[Shipping][Bittersweet]
Author: Thanqol
Description: Distance can drive us apart. It can also bring us closer together.Yours Truly
After all is said and done, and the ponies have gone their separate ways, the only way they have to keep in touch is through letters.
Additional Tags: Never let friends slip away
>600 Star ratings in a few hours
6 STAR!
296 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1 – 200 of 296 Newer› Newest»I'm not sure I like the description...
Bittersweet that is new...
That's all I have to say
@MyBoyJ
Give it a try. Trust me.
That image... D:
If you don't recognize it: http://jiayi.deviantart.com/art/Friendship-is-Magic-276459863
What's this? It's been up for more than thirty seconds with a [Shipping] tag and doesn't have 50 1-stars on it? What is the world coming to?
@Drakmire
I hope some Anti-Shippers haven't, it gives us a bad image here
@Drakmire
Because its a good read of course.
Sounds rather interesting
Just skimmed it. Not giving any spoilers, and I don't have time to read it fully, but from what I got, it looks really well-written. Expect major bittersweet moments though! I'm already feeling depressed/sobered after only skimming it.
@Phoe
The mighty Phoe has spoken!
I now feel compelled to read this story.
Thank you for finally having a bittersweet tag! I've been saying we need one since I've know about the site!
Anywho, I'll ready this later so no one sees me cry. Manly tears, that is.
This is one of the best sad stories I have ever read. I've read it four times, and felt it each time.
That feeling when you don't want to read something, but you know you have to because of who wrote it.
Oh well. Might as well jump in feet first.
Between this and Eternal, I'm not sure if I can take any more sad, "drifting-apart" style stories.
A little ways of the way through it so far, and I'm loving it.
Going to go ahead a preemptively rate this a 5-star. We'll see if it was justified when I finish.
I love this story so damn much. Made me tear up, and not many fics have been able to do that for me.
Not gonna cry. not gonna cry. not gonna FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFfffff-*tears*
I'm halfway through, and it's really enthralling. Now I have to tear myself away and get back to work... but I'll definitely be finishing it.
Wow... This story has literally left me speechless. Beautiful...Simply beautiful.
As i word counted this, i accidentally caught the last letter and know how this ends.
You better have damn good reasoning for that last letter, or I'll hold it against you for ruining what could've been the greatest friendship fic with shipping. and i'm a shipper.
@wackypony
ruining the greatest friendship fic, by adding shipping.
i worded that initial comment poorly.
I...am...BAWLING...after reading that. So many moments in this story touched me, happy and sad both. Thank you, so much. Thank you.
I love this story so much. Glad to see you made it on here Thanqol.
This is without a doubt one of the best stories I have ever read. I felt happy, sad, and content at the same time. I'm cried as I read this, as it was both that happy and that sad. Fantastic work.
Holy cow. The only complaint anyone could possibly have with this is the shafting out of Rarity and Pinkie, as well as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, to an extent.
Still, though, that did serve a purpose, and by golly, the story ended amazingly.
This story was beautiful... I wish I could say more without ruining the message I want to get across, but I'm terrible with words and too blurry-eyed to say anything properly right now. If anyone is thinking about reading this, do it.
I don't like sad fics. I don't like shipping. I really, REALLY don't like fics that speculate on the Mane 6's future.
But.
This was very well written and enthralling. I don't like sad fics for precisely that reason: the best ones grab you and don't let go until you've read the last sentence. And this is one of the best.
God damn. I had managed to hold it together throughout most of the story. Applejack's first letter, where she expressed her growing loneliness, nearly got to me. Fluttershy's increasingly desperate letters to Rainbow Dash nearly got to me. Rainbow's letter to Spitfire, and what it represented, nearly got to me. Rainbow's "last" letter Fluttershy had me teetering right on the brink.
And the last five letters, the themes they presented and the vicious contrast between them, kicked me right in the ass over the edge. Hard to see the screen as I'm typing this, in fact.
Rarity's narrative in this was flawed, both in the fact that she got the shaft in regards to "screentime" (which doesn't really matter because it is justified wonderfully) and in how her story in itself ultimately wasn't as interesting as everyone elses (which is truly a shame, because Rarity's role in the beginning of the story was carried out fantastically). Pinkie Pie had similar problems, though for different reasons (her actions were a ;ittle bit over the top for my liking, but not really a "problem" per se).
But none of that really matters, because the buildup to the last 5 letters, the execution of the last 5 letters, and the payoff of the last 5 letters makes the entire story worth it.
5 Stars.
I cried like a little girl when I got to the end
"... Well, the sun's been setting as I've been writing this. I'm at Bay Hill Lookout right now, looking out over the orchards. Sky's red and gold, with big clouds like some clumsy painter spilled his ink all over his masterpiece. Normally I come up here to plan, helps me divide the fields in my eyes as well as my head. Downside of which means that this place feels like work."
There's some quality writing in this one. Recommended.
I hate being at work when these kind of stories get posted. Can't read, desperately want to.
Heart-stompingly beautiful.
This is the first FiM fanfic I've ever read, and I had no intention to start tonight. I really have no idea what about this ED entry made me think, "sure, I'll give this one a shot".
Really amazing writing, how the story just completely grips you. I guess now I'm going to have to read more from this author, and who knows where that will lead. So, well done, Thanqol and ED, I didn't think I was going to go to this level of bronyhood, but you got me there.
bittersweet indeed...
I finally decide to start giving the fanfic's a chance and I manage to only hit the bittersweet, sad and other tear generators?
That said, wonderful execution on an idea that very few ponies can pull off.
I salute you Thanqol.
This is a beautiful story, enough so that I cannot come up with words to describe it. I've been smiling and crying for nearly an hour now, and even when I stop, I'll have a smile burning inside me for times to come. Thank you, thank you so very much.
@Vipera
More than justified. This is nothing short of beautiful.
