//------------------------------// // Chess Pawns // Story: The Eventide Watch // by Sun Dial //------------------------------// 4:30.  Wake up, gather a couple of storm clouds for a shower, handle morning weather prep. 5:30. Return home, check on a snoozing coltfriend splayed across the couch with his tongue sticking out. Place a quick peck on the cheek and move to shower. 6:00. Make breakfast for two, set an alarm for Soarin. 6:30. Perimeter around Twilight’s castle secured. Wards anchored in the clouds are holding firm. Go over morning training routine. 7:00. Meet up with a yawning Lightning Dust, a way too cheerful for this early in the morning Sunset and Soarin. Start training. Keep myself to a light regiment, need to fly to Canterlot today. 8:30. Write up morning review on training and give the watch their orders for the day. 9:00. Check on Thunderlane and the twins. Write up morning weather report. 10:00. Deliver reports to postal office. Fly to Canterlot. 11:00. Report to Princess Celestia. Rainbow stared hard at the chessboard. She moved her rook forward. The princess’s knight glowed.  “Checkmate,” Celestia said, sipping tea from behind a report she was reading. “You’re learning quickly. It took me fifty-six moves.” The princess of the sun moved the pieces around, presenting yet another scenario for Rainbow Dash. They had played one normal game, before moving on to smaller scenarios that Celestia had presented to her.   Celestia had proven her suspicion in the last two hours. Dash learned quickly, adapted quicker and was a much better field commander than general. The smaller the scenario, the more pieces she saved and the longer it took for Celestia to win. The princess refocused on the report about a rumored super soldier program as Dash took her turn.  Without taking her eyes away from the document, she moved her piece forward. Twilight had warned Dash about how unusual Celestia’s teaching style could be and warned her that most of the lessons were simple, but overreading into the situation will inevitably be worse than under-reading the lesson Celestia tried to teach. Playing chess for a couple hours, (a game she sheepishly admitted to not actually knowing all the rules), had not been what Dash had been expecting. Not that she wasn’t enjoying it. There was something unique about sitting down and moving the pieces around, trying to outsmart her opponent and prove her skill against a vastly superior opponent. So far she hadn’t taken a single piece of Celestia’s. Dash ruffled her wings, her mind racing through all the different moves she and the princess made.  As she stared, something clicked inside of her thought process. She analyzed the field, and realized she had a chance to test her theory.  She moved her first piece. The princess moved another piece as she wrote some personal notes about the report. It took twelve moves before the princess finally looked up at the board. The first time she had actually needed to in the past two hours, usually cursory glances had been more than sufficient. She blinked in surprise.   Dash smiled as she internally cheered. Rainbow had thrown away a couple of pieces for one goal and one goal only. To corner a single pawn.  Celestia hadn’t lost a single piece, and Dash was interested in seeing if she could get one.  A feat, that Dash felt very few accomplished against Celestia.  The princess looked the board over several times. “Well done, Rainbow.  You are the fourth fastest pony to ever catch on.  I concede.” Celestia tipped over her princess. Dash was flabbergasted. “Wait. What? No,” Dash growled, “I finally manage to snag a single pawn, throwing away half my troops for it, and you concede? What the buck is the point of that? It’s a freakin pawn! Just move your archmage here,” Dash moved the princess’s piece forward, “and you have checkmate next round!” Celestia moved her piece back. “Yes, but you’ve won, Rainbow. I hardly see the value in continuing a fight I’ve lost.” “Pony-feathers! I haven’t won! I’d get one horse-dropping off this stupid board. You yammer on about how I’m improving but as soon as I get the fruit of my labors you’re taking it away from me!” Dash huffed. “Why drag me all the way out here if I can’t even take a single pawn from you!” The princess lowered her papers and looked Rainbow… no, Captain Rainbow Dash, in the eye.  Dash didn’t back down.  The princess held up the pawn Dash had been about to take.  “Tell me, Rainbow. What do you see?” “A pawn. The basic unit of the game chess that moves in small increments, easily the weakest but due to its large numbers can be useful,” Dash retorted. “The most worthless piece on the board.” “Is that what you consider Lightning Dust? Worthless? No? What about Soarin? Surely he is the most worthless pawn on the board, doing nothing but hindering your rook from becoming useful.” Dash opened her mouth.  Lightning Dust and Soarin were pawns? “But they’re not pawns!  