Chapters Equestria has gone through a lot over the years. There were unexpected times when the Elements of Harmony had to intervene. Without the elements, Equestria would not be able to survive and prosper. The rulers of this mostly equine society are the royal sisters, who ruled this land for over a thousand years.
One of these royal sisters was a white alicorn princess named Celestia. As she did every morning, Celestia rose from her bed with a great yawn and headed for the bathroom where she did her normal morning routine. Took a shower, brushed her mane and teeth, and smoothed over any blemishes on her coat that might have formed in her sleep.
She then grabbed her shopping bag and called her guards to go out and escort her in public. It was a beautiful day outside with no clouds in the sky, perfect weather for a brisk morning trot. She went to the market to get some essentials to make a good breakfast. On her way to the market, on the streets of Canterlot, her fellow regulars and nobles were going about their day. They all exchanged greetings with each other with smiles on their faces.
The farmer's market was lined up with stands selling crops from all over Equestria. One of these stands Celestia headed to was a stand selling pineapples.
"Good morning, good sir," Celestia greeted.
"Morning, Your Majesty, I see you are having a good start to your day." said the merchant with a pleasant smile.
"Yes, I am." she replied.
Celestia checks each of these crowned fruits to see which of them feels and smells fresh. Having been satisfied with one of the larger fruits, Celestia floated her prize over to the vendor, who gently placed the item in a bag.
"That would be twenty bits, Your Majesty," said the vendor.
Celestia rummaged through her purse and pulled out the bits, proceeded with the purchase and insisted that the vendor kept the change. She then trotted along the walkway of the market, looked at and purchased other products as she went. She bought some bananas, kiwis, berries, apples, eggs, milk, and flour in much the same manner, have convinced every merchant to take the spare change in as calm a voice she could muster. She had a schedule to attend, and the ponies under her oftentimes proved detrimental to her day plans. Still, she loved them all the same.
She returned to the castle, groceries in hoof. With the ingredients she got from the markets, she began to prepare the batter for some pancakes. She took out a mixing bowl from the cupboard and set it on the counter. For the batter, she stirred the eggs, milk, and flour into the bowl. She heated up the skillet, and added some butter to it before pouring the batter onto the skillet. After she made all the pancakes, she decorated the stacks with whipped cream and some fruit. In the past, she usually had servants making breakfast for her, but now it's a different story today. Equestria was changing as she and her sister grew.
"Good Morning, Celestia," said Luna as she appeared in the kitchen.
“Morning, Lulu,” Celestia greeted as she placed the artisan pancakes on the wooden table. “So how was your dream walk and how was your sleep?”
“Nothing much from my dream walk and I slept well. What about you, sister? ” said Luna as she took a slice of the pancakes.
“I slept fine, I did my duty of raising the sun, and I was at the market getting the essentials. The ponies I passed by were preparing for Hearts and Hooves Day. I saw some romantic partners spending time together at cafés. I wish we could still have our own lovers to go to,” said Celestia as she did the same.
"Today is Hearts and Hooves Day? What does this holiday have to do with either of us?" Luna asked as she was eating her breakfast.
"Well, we're immortal, and we've seen Equestria grow throughout our lives. Isn't there something missing in both of us?" Celestia leaned back a bit and tapped the table a bit before resettling herself. "Twilight did write me asking the question that could change the world."
"Really, what did she ask you?" Luna replied.
Celestia brings out the letter that Twilight had written to her. While she was using her magic, she moved the scroll to Luna, who opened it with curiosity. Certainly, Celestia did not say such things so frivolously.
Luna was reading the letter of her sister's former pupil, who now held the title of Princess of Friendship.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am sorry to bother you, but do you think there are any alicorn stallions in and around Equestria? Nopony talks about them and there are hardly any documents mentioning any of them. I'm curious about them and their abilities. I know that there are only alicorn mares like myself and Cadence. Could we talk about this matter?
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
“WHAT, she actually asked you that?” Luna said with disbelief.
“Yes, she wrote that to me."The moment she paused from her thoughts had brought her characteristic smile back, if only briefly. "Should I tell Twilight the truth?”
