Side effects of a good idea

by BeautifulHorse

Rating: everyone
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rarity, Other, Starlight Glimmer, Twilight Velvet, Random, Alternate Universe
Length: 4937

Short little snippets of ideas which never quite grew enough to be on their own.

Short little ideas which never quite grew enough to be on their own. Stress writing, fun, big ideas which were betrayed by the word count, otherwise abandoned ideas... etc. Individual story tags below.

The Unexpected and Oddly Adventurous Rarity - [Drama] [Slice of Life] [Rarity]
Alternate Ponysona: Twilight Velvet - [Slice of Life] [Adventure] [Twilight Velvet]
Pony vs Tablet - [Slice of Life] [Twilight Sparkle]
Fun! - [Random] [Comedy] [Pinkie Pie]
A Dream of Equality - [Slice of Life] [Kinda Dark] [Flashfic] [Starlight Glimmer]
Just a Moment - [Slice of Life] [Scootaloo]
Reparations... or Lessons? - [Slice of Life] [Discord] [Twilight Sparkle]
Move to Music - [Slice of Life] [Sweetie Belle]
Pinkie Pie Writes her Autobiography - [Slice of Life] [Random] [Pinkie Pie]
Electricity - [Thriller] [Flashfic] [Doctor Whooves]
Poetic Justice (poem) - [Slice of Life] [Flashfic] [Zecora]
It was just a joke... - [Sad] [Original Character]
How long can it take? - [Comedy] [Flashfic] [Rarity]

Published 2020-05-26 20:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-10-15 22:37:26 UTC

The Unexpected and Oddly Adventurous Rarity

[Drama] [Slice of Life] - [Rarity]

Rarity had creative block.

No matter how much she tried, she simply couldn't think of anything new for her designs! And there was only so much that looking through her previous successes could do. Trotting to her kitchen and getting the kettle going, she picked up a teacup with her magic and got out a teabag and 7 sugar lumps. Perhaps tea would cheer her.

One extremely sugary tea and seemingly endless fretting/boredom/frustration later, Rarity concluded she would go to Twilight on the matter. The purple alicorn was extremely well-read and was sure to know some sort of cure to this debilitating creativity blocking condition.

Princess Twilight was talking to her friends Rainbow Dash and A.K. Yearling when Rarity burst in and cried "Twilight! I am in DESPERATE need of your help!" And seemingly fainted on a conveniently placed, elegant looking lounge.

Twilight ran up to her friend's side and checked for a pulse. Having found one, she placed a hoof on Rarity's forehead and then looked her over for any injuries before realizing that this must simply be a dramatic outburst for a non-life-threatening problem.

As Rarity's eyes fluttered open in a graceful way (typical of a well-practiced fainting fashionista) Twilight spoke up.

"What in the wide realm of Equestria is wrong enough for you to come in and collapse over?"

"I am suffering from a complete block of all inspiration. Help me Twilight, if I don't come up with something for the spring line before the winter I will simply never be ready in time! What is causing this dreadful affliction?"

A.K. chuckled from where she and Rainbow Dash were watching on, and then cleared her throat. "I believe you would be suffering from creative block. A condition not unlike writer's block. One could even call the two the same thing, but I never will."

Rarity gave an exaggerated moan.

"How can I be freed of such a dreadful malady?"

A.K. thought for a moment. "Well, an adventure always clears out the cobwebs whenever I am having a bad writing day-"

"THAT'S IT!" Rarity declared. "I shall have an adventure. Adventure it shall be! I shall be cured of this malaise!"

Alternate Ponysona: Twilight Velvet

[Slice of Life] [Adventure] - [Twilight Velvet]

Operation Corruption

This operation name is deceiving. I am Agent Twilight Velvet and I am on an anti-corruption assignment in Canterlot. Using my deep cover as a noble mare of the Twilight house, my job is to check for corruption among all the other nobles. Vested interests, gradually directing taxpayer money to private means and the like is what I'm looking for.

Why am I keeping this log like a story? Maybe it's all the editing I do for A.K. Yearling. One day she'll be found out as Daring Do, I swear. Anyhow, this log will switch between story-like, casual journaling and a kind of action logging with dates and times and such. I find this combination is excellent for clearing my mind, rambling and keeping accurate notes.

