Chapter 4

The next morning Castle Rook Stiffly walked to the south gate there in the predawn light stood King Checkmate his cloak rose and fell with the gentle breeze Checkmate somberly looked at Castle and asked

"Are you ready?" Castle looked at him with determination

"Does the doctor hit you with a ladle often?" he responded smiling Checkmate looked at the young stallion and relaxed a bit chuckling to himself

"Than let us go" Checkmate began to walk into the raising dawn light Castle Rook followed behind as best he could he was still sore from his injuries, but he couldn't disappoint the king so he fought through the pain that came with each step. They walked in silence for a long time when they finally reached the Arena Castle looked up with awe it was a Massive Stone Structure built from a dark red stone that seemed to suck the warmth right out of the air. Checkmate looked back at Castle and called to him

"Come on we will start inside" Castle quickly came out of trance and hobbled after the king. Inside the Arena was cold and damp as they came out of a short tunnel Castle looked around in shock he had heard that this place was big, but that was an understatement this place was huge! It could easily fit five full grow dragons checkmate looked back at Castle Rook and laughed

" I know it's huge hard to think that just ten years ago I fought for my right to rule here" he looked up at the sky it was grey and sad looking Castle Rook thought for a moment he remembered when the king came to Ponyville on his first visit he was just a young colt and had only just started school so he grew up with King Checkmate as his King and his parents always told him that Checkmate was a good king.

"Sir what do you mean you fought for your right to rule?" Castle Rook asked checkmate took a deep breath and said

"To understand that you would need to hear my entire life story" Castle Rook looked at the king confused than with determination he said

"Than tell me your story if you want me to advise you than the more I know the better I can advise." Checkmate smiled at the young stallion Checkmate then felt a soft warmth growing inside his chest. Castle looked at the king oddly he saw a white light growing from the kings chest small at first but soon it grew and grew until it enveloped his king than he couldn't believe his eyes when wings of white light grew from Checkmate's back and a horn to, then almost as quickly as the light rose it fell and before Castle rook stood a white Alicorn covered in golden glowing armor.

"W-who are you?" stammered the confused stallion.

"I am one of Checkmate's nine bodies" replied the Alicorn Castle couldn't explain why but he felt happy and believed this pony. "I will know use my magic to show you Checkmate's origins"

"But aren't you Checkmate?" Castle asked the Alicorn

"I am and I am not… I am physical and magical manifestation of his joy," replied the Alicorn

"What?" asked Castle Rook "I don't understand!"

"You will now go be with your king!" boomed the Alicorn than in a burst of white light the Alicorn and Castle Rook were gone and the arena was silent and empty.

Castle Rook groaned as we woke up "What happen?" he stood and rubbed his head "I'm glad to see you survived the trip" called a familiar voice Castle looked around and saw the grey bodied, and red black streaked many of the King Checkmate he knew he ran over to Checkmate he sat in a white throne and surrounding the throne were eight doors each a different color and symbol on them he looked confused at the doors and then to the king

"What is this place?" he asked Checkmate.

"This is the innermost of my being," answered Checkmate "These eight doors are my emotions and inside them are my other forms" he said as he raised a hoof and indicated the doors." Castle looked closely at the doors the one nearest to him was a deep red with flames burning around the edges. Castle looked to Checkmate and asked

"What do you mean emotions and other forms?" Checkmate climbed down from the throne he sat on and walked over to Castle

"I am not your normal earth pony Castle Rook you could say I am nine ponies sharing one body and soul, but that is not important right now. Right now you need to see the Gauntlet that I fought to win my right to rule" Checkmate then climbed back onto the throne and in a flash Castle and Checkmate were back in the Arena, but it was different there were ponies in the stands and pegasi racing around a track.

"Where are we Checkmate?" Castle asked

"It is not a matter of where, but when right now we are seeing the day the gauntlet started," answered Checkmate. The race had just finished a blue female Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane won. Castle than saw Princess Celestia came down to the winner's circle to congratulate the mare the crowd cheered loudly chatting

"Rainbow dash Rainbow dash!" Checkmate smiled he remembered the young mare so full of life and wondered where is she now. Then a Guard shouted at a cloaked pony

"HALT ONLY ROYALTY AND WINNERS ARE ALLOWED HERE!" the cloaked pony pulled back the hood of his cloak revealing Checkmate and said

"I am royalty now please stand aside" Celestia looked at Checkmate and took a stance of confrontation

"What are you doing here Checkmate?" every pony in the crowd became silent and Rainbow Dash looked confused at celestia

"Who in the hay is this guy?" growled Rainbow Dash rather angry that her winner's ceremony was being interrupted.

