Chapter 9

Checkmate

Checkmate got up just before sunrise, by now everything would be in place he just needed to move one final piece. He removed the hospital gown and took one last look at his scar, he no longer viewed it as a reminder of the dangers of trust, just a very bad time in his life. He smiled at his somber thoughts and put on his tattered uniform and saddle bags before finally attaching Pickin's gift to his back, Pickin made it a little to big to wear on the flank, but it felt like little more than a feather. Now that he was prepared he made his way to the front desk.

"I'll be leaving now." He stated making it clear he wouldn't change his mind.

"Very well, just remember to take it easy. Your ribs are still very fragile right now."

"Thank you, if anyone comes looking for me tell them I am taking a scenic route to Canterlot, going a ways south first." The receptionist nodded and he left the hospital.

Checkmate made sure no pony spotted him as he left the town to the northeast, heading straight for Canterlot, he couldn't risk his ruse being discovered. As the sun neared it's apex Checkmate stopped atop a small hill.

"This looks like a good place." He sat down and pulled a daisy sandwich out of his saddlebag and slowly started eating. Once he had finished he removed a chess set and set it up, and almost like he was queued for it Overlord landed in front of the General.

"Even when you're resting you can't help but pull out a chess board?" Overlord seemed amused by this fact.

"Well, I have to keep practicing. I know you're here to kill me but perhaps you will grant me one last game." Checkmate waved to the black side of the board as he looked at the alicorn.

"Amusing last request, very well. You get one game, would you care to make it interesting?" Checkmate nodded with a smile. "Very well, if you win I will kill you quietly, no pony will know your dead, you'll just vanish. If I win, you will accompany me to Ponyville for a public execution."

"Very well, I wouldn't want my men to be discouraged by my death." Checkmate was calm and collected.

"You are awfully calm for a pony about to die." The alicorn eyed him suspiciously.

"Of course, I took a gamble. I thought I could sneak away alone, but it appears that did not happen. There is no point panicking now, I might as well enjoy what time I have left."

"As expected of one so logical. Very well, seeing how you made the first move in our actual fight, it seems fitting you should do such in this game."

"First, may I provide an extra layer of interest? It doesn't seem terribly entertaining for you that either way I die."

"Speak." Overlord was curious about what he thought would be interesting.

"Well, how about if I beat you without losing anything more than a pawn you allow me to live." This was interesting, and thinking it impossible the alicorn nodded.

"Very well, now make your move." Checkmate, almost as if to taunt his opponent started by moving a knight in front of his pawns.

"Since this may be a while, due to my slight handicap, perhaps you could fill me in on something?" The alicorn made his move, opening up his queen and king side bishop.

"Oh? What might that be?"

"You said something about 'raising' me, would you kindly elaborate." The game progressed very slowly from there as Checkmate made sure to understand every angle before moving.

"Oh yes, I think I can grant you that. You see, I was very interested in you ever since our game way back before you joined the military." Checkmate assumed he was traveling in disguise at that point so he allowed the alicorn to continue. "I always knew you had a keen mind for tactics, and considering you didn't have your cutie mark at that point I figured it was somewhere else that it would truly shine."

"Ah, so you predicted my military capabilities. Not bad." The alicorn nodded with a smile; this was rather amusing and gave new meaning to 'playing with your prey'.

"Correct. However such things as friendship tend to cloud such a mind and wouldn't allow you to reach your full potential. So, before I could cultivate your talents I had to remove your faith in friends." Checkmate nodded his understanding as he safely took one of Overlord's bishops. "My, my, your skill has only improved hasn't it?"

"Yes, weekly games with your youngest sister has permitted me plenty of practice, and the 21st battalion has a vault of bits to anyone who can beat me. Cost a bit for a chance to win it, so plenty have tried." Overlord chuckled at this.

"Well as I was saying, I used a little magic to disguise myself as a mare. Embarrassing I know, but necessary to get close to your friend... Pickin wasn't it? After that a very subtle amount of mind control got him to tell me your secret, even if I already knew I had to be sure he told me."

"Ah, so that's why. Huh, and I thought it was just him being love-drunk." Checkmate smiled as he ever so slowly gained position. Overlord started to slow his moves to try to create a solid defense.

"No, it was me. After that I knew you would be wary of the thought, but not completely opposed to it. So I had to give you a bigger push. Oh how easy it was, show up a few years later with some big apology and then I just had to integrate myself with you."

"I see. You aren't a terrible tactician yourself." Checkmate nodded at his musings.

"Centuries of practice. After I became your friend, all it took was a major betrayal. Luckily there Griffon Kingdom was getting a little aggressive. A couple of small nudges, a pay off to a little known mare, and there we have your first near death experience."

"So you had that perfect chance to kill me yet you chose to only maim, may I ask why?"

"Simple, I didn't know you would be so immovable, I figured once you lost friendship you would also lose your loyalty." Checkmate nodded, it wasn't a bad assumption. Ponies typically chose their allegiances on personal gain. More often than not trying to protect those they care about, a pony who didn't care about anyone would have no reason to remain loyal to one side or another.

