Celestia huffed in frustration as she awoke for the the third time that night. She was restless; it had only been a day after her sister's return, and she was still very anxious to catch up with Luna. Even though she knew she needed sleep, Celestia went against her better judgment and sat up from her bed.
Celestia smiled as she glanced over at the moonlight that had shone through her window. It was not of her sister's doing; Luna needed to recover for a while before she would be able to recreate the beautiful night of her image, one that Celestia hadn't seen in a millenia.
A gilded door to Celestia’s room swung open as she stepped outside the hall and glanced over at the guard near her door.
“Princess? Is something wrong? Shall I alert the guard?” The guard offered, remaining as stoic as ever.
She smiled at him and glanced down the hall, “No, that won’t be necessary. I’m just going to check in with my sister. Please do not follow.”
He nodded curtly as Celestia moved passed him, “As you wish, Princess.”
Celestia admired the ornate decadence of the marble hall as she made her way toward Luna’s chamber. Moonlight flooded the hall, acting as a beacon to guide her way. In old days, before the castle in Canterlot was constructed, there were no candles or candelabras to light the path, only the moonlight and sunlight which had illuminated the old castle’s corridors. It was tradition, one that she had created with her sister long ago; Celestia could only hope that she could recreate some of those traditions with Luna when the time came.
Celestia sighed softly as she approached Luna’s chambers, nodding to another guard that stood before her. Celestia didn’t quite understand why she felt as nervous as she was.
The guard stepped forward, “Your highness, are you alright? Princess Luna is still awake, if you wish to see her.”
She smiled at her, “Yes, I would like that. And, if you would, I’d like to speak with my sister alone.”
The guard bowed politely before taking her leave, “Of course Princess, anything.”
Celestia waited for the guard to turn the corner before knocking on Luna’s door, a metallic echo resounding throughout the hall.
Celestia felt her heartbeat more clearly now, anxiety had finally decided to show itself as Luna pushed the door open slowly, strands of her indigo mane barely showing.
“Hello?” Luna asked timidly.
Celestia felt some of her anxiety dissipate, quickly being replaced with sympathy. “Luna, it’s me, ‘Tia.”
Luna pushed the door open further, revealing herself. “Oh, hello dear sister.”
She paused for a moment, “Isn’t it a bit late to be wandering the castle at this hour?”
“I’m afraid I couldn’t sleep Luna.” She said with the exasperated sigh, “And I wasn’t wandering either, mind you. I came here to speak with you.”
An awkward silence filled the air.
Luna coughed, “And why, pray tell, do you need to see me at such a late hour?”
“Can’t we just… talk for a while?” Celestia asked, a pained expression splayed across her face.
Luna sighed, never making eye contact with her sister. Other than the chariot ride home, they hadn’t had much time to bond, much less speak with one another. If Celestia had to guess, Luna was both nervous and intimidated by her; Celestia needed to make amends as quickly as possible if she wanted her relationship with her sister to completely heal. But that would require Luna to open herself up to Celestia, which she couldn’t force upon Luna.
After a moment of silence, Luna finally agreed. “Very well, please come in dear sister. What exactly did you have planned for us this evening?”
Celestia felt a lump in her throat form as she glanced at the center of Luna’s room; it was the same room she’d had before her banishment, she could still see the scorch marks from when she had turned into Nightmare Moon. Celestia berated herself internally, she didn’t want this bonding session to act as atonement, she wanted her sister back.
Celestia felt her lip quiver, “How about a game of chess? It’s your favorite after all.”
Luna smirked, “Don’t you think that would be a bit unfair? You have had more practice than I, after all.”
Celestia took a gamble and offered a rebuttal, “You say ‘unfair’, I say ‘coward’.”
Luna’s smirk disappeared, replaced with a sinister smile. Celestia’s mouth parted slightly as an icy chill ran across her back. And with the blink of an eye, a chessboard appeared before them.
“I suppose I have to prove otherwise, Celestia. You do have a way of getting under my skin.”
Celestia smiled, “Please, call me ‘Tia, Luna.”
“So…” Celestia started off, “White then?”
“I’d prefer black.” Luna said, as she rotated the board so that the white pieces faced her.
Celestia chuckled and made her opening move; separating her pawn from her queen two spaces, “Suit yourself.”
Luna clicked her tongue in annoyance as she moved her left-hoof knight, allowing it to strike the pawn at any moment.
Celestia smiled; if memory served her correctly, Luna always favored indirect attacks from her knights and bishops, whereas Celestia preferred her rooks and queen.
She formulated a strategy in her head as she attempted to make small talk, “I apologize that you couldn’t raise the moon tonight. Your power will return soon though, I assure you.”
Luna pushed a pawn forwards before looking up, “Fret not sister, I do not worry. I’m lucky that you’d be willing to let me raise the moon at all.”
Celestia frowned as she noticed her sister’s hesitance in moving her pieces, she was shaking.
Is she… afraid of me?
Celestia sighed as she took Luna’s first piece, a pawn that had wandered a bit too far.
“Why would I not let you raise your moon? It is what you are named after, it’s your calling.”
Luna glared at Celestia as she snuffed out the pawn that had taken hers, “Anyone that has the ability to become a demon does not deserve to raise a celestial body.”
“You’re not a demon, Luna.” Celestia said softly as she removed one of Luna’s knights from the board.
Luna’s bishop advanced, “I attempted to blot out the sun Celestia. I almost killed everything and everyone.”
“Everyone makes mistakes Luna, it’s in our nature.” Celestia replied.
“This is not something you can dismiss so easily Celestia!” Luna cried out, small tears forming around her eyes.
Celestia pushed a bishop foward, Luna castled defensively.
Celestia shook her head, this wasn’t going to work; not like this. Celestia sighed, “I didn’t dismiss it easily. If anything, what you did was punishment for my actions.”
“Sister?” Luna questioned, her tears hitting the floor. Luna had lost her second knight and her queen in the blink of an eye.
“I should not have treated you the way I did. I put you below me, at the same level as our subjects. And when the situation finally turned awry, I ran.”
Luna seethed as she killed off Celestia’s queen, “What I did, was so much worse. I acted like a child. I wasn’t getting enough attention, and tried to destroy a country as a result. Sure, maybe if I had talked to you about it things would have turned out differently, but I didn’t. I instead assumed the worst of you and attempted to take your life.”
Celestia killed off a bishop, “It seems to me that we are at an impasse; we are both at fault here, though neither of us seem quite ready to move on.”
Luna removed one of Celestia’s rooks, trading one of her own in the process. “Yes, I suppose so.”
Celestia glanced over at her surroundings, she had diminished most of the board. Luna sat across from her, but something in her had changed. She was no longer sitting up straight, she was slumped over, desperately attempting to find a way out of the terrible situation she was in. Celestia did the only thing she could think of.
She stood up from the board and embraced her sister.
Luna squeeked as she felt a sudden warmth envelope her, nearly knocking over some of her pieces as Celestia draped a wing across Luna’s nethers.
“Luna, please. Do not fear me. We have to accept what has happened to both of us. You lost your life, and I lost a sister. I yearned to see you every day for three-hundred and sixty-five thousand days.”
Celestia pulled away from her sister, “Please, do not make me wait one more.”
Luna stared Celestia in the eyes before placing a hoof on her king, letting it fall across the chessboard, “Okay, ‘Tia.”
