Not bad, not bad at all. Keep up the good work.

>>34983498

Thank you for the comment. ^.^ Chapter 3 is coming along nicely!

I love this - I know how Rainbow Dash shows her loyal, sensitive, almost mother-like side.  I'm usually not a Dash fan, but I really could get into this. Five stars!

Great chapter.

Moar

Dammit Rarity!

Moar is being delivered; I'm hoping to publish the fourth chapter tomorrow, or the day after at the latest.

Thank you all for the kind ratings and comments.

Why I didn't know Applejack was so witty. This was delightful to read, and I'm certainly going to continue with the next chapter now.

>>1088310883

I hope I wasn't out of character with her (or anypony else).

I'm glad you liked it, though; I hope you'll also enjoy the subsequent chapters!

AWESOME! Keep 'em coming, mate. It'll stop me from having an emotional breakdown between delayed episodes

>>1096710967

Thanks, guy! I sincerely hope the continuous delays between chapters have not left you an emotional wreck.

Just two more chapters to go. I'll try not to be TAR-DEEE.

Holy...! That's one hell of a chapter! I want more!

@_@ So much happened in this chapter!

Need Moar!

VERY well written. The characters fit perfectly, and the style makes it pleasant to read. This is great, keep it up!

blue in the face *face desk*

Haha, oh Rarity, you have the worst timing.  

And now suddenly I see Spitfire or Fluttershy doing a heroic sacrifice. D :

I'm enjoying this story. A LOT. You do a great job of staying in character, keeping the show's charming humor, not to mention the fact that Twilight's theory was pure genius. I never thought about it, but it really does make sense of a few things. And the fact that Flutterdash is my favorite pairing is just the icing on the cupcake.

Fair warning though. This cliffhanger is fantastic, but If you kill off Fluttershy, I swear to Celestia,manly tears of sorrow WILL be shed. You have been warned...

Until then, take my 5 stars. Actually, take twenty of them.

>>2647826478 What, no love for the pony going supersonic speeds with the nickname Rainbow Crash? Fluttershy isn't exactly the one everypony's worried about...

>>2717727177

Point taken. I think it's pretty clear nobody wants ANYpony to die. The suspense is killing me.

dont die rainbow dash...

at first I was like

but then I

RANBOW LIVES FOREVER

MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

liking it very much... save for one thing

WHYYYYYY did you have to put a tragedy tag in there ? now my mind is comming up with all sorts of ways this could go wrong

Cliffhanger...why?! Plus that tragedy tag...What next? I'm really looking forwards to how this ends! It's been really fantastic so far. Will there be updates?

keep going

Oh Hey! Update. Now i need to read the whole story over again from the beginning so that this makes more sense. Thanks for not giving up on this story even after all that has happened.

Some wonderful twists and turns.  I think I have ideas of the way you are headed...  but you've taken it several steps further than I expected.  Bravo.

So glad to see this amazing, superbly written story updated--and on today of all day's! It just made the best day ever even better. Thank you so much!

The chapter was awesomely written and really tugged at the heartstrings. Well done.

WHAT

WHAT

WHAT

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

keepit up brony

Yay, another update on one of the stories I very much enjoy that hasn't been updated in a long time

Excellent chapter for it to update with too

I am very glad that I am stilll able to keep all you wonderful readers guessing thus far. I am not quite done twisting and tugging yet, fortunately.

Thank you very much for sticking with me. There are two more chapters and an epilogue left to go. Here's to hoping I will not disappoint.

"During the reign of Discord it had been a churning mass of foaming maelstroms and towering waves (and occasionally lemonade),"

Great line, haha, so glad this story is back!

Ooh I just found this and I LOVE it. I have a couple guesses about what it might be.... but I need more because I'm probably wrong!!!!! Please more fast!

>>486283486283

I try.

>>480535480535

>>487177487177

I'm curious to see if people are guessing correctly as to where this is all going. I managed to put at least a little foreshadowing in there.

>>480466480466

My apologies for taking so long, forcing you to re-read the whole thing.

(I recently did that, too, since I was totally out of it. Had to fight really hard to keep myself from just rewriting the whole thing.)

>>489905489905

There is absolutely no reason you should be apologizing. LIFE happened. It happens to everybody at least once. I don't care that it took forever for an update to occur I care that an update happened. You have absolutely no reason to be sorry for things that were entirely beyond your control. So long as the story eventually finishes I'll wait as long as it takes.

>>480883480883

Such kind words..

It seems I also have some catching up to do where the cartoon is concerned!

