• Published 11th Nov 2019
  • 1,479 Views, 32 Comments

Sister Solstice - Fylifa



A unicorn filly discovers a magical secret that will change the world. But her sister worries that's not all that will change.

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Chapter 2

“The magus has returned.”

The words shocked Celestia out of her dozing state and into wheeling at the air with her forehooves. Her chair, which had been perfectly perched on two legs, teetered over with her in it. “I wasn’t sleeping!” she exclaimed from the floor.

Nocturna leaned over Celestia to look at her upside down. “He isn’t here with me. He just arrived with the other fellows in the main hall.”

“Oh. Good,” Celestia replied and relaxed against the carpet.

“Did you not wish to talk to him? We’re running out of wall.”

The sisters shared a room in the castle, and it wasn’t all that different from when they were growing up bunking together at home. Lately, however, Celestia’s dissection of Star Swirl’s spellbook had her penning scroll after scroll of notes. Without Star Swirl on hoof to consult, the pages of notes had creeped out from the corner with the desk to be tacked onto the wall and from there, spread like paper ivy in every direction.

Celestia stared up at one page that somehow made its way to the ceiling. “I’d hoped to have something to show for it when he got back. It’s frustrating, like having the recipe for a cake but missing a few key ingredients.”

Nocturna raised an eyebrow. “That’s an interesting analogy to use.” Her hoof prodded at Celestia’s middle. “At least you’ve made progress on the other thing, eh?”

The bump provoked a fussy whinny out of Celestia, and she sat up on her haunches. “I’m serious. This spell has incredible potential.”

“Is it really that important? Some ponies don’t even follow their mark. Perhaps it would be better not to meddle? Wasn’t once enough?”

Celestia sighed. “It’s not just the cutie marks, it’s something deeper than that.” She gestured at the wall. “This kind of spell is less about changing a pony to fit the world and more like… changing the world to fit a pony.”

“I’m not sure I understand?"

“I used to think that raising the sun set something off, but now I wonder that maybe my cutie mark changed before it happened. With a spell that changes reality you wouldn’t even know what changed. It might not even matter when it was cast either. A future me could have cast it, and now I’m dealing with the results. It makes me a little hopeful because maybe it means I do eventually figure it out, but I’m also a little peeved that I couldn’t send myself a note with the solutio—”

“Lumi...”

Celestia peeled her eyes away from the wall of pinned sheets. “What?”

“Maybe we should go for a walk? To the kitchens for something to eat or oh! The Mighty Helm came with the magus when he returned. We could watch them spar. Wouldn’t that be fun?” Even as the younger sister, Nocturna could keep her expression as guarded as the castle when she talked in especially level tones.

“I’m not crazy,” Celestia said with a scowl.

Nocturna’s gaze made the circuit from the paper-laden desk, the papered wall, and then up to the lone sheet on the ceiling.

“I’m not!” Celestia insisted.

“It still might help to look at something other than walls and scrolls," Nocturna suggested.


Together they traveled to the main hall of Canterlot Castle, and at once they heard the clattering of metal, hooves, and boisterous voices. From the top of the grand hall's staircase, they had a wide view of the three dozen armored earth ponies gathered below.

“There’s so many!” Celestia exclaimed. Unlike the city guard, these soldiers had a rugged northerner look about them with braided manes, bulky limbs, and heavy fetlocks.

Nocturna perched her hooves on the staircase’s railing and looked on with a few excited tail-swishes. “They helped the magus’ party defeat a trio of monsters that rampaged through the land.” She sighed. “A pity to miss such a battle.”

“I’m sure Mom will write a play about it, eventually.”

“Pah! With wooden swords and tin helmets." Nocturna sniffed and looked longingly at the armored soldiers.

Celestia entertained a vision of her sister in armor two sizes too big, helmet over her eyes, and swinging a sword at nearby knees.

Nocturna peered over her shoulder at Celestia’s quiet giggle. “Hmm?”

