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* TheGrimReaper: [[spoiler:Lima Bean, who makes Flicker her champion]].
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* UnfortunateNames: Justice Good Reason is aware of the trope.
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* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The fight in Manehattan, involving most of the Stiff Upper Lip HQ defending [[FanFic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping Moon Rose]], Sumac and Pebble against Grogar's minions. [[spoiler:None of them survived, although their charges did, and the main characters are left with the job of investigating]].
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToKillYou: Grogar insisted that Contagion must be the one to kill Flicker. The reason isn't yet known, but may be linked to [[spoiler:them both being Enshrined entities]].
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToKillYou: Grogar insisted that Contagion must be the one to kill Flicker. The reason isn't yet known, but may be linked to [[spoiler:them both being Enshrined entities]].
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* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The fight in Manehattan, involving most of the Stiff Upper Lip HQ defending [[FanFic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping [[Fanfic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping Moon Rose]], Sumac and Pebble against Grogar's minions. [[spoiler:None of them survived, although their charges did, and the main characters are left with the job of investigating]].
*TheOnlyOneAllowedToKillYou: TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Grogar insisted that Contagion must be the one to kill Flicker. The reason isn't yet known, but may be linked to [[spoiler:them both being Enshrined entities]].
*
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* BadDreams: Piper starts getting them after some particularly harrowing experiences.
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Badass Gay isn't a trope anymore.
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* BadassGay: Dr Sterling, Flicker and Hennessey.
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* TheMalaproper: Hennessey has a mild case of this, due to a lack of education. He's trying to get better, and is pleased that Flicker doesn't make him feel stupid for it.
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* TheMalaproper: {{Malaproper}}: Hennessey has a mild case of this, due to a lack of education. He's trying to get better, and is pleased that Flicker doesn't make him feel stupid for it.
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* BuryingASubstitute: A statue is raised in place of burying [[spoiler: Dr. Sterling, as his body was destroyed in the explosion that killed him and Contagion]].
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* ItsAlwaysSunnyAtFunerals: Flicker's internal monologue disapproves of the weather at [[spoiler:Dr. Sterling's]] funeral.
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* MeaningfulFuneral: [[spoiler:Dr. Sterling's. It's overflowing with mourners. Luna is seen weeping into Gosling's shoulder, Silver Spoon (Dr. Sterling's niece) offers Flicker a place in her family due to Dr. Sterling considering him a son, Wicked Chandler delivers a eulogy that he doesn't manage to finish, so Luna takes over, and in the end, Flicker (with Gosling's help) makes a declaration that they will continue his work, being a light to others even as they go to darkness. Also, during the funeral, Flicker sees Dr. Sterling there, along with Lima Bean]].
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* VaderBreath: [[spoiler:Mr. Balister]] after his [[WeCanRebuildHim rebuilding]].
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* CallBack: [[spoiler:Chronos mentions Project Eternity, the god-maker project that he and his brother (amongst others) were the result of]].
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* DarkMessiah: Contagion, to the rats.
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* TheEeyore: Pale is exceptionally pessimistic, [[spoiler:having to watch mortals deal with the thing that tortured him and his fellow gods to death is probably at least partially to blame]].
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* WeCanRebuildHim: [[spoiler:Mr. Balister's fate after the fall of the Guild, using Centaur tech]].
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* PretentiousLatinMotto: {{Subverted}} by the motto of [[spoiler:The Underwatch]], as suggested by Piper:
-->'''Piper Pie:''' Pertinax mater irrumator praetores.[[note]]It translates as "Stubborn Mother-Fuckers".[[/note]]
-->'''Piper Pie:''' Pertinax mater irrumator praetores.[[note]]It translates as "Stubborn Mother-Fuckers".[[/note]]
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Flicker Nicker is a colt who has just earned his Cutie Mark, so goes to Canterlot to join the Rat Catcher's Guild. Making friends with two fellow apprentices, Hennessey Walker and Piper Pie, he joins the endless war against plague and pests.
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Flicker Nicker is a colt who has just earned his Cutie Mark, so goes to Canterlot to join the Rat Catcher's Guild. Making friends with two fellow apprentices, Hennessey Walker and Piper Pie, he joins the endless war against plague and pests.
pests. He's very quickly dragged into the greater Weedverse conflict, and some of the deepest magic of the world.
* TheChosenOne: [[spoiler:Because of Flicker's cutie mark, the population of Canterlot latch onto him as their saviour from the rat plague, continuing the process of his Enshrinement]].
