The Spring Fling Contest! 77 members · 31 stories
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EileenSaysHi
Group Admin

Yes, the big night is finally here! It's time to see the results of the Spring Fling!

This contest has been an outstanding experience and amazing way to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of our favorite technicolor humans. The judges and I have all had a great time reading the myriad of stories you've sent us, which featured pairings that ranged from iconic to unheard-of and spanned genres from comedy to drama to horror. New authors, returning authors, and veteran authors alike joined in the fun, and we ended up with a grand total of 31 stories, totaling nearly 190,000 words. That is a lot of metaphorical ink spilled for a brand-new contest, and we're grateful to everyone who chose to participate.

The original intent was to post the results for this contest on June 16th, the exact tenth anniversary of My Little Pony: Equestria Girls. But we couldn't help ourselves; we just had to read right through all of this awesome collection of romances, and then talk about this awesome collection of romances, and then figure out how on earth we'd decide which among them is the best...

Sadly, we can't honor every story in the group, but you indeed gave us a bounty to choose from. There are more than a few fics we greatly enjoyed that didn't make the cut, but are definitely worthy of a read anyway. (And Fimfic readers seem to agree, given all of them have majority-green user ratings!) Check out all the stories here!

But before we get to the stories (or after, if you scrolled down immediately to see who won), let's see just which characters got the most appreciation from our contestants:


Prince of the Spring Fling: Flash Sentry!

Despite what you might think, there were a good number of the boys showing up for this contest, with Sandalwood, Micro Chips, and Timber Spruce making multiple appearances each. But in the end, it was guitar hero Flash Sentry who took top honors with 5 stories to his name. He was selective in his partners, though, with only 3—Sunset Shimmer, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Timber Spruce—accompanying him to the dance floor.


Princess of the Spring Fling: Sunset Shimmer!

Well, obviously you all voted for Sunset. Sunset always wins. Or else.

But seriously, when it came to sheer volume of entries, Sunset crushed the competition with a whopping 16 stories—over half of the entire contest—in which she was part of the central pairing. Sunset got to attend the Spring Fling with many, many people at her side, including Sci-Twi, Rarity, Flash Sentry, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Trixie, Wallflower Blush, Starlight Glimmer, Adagio Dazzle, Sonata Dusk, a whole polycule, and, as her demon self, Midnight Sparkle.

Now that's quite a crowd. But if anyone can handle it, it's our Shimmy-Sham. All hail Princess Sunset! (But maybe don't let her put on the crown.)


Most Popular Lead Couple: SunsaRity!

Sunset and Rarity might have some bad blood from Spring Flings past, but that wasn't going to stop them from being the talk of the evening tonight! Who doesn't love two girls with a sense of style, after all?

This was an extremely close fight, which was good as it meant we had a lot of variety in the pairings people chose to feature. The maximum number of stories-per-pairing we saw was three, shared between Sunset/Rarity, Applejack/Rainbow Dash, and Applejack/Rarity. As a tiebreaker measure, we checked the total word count for each of the three pairings, and SunsaRity came out on top with 22,778 words, around ~2,500 above runner-up AppleDash.

As it turns out, the highest wordcount for a pairing actually went to Flash Sentry/Timber Spruce with 24,225 words. However, that was over just two stories rather than three, so, as much as we appreciate the TimberFlash love, we're handing this one to the ladies.


Most Popular Background Couple: SciSet!

Okay, this probably shouldn't be a category, but I couldn't help but notice something when reading these. Sunset and Sci-Twi might be one of the most popular pairings in Equestria Girls, but, given the emphasis on characters from the first movie (which Sci-Twi wasn't in), the pairing was only featured as the definite lead couple in 1 contest story (Plug at First Sight). But they did make a surprising number of smaller appearances as a couple or soon-to-be couple, with the pairing referenced in 7 stories aside from Plug—including one story where their relationship gets upstaged by their own demon/monster forms! It seems even if people aren't writing about these two science dorks, they can't help but give them a little shout-out.


Most Obscure Character Shipped: Sweet Leaf!

