Welcome to 2019, everyone! Like with the past several new years, I'm hosting a look back at what I consider to be the best of the best. The ten fics that I think were truly the best cranked out by the padded pony community here on FiMFiction. It was hard to make this list because towards the end of 2018, a lot of really good stories cropped up that I considered at one point or another. Some of which are still ongoing as we speak. Still, bare in mind that this is only my opinion, and you're free to disagree (in fact, I hope you'll all be inspired to make your own top ten list).

As always there are some ground rules to lay out for this thread. They are pretty much the same as the past ones, but I'll still repeat them for all to know. They are as follows:
1. The fics you include must've been either published in 2018 or updated at least once during 2018. If a fic you started following or just discovered that you thought was really good, check to see if it was included on the Top Ten lists for 2017, 2016, or even 2015.
2. Only one entry per author is allowed, this way the list won't be dominated by writers who produced a lot of padded pony stories.
3. No linking to any of the fics is allowed, as some are rated Mature and per site policy it is forbidden for anyone to include links to material that may be NSFW (which Mature works often have).
4. Self promotion is allowed, but try as much as possible not to put a fic you wrote at number one. Give another author the spotlight. This also applies to collabs.
5. Give at least a brief explanation as to why you chose the fics you did. It can be anything you like about the fic, or the author who published it.
6. Honorable mentions are allowed, though try to restrict it to around three to five.

And with that out of the way, here are my picks for the Top Ten Padded Pony Fics of 2018

10. A Mother's Touch, By doomie-22: This is technically a resurrection and collab with the author of the original fic of the same name, Smity91 (who was sadly permanetly banned from this site in 2016), with Smity also publishing it on his Fanfiction.net account. But considering the original had so much potential, I'm glad to see it be resurrected and allowed to continue in this fashion. Sweetie Belle and Rarity are most definitely a popular dynamic to use for character conflict and tension in diaper and ageplay stories, and this one is no exception. Since it isn't a completely original fic though, I'm putting it at number ten (though I look forward to seeing it continue in 2019).
9. Dashie and The Padded Bolts, By freedome-blitz: This fic took a while to get going, it even had a rough first chapter. But if you can look past those early hiccups, it's a pretty promising story so far. It's one that slowly builds to the mental regression side of things, with a mystery as to who the mastermind is and why they might be doing it. But it has some cuteness to it as well, not to mention the Wonderbolts dealing with the issue in ways that feel very much in character for them.
8. Late Night Reading Binge, By scribe-feather: Apparently, the author took his own life back in the Summer of 2018 though there has been no clarification one way or the other. This fic was in fact one of the last ones he published prior to that, and the first to be published by him after a long hiatus. It may not have as much depth to it as some of the others, but it's a simple story that you can pick up and read that feels very much in character for Sunburst. It's a reminder of the talent we have unfortunately lost to suicide.
7. Sweetie's Little Accident, By The Killer Legacy: Although writer's block has currently left this fic stuck in the dreaded "On-Hiatus" doldrums, it has shown a great deal of understanding of its characters and for a time it was chugging along at a splendid pace. Watching Sweetie Belle transition from wearing diapers solely for bed wetting to getting more and more into the aspect of ageplay is quite adorable, and I'm looking forward to what happens once it comes back.
6. A Glimmer of the Past, By milesprower06: Yes, I know there was a sequel published this year that included Firelight. But since this fic updated once in 2018, it still qualifies. Picking up from the cliffhanger it was on at the end of 2017, things took quite an interesting turn that I did not see coming. It even managed to end on a pretty funny (yet probably embarrassing for Starlight) note. It's such a shame the sequel was surrounded by more downvotes that caused the author to more or less step back from diaper stories for the time being, because he seems to have a knack for them.
5. Dizzy's Special Pampering, by SuperPinkBrony12: I published a good deal of padded pony stories here this year, including two that were spruced up from their original Fanfiction.net appearances a year ago. But ultimately, what I had originally planned to be the first padded pony fic of the year for me, is the one I'm most proud of. Having already done an age regression fic involving Dizzy Twister, having one where she is an adult foal was a nice change of pace. And I'm particularly proud of how I wrote Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, showing ultimately that understanding is what most real life AB/DLs want out of those they entrust with their secret.
4. Spoiled Re-Training, by Foal Star: Foal Star once again showed his mastery of age regression fics, writing several solid ones this year that I'm proud to have been a part of. But this one is the one I consider the best of his 2018 works, for back in 2017 it had only one chapter. From there, 2018 allowed this fic to be fleshed out and show how a regressed Spoiled Rich would slowly use her punishment to rethink her outlook on life and make a friend. And Diamond Tiara and the CMC got their chance to shine as caretakers, with Diamond and Spoiled managing to reconnect as mother and daughter through the punishment.
3. Diamond's and Silver's Foal Session, by Zubric: Following up on the wonderful success of "A Diamond in Padding" from the year prior, Zubric treated us to this delightful sequel where Diamond Tiara brought Silver Spoon along for a second helping of her special spa treatment. And Silver Spoon got a chance to show how deep her friendship with Diamond Tiara runs by not only playing along, but also getting into the caretaker role.
2. Scootaloo's Nursery, by Matt11: Matt11 finally got around to finishing this fic in 2018, and it took some very incredible turns as a result. It delved much more heavily into the mentality behind wanted to be treated so young, despite your desire for independence as you get older. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both got a chance to bring their character arcs within the fic to a close, and even Quick Shot was able to overcome his initial concerns about Scootaloo's treatment when he discovered how cute his daughter was.
1. Something to Rave About, by Wandering Pigeon: Wandering Pigeon has stepped up to deliver some pretty solid fanfics for the padded pony community over the past couple of years, and this one is no exception. In fact it's a concept that went through multiple revisions to bring it to the level of masterpiece that it now is. Instead of a usual cliche or trope for Vinyl to get into diapers, it's a slowly developing but enjoyable story about Vinyl DJing at an underground diaper club, and unintentionally getting pulled into the atmosphere and culture of it by night's end. It's done so well that another writer has received permission to unofficially continue the story with their own sequel. And as they always say in writing: "Always leave them wanting more".

