The end of the school year was fast approaching. The CHS students were looking forward to the start of summer, which would allow them a few months away from school. However, for a certain group, with their first year at CHS about to end, they would have to get ready to save the world and combat the coming darkness. Yet, before all that, they had one final thing, and it wasn't their end-of-year finals.

"Good morning, students. As we wind down the school year here at Canterlot High, we want to say how proud we are. So before we officially send you all off on your summer break, only to have a few months of vacation before starting your next semester, Vice-Prinicipal Luna and I have come up with an idea that we believe will not only be fun but help to wind down some of the stress from your final exams."

"Principal Celestia has a sense of humor? Are we sure that's her?" remarked Jazz as she leaned forward and whispered into Roll's ear.

"Vice-Principal Luna wants fun?" remarked Sprout as he whispered to Posey and Rufus.

"A special tournament will be held at the end of the final exams. The rules for this tournament are simple. Any students are welcome to enter; however, this tournament will be a tag team. Two duelists will make up a team and compete against several others to win. What may they win, you ask? The winners will be awarded a trophy to celebrate their hard work and ability to work together."

Luna's announcement about a shiny trinket commemorating the tag team tournament winners interested many students. Suddenly, things were starting to get interesting.

"In order to enter, you must have a partner. Then you must stop by my office, and I'll put your names in brackets. You have till the end of the day tomorrow to enter. After that, the next day, the tournament will begin. We encourage anybody who wants to showcase their skills to enter. And remember, to not only have fun but work as a team."

"A tag team tournament… that sounds fun," said Sunny as she looked at her boyfriend.

"I guess… it's ambiguous, to say the least," responded Hitch.

"Well, I'm willing to join if you are," stated the girl.

The boy looked at his girlfriend, who gave him puppy-dog eyes and a cute smile. He was helpless to say no when his best friend did that, as he just smiled.

"Alright, I'm in."

"Yes!" exclaimed Sunny as she lunged at her boyfriend to wrap her arms around his neck before capturing his lips. "I love you, Hitch."

"I love you, too, Sunny," responded the teen as he kissed his girlfriend again.


The turnout was much more well-received than both principals expected. Yet, there was one person who didn't seem to care. Pipp was currently in her room, trying to cram in some last-minute studying for her biology class. However, the girl struggled with it and was currently being mentored by someone whose little sister volunteered.

"Okay, I give up. Biology is way too hard," groaned Pipp as she immediately went on her phone to check her socials.

"No, you just think it is, so you're psyching yourself out. Now, do you want my help or not? Because I'll gladly leave and let you fail." said Mario as Pipp sighed, looking at her crush. Mario stuck his hand out as Pipp gasped.

"No!"

"Give it here, chica!"

Pipp grumbled to herself as she was forced to give Bestie to the boy. He took the device and set it aside to help the girl focus.

"Now, come on. The transfer of pollen from one flower's stamen to another's pistil is what?"

"Boring."

"True. But it's called pollination."

"Look, Mario, I appreciate you in tutoring me, but let's face the facts. I'm not gonna learn this. I'm gonna fail tomorrow's final. There's no way I'm gonna remember all of this stuff in time." sighed Pipp as she flopped onto her bed and rested the back of her head on her soft pillow.

"But you're a singer, aren't you? You gotta memorize all your lyrics, right?"

"That's different. When I'm singing, I'm performing."

"So, just treat biology like a performance. You know, play the part of the singer who's really good at biology," explained the boy.

"Heh… you know, that's pretty smart," said Pipp as the idea that Mario proposed sort of started to clink in her head.

"Ok. Now you're… you're performing in front of a packed crowd full of your Pipsqueaks, and you're a really smart girl at biology. Now, your first verse of the song starts after the chorus. Learn it." instructed Mario. Pipp picked up her textbook and read over the information that Mario had asked of her as she read it like she was reading the lyrics to her new song she wrote before looking back at the boy. "Got it?"

"Yeah… I think," responded the pop star.

"Ok. You're about to ring out the finale of your epic concert. It's late at night. Ms Stylish, the brilliant and talented, not to mention beautiful biology student/singer, walks up to her handsome dude and says…" urged Mario, hoping this study tactic might help Pipp remember the information.

"Pollination is a process by which pollen is transferred from the stamen of one flower to the pistil of another."

"Yes! You got it! Nice, chica!" exclaimed Mario. "Keep going!"

"The four primary pollination methods are insects, birds, wind, and…"

"You know it!"

"Water!"

"My god! She's amazing! Bravo!" exclaimed Mario as he acted the part of praising Pipp as if she did something stellar.

"Thank you," smiled Pipp as she flipped her hair.

