Author's Note

To quote Loganberry's summary in describing the prompt, "being in zugzwang [a chess term] means being in a position where making any (legal) move will make that player's position worse."

September 2024: "Zugzwang"

Get That Dragon

Misty’s eyes were trained closely on Sparky. Carefully, obsessively watching his every move. There he was, everything she needed, the final step to getting her mark, right there, waiting for her.

Only she wasn’t the only one watching him. Hitch was there too, playing with him, laughing riotously as the dragon — Misty tried hard not to think his son — giggled at his antics.

Losing Sparky would rip him to pieces. It’d crush all of them. They’d never forgive her. Ever. The one hope she had of ever feeling like she had a normal life, extinguished.

But if she didn’t go through with it, she’d get a very different kind of crushing from a vengeful fire alicorn.

There was only so much stalling she could do.

She kept watching. Because watching meant not doing. And not doing was a few moments more of pretending she wasn’t doomed.