Meaningful Echoes in fan works.
Crossovers
- Code Prime has the finale of R1 have the Primes dwelling in the Matrix tell CC that in exchange for CC granting Optimus Prime a Geass, she must do everything in her power to help him. CC unintentionally quotes her latest contractor in response.CC: Yes! I hereby accept the terms of your contract!
- In The Dragon That Will Pierce the Heavens, Hikari Dragneel spent more than forty chapters supporting the Straw Hats, both as a crew and individually, without asking for anything in return. When her own past catches up to her in the Heartfilia arc, the crew repays the favor with multiple of these, echoing when she had comforted them in times of need. It's enough to drive Hikari to tears, and truly free her from the weight of her father's abuse, ultimately allowing her to move on.
- In The Ever Twisting Wind: The Lightning Thief
, Andi comforts Annabeth over her family issues by telling her they aren't worth it if they cannot see how amazing she is. Later, after Andi finally quits the Dursleys, Annabeth realizes how upset she is about their treatment of her and gently tells her:Annabeth: If they can't see what an amazing person you are, they aren't worth it. Someone very wise told me that once. - In chapter eighteen of Harry Potter and the Guardian's Light, Voldemort does a dark take on "you look so much like your father, but you have your mother's eyes."Voldemort: Well there's an interesting look. So... fierce. No fear like before. Reminds me of your father. (chuckles) Yes, you've no doubt been told that you have your mother's eyes. Even I noticed, and I didn't even know them that well! Of course, it's hard for me to forget the details of the night I died. Anyway, it is true that you have your mother's eyes, but that look... that look is your father's. It's the same look he had right before I killed him. Defiant until the end, he died like a Gryffindor. He died like a fool.
- Happens several times in Kyon: Big Damn Hero, most notably after the student council calls Kyon to question him for fighting in the high school grounds.Kyon: I don't really believe that last part, but it's nice of you to say. I just want to point out, though, that a challenge against any one of us is a challenge against all of us.
(...)
Haruhi: (after barging in the room) Trying to pick us apart by calling out my underlings when I'm not around, eh? Well, you've got a lot to learn! A challenge against one of us is a challenge against all of us! - Tall Pine Tales: In Paging Dr. Theresa, Lumpy tells Theresa that when she's sick, she cuddles her stuffed elephant, because it makes her feel safe and forget about being sick. Later, as Theresa is giving a checkup to a sickly Boober, he asks her to hold him, because it makes him feel safe and forget about being sick.
- In Volume VII of the supercrossover fanfic The Terminators: Army of Legend, Alex "serenades" Ruby with "On Melancholy Hill"... He sings it to her (or tries to) again as she's dying in Volume X.
- In Three Strikes, Trigger is greatly angered when she hears that Eruseans soldiers are killing civilians of Belkan descent and says, "Damn them all...", the same thing her father had said back during the Belkan War when Allied forces indiscriminately bombed the Belkan city Hoffnung while at the same time Belkan forces stated a scorched earth and were destroying the city as well. When his daughter starts to rant on how the Eruseans should rot in hell he is quick to get her head back into the mission, possibly remembering how the destruction of Hoffnung pushed him to join A World With No Boundaries.
- Medicated: Anne learns what humans are called when her father says "you're only human." Near the end, Anne says "you're only human" to Marcy when she's freed from the Core.
- Almanac Chronicles ends with one from a quote from the Alternate Timeline from the trilogy's second movie. When Biff married Lorraine, he stated "third time's the charm." After killing Biff, she eventually married his son from a previous marriage and repeated Biff's line.
- In the Heirverse series, these are everywhere both subtle and blatant. Lie and I love are this to each other and Heir and cwst are full of painful Echoes to game.
- This piece of fan art has a 21-year-old Seika telling her sister "Stop following me," since it was back when Seika was an Aloof Big Sister to Nijika. The lower image shows the two in the present day, with Nijika telling Seika, "Stop following me..." since Nijika's on a date with Bocchi.
- Relatively early in And Another Thing I Hate About You when Xander returns from an Expo in Las Vegas with Cordelia (whom he married), Buffy happily exclaims that he "brought back presents." After his Journey to the Center of the Mind, Xander brings back not only Cordelia but also, Faith, Oz, Ampata and Cordelia's long dead dog. Xander tries to play it off by claiming that he "couldn't go on a trip and not bring back presents."
