Speculation (the other other road not taken) · 10:13pm Oct 8th, 2013
The other day I received an interesting prompt from Regreme,
how do you think it'd be possible for the Elements of Harmony to be swapped in different ways due to changes to their lives as fillies?
First thing, each of the main six has a personal virtue, an aspect that is their personal identity... no I'm not talking about their element of harmony, I'm talking about the personal motivation that makes them become bearers of the elements of harmony.
Applejack's is dilligence. Whatever she decides to do, she dedicates herself to with a volume of sheer determination that borders on the supernatural. When we see her behaving 'pidheadedly', that's dedication to a project that isn't working out ('Applebuck Season', 'Fall Weather Friends', 'The Last Roundup', 'Apple Family Reunion'). In the course of the show this is portrayed as 'honest hard work' and earns her the element of honesty. In Amv I had her take on a more esoteric goal 'finding what makes people happy'.
In looking for a new element for AJ, I first had to discount the elements she's already had: Honesty (canon), Laughter (Amv), Generosity (Mystery Cure), and Loyalty (in the course of the show, it could be argued that she demonstrates loyalty almost as well as Dash does). She's got no truck with magic, so that leaves Kindness. If we look at Fluttershy's canon character, it doesn't seem like a good match, but move back and look at the job Fluttershy performs: taking care of animals and acting as a defacto mediator of pony/critter relations. In the show, Applejack performs this service for the 'farm' animals. So moving from sheep, pigs, and cattle to bears, badgers, and bunnies isn't as far of a stretch. Plus I think the dynamic of having AJ and Angel but heads could be quite interesting, the rabbit's role switching from superego to conscience.
Now the question is: why in Equestria would Applejack end up living in the cottage instead of at home, on the farm? Well why did she leave the first time? What we're told is that she went on a journey of self-discovery (I personally believe that was at least partly set off by sorrow over the death of her parents, but the show can never say that directly).
What if, on her journey home 'following the rainbow', she ran across a wounded animal, out by the cottage at the edge of the everfree? A moose, perhaps. I like to populate the cottage with an old pony who was taking care of the animals in the previous generation (what can I say, I think mentors are a good idea). If AJ noticed her and stopped to help, the memory of that would follow the apple pony when she returned to Sweet Apple Acres. An idea might form, and within a couple of weeks she might get the idea of seeing if that old healer needed any more help. This time she wouldn't be running away from home, her family would still be nearby, but she could be pursuing something that resonated with her (especially if the ideas of death and suffering were still bothering her).
There's an interesting consequence to this sequence: if AJ is only helping out at the farm on a very limited basis, eventually probably only during harvest season, then the 'Acres are going to need another pony to help out. I'm loathe to use the exact same device, twice, so rather than dragging one of the mane six in to replace her, I considered who else didn't have a place at the time. Braeburn. Think about it, he was part of the effort to settle Appleoosa, which means there wasn't room for him back at his previous home. What if Granny Smith put out the call to her relatives, and Braeburn was sent to help maintain the family's first farm? Sweet Apple Acres keeps running, but Appleoosa isn't as firmly established, which provides potential story elements later (perhaps if the settler ponies weren't in as strong of an opinion they would either be more willing to negotiate with the buffalo, or else so stuck in survival mode that they refused to ever compromise, leaving the two groups in a slow simmering conflict/war).
Speculation about consequences is fun, but what about the orange mare herself? Dealing with animals requires the ability to be both quiet and very firm when needed, to move in a manner that doesn't terrify the tiny or challenge the predators – except when one has to tell the cougar to BACK OFF. It's a hard job where 99% of one's effort is invisible, but then you could say the same about the apple orchard. Applejack is neither an introvert nor an extrovert, so the relative isolation of her new job wouldn't be torture, but she would probably crave more equine contact. On top of that, I suspect AJ would be more proactive about animal care.
Putting all of these ideas together, I see this AJ as being a sort of socialworker for the woodland creatures. Caring for the wounded and the sick, exercising the healthy animals and handling disputes between various critters and/or between 'critters' and ponies. On the other hoof, I think she would be very interested in relations between ponies and animals, promoting the idea of pets for ponies (we know Fluttershy dabbled in the idea, she wouldn't have had such a large list of animals for RD to consider adopting if she didn't spend time thinking about it), as well as encouraging ponies to spend time with animals in general. I think that under her Aegis, the animals around Ponyville would have a more active role with the townsfolk, for better or for worse.
