Tag Archives: adventure

Glimmervoid’s “At the Mountains of Discord”

14 Friday Oct 2016

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Today’s story delves into Secrets Ponies Weren’t Meant To Know.

mountains-of-discordAt the Mountains of Discord
[Adventure] [Crossover] [Dark] • 40,699 words

North of bountiful Equestria and beyond the Crystal Empire lies an icy land of cryptic mystery. Its inner reaches have never been explored, but a Canterlot University expedition is set to change this. The plan is simple: penetrate the unknown depths of the Uncharted North and discover its most hidden secrets.

It’s a noble undertaking, but a dark cloud looms on the horizon. Princess Luna’s dreams have revealed a great but shadowy threat. To minimise the danger, Princess Celestia requests that her most loyal student, Twilight Sparkle, join the expedition and keep everypony safe. With the aid of her number one assistant, Spike, and mailmare Derpy Hooves, Twilight will attempt to do exactly that.

FROM THE CURATORS: “Somehow, Lovecraft crossovers seem to become a small but integral part of every fandom,” Chris said when introducing this story to us.  “I never was particularly enamored of Lovecraft’s writing … this, however, is very nice.”  It didn’t take long for us to agree.  “I was pretty much sold on this one by the end of the first chapter,” Horizon said. “Strong worldbuilding is so crucial to an adventure that shows us the world beyond Equestria, and this has that in spades — not just in translating Lovecraft to Equestria, but in all the original material that reconciles and expands the two.”

That was best exemplified by this story’s attention to detail, Horizon said: “‘The Stormwalds.’ ‘Svalbarding.’ ‘Aeolipyle’ as the airship name — it was the word used to describe the Greek world’s first steam engine, and Aeolus was the god of the wind. Oh, man, so much care has gone into this.” But it wasn’t just the mythology that drew us in.  “Even beyond that, it’s the hints of essential Equestrianity,” Chris said, “from big stuff like the use of magic to tiny asides like ‘feathers sounded against coat, that uniquely pegasus sound that spoke to their dual natures’ to everything about Derpy in this story.”  And while the Lovecraftian prose was a challenge for some of us, AugieDog thought it fit the story well: “It’s got a great narrative voice, the way it mixes the Twilight we know from the show with those hapless first-person narrators who inhabit most of Lovecraft’s stuff.”

That mixing, in fact, was what we unanimously agreed to be the biggest strength.  “This shines when it expands beyond its inspiration, and makes itself its own,” Chris said. “This is no mere ponification, and the way this story uses the Elder Ones, and how it reveals more about them and their creations, is deliciously enticing.” Horizon agreed: “Its commentary on the relationship between ponies and Elder Ones is really remarkable — and it does some fascinating things as a fusion of two messages about the nature of reality that by all rights should be incompatible.” In summary, as AugieDog put it, that fusion was exemplary: “That the author manages to combine Lovecraft and Pony without either completely destroying the other is just this side of sorcery.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Glimmervoid discusses occult computers, Roman sacrifices, and the flowing rivers of fandom.

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The 24th Pegasus’ “Daring Doodle Donkey”

07 Friday Oct 2016

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Dig into a famous archaeologist’s past with today’s story.

daring-doodle-donkeyDaring Doodle Donkey
[Adventure] • 13,637 words

Cranky Doodle Donkey has spent years searching Equestria for that special jenny he lost at the Grand Galloping Gala. He’s been to cities far and wide, and searched from the peaks of the tallest mountains to the floors of the lowest valleys. He’s seen it all, or so he claims. The roads are his and his alone, and the solitude is something he’s simply grown used to.

Until one night, he discovers a filly hiding in a snowy hollow, scared, alone, and freezing to death …

FROM THE CURATORS: In some ways, this story is exactly what it appears to be: a world-spanning, decades-long adventure about two restless wanderers drawn together by fate.  But Daring Doodle Donkey is both simpler than that, and much deeper than that.  “This is almost less a story than an explanation — a look at how to assemble a particularly unlikely but not implausible bit of headcanon,” Chris said.  “Stories like that are usually awful because they exist for no other purpose than to justify whatever ‘clever’ idea they’ve dreamed up.  But this fic exceeds its fellows by not only explaining its premise, but by actually investing in it.”

