Fanfic / Strykes Random Elements

Random Elements by Stryke is a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fanfic.

Pinkie Pie finds herself most confused one day when a pony who looks strangely like Rarity but doesn't act one bit like her shows up in Ponyville. It quickly becomes apparent that "Rock" and other versions of the Mane Six have been brought into their world from one where Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom never happened and Nightmare Moon won.

Has a sequel, Random Elements: Coincidences can Happen. The Other Six have been returned to their own universe and plan to use the Elements against Nightmare Moon... Were it so easy. Also complete.

Compare and contrast A Minor Variation and A World Without Rainbows.

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This fanfic series contains examples of:

• Anti-Villain: Other Nightmare Moon.
• Bavarian Fire Drill: During Coincidences, when Ms Harshwhinny passes through accompanied by some guards, the protagonists make themselves inconspicuous by simply pretending that they're there for a good reason and certainly doesn't need to be bothered; Pinkamena starts discussing tax code, Trixie and Sparks takes the opportunity to make out with each other, and Captain Fluttershy just acts like herself.
• Brick Joke: In chapter 4 of Coincidences Other Cadance apologised to Sparks for not doing "the shake". They correct that mistake in the next chapter.
• The Comically Serious: Pinkamena is a bit...different from Pinkie Pie.
• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Unlike Pinkie's use of her powers, Pinkamena uses hers to maintain a business empire.
  "If I can go anywhere I like in Equestria in a blink of an eye, manipulate future events, or even create more of myself to work on tasks more efficiently, it’s just all far too useful not to use them to the very fullest"
• Did Not Think This Through: Other Zecora admits that storming Canterlot with a horde of barely-controlled monsters was not a good plan.
• The Dog Bites Back: Other Cadance comes back for Other Nightmare Moon and is out for blood.
• The Dreaded: Other Fluttershy.
• Face–Heel Turn: Other Fluttershy in the backstory. She does the reverse later.
• Fantastic Racism: Rock practices a form of pony tribalism, referring to unicorns as "pinheads". Applejack is not amused.
  • Internalized Categorism: Even though she is a unicorn herself. Rarity has trouble making sense of that.
• Flat "What": Delivered by Rainbow Dash upon finding out that she got out-flown by an alternate version of Fluttershy.
  • Sparks does one when Trixie tries to recruit her as a showmare for Other Trixie.
• For Want Of A Nail: Discussed.
  Appletini: “It’s nice to think that some single event is the key to the differences, but I’m really not so sure."
• Gambit Pileup: The disparate groups trying to depose Other Nightmare Moon who just happen to make their move at the same time as the Other Six include Chrysalis and the changelings, New Solar Republicans, Other Cadance and Other Zecora at the head of beasts.
• Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action: Discussed in chapter 2 of Coincidences.
  "I'd always heard they were what happens when a dragon and a pony love each other very much," offered Sparks, with a light blush spreading across her cheeks.
  Pinkamena's eyes goggled at that concept. "Oh no-no-no, surely the size difference alone—" Not wanting to complete that particular thought out loud she firmly placed a hoof in her mouth to shut herself up.
  • Rainbow Dash confirms that it's possible. No guesses for how she's figured that out.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Pinkamena is oblivious to this
  Pinkamena: "Have you talked to Inky about her drinking problem? She does seem to startle very easily, she seemed to get quite hysterical when my head came out of the sink."
• The Lad-ette: Rock.
• Loophole Abuse: Pinkamena is under oath to never go against Nightmare Moon, and she considers it binding. Except she's specifically made the oath to Princess Luna's name (as Nightmare Moon is using her former identity in some matters for legality). Obviously, using the Elements to free Luna from the Nightmare cannot be considered "going against her".
• Lovely Assistant: The Spectacular Sparks ends up as stage assistant to the Awesome and Stupendous Rainbow Dash, sparkly leotard and all. Trixie asks Twilight if she needs an assistant, too, although library assistants usually don't wear sparkly leotards.
