//------------------------------//
// Flanking Attack 
// Story: Masters of Magic: The Gathering 
// by Mod On Death 
//------------------------------//

	Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom spent the night looking over their decks and figuring out the best tactics. They play tested their decks over and over again until they came up with what they believed was the perfect strategy to defeating Diamond Tiara. Simply put, their decks did not seem like they would work well on their own, so the only real way to defeat her would be to work together and play her at the same time. They weren't really sure if this was fair, but it seemed like the only way that they'd be able to defeat her. 
The next day when they got to school they approached Diamond Tiara while she was talking to Silver Spoon.
"Diamond Tiara! We're calling you out!" the three yelled. 
"Huh?" She had no idea what they were talking about.
"The three of us challenge you to a fight at the same time!" Sweetie Belle yelled out, drawing the attention of the students already there.
"You mean it's going to take three of you to try and defeat me? I think you guys forgot your original goal of proving I wasn't the best player here. I mean, it isn't exactly fair." The three didn't want to admit that Diamond Tiara had a point, but it really was obvious.
"Yeah! Well...um...if you're really that good it shouldn't be too difficult, right?" Scootaloo was trying to create a good excuse to have three-on-one, and that was the closest she could manage.
Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes back and said, "Fine. Just make sure to have your decks ready and we'll play right as recess starts. It might take longer than usual." She walked away with her friend and took her seat, waiting for class to start.
"Alright. Now all we have to do is remember what each of our decks are good at and we'll win for sure." Apple Bloom was sure that they'd win. The combined power of three decks would be able to crush anything that Diamond Tiara was able to summon. They gave each other a high hoof and proceeded to their seats, awaiting the game they would take part in.





It seemed like forever until recess began. The girls had a hard time focusing on schoolwork and were barely concentrating on what was going on in class. Diamond Tiara had no trouble doing any of that, acting as if she were the teacher's pet with how well she was answering all those questions. When the bell finally rung the students poured out and waited around the park table, hoping to see how this card battle would go.
The first ones to show up were the CMC. They each took a seat around the table and awaited their opponent. While waiting they shuffled their decks, wondering if Tiara had decided to play chicken.
Their suspicions were soon put to rest as she came out, her deck in her carrying pack. She took the cards and and started shuffling them. In the time it took the CMC to shuffle theirs with a head start, Tiara did hers in half of that.
"Now, since the three of you are playing against me, I think it's a bit unfair that I start with almost nothing. After all, don't we want to at least attempt to be fair?" The CMC knew that Diamond Tiara had a point.
"Alright. What would you like to equal things out?" Scootaloo hoped that whatever she asked for wasn't too much.
"I would like to start the game with just one Land in play. Does that sound fair?"
"Sure. Choose one from your deck and shuffle." Tiara did just that, playing a Plains land from her deck and then doing a quick shuffle. "Since you're the one being challenged, do you want to go first?" 
"Sure. We go clockwise from there. First it's me, then Apple Bloom, then Scootaloo, and finally Sweetie Belle before starting over." Diamond Tiara seemed incredible comfortable doing all of this. "Now, let's play. I play a Plains card and end my turn."
"I draw and play a Swamp. That'll be my turn," Apple Bloom said.
"I draw and play an Island and that's it." 
"I draw and...uh, I discard." The group looked at Sweetie Belle, who apparently had no Lands to play. "What? I didn't want to draw again. It'd take too long." Her friends facehoofed at that, the audience groaning as well.
"Alright. I draw, play an Island, and tap to summon Voiceless Spirit. That's it." Things were already looking bad for the group. Diamond Tiara already had a creature on the field. Not only that, but it could both fly and could attack first.
"Okay then. I draw, play a Swamp and summon Child of the Night."
"My turn!" Scootloo yelled. "I draw, play an Mountain, and I summon Dragon Hatchling!"
"I draw and...discard." The group was starting to get annoyed with Sweetie Belle's terrible hand.
"Draw, play Island, tap to summon Moon Heron." The group was starting to see a common theme with Diamond Tiara's cards. They seemed to be Flying and Spirit types. This might be a bad sign for them. 
"I draw, play a Mountain, and I tap to summon Tenacious Dead." Diamond Tiara's eyes arched as she looked at the creature's ability. If she defeated the creature, Apple Bloom could tap a Swamp and another Land and keep it on the field. She'd have to find a way to deal with that.
"I draw, play a Mountain, and summon Goblin Shortcutter. I use his ability to make Moon Heron unable to block and tap a Mountain to activate Dragon Hatchling's ability to gain 1 attack damage. Go draggy!"
