Card Games on Ponies

“And that’s how it went,” finished Spike as he took a small emerald from the once full plate in front of him, flicked it upwards with his tiny thumb and opened his mouth; the gem fell right on target and the baby dragon chewed contently, the memories of today’s terrifying start washed away by a fulfilling breakfast.

To his right, Applejack slowly chewed a piece of her pancake, filled with apple slices and honey, with a prominent smile across her face as she made a mental note to bring up Rarity’s dueling fashion choices, as well as Rainbow Dash’s middle name, the next time they meet. And the next. And the one after that too.

To his left, Pinkie Pie stood on her hind legs, brandishing a fork holding a pancake covered with cream and strawberries like it was some kind of legendary sword, her eyes wide open. “Can you imagine that, guys? A tournament for the best duelists in Equestria?” she asked, her body brimming with anticipation. “The twenty of us dueling on top of a blimp, above a volcano on a hidden island!” she stabbed the air to her right with her fork. “Revealing our identities one by one!” she made a slashing motion to her left, dropping a bit of cream over the table. “Our motivations and beliefs in masterfully worded speeches!” she raised the fork upwards. “Then Princess Celestia will come flying from the direction of the sun and be all like “who said the twenty best duelists in Equestria go from one to twenty? They go from zero to nineteen!” and she’ll put on her duel disk and reveal these super awesome invincible cards that--” she kept talking and swinging her fork, but by that point everypony had zoned out her voice.

“So,” said Twilight as she took a small bite from her fruity pancake. “It seems they had a very intense duel.”

“Yeah,” said Spike, spreading his tiny arms. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that before.”

Twilight nodded. “I see,” she mumbled and stared at her plate like it was some kind of ancient stone table filled with hyeroglyphics. “Maybe I should check out the duel--”

“GOD HAND CRUSHER!” Pinkie Pie’s yell was accompained by her right hoof slamming the dinner table and drawing all of the present’s eyes towards her. “Oops,” she said with a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”

Twilight sighed. “Where were we?”

“Well,” said Spike while pointing a finger towards Twilight. “I was hoping you could explain me about that whole “Professor Twilight” thing.”

“Oh that,” said Twilight with an airily laugh. “It’s just the way Applejack refers to me when we gather for our duelling lessons.”

Spike looked at Applejack and the faint blush on her cheeks as she slowly sled her hat down.

“Duelling lessons?” he asked.

“That’s right,” said Twilight, puffing her chest up. “I taught her everything about Duel Monsters. And I must say I’m quite proud of my student’s achievments. Who knows? One day she may surpass even her teacher,” she giggled and patted Applejack on the back.

Even with her hat fully covering her face, Spike could swear he saw Applejack’s face turning as red as her best apples. He smiled awkwardly. “So, I guess you’re the number three, Holy Lightning Jacqueline?”

“Eeyup,” replied Applejack as she put her hat back on its usual position with a deep breath. Her cheeks returned to her natural orange color. “Granny Smith came up with that one and we all agreed it sounded neat.”

“It does,” said Spike. He scratched the back of his head. “Still, it’s kind of surprising—I mean, I didn’t think you would have time or patience for this stuff. So why--”

“Money, sugarcube. No more no less,” interjected Applejack. “Got mah’ apple cart on one of those fancy tournies and sold mah’ stuff like there was no tomorrow,” she pointed her hoof at Pinkie, who was happily munching on the leftovers of her pancake. “And when Pinkie gave me the idea I could grab more attention by playin’ mah’self, I got to the smartest pony I could think of,” she looked at Twilight, who blushed slightly. “I learned everythin’ there is and made mah’ way the Apple Family way: thru hard work and honesty,” she leaned back on her chair and crossed both forelegs over her chest. “It ain’t deep or anything, sure, but it works for me and mah’ kin,” she declared proudly.

“Cool,” mumbled Spike. “And what about you, Pinkie?”

Pinkie swallowed the last mouthful of pancake. “Are you kidding me, Spike? I get to summon a giant rock hand to fight another pony!” she said while spreading her hoofs over her head. “I can cast spells! And then the other guy is all like “you just activated my trap card!” and I’m like “NO U!” and I attack his life points directly and he goes all “Waah!” and then--”

Spike watched as Pinkie bounced, rolled and dived her way around the table, dramatically doing all these sounds while facing multiple invisible opponents, before taking her seat again. “And money helps too.”

Spike nodded slowly and turned to Twilight, who looked at him expectantly.

