[Normal] [Sad]
Author: ROBCakeran53
Description: When your life is as dull a gray as the world that surrounds you, the mundanities can make it all seem meaningless. Sometimes all we need is a little color -- or six -- to reintroduce us to what truly makes life worth living.
My Little Dashie
Additional Tags: Filly Dash, Love and loss
Fan Music:
My Little Dashie Piano
677 comments:
Dawwww
ReplyDeleteHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNGGGGG!!!
ReplyDeleteAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
ReplyDeleteIts about time somepony made use of that pic. I saw a comic of it, and it was the perfect d'aaw/hhhrrrnnngg combination
ReplyDeleteAm I going to cry? I'm going to cry, aren't I? Hold on, I've got some crying to do...
ReplyDeleteThis....sounds so sad...
ReplyDeleteGreat to see this finally on here! Incoming manly tears in 5.. 4..
ReplyDeleteManly tears have been shed.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many HNNNNNNGHs and DAAAAAWs that box could fit...
ReplyDelete@FusionFox
ReplyDeleteWow, right on schedule, lol
Anypony know how to get "DAAAAAAAAW" out of a keyboard.
ReplyDeleteOh, NOW you post this...
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me... Excuse me while I cry in the corner for a few.
Must...resist...crying...
ReplyDeleteThis world is grey, where light is quickly swallowed by a devouring depression. It's a messed up world, and every time I read a good book, every time I watch a beautiful movie, every time I watch MLP, I wish deep in my soul I could go there and escape Earth.
ReplyDeleteBut then the book ends. The credits roll. And that blasted ending song comes up, and we are sent back to reality. There's nothing left to do but pick ourselves back up and head back to the grind.
Something...In...EYE.
ReplyDeleteTEEEARS...!
ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGH.
ReplyDeletei lost to the tears by "The End". D:
I'm crying, but I'm not sure that it's of sadness. I have this strange feeling that everything turned out OK, or the closest it could to that anyway.
ReplyDeleteWhat is this watery stuff coming out of my eyes?
ReplyDeleteDashie... IN A BOX.
ReplyDeleteWow just the comments from the 1st few minutes make this look really good. I'll have to see this.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna go drown my sorrows in alcohol now. It's the only way to forget that Rainbow Dash will never exist in my life.
ReplyDelete/manly sobbing
HNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnyways...
ReplyDeleteI haven't been able to plug the leak in my eyes yet...
Oh gees, I remember this one. This is the one that made me cry and want to rip my own heart out so it would stop feeling things at the end.
ReplyDelete... So am I the only one who think it ended moderately well for the situation?
ReplyDeleteI NEED A MANLY TEARS SOUND FILE RIGHT NOW D,8 IM NOT CRYING
ReplyDeleteYOUR CRYING
SHUT UP
Reading this fanfic while listening to Jessie's Song "When she loved me" from Toy Story 2 is just...too...sad.
ReplyDeleteI never cried this much before I became a part of the fandom I swear. It seems like I'm crying over most of these comics and fanfics now. :(
@Aeolus
ReplyDeleteBreak the mold. Make your mark. Humanity was not meant to exist like this.
...oh my.
ReplyDeleteYup, I'm teary. Well done indeed. Extremely so.
Excuse me, I need to go... well, bawl, I s'ppose.
;_; I am not an emotional person, per se, and though this wonderful tale didn't make me cry, it got pretty damn close. It's a shame things ended how they did, but it was for the best.
ReplyDeletethat was very sweet. but again, Celestia assumed humanity at it's worst and worries about how 'tainted' she would be. i liked it, it was sweet, but it makes me so ... angry that we would hate ourselves so much. i'm sorry, this is not the place for such words.
ReplyDelete5 stars though. no tears but it was sweet.
I've got nothing to say. It is absolutely flawless in every way, and I feel like I'm going to still be crying over it tomorrow.
ReplyDelete;_; beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWow... so much crying. Welp, thank you all so much for enjoying this so far.
ReplyDeleteThanks Aelous for that little bit, really nice.
And Dublio... damn it man that song is sad no matter what.
I don't usually comment, but for the first time, I actually cried. That was so well written, and I loved it.
ReplyDeleteTears... haven't shed them in a long time.
ReplyDeletethis... this was an experience. thank you. I needed this.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only thing in the brony fandom that's actually turned my heart to Jell-O. Every other cute fic I've read tried and failed.
ReplyDeleteROBCakeran53, you are a fucking genius.
@Minalkra
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing that up. No one else has, and I would like to say a little about that. I wasn't trying to actually make it that the entire world was bad, only that Celestia was worried that the bad parts of it would effect her. That is why she goes off saying how she was happy that the man had taken care of her, showing the good side of humanity.
God dammit, god fucking dammit. I was having a decent day, but you fucking ruined it.
ReplyDeleteI hate you; this shit is beautiful.
Dear. Celestia.
ReplyDeleteUssualy when I read these Sad fics I just feel sad, maybe on a rare ocassion I'll force out a tear or two. They're sad yes, dreadfully sad, but it's just a story after all, It's not really somethig to cry over, right?
I openly wept man. I'm fightig myself just to STOP crying. You sir, are a master of the pen, and I comend you for that. I can honestly say that was the saddest MLP fic I've ever read, quite possibly the saddest thing I've ever read period. I haven't cried a good cry in several months, over a year I'd say, but this fic broke me. My heart exploded twice.
Thank you author. If you'd have charged admission, I'd pay you double. I've said this before many times, but I love this fandom, and I hope it never changes.
The only thing that could ever make me cry was nostalgia or reading a fic about a pony in the future being nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first thing to ever be different. Well, in a way I suppose, as the whole "I only have memories" thing is still kind of nostalgia.
TL;DR I cried.
There's something in my eye... and my other eye... Excuse me for a moment.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit, I bawwwwed.