Checkmate glared at Celestia and calmly said, "The last ten-thousand years have flown by haven't they Celestia?" he took off a sliver hoof gauntlet and threw it at Celestia's feet and called to all the arena " I Checkmate call into question Celestia and her right to rule Equestria!" the whole arena gasped in shock. Then in front of Checkmate there was a burst of pink light a small purple Alicorn appeared in front of checkmate

"And what makes you think you have that right?" shouted the pony "My mentor has been nothing but kind and just with her…" Princess Celestia stepped in between checkmate and young Alicorn "that is enough twilight sparkle I accept your challenge Checkmate." She glared at the earth pony he smiled a smug smile

"Perfect, but this will not be like it was all those years ago this time there will be a tournament you must select nine champions to fight me over the next nine weeks and the one with the most wins at the end wins the gauntlet and gets to rule Equestria." Twilight and Rainbow Dash protested,

"You can't really expect Celestia to agree to those terms!"

"Oh but she already has agreed to those terms by accepting the challenge!" checkmate laughed, "The gauntlet will begin next week." He walked away and the ponies standing at the winner's circle were left glaring at Checkmate. The scene blurred and faded now it was night in from what castle could tell a royal chamber two Alicorns stood in the room talking it was princess Lunna and Celestia

"Is it true is Checkmate really back?" asked Lunna she sounded excited to Castle but he wasn't for sure. Princess Celestia looked at Lunna worriedly and answered somberly

"Yes that evil has returned"

"Celestia we both know that Checkmate isn't evil" she challenged

Celestia shouted with anger

"LUNNA HE IS THE SCUM OF THIS LAND A FREAK AND A MENACE TO US ALL!" Lunna filched and turned from her sister and walked away and before slamming the door she sadly said to no one in particular

"Is checkmate the menace or is it your grief and fear" Lunna walked away mulling over her thoughts down the hallway.

"Ugh I can't find anything anywhere in my books about a pony named checkmate" twilight sparkle groaned as she flipped through a dusty book down the hallway opposite of Princess Lunna who was still mulling to herself and not moments later they crashed into each other both screaming as they fell. Twilight quickly recovered cried

"Oh Princess Lunna I'm so sorry I was looking in this book for information about this Checkmate pony but I haven't been able to find anything!"

"It is alright Twilight Sparkle," said Lunna sadly as she picked herself up

"Are you ok Princess? You seem sad." Asked Twilight carefully

"Twilight you will not find anything about Checkmate in any book he has been here since before the fall of discord only three ponies know of him…"

"Who are these ponies can I talk to them!?" asked twilight with urgency

"Those who know of checkmate you already know" sighed Lunna with a heavy heart. Twilight could sense the sadness form Lunna so she decided not to pry any more

"Thank Princess Lunna" twilight gathered her books and left Lunna who walked to her chambers. The scene before the two ponies blurred and faded again now they stood before the white throne and the doors Checkmate looked sad he sighed as he climbed back onto the throne

"That will be all for this day Castle Rook tomorrow we will start again" suddenly one of the doors a deep blue with water seemingly falling from it shot open and a blue unicorn covered in grey armor leaped out of the door and Checkmate was pulled into the door as it slammed shut and the new pony took his place on the throne Castle Rook stood there stunned and unable to process what had just happened the blue unicorn said with a voice that wept of sadness

"Be not afraid I am Checkmates sadness now return to your world and reflect upon what have seen today" then there was a flash of blue light and

Castle Rook stood again in the arena and across from him the normal Checkmate

"What in the name of Equestria just happened?" shouted Castle Rook at Checkmate.

"Many of my memories and Lunna's are not happy ones my sadness took over" answered Checkmate in a matter of fact tone "Now Come it is late and I would like to eat dinner with my family" checkmate turned and walked away. Castle looked up at the sky the sun was setting. He thought to himself I wonder what tomorrow will reveal to me his head swimming with what he had been shown today he too walked out of the arena and home.

Thank you everypony for your patience with me and getting this chapter up I would like to say that the next chapters will be going back and forth between flashbacks and the present I will do my best to make this clear through the storytelling but just in case you have been warned