I used to do more active missions. Things like babysitting the Elements, but as they got high-profile I asked for a change out of fear of a conflict of interests. Twilight is my daughter, and I don't want to accidentally favor her or restrict her from doing her duties. When Blueblood was found to be influencing money into his coffers I leapt at the chance to investigate corruption and help Equestria in a new, safer way.

7-4-1425 5:45 pm

Entering the Spring Arts Show funding meeting I glanced down a side hall and saw Fleur de Lis wearing this really odd navy long skirt and long sleeve shirt. It's spring, and a rather pleasant evening, so that's really odd. She looked troubled, almost scared. I've been asked to keep an eye on her. The boss thinks she's in relationship trouble but I think it's more than that. That gal is smart.

7-4-1425 6:50 pm

Now that the 'sitting and listening' part of the meeting is over and the socializing has begun, I have noticed a curious occurrence, one which would only slightly bother me if not for what I have been told to look for. Pieces of silverware, and the odd food or drink item, turned to gold.

On my suspect list is a pony named Golden Touch, who is rumored to have some sort of golden touch. You'd think it would be obvious from the name, and most just dismiss the idea or think it's cool. But this ability can have serious implications on the Equestrian Gold Standard, and for the unfortunate holder of the magic ability. Used for wrongdoing, this sort of thing can be devastating. It's surprising that Golden Touch has even survived this long, which hints she may have a way to turn it off or may only have gained it in the past few days. Also, the floor isn't gold, so she must have some way of keeping her influence off. Or shoes.

What is even more scary, is this 'rumor' (now proven real?) is only new. Either this was well hidden, or something truly sinister is at play.

7-4-1425 7:12 pm

Checking another pony off my list of suspects. I didn't expect to find so many in one night, but this meeting is the first stage planning of an influential, stuffy, boring event. Of course a large amount of suspects are here.

The recent pony is a stuck up pegasus mare called Original Art. She was suspected to be possibly influencing art events on some level, but after my short, tense conversation with her I believe she is just a standard noble. How mad she would be to hear that.

7-4-1425 8:24 pm

Everyone is clearing out because there is a late night gala on around here at 10 and the ponies in charge want to set up for it. I spotted one last pony on my suspect list, the lord Fancy Pants. I wonder what we are suspecting him of? My list doesn't say, but he has been flagged for 'suspicious' behavior. He kind of saw me and wandered off quite quickly, I wonder if he knows that I am investigating something?

Overall report

Tonight I made contact with one suspect, Original Art, who is most likely not up to anything. I saw two suspects, Fleur de Lis and Fancy Pants, whose behavior seem to be in line with the reports we have, I saw evidence of one suspect, Golden Touch, being here and I did not see two other suspects.

Author's Note

I think I went overboard imagining all these potential noble criminals. Fun :pinkiehappy:

Pony vs Tablet

[Slice of Life] - [Twilight Sparkle]

Twilight Sparkle gingerly poked the odd package with a hoof. It was a birthday present from Sunset, who lived in the other dimension. The note that came with it read:

Hi Twilight
I thought you might like a new thing to learn about for your birthday, so happy birthday! This is a tablet. The wifi won't work in Equestria, but basic functions should probably work. I've included a stylus for your convenience.
-Sunset

I wonder what wifi is, Twilight thought.

She picked up the scissors with her telekinesis and carefully cut away the brown paper to find two boxes. One was slim, not wider than her hoof, and just longer than a pencil. The other was about the size of an A4 piece of paper. The boxes were well constructed, both made of a hard card material which seemed more plastic than cardboard (and was easy to get 'papercuts' on). Stickers placed over the edges prevented the boxes from being opened easily.

Cutting through the stickers of the smaller box, Twilight pulled out a pen-like object. The only distinctions from a pen was that it did not seem to have any ink in it as it did not write, and it appeared to have a soft, squishy, rubber like end. Huh, Twilight thought, Sunset did mention it was 'for my convenience', maybe I'll put it somewhere safe until she can explain what it is for.

