Ponyfic Roundup 125: InterCity

I'm writing ponyfic again! I'd like to thank the anonymous person who joked that I should write a [2nd Person] fic. I wrote a couple of paragraphs of one to humour them, and it morphed into an actual story. It's looking like it'll make it to Fimfiction, too, although it's very unlikely to be a second-person fic by that time. As it happens, there's a second-person story in this week's selection, albeit one by a far better writer than I shall ever be. Still, not even the best are sure-fire guarantors of success, so let's see how we do.

Pinkie Pie Is An Eldritch Abomination by PonyAmorous
A Fledgling's Struggle by BillBooks
Uncle Dave's Coffee Shop by SugarPesticide
For Whom We Are Hungry by Cold in Gardez
Forever Faithful by Konseiga

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

Pinkie Pie Is An Eldritch Abomination by PonyAmorous
Twilight [nope, no Pinkie tag]
Dark/Random; 2k words; Jun 2012; Everyone

Twilight's study of Pinkie's abilities lead to horrifying conclusions.

It's old and it feels it, and not just because of its speculation about what would happen if Daring Do were real, but it's a pretty fun kind of old. Whether you enjoy this story, largely told in journal format, will probably depend on your tolerance for meta/fourth-wall jokes. There's nothing new or startling here, and the title gives away some of the twist, but it's silly fun. ★★★

A Fledgling's Struggle by BillBooks
OCs and Others
Alternate Universe/Dark; 2k words; Aug 2016; Teen

Griffinstone rose into power after Equestria's fall, but soon enough they came to the same fate as Equestria, splitting into two nations. Benedict and Grover lived right before this Division, and Benedict had witnessed the movement's first act.

A potentially interesting dark-tinged story of griffons, though it's a little rushed and I was distracted throughout by Benedict's "not starting with G" name, the reason for which is not explained. There's a fair amount of violence here, and a [Gore] tag might have been appropriate. This is clearly setting up a longer tale, so it's hard to judge as a standalone. The JowyBean cover image is impressive, though. ★★

Uncle Dave's Coffee Shop by SugarPesticide
Rainbow Dash and Discord
Alternate Universe/Slice of Life; 2k words; Mar 2014; Everyone

In another Equestria, a gray earth pony serves coffee.

From the author of the excellent short Still Life (PR 109), this is a take on Discord I've never seen before, and one with a twist that becomes increasingly disconcerting the longer you think about it. Rainbow Dash's voice seems a tad off-model at times, although maybe that's the [AU] talking. That means it just misses a four, but it's still a fine choice as a coffee-break fic. ★★★

For Whom We Are Hungry by Cold in Gardez
Changeling and OC
2nd Person/Slice of Life; 15k words; Jun 2014; Teen

You didn't want to come here, but fate cares nothing for insects. The story of a changeling in Ponyville.

Two years ago, Obselescence ran a "Most Dangerous Game" contest, in which entrants were required to submit a fic using a prompt with a poor reputation. One of these was second-person perspective. This being CiG, he went and won the whole damn thing. This is a brilliant story, absolutely packed with enthralling world-building and – hooray! – making really good use of the Everfree Forest. It pretty much goes without saying that the language is perfectly chosen, and despite one tiny reservation about the OC's origins, it overcomes the second-person restriction so well that it's a joy to read. For that, and for making me so happy with its use of Everfree, this becomes my first five-star story in some while. ★★★★★

Forever Faithful by Konseiga
Twilight, Celestia and Luna
Dark/Sad/Tragedy; 3k words; Mar–Nov 2012; Teen

The best students are always faithful...even in death.

Stories in which one of the Mane Six has died are two a penny – but not ones like this. Twilight discovers a way to communicate with Celestia even from the afterlife, which could be a recipe for a very silly comedy. Not this time, it isn't. The progression is absolutely natural, which is what makes it so terrifying. If it were published today, I'm sure it would have a [Horror] tag. If you like horror that relies on chills rather than gore, this is for you. ★★★★

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Next time on Ponyfic Roundup: more changelings!