Flight and Fall

by shadirby

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sad, Slice of Life
Length: 553

Celestia reflects on when she learned how to fly.

Shortly after Luna is banished to the moon, Celestia has regrets. She reflects on a happier time in her dreams.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-09-01 02:25:55 UTC

Promise

     I lie in my bedroom, regretting what I'd just done. I banished my sister to the moon. The moon. I was too harsh. I was too quick with it. I was wrong.

    I easily drift into a dream.

The crack of dawn. The air crisp and the sky golden. The world was so much more pure back in the day. Streams poured crystal clear water in the distance. My hooves touched the rugged top of the ledge.                "Tiaaa," whined Luna, my tail in her mouth. What she didn't understand is that I would fly with her grappled to my tail if I had to.

"What?" I snapped, looking back at my tiny sister. Barely school age. She looked up to me so much back then. I took it for granted.

"Can you show me to fly? I want to go with you!" Her beautiful blue eyes looked up at me, pleadingly.    "You're too little. Your tiny wings can't take it. I'm sorry, Luna, I truly am," I smile sympathetically. Luna turned her back on me. "You're such a big, stupid meanie, Tia." Back then, " big, stupid meanie" was one of the rudest things you could call a pony.

"AT LEAST I HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FLY!" I yell back at her, anger flooding through my body like a wild fire. Nopony insulted me. No. Pony.

"I CAN TEACH MY SELF!" Luna retorted and stomped away.

"Go ahead. Like I care," I hiss. As I unfold my wings, I try to remember what exactly those birds were doing earlier. I sat there for a couple minutes, staring at the ground, wings folding and unfolding. Before I could do something, I heard her scream.

"HELP! TIA PLEASE, HELP!"

Luna.

I galloped, a fast as I could toward the other side of the ledge, where she seemed to be avoiding me.

There she was, free falling at top speed. On  a whim, I unfolded my wings and jumped, racing toward Luna. Flying was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I was happy for a minute, until I remembered that my sister's life was in danger.

Luckily, I caught her before she fell.

We were both crying by the time I got her safely to the ground. "Luna, Luna, Luna. Why'd you do that? You could've died or...Or gotten hurt. What would I have done. Oh, Luna, why?" I babbled between sobs.

Luna was quiet for a minute, but then spoke. "I was afraid." She was...afraid? Afraid of what?

"And...?" I urged her to continue.

"I didn't want to lose you. Once birds learn to fly, they leave. You're my sister. I don't want you to be gone," Luna sniffled.

The comment threw me off guard. "Leave? Oh no, Luna. I would never, ever, EVER leave you. I thought you'd know that!"

"But we fought! I thought you hated me," she looked confused. I almost laughed, but didn't. Luna was being dead serious.

"Hate you? I-I would never! Luna, sisters fight. It's how we don't blow up. I will always love you, Luna. And I will always be there to catch you when you fall."

"Promise?" Luna asked.

"I promise," I assured her.

    Today, when I sent her to the moon, I broke the promise, and simply ignored her screams. And I will never forgive myself.