“Nothing,” Celestia replied and hid her smile with a hoof. “Have you spotted the magus?”

“No, but look over there by that table. Those are some of the ponies he traveled with.”

Celestia followed Nocturna’s pointing hoof to a particular table. Even for a Mighty Helm, the stallion was enormous and towered over a pegasus dressed in legion armor beside him.

“That one looks like a mountain with hooves,” Celestia noted. “Who could they be, I wonder?”

“The large one is Rockhoof and the other Flash Magnus,” Nocturna replied before eye rolling at Celestia’s surprised look. “It’s amazing what one can learn when they are not spending all their time in a paper prison.”

Celestia snorted at that and turned back to watching the table. Over the general din of the crowded hall, she could hear Rockhoof’s throaty laugh as he pounded the table with a hoof at some joke or another.

“He’s quite a jolly one,” Celestia said, amused. “Certainly a striking stallion.”

“Mmmn. If you say. The legionary is better dressed,” Nocturna murmured.

That tone had Celestia look over, and grin with the mischief of elder siblings everywhere. “Well, well, well.”

Nocturna’s straightened and she turned back from her staring that bordered on the voyeuristic. “What?”

“My little sister has a crush!”

“A crush! What are you talking about?”

“Don’t bother denying it. You’re even blushing!”

“Am not!” Nocturna squeaked. “I just like looking at them.”

“And knowing all about them too, hmm? How did you find out their names?” Celestia pressed.

Nocturna crossed her hooves, but her eyes darted to the side. “I... listened. Something you ought to do sometime!”

“Did you do your trick with the shadows? Spy on them in the barracks, maybe?” Celestia grinned when Nocturna turned an even more vibrant shade of purple.

Her sister soon rallied, rendering her victory short-lived.

“Let us speak about the large one you are fawning over!” Nocturna narrowed her eyes, and she uttered a chilling incantation. “I dare you.”

“To do what?” asked Celestia, mirroring that squint.

“Why, to talk to them,” Nocturna replied with a tone as sweet as spun sugar. “Perhaps even ask him to a show.”

“A date. You want me to ask one out on a date."

“I’ll even go with. Since you’re so skilled at talking to stallions, of course. I should learn from my big sister.”

Celestia bit her lip. The battle lines were being drawn. “If I ask him out, you’ll have to ask the other one.”

If you get a date.”

Celestia flared her nostrils at the smug tone. Pique motivated her to get her down the steps to the hall, but her confidence wavered when the table came into view.

“Still time enough to forfeit,” Nocturna offered.

“Hah! Hardly,” Celestia scoffed. She tried to focus on her training with Platinum. Though that reminded her of the princess’ remark about gangly legs and she nearly stumbled.

Nothing anypony can say will ever hurt the true you, only the image you make for them.

“If they ask you, say my name is Celestia,” Celestia murmured under her breath.

Nocturna’s lip jutted out, and she blew out a ‘pfft’. “I’m never going to call you that. I’m just going to say ‘sister’ or ‘my sister’.”

Celestia pouted, though quickly changed to a sunny smile when Rockhoof caught sight of her approach.

“Why 'ello dere pretty felly!” he happily declared.

Despite the earth pony having the tact of an earthquake, Celestia blushed at the compliment all the same. She drew herself up slightly and tapped the lessons Platinum had drilled into her. She tipped her head, let her mane shade her rosy cheek and put on an affectation. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Rockhoof. I’ve heard many things about the adventures of you and the Mighty Helm.”

“Hah ‘Sir’! Am nae a knight, just a fighter wi' a shovel,” Rockhoof replied. “A lassie like yourself that’ll dae better fer the world.”

Sitting beside Rockhoof, Flash Magnus raised a mug and gave her a courteous salute with it. “Thank you for coming down to honor us, my lady.”

