Fanfic / Starfleet: Magic is Believing

"Friendship. Teamwork. Faith."

—The fic's Tagline.

As Starfleet Magic has a sizable hatedom, deconstructions and reconstructions were inevitable. This is one of four.

In the vast unknown of deep space, the Solaran Imperium and its soldiers in the Adeptus Spatium keep the peace, spreading tenets of friendship and harmony. When an ancient evil seeks to destroy everything they know and love, a young prince allies himself with a team of veteran heroes to protect his homeland. However, their quest will eventually lead them to a world not too different from their own...

Read the story here.

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Starfleet: MiB contains examples of:

• Adaptation Name Change: With the exception of Lightning Dawn, almost all character and location names have been changed.
  • Unicornicopia ——> Solaris
    • By extension, this renames the Unicornicopians as "Solarans"
  • Starfleet ——> Adeptus Spatium, though "Starfleet" still exists as a nickname.
  • Grand Ruler Celesto ——> Grand Ruler Lux
  • Titan ——> Horus
  • Dementia, Rep-Stallion, and Mysterious ——> Cassiopeia, Kratos, and Erebus
  • Dimension of Darkness/Dark Planet ——> Tenebris
  • Starla Shine ——> Andromeda Aquila
  • Artie Bristles ——> Walter Peindre
    • By extension, Orange Range ——> Golden Fields
  • Rhymey Ward ——> Bridge Cappella
  • Buddy Rose ——> Rosebud Flora
  • Dyno and Mite ——> Nitro and Trini
  • Krysta ——> Titania
  • Inquirius ——-> Libra
  • Abra Kadabra ——> Propheta
  • Horatio I. Q. Brain ——> Quantum Leap
    • Also by extension, Greenland ——> Emerald Isle
  • Cookie Dough ——> Blueberry Crepe
  • Rainbow Dish Inn ——> Palette Bistro
  • Rainbow City Central ——> Spectropolis
  • Daphne Dil ——> Dafodil Flora
  • White Village ——> Villa de Sapphirus
• Adaptation Species Change: A minor example, but unlike the Unicornicopians in the source material, the Solarans are not alicorns. Rather, in a similar vein to MLP, the only alicorns are Grand Ruler Lux and Prince Lightning Dawn. The rest are anthro earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi.
• Adaptation Distillation: As confirmed in the first author's notes, "10,000 Years" is this to the prologue and first two episodes of Starfleet Magic, condensing and changing events so that they make more sense.
• Adaptational Dye-Job: Both Andromeda and Titania receive overhauled appearances; whereas Starla Shine was just a simple anthro Rarity, Andromeda has a completely inverted color scheme as well as species change to a pegasus. Whereas Krysta was the stereotypical miniature winged fairy, Titania is the size of and resembles a regular human. as well as becoming a Significant Green-Eyed Redhead.
• Adaptational Badass: Several, most notably Titania, Andromeda, and Grand Ruler Lux himself. The former two were Damsels in Distress in Starfleet Magic, for instance. Here, however? Not only does Titania kick Horus' ass with no effort, but she nearly kills him as well. Andromeda goes from the Satellite Love Interest and Faux Action Girl Starla was in the original to both an Action Girl and The Leader of the team, as well as a Drill Sergeant Nasty towards Lightning Dawn.