That has left me more sad than the latest chapter of The Sweetie Chronicles. Well done sir. I will be introducing my wrists to the pointy implements of friendship, now.
"From: Fluttershy
To: Rainbow Dash
I can't. I can't pick one. You’re asking me to choose between your dream and mine. I can't make that choice. I can't.
*
From: Twilight Sparkle
To: Applejack
Dear Applejack,
Thank you.
I’m sorry. I’m shaking too much to write. But not so much I can't write this. I think I love you, Applejack.
- Twilight Sparkle
*
From: Rainbow Dash
To: Spitfire
I quit."
BGM at this point:
Estatic Fear - Chapter IV, 6:54. (A Sombre Dance, 2001)
Beautiful and sad.
Ah, my heart.
I'm reluctant to admit it.. but as far as shipfics go this one is really good.
Exceptio confirmat regulum indeed.
Damn, the album came out at 1999. Whatever. It got me at that point.
ALL. MY. STARS.
"From: Twilight Sparkle
To: Applejack
Applejack.
No. I’m sick of distance. I’m sick of not being able to see you. And if I’ve learned anything from Rainbow Dash it’s that sometimes you have to sacrifice something to get what you want. And I value you more than I value this.
We’ll argue about this more, I’m sure. In person. When I see you next week.
- Twilight.
"
Estatic Fear - Chapter IV, 1:00. (A Sombre Dance, 1999).
Just... Wow.... That was one of the most beautiful fics I've read. I was in tears by the time I reached the end of this story. That was very amazing, well written, and bittersweet indeed.
I really wish that my comments could more eloquently convey just how touching this story is, but I don't think they can do this piece justice. Really the one way to get a feel for just how beautiful the story told in these letters actually is would be to read it.
@Cameron Strathdee
Essentially this.
I'll be damned if anything within the fandom ever tops this. This is seriously my favorite piece of literature, ever.
Good god. That was amazing. Now, excuse me while I pick up the pieces of my heart that are scattered across the floor.
Finished. To the author:
Nice job. Good to see someone putting some care into their fanfiction writing for a change.
the end of the second last letter and the last letter just killed me. great fic
These are not manly tears. That was the most beautiful piece of art I have had the pleasure of reading in quite some time. The way you shaped a world into something you could truly see within your mind using letters is fantastic. Letter based stories always go one of two ways, they are either a joke to writing or they manage to enthrall you more than a "proper" story ever could.
Fantastic work!
This is ranking up with My Little Dashie on one of the best fics I have read.
"And you were with her, at the end. Don’t ever think you weren’t; you were in her ears, in her thoughts, in her heart. You were there for her, every time she needed you the most.
Thank you for making my sister happy.
Sincerely,
- Applebloom"
Estatic Fear - Chapter IX, 1:30 (A Sombre Dance, 1999)
..Why must ponies bring out emotions in me?
@Vipera
You want a long comment? I'll give you a long comment. I made my full post over on my fimfiction page as to how I felt about this story, but I'll repost here instead. Incoming wall of text.
---
This isn't about my fics. This is about another fic I read, one that I've absolutely fallen in love with, and one that has actually made me openly wept - not necessarily because it's sad. It's a bittersweet fic. But... it's because I can relate so very well to one of the pairings within the fic, and oddly enough, it's Twilight and Applejack.
It's a bittersweet fic about the Mane Six growing up and living out their lives, with a bit of shipping thrown in as well (Twilight x Applejack, Rainbow Dash x Fluttershy). What really resonated with me, however, was the relationship between Twilight and Applejack - Twilight takes up a job as a professor at a school, Applejack stays behind in Ponyville. Rather than force Twilight to give up her job so they can be together, however, Applejack asks Twilight to simply stay where she is. The entirety of their romantic relationship is almost strictly through their letters back and forth to one another, with only the occasional personal visit mixed in-between.
And yet, it made me bawl, because I can relate to it so easily. I'm in the exact same situation - I've been in a long distance relationship with the most amazing woman in the world for over two years now, and... it's hard. It's really hard sometimes. There are days where I get up, and I simply wish she were there, but real-life circumstances keep that from happening... for now, at least. We keep in-touch, though. Emails, instant messages, texts and phone calls. And as corny as it may sound, it's those little messages that are often the bright spots in my day. Those are the things I look forward to most, these past few years - to any other being, they may simply be words upon a screen, or dialogue heard over a speaker. But for me, these same things hold a special meaning in my heart. I know that these same words were spoken explicitly for me, and were meant for my eyes and ears only. From one lover, one heart and soul, to another.
I still have text messages from her that were sent almost two years ago. I wouldn't dare delete them. Each and every one of them has a special meaning behind it, a purpose of sorts. Whereas one may see them simply as a form of communication, you have to understand that this was how we spent time together - physical contact is typically impossible, and so we must settle for the next best thing.
I've read many a story over the years, and none of them have ever truly made me cry. But... to see this, to see that Applejack kept each and every letter sent between her and Twilight, because each and every bit of parchment and ink held their love for one another? It shattered me. It shook me to the core.
Because this was me. This was the same situation that I was in, and I knew that feeling so very well.
@Laurea
Oh yes. It's definitely in my top 3 pony fics.
".... Twilight, you will have my honest thoughts, my honest truth, no matter what.
And if I was to get the same from you, I would consider it the most valuable gift I could ever be given in this life or any other.
Yours truly,
- Applejack."
Estatic Fear - Chapter IX, 2:55 (A Sombre Dance, 1999)
Lyrics that immediately follows:
"The Dawn arose, the slumbers shadows have passed
The autumnal grace which so kindly has cast
It's sombre yet gracious delight on my grief
Enshrouded and lulled by the winters far deeper relief
As weary my days will grow from leisure apart
I shall wait for your powers renewed
I pray to whatever there be
"Let be my heard by your tenderness again imbued."
