The Motivation Archive

by canonkiller

First published 14th of May, 2012

Hey, aspiring writers! Stuck with writer's block? Read on...

Well, after realizing there's no way I can write all these stories in my head, I decided "Hey, why not let other writers use them? Not like I will." So here it is. A collection of story prologues. Characters and tags will be specified at the beginning of each chapter, and stories are sorted by type. Chapters can include more that one story-starter. Rated teen because the endings to these might be.

These stories are given on a first-come/first-serve basis. Claiming a story also means I can edit it and make a cover, and MrMinimii has also offered to help edit!

Any authours with ideas they would like to submit may message them to me and they will be added, with credit.

--------------------------------
** This story was written when I was 14, and the quality and content reflect that. Please be aware that my position on topics contained within may have changed in the time between publishing and now, and I apologize for any offensive material that I may have condoned in my younger years. **

Crime/Espionage

"Well, sister?"

"I'm afraid, 'Tia. The Changelings haven't all left, I fear."

"Well, we at least knew before most of them made it in."

"You never did tell me how you knew that..."

"Oh, yes you weren't here..." Celestia stepped back from her window, looking at her sister. "You see, Luna, after your little... ahem, tantrum, I decided that my honor guard was simply not enough. I assembled four ponies, the best in their field, to protect Canterlot, and in turn, Equestria. They found the Changeling hives before they attacked."

"Who are they?"

"Well, I can show you."

It had taken a long time to get this far below Canterlot. The hallway was still brightly lit, the stone ceiling marked by rectangular, glowing lights. The three metal doors had been disguised, in order, as a run-down shack, a rusty basement door, and a brick wall. The stone was vanishing quickly now, becoming refined, reflective steel.

Celestia stopped in front of another door, this one quite plain compared to the others. She held Luna back with a wing, as if waiting for something.

A small camera slid out of the wall, focusing on Celestia, and afterwards, Luna.

"State your name."

"Princess Solis Celestia, and Princess Stellis Luna."

"State your business."

"Routine check-up on my secret service." She said with a smile.

"State password."

"For the Solar Empire." Celestia said clearly, adding quietly, "sorry, Luna. It's old."

"No matter. I'll just change it later."

"What?"

"Enter."

The door slid away into the wall, letting the two Alicorns enter.

"Hey, Celly! Long time no see!" A red unicorn stallion waved from a set of computers. "You brought Luna too? Welcome to your sister's spies, hun!"

Another pony, this one a white pegasus mare, landed in front of them. "Sorry, Princess Luna. Ignore Net Link over there. My name's Rocket Shot. Over there with the weights," a heavy-set lime-green earth stallion nodded, a giant weight balanced on his shoulders, "is Strong Shoulder. Bullet Bash is home with the mare and foals, and out on a mission right now are a unicorn mare named Midnight Mask and her accomplice in crime, a male pegasus named Lucky Hit." She paused, tapping her chin. "They should be back by now."

A door in the ceiling opened up, startling Luna. A blue pegasus fell through, barely managing to slow down before he hit the ground. The other members quickly left what they were doing to run to his side.

Luna found herself quickly alone as her sister joined them, and trotted behind awkwardly.

"Lucky! Lucky, what happened?!"

"Oh my goddess," Rocket Shot whispered, gently rolling him over. "Wings aren't supposed to bend that way. Wrap Up? Wrap Up! Get out here!"

Luna shoved closer to the injured pegasus, briefly seeing a runty white unicorn mare come galloping out of another room, her cutie mark an IV drip.

"L-Lucky? Are you okay?"

He coughed, a dribble of blood sliding out of his mouth. "I'm dying." He whispered. "But Midnight... Midnight was captured..." His eyes started drifting closed.

"Midnight... who has her?" Celestia asked, looking over her sister's shoulder. "Lucky, hang on."

The little mare pushed the Royal Sisters away, planting a set of AED pads on the pegasus' chest. There was a brief yell of 'clear' before Lucky jolted. He didn't move.

"Goddess, Lucky, wake up!" Rocket raced past Wrap, almost tipping the leggy mare over, and put her ear to Lucky's chest. "Damn it! Wake up! We... I can't lose you..."

"He will be missed." Celestia read, the words branded into her mind from reading them so many times. "Lucky Hit, the youngest stallion in my service, has now been laid to rest. Let his spirit meet Sol in heaven."

The few mourners dipped their heads before walking away, Rocket Shot held up by one of Strong's sides. Luna looked up at her sister. "What about Midnight?"

"If whatever force it was manged to capture her and kill Lucky, there's no chance she's alive."

"You're going to leave her?"

"She gone too, Luna. You don't understand."

"I do so understand! You know what, you can go back and do whatever the heck your fancy rooms do. I'm going to find her."

"I'm not letting you go alone." Celestia growled. "Now go inside."

"Princess, I'll go with her."

Both ponies turned, seeing a tan pegasus shading casually nearby. Unlike the fighting Alicorns, he seemed to have an air of calmness about him, bordering detachment.

"What?" Celestia whispered.

"I, Bullet Bash, transfer the contract of my life and service from Princess Solis Celestia to Princess Stellis Luna, to aid her in the retrieval of special agent Midnight Mask."

Body Swap

What happens when a sonic rainboom has side effects?

When two ponies with big dreams are stuck in each other's bodies, what will they do to be normal again?