ReplyDeleteFifteen years is a very very long time. Now that Dashie is gone, I wonder if the man will go back and watch all of the old episodes of My little Pony in an attempt to see what she's up to? Even if they never see each other again in person, they will always exist in spirit.
ReplyDeleteWhich makes you wonder a bit. If you had a choice, would you rather be crazy and happy, being able to interact with something that logically shouldn't exist, or would you rather be sane and unhappy?
Cold logic deems our world filled with bitterness and hatred.
ReplyDeleteCold logic, however, does not account for the power of free will.
It's up to all of us to prove this is a world worth saving.
That our lives... our lives are worth living.
@Aeolus
ReplyDelete...My God, I think I cried a bit at that; that's extremely profound... haaah... 'least we can always hope that that "Alternate Universes" theory is true...
Oh, this was wonderful. Truly Wonderful.
ReplyDeletenote to self, dont wear fancy shirts when reading SAD material on EqD. tears will ruin them
ReplyDeleteI didn't come prepared with enough tissues for this story.
ReplyDeleteThat was pretty good
I almost cried over Forrest Gump at the end
ReplyDeleteI got emotional in the Pursuit of Happyness a bit
I felt bad about the death of the Dog in I Am Legend
But this brought me to tears... and I'm not ashamed.
Oh my god my eyes are broken! They're leaking a weird, salty, watery fluid! What's wrong with me?! Why won't it stop?!!
ReplyDeleteI mean this in the truest way I can possibly mean it; this story was probably the best I've read from the community. Granted, I haven't read nearly all of them, but this, wow, this was a fantastic mood piece. We could all use a little more Rainbow in our lives.
ReplyDelete5 stars, I only wish I could give it more
My Celestia. This is one of the, if not THE, best fanfic I have ever read. Beautifully written, and it sucked me right in. I will be thinking out this for a long time. Thank you good sir, for the opportunity, no, the PRIVILEGE, of reading this.
ReplyDeleteThis was, simply amazing. I cried at the end. I wish there could have been a way for them to stay together yet...it's just so sad yet happy.
ReplyDeleteI've never cried like this in my entire life. I don't even know how to describe the emotions I am feeling right now. I can't tell if I am sad, happy, or wherever in between. This is the best and saddest fan fiction i have ever read.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a sweet, amazing story. I loved it so much. Definitely brought my mood back up so much.
ReplyDelete5/5
@Pen Stroke
ReplyDeleteGREAT JIBBLING JIBLITS! PEN STROKE READ/COMMENTED???
Wow man, I'm so honored you not only read it, but actually ENJOYED it! Thank you, and again thank you to everyone(pony) else who has read this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIVaUcE4kAM
ReplyDeleteManly tears were shed.
Oh... oh God. That story cut me deep.
ReplyDeleteIf this story does not make 6 Stars, I have officially lost faith in humanity.
ReplyDelete5 Stars, if only because I can't go ten.
@Xavier I agree I also wish that there was a way for them to stay together.
ReplyDeleteI never thought a story was gonna hit me that hard, after reading it, I couldn't help but cry.
5/5
Oh, don't mind me, it's just a manly tear.
ReplyDeleteGee... when did I get so cheesy?
5/5. This is the only thing in the entire fandom that has ever actually affected me in such a way as of yet.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I have one question...
Why was she in a box labelled "Give 2 good home"? Out of all the places she would have been transported to...
I didn't cry. I haven't since joining this fandom, really. It's just helped make me a much happier person. But I definitely teared up, and I've come the closest I've been to crying in quite a while.
ReplyDeleteThank you for ending on a hopeful note, it would have put me in a horribly depressed mood if it'd ended badly.
Oh, this... this just wrenched my emotions til they broke and the tears started leaking all over the place. Beautifully written! All my stars. Take them, please!
ReplyDeleteI hope that our protagonist friend manages to be with his "daughter" again. Otherwise there is no justice.
We need to call in biohazard team to contain this deadly virus from spreading. It will be our civilization's downfall !!!
ReplyDeleteOkay so I could comment about how I cried so much that I had to buy a new keyboard to write this, but I think that it's much more important to say how incredibly happy this story made me. Happy that I live in this world where something as simple as cartoon ponies can cause joy, compassion, kindness. Happy that I fatefully stumbled into this fandom whose creativity never ceases to amaze me. Where twelve-thousand words can conjure more emotion in me than I thought was possible. This is amazing. I don't know much about good writing, but I wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone to read this. This deserves so much more than five stars and I can't thank the author enough for writing this.
ReplyDeleteBronies: In this world of ours that is so frequently grey, depressing, and cruel, we have rainbows. Love & Tolerate.
@DrahcirAloer
ReplyDeleteOh my God, man! I had just stopped crying and then I listened to that... and I sterted thinking about the fic again and... and...
Oh God, my eyes are leaking again! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MEEEEE?!!
@Bloomberg
ReplyDeleteHugs, man. You get all my hugs...
You too, author...
And everybody else...
HUGS
What is the criteria for six star? I think we have met it. I know it is 4.9 and above with x amount of ratings, but I don't know what x is. I am assuming it is in the 100-200 range. And there are definitely over 100 ratings.
ReplyDeleteDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWW I just finished!
ReplyDeleteWhy oh why can't the poor guy just go to Equestria? He's got nothing of value in his life but Dashie! As far as I can tell that would make everyone(pony) wonderfully happy - who cares if it wasn't 'meant to be'?!
Wonderful, awesome story. 8 out of 6 stars.
@Doctor Valor
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point, about the box. Really, it was there to help justify it's relation to the comic, but really you could view it in any manner of ways. She wasn't placed in the box on purpose, so it was already written on there. Or was it? Maybe someone else found her and did that not knowing what to do with her? I leave that up to your imagination, my friend, to figure that out.
