Angel of Justice: Blood Moon

Elsewhere, completely unaware of the tense battle starting downstairs, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and their reluctant companion searched through the winding hallways and lifeless rooms to find their missing unicorn friends.

They had a vague idea of where to go from the vials both Pinkie and Rainbow had pointed ahead of them. However, the red sand inside indicated that they were still far off, and they couldn’t follow the most direct route all the time. At certain points, they were even forced into walking away from the reading just to find another path.

All the while, they couldn’t help but feel a clinging sense of paranoia and worry, not just for the safety of their friends, but for their own wellbeings as well.

After all, with everything they went through in the basement, they were right to be cautious.

Pinkie stared at the glowing sand at the tip of her vial feverishly, vaguely wondering if it would ever start changing. She wrinkled her mouth and let her ears droop a bit as she thought about her friends.

“Rainbow… Do you think they’re ok?” Pinkie asked, her usually bubbly voice diminished with worry.

The cyan pegasus’ expression fell as she turned to see such a glum look on her pink friend’s face. She couldn’t deny feeling a bit of worry herself, but someone had to be confident.

“You kidding? I’m sure they’re fine. There’s nothing our resident egghead and diva can’t handle. Honestly, I think Shining and Glitter are the ones that feel safer with those two around.” Rainbow Dash said, putting on her best assuring smile.

“As much as I hate to, I agree… I don’t know about the drama queen or the other two, but nothing can kill Twilight Sparkle. Believe me, we tried.” Raincloud added. It seemed that even her cold heart melted at the sight of a pitiful Pinkie Pie.

“Uh… Is that supposed to make her feel better?” Rainbow Dash skewed a brow at their gray companion.

Raincloud sighed, “Hey… I’m trying here.”

“Well, you should try harder. I’m no friendship expert, but I don’t think talking about the time you almost killed someone’s friend is a good way to cheer them up.”

Pinkie giggled softly at the annoyed growl Raincloud produced and the smirking ignorance Rainbow treated it with. It was a brief reprieve from her troubled thoughts, but it was a welcome one.

Still, as she looked back down to her locator charm, she couldn’t help but think of all the possible danger her friends could have been in. Only now, her worry was joined by determination.

Hang in there, guys. The cavalry is on the way!

“Rook to G five…”

The tension in the cavernous room was accentuated by the grating of marble across marble. All eyes were glued to the towering white pillar sliding across the board, following Twilight’s instruction.

As the rook neared its destination, it paused, shortly followed by the pawn blocking its path exploding into a spray of pebbles and dust. Cadence used some of her magic to shield Scootaloo’s face from the debris.

“Nicely done, Twilight… That should give us some room to breathe.” Rarity commented with a pleased smile as she sized up the board from off to the side.

Twilight was the one giving the final moves, but everyone was doing their part to try and keep an eye on and plan around the unseen possibilities their invisible opponent could take. Even Cadence and the three fillies were helping, though the crusaders could only offer so much insight with their collective inexperience.

Still, Twilight herself wore her stress for all to see, even with her blank line of a mouth. Her eyes drifted back and forth and back again, the inner workings of her mind working overtime to plot out every future and present outcome of every move.

On top of the stress of the situation hindering her, it actually didn’t help that the board was so large. None of them could get a very good look at the whole picture without stepping onto the board, and Cadence and the three fillies were confined to their squares until they could make a move, so there were a lot of blind spots that the group was trying to work around.

“Not as much room as I’d like…” Twilight said, “We’ve only been playing defensively so far. I don’t know how difficult Dusk made this spell play, but it’s been keeping us on the run without leaving many openings.”

She gazed toward the black king nestled at the far side of the board, so tantalizingly close, yet so impenetrably defended despite both teams not having a full roster. It was like those chess puzzles that she enjoyed reading about and solving, only the stakes were much higher if she messed up, and there were no resets here.

“Being defensive isn’t necessarily a bad thing.” Shining Armor added, trying to remain optimistic and confident in his sister’s abilities. He was confident in her, but he knew that sometimes she could lose confidence in herself under pressure.