- Cat's In The Cradle: At the start of the fic, when Kyoko asks why Makoto's willing to share so much about himself with someone he's just met, Makoto asks, "Why wouldn't I?", before expressing the hope that he and Kyoko can be friends. At the end, during Sayaka and Makoto's wedding, Sayaka asks if she can stay in touch with Kyoko, if Kyoko would like, and Kyoko says, "Why wouldn't I?"
- Danganronpa: Paradise Lost: Upon managing to convince the other survivors to start a final investigation at the beginning of Chapter 6, Monaca mutters to herself "For me, my skill isn't really about getting them all to help me, it's about uniting people." — a reversal of what she initially claimed in Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, "For me, my skill isn't really about uniting people, it's about getting them all to help me.", symbolizing how much she has grown up in more ways than one.
- Where Talent Goes to Die:
- After the first class trial ends, Mitamura, The Leader of the group, promises to ensure that no more murders happen, and after she leaves, Miura says that Mitamura is "asking the impossible of herself." Four Chapters and four murders later, Miura, now The Leader of the group after Mitamura's execution, starts to express the same desire, but Edogawa tells her, "You'd be asking the impossible of yourself, just like Mitamura-san did."
- In the Epilogue, after Kaori shares her thoughts on adulthood, Sae jokingly says, "Spoken like a true adult. Maybe I should call you 'Kaori-san' from now on," only for Kaori to nonchalantly invite her to go right ahead. At the very end, after Kaori and Sae get married, after Sae shares her thoughts on marriage, Kaori jokingly says, "Spoken like a true adult. Maybe I should call you 'Sae-san' from now on," only for Sae to point out that they call each other "Kaori-san" and "Sae-san" all the time these days.
- Used in the Facing the Future Series where Ghost Tucker says the exact same things to Hotep-Ra when Hotep-Ra was conning Tucker.
- There are a number of recurring phrases in Those Who Stand for Nothing Fall for Anything, due to Light Yagami's Lemony Narration, which is dotted with catchphrases and Brick Jokes. One of these is his insistence that he only smokes socially - "My doctor doesn't even consider me a smoker." He says this at least three times where it's Played for Laughs, being one of the most obvious details where he serves as an Unreliable Narrator. Then, toward the end of the story, after Light has mostly completed his descent into madness, he throws out this quick line:Light: ...My doctor says I should stop smoking now.
- In Walking in Circles, the first time Evelyn talked to Solas, she asks "Do you have anything that you wish to keep?" His answer was "My pendant", as that necklace held the most personal value to him. Much later, when he remembers that question again while fighting a Templar who hurt Evelyn, his answer this time is "You (Evelyn)", as she looks on, wearing the very same pendant on her neck.
- Vow of Nudity: In one story, Spectra spectacularly fails a shot at Qalek's archery range while trying to prove she's ready to start adventuring. At the end of the story, when her life depends on her landing a single shot with her only flaming arrow, Qalek's words about everything riding on her shot flash through her mind.
- In Chapter 2 of Corrin in Peril, Leo tells Corrin "SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT!" before having Laslow and Odin abuse Corrin. In Chapter 4, Laslow tries to apologize, but Ryoma tells him, "Sorry doesn't cut it, scum!" before stabbing him.
- In Some Semblance of Meaning, this device is used more than once. However, the most notable occasion would be when Vale reuses the "bedtime story" she told her district partner Kit on his deathbed, about a "place without districts" in the climax of the story, only this time, she is defying the Capitol, knowing very well that she will die for it.
- Feralnette AU: In one of the first pieces for the series, Marinette grabs an akumatizing butterfly and dares Hawkmoth to go through with it, declaring that "Every leash has two ends! I just have to pull until I find where you're holding it!" This sentiment is later echoed by Verity Queen, who uses their own akumatization to try and divine his location.
- Used twice in the high road:
- Adrien encourages Marinette to leave Lila alone by declaring that she isn't hurting anyone. After getting stuck next to Lila when the seats get rearranged again, he asks Marinette to switch him to a different position, only for her to echo his words back at him.
- Later on, she dutifully repeats all of the excuses Adrien made to dismiss and downplay Lila's behavior while pressuring her to 'take the high road' in the first place.
- LadyBugOut: Lila chides Adrien for suggesting that they spend time with Alya, telling him that he should know that you shouldn't "associate with people who won't help you get up in the ranks". Alya overhears this, and repeats this assertation when confronting Lila.
