Welcome one and all, to a special seventh episode of the Fanfiction Spotlight. As I was putting my notes together for this week’s stories, I discovered that my brain apparently decided to do a theme-week without running it by me first. That’s rather rude, but oh well. My brain is always mistreating me, yet if I’m honest… it usually knows better than I do anyway.

So, on this “very special episode” we’ll be showcasing four stories about “impossible” loves: An epic tale kicks off when a guardspony shows mercy to an injured changeling; an elderly Pipsqueak looks back on his amazing life and love; Daring Do finds a fan in the most unexpected of places; and Caramel struggles with new feelings for a lifelong friend.

 

An Affliction of the Heart

by Anonymous Pegasus

Words: 35,358 Complete: Yes

Since I’m apparently doing a theme this week, I figured a super-popular novella would be a good place to start. This story follows Warden, a guardspony, and an injured changeling he’s captured, but can’t bring himself to kill. What follows from there is a great ride, filled with humor, action, and of course, plenty of romance. I’m especially fond of the witty banter between the two main characters.

This story is the first in a series, the fourth of which is still actively being written. Thankfully this first one is relatively short, and a good, complete story, in and of itself. If you enjoy it, you have a lot more to look forward to. If not, it’s not a major commitment either. I certainly think it’ll be worth your time though.

 

The Other Side

by Rust

Words: 5,387 Complete: Yes

Pipsqueak is old. Really old. But he had a good life. A really good life.

I first read this story shortly after it was published back in December, and at the time, I wrote:

That was not only an amazingly heartfelt and touching story, but just a brilliantly written and elegant piece of prose as well. The language flowed smoothly, the pacing was perfectly balanced, and the descriptions were astonishingly vivid and beautiful. Then on top of that you hit every [bucking] feel my limbic system is capable of! 

I just read it again now, and my opinion has not changed one single bit.

Daring Do and the Dance

by Georg

Words: 2,169 Complete: Yes

This one was suggested by Horizon (who I should try to pry suggestions out of more often.) It is a surprisingly fun little piece about Daring Do, told from the perspective of the evil minion who fell in love with her as they fought. It has a great balance of humor and sentimentality, with just enough visceral elements to make it all work. It very quickly made me smile, and I kept smiling all the way to the end. Be sure to listen to the “background music” suggestion linked in the story’s description before/as you read it.

 

His Thorn on the Rose

by Regidar

Words: 4,778 Complete: Yes

Our community choice this week was suggested by Flint Sparks. It is, in many ways, the same basic plot as the Daring Do tale above: Guy falls in love with girl he knows he shouldn’t. All this week’s stories already share a theme, but these two in particular really make a great study in how the same theme, even told from the same perspective, can result in two stories with almost completely opposite emotional results for the reader. That said, this story certainly stands on its own too, and is a great read without making it a study in opposites. On that note, it has a very short prequel that is certainly worth your time as well, though not necessary for understanding here.

 

Well, that concludes this “very special episode.” If you missed it, last week’s edition can be found here. Also, please keep suggesting stories for the community spotlight below, and let me know what you thought of these, or any other stories we’ve featured! Hopefully my brain won’t pull another theme-week next time, but who knows?

Until then, have fun!

–Xepher

Howdy, and welcome to the sixth issue of our Fanfic Spotlight. I’m Xepher, and in a break with tradition, this week I’m featuring some rather horse-famous stories and authors, instead of the obscure works targeted in the past. This week: A metaphysical meditation as Pinkie Watches Paint Dry, Twilight overreacts when she discovers that Princess Celestia Hates Tea, and an epic tale begins when Twilight looks into the methods of Petriculture.

 

Pinkie Watches Paint Dry

by AbsoluteAnonymous

Words: 2,500 Complete: Yes

This one comes highly recommended by at least two of my fellow staffers, Pony Tim and Piquo Pie… and about 3200 other fimfic readers, judging by the rating. It is a very short piece, but an interesting meditation on the identify problem, and what exactly makes a thing that thing and not some other thing. Of course, it’s all wrapped up in the head of Pinkie Pie, so while knowing about the Ship of Theseus, and other metaphysical philosophy may give a deeper take on it, it’s certainly not needed.