And what pressure this was.

Across the way, a black knight started sliding forward. A pawn moved out of the way for it briefly, allowing the helmed unicorn bust to coast all the way between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. It was only three squares, but it felt like so much more distance covered.

Twilight cringed as she realized the young pegasus was in the path of the knight next turn. If this were real chess, she could bank on her opponent’s desire to not lose key pieces and protect Scootaloo with another piece. However, that was a gamble she was not willing to take with actual lives on the line.

“Scootaloo, move back there in front of that pawn.” She pointed.

Scootaloo followed the unicorn’s hoof, or at least tried to. It was hard to see exactly from her distance and perspective, not to mention her lack of knowledge on what a pawn actually was.

“That one?” The filly asked, wanting to be extra certain before she made a false move and killed herself and possibly her friends.

“No, the one to your left.” Twilight clarified, using her magic to create an arrow above the tile she picked. “You’re a bishop, so you can only move diagonally.”

“Ughh! Chess is so dumb! How can anyone keep track of all these stupid pieces?!” Scootaloo huffed, looking down to the miniature piece she held and tossing it to the floor in protest. Still, she followed the unicorn’s direction and walked over to the spot designated. At least she had friends that were better than her at such frustrating board games.

“Don’t worry, Scootaloo. We’ll help you. Remember, we’re in this together.” Cadence reminded softly, flashing the fillies what she hoped would be a comforting smile.

That smile faded as another piece started to move.

A black bishop slid into place in an empty square near the back end of the board. While it didn’t take any pieces, it wasn't exactly cause for celebration, as anyone with even basic knowledge of chess could immediately see some problems it could cause if left unchecked.

Shining drew air between his teeth and then gave a stressed exhale. “I don’t like this…” He muttered before glancing off to the stairs leading down at the far side of the room, then at his sister. “I’m going to check on Glitter, see how she’s doing.” He gave the purple mare a reassuring pat on the shoulder before turning and heading to the stairs.

Almost immediately after descending the first few steps, he could see the red lighting of the massive symbol clashing with the blue torches in the area. He could also spot a vested unicorn mare working her tail off in trying to wrap her head around something perhaps even more daunting than chess.

Noticing the stallion coming down to see her, Glitterball smiled hopefully. “Any luck reaching the others?”

“I’m afraid not.” Shining sighed. “The door back where we came won’t budge either. I even took one of those cutter things off Twilight’s vest and tried that.”

Glitterball’s smile faded at that. “Did… did you try the spellbreaker?” She asked, though she suspected she already knew the answer.

Shining nodded weakly. “No dice. It looks like the only way out of here is either by winning, or…” He looked to her, frowning as he saw her trail her gaze down, an understandable glint of dread in her eyes. “Any luck down here?”

“Shining, I-” Glitter hesitated, glancing up at the monstrous symbol before looking to him with soft eyes. “I don’t know if I can do this. Breaking Raven Feather’s spellwork was hard, but this… this is on a whole different level. There are countermeasures and redundancies for the countermeasures and redundancies! Dusk made this thing not to be broken without triggering the consequences of the spell.”

“If anypony can do it, Glitter, I know that pony is you.” The stallion assured.

Glitterball stared at him momentarily, searching his eyes for any doubt in her. She wouldn’t have blamed him. However, somehow, even through all of the nerves, even though his own wife was one of the lives at stake, he looked like he trusted her.

She couldn’t let them down. She couldn’t let him down. He was once her captain after all.

“I’ll keep working at it.” Glitter said, managing to lift her expression back into her usual cheery optimism and confidence, even if it wasn't as intense as usual.

“Atta girl.” Shining smiled. “We’re all in your corner, Glitter. The only one you need to make proud is yourself.” He said before shifting his attention back upstairs. He gave her one last confident look before heading back up.

Once he was gone, the unicorn exhaled slowly before looking up at the daunting task before her and taking a steady breath. “Come on, Glitter… The only easy day was yesterday.” She muttered to herself before lighting her horn back up and diving back into the magical weave of the symbol.

