After 11 days of discussion in a private channel in my Discord server, RDT, Casketbase77, and I (Bicyclette dropped out) have decided upon the Reunions winners! But first, here are a few honourable mentions.

My choice: Come So Far

The first entry set the bar so high. I’ve never seen a fic that focuses on the Pie parents before, so I always assumed that they merely tolerated Pinkie. I was pleasantly surprised by this interpretation of Igneous who loves her for who she is. It’s also a unique take on the “someone else becomes an alicorn” roleswap — as far as we know, Pinkie is still the Element of Laughter in this universe. Finally, without spoiling too much, “reunions” has a double meaning here...

Casketbase77's choice: Seconds to Spare

Calling Seconds To Spare a “retelling of the pilot episode” is like calling the Efifel Tower a “lump of iron ore.” The ingredients in this story have been picked apart, shuffled around, and recast in such intricate interlocking ways, the result is its own beast. To list every swapped role would be a disservice to the reading experience; the fun of this fic is mapping out a mental corkboard of who’s who as the story goes on. Still, notable non-spoilery showings include Celestia as a petrified but psychically chatty statue in the Canterlot sculpture gardens and a young gender-flopped Discord as Princess Luna’s gracious faithful student.

There are so many layers of intrigue to this fic, such as the initially unchanged cast of Mane 5 whose choices and slowly revealed backstories differ enough from canon to affect the climactic showdown. Add in a strong unifying motif of time and acceptance of change, and this is a terrifically crafted fic. It is only an honorable mention due to the other judges outvoting me; simply speaking from personal taste, this story gets the highest recommendation I can possibly give.

“All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day and put the pieces back together my waaaaaaaay…”

RDT's choice: The Greatest Showmare

EThe Greatest Showmare

• MLP: FiM
• Slice of Life

A travelling magician returns to Ponyville to meet an old friend.

• Twilight
• Spike
• Trixie
• Flim and Flam

Koekelbag · 8.8k words  ·  35  0 · 642 views

Quality 4 / 5

Grammar is fine.

I like the way you do slow reveals. You always had me hooked on what the next little detail was going to be, such as showing several of the Troupe’s members. 

Twilight’s touring route is something that I didn’t figure out, even though I feel like there should be enough information in the story.

You had just the right amount of emotion for this type of story. Not too sappy, not too bland.

I’m fairly sure most readers wanted to see Twilight and Trixie actually finish the spell, but I see that you were under some time constraints. It didn’t bother me too much, but it’s still a little unfortunate. 

Roleswap originality/utilization 4 / 5 

Love the way you wrote Twilight specifically. She’s a perfect amount of different from the canonical one: she’s a unique and interesting character, but still recognizable enough to be herself. The Troupe is also an inspired piece of writing.

Trixie is interesting, too. Her problems with friendship are obviously different from canon Twilight’s, and her personality is also just a little different from canon Trixie. But you didn’t change her experiences as much as you had changed Twilight’s. Trixie still went through the exact same major trials that Twilight had, even if she did solve them in different ways.

The only big problem is that a Twilight/Trixie swap is not original at all.

Prompt utilization 2 / 3

Trixie and Twilight have a lot of history in this AU, and you handled that odd tension between a meeting of old friends very well. Both ponies had changed since they last met in person three years ago, and the way that Trixie questions Twilight about Flim and Flam is fitting for the story. Them reminiscing about Rainbow’s Rainboom is a nice nod to canon and a great moment of character development. And finally, Twilight’s nervous breakdown and Trixie’s awkwardness/shame is a powerful conclusion to the story.

And now, it's time for...

Originally, we were all going to use a scoring system, but in the end, only RDT did.

#3: Between Sky and Stars

EBetween Sky and Stars

• MLP: FiM
• Drama

1000 years ago, Princess Twilight Sparkle banished Princess Rainbow Dash to the heavens. Now, free of the darkness that corrupted her, she enlists the aid of Celestia and Luna, the mares that saved her, to help free her sister from her starry prison.

