Line #51 Fanfic/MyLittleBalladeer


1	A ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''[=/=]Creator/ManlyWadeWellman {{Crossover}} fanfiction in which [[Literature/SilverJohn Wellman's most famous character]] is summoned to Equestria to fight against [[EvilSorcerer Rowley Thorne]], a human wizard from John's world. Thorne has been brought to Equestria by an old enemy of the Mane Six and Celestia, who seeks his aid in [[SealedEvilInACan freeing himself from imprisonment]]. When the first attempt almost works, the Mane Six decide to summon some help in dealing with their strange enemy and end up with... [[Literature/SilverJohn a hillbilly with a silver-strung guitar]]? The story is notable for its excellent use of canon characters and well-crafted world-building regarding both continuities.
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3	Written by [[http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Ardashir Ardashir]] in 2012, it can be found [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/27032/my-little-balladeer here]].
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6	!!Tropes appearing here include:
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8	* AgentScully: Twilight Sparkle, both towards diabolism and {{Necromancy}}. Somewhat {{Justified\|Trope}}, in that both are very rare forms of magic in Equestria.
9	* AGodAmI: [[spoiler:Thorne's ultimate plan is to use the power of the ''Letters of Cold Fire'' to transform himself into a [[MadGod Nightmare]] [[PhysicalGod Alicorn]] [[LargeAndInCharge stallion]] and become the [[EvilOverlord tyrant]] of as much of Equestria as he can hold against Discord, with the hope of ruling the whole world. Thorne temporarily achieves the first part of this goal]].
10	* AppropriateAnimalAttire: John is a bit mystified by the ponies' attitudes towards clothing, especially when Rarity steps behind a screen to take off her fluffy nightgown.
11	-->'''John:''' I wondered me why she felt the need to have privacy to undress but not to walk around naked as the day she’d been born...
12	* BaldOfEvil: Thorne is ''unnaturally'' bald; he's so completely hairless that he doesn't even have eyebrows or eyelashes.
13	* BewareTheNiceOnes:
14	** Twilight Sparkle, when she [[spoiler:thinks that Thorne's attack has killed Rarity]]. You get to see why she is known as one of the strongest mages in Equestria. This is even more badass when one considers that this is ''pre''-Alicorn Twilight!
15	** [[spoiler:Princess Celestia, when Thorne tries to presume on her good nature after he has attacked Equestria and ''murdered'' ponies. Do not hurt her little ponies! And do not assume that an [[TimeAbyss ancient]] [[PhysicalGoddess Alicorn]] [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething ruling]] Princess is foolish or weak!]]
16	** In the larger sense, the Equestrians in general. Yes, they are [[BadassAdorable cute]], loveable little ponies. But they are also the [[ActionSurvivor survivors]] of repeated attacks by demons, monsters and [[MadGod mad deities]], and [[GoodIsNotSoft they are ''not'' easy prey for evil]].
17	* BlackMagic: Rowley's spells all inflict harm on someone, even those which help someone else. Consequently, they are useless from the point of view of Twilight Sparkle, and indeed most Equestrian mages.
18	* BigBad: Rowley Thorne, an EvilSorcerer who has been brought to Equestria by [[spoiler:Discord]].
19	* BlasphemousBoast: On his first night in Ponyville, Thorne responds to an angry challenge by Rainbow Dash by [[spoiler:transforming into a 'Nightstallion' much like Nightmare Moon]]. It's all an illusion. [[spoiler:THIS time]].
20	* BodyHorror: Thorne transforms [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders into tortured, mind-controlled monsters modeled vaguely on the Sunny Towners, in the hopes of demoralizing the heroes by forcing them to [[MercyKill kill]] them. WouldHurtAChild, indeed!]]
21	* BreakTheCutie: Attempted by Thorne against both [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, by [[ForcedTransformation turning them into monsters]] and the Mane Six, by forcing them to [[MercyKill kill]] their [[StakingTheLovedOne loved ones]]]].
