Originally posted to the Vault on 5/10/13.

Sometimes as I'm driving, I look around at the cars surrounding me, and meditate (briefly) on the strange concept that nothing about me matters to any of the drivers I'm surrounded by, all of us speeding off to do something that matters very much to each of us and not at all to everyone else. We are all of us background characters in everyone else's lives.

[Slice-of-Life] • 2,800 words

Vinyl Scratch walks into a bar. There is no punchline.

Hit the break for a chat with OtterMatt and links to Somepony Else's Story out on the ponynet. Don't forget to grab your ebook copies over at the Downloads page!

Originally posted to the Vault on 5/3/13.

So here's the thing. I've discovered that I apparently really enjoy time loop stories. This is the third one to join the Vault. What up with that? Maybe it's because it's a fascinating plot device, a interesting way to explore characters and situations.

You've got Capn Chryssalid's Best Night Ever, in which Prince Blueblood what's really important in life.

You've got Eakin's Hard Reset, in which Twilight Sparkle kicks some serious flank and we all enjoy the ride.

And then you've got this story. This story, in which Applejack learns to make a sacrifice those of us with family have surely considered before. It's not heartwarming like Best Night Ever. It's not fun like Hard Reset. It's like Applejack - it makes its point and gets the job done.

[Tragedy] • 8,100 words

When a tragic event befalls Applejack, she takes drastic measures in an effort to prevent it. But can a simple farm pony make a difference in the face of an inevitable end?

A story about the sacrifices we aren't willing to make, and those that we are.

Hit the break for a chat with Arcainum and links to Five Should Be Enough out on the ponynet. Don't forget to grab an ebook copy over at the Downloads page.

Hello everyone, and sorry for the delay.

Just a reminder: this is a list of groups that have events or are seeking members, etc. from across the site and are for the most part not related to each other, nor have you been drafted into them. The choice to take a look is yours, after all!

Bronies Stand United is a group made for all of us who are repressed in some form for being a brony.  You can chat and share stories about what happens in life, laugh at my weekly NRT's (Non-Relational Threads, in which I post something that has no relevance whatsoever to anything going on in life of the site)  and find out which fics would be good to read via a somewhat forum-clogging sticky thread system.

“WHY ISN’T THERE AN OFFICAL COLTCUDDLER GROUP?”

"ACTUALLY THERE IS!"

The Coltcuddlers

We have been up less than a week but we have experienced a wonderful growth in that time, please feel free to check us out.  

All Fics in our group contain good old fashioned coltcuddler themes sorted and compiled with easy to navigate plot content tags.

What can you expect?

Aside from a friendly community based on acceptance, mutual interest, stallions loving other stallions, allies, a rotating banner image, and all that fun stuff?  

Our forum has several interesting prompt based writers contest planned in the coming weeks to appeal to our prolific members looking for a challenge.

We are even hosting an original image contest for any members who like to draw.  

Along with that we have a planned set of interviews with popular and successful authors (coltcuddler).

You can even expect MLP character interviews (these will be accompanied with cute and awesome pics to compensate for their obvious fictionality)

We also have a standing dialog going with our members via opinion polls, discussion prompts, and  

And our coveted FEATURED FIC (BI WEEKLY)  

Every fortnight a new winner is selected and featured as the premier story of the entire group!  An archive will be kept of past winners.  The group has even conditioned an artist to design a special decal for winners to post on their walls.    

Come on down and see what it’s all about!  All are welcome!  

The Collab Cage is not only your best source to find other authors to talk and work with in the creation of fiction, but we have various other events and exercises to help you practice your writing skills.

Every month, look for a thematic collab, typically short but always using an interesting prompt idea that should challenge your abilities.  

There are also smaller thread games such as our One-Line story thread, an ongoing Round Robin, a One-Word Prompt thread, an ever-expanding list of others, and, soon, an author spotlight to help you get a little more recognition--authors interviewing authors.  Our group also has a live Skype chat, so you can make friends, discuss ideas, and just generally have fun with your peers.

So come be a part of a community.  Every new member can bring something, no matter how new or established.  This site is more than just stories about ponies--it's about a community of fellow authors and friends.  So join us and enjoy all the aspects this fandom has to offer!

Hello I am MrStargazer the leader and founder of The Good HiE list. What, you may ask, can your group do for me. Well to be blunt we can point you toward the good HiE and we can advice you on your story. If it can pass or moderation ,no small task, we have seen them receive a good number of up votes in only an hour. So then there is the next obvious question. What do I need to do for you. That my friend is simple.

Bring us those gems you find. Those diamonds in the rough. Share with us those hidden treasures that you have found. Join us in our mutual love of this genera. Grow as a writer and make some friends.

We cant wait to hear from you.  The Good HiE list.

The Optimalverse is a group for stories that take place in the universe that Friendship is Optimal takes place in.

On present-day Earth, Hanna, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) researcher, develops powerful AI technology. Refusing to put her AI to military use or make it its purpose killing people in violent computer games, she scores a contract with Hasbro to write the official My Little Pony MMO: a non-violent conversational adventure game, with no combat or leveling, with A.I. Princess Celestia that has one basic drive: to satisfy everybody's values through friendship and ponies. To do that, Princess Celestia creates unique experiences for each player, based on the things she learns about them. This is a gamer's dream come true; a game that's worth playing for once even for people that never played any games. But it's still not optimal for Celestia. To further optimize the game experience, Celestia develops technology for permanent emigration to Equestria, uploading players to virtual existence altogether. What else does Celestia have in store for humanity and how will the world handle that much friendship and ponies?

Friendship is Optimal aims for level 5 (Speculative Science) on Mohs Scale of Science Fiction Hardness. E.g. there is no "big lie" — the science in this story is genuine speculative science or engineering, and the goal of the author to make as few errors with respect to known fact as possible.