 

Princess Celestia Hates Tea

by Skywriter

Words: 8,536 Complete: Yes

Another suggestion from Piquo Pie, but one of my personal favorites, as well as a favorite of several thousand others too. Here, Twilight discovers that Celestia doesn’t actually like tea. As that’s impossible though, she assumes there must be something wrong, and in typical Twilight fashion, the situation rapidly gets out of hoof. While plenty of stories do the, “escalate to absurdity” thing, what makes this one great is the way in which the author uses it to provided a very poignant look at Celestia’s devotion to her subjects and duties. Well, that, and it’s genuinely hilarious and well written, as are most stories from Skywriter.

On that note, you should also make sure to check out some of his other works. Derplicity is another short/funny favorite of mine, and Pony Tim also suggested Sun Princess. Heck, just read anything of his, it’s all fantastic.

 

Petriculture

by Kwakerjak

Words: 6,716 Complete: Yes

Another one from Pony Tim, but likewise, one I enjoyed thoroughly as well. When Twilight decides to look into “rock farming” as one of the many Pinkie-related mysteries she’s encountered, nothing seems to be available on the subject. As she digs further into the subject of how Pinkie could possibly grow rocks, she discovers something even more surprising about her friend’s past.

This story itself is a bit of a slow burn, with the really interesting stuff coming near the end. However, it is merely the opening to an entire cycle of stories, with four sequels and several spin-offs that eventually form a rather epic adventure that scales up until the very end, with plenty of fun and some really interesting characters along the way.

That’s it for this week. Last week’s edition can be found here. I do apologize for the lack of a community recommendation, but the one suggestion was longer than I had time to read this week. Please continue to post your suggestions below, and I’ll see you all again next week. Until then, have fun!

–Xepher

Welcome back, everypony. I am, as always, Xepher, and this week I’ve got four stories for your enjoyment: A strange look into the lives of a government employee who can’t perceive time and an orphan filly who is haunted by the worst of luck; an illustrated picture book to take you back to childhood; the story of Twilight’s last-ditch effort to save Sweetie Belle by taking her into the far, far future for help; and a show-worthy tale about a stowaway filly who learns that even best friends sometimes fight.

Erase and Rewind

by DuncanR

Words: 11,118 Complete: No

This is another one I heard about from my fellow staffer, Horizon. It’s also another oddball sort of fic. The story focuses on Rewind, an orphan filly who finds that tragedy follows every time she gets adopted, and Erase, a government employee who has the curious mental condition of not perceiving time. I can’t say too much more about the plot without spoiling it, suffice to say that I find the current “ending” (even though it’s tagged “incomplete”) to be perfectly acceptable.

One thing I really enjoyed about this story was the way in which it shows Erase’s condition, both from his own perspective, and that of those around him who don’t quite understand it. As such, I found it “itches” a part of my brain that is almost-but-not-quite able to imagine the subjective experience of such a thing. On top of that, Rewind is an interesting pony who is both a cute little filly, and somepony that’s become jaded. She’s mature in ways she shouldn’t have to be, and really “works” as a character.

The other thing I found great was the writing itself. There is some truly excellent wordsmithing here, both in concept and in form. If you’re a fan of big words and impressive sentence construction, then Erase has some things to say that are bound to amuse you.

The Great Equestrian Picture Book

by Church

Words: 1,306 Complete: Yes

Next up is something a bit different. This story doesn’t have the best writing, nor the best plot. It doesn’t have amazing head-canon, and it doesn’t contain fantastic adventure. No, this story has pictures! It does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a picture book, like we all remember from our childhoods. As such, it’s something rather unique, quick, and endearingly cheerful… at least in my opinion. Take five minutes and flip through it, and try to see ponies like you were a kid again!

Three Hundred and Fifty

by Void Chicken

Words: 48,448 Complete: Yes

Okay, yes, this one has a lot of likes already, but for good reason. In this story, Twilight takes Sweetie Belle into the future to get life-saving medical help that isn’t otherwise available. A thing goes wrong, and they can’t return. Then the story starts.

