Interpretations of "Grief"

MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD FOR "GRIEF IS THE PRICE WE PAY!"

DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS FIC TO COMPLETION FIRST!

IF YOU STOP HERE AND GO READ "GRIEF" NOW, THAT...WILL BE THE END OF IT.

BUT IF YOU DON'T, I WILL LOOK FOR YOU.

I WILL FIND YOU.

AND I WILL BUILD A HOUSE AROUND YOU.

WITH NO DOORS.

Do I make myself clear?

Good! Then let's continue!

So as some readers of "Grief" are probably already realizing, throughout writing the fic I hid several little hints that were foretelling future events yet to come in the story, most of them hidden in dream sequences. A number have already come to light by eagle-eyed readers, but for those that haven't caught them yet, just what are all these foretellings, where are they in the story, and just what do they mean and/or foretell?

Well, wonder no more, because here in this very blog post, I will now go through the fic and reveal every one of these for your reference.

Again, be warned that there are MASSIVE spoilers ahead. I know I'm beating a dead horse over this, but I did not spend a year and a half of writing and planning all of these just to have them ruined by some unobservant reader who hasn't read the whole fic yet, so forgive me for being a little overprotective about this.

Now, this first chapter to have foretelling things hidden within it is:

"Specters"

The first chapter in the story to feature a dream sequence and still quite early into the tale, this chapter was actually originally written before "To Where and Back Again" had aired, and thus before I had completely finalized the story's eventual ending. So it was really written without any intentional foretelling hidden within, instead just presenting what I figured Thorax might be having a nightmare about at that point in the story. It was only after "To Where and Back Again" had aired and I decided I wanted to include those events in the story and I was going through what I had already written of the story to make sure the set-up matched up nicely did I realize that this chapter had moments where it was almost uncannily mirrored events that would be transpiring later on.

So I ran with it, and it became something of a theme in future instances that I carefully planned. Curiously though, I changed little of how this chapter went from how I had first written it, the parallels were that close.

Nevertheless, it starts out more recapping in brief events leading up to this point in the story, then it starts turning dark, and that's where the foretelling begins with...

• Feeding on Starlight - Thorax is shown in this dream to be feeding on Starlight almost to the point that she is completely drained of emotive energy. Though Thorax himself never actually does this, it is hinting to later on in the story's climax, where Queen Chrysalis drains Starlight to almost the same point herself.
• Chrysalis's "This is what you are" speech - foretelling a similar speech Chrysalis gives to a wounded Thorax in the story's climax. I had ended up loving it so much here in "Specters" that I just had to use it again. Plus, it fit.
• Spike in a cocoon - foretelling where Spike and others are sealed in a cocoon aboard the Vergilius so to deceive two changeling scouts.
• Feeding on Spike - like Starlight earlier, foretelling how Chrysalis feeds on Spike near to the point of complete draining at the story's climax.
• “Survival of the fittest, Thorax," ... “What cannot fight back does not survive.” ... “And you need the reminder.” - again, foretelling what Chrysalis tells Thorax at the story's climax when he begs her to stop feeding on his friends.
• Twilight stabbing Thorax - foretelling Thorax's eventual death by stabbing by Chrysalis.

"Getting Worse"

Unlike the last chapter, which covered a dream sequence, this chapter is unique in that instead Thorax, in his sick and perhaps delusional state, speaks all of these aloud as cryptic, brief, and ultimately prophetic statements. They are deliberately vague to keep readers from figuring them out too easily...and a couple are in fact red herrings...but here they are...