Cura a die renovato cedit
Dolor et laetitia conjungtus est
Delightful shade was all that I dared hope for
Thy silent charm alone remains to adore."
I got manly tears when I reached the end. Truly a moving and unique story. 5 stars
can i claim manly tears too even if i may be female?
I was getting teary at the end. When I read the lyrics for the song I was listening to, I felt like I was hit from behind with a club. No holding back after that point.
why...why cant i hold all these feels? manly tears for one of the most beautiful stories on this website. I applaud you good sir!
If no other story on EQD deserves 6 stars, this one does. Seriously, no matter how much I've liked a story I've never been driven to comment on it here, but this one did. New favorite fic by a wide margin.
Easily one of the most beautiful pieces of prose I have ever had the pleasure of reading. All of my stars sir. Every single one of them.
I cried. more than I thought I would.
This fic was down in the 3's for the longest time, and it's since climbed its way back up to a 4.7 as of this posting.
I'm so damn proud of you guys.
Oh, good, I'm not the only one that cried like a little girl at this.
This was beautifully written. The Rarity bit on its own made me smile and grimace at the same time, even though it didn't have much to do with the story overall, and I do feel that Pinkie's bit was a bit subdued, but both seemed to have some sort of role in the story nonetheless. And then, as for the other characters used, they were absolutely vital, every one of them.
It almost seems like an insult that there isn't a sixth star up there.
This was just one of the most touching fics I have ever read. I mean maybe even more than My Little Dashie.
I Loved it all. And now it is past midnight and I am crying in front of my computer with a non-brony roommate who is playing COD with the biggest WTF face on.
And guess what? I dont care. This story is just beautiful...I cant even describe it...
the story was so cool but very sad end
HOLY CHRIST! I was part way through, thinking ok, I haven't cried much, so far so good. Then at the end... Oh god! I haven't cried like this in months! Or longer, I think.
This is definitely in my favorites list now.
WHEN WILL THE TEARS END?!
6 stars, no doubt about that in my mind. This should be one of those mandatory reading short stories in high school.
I just had an idea for revenge. The best kind of pain is emotional. And losing one's love is the worst kind of emotional pain.
Put 2 and 2 together.
You'll pay Celestia. I'll see to that.
Thank you for encouraging me to read that, Phoe. It was truly an incredible story. I cried more than I have in a long time. Especially the part with Applebloom and the letters from Twilight. And the desperation of the blizzard. And Luna's struggle. I can't type coherently right now.
I don't like ponies to make me sad! Ponies are supposed to make me happy!
Reading this right after reading Operation Get-lestia was like a kick in the pants. Now I need more comedy ponies to get me back in a happy mood.
http://cdn.styleforum.net/5/5d/5dcbd53f_clap.gif
I applaud you good sir.
I skipped over the Pinkie and Rarity letters, tbh.
though, the AJ/Twi letters. Fantastic, for what they were. The shipping itself, seemed a little odd, to me, but that might be because I don't normally read fics that are letter based.
You also managed to pin my two least favorite pairings, but that's a personal thing that i won't hold against you on a critical level.
My only real complaint is lack of letters between Dash and the rest of her friends. Even though they would've been irrelevant to the over arching story.
perhaps you could write a follow up to this universe, detailing more letters between the others? I'd love to see more.
That was VERY good and made me cry (good tiers)
Apparently noone cares about blueblood "RETURN HIM DEAD OR ALIVE"
I'm digging through this story and enjoying it but I would like to suggest some formatting...
Please use multiple **********'s instead of a single * to signal letter breaks. This way it will be easier for the readers to know when a new letter is right in front of them.
*currently enjoying this story XD*
Just listened to Somewhere Only We Know by Keane after reading this, and bawled my eyes out. First of all, because this fic is so beautiful, and second, because I'm only thirteen and it just sort of hit me that this is going to happen to me someday. But anyway, props to the author, this story deserves seven stars. It even had my favorite shipping, FlutterDash.
I feel i didn't explain myself enough on my comment on the shipping.
It felt... a little too come-ony. Perhaps wording it as 'love as a friend' at first would've worked better, imo. It just felt like it existed as a side thing, which is why i feel this would've worked doubly better as a friendshipping/friendship fic than a shipfic.
or perhaps my view of shipping has been skewed by so many of them.
started to cry when i got the the letter from applebloom about AJ's passing..
Amazing read. Man tears were shed near the end.
Found a typo.
"I need to go practise I'll talk more later."
practice, not practice :P
*continues reading the story...*
Good story with a ending to remember.
@Sleepingcobrox
It seems to be British spelling and would be correct in that case, but I could be wrong.
Ok, Im going to sound like an ass for writing this but this is literally the first thought that v=came to my head the second i finished this fic.
Ahem...
*From: ???
To: Twilight Sparkle
My dear Twilight,
Dear Applejack has passed on.
The Element of Honesty is no more.
The Spell is broken.
I am free again.
See you very soon
Yours truly,
An old friend
@wackypony
I hope that made sense.
This is probably one of the best fics in the letter-style that I have ever read. Congratulations on a wonderful story. =)
I have spent the last four days since I emailed this to Equestria Daily in a low level panic. I started hyperventilating when I saw it posted. I felt like I'd been kicked in the gut when I saw it instantly get three starred. I was starting my familiar routine of making excuses in my head.
But now, three hours after that?
You people are literally the best. I'm glad that what I wrote touched others in the same way that it touched me to write. I've been carrying this story in the back of my head for over a year, thinking about it constantly and never writing it. I'm glad I wrote it, and I'm glad I wrote it for you all, for this community. I'm reading and re-reading every comment, every word, so thank you to every person who took the time to write. Would that I had time to thank every one of you individually.
In particular, I want to say thank you to Vargras. Your story is the same as mine. Your story is why I wrote this piece. If I've managed to capture any of the magic of your story and that kind of long distance love then I have succeeded. I'm glad you picked this one up, and I'm glad it spoke to you, because I was writing it for you.
