The Prisoner's Dilemma

by AYC

Chapter Two

"A choice?" she asked.

"Yes, a choice," replied the Princess. That will ultimately decide how long you'll be sitting in this cell, wearing that magic-negater, wishing you never tried to rob a bank."

Gold Coin smirked. "Nice try, Princess. You may be able to send the foals running on Nightmare night, but you don't scare me."

She shifted in her seat. She'd been led through streets, forcing to endure the wonderful language of the citizens of Canterlot, and then thrown quite literally into a cell. She'd been sitting here for over an hour when the Princess had walked in, taken the bag off her head, and told her she had a choice to make. A choice that would decide how long she would stay cooped up in here.

At first, Gold Coin was stunned. Then she immediately started berating the Princess on not following her own laws and regulations. She'd ranted for a good five minutes, nailing the Princess on every transgression that she could think of. Then the Princess very calmly stated that she'd changed the law.

She felt very stupid right about then. She'd forgotten that Monarchs could do that from time to time.

"I do not wish to scare you." said the Princess, with just a hint of an indignant air. "Should I wish to instill fear unto you... well, let's just say that one of us is a better Illusionist than the other."

"Don't count me out, Your Highness." Gold Coin smiled deviously. "The reason we got away from your oh so amazing royal guard is because I created-"

"Multiple copies of yourselves, each running down a different alleyway? I know." it was Luna's turn to smirk. "I read the report. Not a bad tactic, I suppose, but you sure left an image of what you looked like with each of the guards. Didn't last too long before you got tired of running and casting illusions, and then they found you."

That shut Gold Coin up. She looked down at her hooves, defeated, but almost immediately regained some of her swagger.

"Well we hid for a whole damn two hours, you know! Wasn't easy! Most criminals, they just get caught at the scene of the crime, but not us! No, Russet and I know our stuff!" as she talked, she felt pride working its way back into her voice.

"Yet you showed a lack of foresight by not predicting that I may change jail time lengths and punishments."

And her pride was gone. She looked at the floor, muttering, "Yeah, but that's pretty much cheating, that's against the rules, isn't it?"

"So is robbing a bank."

She snapped- she'd had enough of the smartass Princess!

"You said you had a choice for me, right? You gonna give it to me or just try to make me feel stupid all day?"

"Certainly. You can either stay silent, or rat out your husband."

What? Her mind slowed down, processing what the Princess had told her. Tell on... her husband? Why would she do that? Russet had her back in every way that she had his. They were a team! If the Princess thought that she would just throw that all away and tell on her husband?

"You don't really think I'll-" she began, ready to give the Princess a piece of her mind.

"Allow me to explain in a more detailed manner." continued the Princess. "Your husband, Russet Apple, will be given the same choice; either stay silent, or confess that you committed the crime.

"Should you both choose the route of silence, and neither of you confess, then you shall each be given a three-year sentence. Somewhat fair, considering the original sentence would have been seven years for the both of you.

"Should he rat you out while you stay silent-"

"He better not..." interrupted the unicorn.

"Ahem. Of course not. Should he confess you committed a crime while you stay silent, he shall receive six months of jail time and you shall be given six years. This works both ways, so if he stays silent while you confess his guilt, he'll get six years while you get half a year."

"And finally, should you both confess and blame each other, you both get five years jail time."

There was a pause. Gold Coin thought carefully, about what they would decide on. They would both have to stay silent- that was the best route, as far as she could tell, so now she just needed to confirm that route with her husband.

"Well then can I-" began Gold Coin.

"And no, you will not be informed of his decision, nor will he be informed of yours. You shall make your decisions alone, and your partner will be told of your choice only after your jail time has been decided. I have already told him the rules and left him to think on his own choice.

"So it's your call. What do you think your loving, dependable husband will choose for you? And more importantly, what will you choose for him?"

Gold Coin slumped against the wall. It was one thing to get jail time, but this... this was a very tricky gamble.

"I'll leave you to think on that. These cells are as comfortable as a sewer, so think hard on how long you want to spend in here." Princess Luna allowed herself another smirk as she shut the door behind her.

Palace Gardens

"So how'd it go?" asked Celestia as her sister sauntered towards her.

"Quite well." answered the blue Alicorn, with a smile that thoroughly frighted Celestia. She knew that smile all too well. It was the smile she had when you walked right into her trap, or when she figured out how to checkmate you in chess.

Celestia didn't know whether to be reassured or terrified.