Paul's Thursday Reviews CCXV · 8:19pm Aug 6th, 2020
Hello again, FIMFiction. I’ve had quite the lazy week, but it was on purpose. I was starting to feel the burnout after achieving ~2,000 words/day for most of July, so I figured it was about time. But now I think I’m ready to get back into it.
Which is good timing, as my pre-readers and I are finally discussing changes to the originalfication of Guppy Love. It’s been a very productive discussion and I’ll be making some major and minor changes. Normally I’m highly opposed to this kind of thing, but not this time. I don’t know why, maybe I’m just that eager for it to be good. Regardless, I aim to take a little time every week to update and adjust the story in what I think is a positive route.
Not much else to report on right now, so: reviews.
Stories for This Week:
Love Knows No Bounds by Autum Breeze
SCP-███ by Journeyman
Today I Will Be a Princess by Cloud Wander
For the Benefit of Mr. Kite by Corejo
Rarity's Rodeo by Somber
Let's Find You a Date! by Soundslikeponies
Biased and Incomplete by DuncanR
Homeward Bound by Karrakaz
The Price of a Smile by Trick Question
The Princess's Gift by Monochromatic
Total Word Count: 214,509
Rating System
Why Haven't You Read These Yet?: 2
Pretty Good: 7
Worth It: 0
Needs Work: 1
None: 0
Love Knows No Bounds
12,488 Words
By Autum Breeze
Infant changeling Rose Aphid was kicked out of her hive for being female and not a queen, which is apparently a Bad Thing™ in changeling culture. Wandering through Canterlot in hopes of finding something to live on, she is lucky enough to be discovered by Princess Twilight Sparkle.
This story wants you to believe it is a sequel to TheSlorg’s enduring and endearing If Only In My Dreams, which you absolutely should read. I can’t find fault in Autumn Breeze’s desire to expand upon the life of Rose considering the open ending of that story. Unfortunately, Autumn Breeze lacks the literary ability to match TheSlorg… for the time it was written.
The story is about Twilight adopting Rose as a daughter and Celestia’s suspicions regarding Rose’s real identity. This might have made for a great story, but Autumn Breeze blows through it at an impossible pace, sacrificing everything that might have made it worthwhile in the process. For example, Celestia and Luna claim amongst themselves to feel that good ol’ mother/daughter connection between Twilight and Rose in less than an hour of the two meeting.
Rose is rescued on Hearth’s Warming Eve – and I do mean “eve”, as in it’s already past dark – and yet somehow the next morning Twilight’s family have gifts for her, the kind of gifts you don’t find just lying around.
Rose learns how to read, and be really good at it, in just three days. Three. Days.
Rose couldn’t fly before. Then Twilight gives her a book on flying and voila! Instant flying expert to rival Rainbow Dash.
Twilight and Rose have known one another for three days, but Twilight’s already signing adoption papers and asking Rose to call her “mommy”.
Then there’s this idea about Luna having had a daughter a thousand years ago that Celestia banished for no known reason, who would go on to become the first changeling. And you know, that’s actually an interesting concept. That would be awesome to explore. But no, we’re not going to. We’re just going to say “it happened” and then pretend that is enough for everyone to understand everything that occured so that this idea can be nothing more than a plot device for Celestia becoming the story’s villain out of nowhere. (EDIT: Apparently this entire plot element is a reference to Obselescence’s Love, in All Its Forms. Which I suppose I can understand and forgive, but it comes with the caveat that if you haven’t read that this entire subject, which is itself a major tool to the plot, feels tacked on.)
Speaking of “out of nowhere”, Celestia literally drops in on a party, banishes Rose, and teleports her to the Badlands without so much as a ”hey, Twilight, we should talk.” Because that’s exactly what you do when deciding to remove a presumed bad influence from her mother who is standing right there.
I could go on, but I think I’ve said enough about the plot. The writing isn’t any better, with frequent typos, head-scratching paragraph structure, poor spelling, and commas that look like they were shot at the screen with a shotgun. Add to it the annoyance of the Author’s Notes being treated as a billboard of “Aren’t you excited?! I’m excited, and I’m so torn up I’m crying as I write this because this is so emotional and you should be emotional now GET EMOTIONAL, DAMN YOU!”.
I appreciate that this was apparently a big project for the author, and something tells me they put what they consider a lot of work into it. But there’s a lot of room for improvement in a great many areas of this story, from plot flow to overarching style to basic grammar. The good news is that Autumn Breeze wrote this back in 2014, and are still actively writing, so it’s entirely possible this is just an older piece and they’ve improved a lot. I’d like to hope so, anyway. I suppose we’ll find out in time. But this story is a bit of a mess.
