• Member Since 13th Oct, 2011
  • offline last seen Oct 30th, 2012

AmberWings


E

No one expects to go to sleep and never wake up. There's always tomorrow, or the next day. There was always time. So, when a young life is extinguished before its time, it becomes especially difficult to handle. When the spirit of that life is forced to face and accept her death, what will become of her afterlife? Scootaloo will soon be faced with this tragedy, and this is her story.

Chapters (4)
Comments ( 327 )

I'd just finished reading this on DA when it popped up here. It's... thought-provoking. Well worth reading. I actually felt closer to crying than I've been in years.

She made the right choice. I've often thought that the ideal afterlife would have to be very much like life itself, complete with its pitfalls and challenges. What value is there in happiness without the feeling of having earned it? No, we're already in our heaven, and she was one of the rare people wise enough to realize it. Bravo, Scootaloo.

Never has this emoticon been more appropriate. :scootangel:

Damn... this is hitting me as hard as "The Five People You Meet in Heaven"

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite stories. Not because of the engaging plot, the wonderfully developed characters, or the rich setting. No, it's one of my favorites because of a single line, from the ending. I'm kind of paraphrasing, but this is the gist of it:

"To know ultimate happiness, one must first know ultimate suffering."

And that's what you've managed to capture here. Life has its ups and downs, its joys and pains. You can't have one without the other. Else, you're leading an incomplete life.

Beautiful story. Well done.

My boyfriend was found dead yesterday. I'm still in shock. I don't know why I read this, but I'm glad that I did. It's a lovely story, and a comforting one. Thank you for posting it.

12289 I'm happy to hear you got to see it on there! Wow, I didn't think anyone looked at that - I'm a little flustered right now.

Still, I'm so happy to know you enjoyed this. It's an idea I've been playing around with for a long time, but it only just occurred to me to pair it with ponies. Poor Scootaloo just happened to be too easy a target to pass up...and she deserved a happy ending.

12297 Oh Rocket, hun, I'm so sorry for your loss. I know my story isn't much to give, but I'm glad it was able to give you even a small amount of comfort. Take care of yourself, sweetheart.:fluttershysad:

:scootangel:
Confound you writers, you drive me to cry

Damn... That's about all I can say to this. I'm not a cold and heartless person by any means, but I find it very difficult to cry. I'll spare you the reason, but needless to say, my eyes watered while reading this. Unlike my normal comments, where I would offer some form of critique, or pick out some error here or there in hopes of providing the author with some useful feedback, I don't have anything to pick on. I didn't find anything. I didn't care to look for them. I didn't need to look for them. So, I suppose I'll offer something else instead. How about a hope for the future? To inspire someone to do something is about the most profound effect anything can have on anyone. I've been inspired to write another story with a similar theme, though without the death. Thanks for pulling on my brittle heart strings - they've almost snapped, and it's about time I replaced them anyway. 5/5

. . .

. . .

you have me in tears... pure undiluted tears... this is magnificently beautiful.

Thank you... I haven't felt like this in forever, and I'm glad to know that sorrow is something I can still feel. Thank you.

Wow. This was fantastic. I don't cry easily. But this had me in tears. Bravo. :scootangel:

Wow... thats about all I can say, its a beautiful story... brought me close to tears... something very rare for me.

Thanks :twilightsmile:

God fucking DAMNIT brony... I'm 6'3". I'm 235 lbs. I can bench press my own weight. I work as a security guard. I got stabbed a while back, and I broke the guy's face with my knee. I didn't cry then. WHY CAN I NOT STOP CRYING?!

Goddamnit I'm supposed to be a man!

Like, FUCK. It's 10 mins later, and I'm hiding in a stairwell till I stop crying so I can get back to work. Where the fuck is the favourite button?!

so wait did scootaloo like come back to life? :rainbowhuh: but it was still realy sad:fluttercry: 20 out of 5 thats what i rate this

12378 No. Her life was her heaven. The only difference between her life and her heaven was that Dash found her.

12378

No, she's still dead, but her heaven is if she hadn't been found... too late to save. Think of it like an alternate universe kind of deal.

