It's been a while since we did a monthly event. Let's do another one.

The theme for January will be Alternate Universes. Take the current timeline and continuity and go crazy with changing it. All those things that could never be canon? Do them. All those 'What if?' questions? Answer them.

For my own part, I'm going to have a look at one of the most obvious things to change in all of Winning Pony: What if the Flight Camp Incident had never happened? It's an easy change to make, considering just how many things needed to go wrong for that whole mess to happen, but once you take that incident away, you change everything about Cloud's life.

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You mean it would make Cloud into a relatively stable individual? Maker forbid

2305112 Welp, consider me pumped for the new year.

Hey, you know what would make for a really sad AU? If Derpy died.

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Not me>.< Im miffed. I've already done three au Winning Pony stories, two of which I have writers block on, and none of which are eligible because I did them beforehand

The immediate idea that comes to my mind is what if Cloud's mother had always been the changeling infiltrator? Maybe she still gets killed in the cave by Cloud and Dash, maybe she escapes after dropping the bombshell ("You killed my mother!" "Cloud, I am your mother." "That's not true, that's impossible!"), either could be interesting.

Not that I will be writing it, I have no time to spare from my reading.

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Cloud's mother a changeling? Guess that's they mean when they say buggery

I get the feeling Comma's gonna have a field day with DeadDerpyVerse.

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...and then if the two of them made out, that'd be insects...

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Maybe an incident still happened, just not the incident. Hello three-way.

Here's one:
"What If?...Cloud Kicker caught an incurable STD?"

What if Cloud Kicker lied about dropping out of the guard, and was actually working as a secret agent spying on the future elements of harmony? Probably with Lyra as a sidekick.

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He has one or two painful ideas brewing.

How about an alternate version of The Incredibly Dense Mind of Rainbow Dash? Where Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie's roles are reversed. Dash is the one crushing on Pinkie, and she wants to ask her to be her special somepony on Hearts and Hooves Day, but has no idea where to start.

It would still hinge on Rainbow Dash being romantically clueless, so "the joke" would be the same in its essence. However, seeing Rainbow Dash trying to be her awesome self, when she is way out of her element, to the point where Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth end up doing their best to help out, could be hilarious.

Not a massive change, but potentially enough to be an interesting read and exploration of the characters involved, while also being familiar enough to be approachable for those familiar with the Winning-verse.

What if, after the incident, Cloud Kicker turned introspective and withdrawn and remained that way instead of turning outward to others?

Wow this has so much potential, so many ideas. Somehow I doubt my ability to execute properly. One I kind of want to see is what if insted of the EoH, CK got the Kicker Armor of Doom and battled Nightmare Moon. Ooo or what if Alula was actually CK daughter, promiscuity has its risks after all. I also liked that idea od RD and CK having hooked up, hmm what if Pinkie never fell for Dash and she had to fend off CK trying to hook her up with every mare and stallion.

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And then Cloud Kicker was a Jedi.

2305600 Everyone and everypony, hide your mothers!

2305792 I think we're still pending CK's doning of Shadow's armor before we know whether that might end up true in canon.

Concerning Blossomforth and Cloud Kicker, what if Blossom was the one obsessed with "banging" and Cloud was the "straight mare". It's not a really bug change but it would certainly be interesting and fun to explore.

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You mean like a Freaky Friday type thing? Imagine Jake the Ginger's "Role Reversal" playing out with Blossomforth and Cloud Kicker swapping lives...

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Or playing off of your ideas:

Alula being CK's daughter: if Cloud Kicker and Derpy swapped lives.

Or if instead of falling for Fluttershy, Cloud Kicker meets Pinkie Pie first and falls head over hooves for Pinkie instead.

Cloud Kicker has mentioned what a great Element of Loyalty she'd make. What if an AU put that theory to the test and she ends up following Twilight into the Everfree Forest instead of Rainbow Dash?

For my own part, I'm going to have a look at one of the most obvious things to change in all of Winning Pony: What if the Flight Camp Incident had never happened? It's an easy change to make, considering just how many things needed to go wrong for that whole mess to happen, but once you take that incident away, you change everything about Cloud's life.

Well, I guess I have only myself to blame for not actually finishing The Incredibly Wonderful Life of Cloud Kicker... I guess some ideas are just too good to sit around, dusty and neglected, for too long. Although, come to think of it, I wasn't planning to outright remove the Flight Camp incident, just alter it... Maybe I'll see if I can make the time to finish it after all. January, eh? Well, there's Winter Break... If I finish those college essays early, cram all my mandatory volunteering hours into a few sessions... Hmm...

Either way, I look forward to seeing how you imagine the timeline playing out, Chengar... especially since I expect it ultimately won't be nearly as tragic as what I'd planned to write. (Is that a challenge? Yes. Yes, it is.)

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Cloud Kicker has mentioned what a great Element of Loyalty she'd make. What if an AU put that theory to the test and she ends up following Twilight into the Everfree Forest instead of Rainbow Dash?

Yes!! Kicker Loyalty would be Awsome, but somehow I dont think she would fit with the mane 6. AU mane six CK is tasked with escorting Princess Twilight on her first assignment, a highly specilized team hoof picked by Celestia.

2305112 What if Cloud Kicker was born a unicorn or earth pony? <shrug> She might have a nutty life but it would very very different. If there was a incident similar to Flight Camp anywhere else, totally different ponies would bring about different actions and reactions.

