Card Games on Ponies

“DUEL!” screamed the terrifying, legion-like voice; over and over again, each time louder than the previous one. It came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, and with each iteration the very foundations of the house seemed to shake.

A curled up Fluttershy stood on the middle of the living room, with both hooves over her eyes and shaking like a dried leaf. A group of animals, composed of six mice, two squirrels, four birds and a racoon, led by Angel Bunny himself, formed a protective circle around her.

“DUEL!”

Fluttershy squeaked and covered her face with her mane. The animals around her tensed; Angel Bunny swinged a large carrot over his head and pointed it forwards like a broadsword.

A long moment of silence went on, barely interrupted by the sound of the wind and some distant chirping, before Fluttershy dared to ask. “Is it over?” she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Then, she tentavely stood up; first keeping her haunches on the floor, next fully on her four hooves. The critters around her relaxed as well; Angel Bunny rested the carrot over his shoulder. “That was scary,” she mumbled and took a deep breath.

There was a gentle knock at the door.

“Eep!” Fluttershy jumped back, her animals immediately forming a wall in front of her with Angel Bunny at the head, the tip of his carrot pointed towards the door.

Silence. Another gentle knock, this time followed by a soft voice. “Miss Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy blinked. She made her way thru the living room, slowly but steadily, followed closely by her furry praetorians, until she reached the door and softly placed her right hoof over the doorknob. Her animals readied themselves for attack; Angel Bunny lifted his carrot.

Fluttershy gulped. “Here we go,” she whispered and opened the door, only to be met with three smiling fillies. “Oh, hi girls,” she greeted before taking a quick peek around over their heads. “What can I help you with?”

“We were wondering if you could let us use your duel arena,” timidly asked Sweetie Belle. Next to her, Scootaloo and Applebloom smiled pleadingly.

“Oh, of course!” replied Fluttershy with a smile. “Please come in,” she stepped aside to let the fillies inside; her animals scattering. “By the way,” she continued while closing the door. “Did any of you, um, heard a voice around here?”

The three fillies immediately turned around. “No,” they replied in unison.

Fluttershy exhaled a breath of relief. “I guess I must have been hearing things. Well, come along, girls,” she said cheerfully as she took the lead.

“I told you we should have asked her,” whispered Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry.

“But there’s no fun in that!” protested Applebloom.

Angel Bunny glared at them while menacingly patting his carrot.

Befitting her role as an animal caretaker, and ocassional ranger, Fluttershy’s property was the largest one in Ponyville, next to Sweet Apple Acres. Which is the reason Twilight asked her for, in her own words, a “tiny favor”; installing a dueling arena in her backyard for research.

Fluttershy would be lying if she said those black stones, the way they glowed and the clouds that came out of them did not make her afraid. But then, she had to admit there were so many cute animals among the monster cards; and the projections all looked so real…

Fluttershy glanced at the large demonic creature in front of her, then back at her hand. She frowned and curled her lower lip.

Not too far away, a black stallion tapped his right hoof on the ground. “Well?”

“I think,” said Fluttershy as she picked a card from her hand. “I’ll play this one,” she placed it on her duel disk and a small opossum-like creature materialized in front of her. “Oh my,” she exclaimed with a smile. “It’s an opossum,” she extended her right hoof towards it. “Here boy, here--”

“Enough!” yelled the stallion, making her jump on her hoves. “If you’re going to play, play!”

“S-Sorry!” said Fluttershy. She quickly looked at her duel disk. “It says here Playing Possum has an effect,” she informed. The opossum turned its tiny black eyes towards the demon, let out a screech and dropped to the ground. “It’s playing dead,” she noted enthusiastically. “Did you know it’s not a conscious act but a physiological involuntary reaction--”

The stallion stomped the ground. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Fluttershy squeaked and covered her face with the cards in her hand. “I-I think I can play this one,” she placed another card on her duel disk. A large green baboon, easily twice the size of the demon, appeared next to her, carrying a big wooden club. It snarled at her opponent. “Now I can attack, right?” she asked with a smile.

The green baboon roared, raised its wooden club and slammed the demon right on the head, turning it into dust.

Fluttershy gasped. “You didn’t have to be so rough!” she cried while pointing a hoof at her monster. “Bad monkey! Bad!”

The stallion’s mouth fell.

“Alright, girls, here you go,” she said while turning around. “If you need anything just call--”

“Fluttershy of Ponyville!” yelled Scootaloo, making the yellow pegasus jump in her hooves.

“We challenge you to a duel!” yelled Applebloom while pointing with her right hoof.

