cks you designed to be ~exotic~ or whatever, and those rabid jerks at Disney can only grit their teeth now!
Top Ten fics I've read so far. (In honor of some rather nifty mile-stones.) · 9:45pm Mar 23rd, 2014
Top ten so far.
I just passed a hundred watchers, four thousand seven hundred views and six hundred and fifty favorited stories… so I thought it might be a good time to throw out a top ten of fics I’ve read so far.
Taged with Ironic since that was the fic that got most of those views, and you on-board. Thank you all so much for giving such a strange little fic a chance. 
Rules!
#1: Only Completed fics. This to keep the list a bit cleaner and more interesting.
Honorable mentions disqualified due to the above but still awesome. My top five of those follows:
Winds Of Change by Masterweaver
Second darn best "One of the mane six turns out to be a changeling" fics on this site. A wonderful character piece that would have no-doubt made it to the top five if it wasn't unfinished.
Five Score, Divided by Four by TwistedSpectrum
I don't think this one needs much introduction.
Opinions may be divided about this one, and from the current looks of things I won't like the ending... but I am writing recursive fan-fiction for this thing. That alone should tell you what I think of the concept.
Our Girl Scootaloo series, by Cozy Mark IV
The best take on the 'sub-genera' My Little Dashie. Basically, Scootaloo gets thrown trough the same anomaly and ends up in the care of two gay-guys.
Two gay men who actually tells the world about her, and does their utmost to give her a great 'child'-hood and takes her to a doctor they trust to figure out just how the fuck her body works. That's part one of three.
Part two of three is about her finding her husband and high-school. (A great start, but only one chapter out so far.)
And finally part three, wherein Equestria comes a'knocking for their other lost foal. Only to be rather shocked at finding a respected doctor and the source of every major scientific advancement in that world for the last twenty or so years.
And her three clone children with cybernetic arms.
Does not get nearly enough credit. If no other on this list, go give the kid some feedback. It covers some rather controversial themes, but I personally think the fic is all the stronger for it.
A necromancer tired of being being constantly hunted for his skills and gifts pulls a desperate gamble... and ends up as a badly wounded alicorn foal in Equestria.
With all his skills and powers, including his previously healthy paranoia intact.
The main OC is, quite frankly, more than a bit over-powered, but it has some awesome set-pieces and the character interaction is just beautifully done.
That, and it has a undead kitten that even the title character is rather weary off. It consider him its pet. How can you go wrong with that type of writing?
Arrow 18 Mission Logs: Lone Ranger by AdmiralTigerclaw
I will be honest, this fic had quite a bit of influence on me actually sitting down and writing Sufficiently Advanced. The idea of a first contact fic were the primary focus was the science, the culture clash and the characters... and actually being ludicrously good?
Rather blew my mind, and if SA does even half-as well as it has when all is said and done, I will be very proud of myself.
Highly recommended.
And six, because fuck math up its Klein bottle shaped arse. Last, but certainly not least:
All-American Girl by Shinzakura¨
Another big enough one that it probably needs no introduction, but I will give this one one anyway.
Thanks to a freak magical storm, Rarity's first born went on a dimensional walkabout when she was only a few weeks old.
Twenty something years later, and Equestria pulls one of the worst clusterfucks of a first-contact in all of fiction, all in the name of getting the knight-Element of Generosity's lost daughter back. The Lost Foal, Sandalwood.
Only problem? DJ Martinez want's nothing to do with that country of racist nudist, and the custody battle gets so poisonous that Celestia has to interfere personally to stop it from cousin civil war.
Another twenty or so years later, and the happily married DJ and mother of two has near happily forgotten about the whole pony thing... except now, her birth-mother is dying, and there are hints of some type of prophecy involving her, and the fate of both worlds may depend on the two stoborn mares actually reconciling.
According to word of God, the thing will be about a million words (literally) for the whole main trilogy. That doesn't even count the spin-offs.
It's a rather hate it or love it from what I've heard, but I'd frankly recommend at least giving it a try. I personally love this story, and it would probably have been #1 or #2 if it wasn’t for the ‘only completed’ rule.