"An error on your part it seems. Unfortunately, though I didn't care for any pony, I still maintained a resolute sense of honor, only breaking it for a tactical advantage." Overlord nodded as Checkmate took a rook by a long range bishop move.

"A minor miss-calculation. No matter how skilled of a tactician you are I have the advantage in combat."

"This is true, which is why I am hinging my life on this game. I knew you wouldn't allow me to live just by winning so I took a handicap."

"True, and even so you are doing rather well, but I still do not believe what you aim for is possible."

"Well then we will have to play it out to see. If you don't mind me asking, when did you leave to come after me?" Checkmate looked Overlord dead in the eye with a slight smirk as he took the queen.

"Wow, not even my queen could get away from you. Why do you ask?"

"Curiosity." The game was slowly starting to pick up pace as Checkmate's movement became more aggressive.

"Sunrise, I had hoped to follow you out of the city but you were already gone."

"I see."

"The receptionist told me you were going south. Pity I fly faster than your broken body can walk."

"Isn't it?" Checkmate took a knight, still not losing his stronger pieces.

"Though it wasn't a bad idea, if you had made it a couple more miles the fork in the road may have distracted me a little longer."

"Ah, yes, but after the damage you did the aches forced me to stop here." Checkmate's eyes kind of glazed over, as if he was thinking, though he didn't stop playing.

"So what does it matter anyway?"

"hold on a second." Checkmate took the other knight. "Let's see, fifteen minutes for message delivery." The game was moving pretty fast, each taking their turns in seconds. "half hour briefing, half hour traveling. You left at sunrise which was about 3 hours ago, which leaves an hour and forty-five minutes."

"What in Equestria are you talking about?" Checkmate smiled, he didn't even have to stall.

"What am I talking about? I'm talking about..." With no small amount of flourish Checkmate moved his knight within striking distance of Overlord's king. "Checkmate."

Overlord looked at the board and sure enough it was. The queen and rooks each had a side of his king covered, the bishops overlapped the rooks' at the front and Checkmate's other knight covered the only other possible square. Checkmate did it, he won without losing a single piece larger than a pawn.

"Alright, so you won. What does that have to do with..." Overlord trailed off realizing what had just happened.

"Finally you caught up. You see I know how the troops talk, they will never shut up about the latest gossip, oddly like a group of old mares. I had a few prisoner's taken, just enough to fill that old jail carriage. One of them was bound to get the damaged cell and escape. So, when I informed the men I would be making my way to Canterlot I knew that the one prisoner was bound to hear and take the information back to you." Overlord shook his head and signs of rage could easily be seen all over the stallions face. "You were the only piece too powerful for my men to handle, moving like a queen and a knight at the same time, so once you were gone a had my men attack you stronghold. Considering you only found about half of my spies the rest could easily open the gates and allow a very quick battle. It may have lasted about half an hour at most, overwhelming numbers and all. Now you have absolutely no pieces left to move, as powerful a king as you are, you have no hopes of winning without your pawns."

Overlord's rage exploded and in his tantrum he cast a fireball directly at Checkmate, but with a swift move and a little magic Pickin's blade was already in the way and the spell fizzled.

"Old craft won't save you! You will DIE!" Checkmate slowly backed up parrying every fireball shot at him, when he was far enough away he dropped his guard for only a split second between casts and shot a flare up into the sky. Within moments Overlord felt the presence of six ponies behind him.

"Glad you all could make it."

"Ah promised Twilight ah'd be here so here I am."

"Well, I couldn't let some ruffian harm my best friends could I?"

"Oh... um... I'm glad I could help."

"I'd never leave my friends hangin."

"Oh I love this part, it's just so much FUN!"

"Alright girls, are you ready." The response came in perfect unison.

"Ready!" The six ponies levitated into the air as their necklaces and tiara glowed.

"No. NO! You can't beat me. I am the Overlord! King of the Earth!"

The glow from their jewelry shot forth turning into a beautiful yet somewhat violent looking rainbow that washed over Overlord. As the rainbow vanished it revealed a slightly different unconcious alicorn, not changing much in size he no longer posses his magma colored mane but instead it was a beautiful grass green.

"Miss Sparkle, would you like to do the honors?"

"Oh no General, it was your plan, you should." Checkmate smiled as he fired a second flare into the sky and moments later Princess Celestia and Princess Luna landed on the hill top.

"General, I am even more impressed than usual." Said Celestia as she approached her unconscious brother.

"I told you Twilight Sparkle, when General Checkmate has a plan he's willing to bet his life on, it will succeed." Twilight nodded at Luna's words and watched Celestia nudge the Prince awake.

The Prince slowly woke up and got to his hooves, refusing to look his sisters in the eye.

"Forgive me sister, I know I became selfish and greedy." Prince Terra spoke with a sincere voice as he finally met Celestia's gaze.

"All is forgiven, you have learned your error. Now Prince Terra, it has been far too long since you have sat on an Equestrian throne. Will you please return to Canterlot with us?"

