Oh my Luna this was awesome!

Soo good! Very well done, great job Vivid!

Thanks again for bringing me along on the ride. I immensely enjoyed editing this story

You'll have to excuse him. 'fraid he called his momma a bitch so many times that he's part lapdog now.

loved that line.

I never really said anything, but I had a feeling that this would happen. They'd get back together and Soarin would end up moving to Appaloosa

I really enjoyed this story over ... however long i've been reading it; especially these last few chapters, really emotional. This story is definitely one of my favorites (and easily my favorite M/M story). This is on my re-read list (although i'm not going to get to it anytime soon).

And with that, we can finally close the book on this story. Gosh, has it already been three and a half years?

This story has delivered until the final word, and the quality that you started with in 2014 has only increased since then. I do have to say that it felt the tiniest bit of a cop out that you had Braeburn and Soarin secretly back together in the final chapter, especially since, in the chapters leading up to that, you had built on why and just how much they needed to be apart. Perhaps it was you wanted to give the story a happy ending (all things considered)?

Nevertheless, that might be the only nitpick I can remember from the story, and that too might fade as time goes on. Overall, I am confident that when I return to this story in the future to give it a read from start to finish, my reaction would be a positive on. I thank you for creating this wonderful tale, and look forward to what you have in store to the future.

8486165
Thank you! I'm happy you enjoyed it.

8486323
Thanks for sticking with it to the end. I'm so happy you enjoyed it!

8486358
And I immensely enjoyed having you on it. Thank you again for all your help.

8486462
Thanks, jxj! I've loved writing this story, and I'm glad you enjoyed it, too. If ever you get around to reading it again, I hope you'll enjoy it just as much. Thanks for all the comments over the years.

I dont want this to be over but i love the ending :)

8486839
Thanks for reading all the way to the end, JBL. You're one of the most discerning readers I've met, and I've appreciated all your feedback over the years. It's meant a lot to me.

cop out

Words that will haunt me forever. I'd love to talk about that particular decision if you're ever interested, since as you can imagine, it was a tough one. As always, though, what matters isn't what I'd intended but what the reader got out of it. I only hope that, in the end, you were able to smile along with them.

8486940
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Rakkit_Brony, and thanks for reading all the way to the end.

This ride was worth every second of it, thanks.

Well, it's time to start working on that essay I've been talking about on the theme of reflection. Fitting, too, that the mirror in Soarin's room makes one final appearance in this. This was definitely worth the read, and I'll probably say more after I get some sleep.

Wow, the story's over, it's all over...

... I might have been late into reading this story, with my first comment being posted sometime in 2016 (God, I don't even remember when exactly I started reading this), but I loved every single step to the very end. Truthfully, though, I didn't expect that Soarin' and Braeburn were actually in the process of restarting/rebuilding their relationship before Syn interviewed Soarin', even less expected that Soarin' was planning on moving into Appleloosa with Brae. Even so, after all the tumult that the two had been through in their attempt to understand themselves and one another, I'd be cheering on the renewed couple all the way as well.

Honestly your writing in this story only seemed to have improved with each chapter that went by, I don't know how much planning/editing/rewriting/whatever went into this story, especially since it took around four years to complete, but I hope you're happy with how it all turned out, and writing a story that, in my opinion, is probably better than a myriad of non-fanfic/published stories out there today. At this point, this is my favorite M/M-Romance story, and probably one of the best stories I've read on this site, period, and in all likelihood I'll re-read this, though that won't happen anytime soon.

Definitely looking forward to see whatever you may have in store next!

_{I'd totally buy a physical copy of this story... but that's just my weird self...}

....if there's any Fimfic story that ever needed a physical book, this is it, I have to say.

8486946
I would love to hear from your end how things took the turn they did at the end.

8486909
he did not.

8486930
it didn't. It would have been annoying if you didn't release them all at once. Although no more than a regular cliffhanger.

8486919
If i'm being honest, i'll probably enjoy it a bit more. I'm not the biggest fan of serial content like this.

Thanks for all the comments over the years. 

It's been a pleasure. Thanks for the amazing story over the years.

8486986
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know!

8487028

One of them was bound to sneak by. Thanks for pointing it out!

8487058

I can't wait to read it.

