Luna kicked open the door to Celestia's cell in a fit of fury. There was one other pony, besides Celestia in the cell. One of Twilight's sons stood in front of the Sun Princess, holding a bloody knife. A fresh, gushing wound sat across Celestia's chest.
"You! Out!" ordered Luna. Twilight's son dropped the knife and ran from the room immediately, closing the door behind him. Luna grabbed the knife and brought it to Celestia's neck.
"Hello, sister." said Celestia with a yawn. "I am sorry that you must see me like this. I was never the most graceful in my sleep. So, how may I help you?"
"How did you do it?" asked Luna.
"You see, when the body expunges it's energy, you must sleep to regain it." explained Celestia. "It is to regain awareness and vigor."
"Don't toy with me! How did you do it?!" asked Luna angrily.
"My grumpy little Lulu still exists in there. Always yelling."
"Do not call me that, Tia. I always hated it." growled Luna.
"Just as I always disliked the nickname of Tia. But, it would appear that some things never change." said Celestia. "So, ask again. Properly this time, if you don't mind." Luna inhaled deeply, withholding the urge to drag her blade to the left.
"How. Did. You. Do. It." said Luna slowly.
"I. Don't. Know. What. I. Did." said Celestia, just as slowly.
"How did you brainwash my student?" asked Luna.
"I wasn't aware that you were a teacher." said Celestia. Luna slashed her sister just above the knee. Red painted the concrete floors, but Celestia didn't seem to care.
"I suppose that, after a thousand years, Miss Cheerilee would have to retire." joked Celestia.
"You brainwashed Twilight Sparkle, my student-" began Luna.
"My student." corrected Celestia.
"I taught her magic for around a thousand years."
"And I taught her the things that mattered. I taught her the magic of friendship." said Celestia.
"I still don't completely understand what magic exists in friendship." said Luna.
"Well, if it wasn't for the magic of friendship, your return to Equestria all those years ago would have been rather short-lived." pointed out Celestia.
"Are you saying that you would have banished me again?"
"Of course not. I'd have killed you. You realize that I let you take me, right? I chose to let Twilight rediscover the Elements of Harmony." said Celestia. "Should she have failed, I would've killed you that night. It wouldn't have been difficult. Honestly, if I was at my best, I could kill you right now."
"But you're not. Don't waste my time with impossible scenarios." growled Luna. "Tell me how you enticed Twilight to betray me!"
"I have no clue what you're talking about. I didn't convince her to do anything she didn't want to do." said Celestia. "If she's betraying you, perhaps you deserve it."
Luna swiped her knife at Celestia's stomach. The princess of the sun had taken so much punishment that she barely felt the cut. In fact, she began to laugh.
"I'll remember that, Luna!" she chuckled. "I don't think you want to get on my bad side. Then again, I don't really have a good side for traitors. So, by all means, continue. You can't make it much worse."
"You've made a grave mistake, Celestia. Now that I know of your plan, your coup d'etat will fail." said Luna. "I can easily overpower Twilight and put her in chains, right next to you."
"Firstly, no. You cannot overpower Twilight. If you'd like, you could have somepony cast a sleeping spell on you so you can continue to dream, but in the real world, that's not going to happen." mocked Celestia. "Secondly, you're stupid. I know that you're monitoring my dreams, and you heard the plan. Attack Twilight, and she releases Eclipse. Argue with Twilight, and she releases Eclipse. Free me… Well, there won't be any Eclipse, but there won't be very much of Luna, either."
Celestia spat across Luna's face. The queen wiped her face with her thumb, then jabbed it into the wound on Celestia's chest. Needles of stinging pain ran through Celestia's chest, but she kept up her facade of confidence and control. Celestia knew that if Luna thought she had control, control she would have.
"What happened to you, Luna?" asked Celestia with a smirk. "Why would you let yourself get hit by that? Unless… You don't have any magic? That is priceless! How did that happen? I was joking when I told Father that you were basically an Earth Pony, but you truly don't have any magic?"