Bookshelf: Needs Work
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
SCP-███
22,634 Words
By Journeyman
The Secure, Contain, Protect (SCP) Foundation is a fictional group dedicated to locating and safely containing all things, living or not, possessing inexplicable or debatably magical properties. You can find their main website here. The site is filled to the brim with weird, quirky, and even frightening things, mostly given in the form of top secret files, all contributed to the site by volunteers. For people like me, it’s a treasure trove of oddities and potential inspiration.
Journeyman decided to create a thematic crossover with the SCP, essentially making it a thing in Equestria. This is not so much a story as a collection of SCP files within Equestria. Some of these files are legit creepy – such as SCP-616, itself a giant Cupcakes reference. Others are goofy and poke fun, like SCP-69-J (I only just figured out that the ‘J’ is for “joke”). Some appear to be references to other properties; I’m pretty sure SCP-203 is a reference to John Carpenter’s The Thing. Some of the funnest ones were the lists of “analogous items” (I cracked up at the butterfly knife and the… *ahem* “Good Dragon”).
Aside from the setting, there is no common thread to the chapters. Each one is its own separate subject, written in the form of cool rational observation and description (well, except the joke ones). If you’re here looking for a full, complete story, you’ll be out of luck. But if you’re looking for a mishmashed combination of scary, funny, and outright weird, this will do well. Fans of the SCP Foundation will love it. My only disappointment is that Journeyman stopped being active in early 2019, so we’ll likely not see anymore of these.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New author!
Today I Will Be a Princess
10,879 Words
By Cloud Wander
Marigold, Mayor of Ponyville, decides to have a big celebration this Summer Sun, with particular reference to Princess Luna. Her stoic workaholic of an assistant, Fletcher Veterinary, thinks this is a brilliant idea.
I didn’t know what to expect going in, but it wasn’t this. Not at all. This story was downright delightful. Mayor Mare is lovingly depicted as someone who knows all of Ponyville and its people, and though she leaves Fletcher to do all the busybody work, it is clearly her understanding of her fellow ponies that keeps the town happy. Her constant effort to maintain her spirits grates on occasion – frankly, I can’t stand that kind of overly cheerful rhetoric – but it works well to highlight her insecurities.
Then there is Fletcher, who Mayor Mare personally considers Best Pony, and for good reason. His introduction paints him as a calculating bureaucrat with a cutting wit and little love for the common pony. Then we get his second scene, in which Granny Smith arrives at Town Hall, and it is adorable. He treats her as though she were his own grandmother, and his clear awareness of her every little mannerism – right down to knowing by the feel of the morning that she’s going to pay a visit later – shows how much he cares. Though he avoids smiling as though it were a fatal condition, Fletcher hides a warm soul and a defender of a prosperous, happy Ponyville. It’s easy to see how his work alongside Mayor Mare is exactly what Ponyville needs.
And just when you think Cloud Wander has introduced everyone we need to know, the parade of characters goes on. Fluttershy leading a town-wide sing-along, a former circus pony wowing with a tale of Equestrian lore, Twilight absolutely failing to understand a cookbook, even Derpy (who Cloud Wander treats as being a separate pony from her sister, Ditzy, which I think is a great idea) getting her own reworded version of the Smile Song. It’s a fun story where each scene brings its own charm. At first I was wondering what the point of all these seemingly separate mini-stories was, but as they kept coming I stopped caring because each was just so endearing on its own.
Then the ending comes and you realize there was a central, guiding commonality after all.
I am impressed, amused, and wishing I could have seen more. Especially of Fletcher, that guy entertains me so much. Also, I totally agree with Marigold’s choice of eventual successor. I am mildly surprised said successor never made an in-story appearance, but her presence was certainly felt.
There are a few quirks here and there. The formatting for the storytelling competition was a little iffy. It works overall, but I can see some people turning their nose up at Cloud Wander’s experimentation, and I wouldn’t feel inclined to defend it. It’s one of those ‘I like it, but I see the problem’ sort of scenarios. Also, the author clearly was struggling with the re-wording of the Smile song to fit Derpy, with there being several moments where the rhyme and lyrical flow just don’t work. Not to mention the fact that the whole Derpy scene was an unabashed declaration of Cloud Wander’s opinion that Derpy Best Pony.