“Just so you know,” she said with a smile. “Fluttershy is number five.”

Spike’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s quite something coming from her.”

“Yes, yes it is,” said Twilight, and she locked her eyes on Spike again.

There was moment of silence in which Spike looked at Applejack and Pinkie Pie, whom looked at each other with barely supressed smiles, then back at Twilight.

“Don’t you want to know who the number one is?” asked Twilight while raising both eyebrows.

Spike frowned, deep in thought. “Are you telling me,” he began as Twilight grin grew wider. “That your middle name is Josephine?”

Twilight’s face fell. “Really, Spike?” she asked. “Is that the first question that comes to your mind upon finding out I am the best duelist in all of Equestria?”

Spike shrugged. “Well, it’s not that surprising if you think about it,” he pointed an accusing little claw. “Unlike your middle name, which you have never told me before.”

Twilight groaned. “It was Shining Armor’s fault, okay? He registered me behind my back.”

“Did you really went ahead and used my middle name?!”

“It’s a nice name, Twilight. You shouldn’t have to hide it.”

“That’s rich coming from you, Eugene.”

“He didn’t find it so funny after I kicked him out in the very first round, though,” added Twilight with a chuckle.

The throne room was the chosen location for the second test duel. Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Spike took their respective seats while Applejack stood under the doorway, facing towards the hallway.

“You better come up with somethin’ good, Twilight,” said Applejack as she adjusted her duel disk, a basic model colored silver, around her neck. “After lil’ Spike’s awesome breakfast I feel I can take on a whole army of changelings!”

Spike smiled and puffed out his chest.

“Funny you should say that,” said Twilight with a smirk. Her horn flared and the light in the room dimmed. The crystal walls glowed in patterns of blue, purple and red with arcane runes. A cloud of purple miasma covered the floor of the throne room and the hallway. “Here we go.”

Applejack squinted and saw a figure coming straight from the wall of miasma. Lean and tall, moving with royal grace. She soon recognized the black carapace-like coat, traslucent wings and sickly-green mane belonging to Chrysalis, the queen of the changeling race.

“Well now,” said Chrysalis as she seized Applejack with a smug smile across her face. “I came here for a princess and find myself facing a mere farmer.”

Applejack grinned. “This farmer is goin’ to buck you right back to your mud hole, queenie. Get your game on!”

“Applejack!” yelled Pinkie from behind. “You’re supposed to say “it’s time to duel”!”

“I-It’s almost like she’s really there,” mumbled Spike, his tiny claws trembling.

“It’s okay,” said Twilight as she placed a comforting hoof over his shoulder. “It’s just a projection, an illusion; it can’t hurt anypony or even focus on anything beyond dueling, and I can dispell it in the blink of an eye.”

Spike nodded silently.

“Let’s duel,” said Chrysalis as she materialized a duel disk around her neck. It was black like her coat, with uneven protuberances across the edges and a few small holes. All in all, it looked more like an extension of her own body.

“Ah’ll go first,” declared Applejack. “Star Seraph Scout!” a winged mechanized creature appeared on the field (1200/1800). “With it’s effect ah’ can special summon Star Seraph Sage!” the newest monster resembled some kind of ancient tome; it glowed with a golden light (1600/1400). “Finally,” she placed Sargasso Lighthouse from her hand into her graveyard. “Ah’ discard a spell card to special summon Star Seraph Sword!” the last one had an appearance as undecipherable as the previous ones, with its frame filled with golden blades (1400/1000).

“She’s going to summon it! She’s going to summon it!” cheered Pinkie while clapping her hooves.

“Summon what?” asked Spike.

“Her best monster,” replied Twilight with a smile.

“Ah’ build an overlay network! XYZ summon!” Applejack tipped her hat and her three monsters turned into small balls of light, swirling around the arena before converging on the center. “Clad in light to ward off the darkness!” a pillar of light erupted from between the two duelists and a golden mechanized humanoid figure emerged from it. It shone so brightly the presents had to shield their eyes. “Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry!” the monster spread its bladed wings and tensed a bow with an arrow made of pure light (2500/2000).

“Oh my, aren’t you quite the showmare?” said Chrysalis while rubbing he reyes.

Applejack snorted. “Ah’ end mah’ turn.”