Pew! That was quite a bit of text just for rule one!
Rule #2! Please, please, please don’t fight about this. If this list or its numbering offends, make your own instead and send me a link. Talking civilly about it is outright encouraged, but please don’t tell me my own opinion is wrong.
Rule #3! I don’t give a flying pigs soon to be splattered bacon if an author somehow makes it into multiple spots on this list. If they do, they’ve deserved it through their writing.
Without further ado, the list proper.
#10, Three Hundred and Fifty by Void Chicken
Synopsis:
My name is Twilight Sparkle, and 350 years ago, Sweetie Belle and I vanished without a trace.
Now here we are, in the future.
Equestria has become a utopia, with everypony living in peace and harmony.
Everything is perfect. All a pony could ever want, and more.
My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I want to go home.
Reason:
One of the best time-travel stories I’ve read… but it’s a time-travel story and I hate the particular type of time-travel story it turned out to be in the end. An intriguing vision of a Equestria that might be, but it just has enough things I dislike for it to end up this low.
Synopsis:
My name is Celestia. I am the ruler of the country known as Equestria. I raise the sun every morning, and my sister guides the moon across the sky at night. My student is now a Princess as well, something that I am so very proud of.
But not everything is fine.
I have been able to hide it from my sister, my student, her friends and every pony that comes to me during court.
My name is Celestia.
And I'm falling apart.
Literally.
Reason:
A fascinating look at undeath from a rather sickening first-person POW as Celestia tries to hide her condition and written as a single diary entry. Funny, gross and utterly heart-breaking in just 1.3 K words.
Really deserves more views and feedback than it has gotten.
#8, So You Married A Changeling by M1ghtypen
Synopsis:
Carrot Cake is starting to think that his wife is hiding something. After reading an old book about myths and monsters, he starts to see strange quirks in her behavior that he never noticed before. Obviously there's a reasonable explanation for all of this, right? She couldn't really be a changeling...could she?
Reason:
A wonderful little short-story in only two chapters with two ponies (The Cakes) that deserve to be in the lime-light a bit more often. A bit short to end up further-up this list, but sweet enough in both senses of the word to more than deserve that spot.
#7, Fiery Incantation by SapphireStarlightPony
Synopsis:
A strange artifact arrives at Twilight's library and turns her into a dragon. From there, everypony she touches suffers a similar fate and the contagion begins to spread! Twilight and her friends struggle to avoid spreading it further in this comedic misadventure of dragons and the fiery spells they weave. Can Twilight find a cure?
Reason:
Best take I’ve seen on ‘The Mane Six are turned to dragons’ I’ve seen so far. ‘Nuff said.
It is also one of the few completed and not one-chapter short-stories take on the concept I’ve seen.
Basically, another that deserves more views and feedback than it has gotten.
#6, Steel Soul by Masterweaver
Synopsis:
An accident reveals a secret that nopony ever knew....
Reason:
I love robots and androids, and this is one of the best takes on one of those I’ve seen period.
Sweetiebot played straight in the world of FIM proper, basically.
#5, Of the Hive by Law Abiding Pony
Synopsis:
In the wake of Chrysalis' failed invasion, a different hive breaks tradition, and steps into the light to open relations with Equestria. The ever eager scholar, Twilight Sparkle, uses this truce as the perfect opportunity to learn more about this enigmatic race. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she will learn all there is to know about what it means to be a changeling.
But will Twilight lose herself in the hive, or will she regain what she has lost? Only time will tell.
Reason:
Fascinating take on the concept of Twilight being turned to a changeling with lots of worldbuilding. This one is rather awesome, but the sequel currently being written seems like it will be even better. Had the original not left so much unresolved for the sequel, it would probably easily have been in the top three.
#4, Friendship is Optimal by Iceman
Synopsis:
Hanna, the CEO of Hofvarpnir Studios, just won the contract to write the official My Little Pony MMO. Hanna has built an A.I. Princess Celestia and given her one basic drive: to satisfy everybody's values through friendship and ponies. Princess Celestia will satisfy your values through friendship and ponies, and it will be completely consensual.
