Sabot Élégant, a famous and mysterious food critic, visits a new up-and-coming restaurant in Ponyville. Disappointment ensues.

1st place winner for the New Blood Contest!

A mare named Blank State and a stallion named Colter go out on a jungle trip for multiple days. What will they find out about themselves? And how will this trip change both ponies involved?

This is an entry for the New Blood 2023 writing contest with the topic being "A Secret Life".

Would any judges of that contest be willing to comment on this story, what they liked and didn't liked?

Last minute entry for the New Blood Contest:
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/215333/beans-writing-group/thread/519255/the-new-blood-contest

Going for the bonus:
4 "The main character’s name and identity is never mentioned."

A unicorn harbours a secret dream to fly like a pegasus.
Story is complete in terms of the contest. Whether I take it further post-contest is not decided.

Fluttershy has been keeping a secret from everypony she knows. A problem she's tried dealing with on her own, but it's been getting harder. Hearing about a place for ponies with her... condition, she decides to visit to hopefully find somepony to help her before somepony gets hurt.

Of course, things never go as expected, and she finds a familiar creature under any other circumstances she would rather avoid...

This story was written for the New Blood Contest 2023, and I would love feedback from the judges.
I'm also fulfilling the bonus "Include a bug"

The changeling heart icon used in the cover image was found: https://derpibooru.org/images/2381676

Violent, ridiculous, uncouth.

All words usually used to describe the world pro-wrestlers submerge themselves in week after week. To the average outsider, it seems like a frivolous waste of time. But to all those drawn to the ring, it’s a high-stakes battle of strength in pursuit of glory.

Tonight’s main event sees promising young hopeful, Clean Finish, take on the twisted but talented Nature Mare. Follow the infamous Nature Mare as she defends her title as the Undisputed South-Equestrian Heavyweight Champion!

Written for the New Blood Writing Contest

This is an attempt at Bonus #4: "The main character’s name and identity is never mentioned."

Our main character is fed up with his current life inside of his hole and decides to venture out into the town of Ponyville.

The author wants you to know that this story is attempting to fulfill the "Include a bug" bonus and the "Main character's name and identity is never mentioned," bonus for the New Blood Contest. The author didn't say this part, but I want to say it... good luck to all the other participants creating wonderful stories for the contest!

The group for the New Blood Contest: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/215333/beans-writing-group

"This night was going to be perfect."
--Prince Blueblood
(misattributed)

==========

An entry for the New Blood Contest, featuring a bug in an unusual matchup.
Check out Bean's Writing Group, tell me if you find anything good: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/215333/ (checked)

It has been over one thousand years since the alicorns went extinct. Well, not truly extinct.

The centaur known as Tirek was led to Skyros by the Alicorn of Fire, and soon, Skyros fell, and with it, all of the alicorns within.

One alicorn who escaped hid himself from the world. He believed all of his fellow alicorns save for Opaline to be dead. Only now is he visited by a stranger who will prove him wrong. One who knows far more than she should.

TW: major character death

For the New Blood contest

“From the beginning, you know the end.”

“The main character’s name and identity are never mentioned.”

There’s a concept that is somewhat important to this story that I couldn’t find a good place to insert, so I’ll just explain the concept here:

Once every few generations, a special unicorn is born. These unicorns are called “Flares” for the tendency for their magic to flare up randomly as they grow up. While other unicorn foals can have magic flares (like Pumpkin Cake for example), a true flare is marked by magical power that flares up and stays up once they get their cutie mark.

During times leading up to great strife, the gaps between the births of flares would close. In fact, if threat was great enough, the gap between the births of unicorn flares could be as little as one year. If you were to measure the gaps between flare births, you could pretty accurately predict when the next threat is to occur (although Celestia, was really the only one paying attention and already knew about the return of Nightmare Moon)

Over the course of G4, we’ve become aware of not one, not two, but six unicorn flares: Twilight Sparkle, Starswirl the Bearded, Clover the Clever, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and Luster Dawn.

And there are equivalents for pegasi and earth ponies, but they are much rarer

Cherry Jubilee’s lived in Dodge Junction her whole life. She knows the ropes—she’s tied them twenty times over.

Somepony comes into the shop with pretty makeup running all down her face. It's no hard decision of what to do next.

Written for the New Blood Contest, where it tied for third place. Uses the bonus "an unusual matchup."

Review by Loganberry. Review by PaulAsaran.

I just wanted to earn a few bits for my parents, they're always so busy. They didn't want me to earn any money for them, and I might be in trouble now because of that.

This story is for the New Blood Contest. It technically qualifies for bonuses 1-4, however, the main two bonuses chosen are 1 "From the beginning, you know the end.." and 4 "The main character’s name and identity is never mentioned."