Back upstairs, Shining Armor looked over to the board as he walked back over to the two mares. Strangely, nothing had changed from when he went downstairs.

Twilight was stuck in her head, a hoof pressed to her cheek and a deep look of concentration on her face. There was a telltale wrinkle in her expression and a darting quality to her eyes that told she was on the verge of a stress spiral.

“We haven’t moved?” Shining asked, a bit surprised.

Rarity shook her head with a sympathetic frown as she looked at the purple mare. “She can’t decide on a move.”

“I’m trying!” Twilight insisted. “It’s just… that bishop there is really limiting what I can do without opening a ton of weaknesses for our other pieces!” She jabbed a hoof at the frustrating block of marble. The notch carved into its rounded top almost resembled a mocking grin.

Shining cringed as he eyed the bishop and all its possible moves. It was immediately in line to take one of their knights, or rather, their only knight that wasn't a unicorn filly. However, moving said knight opened up the path behind it for other pieces to be taken. “Yikes… that is a problem.”

“Can’t you just block it with that pawn?” Sweetie Belle suggested, pointing to the piece in question. “I think pawns can move twice at the start… can’t they?”

Twilight’s mouth inched up into a warm smile, but her eyes were still soft with worry. “That’s right, Sweetie… they can. Unfortunately, that would put our king in check from that queen.” She pointed out. “A player can’t make a move that would put their king in check… and even if it means making a bad move or losing a piece, check can’t be ignored.”

“Oh…” Sweetie deflated a bit, her floppy ears drooping and her eyes lowering.

“Don’t feel bad, Sweetie. You know more about this than me and Scoots combined.” Apple Bloom stated.

“She’s right, darling.” Rarity chimed in. “I’m so impressed by how much you know at your age. I’ve watched you play against dad, and he wouldn’t admit it, but you caused him some trouble more than a few times.” She said, pleased to see the filly’s expression turn around. Still, her own mouth curved down into a troubled pout as she turned back to the board.

“However, that still leaves us in this conundrum.” She rubbed her chin pensively as she tried to help her more knowledgeable friends with finding a solution. Strategy wasn't in her wheelhouse, but when her sister was threatened, she would do everything in her power, no matter the difficulty.

Unfortunately for them, the difficulty kept rising, as a deep grating noise filled the space once more.

Everyone looked up, only to see the hourglass at the back of the room shifting. The sand inside started falling again, reminding them that this wasn't just some casual game of wits. This was a death trap, and it wouldn’t give them an inch.

“Horsefeathers…” Twilight darted her trembling eyes between the hourglass and the board, stammering and stalling as her rampant thoughts raced. “Umm… What do I do?!”

“Something fast, hopefully.” Apple Bloom muttered tensely.

Meanwhile, Cadence looked to the bishop for a moment before adopting a serious expression. “Twilight, let me take it.”

Twilight paused and looked to the board, giving her suggestion a cursory thought before realizing just where that would put the alicorn. “I can’t do that, Cadence! It’s way too risky over there for you!”

“I’m the queen, Twilight. You can’t just not use a useful piece like that because it might be risky.” Cadence said. “I can get rid of that bishop and set myself up to put them in checkmate in a few moves. I know you’ve seen that.”

“Cadence…” Twilight softened her expression as she looked at her beloved sister-in-law.

“It’s ok,” Cadence assured. “I know you can win this… but not if you keep handicapping yourself. Don’t think of me as something that needs to be protected… think of me like a piece, and use me.”

“Girls, time is almost up. Whatever you’re going to do, you need to do it now!” Shining Armor suggested urgently.

Twilight eyed over to the hourglass before looking to Cadence once more. Finally, she sighed and closed her eyes. “Fine… do it.”

Cadence smiled softly. If she was being honest, she probably would have done it with or without permission, but she was glad that the unicorn trusted her.

Everyone watched as the pink alicorn settled her attention on the bishop ahead before walking forward. She ambled across the board and came to a stop right in front of the opposing piece. A moment passed, and then, as if sensing that her intended move wasn't over yet, the bishop crackled and exploded, causing her to lift a foreleg to shield her face.

