"Ah, good! You're awake! Good morning, little sister."
Luna stared at Celestia through half-open eyes and threw a pillow over her head. "Just five more minutes, 'Tia."
Celestia grabbed the sheets in her mouth, giving it a good tug and pulling her sister along with it. Luna lay sprawled on the floor and quietly groaned, a mixture of pain and simply not wanting to get up. She slowly gathered the sheets around her, burying herself with them. Her sister, a smile upon her face, feigned disappointment as she approached the pile of snoring sheets. "I guess you leave me no choice, Luna."
Luna's eyes suddenly sprang open, and she felt infinitely more vulnerable. She dreaded the use of that, and Celestia knew how much she hated it - unfortunately for her, she wasn't going to get much time to react. 'Tia' threw the sheets aside and pounced upon her younger sister. Luna tried her best to squirm away, but it was futile at this point. "Don't do it, Celestia! Don't! You know how much I hate it!"
"I know you hate it, Luna - that's why I like doing it."
A grin on her face, Celestia pressed her mouth against her sister's stomach and started blowing raspberries - Luna thrashed about, laughing and squealing as she tried in vain to get away. Celestia finally relented and stood back up, having a laugh of her own as she looked down at Luna. "Are you up now?"
"Y-Yes... you know how ticklish I am, Celestia."
"Oh, I know. But that's why it's fun! Now go get cleaned up before the doctors and nurses get here - they still have to examine you and make sure you're alright."
Luna groaned as she trudged into her bathroom, her horn glowing as she picked up a brush and began to run it through her mane. "I don't see why we have to do this, 'Tia - I'm fine. Really."
Within her bedroom, Celestia had already picked up most of the sheets and made the bed. It had been the first time in a thousand years that Luna had gotten any real sleep, and she had made an absolute mess of the bed. Still, Celestia was glad to have her sister back, even if it did mean waiting so long. She spruced up the sheets and pillow, smiling at her work before turning towards the bathroom. "It's just to be safe, sister. Better safe than sorry, right?"
She set the brush down and stared at the mirror - she still found it hard to believe that she was finally back home, and that the face in the mirror was... hers. She looked so much younger compared to Celestia.
"Luna?"
"What? Right, yeah. Better safe than sorry." Every time, she found herself looking back to that reflection, that snapshot of lost innocence. Her sister stepped beside her and gave her a loving nuzzle.
"I know it's taken a lot of adjusting, Luna, but you're a strong girl. You'll be okay."
"Yeah... I know. Thanks, Celestia."
One of the royal guards stepped into the room, coughing to make his presence known. "Princess Celestia, the medical staff are here now."
"Thank you, sir. Dismissed."
The stallion bowed and made his exit, leaving the two sisters alone once more. "Come on, Luna. No need to keep them waiting."
Luna nodded and quietly followed her sister out the door and to the waiting doctors and nurses - may as well get it over with.
-----
"A year?!"
The head of staff, a bespectacled old stallion, pushed up his glasses before directly addressing Luna.
"Physically, Princess Luna, you're fine. Your growth appears to be lagging a bit, but you should catch up. As for your magical and mental conditions, however... we think it would be best if you simply stayed within Canterlot and allowed yourself to fully recover."
The Princess' ears flapped constantly from agitation, and she suddenly found it increasingly hard to breath - she needed some space as soon as possible. Without a backward glance, Luna took off from the main hall, leaving Celestia to look on sadly as she did.
"Will she be alright, Princess Celestia?"
"She'll come around eventually. I think she's just taking the news awfully hard. Thank you for your work today." Celestia quietly excused herself and ran off after her sister. She knew where she would find her, of course - her bedroom. She slowly nudged open the door and found her younger sister buried in her toys, some of which were as old as she was. Luna sat staring blankly at the wall, a stuffed bear wrapped in her forelegs.
"Luna... I know you're upset, but please-"
"Upset? Upset?! Celestia, I spent a thousand years trapped in the moon and was finally freed, only to find out that I'm trapped another year inside our own home!"
Celestia walked over and took a seat beside her, picking up a stuffed dragon and placing it upon her sister's head in an effort to make her smile - it didn't work. She sighed and stared directly at her sister. "Luna, please. I know you're disappointed, and I am too. But you have to believe me when I say this is for your own good. If you don't take the time now to regain your strength, you may never fully recover."
Luna turned to face her elder sister, even as she shook her head to toss the dragon off. "Can I at least go outside, as long as I stay within Canterlot?"
"Of course you can, sister - no one said you couldn't. Just... do this for me?"
She huffed and looked back at the wall for a bit before finally giving in. "Only because you asked so nicely, 'Tia."
Celestia smiled and gave her sister a hug, to which she received one right back. "Great. If there's anything you need, little sister, just let me know."
Luna smiled and slowly nodded - maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.