This isn't May Pairings, so we're not awarding based on how unusual the couple is, but it can always be interesting to see stories that step a bit off the beaten path regarding character choices. And we had a few smaller EqG names pop up in stories, with Micro Chips, Lyra, Derpy Hooves, Maud Pie, and Sandalwood getting a chance to shine—the former and the latter even did so twice! But those characters at least managed to get some amount of spotlighting by the show, whether through appearing as a lead in a short or by getting a lot of scene-stealing moments throughout. By contrast, Sweet Leaf, a perennial background character who only ever got one line in Friendship Games, was never more than a face in the crowd; she has no tag on Fimfiction, and Derpibooru and the MLP wiki even disagree on her name (the latter calls her "Sweet Leaves"). Thus, her appearance in Weed Packing Conversations, as part of a throuple with Sandalwood and Wallflower Blush, makes her the clear winner here.


Anyway, for all 2 of you who read through that without skimming straight down to the actual contest results (thank you both!), I've been testing your patience long enough. You're here for stories, so let's go ahead and talk the eight prizewinning stories (and two honorable mentions)!

Huge thanks to my fellow judges and EqG authors Avery Day, Dewdrops on the Grass, The Sleepless Beholder, and TCC56 for all their input and effort!

So, without further ado...


Honorable Mention

Give Me Anything But Blue by Summer Solstice

Having gone through a bad breakup myself, I know how devastating they can be for all involved. And this story captures that pain perfectly. Even with a relatively short word count, and the fact that it starts after the breakup, the story lets you know how much it meant to Sonata and Sunset so you can truly feel the heartbreak of their situation. That kind of talent is what awards this honorable mention.

-- The Sleepless Beholder

EGive Me Anything But Blue
When things end, it can be hard to move on. Sonata just hopes that Sunset is willing to give her a little more time together.
Incandesca · 3.2k words  ·  50  1 · 706 views

Honorable Mention

Penance by Bicyclette

Penance is dark, dismal, and bleak, all the more so for taking one of the most upbeat, least threatening villains FIM ever saw in either its pony or EQG incarnations, and turning her into a world-conquering, universe-destroying monster. The harshness of the reality they’re consigned to, one that keeps them alive effectively for eternity, manifests in a myriad of awful ways, but especially in the connections that Starlight and Sunset form, or fail to form, in Starlight’s case. Without spoilers, all I can say is that this story really reaches in there and crushes your heart, and it leaves naught but detritus behind.

-- Dewdrops on the Grass

TPenance
As the years passed in Juniper Montage's mirror, Starlight found a way to give its inhabitants an escape. One she could never have for herself.
Bicyclette · 8.9k words  ·  45  11 · 774 views

Avery Day's Judge Prize

Honey by RubyDubious

Much like its namesake, Honey is thick. It’s cute, but it’s ugly. It’s charming, yet it’s unsettling. More than any of that, though, it’s daring. Out of all the entries, it’s the only one tagged as horror, and yet it manages to stand out to me for reasons that go further beyond that. This story gave me a variety of different feelings, and it balances everything it sets out to do within its word count in a genuinely impressive way.

-- Avery Day


Dewdrops on the Grass' Judge Prize

Sentry for Hire by daOtterGuy

Sentry for Hire is that rare bit of writing that manages to evoke some truly fantastic world-building in as few words as possible, while simultaneously delivering a comedic, heartstrong character whose own confidence and conviction leads him to make mistakes in understanding his newest, and last, boss, and almost wreck everything in the process. And yet the actual relationship here feels perfectly natural, coming to life like it was practically meant to be, like a puzzle meant to be solved, and we’re just here to solve it. Everyone knows I’m not a big fan of Timber Spruce, but when written like this, he turns into a great character, especially in the skilled hands of DaOtterGuy. My only critique is that there wasn’t enough of this world. I want to see more, much more.

-- Dewdrops on the Grass

ESentry for Hire
Flash Sentry works as a Minion For Hire, chasing an old feeling he can't get back. Maybe his next job will manage to rekindle it.
daOtterGuy · 14k words  ·  20  5 · 273 views

EileenSaysHi's Judge Prize

Plug at First Sight by FanOfMostEverything

This is a gloriously goofy romp showcasing the love that only two teenage mad scientists with deeply questionable ideas regarding ethical use of magitech can share. Between an incredibly well-written comedic take on pre-reform Sunset, a proudly neurodivergent and hilariously snarky Sci-Twi, a scene-stealing Twilight Velvet, and all the fun of science(!!), this is an absolute delight.