Mentally, Celestia had prepared a game plan of the typical starters and small talk to introduce herself and ease her way through the conversation. The bottom of that script seemed to have fallen out with the unexpected familiarity. “Err... sorry, have we met before?”

“Nae, but we hear plenty enough fram old beard 'n bells of his felly 'prentice. Heh, sure did give Stygian a run for his bits. Annae that right?”

On the other side of the table was a male that Celestia hadn’t noticed before. Thin and slight when compared to the larger bodies of soldiers around him. He had a look of somepony who could easily fade into the background.

“It’s good to see some of us can find fame and appreciation,” said Stygian with a look so poisonous that Celestia backed from the table a half step. She fell flat on her flank at his next statement. “Not everypony who studies for years with Star Swirl is named a princess.”

“I... prin-princess?” Celestia managed to whisper out of a throat that was suddenly cinched tight.

Magnus raised his mug again. “Let’s have a cheer. For Princess Celestia!”

Celestia barely heard the chant that followed. The unreality of it all had her looking around for something familiar, but Nocturna was no longer next to her. She spotted her sister halfway up the steps on her way out.

After making some bare bones goodbyes to those at the table, Celestia trotted to catch up with Nocturna. “W-wait!”

Nocturna stood stiffly as Celestia approached, and gave a glower over the shoulder that matched Stygian’s. “Mother would be proud. Never did I know you were so great an actress to set such a thing up.”

Celestia stopped midstep, pinned by the frosty glare. “Nocturna, I had nothing to do with that!”

“Bravo! Another brilliant performance by Princess Celestia,” Nocturna said, and her lip trembled. “Fool I was to think you were studying for all those hours.”

“I never told them any of that! I have no idea what’s even going on!” Celestia cried. “It’s not some kind of joke or prank.”

Nocturna stared back for a long moment before giving a vigorous head shake. She started back down the hall and muttered in a voice that was more to herself than to Celestia. “I hope it is.”

Celestia made ready to follow, but paused when she saw the tension in her sister’s shoulders and step. There was nothing she could say to Nocturna to convince her otherwise.

She needed answers.


The wizard’s quarters were as large as any suite of rooms for a noble. Where an aristocrat would keep fanciful artwork and elaborate furnishings in their residence, Star Swirl’s were more like an unofficial branch of the castle’s library mixed with a tinker’s workshop. Presumably there was also a bed in there, though Celestia had her doubts that the magus actually slept.

When her knock went unanswered, Celestia prodded the door open with a hoof and felt relief at seeing the old wizard at his desk. “Magus! It’s good to see you.” A half dozen questions leapt to her throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to be too disrespectful.

Though manners and etiquette tended to be one-sided in these interactions.

Star Swirl briefly glanced over before continuing his writing. “Ah, my most talented student. Excellent work with keeping the solar schedule while I was away.”

A moment of silence passed, and then another. The quiet was broken only by the slight scratching of quill on paper.

Internally, Celestia screamed. Out loud, she ventured in an excruciatingly patient tone. “I heard of your victory over those monsters.”

That prompted a reaction, though only of Star Swirl getting up from the desk and walking towards a large full-length mirror leaning haphazardly against the bookcase. He floated the book beside him in his white aura, still writing while he looked at his reflection. “We could have been worse off, but hippocampi are mesmers and fortunately do not eat their prey.” He paused, shrugging. “At first, anyway.”

Celestia edged herself closer to stand beside the mirror in the vain hope of keeping Star Swirl’s attention by taking up more of his field of view. “I was talking to some of your traveling companions. They said you… mentioned me.”

“Mm-hmm, what of it?” Star Swirl’s muzzle was back between the book covers.

“They said you called me Celestia. Princess Celestia.”

Star Swirl tugged on his beard with a hoof and considered. His snowy brow knitted together before he spoke, “Hmm. Well, if there is a lesson there for you, it would be never to drink to excess. A wizard’s greatest asset is knowledge, and cider has a way of loosening the tongue when it shouldn’t.”

