• Published 19th Feb 2013
  • 19,501 Views, 745 Comments

Twice as Bright - Cloudy Skies



Celestia likes her routine. Tax reforms, grants, laws and construction projects are all a princess needs to be content. It's just her luck that for Pinkie Pie, "content" is not nearly enough.

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Smile

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 Note:

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.

Comments ( 211 )

It's always been my belief that the proper romantic comedy has approximately equal quantities of gush and guffaw. I'd say you hit the mark pretty well this time.

This story was... AWESOME. The chemistry between Celestia and Pinkie was executed perfectly and the ending brought closure, yet new horizons.

Just brilliant.

Aw, really? Really? You're serious? Man. It stopped just when it was getting really good. Man....

Did you really already end it? The story is great, but I disagree highly with this choice.

If you ever feel like writing a long-distant sequel to this in the far future you have my full support. This story really puts a grin on my face. Thanks for that. :)

Also looking forward to more fic from ya!

2397242 Gush and Guffaw. Like a softer shock and awe. I like it. Thank you!

2397334 Aw, I'm happy to hear it. Thanks! New horizons is a pretty apt term both literally and figuratively, and I'm glad you like!

2397349 2397429 The story started from scratch and built towards this moment - I'm not very fond of writing past a story's climax by a great deal, simply put. We get our implied happily ever after, but if it's insufficient or it's not to your tastes, all I can say is that I'm sorry to hear it. It was just never in the cards for this story. Sorry!

2397455 They weren't in the previous chapters, but we've not had a lot of insight into Celestia's personal life this far. They're not meant to be close friends, but rather, she's friends with all her staff, is the idea.

2397462 2397470 Thank you very much! I didn't actually consciously refer to RvB, and I have actually no idea what "The Phantom Tollbooth" is, but I'd love to know!

2397467 I'm not really one for sequels usually, but I have to admit the story is more open than most I've written. Thank you very much for your kind words, and I'm glad!

Sad to see this end, but it was great while it lasted.

2397491

No, it was still very, very good. I'm not complaining.
But, you could apologize by writing some more great fics ;)
Do you have plans for any others?

2397491 Oh, it's anything but insufficient. The story was fantastic on so many levels. It just left me wanting more, and leaving the fans wanting more is the sign of being a great writer.

2397497 Didn't mean to insinuate I took offense either, sorry if it came across thus, just trying to explain my reasoning -- and of course! I never stop writing. I'll probably discuss what I'm writing next in a journal entry I'm posting up tomorrow.

2397505 You are very kind to say so! If no one ever clamors for more, I guess that's a bit of a warning sign too, I just hate thinking I've disappointed, even if I've no intention of changing my mind and writing more.

See, the reason I empathize is that as a reader, I am very, very, very easily upset of I don't feel satisfied by the ending. For that reason, I tried writing very extensive epilogues for a while (many of my earlier fics in particular), and while I don't regret it, I'm always experimenting. Even if I firmly believe this was the right moment to say "The End", I still hate the feeling that some may feel unfulfilled.

Thank you again, though!

It's actually completely normal for a comedy/some-other genre hybrid to be heavier on comedy in thebeginning than the end. The only real problem is when the comedy drops out entirely, or it goes for too long without any comedy, or the mood changes too much, or other whiplash inducing events occur. These is because the climax of a story usually hews closer to the other genre, since too much comedy can disrupt the feel of such a thing unless done very carefully.

So, I didn't feel the balance was off, even if I agree that this was more romance than comedy. The characterization was extremely good and the pacing well-handled. It was an excellent story.

Wonderful story, I'm happy to have read it, though sad it has ended. I would have loved to see how this continued, especially since this is only the second Pinkie x Celestia ship I've ever seen, and neither have really shown past the first date/getting together period. I will agree on your comment's that the humor was a little less in the last two chapters, but I think that to be a good thing. There's time for romance in a fic and time for comedy, and the comedy was much bigger in every chapter besides the last two than the romance was.
I did love when Pinkie declared herself a princess and Celestia just sipped her drink and watched Pinkie. Partly because it was amusing and really shows just how different Celestia is than the general populace thinks she is. I think you gave Celestia a good personality in this, especially as she started to question how her life had been going up to this point.
I can't wait to see what you decide to do next. : )

Don't thank me for reading. You and the other authors on this site are who should be thanked. You lot produce so much content that the only reason I'm ever not reading is because I'm writing something.

So Thank you very much for writing this great story.

cute as all get out

best crack ship, best way to spend a sunday

Aw crap, the story is over :pinkiesad2:. Oh well, it was a very good read anyways. Great job :twilightsmile:.

