After a misunderstanding leads to a vicious fight at Flight Camp that leaves them both in the hospital, Cloud Kicker wanted absolutely nothing to do with Rainbow Dash. However, Rainbow refuses to let a single incident destroy their friendship, and has been writing Cloud Kicker letters ever since that horrible day. For more than two years Cloud Kicker has been throwing the letter into the trash unopened, but what will happen when she finally reads one? Can their friendship possibly be salvaged?
Side-story to "The Life and Times of a Winning Pony"
Chapters (1)
Such a perfect summation of the friendship these two share. Watching Cloudy force herself to not hate Rainbow was a rough experience, but seeing them mend things made the ending so much powerful. Well done, as always.
Commence read.
Chengar writes a serious story I am intrigued
All the feels, kudos man
Aw, awesome. I'll read this one right away.
Such an incredible and developing experience. CK's scene with her dad and the end in particular was so gut-wrenching.
As much as I'm happy that CK and RD didn't have to go through this in my stories, I'm kinda regretting that they don't have as many deep, bonding moments together.
Ah, Kicker. Such a weird home life you've got going for you. And Poor, poor Dashie. Those injuries are really scarring for a female.
Chengar needs to stop being such an amazing writer... Wait a minute what am I saying!
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Well, it's not like she still doesn't have her options. Wait, no Derpy, you're not supposed to--
Dammit, not again...
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Dammit Comma stop killing Derpy! Just...stop!
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I just don't know what went wrong!
Hmm... I seem to remember this from Full Metal Alchemist. Colonel Mustang anyone?
Oh Celestia... The feels.
They're everywhere.
Ok, I needed a few minutes to compose myself (and blow my nose).
Sometimes it's easy to forget how tragic the back story is. It's really tragic. So many lives ruined, and it could have been easily avoided.
Here I am,
cryingtotally succeeding in remaining stoic. Yes, that.Who am I kidding? Good job man, good job.
1883235 I just hope there isn't a Winningverse version of Rainbow Blitz who had to go through that. Bad enough that Dash did.
Damn.
Amazing, Beautiful, Art
Communication is the key to understanding, and this... is just awesome.
Beautiful
But of course.
Fricking
After reading the line "Rainbow Dash does kind of stand out in a crowd." This was all I could think of
Anyhow, on to the serious business. There were some terrific moments in this story. I found it very realistic how angry Kicker was at Dash (even if I sort of understand where Dash was coming from as well) and I had always wondered how they could keep being such great friends after all the garbage that had happened between them. Well their reconciliation was portrayed masterfully. It was wonderful how gradual and real that it felt to read.
I liked the expansion on Kicker's parents as well. All that we've really seen of them that I can remember is Kicker's mom being a bit of a hardass, but she does have a softer side and she's grown on me as a character. Cloudy's dad earns 50 best pony points for making her read the letter. As long as we're on the topic of parents I liked having Cool Mom and Awesomom make an appearance. They have become some of my favorite characters as well. And as awkward as it was for Cloudy and Dash to meet up again imagine how weird it must be for their parents to encounter each other. Ugh. I totally called that Dash's moms would freak out after what happened, any good parent would, but I knew that they would freak out especially.
Blueblood at West Hoof was a nice touch.
Now that I know a little about the magic of love deal I'm praying that in some sort of Winning Pony epilogue we get to see baby Rainbowpie. She would be best filly.
By far the best part of this story was then ending scene. Manly tears were almost shed. Almost (shifts eyes). That was truly one of the most beautiful moments in any fic that I've read, and it could be my favorite in the entire Winningverse (so far). So many feels.
Thank you so much for this.
It was well written. It was not the best story I have read, but It was one of the better ones. I was not really moved, but than again, most, if not all the stories I have read, have failed to move my emotions too much. I still enjoyed the work you put into this piece.
A fine job. I have never been good at conveying emotion, so I can appreciate your ability to all the more.
Probably one of the reasons I am so terrible at conveying and understanding emotion is how poorly I use it. If someone tried to murder me, I'd laugh.
These ponies on the other hand are not me, and as such they show reasonable reactions to such things, which is why I have such trouble with stories like this. You, however, successfully crammed the appropriate emotions into my mind through understandings of the characters in ways I could never do, and I admire that. A truly spiffing story, good sir. Have one of those green appendages near the story title.
You have also made it immediately to the peak of the featured box. A congratulatory sentence is in order. Well done.
I love the Winningverse so much, and it is mostly because of moments and stories like this. I was kinda afraid this would be an instance of "Star Wars" syndrome (where the things hinted at in the original get explained and don't leave enough to the imagination), but you still managed to pull it off somehow. Kudos.
I must have forgotten this but y did derpy not respond to Cloud?
i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae315/pnutz313/videoa.gif
That was executed skillfully. Unlike Yours Truly, this is not told by letters, instead emphasized by them. Beautifully composed, one of your best works yet.
Right in the feels.
...
Good story, but I really, really, don't like how Cloud Kicker took over the "The incredibly [adjective] [noun] of Rainbow Dash" series. Really.
Four times I cried. Damn it! Four!
