//------------------------------//
// Jack of Dogs 
// Story: Cards of Prophecy 
// by SwordTune 
//------------------------------//

	Draw a card.

Celestia looked down at the table. There was small deck, only twelve cards, each with her cutie mark on it. Luna had warned her, even her sister had failed the challenge. Celestia looked back to the entrance of the Card Master's tent, a sliver of sunlight slipping through the folds. She looked back down to the table, and moved her hoof to the top card. 

She paused, noticing the Card Master's eager eyes piercing through his hood. With her magic, she pulled the fifth card from the deck looked at it. 

You think yourself clever, princess. Perhaps. But the Jack of Dogs would not take kindly to being drawn so early.

The Card Master lifted his hooves from the table and returned all the cards into his sleeves. He waved his hoof and five cards marked with a sun appeared in front of Celestia. She levitated them in front of her, keen to keep their secrets away from the Card Master. 

I already know what they are. They are mine, after all. Now, choose your fate.

On the table a grid of cards appeared, shuffling themselves into place. They arranged themselves in a four by four square, all face down except the top right card. It was called "The Docks." The Card Master waved his hoof above the docks and from it a miniature Celestia statue appeared. 

Where will you adventure lead?

Celestia glared at the cards before making her first move. She shifted her figurine left, revealing the card it stood on. "The Beggar" it read. 

Ah, this one. You find yourself camping on a hill not far from a fishing village. It has not seen prosperous days lately and her ponies are desperate. You tried to skirt around the village but your meager campfire was spotted by some very hungry ponies. They approach you and beg for food.

The card glowed, and the image on the card seemed to move to Celestia. She saw two realities, her two choices. She could offer then provisions or reject them, both likely leading to greater consequences. Luna had warned her of how the choices would effect her, but she couldn't recall what it was. Celestia looked around the tent for the entrance again, but a thick fog had surrounded the table. 

"Of course I am willing to share my food with ponies in need," Celestia told the Card Master. The Card Master waved his hoof over the card and the images stopped, freezing the image of merry beggars onto the card. Even though it was just a game, Celestia felt joy from the card's magic, and the Card Master noticed. 

That is a blessing, princess. And this, too, is yours.

A card flew from the pony's large baggy sleeves and into Celestia's set. The card was golden, but still marked with a sun. It read, "Blessing: Gift that Gives."

You may find your sixth card useful further down the road. For now, you must move on.

The fog around them cleared and Celestia regained awareness of the whole board. The grid of cards, four by four, were still there. She could hear her sister's advice in her head once again. "Be yourself in there, never change, no matter what the game does to you."

An ominous message, for sure, but nevertheless it was just a game. Celestia lifted her figurine and continued along the board, moving down to the next card. The card glowed and revealed itself as "The Traveler's Plight."

You might enjoy this one, Princess. You're well on your way to finding the Jack of Dogs, but not before encountering some bandits along the dirt road. "This 'ere is our land, miss, and yer goin' to 'ave to pay the tax fer it, ye get?"

As before, Celestia saw the bandits on the card move around the card, like waves on the ocean, forming three possibilities. She saw herself running, finding a way around, paying up the tax and travelling bitless, or fighting the bandits, spilling blood across the forest path. She tried to remember whether money was essential to success in the Card Master's plans, but the fog around the table returned, cutting off the outside world and clouding her thoughts. 

"Killing them would be wrong, but I've seen worse in Equestria's long history," she told the card, and without the aid of the Card Master her decision was frozen onto the card. 

Let's see how you fare in combat, Princess.

The table was sucked into the ground, the chairs vanished, and Celestia stood alone in the tent. But the fog had transformed the tent. Dirt poured in from all around Celestia, replacing the wooden floor. Trees and bushes sprouted up instantly. The dry stale air of the Card Master's tent was relinquished and replaced by fresh dew and pine leaves. 

Oh, I almost forgot. Your card, use it well.

The voice echoed through the sun marked card floating in front of Celestia. She grasped it with her magic to take a closer look. She only managed to see "Ax" before it crumbled to ash, and from the ashes sprouted a light steel ax for chopping logs. Celestia levitated it in front of her, examining the magic that had conjured it. In her concentration, a hard blow stuck her abdomen, dropping her to the ground. 

"Of course," she whispered to herself. "Bandits."

Celestia rolled away from the pony and launched herself up from the ground, swinging the ax up and striking the bandit across the jaw. Another with a sword in his mouth charged at Celestia's side but she parried him away with a power flap of her wings. Stunned, the bandit could not block the lunge she directed to his skull, and his brain suddenly developed a split personality. Celestia looked up, focusing on the sound of feathered wings above her, and side stepped. The third bandit, armed with daggers tied to his hooves, dived down onto Celestia only to face-plant into hard dirt and snap his neck on the impact. 

A brutal victory, though you did not leave unscathed.

