Making coffee was easier than making tea.
Celestia noted that the process of making coffee was more forgiving, given it was less delicate, though it has the same art form and sense of rhythm as tea making did. It was a matter of measuring your coffee, grinding, pouring, soaking, stirring, brewing, and finally pouring again.
After all the times she had seen her every morning, Celestia had gotten to memorize Twilight's rhythmic routine. Down to the exact timing with inexplicable precision and accuracy.
She recalled Twilight following these steps almost robotically as her expression from the morning continued to be slated as she went on with the routine, repeating the steps over and over, every single morning. Celestia smiled to herself as she remembered how it all highlighted her student’s lethargic nature towards mornings. Twilight was simply not a morning pony. Whereas Celestia was the epitome of mornings. She raised the sun itself after all.
☆ ☆ ☆
At times (more like all the time) she would see Twilight walk into the dining room, still highlighting the book she had studied the previous night, this morning was no different. Twilight was totally engrossed in her book, a bit too engrossed to notice the Princess. Walking past the Princess she went straight to routine whilst still scanning the book in front of her.
“Good morning, Twilight!” Celestia greeted, with a smile plastered onto her face.
Celestia's voice brought her back from her trance, looking up from her book and giving the Princess a sheepish smile back, “Good morning, Princess,” Twilight replied. No matter how tired she was, or how zoned in, she never failed to address Celestia in the morning and return the simple smile. For the pair, the upturn of one’s mouth was enough, it translated more than words ever could, especially on tiring mornings. And over the years Twilight had gotten especially good at mirroring the Princess’s friendly expression. Some things never needed to be taught, Twilight just happened to pick them up.
“What are you reading?” Celestia asked, picking up her tea from the saucer, her gaze still on her student.
“Star Swirl’s runes from Agaricus Forest,” Twilight answered, adjusting the book so the cover could face Celestia.
Celestia squinted her eyes to try and make out the faded letters a bit better to no avail, “I assume the title is in Old Ponish?”
“Mhmm, I was thinking of incorporating the concept in the text in my next thesis assignment. I predict it’ll be on ancient artifacts as cited in the syllabus,” Twilight pointed out. “Transeuntes Ius, states that all artifacts were sealed with magic, although magic can manifest out of thin air it does not have the control to compress itself. Someone had to do it, thus giving us artifacts that live beyond the lifetime of their owners. Simply because magic is always consistent. Magic will always be consistent. Star Swirl's runes are a testament to this fundamental.” Twilight finished reciting.
“Masterfully explained, my faithful student,” Celestia complimented, which made Twilight well up with joy.
Strangely enough, even if she did learn them centuries ago, Celestia didn't mind relearning topics like these through Twilight. To put it simply, Twilight beat overdue essays and lectures from pretentious professors. She didn’t mind relearning old Equestrian history first thing in the morning. Now that it was over, she dared say she missed it. She dares say she even liked it.
Ancient history wasn’t the only thing Celestia picked up from her student though. Yes, she did find out that Star Swirl was exceptional at pottery from his Amniomorphic spell from Twilight, “It’s because Amnio means bowl, and morphic means morph Princess, they used Old Ponish to name sells, I think it’s always a good idea to learn the language to understand where things are derived from,” she recalled. But she also learned that the standard ratio for the perfect cup of coffee is approximately two tablespoons of coffee per six ounces of water. It took a lot of observing, thankfully she had many mornings dedicated to just that, observing.
Currently, Twilight was reserving extra beans on the side, just in case. When it came time to measure out the coffee using the scale after the beans were grounded she almost always realized she needed more. Celestia never understood why Twilight goes through the process of meticulous measuring (though, second nature to her) just for her to change the ratio on a whim. Celestia supposed mornings did that to ponies.
Seeing Twilight move to the grinder, Celestia couldn’t help from commenting when a sudden memory resurfaced, “Remember when you tried to make the beans as fine as you could by blasting them with your magic until they were dust?”
Twilight laughed and jokingly rolled her eyes, “The things I do for you,” she said shaking her head, before explaining, “Typically a finer roast allows for a sweeter cup of coffee, a coarser grind gives you the satisfying bitter cup.”
“Bitter?” Celestia scoffed, “Bitter is an understatement!”
“The cups I made for you will be the sweetest ones you’ll find in Equestria, Princess,” Twilight smugly remarked, sniffing a giggle.
Celestia cringed no matter if the beans turned into pure dust, she couldn’t shake the fact that it was still outrageously bitter, “I suppose I owe you my thanks then, Twilight,” she stubbornly admitted.
“You’re very welcome, Princess,” she responded, before picking up the grounded beans and carefully placing them into a paper filter.
