The Side Stars AU
is a collection of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fanart by Tumblr user carouselunique. It depicts a Role Swap AU where most of the main cast are swapped with background characters.
Instead of Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia sends Minuette, overseer of the School for Gifted Unicorns' independent study program, to Ponyville for the Summer Sun Celebration. There, she makes friends with Roseluck, Sea Swirl, Ginger Gold, Ditzy Doo, and Sunny Rays, and together they wield the Elements of Harmony.
The Side Stars AU contains examples of:
- Adaptation Name Change: The Elements of Harmony all have different names to reflect their bearers' personalities; Generosity is called Inspiration, Laughter is called Cheer, Honesty is called Trust, Loyalty is called Integrity, Kindness is called Empathy, and Magic is called Friendship,
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Ditzy Doo and Prince Blueblood, who never interacted in canon, are in love here.
- Disabled in the Adaptation: Bonnie Belle (AKA Bonbon) was blinded by bugbear venom. In canon, she can see.
- Driven by Envy:
- Twilight Sparkle is jealous of Minuette for "stealing" her destiny as the bearer of the Element of Magic, and wants to change the timeline.
- Lyra Heartstrings was jealous that the other unicorns at magic school got their cutie marks before her, and theirs were all in magic, so she never discovered that her true talent was music.
- Only Friend: Since Twilight Sparkle was never sent to Ponyville, Spike is her only friend, but he tried to encourage her to make more. Sometimes he pretends to be sick so Twilight will focus on something other than her resentment for Minuette.
- Royal Bastard: Dinky Doo is the illegitimate daughter of Ditzy Doo and Prince Blueblood. When Madame Cinch (a unicorn noble) found out about it, she told her to leave because a relationship between a royal and commoner was improper. As a result, Blueblood doesn't know he has a daughter.
- Time Master: Minuette specialises in time magic. For example, she hatched Cinders during her entrance exam by fast-forwarding the incubation progress. As a side-effect, Cinders sometimes accidentally sends letters to Celestia forwards or backwards in time.