22	* BreakThemByTalking: Thorne does this on his first night in Ponyville, promising to reveal 'great hidden truths' to an audience of bored and curious ponies. And he does, by airing everypony's dirty secrets in very cruel fashion, climaxing with revealing that as a filly Applejack once [[spoiler:asked Nightmare Moon to [[MercyKill end the suffering of her grandfather]]]]. This causes a temporary HeroicBSOD in poor AJ.
23	* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:Shortly after Thorne is defeated, the magic that brought John to Equestria in the first place kicks in again and pulls him back to Earth. ]]
24	* ClingyMacGuffin: Thorne's 'gift' to Twilight Sparkle, the ''Letters of Cold Fire'', proves very difficult to get rid of. [[spoiler:Not even Princess Celestia can rid her of it.]] Thankfully John knows precisely how to rid her of it. [[FromBadToWorse That's when Thorne decides to stop playing games.]]
25	* TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight: Why yes, Lyra, humans ''are'' real. And you get to meet ''two'' of them. [[spoiler:Too bad you've been enthralled by the evil one of the pair]].
26	* ColdIron: Zecora's staff is made of cold-worked iron and ash wood, which gives it some extra ''oomph'' against Thorne's minions.
27	* ContinuityNod: To many ''Literature/SilverJohn'' stories, and several other stories by Creator/ManlyWadeWellman.
28	* CuteGhostGirl: Ruby. John is simultaneously impressed by how sweet and how utterly uncanny she is.
29	* DealWithTheDevil: How most of Thorne's magic works.
30	* DontGoIntoTheWoods: 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.
31	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Thorne's problem in dealing with many of the other characters, including John himself, Twilight Sparkle, and [[spoiler:Princess Celestia]].
32	%%* EvilSorcerer: Thorne.
33	* FantasticArousal: John accidentally does this to [[spoiler:Fluttershy, based on her reaction (partial wing extension, coupled with embarassment) when he scratches her ear. It's not entirely obvious whether this was actually sexual or simply too affectionate for their degree of intimacy as friends (she says that one wouldn't do it to another pony "unless they know you very well.") John apologizes, and Fluttershy doesn't seem too upset]].
34	* FauxAffablyEvil: Thorne. And [[spoiler:Discord]]. Thorne presents himself politely enough, but it soon becomes obvious that he ''enjoys'' degrading and dominating others.
35	* FolkMusic: John's main musical genre. His normal profession is wandering the back country, looking for folk songs to record and preserve.
36	* 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."
37	* FoodPorn: Happens more than once, given John's first-person POV reactions to Earth Pony cooking.
38	** John really loves the meal the Apples feed him on his arrival. This ''despite'' the fact that, they being Ponies, their cuisine is of course purely vegetarian, and being ''Apples'' almost entirely made of various apple-based products. But then, Sweet Apple Acres in-canon produces the best apples in all of Equestria.
39	** John also loves the food from Sugar Cube Corner.
40	* GhostlyGoals: Two examples:
41	** Most of the [[spoiler:[[RevenantZombie inhabitants]] of Sunny Town want to be resurrected, even if this means subjecting innocents to a living death. Failing that, they want to force others to "join their herd" by draining their lives, trapping them in the same fate. They do not grasp that there is no good way they can simply get their lives back]].
42	** In contrast, [[spoiler:their kin [[CuteGhostGirl Ruby]], whose ''murder'' by the Sunny Towners when they were still alive was what originally induced her friend Luna, (who had just become [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nightmare Moon]] to kill and curse them, wants her relatives to accept their fates and pass on to the next world. ''She'' could pass on whenever she wished, but prefers to have her horrible murder re-enacted nightly to abandoning her friends. TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth applies ''literally'' in Ruby's case!]]
43	* GoodCannotComprehendEvil: Both played straight and subverted.
44	** Played straight when Twilight Sparkle wonders why Thorne chooses to use his powers for evil when with those powers he could get anything he wanted [[CutLexLuthorACheck in trade for his services]]. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that Twilight is a member of both a species less aggressive than humans and an aristocatic scholar exemplifying the virtues of a culture which emphasizes the value of friendship and mutual toleration.
45	** ''Hilariously'' [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when Thorne [[spoiler:tries to trick TimeAbyss {{Physical God}}dess Princess Celestia into believing that she can trust him, under a combination of this theory and his belief that GoodIsDumb. Celestia lets him reel out enough verbal rope to hang himself, then telekinetically slaps him around before casting him out into the void between worlds]].
