The End of The World is a fan-made My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Rock Opera by Forest Rain. Set during The Great War in the backstory for Fallout: Equestria, it follows the story of an unnamed soldier in the Equestrian Army, and how the conflict affects him, and how he eventually learns the pointlessness of the conflict and the value of Life and Friendship.
Tracks:
Prologue – The Prologue, the narrator – voiced by Reagan Murdock – describes Equestria’s descent into fanaticism in the War.
The End of The World – The Last Day, told through a short radio broadcast and the screams of a panicked crowd.
The Fight – Equestria mobilizes for War in the wake of the massacre at Luna’s school.
Borders Fall – featuring the voices of other fan singers Wubcake, Steel Chords, and Cyril the Wolf, we see the viewpoint of average citizens and soldiers at Equestria’s descent into Total War and violence.
The Battle – featuring drums by Whirlwind, we meet our protagonist, a Ponyville resident who, in the wake of “[his] very own Lesson Zero,” joined the military, and we see his own struggles with his motivations and what he and his fellow ponies.
We Stand – featuring drums by Whirlwind The Protagonist begins to question The War, feeling like – despite what the Propaganda says – Equestria has lost its way, and has become the very evil it says it seeks to destroy, leaving the innocent and the good in the dust.
The War – The Protagonist ruminates on the radical shift in Equestria from his youth, all for the worst.
Beacon In The Dark – A tonal shift from the Metal and Alternative Rock song in favor for a rap where the Protagonist looks at himself in the mirror and delivers a damning You Suck speech.
Procession – Instrumental piece, Equestria’s Funerary Dirge after the Bombs drop.
In Memoriam – The protagonist walks through the irradiated ruins of Ponyville, and reflects that the fight – said to be in the defense of Equestria’s citizens – was All for Nothing.
We Stand (Reprise) – Featuring Steel Chords on acoustic guitar and backup, the Protagonist comes to terms with the War’s result and his role in bringing it about, remembering the Lessons in Friendship he had forgotten in the War.
For Equestria – Featuring Reagan Murdock, the Protagonist sees the ruined, charred corpse of Equestria, not as it is, but for what it was, and what it can be yet again: A land of hope and peace, friendship and love, and looks to rebuild Equestria anew, for the generations that will come after them.
[Untitled] – an unnamed and unlisted Hidden Track instrumental available only on the physical CD, ending with the Protagonist – now much older in the Post-War Wasteland – talking with his grandchild.
Available in digital and limited edition physical CD formats through Bandcamp
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The End of The World'' contains the following tropes:
- All for Nothing: The War. The Protagonist fought in part to protect his unnamed loved one, only for them to die in The Last Day.
- Babies Ever After: In the Untitled track on the CD, a foal asks the Protagonist what song he was playing, and calls him Grandpa. Meaning he had to have had children sometime in the interim.
- Bittersweet Ending: Our unnamed protagonist has relearned the magic of friendship, and is able to move on with life… But the world was obliterated in The Last Day, and almost everyone he knew and loved is dead. It borders on
Esoteric Happy Ending territory. - Calling the Old Man Out: Beacon in the Dark delivers a heated one to the Protagonist and Equestria in general for The War.
- Despair Event Horizon: Equestria at large, including the protagonist, experienced this at the massacre that kickstarted the war, causing everypony to foreswear friendship with the Zebras in favor of conquest.
- Distant Finale: The untitled, unlisted final track available only on the physical album, takes place decades after the War.
- Hidden Track: Available only on the limited edition, physical CD, there is a thirteenth track that is an instrumental piece that is more uplifting than the rest of the album. In the end, a foal asks "grampa" what song it was, to which our much older Protagonist simple calls it "an old Folk Melody."
- In Medias Res: The first track after the prologue – the title track – is just a chaotic scene as hundreds of ponies rush for the shelters, trampling foals and looking out only for themselves, before the bombs drop. The next track goes back in time to the opening months of the war.
- Nuke 'em: The exchange of Megaspells and Bailfire Bombs is seen from the perspective of the pony on the street.
- Revenge: The Protagonist’s motivation for joining the military.
- Rock Opera
- Survivor Guilt: The protagonist in the wake of The Last Day.
- These Hands Have Killed: The Protagonist cries each night after the battles he fights in, for those he kills.
- War Is Hell: Not only due to the death and destruction it brings, but also for how it Others the enemy.
- You Suck: The protagonist takes this view of himself by the time of The Last Day.