* {{Conscription}}: When Flicker begins expressing doubts in his calling after [[spoiler:the fall of the Guild]], a loudmouth threatens this. Fortunately, he's interrupted mid-sentence by Chesty [=McPuller=].
* DarkestHour: The seventies chapters, [[spoiler:Dr. Sterling and most of the Guild are dead, Mr Balister might as well be, Wicked Chandler and all three main characters are badly wounded, the Canterlot Guild is lost and the Manehattan Guild badly damaged, it's been revealed that their masks have been subverted by the rats, Canterlot itself is under curfew with fighting in the streets, Contagion is ascended, and Flicker has had to sell his soul to just have things be that bad]].
* DreamWalker: [[spoiler:Contagion becomes this after his death and ascension]].
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* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: The Powers reveal that prayer gives beings power, both the Alicorns worshipped by the ponies and the champions of the rats can exploit it.
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* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: The Powers reveal that prayer gives beings power, both the Alicorns worshipped by the ponies and the champions of the rats can exploit it.benefit from it. Among the powers granted is a limited ability to persist beyond death, a fact exploited by [[spoiler:Grogar, to allow Contagion's Thanatos Gambit to function, and later Flicker also begins receiving prayer]].
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* ShutUpHannibal: When faced with a dream-walking monster that won't stay dead, and is threatening to inflict nightmares on all living things and is crawling through his head to make an AGodAmI-themed BreakingSpeech, Flicker chooses to spit in his face, and deliver the following:
-->'''Flicker Nicker:''' Oh, shut up! If you were capable of actually hurting me, you would have done so by now! You’re just showing off! You’re no different than a colt discovering his dick for the first time and thinking it’s the greatest thing ever!
-->'''Flicker Nicker:''' Oh, shut up! If you were capable of actually hurting me, you would have done so by now! You’re just showing off! You’re no different than a colt discovering his dick for the first time and thinking it’s the greatest thing ever!
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* ThanatosGambit: If Flicker's nightmares are to be believed (and they probably can, a DreamWalker is involved), [[spoiler:Grogar and Contagion deliberately planned the latter's explosive end]] to allow it to [[CameBackStrong Come Back Strong]].
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* UnfortunateNames: Justice Good Reason is aware of the trope.
--> '''Justice Good Reason:''' Good day, Mister Nicker. My name is Justice Good Reason. You are permitted a moment to laugh.
--> '''Justice Good Reason:''' Good day, Mister Nicker. My name is Justice Good Reason. You are permitted a moment to laugh.
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* BandageMummy: Definitely not played for laughs with Hennessey [[spoiler:when he's in intensive care after the fall of the Guild]].
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* DopeSlap: By Chronos to Pale, when the latter is complaining about how Chronos is always too busy to take care of the menial parts of being a god, so he has to do it all.
* DontFearTheReaper: Lima Bean is kind and motherly, despite her role as a {{Psychopomp}}, and even her boss, the relatively acerbic Pale, cares about his job and the ponies under his care.
* DopeSlap: By Chronos to Pale, when the latter is complaining about how Chronos is always too busy to take care of the menial parts of being a god, so he has to do it all.
* DopeSlap: By Chronos to Pale, when the latter is complaining about how Chronos is always too busy to take care of the menial parts of being a god, so he has to do it all.
* NostalgiaFilter: Flicker has one, despite being too young for the time he's nostalgic about, about how ponies didn't used to be coddled and were tougher. Piper points out that this wasn't a good thing, as the hardship forced many cruelties, and that Flicker and Hennessey in particular would suffer, as homosexuality was a crime.
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* TheOnlyOneAllowedToKillYou: Grogar insisted that Contagion must be the one to kill Flicker. The reason isn't yet known.
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* TheOnlyOneAllowedToKillYou: Grogar insisted that Contagion must be the one to kill Flicker. The reason isn't yet known.known, but may be linked to [[spoiler:them both being Enshrined entities]].
* OnOneCondition: [[spoiler: Flicker is Dr. Sterling's heir on the condition that he continue Madam Pakora's employment. This isn't a problem, as the inheritance easily covers her salary]].
* OnOneCondition: [[spoiler: Flicker is Dr. Sterling's heir on the condition that he continue Madam Pakora's employment. This isn't a problem, as the inheritance easily covers her salary]].
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* BadDreams: Piper starts getting them after some particularly harrowing experiences.
* BondCreature: [[spoiler:After Flicker becomes Chronos' champion, he gains a link to Spud that he doesn't quite understand, but he begins seeing what Spud experienced during the fall of the Guild]].
* DentedIron: The accumulation of injuries makes this quite common in the Guild, but the main characters start feeling this trope, particularly after [[spoiler:the fall of the Guild]].
