firstly, ugh, so sorry for blowing past the results deadline! when i set it, it was contingent on me having a normal set of weeks, and that has not been true recently. i’ll try to be better next time. and thank you so much to my co-judge daOtterGuy for both the work of co-judging and actually being the one of us to make the deadline!

as for the stories, oof, you really didn’t make it easy! i know i say often that it’s so difficult to do these rankings because it always results in leaving out so many great stories, but it’s somehow even more true for this one. of the six entries, not one of them failed in bringing something great to the table, and i do beg you all to read them.

and it pains me to even have to choose two to declare the winners. i wish we could pick three, or four, or five, or all six! but three winners means three people feel like they got no higher than fourth, et cetera, when in reality this was a tough choice. i really did love all of them!

so here are the prizes:

• First Place: $50
• Second Place: $30

and here is a blurb for each entry in reverse order of submitting, followed by the winners:

though we don’t see much of human Flash Sentry in canon, we do get a better sense of his vibe and background due to the American/Canadian high school tropes that Equestria Girls draws upon. we don’t have this with pony Flash Sentry, but boy does this story provide it, fleshing out his backstory and Equestrian culture in a way that made me feel immersed like few other fics manage to do. if you love good character pieces and cultural worldbuilding, i can’t recommend this enough!

—Bicyclette

EFlash Memory

• MLP: FiM
• Drama
• Slice of Life

On a visit to Cloudsdale, Flash thinks back on the path his life almost took. He's not who he used to be anymore, but is that all a good thing?

• Alt. Universe
• OC
• Other
• Flash Sentry
• Griffons

SilverNotes · 5.6k words  ·  18  0 · 303 views

this piece really stood out with the vividness of its idea and setting, casting Flash Sentry as a put-upon shōnen animé protagonist soul-bound to a Demon Sunset Shimmer he can’t get rid of. the elements of Equestria Girls translate all too well into this vibe, and though this story is only a glimpse into its world, the possibilities are promising and exciting.

—Bicyclette

TSoul Bound

• Equestria Girls
• Dark
• Slice of Life

We all have our inner demons, Flash just has more than most...

• Profanity
• Alt. Universe
• Flash Sentry
• Sunset Shimmer (Demon)

Moproblems Moharmoney · 2.4k words  ·  33  3 · 721 views

An excellent contender with an incredibly strong emotional core and introspective look into Wallflower working through the ramifications of her choice to use the memory stone. Her and Flash's interactions were wonderful to read as Flash acted as his usual considerate self and Wallflower panicked as she tried to figure out how to salvage one of her better relationships that she had unfortunately removed.

—daOtterGuy

TThe First First Meeting

• Equestria Girls
• Drama
• Sad

Flash Sentry meets Wallflower Blush for the first time. Twice.

• Profanity
• Flash Sentry
• Wallflower Blush

EileenSaysHi · 3.6k words  ·  50  7 · 638 views

This entry was bonkers and I loved it. The setup is misleading with an excellent payoff that is resolved with one of the greatest and dumbest solutions I could have possibly believed. It has a decent dose of humour and an excellent breakdown of Flash's perceived feelings of worthlessness in the face of literal magical girls. A fun ride start to finish with an intriguing and terrifying villain.

—daOtterGuy

TA Spectator's Sentryence

• Equestria Girls
• Mystery
• Sad

Flash Sentry discovers that Sunset Shimmer lives in his house. To make it stranger, she has become a unicorn. And to make it worse, she reminds him of everything that he has hidden inside himself.

• Sunset Shimmer
• Flash Sentry
• Main 7 (EqG)

gapty · 10k words  ·  22  2 · 485 views

A regular writer of a particular brand of Flash Sentry, and one of the best interpretations out there. This is a good foray into the verse of this particular author and expertly done comedy fic. The laughs hit right every time with a brilliant sense of timing. Flash is the specific kind of machoism in this fic that just comes off as incredibly hilarious and Carrot Top is a banger of a character in this as the straight pony of the crew. The plot is simple, but the characters are fantastic and draw the reader into a stellar comedy. Absolutely fantastic read and deserving of its podium placement.

—daOtterGuy

this story was my intro into the long-running series of The Flash Sentry Papers, which made it all the more impressive how quickly and easily i got sucked into the tale and its world. the voice of pony Flash Sentry as the self-aware, self-deprecating, and self-preserving cad of a narrator really made this piece shine, as he deals with the mere existence of naïve high schooler human Flash Sentry. the short arc of its “adventure” not only fits thematically with the contrast between the two Flashes Sentry and their respective worlds, but also ends neatly and hilariously, highlighting just how well-drawn all of the story’s characters are.

—Bicyclette

TAn Unpleasant Reflection

• MLP: FiM
• Equestria Girls
• Adventure
• Comedy

Flash Sentry, certified Hero of Equestria, not to mention self-confessed liar, coward, and all-around-scoundrel, finds himself facing ... himself?

• Narcotics
• Violence
• Alt. Universe
• Twilight
• Carrot Top
• Flash Sentry

Tumbleweed · 6.6k words  ·  43  1 · 416 views

A solid fic about the multiverse and the universal constant is a kind and annoyingly understanding Flash Sentry. The humourous tones hit all the right notes over the course of the plot and do a wonderful job of introducing Flash in all of these different contexts and planes of existence. Our main protagonist is the ever lovable Derpy whose growing frustration is amusing to watch as she zips from plane to plane. I can also assure readers that you do not in fact need to be familiar with the world of Oversaturation to enjoy this fic and this is still well worth the read and potentially an excellent opener to the greater verse this fic is based in. Regardless, it's a fun ride from start to finish and well worth the read for the chuckles.

—daOtterGuy

it’s fitting that the winner of the contest is the story with the most Flashes Sentry in it! i just loved how well this piece immersed me in a brand-new world through that world’s Flash Sentry’s eyes before zipping off to the next, the worlds themselves spanning a range from the just off-IRL mundane to the delightfully creative and strange. in that, this story is not only an exploration of what it means to be Flash Sentry in an AU setting, but also feels just as much like a love letter to the genre of speculative fiction. and the Flash Sentry of it all is wonderful, so i am happy to award it First Place.

—Bicyclette

TFlashing Before Your Eyes

• MLP: FiM
• Romance
• Comedy
• Drama

The more things change, the more he stays the same.

• Crossover
• Alt. Universe
• Derpy
• Other
• Flash Sentry

FanOfMostEverything · 6.3k words  ·  70  5 · 872 views

and that's an (overdue) wrap! see you all for the next Personal Contest, or how about one of the following ongoing ones:

• Reactception's Sunset X Former Relationships Contest ending 2023 Mar 05.
• my Science Fiction Contest II ending 2023 Apr 02.
• Mockingbirb's Arboreal Yearnings Contest I: "I'd like to be a tree..." ending 2023 Apr 22

peace out, and keep on Flash Sentryin'!

Congratulations FOME!

Awesome entries overall! Those contests really brings out the best of folks around here!

Congrats to the winners!

Goodness! Thanks to both of you; I'm glad you enjoyed the copious Flashes Sentry (ha!) on display, and that the established AU and crossover elements were no impediment to entry. Congrats to Tumbleweed as well, and thanks to the other entrants as well. Flash always deserves more love.

Nice stories, guys! Thanks for hosting this, and don't worry about the late judging, Bike! I perceived the that the first fic that was shown on this list was the winner, haha, it was a surprise to find out that it was an honorable mention instead. XD

Too bad I made my fic too slowly; it would have been the second one to be rated E and the only FlashLight fic on the list. Oh well. Congrats, Fan and Tumbleweed!