Winds of the Past

by Fantasia

Epilogue - Summer Sun Preparations

"So," began Twilight, peering down at Spike; "do we have everything we need?"

"If by everything, you mean ourselves and our assignment, then yes."

Twilight smiled a bit, as she rolled her eyes at the remark.

She turned to face her brother, who had accompanied her to see her off.

The two stood atop one of Canterlot Castle's many towers.

"Goodbye, Big brother. Promise me... we'll still be best friends?"

"What are you so worried about, Twily?" Shining flashed her a confident smile. "I mean, sure, it's the first time you've left on your own, but you'll be back before you know i—"

"Just promise me, Big Brother," Twilight cut him off, looking away. She bit her lip, scuffing the floor with her hoof as her voice weakened. "I... I don't think I could bear to lose my only friend."

Spike's gaze widened the slightest bit before averting itself to the ground, his hand clutching his other arm's elbow, and not going unnoticed by Shining. He looked softly down upon Spike before returning his gaze to Twilight's.

"Yes, Twily, I'll still be your best friend forever; but... I'm not your only best friend either. You'll see that someday..."

And at that, Twilight started to laugh, stifling it behind closed lips. "Be serious, Big Brother," she managed to say, "More than one best friend would be ridiculous."

Regaining her composure, she turned and began walking towards the chariot, but not before looking back over her shoulder at Spike. "Come along now, Spike. We have an assignment to fulfill."

Spike hesitated before siding with her, nodding his head, and following along after her.

The two boarded the chariot—operated by a pair of pegasi pilots—Twilight in particular looking back at her brother and waving softly.

The two eventually entered the skies, still looking back at the place that had been their home for as long as they could remember.

Twilight was the first to turn away, letting out a sigh, and resting her forelegs over the side of the chariot, the wind blowing through her mane. "Never thought I'd ever actually leave this place..."

Spike turned as well, looking up at her. "Did you really have to laugh off what your brother said though? I mean, would it kill you to at least try?"

"Maybe," Twilight stubbornly insisted.

"You know I'm going to keep pestering you about it until you do," Spike replied. Twilight grumbled.

"I mean..." He looked off, throwing caution to the wind as he murmured, "We could be friends."

Twilight blinked, turning to him, surprised. "Oh, Spike; is that what this is about?"

Spike nodded meekly and in return, she snorted lightly in amusement. "Well, you don't have to worry about that, Spike, because you're something better than a friend." He looked up at her questioningly. "You're my very best assistant, Spike."

He deadpanned. "Assistant?"

Twilight nodded. "Assistants never use you, or... abandon you—unless given the option to quit of course. They're helpful, and they never let you down." Twilight smiled down at him. "You should be very proud to be my assistant, Spike."

"Proud, right..." Spike's gaze fell, and his brow crinkled. "Is that why you're so against friendship? You're afraid of ponies leaving you?"

Twilight shot him a look before staring off into the distance. "I'm not really one to believe in dreams—they're just something that... occupy the mind while we rest, but... after what I dreamed about..." Her eyelids lowered, gazing, sullen, into the clouds. "The feeling of losing a friend is very painful, Spike... Even if it only happened in a series of dreams."

"Twilight..." Spike placed a reassuring hand on her foreleg. "As awful as it must have been, they were just dreams. You can't let them get in the way of making new friends."

Twilight shrugged in response. "If you experienced the same dreams I did..." She shook her head and sighed. "I just wish I could put them to rest..."

Spike softly nodded. "Well... hay, maybe what you're looking for is... lying right in Ponyville," he mused, unraveling Celestia's letter and holding it out before him. "Speaking of... Let's go over what she's asking us again."

Twilight groaned, burying her face in her forelegs.

---

A pair of forelegs and hind legs laid sprawled out on top of a cloud, a certain mare's mouth hanging open while her body sucked in another breath of air. She snored soundly, her chest softly rising up and down.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Her eyelids winced, her right ear flickering once at the sound of somepony calling her name in her sleep.

"Rainbow Dash!"

"Zz—huh...?" Her eyes fluttered open, squinting at first from the sun. "Wha...?" Another loud cry of her name caused her to cringe slightly, her expression quickly becoming peeved.

"Rainbow Daaaaaash!"

