, we should probably get out of their way."

"You can watch the rest of the duel with…" Dexter glanced at their audience, dying inside when he saw his father from afar, and smiling a little at the sight of Darling next to him, waving back, "everybody else."

Farrah nodded, leading herself and Ashlynn away to join the audience.

Hunter sighed, scratching the back of his head with the arm that held his disk, and was impressed that the cards didn't fall off. "Well, that was a mood killer. Should we…keep going?"

Dexter shrugged. "We're in too deep now. What do you guys think?" He looked to his monsters for their opinion, and to the amazement of those watching, it was revealed that what they had previously thought to be mere holograms or lifeless constructs were actually... responding – organically.

Obnoxious shrugged, as did Noble Arms, the latter saying, "It's your call, Dex."

Both Marchmacarons jiggled and wobbled in agreement, letting out cute warbles that drew squeals from the audience.

Hunter turned to his monsters, who concurred. "It's fine," Sparkman added, waving a hand.

"What he said," Wingman inclined his head to his fellow HERO, his deep voice causing those nearby to shiver in fear.

At that, both boys shrugged. The show had to go on.

Returning to their original positions, trusting that no further interference would occur, the screens displayed the status of both duelists.

---

So, you following along?

"As far as my brain can process all this information, I haven't short circuited yet," Raven deadpanned.

Hunter and Dexter both rechecked their fields and cards, with the former resuming his turn. "Since Wingman has 2100 ATK, he can't destroy Obnoxious, but," he thrust the arm that held his cards forward and commanded, "he can still deal damage to you. Wingman, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guard!"

Gasps and cries of fear rang out from the crowd at the sight of Wingman charging his attack; the dragon head where his hand should be lit up intensely. Many of the princes present amongst the audience instinctively flinched, with some wondering to themselves if they'd even have a chance against such a creature, unlike Obnoxious Celtic Guard, who stood strong, causing many of the princesses to swoon at this display of gallantry in the face of such odds. Taking aim, Wingman shot the fireball straight at the elf, hitting him dead-on and bathing him in flames. Obnoxious endured, grunting through tightly clenched teeth at being set ablaze, but true to his effect, he did not fall. When the flames dissipated, he got on one knee, panting, having to dig his sword into the ground for support.

Dexter frowned at seeing his monster get hurt.

DC: 6400 HH: 6400

"I activate the trap card, Dig of Destiny!" The card rose from its place face-down, showing a man punching a stone wall with such strength that it left a spiderweb crack. "I can activate this card when I receive battle damage, and I get to draw one card from my deck." Dexter drew and looked at his new card.

Hunter nodded in satisfaction. "I place a card face-down and end my turn."

Cheers once again erupted from the members of the audience who had played the game, save for two.

"Looks like they're even now," Alistair said.

"Yeah," Briar replied. "Who do you think is gonna win?"

"Dexter's at a clear disadvantage, but we should know better. It's too early, and really, anything could happen." As soon as Alistair said that, he detected the approach of two figures from his right. Checking to see, it was a girl with voluminous blonde hair, her dress colored predominantly in blues and yellow, with a blue bow set atop her golden curls. Excited blue eyes were staring at a Mirror Pad being held up by a boy with pale skin and a lighter shade of blonde hair that was neatly combed, his attire leaning more on the formal side with his button-up shirt under an eggshell white vest, and light brown pantaloons held up by suspenders. He adjusted his glasses, aiming the camera at the girl still in the midst of preparing and straightening out her appearance.

"Are we ready?" the blonde girl asked once she was done, and the boy held up three fingers.

"3…2…1! Go!"

"Hello~ fellow fairy tales, Blondie Lockes here with breaking news that is just right! We currently find ourselves here at Book End's park where a massive crowd has gathered to witness an fantastical, unbelievable series of events that is sure to heat up your porridge."

The pale boy made a cutting motion across his neck, and Blondie cleared her throat. "Two students from Ever After High, who I've been told are Hunter Huntsman, the next Woodsman, and Dexter Charming, the...a prince charming, are locked in a duel. But not just any duel, ladies and gentlemen, but Monster Duel!"

Her cameraman hissed at her, "Psst! Blondie, it's Duel Monsters!"

"Duel Monsters! Right," she cleared her throat again, "Now, let's see if we can find someone who can provide us commentary because, honestly, I haven't the foggiest idea about this game or how it's played. Humphrey, you don't count, you're my cameraman."

"Got it," Humphrey conceded.

Blondie swung her head around searching, before settling on someone random, which was the person standing closest to them. "Excuse me~!"

Alistair glanced at the young Goldilocks calling to him before fully facing her. "Yes?"

Blondie put on her brightest smile as soon as she approached. Come on, Blondie, don't blow it. "Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but you wouldn't...happen to be following what's going on, would you?"

Alistair stared at the other blonde with an unreadable mien, his own blue eyes locking with her own. "Yes, why?"

Blondie quashed the urge to sigh, replying, "Introductions first, I'm Blondie Lockes, student journalist and the next Goldilocks. And you are?"

"Alistair Wonderland."

Blondie gasped. "The next Alice? You must be one of the new arrivals." At Alistair's nod, she gushed, clapping her hands. "Oh, this is just right! An on-the-ground interview. How are you liking Ever After High?"

Alistair shrugged. "It's alright. Not at all like Wonderland High, but wonderlandiful all the same in its own way."

"Was that riddlish?"

"Uh, no? I wasn't trying to speak it," Alistair answered awkwardly.

"Well, can you at least provide us with context on what's happening here?"

"Oh, uh, sure."

"Draw!" Dexter declared to start his turn. "I set two cards face-down, and I go to my Battle Phase. Noble Arms, attack Sparkman!"

The elven warrior took to the opportunity and lunged forward, executing the hero with quick and precise swipes from his swords, wrenching out a death cry from Sparkman as he crackled out of existence, drawing gasps from the audience at how merciless it was.

DC: 6400 HH: 5900

"And because Noble Arms inflicted battle damage to you, I get to draw cards up to the number of Celtic Guard monsters face-up on my field, including himself," Dexter said, drawing his two cards and looking down at them. "First, I use Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of that face-down."

