Fanfic Spotlight #30 · 11:19am Mar 29th, 2015
Another week, another list! It's technically spring now, so Everfree is fast approaching, with just over eight more weeks to go. Our pre-convention contest is now in the first round of judging, with over 75 entries to review. We're looking forward to sharing a lot of those with you soon. In the meantime, here are three great tales to keep you sated. First off, fashion and intrigue combine in Flutterspy. Then we take a deep breath, and enjoy The First Night. Finally, the perspective-bending tale of an immortal Apple Bloom in Only The Good Die Young.
Flutterspy
by Kavonde
Words: 20,996 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Ckat_Myla
The worlds of espionage and high fashion are both fast-paced and full of drama, and it is an exciting thing to witness when these two combine. Top it all off with ponies – especially one shy pegasus thrust into the mix – and it makes for a very fun, entertaining ride.
There's a big fashion showcase going down in Canterlot, and of course Rarity is invited, bringing along Fluttershy as her model. Fancy Pants is there along with Fleur de Lis and a few other high profile fashionistas, one of whom is set on destroying Rarity's reputation through sabotage.
Fleur pulls Flutters into her realm of Espionne, enlisting her to help keep Rarity out of harm's way, all without the unicorn being any the wiser.
The dynamic between Fleur and Fluttershy is very fun, and this story reads as part fun action movie and partly like an episode of the show. Kavonde provides Fluttershy to be more than she expected of herself, all while remaining true to her own kind nature and (surprising) talents.
The First Night
by tursi
Words: 1,020 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare
I stumbled upon this little nugget of a story today while taking a break from another hundred-thousand-word epic. It’s tiny, yet the author manages to pack a fair amount of emotion into a very small space. Yes, some of the ellipses are missing a dot. Yes, I think there might be one too many commas. But this glimpse back in time should be taken as exactly that; a chance to reflect upon one of the most painful moments in My Little Pony historical cannon.
Celestia stands upon her balcony. She prepares herself for the evening, lowering the sun to the horizon in a panoply of light and color. It’s something she’s done countless times in the past. Then she begins to raise the moon. Something she’s never done before this night. What thoughts chase themselves around her head? What justifications does she make for herself? What words extend themselves upon her shaking breaths? And what vows seal themselves within her heart?
The story only lasts a moment, but, for me, it was a moment of reflection. A moment of pain and a moment of peace amongst scattered shards of harmony.
Only The Good Die Young
by Sharp Spark
Words: 5,723 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Xepher
This is a sad story, and a dark story, but it tells you that right in the tags. What the tags don't tell you, is that it's sad and dark done right. It's easy for an author to do sad; witness any story where Winnona dies. It's also easy to do "dark" if all that means is an out-of-character Pinkie Pie baking cupcakes, or an equally OOC Rainbow Dash working at a factory. That's almost cheating though, and it gets pretty boring as well. This story though... Oh boy are you in for a treat!
This story tells us the tale of an immortal Apple Bloom, still crusading for her mark. It opens normally enough, with a zip-lining adventure we all know will end badly, but it ends worse than expected, and... well things start twisting from there. It's very hard to describe and properly compliment the multi-layered artistry of the reveal without giving away the story. Suffice to say, Sharp Spark (the author) does an amazing job slowly twisting what looks like a "normal" scene into something very, very different. More amazingly, this is done without ever lying to the reader. By the end, you realize that it was your own mind that filled in all the gaps, and therefore it was your own mind that was really lying to you. This is a trick that could only work in written form. It's kind of the opposite of how so many puns lose their cleverness when spelled out on the page, but work when spoken. Having your mental reality subverted on you in this way is a rather unique feeling, and one you should cherish.
By the end of it, when the dots finally connect, what you're left with is an amazing story that is much, much deeper than it first appeared. It's still sad, and it's still a bit dark, but both are the believable, plausible kinds of sadness and darkness. They exist because they have reason to exist. Bad things can happen to good ponies, and in a land like Equestria, those things can be strangely bizarre as well.
One last note, this is another one of the top placed entries from the same "Closing Time" contest as "The Iridescent Iron Rat" which I featured previously. I honestly don't recall which one placed higher, but I know that it's really all the rest of us that are truly winners, if it means we get to see stories of this quality on such a regular basis!
That's it for this week. Next weekend I (Xepher) will be joining other MLP fans for BABSCon in San Francisco. So, apologies in advance if I'm late with next week's issue! 
If you're planning to attend, PM me or keep an eye on my (rarely updated) personal blog here on FimFic if you want to hear about the writing related shenanigans going down this next weekend. Several of us author-types are setting up an unofficial writer's lounge and party room there.
Until next week (+/- convention lag), have fun!
--Xepher, Ckat_Myla, and Silver Flare
