History Fanfic / TheImmortalGame

*** [[spoiler: Back when Titan was Order, he seemed to have a soft spot for his family, as he softly joked with Harmony or decided to keep the dandelions when 12 year-old Terra asked him to]]
--> *[[spoiler: Terra: Whatever being had taught Terra how to use magic, whatever being had so softly joked with Harmony, he was gone now.]]*

** [[spoiler: Terra (and Titan too, before he snapped) also loved Harmony (Terra's mother and Titan's first wife) and the original Empyrean (Terra's brother/first husband and Titan's son).]]

** [[spoiler: Terra loved Harmony (her mother and Titan's first wife) and the original Empyrean (her brother/first husband and Titan's son).]]
** Subverted with Titan/Order. He was thankful when Terra [[MercyKill mercy-killed]] the original Empyrean, claiming he couldn't do it himself, and blamed Harmony for their son's death. But in present, he no longer cares about his son's demise and simply made a new Empyrean by the time of the story ([[spoiler:who he mercilessly killed when Empyrean was BroughtDownToNormal]]).

** A flashback shows Titan seemingly subjecting Discord to this after [[spoiler: he causes the death of Titan's son]]. As canon shows, he eventually escaped, with this story implying that Titan's original defeat by Celestia and Luna is what enabled it.

** [[spoiler: Terra (and Titan too, before he snapped) also loved Harmony (Terra's mother and Titan's first wife) and the original Empyrean (Terra's brother/first husband and Titan's son).]]

* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Order became King Titan after his son's death. He also made Terra go through one by brainwashing her.]]

* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: [[spoiler: Celestia]] gives a brief one after regaining her power, in the same vein as the TropeNamer.
-->"Centuries of boiling water for tea when I knew that I could boil the seas. Of lifting quills when I could lift mountains. Of breaking wax seals when I could break ''anything I please.'' My power is too much for this world. But it isn't too much for you, is it, Terra? Now I get to find out what I'm really capable of. No lives to save, no plans to make, ''nothing'' to hold me back. I am divinity unleashed."

** Flashback shows that [[spoiler: [[GenerationXerox Twilight's ancestor]], Astor Coruscare was also this. As a result for her Tykebomb upbringing, she was immensely powerful unicorn (who surpassed only by Twilight herself). Invented many war-magic, and brilliant (if ruthless) commander. But she's also very amoral, sociopathic mare who constantly seeking Celestia's approval.]]

A ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic written by [=AestheticB=].

The now completed story can be found [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1886/The-Immortal-Game here]]

'''NOTE''': This was once named ''Ponies Make War'' but the author has since renamed it. You can read the reason why [[http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/25624 here]]

* [[spoiler:EarnYourHappyEnding: After suffering brainwashing, corruption, and multiple brushes with death, the heroes ultimately prevail, defeat Titan, and are able to rebuild.]]

-->'''Pinkie''': [[spoiler: [[ShoutOut Surprise.]]]]

** Nihilus' name is a ShoutOut to [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Darth Nihilus]].

* SocialDarwinist: Titan and his disciple Esteem

** After doing his thing to Titan following the Battle Of Canterlot, [[Creator/JohnDeLancie Discord]] is said to have [[DeusExitMachina left Equestria]] to go back to [[Franchise/StarTrek tormenting starship captains]].

** [[spoiler: Titan completely loses it when Twilight manages to BreakingLecture him; even after she takes away his power, he still tries to fight her, which gets him killed.]]

** [[spoiler: Discord sticks around just long enough to temporarily reduce Titan's power -- giving the heroes a chance to prepare for the FinalBattle -- and then flees. Luna implies that he left the planet altogether, presumably to return to his former career of [[Franchise/StarTrek tormenting starship captains]].]]

* VillainsWantMercy: Both [[spoiler: Nihilus and Esteem]] end up begging Twilight for mercy, and don't get it. [[spoiler: In Esteem's case, it's really just implied, as Twilight is forcibly keeping his mouth closed.]]

* UnskilledButStrong: During their final duel, Twilight deduces that Titan never bothered to learn how to fight beyond a basic level, since he's just so powerful he can normally just obliterate whatever's in his way.

-->"They never could run fast or far enough before I lost control."

--> '''Twilight Sparkle''': "I am Twilight Sparkle, [[spoiler: and I am the end of war.]]"

-->'''Rainbow Dash''': "Thunder and lightning!"
-->'''Troops''': "Wings and steel!"

--->'''Pinkie''': [[spoiler: [[ShoutOut Surprise.]]]]

* ShoutOut: For a while, the duel between Twilight and [[spoiler: Esteem]] plays out just like the one between Holmes and Moriarty in ''[[Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows A Game of Shadows]]''.

-->'''Twilight Sparkle:''' [[BadassBoast Where have you run to now? Nothing can save you from me,]] [[spoiler: [[BadassBoast Esteem]]]]! [[BadassBoast Not ponies! Not puppets! Not gods!]]

