Celestia awoke tired for the first time in as long as she could remember. No matter how much work she did, she never truly tired. She could wrestle with forms and laws and fill her day with enough meetings and intrigue to make lunch and dinner impossible, yet still feel rested in the morning. Today, in part due to entirely too many donuts too late in the night, she awoke tired and sluggish, and she found she did not mind paying the price. Rather, she wouldn’t so long as her belly returned to its natural shape soon.

When was the last time she’d has such a challenging day? Devising a plan to solve a political crisis didn’t take actual effort, and even the most convoluted matters of law and policy were made foal’s play thanks to precedent and logic. Digesting the events and words of yesterday, that was a titanic task. She nearly forgot her crown when she slipped out of bed—an ancient habit toppled by memories of yesterday. Memories of a pink mare who dared to ask questions. Of her words, her thoughts, and of the way she felt warm against Celestia’s body when they hugged each other close.

Celestia reached for her magic. With a simple flex of her magic, she intended to bring day to the land. An unfathomable feat of magic that had been on time down to the second for a thousand years.

Precision by duty and habit. She paused and let the glow fade in the darkness of her room. A second later she was on her way out of her chambers.

Celestia’s own hoofsteps were her only company in the pre-dawn palace halls. A fast walk gave way to an unseemly trot that would elicit comment were anypony around to see. Only when she entered the eastern balconies did she realize she had forgotten her shoes, but it seemed tremendously unimportant; she didn’t stop until she stood at the edge of the largest balcony offered by the palace, and this time she looked down, not up. Down to the city below.

Raising the sun was her duty, but what terrible mentor, teacher and friend she must be if she forgot how much stronger every action was when empowered by desire. By joy. By happiness received by happiness brought.

As she willed it, the sun rose, but she did not stop at performing the simplest of her duties. Her duty was to make the sun crest the horizon, and that was simple. Today, it was insufficient. She poured more and more of herself into it the act, a flow without stop. She breathed deep and stretched her neck to its fullest, straining with the energies flowing from her. She could feel a warmth by her side, and she instantly knew Luna had joined her on the balcony. Celestia added her love for her sister to the labor. Her heart swelled and brightened, but she was not nearly done.

She hadn’t been alone on the balcony when she stepped out into the chill of the pre-dawn. She was connected to all of Equestria, and she was in the minds of ponies she dared and loved to call friends or family. She was in the mind of a pony she called and let her call her something different entirely. She was remembering far more than she had forgotten. Celestia called upon Twilight and all her friends, their friends, and made them part of her sunrise. She called upon a very special pink mare who she could not wait to see again to plan an evening full of marshmallows and who knew what else.

Celestia heaved with breath, finally spent. She did not need to know the fruits of her work, but a smile bubbled forth that would not be denied. She leaned against her sister and felt a wing drape over her back.

Sharp yet soft. Whatever the source of the light that insistently prodded and poked Pinkie Pie until she was forced out of her dreams and back to her windowsill, it was sharp enough to wake her. Sharp, yet so soft and warm she did not protest even in the seconds it took her to remember where she was. When she did remember, the jolt nearly sent her careening out the window in a panic. She’d nearly missed it.

Pinkie had never meant to go to sleep. Never mind the energy from three dozen triple-glazed donuts. Never mind the fact that her dress was so matted and stained by said glaze and many other delicious things that she probably needed a bath before she could undress. Almost never mind the fact that the sooner she went to bed, the sooner next Saturday would roll around with all its second date-y goodness. A chill went down her spine when she realized she could have missed it.

She could have missed it, but she didn’t. Pinkie Pie rubbed her bleary eyes and rested her head on her hooves as she stared out her bedroom window.

The orange came first. A blotch of vivid orange bloomed far in the distance, heralding the coming of the dawn. In its wake, following the orb that tentatively poked past the horizon, pinks flared to life. A hundred hundred shades of pink and red lit up the sky, and the orange split into yellows bright and muted. The few clouds that hung over Ponyville filtered the multicolored light, and when Pinkie blinked again, it seemed that the very blue of the sky glowed in response, laced with brilliant icy white.

It was the single most beautiful thing Pinkie had ever seen. She’d watched Celestia truly smile with all she had. The fear that was not a fear made itself known under the light of dawn. All the while she had told herself she did this for a single smile, but now she knew she couldn’t possibly settle for one.

Author's Notes:

Thank you for reading! Most people open author's notes and such with these words because they're always applicable, and do not doubt that they are sincere: I write in part because I like to (try to) spread happiness. If you've taken the time to read Twice as Bright, then I'm very glad.

I hope it was an enjoyable read, and if you're reading this, I thank you again for taking the time to do so. In author's notes more than anywhere else do I really think about how I write, because these moments after finishing one story, when I'm ready to move on to a next, they are so very rare and precious.

Writing this one, stress aside, has been a ton of fun. I still don't know if I succeeded as well as I'd have liked in making a true comedy--I think all stories I write end up halfway there because I can't take myself seriously, but trying to make something "more funny than usual" just doesn't work as well as I'd have hoped. My own fic Rainbow Dash's Best Plan Ever is probably closer to the mark I aimed for here, but with a mid-length ship fic, I found it hard to balance comedy with shipping.

I don't know if everyone will agree with me, but it felt like the humor was stronger early on, and the last chapters were decidedly heavier on the pure romance. I don't feel the story is a failure for it, not in any respect, but I'm a little sad that I fail to break out of my Ship/Ship-Adventure confines.

Still, Twice as Bright for me was one of those stories where every moment spent simply writing, was an immense joy. I love writing the princesses, I love writing Pinkie, I love having Pinkie interact with others (Twilight in particular was fun), and mixing these all together was a rare treat. Organization, planning, publishing, those things are always a pain, but every single moment I wrote, I had a blast. Nevertheless, I think it's time to mix things up a little.

Yes, I realize how odd the words "mix it up" are in the wake of what most will consider a complete crack ship, but my point is, I have written a lot of sugary sweet shipping lately. I will probably discuss what I'm writing next in a journal very soon. (Spoiler: Probably adventure.)

Also, a note on the writing process: When I finished Lost and Found a while back, I told myself that I would never again publish a story in progress for the simple fact that it causes me ridiculous amounts of stress. I don't think the stories suffer for it due to how I write (read: complete chaos) nor do I think people "mind," but I simply haven't more hair to lose over this.

I said that, and then I went and broke that promise. Twice as Bright was published as an in-progress. What did I learn? That you should heed your own damn promises.

Never again. And I mean it this time.

Yes, I know there's an "Author's Notes" field down there. No, I don't trust it yet. I'm a creature of habits. I'll give it a go next time, promise.

By "promise" I mean "I don't actually promise at all."

Finally, I would like to thank certain individuals for their time. If you've read any of my other recent fics, you will notice that this part of the authors' notes will inevitably look the same each and every time. There's a reason for that: I am gifted with extremely kind friends who give freely of their time to help give feedback. Thank you, Kits and Corma, for reading through every damn word of this fic, often multiple times in the case of some chapters. You have been invaluable in helping Twice as Bright be the story I wanted it to be. Thanks also to TAW for your help in giving me your thoughts.

And actually-literally-finally, another thanks to you, dear reader, for reading all of the author's notes. I don't take it for granted when it'd be the simplest thing to jet after finishing the story, but I appreciate every read, every comment, every vote and every favorite. Thank you.