• Affectionate Nickname: "Yungkine" is Titania's for Lightning Dawn.
• Alternate Continuity: The second one for Starfleet Magic, after Starfleet Redone.
• Antagonistic Offspring: Horus is the Grand Ruler's son. He, unlike his father, looks down on races he sees as inferior, views power as the only thing that matters, sees teammates are mere tools, and is utterly disgusted by friendship and love.
• And Now You Must Marry Me: The crux of Horus' plan in "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting". Given what happened the last time he encountered Titania, he should have known better.
• Bad Boss: Horus is this, though this trope is also deconstructed in that this mistreatment of his minions causes them to plan The Coup against him.
• Badass Boast: Titania gives Horus one before she Curb Stomps him.
• Badass Creed: "Duis amicitiae fides" is the official creed of the Adeptus Spatium, otherwise known as Starfleet.
  • Bilingual Bonus: It can roughly be translated as "Faith, teamwork, friendship" in Latin.
• Betrayal by Offspring: The cause of The Great Offscreen War that took place 10,000 years before the story started, when Horus betrayed his father, the Grand Ruler. Given who the former's name is a Shout-Out to, this isn't surprising.
• Big Bad: Horus, natch.
• Blood Knight: Kratos. On the heroes' side, there's also Andromeda, who admits she enjoys fighting.
• Blue-and-Orange Morality: Titania, being a member of The Fair Folk, has this; having cursed ponies, hurt animals, and done other unspeakable things, all without understanding exactly why those things are wrong in the eyes of mortals.
• Butt-Monkey: Krysta (a sprite, not a fairy) tends to make the original's Krysta look like less of one by comparison. She has already been eaten by Titania twice.
• Calling Your Attacks: Discussed, deconstructed, then reconstructed in the same conversation. While training with Andromeda in "10,000 Years", Lightning calls out "LIGHTNING BLAST!". Andromeda, unamused, points out that magic does require an incantation, but saying it out loud is impractical in battle; it only provides an opportunity for your opponent to dodge the attack, then strike you down. The best way to cast a spell, according to her, is to think it, or if one must say the name out loud, whisper it. The latter technique is show to be powerful but not as effective when Lightning tries it, and the former takes time to master properly.
• Central Theme: Three, according to Word of God.
  • Nature cannot be simply divided into Black-and-White Morality, and that to label a race as Always Chaotic Evil is not only naive, but dangerous. Yes, there are morals that should be upheld in the world, but sometimes it takes doing questionable things in order to do what is truly right.
  • Friendship cannot solve every problem, but it cannot be disregarded or devalued either. Friendship and love are necessary aspects of human nature that can solve problems, but only when they're needed.
  • Just because someone has taken a wrong path in life does not mean they cannot be redeemed, as Horus' minions show.
• Childhood Friend Romance: It's revealed that during their years of living on the streets of Redwood Meadows and in their first years in Starfleet, Andromeda and Rosebud had this. They get back together at the end of the episode.
• Clap Your Hands If You Believe: Still present, though it is only one of three of Starfleet's core values: "Your greatest weapon is your mind", according to the Grand Ruler. (Also see The Power of Friendship, below)
• Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Quantum Leap in a nutshell. Justified as he is literally insane, and enjoys playing up the Mad Scientist stereotype.
• Dance of Romance: Titania and Lightning have one in "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting", which is interrupted by a Changeling servant accidentally spilling wine all over Lightning's back.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Andromeda has one, as shown in "This Ain't No Place For No Hero".
• Darker and Edgier: Than either My Brave Pony: Starfleet Magic or Starfleet Redone, in Alternate Continuity terms.
• Death by Cameo: Used to tearjerking effect with Legendbringer and Ath-Lita (Cherry-Lei) in "This Ain't No Place For No Hero".
  • On the other hand, this trope leads to a combination Moment of Awesome and Funny when Cortland Andrus takes on this fic's equivalents to canon!Starfleet earlier in the episode.
• Death Seeker: Erebus, due to being a Living Shadow for the past 10,000 years, has become this.
• Deconstruction Fic: Naturally, if it's intended to be a proper reconstruction, this fic will have to deconstruct tropes before putting them back together again.
• Disproportionate Retribution: What the above accident leads to; Titania slits the servant's throat in retaliation.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Andromeda is this to Lightning Dawn.
  • Cortland Andrus, by extension, was this to both Andromeda and Rosebud.
• Eldritch Abomination: Queen Pinsar can be described as this, being a massive insect-like creature with telepathic powers, controlling a hive mind and being sealed within Solaris itself.