That gentler, more reflective approach was something we all appreciated.  “The 24th Pegasus isn’t afraid to dive into low-key, low-stakes scenes, despite the Adventure tag this fic carries, and the result is a story in which Cranky and Daring exist as more than just tools to push forward an author’s agenda,” Chris said, and Present Perfect agreed: “For all that this has the trappings of a world-spanning adventure, it’s really just a story about an adoptive family, how they grow apart and together again over a long span of time.  Really remarkable stuff.”  AugieDog, too, was impressed by that more personal focus.  “I’ve always had a soft spot for stories that show how characters who are unlikely to even meet on the show could interact,” he said.  “This is very much a character piece focused on the influence the two have on each other and how they each fit into the other’s lives, and on that level, it works quite well.  A fun story all around.”

That combined with strong prose to seal this story’s feature.  “The descriptions in this are both vivid and economical,” Horizon said, “both in the sense of place they inspire and in the passage of time.”  Present Perfect was also caught by the story’s imagery — “in particular, that early scene where Cranky nearly falls to his death and has to take a few moments to process still being alive,” he said.  “The writing in this story is top-notch, and one of the main draws.”

Read on for our author interview, in which The 24th Pegasus discusses unexplored ruins, sunscreen boops, and marshmallow death lasers.
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ph00tbag’s “Numberography”

02 Friday Sep 2016

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You can count on today’s story for a rich exploration of Equestrian history.

numberographyNumberography
[Adventure] [Comedy] • 6,896 words

Once upon a time, ponies did not know how to count very far. Clover the Clever tells her two young fillies the story of how her mentor, Starswirl the Bearded, learned the secret of counting from the dragons.

FROM THE CURATORS: It seems wholly appropriate that what turned our heads about a story so steeped in mathematics is how much work it put into the little details.  “The worldbuilding is continuous, effortless, and endlessly surprising,” Horizon said.  “Every time the story turns a corner I stumble across a new, cool tidbit: Clover indirectly earning her nickname due to Discord; pegasus attitudes on how to win battles; Starswirl’s random encounter with the ascetic monkeys.”  Chris appreciated the finer details as well: “I really like the explanation for why ponies count in base ten.”  That wasn’t the only thing Present Perfect marveled at: “It definitely has something to say about the scientific process, at the end of the day, and it’s quite a charming piece.”

And while the luxurious detail attracted us, it was the story’s charm and tone which sealed the deal.  “The legend is a quite pleasant read — told in the manner of a just-so tale, with a much-appreciated vein of humor running through it,” Chris said.  AugieDog also commented on that whimsy.  “I love the goofy sweetness here,” he said.  “I mean, even though we’re smack-dab in the middle of Discord’s reign, the biggest worry ponies seem to have is how to keep reading when day has a tendency to switch over to night without notice. … This story is pony through and through.”

The ponies, too, were memorable.  “Star Swirl the legend is contrasted to Star Swirl the pony, as Clover remembers him, and it’s a lot of fun seeing how the various parties he approaches defy his wish to count higher than eight with simple practicality,” Present Perfect said, and Horizon went further: “Everyone we meet, down to the bit parts, is memorable and fun.  In particular, Filly Luna is super adorbs and the dragon steals her scene.”  Overall, Horizon added, this was an all-around standout work: “Oh my, yes.  Very yes.  I don’t think even the abrupt ending can keep me from following the author immediately.”

Read on for our author interview, in which ph00tbag discusses epiglottal frication, rollercoaster pee, and titular eggcorns.
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Astrarian’s “The Old Country”

20 Friday May 2016

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Your home is where your heart is — and today’s story is waiting for you there after the long, cold journey back.

the-old-countryThe Old Country
[Adventure] • 18,673 words

Spike’s fed up of Outer Yakyakistan, a perpetually frigid land of biting wind, blinding snow, and little else. No one actually lives here, not even the yaks themselves. Twilight’s company is the only silver lining, but even she can only lift Spike’s spirits in short bursts. He wants to go home to Ponyville.

