Just my FF Profile

Hello. MoD here. I suppose I should have some general info here, but the truth is I'm sort of a lazy arse when it comes to updating my profile. As you could tell.
As of recently I've decided to stay on Fanfiction, with no set out plans. I don't really do any lengthy ongoing epics, just short stories that are anywhere between 3k-10k words on average. Sometimes I have little drabbles, but not often. I just find it easier to write full stories succinctly enough to read in one sitting. Oddly enough my quieter pieces are longer (Paradigms, my biggest work, 9 chapters and 30k words) while my epics are more contained (Play, 8k words). I work in unusual ways. It's why I have nearly 60 pieces under my belt.
My paragraph of personal description is below, at the bottom of all this stuff.
I usually stick to the Super Smash Brothers section, as it really sparks one's creativity to have thirty-something diverse characters at one's disposal without having to condemn yourself to the arid, arid desert known as the Crossover section. Out of the Nintendo universe, I prefer the Mario world (so whimsical and simplistic while having so much to spark the imagination) but the character I use the most is arguably Samus Aran, bounty hunter of deep space. She is a very interesting character to work with which is why she pops up in most of my fics.
I also am open to interpreting characters in different ways from fic to fic. My most notable example of this is Princess Zelda, who has ranged from heroine to antagonist and everywhere in between. I don't really swear to one set interpretation, although I have my preferences.
I'm an open-minded writer and reader. I'll read stories with same-gender pairings if it's good. I'm recently getting comfortable with more M rated fics, and I enjoy outlandish concepts every now and again. I've recently written my first same-gender story, Samskeyti, which was an eye-opening experience. I also want to write a m/m pairing story, which I don't often see from male authors. Seeing as I am a straight male it'd be an interesting thing to try. But love is love, and I definitely embrace it in all forms.
(Hell, maybe I'll be caught off guard and settle down with a nice man in my life. You never know, honestly.)
I'm a free spirit as far as sections go. If I have an idea, I'll write it, even in sections I'm less familiar in. I've been branching out to TV shows lately and I'm open to try one for movies, animation, and books and such. I probably won't get into anime as it's not my style, though. Just preference. I'll read any good story in any section; in fact my favorites section I have nearly 190 stories from forty-four sections. I do love every story in my favorites, as well.
As for communities, I'm a relatively active member in the Reviews Lounge, too, a lovely little forum that helps bring attention and reviews to under-critiqued authors and stories. It's a good place to turn to if you don't get much activity on your work. They're totally nice people, incredibly intelligent, and great authors as well.
Update: I've actually taken a job there as an archiver, who adds new work to their archive. We add a story in there, and then it falls to other people in our forums to take a look and review them so that way those stories get the love they deserve. Who knows, maybe your story will pop up in the archive and even win Story of the Week! If I don't chance upon your story, then feel free to submit your work to being optioned and take your chances.
Thanks for stopping to take a look. I'll ramble a bit about the works I'm most proud of, and then about the people who have had the biggest impact on me as a fanfiction writer, and those who just create work I'm highly proud of.
Enjoy!
MoD

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If you are visiting here, I'll admit openly that I take pride in my works. I won't claim to be the best or to shine the brightest but I don't regret anything I've written, any rebellion I've started or anything I've done. I hope you'll like them too, and I daresay I think you will. I listed the works I enjoyed writing the most and I hope you'll take a look at them.
Viva La Vida
I still wonder how I did this one. I don't know if I'll ever be able to top it. I just rolled with the flow of the story, and with the Coldplay songs that influenced it, and edited a few times... the characters feel original and like my own, and I feel like I did it justice. So proud of it, and humbled by it. Humbled because I'm thankful for the talent I've been granted by whoever's above.
A Seat Above A Galaxy
I love when I can write something that means something to people, and this does, to people I've never talked to, and that makes me feel like I can do things in this world.
Samskeyti (third in LLB/GSG's Body-Switching Contest)
This was a very difficult work to write, mostly because I wanted a well-written story done of a pairing I hadn't considered in a style that was new to me for a contest that struck me as unusual. I'm very happy I wrote it, though, and enjoyed the experience heartily. The help I got from other author(esse)s was very insightful and uplifting, and I truly learned how to write masterfully through this work.
Skyward to Freedom (2nd of... 3 :P in TwilightOkami's Contest)
Had a blast writing it, and rereading it. :P It just captures a spirit of fun that seems to lack in other works that have heavier elements in them.
Adventures
Love the Ice Climbers, and thankfully Ace does too, so I wrote this for her birthday. This was originally going to revolve around Diddy and Dixie Kong, but a few changes of heart later, I paid tribute to the best Smashers ever... besides five others. :P
Paradigms (Winner of Souldin's Contest)
My first contest win (I'm still forever grateful) I'm proud of the piece, the dynamics, the morals, and the message I live by in fanfiction- characters are a lot more complex than they seem, especially in Nintendo. Those elements make up for the occasional flaw in it.
Also, I've decided against finishing it. I had a whole great plot idea that I still think is good... but it'd change everything, ya know, and I like it the way it is.
Kaze
Writing in a mostly lifeless section was really more of a personal choice. I wanted to take an interesting yet incredibly minor character (essentially a picture, a car and a mini-bio) and construct a story for her off of that. I enjoyed writing it, and it turned out well.
Memento Vita
I always try and do my best work for birthday gifts, and this was no exception, although the approach was different. The response I'm getting to it, though, is underwhelming. I took a dash of inspiration from two famous fanfictions, Alone at the Water in the Sherlock section and Letters from the Sky in the Hunger Games section, yet create a world that was my own. Using Junction City for the template in the most evident way yet was also enjoyable, and I'm glad to have written this. It's currently in progress but all the chapters are done; I'm just editing them all.
The World Is Quiet Here/The World is Noisy Here
When I got praise by Byoshi, Souldin, Picasso (a very very, er, picky person) and Ace for this work, I felt amazing since I love Byoshi's work, Souldin has a very critical eye, Picasso likes only one other Smash Bros work (Byoshi's, duh) and Ace is just awesomeness. When I wrote the sequel to it, I felt as if I wrote something more personal than I anticipated and it felt great.
Surviving Through It All
I should feel bad that this made my best friend weep vehemently, but... I guess it speaks for the story. I'm still shaken by it, honestly. How did I do this?
Beautiful Imprefection
I wrote it for a close friend, and the message impacted several others. It's an honor.
Pacifist Victors on a Champagne Battlefield
Still unsure about the dance scene, but I had a ton of fun writing Falco and Sheik together.
Voice of the Mute (tentatively second in Jimbo's Romance Contest- technicalities kept it from first but I admit wholeheartedly that Layla's work was a masterpiece and deserved a million wins. :D)
Maybe my most critically acclaimed work- it's Souldin's favorite from me, Jimbo obviously liked it and so did Fox and a ton of other authors I nearly worship. This was a huge leap for me, as otherwise I always played it safe. Maybe this is my 'renissance'
My three chapters of Halloweenness in MouseMaster42's The Game
I got to write THREE CHAPTERS for the best Smash Bros fic still alive today. How awesome is that? And she loved it, and I love her work, and it was just like a big giant hug. :D
Play
I believe this turned out excellently, as a character study and as my first true action work. Wolf really is a great character to write as and I loved doing so.
The Legend of Zelda Shall Never Die
I still regret having messed up all those facts about the games themselves, but I still enjoyed writing this for Foxpilot's birthday. It really was a difficult challenge but I think errors aside I did pretty well.
Journey of a Century
This one was emotionally a challenge to write, but effortless as well. I didn't have a plot in mind; Mario really took me on a journey and I just took notes. I hope this tribute to the legacy of Mario stands tall because he is such a legendary character.
Pacifist Victors on a Champagne Battlefield
It was nice to let my inner artist flash vibrantly. This piece is, troll wars or no, a grand experiment with a friendship and relationship that was among my best works.
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors
I'm seriously surprised at how much I nailed the character of Goren, as I had never even considered writing for the show before that day. It was, admittedly, inspired by the death of Amy Winehouse, which made me think of the self-destructive habits of people who are so much more than they think they are.
The Last Slumber of Mary and Marshall
I have always loved the dynamic between the two headliners of In Plain Sight. This idea was one I had toyed with for awhile and I think I executed it well.
No matter what, I'm glad to have written pieces I was proud of, and I really am happy with all 60 of them.