They aren’t useless, pawns are weak, useless and most often get in the way, the only reason they’re any good is because they’re the first line of defense against your Princess!” Dash paused, her comment sinking in. “Oh…” “Mmmhmm,” Celestia said. “Tell me now, how important is that worthless pawn?” Dash wracked her brain, trying to use what Twilight had taught her about learning from Celestia. “So… what? I’m just supposed to let Twilight die or get captured just because one of them are in danger? Isn’t she who I’m supposed to be protecting?” Celestia’s voice became soft and motherly, “It’s not about what you’re supposed to Dash, but what will you do, when you’re forced to choose between a pawn and your princess?” Dash sat there silently pondering, looking over the pieces. On the board was a rook threatening a pawn and her princess, she could move a single pawn forward to protect her princess, but would lose the other one. “That’s why you never let me take any of your pieces, even though you could have won faster by letting me take them.” Dash frowned at the board.  “So if Lightning and Soarin are my pawns, are you saying I should never sacrifice them? Even if Twilight is in danger?” “That won’t be my decision, will it?” Celestia asked. “When the time comes, would you be willing to sacrifice them?” Dash rubbed her forhoof against her leg. “I… I don’t know…. I guess… if I had to.” Celestia face turned into a concerned frown.  “Could you live with that decision?” Rainbow averted her eyes from Celestia. “I… no,” her voice was shaky, not fully confident. “I’d save them both… give myself up.” Celestia hummed to herself. “Could they live with that decision?  Would they want you to give yourself up for their sake? Would not they be willing to sacrifice themselves to save Twilight?” “Maybe? I don’t know. Why does it matter? It’s not like that kind of situation is ever going to come up. We’re there to parade around and look important to protect a being who’s in every way better than we are!” Dash snapped. “Everyone’s making a big fuss, but no one is actually going to be attacking Twilight, and anybody who could is so far out of the watch’s league we might as well be...” “Pawns on a chessboard with next to no value trying to protect a far more powerful piece,” Celestia finished for Dash.  “Yes, I’m aware Rainbow. Like many leaders, you will have to learn and experience the hardship of leading an ideal rather than a group. There will be times where you feel helpless, where the world overwhelms you.” Celestia stood on her hooves, her normal content smile had been replaced with a snarl. “You will find yourself, useless, hopeless and not worth anything. The Eventide Watch is nothing but a fluke, an attempt to appease some vague political notion that princesses must be protected! So where does that leave you? Why do you continue? Why not leave it all? Let it fall apart! You are nothing but a mere pawn in a scheme you don’t know anything about! So why do you continue to waste every second trying to keep the watch going? Why do you study into the wee hours of the night? Why don’t you just GIVE UP?!” Dash was flat against the floor, Celestia’s muzzle mere inches from her twisted in a toxic snarl. Dash backed away from the princess. “I don’t know what kind of game you're playing at, but I’m not going to leave Twilight hanging. Maybe we are a farce, maybe we shouldn’t exist, but that mistake is on your head, not mine. You gave me this power, so I’m gonna do everything I can with it. Give up? You think just because it’s difficult, I’m gonna give up? I’ll be your little political pawn, but I’m gonna use everything you gave me to make sure some good comes out of it! I won’t let Twilight’s name be tarnished because I couldn’t hold together a measly squad of four!” Celestia stepped back, her face once again resting that smile that never betrayed her emotions. She took a sip of tea.  “Perhaps you were the wrong pony for the job. Forgive me, Rainbow Dash, but I thought you’d be able to handle it.” “Handle what?  You aren’t making any sense!” Dash was furious and exasperated. “I can do this!” “Really? Then why did I receive a concerned letter from Twilight concerning your behavior the past two months?” Celestia asked. “My behavior? I’ve been a little stressed doing everything you required me to do! I’ve been flying into the ground to make sure I’m ready! So yes! Maybe I’ve been a bit snippy lately! What’s that got to do with me being Captain!” Celestia held up a pawn in her magic, turning it to face Rainbow Dash. “Rainbow Merriem Dash. Tell me what this is.” “It’s a pawn, a basic…” “Strike one, Dash.” “A soldier to protect Twilight!” “Strike two.” “It’s me! It’s Soarin, It’s BUCKING LIGHTNING DUST!” Rainbow roared. “What do you want from me! IT’S A STUPID PAWN… IT’S…” Rainbow’s voice stopped as her eyes focused in on the piece in front of her, for the first time noticing the detail on the piece. Its muzzle was clearly male, its ears stood up straight. Its eyes almost seemed to gaze into Rainbow. It looked like, “... a pony.” Dash’s voice was quiet and soft. “Yes, Rainbow.  This is a pony. His name was Trumpet Solo, and he saved many ponies lives and brought much happiness by preventing a group of parasprites from eating all of Manehatten’s fields.” Celestia held up another pawn. “This is Blind Eye, coming from the phrase ‘In the land of the blind, the one eyed pony is king.’ He saw the signs and patterns of life and it is because of him that Luna has returned to me now.  