Hoofstuck

[OnBackorder]

Ectobiology is basically a big self-fulfilling clusterfuck, by the way.

In a very real sense

I get it!

[flyingBrick]

I was going to explain the whole ectobiology stuff, but forget it. The others explained it quite well already.

But here's a quick summary: Each player has an ancestor that is not a normal human (pony) being, they are clones (of themselves). These clones are created as babies within the game and then sent through time back to their respective times, so that they can become the ancestor they were cloned from, generating a stable time loop (but stable time loop clone does not have the same ring as paradox clone).

The players though aren't clones of themselves. They are created by pairing the DNA of two ancestors, and with each pairing there are two players, who are, at least genetically, siblings. That means that there is the same number of ancestors and players. Then the players are sent back in time so they can join the game and eventually create their ancestors and themselves.

Since they are made from the combination of DNA from two ancestors, you could say that they are sons and daughters of those ancestors, which is correct, genetically.

But does that mean that Applejack and the others are ancestors? But everything we've seen until now has been pointing clearly that they are going to be players: The consoles, Twilight deploying the alchemitter, Rarity waking up in Prospit, Fluttershy and Rarity finding the frog temple, Future Rarity apparently going god tier... Unless this Mare Do Well is from a scratched season, where ancestors are players and the players are the ancestors, but oh god, please, not another scratch.

There's always the possibility that she's literally Applejack's daughter too. That would be simpler.

[gingerale]

There's also the possibility of doing what the fandom has been doing since the introduction of Ectobiology, mess around with it!

All you need is two characters, an ectobiology lab, that captures the paradox ghost of them and combines the DNA, and BAM! a child is created!

[nupanick]

Just read the latest update. Apparently my theory was dead wrong.

ALSO APPLEJACK BABIES WHAT

[Bohandas]

In a way the whole Ectobiology thing is similar to Robert Heinlein's novels "The Man Who Folded Himself" and "All You Zombies"...

[JapaneseTeeth]

But does that mean that Applejack and the others are ancestors? But everything we've seen until now has been pointing clearly that they are going to be players: The consoles, Twilight deploying the alchemitter, Rarity waking up in Prospit, Fluttershy and Rarity finding the frog temple, Future Rarity apparently going god tier... Unless this Mare Do Well is from a scratched season, where ancestors are players and the players are the ancestors, but oh god, please, not another scratch.

It's not like the MDW couldn't be a guardian from the future; in Homestuck Jade's grandpa was still bumming around the medium doing all sorts of weird stuff despite being dead. Unlike the original guardians, maybe the Hoofstuck ones got involved in the time shenanigans earlier, and decided to jump forward in time to get a head start. After all, the guardians are kinda the children of the player that created them in the lab.

[OnBackorder]

Fifteen combinations of the main six are possible without repeating. I assume the DNA needed is two per paradox-clone because I wasn't really paying attention by the time Karkat was doing it.

If the CMC are involved as love goo children from the future:
Fluttershy + Pinkie -> Applebloom (Twice pink hair = red?)
Twilight + Rarity -> Sweetie Belle (White pelt, two tone hair)
Applejack + Rainbow Dash -> Scootaloo (Orange pelt, anything hair)

I also find it amusing that none of the crusaders match any of these character mixes. Applebloom is a straight shooter, Sweetie Belle is dumb as sin, and Scoots is frail.

On the note of combination, I would also put forth Ditsy Doo as a guardian, with the goo heritage of AJ+RD. She has the blond hair of AJ and gray fur like you get when mixing all the primary colors together.

Then again, anyone with Rainbow-Dash would create any possibility. The one doing the mixing could just have a Rainbow Dash fixation and just ships her with everyone.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

*Cough*

[JapaneseTeeth]

I don't think we ever get to see the cloning process when Karkat does it, so I'm not sure if 2 paradox slimes are used for each player. The Trolls seem to have a more one-to-one correlation with their ancestors, so it's hard to tell.

[Pinkemon]

Oh yeah. I can't believe I forgot about all of the shipping shenanigans that were bound to happen.

Yeeeah, I dunno. Ectobiology has always confused me a bit, even if I understand the general gist of it.

Just roll with it, I'd say.

[kd7sov]

> MDW: Self-destruct. Messily.