"Well, sister, since there’s nothing we could do, we have to. There would be more questions from her if we don't do that," Luna said as she finished breakfast.
"Okay, I'm going to write her back, " said Celestia as she took out another sheet of paper and another quill to compose a new letter. She wrote:
Dear Twilight,
Thank you for your letter. That's something we should talk about sometime. Would you come to the palace tomorrow if you are available? This talk should only be between you, my sister, and myself. We will talk more about this after you arrive.
Your mentor, Princess Celestia
Using her magic, Celestia rolled up the letter, tied it with her seal, and sent it to Twilight..
"I hope I am making the right decision…"
The next day, at Canterlot Castle, Twilight Sparkle arrived as per Celestia's request. Walking into the throne room, the princesses sat in their thrones as if waiting there all night for her
“Thank you for coming, Twilight.” Celestia greeted her student with a warm smile. Twilight smiled and nodded, greeting her back as she spoke. "You know why I want to tell you the news face-to-face, right?" Celestia asked, an air of seriousness in her voice.
"No, Why? Did something weird happen to Equestria, or was it something personal?" Asked Twilight a little worried.
"There's no danger, so calm yourself my student, but It might be both, you see in the Tale of the Two Sisters, there is something missing in that tale. When I was writing that tale, it was describing only me and my sister. To be honest there is more to this story than you might think." Celestia explained.
“What do you mean, Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked, her curiosity bubbling.
“Well, you see, there are additional alicorns to this story. This version of the story was only kept between me and my sister until now.” Celestia said as Twilight looked at Luna.
“What about you, Princess Luna? Did you know about this even when you turned evil and banished to the moon?” the purple alicorn asked
“Yes, I still remember it well, even though I was in that state,” replied Princess Luna.
“You see, it was not just us in the past, but there were also two alicorn brothers, the oldest, Messis, and the youngest, Solstitio. Unlike the royal sisters, the two brothers were in charge of changing the seasons. There was a time when the two brothers struggled to control the strange weather patterns and the nature associated with the seasons they represent. They tried to rein in the chaos, but It was too late, and one by one the brothers were trapped in blocks associated with their roles; Messis was trapped in a block of hardened tree sap, representing the spring and summer, and Solstitio in a block of ice, representing the autumn and winter.” Celestia explained as her story concluded.
“So, Celestia, why did you have to wait until now to tell me all this? Did something make you want to share this story with me?” Twilight asked after she gasped in shock.
“Well, the feeling of loneliness during Hearts and Hooves Day made me want to express my emotions here today. It’s been a while since we last saw them and we are not sure when they will come back to us,” replied Celestia.
“Were you two connected to them somehow, like in a friendly relationship?” asked Twilight.
“Well, we were friends with them. Their parents would visit ours and bring them along so we would have company. We would often play tag, hide and seek, or just shoot the breeze and entertain with our abilities. We were the best of friends and nothing further than that. We developed feelings for them, but didn't want to jeopardize our friendship by telling them.” Luna explained with a fond expression.
“So do you still know where they were trapped in solids?" asked Twilight.
“Well, we know where they are currently trapped, but the substances they are in are unnatural; not even the sun's warmth can do. The substances were strengthened by an unknown type of magic,” replied Celestia.
“Then is there something we could do to free them?”
After they heard that question, Celestia and Luna thought of solutions and they got one. “So one of the ways we could do is to go to the Everfree Forest, around the Castle of the Two Sisters. When you get there, find out the magic that strengthens these solids and research how to counter it,” said Luna.
Twilight then accepts the task with respect to the princesses, and they thank her for it. Twilight knew that this task was challenging. Since she has been through a lot of unexpected events, she knew that this would be fun.
After the meeting, life for the two sisters was pretty ordinary to them besides the royal duties they had to do. They then had some tea together, conversing about the past. They hoped Twilight would help reunite their lost friends and remain positive about that. The friends that they have not seen for centuries. Maybe they could help with controlling the seasons.
After Twilight's long and arduous journey of freeing the two brothers, they went to the Royal Palace in Canterlot. The royal guards escorted them.
