History FanFic / ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell

* LegendaryInTheSequel:

''The Pieces Lie Where They Fell'' by [[https://www.fimfiction.net/user/182588/Evilhumour/stories?order=updated Evil]][[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1247150/Evilhumour-Author humour]] and his beta-reader/co-author [[https://www.fanfiction.net/u/500351/Anon-e-Mouse-Jr Anon e]][[https://www.fimfiction.net/user/172032/AnoneMouseJr/stories?order=updated Mouse Jr.]] is a ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic, and the first in the Pieces-verse. Originally posted December 18, 2016, it was completed August 6, 2017, but with a promise of a sequel. Said sequel, ''Picking Up the Pieces'', was subsequently published on August 7, 2017.

** It happens ''again'' in chapter 13, when Wind Breaker inadvertently reveals it to Night's nephew Striking Blade while Striking is getting his Hatchery file, though this time he doesn't give Page's name. Night just shakes it off when Wind Breaker confesses to him afterward, saying that since his parents and oldest brother already knew, it was only a matter of time before his whole family found out.
** In chapter three, Wind Breaker admits to Page about his previous meeting with Diamond Back and the other griffon's love confession. Diamond Back himself reappears in chapter 13 and inadvertently reveals the same thing to Night Blade, resulting in some lighthearted but non-malicious teasing (aimed at Wind Breaker) from him.

* BadDreams: All six of the characters are said to have had unsettling dreams during their night in the inn, though they don't remember the details. [[spoiler: This is a [[ChekhovsGun clue towards the identity of their Big Bad]].]]

* SwitchingPOV: On a regular basis, as the first six chapters are told from the point of view of one of the main characters (Xvital, Night Blade, Page Turner, Wind Breaker, Vix-Lei and Rex, in that order), and then switch up over the course of the rest of the story as the situation calls for it, with occasional P.O.V. segments by various other characters. Incidentally, over the course of chapters 1-48 (and not counting omakes), each of the new Bearers gets exactly eighteen segments each... and all the other characters, put together, ''also'' get a total of eighteen segments. The authors swear this last part was completely unintentional.

* SwitchingPOV: As with the original story, this happens on a regular basis, though characters outside the new Bearers are getting more segments of their own this time around.

* NotHimself: While discussing his Guard division's methods with Captain Blazen Sun, Memorizing Gaze mentions that part of their duties is to keep an eye out for other guards, including Captains, who might have had this trope (or some variety of brainwashing) happen to them.

* TheUnSmile: At one point, Vix-Lei sees Night Blade smiling, and asks him to do another. What he gives is "an all too wide smile on his face, showing off his fangs and sharper teeth in a frightening way". Vix-Lei is amused, but asks him to stop; when he only grins even wider at her, Page has to step in (at Vix-Lei's request) and make him stop by using a spell to make her nose cold, then pokes him in the ear with it.

!''The Pieces Lie Where They Fell'' contains examples of:

** ''Night Blade's'' reaction when he realizes they're talking to [[spoiler: the Prince-King of the Cuanmiztl Kingdom.]]

* ParentalMarriageVeto: [[spoiler: Chantico, the dowager empress of the Cuanmiztl Kingdom and mother of its prince-king Tizoc, had no legal right to veto her son's marriage... so she instead just convinced his intended bride - Xvital - to run away just hours before the wedding.]]

* WeaponOfChoice:

!The omake chapters from ''The Pieces Lie Where They Fell'' contain examples of:

!''Picking Up the Pieces'' contains examples of:

* ObliviousToLove: Gentle Step is clearly attracted to Memorizing Gaze, but doesn't seem to realize her own feelings for him.

!The omake chapters from ''Picking Up the Pieces'' contain examples of:

''The Pieces Lie Where They Fell'' can be found on [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-pieces-lie-where-they-fell-mlp-fim.472432/ Spacebattles Forums]], [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/357769/the-pieces-lie-where-they-fell FIMFiction Dot Net]] and [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12549996/1/The-Pieces-Lie-Where-They-Fell Fanfiction Dot Net]]. As of 2019-09-12, it is also being posted on [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/20533190 Archive Of Our Own]].

* JustFriends: Violet Lulamoon insists (truthfully) that she and her lieutenant Lunar Light are this. Sweet Surprise isn't convinced, and chapter 20 mentions that she's not the only one, since there've been rumors about the two of them being a couple before, but InternalAffairs hasn't bothered them because they know both are suffering from TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest and have subsequently become MarriedToTheJob.

* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: [[spoiler: Unusually for this trope, it's the student herself who explains this rather than the teacher - Sunset Shimmer reveals she was once Princess Celestia's personal student, until the Princess felt she wasn't "worthy" and "forced her out".]]

* BilingualBonus: Multiple characters have a tendency to slip into their native language - Spanish/Burroñeso, Greek, and on one occasion, German/Hosstrian. Translations are provided on the [[BilingualBonus/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell subpage]], and in the AO3 posting, at the end of their respective chapters.

* DistantSequel: ''The Pieces Lie Where They Fell'' is set a thousand years after the events of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E25ACanterlotWeddingPart1 A Canterlot Wedding]]" end in disaster, and follows a new generation of Element Bearers. The show's characters are still remembered, but often in [[LegendFadesToMyth highly distorted and mythologized ways]], and a a Flim-Flam Corporation has apparently grown out of the Flim-Flam brothers' snake-oil businesses.

* FiveTokenBand: All six of the new Bearers are different species: Xvital is an Ahuizotl visiting from the Cuanmiztl Kingdom, Night Blade is a batpony/nox pony (essentially a pegasus with tufted ears, bat-like webbed wings, non-hairy tails and a crest on their heads) from a noble family, Page Turner is a unicorn [[spoiler:(supposedly; she's later revealed to be actually a unicorn/Changeling hybrid)]], Wind Breaker is a griffon, Vix-Lei is a minotaur visiting from the Minos Islands, and Rex is a doberman pinscher-like Diamond Dog originally from the Under, but who moved to Middle Canterlot.

** ''Angel Bunny'' of all beings is still remembered, but most of the present-day characters believe him to be a demon trapped in the body of bunny by the Stern Warden. All except Page, who considers the idea of a "demon bunny named Angel" to be ridiculous and doesn't believe any such rabbit, demon or no, ever existed.

** Rex mentions once applying to the Academy for a place as their alchemy professor, but was turned down due to his species, claiming that only a "true Equestrian" could have a proper understanding of the subject and thus the ability to teach it to others.

''The Pieces Lie Where They Fell'' can be found on [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-pieces-lie-where-they-fell-mlp-fim.472432/ Spacebattles Forums]], [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/357769/the-pieces-lie-where-they-fell FIMFiction Dot Net]] and [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12549996/1/The-Pieces-Lie-Where-They-Fell Fanfiction Dot Net]]. As of 2019-09-12, it is also being posted on [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/20533190/chapters/48736286 Archive Of Our Own]].

''Picking Up the Pieces'' can be found on Spacebattles (in the same thread as the original story), on [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/381972/picking-up-the-pieces FIMFiction Dot Net]] and [[https://m.fanfiction.net/s/12605505/1/Picking-Up-the-Pieces Fanfiction Dot Net]].

** Played with in much of the story - the protagonists themselves are young adults, but most of the adults in Canterlot who are older than them are unaware of the situation [[spoiler:with the Nightmare]] and, though skilled at their actual jobs, are led to believe the ''protagonists'' are the villains. [[spoiler: They drop this entirely when Memorizing Gaze finds out the identity of the Nightmare's host and informs Captain General Gentle Step of the truth, at which point the Guards do all they can to help the heroes.]]

* AerialCanyonChase: There’s one during the escape from the Lower East-South Quarter, and it is epic.

* BadDreams: All six of the characters are said to have had unsettling dreams during their night in the inn, though they don’t remember the details. [[spoiler: This is a [[ChekhovsGun clue towards the identity of their Big Bad]].]]

* BlazingInfernoHellfireSauce: Page Turner likes her food ''spicy''. She's mentioned as freaking other ponies out by snacking on jalapeños, has eaten and enjoyed red habaneros, and is looking forward to trying hotter peppers like Phantom Peppers (AKA Bhut jolokia, the Ghost peppers) and Dragon's Breath (at the time of writing, the hottest pepper on record). [[spoiler: It is later revealed that to Changelings, anger has a “spicy” flavor to it. And since she feeds off Night Blade’s anger mixed with love, Page has developed a taste for that spicy flavor.]]

* CarnivoreConfusion: Vix-Lei, despite being a minotaur, sees nothing wrong with eating beef. She explains that since the cows [[spoiler:in the world of Canterlot High]] are non-sapient and different enough from her own species, it doesn’t matter.

* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler: Sharp Point’s gang is on the receiving end of one when the Questioning Order gets involved in their fight. While not shown, it is implied to have been very brutal.]]

