Reviews

Twilight Sparkle has hit a wall in her studies. So when she is tasked by Princess Celestia with joining an expedition on a faraway island, she can't help but see it as a form of punishment. Nevertheless, she packs her bags and heads to Baltimare, one of Equestria's many port cities. It should have been simple: find a ship offering passage and pay them to take her to Haven. She soon learns, though, that ponies are afraid of the unknown waters past Eternity's Crossing. Despite her best efforts, she is unable to find a ship willing to take her there. That is, until she meets Captain Rainbow Dash.

Brash and enigmatic, Rainbow Dash, along with her crew, are the only ones willing to ferry Twilight on the waters of the Forgotten Sea. She expects six months of quiet travel that will allow her to continue her studies. What she gets is an adventure which makes her realize that, when sailing the high seas, the line between right and wrong is never as clear as it seems.

**Will I like this?: This sea-spanning adventure does more than fling us into a storm of action and plunder. While following Twilight's quest to reach the Forgotten Sea, readers are thrown into a maelstrom of personality as well. If you're interested in alternate universes that really invest in their characters or epic quests in the vein of "Pirates of the Caribbean," then this is the fic for you. —PR Golden Vision

Through the Well of Pirene, by Ether Echoes

Daphne has tried to live her life as any normal teenage girl would, focusing on school and the intricacies of adolescent life in an effort to forget her more imaginative childhood. Now, however, her kid sister has been kidnapped by forces she cannot understand, and she is forced to give chase into a land she had once thought only make-believe. Cast adrift in a strange and magical world, Daphne must reunite with her long-lost friend and embark on a journey of discovery that will take her to the worlds she could only dream of.

**Will I like this?: Through the Well of Pirene is a right tidy fic, with all the bits needed to be entertaining: compelling characters, excellent description, magic wands, and goblins. You’ll like Pirene if you like well paced tales of adventure that always find new ways to surprise and impress you. A proper tidy fic, this. —PR Comrade Sparkle

Harmony Theory, by Sharaloth

After the Changeling invasion, Celestia and Luna make the decision to have Twilight investigate the Elements of Harmony and solve the mystery of their power.

A thousand years later, Rainbow Dash awakens in a world she does not recognize. She has no idea how or why she came to be there. She does not know the language, the geography or any of the rules of this new time. She soon finds allies in Star Fall, a scholarly pegasus whose Talent is Magic, and Astrid, Star Fall's Griffin guardian. Together they set out to discover why Dash has been sent to the future, and how she might return to when she belongs.

War threatens the nations, a Nightmare stalks the shadows, and Rainbow Dash's arrival has turned her into a wild card in a deadly game that pits the law on both sides of a broken Equestria against a mysterious criminal figure, Max Cash. Yet the stakes are higher than anyone knows, for in her research Twilight Sparkle discovered a dark secret about the Elements, something that will shake the foundations of the world.

**Will I like this?: After a bit of a jarring intro, this story quickly hits its stride and doesn't let up. A dark, tense adventure into a future torn apart by war, threatened by a crazed alicorn and a madman wielding the very tools that once protected it. Beautifully written, perfectly paced, and populated by some of the most fleshed out, well-rounded OCs I've ever read in the fandom. —PR Jake the Army Guy

What Bound Them, by The Headless Horsepony

It's been more than a thousand years since the Mane Six's adventures in Ponyville, and things look very different. Equestria is gone, devoured by chaos. Nightmare creatures roam the lands, changelings prey on the few remaining pony settlements, and all trace of the peace and harmony during Princess Celestia's reign has vanished.

Until, that is, a small group of ponies set out to map the Tangle, and find a slumbering dragon inside. Now Spike, a millenium out of his time and with only his memories to comfort him, is ponykind's only hope. Together, he and his new friends set out to find the one pony who can set things right: Twilight Sparkle.

