Yu-gi-oh/MLP Season 1 Chapter 3
Twilight Sparkle and Ruby Rose in the Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Mare-do-well!
The Marvelous Mare-Do-Well dashed across the rooftops, his cape billowing in the wind. He leapt through the window of the fortress, landing with precision and grace. "Galaxy Queen! Your reign of terror is over!" The imposing matriarch gave a maniacal cackle. "I'm afraid that you're too late, Mare-Do-Well! In just a few hours, the Doomsday Device will activate and-" "Twilight, breakfast!"
Twilight stood up from the couch to join her brother at the dinner table. "You said earlier that this 'show' isn't real, correct?" Twilight, between bites, answered Starswirl. "Yeah. It's just pretend." "If it isn't real, then why waste your time watching it?" This caused Twilight to go into a rant about how The Amazing Adventures of the Marvelous Mare-Do-Well was the best show of all time, and the benefits of watching it.
Ruby, descending down the stairs, wasn't as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, seeing as she was still recovering from her discovery last night. This did not go unnoticed by Shining as she sat down at the table. "You okay?" Ruby nodded, but it didn't convince Shining. He handed her a plate of eggs as he thought of how best to cheer her up or figure out what's wrong. As Ruby absentmindedly ate, her attention turned to the TV, still playing the episode.
"Twilight loves that show, ever since she was a little kid." Shining said with a chuckle. "She never took the costume off." This broke Twilight's rant as she turned to her brother. "Shining! You don't have to tell her that!" The sibling bickering got a laugh out of Ruby, who remembered her own such experiences with Yang. But, remembering that she might never see Yang again, Ruby's mood worsened as she finished her breakfast.
As the pair arrive at school, Miss Cheerilee, now in a somewhat shier mood after what had happened last night, sheepishly addresses the class. "Alright, class. I have a special announcement today. The Marvelous Mare-Do-Well show is having a special airing right here in Heartland! So after class, we're going to have a field trip to their studio." The class cheers in celebration, Twilight the loudest, which startles a few of the students near her.
After class, the students are escorted to the studio, where the group was led along the tour by a humble secretary, with Tempus attempting to keep the more rowdy students in check, with limited success. Twilight, however, pulled Ruby to the side, away from the crowd. "Come on!" She pleaded. "We gotta get the Marvelous Mare-Do-Well's autograph!" Ruby wasn't certain how much she cared for all of this, but having nothing better to do, she played along.
The two reached the dressing room after a few minutes of searching (as well as hiding from the security) and snuck in. The room was what one might expect from a dressing room, with various copies of the famous costume, props scattered about, with a few piled up in a miniature hill, and a seat where a boy about Twilight's age with silver hair with bangs to the side was sitting, reading from his script. As Twilight walked over, she started "Oh my gosh, you must be-" "AAH!"
The boy jumped out of his seat and ran towards the pile of props, hiding among them. "Who are you? Please don't hurt me! My mother will pay you very handsomely for a ransom!" Twilight and Ruby looked at each other, neither able to process what just happened. "We're not kidnappers." Twilight assured him. "My name is Twilight, and this is Ruby. I'm a big fan of the Marvelous Mare-Do-Well. Do you know where he is?"
After a few seconds, the boy climbed out of his little fortress. "I'm Mare-Do-Well. Well, my name is actually Nelson Andrews. Sorry about all of that. I'm afraid that I'm nowhere near as brave as my big role is. My brother, the last Mare-Do-Well, was way more suited to the part, but he's moved on to other projects." Twilight shook her head in confusion, the cognitive dissonance being jarring. "But if you're really like this, how are you so good at being Mare-Do-Well?"
"It's a mask, isn't it?" Ruby answered, remembering her own experience as the Black Rose Witch. "You feel like the world wants nothing to do with the real you, so you put on a persona, a completely different person who can face the crowds." Nelson nodded, surprised that this complete stranger understood his life so well. Just then, the door opened again, a woman in a business suit walking in.
