Take a colorful look at one of the show’s more memorable side characters in today’s story.

Floral Embrace
[Slice of Life] • 2,388 words

She saw things differently
*than those around her
**so focused on life
***they did not live
****but she never worried
*****for the universe was
******always singing to her.

This is the story
of Tree Hugger’s Cutie Mark.

FROM THE CURATORS: “One of the quintessential functions of fanfiction, it seems to me, is to fill out the lives of the secondary characters,” AugieDog said in his nomination.  “This is Tree Hugger’s cutie mark story, but there’s a lot more than that going on here.  The story touches on one of my favorite MLP topics — the relationship of Ponies to nature — and quite literally looks at that topic with different eyes.”

That novel look at Equestria’s interconnectedness provoked comment from several curators.  “The depiction of synesthesia is unique — though I don’t think it’s actually supposed to be synesthesia; the useless magical glasses attest to that,” Present Perfect said. “She’s just always been attuned to the universe without realizing just how far that goes.”  Chris found that impressive: “The use of color throughout is clever while being easy to follow, and doesn’t feel forced.”  JohnPerry, meanwhile, turned up the praise: “It uses its visuals to good effect.  It’s the first good take on Tree Hugger I’ve seen — and that includes the show!”

While Tree Hugger’s visions made this story unique, we also singled out its emotional authenticity as exemplary.  “There’s something touching about a person able to say, without guile or unwarranted assumption, what another person is feeling, even (especially) if they’re unwilling or unable to say it themselves,” Chris said.  “That’s hard to set up, and the end could easily have felt manipulative or self-serving on Tree Hugger’s part, but the author here managed to make it feel like … well, like Tree Hugger herself: honest, and interested not in what she wants, but in what the show might call Harmony.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Masterweaver discusses DIGITAL EXPLOSIONS, Mary Sue-icide, and the benefits of forgiving Pinkie Pie.
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