“Do you accept?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Duel?” Fluttershy glanced around her then smiled awkwardly. “The three of you against me?”

“Yeah!” said Scootaloo.

“Isn’t that a bit, um, unfair?”

The three fillies looked at each other. “What if…uh, we share four thousand life points between the three of us?” asked Applebloom.

Fluttershy felt a pull on her mane. She looked down to see Angel Bunny nodding vigorously.

“Well, I suppose that’s okay…”

The three fillies cheered and went straight towards the arena.

Fluttershy sighed and went inside, followed closely by Angel Bunny. She picked up her duel disk, a basic model colored cyan, from a drawer and adjusted it around her neck. “Let’s see,” she mumbled while looking between several piles of cards.

Angel Bunny jumped on her head and pointed towards a blue deck case.

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh no, Angel; that one is not for them,” she said and picked one of the piles, carefully placing it on the deck slot of her disk. Angel Bunny rolled his eyes and jumped on her back. Satisfied, she went to the arena, where the fillies were already waiting for her.

“Alright, girls, who’s go--”

“The Diamond Sword! Sweetie Belle!”

“The Unbreakable Shield! Applebloom!”

“The Strongest Crusader! Scootaloo!”

“Really?” drily asked Applebloom.

“It’s my title and I’m sticking to it!” replied Scootaloo as she lifted her nose.

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Forget about it.”

The three fillies struck a pose. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADER ELITE TAG TEAM DUELISTS!”

“Um…that’s nice,” said Fluttershy. She smiled. “Do you want to go first?”

The crusaders nooded. “DUEL!”

“I’ll go first!” declared Scootaloo. “I summon Zubaba Knight!” a humanoid monster, clad in a yellow and red armor, and wielding a pair of serrated swords, appeared next to her (1600/900). “I end my turn.”

“Mah’ turn!” yelled Applebloom. “Ah’ summon Achacha Archer!” a humanoid archer appeared next to her (1200/900). It immediately took out an arrow from its quiver and tensed it on its bow; the arrowhead burst on fire, catching the archer by surprise and making it shoot prematurely. The arrow flew straight to Fluttershy, grazing her right cheek and lowering her life points by five hundred (4000-3500).

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle cheered.

Applebloom smiled proudly and declared. “Ah’ end mah’ turn.”

“It’s my turn!” said Sweetie Belle enthusiastically. “Now I,” she trailed off. “I…uh…pass,” she finished with an embarrased smile.

Fluttershy smiled sympathetically. “I play Swords of Revealing Light,” she slid a card on her duel disk and several blades of pure light rained from above to form a wall between her and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “I’m done.”

“Draw!” said Scootaloo. “I summon Zubaba Buster!” a second humanoid knight, covered in black and orange armor, appeared next to her, wielding a dual morning star (1800/600). “I build an overlay network! XYZ summon!” she declared at the top of her lungs. “Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction!” her two monsters were engulfed by a cloud of miasma and quickly replaced by a large, purple automaton with a terrifying skull-like face. Acidic vapors leaked incessantly from its fingers and joints (3000/3000).

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle stood with their mouths open.

Fluttershy gulped as the golem’s piercing yellow eyes glared at her.

“Turn end,” said Scootaloo as she puffed her chest out.

“Draw!” said Applebloom. She did a little hop and placed a card on her duel disk. “Ah’ summon Rai Rider!” a human riding a motorcycle, its long red hair blowing dramatically behind it, appeared on the field (1200/1400). “Ah’ build an overlay network! XYZ summon!” her two monsters vanished and, with a flash of fire, emerged a bipedal crimson dinosaur, its body covered by ornate metal plaques. “Grenosaurus!” it bared its large fangs as flames erupted from the back of its neck (2000/1900).

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle stomped their little hooves on the ground.

Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably in place.

Applebloom grinned. “Ah’am done here.”

“Draw!” said Sweetie Belle. Her smile vanished as soon as she looked at her newly drawn card. “I’ll…pass,” she mumbled.

Fluttershy saw a few of the swords of light disappearing. “Turn count one,” she thought, drew a card from her deck and immediately ended her turn.

“Draw!” Scootaloo swiftly drew a card from her deck. She looked at her duel disk: the slot under her Acid Golem was glowing. She detached an xyz unit and it stopped. “Whatever,” she mumbled. “I end my turn!”

Applebloom quickly drew a card and ended her turn. She shook her tail in anticipation.