-- EileenSaysHi

TPlug at First Sight
A tale of love, hatred, and mad science.
FanOfMostEverything · 6.3k words  ·  230  8 · 3.1k views

The Sleepless Beholder's Judge Prize

No, Maybe, Yes by Uz Naimat

When I read this story, I knew this would be a big contender for my judge’s pick. Flash and Sunset’s relationship before the movie was a popular choice in the contest, and while this story couldn’t reach the top it wasn’t for lack of quality. Being from Sunset’s point of view, you can really see and feel her inner conflict as her relationship with Flash evolves. It makes you want to see them actually become a regular couple instead of the canon events.

-- The Sleepless Beholder

TNo, Maybe, Yes
The Fall Formal is her chance to find out whether she likes him.
Uz Naimat · 2.3k words  ·  29  2 · 706 views

TCC56's Judge Prize

Operation I'M NOT GAY by Dubs Rewatcher

I love a good farce comedy, and this is a great farce comedy. The situation is sensible and serious when taken from a grounded perspective - but this isn't that. All the characters are turned up to 11, causing things to wildly spiral out of control in a hilarious sequence of mad choices. Plus it helps that there's legit great chemistry between Twilight and Micro - as friends rather than romantic partners, but that's damn important too. They feel like a good match that way and that grounds the situation just enough.

Plus this story has what I think is the best single comedic line in this entire contest.

-- TCC56

TOperation I'M NOT GAY
To trick her parents into thinking she's straight, Twilight hires Microchips as a fake boyfriend. Without telling her real girlfriend. There's no way this can go wrong.
Dubs Rewatcher · 6.6k words  ·  158  22 · 2.3k views

And now we reach the TOP PRIZES...


Third Place

Doused Flame by heartlessons

It’s not uncommon to see fics reference Sunset and Flash’s canon relationship as pure manipulation on Sunset’s part. What this story does is instead present it as something deeply raw and real; a Flash who cares deeply for Sunset and is trying at every turn to help this girl who is so clearly struggling with the world, and a Sunset who clearly likes him in return. It uses our foreknowledge of how this ends to deepen the tragedy of their doomed romance, and I have an easy time imagining many readers adopting it as headcanon.

-- EileenSaysHi

There’s a lot to love in this story. Flash’s evolution from the first sentence to the last. Sunset’s unique perspective of this strange world she stumbled into. And some of the moments where her human mask drops and she’s a curious pony trying to understand the new world. But most of all, the feelings that each of them have for each other is what is gonna grip you through it. Because they feel so real. Nervousness and fear of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, all the way to the moment the flame douses.

-- The Sleepless Beholder

It's easy for a story (romances in particular) to focus on the big climax scenes rather than the relatively quiet parts. How many romantic stories are just the build-up to one character asking another out on a date? It's frequently left there, as if the parts after don't really matter. 

This isn't a story about a romance, it's about a relationship. And why that works comes down to the little details. This story revels in them that make the relationship feel genuine and lived-in. It's not grand gestures or flashy speeches; it's what establishes their relationship and who they are together. It makes the grander story work and sets it apart from the pack.

-- TCC56

TDoused Flame
No one said your first love had to be your best love.
heartlessons · 9.5k words  ·  39  3 · 990 views

Second Place

For Your Consideration by Oroboro

From the very beginning, this story tugged at my heart, and throughout reading, the intensity of that tugging only ever increased until I was actually sobbing by the end. Rarity reminisces on her life with Sunset through the closest thing to a tangible memory palace, viewing the peaks and valleys of her relationship with her wife—right before everything they had is tragically, abruptly, and anticlimactically snuffed out. There’s so much more I could say, but this story deserves to speak for itself.

-- Avery Day

While losing a loved one always hurts, losing someone whom you’ve spent the greater part of your life with, devoted yourself in every way to, that hurts like nothing else. A part of you is just gone. FYC goes a step beyond this, and allows Rarity to experience her beloved’s memories, guided by someone who looks like Sunset… but isn’t. That fact alone hurts more than almost anything else in the story, and really binds it all together with the skillful writing. A most worthy tale and well worth coming out of pony retirement for.