Pinkie Pie... With a groan, Rainbow flipped herself over on the cloud she was resting on, staring down at the pink pony.

Pinkie beamed upon seeing her. "Oh good, you're awake. See, I needed you awake real bad because moments ago I was walking through town, and everything seemed all nice and hunky-dory—that is until I ran into this unicorn mare with a purple coat, and blue mane and dragon assistant, and gasped because I'm pretty sure she's a certain somepony that we both know and love, so I ran off to find you and here I am and—"

Rainbow closed her eyes, holding a hoof to her temple and outstretching her other foreleg down at the earth pony, silently asking her to stop.

She was too tired for this.

"Pinkie Pie... Enough, alright? I've never met any "purple unicorn," and neither have you—I'm guessing. I mean, knowing you and your active imagination, you probably just imagined or... dreamt up the whole thing." Pinkie cocked her head at that, but Rainbow continued, smiling reassuringly. "Take it from me, Pinkie Pie; you've never met this mare before, okay? You've never seen her before, and it's just gonna keep bugging you the more you try and think about what never, ever happened in the first place, alright?"

"I've never seen her before..." Pinkie smiled up at her. "If you say so, Dashie."

Rainbow rolled her eyes at her nickname.

"Now," she grinned, "why don't you do what you always do and throw a party for this mystery mare. Show her some good old-fashioned Ponyville hospitality!"

"Okey dokey, Lokey," Pinkie replied enthusiastically, saluting her before moving on down the street, bouncing up and down and humming merrily to herself. Could have sworn I didn't dream all that up. Maybe Rainbow's right though, and I did because she was so lonely all those months ago. Like, all those times I visited her, and she visited me, 'Twilight' was just somepony I made up. I... wanted to believe she was living a life of happiness, that... while she was away, she was with a pony who loved her, but that was just me trying to make sense of her going away...

She sighed, shaking her depressive thoughts from her head. Well, she's home again for good, and... everypony adores her 'cause of that heroic stunt she pulled way back when! That unicorn however seemed like she could use somepony—maybe I'll set the two of them up so she and Rainbow can each have a new friend! I'll grab our closest friends too, and hay, the fact that she looks an awful lot like that pony I imagined maybe means that we were all destined to be friends!

Pinkie smiled, barely able to contain her excitement. I always knew I'd make a great psychic! Madame Pinkie... I can see it now!

---

Rainbow huffed, opening her eyes for the tenth time and staring bitterly up at the sky.

And now I can't fall back asleep... Great. She sighed, sitting up and shaking her mane back into shape. May as well train some more.

She flew around for a good half hour, pulling off some casual flips and rolls, when her eyes took note of a couple of someponies on the ground below: a blue-maned, purple unicorn mare, and a little dragon. She became so lost in them, that she didn't notice when she began slipping out of the sky—slowly at first, but her descent quickly began picking up speed.

Rainbow's eyes widened. She was coming in right for her.

Aw man! she fretted. Pull up, pull up, pull—!

Her thoughts ceased as she knocked the poor unicorn off her hooves like she was nothing, and into a body of mud several feet away.

She blinked, taking in what had happened, and her current position, which seated her on top of said very unicorn, who laid face-first in the mud.

Splotches of it coated their manes, ears, and forelegs.

Rainbow sat up, looking over her shoulder before grinning sheepishly. "Uh, 'scuse me?" She laughed softly, leaning in closer to the unicorn.

Twilight groaned, narrowing her eyes as she lifted her face out of the mud.

She sat up as Rainbow jumped into the air, proclaiming, "Let me help you."

She flew off and came back with a thick cumulus cloud, positioning it just above Twilight, to which the unicorn eyed it skeptically.

She jumped on the cloud a bunch, shaking loose a torrent of rushing water.

Water that drenched Twilight to the bone, leaving her mane and coat dripping and soaked.

Rainbow peeked out from over the edge of the cloud, holding her hooves to her cheeks as she sheepishly chuckled. "Oops, I guess I overdid it." She tapped her chin. "Um, uh, how about this?" Twilight's mouth fell open right before the pegasus encircled her in a mini tornado, drying up all the mud as well. "My very own patented Rain-Blow Dry!" she boasted, setting down in front of her. "No no, Don't thank me. You're quite welcome."

