History Fanfic / AGrowingFireInMyHeart

** Both Spike ''and'' Ember plan on proposing to each other, both for getting married and becoming life mates, with niether being aware of the other's plan.

* ShoutOut: The ending of Chapter 12 is one to the opening scene of ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}''. Before he is killed, the dragon Scaleburn manages to light the signal as the Behemoths scale The Wall, warning the world of their invasion, and the Overlord simply remarking "Perfect".

** In an example prior to the story, Princess Amore suffered this. In ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFiendshipIsMagic'', she was [[spoiler: specifically said to still be alive despite being petrified and shattered, and Sombra himself noted that she could be put back together and restored]], to the point that the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDWIssue34To37 Siege of the Crystal Empire arc]] ended with [[spoiler: Sombra and Radiant Hope leaving to do just that]]. Here, Sombra is specifically said to have killed her.
** Again from an example prior to the story, [[spoiler: Radiant Hope]] suffered this also. In her original appearance in the comics, she [[spoiler: made it to Celestia and Luna unharmed and then survived until the present day by living in the Umbrums' realm, and as said above, left with Sombra at the end of ''Siege of the CrystalEmpire'']]. Here, she was mortally wounded by Sombra, and died shortly after telling Celestia and Luna about his takeover of the Crystal Empire.
** [[RuleOfThree Yet again]] from an example prior to the story, [[spoiler: the Umbrums]]. In the comics, they stayed in their realm, and while they briefly managed to get out, they were trapped again at the end. Here, [[spoiler: Sombra used the Crystal Heart to absorb them all into himself and become much more powerful]].

** King Thorax and Queen Skystar (a Changeling and a hippogriff) are revealed to be dating

** While it's an example prior to the story, Princess Amore suffered this. In ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFiendshipIsMagic'', she was [[spoiler: specifically said to still be alive despite being petrified and shattered, and Sombra himself noted that she could be put back together and restored]], to the point that the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDWIssue34To37 Siege of the Crystal Empire arc]] ended with [[spoiler: Sombra and Radiant Hope leaving to do just that]]. Here, Sombra is specifically said to have killed her.

** King Thorax and Queen Skystar (a Changeling and a hippogriff) are revealed to be dating.

* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: Garrus, the son of Gallus and Silverstream, is very different from both of his parents. While Silverstream is constantly happy and excited about almost everything and Gallus despite being quite at times knows how to have fun and party, Garrus prefers reading, writing, and singing over roughhousing and is so quiet and shy he could be mistaken for ''Fluttershy's'' child.

* LoopholeAbuse: Silverstream renounced her position as a member of the Royal Family [[ActOfTrueLove as proof of her love to Gallus]], and then Queen Novo permanently stripped her of her noble rank so that no future royal could ever restore it. Despite this however, once Skystar replaces her mother as Queen, despite being unable to make Silverstream royalty again she still allows her cousin to be part of the family, and declares that any children she has would be recognized as royals themselves.

** Spike recalls how last year during the anniversary of the Alliance of Harmony, one of Pinkie's kids, Button Pie, managed to get a hold of Pinkie's party canon and used it to cover a lot of party participants in brownie batter.

* ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: Two years after Gallus became a guard, he was part of a large team sent to investigate why convoys were disappearing near the southern borders, and were attacked by tatzlwurms and [[DirtyCoward left for dead by their cowardly squad leader]]. She reported that she was the SoleSurvivor of the attack, only for Gallus and the other guards to all showed up during Gallus's funeral ceremony alive.

* CasandraTruth: When Rowan Forestheart finally arrives in Canterlot, he tells three guards why he needs to speak to Twilight or her fellow rulers, explaining who he is, what happened to him, and what Tyranus Redskull is planning. The three don't believe him, thinking he is either sleep-deprived or crazy. Luckily, Princess Flurry Heart is willing to hear him out when he mentions who his master was.

* BattleCouple: Spike and Ember are now one, as they demonstrate when they work together to kill a Shadow Hound in Chapter 8.

* {{Polyamory}}: Blitz is revealed to be dating both Aquafire ''and'' his fiancé from his ArrangedMarriage. It turns out polygamy is not illegal in the Dragon Lands, but very rare since all parties must agree to it.

** After Smolder graduated from Twilight's Friendship Academy she joined Ember's Scale Guard and eventually became its new captain by [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority defeating the previous one in hand-to-hand combat]].

* DramaticIrony: Smolder is believed to be the last remaining member of Clan Redskull, despite her having disowned the name following the death of her half-brother Garble. However, the readers know that Tyranus is still alive though and considers himself the ''true'' last of Clan Redskull.

* PrayerIsALastResort: Ember remembers a story she was told, how when she was [[IllGirl just a hatchling she got very sick and almost died]]. As her father ordered every potion and healer to help her, even ordering help from outside their borders if necessary, he stayed by her side, and prayed for her recovery. Ember never remembered him praying once her entire life, so this showed her just how much her father cared for her and was willing to go to for her.

* WeUsedToBeFriends: Everyone has dropped Novo as a friend, including her own family, due to how she tried to force Silverstream to break up with Gallus and when she refused resulted in Novo permanently her of her noble rank

* NoodleIncident:

* CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon: In Smolder's DrillSergeantNasty rant to the Scale Guards, she tells them that it is their duty to protect Dragon Lord Ember, and is Ember dies because of their mistakes, Smolder will personally sign their execution warrant before carrying out the deed herself and then [[LastDisrespects pissing on their grave as a final insult]].

* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Pinkie Pie and her husband have ''seven'' kids.

* AdultFear: Ember and Twilight both thought Spike was with the other, with Ember thinking Spike went home after [[spoiler:Torch's funeral]] and Twilight being told Spike was needed for a treaty with the changelings. They both realize quickly that Spike has been taken prisoner without either of them knowing until now, while they thought he was safe with friends.

* UnseenNoMore: Tyranus was TheGhost in the previous story, being mentioned several times but never making an apperance on-screen. He finally makes an appearance in the first chapter of this story, and serves as the new BigBad.