With Eyes of Blue

Rainbow Dash loved attention. Thank you for that stunning revelation, Captain Obvious. What’s next? Twilight loves to read? Outrageous! Quit the sarcasm and hear me out, okay? It’s one thing to stand before a cheering crowd; it’s a completely different thing to have that same crowd boo and insult you at the top of their lungs. I never imagined I would see her enjoying the latter; but there she was, a victorious smile across her face, and waving her hands as if telling the spectators to go ahead and yell some more.

The announcer stepped into the cage and tried to calm down the audience while a couple of the burly guys in black dragged Black Flare Smith outside. I commented. “It seems he was hit pretty hard.” Twilight explained. “Duel Disks have a function to regulate the damage inflicted by the holographic projections. At the minimum you won’t feel anything, but at maximum…” She gestured towards the cage. “It’s not a “Game of Darkness”, but it packs a punch.” I nodded.

Those guys we saw dueling when we came here first must’ve had their disks set to maximum damage input too. Rainbow Dash probably adjusted hers after seeing them. I looked at Twilight and suggested we follow her example. She said. “We already did.” I blinked in surprise. “Oh? Mine then?” Twilight glanced at my Duel Disk, her eyes glowing in the faintest purple for a second. “The seal in this place is not strong enough to block me completely.” She declared. “Done.” I quirked an eyebrow. “That’s it?” She nodded. “Your Duel Disk is special. I can adjust the damage output remotely.” I thought for a moment, and then punched my palm in realization. “Oh! You gave me it in case I turned out to be untrustworthy, right?” I smiled approvingly. “That was quite clever.”

Much to my surprise, Twilight cringed. “I…didn’t mean to deceive you, Joe.” I shrugged. “I know you didn’t.” She shook her head. “No, you listen to me.” Her pleading tone caught me by surprise. I decided to keep quiet. Twilight looked down. “I’m sure you have noticed the extent of my magic, right?” She admitted shamefully. “Back then, I could have used my full power to free Ponyville, but I didn’t…I couldn’t bring myself to risk hurting others.” I gulped. “That’s why I sought help from the Earth and, after you agreed, I came with the whole plan on the spot.” She elaborated. “Spike and I would be “captured” to distract Applejack, make her lower her guard and ensure she wouldn’t send the townsfolk against us, then you would challenge her and the shock from the Duel Disk would bring her back to her senses…” I nodded slowly. So that was the whole plan, huh?

Twilight kept looking at the ground with apprehension. I sighed. “Didn’t we already have this talk?” Twilight looked at me. I said casually. “I wasn’t angry then, I’m not angry now; if that’s what you’re thinking.” She asked meekly. “Not even a little?” I laughed. “Nope. In fact, now that I know you held back and took such a gamble for the sake of everybody in Ponyville, I think I trust you more.” Twilight’s eyes widened. She said. “T-Thanks…” I shook my head. “It’s nothing. Plus, that certainly explains why the attack of my Blue-Eyes was so powerful.” Twilight looked away with a thoughtful frown on her face. She muttered. “Yes.” Huh? Did I say something wrong?

The sudden uproar from the crowd got our attention. We looked at the cage, where a young man with small, shifty eyes had taken Black Flare Smith’s place. He too, was dressed fully in black, with red stripes like those of a tiger all over his clothing. His hair was quite long and stylized into four thick locks going downwards, two at the back of his head and the other two at the sides. The announcer introduced him with great fanfare. “The Duelist without mercy! They call him “Death’s Ambassador”! He is…Dark Reaper!” The crowd cheered loudly. Rainbow Dash didn’t seem impressed.

Spike commented. “I wonder if he’s better than the other guy.” Rarity’s nose wrinkled. “Hopefully his dueling skills won’t be inversely proportional to his fashion sense.” Applejack yelled. “You kick his ass, Rainbow!” Rainbow Dash pushed a button on her Duel Disk and her deck was re-shuffled automatically. Both players stood at the ready with their life points displaying at 4000 each. The announcer declared loudly. “It’s time to duel!”

Dark Reaper pointed with his finger and declared. “I WILL DESTROY YOUR VERY SOUL!” Ow. I think I just cut myself from all that edge. He drew six cards, summoned Axe Dragonute and activated Ectoplasmer. He gleefully declared the end of his turn. Axe Dragonute let out a howl, its body crumbling like a rag doll as its soul emerged, circling around Dark Reaper a couple of times before launching itself forward at Rainbow Dash, who crossed both arms in front of her, but still got pushed back a few feet. Her life points lowered to 3000.