46	* GoodIsDumb: Thorne seems to believe this, which is a serious error to make when your enemies include a very heroic and cunning human bard and two of the canonically-nicest ''and'' smartest ponies in Equestria, namely Twilight Sparkle and [[spoiler:Princess Celestia]].
47	* GoodHurtsEvil: Celestia's light, to [[spoiler:the [[RevenantZombie inhabitants]] of Sunny Town]].
48	* HeroicBSOD: Happens twice, ''almost'' happens another time.
49	** Applejack, when Thorne [[spoiler:reveals to all of Ponyville that as a filly she wished upon Nightmare Moon for her terminally-ill grandfather's death]]
50	** Spike breaks down into helpless sobbing when [[spoiler:he thinks Rarity is dead]].
51	** Applejack and Rarity are clearly [[spoiler:close to ''suicide'' when they believe they will have to [[MercyKill kill]] a [[ForcedTransformation transformed]] Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, including their little sisters Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They just mean to [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge get Thorne first]]]].
52	* HostageForMacGuffin: Thorne kidnaps [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders]] and threatens to [[spoiler:give them to the [[RevenantZombie Sunny Towners]]]] unless the heroes give him the ''Letters of Cold Fire''.
53	* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: This is how Thorne controls [[spoiler:Lyra after she stops serving him willingly. He holds her best friend Bon Bon captive and threatens to kill her]].
54	* JustInTime: Twice, [[spoiler:both times starring Princess Celestia as rescuer]].
55	** [[spoiler:Princess Celestia bursts into the Golden Oak Library]] just in time to stop [[spoiler:a mind-controlled Twilight Sparkle from speaking literally the ''last two syllables'']] of the spell that would [[spoiler:release Discord back into Equestria. As it is, Discord nearly ''does'' break loose]].
56	** [[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 [[BackFromTheDead resurrection]]. Princess Celestia comes in and uses ThePowerOfTheSun to force them back into the ground in a combination of WeakenedByTheLight, HolyBurnsEvil and TurnUndead]].
57	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:2 Guardsponies (including Captain Bastion) and 3 Ponyville citizens die in the attack of the Timber Wolves, orchestrated by Thorne. Several more Guardsponies die distracting Thorne so the Mane Six can reach Sunny Town]].
58	* LanguageBarrier: One of John's initial problems is that he can't speak Equestrian, nor can the Equestrians speak English.
59	* LittleMissBadass: Apple Bloom, who in the very first chapter helps John fight off an undead horror. But then she comes from Ponyville's main BadassFamily.
60	* LivingLieDetector: ''Two'' in-story.
61	** Between being the bearer of the Element of Honesty and her strong common sense, Applejack can usually figure out whether you are telling the truth or lying. Even if you're not a pony.
62	** 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 similar.
63	* MagicAIsMagicA: One of the reasons Thorne is so dangerous is that he knows kinds of magic rare in Equestria. One of the reasons why John's help is so important is that John knows how to counter Thorne's spells.
64	* MagicMusic:
65	** How the Mane Six summon John to Equestria, through what is heavily implied to be the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePony'' musical theme.
66	** As a [[WanderingMinstrel bard]], most of John's magic also works this way.
67	* ManOfWealthAndTaste: Thorne, to the point of underestimating those who ''aren't''. This is a serious error when your enemies include a highly-competent rustic human bard and a whole BadassFamily of rustic ponies (the Apples).
68	* MistakenForSpies: [[spoiler:Rainbow Dash's]] first opinion of John. [[spoiler:This is a ContinuityNod to her first opinion of Twilight Sparkle in the series opener "Mare in the Moon"]]. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], in that John is of the same species as Thorne.
69	* MoralityChain: When she was still alive, [[CuteGhostGirl Ruby]] was this for Princess Luna over a thousand years ago, helping to keep her from becoming [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Nightmare Moon]] by showing her that there were ponies who loved and appreciated her and her night. Unfortunately for everyone, [[spoiler:Ruby's fellow townsfolk murdered her, both [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge dooming themselves]] and serving as a trigger for Luna's StartOfDarkness]].