Shit man this is the only story on this site that made me cry.
I really didint cry for ages, and it was strange......thank you.
:raritycry::fluttercry::applecry:

Ok, for all of you trying to figure out whether Scoot is alive or not, I agree, and would like the author to chime in. I'm probably overthinking this, but...

I see a few possibilities. The mare specifically said only those that die young & innocent are given this choice. 1) Scoot was allowed to choose another chance at life. Most ponies in the same situation don't realize they can make this choice, so they pick something else and remain dead. 2) Scoot is dead, and picked a heaven that was exactly like her life. However, since she will presumably live forever in this reality, everyone else gets old and dies and she constantly has to deal with loss again. Doesn't sound good. 3) Scoot is dead, and picked a heaven like her real life, except that nopony ages any more, so it's frozen in time, and somehow Scoot doesn't notice or care that it's not right. Everything's stagnant. A little less depressing, maybe, but still not great in my book. That's why I like to think #1 is correct. I doubt that was the intent, but for me, it's the happiest ending, and it still fits the theme that life was heaven for her since she thought of it on her own.

And, damn you for making me cry. Final 3 chapters were much stronger than the first, but brilliantly done.

12464

To put it to rest, *cue drum Ba-dum-cha*

The idea I used was this. If I were to die, I'm the kind of person who wouldn't just let it go. I honestly can't see Scootaloo doing this either. After all, there were so many memories we never would have gotten to have, so many good times, even though there would be some bad. It would still have been an adventure - a story - and it's a shame to let it go unfinished. So the heaven I would imagine her, and myself, choosing would be to live out the remainder of the story. To live as though I had never died and finish what I started.

However - the Mare also stated that Heaven can change, if Scootaloo works to change it. It's in her hooves now and after it's all over, said and done, she'll have grown up and experienced life in all its joy. She'll be stronger, wiser, and I feel she would know better what heaven would be like from then on. I believe that, while she could not simply replay her life, she could start on a new adventure with her loved ones. They would continue to explore the world and other worlds together, and they would never grow old, and they would never grow tires. They would run the streets forever. And everything would be perfect.

By the way - ten points if anyone can cite where I got that last line from.

She's still dead - but that doesn't mean she gave up on living.

12476

That was meant to say *tired.

Yes, ponies do not grow tires, guys. :derpyderp1:

:fluttercry: that's so sad... I don't know if I'm crying because I felt like I was in scootaloo's horseshoes, or that the story was so beautifully written. The English language does not have enough words to describe how sad I feel now... If I were to die young like scoots, I would probably do something similar in the way of finishing what I started... Oh well... At least I've found it easier to fall asleep when I'm sad... Rest in peace Scootaloo... :scootangel:

Wow... this just got added to the list of fics that got me to cry. I didn't bawl, but the emotion was thick.
here, have this.
fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/286/3/3/good_night_scoots____by_juy56-d4cqx5f.png
and a link if that dosn't work.
http://juy56.deviantart.com/#/d4cqx5f
5 stars.

12523 To you, my dear reader, I must attempt to make my response as well versed and eloquent as a bard in the crux of autumn.

*clears her throat*

THANK YOU! :heart:

I hope this brief expression will suffice in adequately expressing the degree which I have proceeded to "squee" over having received your lovely token. :duck:

12528
Hey, I thought i was the one thanking you :rainbowhuh:

But, yeah 'thank you' works. Thank YOU for the great fic.

12544 Remember, an author is just someone who writes words. It is their readers that make them successful. :raritystarry:

I do like that explanation, and it's similar to the one I chose, but it still doesn't sit right with me. She chose to experience both the joy and pain of life again, but if she lives forever now, it changes the consequences of her future actions. The most pain in life is that it ends, both hers and her friends', and if you take first one and then the other of those away, it's not the same. You wouldn't live the same way. There would be no motivation to make the most of life while you can, since you will never lose the opportunity.