Honorable Mention 1 - The Sun Princess Before Bed, by JordanOlson: The premise for this fic is simple, Princess Celestia wears diapers to bed because she's been struggling in secret with bed wetting. And there is a little bit of ageplay elements thrown in towards the end with the pacifier. It's short and simple, and at one point I had planned to include it on the list proper. But by the end of 2018 I knew it was going to be on the honorable mentions.
Honorable Mention 2 - Diapered Day: Crystal Empire, by Curlysaf94: It has just the one chapter so far and does not seem likely to update again anytime soon (if ever), but the premise is something that sounds so promising I couldn't ignore it. Cadence is diapered by Shining Armor in order to alleviate the stress of ruling the Crystal Empire, and she spends the day playing with Flurry Heart. It's cute, and maybe if it had updated it would've been able to secure a spot.
Honorable Mention 3 - A Dreamful Mother's Day, by Zubric: A surprise Mother's Day present that actually lasted until around Father's Day. It's a cute little story about the mane six's mothers all being bestowed the gift (courtesy of Princess Luna) of seeing their children as foals once again and being allowed to baby them. There's even some clever writing utilized for Pear Butter since we know she is more or less dead in the show. And it ends on a promising sequel note for Luna. But I liked "Diamond's and Silver's Foal Session" more, so I put that one on the list proper and this one on the honorable mentions.
Honorable Mention 4 - Prince of the Potty, by SuperPinkBrony12: Not a lot of padded pony fics utilize things like potty training, and this is one that I'm quite proud of despite the fact that it for some reason garnered a huge amount of downvotes when it was first uploaded despite all the warnings. It's an interesting take on the "how do we teach our child about the potty?" dilemma that all parents inevitably face. But I'm partial to "Dizzy's Special Pampering" and consider that one stronger, which is why this fic is on the honorable mentions.
Honorable Mention 5 - One Little Slip, by FabulousDivaRarity: FabulousDivaRarity is the founder of "Non-Sexual Ageplay" which is a group I strongly urge you all to check out. He's had a few works already and shows signs of promise, but this one is the one that most struck my attention. It's focused on Thunderlane and it involves hypnosis, which is something that we also don't tend to see much of in padded pony works. The best part about it is, it's still ongoing and yet you still feel bad for Thunderlane despite the positive developments that arise as a result. If not for the fact that my list had already been made and the fact that it can seem a bit rushed in spots, this fic might have earned a spot on the list proper.

And there you have it, folks. I look forward to seeing what all of you thought were the best padded pony fics of 2018, what ones truly stood out the most in your eyes. Just remember to be civil about it.