Even so, I took little more than pleasure from this piece. At times fun, at others amusing, and always endearing, I enjoyed every scene from beginning to end. If you’re looking for a lighthearted story with a touch of worldbuilding, you can’t go wrong here.
Bookshelf: Why Haven’t You Read These Yet?
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
New Author!
For the Benefit of Mr. Kite
62,352 Words
By Corejo
A ‘World Circus’ comes into Ponyville, lead by a mare known only as Mr. Kite. It doesn’t take long for things to get weird, and before Twilight knows it there are subtle threats to her and her friends everywhere. She decides to confront this Mr. Kite and figure out exactly what her game is. Unfortunately for Twilight, that’s exactly what Mr. Kite wants.
Wow. This is a wholly different beast from the last story I read by this author. I went in halfway expecting a horror of some sort (that cover art certainly lends to the idea), but the tags don’t lie: this is a thriller and adventure, through and through. Twilight finds herself facing off against numerous trials and illusions, each new encounter more personal and painful than the last, as she struggles to understand Mr. Kite’s motivations and put a stop to her game.
At the core of Corejo’s work is indirectness. Kite’s motivations aren’t really spelled out for us until the epilogue, though the hints are strong enough that most readers should be able to figure it out eventually. But there are a lot of other details that will never be answered, directly or indirectly. What really happened to Twilight’s friends? How many of them were really targeted vs. just the insinuation of it? Was the circus one giant illusion or are a bunch of carnies out there looking for their boss? That’s just the most obvious ones.
It can be hard to tell how much we’re seeing is illusion and how much is reality, which I think plays well in the story’s favor. Corejo manages to keep us guessing throughout, so much so that sometimes I found myself wondering if the current threat at any given moment would end up just another trick designed to make Twilight do something she’d regret. That amount of consideration is rare, and accentuates how well Corejo crafted this little mystery.
The story also has an exceptional awareness of atmosphere, always knowing when and how to put us on edge. This comes with the use of excellent characterization, strong description, and a narrative that never quite lets us forget the unease of the ongoing scenario.
I only have two problems. The first is that sometimes the story gets so wrapped up in the illusions that things can get a little confusing. A great example of this was in the final battle with Mr. Kite, particularly that climactic struggle over the knife, where there are times when you can only stare and be like “uh, what?” Even so, illusion and misdirection are the bread and butter of Mr. Kite’s methods, so I can understand if Corejo wanted to really incorporate that into the fight. Depending upon your perspective, it’s either a crazy ride that makes no sense or a brilliant show of literary and circumstantial awareness. You guys can figure that bit out for yourselves; I mark it as a “problem” only because I worry some people won’t approve.
The second problem is that, even at the end, we never learn any of the things we want to know. For example, it’s made clear that something really did happen to Fluttershy in the midst of these events. What, specifically? We have no idea. Or how about that knife; I’d love to know how exactly it can stab a pony in the heart without causing fatal damage, something it does on at least two occasions. Corejo does make an attempt to highlight a handful of topics, but I’m not sure they were the right ones to focus on. That epilogue feels… misaimed, if you will.
Despite some of my hesitation, the fact remains that this is an epic, emotional roller coaster ride that deserves applause. With strong character showings, a powerful sense of mood, and a constant struggle of mystery and confusion, it’s a great showing of what Corejo can do when motivated.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Big Trouble — Worth It
Rarity's Rodeo
10,247 Words
By Somber
Twilight and Rarity go to visit Sweet Apple Acres (apparently they got a name change) only to find Applejack prepping for the rodeo. That’s when Twilight recalls Applejack daring Rarity to join the rodeo. To Rarity’s dismay, Applejack thinks it’s a good idea.
I wonder if there’s a story behind this. Somber claims it was written back in Season 1, but it wasn’t released until Season 5. Maybe they kept it on another fanfiction site until that time? Whatever the case may be, the story ends up being exactly what you expect, shipping included. It even has Rarity doing far better at the rodeo in general, although I’m relieved to note that she didn’t ace it like some authors might try.
The story isn’t even about the rodeo, not really. It’s more about Rarity and what drives her. There are strong hints of some unhappy event from her past coloring her decisions, although exactly what that is is never explained. It almost sounds like a reference to another of Somber’s works, though I wouldn’t know what or even if that theory is accurate. At the same time, I was delighted by the general description of the rodeo, which reminded me of the annual Texas rodeo (that got cancelled this year, much sadness). Either Somber’s been to a few or they did a lot of research.