- Thanqol.
@Thanqol
I linked your story to another friend who is also in a long distance relationship, and they had much the same reaction that I did.
Believe me when I say it, you've more than succeeded. Every little thing that Applejack and Twilight went through was something I've dealt with as well, and it was both unsettling and beautiful to know that this was essentially me. This wasn't just a story about Applejack and Twilight, this was MY story.
Thank you so much for what you've written.
Wow, I wasn't even planning to read this. At all. For some reason I was bored enough, clicked my Equestria Daily bookmark, noticed this was still the latest post, and just read.
I am so glad I did. Funny, I wasn't expecting to shed tears today.
There is no way I can write a proper review to convey my feelings. So I'll just say this:
Long live Dread Sky Pirate Pinkie.
@Thanqol
From a critical level, your story is relatively flawless, without getting nitpicky.
most of my complaints were born out of a long career of shipfics that are mostly based in long formed, hard to sway opinions that have no real bearing on whether a story is good or not.
I think I'll always remember this as the shipfic that i thought should've been friendshipping, cause i've never had that happen before. Not because of the pairing, but because I figure it would work better that way.
Thanqol, why would you DO that to me? Why would you write a fic so GOOD and make it so SAD? There is this sort of heavy feeling over me right now, as if I've been punched in the soul.
Seriously, well done.
@Tank
I second that. You know, the soul-punching and all. It's almost 1 AM and I'm not even tired because of the weird anxiety I have now.
Stop reading the comments now and go read this story. I've been reading a lot of Sad and Shipping recently, looking for that one fic that plucked every emotional chord just right. I found it. Though I would have liked Rainbow's and Fluttershy's relationship to have been explored further, I found the progression and transitions to be alternately tense, heartwarming, tearful, and squee-inducing. Read this. Feel the warmth. Then go give someone you love a hug. I'll be storing this one in my favorite fic archive to read again in the future.
Came back and finished the story, which was truly bittersweet and quite wonderful. Thank you for writing and sharing it.
Winter Wrap Up, hoof in a sock. Running of the Leaves, hoof in a sock. Every single event, a hoof in a sock. Glorious.
I'm still only just starting this... That was funny...
But I'm scared I'm gonna shed tears by the end. :(
@richfiles
You will, and it will be glorious!
Meh. Really just the same story I've been reading for two years now that's a bit enhanc-
>Spike x Rarity
FIVE FUCKING STARS ROUND OF APPLAUSE I WEPT GLORIOUS TEARS PLEASE NEVER STOP WRITING.
You have touched me in a way that I have not felt in many years.
Dear Celestia
Twilight is now in my custody.
You have 24 hours to give me the Gem Of Darkness that you keep in the royal treasury of I will shatter her mind.
Failure to comply for 48 hours will result in the Immediate termination of all the Elements of Harmony.
Now we see how much you truly care for your student.
Save her and give me unspeakable power, or leave her and lose your student and her friends.
Signed
Shadow Heart
Whooooooa. That was... more than a fanfic.
OK, this was truly one of the most extrodinary fics I've had the joy of reading. I stand by the fact that I normally prefer avoiding homo ship fics (eh, it's just my personal preference and depends on the couple. Mane 6, I think of as straight. But then there are ships like LyraxBonBon), but when a story is good enough, I'll make an exception. This greatly surpassed those expectations. We get to see a beautiful and rather unique tale of how our six favourite ponies live out their futures.
The relationship between AJ and Twi was definately something different, and in the beginning, it didn't feel right to me. But as I kept reading, I grew to love it. I also loved the secondary story of Dash and Shy's relationship. Yes, it was a more cliche romance story (one gives up dreams to be with other), but it was a perfect companion to the main tale.
Another great thing was how we got the big suspense of the blizzard incident. It brought something different, keeping everything interesting. I also love how it seemed to tie every character together. Seeing all those letters from lesser characters was really nice. That part of the story was a very nice addition to keep things interesting.
And like everyone else has said, I do have one complaint. Rarity did get the short end of the stick. Pinkie kinda did too, but she kept popping in every now and then, and it really fit for her character. Rarity, on the other hand, kinda dropped off the map. Of course, I like what happened, and am fine with her not being in for a while. But what botheres me is that we get no reference to her or Spike again at all. For example, when Applejack talks about the party that they held when the blizzard finally ends, she talks about how nice it is to have all 5 of them together again. I think there should have been some comment about Rarity in around there. Anthing really, just some form of acknowledgement that they remember her. Another thing that would have been nice would have been an epilogue with her and Spike waking up. I kept expecting the end to deal with them after their slumber, but when I got nothing, I honestly was a little dissapointed. However, if you ever feel like it, that topic would make for a great sequel.
However, that one problem was far from doing any major damage to this story. I'm willing to say 6 stars, but honestly, I'd give it a 5.5. Like I said, the story was AMAZING and by far one of the greatest, but that one thing seems to leave a small hole that should be filled. If a sequel were to be made, then this would definately get my full 6 stars.
This is the only kind of sorrow I can tolerate. Because the happiness and sweetness of the story has stolen away the bitter edge that sadness and grief wields, sorrow can be shown in it's true glory. It is beautiful and actually comforting, in a way, without the qualities that make it so unbearable. You are a brilliant writer. Don't stop weaving beauty into our stories, even if that beauty has to come from sorrow.
For sorrow is like a rose: Difficult to hold without pain,but absolutely stunning to look at.
And that is why the bittersweet story is the best story of all time.
@Shadow Heart
*Blinks* What? Umm...... do you want something?
Fan-fucking-tastic concept and execution. I repeat: fan-fucking-tastic. Heart-warming! Funny! Epic Deconstruction Fleet! TAKE MY 5 STARS! ALL OF THEM! NAO!!!
I've spent two hours reading this damn fic, two frikkin' hours during which I should be sleeping mind you, and I just... and I... I...
