History Fanfic / DuelNature

* WizardDuel: Luna vs. Twilight
* YouFightLikeACow: Rarity considers this the most important type of self-defense technique. In fact, she considers it the ONLY important type of self-defense technique.

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, including ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', ''IndianaJones'', ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', ''{{Firefly}}'', ''Series/CSIMiami'' and ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' and even OrderOfTheStick

* DurableDeathTrap: All the local TempleOfDoom BoobyTraps still work just fine. Justified in that the temple enchantments were made specifically with RagnarokProofing in mind.

* NamesToTrustImmediately: Amoung the royal guard of Canterlot there's a recruit named "Golden Heart". [[spoiler: Ample Booty wants to live up to this name.]]

* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe example. Whenever one of the royal sisters does something particularly embarrasing, the other will remind them of it for decades.

* RansackedRoom: This happens to Twilight and Luna's hotel roomm and tips them off to the EvilPlan.

* RooftopConfrontation: Twilight spots a suspicous pony on a rooftop and they engage in a brief fight.

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, including ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', ''IndianaJones'', ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', ''{{Firefly}}'', ''Series/CSIMiami'' and ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''and even OrderOfTheStick

* WartsAndAll: [[spoiler: Twilight comes to terms with Luna's eccentrics and immortal mindset and the twoo becomes friends.]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: InUniverse. Professor Buried Secrets thinks the story of the great sea serpent Ouroboros is an allegory for piracy and colonialism, while the three artifacts that were used to seal it away represent the balance of power between three seperate branches of government. Luna corrects him that, no, there [[AllMythsAreTrue actually was a gigantic sea serpent]]. She would know since she was there and sealed it herself.

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, including ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', ''IndianaJones'', ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', ''{{Firefly}}'', ''Series/CSIMiami'' and ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''.

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, including ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'', ''IndianaJones'', ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', ''{{Firefly}}'' and ''Series/CSIMiami''.

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, ranging from ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' to WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond to IndianaJones to Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda to {{Firefly}}

* Badass: Captain Reinolds. Despite being hopelessly outclassed, he's not about to let anyone touch one of his students. Not even [[PhysicalGod Luna]] when she screams the aforementioned BadassBoast into his face.

* BrokeYourArmPunchingCthuhlu: Twilight jams a magic {{BFS}} that was designed for the sole purpose of defeating the Ouroboros through itts chin and accomplishes nothing more than forcing it into a few days dormancy. [[spoiler: Fortunately this is enough time for Celestia and Luna to put it back in its can.]]

* IShallTauntYou: Twilight's plan to throw Luna off her guard during their fight. [[spoiler: [[DoNotTauntCthuhlu It works, but also ends up making things much, much worse for her]].]]

-->"We would have you know that they were not associated with the moon before we started using them as identities in ages past. We are hardly to blame for ponies leaping upon such associations at the merest whiff of deific power," said Luna. "Honestly, we move ONE MOUNTAIN..."

* ActionGirl: Twilight's really kicked her competence UpToEleven in this fic. She even manages to put up a pretty impressive fight against the setting's resident [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]].

* AndThenWhat: [[spoiler: The fact that Twilight doesn't really know what she wants out of her life is symptomatic of how badly it's spun out of control for her over the TimeSkip. Reinolds has to point out for her that, just because the immortal Princesses might have grand plans for her future, doesn't mean that going along with them would make her happy.]]

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Luna might be an underappreciated figurehead politically, but cross her in person (pony?) and [[CurbStompBattle she will destroy you]].

* BadassBookworm: Twilight
* Badass: Captain Reinolds. Despite being hopelessly outclassed, he's not about to let anyone touch one of his students. Not even [[PhysicalGod Luna]], even as she she screams the aforementioned BadassBoast into his face.

* BerserkButton: Twilight knows all of Luna's, and uses them liberally in her attempt to defeat her. [[spoiler: This backfires spectacularly.]]
** Luna inadvertently manages to find Twilight's when she suggests that [[spoiler: in the grand scheme of things, her relationships with her friends aren't that important]] during an ill-fated attempt to cheer her up.

* BodyguardingABadass: Twilight's new job-slash-punishment.

