//------------------------------// // Chapter 8: Crystal Chess // Story: My Little Pony (R:G5): Ponies Unite! (Book 1: A New Generation) // by Kibat Grenbuku //------------------------------// Aerovad paced as he shot his spell arrows from his horn at the barks of the trees, small pieces ricocheted off from the placed shots. He was furious as a million thoughts went through his head. How is it possible for a foal like her to wield such power? Why are is siblings not taking his side of this matter? Who could he turn to if said siblings turned against him? Would they even care? No he thought to himself, Gaialum and Luvios have done nothing, but stay on the sidelines observing. Observe. That’s what they’ve done for past five hundred years. Nothing but watching the foolish mortals just go by and allow that freak of abomination that is Sunny Starscout. As charged he shot another and blast it towards at another tree, a armored hoof got the shot. Looking at owner of said hoof, it was his sister. “Every living being, including plants,” Gaialum lectured, “deserve respect.” Aerovad chuckles a scoff, “You came here to lecture me again about choices, or are you here to help me? Because if it’s the latter, then you’re going to regret crossing me.” “Your ambition with this child is poisoning you brother,” she tells him, walking up to him, “if you continue on this journey of insanity, you’ll spark a war again the mortals.” “Spark a war with them?” He questions giving her a suspicious look, “Have you seen those ponies? They’re completely out of the loop and out of touch with magic. When that child is destroyed, the master’s plan will come to fruition.” She groaned as she puts her forehoof on the bridge of her nose, “You honestly think that by destroying the filly, that the war of Skyros can be avoided? Whether you believe it or not, no matter what we do, war is inevitable.” She turned away as she continues on, “My brother, you must give up this ambition… and I suggest that you abandon it completely. Otherwise, there will be serious consequences.” She could sense the wind’s howl, knowing that’s brother’s anger had begun to rise. “If I knew any better…” he growls, “You planned this from the start… Traitor!!” She turns around to look at him, casting a shield of magical energy from her brother’s attack. “You would dare accuse me of treason for the fall of Skyros?! Have you lost your mind?!” “No!” He screams, “I understand completely! You and Opaline planned all of this! Even Luvios! You’re all traitors! ALL OF YOU!!!” There it was, the broken sanity finally shatters, the wind’s began to pick up. She sighed as she took one last glance that what she thought was her brother. “If you refuse heed my warning,” she took off her cloak, unveiling her gold, silver, and brass armor, summoning a magical blade from her horn and got into a defensive stance, “Then I’m left with no choice, but to strike you down myself.” “You’re welcome to try, dear ‘sister,’” he growls, summoning his dagger and energy blade from his horn. Both let out their own war cry and charged. The battle against two powerful forces of nature has begun. The Unicorns and disguised Champions gathered around, watching anxiously as a nervous Izzy and Alphabittle sat from either end of the square table. Argyle sat at the right side of the table and placed a fourteen by fourteen chessboard. The board was polished and shiny, like as if it was taken proper care. The black and white tiles were made obsidian and pearl, as were the pieces, but those caught the attention of Sunny, Izzy, and Zipp, the first pieces on pearl white bases shared the colors of their pelts, but along with those, four other pieces’s colors consisted of charcoal black, cyan blue, pale yellow, and light pink. The pieces on the black bases were also in different colors; bright gold, sickly green, fiery red and orange, dark purple, crimson red, navy blue, and smokey black. “Zipp,” Sunny whispered, “Check out the pieces.” Zipp nods as he said, “I can tell. Three of the seven pieces, they have our colors.” But then question came to the apricot mare’s mind when she asked quietly, “But who are the others?” The Prince shook his head with a shrug. “Alright, here’s how this version works,” Argyle explains as he places the pieces on either side of the board, “This is a best two out of three chess game. Each player has seven pieces. The goal of each round is to eliminate all seven of the opponents pieces off the board. Stage one is the standard way of playing chess.” “As it should be.” Alphabittle said sternly. “Ah, but here’s where things get… tricky.” The silver pony further explains, “In stage two, the tiles will rise by the height of the base, or half the height of the piece. I suggest you’d be careful with how and where you move your pieces, they can be a little… mischievous. They happen to have a