Ponyfic Roundup 81: Based on a Novel by a Man Named Lear

There are various new tags available on Fimfiction. Some authors are going back and changing their stories' tags as a result. I may or may not, but probably not. And if you think I'm going back through 400 reviews and changing them all to match, you're mad. :P Also, go and buy The Art of Equestria, assuming you haven't done so already. Full review coming at some point, but it's warmly recommended.

Another productive week for me in the ponyfic-reading stakes! Eight more stories under review this time out, with a pretty wide selection of genres and focus characters. I'm pleased to say that several of them turned out to be very enjoyable reads, too. I even managed to find an interesting fic from an author who is almost entirely unknown, something which is fairly rare but always satisfying. Stories reviewed:

It's Always Sunny in Fillydelphia by Bobcat
Language by Taialin
After Care by Ebon Mane
Shut Up by UnlicensedBrony

Of choosing and stones. by chil304
Racist Barn by Ponydora Prancypants
Filth by TheCheshireCat
The Big Butterfly Brouhaha by adcoon

It's Always Sunny in Fillydelphia by Bobcat
Applejack, Soarin and Rainbow Dash
Romance/Comedy/Slice of Life; 15k words; Apr 2012; Everyone

Applejack goes to Fillydelphia on business and finds something better.

A rather sweet SoarinJack shipfic, though don't expect anything too eye-opening. This is a character piece first and foremost, and a satisfying one at that. It's very old now (the author hasn't even been in the fandom since mid-S2), but aside from the inevitable Hat Moment and Rainbow's bizarre middle name (apparently devised by this author; in spite of becoming minor fanon back in the ago, it really doesn't work) it's aged pretty gracefully. Consistently amusing in a "makes you smile" way rather than a "makes you scream with laughter" one. An overlong movie parody in the middle, though it does contain a fantastic deadpan AJ line. A warm bath of a story: just lie back and let the smooth dialogue wash over you. ★★★

Language by Taialin
Rarity and Fluttershy
Romance/Slice of Life; 12k words; Mar 2015; Teen

Rarity has found a new hobby in meditating with Fluttershy, and through months of practice, she's not only learned how to listen to nature, but also how to read ponies and the inner feelings they hide. But she never wanted to read her best friend.

The second in the "Flarity 'L' series", following Listen (PR 54), this follows Rarity and Fluttershy (from Rarity's first-person perspective) as their meditation sessions bring them a deeper understanding of the world – and of each other. Difficult to review without giving away the ending, but it's both interesting and intriguing, given that there's a third story to come. Quiet, slow and thoughtful, but that fits here. A better story than its predecessor (which itself wasn't bad at all) and very much worth reading. ★★★★

After Care by Ebon Mane
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy
Romance; 1k words; June 2011; Mature (Sex)

Love remains after fun is done. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy discuss their passion.

Pretty much what you'd expect from the title: no actual clop, but it doesn't hold back on what's been going on. If the thought of these two pegasi being involved in a BDSM relationship doesn't appeal, you probably won't like this. That applies to me, hence my rather low rating. Still, the fic is well written for what it is, so add a star if the premise doesn't put you off – maybe even two if you find it actively exciting. ★★

Shut Up by UnlicensedBrony
Twilight and Pinkie Pie
Slice of Life; 10k words; May 2013; Everyone

Rainbow Dash loses her temper and yells at Pinkie Pie, driving the talkative party pony to make a drastic promise. Now, it falls to Rainbow Dash to fix the mess she's made, lest Pinkie lose a vital part of herself forever...

Written in a way reminiscent of a traditional show episode, this is an entertaining story featuring two characters who don't get to pair up very often. Pinkie is in "filter off" mode early on (as seen in "Filli Vanilli") and that leads to trouble. One or two small oddities in her characterisation (a flower-eating scene feels slightly off) but it's a good read. The old-fashioned feel even extends to a closing letter to Celestia. This is a high three. ★★★

Of choosing and stones. by chil304
Granny Smith
Comedy/Random; 1k words; Nov 2015; Everyone

Granny smith [sic] consults the choosing stone.

I think there's quite a good story buried in here somewhere, but it's going to need a great deal of work to bring it out. The author falls into the common trap of believing that a [Random] tag frees them of the need for a fic to consist of more than a bunch of loosely connected paragraphs. This is especially noticeable late on, where Of choosing almost ceases to be a story at all. And I really don't have much sympathy for fics that repeatedly misspell major canon characters' names. ★

Racist Barn by Ponydora Prancypants
Applejack, Mane Six, Spike and Derpy
Comedy/Random; 3k words; Jan 2013; Teen

Applejack should properly enunciate her lyrics.

Now this is how you do a [Random] fic. Based on a fandom meme that, in itself, quickly became tiresome, this is a very funny story set on "Unity Day", the pony holiday which celebrates... well, yes. Unity. It becomes more and more ridiculous as it goes along, and if you can live with Rainbow Dash being made to look an absolute idiot then there's very little to say against it. ★★★★

Filth by TheCheshireCat
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash
Sad/Dark/Slice of Life; 1k words; Nov 2015; Teen

Decayed. Rotten. Filth. These are all concepts that race through Fluttershys mind every single day, every hour, every minute...

A disturbing tale from this almost unknown writer (three followers!), told as Fluttershy's internal monologue. Here, she has self-esteem issues much more extreme than anything we've seen on the show. Some glimpses, too, of what Rainbow Dash means to her. This is fascinating and might have gained a four-star rating but for the last few lines, which I feel significantly weaken the story's impact. ★★★

The Big Butterfly Brouhaha by adcoon
Flitter and Derpy
Random/Adventure; 15k words; Dec 2012; Everyone

"Have you seen a butterfly around here?" I asked Derpy one day. Next thing I don't even know, we're saving Equestria from the fairies in Fluttershy's chicken coop!

This RCL-inducted fic is unlike anything else I've read, which makes it hard to review. Flitter narrates, in a style that some will doubtless find wonderful but which I find immensely annoying until it calms down (a bit) a few pages in. After that, it's possible to concentrate on the story, which is good as it's a very imaginative and playful thing. Derpy gets the most interesting role I've seen her play, and one line has immense emotional impact. Various other ponies play support roles, while the fairies themselves are interestingly drawn. Perhaps a couple too many references late on, but that's a minor complaint. I can't give this a five because that narrative style annoys me so much, but it's so interesting and unusual as to be an easy recommendation. ★★★★

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Next time on Ponyfic Roundup, stories reviewed will include RazgrizS57's The Only One in Color and xjuggernaughtx's The New Crop.