History Fanfic / TalesOfTheCanterlotDeportationAgency

* SelfDepreciation: Bree does it several times, at one point confessing that she finds it harder and harder to believe that her world doesn't ''deserve'' to die.
* SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious: Pony blood supresses Frenzy in [[TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade Kindred]]. The problem is that not only are Ponies sentient, but the (recently discovered and closely held) [[BloodMagic Tremere ritual]] requires three human sacrifices to get to Equestria ''and'' a pony sacrifice to get back.

* ReformedButRejected: Melissa herself, which is why she can't try and enlist more superheroes to help Equestria.

* HeroicSelfDepreciation: Bree does it several times, at one point confessing that she finds it harder and harder to believe that her world doesn't ''deserve'' to die.

* AbusiveParents: One of the things Lyra and Melissa had in common. Melissa's parents were physically abusive, Lyra's were emotionally abusive when her Cutie Mark manifested and revealed she was a musician, not a banker like them. Lyra's parents were so bad that the Princesses essentially ''divorced Lyra from them''.

* ShoutOut: The "temporary human settlement camp" was named New Cynosure by one resident: the name stuck. It's a reference to '''Grimjack''' and partial inversion of that premise: a single set of rules in a small area, but with pandimensional residents. (David claims to have named it in a quest to find anyone from his own world who's really into old comics at ten for a dollar.)

* SupernaturallyDeliciousAndNutritious: Pony blood supresses Frenzy in [[TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade Kindred]]. The problem is that not only are Ponies sentient, but the (recently discovered and closely held) [[BloodMagic Tremere ritual]] requires two human sacrifices to get to Equestria ''and'' a pony sacrifice to get back.

* {{Irony}}/IgnoredEpiphany: Amber Thistledown (a Verbena in Bree's home city) wants to know why she shouldn't just save so many lives to come by killing Bree right now -- which comes within shouting distance of the [[CodeofHonour Euthanatos Chodana]] itself. It doesn't get past Bree.

** It's mentioned that it took Melissa several years to stop waking up with screaming nightmares after finding out what happened to the unsuccessful subjects of the power-granting treatments she underwent. (This is a reference to the old Power Broker storyline in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, where half the subjects gained varying degrees of super-strength and damage resistance -- and the ''other'' half lost any semblance of human shape.)

* MakeMeWannaShout: Obliquely referenced.

* FifthColumn: Part of the idea behind the recruitment of human agents. Ponies have no natural means of world-jumping and would stand out too much if they ''did'' cross -- so Equestria's best chance of taking the fifth to the other side(s) of the Barrier is using the native species. A few of those incursions who were peaceful, exceptionally resourceful, and capable of multiple round trips were asked to serve as CDA members. Their expenses are covered by local jewels -- but they're ''paid'' in hours: typically, two hours in Equestria for each incursion they can prove they've stopped. Some assignments bring bonus time. Many visits are supervised. Closely.

** However, the option for some of the ''violent'' incursions is an underground prison. (Ben doesn't ask about the rest.)

[[WordOfGod Word Of FanFic Author]] is that the ''Tales'' and ''Triptych Continuum'' are separate continuities, but they share rules of magic and the pre-incursion setting -- plus pre-incursion backgrounds show for pony characters here will be their backstories in the FanFic/TriptychContinuum.

[[WordOfGod Word Of FanFic Author]] is that the ''Tales' and ''Triptych Continuum'' are separate continuities, but they share rules of magic and the pre-incursion setting -- plus pre-incursion backgrounds show for pony characters here will be their backstories in the FanFic/TriptychContinuum.

It is unknown if ''Tales'' is part of the ''Triptych Continuum'', officially, but since all Triptych fics have it mentioned as part of their summary, it is most likely they are not connected.

** It's mentioned that it took Melissa several years to stop waking up with screaming nightmares after finding out what happened to the unsuccessful subjects of the power-granting treatments she underwent.

