To make a long story short: A My Little Pony Flash Fiction anthology

by GrouchoMarxDisciple

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Random
Length: 2893

These are all submissions to MeesterBob's FlashFiction contest. Come read and vote for the "Fan Favorite" award!

All of these awesome stories are submissions to MeesterBob's Flash Fiction contest. Read and enjoy!

Contest status: Entries are *CLOSED*. Stay tuned for the next time around! (Stories are in no particular order)

If you want to submit a story just for fun, send it over!

To vote for the Fan Favorite award, go to the corresponding "Voting" chapter.

Published 2014-02-05 23:30:12 UTC
Last updated 2014-03-29 00:32:19 UTC

Chapter Heading: First contest

What Do They Think?

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Love and Ponies

Author's Note

By swirlstar

Love and Ponies

To Applejack, from Twilight:

Applejack whom I met one springtime morning, long corn-silk mane waving in the Ponyville breeze sweet as apples, rustic laughter roaring through that first meal at the old Sugarcube; oh Applejack, the royal voice dry as desert everytime I near you, green eyes piercing bleeding this violet heart; lovely Applejack, the nightly tears flowing freely for clueless you, Rainbow Dash prodding and asking and promising not to tell; darling Applejack, every nerve on end under the shimmering stars, waiting and pawing until you finally asked and a stammer and the Moon and stars fading before joy erupting forth like a flame…

Darling Applejack whom I wed one summer evening, silver bands and veiled dress white as snow, fine touch of soft-warm hooves on bookweary shoulders; lovely Applejack, rising at the crack of dawn and returning late nights half-asleep, your snores in bed weekend-noon while I wait the day away; oh Applejack, a bitter and angry heart lashing out one too many times, groggy hooves groping for an absent pony on the midnight bed; and Applejack, purple eyes red and trembling as I sit down with Dash at the old Sugarcube, heart beating and thumping until she finally spoke and a gasp and the Moon and stars fading before sorrow bursting forth like a flood…

I hereby give my consent towards the dissolution of our marriage.

A Trial of Thorns

Author's Note

By stanku

A Trial of Thorns

Amidst a garden of dark purple roses, a stallion stands still, with his heart about to burst through his chest. For the first time in his adult life, he is scared. Even the intoxicating smell of the surrounding flowers fails to milden his nervousness. They must be another test, he thinks to himself. The roses are meant to lull me into a false sense of security. He breathes in an extremely controlled fashion, as if guarding against the scents of the garden. I will show Her that it will take more than just some plants to trick me.

A shadow moves between the plantings, he can see it from the corner of his eye. She is here. By the Moon and Stars, She is here… Immediately Helm’s posture becomes electrified, and his already flawless stance loses even the ghost of slacking. He becomes another statue of the Night Garden, an immobile sculpture of physical perfection. My whole life I have waited for this moment. Night, give me strenght. A moment goes in silence so deep that even the rustle of the rose leaves seems noisy.

Then, a voice like the softest velvet whispers to him from the darkness. “Crescent Helm. Welcome to the Night Garden.”

The stallion draws a lungful of scented air, and says: “Princess Luna; I, Crescent Helm, your leal subject and dedicated follower, wish to offer you my life for eternal service, to guard you from harm and to bring honour to your Name and House.” Another deep breath. “By your Grace, allow me to become a member of your Night Guard.” The litany ends there. Now she is supposed to assign me one more task, one more test, and if I pass, I will become one with my dream. Helm waits in silence, expecting her answer.

Luna’s voice seems to come from nowhere, and from everywhere. “I shall accept your vow, Crescent Helm… on one condition.” The pause in her speech almost makes him tremble. “You must recite me a poem. A poem of your own design.”

Helm’s heart skips a beat, and it’s by a luck alone that he manages to stifle the words “What the Hay!” to his throat. Nopony warned me about this! I’m not a poet! I’m a soldier, trained to fight to the death if need be. This is absurd. Anger, confusion, and panic clog up his mind and paralyze his thoughts. He can only stand there in silence, blinking his eyes and breathing that dulling scent. He is beginning to sweat.

“...well?” asks Luna, her voice a tad more demanding this time.

Helm closes his eyes, and says:

“A little colt
dreaming bold
hooves straining to grasp
that which he can never…” Touch? Hold? Keep? No no no, those don’t rhyme at all… Quickly, think of something, think of anything, think of–

“Clasp,” finishes Luna. She walks into the circle of moonlight in front of Helm, smiling faintly. “Welcome to the Night Guard, Crescent Helm.”

The Princess Cometh

Author's Note

By -WeepingAngel-

Proofread by SirRage, edited by Polaris.

The Princess Cometh

Princess Twilight Sparkle looked awkwardly at the stallion in front of her. "Well, um...It appears alicorn magic is stronger than I thought..." she stammered, unsure of what to say.

"Is it really that bad?" the orange stallion asked, confused. "You told me it would make me faster!"

"Well, I doubt you'll be faster, Flash," Twilight replied, lifting up his wing with her hoof. "I mean, it's not bad or anything, but it seems as if you'll be carrying a lot of heavy baggage that could weigh you down...erm..."

