* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
** [[IAmBecomingSong "Through New Eyes"]]
** [[http://youtu.be/MMsYpm67zY4 "Live Again"]], used as the ending theme with permission by the composers.
** ''All'' of Checker's {{Villain Song}}s.
* CompleteMonster: [[TheChessmaster Checkmate "Checker" Monarch]] is Trixie's [[BigSisterBully sociopathic sister]] and a [[VileVillainSaccharineShow surprisingly dark villain]] for an otherwise lighthearted fanfic. Finding out that Trixie's getting back on her hooves, she dedicates herself to ruining Trixie's life like she did before, starting with using an illegal [[DreamWeaver dream infiltration spell]] to [[MindRape give Rainbow Dash frightening nightmares about Trixie bullying her]], and later invading Trixie's dreams when her plan to [[LetsYouAndHimFight turn Trixie and Dash against one another]] fails. When Checker's attempts at breaking Trixie's confidence fail, she tries to murder Dash with a lightning bolt as a response to her not doing what Checker wanted, and has the Diamond Dogs kidnap Trixie so she can [[SadisticChoice force her to choose between leaving Ponyville forever or watch as she destroys the homes and livelihoods of her friends]], dumping her in the desert when she chose to leave, [[ILied still intending on following through her threat anyway]]. When her plans were publicly exposed, she traps Trixie, the Mane Six, and herself in their dreams, knowing that others won't be able to do anything because forcefully waking up a pony affected by a dream invasion spell would kill the target. She then exploits the inner doubts of the Mane Six, in the forms of their friends and families turning against them because of said self-doubt. As for Trixie, she drops the manipulation and actively tries to murder her, taking the form of a mutated Ursa Major specifically so Trixie would die terrified.
* FridgeHorror:
** As pointed in the ''AudioPlay/KPNYRadio'' episode about the fic, Checker uses a bees nest to attack Trixie at Cheerilee's school, meaning she ''knowingly'' allowed a class [[WouldHurtAChild full of foals]] to be stung by a swarm of bees, not caring if any were allergic or not.
** Checker Monarch herself is a massive source of FridgeHorror. To the uninformed, she may seem like a stereotypical Cartoonish Super Villain, committing acts of cruelty simply ForTheEvulz. But then you do a little research and realize that since she's based on real-life sociopaths, ''there are really people like her out there''.
* GeniusBonus: [[BatOutOfHell The Ropen]] is an [[http://creationwiki.org/Ropen actual cryptid from New Guinea]], [[AluminumChristmasTrees but so obscure many readers will likely never have heard of it]]. The author included it mainly to invoke this trope for fans of Cryptozoology who'd recognize it.
* HarsherInHindsight:
** In the "Through New Eyes" chapter, Rainbow Dash experienced a nightmare where she messed up a flight test, crashed, and was mercilessly bullied by her classmates CircleOfShame style. [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E22HurricaneFluttershy Then an episode of the show aired]] showing a disturbingly similar scene happening to Fluttershy in a flashback. Even the ''author'' was freaked out by the similarity!
** Checker causing Cheerilee's students to be sung by bees was already horrifying just on a WouldHurtAChild level. But when "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E4OnYourMarks On Your Marks]]" revealed that [[PlotAllergy Apple Bloom is allergic to bee stings]], ''meaning Checker could have outright killed her!''
* HilariousInHindsight:
** In the chapter titled "Through New Eyes", while Rainbow Dash is dismissing the idea of Trixie being nice, she makes a comment about [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E11KeepCalmAndFlutterOn Discord becoming a good guy]].
** So basically the plot of Getting Back on Your Hooves is about a former SmugSnake antagonist being humbled after her previous defeat and having to restore her faith in herself and prove to everyone that she's not the villain she used to be as the Mane Six help her learn valuable lessons about friendship. Meanwhile, a subtly creepy unicorn villainess uses her sinister mind-control magic and manipulative talents to turn the populace against her and manipulate the growing tensions to her own designs. '''''[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR TO ANYONE ELSE??]]'''''
** Checker Monarch is a villainous pony and a BitchInSheepsClothing with a [[TheChessmaster chess piece]] for a cutie mark, something she shares with [[spoiler:Season 8's Cozy Glow]].
* LoveToHate: [[HateSink Checker]] [[CompleteMonster Monarch]] is basically the ''My Little Pony'' equivalent to [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney Judge Claude Frollo]], [[Literature/HarryPotter Dolores Umbridge]], and [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Fire Lord Ozai]]: A villain so loathsomely '' evil'' and so subtly terrifying that it's honestly amazing. Bonus points for the writer STILL managing to maintain OriginalFlavour despite her inclusion.
* MoralEventHorizon: For many, Checker crosses it when she [[spoiler: {{Mind Rape}}s Rainbow Dash]].
** And if you didn't hate her after that, you'll ''definitely'' hate her after she [[spoiler: forces Trixie to make a SadisticChoice that results in Trixie abandoning her new, happy life and being dumped in the desert -- and then decides to carry out the other part of the SadisticChoice anyway, [[EvilIsPetty purely out of spite]]]].
* NightmareFuel:
** The character of [[CompleteMonster Checker]] [[TheChessmaster Monarch]] is downright ''terrifying''. She's a powerful, cold, calculating and heartless [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who enjoys [[spoiler: [[MindRape Mind Raping]] ponies in their dreams]], and is utterly merciless in her attempts to ruin Trixie's life (made even worse by the fact that ''[[spoiler: [[CainAndAbel Trixie is her little sister]]]]''). Just about everyone Checker runs into is terrified of her, including her own henchmen. Especially horrifying is when [[spoiler: she completely snaps at the end of chapter 9 and she plots revenge against Ponyville ''and'' Canterlot, as the red in the heart of her Cutie Mark runs off in the rain - revealing the heart to be black]]. What makes Checker so terrifying is that her behavior is based off of real-life sociopaths, so unlike characters like [[CardCarryingVillain Discord and Chrysalis]], ''there really are people like Checkmate Monarch who are out there''.
** The Ropen in the Everfree Forest. Most works depict the Ropen as a [[RuleOfCool glowing pterodactyl]]. Not this one. In this one it's a gigantic, blind [[BatOutOfHell bat]] that glows a bright white light to lure prey in like an anglerfish. Worse still, since it can't see, Fluttershy can't use the stare on it.
* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Some readers have admitted this story did this for Trixie in their eyes.
* SelfishEvil: Checker Monarch, referred to as such by WordOfGod. Her worldview essentially boils down to "the strong rule the weak, I can [[ManipulativeBastard play everyone around me like pawns]]. Therefore; I am the strongest and ItsAllAboutMe."
* {{Shipping}}: None in the fic itself, but quite a few fans ship Trixie and Helping[=/=]Stage Hoof. Including [[http://holycross9.deviantart.com/art/MLP-Hilltop-Confession-344828697 this piece of]] RecursiveFanfiction.
* TearJerker: Paraderpy's cover art for [[https://web.archive.org/web/20130502060538/https://paraderpy.deviantart.com/art/Nightmare-318673567 chapter 9]]. Also counts as NightmareFuel.
* TheWoobie: Trixie's life from the end of the Ursa Minor incident onwards ''suuuuuucks''. [[spoiler:At the end of the story, [[EarnYourHappyEnding it gets much better.]]]]