Turning to the next box, she carefully opened it and extracted from the copious amount of packaging a thin item, about the size and weight of a good book, but lacking the thickness of a book. On one side there was a black rectangle that took up most of the tablet's surface, save for thin white edges and one slightly thicker edge that housed a single ovular button and two faint symbols, one on each side of the button.

As Twilight examined the sides (if you could even call the them that), she noted that there was a small button on one long, thin side and a longer button on the other long, thin side that appeared to be divided into two parts. On the thin, shorter side closer to the ovular button there was two indents, or 'ports', as they were called in the manual. One was for the charger, the other was for 'headphones'. I wonder what headphones are? she wondered silently. Also included was the charger and a charger adapter.

Twilight plugged the charger into the tablet, and then the other end into the adapter, and finally, the adapter into the wall. A logo flashed onto the formerly black screen, pulsed gently for about ten seconds and then the screen went black again, before showing a battery icon that only just had the end filled with green. It didn't take much for Twilight to deduce that this meant it was charging.

As she knew nothing about tablets, Twilight resolved to have Sunset come by sometime soon. That way, they could discuss tablets together.

Author's Note

Theorizing, of course, that Equestria does have power points for their fridges and other electrical items. It makes sense that those power points would match whatever is in EqG world.

I may or may not write a continuation of this.

Fun!

[Random] [Comedy] - [Pinkie Pie] [Many exclamation marks]

Into her own reflection she stared,
Yearning for one whose reflection she shared,
And solemnly sweared not to be scared,
At the prospect of being doubly mirrored!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Ooh, that looks fun over there!

Jumping is fun!

Eating that plant looks fun!

Fun! Lets follow her! She said Ponyville is fun!

Fun! Fun! Jump along! Fun!

Ooh! A lake! Fun!

Spin around! Fun!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

Find Applejack! Run around! Fun!

Oops! I bumped her! Fun!

Run through the town!

Fun! Fun! Fun!

I am the real Pinkie!

But I am the real pinkie...

45 minutes of mindless 'fun!' later...

Fun! Run where Applejack and her friends are going!

Oh, sit down.

What's happening?

NO! A test! Not fun!

Paint is not fun.

Oh. That doesn't look fun.

Run away! No! Look at the wall!

How do I escape?

They're looking away. Now.

Run.

Run!

I escaped!

Fun! No. Learn!

Learn! Learn!

Author's Note

Random idea, what could possibly go wrong from writing it?

Based on Too Many Pinkie Pies (S03E03) and that PinkieClone in Saddle Row Review (S06E09).

I'd use an exclamation mark, maybe, but I get the feeling you might be sick of them for a while

I regret nothing

Just a Moment

[Slice of Life] - [Scootaloo]

Scootaloo remembered the moment she got her cutie mark. It was magical, amazing. The moment had passed, and she could never live it again. She could fondly remember, but never relive the moment.

Did she regret any of her life? No, definitely not. She regretted nothing. She was a daredevil! Maybe she regretted not doing a few things, but she cherished her every experience. When she was bored, time had been preserved. She had been able to observe time passing minute by minute. And when she was having fun, time had flown by scarily fast.

And now she had a new mentor, she was at the beginning of a new story, a new chapter. Her childhood had flown like she had wished to do physically. Now she had a real chance to learn to fly. She was growing up. It was scary, but exciting. A challenge that she was ready for. Maybe.

Author's Note

Based in a story I am attempting to write. I'm not quite sure what this is, but I wanted to write something to get in the mood to plan out a chapter or two.

This won't be a scene in the story, but if I get around to finishing it it will definitely be based in it. This particular scene is when Scootaloo is about 14 or 15.

Move to Music

[Slice of Life] - [Sweetie Belle]

Sweetie Belle looked at her headphones, and then looked up. She was alone in the boutique, no one would hear her or see her. She slipped the headphones on and pressed 'play' on her MP3 player. The catchy music which she loved so much began playing, and Sweetie slipped the player into a small satchel at her side.

She stepped out into the middle of the mostly empty room in time with the music, bobbing her head. She began singing along with the music, making up all sorts of improvised dance moves and just acting out the emotions that the music inspired in her.

