Fanfic Spotlight #20 · 10:35am Jan 18th, 2015
Welcome once again to the EFNW Fanfic Spotlight. Winter continues to plague most of us with the more "bleck!" types of weather. To that end, here's three stories to take your mind off that. Luna convinces Celestia to play Dead Space, ponies go missing, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders enjoy their summer to the fullest.
Time Well Spent
by Smexy Sombra
Words: 2,358 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Asylum1388
A short story based on the premise of Celestia and Luna attempting to get some quality-time together amidst their royal duties, this fic is the tale of what happens when you cross Gamer Luna with prim-and-proper Celestia.
Basically, Luna approaches Celestia one evening offering the chance to bond with her older, more traditional sister (and more gore sensitive) over her brand-new game. Unfortunately for Celestia, we in this world happen to know said game as Dead Space.
Consonance
by PropMaster
Words: 8,770 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare
Here’s a story that manages to do several things simultaneously. It weaves well-written Pinkie Pie and a genuinely creepy premise into a story so cohesive, you’d swear it could be an episode straight out of the show itself. It may be comfortably under twenty pages, but you’ll find several moments that stand out as absolute gems.
When Rainbow Dash discovers an expensive looking music box while flying one day, she stops to investigate. When Dash goes missing a couple days later, Twilight enlists her friend Fluttershy to go check on her. However, when Fluttershy goes missing too, the entire town mobilizes into search parties. Pinkie and her friends have to unravel the mystery before any more ponies go missing.
PropMaster writes a very show accurate Pinkie, complete with sight gags, an endless arsenal of instantly acquired items, and endearingly offbeat one-liners. Yet it’s spread over the haunting melodies of an evil enchantment, and the frantic sensation that time is somehow running out, even though nobody is sure how or why. It’s a wonderful story I’m already looking forward to reading again. Few stories can keep me on the edge of my seat while making me laugh at the same time, but PropMaster has the gift.
Forever Summer
by Cold in Gardez
Words: 15,381 Complete: No
Recommended by Xepher
This is a CMC story that really captures the magic of childhood. At its best, it reads like the fantasy parts of a Calvin and Hobbes comic. The imagination of the young ones takes flight, superimposing fantastical ideas over the top of a more mundane reality, adding adventure to the everyday. It really reminds me of just how magical the idea of Summer—no school, late bedtimes, sunny weather, etc.—is when you're a kid.
If I had to complain about it, I'd say the story makes it a bit hard to tell what is literal vs. what is imagined. In a normal setting, this would never be a problem, but in Equestria, fantastical happenings can be actual and real, so seperating the imagined bits from the "reality" of the situation takes a bit more work at times. Still, a great read, and the intermitent chapters from the "adults" make for great contrast as well.
That's it for this week. Hopefully you all are managing to keep warm and dry this winter. Thankfully, convention season is just around the corner. We'll be bringing more news about the various cons as we get closer to that. For now, we'll see you next week.
Until then, Keep Warm!
--Xepher, Asylum, and Silver Flare
Oh, man. Getting reviewed alongside Cold in Gardez? He's on another level, but I'm flattered as all get-out. Thanks for the review of the story. Consonance is one of my favourite short stories I've written, and it encompasses everything I've always wanted in a Pinkie Pie episode. Pinkie is so hard to write well, and so capturing her essence and giving a good read of both her silly side and the "always a bit ahead of the game, even though nobody knows it" side of her is hard. I'm glad you appreciated it!
#GoHawks!
Anyway, great stories, all three.