• “The letter survives!” - foretelling the letter Spike will later find towards the end of the story after Thorax's death in which Thorax has written a few final words for his friend. It "survives" in the sense that this letter will outlive it's writer.
• “The favor is returned!" - foretelling how Thorax repays the supposed "favor" he owes Spike for everything Spike has sacrificed for him by ultimately sacrificing his own life for Spike's protection.
• "The needed one returns but never arises!” - foretelling how Thorax will eventually return to the hive and help bring about great change...but never "arises" as it's leader himself.
• "I was blind, but now I see!" - foretelling something an unnamed changeling later tells Spike while coming to pay respects to Thorax. Spike later repeats this line to Twilight a couple chapters later. Both of those chapters feature part of the quote in its chapter title.
• "The embers fly up from the flames to bar the path of the confused!" - foretelling Ember's eventual involvement late in the story, specifically how she will move to oppose the misled attempts from Twilight (the "confused") to try and capture the fleeing Spike and Thorax.
• "Disorder is a boon to the cause!" - A lot of readers got this one right, so yes, it is foretelling Discord's eventual appearance in the story and how he chooses to side with Spike and Thorax by refusing to reveal to Twilight where they are, or aide in any of her attempts to locate them.
• "The eventide seeks!" - foretelling how Princess Luna is, probably already by this time, independently attempting to locate Spike and Thorax, specifically Thorax, via the dreamscape, hoping to learn more about the situation as she, unlike others, is already sensing that something is amiss with Twilight's version of events.
• "Listen everyone, this is sabotage!" - foretelling how Spike and friends use Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" to disable a patrol of changelings while infiltrating the hive. It's not an exact quote, but this was done deliberately--I was worried if I had made it exact, it would've been too easy for those familiar with the song to place what I was referencing...and I didn't want to make it too easy...even though at this point in the story, I'm sure it would've only left readers wondering how it fits in with anything.
• “She won’t give up on you even though you give up on her!” - foretelling what Spike's writes in the dedicatory page of his book to Twilight in the story's final chapter, acknowledging this as truth.
• "Stars and moons scattered onto violet!" - Lots of people thought this one was referring to Princess Luna again...but it's actually Trixie, foretelling Thorax's eventually meeting and befriending of the mare. The statement is describing Trixie's trademark hat and cape, which is violet in color and decorated with stars. The moons are an error on my part, as I had thought moons were on them too, but later realized there were not. Might fix it in the final editing run-through of the story.
• "The tricks are merely superficial!" - Again referencing Trixie, foretelling how Thorax later observes to Spike that he believes her ego is just an act, and that lying underneath it is a more normal, but insecure and afraid, mare.
• "The bite remains unproven!" - another obvious one a lot of readers were able to pick out fairly quickly, foretelling how the attacker Thorax bites to subdue in self-defense during a gang fight is never successfully tied back to him by the police...despite trying.
• "What a bold move to make!" - foretelling what Shining Armor declares to Spike about his impromptu remarks about Thorax and what he stood for during the Vanhoover services in the "Refreshments" chapter.
• "Forgiveness comes forever thrice hence!" - so you remember all of those instances in the story where someone would make a Pinkie Promise and then the story would cut to Pinkie Pie abruptly stopping whatever she was doing to shout "FOREVER"? This is foretelling how, after this point in the story ("Getting Worse"), this gag would happen, by my count, three more times before Spike and Twilight forgive, or at least start down the path towards it, each other for what had happened.
• "The wild drawing four are doubled!" - ...is actually referencing a scene that was at one point planned, but then didn't actually make it into the final story. Basically, in the chapter "Home," while the cast is still riding the train to their respective destinations, it would've had the cast engage in a friendly game of Uno (Spike included) as a sort of "last huzzah" as friends overlooking recent grievances...and during which Princess Luna whips Rainbow Dash's butt good in the game by playing two consecutive draw-four wild cards as her final (and victorious) plays in the game. It got cut from the story though for length reasons and because the mood of the chapter didn't feel right for it. But as it's basically irrelevant now, I will probably be removing this hint when I get around to that final edit of the whole story.
• "The naughty gives all for good!" - foretelling how Fly Leaf willingly risks her own standing and well-being to defend Spike and Thorax and aid in their escape of Vanhoover when Twilight arrives looking for them, and how Twilight refers to Fly Leaf as a "naughty pony" once Fly is arrested after doing all of this.
• "All animation is black magic," "When gravity falls and earth becomes sky, fear the beast with just one eye," and "Yroo xrksvi, girzmtov" - are all references to the Disney show "Gravity Falls" and aren't technically relevant to "Grief is the Price We Pay" at all. I threw them in as red herrings, to make readers question if all of these random statements Thorax was spouting actually mean anything relevant or not...but also because these phrases were hinting to their own respective events within "Gravity Falls" and my way of saying that, yes, these things Thorax is saying is relevant and hinting to things yet to come. The third of these phrases, "Yroo xrksvi, girzmtov," is in atbash cipher, and when decoded says "Bill Cipher, triangle."
• "Pretium pendimus luctum est" - being translated, says "the price we pay is grief," or, put another way, "grief is the price we pay."
• "iterum Vergilius volat" - being translated, says "the Vergilius flies again," referencing how the airship Vergilius begins its maiden flight and is spoken by Thorax himself, in the chapter with the same title.
• "mihi lacrimo non" - being translated, says "for me, weep not," foretelling the final spoken words of Thorax before his passing.