At one point, the emotions just swept her away and she crossed her forehooves over her chest, spinning on a rear hoof as she sang. Occasionally, a word or two would inspire a small tear. Several songs passed as Sweetie just let emotion be her guide, imagining that the world was perfect and all she had to do was follow her heart, sing and dance.

The music paused at a gap between songs, and Sweetie heard the door click. Rarity was home! Sweetie quickly scuttled over to where she had left a book yesterday. She flopped onto the floor, opening the book and pretending to read while she nodded her head on to the tunes that made her emotions soar.

Pinkie Pie Writes her Autobiography

[Slice of Life] [Random] - [Pinkie Pie]

I remember it like it was yesterday. The day after my cutie mark-worthy bash, I was broke. I had spent all my allowance on party supplies to make my family happy. It was a noble cause! The only problem was party stores were kind of hard to come by here, so I had to rely on two travelling colts who were selling party supplies and prank wares. I have a feeling that things aren’t usually that expensive. So, I had to work on the family farm for another few months to earn some spending money before I went to school.

I was going to go to school in Trottingham, but Maud says it’s boring there, and that everyone is serious. Like, devoid of expression serious. To this day, that’s why she doesn’t have a lot of expression. I have always felt that I have to be twice as happy and fun to make up for it and show her feelings as well as mine. She used to be just like me, I tell you. But it all went away. Anyway, I wanted to go to school somewhere different and amazing! Maud got out her geography textbook and helped me pick out another place. I decided to go to Ponyville because little towns always have the best little quirks in the books I read, and Ponyville is close to Canterlot, so I could go to the most important city in Equestria and explore!

I decided to go to Ponyville just after the summer holidays started. That way I could find a place to stay and maybe even get a job and throw some parties before school started! Mum said I was so grown-up and responsible for my age, but for some reason it was really hard to convince her I could go all by myself.

When I arrived the first place I noticed when I was walking through the town was the bakery. It was run by a couple who I came to know as Mr. and Mrs. Cake. I went in to get some cupcakes and when Mrs. Cake asked me what I was doing in Ponyville, I told her that I was starting school soon, but I wanted to get a job and a place early. At first, she reacted just like Mum did, but then she offered me a job and a spare room at the bakery. I happily accepted her offer. Since then I have gotten really good at baking.

Working at the bakery I met a lot of ponies. I also learned a lot about business, because back then it was called the Ponyville Bakery and it wasn’t as pink as it is today. When I was little, I loved to wander around offering everypony sugar cubes or other sweeteners for their tea and coffees, and I thought of a brilliant name for the bakery! Sugarcube Corner!

It turned out that I wasn’t the only pony thinking about a different name, because Mr. Cake brought up the idea in the very next business meeting. I put in all my ideas, including the current decoration scheme and name, because I wanted Sugarcube Corner to have success.

By now I had well and truly started school, and I loved learning. I was moved up three grades because I had learned so much with Maud when she was home on breaks. I had a little trouble making friends when I started school because I was with colts and fillies that were older than me. But I made friends with the only pony in my class that didn’t have a cutie mark: Cheerilee.

Even though I loved learning, I sometimes struggled with reading and writing. Cheerilee had been reading up on how ponies learn because she really liked that, so she was able to tutor me with what I found hard. When I got a spelling test back after studying with her, I discovered I had not just passed but gotten 100%! I was really happy then, but I was even happier when Cheerilee got her cutie mark!

After Cheerilee got her cutie mark, I threw her cutecenera. It was the first party I threw in Ponyville, and everypony loved it! After about a year of working with Cheerilee whenever I got stuck at school, I finally mastered reading enough to keep up with how fast I was learning.

After that, my life was pretty normal. Well, as normal as it can be for a filly that learns fast enough to surprise all the teachers. I worked hard at school and threw birthday parties with Sugarcube Corner catering on the weekends and during the holidays. I even did the deliveries sometimes! I couldn’t stand to stop anything for even a minute, I wanted take in everything wonderful and happy as fast as I could.

I graduated from school early and I got to know everyone around Ponyville. I sometime kept notes on their preferences so I could throw a party at any time really quickly, and I learned about party cannons! Every time somepony new would come to Ponyville I would welcome them.