“Finally,” said Chrysalis with a roll of her eyes as she drew a card with her magic. “I summon Twilight Rose Knight,” a small human clad in a black armor and wearing a white cape materialized on the field. It turned around and kneeled before Chrysalis, who daintly touched its shoulders with her right hoof. The knight stood up, turned around and pointed its sword towards Applejack with a glare (1000/1000). “Isn’t it cute?” said Chrysalis. “Its effect allows me to special summon a level four plant monster from my hand, Botanical Lion,” she placed a card on her duel disk and a large lion with a body made of roots and a red flower for a mane appeared next to her (1600/2000). It bared its teeth at Applejack (1900/2000). “This game is filled with so many interesting creatures,” she said while patting her lion on the head. “But let’s not stop here. I mean, you showed me your best; it’s only fair I show you mine,” her horn glowed with a sickly-green light as she started to chant. “Chilling flames that engulf the entire world! Black flower, bloom!” her two monsters turned into small clusters of stars that disappeared below the miasma. “Synchro summon! Come, my Black Rose Dragon!” a red flower emerged from below the miasma and, with a gale that made Applejack hold her hat, its petals spread into a pair of wings, revealing the pitch-black, serpentine head of a dragon (2400/1800). It roared loudly. “Beautiful,” said Chrysalis with a smile. “Just like its master.”

Applejack tapped her hoof. “Are you done there?”

Chrysalis gave a smile that flashed her fangs in all their glory. “You won’t be so hasty once I equip it with my Thorn of Malice,” the dragon snarled as half a dozen black tendrils erupted from its back, each one covered in thorns (3000/1800). “Punish her!” commanded Chrysalis. “HATE ROSE WHIP!” with a roar, the dragon launched its tendrils towards Applejack’s seraph, enveloping it and slamming it hard against the floor, where they kept it firmly secured, reducing its attack and defense by six hundred points (1900/1400).

Applejack blinked twice.

“I take you’re surprised,” said Chrysalis with a smug smile. “My Thorn of Malice doesn’t destroy; it hurts, slowly and surely, until your monster ends up defenseless as a kitten,” she then added casually. “Of course you also lose the difference in life points.”

Applejack turned around and saw in horror how her back legs were wrapped with the same thorny vines as her monster. She screamed in pain as the vines squeezed and her life points went down (4000/3500). “T-Twilight, what the hay is this?!” she cried.

“I-I don’t know,” muttered Twilight. “That’s not supposed to happen!”

“Turn it off! Turn it off!” cried Spike.

Twilight immediately leapt to her hooves and flared her horn. The runes on the walls glowed red and the miasma swirled wildly, but nothing else changed. “I can’t,” cried Twilight. “My magic! Something is disrupting the flow of my magic!”

“Spike!” called Pinkie. The baby dragon turned around to see her holding a cupcake with a large candle on top. She nodded. He shrugged and breathed fire over the candle; it lit with an impressive green flame.

“Combined technique!” yelled Pinkie as she stood on her hind legs. “Dragon Cupcake Bomb!” with those words she threw the flaming cupcake straight at Chrysalis face. It flew with alarming speed and…went right through her head. It kept flying until it disappeared into the darkness, followed by the sound of glass breaking.

Pinkie chuckled awkwardly. “I’ll pay for that one later.”

Spike looked at Applejack as she tried in vain to free herself. “What if she just stands there without playing while we go get Princess Celestia?” he asked.

Twilight shook her head. “N-No, the artificial intelligence is designed to keep on dueling even if the opponent doesn’t do anything…”

“But that means the only thing she has to do is win, right?” asked Pinkie.

“W-Well, yes, but--”

“Go, Applejack!” yelled Pinkie.

Spike looked at Pinkie. “I-I think she’s right, Twilight,” he said firmly. “You can do it, Applejack!”

Twilight bit her lower lip then frowned. “Applejack, listen to me!” she called, getting the attention of her friend. “You have to keep playing, okay? I’ll keep trying to deactivate the spell!”

Applejack looked at Twilight struggling with her magic, at Pinkie Pie and Spike cheering and, finally, at Chrysalis setting a card and ending her turn. Her nose flared. “It ain’t goin’ to end like this,” she thought. “Draw!” she pulled her card with such strenght it made the seats in the room shake. “Ah’ll detach an XYZ material to use mah’ Star Seraph Sentry’s effect! HOLY SEALING!” her monster slowly stood up despite the crushing pressure of the vines and shoot an arrow of light that hit the Black Rose Dragon right on the neck; it roared and squirmed (1500/1800). “Mah’ Star Seraph Sentry can lock your monster’s effect and cut its attack points in half!” she declared. “Now ah’ gonna turn that lizard of yours into compost! HOLY ARROW!” the Star Seraph Sentry tensed its bow once again.

