[Crossover][Adventure][Comedy]
Author: psychicscubadiver
Description: Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, is just looking for an escape from his latest set of enemies and happens to teleport into Equestria. Surely nothing could go wrong with that set-up.The Dresden Fillies: Strange Friends
The Dresden Fillies: False Masks
The Dresden Fillies: Great Power (New Part 7!)
Additional Tags: Magic, Alternate viewpoints, Humans in Equestria
214 comments:
OH YES FINALLY! One of my favorite book series combined with my latest pony obsession...This has to be all kinds of epic!
ReplyDeleteHeck, I dun even comment on this site (though I go to it like 10 times a day at least and read comments half the time) but I wanted to try to comment just to say THIS BETTER BE GOOD AND IF IT IS THEN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING IT!
If it's bad...I'll be back... >_>
Oh. Oh my. Harry Dresden.
ReplyDeleteHell's bells, all of my want. My resistance to incomplete fics is crumbling absurdly fast.
*youtubes "Harry Dresden"*
ReplyDeleteOkay, never saw this before, I'll give a shot.
I'm a TF anyway.
Looks pretty good so far, and both Dresden and the ponies' personalities seem well done.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll be delighted if Bob the Skull shows up and starts treating the fillies the way he treats lovely human women.
D-d-d-Dresden Files crossover? Good sir, if you pull this off correctly, I will owe you so many sexual favors...
ReplyDeleteHaven't read any Harry Dresden before and know nothing about it, but this seems like an interesting story nonetheless. So far nothing seems to be requiring outside-FiM knowledge to understand.
ReplyDeleteMy only issue so far is all the fainting. It's a bit of a cop-out from a storywriting perspective, and although Twilight had a valid reason I don't think Fluttershy would have fainted. Remember all the things she's faced in the series, after all. This guy's no dragon. :)
I don't normally read crossovers... But I might have to make an exception for this...
ReplyDeleteI don't normally read crossovers... But I might have to make an exception for this...
ReplyDelete@Glomkettle
ReplyDeleteI don't always read crossover fanfictions, but when I do, I read Dresden Files crossovers.
/mostinterestingmanintheworld
Funny, but I just understand that technically he's 'human in Equestria'. Never occured for me while reading, because Dresden met fairies, wervolves and so much sentient magic species...
ReplyDeleteIs there nothing these ponies can't crossover!? I hope not...
ReplyDeleteMother of Celestia...
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought the Kingkiller cross was gonna be epic... Dresden files is my favorite series of books, and the last book makes me want MOAR!...even if its by another author.
Whats next? Calderon? By the way, if that happened it would be insta-grimdark, sadly.
I am going to read this now :P
I...I love the dresden files.....*sobs joyfully, insta bookmark*
ReplyDeleteI was just reading Death Masks this morning, and finding this fic totally made my day! So far everypony (and human) seems to be in-character, and I sure hope it stays that way :D Best crossover EVER guys.
ReplyDeleteOh....oh my god...OHMYGODILOVETHESEBOOKS. DO. WANT. *kerbookmark*
ReplyDeleteOh man oh man *Gleefully sets aside some time to read this*
You sir have my attention, for that was quite entertaining and a good setup for the beginning of an amazing story, though I have no idea where you are going with it.
ReplyDeleteDresden is epic.
I haven't even read the Dresden Files, so I admit I'm a little out of the loop here. But even with that, I enjoyed the story immensely. Very interesting.
ReplyDeleteOkay. So I bit the bullet. I could not possibly let this one pass.
ReplyDeleteNow. It's... all right. Once I get past the fact that it's Harry Dresden and My Little Pony in the same story (which is so awesome you have no idea oh my god yes), it's off to a pretty decent start. I do have some critiques, though. Don't take these harshly, I just really, really, REALLY want this story to be as absolutely fantastic as possible.
There's a few awkward parts from Dresden's point of view that don't feel quite right. The parenthetical "me, which sucked" springs to mind as feeling a bit off, and there's a few less obvious examples. Just something maybe to watch out for.
Now, skipping between first and third person... I can absolutely see why you're doing that, trying to keep Dresden sounding like Dresden. It's still a little weird, though. Probably just something that will take getting used to, but I just wanted to point out the possibility of making the transitions less jarring by narrating the ponies in first person as well? It would probably be hard to pull off, though, since we don't know a lot about their thought processes like we do about Dresden's... Yeah, I think you probably made the right call on how to do it, even if it does violate so many literary rules.
Finally, I have to voice a bit of agreement with Bryan about Fluttershy fainting. She's handled worse things. I could see her freezing up, though, so maybe... eh, whatever. It works well enough. Twilight, of course, has a very good reason. Harry's soul is not a pretty place.
Okay, I think that's the wall of text. tl;dr version is everything works pretty well so far, just try to be a bit more careful with Dresden's voice. I will eagerly await new installments in this series. SO AWESOME. /)^3^(\
Oh boy! You have No Idea how much I am looking forward to the next chapters now.
ReplyDeleteYou managed to perfectly capture Dresden, including the comments on pop-culture he's so fond of. I'm going to bet he'll hate the diet in Equestria xD.
If I have to complain, I'd say that it's moving a little bit too quickly, still. I can't wait for what will come next!
I actually mentioned this in the IRC just last week, I wanted a crossover with this book series. And here you obviously thought the same thing. You Are Awesome!
@Bryan
ReplyDeleteHe's got a point...
Yeeeeeaaaaaaaaa
ReplyDeleteGimmee Dresden!
Gimme!!!
I love him more than the average Protagonist, since I share his name.
ReplyDeleteBy that I mean I have an unhealthy obsession.
I have never read the dresden files but plz post more of this cuz it is awesome:D
ReplyDeleteI like this, but you know what else we should do?
ReplyDeleteDresden Files, MLP style.
Kind of like Fallout: Equestria.
NOOO.... Must remember... horrible previous fics...
ReplyDelete*Voice in the back of my head* RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! YOU WILL READ IT!
This better be good, like, friggen amazing good, since the Dresden Files is one of my favorite series
THE DRESDEN FILES IN PONY!
ReplyDeleteBEST NIGHT EVER!