Twilight only glowered at her as Rainbow took a look at her and saw what her stunt had done to the unicorn's mane and tail. It's... poofier than Pinkie Pie's! she thought, tears building in her eyes before bursting out laughing

Spike couldn't help but burst out laughing as well, falling on top of Rainbow.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, staring at the two, unamused. "Let me guess. You're Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow stopped laughing and sprang to her hooves, accidentally flinging Spike off her back in the process.

She stood flattered before Twilight, holding a hoof to her chest. "The one and only. Why," she asked, hovering and leaning in close to Twilight, Twilight herself leaning back, perturbed. "You heard of me?"

"I heard you were supposed to be keeping the sky clear." Rainbow flew up to a nearby cloud as Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed, deciding to start over. "I'm Twilight Sparkle—" Rainbow stifled a laugh behind her lips, facing away from the unicorn as she reclined on the cloud she had flown to. "—and the princess sent me to check on the weather."

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow waved off her concern. "That'll be a snap. I'll do it in a jiffy. Just as soon as I'm done practicing."

Twilight cocked her head, looking at Rainbow in puzzlement. "Practicing for what?"

"The Wonderbolts!" Rainbow exclaimed, pointing to a poster on the side of a building behind them. "They're gonna perform at the celebration tomorrow, and I'm gonna show 'em my stuff!"

"The Wonderbolts?" Twilight repeated, skeptical, with a humored smile on her face.

"Yep!"

"The most talented flyers in all of Equestria?"

"That's them!"

"Pfft! Please," she teased. "They'd never accept a pegasus who can't even keep the sky clear for one measly day."

"Hey," Rainbow shot back, pointing out to the sky. "I could clear this sky in ten seconds flat."

Twilight grinned, giving her a daring look. "Prove it."

Rainbow scowled. The gall of this unicorn!

She catapulted into the sky, obliterating the surrounding clouds with such force it swept through Twilight's mane and caused her to flinch.

"Loop the loop around, and wham!" Rainbow stopped to hover above the bridge in front of Twilight and Spike, setting down on the bridge's right railing. "What'd I say? Ten. Seconds. Flat. I'd never leave Ponyville hanging."

Rainbow chuckled, seeing Twilight's open-mouthed, stunned expression as she continued staring up at where she had been sitting. "You should see the look on your face. Ha! You're a laugh, Twilight Sparkle." Rainbow hovered beside her, Twilight's eyes widening but never gazing away, her mouth snapping shut at what Rainbow said next.

"I can't wait to hang out some more!"

The End

---

Years later...

"I don't understand it, Spike."

Spike sat sideways with his feet reclined over the armrest of his throne, a comic in his clawed hands.

"Spike?" Twilight, with her left cheek resting against her hoof and her other tapping a bored rhythm on the table in the center, looked to her assistant. "Spike!"

Spike sighed, closing his comic between his hands. "Waiting around for it isn't going to make it go any faster, Twilight; and besides, isn't a lack of emergencies a good thing?"

"It isn't the map, Spike. It's the chandelier the girls made from the roots of our old library. Er, more specifically, the decorative stones that hang from its roots."

"What about them? They... are just decorations, right?"

"Maybe... but, when I look at them, I see all the memories I've shared with them there, and yet... Spike, there's one I just can't make out."

"Alright, well... describe it to me. What's it look like to you?"

"Foggy... like, something's interfering with my memory of it."

"That's silly, Twilight. Why would anything want to mess with your memories?"

Twilight gazed away solemnly. "I don't know, Spike."

"H-hey, I... wasn't being serious, you know," Spike quickly assured, though it didn't snap her out of it.

She stared up long and hard at the red gemstone, to the point of where she swore it was making her brain hurt.

She brought her hoof up from her cheek to her left temple to massage it gently, when her eyes widened.

She let out a breathless gasp as she finally made something out. Something very familiar.

Rainbow?

Author's Note:

Thanks for reading.

In conclusion, I just want to say that this is the ending I always envisioned. I always imagined a bittersweet ending, with the two of them somehow forgetting one another, and the events lining up to coincide with the beginning of the series. I had always intended this to be a sort of prequel to Friendship is Magic, regardless of how much the idea hampers potential story ideas, and regardless of how many changes the story went through.

Anyway, that's all I have to say really.

I hope you stick around for the sequel!