habit of change heights after a round.” “And the third stage?” Izzy nervously ask. “If both players win a stage,” Argyle tells them, “stage three will consist of two pieces each of player’s choosing, and the board’s six by six center tiles will be raised, but I suggest you’d pick up the pace as after a round, the tiles will drop. The first player eliminates one or both of the opponent’s pieces wins the game. Are we clear.” “U-uh, yeah! Crystal! Eheheh…” Izzy gives an anxious giggle, while the gray stallion just gives her a look of superiority. Pipp whispers to the other, “Oh, I don’t like where this is going.” “Neither do I,” Misty said quietly, “Dad’s not a slouch when it comes to chess.” Hitch then asked her, “When was the last time he played?” Misty looked at the two ponies, specifically her friend and said, “It was with Mr. Moonarrow. They we’re tied the last time with Mr. Moonarrow picking up a win five days before he left Bridlewood.” Lampwick went to his niece’s side and tells her, “You got this Izzy Bee, I know you can win this.” She nods as she took a deep breath and Argyle says, “Well then, without any further delay, Alphabittle, you may begin when ready.” And without any hesitation, the gray stallion began to make his first move, taking the smokey black piece from A1 to A3. Izzy once again just give the gray stallion a weak smile as she gulps, “Oh boy…” she looks down at the board. Pipp leaned to Argyle and asks, “Um, not be rude with your choice of to take on Mr. Grumpypants here, but why Izzy? I mean, aside from her dad playing against him the past couple of times, but you see how scared she is to face him.” “You just answered yourself,” He explains quietly, “Her dad faced him before. Plus, if she wants to overcome her fear of facing the Tribe’s chief, she must overcome another obstacle, herself.” They observe as the lavender Unicorn began to make her own move by taking the lavender to one square, once again flashing a weak smile. “Oh, I am sooo disappointed.” Alphabittle said quietly, unimpressed as he shook his head. Adding further insult to injury as the game goes on for what felt like ten minutes, Izzy was not performing well, already losing five of her white pieces and she only eliminated Alphabittle’s black piece. Once again, a look of superiority emerged on his face as he tells Izzy, “You’re faltering. Obvious that you never played chess before.” Izzy just gulped again as she said with a nervous giggle, “N-never too late to learn! R-right?” The gray stallion shook his head as proceeded to move his piece, and slid the white piece, placing it where it once stood. “Argyle,” the Pegasus Prince whispered, “You gotta pull her out of the match. She’s going to make a fool of herself in the second round!” The silver Earth Pony shook his head as he tells him, “Izzy can win this. Just give her time to fully process the game.” “Fu-fully process the game? She’s a nervous wreck out there!” “Zipp, please. Trust me.” Zipp could only sigh frustrated as he witnessed Alphabittle took Izzy’s last white piece, earning a groan from the crowd. Argyle looks as he once again went to the side of the table as he announces, “Winner of the first round goes to the Unicorn Tribe’s chief, Alphabittle!” Once the silver pony returns the pieces to their respective sides, Izzy looked at the stallion and whispers, “Do you see what Misty and I mean?! I can’t beat him!” “Izzy, calm down.” He tells her as he took a seat, “I know you can win this. I have faith.” “How?” “Don’t think like a regular chess player in the next round.” Argyle advises, “You’re a creative mare Izzy, find an angle within the playing field. And don’t be scared of the chief. Every champion will make a mistake in every game, and here in the next round, the tiles move, he isn’t going to expect this.” He places his forehoof on her shoulder as he said, “You may have lost the first round, but I know you can bounce back. Go show him what your creativity can inspire to everypony here.” The silver stallion returns to his friends in the crowd, which Sunny said, “I got a bad feeling about this.” “Eh, it’ll wear off.” Argyle said with a shrug. As the second round starts, the tiles suddenly popped up at different heights that the silver Earth Pony described earlier. The gray stallion made his first move once again, this time moving the sickly green piece up to one square. Izzy looked at her pieces, then at Alphabittle’s pieces, now trying to come up with a strategy and to not let her opponent get the best of her again, she boldly decided to move her light pink piece. “Your move.” She said. The gray Unicorn was a little taken aback by her sudden confidence. Looking at her, his expression soften somewhat as he tells her, “You know, your father gave me the same expression whenever we played chess. For nearly nineteen years, he’s always wanting to prove