-->'''Twilight Sparkle:''' How do you feel?
-->'''Princess Luna,[[spoiler: newly infused with Terra's magic]]:''' Taller.

** Rarity and Esteem have a conversation taken almost word for word from Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack:
-->'''Esteem:''' “It is useless to resist! Don’t let yourself be destroyed as your mother did!”

-->'''Terra''': What could ''possibly'' be more important to you ponies than survival?
-->'''Fluttershy''': Friendship.

-->'''Terra''': I have more power than all of you combined. Against me you have ''nothing''. ''No'' weapons. ''No'' magic.
-->(''Attempts to kill Twilight, [[spoiler: but the Elements reignite, blocking and then immobilizing her]]'')
-->'''Terra''': [[ThisCannotBe No! That's impossible!]]
-->'''Twilight''': Hadn't you heard? Friendship ''is'' magic.

* [[ActionGirl Action Mares]]: Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna most notably, although Pinkie and Fluttershy have their moments as well. Twilight too after [[spoiler: her personalities merging back during her confrontation with Titan's Puppet avatar.]]

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: See DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment.

* ShoutOut: To ''Film/SherlockHolmes''. For a while, the duel between Twilight and [[spoiler: Esteem]] plays out just like the one between Holmes and Moriarty in ''[[Film/SherlockHolmesAGameOfShadows A Game of Shadows]]''.

** [[spoiler:And then she drains Titan dry of power, effectively becoming twice as powerful as him. One troper on SpaceBattles did the math and her power would make {{SUPERMAN}} look like a weak child.]]

* BadassPrincess: Celestia and Luna both qualify.

** Rarity and Esteem have a conversation taken almost word for word from TheEmpireStrikesBack:

* AGodAmI: Said by Luna, before her fight against Nihilus in Cloudsdale. (It's perfectly justified, what with her ''being'' a god.)
** After the same fight, Nihilus wonders [[spoiler:what defeating a god makes her]].
** And of course, there's Titan and Terra.
** [[spoiler: Ultimately [[AGodIAmNot subverted]] with Twilight Sparkle. After fully tapping into the power of the Elements of Harmony, she realizes that she's essentially become a god herself. The subversion comes from the fact that she's ''horrified'' by the idea, and decides that ''[[NoManShouldHaveThisPower nopony]]'' [[NoManShouldHaveThisPower should have that much power]].]]
*** [[spoiler: DoubleSubverted when Twilight is transformed into an alicorn by Harmony's magic and admits that by every definition of the word, she ''is'' a god now.]]

* CosmicChessGame: The eponymous Immortal Game referred to by Celestia and Titan at points in the story.

* LaResistance: The Loyalists.

* LesCollaborateurs: All the nobles and soldiers who side with the royal family after Titan takes over. Though it should be noted that aside from Esteem and the Cadet, who joined for power (and the former's respect in the Cadet's case), this is presented more realistically than most examples -- many, like Captain Crunch, only sided with Titan out of fear and the belief that they had no other choice.

** After doing his thing to Titan following the Battle Of Canterlot, [[Creator/JohnDeLancie Discord]] is said to have left Equestria to go back to [[Franchise/StarTrek tormenting starship captains]].

A fanfic written by [=AestheticB=].

* {{BFS}}: Equinox. Most unicorns have around 9 pieces to their blade. [[spoiler: Sir Unimpressive is trained for ten years and has an amazing thirteen. Rarity and her father General Esteem (the most powerful mortal warrior on the planet) both have fourteen. Astor Coruscare, the most powerful unicorn in history, is implied to have twenty. Twilight Sparkle? '''Twenty. Bucking. Seven'''.]]

** [[spoiler: Ultimately [[AGodIAmNot subverted]] with Twilight Sparkle. After fully tapping into the power of the Elements of Harmony, she realizes that she's essentially become a god herself. The subversion comes from the fact that she's ''horrified'' by the idea, and decides that ''[[NoManShouldHaveThisPower nopony]]'' [[NoManShoudlHaveThisPower should have that much power]].]]

* KnightTemplarParent: Esteem had already intended to bully Blueblood into being a figurehead ruler for Canterlot while Titan was away. He only thratened to cut out Blueblood's tongue when the idiot made lewd comments about Rarity.

** [[spoiler: She returns the favor, albeit with a regular (and ''big'') piece of metal, when she's killing Esteem.]]

* KarmicDeath: [[spoiler: Esteem, who forced the Sliver of Darkness through Twilight's eye as she begged for mercy, is killed by Twilight pushing a (very large) sliver of metal through his eye while his attempts at begging for mercy are cut off by Twilight forcing his mouth shut.]]

** [[spoiler: Ultimately [[AGodIAmNot subverted]] with Twilight Sparkle. After fully tapping into the power of the Elements of Harmony, she realizes that she's essentially become a god herself. The subversion comes from the fact that she's ''horrified'' by the idea, and decides that ''nopony'' should have that much power.]]

* MightyGlacier: Applejack

* {{Mooks}}: The Puppets
* MookLieutenant: The Cadet.