Comments

[Eclipse_Nova]

One small thing though... what is this world's Starlight doing if the one that created Our Town was 'Kite'?

[Fantasia]

10903456
The implication is supposed to be that this Starlight befriends Trixie, and reunites with Sunburst, having the happy life that 'Kite' never did. It's not shown, but after the three graduate, they part ways with Sunburst, with Starlight accompanying Trixie as her assistant. They visit Ponyville eventually, and the events of "Boast Busters" play out somewhat the same, but instead of Trixie refusing defeat and escaping, things play out a little differently, and the two are taught humility through Twilight and friends, and are otherwise forgiven by Ponyville, especially after having gone through a similar thing with Rainbow. The two agree to be better ponies, befriending Twilight and the others, and eventually end up making Ponyville their permanent home much earlier than we see in the tv series.

[Alei]

Sequel?

[Fantasia]

10928537
Yeah, though, I doubt many people will read it. I'm still debating on how to go about it... whether to hide it behind a paywall for those who really care, or, if enough people want it, I'll publish it here for free. I hated working on this for as long as I have, and having almost nothing to show for it, getting less and less engagement as the story progressed even. Because so far, only you, and like, a couple people in the past have asked about a sequel. I dunno, I was thinking about doing a poll to gauge potential interest in the sequel, but only until I'm actually ready to start working on it.

Anyway, tl;dr: there will be, I'm just not ready to work on it yet.

[Unintelligent]

You're being too hard on yourself.

[Bill123]

10928611
To be fair engagement may have been low because of various reasons, the show ending, the time between updates meant it barely shows on the front page and the time between updates meant less people would learn about the story.

For me the story has been going on for so long I forgot about it and by the time I came back to the story I just waited for it to be finished before reading it.

If you did do a sequel I would very much read it.

[Lemonshrike Catworthy]

This story was quite surprising to me, and didn't go anything like I anticipated.
I, good author, am annoyed, confronted, and overjoyed.
This was awesome, and I sincerely wish there was more to it. You tied it together incredibly, and did what few authors dare to do; let the good guys lose. I loved this story, and am glad to have been able to read the full, completed version of it. There was so much you could have done to change the tale, but, while the story may be 'lacking', I think the way it's all pulled together, and the fact that the ending is so underwhelming, is itself tantalising. There's so much open here, and that's wonderful! There's a second thread of the story hanging just out of reach, and I believe I'll follow that in my dreams.

I'd love a sequel, absolutely, but I understand that will absolutely take time and dedication.
Nonetheless, this was stellar!

[Fantasia]

11037178
Thank you. Your comment really made my evening. I'm glad you were able to appreciate what I was going for, and ultimately ended up doing. I know there were indeed lots of missed opportunities and a rather unsavory conclusion, and I know more than anyone that this story has its flaws, but it means a lot you still think it's not only great, but that the moments people may not like actually benefit the story in some ways. I myself really did want to end the story differently, and hated writing such an underwhelming, subversive ending, but I always intended this to be part of a saga, with the sequel being the 'proper' conclusion to this story. So while this story may be complete, it's still only part 1 of 2. Nevertheless though, it's nice to know you love it as is, and thanks again for your kind words! I feel like your review of my story just really captures what I hoping to achieve with this, and it's comments like yours that reminds me why I keep writing. So yeah, stay tuned for the sequel; but don't worry, it won't take nearly as long as this story took to complete. I'm still just taking a break from writing anything, but I sincerely do plan on starting it this year.

[Spirit Wind]

I was looking forward to when this story finished! The climax and conflict was intense. I definitely didn’t see the story going as it did at all! While the ending was definitely bittersweet and not at all how I’d personally like to have seen it gone, it definitely does add a lot of potential for a sequel, and I’ll be looking forward to it!

[Almeryst]

Woo I finally finished this story!! I'm a little torn as to how I feel about the ending. (I'm a sucker for a happy ending and that was anything but lol). I hope that the sequel happens and that the lost memories are returned.
Thank you for writing this and keeping us all entertained :)

[twiily]

SEQUEL WHEN

I'm kidding, please take your time to write it! I know how stressful writing a whole book can be and you shouldn't be pressured to do it, since you still have a life and all.

