+ The Time Has Come, the Time Is Now +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: Everyone in Wonderland!
Where: The chessboard hills
When: Monday, June 11, all day starting at 10:00 AM
Rating: R for (sometimes excessive) violence
Summary: The Queen of Hearts has declared war and the time for battle has come.
The Story:
♥ ICly, the Real Things who will act as pieces volunteered and are led by the Red Queen. The Mirrors were chosen by the Queen of Hearts without being given a choice. The Queen of Hearts announced her choices to her Mirrors very directly, with an order to show up at 10:00 AM on the chessboard, ready to fight. The Red Queen announced her choices more politely, but just as firmly, with a text message sent out over the network listing her pieces and requesting their assistance to protect their fellow Real Things. Characters were not ICly able to respond to this message.

♥ Those pieces who choose to obey the summons will have time to gather any items or weapons they might want to have with them, within reason. Those who don't heed the summons will find themselves suddenly and instantly transported to their square on the chessboard when 10:00 AM rolls around. They will arrive with anything that was on their person at the time, as well as one weapon (whatever it would be normal for them to use). Likewise, any spectators who are not in or around the stands by 10:00 AM will find themselves transported there.

♥ Each player sports an armband, white for the Real Things and Black for the Mirrors, with the shape of their assigned chess piece embroidered in the opposite color. Royalty pieces wear crowns indicative of their status. Should a pawn be promoted to queen, a crown will appear on their head.

♥ Pieces will find that they can't leave their assigned spots until they're told what square to move to by either the Queen of Hearts or the Red Queen. And if they refuse to move, after a couple of moments, an unseen force will scoot them along to their new space.

♥ When threading moves on the board, please find the appropriate top-level under which to comment! It might be helpful to label your thread with which move/encounter you're playing out.

♥ Players on the board can not communicate with those in the stands and vice versa (other than by jumping around and flailing, I guess). However, players on the board can communicate directly with those in squares adjacent to them or with any challenger whose square they share. Since some pieces have a lot of down time, feel free to have them chat with others on the board while they're waiting around.

♥ Directions from the Queens can be assumed. Go ahead and play out moves without waiting for a comment to officially announce them.

♥ The plotting and info post for this log is here.

♥ For your convenience, here are links to the thread headers:

The Donation Box
Pre-Game
The Game - Moves 1-20
The Game - Moves 21-40
The Game - Moves 41-60
The Game - Moves 61-80
The Game - Moves 81-100
The Game - Moves 101-117
The Holding Area
The Stands

Have fun!

Comments

[bibliocorn]

[The cheery fakeness makes dread sink in his stomach like a stone. So this is how she used to be, before Twilight and the girls found her, and did what they always do. They saved her from herself.

At her question, his ears fold back. ]

No. It wasn't.

[It wasn't worth all this heartache- this destructive road she put herself on. He wasn't worth it. ]

It was pretty awful, actually. Turns out my destiny isn't to be some great wizard after all.

[trulyequal]

[The look she gives him would almost be convincingly sympathetic. If he didn't know her so well, anyway.]

I'm so sorry to hear that. But not all that surprised. The promises of cutie marks are deceptive at best.

[bibliocorn]

[He hates seeing her this way. His expression softens. ]

It was more that everypony got the interpretation of mine wrong. My talent is still in magic, just...theory. Helping others with it, you know?

[He paws the ground for a moment, awkward. He's apologised for this already, but he feels this is a good time to say it again. ]

I'm sorry I didn't keep in touch. I- I guess I was just scared of what you'd think of me.

[trulyequal]

[Her eyes flash with anger for a moment. Helping others with it. Well, he wasn't there to help her when she needed it.

But no. He did help her. She exhales, anger smoothing into her too-cheerful smile.]

Oh, don't feel badly about that.

[She slings a hoof over his shoulders.]

I would never have found my purpose without you. So good job!

[bibliocorn]

[He's always felt some guilt about what happened to her- knowing his actions pushed her down this path. But hearing out loud makes it a lot more final. He visibly flinches from her touch. ]

I don't think ruining somepony's life is something to be especially proud of, Starlight.

[trulyequal]

Ruining? [She gives a sardonic laugh.] Hardly. Just because the Starlight on your side of the glass sees it that way doesn't mean I do.

[Her laugh cuts off and she fixes Sunburst in her gaze.]

She lost. I won. Once Equestria saw the Princess of Friendship give up her mark, everypony wanted in. My little town has grown into a glorious city of equality.

[And she does not intend to let it stop there.]

[bibliocorn]

[Sunburst's eyes automatically flick to where the real Starlight, his Starlight was sitting in the stands. Before the Mirror's words properly begin to sink in, as he realises this isn't about just one little village in the middle of nowhere. That these are bigger, much more awful plans.

Dread swirls in his chest as the turns back to her. ]

But she didn't give it up, Starlight. You took it.

[Like she took all of them. He knew her equality rhetoric was always rather...extreme, but this- ]

You don't need to see it that way, you know. The cutie mark thing. That's not what separated us, not really.

[trulyequal]

She wouldn't have it back now. She knows what true friendship feels like.

[Which isn't to say Starlight is willing to put that theory to the test. Twilight's cutie mark is more heavily guarded than any other. But Twilight knows the party line now. She's stuck to it.]

Really? [She turns towards Sunburst again, something sinister lurking in her gaze.] Would you rather I saw it as you being an utter jerk who cares more about his books than his friends? Should I just blame you for abandoning me, and not the cutie mark that told you you were more special than me from the start? Because I suppose I could see it that way too. If you'd prefer.

[bibliocorn]

I sincerely doubt that.

[The barb stings, because he knows a good part of it is true. He played no small part in sending her down this road, and he knows he still has a long way to go to truly make up for it. His ears pin back, face forming a frown. ]

I didn't mean to abandon you, Starlight, honest- things just got so...

[Complicated. ]

But I am sorry for it. I'm definitely not more special than you, not by a long shot.

[trulyequal]

No, you're not. [Her magic shimmers around her horn and gathers in the staff she's carrying, and she aims it at Sunburst's flank.] At least, you won't be when I'm through with you.

[bibliocorn]

[The realisation of what she's trying to do is enough to make him back up very quickly, ears folding back. ]

Okay, whoah, no. No thanks.

[He has no intention of fighting her, she has him outmatched even on her worst day. He might not be the biggest fan of his cutie mark, but he's at least made enough peace with it that he doesn't want to be parted from it. So he does the thing he knows best when he gets over his head- he runs. ]

[trulyequal]

[She lets out a laugh and lets him go. The chess game is about to begin, and she's made her point.

He can stay special. For now.]