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Distance can drive us apart. It can also bring us closer together.
After all is said and done, and the ponies have gone their separate ways, the only way they have to keep in touch is through letters.
PhantomFox told me to upload this here, so here I am. Original Equestria Daily post is here: http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/02/story-yours-truly.html
someone downvoted it
...
well
time to go get my cranky pants on
ALRIGHT! WHO DOWNVOTED THIS!?!?!??! *points into the group of onlookers*
I'm calling shenanigans right now! Time to get together the townponies, pitchforks, and torches for a proper witch hunt all over fimfic. I dont know who you are but we will find you, and when we do... well...
we're going to love and tolerate the shit out of you. (love and tolerate means tar and feather in this regard)
Some say that the best comments are constructive ones: detailed descriptions about what was good and bad about a story, pointing out the occasional misuse of an apostrophe, yadda, yaadda, etc.
Well, I can't do that for this story because this story left me with nothing to say. It left me speechless when I first read it on EQD and it still leaves me speechless now. It is moving beyond words.
I'm so glad to see this fic posted here; it truly is, in my opinion a masterpiece. Have my thumbs-up, have my fave, and thank you for writing this.
Thank you for writing this. Out of all the fiction I've read, pony or not, professionally published or not, this one is definitely one of the most evocative.pieces I've ever read. Ever since I read this on EqD, it's become one of those stories I just go back and re-read all the time, because each read is as sentimental as the first one.
You've also basically ruined Applejack forever for any other fanfic I'll read (or write), since the voice you gave her in this story is unequaled to anything I've read so far, and probably anything else I'll read.
Keep on writing, man, you've really got a gift.
This is not just one of the best works that I have read concerning pony fan-fics this is one of the best works that I have ever read. Whatever you do, keep writing. Your ability to capture the character's emotions and personalities is beyond impressive. This is just stunning.
Dear Author, I don't know who you are in real life nor does that really matter to me. What is important is how this story touched me in a way few things do. I found myself shedding tears over what should have been just another story read, just another collection of words to add to my growing list of things I've read. Yes, That's right I cried over this. I admit to this freely and whether this makes me less of a man in the eyes of some I care not for this story truly deserves something more than just an upvote and star of favorite. I'm not sure what exactly that thing is but I hope that this comment will let me express my gratitude to you for writing this. Too often I think that those of us who are consumers forget about all the hard work and effort that goes into making the end products we all take for granted. So I wanted above and beyond all else to make sure that I got my point across that you as an author are appreciated for your hard work and dedication to the story, that you are thanked for working on this labor of love and choosing to share it others. Thank You.
Sincerely,
Dracmatais
Wow, this was as good as they say.
If I had criticism it would be that the romance itself actually felt out of place. Delightfully written and touching as all hell, but not quite right. It felt like you were writing a story about two unbearably close friends and pasted the word "love" over it. And Applejack's letters, despite the conceit being that she's more eloquent than she lets on, still felt far too articulate. There were other niggles but this is a comment, not a review, and they were minor.
But damn, you have a way with words. If I'm brutally honest, the most sadness I felt during this fic was when I encountered a turn of phrase that I just can't match. I can't wait to see how Easy As Lying turns out, seriously.
So truly lovely. The kind of lovely that makes for a wonderful re-read, or spawns beautiful dream.
Nothing about this was forced, or annoying, Rarity going to sleep for Spike, Rainbow quitting the Wonderbolts for Fluttershy, even Applejack's death were executed flawlessly. And with so many laughs in between! The socks, Pirate Pinkie, etc.
Really, truly, lovely story.
Buck. You. I never thought something could make me cry as much as I did when I read My Little Dashie, but you managed to do it right here. I cannot believe that I hate you and love you at the same time right now, but I do. I only wish AJ didn't have to die, but everypony dies eventually. This is one of the most beautiful things I've read in a long time, and I congratulate you on doing such an amazing job. Many, many manly tears were shed.
This is one of the sweetest stories I've read, pony or otherwise. The meta-story method is risky, but delivered well. I try so hard to try and offer critique as I'm sure there's usually more than enough compliments, but you've outdone yourself. I think you gave the fair amount of time and respect to each character's story without losing focus on the central plot. I hope I can find more like this soon. 
My three most favorite ships in one fan fic?
WHAT AMAZINGNESS IS THIS!?!
I have a problem with this story.
The problem is that you close out Twilight's and Applejack's story with some of the most beautiful writing I've ever seen on this site. You even gave a reasonable amount of closure to Rarity's quest (though I feel like she was somewhat forgotten by her friends). But you neglected the story's of the other ponies.
I want to know what became of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. I want to know if Gummy survived the winter. I even want to know about Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. Yes I know they weren't featured, but Applebloom was, and I feel like they're a packaged deal.
Please don't leave me (us) hanging. So much more can be done with this incredible piece to just assume it's good enough as is.
I'm so glad I found this here. I read it back when it was originally featured on EqD, so now I can give it the fave it deserves.