**Will I like this?: With excellent characterization and storytelling, What Bound Them certainly deserves more attention than it has. Set a thousand years in the future, the story highlights the struggle for survival based around a small group of ponies whose goal is to reclaim Equestria's future. Highly recommended for those who enjoy epic-length adventure stories. —PR Sorren

A Mighty Demon Slayer Grooms Some Ponies, by D G D Davidson

After Princess Celestia appoints Twilight Sparkle and her friends to be ambassadors to Earth, they decide to introduce themselves to the humans by appearing in a horse show, but they need someone to get them ready. They call on Megan, the legendary warrior who guarded ponykind in days of yore. Megan has banished or slain countless demons, but can she convince the ponies to hold still long enough for her to braid their manes?

**Will I like this?: I can tell you one thing about this story: It’s not what you expect. The best thing about it is the faithfulness it gives to its Generation One source material, making Megan and her newfound friends into extremely believable—and enjoyable—characters. The characterization certainly shines through. —PR Golden Vision

Trixcord, by RTStephens

In a desperate and costly bid to escape from his stone prison, Discord is left weak and helpless. Luckily for him, there is a nearby unicorn that he can hide in while he regains his power.

**Will I like this?: Two masters of the stage, Trixie and Discord, coming together as one. What could go wrong? Just a hint of chaos with a touch of oversized ego and delusions of grandeur. — PR Dash247

Night’s Favoured Child, by Municipal Engines

For almost a thousand years, the immortal Nightmare Moon has reigned over Equestria as Empress. To the average pony, Nightmare Moon is an overarching enigma whose rule is absolute and whose wrath is terrible. But to Twilight Sparkle, who, as an orphan, has never known her parents, the Empress is something else entirely. When the young unicorn is brought under the royal wing as an apprentice, she learns a great deal more about the supposed tyrant than she ever knew. But as Twilight is introduced to life with her new mentor, she is thrust into a world of political intrigue, conspiracies and secrets. Secrets that were never meant to be revealed. As allies and enemies plot against the very peace of the nation, will Twilight fall prey to the perils of her new position? Or will she prosper and find in Nightmare Moon the mother she never had?

**Will I like this?: An intriguing story that not only has a fantastic premise, but knows how to work with it. Night's Favoured Child is an excellent example of both character development and world-building, and a story that has kept me both guessing and enraptured. Do yourself a favor and check this one out. —PR ToixStory

DARK

Without a Hive, by Phoenix_Dragon

Young Nictis had one dream: to serve his hive by becoming an Infiltrator, the most vital and vaunted role a changeling could aspire to. To hide in plain sight among the other species, blending in, while gathering the vital emotional energies that fueled his people. Few were deemed worthy of the dangerous job. He was one of the few nymphs selected for training, in the hopes that one of them would develop the skills needed to be entrusted with such a treacherous task.

But when a training expedition ends in tragedy, Nictis finds himself thrust into the role not to serve his hive and people, but to preserve his own life. Separated from the hive, alone, he must put what little training he has to the test. He must blend in with the hive's greatest source of food, and its most dangerous enemy: the ponies of Equestria.

**Will I like this?: This story’s author takes an alien perspective and runs with it as if it were the most normal thing since waking up in the morning. The world is mysterious, and the characters breathe. Fans of world-building will fall head over heels for this one. —PR ArgonMatrix

A FLEet|ng LIght |n thE DArknEsS, by Flashgen

The following transcripts are of a journal found in Ponyville on April 16th of this year. The last recorded contact with the town had been 3 days prior, on the 13th, when a team under orders from Princess Celestia was sent to look into several missing pony reports in the area. When another group of investigators were sent on the 16th, the town was found deserted. The journal’s owner is believed to be the princess’s personal student, Twilight Sparkle. None of the town’s inhabitants have been located in the weeks since.

