A Game of Chess

Rainbow Dash watched, hidden, through the window of the royal palace. She made sure to keep her back pressed against the outer wall, using her head, which was exposed, to stare through the glass.

"Are you certain that you're ready for this?" Princess Celestia asked Checkmate.

The stallion, his voice sounding oddly emotional, simply nodded. "Yes. I've done everything that I could possibly do in order to prepare myself for today."

What was so important about today? Besides it being Checkmate's last day in Equestria, according to him.

Princess Celestia nodded. "I hope so, Checkmate..." she whispered. "I don't wish to send you into Darkfrost unprepared. We both know full well that Wendigo will leap at whatever opportunity he can to kill you."

Rainbow felt a shiver run down her spine. Wendigo? Who was that? And why did that name make her so nervous, so terrified?

Princess Celestia looked up at him, then. "Did you... say your goodbyes to your friends?"

Again, Checkmate nodded. "I can't risk them following me to Darkfrost. It's far too dangerous for anypony there. I had to hide a lot of information about this from them, just so that I could make it here without them getting too worried about me."

Rainbow Dash felt her face pale for the second time in the last hour. Checkmate... did care for them? No, that couldn't be true. Checkmate Vigarde clearly didn't care for any of them, she was sure of it.

"Again... I'd like to apologize for this. Luna feels sorry as well, I'm sure."

"You've nothing to apologize for, Celestia, and neither does your sister," said Checkmate, a small smile on his face. "I just... this is my only chance to stop Wendigo. If I'm killed, then I don't know what will happen to the world." He frowned, and shook his head. "The instant that I step onto Darkfrost, I'll become easy prey for that heartless bastard. Unless, of course, I can stop him, first."

"Right..." Princess Celestia sighed. "I have no jurisdiction in Darkfrost. If you find yourself in a tough situation, I... won't be able to save you."

And then, at that statement, Rainbow felt her blood run cold. Checkmate was sending himself off into death in order to save the world, all against some monster called "Wendigo". The facts were hitting her too hard, too fast. But, still, she had to see for herself.

And then, she heard Checkmate's reply.

"I understand the consequences of this," he said. "I just... It's something that I must do. Even if it costs me my life, I won't stop until Wendigo is dead. It's the least that I can do to atone for what I've done."

It was all that Rainbow could do not to shatter that window and tell him that what he was doing was stupid. But, still, she had to watch, and wait, and then follow him to this place he called "Darkfrost".

"I know," Princess Celestia whispered. "Very well. Follow me. The chariot to Darkfrost is out in the courtyard."

The cyan pegasus watched the two from above, cautiously, as the princess led Checkmate out towards the courtyard in question. There, in its center, stood a simple, non-decorated chariot, with four pegasi guards holding it.

"I realize that it's not much..." began the princess, but Checkmate cut her off.

"It's sufficient," he replied. "Thank you, Celestia, for everything."

Princess Celestia smiled. "The team has been instructed to take you to the outskirts of Equestria. After that, you will need to reach your village on your own. If you're successful, you'll have to return to Equestria by hoof."

"I understand," said Checkmate. "Right. Let's be off, shall we?"

He climbed aboard the chariot, and sat down.

"One last thing, Checkmate," mused the princess. "I understand that this must be strange to you, but I must tell you that Luna, myself, and even Discord all support you. And, also, when you win..." She smiled, slightly, "I hope that you'll make it to our Winter Gala."

Checkmate grinned, his face stretching beneath his hood, "Well, I'm certainly looking forward to it. I've also got a few questions that I want answered. I'll make sure to ask them once I return."

And then he nodded to the guards, as they took off towards Darkfrost, with Rainbow Dash in tow.

Checkmate struggled to keep his hood from whipping back as the pegasi flew him towards Darkfrost. He changed his demeanor mid-flight, returning to his cold and stoic mindset.

If he was to face a creature that fed on hatred, then he would make sure that he had no hatred for him to feed on.