Don't worry about the rating, you know it in your heart that it is more than worthy of a six-star rating.
ReplyDeleteConfound this community, making me feel emotions.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great story. I was on the verge of crying. However, since my roommates are here, I willed the tears back, but I was close and had to dry my eyes on several occasions throughout my reading.
I cried manly tears at the end.
ReplyDelete@Doctor Valor
ReplyDeleteOh Celestia...
That can only mean that someone actually found Dash before the narrator, and rejected her.
That... that's just... so...
*Pinkie Pie Waterworks*
Very well done. An interesting concept and a great execution, with some genuinely heartrending material. The prose was extremely effective, too.
ReplyDeleteThe song "One of the Few" (Pink Floyd for anyone who hasn't heard it) played in my head during the end.
Can't put into words...
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt the most beautiful thing I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
I wish there was a word superior to beautiful.
*Claps hands together*
ReplyDeleteWell there goes my mood for the next week or so! I'll come back after I nearly dehydrate from all of my tears.
Does the number of comments, and the quality of them, along with the ratings giving any idea? I'd even say it rivals Pen Stroke. Nothing against your work, PSP.
ReplyDeleteManly tears were shed. Thank you sir. Exquisite.
ReplyDeleteMy heart, she is broken.
ReplyDeleteForget manly tears, this left me with nothing but a gaping black vortex in my chest... this is NOT how MLP should make me feel!
And that whole "giving-her-up" thing is BS!!! I would've fought for that filly like nopony's business after raising her for 15 years. Trollestia would've tasted human wrath in full before she succeeded in prying Dash (or anypony) away from me. "Not meant for this world" my hoof... she could've worked something out, I know it.
Confound you bronie fanfic writers, you drive me to my grave...
uhm, another thing to think about is the memory spell. it didn't overwrite Applejack's memories of when she was lying, it just helped her remember who she was.
ReplyDeleteso this won't overwrite Dashie's memories of her time here, just help her remember who she was before that. sorry if that's not the case, but that's how i'd look at it all.
*Sniff* *sniff*, There's... There's nothing, I...I have something in my eye-- my eye-- my-- *sob*
ReplyDeleteI legitimately choked up. My throat physically hurt because I was so sad. This is the first time I've ever commented here on EQD, but this story warrants it. I thought it was gonna be a bit cheesy, but it was really, really sweet and I could really feel the emotion. Maybe cuz I was actually reading it out loud to try and immerse myself in the story more, but that's besides the point.
ReplyDeleteThis has entered into the top brony contributions along with a select few other fics, pictures, and music. Kudos all around.
@Dragonsrules77
ReplyDeleteWOA NOW! DON'T GO SAYING THINGS LIKE THAT! Lol I'm not sure if it's really that well written, but the mood of the story is what catches most of you. Pen, along with many other good authors here, are superb at giving a feel for the surroundings and the story. This was simply a lot of emotions, and talking to ones self about what was going on.
I do highly appreciate the praise, but I'm not worthy to be compared to authors such as them.
The amount of stories that have made me cry can be counted on one hand
ReplyDeleteThis is now one of them.
So happy, yet so soul crushing at the same time. Half the story was me smiling at how adorable this was, and the other half was cursing at myself for tearing up at the ending.
ReplyDeleteThe unresolved ending does leave a lot of room for thinking, but it only makes me feel mofer horrible.
Even though he still remembers, what makes it worse is that she doesn't, but all her friends do. I can only imagine how they plan to keep this gigantic truth from getting out (Unless Celestia mind-wipes them too). I see Dash getting transported back whether by accident or not, and then him getting to see her again, and yet she doesn't know him at all, and has not a single memory of their time together.
That is what kills me about this fanfiction. The implications.
Still, fantastic job. *Slow clap*. Definitely five stars.
Damn. Just damn. This is amazing. As one who hopes to pursue a writing career, I can only hope to match this level of quality and emotion in my own work.
ReplyDeleteI almost never cry, but in this case that's really hard, cause I sure want to. Brilliant, brilliant work.
Is now the saddest man that ever did be
ReplyDeleteI'm not a man, butthe term "manly rers were shed" fricken applies here...... I NEVER cry....... This was...... Was so BEAUTIFUL....... *cries*
ReplyDelete@Whitbane
ReplyDeleteI know right?! It just tears the soul out of you to think about it...
If this actually happened, I'd feel like
a) Dying
or
b) Inventing a portal, going to Equestria and beating the LIVING SHIT OUT OF CELESTIA!... and seeing Dash
@ROBCakeran53
ReplyDeleteDude... the point of this story... it was to make us feel emotion right?
Because... well you did that. Better than, quite literally any story I've ever read/seen/played in the past... hell probably my life. The only one that comes close is Toy Story 3...
And you achieved the point of your story so well. I have to say he's right. Better than most of Pen Stroke's work.
Don't be modest. You really have something absolutely beautiful here.
TIME TO HACK EQUESTRIA DAILY TO RATE THIS 40 STARS.
ReplyDeleteCATCH YA' ON THE FLIPSIDE!
@ROBCakeran53
ReplyDeleteYeah, what Dusty said.
Never read any of Pen's works so I can't compare, but the prose and thought that went into this are truly novel-worthy... felt like I was reading a good book from a bookstore. Tore me up. I'mma need some serious rehab now...
@DrahcirAloer Damn You! the story made me tear up, but the song COMBINED with the story made me bawl, in fact I'm still bawling.
ReplyDeleteDamn You!
Who says that Rainbow forgets her memories? I thought that part was left vague on purpose. If the memory spell is the same as episode 2, season 2, then she should still remember her time there. If she forget the entire 15 years with him, that would make this story even sadder than it needs to be. =(
ReplyDeleteAnd then... I didn't have anything to write so I just kinda sat here and typed stuff...
ReplyDeleteBrain check;
Nope, still not working. Maybe it was broke by the same thing that broke my eyes?