But as they clamber up the final mountain in Outer Yakyakistan, the wind changes. Spike becomes sure that he’s been here before. Except … he hasn’t. Not in living memory. So why does it feel like he’s already home?

FROM THE CURATORS: As long-time readers of ponyfic, all of the Library’s curators appreciate when a story tackles a heavily covered topic in a way that brings something truly new to the table — and that’s where this fic shines.  “I’ve seen many ‘Spike finds his origins’ stories, and they tend to just slap your average fantasy dragon over the top of him,” Present Perfect said. “But The Old Country keeps in mind what kind of a place Equestria is; the friend aspect of the dragon he finds thus keeps the world-building in line with the greater setting.”

What’s remarkable is that, while we agreed this was feature-worthy, we all loved (and disliked) very different things about the story.  “The first half is a slog, the second half does everything right,” Present Perfect said, while AugieDog’s praise was the reverse: “The first two chapters really set things up nicely — Spike comes across as full of ‘teen angst,’ and that serves the story’s purposes quite well.”  Chris found elements to like throughout: “The author builds crisp, vivid visuals of windswept tundra, of claustrophobic caverns, and more.  This could have just been a travelogue and I’d still have enjoyed it; the descriptions are that strong.”  There, Horizon agreed: “The sense of place in this one is amazing.”

Another thing we agreed on was the exemplary work put into the depiction of the story’s supporting characters.  “As something of a dragon expert, I can tell you that there’s something unique in Ormr’s portrayal here,” Horizon said.  “Everything about it, from its psychology and physiology to the little details like its lack of gendering, make it almost a force of nature at the same time as it’s characterized deeply and effectively.”  And Chris found something equally unique in the yaks.  “This is the first story I’ve read to date which uses Prince Rutherford and his yaks effectively in an otherwise serious story,” Chris said.  “They’re gruff, quick to violence, and as perfection-obsessed as ever, yet they never turn the larger tale into a joke.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Astrarian discusses username faff, immersion-breaking actors, and the ‘wow’ factor of butterflies.

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Venates’ “Pinkie Pie and The Quest for Missing Smiles”

29 Friday Apr 2016

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The quest through today’s story may yield much richer rewards than some goofy grins.

pinkie-pie-questPinkie Pie and The Quest for Missing Smiles
[Adventure] • 12,804 words

Pinkie Pie’s entire day revolves around getting every pony she meets to feel happy. She’s a master of it all, from practical jokes to slapstick comedy. Sure, she’s had a few tough nuts to crack, but in the end those nuts always crack a smile!

…Except for today. A strange spell has infected Pinkie’s home, somehow leaving only her immune to the effects. Clearly there is only one solution: an epic adventure to return the smiles back to Ponyville! With her trusty sidekick Gummy at her side, there will be no stopping her quest!

FROM THE CURATORS: Don’t be fooled by this story’s surface presentation — it’s got a surprising amount of depth once you start flipping its pages.  “This is a story which shows how to do a range of emotions right,” Chris said. “There aren’t many stories that can make such a smooth and effective transition through so many tones over the course of just 12,000 words, morphing from a goofy comedy to a thoughtful look at the role of sadness in our lives.”  And it’s a story that uses all of those words to build its bigger picture piece by piece.  “I started to write how much I liked the story’s twist ending, but the more I think about it, the less I like using the term ‘twist’,” AugieDog said.  “It’s done so gently and matter-of-fact-ly that it’s more a shift of perspective than anything else.”

The fic’s slow unfolding generated quite a lot of curator discussion — especially over the cheerful cliches and almost-mythic foreshadowing of the opening chapter.  “I liked the style (of Chapter 1),” Chris said.  “I thought it was very appropriately reserved, children’s story-esque construction which fit the narrative design very well.”  AugieDog appreciated it more as it deepened: “I was intrigued by the tension between Pinkie and Twilight and Rarity in chapter 1 … and the sheer weirdness of Pinkie’s journey kept me going till in the last chapter, all finally became clear,” he said.  Even the first chapter’s detractors respected it in the story’s fuller context. “I bounced pretty hard off Chapter 1, but I do appreciate the way it retroactively justifies its opening,” Horizon said.

