//------------------------------// // The Master of Magicians - vs Trixie (Part 2) // Story: Duelists of the Autumn Crown // by DrakeyC //------------------------------// Duelists of the Autumn Crown The Master of Magicians – vs Trixie (Part 2)   -Twilight Life Points: 4025- -Trixie Life Points: 6300- Dusk had set in as Twilight faced Trixie in the parking lot of Canterlot High. Trixie drew and looked over her hand, giving Twilight a moment to examine her duel disk’s display. Magnanimity Crustallum won’t survive this turn, not with only 575 attack points left. But I expected that when I commended the attack. Twilight looked between the delicate blue-clad fairy and her other monster, white wings folded on its back and arms crossed. More important right now is Helios. I have to keep it in play; I need its ability to replenish my hand if I’m going to stand a chance. She bit her lip. I might have managed a comeback so far, but a misplay can still ruin it for me. “Trixie shall not suffer such insults any longer!” She flung a hand out, sending her cape billowing behind her. “I summon Berry Magician Girl and activate her ability.” The baby mage held up its wand and sent a pulse of light over Trixie’s deck. “Trixie can now add any Magician Girl monster from her deck to her hand. Next.” Trixie pointed across the field. “Apple Magician Girl, attack Harmony Spirit Magnanimity Crustallum!” Apple raised her wand and fired a beam of red light across the field. The gem shards encircling Magnanimity superheated and exploded as her hologram shattered.   -Twilight Life Points: 3350- “Trixie sets one card and switches Lemon Magician Girl to defense. That ends her turn.” Twilight nodded and drew. “My turn again.” She looked at her new card and discarded it. “I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Draco’ to activate ‘Harmony Gem’, letting me draw two cards.” Twilight drew her cards and tapped on her duel screen. “Next I activate the effect of ‘Harmony Fusion’ in the graveyard. By returning Magnanimity Crustallum in the graveyard to my Extra Deck, I return Harmony Fusion to my hand.” Twilight held it up into the air. “I activate it now! From my hand I fuse Harmony Spirit Pietas with Harmony Spirit Malus on the field!” The familiar form of Pietas descended behind Twilight. Boots and gloves with lightning bolt patterns covered her hands and feet, and a ring-shaped cloud hovered in the air behind her wings, lightning shooting through the center. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Pietas Fulmen’! (2300/1500)” The crowd’s cheers for Twilight grew in volume again as she held up Pietas’ card. “Additionally, since I sent Pietas from my hand to the graveyard, the effect of my Harmony Castle Field Spell triggers, summoning Pietas to the field.” The slightly smaller and less-armored fairy appeared in a show of lightning and rain drops next to Pietas Fulmen, and pumped its fist as they made eye contact. Twilight held out her hand. “Helios, attack Berry Magician Girl!” Helios held up its hands and conjured an orb of fire. “Trixie activates Berry’s effect! Berry switches to defense mode and then another Magician Girl monster is added to her hand!” Trixie’s card ejected from her duel disk and she snatched it up. “But my attack continues!” Helios fired the orb of fire at Berry as the baby kneeled and held up its hands. The flames consumed it and dispersed to reveal only a charred wand that dissolved into light. “Helios’ effect activates, adding Harmony Spirit Magnanimity to my hand.” Twilight flipped her card over and discarded it. “I activate Magnanimity’s effect now, sending it to the graveyard to reveal the top card of my deck.” Twilight lifted her card and frowned. “It’s a Trap card, ‘Harmony Song’, so it gets returned to the deck.” She set the card back down and the deck’s auto-shuffler triggered. “Well, that accomplished a lot,” Trixie muttered. “Actually it did.” Twilight smiled. “Discarding a Harmony Spirit triggered the effects of Pietas Fulmen and Pietas. Now Pietas Fulmen can attack all monsters on your side of the field once this turn, and Pietas can attack twice.” “Go ahead!” Trixie snapped. “The second either of them so much as looks at my monsters, I’ll use their effects to redirect the attacks and sap their attack strength!” “No, you won’t.” Twilight pressed a command on her duel disk screen and a card ejected from her graveyard. “I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Malus in the graveyard. By