Twilight Plays Card Games Not On Motorcycles

by DarkAura

A Rocky Start

Both duelists started with 4000 life points. Each of them studied their "hand" thoroughly, though Twilight's opponent more so. The AI gazed at its cards with much intent, its expression neutral. I'm up against a duelist with an amazing poker face. Should bring a much more interesting duel, Twilight noted.

Twilight took a look at her own cards. Tribe-Infecting Virus, 7 Colored Fish, Trap Hole, Mystic Box, and Jar of Greed... Not bad, though it'd be more useful to get more than one monster card on the first draw. In Duel Monsters, a duelist could never attack on the first turn, which is why going second was more preferable. Still, Twilight needed a shield to protect herself from her opponent's when/if it attacked. She set down the 7 Colored Fish card on her mat. "I play 7 Colored Fish in defense mode!"

Using her magic, she created a small holographic image of the 7 Colored Fish on top of the card. The hologram of the fish snarled, its beady eyes sending death threats all around. It used its tail to signify that it was in defense mode. A sign appeared next to the fish, with the numbers 1800 and 800 on top and on bottom respectively. These numbers told both duelists what the attack and defense points were of that monster.

"I end my..." Twilight faltered. She looked at the four other cards she was levitating and started to debate whether to put Trap Hole on the field face down or not, and to decide whether she should use Jar of Greed to get a potential monster card. In the end, she decided it wasn't worth it. "I end my turn."

The opponent drew a card and took a good long look at it. It put the card on the field where the trap and spell cards are played. "I play one card face down, and I end my turn."

Strange, thought Twilight. 7 Colored Fish has only 800 measly defense points. Most monsters could defeat that, and that left Twilight wondering why the opponent didn't send out a monster. Because it doesn't have one, she deduced, and that brought forth a smirk on her face. Super intelligent AI or not, no pony could attack when they had nothing to attack with.

Twilight drew a card from her deck. It was a card called Yami, with a picture of what seemed to be a black hole accompanying it. Not useful for now, she thought. Yami's effect was to boost the attack and defense of Fiend- and Spellcaster- type monsters by 200, while it would decrease that same amount with Fairy type monsters. 7 Colored Fish's type was Fish, obviously different that the types mentioned in the Yami card.

She took a look at the playing field, specifically her opponent's face down card. Was it a trap or a spell? It had to have been a trap, otherwise her opponent would've left itself wide open to an attack should Twilight choose to switch 7 Colored Fish to attack mode. But this was an AI with the IQ of a super computer, so maybe it knew Twilight would avoid attacking thinking it was a trap card and actually played a spell card instead. But if Twilight could figure that out, who's to say it wasn't really a trap card?

The confused mare shook her head. She really had no definite way of deciding what the face down card was. She returned her focus to her cards. Maybe she could use her Jar of Greed? She'd hate to end her turn doing nothing. "I play Jar of Greed! With it, I can draw another card from my deck!"

She set the Jar of Greed in her graveyard and drew a card from her deck. Please let it be good, please let it be good...! The card was... Pot of Greed. Twilight nearly moaned, but didn't, as she didn't want her opponent to know she drew a bad card. Well, not exactly bad, per se, but that was exactly like Jar of Greed except that it let her draw two cards instead of one.

"I end my turn," she said simply.

The AI drew a card from its deck, its expression still of that of an amazing poker face. "I place one card face down and end my turn," it send, putting the card it just drew face down next to the other card.

Great. Now I've got two potential trap cards to worry about, thought Twilight as she drew a card. Trap Master! Alright!

"Say your prayers, because I'm playing Trap Master in attack mode!" Twilight yelled as she set the card down next to her 7 Colored Fish. The holographic image of a clown-like creature appeared, its lower half of its body, being mechanical, whirred and buzzed in anticipation. The marker that tells its attack and defense points appeared, with 500 on top and 1100 on bottom.