> Pinkie: Cackle ominously.

> Rarity: Meet up with Fluttershy. Possibly in a Crusader-induced crash.

[Donut64]

For some reason I now think that MDW was Derpy. She is a mail pony; so she is certainly used to delivering messages. And we could explain why Dinky has no dad if.. err... yeah ima not go there.

[JapaneseTeeth]

Ditzy is the First Guardian.

[forkinyoureye]

Ditzy is the First Guardian.

This.

[missingEnigma]

>MDW: Be Zecora. Abscond in the process.

[Donut64]

Ditzy is the First Guardian.

Approved.

[gingerale]

Ditzy is the First Guardian.

Approved.

I'm sorry but Ditzy is too busy taking care of her family with Sepia Tock to be the First Guardian at this time.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

[KingTwelveSixteen]

>AJ: Attempt to bluff your apparent future daughter person by casually referring to her as whatever you were going to name your first daughter if you ever had one.

[cryptidWrangler]

Ditzy is the First Guardian.

Oh! Oh! This.

[littlebeasti]

>AJ: Attempt to bluff your apparent future daughter person by casually referring to her as whatever you were going to name your first daughter if you ever had one.

Wow, that's brilliant. Do it.

[JapaneseTeeth]

Yeah, I'm going to third that one.

Also, I'm really happy that everyone approves of my idea for Ditzy Doo. Although I kinda dread to think what she'd do with that kind of power.

[Aranfan]

>AJ: Attempt to bluff your apparent future daughter person by casually referring to her as whatever you were going to name your first daughter if you ever had one.

Wow, that's brilliant. Do it.

Yeah, I'm going to third that one.

Also, I'm really happy that everyone approves of my idea for Ditzy Doo. Although I kinda dread to think what she'd do with that kind of power.

Fourthed

[Donut64]

Ditzy is obviously the most responsible of ponies. She's just has an... odd way of expressing that.

[AProcrastinatingWriter]

Ditzy is obviously the most responsible of ponies. She's just has an... odd way of expressing that.

She doesn't always watch you to be creepy

It just seems that way

When in reality she's only trying to keep the devouring darkness from beyond time and space from gnawing on your lifeless corpse

[OnBackorder]

Must be hard looking for guardians from the established pony-verse. They need some distinguishing feature (Eyes, nose, mane?) and should be pure white in flesh. Vinyl, and Celestia work well (Eyes and Mane). Luna and Derpy have unique features aswell, but are lacking the white visual cue. Then again, this world is far greater in it's color variations then Homestuck was, where everyone is on the gray-scale except for the consorts. It would be neat for the consorts to be gray-scale, since the mains are pastels this time around.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Who else is there? That one tall pony with the Fleur de lis and Big Mac have a unique body-types. Mr. and Mrs. Cake (Jaw and Rump), but if pinkie has two everypony else needs two right? Granny Smith(Skin) makes two for AJ. Prince Blueblood is fairly unique, as is Pipsqueak with his spots.

Speaking of younglings, we have Snips and Snails. Then there is that doctor that examined spike and diagnosed him as a dragon, and the elder-pony without a cutiemark that tended the garden during the Gala and Splashed Twilight with mud in Feeling Pinkie Keen. All of the Big Lebowski ponies and pretty much every elderly background pony has a unique skin. Also, there was that freaky child-thing RD saved in Mysterious Mare-Do-Well. I think the bartender of APPLELOOSA was fairly tall, with a monocle or some-such head accessory. Holly Dash would work for a Dash-mixture. Vinyl proves that 2 seconds of screen time is plenty for Guardianship.

Starswirl the Bearded has yet to make a Face-bearing appearance, so First Guardianship to the Father of the Amniomorphic Spell?

That's everyone I can remember who was unique. There are probably a few others with big sunglasses I just don't care about. I'm not even sure how most of these d-bags would fit into the loop.

Ditsy does have that odd ability to be everywhere the mane cast is. Lyra too, even in Cloudsdale she was bouncing in the stadium.

[JapaneseTeeth]

Remember how Jadesprite could always see the Green Sun because she was also prototyped with Bec? This is why Ditzy is crosseyed. Due to the Green Sun being her power source, she can see it and it made her go fisheyed.