History EarnYourHappyEnding / FanFic

* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': Although Shinji and Asuka hooked up at the beginning of the story, and their relationship gave them an emotional anchor to cling to when things got too tough, the story made clear that they would have to fight and struggle to get a happy ending. And it was made clear as soon as [[spoiler:Leliel absorbed Asuka in lieu of Shinji in the next chapter]]. Moreover, now they have a deep bond with Rei and have a better relationship with their friends, they have to protect more people.
* ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': Shinji and Asuka had to work hard to get their happy ending. First of all they had to learn to stop fighting and reach each other out. Then they had to go through Asuka’s pregnancy. Then they had [[spoiler:to stop Gendo’s plans which might mean Asuka’s death and Teri being turned into a living tool of war]]. THEN they had to beat the remnant Angels AND SEELE and at the same time raising their baby.
* ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfAnElderGod'': The main characters got to fight and slay Franchise/CthulhuMythos {{Eldritch Abomination}}s to have a chance to lead a mostly happy life. this is most evident for Ritsuko and Maya. [[spoiler:The former awakens from a 500-year-long coma, where she has been watched over by the latter all that time. Ritsuko is still a mermaid of sorts who can't breathe air, but Maya assures her that it might be possible to make her human again. Regardless, they can finally live their lives together again.]]
* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': Shinji and Asuka are literally granted divine intervention to help them, but they still have to work to fix their troubles. Your relationship is a mess? Talk and open up to reach each other out, to try to understand and forgive each other and work on rebuilding bridges. Your world is a hellish, post-apocalyptic wasteland? You will have to fight the tyrants lording over the starving masses and then help to rebuild.
* ''Fanfic/{{HERZ}}'': Despite everything that they had to endure during the Angel War the main characters still are forced to defeat SEELE once and for all if they want to lead happy lives.
* [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/73406/rainbow-in-the-dark Happens during the last chapters]] of the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''Fanfic/RainbowInTheDark''.
* ''Fanfic/NewTamaran'': All the surviving heroes definitely do.
* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'': AfterTheEnd, Shinji and Asuka had to fend for themselves in an empty world and [[LivingEmotionalCrutch lean on each other to heal their deep-rooted emotional wounds]]. It took them a great deal of effort, but they eventually managed to build themselves a nice and functional household (both in terms of [[CosyCatastrophe living conditions]] and [[HappilyMarried emotional bonds]]) [[spoiler: and even to [[GoodParents successfully raise a daughter]]]], allowing them to live happy together at last. Then they were unexpectedly brought back six years in the past before all went FromBadToWorse[[spoiler:, having to cope with the additional trauma of losing their daughter in the process]], had to pretend to the world that everything was normal about them (which forbade them any public display of affection [[spoiler: or mourning]]) while subtly working to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt. They sometimes stumble and suffer many a heartache along the way, but the final result is that...
* ''Manga/Evangelion303'': The history seems being going for this. The characters suffer traumas and struggle to overcome them and fix their troubles throughout the fic.
** Shinji and Asuka's relationship goes through many troubles while they try to figure it out. Right when it looks that it is getting somewhere, some disaster happens and it gets worse. However they ultimately manage to solve their troubles, connect with each other and [[spoiler:get engaged.]]
** Commented by Kaworu in one scene. He told Shinji that everyone go through trials in order to achieve happiness.
* ''Fanfic/LastChildOfKrypton'': Though there is a great deal of hardship, ultimately [[spoiler:the story ends a whole lot better than canon.]]
* In ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'', Shinji and Asuka had to get over their issues, fight new battles, survive another war, and [[spoiler:leave their homeland together with their family and friends]] in order to get their “happily ever after”.
* ''Fanfic/ScarsSamsara'': Pretty much the entire story is about Scar having to earn his redemption after he murders his brother, with a large part of the tension coming from the question of whether or not this will actually happen.
* ''Fanfic/ScarTissue'': This fic is very dark, with all characters (Shinji, Asuka, Misato, Ritsuko...) making awful things or grave judgement lapses and then regretting them and seeking atonement and expiation for them. However it looks like if there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.
* ''Fanfic/SOE2LoneHeirOfKrypton'': Asuka must go through many hardships, face giant monsters, aliens, super-powered beings, criminals, an evil cult, an AncientConspiracy, mature and learn the true meaning of the word "hero" to have a happy end.
* The LemonyNarrator of ''FanFic/EquestriaAHistoryRevealed'' manages to do so after [[spoiler: letting go of her envy and irrational hatred of Celestia]]. Of course, she's [[JerkAss nowhere near perfect yet]], and she still has a lot more to go, but in her own words, for now at least, she's happy with what she has.
* ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestria'' is much darker in tone than the Fallout games are. While the story can be extremely depressing it does make the end that much better.
* The premise for ''Blind'' shows how much work Franchise/{{Naruto}} and Hinata have to do to end up happy. So...(deep breath). Naruto almost watched his best friend (Hinata) get her eyes gouged out at the age of 3 and has made it his mission in life (second being become Hokage) to getting them back. He, unfortunately, is only a genin and has 4 years to do so or Hinata is either A) branded with the Caged Bird seal or B) disowned and exiled from the clan. To compound the problem he ends up a missing nin with kill-on-sight orders for 3 years.