After the space was clear, she walked into the square and stopped, completing their move. All eyes shifted to the hourglass at the back of the room, which thankfully flipped back around.

Twilight let out the breath she had been holding as Rarity gave her a reassuring jostle on the shoulder. It was too late to go back now, but at least she had some new options opened up to her. Having a queen so far into enemy lines could prove to be useful, especially when coupled with Sweetie Belle’s knight just a few squares away. That is if the enemy didn’t make a move that would force them to retreat.

Then, as it often did, disaster struck from out of nowhere.

The black queen slid across the board diagonally, coming to a stop just ahead of the broken line of pawns protecting the enemy ranks. It didn’t immediately threaten any piece, but as Twilight followed its next path down, her eyes widened.

“Oh… Oh no…” She muttered, taking a few steps closer to the board and staring intently as she mentally confirmed what she had discovered. As she found the result unchanged, her face only paled further. “No, no, no… How did I not see this?!”

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Shining asked, glancing between the board and his sister uneasily.

Cadence followed the unicorn’s gaze to the freshly moved queen. She looked back to the white side of the board, only to have the color drain from her face as well. “Oh no…”

“What is it?” Scootaloo prodded anxiously. “Is… is something wrong?”

“That queen is about to put us in checkmate.” Twilight explained, her voice shaken and defeated as she fell to her haunches.

Rarity gasped in alarm, “What?!”

“Wh… w-what do you mean?! Isn’t there something you can do to stop it?!” Scootaloo asked, a sense of desperation slowly welling up inside of her. Her two friends were feeling it as well as the danger of their situation sank in.

Shining Armor looked over to his sister, only to inch back as he saw her staring at the floor distantly, her eyes beginning to water. “Twilight… there’s something you can do, right? There… t-there’s gotta be something.” He got in close to her and sat down in front of her, resting a hoof on her shoulder.

Twilight looked up, causing Shining to flinch in surprise. Normally, her face was full of such determination and confidence. Such drive to protect her friends.

Now, however, her eyes were full of despair.

“I’m sorry, Shiny… I… I-I’m so sorry.” She quaked, reaching forward and burying her face into the stallion’s chest.

Shining limply rested a hoof on her back as she held him, unable to bring herself to even look at him. All the while a look of earth-shattering shock was forming on his face as he slowly came to terms with what she was saying. She had failed, and now they were going to have to pay the consequences.

“Are… are we gonna die?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked between her friends, her voice sounding timid and small.

A hoof stomp shifted the fillies’ attention over to the side, where Rarity was looking on defiantly. “Nonsense! I refuse to believe that we must sit back and simply watch what’s going to happen!” She turned to her unicorn friend desperately. “Look again, Twilight! Surely there must be something you missed! Please… I beg of you!”

Twilight lifted herself free of her brother’s chest and made an effort to stop her lips from trembling as she faced her friend. “I’m sorry, Rarity… There’s nothing.” She gestured to the board, letting her hoof linger in the air as she did one last triple check to make sure her earlier deduction was right. “None of our pieces can block or take that queen… and the king can’t move out of the way. It’s… i-it’s over.”

“Actually…”

Cadence spoke up flatly, causing everyone to pause and look up. They cast their gaze over to her, only to see the alicorn staring back at them with a grim look on her face.

“There is,” She swallowed briefly, “one thing we can do.”

Twilight skewed her expression. “Wh… what are you-” Then, as Cadence lifted a foreleg and pointed to an empty square, her confusion deepened, before suddenly being replaced with horrified revelation.

“No…” Twilight shook her head. “Cadence, you can’t be-”

“Serious?” Cadence interrupted. She snorted softly and formed a bittersweet smile. “I’m deadly serious, Twilight.”

“What are you talking about?” Shining asked. When the alicorn didn’t answer, he darted back to his sister. “What’s she talking about?!”

Twilight tensed her lips. “She wants to move there and put black in check.”