Celestia felt the fog return as his clouded her thoughts and blacked out her vision. When she regained her senses the tent had returned, along with the Card Master and his board. The sound of the Trader's Exchange lurked outside once again, and Celestia could even see a ray of sun peaking into the tent. 

Two of the six cards Celestia had was different. The first one she noticed was her weapon. "Bloodied Ax" was scrawled onto the card, and a small description as well; "increase your intimidation." The second was a heart card. What appeared to be a regular ace of hearts had transformed into a gruesome, realistic heart, with the numbers 95/100. 

Maybe you'll remember to stay on your guard next time, Princess. 

Celestia looked down to see where the bandit had stuck her. There she saw a large black bruise on her otherwise pristine white coat. She touched it and flinched. It was definitely a real injury. Celestia realized the game just didn't effect ponies' minds; whatever happens in the Card Master's world would harm or help the pony who played. 

"Now I remember," she muttered to herself. Celestia looked up to the Card Master, "Your magic has harmed countless of my citizens with false promises of a prize. I may not understand what kind of magic you use, but I will end it before any pony else gets hurt." Celestia began to rise from her seat. 

Come now, it's only a bruise. Besides, has any pony walked out of my domain with injuries? I wouldn't think so, after all it's just an old stallion's game. Here, for your victory.

Three cards floated from the stallion's robes reading "Gold Gain 5" on them. They merged with Celestia's fast growing set of cards, and glowed as a sun mark was magically etched onto the back of each card. 

Tempting? Treasures await in this vast deck, rare magic I'm sure you wouldn't want in my hooves. And if you plan on winning, I suggest you play, because this is my world, and you're just another piece.


=============================================================


Impressive.

Celestia huffed a breath of relief. The "Den of Thieves" card was the hardest fight yet, and she still had the left column of cards to complete. The thieves had some gold, but it couldn't replace what was lost two cards ago after losing to the "Con Pony" card. Worse, Celestia looked down at her heart card; she had fallen just below half health. 

She moved the Celestia figurine left, to the top left card, prepared to face the challenges of the last four cards on the board. "Airship" was printed on it. 

Ah, lucky break my dear princess. You stumble across the sight of a mailing outpost, one shipping goods to a far off land. The airships are sturdy and sophisticated, and will definitely speed you away to the Jack of Dogs. Are you ready to continue your search?

"Yes," whispered Celestia, relieved to be done of the horrible grid of cards. While the next board organized itself she took a quick look through the fifteen cards she had accumulated. Many blessings that she never got the chance to use, as well as the ax she started with. She looked really hard at it, trying to imagine what it was like in its original form. The card read, "Devil's Bloodied Ax of Butchered Orphans." It had accumulated multiple magical properties since she received the card, though she couldn't remember how. 

Choose your path.

Celestia looked up from her deck of cards. The board was simple, just a horizontal set of cards in a two by three arrangement. Her figurine was placed on the central card of the upper row. The tent was lit by Celestia's horn as she moved the piece to the left. The card read "Prince of Beggars."

You wake up and find yourself chained to the floor in some dark cave. There are others around you, stripped down to nothing. What little you have in your bit pouch has been taken. You try to pull your weapon out to cut the chains but it's stuck under you. Trapped in this cave, you wait all day. After a long tedious day of waiting, you hear hoof steps coming from the cave entrance. It is the Beggar Prince and his gang of poverty stricken ponies. One of them, however, catches you eye.

A card lifted itself out of Celestia's deck. A blessing card, the "Gift that Gives," hovered above the figurine and dissolved into dust. The image on the card changed, and Celestia could see a picture of a pony begging the Prince. 

One of the beggars begins to plead to the Prince, asking him to spare you. He claims you saved his family from starvation a few weeks ago, and that's the only reason he was able to leave his village. The Prince of Beggars considers this and finally orders for you to be freed. As you take your leave the pony you help weeks ago stops you and hands you a fine shield stolen from a soldier a few night ago. He tells you that they couldn't identify the magic on the shield, but hopes that it can help you on your adventures.

The Card Master waved his hand and a shield card flew from his sleeves into Celestia's deck. Finally, Celestia felt the ability to look outside once again. It looked like it was still morning. She came early to find the Card Master, before the most of the stalls had even finished setting up. The real traffic would be coming soon. 

I hope you're not short on time, Princess. We haven't even seen to the Jack of Dogs.

Celestia turned her head back to the game. She lifted her figurine and moved it down to the next card. She held her breath when it was revealed, unsure whether the Card Master was playing rushing the game or if she was that lucky. The card read, "The Jack of Dogs."

Lucky us, I thought we'd be here all morning. You've already surpassed the average lifespan of a game, so don't feel bad if you lose now.

Celestia looked up and glared at the Card Master's hooded face. "I've faced worse things in your game, out there in the real world. I'll win before the Exchange is over and see that you never harm my citizens again."