• Alt. Universe
• Twilight
• Rainbow Dash
• Celestia
• Luna

Shilic · 10k words  ·  61  4 · 1.3k views

While this has a slow start, it dramatically picks up the pace once Rainbow Dash is introduced. It's there that parallels develop between each pair of swapped characters — Luna teaches Twilight to stop wallowing in regret, while Celestia teaches Rainbow Dash the value of public morale, themes that are relevant to all of their canon characterisations. I also liked some of the worldbuilding details, such as the sky hanging in perpetual twilight and Equestria being ruled by a council in the princesses' absence. It only loses marks for originality because it features four of the most popular characters.

Sometimes a predictable plot is elevated by the characters involved, and Between Sky And Stars elevates itself high enough to match its namesake. Celestia and Luna are introduced as a young but vivacious pair of prodigies; a pegasus whose weather magic can move the very sun and a unicorn whose spellcasting carries the delicate touch of moonlight. Then, as the reader wonders what Twilight and Rainbow Dash are up to in their swapped roles as the Princesses, the fic provides an answer: Twilight has been cured of her equivalent of this AU’s Nightmare Moon affliction, and she needs our protagonists’ help reconciling with Dash.

The second half of this story hinges on character rapport and intrue from the swapped roles of each pair of characters as they bond. Dash and Celestia speak the same language of sportiness while Twilight and Luna need one another’s more touchy-feely phlegmatic support. The worldbuilding done through the convos is deceptively divergent from canon (this fic benefits a lot from a second read-through), but at the same time this is not a story that bogs itself down with heavy lore and plot twists. It’s a four-way coming of age story for all ponies involved, and that incredibly solid core is what makes this fic so strong. Especially after Rainbow Dash is introduced.

Quality 3 / 5

The style did not impact readability, and neither did the few typos. (Complement/compliment is one of those typos. There’s a few more, but I wasn’t able to keep track of them all.)

The gist of the plot is quite basic—a scene of prologue, a scene introducing the main conflict, a scene building up to the climax, two scenes explicitly setting up the next obstacle (one for Luna, one for Celestia), two more scenes resolving those obstacles (again, one each each), and then finally the denoument/falling action. While this sort of structure is logical and makes for a decent story, adding some variety would make it less predictable and more engaging.

That said, each character has realistic motivations and not much feels contrived. You may have overemphasized the parallels between the Celestia/Luna and Rainbow/Twilight relationships though. Having it in the story added depth to it, but we likely didn’t need to have two distinct reminders (one for each pony) that yes, they will be apologizing to each other later.

Roleswap originality/utilization 5 / 5 

The full swap of past/present characters is very interesting, and the worldbuilding is great. While there are probably stories out there with a similar premise, I’ve never heard of one where Rainbow specifically takes on the role of Princess. The depth of the swaps is also interesting, with Spike roleswapping into Celestia’s position as well as a bunch of other stuff. Original and well-utilized.

That said, putting a Princess into the role of another Princess is not particularly innovative.

The conversations explaining their world did not feel too much like exposition. Not much to say here.

Maybe you lingered a little too long on Celestia and Luna considering each other as sisters, but it was a very nice touch.

Prompt utilization 2 / 3

Reunion: Definitely. Perhaps you did not focus so much on the complex emotions that years of resentment and a very long separation would cause, but still a decent attempt at tackling the theme of reunions.

#2: Remains

TRemains

• MLP: FiM
• MLP: Movie
• Drama
• Sad

Silverstream sees the remains of her home.

• Alt. Universe
• Somnambula
• Ocellus
• Silverstream

Unity Bringer · 2.8k words  ·  37  0 · 732 views

The whole reason I ran the previous contest was because I realised that I might’ve written the first roleswap involving a student, so it’s good to see another one, and I’m also glad that someone else reads the brainstorming thread.