“Always prepare the water last, to ensure the water is the correct temperature we’re aiming for!” Twilight reminded Celestia.
“Then pour from the filter, and let the water sit off from the boil for about thirty seconds before immersing the coffee grounds in the press,” Celestia recited from what she saw Twilight do for so many mornings.
Silence passed through, Celestia nervously looked at her student to get a confirmation that she got that fact correct, only to be met with an impressed expression, “Yes, exactly Princess!” She grinned, warranting a shy blush from the Princess.
Celestia got up from her seat to stand next to Twilight to continue the rest of her routine together. The pair waited before Twilight poured the water over the grounds to saturate them evenly. The smooth steady pour agitated the coffee grounds perfectly.
Twilight allowed the grounds to absorb the water for a few seconds before stirring, a few genotype motions using the back of a spoon around the top layer of the mixture and along the sides to immerse any grounds that got stuck.
She placed the spoon down before clapping her hooves together and smiled, “Now we let the water extract from the grounds for two minutes and thirty seconds,” Twilight said.
“That’s oddly specific,” Celestia giggled. Which prompted Twilight to shoot her a glare.
With a tsk sound, she lectured, “Less than that, and you’ll find your coffee may be too sweet or even sour. Any longer, and your coffee will be over-extracted and appetizingly bitter,” she said, as if that was a fact everyone should have known. “-so set a timer,” she finished, making her way to the chicken-shaped timer and twisting it to the correct time,
You never need a timer, you always intuitively knew when it was ready. Celestia thought. She didn’t say this to Twilight, she feared it would be catastrophic seeing her routine shift. Besides, she rather liked seeing Twilight go through her routine like this, like a checklist.
Twilight took a white ceramic mug from the cabinet and placed it on the counter. They waited until the timer went off before Twilight poured the bleak liquid, devoid of any colour, straight into her cup. “Word to the wise: The flavor notes of your coffee will change as the cup cools. If at first, you’re not tasting what was intended, let it continue to set up. What you taste when it’s piping hot is not what you’ll taste when it’s cooled to a lukewarm temperature.”
“Same goes for tea,” Celestia noted.
She nodded, “You’re right.”
The two made their way back to the table, Celestia taking a seat at the very end of the table and Twilight pulling a chair to sit beside her.
Celestia flinched and held her heart dramatically when Twilight took a sip, “Princess, black coffee is the best coffee,” she said. Reiterating that drinking her coffee with absolutely nothing in it was a part of her morning routine too. A crucial component every morning.
Celestia let out an exaggerated sigh holding her hooves together, “I knew I should’ve made you go to more tea parties.”
Twilight frowned, “No, I went to one of your tea parties, and never again,” she announced sternly.
“The exclusive early access to the archives wasn’t worth it?” Celestia teased.
“It was… just not consuming your ridiculously sweet water! It was sweetened water. Glorified sweetened water!” She exclaimed.
Celestia laughed, “Touché, my faithful student. Touché.”
For Celestia, it was hard to envision her day without Twilight to accompany it. It was hard for Celestia to even start the day without Twilight. As coffee became something integral to Twilight’s routine, Twilight herself was integral to Celestia’s. However, it was something she hadn’t realized until her routine derailed.
☆ ☆ ☆
Celestia hummed a familiar tune as she made her way to the dining room as she did every morning. Occasionally she would wave to a guard with a perfectly crafted smile on her face made especially for mornings. A smile for each occasion. A smile that rarely gets returned perfectly.
Entering the dining room she let herself breathe. This was her relief period after raising the sun. A period just to herself and Twilight before starting the day. Before the long obnoxious meetings with the nobles and the day court. The very prospect made her eyes twitch a little.
Celestia sat in the chair at the head of the table and wrapped her hooves around the cup of coffee she had made earlier. Measure, grind, pour, soak, stir, brew, and pour. It had been a while since she decided to make a cup for herself, the very process of making it was muscle memory. All the mornings spent with her student allowed for this very cup to be made. Feeling the warmth of the cup she allowed herself to let out a sigh. A small escape of expression she wouldn’t dare allow her subjects to see, she wouldn’t dare allow them to see her grief and uncertainty.
You never told me coffee doesn’t taste as good when you don’t make it. You never told me that although I could search through every single cafe in Canterlot to find one that would measure up to yours they never do. I don’t even drink coffee and I know what makes a good cup. I don’t even drink coffee and yet, I can’t help but miss yours. I can’t help but miss you.
The creek of the dining room doors brought her back from her thoughts. Her ears perked up, her eyes igniting with a shine that was atypical to her lately, and her heart holding onto the bit of hope and fantasy she made up this morning.
“Is that coffee I smell dear sister?”