This story is just amazing. I guess there is less humor as you go along, but it never vanishes. I think most of the humor of the last few chapters is more subtle and character based, but it's still there. Celestia and Pinkie are both so utterly real (not sure if this is really the word I mean) here that it's hard to think of them working any other way. In other words it's how they are even if the situation was completely different and they never even thought of dating it still says everything about how they would act. I hope that all makes sense.

I was a teensy bit worried this would end on a sad note with Celestia raising the sun on a certain pink tombstone so I am pleasantly surprised to find that it indeed ended on a joyous note.
Your work was a joy and pleasure to behold, and I look forward to more of your work in the future.:pinkiesad2:

My brain is full of happy and sunshine :twilightsmile: Thank you for writing and sharing this fantastic piece of work, I've been craving something sweet for a bit now and this hit the spot :pinkiesmile:

2397518

I get what you're saying. But trust me, you can't please everyone. Just trust yourself and every fic should come out great, like this one did, because that's what you seemed to do here.

Crack ship?

No sir. A beautiful ship. Every immortal should have a Pinkie Pie to fall in love with.

2397518
I firmly believe it's better to be left unfulfilled than to leave wondering why the story didn't end five chapters ago. This ending was good, though, there was definite resolution but left quite a lot up to the imagination of the reader to fill in the rest. Personally, I don't really like it when everything is spelled out at the end, but there will of course be those who want it that way.

I envy you. If only for the fact that your ability to write Pinkie Pie is amazing. Every single line made no sense and perfect sense (ok, not every single line, but you get my point).

The story was perfect. Is what I'm getting at. Just perfect. I never before thought of Pinklestia. When I saw this for the first time, I honestly didn't think it could work. You warped that whole thought around. It could work. You made it work. And it was a very, very lovely ride. :twilightsmile:

2397766
You know how sometimes people say that "X said what I was going to say but better?" In this case you said exactly what I wanted to say, iffy word choice and everything. Sometimes I too use words that, while it's clear what I mean to say, what I've actually said doesn't literally work out quite so well. There are some words or phrases that could have replaced 'real', but I just tell people that I'm fudging the hard part of language and they understand me anyways. Also, I get to skip the hard part of comment writing: Dream Volt said everything I would have said, but better! :derpytongue2:

Cloudy Skies, I took a look at your other stories just now and I was surprised that I had read one of your stories before and found it to be not at all good at characterization. I read the first few chapters of Within and Without and decided not to continue. It's been a very long time since I read it, so don't take that as serious criticism or complaint. But the living ponies in this story compel me to ask if your other stories have similar effort put into characterization. I have none of the data needed to judge if this is some kind of huge improvement or par for the course, and out of 13 stories this can't be the only one I'd enjoy reading, so really I'm just curious. Regardless, this is so impressive that I got someone else to write my compliments for me.

Another great story and great read

Short ending but very, very well planed and made, even though it tragic that a mortal has fallen for a Goddess, it's still very romantic and a very enjoyable ride. Loved every second and was worth the waiting for the next chapter, of that much I promise, you did perfect and depending who you ship nexy, I shall read, at any rate you'll have my support...no matter what:raritywink:

When I pulled down the epub file to read these latest chapters today, the story was either still marked Incomplete, or I simply didn’t notice that it was Complete because I wasn’t expecting this story to end today. So when I reached your author’s notes I was surprised and a bit sad to find that this story is over.

But it is over, so I want to thank you for this! It is a very sweet, clever, funny, and fun story and deserves much more attention and high praise. I’d be happy to see it go a bit further, but where you ended the story seems perhaps just as good as any other future place because I’d probably still want the story to go on anyway.

For those of us who’ve read the story and the comments people have left, and who’ve made those comments, praise for your portrayal of Pinkie Pie throughout the story is pretty much a given as outstanding. For me it seemed like every paragraph of the story that was written from her perspective took a distinctly Pinkie-ish random turn that confirmed how well you were writing and expanding her character in a very natural way. Your characterization made her not only fun and sometimes sad, but endearing and believable.

It also really struck me more today than before that you really deserve a lot of praise for your approach to Celestia. For me she was an extremely well-rounded character; that she could be so incredibly composed, introspected, and self-assured and still have it in her to discover herself occasionally confused, conflicted, and unsure of herself regarding Pinkie really made her come to life just as well as Pinkie did.

You really made the growing romance between Celestia and Pinkie Pie slow and tense and believable and sweet, and that coupled with your amazing writing skill made this story a real joy to read. Thanks so much for all of the effort you put into this!