"I block with Voiceless Spirit. It has First Strike, meaning your creature gets damaged before mine." Scootaloo couldn't believe that she made a mistake like that again. She had to stop and actually read the creature's descriptions of abilities before doing stuff like that."
"My turn!" Sweetie Belle told them, drawing and hoping that she'd get something good. "I finally got an Island!" The group cheered and Sweetie Belle declared her turn over.
"I draw, play an Island, and tap to summon Gallows Warden. It's ability grants my Spirit creatures +1 to health. I now attack Apple Bloom with both Moon Heron and Voiceless Spirit." Apple Bloom couldn't block any of the flying creatures, resulting in 5 damage and her life points being reduced to 15.
"My turn," Apple Bloom said as she drew her card. "I draw, play a Swamp and summon Bogbrew Witch. I also attack with both Child of the Night and Tenacious Dead."
"I block Tenacious Dead with my Gallows Warden. I take two damage and you gain two life." Diamond Tiara knew she'd rather get rid of the regenerating creature before anything else. Apple Bloom now had 17 health while Tiara was at 18.
"Awesome! I can attack as well! I'll use my Goblin Shortcutter to attack and end my turn!" Tiara was now down to 16 health, but she considered it good fortune that Scootaloo was so hyped that she ended her turn early.
"Okay!" Sweetie Belle yelled, feeling like her luck had just begun. "I draw and play another Island! I tap those and summon Coral Merfolk."
"I draw, play Island, tap and summon Waxmane Baku and Azorius Herald. Waxmane Baku gains a counter for every Spirit or Arcane spell that is activated, which I can then use to tap a creature. Azorius Herald grants me 4 life upon being summoned, bringing me back to 20 health and giving me a counter. Also, it's unblockable." Diamond Tiara considered the field before making her next move. "I attack Apple Bloom with Azorius Herald and Gallows Warden, doing 5 damage and reducing your life to 12." Apple Bloom seemed like she could gain steam quickly.
"I draw, play a Swamp and tap to summon Bubbling Cauldron. I then tap Bogbrew Witch and summon Festering Newt. After that, I tap my Bubbling Cauldron and activate it's special ability by sacrificing the Newt to deal 4 damage to you and, uh, apparently you two as well." Apple Bloom motioned over to her two friends who were both surprised. 
"Wait, seriously?" Scootaloo couldn't believe that her friend just did that.
"Sorry. Technically it affects all the other players that aren't me. Good news is that I gain 12 health as well." 
"Awesome! Is that your turn?"
"Eeyup! Go ahead!"
"Right!" Scootaloo was feeling pumped after that last blow to Tiara. "I draw, play a Mountain, and tap all these lands to summon Nephalia Seakite! Your move, Sweetie Belle."
"On it. I draw and play an Island. I tap to summon Scroll Thief. That's it!" she said cheerfully.
"Well, you're certainly improving. I can say that at least. I draw a card and summon Lantern Spirit, providing a second counter for Waxmane Baku. I also tap and use Frozen Solid on Bogbrew Witch. This card prevents your creature from untapping. I also attack Sweetie Belle with Azorius Herald and Gallows Warden."
"Really?" Sweetie Belle was surprised by this. She couldn't block and was down to 11 health.
"My turn." Apple Bloom drew her card and declared, "I summon Sengir Vampire and end my turn."
"Okay. I play Disperse and use that to return Gallows Warden to your hand. Now, Nephalia Seakite and Goblin Shortcutter, attack!"
"I block the goblin with Voiceless Spirit and bird with my Lantern Spirit." The goblin was destroyed, but so was Diamond Tiara's Lantern Spirit." The crowd cheered as they saw one of her creatures finally get defeated.
"Is it my turn?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Go ahead."
"Alright! I draw and summon Seacoast Drake. That'll be my turn."
"My turn," Diamond Tiara said, agitated. She silently drew and said, "I play an Island and tap to cast Peel From Reality at the Sengir Vampire, meaning that that card returns to your hand. I have to do the same as well and choose Azorius Herald and summon Gallows Warden back. That's all."
"Okay. I draw and summon Sengir Vampire back. That'll be my turn," said Apple Bloom.
"I draw and summon Regathan Firecat. I also attack with my Nephalia Seakite." Scootaloo only just realized her mistake as she did just that.
"I block with Moon Heron. That might've worked had my Gallows Warden not been summoned again." Diamond Tiara smiled gently as her foe discarded the card into her graveyard. "Is that it?"
"Sure."