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* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Dr. Sterling pins Contagion in place and fills the room with gas before setting off every grenade he can reach in order to kill it]].
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* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Dr. Sterling pins Contagion in place and fills the room with gas before setting off every grenade he can reach in order to kill it]]. Shortly afterwards, we learn [[spoiler:Mr Balister stayed behind to buy time for students to flee the Canterlot Guild when it fell. He wasn't killed (although he was expecting to be), and the other survivors don't know how he managed it, despite being carved apart by claw and spellfire]].
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* YouShallNotPass: Mister Balister [[spoiler:stayed behind to buy time for students to escape the Guild when it fell; he didn't die, but he was torn apart]].
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* DestinationDefenestration: Flicker is thrown from a window by Contagion.
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* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Flicker's death, resulting in the Devil's Job Offer above, is by impalement on a fence spike after being thrown from a window]].
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* TheOnlyOneAllowedToKillYou: Grogar insisted that Contagion must be the one to kill Flicker. The reason isn't yet known.
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* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: [[spoiler:While Flicker, Hennessey, Piper and Dr. Sterling investigate the attack on Manehattan, the rats invade the Guild. By the end of the night, the Canterlot Guild is lost and the Manehattan Guild has been gutted]].
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* FirePurifies: Fire is dangerous to undead and vampiric entities.
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* HealingFactor: Contagion has developed this power, make it near-impossible to kill.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Dr. Sterling pins Contagion in place and fills the room with gas before setting off every grenade he can reach in order to kill it]].
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Dr. Sterling pins Contagion in place and fills the room with gas before setting off every grenade he can reach in order to kill it]].
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* LikeASonToMe: Dr. Sterling says that he sees Flicker and Hennessey as his sons as [[spoiler:his final goodbye to them before he destroys himself and Contagion]].
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* BalancingDeathsBooks: Unusual in that it's the entity in question (Chronos) that makes the offer, but saving [[spoiler:Flicker after he gets thrown from a window during battle]] costs a life and more.
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* DevilsJobOffer: [[spoiler:Chronos offers to save Flicker's life in exchange for servitude until Chronos' death.]] An unusual example, as the power offering the deal seriously tries to discourage the character from taking it, as they deserve to go on to the afterlife they've earned.
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: Flicker, [[spoiler:while dying]] responds to Chronos' interrogation with angry defiance. Lima Bean approves of this, and uses it to explain exactly why she chose him.
* DopeSlap: By Chronos to Pale, when the latter is complaining about how Chronos is always too busy to take care of the menial parts of being a god, so he has to do it all.
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: Flicker, [[spoiler:while dying]] responds to Chronos' interrogation with angry defiance. Lima Bean approves of this, and uses it to explain exactly why she chose him.
* DopeSlap: By Chronos to Pale, when the latter is complaining about how Chronos is always too busy to take care of the menial parts of being a god, so he has to do it all.
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* GodsNeedPrayerBadly: The Powers reveal that prayer gives beings power, both the Alicorns worshipped by the ponies and the champions of the rats can exploit it.
* {{Gotterdammerung}}: [[spoiler:Grogar was responsible for one in the distant past. The Gods are still around as the Powers That Be but they're no longer what they were]].
* {{Gotterdammerung}}: [[spoiler:Grogar was responsible for one in the distant past. The Gods are still around as the Powers That Be but they're no longer what they were]].
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* TheNameless: The Power that oversees magic is known only as "The Nameless One".
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* NoSell: Flicker's mind is rather resistant to attempts to shock it with ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow. It's speculated that even Grogar unleashing the Black Void on him wouldn't do much.
--> '''Lima Bean''': His brain has the consistency of a well-boiled pudding.
--> '''Lima Bean''': His brain has the consistency of a well-boiled pudding.
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* NotSoAboveItAll: Chronos seems the most dignified of the trio of PowersThatBe that show up, until a mortal [[spoiler:completely shakes off the revelation of the true nature of eternity]], flabbergasting him, and he {{Dope Slap}}s his brother.
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* ThePowersThatBe: They're rather more directly involved in this story than in preceding ones in TheWeedverse, with Lima Bean, Chronos and Pale all having a direct impact on the plot.
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* SadisticChoice: When Flicker [[spoiler:is brought back by Chronos, he must choose which one of his friends dies in his place]].
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* GeometricMagic: [[spoiler:Beneath Manehattan it is discovered that the rats are using a form of scribe-based magic to set up wards and traps]].
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* GeometricMagic: [[spoiler:Beneath Manehattan Canterlot it is discovered that the rats are using a form of scribe-based magic to set up wards and traps]].