One of the royal guards entered the throne room and bowed his head. "Your majesties, there are ponies that assume they are closer to you,'' said the guard.
"What do you mean, who are they?" asked Celestia.
"They are alicorn stallions, which is strange because I've never seen them before." The guard replied and bowed his head.
"Send them in," Celestia commanded.
The royal sisters were soon met with shock when the alicorn stallions entered the throne room. They had not seen them for millennia. The two looked as if they had never changed, appearance-wise. They both had a gray coat like the color of stones. Messis, the oldest, still had his green mane and tail, while Solstitio, the youngest, had his blue mane and tail.
"Celestia, Luna?" Messis asked as they saw them.
"Yes, it is us," Luna answered.
"Come here, group hug. Luna, could you join us?" said Celestia bursting out joyously as they all gathered and extended their front legs on each other's necks with tears in their eyes.
"I missed you two; looks like you two have grown taller than us," said Solstitio as his tears came out of his eyes.
"We missed you two as well," Luna said as tears came out of her eyes. “Don’t worry, you’ll grow soon. I speak from experience.”
They then break off the hug and move to a guest room with seats.
Taking their seats, Celestia. Ignited the conversation again. “How are you doing, Sol?” Celestia asked.
“Doing good, Celly, doing good,” Solstitio replied.
“It’s been centuries since we last saw you; Do you need any help adapting to this time?”
“Are you pulling my hoof? It can’t be that different, right?” argued Messis.
“Well, see for yourself,” Luna said as she pointed her left forehoof to one of the windows in the room.
The two brothers trotted to the window and peered outside, there they saw the changes. They appeared surprised when they saw how much Equestria appeared in front of their eyes. The generations of ponies came and went, new buildings were constructed, and changes in society.
“What is this?” asked Messis.
“This is Equestria, and you two are in Canterlot right now,” replied Luna.
“Could we explore? I would love to explore it.” Messis said with excitement.
“Now hold on there, brother; The ponies in public most likely do not even know who we are. It takes a long time for the public to recognize us. That would be even harder without Celly’s public acknowledgment,” said Solstitio.
“Well, what Sol said is true; if you two fail to adapt to this world, the ponies would see you as nothing but being reckless. We can help you get settled in this environment and time. Equestria will recognize you two as a result,” said Celestia.
“Hope what you said is right,” Messis said as he smiled but expressed concern with the entire process.
The royal sisters gave accommodations in the castle and a tour of the entire castle. There were times that the guards asked them if they needed escorts, and in all those times, Celestia refused. Luna, on the other hoof, wanted the guards to do their job in protecting them. She tried to convince Celestia to reconsider, but she did not budge on this option.
The sisters had done their duty of raising the moon and lowering the sun. They all sat at the table with the brothers having a pre-meal conversation in the dining hall with a side of wine.
“WHAT, what is this?” said Solstitio after he spat the wine onto the floor. It’s been a while since he had fine alcohol, but he never had this.
Messis also had the same drink and had the same reaction. He said, “Well, brother, a pony’s tastes in food change with time, and it’s hard to keep things perfect when time flies.”
“I had the same feeling as well. Over time, I had different types of alcohol, and the taste changed for the same type throughout my life. In each period in history, adapting to new tastes is like trotting on stepping stones in a river. As for you two, you took a big leap across a pond,” said Celestia.
Everyone laughed after that joke.
“So, Celly and Lulu, what’s it like being the only rulers of Equestria?” Messis asked.
"We've been through a lot. There was a time when I stepped on Luna's sensitive side, and Luna was jealous. So jealous that she almost brought Equestria down with her," said Celestia.
"I was jealous because I had my reasons, and I let them take over me," said Luna.
The courses then came to the table. The foods were diverse and full of color. Some ingredients and dishes were even from lower-class cookbooks. The two brothers ate what was on the table. When they ate, the brothers savored each new taste, even admired the commoner's cooking, which was something they'd never had.
After dinner, the alicorns trotted out of the dining room. They made their rounds around the castle and ensured everything was secure as they chewed the fat.