I eagerly await.

The Card Master and the table sank into the ground, and once again Celestia found herself standing in the dark fog. Her gruesome ax, bloody and burning, was at her side, levitating defensively. Her gifted shield, light yet impenetrable, was strapped to her left wing. Flight would not be an option. She wouldn't need it however; rocks crawled up the walls and stone took the place of wood and fabric. She was in the Jack of Dogs' lair, deep in an underground system. 

Oh, and one last thing. The Jack's bodyguards of course.

Two cards materialized in front of Celestia, hovering inches from her face. They spun around, revealing all the creatures she would have to slay. The cards read, "The Six of Shadows," and "The Four of Changelings."

The tunnels were dark, but Celestia was still the princess of the sun, and she summoned her light to illuminate the stretch of the tunnel. With no shadows to hide behind, three pony silhouettes were revealed. They were nothing more than solid black, slowly burning away at Celestia's light. 

With ease she cleaved through their bodies, turning them to flakes of black crystals. Her burning gaze tore through the tunnel, blinding every shadow and changeling, bending them to her might. In minutes, Celestia stood at the entrance to the Jack's throne room. The Jack was a brutish diamond dog, large in stature but small in mind. Enraged by the light he hurled his broadsword across the room, only to destroy his own armor stands. 

Celestia held her shield up and charged the Jack, deflecting his punches easily and scoring a debilitating blow to his chest. But the Jack was fast, and returned with a powerful swipe across her face, sending Celestia ten feet across the room and into the cold stone wall. He howled, "The jewels belong to me! No ponies shall touch them!" before rushing at Celestia. 

Celestia reacted at the last second, dropping her body down and raising the shield up at an angle. On impact, the magic in the shield flared, erupting in a fury of white light and blasting the Jack up into the ceiling of his throne room. Coming down, Celestia focus her magic into a blast that caught the Jack mid air and returned him up into the stone ceiling. Celestia got up on her hooves and rushed to reach the Jack as he impacted the ground, spinning with her ax and plunging it into the chest of the Jack. 

At that moment, the entire cavern shattered. Celestia was once again surrounded by the dark fog. Though she tried to resist it's power so she might see how the Card Master returned with the table, she was once again blinded and rendered unconscious. 


=============================================================


A stunning victory, I'm sure, but you have much more work to do Princess. Here, a gift for the Jack's quick defeat.

The Card Master handed Celestia the card this time, rather than with his strange magic ways. She managed to catch a glimpse of the old stallion's arm. They were tattooed with archaic runes that glowed and shifted around like the images on the cards. The card Celestia received was unlike any other blessing card she received. It didn't feel empowering or exciting, it was relaxing, loving, and nostalgic. She noticed the different marking on the edges of the card too. While the card's back was still engraved with her cutie mark, the borders were not a solid dark brown like the Card Master's, they were dark blue, and decorated with a pattern of crescent moons. 

Celestia glanced away from the card and looked at the Card Master. "This is not one of your cards, is it?"

Clever Princess. No, it isn't. It's a gift from the outside.

Celestia returned her gaze to the card and touched it with her hoof. The card lit brightly, blazing moonlight strait into Celestia's eyes. For a second she was blinded, but when the burning light stopped she opened her eyes again. The Card Master was still there, but faded. The whole tent, in fact, was faded, like an image behind heavily stained glass. In place of the tent Celestia saw her sister, Luna, in a dungeon, fighting Timberwolves and Changelings.

Luna's voice echoed inside her head, like a far off recording. 

Dear Sister, I do not know how long this trial shall be for me, or whether or not I shall succeed, so this is the trail I will leave for you. This is the next challenge you face, the Jack of Dragons. His cave will be precariously filled with traps and fire, and the Card Master will draw four cards as the Jack's minions. Seek out blessings and armor resistant to acid and poison, not fire. It's the Card Master's trick, he wants you to prepare for the dragon's fire, however the dungeon's traps will hurt the most. Acid and poison my sister, remember this and remember me, please.

Celestia gasped, awake and shivering. 

A powerful card, I presume. I did not think she could do it, but the magic worked astonishingly well. Now, shall we continue?

The Card Master waved his hoof and the tabled cleared. A small deck, the first one Celestia drew from, materialized onto the desk. Celestia hesitated on which card to draw, but knew it wouldn't matter. According to her sister she was bound to draw the dragon. Maybe the cards were rigged. No, she knew they were in the Card Masters favor. 

Celestia drew the card from the bottom and read it. "The Jack of Dragons," was burned onto the card. Every piece of the card was themed with fire, the card itself was too hot to touch without magic. But if Luna said it was a trick, then she would have faith in her. 

You seem confident. Of course you do, the last one was so easy, and I'm sure you've dealt with real dragons before. So let's begin.