"You knew that my magic has become rather unreliable." said Luna quietly. Somehow, after all that Celestia had done to her, what made Luna feel the worst were the reminders of her father.
"The more time goes on, the more I believe that my amnesia was self-inflicted." laughed Celestia. "As I learn more about what I've apparently done, the more it makes me laugh."
"I thought that you were remorseful of your actions." said Luna.
"Of course I'm remorseful. I hate myself for my crimes. I honestly agree that I belong in this dungeon." said Celestia. "But you seem to want me to be the 'bad guy', and if the shoe fits, I'll wear it."
"I don't want you to be the bad guy. I want you to be my sister, but I know quite well that I'll never have her back." Luna pulled her thumb from Celestia's wound, wiping the blood onto her sister's face, just above her lip. "I never asked you to be like this."
"Then why do you continue to torture me? If you wanted things to return to normal, you should have released me when I apologized, as I so did." said Celestia. She licked her lips, lapping up the blood on her face. Just as she hoped, Luna cringed slightly. "But you kept disturbing the hornet's nest. You push me, and I will push back."
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
Luna froze at the sound of the door knocking, a simple sound that chilled her blood. The door pushed open after a second, and in walked Princess Twilight. She traded her cloak for a simple black dress. Luna turned to face her subordinate with fear in her heart. The air became thick, so much tension that Luna was tempted to cut it with her knife.
"Luna, I need you to look through the books." said Twilight. "Our prisoner failed to inform us that the books were written in gibberish."
"Not gibberish, dear." said Celestia. "They're written in Aitselec."
"And what in the name of sanity is Aitselec?" asked Twilight.
"I know what Aitselec is." sighed Luna. "Aitselec is a language that Celestia invented with our father when she was a child."
"Can you read it?" asked Twilight.
"Eh…"
"'Eh'? What does that mean? 'Eh'. Is that even proper English?" asked Twilight angrily. "That's not even a complete thought."
"I can read it… just not very well." admitted Luna.
"Why not?!"
"Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said Celestia invented it with my father. I am neither Celestia nor my father." said Luna. "I can read it, but only because Mother made them teach me some."
"Didn't you have your own language?" asked Celestia. "Ulul, right?"
"Shut up." commanded Luna.
"Ulul. Let's see if I can remember any…" said Celestia. After a second of thought, her eyes lit up. "Unalay is oingay to illkay me orfay riningbay isthay up."
"What the hell?" asked Twilight.
"She said 'Luna is going to kill me for bringing this up'." supplied Luna.
"It's Pig Latin! Luna didn't know that Pig Latin existed at the time, and she just made Pig Latin. Oh, and she was so proud of herself." mocked Celestia. "Mother made me praise her, but how me and Father laughed! Luna's only original idea was actually invented hundreds of years prior."
"Shut up, Celestia! Your language isn't much better! Aitselec is just backwards English!" shouted Luna. Celestia's eyes widened for a second before she exploded in laughter.
"You believed that? Sure, the name is just backwards English, but not the entire language! I told you that so you would go away! So gullible." laughed Celestia. "Ladies and gentleman, the princess of the moon, you're all-powerful, all-knowing leader who can't tell when her sister is being sarcastic." Luna swung her hoof into the side of Celestia's face with a heavy SMACK!
"Queen Luna." she growled.
"Princess Luna." spat Celestia. "And only if you're lucky."
"She is stalling, Luna. Come on. Help me decipher these books." said Twilight.
"Very well. I want to talk to you, anyway." said Luna. "Do you recall our debate earlier? Well, I think I've reached a decision. We must discuss."
Luna and Twilight left the room without another word. Celestia tilted her head slightly in thought, planning what to do next. She was cold, hungry, in pain, and she felt terrible for her recent actions, but she smiled despite all of that. Her mind games had worked. Celestia could tell by Luna's hushed tone what she was planning.
Things will never be the same, thought Celestia, Luna will watch me carefully, and she will get rid of me at her first opportunity. I must strike first.
