Day of the Barney Trilogy

Long, long ago, back in the ancient year of 1993, Brian Bull released a short Barney and Friends fanfiction (and we use the term fanfiction very lightly) known as Day of the Barney. To summarize it as simply as possible, Barney, who is being broadcast from the United States Capitol, sends thousands of children into an unstoppable killing spree when he tells them the adults are trying to take him away from them.

Unlike many Barney-themed hatefics, this one was extremely well written, darkly funny, and even genuinely creepy. Despite it's shortness, it even developed a cult following.

And then part two was released.

Although keeping some of the dark comedy the first part had, part two and three took a much more serious turn. Aside from being much longer and written in a novel format, it also expanded greatly on Barney and Baby Bop's characters, portraying them as demonic creatures who were born at (and caused) the very end of the dinosaur reign, as well as many historic disasters. Yes, really. Part two takes place about six years after the events of part one (known as "The Great Act of Love") in the apocalyptic wasteland that was once Washington D.C. Many adults have already been killed off and Barney rules as a God-like figure over the children. It's there we are introduced to our main characters, Jeremy and Fran Phillips, two thirteen-year-old twins who learn the horrible truth about Barney and his plans for the children and the world.

It is something that really must be read to be believed. It can be found here and here.

A fourth story that takes place in the same continuity, Son of Barney, can be read here.

""I love you, you love me, let us join with Lord Barney...with a great big kiss and hug, from me to you....let's purge the world of adults too....""
 * Adaptational Villainy: Barney and Baby Bop.
 * Adult Fear: Well, maybe not the whole "Barney is a demonic monster who kills adults and rules over children" plot, which is more like a corny horror film than anything, but in part three where  might invoke this trope.
 * Actually, even though it is Barney, the thought of an authority figure easily brainwashing your child could very well invoke this.
 * After the End
 * All of the Other Reindeer: Maca'hzar isn't exactly loved by Barney and the other Loved Ones due to the fact that he's . The only reason he was left alive was so he could be used as the Chew Toy.
 * You Fail History Forever: In part 3, it features Adolf Schicklgruber making the decision to change his name to Adolf Hitler . The basis of the "Adolf Hitler could've been Adolf Schicklgruber" meme is that his father was born with the surname Schicklgruber, but successfully changed it to Hitler. Adolf Hitler never bore the surname Schicklgruber at any time in his life.
 * Asshole Victim:.
 * Please note that the first person noted here will still shown to have some lingering humanity as he died (even dying by the other AH's hands as a result), so he may be a candidate for Redemption Equals Death instead.
 * Back from the Dead: See Not Quite Dead below.
 * Big No: Jeremy has one in part 3 when Barney tricks him into believing.
 * Big Damn Heroes:
 * And to a lesser extent, Lt. McKintyre and her troops.
 * Bittersweet Ending: Part 2 has Fran and Jeremy, but a large number of adults and teenagers have been brutally murdered during the Purple Holocaust, which has also basically wrecked social infrastructure. Part 3 has
 * The Black Death:
 * Break the Cutie
 * Chest Burster:
 * The Chew Toy: Maca'hzar was this to Barney and the other Loved Ones.
 * The Chosen One: Maca'hzar sees Jeremy as such.
 * Corrupt the Cutie: Barney entices all of his young fans to kill any adult they meet in the Great Act of Love and
 * Crack Fic: A shockingly well-done one at that.
 * Crap Saccharine World: What the world turns into after the Great Act of Love for the remaining children. Life is great for them as Barney's Special Friends
 * Crapsack World: If you are over the age of twelve, the world under the reign of Barney crosses over the border of Crap Saccharine World right into this. The social infrastructure has been destroyed, necessitating surviving teenagers and adults to forage for food and hide from Barney, Baby Bop, and the Loved Ones. Add to that the fact that the adults and children are afraid of each other. The adults and teenagers are afraid of being killed by children and the children have been taught by Barney to fear the Bad Ones, as he calls the teenagers and adults who survived the Great Act of Love. And if you have lived for any period of time as a child during the Purple Holocaust,
 * : If you are a kid, things are awesome for you during the Purple Holocaust. You are one of Barney's Special Friends, you don't have to go without food or affection, and when you turn thirteen, he gives you a "Special Gift"
 * Dark Comedy: Even when Barney is killing and maiming people, it is still really funny, especially when it is accompanied by an Ironic Nursery Tune. Also, who can't laugh at the idea of Barney
 * Dark Fic: Lord yes.
 * Dark Is Not Evil: Maca'hzar.
 * Darker and Edgier: Compared to the original Barney and Friends? Yeah, just a little.
 * Deadpan Snarker: Adult Fran has a few moments.
 * : The girls' "Special Gift" that they receive upon turning thirteen.
 * Devour the Dragon:
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: In Part 3, certain young "skeptics"
 * : Barney's master plan in part three.
 * Downer Ending: the first book, though
 * The Dragon: Baby Bop to Barney.
 * Earn Your Happy Ending: In the end,
 * The End of the World as We Know It: The brutal murder of every adult and teenager Barney and his loyal crew of young fans could get their hands on is said to have taken place "across the country" so presumably, only the United States was affected. For the duration of the Purple Holocaust, there is certainly a Societal Collapse as Barney's Special Friends are left to forage for their own food in the fields of grain tended by the Loved Ones and every surviving teenager and adult presumably either practices subsistence farming or forages for food in abandoned places. If Jeremy and Fran hadn't
 * Faux Action Girl: Fran. She's certainly a lot tougher and head strong in the third part, but doesn't actually accomplish much. Disappointing, seeing as she was the one who  in the second part.
 * Faux Affably Evil: Barney. His whole modus operandi is manipulating the children to do what he wants and convincing them that he's the only one who loves them, but it is made clear that his intentions are, through and through, anything but good.
 * Genre Shift: Not too much, but parts 2 and 3 take a much more serious approach than part 1. However, if you're comparing the story to the Barney and Friends tv show... um... yes... very much so.
 * Gorn
 * The Gump: Part 3 reveals that Barney and Baby Bop were alive and present at the extinction of the dinosaurs and The list of historical events they are shown to have caused is long.
 * Half-Human Hybrid:
 * Hate Fic: Lord yes. You'd have to have stopped reading the original story midway through to possibly think that this was in any way a fan fic.
 * Heel Realization:  realizes his beloved Barney may not being a loving as he thought. Jeremy and Fran finding out may count too, although they never actually did anything harmful themselves.
 * Hypocrite: oh dear god Barney, where to start? Spreads messages of peace and love, while SERIOUSLY?
 * Immortality:
 * Ironic Nursery Tune: This story expands upon Barney and Friends's motif of Glurge-y lyrics to already-existing nursery tunes by having them sing these in horrifying situations as well as singing disturbing variations on the lyrics.
 * Immortality:
 * Ironic Nursery Tune: This story expands upon Barney and Friends's motif of Glurge-y lyrics to already-existing nursery tunes by having them sing these in horrifying situations as well as singing disturbing variations on the lyrics.