* CharacterDeath: Poor, poor, [[spoiler:Bronze Bell; he's shanked by Gumdrops]].
* ChainedHeat: Celestia hopes to invoke this between Twilight and Luna, with a royal decree instead of a literal chain.

* ChekhovsSkill: Twilight learns to make large ice platforms on open water so she can jump across them to a boat, more or less just for her own amusement. The ability comes in handy when she needs to [[spoiler: put a wall of ice between herself and some bloodthirsty seaponies]]
* CombatPragmatist: Twilight's developed in this direction, and it serves her well once she's in life-or-death situations outside of the ring. She even has her very own copy of ''Dirty Tricks and Unsportsmanlike Conduct: A Combat Pragmatist’s Guide''

* ComedicSociopathy: Luna. To the extent that she wonders whether ''lighting something on fire'' will get her out of a socially awkward situation

* DarkIsNotEvil: Luna. Sure, she's a [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]]. Sure, she's prone to [[UnstoppableRage minor temper tantrums]]. Sure, she'll [[spoiler:[[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique threaten to murder you]] if you you don't give her the information she's asking you for]]. But she's really not that bad once you get to know her.

* DragonInChief: Gumdrop Giggles to [[spoiler: Bronze Bell]]. Both because the latter is really more of an AntiVillain and because [[spoiler:she murders him when he tries to back out of their plan.]]

* DurableDeathTrap: All the local TempleOfDoom BoobyTraps still work just fine.
** Justified in that the temple enchantments were made specifically with RagnarokProofing in mind.
* ElementalPowers: Twilight's got a whole arsenal of them on tap

* FlashStep: Twilight's teleportation is more or less equivalent to this, at least over short distances. Unfortunately for her, [[spoiler:Luna knows how to shut it down.]]
* GetOut: After their fight, Luna basically tells Twilight that their friendship is over and she never wants to see her again. Celestia has other ideas.

* IShallTauntYou: Twilight's plan to throw Luna off her guard during their fight. [[spoiler: It works, but also ends up making things much, much worse for her.]]
* ImprovisedTraining: Nothing hones speed, agility, and reaction time like playing tag with Pinkie Pie.

* {{Invisibility}}: A trick most duelists know, but not considered especially useful since anyone worth hiding from will still be able to 'see' the magic you're using to hide yourself [[spoiler:unless you've blinded that particular sense beforehand]]. If you do use it, it helps to throw in some {{Ventriloquism}} so you can still talk to the pony you're hiding from.

* LargeHam: Luna

* MagicallyBindingContract: The Oath of Binding that Luna uses to confine Ample in a single room takes the form of a magically enforced promise not to leave.
** It's not proof against LoopholeAbuse via ExactWords, however.
* MalevolentArchitecture: The underwater temple. In spades. Of course, it was designed that way intentionally.
* MeaningfulName: Whenever Luna decides to go incognito, she usually picks names like "Selene" or "Artemis" or "Phoebe." When Twilight points out that her cover would be a lot better if she didn't always pick names associated with the moon, Luna reveals that this is actually an InvertedTrope

* MilesGloriosus: Reinolds uses an [[SecondHandStorytelling altered version]] of the story of Twilight's fight with Luna, where he plays a much bigger role than he really did, to pick up mares at a local bar. One night Luna's actually there and calls him out on it, [[spoiler: accusing him of selling himself short and understating how awesome he actually was. Because she's there as his [[IncrediblyLamePun wingmare]] and they planned the whole thing out in advance.]]

* MyDefenseNeedNotProtectMeForever: Reinolds doesn't need to block Luna's magic forever, only until Celestia shows up.
* NeckLift: After Twilight taunts Luna just one too many times (by stomping on several of her BerserkButtons and [[MyGreatestFailure greatest failures]]), she lifts Twilight using a tendril of pure shadow.