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* GeometricMagic: [[spoiler:Beneath Manehattan it is discovered that the rats are using a form of scribe-based magic to set up wards and traps]].
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* ItCanThink: The guild has several of these moments during their war against the rats, particularly when [[spoiler:a rat sabotages the Canterlot airdock and plans for its own escape from a crashing airship]], and when [[spoiler:they discover the magical traps in the sewers while investigating the attack on Moon Rose]].
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* RecruitingTheCriminal: Why Malfeasance is helping the heroes, and his good behaviour is enforced by a {{Geas}} and the presence of Warden Maestus.
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* {{Seers}}: Malfeasance can create magical eyes for remote viewing, as well as seeing through solid objects. This is why he is used by the Wardens, he's too useful to ignore. Of course, they don't ''trust'' him, and like him even less.
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* WhoNamesTheirKidDude: Asked by Piper upon meeting [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Malfeasance]]. The only explanation he offers is that he was "not a good foal".
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* DeathOfAChild: The Guild has a high turnover rate, and that includes the apprentices. There are also monsters who specifically prey on foals.
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* InfantImmortality: {{Averted}}. The Guild has a high turnover rate, and that includes the apprentices. There are also monsters who specifically prey on foals.
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* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The fight in Manehattan, involving most of the Stiff Upper Lip HQ defending [[FanFic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping Moon Rose]], Sumac and Pebble against Grogar's minions. [[spoiler:None of them survived, although their charges did, and the main characters are left with the job of hunting down their killers]].
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* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The fight in Manehattan, involving most of the Stiff Upper Lip HQ defending [[FanFic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping Moon Rose]], Sumac and Pebble against Grogar's minions. [[spoiler:None of them survived, although their charges did, and the main characters are left with the job of hunting down their killers]].investigating]].
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* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The fight in Manehattan, involving most of the Stiff Upper Lip HQ defending [[FanFic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping Moon Rose]] against Grogar's minions. [[spoiler:None of them survived, and the main characters are left with the job of hunting down their killers]].
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* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The fight in Manehattan, involving most of the Stiff Upper Lip HQ defending [[FanFic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping Moon Rose]] Rose]], Sumac and Pebble against Grogar's minions. [[spoiler:None of them survived, although their charges did, and the main characters are left with the job of hunting down their killers]].
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* BatmanGambit: How the enemy gets Moon Rose. They knew she'd be magicked to Manehattan's Stiff Upper Lip society if attacked, and were able to overcome the guardians there.
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* ChainedHeat: Dr. Sterling and Wicked Chandler were subjected to this by Princess Celestia. It worked.
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* DeathGlare: Quite common in the guild:
--> Hard gazes and stern glares were ''graded'' in this fine establishment, and Piper was learning.
--> Hard gazes and stern glares were ''graded'' in this fine establishment, and Piper was learning.
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* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: The fight in Manehattan, involving most of the Stiff Upper Lip HQ defending [[FanFic/ADarknessSoftlyCreeping Moon Rose]] against Grogar's minions. [[spoiler:None of them survived, and the main characters are left with the job of hunting down their killers]].
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* CovertPervert: Piper starts out as this, but once she's more comfortable it very rapidly becomes rather overt.
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* FunTShirt: During Flicker's fencing exam, a portion of the spectators (Piper, Hennessy, and [[NotSoAboveItAll Doctor Sterling]]) show up in bright yellow shirts with "LORD DEATH OF MURDER MOUNTAIN FAN CLUB" written in bright pink.
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* MomentKiller: Piper interrupts an intimate moment between Flicker and Hennessy. She suggests they carry on anyway.
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* ContinuityNod: Princess Celestia is noted as being patron of wainwrights, for reasons Dr. Sterling doesn't know. It's because, for some reason ''she'' doesn't know, her descendants have a talent for the trade.
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* FantasticRacism: The community Hennessey originates from doesn't appreciate unicorns. Or anything that isn't an earth pony.
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* FantasticRacism: The community Hennessey originates from doesn't appreciate unicorns. Or anything that isn't an earth pony. Also, Johann Bark is struggling to get started as a pianist because he is a diamond dog, something Octavia calls out Canterlot High Society for.
* LoveAtFirstSight: {{Discussed}}, as Hennessey appears subject to the trope. Dr. Sterling chooses to be an optimist, and believe there is more to it than lust.
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* Magitek: The masks the Guild uses involve quite a lot of this.
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* Magitek: {{Magitek}}: The masks the Guild uses involve quite a lot of this.
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* UglyCute: Spud, one of the special breed of cats maintained by the Guild.
