Equestrian Fanfiction

by Lise

Contest Winners

Okay, everyone! Here's the moment DarkSparkle and all of you have been waiting for! The results of the first MCE shipping writing contest!

First off, let me start by saying I was astonished at the amount of submissions I got. Originally, I expected no more that 5-10 all of the known regulars, plus a new newbies trying to cut their teeth. Well, I was very wrong. We received 37 (thirty seven!!!) stories, and that's only those who passed curation. I also got a number of PMs asking for time extension. Sorry I couldn't grant that, but I encourage you to continue your story and publish it on the site nonetheless! :)

Of the usual suspects we had stories from: Brush, RRBB, Candle, Simile, Lyra (big surprise, to be honest), LightSparkle, DarkSparkle, TrueSparkle, Jade, TheRealLuna, and MightyDragon (who chose to go through with his threat).

There were a lot of new names as well, among which EndlessHearts, FireFleece, UpsAndDowns, JustAHuman, and many more. :) I can only thank you for all your time and stories and hope to see you again in my next contest :)

Now, I know DarkSparkle is biting her hooves in anticipation, but before I announce the winners a few special mentions. :)

InItForTheShipping

Show us da magicks! :)

Brush

@Brush: you already showed me da magics, sugar wings ;)

MasterOfThisAstra

@MightyDragon, I love you and everything, but... I honestly can't tell whether you submitted a troll fic or you genuinely write like that. Your style is very... unique, I must say. If there was a wtf award you'd be the unchallenged champion.

@LyraHands: Always amusing to read your works. I'm mentioning you because you made this contest possible, and to encourage you to keep trying. Not the best story, I must say, but with enough practice and tutoring you might get there. Thanks for taking the time, and giving your take :)

@DarkSparkle: Should I be worried about your interest in taur fics? I know I said anything goes as long as there's a human character and both characters are from MCE. Having Eric confess his love to a legendary centaur who came to life because of his tears wasn't what I had in mind. :P (Tears of a Human is the ONLY taur fic, and even if it has its issues is quite well written).

Finally, @JustAnotherSparkle, I was very much surprised by your entry. When I said shipping I didn't mean harem, but you pulled it off quite well. Personally, I don't think humans are as liberal as that, even if you describe it somewhat believably.

That said, I'll be doing a post for each of the categories.

InItForTheShipping

Just how many Sparkles are there?! :/

WaterBottle

@WaterBottle: There's a whole flock of them.

PaintDrop

Wha?! Them Sparkles have wings?!

WaterBottle

@WaterBottle, @Celestia: We damn well should!

(Heh, there's a Celestia user. Cute. :))

@SweetStuff: I didn't see your name on the list :/ What happened to tat story about the rock band?

LightSparkle

@SweetStuff: Yeah, what happened with that story about the rock band? :P

ForceFeedback

Third place winners are:

Heart-shaped Whiskers by RRBB

This is a very unusual take for RRBB. Usually we all associate her stories with strong suggestiveness (to say the least) and humor. This is a very bittersweet story of Molly having realizing her crush on Bellucio is more than a crush and trying to act on it. The character and internal dialogue is top tier and the feelings described are lifelike in a human sort if way. The only reason it didn't rate better was the abrupt end, as if RRBB lost interest and just wanted to finish it.

Thank you for your story and well done!

---

Is it me you're looking for? by EndlessHearts

We've already seen that EndlessHearts excels in writing such stories with School Days. This takes it one step deeper. We have Jenny (a background character in Molly's school) developing a crush for her classmate Phoe (another background character). The relationship starts clunky, building up through heartbreak and misunderstanding to a confession in the end. Very well done and with considerable thought. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of the cliffhanger cliche. Yes and no, I'd have preferred to hear Phoe's answer. Still, it is a masterful piece of work and deserves its place.