>>489929489929

Ah, I still feel bad about it though. But, point taken. Thank you. <3

The story will finish; that I can promise. It's important to me.

>>39943994 dido

Oh wow, it's been a while. I had almost forgotten about this when the new chapter appeared!

Guessing, huh? My guess is that Rainbow is somehow unable to slow down. Just like Twilight couldn't stop her magic during her entrance exam. The glowing eyes point at this.

>>547342547342

It certainly has.. Thank you for remembering!

And about your guess: *mumbles something about not wanting to spoil anything*

UPDATE NAO!

It's been quite a while since an update. Pweeze?

Any chance of an update soon?

Guh, how did I miss a new chapter for so long?

I read this whole chapter hoping RD wasn't dea...gone forever.

So much for that plan...

Also, UPDATE PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE US HANGING! I mean, if you don't mind...

This an amazing but sad story. I can't wait to see more. Poor Fluttershy... I hope she gets to she her Dashie again soon

Yea, that part about Everfree being the normal state of the world: what's more, I think Everfree is ALL of the 'natural not-magic' of what is now the lands of Equestria, and that, plus the proximity of all the Pony magic, that it, basically, is having an 'allergic reaction' to Equestria, making Everfree have it's more fantastic creatures, like the Hydras and Ursae.

In other words, if Everfree spread out and was stretched thin, it'd be just like earth: relatively safe with many exceptions, rather than it's more dangerous nature as we see in the show.

I read this story today. I've been meaning to for a while. I'm glad I did.

I can see the first comments on this chapter are dated three months back. It seems others have been waiting for a while. So I too will wait. I am here. I believe you are out there. I believe you  will bring this story to a close. I believe you, like me, could not bear for this to be the point where this particular journey tapers off.

I also know the power of knowing someone else out there believes. So for your sake, and for mine, I believe.

Hmm, just read this yesterday, then saw that comic later in the evening. Now I wonder if that's a preview of what's to come. This story likely isn't going to have a happy ending, but I don't think Dash is really dead yet.

beautiful, I can't wait to see how it ends.

I don't like the Rainbow Dash in this story. You've only shown her to be rude, unlikeable, anti-intellectual and arrogant. Any feelings that RD and Fluttershy have for each other seem pretty forced, or at least not described well. And of the other characters, I'm only liking Twilight.

I finished reading all six chapters but only occasionally and for a few paragraphs at a time did the story really draw me in. There were plenty of annoying cliches and tropes.

That's not to say this was terrible, but this one definitely isn't one of my favorite stories on the site. I'd still read more chapters if you put 'em up. And that was a little bit of a cliff hanger you left us on there, so I am curious. Celestia's explanation better be good.

Oh wow....so over the moon that you updated!!!

I loved the twist of time dilation and using it to explain the age difference between Celestia and Luna. That was really clever! And the sheer level of description and desperation in Dash's plight...poor girl.

This is one of the greatest Rainbow Dash stories out there. Please continue!

Well. Now we have to find out how much time she missed out on..

Poor Rainbow. :(

well....that sucks. I wonder how long shes been gone for? hopefully not a depressingly long amount of time.

Reading Description.

"But making the impossible possible, while neglecting other things, may have unforeseen consequences and sunder her from those for whom she cares the most."

"may have unforeseen consequences"

"Unforeseen consequences"

Image: http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u302/Aph2nd/gman.jpg

Rainbow Dash pushing the light barrier? Holy shit.

I didn't think there was any way for this story to get sadder, but now it has...

I weep for Dash's dilemma.

Now, I must go read something happier, and hope that it helps.

Bravo dear author, bravo.

Oh wow... I did not expect that.

There are probably only one or two novels that have had me hooked because of awesome plots.

This is definitely going bump that number up. I begrudgingly await the next chapter!

"Proxima Humana"? Approximately four light years away? I see wut you did there.

I really hope this has a happy ending, with Twilight figuring out how to get Rainbow back*...

*I think I may have an idea on how that will happen too, but I'm keeping quiet to see if I'm right.

You.  This story.  EMOTIONS.

Go from sad at the start, to being damn hopeful when her friends start helping her.  Then she pulls of the sonic rainboom.  I scream that flutter yay in my head, before remembering that this story was a tragedy.  Then pinkie.  Man tears were shed after that.  And now you leave me with this?

Cruel.

Ya better keep writing.  <3

Nice twist, but the relativity in Luna's backstory doesn't quite add up.  If she was going fast enough that she experienced only hours for Equestria's centuries, that puts her so close to c that even the full 8 light-year round trip should have kept her away from Equestria for less than a decade.