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[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/354288/the-mask-makes-the-pony The Mask Makes The Pony]] is a direct sequel to [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/353427/the-masks-we-wear The Masks We Wear]] and is written by Kudzuhaiku as part of FanFic/TheWeedverse.
Flicker Nicker is a colt who has just earned his Cutie Mark, so goes to Canterlot to join the Rat Catcher's Guild. Making friends with two fellow apprentices, Hennessey Walker and Piper Pie, he joins the endless war against plague and pests.
----
!!Tropes:
* AbnormalAmmo: The shotgun that Flicker is given, once the magical shells are added.
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Piper finds her mother's protectiveness highly embarrassing.
* AncientTradition: Lucerna Perpetuum, as before. [[spoiler:Flicker, Hennessey and Piper are all inducted as payment for providing Flicker with a powerful artifact]].
* AngerBornOfWorry: Any time the apprentices do something stupid, Dr. Sterling tends to respond this way. Mister Chandler does it as well, periodically.
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Radiant Hope and Sombra. Their exact crimes are unknown, but Lima Bean herself has cursed them]].
* BadassBookworm: Expected of Guild members.
* BadassGay: Dr Sterling, Flicker and Hennessey.
* BadassLongcoat: Rarity makes one for Flicker at his request.
* BadassPacifist: The Guild recognises this trope exists, and lets its members take a Pacifist's Writ, allowing them to contribute without having to kill. It's not an easy ride though, as the Guild expects everyone to contribute equally, so a pony with a Writ has to work harder to make up. Doesn't stop Hennessey taking one.
* BearsAreBadNews: An encounter with a rabid bear seriously injures Flicker when he [[StuffBlowingUp jams a stick of dynamite into its eye socket]].
* BerserkButton: Flicker finds rats in general this.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Flicker's love for his little sister is a major motivation to him. Later on, Piper also benefits from his instincts.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: How Flicker sees the world, but not how it actually is.
* BlackMagic: [[spoiler:Piper's piping accidentally turns into this during the purge of Ponyville as negative emotions related to her parent's dislike of her magic taint her music]].
* BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce: Flicker orders a burrito covered in ''[[BilingualBonus salsa de asesinato]]'', to the complaints of his companions.
* BloodierAndGorier: Than most of FanFic/TheWeedverse, given the subject matter. The farm aerator being a particularly notable early example.
* BrickJoke: Dr. Sterling reckons he'll be telling Mr Chandler the aerator story over brandy. Later on, we see the telling of the story, and [[INeedAFreakingDrink there is indeed brandy]].
* BringMyBrownPants: On her first mission, Piper gets a case of this.
* ChildSoldiers: [[spoiler:The Rat-Catcher's Guild counts as military for the purposes of calling up the militia, and the articles of militia haven't been updated in almost a thousand years, leading to the Guild's apprentices being called up as well. This trope helps to calm the riots they're called into deal with, as it forces the bureaucrats revolting against reforms in the bureaucracy to face just how outdated some bits of it are]].
* CreepyGood: The Guild as a whole tends towards this. Flicker creeps out even other Guild members on occasion.
* CombatPragmatist: The guild will take any weapon it can use to fight rats.
* ComingOfAgeStory: The story is about the main characters growing up and finding their place in the world.
* CulturedBadass: Part of the Guild's training is in culture, and several characters are attempting to turn Flicker into this.
* CutenessProximity: Piper's response to Spud, to the cat's annoyance.
* DeepSouth: The region Hennessey originates from resembles the worst stereotypes of this.
* DetectEvil: Both Flicker and Hennessey have a variant. Flicker can detect rats, whilst Hennessey can smell disease. The Guild's masks have magical lenses that detect vermin. Piper's mother has an {{Inverted}} version, allowing her to find trustworthy ponies.
* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:After Hennessey's mother helps him escape, she gets just as bad off his father. She's half-dead by the time she reaches Canterlot]].
* DualWielding: Flicker's preferred fighting style.
* EnemyMine: {{Invoked}} by Flicker when [[spoiler:trying to calm the bureaucrat's riot. He gets Piper to summon the rats, forcing the rioters and militia to work together to drive them off]].
* EpicFail: Flicker's first alchemy lesson with Night Light. We see up until they begin the practical. Then cut to after the session, where Flicker returns to his room, [[StuffBlowingUp still smouldering]].
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Piper and Twisty are the first to notice Flicker's attraction to Hennessey and vice versa. His father is next, and at that point he has a long conversation with Flicker.
* FantasticRacism: The community Hennessey originates from doesn't appreciate unicorns. Or anything that isn't an earth pony.