I'm loving this so far. The writing style is spot on!
ReplyDeleteNice characterization, but that picture is misleading. I started to read anticipating Harry as a unicorn. Goddammit.
ReplyDeleteHarry Dresden in MLP:FIM.....
ReplyDeleteShut up and take all my internets!
OH THIS BETTER BE GOOD
ReplyDeleteOh man, I gotta read this. It'll be...interesting, to say the least, to see how Dresden will handle the transition from the mean, gritty streets of Chicago to the sugar bowl that is Ponyville.
ReplyDelete"How the hell did I end up in a Disney movie?!"
OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!!
ReplyDeleteI love the dresden files. There's a god in this world after all!
Now all that's left is a Codex Alera crossover
Just got done with the series' most recent book, Ghost Stories, so I might as well go right on into this =3. Trixie should get the mantle of Winter Knight though, it'd fit her so well lol.
ReplyDeleteits a show right? from the comments i guess it was a book first? whatever a human wizard in equetria sounds great
ReplyDeleteYESH! SOMEONE FINALLY WROTE IT!
ReplyDeleteI'll get around to this tonight
Hm... Being a HUGE fan of the Dresden Files and a Pony Fan (Obviously) I think I can comment on this story.
ReplyDeleteIt's good, but I think it could be better. In my mind, the best thing to do with this first chapter is to rework it, and though it will cut away some of the length of the chapter, remove the third-person portions. As mentioned before, the shift between persons is a bit distracting, and the narrative seems to flow best with the first person, though that may be my being used to the Dresden books.
If you're worried about length, maybe you could expand on Harry's walk to Fluttershy's cottage, about him getting confused/irritated/more confused at how bright and happy this world is, and how he wouldn't be surprised if the clouds had big smiley faces or something.
Also, a chance to see the VERY tall Dresden trying to mess around in Fluttershy's small cottage would be very welcome.
4 stars for now, and depending on how well future installments turn out I'm willing to change it to 5. Definitely looking forward to this, even if it doesn't involve Harry suddenly turning into a unicorn.
@Kyle And to expand on my earlier comment... +1/2 a star for the pun in the title that I didn't notice until just now. That's actually kind of clever.
ReplyDeleteI long for Harry to introduce his patented snark to the MLP:FiM 'verse.
ReplyDeleteI swear to God, just yesterday I was contemplating a Dresden/pony parody. Now I definitely have to give this a look.
ReplyDeleteNot bad so far. I'm curious to see where the plot is going to go. I'd love to see some of Harry's brand of trouble follow him to Ponyville, and have the girls help him kick some flank.
ReplyDeleteInitial reaction: Oh god what is this I don't even
ReplyDeleteAfter reading: Hmm. There is potential here, and I may just have to point my Dresden Files RPG GM at this for him to get Bad Ideas from...
An amazing show. I did not know there were books... must find them.
ReplyDeleteYou sir are an amazing person lol, after watching the show I can say that so far he has acted exactly as I would expect Dresden.
Also... I keep trying to bring up chapter 2 but its not working... please fix this ;)
Okay, so now that I've read it I have some comments. Not a bad beginning overall, but there were some things that bugged me.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, it's clear to me that you're aiming for the same general 'feel' as the Dresden Files books, in terms of writing style. Here, you fall pretty far short. In the future, I'd make sure that I stayed with Harry's perspective, first person, throughout. The cuts to Twilight and Fluttershy didn't really add anything (the Twilight one, in fact, greatly reduced the impact of Harry meeting her for the first time), and broke with story convention. Remember, the Dresden Files began as Detective Thriller + Magic. Even as the series has moved away from its Whodunit origins, Butcher has maintained many of the writing conventions of that genre. I think you'd be well advised to follow his lead.
Second, Harry himself. You didn't do a terrible job writing him by any stretch, but there's some room for improvement here as well. Harry's MO is being absurdly fast with a witty/witless quip and/or nerd culture reference, but when you write him he seems to take everything a little too seriously. Well, maybe that's not quite the right word--Harry DOES take things seriously, but he almost always hides that earnestness behind a facade of sarcasm and goofy irreverence. That sense of humor was mostly missing here.
Finally, there's a rather major plot issue here: Harry getting from the Nevernever to Equestria. The way you describe it, it's pretty clear that Equestria is no more part of the Nevernever than Earth is (my first thought when I began reading had been that he would find Equestria somewhere in the Nevernever). Is Equestria supposed to be somewhere on Earth? As far as Butcher's told us, the Nevernever only connects to the Real World, not to any alternate universes or such. Therefor, if that is indeed the case, Harry really should mention at some point in your prologue that one can travel from the Nevernever to other worlds, since that's not something readers would assume. Or, if Harry was unaware that he could go to Equestria (or somewhere like that) from the Nevernever, he should express an appropriate level of surprise and confusion that he didn't end up somewhere back on Earth after cutting open that portal.
Wow, that critique went a lot longer than I intended. Anyway, 3/5 for now, but this story has plenty of potential. Good luck!
I'm a huge fan of Butcher's "Dresden Files" series and this is pretty reasonable. You've managed to combine my obsession with ponies with my obsession with supernatural detectives...
ReplyDeleteOh hells bells. What have you done?!
No. Just no. I can't read this. DF is my favorite series. Why?
ReplyDeleteStars and Stones! It's a crossover fic I actually want to read (the first one with the "adventure" tag too I think)! Well done, pyschicscubadiver!
ReplyDelete*reads*
I definitely enjoyed it! I'm REALLY glad you kept him human, and didn't morph him into a pony for no good reason. Harry seemed in character throughout, except I'd think he might be a bit more cautious and skeptical of the new world (and also maybe when he immediately wanted to hug Twilight), but overall very consistent!
My one minor complaint is that there isn't more to read right now, but I hope you can fix that soon enough!
Hey, I've actually already got the second chapter done but I'd like to run it past a beta reader. Anyone interested?
ReplyDeleteOh hell yes! I haven't even read the first chapter yet and I'll happily edit for you!
ReplyDelete@Tricky Step
ReplyDelete*slow motion dive* Nooooooooooo!
The TV show was... all right, but I advise against watching it before you read the books. And you SHOULD read the books.
