Luna edged closer to the edge of the balcony, eyes focused on her target; the balcony directly across from her. Celestia’s dare sung in her head, I bet your wings are still too small to make it, and she hunkered down, spreading her star filled black wings. Shaking them out, she let the feathers fall into alignment, and narrowed all her focus on the wind. It was running in her favor, so long as she could find a good thermal breeze.
“Be careful!” Celstia called from the other side, and Luna snapped her gaze up, irritation prickling her pelt.
“Be quiet!” she hissed, and tried to narrow her focus in again.
Across the other side, her white pelted sister raised to her back legs, hooking her forelegs on the balcony railing to get a better view of Luna. Sunlight glittered off her mane, and her front bangs parted by her developing horn, still dull, only a inch or so grown. “You have to arch your wings exactly at the right angle, or else it’s not gonna work, and you will plummet all the way down.”
Luna shot her elder sister a glare, her dark night colored eyes flashing irritation. “I said be quiet!”
With an elegant shrug, Celestia dropped back down to all four hooves, again, unfurling her white wings to bask in the sun. Luna rolled her eyes, deciding to dismiss her sister’s effort to show off the wings, and glared at the other side again.
The gap yawned between them, imitating and seemingly growing every time she glanced. Swallowing hard, she looked down, and immediately regretted it, the sheer drop enough to make her want to wuss out. But if Celestia could do it, so could she. She had to.
Taking a deep breath, she shook out her wings one last time, and shifted her weight on her back hooves, feeling her muscles bunch up. She could do this.
Deep breath in.
One.
“Don’t forget to push off with your legs too!” Celestia piped in helpfully. Luna shot her a withering glare, sending her to silence again.
Lets try this again, she told herself, and narrowed in again.
One. Breath in.
Two. Breath out.
…Three!
“Look out!” Celestia cried, the same moment Luna lunged, reaching her hooves into the air. There was a flash of grey and blue, and with a yelp of surprise, Luna felt something hard ram into her, sending her flying backwards, without the aid of her wings.
She landed hard, her wings twisting under her painfully, as the bulk quickly scrambled off her. She furiously rose to her hooves, ready to yell at whoever it was that interrupted her flight.
It was septa Nanny Hoof.
“Luna!” the grey mare scolded, towering over the young filly. “Dare I accuse you of what I suspect you were trying to do?!”
“No,” the moon filly lifted her chin definitely, the same time Celestia flew over, landing next to her.
“Septa Nanny Hoof! I tried to stop her, really, but she wouldn’t listen!”
Luna whirled on her sister, ears laid back in fury, baring her teeth. “Liar! You dared me to!”
Celestia widened her sapphire blue eyes, perfecting the look of innocence and indignity of being accused. “What?!”
Luna opened her mouth to further yell at her sister, but sensing an argument, Septa Nanny Hoof stepped between the two fledgling princesses, using her bulk to separate them. She wasn’t a stranger to Celestia’s ways, so she choose to ignore her act of innocence, and turned instead to the younger filly.
“Luna, dare or not, you know we have gone over this. Your wings are not fully developed yet, the muscles aren’t strong enough.”
Luna rolled her dark eyes, grinding her front hoof into the ground in irritation. “Yes, I know, and ‘the wings would give out and I would severely injure myself since I wouldn’t be able to maintain flight. I know.” She sighed and arched her neck, glancing back at her useless wings, folded neatly at her side. They seemed more like decorations than anything, and she yearned to spread them and join the other flight privileged ponies, to follow her sister in the sky, feel the wind run through her mane, feel the freedom that Celestia so often ranted about…
Luna felt her shoulders fall, and she lowered her head, ears laid back in sadness. “I just really want to fly.”
Feeling the filly’s change in mood, the septa softened her gaze, lowering her muzzle to Luna’s and touching the young fledgling betwixt the ears. “I know, young one, and with patience will come reward. Your wings will grow, don’t you fret, and soon you will be able to fly.”
“Not soon enough,” Luna muttered to herself. She cast a resentful glance to Celestia, who was on the side, preening a wing with her teeth. How wonderful those wings looked, all white and pristine, strong and large. Polished, large feathers glimmered brilliantly in the sun, making her own dark black wings look dull in comparison.
Sympathizing the small alicorn, Septa Nanny Hoof raised her head, nudging Luna’s flank. “Come, little ones, let us see if the cook has any of those pastries for dinner ready. I am sure they won’t miss a few if they go missing, do you?”
Celestia whinnied in excitement, leaving her preening to canter up to Luna, hooves clacking as she tossed her mane in excitement. “Pastries! Oh, come on Luna, I’ll race you to the kitchen!”
Sighing, Luna glanced at her septa. Kind green eyes met hers, and with a small inclination, Nanny Hooves gave Luna a knowing look. Resigned, Luna turned back to her sister, and forced an excited tone.
“First one there gets first pick!”
Celestia whinnied, rearing, scraping the air with her golden hooves. “Then you better hope your racing skills are better than your flight!”
Grinning, Luna nipped her sister’s flank playfully, distracting her enough to leap ahead, hooves clattering on the castle ground. “No fair!” Celestia squeaked, quickly racing after her sister. Whinnying in amusement, Luna tossed her mane and raced through the halls, feeling happier than she had all day. Her sister could be a meanpony, but at least she could match her pace for pace on the ground!
I may not be able to fly, but at least I can be the best racing pony there ever was!