Fanfic Spotlight #32 · 9:50am May 4th, 2015
Welcome back! As you may have noticed, we took a hiatus last week, as our writing contest wrapped up and the contest winners were announced. Hopefully that gave you enough stories to check out. But we're back now (though a tad late) with three more recommendations as we count down the final weeks to Everfree Northwest 2015!
This week, we look at what might've happened if instead of Celestia's student, fate had given us Twilight Sparkle of the Royal Guard; Donut Joe meets Twilight for the first time and gives her Extra Sprinkles; and we find out what Luna did on the moon with all the time she spent Up There.
Twilight Sparkle of the Royal Guard
by King of Beggars
Words: 80,475 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Xepher
What if some small thing had gone differently, and Twilight Sparkle ended up in the Guard, while her brother Shining became Celestia's student? That's the first two chapters of this interesting story, and frankly, that could be a story in and of itself. What really made me love this piece though, was that it went so far beyond that premise, and weaves an epic tale of adventure with Twilight in this different life.
As the story unfolds, Twilight finds herself tasked with guarding Princess Cadance on a diplomatic mission to Saddle Arabia a few days before the Summer Sun Celebration. Then a wrench is thrown in the works, and the two, along with two very well done original characters, end up exploring a dark mystery in the desert. Through it all, we're given some incredible visions that skillfully blend in elements from Egyptian mythology, native African culture, and some really original headcanon on the nature of magic and the supernatural.
As I said before, this is an epic tale of adventure, and would stand strongly as just that. However, the alternate universe premise adds even more, and the author does a fantastic job weaving the threads of his own story through what we already know of canon.
I was introduced to this story by Inky J, who's been reviewing it chapter by chapter on his podcast (where I'll be a guest soon.) I sat down just after midnight, intending to read just the first two chapters in order to catch up. Next thing I knew, the sun was peeking in the window and I'd read the entire thing in one sitting. Any story that can make me lose track of time like that is one I feel I have to recommend to others. So, if you're up for an adventure, clear your schedule and buckle up!
Extra Sprinkles
by Minds Eye
Words: 2,801 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Ckat_Myla
They say the difference between seeing a donut and eating a donut is about four seconds, the same might be said for seeing a sweet slice of life story and reading one. This sweet-tooth-satisfying story serves as both a little backstory on Donut Joe, and on how he came to meet a certain purple princess when she was still a young filly student of Celestia. She and an even younger Spike still getting used to each other, and Twilight starting to learn the challenges of learning new spells.
This was written as an entry for the recent Everfree Northwest pre-con writing contest, and though it did not place it still hold a special place in this reviewer's heart. It's nice to show how a bit of kindness to someone having a rough time can lead to a friendship that last for years afterward. If this story doesn't fill you with a case of the 'd'awws', then it might at least make you crave some sprinkled donuts.
Up There
by Miller Minus
Words: 6,693 Complete: Yes
Recommended by Silver Flare
The sting of shame is something we all endure at some point in our lives. More than once. The ghosts of our failures linger behind us, ready to descend upon us at stop lights, in the shower, in the darkness of night when we are alone with our thoughts. In those moments, when we forget to distract ourselves, our past is free to besiege us like a cloud of gnats, biting and crawling.
Luna spent a thousand years on the moon with her thoughts and her guilt, without distractions. Neither was she alone. The Nightmare never left her side, never let her forget, never let her rest. It hovered and gloated, reveling in her abject misery. Only once, when the moon drifted close to Equestria, did Luna discover an anodyne for her pain. She discovered that, after hundreds of years, she could step into a dream.
Up There is a story that surprised me. You’ll find it begins with a meandering narrative, framing a cold and bitter image. The transition to dreamwalking is as ethereal as actually falling asleep, and by the time I discovered what the story was about, I was well within the snare it has set, even though I never saw it coming. The end left me reeling, and it was only then that I discovered the true narrative thread had been there all along.
Miller Minus delivers more than a unique and interesting look into Luna’s abilities. The author wrote a poetic, haunting story that has stuck with me long after I finished it. While the prose was so thick that I only fully enjoyed it with a second read-through, it was beautiful enough that I enjoyed every moment.
That wraps things up for this week. If you need more to read, and haven't done so already, check out some of the winners from our contest. We'll be back next weekend with more stories as well. Until then, be the person your dog thinks you are.
--Xepher, Ckat_Myla, and Silver Flare