So anyways, this will be the first time I'm gonna be commenting on a book about my thoughts and feelings on everything (I'll try to at least, since this has lots of things to touch on it'll take me hours to get through everything). I'm usually a silent fangirl, or I rant to my unfortunate friends about what the bloody hell I'm reading that's making me freak myself out to oblivion.

First of all, I really thought this was just a book about Rainbow's struggles with amnesia and how Twilight will help her through it, but goddamn was I wrong about that and I am more than satisfied with it. Since I'm actually fond of books with the juicy, juicy long word length, I didn't mind the long chapters all that much. I actually enjoyed that you put so much situations and detail to everything here. As I always do with my favorite ship ever, I helped myself to my fangirl tendencies at the smallest things, not just with TwiDash but also the references. You made the continuities flow so well with the canon events of the show, which surprised me every single time I recognized a reference. I applaud you for that.

But what?! Starlight was actually an important part to this story?! I thought she was just a cameo, but wow! The connection you made with Cutie Remark and your story was astronomically impressive – I did not see that coming. I'm very excited for what part she'll play in the sequel!

Boy, was I conflicted when the memory wiping of everyone happened. Man, and I thought Rainbow was the only one who'd get amnesia here. Damned shadowy rogue emotions thingy.

I have to admit, I did see the evil Twilight coming – though it was just a matter of my silly predictions of "haha wouldn't it be funny if this mystery villain was actually evil Twilight???" I was more surprised that I was right than anything really, but that didn't affect what I thought of this book, seriously. I've just read too many TwiDash books in this site.

The flow of the story was absolutely gorgeous! You succeeded in making me feel things in every aspect of this book, especially the end. I expected a fluffy TwiDash wedding at the end, but instead, all those mundane slice-of-life (yes, that was a TOH reference ) memories disappeared in a flash. Well, not permanently since they're probably just repressed from everyone's memories. But by god, I cried so hard because of that and it's not just because I'm emotional when it comes to TwiDash! Think of what Moondancer must be feeling right now. Her depression was just being lifted up by her friendship with Twilight, Dash, and Spike (and Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, and Minuette but they're besides the point). But they all left her without saying goodbye. She must've fallen back into her depression again... I feel so bad for her.

I don't know how all of Ponyville somehow acted like they didn't know Twilight, if they were acting. It's either they're just very forgetful or the black memory-erasing goo got to them too. I doubt the latter though because of Pinkie; by the way, this is the only thing I'm confused about and somewhat unsatisfied with in this book. How could Pinkie just settle with the explanation that she was imagining everything to convince herself Rainbow was fine? And what about Fluttershy? Wouldn't she remember Twilight, a major part in her fillyhood friend's life, after their day in Canterlot and the hospital incident? I'm still very confused about that, but that didn't really stop me from the despair I felt at the depressing end of this book.

Also, I know I should just move on from the past, because this book is clearly saying that whatever life they're in, Twilight and Rainbow will always end up finding each other. But as a sentimental person, that's easier said than done. Besides, I just knew the gala incident wouldn't be forgotten for long. That's why I'm relieved that there's a sequel for Winds of the Past.

Now of course, I went into this book not knowing there was a sequel, but as someone who never reads incomplete books or books with unpublished sequels, the fact that I'm willing to wait for this one's sequel is saying a lot. I'm usually an impatient person who can't handle cliffhangers, but you know what? If it takes you years to be able to write the sequel, I'm willing to wait without pushing you to just finish it. With a story with this much potential, it's no surprise that years of work would have to be put into the sequel. So, good luck with it, dear author! Please don't rush what you have because it truly is one of a kind.

Kudos to you for completing Winds of the Past! I'm very excited for what's to come. However, do remember to write because you enjoy it, not for the number of reads. As rewarding it can be to be successful with your book, it's even more rewarding if you happen to finish it. I know for a fact that lots of avid readers have made it to the end of this book because they appreciate it as much as I do. Thank you for a wonderful read, Fantasia.

[Fantasia]

11282453

Wow, um... That's quite the flattering, as well as in-depth and well-written review you wrote there. Can't say I've ever received one quite as intricate while, at the same time, touching upon so many aspects of the story itself. Thank you. Your words really mean a lot to me. Sometimes I lose confidence in myself, and my writing capability, so comments like yours really help to reinvigorate me, and keep my confidence up.

