Chapter 8: Where Twilight Calls Foul
Trixie stood behind the curtain chewing at her hooves nervously. Her opponents stood outside gathering a big crowd while she mentally berated herself. How could she be so stupid? She may have learned to treasure having friends but even now her mouth was going to be the death of her, or at least her defeat in a foal’s card game.
“Are you okay Trixie?” It was Twilight this time coming to comfort her friend. She looked worried about Trixie, but there was a gleam in her eyes that meant that something good had happened to her. Probably won a duel and gained a bit in the process.
“Trixie is perfectly fine.” said Trixie with a nervous laugh.
“No you’re not,” replied Twilight, “you only talk like that in private when your stressed. Now come on, out with it.”
Trixie sighed, “Trixie has challenged two shady stallions to a duel, and the thing is though that Trixie challenged them to a two-on-one where Trixie loses if she took any battle damage.” Twilight face hoofed as hard as she could. “Trixie couldn’t help herself, you know how it gets when Trixie gets like this when it comes to challenges, but now it looks like Trixie is going to stand the heat of this one.”
Much to Trixie’s surprise, Twilight put a comforting hoof on her shoulder and looked at her earnestly. “Look, we both know that you get into some stupid things,” Trixie nodded to that. “But the thing that’s most important is that you at least know that this is wrong to do. That alone is good enough for me to help you. Would you like that?”
Trixie nodded and they stepped out into the crowd. After explaining the rules of the double duel, each team shuffled the others deck and trotted to their corners to prepare. The brothers pocketing their deck with Trixie deciding that she and Twilight would put it in view to show how confident they were, but not all business ponies are as strong on the inside as they are on the outside.
Turn 1- Flim: 8000 Flam: 8000 Trixie: 8000 Twilight: 8000
“My brother and I will go first, giving you lovely mares the chance to attack first in exchange,” said Flim as the brothers set up their hands. The girls did the same. Trixie smiled, her hand consisted of all three of her Blue-eyes White Dragon cards, the spell The Ancient Rules, and Polymerization. No matter what most duelists did she would be able to rip out Blue-Eyes White Dragon for Twilight to use as needed next turn or even blow a weak monster out of the way for an open attack with her ultimate dragon. It would only be better if she drew De-fusion on her first draw.
Flim grinned as he looked at his hand and drew. “This is why you should have kept your deck a trade secret oh Weak and Meek Trixie, because I play the continuous spell card: Prohibition. So long as this spell remains on the field any card I call cannot be used in this duel at all until it is removed. And I pick: Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” A wooden sign posted between the twins with the words: “Blue-Eyes White Dragon is Forbidden.” written on it.
Trixie felt her stomach sink. No Blue-Eyes meant not only could she not play the monsters on the field. She couldn’t even fuse them into the Ultimate Dragon. Useless, her hand was nothing but a useless mess for this duel unless she destroyed that card, and she had no way to do so currently.
“Next I’ll summon the monster: Card Guard(1600/500). When he gets summoned successfully he gets a Guard Counter that boosts his attack by 300 points. However, I can transfer this counter to any other card on the field and make it guarded from destruction once. So I’ll pass it to my Prohibition so you don’t get any ideas like destroying it to allow the use of your Blue-Eyes. Finally I’ll set one card face down and end my turn.”
What was Trixie going to do? If the next card she drew was just as useless then it would all be for nothing. With the set up they had she’d be relying on Twilight far too much for her own comfort. She cursed her luck, of all times she had to not bother searching out her Blue-Eyes, now was when they decided it was best to show. Crestfallen her hat began to droop and she nothing about it as Flam drew his card.
Turn 2- Flam: 8000
“Well brother, allow me to assist you today with my own Card Guard. That way we have twice the protection. I’ll also set two cards in the back row and end my turn.” He did this so quickly it was even if Trixie wanted to adjust her hat she wouldn’t be able to finish by the time the mustached stallion had finished.
Twilight stayed silent as she watched her friend look disappointed at her hand and then looked at her own. Indeed she didn’t have a stellar hand for the situation either. It would all come down to what the two of them drew.
Turn 3- Trixie: 8000
A dead draw, of course. Paladin of White Dragon stared back as her. She couldn’t play a single card in her hand. What’s more with that much protection and two face down cards it was useless to set the two spells and try to bluff, especially since she knew all three others had seen the depressed look on her face. No amount of her acting was going to change their minds that fast. “Trixie passes.”
Turn 4- Twilight: 8000
As Twilight looked at her hand from her draw she considered her options. Trixie didn’t play a single card. Was it worth doing what she planned? Something was a nagging at the back of her mind. How could these two not only get hands that not only complimented each other but both of their opponents could do nothing on the first turn. The odds of such a thing were astronomical in a tag duel like this.