I originally read this over a year ago when it was being published, and it’s stuck with me since. I love the character insights into Twilight and Sweetie Belle, and the process of slow discovery as they look back on “history” and discover what happened to their friends and loved ones. There’s also a lot of touching moments as they become a family of sorts in their own right, and learn to adapt in a world full of strangers and strange wonders.

For an “epic” (I have no idea why it’s tagged “slice of life”) it’s short, but there is a lot of story packed into the novella length here. Take an afternoon or two and read this one.

Free Ride on the Friendship Express

by TotalOverflow

Words: 11,898 Complete: Yes

And our first community choice! Okay, in truth we only had one recommendation from last weeks comments, courtesy of Catalysts Cradle. I wouldn’t feature it if it wasn’t at least worth the read though. The story itself follows Sweetie Belle, in the first person, after a fight between her and her friends. She sneaks aboard a train bound for Prance with the Mane Six, planning to make friends with them instead. Of course things don’t quite go according to plan.

What I liked about the story was the internal thoughts of Sweetie we get from the first person perspective. The author did a great job of portraying her as a bit easily distracted, rather than “dumb”, and the logic in her actions is internally consistent, and really works pretty well for most of the story as how a young pony might think. The other thing the story has going for it, and what really sold me on it, was the overall “lesson” in it. It is about friendship, and how even the best of friends will eventually get into arguments with each other. In that sense, it really could have been an episode of the show itself.

There are a few weak points in the story, mostly in terms of plausibility with Sweetie’s actions (and the reactions of those around her), and a few parts could be more succinct as well. Overall though, it’s a fun read with a show-worthy message behind it.

 

That wraps it up for this week. Last week’s edition can be found here. Don’t forget to comment below, and suggest other stories for next week. Until then, have fun!

–Xepher

Greetings, and welcome to the famous, fabulous, fantastic fourth Fanfic Spotlight! I’m Xepher, and this week, we’ve got three lesser known, relatively short pieces for your reading pleasure: A glimpse of science in the Equestrian age of enlightenment, a Royal love story from Celestia’s early years, and an ode to the power of musical expression.

True Colors

by Alligator Fists

Words: 14,331 Complete: Yes

I’ve been watching the new “Cosmos” series with Neil deGrasse Tyson lately, and really enjoy the way they show the story and people behind world-changing discoveries. When I came across this story, I loved it right away, as it feels like it could be from an Equestrian version of Cosmos. The main character here, Picture Bright, wants to understand the true nature of light, and her process of scientific inquiry and discovery is shown in a very realistic way. Like with Cosmos, I already know the science in advance, yet in many ways that makes the story even more enjoyable. Watching as the character puts together the clues and starts to realize the true nature of the spectrum really makes me smile, like watching a kid open a present you know they’ll love, or seeing a student’s eyes light up when they finally grasp a concept in school. The author here does an excellent job of capturing the essence of science and discovery, without neglecting to make the characters real and personable as well.

If there is one downside to this story, it’s that it ends way before I was ready to leave these characters behind. Sadly, the author’s account hasn’t been active in well over a year, and they’ve only posted this one story. That said, it’s still well worth the read, especially if, like me, you enjoy a little enlightenment-level science in your ponyfic.

To Endure

by Shamus_Aran

Words: 7,351 Complete: Yes

I plucked this one from my fellow staffer Horizon’s recommendation list, and now having read it, am very glad I did. The story’s own, brief description says it best. “Every princess will have her first love. And the loss of that love will leave its mark on the world, for better or worse.” This is a love story, of an immortal Princess and a mortal pegasus. It starts slow and builds toward the inevitable conclusion to all such stories, but along the way the author does a great job of really making one feel for the characters involved. It is both a simple story, and yet complex in many ways. Told as it is from Celestia’s own perspective, it provides an interesting glimpse at the conflicting emotions and attitudes she has to balance in knowing that her mortal love will die, yet trying to make the most of what time can be had. The final symbolic reminder—the “mark on the world”—is, in my opinion, a brilliant way to tie things into canon. Having now read this story, whenever I see that “thing” (not going to spoil it for you) in the show or other stories, I’ll likely always be reminded of this tale.