*Slow clap*
Bravo. I have nothing to say, but Bravo. This fic... neigh, this work of art, touched me. I may not have my own backstory about love like theirs. I may not have had to endure death-defying acts of... well, anything really. But it still touched me. For I could read the heart between those ponies! I could feel their love, their fright, their joy, their sorrow... it may have been your words, but it was their voice that burst from them.
And I feel... inspired. Because what they had, is what I want. I want a future of love, I want a future in which I can look back at my life without any great regrets. With tears in my eye and a night of missing sleep I now rise from my warm bed, ready to take on a new day, and to do my very best possible, in order to have a bright future ahead of an even brighter past.
Your faithful subject,
Luhood the Zebrony
@GodBlogger247
Power, and Celestia to know suffering. I just don't like her.
Wait, I'm I so bored that I needlessly seek out revenge.
. . .screw the whole month of sobriety *Let's Twilight go* everypony can go home. I'm just gonna drink til I can't feel anything anymore.
T_T I'm pathetic *swigs whiskey*
Be right back, have to go kill myself real quick.
@Sethisto
Thanks buddy. You alwaysh be my friend. You the besht. *passes out*
Gah, curse you Thanqol! I can't get this story out of my head! And I keep clicking the 5 star button but it wont let me rate it more times!
Just a matter of time until this hits 6 stars. Truly a great read, Thanqol hasn't ever written anything less than 6 star quality.
Wow, not what i expected at all, but what a great story. It was a great read. I think it's the fastest rated story I've ever seen too. It's at 571 right now and it is still 5 stars. Pretty impressive.
It makes me so damn happy to know that this fic got votebombed to a 3 or so, and has since made its way back up to where it is now - and it's well on its way to a much-deserved 6-star rating.
Bronies, I am proud.
This. Is. Amazing.
Kudos, author. a job well done
I'm going to cry aren't I.
That was an amazing story. Absolutely beautiful and moving. I just want one thing of this incredible author.
Can there be an Epilogue with Rarity and Spike waking up? Or do you just want to leave it to the reader's imagination? Because that scene would have every single emotion possible wrapped up in one little package.
"RETURN HIM DEAD OR ALIVE"
LOL WAIT A MINUTE.......
I have made an account for this site just to write this comment. I was not this moved even with MLD. The writing style is so unorthodox, yet so enthralling that I could not go to sleep. The first "shipping" fic i have read, it struck me as strange at first, but instead of cliches like "oh they did it" it was developed into true love, in a sense that can only be achieved through this experience. I cannot stress enough the greatness of this fan-fiction, and I truly never wanted it to end. The special ending was so unexpected to me, that I started bawling beyond manly tears at THAT instant, even though I was tearing before hand. Truly, TRULY TRULY TRULY amazing and, as the tag states, bittersweet to the point of true happiness for a short while after reading it, until you fall back into the problematic sadness that we call life. Thank you for writing this, Thanqol
this is probably far an away the best story i have read yet, ive been juggling past sins, spark ,and apotheosis for top spot for months now, but this just took first prize.
this was just as sad as the epilogue to spark to be an alicorn, but so very happy at the same time. i cried so much i started early in and never really quit. rarity's letter to spike was one of the best and heart wrenching parts in different ways, "see you in the morning" my god did i cry, she gave up her life and her friends and everything for spike, and was only to happy to do so, and you felt every second of it.
applejack and twilight throughout this was beautifully written, i wish they could have spent every moment together i wish their time together would have gone on forever. when i saw the letter from apple bloom i knew, and started crying even harder. The part where she reads AJ the letters and Aj keeps saying " what comes next" i just couldn't handle, how beautiful and how sad it was, and then she read twilight's last letter and didn't ask what was next anymore... i didn't think anything could get better or more sweet or more sad.
then i read applejack's missing letter and cried even harder. this is my favorite story in the fandom, thank you for writing it thanqoul, thank you for posting it EQD, and thank you bronies for being the best fandom ever.
Okay, it's rare that I feel the urge to comment on fan fiction, but this deserves it. When I first started reading MLP fan fiction nearly a year ago, I felt it was just a fun little diversion. But after reading some truly incredible pieces, including this one, I am convinced that fan fiction can be a highly respectable form of writing in its own right. I have read fanfiction that, in terms of quality, competes with professionally published pieces. Yours Truly in particular really struck me. This was the first time I was nearly moved to tears. The fact that the author was able to get me emotionally invested in non-canon variants of these characters shows that he/she has some excellent writing skills and MUST continue to write. The romance between Applejack and Twilight was pure poetry. Thangol deserves some serious back-patting. Now, there were a couple things I didn’t care for. Although AJ and Twi seemed very happy with their arrangements, part of me finds it difficult to believe that a couple could be married for nearly five decades and be satisfied with rarely ever seeing each other. Also, I had this nagging curiosity of Twilight made any actually friends (of the closeness she had with her Ponyville friends) in Hoofington, or was she really lonely whenever she wasn’t reading Applejack’s letters. It’s wonderful that she found love, but the whole point of the series is that friendship is important. These are, of course, just nitpicks and the overall work is stellar. I won’t call it my absolute favorite fic ever, because frankly, I usually prefer more lighthearted stuff, but it is up there. I really do hope Thanqol reads this, because check this out: I was just about to go to bed, but I figured I would check EQD once more, just because. I then spent several hours reading your fic and you shot an arrow through my heart. Well done.
okay, something is up with the ratings.
this story is getting literally spammed with 5 stars. 600 ratings in 3 hours compared to the standard 40-100 most stories have been getting.
not that i disagree with the rating it has, 4.8, but i feel it's a bit unjustified in comparison to the ratings of stories previous.
I just want to start off with a the biggest congrats i can give. This story did more than entertain me, hell even more than touch me. It changed my life, if i had a choice to pick this or any other literature this would be it. Also I think you left some loose ends... But again bravo and I will deftly look for you if you decide toy make any more stories.
