Here is my review of the sequel, as promised! I'm a Brony of my word. At almost twice the word count, it's definitely more content!
Author: psychicscubadiver
"When the Brony International Guard came to town Lyra thought all of hers dreams had come true. Finally, she had proof that nopony could argue with. But there's something strange about these creatures who call themselves 'bronies'. It isn't just their weird humor or quirky behavior. They're keeping secrets from everypony, and only Lyra seems to notice, or even care. None of investigations have solved this mystery just yet, but with the arrival of some new divisions, she may finally have the chance she needs..."The Brony Guard Unlimited
Kick the tires and light the fires, after the break!
Let's make this short, if you liked The Brony International Guard, read this. DONE!
....Fine, fine. I'll do it right. Subtitled Arrival of the Auxiliaries, this story picks up where the previous left off...and then proceeds to jump 3 months into the future. Still, the intro was humorous. I wondered how they were going to work that whole "banished to the moon" thing. This time, the mane focus (see what I did there?) is on Lyra, our favorite over-the-top, mint-green unicorn. More members of the BIG make there way into Equestria and start serving some of the lesser-known ponies and...you know what? This is all description stuff. Go read that THEN read on.
Anyway, Lyra's day starts off normal enough. She get's up, makes breakfast for Bon-Bon (yes, they are a couple in this story and the way she wakes up Bon-Bon is hilarious), get's the mail, etc Through some early foreshadowing, the author pretty much spells it out that Lyra's life is going to change this day. Let's be honest, it's pretty obvious that Lyra is getting her own division. So Lyra being Lyra, she sets out to discover why this day feels so special to her and eventually ends up causing trouble.
While the story does focus on Lyra's investigative pursuit, it's intermittently interrupted by small glimpses into the activities of the original BIG divisions of the previous story. These were welcome breaks in the story that provided nice transitions (and sometimes important story developments) between significant events in Lyra's adventure. It was a clever way of cutting out the dull moments of her investigation and giving the reader a better sense of immersion. Color me impressed.
We see some of the mane cast, like Twilight, Fluttershy, the princesses, and so on. As this author did the first time, he remained true to their canon ponyalities (get it?). Twilight is her usual bookworm, scientist self in one part that is almost surely inspired by Feeling Pinkie Keen, and Fluttershy is her adorable self in one part inspired by a scene from Stare Master. Now, that isn't to say that there wasn't SOME artistic license taken, but it was done within reason. Kudos.
The author also provides appearances by lesser-known characters, such as Doctor Whooves (or Time Turner), Vinyl Scratch, Luna, and Trixie. Given that we don't know all too much about these character (except for maybe Luna and Trixie, but they also have a lot of fanon), the author had to rely mostly on the personalities the Bronies have given them. I have to say, I loved seeing Luna acting all regal one moment then breaking out into a raving sports fan the next. Even though we only briefly see these characters, they're still nice shout outs to the epic fanon the Brony community has created.
More so than the previous story, this sequel makes SEVERAL references to the Brony fandom. What did you expect? The story is using several characters that the show gives little to no information about! Because of this, the same disclaimer for the previous story applies to this one: the more of a Brony you are, the more likely you'll enjoy this story. I consider myself a well versed Brony, and I loved it! And again, even if you don't know about all things Brony, you can still enjoy this story because it is so well written. The dialog, descriptions, and progression all flow smoothly, creating a story that really pulls you into the world the writer has created (or maybe that's my overactive imagination...nah).
Getting back on the mane subject (more bad puns), this story also gives us an interesting glimpse into how the BIG is run. Turns out they have a handbook, rules, a command structure, etc. It was nice to see the organization better defined. It brought in a more military feel, while still making the BIG seem less formal than an actual military. We also learn exactly how they have traveled to Equestria (well...maybe not EXACTLY, but it's close enough) and what precautions have been taken to make sure that nothing unintentionally ends up coming to our world. We also learn the secret that is being kept from the ponies. Now, I thought the secret was about how horrible our world and humans can be, the wars we fight, etc. That was not the case.
...It's blacked out because it's kind of spoiler-ish. Don't look at me that way.
What? You think I'd put the actual secret here? You think I'd tell you whether or not Lyra finds out? Nope. I won't even put it in black. You'll just have to go read it. Rating thingies below. Again, relatability is a combo between "Bronyness" (5) and Military (3).
| Originality: | 4 out of 5 rounds. |
| Composition: | 5 out of 5 rounds. |
| Characters: | 5 out of 5 rounds. |
| Imagery: | 5 out of 5 rounds. |
| Plot: | 5 out of 5 rounds. |
| Relatability: | 4 out of 5 rounds. |
| Overall: | 4.5 out of 5 rounds. |
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