Hunter's face-down card crumbled, revealing it to be De-Fusion; he chose not to activate it, lest he deprive himself of a beater and his only form of defense.

"I then place the remaining card in my hand face-down. I end my turn."

Hunter cracked the knuckles of his right hand, now the one at a disadvantage. "Draw!" He glanced at the card he drew. "I summon Card Trooper in attack mode."

"They're recouping their advantage," Briar muttered.

"Hm?" Blondie looked past Alistair to see Briar Beauty, but before she could comment on her presence or what she had said, she picked up murmurs from the crowd, and even a gasp from Humphrey, who was now aiming the tablet at the duel. She swirled her attention back to the duel and spotted Hunter's new monster. It was...a robot, with a head confined in a glass hemisphere, its red torso cylindrical with two visible gauges across its chest. Its spindly arms were a metallic gold and silver, ending at his forearms that were painted red and tapered at the end without anything to serve as hands, resembling cannons. Instead of legs and feet, its bottom part was a blue mechanism outfitted with treads. Its eyes were glowing as bright as floodlights, only adding to its mechanically eerie demeanor.

"I activate Card Trooper's special effect," Hunter announced. "By sending up to three cards from the top of my deck, I increase its ATK points by 500 for each. I vote to send a full three." He drew the number of cards and scanned them, before inserting all three into his Graveyard, causing Trooper's ATK to rise to 1900.

"Now! Wingman, attack Obnoxious again." The monstrous looking hero charged up another fireball, with Obnoxious at the ready again to endure once more. Upon launching it, Dexter pointed down at the card by his right.

"I activate the trap card, Mirror Force!"

Hunter sighed, unable to do anything but watch his board be nuked by a bright wave of light flashing off of the card. "Because of Card Trooper's effect, I get to draw a card." A thankful smile etched itself on his face at what he drew. "I go to my Main Phase 2, I activate the spell card, E - Emergency Call." An enlarged projection of a blue uppercase E appeared before Hunter. "With this card, I can search my deck for an Elemental HERO, and add it to my hand."

Blondie motioned towards the scene, saying, "As you can see, viewers, Hunter Huntsman has cast a spell-"

"Activate."

"Excuse me?" Blondie blinked, glancing at Alister and Humphrey, the both of them having corrected her.

"In Duel Monsters, it's 'activate', not 'cast'," Alister elaborated. "'Gathering of the Mystics' uses that term."

"Oh," Blondie blinked, then decided she needed to keep the conversation going to keep her viewers enthralled. "So, uh, what kind of cards does Hunter use? Element Heroes?"

"Elemental HEROs," Alistair and Humphrey corrected her again, with the former proceeding, "They're an archetype or group of cards whose style of play involves fusing together to bring out their better and stronger members. At least, that was before their Link Monsters were released."

"Uhm-"

Alistair could have smiled empathetically, but decided against it. "We…could just watch for now."

"Yes!" Blondie snapped, looking a little too relieved. "Let's…let's do that."

Hunter drew the card that protruded out with a quick flourish of his arm. As his deck was being shuffled, he declared without taking his eyes off of Dexter, "With the effect of E - Emergency Call, I took Elemental HERO Bubbleman from my deck. As he's the only one in my hand, and I control no cards on the field, I can Special Summon him. Let's go, Bubbleman, in defense mode!"

A figure emerged from the card in a somersault, touching down in a crouch before assuming a defensive stance. To the audience's notice, this new monster bore more of a conventional style one would expect from a comic book superhero, complete with a cape and armor. His helmet sported two flat ears or horns, which exposed only his jawline, allowing them to see that he was smiling. However, unlike the intense Sparkman and the menacing Wingman, this Bubbleman looked more eccentric with his theme revolving around; from what they could glean from his moniker, bubbles, with two tanks attached to his back that had a series of tubes tethered to a wrist mounted nozzle or gun of some sort on his right forearm.

And, at 800 ATK and 1200 DEF, one could easily conclude that he couldn't amount to much against Dexter's forces, but that was where the viability of his effect shined as Alistair helpfully explained, "Bubbleman may seem weak at first glance, but he only sees any real use in helping you replenish your hand by drawing 2 cards, so long as you don't have anything else. Not in your hand, nor on your field. Other than that, Hunter could just use him as material for Fusions."

"That sounds, uh, good?" Blondie weakly replied.

Alistair went on, more for those watching through their screens. "When it comes to Duel Monsters, card advantage is everything, and when you're in a tight spot, it's simpler to understand that, so long as you have resources, you have a fighting chance, but as with any card game, if you happen to draw what you can't use, you're pretty much done for, so if Hunter managed to draw even one card that can help him, he can mount a counter play."

Hunter looked down at the cards he drew. "I activate the spell, Fifth Hope!"

Dexter's eyes widened as the card revealed itself to have five figures all huddled together, the rising sun in the background casting them in light. One was a man who appeared to be a hybrid between human and bird, or perhaps just wearing a suit or armor made of green feathers, his hands and feet equipped with three sharp talons. His eyes were obscured behind a red domino mask.

Another was Sparkman, standing next to a giant stone golem, its head colored red and disproportionately smaller than its bulky body, with only white streaks that served as its eyes. Bubbleman was on one knee, still wearing his perpetual smile. The last one was someone that many in the audience didn't expect, a woman, wearing a skintight red and white bodysuit that left little to the imagination, arms folded over her chest, her hair fanning out intensely, with a golden helmet atop her head.

"Who are those?" Apple found herself asking.

Those are the original Elemental Heroes, and yes, that includes the woman in red, Burstinatrix. Avian, Clayman, Sparkman and Bubbleman, those guys are some of the first cards that Hunter had back when he started out.

"They look so strange," Ashlynn asked. "I mean, I always saw heroes as knights or adventurers."

Have you ever read comics?

"I have," Raven answered, raising her hand.

"Me too," Farrah followed.

Both Ashlynn and Apple expressed surprise. "You've read comics, Raven?" the latter asked.

"Yeah? Haven't you?" Her roommate shook her head. "Seriously?"

