History Fanfic / Marionettes

* TheCavalry: [[spoiler:The Wonderbolts]] manage to make it into Moirai to help the struggling heroes push the Stallions back [[spoiler:with Spitfire finally giving Shining and Spoiled enough of an edge to begin damaging [[BigBad Masquerade,]] who had both completely outmatched before hoof.]]
* TheConspiracy: The Stallions in Black [[spoiler:have been doing a number of things, including brainwashing, FalseMemories, and the Marionettes, to enforce the fates they believe should happen, as well as test and humble the heroes.]]
* TheMasquerade: The Stallions keep a ''lot'' of stuff under wraps...
* TheMole: The Stallions in Black have them more or less ''everywhere'', including in the Guard and the Wonderbolts. [[spoiler:Rainbow Dash takes advantage of the heroes having captured Moirai's defense center to locate the identity of said mole and send the intel to Spitfire, allowing them to capture them and arrive at Moirai in time to give the heroes much needed backup.]]
* ThePlotReaper: [[spoiler:''Invoked''. The Stallions in Black desired to use the Siege Arc to put the Marionettes who'd diverged from their programming in a position where they could dispose of them so they wouldn't continue to be a problem in their plans to enforce fate.]]

* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Starlight Glimmer becomes upset when Mindwipe expresses admiration for her dictatorship of Our Town.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Celestia in regards to founding S.M.I.L.E., given that her response letter to Twilight has tear stains.

* GodsHandsAreTied: Celestia can't directly confront the Stallions due to them having countermeasures against her (due to one of their founding mission statements being as a counter incase Celestia went Nightmare) and they grown beyond having their funding being tied directly to the crown.

* BigGood: [[spoiler:The Tree of Harmony, as in canon. It actively opposes the Stallions in Black, wants to see the Marionettes set free, and is enraged at their treatment of its {{Seer}}.]]

* TheSouthpaw: Trixie is lefthoofed, as in canon. She uses her right hoof to move her bags while pretending she's an Earth Pony to take advantage of this to further hide her identity.

** [[spoiler:Marshmallow is a complicated case, as while she is the closest any of the Marionettes come to being a KillerRobot, she's only doing what Masquerade ordered her to do. Played straight with the other attempts to create a Marionette like her, as they all went insane due to tampering with their central programming and apparently as a result of having weaponry being built into them. To prevent that from happening to Marshmallow, she was built so she could only feel happiness, as well as having deliberately more simplistic mindset and mental capacity, like that of a child, so she couldn't think too hard about what she was doing]].

** [[spoiler:After her TransformationSequence, Trixie says "[[Disney/{{Pinocchio}} I've got no]] [[Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron strings on me]]."]]

* BenevolentConspiracy: Many of the Stallions in Black ''think'' they're this. Others view themselves as a NecessaryEvil, while others [[PsychoForHire simply don't give a darn and are in it for the power.]] [[spoiler:Ironically, they were originally one of these when Celestia founded them, but slowly fell into becoming HeWhoFightsMonsters.]]

* NecessaryEvil: [[spoiler:Masquerade argues that the Stallions are necessary to the safety of Equestria, though the heroes don't buy it]].

** While infiltrating Moirai the heroes [[spoiler:discover the P-Series Marionettes in the basement, all of which were destroyed for going [[AGodIAm mad with power]], but only up to Generation 4 with no Generation 5 Marionette in that series being mentioned. While exploring Bright Future's lab, Teddy finds a Marionette limb noted as being much larger and hallow.]] Also, it's repeatedly noted that [[spoiler:the Stallions have Starswirl's wand, the twin of the one Trixie has, but it's missing from the Artifact Archives.]] Turns out that [[spoiler:the final P-Series Marionette is a suit of PoweredArmor with Starswirl's wand in its horn: the Puppeteer, [=G5P00=].]]

** [[spoiler:None of the P Series of Alicorn Marionettes ever made it past the prototype stage, as they were all destroyed upon going on a rampage. Some before they were even ''complete''. Cover Story theorizes that this is because they're [[AGodIAm programmed to think they're gods]] and thus don't want to take orders.]]

** Gear Shift's reaction to Lightning Dust joining Rainbow Dash against him [[spoiler:and apologizing for the events of Wonderbolt Academy]] is to say [[spoiler:he thought they 'fixed that glitch' and]] that 'she can't remember' something, but doesn't reveal just what that something is. [[spoiler:It's later revealed that the AlternateEnding to that episode is what ''really'' happened and the Stallions in Black altered everypony's memories.]]

Trixie was having the time of her life performing for audiences and putting her past as a bully and braggart behind her. Then one day, she finds herself being pursued by mysterious ponies in black named Gear Shift and Cover Story who seem dedicated to capturing her no matter what the cost. Can Trixie stay free? Or will her pursuers make her a marionette hanging on strings?