The first time I saw it, I recognized the art you used in the cover ("Friendship is Magic" by Jiayi), since it's one of my favorites from the fandom. It never fails to get an emotional response from me if I pay close attention to it and scroll all the way through to the end. Thus, I went into the story hoping it'd be good and without even knowing how long it was (since I read it on GDocs).
You made my appreciation for that drawing grow even more. Because, after that, it wasn't just the feelings evoked by that piece alone. It was also a reminder of how I felt while I read this. I started crying when I hit Apple Bloom's letter, with the tail end of the story just fueling my tears even more.
The framing device you used, the exchange of letters, isn't easy to do properly. From a narrative standpoint, they are very inflexible, but useful to highlight events and feelings from the intimate point of view of the characters. For example, you had to break off from the letters for a bit in Luna's scene. However, it felt right because of what the others had been writing to her, so it didn't break my immersion. You pulled it off. It did leave me wanting to know more about the stories that were left hanging, but it's always good to give the reader some space to imagine how things might've gone.
So, thank you for this story. I'm not going to curse you by saying that it's perfect, but it is by far one of the best I've read.
Holy. Flying. Magic. Ponies.
This is... I mean, "beautiful" just fails to even head in the right direction of describing this. You have done something truly amazing with this.
I am so happy that I managed to stumble across this piece of literary art. It can be difficult at times to find some of the older works on this site, so I can consider myself lucky to have found this.
...though, curiously, this is the second fic I've read in as many days that ended with Applejack dying. Poor girl. 
Reading this was one of the greatest experiences in my life. Nothing felt rushed, the beginning was funny, and as it progressed it got sadder and sadder. I noticed Pinkie was being a nonconformist and followed the opposite of this trend. I loved how she recovered from losing her friends and eventually moved on. Grandma Pie would be proud. I did not cry while reading this, but while reflecting on how it made me feel, I am now finding tears in my eyes. Although I do not agree with Raritys decision, she showed real strength for doing what she did. More importantly, she showed an understanding and empathy that she needs with Spike. Twilight and Applejacks letters were perfect. I disliked that they continued to live separately even when they were older, but it was very sweet. Letters to Luba were fantastic.
As always, Fluttershy was sickening. This time she even managed to bring Rainbow down with her.
This story was very different from My Little Dashie, but in the end it left me with the same feelings inside. I can feel sadness pushing against my heart, but also a sense of compassion that this story has allowed me to feel. For the rest of my life, I will bear this story and others like it, and they will change how I act and treat people.
I would like to think of myself as the young unicorn who will take your lecture to heart. You have made a real difference in my life.
Fuck you.
This was my second time reading this story. I thought I remembered everything. I was prepared for the long winter and for the missing letter and for Spike and Rarity and even for the Dread Pirate Pinkie Pie.
Why am I still crying?
Fuck you. How dare you use Gummy against me. How dare you include Rainbow Dash's fear of failure on a task that actually matters.
Fuck you, you magnificent fucking bastard. I'm going to read your next thing now.
Areal pice of artwork its amazing how you managed to create a story so deep and inspiring, from just letters, its the first one i have read so far that has gotten soo deep in me, it was amazing how you wrote everything,
would be nice if you made a follow up one to chek on wath happened to rarity and spike
It made me feel like criying at probably the first 500 words and when i was at half the story i was feeling a hole in my chest, probably at 12000 words i was criying, and keeped on crying untill i reached the letter of apple bloom, then i had to stop becouse my tears wouldnt let me read the story. tnkz for this amazing story 
"Remember that time you took me to Hoofington once, when I was just a foal? You showed me Starry Notion's old tower, and the scorch marks on the floor of the room where you created the sun. And I snuck out of my room and stayed up all night trying to create my own sun, because I wanted to be just like you."
I just had a
attack.EDIT: I just finished reading the story, and in all honesty, this story was truly amazing. It had me tearing up at several points, including the very end. I also laughed at various points, and... I still feel the need to dwell on this story; it's that well written. I should probably be kicking myself over and over for putting off this story for at least three months. I could go on an on about how amazing this story was, but all I have for you is this:
From the lessons I've learned [re-learned] by reading this (which were a lot, btw), I can easily say that the right soundtrack makes it all perfect.
This story almost stopped me from writing. Oh it was close. I cried. I literally felt unworthy to write anything, ever. I was pretty much useless for a whole day because I couldn't stop thinking about it. Even just thinking about it now brings up some lingering doubts. But in the end, I turned that on itself and it's only driven me to do better for myself.
Forgive me for the language, but bittersweet as fuck, and absolutely gorgeous for it. I show this off to anyone I possibly can. It's stories like this--and the writers behind them--that keep reminding me why I love this community so.
So simply thanks. Because there are no other words to say.
I am so happy I decide to give this story a read it was beautifully written, it gave me a slight melancholy feeling by when I started reading the winter part, but I felt quite good by the end of it with the touching scenes between them and Princess Luna.
Pinkie being slightly depressed then getting out her funk by becoming a pirate was good, I thought with what was happening in the story I thought she would be come on crazy depressed Pinkie, glad she didn't.
One last thing, I think that the parts with Derpy were great through all of that where none others except with needed dutys would step out into the freezing storm she continued to do her duty getting the much needed letters to each pony which gave Luna the strenght she needed.