"Mother told me that comics were always so juvenile and improper," Apple revealed. "Not like fairy tales."

"There's hardly any difference," Raven pointed out with a shrug. "Heroes fighting evil villains, saving the day, so on and so forth. Rinse and repeat."

"That's it?" Apple asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah."

"That just sounds so…repetitive? Formulaic?" Apple said. "Why would that be entertaining?"

Oh, the irony… Brooke thought to herself.

"Well," Raven sighed, "it used to be, but sales are way down now." Gonna have to change the subject before I start hitting way too close to home. "So, yeah, I know a thing or two about superheroes. But, enough about that, are Elemental Heroes good?"

Depends on the individual and how the deck is built. They tend to fluctuate between being meta to non-meta for every format.

"Meta?"

"Non-Meta?" Both Raven and Apple repeated in succession.

Meta or metagame, basically refers to the most prominent decks in a given period of time. Every now and then, certain deck builds and strategies can dominate an area of the game and end up being the most popular, leading to a proliferation of cookie cutter variants. However, in order to keep the game fresh, there exists a banlist or list of cards that limit the copies of a card that a player can have in that deck, thus, when a certain kind of deck becomes too saturating, the company who oversees the game places the key cards of that deck within this banlist.

You see, players are only allowed three copies of the same cards per deck. That's referred to as Unlimited. The banlist, on the other hand, comes in three categories. Limited, which is 1 copy per person. Semi-Limited, which is 2, and finally, Forbidden, meaning the card can't be used at all, and will not be recognized by any tournament or system if you happen to play them on a Duel Arena or Duel Disk.

"You mean, they won't be projected?" Farrah surmised, being more steeped in the realm of magic than the rest, with Raven being a close second.

The young Evil Queen asked, "Just how many cards are there?"

Hm, last I checked, there should be around 12,000 kinds of cards in circulation.

"12,000?!" All of the princesses, including Brooke's parents who were listening as well, exclaimed in abject shock.

The people nearby heard them, naturally garnering odd looks, prompting the girls; except for Maddie, to shrink back in apologetic embarrassment.

"12,000? T-That's insane!" Apple exclaimed in disbelief, which none of the other girls; except for Maddie, disagreed with.

You think that's wild. New cards are still being made to this day. That's what happens when a game lasts so long and the company continues to be profitable.

"How come we've never heard of this, then?" Raven questioned. "Is it some kind of niche hobby?"

I don't suppose you guys have ever heard of 'Gathering of the Mystics', have you?

"Ooh, ooh!" Maddie lit up, raising her hand that held a freshly poured cup of tea, spilling some. "Me! I've heard of it!" A moment later, however. "No, wait! I think I'm talking about a Fairytube Indie Animation I watched. Pretty good, too. Never mind."

"With this card, I get to target five Elemental HERO monsters in my Graveyard and return them to the deck, after that, I get to draw two cards. Or, like with Bubbleman, if I don't have any other cards in my hand or field, I can draw three instead, but since I have Bubbleman and another card, two is what I get. I return to my deck, Avian, Burstinatrix, Sparkman, Wingman and Clayman, but since Wingman has to go back to the Extra Deck, only four will go to my Main Deck." Hunter proceeded to perform the actions the card allowed him to do, drawing 2 more cards after his deck was done shuffling.

Extra Deck is where the Extra Monsters are, and they come in flavors of Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Link, but to go into detail into each one would just prove distracting.

"Gee, thanks for the consideration," Raven deadpanned, having put the phone on speaker so that Apple, Maddie, Farrah and Ashlynn; who had settled next to them, could listen in to Brooke, having explained as much of the game as she could fit in such an truncated period. "So, how many cards can you have in a deck in general?"

Minimum is 40, maximum is 60, and depending on how you build your deck, the thinner it is, the more consistent it can be in giving you good draws, but that still relatively depends on the style of play you use. The Extra Deck, on the other hand, can only have a maximum of 15 cards, which may sound minimal at best, but after some changes were done to the rules years ago, it was the most they could settle with.

"Can you have more than 60?" Farrah asked out of genuine curiosity, becoming fascinated.

No, you cannot have more than 60, especially not after an incident where a player showed up at a regionals with a 2,222 card deck.

"2,222 cards?!" The princesses exclaimed in disbelief.

"...Seriously?" Raven said with an arched brow.

Haha, yeah, that was pretty nuts. It was then that the creators just had to do some adjustments to the rules to keep players from pulling something like that off again, because the guy who built that deck just wanted to troll the tournament in the first place.

"I don't see what the problem is," Maddie argued, pouring herself and Earl Grey some more tea. "I mean, I would have brought more than just 2000."

"Let me guess, a million?" Raven asked her challengingly.

"No," Maddie said after pouring her cup of tea inside her hat. "I'd have brought a bucket of watermelons and screwdrivers! And then, I would have been able to parachute off of a snake's backside."

"…"

Raven continued, "So, who's winning?"

As of current? Hard to tell, Hunter still has to get back some steam. And it looks like he has.

Ashlynn's gaze rested on her boyfriend as he now held three cards in his hand, praying for his victory. "I set two cards face-down. I end my turn."

Dexter started his. "Draw!" Clear Kuriboh. As of now, none of Hunter's monsters can inflict effect damage. Dead draw. He pitched a glance at Hunter's back row, the two cards somewhat worrying. He could be bluffing with A Hero Emerges. Reviewing his strategy in his head, he decided to skip. "I end my turn."

Hunter grinned. "Draw!" Neo Space. I can't use this. "For this turn, I normal summon Elemental HERO Bladedge!"

Dexter could only smirk in return. So it was a bluff.

"Wait, what?"

"He can't do that."

A lot in the crowd voiced out their objections, until a screen popped up that showed Hunter was in every position to do so, due to a certain card. "Because of Elemental HERO Necroshade being in my Graveyard from Card Trooper bringing him there, I can bring out Bladedge with no Tribute." As he said that, a silhouette of a tall figure cropped up behind Hunter, an imposing man with red and black skin, adorned in skeletal armor.

