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It all begins when Fluttershy discovers a family heirloom is more than a simple antique. With it, she and her friends must restore balance to Equestria... and defeat the powers that threaten it.
EDIT 14 Oct 2012: Now with a sequel!
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/56391/Nova
Featured on Equestria Daily:
http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/09/story-rose-is-rose.html
Someday I will find the Words, perhaps in some forgotten Eldritch tome, to adequately describe what this story makes me feel.
This is the ONLY story. And I do mean ONLY. In which I have as much emotional attachment and affection for the characters as I do for their counterparts in the actual show.
In fact I can count on one hand how many works of fiction in ANY media format have made me feel this much for and WITH the characters.
Every time I think of this story I feel great. Knowing there will still be one more portion to enjoy is tantalizing. Like a string quartet playing across the building and one floor above.
Your comment left me speechless. I'm SO happy that people have enjoyed it.
You've also inspired me to get back to writing the epilogue. I know it's been a long time... a LONG time. I got a little tired, VERY busy, and a little afraid that people had forgotten about this story and that if I finished the epilogue, no one would notice. Well, maybe I didn't quite think that, but I felt like interest was waning.
I'll get back on it now. The only thing I'm afraid of is ending it in such a way that is disappointing. I REALLY liked how the last chapter ended. It was abrupt, but I liked it. It was fitting, I think. Now that I'm writing the new "last words," I want to make sure this additional ending is as fitting as the first.
Thanks so much for your comment. You have no idea how much it means to me. I was feeling kinda glum tonight. You've turned that around. Thanks :)
You're welcome.
And don't stress too much about the Epilogue. It doesn't really need to be as compelling as the rest of the story it comes after. The epilogue isn't the "ending". It can't cheapen the ending. It's after the ending. It's the things you left unsaid. The scenes you left unseen. The tasks you left undone. The characters you wished to bid farewell but never had the chance. The climax is over. The finale has played out. All that is left is closure, and the catharsis that brings.
This was so... so beautiful. Something so magnificent is a rare jewel indeed... even among all the stories from all the writers in history, be they of fanfiction or original fiction, modern or ancient beyond recognition.
This story is more than something that brings tears to your eyes... this story is a part of a lineage of works older than the pen itself. Shakespeare wrote from this same spirit, and now I see it here in the most unlikely of places... in a modest story of fanfiction from an artist I never knew existed.
There truly are incredible things everywhere aren't there? they can be found by anyone willing to look for them can't they? Are we all just blind to them most of hte time, and only the lucky few find these? Do we only find them when we need them? There are so many questions this makes me want to ask, but perhaps... perhaps we are not meant to know? Could the mystery of these stories woven by the soul, painted with the longing we all share deep in our souls for a life greater and after this, with the brush of our imagination and in the form granted by our talents... be so special, because we cannot understand them any more than we can understand what lies beyond that veil of death?
Well, even if I can't answer all those questions... I am not ashamed when I speak out and say that yes, "this is one of those incredible things."
60,000 words of writing this fic and yet I can't think of a way to respond to this. Do I go on for paragraphs telling you how amazing that makes me feel? Is there a way I can respond while maintaining modesty? I'd like to say that putting an MLP fanfic and Shakespeare in the same sentence would make anyone with literary experience die of laughter, but that would make it seem as if your comment was silly to me, which would be a horrible cruelty because what you've said nearly has me crying with appreciation. The fact that this story was able to touch anyone on that level is something I never would have guessed or expected in my wildest dreams. I know some will call it cheesy or melodramatic (and many have, and I know that it's true on some levels) but if people can react to it in this way then every second was worth it. I would keep going, but I would only start sounding even more melodramatic than my story.
Thank you. I don't think I could ever agree that this silly thing I wrote is anything more than a daydream of mine I typed up, but knowing that it is appreciated like that is absolutely incredible. It reminds me why I spent so much time planning and writing. And why I hope to do it again.
I mean this as sincerely as can be expressed over the internet,
Thanks. Thanks for reading, and thanks for that comment.
You don't need to thank me... I only typed my mind, just like I feel you did with this story. The fact that it is a fanfic from MLP is irrelevant. It's no less a part of the medium than the fact that it was written on the computer.
The fact that you wrote it up as a daydream is what makes it so simple to understand and my statement above true... I said that it was written as a direct outpouring of that indescribably longing and curiosity about death and the afterlife that all humans have, and indeed therefore all creations of their mind will in some way reflect.