Spike cringed at the sight of Axe Dragonute’s empty husk disappearing like smoke. “That was just cruel.” Rarity comfortingly patted him in the back.

Rainbow Dash drew six cards and eyed the Ectoplasmer card warily. She played a monster face-down and declared. “Done!”

Dark Reaper drew a card, played a monster face-down and set a card. “Turn end.”

Rainbow Dash drew a card, set two and finished her turn.

Rarity commented. “She’s being especially careful.” Twilight explained. “Ectoplasmer forces both players to sacrifice a face-up monster at the end of each of their respective turns.” Rarity nodded. Twilight added. “Unless she’s got a way to destroy it, the best she can do now is wait for the right moment to launch a counterattack.”

Dark Reaper drew a card and grinned. He flip summoned Stealth Bird, dealing 1000 points to damage to Rainbow Dash, and then snapped his fingers to make the large bird of prey, with feathers like the azure sky, fold its wings and turn face-down once again. Dark Reaper continued by summoning Killer Doll of Malice. The devilish puppet appeared on the field with a loud cackle. He activated Nightmare's Steelcage and finished his turn. A wicked spirit burst from the mouth of the Killer Doll of Malice, swiftly attacking Rainbow Dash and putting her life points on 1200.

The announcer yelled enthusiastically. “That’s Dark Reaper to you! All those who oppose him shall meet their doom!” Rarity bit her lower lip. “Let’s just hope the right moment comes soon.”

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Draw!” She looked at her newest card, smiled in approval and declared loudly. “Final turn!” She flip summoned Featherman and played Fusion to combine him with Wildman on her hand. “Elemental HERO Wild Wingman!” The newest hero materialized with a gale that forced several people in the crowd, including us, to cover their eyes. “Wing Impulse!” Rainbow Dash discarded two cards and Wild Wingman vanished Ectoplasmer and Nightmare Steelcage with a single flap of his wings. Dark Reaper flinched, causing Rainbow Dash to smirk and say. “You have seen nothing yet!” She activated the effect of the discarded Necrodarkman in her graveyard to summon Edgeman without a sacrifice. “Power Edge Attack!” I watched with amusement as the crowd grew silent, leaving only us cheering. Edgeman sliced through the face-down Stealth Bird, inflicting 900 points of damage, while Wild Wingman delivered a powerful backhand slap to Dark Reaper’s face, making him fall on his ass and getting his life points down to 1200.

Spike exclaimed. “She’s trouncing him!”

Rainbow Dash pointed to one of her face-down cards. “Fusion Cancel!” Wild Wingman split back into Featherman and Wildman, both ready to attack.

Applejack chuckled. “At this rate she’s gonna take them all out by herself.”

Suddenly, Dark Reaper smirked, much to our shock and surprise. “Got you!” He activated his set card, Just Desserts, and exclaimed. “DIE AND GO TO TARTARUS!” Rainbow Dash did not even had time to react before the trap inflicted her with 1500 points of damage, snatching the victory from her hands.

The crowd roared as the announced declared. “What incredible comeback!” Dark Reaper stood up slowly, took a deep breath and composed himself. He taunted. “That’s what you get for opposing The Reaper.” The announcer pumped his fist. “The winner is Dark Reaper!” Rainbow Dash kicked the cage in frustration. “Shit!” She returned to the challenger’s bench. A few people among the crowd, not content with just cheering for the winner, laughed and jeered at her. She stood before us, let out a sigh and apologized.

Applejack shook her head. “Don’t say that, sugarcube. You beat one and gave the other a run for his money.” Rarity added. “You showed them we are not to be trifled with.” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Most importantly, we already have a good idea of what kind of deck he plays. He won’t take us by surprise.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “Thanks.” She sat with a heavy sigh and muttered. “My other set card was Instantaneous Fusion, you know.”

I nodded impressed. Spike counted with his fingers and exclaimed. “That makes five attacks on the same Battle Phase! The guy just had a stroke of luck!” Rainbow Dash lowered her head and muttered. “Uh-huh.” Oh, come on now. I reached and grasped her hand. “Cheer up a bit, okay? Remember you are not alone in this mess.” She looked at me, quirked an eyebrow and said drily. “If you’re going to use my loss as an excuse to hold my hand, at least try to pick up better lines.” I blinked in surprise, quickly let go of her hand and apologized.