8487422

....if there's any Fimfic story that ever needed a physical book, this is it, I have to say.

8487361

I'd totally buy a physical copy of this story..

About that...

8487361
Late or not, I've been happy to have you along for the ride, Commune. I've appreciated all your comments and feedback during this whole adventure (and I maaaaay have teared up a little at all the kind things you said in this comment), so from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

I am happy with how "Sensation" turned out. There are, of course, things I would change if I had to do it again, but this is one of the rare moments where I feel a lot of pride in something I've accomplished. To give you some perspective, I once calculated that I spend around 4 hours for every thousand words that gets published between planning, drafting, editing, and polishing.

I'm glad you're sticking around, and I hope you like what I have in store next. Thank you again!

8487410
8487422
Thank you for all your kind words over the years, Brasta. I'm so glad you've become so engrossed in the story, and now that you're stepping out of it and back into the our world, I hope you can carry these fond memories with you for years to come.

8488348
I was hoping a few people would pick up on it right away.

8488445
"Bawling mess" is my specialty. Thanks for your kindness, and I can't wait to hear what you thought of the ending!

8487657

I'm not the biggest fan of serial content like this.

Yeah, this one kind of got away from me in that department. I've decided that the next time I do a longer fic, I'm going to try to limit myself to shorter, probably one-scene chapters so that I can post more regularly.

This is one of the most emotional stories I've ever read. I can remember how excited I was to see what happened, but also how afraid I was going through the chapters as the story continued, knowing the inevitable pain that would come. The emotions that it was giving me were so intense that it was hard to stomach at times. I could remember how badly I wanted things to work out, for all the issues to be sorted between the two of them. I was happy when they were happy. I was angry when they were angry. When their life seemed unfair, I felt that unfairness resonate within me and twist my guts. When there was suspense, I felt the buildup within me and crash in time with the climax. I felt the heat swimming through me when things got hot and steamy between them. And I will tell you this right now: while there have been several other stories that have brought an emotional response from me... there has been no other story I've encountered in my entire life that made me want to know but so afraid to know that it was physically challenging to keep going, and when I say that, I say that with reverence.

I want to take note that this story is now one of only two M/M stories I've encountered that is neither dead before finished, too short for its own good, or just clop for the sake of clop (the other being the "Brushed Away" trilogy by VClaw); which is something that makes me very, very happy.

In regards to the ending, I was surprised about Bronze's involvement in the "accident" for I had a completely different idea as to what would make that accident not an accident. Then we had those trippy-ass dreams that I'm still trying to wrap my finite, sober brain around (not that it was any less great writing). Of course that all pales in comparison to the ending... You son of a bitch. Here I was thinking all this time that you were going to give a Brokeback-esque fate for Soarin, and then you throw this curveball of a happy ending with the two of them trying again with more hope. I admit that this feels kind of like a 180, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want it ending happy. Hell, all I ever wanted was for them to be happily ever after.

So thank you. Thank you for your contribution to Fimfiction. Thank you for the happiness, the drama, the sexiness, the realism, the conflict, even the strife. It was hours of my life well spent, I feel lucky to experience it, and I feel honored to have met you in person. Good luck with your next endeavors. I hope to be along with the ride.

P.S. That very last bit from Braeburn. Are you hinting at an alternate POV rewrite of this story?

Alright, so I'm by no means a critic and I'm probably gonna end up rambling a bit but here goes. First of all I want to applaud you on not only your ability to write believable and satisfying character arcs, but also your ability to connect them with your readers. Soarin's arc about finding out his family history and the origins of his own controlling nature is one that particularly resonated with me. My father was somewhat controlling while I was young which is possibly one of the reasons I found that part of the story so emotional; it made me think about my relationships and what lead them to crash and burn.

Soarin and Braeburn's initial meeting, first fight, then slow growth throughout the story felt so natural that I could almost place myself in their hooves. Your style of contrasting happy moments with devastatingly sad ones is unmatched. For example: One of my favorite scenes in the entire story was when they finally said their first "I love you"'s and it had me in tears of joy, but in your cruelty, it wasn't five minutes before I was in tears, devastated to find out that Soarin' was going back to Cloudsdale.