“I’ll start then,” she called out. “I play the spell card Exchange. This allows us all to show our hands and exchange one card from each of our hands. However since this card was made before double duels were allowed it claims both. As in only two can partake. So you two can Exchange among each other while I have a look at my partner’s hand. Agreed?”
“By all means,” said Flim with his usual arrogance as he a card to his brother who toss a card to him at the same time. “you could use all the advantage you can get.” Now that was strange. The two didn’t even look at the other’s hands, simply swapping cards without a word to one another. Something was indeed wrong here. Still Twilight took her hand to Trixie as looked over her shoulder at the blue Unicorn’s own. Shock, that was all that registered in her mind when she saw this hand and immediately she began to both see what was going on and what would be needed to stop the brothers from winning. There was no guarantee it would work, but she took the spell from Trixie and let Trixie take a certain other card from her hand that would be useful if her own plan worked out.
“Next, I play the spell I took from my partner: Ancient Rules. With this I can summon one normal level five or higher monster from my hand without issue, so with it I-“
“Not so fast,” said Flam, “I chain Dark Bribe. You can draw a card instead.”
“Fine,” said Twilight with a grin as she looked at her new card. “Then instead I’ll play the spell Reload, so that I can get an entirely new hand and shuffle my deck.”
“Nope,” said Flim suddenly a little panic in his voice. “my own Dark Bribe isn’t going to let that happen.”
“Fine then,” she finally said with a knowing smile. “I play my Heavy Storm to get rid of all your cards except Prohibition, but it loses a Guard counter because of that.” Flim’s face down trap, Skill Drain was gone soon enough, it’s power to make monster effects useless gone. “I thought so,” said Twilight. “I still have four cards so let’s see how you handle this next card: Card Destruction.”
At this the two smiled wide. Flim laughed, “You did exactly what I wanted you to do. The two of us have the same monster three times. Say hello to Broww, Huntsman of the Dark World!”
“And with his effect being triggered by you that means instead of 3 new cards,” started Flim.
“The two of us draw nine instead,” finished Flam. So the two did so while Trixie discarded her own hand and Twilight followed suit.
Twilight smiled somewhat, “Looks like one of my draws was Watapon. So I get to special Summon it to the field. Next I’ll set a card face down ending my turn.” She was left with one card in her hand. Trixie wasn’t sure what her plan was and felt even worse. It was obvious Twilight was doing all the work to protect her from the double turns of the Flimflams now that they had such a powerful hand.
Turn 5- Flim: 8000
“Very well,” said Flim looking at all ten of his cards and laughing. “I suppose I’ll start off my turn with a spell card. Dark World Dealings, this spell forces each of us to draw a card and then discard a card from our hands.” They each did so with Trixie discarding a useless spell. “I discarded Grapha, Dragon Lord of the Dark world one of my most powerful beasts. When he is discarded I can rid myself on one card on your field. So say goodbye to that facedown card.”
“Sure I’ll say goodbye to it,” said Twilight, “because your card was a waist, I activate my face down now in chain: Mystical Space Typhoon. So you lose your target and your Prohibition loses one of the guard counters on it.”
“Oh you think your slick,” said Flim, “But I am better since I believe.”
“That I have a Grapha as well,” said Flam laughing as Watapon left the field.
“That’s it,” said Twilight finally having enough. “I call shenanigans on you two. There is no way you both have the same cards and are doing this along with Trixie getting the one hand that made it impossible to play against you, and me having the one card that could help you. The chances of such a thing are so astronomical it borders the impossible. You two are cheating.”
There was a collective gasp from the crowd as all eye turned to the twin unicorns. Neither of them seemed to react, Flam was shuffling around some of the cards in his hand in an attempt to organize them as he awaited his own turn while his brother looked bored. “Really now Ms. Sparkle,” said the non mustached brother, “just how do you suppose we cheated in the first place? Not only did your illustrious guards see to it that couldn’t happen but so did this entire crowd. Combine that with the fact you and your partner over there shuffled our decks for us and I can hardly see how it is possible. But as unlikely as it is the fact we had such a turn this time is possible. Correct?”
Twilight gave it some thought. “True, that may have been the case if we actually shuffled your deck. But I will admit slide of hoof is always possible as Trixie has shown me. One thing you get from being intimate with her long enough is to see at least when she does it, even if you can’t see how. Right Trixie?”
The blue unicorn’s eyes widened as she remembered. “That’s right. After giving back your decks the two of you placed them in your pockets as you walked to your corners. That is unusual for unicorn players but most don’t pick it up because of the handicap that requires it so saliva doesn’t get on an earth pony or pegasus’ deck. You two either had another deck in that same pocket or you used your magic to bring certain cards to the top of your decks.” Two of the gurads started to move but Trixie shook her head and they backed off. Then she looked down at her own graveyard and her hand. “But you couldn’t doctor it too much, otherwise we could prove it. After all if you were dumb enough to doctor all of your cards I’d have noticed myself. I mean you can’t have two more Grapha’s each in your hand, and now if you play them in this useless to you situation you only prove my point.”
“Wait,” said Twilight a bit taken aback, “what are you saying?”
The twins sneered as Trixie smiled. “There is nothing on our field currently Twilight. The only reason they would have to discard more Graphas is to summon them, but if that were the case now that we shined light on them it would only prove they did cheat as the chances they both also have three of that monster in their hand, AND a way to bring them all out this turn is impossible. So as you say, if they are smart even if they do have them, now they are better off just keeping the two in their hand in case they need to rid another card from the field. We can’t get rid of them because frankly that would be worse. Not to mention that since they only vaguely knew what either of us had they couldn’t doctor your hand.” She laughed despite herself, the old Trixie shining through in malice of giving everyone a good show and displaying her superiority. “So go on then boys. Trixie calls your bluff.” she all but started shaking her flank and smacked it as she said, “hit me with your best shot.”
Flim’s eye flared as he continued, “Very well, then I’ll summon my Brron, Mad King of the Dark World and have my card guard attack you directly!” The monster slashed at Twilight, who was now brimming with confidence and took it like it was nothing. “Next I’ll attack Trixie with my Mad King directly and use his eff-“
“Not so fast,” said Twilight, “I discard my Kuriboh to he takes the hit instead of myself. So now you can’t call on the Mad King’s effect.”
“Fine,” said the unicorn, “I’ll return him to my hand in order to bring out my Grapha. Then I’ll end my turn and the two extra cards in my hand.”
Turn 6- Flim: 8000 Flam: 8000 Twilight: 6400 Trixie: 8000
Flam drew, looking at his opponents with determined eyes, he started his turn. “I’ll start my own turn off by playing the field spell, the Gates of the Dark World. With this all fiend monsters gain three hundred attack points. Next I play three of a very powerful card: Solidarity, with this as long as only fiends are in my grave all fiends on the field will gain 800 attack points. I have three of them, meaning all fiends I summon now boost by twenty-seven hundred. Then I activate my field’s effect: by removing one of my Broww’s, I can discard my second Grapha from my hand and draw one card. Finally I play my own Card Destruction!”
“What are you doing brother?” called Flim. “You were supposed to wait until I was able to assist. You cannot do this alone.”
“Yes I can, and I’ll prove it. I discard three Beige, Vanguard of the Dark World’s, their effects allow me to special summon them all. Also, I have Snoww, Unlight of the Dark world which lets me search for any other Dark world card in my deck and my last Grapha. Then I return my three Beiges for three Grapha, and since I can choose to share my brother’s graveyard, I summon Beige normally and return him to my hand to bring out a fourth Grapha. All of them now have fifty-four hundred attack points.”
Trixie gulped as Flim discarded three of his own copies of Snoww and took some Beige’s of his own. The rest must have been magic and trap cards he couldn’t lay down yet and was upset he had to get rid of because of his brother.
“Now I have four Grapha’s on my field and neither of you have anything. I’ll take you both out here and now! Go first Grapha attack Trixie directly!”
“Not going to happen. I activate Necro Gardna’s effect from my graveyard, which negates your monster’s attack. You won’t win this Flam, next turn I’ll make sure of that.” Flam’s rage peaked and he didn’t listen to his brother as he called for a Grapha to attack Twilight directly along with Card Guard, ending her duel and leaving Trixe alone as the final two Graphas attacked her.
“Hold it, I have a monster of my own to play. Since you were kind enough to play Card Destruction again I got another new hand, and since you now are calling an attack on me I can special summon Battle Fader from my hand and stop your battle phase.”
“What are you doing Brother,” Flim called, “Trixie has a full hand. You played right into Twilight’s hooves. What were you thinking?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Flam replied, “Unlike Twilight, Trixie isn’t able to use her best monster and she is staring down not only four fifty-four hundred attack monsters from me, but you have your King at fourty-five hundred, and our Card Guard’s at fourty-three hundred. No worries at all good sir.”
Turn 7- Flim: 8000 Flam: 8000 Twilight: 0000 Trixie: 8000
Trixie smiled, “so neither of you is curious?” The two looked at her as she let out a little laugh. “Seriously, neither of you dunderheads will question why I didn’t use Battle Fader to save Twilight?” She drew her card and looked at her hand. “The answer is I knew you would be too stupid thinking I had nothing to play to even consider playing any face downs to stop me. Fortune smiles on my first card: Heavy Storm!”
Everything on the field was blown away outside the rickety sign post which now had no guard counters on it. All the monster reverted back to their original attack points. “Next I play one of my favorite spells: Dragon’s Mirror. With this I can summon a different monster, the one the only FIVE-HEADED DRAGON!”
The Twins sat there, mouths agape as was the rest of the crowd. “Wait a minute,” called Flim. “You can’t use Blue-eyes to fuse. How did you summon that?”
“I used Paladin of White Dragon, Thunder Dragon, Infernal Dragon, White Stone of Legend, and Twilight’s Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress that she discarded with her Card Destruction.” They were about to object as she continued, “You said so yourself that we are free to consider our partner separate or the same as we need and I’ve chosen as you instructed just as Flam summoned 4 of that monster.”
“However The Great and Powerful Trixie is not done,” Trixie continued. “Next I sacrifice my Battle Fader for Luster Dragon #2, but he won’t be there for long as I next play: A wingbeat of Giant Dragon!”
“This rids the field of your annoying little sign. Then by returning Kuriboh, Watapon, Dark Magician, Celtic Guardian, and my Lord of Dragons, in order to play Pot of Averice and Draw two new cards. Then I play another Dragon’s Mirror to finally fuse my three Blue-eyes into the one and only, Blue eyes Ultimate Dragon!”
“These last two cards end this duel, I equip my Five-headed Dragon with Megamorph!”
“T-t-t-ten,” started Flim.
“T-t-t-t-thousand attack,” gasped Flam.
Trixie barely held it in, “Finally I set a card.” Trixie smiled, “Go Five-headed Dragon, take out Card Guard.”
Flim: 0000
“And Finally, Blue-eyes Ultimate Dragon attacks Flam’s Card Guard. Neutron Blast!”
Turn 8- Flam: 5100
“Well Flam,” said Trixie with an even wider grin, “it seems I was a tad off. You still get a turn. Though since you currently have all three of your own Grapha on the field, already used your Card Destruction and nothing you have in your hand is useful to stop me, I would suggest admitting your cheat and I will resend the part of our bet that banishes you from the town along with the tournament. Afterall with two counts of shinanigans you’d have to build trust again to do business here anyway.
Flim huffed but calmed down, “You’re right.”
“But brother,” said the mustached unicorn. “I still have points, I could win this.”
“Think about it,” said Flim, “You have no way to bring the Graphas back to your hand this turn, and because of that no way to get rid of that face down. So even if you did take them out you’d lose.”
“You don’t know that,” called Flam. “I’m not about to let this little girl get the best of me. I Draw.”
“And I activate my Trap,” called Trixie with a shake of her head, “Eradicator Epidemic Virus.”
“I’m sure you, having a Dark World deck, know this card well. I rid the field of my Five-Headed Dragon in order to make it so you can’t play any Spells and all of them go in the grave for the next three turns. No Dark World Dealings, and since you are about to show me your hand I’ll be able to see what traps you would lay for me over the next three turns and can avoid them.”
Flam looked sullen as he whispered, “I’m sorry brother.” He put a hoof over his deck to show he was done. They bowed and gave over their bits as agreed and proceeded to trot away.
“Hold it,” called Trixie. “Trixie doesn’t remember saying you could leave. You will be barred from any further action but you may stay. Trixie is sure the two of you can be of some use if you put your minds to it as snack venders or something. That is sort of what your cutie marks are about after all. So go help out at Sweet Apple Acres or something. Trixie heard they need help anyway since two of the Apple families are in this tournament anyway.” The brother’s faces lighted a bit as they considered it and trotted in the farm’s direction. Trixie looked down at her prize.
“You can take them,” said Twilight, “as per the rules. Besides I wanna study more decks anyway so I don’t need these.
Trixie took the six bits, she’d nearly be there with just this alone. But she gave Twilight two of them and Snowflake a single bit to make up for the one he lost to Scootaloo. The rest she did keep for herself, she was now halfway there. “Tha-thank you,” murmered the buff pegasus as he looked at the bit like it was a piece of gold.
“Just make sure next time,” she said with a wink. Then she turned to her lavender friend, “You can give those away if you wish but they are yours all the same. Just be sure to meet me in the finals.”
Twlight nodded, “I’ll keep that in mind. But honestly I’m surprised you even agreed to do this. The old Trixie wouldn’t risk so much just to help somepony she barely knows.”
Trixie just smiled, “The Great and Powerful Trixie no longer does what The Great and Powerful Trixie does for The Great and Powerful Trixie. The Great and Powerful Trixie does what The Great and Powerful Trixie does because The Great and Powerful Trixie is The Great and Powerful Trixie.” And with that she trotted off into town once again to find a new opponent.
“I really gotta get her to stop using the third person,” muttered Twilight.