I honestly never saw this coming I mean the only way this could get any better for me is if you somehow worked this into the Halo universe.But in more of a review it's really really good the characters act correctly and its really fun. The only problem i have is you need to work on Harry's expressions a bit more. I still really love it and I can't wait for more.
ReplyDeletepyschicscubadiver is best pony. I have yet to read this, but I don't think that really maters right now. I want to have your babies, pyschicscubadiver!
ReplyDeleteI just read the Dresden Files not too long ago myself, I am looking forward to reading this and seeing how well it is done.
ReplyDeleteWell, after reading it I can say its pretty good. The writer manages to stick pretty close to the way that Butcher writes Dresden, although I think he/she could cut out the bits from the point of view of Twilight and Fluttershy and it would make a better over all story.
ReplyDeleteOkay, yeah, the "third person" thing is kind of a problem. If only because the adventures of Twilight Sparkle are now being narrated by James Marsters in my head.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, Twilight has always just read something about alternate universes when out-of-towners show up. :)
The text gets really rough about the time the soulgaze ends... if you don't mind, I'd like to edit chapter 1 for you too.
@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteStars and stones. Bob hitting on Rarity would be one of the funniest things in the universe!
"Look around you, Harry! The local women like to walk around in the nude!"
@silentcarto
ReplyDeleteTo say nothing of the response of the mane six when they realize that a freaking skull is hitting on them. Fluttershy wouldn't be the only one fainting, and Rainbow Dash trying to intimidate Bob would be hilarious.
Moar
ReplyDeleteDear. Goddess'. YES. Greatest concept EVER. Bookmared and moved to the TOP of my 'To Read' list. I am so going to have to make time for this tomarrow. I have high hopes for this, you better not disappoint!
ReplyDeleteDuuuude.
ReplyDeleteOur RP group JUST finished a Dresden Files game.
It was during this I introduced my group to pony.
My 2 characters each had a pony brushie with them at all times. Reverend Graves had a Dash brushie, and Silas had a Fluttershy.
I could do without the changing points of view, at least not as often. Definitely works better from Harry's perspective though. Looking forward to the mayhem that inevitably ensues whenever Dresden is around.
ReplyDeleteHOLY FREAKING CRAPSICLE ON A BUN, BATMAN.
ReplyDeleteI seriously JUST got into this series over the summer. I've finished books 1-3, but sadly books 4-6 are sitting on my shelf because of school. School's also the reason why I was only able to get up to book 3 during the summer [I took two summer classes which consumed most of my time >.>]
@9e04af7c-dce0-11e0-a904-000bcdcb2996 And when I say "this series" it should be apparent that i'm talking about The Dresden Files :P.
ReplyDeleteMy friend introduced me to MLP:FiM all the way back in January, but I didn't start watching it until March. :P
@psychicscubadiver Hey, if you're looking for a prereader, email me at kyman201@gmail.com. I'll be glad to help you tweek it.
ReplyDeleteASDF ASDF ASD NOT SURE IF WANT O_o
ReplyDelete... *reads!*
Hopefully Dresden figures out that unicorn magic must work differently to wizard magic, otherwise Twilight Sparkle's going to risk getting decapitated for her transformation spells.
ReplyDeleteThis story has potential. Dresdin, if not spot on, was at least within the ballpark. I noticed a few missing words here and there, but nothing a little polishing up can't fix.
ReplyDeleteAbout the only painfully glaring error I saw was Fluttershy saying that there were only talking Ponies. While Ponies are CLEARLY the dominate form of life on the planet, there ARE other sentient species. There are also Dragons, Griffins, Buffalo, and Cows if not more. That LAST one is going to be VERY Fridge Horror worthy once Rarity asks Dresdin what his duster is made out of. I don't think Dresdin will be able to even LOOK at a hamburger for a few weeks after he gets back.
Also, we ALL know Angel would set off a soul gaze, but is that normal for Equestrian Rabbits, or is the little guy unique? And then there are the Alicorn sisters. According to Faust, Blueblood is related to them by their mother's sister, separated by 40~50 something generations. However, `Tia and Luna's God-Tier powers and practical immortality means that they are most likely Half-Born at least. Most likely full-on Demigods. It'll be a breath of fresh air for Dresdin to finally meet someone who can literally move the sun and moon, and yet is so... HUMBLE about it. I am REALLY looking forward to seeing these two (`Tia and Harry) interact.
^_^
Huh... You know, the Dresden Files is one of the things that has managed to elude me over the years... from the comments it sounds like if I'm going to understand this then I'm going to have to pick up a couple of the books...
ReplyDeleteThis concept rocks! Overall, it could be better, but it is still an excellent read. I'm holding my official stars in reserve (I want to see how it shapes up before rating it), but I'd give it a 4.5/5 at the moment.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I regret about the pony fandom is that, amid all the fanfic, art, and general excitement over the new season, I haven't yet gotten around to reading Ghost Story yet...
@nick012000
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it does work differently! If anything, it's just a different magical culture, like a Japanese onmyoji compared to Harry's European hermetic magic. Unicorns are taught to cast without props for the most part, with their horn standing in for a staff or wand. That makes thaumaturgy particularly difficult, but the spells they can cast go off very quickly. I suspect that unicorns would express The Sight more as a sense of touch than vision.
Actually, come to think of it, all unicorns -- scratch that, all ponies -- may use sponsored magic via the Princesses. Pegasus and Earth ponies have low-level natural talents like cloudwalking and nature sense, and they can produce bigger effects by building devices like the cloud factories and Pinkie's candy-copter.
Equestria seems to be very rich in ambient magic, which might make all that spellcasting easier. Dresden should probably notice that.
@silentcarto "Equestria seems to be very rich in ambient magic, which might make all that spellcasting easier. Dresden should probably notice that."
ReplyDeleteAh, but would he notice before or after the scene aspect "On Fire" comes into play? This is Dresden we're talking about, after all. ;)
@Steve
ReplyDeleteYou're compelling his "Temptation of Power" aspect, aren't you...