• Me's a Crowd: Pinkamena can do this even without using the Mirror Pool. With the Pool, she can produce thousands of clones. Best distraction ever.
• Mythology Gag: Tonnes to canon, of course.
  • Blueblood got deposed in Other Equestria.
  • Other Photo Finish trying to make Other Fluttershy model... didn't go so well.
  • Other Fluttershy killed that dragon.
  • Pinkamena uses the Mirror Pool.
    • One of the Mirror Pool clones calls Fluttershy "Fluttershutter".
    • The Other Mane Six are prevented from dispelling the last Mirror Pool clone.
  • Other Lightning Dust made the cut for Shadowbolt. As chapter 2 of Coincidences reveals, her experience was the same as canon Rainbow Dash's.
    • 'It might even be an academy record.'
  • 'On second thoughts she returned and picked up the small rock thinking that it might make a suitable companion.'
  • 'This, this evil enchantress was clearly up to no good.'
  • "How about which town is supposed to be getting the Equestrian Games this year? Heard that the Crystal Protectorate might be in with a shot now the trains are heading up there regular."
    "You mind not mentioning certain games that ponies happen to play. Somepony is just a tad bitter."
    • Miss Harshwhinny shows up in Coincidences chapter 3.
  • Other Fleur: "I was always told that Canterlot upper class unicorn mares shouldn't be soldiers and they should go to parties, launch zeppelins, hang off some stallion and look pretty. I love this life now that Nightmare Moon has given us a proper chance not to be some useless ornament and you are going to take me seriously!"
  • Sparks wonders why Other Trixie didn't try to get her hooves on the Alicorn Amulet.
  • Other Shining Armor still throws Other Cadance.
  • The visions given by the Nightmare include showing Rock as Nightmare Rarity and Sparks as an alicorn.
  • The horde of beasts Other Zecora commands include a sea serpent who goes on to bemoan his ruined moustache and a giant timber wolf.
  • Appletini's niece along from Manehattan gets a mention.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Appletini.
• Other Me Annoys Me: Twilight really resents Sparks, because she is essentially a walking failure in her eyes. She's aware that Sparks doesn't deserve it, but just looking at Sparks makes her tap into dark magic and causing dark crystals to pile up.
• Paparazzi: Parodied when Pinkamena searches for Sparks in the Wonderbolts' private spa:
  Her relaxation was shattered when one of her teammates shrieked. Looking over Spitfire was shocked to see that a pink mare head had impossibly risen out of the sponge bucket and was looking around. Spitfire was used to the paparazzi, but this was ridiculous!
• She Cleans Up Nicely: Rock may be a practical miner and hard worker, but a trip to the spa brings out the Rarity in her.
• Shipper on Deck: Trixie sets Sparks up with her Other self - in part because it will be good for Sparks to get out of the library, but also because Other Trixie deserves a better marefriend than a multichromatic diva who can't stay faithful. This works out very well.
• Shout-Out:
  • “There's the Discordians, the Cultists for the Second Coming of the Mag'ne, the Sect of the Horned Rat just to name a few and far to (sic) many others." Including the meat-eating White Sock Society.
  • "Knight-Rare Toonie, come out to plaaay!"
• Shrinking Violet: Sparks.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Appletini.
  "C'mon, I'm in so many secret societies I've almost lost count of them all. I know half a dozen secret martial arts handed down from lost civilisations, ancient mystics and other races like the griffons at various levels of skill not that I like to brag," she said, tipping her hat to the changeling. "That though was just something I learnt on a particularly fun Friday night out in Manehattan—"
• Tabloid Melodrama: Revealed to have happened between Other Fluttershy and Other Nightmare Moon in Coincidences:
  “Lies!” Chrysalis exclaimed smashing a yellow hoof down causing a crack in the stone floor. “Your pony newspapers were quite clear that you and Nightmare Moon were an item! They even had illustrations,” she added as her clinching argument and with just the tiniest hint of a blush on her cheeks.
• Villainous Breakdown: Other Nightmare Moon experiences one.
• Workaholic: Pinkamena, which given her Me's a Crowd powers, makes her a literal one-mare workforce.
• Wronski Feint: In Coincidences Other Fluttershy pulls this on Other Lightning Dust.

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