"See, I told you you could do it," said Mario.

The girl lunged forward and unexpectedly captured Mario's lips, taking him aback. He felt the stylish push him down onto her bed, get on top of him, and continue to kiss him with everything she had. He soon closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around the girl. Pipp soon broke their kiss as she kept her eyes locked on her crush as her hot breath was felt by Mario; the girl held both sides of his face as she realized that Mario was a damn good kisser. Clearly, he didn't just represent love because it was decided, so there were several pieces to back up that claim.

"You know you still have more to study?" remarked Mario, looking up at the girl.

"I think it can wait," Pipp smirked as she wanted to kiss the boy some more.

It was close to nighttime when Mario finished his tutoring session with Pipp after the pair had spent half an hour making out on the girl's bed, followed by a quick nap. Curfew was about an hour away when Mario had left. However, before the boy left, Pipp had asked him about the tag duel tournament the school would have, as she was hoping he would agree to be her partner. Yet, she should've expected Mario's answer as he immediately shut her request down and left.


The next day came as excitement flowed through the students of CHS. With the last exams out of the way, the students gathered in the Dueling Arena building as the tournament was about to begin. Principal Celestia and Vice-Principal Luna stood down on the field as they addressed their students all seated around them.

"Welcome, everyone!" said Celestia, her voice ringing out. "Now, I'm sure we're all excited. So, let me show you what you're all playing for!"

Luna had Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo roll in a cart. Applebloom then removed the cover as two shining trophies stood before the students. Seeing such a shining trinket got everybody on the edge of their seats, and they couldn't wait. Trixie then appeared as she presented Celestia with her top hat.

"Now then… we'll begin by announcing the pair ups for this match. The first tag duel will be between… Sunny, along with Hitch. And they will take on the team of… Ms. Windy and Ms. Fifi!"

"We're up first?" said Hitch.

"Come on, let's have fun!" said Sunny as she grabbed her boyfriend by the hand.

The duo got up from their seat and went down to the field. Windy and Fifi did the same standing before their principals and dueling professors.

"To you four. Good luck, and may the best team win," said Luna as she and the others got off.

All four teens shook hands and wished the other good luck. Sunny and Hitch then took their positions and strapped on their duel disks. Luna stood off to the side and raised her hand.

"Call it!"

"Heads!" shouted Sunny.

"Tails!" said Windy.

Luna flipped a coin into the air before it came down into her palm, and she slapped it on the back of her other hand. She then lifted her top hand to see the result of the coin toss.

"Windy's team will take the first move. Therefore, when it's Hitch's turn, he's free to begin to attack!" said the Vice-Principal. "Remember you both will share Life Points and the field. Make proper use of it."

"Opponents detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel."

Windy and Fifi's Life Points: 8000-

Sunny and Hitch's Life Points: 8000-

All four teens drew their opening hands as they had stoic expressions.

Turn 1: Windy (Hand 5)

"I'll guess I'll take the first move," remarked the girl as she drew her opening card and looked at her hand. "I summon this monster: Birdface(1600/1600)." A humanoid bird appeared as he landed on the field and stood before the girl. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."

Turn 2: Sunny (Hand 5)

"Then it's my turn. I'll begin by summoning Eda the Sun Magician(1500/1500). Then, when I summon this monster, its special ability activates. Now I can summon a spellcaster from my deck with 1500 defense points in facedown defense mode." Sunny touched her duel screen as she selected the card she wanted; her duel disk slid out the card, grabbed it, and placed it sideways on her duel tray.

"With that, I end my turn."

Turn 3: Fifi (Hand 5)

"My turn then. I'll play the spell card Summon Cloud! Now, once per turn, I can special summon one Level 4 or lower 'Cloudain' monster from hand or graveyard. Then I'll also play this spell card, Cloudian Squall. Once per turn, I can place a Fog Counter on each faceup monster on the field during my Standby Phase. Then, I summon this: Cloudain - Poison Cloud(0/1000) in defense mode." A large green cloud filled with toxic gases appeared before taking a position before Fifi.

"I place one card facedown and end my turn."

Turn 4: Hitch (Hand 5)

"My turn," said the boy as he drew. "Alright, girls, I'll start you all off easy with this. I play the spell card One for One. So, by discarding one monster from my hand, I can summon a Level 1 monster from my deck. So I'm bringing out my Tuningware(100/300). Next, I summon my Junk Synchron(1300/500)." A small humanoid machine with big orange feet, forearms, chest plate, and a tall cylindrical hat over a spheroid white head with googly eyes peering from underneath the brim. A white scarf hung from around its neck, and a very eye-catching teal-green 'handle' seemed to be at the bottom right of its chest plate.