"Mental Scape"

Back to the dream sequences now, and unlike the previous one, this one was devised from start to finish as having hints to future events.

• The "brilliant azure-colored mare" - a lot of readers guessed this was Princess Luna, a theory that gains credence when it's later revealed she was indeed present in the dream...but it's actually Trixie, foretelling Thorax eventually meeting her. This also explains why she jumps out in his mind, but doesn't yet recognize her. Had it really been Luna, he would've known the princess by sight (because surely Chrysalis had taught her subjects that much in preparation for the last invasion they tried).
• The royal guards arresting Fly Leaf - foretelling Fly Leaf's arrest later in the story after helping Thorax and Spike flee Vanhoover in the Vergilius. The tray of split coffee at her hooves is further referring to that same scene.
• "Qui valde malum caballionem est?" - being translated, means "who is the very bad pony?" This is referring to how Twilight calls Fly Leaf when she's arrested a "very naughty pony," and this statement sort of challenges that, rhetorically asking who is really being the "naughty" pony here? I wanted to make it specifically say "naughty" instead of "bad," but unfortunately, I couldn't find a direct translation of the word in Latin.
• The Canterlot invasion - obviously referencing a past event, but done deliberately in hopes that it would convey a sense of double meaning here, hinting at the second invasion still upcoming, as well as serving as a clue to readers that all of this appearing in dream may be no accident.
• Chrysalis and her bloodstained horn - foretelling how the queen will eventually fatally stab Thorax with her horn, which I then think makes it obvious as to who the victim described lying behind her is.
• The shadowy crowd of onlookers - the many creatures, namely ponies and changelings, Thorax would eventually influence in one way or another before the story's end.
• The king changeling - is Thorax himself in his reformed, kingly, form. He is moving away from Thorax in this dream though so to signify that the chain of events Thorax is now on is leading further and further away from this outcome, foretelling how he will ultimately never achieve this form or position, dying before he could.

"Middle-Ground"

The final dream sequence of the story, and the one where I more aggressively hint towards the major climax of the story, but with a twist.

• The acorn grove - foretelling how Thorax and company will pass through this same location to get at the changeling hive near the climax of the story.
• The parked Vergilius in a clearing - note that this clearing is located towards the "farther edges" of the grove, and will roughly be the same spot Thorax will later set the Vergilius down when arriving at the changeling hive.
• The long table of food - is the same table of food served as refreshments at the Vanhoover funeral services for Thorax. It being funeral potatoes and cherry pie is in turn a reference back to the "Black Sheep" and "Made With Love" chapters of the story.
• The "group of shadowy figures" - are Trixie, Starlight Glimmer, Ember, and Spike, everyone who accompanies Thorax on the flight to the changeling hive late in the story. The tall and "clearly not equine" figure described is Ember.
• "a red-bound, hardcover, and impressive looking book" - is Spike's book that he later writes of his experiences with Thorax following his death.. The cover being out of sight was done deliberately, so neither reader nor character in story could clearly see it and thus be able to accurately identify it, except Luna (implied to be thumbing through it at this moment).
• Twilight rising from the grave - with exception to the described stab wound, all details of Twilight's appearance mostly match of that as she will later appear at the time of Thorax's death. This will also be the same for Starlight, Trixie, and Spike.
• "stab wound to the chest" - note how everyone emerging from the graves all bear this same wound. This is foretelling how Thorax will die from such a wound, but in a deliberate attempt to keep people guessing, put this wound on everybody but Thorax in this dream.
• "Huc debemus non esse!" - being translated, means "we ought not to be here." Everyone emerging from these graves would suggest they are in danger of dying, except all of them saying they shouldn't be here, meaning it's not them facing the danger, which I hoped would then raise the question to the reader of if not them...then who is?
• "One of these figures was a notably tall and bipedal being" - again, this is supposed to be Ember, foretelling her now imminent entry into the story.
• "Sed qui noscis non es!" - being translated, means "but you know not who is." Interconnecting with the earlier "huc debemus non esse," it's basically saying that Thorax has not realized what this dream is trying to foretell to him, and what this will mean for him.
• "...the overcast sky above them suddenly cleared, revealing a brilliant full moon. Thorax noticed its image being reflected back at him in the eyes of the intruder before him." - this one is obvious, especially as it's explicitly revealed just paragraphs later in the chapter, so much so it doesn't really need saying, but since it counts too, this is foretelling how Thorax's mysterious dream intruder is indeed--surprise, surprise--Princess Luna. Woo hoo.