Addressing your comments about Ponyville real fast, and about nopony recognizing Twilight... Well, maybe it wasn't explicitly made clear within the context of the story, but when Twilight was in Ponyville... she was hospitalized throughout most of the day, so she never met the other ponies, the other Mane 3 included. They only ever heard her name, so how could they be certain this Twilight that would soon come to live with them, would be the same Twilight that Rainbow rescued. When Rainbow DID take her outside, it was during the early hours of the night. Some ponies were about, like Derpy, Time Turner, Lyra, Bon Bon, but a lot were at home, indoors, or elsewhere in the town. They spent some hours in the library, before returning eventually to the hospital, then leaving for Canterlot in the early morning. Nopony was pretending not to know Twilight—they just literally never met her. And the few who did, they just assumed the two were still dating, and sort of just kept that knowledge to themselves. They never asked Twi or Rainbow about it, because they hardly ever talk. Within the context of the show, we never really see Twi or Rainbow interact with Lyra or Bon Bon, or Derpy because they're honestly just not depicted as very close, or even friends at all, but more like casual acquaintances. (Yes, I know Lyra was one of Twilight's "Canterlot friends," but that doesn't change the fact that they never interact with one another while in Ponyville, and Twilight seemingly had no idea Lyra even LIVED in Ponyville, and was visiting her Canterlot friends and vice versa in Amending Fences. In fact, checked the wikia transcript as I'm writing this, and found this line: Minuette: You remember our old friend, Lyra, right? She lives in Ponyville too. We're always over there visiting her. Or she's coming over here! We've thought about asking you to join us from time to time, but we just sorta figured you'd moved on. That goes to show their mentality regarding the matter. Twilight has her own life, and at the same time, Lyra has her relationship with Bon Bon. Other ponies' relationships aren't really her priority.

As for Pinkie Pie... yeeeeaaah. Look, I'm not going to act like everything was preordained, and I can excuse every little thing and that this story is perfect, and that there aren't any plot holes or flaws, because there certainly are. I'll own up to that. This story certainly suffers a little towards the end because I really wanted to end the story a certain way, and so I had to suddenly steer the story in a certain direction, and not everything flowed evenly and made perfect sense. I can say it's Pinkie's character being... well, Pinkie, not having the best grip on reality, and would be the type to believe in a narrative that one of her friends fed her. I WILL say though, if I can defend myself a little, that I do sort of think it's in-character for Pinkie to meet a pony named Twilight, and still think it's a different pony, especially after Rainbow's stubborn refusal. I mean, for all Pinkie knows, it's a big world, and it could be a totally unrelated purple unicorn named Twilight, who coincidently moved from Canterlot. Don't forget also that Pinkie only ever technically met Twilight ONCE while in Canterlot, and for a brief time. She also knows everypony in Ponyville, sure, buuut the faces of everypony in Canterlot is a different story for her...

And as for Fluttershy... I actually wrote a bonus... chapter? I guess you could call it, that's exclusive to my patreon, and the physical book version. It kinda sheds a little light on this aspect of the story as well, but yeah, unlike Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy never MET Twilight. Oh, she HEARD about Twilight from Rainbow, sure, but never knew what Twilight looked like. The idea was, that even if Fluttershy put two and two together, and figured out that this Twilight was the same that Rainbow was engaged to, she would be too shy-slash-heartbroken to try and explain to them the truth. In fact, I was kind of going off the idea that the scene in the very first episode where Twilight meets Fluttershy for the very first time and Fluttershy is too shy to say anything, that in this timeline, the context of that scene is different, and Fluttershy is actually just too anxious to ask Twilight about Rainbow. I like to think it adds a bit more of an added meaning to that scene too, instead of it just being Fluttershy is, well... SHY. But anyway... I'll add lastly that both Pinkie and Fluttershy technically knowing the truth WILL be expanded upon in the sequel, but until then, I hope this maybe cleared things up a little.

Anyway, in conclusion, I would just like to say thank you again for your very kind words, and I'm very pleased to know you're such a big fan of my work, but I would like to add that I don't think you'll be waiting YEARS for the sequel, seeing as its already being written. I plan on releasing the first chapters this summer actually, to my patreon first of course, but I will be publishing it here in time, once I feel like I've gotten enough written to where I can comfortably release chapters on a scheduled, weekly, or bimonthly manner for example. I post all of my status updates to my patreon too of course, free of charge, so if you're interested, be sure to check there from time to time. I actually posted a draft of the cover art for the sequel not too long ago there as well, if you're interested.

