Let's Duel!

by Snake Staff

Duels of Darkness (III)

“And our next addition to the ring will be the one called Rainbow Dash,” the robed man declared imperiously.

He doesn’t sound any less confident, Twilight thought. I know that these people are dangerous and crazy, but surely he’s noticed that the only ones getting hurt are them. And Celestia will be here in a few hours, maybe less. Just how insane are they?

Whatever the answer to that question, it would have to wait. The next contestant was pulled from her seat unceremoniously, whatever magic that had held her in place fading as soon as she was. Unlike the others, Rainbow was actually smiling as her two escorts lead her towards the arena.

“So,” she asked almost conversationally. “Which of your robed butts do I get to kick?”

There was no reply from either.

“I mean, even you freaky caped weirdos aren’t too dumb to notice the pattern, are you? You call up professionals and you send up amateurs. Then your guys come back down in a heap. So you’d better go find a stretcher, because you’re up against the best duelist in town!”

“I’ll be your opponent,” said yet another woman in the standard dark robe and hood.

“Alright,” Rainbow snorted. “For everything you freaks are doing to my friends and my town, I’m sending you back to your cult buddies in pieces!”

“We shall see,” the woman said, stepping calmly onto one platform, while Rainbow was pushed onto the other. Both rose to their full heights, while both duelists shuffled their decks and drew.

“I’ll begin,” the cultist said, drawing. “I will place one card face-down. Next I will summon Dark Elf, in attack mode.”

A dark-skinned, purple-haired elf woman in a green dress materialized.

“That’s all.”

“That was it?” Rainbow scoffed. “Let me show you a real turn!” she drew and peered down at the card. “Perfect! I summon Alexandrite Dragon in attack mode!”

A glittering, gem-encrusted dragon appeared on her side of the field.

“But don’t blink or you might miss him! Because I banish my Alexandrite Dragon in order to Special Summon my friend Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!”

Her monster vanished from the field, only to be immediately replaced by a towering dragon of fused steel and shadows. The new dragon showed its fangs, roaring with red eyes shining bright in the darkness.

“And check this out! His ability lets me Special Summon any dragon monster from my hand or Graveyard, once per turn! I think I’ll pick my Strong Wind Dragon!”

Another dragon flashed into life, this one a blue creature absolutely rippling with muscle.

“Alright Strong Wind Dragon, attack her Dark Elf!”

The blue dragon roared and unleashed fire, consuming the elf woman almost immediately.

“And now, Red-Eyes, your turn!” Rainbow pumped her fist. “Direct attack now!”

Her second dragon reared up and launched a dark fireball across the field.

“Reveal face-down card, Metal Reflect Slime,” the cultist said calmly.

Her Trap Card rose, and a small blob of silvery slime appeared on the field. Immediately it began to morph and expand, seeming to conjure more mass from nowhere with blatant disregard for physics. Very quickly a silver copy of Red-Eyes knelt on her field.

“What gives?!” Rainbow shouted. “Your trap just turned into a cheap knock-off of my monster!”

“A cheap knock-off with 3000 defense points. Care to continue your attack?”

“Grrr…” Rainbow growled. “I’ll place one card face-down and call that enough punishment for now.”

“Very well, then it’s my turn.” She drew. “Ah, very good. I discard my Darknight Parshath to the Graveyard so I can Special Summon my Dark Grepher in defense mode.”

A grey-skinned, red-eyed swordsman appeared on one knee, glowering viciously across the field at Rainbow’s dragons.

She could have Normal Summoned that monster, it only has four stars, Twilight realized. So the only reason that she would do that… she wants monsters in her Graveyard!

“And I think that that shall end my turn.”

“Then it’s my go! I’ll reveal my Dragoncarnation, which lets me add one Dragon monster that’s been banished to my hand!” Rainbow picked the card from the banished pile, then immediately slammed it onto the field. “And then I’ll summon the Alexandrite Dragon I just got back straight to the field! Then I’ll use Red-Eyes’ special ability to Special Summon Black Stone of Legend!”

Her gem-encrusted dragon reappeared, alongside a small, egg-like red and black stone.

