Consequences Lives! A Poll (AND ALL THE THINGS) · 4:30pm Sep 15th, 2014
Okay, we've got a lot of business to cover, so I'll try and make this quick. The poll is at the end though.
Consequences of Unoriginality is once again live and kicking! I'm working on the next/final chapter of the side story Despair of Gary Stu as well as the next chapter of Consequences of Unoriginality. Chapters won't be coming out as fast as this last one did, that's an exception due to a surprising amount of free time.
Revisions:
Now, there's been some (VERY) minor changes to Consequences made because I had an idea that had to be written in (so much better drama and story!). Don't worry about re-reading the story for it though, we're talking about a few sentences worth of change over 110,000 words. You should be able to pick up on it just from reading onwards.
Cover Art!
I'd love to have cover art for Consequences of Unoriginality </broken record>
I'm willing to commission art, but I'm not sure what would be appropriate for the story and any suggestions would be awesome. Commissioning will be at least a month away due to budget concerns on my part.
TVTropes:
I always feel awkward with the thought of updating the TVTropes page for Consequences of Unoriginality. It's awesome that it exists! But I don't know what's appropriate for an author to do about their own page. Thoughts?
The Future!
Emeris has been doing good so far, things are looking up for him! ... for the next arc. Things are going to drift from Emeris being the center of the story (FINALLY). He's our PoV character still, but he's not going to be the focus of the story anymore! *champagne poppers* Wooooooo!
Thanks!
Huge thanks to Aburi for helping me with this story, he makes things so much better like you don't even understand ;-;
I'm definitely not saying no to prospective editors or pre-readers though. Aburi is awesome, but he's only one guy.
Also, support his good story! I have it on good authority that there could be an equally delightful sequel to it 
Spoilerific Stuffs and IMPORTANT QUESTIONS!
Okay, fair warning, this is gonna be sorta spoiler-y for a bit.
The summary for the rest of the story is going through a bit of a revision since it was written before Season 3 was even done, let alone Season 4 was a thing. So the future of the story is being rebuilt a bit.
One of the things I've been considering is such: Could the Elements of Harmony have been used to revitalize the Tree of Harmony? As in: Would it have worked if Mane Six blasted the Tree of Harmony with the Elements rather than giving the gems back? There will be a comment below to vote on with your opinion.
As someone asked (and I'll codify here): I kind of need some OCs. I could make them myself, but I always love tapping into other people's creativity! I need some pony nobility, some griffons (primarily nobility), nobility for some various species, and some military / administration ponies that would work for Twilight once she's a princess, since Emeris helps her settle into her job and assumes command of her military guard.
Now for the really spoiler-y stuff:
If Emeris was swept up in the magical mystery cure which swaps their cutie marks and talents (and noting that his cutie mark is, terrifyingly, directly connected to black magic and knowledge of it), what are suggestions on who gets swapped with whom?
Do you think that if the Elements of Harmony had been used on the Tree of Harmony rather than the gems being given back to it, would it have fixed things?
2456965 well i think it would work but only for a short time, a few months to a few years, because its just giving it a bit of the actual power that giving back the elements would. and continuing to blast it with the elements works less and less each time until you have to give back the elements. if it makes sense.
also i sent my oc in but due to the site being weird for me i dont know if you got it.
2456974
Got it! Sent a reply.
And I'm referring more to the fact that it captured the princesses and the Punish Vines or whatever they're called. If using the Elements would fix both of those (as in destroying the Punish Vines, not just forcing them back).
2456965
Temporarily, yes. But as a whole, no. The Elements may have had to go back to the tree in the end.
The vines could have been removed off the tree and gone away from the nearby towns. However, they may have grown back after a while, and the Tree of Harmony had completely used up it's power trying to hold them back for so long, leaving it defenseless. The Tree of Harmony may have been connected to other things across Equestria that everyone may not have been aware about. There have been thoughts that the weakening of the tree was what helped Tirek escape his prison, for instance. If so, sending him back there would not keep him there. And again, there may have been other things effected by the weakening of the tree.
Whether using the EoH to charge the tree would work depends on HOW they work:
1) They draw power from/through the Tree.
-- if so then it would definitely not work. That would be like using a battery to charge itself.
2) They pull their power from the Bearers.
-- might work for a moment. In the end, the magical potential of six ponies pales compared to the forces the Tree seems to work with.