Rainbow Dash smiled mischievously. She laughed. “Just kidding! Do you really think I’m that much of a sore loser? Besides.” She winked. “You can hold my hand anytime you want, Joe.” I closed my eyes. The giggles of Twilight, Rarity and Applejack, plus Spike’s snickers, told me everything I needed to know about the color my face had taken. I looked at Rainbow Dash. “That was for the nickname thing, wasn’t it?” She nodded. “Yup!” I chuckled. Figures. Oh, and before you ask, her hand was soft and delicate, much to my surprise.

Applejack clapped her hands together. “Alright! Who’s next?” Twilight tilted her head towards the cage. “That’s still for them to decide.” The announcer picked up a new piece of paper. “The next challenger is…Thunder Thighs!” Once again, I found myself as the center of the girls’, and Spike, attention. I pointed at Applejack with an innocent smile. Rainbow Dash laughed. Applejack grinned, stood up and playfully slapped me with her hat before making her way into the cage.

The old man from before approached the announcer and whispered something into his ear. The announcer’s eyes widened and he said cheerfully. “My friends! It’s time to take this challenge to the next level!” The crowd exploded in a chorus of cheers and whistles. We looked around bewildered. What the hell was with these people? One of the burly dudes in black entered the cage, approaching Applejack and carrying a pair of black, thick metal collars. She eyed them warily. “What the hay are those things?” The man answered. “I need to put these around your legs.” Applejack quirked an eyebrow. “Yer kiddin’ me, right?” The man shook his head. “You need to do this if you want to play.” Applejack glanced at Dark Reaper, who had a cocky smile across his face. She grumbled. “Fine.”

Rarity asked. “Twilight, what are those things?” Twilight shook her head. “I don’t know.” She squinted. “They look like some kind of rudimentary magical devices.” I gritted my teeth. Wasn’t there an episode of GX that involved shock collars being used for duels? What if those things are the same? I asked. “Could they be dangerous?” Twilight bit her lower lip hesitantly. “It’s really hard to tell from here.”  Rarity asked tentatively. “Shouldn’t we cancel the whole ordeal? Just in case?” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I’m not leaving here without Fluttershy.” Before Rarity could protest, Rainbow Dash looked at her with a confident smile. “Hey, let’s trust Applejack on this one, okay?” Rarity curled her lower lip and nodded.

The announcer explained. “What you’ve got there, Miss Thunder Thighs.” He pointed at the collars, firmly grasped around Applejack’s legs, over the tibia. “It’s one of the many nifty toys we use to make things more interesting around here!” He added with a grin. “But don’t worry! You will find out what does it do soon enough!” Applejack flared her nose. The announcer declared the start of the duel and both players’ life points appeared briefly at 4000 each.

Dark Reaper went first. He drew his initial hand of six cards and quickly summoned Giant Virus in attack position. "Turn end!"

“Mah’ turn!” Applejack energetically drew six cards from her deck. She summoned Amazoness Trainee, followed by playing Amazoness Village. The whole area inside the cage changed into a dense jungle and the attack points of the Amazoness Trainee went up by 200. “Chain Catch!” The Trainee swung her chain with great dexterity and entangled Dark Reaper’s monster, slamming it against the ground and dissolving it into dust. He gritted his teeth in annoyance and placed the monster card in the bottom of his deck. His life points went down to 3300.

Twilight commented. “When the Trainee destroys a monster in battle she sends it back to the deck, not the graveyard.” Spike added. “That means the Giant Virus effect is useless!” Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity. “See? I told you Applejack could handle it.” Rarity smiled and nodded. I frowned. They didn’t notice, but the bespectacled man from before was watching the duel. He stood on the opposite side of the cage, behind the rows of benches and flanked by two of his burly dudes in black. I bit my lower lip thoughtfully. That cold detached look. I’ve definitely seen this guy before.

The attack points of Amazoness Trainee went up by another 200. Applejack set a card and finished her turn.

“Draw!” Dark Reaper summoned Giant Orc. The tall, ripped orc appeared swinging its bone club menacingly. He commanded. “Crush her!” Applejack smirked and activated her set card. “Chain-Attached Boomerang!” The weapon in the hands of the Amazoness Trainee transformed, increasing her attack points by 500. “Time to lasso it up!” The amazon launched the boomerang and the chain tied itself around the neck of the Giant Orc. The orc tried to resist, but the Amazoness Trainee deftly held her ground and forced it to kneel. Dark Reaper grumbled and set a card. “Turn end!”

