Chapter 7: A Queen and A Thief

Erika soon came to a high point on the outskirts of Miami, where one could see the whole city. She stopped, and overlooked the lit-up city, leaning against the Nightrunner, sighing. She gazed over to the stadium for the tournament.

"No first place trophy… It'll probably take them weeks to find it, and the tournament opens very soon. Heh. All in a day's work."

"So, you like a bit of chaos too?"

She was startled by the voice, and turned around sharply, only to see a ghostly version of the very Monster she'd used to crush her most recent opponent. She breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes for a moment. She turned, and gazed back over the city.

"It's just a little bit of fun. Those idiots are bound by uptight laws that are way too strict for my taste. I like to actually have fun, you know." Erika replied, relaxing.

"Oh, I can most certainly understand that. It would seem that we share a common coin-one of chaos." Loki said, smiling.

"Hehe. A coin of chaos? I like the sound of that-"

Erika was interrupted by a loud revving, and tires screeching to a halt. Loki took that as his cue, and disappeared as the noise faded. The skilled thief looked up.

"Arden Thracia, Queen of Miami's Riding Duel Circuit. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" She asked, smirking.

"You're Erika Thompson, correct?" Arden asked.

"And if I was? What does it mean to someone as great and glorious as you?" Erika asked in turn.

"You stole the first place trophy for the upcoming Riding Duel Tournament!" Arden exclaimed.

"And what proof do you have of that? I'm just a young girl, wandering the streets-"

"Don't you dare try that with me! I've talked to many people-people you've stolen from! They all confirmed who you were! I know you're a lying thief!"

Erika chuckled.

"Ah, well, so much for that. Yes, I'm a thief, and I took the trophy." She confessed, putting her hands up carelessly.

"Those pathetic excuses for security guards… I took them down so easily. They failed miserably, but it's not like they would've had a chance anyways." She added.

"You need to turn yourself in for your crimes!" Arden exclaimed. Erika burst into open laughter.

"Now, where's the fun in that? Giving myself up to the cops? Only a hopeless idiot does that!" She refused, laughing. Arden clenched her fist, and then she saw the Nightrunner.

"That's a D-Wheel right there, and I'm going to assume it's yours!" Arden began.

"You assume correctly… What do you want?" Erika asked.

"Duel me! I'll beat some sense into you, and cut that ego of yours down to size!" Arden demanded.

"Hmm… It's not like I have anything better to do right now anyways… I suppose I could have a little fun playing with you, Your Majesty." Erika replied. Both girls mounted their respective D-Wheels, and revved the engines.

"Riding Duel, Acceleration!" They both yelled in perfect tandem, taking off.

Arden: 4000

Erika: 4000

"The queen goes first!" Arden yelled out before drawing a card. She looked at it and smiled.

"First, I use the spell, Speed Spell- Magic Barrier. This card allows me to use regular Spell Cards. Next, I activate Thunderstorm." Arden continued. Suddenly, to Erika's surprise, dark clouds formed and lightning occurred, which was strange since it was bright and sunny just seconds ago. Arden didn't answer the girl's obvious question and instead threw a card face-down, which then disappeared.

"I'm disappointed. A queen is supposed to be stronger than that, but that was stupid what you just did." Erika said. Arden just smiled. Erika just scoffed and drew a card.

Arden's SPC: 1

Erika's SPC: 1

"I summon Trickster Cat in Attack Position." She began calmly. The magician cat appeared. (ATK: 1000)

"Next, I attack directly!" She continued. Trickster Cat raised its staff and tried to blast Arden. But she just scoffed as she raised her face-down card. A large mountain appeared and falling down it was a large slide of mud, covering the middle ground of the field, and also stopping Trickster Cat.

"What!?" Erika exclaimed.

"Eh, you thought you could damage me? Mudslide prevents all Monsters from attacking for 5 turns." Arden explained.

"It does? Haha…too bad, that means you can't attack either." Erika pointed out in her beloved smooth voice.

"I'll get around." Arden insisted.

"Really? Let's see you try. I end my turn." Erika taunted. Arden drew a card and a bolt of lightning struck down and destroyed Trickster Cat.

"My Thunderstorm card destroys all Monsters every other turn. Next, I activate Acid Rain." Arden said.

A large cloud, smaller than the thunder clouds started to form. Then from them rained drops of acid that hit both girls.

"Ahh!" They cursed in tandem.