* NoodleIncident: The consequences of breaking a Pinkie Promise. All that's know for sure is that the last colt who broke one [[spoiler: woke up in a foreign city covered in cake batter with no memory of the last three days, and that he'd suddenly developed a crippling fear of confetti]]- although this is only brought up in the non-canon BreatherEpisode....
** The story also ends just as Luna is beginning to tell Twilight about the Zombie Gerbil Horde that attacked after a careless librarian placed a necromancy primer in the children's section. Subverted now that the author is writing [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/76785/the-late-afternoon-of-the-zombie-gerbil-horde that story as well]].
* ThePowerOfFriendship: Subverted when [[spoiler:Gumdrop Giggles murders Bronze Bell as he reaches out to her trying to convince her that unleashing [[SealedEvilInACan Ouroboros]] isn't worth losing one another.]]

* ProperlyParanoid: Twilight, after bad stuff starts happening around her and Luna. Although as a bodyguard, it's sort of her job to be. Doesn't make it any easier on her deteriorating mental status, though.

* RansackedRoom

* RoofHopping
* RooftopConfrontation

* TeleportSpam: Twilight's strategy for beating Luna in their head-to-head showdown. It only keeps her just ahead of Luna's attacks, though.

* TemptingFate: Luna insists that a few seaponies don't present a significant challenge, and will be dispatched easily. Cue the appearance of something much bigger...
** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when [[spoiler:that turns out not to be all that big a deal either. The resident [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]] is more than capable of [[Film/{{Aliens}} nuking it from orbit]] without much effort.]]
* ThereWasADoor
* TimeAbyss: Luna is at least a thousand times Twilight's age, if you believe her claims. She also likes to curse in dead languages and make fun of archaeologists' woefully inaccurate assumptions about ancient civilizations.

* UnskilledButStrong: Twilight, before she starts training. Reinolds quite explicitly points out that staying that way is a good way to get yourself killed in a real fight.
* WartsAndAll: A big part of snapping out of her HeroicBSOD is Twilight realizing that [[spoiler: Celestia isn't perfect, and that maybe she shouldn't just blindly go along with whatever she's planned for Twilight's future.]]

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: InUniverse. Professor Buried Secrets thinks the story of the great sea serpent Ouroboros is an allegory for piracy and colonialism, while the three artifacts that were used to seal it away represent the balance of power between three seperate branches of government. Luna corrects him that, no, there [[AllMythsAreTrue actually was a gigantic sea serpent]]. She would know, since she was there.

* BreatherEpisode: Chapter 6: Pep Talk. A non-canon interlude before the three month TimeSkip.

* ChairmanOfTheBrawl

* CombatPragmatist: Twilight's developed in this direction, and it serves her well once she's in life-or-death situations outside of the ring.
** She even has her very own copy of ''Dirty Tricks and Unsportsmanlike Conduct: A Combat Pragmatist’s Guide''

* DyingAlone: Poor, poor, [[spoiler:Bronze Bell]].

* BadassNormal: Captain Reinolds. Despite being hopelessly outclassed, he's not about to let anyone touch one of his students. Not even [[PhysicalGod Luna]], even as she she screams the aforementioned BadassBoast into his face.

* BerserkButton: Twilight knows all of Luna's, and uses them liberally in her attempt to defeat her. [[spoiler: This backfires rather spectacularly.]]

* BreakThemByTalking: Twilight's plan to throw Luna off her guard during their fight. [[spoiler: It works, but also ends up making things much, much worse for her.]]

* DisproportionateRetribution: Everything Celestia heaps on Twilight for her actions during the fight are, technically, punishment for breaking a folding chair.

* GotVolunteered: Reinolds, to teach Twilight how to fight.

* IncrediblyLameFun: Twilight and Luna start to re-bond with one another when Celestia orders Luna to [[FateWorseThanDeath rework Equestria's 740,000-page tax code]] as part of her punishment. The two end up laughing uncontrollably while telling jokes about asset depreciation formulas.

* {{Invisibility}}: A trick most duelists know, but not considered especially useful since anyone worth hiding from will still be able to 'see' the magic you're using to hide yourself [[spoiler:unless you've blinded that particular sense beforehand]].
** If you do use it, it helps to throw in some {{Ventriloquism}} so you can still talk to the pony you're hiding from.

