//------------------------------//
// A Canterlot Tea Party 
// Story: Hugs 
// by looneymoon 
//------------------------------//


Hugs


by looneymoon

"But if you ask me, he completely deserved it."
Twilight giggled as she reached across the low table for a scone. She was slightly distressed when she found that it was just out of her reach, but was quickly reminded by her old teacher that she had a large protrusion in her forehead which could be used to retrieve such items. Twilight giggled again as Celestia dropped the scone on her former student's saucer, which brought a warm smile to her face. 
The early afternoon sunlight seeped in through the tall windows of the rotunda as the two princesses drank their tea together. Occasionally, one would fill the other's teacup, or share a fun story, but they were also happy to simply sit in silence and enjoy each other's presence. Although Twilight never did seem to grow tired of Canterlot's regality, she also never seemed to feel out of place, comfortable and content in the presence of her dear friend and mentor.
It had been the elder's idea to hold monthly tea parties, in which Twilight would come to Canterlot Castle and spend an afternoon with Celestia. The two would laugh and catch up on the latest happenings around as well as outside of home, but mostly it was a chance to see each other outside of royal duties. Twilight had known the princess almost as long as she had her own parents, and she was always eager to spend time with one of her closest friends. Occasionally, other ponies would join - Princess Cadance had made her way down from the Crystal Empire a few months ago to share a special afternoon, and before that, a very heartfelt tea party was held when Sunset Shimmer came back through the mirror for the weekend. However, there was one pony whom the two couldn't quite seem to convince to attend.
"It is too bad that Princess Luna couldn't join us," said Twilight, gazing into her tea.
"She didn't think it was appropriate of her. You know how she can be," chuckled Celestia. "She was so funny when I asked her: 'Absolutely not, dear sister! We could never intrude on your personal tea party! We respect your intimacies and refuse to insert ourselves into your private events.'"
Twilight almost snorted tea out of her nostrils. "Did she really say that?!"
"Mmmm... more or less," the princess smiled knowingly behind her teacup. After a few moments of silence, she let out another snicker.
"What?" laughed Twilight. "Do I have something on my face?"
"No, no! I was only feeling nostalgic," said Celestia. Another pause. "You know, a few centuries ago, Luna would have dropped everything to go to a party."
"No way."
"Indeed way! She used to be such a social butterfly. When we were fillies, she was always making friends and stirring up trouble."
"I find that hard to believe. Luna never attends any of the Ponyville events I invite her to. She didn't even show up to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding!"
Celestia chortled lightly to herself. "Luna was very different when we were younger," she said softly. Twilight suddenly grew aware of the tense silence in the air around her, nothing at all like the warm tranquility that had been pleasantly shared earlier. As her tutor gazed out the window into the lowering sun, Twilight realized that Celestia was remembering more than just her fillyhood.
Eager to break the uncomfortable stillness, Twilight cleared her throat. "You say that she was gregarious?"
Celestia turned to her with a grin, as though nothing at all had happened. "Very. She was the sort of foal who would glue herself to her friends. When we lived in our old castle, I would always see her out and about, hugging a manticore or hoof-bumping a cockatrice or engaging in some manner with something terrifying from the Everfree."
Twilight stopped at that. "Hugging?"
"Yes, Twilight. Hugging. It's when you wrap your hooves around another pony and pull them close."
That made her laugh. "No, I just find it funny that she would be a hugger."
"What makes you say that?"
"It's just..." Twilight paused, hesitant to bring up a sensitive topic again. "Luna is so isolated. As extroverted as she is, she doesn't seem to enjoy spending a lot of time with other ponies. I guess that I just find it odd that somepony so reclusive would be so... physical."
Celestia sipped her tea slowly, almost solemnly. "You know as well as I that things are not always as they seem. I have known Luna for all of her life, and I can assure you that she enjoys hugs."
Twilight blushed and looked away, flustered. "I'm sorry. Of course you would know. It's just that whenever I try to hug her, she always squirms away. I find it strange that you say she actually likes them."
"I'm afraid that's a side effect of time, Twilight. One thousand years of isolation must have taken quite a toll on my dear sister. We should be grateful that a reluctance to hug is the most noticeable difference in Luna."
Twilight nodded, biting her lower lip. Her mind was going at a million miles an hour. She could only think of a few times that Luna had actually endured a hug - when she had been restored to her true self after her banishment, when she had thanked Fluttershy for her help with voice training, when Pipsqueak had told her that she was his favorite princess, and...
"Do you think we could schedule our next tea party sooner than usual? Say, the day after tomorrow? And could we invite Princess Luna, too? If it's not too much trouble," blurted Twilight all at once.
Celestia furrowed her brow and stared at her pupil, confused. "What?"