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A bit more about my Nintendo Tribute Installments.
These more or less banded together by accident, just because I prefer to write a good epic for gifts, but come to think of it I've really created a set out of these types of fics, so I've officially branded it.
My Nintendo Tribute fics are essentially fanfics that summarize the history, spirit, love, magic and legacy of a Nintendo game or characters. Usually, they take place anywhere between a few days or years after the main events. In some instances, canon is addressed, in others, canon is invented from scratch. The purpose of these is not only to provide the recipient with a brilliant story, but to profess my love and admiration of a certain Nintendo universe, game or characters.
Here's a bit more about each one!
Installment 1: The Legend of Zelda Shall Never Die
This is primarily notable for two things- One, it is the inaugural installment of this yet-to-be-organized sort of giftfic tradition, and Two- completely misunderstanding canon. Yes, I drew some flak for getting things hilariously wrong. Primarily it was related to the Timeline Theory, which I had no understanding of, since I was really new to the Legend of Zelda universe. So I presumed that, as with Mario, all of these stories had a single-timeline canon. And I mushed them all together. Which, apparently, was wrong, wrong, wrong.
Luckily, to reassure myself, Foxpilot himself, the man who received my gift, told me
"Basically, the war you wrote is likely to not have happened. Normally I'd be annoyed with this. Not incredibly, but still. In fact, this is a normal case in that respect. However, you should never, ever change that part. It's so integral and interesting that changing it would destroy the story you've created."

So there's that, I guess.
The story itself is inspired by this oh-my-god-squee commercial for Ocarina of Time 3D, where Robin Williams, in full awesomely-aging Mandy Patinkin beard, talks about the Legend of Zelda with his adult daughter, Zelda. From there, I just leapt into it, my Elder-Williams inspired King Link and his adult daughter Zelda II finally, fully discuss her mother's legacy, The Legend of Zelda.
(I'll write more later/eventually/hopefully)

