Read it Later story count: 92 (+1)
Words read this week: 19,470
This week's edition of Ponyfic Roundup is a bit of a horror story. Well, to be precise, five [Horror] stories! I don't have a lot to say up here today, which is probably the opposite of horror for most of you, so let's get to the fic list:
The Well by BlueColton
We Three Kings by journeyman
Attachment by marmalado
Help by Dominion of Decay
The Thing Behind My Eyes by Ltreaxiose
★: 0 | ★★: 2 | ★★★: 2 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.
The Well by BlueColton
Applejack and Apple Bloom
G4; Dark/Horror; 3k words; Aug 2016; Teen
When Apple Bloom goes missing, Applejack desperately searches for her missing sister. She finds Apple Bloom trapped inside a well. But what she pulls out may not be her sister at all.
Applejack is out on the edge of the Everfree. There is, of course, a storm approaching. Okay, so far so clichéd, but the atmosphere does work to give an edge of urgency. You really get a sense of how much her sister means to AJ, but you kind of wonder what the horror is going to be – with one brief exception – until quite late on. When it does hit? It's not groundbreaking, but it is nicely done. ★★★
We Three Kings by journeyman
Lyra, Octavia and Other
G4; Dark/Horror; 3k words; Oct 2013; Teen
Lyra, Parish, and Octavia have a client, only they can't see who it is.
The three musical ponies ("Parish" is Mr Nandermane) go to a strange hotel, then proceed blindfolded – which we learn is vital – to play for this client. It is, I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say, not human. This is certainly strange and uncomfortable, and it feels a little Lovecraftian, though I'm less of a Lovecraft aficionado than some so YMMV. I certainly found it weird, though slightly more unearthly than horrific. Top-end two, because I was left frustrated a little more than I was creeped out. ★★
Attachment by marmalado
Cadance and Cozy Glow
G4; Dark/Drama/Horror; 9k words; Nov 2013; Teen (Violence, Death, Profanity)
Cadance and Cozy are at an impasse.
In the frozen north, Cadance catches up with Cozy, and nothing Ms Glow can do can stop Cady bringing her to hospital and helping her. That's not a euphemism: Cadance is utterly devoted to reforming the pegasus. We learn about Cozy's abusive mother and how the latter's story ended. That for a long while seems like the only actual horror here, but very late on all will be revealed. Effectively, too. marmalado calls it "incredibly messy" in the end A/N, and that's not unfair self-assessment, but apart from being abrupt I think the logic holds. As such, a solid three. ★★★
Help by Dominion of Decay
Fluttershy
G4; Horror; 4k words; Nov 2013; Teen
All Fluttershy needs is a little bit of help, and everything will be fine. She can always count on her friends to help her in her time of need. They're such good friends. But... where are they?
Fluttershy is in hospital, being bombarded with questions by a doctor – who is oddly uninterested in fulfilling even her basic requests for water or a blanket, though he's not cruel as such. The fic is therefore uneasy and worrisome from the start, and Fluttershy's concern for her critters and her friends makes you wonder why she's apparently being held here. The feeling does build as the story goes on, and the reveal is genuinely horrifying. Very effective and deeply, deeply unsettling. No spoilers, but a specific later FiM episode actually makes this story more concerning to read than it was in 2013... ★★★★
The Thing Behind My Eyes by Ltreaxiose
OC
G4; Dark/Horror; 1k words; Aug 2022; Everyone
A pony stumbles upon something in the wind.
The only E-rated fic in today's selection, this deals with a nasty... thing that once seen, closes in every time you close your eyes. As PaulAsaran noted, they're kind of Opposite Weeping Angels (from Doctor Who). Nothing wrong with that – not every horror concept needs to be brand new. But the pacing and writing are off. You get characters introduced from nowhere with no justification, you get wordy descriptions where sparer prose would have fitted better, you get to and through a potentially interesting ending much too fast. Just about scrapes a two for the concept. ★★
Might as well stick with the themed editions for another week! Something slightly different next time, though: a character edition. And I'm going to present five stories featuring... Shining Armor. They are as follows:
Ménage à - Quoi?! by Noir de Plume
The Phoenix Festival by Trick Question
This Love is Forever by RachWrites
'Til Touchdown Brings Me Down Again by Petrichord
The First Death of Twilight Sparkle by naturalbornderpy
I've read two of these.
ReplyDelete"The Well" was pretty good, but it had lots of perspective problems, and I think having the monster be some unknown thing was effective, until the story ruined that at the end by not only showing it at the end but even getting some of its thoughts. That removed a lot of the creep factor for me. So it didn't stick the landing.
"Help" had some proofreading issues. Unlike you, I saw the reveal coming right from the start, and that's not something I'm usually good at. The logic of it didn't hold together that well for me, either, in why... well, I can't say it well without spoilers. Just how Fluttershy still seemed quite herself, and yet she was the only one who could assert herself. Those don't detract from the horror, but they do keep it all from coming together as well as it could.