Speaking of Aegis, I'd imagine her cutie mark to be a tree sheltering a variety of animals, signifying her role as caretaker.
Rainbow Dash is a paragon of physical dedication. She has tuned her will and body into an instrument for feats of acrobatic skill that not only push the boundary of equine ability but occasionally break the line entirely. Her virtue is skill, taking a skill and dedicating herself to expressing the heart and soul of that art. A very strong extrovert streak runs through her, and she needs almost continuous feedback. I personally think this is the only external expression of her internal obsession with perfecting herself. Another pony sees her aerobatic feats and is blown away, Dash looks her performances and can only see how much better she could have done. Part of what this proves is how much she cares about ponies in general, and her friends specifically – a vulnerability that she can't stand to expose to anyone, and so she creates a shield of bravado around herself that can be very grating to those who can't see past it.
To consider a new element for her, we need to look at where she's already been: Loyalty (canon), Generosity (Amv), Kindness (Mystery Cure), and Magic (what else do you call beating the laws of physics until they cry uncle and let a pony break the sound-barrier? Giver her a horn and it would all be over as soon as she figured out how to excercise her magic). The single glimpse we see of her as a prankster (Gryphon the Brushoff) suggests she could be a decent element of laughter. On top of that, we see the unrealized potential of a storyteller in her every boasting recount of her own prowess or waxing on the Wonderbolts.
So how does Dash go from Jock to Jester? By learning that her actions have consequences. What if there had actually been a responsible adult present when the race happened, or who at least investigated what had happened? In Amv I inverted the results of the race, having Dash give up the race to help Fluttershy. Instead what I'm looking at here is an adult sitting her down and pointing out what could have happened to Fluttershy if she hadn't been rescued by improbable physics-defying butterflies. This would burst open Rainbow's newly forming ego of athleticism, make her question her motivations. Throw in a few hours of community service alongside the idiot trio to 'teach them all a lesson' and we have a narrative. Perhaps she makes a few jokes while on her work crew, and realizes that the laughter helps everyone do their jobs a little easier, perhaps that's enough of spark to make her look at comedy and performance in general. Juggling, tumbling, pratfalls, sleight of hoof... with a little 'dedication' Rainbow Dash could have become an entertainer, a vaudevillian performer, or a circus act. In fact, she might have tried all three.
Rarity's virtue is craft. She takes a principle (such as 'clothesmaking') and explores what it could be. In addition to this, she is self-motivated (this means she doesn't need external stimulus to act), and self-invented – she managed to create a persona of debonair and sophistication whilst growing up with ponies such as Hayseed Turniptruck (now there's a pony whose parents didn't like him), while still responsive to the opinions and concerns of those around her (this is normally very hard for self-motivated people, and the real reason she deserves to be Generosity in the show). As the sixth element in Amv, she replaced the goal of sharing her artistic vision with everypony with the idea of finding and sharing knowledge about ponykind's past, present, and future. Toward this goal she has had to overcome everything from apathy to active resistance, and had to develop a much harder outer persona and accept that she wasn't going to get a lot of the feedback she craves. Instead she has gathered a small cadre of ponies she trusts and is determined to push Equestria into a brighter future, even if she has to drag them kicking and screaming.
In considering a new element, we have to consider the elements she has already had contact with: Generosity (canon), Chance (#6, Amv), Loyalty (Mystery Cure), and Kindness (again, she is closest to Fluttershy and her urges to help others mean she already acts as a stand-in for this element. we want something NEW, so this one is out). To really stretch her personality and subvert the canon understanding of her character I chose Honesty for her new element. The fashionista persona is where Rarity's aversion to dirt and prissiness springs – I think she'd still have her obsessive attention to detail in any role – so if she decided to be somepony else, that would require a different persona.
What if, instead of entering the world of haute couture, she had decided to take on the family business? Then we need to know what the 'family business' is. Her father is a retired hoofball player (so all the fanon says), so something like building construction seems like a good fit – plus the idea of Rarity operating power tools just amuses me, for some reason. Her perfectionistic tendencies would manifest as a strong ethic for getting all of the construction done just so (carpenters have an expression 'measure twice, cut once').
How to pull off the narrative shift: what if her parents had actually noticed when filly Rarity went missing, dragged to parts unknown by her horn? What if they had torn up the countryside looking for her? What if they had found her, dragging home a giant geode? An awful lot of yelling, crying, and recrimination, I imagine. Since her dad would have had to walk off the job to go looking for her, perhaps he had to make up with some overtime the next few days, during time when he would otherwise have been watching Rarity, so he takes her along. Maybe her exposure to seeing ponies hard at work and a lingering sense of guilt over the gems makes her consider taking up a trade when she gets older, something I'm sure her father would encourage and her mother wouldn't mind.