"Luna, when did your mane start to move like that?" Messis asked as he felt intrigued by the appearance of her mane.
"To us, my sister and I did not know why we appeared this way, we are also taller than an average adult mare. I assume that has something to do with our magic," Luna replied.
"We will grow taller than you two, you'll see!" said Solstitio as a smirk appeared.
Celestia gave them a smile as a reaction.
"Come on Sol, time for bed," said Messis.
The alicorns then retired to their rooms for the night.
On a young morning, Celestia's sun rose again. Messis rose from his slumber and left his bed. He trotted to the bathroom to freshen up for the day. While there, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and discovered that his body had changed. His legs, body, and neck lengthened, making him taller than when he was first freed. His mane and tail changed from stationary and were now moving and sparkling. Overcome by surprise that he grew in strength and height. He trotted at a fast pace to his brother’s room. Messis desperately raps at the room’s door.
“Sol, Sol! Open up!” Messis called out.
“What’s going on, brother, everything alright?” Solstitio asked after he opened his door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What happened to–” Solstitio was surprised by Messis’s new appearance.
“I could ask the same about you, brother, and you have a beard.”
“What do you mean, brother?” Solstitio asked as he went to the nearest mirror and peered at his reflection. “Wow, you don’t say. I have a beard.” He then felt its texture, the beard had grown to half his neck. He also had grown almost to his brother’s current height. Solstitio also had a moving mane and tail.
The royal sisters meet the two brothers in the dining room to have breakfast.
“So, boys, how is the breakfast I made? I hope I didn’t bother you with what I provided you again.” Celestia said as she took a bite of her pancakes
"They're delicious. What are these called? I never had these things before," Solstitio asked as he did the same.
"They are pancakes. I cannot recall the first time I had them, but I know that Celestia is the one that made the best ones so far," Luna said as she took a sip of her tea. “Believe me, I tried, but they didn’t compare to my sister’s.” Luna joked, causing Celestia to smile slightly.
“Perhaps I could teach you then, dear sister,” Celestia remarked as Luna nodded as if to say she'd like that.
Looking down at the breakfast, Messis noticed a mug of steaming liquid quite alien to him. "What is this drink called? I had never seen this hot brownish-black drink before," asked Messis.
"That, that is called coffee, made from coffee beans. They were discovered a long time ago. You two were frozen during that time, so try it, but the taste is something to be acquired," Celestia said.
"Okay," Messis accepted as he drank his first sip of the dark liquid. This beverage tasted like he was drinking medicine, and the bitterness repealed him. He then took a few more sips as his taste buds adapted to the drink's taste and allowed him to drink it at a leisurely pace– "This is good, though a bit bitter. May I have some more?"
“Of course, If you want, the bitterness goes away with some milk, sugar, or a little salt.” Celestia informed as she poured Messis another cup.
“This way is fine, but thank you. Breakfast is good. Sometimes I have a sense of nostalgia regarding food,” Messis replied as he took the coffee and ate. "I remembered mom made something for me and Solstitio, a porridge made of hay, milk, and honey. Though I don't know what it was called then, it was certainly comforting,” Solstitio said as memories flooded his thoughts.
"Yes, I remember that as well. I miss her. I sometimes watched her cook," Solstitio said.
“Do you know how to make this porridge?” Celestia said.
“I think so, but it may not be the same as it was,” Messis said.
“After breakfast, you two can come with us to the courtyard to see if you remember your magic,” Luna remarked as the brothers nodded.
After they finished their breakfast, the four trotted to the castle courtyard and stood in the practice area.
“Alright, Messis, show me what you got,” Celestia said as she stood in front of Messis.
Messis grunted and focused his energy as his horn took on a blue glow and his wings opened. With his glowing horn aimed at a hedge, he shot a pulse of blue magic at it. When his magic ray hit the hedge, it went from green to red through time.
“That is impressive. I guess nature is your thing, right?” Celestia asked after she saw the hedge.
“Of course, it is, Cel. The flowers describe their emotions with their petals, and so do the trees with their leaves or firs.
Luna was in front of Solstitio, who did the same as his brother, but his magic glowed amber like his own eyes. His magic ray hit the grass, then a patch of snow appeared over a patch of grass.