Those are my feelings, anyway. I'm not trying to get you to change anything, just putting my 2 cents out there to get people thinking. I think you left it ambiguous enough that readers can make their own choice. I gave you an enthusiastic 5 *'s.

:applecry: damn you you tear stealing bastard!

sigh... now i want to read anything and everything else you've written

12589 And all of them are sad. Ain't I just a riot? :pinkiehappy:

Just... wow. That was amazing, I loved it. The ending is somewhat similar to something that I wrote myself:

"“Naturally, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation,” Luna said with a small chuckle. “I imagine that you’ve got plenty of questions.”

Vinyl nodded in affirmation. “Am I alive?” she asked, obvious first question.

Princess Luna couldn’t help but chuckle. “Do you feel alive?” she asked.

Vinyl thought about the day’s events, from losing her eyesight to everything she’d just been through with Derpy. There could be only one answer to the Princesses’ question.

“Yes,” Vinyl said simply.

“Then you’re alive!” Luna said. She placed her hoof on the unicorn mare’s shoulder."

Clearly, you and I are on the same page. I applaud you, this was amazing.

Well, it didnt make me cry. :ajbemused: Of course, that could be because i read spark and other fics of that caliber that had me crying for about an hour, but hey. It was good. I commend you.

I cried several manly tears, very well done.

I cried several manly tears, very well done.

12298
I was referred there by Tsutsifrutsi's Tumblr blog! Your story came highly recommended, for obvious reasons. :pinkiehappy:

....this is beyond words. Denfinatley an original concept, for sure. Worth a 5/5 and a lot of fan arts. Some of which will be mine. I applaud you. :fluttercry:

I got a little misty eyed over this. So Scootaloo is still dead and her actual friends are still mourning while she experiences a fantasy. Not really a happy ending, if that's what you were going for.

So wonderful, so thought provoking.... Tears.... That's all

HexReverie, the point is Scootaloo choose a Heaven where she never died, and yes, in the original reality her friends are mourning for her, but that can't be changed. Basically, Scootaloo pulled a Source Code, and in the reality she's living she is alive because she choose to be, because that is her heaven.

One day, I might be brave enough to read this. For now, though, just the title is enough to make me...make me...

...hang on, I'll be right back...

:raritycry::raritycry::raritycry::raritycry::raritycry::raritycry::raritycry:

I want to comment on this with something poignant or heartfelt, but everything feels unworthy and hollow. Instead, please simply accept my thanks for writing such an emotionally vivid story.

:applecry:

this may be the best story i ever red :scootangel: :heart:

Very well written-came this close to crying. ( ) That close:pinkiesad2:

I was in tears the whole time. Great job.

I cried.

I cried that silent, tears streaming down your face but being quite cry.

A sobbing fit of Hurt, Of a touched heart and of depressed Thoughts.

With the power to make one feel such a strong and painful emotion through writing is tough and you should be commended for it.

Tragedy is unavoidable and when it happens to someone so innocent or undeserving of it, The hurtful Feelings can be overwhelming.

I'm Glad you didn't pussy out and make scootaloo wish for something that would allow herself Life once more, Instead, she chose to live that life in the afterlife as her own personal heaven,a never ending paradise with the one she idolizes and loves, And that was A respectful move.

You should write a sequel to this or some kind of continuation that closes the story fully, show what happens as the broken hearts are repaired and
amends can be made and possibly how the Hurt was to much and Maybe... somepony can share a personal heaven with Scoots.

Reading Depressing stories is difficult for me because the funk it puts me in usually lasts for a very long time, A Few days was the longest i ever had. So thanks for making my chest feel heavy for the next few hours.. Dickhead.. (kidding)

This made me cry so much:fluttercry::fluttercry::fluttercry:

Excellent job Mate.

Awwwwww.
Such a sweet story and so very touching. I'm favoriting this and giving you 5 stars for such a fantastic story :scootangel:
(Funny how that emote is so perfect for this story :pinkiehappy:)

Tears... actual heartfelt tears... i haven't ever cried for a story... and this one deserves more words than i could ever think in my lifetime i am going to write my own story soon, and i can only hope that it will be as moving as this one

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