In addition to the physical (and telekinetic) work involved in such a job, clear communication between crew-members and straight dealing with clientele could lead to Rarity valuing Honesty as an ideal. The largest adjustment to her personality, really would be the 'Rarity the Riveter' persona. Gone are the Transatlantic Accent, the fainting spells, and dramatic hyperbole. Dirt is just dirt, you don't roll in it, but if you get some on you while working, that's life... you can always wash it off later. What she retains is her ideas about 'doing things properly', her ethic for getting the job done, even if it means working long hours and overnight shifts, and her desire to reach and/or exceed her client's expectations.
Twilight Sparkle is to matters of the mind what Rainbow Dash is to physicality. I'm going to call her virtue 'Vision' because what she does is to run through scenarios in her head. That's why she always has a plan, why she is obsessed with lists, and why when something goes wrong with her understanding of a situation she can begin obsessing over disaster scenarios. Twilight can't not think, and she is continuously taking things apart and looking at the pieces and seeing how they could come back together. She truly is an egghead in the best sense of the word.
As for elements, we have Magic (#6, canon), Honesty (Amv), and ... oh, right, she gets left out during mystery cure. In truth, Twilight has to embody all of the elements to one degree or another. True, she makes us laugh, but she practices honesty, is generous with her time and knowledge, loyal to her friends' concerns, and tries to be kind in her own way. With the field wide open, I'm going to pick Loyalty, just for the sheer perversity of it.
Her narrative is a little sad. Return to the moment after Celestia helps Twi calm her magic and offers to become her mentor. We can tell Twilight wants to accept, her parents are nodding like fools, and the Princess herself seems interested. But there was still a moment of uncertainty. What if she had said no? What if she had decided that she didn't deserve to be rewarded for her outburst, and instead enrolled as a 'normal' gifted unicorn in the school, in order to dedicate herself to mastering and learning to control her magic, so that she could help ponies instead of putting them at risk?
Several things happen, in that case. After Celestia calms her parents down from a moment of apoplexy, Twilight is going to have to live with a sense of disappointment from her parents, no matter how hard they try to hide it. This could lead to the purple unicorn becoming determined to demonstrate that she can be great and helpful in her own way, and might contribute to making her just a little obstinate. As a regular student, and without quite as much push from her family to be a 'star student', she might actually have talked to some of her fellow students – although she was always destined to be an introvert, it's just in her nature.
With her aptitude for any kind of magic she puts herself toward learning, she could easily stumble across weather magic and become enchanted with the science of meteorology. After years of study, theorems, papers, and various supplemental areas of study she would still discover the same thing that all college students learn: your theoretical knowledge doesn't mean a damn thing if nobody wants to pay you for it.
So, a job in the weather service is about the only thing she'd be really qualified for. And boy would that be an awkward interview. She's not a pegasus, but she could use magic to do the job, no questions asked. Someone as ... odd as that might be a little embarrassing for the service. Sending her to work in Ponyville would get her out of the management's hair. The fact that she might actually thrive and do well, possibly even becoming the local weather manger, that could be overlooked, from a distance.
Twilight, for her part, might eventually become quite comfortable with the job. A practical use for her immense magical talents, a community that can accept useful but odd folk, and all the planning, paperwork, and procedural manuals she could ever want – I think she could be very happy in the weather service, and I think her struggle to be a good leader would earn her the right to represent Loyalty.
Fluttershy. What can you say about someone who has shown so little of her character with so much screentime? A lot, really – her reticence speaks volumes. All of Fluttershy's reticence comes from a sense of being overwhelmed, which says to me that she has few filters, and that what she does see of the world she experiences very intensely. Her virtue I am going to call 'empathy', in that she can all but physically feel what happens to other ponies. We know that she does have deep feelings, because each of the few times she has cut loose she's all but exploded in expressing herself. The problem is that she's never made it past the negative emotions, so she doesn't see that expressing herself can also be a good thing, instead she sees her true feelings as some sort of monster she has to protect the rest of the world from.
Elements: Kindness (canon), Loyalty (Amv), Laughter (mystery cure). My choice here comes from the show itself, Generosity. We already know that Fluttershy has an interest in fashion, and that her aesthetic and personal presence can catch the design community's attention. Plus, watching AJ struggle with making a dress, didn't you just wish it had been another pony in there?
