Po-Gi-Oh: Spike vs Phoxjes
Time to duel
"Your majesty, you are clinging on to a falling hope." Phoxjes told the Alicorn, as she opened her eyes to his comment. "As much as I do not wish to dispute your beliefs, no matter what they may be, Friendship is simply the emotional bond that forces creatures to develop feelings for each other; it is not capable of helping or saving anything."
"WHAT?!" Twilight snarled, becoming enraged at what he just said.
"Simply caring about other beings rather than yourself will not guarantee survival forever. Only-"
"YO PHOXY!!" Xervint shouted from across the room. Phoxjes turned around to see him and the other four dragons sitting at a table, apparently playing some sort of card game.
The cards all appeared to be brown of one side each, with a spiral pattern. On the back of each card, was either a yellow, orange, green or pink outline spreading around most of the card, with a unique picture in the center of them.
"Po-Gi-Oh match here, we want you to play!" Xervint told him, holding up his cards to his face.
"Very well, I accept." Phoxjes answered him. Had it been any other day, he would have most likely declined, but because it was his stag party, an exception was made. "Thy shall pray for thou safety, child of magic." He told Twilight as he lifted his hat to her.
With that, he walked over to them, to which they warmly welcomed him as he sat down opposite of Spike.
"Hey buddy, where you at?" Xervint asked him.
"Congratulations, Sir." Phoxjes told him, as he extended his hoof. Xervint took his hoof and shook it.
"Thanks, man." They let go, and Phoxjes sat down again. "We brought your deck for you."
"You entered my quarters without permission?" Phoxjes queried the drakes.
"We did ask for permission. Just not yours." Auxron laughed in reply.
"You must acquire permission from anypony before entering their personal room. This is Kindergarten information."
"Absolutely, we respect that, but what isn't Kindergarten information is the fact that we have close connections to daddy and the leader of Babylon. We got permission from father, so if you want to complain, go see him." Expherient told the goth.
"I would never dare to raise my hoof to our superiors. However, even they would not grant you access to my quarters without a vitally significant reason."
"Yeah, we wanted to get your deck." Spike replied, getting a chuckle from his brothers. Phoxjes staring at him make him shut up.
"To be honest Phoxjes, none of us wanted to go in there anyway; there aren't any light switches and it still smells of dead bodies." Xervint said, getting his attention again.
"As I have mentioned before, the scent is what the goth faction and myself call "The Pheromone of Death." It lingers in my bed room, as a reminding of those whose lives I have ended, if it requires protecting Babylon."
"You mean "Death's Pheromone", don't ya? Would it kill ya to use an apostrophe?" Auxron asked.
"Aux, he's Amish, his way of language is different to ours." Expherient told him. "Anyway, you two better get started."
"Oh yeah, almost forgot about that." Spike said as he placed his deck of cards on the bottom right corner of the mat, before taking the first four cards off the top and placing them on the bottom left corner of it.
Xervint handed Phoxjes his deck, which he then did the same with six cards from the top, and placed them in the Extra Deck Zone.
After they were ready, they both took the first five cards from their decks, and placed them in their hands/hooves.
"Time to Duel!" they said in unison.
"Kick it off, bro." Spike said, offering Phoxjes the first move. He took a look at his hand, mulling over his options.
"I call forth Goth Knight." He said, taking the center card and placing it on the middle Monster Card Zone.
"It... It doesn't have any ATK or DEF..." Spike said in confusion.
"I set one card, and end my turn."
"Turn 2, Skixep's turn. Skixep: 8000. Phoxjes: 8000."
"Okay, suit yourself." Spike said to him as he drew a card from his deck. Looking over his own cards, a smile grew on his young face.
"I'll kick things off with this little card." He said as he played a Spell from his hand.
"Polymerization already? Not bad." Expherient said to him.
"I fuse my Lord Of D. with Divine Dragon Ragnarok, in order to summon King Dragun." Spike reached into his extra deck, and pulled out the card whose name matched the one he just referenced.
"A level 7 monster on your first turn. Clever, yet possible to backfire."
"That's not all, though. I now use his effect to special summon a dragon type monster from my hand, so now I also play Luster Dragon #2."
Spike got the card from his hand and placed it on the field, also in attack position.
"Two monsters with 2400 ATK each? He's our brother alright." Xervint said. Meanwhile, Xiaoshi, who was still sitting on her new fiancé's lap, simply looked in confusion at what was happening. She had no idea how to play this game, so anything that happened, she presumed to be made up as they game went along.
"Now what to do now? Attack, or wait?" Spike asked himself. "Well, I don't want to risk having that face down card set off..." He took a quick look at the card in Phoxjes's Spell/Trap Zone.