5 Stars and a hoofclop for that one dear sir.
This... this was beautiful. Words cannot express how great this fanfic was. Easily the best one I've ever read.
ReplyDeleteinfinity/5 stars, definitely.
Well, I can't say that I cried, but I very much enjoyed it. For some reason, I loved the part where He/You found her in the box.
ReplyDeleteAnd now, we are forced to sit in this cruel world...devoid Of that which could make life infinitely better...
ReplyDeleteMy heart. You have broken it.
ReplyDeleteMy eyes. You have watered them.
My stars. You get all of them.
Beautiful work here.
My goodness... I usually don't cry these days anymore but damn it... I'm crying right now man. this is by far one of the best reads I've seen.
ReplyDelete@Minalkra
ReplyDeleteIt took me a minute to think about this, but recall that the guy in question stopped watching the show since he got Dash, the day of the first Discord episode aired. So he didn't actually know what that memory spell would do, he just made an assumption on when he heard that it was a memory spell.
This is a MASTERFUL fic. Absloutely masterful. This fandom hasn't failed me yet, and this just pushed that to A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
ReplyDeleteI saw it. Every waking moment of that fic were clear as day in my mind. This is one fic I won't be forgetting anytime soon.
I'm not sad. No. I'm proud. I'm proud that this story exists. I'm proud that this will be heralded as one of the great fics in this fandom (believe me, IT WILL) and I'm proud that you wrote it.
Amazing what one little comic can produce, a masterful story. 6 Stars. No Question.
@dublio
ReplyDeleteRead my previous comment.
This is a masterfully done first-person perspective story.
I am a near socially inept person, and you sir, through this fic, have given me an emotion I have not felt in years, the feeling of sadness. That had to be one of the greatest fics I have EVER read in my entire life. Period. Nothing else will EVER match the tearful amounts of joy and sadness that this has brought me.
ReplyDelete*sheds manly tear*
Bloody fantastic fic. Manly tears were shed.
ReplyDelete*sniff*
ReplyDelete@DrahcirAloer Whhhyyyyyyyy!!! Damn you... that's the perfect song D:, i was just starting to stop crying.
ReplyDeleteAnypony got a bucket? I need a place to store my melted heart and unshed manly tears. I'm not one t cry but ponyfeathers, I came close. Don't sell yourself short, the imagery and emotion that went into this story... mind-blowing.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've encountered a sadder, more heart-tugging story than this. It's a reminder to every brony out there that even the world is gray and bleak, a rainbow can save us all. And that resonates with me greatly.
Take all my stars and thank you. /)^3^(\
Wow, this has achieved critical mass in only a couple of hours, hasn't it?
ReplyDeleteOh, hi there. I'm the editor of this story(editors get no love).
But I helped. I contributed. I am a part of the creation of this story. And that... That really is all I need. And I'm okay with that.
Thanks for reading this, bronies. You all are what makes this fandom awesome.
@AdmiralCubie
ReplyDeleteI don't even know why i created this account. I'm like that all the time.
Well now what is this strange thing coming out of my eyes? Seriously, i didn't cried because of Toy Story 3 but i cried because of this. This story is beautiful and deserves 6 stars.
These one-shot stories are the best ones at making me feel sad.
This story was just GOOD. Great writing, great concept. Definitely great emotion. I think I'm one of the few who thinks that everything turned out the best way it could have. It just wouldn't be right to keep Dash on Earth and I don't think him moving to Equestria would really work out. This is about as good as it gets.
ReplyDeleteI didn't break down into a grim depression. (That's reserved for Somewhere Only We Know. Saddest fic on the site.) But I did cry a bit, though not entirely of sadness. This is just a moving story.
(On a side note, I'm with Dash keeping her Earth memories and just having the old ones restored. Anything else would be more depressing than nessecary and awkward for her friends. They'd remember but she wouldn't? No.)
I usually never comment on fan-fiction. But this drove me to tears. Hard tears. It's only midnight and I'm here, bawling my eyes out to this absolutely touching story. I never cry. There are very few things that make me cry, not even funerals have given this effect on me. Every emotion portrayed in this fic was released through me, almost to the point of not handleing the pain and love they felt in the story as father and daughter. I didn't think it would get to this point of deep crying, but strangely enough, it has. This story has left me nearly speechless. I'm still here, on my iPod crying as I type this paragraph, about how wonderful this story was. Too inspiring, this story WILL make you cry. I have never felt closer yet farther from anything in 5 years. I love ponies, and always will. Amen.
ReplyDeleteRead this while this plays in the background:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wrl8weYTmGU
You will drown in your tears.
I think the reason this story is so heartbreaking and touching is because it hits too close to home. Many of us have changed our lives when we came in contact with "My Little Pony." To imagine having a filly of your own, along with the fact that it's sentient as well as cute, and then spending 15 years watching her grow up, it's...
ReplyDeleteWell, it's hard to put into words. It's like being a parent, and yet somehow more. The fact that you purposely made the ending vague definitely makes us remember the story more than if you flat out told us what happened. I'm aware that you did that on purpose, which was a splendid idea. I'm sure many people are going to remember this story for quite a while.
@SirPeppermintJam
ReplyDeleteYou.
Get into this group hug with the rest of us.
*hugs*
@Dusty the Royal Janitor
ReplyDeleteI get a hug? *So happy!*
@Dusty the Royal Janitor
ReplyDeleteyea, you are correct. It's just the sad truth of it is I doubt I will ever be able to achieve this quality of story again, and knowing that everyone is calling me an "amazing writer" just feels wrong, cause though this one story is great the rest of my work most likely won't be as emotional.
I don't want to sound like I"m unapreciative, because I am so very grateful for all this praise.
Thank you all.
I'm not going to go into theatrics. I think simple words will be enough here.
