History Fanfic / MyLittleBalladeer

* BreakTheCutie: Attempted by Thorne against both [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, by [[BalefulPolymorph turning them into monsters]] and the Mane Six, by forcing them to [[MercyKill kill]] their [[StakingTheLovedOne loved ones]]]].

** Applejack and Rarity are clearly [[spoiler:close to ''suicide'' when they believe they will have to [[MercyKill kill]] a [[BalefulPolymorph transformed]] Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, including their little sisters Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They just mean to [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge get Thorne first]]]].

* TakeAThirdOption: So, Mane Six, will you [[spoiler:[[StakingTheLovedOne kill]] the [[TragicMonster horribly]] [[BalefulPolymorph transformed]] Spike and the [[AdorablyPrecociousChild Cutie Mark Crusaders]], or simply let them kill you? Fortunately, Twilight realizes she can transform them back]].

** Finally and most horrifically, Thorne [[spoiler:actually [[BalefulPolymorph transforms]] Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders into tortured, mind-controlled monsters, in the ''hope'' that the Mane Six will [[MercyKill kill]] them, in the process shattering the heroes' morale. This plan almost works]].

* BlackMagic: Rowley's spells all inflict harm on someone, even those which help someone else. Consequently, they are useless from the [[LawfulGood point of view]] of Twilight Sparkle, and indeed most Equestrian mages.

* EvilSorcerer: Thorne.

* ForTheEvulz: Thorne ''claims'' to want wealth and renown, but (as Twilight Sparkle [[LampshadeHanging points out]]), he could have gotten these things [[CutLexLuthorACheck in fair trade for his knowledge and skills]]. When Twilight wonders why Thorne would do terrible things instead of treating ponies kindly, the more worldly-wise Applejack points out that some beings are [[TheFarmerAndTheViper just plain evil]], saying "For some skunks, it’s just plain fun ta get what they want by hurtin’ somepony else."”

* TheLostWoods: The Everfree Forest. Between the usual monsters and [[spoiler:the Sunny Town undead]], it's not a place even John cares to wander through -- especially at night.

* AgentScully: Twilight Sparkle, both towards diabolism and {{Necromancy}}. Somewhat [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], in that both are very rare forms of magic in Equestria.

** [[spoiler: At the climax, Thorne has been defeated but the heroes are weakened, wounded and surrounded by the [[RevenantZombie Sunny Towners]], who blame said heroes for detroying what they believed to be their chance at {{Resurrection}}. Princess Celestia comes in and uses ThePowerOfTheSun to force them back into the ground in a combination of WeakenedByTheLight, HolyBurnsEvil and TurnUndead]].

* BiggerBad: [[spoiler:Discord, the [[MadGod mad]] RealityWarper who brought Thorne to Equestria]].

* {{Break The Cutie}}s: Attempted by Thorne against both [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, by [[BalefulPolymorph turning them into monsters]] and the Mane Six, by forcing them to [[MercyKill kill]] their [[StakingTheLovedOne loved ones]]]].

** Between his own strong common sense and mystical awareness, John is also quite good at figuring this out. This is one of the ways in which he and Applejack are NotSoDifferent.

* NotSoDifferent: John (a heroic, honorable, intelligent well-educated rural human) and the Apples (who are heroic, honorable, intelligent well-educated rural ponies) find they have a lot in common, and become friends. To a lesser extent, this is true in general of John and the Mane Six [[spoiler:though he and Rainbow Dash rub each other the wrong way]]: they come to see each other as good people, despite their species differences.

* [[BreakTheCutie Break the Cuties]]: Attempted by Thorne against both [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, by [[BalefulPolymorph turning them into monsters]] and the Mane Six, by forcing them to [[MercyKill kill]] their [[StakingTheLovedOne loved ones]]]].

* ContinuityNod: To many {{Literature/SilverJohn}} stories, and several other stories by Creator/ManlyWadeWellman.
* [[CuteGhostGirl Cute Ghost Filly]]: Ruby. John is simultaneously impressed by how sweet and how utterly uncanny she is.

** How the Mane Six summon John to Equestria, through what is heavily implied to be the MyLittlePony musical theme.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: [[spoiler:The ''Letters of Cold Fire'' contains a spell to summon Discord from his imprisonment]]. The names it invokes include Melkor (Creator/JRRTolkien's GodOfEvil, aka "Morgoth"); Arioch (one of Creator/MichaelMoorcock's greater [[GodOfEvil Chaos Lords]]); Grogar (the demonic ruler of Tambelon in the G1 MyLittlePony series); Iblis (Muslim name for the Devil); Jadis (the [[EvilSorceress White Witch]] from Creator/CSLewis' [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Chronicles of Narnia]]); Leviathan (both a Biblical beast and the BigBad of Creator/CliveBarker's ''Franchise/{{Hellraiser}}'' series; Sombra (the Shadow Unicorn King who oppressed the Crystal Empire in MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic's Season 3 Opener; Tirek (the demon-centaur from the first MyLittlePony movie); and Tash (the GodOfEvil from Creator/CSLewis' [[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Chronicles of Narnia]]). You just ''know'' that a spell invoking beings like that [[SarcasmMode isn't going to be about pulling flowers out of a top hat]].

* AppropriateAnimalAttire: John is a bit mystified when Rarity goes behind a screen to take off her fluffy nightgown.