Moving the Stars

Moving the Stars

Story 2

Chapter 5: Loose Ends

By: WriteAnything

I really didn’t want to get up that morning. However, something in me told me to, and I knew hiding wouldn’t get me anywhere. After the hectic and strange last two days, all I really wanted to do was relax. I decided to forgo my usual mane brushing in lieu of a warm, relaxing bubble bath like my one yesterday, but they felt so much better in the morning. I told Sapphire to hold off on breakfast, and she and I talked while I soaked.

“Sapphire, let me ask you something. Does Astro ever… talk about me?”

I prepared to repeat myself, as rubies were rather loud when being chomped. She did give me an answer before I could, though. “A lot, actually. Don’t tell him I said anything, but he often talks about how seeing you happy makes him happier than seeing you master spells. Trixie, he really cares about you.”

There weren’t any mirrors around, but my now hot face eliminated the need for one. “Do you… do you think he, you know?”

Two blue claws met each other, dragging themselves across the baby dragon’s lips. “I already told you more than I said I would, I’m not about to spill everything Astro tells me to you. Sorry, Trixie, but you’ll have to find out for yourself.”

How sinking lower into the water helped me relax, I don’t know, but it did. Though my “moment didn’t last long, as there came a loud knocking from the door. I could hear a voice from behind it, but it was too muffled for me to make out who it was. Two more knocks came after I was dried off and halfway down the stairs, but my jaw dropped when I opened the door.

Had they not been open for the world to see, it would’ve taken me a moment to notice them, but when you have a unicorn that suddenly appears to you with wings, eventually you’d notice. “Twilight, you’re an alicorn!”

Her ears were down, with a forlorn expression on her face to match. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come to see you yesterday. I wanted to, believe me I did, but I guess you can see I was… preoccupied. I came as fast as I could today to apologize.”

I was still too busy marveling at the fact that she was an alicorn now to even care that she didn’t visit. “Twilight, how did this happen.”

Sapphire cooked us up a nice breakfast while Twilight told her tale. Her story was amazing, like something out of a fantasy novel. Cutie marks changing, Twilight being able to change them back, my friend becoming a princess, all in one day. Even after she was finished, I still had a hard time taking it in. “And you say I have nothing to be jealous of.”

I found myself wondering if Twilight’s face heated up when she blushed like mine did. “I’m still not anything to envy. Trixie, think about what you’re doing. Can you imagine how Astro is going to react when he sees what you’ve done?”

Looking away from her, I bit my lip when she brought him up. Twiddling my front hooves was an old habit, and just as I thought I had broken it, it came back again. “That reminds me, have you seen Astro lately? A few days ago, he just up and left without any reason.”

She closed her eyes and gave me a reassuring nod. “He’s been in Canterlot, watching Checkmate’s duels. I’m not sure what he’s thinking, but I’m sure he has a plan.”

So, that was all of last night’s worries swept away in just a few minutes. However, with that came a new set of worries, most of them centered on Astro. “Well if he’s there, we have to do something. Come on, we might not have much time.”

Apparently I forgot that Twilight still had magic, and running into doors hurt. “I’m not sure that’s a very good idea, Trixie. I mean, I’m worried too, but maybe there’s a reason he hasn’t told us anything. Why don’t we wait a bit? If you want, I can help you work on that spell some more.”

My friend had a point. Of course, I was worried sick about Astro, but he could take care of himself. I did make her promise that if he didn’t come by tomorrow afternoon, we were going up there. In the meantime, I showed her the notes I had been taking, and the sketch I had drawn. “What do you think?”

She pursed her lips, looking at my sketch and the map I had drawn. After a moment of thinking, she smiled up at me with a twinkle in her eye. “You know, Trixie, you told me about your issues confessing to Astro, and I think I might have an idea.”

If she didn’t have my attention before, she most certainly did now. “Oh, do tell.”

So far all the duels had ended with Checkmate as the victor. Hell, hardly any of the challengers even came close to beating him. It seemed like he would just take whatever was thrown at him and give it back a hundredfold. His abilities didn’t seem limited to any specific kind of magic either, brute force, growth, summoning, he knew it all.

It was time again for him to begin his taunting, once again circling around the somewhat thinned out crowd of unicorns. “Come now, little pawns! Who else wants to challenge the king? You still have one week left, and that means there’s still an itty bitty chance you might beat me!”