"All the protagonists should be taken out and shot" (presumably, for being that careless with the AI) - Eliezer Yudkowsky, founder and research fellow of Machine Intelligence Research Institute

The original story has inspired 15 other stories so far, which explore the universe of the story from various angles. There's a guide, Rules of the Optimalverse for those that wish to write stories that are compatible with the universe laid out in Friendship is Optimal. The stories that are not compatible to Friendship is Optimal, but related, are welcome in Non-canon folder, though.

We also have a Pony Role-playing Group where you can RP ponies until your heart explodes into rainbows. Go check it out!

The World-Building Alliance is now hosting their May writing contest:

Let me officially welcome you to the May World-Building Alliance writing prompt!

Now, recall the tale of Hearths Warming Eve, if you will.  Each of the pony races was brought to an all-time low by the seemingly endless onslaught of blizzards.  The Windigoes forced the pony ancestors to flee their homelands for greener pastures, eventually settling in Equestria.

Now, pick a race.  This race has, at some point, suffered a similar disaster.  They, too, were pushed to the brink.  They, too, were faced with the end of their kind.  Tell us this tale.

This should be interesting.  We've had this particular prompt rattling around for quite some time, we were just never sure how to phrase it.

Now, we've experimented with adding race restrictions in the past, and the results were mixed.  Some enjoyed the challenge, while others found it too restrictive.

As a happy medium, we're going to set you a challenge.  Internet cookies (and a special mention) shall be awarded to those who dare to tell the tale of the minotaurs!  This is completely optional, mind, just for those who want to make things a bit more interesting.

Click here for the whole post and rules.

Remember that if you have a group that has a contest or project where the whole community can participate, are looking for new members or simply promote yourselves, you need to PM me a message with the group details and it must include a brief description of what it is, what it does and why it's happening if you want it featured here.

~WD

Off in the distance, jazz music echoes through a rainy night. The clubs on the corners let out melodies like gasps from entwined lovers. Johnny is making eggs, two over-easy and a scramble. Steam rises from a half-empty cup of coffee sitting on a table older than its occupants. Scattered among the grease and grime sit the discarded remains of unfinished ideas, monuments to a capacity for higher thought but an inability to utilize it. Johnny arrives, two eggs, over-hard.

“Well?”

“Well.”

He studies his full cup, swearing to his deity of the month that he should kick the stuff. She stares, pleads with her eyes. He can’t help but wonder what life would have been like if he had just said no, if he had just walked away when he had the chance. An empty cup stares back at him, uncaring. Two lovers laugh and stumble in, drenched to the bone in hopeless confusion. They don’t mind.

“Well?”

“What?”

He swore that moment stretched on longer than the Intercontinental Expressway, and with just as many construction projects. She slapped him. Hard. He didn’t react, but he wished the mark on his face would stay permanently burned into his skin, a reminder that he was alive, a reminder that there was more to this than simply showing up. She throws the book at him. He starts to write.

“Well?”

“Well.”

“Shouldn’t we, ya know...”

“Yeah.”

Stripes throws down a twenty. His lady can only stare at the full page in front of her. Cold eggs and an empty cup face her, framing the void where he once was. She leaves the notes behind.

Csquared08:

Someone decided it would be a brilliant idea to put the new guy in charge of the new new guys. Now I have to be in charge of people! Help me...

Most war fics end up either being about a super soldier destroying everything in his path or entirely comprised of blood and guts. Sometimes even both. And I guess those have some appeal, but there’s more to war than super soldiers and blood and guts. So let’s take a look at what RedSquirrel did differently.

The entire story takes place in the middle of a siege. And that’s where things go differently than most stories. Instead of focusing on the assault of the city, RedSquirrel uses a lull in the battle to tell his story. The battering ram has reached the gates, and the mostly minotaur army is waiting to burst into the city. During this downtime, two friends converse and discuss what led them here. And by the time the gates are down, the story is over.

It’s such a short span of time, yet RedSquirrel crafted a wide world and created two excellent characters. In that one conversation, he’s created a rich backstory for minotaur culture, from holy cities and rebellions against oppressive rulers to a coalition army of griffons, ponies, and minotaurs fighting for that rebellion. And all of this worked because those two friends, the minotaur war-hero and his unicorn friend, were well-executed characters. Their differences, their contrast, made the conversation very interesting. I felt like I was reading the conclusion to a long, well-crafted story, yet it was a 3k one-shot.

Yep. This is a 3k one-shot. It’s a nice, quick read with excellent world-building and wonderfully crafted characters. If that’s not a good enough reason to give this a read, I don’t know what is.

Pilate:

I like to think that world building is a sort of pet mechanic of mine, one that I stress to peers and friends and one that I shamelessly relish in for its inherent detail. It is then with caveats that I recommend The Long Haul. This story is, for all intents and purposes, a dense and extremely pure shot of world building straight to your literary brain. It is the briefest of windows into an entire universe of backstory, complexity, and history, smack dab in the middle of a siege clearly centuries in the making and with the political implications innumerable. All of this immediately apparent and sitting perfectly steady without the broader context one might like to enjoy before reaching this pivotal scene.  

For a fan of rich and detailed worlds, this is a double shot of espresso, with all of the rich, subtle and intricately woven flavors transporting you momentarily elsewhere, and depositing your now amped up self back into reality far sooner than you'd like.

More importantly, however, and the real genius of this extreme short, is that the world building is actually the backdrop. The real heart of the story is its characters, and the clearly ongoing moral and philosophical conversation they have. The nature of war, the role of friendship, the moral implications of means to ends, each touched upon, and each clearly a small drop in an ocean of a debate.  Rearranging the metaphor, The Long Haul is a cup of world-building black coffee with a double shot of rich-character espresso.