The earth pony glanced down towards the Glacius at his side. He was certain, through years of studying, that it was one of the few weapons that could harm a windigo. Although he didn't know what the others were, that was not important to him at the moment. What was important, however, was killing Wendigo before he could do any more damage to the world around him.

He would miss Ponyville. Of this he was certain. The ponies there were friendly, not reclusive, and open about what they felt. He actually really liked the idea of a place like that, and, if he was successful, he would gladly settle down there.

Perhaps Darkfrost would become like Equestria once its cruel king was slain. And, on the other hoof, maybe it would still be a nation filled with hatred, bitterness, and anger, as it was then.

Either way, it didn't matter to him. All that he wanted, at that point, was to stare down the king of the windigoes and plunge the Glacius into his neck. Checkmate could already hear the joy of the other ponies in the area, including the other windigoes, as their foul leader would be dispatched with haste.

Or, again, perhaps not. But Checkmate did not want to think about the ice, about Wendigo's dagger in his back, or...

He shuddered, but quickly retook his stoical state.

The stallion would have to remain calm, emotionless, and confident in his abilities.

Otherwise, the monster would kill him with ease.

"We're here!" one of the four guards called back to him, as he felt the chariot touch down.

Checkmate leapt down from the chariot, and looked over the four pegasi.

"My thanks," he said. "Did Celestia tell you exactly why I was...?"

"No," replied the same guard. "She simply told us to bring you to the outskirts of Equestria, and that it was very important. We heard a few snippets of your conversation, but it was nothing that overly interested us. Just talk of the two princesses and Discord and the Winter Gala."

The earth pony nodded. "Very well. Thank you, again."

At least there weren't any ponies who knew about Wendigo. He was thankful for this, but made sure to watch the sky, just in case.

The last thing that he needed was for Rainbow Dash to have followed him, again.

Rainbow Dash was, of course, following him again, watching from the sky as Checkmate stepped from the chariot to the ground, which was covered in snow and ice.

Ahead of her, the sky was gray, and filled with large clouds that appeared to spread all the way to the horizon. The land beneath them was dark, like an eternal night, but with the slightest amount of sunlight working its way beneath the clouds.

The effect it had was entirely unnerving, especially as Checkmate began to walk into the darkness, over the ice, and towards... wherever it was he was going.

The cyan pegasus continued her pursuit, flying behind him in order to avoid being seen.

The earth pony didn't look back, but kept going forward, and Rainbow simply continued her trek.

After what felt like hours of flying, Checkmate stopped, and stared at what lay around him. Rainbow Dash was looking around, as well, and heard Checkmate sigh.

"At last," he said, quietly, his voice sad, "I'm home."

He stepped forward, entering a tiny village, with around twenty houses made of stone and wood that looked as if it would collapse just by looking at it, each with several small torches adorned to the outer walls. Again, Rainbow followed him, making sure to keep a safe distance away.

Then, however, she couldn't, as the wind around her became too powerful for her to fly against, and Rainbow was forced to land. Her hooves felt awkward against the uneven stone path that ran between the houses, and, looking around her, she saw various ponies - unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony alike - all scarred, all wearing long cloaks - watching her from the homes, their eyes filled with fear. She had to be cautious, vigilant, and, of course, attract as little attention as possible. Otherwise, Checkmate could locate her, and then she would have to either return to Equestria or have the stallion chew her out for stalking him again.

And then, she heard a voice from behind her. "You! What are you doing here?"

Rainbow turned around in shock, seeing a large creature, with a transparent white coat and eyes the color of snow, staring at her. It looked like a normal pony - exactly, in fact - save for its ghostly appearance.

A windigo.

"I-I..." She couldn't talk. Her tongue seemed to go dry inside her mouth.

"Dammit... get out of here," growled the windigo, angrily. "It's too dangerous for a pony... from..."

Its jaw dropped. "Checkmate!" it cried, running over to the stallion, a good thirty feet ahead of her. "What hell are you doing here?!"

The earth pony rubbed his eyes, and turned towards the windigo. "Rolan... is that you?" he asked. "You haven't changed much, have you?"