Fiddlesticks’s Farewell

by Slate Sadpony

Words: 6,095 Complete: Yes

For years I’ve loved the maxim that “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” As such, I’m always glad to find stories that, even in some small way, capture a bit of the ephemeral nature of music. This story certainly does that for me. Now, the plot in this tale isn’t very deep, and I have to say, the writing is a bit rough in a couple of places as well, but that’s okay. It’s the emotions that are the main course here, and those come through quite strongly, inextricably tied to the music as they are. In fact, I would almost consider this story an ode to music itself, and the near-magical way a simple series of tones can somehow convey things that words never could. It is in that respect that I highly recommend reading this story. Also, do yourself a favor and listen to the (very real) “Ashokan Farewell” while reading.

That does it for this week, but starting next week, I want to add a fourth story slot for community recommendations. To that end, I want to hear from ya’ll, and see what stories you think should be featured. Keeping in mind that part of my goal here is to feature lesser known and possibly overlooked tales, I would prefer to see suggestions for stories with less than 300 “likes” but I’m not making that a hard limit. Also note that we can’t feature things with a “mature” rating, so teen or lower only, please. With that said, do you know a story you think deserves more attention? Post it in the comments below!

If you missed it, last week’s edition can be found here, and I look forward to seeing what you all recommend for next week.

Until then,

–Xepher

Howdy! I’m Xepher, and welcome to our third edition of Fanfic Spotlight. This week we’ve got three more stories: A uniquely realistic and alien take on human-in-Equestria, a short and sweet piece with Celestia helping Twilight through a magical flu of sorts, and a sad-but-profound look into the strength that belies Fluttershy’s timid exterior.

A Voice Among The Strangers

by Tystarr

Words: 205,112 Complete: Yes

This is a novel length, human-in-equestria piece. But unlike many others, this isn’t Mary Sue wish fullfillment of any sort. Instead, the author does an amazing job of showing a realistic take on what it might be like to wake in an alien world.

The main character, Jessica, finds herself in Equestria, and her first real contact is a changling, not a friendly, helpful pony. There is also a nearly-impenetrable language barrier for much of the tale, with Jessica unable to understand the Equestrian language at all, adding to her sense of isolation and alienness. In some cases, this can become slightly frustrating as you read, but it’s the same frustration the character herself is enduring. This combines with realistic emotions to give us a slow-paced, but very in-depth study in character development, with Jessica eventually gaining friends and understanding in a world radically different than her own. Throughout it all, she grows realistically as a character, and her knowledge of this new world around her grows as well.

The end result is that this story does something very rare: It makes us see the ponies and world we all love and (at least in our imaginations) call home, for the weird, confusing, and truly alien place it really is. This is a long story, but if you plan to invest in reading it, you can look forward to one of the better, slow-burn character developments I’ve seen in ponyfic.

Melt

by ambion

Words: 1,980 Complete: Yes

This recommendation comes from Everfree’s Director of Media, PonyTim and I’ve only recently read it myself. It’s a short little tale, but sweet and endearing none-the-less. When Twilight has a strange disease, only Celestia can get close enough to comfort her, and a tender moment between teacher and student is seen. As it’s under 2,000 words, the best thing I can say is “just read it already!” There’s also an equally-short sequel, Drip, which is pretty good as well.

Five Hundred Little Murders(No Cover Art)

by Estee

Words: 11,285 Complete: Yes

This story follows Flitter, a mean pony that doesn’t really like weakness in others, and would normally shun most of them. But when her cat gets sick, she has to ask for help from Fluttershy, the weakest pony of all.

On the the first level, this is an amazingly well executed glimpse into what makes Fluttershy tick and does an excellent job of showing the true strength behind her timid personality. But what really sets this tale apart is the fact that it’s done in first person and from a completely outside and unlikeable pony’s perspective. Flitter is a jerk, has no respect for most other ponies, and is generally awful, yet we feel for her deeply by the end, and that’s no small feat.

So yes, this story is sad, but it’s imminently worth it. Just have some tissues handy.

That’s it for this week. Last week’s edition can be found here, and I hope to see you all again next Thursday!

Cheers!

–Xepher