@silentcarto
ReplyDeleteYou misunderstood what I was saying. In the Dresden universe, there are the Seven Laws of Magic. Breaking any of them causes you to inevitably go crazy and evil, so the wizards will execute anyone who commits them. No exceptions.
One of those laws of magic is "Don't transform people's bodies". Twilight Sparkle has broken that law repeatedly, and without any apparent ill affects on her mind.
@nick012000
ReplyDeleteI'm slightly familiar with the second law, yes... :) I understood what you were getting at, and I didn't disagree.
That said, breaking one of the laws doesn't necessarily make you become a warlock all by itself.
I can't think of more than a couple of times when she's transformed anyone, anyway. The plant thing was an accident, and the Flutter Wings spell is a gray area, since it's only adding on ectoplasmic flesh.
The "user's manual" issue with operating extra limbs could be solved by grabbing a friendly spirit to do the driving (this IS Equestria...), or maybe the spell reduces gravity for the target so those big wings can just push them around without the need for a lot of practice.
Or maybe the pegasus genome gives all ponies basic flight instincts whether they have wings or not.
@nick012000 "Don't transform people's bodies"? Beg pardon, but where was that law of magic stated? And wasn't there a scene in the book where Harry destroyed the rulers of the Red Court vampires in which he and his friends got turned into dogs by someone?
ReplyDelete@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteIt's the Second Law of Magic. "Thou shalt not transform another".
For mortal casters, you probably don't have the expertise to put together a body that will work long-term without magical support.
Fae, though, are creatures of magic and can pretty much do whatever the hell they want. Harry and friends were turned into dogs temporarily by the Leanansidhe. Fae aren't bound by the laws of magic, and Lea is known for turning people into Hellhounds anyway.
@silentcartoThanks Silentcarto, I forgot that one.
ReplyDeleteAnd OT but now that I've seen the first episode of season 2, I want to see Harry Dresden go all Wrath of God on Discord's punk flank?
@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteI dunno, Discord is cleary an outsider...
@silentcarto
ReplyDeleteIt has nothing to do with skill level and everything to do with how Dresdenverse magic works. In order to do something, you have to well and truly believe in it down to your very soul, and this has consequences. In order to alter people's minds, for instance, you need to truly believe that your desires and beliefs are more important than theirs; this inevitably turns you into a psychopath. In order to transform people, you need to truly believe there is no difference between people and animals and plants, and the consequences of this should be obvious.
The Fae don't have to worry about this sort of soul-degradation because they lack souls to degrade in the first place, as do all the other Dresdenverse supernaturals other than wizards and angels. Twilight Sparkle, however, has been explicitly stated to possess a soul in this fic, and thus she should be vulnerable to Dresdenverse soul-degradation unless the magic she uses is entirely alien to that of the Dresdenverse wizards.
Or it could just be that since nearly everything in Equestria is magically infuced and most "animals" are sentient, the things that would affect a human wizzard would react differently with a Pony.
ReplyDeleteThere is also another thing to consider: Self-transformation, such as the werewolves, automatically compensates for little things like making sure that the caster still has a human brain after her body becomes beastly. The Law ageist transforming others is essentially there to keep people from circumventing the First Law, namely, Thou Shalt Not Kill.
ReplyDeleteIt does appear, however, that Unicorn magic has a failsafe in this regard. Namely, transformation spells are all temporary. That wing spell wasn't a transformation as much as a magical construct loosely attached to Rarity's back, and the Cloudwalk spell had a time limit. It is entirely possible that ALL Unicorn transformation spells has an auto-revert function.
@nick012000
ReplyDeleteI GM a Dresden RPG campaign. I think I have a preeeeetty good grasp of Dresden magic.
Think about Equestria for a minute. IS there an essential difference between ponies and other animals?
In any case, turning her parents into plants was clearly temporary and accidental. It wore off as soon as she stopped holding it, and it was still pretty unsettling for both of them.
At any rate, like I said before, one instance of Lawbreaking won't instantly turn someone into a psychopath.
One wonders if Harry could soulgaze a buffalo...
I'd also like to give you a brohoof, Scuba, for adhering to the Dresden Files naming convention. Well done.
ReplyDeleteJust to throw my hat in the ring. I view Dresden magic and unicorn magic as two separate entities. They both spring from the same source, magic energy, but the way that energy is expressed is different. Thus, produces different consequences in its use. Besides, Equestria is outside of the White Council's jurisdiction.
ReplyDelete@ silentcarto
Thanks for noticing
@psychicscubadiver
ReplyDelete"I view Dresden magic and unicorn magic as two separate entities."
That's probably for the best.
Loved chapter 2 (if it was a little sparse) and looking forward to more.
ReplyDeleteI suppose we can assume that this story is at a point in Harry's life when he's free of Lasciel, that fallen angel he got bound to by the Denarians? Because if not, I can only wonder what Celestia would think if she found out that this human wizard was carrying a full-blown demon around inside of him.
ReplyDeleteAnd I liked chapter 2
@Ardashir:
ReplyDeleteTechnicly, the fallen angel is bound to the coin. What he DOES have in his head is a photocopy of said fallen angel's mind. ...or at least a mental construct that THINKS that she is a photocopy of a fallen angel...
@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteAccording to the description at the beginning, this story takes place between books 5 and 6. This is the point in the story where Harry just picked up the coin (he grabbed it at the end of Death Masks), but has not yet started talking to/making use of Lash. So he is, at this point, carrying a demonic photocopy in his brain, but has it carefully sequestered and locked away from his conscious thought. It remains to be seen whether or not the author makes this a plot point. In strict canon, he probably shouldn't (Harry doesn't have any dealings with her until well into Blood Rites, iirc), but it could be fudged a bit.
Yes, I researched this. Because I'm a huge nerd and love The Dresden Files. You're welcome.
Pretty sure ponies have booze. Twilight seems intent on having some in Episode 1, even if it turned out to actually be hot sauce, and it's not like it'd be difficult to make; hell, given that they're herbivores, it's almost inevitable that they'd invent it *accidentally* when they leave the grain in the silo for a bit too long.
ReplyDeleteHell, isn't one of the fandom's running jokes about one of the background ponies is that she's an alcoholic?