** Hinata has to deal with what's mentioned above but gets put in a coma where she's slowly dying but saved in the nick of time only to hear your best friend has just gone AWOL and the Hyuuga elders are preparing to seal you and time's running out to get your eyes back. Man do they have it rough.
* The ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' epic fancomic ''Webcomic/OfMiceAndMayhem'' puts the characters through about as many hardships as would be possible without betraying the essence of the original show and characters. Against all odds, things work out for the best.
* Even with all the madness and [[DarkFic downright cruelty]] in the ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'' fanfic ''Fanfic/AllHeEverWanted'', Austria was at the receiving end of some the worst abuse to the point of being forced to see his beloved Hungary raped by Prussia. [[spoiler:He also happens to have one of the better endings compared to the other characters.]]
* ''Fanfic/TheHillOfSwords'' ending has Shirou, after 5 seperate [[spoiler:re]]summonings, and who knows how many years finally [[spoiler: reuniting with Saber in Avalon.]]
* After much work and strife, the ending of ''Fanfic/TheManWithNoName'' has the crew even managing to earn some much needed cash. With [[PerpetualPoverty how things usually end up]], [[spoiler:Mal]] is stunned by this turn of events.
* This trope is essentially the center point of the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries''. While it hasn't ended, even the ends of story arcs tend to lean this way. The two {{Sixth Ranger}}s especially had to go through Pony Hell to get to the point where they're genuinely happy with their lives. [[spoiler:In the case of Fluttercruel, she ''literally'' [[ToHellAndBack went through Pony Hell!]]]]
** This is especially a plot point in the [[BadFuture Dark World Series]], where the heroes not only have to defeat Discord, but also redeem themselves after a thousand years as his minions [[spoiler: and defeat Nightmare Paradox, who's [[EvilerThanThou worse]] than Discord in every way]]. Ultimately, they are successful, though they get a BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy die, and refuse the one time offer to come BackFromTheDead, while Twilight becomes the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Concept]] of {{Happy Ending}}s and has to [[ButNowIMustGo move on]] to aid other worlds]].
* In ''[[Fanfic/ValkyrieOnFire I Am Not a Victim]]'', Glimmer basically operates on this philosophy when she explains why she wouldn't let Peeta win the games even if it came down to just the two of them; after Glimmer's other allies died fighting, she explicitly tells Peeta that she dislikes the idea that he would get to go home despite having done nothing to earn victory beyond telling bad lies to the Careers and suffering a serious leg wound rather than making an actual difference to anybody.
* The epilogue of ''[[Fanfic/AceCombatEquestriaChronicles Ace Combat: The Equestrian War]]'' ends the story on a bright note. [[spoiler: Equestria is slowly being rejuvenated by the power of the Elements of Harmony and the magic of Princesses Celestia and Luna to a state before the war. Rainbow Dash becomes a honorary member of the Wonderbolts. Derpy adopts Pipsqueak and Firefly stays in Equestria. She also becomes Rainbow's older twin sister (though they are actually cousins).]]
* Surprisingly, the DarkFic ''Fanfic/CampNightmare'' has one of these. [[spoiler:Calvin and Hobbes get out of a [[WouldHurtAChild child]]-[[ImAHumanitarian eating]] MonsterClown {{cult}}, disbanding it in the process, and have managed to save the children there as well, and they seem mentally stable as well!]]
* ''Fanfic/InnerDemons'': Since the basic premise is [[TheHero Twilight Sparkle]] being consumed by her [[EnemyWithin inner Darkness]] and becoming AxCrazy and mentally and physically tormenting her former friends as part of her quest to become Equestria's EvilOverlord, it figures that the protagonists have to go through Tartarus (literally, during the FinalBattle) to stop their friend and save her from herself. In the end, [[spoiler: Twilight is not only saved, but even becomes a Princess alongside Celestia and Luna. Plus, ultimately the only death in the story is [[TheDragon Trixie]], and even then, her spirit assures Apple Bloom that she died content.]]
* ''Fanfic/TheImmortalGame'', being a WarFic, has the Mane Cast [[WarIsHell going through hell]], some of them nearly going crazy and ''all'' of them losing their innocence, all to defeat [[BigBad Titan]] and save their world. In the end, they're successful [[spoiler: and like ''Inner Demons'' above, Twilight even becomes an alicorn in the process.]]
* ''Fanfic/TheNewRetcons'' have Elizabeth and Anthony from ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' go through this, working through an insane mother(in-law), them realizing who they married is not who they ''thought'' they married, [[spoiler: Elizabeth cheating on Anthony and foisting a bastard son on him, Anthony's undiagnosed Aspberger's]], Elizabeth's feelings of inadequacy as a woman but unwillingness to change it, and the death of Elizabeth's mother [[spoiler: as well as discovering that Anthony's father killed his mother]]. They eventually find happiness with them staying together and settling in Vancouver. Especially interesting in that early foreshadowing hinted that they would divorce, when in fact it was her brother and sister-in-law who divorced.