When she fell from the clouds, Fluttershy discovered a quiet world that she could share with creatures that wouldn't yell at her, make her feel bad, have expectations, or upset her. What if she hadn't had time to discover that she fit in there? What if responsible adults had noticed the race and the accident and had come to "rescue" young Fluttershy from the wilderness? When the animals flee and she's dragged back to the clouds with only a vision of her lost green utopia, she never gets the idea that she could have defused the situation, and so her escape goes from being the wilderness itself to the image of nature.
In a world where she's not good at the local pastime (flying), she could easily have devoted more time to her hobby of fashion design and trends. She might have taken up actual sewing, at least as much as an excuse for not putting more time into flying practice that she's convinced herself wouldn't help her as for the enjoyment she would get from it. As her best skill, it's likely her family would have encouraged her to pursue dressmaking as a career, at the very least to get her out of the house.
Rarity opened Carousel Boutique because she felt stuck in Ponyville. Fluttershy would open shop there to get away from Cloudsdale.
Pinkie Pie's virtue is 'ingenuity', and it is also her greatest curse. Her mind is constantly racing, new ideas flashing into her brain almost faster than she can handle. In fact, I suspect that 'pinkie sense' is signals coming from her subconscious, subliminal processing of information she isn't even aware she's noticing. This is why she seems hyperactive, why she's always craving mental stimulation, and coming up with pranks that seem to defy the laws of physics.
Everypony knows Pinkie Pie == Laughter. But what if she wasn't? We've seen Kindness (Amv), and we've cringed at Honesty (mystery cure), but what about the elusive 6th Element? Pinkie contains a bit of each element (she's an honest hard worker, kind and generous to others, so loyal she crafted the pledge all ponies use for unbreakable promises, and she does that other one in her sleep – sometimes literally.)
What's that? She's got no magic? For the moment I'll agree with you on that (although there are fanons that don't). But, what she has is gumption, ingenuity, and inventiveness. How else can you explain an earth pony with more flight time than one of the band's actual pegasi? Pinkie Pie would make an excellent mad scientist, all she'd need is a break.
The narrative for this starts in a relatively sad place. In 'Call of the Cutie' we see Pinkie discover laughter. In the modern age of the show, we see her living in Ponyville, with another family than her own. There had to be a transition between the two, some reason she had to leave her family to pursue her dreams. I don't think it was unkindness or stubbornness or intolerance, I think it was more a matter that there wasn't an room for her to be herself there.
If another character (or pair of characters – shush, you're getting ahead of the narrative) to the mix, the results could have been different. What if Flim and Flam, at the beginning of their career of con-artistry, had been stranded by a broken part near the Pie Family farm on that fateful day? Between a fascination with their magical machinery, their quick wit, words, and fondness for musical numbers... I could easily see a young Miss Pie stowing away. If she fell asleep she might be able to remain quiet long enough for the two not to decide to simply turn around and take her back home.
An apprenticeship under the brothers would create a more savvy Pinkie, but I think it also might mitigate some of their more dishonest impulses, in the long run. With a stronger study of gadgetry and engineering, Pinkie might also pick up an interest in physical science and become an inventor to be reckoned with.
Moving back to Ponyville would allow her to be relatively close to her family in her parent's old age and yet still close enough to Canterlot and civilization to supply her with materials and parts to continue crafting crazy contraptions, examining esoteric experiments, and being the most proactive Librarian Ponyville has ever seen.
...
If I were actually going to write a story about these ponies, I'd probably call it something like Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink'
Scientific progress only goes, "Boink" if you forget to take all the tuna and noodles out of the Transmorgifier before traveling back to the Dinosaur era because you climbed into your time machine backwards.
1405222 Ah, another aficionado. I tip my hat
*clapping* After all that speculation, the story would nearly write itself!
That... was very well thought out and I tip my hat to you
i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii211/Muul-Eki/Misc/hattip.gif
Hell, you even have an entire story in which to write with just this rambling you did that's different from "A Minor Variation" provided that I haven't messed up remembering your story
Well, we better pull out the cardboard box then and...
1405222
*Sees Magnum the Critic. Shakes angry fist!*
Anyway, well thought out alternatives. I have actually read a fic with Rarity as Honesty before. She becomes a miner in that universe.Amv is still my favorite element shifting fic.
I don't count Lunaverse or ones where completely different ponies get the elements. Those are a different beast.
Still waiting on a story where non-ponies can wield the elements.
