Fic recs, February 14th! · 8:20pm Feb 14th, 2018
Given how long it took me to do Interwoven Colours, it's safe to say I've been doing a bad job keeping up with contests. >.> But here's a new one: GaPJaxie's Next Generation! There's a twist to it, so be sure to read all the rules!
Happy vandelrungs day, have minifics. :B
H: 3 R: 10 C: 9 V: 1 N: 0
Clouds Like Mountains by Cold in Gardez
Genre: Slice of Life
Every pegasus knows you don't mess with wild weather. But life isn't safe.
I'm pretty sure this is another dip into the same characters who've appeared in some of CiG's other short fics, a simple scene about a reckless brother and his cautious sister. It doesn't quite feel like a full story, but it does definitely have something to say.
Recommended as Light Reading
The Beast by Esle Ynopemos
Genre: Dark Comedy
There is a beast who stalks among us.
For a second, I was ready to pan this, because I thought the punchline was a reference to a meme. But actually, this works as a comedic inversion of what you'd expect from a horror story. Effective.
Recommended
Bringing in the Experts by Esle Ynopemos
Genre: Light Comedy
Fluttershy knows just who is right to rebuild her home.
Man, remember when the CMCs were at least blamed for a good half of the bad things that happen in Ponyville? So this doesn't really earn its comedy tag, even with a 'light' modifier. I honestly found it maybe a little uplifting? I mean, you can't go wrong with contemplating animal fire drills. :) It's cute.
Recommended as Light Reading
Iron Will's Day Off by Esle Ynopemos
Genre: Slice of Life
Twilight gets an unexpected visitor at her library.
I wasn't going to make a Fluttershy Leans In joke about the last one, but now here we have something with Twilight and Iron Will? Obviously, Esle Ynopemos can see (poorly) into the future. What can I say about this one? It's short and cute, and gives Iron Will a reason to wear a disguise other than "afraid of being caught by dissatisfied customers", which I thought was a nice touch.
Recommended
Horror Week, part 5: Fluttershy by Nonagon
Genre: Horror?
This one really asks a lot of the reader. It's not quite effective as horror, but there are definitely some conclusions one could come to about the words on the page. Still, without any guidance, one must rely on wild speculation.
Vaguely Recommended
Dogs by FuzzyFurvert
Genre: Comedy
Twilight meets the new ambassador from the Diamond Dogs.
Do you realize we haven't seen a Diamond Dog outside EQG since season one? They literally never appeared again in the series. >.> Anyway, this is a cute bit of fluff. It bills itself as a Twiluna, but there's zero shipping to be had. Mostly, it's just about said Dog's personality, and how much you enjoy it will depend on how much you enjoy seeing the show characters be appreciated in-universe the same way we appreciate them from the outside.
Recommended for Laughs
Passing the Torch by HoofAndQuill
Genre: Slice of Life
The Cutie Mark Crusaders' final talent show performance is one to remember.
Sometimes you read a fic written years before a major show event and it gets really close to predicting canon, and it's awesome. Yes, this has some serious cutie angst in it, but the way it wraps up is a nice change of pace from old-style "they finally get their marks" fics.
Recommended
Military Tradition by FanOfMostEverything
Genre: World-Building
Why do the Royal Guards all look the same?
This goes all kinds of places you wouldn't expect. It starts out with Shining Armor contemplating his little sister's acceptance into Celestia's School. Then it becomes a bonding scene between him and young Spike. There's the headcanon about the guard uniforms, sure, but what really clinches this is the final tale Shining Armor tells, and the "from the mouths of babes" wisdom that results. Really excellent stuff.
Highly Recommended
The Fall of the Crystal Empire by Admiral Biscuit
Reading by ShadowOfCygnus
Genre: Tragicomic AU
Twilight still doesn't blame Spike.
I'm not sure I've ever read a fic that blends genres quite this effortlessly. I mean, the whole buildup is really sad and dark, it really sells the tragedy. And then it all comes together for a dumb punchline. XD I can't even.
Recommended
Bubbles by AugieDog
Genre: Sad Derpy
Man, this poem is so fucking tropey, but it's the one winner that finally makes it work. Maybe it's because of the poem presentation, the sing-song canter of Derpy's lament about herself. This may not be everyone's bag, because it is pretty sad, but damn, it actually worked!