"Luckily, I still haven't normal summoned this turn, so I now play..." Spike placed another card on the field. "...Mirage Dragon in attack mode."
This was the one card that Phoxjes really didn't want him to use. He knew as well as he did that he couldn't activate any trap cards during the battle phase while that particular monster was on his side of the field.
"Now then, time to fight!"
"Uh, bro?" Auxron tried to say, in order to warn him.
"King Dragun, attack Goth Knight with Fire Scorch!" Spike commanded his monster. However, he looked puzzled when Phoxjes refused to move his card to the graveyard.
"My monster has an effect also. It cannot be destroyed when engaged in battle. However, the loss in Life Points remains mandatory." Phoxjes told the young Drake.
"Okay then, Luster Dragon #2, attack with Emerald Flame Attack." Spike commanded once again.
"Now Mirage Dragon, attack as well." Spike looked satisfied, knowing now that his Life Points were over 4X what Phoxjes's were.
"Cool, I play a card face down, and end-"
"Pardon, I must interrupt you." Phoxjes said to him, getting his attention.
"Huh?" Spike muttered.
"You've just made a big mistake, lil' bro." Xervint said, cringing at the thought of what comes next.
"Any monster that you force to attack my Goth Knight while in attack position is then recruited to my side of the field at the end of the Battle Phase, provided that any of my Monster Card Zones are open."
"...Oh." Spike said in realization.
"Therefore, the three monsters you possess are now on my field." Phoxjes said, as Spike then handed over his cards.
"This is kinda bad..."
"It is my turn now." Phoxjes drew the top card of his deck and added it to his hand.
"Turn 3: Phoxjes's turn. Skixep: 8000 Phoxjes: 1600."
"I call forth Demand Mad in attack position." Phoxjes said as he played another monster on his field.
"0 ATK and DEF again?"
"Correct. However, He requires none, as the three monsters bestowed onto me from you are now free to attack you directly."
With that, Spike had a look of worry on his face, especially with the thought that his trap card was unusable because of Mirage Dragon.
"Please say you're done?" Spike pleaded to the goth.
"I can not. I activate the spell card known as Goth Vlast." Phoxjes replied as he placed a card on to his field. "Now, for each monster I control that originally belonged to you, you lose 200 Life Points. However, I then receive 200 Life Points for each one."
"But that's 600 Points!" Spike whined.
"Indeed it is. Finally, I set one more card, and end my turn."
"Turn 4: Skixep's turn. Skixep: 1000 Phoxjes: 2200."
"Okay, Let me think." Spike said after drawing his card.
"I activate my Trap card." Phoxjes stopped him. "Light Of Intervention. As long as this card remains face up on the field, neither player is permitted to set any monsters face down."
"That really doesn't help me." He looked at the only card in his hand, and reviewed his only option.
"I summon Kaiser Sea Horse in Defence mode."
"When ever you summon a monster face up, my Demand Mad may activate their effect. This forces you to exchange the battle position of your monster."
"So, my only monster is-" Spike cut himself off. He changed the position of his Sea Horse. He then took the time to think about what he could do.
'If I'm going to survive next turn, I need to play my face down card. And the only way to do that is to...'
"Attack Mirage Dragon!" Spike commanded his monster.
"I reveal my second face down card: Spirit Barrier." Phoxjes said to them as he continued to place the Dragon card in Spike's graveyard. "This Trap card prevents me from receiving any battle damage as long as at least one monster remains standing on my field."
"Fine. I end my turn." He said reluctantly.
"Turn 5: Phoxjes's turn. Skixep: 1000 Phoxjes: 2200."
"I shall begin my turn with the effect of my Goth Vlast Spell card in my graveyard. If I sacrifice my Draw Phase, this Spell card returns from my graveyard, and is placed in my hand."
"Okay... Well, at least I know what one of the cards in his hand is."
"I will now command your former fusion monster to attack your Kaiser Sea Horse." Phoxjes told Spike/Skixep as he saw his little face of relief.
"I play Negate Attack. I don't think that this one needs explaining." Spike said, as he revealed his card on the bottom row.
"Very well. However, as you recall, I still have my faithful magic card, known as Goth Vlast." Phoxjes showed Spike the card.
"Uh oh." Spike said. He looked as though he was about to get a lobotomy, from the expression on his face.
"I now place a card face down, and my turn concludes."
"Turn 6: Skixep's turn. Skixep: 600 Phoxjes: 2600."
"My turn then." Skixep looked at the only card that he could use at the moment. "I play Pot Of Greed." He said, picking up two more cards from his deck.
"Hey not bad. I sacrifice my Kaiser Sea Horse. Doing so, my monster's effect activates, which means that he now counts as two sacrifices."