Following the mare’s forelimb, Shining, Rarity, and everyone else in the room slowly realized the severity of the alicorn’s plan. The spot Twilight was pointing out, the one that would seemingly save them from certain doom, was directly in the path of the black queen.

Rarity held a hoof to her chest. “Oh my word…”

“No,” Shining stated. He stood up and walked toward the board. “No, Cadence. I won’t let you do that!”

“It would be saving them, Shining!” Cadence said, gesturing to the three fillies.

“It would be suicide!” The stallion retorted.

“Princess…” Sweetie Belle piped up, looking to the alicorn with a sympathetic frown. “I don’t want you to get hurt trying to save us. Please…”

Cadence flashed the young unicorn and her friends a heartfelt smile. “I’m sorry, Sweetie… but it’s the only way. Check can’t be ignored…”

Sweetie felt her tiny heart exploding as the alicorn resigned herself to her fate. She looked over at the enemy side of the board, desperate to find some kind of alternative. She paused slightly as she thought of Cadence’s words.

Twilight’s eyes wavered as she looked at the pink alicorn, her heart starting to race. “You can’t do this, Cadence!”

“I have to,” Cadence said with more than a hint of sorrow in her voice. “It’s my fault that we made this move. If someone has to die because of it, I would rather it be me!”

Amidst this downward spiral of regret and sorrow, Rarity turned and ran over to the other side of the room. Twilight and the others briefly turned to watch her rushing to the stairs leading down, where their monster hunter friend was still hard at work trying to circumvent the spell and save everyone.

Rarity panted as she came to a stop on the first few steps down and craned her head into the space underneath, garnering the immediate attention of the vested mare with how upset she looked.

“Glitter, you have to do something!” Rarity pleaded.

“Rarity?” Glitterball glanced between the symbol and the unicorn briefly before her expression fell. “What’s wrong?”

Rarity darted her gaze upstairs, toward the chessboard and the tense discussion still taking place, and then settled her desperate eyes on her friend. “Cadence is about to sacrifice herself!”

Hearing that, Glitter felt the air leave her chest like someone punched her. Her eyes widened and then started to tremble. “Oh my gosh. Can’t you stop her?!” She asked, already lighting her horn and frantically going over the symbol in search of something, anything she could do to help.

“It’s the only move we can make! We’re about to lose!” Rarity said. “Please, darling! I know this is stressful, but you’re the only one in any position to save her!”

A pitiful whine came, but this time Rarity wasn't the one making it. She was surprised to see the seasoned member of the royal guard, the same cool-headed and quick-witted unicorn that had saved her and her friends numerous times from monstrous enemies, one of the three surviving founding members of Spirit, crying.

“I don’t know if I can do anything, Rarity!” Glitterball vented, her form starting to shake and her lower lip starting to quiver. “I… I still don’t understand this symbol enough to break it without… w-without-”

“Glitter… Glitter, look at me.” Rarity coaxed softly, causing the distraught unicorn to pause her imminent breakdown. “I’ve seen you beat worse odds than this. You’ve saved us from demons and ghosts and monsters, all without so much as a moment’s hesitation. I know you… and I know you can do this.”

“But… w-what if I mess up again?” Glitter asked. “I almost killed both of us with that trap. I… I don’t think I could live with myself if I…” She shuddered as the mere thought entered her mind, images of Cadence and the three fillies dying in some fiery explosion caused by her hoof.

“Remember what I said earlier?” Rarity managed a slight smile, even through the tremble in her own form. “It’s ok to be scared… Frankly, I’m terrified right now. But if you let your fear get in the way of acting, you’ll always regret what might have been. At least if you act, you can say you did everything you could in that moment.”

Glitterball stared at the unicorn for a moment. She knew that her friend was right. When she became a guard, she promised herself that she would always do her best to help ponies in need, no matter what.

She looked up at the symbol painted across the ceiling, biting her lip as she thought about its mind-bogglingly complicated structure. There had to be something she could do, and she was going to find it if it killed her.

“Ok… I’ll try.” Glitter gave the unicorn a solemn nod and a fragile smile of confidence before burying herself in her work once more with urgent fervor.