himself to the tribe. Wanted to lead it one day to unity.” He then made his move. “Dad always has a good heart.” Izzy tells him, “And he was being honest you know. About the Unity Crystals.” “Elizabeth,” Alphabittle shook his head, “Archie’s research is nothing but gobbledegook. Besides, the other tribes are dangerous as they come.” Izzy then moved her piece to a raised tile as she said, “What if I tell you that all of us were played for generations, and my dad was right?” This earns a raised brow. “What do you mean?” He asked. “I mean that two Alicorns are the reason why all three of the tribes are segregated.” “Alicorns?” Alphabittle chuckled as he shook his head, “Izzy, those ponies haven’t appeared in centuries. I doubt that they even here today.” Aerovad kept firing shot after shot at his sister, as she hid behind bushes, trees, and other shrubs. “You can’t hide forever you traitor!” He shouts at her, charging up another shot, “My winds knows exactly where you are!” “Your head’s filled with too much hot air, brother.” She said as she burrows down into a tunnel she made, then casts two large vines behind him and tries to grab him by the wings. “The Master will be more than forgiving of you if you end this crusade.” “And lick his boots again like a pathetic sycophantic slave we were reduced to?” The green Alicorn asked scornfully, firing two more shots at the vines, then was about to resume his hunt for the Alicorn of Earth, but he then was caught off guard as an enormous tree erupted from the ground, it’s branches began whacking at him, acorns peppered at him. Having enough of the charade, his horn once again surges to form a blade and begins to cut down the branches. “The Master had always, always held us back! I will not let his paws stop me from achieving my goal!” She shook her head, she tried every bargaining plea for him, only to be given threats. “You really just want your horn and wings removed.” She said disappointed. As the winds blows harsher, she could barely hear what is surrounding her. Looking around the nearly bent trees that’s being pushed against the wind, she tries to locate her fallen brother, using her tracking magic. Her search was all for naught as when she turned around, she felt a sharped curved blade pierce her heart, making her gasp. Looking up to see her own brother, with a disappointed look of his own, he tells her, “You could’ve joined me dear sister… but no. You chose to stay on the sidelines and watch your plants grow and wilt on repeat. Your path is now clear. And now, you will wilt here and be one with your own garden of solitude.” Pulling the dagger out, letting out a mist of green from the puncture wound, the emerald green Alicorn face his back to his sister and leaves the area. Gaialum collapsed on the ground, gasping as she clings on for her life. She knew that she would have to face it one day… but she never knew that it would be the day. She was going to die. If only she could’ve told her brother what Aerovad had done. … But… there is one that could stop him. If she could reach her in time, convince them that she is on their side, she could give them one last line of defense. One power that could stop the mad Alicorn for good. She had to get up. She had to get to the Prophecy’s Child. If this is the price to pay by helping the Master’s enemy… then so be it. Izzy was getting her confidence back and into her plan of the game, all the while as she continues about her proof of Aerovad. She then heard Alphabittle as he made his next move for one of his pieces, which he was only down to two, "If an Alicorn is indeed here, then why hasn't shown up here in Bridlewood?" She shrugs as she guesses, "Perhaps they wanted to? Perhaps there's a greater power that has forbidden them to make themselves known?" She looked at him with a cocky stare as she moved her piece against the gray stallion's as she then poses a question, "And if we're spinning the top on that question, if they were told not to... what would happen if one is to, oh, maybe, rebel against such a order?" The gray Unicorn chuckled again as he watches Izzy place his eliminated piece with the rest of them, comparing to the measly three from the light purple mare's pieces. "You're beginning to sound like your father the more you play. You sure it isn't the pressure of competition?" "Oh, it's on now." She tells him dead serious, taking the white piece as her next move. Throughout the game Izzy’s mind cogs were turning and spinning as if she sees a spot or a miscalculation that Alphabittle made, she’ll take the chance to make it as her move. Sunny was amazed from’s her friend’s creative tactics, as she whispers to Argyle, “Wow, Izzy’s been looking confident than the first round.” He chuckles, “See? Give anypony the time to learn and they might get the hang of it.” Sunny and Zipp nods in agreement as they