Ponyfic Roundup 92: Like a Mighty Cannonball He Seems to Fly

Slightly to my surprise, To Be the Candle got a Recommended from Present Perfect the other day. Maybe I should actually do something about the couple of other [Dark] story ideas I have bouncing around in my head. As it happens, I have one of PP's own stories in this week's selection of six, though that's pure coincidence. A mixed bag this week, so let's get on with it.

The Wind Changed by DaeCat
Dinky's First Kill by PresentPerfect
Bomb-Bomb Cake by Garnot
The Coronation of the Reluctant Princess Fluttershy by A British Gentleman
The Haunting in Ponyville by JasonTheHuman
Sweetie Brick by shortskirtsandexplosions

The Wind Changed by DaeCat
Angel, OCs, Breezies and Fluttershy
Adventure; 4k words; Dec 2015; Everyone

Arthur Bunny and his small family find a baby in a wicker basket in the middle of the Big Forest.

A story by a little-followed (15) writer, and it's interesting. It takes a popular ponyfic idea and subverts it, though it would be spoilery to say how. One word relating to Angel gave me pause, but I think it's done deliberately as a pointer to something, in which case it's rather clever. A common bunny-related mistake (rabbits don't have paw-pads) but otherwise Angel's family works well. Worth a look, this. ★★★

Dinky's First Kill by PresentPerfect
Dinky and Derpy
Drama; 4k words; Feb 2013; Everyone

Like every little filly, Dinky loves everypony and everything... except spiders.

Another little-known author here. This is probably going to be more effective for readers who share the author's apparent feelings about spiders. (I cautiously like them.) Even so, it's a very cute and nicely feelsy piece which makes Dinky's fears believable thanks to some very good word choices. Only just scrapes a four for me, because I just don't like what Dinky does in the end, but I suspect it will be (or already is) a real favourite for many. ★★★★

Bomb-Bomb Cake by Garnot
Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash
Random/Slice of Life; 3k words; Aug 2013; Everyone

What happens when one of Equestria's best self-appointed flyers takes up baking from Pinkie Pie? Hint: It doesn't end well.

"This story was written without much worry for editing," says the long description. The comments suggest that was mandated by contest rules, but unfortunately I don't find the story too gripping. It's always good to read a Rainbow/Pinkie baking story that isn't you-know-what, but it does feel as though it could be so much more if it had been edited. The ending is clumsy (again, possibly down to the circumstances in which it was written). It's not a disaster, but I didn't really enjoy reading it – hence the rating. ★★

The Coronation of the Reluctant Princess Fluttershy by A British Gentleman
Fluttershy,
Comedy/Slice of Life; 2k words; Oct 2015; Everyone

Fluttershy has become an alicorn. This is something of an embuggerance for her.

This author deserves a review because his avatar is from Blackadder. The fic is amusing, too, giving us a great close-up look at how Flutters might react if her temporary elevation from "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" were to become permanent. It's silly and it knows it, and even the footnotes aren't too annoying. (They're semi-inline, though not quite up to iisaw's standard of footnote readability). A fun little fic. Someone with this username really ought to be able to spell "Earl Grey", though. :P ★★★

The Haunting in Ponyville by JasonTheHuman
Lyra and Bon-Bon
Comedy/Dark/Slice of Life; 18k words; Oct 2012; Everyone

Lyra and Bon-Bon live in a haunted house

The long description for this is much better: "There's something strange and unnatural living in Bon-Bon's house. Something other than Lyra." There are some funny subversions of standard tropes here (one involves carved pumpkins, another a kitchen knife). The CMC play an amusing supporting role, too. The fic's main problems are unrelated to its age: pacing is a bit weird at times, and the ending is weak and predictable. Still, this is decent light reading if you're not too demanding. ★★★

Sweetie Brick by shortskirtsandexplosions
Sweetie Belle
Comedy/Random; 4k words; Nov 2013; Teen

The common household Sweetie Belle has many uses and applications. Here are a few of them.

A collection of very short (under 700 words) stories about Sweetie being used as an implement of one sort or another. A few laughs early on, but the chapters become increasingly less likeable while not remaining funny. A couple actively repelled me, and on the whole this is just mean-spirited borderline trollery. Not my thing at all. ★

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Next time on Ponyfic Roundup: it's spotlight time! In PR 93, I'll be taking on Isseus's Cadence in A Minor.