[twiily]

11282758
You're welcome! I'm glad that my review has touched you in that way. And regarding the "everypony not recognizing Twilight" thing, thank you for explaining that to me, I understand what you were trying to imply there. I'm more than excited to see how Fluttershy and Pinkie knowing the truth part will play to the sequel.

I'm not really a Patreon user, but I just saw the draft of the cover art for Repercussions of the Past and I have to say I am intrigued! I see that war Rainbow universe and Pony Life reference you put in there hehe. I'm gonna guess they're going to cross universes or something along those lines, and that the doppleganger Twilight will somehow return to the story at some point. And apparently Sunny and Zipp are gonna be in the sequel? Oooh, I wonder if you're gonna make them be related to Twilight and Rainbow. I always thought of them as their daughters actually, or like the second generation of TwiDash I'm now more than excited to read the sequel than ever!

I'm also glad to hear that you're planning to post it this summer. I've seen fan fiction book series that take years to get finished, so being the usually forgetful person that I am, it's relieving to hear that you're actually working on the sequel and I won't have to wait very long. I admire that you're very passionate about your projects. Just know that I'm here to support you when it comes out! Take your time & keep writing~

[Not_Important]

Definitely nice fiction, especially the evolution of the characters. At the end of the story you said there was going to be a sequel; by chance it was canceled?

[Matrixpony]

And finally finished the last chapter. Wow, not at all how I expected it to end, and unfortunately it really wasn't my cup of tea. One part is simply that I often times dislike fics that end on an unexpected sour (even arguably tragic) note, especially when it's unannounced and untagged, but the main parts of my criticism I will try to expand on below.
Now, please don't take this too seriously, it is merely my immediate reactions and impressions. It really is a mammoth accomplishment to finish a fic, much less one as long as this.
Also, spoilers.

First I see what you were trying to do. Setting up the beginning of the show after such a large change is a challenge, and unfortunately I didn't enjoy the way it was done. It felt too forced, too contrived at times, and a bit jarring that the main characters were essentially and rather suddeny sidelined the last couple of chapters to the point of their previous journey and challenges becoming almost moot. It felt like the story suddenly took a sharp left after that, using a major chunk of a chapter expanding on the background and musings of other-Twi, before another chapter was spent trying to force the other characters to fit into their pre-show roles. This somewhat follows my gripes from an earlier chapter about pacing. Some scenes and character actions were glossed over, while other were drawn out to the extreme such as spending far, far too long on what is essentially an aside to expain Starlight being her own aunt.

While the mass memory loss was a decent way to create a blank canvas, the way some of the characters acted and reacted after this fact were all very strange and in places irrational. Moon Dancers sister airing her 'concerns' to the princess is enough to shut down an entire field of research? Celestia suddenly deciding that the elements were the only thing that should defend Equestria, especially after what had just transpired and the fact that she knew the elements had in fact not managed to satisfactorily defeat the main villain? The few characters that did remember the past now conveniently forgot all they learned about friendship and trust? It became all a bit much to swallow.

To finish off, it really felt like you had all these grand designs and bold ideas but you were ready to be done with the fic, and not quite sure how to wrap it up neatly when it came to it. Perhaps some of your earlier ideas, such as the super suits, painted you into a bit of a corner and forced your hand in how you had to handle some of the characters? In any event, it was a shame it ended in the manner it did more than the end result itself.

While I won't be reading any potential sequel, I wish you the best in your future writing endeavors. You clearly have people who enjoy your work and will continue to support you.

