Element Swap Au - Blog Posts

Finally; Element swap au Rainbow Dash- the element of Empathy. And, her future wife, Wonder! 

I decided to scrap Magic as an element from this au. As, it always felt a lil weird to me that they had all these elements based around friendship. And, suddenly, they throw magic in there. And make it the most op. Nah. So, we have Empathy! A few other concepts I was working with was supportiveness and forgiveness, but I thought those didn’t think that fit this version of Rainbow Dash.

Anyway, on to Rainbow Dash herself!

The race against the boy bullies was never finished, as Hoops and Rainbow Dash crashed after Hoops attempted to bump Rainbow Dash so she would crash. Due to the race being unsupervised, and no pony going to check on Fluttershy who had fallen, all three children were sent to detention. 

This started Rainbow on a path of delinquency, causing her to rebel more and more. Cause more damage. And chaos. At some point she did it because ponies expected it of her. She’s not sure when though.

Rainbow was forced into an “after school program” that would keep her out of trouble. For this program, she had to chose an extra curricular to do. She went through them all, causing problems and getting kicked out. 

Until she found the science program.

Here, she could cause as much chaos as possible- and it was seen as a positive result! The cool explosions and things she was making to bring home- they were actually pretty neat! 

This program is where Rainbow Dash earned her cutie mark, representing her talent with more action oriented science. She wants results! 

Wonder was born to a pure pegasus family and was raised with pegasus expectations. She eventually earned her talent in organization and became the manager/organizer of the Wonder Bolts, which she was named after. 

She is, however, shadowed and not thanked a lot for her work. Not many ponies know it’s her making sure Soarin isn’t late for that show that inspired you to go into flight because he had a hangover. Or making sure no pony notices that pregnancy until the pegasus is ready to announce it. It was a thankless job, and the Wonder Bolts really took advantage of her and her kindness and patience. 

Until Rainbow Dash wins a day with the Wonder Bolts.She, at first, laughs off the teasing and shadowing of Wonder. These are her heroes! It has to be okay.... right? But, eventually, she sees it isn’t okay. And she stands up for Wonder.

The Wonder Bolts realize how terrible they’ve been to Wonder and have an appreciation show for her. Wonder, in thanks for making helping her out, gives Rainbow her rainbow item instead of Spitfire. 

Wonder herself is a bit of a shy dork. Like a fusion of Fluttershy and Twilight. These two love having book dates with the newest Daring Do!

Luna for my Element swap au. Decided to redesign her along with Celestia. 

Luna is a mix breed. Of what, is speculation. But it is common knowledge the princess of the night was born of a political union between two races. The ponies, and another race which remains forgotten to this day (many races claim it was theirs, and scholars have long lost the documentation). However, it is known that Celestia is at least related to Luna somehow. Maybe not sisters as they call each other, but still close.

The princess ascended at a much younger age than Celestia did, and was thrust into ruling Equestria as a child. Unlike Celestia, who was a mostly grown teenager. Some documents even say she was thrust upon the throne without a cutie mark. Though, the majority of ponies laugh this off. Luna’s cutie mark is related to the moon! …..Right? No pony has seen it….. She hid it before and after her return. No one but Celestia and the Princess Consort (to be designed) have seen it. 

Luna was lost for a thousand years, blinded by anger and jealousy at her older sister and having been corrupted by some chaos magic Discord had thrown at her. She was thought a legend, forgotten by her people until the elements brought her back. When she did return, ponies were a bit cautious but overall very kind and welcoming to the new princess. She is still trying to adjust to modern day, but is finding modern Equestria to make her much happier than old Equestria did.

The Element swap au version of Celestia! I decided to redesign her and Luna for this au cause I could.

Many legends and myths are had about the pony who ruled Equestria alone for 1000 years. It was bound to happen, as many generation are had in that time. And no pony really got close to her in that time. 