-- Dewdrops on the Grass

In the very best of ways, the way that only something great can, this story hurts. I cried reading it, I cried talking about it with the judges, I’m misty-eyed typing about it now… gaahhh. It’s a beautiful portrait of a life spent together, wondrously and happily, and yet cut so painfully short all the same. It captures that desperation to find closure, even when none may truly exist, in a heartachingly lovely way, one that I won’t soon forget.

-- EileenSaysHi

TFor Your Consideration
Rarity explores the memories of her wife, Sunset. To relive all of the little moments that made their life together so special. And to say goodbye.
Oroboro · 6.3k words  ·  63  7 · 1k views

First Place

Heartstrings by evelili

There are many aspects of Heartstrings I loved. It tells the story of a relationship that feels as impossible to maintain as it is doomed to fail, and someone who blames not his actions, but himself for it. Flash and Twilight are both worlds apart—in more ways than one, and both in literal and figurative senses. Yet, no matter how hopeless their relationship seems, no matter how inevitable the end may look, Flash carries on.

With all its dissonance, this story is not without its consonance. The outlook is bleak, but it still manages to be hopeful. Even if the future of their romance is unclear, that doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy what they have, and what time they have together. This story is incredibly heartfelt, and a well deserved first prize winner.

-- Avery Day

The visceral core of this story pulses with as much pain and care as the character’s relationship. Long distance relationships are never easy, even ones where the people are able to see each other now and again, and here, with Flash and Twilight, this story managed to take one of the most hated ships of the fandom and turn it on its head. Every word oozes with the heart-tugging notion that this relationship cannot last, will not last, and Flash blaming himself for it the whole time is something I think we can all identify with, in one way or another. I know I did.

-- Dewdrops on the Grass

This is a story that’s so impressive in the way it characterizes Flash and (Pony) Twilight that I genuinely think it will redefine the way many of its readers see the pairing in general. There’s just such a potent richness to the way this pair is written, the way they adore each other for reasons that are almost in opposition to each other… it’s phenomenal work. It’s a story that pulses with deep emotion and I loved every moment of it.

-- EileenSaysHi

This story, to me at least, feels like an amalgamation of what I liked the most of all the other stories in the contest. A true to life relationship. Gripping emotions. A great use of Sunset’s character. Amazing internal conflict. And even if this is a story dealing with a problem in the relationship that seems impossible to ever overcome, you read the end feeling hopeful. Which for me, is a great show of the author’s writing skills, and why I chose it for the top spot of the contest.

-- The Sleepless Beholder

One thing that a lot of readers (and writers!) don't get is that there's a difference between romance and being romantic. And while that's a very Rarity thing to say, it's still true. This story captures the difference: a romance between Flash and the Princess is impossible to sustain, but they both do their best to be romantic in spite of it. 

This story captures that feeling dead on, particularly the beautiful last scene. The earnest push by Flash to make the most of what they have and find the joy in the now really cemented this story to me from being just a contender to the hands-down winner.

-- TCC56

EHeartstrings
Flash Sentry knows their relationship was never meant to last.
evelili · 4.6k words  ·  55  3 · 1.2k views

And with that, the Spring Fling contest has come to a close! Winners will be contacted over the coming days to arrange payments.

Thank you for reading through this results page, and I implore you to check out these wonderful stories, along with those that didn't make this list (again, we were blessed with a bounty of EqG shipping goodness). Thanks to all who participated, all who've read, and all who've enjoyed Equestria Girls over these past ten years.


Other Ongoing Contests Worth Joining


Which stories from this contest did you read and really enjoy? Feel free to tell us below!

7838112
Oh my goodness.

I have no words. Aside from thank you, thank you, thank you, The Sleepless Beholder. This is my first ever winning a prize and I have never been more proud.

And congrulations to all the other winners. Heartstrings and For Your Consideration were among my favorite entries in the contest, so Iʼm glad to see them getting the recognition they deserve.

This was a great contest and Iʼm very glad I came to this dance.

Well that was so fun! Congrats to the winners!

Well done, everyone! I've yet to personally go through every single Spring Fling story for this year, but I'd say, out of the ones I have gotten to, that I greatly enjoyed, those that did not make it would be...