The highlight of the story to me was Applejack’s rodeo rival, Diamondback. She struck me as quite the interesting individual, the kind painted as a villain but really just misunderstood. Downsides are the strange quirks that come up throughout the story, mostly involving naming. For instance, why on earth does Applejack refer to Rarity as “Rarity Pony”, as though “Pony” were her last name? I get it if Somber wanted to give a surname to characters, but “Pony”?
I also think the story provides a lesson on words and their meanings. “Equestrian Wide Rodeo.” So if it’s “Equestrian”, that must mean all species of pony are celebrated: zebras, earth ponies, unicorns, pegasi, kirin, you name it. Oh, wait, no, apparently this is an Equestria-centric event. I think what you mean there, Somber, is “Equestria-Wide Rodeo”. Or better yet, just the “National Rodeo”, for minimal confusion.
Still, the pros far outweigh the cons. Character growth, some OTP shipping, each of the Mane 6 and Spike enjoying the rodeo in their own way, defeating cheating villains, it’s all you’d expect. A little predictable, perhaps, but no worse for it. Give it a read if you feel like watching Rarity go outside her comfort zone.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Fallout: Equestria - Project Horizons — Pretty Good!
Let's Find You a Date!
41,071 Words
By Soundslikeponies
A conversation at the spa leads to Twilight admitting she’s never dated before. Rarity won’t stand for that, and promptly decides to find Twilight a date. Nothing is ever that simple, of course.
It would be easy to see the title and cover of this story and assume it’s going to be about a bunch of silly shenanigans leading to Rarity and Twilight being a romantic couple. On the contrary, Soundslikeponies (who has one of the funniest avatars ever) takes a more mature route and treats the circumstances with a touch of realism. What begins as good intentions leads to a love triangle in which Twilight finds herself dating Golden Harvest Carrot Top and being pursued by pervy, promiscuous OC May Flower. The story is filled with all the trapping of a bumbling attempt at love, where Twilight comes to realize she’s crushing on Rarity while dating a visibly enamoured Carrot Top and constantly looking over her shoulder for the next time May Flower might sneak up on her offering an on-the-spot makeout session.
The story is driven by its strong cast of characters and their steady character growth. May Flower was the standout to me. When we first encounter her, it seems like all she’s interested in is getting between Twilight’s legs. Which… isn’t necessarily wrong, but as the story moves on we find there’s more to her than that. She proves herself in the end to be a surprisingly good friend to Twilight. Golden Harvest is largely defined by her schoolgirl-like affections towards Twilight, which makes her the simplest character in the story, but she still manages to maintain her own level of charm and interest.
I appreciate that the circumstances in this story feel less like some fantasy conjured up by a hopeless romantic (i.e. 90% of all romances in all mediums) and more like what might happen in the real world. It’s a great highlight of life on the dating scene and how our own indecisiveness can bring us more trouble in the long run. Twilight’s just lucky that the girls involved in this little love rectangle are reasonable sorts.
All in all, a worthwhile read. If you’re interested in a more realistic slant of problematic romance, this will do it for you.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Equestria from Dust — Pretty Good
The Devil's Trick — Worth It
Biased and Incomplete
11,451 Words
By DuncanR
When Twilight is asked to assist Canterlot Academy’s Archaeology Department, she let’s Rainbow Dash tag along. Rainbow is eager to see the real world of archaeology, convinced it’s every bit as cool as it is in the Daring Do books. Disappointments begin to mount… until she meets a pony who she swears looks exactly like Daring Do!
Ponies should never meet their heroes.
This seems to be a story with multiple messages. True to DuncanR’s methods, the story avoids the common expectations in favor of a few surprises. Rainbow’s regular disappointments in the real-world field of archaeology are not unexpected. The real surprise comes from meeting the real-world Daring Do, who is both exactly what we expect and nothing at all like what we expect.
Bearing in mind that this was written long before we got a canon identity of Daring Do (in the show, at least; can’t say for sure with the comics), this story explores both the disappointments of fantasy vs. reality and our tendency to harm ourselves without even realizing it. The dichotomy between Daring and her sister is eye-opening, to say the least. The ending of the story offers a common reveal, and yet makes it feel fresh by not focusing on the reveal itself so much as what that reveal means for the individuals involved.
I had to think on that for a little bit, but eventually concluded that I really appreciate it. The ending feels more meaningful to me this way. It’s another great character-driven piece by DuncanR, and one I’m glad to have taken the time to read. I look forward to the sequel.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Appletheosis — WHYRTY?
