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// Princesses understand by Pearple Prose 
// Story: Dark Paradise 2: The Twiluna prompt tag collab 
// by Majora 
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Luna was there waiting for me when I got back.

I think she was hiding when I came in, or maybe I was just in that kind of mood, because I didn't see her until I'd already crawled into bed and began to feel sorry for myself. I heard the curtains rustle as she pulled them closed, then there was silence for a moment while she tiptoed across the room and into my bed. She didn't ask me how it went. She just unfurled her wings and held me tight and didn't say anything at all.

It was exactly what I'd wanted, and I hadn't said a word.

Luna and I were silent for a long while. Maybe I fell asleep, maybe I didn't, but I don't think Luna did. She was just there for my sake, probably.

Eventually, the door creaked open and Celestia wandered in, looking quite sombre but smiling nonetheless. "Good afternoon," she said.

I yawned and sat up. "Hi, Celestia." Luna brushed a wing against my own as she rolled off the bed, allowing me to wrap myself up in the duvet. "Do you need my help with something?"

Celestia shook her head. "Not quite. I was about to ask the same thing of you."

I sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, I kinda do. Although, I don't really think there's much you can do about it. It's kind of a personal thing."

Celestia nodded in understanding, but trotted over and sat next to the bed anyway. Luna busied herself with picking stuff up off the floor of my room – it was only a guest room, but it was unofficially officially reserved for me – and stowing it away neatly.

I didn't wait to get asked; I just started talking. "I feel like I'm a bad pony."

Celestia gave me a reproachful look. "Twilight."

"No, I know, just..." I shook my head and started again. "Okay, that was a silly thing to say. Let me just cut to the chase."

Both Luna and Celestia had their eyes fixed on me, then, with concern in their ancient eyes.

"So I went down to the town square this morning, to meet with my parents," I began, dropping the duvet a bit as I sat up slightly straighter. "We were going to have lunch and catch up with each other while I was still in Canterlot. I was really looking forward to it, you know?" They nodded along with the story as I told it. I thought I hadn't told them all this already, but at the same time they seemed to already know everything. "And they were at the cafe already, and we hugged and they made 'wow' noises over my wings and yadda yadda. It was good. It was nice."

"And then?" Luna urged, after I lapsed into a brief silence.

"And then things started getting a little... heated. They were asking me all these questions about my life and I was fine with that, because we hadn't spoken to each other in a while now, right? But then they just started saying things, just a word here and there, a nasty comment about Zecora or Discord maybe... I started getting a bit uncomfortable. And I think they knew that, because they stopped talking much too, and then the whole mood soured and we started arguing over things, stupid things, petty things–" I stopped and took a deep breath. "And then it hit me."

Celestia and Luna exchanged a glance, and said nothing.

"I think... I think we're like strangers to one another, you know? I realised that when we were talking, and I just... I made an excuse and I left. Then I came here."

I sighed. "And that's my story. Thoughts?"

There was nothing, for a moment. Then Celestia rubbed my shoulder with a soft hoof. "It's okay, Twilight."

"Is it, though?"

I felt a pair of hooves wrap around my waist. "That's for you to decide, Twilight." Luna was speaking next to my ear – her hot breath made them flick. "You are the Princess of Friendship for a reason."

"I think... I'll think about it." I relaxed back into Luna's arms and hummed. Celestia gave me a reassuring smile before getting to her hooves and slipping out the door without another word.

Luna was silent, too, in the soft darkness of the bedroom. Maybe I'd go home. Maybe I would put it off another day, so I could further enjoy Luna's company.

It didn't really matter what I chose. Princesses always understand one another.