"My friend, I have faced this deck numerous times, in a time when my age was similar to yours. You do not require to explain to me the purpose of these cards."
"Oh really? Then you'll know exactly what monster I'm summoning, right?"
"I do not assume anything in life."
"I summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon in attack mode!" Spike said, as he placed what appeared to be his trump card on the field.
"Somewhat impressive, however the effect that my Demand Mad possesses will now activate, forcing you to change the battle position of your monster."
"Oh yeah, forgot about that." Spike told him, as he changed his card from vertical to horizontal.
"As far as I know, there is only one thing left that you can do now. Do you end your turn?"
"...Yes." He reluctantly said.
"Turn 7: Phoxjes's turn. Skixep: 600. Phoxjes: 2600."
"I will once again use the effect of my Goth Vlast, and it now returns to my hand." Phoxjes began. "However, it shall not stay there, as I now activate the effect of Goth Vlast, transferring 400 Life Points from your meter over to mine."
"Grr." Spike snarled.
"While on the subject of transfer, I activate my Spell Card known as Gift Of The Martyr. Firstly, this forces me to sacrifice one monster I control. In return another monster I control will receive ATK equal to the ATK of my fallen monster. So now I sacrifice Luster Dragon #2, and my King Dragun will have his ATK doubled to 4800."
Phoxjes placed the normal monster in Spike's Graveyard, and then pointed at his Blue Eyes.
"Now, your former monster shall attack your current monster." He said, making Spike place that Normal Monster in his Graveyard as well.
"I end my turn."
"Turn 8: Skixep's turn. Skixep: 200. Phoxjes: 2800."
"Come on, baby." Spike said to himself. "It's now or never. If I can't destroy that King, he'll use that Vlast card and end me. I draw."
Spike picked up his one card that he could rely on right now. He looked at what it was that he just drew, and he smiled a sly smile.
"Perfect. I activate Card Of Sanctity. This forces us both to draw until we have six cards in our hand each." The pair drew 6 cards each.
"Nice. First I play the effect of my Watapon. Which means now that I've drawn it to my hand because of a Spell Card, it's now summoned to the field." Spike explained as he put in on the field in defense mode.
"Have you forgotten the effect of my Demand Mad once more? Watapon must now change the position it is currently in."
"Of course I didn't forget. In fact, I planned it." Spike told him, as he change it to Attack mode, right before putting it in his graveyard.
"I now sacrifice Watapon, so I can summon my Prime Material Dragon to the field in Attack mode. And as you told me a few rounds ago, you're only allowed to use the effect of Demand Mad once per turn. So with 2400 ATK, I don't think that you'll be breaking through this barrier anytime soon."
"Quite a strong monster."
"But wait, that's not all." Spike was looking smug right now. "Prime Material Dragon, take out his Demand Mad."
Phoxjes put the Monster in his Graveyard.
"You have managed to use a rather effective strategy. Your family should be proud."
"And we are. Nice one, lil' bro." Xervint said, rubbing Spikes head.
"That's our fam." Auxron patted his shoulder.
"Becoming more like us every day." Expherient said.
"Thanks guys, but I'm not done yet. I now activate Dragon's Gunfire. Thanks to this, when there's a Dragon type monster on my side of the field, one monster on your field with 800 or less DEF is destroyed. So much for your Goth Knight."
Phoxjes placed his monster in his Graveyard, and let Spike continue.
"Okay. I play three face downs and end my turn."
"Turn 9: Phoxjes's turn. Skixep: 200. Phoxjes: 2800."
"I activate the effect of Goth Vlast. It now returns to my hand, and I shall use its primary effect it once more." Phoxjes put the Spell Card on his field, before sending it to the graveyard.
"Ha. I should thank you, really. Because of my Prime Material Dragon's special effect, I can turn that damage into life points, and your life points into damage. So now the score is 400 to 2600."
"Clever. You have successfully analyzed my strategy and found a way to not only counter it, but also how to use it against me."
"Yeah, I know I'm awesome. Now make your move."
"Do not instruct your superiors, Skixep. I shall eventually force our creatures to engage in battle." He then pointed his hoof at Spike's new monster.
"Don't think so, sir. Because now I activate my Burst Breath Trap Card. So now, I sacrifice my Dragon, and in return, every monster on your field with DEF equal to or less than my monster's ATK is destroyed." Spike explained as he took his monster back into his graveyard.
"You appear to be making a retaliation. However, I am not finished yet. I shall now summon my Goth Dancer in attack position." He put the card on the field.
"0 ATK and DEF again. What a shock(!)" Spike said, looking at the card that was just played.
"My monster may not have zero power, however its strengths lie elsewhere. For instance, I will now attack with my monster."