2375698 Finally, I have to say that it is so amazing that you take the time to respond to reader comments as you do. Today I saw the huge wall of responses you made recently, and I know it took you a lot of time to do that, and if no one else thanks you for it I’ll do the thanking for all of us. Thank you: You’re awesome!

This. Story. Is. PERFECT!
Like, this story is so awesome that it may have single-handedly changed my OTP to CelestiPie. Okay, maybe not that drastic, but seriously, it is UP there! This is PERFECTLY written, all the characters are 100% there, and everything is just absolutely RIGHT!
For your greatness, you are awarded with the highest accolade I bestow upon a story--archiving on my computer. Also I'm almost definitely going to follow you.
10/10/10/10/10(/10)
(In case you can't tell, I really like this story.)
Also! Sequel! Would be a very good plan! That I would read! With pure joy coming out of my face! Always!
Yes! So! Now I need it figure out how to stop talking like this!
Thank you for writing this (I did it!).
Just, thank you.

I'm so glad I took the time to read this. Well done, mate, well done.

~Skeeter The Lurker

My only regret is that I can't fav this TWICE.

Rock on.

walking into this i would have said what you said. princess celestia and pinkie pie was a crack pairing, but now...i swear i can see it. this story was simply, utterly, and down right amazing to the tenth-degree and than some. i swear if i could, i would have this one paper, signed by you thats how good it is, or thats what i feel. it made me cry and laugh and get that little warm feeling in your tummy when you have all the smilies. serious though, this was amazing. i cant say that enough. bravo good sir or madam. bravo! (standing ovation)

Huzzah for your victory!

I really enjoyed this fic, thank you!

Good story, but the ending seemed a little sudden.

I DEMAND A SEQUEL NO AS PRINCESS I DECREE IT GODDAMMIT!

2375576 It's actually one of my more practiced skills to see ships that aren't there. Kind of a survival mechanism for the cold ship-less months. Mind you, since Read it and Weep, it's not been much of a necessity. Still fun to stretch every once in a while, though. :p

I think it was bookplayer who said it's an author's role to sell the reader on an unusual ship, and this is exactly what this story has accomplished. Any time I've seen a CellyPie ship pic, it's always come accompanied with an incredulous look and a bit of an eye roll (don't get me wrong here, I found the pic's cute, but I was always a bit skeptical of the ship).

Now I've seen a great example of how it could work. I do agree on the cries for moar, not because Im unsatisfied, because I am, truly, but it's something that could be wonderfully expanded upon.

I wont go into how much I love the characterization, because I'm sure you know how much I do by now, but suffice to say it's kept the quality all the way through.

Great work mate, and I hope to read from you again soon!

"I do agree on the cries for moar, not because Im unsatisfied, because I am, truly, but it's something that could be wonderfully expanded upon." <-- This. Thanks 2399221 for putting that into words, and thank you, Cloudy Skies, for consistently writing the best shipfics I've seen on this site.

Write a sequel from Dash or Luna's perspective and ship 'em! Or, if you really want that adventure and don't mind fanpandering to us who want more of your Celepie, have RD and Luna double date with them then have something go crazy during the date and send them all on an adventure! In short, MOAR!

Awww! Such a beautiful story, i love it! Now a feel bad for the story a was gonna publish... Eh ill publish it anyway, still loved the story hope to see this expanded on if possible

It's over? :(

Oh well. It was amazing to read :D

Dood you have to continue this story ! Like Will they get married ? , will they have children ?, will pinkie pie become a princess?, will the noble´s oppose the new develop?

I WANT TO KNOW IN A SEQUEL!!!

This was sweeeeeet! :pinkiehappy: I know you don't usually write sequels but I hope you consider it this time. This by no means is a complain about the way you ended this story, because it was perfect.

One of the best Celestia's ship fics I've read and your Pinkie Pie is just amazing.

Anyway, thank you for sharing it. :twilightsmile:

Loved it. I always wondered who to pair Pinkie with, and now I know. :pinkiesmile:

Wonderful story. One of the many that inspired me to found Crack Ships Inc. If you haven't already, please come join us.

Bravissimo, encore, encore!
You had exactly the right balance between comedy and romance here, and it made for a hugely enjoyable story, so thank you for writing this!

:pinkiesad2::trollestia:

I have to say that I enjoyed this story greatly. You characterisation of Pinkie Pie particularly good. Like others have said, you gave her just the right amount and flavour of random. You could probably write Pinkie for the show.

I am so confused now! I do not know if I like Cake or Pie the best now! Help!