** Speaking of said brother, Michael had to do his own happy ending earning: working through the same insane mother (who more directly affected his family since she terrorized them), his workaholic tendencies, two miscarriages, an autistic son, a marriage on the rocks, [[spoiler: finding out the man that raised him isn't his biological father, and repressing his bisexuality, culminating in him attempting suicide when his mother died.]] He ended up divorcing his wife, but he managed to find an inner happiness with a balance of teaching and writing and find new love.
* ''Fanfic/{{Game Theory|LyricalNanoha}}'', beyond it's ForWantOfANail premise and intricate WorldBuilding, is a DeconstructionFic of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' where good intentions, a strong will, and liberal application of offensive magic does ''not'' solve all your problems and can in fact make them worse. [[DeconReconSwitch And despite this]], it ends with [[spoiler:Precia successfully bringing her daughter back to life.]]
* [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9217083/1/Dwarfed-or-The-Blessed-Disaster The Blessed Disaster]] makes it abundantly clear how much this trope applies to the [[Literature/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs Seven Dwarves]]
* Beth Lestrade in ''Fanfic/ChildrenOfTime'' has to work very hard, up to and including ''[[HeroicSuicide dying]]'' before she can get her happy ending. Even once she marries the man she loves, she has to wait eight more years before she can reunite with him, and ''then'' [[UpToEleven she has to be the one to bring him back]]. Earn Your Happy Ending? More like... Work Your Tail Off And Is It Even Coming In The First Place?
* In ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/114003/my-little-borg My Little Borg]]'', all Earth ponies and Pegasus ponies throughout Equestria are assimilated. All the Unicorn ponies have to scrounge through the Borg's library of technology and learn how to build a fully functioning starship in under a week, in order to have any chance of saving them at all -- and Twilight is the only one with access to the Borg library.
* The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP:FiM]] fan fiction ‘’Fanfic/TheMonsterMash’’ is a collection of horror-themed stories in which the ponies cross paths with the supernatural. EarnYourHappyEnding is in full effect and in most cases the characters are left [[BittersweetEnding marked by their experiences]].
* The official sequel to ''Fanfic/MyLittleDashie'' (written by a different author) qualifies. Rainbow Dash wakes up in Equestria, only remembering her life with her human father on Earth. She acts reckless with the magic inside her and starts ripping holes in reality just to have her father back. [[spoiler: When faced with a choice, her father leaves everything behind just to have Rainbow Dash back (as well as gaining a new friend in Pinkie Pie).]]
* ''Fanfic/EquestriasFirstHuman'': Connor has to battle prejudice, isolation from the few friends he's made [[spoiler: and a crazy terrorist]] before he can earn Ponyville's love and trust.
** [[spoiler: Princess Celestia herself decides he's earned a ''second'' one, and puts a sign on him that allows his spirit to return to Equestria, so he can have a new life, but also because of her [[DidYouJustRomanceCthulu crush on him]].]]
* Ending D of ''Fanfic/SonicXDarkChaos'': [[spoiler: Tails survives the final battle]] and manages to cripple Dark Tails by successfully destroying the Dark Planet Egg, allowing Maledict and Jesus to depower him and seal him in Warpspace forever. Maledict and Jesus agree to a temporary ceasefire and Maledict gives Sonic his Planet Egg back. The galaxy slowly starts to rebuild and Sonic and friends return home.
* ''Fanfic/TheGodEmpressOfPonykind''; after a brutal civil war that leaves thousands dead, Equestria is healing, the forces of Chaos have been driven back once again, [[spoiler: Celestia has reunited and made peace with Horus]], and there is a possibility that Luna will return to make the nation whole again.
* ''Fanfic/ImGivingYouANightCall'': Ed loses his boyfriend due to mistrust, the military goes after his hero persona, forced to work with his ex, forced to deal with people mistreating him due to his circumstances of his break-up, watch the woman he viewed as a grandmother get shot and killed in front of him, gets kidnapped and his automail painfully ripped off. [[spoiler: But he manages to take down the new Homunculus gang, gets his reputation cleared and makes amends with Roy and gets back together with him.]]
* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/176572/the-wedding-is-off-rewrite The Wedding is Off!]]'': Shining Armor, Twilight's friends, and Celestia become disgraced and hated due to their irresponsible actions in the failed Canterlot Wedding, particularly when they coldly turned on Twilight at the rehearsal which caused her, along with Spike and Cadence, to abandon them in anger right after the Changelings' defeat. Not only do they eventually earn the forgiveness of Twilight and everyone else [[TheAtoner upon correcting their mistakes]], but Cadence rekindles her love for Shining and they have a successful wedding.
* ''Fanfic/{{Mad World|Invader Zim}}'': Dib goes through a lot of dark crap over the course of this story, but in the end he's recognized as a hero, he and Zim are friends now, he's got Squee as a surrogate little brother, and he's got a friend in Nny, who's getting the mental help he needs. [[spoiler: And [[EldritchAbomination the Thing in the Wall]] is resealed, with Zim and Dib planning to replace the Wastelocks with a [[SealedEvilInACan sealing]] mechanism that won't require hosts that get driven insane by the power.]]
* Happens in the ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' fan comic from Website/DeviantArt, "[[https://fuyuflowga.deviantart.com/gallery/64893285/Cagney-is-a-Carnation Cagney Is a Carnation]]" by [[https://fuyuflowga.deviantart.com/ fuyuflowga]]. Cagney Carnation has gone through all the trouble of watching his adoptive flower children lose a casino game and get tortured by [[{{Satan}} the Devil]] and being forced to sign his Soul Contract and offer his soul in exchange for their lives; being shunned by his peers and forced to scare them and his flower children away to have them find someone else to take care of them; losing everything he's had and almost losing his will to live; having to become a NecessarilyEvil DeathSeeker in order to have the sibling protagonists Cuphead and Mugman battle him for the Soul Contract and then [[ShootTheDog reluctantly killing Mugman]] to spur on his brother's rage (both Mugman and Cagney get better, though); and crossing the DespairEventHorizon when he tells Elder Kettle he's an irredeemable villain (before Elder Kettle snaps him out of it by telling him that the boys have the potential to fight the Devil). After all of this, however, the ending gets happier [[spoiler:when, after the boys return in their victory over the Devil, and the inhabitants throw in a party in their honor, [[https://fuyuflowga.deviantart.com/art/Cagney-is-a-Carnation-page-14-718890352 Cagney gets his friends and the flower children back]], in which he has finally found love and his will to live again]].
* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', an extended retelling of "A Canterlot Wedding", takes this further with everyone involved; right after [[ForWantOfANail the Changelings are stopped by Twilight herself]], [[ManipulativeBastard Prince Jewelius]] usurps Equestria's throne by turning the entire city of Canterlot against the princesses, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends by exposing their mistakes and framing them as traitors, even [[CorruptTheCutie manipulating Twilight into forsaking them]]. Exiled and/or sentenced to slavery, the [[HeroWithBadPublicity now hated heroes]] must go through extended pain -- physical and emotional -- as they try to [[MustMakeAmends atone for their failings]] and [[CassandraTruth expose the truth]] of [[spoiler:Jewelius' [[EvilAllAlong true nature and role]] in the events that took place]]. The truth is particularly hard for Celestia and Cadance because [[spoiler:their beloved nephew/cousin Jewelius turns out to be an irredeemable psychopath who worked with the Changelings before double-crossing them and desires to have his aunt and cousin killed so that he can overshadow their memory]]. Twilight also has this as she gradually realizes how her mind's being poisoned, [[JerkassRealization prompting her to let go of her resentment toward the loved ones she disowned]] and reconcile with them. Eventually, the heroes reunite, bring the usurper down, prove their innocence, regain their lives, and finally get to enjoy Shining Armor and Cadance's delayed wedding in the epilogue.
* ''Fanfic/PrayForUsIcarus'' gets so heartwrenchingly sad in its middle parts in showing how Aziraphale's encounters with Crowley's human reincarnations [[StarCrossedLovers keep ending in misery and heartbreak for the two of them over and over again]] that the author had to repeatedly reassure readers that the series would have a happy ending. The entire series can pretty much be summed up as: "Aziraphale and Crowley go through emotional hell for the first three parts, then very slowly climb out of that emotional pit over the next four parts until they're finally allowed to be happy together for good."
* Severus Snape had a hard road without a happy ending in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' canon, but has a second chance in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12369512/23/The-Peace-Not-Promised The Peace Not Promised]]''. However, his second road is full of bumps and thorns, too, from Lily's mistrust of his motives in uniting Slytherin House, to her discovery of his second chance [[spoiler:which brings them much closer together, except that then he has no choice but to remove her memories of it lest Voldemort learn of the future, setting them almost back to square one]], her friends' distrust and ridicule of him, her father's disapproval, [[spoiler:and then, when her father begins to come around and approve of him, their planned family Christmas is interrupted by the father's death of heart failure]]. Snape is desperately poor [[spoiler:and when Lily inherits her father's house, it's burdened by a mortgage due to earlier legal debts, and its sale doesn't turn much profit; they have a pauper's wedding]] and there's really no choice but to accept Dumbledore's offer of employment [[spoiler:as a professor, even though Severus never liked teaching Potions and can only take a one-year contract teaching Defence]] - especially after Voldemort [[spoiler:kidnaps Lily, and Snape loses his wand hand in the course of barely rescuing her, leaving him unemployable in most non-teaching roles, even greatly hindered in teaching, and they also need to be at Hogwarts for their security]]. With everything that happens, though, Snape is happier than he's ever been, because Lily loves him back.
* ''Fanfic/TheBoltChronicles'': Depicted literally for the three pets in "The Gift," when they are reunited after death in Nirvana. Beings cannot enter until they have learned all their life lessons, thereby becoming complete and breaking free of the Karmic Wheel.
* ''Fanfic/FaithAndDoubt'': The Dark Abstract Doubt... oh boy. Originally the lost 6th Element of Harmony (covered up as being merely "magic"), he lost his memories, was betrayed by Luna when she became mad with power, spent thousands of years trying to find someone to help him, watched as Twilight was abandoned by her friends, nearly died only to finally remember his name (Faith), only for his fellow Element Abstracts to decide to take over Equestria and is forced to kill two of them. By the end of the sequel, though, he has regained his memories; his brother Honesty and sister Kindness have been redeemed; other beings (Scootaloo, Pinkie, and Discord) have become the new Element Abstracts; he has gained a crew of loyal friends; and he is in a triad with Twilight and Trixie, the latter having given birth to his son, whom he named after his first friend Clockwork.
* The ending of ''Fanfic/BeyondHeroes: Of Sunshine and Red Lyrium'' indicates that, after all the chaos of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' and ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'', both Varric and Bethany will finally get to return to Kirkwall for good. Bethany, who here is the Inquisitor, has disbanded her organization and wants nothing more than to go home. Varric is the Viscount of Kirkwall, so they're not expecting to do much relaxing; but they have each other and most of their loved ones, and that's really all they need.