ReplyDeleteThis story is one of the greatest things I've ever read. Sad, happy, adorable, heartbreaking, inspiring, touching, and ultimately leaving me a better person. The original picture was enough to get me all emotional, but this broke me down. Even if I wasn't crying, inside I was in an emotional state that rarely anything leaves me in.
Words have never come easy to me, so it's hard for me to express just how much you affected me with this. But trust me when I say this: you have achieved something truly great here. I am sure I will continue to look back to this story far into the future.
5/5, hands down
I usually do not read the Human/Pony crossover fics. I made an exception because the original comic was cute. I'm glad I did, even if I did cry a bit.
ReplyDeleteThe only other fic to get this level of emotion out of me was "Last man Standing"
ReplyDeletebut this is considerably better because it is a happy sad.
Many manly tears have been shed. I have not cried in years and never like this. You get 5/5.
ReplyDeleteI...I don't even know what I would use to describe what I'm feeling at the moment. I don't know if it's sadness, or happiness, or what. All you can do is hope they find a way to see each other one last time, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a guy who cries often. It's been years since I actually did. Were it not for my dormmates being here (not a closet brony, but I'm not sure they'd understand), I wouldn't have bothered to push them back, and at the end there I was -this- close to losing control of them anyways. Dashie's letter may well be this fandom's crowning moment. Of awesome, of heartwarming, of everything.
Frankly, EQD's rating system doesn't properly encapsulate just how good this is. Six stars will have to do.
Confound these ponies.
@Overlong Analysis Cobalt
"The Final Cut" was actually playing on my iTunes while I was reading the ending. Don't know if that made things better or worse.
You know, there really aren't many stories that I like enough on EQD to actually bookmark. Paradise, The Vinyl Scratch Tapes, Mort Takes A Holiday, and Luna's Goodwill Tour, The Vagabond, and Through the Eyes of Another Pony. Those are the only stories I actually have bookmarked for the purpose of rereading them. This one's getting added to that list.
ReplyDelete@Star Pony, Because he does have something to live for in the real world. Through his fifteen years of raising RD, he also got himself a good job, surely made friends outside of that dead, grey city that is likely Detroit, and became a better person overall. And we need people like that to fix what's wrong with our world. It's not fair to him to separate him from RD, but it's not fair to the world to take away a possibility for fixing it, either.
ReplyDeleteSame as Rellikai. Really, that was amazing. It reminds me of how boring my life is. My heart would melt, and then explode twice, if this happened to me, only I would obviously keep the pony, and love it, and then get loved back. Forever.
ReplyDelete125+ comments in 5 hours huh? Well someone struck a nerve.
ReplyDeleteNot even going to lie about it.
ReplyDeleteManly tears.
I never thought a story so ludicrous in content(the fact that it was self aware of the cartoon) could ever be so emotional and powerful. Basically this was Marley and Me with Dashie. But that book had a universal message. One that was expressed here in this story. One that must not be forgotten. Loved ones will leave our lives at some point. But their memories will live on.
ReplyDeleteI might be sounding critical, but I loved this story. Thank you for writing this.
Ok, I wrote out a big long praise to this thing, but I it seems blogger thinks I took too long and totally deleted what I typed. So I'll keep this short(er). I have a couple of stories bookmarked, but very, very few favorited. Like, one or two. This is going in there. This was a masterpiece, and as much as I hate that I couldn't have satisfaction with confirmation Dash remembers, it honestly wouldn't be the same. Being left open like this really does help bring out more emotions because we sit and wonder what happened. So I'm just going to let my headcannon believe she does remember, and that everything will eventually be all happy again one day. That said, I will be very disapointed if this does not get 6 stars. Well done my good man.
ReplyDeleteAlso adding this.
ReplyDeleteListen to this during the ending scenes when Dash leaves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdzZe-tPOFc
You heart will melt to nothing but a puddle of love and joy, and you tears will taste of gold and honey @_@
Author, if you hear me...thank you.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking this would be dumb. Seriously, a real-life and pony crossover always--usually is dumb. But no. You've shown me the true meaning of a story. To entertain. To show a what-if. And yet, also to evoke emotions.
Thank you for making me feel emotions. Feel tears falling upon my arm.
Thank you for making a great story.
I'm tearing up and I haven't read it yet.
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting here giggling at peoples comments, "My eyes are broken!" and such. I just sat sobbing into my dressing gown for a few minutes.
ReplyDeletePlease don't ask me why, because I don't know. That was a beautiful story.
I always promised myself to never cry when reading fan-fiction....it looks as if I can't keep promises with myself anymore. I had thoughts of not reading this because of the whole idea of what it was based. [[SPOILER]] A pony on earth? What kind of plot line is that? But after reading the first few lines, I was hooked. I have felt like the main character a lot, stuck in a rut looking for anykind of saving grace. And the ending...that tore me to shreds!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful job man. I hope you keep writing amazing stuff like this.
Dammiit, beat me to the punch.
ReplyDelete*reads*
I LOVE THIS FIC!
If you wanted to make a sad sequel to this, all you'd have to do is write a piece taking place thirty years later (or however long until he dies) with the human on his deathbed, then he gets to see Dash one final time before he disappears forever.
ReplyDeleteI know you're not going to make a sequel, it's just an idea for someone else that wants to create one in their minds. Even though it would be really sad. The fact that one year for humans passes whereas only a day passes for them, even if they did re-meet, a long time would have passed. They probably wouldn't get a chance to spend that much time with each other.
Very touching story. I, myself, have never experienced any type of great loss like this, but it was heart-wrenching to read regardless. I'm not a very emotional person; I am a little choked up, but happy from the ending. The main character was very well written and reacted in a very human way in this situation, and the dual ironies in the end made the ending that much sweeter. I commend you for this.
ReplyDeleteGreat work. 5/5 stars from me.