- Of Patience and Pettiness:
- When Chat checks up on Marinette the night after Volpina's attack, the way he downplays the severity of Lila's actions reminds her of how Adrien did the same.
- When Felix requests a seat in the back on his first day in Ms. Bustier's class, Alya immediately tries to volunteer Marinette to move up to the front, ignoring her wishes the same way the class did in "Chameleon". Unlike that incident, however, Alya's attempt to speak for Marinette is quickly shut down, and the class works together to come up with an arrangement everyone can agree with.
- Weight Off Your Shoulder: During a lecture about the importance of turning the other cheek and forgiving Chloé for being an unapologetic bully, Ms. Bustier insisted that "the Marinettes of the world" needed to lead by example. After realizing what a terrible enabler she was, Ms. Bustier apologizes to Marinette, capping it off by rephrasing her original sentiment:Ms. Bustier: The Marinettes of the world deserve better than dealing with the Chloés of the world.
- The Wolves in the Woods: Lila has a Villainous Breakdown where she admits to Ms. Mendeleiev and several others how she lied about knowing Clara Nightingale, Jagged Stone and Prince Ali, asking "Please tell me what part of that means 'I'll do you these favors for free'?" Later, she repeats this same confession on the stand, turning that into an Armor-Piercing Question towards her classmates.
- In chapter 14 of Fairy Tales and Hokum, this exchange happens:RICK: Y'know, years ago when I first met you, I thought you were a boozy slacker in need of a proper spine.
JON: Charming. Meaning you bloody changed your mind since?
RICK: (smiling) Yeah, kinda.
And in chapter 17 Jonathan returns the favour:JON: You know, Rick, years ago when I first met you, I thought you were a stupid cowboy with all the emotional capacity of a brick.
RICK: Okay. Figures. So that means you changed your mind since then, huh?
JON: (grinning) Oh, rather.
- Do What You Will, If That's What You Want: When Izuku tries to explain to Shouto why he kissed him on the day the rankings were released.Izuku: I — I looked at you and... I moved without thinking.
- Mastermind: Rise of Anarchy: Tomura repeats one of Bakugou's most infamous lines before executing the staff at Aldera:Shigaraki: So why don't you take a swan dive off the roof and hope you'll be better in the next life?
- Sleeper Hit AU: Shigaraki told Bakugou that he was more like a villain than a hero. After seeing firsthand the way he treats Midoriya, Kirishima repeats those words, adding that "He was right all along."
- Yesterday Upon The Stair:
- When fighting Stain, Midoriya and Todoroki have an exchange that, nearly word-for-word, echoes what was said right before Todoroki defeated Midoriya in the tournament.Todoroki: You know you can't win.
Midoriya: Probably not, but we can at least make it look cool, right? - Todoroki, while confronted by Endeavor concerning his insubordination against his father and failure to deal the final blow against the Hero Killer, unknowingly thinks a single phrase that Midoriya has thought multiple times before, when against people that would otherwise scare him.My friend is scarier than you.
- When fighting Stain, Midoriya and Todoroki have an exchange that, nearly word-for-word, echoes what was said right before Todoroki defeated Midoriya in the tournament.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
- Done a few times in The Apprentice, the Student, and the Charlatan.
- First, when Twilight is confronting Nova about him choosing to hang onto his hate of a pony they are talking to, Nova is confused by why Twilight cares so much. Twilight at first Cannot Spit It Out, but eventually she just exclaims "Because I love you, damn it!" Fast forward a few chapters and Nova is currently on the receiving end of a barrage of questions from his father, trying to get him to admit the feelings he's been slowly coming to terms with for Twilight. When asked why he is so torn up at the though that he might have hurt her, he finally exclaims "Because I love her, damn it!"
- Second (and third), during a date, Nova sinks into a moment of depression, wanting to know why Twilight chose him, out of everyone. Twilight begins with "Every word of what you've just said was wrong and then some," before systematically taking apart his self-criticism and turning it right around, detailing just why she chose him, before ending with "That is why I chose you. That is why I love you." When Nova and Twilight finally repair things following the latter encounter (in short, Twilight was made to believe Nova was cheating on her, but he never was; it was the main antagonist trying to divide them), Twilight blames herself for it all because she never took the time to hear him out, and is incredibly harsh on herself. As she did with him, Nova replies with "Everything you just said was wrong and then some," takes apart every single self-criticism, and ends with "That is why I'm here for you. That is why I love you." What follows is the Big Damn Kiss.