**Will I like this?: A mysterious, dark tale that keeps its thrilling suspense rolling right from start to finish—the intricate details, the oddities, and the anticipation all combine into something just as strange and alluring as its title. Whether it's horror, mystery, or even just general appreciation for gripping literature, this is your story. Just remember to read at night. — PR Yipyapper

ROMANCE

Colorless, by The DJ Rainbow Dash

I wish I could see you smile again.

Ever since it went away, the pony I once knew seemed to disappear as well.

At times, it makes me wonder if anything matters anymore.

It makes me wonder if I still matter to you anymore...

Twilight and Rainbow Dash come to a crossroads in their relationship as they look to the future. But with as bleak and depressing as it seems, what really is the point? Perhaps love does conquer all...

**Will I like this?: Twilight proves just how far she’s willing to go to restore everything that she once loved. This story takes you with her on a journey through a world drained of color and life. This piece proves that no matter how gray things get, there’s always a rainbow to keep your head held high. —PR Dash247

Sugarfree, by Wade

There's no place like Donut Joe's diner to unwind after a long, hard day. Good company, great coffee, and the best dang cucumber omelette in Equestria. After the week Celestia's had, she could really, really use a place to get away from it all.

Here, the regulars all know her as Sunny Skies, the unassuming workaholic mare who hasn't taken a day off in... ever. Well, today's her lucky day. Sunny's about to have one apocalyptically long holiday.

Luna's become delirious with a fever, Discord's fled the castle in terror, there's a living moon locked in Celestia's dining room, and something is very, very wrong with Equestria's sugar.

Put on a pot of coffee, folks. We've got an all-nighter on our hooves.

**Will I like this?: This is a story that plays with the characters of the Princesses like putty even as it sets up a most unexpected—but no less enjoyable—romp through adventure, romance, and magic. The pairing isn’t your usual ship, but that’s no reason to let it slide by. —PR Golden Vision

SAD

Wonderbolt, by WovenWord

I have something I want to tell you.

It's a very simple thing. A short little phrase.

I wonder if it still matters, though, in a world like this.

It matters to me, but I'd like to know if it'll matter to you.

**Will I like this?: I like to think that depression can have a silver lining somewhere in it. This story paints a very vivid picture of bleakness, but it leaves with its silver lining shining brightly for all to see: the definition of what it really means to be a Wonderbolt. -PR Comet Burst

SLICE OF LIFE

Burning Day Brethren, by Cerulean Voice

Three phoenixes' Burning Days occur simultaneously, against all possible odds. Deciding to take advantage of this once-in-an-eternity possibility, Philomena, Fawkes and Ho-Oh meet in the "Unbecoming" realm to share experiences of their worlds: their masters, acquaintances, apocalypse aversions and practical jokes.

**Will I like this?: What exactly happens to a phoenix when it turns to ash during its renewal? If you’ve wondered about that question at all, then this is the tale for you. There’s no need to be a Pokemon fan or a Harry Potter fan in order to enjoy this crossover; everything is explained very well. —PR Dash247

Chess, by KitsuneRisu

It's all just a game, isn't it?

When it comes to Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle, Chess is much more than just moving pieces around on a board.

It's a game of the mind, of thoughts, of conquest.

But in a game like this, sometimes your greatest opponent is yourself.

**Will I like this?: A simple experience that quickly turns to a deeper, more thoughtful tone. Still amusing to read, but great characterization makes the story thoroughly enjoyable. —PR Kaldanor

Can’t Choose Your Family, by CyborgSamurai

It's been five thousand years since the Summit of the Gods was last hosted in Equestria, and after dropping off Discord in Ponyville, Celestia returns to Canterlot Castle to meet with the entire Norse Pantheon. Before she can arrive, though, she's stopped by a guard with a strange message, sent on the behalf of a mysterious figure from her past.

**Will I like this?: I’m sure we all have those family members that are difficult to be around. We just have to tolerate them as best we can. This story takes all of that and puts it on a godly level. — Dash247

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