The windigo glared at him. "Checkmate, did you take this mare here with you?!"

"Mare?" Checkmate replied. "I came here alone."

"Then who the hell is that?!"

Rainbow Dash quickly hid behind a nearby building, leaving Checkmate and the windigo unable to see her.

"I don't see anypony," mused Checkmate, "and to answer your first question... I'm sure that you know the answer now, actually."

The windigo sighed. "Fine," it muttered. "If you're going to fight Wendigo, then I'm not going to stop you. But what happens if you fail? The dozens of ponies in this village - in all of Darkfrost - will lose their hero. Is that what you want? To take away that last ray of hope for them?!"

"They'll live," Checkmate said, coldly. "I'm going to make sure of it. No matter what happens, I cannot fail."

"So you say..." the windigo muttered. "And if you do?"

"Then I die. Plain and simple," Checkmate replied.

The windigo's gaze softened. "Are you... certain that you're prepared for this?"

"I've answered that question already today, and the same answer applies now: I've been prepared to do this for the last week, Rolan," said Checkmate. "I promise you that I won't die here."

"Right. You with all of your self-confidence," the windigo laughed, seeming to grow more comfortable with Checkmate being there. "You really haven't changed at all, have you? Even with you pretending to have no emotions, you're still just the same old Checkmate."

"I know," he replied, "but how have you fared, Rolan? Has Wendigo been treating you well?"

"Sure," said the windigo, ruefully. "If you count 'continues to murder innocents and stabs you at every opportunity' as 'well'."

"After today, I'm sure that conditions will improve here," said Checkmate.

The windigo sighed, again. "I'd say I'm looking forward to it, but I know better at this point. Just don't get yourself killed, okay? Wendigo's execution platform is just ahead."

"I know. Thank you."

Checkmate immediately turned towards the area where the windigo was leading him, and began to step closer to it.

Rainbow left her hiding spot, as the windigo glared at her.

"Mind telling me who you are?" it asked.

For some reason, it wasn't nearly as terrifying as the monsters from the play, and looked much more like an average pony than some kind of demonic spirit. It almost seemed like any other stallion from Ponyville, in fact. In addition to this, it was strangely compassionate, and seemed to care for Checkmate more than this "Wendigo" seemed to.

"Rainbow Dash," she replied, voice shaking slightly, "the greatest flier in a-all Equestria!"

The windigo laughed at this. It wasn't a mocking laugh, but more of a laugh that a parent would make after their child said something foolish. "I'm afraid that isn't going to help you much here. Wendigo has created winds that prevent pegasi from flying around at their leisure. Of course... it also keeps pegasi from escaping via flight."

"Well... I'm not here to fight this guy, I'm just here to learn more about Checkmate."

"In that case, here's the first thing you should know," said the windigo. "Checkmate Vigarde? He spent the first fifteen years of his life here, and all of those scars - every last one of them - were given to him by the bastard running this sick show, with possibly a few from his general, Deun, but he's less known for scarring innocents. He escaped the day that he stepped in on his parents' corpses. Naturally, you can guess who cut them down."

Rainbow felt her legs grow weak, "Y-you mean Wendigo...?"

"Had them killed? Yeah. Brutally, too. It was because of their deaths that Checkmate tried to escape, and managed to get away from this place."

"How could anypony be so cruel?" Rainbow whispered.

The windigo glanced away. "Nopony really knows why. All they know is that Wendigo will kill them if they do anything to displease him. He's known as a heartless bastard around here, and commits no less than one public execution every day."

"How does a pony do that in a village this small?" she didn't really want to know, but her imagination would likely create worse scenarios if she didn't hear it from this windigo.

"This isn't the only village in Darkfrost. There are dozens - some towns, some villages, some even cities. This is just Wendigo's primary town - the capitol of Darkfrost, called the Hellgate Mines due to the caverns nearby. That platform is where he spends most of his time, and every execution is carried out here in this town. And when he doesn't have enough to sate his foul appetite" - the windigo glared off towards the platform - "he just picks them up from other nations. Nations at war, nations in famines... None dare to stop him. He's too powerful. The bastard's working on a monstrous floating fortress - the Zephyr, he calls it - and he's using no less than one million ponies - pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies, and even his own windigoes - in its construction."