He nodded and started to look back to his book, but Celestia pulled it out of the air and clapped it shut between her forehooves.

“Magus, why are they calling me that?”

“Eh? It’s your name, isn’t it?”

“My name is Lumina,” replied Celestia, though the sliver of doubt that crept in her voice caused her stomach to do a minor flip. “Nopony knows the stage name yet. But that’s not what I’m asking about! Why are they calling me princess?”

The blank look Star Swirl gave her for the question provoked a fresh worry for her old mentor’s sanity and her own. She idly noticed that the wizard’s beard had gotten a few white streaks since she last saw him.

Finally, Star Swirl blew out a sudden laugh. “Ah! It’s early.” He smiled at her as if that explained it all. “Princess is the title they’re going to give you.”

It was Celestia’s turn to stare with incomprehension before she blurted, “What! How could I? How would I even—”

“You spent enough time with Platinum learning all those details, haven’t you?”

“That was just dancing and knowing how to talk to ponies and… and... how to talk while pretending to know stuff!”

Star Swirl nodded. “That sounds right for a princess.” He looked towards the book in Celestia’s hooves and lit his horn to tug on it with his magic.

Celestia nearly swung the spellbook at his head on reflex, but held onto it instead. “Why me?”

“Platinum would knight you on principle alone for how many unicorns you’ve saved, but it’s also good for United Equestria in general. Perhaps your talent came about from living in the first city where all tribes mingle together.”

Celestia raised her ears at hearing that. “Really?”

Star Swirl shrugged. “Who can say? It makes for a nice thought and a convenient one to tell others.” He waved a hoof towards the nearby window. “This experiment of a society will only last for so long without something to show for it. Ponykind only herds together when there’s a threat or behind a symbol. Those hippocampi attacking was fortunate timing. Announcing a new princess soon after is even better.”

“So, it’s all acting? The title isn’t me like being a princess princess?” Celestia was unsure if she was relieved by the idea or miffed.

“I’ve always been of the opinion that magic is a better force in this world than politics. You're living proof that it will be. An age where instead of being squandered and burnt out, magic talent is given room to grow and spread. Who cares what silly thing they want to tack onto your name? Your magical contributions will last all the longer.”

Star Swirl smiled then, an expression that was as rare on his face as much as it had been on Platinum’s. “Speaking of which, have you made any progress on the spell I gave you before?”

Celestia felt the jolt of nerves at her teacher calling on her for an assignment, and she flustered. “I’m still working on it.”

“Mmm. I have a feeling you’ll figure it out soon enough.” Star Swirl inclined his head towards Celestia’s hooves, and she let go of the spellbook. “When you're done with that, we can work on this one together. I discovered an interesting application of spatial spellcraft during the battle with the hippocampi.”

Another spell?” Celestia whimpered, foretelling another mountain of paper in her near future. She slumped back and leaned her head against the mirror next to her. A moment later, she did a double take at a glimpse of waving rainbow and golden crown.

“You have only yourself to blame. You’ve given me so much time to work on these theories.” Star Swirl chuckled as he started his way back to the desk. When she didn’t respond, he looked up and blinked. “Something the matter?”

Celestia stared at her reflection in the mirror. An ordinary unicorn filly with an ordinary pink mane stared back. “N-nothing. I just thought...” She shook her head. “Nevermind. I should get back to work on your spell. All this talk of royals is getting to my head.”

As unsure as she was about being elevated far beyond some minor court title, Celestia could at least focus on one aspect. Magic got her into this, and it was something she could put her mind to a lot better than anything else.

Renewed of purpose, she returned to her dorm and sat at the desk. A quill levitated on one side, and a scroll hovered on the other. Her eyes set forward for a fresh crack at the spellbook.