• Eldritch Location: Tenebris seems to be this. On the surface, it resembles a perfectly ordinary moon. Beneath that, however, is a skeleton-dotted wasteland, overcast with a Perpetual Storm and an Evil Tower of Ominousness in the form of Horus' castle.
  • The Land of Nevernever in "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting" is as well. Fitting for the homeland of The Fair Folk.
• Family-Friendly Firearms: Of the Ray Gun variety, which is deconstructed as well in "This Ain't No Place For No Hero". When shown in a more realistic light, lasers are far more deadly than regular guns as weapons.
• Flanderization: Given an In-Universe discussion by Cassiopeia, Kratos, and Erebus. Horus does not care for them as beings, only seeing them as a Vain Sorceress, Dumb Muscle, and a schemer, respectively.
• Friends with Benefits: Lightning and Titania have this relationship.
• Gender Flip: Two in the main cast, in fact. Rosebud Flora for Buddy Rose, and Trini for Mite.
  • Queen Pinsar is this, combined with Composite Character, to King Pinsar from Starfleet Magic V.
  • Propheta is one to Abra Kadabra from the original fic.
• Generic Doomsday Villain: Invoked with Horus, but as noted below, this trope is deconstructed in showing exactly what sort of person would willingly become one: an unrepentant sociopath fueled by hatred of those beneath them.
• Good Is Not Nice: Andromeda fits this to a T. She is most definitely a hero, but she is a pragmatist and soldier first and foremost, reasoning that some of the things she has done in the services of Starfleet weren't good in the conventional sense, but necessary.
• Gratuitous Latin: Latin appears to be the lingua franca of Solaris. To a lesser degree, this has replaced the Gratuitous Spanish that Dyno and Mite used in Starfleet Magic, with Nitro and Trini on occasion peppering their speech with Latin words.
• The Great Offscreen War: The nine-year long war between Horus and Grand Ruler, which ended with Grand Ruler banishing Horus and his faction to Tenebris, a faraway moon.
• Hive Mind: The Infestatio are this, as seen in "Faerie Childe".
• King of the Homeless: Andromeda and Rosebud, after fleeing their broken homes, became a dual example of this trope in the streets of Redwood Meadows before they become Starfleet officers.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Horus shares numerous beliefs with Mykan.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Befitting someone who's an astronomer, "Andromeda" and "Aquila" are both the names of constellations.
  • Heck, just like in the original, everyone's name is meaningful in some way.
• Missing Mom: Lightning has one. All that is known is that she's Not Quite Dead. It's revealed at the end of "This Ain't No Place For No Hero" that she is not only alive, but she is a member of The Fair Folk as well.
• Monster of the Week: Justified; Horus, after his defeat in the Imperial Palace, sees how powerful Grand Ruler Lux has become, and decides not to take direct action again just yet.
  • Interestingly, this trope is also Played With; the Golems are not so much independent beings, but more akin to Living Weapons directly controlled by Horus from his castle.
• Mythology Gag: The story's title is one, referring to the subtitle of Starfleet Magic's original incarnation, "My Little Unicorn".
  • In "We Dare not Go A-Hunting", Titania encounters an egotistical sprite named Krysta, whom she then devours.
• Naïve Newcomer: What Andromeda regards Lightning as.
• A Nazi by Any Other Name: Horus. He is a tyrant with a god complex who is also a massive racist.
• Official Couple: Andromeda and Rosebud are now this as of "This Ain't No Place For No Hero".
• Oire Land: Befitting the stereotype, Quantum Leap tends to drink in copious amounts. The fact that he is a Mad Scientist Cloud Cuckoo Lander who is legitimately insane makes it funnier. Justified as he comes from a Fantasy Counterpart Culture.
  • The two leprechauns seen in "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting" also fit the stereotype.
• On The Next Episode Of Catchphrase: Just like the source material, recaps and previews act as Book Ends for each chapter.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Lightning, usually an All-Loving Hero, ends up punching Titania in the face after she kills a servant for spilling wine on him in "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting". This leads to a My God, What Have I Done? moment from Lightning immediately afterwards.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Horus, to put it lightly, does not enjoy the idea of same-sex couples.
• The Power of Friendship: One of Starfleet's core tenets, along with Team Spirit and Clap Your Hands If You Believe.
• Pride: Horus' defining characteristic, and most Fatal Flaw.
• Pulp Magazine: Bridge writes for one, as seen in "10,000 Years".
• Reconstruction: Word of God states this story is one to the rather infamous work by Dakari-King Mykan.
• Recursive Fanfiction: It's a Fix Fic of a Fix Fic, the latter of which is also a Hate Fic.
• Related in the Adaptation: Grand Ruler Lux is Lightning Dawn's biological father in this continuity, which Word of God confirms is because it not only makes more sense, but also eliminates the Death by Origin Story Lightning had in the original, instead mitigating it to a Not Quite Dead Missing Mom. Horus, by extension, is Lightning Dawn's older brother. Word of God further explains this is intended to create a new dynamic between the three as well.