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Where the hell would I be on this site without good friends? I have many people to thank, from authors I've talked to once or twice to authors who have become some of the most important people in my life. And they deserve a mention, they really do. The very least I could do.
Autistic: You are pretty much one of the coolest cats I know. You write well, you overcome your obstacles and use it for good. That I can respect. You also read more fics than Souldin and I combined which is badass. :D Your drive to learn won't be forgotten.
Byoshi- You were and still are the ruler of Smash Bros fanfiction. You see the characters in such a deep light and so fleshed out that you are a huge inspiration for me. And you needn't worry about if you're doing good or if you should keep it up. This section is honored to have you. Thanks for being an exceptional beta reader and an exceptional author. Your skill and effort won't be forgotten.
Tune4Toons- You're just flipping awesome. You say I inspired you, and now you inspire me. You're a dear friend, a good conversant, and a loyal person with incredible writing skill. You're just a joy to have around! Your exuberant presence and constant life as a source of inspiration won't be forgotten.
GenericDude- Why is it I just now noticed what a terrific author you are? You wrote the first fic that, even with all its flaws, kept me happy and dwelling on it for a week after. When I thought about it I'd smile real wide. And you're even better now. Keep it up. Your constant ability to write won't be forgotten.
Guessworks- You know more about what it's like to be a human than most anyone I've met. You're incredibly intelligent, incredibly real and damn good at what you do. It's always incredible when someone you admire to death admires you just as much and neither of you really know it. :D Your passion and love for your work won't be forgotten.
TheDeathFrisbee- You're an absolute boss. You're a tough critic but that's excellent as far as I'm concerned. You're pretty much the queen of grammar, and you're incredibly smart to boot. :) You write like a classical genius and you're a ton of fun. You and your chapter titles named after classical music and all the other great qualities that come with you won't be forgotten.
JSparks- I'll go up to bat for you anyday. You're one of the single sweetest, kindest people ever, but you are brave as hell, girl. And don't say you're not, you are. And also, you don't owe me a damn thing for me standing up for you after all that happened. And f@%k the haters. They're the losers, they aren't friends with you. Your bravery in the face of adversity won't be forgotten.
James Terrazen- For the life in me... I don't know where the hell you came from with your random reviews, but you're one of the coolest dudes I know with your awesome one liner reviews and having the gumption to be one of the few who will be harsh on a bad fic without being a tool. People could learn from your example. Also, the fact that you went to bat for JSparks just defined you as a brave, incredible individual as I didn't know you were that rooted into the community and its members. Your gumption and rebellious spirit won't be forgotten.
Kattheamazing- You're one of the coolest cats I've ever met. You're totally crazy but without going all Pikana about it. (Sorry Pika! You rule too!) You've also been incredibly loyal, always keeping in touch, and going the extra mile for a friend. Very happy to have met you. :D Your humor and bright spirit won't be forgotten.
GoldFountain- Thanks for giving me faith in the Smash Section again with such brilliant, gutsy and original writing. Never doubt that you have incredible talent, because I won't forget it.
EHWIES- You were a brilliant introduction to the Reviews Lounge, too. Your inclusion of my story into your archives and then as story of the week made me feel like a true author for the first time. You're highly intelligent, infectiously spirited and just overall brightness. Your cheerful outreach won't be forgotten.
Foxpilot- You're like the big internet brother I never had; very welcome as I always wanted an older sibling. You're incredibly helpful, not afraid to criticize, honest, professional, crazy, friendly, unprofessional, skilled, humble, proud... you're what makes a human being, and a damn good one at that. The Smash Bros section owes so much to you... and so do many aspiring authors, like me. Your commitment to the growth of many new authors, myself included, won't be forgotten. I owe you a lot in particular.
The Stupendous Jimbo- You write hilarious, scathing commentary... and you're, like, the most humble, good spirited guy. You're a ton of fun to shoot the breeze with and a damn funny person (of course.) You're a strong asset to the history of this here Smash Bros. section. Your subtle intelligence and biting wit won't be forgotten.
kyouji kanji- I don't know you as much as I do the others but for someone of your genre you're just as chill as us gamer kids. And you're a damn good author as well- you should try screenwriting, ya know? Your immaculate work and humble charm won't be forgotten.
RedheadedMarina- You are a fascinating writer and such an uplifting person. You flatter me with your compliments, really you do, but I'm thankful for them. Your support and the way you boost one's spirits won't be forgotten.
Layla.Kagamine/Romeo.Cinderella/yournamewillprobablybedifferentbythetimeIeditthisagain- You're one of the few people who can write works that I literally fell in love with. You're a very sweet person as well. We need more hopeless romantics like you in the world. Your beautiful rose tint won't ever be forgotten.
Lightning Laveau- You're one of those people who are just so much fun to watch- in their writing and outside of it. Simple as that. Your infectious happiness and your brilliant work won't be forgotten.
Desktop Warrior (aka Time!)- People as willingly helpful and cordial as you are a blessing to have, especially for such a newbie to the RLt as I was. Thanks for going out of your way to help me play Review Tag. Your efforts to better the RLt won't be forgotten.
MouseMaster42- You're one of the single most open, welcoming and outgoing people I've met. You address every reviewer cordially and you are a true friend. I mean... do you know how awesome you are? You are, like, one of the most grateful, humble people I've seen- do you know that I think you are perhaps more cool than you think of me? Your love for your following and your confident humility won't be forgotten.
lovely-logic- Cheers to a lady with kind words, incredible writing talent, spirited demeanor and constructive criticism. You truly are a lovely person and I'm glad you're here. Your skill and the smiles you bring won't be forgotten.
Pikana- You know, I have to respect that you don't give a damn about anything anyone thinks or any boundaries about anything. You are who you are- you write yaoi, yuri, incest, anything that makes anyone squirm, and you date a freaking pokemon. And you're sooooooooooo effing cool. You're like Lady Gaga, but more original. :D Work the crazy and go places with it! That crazy and the guts behind it won't be forgotten.
Sigcius- You're the first author and story I ever favorited, and it was nice not only to read an amazing story (and I'm actually rereading it in the last few days) but to see an author I identified with, especially reading the process and behind the scenes. If you could do it, hell, maybe I could too! Your mastercrafted work and how you introduced me to Fanfiction won't be forgotten.
Soundwave0107- You were the first person to review me, and you gave me a great review. I was super worried this site was going to be all formal and d%#chey, but you busted that notion in half. A great welcoming committee and what really inspired me to make friends here. Your friendly welcome won't be forgotten.
Ze Dybbuk- You're gut-bustingly hilarious, inside fics and in normal conversation. You also know you're pretty cool, and I like that. And you still owe me that drawing, but hey, you said before the four horsemen of death stomp the earth and that hasn't happened yet. xD Your being the coolest of all cats won't be forgotten.
Souldin- I know that techincally we were bound by law ;) but not only was it an honor to win the Review King's contest, but to have you continuously review all 40 of my fics without complaint or fail, and being completely unbiased while still being a friend and cordial and all that. Thanks for everything! Your hard work into all of those reviews and how they shaped the way I write now (as well as the two "Astonishing job, keep up the fantastic work"s) won't be forgotten.
PitFTW- You do damn good work and incredibly good contests. The AU contest you did with Foxpilot was what got me started in Ficcing and then revitalizing my writing altogether. Thanks! The way you provided the drive for many authors to start won't be forgotten.
Truetobeblue- It's always real great to see that one of my writing heroes has spontaneously favorited and loved my own works. And you're still as good as ever, and as friendly as ever- in fact, thanks for the preview on your next story! Your idealistic influence won't be forgotten.
hardly loquacious- Haha, and I thought I was a workhorse. You did a whole month's work of fics in a row, and here's the thing- they were all so awesome! You are the writer to go to for excellent Mentalist fics, and you're like the nicest person to boot. Also, your username is awesome. Turns out when you search hardly l, your name is one of the first results! :D That's something. Your remarkable passion for all the pieces you do won't be forgotten.
Joebthegreat- You're a bit uncouth at times, but that's part of what makes you cool- even when you're totally rude, you're still genuinely a good guy. :D Your brash honesty won't be forgotten.
CharmyMew- I remember you most for being an eloquent fan who is incredibly kind in her reviews. You really made a difference and you're encouraging me to this day. That eloquence, especially for someone as selectively mute as you, is remarkable and won't be forgotten.
Lays- It's not everyday you review a two year old fic and the author responds and is totally willing to talk and share ideas and accept advice. Even if I didn't keep in touch (I'm so sorry!) you were a great conversant. Never worry about your replies being too long. ;) Your effort in your correspondence won't be forgotten.
Tealfrog26- I'm still a big fan. You're truly underrated and very brilliant, and you bring out humanity from anywhere. That won't be forgotten.
EggplantWitch- At first I knew you as the girl who left me tough reviews on Strings. You're like one of the kindest people, though... which seems to be a recurring theme around here with my friends. You've got that special sort of kind charm, where you instantly want to befriend them. Thanks for being honest, too. :D Your constructive criticism and your perseverance won't be forgotten.
Sweswe: Your humility is completely charming, as is your sense of humor and personal open-ness, and you write amazingly. Never forget that. You won't be forgotten.
and of course, Araceli L. God, girl. You're one of the best friends I've ever had. I don't know what compliment I haven't given you, but... every kind word I've said that you accepted with a quick blush (or as close as you get over text), just know that I really mean everything I said. Every damn thing. ;) (get it? Damn's an in joke... hahahaha?) I owe you a lot. You're a great author, an amazing friend, and you should know that, like, everyone thinks you're awesome. I won't ever, ever forget you, because hopefully I'll never have reason to need to only remember you. I hope to be something permanent for you as you are for me. I never will regret meeting you.