From that point on I knew that things were slowly going downhill and every red flag struck my heart like a cannonball. When they finally broke up, I too felt broken inside, I cried for at least 30 minutes. Every time I see that one piece of fan art from their final date tears well up and it takes an incredible author to elicit such an emotional response from me.

As for the final few chapters - I was getting chills up and down my spine leading up to the accident. A cold shiver went through me during the scene where Soarin' was saying something along the lines of "Usually I can sense when something is wrong". I was not expecting bronze to be the "non-accident" but I honestly cannot think of a more perfect place for that subplot to go. As soon as he approached Soarin' from behind and acted so friendly, I knew something was wrong. Like I said in one of my last comments I almost immediately picked up on who it was and was slowly filled with more and more dread until Soarin' too realized himself. The only gripe I have about this is that it wasn't entirely tied up. What exactly happened to Bronze after the "accident"? You never really explained it.

The epilogue left me smiling and overjoyed with tears. The interactions between Soarin' and Braeburn in this final chapter were adorable and believable. Although I do somewhat agree with JBL saying it was a bit of a cop out, I don't think that's a bad thing. I enjoyed the epilogue and If you choose to write a sequel, I'm sure you can think of a dozen ways to continue the story and further develop their characters. I'm also looking forward to the potential teased story from Braeburn's perspective, though I imagine it will simply fill in the gaps we didn't get in this story.

Overall I'm going to give the story an incredible 9.5/10. The few lose ends and tiny nitpicks I had are the only things that make this story short of a perfect 10 but I don't think I'll ever read anything that'll captivate me and my emotions like this ever again. Thank you for never giving up on the story and I'm looking forward to reading more from you in the future!

Also I finally added a profile picture, took me long enough

What a simply stunning story, I have never been so invested in such a beautiful romance and the ending was truly something special. We've all been on this journey with you and whilst a hint of melancholy lingers from the ending, it fills me with joy to see such a beautiful ending.

I like to imagine Soarin and Brae got their happy ever after and maybe I'd love to hear Syn's own struggle for love. I wish you all the best for the future of your work and cannot wait to be sitting in front of it yet again.

8488849

Yeah, this one kind of got away from me in that department.  I've decided that the next time I do a longer fic, I'm going to try to limit myself to shorter, probably one-scene chapters so that I can post more regularly.

well, I like it when I can just start reading something and go from start to finish in one go. And I can read really fast when I have the time. It's not a problem with you, I was reading a fic that updated daily and it wasn't enough sometimes. It's something I've just had to accept with fanfics. It's not really feasible to wait for a fic to finish updating before reading.

8488892
Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Double R. This is the kind of comment I'm going to print off and stick on my wall for when I'm feeling blue. I'm glad you've been able to enjoy it so much, and hearing that it resonated with you on an emotional level makes me extremely happy.

You son of a bitch.

That's how I know I'm doing my job right. A few people have commented on the twist at the end, and while I think I made the right call, I can understand some of the frustration. Regardless, I hope you found it satisfying, and it sounds like you did. That's all I can ask for.

Are you hinting at an alternate POV rewrite of this story?

I still have some big decisions to make about how I want to spend my writing time, and I've got a few non-Sensation stories that I'll finally have time to tell, but I'll say this much: you haven't seen the last of these two.

8488940
Thank you for all the kind words, Rock (and nice avatar, by the way!). I've always striven to make the emotions feel real and resonate with the audience, and based on your feedback, it sounds like I succeeded on that front. I admit: I also get a bit of a gut-punch when I see Lucky Fly's artwork from that chapter.

I'm glad you liked the story despite the details you pointed out, and it's wonderful feedback for the next time around. I don't regret doing it the way I did, but I know that it caught a few people off-guard. Fun fact: I've actually written an explanation of what happened with Bronze, but after a lot of work with my editor, I couldn't find a way to make it work without significantly disrupting the flow of the ending or pulling focus away from Soarin' and Braeburn. I'm sure it could have been done, but the epilogue especially was already pushing what I was comfortable with in terms of exposition. Maybe if I re-write it someday (or maybe for the physical copy?), I'll spend a little more time trying to make it work.

Thanks for the feedback! I'll proudly take that 9.5 out of 10, and I hope I can continue to please.

