Today’s story offers a glimpse at a lonely, desperate struggle in a world where every breath is an act of defiance against the darkness closing in.

And A Dark Wind Blows
[Dark] • 13,093 words

Was it a magical spell gone awry? An angry god laying waste upon a world that had forgotten him? A long and bloody war? An incurable disease?  

Fluttershy couldn’t remember what it was that had turned the world to this. All she knew was that she had to survive.

FROM THE CURATORS: How does a 13,000-word story keep readers engaged with no dialogue and almost no character interaction?  “Great post-apocalyptic landscape and a rich narrative voice,” Present Perfect said.  Bradel appreciated the marvelous pacing and fine control of tension: “The single thing I think this piece did best is in varying the mood like it did.” And Horizon appreciated the “haunting beauty” of it: “The world around Fluttershy may be bleak and dead, but it’s a memorable and integral part of the story.“

However, this journey through a wasteland is very pony at its heart.  “Fluttershy feels very much like Fluttershy, despite the setting, and the connection to her (departed) friends felt real,” Chris said.  And it even won over some initial doubters: “I was going to write about how this story has its flaws, and how it didn’t have much to do with ponies … until the third act happened and totally invalidated my critique,” Benman said. “The ending completely and utterly works.”

Read on for our author interview, in which RazedRainbow discusses safety, tension, the unknown, and Fluttershy as a huntress.
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