“You fool!” said Chrysalis. “Trap card open! Half Counter!” the Black Rose Dragon snarled and tensed the vines around its angelic foe, sending it down once again (1300/800).

“What the hay?” cried Applejack as her life points went down again (3500-2650).

“Half Counter gives my dragon half of the original attack points of your monster until the end of turn,” calmly informed Chrysalis. “And let’s not forget the best part…”

Applejack screamed as the vines squeezed her hind legs. The voices of her friends felt like a distant echo as she gasped for air.

“Any other useless attempt of your part?” asked Chrysalis.

Applejack did not reply.

“Figures,” sneered Chrysalis. She drew a card from her deck. “Let’s not waste any time, shall we? HATE ROSE WHIP!” her dragon’s vines lifted the seraph and slammed it headfirst on the floor (700/200), reducing its master’s life points by two hundred (2650-2450).

Spike watched horrified as Applejack’s screams grew weaker.

Pinkie launched herself towards the arena but was caught by a tendril of miasma and threw to the back of the room.

“S-Stop it,” muttered Twilight. “STOP IT!” she spread her wings and gritted her teeth, her horn shining like a beacon. The runes glowed hot red, the miasma clouds twisted and contorted, and the very walls of the castle started to shake. It was like a boiling pot of water about to burst. “I won’t let you!” she screamed, her legs shaking. “I WON’T LET--”

“STOP IT, TWILIGHT!”

Twilight jumped and immediately cut the flow of her magic. The walls stopped shaking and the room returned to its previous dark atmosphere. She, along with Pinkie and Spike, looked at Applejack, who was smiling despite her labored breaths, the cascade of sweat that dripped over her muzzle and the vines that fully covered her back legs.

“It’s okay, sugarcube,” said Applejack. “Ah’ can…handle this. Ah’ was taught by the very best…remember?” she grinned and winked.

Twilight smiled and nodded tearfully as Spike quickly went to her side and hugged her left foreleg with his tiny arms.

“YOU CAN DO IT, APPLEJACK!” yelled Pinkie with tears flowing from her eyes like a fountain. “WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN SEE, BUT CAN’T SEE? FRIENDSHIP! BELIEVE IN THE HEART OF THE CARDS, APPLEJACK!”

Twilight and Spike looked at Pinkie. “You know, I’m not even going to comment on that,” he said drily.

Applejack blinked twice. “Ah’ll make sure to keep that in mind, Pinkie.”

Chrysalis snickered. “You sure are confident despite your sorry state. Go ahead, I end my turn.”

“Me?” asked Applejack as she drew a card. “Ah’ detach another xyz material to play the effect of mah’ Seraph Sentry,” her monster stood up to its knees and fired a second arrow of light to the Black Rose Dragon, hitting it on the chest. It let out a pitiful growl as its attack went down further (750/1800). “You should look at yourself,” she said while pointing with her right hoof. “Your lizard is weaker tan mah’ granny’s knees on winter. As soon as ah’ get another monster, it’s goin’ down.”

Chrysalis gritted her teeth. She looked at her monster: it’s head bobbled back and fort, it’s long black tongue hanged from the side of its jaws. “Draw,” she snarled. “De-Synchro!” her dragon vanished in a whirlwind of petals, revealing the Twilight Rose Knight and Botanical Lion, which she immediately combined to summon her Black Rose Dragon again (2400/1800). “It’s been fun, but I’ll finish you right now,” she declared as she slid a spell card on her duel disk. “Wonder Clover! By discarding my Lord Poison I can make my Black Rose Dragon attack twice,” she informed with a flick of her mane. “Disappear already, BLACK ROSE FLARE!” the Black Rose Dragon reared its head and breathed a stream of black flames. It turned the Star Seraph Sentry to ashes and engulfed Applejack, sending her hat flying away.

Pinkie gasped, Spike covered his eyes and Twilight put her hooves to her mouth. But when the miasma cloud moved, Applejack was still standing there; teeth clenched and hooves firmly planted on the floor (2450-400).

“What?!” cried Chrysalis. “How?!”