Remains is short but sweet. Silverstream being royalty was merely a footnote in canon, so it’s nice to see it explored here. Unity Bringer nailed her characterisation; her enthusiasm masks deep sorrows, and this is reflected by the story’s melancholic-but-hopeful tone. I also love the idea of memory pearls. The hippogriffs are my favourite MLP race, so I always appreciate worldbuilding about them in fanfics.

No average premise can believably cast Silverstream in a quiet, reflective state of mind. Remains, however, is far above average. Silverstream is a Pillar Of Equestria in this continuity, released after centuries in Limbo to a homeland that is now an abandoned ruin.

While Ocellus and a young friendship student named Somnambula are also players in this fic, The most prominent supporting character is the ghost town of Seaquestria itself. It’s exploration builds on expository dialogue between the characters, slowly revealing the diverging history of this AU from the canon one. The second half of the story sees Silverstream excused from her friends to the old throne room. There, contemplating her people’s history, she tries to comprehend just how much was lost while she was away. And how much might not be as lost as the others expected.

Remains is a very tender and restrained interpretation of the “Reunions” prompt and well worth the short time it takes to read. Though denouement at the end of an unseen story and the promise start of another, it nevertheless feels like its own fully realized fic.

Quality 4 / 5

Errors are inevitable, like the “tso” at the end of the story which should be a two. But there are very few errors in general.

I like the buildup for Silverstream’s anxiety. You tease us with a couple hints, and then build up to the final cause. It’s well-executed. 

Sommnabula and Ocellus didn’t play as much of a role as they maybe could have. This entire story would still work if it was just Silverstream visiting Mount Aris by herself. On the other hand, I don’t know how the story could develop those two characters further while still staying focused on the main plot point.

Roleswap originality/utilization 4 / 5 

The switching of old/new elements is a nice touch. The choice to leave the current reigning Princess unnamed is also interesting, and I think it works well to leave some mystery in this world you’ve created. The existence of a somewhat uninterrupted line of Bearers is already a crazy development. 

Prompt utilization 3 / 3

The scene break for Skystar’s section was appropriate. The entire story was about Silverstream reuniting with the present, trying to establish her place in this world and to discover the past. A unique take on the prompt, landing it three out of three.

#1: Forever Fell Short

EForever Fell Short

• MLP: FiM
• Slice of Life

You never know how much you need something until you lose it. You never know how much you love it, until you get it back.

• Alt. Universe
• Derpy
• Lightning Dust

The Red Parade · 8.5k words  ·  49  7 · 448 views

I allowed continuations of existing roleswap fics this time to encourage last year's authors to enter again. While nobody wrote a direct sequel, one author returned: TheRedParade, whose Secrets entry I found… underwhelming. Forever Fell Short is a standalone story, but it builds upon Passing Storms Passing's focus on pegasi and begins with a passing reference to it. As you may have guessed from the ranking, it's also a vast improvement. 

Its roleswap is certainly one of the most unique. Derpy and Lightning Dust have barely anything in common yet the author makes it work by contrasting their outlooks on life. Derpy is the leader not of the pessimistic Washouts, but the optimistic Rebounds, while Lightning Dust feels superficially safe but deeply dissatisfied as a mailmare.

I've come to think of Red as "the pegasus person", and the descriptions of flight are nothing short of breathtaking. You can feel Lightning Dust struggling both physically and mentally against the forces of gravity and fear. Scenes like this come up again and again, gradually teasing us with Lightning's past, but not giving us the full story until the culmination of her arc.

The best fic is the one where every piece just fits. Forever Fell Short places the accident prone role of Derpy on the normally prideful Lightning Dust, to great effect. Or rather, great implied effect, because the story picks up sometime after a disastrous injury both the narration and Lightning herself are evasive about. The first few scenes stoke sympathy for a pegasus who is contemptible in canon but achingly traumatized and vulnerable in this continuity. And just when the mood gets too heavy for the reader to bear, release comes from this AU’s version of Derpy.