Flight of the Magpie — WHYRTY?
An It Harm None — Pretty Good
Bittersweet Music — Pretty Good
Nothing to Say — Worth It
Homeward Bound
13,281 Words
By Karrakaz
After nearly a year of dating, Applejack is ready to ask Fluttershy to move in with her at the farm. Just as she’s getting ready to make the offer, however, her dear pegasus gets hit hard by the feather flu. Now AJ finds all her plans derailed as she focuses on what’s most important: nursing her marefriend back to health.
This ended up being a warmhearted story that’s not as clear-cut as you might think. Rather than making it a simple affair, Karrakaz gives us the broader picture, showing us the long recovery period. That includes Applejack fighting to keep the animals under control, Fluttershy being too adorable kindhearted to rest like she’s supposed to, and visits from concerned friends. The only serious surprise is the sheer absence of Rainbow and Pinkie until the very end, but I suppose the story was already getting long enough with showings from Apple Bloom, Twilight, and Rarity.
This is at once a romance and a slice-of-life, altering between the two at all the right moments. Hardly the traditional romantic romp, it should be light enough for non-shippers to enjoy it too. This is especially true given that much of the story acts as a testament to Applejack’s patience and supportiveness, to say nothing of Shy being the cutest patient ever.
If you’re looking for something warm and lighthearted, you can’t go wrong here. Karrakaz’s record for delivering interesting and/or endearing stories remains unbroken.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Growing Pains — Pretty Good
Sizable Differences — Pretty Good
The Birth of a Goddess — Pretty Good
The Fundraiser — Pretty Good
The Price of a Smile
14,644 Words
By Trick Question
Requested by Trick Question
Okay. That’s just plain terrifying.
Princess Twilight Sparkle has been having a lot of nightmares lately, dreams she forgets almost as soon as she wakes up. Worse are the hallucinations; cutie marks changing at random, multiple instances of the same pony in the same location, and other quirks. After some deliberation, she decides to visit a self-help group, unaware that doing so will lead to the answers to all her questions.
When I started this story, I had two immediate reactions. The first was flashbacks and a sense of Déjà vu going back to my own story, Derp. There were a lot of peculiar thematic similarities. The second reaction: “If you’re having nightmares, why the heck aren’t you going to Princess Luna? You know, that pony for whom managing dreams is part of her job description?” Then again, if she doesn’t want ponies to think she’s crazy, especially Celestia, then I can see her not taking that route for fear of the news indeed getting back to her. But it still bugged me.
Most of the story involves Twilight struggling to understand what is happening around her. There’s a lot of debate and theorizing until, at last, we get to the end. With that end comes the Big Reveal™, and what a reveal it is. I was horrified, as the truth tapped into one of the elements of Equestria that, to me, is among its darkest and most frightening. Even better, I realized immediately that Trick Question had been hinting at it all along and I totally missed it. I am at once impressed at that and ashamed of myself.
I approve of this one 100%. If you’re interested in mysteries with surprise endings (assuming you don’t read into it properly and figure it out, as I didn’t), this will do it for you. Just know that this one is going to get very dark.
Bookshelf: Why Haven’t You read These Yet?
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
Back to Normal — Pretty Good
Dead and Loving It — Pretty Good
Flash in the Pan —Pretty Good
The Princess's Gift
15,499 Words
By Monochromatic
Sequel to The Princess's Choice
The marshmelodrama is strong with this one. Which is wonderful, because there are few things I enjoy more than marshmelodrama.
It’s Twilight Sparkle’s birthday next week, and Princess Rarity has big plans for her bodyguard. Plans that are completely ruined when General Shining Armor arrives to whisk her favorite pony in the world off for a week’s vacation away from the castle. But Princess Rarity has a knack for getting what she wants, and she won’t stand to be kept for so long away from her best friend and crush, no matter what her parents or her new, temporary bodyguards have to say about it.
By now it’s apparent that Mono made the mysterious decision to order these by when they were written rather than in-universe chronology. I suppose it doesn’t matter in the long run, as each story is effectively standalone with no need to know about the others. It just annoys the Twilight Sparkle in me (and those of you who have read my dissertation on how I organize these reviews know that’s a big piece). So for your benefit and mine (mostly mine), I’ll note that this is set after The Princess’s Choice but before The Queen’s Secret Crush.