[Fantasia]

11513354
Thanks, and it's cool, no hard feelings. I mean, sure, nobody really likes to receive negative or harsh criticism, but I appreciate you taking the time to give it when you didn't have to, as well as being so honest with me. I've said this before in the comments, so I won't repeat myself too much, but yes, I know this story—more so its ending—has its issues, and I can't blame you for feeling that way. While some of your criticisms I would argue are definitely subjective, such as the pacing and character actions, I felt some of your points are certainly worth noting, and will keep them in mind as I continue to write. In the sequel for instance, and I know you aren't really interested, but I just thought I'd mention, I feel like the problems you had with the pacing are vastly improved, and characters aren't necessarily focused on for excessive amounts of time. The reason some parts seemed so long too, was just because I had so much exposition and backstory I needed to get across, so I'm sorry if it bogged the experience down, but it's like you said too: it just wasn't your cup of tea. I mean, there's people I know who like the slower pace and long chapters, and sort of the slow, unraveling mystery of what's been going on, or what lead to this moment, etc. I dunno. Different strokes, I suppose.

Anyway, I did however catch a couple things in your critique that I found myself ultimately disagreeing with, and thought I'd just shed a little light on them. For instance, Celestia shutting down Moon Dancer's research, when the Elements didn't succeed in stopping the villain either. That's not entirely true. Twilight and Rainbow are stated to be potential bearers of magic and loyalty, but it's still just the two of them. They've yet to unite with the other four, so their harmony magic is null and void still. The Tree of Harmony telepathically reaches out to other-Twilight in a last ditch effort, and it may not have been abundantly clear in the story, but other-Twi does end up summoning and using them herself against the villain, already being the Element of Magic from her own universe, and it does technically work, sealing her away within Twi's subconscious. The villain reappearing in the next chapter isn't necessarily the same one they fought in the previous, and is purposefully left sorta vague and ambiguous. Like, clearly she still has a connection to other-Twi, but how she survived, or is able to bound herself back to other-Twi... is honestly setup for the sequel, I'll admit, and gets explained there. So, I completely understand that within the confines of this story, it isn't very satisfying... It's just, I never even intended this to be a singular 'story,' but a piece of something bigger, that deliberately ended on a cliffhanger. Like an 'Empire Strikes Back,' or Avengers: Infinity War,' or really any two-part episode of a tv show, I never really intended for it to be judged on its own. Furthermore, going back to Moon Dancer, you have to remember... Moon Dancer would be fighting mostly by herself. Meanwhile, Celestia knew Twilight would have her friends to support her. To her, it just seemed far too risky for Moon Dancer to go around performing heroics without any backup.

Secondly, this actually relates to your previous comment, but... what you said about the villain having an endless supply of aces up their sleeve... Well, what can I say? I won't lie: I'm a bit of a fan of anime and Japanese rpgs, and I guess I subconsciously found myself influenced by those villains. You know, the ones who are always seemingly ten steps ahead of the hero, and have like, five different forms. But, in my defense, it does sorta make sense for a number of reasons too. The villain of course, turns out to be a corrupted version of Twilight, and well, doesn't it kind of make sense, since Twilight is so methodical and careful in her planning? Both Twilight and Rainbow Dash are two of Equestria's most determined, headstrong ponies, so it makes sense that neither of them would give an inch, and keep fighting for the future they desire. I understand that the conflict definitely dragged, but that too, was meant to show how inexperienced and outmatched they were. I mean, this is basically their first ever foe, and it's a powerful version of alicorn Twilight with both dark, and shadow pony magic.

So... yeah. Again, I very much appreciate your criticisms, and I'm sorry the ending really was a bit of a letdown for you, but I'm also very thankful that you at least read all of it, and even enjoyed most of it. Hey, I'll take it!

[TheVirtuousOne]

I can't believe I've almost been reading here for 11 years, I was like 17 and now I'm almost 30!

I still come back to this story when I want something that's not all sunshine&rainbows at the end, but with the potential to have the knife removed from my heart, was a really great read and also unique in its story elements! I never used to comment on stories for fear of backlash on my opinions, but we all know you care a lot less what others think as you get older.

In any case, hope you're doing well with yourself, and if you do decide to publish a continuation of this, I'll be one of the first to read it!

Edit: Hey~ It just hit 500 👍 too! Gratz!

[Fantasia]

11812940
Not sure if you're asking this seriously or not, but regardless, there's been a lot of time dilation before this point, taking place over the course of months. It's also sorta hinted that Rainbow enjoys movies in previous chapters, so it's implied that she saw the pony-equivalent of Little Shop of Horrors at some point before this chapter takes place, presumably sometime between days 130 to 326.

[Leviathan Eclipse]

10903456
I would assume being hella gay with her filly friend Trixie