Thanks for everything, everyone. I owe you more than you'll ever know. I'll never forget any of you, this I promise.

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Time changes everything, including my moods and maybe my writing, but it'll never change me.
I am MoD. I'm an 18 year old autistic artist. I love to write and I love to read people's creation. I think there are plenty of people who deserve a chance to show their writing to the world. Too many people are unaware of the talent they have, and therefore I keep aware that I am a talented person in a world of talented artists. I believe in right and proper treatment of all people, even if you don't agree with them. All people have a heart and soul and by abusing others you remove your own from your chest. Everyone in this world is capable of brilliance, but unfortunately not all of them are brilliant. The ones who are, however, shine no matter what.
And whether leaving or staying, one thing has never changed- I have owned nothing, regretted nothing, and hopefully have let you forget nothing. Nor do I ever intend to do either of those things in any remaining tenure on this site.
MessengerOfDreams, signing in.
P.S. Remember, when life gives you lemons, say 'Thank you for the apples!'

The Best Fanfic of All Time-A Step Down From Perfect by Byoshi

Alright, guys. This is it. The big one. THE BEST FANFICTION OF ALL TIME. What could it be? Does anyone know? To that I say "Did you not see the title? Read it, for god's sake!"

1. A Step Down From Perfect by Byoshi

Section: Super Smash Bros
Genre: Drama, Friendship, Romance, Angst
Rating: Teen for thematics, slight language.
Type: Chapterfic, 83,000 words
Status: Finished
Last Updated: October 9th, 2009

Description: Samus, a self-conscious bounty hunter with eyes for the perfect Marth (who at the moment is dating the equally perfect Zelda) is slowly brought to reality after meeting the mussy, down to Earth Captain Falcon during the Melee fighting tournament. The fighters' world is turned upside down when a rebellion against the sadistic authority figure, Master Hand, starts to take place with Mewtwo and Peach as the catalysts.

Starring Characters: Samus, Falcon, Peach, Marth, Mewtwo, Zelda, Master Hand, Fox, Falco, Link, Pichu, Crazy Hand.

(Note: I kinda went crazy with the quote gun, so I hope you don't mind.)

Review: I wanted to turn this review in two days ago, on the second anniversary of Perfect's completion, but I didn't get around to it. I'm just... amazed at this fic. Simply amazed. I've come to consider it the gospel on how I write today, fanfiction or not.

The story is hard to explain in one line. There's such a beautiful interweave between all of the main characters that it's best to let the story speak for itself. But the summary, I hope, is a good start.

Sometimes, she'd imagine she was Zelda. Or someone like her. Samus would imagine if things would be any more different if she had a powerful family name, or if she was beautiful, or if she was elegant in everything she did. If she was a princess, or if her name was something as melodic as Zelda.

And sometimes, she hated him. She hated how he acted so damn nice to her and then left it at that. It hurt to the point that it never really went away. She'd much rather have him despise her. At least that would take her out of her limbo of false hope.

I've come to love the story idea of two people doing something together somewhere and through it growing as people, most likely in love. I mean, 16 of my about 40 stories follow this exact plot line. It's sort of my shtick. It's about putting characters in the situations they need and the settings they need for something to affect them or to set the tone for the story.