“You know how to produce snow, do you, Sol?” Luna asked.
“Well, that is what I’m known for, but doesn’t snow come naturally from the sky?” Sol then asked with curiosity.
“Well, while you were frozen, we mainly had weather pegasi doing this seasonal weather,” Luna replied with a smile.
“You two don't know how to control the weather, or you don’t want to?” Solstitio asked in a serious tone.
“Well, I don’t know. I was not here in parts of Celestia’s rule,” Luna replied while being serious.
“But that’s a story for another time; we should focus on you two right now,” Celestia said as she motioned for them to leave.
The two pairs part ways; Celestia and Luna discussed the brothers’ abilities while they trotted along the hallways away from them.
“So, sister, how were Sol and his abilities?” Celestia asked.
“Sol’s powers were the powers I’ve never seen in any unicorn or alicorn today,” Luna answered.
“Yes, the same goes for Messis; I was shocked by how the leaves change color by his magic.”
“Sol is kind of like me with the arguments and the tone. I feel like we have our others,” Luna said with a blush.
“I kinda get what you mean,” Celestia said, then chuckled. “Messis has a lot of wisdom and is a powerful spellcaster. I also love how he talks.”
“Are we making the right choice, sister? Is that what you wanted in life, Celestia?” Luna asked with doubt.
The two brothers trotted along the halls, saw the stained glass, and stopped to take in the beauty of it. There, they engaged in a conversation.
“So, what’s going on, Sol? You are acting odd right now. Are you ok?” Messis asked as he saw his brother faking his grin.
“Nothing much, just trying to process what I am thinking,” Solstitio replied as he stared at Messis.
“Everything alright? You can tell me. I’m your brother.”
“Well, it’s just that there’s a feeling in me that feels weird; I don’t even know how to describe it,” Messis replied as he looked at the two sisters walking, too lost in their conversation to see them lagging.
“Let me think. Hmm, that is the feeling of love, Sol. You have an infatuation toward someone?” Messis asked.
“WHAT, no, I mean yes, towards Luna, I don’t even know how to tell her the truth.” Sol tried to deny it but couldn’t.
“Well, you are not alone; I also have one,” Messis said as his mood changed from being positive to feeling doubtful.
“Really, with whom?” Sol asked as his brother took a gander at the princesses
“With Celestia.” Messis replied.
Two days later, Messis opened his eyes to the rising sun that shone through the windows of his room. Departing from his bed, they then trotted through the hallway.
On a castle balcony, Messis found Celestia raising the sun. He trotted over to her. "Morning, Cel," said Messis.
"Morning," replied Celestia.
"How long have you been raising the sun up for?"
"Centuries, although I have to admit, I never had anypony closer to me. I know that I have a closer relationship with the sun, but that is nonsense."
Messis nodded as he hung on every word, working up the courage to admit something. He broke his silence, "Recently, something feels different about me."
As Celestia finished raising the sun, she turned to Messis and spoke, "What do you mean, Messis? Something is bothering you?"
"No, it's just..," Messis stopped in the middle of his sentence as he was lost in words, then blurted out, "Would you ever have somepony closer to you in life, I could be that."
“What do you mean?” Celestia asked confused by the vagueness of her friend’s words.
Blushing profusely, Messis ducked his head and cleared his throat. “I was thinking, maybe you and I could go out on a date,” he blurted out.
Celestia blushed brightly, her white muzzle was now the shade of an apple and she started to feel warm, her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to form her words. After a few deep breaths, Celestia smiled. "What made you ask that now?" Celestia asked.
Blushing brightly himself, Messis cleared his throat to answer. "I didn't know if you were taken, but since you said otherwise, I thought I’d ask," he answered.
Smiling from ear to ear, Celestia nodded and spoke, "Well, I'm glad you talked to me about this. Yes, we can go on a date together." Celestia said as she started walking, Messis followed from behind.
"Cel, even though you have not dated before, are you good at dating?" Messis asked.
"Yes, but it varies depending on the pony," Celestia answered.
