Ghost Mike's Ponyfic Review Monday Musings #50 · 6:00pm Feb 20th, 2023
Ghost Mike’s Ponyfic Review Monday Musings #50, you say? How about that. This would make for a good anniversary, but no, we’ll save that for #52 in a fortnight’s time. Don’t want to get too ahead of myself here! I will say that this week will be the last ‘normal week’ for a while, with at least two weeks with special theming to follow, if not more. So keep your eyes peeled for that. 
Hm. Does this make up for not doing any kind of theming for the week of Valentine’s Day? Eh, I’m not much of a romantic ghost, and it’s a bit of an over-commercialised holiday. I think it’s all good.
Also, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is out this Friday. Certainly not unwelcome, gives me an excuse to play one of the best games in one of my favourite gaming franchises again, and with the comfort and portability of Switch over digging out the Wii again. On the other hand, I’m still straining to make myself play new games in my backlog – would you believe I still haven’t touched Kirby and the Forgotten Land, despite it being nearly a year old? I’ll finish off Pokémon Scarlet first, and then pick something new to use as therapy relaxation. Probably Forgotten Land, as that’s brand new, though I’m not spoiled for choice between several unopened physical games and a dozen-odd digital offerings.
Also, considering I only first played RtDL in 2014 (or Adventure Wii as it's called here – I guess consider the Kirby series sold relative peanuts in PAL territories until the 3DS/Switch entries, not calling back to a game hardly anyone had played made commercial sense), when I first got into the Kirby franchise, it’s still not that old a game for me – for similar reasons I haven’t started Extra Epic Yarn which came out barely 4 years after I’d first played the original (well, that and I ideally want a newer 3DS without a broken hinge for games other than Pokémon). I could see myself sitting on this for a while. But it’ll be a Day 1 pickup either way. Nintendo never discounts their games by more than a pittance. And the additions to this are supposed to be sublime. An epilogue for the antagonist that leads into his future friendlier appearances through the series since? Uh, yes please! Plus new and returning minigames with objectives/checklists and a few new abilities, as per usual. Yup, no lazy remaster is this. *cough* Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl *cough*
In the meantime, a reasonable batch of Ponyfics for this “normal week”, including the rare fic I braved a long reading of. It was a reread, to be fair, so not a new story. Let’s get to it!
This Week’s Spectral Stories:
Paper Tigers by MidnightDancer
As the Sun Sets, Twilight Covers. by Pickleless
Bedtime for Princesses by Michael Hudson
Three Nights by Bradel
The Majestic Tale of a Noble Hunter by Carapace
Weekly Word Count: 33,890 Words
Paper Tigers by MidnightDancer
Genre: Sad
Celestia, Twilight, Luna
3,042 Words
November 2013Listened to via Scribbler's reading
It’s harder to ignore now she’s a Princess herself, and subject to the difficulties of mass-nation leadership. Thus, Twilight finds herself asking Celestia why they need guards to protect princesses, why they don’t seem to involve themselves in the big threats, and other oddities about their ruling. She gets all those answers, and then some, on the meaning of ruling as an all-powerful alicorn.
Writing that description was hard, because in additional to representing all that via the image of paper tigers constructed via origami, we also have regrets, her relationship with Twilight, and an opening of her dealing with an irritating petitioner that is naturally about Celestia’s frustration with the system and the legal obstacles to making things just right. And also trust. These do interact and relate, so the piece isn’t terribly unfocused, but it does point towards the bigger problem I had, which is that it’s more of a light sampler that presents its headcanon, soapbox style, then an actual cohesive story.
The actual concept itself is one I admire, though I must also note that I don’t really buy into the headcanon (granted, “I’m too overpowered” explanations for the princesses not fighting were possibly not nearly the standard, lazy and boring reading in 2013 that they are now), so perhaps my detachment to this explains the issues standing out more. Honestly, the opening scene with the hilariously terrible petitioner was the best part, being a good scene-setter and deriving much amusement from how bad at presenting his case he is, alongside delectable moments of Celestia rerouting his petition to a totally different result. It’s not the only such part, and the use of origami, among other things, provides many nifty insights on restrictions Celestia imposes on herself.
