Hmm? Oh dear, I'm on air again, aren't I? Give me a minute to tidy up. Please ignore the ominous machine behind the tarp, there's nothing interesting about it. And don't touch those blueprints! They're private. Didn't your mother tell you not to poke through a person's things?
Unbelievably rude. I expected better from you, EqD. Is it really too much to ask for a little privacy for my scheming? Tch. Some people. Why are you even here?
Oh. Right. The Nightmare Night contest finalists. Let me go grab those. Meet me after the break. And for pony's sake, don't touch anything!
So for the second time, you pony folk were sent forth with a noble goal of populating this corner of the internet with an unreasonable amount of pony horror fiction. This time, however, you had an extra amount of time, with two weeks to craft your terrifying masterpieces. I guess extra time creates extra apathy, because we came out with a measly 40 fics compared to last year's over a thousand. Come now, guys. I know you can do better than that.
There were still quite a few good fics, though, some of them with some very interesting concepts. Still, due to the number I got, I had to tweak the rules just a little bit. Therefore instead of having a top ten list of finalists, we've trimmed it down to five! However, you folks will still have the duty of picking which of these well-crafted fics should take the title of Nightmare Night 2013 champion! That should keep your hooves busy for a week or so...
Without further ado, your finalists in no particular order whatsoever!
Author: Flashgen
Description:
After a few days of business, Twilight goes to the Canterlot library to unwind and study, but as she prepares to leave, she finds herself locked inside of a reading room. At first she assumes it is the act of an aspiring prankster, but as stranger and stranger things happen, she begins to question the likelihood.
Author: Cold in Gardez
Descripition:
Daring Do has never turned away from a challenge. But when she finds herself trapped beneath an ancient temple with a haunted artifact, she may find herself wishing she'd stayed home.
Author: shortskirtsandexplosions
Description:
"They came and took their faces, and then they took their insides. And one day, when the moon itself is fuller than it's ever been before, they'll crawl into our homes... and give them all back..."
Author: Obselescence
Description:
Princess Celestia has been keeping a dark secret from her subjects for a very long time. It's not an easy truth to tell, but if anyone can accept her after learning it, it will surely be her most faithful student.
Author: Chaotic Harmony
Description:
When Octavia's taste for blood goes awry, can she escape the one sent to hunt her down?
Look at all them there nifty stories! It sure as heck wasn't easy picking sifting through the fics I got, and I couldn't have done it without the help of a certain hostage friend Present Perfect, who aided me in picking the best of the best. God rest his soul.
Last year, the best story was selected via poll posted in EqD's sidebar. But seeing as Seth is... temporarily indisposed due to unexpected kidnapping by undisclosed person(s), I've decided to work the magic of GoogleDocs once more to present to you this handy dandy...
Finalist Voting Form
Remember to read each story and choose your favourite carefully. These authors put a lot of time and effort into these stories to keep you distracted from whatever I may or may not be up to, so you grant them at least the kindness to give them a fair shot at winning this competition. Either way, you have a week to read and vote for which fic you believe should win, and the final results will then be posted, as usual, with the top three audience picks, followed by the top three judge picks.
I hope you all enjoy these stories as much as I did. Now go on, get out of here, you scamp. The big day is coming, and I've got things to prepare. And you've got stories to read. So curl up with your favorite pumpkin-flavored seasonal treat, and enjoy. I'll be waiting.