3) They pull power from Equestria itself.
-- while this introduces other logical issues, it is the only option that produces the desired result.
Also... Curse you for plugging my story.
Now I have to go and be productive again
2456978 well in the case of the vines..id have to say yes because they were brought in by discord or created by him. if it was to not destroy or drive them back id have to say it would remove discords influence on them to where they would be more or less 'normal' for the everfree or at least not as vicious to the point where it chases creatures down.
i would prefer if he is conveneintly away when twilight does the swap spell, that way you wont have to worry with the corrupting effects of dark magic on the pony who got it. as for him being away how about Celestia calls him to canterlot cause she (most likely) knows somewhat what the spell would do and have emeris away from the event so he doesnt get caught up and possible hurting somepony with his cutie mark
2456965
I... Think it could work. For a little while anyway. It's like powering something through a direct conection with an electrical outlet, and batteries. The batteries will keep you going for a while, but they'll run out eventually, and you'll need new ones (another magical rainbow blast). Wheras, placing the Elements back in the tree would give it a full-on connection to ze magicks. So, on the one hand, you can keep your super duper magical rainbow super weapon, but have to constantly recharge... whatever functions the tree has, or loose them, but gain whatever 'Rainbow Power' is.
One path leads you to more peace, potentially, but you'd need to continually get new Bearers after the old ones are gone, through death or other circumstances. On the other, you gain a power which, for all intents and purposes, is more or less the same, but functions as a more traditional power up, which might lead to more confrontations n such, since there is no indication that all six of them are needed to access the power.
As for the spoilery spoiler stuff...
I think that having Emeris present for it would be an interesting opportunity. A bit of an idea I had, though. What if, instead of simply swaping his Mark with someone else's, the spell... resonates oddly with his. Seeing as his body is but a shell for his actual body, and the fact that a Mark is kind of important, what if his Mark was split up? What if, instead of one person simply having his Mark, the pages of his 'book'... were scattered?
After all, a book such as that would have many pages... And, like the One Ring... what if it sought out those who would learn from it?
Just a thought though, feel free to dismiss it if ya want to.
2457571 That idea...
That has a ton of potential. Perhaps too much? It would take several chapters to fully explore it, enough to be a story all on it's own.
2457867
Perhaps. It depends on amount of stuff let out, though. If it's only confined to the... six, now, people involved, it'd probably be shorter. Whatever Ando and you decide to do with it, if you want to, is fine with me.
2456983
Hm... interesting... thank you!
2456984
2456986
I have no regrets!
2456991
Thank you!
2457098
While that would make things easier, it's a more interesting drama if it does happen.
2457571
Hm. Okay, that about aligns with everything else. That gives me an idea so far.
That... has a fucking ton of potential, but what, in reverse, happens to him? His cutie-mark is spread out to the others... but what does he get?
There's potential that their cutie marks all get stuffed into him and they all get aspects of his (surprisingly complex) cutie mark. Or they all get an aspect of his cutie mark in addition to their cutie marks swapping, but that leaves the question of what he "gets" (happens to him) in return?
I fucking love the idea though. I may not use it in the end for simplicity/brevity's sake, but still, this is super cool
2458575 or he gets nothing. He has no proper anchor in Equestrian Harmony, so there's nothing for the spell to settle into like it does for normal ponies. So he's just sort of... Emptied.
2458602
... so that's horrifying.
Also would mean the story would need to leave his PoV again which I'd like to avoid but fuck it sounds interesting...
2458575
As said above, either his 'body' is emptied, and his original body begins to erode the laws of the Equstrian reality away including his false body, or vice versa, and his false body acts as a sort of 'shield' or 'anchor' till it's fixed, or a 'page' is torn from his book. Either he'd get an amalgam of all of theirs in return, or, it'd be Equivalent Exchange: He gets a part of their Marks to fill the 'pages' back in, and in return, they get a fragment of his imposed on their own somewhere, along with the Canon swap-foolery going about. Talk about an identity crisis, eh?
Or he could just go super coma/full sapience removal for the duration of the spell. He's quite literally be an empty shell at that point.
And thanks! I usually don't get ideas like that unless a frigging bolt from the heavens strikes me directly on the noggin, and I'm viewing something I genuinely like.