It's a pretty calculative thing to do sometimes, even for oneshots. What I love that Byoshi did is that she creates the mood, the scene, from scratch every chapter. She incorporates the setting, fleshes it out, puts the characters in it, and then directs it. Good writing is also directing, in my opinion, and Byoshi is a master director. Every scene radiates with such a cohesive, orchestrated beauty. I know I've said I like intricate detail and orchestration a lot in, like, every fic, but Byoshi takes it to an all new level. You can tell that the entire story has a function and use in every part.

Link rubbed his face again, a small habit Samus was starting to notice now. "I'm just a forest boy earning a small reputation to keep his village going. That's hardly the same level as a prince, a princess and the galaxy's greatest hunter."

"But you're a hero...you saved Hyrule...Zelda told me once."

"Heroes are glorified fools."

That includes the characters. If a character gets more than a paragraph or two of screen time, the character is defined effortlessly and becomes likable. The heroic, charismatic Fox, the grouchy, competitive Falco, the quiet but supportive Link, the adorable, active Pichu, and the not-so-perfect perfect princess Zelda all engage you even though they're not the mains, and they're all useful. I personally love them all (especially Fox. :D)

Of course, The main characters are beautiful on their own right. The idea of Samus being less than confident is usually very taboo for fans of the bounty hunter, but Byoshi makes it work, quite well, still giving her an affirming amount of strength throughout her emotional weaknesses. Falcon is incredibly imperfect, as the title implies. He believes rumors, he can be rude, cocky and even screws up sometimes, not to mention he's not the handsomest in the mansion. But he's still very kind, courageous, loyal and caring, and a completely likable guy. And it's about time we had a male lead in a romance that is as imperfect as the female is often made out to be.

"... Can you predict the future, Mewtwo? With your psychic, I mean," she said. He looked up. "...What's mine like?"

He looked so much less formidable when his frown and narrowed eyes disappeared. He was bemused, but Samus swore she saw the tiniest glint of amusement in his eyes. The long purple tail flicked from left to right.

"Give me a moment," he answered. Samus did. "Let's see. You will definitely earn a strong reputation as a feared bounty huntress. You'll marry twice, have a string of affairs along the way and give birth to nine children."

It started from her stomach, rippling up the throat and warming her heart. She laughed, hugging her knees and shaking her head. Mewtwo had kept up his straight face. But within a few seconds, a low growl reverberated in his throat and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"You're horrible," she said to him.

"You ask for a lot when you want me to read into the future; I can hardly read minds at the moment. But as far as I know, you make your own future."

Peach is also brought out of the stereotype, becoming a strong, professional woman who is still kind, cheerful and optimistic. She genuinely cares about Mewtwo, despite the fact that he is resistant to all her attempts to win him over. Mewtwo himself, while being cold and resistant, has a wry sense of humor and genuine investment in the goings on of the mansion.

And of course, there's the oh-so-not-perfect Marth. On the outside he is charming and beautiful. On the inside he's, well, the same. But Marth as a whole has flaws that Samus doesn't see, but he's still a good guy and not villainized.

Of course, the Hands, our villains of choice. Master Hand is admittedly straightforward in his sadism and distaste for his fighters. But the way he works is still quietly and suspiciously- his actions are never blatantly stated, he's the demented wizard of Melee. A truly engaging villain. Speaking of demented, Crazy hand is the right balance of crazy- still truly mentally deficient but with some form of intelligence. (he also provides a good game to figure out the schemes of Master Hand- props, Byoshi.)

What I adore about these characters and praise Byoshi for without end is how she takes these characters out of their stereotypes or their canon, but still keeping them true to character. That is called making them real, and that is simply freaking brilliant. It's how I learned.

"It adds insult to injury, doesn't it?"

Falcon was back in his car and was already reversing. Samus pushed her thoughts of Marth out of her head (very reluctantly).

"What does?"

"Mewtwo haveing a trainer. I heard he's got a bit of a background, so the Master Hand wanted some control over him. According to Link, Mewtwo has a bit of a hard time trusting people as it is; it's even worse for him to have to take orders from Peach or the Master Hand."

Samus didn't reply. She did feel a bit sorry for Mewtwo, but in all honesty, it was nothing to do with her. Smashers loved rumours and hot gossip, but Samus never really cared for them. It wasn't like they involved or affected her.

The plot itself is spectacularly executed as well. The rebellion idea has been used before, but never like this. There are rarely violent actions in the story, but the action is so real even if it's not physical. You can feel things shift and change and progress and it's thrilling without being physical. That's an amazing approach and accomplishment.

And the cliche is true. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and sometimes, you'll applaud.

The writing is simply effortless as well. It's structured well, the dialogue is smart, witty, and creates whatever emotional effect it's going for. Never does she resort to straight up manipulation but you can feel for the characters and the story. You're roped into it. I meant to browse a chapter before I went to bed a few months ago and ended up staying up till 1:30 in the morning, tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. (Moral of the story- start reading at around 4? :) )

This is simply an accomplishment of literature, fanfiction or not. And this is the best fanfic I have ever read. I've taken my influence from it, my passion, my knowledge and my love from it. It's remarkable. I really don't have much else to say.

Just... thank you, Byoshi.

She ripped up some grass and clenched a hand into a fist, sighing in exasperation. "Master Hand will worm it out of him. Game and Watch is a coward and the thought of being punished by his boss is probably more frightening than Mewtwo. Master Hand will play around with me a bit more, destroy the lives of everyone else I care about and see to it that I'm fired. I'll be leaving this Mansion and giving the Federation a disgraced name. Master Hand will target you next, I'm sure of it. He'll mess with your mind to get revenge on me-"

Falcon punched her shoulder lightly. "Hey. Don't tell me that's the reason you've been avoiding me. I'm not going anywhere. Master Hand can come at me with all the mind games he has, but I won't give up on you, Samus. Look at me."

Reluctantly, her eyes met his. In this evening light, they could almost pass as hazel.