@dublio
ReplyDeleteBro, I had that exact same idea.
It will never be written. For the same reason there will never be a sequel.
You're free to write it if you want, but it probably won't be accepted as canon to this story.
I don't mean to be a jerk about it, but too much time has gone into this story to make it what it is now.
Motherbucking horseapples and all other unsavoury other things. I am sending you my medical bill!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's a gosh-darn COMPLIMENT.
There is no reason why this story should be good, okay? When I recount the premise to myself, when I try to analyze it, everything comes up as "avoid".
So I read it and my world is now snot and and tears.
You beautiful bastard.
This story was good. Really good. Yeah, I shed tears. Bookmarked, downloaded, and filed away with my other favorite pony short stories.
ReplyDelete@Beard
ReplyDelete*static*
I hear you loud and clear! Though I'm not able to respond to everyone's comments (due to time and sleepyness) I"m trying show that I"m here for you all! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and thanks so much! That was another thing I was aiming for, trying to change how everyone looks at these style of stories.
ROBCakeran53 signing out, over!
*static*
Should have noted the "Sad" tag before reading. Still worth it though. I am not at all ashamed to admit I was bawling my eyes out at the end.
ReplyDelete@Cloudy Skies
ReplyDeleteOh, another medical bill? Just forward that to SirPeppermintJam, he's taking care of those, right buddy? I mean, what else are editors for?
@ROBCakeran53
ReplyDeleteNot with that attitude you won't! >:(
Shape up! You've got something good here and if you try you're best you can do it again!
@SirPeppermintJam
ReplyDeleteYeah, the story is much better when it's open ended because it gives people a chance to think up their own headcanons. This story seems to have hit critical mass on the website because it has so many comments on it. I'm very grateful for the work that you and ROBCakeran53 have done. You have both created a masterpiece, bring manly tears to thousands of people. :D
Can't say I shed any tears (but then again, I'm a heartless bastard when it comes to stories), but you definitely know how to hit a guy deep. I figure it would've affected me more if I were old enough to have a daughter of my own, but regardless, I'm glad I took the time to read this now.
ReplyDelete@ROBCakeran53
ReplyDeleteYeah, yeah, I'll pay for them.
Sheesh...the things I do for love.
@dublio Mission Accomplished.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, when I first read this, I broke down in a crowded Starbucks.
This fandom is truly amazing don't you think? Manly hugs for everyone!
ReplyDelete-hugs-
I...
ReplyDelete...it takes a lot to make me cry. The conditions have to be right, a certain way. There have been a a small handful of things in this fandom that have made me genuinely tear up. The Rainbow Dash "Memories" comic was probably the most emotional thing for me up to this point.
Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING I've seen before from the community, be it fic, pmv, fanart, etc. has mad me cry this hard. I don't expect everyone else to feel the same way, and I'm not even necessarily saying this is of better quality than any of the other amazing things this community's created.
But this was too much. I mean this in the nicest possible way when I say I don't know if I can read this fic again. It was like a knife into my heart. When I first saw the comic that inspired this, I remember getting emotional just from seeing that, knowing it could never be real. But this...this physically hurts me. I know it's bittersweet, I know the ending is ultimately a positive one, but still...to even think about it kills me. I've said this before, but Dash is my favorite pony, so right away I knew this story was going to effect me more than it would if it was another pony, though I imagine I'd still have a similar reaction were it actually another filly as opposed to Dash.
While I don't live in the conditions of decay and sadness that the protagonist lived in, I...when the fic opened, I felt like I was reading my life, as sad as I am to admit that. The numbness, the trying to desperately hold on to every little piece of happiness I can grasp, no matter how trivial it may seem, even something like MLP:FiM.
I can imagine someone reading this and thinking how pathetic this must sound. I won't necessarily disagree. But it's the truth. It's just that longing for something that you know is unattainable in this world, and the knowledge that everything, no matter how beautiful, must always end. That's what makes it beautiful though, I understand.
Apologies for spilling my guts. I don't normally do this. To the author, you have my utmost respect. Thank you for creating this, even if it hurt me to read it. It was a sweet pain.
Oh, and a little sidenote, I was listening to the album "recitation" by envy whilst reading this. Emotional post-rock makes the tears come that much quicker. ;_;
@private-enemy
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel bro. I can totally relate to you.
Just know that you aren't alone here.
And you don't sound pathetic. It takes a lot to tell someone how you feel about things, even if they are a stranger over the internet.
But, I suppose we really aren't strangers, now are we? We're all friends; we just haven't met yet.
I was putting myself into the main character's shoes at all time while reading this. I could feel the compassion, the bliss of finding one ray of hope in such a sterile, routinal world, the beauty of long-term platonic love, but most importantly, I realized that nothing lasts forever.
ReplyDeleteAll punched me in the heart and left me to think... What are you doing to crack your crack your shell open?
From now on I will live dreaming as if I was going to live forever and live as if I was going to die tonight.
Yeah, ponies fixed my life.
I am going to go drown in sorrows. It's the only way to forget that Rainbow Dash will never exist in my life.
ReplyDelete@private-enemy
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way and I suspect that tons of other people feel the same exact way too. There's no need to hold back, we don't think you sound pathetic.
Come on everyone, let's have a group hug. Yay friendship!
@Eat At Erik's
ReplyDeleteThat's good to hear. I could say the same too.
Goosebumps. Everywhere. Fantastic, sad, happy, heartwarming, heart wrenching story. 5 - stars.
ReplyDeleteTHIS WAS SO BEAUTIFULL! I cried so much at the end...thank god my family wasn't home at the time.
ReplyDelete@private-enemy
ReplyDeleteGuy, as I'm sure the critical mass of comments will attest to...you're not alone in that reaction.
That's all I'm going to say.
To think I once made fun of Avatar fans for being depressed over Pandora not being real...