1405338 Well, with EqG 'canon', it becomes more likely
I must say, you did amazingly here.^^ Though, when I made the question, I didn't mean 'in show elements' as the ones like magical mystery cure. I just meant them having different elements of harmony as an official element. But, you did indeed make an excellent new rendition of such just with the ramblings here you did alone. I mean, that alone could make a whole new fanfic in the proper hands!(or would that be hooves? XD) Still curious as to what other ways to get them swapped around might be, but your amazing analysis of each of the six sure does make it easier to visualize due to the virtues about them that you pointed out.:D
Oh yeah, for another part.... I'm guessing you didn't get to see Fluttershy's Micro-Series comic. Perhaps for the Generosity from her, it could extend beyond just dresses? She was shown in that micro-series to create works of art via sowing, creating 'sculptures' through knitting. Perhaps knitted works including outfits and more could be used in the generosity portion for her?
Oh, just had a thought for at least the start of another offshoot.... having it so that Rainbow notices Fluttershy fall a little later than in your fic, rushes to help.... but then actually sees her get caught and slows down.... but her relief causes her to mess up, going into the ground, and roll/bouncing along the ground. Fluttershy sees this and rushes off to get help... but the help doesn't immediately find her, Rainbow having been found by some animals that try what the can to nurse her back to health, thus leading Rainbow into the kindness role due to the care she was given by animals she's never seen before. Possibly having Fluttershy later find her mid-healing... and Rainbow refusing to leave due to wanting to let the animals have the chance to finish what she started. Then, feeling guilty, Fluttershy could work on trying to help cheer Rainbow up out of guilt, thus leading to kindness and laughter respectively.
notMurphy this is relevant to my interests and my avatar. Much to think about.
1406149
Your avatar?
Oh yeah, for the bit I mentioned.... well, Celestia said that Twilight had essentially learned not 'laughter', but rather, 'optimism' from Pinkie after she ascended... so what if the Element of Harmony for Pinkie actually represented bringing happiness for others? In such a scenario, it'd likely make it easier to see Fluttershy in that role when she tries to make an injured Rainbow Dash feel better. Perhaps utilizing singing or orchestrating the animals to cheer others up, her natural empathy giving her an idea of what melodies are best suited towards the role.
And in such a scenario.... well, we already know of scenarios for Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie becoming the 6th element, and with Rainbow and Fluttershy given elements in that scenario, that'd leave AJ.... I could see her becoming a unifying force if living with the oranges in some way or other helped brought out her natural capabilities towards managing events somehow. After all, in the official series, her special talent is managing the farm. She could easily learn to manage other tasks as well, most likely. Only question is, what to have her manage that'd help make her the sixth unifying element of harmony, eh?
1405599 Hmm... you know what? That actually matches what I was thinking of better than what I wrote. Fabric sculptures (plushies?
), musical performances... it would be very amusing to have her actually handing out scripts for some of the town's spontaneous musical numbers. (There's an entire story right there), and a whole field of artwork based on themes of nature.
I like that, I like it alot
1405748 Exactly, by playing with the sequence even a tiny bit, all sorts of events change, don't happen, or have their meanings completely shift. Now you're getting it
1406806 There is only one "problem" with an 'AJ as #6 universe': Applejack is all about getting a job done. In order for her to step into the role of party leader, there would have to be a clear and continuing problem. That said, she would make a great sixth element for an adventure series.
I could see a world where there was actually a previous generation of Element Bearers, including at least one of AJ's parents. During a battle with some villain (I'm inclined to go with Tirek) Sweet Apple Acres is destroyed, killing most of the Element Bearers in the process of sealing away the evil goat and his accursed city.
Out of a sense of obligation, Celestia declares the three Apple children wards of the crown, to be raised in Canterlot under her aegis. I think that under a highly metropolitan environment and a great deal of (involuntary) learning, Applejack could become something akin to one of China's legendary Philosopher/Generals.
I'm not sure what the right word for what her element would be... something between 'synergy', 'inclusiveness', and 'inspiration'.
That's just what occurs to me off the top of my head. I'm sure there are other ways one could implement it, but overall that's what I see: AJ as the final element wouldn't focus on magic or any other form of intangible; AJ is very centered in the practical and would be far more likely to be picked as leader because not only did the others respect her, they felt like she respected them.
1408100 Though I dislike the use of Tirek for such an altered timeline, I do agree that she'd end up being a leader if she both brought about and caused an equal amount of respect. Perhaps her sixth element could be something like Element of Bonds, like family and friendship based bonds, since she cherishes both. Especially since the spoiler song of Apples To The Core includes lyrics about bonds and the like.