shuffling Malus into the deck, I can select one Harmony Spirit monster on my side of the field. This turn when it attacks, you’re forbidden from activating any cards or effects. I choose Pietas!” Trixie paled. “Crud.” Twilight pointed across the field. “Pietas, take out her two magicians!” Pietas flapped its wings and flew across the field. A spinning kick sent Apple Magician Girl flying away, the momentum turning Pietas to slam a fist into Lemon Magical Girl. The two mages exploded in pixilated flashes of light. -Trixie Life Points: 6100- “Now that you don’t have any Spellcaster monsters in play, your Magician’s Defense effect is ended, so you take full damage from my direct attack.” Twilight pointed. “Pietas Fulmen, Lightning Surge!” Pietas Fulmen held its hands out and streams of electrical energy gathered in front of it. A beam of lightning shot across the field as Trixie raised her arms to shield herself. -Trixie Life Points: 3800- The holographic electricity faded as Trixie flung her arms away. “You’ll regret that!” “We’ll see. For now, I end my turn.” “I draw!” Trixie drew her card and laughed. “Perfect!” She looked across the field at Twilight and then reached to her duel disk screen. “I activate the face-down card ‘Magician’s Navigation’!” A swirling vortex of dark energy appeared in the air behind Trixie, sparks flying from the edge. “This lets me summon a particular monster from my hand. Then I can also Special Summon any Dark-attribute Spellcaster monster Level 7 or lower from my deck.” Trixie’s card ejected from the deck and she drew it up with another card from her hand. “I summon the most powerful magicians of all! Come forth, ‘Dark Magician’ and ‘Dark Magician Girl’!” The vortex lit up as a tall, slender mage in dark black and purple armor flew out, a cape flying out behind him. A long green staff appeared in his hand and he twirled it before pointing it across the field at Twilight. (2500/2100) Behind him, a female mage in bright blue and pink armor followed him, a gold and blue wand in her hand. She spun in place, her pink cape and blond hair flowing in the air, and landed next to the first magician. (2000/1700) The crowd applauded as Trixie held up her next card. “And now, Twilight Sparkle, prepare yourself for Trixie’s final play! I activate the Spell card ‘Dark Burning Magic’!” Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl held their staves into the air. The tips overlaid as a field of dark purple magic began to grow at the junction, ripples of energy pulsing from it. “When Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl are both on my side of the field, I can use this card to destroy all cards on your field!” Twilight gasped. “No!” “Yes!” Trixie grinned and pointed across the field. “Go, my magicians! Obliterate everything she has!” The two mages cried out in unison and swung their staves down. A shockwave of dark magic shot across the field. Twilight’s monsters shattered as it struck them. The magical blast raced past Twilight and struck the foundation of the crystal behind her. She turned and watched as Harmony Castle cracked apart and crumbled to the ground in a wave of dust. Trixie laughed. “Victory is mine! Dark Magician, direct—” She paused as the dust settled on Twilight’s field, revealing Harmony Spirit Pietas kneeling in front of her. Trixie growled. “How? I destroyed everything you have!” Twilight put a hand to her chest and took a breath. “Yes, you did, Trixie. And in doing so you triggered the final effect of Pietas Fulmen. When it gets destroyed, I can revive the original Pietas in my graveyard. Since you destroyed them both at once, Pietas is there ready to return!” Trixie snorted. “It won’t be here for long! Dark Magician Girl, Dark Burning Attack!” Dark Magician Girl held out her wand and a wave of dark fire washed over Pietas. The fairy groaned and exploded into a fireball. “Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!” Another orb of purple magic grew on the tip of the Dark Magician’s staff and he swung it out at Twilight, the orb flying into her and exploding. -Twilight Life Points: 850- “Trixie ends her turn again.” Trixie crossed her arms and smirked. “No matter how hard you beat Trixie down, she’ll always rise up again!” The crowd cheered and called Trixie’s name in response to the taunt. Twilight chuckled and shook her head. “You can drop the act, Trixie.” Trixie frowned. “What act?” “You’re having fun.” “Of course I am!” Trixie sniffed and tossed her