Checkmate
The crown is mine.
“Let him go.”
They do as she commands, unsure of her plan. They are wise to obey; she has control over this battle, and she knows it.
Spike runs back to me. I’ve faced many hardships in my life, but losing him would be unimaginable. I say it to him through a strong embrace. My relief is not to last.
“You don’t belong here,” she sneers. I look up to see that her hand is extended, her weapon resting on her shoulder. “You can give me the crown,” she proposes, “and go back to Equestria tonight.” I cannot allow her to acquire this relic. Surrendering it is out of the question, even if she were to keep her word. “Or keep it,” the sledgehammer comes up to strike the portal, “and NEVER go home!”
My emotions betray me. I gasp, revealing my vulnerability to her.
“Tick-tock, Twilight. We haven’t got all night. The portal will be closing on its own in less than an hour.” I see the moon. I know she’s not lying. “So, what’s your answer?”
Celestia and I would play chess when I was younger. I could never beat her, but I learned from her that one mistake, whether it be at the opening, middlegame, or endgame, can result in defeat. I look at my friends; this is not their fight. I must not put them at risk. I remove the crown. She has the advantage. That can change. I need her to make a mistake. “No.”
Her expression changes from confidence to confusion. “WHAT?!” Not the reaction I anticipated. She knows about me; she should know that I would not let her win easily. Yet she expected me to give up? “Equestria! Your friends! Lost to you forever!” She’s trying to reason with me? “Don’t you see what I’m about to do to the portal?!”
The portal. “Yes.” On the other side of that portal wait three alicorns, the three most powerful, and most relentless if need be, beings in Equestria. “But I’ve also seen what you’ve been able to do here without magic!” She can’t go through it. “Equestria will find a way to survive without my element of harmony!” She can’t leave this place! “This place might not, if I allow it to fall into YOUR hands!” Not without the crown. She NEEDS me to give it to her if she wants even a fighting chance against them! “So go ahead! Destroy the portal!” And I need her to back away from that portal. “I am NOT giving you this crown!”
Seeing me put it on relaxes her stance. “Fine. You win.” The sledgehammer lands on the ground with a loud thud.
Abandon the portal’s side.
“You are SO AWESOME!”
Back away.
“I can’t believe you’d do that for us!”
Her only hope is to launch a last-ditch effort to reclaim the crown. I need her to back away from the portal.
“No wonder you’re a real, live princess!”
I see her anger boil over. Come on and attack already!
“Yes! She’s so very special!”
Oh horse apples.
“I’ll take that!”
No no no no no no.
“At last!” I grab Spike; he cannot hope to defeat her now. None of us can. She’s captured my last piece. I’m down to my king. “More power than I could possibly imagine!” She places it on her own head, but her face shows that she regrets it.
The light is blinding, at first. I crack an eye open and see that her actions are drawing attention as students start piling up at the front of the school.
Her transformation is complete. Sweet Celestia, she’s hideous. She thinks otherwise, judging by the way she’s admiring her new form. Her laughter sends a chill down my spine.
She does not spare a moment to gloat and instead turns her two underlings into creatures of similar anatomy. “This is going to be so cool!” You are a fool, child.
Regardless, we are surrounded now. And what little ground we hold is slipping through our fingers. My friends should not be a part of this. “I’ve had to jump through so many hoops just to get this crown, when it should have been mine all along!” Her tone suggests that she holds the students of the school just a little bit accountable for her troubles. “But let’s let bygones be bygones!” Oh horse apples. “I am your princess now.” Oh horse apples. “And you will be loyal,” the entire front entrance is now a levitating sphere of debris, “TO ME!”
Now she has my friends AND the entire school under her control! I need reinforcements. I need Celestia. Can Celestia even stop her now? Would Celestia even retain her power if she were to cross over to this realm? I didn’t. But I need to try.
“You have the crown! You have what you want, Sunset Shimmer!” I have her undivided attention. “Allow me to return Spike to Equestria, and you may do with me as you wish!” Spike is shocked. I cannot blame him, but I must do what is necessary to minimize the damage. If I'm lucky, Celestia can pull my flank out of this. At the very least, Equestria, my friends, and Spike will be safe, along with anyone else.