** Reading between the lines identifies the title character of ''Melissa'' as Melissa Gold, aka Songbird of the original ComicBook/Thunderbolts, also referencing Dan Abner, aka [[ComicBook/SpiderMan the Beetle]], aka [[ComicBook/ThunderBolts MACH-I]].

** Ben, from the titular story, is a Troubleshooter from [[TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}} Alpha Complex]], which everyone else in-story refers to with some level of horror. When trying to talk a fellow Troubleshooter into agreeing to stay in Equestria instead of going back and bringing others back for plunder, he outright describes the Complex as the worst world ''any'' of the ponies or other humans have ever heard of.

** The titular character of ''Ben'' is actually [[FantasticNamingConvention Ben-R-QDR-3]], a [[FantasticCasteSystem RED-ranked]] Troubleshooter who narrowly survived death after an experimental device transported him to Equestria from [[TabletopGame/{{Paranoia}} Alpha Complex]]. He wasn't the last to come, but is the only one who has survived; the others have all either committed suicide, gone insane and killed themselves, or died from trying to detox from the drugs in their bodies due to growing up in Alpha Complex.

** Reading between the lines identifies the title character of ''Melissa'' as Melissa Gold, aka Songbird of the original ComicBook/ThunderBolts, also referencing Dan Abner, aka [[ComicBook/SpiderMan the Beetle]], aka [[ComicBook/ThunderBolts MACH-I]].

* AntiHero: Bree herself. An unrepentant killer who kills people after logically deducing that it would only benefit the world if they were dead -- or, in other words, a textbook perfect Euthanatos.

* [[AliensSpeakingEnglish Aliens Speaking Equestrian]]: Partially averted, with a side dose of local [[TranslatorMicrobes]]. Any human landing in Equestria will be able to speak the language. However, those coming into the other nations will be locked into ''that'' tongue and must learn any others normally. The process doesn't seem to cover printed words and as Bree discovers, it only functions while all parties are in Equestria: her attempt to build an interdimensional communicator works -- and produces the sound of a pony neighing in her right ear.

** According to [[WordOfGod Word Of FanFic Author]], Tess, a recent New Cynosure arrival mentioned in Ben's story, is a [[ComicBook/BuckGodotZapGunForHire Hoffmanite]], which would add the Gallimaufry to this interdimensional mess. There's also enough clues in the same tale to identify fellow resident Laurie as the literal [[Literature/WildCards wild card]] in the 'temporary human settlement camp' deck. [[spoiler: She fell through one of Chalktalk's active portals.]]

** [[WordOfGod Word Of FanFic Author]] is that Tess, a recent New Cynosure arrival mentioned in Ben's story, is a [[ComicBook/BuckGodotZapGunForHire Hoffmanite]], which would add the Gallimaufry to this interdimensional mess. There's also enough clues in the same tale to identify fellow resident Laurie as the literal [[Literature/WildCards wild card]] in the 'temporary human settlement camp' deck. [[spoiler: She fell through one of Chalktalk's active portals.]]

* ShoutOut: The 'temporary human settlement camp', shield-covered territory set aside for the peaceful arrivals who have no way home, was named New Cynosure by one resident: the name stuck. It's a reference to '''Grimjack''' and partial inversion of that premise: a single set of rules in a small area, but with pandimensional residents. (David claims to have named it in a quest to find anyone from his own world who's really into old comics at ten for a dollar.)

** [[WordOfGod Word Of FanFic Author]] is that Tess, a recent New Cynosure arrival mentioned in Ben's story, is a [[ComicBook/BuckGodotZapGunForHire Hoffmanite]], which would add the Gallimaufry to this interdimensional mess. There's also enough clues in the same tale to identify fellow resident Laurie as the literal [[Literature/WildCards wild card]] in the 'temporary human settlement camp' deck. [[spoiler: She fell through one of Chalktalk's active portals.]]

* ShoutOut: The 'temporary human settlement camp', shield-covered territory set aside for the peaceful arrivals who have no way home, was named New Cynosure by one resident: the name stuck. It's a reference to '''Grimjack''' and partial inversion of that premise: a single set of rules in a small area, but with pandimensional residents. (David claims to have named it in a quest to find anyone from his own world who's really into old comics at ten for a dollar.)

