The three avoided Diamond Tiara's gaze for the entire day, knowing that they'd only feel shame from earlier that day. They somehow managed to do so with ease and decided that the only way to handle this situation would be to head back over Spike and convince him to play for them. They'd need to gather bits to pay for a good deck that he could use, but they didn't even know where to start with it. Spike would need to be consulted before they bought anything new.
"So you think he'll go for our idea?" Scootaloo asked.
"He better. Otherwise we won't have any other way to beat Diamond Tiara," replied Apple Bloom.
"Are you sure this is worth all this effort? I mean, it's just a card game." Sweetie Belle was attempting to be the voice of reason in the group, but that didn't seem to work well.
"Sweetie Belle, we NEED for her to lose. If she doesn't, horrible things will happen!" Apple Bloom was waving her hooves wildly in the air when she said that.
"But she doesn't even seem like she's trying to bully anypony. All she's doing is winning. That's not bullying. That's just being good at what you do."
"Sweetie Belle, do you think that with her record that that's all she'll do?" Scootaloo had a point. Diamond Tiara normally made fun of them for no reason. She might not do so right then, but she certainly would do so at some time.
"Alright. Let's at least consult Spike before we do anything crazy. He'll know what to do."
After reaching their destination, the girls entered the library and found nopony inside.
"Huh. They must be out now," Apple Bloom said to herself as she checked around the library.
"Or they're in a different part of the library. Let's at least check of anypony's here first." Scootaloo checked upstairs and the rest checked out the main floor, hoping that there was some sign of life around. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle found nothing interesting in their search, but Scootaloo came across a locked door. Deciding that their was nothing to lose, she knocked on it and heard rustling, followed by a familiar voice.
"Oh! Spike, is that you?" Twilight asked.
"No. It's actually Scootaloo. You know where Spike is?"
"I'm sorry, but I've been so busy with my studies that I haven't been able to leave the room. I'm not very sure of where he's gone."
"Alright. Sorry for bothering you." Scootaloo, feeling curious, decided to ask, "Hey, what are you studying that you're cooped up in there?"
"Oh. Um, different combinations of spells and artifacts. It's very dangerous stuff for anypony who doesn't know much about magic to get involved in."
"Just hope nopony has a card that destroys all your artifacts," Scootaloo said, forgetting that Twilight was probably talking about a different kind of magic.
"Well that's when you learn how to build up a collection of counter spells for your de-" Twilight stopped talking and Scootaloo suddenly realized that she may have been more correct about the conversation than she originally thought.
"Wait, are you talking about Magic: The Gathering?" Scootaloo wanted to know if her outburst was actually correct.
"No! I'm not making decks! I'm studying spells and stuff! Where'd I even get all those cards?" Twilight was not very good at lying.
"You mind if I come in?"
"Yes! Right now it's, um, TOXIC! Yeah! Can't let this stuff out. Might kill you."
"If you're working with toxic stuff, then shouldn't you be dead? Or not in a tree?" Scootaloo could tell that Twilight did not have much experience with fibs.
"Well, it's magically toxic. Totally different stuff. Only creatures that can cast magic can survive it. Too bad you're a pegasus."
"So can you exit the place without spreading the stuff all around?" Scootaloo was about to have some fun.
"Sure! I'll just teleport out of the room and that's that! No need to open the door and let it all out." Twilight suddenly appeared right next to Scootalooo in a flash of bright light. "See? No harm done. Watch me teleport back into the room." Seeing her chance, Scootaloo quickly grabbed onto Twilight as she teleported back into her room. When they both got into the room, Scootaloo was shocked by what she saw; chalkboard after chalkboard of meticulous card information, statistics for drawing certain cards, combinations for the most effective deck, and counters for almost every kind of card.
"Woah," she said in awe of the scene.
"It's not what it looks like!" Twilight tried to come up with something else to add, but couldn't figure out any other way to explain it. "Well, it actually is what it looks like. I've been trying to develop a strategy that could defeat my mortal Magic enemy. Every time I play against her I end up somehow getting defeated, even after I develop dozens of counter strategies. Using these old cards I hope to finally win."
"Hold on just a sec; are these Spike's old cards?" Scootaloo saw Twilight rub her forearms as she tried to come up with another word for 'yes' that wouldn't sound guilty. She decided just to nod with a grin plastered against her face.
"Look. He told me to do whatever I wanted with them, so I gave the game a try with checking out decks and strategies and I just got sucked into it. Honestly, I have no idea why I'd never tried it before. I mean, my cutie mark is for magic, so who's to say it doesn't include this game?"
"My guess is whoever it is that keeps on beating you." Twilight's brow dropped upon hearing that comment, knowing that it was true.
"While I haven't won a game yet, I'm certain that I'm close to it. I think I've come up with the perfect combination of cards that'll keep her from even trying to play cards!" Twilight started to maniacally laugh, scaring the poor filly. "Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Spike about what I was doing. After all, I've been trying to create these decks and don't want anypony else bothering my progress." Upon hearing that she'd spent several weeks with these cards, Scootaloo sniffed the air in the room and retched a little.
"Twilight," she said, holding her nose, "How many times have you left this room for a shower or to eat?"
"Oh, I don't think I really have. I can't tell." Scootaloo hadn't noticed it before, but she now realized that Twilight had bags under her eyes. Her hair was a mess as well. It looked as if she hadn't slept for a long time. "I mean, if I can't be good at a game that's literally called 'Magic', then how can I even consider my special talent magic?"
"What's going on in here?" Spike asked, followed by Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They saw the scribbling on the chalkboards and were horrified to find Twilight in her current condition. "Twilight? Why is your study area filled with stuff for Magic: The Gathering?"
"I'm trying to beat somepony and just can't manage it!" she yelled out in frustration pulling her hair out. "MY CUTIE MARK IS MAGIC! I SHOULD BE GOOD AT A GAME THAT'S CALLED 'MAGIC'!"
"Twi, I think you've gone a bit crazy," Spike told her, not knowing that calling somepony in the middle of a breakdown 'crazy' was not a very good idea.
"I'll show you who's really crazy! I'll conquer the world! With a children's playing card game!" The group gasped at that statement. All except for Sweetie Belle who was currently wondering how that would work.
"Okay. That is it!" he yelled out, gaining the mad mare's attention. "Twilight, I challenge you to a match! Whoever wins not only gets to keep my deck, but also the privilege of playing the game!"
"Ha! This'll be the perfect opportunity for me to test out my new deck. Bring it, Spike!" Twilight levitated her new deck and shuffled it within the span of seconds.
"Before we begin, I'll need to collect the cards I'll be using in my deck, They're probably not together still," he told her. Spike checked around the room and found himself the box he'd given her full of his Magic cards. Looking closer, he found the container that contained most of the cards he'd be using in this duel. He checked with other cards he might wanna try out with it and shuffled his deck. He then put on his red gloves, signalling that this was serious.
At the same time, the two of them yelled out, "Let's duel!"