watch Izzy eliminate another black piece. Only one more to go. “I’m worried though.” Zipp said, catching the silver stallion’s attention, “Say that they go into the third round, the pressure’s going to be on a lot with those two.” Argyle nods with another chuckle, which he covered his mouth with his forehoof. “What’s so funny?” Misty asked him. Composing himself, he tells them, “I’ll tell you later after the game.” The group got confused as he got up as they heard Izzy exclaim, “Checkmate!” An audience of cheers from the Unicorns was made. “Very well then.” Argyle tells them, “We move on to round three. Choose your two pieces.” As Izzy took the apricot and light pink pieces, Alphabittle’s brown eyes looked at the young Unicorn mare. He could think of their arguments and conversations they had in their younger years. His attention turned to an empty table where he originally sat at before the challenge was made. Just him and Archie Moonarrow, playing a good ol’ game of chess like… oh, how the memories flashed back in his mind. 13 Years earlier “Hey.” A young stallion’s voice caught Alphabittle’s attention, shaking his head, seeing a midnight indigo, skinny Unicorn stallion in his early twenties, with a short aurora blue and green, tidy mane, green fetlocks, and two different colored eyes, blue on his right, and green on his left. “We’re still playing, or did you already waved your white flag?” He asked with a tease. The young gray stallion shook his head as he tells him, “Just getting started old friend.” Archie gave him a kind smile as they continued on with their game of chess. As they play, the indigo Unicorn questions him, “You seem to be lost. Something on your mind?” “Your Lumi-seer lineage that you carry,” Alphabittle laments, looking out the window, rain pouring down outside, “You always seem to look at the brighter side of life. But, where is the brightness in you coming from?” He shook his head as he looked at his friend, “I mean, look around Archie. The crystals in Bridlewood hasn’t been luminous for centuries. Nopony celebrates anything anymore, not even on somepony’s birthday, they just don’t have such positivity.” After he moved one of the white pawn pieces, Archie then looked out the window. “You’re just afraid to get wet.” “What?” “Look outside Alpha,” He lectures his friend, urging him to look. The gray stallion does so as Archie asks, “Aside from the trees, the greenery, and the crystals, what do you currently see?” He looks nonchalantly, then Alphabittle replies plainly, “All I see is rain.” Archie gave him a caring smile and asks, “Are you afraid of getting wet?” “Pfft, no, of course not. That’s why we have umbrellas.” “But say that, and raincoats, or anything to protect you from the rain aren’t options, are you still afraid of getting wet?” Alphabittle’s brow rose in confusion and tells him, “No, I’m not afraid.” Archie held his gaze outside and asks, “You’d say that, but deep down, you’d wanted to control the downpour so you wouldn’t have to. Everypony here, and the other tribes, are getting themselves drenched in this downpour of pessimism. Telling yourself it’s no use. Nothing seems exciting anymore. You want that downpour to stop, but by keep thinking about the negatives, you’re just drowning yourself in hopelessness.” Whatever happened to the tough guy Alphabittle I use to know? The old gray stallion looks at his black based pieces, he stares at the navy blue and smokey black ones. The friendship they shared and had for years, yet still he’s been the same old grumpy chief that gets constantly teased about by Archie. Taking navy blue and gold and place them on the board, the tiles began to rise at the height of the pieces as a six by six area. I’m the same stallion you always knew Archie. "The tiles has been raised." Argyle said as if he's suddenly commentating the outcome, "Remember, the tiles will drop after each turn has been play, so I suggest that you keep your composure and think very, very, carefully." Hearing that bass drop in his tone at the end with the group seemed to be nerved slight as Pipp chuckled awkwardly, "Rrrrright, ehehe... no pressure or anything." While a stare down between the two Unicorns, as Lampwick looks at his niece hopefully. As she won the last round, Izzy went first as she moved the apricot piece two squares forward. Alphabittle could tell that his old friend’s daughter has his fighting spirit. He believes that it’ll be interesting as he moved his navy blue piece. Suddenly, the upper left tile at the center of the board quickly slinked back down, catching both players by surprise, especially Lampwick. “Great Scott!” The wacky maned stallion exclaims quietly, “I never seen a tile move that quickly!” Argyle chuckled from the older pony’s reaction, “Well, you don’t what tile is going to drop, and if you come at a tie break, you best hope and