Arden: 3500 SPC: 2

Erika: 3500 SPC: 2

"Every turn, Acid Cloud deals 500 points of damage to us." Arden explained. Erika chuckled.

"You must be truly desperate to rely on such a double-edged sword to deal damage to me." She teased. Arden just glared.

"I end my turn." She said.

No wonder she's the queen. She's good. Very good. But that doesn't mean I'll lose so easily! Watch out, I'm about to dethrone you! Erika thought as she drew a card.

Okay, I can't attack this turn. And I can't summon a monster or it'll get destroyed next turn…

Arden's SPC: 3

Erika's SPC: 3

Arden noticed Erika's struggling look and chuckled.

"Is the thief having a hard time trying to beat me?" She asked with a devilish tone.

"You won't be laughing when I take you down!" Erika snarled.

"You? Beating me? Don't make me laugh…oh wait, I'm already laughing." Arden replied.

"Grrr…I summon Trickster Mage in Attack Position. Next, I tune them together."

Mage appeared and the Synchro Summoning ritual occurred. Appeared was a tall magician, similar in appearance to the Dark Magician, except this man had red armor. He carried a staff, but it also doubled as a gun. (ATK: 2300)

"Gunner has a special ability; Once per turn, I can take 3 cards from your hand or field and add them to my own. Though, I can't attack this turn." Erika said. Gunner raised his staff and 3 cards from Arden's hand disappeared and reappeared in Erika's.

"I end my turn." (Arden's Hand: 0)

Arden drew a card and smiled as a lightning bolt shot down to destroy Trickster Gunner. But to the queen's surprise, Gunner raised his staff and a barrier formed around him and protected him.

"What!?" Arden exclaimed.

"Surprised? Trickster Gunner has a second effect. By discarding 1 of the cards I took from you, he cannot be destroyed by card effects." Erika explained.

"Grrr…That's fine. We still both lose 500 Life Points." Arden hissed. Acid Cloud rained acid, damaging both girls.

Arden: 3000 SPC: 4

Erika: 3000 SPC: 4

"I set 1 card face-down and end my turn." Arden finished. Erika drew a card. Just then, the mountain and mudslide disappeared. Next, acid fell from the sky and damaged both girls.

Arden: 2500 SPC: 5

Erika: 2500 SPC: 5

"Trickster Gunner, attack directly!" Erika ordered. Gunner raised his gun to shot, but a large sun appeared, stopping him. A solar flare then emerged from it, disintegrating Trickster Gunner and damaging Erika. The impact caused Erika to swerve off the road and off the ledge. Luckily, she grabbed onto the ledge, saving herself.

Erika: 500

"Haha…well, well. I guess you aren't good enough for royalty." Arden said with a smirk.

"Leave then. I don't need your pity." Erika told her.

"Give back the trophy you stole and I won't arrest you." Arden offered.

"I'd rather fall." Erika hissed. Arden thought about what she would do. She smirked and lent out her hand. With her free hand, Erika slapped it away.

"Didn't I say I don't need your pity?!" She snapped.

"If you don't take my hand, I'll call the police. I think hurting the Queen wouldn't bode well with them." Arden pointed out. This time Erika had to think about what to do. Being a thief meant you did things by your rules. But rules don't matter if you're not alive or in prison to follow them. There were rules in prison, but not the rules you want to follow. Considering she didn't want to die or go to prison, she took Arden's hand and got back up.

"You will still lose to me." Arden said as she walked back to her D-Runner. The two girls got back on and sped off. It was still Erika's turn.

"So, you'll lose next turn. What do you do?" Arden asked.

"This. With at least 4 Speed Counters, I can activate the Speed Spell- Feather Gust. This destroys 2 Spell cards on the field. I gain 300 Life Points for each." Erika hissed, irritated at her opponent. A large feather appeared and swept away two of Arden's Spell cards while also healing Erika. (Erika's Hand: 5)

Erika: 1100

"I summon Trickster Witch in Attack Position." A chibi-styled witch with big eyes and carrying a staff with a snake's head on it appeared. She continually flew around the field on her broom. (ATK: 1100)

"Trickster Witch switches our Life Points until the end of the turn." Erika added, smirking. Arden gasped, because she knew that if that happened, and Trickster Witch attacked, she'd lose. She watched as her and Erika's Life Points switched.

Arden: 1100

Erika: 2500

"An effect that powerful has to have a downside!" Arden insisted.