* FoodAsBribe: The apprentices receive better quality food if they do well on tests or take on more chores.
* GasMaskMooks: Heroic variant. The Guild wears gas masks as part of their job.
* TheGrimReaper: [[spoiler:Lima Bean, who makes Flicker her champion]].
* HeroWithBadPublicity: The Rat Catcher's Guild, due to their successes largely being unknown and the CreepyGood motif demanded of them by their job.
* HeteronormativeCrusader: Hennessey's family were this, which caused problems for him.
* HormoneAddledTeenager: Flicker does not approve of what his hormones are doing to him.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: After the aerator incident, Dr. Sterling reckons he'll be telling the story over brandy, or whiskey, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs brandy and then whiskey]].
* InfantImmortality: {{Averted}}. The Guild has a high turnover rate, and that includes the apprentices. There are also monsters who specifically prey on foals.
* LeParkour: Part of Guild training, as they need to be able to move quickly.
* LiteralMinded: Flicker is this.
* TheMalaproper: Hennessey has a mild case of this, due to a lack of education. He's trying to get better, and is pleased that Flicker doesn't make him feel stupid for it.
* Magitek: The masks the Guild uses involve quite a lot of this.
* MercyKill: Part of Guild culture. They get exposed to a lot of horrific diseases, and occasionally, they contract one. This is often the result.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Spud, as is standard for his breed, has hyperdontia.
* MookHorrorShow: Any time the Guild begins a purge, the fate of the vermin they're purging is made quite gruesomely clear.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Overcoming this attitude is part of Flicker's CharacterDevelopment.
* NeatFreak: Cleaning up after a job is just as important as the job itself to prevent disease.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: Part of the Guild traditions.
* NightmareFetishist: Common in the Guild. Flicker and Piper in particular show some tendencies towards this.
* NonHumanUndead: [[spoiler:Grogar is creating undead rats, something that Lima Bean wants to rectify]].
* NoSenseOfHumor: Flicker suffers from this, although his friends are trying to educate him.
* ParentalAbuse: Hennessey's father was seriously abusive due to his son's homosexuality.
* PlagueDoctor: The Guild wears this sort of outfit due to its practicality for their job.
* PerpetualFrowner: Flicker doesn't quite have a permanent frown, but the times when he doesn't attract notice.
* PowerTrio: Flicker, Hennessey and Piper. [[spoiler:There's a reason Lucerna Perpetuum wants all of them]].
* PrecisionFStrike: Flicker's response to [[spoiler:the true form of the grandmother-monster]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The Guild leadership favours this approach.
* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: Works on normal zombies, [[spoiler:but not Grogar's undead rats]].
* SlasherSmile: Flicker tends to wear one on the job, fortunately, it [[GasMaskMooks can't usually be seen]].
* SoProudOfYou: Dr. Sterling is truly proud of what the PowerTrio have achieved.
* SternTeacher: All the Guild tutors, but Mr Balister stands out.
* StuffBlowingUp: How the rabid bear is destroyed.
* TheStoic: Flicker.
* TeamPet: Spud.
* ThatsAnOrder: When Dr. Sterling tells Flicker to flee the bear. It doesn't work, and Flicker nearly gets himself killed.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: {{Averted}}. When Flicker has cutie mark problems the Guild arranges a meeting with the CMC, as part of Cadance's crusade against this trope.
* TrainingFromHell: The Guild puts its apprentices through hell. It's necessary to keep them alive, the job does not allow for mistakes.
* TransparentCloset: Hennessey. Not that it lasts very long.
* UglyCute: Spud, one of the special breed of cats maintained by the Guild.
* UnusualEuphemism: {{Lampshaded}} by Flicker, when Piper, faced with Flicker's enthusiastic use of a farm aerator for rat-killing, shrieks:
-->'''Piper:''' OH ALICORNY PORNY, I CAN’T WATCH!
* WalkingTheEarth: [[spoiler:Radiant Hope and Sombra, due to a curse by Lima Bean]].
* WalkThePlank: {{Discussed}}, Dr. Sterling jokes that infractions aboard the ''Don't Panic'' will be punished with this. [[NoSenseOfHumor Flicker Nicker]] spends some time looking for the plank.
* WeakButSkilled: Flicker's magic isn't terribly strong, so Night Light provides him a wand to help.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Flicker has a phobia of spiders, so of course [[spoiler:the monster S.M.I.L.E. hires him to kill is arachnoform]].
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Flicker is used as bait to lure out a monster preying on foals and avoiding the adults.
* VampireHunter: Doctor Fiasco, the last Slayer.