(A quick order-of-magnitude calculation puts her speed around 0.999c.)

(EDIT: That number is incorrect.  I squared, where I should have taken a square root.  It's more like 0.999999999999c.)

That last sentence gave me chills. It shook me to my core.

The worst part is that I have no idea what to expect now.

I eagerly await the next chapter.

>>10650401065040

She stopped for hay fries and a malt on the way.

>>10650401065040  Quite true... but the actual math behind relativistic speeds isn't common knowledge.  You're quite right, of course.  If Luna only reached a fraction of the speed of light, (even a significant fraction) she'd only experience a small time dilation.

And Rainbow Dash's trip...  Assuming the planet Equestria is on is about the same size as our own, something moving at very near speed of light could travel around our planet seven times in a second... and in that second would experience only a faction of a second of time.  So... if Rainbow Dash truly reached relativistic speeds, to be gone say, even a single month, she'd have had to have traveled around an average size planet over 18 million times.  More than that if you count acceleration and deceleration.  It's actually difficult to tell if this is what happened from the description.  At first Rainbow Dash can make out landmarks.... (which wouldn't really be possible at relativistic speeds) but eventually things blur... and she loses track of time.  So... perhaps she really did travel around her planet millions of times in the story, as incredible as that may seem... and ended up landing only several days walk from Ponyville through some stroke of extreme luck.  Why not?

But this story is about magic, not accurate physics, and I'm willing to suspend my disbelief at the mechanisms involved and simply enjoy the story for what it is.  MLP and Hard Sci-Fi is a pretty difficult combination, after all, and very little science fiction is based all that solidly on science fact... with a few notable exceptions.

Oh... if I'm being unclear, I'm enjoying the heck out of this story!  Keep it up!

This is the best Rainbow Dash story i've ever read!! I can't wait to see what happens next!

>>10650401065040>>10661931066193

Yeah, uh, whenever you notice something like that, the author fudged the math an alicorn did it.

This came out so good, I feel so bad for Rainbow and Shy

It is damn good to have my faith in this story rewarded.

I can't see where this will go from here and I'll be glad to have you write it.

Tragedy indeed.  And thus the name of the story, and this chapter.

Why do I read these at 2am?!?!?

Now this is an interesting turn of events. And I mean interesting in the most literal sense

Too bad I always keep forgetting what this story was about when it finally updates... :P If it's not too much work, a small recap at the start of a new chapter would be much appreciated

Well It was Autumn, now it's Winter(I think) and there's dust on stuff...My guess is either 3 months or 27 months she's been 'gone'

Edit: 15 months is also an option, but I don't think it is I swear if you do 15 months I will destroy you

RAINBOW DASH IS NOW JESUS.

>>10950191095019

And the ponies on the beach knew not whence she had come. But the inhabitants of Ponyville did know, so they applauded loudly in the town square. And they said unto the Pony Savior: "How the hell did you do that?" And inquired of her: "Do you do foals' parties?" And Rainbow Dash said: "No." But they did press her, saying; "Go on, give us another one!" And so Rainbow Dash brought forth a carrot, and said: "Behold this, for it is a carrot." And the ponies about her knew that it was so. For it was orange, with a green top. And she did place a large red cloth over the carrot, and then removed it, and lo, she held in her hoof... a white rabbit.

"Angel!"

And there came unto her a filly called Fluttershy, who had seen the Mare and believed, and Rainbow Dash said unto her: "Put on a tutu, and lie down in this box." And then took she forth a saw, and cleft her in twain! And there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. But Dash said: "Oh ye of little faith!" And she threw open the box and lo, Fluttershy was whole. And the crowd went absolutely bananas. And Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took a big bow. And she said unto her: "From now on you shall be known as Trixie - for that is a good name for an assistant."

"Heeeeey...."

>>11823981182398

And this brony did rejoice, for he had at last found true religion. And he did say unto the author of the new faith: "That's too awesome for words!" And he did inquire: "What must I do to become your disciple?" And he did then utilize the ancient and mystical arts of copypasta to begin spreading the new faith, confident that the author thereof would make an excellent Prophet. Holy word thus in hand, he did merrily frolic from forum to forum, posting knowledge of the new faith so that those of pure heart and sound mind might learn of it and rejoice. In doing this holy work he did find peace, and in his tranquility he did find within himself the inspiration to name this new faith, what would now and forever be known as Radicality.

I'm making myself a What Would Rainbow Dash Do bumper sticker right freaking now.

>>11832881183288

Totally stole that from Rowan Atkinson, just so you know.