"Are you alright, Nelson? I heard a scream." The woman turned to Twilight and Ruby, and her expression grew angry. "Who are you, and what do you think you're doing in Nelson's room?" "It's okay, mother." Nelson assured her. "These are Twilight and Ruby, my new friends." "I told you a thousand times, Nelson. Your fans are not your friends. They could have done anything to you." She pointed towards the door, still facing Twilight and Ruby. "Get out." The two left, but not before Starswirl noted a lonely expression on Nelson.
...
Later that night, Nelson was on the balcony, looking out onto the city. It's not fair! All the other kids in the world get to go out and have fun. But Mom's right. I can't handle a stranger entering my room, much less having a normal life. Mare-Do-Well never has these problems. I wish that maybe… In front of Nelson, a blank card drifts in front of him from above. Curious, he grabs the card and it forms itself. Yes, Nelson. Let the number take hold.
...
"Breaking news! A masked vigilante mimicking the famous fictional character Mare-Do-Well was spotted running around the streets of Heartland City last night assaulting random citizens. The police have not given a statement yet about who they suspect the culprit might be."
Twilight looks over to Starswirl. "You don't think…" Starswirl nods. "He seemed to already be emotionally vulnerable. The introduction of a number card could exacerbate the issue to such a degree. If we don't stop him soon, he could do something that can't be swept under the rug." Twilight leaves, giving Shining an excuse about forgetting something at school.
As they leave, Shining looks around the house for Ruby, finding her in the garage working on her "duel runner", she called it. "Hey." he called, but she ignored him. "So, this thing's called a duel runner, right? Does that mean you use it to duel?" She turns towards him. "It's not just some fancy duel disk. It's necessary for turbo dueling, the greatest evolution of dueling. The thrill of playing your cards while keeping your eyes on the road, the wind in your hair, it was the best part of my life. Now it's the only part of my life I have anymore."
Shining walks towards her. "So that's it. You miss home." Ruby shakes her head. "You don't get it. I can't go home. And I can't tell you why without sounding crazy! Everything I ever knew is gone, and I can't ever go back!" Ruby threw the wrench she was carrying across the room, before crouching down to cry. "I might never see my friends or my sister again."
Shining kneels down and offers a hug to Ruby, who eagerly accepts. "I may not be able to understand what you're going through, but I can tell that it's eating you up. So if there is any way I or Twilight can help you, anything at all, let us know. Okay?" Ruby nodded, and the two sat there for a while.
...
Twilight heads back to the studio, this time headed for the stage as Starswirl, after a bit of scouting, saw "Mare-Do-Well" in there. "Nelson, please come out and let's talk about this!" Twilight called out. Some of the lights turned on, showing Nelson in his black costume, standing on the stage. "I am not Nelson. I am the Marvelous Mare-Do-Well! No puppet of Evil can convince me otherwise!" The number 83 flared on his hand.
Twilight readied her duel disk and duel gazer. "Then I'll just have to knock the sense back into you." Nelson readied his duel disk and duel gazer as well. "I'll go first. I draw! I call forth my trusty companion Beast-Warrior Puma!" A cat-man in black armor carrying a sword appears. (Level 4/1600) "I set a card and end my turn."
"I draw!" Twilight declared. "I summon Force Magician!" A wizard in white robes appears. (Level 4/1800) "Force Magician, attack Beast-Warrior Puma!" The wizard readies a hammer made of magical energy and throws the hammer at the warrior. "Fool! I activate my face-down Trion Barrier! Your monster is switched to defense position and I summon three Triple-Star Trions!" The hammer disappears and in its place three small beings wearing robes with a star on them appear, (Level 1/100) as Force Magician adopts a more defense stance. (Force Mage 1500)
"I set a card and end my turn." Twilight says reluctantly as Nelson strikes a heroic pose. "Now is your downfall! I draw! I tribute two of my Triple-Star Trions to summon the Marvelous Mare-Do-Well!" A duplicate of Mare-Do-Well appears, whip in hand. (Level 8/3000) Great, Twilight thinks. I've always wanted to meet the Marvelous Mare-Do-Well, and now he's trying to kill me!