One morning I felt a twitch in my tail, and I knew that something would fall out of the sky. It hardly made sense, but why would I decide to question it? I wore my fun umbrella hat and I was saved from the rain that suddenly fell from the sky. Over time I learned that different twitches could mean different things, and that became my Pinkie Sense.

My Pinkie Sense told me on a nice sunny day that something wonderful would happen. Little did I know then, but I would meet Twilight Sparkle that day, and we would eventually become good friends.

Author's Note

This is rather long for a 'short' idea (I feel I could have extended it a lot more), but I'm working on other ideas so I won't be extending it.

Electricity

[Thriller] If you can even get that in a less than 150 story - [Doctor Whooves]

“Finally!” Dr. Whooves shouted as the rain started to cease.

From where he was, he could see his machine sparking in the distance. He ran up to the machine and stopped as yet another spark hissed through the wet air.

Whooves’ lightning catcher was going to be brilliant. It worked like the unicorn globes and batteries that were commonplace, but it used something else instead of magic.

Whooves gazed in wonder as the lightning catcher emitted some crackling noises. He had one read about this ‘electricity’. The idea came from a science fiction book from the human realm. The book, given to him by his sister who visited it during her studies, had lots of ideas.

And because all these ideas were based on science, they could happen.

Author's Note

This was originally going to be for the prompt 'After the Storm' for Flashfic 150, but I had the idea too late. Oh well, I can still write.

Ideas for future..?

And yes, for this idea his sister is Sunset Shimmer. We don't actually know much about her family, now I think about it...

It was just a joke...

Author's Note

Stress writing.

Pony is an OC with poor social skills who lives in an extremely closed community.

No offense is meant to anyone who likes/uses/believes in essential oils.

It was just a joke...

[Sad] - [Original Character]

What had gone wrong? Pony tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, and only succeeded in smearing them further across her cheeks.

For weeks now, Pony’s mother had picked up a new interest (read: craze, fad, etc.). But this new interest was different. Instead of the latest chemical-free cleaning products or everlasting and overpriced plastic containers, this new craze was oils.

Pony had watched in muted trepidation as the interest slowly spread through her closed off community. Why did she even care? It wasn’t like she even talked to most of the others. She just minded her own business and minimized contact. She couldn’t even recall the names of most of the ponies who talked to her.

But this new oils craze was different. There were stories of oils curing cancer, books claimed that oils could alleviate the symptoms of many diseases. Some ponies even believed that the oils could alter emotion. But to Pony, this was mere pseudoscience. Perhaps there were trace benefits of oils, but it couldn’t be that groundbreaking. After all, if oils were really that powerful, surely doctors would be writing prescriptions for them. Right?

Right?

At first, Pony had warily noted the presence of oils, relocating if their smells were too unbearable and keeping her distance. Politely turning down offers for personal use. She had joked nervously, masking her distaste for the oils.

But it was one such ‘coping’ joke that burst her carefully orchestrated act. Pony hadn’t heard the question, but she had figured out the basic idea of it after hearing snippets of conversation around her music. To the outsider, the humorous quip could easily be mistaken for mockery. But on the inside, this was her way of defending herself from something she saw as a possible threat, normalizing a scary situation and socially connecting with her family.

“Are you showing Dad that there’s more to essential oils that putting them in a lawnmower?”

This joke was carefully constructed on her family’s previous comments relating the essential oils to engine oil. Pony was prepared for a number of responses. Mumbles of ‘whatever’, halfhearted laughs or even perhaps silence.

“He was asking a genuine question, and I’m showing him some answers.”

It was a cutting response. Perhaps even a hurt response. The wrong response to what was perhaps, in retrospect, a poorly timed but not ill-intentioned joke.

And it hurt.

Tears flowed, and Pony’s carefully constructed emotional balance was gone.

How long can it take?

[Comedy] [Flashfic] - [Rarity]

Rarity sighed with relief after finishing helping Applejack with the annual zapapple harvest. Sleep deprived and covered in dirt and mud due to the unusually heavy rain from a rouge storm, she dragged herself home and had a shower to remove the worst of the mess. Shortly afterwards, she approached the mirror and gasped in horror.

“My hooves!”