** Violet Lulamoon, a unicorn and Magi Supreme of the Magi-of-Stars Guards, and an expert thaumatic artificer who revolutionized the Guard’s armor protection spells;

* DrivesLikeCrazy: ''Vix-Lei'', full stop, as demonstrated during the escape from the Lower East-South Quarter. It’s explained afterward that she grew up around a shipyard, and learned how to drive from her father’s employees, most of whom had worked as her country’s equivalent of cab drivers. She also admits to joyriding in the past.

* FailedASpotCheck: [[spoiler: While exploring the Questioning Order’s vault, Rex finds the Crystal Heart hidden in a small hidden area of the wall. Thinking it’s only a replica, he puts it back, unaware it was the real thing, or that (per Word Of God) Sombra was the one who hid it there, with the Questioning Order having never found it.]]

** Rex mentions once applying to the Academy for a place as their alchemy professor, but was turned down due to his species, claiming that only a “true Equestrian” could have a proper understanding of the subject and thus the ability to teach it to others.

* GrandTheftMe: When Page first meets Fluttershy, the spirit of Balance has temporarily taken over the pegasi’s body to speak to her, in part because Fluttershy herself is too shy to speak on her own behalf. Later on, during Wind Breaker's chat with Applejack's spirit, Balance suddenly takes control of her body before she can give away too much information, and says as much to Wind Breaker. [[spoiler: When Night Blade and Rainbow Dash are talking, Balance ''tries'' to hijack Rainbow Dash's body so it can apologize to Night Blade for some of its earlier actions, but she {{No Sell}}s the hijacking and tells Balance to come in and speak as itself, which it does.]]
* GratuitousGreek: Unusually for this trope, it’s used in much the same way as Xvital’s GratuitousSpanish - Vix-Lei breaks into her native language while under stress.

** Scootaloo is still remembered for her troubles with flying, her name being part of the colloquial term for the ''Thaumatic Moratis'' ("magic bereft") disorder, in which ponies don’t develop their magic until into their adulthood.

* NeverHeardThatOneBefore: When introducing himself to some of his fellow future Bearers, Wind Breaker adds "And yes, I’ve heard all the jokes, so please don’t start." Vix-Lei is noticeably disappointed at being preemptively cut off. [[spoiler:Later subverted by the human Applejack when she hears his name and asks “Your folks named you after a coat?” Wind Breaker has never heard that version and, as he admits to himself, had never ''heard'' of a type of coat called that before, so he wasn't expecting it.]]

* NoodleIncident: Night Blade’s talentmitzvah. It is not stated exactly what happened but it apparently was the breaking point for Night, who gave up on having any meaningful relationship with his parents afterward. Ceases to be one in ''Picking Up the Pieces'', which explains ''exactly'' what happened: [[spoiler:his parents wound up turning it into a "stuffy, adult party" and grounded him for wanting ''his'' special day to focus on ''him''. They're later horrified when they realize what this ultimately led to.]]
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: [[spoiler:When Night Blade and the human Rainbow Dash are transported into the mare Rainbow Dash's personal Paradise, the human Rainbow Dash is completely naked and starts freaking out, but Night Blade’s only reaction is annoyance at her for hitting him over it. After her pony counterpart shows up and calms her down somewhat, Dash is still convinced that Night Blade is a pervert for looking at her. Night Blade promptly informs her that she does ''nothing'' for him, since he's [[SingleTargetSexuality only attracted to one pony]] who is ''not'' her.]]

* OldSchoolChivalry: Blazen Sun is a firm believer in this, and once gave all his Guards a royal chewing-out for not helping a couple of old mares when it was raining. It’s become a trait of the entire Celestia Guard since then.

** Night Blade can make sandwiches in the first story, and that’s about all. He explains in the sequel that he had someone else cooking for him most of the time, so he never really learned, and Vix-Lei promptly takes it upon herself to teach him more.
** Xvital describes Pozole, a stew made of a base of cooked hominy in broth (with either meat or beans) and assorted garnishes, as "something from back home that even ''I'' can cook". She admits in the sequel that it’s really ''all'' she can make.

* TheOrder: The Questioning Order, a group dedicated to the persecution, usually with bloody violence, of Changelings. Even non-Changelings don’t like them because of how creepy they look and act.

* APupilOfMineUntilHeTurnedToEvil: [[spoiler: Unusually for this trope, it’s the student herself who explains this rather than the teacher - Sunset Shimmer reveals she was once Princess Celestia’s personal student, until the Princess felt she wasn’t “worthy” and “forced her out”.]]

