Upcoming fic battle - Flash Sunset vs. Trixie and Twilight, Sitting in a Tree · 2:49am Sep 27th, 2014
First, go read This and appreciate it I fear we may have created a monster.
Ok, now for what passes as planning in Georg's world. Which of these two fics do you think I should concentrate more effort on:
A: Flash Sunset
After finding real friends for the first time in a strange dimension of odd creatures, Sunset Shimmer has finally decided to return home to Equestria in the hopes of apologizing to Princess Celestia for her betrayal. Instead, she is greeted by an attack from the Royal Guard, and a pursuit across nighttime Canterlot that ends in disaster.
Can two injured ponies who hate each other so much manage to survive the Everfree Forest and return to civilization, or are they just doomed to be eaten? Grab some popcorn and settle down as we answer that question and more.
-or-
B: Trixie and Twilight, Sitting in a Tree
The Great and Powerful Trixie has returned to Ponyville, apologetic for all of her previous actions, and cleansed of all thoughts of revenge, domination, power and destruction. Now reformed, she only wishes to be accepted and loved in this wonderful little town while making friends of her own.
Yeah, right.
Would you believe Trixie has convinced that foolish unicorn and her dopey dragon pet that she should live rent-free in the library with them while she recovers from whatever it is that she claims to be suffering from this week? Yeah, let’s go with that.
Join Trixie and her friends the rest of the town as she settles into Ponyville, makes some enemies friends, and tries to find true love survive the experience.
Bring a cream pie. You’ll need it.
Sample section from Flash Sunset
Flash Sunset
The Return
The hardest word to say is ‘Sorry.’
--Princess Celestia
“I’m naked!” It was a tribute to just how long Sunset Shimmer had spent in the weird world of ‘humans’ that even before the mind-scrambling effects of dimensional travel had fully faded and the wonderful feeling of Equestrian magic had soaked into her horn once again, her absolute first instinct had been a shocked realization that her carefully-selected outfit with matching earrings, pumps, and a daring-but-not-flaunting miniskirt that Rarity had pressed on her before departing was gone, and the cool breeze that swept through the Royal Gardens felt extremely weird on her bare rump.
The second shocked realization was that Starswirl’s Mirror had been moved out of the secure storeroom where she had first encountered it, and placed in the middle of what could only be Celestia’s private garden. Nowhere else could there possibly be such a degree of flowering, blooming, growing, sprouting, and just plain green that filled every single crack and crevice of the ground around her, only parting in its expanse of photosynthesis in order to grudgingly permit the occasional stone bench or gravel pathway, and even there, the tips of curious vines crept out onto the forbidden territory just as far as they thought they could get away with their intrusion. All around her, the rustle and creak of hidden creatures filled Sunset’s mind with a strange mixture of intrigue and fear. The mirror should not have been put out here; it was a priceless treasure of Equestria that should have been locked away where nopony else could possibly fall through the cracks into another world like Celestia’s rebellious young student had done so many moons ago. Her reflexes surged to a near-panic as a nearby bush rustled, and her eyes caught the glint of polished steel in the moonlight.
It’s a trap!
Teleportation had always been easy for Sunset, an application of her boundless will upon the universe indicating that her current position of here was incorrect, and she actually was supposed to be there instead. A surge of welcome magic flooded over her horn and she reappeared on the wall of the castle in a flash of golden light, which did nothing for her night vision and everything for the guard’s ability to see where she had gone.
“There she goes!”
The rustle and flapping of wings brought a hammering terror to Sunset Shimmer’s heart. She had stolen from the Princess, assaulted the Royal Guard, and even committed what could be considered Treason Against The Crown, for which there was only one penalty. She had hoped that Princess Celestia would have ‘gone easy’ on her, but it seemed that her destined path after her return was going to lead to a dark jail cell somewhere and unthinkable consequences. Her dazzled eyes could just barely make out the form of the mirror in the garden, but there were bulky armored shapes in front of it now, as well as a tall pale shape she knew too well. The only option left that held any hope was flight, away from Canterlot and into some place in Equestria where she could hide until Celestia’s immortal vengeance cooled, which looked to be a long, long time. An armored shape flung itself out of the dark garden in her direction as Sunset Shimmer turned her back and fed power into her magic again.