* [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/73406/rainbow-in-the-dark Happens during the last chapters]] of the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''FanFic/RainbowInTheDark''.

* ''Manga/{{Evangelion 303}}'': The history seems being going for this. The characters suffer traumas and struggle to overcome them and fix their troubles throughout the fic.

* Even with all the madness and [[DarkFic downright cruelty]] in the ''Webcomic/AxisPowersHetalia'' fanfic ''FanFic/AllHeEverWanted'', Austria was at the receiving end of some the worst abuse to the point of being forced to see his beloved Hungary raped by Prussia. [[spoiler:He also happens to have one of the better endings compared to the other characters.]]
* ''FanFic/TheHillOfSwords'' ending has Shirou, after 5 seperate [[spoiler:re]]summonings, and who knows how many years finally [[spoiler: reuniting with Saber in Avalon.]]
* After much work and strife, the ending of ''FanFic/TheManWithNoName'' has the crew even managing to earn some much needed cash. With [[PerpetualPoverty how things usually end up]], [[spoiler:Mal]] is stunned by this turn of events.
* This trope is essentially the center point of the ''FanFic/PonyPOVSeries''. While it hasn't ended, even the ends of story arcs tend to lean this way. The two {{Sixth Ranger}}s especially had to go through Pony Hell to get to the point where they're genuinely happy with their lives. [[spoiler:In the case of Fluttercruel, she ''literally'' [[ToHellAndBack went through Pony Hell!]]]]

* The epilogue of ''[[{{FanFic/AceCombatEquestriaChronicles}} Ace Combat: The Equestrian War]]'' ends the story on a bright note. [[spoiler: Equestria is slowly being rejuvenated by the power of the Elements of Harmony and the magic of Princesses Celestia and Luna to a state before the war. Rainbow Dash becomes a honorary member of the Wonderbolts. Derpy adopts Pipsqueak and Firefly stays in Equestria. She also becomes Rainbow's older twin sister (though they are actually cousins).]]

* ''FanFic/InnerDemons'': Since the basic premise is [[TheHero Twilight Sparkle]] being consumed by her [[EnemyWithin inner Darkness]] and becoming AxCrazy and mentally and physically tormenting her former friends as part of her quest to become Equestria's EvilOverlord, it figures that the protagonists have to go through Tartarus (literally, during the FinalBattle) to stop their friend and save her from herself. In the end, [[spoiler: Twilight is not only saved, but even becomes a Princess alongside Celestia and Luna. Plus, ultimately the only death in the story is [[TheDragon Trixie]], and even then, her spirit assures Apple Bloom that she died content.]]
* ''FanFic/TheImmortalGame'', being a WarFic, has the Mane Cast [[WarIsHell going through hell]], some of them nearly going crazy and ''all'' of them losing their innocence, all to defeat [[BigBad Titan]] and save their world. In the end, they're successful [[spoiler: and like ''Inner Demons'' above, Twilight even becomes an alicorn in the process.]]
* ''FanFic/TheNewRetcons'' have Elizabeth and Anthony from ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrForWorse'' go through this, working through an insane mother(in-law), them realizing who they married is not who they ''thought'' they married, [[spoiler: Elizabeth cheating on Anthony and foisting a bastard son on him, Anthony's undiagnosed Aspberger's]], Elizabeth's feelings of inadequacy as a woman but unwillingness to change it, and the death of Elizabeth's mother [[spoiler: as well as discovering that Anthony's father killed his mother]]. They eventually find happiness with them staying together and settling in Vancouver. Especially interesting in that early foreshadowing hinted that they would divorce, when in fact it was her brother and sister-in-law who divorced.