Celestia laughed grimly to herself. She closed her eyes and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Luna advanced her pawn one space forward and to the right, capturing Celestia's knight. Luna smiled at the mammoth assortment of pieces she had captured; Celestia was left with nothing but her king, a bishop, and both rooks. Meanwhile, Luna still had her queen, most of her pawns, a knight, a rook, and a bishop.
"You may as well give up now, Tia." said Luna. "You have no chance."
"Is that so, Lulu?" yawned Celestia. She ran her hand through her pale pink mane and pushed her king one space to the left. "Your confidence is admirable."
"Why shouldn't I be confident?" asked Luna. She moved her queen forward so that it was four spaces from Celestia's king. "I believe that is mate."
"Wrong." said Celestia. She moved her rook up, capturing Luna's queen.
"Damn! Well, I still have nearly all of my pawns. I can easily get a new queen." said Luna.
"You could, if you were not currently in checkmate." said Celestia, rising to her hooves. Luna looked again and saw that she was right; The rook Celestia used to capture the queen was five spaces from Luna's king and, due to the position of Luna's own pieces, no movement could be made to free the king.
"How?" asked Luna.
"Mother has been letting you win, and you have been letting that go to your head." said Celestia. "If you actually want to get good at the game, play against Father. He shows no mercy, and that will teach you not to make such sloppy mistakes."
"What mistakes?" demanded Luna. Celestia sighed impatiently. She wanted to hurry to her father for their private lessons, but her Mother had given an order to teach Luna as much as she could.
"Firstly, you were far too easy to manipulate. I goaded you into taking my knight so that your pawn would be out of my way." said Celestia. "Secondly, you let your own assets get in your way. The hardest barrier to overcome is often the one you yourself erect. You didn't trust yourself to keep your pieces protected, and your own distrust ended up being your undoing."
Celestia tipped Luna's black king over on it's side and turned her back to her sister.
"You don't have to be so rude about it!" yelled Luna.
"Says the one shouting. How am I being rude?" asked Celestia.
"You already beat me. There's no need to rub it in by tipping my king."
"So sensitive, Lulu. It's merely a tradition of the game. And besides, I wouldn't brag about beating my little sister in a petty game of chess. Especially since she's so new at it." said Celestia.
"I've been playing longer than you have!" shouted Luna. Celestia laughed.
"I know. I just wanted to hear you admit that you are bad at chess." she said with a smile. "I'm off to see Father. Have fun with your potions."
"And you have fun with your charms." said Luna. "Wait! Tia!"
"What? If I'm late, Father will kill me." said Celestia.
"Rematch after class?"
"Will you actually be a challenging opponent this time?" asked Celestia. Luna shook her head. "I figured. I'll see if I can make a decent player out of you."
Celestia stepped away from her sister, heading from the courtyard to the entrance of Canterlot Castle, the castle that would soon be hers. She turned to her left and shot an evil smile to Queen Luna.
"Do you remember this day, sister?" asked Celestia. "This particular day?"
"Of course. It was the day that Mother and Father passed." said Luna cautiously.
"Just like that chess game, you played right into my hands. What do you plan on doing? Will you release me, or is Twilight going to have to kill you? Or perhaps you favor the third option." said Celestia. Luna turned away and began to fade from view.
"Return to your dream, Celestia. Enjoy yourself." said Luna. She vanished just as Celestia pushed open the castle doors. She strode into the entrance hall, repeating the same phrase she uttered every time she entered the castle.
"This castle will be mine!" she hummed. "The throne, the crown, Equestria will be mine! All shall bow to Queen Celestia, and if you don't, well, off with your heads!"
Celestia opened her eyes to find that her arm chains were much longer, long enough to move comfortably. On her lap sat a tray of a lump of cheese, a carrot, and a hunk of stale bread. To her left was a small jug of water. Celestia smiled and ripped a piece of bread with her teeth.
"Just like that game." laughed Celestia, sipping from her jug. "You played right into my hands. Checkmate, little sister. Lulu lost again."