I can understand why you'd think my statement was melodramatic... and to some extent I suppose that's true... but in the end... it doesn't matter to me if a story is fanfiction or classic. The fact that the universe in which the story and message are set being MLP only gives it an innocence and relation to people of the same interests or desire for that innocence. This could be written by Shakespeare (why saying that in the same comment as LMP would provoke hysterical laughter is beyond me though), all the characters and the world setting different, and the message would still be the same. The setting, form, and spirit are yours, you just borrowed the world. I don't see any shame in that.
Sometimes... it takes another person's world to paint a story and message in the proper light that the author cannot do themselves... maybe that's why MLP is so popular? It's not so much the clopping, or the simple absurdity, or the comedy... deep down, it's because we all cherish the innocence and happiness of that world, and we could never make one in our own minds the same way. We of the modern age, especially in 1st world countries, save for a few blessed people like MLP's revivor and (in my personal opinion) redeemer, are to cynical to be willing to accept something of such innocence and happiness coming out of our own minds. We have been shaped by culture, education, and negativity since we were born.
MLP is a door back into innocence in some ways... and that is why it is the perfect place to engrave this story. Those that love MLP will cherish the happiness and the true, deep and unforgettable message this story possesses. Sometimes, you have to go back to the innocence of childhood to be touched deeply like that... and that is why this touched me where other stories didn't quite strike home.
My only regret is that the rest of the world, so much of it, cannot understand that feeling. Am I just a freak prone to overthinking everything and sometimes blessed with these philosophical roses that fall into my hands? I wish I knew... I wish I could share this feeling with others... let them see what I see... I doubt I could ever write in a way that could touch another like this no matter how hard I try, but if I can't do that... what can I do?
You're welcome for what I said before, but really, it is I that should be thanking you. You brought my innocence back for a brief moment, and in that moment I was touched by that message. Thank you spacebrony. I only wish I could share this feeling with you more... I wish I could share it with everyone. Call me cheesy, call me melodramatic, call me a freak, call me a fool, call me a brony, call me anything at all. I don't care. Sometimes... you have to be those things when you feel something touch your soul.
I was in the middle of reading some literary analysis when I thought to myself, "Let's see if there have been more comments on fimfiction," and I saw that you had replied, and halfway through I realized that what you were saying was far more true and far more interesting and fantastic than whatever analysis of Faulker I had been struggling through.
Please, don't ever think I was calling *you* melodramatic... that was mostly aimed at me. I had someone give my story a rough review just two days ago, and I have to say it had me feeling a tiny bit down (I understood all the complaints except one, which I disagreed with and thought was unfair). Reading all this has undone that damage and then some.
Anything else I could say here would only restate what you have already said so wonderfully. I don't think I've gone to sleep as content and uplifted as I will tonight in weeks. It means so much. I will try to hold onto this in anything else I write. Words, words... I wish I had more. Thank you.
You're always welcome. I know reviews like that happen, and it's just because people are different. Some are uptight 
, some are party animals 
, some are shrinking violets 
, some are the essence of the southerner 
, some defy description 
, and some are bookworms to the Nth degree 
. That's just how life is really, with so many people, so much variety, it's a given that some simply will not like and match your style. That doesn't mean you have failed necessarily, it may simply mean they just can't change their view to the one needed for the story.
To allay a bit of your fear, I knew you were aiming the melodrama accusations at yourself, but I know exactly how you feel. I do the same thing way to often... especially when I get poignant like I have been in my previous posts. I must say I'm honored though... I would never have thought that a simple statement of mine could be touted as more fantastic and interesting then the writings of a reknowned professional in the area of literature... it means a lot.
I wish I had your soul for writing sometimes... especially now. I haven't written anything in months, and my other two fanfiction stories were never finished. All the work I've done on an original story has stalled, and I have a fantastic story idea to write for this site, but I can't seem to get up the nerve to write it! All my stuff seems choppy and melodramatic when I look at it... and I'm afraid (go ahead and laugh if you want) of writing it only for it to be no more than a drop of vinegar in a mountain spring. Any suggestions?
Again, you are most welcome... but it's not necessary. You deserve every word I said... even if I did wax poetic.
I know this has been out for 2 days, but I needed to wait till I was in the right frame of mind to read it.
It's everything I ever hoped and dreamed it would be.
I was surprised how you actually depicted the second world. Not THAT you did, but wit how much clarity you depicted it.
It was quite beautiful though.
If I only had one complaint, aesthetic and subjective though it might be, it would be that you showed too much. I found it somewhat detracted from the emotional impact by being more literal and less metaphorical.