“I’ve got he—“
The wind from a pair of pegasi hooves barely breezed through her mane as Sunset reappeared on a nearby roof in a brilliant flash and a breathless panting. Using magic after this long away from Equestria was far more draining than she had anticipated, and she took a moment to orient herself against the familiar shapes of buildings in the silver moonlight. Either things had changed far more than she realized in the last few years, or possibly she had managed to connect the portal to the wrong Equestria, because the city seemed different in some fashion as it faded into sight to her flash-blinded eyes. Canterlot had always been awash in small changes as ponies attempted to one-up their neighbors with an ornate roof here or a trellis garden there, but this was far more. The moon had even changed, no longer bearing the image of a dark unicorn, but instead wearing a soft silver of vague craters like some old pony who had gotten a facelift.
Sample Section from Trixie and Twilight
Trixie and Twilight, Sitting in a Tree
Chapter 1 - Enter, Stage Left
It was the most perfect day Spike could ever remember in Ponyville. The sun was out, the birds were singing, Twilight was sleeping in after a long night of studying, and nothing at all could possibly go wrong.
Spike peeked out the window while wearing a pot on his head and carrying a stout wooden spoon. There was something terrible about to happen. He could feel it in his scales.
Outside, the shouts of happy foals filled the air, and the distant sound of music could be heard from the small carnival that had set up in front of the town hall. If he squinted a little, he could just make out the sign that advertised ‘Free Ice Cream And Balloons.’
It was worse than he thought.
A sharp shudder shook the library as a heavy object burst through the front door, pinwheeled across the floor in a flurry of paper, and smashed into the library couch with a terrible thud.
“Mail call,” shouted Derpy, somewhat muffled from the remains of the couch on her head. “I’ve got a couple letters here for you. Somewhere.” After digging out the letters and placing them in Spike’s claw, the mailmare staggered out the door and flapped up into the air, somehow managing to remove two muffins from the library kitchen in the process. Spike placed the letters on the book check-in table and opened them up with a single swipe of his claws.
“Oh, no!” he groaned. “A letter from the Equestrian Revenue Service. We must owe… a refund?” He looked at the hundred and twelve bit refund check and trembled. It was far worse than he thought.
....(skipping forward)
I, Spike the Dragon, being of sound mind and will, do hereby bequeath—
A peal of thunder rolled through the library.
Spike looked out the window. Still sunny. No clouds. Chirping birds. Distant music.
The sound of pouring rain came from the library front door. Small trickles of water leaked in under the sill where he was supposed to have installed weatherstripping instead of reading comic books.
Spike looked out of the window again. Still sunny. No clouds. Chirping birds. More music.
He turned back to his will, hoping to get it done before the eventual end of the universe, only to draw up short as a series of pathetic knocks sounded from the library front door.
“We’re closed!” he called, trying to remember how to spell amethyst and finally deciding just to eat them all before the end instead.
The knocking continued and Twilight called out from her bedroom. “Spike! Somepony’s at the door!”
“I know that, Twilight!” he called back. “Do we have a notary public in town?”
The knocking continued. Twilight called out again. “Spike! Get the door!”
“All right, all right,” he grumbled. “Maybe they can witness my will.” He stomped over to the library door, kicked a rug over the damp spots where the rain had run in, and opened up the door.
Standing in front of the library doorsill was a woebegone blue unicorn, her pointy hat squished into a flat soggy disk on her head. Rain poured off her purple cloak, bearing with it the dissolving remains of a few glittery stars that left sparkly tracks down her sides and across the puddle she was standing in. The Great and Powerful Trixie was soaking wet, so wet in fact that if she had been thrown into a lake, she could have emerged dryer than she was right now. Even her tail had been drenched into a rat-like plait, hanging down to the ground and dragging in the mud. It looked much like her mane, separated on each side of her head in a thick white stream of rainwater that arched from each shoulder and brought a cold shudder down her soaked coat.
She looked up at Spike with deep blue eyes, her bottom lip trembling. “Please, kind dragon. I seek Twilight Sparkle for—”
-SLAM-
“Who was it?” called out Twilight Sparkle.
“Nopony important,” replied Spike, going back to his will.
“I am too!” The knocking resumed, only louder.
“You turned me into a basketball,” shouted Spike.
“You got better!” replied Trixie. “Now open this door!”
Flash Sunset will be a self-contained serious semi-shipping, semi-Enemy Mine/Shards of Honor story, already mentally mapped out.
Trixie and Twilight will be a continuing series of nutty and silly chapters as the muse bites me. (No poetry on either though. I’ve still got too many muse bites for that, and I understand Møøse bites Kan be pretty nasti…)
Nothing out of the current EG movie will be used in Flash Sunset. Unless I feel like it. And it's funny.