For the love of Celestia, PLEASE get your chapters edited before you post them! The first one wasn't bad, but this one had a ton of punctuation errors and bits that needed cleanup. ("she looked at the opening door and felt horribly surprised"? Really??)
ReplyDelete@A Terrible Person Thanks for clarifying matters. I read the books myself, but it was quite some time ago.
ReplyDeleteNever heard of The Dresden Files before, but I'm really digging this fic so far. Harry's reactions to Equestria's ridiculously utopian nature had me rolling. I thought the alternating POVs worked pretty well. If Dresden fans aren't thrilled with the writing, that says more about the quality of the original books than it does about this fic imho.
ReplyDeleteMOAR PLZ
Dash's reaction to having a cloud fireballed out from underneath her is a bit understated, I think. At the least she should be a bit more rattled, especially after seeing who did it--- and a little hesitant to extend the hoof of friendship.
ReplyDeleteAs to alcohol--- the discovery thereof is almost an inevitability. Horses have gotten snockered on overripe windfall apples, after all.... and "Applejack," lads, is a highly alcoholic apple drink. (Not to mention Appletinis....)
ReplyDeleteThe Laws of Magic in the Dresdenverse... mmmm, I gotta point out that while they have ethical utility, in the end they weren't NATURAL laws, they were rules set down by a bunch of uptight, judgemental old farts with a god complex who thought nothing of executing outsiders for the slightest infringement. The rules against transforming others and not tampering with other people's minds was the sort of ill considered, broad-brush reactionary rule one could expect from such people--- in a rush to establish their authority, with little consideration for the circumstances where such transformations were benign or even necessary for the person's wellbeing.
ReplyDeleteBesides which, Celestia, Luna, and their entire kingdom probably qualify as some sort of Fae, which puts them out of the Wizard's jurisdiction... as if their sheer power didn't do that already. I suspect that if any of the Court's bully-boys showed up and tried to throw their weight around, Celestia would quickly introduce them to their new careers as an impact crater in the Sea of Tranquility.
@RHJuniorVis-a-vis Dash's easy acceptance of Harry: well, two of her friends were there to vouch for him. That probably helped her decide that he was cool even if he's some ugly Celestia-knows-what.
ReplyDeleteAnd after reading your third response, I now so want to see the Merlin or that one Warden who kept giving Harry grief meet Celestia and try "pulling rank" on her. That would be short but memorable.
Heck, the only thing better than that to me would be if Michael followed Harry here to get him out and he meets the ponies. I bet he'd get along great with Applejack.
@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteThat would take one hell (no pun intended) of a divine coincidence!
@silentcarto I know, but I can dream, can't I?
ReplyDeleteto quote/paraphrase/mangle horrifically MST3K
ReplyDelete"If wondering about the alcohol
and other science facts
La la la
Just repeat to yourself it's just a fic;
I should really just relax.
It's Comedy Dresden Fillies 3000"
You sir are a scholar and a gentleman. I loved every sentence, you got harrys personality spot on. I applaud you sir, i nearly came in my pants when i saw this cross over, and this far exceeded my expectations. I only have 3 words to give you.
ReplyDeleteI love you.
MASSIVE Dresden Fan. Massive MLP fan.
ReplyDelete... HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?!?!!?!?!!!!
The bit about the pony pun town names was brilliant.
ReplyDeletegood show, I look forward to the next chapter.
Yay, update! I haven't read the books, but I do play the tabletop with a few friends who are more familiar with the setting. This story's a lot of fun. Characterization's been solid with the ponies (except perhaps with Fluttershy's fainting, but that is nitpicky) and you've kept the story interesting. And, as you said, suddenly plot! I'm definitely excited to see where this goes. Thanks for writing.
ReplyDeleteHarry's personality fits in perfectly with this world. And this is really well written.
ReplyDeleteI mean REALLY well written. If I didn't know better I'd swear Jim Butcher wrote this.
Wow, this story cannot help but get better and better and better. I seriously love you for this great addition to the literary world. The characters you write are so engrossing.
ReplyDeleteOH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I'm more than halfway through the 13th book of the Dresden Files "Ghost Story" and I started thinking how cool it would be to have a pony/Dresden crossover... and here it is. We are all such perfectly matching nerds.
ReplyDeleteI am so loving the comments on this page. So many Dresden fans talking about the what ifs of Celestia and Luna having to put up with White Counsel Wardens. TO THE MOON! Yeah, the land of Equestria is most likely Fea-like though not exactly the Never Never. More like another branch out of the Never Never. I really need to read this after I'm done with book 13.
ReplyDeleteYeeessss! That was sooooo much better! Keep it up with the longer chapters!
ReplyDelete@Aragrist
ReplyDelete"Hey, Morgan! Do you like mmmbananas?"
I just read Chapter 4, and I loved the bit with Harry weirding out over the punny pony names. The part where he compares Twilight's soul in nobility and virtue to Michael's is also a very well-done bit. If she knew what he meant by that, I think Twi would be mortally embarrassed by the praise.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to the next chapter so very much!
Reader (Trevor) uses Read Attack! It's super effective!
ReplyDeleteAll puns aside, Trevor is loving this story! It definitely makes Trevor want to know more about the original story! Is it a book series, a TV show, what? (*Is assuming that it's a book series*
~ Magical Trevor, Minstrel of Equestria
@ The Great and Powerful Trevor
ReplyDeleteIt is a book series, though there was a short lived TV show on the sci fi channel based on it. Avoid the show. But The Dresden Files is an amazing book series and I cannot recommend it too much. The author is Jim Butcher, and the first book is titled 'Storm Front'.
@The GREAT and POWERFUL Trevor
ReplyDeleteI will add that some suggest reading the third book (Grave Peril) first, then going back to read the first two after you're hooked. The first couple of books are largely independent of the rest of the series, and they aren't necessarily Jim's best work. That's not to say they're bad, mind you -- it's kind of like how Feeling Pinkie Keen and Over A Barrel aren't the best eps of FiM.
If you're a fan of audiobooks, I can definitely recommend the audiobooks of the Dresden Files. They're read by James Marsters (Spike from Buffy) and he's very good at it. Most of the time, anyway... he misreads the occasional cultural reference.
(Wile E. Coyote, super-genius!")