Makeup and Distractions by ShowShine
I really liked the idea of Sunset having never worn makeup and Rarity being the one to introduce it to her. It's short, cute and wonderfully done.

Larger Than Life by Equimorto
I always found this pairing to be a hard one to pull off; not necessarily in that they'd attempt a relationship but more-so it being a lasting one. I think this story convinced me that it very much could happen, at least in EqG. I love the start and how they first establish a relationship. The drama, interpersonal and emotional baggage they need to sort out is quite the sight to behold. Absolutely wonderfully crafted and well worth a read!

20% Cooler, 100% Gay by Reba_McIntosh
Very sweet fic. Rainbow Dash and Applejack's characterizations were fantastic in my opinion and I believe it well deserves a mention. Also, there's some great humor towards the middle-end to end that got a chuckle out of me.

I'm about halfway through what's available but I must say that every story I've read was wonderful! Again, great job y'all!

oh gosh, there were so many amazing stories in this contest, so when i got to the end of the post i think my heart stopped beating for a whole second?? my hands may or may not be shaking like crazy as i type this haha, but. wow!! thank u all so so much!!!!

id like to shout out some of my favs: For Your Consideration, Plug at First Sight, and Give Me Anything But Blue. but there were a ton of gems apart from these—this contest has been super fun to follow along with and read some fics i might not have normally read! thanks so much for organizing it :twilightsmile:

Oh hey! Thanks so much, I'm glad you enjoyed the story! I had a lot of fun stepping back into the fandom for a bit. Contests have always been a great way to find that excuse.

I'll be sure to check out the other winners as well, I'm definitely intrigued.

This was a fun contest to get to judge - a lot of the entries were just a blast. One of the best parts was the several days we talked as judges behind the scenes, gushing about what we liked (and disliked!) about the stories in the contest; ironically the worst part was trying to then turn that into hard numbers for judging purposes and cutting pages of praise down to 100-ish words for the prize blurbs.

7838152
I particularly want to take a moment and say it was an honor to have you in this contest, Oroboro. I actually got my start writing here in one of yours (Sunset Shipping #3: Endings) and the chance to be on the other side of it deeply satisfies my sense of symmetry. (It didn't affect the judging, mind you, but that should be pretty obvious for anybody who read For Your Consideration.)

Great work, everyone who participated in this contest. I'm especially pleased we wrangled someone out retirement just to write for us; this was a blast to judge for. It was my first time as a proper judge and I have to say, it was definitely a worthwhile experience. Bravo to all the writers, and trust me, even if you weren't specifically called in the post, we enjoyed your stories. You all did amazing, and I hope to see you all participate in future contests.

7838159
I noticed that actually! When I first was looking at the contest, I looked at all the judges, and it seems like all of you started writing either right about when I stopped, or after.

Which is pretty dang cool that after so long new writers are still being inspired, and then running contests to inspire even more writers. Very poetic.

7838112

Anyway, for all 2 of you who read through that without skimming straight down to the actual contest results (thank you both!)

:heart:

Very happy to get Eileen's personal prize for this one. It was a delight to find a way to make the story fit two contests at once and involve my favorite couple in a fun AU. Thanks to all the judges and congrats to the other winners!

Can't say I'm surprised with the turnout. But I suppose this means my story really was an utter failure. That stings a bit... But I'm damn happy for everyone who won, and for the honourable mentions! If nothing else, this is humbling for me... And I'll try harder next time!

Congratulations, everyone! I know that all of the entries in this contest certainly had a lot of work put into them and I definitely enjoyed seeing the turn out of people for this competition! In a way, I'm glad this happened so we could celebrate Equestria Girls! Thanks for coming to the dance, everyone! :twilightsmile:

This was a lot of fun! Congratulations to the winners and mentions!
Meet you back here in ten years for the reunion party! :pinkiehappy:

Thanks for the judge prize! I'd love to know what line it was that tickled your fancy, TCC.

