Equestria: Magic Monsters

"Twilight! I'm going out!" Spike called out, about to head out the door.

"Where are you going?" Twilight called from the kitchen.

"I have some work to do!"

"Okay, be back before dark!"

"Will do!" Spike left after that.

He was now on his way to the CMC clubhouse. He saw some ponies dueling, some eating, and others doing work.

He kept an eye on the dueling. He never did want to duel... again. But he wanted to at the same time. He didn't care, but he wanted to duel again at least once. He knew he could compete. He was a great duelist, one far above others.

He let Twilight go to fight Nightmare Moon, he watched Shining Armor's duel with Chrysalis, he stood beside Cadence as she dueled Sombra, and he simply didn't let Tirek take his cards when he came. He would have jumped in if they failed. He would have done something, even if he wasn't sure he would win. But they always succeeded somehow without his assistance.

Spike was now entering the Apple's orchard. A couple minutes later and he was staring at the CMC's clubhouse.

Inside

"I can't wait 'till Spike gets here. I'm going to show him my new moves." Scootaloo was clearly excited.

"Did ya both study your decks?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Heck yeah, I did! I found some pretty sick stuff in my deck that I didn't even know of."

"Sweetie Belle? Did you?"

Sweetie Belle nodded happily.

Just then, the door slammed open, revealing the dragon that was now their teacher.

"Spike!"

"Hey, girls. Did you do what I asked last night?" He asked as he walked towards them.

The three nodded.

"Good." Spike thought for a moment. "Okay, first I need you to duel so I can see where you're at in skill."

"Alright! Let's go Apple Bloom." Scootaloo said as she started to strap on her Duel Saddle.

"Alrigh-"

"No, stay here inside. We don't need to get a big field or anything. Just use the floor without your Duel Saddles."

"Oh... alright."

Spike walked up to Sweetie Belle who was watching from across the room. "Do you want to duel Sweetie?" He asked.

Sweetie shook her head for a "no" and Spike just plumped down beside her to watch the duel.

As Apple Bloom and Scootaloo dueled, Spike asked, "So Sweetie? Why don't you want to duel?"

"I don't really like to duel in front of others."

"Same here, but could I ask you why?"

"Because the last time I did, I messed up, and Diamond Tiara laughed at me..."

"Oh... D-don't worry, very soon you'll be a top notch duelist. Just you wait."

Sweetie slightly smiled. "So why don't you duel in public?" She eventually asked.

Spike scratched his head. "I actually never dueled in a long time. I only dueled once actually."

Sweetie looked shocked at that.

"It's alright, though. I don't mind watching others duel."

Spike and Sweetie sat through and watched the duel. Spike gave pointers for both sides equally, and he thought the two were doing great so far.

Also, Sweetie gave Spike her deck so he could look at it.

Spike thought it was a great deck, and told her she had some potential if she practiced.

Once the duel was done when Apple Bloom couldn't draw a card from her deck, Spike got up and walked up to congratulate them.

"That was great you two!"

"Did we do good Spike?" Apple Bloom asked.

"I know I did good. I won the duel." Scootaloo said proudly.

"Now Scootaloo, you only won because Apple Bloom couldn't draw a card from her deck. And while that's a strategy in dueling that wasn't how you intended to win."

"Yeah, but I still won," Scootaloo whined when crossing her forelegs.

"You both still had 4000 life points." Sweetie deadpanned. "That was basically Apple Bloom playing alone drawing cards until she couldn't draw anymore."

"Well..." Scootaloo gave up and sighed.

"Okay," Spike started off. "Scootaloo, I noticed how you didn't hold your cards properly in your hooves. And while you have the card holder on your Duel Saddle, it's still a bad habit when you draw. Apple Bloom could have literally read the words on your cards."

Apple Bloom started to laugh wildly, which made Scootaloo glare at her.

"Apple Bloom, don't think I didn't see you set your cards face-up instead of face-down accidentally at times," Spike said sternly.

Apple Bloom stopped laughing immediately.

Sweetie Belle giggled at the performance.

"You two are friends and don't want to cheat," Spike started again. "But if you're playing with other ponies out there and participate in tournaments, I don't think that they'll be all nice and stuff."

Apple Bloom sighed. "We know but-"

"It's okay, I'm not mad. You just need to practice some more." He said.

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded.

"Hey, say what? How about we go to Sugarcube Corner to have lunch. My treat."

The two fillies perked up at that.

"Really?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Let's go!" Scootaloo yelled before dashing off.

"Right behind you!" Apple Bloom yelled after taking off.

Spike was about to leave but saw Sweetie back where the other two were dueling.

"Coming, Sweetie Belle?"

"Yeah! Scootaloo just forgot her card... again." She picked up the card and gave it to Spike.