It was just Luna.
The smile, that somehow materialized without her awareness, faded, the clear disappointment was all that was left, “Ahem, yes. Yes, it is, Luna.” Celestia said, looking down at the lone cup. Her reflection swayed from its ripples yet it failed to conceal the look of sadness that seemed to overwhelm Celestia this morning.
Luna frowned, “Were you expecting someone else?” She asked, taking the seat across from her sister on the opposite end of the long grandiose table.
“What?” Celestia looked up instantly, meeting Luna’s eyes which seemed to communicate that her sister knew the answer whether Celestia chose to tell the truth or not, “No, of course not, who would be in here other than us?”
“No one,” Luna naturally replied, humming in agreement.
Grabbing a banana with her magic from the center fruit basket, Luna began to eat it, slowly peeling the skin and keeping her steady fixed stare on her sister. Celestia had to admit it was intimidating. And yet she still upheld her signature smile as if it were to slip her whole concerns would as well.
A few moments passed before any of them spoke again, “Why are you drinking coffee?” Luna asked. It was such a straightforward, uncomplicated question. It had no right to send Celestia spiraling and shifting through memories she long forgo for her own sanity.
Carefully with an even tone, “I just needed a head start to my morning,” Celestia sheepishly said, waving her hoof as to veto the topic entirely.
Luna slightly nodded, “Some teas have more caffeine than coffee,” she blankly stated.
“I know,” she acknowledged, keeping her voice chirp and even.
“And yet… you still chose to drink coffee,” Luna softly said more so to herself to allow the statement to ring out and weave out the answers she wanted. Glancing at the counter top a shiny machine sat, clearly kept well. She grinned, “I didn’t even know we had a grinder in this room. When did you get it?”
“It was Twilight’s-” The name slipped. Celestia internally cursed herself. She allowed herself to say the one name she needed to not mention. Although she certainly didn’t mean it to it almost if it was almost the most natural thing. Like how a teacher boasts about their student. Her name was ingrained.
“Twilight Sparkle?” Luna clarified her full attention finally on her sister. No fruit to distract the sister, no grinder to prompt the sisters, no students to fulfill the sisters.
All Celestia could do was nod carelessly. Luna’s eyes softened a small smile of sympathy took shape before starting, “It’s normal for anyone to miss their favourite student. It is okay to yearn-”
Celestia let out a deep breath, cutting her sister off before she could finish and reveal her buried thoughts, “Luna. I miss her a normal amount. A reasonable amount.” She flatly said, emphasizing the ordinary notion of the words.
Luna slightly frowned looking at her sister and then the cup, “Sister, you never drink coffee. Maybe once every thirty moons. But since Twilight moved you drink coffee, I dare say this, regularly.”
She pressed her lips thinly in an effort to summon an excuse, “I… had a change of heart,” she answered quietly.
“No sister, don’t deny,” Luna dryly said, her eyebrow furrowed, seriousness encapsulating her expression.
“I’m not denying anything!” Celestia snapped, a little louder than she anticipated. Louder than she had wanted. It only drew more attention to her.
Luna wasn’t fazed by the outburst, her sister’s defense was all she needed, “Then admit you miss her.”
Celestia looked away from Luna before muttering bitterly, “It sounds pathetic.”
“And why do you say that?”
She sighed, and looked around the room to ponder a way to put her thoughts out, “Because… I shouldn’t. My students constantly move away and move on to advance further in their studies all the time. It’s normal, it's expected. So why do I feel… so empty?” When Celestia's mind drifted off to Twilight she always decided that it was only sensible to shut her mouth. There were some things she needed to be hidden under a smile. But Luna's beckoning made her let it out all at once.
“Do you care about Twilight Sparkle?” Luna blankly asked.
“What are you-”
“Answer the question, please,” she urged.
“Of course, I care about her,” she said earnestly. The answer was obvious.
“You care about her more than anyone else.” It wasn’t a question. It was as if it was a fact, and now that it has been disclosed it seemed like a viable yet quixotic truth.
“I…” Celestia trailed off. She was unsure. She hadn’t been unsure in a while.
“It is okay, sister. It is okay to feel this void when she’s away; it means you care about her a lot. Perhaps a lot more than you’re willing to admit to yourself.”
Celestia slowly nodded, absorbing what Luna had said. Thankfully, Luna stopped her interrogation, the air in the room becoming instantly lighter.
“I am going to sleep, I’ll see you in the evening, Celestia,” she said, bidding her sister farewell leaving Celestia to her own devices and empty thoughts.
Celestia clenched the cup with her hooves, ripples flowing in throughout the cup due to her shaking clasp. She took a sip of her coffee. It wasn’t as good.