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Unicorn Cloud Kicker could actually make for a very interesting story. After all, she's got the family background for it (just look at Star) but it changes a whole lot about how her life would play out. Obviously Flight Camp is out, which removes some very formative events and her WinningCanon circle of friends. Then we get the fun possibilities of her going to school in Canterlot.

Also, Cloud is a very pegasus name...

2308075 Pinkie Pie is a very "Bakery" based name, didn't stop her from being born on a rock farm. I have no clue if Pinkamena is a type of stone (doubt it). Or why not make her a him? Nothing original but...Also Rarity could control the clouds.

That could set up an ENTIRELY new 'verse'; one opposing the dead-derpyverse's heartstring-jerking with it's unrelenting fluffy idealistic happiness

I highly approve of this.
~OvO

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Oh god.

'What if everypony except Derpy had cancer?'

In any case, you have no idea how tempting it is to write an AU where Cloud rocked Luna's world so hard, that wedding bells resulted.

With the eventual completion of the trifecta of love. Platonic love, with Twi. Romantic love, with Cadance. And finally, weighing in for sexy times, Kickycorn.

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I want to see that story now.

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Lum, that's an awesome idea!

Let's kick it Pre-Winning here.

What if Shadow joined the others in their rebellion against Celestia?
What if Shadow accepted Celetia's offer of ascension?
What if Danver Carrot didn't murder Apple Tree?

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*facehoof*

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S'good, innit?

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far, far too good.

hoof is stuck to face.
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She comes from a pegasus family, so I don't see much issue with her having Cloud as a name still. Hell, she could even keep her talent. She just does it magically rather than hooves-on (like Rarity in MMC).

That all said, I'd love to read this AU concept.

Maybe she could still visit (or even attend) flight camp; she'd have quite a bit of reason to go to Cloudsdale and have access to the correct magic. They let Rarity enter the Best Young Fliers Competition with obviously magical wings, why not a unicorn able to cast her own wing spell enrolled into Flight Camp? Hell, they even let griffons enroll.

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What can I say? It was a perfect setup - would have been criminal of me not to take advantage of a pun like that.

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Criminal to take advantage of it as well. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

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Unicorn Cloud Kicker would also really hype up the possibility that she's one of Dinky's parents.

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"the possibility that she's one of Dinky's parents"

The mystery of Dinky's conception is revaled:
Dinky is the result of a drug-fueled orgy, as part of an occult ritual!

Well...the drugs were most likely just a few too many hash muffins.
Also, the "occult ritual" may have just been a stolen Discord statue from the royal canterlot gardens, that they were too scared (lazy) to put back.
In fact, they were probably all too "spaced" for anything more kinky than some clumsy shuffling of hooves.
Actually, there is not even any garantuee that, what was most likely a small group of friends, included any stallions whatsoever.
Hmmm....Dinky's conception might be more of a medical mystery (miracle?), than a forgotten secret.

(I'm sorry, I stole your words to make a silly. I should probably go to bed soon, it's been a long day)

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Sorry... just to clarify... due to the "Magic of Love" making it possible for Rainbow Dash to have two mommies, it was speculated by members of both Cloud Kicker's family as well as Derpy's that Dinky may have been their love child. Dinky's father hasn't been officially revealed in the Winningverse yet, and because of the "lavender coat/blonde mane" thing both she and CK have... I'd have to re-read it, but I seem to recall that this was one of the reasons Cirrus had issues with CK and Derpy being friends in "What's in a Name?"

Thus my previous comment was poking the "resemblance" issue of CK and Dinky with a stick. If they thought that Cloud might have been Dinky's mother as a pegasus... in an AU where Cloud Kicker's a unicorn, the feathers would really have hit the fan when Dinky arrived.

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Yeah, I remembered the "child of love" thing a bit too late. By then I was determined to post my silly idea, and Celestia damn the consequences!

You're absolutley right, though. It has been heavily hinted that Shining Armor is Dinky's father throughout the winningverse. However, in an AU with Cloud Kicker as a unicorn, she might steal that spot. If not for the audience, then definitley for the ponies within Derpy and Cloud's joint social circles.
Either way, I see great potential for consitent comedy being provided from this gag alone.
(Hopefully someone is interestedenough in the idea, to write a story for AU winningverse month)

2318355 I would pay big money to see this.

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Cloud Kicker has mentioned what a great Element of Loyalty she'd make. What if an AU put that theory to the test and she ends up following Twilight into the Everfree Forest instead of Rainbow Dash?

I really want to write this, but it'll be my first fanfiction, which makes me a little nervous.

So if anyone else has a hankering to do this, please do.

Oh, this'll be fun! I've never participated in a Winning Month thing, but I'll give it a shot!

I'd like to see what would have happened if a Changeling had managed to sneak inside the vault after it had been opened and tried to steal Shadow's armor, triggering the loyalty test. Is a being that barely has a will of its own capable of true loyalty? What does it mean when actively chosing to be loyal to the hive is itself considered betrayal?

Throw in some carefully timed schenanigans and it might not even have to be AU.

How about an AU ruled by Dinky the Magnificent, who has enslaved the world with her adorableness.

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I would read the hell out of that.

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Ah, time to actually write that one where CK gets pregnant.

So much interesting. Many hype.

January will be a good month.

What's the deadline for submissions again? I have an idea for a story that will put poor Derpy through the wringer.

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You mean worse than dying of cancer? Or being a mutant-whatever-she-is in FoE?

She's a ghoul, and an adorable one as far as that goes.
But yes, if Derpy's thoughts on the anniversary of Dinky's abortion is worse by your metric.

How about a story where Cloud Kicker and Twilight fell in love sometime during Study Of A Winning Pony?