Ponyfic Roundup 452

Read it Later story count: 93 (nc)

Words read this week: 25,257

What a fine Ashes series, marred only by the rain in Manchester. I really do think England could have won 3-2 had it not been for that draw, but 2-2 is pretty satisfying after losing the first two Tests. My goodness we're going to miss Stuart Broad, though. For those of you not into cricket (you strange, strange people), we now move to small horse stories. Here's what I've been reading this week:

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

★: 2 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 1 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.

Good Enough by Kegisa
Other [Frederic Horseshoepin] and Octavia
G4; Slice of Life; 6k words; Jan 2013; Everyone

On the eve of his greatest success, Frederic Horshoepin reflects on a life of coming up short.

This is a very interesting look at a character who is obsessed with being perfect, and so who can't bear it when he's not quite there – even when he's being praised to the heavens for his performances. I suspect it will be most relatable to those themselves in the performing arts, but even I was quite deeply invested in Frederic's story – we start off in his childhood and see various parts of his life and career. Octavia has a nice supporting role as his long-time friend, which helps round things out a bit. I do wonder quite how Pony this is – something discussed in the Fimfiction comments, by the way – and a little strong language means it really shouldn't be E-rated. But still, it's too good a character study not to admire and appreciate, so it's getting a four. ★★★★

Rocinante, Pony of La Manecha by Charliemane
OC, Other [Sassaflash] and Nightmare Moon
G4; Adventure/Comedy; 10k words; Feb 2013; Everyone

Everypony knows the story of how Twilight Sparkle and her friends defeated Nightmare Moon and saved the world from an eternal night, but they were not the only ones to rise up in the face of evil.

In our world, Rocinante is the name of Don Quixote's horse – and yes, this is a pastiche of, well, Don Quixote. It's quite good fun, with the knight errant's activities taking place at the same time as the S1 premiere. We get the occasional crossover with that, but the author sensibly keeps show dialogue minimal. The Sancho Panza role is taken by Rocinante's cousin Sassaflash, and it's nice to see her featured in a fic. The story will doubtless go over better with DQ fans, since it decently captures the feel of the book as a whole – it's not just "tilting at windmills" stuff. I could have done without quite so many "my dear Sassa"s from Rocinante, and just occasionally things feel a little forced (his version of a show song is one) but overall this is an entertaining piece. Top-end three. ★★★

Nowhere to Hide by MasterZen
Spike, Mane Six and CMC
G4 AU; Comedy; 1k words; Dec 2017; Everyone

A short story about Spike sneaking out of the castle and going to Sugarcube Corner.

That shortdesc pretty much sums up the only published ponyfic by this author. It's a fun enough setup for a short, and there are flashes of fun such as a nice Spike/Twilight moment near the end, but sadly the execution just isn't there. I can look past the minor technical elements, but inching up to 1,007 words only by spending more than a third of the story on reprinting the entire lyrics of "Make a Wish" – and in a variety of text colours, at that – is just not playing fair. As a first fic, it must have passed moderation, but I don't think this is within the spirit of the site rules. Oh, and it doesn't seem to be an AU and doesn't feature the CMC either. ★

The forgotten soldier by Thebomb
Mane Six, Spike, Celestia, Discord and Chrysalis [and an OC]
G4; Romance/Dark/Adventure/Sad/Tragedy/Human; 3k words; Jun 2012; Teen (Gore)

[no short or long description provided]

Such a tag splurge tends to bode ill, but sometimes a fic can overcome that. This one? Well... it's narrated by Jake Sullivan, a soldier at a time when "Russia, Europe and Iraq are all against America". He's drafted and gets killed, but then wakes to find colourful ponies around him. What follows is a mish-mash of violence, more violence, multiple ponies blushing at Jake's muscular body, an actually fairly decent twist and then more violence. Let me allow a pony the last word: "What's this?" asked Pinkie Pie holding a ar-15 assalt rifle. The mare has a point. ★

Solace by ViTheDeer
Twilight and Luna
G4; Sad; 5k words; Jun 2014; Everyone

Twilight has had trouble sleeping. Perhaps it was the change in surroundings after her old home was destroyed. Or perhaps something deeper is troubling her. As she wanders the midnight streets, a fellow traveler may grant her the solace she seeks.

An odd story, this. Reading that shortdesc, you'd think it was one of the many "Twilight feels bereft with her tree gone" fics, and to some extent it is. However, it also considers how the immense four-alicorn power Twilight received during her battle with Tirek might have corrupted her. You have to stretch your imagination to see this from anything in canon, though, and having Luna present just points up that the latter's corruption came about in a very different way. This might even have worked better as a full-blooded AU. It's a pleasantly written piece and the first part is pretty atmospheric, but I just can't stretch far enough to believe the whole thing. A high two, therefore. ★★

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A mixed week, but one not without its high points. Next time round, I'll have the following five fics on my slate:

Twilight Sparkle Kills Equestria by Codex Ex Equus
Rainbow Dash's Super-Awesome Self-Insert Figures Out If It Would Matter by  ponichaeism
Aletheia by Foehn
There Goes the Neighborhood by Georg
Tea Time by SweetStrokesStudios