Ponyfic Roundup 95: The Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water

Maybe this is just a coincidence, but I've seen a few people recently talking about being less interested in ponyfic than they once were. As so often, then, I seem to be outside the mainstream, since if anything I'm more into ponyfic than I have been for a while. I don't have much interest in moving into writing original fiction, or writing for other fandoms, at least not right now. As for reading the stuff, I'm still excited when I start on a new story. We'll see what happens when Season Six starts, but at the moment I'm still very much invested.

This week's five stories under review are:

Remembering, Mother by IndiBrony
Sibling Snuggles by The Abyss
A Lot to Think About by chronicLurker
Winning, and Why by 8686
Here's To You by Portable Dingus

Remembering, Mother by IndiBrony
Applejack
Sad; 2k words; Sep 2015; Everyone

Applejack grieves the loss of her parents.

I wasn't a huge fan of this author's Pets With Pints (PR 84), but Remembering, Mother did more for me. True, the plot isn't the most original, but the story's gentle wistfulness feels right (it's the fic's best feature) and the flashback sequences are okay. Despite a really nice line about the stars, this fic does suffer from some awkward phrasing and punctuation errors, as well as a slightly dull ending. With those smoothed out, this could have been a three-star fic. As it is, it's a two, but it sits considerably higher in that bracket than Pets With Pints does. ★★

Sibling Snuggles by The Abyss
Marble Pie and Pinkie Pie
Slice of Life; 2k words; Dec 2015; Everyone

Distraught after waking up from a nightmare, Marble Pie finds comfort from an unexpected pony.

This writer has over 3,000 followers, yet I don't think I've ever read one of their fics before. Mind you, there's not a great deal to this one: it's a cute little hurt/comfort fic, with Pinkie being kind to Marble after the latter has a nightmare. You have to be in the mood for sugar-sweetness, and (especially in Marble's relationship with her parents) it feels like the start of a longer and more interesting fic that never made it. ★★

A Lot to Think About by chronicLurker
Celestia and Luna
Alternate Universe/Sad; 1k words; May 2012; Everyone

Post-Wedding AU. Celestia. Luna. Hospital. Regret.

There's not really much I can add to that description without spoiling this. It's one of the more interesting "the wedding went wrong" fics I've read, though I wasn't blown away by it as some other readers have been. Easily worth a few minutes of your time, though, and the ending packs a real punch. ★★★

Winning, and Why by 8686
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy
Slice of Life; 37k words; Jul 2015; Everyone

Every week they play a game. And every week the same result. Now, Rainbow Dash is determined that it's Fluttershy's turn to be a winner. But this is not a story about winning. This is a story about not winning. Not about the game, but why it's played

The plot is really secondary here, though it's well handled: this is a character piece about the two principals' friendship. I'm a sucker for those if they're good, and this is, especially the flashbacks to Flight Camp. The other Mane Sixers play solid supporting roles, but Fluttershy and Rainbow are very definitely the stars here. I really dislike one narrative decision late on, which thankfully only lasts a couple of pages, but otherwise this reads very well. Recommended, especially if you enjoy reading FlutterDash friendshipping fics. ★★★★

Here's To You by Portable Dingus
Rainbow Dash, Celestia and Sombra
Dark; 1k words; Jan 2016; Teen

Rainbow Dash contemplates the worth of Equestria's struggle, as King Sombra is sent to the gallows.

Set in the aftermath of the "war" timeline from the S5 finale, this is an odd little fic. Rainbow's voice feels off, but then the things war can do to a pony are relevant. Hanging does seem a very out of character punishment for Equestria, though, given the existence of Tartarus. A curiosity, perhaps worth a quick look if you're into this timeline. ★★

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Next time on Ponyfic Roundup, stories reviewed will include AugieDog's A Giant Leap Forward and LiamNeighson's The Golden Daughter.