* VomitingCop: The aftermath of the aerator incident causes Dr. Sterling to suffer this trope.
----
Flicker Nicker is a colt who has just earned his Cutie Mark, so goes to Canterlot to join the Rat Catcher's Guild. Making friends with two fellow apprentices, Hennessey Walker and Piper Pie, he joins the endless war against plague and pests.
----
!!Tropes:
* AbnormalAmmo: The shotgun that Flicker is given, once the magical shells are added.
* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Piper finds her mother's protectiveness highly embarrassing.
* AncientTradition: Lucerna Perpetuum, as before. [[spoiler:Flicker, Hennessey and Piper are all inducted as payment for providing Flicker with a powerful artifact]].
* AngerBornOfWorry: Any time the apprentices do something stupid, Dr. Sterling tends to respond this way. Mister Chandler does it as well, periodically.
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Radiant Hope and Sombra. Their exact crimes are unknown, but Lima Bean herself has cursed them]].
* BadassBookworm: Expected of Guild members.
* BadassGay: Dr Sterling, Flicker and Hennessey.
* BadassLongcoat: Rarity makes one for Flicker at his request.
* BadassPacifist: The Guild recognises this trope exists, and lets its members take a Pacifist's Writ, allowing them to contribute without having to kill. It's not an easy ride though, as the Guild expects everyone to contribute equally, so a pony with a Writ has to work harder to make up. Doesn't stop Hennessey taking one.
* BearsAreBadNews: An encounter with a rabid bear seriously injures Flicker when he [[StuffBlowingUp jams a stick of dynamite into its eye socket]].
* BerserkButton: Flicker finds rats in general this.
* BigBrotherInstinct: Flicker's love for his little sister is a major motivation to him. Later on, Piper also benefits from his instincts.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: How Flicker sees the world, but not how it actually is.
* BlackMagic: [[spoiler:Piper's piping accidentally turns into this during the purge of Ponyville as negative emotions related to her parent's dislike of her magic taint her music]].
* BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce: Flicker orders a burrito covered in ''[[BilingualBonus salsa de asesinato]]'', to the complaints of his companions.
* BloodierAndGorier: Than most of FanFic/TheWeedverse, given the subject matter. The farm aerator being a particularly notable early example.
* BrickJoke: Dr. Sterling reckons he'll be telling Mr Chandler the aerator story over brandy. Later on, we see the telling of the story, and [[INeedAFreakingDrink there is indeed brandy]].
* BringMyBrownPants: On her first mission, Piper gets a case of this.
* ChildSoldiers: [[spoiler:The Rat-Catcher's Guild counts as military for the purposes of calling up the militia, and the articles of militia haven't been updated in almost a thousand years, leading to the Guild's apprentices being called up as well. This trope helps to calm the riots they're called into deal with, as it forces the bureaucrats revolting against reforms in the bureaucracy to face just how outdated some bits of it are]].
* CreepyGood: The Guild as a whole tends towards this. Flicker creeps out even other Guild members on occasion.
* CombatPragmatist: The guild will take any weapon it can use to fight rats.
* ComingOfAgeStory: The story is about the main characters growing up and finding their place in the world.
* CulturedBadass: Part of the Guild's training is in culture, and several characters are attempting to turn Flicker into this.
* CutenessProximity: Piper's response to Spud, to the cat's annoyance.
* DeepSouth: The region Hennessey originates from resembles the worst stereotypes of this.
* DetectEvil: Both Flicker and Hennessey have a variant. Flicker can detect rats, whilst Hennessey can smell disease. The Guild's masks have magical lenses that detect vermin. Piper's mother has an {{Inverted}} version, allowing her to find trustworthy ponies.
* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:After Hennessey's mother helps him escape, she gets just as bad off his father. She's half-dead by the time she reaches Canterlot]].
* DualWielding: Flicker's preferred fighting style.
* EnemyMine: {{Invoked}} by Flicker when [[spoiler:trying to calm the bureaucrat's riot. He gets Piper to summon the rats, forcing the rioters and militia to work together to drive them off]].
* EpicFail: Flicker's first alchemy lesson with Night Light. We see up until they begin the practical. Then cut to after the session, where Flicker returns to his room, [[StuffBlowingUp still smouldering]].
* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Piper and Twisty are the first to notice Flicker's attraction to Hennessey and vice versa. His father is next, and at that point he has a long conversation with Flicker.
* FantasticRacism: The community Hennessey originates from doesn't appreciate unicorns. Or anything that isn't an earth pony.
* FoodAsBribe: The apprentices receive better quality food if they do well on tests or take on more chores.
* GasMaskMooks: Heroic variant. The Guild wears gas masks as part of their job.
