The road not traveled is often the subject of much speculation in many lives. 'What if' this, or 'If I'd just had done that' plagues the minds of those sensitive to feelings of remorse. None more so than the stoic and quiet patriarch of Sweet Apple Acres. Cover art by the wonderfully talented ROBBERGON!
Yes, it contains M/M shipping. If it isn't your thing, bail now.
Huge thanks to the following: RazedRainbow FanNotANerd and that most knowledgeable of grammar fascists, Comma-Kazie
Chapters (3)
Big mac?+Shining Armour?
I'll read this later...my curiosity demands it
maybe later... but for now.
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TIME FOR SOME HOT STEAMY HOMOSEXUALITY
Or at least bisexuality until Shining returns to Cadance and Big Mac to Applejack.
I shall read this... I must learn of romance, no matter if it is F/M or M/M. My studies require it.
Besides, I'm very sure since it's from Bronius, it's a good read.
Not for me, but have an upvote anyway to offset that stupid downvote train heading your direction, just because of M/M shipping.
I predict a great rustling of jimmies.
1625137 If I may ask, what studies are these?
1625687 Trying to get a grasp on how to write a romance fic... I do sad well, but I completely suck at romance.
Mac and Shining? My curiosity DEMANDS it be read!
Slash? Okay.
Shining Armor?
NOPE
I had to giggle at that due to association with the Navy Seal copypasta. Sorry. Besides that, this is actually well done.
This is good!
Why the downvotes? If you don't like it, you had been warned well ahead of time, leave!
Have a 'stache
Finally, some M/M shipping!
*instant upvote*
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maz50nXq0m1rsw1yf.gif
I found this curiously enjoyable.
A couple of things I noticed immediately in this first chapter:
The recruitment posters: "Another had Princess Luna pointing a hoof at the reader" - If this is set only a few years ago (between 5-10 years is my guess) then surely Princess Luna is not known to pony kind, only Nightmare Moon. Shouldn't it be Celestia on the poster in that case?
Although it's not made clear, by how Cheerilee has her cutie mark, it would make sense for Big Mac to have his cutie mark. That being the case, although it represents talent and not a job, surely it's unusual to go off on a completely unrelated career?
Other than these, I find the story interesting, especially sine maleXmale shipping is so rare. This seems like a decent set up for the story, so I hope the other two chapters are equally as fulfilling.
I really enjoyed this. An interesting alternate take on Big Macintosh's backstory
I was surprised at how well this story was written. you took 2 ponies that i could never have seen together, and made it work so well. +1 from me
It's too bad so many seem to have read the summary and channeled nope.avi. I liked it.
Before reading: "Mac and Shining romance? Oh, why the hell not."
After reading: Everything went better than expected. This was really well done.
im not gay but ill read this eny way
M/M fic? Hmm... interesting. I'll give it a go!
nice start and its realy tuching
im i right
Very cute Applejack scene.
This was the first M/M ship I've ever read, and it was amazing.
This was a beautiful story, thank you for writing it.
At first, I was afraid it'd be another one of those terrible "Shining Armour cheats on his wife" things, but it's good to know that the One True Shining Armour Pairing was preserved in the end. Cadence x Shining Armour FTW!
Though, to be honest, it read more as a buddy-buddy boot camp story than anything else. Their interactions with each other, besides from the obvious kissing, seemed more like best friends than anything else. So I guess, to me, they were more best friends than lovers.
Righty!
First thing I notice is that you keep stating ‘Princesses’ while I’m quite sure that Luna wasn’t around during the time you have set this in.
The flow is great, no awkward jumps or hobbled sentences.
But you probably already heard that.
Now to the story;
It caught my attention because of the few M/M romance fics there are on this site, and those there are, are usually mediocre at best.
You take up a known question for many people: What if?
This is very often a cause for great turmoil in a person’s life, and a person can literally go insane going over certain events of their life while thinking: What if?
The way you portray Mac’s feelings towards the subject throughout the chapters makes one wonder at the start. But I find comfort in the way you concluded it, that it is not necessarily only feelings of regret. It is thoughts of a bond he made, and a comfort in knowing one did the right choice in the end.
You also play with the taboo of male relationships within the higher ‘courts’ and within the army, and how they were looked upon, even accepted, it would never be embraced.
Congratulations on being fic of the week on ‘Feature Box Crusaders’
Cheers!
Tofazz
A little personal note: I would have loved to see more emotions in some of the scenes; the part where Mac get's the bad news tickles the feels but does not manage to quite stab it.
M/M shipping!
I'm generally pretty hesitant about reading stories with Shining Armor shipped with someone other than Cadance - simply because I notice authors like to find some half assed way of removing her from the picture; or resort to affairs. However, this story took an entirely plausible route and it just seemed to fit. No deception, no noticeable canon cracks or anything. I especially like how you chose to end the story with Shining and Mac resolving their feelings (without making out). It had a great flow, solid plot (don't even), and rather original from what I've seen. I just hate how many downrates this one has because of M/M
My only... suggestion thing? is that I would have liked to have seen a little more of the emotions and connections between the two. It seemed like they were pushed aside a few times in favour of story progression.