Monsters that are level five and above require one other monster on the field to be tributed or sent to the Graveyard. Level seven and above require two, and there are certain cards that require you to offer three. That is still considered a 'Normal Summon', and you are only allowed to perform one unless dictated otherwise by an effect or condition. Necroshade makes it so that you can bring out a high level HERO with no cost for one turn after it's been sent to the Graveyard.

"This game is just getting more and more complicated," Apple opined. "How can you even begin to remember all of that?"

Lots of time and dedication, or you just happen to be a veteran. That's the reason why the skill floor has gotten so mind-numbingly high if you want to enter the competitive scene. But it wasn't always, at least back in the earlier days of the game. That's more of a consequence of power creep than anything that's on the player. That being said, casual play does exist, and really, it's pretty much your choice. If you're not aiming to be competitive, you can just as well slap on any random cards together and play with friends.

Hunter laid out his card on the panel where Sparkman had been, and another ring of gasps went all around as they beheld this new hero, who was cast from head to toe in golden armor. Long, curved horns protruded from the sides of his head, with a green gem embedded on each of his forehead, chest, and midsection. Attached to his back was; to those who knew what it was, a turbine or thruster of some sort, complete with wings. Bladedge let out a roar as his armor shined under the afternoon sun, amazing the spectators, like the most gallant of knights had arrived to turn the tide of battle.

From the screens that popped up, it showed Bladedge's stats.

2600 ATK 1800 DEF

"What power!"

"2600?"

"Charming doesn't stand a chance!"

"Is 2600 that high?" Blondie asked Alistair.

"Oh yes," Alistair nodded. "Anything that's above 2500 is already formidable, and that's not all that Bladedge has going for him."

Hunter smiled and declared, "I go to my Battle Phase. I attack your Marshmacaron on your right. Go, Bladedge!"

Upon hearing that, Bladedge held up his arms, and out of his forearms, large, curved blades extended out. His targeted Marshmacaron shivered in fear as it could only watch helplessly as the hero's turbine engaged, his wings spreading out in preparation.

A girl amongst the crowd let out a gasp at the sight, bringing both hands to her mouth at what she knew was about to go down, that an innocent creature was going to be executed. She was torn, however, as to whether she should intervene, knowing intellectually that it was simply a game, but from what she had witnessed earlier, the monsters on the field seemed to display signs of life, and that was enough for her.

She was about to step forward when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw that it was a girl her age wearing a red hood, who shook her head, silently dissuading her from doing something reckless. She was about to argue when the girl flashed her a warning glare.

"Don't."

"But…"

"You're only going to make a fool out of yourself. Those two seem like they're set on finishing this. No matter what."

The girl furrowed her brows in doubt, but a smile from the other assuaged her somewhat, a bit of rationality returning. Even so, it was still a harrowing sight as both couldn't help but wince when Bladedge severed the little pink blob in two, before it flickered out of existence.

Dexter flinched, feeling the intensity of the piercing damage he was taking.

DC: 4200 HH: 5900

"Not bad, Hunter, but you've just gone and triggered my trap," Dexter said. "Dark Horizon!"

The revealed card showed a figure in what resembled mage garb that appeared to be flying, with an ominous globe or orb of energy behind them. "When I receive Battle or Effect Damage, I can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my Deck with ATK that's equal to or less than the amount of damage I received."

"So, her," Alistair said.

Blondie glanced at him inquisitively. "Her?"

Alistair smiled.

"It would have been better if I'd gotten more than 2400," Dexter opined. "So, I can only call her out."

Many in the audience were left puzzled, save for those who had an inkling of an idea of what was being done.

Taking out the card that he wanted, he smoothly placed it on the panel next to Noble Arms. "You're on! Dark Magician Girl!"

"What?!"

To the audience's astonishment, from the enlarged card emerged a blonde young woman dressed in a plunging blue magician's apparel with a red gem in the center, marked with a pentagram, blue bracers on her forearms, with the rest of her outfit abundantly accented in purple from the short cape and skirt, to her knee-high boots. On her head was a crescent-shaped pointed hat with an adjustable visor, and enclosed within her right hand was a short staff or wand, colored in the same blue and purple accents save for the tip, which was a yellow ornament in the pattern of a spiral, and a round yellow jewel at the bottom. Around her neck was a pink choker with a similarly yellow jewel. She had a youthful beauty to her, fair skin and with pink markings on her cheeks.

Bright blue eyes opened to the sight of the people who had gathered to watch the duel, with many ogling her back in varying degrees of interest and dumbfounded confusion. Smiling, she waved at them with an infectious enthusiasm and exclaimed, "Hello, everyone!"

There was silence at first, before a number of the audience erupted into a cacophony of cheers.

"Whoa! It's the Dark Magician Girl!"

"It's really her!"

"No! Freaking! Way!"

As more of the crowd was riled into a frenzy, just as many of them were at a loss as to why this girl could garner such a reaction.

"I don't get it," Apple White spoke, whipping her head back and forth to observe the crowd. "What's with this…Dark Magician Girl? And why does she seem so popular?"

Dark Magician Girl and her popularity can be owed to being in an infamous combo with another card, but whether or not Dexter is gonna bring it out remains to be seen.

"Is she…evil?" Raven asked ruefully, to the surprise of those around her.

Oh no, Dark Magician Girl happens to be one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Maybe once this is all over, you guys can ask Dexter for a chance to talk to her.

"Really?" Raven exchanged glances with the others. Was it possible?

"With that, I end my turn," Hunter said. However, as the indication of him being on the End Phase lit up red, Dexter declared.

"I banish two of my monsters to activate my trap card!" The young Charming pointed to the face-down card right in front of him as Obnoxious Celtic Guard and the last Marchmacaron disappeared, and the card rose before materializing, revealing it to be; to the fascination of many in the audience, a large circular mirror which looked fairly worn from the fogginess and hairline cracks around its edges, which nonetheless was encased in a lovely emerald green frame that had wings at the bottom and decorated with purple gems.