* TheGrimReaper: [[spoiler:Lima Bean, who makes Flicker her champion]].
* HeroWithBadPublicity: The Rat Catcher's Guild, due to their successes largely being unknown and the CreepyGood motif demanded of them by their job.
* HeteronormativeCrusader: Hennessey's family were this, which caused problems for him.
* HormoneAddledTeenager: Flicker does not approve of what his hormones are doing to him.
* INeedAFreakingDrink: After the aerator incident, Dr. Sterling reckons he'll be telling the story over brandy, or whiskey, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs brandy and then whiskey]].
* InfantImmortality: {{Averted}}. The Guild has a high turnover rate, and that includes the apprentices. There are also monsters who specifically prey on foals.
* LeParkour: Part of Guild training, as they need to be able to move quickly.
* LiteralMinded: Flicker is this.
* TheMalaproper: Hennessey has a mild case of this, due to a lack of education. He's trying to get better, and is pleased that Flicker doesn't make him feel stupid for it.
* Magitek: The masks the Guild uses involve quite a lot of this.
* MercyKill: Part of Guild culture. They get exposed to a lot of horrific diseases, and occasionally, they contract one. This is often the result.
* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Spud, as is standard for his breed, has hyperdontia.
* MookHorrorShow: Any time the Guild begins a purge, the fate of the vermin they're purging is made quite gruesomely clear.
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Overcoming this attitude is part of Flicker's CharacterDevelopment.
* NeatFreak: Cleaning up after a job is just as important as the job itself to prevent disease.
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: Part of the Guild traditions.
* NightmareFetishist: Common in the Guild. Flicker and Piper in particular show some tendencies towards this.
* NonHumanUndead: [[spoiler:Grogar is creating undead rats, something that Lima Bean wants to rectify]].
* NoSenseOfHumor: Flicker suffers from this, although his friends are trying to educate him.
* ParentalAbuse: Hennessey's father was seriously abusive due to his son's homosexuality.
* PlagueDoctor: The Guild wears this sort of outfit due to its practicality for their job.
* PerpetualFrowner: Flicker doesn't quite have a permanent frown, but the times when he doesn't attract notice.
* PowerTrio: Flicker, Hennessey and Piper. [[spoiler:There's a reason Lucerna Perpetuum wants all of them]].
* PrecisionFStrike: Flicker's response to [[spoiler:the true form of the grandmother-monster]].
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: The Guild leadership favours this approach.
* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: Works on normal zombies, [[spoiler:but not Grogar's undead rats]].
* SlasherSmile: Flicker tends to wear one on the job, fortunately, it [[GasMaskMooks can't usually be seen]].
* SoProudOfYou: Dr. Sterling is truly proud of what the PowerTrio have achieved.
* SternTeacher: All the Guild tutors, but Mr Balister stands out.
* StuffBlowingUp: How the rabid bear is destroyed.
* TheStoic: Flicker.
* TeamPet: Spud.
* ThatsAnOrder: When Dr. Sterling tells Flicker to flee the bear. It doesn't work, and Flicker nearly gets himself killed.
* ThereAreNoTherapists: {{Averted}}. When Flicker has cutie mark problems the Guild arranges a meeting with the CMC, as part of Cadance's crusade against this trope.
* TrainingFromHell: The Guild puts its apprentices through hell. It's necessary to keep them alive, the job does not allow for mistakes.
* TransparentCloset: Hennessey. Not that it lasts very long.
* UglyCute: Spud, one of the special breed of cats maintained by the Guild.
* UnusualEuphemism: {{Lampshaded}} by Flicker, when Piper, faced with Flicker's enthusiastic use of a farm aerator for rat-killing, shrieks:
-->'''Piper:''' OH ALICORNY PORNY, I CAN’T WATCH!
* WalkingTheEarth: [[spoiler:Radiant Hope and Sombra, due to a curse by Lima Bean]].
* WalkThePlank: {{Discussed}}, Dr. Sterling jokes that infractions aboard the ''Don't Panic'' will be punished with this. [[NoSenseOfHumor Flicker Nicker]] spends some time looking for the plank.
* WeakButSkilled: Flicker's magic isn't terribly strong, so Night Light provides him a wand to help.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Flicker has a phobia of spiders, so of course [[spoiler:the monster S.M.I.L.E. hires him to kill is arachnoform]].
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Flicker is used as bait to lure out a monster preying on foals and avoiding the adults.
* VampireHunter: Doctor Fiasco, the last Slayer.
* VomitingCop: The aftermath of the aerator incident causes Dr. Sterling to suffer this trope.
----
