This chapter's featured card: Arcana Force XII - The Hanged Man
Effect Monster Level: 6 ATK: 2200 DEF: 2200 Attribute: LIGHT Type: Fairy
When this card is Summoned, toss a coin. This card gains one of the following effects. ●Heads: During your End Phase, destroy 1 face-up monster you control and take damage equal to its ATK. ●Tails: During your End Phase, destroy 1 face-up monster your opponent controls and your opponent takes damage to equal to its ATK.
Twilight Sparkle was quivering in the waiting room. She knew that she might have to face her nemesis eventually, but she was hoping to face her in later in the tournament, not at this very moment. “What is wrong, my friend?” asked Zecora from behind. “I promise that this will not be the end. Trixie and Gilda have not yet won this war. So now, let’s go out there, and show them what for.” “You saw what they did to Spike,” said Twilight still fearful. “They also almost beat Alex and Orion. Don’t you get it? We don’t stand a chance.” “You fear for Spike’s life, I can tell,” said Zecora, “But my friend Apple Bloom fell victim as well. We both have something precious at stake, so we can’t let them our spirits break. So raise your head high, because you know we have to try. Even though our chances seem slim, as long as there’s hope, we can surely win.” Despite her constant usage of rhymes, Zecora knew how to raise the spirits of any pony. Twilight was in much higher spirits, and walked to the curtain with Zecora to face their enemies.
Gilda and Trixie were managing their decks in their waiting room. Gilda was already regretting teaming with Trixie, but she had already passed the point of no return the moment they took the lives of Derpy Hooves and Doctor Whooves, and she had no choice to continue dueling if she wanted to avoid any imprisonment, no matter how many lives she would end up taking in the end. “You know our next two opponents had their best friends taken away by us, right? That means they’re going to fight real hard to try and save them, so we should be prepared.” “Way ahead of you,” said Trixie proudly as she straightened her newly organized deck and inserted it into the deck slot. Gilda finished up hers and waited by the curtained exit of the waiting room to be called out by the announcer.
“…but, we still have two other quarter-final matches to complete before we move onto the semi-finals,” continued the announcer, “and the next match will be between Twilight Sparkle and Zecora will be fighting the infamous Trixie and Gilda.” Both teams walked out of their respective waiting rooms together. The whole crowd was booing Trixie and Gilda. Some of the pegasi staff even had to put nets up between the arena and the stands to keep the audience from throwing garbage at them. Gilda, having spent a life feeling hated and blaming everyone else for it, knew that this time, she was to blame for their hatred, and deserved every ounce that the audience was hurling at them. The two stood on opposite sides of the inside of the cloud ring. “Well, well, well,” said Trixie. “It seems we finally meet again.” “Now let’s see how these two teams will battle,” said the announcer. The spinner appeared and the marker spun rapidly. The marker eventually stopped on the space that read SD. Standard Doubles. “You’re going to pay dearly for what you did with my friends,” said Twilight fuming with anger. “I’m not going to pay for anything,” said Trixie. “Here’s how this is going to work. I’m going to beat you, take you and your zebra friend’s lives, then I’m going to beat the next two teams that I play, and then I’m going to beat Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, take their lives in front of all of these ponies, and with the wish I get from the elements of harmony, I’m going to become the most powerful pony that ever existed and take over Equestria as my own.” The ponies in the stand gasped with terror. “You hear that everypony?” said Trixie to the audience. “Once we win this tournament, we will rule this pathetic nation of yours and you will all become my slaves!” “Over my dead body!” shouted Twilight. “Yes,” said Trixie quietly. “Over your dead body indeed.” They all unsheathed their duel disks and drew 5 cards from their deck. “DUEL!” they all shouted.
Twilight Sparkle and Zecora vs. Gilda and Trixie
Twilight’s Turn: Twilight activates Polymerization, sending Dark Magician and Buster Blader to her graveyard to fusion summon Dark Paladin (ATK: 2900 DEF: 2400). Next, she activates De-Fusion, sending Dark Paladin to the extra deck and special summoning Dark Magician (ATK: 2500 DEF: 2100) and Buster Blader (ATK: 2600 DEF: 2300) from the graveyard.
Twilight places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-1 Life-8000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
Gilda’s Turn: Gilda equips Twilight’s Dark Magician with Scroll of Bewitchment, changing its attribute to LIGHT. Next, Gilda activates the effect of Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateway, special summoning it from her hand when her opponent controls two or more monsters, including a LIGHT monster (ATK: 2400 DEF: 1200). Then, Gilda normal summons Ally of Justice Reverse Break (ATK: 1200 DEF: 1200). When a LIGHT monster, exists on the field, Ally of Justice Reverse Break is destroyed. When a monster Gilda controls is destroyed by a card effect, she can special summon Meklord Emperor Wisel from her hand (ATK: 2500 DEF: 2500).
Gilda places 2 cards face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-8000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-2
Zecora’s Turn: Zecora attempts to activate her Necrovalley field spell, but Gilda activates Meklord Emperor Wisel’s effect, negating the activation of a spell card and destroying it. Zecora then summons one monster face down.
Zecora places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-3 Life-8000 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
Trixie’s Turn: Trixie summons Arcana Force I – The Magician (ATK: 1100 DEF: 1100). A coin is tossed. It ends up tails.
Trixie places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-4 Life-8000 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
Twilight’s Turn: Twilight attacks Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateway with Dark Magician.
Gilda and Trixie’s Life Points: 8000 -> 7900
Gilda activates her Card of Last Will, drawing 5 cards if a monster she controls was destroyed. Next, Twilight attacks Meklord Emperor Wisel with Buster Blader, but Gilda activates Limiter Removal, doubling the attack of all Machine-type monsters on the field (ATK: 2500 -> 5000). Twilight halts her attack.
Twilight ends her turn. During the end phase of the turn on which Limiter Removal was activated, all Machine-type monsters on the field are destroyed. When a monster Gilda controls is destroyed by a card effect, she can special summon Meklord Emperor Skiel from her hand (ATK: 2200 DEF: 2200).
Status: Hand-2 Life-8000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
Gilda’s Turn: Trixie activates the continuous trap Bad Reaction to Simochi. Gilda activates Graceful Charity, drawing 3 cards and discarding 2. With Arcana Force I – The Magician’s tails effect, every time a spell card is activated, the opponent gains 500 life points. With Bad Reaction to Simochi’s effect, whenever an effect that would increase the life points of the opponent activates, it inflicts that amount instead.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 8000 -> 7500
Next, she plays Monster Reborn, special summoning Meklord Army of Wisel from her graveyard (ATK: 1800 DEF: 0).
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 7500 -> 7000
Then, Gilda normal summons Meklord Army of Granel (ATK: 1600 DEF: 1200). If Gilda controls 3 or more Meklord monsters, she can special summon Meklord Astro Dragon Asterisk from her hand (ATK: 0 DEF: 0). Gilda then activates its other effect, sending any number of Meklord monsters to the graveyard to have Meklord Astro Dragon Asterisk gain ATK equal to the total ATK of the monsters sent to the graveyard, choosing Meklord Army of Granel and Meklord Army of Wisel (ATK: 0 -> 3400). Gilda attacks Buster Blader with Meklord Astro Dragon Asterisk, but Zecora activates Negate Attack.
Gilda places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-1 Life-7900 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
The crowd booed whenever any damage was made towards Twilight and Zecora. As if that would stop them.
Zecora’s Turn: Zecora activates the spell Heavy Storm, destroying all spells and trap cards on the field.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 7000 -> 6500
Then she activates the spell Terraforming, adding a field spell card from her deck to her hand. Now, that Bad Reaction to Simochi is gone, Arcana Force I – The Magician’s tails effect to increase the opponent’s life points by 500 when a spell card is played will increase life points, not deduct them.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 6500 -> 7000
Next, she activates her Graceful Charity, drawing 3 cards and discarding 2.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 7000 -> 7500
She then activates the field spell Necrovalley.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 7500 -> 8000
Zecora tributes her face down monster to summon Gravekeeper’s Chief (ATK: 1900 DEF: 1200). With Necrovalley’s effect, all Gravekeeper’s monsters gain 500 ATK and DEF (ATK: 1900 -> 2400, DEF: 1200 -> 1700). When Gravekeeper’s Chief is tribute summoned, Zecora can special summon a Gravekeeper’s monster in her graveyard, choosing Gravekeeper’s Visionary (ATK: 2000 DEF: 1800) (ATK: 2000 -> 2500, DEF: 1800 -> 2300). Zecora attacks Meklord Emperor Skiel with Gravekeeper’s Visionary. Trixie activates the effect of Arcana Force XIV – Temperance from her hand, discarding it to reduce all battle damage to 0. Zecora attacks Arcana Force I – The Magician with Gravekeeper’s Chief.
Zecora places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-8000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
Trixie’s Turn: Trixie activates Celestial Transformation, special summoning a Fairy-type monster from her hand, choosing Arcana Force VII – The Chariot (ATK: 1700 DEF: 1700). A coin is tossed. It comes out heads. Next, she tributes Arcana Force VII – The Chariot to summon Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man (ATK: 2200 DEF: 2200). A coin is tossed. It comes out tails.
Trixie places 1 card face down. Because of Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man’s tails effect, during the end phase, Trixie can destroy one monster her opponent controls and inflict damage equal to its ATK, choosing Gravekeeper’s Chief.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 8000 -> 5600
Gravekeeper’s Visionary’s ATK increases by 200 for each Gravekeepers monster in the graveyard (ATK: 2500 -> 2700).
