Ponyfic Roundup 113: Brexit for Breakfast

Given that I'm interested in politics, and that there's been a teensy, weensy, eensy bit of that going on in the UK this week, it probably won't surprise you to know that my reading time has been very limited. Still, I'd hate to deprive my wonderful readers of ponyfic just because nobody currently knows who'll be running the country by breakfast time each day, so here we go. Again, a smaller edition than usual with just four stories, but there's interest to be found.

The Visiting Hour by Horse Voice
The Flower's Dream by FanOfMostEverything
Swine Flew by Blue Print
Of Forecast and Flames by ANearPerfectStudent

★: 0 | ★★: 2 | ★★★: 1 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0

The Visiting Hour by Horse Voice
Lyra and Bon Bon
Horror; 2k words; Feb 2015; Teen

Bon Bon visits Lyra at the mental hospital.

In dark times, what I really need is of course one of Horse Voice's trademark ickle fluffy ponikins stories. I kid, of course: this Royal Guard-featured fic is pretty much what you'd expect from this author: dark, thought provoking, well paced and tightly written, with a twist that may particularly satisfy science fiction fans of a certain vintage and disposition. If you're looking for bite-sized chills without blood and guts, this is a pretty good place to find them. Recommended. ★★★★

The Flower's Dream by FanOfMostEverything
Characters
Slice of Life; 1k words; Apr 2015; Everyone

Why do the breezies risk their lives for pollen of all things? Well, that's quite the tale...

Told in one-sided dialogue format (a father telling a bedtime story to his daughter), this is a nice, satisfying breezies tale. The best thing about it is the worldbuilding, which provides an imaginative and believable myth for the origin of the pollen-collecting run. There's the occasional word which gives me pause – "lucid" seems a slightly unlikely word to use to a young kid – but as a fairly gentle, if unavoidably slightly talky, piece of universe-expanding, it's well worth the five minutes it will take to read. ★★★

Swine Flew by Blue Print
Characters
Comedy/Slice of Life; 2k words; Nov 2012; Everyone

A Ponyville pig dreams of flying like a pegasus.

Porkmetheus has the notion after the CMC's float falls on him during "One Bad Apple". It's a fun idea for a story, and there are several fun incidents and good jokes (one based on counting stands out), plus some mildly distracting but also mildly amusing alliteration. On the flip side, I didn't find it quite as funny as I was hoping it would be – I suppose I hoped it would be more slapsticky – and at times it drags very slightly. I'm not big on the ending, either, which feels a little dated now. ★★

Of Forecast and Flames by ANearPerfectStudent
Derpy, Wonderbolts and OC
Slice of Life; 1k words; Oct 2013; Teen

The most famous Wonderbolt in history disappeared five years ago. Many presume her dead. Others say she is living alongside the common ponies. No pony could guess who she really was...

This is a very nice idea that is disappointingly undeveloped, even allowing for the fic's brevity. All we really see is a quiet scene of Derpy getting ready to go out in the morning, doing what she needs to do in order to pass as, well, Derpy. There's the occasional look back at her life as a 'Bolt, but a bit more emotional bite could have made all the difference. ★★

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Next time on Ponyfic Roundup: Celestia knows. At the current rate, I'll be leader of the Labour Party by then.