But it just fit so well... (Although in the above version he says "Sharon" instead of "Trixie," for some inexplicable reason.)

I am totally for WWRDD stickers, however.

But this time she was conscious for it, and when she heard the thunderous boom and looked over her shoulder even the famous Wonderbolt could not help but be impressed. Even moreso when, a few second later, a streak of cyan overtook her and left only a sparkling rainbow trail to mark its passing.

It just occurred to me, but this is impossible. RD had just broken the sound barrier, meaning she was traveling faster than sound itself. By definition, RD would have to precede the sound of the boom, yeah? So how did Spitfire hear it before Dash passed her by?

>>12024481202448

...

I am officially an idiot.

"It seemed like grandma Smith and Applejack could work miracles with this single ingredient."

"grandma Smith"

>>12099461209946

My bad.

>>12024481202448

I went back and fixed this. Let's... let's just pretend that never happened, shall we?

>>12235881223588

... Pretend that what never happened?

>>12235991223599

Oh, you're goooood.

>>12237341223734

*strokes mustache* Nyessss... tell me how good I am.

I mean, thanks!

This is one of the saddest stories I've read so far. That moment with Twilight and Scootaloo...

You. Have. To. Keep. Writing.

I had forgotten about this story, been so long, then I saw that comic that was made for it again. Looked this up and lo and behold, a new chapter.

"You had better get back here soon," Rarity whispered angrily to the (frustratingly empty) skies. "And have an extremely good excuse for putting her through all this."

Was re-reading your story here, and I spent a good five minutes wonder if "I flew so fast that time dilated around me and X number of years/months passed in what was for a me a few hours of flight" is an extremely good excuse. I mean, you can't exactly blame her for being so awesome that she broke time, right? And she could hardly be expected to know about time dilation occurring when when traveling at an appreciable fraction of the speed of light--she's an athlete, not a physicist.

Also, unlike some reviewers, I think you've done a stellar job with the characterizations. Dash in no way comes across as unlikeable or anti-intellectual, and she's kinda supposed to be arrogant and a little rude. She's both of those in the show too, after all (arrogance more than rudeness, really). In addition, you've done quite well at portraying the rest of the Mane 6, and the feelings between RD and Fluttershy hardly feel forced at all. Honestly, I think some reviewers are just taking the piss.

All sense of velocity and distance faded into obscurity.  Everything was tranquil and silent, since no sound reached her ears; she far out-raced those sluggish oscillations.  The mountains and forests and clouds that whizzed past, repeating over and over in ever-more-rapid, psychedelic patterns, grew blurry, blending into a surreal tunnel of colorful streaks, the reflections of which flashed and flickered in the mare's flight goggles.  It was as if the pegasus was no longer a part of the physical world she was rapidly circling; she merely passed through, ghost-like, unseen by naked eyes, almost completely unaffected by the forces that shackled and held back all living things.

Forgot to mention it before, but I love how you described this. Letting us know subtly that Dash is flying much faster than even she realizes, what with the repeating scenery changing into indistinct blurs of color. Reading this gives you a real sense of what she's experiencing, which is always a nice touch.

What is this? I think you made me actually... like Flutterdash? Don't get me wrong, its alright, but I was actually D'awwing while reading. Gah, ponies. Seriously though, nice job. This is really well written and everyone's super in character. Looking forward to more whenever its available

Ooh, I liked your description of how Rainbow felt getting ready for the race. As someone who regularly participates in cross country I really felt the nerves build up as they lined up and got ready to go. Cool explanations for all of the different pony magic too

Gah! This must have a happy ending! It must! *cue Rarity whining - yes whining - voice

Seriously, though, this is awesome. Its just so damn emotional. And now that you finally made me actually like Flutterdash you can't leave me hanging with them never getting together, or having Fluttershy be an old crone by the time Dash made it back. Of course you totally could - its your story

Anywho, I'm hooked, and eager for an update whenever you have time

>>16714051671405

Alas, poor Rarity! Your impressive high-pitched whining notwithstanding, this tale is labeled a tragedy for a reason... (Awww, crap, you're making me feel like such a cruel person, now. )

Anyway, regarding updates, I have a new fic that's being proofread right now. After that has been published, I plan on working full time on the next chapter for this one.

This was INSANELY good; I'm surprised this doesn't have higher ratings.

So... the flood destroyed Applejack's farm, and they rebuilt it; Twilight is still in Canterlot, along with Rarity on a business trip. Pinkie is... being Pinkie... and Fluttershy is having a picnic with animal friends...

must... be... optimistic...

By the way, I have to say it, the art-work is very well done.