- "Glory to the Maratine... long live Equestria." First said in How Do You Shoot a Gun with Hooves?? by Lord Tydal when he sacrifices his life to help Celestia and Luna defeat Discord, predicting just before how great of a nation the Princesses will create. He repeats it in The God Squad when he once more sacrifices himself to hold the line against Tirek, this time having seen the greatest of Equestria come to pass and choosing to die to save it.
- The Palaververse: Greenhorn calls Burro's Republicanism government, "barbarous", with a "No offense" and then Burro calls Greenhorn's the same, when talking about how Equestria's loyalty to Celestia works:Burro sighed. "Not to cast aspersions upon your antiquated and barbaric model of hereditary rule – no offence intended, lad – but Equestria doesn't work that way. Not like Bovaland. They've known nothing but Celestia for a thousand years. The mechanisms of royalty and feudal rule don't mean squat to them. They'll fight for Celestia, no matter who's on the throne and waving legalese at them."
- Parting Words: The climactic end of Twilight's Rage Against the Mentor where she screams at Celestia when she says that saving the Crystal Empire was supposed to be a test is almost an echo of what Spike was asking in the episode that the fic is based off of:-Canon-
Spike: Twilight, calm down. It's just a test.
Twilight Sparkle: Just. A test? JUST A TEST?! Princess Celestia is trying to give me some kind of exam, and you're trying to get me to calm down because it is just, A TEST?!
-This story-
Celestia: You have been told all you need to know! I told you, this was to be a test-
Twilight: A test?! The fate of an entire kingdom is at stake, and you want to make it a TEST?! - In her debut episode, the Great and Powerful Trixie started her magic show (which ended up being her humiliating anyone who challenged her) with the phrase "Watch in awe as The Great and Powerful Trixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!". At the climax of To Forgive Is Equine, she says it again, only this time it's in a much more heartwarming context as it's to mentally prepare herself to perform an extremely difficult spell which, at this point, is the only thing that can save Twilight Sparkle's life. Her stage name even becomes this whenever it's said after we know where she got it. It was her deceased father's pet name for her and a way to dedicate her shows to his memory.
- A doujin has Kakashi reflects on his ninja career, and believes that he failed to adequately instruct Sasuke and pass on his teacher, the Fourth Hokage's example. Naruto then repeats his line about not letting his comrades die, causing Kakashi to realize that he may not have gotten through to Sasuke, but Naruto is following his example.
- Legacy of the Rasengan: Naruto: "Deception is an essential ability that all shinobi must have." Said by Sakura both times. The first is when she answers a question in class. The second after she royally fucks up with Naruto (by stealing something precious to him) and realizes he was using the sentiment to appear as the dead-last.
- Two Halves: Naruto asks Hinata this question after they leave Konoha and before they go back: "Do you still want to be my partner?"
- Advice and Trust: During the battle against Zeruel, Rei shouted "You... will not... harm them... I... will... not... permit... it!" while defending Asuka and Shinji. She shouts the exact same thing when protecting Kaworu from Armisael. In both cases, this happened soon after she realized she was in love with the person she was defending.
- In The Second Try, Asuka told her daughter Aki "Cry when you feel sad. Laugh when you're happy." so that latter wouldn't become a Stepford Smiler. When they're finally reunited at the end, Asuka tells her "Smile when you're happy. Cry when you're sad, and do both when you're happier than you've ever been."
- Brother on Board:
- The last thing Ace says to Sabo before he sets out to sea is paraphrased from Sabo's own farewell letter:Ace: Luffy's our younger brother. Make sure to look after him.
- In an echo of Shanks, Sabo sacrifices their left arm to save Bonnie.Sabo: It's just an arm... that's a small price to pay if it means that you're safe.
- The last thing Ace says to Sabo before he sets out to sea is paraphrased from Sabo's own farewell letter:
- In This Bites!:
- Robin tricks Cross into seeing her in her underwear because "It's an older sister's job to embarrass her younger siblings." A few chapters later, Cross finally gets his revenge on Robin that he hinted at back during the Alabasta arc by giving her a noogie.Cross: It's a younger brother's job to embarrass his older sister.
- Earlier, Luffy assures Cross he does belong with the Straw Hat Pirates, by listing everything the rubber-man can't do by himself in a Call-Back to Arlong Park, to make Cross understand he can do that his captain is unable to.Luffy: I can't cook. I can't predict the weather, I can't swing a sword, and I can't lie. And I'm not that smart, either.