Trixie ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-7900 Monsters-1 Face Down Cards-1
Twilight’s Turn: Twilight summons Gagaga Magician (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000). Once per turn, Twilight can change Gagaga Magician’s level to anything between 1 and 8, choosing 6. Next, Twilight tributes Gagaga Magician and Dark Magician to special summon Sorcerer of Dark Magic (ATK: 3200 DEF: 2800). Twilight equips Sorcerer of Dark Magic with Megamorph, doubling its ATK (ATK: 3200 -> 6400). Twilight attacks Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man with Buster Blader.
Gilda and Trixie’s Life Points: 7900 -> 7500
Twilight then attacks Meklord Astro Dragon Asterisk with Sorcerer of Dark Magic.
Gilda and Trixie’s Life Points: 7500 -> 4500
Because Twilight and Zecora’s life points are higher than Gilda and Trixie’s, Megamorph halves Sorcerer of Dark Magic’s ATK (ATK: 6400 -> 1600).
Twilight ends her turn.
Status: Hand-1 Life-5600 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-0
Gilda’s Turn: Gilda activates Tribute to the Doomed, discarding 1 card in her hand to destroy one monster her opponent controls, choosing Sorcerer of Dark Magic.
Gilda places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-4500 Monsters-0 Face Down Cards-1
Zecora’s Turn: Gilda activates her face down Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Necrovalley. The ATK and DEF of all Gravekeeper’s monsters returns to normal (ATK: 2700 -> 2200, DEF: 2300 -> 1800). Zecora summons Gravekeeper’s Assailant (ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500). Zecora attacks Gilda and Trixie directly with Gravekeeper’s Assailant and Gravekeeper’s Visionary.
Gilda and Trixie’s Life Points: 4500 -> 800
Zecora ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-5600 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
The crowd was cheering as loud as they could. With just 800 more life points to go, Twilight and Zecora could end Trixie and Gilda’s reign of terror. Trixie then got up and laughed. “Did you think it was going to be this easy for you?” she said. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Trixie’s Turn: Trixie activates Pot of Greed, drawing 2 cards. She activates her Monster Reborn, special summoning Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man from the graveyard. A coin is tossed. It comes out heads. Trixie activates Reversal of Fate, switching Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man’s effect from its heads effect to its tails effect. Next, she summons Arcana Force IV – The Emperor (ATK: 1400 DEF: 1400) A coin is tossed. It comes up heads. All Arcana Force monsters gain 500 ATK (ATK: 1400 -> 1900) (ATK: 2200 -> 2700). Because of Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man’s tails effect, during the end phase, Trixie can destroy one monster her opponent controls and inflict damage equal to its ATK, choosing Buster Blader.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 5600 -> 3000
Trixie ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-800 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-1
Twilight’s Turn: Twilight places 1 card face down and ends her turn.
Status: Hand-1 Life-3000 Monsters-0 Face Down Cards-1
Gilda’s Turn: Gilda activates her Heavy Storm, destroying all spells and traps on the field.
Gilda ends her turn.
Status: Hand-0 Life-800 Monsters-0 Face Down Cards-0
Zecora’s Turn: Zecora attacks Arcana Force IV – The Emperor with Gravekeeper’s Visionary.
Gilda and Trixie’s Life Points: 800 -> 500
All Arcana Force monsters’ ATK returns to normal (ATK: 2700 -> 2200).
Zecora ends her turn.
Status: Hand-1 Life-3000 Monsters-2 Face Down Cards-0
Trixie’s Turn: Trixie equips Gravekeeper’s Visionary with Axe of Despair, increasing its ATK by 1000 (ATK: 2200 -> 3200). Because of Arcana Force XII – The Hanged Man’s tails effect, during the end phase, Trixie can destroy one monster her opponent controls and inflict damage equal to its ATK, choosing Gravekeeper’s Visionary.
Twilight and Zecora’s Life Points: 3000 -> 0
Gilda and Trixie win.
Twilight stayed still on the ground, braced herself and waited for her end to come. Orion then ran out of his waiting room to help them in any way. Alex tried to chase Orion to stop him. “Say hello to Apple Bloom for me, Zecora,” said Trixie coldly. A single beam came out of her horn and made its way for Zecora. Twilight, who was peeking, opened her eyes wide knowing that she would be spared only to watch her friend be cursed right in front of her. Orion gasped along with the rest of the crowd. The beam entered into Zecora. She yelled in agony as she began to wrinkle and her coat began to lighten. The crowd was horrified seeing the curse firsthand for the first time. The curse was finished and all that was left of Zecora was a shell of her former self. Twilight went to Zecora’s body and wept over her. Orion came by and comforted her. Twilight hugged Orion and cried even harder. Alex helped the paramedics who were on standby lug her onto the stretcher. Alex watched with anger as they carted her away. “The winner of this match is Gilda and Trixie,” said the announcer trying his best to keep his anger concealed. There was a massive sound of boos coming from the crowd as the two victors walked back into their waiting room. Alex stared at them until they were no longer in sight. He then tapped Orion on the shoulder, and he and Twilight both walked with Alex back to their waiting room.