"When Junk Synchron is normal summoned, he can special summon one Level 2 or lower monster from my graveyard with its effects negated. So I'm returning my Fortress Warrior(600/1200)." Hitch's monster held out his hand and a four-legged statue with two stone torsos back-to-back, both propping up some sort of round slab over them with thick arms. The sides of the slab looked as if they were lined with windows. "Now… I tune my Junk Synchron with my Fortress Warrior and Tuningware!" Junk Synchron pulled the chord on it, and it turned into three solid giant green rings that circled its comrade. They turned into a total of three white stars that lined up with a yellow light surging through.

"Wake the world as you lance the heavens! I Synchro Summon! Stardust Assault Warrior(2100/1200)!" A robotic warrior with a color scheme of white and blue and bits of yellow on its joints appeared, and some javelins were attached to its wrists. "Now, Stardust Assault Warrior, attack Fifi's Poison Cloud! Shooting Driver!"

The warrior took off as he sped forward before driving one of its lances into the toxic gas state as it exploded and released the poisonous gas into the air.

"Now, my monster's activates. It can deal piercing damage to any monster, and it attacks in defense mode!" stated Hitch.

Windy and Fifi's Life Points: 6900-

"Well, I guess I got my monster's ability," said Fifi as the toxic air surrounding Hitch's monster began. In the blink of an eye, the boy's monster was gone.

"What happened to my monster?" barked Hitch.

"Sorry, Hitch. But when my Poison Cloud is destroyed, your monster is also destroyed, and you take 800 points of damage," said Fifi.

The wave of toxic gas headed toward Hitch and Sunny as the duo covered their noises and let out some coughs, trying not to inhale the nasty aroma.

Sunny and Hitch's Life Points: 7200-

"Well, that stinks. Literally," said Sunny.

"My bad, Sunny."

"It's okay, Hitch. You didn't know," said the girl as she gave her boyfriend a supporting smile.

"Well, due to my Tuningware's ability, when I use it to Synchro summon, I get to draw a card. I'll place this facedown… and that's it."

Turn 5: Windy (Hand 4)

"My move. I draw. Since I control a Level 6 or lower Wind monster, I can special summon this monster from my hand in defense mode. Harpie's Pet Dragon - Fearsome Fire Dragon(2000/2500)!" A dragon appeared with chains wrapped around its neck, legs, and claws. "Then I summon my Phantom Gryphon(2000/0)!" A griffon appeared as it landed in a burst of feathers.

"Now to attack. Phantom Gryphon, attack Sunny's Eda!" commanded Windy as her mythical beast took flight. It headed straight for Sunny's sole magician, blasting it with a wind stream.

Sunny and Hitch's Life Points: 6700-

"You good, Sunny?" asked Hitch as he saw his girlfriend cover up.

"Yeah, I'm alright," responded the girl.

Damn! They're actually beating us.

"I end my turn."

Turn 6: Sunny (Hand 5)

"My move! First, I'll tribute my facedown monster to summon this: Silent Magician(1000/1000)!" Out came a tall, attractive woman. She wore a blue and white magician hat with matching robes showing her figure. She had grey hair and wielded a wand. "Due to my monster's effect, she gains 500 extra attack points for every card I have. Since I'm currently holding five, she gets 2500 extra attack points. So she's now strong enough to take down that Gryphon!"

Sunny's magician aimed her wand as it fired a spell that made contact with Windy's griffin.

"I activate my facedown!" stated Fifi. "Spirit Barrier! With this trap's power, we don't take any damage as long as we have a monster on our field!"

"That's not good," said Hitch as Sunny's face told it all.

"I play my spell card, Arcane Barrier, before ending my turn! And with one less card in my hand, my Silent Magician loses 500 attack points!" stated Sunny.

Turn 7: Fifi (Hand 2)

"My turn, and first, my Cloudian Squall activates and puts a Fog Counter on every faceup monster on the field," said Fifi as a small cloud appeared over Sunny's monster, as did her partner's two beasts with the number 1 on it. "Now, I draw. Next, I activate the effect of my Summon Cloud to bring back my Cloudain - Poison Cloud. But by doing so, my spell is destroyed!"

"Fifi is really cooking up a storm with these clouds rolling in," remarked Hitch as the girl wasn't giving him and his girl an easy task.

"Next, I sacrifice my Poison Cloud to summon my Cloudain - Nimbusman(1000/1000)!" A humanoid nimbus cloud appeared as it stared down both Sunny and Hitch. "Now, since I sacrificed to summon this big guy, he gets a Fog Counter. And… for every Fog Counter currently out, he gets 500 extra attack points!"