70	* MustBeInvited: Used and discussed.
71	** When Thorne first shows up on Twilight's doorstep, he pointedly asks if "I and all I bring with me" may enter. Twilight says yes. John later explains to her that this probably gave Thorne power (or perhaps just ''more'' power) to do evil things to her. Twilight is skeptical, as the entire concept of evil asking permission is foreign to Equestrian magic.
72	** Later, Ruby needs permission to enter Zecora's house because of the ward John put up.
73	* 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 ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyAndFriends''); 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 ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'''s Season 3 Opener; Tirek (the demon-centaur from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie1986''); 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]].
74	* NarniaTime: Thorne taunts John with this possibility, saying that even if the Equestrians do manage to send John home again, there's no guarantee they'll return him to the correct ''time''. John worries over this, and can't imagine how he'll cope if he arrives home after everyone he loves is dead and gone. [[spoiler:When he ''does'' get home, he's only been gone a week.]]
75	* NoHonorAmongThieves: Thorne and [[spoiler:Discord]] are each planning to betray the other once the Princesses have been defeated. What's more, they both know that the ''other'' knows it too. This bothers neither of them: it's just the way things are between an EvilSorcerer and his [[spoiler:[[MadGod insane]] [[ChaosIsEvil chaotic]] patron]].
76	* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:Rarity, when she is caught by Thorne's death spell. Everyone thinks she was killed, which pushes Twilight's BerserkButton and Spike into a short HeroicBSOD.]] Fortunately, she is protected either by her Element, or by John's ProtectiveCharm.
77	* OutsideContextProblem: [[spoiler:Thorne]] is this for the story. His [[BlackMagic powers]] are alien to the usual kind of magic practiced in Equestria. [[EvilOverlord His goals are all too familiar, though.]]
78	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Spike is grabbed by the jaws of a Timber Wolf (a huge mass of wood animated by a wolf-like spirit) and receives only minor wounds. He then sets it alight by breathing fire down its throat. But then, he ''is'' a ''literal'' Dragon, complete with armor and breath weapon.
79	* PowerCopying: One of Twilight Sparkle's most useful canon abilities in this story, given how often she finds herself aided by or opposing human magic.
80	* ProtectiveCharm:
81	** John knows a lot of these, which is good because they come in very handy given all the magic and supernatural minions Thorne throws at John and the Mane Six.
82	** Twilight Sparkle, as in canon, is also no slouch at this class of magics.
83	* RecursiveFanfiction: The characters from [[spoiler:the fangame ''VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks'']] play a major role in the plot.
84	* RevenantZombie: The [[spoiler:inhabitants of Sunny Town]].
85	* SealedEvilInACan:
86	** [[spoiler:Discord, the story implicitly taking place between the Season Two Opener and "Keep Calm And Flutter On"]]
87	** The ''Letters of Cold Fire'' while it is sealed in the enchanted safe. Though even this is not enough to overcome the book's ClingyMacGuffin nature, which means the ''entire safe'' moves around if the book feels it is in the wrong place.
88	* SergeantRock: Captain Bastion. Though he has commissioned rank, he's obviously a tough veteran who has worked his way up through the ranks. [[spoiler:This makes his death in Thorne's first attack all the more shocking]].
89	* ShoutOut: At one point Twilight sees Pinkie Pie talking to [[Series/DoctorWho a brown stallion with an hourglass cutie mark]]. He asks if she's sure they don't need his help, only for Pinkie to respond that no, they're okay, and besides [[BreakingTheFourthWall this is a different crossover entirely]].
90	* StakingTheLovedOne: What the Mane Six believe they have to do after Thorne [[spoiler:transforms Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders into hideous insane monsters]].
91	* StarfishLanguage: Ponies speak by a far more complex version of equine vocalizations and body language. Human voice boxes and bodies are ill-equipped to produce such noises and motions. The same is true for any Ponies trying to speak any human languages. This is one reason Twilight Sparkle needs the [[TranslatorMicrobes translation spell]] to communicate with John.