And while the story’s emotional range generated its share of praise, other curators also singled out the structure.  “Ponyville is grieving over some tragedy, while Pinkie is in denial — this might be the smartest exploration of that situation I’ve ever read,” Soge said.  “It attacks the idea on multiple fronts: The plot itself, the evolution of the prose, her interactions with Gummy, the way the chapter structure follows the 5 stages of grief … it does wonders to really get the reader inside Pinkie’s head.”  The characterization, too, was hailed as exemplary.  “Through it all, Pinkie remains ineffably Pinkie-y; a silly character, but one who takes her silliness seriously,” Chris said, and AugieDog agreed: “This is a finely rendered Pinkie.  Heck, it’s one of the best Gummy stories I’ve come across, too.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Venates discusses loaded questions, Latin games, and the grounding of alligators.
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N00813’s “Schemering Sintel”

22 Friday Apr 2016

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Today’s story walks the lonely road to revenge.

schemering-sintelSchemering Sintel
[Adventure] [Dark] [Drama] [Sad] [Tragedy] • 29,611 words

It’s been a long, long time since Spike was stolen from her, but Twilight hasn’t forgotten nor forgiven.  After a long and arduous journey, she has finally found him and his kidnapper.

She will save him.

No matter the cost.

FROM THE CURATORS: While Schemering Sintel doesn’t flinch from its Dark tag, it’s “a very clever grim fic,” as Soge put it:  “It is a great example of how to twist a character beyond recognition without alienating the audience.”  Indeed, it was the way that the story handled its vision of a morally altered Twilight which drew the most curator praise.  “Where this piece excels is showing,” Present Perfect said.  “It’s not just a story about Twilight finding Spike, but about her changing over an extreme period of time filled with hardship. And that change is shown perfectly in the final chapters, when it seems like the plot has finished, but the story is still going.”  Chris agreed: “This is character development done right.  Twilight’s dual growth and collapse as a character doesn’t stop at any one point … the dramatic moments are simply waypoints that show what she’s become.”

We also found the construction of the world around Twilight worthy of note.  “It’s a great fantasy adventure,” Present Perfect said, “from the unfriendly civilizations Twilight encounters to the beautifully-described landscapes and the cool stuff like her mythril tattoos.”  Horizon also praised that worldbuilding: “There are some really unique ideas here that feel uniquely Equestrian while supporting a tone we’d never see in the show.”  But in the end, Soge said, it came back to the strong writing of that world’s inhabitants: “It is an adventure that focuses on character rather than action, and is all the stronger for that.”

It was that strength which has kept Schemering Sintel relevant despite its vision of Equestria becoming increasingly obsolete with newer seasons’ canon.  “I think it’s interesting to note to what extent this story is a product of its time,” Chris said.  “The broader world of Equestria wasn’t nearly as well fleshed out before Season 3; I don’t think you could write a story with a similar tone today without doing significantly more to set the stage for all the violence, cynical choices, etc.  But viewed in the light of the first two seasons, this holds up extremely well as a glimpse of how the world can silence our better angels.”

Read on for our author interview, in which N00813 discusses friendship entropy, thematic architecture, and glued-together pieces.
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Kwakerjak’s “Flash Fog”

08 Friday Apr 2016

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It’s not hard to see why today’s story is a quality tale.

flash-fogFlash Fog
[Adventure] [Comedy] • 127,920 words

When Fluttershy received her certification as a fog specialist, she only wanted a plausible excuse to write off the expenses associated with her ground-based house on her taxes. However, when an accident in Cloudsdale sends a blanket of industrial-grade clouds rolling towards Ponyville, Fluttershy suddenly finds herself in charge of coordinating the response, mostly because she’s the only fog specialist in the area. Can our heroine step up to the challenge at hoof, or will she risk facing the wrath of the Equestrian Revenue Service?