Overall, though, give or take how much one aligns with this headcanon, it’s either quite the treat or a rather meh soapbox enlivened somewhat by meat at the margins. Though do watch out for some purple, overwrought prose throughout.
Rating: Decent
As the Sun Sets, Twilight Covers. by Pickleless
Genre: Sad (w/Profanity)
Celestia, Sunset
3,471 Words
April 2021
Twilight finds a journal in Celestia’s room while waiting for her mentor. And not only is it filled with advanced magical research, she finds someone writes back to her in it. A pony who wants to be left alone. However, this pony, Sunset, finds Twilight writing to her again, and slowly but surely, they strike up a rapport. Even if it is mostly a bond over a shared dislike of Celestia.
It’s not really a spoiler to disclose that, after the first entry, this is Celestia pretending to be Twilight so she can finally talk to Sunset, because that is apparent almost instantly. Good thing too, discussing this story at all without revealing that would be a logistical nightmare. That just leaves us with the interplay between the two, with Celestia waring on how to maintain a front that she’s not herself yet also get Sunset to open to her. Every instance of her engaging with Sunset on bashing herself, obviously laying bare her insecurities and regrets, is delectable, however well-worn a notion it is. And that’s just the start; we move through Sunset’s relationship with the other world’s Celestia, how that affects this here, offhand mentions of both Lunas, and more. It all builds to a tense climax that reflects these two so much, even as they cannot help but phrase their points, advice and pleas as they have done thus far.
This story takes full advantage of the chat journal format, showing a great density of thematic depth from all the cut-off phrases, the other pony probing for a continuation, the explanation of non-written things on the journal (more tears than you’d probably guess), and the untold but heavily implied margins between not just the chapters, but the individual worlds. The minimalism makes even those short chapters feel long, or at least substantial, and the result is a fic that seems to end before it’s begun yet which feels all the more filling for doing so.
For being a dense little piece that actually hurts in ways I’d thought I’d gotten immune to when it came to Celestia/Sunset aftermath fics, this really is something. Oh, and it also boasts one of the best uses of coloured text I’ve ever seen, doing nothing beyond making the speaker clear and thus letting the blunt, clipped nature of many of the phrases ring even truer than they would with tags or breaks to clarify the writer. Nothing like a gimmick done unobtrusively to bolster the story’s content!
Rating: Really Good
Bedtime for Princesses by Michael Hudson
Genre: Comedy/Slice of Life
Celestia, Luna, Star Swirl
1,552 Words
November 2017
None of Star Swirl’s past challenges, not even the Sirens or rampant chaos magic, compare to what he now faces on a nightly basis. Namely, making sure the young alicorns in his charge turn in for the night when they’re supposed to, with their teeth freshly brushed.
At barely 1.5K, there obviously isn’t much to this; it really is just Star Swirl schooling himself up for this task, witnessing a tween Celestia avoid the matter while Luna utters broken phrases, putting himself between their uncontrollable magic bursts and attempts to read books in book forts, and a magic trigger word/phrase than gets the sisters obedient. Outside of an ending note that mixes in a moral and sign of growth on Celestia’s part, the whole thing could pass for one of those baby fan comics whose dubs on YouTube always rake in the views. Minus the art and voices, the main selling points of such things, though the events here are a little more complex to compensate for the medium shift.
The prose and perspective is a bit shaky at times, only highlighting further how this is more of a scenario than a story, but as far as diabetes-causing ficlets go, this one does the job.
Rating: Decent
Three Nights by Bradel
Genre: Drama
Cadance, Crystal Ponies
18,718 Words
February 2014Reread
Listened to via Scribbler's reading: Full Production / Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4
Hearth’s Warming is meant to be a happy time. For Cadance, more often than not, it hasn’t been. It has also often been a time of significant firsts for her, going back to her first time foalsitting Twilight and her very first memory as a filly. Now, on her first Hearth’s Warming as ruler of the Crystal Empire, with her family delayed from getting there due to a freak snowstorm, she finds herself both confronting what the holiday means and has meant for her, and other angles of familial solidarity, all while doing her best to bring festive cheer to the recently-returned crystal ponies.
