Inner Demons: Difference between revisions

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On her twenty-first birthday, Twilight Sparkle comes across an ancient prophecy, detailing the rise of an evil known as the "Queen of Darkness" who will end Celestia's rule and take over all of Equestria... and the description of the Queen matches Twilight to a tee. Thus begins Twilight's downward spiral, as the darkness in her heart threatens to consume her and turn her into the greatest threat Equestria's ever known. Now it's up to her friends to stop her -- but can they save her ''and'' Equestria? And even if they do, will their friendship survive?

 

* [[Abusive Parents]]: Apparently, Scootaloo's mother was a drunk, and her father tended to hit them.

* [[Armor of Invincibility]]: {{spoiler|The Elements of Harmony apparently become this when they evolve -- during Rarity's [[Heroic Sacrifice]], her Element transforms into a suit of armor that can't be removed even after she's defeated and captured. Trixie comments that it appears it won't come off so long as she needs it.}}

** {{spoiler|Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie's Elements evolve to armor when they confess their love for each other.}}

* [[Anguished Declaration of Love]]: When she's {{spoiler|performing her [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}}, Rarity chokes out one of these to an absent Spike.

** Rainbow Dash confesses her love to Pinkie Pie when they're {{spoiler|locked in the burning CMC clubhouse by Scootaloo}}.

* [[An Ice Person]]: The magic Rarity gains when {{spoiler|her Element evolves into armor}}.

* [[The Baroness]]: {{spoiler|Sweetie Belle}}, of all ponies, becomes the sexpot variety after her [[Face Heel Turn]], wearing an all black outfit that highlights her figure, complete with fishnet stockings and high heels.

** One could argue that Queen!Twilight and {{spoiler|Scootaloo}} qualify as well to certain extents.

* [[Berserk Button]]: Betraying her (or doing anything that she interprets as betrayal) and coming between her and Shining Armor are both buttons for Queen!Twilight.

* [[Big Bad]]: Queen!Twilight Sparkle.

* [[Casting a Shadow]]: Another spell Queen!Twilight learns is moving through shadows. Trixie quickly copies it from her.

* [[Clingy Jealous Girl]]: Twilight already had shades of this attitude towards her brother in canon. Queen!Twilight takes it [[Up to Eleven]].

* [[Compelling Voice]]: One of the abilities that Queen!Twilight learns following her [[Face Heel Turn]] is a very [[Code Geass|Geass-like]] spell that allows her to brainwash whoever she uses it on {{spoiler|including Princess Luna}}.

** {{spoiler|Sweetie Belle}}'s singing voice is one of these due to her music-based magic.

* [[Darkest Hour]]: The prophecy refers to the Queen of Darkness' reign as Equestria's darkest hour, and it definitely seems to be heading in that direction.

* [[Dark Is Not Evil]]: Invoked by Queen!Twilight, who uses this as a justification to Trixie for some of the less-than-ethical spells she starts using, stating that true magic is neither good or evil.

** {{spoiler|Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo}} accepting Queen!Twilight's help in {{spoiler|getting their Cutie Marks}} has undertones of this as well.

* [[Demonic Possession]]: Apparently, when you know how to [[Astral Projection|astral project]], you can do this to other ponies, but only when they're asleep and with their permission. Queen!Twilight talks Trixie into letting her do this after her [[Face Heel Turn]] so that she can study new spells and gather power even while her body's locked up in the library basement.

* [[Despair Event Horizon]]: {{spoiler|Both Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy cross it after Queen!Twilight crosses the [[Moral Event Horizon]].}}

* [[Deuteragonist]]: Apple Bloom seems set up as this.

* [[Didn't See That Coming]]: {{spoiler|Queen!Twilight admits to not anticipating the Elements of Harmony evolving past what she'd seen.}}

* [[The Dragon]]: Trixie, who Queen!Twilight takes as a disciple, and who quickly abandons her morals in order to stay in the role.

* [[Dreaming of Things to Come]]: Cadence apparently has this ability.

** Pinkie Pie's isn't really explained, but it appears to have something to do with {{spoiler|her and Dash admitting their feelings}}

** According to Sweetie Belle, this also appears to be a key component of {{spoiler|Queen!Twilight's cutie mark-granting spell}}.

** And from her own twisted point of view, Queen!Twilight sees herself as the victim of this.

** Rainbow Dash's reaction to {{spoiler|Scootaloo}}'s [[Face Heel Turn]].

* [[Forced to Watch]]: {{spoiler|After taking Cadence prisoner, Queen!Twilight makes her watch remotely as she disguises herself as her and makes love to Shining Armor.}}

* [[God Save Us From the Queen]]: Twilight, after being consumed by her Queen of Darkness persona.

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: {{spoiler|Rarity takes on Trixie, giving Apple Bloom and Spike a chance to escape Canterlot and get help from Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. Non-fatal example, as while she's defeated, she's not killed.}}

* [[Hidden Depths]]: Turns out, Silver Spoon ''hates'' Diamond Tiara, and only hangs out with her because their fathers are co-workers and expect them to. As Apple Bloom befriends her in secret and gets to know her, it turns out she's actually a very kind and loyal person.

** Spike confronts Queen!Twilight in Fillydelphia, and for a moment his heartfelt pleas seems to be getting through to the real Twilight -- then she punches him across the room.

* [[I Have No Son]]: {{spoiler|Following her [[Face Heel Turn]], Sweetie Belle rejects Rarity as her sister, substituting her in that role with Queen!Twilight.}}

* [[It Got Worse]]: Sums up the plot pretty well.

* [[Kick the Dog]]: While testing her powers prior to going public with her [[Face Heel Turn]], Queen!Twilight invades [[Dream Weaver|Fluttershy's dreams]] and goads her into {{spoiler|nearly raping Big Macintosh before she snaps out of it}}. There was absolutely no reason for her to do this, other than [[For the Evulz|shits and giggles]].