2398231 I totally agree with this. A well done story that can leave me feeling both satisfaction and a desire for more is truly the best kind of ending.

I know I've said it before, but I just have to say it again: You've written the best version of Celestia I've ever read. Every step of the way, every line she speaks, every action she takes, it all just feels right. It is so clear that she's caught up in this massive web of others expectations and has been there for so long that those expectations became her shell. The perfect, calm, beautiful, wise, princess. I just adore the way you handled it too. That Celestia had wrapped herself in these expectations because she didn't want to disappoint her subjects resonates so closely with how Pinkie cares about those around her just makes the whole ship that much sweeter.

On a similar note, the way you wrote Pinkie is what really sold me on the whole story. Yes, I love this Celestia to death, but this is a Pinkie Pie ship... and I rarely enjoy those. So many stories with Pinkie just generally forget to ever temper her energy that she ends up feeling more like a force of tension or comedy instead of being an actual character; and that is something you avoided entirely. Being able to see Pinkie have emotional lows and legitimate worries is what made her concern, and eventual feelings, for Celestia feel real and believable.

Thank you for this wonderful story. It's been months since I've run into a story that I can honestly claim as one of my favorites.

It's... it's over. :raritydespair:

I'm going to miss Twice as Bright. Seeing those updates was always a high point in any day they arrived in. Thanks Cloudy, for such a heart-warming and outright fun story.

I think you pegged the progression of the story. Comedy transitioning to Romance steadily. I don't think it was a mistake either. There's no reason to stick to one genre. It felt entirely natural the way it was done. There wasn't really any point where there was a whiplash change of mood. I can't think of any way the story would have been better for having stuck with one or the other.

I'll at this point echo what others have said. Both your Pinkie Pie, and your Celestia were consistently amazing. Heavens knows I've said such things before, in previous comments as the story has progressed. Pinkie has a very alien thought process, but it never feels like she's just crazy, or that it's forced. It just feels... Pinkie. Odd, and cheerfully benevolent, basically. Whereas Celestia certainly sells the ultra-dedicated and bored immortal angle. With the same secret desire to let her hair down that we see in FiM, with the Gala and such. Like with Pinkie, you humanize Celestia just enough, without making her seem... well... normal. She shouldn't be normal. She's an ageless sun goddess. So, kudos.

I was worried, especially as things progressed, that it would be hard to pull off a real connection between the two. They exist on two very different mental levels, and with very different viewpoints. But the deep, thoughtful appreciation of Pinkie by 'Tia, and the simple motives of the reverse were something that I found myself completely sold on, as we got into the second-to-last chapter. It fit. Their reasons for the romance were so very, very different, but that was totally okay.

I do feel your pain on in-progress stories. Honestly, I've made essentially the same promise to myself. I was lured in by a desire for feedback, when I was just starting, but now I really regret it. RL issues have become a huge stress to me, more because of the fact that I'm always thinking that I should, somehow, someway, be finding time to write. It's actually worse than the RL stresses themselves. Now that I have a bit more confidence, any future fics won't be released until I either have all, or a vast majority of the story complete, which I can trickle-feed and still work in the background.

Or maybe I just don't work well with a deadline hanging over my head. It feels too much like work, and less like pleasure then. Perhaps you're the same way.

In any case, given how much I loved your last adventure, I certainly won't complain if you head in that direction again. I look forward to seeing more of your work, wherever it might lead!

This was a very beautiful story, and I loved every word. I can only hope that there will be a sequel, as I hate endings.

:pinkiehappy::trollestia:

I hope that you write a slice of life story soon after your next adventure one, because you seem like you'd be particularly adept at it.

As you like to thank your readers, I think it only fair for the readers to do the same. Thank you. Genuinely and completely, thank you. Thanks for writing that makes me laugh, cry, and squeak entirely age-inappropriate squeaks. I think I once before said in a comment you were my favourite writer, and with every story you release, you cement that fact.

In an earlier comment on this fic, I wrote that I'm scared to read new chapters, because at that time I had just started to write my own fic, and I knew it couldn't compare. I think this has turned around now: I'm excited about the prospect that if I continue writing, I might one day become even half as good as you are, and that is actually pretty motivating to me.

Great story, I enjoyed every single sentence. I can't even understand how you write Pinkie Pie so well.
The only fault I can find with this story is the way you didn't leave enough space between the end of the story and the author's notes. That gave me a complete "Wait, what now!?":derpyderp2:
I particularly liked the scene with Lady Glittergold. It was all I could do not to jump up and scream "Because she asked, doofus!" at my screen.

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