Time and time again he was challenged and victorious. Although most of the ponies that had been challenging him were specialists who could only perform one certain kind of magic, the fact that he demonstrated the ability to cast such a wide variety of spells at such high magnitudes was enough of a testament to his strength.

After about twenty-two matches, I had seen enough. I still had my suspicions about him, but it was time to take a look at his “army”. Sure, in large numbers, these creatures could probably destroy a city like Canterlot with ease, but when he first presented them, it only looked like he had two hundred or so monsters with him. As the sun began to set, I snuck out of the city again and made my way to where the creatures were holed up.

I couldn’t afford to get caught, but if I wanted a precise number, it was a risk I had to take. They were amazingly resilient, having apparently gone the past three days without food or sleep. It took all the stealth abilities I had to get close to them, but once I was, it was a simple matter of casting a perimeter scan, and immediately I found out how many there were; and two hundred twenty was nowhere near enough strength to attempt an assault on Canterlot. With my suspicions confirmed, I finally began the journey back home. I was sure Trixie was worried about me.

Cutlass was already on his way there, as he had been with me for most of the day. As soon as I got there I would have to send a letter to Twilight and have her come over as well. Since she was the only one of us four who actually lived in Ponyville, she would know better than even myself what Checkmate was after.

I loved it. Twilight and I both agreed that we needed to keep the progress gradual so Astro wouldn't notice, but it was the perfect way to confess to him. My friend offered to stay over for the night, but I didn't want to keep her from her friends. We said our good nights, but instead of a gorgeous night sky, the beastly, armored figure of our good knight greeted her at the door.

You’d have thought Twilight was flying with how high she jumped. “Cutlass! You could really freak somebody out doing stuff like that.”

I was sure there was some kind of apologetic face beneath that helmet, but I couldn’t really see much facial motion with only the rectangular holes for his eyes to look through. “Forgive me, Twilight, but we must hurry. Astro is on his way, and I think he’s gathered all the information he needs to get rid of Checkmate.”

Twilight and I were thinking the same thing, but I managed to get my words out first. “What’s going on there, anyway? Things outside the city have seemed pretty calm.”

The knight turned his head towards one of the windows in the dining room; it was the only one that you could see Canterlot through without something obstructing it. “So far, Checkmate hasn’t been causing any collateral damage, but every unicorn that’s challenged him was taken down with ease. As a Spiral Knight, I’m only really familiar with combat magic, but even I know that spells of his magnitude are not easy to pull off. I’m sure, with the aid of his monsters, he could easily level the city before the sisters got to him.”

Again, my friend and I were thinking along the same lines, but the moment I took to raise my hoof to my chin gave Twilight the chance to speak. “So, if he’s that powerful, why doesn’t he just do it? Why give us two weeks to try and beat him?”

“Because he’s searching for something.” I knew Cutlass wouldn’t, and I had expected it, so that left poor Twilight as the only one to jump at my mentor’s interruption. “And I think what he wants is in Ponyville.”

He joined us at the dining table, reviewing what he had learned with us. “Checkmate had shown a massive pool of magic that he can cast spells from, and he’s used many different kinds of magic. Really, you could feel the power emanating from him whenever he made his moves. However, it’s still not strong enough to take out Canterlot. Twilight, you said some of his monsters were hanging around Ponyville, right? Well that, coupled with his two week ultimatum, leads me to believe he’s simply stalling and attempting to frighten everypony with his power.”

The lavender hoof met the table with a thud as the mare it belonged to rose up. “He must be after the Elements of Harmony! I put them all back in my library after the chaos yesterday, and the door is unlocked! He could easily get to them.”

It was Astro’s turn to raise a hoof to his chin. “You could be right, but I don’t think that’s the case. Even if he got hold of the Elements, he couldn’t use them. Plus, even if Checkmate doesn’t have the Elements to oppose him, he still will have to deal with Luna and Celestia. He’s after something to increase his own power.”

Now it was my turn to slam hooves on the table. “The Alicorn Amulet! It’s still with that Zebra in the Everfree Forest!”

Astro’s satisfied grin sent a tiny shiver up my spine. “Precisely. That’s what I think he’s after, but that’s not all. He’s hiding something else, too. I was able to get a precise count of his army, and it’s only two hundred and twenty strong.”