So, there you go. Interpretations of the secrets of "Grief." Hopefully this was an enlightening read, at the very least.

Comments

[harts fire]

i am sitting hear after reading what i see as a vary throe story snaps thinking back and remembering just how dam good this story really is.
the high moments and the low. yep it will always bring a tear to me just thinking about things.

but for the vary important question is there a E T A on the sequel??

[DezzarTac]

I barely survived! I just managed to scroll to the bottom of the page without being tempted to read anything.
Curse you for making a blog so tempting to read, and so potentially fully of spoilers.
Curses I tell you!
Edit: Oh wait, I've already finished reading GitPwP.

[Dlaf rferg]

4896729 I'd say it ended perfectly, and needs no sequel.

[Level Dasher]

I'll admit it's nice to see everything so well spelled out. Writers that have all these kinds of intricate details planned well in advance have my utmost respect. This was an amazing read, Scyphi. Great job!

[FanficReader920]

Wow. You sir, are a master at foreshadowing. "Grief" was an amazing ride and is easily one of the best fan-made stories I have ever read. I'm so glad I found it.

[Scyphi]

4896729
Right now, any sort of upcoming sequel is more...theoretical. There might be a sequel someday, there might not. It really mostly depends on how my personal schedule goes in the future. For right now, my attention is more focused on other projects.

4896738
i.pinimg.com/736x/fe/8e/ed/fe8eed4487bb26c44dac09f54ecd8d37--diane-pinkie-pie.jpg

4896761
Well, it helped that "Grief" ended up being so long that I could get away with doing some of that planning on the fly without anyone noticing. But yeah, I tend to do a lot of intricate planning in my stories, sometimes to a fault--sometimes it takes me so long to get around to actually writing something because I'm too busy planning it all down to the finest of details in advance.

[Peppermint Frost]

That was interesting to read! Some of the phrases in Thorax’s outburst were jolted in my mind again as I kept reading on. All these details connected together were really satisfactory, and you did an amazing job!

[grievousrommel]

If this work ends up being it for this universe, it is a magnificent magnum opus. Now I have closure on those sequences I didn't get...and that cursed cipher...

[TheStratovarian]

Can I get an an ac unit with my house? I'll help cut the hole for it.

I'd love one. No windows makes it nice in the winter.

[Dream Seeker]

... The story is over, completed is marked, and yet... I still feel like Thorax has to come back next chapter. It can’t end like this...

Very well written. I think this definitely takes one of the top 10 Changeling stories I’ve read (pretty impressive, considering I’ve read every Changeling story on this site with over 50k words). The planning was excellent, the writing was excellent, the pacing was excellent... I would have liked to see Thorax confess to more ponies individually, but that’s just because Changeling confessions tend to be my favorite moments in the genre.

Thank you for writing such a magnificent piece

[Rubiks_Err0R]

4896782

There might be a sequel someday, there might not.

...or you could just... not.
No sequel could make up for how fucking terrible this fucking got when you fucking killed Thorax.

4896757 You are half right; there is no point to make a sequel.

[Scyphi]

4915359
If you really don't want me writing that sequel, then you'd better stop telling me not to then. Seriously, every time you do that, it has a sort of reverse-psychology effect on me, and ultimately only eggs me on closer to writing a sequel anyway.

[Cursed Quill]

The phrase for this mode of trying to dissuade possible readers is "Schmuck Bait".

[Scyphi]

4922781
Heh, fair point, I suppose it could have that effect. I'm not too worried, though. Everyone who's commented I know has already read most if not all of "Grief" at the time they post. Everyone else who hasn't read has simply kept quiet about it, so its not like its being loudly broadcasted to the world.

[Dark Monarch Sombra]

4915359
I wasn't any happier with the ending than you were, but there's no reason to toss profanity around.