A 49-hit alliteration combo! I am impressed.
ReplyDeleteI demand more, MORE! I wonder how Celestia and Luna would appear to his wizardliness? Mind crushingly epic or gracefully controlled? I think Celly and Lu-Lu would be aware of humans.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMy soul. It belongs to you now.
ReplyDeleteAnd hurry up with part 5 >:c
Yes! This is shaping up for ADVENTURE!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. My brain and heart can't repel awesomeness of this magnitude! I didn't realize how well Dresden's deadpan humor could mesh with our favorite cast. I laughed out loud at a lot of points in this, and now the plot is kicking in and it feels like reading a Dresden novel! You must finish this work with every fiber of your being. This is the best fan fic that I have ever read (granted, that only adds up to about half a dozen so far, but still). KEEP IT UP!
ReplyDeleteSo Trixie shows up and she's hearing a "voice" that's encouraging her to crueler acts than she'd normally consider? Why do I think one of Harry's old enemies may be involved?
ReplyDeleteAnd I just had a horrible thought along those lines: Red Court Trixie.
@Ardashir I started thinking the same thing. I shudder to think if the fae are involved.
ReplyDelete@Depo007 For some reason that remark reminds me of an old argument I've seen online that the ponies are really nature spirits like the Fae or Shinto kami. Hmm, it could explain why Equestria is in the Never-Never.
ReplyDelete@Ardashir
ReplyDeleteOr Denarian Trixie. The "voice" reminds me of Lash.
More like Deirdre. Her mane is metal now. Tell me that doesn't ring any bells.
ReplyDeleteplz stick with this story till the end. It's too good to drop halfway
ReplyDeleteI have never read the Dresden Files but I might have to now. This was amazingly well written and, I dare say, one of the very rare Human-fics that is quality. I do hope you will continue, this has promise and so do you.
ReplyDeleteSo, it's the Nightmare returning? She's coming off more as a demonic influence here, but that does fit in well with the Dresdenverse.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I just had an idea: the Nightmare is a Denarian? What if she can call some of her "friends" to help?
I keep Googling these Dresden Rouge Gallery names you guys keep throwing out there and I keep seeing badass things in the results. Add Dresden to the small list of Fantasy universes I respect. (ASOIAF, Dragon Age, Potter, FIM....that's about it.)
ReplyDelete@psychicscubadiver
ReplyDeleteYou sir, had better finish this fic. You cannot simply show me 6 chapters of awesome and then stop. Great job so far, keep them coming so I can get my fanfic fix :)
@mycutiemarkisagun
ReplyDeleteWhat? No: Inheritance Cycle, Kingkiller Chronicle, Witcher Saga, Berserk or Claymore?
Really blends the feel of both sources... astoundingly. 5/5
ReplyDelete@Gordon Freemane
ReplyDeleteNo prior knowledge is really needed. A little of the terminology may confuse you, but not much.
Harry and the girls, especially Pinkie and Fluttershy, are written SO WELL in the latest chapter it's not funny. This is an awesome story. Hey, maybe you should send a link to Mister Butcher himself and see what he thinks?
ReplyDeletePsychicscubadiver, you sir are a genius.
ReplyDeleteDresden Files = EPICLY AWESOME
MLP FiM = EPICLY AWESOME
MLP FiM + Dresden Files = Too epic for words to possibly describe.
The only thing that annoyed me, was in the first chapter, when he uses his shield spell, he says "defendre" or something similar, when it should be "riflettum"- That is unless he's using some other similar shield spell, but I can't recall when/if he ever uses "defendre"
Well now. This was an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteIn the spirit of full disclosure, I have never even heard of the Dresden Files before this fic, though based on the comments here, I'll take the books... AND READ THEM!
*embarrassed cough*
Anyway, as for the fic itself, I really liked it. You did enough explaining of Dresden that I wasn't completely lost as to who he was, and the switching viewpoints is an interesting mechanic that I haven't seen too often (with the exception of the Redwall books, of course).
Other stuff I liked:
- To say that Twilight's alliterative smackdown was impressive would be an understatement.
-I like the setup you have between Twilight and Trixie. Almost a kismesis, if you will excuse the reference (that's Twilight <3< Trixie, for the Homestuck fans who forget which quadrant is which, as I often do).
-The general feel of the story is pretty well-done too.
Stuff I didn't like so much:
-Dresden's immediate catching on of "alicorn" during the Soulgaze seemed a bit awkward, as well as his being so quick to embrace the word "pony" to describe the MLP characters. I will admit, however, that this could be just a part of his character that I am unaware of, as I have not read the books yet, as previously stated.
-Some of the formatting in the early chapters, particularly the use of single quotes instead of italicized text for internal thoughts was... an interesting style choice. Seeing as you switched to italics in the later chapters, why not post revised versions of the first few chapters to fanfic.net? Unless you can't, I don't know how the site works.
ANYWAY, tl;dr:
Looking good! I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter.
~Clockwise Gear
Oh wait, one last thing: I also liked how you chose to just disguise Dresden, instead of turning him into a pony, as many fics are wont to do.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear everybody loving the new chapter, but I have an important announcement to make.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Dresden, you magnificent bastard! I think he's forty by now isn't he?
@Thaecrasis
ReplyDeleteHe's used both in the past. I think riflettum is the standard shield and defendre is an omnidirectional half-sphere. He used it against Ortega's vampires at the duel.
@Clockwise Gear
"Almost a kismesis, if you will excuse the reference."
The TVTropers among us call that Belligerent Sexual Tension.
"Dresden's immediate catching on of "alicorn" during the Soulgaze seemed a bit awkward, as well as his being so quick to embrace the word "pony" to describe the MLP characters."
I agree in principal, but in practice, having him grope for terms would be kind of boring. I do tend to prefer the term "winged unicorn", but it's not a big deal.
@psychicscubadiver
I believe that's roughly correct, not that it matters that much to a wizard.