All of us were silent for a moment, and after accepting that we didn’t have any input, my mentor continued. “Cutlass, I want you to report back to Princess Celestia and await my response to act.”

“Yes, sir!” With a quick salute, he was gone. I didn’t even see the door open… if it did. Astro then turned his attention to the newly formed alicorn, giving her a nod. “Go get the Amulet, but make sure you aren’t seen. We still have the advantage if Checkmate doesn’t know where it is yet.”

She gave a funny little salute as well, taking off out the door and back towards her home. Now it was just Astro and myself, and despite the intensity of the situation, I was relieved just to see him.

Normally I didn’t interrupt him, even if he was just beginning to speak, but it was something I had to say. “I was worried about you.” Reaching out, I wrapped my forelegs around him in a tight hug, just happy to have him there. “Don’t ever do that to me again, or I’ll dye your mane brown.”

The stallion gave a soft chuckle, patting my back as we hugged. “I have my reasons for not telling you much. No telling how far Checkmate’s eyes and ears reach, and I’m only comfortable being vocal about a plan now because it’s almost time to act. I’m not going anywhere, Trixie, I told you that.”

It was impossible to keep from smiling as I released him from my embrace. “I’m going to hold you to that. Do I have a part in this?”

A quick nod is all I was met with. “I want you to lead any unicorn still able to walk and cast spells in an offensive against Checkmate’s outside army. He’s been quiet and fair so far, but there’s no telling when he’s going to get angry and start a rampage. However, if he’s done what I think he’s done, we can’t make any moves until Cutlass gets his job done. Trixie, I want you to get some sleep. I have some history to look up.”

I shot him a somewhat saddened expression. It was his turn to interrupt me before I got to speak, though. “No, Trixie, you need to rest, alright? If you won’t go willingly, I will make it an order.”

Hanging my head a bit, I turned and made my way to my room. Of course my friend wouldn’t let me go to bed sad, which was indicated by the foreleg that was soon around my shoulders. “Sleep well, alright?”

The smile returned to my face, and I gave him a nod. “I will.”

About three hours after Trixie had gone to sleep, I had finally found the documents I needed. These building plans confirmed the last of my suspicions, and I made preparations to send my letter to the princess telling Cutlass to ready the Spiral Knights. I have to admit, Checkmate was very clever to do this, but I also felt only and idiot wouldn’t at least think of something like this. Luckily, I didn’t need Sapphire to send my letters, and I actually preferred using my own magic to do so. It probably would have been a good idea for me to sleep as well, but even when I made an effort to sleep, the anticipation kept me awake.

Eventually I settled for the creepier option: watching Trixie sleep. Well, I watched for a little bit. She looked so peaceful, and it was an image that I was eager to recreate with Checkmate’s termination. Looking through the window, I could still see flashes, small lightning bolts, and the occasional fireball from the duels that still went on into the night. There was a lot at stake if we failed, but I had faith in my friends.

I also made a mental note to shut off my nerves; after Twilight’s coronation – which I’m sure was going to be held maybe a day or two after Checkmate was gone – I was going to tell her how I felt about her. Of course, as long as that unicorn was still here, there was going to be no coronation, and as a result, no chance to confess.

Wanting to get their earlier than the others, I sent Twilight a letter detailing my plan and telling her to meet Trixie at the manor. I also made it a point for the alicorn to tell her why I was gone instead of leaving her in the dark like last time.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to rise as I came up to the city. Things were looking slightly better, though; from what the others were telling me when I asked, some stronger unicorns have been making their stands, and while they still lost, they were able to last a lot longer than five minutes.

I still had to wait on Twilight and Trixie, but I had already received word that Cutlass and his team were already in the caves and doing their part. With them down there, that took care of the biggest threat Checkmate posed to the city.

The mares’ timing couldn’t have been better. Just as they called out to me from the city walls, the pony Checkmate had been dueling flew past my head and into a building. “Well, looks like I’ve gotten rid of the pawns, and you’re finally starting to throw out your stronger forces. Come on, I need more! As long as you have time left, you still have a chance. Come! Come and face the might of the Great and Powerful Checkmate!”

I’m pretty sure Trixie was the only one that didn’t laugh. “Twilight, was I reallylike that at one point?”

Through her laughter, she wiped her eyes and nodded. “Thankfully not anymore. I’ve got the Amulet, Astro.” Indeed she had. She held up the cursed artifact to me, but I pushed it back.