 * Kick the Dog
 * : Maca'hzar turns out to be
 * Meatgrinder Surgery: Barney, Baby Bop, and a set of Loved Ones perform a variant of this on as they sing gleefully about how injured he is to the tune of "Old MacDonald"
 * : Part of the "Special Gift" given to girls who turn thirteen during the Purple Holocaust.
 * Morton's Fork: Yes, in this story, Barney is unquestionably evil and no one can doubt he is. He not only led multiple children to murder adults, including their own parents, indiscriminately and without mercy,
 * Next Sunday A.D.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown:
 * Not Quite Dead: Barney and Baby-Bop.
 * Offing the Offspring:
 * One-Winged Angel: in part 2,
 * Patricide: At least some of those who were children at the time of the Great Act of Love did this.
 * Psychopathic Manchild: Thorton Marshall.
 * Puzzle Boss:
 * Really 65 Million Years Old: Barney turns out to be this, as well as Baby Bop.
 * Redemption Equals Death:
 * : During the Purple Holocaust, all children receive a "Special Gift" upon turning thirteen. They are taken to the White House for a birthday party in the Oval Office. Then Baby Bop takes whatever girls are among the thirteen year olds away for their "Special Gift" while the boys stay behind so that Barney can give them theirs. Barney writes the number 13 on their foreheads, tells them to close their eyes and kneel The other children are told that the thirteen year olds have gone on vacation.
 * Sealed Evil in a Can:
 * Self-Made Orphan: The Great Act of Love consists of Barney encouraging the children to kill off all of the adults. By default, at least some of those who were children at that time are these.
 * Sugar Apocalypse: The End of the World as We Know It caused by Barney. After all of the adults have been killed or driven into hiding, Barney creates an idyllic existence for his Special Friends where all of their needs are attended to by himself, Baby Bop, and the Loved Ones and they all sing songs and play games like on the original show.
 * Take Over the World: Barney's motive.
 * : Part of the "Special Gift" the girls get when they turn thirteen.
 * Time Skip: Part 3 takes place twenty years after part 2, whereas part 2 takes place about 6-7 years after part 1.
 * Too Dumb to Live:.
 * Token Heroic Orc: Maca'hzar is a good and helpful Loved One,
 * Took a Level in Badass: Jeremy. Fran somewhat too (she was the one who  in part 2), but she doesn't actually do much near the end.
 * Trauma Conga Line: Happens to Fran and Jeremy in Part 3.
 * Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: In the first story, Barney encourages his fans to kill any adult they can. We even directly see two children kill their mother with knives!
 * The Watcher: Maca'hzar is presented as one, as he affirms that his magic wouldn't work on Barney, so he can only help Jeremy indirectly. However, the trope is subverted:
 * : Barney happily takes up responsibility of caring for the children after he entices them to kill all of the adults