"What?!" said Sunny and Hitch as the four small clouds began to give Fifi's nimbus cloud more power.

"Now, Nimbusman, attack Sunny's Silent Magician!" instructed Fifi as her monster floated toward its opponent and blew wind in her face, making the girl and her monster flinch before the latter let out a cry and was destroyed.

"Our monsters had the same attack points! Why wasn't your destroyed as well?" asked Sunny as the wind died down from blowing in her face.

"Because my Nimbusman can't be destroyed in battle!" stated Fifi.

"That's not good!" said Hitch.

"And it gets worse. Hope you two checked the weather today because the forecast calls for a heavy shower with defeat! Now, Birdface, attack them directly!" stated Fifi as Windy's monster took to the skies and swooped toward the pair.

"Not gonna happen! I activate my trap, Spirit Force!" shouted Hitch as he touched his duel screen. "Now, we can avoid taking damage this turn by deflecting your attack. Then, I can add a monster from my graveyard to my hand. So I'm taking back my Junk Synchron!" A barrier came over Sunny and Hitch, protecting them from the monster.

"Thanks, Hitch!"

"No problem," smiled the boy to his girlfriend.

"Since you destroyed my Silent Magician, my Arcane Barrier gains a spell counter!" stated Sunny. "And not only that, I can special summon one 'Silent Magician' from my deck. So, I choose my Silent Magician LV4(1000/1000)!"

"I place one card facedown and end my turn!" stated Fifi.

Turn 8: Hitch (Hand 4)

"It's my move. I summon Junk Synchron once more. And by doing that, I can revive my Fortress Warrior again!" stated Hitch as his two monsters appeared. "Now I tune my Junk Synchron with my Fortress Warrior!" Hitch's monster pulled its chord as it turned into three giant green rings that circled its comrade, turning into two white stars lined up with a yellow light surging through. "I Synchro Summon! Junk Warrior(2300/1300)!"

"Nice, Hitch!"

"Next, I'm equipping my monster with the Junk Barrage spell card! This gives my warrior a power boost. Alright, pal, now attack that Birdface!" Hitch's monster took to the air before diving down with its fist out and took out Windy's monster with one blow.

"With my trap still in place, we don't take any damage since we still have a monster out!" said Fifi.

"That may be, but now the effect of my Junk Barrage kicks in! So as soon as my warrior took out your monster just now, you lose Life Points equal to its attack points!" stated Hitch as his monster aimed its fist out at the two girls and fired a beam of power, making both teens cover up.

Windy and Fifi's Life Points: 5300-

"Heh, smart play on Hitch's part," commented Zipp.

"Well, my monster also has a special ability of his own. When Birdface is sent to the graveyard by battle, I can add a 'Harpie Lady' from my deck to my hand. Then I shuffle my deck." stated Windy as her duel disk ejected the card for her to grab before the auto shuffler kicked in.

"With that, I'm done!" said the boy.

Turn 9: Windy (Hand 3)

"Draw."

"Since you drew a card, my monster gains a spell counter, and not only that, he gains 500 attack points," said Sunny as her monster strengthened.

"I summon Cyber Harpie Lady(1800/1300)!" Out came a female harpie, who wore a metal bodysuit before showing her claws and landing before Windy. "Then I play the spell card, Elegant Egotist. Since I control 'Harpie Lady,' I can use this spell to bring out Harpie Lady Sisters(1950/2100) from my deck! Witness the trio of terror!" A column of light flashed as a trio of harpie women appeared.

"Three monsters in one card?!" said Hitch in disbelief.

"That's not all! Since I control a Level 5 or higher 'Harpie' monster, I can special summon my Harpie Oracle(1300/1400)!" Out came a girl harpie with a blue crystal ball in her claws. "Then my monster's second ability activates. Since it was summoned, I can add one spell or trap card from my graveyard to my hand that mentions 'Harpie Lady Sisters' in its text during my end phase. Now… it's time I perform my own Synchro summon."

"Huh?" said Hitch, confused by what Windy just said.

"But you need a tuner monster to perform a synchro summon!" said Sunny, as even she knew that rule.

"Well, the monster I'm summoning allows me to treat any 'Harpie' monster as a tuner monster. So… I tune my Cyber Harpie Lady with my Harpie Oracle!" stated the girl as her harpie turned into four giant green rings that circled her comrade, which turned into four giant green rings lined up with a yellow light surging through. "I Synchro Summon! Cyber Slash Harpie Lady(2600/1400)!" A harpie lady appeared; she wore golden body armor and golden claws.

"That's not good," remarked Hitch as Windy's new monster was stronger than his.

"Cyber Slash Harpie, sink your claws into Hitch's Junk Warrior!"

