Queen, King, and Masters

Based on Pearl87's Checkmate. Whether you use ebony pieces or marble, chess is a game of holding your own in a battle of wits and deduction. To declare a winning blow, crucial sacrifices must be made. But when Danny makes his goal to save Vlad from himself-the billionaire must make a crucial decision: Does he keep tradition by securing the Queen-Maddie? Or risk it all by chancing what could be the most important piece in the game-Danny?

Hello, everyone! ^^ Pearl was kind enough to allow me to write a side fiction to the much beloved tale Checkmate. Hats off to her!

I've been pondering some of the more evident avenues of this tale…and I realized what a name Checkmate is. Once you play this game-once used only for royalty, nobles, and court officials of high importance-but now anyone can play, once you know the rules. ^^

Like Ron Weasley, anyone playing has to keep in motion swinging to that of the schemes or machinations of your opponent's skill level. This got me thinking…..

I originally thought Vlad was intending to be the King of this board, but, of course-he plays as the hand that moves his pieces forward into an intricate lock.

But who is he playing against? Dazzler? Jack? Danny? But then….

…how can it be Danny if Danny has already stepped onto the board himself as a piece?

Perhaps he's really dueling with himself. That or Fate.

And losing. Because the rules of Chess have now been broken: This, in it's own self, has become a battle of many: Whether it's the Jack Pawn moving forwards, or Fate moving the opposite pieces back…..

Skilled as the billionaire is, he is now in one of the crucial selections most players try to avoid: Do or die.

Maddie has always been his Queen piece-of course. But now, with the very slowly emotions beginning to adapt into more caring attributes for our favorite hybrid….

If you lose King, don't you lose everything? Never mind that Queen is in your hold-it's nothing short of a hollow win.

Because the other player has now been deemed the better, and is given the honor of proclaiming Checkmate, "the word that define the whole game; a word that only the better player is honored to say….."

O.O

Oh….dear, that was quite a rant. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

~*~*~*

Quote: "Then indecision brings its own delays, and days are lost lamenting o'er lost days."

Stttttttt.

With a furious hiss and the sharp reek of sulfur, the match flared to life. Indifferent to the tiny, flickering flame steadily beginning to hungrily burn at the surrounding wood, the billionaire quietly lit the long, elegantly spiraled tapers of beeswax beside him before forcing himself to settle down at his desk, a small sigh on his lips.

What he really felt like doing was simply continuing his vigil pacing by the window, as the world outside sank from fading grey to a dark, berry juice indigo, but these documents weren't going to replete themselves. With a resigned look at the stationary folders Stephanie had logged and neatly stacked into a pile, he pulled out a long list of names of some officials he expected to bribe by the week's end, reconsidered, and then reached for another match and candle.

He could've just as easily turned on the lights, but his vision as a hybrid had been affected enough to grant him 29/20 vision. The candles would more then suffice. They were unnecessary, but nice to occasionally watch as the pale, slender stalks turned into dripping piles of congealed wax over time, in between your glances at the grandfather clock.

After quietly lighting more pale figures of wax in front of him, he settled to his work, mind still buzzing with the questions he had restlessly turned over and over in his mind.

He shuddered, shaking his head as if getting rid of an irksome fly. This was ridiculous-he had a flight to Germany to book soon!

Well….Stephanie booked them both rates. But still….he didn't have time to worry about such silly things as of right-

Silly, that you almost got Daniel murdered in cold blood?

A pained look shot across his face, but Vlad bent even lower over his documents.

He hadn't been sleeping quite so well since Danny's….little change in attitude.

That, or the boy had been switched with a changeling while he'd been recovering from Walker's assault.

In none of his psychology books in the library could he deduce why on earth Danny would even smile at him now-albeit a bit timid or uncertain, but civil enough.

It was a mystery why he would even LOOK at the older hybrid! What gratitude did Danny owe Vlad, anyway?

There was only one excuse-pathetic as it was-that he could think of.

But it was a futile act, in comparison to what the billionaire had already done to the child.

Saving his life-pah!

If it weren't for Vlad's grave error, Danny wouldn't have been in that mess in the-

The billionaire ridgened as he felt the all too familiar energy signature that was Daniel's transfigure into existence. He blinked, slightly bewildered.

Where was the boy going at this hour? Vlad glanced at the clock. His eyes narrowed.

Quarter to eleven….hmmm. His eyes already felt somewhat achy. He suppressed a groan.

Normally, the child would've withdrawn by now. Guess he felt like a late night tonight.

Vlad sighed, before reluctantly turning to his expectant documents.

Truth be told, that was the LAST thing the billionaire wanted at this point….

~*~*~

"Look at it this way, dear boy, they will have a much safer existence without you."

Blast, blast, blast it all-couldn't he have a moment's peace? Memories were beginning to spin in

Resentment began to bubble in the pit of Vlad's stomach as he bit his lip, crossing out another figure with a scowl.

All was quiet, save for a soft hooting of a barn owl outside the window. He ignored it completely, frowning slightly as he went through some of the business papers on the mahogany desk, occasionally scratching some of the deductions the billionaire had made prior to his notes and replacing them with larger percentages.

Today had been a disturbing day. He wished he'd simply deactivated those old monitors he had discreetly hid in the FentonWork's lab.

Vlad's fingers trembled slightly, and his elegant script became somewhat shaky.

As much as it pleased him to hear that Jack and Madeline had indeed been arguing in the older footage-many of the old versions of the cameras

simply showed him days that had passed in advanced-what he had watched today....

It unnerved him, to see that fat oaf break.

At first, it had been rather amusing. But Vlad didn't believe the fat oaf was CAPABLE of such anguished destruction.

"Because it's worthless! I'm worthless! I can't even help-- I can't even find my own son!"

Even his deep seated resentment of the idiot had turned to absolute shock.

His college friend had tore at his, Vlad noticed, slightly graying head in a frantic frenzy.

If Jack was suffering so much from Danny's absence, what about Maddie?

He winced.

Splendid time to grow a conscience, you dolt. Thought the ghost darkly, turning the pages again with a quiet rustle.

Still, he had to ask himself a question.

What about....the child himself?

~* * *~

After awhile, he groaned, and sank back slightly, pinching the bridge of his nose with the tips of his forefingers.

He paused, suddenly confused.

It was then he blinked, and withdrew his damp hand.

He suppressed another groan, and glanced down at his now slightly spattered notes, and the glinting, slightly sticky pen. His pen must've begun

to leak.

Hopefully, none of his servants would come in at this time, considering the fact that his FACE was now covered in the stuff.

Giving his almost finished work a quick glance, he stiffly stood, and turned to face the nearby window.

The billionaire stopped dead, indigo eyes contorting into bewilderment.

There was no ink on the older hybrid's face-only emerald droplets.

Ectoplasm.

And, on his hands-!

Danny frowned from where he fluttered outside the castle's stony exterior in the cool night air.

The teen threw a puzzled, slightly uncertain glance at the enormous structure, uncertain whether or not he'd been hearing things.

Did…he just hear something from the third floor corridor's tower?

Whew! Okay....I really hope you guys liked it. It's not the Master Work Pearl dishes out, but.....^^

Anyhoo, tell me whether or not I should update!