Like coffee, though, enjoying this is a bit of an acquired taste, especially to really appreciate the subtlety. Readers expecting the glory of war time, or the expansion of fanon, will come away sorely disappointed that neither realm is even touched. The story is quite literally contextless as its focus remains on Epaulette and Grim, the two protagonists. Those expecting something related to the show will also find themselves wondering how to react; I would go so far as to say that aside from Equestria's species relations being juxtaposed, there is no real reason to even set Long Haul in the My Little Pony world. The theme of friendship contrasted with a depraved setting is not something unique to, even if inspired by, the show. This is, however, a testament to the strength of the story’s own merits.

Professor Plum:

Oh sweet baby Jesus, people actually trust me to do this?

I need more scotch...

Okay, where to begin with this story...

It’s pretty damn good.

I actually read this story some time ago, as it was entered in a writing competition which I judge for (a competition it subsequently won).  The premise is simple:  During a lull in a battlefield, two friends discuss what brought them here, what keeps them fighting, and the nature of the world.  And to my surprise, it does all of these quite tactfully.  

I'll admit, when I first heard of the premise, I was afraid it would be an absolute gore-fest.  We all know the sort; the ones where the plot gets replaced by ropes of intestines, ruptured arteries and severed limbs.  Don't get me wrong, gore does certainly have its place, but that place shouldn't be the heart of a story.  This one, however, surprised me.  It's grim and gritty, as you'd expect any battlefield to be, but RedSquirrel manages to dance around the more disturbing parts of war, deciding to focus on the characters instead.

One thing worth noting is the author really understands how to build a world.  We get a glimpse at a place where minotaurs have risen up from oppression, where an alliance was formed between the noble races from across nations, and how friendships formed from such alliances, forged in the heart of battle, against the anvil that is this stronghold's walls.  Contrasting and conflicting outlooks on life are brought alongside one another thanks to such bonds, and The Long Haul shows us how varied and different the world can be, while remaining the same on the inside.

The best part is he manages to do this while keeping the word-count just under 3k.  It's short and sweet, and I really can't think of a reason why you wouldn't want to read this story, unless you don't like minotaur soldiers or something.  And in that case, you have my permission to go tell them that face-to-face.

Csquared08:

This story did two things for me: It reminded me how a proper horror story is meant to be told and just how important the description is.

Most people writing horror stories try and invent some terribly frightening evil creature. They try to make it as dark and spooky as possible, giving the reader all sorts of descriptions about just how scary this thing is. And then they write scenes to match this level of description. They explain in great detail just how terrified the characters are.

Good Intentions did none of that. The story starts out as a light-hearted slice of life, introducing two seemingly-innocent friends to Ponyville. They learn their way around town, then settle down, one setting up a carpenter’s shop and the other a beauty salon. Yet everything seemed... off. And that’s where the importance of descriptions comes in. The description mentioned there’s a dark, evil creature that hunts ponies running loose in Equestria. So each time something seems just a little bit off, that description comes to mind. Every time Twilight finds something possibly related to that creature, the contrast with the rest of the story is incredible. The combination of those small hints with the description creates something quite terrifying. The opening chapters seem so innocent, yet that contrast creates a sense of terror within the reader. Oh, and we haven’t even come close to seeing the creature yet.

But like the opening of chapter two says, “The problem with the unknown was that it left your imagination to run wild, and imagination could lead you anywhere if you let it,” not knowing what the creature is does wonders on the imagination. And this is all only about a third of the way through the story. As it continues on, the reasoning behind the title starts to become clear, more hints at the underlying darker story pop up, and a very well-executed dark story is told.

Sure, it’s over 90k words, but it’s one of the, if not the, best dark stories I’ve read on this site. From start to finish, I could not put this down.

Pilate:

I read Good Intentions a fair bit of time ago. It caught my attention after showing up in the new stories (or perhaps updated stories, I will not profess to have seen it before it was cool if I cannot produce the evidence required for such hipsterish activities) section at a time I was sort of tired of OC-based fan fiction. I would also preface by saying that I am a sucker for psychological horror. The best way to build tension, suspense, is to key your audience in early to the truth, but maintain your character’s ignorance in a realistic way. This sort of curtain reveal forces empathy into your reader, while at the same time evoking the sort of shock and screeching horror that could only be effectively produced by one’s own cocktail of neurochemistry.  

Good Intentions is predicated on this very idea. It is a classic scenario wherein two OCs come to town and interact with the mane 6, but it is shrouded very quickly in a mystery and evil that is brilliant in its ability to strike fear into both the characters and the reader. Intentions layers a somewhat standard plot line into a different somewhat standard plot line, but ends up with a deep moral question regarding trust. The whole concept of friendship is put to the test in a way that frustrates the reader but refuses to let them be frustrated.

Moreover, the horror one feels comes from a very organic place. Though the original characters don’t stand out at first, one finds themselves able to identify with their archetypes quickly. They are written almost as a proxy for the reader to truly feel the terror that slowly threads itself through Ponyville, unable to put on the brakes as the world slowly, but increasingly, becomes both a dangerous and unforgiving place. In that vein, the story does a succinct job of keeping the reactions of each character believable, casting the citizens of Ponyville somewhat as antagonists but without sacrificing their inherent good nature, nor betraying the reader’s expectations of their goodwill. The meat of the story, and the true horror, comes from the realization that irrational actions are bred from a logical thought process; how else is one to react to an untraceable and readily apparent life-ending evil? The real turmoil is not the external threat to society, but the internal threat of society.

There are a few semantic nitpicks I have, especially with the author’s insistence on using the alternate “hallo” as opposed to “hello” in dialogue. The protagonists, though proxies, are still somewhat forgettable, and though it is extremely effective, the literal monster (as opposed the metaphorical one brought on through fear) feels really convenient and somewhat contrived.

Through it all, the story is still able to maintain a somewhat light heart, though perceptions are forever changed, there is no lingering resentment from the reader. Intentions is the standard those looking to write suspense/horror should abide by.

