Shattered Innocence is a fanfic based on The Loud House, notorious for it's Troubled Production.
It was orginally started by AustinDR, who quit after chapter 9. It was then adopted by theblindwriter95, who continued till chapter 17, after which he decided to take down his version of the story and start over again with chapter 10. On March 31 2018, The Blind Writer announced to likewise discontinue the story, and offered it for adoption again before eventually deleting his version alltogether. It was taken up by StolenMemes77, who intended to once again start with chapter 10. Instead, he eventually wrote a 3 chapter version of the story, with chapters 1 and 2 being largely identical to AustinDR's version, and chapter 3 being his own addition. Finally, on November 10 2019, AustinDR, now going by the name of RobbyA, decided to pick up the story again from chapter 10, and finally finished it on November 16, 2019. However, a little over a year later on May 13th, 2021, the story was updated with a twist ending.
In short: there are currently the original version and a 3-chapter version, both of which are complete. And between those there used to be another, which is now deleted.
The fic is a darker retelling of the episode "No Such Luck" in which Lincoln pretends that he's bad luck in order to avoid attending his sisters' events. In the retelling, sometime during the night, Lincoln is abducted and murdered by an infamous serial child killer. Several misfortunes befall on the family after the murder as they struggle to move on.
RobbyA's (AustinDR's) orginal can be read here
, and the third draft of the story can be read here.
Tropes present in AustinDR's (RobbyA's) versionnote :
- All of the Other Reindeer: The Loud sisters find themselves on the receiving end of this once word gets out that they kicked Lincoln out of the house. Even a month after the murder, people still avoid them and talk trash about them behind their backs.
- All Just a Dream: It turns out that the whole ordeal was a simulation the family had Lisa create for Lynn after hearing her paranoia in order for her to stop with her superstitions. It is also revealed that the family played a role in thinking Lincoln was bad luck and then decided to intervene with the simulation when she suggested kicking Lincoln out of the house.
- Bring My Brown Pants: In Chapter 4, after Ronnie Anne does a Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique on one of Lynn's teammates, another teammate says that she thinks she may need some new panties.
- The Bully: Dirk.
- Callback: "The Price of Admission" is mentioned in the final chapter as inspiration for the creation of the Royal Woods stalker.
- Creepy Souvenir: Adam, the Royal Woods stalker, has a scrapbook with strands of hair from all his victims. He also likes to photograph his victims.
- Darker and Edgier: Given how the premise revolves around Lincoln getting murdered after "No Such Luck", this is a given.
- Disappointed in You: Albert to Rita in Chapter 6.
- Disney Villain Death: The killer, Adam falls over a waterfall to his death.
- Divorce Is Temporary: While Bobby broke up with Lori out of disgust for her role in the bad luck incident, he forgives her at the end of the story.
- I Have No Son!: While Albert never outright tells Rita this, he tries to avoid referring to her as his daughter.
- Inevitable Waterfall: Adam meets his end because of one after he and Lynn fall in a lake.
- Instant Sedation: Adam injects Lola with a sedative that causes her to instantly pass out when she tries to escape from his truck after she finds out that he is the Royal Woods stalker who killed Lincoln.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: In Chapter 4, Ronnie Anne does this to one of Lynn's teammates, demanding information of what Lynn had to do with Lincoln's death.
- Jerkass: Dirk again.
- Kidnapped While Sleeping: Lincoln is abducted in the middle of the night while his parents are sleeping.
- Lack of Empathy: Dirk in Chapter 7. He mocks Lynn for her loss, and even insults Lincoln. It culminates in him being savagely beaten by her in a moment of unadulterated rage.
- My God, What Have I Done?: The family in general has this reaction for their role in Lincoln's death, but it's especially evident in Lynn.
- Near-Death Experience: Lynn has one when she almost drowns while fighting Adam. She sees Lincoln, and he forgives her.
- Never Speak Ill of the Dead: Dirk insults Lincoln in front of Lynn's face. It does NOT end well for him.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Lynn is on the receiving end of two: one from Lori, and the other from Ronnie Anne. She also gives one to Dirk once his insults go too far.