"One-one million?!" Rainbow Dash practically screamed. She was wrong. Her imagination could never, not in her life, be that horrific.

"One million," the windigo stated, again. "It's a wretched thing. And that dagger of his, Conviction, is the most horrific thing in existence, next to the monster who wields it. If a creature is killed by it, their soul becomes a part of the Zephyr, to writhe about in agony forever. And their body..." it trailed off, and shuddered.

"I've got to help Checkmate!" Rainbow Dash cried, and began to fly towards the platform, only to be stopped by the windigo.

"Don't throw your life away!" it shouted. "Nothing can hurt Wendigo, save for that blade Checkmate's got, its twin, and a few others. You'd only add to the Zephyr's construction, and possibly even bring war to Equestria."

"But... I can't let Checkmate suffer a death like that!" she may not have liked him that much, but to writhe about in agony for all eternity...

"Let me pass!" She shouted, again, pushing against the windigo. Who would've thought that a creature that was transparent couldn't be passed through?

"LISTEN TO ME!" it shouted, and Rainbow stopped. "I understand that you don't want Checkmate to die. I don't either. But there's little that anypony can do at this point. The only way to save Checkmate's life would be to take him away from here, again, or for him to kill Wendigo by himself."

"Then I'll get him out of here!" Rainbow growled. "Just let me pass!"

The windigo sighed, "Fine. I can tell that nothing I say will change your mind. But don't interfere unless it looks like Checkmate is gonna die... otherwise, he could be killed by Wendigo before you get to save him."

It stood to the side, as Rainbow Dash flew, as fast as she could, towards where Checkmate was.

Checkmate stepped up the stairs leading to the platform, holding the sword close by. His heart was pounding quickly, but he didn't care. He was shivering, but he didn't think of it, as he pulled the cloak tight around him.

He looked back, once, and shouted towards the sky.

"Wendigo!" he called. "Show yourself, you bastard!"

The air began to converge in front of Checkmate, then, as foul laughter began to pervade the area around him.

"Well, Checkmate! I didn't think to see you so soon!" The voice was cruel and horrific, and seemed to come from everywhere.

"I had something that I needed to do," replied Checkmate, holding the Glacius up, "and now is my chance to do it."

"Ha! The Glacius, eh? So I guess that you've come for me," laughed the voice. "Then let me show you just how foolish your aspirations are."

And then, before Checkmate, appeared a large windigo, as tall as Celestia. He had a large, semi-transparent coat and mane, and eyes that were the color of ice, and a large smirk that took up most of his face.

"Welcome back to Darkfrost, hero," mocked Wendigo. "I was hoping that you'd show up. It'll make it all the more enjoyable to crush these pathetic creatures' dreams and make you into a part of the Zephyr."

"I should warn you," mused Checkmate. "I'm far more powerful than when we fought eight years ago."

"Good..." the windigo gave him a cruel smirk. "I was hoping that you'd last more than ten seconds. Maybe this time you'll last eleven."

"More than that," countered the stallion. "I'm going to defeat you, Wendigo, here and now, and return peace and balance to Darkfrost!"

"How... noble of you," Wendigo said, and laughed, "but I'm afraid that you'll just have to settle for death instead!"

The king of the windigoes lunged, as Checkmate held up his sword and blocked the attack.

"Impressive," Wendigo mocked. "It's already been twelve seconds, and you're not dead yet. Maybe I underestimated you."

He turned to strike, and Checkmate parried his attack, "It would appear so," he replied. "Now let's see just how long you can last against me!"

"Is that a challenge?" Wendigo sneered.

"Perhaps it is," replied the stallion.

"Fine then," said the windigo. "I'm curious to see just how long it'll take for you to kill me with the Glacius. That is, of course," he struck again, as Checkmate blocked once more, "If you don't die first!"