* MyDefenseNeedNotProtectMeForever

* WhamEpisode: Chapter 5. By the end of it, Twilight's been [[spoiler: publically humiliated, suspended from school, practically disowned by her teacher and mentor, and sentenced to spend the next six months taking orders from the pony who's made it clear she wants nothing to do with her and nearly killed her.]] Opinions vary on whether this was excessive or Celestia gets a pass because she [[OmniscientMoralityLicense knew it would turn out okay]].

* NoodleIncident: The consequences of breaking a Pinkie Promise. All that's know for sure is that the last colt who broke one [[spoiler: woke up in a foreign city covered in cake batter with no memory of the last three days, and that he'd suddenly developed a crippling fear of confetti.]]
** The story also ends just as Luna is beginning to tell Twilight about the Zombie Gerbil Horde that attacked after a careless librarian placed a necromancy primer in the children's section

* PowerOfTrust: Twilight's faith in Bronze Bell inspires him to try to decipher the location of the TempleOfDoom. [[spoiler: He gets it wrong, but they find it anyway.]]

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, ranging from ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' to BatmanBeyond to IndianaJones to Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda to {{Firefly}}

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, ranging from {{Aliens}} to BatmanBeyond to IndianaJones to Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda to {{Firefly}}

** [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when [[spoiler:that turns out not to be all that big a deal either. The resident [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]] is more than capable of [[{{Aliens}} nuking it from orbit]] without much effort.]]

* ShoutOut: Quite a few, ranging from {{Aliens}} to BatmanBeyond to IndianaJones to LegendOfZelda to {{Firefly}}

* ActionGirl- Twilight's really kicked her competence UpToEleven in this fic. She even manages to put up a pretty impressive fight against the setting's resident [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]]
* AHandfulForAnEye- When cornered on a roof, the pegasus that's been stalking Luna [[spoiler: flaps her wings hard enough to blow sand and dust into Twilight's eyes, giving her time to get away]]
* AndThenWhat- [[spoiler: The fact that Twilight doesn't really know what she wants out of her life is symptomatic of how badly it's spun out of control for her over the TimeSkip. Reinolds has to point out for her that just because the immortal Princesses might have grand plans for her future doesn't mean that going along with them would make her happy]]
* AntiMagic- Equestrians long ago developed [[InescapableNet nets]] that could [[PowerNullifier do this]] to any spell casters that got wrapped up in them.
* AttackItsWeakPoint- [[spoiler: Channeling enough energy into the brain through the base of a unicorn's horn and you can put them into a coma. Even when the recipient is a [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]] they'll be unable to sense magic around themselves afterwards.]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking- Luna might be an underappreciated figurehead politically, but cross her in person (pony?) and [[CurbStompBattle she will destroy you]].
* BadassBoast- Luna throws these out almost as a matter of course, but when she's mad she really takes it to the next level:
-->'''''"CAPTAIN, WE ARE PRINCESS LUNA OF THE NIGHT, MAIDEN OF THE STARS AND MOON, AND RULER OF THIS LAND! IN TIMES OF WAR AND STRIFE,''''' '''''[[YourSoulIsMine WE HAVE TORN THE VERY SOULS FROM OUR ENEMIES’ BODIES]]''''' '''''[[EmptyShell AND LEFT THEM AS NOTHING BUT LIFELESS HUSKS.]]''''' '''''[[HurlItIntoTheSun WE HAVE THROWN THOSE WHO OPPOSED US INTO THE FURNACES OF DISTANT STARS]]''''' '''''TO''''' '''''[[KillItWithFire BURN ALIVE FOR ETERNITY.]]''''' '''''[[MindRape WE HAVE ENTERED THE MINDS OF OUR FOES AND INFLICTED UPON THEM THE EXPERIENCE OF SUFFERING FOR DECADES]]''''', '''''WHILE ONLY MOMENTS PASSED IN REALITY. NOW WE ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU ONE FINAL CHANCE, DO NOT THROW IT AWAY SO LIGHTLY.''''' '''''[[PunctuatedForEmphasis MOVE! ASIDE! NOW!"]]'''''
* BadassBookWorm- Twilight
* BadassNormal- Captain Reinolds. Despite being hopelessly outclassed, he's not about to let anyone touch one of his students. Not even [[PhysicalGod Luna]] as she she screams the aforementioned BadassBoast into his face.
* BalefulPolymorph- Trying to mug the Element of Magic? Don't be surprised when you end up as a potted plant
* BerserkButton- Twilight knows all of Luna's, and uses them liberally in her attempt to defeat her. [[spoiler: This backfires rather spectacularly]]