2458602
2458686
... Idea:
Emeris becomes a descicated, pseudo-corpse when the spell hits him as so much of himself bleeds out. While everyone's cutie marks are swapped as per canon, they each get a fragment of his own. A page from his book of dangerous knowledge that suits the cutie mark... or at least, who the cutie mark was originally with.
If that was only the case, there would be no trouble. The original possessors of the cutie mark can do it just fine without the dangerous knowledge and ability that comes with a page from Emeris' cutie mark... but the new possessors? The swapped ponies? Desperate to do their "calling" properly, to the best of their ability, tap into the black knowledge that comes with the page from his book.
The saving grace's being that A). Twilight can fix things, and B). Once Emeris has his cutie mark back, he's able to fix all of the problems that the black magics caused.
Laughter - Fluttershy, who tries to be funny, gets his magics to summon even things that should not be summoned, new friends and helpers for her task of throwing parties
Generosity - Applejack, who desperately tries to make beautiful dresses and beauty gets his mastery of flesh twisting and shaping (blood magic)
Kindness - Dash, who tries to control Fluttershy's animals gets his magic to twist the souls and minds of others
Loyalty - Rarity, who desperately tries to be a weather mare gets his absurd talent and ability for warping reality and its calcification, instead of simple designs in the sky she also creates clouds of cloth, living lighting, things which break the laws of physics
Honesty - Pinkie Pie tries to buck apples gets his ability to use his darker emotions for power but none of his absurd restraint or control of the ability
Alternatively, the Mane Six keep their normal marks but get the addition of a page from his book and a lack of knowledge of the full consequences of their use.
2458788
Oooohohohoho.
Either scenario seems like it'd be really interesting/intriguing.
On the one hand, we get a canon version with a twist to it, or we go full on screwing the Stations of Canon all together. I'm really, really tempted to just flat out say the second, and see what effects and consequences happen because of that. On the other hand, the other situation is intriguing as well, seeing what kind of Swappery the combination of forbidden knowledge and the desperate struggle to assert one's identity would lead up to. I'll leave it up to your capable hands, and knowledge of where you want the story to go. I'm just the guy hanging on for dear life, laughing all the way, on the edge of the roller-coaster seat.
Either way, though, Emeris is getting another really bad day. Life just seems to keep throwing sucker punches at him, eh? First Gary Stu-ification, then unimaginable pain, then the equivalent of a mind/soul/body rape, and now, his literal self is being torn to pieces.
Anyone else think it's frigging dangerous for him to stay in Ponyville? Like, at all?
Awww, "despair" is only going to be a 2 chapter thing? Then now we KNOW that it won't end well. As for that last part why would em get affected by it at all? I mean all the background ponies were just fine. I also thought you wanted to keep em out of the focus/spotlight, cuz him being involved with that at all would probably just drag him into it dontcha think? As for the suggestion by Beyond The Horizon, that would take a VERY long arc to properly cover, and we just got out of an arc that you admitted to biting off more than you could chew, so you know, you might wanna think that through before writing yourself into another corner.
2456965
The physical elements of harmony are a combination of battery and conduit. They produce nothing. The tree of harmony is the linked power source.
Firing the Elements at the tree would at best do nothing, at worst, create a drain cycle that would kill the tree and render the gems useless.
OC:
I don't think he fits what you need, but I'll put him here regardless.
Windquaker.
Pegasus, light grey coat, dark blue eyes, nearly black mane and tail with a silver pinstripe in each. Primary feathers have silver tips. Left wing missing, how it happened never explained, but is known he was once a soilder.
Special talent: lighting mastery, can control it far beyond normal Pegasus abilities, other weather manipulation is sub-par.
Personality: quiet, polite, and will deliver lines of pure wit only when no one expects them.
I figure he can be one of your administaration ponies. Has combat experience but obviously no longer fit for combat duty.
Any gaps in the info you can fill in as you see fit.
-- if I'm totally honest, Emeris may have been the inspiration that sparked my creation of Windy over a year ago.
2458927
It's more that this latest arc was way harder to write than I anticipated than being "more than I could chew" and was a bit more cancerous than intended. That said, I am definitely going to be more careful before going on whims of fancy with stuff like this.
And as for keeping him out of the spotlight, it's more him not being the center of attention rather than uninvolved. I've never intended for him not to be involved, just not the focus of the plot
2458929
Seems like that's the general consensus, so... right!