7838220
I can assure you it wasn't. I loved how your story dealt not only with the break up, but finding new love after it. And then added some double reconciliation at the end with Sunset and Twilight. Twilight's proposal still cracks me up. I was left wanting to see more of it. And that, to me, is success. Sadly, we can't just give prices to half the contest. (even if we were tempted)

7838220
As a fellow 'failure' I look at it like this. We created work that people enjoyed, we made art, from that we learn and grow. There were some absolute cream-of-the-crop fimficcers here. I dont expect to go a few rounds against Muhammad Ali without hitting the mat for an impromptu nap either.

Either way, congratulations to all the winners and everyone involved!

(Now if you could join the Cyberpunk contest pretty please? It's my first time judging and it's a little thin on the ground right now)

It feels oddly fitting that I read this in my prom dress, lol. Big congrats to everyone! This contest was such a joy to partake in and also gave me an excuse to watch the first movie fifteen times, which is absolutely a win in my book. Thank you!!! <3

7838112

Most Obscure Character Shipped: Sweet Leaf!

7838228
It was originally in the blurb, but I was convinced to cut it to avoid spoiling. But nothing in this contest made me laugh like:

“Exactly. My therapist thinks I’m overreacting, but trust me: I’m on enough anxiety medication to know I’m being totally rational here.”

7838243
Nice of you to say, but if it doesn't rack up numbers and doesn't win prizes, then it's ultimately a failure of an attempt. That being said, it was fun to write, and a learning opportunity to improve on for next time. I'm glad you at least enjoyed reading it, even if it wasn't up to snuff.

7838246
Just because it was a failure doesn't mean it was a waste. I can learn from it, and improve, which I intend to do in the future. I aspire to be a professional author someday, so failures will come, even if it hurts to be reminded of my own shortcomings.

As for the Cyberpunk contest... I may have something worth tossing into the ring. A fic I intended for the Sci-Fi contest that never went anywhere, but I may give another crack at it. It has potential that I wasn't quite able to draw out, but maybe I can work it out this time. Or not. We'll see.

I’m so glad that all these wonderful stories were recognized for their achievements; I, on the other hand, was TARGETED AND DISENFRANCHISED by the judges, who refused to allow my Faustian-themed character exploration of Anonfilly through the literary lens of digestive distress into the contest just because it was “disgusting,” “objectively a terrible idea,” and “doesn’t even suit the the nature of the contest.”

What an appalling miscarriage of justice. You’ll hear from my attorneys.

Congrats to the winners; I was a little too busy to participate, myself, but I’m glad to see such a positive turnout.

As a relative newbie to this scene, I feel very humbled and privileged to have been a part of this. There was an abundance of good stuff in the entry pool by a variety of very talented authors, and the fact that we ended up reading through everything so quickly should attest to that. Each entry had something to like about it, so even if you didn't win, you should feel proud. Great work, everyone.

Congratulations to all of our winners, a big thank you Eileen for organizing this and including me in it, and an especially big thank you to everyone who submitted something! :heart:

I wasn't able to get mine in in time! So many great entries here. Doused Flame and Heartstrings were my particular favorites, but I still have quite a few to read.

Congrats to the winners!

I need to get around to reading some of the entries submitted by others. I can understand my own not making a very large cut; I've never really written romance before.

Big congrats to all the winners! Hopefully I'll reach that level of writing someday.

thank you so much to the judges for everything that went into such a great contest! these winners sound amazing, and i am really looking forward to reading them myself. and the honorable mention is such an honor, among so many great stories!

EileenSaysHi
Group Admin

A huge thank you once again to everyone who participated and helped make this upstart contest an amazing success, with so many good stories that we couldn't even fit all of our favorites into this post! I truly hope you all take some time to read these wonderful works, it's definitely worth it. We had writers from all different levels of Fimfic experience enter their stories, and I'm thrilled that you can see that reflected in the winning entries.

(All prizewinners have been contacted, most have responded; if you haven't, check your Fimfic messages.)

And thanks again to all the wonderful judges; for many of us, this was either our first experience with a big contest or with any at all, but you wouldn't know it from how smoothly everything went through the whole of the process. It was an absolute pleasure.

Will this contest happen again? Well, I don't want to make guarantees too early, but... next year does happen to be the 10th anniversary of Rainbow Rocks, and given how well this went, it may be hard to resist the siren song.

Great job, everyone, and congrats to the winners!
And thank you for hosting, Eileen. This was a ton of fun to be a part of.

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