for a little more time, a little less faith
The chessboard lies littered by shards of time and grey memories. Casualties, you suppose, of the game you're playing against Fate (in this game, you call him the white king with the kindest of eyes).
Once upon a time, you would have stopped. Once upon a time, there wouldn't have been anything to stop, in the first place. But once upon a time implies a happily ever after.
And you, you're still waiting for that fairytale ending.
But by now, you've learnt that sacrifice paves each step taken on a black and white battlefield where balance trips on the knife-edge of impossibility. Where blood flows grey, crumbling grey stone as another king crumples just a little more and smiles just a little less.
(He has beautiful blue eyes, that king. Or rather, had.)
And by now, you've learnt that, for that lone, blackest pawn, there's no way but onwards.
It's your move.
You move onwards.
♟
It takes an infinity to reach the edge, the final cage, painted in regal darkness. But you've made it.
It's all right.
You'll make it better.
Promise.
♛
A queen's place is by her king. She begins beside him and ends without him.
But your kings come from different worlds, and none of them are yours.
(Because your king was colourless, but said Sakura-hime like he meant it.)
♚
You watch them break, your dearest kings. You watch the cracks, the webs, the broken webs. But they're still standing. They're still standing and that's all right.
You're still sorry.
So, so sorry.
Checkmate, says the whitest king.
But it's all right. A queen, a pawn-turned-queen, for all their lives. The kings will stay standing and you're sure, so sure, that they'll win.
They be all right.
Says the darkest queen, I win.
Once upon a time, you would have stopped. Once upon a time, there wouldn't have been anything to stop, in the first place. But once upon a time implies a happily ever after.
And you, you're still waiting for that fairytale ending.
But by now, you've learnt that sacrifice paves each step taken on a black and white battlefield where balance trips on the knife-edge of impossibility. Where blood flows grey, crumbling grey stone as another king crumples just a little more and smiles just a little less.
(He has beautiful blue eyes, that king. Or rather, had.)
And by now, you've learnt that, for that lone, blackest pawn, there's no way but onwards.
It's your move.
You move onwards.
♟
It takes an infinity to reach the edge, the final cage, painted in regal darkness. But you've made it.
It's all right.
You'll make it better.
Promise.
♛
A queen's place is by her king. She begins beside him and ends without him.
But your kings come from different worlds, and none of them are yours.
(Because your king was colourless, but said Sakura-hime like he meant it.)
♚
You watch them break, your dearest kings. You watch the cracks, the webs, the broken webs. But they're still standing. They're still standing and that's all right.
You're still sorry.
So, so sorry.
Checkmate, says the whitest king.
But it's all right. A queen, a pawn-turned-queen, for all their lives. The kings will stay standing and you're sure, so sure, that they'll win.
They be all right.
Says the darkest queen, I win.