I had posted earlier, saying that I was holding my official stars until I saw more of how the story would turn out. I have now read enough to give this a full 5/5 stars. It's really coming out beautifully. Yes, it's a standard plot, but Harry's lampshading of the whole thing makes me not care. Everyone's characterizations are spot-on. Thanks! Oh, and my brother, who hasn't read the books (he's a grad student- he has no free time), asked me to fill him in on the Dresdenverse, just so he could read this.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't gotten around to reading Ghost Story yet...
You know, every time I post a chapter in my fic, this pops up, too.
ReplyDeleteAre you a wizard? O.o
But seriously, I've heard great things about this, so my big question is this... Will I be able to get into this story if I haven't read these books? :o
@Lafter
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a word of the series yet and thanks to psychic's good job explaining things I've never really ever had moments of confusion. Hell he has made me want to start on this series.
So feel free to dive in, there's really nothing that ever comes up that requires outside knowledge. Just a little patience.
Never read the books, but I really enjoyed this story :D will continue to watch!
ReplyDelete@Lafter
ReplyDeleteNope, just psychic. :3
Seriously though, I tried to write the story so fans of both can read it without knowledge of the other world. There are some unfamiliar terms and references to Dresden characters, but nothing too confusing. Except for the prologue, the whole thing takes place in Equestria with Harry as the only Dresden Files character. I set it early in the series (DF) to avoid major spoilers for the series if this sparks an interest.
Anyway TL:DR. Short version: No, and I would be honored to have you read it.
Hah! Great stuff, my friend! I got through five chapters and I must say, this guy is very cool. I may have to give the series a once over. Is the magical explanation and magibabble any similar?
ReplyDeleteI laughed more than once, that's for sure. I get the feeling Dresden and certain... Other humans in Equestria would get along just fine. :D
I'mma finish the rest later and all I can say is that I had started off my own work as well as you did. :D Muy kudos!
@Lafter
ReplyDeleteDresden does a good job of explaining the magic he uses. Unlike that other wizard named Harry, magic in the Dresdenverse is bound by both a set of specific rules and by ordinary physics. (i.e., you can call up a blast of fire, but once you release it, it's still fire and behaves as any normal flame would.)
I hate replying on my phone... I meant to say I WISH I had started my fic just as well as you did. ._. I'm not that arrogant guys, I promise!
ReplyDelete@Lafter
ReplyDeleteI actually couldn't understand what the last sentence was trying to say at all. But you're too kind. After rereading the old chapters, I really want to go back and rewrite them.
Glad to hear you like it, and yes, I cannot recommend the Dresden Files too much. Jim Butcher is an amazing author.
Seeing as how they both share an affinity for fire and wiseassery I could easily see them getting along. XD
Last thing, don't sell yourself short. I'm a fan of Through the Eyes. Speaking of which does Captain Storm Wing give autographs? It's ..uh.. for a guy I know.
Sure thing! Lemme see if I can get him to d- OH WAIT HE'S BLIND!
ReplyDeleteGuess that kills that idea...
Don't mind me, I'm just testing this newfangled comment doohickey.
ReplyDelete@ Silentcarto
ReplyDeleteAnd then we reverted to blogger. XD
@psychicscubadiver
ReplyDeleteAnd I will never badmouth Blogger again.
"I love you, baby! I'm sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise I won't ever leave you again!"
I loved the bit with Pinkie and the hornets, and this:
ReplyDelete"The door opened onto a grand corridor. Instead of the familiar unfinished rock walls in the rest of the castle, the stone around us had been polished and formed into arches. Windows overlooking the quarry lined one side of the passage, and there were even a few statues scattered here and there. All of them depicted an arrogant unicorn only a head shorter than me, with a horn that was long and wickedly sharp. I stared at the nearest one, fairly sure who the subject was.
"So," I asked hooking a thumb at the statue, "is Trixie the pony version of a giant, or did she just need a statue big enough to fit her ego?" There was a startled beat as they stared at the statue, then Rainbow burst into laughter. Applejack and Twilight chuckled."
That's Harry right there; and Trixie's personality comes through loud and clear too.
Glad to see all the ponies contributing to the fight through the castle. Another great chapter!
ReplyDeletePfffft! Yeah right. Like Rainbow Dash can't dodge living lightning.
ReplyDelete@DPV111
ReplyDeleteOh, she could dodge it all day -- just not if she wants to reach the torch bracket.
1 I like it. It should have its own page on TvTropes.
ReplyDelete2 I like how narrative causality of the two stories clashes, causing everyone to be wrong genre savvy.
3 If I were the heroes, I would have taken the larger corridor and look for the throne room instead of Spike - Trixie's ego won't allow the final showdown to be anywhere else and its probably easier to find.
4 I have a feeling the hammer has yet to play a role.
That was great... You need to finish it, brony! Hurry!
ReplyDeleteOh god he's been possessed! They in for some real troubles.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Nightmare possessed Harry? Pity Lasciel isn't around; just imagine the conversation the three of them could have!
ReplyDeleteFUUUUU....
ReplyDelete"I swear to God," he wheezed. "If you summon Captain Planet, I am outta here."
ReplyDeleteLol.
They really live in a fairytale. So much telekinesis and nopony thought of the glass from the broken window...
ReplyDeleteAs for the fight, they should have it easier now. They are healed back to full strength and the nightmare now has a human body - It is already being reshaped but a wizard is not a unicorn.
Once again, another good installment. I like the way this is going, Dres now in turn being possessed in a world of rainbows and gumdrops, even though it would be out of character for this story, I really wouldn't mind if you let the world burn XD
ReplyDeleteSweet Dragons above, I love this author now XD First chapter had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Dresden Files meets Ponies is just too epic.
ReplyDeleteHey, folks. Just wanted to let everypony know that Psychicscubadiver sent me the next chapter for editing last Wednesday, and I completely derped and failed to see the attachment. So chapter 11 will be a little bit delayed. Sorry about that -- entirely my fault.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't heal the wound, pulling the blade out only makes things worse... Still, chapter 11 is perhaps the best thing I have read on EQD so far. The out of the blue Star Wars quip forced me to do a short break...not to mention you managed to make a PoV narration from a possessed character.
ReplyDeleteHoly crum, now that's a climax. Most impressive indeed. (part 11) I know things can't help but wind down from here, but man if that wasn't a clever bit of work.