- Nothing Is Scarier: Lincoln's body was in such a poor condition when the investigators discovered it, they chose to spare the family the details.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The principal of Lynn's school, and Lola and Lana's teacher Ms. DeLisle. Both of them sympathize with the girls since they realize they are suffering enough already, and Ms. DeLisle even protects the twins against the bullying they receive from their classmates because of their part in locking Lincoln out.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Clyde — of all people — actually calls the girls out on their treatment of Lincoln in Chapter 3.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Ronnie Anne severely beats Lynn for her involvement in locking Lincoln out of the house.
- Serial Killer: The Royal Woods Stalker.
- Shout-Out: Ms. DeLisle, Lola and Lana's teacher, is named after their (and Lily's) voice actress, Grey DeLisle.
- Social Services Does Not Exist: Mr. and Mrs. Loud are taken in for questioning before receiving jail sentences once the police finds out they kicked their son out of the house.
- Time Skip: In chapter 11, a year has passed. In that time, Ronnie Anne moved away, The Loud parents served their sentence and are free again, and Mr. Grouse + Pop-Pop passed away.
- Trauma Swing: Chapter 9 has a variation. Lola and Lana both play on the swings together, so they are not alone like in most examples of this trope, however it brings back memories about how Lincoln once took them to play on the swings, thus further hammering down the fact that Lincoln is gone.
- Tracking Device: Like in the show, Lisa installed these in her siblings. It helps them track down Lola after Adam abducts her.
- Violently Protective Girlfriend: In Chapter 4, Ronnie Anne breaks Lynn's arm out of spite, with a Sickening "Crunch!".
- What the Hell, Hero?: Pretty much everyone towards the surviving Loud family, but the most notable one is Albert towards his daughter.
- Would Hurt a Child: Lincoln's killer, of course. He tries to murder Lola after the Time Skip, but this time the other Louds manage to foil his plan.
Tropes present only in theblindwriter95's version:
- Even Evil Has Standards: Even Andrew, Rita's lesbian cellmate and the other inmates in the prison are disgusted with Rita when they find out why exactly she's there.
- Gender Bender: In this version, the killer is a woman named Nora as opposed to a man named Adam in AustinDR's original.
- Gender-Blender Name: Rita's cell mate is a woman named Andrew.
- I Have No Son!: In Chapter 13, when Sue brings up Rita, Albert openly disowns her as his daughter and calls her a disgrace.
- Let the Past Burn: In chapter 12, to symbolize that he has cut all ties with the Louds and is never going back to Lori, Bobby burns all items of the Loud Sisters that he gathered over the years.
- Nightmare Sequence: In chapter 12, Rita has a nightmare in which Lily turns on her because of her part in Lincoln's death.
- Prison Rape: A rare female-on-female example, but downplayed since it's not explicitly rape (though it is done without consent); Rita ends up with a lesbian cell mate named Andrew who likes to snuggle her during the night when Rita least expects it. At least, until she learns what Rita did that landed her in prison.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Played with; Bobby and Albert have every right to be upset with the Louds for what they did to Lincoln, but in AustinDR's version, they eventually made up. Here, however, it's made clear that they will never forgive them.
- Would Hurt a Child: Lincoln's killer, of course. In theblindwriter95's version, it is revealed that her name is Nora, and she tried to kill Lori 11 years ago, but she escaped. She continued to plan to kill a member of the Loud family, and eventually, she murdered Lincoln when he got locked out.
Tropes present in StolenMemes77's version:
- All Just a Dream: Chapter 3 reveals the whole kidnapping and murder of Lincoln was a nightmare of Lynn. It makes her realize what she did and she stands up for her brother so he can come back in the house.
- Bittersweet Ending: The story ends with Lynn realizing her mistake and taking Lincoln back in the house before anything bad can happen, but it's stated that Lincoln and Lynn will both need time to emotionally recover from the whole ordeal.
- Dreaming of Things to Come: It's implied that Lynn's nightmare was a prophetic dream, as she notices a car briefly slowing down when she brings Lincoln back into the house in the middle of the night... Though if it's the case, she manages to prevent the vision from coming true just in time.
- Embarrassing Damp Sheets: Lynn in chapter 3 due to the nightmare about Lincoln being murdered.
- Lighter and Softer: Lincoln's murder was only a nightmare Lynn had and the story ends with her convincing the family to let him come back in the house.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Lynn has this reaction after Lincoln is killed in her nightmare. It's enough to convince her to take him back into the house.
- Surprisingly Happy Ending: Lincoln didn't die. It was only a nightmare Lynn was having. After waking up, she immediately rushes outside to take him back into the house.