Amazing story *Favourited*
It's a funny thing that I can read a romance and be genuinely touched and still think the best line is "You know that as a captain, I can marry ponies? I do it all the time, sometimes as a punishment, though sometimes they argue and tell me that’s not how it works – as if that’s not how it works! I’m the captain and I make the rules and if I decide that you two are married you’re going to eat your wedding cake and like it!"
There have only been three pieces of fiction to get me crying: the last third or so of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, A Precious Rainbow, and now this. You've written such an amazing story; it even doesn't have a single one of my favored ships in it and it's still superultraextremeawesomazing!
>>915739 In my head she wrote it with the expectation that it'd be found alongside her body. When the sun came out, and she made it the rest of the way to Ponyville she'd forgotten she still had it. Fluttershy found it and read it to herself, and kept it a secret. It wasn't until decades later that Fluttershy showed Rainbow that she'd kept it. Rainbow Dash laughed and said, "This is why you should never give up!"
Wow. Just wow.
I always thought that fanfiction was bad, and that most of them were bad but thanks to the fandom, I've opened up to see so many great works, and this story - this is just magnificent.
I was stunned when Rainbow Dash quit the Wonderbolts for Fluttershy, and the same goes for Rarity giving up her dreams for Spike.
Just a wonderful, wonderful story. Great job.
That was absolutely fantastic. I see a lot of people calling it "beautiful" in the comment thread, and that's really the only word.
This fic is a crowning achievement, and quite probably the best thing - best pony fic, best fic in general, best goddamn literature - I have read all year. You are supremely talented.
Thank you.
I... I... I got nothing. Like, seriously. I'm so speechless, and I'm actually typing this with tears in my face.
I laughed, I smiled, I went all "awww" and I cried several times through this story. This was simply magnificent.
I loved Rarity's bits (and that was the first tear, her letter to Spike), I loved the romance AJ and Twilight had, the winter was heart-crushing and I actually feared the worst there. Apple Bloom reading the letters was similarly heart-crushing, but in a happy way, if that makes sense. But the icing on the cake? The late letter arriving. That just broke the freaking dam so hard. That was the perfect ending, to a perfect story.
I'm not sure what more I could say, but... I think this might very well be my most favorite story now. Not just MLP-related, oh no, that would cut this masterpiece short of its greatness.
You, sir, are a master of your art. And I'm not saying that just for saying it. I truly mean it.
My only regret, is that I can only upvote this once.
hello is this too many feels to carry
yes this is too many feels to carry
I'm not going to dishonor you or this story by trying to describe it with words, for I can tell you now, there will never be enough. It's not enough to simply call this beautiful, or to say that there will never be another tale like it. While both of these statements are technically true, this story transcends the realm of anything else that has ever graced my eyes. For the record, I felt as though somebody dropped a pallet of bricks on my chest upon reading the line "But yesterday evening, my sister Applejack peacefully passed away." I know it was foolish of me to ever hope that the love between Twilight and Applejack could ever end any other way, for loss is simply the natural order of things. Just as there can be no light without darkness, there can be no life without death... And yes, for a long while there, I had feared that the work Twilight and Rainbow Dash had put into delivering food to Ponyville was for naught, that Rainbow Dash would be lost in the storm and Fluttershy would slowly fade away in the chill of winter, as well as a great many of the other inhabitants of Ponyville. Feared that Luna would not have the physical endurance or the fortitude to raise the sun over the frozen lands. Feared that everything Twilight had once loved would be irrevocably lost. Thankfully, none of these fears came to fruition. And to be honest, even when Rarity had given up her successful life in Canterlot to be there for Spike when he awakened, or when Rainbow Dash had given up her sole dream since childhood, I did not feel as strong a love as that shared between Applejack and Twilight Sparkle. Though they did not see each other on a daily basis, and the only times they ever had the ability to communicate were through pen and parchment or passionate love on an irregular basis, they had something many others did not- happiness. They didn't need to physically be there for each other every day, for they knew that they'd be there in spirit... And it's because of this that, even while the tears silently made their way down my face at the culmination of this journey you have created, I felt happiness more than sorrow- for although they would never share another letter, I knew that what they and the rest of their group of friends would never die out. It would live on through eternity.
This is in so many ways among the most brilliant of stories I have read. It played my emotions in every single possible way and made me break out in manly tears.
You made me cry and you should be proud of your talent to do so.
Giving you a moustache or including an emoticon would not do this story justice.
...When this went up on EQD, it made me cry in the middle of study hall while I should have been doing my homework.
I read it a second time after sharing it with all my friends. I cried.
Then I read it a third time a few weeks later, just to enjoy your amazing style of writing. I cried again.
I just got finished reading this a fourth time, trying to pick apart the most well-written sections, and now I'm crying again. I can't help it. I never cry when I read (although My Little Dashie came close), but this does it.
So, thanks, Thanqol. You deliver laughs and feels at all the write times in everything you write.
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sad 
And what was Celestia's response to Twilights final letter? I can't imagine the heartbreak both her and Luna must suffer, being eternal.
and 
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