The Equestrian Card Wars of 2013

by Daedalus Aegle


Master Stratagem

"Huzzah! I return to the lands of Domineighria once more!" Luna cried.

Celestia grinned. She was thrilled to see her sister so carefree and happy, and surprised to learn that Luna still had her deck hidden away in the old castle in Everfree Forest after all this time. The fact that she had a simple prank in mind as well was a small bonus.

"I won't go easy on you just because you're my sister, Lulu," Celestia said with a grin. "I've been honing my deck against Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor, and it is, if I may say so myself, quite unstoppable."

"It matters not, Tia," Luna said as she drew her starting hoof of cards. "I'm just happy to play again, I remember that I adored this game before the war. You may start, if you wish."

"Very well," Celestia looked at her cards and grinned. Oh Lulu, you're going to break your pouting record with this, and I have my camera ready for it. She nudged the camera under the table with her back right hoof to check that it was still there, and began to play. "Round one," Celestia said, laying the smugness on as thick as she was able. "I play an Island, and Telepathy. You now have to play with your cards revealed, so I can see everything you have to throw at me and prepare accordingly. Your turn." Celestia leaned forward, watching closely to see Luna's reaction. To the sun princess's surprise, her sister merely scowled a little, huffed, then laid down her cards face-up on the table.

Celestia's grin froze and her eyes widened as she saw what her sister was holding. That isn't seriously a... Yes, yes it is, and that's a, no that's two of them and that's...

Luna drew a card. "Excellent! I play a Black Lotus and two Mox Sapphires, and with those two blue mana I cast two Ancestral Recalls!" Celestia watched in mortified shock as Luna began her turn by drawing an additional six cards. "Splendid! Another three Moxen and a Black Lotus. I sacrifice both the Lotuses... or is that loti? Nevermind that now. I sacrifice them for six black mana and play a Lord of the Pit. Then I cast Time Walk and get another turn." She drew another card to signal the start of her next turn. "Since I have no other minion to sacrifice to my Lord of the Pit, it deals seven damage to me. I cast another Ancestral Recall and... Oh, excellent! I cast Feast of the Unicorn on my Lord of the Pit," Celestia's stomach turned at the card, which featured a grisly image of shadowy monsters devouring a roasted unicorn. "My Lord of the Pit attacks you for eleven damage, and then I play a Will-o-the-Wisp and another Time Walk." Luna drew another card as she began her third uninterrupted turn. "I sacrifice the Will-o-the-Wisp to my Lord of the Pit, and attack you for another eleven damage, and you are dead. Thank you for the match, Tia!"

Tia said nothing, her left wing twitching slightly. "...Wow, Lulu, that was... quite something."

"Oh yes, and one other thing, sister!" Luna said. Only a second after the flash of light did Celestia realized what had just happened. "This modern photo-graphy device is a marvel, do you not agree?"