* BigDamnHeroes- Reinolds stepping in to [[spoiler: stop Luna from murdering Twilight in a fit of rage]]
* BodyguardingABadass- Twilight's new job-slash-punishment
* BoxingLessonsForSuperman- Magic training for Twilight
* BreakThemByTalking- Twilight's plan to threw Luna off her guard during their fight. [[spoiler: It works, but also ends up making things much, much worse for her]]
* BreatherEpisode- Chapter 6: Pep Talk. A non-canon interlude before the three month TimeSkip.
* BrokenBird- Twilight doesn't take being suspended from her position as Celestia's pupil and sentenced to guard the pony who [[spoiler: tried to outright murder her]] very well.
* ChainedHeat- Celestia hopes to invoke this between Twilight and Luna, with a royal decree instead of a literal chain.

* ChekhovsSkill- Twilight learns to make large ice platforms on open water so she can jump across them to a boat, more or less just for her own amusement. The ability comes in handy when she needs to [[spoiler: put a wall of ice between herself and some bloodthirsty seaponies]]
* CombatPragmatist- Twilight's developed in this direction, and it serves her well once she's in life-or-death situations outside of the ring.

* CombatTentacles- [[spoiler: Seaponies]]
* ComedicSociopathy- Luna. To the extent that she wonders whether ''lighting something on fire'' will get her out of a socially awkward situation
* CurbStompBattle- Luna expects one of these from Twilight. [[spoiler: She doesn't get it]]
* DarkIsNotEvil- Luna. Sure, she's a [[PhysicalGod Physical Goddess]]. Sure, she's prone to [[UnstoppableRage minor temper tantrums]]. Sure, she'll [[spoiler:[[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique threaten to murder you]] if you you don't give her the information she's asking you for]]. But she's not that bad once you get to know her.
* DisproportionateRetribution- Everything Celestia heaps on Twilight for her actions during the fight are, technically, punishment for breaking a folding chair.
* DragonInChief- Gumdrop Giggles to [[spoiler: Bronze Bell]]. Both because the latter is really more of an AntiVillain and because [[spoiler:she murders him when he tries to back out of their plan]]
* DrillSergeantNasty- According to her, Captain Reinolds pushed Twilight pretty damn hard during the first few months of her training.
* DurableDeathtrap- All the local TempleOfDoom BoobyTraps still work just fine.

* DyingAlone- Poor, poor, [[spoiler:Bronze Bell]]
* ElementalPowers- Twilight's got a whole arsenal of them on tap
* EnragedByIdiocy- Twilight's reaction to learning the truth about the royal guard during the BreatherEpisode.
-->“Thank you for the offer, Captain. But now I think I would rather risk having a goddess unmake me from existence with the raw energies of creation than continue this discussion.”
* {{Expy}}- [[CSIMiami Horatio Mane]], with the expected QuipToBlack dialogue.
* FalseCause - The royal guard patrols the city, and the crime rate is low. Of course it was low before they started patrolling too, but Twilight can't convince anypony of why that matters.
* FateWorseThanDeath- Rarity tries to roleplay an attacker doing the most vicious and terrible things she can imagine to help Twilight practice.
-->I’m an attacker! I’m going to ''trim your mane!'' In a manner that’s ''not at all fashionable!''
* FlashStep- Twilight's teleportation is more or less equivalent to this, at least over short distances. Unfortunately for her, [[spoiler:Luna knows how to shut it down.]]
* GetOut- After their fight, Luna basically tells Twilight that their friendship is over and she never wants to see her again. Celestia has other ideas.
* GoodCopBadCop- Luna threatens to murder Ample if she doesn't tell her what she wants to know, but she was bluffing. Probably.
* GotVolunteered- Reinolds, to teach Twilight how to fight.
* ImprovisedTraining- Nothing hones speed, agility, and reaction time like playing tag with Pinkie Pie.
* IncrediblyLameFun- Twilight and Luna start to re-bond with one another when Celestia orders Luna to [[FateWorseThanDeath rework Equestria's 740,000 page tax code]] as part of her punishment. The two end up laughing uncontrollably while telling jokes about asset depreciation formulas.
* INeedAFreakingDrink- Luna's revelation that the theories he's developed over fifteen years of study are completely wrong, that he's identified an artifact of world shaking power as an ashtray, and that the ancient religious document he's spent the last month trying to decipher [[spoiler: is actually an ancient takeout menu]] prompt Buried Secrets to start taking pulls from a hip flask in the middle of the afternoon.
* {{Invisibility}}- A trick most duelists know, but not considered especially useful since anyone worth hiding from will still be able to 'see' the magic you're using to hide yourself [[spoiler:unless you've blinded that particular sense beforehand]]

