Just because the show's over doesn't mean the fandom has to die. There's still plenty of opportunities and stories to explore with the ponies (and even other creatures) involving diapers. Just like with the past couple of years, I'm kicking off the new year with a look back at what I define as the best of the best for the padded pony community in 2019, the ten fics that I think truly stood out (some even still being ongoing now). As always though, this is purely the result of my personal opinion so please respect it. And feel free to mention any padded stories from the past year you think deserve a shout-out.

Like all previous versions of this list there are ground rules to establish, mostly the same as before, but as always I shall repeat for the sake of clarity (and so those just joining know the rules). And they are as follows:
1. The fic must've been published or updated at least once within 2019. For those that updated, check to see if they were included in any previous top ten lists (such as for 2018 or 2017).
2. Only one entry per author is allowed. Self explanatory, we don't want the list being dominated by one or two writers, we want even lesser known authors to have a chance to stand out.
3. As these groups are technically SFW no linking to any of the fics may be allowed regardless of rating, this is because some will inevitably be rated Mature and sight rules forbid direct linking to any NSFW content (which a Mature rating usually comes with, I don't like it anymore than you do but the rules are the rules and I don't want to get anyone into trouble).
4. Self promotion is allowed, like always, but as much as possible avoid putting a story you wrote yourself at number one. Try to give another author top billing, even if you think you wrote something really good.
5. Give a brief explanation about why you chose the fics you did and anything you like about them. Think of it as a way to potentially lure other readers to them.
6. Honorable mentions are allowed, but like with previous versions I ask that you restrict them to three to five at the most. We don't want these lists getting too cluttered.

And now that we have that out of the way, here are my picks for the Top Ten Padded Pony Fics of 2019. Enjoy!:

10. Closer To The Heart, By Clandestine Wing: It seems to be a sort of anthology involving various issues related to padded content. The first chapter, which matches the cover art, involves Princess Cadence being exposed and the struggles that ensue in a relationship where one confides to their partner/spouse/significant other about their interest in diapers. The second chapter with Flurry Heart involves issues of incontinence and acceptance of the disability beyond simple tolerance, and while it's nice it feels only loosely connected to Cadence's issue and thus leaves it lower than I would've put it had we only the Cadence chapter to judge it on.
9. Softer Than Rocks, By SteamingBullet: I might be mistaken but I think this is the first time we have ever had a Maud Pie focused padded pony fic on this sight. A little odd considering how popular Maud is and how there is plenty of diaper art of her to go around, but I suppose she's one of those ponies that was just never really thought of as one to use. This fic has only one chapter so far but it already shows a lot of promise, utilizing Maud and Pinkie Pie in a way that feels very in character for the both of them. The only thing that holds it back is that it's unclear if this is taking place before "The Maud Couple" and the introduction of Maud Briar. If it ever gets updated the answer might be revealed.
8. An Evening to Herself, by Flat Pancake: Rainbow Dash has been the subject of many padded pony works since at least the infamous "Pattycakes" and its sequel back in 2012. But most of them, if they do have her as the baby, have usually had it so that she's being babied by somepony else. Here though, Rainbow is partaking in it in private, depicting her as what could be described as a closest AB/DL (one who participates and indulges in it in private). It's a simple little story that's fine if you're looking for some simple, padded fluff.
7. Adventurer to Mother, by Zubric: Yes, yes, the concept was tackled once before by Night Mist, but that story has basically been left on indefinite hold. This story takes the concept and fleshes it out more, though it takes place in an AU prior to the end of Season 4. Daring Do takes to the new role she's given quite well, and the OCs of Icy Wind and Frozen are nice additions to the cast. Admittedly, the story sort of drifts about, but it does offer a couple different endings (including a bonus ending).
6. The Cake Twins and a Baby Pie, by Foal Star: Foal Star by now has made a name for himself with his age regression AU, and it's remarkable what he's able to do with it. Opting to change things up a little, he ages up the Cake Twins here while de-aging Pinkie Pie and eventually spreading the curse to other characters. Is it chaotic? Yes. But there's a good mix of heart in there that makes it enjoyable. It truly feels like a culmination of almost everything in the AU that came before it, though the fact that it started in 2018 does sort of hold it back (it most definitely came into its own in 2019).
5. The Dragon's Secret, by FabulousDivaRarity: How about some love for the underutilized Student/Young Six (whatever you wanna call them?). This story utilizes a pairing I don't think anyone would've expected: Smolder as the baby and Silverstream as the mommy. Even if we never really saw it in the show, the fact that Silverstream is actually an older sibling means that she probably does have some natural instincts for taking care of others. And her caring for Smolder and being part of her secret love is so sweet, allowing Smolder to show off a rare, vulnerable side to herself. It has quite a few sequels that expand on the bond forged here, but none quite surpass the original.
4. Pinkie Pie's Crinkle Chronicles, by SuperPinkBrony12: Yes, I know it's going to inevitably be compared to "Pinkie Dinky Pie" by The Conflicted Writer, but it was never my intent to copy that story. I really wanted to explore some angles that I don't think got a lot of notice in other Pinkie Pie padded stories, most noticeably things like her relationship with the Cakes (they already see her as family), her friends, and even her parents. The idea to include Igneous and Cloudy was a stroke of inspiration lifted from another padded pony work or two, but I felt they really deserved to be included given how odd they would surely find the world of AB/DL even from Pinkie Pie of all ponies. It is also a semi-prequel to "Rarity's New Fragrance" by The Killer Legacy, but only because of prior collaborative experience with said writer.
3. Diamond Tiara's Padded Secret, by Matt11: While Diamond Tiara may have been forgotten by the show and tossed aside without fanfare by Hasbro, fics like this show that there's so much more to her character that's ripe for exploration. It's funny to think how Randolph was just a one-off character in one episode, yet he's gotten so much attention from so many writers, to the point where he becomes basically a father figure to Diamond Tiara when her secret love of being a foal is exposed. When Matt11 finds the time and inspiration, he can be a great writer, and fics like this are a testament to that.
2. The Baby Bet, by Naptime: Although he (or she) did release a promising TwilightxShining Armor padded pony fic about a month back, I feel like this little one-shot released almost at the start of the year is the better work. It's a rather unique take on the cliche "Lose a bet=wear a diaper" with it being that Smolder lost on purpose so she could experience diapers for herself. It's simple and to the point, but there's something to be said for that simplicity.
1. A Couple of Secrets, by Nido King: Acceptance, understanding and trust are key parts to a healthy relationship of any kind. Everyone has secrets, some more shameful or personal than others. And a fic like this shows just how important it is for couples (especially romantic ones) to find ways to work around or with said secrets. Seeing Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle overcome their fears and confess to each other, as well as finding a way to help them both indulge is so sweet. It feels not unlike something you could've potentially seen in the show, to an extent anyways. Big Macintosh hasn't really been in the caretaker role prior to this fic, and Sugar Belle was a newcomer to the padded pony scene, and both shone well in spite of that. The official sequel that involves Cheerilee has looked promising, but updates have been few and far between and I hope it will start to pick up in the new year. Because this fic really knew how to keep me engaged and set some wonderful things into motion.