FROM THE CURATORS: Though we found ourselves debating the merits of particular aspects of this story, there was one thing on which we all agreed: it effortlessly kept us turning the pages.  “Flash Fog spins a loose, sprawling, unfocused yarn which is nevertheless consistently entertaining on its own merits, and it has plenty of humor without sacrificing story at the altar of comedy,” Chris said.  Horizon agreed: “This is a highly readable story, with laconic, page-flipping prose and concise chapters that make it feel like a breeze.”  AugieDog, meanwhile, pulled out cinematic comparisons: “The main storyline — actually dealing with the fog — kept making me think of those ‘all-star cast’ disaster films of the 1970s and 80s, but I mean that in a good way. The tension, the conflicted characters, the setbacks and triumphs: it was all very fun to read.”

Disaster films weren’t the only comparison being made.  “This story’s like one of these modern open-world RPGs, where you have a main plot, but it doesn’t stand out that much from the multiple side quests on the way,” Soge said.  “But that also works in the story’s favor since, even if you don’t enjoy one particular distraction (like, say, the Lyra and Bon Bon human stuff), you can be fairly sure that it won’t affect much.”  Chris, too, praised the wide-ranging nature of the story’s explorations.  “Some of these interpositions are almost entirely unconnected from the titular fog,” he said, “but what they collectively accomplish is to showcase a wide range of Equestrian low-key goofiness, from the Cutie Mark Crusaders building convoluted Rube-Goldbergian traps to the insipid idiocies of a superior’s pointlessly idiosyncratic speaking style.”

What really made this story sing, however, was the sharp way that the broad ensemble cast was portrayed.  “The characters are spot on target,” AugieDog said, and Chris agreed: “I was consistently impressed with how the characters responded to events in-universe.”  Chris went on to praise the depiction of Fluttershy in particular: “An on-point mix of soft-spoken, nervous, and uncertain, she nevertheless doesn’t fall into the ‘weak-willed waif’ trap that many writers — and sometimes, the show itself — cast her as.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Kwakerjak discusses exploding vignettes, unplanned deuteragonists, and the collision of cameos and H.P. Lovecraft.

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Raugos’ “Integration”

11 Friday Mar 2016

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Today’s story will change the way you look at fanfiction–inside and out.

integrationIntegration
[Adventure] • 118,733 words

Caramel wasn’t always a Changeling, but he’s going to become one. And he’s going to do it for the sake of his very special somepony.

FROM THE CURATORS:  There are no shortage of changeling-centric, lore-heavy stories in this fandom, so it takes something exceptional for a story to stand out from that company.  But in this case, we had no trouble finding plenty to appreciate.  Present Perfect focused on Caramel’s role, saying, “He’s the perfect kind of layabout Everyman, the sort of character I really want to see succeed at something for once.”  Augie concurred, adding, “It’s got a certain epic feel to it, too, while staying very closely focused on Caramel and his love for Sassaflash.”

Chris, meanwhile, praised the lore: “The story does a good job of lulling the reader into thinking of the changelings in familiar terms, via Caramel’s perceptions of the same, only to throw a wrench in those assumptions down the line.”  Soge also noted that “the way the changeling society is established is impressive, completely alien while still relatable,” and Present Perfect noted that “The transformation sequence allowed for revelations of headcanon without infodumping,” complementing Integration for not sacrificing its narrative for the sake of over-explaining and headcanon justification.

These elements, together with an intriguing mix of action and slow-burning tension, impressed us all.  “There was a lot of humor, and the action was paced well,” said Present Perfect.  Chris, meanwhile, said that Integration “manages to combine moments of high action with longer stretches of waiting and uncertainty, along with exploration, discovery, and plenty of flashbacks, into a cohesive, engaging novel.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Raugos discusses dragon waterfalls, imperious goths, and attention deficit dyspepsia.
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Charcoal Quill’s “Old Pony Tales for Hearth and Home”

11 Friday Dec 2015

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Let today’s story transport you into the realm of fable to spin an origin for one of the show’s most enduring villains.

old-pony-talesOld Pony Tales for Hearth and Home
[Dark] [Adventure] • 3,054 words

The back of this slim volume reads as follows:

On winter’s nights, when cold winds blow outside and ponies everywhere huddle around the fireplace, friends and family often pass the time by telling stories to one another. Many of these fanciful tales have been told and re-told for generations, and the most enduring ones have become immortalized in folklore as pony tales.

My brother and I have travelled the land, gathering many of these stories, and now present this collection for your entertainment. We hope you find them as interesting as we did.