* IMeantToDoThat- Luna's entrance into the gymnasium.
-->"YES! The gymnasium wherein our elite guard ponies hone their abilities! That is, of course, the building that we knew we were visiting when we came in through the roof. It is exactly the building which we were entirely meaning to visit, and [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial certainly not one that we chose at random!]]”
* ItAmusedMe- Luna's motivation for challenging Twilight to a no holds barred beatdown that will probably leave her seriously injured boils down to "it beats making awkward small talk."
* JustToyingWithThem- Luna, to Twilight during the first part of the fight. When Twilight realizes this, she's not pleased.
* LargeHam- Luna
* LivingShadow- Luna has one [[spoiler: and she can use it to strangle ponies]]
* LovableNerd- Bronze Bell, who's quickly smitten by the equally {{Adorkable}} Twilight Sparkle. A shame they both have NoSocialSkills.
* {{Macguffin}}- There are three artifacts maintaining the seal of the SealedEvilInACan. Luna implies that trying to use them to release the monster and control it is doable, but would be a Very Bad Thing.
* MagicallyBindingContract- The Oath of Binding Luna uses to confine Ample in a single room takes the form of a magically enforced promise not to leave.

* MalevolentArchitecture- The underwater temple. In spades. Of course, it was designed that way intentionally.
* MeaningfulName- Whenever Luna decides to go incognito, she usually picks names like "Selene" or "Artemis" or "Phoebe." When Twilight points out that her cover would be a lot better if she didn't always pick names associated with the moon, Luna reveals that this is actually an InvertedTrope
-->“We would have you know that they were not associated with the moon before we started using them as identities in ages past. We are hardly to blame for ponies leaping upon such associations at the merest whiff of deific power,” said Luna. “Honestly, we move ONE MOUNTAIN...”
* MetaPhorgotten- "It’s always extra satisfying to kill two birds with one god-summoning blood magic ritual, ya know?"
* MilesGloriosus- Reinolds uses an [[SecondHandStorytelling altered version]] of the story of Twilight's fight with Luna, where he plays a much bigger role than he really did, to pick up mares at a local bar. One night Luna's actually there and calls him out on it, [[spoiler: accusing him of selling himself short and understating how awesome he actually was. Because she's there as his [[IncrediblyLamePun wingmare]] and they planned the whole thing out in advance.]]
* MinoredInAsskicking- If Twilight was already like this in the show itself, she's stepped up to a Friendship/Ass Kicking double major here.
* {{Mooks}}- Gumdrop's opinion of her own crew. She's rather unconcerned about losing a few here and there to [[spoiler: deathtraps and hungry seaponies]] if that's what it takes.

--> '''Princess Luna:''' ''([[TranquilFury in a deadly calm tone]])'' Please, Twilight, tell us again how weak and pathetic we are. Do go on some more about how inferior we are to the perfect and wonderful Celestia. Or perhaps you’d like to make a speech about the wonderful power of friendship. You always seem so fond of those.”

--> '''Princess Luna:''' No? But you were so very chatty before. What a pity. Now, how about we do a little experiment together? Usually a choking pony will turn purple. I’m sure you knew that, Celestia tells us that you very much enjoyed studying physiology at her Academy. But you are already purple. I wonder what color you will turn? Any hypothesis?”

