Ponyfic Roundup 306

Read it Later story count: 195 (nc)

I've been extremely tired for much of the last week (just tired, don't worry) but the reason for the mere two stories this time is that occasional curse: someone deleting/unpublishing their story before I got around to reviewing the fic in question. Ah well. Anyway, the mighty two tales remaining are:

Friendship is Wet by shortskirtsandexplosions
Rarity and the Nuckelavee by TheDriderPony

★: 0 | ★★: 0 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 0 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.

Friendship is Wet by shortskirtsandexplosions
Mane Six
Slice of Life; 8k words; Jun 2013; Everyone

Five ponies, a gazebo, and a rain shower: There should be a joke here, but instead it's just five mare friends having to take shelter somewhere in the middle of an afternoon shower, and trying to make the best of it.

The identity of this story's author may make you narrow your eyes and imagine there's rather more to the fic than the description gives away. Well, there is and there isn't. The five mares do do what it says there, although with a little bit of contrivance (notably that Twilight is carrying items that stop her just teleporting the ponies somewhere drier). Plenty of zappy and amusing dialogue between the friends, and a mildly amusing running joke about a lake house – though this and a couple of other bits of innuendo should have given the fic a T rating. The odd bit of "orange equine" clunkiness and an explanation for the thunder that may require suspension of disbelief, but it's the chat between the five that makes this quite a pleasant read. ★★★

Rarity and the Nuckelavee by TheDriderPony
Rarity and OC
Slice of Life; 5k words; Jun 2019; Everyone

Rarity finds a surprising visitor at the hot springs who is not what she seems.

How effective the main reveal of this story is may well depend on whether you know what a nuckelavee is. I didn't, and so I found it intriguing. If you do, you may see most of the story coming from a good way out. Either way, Rarity's generosity is at the heart of this fic, though it's generosity of spirit rather than material generosity that's important. I appreciated that a good deal. I'm not sure I can quite believe what happens in the end, though – it's a little too straightforward and easy, even for Ponyville. Perhaps not unflawed, then, but still interesting and recommended especially for Rarity fans. ★★★

---

Next time on Ponyfic Roundup: stories reviewed should include Not_A_Hat's Broken Roads. And I hope more than one other fic!