...I am not the type that cries easily, infact, a good chuck of the "sad" stories I've read haven't made me cry or even feel that sad.
ReplyDeleteBut THIS story right here, it almost put me to tears. The only reason why I DIDN'T cry was because my mom and grandma is near by, and I didn't want them to think something was wrong with me. The only fanfic to top this one in pushing me to cry is "Bittersweet", that one made my eyes water because it was sad. But this one, it is not only sad, but cute at the same time.
ROBCakeran53, amazing job on this story. I hope to see more stories written by you, maybe even a sequel to this one(not likely that it would happen though, seeing this ended in a perfect way.)
:claps:
ReplyDeleteThank you good sir, you have made my night. You've nearly brought me to tears, the only thing holding them back is my room-mate. Thank you so much.
This sadness feels so good.
ReplyDeleteI really needed a good cry...
ReplyDeleteSamPD *SPOILER ALLERT!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
ReplyDeleteTURN BACK BEFORE PINKAMENA DIANE PIE JUMPS OUT OF THE FORTH WALL AND TURNS YOU INTO CUPCAKES....*
I would be lying if I said if this didn't bring a tear to my eye. Quite the opposite infact. It brings out a very powerful emotion... And it has left me a bit more than depressed. Then again, so has everyone else has said the same. Then I realized that while this world ain't gloom and doom, it is a very mundane existence at best, with all the horror and suffering the world has.
It makes utopias like Equestria... Desirable.
By Celestia, damnit this is supposed to make me happy! Not all sad and doomy! *Ahem* Sorry about that. But all said and done, this is an excellent one shot. Or is it? I won't get my hopes up, usually I can see a one shot miles away. This isn't the thing where you suddenly push in a sequel. Even if it is crap, I will still take it. With that said, I wish you the best of luck on your next story.
Allon zi!
Y'know, I've been reading these comments and thinking... this whole thing is kinda sad. We're inventing stories about... ponies. From a kids TV series. And then bawling our eyes out over them.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, as I've mentioned earlier I loved the story (although I'm STILL gluing my soul back together), but seriously... we need to raise our lives to a higher standard.
And private-enemy, I'm right there with ya bro. This sort of thing makes your life seem meaningless, especially when it involves your favorite pony.
But ya know, there are some things that never end... like love and friendship. Remember that.
Well done, author! One of the best emotional short stories I've read in some time. You may say that you feel embarrassed by lack of description of surroundings, etc., but that's not what this story was about. Your ability to push all the emotional buttons correctly rivals the ability of the Konami code to grant extra lives. Truly a great story.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I'd like to imagine that, perhaps years down the road, the gentleman in the story will find love, and father a daughter of his own, and show just as much love and affection to her.
THEN Rainbow Dash shows back up.
@Jordan
ReplyDeleteYou aren't the only one, bro.
@SirPeppermintJam So about 100 comments ago I thanked the author, but I followed the comments and had to thank you too!
ReplyDeleteIt's been nearly two hours since I finished the story, and I'm still thinking about it!
6 stars
ReplyDeletespoiler alert!
ReplyDeleteI felt my heart grow cold at the end after Dash left. The whole idea of all physical evidence of someone's existence getting erased is depressing. And getting the details about what they got replaced with made it even more sad.
This is definitely a story I have to share with my younger sister who also likes the show.
Oh gawd the tears...
ReplyDeleteMy heart can't take it...
@Bloomberg
ReplyDeleteYou're thanks is much appreciated. I'm glad you're still thinking about it. That means I did a good job!
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
@SirPeppermintJam
ReplyDeleteI'm sure. Forgot to credit you in my last post: very well edited, whatever input you put in, the final product is excellent. Also, after reading your blurb on dA: I hope no ending gets published, because it's near perfect for how a short story should end.
Oh god
ReplyDeleteThat ending
That letter
So many tears
I am now dead. This story has killed me. My heart stopped beating a few seconds ago and I don't think it's going to start up again. I leave you wall with this final goodbye, for what killed me was not an act of malevolence but of my body being overpowered by a force too great for mortals to withstand.
ReplyDeletethank you... I cried
ReplyDeleteI've been needing to cleanse my system for a while with a good sad fic, as sad as that sounds...
This hits all the right notes for me personally as I can relate directly with the Characters situation. We all need something to keep us going and make us strive to be better. I too have grown cynical of the world, yet it's those little things like this fandom that have taught me to never give up hope when the path seems endless.
Thank you so much for all of this.
These are manly tears...
ReplyDeletewell, here I go. after reading the comments I am bracing myself for the unknown. I'll see you all on the other side.
ReplyDelete@Jordan
ReplyDeleteAs much as I want to write an ending for this, it's better off as it is.
Your thanks is much appreciated. Editing is fun, yo. Hit me up if you ever have any work to be done.
If there's one MLP fic that will make you shed tears, it is this fic.
ReplyDelete@Eonseig
ReplyDeleteIt's ok, I'll speak at your eulogy for you if you'd like.
And thus my day has been made complete. The sadness feels so good because after the tears have dried there remains the hope of a brighter tomorrow. Let it all out, bros; where else can you be free and open if not around each other? I cried and I loved doing so. Share the happiness of hope with others, pass it on and make a total stranger's day better. The ponies have helped me to realize that being who we are isn't just about the fandom: it's about being better today than we were yesterday and leaving that legacy for others to carry onward into that brighter tomorrow.
ReplyDelete@ROBCakeran53 you have cemented yourself in brony history. honestly,this is one of the best fics out there. if you write any more stories please dont think people will compare it to this because that just wouldn't be fair, this story is just to good. you know... when mlp:fim is over and were all looking back at this great fandom and at all the art, music, fics, ect... that it produced, this is one of the storys that will be remembered. thank you for writing this, it was truly a pleasure to read.
