I've never gotten a first post on such a popular author before! My life is complete.

...they make this out to be more exciting.

I'm sorry.

Got a LOT going on huh? Don't forget about Background Pony!

Wow, two fics in one day? I'll read this one.

I think I understand now...

Just how many stories have you written?

>>11957711195771 i believe this is that day when SS&E submits everything. A blog gave the impression it is done on a monthly basis. L-day may have been the name

Slow down, Skirts, I can only read so fast!

EDIT: Wow. That was some deep, deep character development. I'm not gonna lie, I think this is my headcanon, now. It just works so well.

>>11957901195790 And I seem to have missed the blog that said WHICH day is L-Day.

>>11957971195797 'twas never specified. Just 'approaching' and 'you'll know when it happens'

>>11958031195803 Oh, well that sucks. Can't blame him though. I've just been waiting for BGP to be updated since I was five chapters behind last night and stayed up until 3:00 AM to catch up.

>>11958141195814 It'll update shortly, is my guess anyway

Skirtpony, is best pony. Best pony.

>>11958181195818 I hope you're right.

Shortskirts?

EVERYPONY READ NOW

Even Applejack thinks Rainbow is best pony

Image: http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2011/346/2/c/crying_derpy_by_keanno-d4ixrdo.gif

so many feels.

That was an amazing story; it really touched my heart and even brought tears to my eyes during Applejacks confessional.

Only one thing bothered me, but it was only a minor point.

Applejack and RD are referred to as marefriends around the middle of the story and that threw me off a bit, because the story on a whole doesn't (at least from my perspective) depict them that way. If it was intentional, it could be made a bit clearer, if not a better word could possibly be used.

All in all, it was brilliantly written and heart-touching. You are the master of the feels SS&E

The two marefriends sat in the eye of such an uncomfortable hurricane

I would change that to friends since this is just a friendshipping. Very good story.

Definitely feelcore. Tearjerker, although maybe the fact that it's 3am is confuzzling my ability to judge feels.

Oh, and-

"Yer not a good pony."  She planted a hoof on the pegasus' shoulder.  "Yer the best pony."

Welp, she is the element of honesty after all.

Anyone else notice that Rainbow said friggin' too friggin' much?

Oh man, that was... that was... that was a lot of feels I am not used to feeling...

I think I need some time to think.

Outstanding, some really good friendshipping, and everything was very believable. You even got me to tear up a little.

Made me tear up a bit. I rarely ever tear up.... damned ponies. I love fics like these. Nothing really epic or fantastic about them, it's just talk. Very deep, down to earth, talk everyone can relate to, especially those who have had to deal with passings before. Because sooner or later we all have to face reality.

Damnit SS&E! Making me feel all these feels. Your stories never cease to amaze me :D

~Have a good one.

Best damn friend shipping I've read in a long time. I don't know how you do it, but everything you write is just so good. Hay, even your blog posts are remarkably entertaining. Can't wait to see what you'll come up with next!

There my tears are dry. Shut and drink them! I know it's what you do.

...Good job...

So...many...fics!

"Pblblblblb!"  Rainbow Dash raspberried.

I never knew raspberry was a verb until today.

I swear, if you added a few F'naaas into the first part (half?) of the story, this could be an OC self-insert! Just my opinion of course, no offense.

Great story! Not so much a fan of AppleDash, but the friendshipping in this was really good!

Let's roll that 8-sided die for which Skirts fic I read first (7 new, 1 update).

...7. That'd be Nopony Needs to Know.

Sad+shortskirtsandexplosions. Welp, better get ready for the feels.

*reads*

Welp. The feels. I have them. A wonderful bit of friendshipping that put a new light in the typical AppleDash story. The writing, as usual, was superb (You'd think that after nearly 6 million words of ponyfics read as well as over 300 published works read I'd be able to say something more intelligent about writing quality. But if you do think that, well, you're thinking incorrectly. ).

So, yeah, not much else to say. Typical top-notch work from Skirts. Not as good as his other stuff, sure, but still great stuff.