No pony alive other than Luna and the Princess Consort (to be designed) know what the face and cutie mark of the reigning deity looks like. This is because many legends prevailed in ancient times that said that looking upon her golden visage would blind a pony. For, they could not stand to see anything more after seeing such beauty. And, well, she just got used to it after the years. It’s second habit now. As for the cutie mark, no pony knows why she hides it other than Luna and the Princess Consort.... It’s a sun, right? 

Time for Element swap au Twilight Maelstrom, the element of Loyalty, and her lovely future cat wife, Lovely Grace!

Twilight does not talk about her childhood. For, it was a time she’d rather not revisit mentally. She was raised on the streets of Canterlot. She does not know what her family was like, for she was raised initially in an orphanage that had no records of who her biological family was. All she knew was the blood tests, which reveal a mixed heritage of kirin, thestral, and donkey. 

Twilight quickly learned her mixed-blood was not appealing the average Canterlot noble, and went to the streets as a young filly. It was best she learned the ways of the streets now, before she was subject to them suddenly as soon as she became legal. 

She was scooped up by Canterlot’s underbelly and learned the ways of crime. Even if she was a child, the gang she found was mostly earth ponies and pegasi, which were looked down upon in Canterlot. A unicorn was needed for any magic escapes needed. Even if she was a child.

During her time on the streets, she found that the “crime lords” weren’t necessarily “evil” as she had been taught at the orphanage. Rather, they were misunderstood and merely labeled as criminals for their appearance, race, or talents. 

One day, her gang was arrested for “kidnapping” a foal. That foal being Twilight of course. Twilight rushed to her gang’s aid and went before Celestia herself. Spouting the injustices and kindness this gang had shown her more than any other pony had in her life. Celestia was moved by the plight of these ponies and started programs to help those in similar situations not turn to crime, and to eliminate not unicorn racism in canterlot. She knows it will take many generations to undo years of hate, but it will be worth it. Celestia also gave them all jobs in the castle as an apology for her guard’s rashness. 

Including Twilight. 

Twilight was given the duty to watch the underground of Canterlot. For, she seemed to know it best. She helped those who chose a life of crime; whether it be through carefully getting them back onto their feet- or making sure their “crimes” just weren’t harmful to the public at large. Any drugs they had were in a reasonable range, their influence isn’t reaching terrible heights, they aren’t physically or mentally harming anypony, or any other number of things.

This is what her cutie mark represents; her ability to help balance lawful and unlawfulness, and keep things in check. In harmony, if you will. 

Twilight is still sent to Ponyville during the thousandth summer sun celebration because Celestia has a hunch that she was one of the new wielders of the elements of harmony after she found she could no longer wield them. 

Lovely Grace was born in Abyssinia, like most catfolk. She heard tales of Equestria, a place where friendship was magic and things would be better than her harsh, dingy village. She moved there as soon as she had enough coin, and opened a tailor shop in the cheapest spot she could find; Ponyville. She was so happy to be among these bright and friendly ponies, she even changed her name to a more “ponyish” name. She is chipper, bright, optimistic, and loves and trusts anyone. Twilight will end you if you hurt her.

The next in my element swap/no rainboom au; Applejack the element of generosity! Along with her future girlfriend and wife Dancing Vision.

Applejack, like all in Ponyville,  grew up hearing tales of the Everfree forest and the terrifying creatures within it. She was told very sternly to stay away from this mystical place, lest she be lost forever. 

However, during Zap Apple season one year, the Timberwolves wandered too close. In trying to chase them off, Applejack found herself lose in the forest of legend. And, instead of getting closer home- she found herself deeper and deeper in the forest. 

Of course she was scared at first. However, she soon found herself at the home of a lovely zebra shaman who helped her calm and see the beauty and usefulness of the plants in the forest. And, directed her home. 

When she returned home, she found her parents were injured by the Timberwolf attack.  