Frantically, Rarity tried to make her hooves smooth and shiny. After ten minutes of work, the Cutie Mark Crusaders walked in. At that same moment, Rarity let out a frustrated groan.

“If only my hooves were shinier!”

Apple Bloom walked up and offered a pink potion.

“Here, drink this potion. It’ll fulfill your heart’s desire!”

Desperately, Rarity gulped the potion. Nothing happened. With a frustrated groan, she turned on the CMCs… but they were gone. Picking up her buffing block, she returned to smoothing her hooves.

Thirty minutes later, they were perfect.

Author's Note

This was an entry to Flashfic 150, October 2021: "The Potion".

Rarity's heart's desire has come to fruition! The potion did nothing and the file did everything. You can go to bed now, Rarity. :derpytongue2:

Poetic Justice (poem)

[Slice of Life][Zecora]

Zecora reflected on a time now dated
When her speech flowed ideas of all kinds
Riddles and rumors left her friends frustrated
Her young self paid the cost no mind

Daring ideas and dreams were seeded
During troubled years for the herd
Youthful recklessness however was unneeded
And consequences had to be observed

Reluctant to charge a youth for dreaming
Elders concocted a creative plan ahead
To encourage the young to start thinking
Rather than simply saying what was in their head

To this day the penalty remains:
Those who cannot check their thoughts in time
Now must for all their days
Pause as they speak in rhyme

Author's Note

I'm sure I saw this as headcanon somewhere. Unfortunately, I can't recall where.

This is a response to the prompt 'poetic justice' for this month's Flashfic 150. I chose hard mode: Write a poem incorporating the idiom (I hope I did it correctly).

When I was writing this I was also thinking a bit of the saying 'loose lips sink ships', but I couldn't figure out how to incorporate that.

A Dream of Equality (Flashfic competition entry)

[Slice of Life] [Kinda Dark] - [Starlight Glimmer]

Young Starlight Glimmer was all alone. There was nothing, nothing at all around and her one and only friend was gone. If only she had another friend, whose cutie mark would never separate them. If only everyone was born equal. Another pony materialized beside her. The other filly had a slightly washed out coat and a generic hairstyle. Her cutie mark was not there. But, as Starlight watched, a cutie mark appeared on her flank… an equals sign. A bright hope came through Starlight’s mind and she smiled.

As Starlight woke up, that same bright hope shone in her mind. She reached a hoof over to her dream journal and she drew a pony with an equals sign as a cutie mark. Maybe she could found a town! It would be just like home, except all would be equal. She began to write the rules for her new home.

Author's Note

An entry in the Flashfic Flashfic 150 contest. It's a monthly contest with a 150 word limit and it's really nice to have a word limit I can hit. The particular prompt for this story was dream a little dream.

Reparations... or Lessons?

[Slice of Life] - [Discord][Twilight Sparkle]

"Enough is enough." The Twilight, Princess of Friendship, and now, Ruler of Equestria, stomped her hoof on the throne she was sitting on, "Discord, I am done with your antics. You have set up multiple disasters, inconvenienced the lived of ponies many times and in the past you have attempted to take over Equestria multiple times.

"I have called this hearing because the ponies of Equestria are sick of it. I have had nobles and farmers alike calling for your head, my court criticizing your many second chances and even my friends and mentor have encouraged me to take a firmer stance."

The throne room was completely silent, even the newsponies not whispering or taking pictures for once.

Discord, who stood before the throne flanked by Twilight's Competent Guard. He was actually getting pale. The Competent Guard lived up to their name, and he could see that Twilight truly meant what she said. He wanted to ask what she wanted him to do, but Twilight didn't look in the mood to answer questions.

Especially questions that she would probably answer in her next sentence.

"For all these things, I am naming you Equestria's official Disaster Repair Draquonequs. This is your last chance before I sentence you to another 1000 years in stone. You will be expected to repair damage caused by disasters, wars and the likes, as the damage occurs."

Murmurs erupted from the nobles gathered at the edges of the throne room. Discord was getting another chance and Princess Twilight was growing as a ruler.

It would take everypony a while to realize it: another of Discord's long term lessons had fallen in place.

Author's Note

I was writing this because I felt that Discord was let off too lightly for all the havoc he had caused, but I think he twisted this in his favor.