hair. “I’m beating an opponent into the dirt! Trixie can’t imagine anything more satisfying.” “Sure you can.” Twilight smiled softly as Trixie’s posed. “You’re a magician, Trixie. What fun is there for an audience if there’s no element of risk in a trick?” Trixie recoiled at the words and scowled. “You’re trying to trick me!” “No, I’m not. I just think if we’re going to duel, you should enjoy it. And not just because you like winning. Victory is most thrilling when you earn it facing an opponent who pushes you to your limits.” Twilight’s smile deepened. “Trust me, I’ve learned that very well today.” She drew her card and added it to her hand. “And I think it’s time for you to learn the same. I activate the Spell card ‘Harmony Fruit’ and use it to return Harmony Spirits Pietas and Magnanimity in my graveyard to my hand. Then I discard ‘Harmony Spirit Ventus’ and activate its ability!” A tiny orange pixie with stunted wings and purple hair appeared in front of Twilight. Its wings beat up a gale in front of her. “By discarding Ventus from my hand, I can revive a Harmony Spirit in my graveyard! Return to me, Harmony Spirit Pietas Fulmen!” The electrical fairy reappeared in the midst of the gale in a rumbling of thunder clouds. “Next, I summon Harmony Spirit Magia! Then I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Draco in the graveyard. When Magia is on the field, I can revive Draco, but it returns to my deck when it leaves the field.” The purple-garbed fairy appeared and held a hand out to the side. A small plume of green fire rose next to her and faded to reveal a fairy-like purple dragon with a green fringe running up its back and head. (700/100) Next to Twilight’s legs, Spike’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” “I activate the effect of Harmony Fusion in the graveyard and return Helios to the deck to return Harmony Fusion to my hand.” Twilight picked her card up and held it out. “Finally, I reveal Harmony Spirit Draco’s special ability. When I conduct the Fusion Summon of a Harmony Spirit monster, I can treat Draco as any Harmony Spirit I choose!” A pink aura lit up around the dragon as Twilight slid her Spell card into her duel disk. “Treating Draco as Harmony Spirit Risus, I activate Harmony Fusion, and fuse Draco on the field with Magnanimity in my hand!” A gigantic blue balloon swelled up from the ground in front of Twilight and burst open. Within stood a pink fairy in a long pink and blue dress, gloves and boots on its limbs decorated with swirls of icing and sprinkles. A dozen balloons in yellow, pink, and blue were tied to its back and spread out into the air behind it, and a large silvery-blue cannon barrel rose over its right shoulder. “I Fusion Summon ‘Harmony Spirit Risus Fera’! (2000/1200)” Trixie snorted. “So what? None of your monsters can overpower my Dark Magician!” “I’m not done yet, Trixie.” Twilight held her last card up. “I have one card left in my hand. I activate the effect of Pietas and discard it, letting Magia attack directly this turn.” Trixie laughed. “1500 damage? Trixie can take it. You’ll have to do better than that!” “I will, with Risus Fera’s special ability.” Twilight held her hand up as Risus Fera lit up in pink light. “When I discard a Harmony Spirit monster, the effect of Risus Fera activates, letting me negate the effects of one card on the field.” Twilight pointed. “I choose your Magician’s Defense!” Risus Fera smirked as the cannon barrel on its back shifted and dropped down over its shoulder. It glowed and fired a sparkling pink projectile across the field. It struck the hologram of Trixie’s card and burst into confetti as Trixie’s card dulled in coloration. “Then, since I discarded a Harmony Spirit, Pietas Fulmen can attack all monsters on your side of the field this turn.” Twilight reached to her discard slot and withdrew a card. “Finally, I activate the effect of Harmony Spirit Ventus in the graveyard. By returning it to the deck, one Harmony Spirit I control gains 800 attack points for the rest of the turn.” Trixie gasped and her eyes went wide. Around them the student’s cheers began to grow again. “Pietas Fulmen, attack Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl!” Pietas Fulmen (2300 → 3100) fired two bolts of lightning across the field. Sparks flew from Trixie’s two magicians as they exploded. -Trixie Life Points: 2100- “Risus Fera, direct attack!” Trixie stared as the cannon glowed and fired another blast of energy at her. The attack