Applejack drew. “Amazoness Pet Tiger!” The beast materialized with a loud roar, its attack points going up to 2100. The Amazoness Trainee gently petted it on the head. “Take it down!” The Amazoness Trainee jumped and delivered a swift axe kick to the Giant Orc’s head. Its eyes went blank and it fell on its face, disappearing. Dark Reaper sent the Giant Orc card back to the bottom of his deck. Applejack followed with the attack of her Amazoness Pet Tiger. It jumped and slashed Dark Reaper across the chest, taking his life points down to 1900. She declared. “I’m done here!”

We watched the duel attentively. The attack points of the Amazoness Trainee had gone up to 2600 after destroying the Giant Orc, and with the Amazoness Village in play, Applejack had quickly taken the lead. Still, something seemed amiss. Dark Reaper played very defensively on the previous game, but now he was the complete opposite. Rainbow Dash crossed both arms over her chest. “Damn it, I can’t believe I lost to that guy!”

Dark Reaper took a couple of breaths to recover. “My turn! Draw!” He quickly played his newest card. “Pot of Greed!” He drew two cards and smiled triumphantly. “Nightmare Steelcage!” The large, rounded cage appeared above Applejack and her monsters. “Now…” Dark Reaper set a second card, activated Ectoplasmer and summoned Killer Doll of Malice. Applejack shook her head. “You really are a one trick pony, aren’t you?” Dark Reaper grinned widely. “You’re about to experience the true terror of this combo!” He pointed with his finger. “Turn end!” The wicked spirit emerged from inside the doll and lunged at Applejack like a wild animal. She stiffened and shrugged the damage, much to our awe. Applejack opened her mouth and was about to say something when, suddenly, she let out a cry of pain. Her legs wobbled. “W-What the…” She yelled. “These things are squeezin’ mah’ legs!”

Dark Reaper exclaimed. “Bingo! Every time you take damage, those collars will tighten their grip, until…” He lifted a hand and clenched it, making a squeezing sound with his mouth. The audience cheered. My jaw fell. What the hell? Spike’s eyes widened in shock. Rarity gasped. Twilight and Rainbow Dash immediately stood up to protest. The announcer raised both hands placatingly. “Easy there, girls! Nobody’s forcing her to play, alright?” He turned to Applejack. “As a challenger, she’s free to give up and leave anytime she wants.”

I growled. “Son of a bitch! Now I get it!” Spike asked. “What do you mean?” I explained. “The Giant Virus in attack position and then the Giant Orc; he wanted to damage her life points as soon as possible. I bet he wants to intimidate her and make her lose her concentration.” Spike exclaimed. “What a cheap move!” Rarity cried. “We have to get her out of that cage!” Twilight bit her lip hesitantly. Rainbow Dash shouted. “Applejack!”

Applejack looked at us, tipped her hat and nodded. Rainbow Dash said cheerfully. “That’s what I’m talking about!” Applejack turned to glare at Dark Reaper. She declared firmly. “I ain’t done yet! Draw!” She looked at her newest card and smirked. “Cyclone!” The Nightmare Steelcage disappeared in the blink of an eye. Applejack summoned Amazoness Chain Master. The attack of the Pet Tiger increased to 2500. She decided to seize the opportunity. “Time to buck this tree down!”

Dark Reaper extended his hand. “Hold it!” He pointed at his two set cards. “I’ve got Magic Cylinder and Dimension Wall here.” He smiled smugly. “You know what they do, don’t you? Are you sure you want to attack?” A bluff? Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Really now.” She pointed her finger. “Amazoness Chain Master! Chain Strike!” The amazon twirled her chain and launched it straight at Dark Reaper. He laughed. “Dimension Wall! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” The space in front of him warped, creating a hole where the tip of the chain disappeared, emerging right behind Applejack and hitting her for the full 1700 points of damage. She stumbled forwards, gritting her teeth in pain as the collars around her legs squeezed harder. Dark Reaper smirked. “Wanna try again?”

Spike suggested. “I-It could still be a bluff…” Rainbow Dash growled. “Damnit! If she attacked now he would be toast!” Rarity shook her head rapidly. “But if he’s saying the truth, then Applejack will…” Twilight bit her thumb and kept watching without saying a word.