"Dimension Reflector!" The enchanted mirror released a bright light, which soon faded to reveal Bladedge's reflection, when before it was clouded. "This continuous trap card can be activated once I banish two monsters on my field, and I can Special Summon it in Attack Position as an Effect Monster with its ATK and DEF equal to a face-up monster that I target on my opponent's field. And the monster I choose is Bladedge!"

Dimension Reflector floated from where the Spell/Trap Zone should presumably be and onto the adjacent Monster Zone before its stats were revealed.

Type: Spellcaster

Attribute: Dark

Level: 4

ATK and DEF: 2600

"And that's not all, if activated this way, my opponent receives damage equal to Dimension Reflector's newly gained ATK!"

Hunter let out a grunt as he took the full brunt of the damage, causing no small amount of worry from Ashlynn. He could only grin archly in response, "Damn."

DC: 4200 HH: 3300

"Wow, viewers, it looks like Dexter Charming has managed to turn things around," Blondie announced. "Based on what I've been told, Hunter had him on the ropes by having brought out Bladedge, but by playing this Dimension Reflector, he managed to even the odds. Now, they both have monsters that are equally powerful, and with his turn coming up, who knows what else he'll do." She turned to Alistair, who gave her a thumbs-up from managing to nail it.

"I draw!" Dexter declared.

"Not so fast!" Hunter snapped, pointing to his face down card. "I activate Drop Off!" The newly activated trap card depicted the hand of what could be presumed to be a knight, dropping or being forced to let go of his sword. "When my opponent draws a card on their normal Draw Phase, they have to discard the card they drew."

Dexter's eyes narrowed a bit, then followed the card's effect by sending his drawn card to the Graveyard. This did not seem to discourage him, however.

"Mana, you ready?"

"Ready and waiting, Dex!" Dark Magician Girl replied brightly.

"...Mana?"

Dark Magician Girl's real name. Again, if you want to get to know her, I suggest you guys talk to her yourselves. Brooke answered Raven.

"She kind of looks like our age," Farrah pointed out.

"I activate the last face-down card on my field, Dark Magical Circle!" Rather than appear as a card, a glowing magic circle inscribed with arcane runes expanded out from Dexter's feet, with many of the magicians and spellcasters in the audience analyzing it with interest. "When this card is activated, I can look at the top 3 cards of my deck, and, if it is Dark Magician, or a Spell or Trap that mentions Dark Magician, I can reveal it to my opponent and add that card to my hand."

He drew out the three cards from his deck, scanned them, and saw the card he needed. He slipped the chosen card to his hand before returning the remaining two back to his deck. "I then activate the quick spell, Secrets of Dark Magic!" The card from his hand glowed before another magic circle appeared right above him, followed by two golden goblets being conjured into existence on his left and on his right, each having a red gem embedded on it, with a pair of sharp, winglike handles that reached past the brim. Soon enough, blue ethereal energy spewed from each goblet, dancing and swirling through the air and around Dexter and his monsters - specifically Dark Magician Girl and Dimension Reflector.

A sense of foreboding fell on the audience as they witnessed this, with King Charming and Darling being the most unnerved by the scene. Dark magic was only ever practiced by villains, with many of the aspiring villains in the audience becoming drawn to this turn of events from how the duel first started with Dexter's elven warriors meant to express his lineage. Could Dexter Charming, from a long line of heroes, be destined to pursue a path of evil? A certain Faybelle Thorn seemed to think so, looking on and starting to take a shine to the prince.

Alistair narrowed his eyes, and said, "Here it comes…"

Blondie was about to ask for some clarification when she noticed that Humphrey had placed the Mirror Pad on a tripod, now just as invested in the duel. She was about to chide him for it when her eyes traveled back to the duel, deciding to just let the infraction slide.

With all the cards he needed in place, Dexter closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. A tense silence fell on the entirety of the park and those watching in their homes, on the streets of Book End, and the other kingdoms and realms, through tablets, television, computers, or enchanted pools. At school, the teachers at the faculty lounge were just as captivated, having watched the duel play out on their flat screen by the wall since Blondie had broadcasted.

"Extraordinary!" The Pied Piper remarked, adjusting his spectacles.

"I'll say," Jack B. Nimble, sitting the other way on his swivel chair and twirling around, arms outstretched. "I haven't been so on the edge of my seat since the last Dragon Games."

Coach Gingerbreadman scoffed. "If they were duking it out themselves instead of those other guys, then maybe I'd be impressed."

Baba Yaga, however, was oddly taciturn. "Maybe you will."

"What was that?" Gingerbreadman asked archly, glancing at the witch as she was seated on her pedestal, hovering over the floor.

She could feel it. Glancing out the window, she could see the clouds gathering over where the park was, darkening, swelling. In all her years, she had only felt this energy once before, as did others who had the greatest sensitivity to magic, and it was around the time that the Evil Queen had been on the verge of defeat.

"It's coming."

Her words puzzled the rest of the faculty, save for the Queen of Hearts and the White Queen, who, for some reason, weren't acting out in their usual madness.

They seemed more…shaken, than anything else.

The crowd saw the increasingly darkening skies as well, an ominous wind descending upon the park. King Charming had long ordered the knights to form a barrier around where Dexter and Hunter were dueling in case the worst were to happen, and if push comes to shove, intervene and ensure that his children were safe.

Dexter was standing calmly, even when he was at the center of the turbulence. He opened his eyes and smiled. "You ready, Hunter?"

The young Huntsman spread his arms out, his only answer being a mad grin that stretched across his handsome features, rearing his head back as he peered up at the magic circle that was now crackling with lightning. "Do your worst, man!"

This ought to be good.

"What?" Raven asked the young narrator, fighting back the wind, with many of her fellow princesses; except for Maddie, having to protect their modesty. Ashlynn was the most worried, compelled to run to Hunter again, with only the wall of knights preventing her.

"Now then, I send Dark Magician Girl, and Dimension Reflector as materials to the Graveyard," Dexter announced, with his two monsters rising high into the air before they both seemed to disappear into the magic circle. "Fusion Summon-!"

