Diamond and Silver's Excellent Adventure. by: insaneponyauthor

Link

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are having trouble in Equestrian History and so ask Princess Twilight to tutor them. Only to find that is equally boring, so decide to just create a time machine and travel to the past to make it simpler and easier to understand. Getting involved in ancient rebellions, tangled in the schemes of a villain that seemingly exists in all times and all worlds, aiding a multi-dimensional peace keeping force. And coming to grips with the knowledge of their own futures.

Story: The story overall is a work of genius. With meanings that become only deeper the more you look at it. The seeming randomness of the plot. The way elements arise and disappear as the two move through time showing how information can be lost or altered with the passage of time. The way characters behavior changes, how hey can shift from being an ally to a villain and back seemingly at random, along with the time travel, being an examination of how views on what construes being a hero or villain change. How what people in one time frame would consider a heroic act of valor, a later group would see as an awful, vile act. How one persons traitor is another's freedom fighter.

And how the two main characters seem to barely do anything, simply taken along by events, swept along and unable to truly do much to change things. Seemingly having very little agency in their adventure. A metaphor for how we are simply spectators to History. As much as we delve, and analyze and try to see what happened, we are merely watching the play. Watching actions we can not control. As we are swept away by time ourselves, with no ability to control it's passage. And yet in the end, they are able to alter things, to make a difference. Showing that it is possible, if not to shape the past, or to alter the way time pulls you along, to alter the present, to make the future what you want if you truly try.

And the way the past had to much magic to safely use their ultimate weapons, but the future had less. Looking at the possibility that with science, and logic, and reason, we are forcing the world into a more ordered place. Making everything fit perfectly into basic explanations. But at the same time, taking some of the magic out of the world. Making it stale, dull, boring. All in all, there is no part of this story that is not truly inspirational and thought provoking. That really makes you consider just what is going on. And it wouldn't work so well, if not for the seeming chaotic way it is told. The way it seems to make no sense, causing you to have to work to see how brilliant it truly is.

Characters: And already covered above how brilliant the story is at using it's character as metaphors. How their seeming random changes in roll and characterization are truly inspired in their execution. And though so many have no story, come and go without a word. Disappear from the story entirely. It is like how that happens to real people. Those you know drifting away, only to be met years later after they had their own lives, their own adventures of which you will never know. And showing ST and SS coming to grips with the reality of who they will become. Facing that truth of what will happen in their lives, then seemingly ignoring it later. Like many, when faced by something do vast, something they can not comprehend, they simply ignore it, push it aside. And the story does such an amazing job of oh so subtly showing this.

Ponyness: While the way it's told would never work for a show. The messages behind it, the heart, everything it stands for is one of the most pure, and awe invoking works over done with the MLP name. The themes of trust, friendship, acceptance, togetherness, all expressed at times through the story. All while tying them into the deeper meanings the story was putting forth. Blending the surreal and the meaningful with skill that makes it look so casual, one might think it was almost accidental.

Overall: Transcendent. Yes not one of the usual rating but, this story truly transcends all other forms of writing, all other stories, it is something unique, something that cannot be looked at like any other story out there. it's shear brilliance, it's deepness, all while being the most engaging story I've ever re....re....BUWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Okay, and I can't keep a straight face any longer. (Hey you know what I mean!)

Okay for real. This story is a mess, plot holes all over the place, massive changes to everything, plot threads dropped, coming out of nowhere, Characterization altering every few pages. By all rights, this should be a travesty against storytelling. And that was the whole point. This is what is known as an Exquisite Corpse. A story written by several different people in a round robin style. But with the added catch of each person ONLY seeing the work of the person immediately before them. Resulting in a massive game of 'Telephone' on top of the normal issues of varying degrees of skill, tone, and ideas a round robin would face.

It's a story you read, simply for the experience of such utter absurdity, and to see how they mange to pull off something even remotely coherent. And no, not giving this an actual rating since, it was accurate that this is so far removed from other stories in what it is, it's almost impossible to judge it by the same standards. But I will say, if you want a dose off utter absurdity, give it a read. If you get to a spot you find boring, keep at it and you'll be reading a wholly different story within a few pages.