After Sweetie headed off, Spike inspected the card before going after her.

His eyes widened. "T-this card. But... how come Scootaloo never used this. Wait... she never had the correct conditions to summon this yet." He slapped himself in the head. "Of course, she wouldn't want to tell anypony. She's afraid that they'll make fun of her because she can't summon this monster." He smirked. "Well, time to fix that." Spike chased after the others.

After a couple of minutes of walking together, Spike and the CMC encountered Applejack pulling a cart full of hay.

"Hey you three. Howdy Spike!" Applejack greeted. "How y'all doing?"

"We're good!" All of them said in sync.

"Where are y'all goin'?"

"We're going to Sugarcube Corner and Spike's payin'!" Apple Bloom said happily.

Applejack gave Spike a knowing look. "Slick moves there Spike."

Spike blushed. But then that thought struck him. This was Applejack. Applejack! Not only was she the last one he expected to say something like that, but that the "sister protection" wasn't active in Applejack's system right now. He was positive that if Applejack even suspected that he was going for her little sister she would go in for the kill. Well... maybe not considering she's not doing it right now.

"I-I'm just... giving them a treat," Spike said while scuffing his left foot on the ground.

Applejack just chuckled. "I'm just kiddin'. Have fun you four, and don't be makin' trouble!" She carried on with the cart in tow.

"Come on, I'm hungry!" Scootaloo said before hurrying off.

"I'm coming!" Apple Bloom yelled out.

"Come on Spike." Sweetie pulled on Spike's arm. "I'm hungry too."

After reaching Sugarcube Corner and eating, the four could be seen exiting the sugary building.

"That was great as always. Thanks, Spike!" Scootaloo said.

Spike chuckled. "I saw that you two did your 'homework', and you did well on your duel, so I had to." He shrugged.

Just then, a pegasus with a rainbow mane flew in. "Hiya Scoots!" She ruffled with her mane. "Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, ...Spike?" She raised a brow.

"What? Is it weird me being with ponies other than you six?"

She chuckled. "Yeah. So, what are you doing with these three anyways?" She asked.

"Spike was trai-"

"Treating them to a snack at Sugarcube Corner. I have to be a gentledrake like Rarity always says." He said nervously.

"Oh." She didn't notice the nervousness well shown on Spike. "Well, I stopped by to get something to eat too. I'm going to take a long nap after this." And she left the four after that sentence.

"Why didn't you just let me tell her that you're training us Spike?" Scootaloo asked.

The other two were going to ask the same thing.

Spike sighed. "It's a long story." He didn't want to talk down Scootaloo's idle. "How about we go to the... park! Yeah! Let's go to the park." Spike scurried off to what was known as the school park.

The three exchanged confused looks but shrugged it off and followed their teacher.

They were soon at the park. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo lead the charged as always, and Spike stood with Sweetie behind them.

"Wow, there's a lot of kids here."

Apple Bloom was correct. The massive park that was renovated with the help of Diamond Tiara was filled with many colts and fillies. Some pegasi were flying above the park, others on the massive slides, and others play fighting on the bridges.

"Hey, girls!" The four looked over to see a smirking Diamond Tiara looking at them.

"Hey, Diamond Tiara!" Apple Bloom and Scootaloo greeted in unison.

Their relationship as classmates has grown better in the last month. They helped Diamond discover her true self after she lost to Pipsqueak in a duel making him school president. They didn't even have to duel her to get her on better terms.

Although, it didn't make their rivalry go away, not just yet.

"So? You three are going to play in the tournament?" Diamond asked.

"Sweetie Belle isn't. But we are."

"That's too bad. I was hoping to see Sweetie duel. But anyhow. You've gotten better?"

"We're... working on it. But we'll be some tough competition, don't you worry." Scootaloo said.

"I've gotten better too. A lot better if you know what I mean."

"Are you saying you can beat me? I can beat you any day of the week. Even Mondays, blech!"

"Then you want to settle this, right here, right now?"

Spike and Sweetie noticed that a crowd of foals surrounded the two. This was getting intense.

"Why not?" *Yawn* "I'll even beat you when I'm tired." Scootaloo clearly faked that yawn.

"I can beat you without looking at my hoof."

"I can beat you without looking at all."

"I can win with my eyes closed."

"That's the same thing, and I can beat you in my sleep."

"Well, I can-"

"Okay, duel already! This is getting boring." A colt in the crowd said.

Scootaloo and Diamond Tiara stared at each other intensely. Soon after the two could be seen a good distance apart beside the huge park, Duel Saddles ready. A crowd sat at the park, the only ones not being was Silver Spoon who stood behind her friend and Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Spike who stood opposite from the park.

Spike remembered something. "Scootaloo, wait!"

"Huh?" Scootaloo looked at Spike. "Yeah."