** {{spoiler|Scootaloo}} attempts to do this to Pinkie Pie, but she's saved in time.

*** [[Pyromaniac|Actually, she tries to do this to everyone.]]

* [[Woman Scorned|Mare Scorned]]: Lezard quotes this when the mares of Fillydelphia fight against the stallions who have been brainwashed by {{spoiler|Sweetie Belle}}.

* [[Master Swordsman]]: {{spoiler|Adult}} Apple Bloom quickly becomes one, justifying it by saying that a sword is just another tool, and she can work with any tool.

* [[The Millstone]]: Fluttershy starts to see herself as this after her role in Queen!Twilight's [[Moral Event Horizon]] {{spoiler|which contributes to her suicide attempt}}. She ultimately subverts it though, proving herself to be an important part of the team.

* [[More Than Mind Control]]: Trixie, {{spoiler|Sweetie Belle}}, and {{spoiler|Scootaloo}} all join Queen!Twilight of their own volition, after she plays on their desires and gives them all what they want.

** This is also Shining Armor's reaction when he realizes that {{spoiler|the "Cadence" he slept with was actually Queen!Twilight in disguise}}.

** Twilight actually pulls this on herself. After the above incident, she begs her friends to chain her up in the library basement for everyone's safety while Rarity searches for a way to stop her fall to darkness. Instead, her being locked up while Spike's helping Rarity means that {{spoiler|there's no one there to wake her up from her nightmares, wherein the Queen personality takes control of her mind}}.

** {{spoiler|Sweetie Belle}} was wavering on having a [[Heel Realization]], until Rarity's poor choice of words hit an emotional trigger Queen!Twilight had planted, leading to her fully accepting her [[Face Heel Turn]].

* [[Offscreen Moment of Awesome]]: Rarity vs Trixie. Apparently, the fight was even-matched enough that Queen!Twilight had to step in, and Trixie blames herself for not being able to defeat her on her own.

** During the battle against {{spoiler|Scootaloo}}'s troops in Ponyville, Fluttershy sees a group chasing Lyra and Bon Bon. She follows them behind a building, and by the time they show up again, the troops are gone and Lyra and Bon Bon are safe.

* [[Promotion to Parent]]: It's mentioned that Applejack became a mother figure to Apple Bloom after their actual mother died.

* [[Rage Breaking Point]]: After developing a true friendship with Apple Bloom, Silver Spoon's patience with Diamond Tiara starts wearing thin, and she eventually snaps at her after one insult towards Apple Bloom too many.

* [[Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil]]: {{spoiler|Queen!Twilight manipulating Fluttershy via her dreams into trying to rape Big Macintosh, and forcing Rainbow Dash to rape Pinkie Pie as part of a [[Sadistic Choice]].}}

** {{spoiler|Fluttershy was apparently herself raped at some point in the past, and has treated it as a shameful [[Dark Secret]] (though it's what snapped her out of the attempt on Big Mac).}}

** When Rarity is held prisoner, Queen!Twilight gives her soldiers permission to rape her. ''This'' is what more or less finally convinces Rarity that the Twilight she knew is gone.

* [[Sadistic Choice]]: Queen!Twilight pulls one on Rainbow Dash as part of her "[[Moral Event Horizon|coming out party]]". She captures Pinkie Pie, and when Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy show up to help, she incapacitates Fluttershy as well and then threatens to kill her if Dash doesn't force herself on Pinkie. {{spoiler|Applejack shows up to save them... but only ''after'' Dash has had no choice but to go through with it.}}

* [[She Cleans Up Nicely]]: Rarity's birthday gift to Twilight is teaching her how to beautify herself, and the result is described as looking very attractive. Then she [[Evil Is Sexy|goes evil]].

* [[Ship Tease]]: So far, the story's dropped hints of Spike/Rarity, Big Mac/Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash/Pinkie Pie.

** As of this writing, the latter two have been upgraded to [[Official Couple]] status.

* [[Shock and Awe]]: Rainbow Dash gains the ability to actually ''turn into'' lightning {{spoiler|when her Element evolves into armor.}}

** This also appears to be Trixie's preferred method of fighting.

* [[Shrinking Violet]]: Fluttershy, naturally, though after she hooks up with Big Mac, she opens up and becomes more confident.

* [[Slowly Slipping Into Evil]]: Trixie starts out the story just wanting to learn from Twilight; after Queen!Twilight convinces her that she's the victim, Trixie reluctantly goes along with her in attempting to {{spoiler|kill the other Mane Six}}, but then when she gets a glimpse of how powerful the Queen is, she throws all her morals aside in order to prove she deserves to be by her side.

* [[The Starscream]]: {{spoiler|Scootaloo}} seems to be heading in this direction -- she claims that working with Queen!Twilight is just a means to an end for her, and that all ponies are now just pawns to aid her in reaching her goal, which appears to be supplanting Queen!Twilight's place as ruler.

* [[Superpower Meltdown]]: During the Battle of Fillydelphia, Trixie evokes the Storm Avatar spell in order to combat the protagonists and ends up losing control of it, nearly destroying everything around her before the heroes knock her out and disrupt the spell.

** When things go downhill for her in Fillydelphia, Queen!Twilight grabs her minions and flees, promising that things are from finished.

* [[We Used to Be Friends]]: Obviously, Queen!Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six.

* [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity]]: When Trixie evokes her Storm Avatar spell, she goes completely berserk. According to Lezard, this happens to anyone who uses that spell.

* [[With Us or Against Us]]: Forms a pretty fundamental cornerstone of Queen!Twilight's worldview.

[[Category:Inner Demons]]

[[Category:Fanfic]]