6 star rating, get!
See? Nobody starbombs GOOD, ORIGINAL, SUBSTANTIVE shipfics!
See? A genuinely good story will find it's rightful place eventually. No need for all that auto-5-stars nonsense.
Congratulations! If only all shipficf were like this.
That was absolutely beautiful. Every letter was crafted as if you had the girls (and Fancy Pants and Pip) write them by hoof themselves. I teared up a bit, but mostly near the end. I laughed at what I assume was a Linkin Park reference (Rarity's first draft, read the stricken-through line with "what the hay is this" after it), and I giggled at Pinkie's... well, Pinkieness. All in all, wonderful story. 5 stars, no doubt. Now, if anyone out there feels like they could do this justice, anyone wanna write something to go along with this, maybe flesh out the time between/during letters or what could happen with Spike/Rarity? With the author's permission, of course.
@neil
>this was just as sad as the epilogue to spark to be an alicorn
WHOA NOW lets not say things we can't take back
@mycutiemarkisagun
so the solution is to star bomb it with 5s?
really?
are you really that fucking retarded?
@wackypony
Mate, calm down, consider. There are 130 unique comments and 600 reviews. Assume that 6 people who read the fic don't comment. I reckon those numbers are pretty reasonable.
@Thanqol
i just think there has been a united effort to bomb this with 5s.
as i said, i don't think the current rating is wrong, at all.
I just think it comes as a little strange, given the recent... lack of ratings, on stories.
now, i'm not saying we have 500 faux votes. This fic certainly deserves the attention it is getting, but i feel the numbers portrayed aren't being accurately reported.
shed many manly tears, esp on the applebloom writing to twilight about applejack's death. applebloom seems so much mature,feels so weird.
overall, best fanfic i've read so far.i'm not really into shipping but i love this. will make me cry when i think of that moment i stated.D;
@wackypony
My next question would be, 'if multiple people are prepared to sit around and bomb one story with 5's for several hours, is that not as indicative of it's quality as the 2 immediate 1-stars?'
Chill. The star system is flawed whatever way you cut it. Let the comments tell the story, as they were always meant to.
@Thanqol
*shrugs*
i just wish comments had their own kind of rating system that didn't require reading them.
some comment sections turn longer than fics themselves. <_<
Wow, I actually got a tear from that. I doubt its manliness though...
Easily one of the best fics I've read so far.
Looking back, it was maybe not the first time I've read a story along these lines, but I got completely swept away in it.
Eeyup... tears...
But that's ok...
They were happy tears.
Congrats on the very well-deserved rating, Thanqol. Looking forward to whatever comes next.
That was, that was... oh dear, I'm crying right now. That was beautiful and totally worth reading. Loved it.
Okay I'm going to read this, but let me just say one thing:
If this is another fucking fanfic about "growing up" or "accepting mortality" or "letting go" I'm going to figuratively slap every single one of you until you're all bleeding from your figurative nostrils. If this is not ORIGINAL, it does not deserve six stars. I seriously hope it turns out I'm just ranting and this story turns out to be more than just a tearjerker, but after Carousel and My Little Dashy I've learned to doubt it. Six stars belong to stories like Twilight Sky Over Canterlot and Memories of Those Friends Who've Gone Before Us.
@MyBoyJ
Even my tears wept... Clean split in two and formed tears of their very own.
T'were truly glorious!
Also, if anyone needs a hug after reading this, my arms are wide open, my friends
@Nocciolina FeliceI want a hug, but everone in my house is asleep T.T
How dare you turn me into a big blubbering fool, loved it.
@WeirdPonyGuy Don't worry, I'll give you an internet hug :)
@AspenOnFire
"If this is another fucking fanfic about "growing up" or "accepting mortality" or "letting go" I'm going to figuratively slap every single one of you until you're all bleeding from your figurative nostrils. If this is not ORIGINAL, it does not deserve six stars."
Yeah you're gonna rage hard, bro.
This story's more notable because certain sections are very well-written for a fanfic than any sort of original, interesting plot. For me at least.
The rating system is fucked; there shouldn't be any 6-star bullshit. Whether a story gets 5 stars or 6 boils down to a popularity contest and has almost nothing to do with the actual quality of the fic. That's why every single moderately tear-jerky fic of substantial length gets instantly 6-starred, even if it's full of typos and sloppy, shitty writing.
Awesome.
@Mad Brochacho
i agree.
this fic, while bloody amazing, has been 6 starred out of an effort to spam it up.
which, tbh, is unfair. is it 6 star material? definitely, well maybe. does it deserve to be 6 star simply cause it got spammed there? no.
Oh my, such writing... I feel blessed to be part of this community...
@Mad Brochacho
hahahaha the way you put it was hilarious
That letter from applebloom almost made me cry....but then you had to add that last one in , thanqol very well done
Im still crying as im writing this
Also I wonder who the blue box belongs to lol
actually I do have one more thing to say, it seems like they just forgot completely about rarity, I know she's asleep for 100 years but I mean they just never mentioned her...ever again!
But still a very awesome story...still crying
Okay. This comment section has made me feel awkward.
I'm the only one who didn't cry, apparently. <_<
I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, this is not canon, this is not canon...
So why am I crying?
I think Sad should have been one of the tags for this story. So many moments in this story just made my heart sink, like when Rainbow Dash quit the Wonderbolts, or when Rarity had the 100 year sleeping spell placed on her. An uplifing moment, at least for me was the story about the mare that went out into the snowstorm to find the colt. That's something that makes me never want to complain again.
I'm almost half expecting, or at least wishing that this was all a dream that one of them had. In fact, I'm going with that. I know that life isn't fair and that everypony dies sooner or later (well, almost everypony), but this seems to cruel for it all to end the way it did.
This was truely beautiful, well deserving of the 6 stars and definatly worth the read.