"Getting worried are we? But, you're right. I can't summon other monsters on the turn I use this effect. Nor can I activate any Spell or Trap cards. But seeing how my Witch's ATK and your Life Points are the same, that won't matter. Trickster Witch, attack directly!" Erika explained, ordering the Monster to attack. Trickster Witch raised her staff and an energy blast shot from it at Arden. She sped up, trying to outride it. It clashed with her, creating an explosion.

"Ha! I knew I could win. I didn't need her pity." Erika said to herself. She revved her D-Wheel, about to speed off. Unfortunately, when the smoke cleared, Arden was still on her D-Wheel, with a barrier around her. It was made of ice.

"What!? You're still riding!?" The thief demanded.

"I activate Frost King- Barrier of Ice's effect. When I get attacked directly, I can draw 1 card. If it's Frost King, I can negate all damage. Also, I lose 600 Life Points." Arden explained.

"Wait! You lose Life Points!?" Erika demanded incredulously. Frost King turned around and blew a gust of ice at Arden.

Arden: 500

"Once you end your turn, our Life Points will switch and you'll lose the rest of them due to Acid Rain. You lose, thief!" Arden explained.

Grrr…she's right. If I don't think of something right now, I'm going to lose. Erika realized. She looked at her hand for possibilities. She gasped when she saw one. In fact, she smiled.

"I'm not going to lose today." She said deviously.

"And why is that?" Arden asked.

"Because, I have this. Trickster Trickster. If I have a "Trickster" monster on the field, I can summon Trickster Trickster." Erika began. A weird creepy looking clown appeared. It's face was all twisted, with a wicked smile etched on it. It had a jester's hat on and on the top was something red; more crimson like; blood. It continuously danced like there was lava under its feet and let out this weird, psychotic laugh. (ATK: 0)

"Trickster Trickster negates the effect of a "Trickster" monster."

"What!?"

"Yeah, so that means we keep our Life Points. So when my turn ends, you'll lose."

"You're kidding?! You won't win." Arden insisted. She smiled.

"I activate Thunder King- Bolt's effect. Just like Frost King, I can draw a card and if I draw Bolt, I can destroy a card you control. And guess what? I drew him. So say goodbye to your Trickster Trickster." She continued. The spirit of Bolt appeared and it conjured a lightning bolt and threw it at Trickster Trickster, destroying him.

"Lucky for you, I have to destroy all face-up cards I control too. Acid Rain, Thunderstorm, you're gone." Arden added.

"You're lucky. I end my turn." Erika said, clearly irritated. Arden drew a card.

"Interesting. I activate Speed Spell- Treasure Cove. With this, I can draw 5 cards, if I have at least 7 Speed Counters."

Arden drew.

"First, I activate the Speed Spell- Summon Orb. As I have at least 5 Speed Counters, I can summon Wildfire Fairy in Attack Position." She began. The lava-winged cute fairy appeared. (ATK: 800-Tuner)

"But next, I summon Acid Golem in Attack Position." She continued. A golem with bandages wrapped around it and acid dripping from the bandages appeared. It let out a nasty groan. (ATK: 1600)

"I'm not done. I activate the Spell, Speed Spell- Level Rise. When I have 6 or more Speed Counters, I can increase the level of one of my monsters by 2. Now, I Tune Wildfire Fairy with Acid Golem to summon him!" Arden yelled. Wildfire Fairy turned into 3 green rings. The rings then scanned Acid Golem, which first change into a glowing yellow "outline" of who in turned transformed into 4 stars. She raised her band to the sky.

"O divine winds, gather into this hand of mine! Grant me the power to overcome my enemy and achieve victory! Create the resounding thunder and brilliant lightning that heralds his arrival!" She chanted. A lightning bolt struck the sapphire gem in her band, which in turn caused a larger lightning bolt to be created in her hand. She grabbed the bolt, and threw it into the rings.

"Descend from the heavens above, and crush my enemies with your mighty hammer! Heed the call of your chosen Sapphire! COME TO MY SIDE, ASGARDIAN GOD-THOR, GOD OF THUNDER!" Arden roared. A beam of light enveloped the stars, lightning arcing across it, passing through the rings and a large, 7-to-8-foot tall man with long silver hair and a beard, wearing armor with six metal plates, three on each side, and a distinct symbol on it, a long red cape and carrying a hammer appeared. (ATK: 3300) Erika looked shocked as she looked at the incredible monster.

"…Uh-oh." She said quietly.