"No. Over the millennia I have harmed many ponies, not just pegasi and unicorns but also my cherished earth ponies. Before I may return to Canterlot I wish to earn the forgiveness of them and their descendants." Celestia nodded.

"Very well, but remember, if you are ever weary from your travels the doors of Canterlot Castle will always be open to you."

"Oh, Checkmate, I never got to ask..." Pinkie Pie burst out wrecking an otherwise touching moment. "Why did you need my party cannon?"

"Well," Checkmate smiled to her, "If you would all like to accompany me back to camp I will show you. That includes you three as well, I can't leave royalty out of this."

"Forgive me, but I must decline. I must get working on my task as soon as I can." Terra turned to leave.

"Well, I believe a good place to start that is with the injured troops of your most recent conflict." Terra could not argue with that and followed along silently.

As they entered the camp the soldiers saluted the three members of royalty, first general and the wielders of the elements. The six mares only barely accustomed to this treatment did there best to walk tall, except Fluttershy who could only barely fight the urge to run away. As Checkmate reached the the briefing stage he was met with the sight of two of his best friends, Pickin and Cassidy.

"Is everything ready?" Checkmate asked Cassidy.

"Yes sir, just as you ordered."

"Good. My ladies, my lord, you would you kindly accompany me on stage?" They gave each other a sideways glance before following Checkmate on stage. "Mares and gentle-colts, today we have had a great victory and removed a threat to Equestria, but even more momentous we have reunited the royal family with their long lost brother, Prince Terra. Now is a time to celebrate these great events. Prince Terra, would you do the honors?"

Checkmate motioned to a string in the podium and Terra, though very confused, pulled it. Suddenly a loud bang was heard from behind the stage and the entire came instantly became decorated for a Pinkie Pie style party.

"We may want to get off the stage now."

Checkmate rushed the royal family off the stage as it cracked open and Vinyl Scratch rose up riding on a DJ booth. The music started booming and the party was set in full motion, to much of Pinkie Pie's delight. As the party stretch into the night Checkmate pulled Princess Celestia off to a quiet corner of the camp.

"Your highness, I have a request." Celestia raised an eyebrow, Checkmate never asked for anything except for military permission, what was he going to ask for now?

"Yes, General?"

"I would like to personally oversee the construction of and daily running of a military academy here in Ponyville."

"Is that it?" Celestia chuckled a little, "And why is that?"

"Because," Checkmate blushed a little and threw out a half-assed lie, "The atmosphere here is relaxing and will allow the trainees to work harder each day."

"Very well." Celestia knew that wasn't the real reason but let it slide. "Now, let us return to your wonderful party."

Checkmate nodded and as they were returning he noticed Twilight and Fluttershy having a quite conversation of their own. He quickly approached not disguising his presence to give them time to hide their secrets.

"Pardon me. Twilight, perhaps after you're done here you would like to meet me in my tent for a relaxing game of chess?"

"Oh, sure. It would be my pleasure."

With that done Checkmate continued towards the heart of the party to do some final mingling before he vanished. After a few quick conversations he discovered Cassidy sitting off by herself. He approached and sat next to her.

"Now why are you sitting over here by yourself? You should enjoy the party."

"I know, but she's out there somewhere... I don't want to run into her and feel that awkwardness."

Cassidy suddenly moved in close to Checkmate and lowered her head trying to hide from something. He turned to See Twilight and Fluttershy approaching them, before they got too close Checkmate looked down at the cowering pegasus.

"You shouldn't hide from it, considering you're departure I doubt you got an actual answer. Talk to her, find out." Cassidy nodded and sat back up though slightly more hunched over than before.

"Hello General," Twilight called out as they approached, "are you ready for that game?"

"Yes," Checkmate stood up and started leading her away, "Let's leave these two to talk things over. Oh, and you get the special privilege of calling me 'Checks'."

Twilight chuckled and they made their way into his tent. Checkmate sat down on the black side and Twilight took white. They began their game and kept up a very lively conversation, Checkmate was thoroughly enjoying this game and wasn't really trying too hard, though still trying. He let his mind wander to the first night and the stallion he was before then, but his musings were cut off by something unexpected.

"Checkmate?"

"I'm paying attention, and I thought I said you could call me Checks." Twilight chuckled.

"No, not you." She reassessed the board and nodded, "Yep, checkmate."

He looked down at the board and smiled before leaning halfway across the board, not angry but curious.

"How did you beat me?" Checkmate asked.

"Well..." Twilight teasingly leaned in till she was just an inch from his face "I kept you talking."

Checkmate's heart was pounding, he didn't understand how but this mare did something to him and again before his brain could intervene he leaned in placing his lips to hers. After a few seconds the surprise faded and she returned the kiss in full. They did not return to the party, but instead opted for something best left behind closed doors... or tent flaps.

Authors note: And that's the end. I hope you guys liked it. Please, give me any and all feedback. Chapter 1 of the sequel will be out next week, should be good. See you all then.