Ponyfic Roundup 451

Read it Later story count: 93 (-2)

Words read this week: 21,991

It was really irritating that the cricket petered out thanks to it raining for most of two solid days in Manchester. We could have been set up for an Ashes decider at the Oval to rank among the greats. And to keep Test cricket popular, what's more. Oh well, what can you do? Anyway, back to ponyfic and here are today's five stories:

The Longest Night by Tundara
Walking you home by Nova Star Sparkle
Flip a Coin and She Smiles by Aragon
The Sunset Room by Foxy E
The Way It Goes Down by heartlessons

★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 3 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.

The Longest Night by Tundara
Twilight, Celestia and Luna
G4; Sad/Slice of Life; 6k words; Oct 2012; Teen

On the first night of Luna's banishment Celestia finds two alicorns in a crater.

Partly inspired by the classic WarpOut/Ponyphonic animation "Lullaby for a Princess", this unsurprisingly makes Celestia regret the way she behaved towards her sister. I can sometimes be a little irritated by such setups, since they can make it seem like everything was Tia's fault, which I don't believe. This fic doesn't go that far, though, and I can believe that Celestia would wonder whether she could have done things differently. Twilight's part in the story is interesting, though it would be spoilery to say much, and there's a nice part about what she needs to do as an alicorn later on. I like world-building and there's a fair bit here, so as long as you don't actively dislike the more divine version of the Princesses that was still quite common in 2012, this is worth a look. ★★★

Walking you home by Nova Star Sparkle
Twilight and Applejack
G4; Slice of Life; 2k words; May 2023; Everyone

After a hard day of working Applejack gets a pleasant, helping visit from one of her dearest friends on her way home.

A simple, gentle tale in which Applejack is protected and sheltered by Twilight – very much coming across as the serene, large post-FiM version. The fic is entirely devoid of dialogue, with AJ's thoughts described in fairly long blocks of text that is nevertheless still smooth to read. I suspect the author is not a native English speaker, as a few (and only a few) phrases are awkward, eg "...slapped her muzzle almost in spot". You may wonder at times what Applejack's feelings towards Twi really are! Though it didn't blow me away, this was a calm, peaceful read, so a highish two. ★★

Flip a Coin and She Smiles by Aragon
Octavia and Vinyl
G4; Romance; 5k words; Mar 2016; Everyone

Octavia's and Vinyl's life together. You think it's simple, and I'm going to prove you're wrong. So, heads or tails?

Another example of a really good author being able to break the "rules" and not only get away with it but make it a triumph. This takes "show, don't tell", turns it inside out and turns that up to 11. The narrator – never identified, meaning it feels like Aragon himself – tells us everything. Except that he doesn't, and the twist halfway through recontextualises the lot. You can see this as both a desperately sad one and a truly life-affirming one, as some of the Fimfiction comments attest. You may well find the narrator's style irritating at first – I did – but stick with it. This is an experience. Maybe even two. ★★★★

The Sunset Room by Foxy E
Applejack
G4; Horror; 7k words; Feb 2015; Teen (Gore)

What is waiting for Applejack behind the door to the Sunset Room?

This fic is set entirely at Sweet Apple Acres, where the Apple Family is feeling the strain as Big Mac lies dangerously ill in his room. Twilight is searching for a cure, but for now has sealed Mac away to keep everyone safe. Applejack being Applejack, she finds the notion of not being able to actively help her brother unbearable, despite Twi's insistence that the bedroom door must remain closed. Although the actual reason for Big Mac's condition becomes (at least in general) perhaps slightly too obvious as the narrative goes on, the central point here is the heartbreaking look at what can happen to a pony like AJ in such a position – I won't give away the ending, but don't expect a nice, clean full stop with everything answered and solved. Top-end three. ★★★

The Way It Goes Down by heartlessons
Other and Shadowbolts (EqG)
G4 EqG; Slice of Life; 2k words; Mar 2023; Teen

When your school always loses, you grow a thick skin. Eventually.

A new author (joined Oct 2022) who's already making a name for herself. In this short, they take the bold step of never actually naming any of the students who are reacting to yet another loss against Crystal Prep. (None are the Mane Seven, as this is set before the first EqG movie.) This lets the narrative concentrate on the feelings and the thoughts, freed of having to wonder why such-and-such is saying that. Does it work? I think mostly it does, and the change of perspective at the very end definitely does. One small problem for me as a British reader is that some school terms ("upperclassman" in particular) bring me up short each time and so prevent an entirely smooth ride.¹ If that doesn't bother you, bump this up from a top-end three to a four; it's well enough written to be worth it either way. ★★★
¹ If you're American, imagine a similar story using the term "sixth-former".

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So, what's on the way for next week, I hear you ask? Well, here's your answer!

Good Enough by Kegisak
Rocinante, Pony of La Manecha by Charliemane
Nowhere to Hide by MasterZen
The forgotten soldier by Thebomb
Solace by ViTheDeer