Applejack returned to the forest, hoping the shaman would help. But it was as if she never existed. So, in desperation, she crafted a healing remedy herself from what she remembered from the zebra. As if by a miracle, the remedy worked enough so that actual medical help could be gotten. During the wait, she told her story of how she met the zebra. And her granny remarked she must have met the guardian of Everfree, who helps those it deems worthy of its grounds. 

It was then Applejack devoted herself to learning more about the forest and its plants, so she could help others with its gifts. And, in return, she would care for the forest with her knowledge of plants. This is how she got her cutie mark. She now works as a local “witch doctor”, much like Zecora in the show. And generously gives many of her remedies to those in need for free. 

Dancing Vision is a crystal pony who never received her cutie mark before the Crystal Empire vanished for a thousand years. Tired of all the pressure to receive her mark, she prepared to leave for other lands, so she might find other things that she couldn’t do in the Crystal Empire. But she didn’t make it out before King Sombra took over. 

When the Empire returned, Vision went on the quest she’d planned a thousand years ago, and found herself in Ponyville.

Applejack, being the generous pony she is, offered to let Dancing Vision stay at the farm while she got on her feet. So long as she did some work. Dancing Vision agreed. 

I’m not quite sure what her talent actually is yet, but I know it’s something that didn’t exist a thousand years ago. And that Applejack and Apple Bloom (the only cutie mark crusader wto get a cutie mark related to helping others find their talent in this au) help her find it. And, of course, she slowly falls in love with the lovely pony who opened her home for her. 

The next in my element swap/no rainboom au because I wanted to do all these ladies is the element of honesty Fluttershy!

Fluttershy still fell in the race between Rainbow Dash and the boy bullies. She still landed on a passing butterfly migration, and this broke her fall.

But the weight of a pegasus filly is too much for such small creatures. She crushed a good amount of the insects beneath her weight.

Feeling devastated she killed the creatures that saved her, she buried and held a small funeral for the butterflies she destroyed.

The other butterflies seemed to be comforted by her words, and thankful for her kindness in actually giving respect to the small insects she killed, when most ponies wouldn’t bat an eye. And she wanted to help more creatures in times like this.

This is when she received her cutie mark. A corpse lily with a ghostly butterfly resting on it, representing her talent with….. death. Arranging funerals, mortician work, building mausoleums, burial, comforting grieving loved ones, etc. She lives by the graveyard just outside of town.

I decided to do something that would make 13 year old me happy and draw a my little pony au I loved thinking about when I was younger.

This is a no rainboom/element swap au! This will be the first of a few posts cause I want all the main six separate to explain how their lives are different with their different destinies.

First up is the one that hasn’t changed a bit since I first developed the au when I was 13 is Pink “Pinkie” Quartz Pie, the element of Kindness, and her lovely diamond dog wife Roxie! 

When Pinkie was a filly, a cave in caused her to be separated from her rock farming family. Trying to find another exit, she found a Diamond Dog pup about her age also separated from her group. Pinkie made great friends with this Diamond Dog, and the pup- named Roxie- helped her find an exit. 

Her family was at first shocked and angry to see Pinkie associating with a dangerous Diamond Dog. However,  Pinkie managed to explain that the pup and her family were of no danger to the ponies. In fact, they could even help them run the rock farm even better with their ability to sniff out gems. A peace accord between the Diamond Dogs of the mine and the Pie family was struck, and the Diamond Dogs became co-owners of the quarry the Pies owned.

This is how Pinkie earned her cutie mark. It represents her talent for diplomacy and helping/creating friendships with ponies and other species with an emblem from the first species she helped- Diamond Dogs.

She married the Diamond Dog who helped her that day later in life, and she moved to Ponyville to help Roxie try to achieve her dream of being a professional baker. Plus, Ponyville is in a great spot for her to try to craft some great friendships between ponies and not ponies!

Roxie is very stoic and quiet but loves her smol pink pony wife very much. She speaks great english unlike her show counter parts, but speaks with a thick accent that somewhere between russian and french.