Today’s story was too tempting for us to pass up.

And the Serpent Said Unto the Princess
[Dark] [Romance] • 2,785 words

In the beginning, there was Harmony. Then Discord stole Fire from the Alicorns.

FROM THE CURATORS: “Who doesn’t like a good creation myth?” RBDash47 said in his nomination — and judging by our unaminous approval, this fic blew past “good” with room to spare.  Along the way, it picked up both top scores and praise like Soge’s: “Oh boy, is this fic special in a way few fics are.  The multi-layered narrative, the allusions to all kinds of human myths, and most importantly, the twist at the end that brings everything into sharp focus. Everything works in synchrony to deliver the author’s grand vision.”

That was quite a feat given how many big ideas the story brought to the table.  “I can’t remember the last time I saw something with so many layers,” Present Perfect said.  “There’s the creation myth, which is perfectly excellent storytelling on its own. Then there’s Discord as both Lucifer and Prometheus, poisoning ponies with his fire. And then there’s the Hero, and the revelation that what we know as ponies is not what always lived under Celestia’s rule. Of course, the omission of Luna from the tale reinforces that this is almost assuredly not historical truth, which is great. What starts out as seemingly anti-Discord religious tract becomes full-fledged insanity by the end, and I loved watching the tale unravel.”  FanOfMostEverything commented on that as well: “If anything, the friction between the scripture and reality only emphasizes the devotion of the congregation.”

We found the story’s vision reinforced by excellent voicing and pacing.  “It’s got the language and rhythm of a revival-tent cult meeting down so well, the temptation to read lines aloud in my best ‘fire and brimstone’ voice was nearly overwhelming,” AugieDog said.  “And the slow unwrapping of the Hero’s identity is one of the finest reveals I’ve read in quite some time.”  On top of that, as Soge noted, the story’s big ideas squarely kept the show front and center: “Through all its depths, it still remains fundamentally pony, the kind of thing that can hardly be achieved outside fanfiction.”  That came together, as Horizon said, to a simply enjoyable read: “Smooth execution of a novel idea?  Sign me up.”

Read on for our author interview, in which Undome Tinwe discusses exploding pythons, wedding crashers, and $250,000 savings.
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