Applejack breathed heavily. She glanced between her monsters; Dark Reaper’s set card and the cards in her hands. With a sigh, she declared. “Ah’ end mah’ turn.” The soul of the Amazoness Chain master abandoned her body to strike Dark Reaper. He laughed. “Spell of a Pained Soul!” The attacking spirit swerved and turned to Applejack, the damage knocking her down on her ass and taking her life points down to 750. The crowd roared. The announcer joked. “And this is why they say the best lies have a bit of truth in them!”

Dark Reaper calmly drew a card. The Killer Doll returned to his side of the field. He asked, in the same tone a parent would use with a child. “Well? What’s going to be?” He tilted. “If you want to give up just go ahead and said so.” Somebody in the crowd yelled at Applejack to give up. Soon, more and more people joined until it seemed the whole crowd was chanting those words.

Applejack looked at her deck. She clenched her teeth and, after what felt like an eternity, let out a sigh of defeat. “Ah’ give up.” The cards on the field vanished as the crowd roared. Applejack yelled. “Somebody get these cornsarned things outta mah’ legs!” The same burly man from before took away the collars, allowing her to step out of the cage. The announcer declared. “That’s the second victory in a row for our Death’s Ambassador! Hope you have a nice walk home, Thunder Thighs!” Applejack walked back to us slowly, like a person whose legs had fell asleep, while ignoring the laughs from the crowd. She slumped on the bench, took a deep breath and yelled. “SHIT!” We flinched. Applejack said softly. “Sorry, everybody. Ah’ couldn’t get us a win.”

Rarity shook her head and said consolingly. “It’s not your fault, darling. Nobody expected them to use such underhanded tactics.” Rainbow Dash added. “Yeah, even I would have some trouble with those things on my legs!” Applejack massaged her legs. “Yeah.”

Spike exclaimed angrily. “They were practically cheating!” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “It’s a mind game.” She explained. “The pain from the devices breaks your concentration, makes your more susceptible to make misplays and fall for their bluffs. Not only that, but by giving the option of surrendering anytime, they avoid the “cornered animal” effect.” Spike nodded. I put my clenched fist over my mouth and looked at the cage, where the announcer was randomly picking another paper to decide who of us would play now. I thought about Applejack, the collars squeezing her legs and the crowd yelling at her to give up; she must have felt as if the whole world was against her. I gritted my teeth. Would I be able to hold my own when the time comes?

Applejack’s voice broke me off my thoughts. “Hey, Joe!” She grinned. “Ain’t you goin’ to hold my hand?” I smiled and said as casually as I could. “Well, I was thinking more about giving you a leg massage.” She laughed. Guess that’s one way to lift the mood. Just then, Spike pointed out. “The announcer guy is going to read a name!”

Sure enough, he lifted a finger and called loudly. “Lady Diamond!” Rarity smiled and stood up unprompted. Admittedly, it wasn’t a difficult guess. Spike asked worriedly. “A-Are you sure, Rarity? I could take your place, if you want!” She tenderly patted him in the head. “Thank you, Spikey-Wikey, but I can handle this.” We wished Rarity good luck and she made her way into the cage, drawing plenty of wolf-whistles in the process. Spike stood up on the bench and glared around, trying to look as intimidating as possible. Unfortunately, the people in the audience weren’t impressed with by a kid with fangs and slit pupils, so he ended up drawing just a few chuckles here and there. I smiled sympathetically. Spike sat down back with a huff.

Rarity took her place in the cage, activated her Duel Disk dramatically and declared. “I’m ready.”

The announcer nodded and motioned for one of the burly dudes to approach. Much to our surprise, however, the man had brought a different device. It was black metal harness with a contraption consisting of two masks aligned at the height of the user’s head. Rarity looked at the device with shock and repulsion. “W-What is that thing?” The announcer smirked. “Why, you didn’t think we would use the same toys all the time, did you?” The audience cheered. “This, Miss Lady Diamond, is our little Venus Flytrap.” He explained. “Every time you take damage, the device will close a bit, and once your life points reach zero…” He slapped his hands together, making Rarity flinch. “But don’t worry!” He assured cheerfully. “The nails on the inside are too short to cause fatal damage! And on the bright side, you’ll have a damn fine costume for Nightmare Night!” Several people in the audience laughed.

I glanced at my side. To say Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Spike were fuming would be an understatement. Even Twilight, who had proposed this approach in first place to avoid violence, looked ready to bash some heads. Me? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, but this was Rarity we were talking about. She was a tough cookie. Besides, I wanted to see what kind of cards and strategies she used.