Sweetie Belle slowly drew her card and peeked at it. “Pot of Greed!” she said with a wide grin. She quickly played it, allowing herself to draw two more cards. “I summon Saambell the Summoner,” a cute female monster with long brown hair styled in two ponytails, and wearing a light blue dress covered with a brown jacket appeared next to her (600/400). “With her effect I special summon Flelf,” a blonde elf monster clad in a silver armor and wearing a long blue cape materialized on the field (800/1300). “Now I can build an overlay network!” she declared cheerfully. “XYZ summon!” her Saambell vanished in a cloud of sparkles which enveloped her Flelf, making it grow taller. Its blue cape transformed into a beautiful golden armor, with a rich purple scarf to conceal the lower half of its face. “Shining Elf!” the monster drew a curved sword and adopted a fighting stance (1600/1000).

Scootaloo and Applebloom oohed simultaneously.

Sweetie Belle inserted a spell card on her duel disk. “I’ll also equip it with my XYZ Unit!” a golden halo surrounded the Shining Elf (2000/1000). “Turn end!”

The three fillies looked at each other then nodded. “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS ULTIMATE TAG TEAM DUELISTS!”

More of the swords of light disappeared. “Turn count two,” thought Fluttershy. She drew again and ended her turn.

Scootaloo drew a card and absentmindedly detached the last xyz unit from her Acid Golem. “Turn end!”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle followed by drawing and passing.

The swords of light all vanished. “Three,” mumbled Fluttershy. She set a monster card. “I end my turn.”

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Counterattack!” yelled Scootaloo as she drew her card. “Go Acid Golem of Destruction! ACID SPRAY!” she pointed her tiny hoof forward, but her monster did not move; instead, it released a stream of acidic vapor towards the crusaders. The three fillies coughed and watched in confusion as their life points went down by half (4000-2000).

“What’s with your monster, Scootaloo?!” asked Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo rapidly shook her head. “I-I don’t know!”

Applebloom frowned. “What do you mean you don’t know?!”

Fluttershy cleared her throat, getting their attention. “Your Acid Golem of Destruction cannot attack without xyz materials,” she informed solemnly. “Also you lose two thousand life points every turn in which you cannot detach one.”

Scootaloo’s pupils shrank.

Applebloom’s jaw fell.

Sweetie Belle slapped her forehead.

Angel Bunny had a laughing fit.

“This ain’t over yet!” fiercely declared Applebloom. “End your turn, Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo discarded a card and passed.

“Draw! Go Grenosaurus! FIRE RUSH!” at Applebloom’s command, the crimson dinosaur charged forward, shaking the ground with each step. It stopped before Fluttershy’s set monster, revealing it as a small flying squirrel, swallowed it whole and roared again, the shockwave lowering Fluttershy’s life points by one thousand (3500-2500). “When mah’ Grenosaurus destroys one of your monsters ah’ can detach one xyz material so you lose a thousand life points!” informed Applebloom with a grin, which soon faltered as she saw Fluttershy’s life points go up by one thousand (2500-3500).

“When my Nimble Momonga is destroyed by battle I gain a thousand life points life points,” said Fluttershy with an awkward smile. “And I can special summon two more from my deck face down,” two more squirrels appeared on her side of the field before turning face down.

Applebloom fell on her haunches and wordlessly discarded a card from her hand.

Sweetie Belle glanced sideways. “I…guess it’s my turn,” she said and drew a card. “Go, Shining Elf! Attack-uh-the one on the left! SHINING SLASH!” the elf twirled its blade elegantly and sliced one of Fluttershy’s set monsters clean; it vanished from the field, raising its master’s life points by one thousand (3500-4500). “I…end my turn,” said Sweetie Belle before discarding a card.

Fluttershy shook her head slightly, drew a card and passed.

“Draw,” said Scootaloo dejectedly as she took a card. The Acid Golem growled and unleashed a cloud of acidic vapor that lowered the fillies’ life points to zero (2000-0). The monsters vanished, the miasma dissipated and the stones stopped glowing.

Fluttershy put her best comforting smile. “Well, girls, that wasn’t too--”

“You dummy!”

“You didn’t read the card effects!”

“I didn’t have to! Rainbow Dash gave it to me!”

“We lost because your dumb golem!”

“Don’t call my golem dumb! It’s much better than your ugly elf and that lame dinosaur!”

“What did you say?!”

A dozen of trading cards flew into the air as the three fillies immediately engaged into a brawl.

“Girls, stop!” cried Fluttershy a she went around trying to put an end to the ball of shrieks, violence and dirt in front of her. “Oh goodness! Oh goodness!”

With an exhasperated sigh, Angel Bunny jumped down her master’s back, took a deep breath and unleashed an ear-piercing shriek that brought all the presents to a halt.