"Now it's my turn!" said Sunny as she touched her duel screen. "I activate my facedown, Gravity Bind! With this trap out, neither of us can attack with Level 4 or higher monsters!"

"Not bad, but you just hurt your boyfriend, Sunny. I activate Cyber Slash Harpie's special ability. When you activate a spell or trap card, I can target one monster you control and return it to your hand."

"No!" said Sunny as she watched her boyfriend's monster vanish.

"Since Hitch's monster was a synchro monster, it goes to the Extra Deck instead. So now he has to resummon it all over again."

"I'm sorry, Hitch," said Sunny, as she had gotten rid of his creature because she had tried to protect her boyfriend.

"Hey, it's okay, Sunny. You did what you did to protect us," said the boy as he took his card. His duel disk opened the compartment for his Extra deck monsters as he slotted it in.

"Well, I'll end my turn, and as such, I'll take back my Elegant Egotist," said Windy as her duel disk ejected the card from her graveyard slot. The girl took it and added the card to her hand.

Turn 10: Sunny (Hand 4)

"My turn," said Sunny as she drew her card and looked at her hand. The girl was still shaken up by her attempt to save Hitch's monster, only for her to screw up.

"Sunny, don't worry. Just focus on your turn," said Hitch, knowing her mistake was eating at her. The boy did his job reassuring his best friend that it was alright and they could bounce back. The girl nodded before refocusing her mind and went on with her move.

"I activate the spell card, Shining Sarcophagus. This allows me to add a card that mentions this card's name in the text from my hand. So I'll take this, my Moremarshmallon(300/500), and summon him in defense mode!" Out came a white marshmallow blob that had a pair of yellow glasses. "Next, I activate this spell card, Ties That Bind. Since I control my 'Shining Sarcophagus' along with a monster that mentions it, I can special summon up to 2 Level 4 or lower monsters from my hand and/or deck that also mention the card. So say hello to my Silent Swordsman Zero(1000/1000)!"

Sunny now had a small child swordsman appear as he stared down their foes.

"Since I used my spell Ties That Bind, I can't special summon from my Extra Deck this turn. So I'll end my turn."

Turn 11: Fifi (Hand 1)

"Well, then it's my turn," said Fifi.

"Well, when you draw, my Silent Magician LV4's ability allows him to gain a spell counter, and for each counter he gains, he gets 500 more attack points!" stated Sunny.

"Well, don't forget, my spell is still activate. And during my Standby Phase, I can put a Fog Counter on every monster on the field!" stated Fifi, and five more small clouds appeared as they spread out among the field. "And for each Fog Counter that's present, my Nimbuslman gains 500 attack points."

"That thing has 5500 attack points!" said Hitch.

"Well, it still can't attack," said Sunny as her trap was still in play.

"I play Mystical Space Typhoon so that I can blow away your Gravity Bind, Sunny!" said the girl as a giant wind blew over the field and removed her trap.

"That's not good!" said Sunny.

"With your trap gone, my monster can now attack. So… Nimbusman prepare to strike her Silent Magician Zero."

"Not quite. You can only attack him since my Moremarshmallon is out, and I control my Shining Sarcophagus. And here's the best part: he can't be destroyed in battle!" said Sunny as Fifi's cloud formed a fist and punched Sunny's monster, who merely reformed its shape and shook it off.

"I'll just end my turn."

Turn 12: Hitch (Hand 3)

"My turn. First, since I currently control no monsters, I can special summon my Junk Forward(900/1500). Then, I'll discard one card to summon this laser-totting sharpshooter, Quickdraw Synchron(700/1400)!" A small robotic humanoid cowboy appeared as he lifted his hat to reveal one of its eyes. "Then, because I have a tuner out, I can revive the Quillbolt Hedgehog(800/800) I discarded!" A small rodent with half of its hide made up of screws appeared as he let out a fierce sound. "And with that done, I'm taking things to the next level! I tune my Quickdraw Synchron with my Junk Forward and Quillbolt Hedgehog!" Hitch's monster turned into five giant green rings that circled its comrade and turned into five white stars that lined up with a yellow light surging through.

"I Synchro Summon! Satellite Warrior(2500/2000)!" A massive satellite appeared before it began to transform and take the shape of Hitch's monster, as it had four wings on its back. "Now my monster's effect activates. Since it was Synchro summoned, I can destroy as many cards on the field as possible, equal to the number of Synchro monsters that I have in my graveyard. So say goodbye to your Spirit Barrier!" stated Hitch as Fifi's trap exploded.

