For Old Times' Sake

by fic Write Off

The Battle of Checkerboard Field

“C’mon, Octy.”

“No!”

“But we haven’t done it since we were foals.”

“I said no, Vinyl.”

Vinyl Scratched gazed down at the box in her magical grasp, pouting. “Please, just one game of chess.”

“Fine!” Octavia rolled her eyes.

With a smile of victory upon her face, Vinyl set up the game. She was white, and Octavia was black.

The game started off with their small army of pawns traveling to the center of the board, one at a time. Then one of Vinyl’s them struck down another pawn. It hopped up and down on its little checkerboard square in celebration, before Octavia sent one of her pawns to take revenge for her fallen comrade. Back and forth they went, mercilessly slaughtering each other until they were each left with only half a pawn army, and no way for them to turn back.

One of Vinyl’s moved into position to attack Octavia’s king. A fatal error as His Highness took him out with only a step.

Vinyl chuckled; the ruler of the dark kingdom had stepped outside the boundaries of his castle and out into the open, where he would be easier to strike. The light bishop moved from the right side of the board to the center of the battlefield.

Octavia’s lips curled into a smirk as the left side of her castle rose from the ground and soared through the air to a spot where it could crush Vinyl’s foolish bishop on the next turn. The mere instant the rook planted down onto the board again, the bishop of light dashed across the field. He impaled the dark knight in the chest. The servant of the dark overlord fell to her knees, shouting quotations from a more famous dark knight as she died.

A pawn took a step forwards in preparation to attack the murderous bishop. But it was clear that her move was made in grief as the bishop of light found it all too easy to slay the foolish pawn. Octavia’s leftside castle moved once again to attack. Then the bishop of light took another step. Octavia soon found her queen lying on her back, breathing her dying breath. She face-hooved; how could she forget about the queen?

“Check,” Vinyl said, smirking.

Octavia grumbled and moved her king to safety.

Vinyl raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Are you sure that’s where you want to move?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Octavia snapped.

“Okay...”

The game went on with each of them shifting their units around the board, Vinyl attempting to capture the dark ruler, and Octavia trying to keep that from happening.

Then Vinyl started cackling. Octavia looked down at the board to see all of the remaining pawns of light a mere step from the worlds edge, and obtaining royal status. She quickly sent her rook to take out the first pawn, then another as the remaining three stepped onto the edge. An orb of shimmering light flew from each upon taking the step of fate, answering their call of destiny. The mystical balls swirled around them, lifting the pawns in the air, before setting each back down with a brand new pair of wings. All the while, the Ballad of Princess Celestia played.

Quickly, Octavia sent her remaining pieces after the over-powered pawns. The light queen army shifted around the board, dodging every attack Octavia threw at them. The black knight’s sister slashed through one of their necks, causing the impatient ruler’s demise.

The other two queens stood around the dark king. He was safe for the moment, but couldn’t move for fear of death’s cold grip. The black knight took position to rescue him.

But in an instant, he was struck down by the original queen of light. The kingdom of light’s ruler stood over the corpse of her fallen enemy and looked to the sky. She gazed up at the face of the red-eyed goddess whom she worshiped, who in turn smiled down at her.

“Checkmate.”

“What?!” Octavia looked down at the board, gawking. Vinyl’s three queens surrounded her king, the third poised to strike next turn. None of her pieces could reach them from where they stood.

“Thanks for the game, Octy,” Vinyl said, standing. “It’s was a blast.”

“Hold it right there Vinyl!”

Vinyl turned back to look at Octavia.

“I’m just a little rusty. Give me another chance!”

“All right, then.” Grinning like the victor that she was, Vinyl Scratch set up the chess board once again.