"There's more. When a Triple-Star Trion is used for a tribute summon, they come back with their effects negated. I now use my three level 1 monsters in order to build the overlay network! Appear, Number 83: Galaxy Queen!" A dark-purple jewel appears, floating in the air, before transforming into the iconic villain of the show, with a striking resemblance to Nelson's mother. (Rank 1/500)
"I equip my glorious queen with Furious Max's Curse! While she can't switch out of defense position, she now can't be destroyed by battle!" A dark-purple aura surrounds Galaxy Queen, who responds with an evil laugh. "Most wonderful, my child." She replies. "She can talk?" Twilight blurted out. "A new observation," Starswirl began. "It would appear that some number cards are so strong they can change reality to fit the user's desires."
"Now, I activate Galaxy Queen's special ability! By using one overlay unit, until my next turn, none of my monsters can be destroyed by battle and when they attack a defense position monster, they can deal piercing battle damage." Galaxy Queen raises her staff and an overlay unit is absorbed into it, letting out a bright glow that envelops Nelson's monsters. "Now, Mare-Do-Well, attack Force Magician with Justice Blow!" Mare-Do-Well jumps through the air and strikes his whip at Force Magician.
"Force Magician can't be destroyed on the turn a spell card was activated." The wizard raises his hand and creates a barrier, blocking the whip, though Twilight is still pushed back by the force of the blow. (Twilight 4000-2500) "Beast-Warrior Puma, continue the assault!" The feline warrior draws his sword and strikes at the barrier, again causing Twilight to recoil. (Twilight 2500-2400) "I set a card and end my turn. Go on then, you vile villain! Have at Thee!"
Twilight gets up and draws her card with a smile. "What is that look?" Starswirl asks, suspicious. "I know how to beat him." Twilight answers before addressing Nelson. "You think that was enough to stop my villainous plan? Think again!" She then gives her best evil laugh, all the while giddy that she is in a scenario with Mare-Do-Well, even if under less than ideal circumstances.
"I activate the spell Star Point, which summons itself as a monster." (Level 4/0) "I then overlay my two level 4 monsters in order to xyz summon Number 39: Star Sparkle!" (Rank 4/2500) "Star Sparkle, crush his little kitty-cat with Star Power!" Star Sparkle fires an energy beam at Beast-Warrior Puma. "Not so fast!" Nelson interjects. "Since I control Mare-Do-Well, I can activate my face-down Wings of Unity, negating the attack and special summoning Phoenix Beast Gairuda from my deck!" A large phoenix flies in and swoops Beast-Warrior Puma out of the way of the laser beam. (Level 6/2500) "Then, when Gairuda is summoned, its effect lets me draw a card."
"Your feeble defenses can't hold forever!" Twilight declared. "I set a card and end my turn." "Twilight, why are you acting like him?" Starswirl asked. "Have you been infected by the number card?" Twilight shook her head. "I'm just playing along to make him lower his guard. He's playing cards based on the show, so I can predict what he's going to play. Watch, he's going to summon Ironhammer next."
"I draw! Since I control the rest of Mare-Do-Well's crew, I can summon Ironhammer the Giant in defense mode!" A large stone man appears behind the rest of Nelson's monsters. (Level 8/3500) "I activate the effect of Galaxy Queen, protecting my monsters for one turn!" "Go forth, my brave heroes," Galaxy Queen decreed. "And slay this wicked witch!" Her second overlay unit was absorbed, blanketing the other monsters in light.
"Mare-Do-Well, attack Star Sparkle with Justice Blow!" Again, the hero ran towards Star Sparkle, his whip ready. "I activate my face-down, Stellar Convergence!" Twilight replied. "Your attack is redirected to another monster you control. I choose your Beast-Warrior Puma!" Mare-Do-Well is magically held in place in the air, then thrown towards Beast-Warrior Puma. (Nelson 4000-2400)
"You'll pay for that! Gairuda attacks Star Sparkle, and whenever Gairuda attacks, it gains 300 attack!" The bird flies into the air then descends on Star Sparkle, its body igniting in the process. (Gairuda 2500-2800) "I activate the effect of Star Sparkle, spending one overlay unit to reactivate Stellar Convergence! Magical Talent!" Star Sparkle waves his staff, creating a constellation in the shape of Beast-Warrior Puma, causing Gairuda to be pulled towards the cat-man as Mare-Do-Well was. (Nelson 2600-1400)
"You fiend! I use the effect of Ironhammer, allowing one level 4 or lower monster I control to attack directly! Beast-Warrior Puma, get your revenge!" Puma jumps onto Ironhammer's hand and is thrown towards Twilight, striking her with his sword as he lands. (Twilight 2400-800) "Just what I was waiting for." Twilight replies with a chuckle. "I activate my second face-down, Space Madness! Since your monster just dealt damage to me from a direct attack while I control a monster, I can not only destroy one spell or trap on your side of the field, but I can take control of one monster you control with the highest defense until your next standby phase!"