Honorable Mention 1 - Relaxing, by Nido King: Just a quiet little one shot of Cheerilee de-stressing after a hard day of work by dressing up as a foal. As I said in my comment/review of this fic when it was published, not every padded pony fic needs a big discovery. And Big Macintosh is the perfect character to take in everything he sees here and respectfully remain silent, while offering Cheerilee the chance to talk to him about it if she wants to. It's fine for what it is, but Nido King has a better padded pony fic to his name in my opinion.
Honorable Mention 2 - Mama's Boy, by FabulousDivaRarity: Next to Pinkie Pie, Shining Armor might just be the biggest kid in the entire show. That naturally makes him ripe for padded pony stories, but I think FabulousDivaRarity has brought out something in the character for these kind of stories that hasn't really been explored before. She really wanted to go all out and focus on the connection between Shining Armor and Twilight Velvet, one that she's written many stories about. However, that comes into a play a ways into the fic, and the stuff before that feels kind of like a separate story blended into the main one (Shining discovering his love of AB/Dl and indulging in it privately for the first time).
Honorable Mention 3 - The Worst, by Wandering Pigeon: Wandering Pigeon's works haven't really attracted my attention as much this past year, not that I think he's been bad. On the contrary he seems to be doing quite well for himself. And a story like this proves that he isn't running out of creative ideas. So far the focus is primarily on the Dazzlings after the events of "Rainbow Rocks" as they must deal with incontinence due to the loss of their gems, and the various attempts to try and salvage their dignity in spite of that. Updates have been sparadic as the fic itself is more of a side project, but it's gotten me intrigued and wanting to see more.
Honorable Mention 4 - Potty Training Tales, by SuperPinkBrony12: Yeah, yeah, a bit of a shameless plug on my part considering the collab has been a sort of on again/off again kind of thing and has never really taken off the way either I or Latecomer would've preferred. Still, I think the collab has been enjoyable and successful in spite of the slowed pace of new entries. I know potty training isn't a concept for everyone, but this collab has showed that there are plenty of ways to work with or around it. And that the only limit is your imagination and/or personal headcanon.
Honorable Mention 5 - Ice cream fixes all friendships, by DiaperedPony: It's kind of odd that this fic got rated Teen and had to have a Fetish tag, because there seems to be nothing truly objectionable about it. It's a decent little story about a young Celestia getting jealous of her baby sister, Luna and all the attention she gets. But there really isn't much to it, and the titular ice cream only comes into play towards the end of the fic. Still, it's fine for what it is.