Oh, and not sure if this will let me send links, but if so, well, you may enjoy reading about what I mentioned here in regards to Fluttershy: http://yp1.pony.pp.ua/book.php
Oh, perhaps she could become a leader by going to facilities with the oranges, and circumstances leading her to being some sort of Ponies Right's Activist for the worker class she befriends there, or something like that. With her hard-headedness, the trials of such a role would not easily stop her, after all. Though, that then leaves the question of which elements Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie would fit in that wouldn't be the ones already mentioned for canon, a minor variation, and scientific progress goes boink. XD
1406339 Yeah, the Ultima Codex (of Wisdom) stands for 8 virtues. The game series played with quite a few principles and paths.
1408480 Ohhh
Neat
Glad to be of service
1408177 Well, that IS a bit of a challenge, if it has to be completely different from any of the previous.
But...
Twilight, Loyalty, Guardpony, goal to become Captain of the guard (failed unicorn school exam)
Rarity, Laughter, Playwright, her drama + training under Woody Apple
Pinkie, Generosity, Decided the best way to make ponies smile is to help those in need.
Rainbow, Kindness, After a bad accident, becomes interested in physical therapy & disability aid.
Fluttershy, Honesty, (Defense attorney Fluttershy?)
I can certainly expand on these ideas... but I'm not sure there's a call to.
1408486 lol I had meant to the grouping of ideas already mentioned, like how I mentioned about Fluttershy learning to cheer up others via song or something, but that works as well. I just think it's interesting to see the various ways of how they'd be swapped around, and you seem to be an expert at it.^_^
Oh, and in return for you having continued discussing these ideas of swaps, might as well return the favor with mentioning occasional ideas I've had in turn, eh?
As such, for one, very simple concept..... Discord growing and then controlling a windstorm of poison joke to blow through town for the ponies' equivalent of April Fools' Day. XD
1408495 That could be interesting. Would everypony get a different curse than before?
Actually, I could see several ways this could go. Nice idea
1408519 Oh, that's just one of many.^_^
For another.... after her time in the human world, Twilight can't stop thinking about her trip there. She has told herself the reason why is due to all the advancements she discovered there that could be of use in Equestria(though, in truth, part of the reason is due to memories of Flash, and her conflicting feelings about how to feel about there being a counterpart of him in her world).
So, as to take her mind off of this, she comes up with an idea. The enchanted mirror is made from enchantments likely centuries old. Sure, no new spells have been created since Starswirl the Bearded's time.... but there HAVE been advancements in the proper usage and combinations of spells for greater efficiency and the like. As such, she decides that if she can study the enchantments used on the mirror, she may be able to alter it so that it can open more frequently than just once every 30 moons.
With the idea in mind, she takes the idea to Celestia. She can see validity in her plan, as long as a method to turn it off is also made. Also, since it involves the risky use of dimensional travelling magics, she's also requested to make sure that when she decides to apply the changes to the mirror, that she does so in a place away from inhabitted life, just in case something goes wrong. Celestia doubts anything will go wrong, considering Twilight's expertise, but it's better to be safe than sorry. And lastly, since Cadence is the current one holding the mirror, she'll need her permission as well.
Twilight quickly agrees to these terms, and heads off to get Cadence's permission to borrow and study the mirror to help create the needed enchantment alterations to adjust the mirror.
When Cadence hears her request.... she doesn't miss Twilight trying to avoid looking at Flash Sentry. Remembering what happened after she returned and bumped into him, she agrees to let Twilight take the mirror on one condition.... that she takes a guard with her to live with her and protect the mirror and herself should things go wrong... adding the fact that 'besides, as a new princess, you'll EVENTUALLY gain guards to protect you anyways, so this could be a good way to ease you into the situation'. Twilight, though reluctantly, agrees.... only to find out that Cadence's planned guard for her to live with is Flash Sentry.
Later, as if the hilarities from the scene after she learns this doesn't cause enough issues, it is also soon learned by her friends what has occurred. Not only does some friendly teasing commence, but also soon after.... each of her friends attempt to play match-maker with the two, in their own ways.... and fail spectacularly each time. XD
All that combined with having to live with Flash.... greatly delays her attempts at studying the mirror as well. XD Though, ironically, later on, what has become strained friendships and bonds with her friends from all the failed attempts ends up becoming clear to her what's going on(she didn't realize they were match-making at first) due to her viewing it in a 'viewing the bigger picture' sense.... which leads to the epiphany she needed to adjust the mirror as well.