* The [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic MLP:FiM]] fan fiction ‘’FanFic/TheMonsterMash’’ is a collection of horror-themed stories in which the ponies cross paths with the supernatural. EarnYourHappyEnding is in full effect and in most cases the characters are left [[BittersweetEnding marked by their experiences]].
* The official sequel to ''FanFic/MyLittleDashie'' (written by a different author) qualifies. Rainbow Dash wakes up in Equestria, only remembering her life with her human father on Earth. She acts reckless with the magic inside her and starts ripping holes in reality just to have her father back. [[spoiler: When faced with a choice, her father leaves everything behind just to have Rainbow Dash back (as well as gaining a new friend in Pinkie Pie).]]
* ''FanFic/EquestriasFirstHuman'': Connor has to battle prejudice, isolation from the few friends he's made [[spoiler: and a crazy terrorist]] before he can earn Ponyville's love and trust.

* Ending D of ''FanFic/SonicXDarkChaos'': [[spoiler: Tails survives the final battle]] and manages to cripple Dark Tails by successfully destroying the Dark Planet Egg, allowing Maledict and Jesus to depower him and seal him in Warpspace forever. Maledict and Jesus agree to a temporary ceasefire and Maledict gives Sonic his Planet Egg back. The galaxy slowly starts to rebuild and Sonic and friends return home.
* ''FanFic/TheGodEmpressOfPonykind''; after a brutal civil war that leaves thousands dead, Equestria is healing, the forces of Chaos have been driven back once again, [[spoiler: Celestia has reunited and made peace with Horus]], and there is a possibility that Luna will return to make the nation whole again.
* ''FanFic/ImGivingYouANightCall'': Ed loses his boyfriend due to mistrust, the military goes after his hero persona, forced to work with his ex, forced to deal with people mistreating him due to his circumstances of his break-up, watch the woman he viewed as a grandmother get shot and killed in front of him, gets kidnapped and his automail painfully ripped off. [[spoiler: But he manages to take down the new Homunculus gang, gets his reputation cleared and makes amends with Roy and gets back together with him.]]

* ''Fanfic/FaithAndDoubt'': The Dark Abstract Doubt... oh boy. Originally the lost 6th Element of Harmony (covered up as being merely "magic"), he lost his memories, was betrayed by Luna when she became mad with power, spent thousands of years trying to find someone to help him, watched as Twilight was abandoned by her friends, nearly died only to finally remember his name (Faith), only for his fellow Element Abstracts to decide to take over Equestria and is forced to kill two of them. By the end of the sequel though he has regained his memories, his brother Honesty and sister Kindness have been redeemed, other beings have become the new Element Abstracts (Scootaloo, Pinkie, and Discord), gained a crew of loyal friends, and is in a triad with Twilight and Trixie, the latter having given birth to his son who he named after his first friend Clockwork.
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* Severus Snape had a hard road without a happy ending in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' canon, but has a second chance in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12369512/23/The-Peace-Not-Promised The Peace Not Promised]]'' - but his second road is full of bumps and thorns, too, from Lily's mistrust of his motives in uniting Slytherin House, to her discovery of his second chance [[spoiler:which brings them much closer together, except that then he has no choice but to remove her memories of it lest Voldemort learn of the future, setting them almost back to square one]], her friends' distrust and ridicule of him, her father's disapproval, [[spoiler:and then, when her father begins to come around and approve of him, their planned family Christmas is interrupted by the father's death of heart failure]]. Snape is desperately poor [[spoiler:and when Lily inherits her father's house, it's burdened by a mortgage due to earlier legal debts, and its sale doesn't turn much profit; they have a pauper's wedding]] and there's really no choice but to accept Dumbledore's offer of employment [[spoiler:as a professor, even though Severus never liked teaching Potions and can only take a one-year contract teaching Defence]] - especially after Voldemort [[spoiler:kidnaps Lily, and Snape loses his wand hand in the course of barely rescuing her, leaving him unemployable in most non-teaching roles, even greatly hindered in teaching, and they also need to be at Hogwarts for their security]]. With everything that happens, though, Snape is happier than he's ever been, because Lily loves him back.

