Chess

Twilight had been sitting in the corner by herself for about thirty minutes now, wide-eyed and staring at the chessboard atop a nearby table.

“Wow,” she said for the fifth time in two minutes. “Wow.”

Sitting a few ways away, a concerned Applejack and Fluttershy observed her, whispering amongst each other.

“Look at her,” said the farmer. “I’ve never seen her like this.”

Fluttershy gulped. “I know… Rarity really did… a good job…?”

Applejack laughed. “Good job? She wiped the floor with Twilight’s flank over and over! I’ve never seen anything like it. And how she bragged about it! Worse sore winner I’ve since I played ring toss with AB, I’m tellin’ you.”

“She did read that book about chess, though,” Fluttershy reminded her. “To impress Twilight.”

“Impress her?” Applejack shook her head. “Think she might’a overdone it there, sugarcube. She went and humiliated Twilight, and you know Twilight hates losing at her smart games.”

Fluttershy gasped. “You don’t think this will be bad for their relationship, do you?”

Applejack shrugged. “It won’t.” She paused. “…Probably.” At Fluttershy’s ‘eep’, Applejack nudged her over towards Twilight. “Come on, we oughta check up on her.”

They trotted over to their friend, still staring at the chessboard.

“Twi?” Applejack asked. “You doin’ alright?”

“She beat me,” Twilight said, not an ounce of emotion on her voice.

Applejack cleared her throat. “We saw, sugar—”

“She destroyed me. We played seven games, and she won at all of them faster than I could even do something about it.” A pause. “The only ponies I’ve ever lost a game of chess to are Princess Celestia and Pinkie. I…” Her wide eyes met Applejack’s. “This changes things.”

“It does?” Fluttershy asked, a hint of terror in her voice. “Changes what? Not your relationship with Rarity, right?”

“That’s exactly what it changes,” Twilight said quietly.

While Fluttershy practically fainted, Applejack laughed nervously and patted Twilight’s shoulders. “Now, now, sugarcube, let’s not make any rash decisions over a game.”

For the first time, Twilight showed some emotion, frowning. “…You’re right,” she said, meditatively. “Marrying her this week might be a bit too soon.”

One, two, three seconds paused.

“‘Scuse me?” asked Applejack.

Fluttershy blinked at Twilight, flabbergasted. “Marry her?! Because she… beat you at chess?”

“Beat me?!” said Twilight, and the confusion of her friends tripled when her face melted into the definition of smitten and she dreamily corrected, “She demolished me. It was incredible.”

Before either Applejack or Fluttershy could say anything, Pinkie walked in looking worse for wear. As shocked and wide-eyed as Twilight had been earlier, and with a mane as deflated as her entire aura, Pinkie took five steps forward and then fell onto her hindlegs.

“Wow,” she said.

“What’s wrong with you?” Applejack asked.

Pinkie could barely speak. “Rar… Rarity and I played chess.”

“You did?” asked Twilight, the smitten eyes completely alert, hinging on the answer to her next question. “Did you win? Nopony has ever beaten you. You must have won… Right?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I lost,” she said. “I lost every single time, and one I lost even before I made my first move.”

“Oh my stars,” whispered Twilight.

Seconds later, it was Fluttershy who spoke, or yelped rather, Twilight levitating her into the air as she walked towards the room’s exit.

“T-Twilight?!”

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, “but I need your help picking rings for my wedding next month.”