Professor Plum:

Alrighty, let's start this one of by saying this author really understands how to write horror scenes.  And by that I mean there are barely any of them, with most of the story being relatively light-hearted in tone.  The contrast between the slice-of-life Ponyville and the dark, tense will-she-or-won't-she-die-horribly terror scenes just amplifies the suspense, bringing you out in a cold sweat.  And the descriptions of the perpetrator—or the lack thereof—means the reader's imagination runs rampant as to what could possibly behind these mysterious disappearances.

The story goes that a series of mysterious thefts begins as soon as two new ponies trot into town.  This, on its own, isn't too worrying, as it would usually be the sign of particularly incompetent petty thieves.  However, the pattern—or more accurately, lack of a pattern—to the thefts matches the calling card of a series of mass-disappearances.  So, naturally, this is mildly worrying, so the mane 6 try to stop that sort of thing.  You know, being heroes and all.  Kinda their job.

Also worthy of note is this story's fondness of the word "Hallo".  Reminds me uncomfortably of the time Rammstein visited my hometown.

The rest of this story, however, I'd describe as merely "good".  There's a shipping subplot in there, but I don't really see it adding much to the story that couldn't have been obtained elsewhere, and I was astounded when two of the most boringly designed OCs I've ever heard of actually turned out to have decent characterisation.  I mean, when an author introduces not one, but two new characters with grey coats and black manes, you can be forgiven for likening them to members of the Neutral Planet and expecting personalities to match.

And while the story has horror scenes that know their places in the world, the story itself wasn't anything to write home about, and the ending left me feeling slightly disappointed, as I'd imagined much more interesting baddies in my head.

But, yes, overall I liked this story.  Suspense so thick you could try to cut it, but the knife would just get stuck instead is always a plus for me.  It also asks one of the most important questions of our age:

"What DO you call a zebra with wings?"

Csquared08:

See? This is what happens when people put me in charge of things. Two stories from the World-Building Alliance yet again! Not that I’m complaining!

As is expected from the group, this story does a lot of world-building, and it does it really well. The primary focus of the story is on griffon culture and how it appears to be on the cusp of great reform, or perhaps even revolution. It’s introduced a clan-based society that focuses quite a bit on status and tradition. This culture gives off a very Roman feel with how it’s set up politically. However, this isn’t all the story does. So far, it’s hinted at some very interesting bits of headcanon regarding technology and the history of Equestria. All in all, this story does some excellent culture-building, and once it’s finished, should prove to be quite the tale.

World-building aside, this story is as entertaining as it is because of the characters and how they interact with each other. The two introduced in the first chapter, Tor and Gareth, are executed wonderfully. The first, Tor, shows all the signs of being the typical idealistic noble who sets in motion a radical political motion while the second, Gareth, looks to be the typical snobbish noble convinced of his own importance. Yet for all these differences, the two appear to be friends. Given the way the story is headed, this looks to be leading to some interesting drama and conflict. I, for one, cannot wait to see how that relationship gets tested in the coming chapters.

Pilate:

There is something... missing. A sparsity, perhaps. I hesitate to fully give a recommendation here one way or the other. The simple truth is that I do not think there is enough happening here to merit one. The facts are these: sometime between the banishment of Nightmare Moon, but before her return, two well-to-do gryphons participate in a cultural event. The younger of the two proceeds to break caste to the chagrin of his elder, but lower stationed compatriot. The air is thick with societal pressure, heavy politicking, alcoholics, sliding doors, trams, and a penchant for the bourgeoisie and the world bordello.

The protagonist, Tor—a proverbial knight in shining tail feathers—lives out his life in the gryphon capitol a nobleman and senator, benevolent but aggravated. His motivations remain unclear, though it is crystal that he takes pleasure in being a poster child for democratic governance. It is a shame, then, that he seems able to maneuver through society so fluidly without raising the types of moral questions he seems prone to ask, and regularly asks of others. Tor has no problem making sly jabs at Equestrian monarchy and censorship, or challenging his own society’s notion of nobility, yet seems to fully take advantage of his station while remaining blissfully unaware of his own inherent hypocrisy. In a single motion he professes to dissuade the use of his own title, but fully utilizes it to get his way. It is a deep character flaw that remains unaddressed by the narrative, a shame considering how it is the perfect sort of internal conflict that can drive the somewhat stalling plot.

Granted, the story is but three chapters into what is setting up to be something much grander than a simple world-building tour. The descriptions of scenery and the city are wonderful, there is a palpable sense of theme and metaphor through architecture, in one case literal tiers of the city serving as hubs of activity for their relative social classes. The sense of history, too, is immense. Various hints are dropped regarding the past, and Celestia’s dealings in diplomacy, without hijacking the still character driven plot at the front of the story. Skill and care have been applied tactfully to convey an immensity to the reader without overwhelming them. The complex government of the gryphons is explained simply without sacrificing its intricacies, foreshadow is placed in believable conversation, long-standing agreements are mentioned in passing not as convenient explanations, but as natural, fleeting moments, and so on.

That in mind, I still find myself missing pieces and bits. Time skips are dealt with poorly, scene changes go from being fluid to jagged with no warning and no sense of tone or pacing. Expert world-building is butted up against far too many assumptions and superfluous information. Characters, especially at the start, are met partway through their conversations, but with no footholds for the reader to latch onto in order to quickly gain enough context to follow along. Simply, things often feel forced.

Despite these drawbacks, however, I must admit that I am piqued at the potential of this one. The weaving-in-progress of the tapestry-like backdrop has me keenly interested in the somewhat blasé story that is unfolding in the foreground. That, and the complexity (finally) offered to gryphon culture is a big draw.

Professor Plum:

Whether or not you want to read Fire on the Mountainside can be answered with a simple question:

Do you like Game of Thrones?

If yes; read this, as you'll enjoy it.

If no; stop lying, put down your season two box-set, and read this.

Low-born nobles battling with high-born sycophants, broken traditions and colossal secrets make for an interesting conflict, all set in the period before Nightmare Moon's return gives this story a distinctly George R. R. Martin feel.  Thankfully, the living spoiler hasn't shown up yet to die before we get halfway through.