Anyway, the story focuses on a Rarity who is still very much the primadonna princess of… uh… whatever their kingdom is called. Her ego and self-interest are only rivalled by her generosity and adoration of Twilight Sparkle, and the result is a very fun mare to watch:
Princess Rarity, ever the generous mare, wanted to be the sole center of Twilight’s attention that day.
Rarity had half a mind to point out that being petty and throwing temper tantrums was quite unbecoming for somepony who wasn’t her.
There’s a ton more like this, but I don’t want to spoil all the fun. And for those of you who lack a sense of humor and who are scowling right now, know that Rarity is still distinctly a good and kind individual. She’s just had a little too much pampering from her royal parents for her own good, and it’s absolutely gone to her head.
Yet it’s not all Rarity being Rarity. Along the way we learn of other things, such as Applejack being Fluttershy’s personal bodyguard (one must wonder if that arrangement is like Twilight’s and Rarity’s, though there’s no evidence of such within the story). More importantly, Rarity gets the chance to mingle with the ‘commoners’ and has her expectations and worldview blown up by the experience. I’ve little doubt that this will have an impact on her future rule, of which we’ve yet to see any meaningful aspect. In fact, that may be the most interesting part of the story outside the main plot, despite its brevity.
The only hesitation is that I don’t know if I’d call this a romance. Yes, the core of the story is Rarity trying to get to Twilight’s birthday party so the frustrating mare can get an inkling of how important she is to the princess, but the vast majority of what we read is the ‘adventure’ of getting there. So the romance is really just a catalyst for everything else. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong here. I’d say it works out perfectly. I’m just saying you shouldn’t go in expecting this to be about Twilight and Rarity sucking face.
I loved this. Rarity’s neverending marshmelodrama and ego plays wonderfully against the ‘reasonable demands’ of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, to say nothing for her consistent back-and-forth with Twilight (even when said bodyguard isn’t present). The story is ceaselessly entertaining and everything I’d hope to see in a Monochromatic short. This is hands down my favorite of this series so far.
Bookshelf: Pretty Good!
Previous stories reviewed for this author:
The Enchanted Library — WHYRTY?
The Princess's Choice — Worth It
The Queen's Secret Crush — Worth It
Stories for Next Week:
Sirens Deserve Saving Too by aidyr
The First Step by Slateblu1
Lost Composure by MareDoVVell
Rain by Realm Jumper
Pinkie's Pies by Marine Delight
I... I lost? by Mocha Star
Time by Seer
The Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Legend of the Rainbow Idol by Cyanide
Ponies and Throwing Knives by HoofBitingActionOverload
Broken Symmetry by Trick Question
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It's just "The Foundation". "Secure, Contain, Protect" is their mission/slogan. Referring to the objects by their entry number instead of the name given on the file is a bit weird- there it stands for "Secure Containment Protocol".
I read Lets's Find You A Date quite a while ago, if my shelves are any judge. It was quite enjoyable, as I recall, so it's good to see it get some more coverage.
I can't remember if I read "Let's Find You a Date." I helped out with enough of slp's stories that I tended to lose track of which ones.
I loved the first chapter of Mr. Kite, as I read it to pre-read for Corejo. Regrettably, I didn't keep up with it. It sure sounds like a story right up my alley, and I did find the one chapter I read to be high quality.
Dammit, now I need to read that SCP crossover just to see if the author did it well. :| Y'know, insider's perspective and all.
Also, I could've sworn I'd read Rarity's Rodeo already but I guess not? c.c Maybe I'm thinking of a different story with the same title...
Ooh, thanks for the reminder to read Kite!
.
The Price of a Smile is indeed excellent
If you liked "Today I will be a Princess" then I think you will also like "Tonight I shall be Laughter" by the same author. It takes place in the same continuity and as I recall it was a lot of fun and it includes that character that should be mayor along with Luna.
Oh hey, you did a thing. Yeah, this was... looks at publish date. Flippin' six years ago, holy hell—back when I was still pretty bad at action sequences. I don't currently have the heart to go back and reread it myself cause that would just make me want to rewrite stuff, but I'm not surprised that the final fight was confusing.
Still, glad you enjoyed it!
I sensed my name and now here I am.
Interesting to see Love Knows No Bounds. If I recall correctly, it was one of Autumn Breeze's first stories to be published, and If Only in My Dreams was a big influence on getting them to start writing. While it's considered an "unofficial" sequel, it still got written, which is more than can be said for my "official" sequel. I'm glad Rose inspired others to write about her in any capacity.