"Hey, what happened to my voice? It sounds...higher than usual..." Flash Sentry was puzzled now, trying to look at himself.. But Twilight's hoof held his face back, not letting him see what become of him.

"N...Nothing, Flash. You look great," came the not-so-convincing Twilight. "It's just a matter of getting used to..."

Suddenly Princess Celestia barged in the room, looking worried. "What happened? I heard a noise and-" she cut off when she noticed Flash. "Oh dear."

"What? What's so wrong?" Flash was suddenly getting very scared.

Celestia looked giddy. "S...Should we get him a mirror?"

"NO!" Twilight practically yelled, then gained her composure. "No, Princess. I believe that is not the right decision right now..."

Celestia nodded, smiling. "As you wish. You're probably right anyway."

Flash was starting to be really scared now. "What did you do to me? This was supposed to be a flight enhancer!"

"Well, I've been through these changes and I think that you'll be having a tough time flying for the first few weeks. You have to adjust to the weight of it all..." Twilight responded.

"Wait...so you've been through this?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh...okay, that actually makes me feel a lot better. Thanks, Twi."

Celestia smirked. "You won't be thanking her when you see what's been done to you. The femininity is killing me."

"Why? What's been done to me?" Flash asked Twilight, who responded with a gulp and a shrug.

Princess Celestia smiled and said, "I'll go get the mirror!"

There was awkward silence between the two ponies until Trollestia-erm, Celestia-came back with a mirror.

"Now," she said, covering Flash's eyes, "I'm sure you'll love it..."

In the distance you could hear Celestia singing softly: "Behold the Princess Flash Sentry...behold...behold..."

Twilight gulped as Celestia uncovered the stallion's eyes, making him look directly into the mirror.

At first, Flash Sentry wasn't particularly mad at the sight, just confused. Then he realized what had happened...

His wings were much bigger, and there was a horn at the top of his head. But that wasn't the only thing bothering him...

He was a mare.

"Welcome to Equestria, Princess Flash Sentry," Twilight mumbled as Flash opened his mouth. Flash's pupils became constricted and his chest heaved.

Far across Equestria...

Applejack had just finished her apple bucking when she heard a strange noise, sounding like a scream.

"TWILIGHT!!!"

Thinking nothing of it, Applejack went back to her harvesting.

Undying

Author's Note

By Mondai Shunketsu.

Undying

Twilight Sparkle sat across from Princess Luna in the lunar princess’s bed chamber. A fire burned softly from the side, casting dancing shadows against Luna’s wall. Her quarters were adorned mystically, and enchantingly enthralling, yet everywhere she went, all Twilight could feel was cold.

“I have had strange dreams since...” Twilight tried to confided in Luna. She raised her head, quickly looking away from the three shadows against the orange glow. The lunar princess nodded slightly.

“Perhaps these visions are in fact, real events?” Luna asked, staring past Twilight. Her eyes quickly connected back with the smaller pony.

“If they are, I want them to stop,” Twilight replied. The fire immediately died. A single wisp of smoke floated towards the table the two princesses sat at.

“They will not cease, not until you’ve decided to confront them.”

“But I don’t want to,” the smaller alicorn pleaded. She looked at her friend with tears in her eyes. “I just… want him… to go,” she sobbed.

“He has followed you, even here,” Luna replied. “You must acknowledge him, or forever be haunted.” Luna’s eyes shifted around the room. She rose to her hooves. “I cannot interfere, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Why not?”

“Because-” Luna flinched, unable to complete her thought. She bowed towards Twilight, and vanished, leaving her alone in the whispering dark. The young princess bent over, sobbing on the table. A figure loomed in the darkness, deepening the pitch black within the icy bed chamber. Twilight lifted her chin, tears streaming down her face. A twisted contour glared back, crying; crying harder than the small pony before it.

It reached out, scowling at Twilight, amplifying its voice until the tiny whispers became an incessant wail. “You said… forever…” the creature hissed, fastening its claws over Twilight’s throat.

“I know, Spike… I’m sorry,” she choked.

The First Contest Entries Voting Section

Author's Note

Which of these stories was your fav? Vote here!

(This will stay open until the winners are announced, roughly 2 weeks).

The First Contest Entries Voting Section

Chapter Heading: Non-contest chapters

Author's Note

This is a chapter heading. The following stories are not part of any contest, but are just based on the author's action. All stories by me appear in this section.

Chapter Heading: Non-contest chapters

Preface by Meesterbob

flash fic·tion (n): 1. fiction that is extremely brief, typically only a few hundred words or fewer in its entirety.

Flash fiction is an art form that is relatively new, but very fun to read and enjoy. Due to the extreme brevity, Flash fiction lends itself to some of the most high-intensity, emotionally charged stories there are. We read most stories to get a sense of arc, and a sense of closure. Being able to flatten all of that into a 500 word-or-less story is a feat that requires incredible skill.

What you are about to read are entire stories taking up less than 500 words. Some were written for contests, others just for fun. All of them are MLP-related, some more obviously than others. But this anthology can be taken one chapter at a time, because each story stands on its own merit as its own arc, plot, and characters.