I hope I see more stories of you soon, EndlessHearts:)

---

Cerberus Love by Simile

Now here's a gem if I ever saw one! Normal ponies would be happy to settle on pairing up their favorite characters and going for it. Not Simile. In the mother of all crackships she presents a romance between Cassandra (CEO's daughter) and ONE of the Cerberus triplet. The intricacies with which the Cerberus triplet goes about meeting her, while separate from his siblings, are mind-boggling. Also, great comedic effect with Cerberus appearing with two heads only during an official visit of Zeus.

I can't wait to talk to you about it in person! Keep on writing :)

All winners are free to send PaintDrop your art requests :)

InItForTheShipping

No surprises here. Everyone who has read the stories would agree that the selection is well deserved of third place. I'd have liked Simile's to rank higher by sheer imagination, but that's just my opinion.

@Candle: you weren't that far off either. I'm confident you'll rank next time :)

The TechNightling

RRBB is the best! Pity about Brush :( I lived the way it started, but the way it ends is almost as if it's incomplete :(

PrinceEric

@PrinceEric: I know :(( I was distracted by things :(((

Brush

@Brush: I could imagine -.-

PaintDrop

Second place goes to...

Sunday Afternoon Fireworks by LightSparkle

You weren't joking when you told me you were good. :) At first glance this is a simple story: Blazen falls for Megan, has trouble expressing his feelings, is conflicted for being in love with the sister of his best friend, is rejected once, but doesn't give up and wins her the second time around. Nothing special, right? Wrong! It's precisely this that makes the story so beautiful. It's so full of emotion I can not only imagine it, but also see, smell, feel, and taste it. I found myself thinking back to the time I was in school and fell in love with my significant other. Then I read it again.

I strongly recommend that everyone reads this story. It might be about humans, but it's also about ponies. Even with the many details of the human world that are spot on, this remains a love story in the purest form. The only thing I could say is I wish there was more.

InItForTheShipping

@LightSparkle: You were just lucky :/

TrueSparkle

@MixaMax: Why can't you write like Light? At least then you'd be tolerable. I can't wait for you to find something to criticize the story for.

@LightSparkle: I've no words. You're among the top of the top. Personally, I'd have never guessed.

Jade

@Jade: I've seen better :/

MixaMax

Inb4 Dark ragequits again and Lyra licks the thread!

MightyDragon

@MightyDragon: I know, right?

TheRealLuna

I'll have you know, I'm above such petty things as "ragequitting" for not winning a contest. :I

LightSparkle's entry was quite good, even if I think it lacked certain... natural aspects. Then again, if InItForTheShipping thinks it should rank so high, who am I to say otherwise?

DarkSparkle

Meh. I agree with Max on this.

Feather.

And now the moment you've been waiting for. The winner and undisputed champion of the first MCE shipping contest is...

Twist!

Just kidding :) Twist didn't enter. The real winner is...

Ash and Water by Jade

Our mysterious crystal beauty with the mouth of a sailor has proven to us how he got MixaMax to propose to him after one story. All the stories so far have illustrated excellence of style and feeling, yet Jade has also shown a mastery of structure. Not a single wired is out of place throughout the story, showing us how a grown up Molly and Blazen develop feelings for each other on the Heat of battle and slowly come to terms with them. (Just to clarify, they are fighting on the same side, against the agents of the Everprince.) I read it several times in the hope I could find an instance where the prose or dialogue could be improved and came up empty.

Jade, I don't know how you managed to become so good, but if you don't get published after you graduate it would be a loss to Equestria. You presented us with a story that had a romance element—far beyond what was required for the contest, and did so with such ease that I'm having doubts if you aren't an alicorn!

Thank you for taking the time to give us this masterpiece!

With that the contest is officially over! :) A huge thanks to all who tried their pen at this, a big congrats to the winners, and a huge congrats to Twist who saved DarkSparkle from having to eat her wings.

See you next time, everyone, and keep writing!

