16th Best Fanfic I've Ever Read: View of the Sapphire Sea by GenericDude

16. View of the Sapphire Sea by GenericDude

Section: Kirby
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Rating: 10+ For thematics and thoughts about death
Type: Oneshot, 3200 Words
Status: Finished
Completed: March 27, 2011

Starring Characters: Meta Knight, Tiff

Description: An insomnia ridden Meta Knight seeks solace during the night at his favourite location, when a certain girl appears to offer her comfort.

Review: I had first heard of GenericDude when I first started out reading in the Advance Wars section, back when Fanfiction was classified as a guilty pleasure for me. He had created a romantic fic called Black Coffee which was in and of itself a big influence in my future career, especially in Paradigms. However, as lovely as the story was it did have its flaws, and so probably would be just inside my top 30. But it did inspire me to look through more of his work.

I've never been big into the Kirby series, but I like Meta Knight, so I figured this was worth a try, and it exceeded expectations. I was immediately drawn into the universe and the setting, the use of insomnia to add to the feel.

Trying to get into the enigmatic Meta Knight's psyche is something many fanfictions about him try to do, but this one does it best by far. When you make a character feel ways he rarely is shown feeling, that's a lot of risk, but it came up with a lot of reward. GenericDude manages to put Meta Knight through many very atypical scenes for his character- his vulnerability, his sadness and his love- and make it wholly believable, and that in itself is a remarkable trait.

. "Every year that goes by, trying to meet these demands...I can't keep going. I'm slowly but surely decaying every year...and because of my insomnia, I've found myself being confronted by the big question in life...when am I going to die?"

And Tiff is certainly no throwaway character, for sure. Her upbeat, optimistic views provide the perfect conversant for Meta Knight in this story- opposites attract, as they say. The relationship is believable, and the ending scene is about as good as it gets.

As aforementioned- out of all the Nintendo series, I know probably the least about Kirby, yet I knew GenericDude did a great job. He took risks, and it led to a remarkable story by a very Original Dude.

19th Best Fanfic I've Ever Read- Caballero Negro by Soundwave0107

19. Caballero Negro by Soundwave0107

Section: Super Smash Bros- Melee
Genre: Adventure, Romance
Rating: Teen- some language, violence, and suggested nudity
Type: Short Story
Status: Finished, Three Chapters, 16,000 Words
Finished: February 27, 2011

Starring Characters: Meta Knight, Helen (not an OC), Luigi

Description: Turning the archetype of the knight saving the damsel on its head, Meta Knight, a small, courageous and mysterious deep-voiced knight leads a lost woman to the Temples of Altea, through lands of monsters, harsh nature, and crazy people.

Review: The only, only thing keeping this story from going higher is the unfortunate fact that this story was technically incomplete and rushed in order to meet a deadline and that hasn't yet been rectified- if he has the intent to. But let that not deter you- Caballero Negro is an engrossing, entertaining fic with a subtle, welcome dose of humor and lightness but still weighed down enough to take it seriously.

' "But, surely you need rest as well." Helen replied quickly, slightly worried now, her gaze growing concerned. Didn't all creatures need some kind of rest? What if her escort got too tired and couldn't-

As though her worries were of absolutely no concern to him, the knight sniggered softly, and gestured for the woman to lie down and prepare for sleep as he said: "Have no fear, Lady Helen. A popular rumour among my enemies is that Meta Knight does not sleep; he only waits."

Another short laugh from the knight, as Helen, still unsure, but allowing herself a smile, lay down upon the dusty ground, arranging herself comfortably as she could, and replied: "If you say so, good warrior... I'll see you tomorrow..." '

When most people think of knights, they don't oft think of a small blue sphere with a metal mask hiding all but their large glowing eyes escorting a tall, lively green-haired woman, but that's what makes it work. Soundwave also finds ways to dig into the character to bring out enough extra personality to keep us entertained without going out of character. Meta Knight has a few smooth, humorous lines ("I simply prefer to remain in the present. Such as now. Kindly duck.") and Helen isn't a helpless, dainty woman. As is true with the tradition of knights' tales, Meta is the one that shines, but don't worry- the clever ending brings in the female empowerment.

I think that my favorite element in this story is that this is a romance story, but not only is there romance, there's chemistry. Ofttimes when people write romance stories, they never actually dwell on their building relationship, just the fact that they love each other, whether in secret, unbeknownst to each other, or just flat out already are in a relationship. Here, Soundwave masters the development between the two- it's funny, cute, has some sort of tension, it's frisky, occasionally flirty, but is by no means fluffy. Accredit one more point to Soundwave's balance.

Overall, despite its flaw, it is still a much worthwhile story well worth the read, especially for those who look for ingenuity in the typical stories while still staying true to them.