The announcer quirked an eyebrow. “Well?” Rarity calmly held her hair aside, allowing the burly man to put the device around her neck. The announcer declared. “It’s time to d-d-duel!” Both players’ life points flashed above them at 4000 each.

Dark Reaper smiled sinisterly. “When I’m done with you, there won’t be enough makeup in the whole world to hide your face.” He drew his initial hand of six, summoning Killer Doll of Malice and activating Ectoplasmer, followed by Nightmare Steelcage. Rainbow Dash protested. “How many times is he going to play the same damn cards?” Dark Reaper snapped his fingers. “Turn end!” The effect of Ectoplasmer activated, sacrificing the killer doll to inflict 800 points of damage to Rarity. The contraption around her head closed slightly. Spike called her name worriedly, but Rarity showed no fear. Dark Reaper smirked. “Just remember to yell if you want to stop and get off!”

Rarity let out a loud “hmph”. She declared. “Your petty tricks will not work!” Dark Reaper snorted. “Really now? Petty tricks? Give me a break, Grandma!” Rarity’s left eye twitched slightly. I gulped. It was like the distant thunder signaling the coming of the storm. She drew her six cards swiftly and activated Angel's Charity, drawing three cards and discarding two. She examined her new hand carefully, set a single card and finished her turn.

Dark Reaper drew a card. The Killer Doll of Malice returned to the field. He played a monster face-down, set a card and finished his turn. “I am the Master of Death!” Rarity reeled backwards from the attack, her life points going down to 2400. We watched nervously as the contraption closed nearly to half around her head.

Rarity drew a card and said calmly. “You are nothing but a ruffian without the slightest taste in fashion.” She slid a card in her Duel Disk. "Harpie's Feather Duster!" Dark Reaper's backrow was wiped out in a gale of green feathers, much to his shock.

Spike pumped his fist. “Yes!” Applejack chuckled. “Look at that! She cleaned all his spells and traps!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Serves you right, Dork Reaper!”

Rarity snapped her fingers, revealing her set card. “Hysteric Party!” My eyes widened in surprise. A Harpie deck! She discarded a card and lifted her right hand, calling dramatically. “Come, Sisters of the Wind!” A fierce whirlwind whipped up around Rarity, enveloping the whole cage and making everybody around shield their faces. “Aello, Ocypete and Celaeno! My Harpie Ladies!” The wind subsided. We stared in awe at the three buxom, scantily-clad harpies surrounding Rarity. They had green feathery wings for arms and large talons with claws that looked like they could disembowel a horse with minimal effort. Yet these animalistic traits did little to diminish their beauty. Rarity crossed her arms daintily. The Harpy Lady #1 embraced her around the neck from the right, while the Harpy Lady #2 did the same around the waist from the left. Finally, the Harpy Lady #3 embraced Rarity’s legs from the right. You know, if it wasn’t from our circumstances, I’m pretty sure my mind would be going places right now.

I commented. “He’s still got a face-down monster.” Twilight assured me. “Don’t worry, Joe. Knowing Rarity, I bet she has the right card in her hand to deal with that.”

Sure enough, Rarity summoned Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon. The three harpies immediately surrounded the cute, little dragon with big round eyes, petting and cooing over it. Spike giggled at the scene. Rarity explained. “With three Harpies under my control, my Pet Baby Dragon gains the ability to destroy a card on your field.” Dark Reaper cringed. The Harpy Lady #1 pointed at his face-down monster and gave the baby dragon an encouraging pat on the back of the head. The Pet Baby Dragon took a deep breath and spit a fireball that incinerated the face-down monster. “Now dance for me, my harpies! A dance of victory!”

Dark Reaper raised both hands. “Wait, wait! I—uh—I’m sorry I called you grandma!” Rarity put a hand over her ear. She said with a raspy voice. “I’m afraid I can’t hear you, dear!”

It happened too fast. The three harpies lunged at the terrified Dark Reaper simultaneously, striking with their talons from all directions, shredding his clothing and slicing his hair locks cleanly. His life points went down to zero. The announcer looked at the passed out Dark Reaper and declared baffled. “The winner is Lady Diamond…”

The monsters vanished from the field and the contraption around Rarity’s neck went back to its initial position. She let out a small breath of relief and patted her hair tentatively. We cheered loudly over the groans and mutters of protest from the rest of the audience. Now the score was even and the real battle began.