History Fanfic / UnderTheNorthernLights

* SuicideByCop: [[spoiler:Twilight theorizes that Wiglek, tired of his immortality ([[AndIMustScream having been trapped under a glacier for centuries]] and all), is only supporting things like [[HumanSacrifice sacrificing sentient beings]] so that Luna will end his undead existence once and for all]].

* BlindSeer: Inverted. Reindeer Sight is dependent on their eyes working. Eira is slowly going blind, and hence ''losing'' her clairvoyant ability.

* OurLichesAreDifferent: [[spoiler: Wiglek the Wicked]] was infused with a piece of the Nightmare while still alive, which turned him into a Lich when he died. He had asked to live forever when making a DealWithTheDevil with [[spoiler: Luna, when she was on her way to become Nightmare Moon]], but was screwed over ("you will never die") and made into pontentially undead instead.

* PerkyGoth: Saga is a NightmareFetishist with a love for dark heavy makeup and macabre jewelry who works as a temple maiden in a temple to a goddess of night and darkness. She is also chirpy, happy and carefree most of the time. She claims that "goths are posers" so she probably wouldn't like the moniker herself.

* UncannyValley: Invoked within the story. Spike finds nidhoggs disgusting because they look very similar to dragons but clearly aren't dragons.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In-universe. The reindeer have very different views from ponies (and viewers/readers) on the main six. The reindeer believe the Main Six are Celestia's personal wetworks squad, a team of hand-picked elite troubleshooters led by "the most powerful and evil sorceress in the world", who take care of all major unrest in Equestria, and let Celestia be the benevolent ruler of a perfect little sugar bowl as far as everyone else is concerned.

* DarkIsNotEvil: Part of the philosophy of the Temple of Hrimfaxi, along with "darkness is neccessary".

* EldritchAbomination: Luna's and Celestia's greatuncles and greataunts are described in a vision as "lights... sounds... patterns of magic in a black sphere that itched the brain and made the soul cry". They decided the laws of nature, seemingly on a whim. The only hostile one seems to be Discord, though, and his reality warping powers are presumably because he never agreed to what his siblings decided.

* FantasyCounterPartCulture: Tarandroland is a mix of modern and medieval Scandinavia. The nomadic "Grazer" reindeer are obviously a counterpart to the Sami people, though with much more power and influence. Unlike modern Scandinavia, Tarandroland is pretty much a third world country, however. There are other examples: "camel sultanates" and ki-rin ruled by a "Mikado" are mentioned, and Equestria is treated as similar to [[{{Eagleland}} USA]].

* HornyVikings: The reindeer, at least those living on the coast, are a FantasyCounterPartCulture to the Norse. Going a-viking hasn't been common in a long while, that they start off again is the reason for Luna's mission. No actual horns are needed due to their antlers.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The spy [[spoiler: Lord Eminence]] when he realizes that his plot has been found out because he has been very careless [[spoiler: because his special talent for being inobtrusive and even turning invisible doesn't work on reindeer, meaning there are lots of witnesses to his acts]]. He acted alone, convinced his success would force his superiors to accept a job well done, but Princess Luna is not only against the plan per se, she is also furious that he was so careless as to be found out. He doesn't say the actual phrase, but falls to the floor and moans [[OhMyGods "Mare in the Moon!"]] which prompts Luna to chastize him further for taking her name in vain when she is standing ''right there''.

* OurTrollsAreDifferent: Tarandroland is home to trolls called Stalu (after a Sami myth in real life). They are huge, mishapen cervines who live deep in forests and use forest lakes for gardens. They are infamous for eating reindeer. [[spoiler: They are actually moose, driven to hiding after the genocidal efforts of the reindeer. While they might be hostile in self-defense, they most certainly don't eat people.]]

* PirateGirl: Crimson Coat (actual name Sudden Gale), captain of the ''Crimson Kraken''. A renegade Equestrian pegasus, she is not a nice mare: besides being a violent criminal she can add casual racism and sexual molestation to her resumé.

* SadlyMythtaken: Within the story. The Equestrian comic book hero ''Sampo the Warrior-Prince'' is based on the mythical Tarandroland hero Sampo. Based ''very losely'' it seems. (The comic spoofed is rather obviously TheMightyThor.)