ReplyDelete(Spoiler warning!)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I completely forgot that "Pinkie Pie" wasn't her True Name right up until he noticed her missing. XD Genius!
That wasn't a lance of fire, that was a bucking SOLAR FLAIR!
ReplyDeleteAlso, Nightmare was an IDIOT! If it had just bided it's time, it could have escaped safely off to Earth to reak havic, but NO! It had to kill off it's last host first!
Lastly, nice camio by Lash. Subtle cauntinuity nod.
@psychicscubadiver Reading along, I came to this in Chapter 3: " 'I'm sorry, Miss Sparkle, but the Princess is in another castle.'"
ReplyDeleteI face-hoofed mightily and groaned so deeply it shook the very walls of my research lab with great tremors of despondency! For thou hadst used one of the Forbidden Memes! And lo! The firmament wast rent and demons did wreak great fear upon the land!
And then I had gas reaaaaally bad and they died. So everything's hunky-dorey here now and I can get back to reading! :D
@Starcat5 DAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMNNNNN!!!! This is screaming, manly chest-thumping, buck-you-in-the-face-and-nuts-at-the-same-time frigging EPIC AWSOMENESS OF SUPREME AWESOME!!! :D :D :D
ReplyDeleteNow THAT is what I call a climax! HELL YEAHHHH!!
Well done. I tell you only this: well done. Your writing was quite admirable, and it entertained me to a ridiculous degree. Well done, well done, well done.
ReplyDeleteWell. That was intense.
ReplyDeleteThis story had been slipping imho since Trixie became the focus but holy fucking shit that last chapter was Epic. I thought the action was good in Ch. 10 but 11 was ridiculous. Hilarious Star Wars nods too.
ReplyDeleteThe final chapter is up at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fimfiction.net/story/8657/The-Dresden-Fillies%3A-Strange-Friends
Wow. This story was pretty awesome! It makes me want to go out and read the actual series now :D
ReplyDeleteI eagerly await the sequel(if there is one).
All my internets ! ALL OF THEM! 10/5 stars you earned them. Will thare be a second story pleas say yes I need more dresden/ ponys.
ReplyDeleteAll my internets ! ALL OF THEM! 10/5 stars you earned them. Will thare be a second story pleas say yes I need more dresden/ ponys.
ReplyDelete@Atomicbob Awww, it's over. :C
ReplyDeleteYou know a story is good when after the last line you feel the sense of emptiness at knowing you won't be eagerly awaiting the next chapter anymore, but at the same time feeling happy at how things wrapped up. :3
Loved it... absolutely loved every word of it.
ReplyDelete...And yes, I would love to see where you go with this in a possible sequel.
OH.MY.GOD.
ReplyDeleteI love the dresden files <3
And I love MLP fim
you sir win all the internet points!
I would so love to see a sequel to this, especially if it involved the Mane Six visiting Chicago.
ReplyDeleteHOLY CRAP!!!! SOOMEONE CROSSED MY TWO FAVORITE THINGS
ReplyDelete"Thou dost not resemble any of the tribes local to the inland seas."
ReplyDeleteHoo boy. Awkwarrrrrrrd. CHANGE THE SUBJECT! QUICK!
"There was one group, however, that we rather liked. It was a small religion professing near-Equestrian ideals of love and forgiveness even in the face of persecution. We believe they were called Christians. Dost thou happen to know how they fared?"
heh heh heh ha ha HA HA HAAAAAAOHGODIMCRYING
YOU WILL WRITE A SEQUEL TO THIS STORY AND YOU WILL DO IT NOW!
ReplyDelete@mycutiemarkisagun
ReplyDeleteTechnically they would have called themselves Kristianos and spoken Greek, but HEY LOOK PONY! :D
Considering the world he lives in, I am surprised he let the Christians comment pass without saying something sarcastic.
ReplyDelete@Braininthejar
ReplyDeleteHmm, good point. I may need to change that scene slightly. Though I doubt he'd be too rude given how close he is with the Knights of the Cross.
Thank you for introducing me to Dresden by the way. The only bad thing about those books is that they are over so soon (after George Martin, Glen Cook and J.K.Rowling, I am kind of used to bestsellers you can kill a man with ;p )
ReplyDelete@psychicscubadiverDon't forget Michael's family, Father Forthill, and Karrin Murphy. Myself, I just saw Luna's innocent question as being a clever way to show just how old she and Celestia are.
ReplyDeleteHeck, there's a part of me that wonders if they and Harry's pal Uriel the Archangel are on a first name basis.
@psychicscubadiver
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ardashir, I wouldn't change it at all. Anyway, she only said they espoused those ideals, not necessarily always lived up to them.
I considered suggesting a change there during editing, but then I remembered Father Forthill and Uriel and let it pass. He had plenty of time to snark during the history lesson, anyway.
I have started a Dresden Filies page on TV Tropes - everyone feel free to contribute:
ReplyDeletehttp://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDresdenFillies
*Wanders into morning story updates*
ReplyDelete*Sees Dresden Fillies*
"Ahh that was a good story. But I thought it fini- wait."
*Looks closer*
...Story... TWO?
*literally squees with glee*
By the way, psychicscubadiver... I really do have to thank you.
ReplyDeleteBefore I read your fanfiction I never read the Dresden Files. At all. I knew OF them but I was never really interested.
Now after reading your fanfiction, I'm on book seven and I think they might just be my favorite series of books ever.
So thanks for bringing me into this fold :D
If its "almost a year" but still before Discord, it probably breaks the official timeline (the episodes aren't in chronological order but Spike's "first birthday in Ponyville definitely happened after Discord)
ReplyDelete@Braininthejar
ReplyDeleteNotice that it says 'for Harry' and that he discusses in Chapter One that time doesn't always flow at the same rate across the Nevernever.
New story: Oh dear Bob the pervy air spirit in Equestria.
ReplyDeleteBob the Skull is in Equestria? How long until he asks somepony if they want to find out how to make a centaur?
ReplyDeleteStory 2!!!!!!!!!!!! *squees and races off to read*
ReplyDelete@KeeCoyote
ReplyDeleteYeah... when you think about it, humans aren't his species either, so... huh. Fair enough, I guess. >_<;