She laughs at me. “You’re going to play the hero to the very end?” Her toothy sneer is hard on the eyes. She strolls past me and towards the portal. I quickly set down Spike and tell him to run and hide. My facial expression prohibits him from protesting, and he does what he’s told. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Neither you nor your friends will be safe in this world OR Equestria.”
She only has the crown and a small army. She couldn’t possibly-
“Spoiler alert: I was bluffing when I said I was going to destroy the portal.” She playfully runs her fingers through its essence, causing it to ripple. “I don’t want to rule this pathetic little high school.”
She can’t.
She turns around to face me. “I want Equestria.”
I’m dumbstruck. “You’re mad! You can’t POSSIBLY hope to defeat three goddesses!”
She snaps her fingers, her two underlings, faces plastered with confidence, land behind me, blocking any hope of escape.The student army begin to congregate at the edge of the school’s entrance. With a flap of her wings, she leaps forward and closes the distance between us.
With a graceful landing, she continues her train of thought. “How shall I utilize my newfound army? Have them seize all of Canterlot?” She leans into my face and offers, “Or perhaps I could have them hold Celestia down as I draw pleads for mercy out of her?”
My eyes go wide at the very thought.
“Yes, I can see it now,” she laughs. “After another thirty moons, she’ll come through on her own, desperate to find her beloved student. But instead, she’ll be greeted by ME!”
I see the sledgehammer. I see the portal. I see her standing in front of the portal, in front of me.
I clench my fist and bring it back. I’m all too happy to interrupt her laughing.
She staggers back, stunned, shocked. I make a break for the sledgehammer. I hear her shout at her two underlings to apprehend me.
They’re not fast enough. I grab the sledgehammer and with all of my might swing it around. I don’t know how many bones were broken, but I do know that they’re out of my way, leaving a clear shot at my nemesis.
Sunset Shimmer is furious. So am I.
We charge each other. She aims for my heart. I aim for her head.
The clang leaves a ringing in my ears, but I barely notice it with the flaming fist that sends me flying back. I feel like every bone in my torso is broken, but I’m still breathing. I sit up. Somehow I managed to hold onto the sledgehammer. I look up. Sunset Shimmer is on her back, clutching her head and groaning in pain. It takes all of my strength to stand on my legs.
Clutching my gut, I stagger over to her. She has reverted to her previous form. It looks like her whole face is bleeding. But where’s the crown? I see that it landed a good ten, fifteen meters away. “Enough,” I hear. I look down to see Sunset Shimmer staring at me, her face covered in blood and an awful gash on the side of her forehead. I should feel bad. “Please?” She begs for mercy. After all that she has done, she has the audacity to beg for mercy.
I raise the sledgehammer above my head. “You shall reap what you sow, Sunset Shimmer.” Her eyes grow wider than I could have imagined.
I bring it down with all of my might, lodging it in the grass, millimeters away from her head.
“But I am no monster.” I step over her to retrieve the crown. I hear murmuring from the students. I can only assume that being separated from the crown has conveniently reversed all of the ill effects that Sunset Shimmer has caused. In her current condition, it will be easy for me to bring her back to Equestria. Celestia will punish her accordingly.
I kneel down and retrieve the crown. It is a remarkably sturdy piece of headwear, not a single dent! Looking up, my assumption is correct. Everyone has control of their bodies and minds once again. I return to Sunset Shimmer; she’s gotten to her hands and knees. “What will become of me?” Her question comes out a little too feeble. Never the less.
“We shall return to Equestria.” I see my friends; they look scared. Spike runs back to my arms. “Celestia shall determine your punishment.” I place the crown on my head and approach them. “I didn’t mean to drag you all into this,” I apologize.
They forgive me.
I explain to them that I must depart.
They understand.
Someone points and shouts. I spin around. Sunset Shimmer is on her feet, by the portal, and bringing the sledgehammer down against the portal.
Spike in arms, I charge.
The portal begins wavering violently, threatening to collapse at any second. Sunset Shimmer drops the sledgehammer and falls into the conduit to Equestria.
I wonder for a brief moment if I'll make it in time.