"Gotta be honest with you two, I think 'war' ought to be a curse word. You know what they say; it's Tartarus."
Applejack shook her head. "No, I gotta disagree there. War's war; Tartarus is Tartarus. War's worse."
Rainbow Dash raised a red eyebrow. "Yeah? How d'ya figure?"
"Good creatures don't go to Tartarus."
In a time that never existed, two unlikely ponies find solace in each other.
Written for the M/M Shipping Contest. Takes place in Sombra's Bad Future. Big Macintosh x Soarin, with hinted Applejack x Rainbow Dash near the end.
Howdy, hi!
You have been successfully entered into the MxM contest! Thank you for your participation and we look forward to reading your entry!
Always enjoy a good MASH reference, and a damn good story.
oof, already darker than it even seemed in the canon timeline, with Granny Smith being gone
that is a good bwuh!
if Applejack is saying that, it really means something!
i find it very fun that "cattle ranch" is apparently used as the term for a farmstead run by cows, because what other meaning would that word have here?
fascinating situation, to have access to coffee but not salt! the only geographical region i've ever heard of in that situation historically is the highlands of Ethiopia
very important to mention Maud, thank you very much
ah, loved this bit! this is how you tell and background effectively
really feel this
love how lived-in this banter is
and since that was before the Rainboom, it's also how it happened in the main timeline. and Applejack of course did not mention that part in retelling that story to the CMCs. very nice full circle, there.
oof, so the lack of Rainboom meant Granny Smith literally had to die in order to get Applejack back to the family farm, if years later and with more distance between her and Apple Bloom. darkest timeline, indeed!
and with the injuries and scars in the previous paragraph, it's clear why
ah, fantastic! really sums up the feeling of this timeline well. the promise of the canon episode focused on the promise of the Mane Six's destinies denied to them, but it extends to so much more.
and of course! it's nice to see she at least is where she belongs, even in this timeline
oof, time has not been kind to Rainbow Dash
damn it, i was afraid this was going to happen
damn it, my heart! i am tearing up here
echoes of the atom bombs that ended the Second World War
my heart again!
my heart again, a third time! it didn't matter at all that the narrative structure made me expect this to happen, i love it. i can just picture Soarin' here, his happy self shining through despite all his grievous injuries. ugh!
i was half-afraid that with the extent of his injuries (who knows if the atom bomb analogue came with a radiation analogue?), the story would end with Soarin' alive and well just long enough to get married to Big Mac and then die in his forelegs, which i would have loved with the same part of my brain that loves making myself and those around me very sad. but this is even better. it's not all sunshine and rainbows, after all the collective trauma and scarring the characters have been through. but for now there is love and peace and precious things worth defending and appreciating every moment of, and a time for comfort after the hurt. and the casual mention of that silver engagement ring just made me grin like a goofball. it's so nice and warm.
and i am very glad you did. thank you so much for it!
Howdy, hi!
This was an absolutely solid Big Mac x Soarin romance. The characterization of the main two was amazing and had an easy chemistry about them that really showed through how they interacted with each other. I am all for a domestic romance and this delivered it well. The backdrop of the crystal war was fantastic. It complimented the romance and didn't overtake the focus on the superbly written characters. It's a war story done right: a story about characters *not* the war itself.
I loved the bittersweetness of the fic. The small moments between each of the characters paint a picture of a family just trying their best despite the circumstances. I actually cheered when Soarin appeared at the end since I had genuinely thought this would end in tragedy. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and, despite the wounds accrued over the course of the story, I love seeing Big Mac and Soarin able to be together (and the Appledash was a nice bonus).
Riveting story from beginning to end and a delight to read. An absolute banger read. Thank you so much for this!
This was great! As others have said, the characterization and chemistry between these two felt very natural, and it stayed consistent throughout the entire story. Great use of time jumps, too. Each scene lasted as long as it needed to without dragging.
The whole breakfast scene was my favorite. It had this feeling of shelter and choosing to focus on the happiness in front of you rather than the horror outside, which gave the whole experience a lot of weight.
Great work!
P.S.
Bi Soarin' is best Soarin'.
need more!!!!
I need more story's with Big Mac x Soarin please do more with this 2!