“Thank you, Angel,” said Fluttershy. She turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders with a frown. “Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, stop pulling Scootaloo’s mane and tail; and you stop biting their legs, Scootaloo.”

The three fillies immediately compelled, forming a line in front of her with their heads down in shame.

“Do you think this is how friends should behave?” sternly asked Fluttershy.

“No,” replied the fillies in unison.

For a moment Fluttershy wondered how many times they got asked that question. She decided to change her approach. “Do you think this is how a group of tag team duelists should play?”

The fillies lifted their heads, ears perked up.

“Gotcha,” thought Fluttershy. “Scootaloo should have read the effects of that card better, yes, but you two, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, should have assisted her,” she said with her best “teacher” tone. “Friends should support each other, whether in school, dueling or crusading for Cutie Marks; moreso when times are difficult.”

The fillies looked at each other.

“I’m sorry I ruined our duel, girls,” said Scootaloo.

“Ah’m sorry I called you dummy,” said Applebloom.

“And I’m sorry I—uh—called your monster dumb,” added Sweetie Belle.

They put their right hooves together and raised them. “Cutie Mark Crusaders Best Tag Team Duelists!”

Fluttershy smiled. “Alright, girls, I want you to pick up all these cards while I go fetch something to eat. After all, one cannot duel with an empty stomach,” she added with a wink.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders cheered and went to do as she said.

Fluttershy calmly went back inside her house with Angel Bunny in tow. “I think I’ll go the safer route and bring them cookies and milk,” she said as she placed her deck back on the drawer. But just as she was about to take off her duel disk, a chorus of screams caught her attention. She quickly made her way to the backdoor and what she saw there made her heart skip a beat: the stones of the dueling arena glowed hot red, the clouds of miasma swirled upwards like a tornado and, in the middle of all, making the cowering Cutie Mark Crusaders look like baby mice, was a black and red centaur the size of a house.

Fluttershy gasped. “T-Tirek!”

Tirek leaned forward to look at the fillies and, as if somepony had flipped a switch, all traces of fear disappeared from Fluttershy’s mind and she launched herself towards the arena with a level of speed that would make Rainbow Dash proud; effectively placing herself between the fillies and the demonic centaur. “Don’t you dare touch a single hair on their heads!” she said through gritted teeth.

“Oh,” said Tirek with a chuckle. “So you will duel me?”

Fluttershy bravery was momentarily replaced with confusion. “What?”

“Are you going to duel me?!” roared Tirek, clearly losing what little patience he had.

Fluttershy looked at the trembling fillies behind her. “Girls, go inside the house and don’t come out, you heard me?” she whispered. The fillies complied and she glared at Tirek. “I will duel you!”

“Excellent,” said Tirek with a smirk. He raised his muscular left arm and a golden ornate duel disk materialized around it.

“He’s really challenging me to a card game,” thought Fluttershy. She glanced towards her house, at the fillies fearfully watching her from inside. “I have to do this,” she muttered and placed a hoof over her disk, only to find there was no deck on the corresponding slot. “Oh no, I left my cards inside the--”

Just then, a screech echoed from above. Fluttershy looked upwards to see Angel Bunny holding a blue deck case while being carried by four birds by the ears. He lifted his tiny arms, threw the case with all of his strenght…and promptly hit his master in the head. Fluttershy squeaked. “T-Thank you,” she said while rubbing her forehead. She quickly picked up her deck and placed it on her disk. “Okay, I’m ready!”

Tirek roared. “DUEL!”

“I’ll go first,” declared Fluttershy. “I summon Blizzard Falcon,” a blue bird of prey, with a body crystalized like a snowflake, appeared in front of her with a mighty screech (1500/1500). “Now I play the spell Blustering Winds,” the falcon flapped its traslucent wings, whipping up a freezing gust that sent Tirek staggering backwards (2500/2500). “When my falcon gains attack points it can deal one thousand five hundred points of damage to your life points,” she informed (4000-2500). “I end my turn.”

“Ah’ can’t believe Fluttershy is dueling that giant ugly cow!” said Applebloom.

“And she already took nearly half of his life points! On her first turn!” added Scootaloo.

“Wait,” said Sweetie Belle. “Does this mean she wasn’t playing seriously against us?”

The three fillies frowned.

“Ah’ don’t know if ah’ should feel happy or offended at that.”

Angel Bunny rolled his eyes.