* Severus Snape had a hard road without a happy ending in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' canon, but has a second chance in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12369512/23/The-Peace-Not-Promised The Peace Not Promised]]'' - but his second road is full of bumps and thorns, too, from Lily's mistrust of his motives in uniting Slytherin House, to her friends' distrust of him, her father's disapproval, [[spoiler:and then, when her father begins to come around and approve of him, their planned family Christmas is interrupted by his death of heart failure]]. He's desperately poor [[spoiler:and when Lily's father leaves her his house, it's burdened by a mortgage due to earlier legal debts, and its sale doesn't turn much profit. They have a pauper's wedding]] and there's really no choice but to accept Dumbledore's offer of employment [[spoiler:as a professor, even though Severus never liked teaching Potions and can only take a one-year contract teaching Defence]] - especially after Voldemort [[spoiler:kidnaps Lily, and Snape loses his wand hand in the course of barely rescuing her, leaving him unemployable in most non-teaching roles, even greatly hindered in teaching, and they also need to be at Hogwarts for their security]]. With everything that happens, though, Snape is happier than he's ever been, because Lily loves him and chooses him over James Potter.

* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', an extended retelling of "A Canterlot Wedding", takes this further with everyone involved; right after [[ForWantOfANail the Changelings are stopped by Twilight herself]], [[ManipulativeBastard Prince Jewelius]] usurps Equestria's throne by turning the entire city of Canterlot against the princesses, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends by exposing their mistakes and framing them as traitors, even [[CorruptTheCutie manipulating Twilight into forsaking them]]. Exiled and/or sentenced to slavery, the [[HeroWithBadPublicity now hated heroes]] must go through extended pain -- physical and emotional -- as they try to [[MustMakeAmends atone for their failings]] and [[CassandraTruth expose the truth]] of [[spoiler:Jewelius' [[EvilAllAlong true nature and role]] in the events that took place]]. The truth is particularly hard for Celestia and Cadance because [[spoiler:their beloved nephew/cousin Jewelius turns out to be an irredeemable psychopath who worked with the Changelings before double-crossing them and desires to have his aunt and cousin killed so that he can overshadow their memory]]. Twilight also has this as she gradually realizes how her mind's being poisoned, [[JerkassRealization prompting her to let go of her resentment toward the loved ones she disowned]] and reconcile with them. Eventually, the heroes reunite, bring the usurper down, prove their innocence, and regain their lives, and get to enjoy Shining Armor and Cadance's delayed wedding in the epilogue.

* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', an extended retelling of "A Canterlot Wedding", takes this further with everyone involved; right after [[ForWantOfANail the Changelings are stopped by Twilight herself]], [[ManipulativeBastard Prince Jewelius]] usurps Equestria's throne by turning the entire city of Canterlot against the princesses, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends by exposing their mistakes and framing them as traitors, even [[CorruptTheCutie manipulating Twilight into forsaking them]]. Exiled and/or sentenced to slavery, the [[HeroWithBadPublicity now hated heroes]] must go through extended pain -- physical and emotional -- as they try to [[MustMakeAmends atone for their failings]] and [[CassandraTruth expose the truth]] of [[spoiler:Jewelius' [[EvilAllAlong true nature and role]] in the events that took place]]. The truth is particularly hard for Celestia and Cadance because [[spoiler:their beloved nephew/cousin Jewelius turns out to be an irredeemable psychopath who worked with the Changelings before double-crossing them and desires to have his aunt and cousin killed so that he can overshadow their memory]]. Twilight also has this as she gradually realizes how her mind's being poisoned, [[JerkassRealization prompting her to let go of her resentment toward the loved ones she disowned]] and reconcile with them. After the reunited heroes bring the usurper down, they get back their lives and everypony's respect, enjoying Shining Armor and Cadance's delayed wedding in the epilogue.

* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', an extended retelling of "A Canterlot Wedding", takes this further with everyone involved; right after [[ForWantOfANail the Changelings are stopped by Twilight herself]], [[ManipulativeBastard Prince Jewelius]] usurps Equestria's throne by turning the entire city of Canterlot against the princesses, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends by exposing their mistakes and framing them as traitors, even [[CorruptTheCutie manipulating Twilight into forsaking them]]. Exiled and/or sentenced to slavery, the [[HeroWithBadPublicity now hated heroes]] must go through extended pain -- physical and emotional -- as they try to [[MustMakeAmends atone for their failings]] and [[CassandraTruth expose the truth]] of [[spoiler:Jewelius' [[EvilAllAlong true nature and role]] in the events that took place]]. The truth is particularly hard for Celestia and Cadance, for [[spoiler:their beloved nephew/cousin Jewelius turns out to be a heartless sociopath who prompted the Changelings to attack ]]

Twilight also has this as she gradually realizes how her mind's being poisoned by a heartless sociopath, [[JerkassRealization prompting her to let go of her resentment toward the loved ones she disowned]] and reconcile with them. After the heroes bring the usurper down, they get back their lives and everypony's respect, enjoying Shining Armor and Cadance's

* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'', an extended retelling of "A Canterlot Wedding", takes this further with everyone involved; right after [[ForWantOfANail the Changelings are stopped by Twilight herself]], [[ManipulativeBastard Prince Jewelius]] usurps Equestria's throne by turning the entire city of Canterlot against the princesses, Shining Armor and Twilight's friends by exposing their mistakes and framing them as traitors, even [[CorruptTheCutie manipulating Twilight into forsaking them]]. Exiled and/or sentenced to slavery, the disgraced heroes must go through extended pain as they try to atone for their failings and [[CassandraTruth expose the truth]] of [[spoiler:Jewelius' [[EvilAllAlong true role]] in the events]], .

* ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': Shinji and Asuka had to work hard to get their happy ending. First of all they had to learn to stop fighting and reach each other out. Then they had to go through Asuka’s pregnancy. Then they had [[spoiler:to stop Gendo’s plans which might mean Asuka’s death and Teri being turned into a living tool war]]. THEN they had to beat the remnant Angels AND SEELE and at the same time raising their baby.

* ''Fanfic/GameTheoryFanFic'', beyond it's ForWantOfANail premise and intricate WorldBuilding, is a DeconstructionFic of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' where good intentions, a strong will, and liberal application of offensive magic does ''not'' solve all your problems and can in fact make them worse. [[DeconReconSwitch And despite this]], it ends with [[spoiler:Precia successfully bringing her daughter back to life.]]

** This is especially a plot point in the [[BadFuture Dark World Series]], where the heroes not only have to defeat Discord, but also redeem themselves after a thousand years as his minions [[spoiler: and defeat [[BiggerBad Nightmare Paradox]], who's [[EvilerThanThou worse]] than Discord in every way]]. Ultimately, they are successful, though they get a BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy die, and refuse the one time offer to come BackFromTheDead, while Twilight becomes the [[AnthropomorphicPersonification Concept]] of {{Happy Ending}}s and has to [[ButNowIMustGo move on]] to aid other worlds]].

* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': Although Shinji and Asuka hooked up at the beginning of the story, and their relationship gave them an emotional anchor to cling to when things got too tough, the story made clear that they would have to fight and struggle to get a happy ending. And it was made clear as soon as [[spoiler:Leliel absorbed Asuka in lieu of Shinji in the next chapter.]] Moreover, now they have a deep bond with Rei and have a better relationship with their friends, they have to protect more people.
* ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': Shinji and Asuka had to work hard to get their happy ending. First of all they had to learn to stop fighting and reach each other out. Then they had to go through Asuka’s pregnancy. Then they had [[spoiler:to stop Gendo’s plans which might mean Asuka’s death and Teri being turned into a living tool war.]] THEN they had to beat the remnant Angels AND SEELE and at the same time raising their baby.

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* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': Shinji and Asuka are literally granted divine intervention to help them, but they still have to work to fix their troubles. Your relationship is a mess? Talk and open up to reach each other out, to try to understand and forgive each other and work on rebuilding bridges. Your world is a hellish, post-apocalyptic wasteland? You will have to fight the tyrants lording over the starving masses and then help to rebuild.

* ''Fanfic/GameTheoryFanFic'', beyond it's ForWantOfANail premise and intricate WorldBuilding, is a DeconstructionFic of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' where good intentions, a strong will, and liberal application of offensive magic does ''not'' solve all your problems and can in fact make them worse. [[DeconReconSwitch And despite this]], it ends with [[spoiler:Precia successfully bringing her daughter back to life.]]

* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/176572/the-wedding-is-off-rewrite The Wedding is Off!]]'': Shining Armor, Twilight's friends, and Celestia become disgraced due to their irresponsible actions in the failed Canterlot Wedding, particularly when they coldly turned on Twilight at the rehearsal which caused her, along with Spike and Cadence, to abandon them in anger right after the Changelings' defeat. Not only do they eventually earn the forgiveness of Twilight and everyone else but Cadence rekindles her love for Shining and they have a successful wedding.

* ''[[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/176572/the-wedding-is-off-rewrite The Wedding is Off!]]'': Shining Armor, Twilight's friends, and Celestia become disgraced due to their irresponsible actions in the failed Canterlot Wedding, particularly when they coldly turned on Twilight at the rehearsal which caused her, along with Spike and Cadence, to abandon them in anger right after the Changelings' defeat. Not only do they eventually earn the forgiveness of Twilight and everyone else but Cadence rekindles her love for Shining and decides to marry him again.

* After much work and strife, the ending of ''FanFic/TheManWithNoName'' has the crew even managing to earn some much needed cash. With [[PerpetualPoverty how things usually end up]], [[spoiler:Mal]] [[GenreSavvy is stunned by this turn of events]].