Deathly Hallows only got me once for Dobby, but this? Four times!
Anyways, great story as always.
the story is good and well i admit the damage rainbow got during the fight really makes you feel sorry for her, i still can't help but think she got off easy for runing someones life.
/sniffle /sniffle
1883262 Really. Have you lost you mind? Better go chase it down, then.
1883274 Yeah, we know: Your bad.
Another wonderful addition to the Winningverse, Chengar.
I almost blubbered like a fillyManly tears were shed, and I don't really care.The letters told much more than what they said; nice work at making the lines easy to read between. And the back-story adds more depth to the main story, as well as the side stories. Masterful job. Have some mustaches, too.
And another wonderful cover by InuHoshi. Honestly, I wouldn't mind some of her stuff showing up with mine.
A hint? Whatever gave anyone that idea?
1884394 I can't! My mind is chugging too fast.
*nearly
and there's no punctuation.
"with as awesome"?
That's a laugh.
Anyway, now this is the way to start a new year.
I noticed the title does not reflect from whose point of view we see the story through.
The insight on Cloud Kicker's family life is interesting. So far, we've always seen her mother, but never before have we had any sort of direct contact with her father. Are you going to have a story of when she runs out on her graduation as well? It'd be interesting to see her family interaction then, especially between CK and her father.
Amazing, love the store.
I mean story
Wow, this is a very interesting view of our CK. She took that order to read Dash's letter from her dad with only a minimum of push back.
Ouch, and the conversation after she read it.
I like how their relationship is working back up through the letters.
Ooooooooooo, very interesting. I've been really looking forward to reading the forthcoming rebellion story, this just feeds my appetite for it.
Excellent ending, that was a real tearjerker.
What strikes me about this is how much the tragic backstory ended up saving the world, at least to a little degree. Without the flight school fight, it seems like there's a real solid chance that Shy wouldn't have ended up living in Ponyville in solitude, and that Dash would have never taken the weather job there to keep her company. Maybe I'm over thinking how their lives would have gone down, maybe there would have been a replacement set of bearers for Kindness and Loyalty, but who knows.
This is my favourite winningverse story asides from 'life and times'
Very solid writing, as we've come to expect from you, and heavy with the emotions as well.
I only noticed one spelling mistake, but it was in the letters from Rainbow, so I told my inner grammar nazi it was intentional given she had already crossed out and corrected mistakes in the letters.
It's great to see how things recovered between Rainbow and CK
I lost it. The simultaneous wing-shielding did me in. Oh god the tears won't stop.
So, Rainbow really can't bear foals? I know the issue was brought up by characters before, but I don't think I ever remember reading anywhere that the doctors actually told her that she would be unlikely to ever bear children.
//dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/eenope.png //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra_cry.png //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Redheart_gasp.png //dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Vinyl_sad.png
Actually I would swear RD told Pinkie just the opposite, that she was actually fine in the sensitives. Maybe I am just remembering it wrong. Regardless, that was the real gut punch of this story for me.
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ALL of my tears.
This story should be continued, to include how Cloud Kicker decides not to join the Guard, and instead moves to Ponyville.
Also, is anyone gonna do the story of how Derpy came to Ponyville, and all that has happened with her after Flight Camp?
This side story really showed me Cloud Kicker's personality more than the side we normally only see.
Her ability to forgive Rainbow as quick as she did after actually reading one her letters and letting it all out really showed what kind of mare you envision her as.
I know if I was in a situation with one of my friends like this, I would never forgive them till my dieing breath.
I thought it was amazing and a really good character building story. The only thing I feel is really flawed in the story is that Cloud is almost to quick to buddy up and open up to Rainbow after all that's happened. Really it only took her one letter of getting things out in the open to start sympathizing and talking normally to her again which doesn't seem very realisric to me. But other than that I have no issue with the story.
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I believe that would be What's In a Name?.
See, *this* is a perfectly good Winningverse side-story. Considering it's by you, Chengar, ie the original author, it makes sense that it's so good. None of the other side stories, from the other POVs, have anywhere near the same... impact? And the same je ne sais quoi that these do. They just feel... off, and awkward. This however, well, it fits right in the 'verse, and is excellent.
still futilely hoping for some appledash. But oh well. Maybe in a different story/'verse? :P
These stories are simply brilliant. Your characters are really, really good.
Also, your stories are perfect examples of how to do a 1st person story right. God, all those retarded 1st/2nd person oneshot clopfics that people write just make me want to slit my wrists.
That was beautiful. Very nicely designed characters, a lot of damn good development, and the ending should win an award all its own. Very very nicely done.
I'm.... at a loss for words here. I havent read any of "Winningverse" so I didnt get some of the refferences but I really, truely enjoyed reading this one and thats one of the best things a fic can have: being able to enjoy it even if you dont know all of the background that goes with it.
Bottom line: You've done an awesome work here and you have very well earned yourself a favourite.
PS: You're not alone with this 'not being over her even after a long time' thing, Cloud.....
Well done that was cute
I like how that back story went I was curious after reading the life and times 
Well I look forward to more of the life and times and as well as more of the winningverse. 
Excellent way to bring in the new year