Tirek chuckled and stepped forward. “Draw!” he pulled a card from his deck and immediately sent it to the graveyard. “By discarding my Skull Conductor I can special summon two Burning Skull Heads from my hand!” two flaming human skulls materialized on the field, their empty eye sockets glowing with an eerie light (1000/800). “Now you lose a thousand life points for each one of them! HELL CURSE!” the skulls let out a bone-chilling shriek and quickly encircled Fluttershy. She screamed in pain as the flames engulfed her body (4000-2000). “Save your breath, we’re not over yet! I sacrifice my monsters to summon Skull Flame!” the two skulls exploded and were replaced with a large, demonic-looking skeleton wearing tattered blue robes and a red cape. It cackled madly as the back of its neck burst on fire (2600/2000). “It’s effect allows me to summon a Burning Skull Flame from my hand! HELL CALLING!” the skeleton pointed a finger and a third flaming skull emerged from the miasma, immediately lauching its attack on Fluttershy (2000-1000). “You’re lucky I cannot attack this turn,” said Tirek as he crossed both arms over his massive chest. “Turn end.”

“Fluttershy!” desperately cried the cutie mark crusaders. Angel Bunny let out a cry and charged towards the arena with a team of mice and a racoon, but they were swiftly swatted away by a dozen tendrils of miasma.

Fluttershy stumbled. “It’s real, it’s too real,” she thought. She looked at the fillies, screaming and waving their hoves. Her animals frantically ran around the arena, fruitlessly trying to find an opening. “No, I can’t abandon them,” she stood up to face Tirek again; somehow the centaur looked bigger and more intimidating tan before. Fluttershy felt her legs shake. “No, no,” she muttered and shook her head.

“I don’t think I can do this, Pinkie,” said Fluttershy as she peeked towards the crowd. “There are so many ponies out there, and they will all be watching us play…”

“Just imagine they are a bunch of puppies, kittens and baby chicks!” cheerfully said Pinkie.

Fluttershy gave it a thought. “But what about him,” she pointed towards a grey stallion, with a mane of the same color styled in a mohawk, already waiting inside the duel arena. “He looks really strong.”

“I’ve got a super duper secret spell for that!” said Pinkie. She looked at both sides and approached Fluttershy with a conspiratory look on her face. “You just have to yell it really loud…”

Fluttershy gritted her teeth and roared towards the sky. “I CAN FREEZE EVEN THE FIRES OF A DRAGON! I AM THE ICE MAIDEN, FLUTTERSHY!”

The animals immediately stopped in their tracks while the crusaders looked at each other with wide eyes.

“That…was cheesy,” said Applebloom.

“But kind of cool,” added Scootaloo.

“Wait,” said Sweetie Belle. “Was that a pun?”

Fluttershy drew a card from her deck so hard it whipped up a gust. “I summon Nimble Sunfish!” a small, cute fish jumpted out from the miasma (1000/100). “Now that I control a fish and a winged beast I can special summon Sirenorca!” a beautiful winged mermaid materialized on the field. Her blue scales shone like the surface of the ocean, her bright green feathered wings like a meadow on a sunny afternoon (2200/1000). “My Sirenorca can increase the levels of all my monsters! I choose level five!” she overlayed her two winged beasts monsters. “I build an overlay network! XYZ summon!” her monsters were enveloped by a blizzard, leaving only a large ice cristal which shattered to reveal a winged humanoid creature. Its lithe body was covered with plates shaped like crystals and it held a golden scythe with both hands (2500/2100). “My sub-zero bird! Ice Princess Zereort!”

Tirek snorted. “You’re still short on attack points.”

“I can fix that,” said Fluttershy with a rare smug smile. “By detaching an xyz unit my Ice Princess can lower the attack of one of your monsters to zero! FREEZING ARM!” her monster daintly pointer a finger towards the Skull Flame and a circle of ice materialized around it (0-2000). “This ends now! FREEZING COFFIN!” the Ice Princess raised its scythe and stroke the Skull Flame right on the chest, instantly freezing and shattering it into a million bits. The shockwave was such that it pushed Tirek backwards; he tried to resist, but his body stiffened and soon he followed the same end as his monster (2500-0).

Fluttershy exhaled as she saw the towering miasma disappearing and the monument stopped glowing. She dropped on her haunches and was immediately swarmed by a bunch of small critters. “There, there,” she said as they nuzzled her; Angel Bunny firmly hugged her neck.

“Fluttershy!”

The cutie mark crusaders came up to her side.

“That was awesome!” said Scootaloo.

“You totally bucked that guy!” added Applebloom.

“Are you okay?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Fluttershy smiled. “Yes I am,” she looked at her arms and wings, there wasn’t a single burn mark or even a scratch. “Did I dream that?” she thought. “Girls, I think we should--” she looked up and saw a tower of miasma coming right from the direction of Ponyville. “Go see Twilight.”