"You forgot something." Spike grabbed her card with his two fingers and threw it at Scootaloo.

The card cut through the air easily and Scootaloo caught it with her hooves. Once she took a look at the card she silently gasped and looked at Spike. "T-this is-"

Spike just merely nodded.

"B-but... this is in my Side Deck," She explained.

"Use it Scootaloo. And win!" Spike shouted.

"But..." Scootaloo stared at her card.

"I believe in you," Spike said softly but loud enough for her to hear. He smiled at her.

Scootaloo slightly smiled back and put the card in her deck which shuffled right after. "Thanks, it... it means a lot." She grew a face of determination and stared directly into her opponents eyes.

A gray pegasus colt known as Rumble walked between them though they were still far apart. He held out a bit so every pony and dragon could see clearly. "Since neither of you actually challenged the other, wings mean it's Scootaloo's turn first and horn means it's Diamonds."

And with that, he tossed the bit he was holding up in the air.

Everything that goes up must come down, and that bit was no different. It landed with a 'clink' sound and the dirt ground made it so that it wouldn't bounce again in the air. It did make some dirt fly which made Rumble cough and shield his eyes. Once he composed himself he looked at the bit.

"It's..."

Everypony listened closely.

"Wings! So it's Scootaloo's turn first."

"Aw, come on! Flip it again!" Diamond shouted.

Rumble just shrugged and flew away.

"Why you!" She gave up and sighed. "Oh well, I can win anyways."

The two drew their five cards and a rainbow sphere generated next to them.

"Duel!"

*Scootaloo LP: 4000*

Diamond Tiara LP: 4000

"It's my turn!" Scootaloo drew and placed the card on her card holder. She then looked at her cards. "I can do this, I can do this... even when my teacher is watching." She exhaled deeply. "Alright, I summon 'Scooter Mechanic'."

An old gray being appeared with dirty robes and a wrench in his left hand. He had buck teeth and his eyes stayed closed.

Scooter Mechanic ATK: 1300 LVL: 3

"I set one card facedown and end my turn."

C:4

Diamond Tiara smirked. "It's my turn!" She drew her card.

"I activate my Spell card, 'Maid's Assistance'!"

A big green spell card rose on the field, showing its front to Scootaloo. The card's picture had a little girl at the front with an apron on surrounded by furniture.

"This card destroys one set card on the field if I discard 1 fairy-type monster from my hoof to the cemetery." She took one card from her card holder and slipped into a compartment in her Duel Saddle.

The girl in the photo of her spell card came out of the spell card and flew over to Scootaloo's set card. She grabbed the card and carried it to Diamond Tiara who read the text.

"Hmph! Stops one attack and destroys one monster on both our fields? Throw it in the trash." She shooed off the maid who threw the card in a trash can that appeared.

Diamond Tiara smirked that made Scootaloo frown."Next, I summon 'Beautiful Angel'!"

A white-skinned humanoid monster appeared out of the blue circle above Diamond Tiara. The angel had two white wings and strips of white clothing. She had a golden bow in her right arm.

Beautiful Angel ATK: 700 LVL: 3

"She's pretty smart for just a filly." Spike thought. He crossed his arms. "Apple Bloom."

"Huh?" Apple Bloom looked back at Spike.

"Your friend there, Diamond Tiara. Did you see what she did?" He asked.

"Yeah, she stopped Scootaloo from using her trap card."

"Right. But that's not all." He took a look at Diamond Tiara. "She destroyed it because she knew that it would become an obstacle in the future for her. It's good to make your opponent defenseless for the future. Scootaloo could have had that card for future turns but Tiara stopped her from doing so."

Apple Bloom nodded.

"Watch this duel and learn from it," Spike instructed.

"I set a card face-down and end my turn." Diamond declared.

C: 2

"My turn!" Scootaloo drew. "Sure she destroyed my trap card, but she just summoned a monster in attack mode with fewer attack points than my monster. Wow, she's worse than I am." Scootaloo thought. "If I summon another monster I'll be able to do more damage!" She grew excited at the thought, thinking of a screaming Diamond Tiara being thrown back by battle damage.

"I summon 'Scooter Gunner'!"

A figure on four legs rode a scooter. It had a gray skin with a black cloak on and two red eyes appearing from underneath its hood. It also wore a face mask which blocked its mouth and nose.

Scooter Gunner ATK: 1600 LVL: 4

"Scooter Gunner effect activates! When it battles a monster, it gains 400 attack points!"

Scooter Gunner ATK: 1600 ⇨ 2000

"Go! 'Scooter Gunner', attack 'Beautiful Angel'!"

Her monster rushed at Diamond's with its scooter.

Apple Bloom beamed. "She's gonna do it!"