Scenes soar to life whenever Derpy’s encouraging presence is lighting up the page. Her version of the Washouts are appropriately identified as The Rebounds, and she’s gracious enough to not doggedly pursue Lightning Dust to join their ranks. Redemption is something that must be voluntary. Or necessitated by the circumstances of this fic’s climax, but perhaps that’s revealing too much.

This is a wonderfully intuitive roleswap with super solid showings from both recasted characters. The “reunions” prompt is also beautifully metaphorical with Lightning Dust reconnecting not with somepony she knows, but with her old, assured self. As an apropos redemption story, Forever Fell Short is one superlative showing for Lightning Dust and the winner of this year’s contest.

Quality 4 / 5

Few grammar mistakes, none which I remember.

Very good and believable character arc for Spitfire. Slightly predictable for me once we arrived at the hurricane event and Spitfire refused to fly, since we knew that she was probably going to be forced to save the day. Still not a bad story.

Roleswap originality/utilization 4 / 5 

Dust/Derpy certainly isn’t common.

Lightning Dust’s characterization is nice. It’s interesting to see how she still challenges others to be better, even when she isn’t willing to do so to herself until way later in the story. Her depression is typical for a post-failure Lightning, but it’s done well. I guess it’s that her current situation isn’t that different from canon Lightning Dust’s situation (something bad happens to keep her from flying, gets depressed), so the roleswap isn’t as interesting.

Most of what’s impressive about Ditzy is the way that the Rebounds are done. It’s similarities and differences with the Washouts are very interesting. There’s isn’t that same contrast of Ditzy’s personality with her canon one (since she pretty much lacks canon characterization), but she’s a complex character in her own right, being a mother of two, de facto therapist, and still a cheerful and slightly clumsy pegasus. 

Prompt utilization 2 / 3

Lightning reunites with who she used to be. A creative interpretation of the prompt. The way she triumphed over her old fears felt a little too… clean, though. Even if the narrative does imply that it’s not a one-and-done deal (Lightning still feels apprehensive at the cliff’s edge), the complications of being forced to essentially re-experience her trauma are not explored.

Thanks for entering, everyone! I'll PM each of the winners about your prize money, but at the time of typing it's getting late where I live, so don't expect an immediate transaction.

7531461
Wow!

Honored my entry placed so well! Thanks for hosting and congratulations to the other winners!

I am deeply deeply honored by Casketbase's review of my fic, thank you so so so much. Next time I'll be absolutely certain to get to know the community's personal distastes before I stumble upon them with such precision.

I'm so happy I got second place! Thank you guys so much!!

Congrats to everyone who placed and to Red Parade for winning! 🎉

Huh. Well, I can't say I expected to place when I decided to enter, but... I'm glad people seemed to enjoy my entry enough to warrant 3rd place. Honestly, I don't know if I could have handled placing any higher, It'd feel weird. (I called the two stories that placed above me being first and second, though I did get the order wrong, and they both totally deserved it.)

Also, glad to see that my entry was still full of typos. I swear, I had three separate people look over it and each of them caught about dozen mistakes, and yet there were still too many to track in the finished product... basic spelling and grammar are my greatest weakness, apparently.

7531461
Are you telling me that my hastily-written shortfic wasn't good enough to even warrant an honorable mention? That is completely understandable, have an excellent day.

Congratulations to everyone who placed in this contest and everyone else who participated as well! You are all awesome!

7531783 Don't feel bad! I found Ditzy Do(o) and the Temple of Tlaloc amusing.

Thanks for the kind words, I'm glad people enjoyed it.

Cheers to all the winners!

Congratulations everyone! Now my "to read" list will be bigger.

Oh. And I guess I should say sorry about my fic. It was really bad and I think I shouldn't have published it.