What I would personally prefer is this:
Current order of scenes:
Fluttershy & Dash 1
Second World 1
Second World 2
Fluttershy and Dash 2
Second World 3
Second World 4
My Preference:
Second World 3
Fluttershy and Dash 1
Second World 4
Fluttershy & Dash 2
I feel like that would have had both more impact as well as ending with Equestria to remind that the First World is where all the love and joy that eventually fills the Second World is born and nurtured. It would also allow the 2nd world to be less defined and to be presented only through Fluttershy's dreams, not directly to the reader.
That said it would be less original (more cliched) and the last lines would be less emotional. (A pet peeve of mine is stories ending in the afterlife, gives a sense of peace but lacks a sense of hope for the here and now, but that's just me).
All that aside, I should be clear when I say that my preference compared to the original only makes about a 5% difference in my enjoyment of the Epilogue, from 100% satisfaction to an imaginary number.
Thank you once again for writing one of the best stories I have ever read in this fandom or for that matter anywhere.
I completely understand where you're coming from. It's something I had considered doing, and now that you put it like that, it does definitely seem more poetic that the story would begin with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in chapter 1 and end with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash in the epilogue.
I plan on doing a read-through where I make edits and improvements, and that will be something I consider. Thanks for the input! Before I get started on version 2.0 of this story (well, really more like version 1.05, since I won't change *too* much) I think I wanna delve into a new story first. As much as I've loved every second of this story, it's a bit draining thinking about it so much :P
Thanks for the feedback. I do agree that it would have made more sense.
Thankyou.
I don't know what I did to deserve an epic brohoof... but still, I thank you.
I too await your next work. Until next time major spacebrony.
----
Now... to figure out what to do with my possible fanfic...
I haven't planned on doing anything else with this, no. In a way, I almost want to be done with it, to get on to my next idea (which I don't really have yet but I'm sure it will come).
HOWEVER, wouldn't it be interesting to see what Thade was up to during the time he was hunting for the book he found in Twilight's library? I don't know if I'd want to get into that since there couldn't be much of a conclusion, it'd just sorta flow into the main story. I don't really think it would work. So there's a chance, but it's very, very slim. I'll try and make sure that if you liked this story, you'll like the next one. Hopefully. I hope this wasn't a one-hit wonder... I hope I can do it again.
Thanks for reading!
I just finished reading this after going through some old EqD posts. Though I didn't think to check on here first, so I had to download each part individually off Google Docs and convert them for use with my eBook Reader. 
Excellently written, only one or two typos I found in the whole thing, and that's incredible. I agree with some users up above (I'm not going to read through all the comments) that some of the ideas you put in just made so much sense. Truth be told, your idea of the second world/afterlife made me have a warm and tingly feeling inside, especially when *SPOILER* Thade was reunited with his long-lost love. The ending also didn't feel forced, which was nice. What I found interesting, however, is that the "second life" as it were is quite similar to how I'd imagine the "new creation" the Bible talks about to be. Just like this one, but so much better, and without all the negative things. (Yes, the Christian vision of the future is not an eternity in heaven, but on a New Earth.)
This is now one of my favourite fics and I can't wait to read more!
I just stumbled back into this story to look over the comments.
...I only left... 1 comment for... 10 chapters? 
That tells you this was early, very early, in my days of reading pony fics. I leave a comment for every chapter of every story I read nowadays. Every. Single. Chapter.
In any event, I feel obligated to tell you that this was one of the first fics I read. And it's still one of my favorites.
Well done, sir. 
Live long and write pony fics.
In lieu of sixty
thousand, I only have one
Unforgettable
I'm not going to leave you with just that, a poet I am not. Maybe one day 17 syllables is all I will need. Until then, I'm left to dredge inelegantly on the shore of the river of meaning.. I never should have delayed reading this as long as I did and rather than compromise or dilute your creation by trying to describe it, I will let the knowledge of my enjoyment and my thoughts on the matter lie assumed. Also because I'd just make a mess.
I'd like to leave with a couple more words though, they're very dear to my heart and maybe they aren't what they once used to be, but I think you'll understand.
Thank you.
That... was an amazing comment. Just wow. I hope that whatever I did right in this story to make you feel this way I can recapture in the sequel, Nova. It will be an enormous challenge, and should take about all year (as did this story), and though I can't promise I'll succeed, I can guarantee that I will try.
Nova 2 should drop tomorrow night, for those interested.
Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means to me. Seriously, you made my day. Well, night. I'm not kidding, every time I get a comment like that, I'm good for about two days of smiling. I'll just be walking and think "Remember that nice comment someone left?" and I'll just grin like an idiot.
You think I'm joking, but I'm really not :P
So thank you!
Okay, I know it's been a long time, but...
anger at—what was his name? Thade?—that dark pony who had caused this mess in the first place
How does she know his name? I assume Luna told them? How does she know it then? Sorry, but that's kind of a plot hole here. In fact, back in Part Three, how did she even know that it's a him... Meh, whatever... it's still great story!
Okay, I made it to the end... and I don't really know what to say... nothing can give this story justice... I simply can't... so I won't try and look for it, lest I become hopelessly lost. Without a Rose to guide me. Instead I will only say:
Thank you, for this beautiful piece.
And keep up the good work!
Now onwards, to the sequel!
>>1720597 Can you tell me what chapter this was in? Then I can take a look at it. You're right--it has been a long time! I don't remember where that is.
And thanks for the kind words. I feel like I got really lucky with this story, and had really great readers. I'm hoping I can recapture that luck with the sequel, but I don't know if I can. But I will try!
Do not meddle with magics beyond your puny mortal ken, for your soul is crunchy and tastes good with ketchup.
It'll be relevant eventually, I'm sure. And I wouldn't want any other chapter being left without comments to keep the prologue company. It must be alone in its misery.
You have written a most unusual fanfiction, for a reason that I'm not sure how many people would notice. In general, when adventures happen, it's often the case that the final challenge must be faced by the destined hero alone, for one reason or another. However, in MLP fanfiction, it's an entirely different story. The moral that "we must hang together, or we shall surely all hang separately" (because what better words to express the idea with) runs deep within the show and the community, and so even when a character must face some significant obstacle alone, it is all but guaranteed that they will require some piece of information or item they received from a friend to succeed. And yet you wrote (ignoring the foreshadowing that there was some non-obvious reason for bringing all of the Mane Six to the Spring) a final confrontation where only 'Shy was needed and she only needed to be herself, and thus made your story practically unique within the genre just from that.
>>1919103 Interesting analysis, thank you for that.
I did think about that a whole lot while writing this. I knew I couldn't write a story where just Fluttershy goes on an epic journey. It wouldn't make sense, and it'd be boring, since it would lack what makes the show so important: the interactions between the Mane 6. But at the same time, I didn't want to write a story where all 6 were magical and special and necessary. I thought if I focused on just one, I could be more intimate, and have everything seem more important. I chose Fluttershy, because I thought it would fit her best.
But even though she is the pony who is sort of at the center of everything, there's no way her friends would let her journey off alone, so they went along with her. Even if they weren't necessarily important in the very climax of everything, they were necessary for the journey, and for her to get to where she needed to go.
There's a lot I would change about this story, since I feel like I've grown as a writer over the last year. The character Thade still feels a bit thin to me, and sometimes I cringe at his dialog. I do think I did an okay job with Fluttershy. And I think Thade's "backstory" worked out rather nicely (it surprised me when that all fell in to place). But the "adult" Thade that is the man antagonist throughout the present-day story could have used a bit more character, I think. Maybe one day I'll go back and do some revising and make him more important.
But my current efforts are focused entirely on Nova, and I'm using everything I learned during ARIAR to make that story not just a worthy sequel (I hope), but also a proving-ground for me to see if my writing has improved at all since then. I certainly hope it has.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Not sure if anyone here is interested, but Nova 5 is VERY close to being finished, and it's the longest chapter so far. It's also been the most challenging chapter I've ever written, I think. Can't give an ETA, but expect it to drop pretty soon. In Nova I've put a great deal of effort into revising before releasing, something I wish I had done in ARIAR.
Thank you, Borg, for the many comments. I do appreciate it. Please don't assimilate me.
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I'm seriously going to miss waiting for the updates of this story. Everything was just amazing!
Image: http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/158/686/epic_brohoof_by_mixermike622-d45m32o.gif
Image: http://mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw2077-10838220-20101020am_I_trying_too_hard20approval20face20image20rating20reaction_face20response20sign20twilight_sparkle1.jpg
Image: http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120313000035/central/images/6/6c/Dashie_aj_brohoof.jpg
Image: http://pictures.mastermarf.com/blog/2011/110704-derpy-usa.jpg
Why must partings be so sad...I know that they would come back together but this is just sad to see. Of course, the fact that I am playing 'friends never say goodbye' while reading is not helping.
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