* LongLostUncleAesop: [[spoiler:The Marionettes entire purpose is mostly to be this: to show up, teach the Mane Six or CMC an Aesop, then go away until the next aesop needed taught. Deconstructed, it's shown just how cruel building sapient beings ''just'' to play this role would actually be.]]

** [[spoiler:The Puppeteer is a Marionette bases PoweredArmor, with Masquerade lampshading the name]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Miss Marshmallow dies when her own final attack if contained in a forcefield and destroys her.]]

* EmotionlessGirl: So far, Masquerade has shown little to no emotion, inside or out. [[spoiler: Gypsy and Spoiled Rich's comments imply her mother ''made'' her this way]].

* TheStoic: Masquerade has shown little to no emotion at all.
* StepfordSmiler: In contrast to her boss, Masquerade's maid Marshmallow is so constantly smiley and chipper, even more than ''Pinkie Pie'', that it's clear something is not right in her head. Even when showing concern for a hurt Masquerade, she only sounds slightly less happy. [[spoiler:It turns out that she's a Marionette]].

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: Completely subverted: [[spoiler:the Stallions in Black are just people like anypony else. Some ''are'' genuinely evil monsters who are part of the group for the sake of power and control (like Thunderhoof) and others are KnightTemplar zealots, others just genuinely want to help protect Equestria for the right reasons and switch sides when they realize what they're doing.]]
* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:Trixie looses her front right leg in her battle with Masquerade]].

* UncannyValley: Masquerade's constant state as TheStoic creeps more than one pony out.

* AndroidsArePeopleToo: After finding out [[spoiler:Trixie is a robot]], the Mane Six debate about this, and thanks to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy conclude that she is sapient and has feelings. Twilight Sparkle later says that by Equestrian law, constructs that display sapience are to be treated just like anypony else. [[spoiler:Miss Marshmallow's demise is treated with the same weight and sorrow as anyone deserves, to the point she was given a funeral some time after the final battle.]]

** [[spoiler:While not shown, the majority of Agent Marionettes in the FinalBattle are G4 Agents, meaning both Teddy and Ace (G2 Marionettes) did come up against their upgraded models and won out in the end (technically the Sports Trio are G3 Marionettes, but were retrofitted with G4 tech). Justified as many of the G4 Agents were the weaker mass production models and the primary flaw of the G2 Marionettes other than their lack of energy was being too ''heavy'', which was a major flaw to their ability to pose as ponies, not in combat effectiveness. In addition, their failsafes were fried and they already knew they were Marionettes while the Marionette agents' failsafes force them to return to the lab if exposed, meaning they didn't have to ''win'', only bust open their opponent's disguises. By the end they also have to fall back from the battle, however, because ]]

** [[spoiler:The true FinalBattle is the first G4 Marionette (and technically the first Marionette ''period) Trixie vs Masquerade wearing the Puppeteer, G5 Marionette made to be PoweredArmor. Downplayed as Trixie was slightly upgraded by Twilight to have one of G5 upgrades (a cooling system), but the Puppeteer is still overall technologically superior. Trixie ultimately wins through [[GuileHero trickery]] and intentionally smashing the Puppeteer's cooling system, disabling its strongest weapon and making the very equine Masquerade overheat underneath the suit.]]

** Masquerade warns Shining Armor that even though he and his friends are stronger and better fighters, they will eventually run out of stamina and lose because she has so many agents to replace the ones who fall.

* IKnowYouKnowYouKnow: Pinkie and Masquerade have a brief gag of how Pinkie's group was expecting an ambush, but the Stallions knew they would expect an ambush, that eventually leaves Pinkie confused.

* ImNotDoingThatAgain: [[spoiler:Trixie comments this after destroying Masquerade's [[PoweredArmor Puppeteer armor]] with a DeathOrGloryAttack that left her mana engine so drained she can barely move and momentarily forgets she [[AnArmAndALeg now only has three legs]].]]

* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:Despite being foals, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are the second and third G4 Marionettes to be made. The much older looking Well-to-Do is actually the youngest.]]

* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:Trail Cutter was originally intended to antagonize Fluttershy. She's the first friend he makes after being activated who's not a Marionette.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Trixie [[TomatoInTheMirror is an android]].]]

* BenevolentConspiracy: Many of the Stallions in Black ''think'' they're this. Others view themselves as a NecessaryEvil, while others [[PsychoForHire simply don't give a darn and are in it for the power.]] [[spoiler:Ironically, they were originally one of these when Celestia founded them, but slowly fell into becoming HeWhoeFightsMonsters.]]

** Pinkie Pie comments that Creator/LaurenFaust had wanted her to meet Wonderbolts member Surprise before it was changed.