If it wasn’t clear from the title and blurb, this story shows three Hearth’s Warmings Cadance has had, though the first two are more like prologues to the third one, which comprises near-exactly two-thirds of the story. To the point the third story was all I remembered about this fic before returning to it. Which does fit, for the fic does get stronger as it goes, but the three do reinforce each other really well, leaving it as more than the sum of its parts.
Even on its own, the first story is no slouch, a prologue about a filly Cadance barely able to understand anything beyond her hunger, being cold and being lost. Not even words. Most of the payoff and emotional resonance of this segment come from Cadance’s reflections later on, so it is largely just surface incident in the moment, but it captures the bleak and confusing situation well. Meanwhile, the second story plays off Cadance barely knowing how to do unicorn magic even several weeks into staying at Canterlot, feeling like she has nowhere to be now. Hence foalsitting for Twilight, known for chasing foalsitters away. With more backstory material to play off of, this lands stronger, finding thematic and emotional resonance for many points, all while having an adorable yet also potent depiction of a young Twilight (and sowing the seeds of Cadance’s love for Shining!). Taken together, these first two chapters (as was the case for two days) would be plenty solid on their own.
But the third one, that’s where the story’s true heart lies. It gets even deeper with Cadance’s fundamental loneliness associated with the holiday, even as much of it deals with Cadance busying herself finding ways to bring cheer to ponies who don’t really understand what Hearth’s Warming is. That’s a key strength here: the story’s able to be more than compelling and investable enough just from the surface text of Cadance wrangling up castle chefs not needed with the guest delay, first to sing carols and then to find an alternate use for all the prepared food. This is the part I remembered, with quite a few OCs making a strong impression, most notably the sous chef that gets the most page space. It all makes for quite the dive into what this period of adjustment for the crystal ponies would be like.
It’s exemplary enough that when the story goes back to foregrounding how lonely Cadance still is, despite bringing cheer to so many, it hits like a freight train, and even when the pathos the story is playing her for gets rather heavy-handed, it’s always earned. As is the final result, with multiple layers of callbacks and payoffs in theme and symbolism that work regardless of whether they’re consciously noted or not.
This is a fantastic trio of stories that really gets at what spending them with family actually means. The final story and building effect of the three together more than eradicate the merely-solid quality it starts out as in the early going. And it’s uplifting and stirring even when much of it is melancholic. Whether read straight or listened/watched via Scribbler’s 130-minute audio drama (and the production values are exemplary enough, alongside 15 stellar original artworks throughout, that despite making an already rather relaxed-pace story rather long, I feel it’s totally worth it), this remains one of my favourite Hearth’s Warming Ponyfics I’ve read yet, just enough to inch into my top rating tier, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Rating: Excellent
The Majestic Tale of a Noble Hunter by Carapace
Genre: Comedy (untagged Alternate Universe)
Changelings, CMCs (Sweetie Belle)
7,107 Words
August 2016Reread
Now that changelings are at peace with ponykind and living amongst them, they are free to take from their love volunteers with consent. For the young hunter Incognito, this is not nearly enough, and he always strives to make a game out of hunting his volunteers, the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Especially Sweetie Belle, the tastiest prey of the lot. Course, with Pinkie having recently revealed a changeling’s natural weakness to all (boops…), making the playing field actually even, that’s easier said than done.
This story is so fluffy it ought to be put under arrest. From the cover art teasing the stronger-than-mere-playing emotions at play here through to a changeling mock-hunting fillies that thwart him with nose boops (with the story making liberal use of strikethroughs of the silly reality of what Incognito’s doing for him treating it as a hunt that no one else does, it’s almost tantamount to eating sugar right from the bag. I can certainly see some viewers finding this to be rather flavourless, and if I’m being objective, the story lacks much in the way of escalation of building pace/suspension, building varieties on Incognito’s fails until a cutesy shipping scene between him and Sweetie at the end.