Spike frowned. "No. Diamond knew this would happen."

"I activate my Permanent Trap, 'Security Controls'!"

The trap's picture was glowing buttons of various colors on a panel.

"If a monster attacks my monster, this trap stops your monster's attack and as long as the targeted monster stays on the field none of your monsters can attack."

"What?!" Scootaloo shouted.

Chains appeared out of the trap card and grabbed Scooter Gunner, making it unable to move.

"Now Scootaloo can't attack as long as her 'Scooter Gunner' stays on the field," Spike stated.

Apple Bloom gasped. "Oh no!"

Diamond chuckled. "What are you going to do now, Scootaloo?"

Scootaloo ears dropped. "I end my turn!"

C: 4

"It's my turn!" She drew. "I summon another 'Beautiful Angel'!"

Another angel with two white wings and strips of white clothing holding a golden bow appeared.

Beautiful Angel ATK: 700 LVL: 3

"On the turn it is summoned it can't attack, but I still have my other 'Beautiful Angel' I summoned last turn to attack you with."

"But my monsters have more attack points!" Scootaloo shouted.

Diamond shook her head. "'Beautiful Angel' can attack directly."

Scootaloo gasped.

"So that's her strategy." Spike started to think. "By attacking directly, she can avoid attacking and destroying 'Scooter Gunner' which is also keeping Scootaloo unable to attack herself. That's an effective strategy, but..." He looked at Scootaloo. "There's also one flaw only Scootaloo can use. Scootaloo, will you find out that flaw?"

"'Beautiful Angel', attack Scootaloo directly!"

The angel pulled a gold arrow back on her golden bow and fired right after the string on the bow couldn't be pulled back anymore. The bow hit Scootaloo in the chest then disappeared, making her sting a bit.

Scootaloo LP: 3300 ⇦ 4000

Diamond smiled to herself. "I end my turn."

Scootaloo called her turn and drew.

"Okay, Scootaloo, think! I can't attack with my monster on the field, so I need to destroy that trap card." She looked at her hoof. "I don't... have any cards to do that. And even if I use defense mode that Sweetie Belle taught me she'll just attack me head on." She gulped. "I-I need to do something, but... I just can't. None of the cards in my hoof can help me. Am I always going to be bad at dueling? Will I ever... catch up to Rainbow Dash."

"I... end my turn," Scootaloo said softly.

Diamond smirked. "Then it's my turn!" She drew.

"Scootaloo didn't do anything that turn!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.

Spike and Sweetie Belle stayed silent.

"I activate the spell card, 'Butler's Offerings'!"

The spell card had a picture of a man in a black suit with a dish tray in his right hand.

"This card lets me draw between 1 to 3 cards." She drew three because of her greediness of course. "And I have to be a good host so you draw two cards."

Scootaloo drew two cards, one a trap, and one a monster. "Nothing."

Diamond laughed. "I attack with both of my 'Beautiful Angels' directly!"

Both of her angels flew in the air and fired their arrows at Scootaloo. This time, Scootaloo was slightly skidding backward on the impact of the arrows.

Scootaloo LP: 1900 ⇦ 2600 ⇦ 3300

"Hmph! I end my turn." She held her nose up high.

Scootaloo rubbed her chest. "I took 1400 points of damage. If she summons another one of those angels next turn, I'm finished!" She looked at her hoof. "I have to draw a good card. If I don't, I'll lose."

She put her hoof on her deck. "My turn!" She drew.

The crowd of ponies and dragon stood quiet, as Scootaloo didn't look at her card yet. They waited for her to make a move.

Scootaloo slowly revealed the card to herself, and when she saw what she drew, she gasped.

"Hm?" Spike stared at Scootaloo. "The glint in her eyes... She must've drawn that card."

Scootaloo looked at the card, then at Spike, who just nodded his head.

"If she can summon that card, then she'll win the duel."

Scootaloo looked at the card with widened eyes. "I can't summon this car-" Then she remembered something.

"Use it Scootaloo. And win! I believe in you." Spike shouted.

She grew a determined face and called out, "I set two cards face-down, and I summon 'Scooter Designer'!"

An old hunchback scientist with a white jacket, gray beard, and goggles rose to the field. It cackled loudly.

Scooter Designer ATK: 1200 LVL: 2

"You can't attack so why bother summoning any monsters?" Diamond Tiara said.

"I end my turn!" Scootaloo shouted, ignoring Diamond Tiara.

"Fine then, it's my turn." She drew and called out, "Go, 'Beautiful Angels'! Attack Scootaloo directly!"

The arrows hit and this time, Scootaloo was thrown back screaming while Diamond smirked.

Scootaloo LP: 500 ⇦ 1200 ⇦ 1900

Diamond Tiara laughed. "This duel... is over."