"With your trap gone, your Life Points are no longer protected, but there's more. Since my monster destroyed a card, he gains 1000 attack points. Now… Satellite Warrior, take aim at Cyber Harpie Slash Lady!" Hitch's monster put its fists together as it made beams appear out of thin air before firing them at the harpie; she saw the attack in the pupil of her eye before it made contact. Fifi and Windy covered up as an explosion occurred.

Windy and Fifi's Life Points: 4400-

"And with one less monster gone, that's one less Fog Counter your Nimbusman has," stated Hitch.

Turn 13: Windy (Hand 2)

"It's my turn."

"And once more, since you drew, my Silent Magician LV4 gains another spell counter, meaning another 500 extra attack points!" stated Sunny.

"I play the spell card, Harpie's Feather Rest. I can now target three 'Harpie' cards in my graveyard and shuffle them back into my deck. So I'm taking back Cyber Harpie Lady, Harpie Oracle, and my Cyber Slash Harpie Lady." All three cards were ejected from Windy's graveyard slot, and she grabbed them to place them on top of her deck before the auto shuffler kicked in. "Then, I draw, but since I control a 'Harpie' monster when I activated my spell card, I can draw two cards instead of one!"

"And with those two cards, my magician gains two more spell counters!" said Sunny.

"Well, that monster won't be around for long. Next, I summon Harpie Lady 3(1300/1400). And then I'll activate the Elegant Egotist once more. So that means I can now summon a second copy of Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck!" stated Windy as another trio of female feathered birdwomen appeared. "Next, I play this! Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation!"

"I don't like the sound of that!" said Hitch.

"Since I control at least 3 'Harpie' cards, I can use this spell to destroy any monsters I choose. Since I have three, I can destroy up to three monsters on the field. And I'll choose your Silent Magician LV4, Moremasrhmallon, and your Satellite Warrior!" stated Windy as her monsters took to the skies and dove, creating a massive bird made of energy that torched Sunny and Hitch's monsters. The duo covered up as they had their monsters burn up.

"Then my spell allows me to deal you two damage for whichever was the strongest monster."

The remaining fire then headed toward the couple as they knocked back.

Sunny and Hitch's Life Points: 3200-

"Lucky for you two, I can't attack on the turn that I activate this powerful card. So I'll end my turn."

"Well, my Satellite Warrior doesn't leave without a parting gift. When it's destroyed, I can summon up to three Level 8 or lower, 'Warrior,' 'Synchron,' and/or 'Stardust' Synchro monsters from my graveyard. So my Stardust Assault Warrior is back in action!" stated Hitch as his monster appeared and took his position to defend the pair.

"Not to mention that with my magician destroyed, another spell counter is put on my Arcane Barrier!"

Turn 14: Sunny (Hand 2)

"You alright, Sunny?"

"Yeah, nothing I'm not used to," responded the girl to her boyfriend as the pair got up.

"It's all up to you," responded the boy as he did all he could to get them this far.

"Right. Deck, don't fail me now," muttered the girl, placing her hand on it. "I… draw!" The teen drew as she looked at the card from the corner of her eye before it put on a determined gaze. "Since I still control my Shining Sarcophagus, I can summon this. Gandora-G the Dragon of Destruction(0/0)!"

Sunny held her card out as the ground began to shake. A large beast appeared as it growled and made its presence known. Windy and Fifi looked at the giant beast as, at first glance, it sent shivers down their spine.

"I activate Gandora-G's effect! By giving up half of our Life Points, Gandora-G can destroy every other card on the field and banish them!"

Sunny and Hitch's Life Points: 1600-

Sunny's monster let loose its power within as the entire field exploded. Nearly all the cards in play, apart from Sunny's Shining Sarcophagus, were blasted out of existence as the only monster that remained on the field was the girl's dragon itself.

"Remind me not to get on Sunny's bad side," said Hitch, as he now had a slight fear of his girlfriend as if they ever got into an argument, she might duel him and call out that big thing to tear him apart.

"Now Gandora-G gains 300 attack points for every card it took out. And that's a total of ten cards, so Gandora-G now has 3000 attack points!" said Sunny as her beast gained power. "But there's more! Gandora-G lets me summon another monster from my deck and increase its level by the number of destroyed cards. Come forth… my Silent Swordsman Zero(1000/1000)!" A small boy swordsman appeared with a sword resting on his shoulder.

"Gandora's effect allows me to increase my Silent Swordsman's level, one for each destroyed card. Since ten cards were nuked, he gains ten levels, and that's not all. For every level he gains, he gets 500 extra attack points. So now he has 6000 attack points!" stated Sunny as her monster began to grow up and transform into a full-grown man.