* SimilarSquad: King Ukko and his five companions are pretty similar to the Six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, though Ukko & Co are male, reindeer and old enough to be grandparents, of course. Twilight and Spike wonder about it. The equivalents seem to be King Ukko the Piercer = Applejack (honest, stubborn, family stag/mare), Mustikka the Tracker = Twilight Sparkle (sharpminded, NoSocialSkills, master organizer), Skiold the Bold = Rainbow Dash (brave, loyal, impulsive), Kol the Singer = Rarity (artistic, LargeHam), Galderhorn the Sorcerer = Fluttershy (shy, softspoken, cares for spirits/animals) and Heikko the Humongous = Pinkie Pie (constantly happy, hedonistic, CloudCuckoolander)

* StopWorshippingMe: Luna and Celestia, especially the latter, who says she outlawed the worship of herself centuries ago in Equestria. They both reluctantly accept foreigners worshipping them, though Luna gets outright livid when she hears reindeer not only worship her and [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nightmare Moon]] as the same entity, but used to practice [[HoldYourHippogriffs cervine]] [[HumanSacrifice sacrifice]]. Despite this, she keeps supporting the Temple of [[IHaveManyNames Hrimfaxi]] through the fic, though that seems to be for their social work in a poor nation and because of their claims that DarkIsNotEvil. [[spoiler: And maybe because she in her youth actually encouraged the forming of the cult, and feels responsible for it.]]
* TalkLikeAPirate: Mr Moccus, first mate on ''The Crimson Kraken''. He is the ''only'' pirate to speak like that, [[LampshadeHanging which Spike points out]]. He claims the pegasi he learnt Equestrian from long ago just happened to have that accent.

* FantasticRacism: Ubiqutous. Ponies about reindeer, reindeer about ponies, the zebra Paki about both categories, etc. In many cases it is not just mutual prejudice, it is also relatively low-key and consists of misunderstanding and underestimating the Other rather than outright oppression. The latter happens, though. Reindeer treat the Russ (immigrant dwarf Earth ponies) and the Urox (native aurochs) as second-class citizens, and we learn that ponies used to do the same to cattle, sheep and so on, who used to be slaves. Not everyone is racist over the board, either: the pirates of the Crimson Kraken are happily multi-cultural, but have a very negative view of "primitives" like the reindeer and the ponies from Tropical Island.

* PirateGirl: Crimson Coat (actual name Sudden Gale), captain of the Crimson Kraken. A renegade Equestrian pegasus, she is not a nice mare: besides being a violent criminal she can add casual racism and sexual molestation to her resumé.

* BlindSeer: Averted. Reindeer Sight is dependent on their eyes working. Eira is slowly going blind, and hence ''losing'' her clairvoyant ability.

* RedBaron: Twilight Sparkle learns to her dismay that the cynical reindeer think that she and the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony are some kind of controlled super-villains Celestia keeps around to combat worse things and keep Equestria a nice place. Twilight herself, "the most powerful and evil sorceress in the world", is called "Skinfaxi's Shadow".

* MeaningfulName: Many. "Saga" can mean both "seer" and "fairy tale": Saga has flights of fancy and is an actual seer. Lord Eminence is a gray unicorn: an "éminence grise", gray eminence, is someone having political power behind the scenes or informally, which is what Lord Eminence tries to do.

* FantasticRacism: Ubiqutous. Ponies about reindeer, reindeer about ponies, the zebra Paki abouth both categories, etc. In many cases it is not just mutual prejudice, it is also relatively low-key and consists of misunderstanding and underestimating the Other rather than outright oppression. The latter happens, though. Reindeer treat the Russ (immigrant dwarf Earth ponies) and the Urox (native aurochs) as second-class citizens, and we learn that ponies used to do the same to cattle, sheep and so on, who used to be slaves. Not everyone is racist over the board, either: the pirates of the Crimson Kraken are happily multi-cultural, but have a very negative view of "primitives" like the reindeer and the ponies from Tropical Island.

* FantasticRacism: Ubiqutous. Ponies about reindeer, reindeer about ponies, the zebra Paki abouth both cathegories, etc. In many cases it is not just mutual prejudice, it is also relatively low-key and consists of misunderstanding and underestimating the Other rather than outright oppression. The latter happens, though. Reindeer treat the Russ (immigrant dwarf Earth ponies) and the Urox (native aurochs) as second-class citizens, and we learn that ponies used to do the same to cattle, sheep and so on, who used to be slaves. Not everyone is racist over the board, either: the pirates of the Crimson Kraken are happily multi-cultural, but have a very negative view of "primitives" like the reindeer and the ponies from Tropical Island.

* YourCostumeNeedsWork: Spike [[ItMakesSenseInContext has to get into a place and the management would certainly let him in if they only knew he was Spike the Dragon]]. Unfortunately, there has been several people dressed like him trying to get in already, and everybody says he must be a reindeer kid in a bad dragon costume.

* SmugSnake: Lord Eminence [[spoiler: up until he actually fails pretty badly at his task]]

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: In-universe. The reindeer have very different views from ponies (and viewers/readers)on the main six, and think they are Celestia's personal troubleshooters. When trouble Celestia can't be seen solving herself shows up, she just points Twilight and her friends at it, and waits until it disappears. This includes putting the smackdown on {{Eldritch Abomination}}s once or twice a year.

The story is a rather episodic fantasy story of the epic sort, with much worldbuilding, not just for the country of Tarandroland but for everything from Equestrian comic books to the elder relatives of Luna and Celestia. It is ongoing, and until finished this page represents the unfinished story.