Reason:
I did not like the version of transhumanism or AIs being show in this fic at all, but it was such a fascinating ‘What if?’ that it still made it this far up.
Really solid sci-fi, if a bit bitter-sweeter than I normally prefer the genera.
Xenophilia by AnonponyDASHIE (Note, Mature.)
Content warning! Explicit sex between a pony and human! Not everybody’s cup of tea is rather in effect!
Synopsis:
Lero, after coming to Equestria, continues to make mistakes because he simply doesn't understand pony social norms. Can he figure out the differences before he inadvertently breaks somepony's heart? Once he understands the situation, will he be okay with the idea of a relationship with a pony?
A romantic story that explores the differences between our societies and how that might effect the social interactions between our species.
Reason:
I’m an utter sucker for three things in stories; world-building, romance and bad-ass cyborgs transhumanism. This fic has two out of three of those, and some good sex-scenes thrown into it.
I think that is worth third place.
#2, The Monster Below by Greenback
Synopsis:
One of Equestria's greatest traits is tolerance. Every pony, whether Unicorn, Pegasus, or Earth, is accepted for who they are, and have their own parts to play in keeping Equestria running.
But what if an Earth pony decided he didn't want to play his assigned part? What if he wanted to rise above everyone else, and become an Alicorn? Such a thing is possible...but the path to fulfilling one's dreams is never simple. Risks must be taken. Sacrifices must be made. And the question is always asked: How far would you go to get what you wanted? And would you be willing to pay a terrible price to get it?
Reason:
The previous mentioned three things? This one has all three and done really well at that. If it wasn’t for an utterly stupid twist at the end (That to be fair, did receive foreshadowing. I just think it made most of the rest of the fic feel far more bitter than sweet.) this would probably have been number one with no questions asked.
As it stands, it still stands proud and tall at second place in my mind.
#1, Royal Duties by TwistedSpectrum (Note, Mature.)
Content warning! Explicit sex between a pony and human! (If one turned themselves into a pony this time.) Not everybody’s cup of tea is rather in effect!
Synopsis:
I was a human who had a smokin hot girlfriend, a nice apartment, and a good life. I sayhad because that all changed one night when Cadance decided to pay me a visit. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but she somehow made us switch bodies and sent me back to Equestria in her place. Now I'm trying to figure out to get back, learning how to be a pony, dealing with the fact that I'm female, AND trying to hold back the bedroom advances of my "husband" Shining Armor.
I really need to find a way back to my old life. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up! And what if I start to enjoy this new life? Will I even want to go back to being my old self?
Reason:
Yes, a clop fic made #1.
Believe me, I can feel the 
stares from here.
In my defence, I am in addition to the below three also a sucker for first-person view fics.
A wonderful romance? Check.
World-building? Eh, but the character arcs make up for it, I believe.
Transhumanism? Actually, it hit many of those spots for me, since the main character ends up much stronger and better than how they started.
I will freely admit that if it wasn’t for Rule #1 this would have probably have been far further down the list, but nonetheless highly recommended.
So, that’s it.
I’m all but certain most of you won't agree with the above (especially not #1) but I hope I gave you all at least one or two new things to read or at least talk about.
Probably won't do another one like this for quite some time, but it was actually rather fun to reflect on the WHY I liked all those fics.
Thanks, as always, for following and reading!
Annnnd 5 more to my bloated RiL
Screw you.
1949773
This pic seems appropriate!
i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/280/334/c47.png
Out of curiosity however, what five?
Foal Necro
Of the Hive
Chaotic Touch (it was another of "Of the Hive"'s author's fics)
Half of the others I've already read or in my RiL
I have 168.
Someone else I know has like,a thousand
1949810
1492 for me...
Just not enough time in a day for all that pony.
Foal Necromancer is incomplete. The author hasn't been online in a very long time.
edit: The only one in your top-ten I liked...was Royal Duties. It hasn't even come close to my top ten.
1949858
Yup... that's why it's in the
pile.
I'm rather sad to notice just how long he's been AWOL, but it's still a great fic. Here's hoping for a glorious return.
Eh, that happens. Still, thanks for reading.
1949890 I'm looking forward to your next chapter. I also apologize, for I did not notice how you had set things up.
1949819
Good lord that's a lot of pony.
My list used to be around 600 and something, but I ended up looking at it and saying: "Screw it, I'm never going to read all of that."
So I ended up removing most of everything and now my list is down to thirty something.
And now I feel a twinge of guilt every time I see that number, because I know there are hundreds of fics I had on that list that I might never find again.
1949920
No need to apologize for that.
And don't worry, I'm working on it. Just taking a bit of effort to nail and keep the tone and that mix of serious and silly I hit in chapter one.
1949923
Almost the exact same reason I've let them just pile-up.
If nothing else, something for a rainy day, right?
1949939 Good Luck.
1949923 You could always use the 'Watch Later' tab for the stories you don't have a current interest in.
Any love for such masterpieces as Background Pony and The Immortal Game (formerly Ponies Make War)?
Here are 9 of my top 10 stories, in no particular order!
Sparkle's Law (Absolutely hilarious misadventures of a coffee-deprived Twilight, a Pinkie P.I. and about a million other things)
In Memory Of (A terribly sad fic about an aging Twilight and her memory deterioration, as told through her and Spike's correspondences with the princesses
Friendship is Optimal: Caellum Est Torrens (You like friendship is optimal? You'll like this)
Integration (A pony wishes to join the Changeling Ranks)
Stardust (Twilight Sparkle ends up in the middle of an Alien Invasion on Earth. Mlp x X-Com Crossover)
The Best of All Possible Worlds (The old Philosopher Voltaire ends up in Equestria. I normally hate real people in Equestria, but this whole thing is pretty damn thought provoking, and there's a great deal of worldbuilding)
Making Friends (Ah, this thing... Sweetie Belle spends time with her imaginary friend Scootaloo)
Smart Daddy (Big Mac takes care of a living Smarty Pants. Embrace the Feels)
Hard Reset (Well, that didn't work! Twilight's life in a time-loop during a changeling invasion)
Here be my honorable mentions!
Let's Just Say (11th place)
Background Pony (While it is great, it also overstays its welcome and drones on about the same theme repeatedly when it isn't being absolutely stupid)
Human After All (It's a good story, but it's only of note because of all the discussion it's sparked in the comments.)
MLP Time Loops (Amazing, but I don't count it as one story)
MYou've Got to Be Kidding Me (A solid attempt at a HiE, even if the main character ended up as a bit of a Mary Sue. It looks dead now, though.)
Finally, my NUMBER ONE STORY OF ALL TIME (If nothing else, read THIS! (I'm serious, it's fucking beautiful (read it NAOOOO)))
Grayscale
1950152
I've heard really good things about both of those, but haven't read 'em yet.
The list is for fics I've read, so~o...
1950502
Friendship is Optimal: Caellum Est Torrens and Stardust were actually in the running, but got just pushed off the list by the others.
And I'm actually reading both Integration and Hard Reset. Rather like what I've seen so far, but I'm not done yet.
All others on that list... haven't read. Sparkle's Law and a few others caught my eye, however. Thanks for the tips.
Any chance at links to Making Friends and Greyscale? I tried searching for those two, but both seems to be rather common fic names.
1951763 There you go.
Drop everything and read Grayscale now. It shouldn't take longer than ten minutes to complete.
1951763
I highly, highly recommend you read The Immortal Game and Background Pony. You will not be disappointed with the time investment, I promise you.
Let's try this.
Honorable (heh...) mentions:
-Xenophilia
-Field Notes on Alicorn Reproductive Behavior
-Intimate Details
-Five Score
-Kaidan. Just... Kaidan.
The Rating:
0xFF. Old horrorfictions: Cupcakes, Rainbow Factory and their alternative endings.
Yes, I know they're not really good stories. But I like them! Actually, Cupcakes was the first MLP story I've read. That was even before I've started watching the show.