** Of the guard Captains, Standing Wall is the Bane of Minotaurs and Blazen Sun is the Bane of Dragons. Their superior, Captain General Step, is known as the Bane of ''Tartarus'' (doubling as NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast).
** Night Blade earns one after his brutal slaughter of Sharp Point’s mercenary allies - the "Butcher of the Everfree Forest". He is less than thrilled by it.

** [[spoiler: Chapter 31 further reveals that Page isn’t just any Changeling - she’s the Changeling ''Queen'' and the eight-times-great-granddaughter of the late Queen Chrysalis.]]

* SadisticChoice: [[spoiler: The Nightmare’s plans for Sunset involved this, forcing Princess Celestia to choose between banishing her student away or risk her future student and everyone in Canterlot with a demonic powered Sunset.]]

* ToHellAndBack: Captain General Gentle Step went into Tartarus, spent five days fighting there, and came back out with two of her Guards with just a scar on her face and a broken snout. After being a Guard for only five days at the time.

-->'''Page Turner''': [[spoiler: "My pony name is Page Turner. But I was born Lamella Armor the Tenth,” ... “And I am the heir to the throne of the Badlands Changeling Hive as of fifteen years ago, its Queen and sole remaining Pillar of my hive."]]
** [[spoiler: Gentle Step, upon seeing their enemy’s aura in chapter 44:]]
--> [[spoiler: “It’s not demonic,” she said in a hushed, awed tone. “It’s ''divine''.”]]

* YankTheDogsChain: [[spoiler: Despite an attempt to learn the Magi of Stars’ true identity while in the world of Canterlot High, the group only gets a small hint in the form of Pinkie Pie remembering seeing a girl with a dog and a similar mark once, but that’s literally all she knows.]]
* YouMonster: [[spoiler: Page calls the Nightmare “horrid” for what it’s done. It roars back that its whole ''Purpose'' is to terrify others away from evil and back onto the straight and narrow path of righteousness.]]

* TheBabyTrap: Some of Deep Blade’s past lovers have tried to do this via FakePregnancy in order to have an excuse to marry into his family. When Sergeant Summer Nights finds out, she notes that such actions are a crime.

* TheCasanova: Deep Blade has a reputation as a playstallion. However, he always makes it clear to his partners from the start that it’s casual, with no strings attached. Not all of them believe him, or try to make more out of it than Deep intended.

* CouldHaveAvoidedThisPlot: A relatively mild example - Sweet Surprise, who's been worried about her reputation affecting that of her husband and wife unless she works very hard to improve it (by doing a lot of overtime work in her office), realizes (after some supporting words from her husband) that she could have avoided quite a bit of drama with them if she'd just spoken to them about her worries, and Sound Mind’s additional support when she arrives on the scene helps as well. Fortunately, they're both very understanding about the whole thing.
* DecliningPromotion: In Chapter 11, Lieutenant Mist Flight is mentioned as having been offered a Captain's position before, but always declining because he liked where he was. [[spoiler: He winds up becoming ''Acting'' Captain General as a result of Internal Affairs' actions against Gentle Step, who decides to use a sick day and leave Mist in charge.]]
* DefrostingIceQueen: Not so much as icy as stoic, Captain General Gentle Step starts to show a lot more emotion when she is around Memorizing Gaze.

** Averted by Tirek, who was intercepted by a Guard troop during his escape attempt from Tartarus and personally re-imprisoned by Princess Celestia. Centuries later, during her rescue mission into Tartarus that resulted in her promotion to Captain General, Gentle Step personally confirmed that he was still there.

* EvilPoacher: They exist and target the star beasts, whose numbers have greatly decreased with magic’s failing (though its return has helped them a great deal). Preventing this is one thing that Tizoc and King Well Banded can agree on.
* FakePregnancy: According to Deep Blade, some of his past lovers have tried this in order to get him to marry them via TheBabyTrap. After finding out, Sergeant Summer Nights says she’ll be looking into these claims, since attempted line theft is a crime.
* GoldDigger: Deep Blade’s had to deal with a few who wanted to marry into his family, and tried to manipulate him into making a relationship permanent. This is a big part of why he has a personal lawyer, to deal with ponies like that.
* TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: Magi-of-Stars Guard Lieutenant Lunar Light hasn’t been looking for romance since he had his heart broken once - he joined the Guard to have something else to focus on. His captain is much the same, having thrown herself into her work after her husband died young.
* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: The new security guard at Night's gym is ostensibly there to keep further pranksters out after somepony dumped purple dye in their swimming pool, but he's too busy reading his newspaper to look up at any visitors, like Night, when he says the pool’s closed and explains ''why'' it’s closed.