“Take it to the princess, I’ll go keep his attention. Trixie, gather up as many unicorns as you can and take out those monsters.”

After an obedient nod from the both of them, they took off. Something made Trixie faster than me, whether it was her size or the fact that I hadn’t slept in two days. Checkmate caught sight of her, but before he could actually react, I called him out.

“Let’s go you loudmouthed knob jockey! I’ve had just about enough of your gloating, and while you may think you’re powerful, I guarantee I’ll give you a run for your money.”

I was met with a smirk and raised brow. Apparently my proclamation peaked his interest as he cracked his neck and took a few steps towards me. “Very well then. Let’s see what you’ve got, you obnoxious mick.”

Now that was uncalled for. As per usual, though, I gave him a calm, patient retort in the form of a song. I enjoyed playing violin, and most Sirish songs were centered on the instrument. After a while, I began practicing a spell that allowed me to play songs I had remembered by channeling magic through the particles in the air, producing the same vibrations that the instrument made to create certain notes. I played the entire first verse of one of my favorites, “A Pair of Brown Eyes”, which got an enthusiastic clap from Checkmate.

“Impressive, friend, but you’ll have to do better than that.”

This guy knew his culture. My music was countered with the first verse of “Foggy Dew”, and I decided to get a bit rougher. The circle of flames at his hooves roared to life, surrounding him as I poured magic into them to keep them ablaze. It wasn’t enough to keep him down, though, as my flames were soon turned against me and hurled my way in a massive ball, which a quick shield spell was barely able to deflect.

Checkmate’s grin widened as he eyed me. “Well, looks like the enemy has finally brought out their king. I’m going to enjoy this!” He froze just as he was about to make his move, turning towards the faint sounds of the fight that just erupted below us.

Trixie was doing it! I had been so wrapped up in the duel that I hadn’t even noticed that most of the unicorns around us were now gone and now aiding my girl to fight against Checkmate’s monsters. This only served to widen his grin even more, though, as he stamped his hoof on the ground. “You don’t win the game by cheating! What did I say? No attacking my troops until the end of the second week! You just screwed up, so say goodbye to your precious city!”

There was a long, still silence. Checkmate stomped his hoof again, and this time I could actually see the shockwaves he was sending through the ground, prompting me to laugh. “Check.”

The wide, menacing grin on my enemies face soon contorted into a furious scowl as he glared at me. “Excuse me?”

“The Spiral Knights, if not finished already, are taking out what remains of your little secret forces. I knew you were hiding something when I saw how small your army was!” I took a few steps towards him, causing the disgruntled unicorn to take a few steps back. “You didn’t think anyone was aware of the old caves beneath Canterlot Castle, so you hid the bulk of your forces inside of them! They’d be behind the walls and tearing both the city and the castle asunder before anypony could react, and given the fact that those caves haven’t been used in centuries, they were perfect hiding spot.”

His eyes were wide, and his mouth agape. Something told me he wasn’t used to being outsmarted. “H-How did you know?”

It took all I had to keep from putting on the smuggest grin I could manage. “It was the obvious move.”

The sinister unicorn raised a hoof to his chest, his expression changing from surprise to what seemed to be a fake sadness. “Ouch, that hurts. Well regardless, you still have me to contend with, and the Alicorn Amulet is on its way.”

Okay, now the smug grin was impossible. “Sorry, lad, I already took care of it. It’s in the possession of Princess Celestia, and you know you won’t be getting your hooves on it now!”

I was slammed against the wall before I knew it, even before I heard the frustrated yell. “This can’t be! You’re not smarter than me! I’m a genius, and all powerful! I refuse to be bested by some schoolteacher!”

After a groan and a bit of struggling, I was back on my hooves, still smiling. “Too bad, you just were.” This time I was able to get out of the way of his blast before it hit me, slamming him with one of my own. He rose just as easily, hurling a menagerie of elemental attacks at me, each of which I was able to counter with a shield of its opposite.

Suddenly he froze and began to laugh. Not only that, but it actually sounded like a laugh this time. “Just kidding, I have one little ace in the hole.”

“And that would be?”

He didn’t even need to answer me. All at once, one of his little furry things ran past me, carrying it in his mouth, and Twilight was rushing toward me, waving another around in her magic grasp. “Astro! It’s a fake! He planted a fake amulet!”