Applejack took a deep breath. “When mah’ Seraph Sentry is goin’ to be destroyed, I can detach all of its xyz materials to cut all the battle damage in half,” she informed with a smirk. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

Chrysalis let out a growl of frustration and set down a card. “Turn end,” she hissed. “It doesn’t matter what you do. Try to defend and my dragon will tear you up. Try to attack and you will crash against my Wall of Thorns!” she thought triumphantly.

Applejack exhaled. “Here goes something,” she said as she calmly pulled out a card. “Yee-Haw! Now this is what ah’ talking about!” she slammed a card on her duel disk. “I summon Star Seraph Scepter!” a mechanized monster in the shape of a golden scepter appeared on the field (1800/400). “Now ah’ can add my Star Seraph Sovereignty from mah’ deck and summon it thanks to its effect!” a richly ornate, golden throne appeared next to the scepter (800/2000). “I ain’t over yet! Ah’ draw a card and if it’s a Star Seraph monster I can special summon it,” she declared as she drew her card. “Lookie here, it’s mah’ Star Seraph Scales!” a golden scale appeared in front of her, glowing brightly (1500/900). “Now ah’ can special summon a star seraph monster from mah’ hand,” she informed as she played a second copy of Star Seraph Sword (1400/1000). “Plus ah’ can put a light monster from mah’ graveyard on top of mah’ deck,” she picked her Star Seraph Sage and swiftly slid it on top of her deck slot.

Chrysalis looked at the line of angelic artifacts in front of Applejack and snorted. “I can’t tell if you’re trying to duel or hosting an auction.”

Applejack smirked. “XYZ summon! Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry!” the Scepter, Sovereignty and Scales combined into a vortex of light from which emerged her best monster (2500/2000). “And thanks to mah’ Scepter I can destroy a card on the field and draw one from mah’ deck!”

Chrysalis' eyes widened as her trap card vanished. “W-What?”

“HOLY SEALING!”

Before her mind could process it, the Seraph Sentry had shoot an arrow to her Black Rose Dragon that cut it’s attack in half (1200/1800). “N-No,” she muttered.

“Eeyup! Mah’ Star Seraph Sword has an effect too! Ah’ll send a star seraph from mah' hand to the graveyard to increase its attack points by the same number of the discarded monster!” she slid her Star Seraph Sage back into the graveyard (3000/1000). “It’s over for you, queenie! HOLY LIGHTNING SUBLIMATION”

Spike, Pinkie and Twilight shielded their eyes as a blinding flash of light engulfed the place. A moment of silence later, they opened them to see the throne room back to its previous state, and an exhausted Applejack lying on her haunches right below the doorway.

“That’s game,” she said right before she was tackle hugged by two ponies and a baby dragon.

“You silly filly!” yelled Pinkie with tears in her eyes. “ You were supposed to say “gotcha”!”

“I’m sorry,” sobbed Twilight while pressing her head against Applejack’s chest. “I didn’t know…”

“There, there,” said Applejack as she hugged them both. “It ain’t nopony’s fault.”

“Applejack?” called Spike. “I think this is yours,” he held a hat in his tiny claws.

“Thanks, sugarcube,” she put her hat on and patted Spike on the head. “Ah’ feel like I have been bucking trees nonstop since--”

“Applejack!” cried Spike. “Your legs!”

“What’s with mah’—whoa!”

Applejack looked at her hind legs: they were completely unscathed. She patted them, moved them and, with a little effort, stood up again. “Well ah’ll be! Not that ah’ was hopin’ for scars, but this is kinda surprisin’.”

Pinkie narrowed her eyes. “Does this mean you were playing make believe all this time?”

Applejack frowned. “What? No! It really hurt like hay, Pinkie!”

“Alright, that’s enough,” said Twilight. She took a deep breath to compose herself. “I do not fully understand what happened here, but I will make sure to find out,” she declared. “Spike, take a letter.”

Spike quickly took out a scroll and a quill from below his seat. Truly having stashed those all over the castle had been one of his best ideas.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Dear Princess Celestia: A magical incident of possibly dark nature has ocurred on the Friendship Castle. I believe this is a matter we should discuss personally. I await your response as soon as possible. Always your faithful student, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Done,” said Spike. “I’ll send it right away!”

Twilight sighed, and turned to Pinkie and Applejack. “Hopefully we can solve--”

“TWILIGHT!”

The three ponies turned and ran towards Spike’s voice, only to find him staring thru one of the castle windows, the letter scroll dropped at his feet.

“Spike! What happen--”

Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack gasped as they saw the columns of purple miasma in the distance.

One in the middle of Ponyville, the other in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage.