My Favorites: A Retrospective, Again

I’m doing this because I want to, not because people enjoyed the last one or anything. I’ve added 6 new stories to my favorites and removed 2 in turn, as I told myself that I would not have more than 20 (and I might move it up to 25 or 30 in the future). So I wanted to reorganize them again, plus, I get to talking about my new favorite obsession with a criminal lack of fanart. I’ll let you take a guess as I get there. So, let’s begin!

20: Mythbuckers
AuroraDawn

This story is actually the next up on the chopping block. I’ve realized that it’s just too short to fully appreciate, but I absolutely love the endless comedy that goes on here. Mythbusters is still one of my favorite TV shows though, and this story is still amazing, it just never got anywhere.

19: On The Wing of Friendship
Deathscar

I actually did read this again recently, and I don’t remember any of it. I still do think it’s a great story for examining the effects of war on friendships, and I especially love the ending. Seattle’s Angels did a great job recommending things here, but I don’t enjoy this as much as I did on first read.

18: Brotherly Bonding Time
Sketcha-holic

This story hasn’t updated in an alarmingly long time, however, it’s still a really good story for what it’s worth and I stand by my statements about it last time. I know the feeling of being disappointed by the stories you’re tracking, and I’m going through that right now. However, it’s still a really tense situation at the moment and I enjoy looking forward to what comes next.

17: The Nightmare Before Nightmare Night
Deleted Account

I do enjoy this story’s eclectic brand of comedy, and I, another musician, actually get the jokes now. I have been trying to read this story again, and it is still quite funny. I haven’t got there yet, but if I can recall the final scene as well as I can, then it certainly did something right. Also, Deathie’s awesome, ‘nuff said.

16: For The Love of a Mother
TheWingman

4 in and we’re already getting to the amazing stuff. This story is a nerve-wracking emotional wreck, in the best of ways. Essentially, Celestia adopts a son named Azure, this story is her coping with how she outlived him. Loved this story since I first read it, I always love stories that can take on the concepts of death in unique ways (see: Reunion, Forgettable, and One Last Time), and this one certainly does that. This is actually the third story in the series, but it’s so good.

15: The Lovenote
Deleted Account

Like with On The Wing of Friendship, I’ve reread this already. Unlike On The Wing of Friendship, this one held up to further scrutiny. It’s interchangeable with For The Love of a Mother, and I certainly do love the way this ends. The story itself is actually pretty good as well, and it’s probably the only SoarinDash fic I’ll readily remember.

14: The Beatle
CrackedInkWell

It’s Yesterday the pony story version. It’s also better than Yesterday, which I throughly enjoyed. So, the idea is that Ocellus wakes up from an accident and she is the only pony that remembers The Beatles. So, she finds John and Paul and gets them to help write songs with her out of bits and pieces of songs she can remember. I do like music, so a story that entirely revolves around that concept is a win in my book. Also, sharing time; this story was so good that it got me to listen to all of The Beatles’ discography, yes, all of it (or close to it, at least). I don’t regret listening to them one bit. Still updating, too, and unlike the other still-updating entires on here, this one generally updates pretty quickly.

13: Syncopation
Terrasora

I remember reading this fanfic for the first time. It also has not gotten any worse ever. This is my favorite OctaScratch fanfic (why do people like Vinyl and Octavia: University Days anyways?), and that is unlikely to ever change. Stories like this that hold up even today are truely the best stories, and this is one of the older ones on the list. Currently still attempting to reread it and really enjoying it.

12: The Worst Equestrian Necromancer
NobodysLament

I’m surprised I didn’t need a doctor after reading this with all the stitches my side needed. This story is amazing, and it’s only number 12, there’s some great stories coming in later, mark my words. This is about a silly necromancer named Ragnar, who tries to think he is evil, and Celestia and Luna are kind enough to tell him that he’s not really that bad. The shocker? There’s an alicorn OC who has a crush on Twilight Sparkle, and it’s done so tastefully and the author is fully self-aware, so it gets a pass. Necromantic accident is what it said had happened. This story is hopefully still updating, but what with NobodysLament working on that original fiction piece, who knows. I can only hope that we won’t get left in the dar on this hilarious journey.

11: Austraeoh
ImplodingColon

So, I finally finished Eljunbyro, and that story was pretty good. So, despite me not having any complete knowledge on the plotline of this story, I still think that if it’s twice as good as Eljunbyro is, then it gets a free pass. I still do love nature, and I still think this story is the reason why.

10: Patience, She Said
The Messenger

Beautiful story, absolutely beautiful. This story is so deep, and I stand by everything I said about it last time. I’m also adding in the fact that I love how Spike got one last filly to talk to before he died. I don’t really have much else to say, just read the story and let it speak for itself.

9: The Cold Feeling In My Heart
MagicS

This story is very saddening. I am a fan of MagicS’, but generally their stories aren’t punctuated very well, barring most of them from my favorites. This story however, I can’t recall if it is, I just remember the plotline. EqG Applejack is anxiously waiting on EqG Rarity for a reason that she keeps telling herself is worry, but it’s made painfully obvious that it’s love. It’s raining outside, and everybody’s concerned. It almost seems like a type of literary device I’d expect to see in the emotional greats, but this is far and away MagicS’ best story for a variety of reasons. Yet somehow, it’s not the best one to read by them, we’ll get to that.

8: Bitter/Sweet
Estee

It literally got knocked down 4 places from last time. That’s because I reread it, and while I enjoyed it, it wasn’t nearly as good. I still love the literary devices used and the book ends (got me the second time, too). I still don’t recall the main character’s name, but I love Luna just sitting and talking about the business they’re sitting in. It’s still deep, I still enjoy it, it just isn’t as good as the first time. It most certainly won’t be the last time I reread it, either.

7: Tiny Wings
DeadParrot222

I almost certainly have to reread this at some point. I found it on TVTropes, and I really want to read it again, I just can never get around to it. I recall it being beautiful and heart-wrenching, and ending on a bittersweet note. That’s about it though, but I hope it’s just as good as I remember it being.

6: Light The Sky on Fire
EquesTRON

This one is much of the same, but it ends victoriously instead of bittersweet. This is another one I really need to reread, I mean, it’s only 10,000 words, which is hardly anything compared to what I’ve been reading (to be precise, it is 160 times less words than what I’ve been reading). I hope this one is as good as I remember, too.

5: Fallout: Equestria
Kkat

Last time, our good old friend FO:E was number 3, there are two new fics better than this one here. I should note, however, that this story is awesome. Like, don’t let the placement dissuade you, it has some impressive competition. The Virtue of LittlePip is still one of the best things I’ve ever read, and the way it ends it also amazing, what with the bookends and the title. I also still say that it is a gracious blend of hilarity, emotion, and action, and that it still probably has a hand in my love of dark comedy. It hasn’t gotten any worse, the competition has just gotten better.

4: The Only Tree In The Forest
Hap

Again, right trifecta, but it’s not 4 this time, instead we’ve got a funny story, a deep one, an emotional one, and something completely different. For the record, it is a tight battle between this, FO:E, and The Inn At The End of Equestria. This story has a huge allegory going on throughout it, we learn about this tree and slowly pick up that it’s the Golden Oaks Library, not cut down because of the heavy amount of rot inside it. Celestia comes in, and the tree incessantly compares himself to her, saying that he was standing for her, and that they shared the rot that they didn’t want in their hearts. So, Celestia cuts out the rot and symbolically cuts her own out as well. It’s an amazing story, and while I don’t know why I read it, I’m very glad I did. It’s very simple, yet so flawlessly executed, it’s beautiful.

3: The Inn At The End of Equestria
NobodysLament

Sometimes I think that I overhyped this story a bit, but then I reread it again and find out that it’s worthy of the praise I give it. It’s a hilarious story with great characters and amazing tone. I want to visit this inn, and it just transports me there without much complaint. I really wish it’d update, and it’s probably the only story I’m dying to see update. NobodysLament really did it this time.

2: Tangled Up In Blues
The Descendent

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you, Tangled Up In Blues is definitely number 2. It’s not like the story got worse, in fact, it has just gotten better each time I reread it. It’s still emotional and a rags to riches tale like no other. It’s just that I found a story that’s better. While I’m sorry for Moody Blues’ and Blues’ relationship going to waste, there’s another one I’ve found, it’s fast, but don’t be jaded, it’s amazing. All the stuff I said last time still applies, though.

... Before that though, here are a couple unfortunate landers in my Favorites Honorable Mentions list that would be put here if something else was changed about them:

Trail Blazer by MagicS: Funnest MagicS story to read here, unfortunately, it meeds some grammatical fixes.

Fallout Equestria: Resistance by tom117z: This is actually going into the main list next time it updates, don’t know when that is, though.

1: Fallout Equestria: Commonwealth
CrazyPerson

We’ve truly gone full-circle here, in case you don’t know (and why would you? You have no incentive to know), I got Fallout 4 because I loved FO:E, and while I was looking for some FO:E New Years’ stuff, I found this by accident. I read this story because Fallout 4 is awesome, and oh man, this is better than Fallout 4. I’m actually in the process of reading it right now, yes, I didn’t add this to my favorites after I finished it; however, I think that if a story can get me to read 52 chapters in a weekend, it’s worth something. They aren’t short chapters, either, they are about 11k words each. The characters in this story are amazing, all the good characters from FO4 either got better (Travis, Cait (in the form of Val now), Mongolia, etc.) or are more or less the same (Hancock, Piper, Nick). Heck, some of the bad ones even got better anyways (mainly Preston).

I still have more to say though, Jade and Fast are perhaps the best couple in any story I’ve read. Jade is also vying for my ‘best character of all time’ award, as she has helped impact me personally (as in on a personal level, not in person). Also, yes, there’s tons of alicorns. But the FO:E universe excuses this quite a bit anyways. The main character actually gets turned into one... much to his chagrin. While I am saying that I don’t really like the way Act 2’s taking me, it’s an interesting deconstruction of the ‘I wanna be an alicorn!’ idea that so many people have today. I highly suggest you read it, if you have the time (or no-life a weekend, like me), as it’s easily the best thing I’ve ever read.

---

That’s about it, I hope this will amuse some people, if not everybody.

Until next time, be awesome!
-Dashite