"What? But it doesn't have any points."
"It does not require any. Once Goth Dancer has attacked, their effect permits me to destroy one card you control, in addition to inflicting my opponent with 300 damage to their Life Points."
"Oh no..."
"Indeed. I shall now destroy the face-down card in the center, and you will lose more Life Points." Phoxjes explained to him.
"Not if I activate it first! I play Emergency Provisions, to sacrifice my face down, and now I gain an extra 1000 Life Points."
"Very well. I shall place two cards face down, and my turn has reached a conclusion."
"Turn 10: Skixep's turn. Skixep: 1400. Phoxjes: 2600."
"Alright, my move." Spike said, as he drew a card. "I summon Alexandrite Dragon in Attack mode. Attack his Dancer now."
"You have revealed my Trap Card." Phoxjes turned over his face down card. "It is known as Goth Blitz. Once a monster on my field is declared for an attack. Both of our creature are now destroyed."
"Oh no." Spike said, putting the dragon in the graveyard.
"Furthermore, the secondary effect of my Trap Card now forces you and I to select and summon a monster from our graveyards, so long as those chosen have equal or more Attack and Defense points as those destroyed."
Spike looked into the pile of cards in his graveyard, and knew his choice.
"Alright, I summon King Dragun." Spike said, putting the purple card back on the field.
"I resurrect my Goth Knight." Phoxjes said in response. "Finally, those monsters must battle each other this turn."
"What?!" Spike asked the goth, knowing the process by now. At the end of his turn, Phoxjes's Life Points remained unchanged, and King Dragun was now on his field.
"Turn 11: Phoxjes's turn. Skixep: 1400. Phoxjes: 2600."
"Skixep. I understand that you have not being playing this game for long, yet you have been a formidable opponent over the course of our duel." Phoxjes told the young dragon. "However, I intend to finish this duel on this turn. I draw."
"This isn't gonna be fun..." Spike knew full well that Phoxjes could end this duel right now with his own monster.
"I activate my Mark of Babylon: Sacrifice Spell Card." The older goth pony showed Spike a spell card, that had a very interesting picture on the art of it.
"Sir, isn't that your Cutie Mar- I mean, Destiny Signature?" Spike asked, looking at the card. He was right; it was just a black background, with Phoxjes's Cutie Mark on it.
"It is, young one. However, it is also a card in this game. With the effect of this card, I must discard my entire hand, in addition to sacrificing all monsters on my side of the field." Phoxjes answered.
"A little bit of a risk, isn't that?" Spike asked, unsure about what was coming. "I mean, you could have just attacked me directly with my own Dragun, and then won the duel, right?"
"You don't know what's coming now, though." Xervint told his youngest sibling. "Phoxjes is about to summon his best monster."
"Sir Xervint is correct." Phoxjes added, looking through his deck for the card that he was looking for. "With this Babylon card, I will now summon Goth Sovereign Sabeouse."
He then put the card on the field, and Spike was surprised at the level, and the Attack points on the new monster.
"Looks pretty cool, but I gotta admit, for a Level 10 monster, I expected more than just 2500 Attack points."
"Do not be deceived by the Attack points on this monster, Skixep, it contains an ability which prevents him for declaring any attacks. However, that effect will also cause him to self-destruct."
"Self-destruct?!" Spike repeated in surprise.
"Indeed. In addition, once he does, both of us shall lose the remainder of our Life points."
"So it'll be a draw?"
"Not entirely. This effect can only be used once my turn reaches the end phase. However, i have one card remaining on my field." Phoxjes pointed down to his other face down card.
"Oh yeah, that."
"I activate Goth Rave. For the duration of this turn, this trap card transfers all my Effect Damage over to you, Skixep."
"But that means-"
"My turn is over. Skixep, you have lost." Phoxjes finished for him.
"Ohhh..." Spike groaned, looking down. he then looked up and turned around when he felt a claw on his shoulder.
"Come on, head up." Auxron told the younger dragon. "You got closer than I did when I first dueled Phoxjes."
"Really?" Spike asked, generally interested at that fact.
"Yeah." Expherient answered. "Back when Auxron went up against him, he didn't get him down to half his Life Points."
"Seriously? How far down did he get him to?"
"4050." Xervint answered, causing his brother to laugh.
"Therefore." Phoxjes began. "It does not matter if you can not win against your opponent. All that is important is if you are able to stand up again after the battle is done."
"Thanks, guys." Spike said to the boys, whereas Xiaoshi just lost interest at the duel, and wasn't even paying attention to what they were saying right now.
"So.. uh, who's next?" Spike asked, looking at his siblings, who all smiled at each other.
Author's Note
This one shot takes place during the 12th chapter in my Marks Of Babylon Story.