Rarity parroted the vested mare’s paper smile. Still, she couldn’t deny or suppress her own fear and anxiety as she hopped up and walked away from the stairs. The situation on the chessboard hadn’t changed since she stepped away, no matter how much she wished it had.

“Cadence, listen to me!” Twilight pleaded. “This is exactly what Dusk wants! He wants us to trade lives. There has to be another way!”

“She’s right.” Shining Armor added. “Glitter will find a way to break that symbol, or one of the others will come find us or… or break that spell that’s causing this maze! But if you make that move…” He hesitated, taking a shaky breath before looking to the alicorn with teary eyes. “Please. I’m not ready to lose you.”

Cadence said nothing to that. She just looked to the stallion, the love of her immeasurably long life, in heartbroken silence. Even despite her resolve, even though she had already committed to this path, she couldn’t prevent herself from shedding a few tears.

Suddenly, Shining and Twilight felt something grasping onto them and squeezing. They looked down, only to find a softly shimmering blue corona hugging their forms. Of course, the alicorn had her horn lit and her hoof outstretched. It might not have been much, but it was all she could do to touch them.

“I love you… both of you.” Cadence said, giving the pair a soft smile. “I’m so glad I got to be part of your lives… your family even.”

Twilight put a hoof to her chest, embracing the slight tingle of magical energy like it was the alicorn’s own hoof, and let out a tiny sob. Her lips refused to form words. She tried to stop frowning, but they refused that too.

“Cadence… I-”

Before the purple mare could finish, a dreadfully familiar low rumble filled the air.

The ponies shifted their stiff forms to look back at the hourglass. Much to their horror, it was slowly coming to life, tipping over and starting its grim countdown. And, almost as if to make matters worse, it almost seemed to be running out of sand faster than before, like one final slap to the face from Dusk to them.

Seeing Cadence trailing her head down and giving a sigh of finality before standing up, Twilight’s face paled. “No… no, no, no! Cadence, you can’t! PLEASE!” She rushed to the edge of the board and reached out for her former foalsitter, fresh tears streaming down her face. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and she felt like she might pass out.

“Cadence!” Shining Armor protested. Seeing his wife turning and walking to the edge of her square, he grew louder and more desperate. “Please don’t do this! Please… please!” He practically sobbed.

Rarity sobbed a bit more openly. “Don’t throw your life away!”

“Princess!” Apple Bloom joined the choir of voices crying for the alicorn to stop.

“You can’t do this!” Scootaloo pleaded.

Cadence paused and looked around at her friends, at the three innocent fillies, at her beloved husband, at her best unicorn friend and sister-in-law, and then at the hourglass ticking away. With the finality of the sands falling down to smother three young lives, she made up her mind.

“Everyone… I’m sorry.” She said before turning, closing her eyes, and taking one final steadying inhale before sticking out her hoof.

And then, a hoofstep echoed through the chamber. And then another, and another. Only, they didn’t belong to Cadence.

The alicorn slowly trailed her head toward the sound, only to freeze at what she saw.

“Sweetie Belle…?” She muttered, her mind refusing to fully process the event before her. “Wh… w-what are you doing?”

The snow-white filly gave the stunned princess a tiny, conflicted smile. “Don’t worry, Princess… It’s ok.”

Cadence looked to where the young crusader was moving, the only place she could have been moving. The move wasn't particularly complicated. It didn’t have any long-term plots or ploys to spring into action down the line. It was so simple that even Sweetie had seen it.

Everyone had seen it, and for a long time too. It had been available to the filly almost since they started the game, but nobody had even considered it for one very important reason.

It was the same move Cadence was trying to make now. A sacrifice play.

“No…” Cadence’s pupils shrank. “NO!” She started to move when she abruptly stopped and glanced down to the confines of her square. She couldn’t risk making a false move.

“Sweetie?!” Rarity rushed to the side of the board. “What are you doing?! Turn around this instant!”

“Sweetie Belle, no!” Twilight cried in protest, because that was about all she could do.