Celestia blinked at the conspicuous book-shaped hole in the surrounding paper mess. She glanced around the top of the table, then under it. Panic made her whinny, and she hoofed through her notes, vainly trying to uncover the book from under them when her eyes fell on the bunk beds.

The empty bunk bed.

“Nocturna!”


After a half hour of hard galloping, Celestia arrived at the front door to her family’s cottage. The windows were dark, and the distant voices of a performance in the theatre next door told her that her mother wouldn’t be home, so she made a detour into the small garden out front.

She was rewarded with a small measure of satisfaction when she saw the flowerpot with the key had already been moved slightly off-kilter.

Moments later, she charged up the steps and would have bucked the door to her old room if it weren’t already open.

Nocturna at the desk yelped at the vision of her sister with mud-stained hooves, a frazzled mane, and wild eyes. “H-how did you—”

“Where else would you go?” Celestia interrupted. Frustration and fatigue from her run showed in her voice and gave it a growling edge. “Where’s the spellbook? Why did you take it?”

Nocturna’s embarrassed expression at being caught red-hoofed was replaced by her own anger at Celestia’s tone. “Why shouldn’t I read it? You used to care about what I thought about things. You never even asked me about it, either!”

Celestia rubbed at her face with her hooves and groaned. “Stop being ridiculous, you know it’s beyond you.”

“Oh, so you think I’m stupid then!”

“No, I just would be spending more time explaining it to you. I don’t have that kind of time. Just like I don’t have the time to be arguing about it now.” Celestia spotted the book on the table and lit her horn to pull it towards her.

Nocturna wheeled and tried catching the book with her hooves before she lit her own horn and stopped it in mid-air. “Of course you don’t have time. You’re too important for that now. Secret meetings with the princess. Secret meetings with the magus. Magic nopony else knows. Crowds of ponies chanting your name. Now a princess! They’re making you a princess, Lumi!”

“I didn’t ask for any of that!” Celestia retorted. The book took on a two-toned appearance as their auras clashed over it. “I don’t want to be a princess!”

“Then say no! Turn it down! Let somepony else do it!”

“I-I can’t! I have to be a princess… the magus said… I… symbols… ponies,” Celestia mumbled as she tried to get out the finer points of her conversation with Star Swirl through clenched teeth. Sweat from around her lit horn matted down her bangs.

“Why do you do what everypony tells you to except for me? Y-you’re going to go live in a big castle and sit with a crown and never talk to mother or me again. We won’t be worth your time.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Celestia grunted and flared her magic to stop the book from drifting towards Nocturna. Fueled by hurt, her sister’s magic felt ironclad. Celestia could only keep the book floating in place.

“You’re already gone!” Nocturna shouted, eyes budding with tears. “They’re taking you away in pieces!”

The teal aura split, and Celestia winced as the twin patches were yanked off her flanks and thrown back at her face.

“You don’t have the same name. You don’t even have your cutie mark anymore!” Nocturna continued, voice turning shrill. “You promised me! But you... you're going to be just like father and leave us forever!”

Celestia staggered, and her horn sputtered from the emotional sucker-punch. “How dare you!” she shrieked back and flared her horn again.

The hard pull had Nocturna skidding forward on all four hooves until she braced and matched Celestia’s effort, muzzle clenched shut as tears ran down her face.

Around them, the room flickered between light and dark with shadow deepening to an inky pitch on the border of painfully bright light. Between them, the spellbook’s cover glowed under tightly knitted magic.

While Nocturna had gone quiet in her concentration, Celestia fought to speak through hers.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m Lumina or Celestia, a princess or a pauper. You’re the only sister I have, and there’s nopony else in the world I could want because…” Celestia trailed away mid-thought. The spellbook in the center of her vision glowed like a star, and inspiration came to her. “...because from both of us together, together we’re friends. Light and shadow, bright and dark, our destinies are one. I could never abandon you.”

Nocturna’s tearstained expression softened under the words. “Lumi—” she managed before the light shifted again.

Then the book exploded.