Scratchpad

Celestia stood outside the door, fidgeting.  This wasn't going to get any easier, and the longer she waited the more likely Luna would be asleep.  The sun was already almost all the way up as it was.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia reached forward with one wing and knocked on the door.  "Luna?" she called -- but not too loud, it would be terrible to wake her by mistake.  "Are you awake still?"

A single large thump came from the door, followed by quick hoofsteps as it eased open.  Luna stuck her head out the small opening, cautiously, almost as if she might be attacked any moment.

"Celestia?" she said.

Celestia winced internally.  It's been too long already, she thought.

Luna looked up as she recognized her sister.  She was still recuperating from the summer solstice, and her ears only came up to Celestia's chin when they both stood straight.  "Celly?" she said agian.  "What's the matter?"

"Luna," said Celestia.  "May I c-- no, that was rude, I shouldn't have said that."  She shifted weight to her other side.  "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, come in," said Luna, opening the door.  "I just-- What brings you up here?"

Celestia hesitated in the doorway.  "Well, I was hoping-- that is, I was wondering--"  She noticed Luna looking at her from over near the closet, and rushed through the rest.  "Would you like to go flying with me?"

Luna's expression brightened momentarily.  "Oh, I would love to.--  But don't you have things you need to do today?"

Celestia smiled wanly.  "I've cleared my schedule for today.  We can spend all day together, if you like."

Celestia soared over some of the lower mountains on Equestria's southren boarder.  Several wing-lengths away, Luna was doing a triple corkscrew.  Celestia marveled at her ability.  It had been a while since Celestia had last managed to find time for just flying, and she certainly didn't feel she was up to even a single corkscrew.

Luna swooped under Celestia, then climbed steeply and did a barrel roll above her, coming down just to her right.  "So were are we going?" asked Luna.

"There's a beautiful little spring I discovered up here," said Celestia.  "There's a nice cave, and the surrounding area still untouched for probably hours in any direction.  I thought it would be a nice place to stop and rest, perhaps get a drink and return to throughout the day."

"That sounds wonderful, Celestia," said Luna.  She dropped slightly, moving under Celestia and letting her mane brush along Celestia's forelegs in their old aerial approximation of a nuzzle.  "And I don't think you could have chosen a better day."

Celestia felt tears welling up in her eyes.  "Luna, thank you."  She dipped slightly as a sob threatened to burst out.  Suddenly Luna was there, trying to catch her without hurting her or messing up her flying any further.  "Celly?" said Luna.  "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm fine, Luna," said Celestia.  "I just-- it hadn't-- I didn't realize you cared."

Luna laughed once, quickly.  "Celly, what--  Whyever not?"

"Well" --Celestia drooped slightly, the memories flooding back-- "it's just that the last time I saw you -- before last week, I mean, before then -- we were trying to kill each other."

`I thought I HAD killed you`, she didn't say.