"You're not the kind of person who gives in. Everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, and it's happened all at once, that's all. You've landed yourself in the biggest mess possible, but with some time, it'll work out."

And that's the list folks. I'll update with one final "Summary Post" another time. Thanks for reading.

2nd Best Fanfiction of All Time- Firefly by LightningLaveau

A Note Beforehand- I swear to god, there is a sliver, a SLIVER, of difference between two and one. I must have flip flopped so many times between the top 2 that I lost track. Ultimately, I settled this one into a very close number 2. You could almost consider it number 1.5. But that's not very tidy. ;)

2. Firefly by LightningLaveau


Section: Mario
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Humor, Friendship, Romance
Rating: Teen for some language, alcohol and smoking- also, the story revolves around underground illegal racing.
Type: Chapterfic, 63,000 words
Status: Ongoing
Last Updated: July 28, 2011

Description (Oh wow I remembered to add this part in, unfortunately it will just be copypasta from the story description this time!): In the racing-obsessed metropolis Mushroom City, Bowser's kart team tops the charts. An unexpected chain of events forces him to confront both his lurid past and the Mushroom Kingdom's oppressive ruler in this AU fic set in the Mario Kart: Double Dash world.

Starring Characters: Bowser, Toadette, Rosalina, Lakitu, Dry Bones, Daisy, Toad... and effectively every other Mario character in existence.

Review: When a story gets me, a specific reviewer, a story analyst, to drop all pretenses, all the regulations and the details and just HAVE A GOOD F**KING TIME, that's a story that is really special in my book.

This story, as I told Laveau herself many times as I ogled over her work, is like a damn good TV show that keeps on updating (irregularly but still) and you enjoy every update. But this is a TV show that does everything right, too.

Rainbow Road. God-forsaken Rainbow Road.

Whose idea had it been to put in a vertical suction vacuum? Why build the longest racetrack in the Cup in outer space? Who had the time and money to build the thing in the first place, a Lisa Frank acid trip in the middle of nowhere? Now that he thought about it, how could they ever breathe up there? If Rosalina hadn't—

No. No. Don't think about that. Think about now. At this place—ugh.

Lakitu appeared, holding up the starting lights. Bowser's right calf clenched instinctively as the three-second red light flashed.

Of course, the ridiculous construction of the place was coupled with quite a few areas in which he could show off his skills. Like all tracks in the Special Cup, the place was designed for veterans like him. It tested him and it gave him room for growth. Little to no guard rails, treacherous slippery road, and—he would never admit it aloud—pretty.

"…two… one…"A hush fell over the crowd. "GO!" He hit the pedal for a rocket start.

The characters- how I love the characters. Mushroom City, Kingdom, and all its inhabitants have been humanized a great deal (Laveau had a livejournal on this but for the life of me I can't find it- PM her and I'm sure she'll be glad to send it over.) It's essentially a somewhat realistic world (but not entirely, as you'll see.)

The characters, though, still ring of the life and spirit of their video game forms, but with such expansion and well tending that you grow to like them, and they distinguish themselves. You'll remember every character at least a little bit as you read through, which is great cause there are a lot.

The characters also have great relationships and interactions. Bowser's team is the greatest example of this; you truly feel the urge to root for the good guys. I also love the chemistry between Bowser and Toadette. It's not romantic at all, but you can totally tell they have each other's back- think Callen and Sam from NCIS: LA, or any other cop show of your choice. They're a great pair, definitely my favorite character interaction in Fanfiction. Also the reason I main Toadette in Mario Party (well that, and "Mushroom!")

The plot itself is steadily moving forward, giving away just enough to keep you hooked and wanting more, but not so much that it's overwhelming and scatters in your brain. It's hard to say much without revealing the plot, but think of it like what I've been told the Wire is like. (God I want to see that show.) Continuous reads will be beneficial if you're looking to catch up but it's by no means necessary. While there's satisfying amounts of info and twists each chapter, the plot takes its time. I think you'll find it a satisfying weekend read.

The action is great too. It's by no means an easy task to make kart racing so badass and relate it only to text, but you wouldn't know it by the way Laveau does it. It's fluent, vivid and engaging. She could make a novel adaption of Fast Five a critically acclaimed bestseller.

It's incredibly hard to find a fault with this story. It's a popcorn FlICk that is done just right but has enough emotional levity and a bit of weight to make you actually give a crap. A lot of movies don't even do this.

The worst thing about this story is that it is very underrated. This should be a huge story, but Laveau only has a four or five reader fanbase. This is, by far, the best ongoing story on this site. If you're a Mario fan, or a racing fan, or a good literature fan, this is THE story you want to check out, and thus you should. Laveau is going to be a big thing the day someone experienced in media comes across her work, so don't you want to be able to say that you knew her when she was writing Firefly? :D

3rd Best Fanfiction Of All Time-Distorted by Guessworks

3. Distorted by Guessworks

Section: Super Smash Bros
Genre: Angst, Horror, Thriller, Romance, Alternate Universe
Rating: Older teen for drug use, terrifying imagery, and mentions of suicide
Type: Short Story, 8000 words
Status: Completed
Completed: February 25, 2011

Starring Characters: Sheik, Roy, Zelda, Link, Samus

I was passing through the Smash Brothers section one day in February. I didn't intend to stay long, but then a contest caught my eye. Two people named Foxpilot and PitFTW were clever enough to come up with an Alternate Universe romance instead of the overused and occasionally cliche Smash Bros universe and its stigmas. I was interested and read up on the entries. When I found this story, I was floored. I couldn't believe there was writing this good... anywhere. Inspired by this and other works in the contest, I decided to start my Fanfiction career with an entry for their contest. (Also just yesterday I found out I came in second to last. Awesome! :D)

And I haven't left that section yet. And nothing's been the same since.