And as for Windy, I'd need more information about his personality, likes/dislikes/prejudices/flaws/things he does during his down-time and such
2458788 I had a similar idea this morning, but you took it to a very dark place.
I absolutely approve, and suggest you go with the full abilities version of your idea.
2459318
Taking things to dark places, it's a talent~ tee hee~
More seriously, which one are you supporting, 'cause it's not clear to my derpy self which one is the "full abilities" version
2459328
The r version where the girls start using the talents that have been superimposed from Emeris' mark. The one that makes the biggest mess.
2459328
2459339
I'm guessing he means the second option? Either way, if that's the case, I'll fully support that. I mean, i'd fully support the first one as well, but since someone else is agreeing with me, I think, I'll just go all frigging in.
Curious though; Will Twilight be sucked into this as well? Since, in the original, she wasn't affected, being the one to cast the spell.
2459339
2459463
The latter version could be more unsettling actually...
Twilight gets the Lotus itself in her mark, representing her upcoming ascension
Pinkie - Soul Twisting (she uses it to make everyone happy, but doing so becomes progressively creepier as time goes on. It’s like a drug and makes ponies act together (usually and most creepily to turn and stare at whoever isn't under the effect when they first come somewhere, smiling. This should scare the hell out of Twilight once she notices it due to the nightmare she shared with Emeris)
Fluttershy - Summoning (She summons a powerful demon which tries to corrupt her and slowly does. It encourages her to summon more demons and fae and monsters)
Rainbow Dash - Blood Magic (involving using up her life-force in order to make things easier, it becomes almost junkie-like. She starts to waste away as she slowly falls into abuse of this power without realizing it because it feels good)
Applejack - Not sure what would work best as a temptation for her that qualifies as black magic except maybe the use of emotions for power which would make her go gradually insane/angrier since she doesn't know how to control it (Especially if her and Dash get into a competition)
Rarity - Reality Warping (Inspiration Manifestation all over again, or, well, for the first time really)
Emeris becomes little more than descicated husk, whimpering and quivering and needing to be hospitalized because he’s so empty
2459795
31.media.tumblr.com/8cc2fa80cb0035dcffc6001604639427/tumblr_inline_my4yy4pSSZ1s2lj0l.gif
Seriously though, pretty frigging good.
And, as another thought, what if Applejack, the Element of Honesty, got Name Magic out of that? You did just do a dissertation on that, after all.
2459922
I considered that, but it's not unsettling enough and ends up too similar to Pinkie's, not to mention it's not tempting the way that the others are.
Its potential is horrifying, but mostly when used with other magics. By itself? Especially in the hands of some(pony) already moral? Meh. And it's a bit hard to use accidentally, if anything, it'd be used to mitigate the disaster of the other pages... so...
Nope ~
2460836
-Shrugs-
Guess Emotion Manipulation Magic, then? Which makes sense, considering how the mares and everyone else reacted around him...
2461117
I had an idea: "Black Magic" in that darker emotions act as power, which in her case means greater physical strength, speed, and endurance. Think Roid Rage, the angrier or more violent she is, the stronger she is. By itself, not a big deal, but if Dash challenges her to a competition (since, say, she's got a marked advantage now due to Blood Magic or something and wants to tease Applejack and/or show her up just a bit...)...
2461127
Oh geez. And considering how competitive the two get...
Geez. If the two go at it for a while... Roid Rage would be jealous.
Of course, forcibly making your body harder/better/faster/stronger ain't too good either. While you'd definitely get muscle and stuff that way... Well, it has to come from somewhere, as you've noted. And the more the two use the Black Magic, the more dependent/corrupted/ensnared by it they become. And that makes them use it more. Which makes them more addicted. Etc, etc, etc..
-Shudders-
2461136
Actually, while Applejack would be adding more and more bulk over time as the black magic converted her anger into power/mass, Dash would be slowly wasting away since she's literally burning her blood and flesh for power.
"Positive" feedback loop at its worst.
2461169
... Ooooh. Oh ouch.
I thought it was going to be something like, I dunno, extreme body modification magic. I forgot that Blood Magic also literally uses your own bleeding blood as it's fuel source.
... Been a while since I played Dragon Age, where I last saw that kind of Blood Magic. And of course, there, it was also a forbidden magick... For good reasons. I know Blood Magic and it's various descriptions come from all over the place, but that reminded me of Dragon Age, because I happen to own that game. And played the 'ell out of it.