"With this card, I can destroy a trap card of yours! And I pick that one!" She pointed her hoof to the first face down card her opponent played. "Of course, I don't know if that's a trap or not. But Trap Master can flip up the card, and if it's a trap, I can destroy it. If it's just a spell card, well, it'll go back to being face down, but I'd still know what the card is! Go, Trap Master!"

The clown downright flew to the card, readying its chainsaw lower half. The opponent's card went face up, revealing the trap card Robbin' Goblin. A malicious grin grew on the clown as it brought down its chainsaw.

"I activate Fake Trap!" The AI yelled. A little hobbit that looked as if it was burned popped up in front of the Robbin' Goblin. It held up a scroll with the single word 'False'. The poor thing took the full brunt of the attack and shattered.

The AI put the Fake Trap trap card in its graveyard as Twilight studied it. When it activated Fake Trap, it seemed to have had... determination in its voice. But that was absurd. It was just an AI; it had no feelings or aspirations of the duel. Or... did it? And what was with that Robbin' Goblin card? She wasn't far enough in her knowledge of the game to know the effects of all the cards; Just that she knew the iconic cards by heart. If she wasn't careful, the card could spell death for her and her cards.

Lost in thought again, Twilight got back to reality when her opponent piped up. "Well?" it asked, a hint of irritation in its voice.

I'll need to keep an even closer eye on it. Then again, an opponent with a full resolve of winning would be much more fun! she thought. "I end my turn."

The AI drew a card, studied it for a moment, then put it in its hand. It placed a card (One that was in its hand to begin with, Twilight noted) next to the Robbin' Goblin card. "I play Change of Heart."

The image of an angel with a heart in its hands appeared on top of the card, half of it being dark with bat wings while the other half was light with angel wings. Twilight decided that it was used to signify two opponents of a duel, how both would usually have different ideals than the other.

"With it, I can take control of a monster from your field for one turn, and I choose 7 Colored Fish."

The angel, quick as light, glided towards the fish. Once it made contact, it simply... disappeared. Or so it would seem. In reality, it had taken control of the monster, and it brought it to the AI's side.

"Seeing as how Change of Heart doesn't say anything about changing positions or anything of the sort, I switch 7 Colored Fish to attack mode!" The fish brought its tail back and bared its tusks. Its razor sharp tusks. Tusks that could probably fatally wound a pony. Thankfully it wasn't real. "7 Colored Fish, attack that Trap Master!"

The fish dived towards the clown and sunk its fangs in it. The clown opened its mouth as to scream, but nothing came out, and the clown promptly shattered. Twilight reluctantly put its card in the Graveyard.

"I end my turn," it said, and the 7 Colored Fish returned to Twilight's side of the field. The AI put the Change of Heart card in the Graveyard.

This isn't good, though Twilight. I'm only at the beginning of the game, and I'm already down to 2700 Life Points! I need a miracle soon, or I might not make it through...!

Author's Note:

Every time 'hand' is said, it means the cards that they're levitating in front of them. Just didn't want you guys getting confused, since ponies don't have hands and all.

Comments

[DarkAura]

Chapter Two is now up!

[SuperPinkBrony12]

So I see they're playing by Battle City rules. Otherwise they'd use 8000 life points and Change of Heart wouldn't be allowed.

[DarkAura]

2599270 Yup. Well, except for the "maximum of six cards in each hand" rule. I'm bumping that number up to eight.

[SuperPinkBrony12]

2599850 Ah I see. Also Twilight cheated, in order to activate Trap Master's effect I believe the card description says you must play him face down in defense mode and then flip him face up.

[DarkAura]

2600515 Oh dang, really? Sorry, my knowledge on Duel Monsters isn't the best, but thanks for telling me that!

For the sake of keeping the story as it is, can we agree to have this duel go on as it would in the original Yugioh; where it's an exploitable, broken as hell game?

[SuperPinkBrony12]

2606263 Yes. The anime was never the best at sticking to the rules. Heck the first season of the original anime had rules where you only had 2000 life points and could play any moster you wanted regardless of level, but you couldn't attack directly.

[tongen]

2599270 technically change of heart is allowed as long as you arn't playing by tourney rules.