There was a clap of lightning before two figures exited the magic circle and descended down on the field. One, was Dark Magician Girl, only now, her attire looked more ornate and armored than it was when she first landed, with her blonde hair having grown longer. Accompanying her; instead of Dimension Reflector, was a man in deep ornate purple robes and armor, with his own crescent shaped hat, and carrying a much longer purple staff that was tipped by a round green gem. What was peculiar about him was that as opposed to the fair skinned Dark Magician Girl, the man's skin was a sickly green, with his hair being the same shade of blonde.

"The Dark Magicians!"

Both magicians let out battle cries soon after Dexter introduced them, brandishing their staves as they glared in Hunter's direction.

"The Dark Magicians," Alistair explained to Blondie and the viewers, now being broadcasted around the park as well. "It's a Fusion Monster, however, what makes it unique is that it's composed of both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. Basically, it is a collective of the two, working together as one."

"It's the Dark Magician!"

"This is so cool!"

The rest of the audience continued to be silent, save for those who recognized the newly summoned wizard, both in fear and reverence from the power the duo seemed to emanate.

That's Dark Magician, Mana's mentor and one of Dexter's ace monsters.

Raven, Apple, Farrah, Ashlynn and even Maddie were left awestruck. Even from where they were standing, they were overwhelmed by the aura coming from the two.

Dexter swung his free arm in a wide flourish at the pair. "I go to my Battle Phase, The Dark Magicians, attack Bladedge!"

Both magicians began charging their magic, channeling the energies directly to their staves, then launched their attacks at the armored hero. Their combined magic pulsed and weaved through the air before it landed, Bladedge valiantly bringing his arms up to at least try to defend from the assault, only to be proven futile as he was wiped clear off the field to the shocks and gasps of the crowd.

DC: 4200 HH: 3100

"And that's not all!" Dexter gave the command to Noble Arms, who was already leaping towards Bubbleman, bisecting him in two from the shoulder down.

Hunter could only lament the fall of his monsters, but he still had a chance, far from throwing the duel. "I end my turn," Dexter declared, allowing the young Huntsman to start on his.

Hunter took a deep breath of his own. My last face-down is 'Hero Blast', but thanks to Fifth Hope, I can't use it. With nothing left, all he really needed…was a miracle. "Draw!" His eyes lit up and widened into saucers once he beheld the card, eternally thankful to his deck. "I activate Miracle Fusion!"

"By banishing the materials from my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon an Elemental HERO from my Extra Deck. I banish Bubbleman and Bladedge, and the one I choose is-" Hunter plucked the card from the slot before slapping it on, "Elemental HERO…Sunrise!" The dark clouds above Hunter parted, allowing sunlight to filter through, shining brighter as a figure came down, his cape billowing before expanding to slow his descent.

The mere pressure of his arrival caused some of the knights and even King Charming to recoil, this particular knight in red standing proudly once he touched ground, with the sun continuing to shine off of his armor, the gold sections only adding to his solemnity. Similar to Bladedge, out of his forearms were curved bladed weapons, though his were lined with spikes and more slender than broad. The pauldrons on his shoulders each ended in a single metallic spike, and two curved horns extended from his head with two smaller horns under each, and armored boots were sharply tipped, pointing upwards. With his face just as obscured, his eyes glowed a fiery blue, locking onto The Dark Magicians and Noble Arms, his cape billowing majestically behind him.

The people throughout Ever After were awash with awe at this crimson knight, their hearts swelling with a sensation that this brave warrior would be able to weather them through any trial, any crisis.

A tense grin stretched across Hunter's features, opening and clenching his free hand, feeling the sweat on his palms. Just a little more. If I can bring out Gaia… "I activate Sunrise's effect! If Special Summoned, I can search out another Miracle Fusion from my Deck."

"Oh? Is that right?"

Hunter paused, and a sense of dread immediately shot up his spine at hearing those words. He peered from across his side of the field and could see the confidence that continued to radiate off of Dexter, his smile never having left his lips. "Hunter, because you activated a Spell Card this turn, The Dark Magicians' effect had been triggered."

Oh boy...

Raven and the others weren't sure if they even heard Brooke, but for some reason, they just knew that this was to be the climax, or close to it, watching as both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl hovered to each of Dexter's sides, bringing their hands over him as particles of light exuded from their palms.

"I get to draw a card from my deck, and if it's a Spell or Trap, I can set it. But…" Dexter placed his index and middle finger atop his deck. "If I happen to draw a Trap or Quick Spell, I can activate it this turn."

Without even looking at what he drew, it looked like he was about to reveal it, when he placed it into a slot, face-down. Hunter let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, then proceeded with his turn.

Huh. Guess he's saving it for later.

"I bring out another Miracle Fusion from my Deck," he took out the card and activated it once more. "I banish Necroshade and Card Trooper from my Graveyard, in order to bring out Elemental HERO Gaia!"

Many in the crowd were thrown off when a rumbling started to brew beneath their feet, followed by the ground in front of Hunter and to Sunrise's right breaking apart into a mound, where this time, another knight slowly reached up and dug itself out, wearing thick, dark brown armor that was decorated with red gems. It easily towered over Sunrise once it fully emerged from the soil, standing with a hunch, two protrusions visible on its back. Its forearms were bigger and thicker than its head, with three holes at the front that released bursts of air and grime. Its legs were just as stocky under an armored skirt. Once it was fully settled, it hovered its hand over the hole it made and closed it up, leaving only a wide patch of the grass upturned.

This knight; no, this golem, let out an earth shattering roar, the ground once again shaking.

A confident smile stretched across Hunter's lips. "I activate Gaia's special effect. Until the End Phase, I can halve the ATK of one monster on my opponent's side of the field, and Gaia will gain that halved ATK.

Elemental HERO Gaia

ATK: 3600 DEF: 2600

The Dark Magicians

ATK: 1400 DEF: 2300

"I go to my Battle Phase. Go, Gaia, attack The Dark Magicians!"

Gaia roared again, aiming both of its arms straight at his targets, then launched a loud barrage of earth and debris at them. Dexter brought his arms up to shield his eyes, as while the disk was enchanted to mitigate any serious damage to the player, sand and dirt on his eye was not something he was eager for. The same couldn't be said for The Dark Magicians as sharp, jagged rocks tore through them without mercy, before breaking apart into particles of light.

