Story Promotions (Round IV) · 9:38am Jul 17th, 2014
Here's another round of story promotions. 
Hope you find some new stories to read and enjoy!
So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish
When Lyra finds her old pet fish in the back of the freezer, she sees an opportunity to recapture the glories of her youth.
Lyra and Flipper are back together after ten years. After all, a bit of ice never got in the way of true friendship.
If Lyra ever became a side character on the show, this would be a great episode showcasing exactly why we like her as a fanon character. Kooky, silly, optimistic, energetic, and fun-loving Lyra is on full display here, her old friend Flipper at her side. Why exactly Flipper is significant and why this is a Slice of Life, rather than a Comedy story, is something I will try not to spoil here. I went into this story expecting a simple, fun SoL and some laughs. I got that along with a side of feels. Good feels, though. After all... at some point, all of us have to grow up and leave childish things behind. Or do we? This is a story that poses that question, and answers it in a a way that I didn't expect.
If you like Lyra, feelsy/fun Slice of Life, or pet fish, check it out.
When Rarity has a chance meeting with Braeburn, a blossoming friendship is tested by the latter's sudden silence. Undeterred, Rarity chases the frontier pony to Appleloosa, determined to know what he is keeping from her and keep their connection alive.
She finds a new world clashing with everything she thought she valued, a town determined to push her generosity to the limit, and obligations tearing her in two directions at once. Amidst the dirt and sand, a search for friendship turns into something much more serious.
Don't let this story's lengthy chapters, sporadic updates, or unusual pairing deter you from giving it a chance.
This is one of the most eloquent stories I have read in a while.
The writing simply flows. It's absolutely beautiful. Everything from the description of Appleloosa, to Rarity's interactions with the quirky (and sometimes hostile) locals, is written like poetry. The author takes his time in writing this, and it shows. I'm not a huge fan of Rarity, to be honest, but I really enjoy how she is portrayed in this story. She is still very much Rarity, but she is not the stiff, humorless fashionista who refuses to get her hooves dirty that I've seen in so many other fics. Braeburn is wonderful too--a stallion who loves his home, his friends, and his family deeply, and wants the best for all three at once, no matter the cost. An honest Apple. A prince in his own right.
If you enjoy stories featuring Rarity, Braeburn, Appleloosa, or eloquent, slow-burning romance, this is the story for you.
Celestia gives Twilight Sparkle her very own kingdom. But, it's not quite what Twilight expects. Her kingdom is much too small, the lines are too long, the food costs too much... oh, and it's a theme park.
I love CartsBeforeHorses's comedy stories. I think it's his best genre, and it shows. This story had me in stitches! 
Everyone needs a good comedy now and then, and Carts delivered.
This story was released briefly before the Season Finale.... I think it would have done better in the ratings department if it had been released the day of/later, because this is just one of those parody stories that nails it. Twilight's got a kingdom now, and no one wants to come! It reminds me of my (vague) childhood memories of Disneyland and Disneyworld... the former being kinda meh.
If you are looking for a light-hearted laugh and/or a parody of Twilight getting her own kingdom, look no further.
Babs Seed gets an interesting letter from Apple Bloom that may change how she views her family.
Big thanks to Bad_Seed_72 for pre-reading and editing.
When I was PM'd with the possibility of editing a new Babs Seed story, I had to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did. This story, while a little short, would make an excellent episode. Without spoiling too much, it is connected to "Pinkie Apple Pie" and the implications therein as Apple Bloom relays them to Babs Seed via letter. Babs discovers that a friend may in fact be a relative, and she and that friend discover what that newfound revelation truly means. The interaction between Babs and her friend is written wonderfully. A heartwarming little Slice of Life here, as well as a great story for best filly and another character who needs more love in the fandom.
If you like stories about Babs Seed, or touching, family-oriented Slice of Life, give this one a read.
Well, that's all I have for now, folks. Take care, and have a great night. 
Have a nice pic of best family to keep you company. 
These look really interestimg, especially Apple Surprise. I think I'll go read it now.
Thanks for the promotion! I'm glad I did the PM in the first place. I was actually kicking myself at the time, panicking going, "Oh my god, she's gonna hate me," and all that jazz. It was how popular you are which got me nervous. Me contacting a popular member? How absurd! But its all worked out in the end. It got into Twilight's Library, which only strives me to get better, and it's my highest rated fic as of right now.
Blueshift is still a member I have to read all of his work on. There's only been a select few I've read, but it hasn't disappointed. I really need to devote more time to reading.
The Prince of Dust sounds interesting. I'll put it in my Read Later list, and get around to it... sometime. Usually long chapter lengths such as 9,000 words or above can scare me off. But I'll give it a go sometime. An unusual pairing is always nice, and given that I feel I have to improve my own Rarity writing, it might help out in that department.
Twilight's Magic Kingdom is actually one of the CartsBeforeHorses' stories I haven't read. And I don't know why. He comes out with some great stuff, so I'll definitely get around to reading it.
Apple Surprise was a-goddamn-dorable.
Hey, Badsy, if you like silly Slice-of-Lifey Spike, check out The Art of the Shave. Made me giggle, and great Spike/Shining interaction, something that this fandom is sorely lacking. Seriously, those two need more time together.
Very nice, all of them. Sometime I may take a shot at doing Twilight's Magic Kingdom in a serious fashion, but Cart's angle on it is drop-dead funny.
I'm gonna have to check out the Braeburn x rarity. I always enjoyed brae as a character and always like good fics with him
A romance story involving Braeburn.
"Prince of Dust" is now on my reading list. 
i hope it fills the void left by "Colt of the West" ceasing to update.
The Disney castle. Really Bads. god that place is a fucking rip seriously a fucking water bottle is like six bucks. and i'm not kiddin i live in sol cal and i live about thirty mins from the place.
Reading this now as these Story Promotions posts have been linked on The City of Doors. All good stuff, but I'm particularly pleased to see So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish recommended here. I'm generally fond of Blueshift's stuff anyway, but this one is special. It's probably my second-favourite ponyfic of them all. (I've looked ahead in your SP posts, so I know that my absolute favourite is still to come. I'll mention that when I get there...)
2805848
They have? Can you send me the link, please?
2805940 Whoops; meant to link in the first place! First comment here.
2805987
Thank you!