Ponyfic Roundup 130: To Rest my Eyes in Shades of Green

Read it Later story count: 493

After the break for UK PonyCon last week, PR is back! Before I begin, I'll note that a couple of reviewers whose views I respect have been considerably less complimentary about Canterlot Seven (PR 128) than I was, so I went back and read it again. There's little doubt in my mind that its effectiveness does largely depend on not seeing the twist coming – but not being particularly genre-savvy, I didn't. So it's keeping its four-star rating here. This week's little collection is a fairly mixed lot:

Pinkie Pie Gets A Credit Card by GeodesicDragon
Appellation Mountains by FanOfMostEverything
Sail of the Vampire by Dramapony
Nothing is Scarier by DuncanR
The Epic Battle Of Good Versus Slightly Less Good But Still Pretty Good In The Long Run by Akumokagetsu

★: 0 | ★★: 2 | ★★★: 3 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0

Pinkie Pie Gets A Credit Card by GeodesicDragon
Pinkie Pie and Mane Six
Comedy/Slice of Life; 3k words; Oct–Dec 2012; Everyone

Pinkie Pie gets a credit card. Madness ensues.

Despite that synopsis, this story isn't quite as manic as I'd expected. Instead, it's a surprisingly sweet little tale bookended by passages that are pretty wild and throw the central portion into context. One or two things don't ring true (surely 'Shy would be able to tell it was a female eagle?) but this is actually rather cute SoL fluff. It's one of GD's earlier fics, so don't expect miracles, but it's quite readable if you're in the mood. A top-end two. ★★

Appellation Mountains by FanOfMostEverything
Twilight, Mane Six, Luna, Spike and Flash Sentry
Comedy/Slice of Life; 5k words; Dec 2015; Everyone

"The Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious" directly saved the world only once. Imagine what the title of a multiple-time savior might be...

Another fic that's less random than I was expecting, this turns out to be an interesting look at the minefield of formal titles, especially as they pertain to certain well-known ponies. It wisely steers clear of making things too complicated, and the conversation between Twilight and Luna is nicely done. A slightly underwhelming last line, but nevertheless a satisfying, amusing read. ★★★

Sail of the Vampire by Dramapony
Fluttershy, Applejack, Twilight and Mane Six
Alternate Universe/Dark/Sad; 9k words; Jan 2014; Teen

Fluttershy makes a very dark confession to her friends.

Well, as this is the closest PR to Hallowe'en...! This tale follows on from the scene at the end of "Bats!", which has been completely forgotten about by canon. Dramapony shows us what might have happened in a world where Fluttershy really did remain a vampire, and it's surprisingly dark in places. Quite effective on that score, though. Less effective is the pervasive LUS and tense shifting, as well as some odd said-isms (eg "bursted"). Nevertheless, the ending is sweet. Another high two, one that could have been a three with a bit more editing. ★★

Nothing is Scarier by DuncanR
Apple Bloom and Applejack
Dark; 1k words; Jul–Aug 2012; Everyone

Applebloom doesn't believe in monsters. She knows.

"Applebloom", argh, but that aside this is a largely successful attempt to do the old "monster in the closet" idea from an obviously quite young AB's point of view. I also like the fact that Applejack isn't all that sympathetic, in the manner of an older sister who's tired and feels her younger sibling needs to grow up a bit now. I'm not sure about the ending, though: I feel it's the right idea, but perhaps not the ideal execution. Can't be more specific without spoiling it. Just about a three. ★★★

The Epic Battle Of Good Versus Slightly Less Good But Still Pretty Good In The Long Run by Akumokagetsu
Celestia and Luna
Comedy/Random; 2k words; Jan–Jul 2014; Everyone

Celestia and Luna engange in epic battle with the fate of Equestria hanging in the balance. Adorably.

Well, cheers very much for ruining my formatting! Anyway, this is a story that feels older than it actually is, and that's not a complaint. It's a simple bit of fun fluff involving Tia and Luna playing silly sisters. There's not a lot more to say about this, but there doesn't need to be. The "Fly, my servant!" bit would be worth a recommendation on its own. ★★★

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Next time on Ponyfic Roundup: Jesus. No, really.