Taking a chance to breathe, Messis proposed that he and Celestia could start with a stroll around Canterlot. Celestia liked the idea but wanted his wings to be covered for his own personal protection.
"Cel, is this necessary?" Messis asked as he received a blue cloak from Celestia.
"Throughout my reign, ponies still do not know if alicorn stallions exist, we may reveal you two as a surprise when the time is right," said Celestia with a wink.
Donning the cloak, Messis covered his body, excluding his face with the blue garment, the two then approached the main doors.
With guards on their side, they trotted to the city, looking around. Whenever ponies see the two, they kneel, after that, ponies exchanged questions between themselves.
As the two trotted on the streets of Canterlot, Messis had no words to describe its present. "Things have changed around here, right?" Messis asked with a plain feeling on his face.
"Yeah, society is like that, life changes constantly throughout my reign, ponies came and went, the changes in food, the list goes on," Celestia replied with a smile on her face.
"Since I'm not very familiar with this time, could you guide me on this?" Messis asked.
"Sure, just follow me, and you will understand," Celestia replied.
“Wow, so this is what modern Equestria looks like, the buildings look so different, Messis exclaimed with shock.”
As the two trotted down the streets away from the castle, they came across a bakery named Fine Hooves Bakery. The two smelled the toasty scent wafting through the air as Messis pushed open the wooden door as the two of them entered. The princess was greeted upon entry while Messis went ahead and sat down at a table.
“Why, good morning, your highness, I did not expect you to be here and who is this?” said a baker as he saw Celestia and Messis.
“I did not have breakfast this morning and I wanted to show somepony around the city, I do not want to mention his name yet. Anyways, I would like to have a raisin pastry, a croissant, and two small coffees please,” answered Celestia with both worry and enthusiasm.
“Would that be all, your highness?” asked the baker.
“Yes, thank you,” said Celestia as she paid the bits required.
The baker proceeded to get the pastries she ordered, moved them into a paper bag with his magic, then prepared the coffee. After that, Celestia uses her magic and hovers the bag and the two coffees, while walking to the table where she gingerly places them down in front of Messis. She sat down and began to break the ice.
“So this is how ponies today spend their mornings?” asked Messis as he looked around the establishment and the baked goods with curiosity.
“Yes, I suppose, but not all ponies do this, there are some that prefer to eat at their residence and some that prefer to go to these places on some days depending on their schedules,” Celestia replied. “Enjoy the pastries,” Celestia said with glee.
Messis took one from the bag, the first one he got was a raisin pastry, shaped like a swirl, flakey, and with raisins between the layers. He then took a bite off of the pastry, crumbs fell, and he felt the texture, followed by its richness, sweetness, and acidity hitting his tongue. The pupils in his eyes shrunk.
“Uh, are you okay?” Celestia asked.
Messis then shook his head side-to-side to get back to reality. “Yes, Just admiring the flavor,” Messis answered as he continued to eat and shoot the breeze with Celestia.
After wrapping up their time in the bakery, Messis gave the baker a compliment and asked him if he could take a tour of the bakery, the baker accepted. The baker showed Messis the process of making their pastries and breads, showed the equipment they have, and answered any questions Messis asked. The baker gave Messis two loaves of bread for free as a thank you.
"You are quite the curious one when it comes to baking, like a colt standing near the oven looking at and waiting for the finished product," said Celestia.
"Yes, I am curious, but my true passions lie in sorcery and knighthood," said Messis, revealing something about himself that Celestia didn't know.
"Everypony has their own talents and personalities that define themselves, they don't have just one, " replied Celestia.
"What do you like to do then, Cel?" Messis asked.
"Well, I like to cook when at the castle because I prefer not to have servants cook for me. Occasionally I may sing in the shower or at karaoke night in some clubs or bars, but when I’m not handling any political affairs I make the time to come out of the castle and socialize with the rest of my subjects."
"Really, Cel, I did not know you like doing these things," said Messis with a chuckle.
As they finished their date, they returned to the castle with their hearts filled with happiness.
Author's Note
Sorry for the long wait, I had a vacation, I hope I could update this as soon as possible.