Though, this is all for a 'part one of a trilogy' idea.
1408585 I'd read that
1408704 lol Ironically, I'm only good at coming up with 'concepts' I suck at the finer details for stories, such as the connecting scenes that connect such key events, or keeping characters in character without making them sound like me. XD Few individuals ramble on about things like how I do, so that's a bad thing for characterization. XD
1409121 Plenty of people ramble.
The trick is to just get something anything down and revise, revise, revise...
If you can do a general outline, an idea map like your proposals here, then it isn't really much more work to create a few levels of outline and then fill in the details as you can manage.
You already know 80% of your characters, and for new and/or unknown quantities like Flash Sentry, you can learn what sort of pony he is by how you write his actions and reactions, just like Twilight will learn who he is.
1409265 ^_^ Such advice does sound promising. But ironically, don't have time to beyond just conceptualizing, mainly due to working on other projects that I've put to the forefront of things. Like my 10 Zelda game concepts that I've been fine tuning, as well as an even more important slow-going secret project.
1409535 ...
Sounds like you have a lot on your plate
1409540 lol You could say that. But despite that, my mind just keeps going, and your amazing fanfic and the possibilities of other swaps still won't leave my head. XD
I'm surprised there wasn't more replies to this than there's been, considering how great of an analysis of the mane six it is.
Ooo, future story ideas... I like! /)
I couldn't steal your concepts if I tried, notMurphy, so no worries there. 
Got one of my own I'm working on, if you'd like to come read the prologue of an HiE... 
This. Is. Awesome.
I must write it.
1405222
No, it goes *Boink* when you tilt said said transmogrifier to the side and walk into it, turning it into a cloning machine.
Your explanation about the Element of Kindness isn't accurate. Why does it have to be assumed that being the Element of Kindness requires living in that cottage and caring for animals? The Lunaverse keeps Fluttershy there despite not being one of the Elements, and the Cadanceverse keeps Fluttershy ending up with the Element of Generosity. That's also why I don't think Pinkie needed to become an animal caretaker at that cottage to earn Kindness.
Also, your argument that AJ is neither an introvert nor an introvert is unsound. It defies the Law of Excluded Middle. You're either an introvert or an extrovert. I'll grant that it's on a sliding scale and that Applejack is relatively closer to the middle. But AJ is an extrovert, and that's a simple fact. She's just not extreme like Pinkie is.
Your usage of Magical Mystery Cure doesn't really follow either. I get where you're coming from with it. But it wasn't the Elements that were swapped in Magical Mystery Cure, it was their talents. There's no evidence that the Elements were swapped other than the colors getting mixed up as a way to visualize that the characters were mixed up when the spell was cast. I suppose you could argue that it's possible that the Elements got swapped as well. But since they never used the Elements, we can't know for sure. In fact, my primary evidence against the Elements being swapped would be that they were used to return the ponies to normal.
Your argument for why AJ can't have the Element of Magic... is complicated. It's not as simple as being able to cast spells like a unicorn. The tagline of the show is "Friendship is Magic", which has been demonstrated several times in the series. So it could be argued that the Element of Magic could be a shortened version of "The Element of the Magic of Friendship". Because if the Element of Magic unites the other 5 Elements, it would make sense that it's referring to friendship since it's friendship that unites.
Your argument for why Rainbow Dash could be the Element of Laughter doesn't follow from her being a prankster. I'll grant that I'm pointing this out after the fact, and this blog post was posted before Season 4 even aired (if I'm not mistaken). But later in the series, in the episode '28 Pranks Later', it demonstrates that RD's pranking has always been with Pinkie. And in canon, it was Pinkie who got her into pranking. And even back then, Pinkie had to reign her in when she was about to prank Fluttershy. In 28 Pranks Later, it shows that without Pinkie to keep her in check, RD's pranks would get out of hand. Pinkie's pranks are to make everyone laugh, whereas RD's pranks are for her own enjoyment. (On a side note, another reason why I like 28 Pranks Later is because that even though the others should've talked to RD first instead of treading on her pride in Mysterious Mare-Do-Well, that episode demonstrates that even if they had talked, RD wouldn't have listened. So the outcome of Mysterious Mare-Do-Well would've been the same even if they talked with RD first.) I'll grant that if she had been given the time and chance to learn more about doing pranks that everyone can enjoy, perhaps she would make a good Element of Laughter. But I don't see her as needing to be a prankster to earn that Element. In the Lunaverse, Cheerilee gets that Element. And in the Manehattenverse, Trixie is the Element of Laughter.