* NoodleIncident- The consequences of breaking a Pinkie Promise. All that's know for sure is that the last colt who broke one [[spoiler: Woke up in a foreign city covered in cake batter with no memory of the last three days, and that he'd suddenly developed a crippling fear of confetti]]

* ThePowerOfFriendship- subverted when [[spoiler:Gumdrop Giggles murders Bronze Bell as he reaches out to her trying to convince her that unleashing [[SealedEvilInACan Ouroboros]] isn't worth losing one another]]
* PowerOfTrust- Twilight's faith in Bronze Bell inspires him to try to decipher the location of the TempleOfDoom. [[spoiler: He gets it wrong, but they find it anyway]]
* ProperlyParanoid- Twilight, after bad stuff starts happening around her and Luna. Although as a bodyguard, it's sort of her job to be. Doesn't make it any easier on her deteriorating mental status, though.
* PunchPunchPunchUhOh- Twilight is more than a little outmatched during her head-to-head fight with Luna. The she decides to start pressing Luna's BerserkButton...

* RevealingCoverup- The baddies assumption that Luna and Twilight are in Pensacolta to stop them, rather than just on vacation, is what drives them to [[spoiler: try to assassinate them and break into their room]]. Which of course leads the two to try to stop them.

* RoyalWe- Luna still talks like this most of the time. She tends to drop it when she's trying to be sincere
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere- Lyra and Bon Bon have come to Pensacolta for nice, uneventful beach vacation. The first thing they see upon stepping out of the train station is Twilight, Reinolds and Luna tracking down a {{Macguffin}} to save the city from the resident SealedEvilInACan.

* SealedEvilInACan- Ouroboros
* ShipperOnDeck- Luna thinks Twilight should take a night off and go on a date with Bronze Bell. [[spoiler: She never gets the chance]]
* ShoutOut- Quite a few, ranging from {{Aliens}} to BatmanBeyond to IndianaJones to LegendOfZelda to {{Firefly}}
* SpecialPersonNormalName- The sociopathic stalker and crime lord? [[spoiler: Gumdrop Giggles]]
* {{Spoiler}}- In-universe. Twilight acquires an advance copy of ''Daring Do and the Spear of the Windigos'' and teases one of her friends with tiny bits of advance knowledge. She also spoils the story for the BigBad by accusing him of ripping off the plot.
* TeleportSpam- Twilight's strategy for beating Luna in their head-to-head showdown. It only keeps her just ahead of Luna's attacks, though.
* TempleOfDoom- One of the three {{Mcguffin}} is stored in one of these. The temples name literally translates as "Building of Horrible Death"
* TemptingFate- Luna insists that a few seaponies don't present a significant challenge, and will be dispatched easily. Cue the appearance of something much bigger...