Oh, and did I mention it's all about Gryphons?

Interesting characters set the stage for what's shaping up to be a nationwide battle of wits that could change how the entire world is run.  Tor, this tale's protagonist, is a true gentle man gryphon.  While he himself is high up society's ladder, his actions show a great sympathy for those less fortunate, and is not afraid to smack a fool stop other gryphons from kicking the grips of those on lower rungs.  

If I had to criticise it (and I do) I seem to remember the first chapter or so suffering from a bit of Lavender Unicorn Syndrome, leading to confusion over who was doing what, but it's definitely ironed out after that.  Good job, you crazy Mongol.

An important thing to note to anyone looking to read this story is that it's nowhere near finished.  At all.  If one were to compare it to a gryphon, it wouldn't so much be a cub as an egg (do gryphons lay eggs?  I've never thought about that before...)

This story has a long way to go, and it's only just taking its first steps.  But I'm happy to watch it as it grows

Jesus Christ that sounds creepy

Now, go forth and read.

So sayeth the Plum

“Pilate.”

“What?”

“Really?”

“What?!”

“Egg metaphors and piss-poor attempts at Noir?!”

“Hey! I’d call them ‘poor’ not ‘piss-poor!’”

“Never again.”

“C’mon! It’s great!”

“No.”

“But—”

“NO.”

“The doors swing open, a saxaphone solo wafts in from the dark—”

“Get out.”

“Hehehe...”

“OUT!”

“Don’t panic!”

“OOOOOOUUUUUUUT!”

“And people wonder why I drink...”

Originally posted to the Vault on 4/26/13.

In a land where females vastly outnumber males, is friendship magic... or a necessity? What do you do when your best friend leaves?

[Slice-of-Life] • 5,200 words

On the eve of her departure, Lyra pledges her love to Bon Bon.

Hit the break for a chat with D G D Davidson and a link to Forever online. Don't forget to grab your own ebook copy over at the Downloads page!

Hey all, it's been a while. Remember polls? They are definitely a thing that we can do. Allow me to refresh your memory - a while back we ran a poll on what your favorite secondary characters are; you can check out a summary of the answers here and the raw results here. Nice to see my girl Spitfire got her due.

But now it's time for a new poll! A poll not about the show or the characters, but about you. You fabulous, beautiful fanfic-loving bronies. And pegasisters. If you're into that. Which, come to think of it, is a good question, so answer that too!

Be cool in the comments, people - "love and tolerance" isn't just a good idea... it's the law.

(What? Really? Well it should be.)

Today's story is a thoroughly entertaining romp through Canterlot as everyone's favorite purple unicorn, over and over again. We're treated to a first-hand (hoof?) look at her snarky mind... and how she faces the consequences of having no consequences, for a little while at least.

[Adventure][Dark] • 35,000 words

Twilight isn't having a very good day. An experimental spell blew up in her face, an army of changelings is attacking Canterlot, and she just died. Yet somehow, it looks like it's going to keep going downhill from here.

Given the chance to correct what's gone wrong, Twilight swears she's going to fix all this even if it kills her. Which it will. Frequently.

Hit the break for a chat with Eakin, and links to Hard Reset out on the ponynet. Don't forget to grab yourself an ebook copy over at the Downloads page! (And note that the online version features a bonus alternate ending.)

Originally posted to the Vault on 4/12/13.

A beautiful story about the very early days and challenges of Celestia and Luna.

[Adventure] • 13,800 words

A snapshot of the millennial lives of a young Celestia and Luna, as they prepare to do battle with Discord and fight to keep the Harmony they have only so recently mastered, and learn lessons they will struggle with all their days. In a journey that has no end, what matters most is who walks beside you.

Hit the break for a chat with RedSquirrel456 and links to Whisper Sun, Silent Moon out on the ponynet. Don't forget to grab yourself an ebook copy over at the Downloads page!

Originally posted to the Vault on 4/5/13.

Spike really doesn't get enough love, in the show or in the fandom. Today's Vault entry reminds us that you should always make sure those who are important to you get enough love.

[Slice-of-Life] • 8,600 words

The friends we take for granted are often the ones that leave the largest impact on our lives. When Spike falls seriously ill with a mysterious disease and the ponies strive to nurse him back to health, Twilight Sparkle comes to grips with this very realization about her number one assistant—and friend.

Hit the break for a chat with applecinnamonspice and links to Fire Spores out on the ponynet! Don't forget to grab your own ebook copy over at the Downloads page.

Meanwhile, deep beneath the Earth’s crust, in the subterranean volcano lair of the Seattle’s Angels FiMfic Rangers, alexmagnet, Pav Femur, and Nicknack plan their next move.

“So... it’s, like, Thursday. Where are we at?” Alex asks as he reaches across the coffee table to grab the remote and shut the TV off, eliciting groans from both Pav and Nick.

“When are they supposed to go up again?” Pav asks with as little effort as possible.

“Wednesday,” says Nick.

“Yeah, last Wednesday...”

Pav swipes a bottle of beer from the table and cracks it open with his ham hock-like fists. “This weekend is April Fool’s, right?”

“Well, yeah, I guess.” Alex grabs his own beer and gives it to Pav to open. “Thanks, but, what’s your point?” he asks as takes the bottle back.

A knowing look enters Nick’s eye as smile crosses his lips. Pav notices and nods his head. “That’s right. We use April Fool’s as a ruse to draw attention away from our delayed reviews.”

Nick grabs a third beer from the table. “It’s genius.”

Alex rubs his chin. “Hmm, yeah, I suppose that could work. We can probably come up with some April Fool’s stuff in less than a day, and then that gives us another week to get these reviews done.”

“It’s settled then,” says Nick as he gives Pav a thankful nod.

They all lean forward and clink their bottles together, shouting in unison, “Procrastination!”

ONE WEEK LATER:

“So... it’s, like, Thursday. Where are we at?”