DC: 2000 HH: 3100

The residual particles congregated towards Dexter's deck, casting it aglow. "I activate the effect of The Dark Magicians! When destroyed, I can Special Summon 1 Dark Magician and 1 Dark Magician Girl from my hand, Deck, or Graveyard!" The light from both the Deck and Graveyard brightened, before breaking off into two orbs that floated to either side of the prince, then morphing into two familiar figures.

Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl came onto the field as the light dispersed, though now, they looked markedly less ornate than before, and were instead garbed in their usual attire, Dark Magician being in his black robes and armor, while Mana was back in her first outfit, doing a few stretches as if she had just awoken from slumber.

"Is that-?"

"That could only be…"

"The Dark Magician. For real!"

Many who were watching, particularly those who were of the heroic inclination, could only frown at this, that a dark sorcerer was being revered, even cheered on. One such viewer was Briar Beauty's father, King Phil, sitting on his throne beside his wife, their young sons seated on their own chairs. They were in the throneroom of their castle, watching the duel on a wide-screen.

"Awesome!" Gallantry exclaimed, drawing more than a few odd looks from his brothers and a chiding one from his father, causing him to flinch and relent. "I, uh, what I mean is…"

Before he could say anything, Phil felt a touch on the back of his hand, turning to see that his wife was flashing him a placating smile, having just awoken from another one of her sleeping spells. The king frowned, seemingly in protest to the gesture, before relenting as well, never really able to deny his wife when it came to their children.

Back to the duel, Hunter wasn't done, glancing at Sunrise. "Attack Noble Arms!"

It was over in an instant, with Noble Arms bringing his swords up in a valiant effort to parry, only to be overpowered by the far superior HERO.

DC: 1600 HH: 3100

"And with that, I end my turn," Hunter declared.

The crowd became silent again, observing that Dexter seemed to have gone into thought. A smile crept onto the young prince's lips as he and Hunter shared a look, before both broke out into laughter.

"It's been a while since we dueled like this, huh, Hunt?"

Hunter chuckled heartily. "You're telling me. Oh man…" A sigh abandoned his lips. "Feels good. Feels good…"

They stared at each other for another moment, then shared another laugh, much to the bewildered crowd's confusion.

Both Briar and Alistair expressed smiles at seeing this, a fit of nostalgia washing over them.

Dexter shook his head, and said, "But, you know, as fun as this has been…"

Hunter closed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah."

Dexter began his turn. "Draw." He looked at the card, and for some reason, his smile fell. "You ready, Hunter? This will be the last turn. No holding back."

Hunter just shrugged. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"That's the spirit," Dexter replied, and as soon as that exchange concluded, it was then and there that the people took note that the sky had darkened again, if not darker. Dexter slipped the card he drew next to his Clear Kuriboh in his hand and pointed at the card he had set during Hunter's turn, trailed off by the clapping of thunder and a flash of lightning.

"I activate the trap card, The Revived Sky God!"

Hunter grinned, recalling the card that Dexter had to discard. It must have been when I used Drop Off.

Raven took a step back, her eyes glued to the young prince, or rather, the card that had risen up, showing an odd portrait of what appeared to be a woman facing off with a…red dragon.

Having seen this, the hairs at the back of her neck pricked up, her blood running cold as a pit in her stomach grew. The same could be said for Farrah, whose grip on her wand loosened, allowing it to fall inaudibly to the ground, swallowing a lump that had stuck itself in her throat, her ears burning with the rapid beating of her heart.

At the faculty lounge, Baba Yaga broke out into a sweat, clenching her jaw, goosebumps over her goosebumps.

"It's coming…" the White Queen gasped, falling back on a chair and clawing at her own dress.

"The heavens twist and thunder roars…" the Queen of Hearts mumbled to herself, huddled into a corner.

Even the other teachers could sense a definite change in the air, and a certain Headmaster, still halfway from his destination, would have dropped dead then and there in the middle of the street. "This is…this is…" He could only fall on his knees, looking on helplessly as the clouds continued to converge, and it was there that he saw…a shape, slithering about as though the cloud itself had come alive.

The wind continued to pick up around them, and it was there that King Charming had begun barking orders to the knights to be ready for anything in regards to protecting the people. He swept his gaze over the crowd, before snapping his sights towards his son. He blinked, the hairs on his skin bristling as he slowly arched his head back to look up at the sky, as his instincts were screaming at him that something was there, lurking about in the darkness. His feet became rooted, unable to bring a single muscle to move as he could swear to all that was holy - it was looking right back.

The card activated, Dexter continued, "The activation of this card cannot be negated, nor can its effects be negated. I summon, from my Graveyard, 1 Osiris the Heaven Dragon!"

Most of the audience were no longer paying attention to the duel, which left many to not hear what the young Charming even said properly. Instead, a much more pressing issue afoot had caused them to follow suit with those that had caught on first, tuning their gazes upward, only to be stricken with raw, abject horror; more so than those who were behind their screens, at what was slowly emerging from the clouds. It was…ginormous, skulking about like a predatory snake, as if it would swoop down at any moment to devour them, its blood red scales rippling for every writhe and coil through the pitch black skies. The ground, the very air they breathed, seemed to tremble as its presence was finally made known, with many in the crowd fainting from the mere sight of it.

All of the knights and monarchs; which included King Charming, who had experience dealing with magical beasts in line with their stories, collectively paled, for this creature was unlike anything they could even begin to fathom from the deepest recesses of their imagination, and that was already without taking into account at how massive it was, far from able to acutely measure its wingspan, but if one were to make an estimate roughly encompassing Book End, they were certain that it wouldn't be far off.

The crowd were beside themselves once it fully started descending, with some of the knights on guard having already drawn their swords, and a few others torn between running for dear life or to stand and fight. Yet, they were all stunned to move, much less flee.

"Osiris…"

King Charming snapped his head to his right, hearing the name, however delicately it was said, finding himself repeating it in question.