92	* SummonEverymanHero: How John gets to Equestria. The Mane 6 performed a summoning ritual with the Elements of Harmony, and he's what turned up. Admittedly he strains the "everyman" part a bit, since he has previous experience fighting dark magic, but on the other hand he's pretty folksy and sees himself as a musician first and foremost.
93	* TakeAThirdOption: So, Mane Six, will you [[spoiler:[[StakingTheLovedOne kill]] the [[TragicMonster horribly]] [[ForcedTransformation transformed]] Spike and the [[AdorablyPrecociousChild Cutie Mark Crusaders]], or simply let them kill you? Fortunately, Twilight realizes she can transform them back]].
94	* TomeOfEldritchLore: The ''Letters of Cold Fire'', the [[spoiler:book cursed to damn the soul of the mage who reads it and force that mage to release Discord. Of course, Thorne hands it to Twilight Sparkle]].
95	* [[TragicMonster Tragic Monsters]]: Thorne turns [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders]] into [[BodyHorror hideous]] mind-controlled monsters, essentially just to torture both them and [[spoiler:the Mane Six]].
96	* [[TranslatorMicrobes Translation Spell]]: Twilight Sparkle casts one on John to enable him and the ponies to speak to each other.
97	* TrappedInAnotherWorld: John's situation in Equestria. The Mane Six summoned him, but have no idea how to get him back.
98	** Also happens to John and the Mane Six when Thorne reclaims the ''Letters of Cold Fire'' and [[spoiler:turns the Everfree into some hellish otherworldly place.]] It's so terrifying that even the Everfree dragons abandon their hoards and flee in blind panic.
99	* TurnUndead: John's music can do this to the [[spoiler:Sunny Town revenants]]. The actual physical Elements when borne by the Elements of Harmony can do this as well. [[spoiler: However, if they've just been used and therefore weakened...]]
100	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:Thorne begins to break down once his illusions are broken and he realizes [[OhCrap Twilight intends to use the Elements to destroy]] ''the Letters of Cold Fire'' in addition to blasting him with the Elements. After his godhood (and most of his power) is taken from him, he goes berserk and tries to beat Twilight to death with a rock.]]
101	--> [[spoiler:'''Thorne'']]: [[spoiler:You took literal godhood away from me! Godhood! You and these wretched animals! Do you know what I’ll do to you?]]
102	** For a certain definition of 'villain', this also happens to [[spoiler:Lyra]] during the 'Battle of Ponyville' when a furious Twilight [[BewareTheNiceOnes almost kills her]] [[spoiler:after Lyra seems to kill Rarity and DOES kill Captain Bastion.]] The poor mare is horrified to realize just how much damage she's unwillingly done.
103	* WalkingWasteland: The [[spoiler:Sunny Town revenants]] do this to any living things they touch. This is their main attack against ponies, or for that matter any life forms.
104	* WanderingMinstrel: John. Of the "magic-using bard" variety.
105	* WhiteMagic: Most of John's spells do not harm others, though there are a few exceptions.
106	* WhosLaughingNow: [[spoiler:Lyra's]] general demeanor. At first it's just smugness at finally being proven right [[spoiler:about humans existing]] after being laughed at and looked down on for it, but [[spoiler:then Thorn begins teaching her dark magic.]]
107	* WouldHurtAChild: Three times in the story, all involving Thorne and twice [[spoiler:the denizens of Sunny Town]].
108	** Thorne and [[spoiler:the Sunny Town undead, as in their [[VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks original appearance]]]] are only too willing to kill Apple Bloom and [[spoiler:make her one of them]]. John shows up just in time to save her.
109	** Later, Thorne threatens to give [[spoiler:Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders]] to the [[spoiler:Sunny Towners]] unless the heroes hand over his spellbook.
110	** Finally and most horrifically, Thorne [[spoiler:actually [[ForcedTransformation 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]].
111	* WrongGenreSavvy: Poor [[spoiler:Lyra]] thinks she's in a ScienceFiction story about FirstContact with friendly aliens. She's instead in a CosmicHorror story about an alien EvilSorceror who wants to open SealedEvilInACan and rule the world.

Context Fanfic / MyLittleBalladeer