Review: Wild, Sweet, and Cool. by: Kwakerjak

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Rainbow Dash has a request for Twilight. RD wants Twi to mount her and ride her hard. She even already went out and bought some specialized equipment to help with that. After a little pleading, Twi agrees. So every week they get together someplace nopony will see them, Twilight straps herself into place, and rides RD till the pegasus is worn out, sweaty, and sure to be quiet sore the next day following a vigorous workout session with Twilight riding on her back as RD goes through her new training routine. Twilight acting as a coach and there to give her added resistance and better strength training. What did you think I was talking about?

Story: A wonderful, hilarious story with my favorite type of shipping. No not Twi-Dash, Friendshipping. A story about two of the Mane 6 getting closer, enjoying each others company, spending time together in a shared activity, bonding closer then ever. All without a single trace of any romance involved. Yet with an almost non-stop barrage of humor, as well as a few touching moments between the two. It makes clear how close the two of them are, how much they do care for each other without having to elevate it to anything beyond a platonic relationship. Despite a few outstandingly done misunderstandings with the other mane 6. Outside of that, it's a well done story that gets far more mileage out of such a set up then you'd think, leading to events that could very well change both ponies lives forever.

On a technical level, this is another story that manages to have a fairly quick pace, yet never feel rushed. The technical prose might not be anything spectacular. There's nothing necessarily wrong with it, but it is rather basic, average, utilitarian. It does the needed job of conveying what is happening. Though with a few exceptions not in any grand way. Just rather basic facts. And while it could be held as being guilty of violating the whole "Show, don't Tell" maxim. It still manages to work well. And that is more then made up for by the incredible dialog and just how awesome what is happening is at times. The story never lags, never slows down. There is always more awesomeness or hilarity going on. And while the technical "how" the story is told isn't anything amazing, what it is that is happening is something 'so, awesome!'

Characters: Not a whole lot to say. It's not really a character focused piece. But both Twi and RD feel very in character. Are used well, as are any other characters that show up. Not to say it ignores the character aspect, but the focus is more on what they are doing then anything else. But still manages to pull off a few really well done bits of characterization.

Ponyness: Another well done aspect to this. Everypony feels in character, and the setting is well used. The attitudes and actions of some of the pony's near the end might be a tad overly bitchy and meanspirited, but even then it's only a 'might' we have seen ponies be utter jerks before. And it's not overdone at all. And the story gets some added points for how much more hilarious a lot of it becomes re-reading it now, after all the changes and events that have occurred since it was written near the end of season 2. First was the story, several months before A Canterlot Wedding came out, having RD's main goal for the training be to strength her flight muscles so she could pull off a Sonic Rainboom from any angle. Come the Wedding, it seems she's succeeded. Then add in all the talk about what a natural Twi seems to be at understanding flying, despite not being a pegasus. And how into the whole ting she gets, how much she enjoys it. Gives "A new flying Buddy!" A whole new meaning.

Overall: Exemplary. This was another one that was really hard for me to rate. It no doubt rated at least 'Incredible' but was hard to tell whether it rated higher. As above, the prose was rather basic for most of it. There is little that one can point to about it to make it stand out. And yet, despite there not really being any one point where this story excels beyond nearly any other. The same overall average or decent factors, are combined in such a way to make something that really is truly exceptional. If not just for how well the final story turned out despite the possible issues. And one final bit that pushed it over to one of the best there is. Yes the story might not be something big, epic. Something that left a huge mark on the entire fandom, something that sets a standard by which other fics could be judged. A story that does something, better then any story before has done. No none of that. But what makes this story so great, is that despite that, it still hits the gold standard for what, in the end, every story really strives to be. Entertaining. Yes this story won't change your life, won't make you look at something in a whole new light. But it is a story that I loved every moment of reading. And a story that I would gladly read over and over again. That, above all else, is the mark of a good story, if you can undeniably, and wholeheartedly answer "Did I enjoy reading this?" with a "yes!"

The story, looking at it from a technical standpoint, isn't that great. it's not really bad, but the prose is rather average, it does a lot of telling and not showing, yeah from a purely technical aspect, it isn't anywhere near perfect. But, the characters, the story, what was going on, the dialog, the humor, all of it was so damn good, none of the potential flaws matter. Reading the story, was something I thoroughly enjoyed, more then a lot of other ones. And while i'll admit this might not be as great as some of the other stories either in, or will be added to the Hall of Fame, its one I enjoyed reading more then many of them. And would gladly read over, and over, and over again. And thoroughly recommend you do so as well at least one.