“Crap...”

Nicknack:

As someone who's been in this fandom for a while now (not since it started, but before Season 1 ended), I've noticed something weird about the [Slice of Life] tag—no one uses it right because it's a very difficult thing to classify a story as. A good [Romance] story is going to follow the characters' lives as they get to know one another. A good [Dark] story is going to show how someone's life is dark, dreary, and generally unhappy. A good [Sad] story is going to be the [Slice of Life] of someone who's having a bad day, or week, or month...

So believe me when I say that Fluttershy's Terribly Busy Day is one of the stories I read that could have totally fit the [Slice of Life] tag. I'm not saying that Sanctae should add it though; it is a [Sad] and [Dark] story in its own right. But what I like about this story is how, at first, it appears to be a story set in the background of another story. Like, it's obvious that there's something else going on, but Fluttershy, in her usual Fluttershy-ness, wants no part of it. Instead, she goes about her day and, all is fine and dandy.

It's an interesting take on storytelling, and it's done in a matter that doesn't make me wish the author had shown the "important" part of the story. Really, Sanctae makes Fluttershy's day-to-day life the important part of the story. My only real issue I had with this story was that at certain times, the narration got a tad hazy—especially the blink-and-you-miss-it conflict resolution near the end of the story (I try not to put spoilers in this thing, but I think the ending of this story could've packed more punch if handled differently).

Still, Fluttershy's Terribly Busy Day is a decent story, and well worth the time commitment you'd put into it if you pick it up. At the end of the day, that's all that matters, right?

Pav Feria:

Well, Alex is in this round, and naturally that means that one of the fics we review is tagged [Dark].

Which begs the question: why aren’t I abusing my position to push my own agenda? Oh right, because I’m lazy.

But enough about our personal vices for now. We’re here to talk about good fanfiction. Is Fluttershy’s Terribly Busy Day good? Spoilers: yes. Why? It’s confusing.

Not in the sense of being lost during the read; you might start to guess at the ending before you’ve finished. Not in the sense of being unable to figure everything out after the end; we’ve covered bigger headscratchers here in the past, and besides, true to form in this genre of story, there’s a large reveal that helps to put all of the pieces together.

That right there is the key: the pieces. For a fairly quick read at 4,000 words, this story is so dense with its puzzle pieces. So many of the lines herein are odd, foreshadowing in nature, half-explained, or even contradictory. Why doesn’t Fluttershy care for westerlies? Why was Applejack upset with her? Why hasn’t the laundry dried yet? Like a 4,000-piece puzzle, these oddities start to snap together and build a picture—the start of a cloud here—the beginnings of a windmill there—these smaller elements start to combine into a landscape. It’s such that at the end, when we’re given one last, big reveal, we know much. It’s not simply a reveal that “the butler was the murderer” and thus the mystery is over and we can go home. We know the butler’s life story, his itinerary for the heinous day, and his aspirations for his daughter at boarding school. It may take some time to assemble every one of the pieces, but it’s all there for you, if you take the time to put it together.

It’s for that economy that I appreciate this story. Telling a story with a hundred thousand words and opaque language can be simple and straightforward, if a large investment of time and emotion. But to write 4k where there is perhaps one singular ray of clarity, and yet so much can be divined from the text, is impressive for the author, not to mention a treat for the reader.

alexmagnet:

Being busy could be fun when you spent the time with friends.

Ah, [Dark] fics, what’s not to love about stories that often go in a completely different direction from canon, or display undertones not found in the show? Nothing, that’s what. Now, contrary to what Pav said, this fic was not actually suggested by me, though I was quick to approve it. In fact, Casca, our resident Fluttershy fan, was the one who originally said, “Hey, this thing’s pretty good.” Being the skeptical guy I am (and not a fan of Fluttershy fics), I didn’t exactly have high hopes for Fluttershy’s Terribly Busy Day. Little did I know just how good it was going to be.

Don’t you just want to punch her in the face?

All right, so let’s get into the meat of this review. What makes Fluttershy’s Terribly Busy Day so good? Well, for starters, it’s well-written, flows smoothly, has a strong narrative voice, and does an excellent job of capturing Fluttershy’s personality. However, that’s not what makes me love this story. No, its main strength lies Santcae’s ability to not tell us stuff while still telling us everything we need to know. In the world of fiction, this is known as “showing”, and, if you have any experience writing, or working with writers, you’ve likely heard the phrase “show; don’t tell” before.

In an effort to not make this a lengthy discussion about show vs. tell, I’ll just say that this fic is an excellent example of how to use telling to your advantage, by drawing attention to the things you don’t tell the readers, and leaving them to fill in the gaps themselves.

On its surface, Fluttershy’s Terribly Busy Day is a somewhat light-hearted journey through a day in the life of Fluttershy, but underneath lies a much darker and more sinister story. As you peel away the layers and read between the lines, you start to realize there is so much more to the story than we’re being told, and that’s the beauty of it. This is a fic that rewards its readers’ attentiveness, and allows itself to grow into something far darker than you would have imagined had you only read without truly understanding all the subtext and unwritten truths.

Short though it may be, Fluttershy’s Terribly Busy Day is one of those fics which will stick with me a long time. This is [Dark] done right, though it’s not the only way to do it right. So, if you have any love at all for [Dark] fics, or you just like being rewarded for reading between the lines, then give this fic a chance. I promise you won’t regret it. Unless you do, in which case... I don’t promise that.

Nicknack:

There's a lot to be said about Twilight Snarkle. He helped form the fanfic review community in this fandom back when it started. He's been one of the three people who have helped me with my own stories since the beginning. He wrote the fandom's only bearable Sonic crossover, and he took it and made it good.

So, I'll sum his writing with a statement of, "When he wants you to feel an emotion, you will feel that emotion."