"Now… Gandora-G, attack them directly!" shouted Sunny as her dragon opened its mouth and fired a stream of attack. Windy and Fifi covered up as the attack made them cringe. They soon lowered their arms as they saw Sunny's other monster racing toward them. "Finish them, Silent Swordsman!" The warrior cried before he swung his sword, delivering a slash that took both girls off their feet and to the ground.

Windy and Fifi's Life Points: 0-

Winners: Sunny and Hitch

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winning team moving on is Sunny and Hitch!" said Principal Celestia.

"We did it!" said Sunny as she turned to her partner and hugged him.

Hitch returned the embrace of his girlfriend as he kissed her forehead before resting his chin on top of her head.

"Now… let's get the next team!" said Vice-Principal Luna.


The tag tournament continued as the other teams that duked it out until only one remained. Eventually, the rest of the remaining groups were winding down as the final match up was about to take place.

"Now… the last tag duel for the day!" said Celestia.

"I wonder who's left," said Zipp as she and Zoom had just finished winning their tag duel and returned to their seats.

Down on the field, the pair of Onyx and Dapple were shown. Getting on the field was none other than Dahlia, who appeared to be all alone.

"I didn't know Dahlia entered this," said Roll as she sat beside Izzy.

"Wonder who her partner is?" said Sunny as she and Hitch watched from the top balcony.

Dahlia looked at Onyx and Dapple before a smile came on her face. At that moment, she sensed someone as she turned to her side. The girl's partner was none other than Mario as his presence alone shocked everyone.

"Your brother?!" said Izzy as she was shocked.

"He said he wasn't gonna enter!" yelled Pipp as she was seething. The girl was grinding her teeth, and after Mario rejected her proposal to team up, he went back on his word and teamed up with another girl other than her.

"What did Dahlia say to him to get him to agree to this?" said Zipp, who, like her sister, felt envious to know that Dahlia was Mario's chosen partner.

"The team of Onyx and Dapple will make the first move. You may begin!" said Luna.

The four teens strapped on their duel disks as they prepared to duel. As Dahlia slotted in her deck, Mario leaned into the girl's ear and whispered something to her. The girl took in the words of encouragement from her partner and nodded.

"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said all devices.

Onyx and Dapple's Life Points: 8000-

Dahlia and Mario's Life Points: 8000-

Turn 1: Onyx (Hand 5)

"My move. And I'm feeling the vibe of summoning Naturia Antjaw(400/200)," stated the girl poetic girl as an ant hugging a seed with leaf wings appeared before the girl. "I set one card facedown and my turn."

"You good going first?" asked Mario.

"Yeah, I think I can handle it," said Dahlia, still a bit nervous about dueling since this was the biggest performance of her life.

Turn 2: Dahlia (Hand 5)

"My move. First, I'll play the spell card, Rose Bell of Revelation. This allows me to add a plant monster with 2400 attack points or more from my deck to my hand. So I'll add Talaya, Princess of Cherry Blossom(2800/1200). Next, by banishing my spell card from my graveyard, I can summon it!" A large cherry blossom appeared before it opened up, revealing the beautiful woman inside as she wore a dress with bits of the flower blowing before her.

"Well, I can also do the same because you special summoned a monster. So, I'm gonna summon Naturia Beans(100/1200)," stated Onyx as a pod appeared, and out came two stoic beans with a third one remaining inside as it was a bit frightened.

"Then I activate the spell card, Xyz Plant! I target one monster I control, and this spell card turns into a copy of that monster with the same level." A plant-like copy of her monster appeared as it stood before its original version. "Next, I summon Copy Plant(0/0). As you can guess by its name, its ability allows it to copy the level of one plant-type monster on my field. So it's also Level 8, just like my other monsters."

"I don't get why Dahlia would do that," commented Zipp as she watched the duel unfold.

"Copy Plant is a tuner monster, but she just made it Level 8. There's not really anything Dahlia can use to Synchro summon since it's so high. In my opinion, she was better not activating its ability," chimed Zoom as the two girls felt like their friend made a mistake.

"I know what it seems like, but Dahlia is set up perfectly," responded Roll as she watched from her section of the audience with Izzy.

"What do you mean?"

"Dahlia's not going for a Synchro Summon, even though she has a tuner… she's going for something else," remarked the girl.

This is it. Here I go.

"I overlay all three of my monsters together!" said Dahlia, putting on a brave look and thrusted her hand out. Mario smiled as all three of her monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened before them as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light exploded. "I Xyz Summon, Number 87: Queen of the Night(3200/2800, OLU: 3)!" A flower appeared as petal by petal it opened, and inside was a blonde woman. Her hair covered her left eye as she stood up, and she wore black armor on her chest, lower arms, and waist.