Now, I love Foxpilot and Pit, but I have got to say that Guessworks' entry being one of the bottom entries is one of the biggest crocks of bullshit I've ever heard. She was robbed as this is not only the best entry to their contest but the best short story in the entire section. And this is the one section I've read up and down. She absolutely killed it.

What makes this story haunting is not so much the acts of physical violence which one would normally think would provoke fear and horror. Guessworks takes you into the mind of a haunted, somewhat insane young woman (Sheik) who is convinced that she is nothing and that her perfect sister (Zelda) is evil and seeks to ruin her life. And as you read on, you start to wonder what is real and what is fiction- it's not quite as straightforward as it seems.

I look to my left at the mirrored wall. In the reflection I see a pale girl with big grey eyes, pin-straight blonde hair, a big nose, pointy shoulders, knobby knees... People tell me that I am beautiful. We are semi-identical, after all, but I know they all believe that she is the prettier twin. People tell me that I am not fat, that I am skinny. I don't believe that either.

Suddenly the girl in the mirror morphs into the one I hate most. She stands there, in her fancy crimson costume, grinning at me like there is nothing wrong with the world. Screeching, I punch her with all of the strength I can muster. The glass shatters and rains around me.

I start to panic when I see her ugly head on every single shard. I turn around, but she is on the mirror behind me. I am surrounded by her.

"What's wrong, dear sister? Aren't you happy?"

Her falsely sweet voice makes me sick.

"You are my understudy! You should be proud."

I don't want to be proud. I have failed! I was not perfect, I failed! But she wasn't perfect either! She deserves nothing!

"Dear sister, you are mistaken... I deserve the world on it's knees."

"STOP!" I scream at the top of my lungs, frantically scratching my ears. "STOP! SHUT UP!"

What makes it terrifying is the uncut, raw trip into Sheik's tortured psyche. Guessworks holds no punches and keeps no subtlety. And while normally that means a shlock of cheese and cliche and oh god this again, here it's just a knife to the heart. She proves that you don't have to be subtle to be true and realistic.

I could go on and on about how remarkable her interpretation of Sheik is, but there's a lot to talk about here. The plot itself is simple enough to leave things open to anything instead of going down a worn path. The haunted and self-loathing Sheik is the understudy to her ballet sister, Zelda, with whom she shares a hateful, volatile situation. Zelda is doing the ballet with her boyfriend, Link, who Sheik loves dearly. Link's understudy is Roy, a kindly young man who cares for Sheik. This is the short basis of the plot as there isn't much else to reveal without spoilers. But the interesting thing about the plot is that it doesn't quite feel solid and yet things really do happen. Usually a plot not being solid is a bad thing but I quite like it here with it not feeling cemented. You're busy being drawn in and not taking events into account. It's truly hypnotic.

Even the way she writes it is absolutely masterful. At the beginning of the chapters is a bit of the ballet script, which distinctly but subtly parallels the story itself (is that a paradox, distinct yet subtle?) I've come to love people who truly compose their stories, and Guess is no exception. She is a master of it.

It's clear that expertly handled raw psychological and emotional trauma is more frightening than watching Jigsaw kill someone by disembowelment six hundred and sixty six times. But at the end of the day, it leaves you more moved than those murders ever will.

This was the true winner of Pit/Fox's contest. Sorry, Pikana. Your story was great, but this was the best of them all. And definitely one of the best I've ever read. I owe this story and its brilliant author a lot.

4th Best Fanfic of All Time-A War Apart by Sigcius

4. A War Apart by Sigcius

Section: Advance Wars
Genre: War, Drama, Angst, Thriller
Rating: Teen to Older teen for violence, occasional swearing and personal trauma
Type: Chapterfic, 140,000 words
Status: Completed
Completed: December 29, 2010

Starring Characters: OC Christoph, Sami, Max, Eagle, Rachel, OCs Sepp, Roma, Sigfried

This was actually the very first fanfic I ever favorite and what really moved Fanfiction from a guilty pleasure by total geeks to an art form just as powerful as real life writing in my eyes. And it still holds up today.

This Advance Wars story is as close to a real novel as it gets. Sigcius only wrote one serious story his entire time on the forums but it’s one of the most impressive feats this site will ever have. I think I should break it down for y’all.

The gunman's brown eyes squinted in the dusty wind. The lifeless eyes of the soldier's mask bore no emotion, but his pain was evident. He no longer sobbed or squealed, but his breathing was heavy and erratic. He clutched at his wounded leg.

"Please… please…"

Dark brown, almost black hair obscured the gunman's eyes for a moment, but he brushed it out of the way. "Why?"

"Just… please, don't… don't kill me. I don't – I don't -"

"Not that," the gunman cut him off. "Why this?" He looked up for a moment, as if he were watching something on the far horizon. "Why did you do this?"

"I didn't… I mean… please, don't…"

He looked back down at the soldier and scooped up a handful of sand-colored dirt. Dry, no moisture at all. Then, slowly, he tipped his hand and poured it over the soldier's face. "Why would you do this? To my home? Bleed it so completely of life?"

"I was just following-"

"Don't give me that shit!" The black-clad soldier sobbed again. "Don't tell me you were just following orders!"

"Please," the soldier repeated. "I've got a family, see? I'm just a – a - a grunt!" He reached up to his mask and, with shaking hands, began to remove it.

Crack!

1. The game “Advance Wars” is a turn by turn strategy game that has waaaaaaaaaaaay too casual a feel for its subject matter, at least in the Cosmo Land timeline it’s set in. I mean, I love it to death but every single character is pretty much some sort of stereotype, whether light or heavy. Sigcius takes that and makes it believable, cohesive, gritty and intelligent as it should be, darkening the goof-off factor the games have until it becomes a war drama novel that you could literally see published.

The basic storyline is that the four nations that were formerly allies against Black Hole now start to turn on each other after triggering events start happening. It’s an interesting take but it’s made real and not cartoonish. It’s a story you can take seriously, and the AW section lacks in those.