Thanks for writing that Thanqol.
I've never really been into fanfics, and I don't know why I clicked on this one. I didn't know what "shipping" even was. Had to look it up. Didn't really like the idea, tbh.
Regardless, I still clicked on this and gave it a read. And holy CRAP if I'm not pleased that I did!
Finished reading this about an hour ago and I simply can't get it out of my head. Will probably re-read again soon. Absolutely wonderful and incredibly moving. Bravo!
Ok. I have no idea what compelled me to read this fanfic when I have been avoiding them all, but... As the first and only ponyfic I've read, my score may be skewed a bit; All the same, I clicked 5 stars. Clever uses of references and strikethroughs... I acknowledge that it has some pieces that seemed odd, and there were too many same-gender pairings for my tastes, but I really enjoyed reading. Well written and thought provoking, I enjoyed the introspection, and even the tears, that these letters caused. Notawasteoftime.
-Nf Echo
This looks like something that deserves its 6 stars, regardless of star-bombers from either end of the spectrum. Looks like my plans for tonight are settled then!
<@>Thanqol
Something I forgot to mention in my last post was that I actually did enjoy this story. And I would also like to know if there will be a sort of follow up to Rarity and Spike waking up after 100 years and following them as they handle everything after clearing there heads from such a long nap?
Was really good, there's just something about letters isn't it? I had to bury my head in my pillow for a minute there though. All your fault. =)
:star::star::star::star::star::star:
sooooooo good i have work in three hours but it was so worth the read
And so I'll say a fourth time today: Congrats Thanq! Great work ^^
Dammit, it's 4 am and I'm about to cry... Damn emotions... Great work.
Also, I just noticed the Doctor Whooves moment at the end with Derpy. Great.
Initial reaction:
Whoa, 5-star and 700+ ratings? Whoa, a Thanqol story?? Gotta read this one.
After reading:
Dear Thanqol,
Why did such a beautiful story have to come out today, right before my math midterm (and a 8am lab just for added gits and shiggles)? I'm supposed to be studying and/or sleeping, and instead here I am trying to to cry in the middle of a (admittedly casual) study session.
Dammit Thanqol.
A not-so-faithful college student,
..... Now i KNOW my heart is going to jump wildly when i see that new episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is magic, seeing the characters all okay, live and well, in their usual, present day activities and adventures. What your story did there was ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY AWE INSPIRING on a level that made me worry for the safety of the characters on the show!! Can a story/fim-fic truly make someone believe that? Yours just did!
Hrrrrrrg...confound this pony fanfic, it drives me to manly tears.
What can I say other than that this was truly beautiful?
Astonishing. This had real heart, real punch. Brilliant, truly.
Holy balls..... I laughed, I cried. I was skeptical at times but... that ending. EXCEPTIONALLY WELL DONE!
...brilliant story telling. Brilliant story. Let me go log in on my laptop and all my family's computers so I can 5 star this more. Then go to the public library and 5 star it on all those computers.
Just when I thought I had become immune to pony stories touching me emotionally, you rip the bloody scab off. And salt it. You wonderful bastard.
Wonderful! Somepony looked deep into the characters and came up with pure gold. Thank you. :-)
The things that i enjoyed most about this was how fantastic both of the shipping portions were. The TwiJack moments were especially poignant and touching, but I actually found the Flutterdash portions to be equally touching. That letter from Rainbow to Spitfire was just... Wow! I think that warmed my heart enough to melt my ribcage. And of course, there was those last few letters. I gotta admit I didn't outright cry, but man, were they misting up there.
Of course, as a fanfic writer, these are the stories that I hate and love equally, for one reason: I realize that, no matter what I write, I'll never come close to the pure greatness that is this story. This is, in my opinion, the best fic that's been posted on this site, bar none.
I genuinely have no idea what to write here.
Honestly, I lack the words to praise you for this effort. It's amazing, bitter-sweet like the tag says, but amazing all the same.
I cried, quite a bit actually. You and Kkat should get together, you'd probably be able to come up with something soul-crushingly sad yet beautiful.
Well done Thanqol.
A truly moving and brilliantly well written story. Original and emotionally overwhelming, anyone who take the time to read this will feel well rewarded.
6 stars is not enough praise
Fantastic just fantastic
*spoiler below*
What about Rarity???? What happen when she and Spike wake up??? OMG I NEED TO KNOW
There is something about stories told in letters that really gets me. Reading between the lines, looking for what hasn't been said. And as you finish a letter - Yours truly... - You feel the same kind of anguish of waiting for the reply. Letters say so little, but can mean so much; each letter captures the struggle to reconcile the two, to somehow capture the meaning intended, despite all odds.
And still, letters fit a story like this, because the written word is, in a way, eternal, and sometimes, love is too.
Thank you for writing this story.
Just finished it.
1) I didn't cry, not even tear up (so I'm a minority, heh),
2) Very tasteful use of references, the way it should be, dangitall,
3) Near-perfect mechanics. A random caps of And in some of AJ's letter, but screw that, because
4) this was a beautiful, beautiful read. I finished "The Old Tales" before reading this, and that made it so much more sweeter.
Good sir, you've got whole essays up there lauding this. And rightly so. May I just say: thank you. You're an inspiration and a source of serious thinking about what it means to feel and love. Please, if I may as pretentious as to ask... please, keep writing.
Oh man. Emotions! They're all flooding through me now! Congrats, Thanqol, your story made me cry. That's something that only a few fics have ever managed to do. 5 stars, of course.
Ahhhhhh! Halfway trough, and now I have to get ready for work. Why did I start reading it now? ><
Loving it so far though ^^
Since I'm not as fond of shipping as most bronies, the inclusion of shipping means I have to take a star off my rating.
But six minus one equals five.