pray that the one you’re on isn’t going to.” Izzy made analysis carefully as she move the light pink piece, and Sunny could tell that the cogs in her friend’s head is turning steadily. “She’s got an ace up her sleeve,” Sunny whispers to her friends, “I think she might win this.” “Let’s not jump to conclusions Sunny,” Hitch said back quietly, “Alphabittle might got something too.” No sooner than he said that, the gray stallion moves his gold piece. “See?” “Aren’t you over exaggerating here Hitch?” “He might,” Argyle tells the Pegasus Prince with a shrug, “He might not. We’ll just have to wait and see.” As the each of the pieces get closer, more tiles dropped like a snapping mousetrap. Izzy made her move as she began to eliminated the navy blue piece. Alphabittle chuckles as he shook his head. “Rookie mistake.” He said as he moved two squares in forward, just one square away from the apricot one. Izzy immediately took notice and panics, moving he light pink piece in between the others. Once again, the gray Unicorn shook his head, slowly than last time. “You put up a good game Moonbow,” he said as he eliminated the piece in front of the golden one, and now there was only two, “But now, this game has come to an end. Checkmate.” Suddenly a tile drops, causing Alphabittle to have him and Izzy to look at the board, their jaws nearly detached from their heads. The white tile that the gold piece was one dropped, leaving the apricot piece on the black tile standing tall and victorious. "I..." Izzy gasped, she slowly turned her head towards her friends, speechless, she then found her voice as she started quietly, "I-I won." Her voice gone to normal volume, "I won." Then cheers as she rushes to them, "I WON!!" She hugged Sunny, which surprised her for a second, but then returns the embrace. More cheers and praises filled the teahouse as other Unicorns gathered around. She's beaten the chief! Misty just looked at her father, an expressionless face was worn. She went to him, nervous at first, then she said with an awkward chuckle, "U-Um, s-some game, right? Ehehehe... R-right?" Alphabittle looked at his daughter, then back at the chessboard, the tile still raised with the apricot piece still on top. An acknowledged smile slowly crept upon his lips and nods. Relaxing his posture and looking up at the ceiling, he said to himself quietly, "You should be proud of her Archie." His sights returns to Izzy and her friends, getting up from the chair and walks to them and said, "I'll admit Moonbow, you're the first Unicorn of this generation to beat the Unicorn Tribe's chief. Never happened before over the possession of the Unicorn Crystal." He looks at the trophy, and went to go grab it. As he came back, he presented it to her and tells her, "Your father would be very proud of you." Izzy looks up at him as she took the trophy. She place it on the ground and hugged him, catching the gray stallion and everyone off guard for a moment as she tells him, "Dad would be proud of you too you know. Being a good sport." It took a moment for him to process the gesture and returns the favor, wrapping his forelegs around her. Pipp whispered to Misty, "Is she allowed to do that?" Misty just shook her head with a shrug, not knowing, nor did she care, neither wanting to ruin the moment either. Argyle then spoke up as he removed the Unicorn crystal, "I hate to cut the emotional moment short, but there is something else we must confess." Alphabittle released Izzy from the embrace, everyone was looking at the group as light purple Unicorn and Misty rejoins them as he continues on, "There's a real reason why we needed this crystal." "And what would that be?" Alphabittle asks. Argyle didn't answer at first, but then he removes his fake horn and every Unicorn gasps out of fear and shock as explains, "Unity. We came here for the Unity of the three tribes." Alphabittle then scowls at Izzy as the crowd murmurs in fright as the others removed their fake horns and cloaks, but he hears Argyle go on, "Fret not my fellow ponies. The myths about the other tribes being the enemy has been nothing but a lie by the Alicorns." "And we have proof." Sunny tells them, taking the helm of the explanation, "Alphabittle, you asked why haven't the other Alicorns haven't appeared... It's because of me." The gray stallion was confused. Sensing the confusion, Hitch tells him, "I think you may need to sit down for this, there's a lot you don't know." Suddenly, the doors burst open, scaring the Unicorns and startling the Champions of Unity. A wounded golden yellow Alicorn wearing armor and a earth brown mask, grunting in pain as she looked at Sunny. "Ch-Child..." She groaned out and passed out on the floor. Both Hitch and Zipp went to the stranger and noticed the wound. Both of them gasped in shock. Zipp turned to them and exclaimed in urgency, "She's injured!"