- Robin tricks Cross into seeing her in her underwear because "It's an older sister's job to embarrass her younger siblings." A few chapters later, Cross finally gets his revenge on Robin that he hinted at back during the Alabasta arc by giving her a noogie.
- 'Til You Feel It All Around You: The de-aged Usopp repeats his old claim that pirates were coming to Syrup Island in an awestruck tone as it sinks in that he's on a real-life pirate ship.Usopp: Pirates are coming. Pirates are coming, Mama... Pirates are here.
- A Year To Fill An Empty Home: In December, Takeshi and Hana develop an In-Joke about how "Shido got a calling card" to remind themselves that nothing is impossible. Hana then uses this to keep Takeshi's hopes up after they get the news that Akira had been arrested and put back in prison.
- Ace In The Hole: During Persona 3, Shinjiro tells Ken "You have your whole life in front of you... don't waste it." Ken later says this himself to Futaba when giving her the calling card.
- Confide in Me: Throughout the interrogation, Joker mentions several phrases or ideas that allude to Sae's Shadow, stirring the memories within her.
- In Chapter 3, and later in Chapter 17, the phrase "fair and square."
- In Chapter 5, people who prioritize their careers over doing the right thing.
- A different echo: in Chapter 8, Joker asks for a break to get his head together and Niijima refuses. In the following chapter, after he breaks down from a drug-induced fake memory, he comes clean about his faked calm and requests a moment again. This time, Niijima complies.
- At the end of Chapter 1, Joker pleads with Sae to hear him out about his confidants, desperate to earn her favor so he won't be killed. It takes 15 seconds for Sae to agree. At the end of Chapter 21, when the interrogation comes to an end, Joker pleads with Sae to take care of Makoto and tell her that he loves her if something goes wrong. Another pause of 15 seconds later, Sae reassures Joker that he can tell her himself when he sees her again.
- Quiet Snow:
- In Chapter 5, during a phone conversation with Shizuka and Yukiko, Shizuka apologizes for rambling, which Yukiko notes is the opposite of her name (which means "quiet"). Later that chapter, after Yukiko explodes at the sleazy reporter, Shizuka notes that Yukiko's fiery outburst is the opposite of her name (which means "snow").
- In "Yagami and Hanamura", Yosuke says that he has "two very important things to say" to Shizuka- admitting that he was jealous of her and making a Love Confession to her. In Chapter 6, Yukiko uses the same phrase regarding her decision to stay in Inaba and her own Love Confession, and Shizuka notices the familiar phrasing.
- When Cinder is blackmailed over her marriage to Jaune in A Monster's Marriage, she silently declares that she is Jaune's wife and she'll kill to keep it that way, meaning she'll kill the people Watts tells her to. A few chapters later, she makes the same declaration as she kills Watts.
- In The Mysterion Mythos, Karen McCormick gets a spectacular one when saving Kenny's life from the Cthulhu cultists who are planning to sacrifice his girlfriend to turn him into The Antichrist.Karen: Kenny McCormick is off limits.
- The first story in the Double Agent Vader series has Darth Vader on a mission to Tattooine overhearing a story he remembered from his past involving a legendary trickster who freed the slaves via a Scheherezade Gambit. The trickster of lore bore the name Ekkreth, which translated to Sky Walker (of which Vader’s family drew its surname), and after a conversation with the storyteller, he reports in late to the Emperor."Sorry, my Master," said Ekkreth, "I need more time."
- Used in It's All in the Details, where Castiel at the end of Season Six goes back in time to the end of Season Two to change history; during his time in the past, he allows Jimmy Novak, his Vessel, to talk with Jimmy's past self in this new timeline, and later meets with his own parallel self, with both Jimmy and Castiel having similar introductions to their younger selves;Past Jimmy: Why the hell are you wearing my trenchcoat?
Vessel Jimmy: Because I'm you, you idiot.
Past Castiel in Claire: Who are you, who have taken her father?
Castiel: I'm you... dumb-butt.
- Earlier in Apartment Gensokyo, it was noted that "interesting" was Reimu's favorite word and, from time to time, she would say it when describing something. Later, in the final chapter, she says it a final time.
- In Luminosity, Bella tells a person who wants to be a vampire that being bitten — which is a requisite for turning — is "not fun". She is quoting, Alice, but the echo comes when Elspeth is with the werewolves. When saying that a friend is probably going to be ill for a week:Brooke: Bites are not fun.