"What is that monster?!" said Pipp as she was stunned by the creature Dahlia brought out on her first turn.

"I'm amazed Dahlia was able to Xyz summon her first turn," said Hitch.

"I now activate my monster's ability. By using one overlay unit, my monster gains 300 attack points. With that, I end my turn."

Turn 3: Dapple (Hand 5)

"My turn. And I summon Adamancipator Crystal - Raptite(0/2200) in defense mode." A shining crystal appeared on the boy's field as a small, winged bird was locked inside. "I then play the equip spell card, Mist Body, onto Onyx's Antjaw. With this spell, Antjaw can't be destroyed in battle. I now end my turn with three facedowns!"

"Three facedowns… I don't like that," commented Dahlia as Mario prepared to take his turn. "Hope Mario has something."

Turn 4: Mario (Hand 5)

"My move! Draw!" said the boy as he wasted no time getting in on the action. He looked at his card before placing it on his card tray. "I summon Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab(500/500). Then I play the spell card, Fake HERO. This allows me to summon my Elemental HERO Neos(2500/2000) from my hand! Then… I'll combine them. Neos Flare Scarab… Contact Fusion!" A flash of light appeared as Mario's ace monster and his alien space beetle appeared before they leaped into the air and merged.

"Come on out, Elemental HERO Flare Neos(2500/2000)!" said the boy as his monster appeared. "Next, I activate the field spell, Neos Space!" The entire field began to change as all four duelists found themselves inside a super nebula nova.

"Next, I'm activating the H - Heated Heart spell card! With this, my Flare Neos gains 1000 extra attack points alongside my field spell!"

"A double spell card combo powered it up so quickly," said Jazz as she was shocked to see Mario already have a strong monster on the field.

"Amazing," remarked Pipp.

"I'm not done yet… next I activate the effect of Dahlia's Queen of Night. So, by using one overlay unit, I can increase my Flare Neos by 300 points. But wait… because the ultimate spell is still to come. Cool if I borrow your monster, Dahlia?"

"All yours," smiled the girl at her partner.

"I activate the spell card, Gift of the Martyr! So I send Queen of the Night to the graveyard to add its original attack points to those of Flare Neos! Now… for Flare Neos' special ability. Its attack points increase by 400 for every spell and trap card on the field!" Mario held up four fingers, which was the number of cards present.

"8600 attack points?!" gasped Zipp as Mario's monster was off the charts.

"Since my brother played his Heated Heart spell, his monster can inflict piercing damage. And that's more than enough to finish the duel," said Roll.

"Now attack. Take out Naturia Antjaw and end this duel!" commanded Mario as his monster put his hands together to fire a stream that headed toward the small ant.

The creature took the hit as it tried to endure, but it was too much and was burned up. At that same time, the fire transferred to Onyx and Dapple, and they were knocked back and fell to the floor.

Onyx and Dapple's Life Points: 0-

Winner: Dahlia and Mario (OTK)

"Well, no hard feelings. That's game," smirked Mario.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winners. The team of Mario and Dahlia. In just one turn, Mario wins it!" said Luna.

"No… way," said Pipp as she was shocked by what she saw.

"Mario just OTK'd," said Sunny as she couldn't believe the accomplishment her friend just did.

"Yes!" exclaimed Dahlia, excited that she had won.

Mario approached his partner as he raised his hand.

"Up high."

The boy expected the girl to give him a high five, but she hugged him, and he was slightly taken aback. Mario just simply brought his other hand up to high-five himself as he took it for Dahlia's response. The girl soon let go of the boy as she smiled.

"Dahlia's got one heck of a partner," remarked Rocky as the girl chose a good teammate for the tournament.


"And with that… we have our final teams!" Principal Celestia pointed at the screen.

Everyone looked as the remaining pairs in the tournament appeared one by one. Sunny and Hitch were shown, followed by Roll and Izzy, Jazz and Pipp, Zipp and Zoom, Rocky and Sprout, Thunder and Rufus, Posey and Sugar Moonlight, and finally Mario and Dahlia. With the final eight teams remaining, all participants had stoic looks as it was clear anybody could win this mini-tag tournament. With everybody on opposite sides, the line in the sand was drawn as friends became rivals and enemies.

"Tomorrow, the tournament continues!" said Luna.

Author's Note: It seems this little mini tournament that Celestia and Luna have decided to host for their students has gone better than anticipated. One thing's for sure, Dahlia found one hell of a partner to choose as her teammate. If anything, she and Mario might be considered the dark horse pairing in the remaining field of favorites. One thing's for sure, this tournament is going to an exciting one. So... cast your early predictions on who might take it all.