2. It has original characters, not OCs. And what I mean is that the OCs aren’t typical OCs- to quote Foxpilot “a character that falls in luv with [the main] and haz his hiddz lolololololololol”. He has original characters- flawed, annoying, sometimes unlikable but in the end you still support him or watch him at least. Christoph is angry, sometimes arrogant and very misguided but that’s part of the beauty of the story.

3. It is all so intricate and so detailed that, again, it’s a novel. It’s a book, a real story. It says a lot about Sigcius that he’d write a full length book for a section that hardly anyone frequents. If he writes a real book, he will undoubtedly be a success because he practically wrote one here.

Simply put, it is an accomplishment in the evolution of fanfiction writing, and a remarkable piece in general. If you want to know how to write remarkable fiction, set some time aside to read this fic, whether you played this game or not.




Wow... only 3 fics left. Ain't that just crazy? And I'm very proud of these three fics. I'm still caught up about the order just a smidge, but I'm pretty sure numbers 3, 2 and 1 are decided.

Thanks for reading!

MoD

5th Best Fanfic of All Time- Speak Now! by Layla Kagamine

5. Speak Now by Layla Kagamine

Section: Super Smash Bros
Genre: Romance
Rating: Teen- it’s a light story but does have language and occasional innuendo.
Type: Short Story Chapterfic- 6,000 words
Status: Completed
Completed: January 28, 2011

Starring Characters: Nana, Lucas

I'm willing to bet Layla Kagamine is a hopeless, attentive and intelligent romantic. I can tell that’s true even though we haven’t spoken much and that is because she wrote this remarkably relatable, in tune and thoughtful romance fic that reminds up of why we love and who we love.

The story is the winning entry to The Stupendous Jimbo’s Challenging Romance contest which outlawed dialogue of any sort. Reading this fic, though, you’re not thinking “Wow, she did a good job without dialogue!” You’re thinking “Wow… this- I know this. It’s remarkable how much she knows me.” And she knows romance and love, and you have a strong feeling that this is written from experience.

Today was my best friend Lucas's wedding with a lady whom he had met 6 months ago. Lucas is one beautiful man; he has beautiful eyes that put stars to shame, an attractive shy smile and a powerful brain (maybe the reason why he has PSI?). We have been best friends for almost a decade, ever since that first day I met him in grade 8. I was the new girl, moving into a new town, he was the shy guy...

And, we just went from there.

We have been inseparable ever since. I was there for him during his first crush. I was there for him when his mother and brother died. I was there when he won the gold medal for the math-letics and I was the one defending him whenever he got taunted or teased. Now, 10 years later, he's getting married... Now, normally, I would have loved to attend my best friend's wedding, be the supporting friend to share one of his best and happiest moments.

...

Due to some reasons, however, I cannot help but have problems sitting through this one.

The story follows Nana, who is crashing her best friend Lucas’ wedding because she knows the woman he is marrying is a monster (but come on, I love Toadette!) and because she has also discovered that she is madly in love with him. Sure, it’s basic fare, but it’s not the plot that matters sometime, but the execution.

The story is spoken from a tone that is personal not only in the way that it is emotional but in the way that it is sharp, witty and occasionally sarcastic, as if it’s being spoken directly from Nana herself. Nana speaks in the present as she prepares and performs her wedding crash, and in the past as she remembers all the moments between Lucas and herself that she should have noticed showed how much they were meant for each other. That’s what makes it remarkable and relatable; you see yourself in the little moments and the big productions of this story. My personal favorite scene is the one revolving around Lucas’ birthday gift to Nana; it’s something that would really happen.

Even though this is number five on my list and there are fics ahead of it that have a good amount of romance, this is ultimately my favorite romantic fic written on this site. It’s someone’s heart written for the world to see.

6th Best Fanfic of All Time- In Transit by Sequitur

6. In Transit by Sequitur

Section: NCIS
Genre: Tragedy, Angst
Rating: Everyone, although you have to pay attention to feel the full impact
Type: Oneshot, 2000 words
Status: Completed
Completed: October 20, 2005

Starring Characters: Tony DiNozzo, Kate Todd

This is simply one of the smartest, most incredible oneshots I’ve ever read, especially for a section I don’t often read from an author I’ve never met and a story 5 years before my time. I don’t exactly know or remember how I got to this story, but it’s simply an achievement in writing.


There’s not much to the story- DiNozzo is on a plane leaving the Midwest and a passenger on the plane notices his erratic behavior and strikes a conversation with him. But if you’re a fan of the show, the unspoken impact hits you like a train made out of bricks carrying the weight of a world.

Even if you haven’t seen the show, the structure of the story, the wisdom and the words will still be just as remarkable. First off, the story is entirely in second person narrative. It’s not some random passenger on an airplane, it’s you. And second person narrative rarely works right but here it makes the story so much more personal than a third person or a first person would have.

"What I always loved about airplanes is the meaningful relationship you form with the person sitting next to you." He seems to have forgotten his tea and the glass is sweating into his hand. You watch the water droplet squirm down his wrist. "You can tell them anything. You can lie, if you want, the way you're lying to me, or you can tell the truth. Whatever." He fixes you with a sharp glance. "Your name isn't Kathy."

You find the magazine at your side. "Sure it is," you say, not looking at him.

"Right," he says, softly, patronizing you. "I was just kidding." Except he wasn't, not even a little. "But. You can say anything. So if you were lying, it wouldn't matter. Because we're never going to see each other again."

The story is poetry in motion without following a poetic structure. You can build up everything that’s going on as if you are the one listening and following along, and here you actually are. That makes it subtly interactive without you doing anything.

Still, the hard impact of the story comes from knowing the show’s storyline and what lead Tony and his companions to the plane in the first place. If you’re really attentive, though, you’ll be able to figure it out yourself. It’s stories like these that are the reason you read, and the reason you become attached to the art of storytelling on a personal level.