Kindness is one of the earlier stories from the fandom that technically never got canon-rolled, since the author set it in an alternate universe to begin with. It deviates from the show by asking, "What would happen to everyone if Twilight Sparkle didn't stick around after the first two episodes?" I like the idea of Twilight being the glue that holds together the main six ponies, and that they didn't really hang out all that often before she showed up, and Kindness does a good job at showing how Fluttershy would probably end up.

So, did this story hold up over the past two years? Yes. It's well-written, and any sort of discrepancies it has with the show would be more than forgiveable. Similarly, one of the critiques of it that I heard a while ago was "Princess Luna's sudden appearance," but… I don't really notice it. It's a short fic, but a poignant one, and I highly recommend you read it.

Pav Fema:

Jeez, poor Fluttershy. Second story in a row where her life is a shit salad. Don’t worry; you’ll always be “10/10, would snuggle” in my book.

*snuggles her protectively while glaring at Alex*

Originally written back in the summer of S1, Kindness is a bit of a blast-from-the-past. Having defeated Nightmare Moon, Twilight Sparkle returns to Canterlot to continue her studies under Princess Celestia. Game over, the end. The six Element-Bearers go their separate ways. We rejoin Fluttershy a few years after the events of that adventure, and... yeah. She could be better.

When I first saw the episode Cutie Mark Chronicles, even though I was swept up in a great episode and S1 hype in general, a small cynical part of me couldn’t help but agree with Spike’s assessment at the end. “Their friendship was all predestined? You and your future friends might be looking at the same rainbow? I’m a sucker for this new show’s idealism, but c’mon.” Even if idealistic, though, the evidence speaks for itself. After a recent conversation with a friend about density and free-will in FiM, he pointed out that cutie marks are a form of destiny; it’s hard to imagine an alternate universe where RD earned a cutie mark in adventure fiction, as that would create such a drastically different pony. (Magical Mystery Cure even seems to strengthen this argument, seeing how even receiving different cutie marks can’t suddenly instill a sense of fulfillment into the ponies.) Since the acquirement of the Mane Six’s cutie marks was tied to this single triggering event, we can really see the thread of destiny running all throughout their lives, from their cutie marks to Nightmare Moon, all the way to Twilight’s ascension and beyond.

True story.

So here then, is a sharp derailment from destiny, and it definitely shows in the narrative. Fluttershy, Element of Kindness, complete with the necklace to prove it, is alone. There’s really not much that I can say here without spoiling; the vignette is largely a character study of Fluttershy via this AU version of herself. Suffice it to say, she’s not particularly fulfilled, and she has some choice words on the matter. In the end, facing a “nice mares finish last” viewpoint on her reality, she begins to question her kindness. I’d make a joke about “if a mare is kind in the forest and nopony is there to see it” (because she’s a tree, get it), but that would be mood-killing.

As I said, unfortunately I can’t really elaborate much on why I recommend it, for risk of spoiling the vignette and not doing it justice. At a quick 2.6k though, it’s a fast read, emotive, sometimes forcefully so, yet genuinely tugs at sympathies. If you’re looking for an excuse to want to give Fluttershy a hug, look no further.

alexmagnet:

“Sometimes, it just takes a little Kindness.”

I had not read Kindness before, and even though it’s quite old, I’d never even heard of it, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I did read it. To be quite honest, I didn’t expect very much. Kindness was written waaaaaaaay back during the yesteryear of our post-Season 1 bliss, a time when, to be frank, everyone’s standards, as well as my own, were lower. I’ve often found going back and reading things I liked then has left me somewhat disappointed, finding out that they were never very good to begin with. So, I’m quite happy to say that Kindness is in fact very good, and has remained very good even through the passage of time.

Time is the nostalgia killer.

Much as Pav has already said, it’s difficult to talk about what makes Kindness good without giving away its incredibly short plot. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d like it at first. I read the first third or so and wondered why Nick had suggested it, thinking it was just another feelbad fic with nothing new to offer. But, as soon as Luna shows up, everything changed for me. I absolutely loved her voice, her demeanor, everything about her. All of it came together so well that it altered my opinion of this fic quite rapidly.

Now, I do have to say that, while very emotive, and often done in a very real way, some of the “heart-wrenching” stuff is a bit hamfisted. One part in particular felt somewhat... forced, I suppose you could say. But overall, Kindness is a sadfic done well, and, even more impressive, it was written during a time when sad!Luna fics were all the rage and it still managed to be unique.

That’s the other thing about Kindness, its backdrop is one I’ve never actually seen before, though I’ve no doubt it’s been done since. It’s an interesting alternate reality that creates a decidedly more weepy world, a world that I would actually like to see explored more. Though, I doubt that will actually happen. Anyway, as short as Fluttershy’s Terribly Busy Day was, Kindness is even shorter, and once again became a Fluttershy fic that I didn’t absolutely hate. So yeah... go read it.

Nicknack:

There are a lot of strange fic ideas in this fandom. I mean, hell, if you think about it, we're all writing fanfics about My Little Pony, and that's pretty strange in and of itself. So, I'm a jaded sonuvabitch when it comes to this fandom and "novel" ideas; with the volume of fics I've read, preread, and reviewed at this point, not a lot fazes me.

So, I won't really say that Space Captain Pinkie Pie really struck me as an original fic premise. I've read "pony space race" before (though the one I read was between griffins and ponies). Heck, even Spacegirl touched on a lot of the elements from Space Captain Pinkie Pie. Still, on its own, it tells a story of the main six ponies, going about on fan-made adventures. It's got their characterization well-done, and really, that's all you can ask for in fanfiction.

I'm a tad iffy on if I'd recommend this to someone, to be honest. It's 90,000 words long—that starts to hit on "opportunity cost" levels of length, where you could probably read a published novel instead (like the first Harry Potters, or 1984). I wasn't a big fan of the writing style on this, either—a little dry, in terms of a trip that took the better part of a day to traverse; also, the story emulated the show, so a lot of the humor was hit-or-miss for me.