Ignoring the pleas of her friends and even her sister, Sweetie Belle walked in line with the enemy pawns. She stopped in the middle of her empty square and looked forward at the black king with a bit of wavering resolve burning in her eyes.

“Check!” She declared.

“S.B, are you crazy?!” Scootaloo asked, staring at her friend with wide eyes.

Sweetie looked over to see all eyes on her. They were shocked and dismayed, and she perfectly understood. “It’s ok… I want you all to live.” She said, paying particular attention to the stunned alicorn.

“Sweetie!” Rarity cried. She ran all the way around the massive board until she was behind it, where she could be closest to the filly. She panted briefly, uncaring of how exhausted she was, and looked to her little sister with a despairing sense of sadness in her eyes. “I want you to live too!”

“We’ve gotta get her off there!” Shining Armor stated.

Twilight bit her trembling lip and shifted in place anxiously. “We can’t! It’s… it’s not our turn!”

Almost on cue with the unicorn’s words, the hourglass at the back of the room flipped back over. A cold, iron vice gripped everyone’s hearts as they watched it shift back upright. Their move had been locked in. There was no denying it now.

Everyone looked over to the only remaining black bishop. The one that was in line with the square Sweetie was occupying. No matter how much they prayed, no matter how much they willed it to stay put, it started moving.

The grating rumble rattled their souls. Their collective heart rate skyrocketed. If everyone was distraught over the alicorn sacrificing herself, now they were broken.

“Sweetie Belle!” Apple Bloom yelled, not even caring to hide her tears as she watched her friend standing brave in the face of death, or at least as brave as a filly could.

Sweetie’s breathing quickened, and a light whine escaped her muzzle as she locked her trembling orbs on the bishop. She knew what she was doing, and she knew full well what it meant, but somehow watching the end drawing near was more than she could take.

Twilight turned to the opening to the lower level. “GLITTER, HURRY!” She shouted, hopeful that her pleas were heard and somehow amounted to something.

A torrent of emotion poured out as the bishop charged forward without pause, without mercy. Everyone felt like the world was crashing down around them as they stared at the innocent filly and cried out in denial.

Sweetie Belle herself felt her life flashing before her eyes. She was on the verge of passing out from hyperventilating. At least then she could be blissfully unaware of her imminent demise. Would it hurt? Would it be quick? She didn’t imagine a pony could just shatter and explode like the marble chess pieces did, but whatever force was behind their destruction couldn’t have been pleasant.

“Sweetie…” A soft voice called out behind her. “Darling, look at me.”

Feeling a tug at her hoof, Sweetie turned to see a purple aura of light gently holding her tiny limb. She looked up, only to see her big sister looking at her, horn lit and a warm, bittersweet smile on her face as tears ran down her cheeks.

“Rarity… I’m scared.” Sweetie whimpered. She could hear the bishop drawing closer behind her, no more than a square or two away by now.

Rarity took a shaky breath, unable to stifle a sob as she tightened her magical grip on the filly’s hoof. It wasn't quite the same as real touch, but it was close enough. “It’s ok, Sweetie. I’m right here. Just… just look at me, ok?”

Everyone watched in shocked silence as the two siblings cried together. They didn’t want to watch what was coming, but they couldn’t tear their eyes away.

Sweetie Belle flinched as the sound behind her came to a stop with one final rumble. She glanced over her shoulder at the bishop looming over her, and at all of her friends.

Strangely, alongside all of the fear and dread, there was relief as well. While she didn’t want to put her friends through such a traumatic event, at least everyone else could go on living.

As Rarity was staring up at the bishop with her whole body shaking, she heard Sweetie’s voice.

“Hey, sis…”

Looking down, Rarity flinched back, a small gasp escaping her as she clasped a hoof to her mouth and felt fresh tears welling up in her eyes.

Sweetie Belle wore a fragile smile, her eyes closed and a slight tilt to her head. If it weren’t for the tears still flowing freely, she would have almost looked happy.

“Love y-”

Then, a flash of red light came from below the filly, engulfing her as a tiny voice screamed out in pain.