Recommended
Grounded by Silvernis
Genre: Slice of Life
Funnily, when we hear the narrator talking about being cooped up with a bandaged wing, I was expecting Rainbow Dash, not Daring Do. XD But this is a quiet, contemplative piece about her, her assistant, and not much else, which presents itself in a very strong and memorable way. Honestly, for a story where not much occurs, we learn an awful lot.
Recommended
Nightmare Night by Bombastic Bookpony
Genre: Comedy
Fluttershy finds more reasons to hate Nightmare Night.
This is one of those minifics you really wish was a full story. It's got a fun setup, and I'd like to see it carried through to a resolution, because there's all kinds of places it could go. Still, it's enjoyable as it is.
Recommended for Laughs
This Creature Has No Color by KingMoriarty
Genre: Character Piece
Zesty Gourmand walks the streets of Canterlot, to find one final meal.
Zesty Gourmand is probably the last pony I'd really care to see given a redemption story, but here we are. And what an unexpected treat this is! I was a little miffed by how sympathetic the story is toward her, but it all comes down to the very final line, which recasts the entire story in a completely new light. It was rather amazing to watch, not to mention her reminiscence about her mentor and how she got into food critique was fascinating. Whether or not you're interested in her character, be sure to check this out.
Highly Recommended
Dynamite With a Laserbeam by ObabScribbler
Genre: Shipping
Goddamn, this story is cute. Never would have considered shipping these two myself, but now that I've seen it, I want more. Admittedly, not much to the story otherwise, besides a good depiction of behind the curtain at a pop concert, but shippers at least will get a kick out of this.
Recommended for Shippers
(Daring Do and the) Flawless Horseshoe by SirNotAppearingInThisFic
Genre: Adventure
This was a fun bit of backstory for Troubleshoes, of all ponies, and the second fic I've read featuring him and Daring. On her side, it does a little digging into what her day-to-day must be like, then presents her with an interesting choice. I dunno, I had fun with it.
Recommended
In Sealed Chambers by GroaningGreyAgony
Genre: Lovecraft Crossover
I like that this presents Luna and Celestia with a decision that requires them to do something awful, and they take it with almost no hesitation. That said, I have to admit it didn't really have any impact on me. The link at the end was helpful, but there's just not a lot here. Maybe if you're more familiar with the source material, it will all pull together.
Recommended for Lovecraft Fans
Villain-elles by AugieDog
Genre: Poetry
It haunted them, the homes they'd left behind.
Hey, look, Augie gets a second one this time because Never the Final Word! <.< And what can I say? This is some great poetry, guided by a shared form, about various show villains and their thoughts on… things. Mostly themselves and how their plans turned out. It's totally worth reading.
Recommended
Sombra's Sonnet by Monarch Dodora
Sequel to Villain-elles
Genre: Comedy
This is one more sonnet, written excellently by Monach Dodora, with something funnier by the end than any of Augie's. XD If you read that, read this too.
Recommended
Skating by KwirkyJ
Genre: Sad Shipping
Gotta feel for AJ by the end of this. I do like how it just gradually moves away from what she wants to what she gets. Won't have any pull outside shippers, but it's probably worth reading if you are one.
Recommended for Shippers
Cymothoa Exigua by Sharp Spark
Genre: Horror
Blinky always wanted to get his wings.
Wow. So, at first, I was a little confused, because I hear "Blinky" and I still think "S1 Limestone". <.< But this is a great piece about a little earth pony colt who wants to have wings like his pegasus family so they can live in a proper cloud house. Of course, one should be careful what one wishes for, but this doesn't go anywhere you'd expect. Make sure you read it. :D
Highly Recommended
A Single Tear Ran Down His Cheek by Pascoite
Genre: Sad
So, the English word "tear" has two very different pronunciations. I say this because Fimfiction's text-to-speech program has chosen to ignore this fact and always treat the word as though it always means "rip". It has similar problems with "read" and "lead". Anyway, that's germane to this story, and I thought it was hilarious to have my expectations subverted by the fucking TTS function. XD Short as this is, it packs a big punch. Some knowledge of the comics may be in order.
Recommended
The machines will rule us before long. They're already ruining my stories' surprises.
And now I want to read a story with the same title but the other pronunciation that is horror genre. Or maybe I should write it. Have to think about it.
4796887
Um... that's actually the whole point of the story. The title is a cliched phrase when read one way and not when read another.