And yes, this will slow down the rest of my writing at the same time my workload at the office just went nuts.
So let me know in the comments. Although I like writing on them both, getting positive feedback helps rebuild my poor shattered ego while I’m spending time in Writers Prison for Second Degree Whenceslaughter (I’ve got an appeal in the process now, and am hoping to get some time off my sentence with community service.)
I'm just going to be upfront and ask if I'll have to worry about a Twixie pairing from "Trixie and Twilight, Sitting in a Tree". I'm not to fond of that ship and would like to know ahead of time.
My vote goes for Number 1
My vote goes to the fic I originally imagined when I read the blog title: Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry vs. Twilight and Trixie in a tag-team, no holds barred battle to the death that shall decide the one true continuity.
2487227 Hm, there's already been a Twilight and Trixie against Twilight and Trixie fic in the Lunaverse....
2487206 You mean a *romantic* pairing, no. There *will* be minor romantic subtext, mostly in the field of horrible embarrassment on both of their regards from misunderstanding ponies. Think Felix Unger and Oscar Madison from the TV series (which was fantastic).
As much as I like your Trixie, I want to see were Flash Sunset is going.
2487266 Deep, deep into the Everfree Forest with a cracked horn, a wing broken in two places, and lots of hungry creatures.
I am voting for Twilight and Trixie, just based on our previous discussions.
Have you ever read VG Cats? One of your lines reminds me of a damn funny part in that comic............. Do the Twilight Trixie fic!!!! Please?
Sunset and Flash Sentry
2487261 Well that isn't so bad. Still edging towards the Sunset Flash fic but you've made the choice a lot harder. I won't be annoyed if the other is chosen anymore at least.
My vote is for Flash Sunset. Shimmer needs some luv. And some Flash Sentry.
Monster.
I'm starting to go through withdrawals.
2487366 If it makes you feel better, I've got 3600 words into a new chapter on Letters, but I wanted to keep going until I hit 5k or so to bring an endpoint to the Lemonade arc in one chapter.
2487397
It doesn't at all. That's like being told by your dealer that the crack will get here next week. I need my fix, man.
Trixie and Twilight
Dang, which to choose. Can I vote for both?
I'm thinking T&T, we collectively need some nuttiness.
Dang, you've got two great ideas there but I think I'd like to see Sunset and Flash more.
Flash Sunset - you had me at Enemy Mine/Shards of Honor.
Trixie, but the other one sounds great too.
If I've got to choose just one....
Then Trixie, I. Choose. You.
--Spade
This is some "red pill/blue pill" crap here! Fine, I vote for Trxie and Twilight.
Trixie, but [insert typical 'do whatever you like most' comment here].
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, ah ha ha ha ha, ha ha, ha….
“Royal gardens."
Flash Sunset, sounds a bit more intriguing.
I guess it would be cool to have a fanon reason to be interested in Flash or Sunset, but I already think Twixie is TOTES ADORBS so I would lean B.
SunFlash OTP
T&T would make an awesome Odd Couple
I'm still waiting on Green Grass's return in "The Third Test of Twilight Sparkle"..... BUT, while waiting for that, I will have to go with "Flash Sunset" for the simple fact that you already did a Twilight/Trixie comedy for Christmas last year (though I still would love to see Trixie and Twilight Sitting in a Tree later
),
And is it wrong me me to want to see a story from ya featuring Green Grass and Optio Pumpernickel in a sorta-kinda buddy-cop-esque comedy/action story? Or a Hearth's Warming Eve story where your Santa Hooves has to deal with a reformed Discord?
On November 13th, Trixie Lulamoon was asked to remove herself from her place of residence.
That request came from the Town Council
Deep down she knew they were right.
But she also knew that one day she would return (AND SHOW THEM ALL!)
With nowhere else to go, she appeared at the home of her longtime rival Twilight Sparkle
Several years earlier her mentor had thrown her out, requesting that she
"Get you nose out of those books and make some friends"
Can two magical mares share an oak tree; without driving each other crazy?
Trixie & Twilight!
Both sound great!
But if I gotta pick one, Letters from a Littl... Er, Flash Sunset
2487227 As silly as it is, this sounds rather entertaining. Flash and Sunset VS Twilight and Trixie! No friendship here! No love and affection, just a Rival team versus Rival team grudge match.
...Now picture just how much Sunset and Trixie would be complaining the whole time and try not to grin.
Also, tossing a vote in for T&T.