* TimeAbyss- Luna is at least a thousand times Twilight's age, if you believe her claims. She also likes to curse in dead languages and make fun of archaeologists' woefully inaccurate assumptions about ancient civilizations.
* TimeDissonance- Luna's dismissive attitude towards mortals and their accomplishments drives Twilight nuts, eventually [[spoiler: leading to her calling Luna out for becoming a spoiled sociopath who's disconnected herself from the world.]]
* TimeSkip- The three months that happened before the fittingly-named 'Three Months Later' chapter
* UnfortunateNames- Ample Booty. She's good at finding treasure, OK?
-->"Hey, when you grow up poor and your name is ‘Ample Booty’ you’ve basically got two possible careers. Trust me when I tell you that ‘pirate’ is better than the other one.”
* {{Unishment}}- Rainbow Dash thinks that Twilight's sentence might be this when she learns that Twilight got to read an advance copy of ''Daring Do and the Spear of the Windigos''
-->“You beat up a Princess and they punish you by letting you read the book I’ve been dying to get my hooves on for nearly a year? If I punched Princess Celestia, like, right now, could I get in on this too?”
* UnnecessaryRoughness- Twilight and Luna both, once the gloves really come off.
* UnskilledButStrong- Twilight, before she starts training. Reinolds quite explicitly points out that staying that way is a good way to get yourself killed in a real fight.
* WartsAndAll- A big part of snapping out of her HeroicBSOD is Twilight realizing that [[spoiler: Celestia isn't perfect, and that maybe she shouldn't just blindly go along with whatever she's planned for Twilight's future.]]
* WeaksauceWeakness- Luna's protection spells were designed specifically to be used in formal magical duels, and can stop every kind of energy or power that Twilight can throw at them. But [[spoiler: since physical contact between duelist was strictly forbidden, they do nothing to block a pony's body.]]
* WhamEpisode- Chapter 5. By the end of it, Twilight's been [[spoiler: publically humiliated, suspended from school, practically disowned by her teacher and mentor, and sentenced to spend the next six months taking orders from the pony who's made it clear she wants nothing to do with her and nearly killed her.]] Opinions vary on whether this was excessive or Celestia gets a pass because she [[OmniscientMoralityLicense knew it would turn out OK]].
* WhamLine- [[spoiler: "I never thought the day would come when I would be ashamed to call you my student"]] is the moment Twilight realizes exactly how badly she just messed up.
* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic- In universe. Professor Buried Secrets thinks the story of the great sea serpent Ouroboros is an allegory for piracy and colonialism, while the three artifacts that were used to seal it away represent the balance of power between three seperate branches of government. Luna corrects him that, no, there [[AllMythsAreTrue actually was a gigantic sea serpent]]. She would know, since she was there.
* WhatMeasureIsAMook- Trapped in an [[spoiler: underwater temple that's filling with water and hungry monsters]], Twilight tells herself that the smart thing to do would be to teleport away and leave Ample to die. In the end she [[spoiler: finds she can't go through with it and rescues her.]]
* WhatTheHellHero- Celestia, once each to Twilight and Luna for what happened during the fight. Twilight's is quick and brutal, while Luna's degenerates into a three hour long screaming match with her sister.
* WizardDuel- Luna vs. Twilight
* YouFightLikeACow- Rarity considers this the most important type of self-defense technique. In fact, she considers it the ONLY important type of self-defense technique.

* ThePowerOfFriendship- Brutally subverted when [[spoiler:Gumdrop Giggles murders Bronze Bell as he reaches out to her trying to convince her that unleashing [[SealedEvilInACan Ouroboros]] isn't worth losing one another]]

* MilesGloriosus- Reinolds uses an altered version of the story of Twilight's fight with Luna, where he plays a much bigger role than he really did, to pick up mares at a local bar. One night Luna's actually there and calls him out on it, [[spoiler: accusing him of selling himself short and understating how awesome he actually was. Because she's there as his [[IncrediblyLamePun wingmare]] and they planned the whole thing out in advance.]]

-->"Buck this. We’re vacationing at a ski lodge this week."

[HowMuchMoreCanHeTake Things don't end well.]]

Things don't end well.

--> '''Princess Luna:''' ''([TranquilFury in a deadly calm tone]])'' Please, Twilight, tell us again how weak and pathetic we are. Do go on some more about how inferior we are to the perfect and wonderful Celestia. Or perhaps you’d like to make a speech about the wonderful power of friendship. You always seem so fond of those.”

-->'''Princess Luna:''' ''([TranquilFury in a deadly calm tone]])'' Please, Twilight, tell us again how weak and pathetic we are. Do go on some more about how inferior we are to the perfect and wonderful Celestia. Or perhaps you’d like to make a speech about the wonderful power of friendship. You always seem so fond of those.”

-->'''Princess Luna:''' No? But you were so very chatty before. What a pity. Now, how about we do a little experiment together? Usually a choking pony will turn purple. I’m sure you knew that, Celestia tells us that you very much enjoyed studying physiology at her Academy. But you are already purple. I wonder what color you will turn? Any hypothesis?”
''The tentacle squeezed Twilight’s throat closed entirely. Panic seized her. An abstract, detached portion of her mind reminded her that she’d read just last week that depriving the brain of oxygen would lead to unconsciousness in 8.3 to 12.1 seconds, on average. Sure enough, she felt darkness creeping in around the edges of her vision. She had to get free. But how?