Cheers, sir. You certainly know a thing or two about writing

Absolutely loved it.

out of five

    "Rainbow Dash..."  Applejack sat right next to her.  "Yer not a good pony."  She planted a hoof on the pegasus' shoulder.  "Yer the best pony."  

Applejack's got it right there.

very touching....

I think I need an adult.

Wonderful.

Again.

You are a bastard.....

So much feeling.........

I liked.........

I favorited...........

I continue to watch..........

You magnificent, bloody, bastard...............

A very somber experience. It has hit a rough spot in myself, and made me reflect.

Thank you

Aww yeah, friendshipping! ...but sad? ...but friendshipping... But saaaaaad...

Oh well, if you're gonna write a fic about these 2 sprinkling their fluids all over each other, might as well be tears.

I liked this one far more than "IWTa5itMBICS".

This was wonderful, Skirts.  The way you stretch these ponies' canon personalities to their philosophical cores is amazing in itself, but that you weave such beautiful, captivating tales and teach your readers touching life-lessons is a flat out miracle.  My favorite example of that is the BP Chapter "Industry", closely followed by this very fic.

Thank you for this, Skirts.  It meant a lot to me personally, and it was excellent, moving read.  What a flow you've created in your writing.

I don't even words. That was fantastic.

You almost got me. But I fought them off valiantly.

Image: http://www.poundland.co.uk/images/374/original/j&j-shampoo.jpg

>>11959541195954 >>12047091204709 I like AJ's understanding of things myself.

I haven't the slightest idea why I interrupted a very busy Sunday to read this, but am I ever glad that I did. The title and summary just jumped out at me and I had to have a look. And I truly loved what I saw. Everything just captivated me and didn't let go until I was done reading. From the storyline to the interaction between AJ & Rainbow, this was definitely a well crafted story. It really wouldn't be that hard to imagine these two having that kind of conversation given their track record, and that's part of what made it a great read. Wonderful overall!

It's interesting how certain tropes (e.g, Applejack losing her parents) just get accepted as fact in this fandom. When Applejack started talking about what was getting to her, you didn't even need to really explain it before I knew what was going on. Funny how that works.

As for the story itself, I'm of somewhat mixed feelings on it. It's expertly written and the characters are splendidly conveyed, but at times it feels like it's being a tearjerker solely to be a tearjerker. Compared to Background Pony (the only other fic of yours I've read, admittedly) where you do such an amazing job building up to the tragedy (to the point where I'm just bawling my eyes out when it hits home), here the sad stuff felt decidedly predictable and it comes all at once, like an infodump that's also really sad. A saddump.

What I found truly remarkable was the scene where Dash was talking about her parents. It was very sad and yet Dash conveys it so matter-of-factly, it's incredible how I could feel that tone coming through into my emotional response and easing the tension after AJ's outburst. I was also relieved you dodged the cliche of making her dad violent, even if he was an alcoholic. Some things are best left avoided in this universe.

So... yeah, pretty mixed feelings on this one. I guess it was just that the AJ stuff felt like it was so transparently ginning for an emotional response while the Dash stuff was able to pull it out of me in a much more subtle way.

>>11957661195766

What an insightful contribution to this author's work.

>>12871261287126

I'm sorry!

A very insightful, touching look into both characters.

Excellent job, my good man.

Fantastic read. The characters and dialogue are downright perfect. The narrative is solid, and my inner grammar nazi has nothing to say.

I am truly impressed whenever an author can weave together a truly engaging story without relying on crass comedy, awkward shipping, violence, death or sex. (Not that those things are bad - it just takes real talent to do without them.) This story is really just two friends talking, and I am amazed how drawn in I was by something so simple. Truly a great story; liked and favourited without hesitation.

Extremely well characterized and believably depicted for RD & AJ.  Thumbs up!

I love SS&E's shipfics, one-shots, and short stories but I don't care for the epics - the ones where everyone dies in horrible ways in the end, ponies are fighting a lost battle against hopeless odds just so they can achieve a pyrrhic and ultimately meaningless victory, the princesses are doomed to powerless defeat... You know the ones. Luckily, there's plenty of Nopony Knows, Spelling it Out, and more to keep me occupied.