As such, feel free to skip around. This is meant to be a series of morsels to be savored, not a full meal. Enjoy the stories, and leave feedback for the authors. If you want your own story in this collection, feel free to PM me the link to the GDOC (That's the easiest way for me to reformat them).

Enjoy the ride.

Untitled

Author's Note

By Emerald Flight

Untitled

Yesterday, somepony told me that I wasn't trying anymore.

It's certainly no fault of mine, if it's true. I was told to come here and study the most nebulous of concepts, 'friendship', and make it out to be some sort of academic thing. I was supposed to send letters weekly to my superiors, detailing the 'study'. I've stopped.

The reason why I wanted to do this now seems so foreign to me. There had to be some motivation, but I can't think of one. Strange how who you were in the past dies as you move constantly to the present, second by second. Millions of you, all lost to the perception of the passage of events.

She told me that something had changed. In fact, she may have told me first. She probably told me first. I meant a lot to her.

You know, the entire time, she didn't say anything. Isn't that funny - she would probably sob endlessly over something much less, but as she watched her world fall apart she said nothing about it. A smile on her face, an empty chuckle, a shake of that mane, keeping it in its styled muss.

The doctors were worthless. Everypony was worthless. There wasn't anything we can do, they said. I didn't mean to hurt the one that badly, but things happen. They excused the case.

My superiors gave us money, but there never was anything money could do. They're magical, and they could have done something. I rationalize this as well as I can, but it always rests there. They could have and didn't. I hate them.

She moved away. Back home, she said, and moved before I could protest. I wouldn't have protested - maybe I would have. I don't know. I may have wanted to be with her as it ate her from the inside.

I had a lot of friends, once. I had a group, just for me. They were all a part of it, and we did wonderful things all together. But it'll never happen again. See, she was my friend, once.

But she's gone now, and I've stopped trying.

Let's Start at The End

Author's Note

By Broken Starlight

Let's Start at The End

Tears roll down Twilight's face.

"I never really got to know you, and now you're dead." Twilight whispers these words through her tears.

"Oh, Twilight, in this kind of horrible world, death is just a formality. "

Twilight turns around to face the speaker, but finds no one.

"This is just the honest, unbiased truth. For you, anyway."

Twilight still can't tell who is speaking.

"You'll just continue trying to fix this fate forever, won't you?"

Twilight just glares at the empty space behind her.

"Even though you know that there's only one real solution."

Twilight lets these words resonate in her mind before finally fading out. She knows that there is truth behind these words. However, her mysterious voice was too late. She already had her own answer of sorts. All she had to do was die. Twilight knew that it would bring sadness to her remaining friends, but it would solve her problem.

"If I can't live with you in my life, I just won't live at all." Twilight speaks, even though no one is listening.

At the end, Twilight thinks she can hear someone faintly laughing at her.

In that second, Twilight knew she had made the wrong choice, but there was nothing that could be done.

Twilight slowly faded out of life and into death.

Untitled

Author's Note

By Iretis Fox

Untitled

A glimpse of falling yellow and a flowing banner of pink that whispered through the wind. The raindrop splashes of blood dripping and mixing with the earth. The look of surprise, and then quiet, tear-filled apologies, as life slipped away from eyes that only saw love. That’s the detail that snapped the hearts of Equestria’s heroes. The apology. Crumbled on the ground like a thrown away letter, the butter-yellow pony gasped, and looked up at her friends, and apologized.

“I-I’m…I’m sorry.”

Sorry. As if she had chosen to die, and only at the last moment realized that it might incidentally inconvenience the schedules of her friends. It was the same breathy apology that accompanied the pony when she was late to tea, when she double-booked plans, or when she forgot that Tuesday was the day Applejack was bringing her a pie. It was heart-wrenching and sweet, and always sincere. The knife twisted and ripped through the flesh of their souls, until it felt like their souls could be ripped no more. But the knife drove deeper, and pierced something in the echoing recesses of the soul which mold ponies out of primordial ooze and separate them with thought, and reason and feeling. That was how she died. Apologizing.

“Did you see who it was?” A few voices struggled to speak, shouting out vague instructions that they thought might be helpful following the assassination of the embodiment of Kindness. Apologizing. For what? Was she apologizing for dying? Or was she apologizing for not living enough? It was so absurd. Did she dare apologize for happening to exist in the same space that a bullet had chosen to drive itself into? It was silly, it was illogical.

“I’m going to kill them all.” Decided Twilight. In her mind, she drove a wedge, separating herself from the world, her friends, and all of her lessons of forgiveness. All she gave herself was the sight of three butterflies dancing in blood-splattered sunshine, and the last words Kindness ever whispered to the world.

“I’m sorry.”

Something warm and cozy wrapped around Twilight’s soul. Magic. The deepest depths of magical possibility cozied into Twilight’s mind. Destruction had always been there, waiting to no longer be tempered with love. It was funny. Petty, mortal things like friendship had bottled up all the potential that now coursed through Twilight. She had held back. She had been good, and so, she expected the world in return to be good. But it wasn’t. The last bit of good just left with world with an apology. But it was okay. Twilight would make them pay.