History Fanfic / AllThatGlimmersIsNotGood

* AmbiguousDisorder: Two for Ophiuchus.
** When asked, he states that his hairstyle, which is shaped around his neck like a serpent to represent the avatar for the constellation, is a result of keratin being produced near the throat. The hairs end up irritating it, resulting in coughing fits, explaining why he'd been slowing down in the more physical portion of the exam. He notes that the condition, while unnamed, has symptoms similar to exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) which is very similar to asthma.
** He also states that he has a reading comprehension disorder, which he describes it as being like his mind sees sentences like it's going back and forth from English to a strange alphabet, taking more effort for him to focus on what they actually say.

* YoureInsane: Aside from the comments of this made to [[BigBad the two who run the factory]], another unicorn calls out her curious friend with a similar comment and ends up getting physical with her when she was just curious about what was occurring during [[spoiler:Poppy's]] operation. It also causes other ponies to turn away from her.

The fanfic takes strong inspiration from ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/5381/rainbow-factory Rainbow Factory]]'' by Aurora Dawn. It contains canon character [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation reinterpretation]] [[spoiler:(as well as death and body horror)]].

* AngryGuardDog: The beast in Chapter 5 that lunges at Sweetie Belle in her cell.

* OffOnATechnicality; Not a criminal, but this is how Sweetie Belle ends up getting failed. [[spoiler:The door to the finishing button only just after the timer counted in its entirety]]

* Cyborg: Confirmed in-universe when Sweetie Belle and the others are being lead up from the dungeons.

* Cyborg: Confirmed in-universe.

* SlippingAMickey: Arguably. The sleeping tea in the rooms they are placed in is made bitter on purpose so that they're [[spoiler:forced to drug themselves.]] Even worse the rooms are designed so that they can't get to sleep without the tea.

* FantasticRacism: Slightly subverted, but make it ableism. Just like in "Rainbow Factory," there's a sense of ableism, as the test is, essentially, [[spoiler:a way to weed out disability]] from the unicorns, though it's not explicitly stated.

** During Cancer's protest of Sweetie Belle being failed, her brother Leo exclaims "Oh sweet Celestia on a bike!" as a reference to one of Noel Gruber's lines in ''[[Theatre/RideTheCyclone]]''.

** During Cancer's protest of Sweetie Belle being failed, her brother Leo exclaims "Oh sweet Celestia on a bike!" as a reference to one of Noel Gruber's lines in ''[[Theatre/RideTheCyclone]] ''.

* HollywoodAutism: Not exactly Hollywood, as Wonderspark is the * AuthorAvatar, but she is canonically autistic. (and ADHD) She tends to be rather emotional, [[spoiler:her anger being part of her downfall in the second part of the exam]]; hyperfixates on certain aspects of magic, which Sweetie Belle even points out is the reason elite magic circles are looking at Canterlot University; at one point early on, she's shown to misinterpret an idiom Sweetie Belle uses as something literal; during the last part of [[spoiler:Poppy's fatal operation]], she's shown to have sensory overload due to how loud Poppy is shrieking, repeating the phrase "too loud" several times.

* OffOnATechnicality; Not a criminal, but this is how Sweetie Belle ends up getting failed. [[spoiler:She presses the finishing button only just after the timer counted in its entirety]]

** Ophiuchus mentions that his sister Cancer was essentially this to him, with her being one of the only family members who treated him with any kindness, especially as he's the youngest; he deems her as a second mother, or perhaps the mother he should have had.

* YoureInsane: Aside from the comments of this made to [[BigBad the two who run the factory]], another unicorn calls out her curious friend and ends up getting physical with her when she was just curious about what was occurring during [[spoiler:Poppy's]] operation.

* WhatIfTheBabyIsLikeMe: One of the reasons [[spoiler:Twilight and Rarity]] helped [[spoiler:Sweetie Belle]] so much was to keep her from ending up in the factory and becoming like them.

** Subverted by [[spoiler:Mysty]]. Her older twin sister [[spoiler:is revealed to be one of the Fail 70s]] and so she fails the second portion in order to see her again. In a twisted irony, [[spoiler:Mysty IS able to see her one last time]], but the factory workers [[spoiler:damaged her eyes beyond repair]] so that they can be used as substitute pearls, meaning that [[spoiler:her sister can't see her]]. This also takes place right before she is operated on and then killed.

** Averted at one point. Cancer and Pisces Starfall both offer to take Sweetie's place when she's failed, with the latter [[Hypocrite calling out the former for having a martyr complex]] after offering to take Sweetie's place only moments prior.

* OffOnATechnicality; Not a criminal, but this is how Sweetie Belle ends up getting failed. [[spoiler:She pressed the finishing button only just after the timer counted in its entirety]]

* VillainHasAPoint: Arguably. After being called sadistic by one of the Pass 30s, [[spoiler:Twilight]] points out the decrease in disease and how their products are also used for things like manes for ponies going through chemo, coats for skin grafts for victims of burns, organs for those whose are failing, etc,. She also points out that this is also to create new markets to avoid another [[TheFamine Great Famine]], which she states is something nopony should ever have to experience.

* KilledOffscreen: Pre-canon. [[spoiler:Twilight]] implies this of [[spoiler:Starlight Glimmer]] who was asked to help, but wanted the operation shut down after she heard about what it would involve. The irony is that the company [[spoiler:is named after what Twilight says is her "sacrifice]].

* BlackSheep: Ophiuchus Starfall. All of his other siblings are named after or share names close to the zodiac signs and the majority of them treat him like absolute garbage [[LikeFatherLikeSon just like their parents do]]. Him being the family outcast reflects the real-life rejection of the constellation Ophiuchus being rejected from the astrological signs.

* DrillSergeantNasty: Subverted to an extent and to his reluctance. When one of the primary protagonists, Scarlet Strange, gives another primary protagonist, Ophiuchus Starfall, the answer to one of the runes, the kinesthetics instructor berates her until Wonderspark points out that disabled unicorns must be given their accommodations on the exams or else it's a violation of their rights. He reluctantly admits his mistake after checking the manual, allowing the unicorn stallion time-and-a-half, as per his accommodations. [[spoiler:Ophiuchus refuses and says he'll take the fail.]] However he doesn't give this exception to Sweetie Belle when she fails by technicality, despite a Pass Complete arguing for her passing.

* DrillSergeantNasty: Subverted to an extent and to his reluctance. When one of the primary protagonists, Scarlet Strange, gives another primary protagonist, Ophiuchus Starfall, the answer to one of the runes, the kinesthetics instructor berates her until Wonderspark points out that disabled unicorns must be given their accommodations on the exams