Fun Fact about AJ and RD having Honesty and Loyalty: I think in the original conception of the show, AJ was supposed to be Loyalty, and RD was supposed to be Honesty.
I don't have much to say about Rarity being the Element of Honesty other than I love your idea. (Fun Fact: The Element of Generosity was originally supposed to be the Element of Inspiration.) Also...
...I love that line.
I like the idea of Twilight being Loyalty. It works. It's surprising how little needs to change to make it work, but I also think it works better if less was changed. First of all, even in canon, Twilight still went to that school. But I agree that the pressure to be a star student would be off of her shoulders. But I don't think we need to go to the weather captain route, which is why I say it's better if less was changed. Being more inclined to talk to her friends would mean that her bond with Moondancer would've grown stronger. This is another case where her relationship with her Canterlot friends wasn't fully established at the time this blog was posted. But after Amending Fences, it makes sense to have her stay in Canterlot and actually be more social with her, and in turn, help make Moondancer become more social as well. In short, Moondancer is the reason why Twilight staying in Canterlot with fewer changes works better for Twilight being Loyalty. After all, RD is still the weather manager in the Lunaverse (can you tell that I like the Lunaverse?).
Fluttershy as Generosity I've already pointed out has already been done. The thing is that there's so little that needs to be changed that it makes sense. Fluttershy and Rarity could swap Elements easily and change next to nothing because of how similar Kindness and Generosity are as virtues. As I pointed out, the Cadanceverse makes Fluttershy the Element of Generosity. And other than a very minor tweak to her personality, there's nothing different. But even with your idea of having the larger alterations in her life, I could also see that as being supported in canon. First of all, Fluttershy's parents would be supportive of her desires... though they'd probably support her no matter what, considering that they are even less confrontational than she is. And her brother has a passion as a hairstylist, which could be either something that they simply have in common, or perhaps one inspired the other. So not only could I see Fluttershy as a dressmaker, but I could also see her helping Zephyr Breeze with his passion sooner, being the Element of Generosity and all. They could even go into business together and create a full fashion industry.
As a side note, I've always believed that Fluttershy's outbursts work in the reverse of your explanation. I think Fluttershy has the desire to be assertive but is frustrated that her introverted nature holds her back. She's probably a high functioning autistic because of this (because that's what I see in myself). Fluttershy simply has walls that her autism may have created, making it that much harder for her to assert herself. That also means that her frustration in being incapable of asserting herself builds up, resulting in her explosive outbursts when she's pushed too far. I speak from experience. It's extremely frustrating to be trapped inside your own head while being fully aware of everything outside, to be practically shouting your thoughts on the inside while nothing comes out on the outside, to see how simple it should be to overcome those shortcomings and still be incapable of doing so without extreme effort. One reason I loved being in Drama Club was that I got to act out parts. Playing roles allows me to find a loophole in my own introverted nature. I suppose it was a form of method acting. When I was playing a role, in my head, I was no longer myself, but the person I was playing. This mindset also allowed me to view that character as not having the same introverted nature that I have and therein lies the loophole.
I don't think Pinkie needs to live in the library. But other than that, I can totally see that scenario as a possibility. As for Flim and Flam, I don't think they should leave their con-artistry entirely. Yes, it can be mitigated. But I think that mitigating it without getting rid of it entirely would make them manipulative without actually needing to lie. In fact, In Super Speedy Cider Squeazy 6000, they weren't wrong about what their device could do. At most, they were only attempting to con the Apple family out of their own farm. It wasn't until Season 4 that they were really considered con-artists. I think with Pinkie there to affect who they are, I think that they might be more willing to patent their Super Speedy Cider Squeazy 6000 and make money off of selling them legitimately. That could lead to one of two things. The Apple family would buy one to make Cider Season easier. The second is that they don't, but they agree to work with the Apple family and offer to let them use it for Cider Season. I like that second idea, because Flim and Flam would be able to make more money off of selling their products, the Apple family could cell more cider and make more of a profit, and have a little extra time on their hooves thanks to the SSCS6K doing a large amount of the work for them. This could even lead to Sweet Apple Acres ending up having a more industrial feel to it. Of course, once AJ and Pinkie become bearers of the Elements of Harmony, they could make some more money by making devices that have their mark of approval. So the con-artists are still there, just in a different form.