And there you have it, folks. Once again, I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think of this list and what padded stories you think deserve a shout-out.

This was a great list as, unfortunately, I tend to forget a lot of the names of the stories I read throughout the year. It was nice to be brought back to some of the extra-good ones this past year has provided.

I'm looking forward to bringing another addition to 'Potty Training Tales'. I was going to work on it this week but Diapered Pony made a picture for me, described it, and I just had to write a story about it as a show of appreciation. (I'll be sharing it here after I finish my Gabby prompt)

Fabulous Diva Rarity is an amazing writer for tales of love and caring. I've commissioned her for a few works and she has melted my heart when I was having severe writer's block due to work stress and that lousy time when I had my right eye removed.

Wandering Pigeon seems to be a bit busy IRL but I do like the story he started about Shining Armor finding an old tower in The Crystal Empire. It has a very Legend Of Zelda dungeon feel to it and will be great to see if it can continue.

Here's to another year of crinkly-cuddly fun!

7100946
Bringing this over from the other group:

10. Routine by Nido_King
You know what's cute? Marble Pie in diapers. It baffles me how little of that kind of content is out there, despite her popularity and the obsession our niche has with adorable ponies wearing diapers. But at least we aren't totally starved for Marble content. Nido_King's Routine hit all the right notes for me as a simple one-shot of the shyest shy pony. Maybe if it had more beyond just surface level aspects (or heck, even if it was just longer) it'd climb higher on the list, but I'll never turn up my nose at fluff for fluff's sake.

9. Twilight's Hearthwarming Dolls by Foal Star
One thing I appreciate about Foal Star is his ability to take a nuts idea and just run with it. I can't even bring myself to chase after every idea I have, but it feels like with Star is inspired he's able to whip something out right away. Twilight's Hearthwarming Dolls was partially inspired by my own Lulu Dolls, but the two fics go in vastly different directions. And THD is all the better for it. So far, we're only two chapters in but the plethora of fun ideas already touched on was enough to catapult this late entry into my top ten of the year.

8. Softer than Rocks by Steaming Bullet
Dunno if there's much I can add here that you didn't already cover, SuperPinkBrony. But can I just say that Maud and Pinkie's interactions here were absolutely precious? I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for more from this story just because I want more of these two together.

7. An Evening to Herself by Flat Pancake
The imagery of Dash in a diaper and an oversized sweater is too cute on its own for me to ignore. But obviously the fic itself wouldn't make it to this high on the list without being so well written on it's own. And for a first time writer to boot. Like Steaming Bullet above, Flat Pancake is among the freshman class of authors for our niche this past year. And with a start this strong, my hope is they stick around for some time to come.

6. Deja Vu with Royalty by Naptime
On the whole, Deja Vu is a pretty simple and short story. But the real kick to this fic is which simple story it is. Starting out with some exhibitionism gone horribly wrong, it's up to the reader to choose how Celestia responds to her situation and how dark/cute/funny the end result becomes. And with so many options, you're bound to get something you like out of it. Or, if you're like me, a lot of things you like about it.

5. FOAL 9000 by Wandering Pigeon
Hey look, it's that shameless self-promotion plug that I do every year! And I'm only partially kidding. If anything could be said to be my magnum opus, then I think this story qualifies. A concept I'd been dying to put pen to paper on for years finally coming together, and I made sure to take every opportunity I could with it. So much is packed into this fic that it's practically the length of a novella, but its well worth the journey for those interested in the naughty side of this niche. I honestly doubt I'll ever make something quite like it again, so I hope you all enjoyed it! I certainly did.

4. A Padded Bet by Odlaw
Fetish-y content can be difficult to write, especially for the characters of MLPFiM. I don't know if A Padded Bet quite gets there from a believe-ability standpoint, and that may be what kept it from the top three this year. But with enough suspension of disbelief, you get a thoroughly entertaining and naughty story in the end. Rainbow, Rarity, and AJ maybe be getting a touch overused these days, but this is a fun spin on the idea that has Dash calling the shots for once. Novel enough to propel this fic all the way through some delicious humiliation and a "funtime" for all three by the end.

3. Caught in the Cookie Jar by OmutsuKitsune
Luna crosses the line and Celestia gets a padded revenge. This fic definitely combines three fetishes into one, and while I'm not particularly engaged by weight gain myself, it's a testament to Omutsu's writing that I enjoyed this one nonetheless. Celestia enacting her revenge on Luna for the unforgivable crime of cookie thieving makes for a fun set up, and the way the fic goes about introducing each fetish as it progesses definitely works. Plus it's as well written as any of Omutsu's other work, which I admit gave me a hard time deciding which ended up on the list this year.