Without his prophecy, I’d have had to commit sororicide.”   Celestia held up the rest of the pawns, “Each one these pawns were friends of mine. Friends who stayed loyal to me to the bitter end. Why would I give up a match just because you could take one piece? Because some battles aren’t worth losing your friends for. The moment you forget that your pawns are your squad mates and friends, is the moment that you lose the ability to protect any of them.” Dash looked down in shame. The princess was right. She had been treating her squad mates as pawns. Tools to be used. Soarin was there to relieve her stress, Lightning Dust was the quickest pony she knew who could join. Sunset Shimmer? Dash knew she was powerful, and while she did want to help Dust and Shimmer out, she could see just how quickly they had become soliders of the watch, and not actual ponies in her mind. Worst, she had been focusing so hard on preparing for this position that she and Soarin hadn’t gone on a date in over a month, she hadn’t spent anytime catching up with Lightning Dust, and she couldn’t remember the last time she saw any of her friends just to hang out. “Twilight was right. I have been ignoring the important things.  I…” Dash rubbed the tears out of her eyes. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have forgotten what was most important.” One of the pieces on the board began to clap. “Bravo, bravo! Such drama! Such anger!” Discord pulled out a skull and held it aloft in his left claw. “Such acting.  Good show! I give this a seven out of five. Bravo.” Discord snaked off the board and pulled up a camera off to the side as he pointed it at Celestia and Rainbow. “Such a shame though.” He opened up the camera and pulled out a jaguar. “It seems that somebody misplaced the film. We’ll have to do it all again.” He tossed the jaguar behind him, it making a ‘raewr’ in terror. Celestia rolled her eyes, turning to the mare in front of her, and putting a comforting hoof on her shoulder.  “It’s alright, Rainbow Dash. Twilight was merely concerned for you. Forgive me if I went a bit overboard.” “Yes… yes,” Discord said in a posh accent, “We all know how much Celestia loves her theatrics.  If Sunbutt doesn't get a chance everyday to cause mischief, fear and anger in somepony, whatever would our Soap Opera's be about.!” Discord said, clasping his clapperboard between them, before sneaking it off to the side.   Dash wiped the tears out of her eyes, Discords antics and the princess’s hoof seeming to have  calmed her.  “Twilight’s really looks out for us.” A thought occurred to Dash. “Princess? Are me and Twilight pawns to you?” “Twilight and I, but not quite, Captain.” She picked up a rook. “Twilight could be compared to a rook, one that I’ll want always by my side, but very effective at dealing with situations.” “Oh, goody!” the princess piece on Celestia’s side of the board spoke up. “Does that mean I’m the princess piece. I’ve always wanted to rule country with a checkerboard landscape. White and black is much too drab though.” The piece pointed its dragon claw at the board, changing it to a goldenrod and yellow checkerboard. “Rainbow, I do believe it’s your turn. Is that your archmage in position to take out my princess piece?” Celestia asked wryly. Dash smiled like a mad mare, grateful for the chance to take off some stress. She grabbed her piece and slammed it into the chess piece that was looking more and more like Discord as it tried to hop away. Discord went flying, landing as a two dimensional figure in the nearby wall, with the word ‘Splat’ sprawled out in red next to him. “Oh, the brutality that is smitten upon me by those who call themselves my friends!” Discord lamented, a painting in the wall. “I’m telling Fluttershy.” Celestia laughed and Dash let out a small giggle at the draconequus sticking out his tongue like a small child. Celestia patted a pawn on the head. “You’re a very useful and appreciated pawn, Discord.” “Tsk. As if I could ever be a pawn to a being of such order and boredom.” Discord sauntered off, opening the wall as if it was a doorway and walking out. Celestia stood up, “As much as I’ve enjoyed this, Captain. I have a meeting to attend in five minutes.” “Ugh…” Dash sighed. “Yeah, I should get back and apologize..” “That would be a wise and loyal thing for you to do,” Celestia commented, her motherly tone and smile warming Dash up. As Dash and Celestia left the room, Discord sauntered over the chessboard with a cheery tune as he eyed the pieces.  “Just what are you up to, Celestia?” He muttered, stroking his beard thoughtfully.   His claw picked up a single pawn that he dyed blue with a rainbow mane, and moved it one space… the very last space a pawn can move.   Soarin sat calmly as Rarity ran around him, taking his measurements.  “Forgive me, darling, but Celestia asked for some very odd measurements,” Rarity said, reading ‘from middle of cutie mark to middle of cutie mark’.  Sure the princess had asked for the traditional measurements, ‘size of head’, ‘nape to flank’, ‘nape to cutie mark’, ‘nape to tail bone’.  