ReplyDeleteWow...I was heading to TV Tropes to add this to the recommended fanfics list, and it turns out it's already there.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how long this actually been out there on the internet before EQD posted it, so I can't say for sure how fast that was...but damn I love this fandom.
One of the most beautiful stories i've ever read.
ReplyDeleteI cried, mister ROBCakeran53, thank you for creating such a bittersweet and heartwarming story, words simply cannot describe the quality of this!
@wadegmc
ReplyDeleteI am so honored, thank you for your words. I will do what I can, and hope to continue making people smile, or laugh, or cry, or whatever emotion they should feel when reading.
Damn that was really sad. I liked it and I loved the whole story, but it was more sad that I was hoping it would be...
ReplyDeleteAh well, sweet story nonetheless. Glad you managed to make it a one shot, it worked out well that way.
But I think if anyone tries another story like this, they'll be REALLY hard pressed to come up with something creative or sweet as this story was.
@Jordan
ReplyDeleteOh dear Jordan...
*In a Trixe Voice*
You just gave me an idea....
*LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!*
@SirPeppermintJam
ReplyDelete@dublio
@TheBlackBaron
@CX4Ever
Thanks guys. I know people have obviously been moved by this story, I just didn't expect everyone to feel exactly like I did about it. It's nice to hear from people that felt similar to me.
I say this all the freakin' time, but it bears repeating: This community is amazing, I love being a part of it and I love all you awesome ponyfolk out there, especially you ROBCakeran53 right now. <3 Despite how I might have come across in my post above, you all DO make me happy, and I love you all for that. Hugs for everypony.
You magnificent bastard, you.
ReplyDeleteThat was so beautiful, so heartwrenching.
This fic makes me cry.
5/5, that's all I can say.
@ForlanceAbice
ReplyDelete*spikevoice*
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
But seriously, if you do anything to sully this story's already amazing reputation, the love and toleration of bronies everywhere will be upon you.
@Aeolus
ReplyDeleteReally?
I disagree.
It's a messed up world. Always has been.
It's also a very beautiful world. Always has been.
It could be so much better.
It could also be so much worse. And you don't have to read Post-Apocalyptic fiction to know that. A simple read of history will suffice.
Hell, my people used to be God damn SLAVES for 300 years. Then they freed us....except, LOL NO, they replaced the shit with the KKK and Jim Crow and crazed lynch mobs that would tear apart men...women...children...then pose in front of the charred corpse for MOTHERFUCKING SOUVENIR PHOTOS, SMILING.
Another 100 goes by, and yay, we can finally sit in the front of the bus. But of course by then, decades of government policy has already assured that we're largely relegated to peasant class status. The drugs flood in, a flood which said Gov't may or may not have had anything to do with wink wink, and now all of the sudden we're shooting each other over who gets to sell poison to their people on a certain street corner. THEN Crack Cocaine is invented.
Now we're shooting each other over sneakers and all kinds of bullshit. Faheem Thomas-Childs is walking to class and he gets his face blown off by a stray bullet because some *ASSHOLES* decided to have a shootout outside a elementary school while the kids are walking in. There was a another one in Philly where some dude killed a kid riding a bike in front of his car because he was moving too slow. Now we lynch ourselves.
(to be continued becuz this shit is SO LONG, I broke the comment feature)
Of course, some other things was happening while all this horror was taking place.
ReplyDeleteThe Slaves sang in the Fields. Jazzmen transcended art in Harlem while entire "Colored" sections of cities were burned to the ground. A dirt-poor sharecropper kid that can't look at a white woman without risking his life gives himself the ridiculous stage name "Muddy Waters", moves to Chicago, and shows the entire world how to play a fucking guitar. A Jamaican DJ starts looping James Brown drum breaks at a party so he can make some cash and escape the ghetto gang bullshit. He winds up starting a cultural revolution instead.
And here I am today, still listening to Biggie rapping about mugging pregnant women. Few things give me greater joy.
Oh sure, still love my Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, and all that other dope positive shit. But Styles P or Beanie Sigel bragging about pistol whipping parents in front of their children or suicide bombing a concert? I fucking love that shit lol. I even have a little bit of love for that non-lyrical, 100% substance-free, downright retarded Gucci Mane/Waka Flocka bullshit that a small child could write.
Why? How can I lament us killing each other while adoring songs about said killing?
Whelp.....
It's just what we weird-ass humans do.
I've wondered what I would say to Celestia if asked to briefly summarize humanity. My answer:
"We do the most horrible things imaginable to each other. Then we survive the horrors. And eventually, we sing songs about them."
Yeah. That's about right if you ask me.
Silver lining? Weak consolation prize? Glass half-full bullshit? Perhaps. But I do know that those old racist motherfuckers are all dead. The songs remain. Long after all the gangstas are dead, the songs will remain. This world will see another 100 Hitlers, but after they pass....somewhere, someplace, sometime, there will be a dude at a party drunk off his ass BELTING out the chorus to "Just A Friend" by Biz Markie.
Fuck, I can't believe I typed all this. Prolly two people will read this Great Wall of Text.
Still felt good tho.
Felt GREAT.
Thanks.
awwweeee i want one too.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten how salty tears were. This story, It just hit me. I haven't cried like this for ages. I still haven't stopped.
ReplyDeleteI love you, for making this story. Nothing has touched me like this has.
Thank you. For creating such a beautiful story.
*Runs off to cry some more*
@mycutiemarkisagun
ReplyDeleteDude. That was brilliant. The rainbow doesn't exist without the rain, kinda thing. Absolutely great writing from you, and I just thought you should know.
Oh man, This is amazing. I can't look at rainbow dash the same way again. When i see her it reminds me of this fic, And when i see this fic it makes me want to read it over and over again. This was one the few I actually reread instantly as soon as it was over because it was just that good. I haven't read anything like this before. Thank you.
ReplyDelete