But this is fantastic! I can't believe I missed this one published in my notifications.
Now get to work on The Sky is Falling Pleeease?
1723106 Thanks! The next chap of Sky is already written. Razed is my editor and he's been busy doing other stuff. Look for it either tomorrow or the next day.
That was a nice read. I'm not usually a fan of sad stories, but this one manages to be sad without being soul crushing, which I find kinda rare. It also sets itself up nicely with in the show canon without creating some crazy work around. I'll think the training camp was a bit hardcore considering the different opinions regarding the actual effectiveness of the royal guard, but it set up the Big Mac x Shining Armor pair pretty nicely. Parent's killed in a train crash, that's one I haven't heard before. And the ten year difference between Mac and AJ does seem a bit too long, I'd think it would be maybe 4-5 years max.
Overall, nice story, I enjoyed reading it.
Oh.
Oh.
Just.... ouch. Good story, I guess, but poor Mac.
The only thing that could potentially need changing is the parts that seem like a summary. Instead of detailed "paint a picture of the story" there were some moments (that seemed intentional) that could be expanded.
This story was great, and I think you should write more like it.
Cute, touchy and very well written...really a good story that i would have never tought of reading but im glad i did
Good job
1825687 thanks!
See, now I'm mad because I don't think I'm going to see this pairing done as well as you handled it anywhere else. Bah. Curse you and your awesomeness!
1905424 Thanks! I just wish M/M shipping wasn't so stigmatized. Most, if not all of the downvotes came from folks who simply don't like m/m shipping, instead of actually reading the story and finding actual fault with it.
"We are proud of you, son. Hang in there, and you'll be a Royal Guard in no time!
Love, Ma and Pa"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjG2NWcTMCk
After long consideration I decided to read this story. I will not rate it since I neither like, nor dislike it. I very much dislike M/M, but since I chose to read it despite that, I will not rate it based on that.
I feel the long term sadness of Mac and Shiny to be forced, I don't think a serious relationship should be there because of (pretty much) a one night stand. There was not enough time for one to develop, I think you should have given them more time to bond after the act and before they are found and escorted back to their forts, or alternatively put less feels into how Mac reflects on things. The story would still be sad since it's the classic career vs relationship story.
Edit: I hope my comments make some sense, English isn't my first (or even second) language.
That isn't an independent clause, therefore it needs a comma, not a semicolon.
Same.
Either omit or "because". His usual lack of talking makes me lean towards omission.
Shouldn't that be written out as "a thousand"?
Needs a comma, not a semicolon.
Same.
It might not be tagged as comedy, but this section elicited a laugh from me.
I like how you used this as a way to give us a timeframe. I guess that AJ's parents were too busy to see her off when she left for Manehattan.
Am I the only one that wonders how that even works?
Making all the platoons its "heads". I like it.
Colons are used to initiate lists, not semicolons.
I can see
as a guard pony. He's stoic, strong, and hard-working, all qualities that being a guard would require.
Also, 627 views and only 3 comments? What is this?
You might want a "normaly" in there.
So, they're both getting their weapons. Why not: "Mac was right behind Shining as they received their weapons."
I heartily approve of having a psychological warfare corps. It seems like a very useful thing to have. Oh yes, I can imagine the possibilities now...
It's "windigo".
Missed a period.
Wow, that's an embarrassing situation there...
I really liked how they escaped the Ursa. It was a family reversal of episode 2.
Also... Um, first. Right?
Got an extra space there.
I think that this story could have benefited from being a bit longer, maybe a few more scenes with them bonding, but I can see how that would be difficult to pull off. It was in no way, shape, or form down-vote worthy. Absolutely not. It was actually pretty good. +1 like.
1983367 WE ARE IN THE SAME THREAD THIS CANT HAPPEN
Huh, this one has been sitting in my favorites for awhile now, finally got to it as I go through your gallery backwards like.
I like it so far! Poor Big Mac...
1994842
My gallery?
Finished, upvoted, and thoroughly liked. Good job, wow.
I have feels. :c
1994934 Thanks! This was meant to be a feels story, with a side order of stallion love.
1994938 I think what I liked is that with this end is that these loves are shown as being sort of equal, in a way. Like, Shining doesn't have to hate Big Mac by choosing Cadence.
1994951 Love is a complex thing that way.
Gorgeous, I love yer stories man. I love how this was written and how you portrayed the love they had. It was a well written and heartfelt story. No ever truly forgets there first love and you can never really move past them, they will always hold a special place in yer heart. I applaud you
2061240 Thanks! That's what I was going for.