2. Diaper Dash by lunarrush
So many clever ideas, creative scenarios, and out and out fun got packed into my number two entry. Lunarrush is a veteran diaper writer who recently crossed over with MLP for this fic, and my goodness did it work out wonderfully. Discord is used to his fullest extent in this fic, not merely forcing characters into diapers like the previously mentioned THD or my own Rocking Royals, but forcing scenarios on them that lead to so many wonderful moments of padding. Dash maintains strong characterization through each trial she faces, even as she gets more and more sucked into Discord's trap. And that ending was a wonderful little pay off as well. Really hoping Lunarrush does another MLP fic one of these days.

1. The Wonderbolt's Conspiracy by Arbanis
Arbanis released a whopping 16 fics this year, almost all of them in the 5 digits for word count. How is this possible? Beats me. But oh my Celestia was it an amazing time to be a fan. The Wonderbolt's Conspiracy is easily my favorite of the bunch (no small feat mind you) and among my favorite padded fics in general. So much is going on, and so much ground is covered. The blending of padding and hypnosis is damn near perfect if you ask me. It definitely won't be for everyone; like most of Arbanis' fics this one has it's own sense of logic that you're either into or not. He even refers to this one as ridiculously contrived in the story's description. But contrivance hardly matters when I have so much fun reading it. Definitely check it out if you haven't already.

Honorable Mentions

Study of Sodium Polyacrylate by Foal Star
Finishing up what he started last year, Foal Star concluded this fic wonderfully and adorably. Would have easily been on the list if Twilight's Hearthwarming Dolls hadn't popped in to take its spot.

Dream Cycle Series by Arbanis
Every one of these is an absolute delight. If not for Wonderbolt's Conspiracy, I'd have a hard time picking which one of these would've made the list instead. Do yourself a favor and check them all out!

The Mysterious Diaper Bag by Zubric
I was torn about not squeezing this into the top ten. Consider it an unofficial number 11 if you will. It's just a delight to see a magical phenomenon mess around with a wide variety of characters, and the newest chapter released is by far my fave. If there's one thing holding it back I suppose it's that there's not a lot of focus in individual chapters. We spend some time bouncing from perspective to perspective as characters engage in their own individual stories. While I'm sure a payoff is waiting in the wings, since we didn't get that yet it ultimately hurt this one a bit when I was making my list. Still absolutely worth a read and I'm hungry for more in 2020.

These will be in no particular order, just so you know.

A Couple of Secrets by Me: I'm just going to get the self-indulgence out of the way from the start, and say that this has been one of my personal favorite stories to write this year. It was so much fun writing Sugar Belle and Big Mac's relationship the way I did, and I'm glad other people seem to have enjoyed it as well.

Poofer Ponies by Arbanis: Picking just one story from Arbanis was a real challenge, let me just say. In the end, however, my vote goes to Poofer Ponies for just how utterly silly it is. What do you get when you mix the main 6, an enchanted Power Ponies comic, plush suits, hypnosis, and diapers? You get a fun read, that's what!

The Mysterious Diaper Bag By Zubric: For once, Discord doesn't seem to be the one to blame when a magical diaper bag starts popping up around the Mane Six, leading to a lot of foalish and padded shenanigans along the way.

Softer Than The Rocks by SteamingBullet: I'm kinda amazed that we haven't gotten any padded Maud stories until now, since she seems to me like the kinda pony who would be interested in something like diapers in her spare time. Thankfully, SteamingBullet has seen fit to fill that gap for padded Maud content, and I really hope for more updates in the future.

An Evening to Herself by FlatPancake: From what I can tell, Rainbow Dash seems to be the most common pony to appear in a padded pony fic (whether willingly or otherwise), but that still doesn't change how enjoyable this fic is to read. Just seeing Dash have some foal time to herself is adorable, which is why it's here on my list.

Almost Bedtime by Naptime: It's shamelessly kinky CadanceXShining Armor smut. What more needs to be said?

The Silly Symphony by OmutsuKitsune: Celestia decides to invite Discord to watch an orchestra. As you can imagine, Discord can't help himself but add a little chaotic fun to the dull evening, not that Celestia really seems to mind all that much...

The Dragon's Secret by FabulousDivaRarity: Out of all of the Young Six, Smoulder strikes me as the one who would be most interested in diapers, given her shown passion for liking girly things and tea parties, among other "undragonlike" hobbies. Seeing her be babied by Silverstream, who could already be kinda considered the "mother" of the group, is a recipe for pure sweetness and adorableness.

The Tower by Wandering Pigeon: I know I said that none of these are ranked at the start, but if I was ranking them, this one would be number one. I love seeing sissy content mixed in with diapers, and Shining always seems like the prime victim pony to have this inflicted on him when he finds himself locked in a mysterious tower that is slowly turning him into one big, pink, diaper butt with each passing floor. Considering this tower was apparently built by Sombra, all I got say is that Sombra was one kinky fellow...