Nelson looks on in horror as Furious Max's Curse is destroyed and Ironhammer is taken to Twilight's side of the field. Galaxy Queen keels over as if in pain. "Mare-Do-Well, my darling boy, please! You must protect me!" "What is going on here?" All eyes look over to the source of the sound, a horrified Mrs. Andrews. "Nelson? What are you doing? Why does that monster look just like me? I am your mother and I demand you stop this at once!" Galaxy Queen hovers over and places her hand on Nelson's shoulder. "Don't listen to her. I'm your real mother. I will help you defend the universe against all evil. You just have to take out this witch first."
Nelson, his right hand pulsing with the number, nods in agreement. "Yes, mother. I set a card and end my turn." "Mrs. Andrews, I'll explain everything later." Twilight answers the distraught woman. "But right now, Nelson isn't in his right mind right now and the only way to get through to him is to destroy that card." She turns back to Nelson. "Speaking of, I draw! I activate Space Infection! You gain control of Ironhammer, but in exchange, no monster you currently control can attack next turn." The giant teleports back to Nelson's side and various germs fly out of him towards the rest of Nelson's monsters. "I set a card and end my turn."
Nelson laughs defiantly. "If you think that will stop me, you obviously don't know about our greatest weapon!" Twilight smirks, knowing full well about what's coming next. "I activate my face-down Change to Jet Iron! Mare-Do-Well, Gairuda, Puma, and Ironhammer, board the Dimensional Jet Iron!" A large aircraft appears, which all four monsters climb aboard. (Level 10/0-8000) "Dimensional Jet Iron, all weapons fire on Star Sparkle!" The cannon in front of Jet Iron charges up, ready to fire.
"I activate my spell card, Comet Spin!" Twilight counters. "This switches the battle position of all monsters you control." The cannon of Jet Iron powers down and Galaxy Queen's clothes change from black to white. (Jet Iron 0) (Galaxy Queen 500) "No!" Nelson screams. "I set a card and end my turn." He looks over to Galaxy Queen with worry.
"I draw! Star Sparkle, attack Galaxy Queen with Star Power!" Star Sparkle fires an energy beam at the monster, who braces herself. "I activate my face-down, Last Act of Bravery! Mare-Do-Well is summoned from the graveyard and intercepts the attack, but his attack is reduced to 0!" Both Mare-Do-Wells run in front of Galaxy Queen. (Mare-Do-Well 3000-0) "I'll protect you, my queen!" The energy beam throws both back all the same. (Nelson 1400-0)
"Why did he bother to use that card?" Starswirl wondered as he absorbed the number. "It didn't change the outcome at all." "He was trying to protect what he thought was his mom." Twilight replied as Nelson's real mother ran over to comfort his son. "Oh, Nelson, I'm so sorry for how I've treated you! Things will be different from now on, I promise!"
...
Twilight returned home to find both Shining and Ruby in the garage, working on her duel runner. "Hey, guys." The two looked over and smiled. "Hey, Twilight." Shining got up and hugged his little sister. "How you doing? I take it you stopped the crazy guy?" Twilight darted her eyes back and forth. "Uh, what are you talking about?" "Don't think you can fool me, I'm your brother. Remember? The genius investigative reporter? Every time you disappear, problems are solved and people are saved. You're our own little superhero." "Hey! Who are you calling little?" As Ruby watched the two, she felt a little better. She may not be able to get back home, at least not any time soon, but where she was now wasn't so bad.