** Reading between the lines identifies the title character of ''Melissa'' as Songbird of the original ComicBook/ThunderBolts, also referencing Dan Abner, aka [[ComicBook/SpiderMan the Beetle]], aka [[ComicBook/ThunderBolts MACH-I]].

* CrossOver: ''Ben'' and ''Bree'' are both subtle ones.

** The titular character of ''Bree'', on the other hand, is a Euthanatos[[note]]Essentially, a necromancer-assassin who believes in a philosophy called the Wheel of Ages, which preaches death is an inherent part of life and some people simply ''need killing'' for the sake of the world[[/note]] [[TabletopGame/MageTheAscension Mage]] from the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness. Said story also involves a [[TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade vampire]] who has learned how to travel the worlds by way of BloodMagic and [[spoiler: reveals Jake from the previous story as a Technocrat of the New World Order]].

* InterspeciesFriendship: The focus of the story is how Melissa and Lyra enjoy playing music together and being in each other's company.

'''Tales of the Canterlot Deportation Agency'' is a series of oneshot fanfictions written by the author of the ''FanFic/TriptychContinuum'', revolving around the titular agency and its efforts to prevent Equestria from being invaded by dimension-travelling humans. Some are harmless, some are accidental, many come with dark purposes, all could potentially have serious negative effects on all of Equestria. The [=CDA=] tries to prevent anyone - human or pony - from getting hurt and safely send them back home.

* BlackAndGrayMorality: On the one hand, many of the humans being confronted by the [=CDA=] are genuine monsters, including {{Mad Scientist}}s (and their magical counterparts) who seek to use ponies as [[HumanResources experiment fodder]], rapists and would-be world-conquerors. On the other hand, the [=CDA=] can do some pretty dubious moral things themselves, and even one of their agents is seen wondering in ''A Typical Day'' if their policies are entirely necessary.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Jake the Technocrat explains in ''Bree'' that he would never dream of interfering with magic in Equestria, since magic actually is ''natural'' for Equestrians the way the Technocracy insists it is ''unnatural'' in the [=OWoD=], and furthermore magic is the only thing that allows the ponies of Equestria to keep their thin, fragile regions of civilisation alive.]]

* KirkSummation: Bree gives one to [[spoiler: Jake]], a member of the Technocracy, to explain her rejection of his suggestion that she abandon the Traditions and join the Technocracy.
-->'''Bree''': "Because in the perfect world of your superiors," she softly answered, "no one even dreams of magic -- and so no one would ever dream of ponies..."

* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler: Jake]] claims he and the [=CDA=] have the same kind of goal, and if he could only trust them to trust him, he would happily build devices to help them in their goal of preventing invasions and eventually sealing their worlds off purposefully.

** CrapsaccharineWorld: Equestria itself. It's a nice enough place, certainly preferrable to many of the other worlds the humans are coming from, but between the constant influx of human travellers and some of the morally shady things the [=CDA=] are willing to do...

* VillainsActHeroesReact: The [=CDA=] only reacts to humans after they enter Equestria.
** JustifiedTrope: Equestrians stand out as badly on any human world as humans stand out in Equestria, more in fact due to such worlds generally being mono-sapient species realms.
** AvertedTrope: The [=CDA=] deliberately recruits human agents, where feasible, to try and prevent people from crossing over in the first place. This is especially important for the darker worlds, such as the one where Bree comes from.

* [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/179708/tales-of-the-canterlot-deportation-agency-bree Bree]]: One of the human counterpart agents of the [=CDA=] talks about her reasons for working with the [=CDA=] to a pony member.

** The titular character of ''Bree'', on the other hand, is a Euthanatos[[note]]Essentially, a necromancer-assassin who believes in a philosophy called the Wheel of Ages, which preaches death is an inherent part of life and some people simply ''need killing'' for the sake of the world[[/note]] [[TabletopGame/MageTheAscension Mage]] from the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness.