*blinks. peeps head up*. So, I've spent the last two weeks completely engrossed in Lightning on the Wave's Sacrifices Arc.
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/895946/Lightning_on_the_Wave Fantastic stuff. Three million words worth. I see why it's recced every which way. It took me book 4 before I could pay any attention to the rest of the world and even though I pretty much knew how it was going to end from the beginning, I still cried like a baby. I'm actually glad I didn't wait until my vacation to read it because nothing else would have gotten done. My only complaint is the author's equation that slash=sex.
I wish I could think of the perfect comparison, but alas no. The story is though, the epitome of the great 'what if' of fanfic.
ETA--THERE'S MAJORLY SPOILERY STUFF IN THE COMMENTS SO BEWARE