"Osiris the Heaven Dragon…"

"I can't believe it…"

Whispers, murmurs, however strong the winds continued to bear down on them, the name itself could not be dampened, as if nature was conceding to the authority behind it.

"Wha…wha-what i-i-is that?" Apple White stuttered out, holding onto Raven for support, never in her life having known such terror.

That would be Osiris the Heaven Dragon, one of the Three God Cards.

"Th…Three…G…God…?" Raven on her end had never felt such fear coursing through her veins, her face losing color so amply that, had things been different, she could have passed as a genuine Snow White.

Once it was close enough, only then did the crowd gain a clear enough look at its face, making out the second mouth right above his main one, the lot of them beyond simply being stricken with fear that none could even muster the strength to run. The beast known as Osiris slowly opened its maw, letting out the most inhuman of roars that shook the people of Ever After to their very core, the winds howling louder in concert as if heralding his arrival.

Ashlynn was shaking profusely, rivulets of sweat trailing down from her forehead, stricken with such fear that she failed to notice her bowels giving way, but none was her terror more palpable than for her boyfriend, who continued to stand his ground against this monster as he was fighting back the sheer force of its roar, both Gaia and Sunrise clustering in front of him. Once it stopped, Osiris stared coldly at Hunter with piercing yellow eyes.

"When The Revived Sky God is activated," Dexter declared, "I can Special Summon Osiris the Heaven Dragon from my Graveyard, and then both of us must draw until we have six cards on hand." Both proceeded to do so. "I then activate the Quick Spell, Thunderforce Attack!"

Hunter's grin became strained. "'Not holding back', huh?"

"The activation and effect of this card cannot be negated. If I have Osiris the Heaven Dragon on my field, I can destroy as many monsters on my opponent's side of the field as possible. Then, if this card was activated on my Main Phase, I can draw cards equal to the number of monsters destroyed by this effect and sent to the Graveyard." Dexter held up the cards in his hand. "For every card in my hand, Osiris gains 1000 ATK and DEF."

A screen popped up to show the entirety of the red dragon's stats, including its effect.

"Osiris the Heaven Dragon. Its summon cannot be negated, nor can it be targeted by card effects," Alistair explained. "As one of the Three God Cards, when used right, it can effectively win you a duel in one decisive attack. However, as powerful as it is, it has caveats as a means to balance it out, and in the current state of the game, it can easily be dealt with. But, back when it was first created, there was little to nothing that could sufficiently counter it."

Blondie surprised herself that she could still muster up a response. "Y-You m-mentioned…th-three. Who-Wh-What are the other two?"

"Now that, I can't tell you," Alistair answered, a finger raised. "That's strictly classified information considering the nature of their power. Even as cards, the Three Gods still carry powerful magic. Dangerous magic. As you're already seeing for yourselves."

Osiris the Heaven Dragon

ATK: 7000 DEF: 7000

---

Seven thousand…

I shudder to think of the fate of anyone if they were ever at the blunt end of such power.

Uh, yeah, that would be Hunter.

---

Both Gaia and Sunrise merely faded into particles, leaving Hunter to be the sole individual to face the draconic deity. "As a condition, only one monster on my field can be allowed to attack in this turn. And I choose…" Dexter gestured his arm at none other than, "Osiris, attack Hunter directly!"

Osiris let out another roar, only this time, a white glow formed within its mouth, building in intensity, causing those closest to steer clear of the incoming attack, the knights helping to push them back. Hunter, on the other hand, with only his arms shading his eyes, was all smiles, welcoming it.

With one final pulse, a beam of light shot out of Osiris' maw, enveloping Hunter in an instant, causing the crowd to turn away from how bright it was, lighting up the entire park. A tearful Ashlynn screamed, being held back by both Maddie and Raven as she could only reach out helplessly at him.

DC: 1600 HH: 0

When the light finally faded, the expanse of where the attack landed billowed out a thick cloud of smoke, the edges showing the soil having blackened and singed, barring those from seeing what had become of the young Huntsman.

Her mouth hanging agape, Ashlynn was rendered utterly catatonic as she could only stare at what was left of her boyfriend. She tried to make a sound, but all that came out were hitched gasps, glued to the sight before her eyes drew themselves back, finally succumbing.

"Ashlynn," Raven gasped. "Ashlynn!" Both she and Maddie cradled the young Cinderella's limp body, with Apple and Farrah joining them. The latter quickly picked up her wand and checked the time, before casting a spell to mitigate the stress on the poor girl's constitution. Many in the crowd were just as stricken by what just occurred, the park descending into chaos.

"Call an ambulance! A doctor! Anyone!"

"Capture him! Arrest Dexter Charming before he gets away!"

But Dexter did not flee, being approached by his father, flanked by two knights. The man regarded his son, his emotions jumbled, but managed to not betray anything. He was silent, unable to find the words to even begin, only being able to mutter, "Dexter…"

Dexter's eyes fell on his father. "Hm? Oh, hey dad."

His father and the knights recoiled at how calm he was, prompting the monarch to begin thinking that his boy had indeed fallen into evil. "Dexter, you-" He was cut off by a faint noise, his senses never sharper since this whole debacle started, followed shortly by a clearer series of coughs - that seemed to be coming out from the crater.

"H-Hey!" The voice called out louder. "Hey! Anybody up there?"

King Charming, together with his knights and Dexter ran to the edge of the deep indent left by Osiris's attack, with the monsters having disappeared once the duel was finally concluded. Peering through the dissipating fog from deep within crater, a still alive Hunter Huntsman perked up at the sight of them.

"Hey! Uh…a little help!"

---

Author's Notes: I decided to go with Slifer's original Japanese name because, to those who don't know, "Slifer" is the surname of a 4kids executive that was used to bring it to the TCG. I was never particularly fond of it since it's effectively a non-sequitur that strikes it apart from the other Egyptian God Cards, who more or less stick to their naming convention. There happens to not be an Egyptian Deity with the name Slifer, which is the English variant of the German word Schleifer, which means "to grind" or cut up.

I also added in moments where Dexter and Hunter had bad draws, just to insert in a bit more realism in an otherwise already fantastical setting.

Other than that, read and review.