exploded at her feet. -Trixie Life Points: 100- “One attack left.” Twilight waited as the smoke around Trixie began to clear. “Well… well…” Trixie took a breath and closed her eyes, her head low. She looked across the field at Twilight, then up at the hologram of Harmony Spirit Magia. “Trixie!” Twilight paused as the crowd began to call out to her, along with a couple of boos directed at Twilight. Trixie looked among the crowd, their cries growing as she made eye contact. “Do you fear for Trixie?” Trixie flung her cape out behind her and took off her hat to toss it to the crowd. “Do not dare look away, my followers! For Trixie is about to achieve the greatest escape any magician has ever attempted!” The crowd’s disappointment turned to elation again as Trixie turned to Twilight. She flung her hand out towards her. “Do not dally any further, Twilight Sparkle! Give Trixie the send-off she deserves!” Twilight nodded and smiled. “You got it! Harmony Spirit Magia, attack Trixie directly!” Magia moved its hands through the air, tracing out a six-pointed star of pink light. The star’s points funneled energy into the center and Magia slammed her hands down on it, sending a beam of magic across the field. Trixie turned her head up and closed her eyes as it struck her, a burst of smoke erupting around her. -Trixie Life Points: 0- The holograms faded but the smoke continued to rise. Twilight ran up to where Trixie had stood and waved away the smoke. The ground was empty. Spike’s eyes widened. “We killed her.” Twilight gently toed him with her boot. “Don’t be ridiculous. She must have just wanted to pull off a cool exit.” Spike looked around and tugged on Twilight’s sock. “Yup.” Twilight glanced down and then turned to where Spike was looking; a familiar purple cloak vanished around the corner of the school. Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. Suddenly a flock of students descended on Twilight. She gasped and shrank back as the crowd stopped in a circle around her. “You’re amazing, Twilight!” “You’re even more powerful than Flash Sentry!” “Twilight, will you sign my duel disk?” “Twilight, do you think you’ll be able to beat the other finalists?” Twilight gasped at the last question she could make out quickly. The others. It didn’t take long to find another duel going on; the crowds of students made it obvious. Twilight reached one such crowd and pushed her way to the front. “Excuse me, pardon me.” She reached the front and paused. Flash was facing off against a girl with pale blue skin and white hair with streaks of blue. An unfamiliar Gem-Knight in gold armor stood guard on Flash’s side of the field, while his opponent’s side was empty. Twilight activated her duel disk and found the spectator function Sweetie Belle had shown her. Flash had 4800 Life Points, while his opponent, a girl named Ember Draconia, had 1600. Flash had two set cards on the field while Ember had none. “I draw!” Ember drew her card and held it out. “I activate ‘Dark Factory of Mass Production’, which allows me to return two Normal monsters in my graveyard to my hand.” Ember’s cards slid out of her duel disk and she held one of them out. “I activate the effect of the monster in my hand! By revealing a ‘Blue-Eyes White Dragon’ in my hand, I can Special Summon ‘Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon’!” The ground shook as a pillar of light erupted from behind Ember. A massive silver and blue dragon flew out, lines of energy glowing along its body. It stopped in the air above Ember and roared. (3000/2500) The crowd began to cheer as Ember thrust her hand forward. “I activate my monster’s ability. Once per turn I can destroy one monster on the field. I choose your Gem-Knight.” The dragon opened its mouth and a crackling field of electricity formed between its jaws. “I reveal my face-down card, ‘De-Fusion’!” Flash’s set card rose up and glowed, the light engulfing his monster. “This returns ‘Gem-Knight Topaz’ to my Extra Deck and revives his Fusion Materials in his place. Come back to me, ‘Gem-Knight Tourmaline’ and ‘Gem-Knight Sapphire’!” Flash’s monsters, armored in yellow and blue, appeared kneeling on his field. “With Topaz removed from the field, your ability has no target and is nullified.” Ember smiled. “It won’t do much good.” She held her hand out and flipped it over to show her cards. “I activate the Spell card ‘Polymerization’!” The crowd’s cheers grew into a roar as Ember slid her cards into her discard slot. “I