~Scarlet Quill, of the Quill Siblings

Most of the pages are blank, but as you watch, neatly-penned words begin to fill the first few pages all on their own. Already, one story has completed itself. It appears to tell the tale of the First Changeling…

FROM THE CURATORS: While the presentation here is a bit unusual — “the summary makes it clear that this was intended to be a collection of tales rather than just one,” JohnPerry noted — the fable it presents is a complete standalone story that’s as solid as any we’ve spotlighted.  “I quite enjoyed this,” JohnPerry said, echoing our consensus, while AugieDog added “I really wish the author had done more of these — maybe our feature will inspire them?”

The big thing prompting that praise was the author’s grasp of the chosen form.  “Charcoal Quill shows a strong handle on not only the common elements of a folktale, but also on what purpose those elements serve, and why they’ve become common elements,” Chris said.  “Add to that a perfectly Equestrian concept, and you end up with something that feels like a genuine bit of pony lore.”  Present Perfect agreed: “It’s a good in-universe sort of tale, and while you can see where it’s going if you know what it’s about, all the elements work.”  AugieDog, for his part, praised those elements: “I love the little details — reminding her each time that she has to remove her gifts so Chaos won’t see them — and the message that, even with the best of intentions, it only takes one step over the line to doom a person completely is very true to the genre.”

The story is chock full of those lovable little details, but there was one on which every curator commented.  “Reading the dragon’s section was the moment I decided that this was going to be an RCL rec,” Chris said.  JohnPerry was also impressed — “it simultaneously fits within the context of the story while parodying it somewhat” — and Horizon agreed: “It’s one of the welcome moments of levity in a story that effectively goes to some dark places.  Any story that can both subvert its own storytelling and play that storytelling straight to powerful effect gets a thumbs up from me.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Charcoal Quill discusses generous dragons, griffon godmothers, and flail-wielding pony names.
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adcoon’s “The Big Butterfly Brouhaha”

24 Friday Jul 2015

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Take a wild, whimsical wander through a fairy tale, a literal fairy tale, in this Friday’s featured fic.

butterfly-brouhahaThe Big Butterfly Brouhaha
[Random] [Adventure] • 14,839 words

“Have you seen a butterfly around here?” I asked Derpy one day. Next thing I don’t even know, we’re saving Equestria from the fairies in Fluttershy’s chicken coop!

FROM THE CURATORS: From the moment, from the moment that you first lay eyes on this story and its unique storytelling, it will be obvious that you’re in for an experience. “I’m not sure if the narrative style is brilliant or completely bonkers (or both), but it definitely fits the spirit of this story,” JohnPerry said.  We weren’t unanimous fans of the style, but the clear consensus was best expressed by Present Perfect: “The appropriate emoticon for this story is somewhere between o.O and :D.  By the second sentence, I was in love.”

That narration is in service of a compelling melding of MLP with an older and wilder mythology. “It’s a fairy tale, at its core, but a vividly Equestrian one — full of the strangely-ruled magic and mysterious fey-creatures which are the hallmark of such tales, but placed carefully in a setting where magic is practically mundane,” Chris said.  That combined with a clever sense of wordplay to engage us with prose as well as plot.  “There were many moments in this story where I found myself caught between a desire to laugh out loud and smack my forehead,” JohnPerry said. “‘The gigglers, now turned yellers, are riding hummers’ was one of them.”

However, despite the story’s wide list of strengths, our commentary kept returning to the narration.  “it sounds like music! It’s astounding!” Present Perfect said.  “The little rhymes, the repetition … there’s a certain timeless poetry about this that doesn’t preclude character or plot.”  Chris agreed: “It’s playful, lively, and shows a delightful interplay between narrator and reader without becoming too condescending or grating.”  In the end, all we could do was marvel — and offer this Random-tagged tale a well-deserved feature. “What amazes me is that there’s so much here that clashes, that by all rights shouldn’t work, yet somehow comes across as very natural,” JohnPerry said. “Discord would be pleased.”

Read on for our author interview, in which adcoon discusses loyalty, passion, necessity, and a raccoon-based muffin obsession.
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