“Next I’ll use my Black Stone’s special ability to sacrifice it, which lets me summon an old friend straight from my deck! Meet my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!”

Rainbow’s stone exploded into fragments as a pillar of dark fire emerged from it. From the flames stepped the legendary monster, all black scales and razor-sharp teeth. It too roared across the field, hard enough to force the cultist to take one step back.

“Oh yeah!” Dash cheered. “That’s what I’m talking about! Now I’ve got four monsters on the field to wipe out your life points!”

“Then by all means, just try.”

“I will!” Rainbow smirked. “Go, Strong Wind Dragon! Destroy her Dark Grepher!”

Her blue dragon breathed fire once again, this time wiping away the muscled warrior in one mighty blast.

“But because he was in defense mode, your life points are safe, right?” Rainbow’s smile widened. “Wrong! Strong Wind Dragon’s special ability lets him take the difference between his attack points and your monster’s defense points and deal it out as damage to you!”

“That’s just great,” came an odd-sounding voice to Twilight’s left. She looked over and spotted a man in dark robes, the heavy bindings over his nose identifying him as Rarity’s opponent. “Dad wanted me to be a chef, so instead I joined up with this for excitement and a chance to be part of a new order. So far I’ve gotten a broken nose. And now I get to watch us get humiliated at card games,” he sighed. “What am I doing with my life?”

“You still can’t destroy my Metal Reflect Slime,” Dash’s opponent brushed some dust from her shoulder. “None of your monsters are strong enough.”

“Not yet,” Rainbow admitted. “But just you wait. I place one card face-down. That thing will be gone before you know it! But for now, I’ve gotta end my turn.”

“Then it’s my draw,” the other woman said. “And it’s time to destroy you and all of your monsters!”

“Hah!” Rainbow snorted. “Fat chance! Nothing you’ve got can stand up to my dragons!”

“How about this?” She chose one card in her hand. “Since I have exactly three Dark Attribute monsters in my Graveyard, I am allowed to Special Summon my ultimate monster! Behold my all-powerful Dark Armed Dragon!”

The field beneath her platform burst open as one massive claw punched its way out of the holographic earth. A wingless dragon, blue and silver with a powerful drill on its tail, clawed its way out of the earth. It stood taller than any of Dash’s monsters, gnashing its teeth and flexing its claws menacingly at them.

“Not only does my beast have 2800 attack points,” the cultist explained. “But he also has an extremely powerful special ability! You see, I need only banish one Dark monster from my Graveyard to destroy any card on the field! So I think I’ll banish all three of them to destroy three off your dragons!”

“No!” Rainbow cried, shielding her face as both Red-Eyes dragons and Strong Wind Dragon fell to pieces on the spot.

“But that’s not all. Next I summon my Dark Valkyria in attack mode!”

Another monster took shape, this one an armored demonic-looking woman with black wings.

“Alright Dark Armed Dragon, attack! Destroy her Alexandrite Dragon!”

The colossal dragon unleashed its own jet of flame, blowing away Rainbow Dash’s last monster.

“And now my Dark Valkyria, attack her life points directly!”

The woman beat her wings and took flight, soaring across the arena to deliver a blow that sent Dash sprawling.

The cultist folded her arms as Dash struggled to get back to her feet. “All too easy.”

“I’m not… urgh… done yet!” Rainbow managed.

“But you will be quite soon, Ms. Dash. I think that’s enough punishment for now, though, so make your move.”

“Fine, I will!” Rainbow drew. “I summon my Red-Eyes Wyvern in attack mode!”

A smaller red-eyed dragon, this one lacking arms or claws, took up position on her field.

“Next I play the last card in my hand, Monster Reborn! So come on back, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!”

Her dragon reappeared, looking angrier than ever.

“And I’ll use his special ability to call back one more friend from the Graveyard! So let’s go, Red-Eyes Black Dragon!”

The dark-scaled dragon burst from the ground in a shower of dirt, roaring ferociously.

“Alright, time to win this duel! I play my face-down Tyrant Wing, and I’ll equip it to Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!”