"My turn." Sweetie Belle drew and played an Island then summoned Water Servant, ending her turn. Diamond Tiara was starting to feel the heat.
"Okay." She drew a card and then said, "I summon Battlefield Geist to the field, granting me not only another token, but all Spirit Creatures +1 to attack. I tap one of my lands and use a token to tap Seacoast Drake and attack with Gallows Warden, Moon Heron, and Voiceless Spirit. dealing a total of 11 damage to Sweetie Belle directly." Tiara stopped talking for a moment to let that sink in. She then remembered that that was exactly how much life she had left, meaning she had lost. "Your turn Apple Bloom."
"I draw and play a Swamp. I then attack with-"
"I tap my land and use a counter to tap your Sengir Vampire," Diamond Tiara said, interrupting her plan. "Well, what were you going to attack with?"
"Uh, nothing." Apple Bloom's strategy was ruined. "I end my turn."
"Oh yeah? I attack with my cat!" Scootaloo yelled out."
"Alright. I lose 4 life," Tiara said calmly. "Is that your turn?" 
"Sure. Whatever. And-wait!" 
"Too late. You said you ended your turn." Scootaloo and Apple Bloom realized they had just dropped the ball on that one. They totally could have done more those turns. Instead, they acted irrationally and gave up their advantage. "Now, first thing is that draw, then I summon Azorius Herald back to the field, granting my 4 life again and boosting me to 16 health. Next, I tap a land, use a counter on Regathan Firecat, and I think I'll attack Scootaloo using Battleground Geist, Waxmane Baku, Gallows Warden, Moon Heron, and Voiceless Spirit. With the buff that Battleground Geist grants, that's a total of 17 damage, enough to destroy you."
"Oh yeah? Well here's my Chandra's Outrage!" Scootaloo tapped all her lands and cast the instant spell, attempting to save her hide. "This'll deal 4 damage to a selected creature AND 2 damage to you. I think that your Geist has lived long enough." The crowd cheered as Scootaloo announced this, but Diamond Tiara put her hoof up to silence them.
"Normally that'd work, but I cast Remand, so, nope." Scootaloo looked at Diamond Tiara's card and analyzed it. Apparently what it does is counter her spell and Tiara in return draws a card. With her saving card rebounded, Scootaloo faced her destruction. "Now, just one left."
"I won't go down easily! Apple Bloom said, drawing her card. "I summon Deathgaze Cockatrice and another Child of the Night! I now attack with-" 
"Tap," Diamond Tiara said, tapping her last available land. "Now I place a token on your vampire. Anything else?"
"Gah!" Apple Bloom screamed out at her plans being foiled.
"Since you have no more mana, it's my turn." Tiara drew her card and giggled. "Looks like I was lucky to draw two of the same card in a row. I tap and play two Midnight Haunting's, granting me four Spirits with 1 attack and 1 health. With the buffs, each is doubled. Now, I attack with Moon Heron, Voiceless Spirit, and Azorius Herald."
"I block Moon Heron with my Deathgaze Cockatrice, destroying it." Apple Bloom could do nothing else as the other creatures did 6 damage to her directly. She was now at 23 health. She lost her own creature as well. "Now I'll draw and summon another Sengir Vampire and attack with...yeah, I know what you'll do."
"Exactly." Diamond Tiara tapped her last available land and put a token on the vampire. "Now, is that all?" 
"I guess." Apple Bloom couldn't think of anything else she could do to save herself.
"Alright. I'll summon Chapel Geist, gain another token, use that token on your vampire, and attack with all my creatures doing a total of 24 damage, enough to defeat you." Diamond Tiara smiled lightly as she said this, Apple Bloom shocked at what had just happened. Even with the combined efforts of her friends, Diamond Tiara could not be defeated.
"Wow! She really is the best player around," somepony in the crowd said. Diamond Tiara picked up her cards just as the school bell rang.
"That was interesting," she told the three as she went into the schoolhouse, her classmates making way for her.
"Let's just go inside," Apple Bloom said, mortified at the fact that three ponies could not defeat her. Now things would probably be worse when she eventually started teasing them.
"So, what now?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"We need somepony with even greater skill than us."
"Or some dragon," Scootaloo said. "Think about it-Spike's had years of experience. All we need to do is get him a new deck and he'll be able to stand up to her."
"Alright. Our new mission will be to convince Spike to take up the Deck once more. Who's with me?"
"They can be with you after class," Cheerilee interrupted, sending the three inside. The battle may have been lost, but they would soon unleash a fearsome warrior.