** A group of them show up to arrest Memorizing Gaze for being a Changeling holding down a job, which is illegal. Gentle Step points out that there has ''always'' been an exception, by decree of King Blueblood the Great, for Changelings who serve in the Hidden Guard, but they’re still required to take him in until he tells them he’s already resigned and has a meeting with the King to discuss his new role.

* JustFriends: Violet Lulamoon insists (truthfully) that she and her lieutenant Lunar Light are this. Sweet Surprise isn't convinced.

* LethalChef: Lunar Light admits he “can’t cook worth a hill of beans” and comes over to his captain’s house for breakfast, since he prefers her cooking to anything prepared by, as he puts it, “most of the so-called professionals out there”.

* MenCantKeepHouse: Downplayed - the topmost floor of Lunar Light’s house is described as a cluttered mess, but the clutter was already there when he moved in, and he just hasn’t done anything about it. The rest of the house has yet to be described.

* NumberTwo: The lieutenants of the six Guard divisions are introduced in this story - as of chapter 8, Mist Flight of the Royal Guard, Lunar Light (nicknamed "Weird Beard" by his captain) of the Magi of Stars Guard, and Even Hoof of the Luna Guard have all appeared or been mentioned. Chapter 10 then reveals that Ruby Shell, introduced in the first story, is the lieutenant of the Hidden Guard. Chapter 11 identifies the final two lieutenants, Steady Lance of the Celestia Guard and Dazzling Aura of the Cadenza Guard. [[spoiler: When Mist Flight temporarily takes over as Captain General, Artisan Shine becomes ''his'' second.]]
* ObliviousToLove: Gentle Step is clearly attracted to Memorizing Gaze, but doesn’t seem to realize her own feelings for him.

* ReallyRoyaltyReveal: Once again, Page’s status as the Changeling Queen is unintentionally revealed to somepony not in the know… but this time it's Page herself who does so, to Gentle Step.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Cerberus, the same individual from canon, is still alive and well even a thousand years after the wedding disaster. So is Tirek - Gentle Step saw him in his cage during her trip to Tartarus prior to her promotion to Captain General.

* ReflexiveResponse: Teleport into Sweet Surprise’s office without advance warning and she’ll treat you like an attacker, as Lunar Light discovered the hard way - she’d thrown half the junk on her desk at him before she realized who he was.

** At one point, the female Vix-Lei comments to Rex that "You simply do not say ''those'' kind of things to a lady! Or me either, for that matter.”

** Sacher Torte, head dessert chef at the hotel the Bearers are at, is (per Word of God) descended from the Cake family, something further hinted at by her saying she comes "from a long line of bakers and pastry chefs”. By extension, so is her mentioned cousin Mango Cake.

* SupremeChef: Vix-Lei’s mother, according to her comments. Vix-Lei herself is no slouch either, though she admits she’s not perfect.

* TeleportInterdiction: In an incident in Lunar Light’s past, he tried to teleport ''somewhere'', but his captain had wards up around that area and he got bounced off them, rematerializing in [[TeleportationMisfire another location]] halfway across the city.

* TrashOfTheTitans: The top floor of Lunar Light's house has been a disaster area since before he moved in, and he hasn’t done anything to clear out the former owner's old stuff up there. He claims at least some of it is antiques.

* WalkThisWay: In chapter 18, a doctor instructs them to follow him to another room with the phrase. Vix-Lei takes it to heart (but in a way that makes it clear she’s deliberately joking) and walks with her head at the same angle his is.
* YouDidntAsk: Beyond not wearing her wedding ring at work (as it didn’t fit on her helmet), Sweet Surprise never mentioned the fact she's married because it never came up.

* BilingualBonus: Multiple characters have a tendency to slip into their native language - Spanish/Burroñeso, Greek, and on one occasion, German/Hosstrian. Translations are provided on the [[BilingualBonus/ThePiecesLieWhereTheyFell subpage]].

''The Pieces Lie Where They Fell'' can be found on [[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-pieces-lie-where-they-fell-mlp-fim.472432/ Spacebattles Forums]], [[https://www.fimfiction.net/story/357769/the-pieces-lie-where-they-fell FIMFiction Dot Net]] and [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12549996/1/The-Pieces-Lie-Where-They-Fell Fanfiction Dot Net]].

* ReallyRoyaltyReveal: Once again, Page’s status as the Changeling Queen is unintentionally revealed to somepony not in the know… but this time it’s Page herself who does so, to Gentle Step.