10. Letters from a Disgruntled Friendship Student by MilesPrower
A comedic reinterpretation of the episodes in the same tone as, for example, The Mentally Advanced Abridged Series. Only Twilight is constantly trying to get laid (and failing).
9. Slightly newer horrorfictions: The Killer Rarity Series by BronyWriter
Differs from the position 10 by trying to actually develop the characters. And, in my opinion, kind of succeeding. Of course, someone more knowledgeable than me could poke a lot of holes there (and has done so), but I like those.
8. Best Night Ever by Cpt. Chryssalid
I think that a lot of TV shows have exactly one episode where there's a time loop, and it's generally a good one. Like Window of Opportunity on SG-1. This one also goes to be a good one. I think it's the first story I've read that tried to do something constructive with Blueblood, to great effect.
7. Hard Reset by Eakin
Well, that didn't work.
...
Actually, why not take two? And take time to explore another character, using the same framework of a time loop? And do it even better than the previous one had? Well, that's what Hard Reset does.
6. Six Brides for Two Sisters by Equus Pallidus
This story is going off the raills on the train of misunderstandings and incredibly awkward situations. And I love it for this. And no matter how much some characters want to have the whole thing stop, I want it to go on!
5. Night's Favoured Child by Municipal Engines
This story starts with the thought, "what would the world be like if Nightmare won?" - and then builds up the entire world from a point of divergence a thousand years ago. I think it succeeds to a great degree. If only it would update more frequently...
4. Conviction by Y1
The story starts during the war between Celestia and Nightmare, following a character during important moments in her (extremely screwed up) life before the main arc starts. It's another example of a fleshed-out world with multiple characters that feel like living people (even though they're extremely screwed up).
And there's this one scene. Let me just post this picture here.
dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57571524/rarity_reactions/startled5.jpg
If anyone could point me to a story that has... content that is like what's at the end of Chapter 4, I'd be grateful.
3. The High-Grade Crossovers: I'll just let all of those have this place. I can't choose just one to put in the rating, and making the entire thing populated by crossovers would look silly.
So, there's:
-Mass Effect 2: The Equestrian Equation by Loyal2Luna: even though the idea to let the *readers* decide something might not have been the greatest one, the story still turned out great, as did its sequel.
-Deus Ex: Equine Revolution by MelonHunter: I have, in fact, asked for this. And it is a great example of a seamless fusion between two universes.
-Stardust by Arad: an example of a different kind of a crossover. It also offers a more realistic view on the event in X-Com:EU (well, if you discount the lasers and... magic... well, nevermid)
-Fallout Equestria by Kkat: I've cooled down considerably to the story in the two years that passed, but it still has its place in the halls of fame. At least for enabling the existence of the (extremely well-built, as this was the story's strongest point) FoE Universe. Some recursive-fics, like New Pegas and Starlight, share this place.
-The Wind Thief by ColdInGardez: FUS RO DAH!
2. The Lunaverse
Another AU, developed with great care. Notice the trend?
Only this one has an entire team of writers working on it, creating entire seasons of stories.
1. Fallout Equestria: Project Horizons by Somber
But there can be only one true god. And Somber is its prophet.
1952155 I didn't know there was a deus ex crossover!
I can't agree with disgruntled being on the list; it's funny, but not particularly well written in itself. Besides that, though, I like most of your recommendations. Can't believe I forgot to mention Fallout Equestria in my list...
Also, read Grayscale. That is a work of art, and if I can't advertise my (nonexistent) story, I'm advertising that. It's just amazing.
1956824
There's actually a whole (if a tiny bit deadish) group for Dues Ex crossovers.
Here.
I'd recommend Cyberpunk Equestria also, however. Not that many more stories and it isn't that much livelier, but then again cyberpunk isn't exactly the biggest genera on this site.
And I actually read Greyscale, only to realize I'd read it way before I joined the site. It really is the best of the takes on the Conversion Bureau concept. What a utter difference keeping characters in... well, character may do. Thanks for the reminder.