There are only enough stars in the sky to tell how good this was. 5 star, NEIGH! that doesn't even scrape the surface. I don't think I've been so glued to reading any fanfic as I have with this one, and yes, I couldn't help but cry. Thats not something I do often over a fanfic. Everything felt right though. This was beautiful, Thank you!
What's this, eyes? Oh, I see you have some tears.
This is, without any doubt, a fanfic to be remarked and remembered as one of the best of the best in this entire pony-crazy fandom.
Thanqol, you sure did an outstanding job writing this masterpiece, though you don't need to be reminded of that: just read some of the comments above mine. Anyway, a mere 5-Star rating couldn't fully express my feelings for this tale.
Man, I tell you, just keep on writin'. Keep on rockin'.
...if you still want to make us cry like little girls, that is.
This story is so good, I don't even... When I was reading Apple Bloom's letter I was almost, but then AppleJack's letter arrived. Bitter-sweet indeed, and I love it.
That was beautiful beyond any reasonable margin. How dare you!
Oh lordy. That was one of the most beautiful stories I've ever read. Absolutely fantastic, and with just the right sense of humour injected. Also the references to Sherlock, Captain Oates and Going Postal? Wonderful.
All my stars. Take them.
The only conceivable problem I could have with this is the fact that Rarity just dropped off the face of the earth halfway through. Otherwise...
Heartstrings were tugged. That's all I can say.
This didn't make me cry as much as My Little Dashie did, but the story is ten times better.
It is actually fabulously well written. The style of writing in letters is difficult, but when pulled off, as shown here, opens up really good new possibilities.
It has a very good balance - there isn't too much sad, and when there is you don't feel like it's just there for the sake of it. There were loads of places where there was really good turns of phrase, clever use of words. The overall story arc, I think, is a little debatable - but through the letters that is secondary, and what is primary is the thoughts and feelings conveyed between the ponies. That's the magic of a letter story.
Really, really well done. 4.8 stars, but I can only click whole numbers, so 5 it is.
Here's hoping the author reads through the comments. Otherwise, I'm wasting my time...
I'm a regular reviewer at Ponychan, so I've got a lot of experience picking apart stories.
Your biggest strength is that you convey emotion beautifully in your writing. There were definitely teary eyes, though to be fair, even poorly-written stories have done that if their premises were strong enough. There are a few grammatical issues that popped up enough to be a little distracting, but some of these are excusable as dialogue, inasmuch as a letter constitutes dialogue.
I took the plot and cut it down to a bare-bones outline, and it's actually quite short. I see two side threads: Rarity and Pinkie. Rarity's fizzled out too quickly, and ended rather abruptly and conveniently. Pinkie's was a little odd, and it was never clear to me whether she was committing actual crimes, and if so, why Celestia couldn't / wouldn't stop her.
I include RD/Shy in the main plot thread since they're integral in inspiring Twi/AJ's relationship. Kudos to you for not taking the easy way out and having Dash die. I would have liked to see more of their story. This main thread was handled well, but was predictable. Vonnegut does argue against suspense, but there's a limit. The final letter was a nice gut punch from the standpoint that it's a treasured final memento for Twilight, but its failure to arrive in a timely fashion was only a minor speed bump at the time. It's also strange that even though Apple Bloom didn't know the full extent of their relationship, she didn't at least know they had an extensive friendship and correspondence. In the 3 days AJ had been seriously ill, surely Apple Bloom could have sent a letter in time to have Twilight teleport there.
Characterizations were done quite well, but AJ had a strange mix of formality and colloquialisms. You did hastily explain that Twilight knew she was smarter than most ponies assumed, but AJ must have had a reason for never trying to fight that perception. I'd see her letters gradually becoming more formal and sophisticated as she grew more comfortable with Twilight.
Even so, this is a story more about communicating emotional states rather than narrating through events, and as I've said, you do that beautifully. I'm tearing up again as I think back through the story to write this. I'm really torn between 4 and 5 stars since I can't really justify either one on that coarse a scale, so I will respectfully abstain.
This is a very beautiful, touching, and well written story!
It makes me feel peaceful, happy, and sad at the same time. I really love this.
Truly one of, if not the best fanfiction i have ever read in my entire life!
Bravo!!
There's not much I can say about perfection, and friend, you know perfection.
I want to express how deeply your story (stories, if memory serves) are able to reach into the heart of emotion and rip out old scars so they can feel anew...but there are no words to express the truth of that, none that I can summon.
I want to tell you that you are easily one of the best writers (fan fiction or no) that I have ever had the pleasure of watching craft stories and... poetry, really. I think my words would fall flat.
All I can really say is thank you.
Thank you for such a wonderful story. Thank you for such marvelous words. For such sweet tears, and such bitter laughter, for the kind of romance that you've crafted, far deeper and more significant than most any that we see in this world today, fictional or no.
Thank you.
Wow.
This made me cry. Good way.
Even MLD wasn't able to make me cry. (Now I belong in minority!)
All of my stars belong to you.
Going back to manly-- no. Crying.
This is how you write fanfiction. Now if you'll all excuse me, I think I have something in my eyes.
This is if not the best and most beautiful, certainly one of the best and most beautiful stories I have ever read, and will forever stand in my mind as testament to the fact that fanfiction can be just as good as original, published novels.
I have smiled, laughed, and cried my way through this entire story. On two occasions I had to break off partway through a letter to recover and simply let the tears flow and the blood pound until I was no longer blinded. Then I came back to it, and they started right up again.
Thanqol is best pony!
Just finished reading this. I've read MLD, I've read the FO:E major fics, and I've even read the Pip friendshipping fic. This is the first fic I've bothered bookmarking, it's just that good.
I have on great authority that this is an incredibly good story and spot on portrayal of long distance relationships.
Unfortunately, I'm not here solely to read excellent writing. I'm hear to read familiar characters in interesting contexts and situations. And unfortunately this does not interest me. And these characters are too far removed from where I like them to be.
But If your interests lie with this story's context, then you definitely should read it.
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