Her powerful dragon snarled and unfurled its wings, which began to glow with a bright golden light.

“Not only does this give Red-Eyes an addition 400 attack and defense, it also allows him to attack two of your monsters! So Red-Eyes, destroy her Dark Armed Dragon and Metal Reflect Slime!”

Red-Eyes reared up and shrieked, unleashing twin fireballs in rapid succession. Both found their targets and exploded, bathing the cultist’s monsters in deep red flames. The two dragons went down, burning and flailing.

“Red-Eyes Wyvern, attack her Dark Valkyria!”

The smallest of the dragons launched its own fireball across the field. The armored woman flew out to meet it with one mighty slash. The ensuing explosion consumed both monsters.

“Since both our monsters had 1800 attack points, both are destroyed! And that means,” Rainbow Dash grinned, “that you’re wide open!”

Her mighty dragon clawed the ground eagerly with its talons.

“Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack! Wipe out her life points with Inferno Fire Blast!”

Red-Eyes took to the air with one beat of its mighty wings, picking up altitude rapidly. High above the dueling arena the legendary dragon opened its fanged maw. A red and black fireball easily the size of a truck raced downwards at the petrified cultist. The explosion was blinding.

“And that’s game!” Rainbow pumped her fist, while the smoking woman tumbled limply to the ground far below.

“I knew it,” Rarity’s former opponent muttered.

Rainbow’s platform slowly lowered back to the ground, where two more robed figures grabbed her firmly by the arms.

“Your spirit is impressive,” one of the said. “As is your fighting ability. The Queen would love to have someone of your caliber on our side.”

“Join you guys?! After what you’re doing to Ponyville?! To my friends?!” Rainbow spat in the man’s face. “Forget it! Not interested!”

“The next duelist will be the girl called Applejack,” the robed man said, shining finger once again locating the target in the crowd.

The blonde-haired girl, for her part, appeared surly as she was in turn escorted towards the dueling platform, but remained silent the whole way through. With her head held high and brow furrowed, she watched as another robed man took up position on the opposite side of the dueling arena. Both platforms soared high into the air, while the field itself transformed yet again into a rocky ground.

“You may go first,” the cultist offered in a quiet voice.

“Well ain’t that mighty kind of ya,” Applejack retorted, sarcasm oozing from words. She drew her first hand, then one more card. “Can I ask what’s motivatin’ this here newfangled courtesy?”

“You could. But I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Fine.” She snorted. “I’ll place two cards face-down, and one monster in face-down defense mode. And that’ll be all.”

“Then it’s my move.” He drew. “That will do. I place two cards face-down and summon my Gene-Warped Werewolf in attack mode.”

A four-armed white beast appeared, snarling and snapping its teeth.

“That will do for now.”

“Alrighty then. That means it’s my draw.” Applejack picked up her card. “Now I think-”

“Hold it right there!” He held up a hand. “I reveal my Trap Card, Light of Intervention! As long as this remains on the field, neither player can set a monster face-down or flip it face-down due to an effect!”

“No!” Applejack cried. “Ya can’t just do that!”

“But I have,” he smirked.

“Grrr…” Applejack looked down at her hand. “Fine. I summon Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, in defense mode. And that’ll do it for now.”

A spiked, metallic figure of blue and gold metal appeared crouched low in front of the blonde girl.

“My move. And I will summon the mighty Vorse Raider!”

A brown-skinned, bestial humanoid creature grasping a viciously oversized blade made its debut. It twirled its weapon and made a few experimental swings, heavily-muscled arms easily controlling the hefty weapon.

“I’ll next reveal my second face-down, Tyrant’s Throes! By sacrificing two of my monsters, this prevents either player from Normal or Special Summoning Effect Monsters as long as it remains on the field! In other words, from now on we can only summon face-up Normal Monsters!”

Vorse Raider and Gene-Warped Werewolf vanished into the activated card.

It’s only his second turn and already all of her strategies I’ve seen have been rendered completely useless! Twilight marveled.

“But now you don’t have any monsters protectin’ ya,” Applejack pointed out.