That being the case, you’ll notice I said “some viewers”, and not me. Even a simple, unsophisticated version of this premise carries plenty of potential, especially given this rolls with the CMCs being tweens/teens (leaving it ambiguous how far in the future this is from whatever Season 6 point this split from canon – it was published the day “The Times They Are a Changeling” aired, for what it’s worth) the appropriate amount, implying it mostly through actions without stating it outright. Which makes the final scene feel appropriately cute without getting mixed up in other tones. And for all I said it didn’t escalate much, the two failed attempts that compose the bulk of the story are different and varied enough in the incident to keep the viewer invested beyond just the fluff.
It’s very insubstantial, but it carries a certain x factor in how unabashed it is as to make this fluff really tantalising and appealing. More or less the right length (a little trimming might have helped, but we’re only talking scalpel-level scene shaving), those game for pure cute fluff deriving humour from a silly scenario trying to be serious, with a touch of romance to top it all off, will really like this.
Rating: Pretty Good
Spooky Summary of Scores:
Excellent: 1
Really Good: 1
Pretty Good: 1
Decent: 2
Passable: 0
Weak: 0
Bad: 0
Three Nights is already on my favorites list, but As the Sun Sets, Twilight Covers sounds like I might enjoy it.
5714508
Alas, I can't take full credit for finding it; this one comes from one of TCC56's Recommendsday blogs a bit back. 
You probably will.
I pretty much agree with you on Paper Tigers: there's a little too much Authorial Voice creeping in for my liking, and indeed the whole thing is maybe less original now than it was a decade ago, but if you can deal with the purple prose there's some decent interest. I gave it three stars, so perhaps very slightly higher than you -- but then I read it almost five years ago, which probably helped the freshness just a little.
Of the rest, As the Sun Sets, Twilight Covers. (darn that full stop!) is already on my RiL list, so I very much skimmed your review -- but the "Really Good" rating encouraged me. I might see if I can get that one read in the next few weeks.
I've somehow managed to miss Bradel's fic entirely, so that one is definitely going on the list right now!
As the Sun Sets sounds amazing :D
and read more Bradel! he shall be remembered!
5714511
From the same source as myself, no doubt. Can I be blamed if I toss quite a bit of what TCC56 recommends on my backlog? They come faster enough I have to space out my postings so as to not be too close to his recommending them. Even now, I've still got nearly ten stories I can't post too soon or all at once.
I mean… em, yes, that full stop is quite vexing, innit?
My best (and therefore pitch-perfect) Palpatine voice: "Deeewww eetttt!"
5714515
I reiterate my final comment to Logan right below (or above, depending on your comment layout orientation): "Deeewww eetttt!"
Nothing bad happened to him, I hope? I see that though they continued to visit the site over the years, being online most recently just last October, their stories were all published from Jan 2013 to October 2015 (and story updates don't change that). So. clearly a very old-school author.
That said, with only 10 other complete stories barely inching past the 50K mark cumulatively, I can absolutely make room for more of his works. And several look quite tantalising! Consider it noted, my friend.
As the Sun Sets, Twilight Covers was incredible, just a class lesson in poignant minimalism and (ironically, given the format) a brilliant example of 'show don't tell' with so much trusted to the reader to figure out.
Interesting coincidence, I recently had an author speculate on using different colors/fonts for different speakers, and I told them 99% of the time it was a terrible idea. This is in the 1%. The colors fill the narrative role perfectly, preventing confusion while allowing the journal-message format to be left completely pure.
5714526
naw, he's just one of those old-school Really Good Authors (Who Was Also An EQD Pre-Reader Once) who just vanished into the aether without fanfare who knows how long ago :B
5714537
Oh carp! Thanks for the heads-up! I usually DL the fics I'm going to read onto my kindle, and colored text becomes mostly indistinguishable shades of gray! I'll read it on my tablet instead.