However, she also included things like ‘frog to frog’, on both forehooves and back. Only Celestia knew what she wanted ‘throat to tailbone’ for… speaking of which. “Oh, do forgive me. It seems the Princess wants a measurement that's not exactly… how do we say, comfortable, for either party?” Rarity said nervously. “Hmm?” Soarin questioned. Rarity brought her hoof from her neck down to her tail, crossing her stomach.  “Oh? Ummmm… I don’t mind, that’s not really that awkward for me.  You know, tight suits and all that.” Rarity blinked and blushed. In the front of the boutique, Lightning Dust and Sunset Shimmer were waiting their turns. Sunset reading a book on charms and enchantments while Lightning Dust was lounging on a sofa staring boredly at the ceiling.   “So… Daylight?” Dust mused, looking for anything to pass the time. Sunset looked up as Dust called the name she went by whenever she visited Equestria.  “What’s your history with Rainbow? I thought she would have gotten one of those fancy college types to be our magic support.” “I’m a friend of Twilight’s,” Sunset said. Dust snorted, “That’s really funny. I have this job because I accidentally almost killed her royalness.” Sunset smirked, “Don’t worry, I tried to commit regicide on Twilight before we became friends. Makes you wonder what Rainbow was thinking when she hired us.” “What? No way!” Dust said laughing. “You really tried to off the princess? What’d you do, take her books away from her?” Sunset chuckled, “Nothing of the sort.  Threw a fireball at her.  I used to be awful.” Lightning Dust got up on her hooves, her interest piqued.  “You’re joking, right?” Sunset put her book down. “That’s not exactly something to be joking about.  You asked, so I gave an answer.  What about you? What’s your story in attempted regicide?” “I was clearing some clouds and decided to create a small tornado. Twilight and the rest of Dash’s friends were coming to visit her in a cloud balloon.  They survived thanks to Dash,” Dust replied calmly, rolling her eyes. While Dust seemed cool, Sunset’s instincts told her there was something Dust was hiding. “That doesn’t sound so bad,” Sunset commented.   “If you can call almost killing somepony simple,” Dust smirked, but Sunset could see the pain and regret in the smile. “That’s true.  So what happened next?” Sunset pried. “Dash pointed out that I was being too reckless,  so I threw it in her face that the Wonderbolts liked me better,” Dust said, non-chalantly. Then she laughed. “I almost killed somepony and all I could care about is proving I’m better than everypony else. I’m so messed up!”  Dust wheezed in her laughter. “Sure was a rush though. I was the absolute best at camp. Not even Dash was better than me!” Dust let out a huff of air, her voice quieting down as she turned away from Sunset. It was always like that, she always put herself first. The situation never seemed matter. As long as she proved herself, nothing else was important. That’s why she refused the Wonderbolts invitation to get back in. That’s why she was beaten by Dash in the races that she worked her tail off to win. That’s why Dash was Captain of the Eventide and she was living on the charity of others.  Because she was the best. Sunset could see what was happening to Lightning Dust, the internal berating of yourself for a mistake you couldn’t let go of. “I know what it’s like to have a dream, one so powerful you’d do anything for it.  You feel so locked and trapped if you don’t make that dream a reality, like you’re a failure. You’d do anything to prove everyone else wrong. That you’re worthy of their respect, of their power.  Trust me, I tried to kill Twilight just to prove I was better than her.” Dust said nothing, but she didn’t blow Sunset off, which Sunset took as a good sign.  “I’m not the same pony you were back then.  Even if I was a literal demon, my past is not today.  I’ll admit, don’t think I’d discovered how poorly I had been going about my dream if it wasn’t for Twilight and her friends.  They helped me realize I’m not the same pony I was, no matter how much I told myself I was.” Soarin walked to the front of the store. “You’re up, Burning Daylight,” Sunset glanced over, slightly disappointed she didn’t get to finish this conversation, but she wouldn’t ever give up a chance to talk with Rarity. She nodded and walked towards the back, where she found a pristine white coat with a spot of red rushing to its cheeks. She laughed as Rarity instantly broke into a rant about how she hoped Rainbow would forgive her for a travesty she committed! Back up front, Soarin turned to Lightning Dust, “Did Dash give us weather duty today?” “Who cares,” Dust said. She seemed to pause for a moment.  Her brain was full of thoughts, mostly on how stupid she was and blind and vain, but something in Sunset’s words seemed to worm through all the negative thoughts.  “Soarin… are we friends?” “Uhh… well….” Soarin said, so taken back by the comment he lifted his front hoof and shifted his weight backwards.  “Do you want to be?” Dust groaned in frustration.  How did Rainbow ever put up with this guy?  He was such a loser. “You know what? Never mind.”  Dust sat down as Soarin gave her a strange look. “Oh…okay… umm… so does that mean you don’t want to be friends?” Lightning’s hoof quickly met her face.