  • Walter, who is Artie's counterpart, is a distant cousin to Bridge, Rhymey's counterpart.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Grand Ruler Lux actually battles Horus when the latter escapes from Tenebris in "10,000 Years".
• Sealed Evil in a Can: Horus became this 10,000 years before the start of the series, escaping from his prison on Tenebris in the prologue.
  • Queen Pinsar is also revealed to be this, only she was sealed within Solaris' core, the seal breaking during the events of "Faerie Childe".
• Sergeant Rock: Andromeda. She is a well-meaning but tough trainer and a competent, not very high-ranking, officer who leads by example.
• Sex God: Lightning, a clearly good-hearted soul, is shown giving Titania quite the time of her life. They're so loud that even the others can hear them.
  Bridge Cappella: HEY, CAN YOU KEEP IT DOWN?! I'M TRYING TO WRITE HERE!
• Shell-Shocked Veteran: Andromeda is this, primarily due to a terrorist attack at the high school where she teaches.
• Ship Sinking: As of "This Ain't No Place For No Hero", Lightning/Andromeda is officially sunk due to the latter and Rosebud rekindling their relationship and becoming an Official Couple.
• Ship Tease: Lightning/Titania gets quite a bit of this in "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting". To a lesser degree, Lightning/Andromeda gets this as well in the same chapter.
• Shout-Out: Where do we begin?!
  • For starters, the Solaran Imperium, the Adeptus Spatium, and Horus are all references to Warhammer 40,000.
  • The Land of Nevernever, and the Fae in general, are one huge Changeling: The Lost reference combined with William Shakespeare, who was the creator of the original Titania.
  • Nitro and Trini are pretty much expies of Dipper and Mabel Pines, at least partially.
  • Andromeda is described by Word of God as "Azula if she made a Heel–Face Turn".
  • Oberon's appearance is a shout-out to Thor, and Mab is described as resembling her incarnation from The Dresden Files.
  • Bridge is, appearance-wise, based on Kurt Cobain.
  • Quantum Leap is partly based on Dr. Insano.
  • There are two Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann references: firstly, in the prologue, Lightning screams "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?!" before attacking Horus, and in the Whole Episode Flashback seen in "This Ain't No Place For No Hero", Andromeda, Rosebud, Bridge, and Nitro end up stealing a Base on Wheels from the Crimson Hand raiders initially known as the Dai-Gurren.
  • Grand Ruler Lux is revealed to have been born in Dream Valley.
  • There are several references to Classical Mythology:
    • Erebus, the brother of Nyx, the primordial goddess of the night and the personification of darkness.
    • Cassiopeia, the vain queen of Ethiopia, which also ties into Andromeda's Meaningful Name, since they are both names of constellations.
    • Kratos, one of the Titans (more specifically, the Titan of war), also doubling as a God of War reference.
  • A majority of the episode titles are also Shout Outs, to put it lightly.
  • In "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting", Titania instigates a fight between two leprechauns over a gemstone. As they squabble, they refer to the gem as "precious".
  • From the same episode, Titania adopts a blue jay she names Mordecai.
  • Walter is shown reading a "uselessly unreadable blue book of Eccles" at one point.
  • Cortland Andrus is a shoutout to a certain character of the same name from The Dark Tower
  • Bridge writes a series of Sword and Sorcery pulp stories entitled Grognak the Barbarian.
  • He's also seem reading an issue of Rabbichoso in "10,000 Years".
• The Social Darwinist: This, along with The Power of Hate, is what forms Horus' motivation.
• The Sociopath: Horus is most definitely this, having no regard for anyone but himself.
• The Starscream: All three of Horus' minions are established as this, due to having to suffer through 10,000 years of abuse.
• 10,000 Years: Horus was sealed in Tenebris for 10,000 years, referencing both Warhammer 40,000 and Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
• They Killed Kenny Again: A sprite named Krysta keeps getting eaten by Titania and revived as a Running Gag.
• What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: As shown in "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting", Fae have no concept of love as we understand it, the exceptions to the rule being Queen Mab and Titania.
• Who Wants to Live Forever?: As revealed at the end of "We Dare Not Go A-Hunting", Horus' minions have this opinion of themselves, especially Cassiopeia and Erebus.
  • Grand Ruler Lux is also said to resent immortality by Lightning in "Faerie Childe".
• Whole Episode Flashback: "This Ain't No Place For No Hero" is one, showing Andromeda's Dark and Troubled Past.
• Worthy Opponent: Kratos seeks one to fulfill his Blood Knight tendencies.
• Wretched Hive: Redwood Meadows is this, as revealed in "This Ain't No Place For No Hero".

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