fuse Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon on the field with the two Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand.” Another column of light surrounded her dragon and drew it up into the clouds along with two orbs of white light from her duel disk. Ember punched a fist into the air. “I Fusion Summon ‘Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon’!” The clouds overhead rumbled and flashed. With a rush of wind they split open, revealing a gigantic silver dragon with three heads. Its wings slowly flapped as it descended behind Ember, perching on the roof of the school behind her. The dragon’s heads looked down at Flash and let out a roar in unison. (4500/3800) “Look at the size of that thing,” Twilight whispered, the dragon’s shadow falling over the crowd around her. Spike shuddered at her legs and ducked behind her boot. Ember pointed across the field. “Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, attack Tourmaline! Neutron Cannon!” The dragon’s main head opened its mouth and summoned a large orb of lightning in its jaws. A beam of electrical energy shot across the field and slammed into Flash’s monster, creating a column of smoke as it exploded. Ember reached to her duel disk. “I now activate my dragon’s special ability. I send a second copy of my dragon from the Extra Deck to the graveyard, and it can attack again!” Another of Blue-Eyes’ heads fired a blast of lightning, blowing up Gem-Knight Sapphire. “I activate the effect once more and send ‘Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon’ from the Extra Deck to declare a third attack, directly on you!” The smoke cleared to allow Flash to look directly up at the dragon as its third head launched its attack. The lightning blast consumed Flash in a blaze of yellow and silver light. Ember lowered her duel disk. “I’m only allowed to use my dragon’s ability twice per turn. With my attacks done I end my turn.” Twilight looked at her display to see Flash’s Life Points rapidly lower, stopping at 300. Amazing. She can wipe him out on his next turn! Flash looked up at the dragon and then reached down to take the card that ejected from his duel disk. He looked at it and smiled. “Great move. But it won’t be enough.” He held his drawn card out. “I activate the Spell card ‘Brilliant Fusion’! This lets me conduct a Fusion Summon using monsters in my deck, but its attack power is sapped to zero.” Flash’s cards ejected from his deck and he swiftly discarded them. “I send to the graveyard ‘Gem-Knight Garnet’ and ‘Gem-Knight Amber’ to Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Ruby’.” The red armored knight swept onto Flash’s field with a whirlwind of red gemdust, its polearm slung over its shoulder. (0/1300) Flash smiled. “And now the stage is set for my face-down card. I activate ‘Fragment Fusion’. This lets me conduct a Fusion Summon using Gem-Knights in my graveyard!” Flash held his hand up as the specters of three Gem-Knights appeared in the air above him. “I banish Gem-Knights Tourmaline, Amber, and Sapphire, to Fusion Summon ‘Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond’!” A massive shard of pure white crystal rose behind Flash and shattered. A silver-armored warrior woman with diamonds studding her armor stood in the ruins of the crystal and swung out a sword to disperse the rest of it. (3400/2000) Flash lifted Ruby’s card from his duel disk. “I activate Lady Brilliant Diamond’s special ability and send Gem-Knight Ruby to the graveyard to Special Summon any Gem-Knight monster I want from my Extra Deck. I call forth ‘Gem-Knight Master Diamond’!” Another shard of crystal grew and exploded, revealing a massive knight in silver armor with a large broadsword, seven gems in different colors embedded in the blade. (2900/2500) Ember sniffed. “Impressive. But neither of them is strong enough to vanquish my dragon.” “Not yet.” Flash held up Ruby’s card. “I activate Master Diamond’s special ability! By banishing a Gem-Knight Fusion monster in the graveyard, Master Diamond can copy its effects. I banish Gem-Knight Ruby and activate its effect. I tribute Lady Brilliant Diamond and add all of her attack power to Master Diamond!” “What!?” Ember’s jaw dropped. Master Diamond took on a glowing red aura and held up its sword. Lady Brilliant Diamond turned into white light and flowed into the blade, the gemstones on the side lighting up in a rainbow of energy. Master Diamond roared and swung the sword through the air, energy pulsing