“Not for long. Because next I activate my Ancient Rules, which allows me to immediately play my Summoned Skull!”

The bone-white winged demon that had started the whole show appeared again and flexed its powerful muscles.

“Now, which of your monsters to destroy…” The cultist tapped his chin. “Let me see… Summoned Skull, attack Gear Golem the Moving Fortress! Lightning Strike!”

The fiend raised its arms and spread its black wings wide. Forks of lightning arced out from its back, racing across the field to bath Gear Golem in electricity. The mechanical monster shorted out and crumpled to the ground in pieces.

“And I think that’s enough punishment for now.” The man crossed his arms. “Your move.”

“Heh,” Applejack chuckled as she drew. “Ya’ll just made a big mistake.”

“And what’s that?”

“Ya should’ve destroyed my face-down monster. And now it’s gonna cost ya! I switch my face-down Golem Sentry into attack mode!”

The same odd-looking rock golem Applejack had used against Twilight made its appearance, looking completely unfazed by the fiend facing it.

“His special ability lets me send one of your monsters back to your hand! So say so long to your Summoned Skull!”

The fiend shrieked as it was pulled back into its card, which the cultist then picked back into his hand.

“Your golem is still too weak to seriously damage my life points.”

“He may be, but this next monster ain’t! I sacrifice my Golem Sentry to summon Millennium Shield in attack mode!”

A bright red and gold shield appeared, the mystic golden eye emblazoned on its center glowing softly.

“Pffft… ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!” the cultist laughed. “You might want to check your math, little girl. That thing has 0 attack points!”

“Not for long he don’t! Because I’m activatin’ one of my face-down cards, Shield and Sword! This swaps the attack and defense points of all monsters on the field for one turn, givin’ my shield 3000 attack points!”

“This isn’t good…” the man braced himself, gripping the platform’s edges.

“No,” Applejack smiled. “It ain’t. Millennium Shield, attack his life points directly!”

The mystic eye on the shield shone brightly in the darkness. A golden beam lanced out and crossed the field, catching the cultist directly on the chest. He screamed, arms straining desperately to hold on to the platform's edge. In the end, he just barely made it.

“Next I’m gonna reveal my other face-down card, Zero Gravity! This switches the battle positions of all monsters on the field! Then I’ll place one more card face-down. So as I end my turn, my Millennium Shield goes into defense mode and gets 3000 defense points back!”

“Fine, then I’ll proceed.” He drew. “I play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards. And next…” he scanned his hand. “I’ll activate my Raigeki, destroying all monsters on your side of the field!”

An enormous bolt of searing electricity descended from the heavens, vaporizing Millennium Shield in an instant.

“And now that your only defense is gone I play my Phantom Gryphon!”

A mighty beast with the head and wings of an eagle paired with the body of a blue lion took flight.

“Attack her life points directly!”

The gryphon shrieked and dove at Applejack, claws first, while she held both arms across her head. The monster slashed hard against the farmer, tearing off her outfit’s right sleeve and leaving notable gashes in her forearm.

“Now hold on there, partner!” she managed, clutching her injured arm close. “Ya’ll just triggered my Trap Card, The Golden Apples!”

A shimmering fruit of solid gold appeared on the field for just a moment. Then it flashed brightly, and when the light faded a golden copy of the cultist’s gryphon stood in its place.

“See, I can use this card whenever I take damage while not controllin’ a monster. Not only does it give me back the life points I just lost, it also lets me summon a token in defense mode with the same attack and defense as the life points I just received.”

“Fine,” the cultist crossed his arms. “It only delays the inevitable. I place one card face-down. Then I’ll end my turn for the moment.”

“Then it’s back to me, so look out!” Applejack seized her next card roughly. “I summon Giant Soldier of Stone, in defense mode!”

A humanoid statue of thick, grey stone appeared on one knee with arms folded across its chest.

“Aaaand…” Applejack visibly hesitated, eyes going to her opponent's face-down card. “I’ll end my turn right there.”

“Excellent!” The cultist smiled. “I think you’ll find this card frighteningly familiar! I sacrifice my gryphon for Summoned Skull!”