Very nice, loved the characterization, haven't read a fic with this kind of tone that didn't end up going the shipping route. Bravo good sir, have a favorite and a thumb up

Hnngh... direct hit... right in the feels... Manly tears were shed good sir.

I'm bad at making comments so I'll just what I have to.

Family problems have always been the hardest problems to deal with and I liked the way you presented it here.

I just hope that things turn out for the best of those two strong ponies.

So good

notbad.png

Gorram that was awesome. Excellent work, sir.

Emotional and spot-on characters. This is what friendshipping should be.

Beautiful. Just beautiful, I literally cried on my keyboard a bit . I look forward to more fics from you.

Touching. Loved it. I really felt for AJ. Thanks for sharing :-)

very nice

Hah. I cried. A thousand bronies know how to write a sad story, but you can really ram it home with the feels, and especially with the morals and life lessons afterwards ^^ That's the the part I love in your stories the most.

Another story right into the favbox, with many congratulations to you

Your only foaled once?

YOFO

Beautiful. That's all.

That's all it needs.

My head cannon. Probably one of the best FiM one-shots I have ever read. Feels hit hard man.

This is really great.  I love your take on RD and AJ's backstories, and I love their interactions here: sad, sweet, heartwarming, just nice all around.  Totally faved!

You see your plan for world domination is progressing nicely, by turning the worlds bronies into blubbering masses.

Excuse me while I get a GIF from my comment page.

Image: http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/308/031/880.gif

Yep.

That sums it up.

...And I loved every second of it. You're brilliant, you really are.

*reads title*

nopony needs to know

*thinks is obvious one shot shipping*

*reads*

*is better than shipping*

seriously... this was just... wow. God dang dude... wow. soo much character development, so deep, so many feels.

darn that these ponies are just a cartoon... i really want to go hug me an applejack right now.

and that background story on rainbow... it works... somehow it really works. RD is so cute, adorable, care-free and pure... a dark past fits perfectly, it makes it feel just a bit more real. Nopony is perfect, those who seem to be perfect, just have their imperfections buried deeper than the rest of us.

this story makes me want to do 3 things:

1. hug applejack

2. buy a pizza

3. eat the pizza while sitting in the middle of nowhere, staring at the stars (preferably in some flat land with no trees, but lots of grass; or a mountain)

You sir, deserve the greatest compliment a man can give to another man. brief eye contact, followed by a knowing nod. You've done well brother.

Okay, so I'm a bit late to register here, but I'll try to go around the stories I've read and leave some kind of comment (which no one will read anyway)

Yet another great story written by SSE here. Any faults? Well, this is still more of a minor nitpick, but, to me, it felt like RD did a bit too much teasing - obviously, some was necessary, but having practically every line she says ending in 'eh heh heh''s was somewhat annoying. On the good side, this is probably one of the best fics going along the road of 'one of the mane 6's parents die' - unlike most, which oftentimes drown in their own tears and sadness, dissolving any solid substance in the process, this one here actually goes past that, even so far as actually including a lesson - you have all the right to mourn ones who passed away, but moving on - living on, is much more important. Also, great character development.

You even managed to end it on a happy note.

Wonderful

Nice

>>15281241528124 haha dude just read your story before this one Strange coincidence

Note to self: it's is a terrible (wonderful) idea to read sad stories while listening to Between Fairytales and Happy Endings.

"Yer the best pony."

I sense the author's own opinions might be leaking into the story.

But seriously, nice story! Too bad about the whole bit with Rainbow Dash, but what can y'do?

But actually seriously, nice story on all fronts.

>>11957661195766

it's better than first posting on a Knighty blog

and that's how I got the fastest ban in site history.

Good times. Good times.

I should have known it was you that wrote this, SS&E. Another work of art. Thanks

feels, man. although, im still mad at you for that innuendo-laced story Hiccups.

All the feels were had. 1+