around it. (2900 → 6300) Flash pointed up at Ember’s monster. “Master Diamond, show Ember what knights do to dragons! Attack Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Diamond Blade Strike!” Master Diamond hefted its sword behind it and ran forward, the ground tearing up under its boots. It leapt up and sliced, the massive blade leaving a trail of light in the air as it cleaved through the dragon’s necks. Neo-Blue Eyes’ three heads fell from its body and dissolved into particles of light as its body collapsed and exploded, blowing Ember’s hair and clothes out in front of her in the blast. Twilight’s display clicked Ember’s Life Points to 0 and her portrait flashed red. Ember lowered her duel disk, staring up at Master Diamond as it landed in front of her. “Such power…” “Hey.” Ember turned her attention forward as Flash approached her. “You’re pretty good.” Flash held a fist out and smiled. Ember returned the gesture and bumped her fist against his. “As expected of Flash Sentry.” Twilight stepped forward to approach and stopped as other observers ran past her. The crowd gathered around Flash, Ember stepping out of the way. Twilight chuckled as Flash fended off the fans in a scene all-too familiar. The celebrations paused and the crowd went silent at a flash of light from the side. Twilight turned her head and saw a massive pillar of fire rising into the sky from elsewhere on the school grounds. The fires dispersed and she heard a distant cry of another crowd. Another duel had been won. Twilight clenched her fist. She somehow felt she didn’t have to ask who it was. “Attention students!” Celestia’s voice came over the speaker system. “All duels have been concluded. Your top eight duelists have been decided!” A holographic display popped into the air from an emitter Twilight couldn’t see mounted somewhere on the school wall. As Celestia spoke, the corresponding portraits flipped up into the display. “Announcing your quarter finalists. Jacklyn Apple. Rainbow Dash. Rarity Belle. Twilight Sparkle. Flash Sentry. Gabriella Black. Spitfire Slipstream. And Sunset Shimmer.” The students applauded as the eight portraits blinked away and disappeared. “We will announce formal match-ups tomorrow at 9 am, with duels to take place at 10 am. For now, students, good night and see you tomorrow!” Twilight took a breath. If we include Flash, four of my friends made it to the finals. The odds are in favor for one of us to face Sunset either this round or the next. Twilight looked at Flash talking to his fans. We need to talk to him, make sure we can count on his support. “Hey, Twilight.” Twilight turned to see a familiar face walking up to her. “Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow Dash nodded and looked away, rubbing the back of her head. Behind her Scootaloo was standing with her arms crossed and her eyes at the ground. Fluttershy slowly stepped up beside her, hands clasped over her front. “I’m sorry I didn’t make it to the finals, Twilight,” she whispered. Twilight smiled and reached out to pat Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It’s okay, I know you tried your best. That means a lot to me.” “Fluttershy told me you stood up to Sunset Shimmer for her yesterday,” Rainbow said, looking back at her. “I appreciate that. Thanks.” “Someone had to.” Rainbow flinched at the words and then nodded. “Yeah… she said you needed help taking out Sunset and getting that crown?” “I do.” Twilight nodded. “It’s a long story, but whoever wins tomorrow, I need the actual crown.” “I told her Applejack and Rarity are already agreeing to help,” Fluttershy spoke up. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Look, I got some stuff to take care off on my end to, ‘kay? Been thinking about stuff lately.” “You mean Scootaloo.” Twilight leaned around Rainbow to look at the younger girl. Scootaloo raised her head at the sound of her name. “Yeah.” Rainbow shook her head. “We’ve just sort of been having a talk. Ya know, a lot of students take this tournament pretty seriously. And maybe I’ve been acting like…” “A bitch.” Rainbow turned to glare at Scootaloo. “Watch your mouth. Your dad will think you learned that from me.” “I did.” Scootaloo stuck her tongue out. Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned back to Twilight. “I was taking the kid and Fluttershy to Sugarcube Café for a bite to eat. Wanted to know if you wanted to come with, have a chat about Sunset.” Twilight smiled and nodded. “Count me in.”