The fiend put in another appearance, razor-sharp teeth curled into an eager grin.

“Alright my monster, attack her token now!”

More electricity arced across the field. This time the forks of lightning obliterated the golden gryphon where it knelt.

“Next I play my face-down, Heart of the Underdog! From now on, every time I draw a Normal Monster I can reveal it to you to draw one additional card per turn. And that, I think, will be enough punishment for now.”

“Alrighty then…” Applejack drew, then grimaced. “I’ll place one card face-down, and then end my turn.”

“Back to me already?” he smiled. “I’ll reveal the Mystery Shell Dragon I just drew to draw one more card.” The man looked at the card, then laughed. “And what a card it is! I summon Mystery Shell Dragon!”

The monster was a flat grey creature seemingly composed of shells.

“And now I think I’ll sacrifice my dragon to activate the card I just drew, Monster Gate! If this works you’re finished!”

A glowing, runic circle appeared at the shell dragon’s feet. The beast sunk into its depths at leisurely pace, as though the magic were quicksand.

“I’ll explain. Monster Gate lets me trade in one monster to draw cards from my deck until I pick a monster that can be Normal Summoned, then summon it immediately no matter how many stars it has! All the other cards may go to the Graveyard but it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

The cultist drew one card, frowned slightly, and then placed it in his Graveyard. The second card he picked was likewise discarded with a grimace. But the third card…

“Ha! Just what I needed!” He slapped the card hard onto the platform. “I summon Cosmo Queen!”

The ground at the man’s feet exploded upwards. Inky black magic littered with glittering silver dots emerged in a wave, rising higher than even Summoned Skull. The energies flowed together, fusing into a tall woman in a long dress, an elaborate headpiece crowning her.

“Alright Summoned Skull, you’re up to bat! Destroy her Giant Soldier of Stone!”

Forks of lightning crossed the field yet again, this time shattering the kneeling stone man like he was nothing more than brittle clay.

“Cosmo Queen, attack her life points directly!”

The tall woman brought both hands close to her chest and began chanting softly. An orb of pitch-black energy formed quickly as the queen nimble fingers danced about it. Then without warning, she hurled it across the field. The magical blast exploded with all the force of a bomb.

“Alright,” the cultist said as his opponent struggled back onto her feet. “I think that that will end my turn for the moment.”

“Then it’s…” Applejack grimaced as she clutched her arm. “My move! I’ll draw one card and… perfect!”

“Is it?” the man sounded unimpressed.

“You bet your sorry behind it is!”

“He’s doomed,” muttered Rarity’s opponent.

“I’ll play my Hammer Shot! This card lets me destroy the critter with the highest attack on the field! Right now, that’s your Cosmo Queen.”

“So? What good will that do? I still have Summoned Skull.”

In the audience, Rarity’s former opponent facepalmed.

“Quite a lot, thanks for askin’. I activate my face-down, Monster Reborn! I’ll bring back the Cosmo Queen I just destroyed!”

“…Oh,” the man managed.

“And next comes a second copy of my Giant Soldier of Stone!”

Another of the stone titans appeared on the field.

“But this fellow’s in attack mode! Cosmo Queen, take out his Summoned Skull!”

Another dark energy sphere flew across the field, this time destroying the fiend.

“Giant Soldier of Stone, attack his life points directly!”

The towering stone golem drew its weapon and charged. Each step brought on a thundering earthquake as the multi-ton behemoth trampled the ground underfoot. The strike of its blade was enough to send the man soaring from his platform.

“And so much for that,” Applejack tipped her hat as her platform began to descend.

“Alright,” said the man behind the podium. “We have another duelist to face. This one shall be… Twilight Sparkle.”

“Me?” Twilight barely managed before being roughly pulled to her feet. “Who am I dueling?” she asked the two men who had firm grasps on both her arms.

A man standing near the platform answered. “I will be your-”

“Out of my way!” a robed woman shoved him roughly aside. Twilight recognized her as the one who’d been leading this whole demented ceremony. “You idiots have been bungling this from the beginning and the Queen is going to be furious! Not this time! I’ll duel this one myself!”