2461169
Only other question I have is, what would the girl's reaction to Emeris'... ah, reduced state? Unless the Black Magic has something to do with that.
2463809
Concern. The girls don't see each other as different, but Emeris definitely isn't something that can be brushed aside (He went from a large unicorn stallion to a little, desiccated, comatose one).
They don't believe they've been changed, but others in the story at that point will notice.
2463828
wait, you mean that in this alternative route, they will think that they had this black magic stuff the entire time like how they thought that their swapped cutie marks were really theirs in the other route?
2466611
Yes, that's the intention.
2466681
sooo....let me see our options here so far.
Option 1: Self-Destructive Spell - the Mane 6 get to stay as themselves but gets Emeris' black magic with zero knowledge of its consequences and act as if it was always there. Since their cutie marks aren't swapped, this black magic stuff is given to have far more focus, and thus, consequences than the other options to compensate. That and the fact that Twilight will have to find another way to get them back to normal since Cannon solution may not work since their cutie marks aren't swapped.
Option 2: Cannon With a Twist - Same as the Cannon problem but with the added twist of adding Emeris' black magic into the mix. considering how they are already destroying themselves and, potentially, the town (weather manipulating Rarity is bad for a town's health) adding black magic can really make things a whole lot worse (and dangerous)
they all seem horrifying and that just because Emeris is within the general area. but then that got me thinking. If the Mane six are getting some of his powers, why not get the whole package...and perhaps, see things from his point of view.
and thus, I present you, the third option
option 3: To walk a mile in his shoes - the mane six gets to stay as themselves and all have a piece of Emeris' powers with all the control, knowledge, and implications that such magic may have with it. They all however, have one thing in common...
They all have the GSE(Gary Stu Effect)
the effects can be slow or immediate. either way, the hell that Emeris suffered will come to them soon enough, from rabid fanboys, to having skills they shouldn't even have, and having the skills they do have be upped to eleven.
note that this is the GSE in effect here, I can imagine Rarity suddenly getting crowned as the queen of fashion and get increasingly frustrated that even if she tries to deliberately make her cloths and designs awful, she would still be crown as queen for whatever reason the world under the GSE can come up with.
and of course, the universe making threats that could legitimately destroy Equestria and only the Mane 6 can stop them. and while I have never read the alternative version of Consequences, if some of what I have read from Tvtropes is true, then the Mane 6 may have to deal with some mental scars of their own.
and don't forget, their are 6 Mary sues here now instead of one. the rabid fans may collectively agree that they are all awesome but they all have their own favorites. and like any fans that take things to far, fights may literally start on who is the best pony among the six when they are all gathered in one place. and mind you, these aren't pretty fights too, they can legitimately injure someone that could send them into the hospital and they can all happen right in front of the Mane six. (I could also add death but that is a bit much for the mane six don't you think)
Hell, can you imagine if Rainbow Dash and Applejack suddenly got into a short competition over anything? under the GSE, the competition would probably go nationwide and no matter the outcome, whether its a draw or not, riots might happen all over Equestria as one side argue over who is better than the other.
Honestly, if you think about it. Option 3 might be the worst of them all, considering just how potentially damaging it can be to the rest of the world.
If you want, you could keep the effect within Ponyville only, force the Mane 6 to hideout in Emeris' Home where his Barrier might still exist to escape the horde of crazed fanboys and think of a way to get things back to normal , only to get back as a threat only they could stop threatens to destroy ponyville.
Sorry if this seem so long. I am just giving out my own ideas on how you can go about the MMM episode. in the end, your the author so the final say goes to you. either pick one from these options or create your own. or possible scrap the whole thing just get Emeris far away from ground zero and let Cannon takes its course.
Just make sure that whatever you choose, it wouldn't be as difficult to write as the last arc as you say it was. I would rather not wait for another year for an update just because you somehow wrote yourself to a corner again.
P.S: on a side note, I made option 3 because I really want the mane 6 to really see how things were for him when GSE was still active. its one thing to say your problems, its another thing to experience them yourselves entirely.
2466880
Yup! Not to mention how this will affect Twilight since she's included!
Yup!
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee~
Mind you, sadly, I'm probably not going to use it because the way his "curse" worked as well as how Starswirl's spell works in my interpretation, but gah that's a nice idea!