8489536
I'm right there with you, Milo. It's bittersweet finally being done with the story, but knowing that I've made some people smile (even as far away as Australia) has helped make it all worthwhile.

I still need to decide where I'm going with these two, and if I know me, this isn't the last we've seen of them. Like Soarin' said, you never know what the future will bring.

8489698
I can understand that, it's just you sort of implied in Chapter 50 that he got off scott-free with 0 consequences which makes my blood boil (If that's the case, then that's a good thing btw)
8489713

this isn't the last we've seen of them

Better not be the last of best OTP

Wow... It's done...It's such an odd feeling to actually see it finished.

I really liked this!

This story was so moving from start to finish, and I don't think I need to say anymore how much I love it. The ending was not what I was prepared for, but I'm actually very satisified and bit relieved with how it turned out. This has been such a journey, I'm really glad I stumbled across this once fairly small story those few years ago. I'm really proud of you Vivid! I can't wait to see what you've got planned for the future.

I'm a sucker for a good romance and for happy endings, and this gave me both.

You did a fantastic job piecing together their story, and while there were definitely some parts I saw coming there were others that completely blew my mind. And while there are a few decisions I'd love to ask you more about (I think you know at least one I'm talking about) you did such a wonderful job of capturing the emotions of the characters involved, especially the heights and depths of Soarin's psychological landscape. I'm glad I found this story (and Fire Streak's) and started reading it. Well done.

8489732
I can totally understand that. On the plus side, more to explore in future stories.

8489657
In that case, I appreciate you reading along with this story all the more.

8490418
Thanks, BlueStreak! I appreciate all your feedback over the chapters, and I'd love to answer any questions you have. I'm going to be at Ciderfest and Nightmare Nights the next couple weekends, so if you're going, be sure to say hi. If no, I'm happy to chat online sometime (maybe after Ciderfest next weekend).

And suffice to say, I'm glad you found this story, too.

8489965
Thanks again for reading, Stratus, and for all the motivation over the years. I've still got your picture hanging in my office, and it still brings me tons of joy. I'm glad you found the ending satisfying, and I look forward to writing plenty more. I'll see you at Nightmare Nights!

...and I really, really, really hope you caught the nod in paragraph 3 of chapter 49.

That story really was fun and heartwarming. Made me grin, made me tear up at times, and even made me postpone my paperwork at work until I finished the last two chapters. Hell I bet I even read it again on my road trip next month. Great work

8490748
Gah!! It completely slipped my mind. Yes I did catch it, I stopped reading and gushed about it for a few minutes haha! It's super cool you did that! it completely caught me off guard!

8491017
Glad you liked it, Xero! Thanks for sticking with it to the end, and have fun with the second read-through. See if you can spot more of the foreshadowing this time around – there's plenty in there.

8491836
Glad you saw it, man. Consider it a thank-you for all your art over the years.

8490735
well, not reading a story this good isn't an option. I do read a lot of completed fics, but in general it isn't really an option. Waiting what could be years to read a story that I want to isn't really an option, so serial content is just something I have to deal with. Although the author interaction is nice, you don't get that as much in completed fics.

Okay. I’m done. Almost the entire thing in 2 days. Fucking incredible. I loved it. I cried more than i’d like to admit... Haven’t read the epilogue yet, but i’m sure of one thing: theres no closure with Bronze. I want another side story or even better: a sequel (just kidding do whatever you want the story is already great enough. )
Do you have a patreon or something?

8493428
Just finished the epilogue, pretty much voids my last comment. It got even better, and if the last part means what I think it does, I take back what I said in my first comment Amazing job dude, and by the way, with all that detail and accuracy on the intimate parts, i’d say somebody has had some first hand experience ;p

8493428
8493448
That's quite an accomplishment! It's a lot to read in just two days.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the feedback about Bronze and what you'd like to see out of a potential sequel, too. I still have some soul-searching to do in terms of what comes next, but you can count on more Soarburn goodness from me in the future.

And yes, my husband is a very content man.

8493071
For me, a lot of the interaction is what kept me going. There's no way the story would have been as good as it was if I didn't have people like you to talk to the whole way. I always talk about how much I appreciate feedback, and I really mean it.