The Sisters Both Admire Twilight Sparkle · 3:22am Dec 19th, 2014
There's a sweet little exchange near the start of the Reflections IDW comic arc, in FIM # 17.
Princess Luna has just informed the Mane Six (plus Spike) of Princess Celestia's absence, and they're searching the old tunnels under Canterlot for Star Swirl's Library. And Luna has this little conversational exchange with Twilight:
LUNA: If anypony can understand and navigate these corridors, it's you, Twilight Sparkle. Celestia speaks highly of your intellect. She often compares you to Star Swirl himself ... perhaps you can channel that parallel on this quest.
TWILIGHT (gasps in shock, starts blushing): Princess Celestia compares me to ... Star Swirl? That's ... that's unbelievable.
LUNA: Personally, I think you're more like Celestia when she was younger. Star Swirl was more like that one (points to Pinkie, who is trying to pick her own ear with her hoof with a totally goofy look on her face).
Now, what just happened there is that Luna just told Twilight that Celestia's (Twilight's beloved teacher and secondary mother-figure) sees Twilight as being almost on an intellectual par with Star Swirl (Twilight's historical hero, to the point that Twilight dresses up as Star Swirl for Nightmare Night, and goes to Star Swirl conventions with Cadance). And then when Twilight asks about this, Luna (the super-equine being Twilight saved from the Nightmare) tells her that she herself thinks that Twilight is more like Celestia -- Luna's beloved sister and the founder of Equestria itself.
In other words, Twilight has just found out that both the Royal Pony Sisters have immense respect for her.
While I chose to ship Twilight and Luna in my fanfics, I of course think that there is no such romantic attraction in canon. I do think that canon shows a growing friendship and mutual respect between them, though. And this is an example of what I mean.
It's beautiful.
And Pinkie Pie learns that she has the same personality as the second most powerful unicorn to live in the last 2000 years.
My inner TwiLuna shipper squee'd at this comics panel from the Sombra arc:
i59.tinypic.com/actp4w.jpg
Shipping goggles FTW.
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I'm just happy to see that, even in canon and semi-canon, Twilight and Luna really like one another.
Speaking as someone who has a sibling, comparing someone to them when they were younger is not necessarily a sign of respect.
And more importantly Pinkie is being seen as talented, though very strange (of course).
2663267
In the context of those two siblings, the comparison is most definitely a sign of deep personal respect -- and affection. Also, Luna knows how much Twilight admires Celestia, and thus presumably knew it would be taken in just that fashion by Twilight.
2663277
Oh, she may know how Twilight will take it, but I'm sure Luna is remembering a sister who easily got flustered and spit all over the stallion complimenting her...
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/5/23/634785__safe_princess+celestia_king+sombra_idw_spoiler-colon-comic_coffee_preview_star+swirl+the+bearded_spit+take_good+king+sombra.jpeg
Doofus, indeed.
Not saying there isn't some fondness there, just that the respect is up for debate.
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Heh .. I'm sure that Twilight's awkwardness is also part of it. Though Luna's normally the more socially-awkward of the twain.