InItForTheShipping

@Jade: I knew it the moment I read it ;) Max sure is a lucky girl. :D

LightSparkle

Aha! He just won because you both are from the Empire! Nepotism! :P

Congrats, Jade. You da pone, buddy :)

MightyDragon

@MightyDragon: You're there as well, silly *ear nibble* :)

@Jade: it was beautiful :) Congratulations! (I read it four times)

CodeFilly

<3 Jade!

SweetStuff

I don't get it... :(

WaterBottle

@Jade: sweetness, you'll be here soon, right? O:)

MixaMax

@MixaMax: You didn't read it until now, did you? :/ ... yes, I'll be there in a few hours.

Jade

@Jade: there is some punctuation I wouldn't agree with, but it still follows existing conventions, do I'll chalk it down to being a style thing ;) Congratulations, you rascal :) I fully agree with LightSparkle and InItForTheShipping! Write more!

DarkSparkle

Wooooooo! Jade :)))
That was incredible! Apply to S&S as a writer! :D You totally got it!

PrinceEric

@Jade: I know you already have your reward, but will also add a picture from me. You made me fall in love with Blazen while reading. :)

PaintDrop

@Jade: Well played ;)

MasterOfThisAstra

Yay! Shipper Winner's Party!!!

PPI

@MixaMax: You always get the cute ones :P

HopHop

Sorry I can't stay much. Bob got into an accident so will be taking her to hospital. (Nothing serious, but it might be!)

Congrats, Jade :) Great story!

LyraHands

Hope everything is fine...

PaintDrop

It is!!! :D

PPI

@Jade: Well done! :) Knew it would be a stallion to win this! :) (Yes, I said it! Bite me!)

CEOWitch

@CEOWitch: *chomp*

Brush

@Jade: A wonder to behold! If I didn't know better I'd say you had copied it from one of the classics. You truly have a rare talent. I've read thousands of stories and none of them are as skilled with words as you.

You, my boy, are a wordsmith extraordinaire as well as a an unparalleled storyteller. :) Please, continue writing!

The TechNightling

Word!

Feather

Comments

[redmar]

I liked reading the outcome of the contest. It's clear that RRBB did lose interest in writing her story because of real life problems that have been palgueing her for an unhealthy long time.

[Malandy]

Contest! Interesting refs to their real, and wondering what some other stories are referencing...

Having Eric confess his love to a legendary centaur who came to life because of his years

"tears" right?

taut

taur

single wired

word

do I'll chalk it fine to being a style thing

"so I'll chalk it fine" ... Never heard that phrase before... Usually it's "chalk it down"?

[FanOfMostEverything]

Quite a few instances of writing from real life here. To say nothing of the still-proliferating Sparkles. Statistically, I suppose some are going to have wings aside from Dark...

8089332
Or "chalk it up." Though you have to admit that there's a beautiful irony in "Not a single wired is out of place."

[AyanamiRei]

Damn it Author-san! How DARE you make me want to find even MORE stories to read that don't exist!! First you made me want to read Mistmount, NOW you make me want to read these winning fanfics! Why Author-san, why??? T____________T

[howard035]

I have to agree with MightyDragon, InItForTheShipping clearly picked Jade because he's one of her subjects.

[Alchemik]

Is it bad if I want to read these fics now?

[meerkat8472]

@Jade: A wonder to behold! If I didn't know better I'd say you had copied it from one of the classics.

Considering how good a writer he is, and the fact that he's from the Empire (which went missing for 1000 years), isn't it possible that he wrote some of those classics?

[link4]

Is it me you're looking for? by EndlessHearts

really? REALLY???

[Nyperold]

Aha! He just won because you both are from the Empire! Nepotism!

Is MD being a malaproper here, or does he think being from the same Empire makes you related? (Or is it actually the case that being from the same Empire makes you related enough for it to matter?)

[Celefin]

Brilliant chapter... and I'd also really like to read those fanfics. Specially Simile's.