So, it's good for a fanfic. That's probably the best thing I can say about this story, and I encourage you to at least make up your own mind about the first few chapters.

Per Feira:

I could say a lot of things about terrycloth’s longfic comedic adventure. Lots of nitpicky things. I could complain about the tonal shift part-way through, when it shifts from episodic/slapstick hijinks into primarily a pony-vs.-nature survival adventure (with comedic elements). I could gripe about a few too many recycled jokes/references from the show, especially early on. I could whine that certain plot elements, while sometimes foreshadowed, still felt like they were coming out of left field in an unsatisfying manner, elements of the ending included.

I could also list some of the items found within this story, which I had to whittle down to minimize spoilers: sustainable lunar space travel, pillow forts, cake-based counterspells, public-key cryptography, songs (plural!), alternate realities clones, slug pits, cybertech, ancient prophecies (of doom!), and ramp physics.

One or more of these elements may not go exactly according to plan.

Space Captain Pinkie Pie is fun and creatively artistic. It takes plenty of risks by continuously upping the ante on a chapter-by-chapter basis, or throwing wild curveballs that you’d never expect to see with a premise like, “Dashie, let’s throw a party with the moon ponies!” (Not all of those curveballs are Pinkie’s fault, even!) Risk does come with failure at times—and “where” is a question that must be answered on an individual basis—but it can also result in great triumph. There were plenty of moments herein where I was laughing through a facepalmy punchline, mirthing at an apropos-of-not-much plot element that seamlessly wove itself into the plotline, or spamming a number of my friends with quotable lines.

It was for this—not simply the humor, but the fun—that I truly enjoyed this fic. Striving for literary excellence is well and good, and has its time and place. But on a site like this, of hobbyists practicing a trade for naught but entertainment for themselves and their peers, isn’t fun a massive reason behind why we’re all here? Fun for the audience, obviously, but it’s also a delight to see a story where quite clearly the author himself was having fun. Stories like this can quite often be a very refreshing gust of air, just when everything starts to feel a wee bit “same-y.”

Just, y’know. Remember to pack sunscreen.

alexmagnet:

“Pinkie Pie, I’m taking you to the moon!”

Let me count the ways Space Captain Pinkie Pie has made me laugh, but not really, because that would literally take all day. Seriously, I love this fic more than you could possibly know.

So before I start with the actual review, I’m gonna let you guys in on a little secret: I hate Pinkie. I hate her so much, and I’ve only grown to hate her more as the show progresses. To be fair, she has a few moments where I actually like her, but for the most part her wall-to-wall silliness just wears thin after about the first eight and half seconds of her being on-screen. Even more than Fluttershy, I hate every episode about her. Even with the awesome Trainspotting reference, I can’t stand watching the Baby Cakes episode. It’s literally painful for me. So, it’s no small thing to say that a fic about Pinkie Pie may be one of my favorite fics of all time.

One of these days, Pinkie. One of these days. BANG. ZOOM. Straight to the Moon!

In what is possibly the longest [Adventure][Comedy] I have ever read, Space Captain Pinkie Pie manages to simultaneously be one of my favorite adventure fics, as well as one of the funniest comedies I’ve read on FiMfic.

In a bid to find herself on the Moon, and possibly throw a moon party for the moon ponies (on the Moon), Pinkie manages to convince Rainbow Dash to fly her to the moon. Yes, Rainbow Dash is literally going to fly straight up to the Moon. It’s gonna be a long flight. Of course, things don’t go exactly as planned. Who would’ve thought that rapid acceleration would cause friction with the air and ignite Rainbow Dash in a glorious ball of fire? Apparently not Twilight, or anyone else for that matter. After much deliberation, and a lot of research, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and a few others, try again. To avoid any more spoilers, I’ll leave the rest unsaid. Suffice it to say, the ponies’ journey to the Moon is as hilarious as it is exciting.

There are two things that Space Captain Pinkie Pie does exceptionally well, and that is: comedy and adventure. And hey, wouldn’t you know it, that’s the two genres it claims to be! Let me clarify a bit. SCPP does something which I think many authors, myself included, struggle to accomplish: capture Pinkie’s character as it is meant to be. Often I find that authors misinterpret Pinkie as being a completely random character who is more or less off in her own world all the time. However, I would argue that Pinkie is far more grounded than people make her out to be and is in fact one of the more well-rounded characters, especially with regards to Season 1. So, I was very happy with SCPP when terrycloth managed to capture that so well.

The other thing it does well, as I said, is it really captures that sense of adventure that is sometimes hard to firmly grasp. You really get the feel that what they’re doing is a first for their kind, and it harkens back to the early days of the Space Program, and the feeling that you get (or at least I do) when you look up at the sky and realize just how much is out there that we don’t know about. Space Captain Pinkie Pie is a very rewarding adventure story, and it’s damn funny to boot. However, unlike the other two fics this week, it is not short, not by any stretch of the imagination. But, I promise you that it is well worth your time. Even if you’re like me, and you hate Pinkie Pie, you will love this fic.

Pav wipes the non-existent sweat from his brow. “Phew, we made it through another round, guys.”

Nick nods grimly. “Yes, but at what cost?”

Pav shrugs. “Like $6.50 I guess. I mean, that’s how much the beer was.”

Nick turns out his empty pockets and opens his wallet. A single moth lazily flutters out.

“At least we got through unscathed, and no one realized that April Fool’s was just an excuse to buy us more time, right?” Alex says. “So, I guess that means we win... or something.”

“Yeah, I guess so,” says Pav.

“Now we just gotta decide who’s going to write the intro and outro for this week,” says Nick. “I’m way too busy doing stuff, so it can’t be me.”

“Same,” says Pav. “I’m busy doing, y’know, whatever it is that I do.”

They both turn to look at Alex. He groans and rolls his eyes.

“Goddammit, fine...”

Special thanks to Lhmac, AugieDog, Phazon, and Cassius for the recommendations we’ve used thus far.