Slowly, Surprise opened her eyes. That rainboom had been so far away. How had she felt the shock-wave that badly?

She looked around. There was another pony lying on the ground nearby, also a Wonderbolt (to her surprise). She tried to flap her wings, but felt nothing.

Shocked, she looked at her sides, hoping they hadn't been hurt. Instead, she saw a pristine, wingless blue flank. Surprise did a double take at the fallen pony. Glimpses of white coat, poofy yellow mane...

It was her!

Trixie awoke rather rudely, to a pony shaking her shoulders.

"Why do you disturb the Great and Powerful Trixie?" She yelled, preparing a bright flash of magic. She opened her eyes all the way when nothing happened. Her back felt really heavy, though.

"What did you do to keep the Great and Powerful Trixie from using her marvelous magic?!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Why do you sound like the Great and Powerful Trixie?" Trixie shook her head, clearing the fuzz from her eyes. "Why do you look like the Great and Powerful Trixie?!"

Episode

"Come on girls! We have a job to do!" Twilight shouted, pointing a hoof towards Canterlot.

"Yeah!" Pinkie yelled, whipping out her party cannon.

"We're ready to protect Equestria once again!" Rainbow added, striking a pose.

"For the animals!" Fluttershy shouted.

"For the plants!" AJ yelled.

"For the fans!" Rarity finished with a whinny.

My little pony, My little pony,
na na na na naaaaa
My Little Pony
I used to wonder what friendship could be
My Little Pony
Until you all shared its magic with me
Big adventure
Tons of fun
A beautiful heart
Faithful and strong
Sharing kindness,
It's an easy feat
And magic makes it all complete
You have my little ponies
Do you know you're all my very best friends?

Developed for television by Lauren Faust

-Ten minutes earlier-

"Luna? What are you doing in Ponyville?" Twilight asked. "Something wrong?"

"Yes, my dear Twilight." The Princess responded. "I don't have time to explain, but sister has gone mad! I do not have enough power to stop her! Our only hope is the Elements of Harmony!"

"Come on girls! We have a job to do!" Twilight shouted, pointing a hoof towards Canterlot.

"Yeah!" Pinkie yelled, whipping out her party cannon.

"We're ready to protect Equestria once again!" Rainbow added, striking a pose.

"For the animals!" Fluttershy shouted.

"For the plants!" AJ yelled.

"For the fans!" Rarity finished with a whinny.

"Come, my subjects, to Canterlot!" Luna yelled, her horn lighting up.

In a dark blue flash, the group vanished, party cannon included.

A deep - but feminine - laugh, echoes through a darkened hall in Canterlot. A few of the stained glass windows are blown out, the glass sparkling in the narrow beams of light.

A shining gold horseshoe steps into the light, a billowing wall of red, orange and yellow flowing beside it.

"So, they are going to try and beat me." Another laugh. "Good luck, my little ponies."

Crossover

"Do you remember the legend of the purple dragon?" The pony muttered, not turning away from the flickering holographic screens.

"Yes, father." The colt behind him muttered, blowing a strand of silver mane out of his face. "What of it?"

"I do believe it has returned." The pony at the monitor stepped back, pointing a hoof at the screen. "There."

"Father, the purple dragons have long gone extinct. You have been obsessing over this far too long." The younger pony trotted up, squinting into the light. "Indeed, the dragon is purple. But there are thousands of purple dragons on the circuit."

"No, no, that's where you're wrong. This one is purple." The stallion's eyes twinkled and he rubbed his hooves together. "It's the one! I know it!"

"You want it to 'escape'?"

He nodded. "And don't lose this one."

"I've never lost one, father."

"Why do I have to clean up after stupid dragons?" Twilight muttered, lifting the broom into it's holder telekinetically.

"Because you won't ride one?" Her little sister said helpfully.

"That's not my fault! They're big, and mean, and stupid! Why should anyone want to ride one?"

"Twilight, shush! Daddy might hear you!"

"Oh, Daddy already has." A deep voice laughed. A tall stallion - pale blue, with a darker mane - walked around the corner, shaking his head. "If you need to yell like that, please do it away from the dragons."

"Hi, Night Light!" Dawn Glimmer said, running over and hugging his leg.

"Not like it matters." The unicorn grumbled. "They don't seem to care."

"They care." Night Light sighed. "If you would ride one for once, you might understand-"

"-and that's never going to happen." Twilight finished. "Don't you have a race on right now?"

"Yeah, but one of the interns is watching for me. Oh, look what I figured out today!" He turned around, levitating a couple of the metal plates used to enhance a dragon's natural power. "Spike! Spike, come here!"

A huge dragon, easily twice Twilight's height, plodded into the stable. The pale green marks on his sides contrasted beautifully with his purple scales. He growled affectionately, nudging Night Light with his nose.

"Come on, Spike, show Twilight and Dawn what you can do."

The dragon rolled his eyes - Twilight got the feeling that her father had tried this dozens of times - and the metal plates started to spark, merging with his aura. Each being lifted on a bolt of arcane lightning, they stuck to his scales.

"See?" Night laughed. "Look!"

"Dad, I don't really understand why that's so great. All dragons can do that."

"No, they can't. These are all different colors. All the other dragons I've seen can only use one!"

"That's... great, dad."

"And as the Pony Rangers, your duty is to protect Equestria!"

A smaller, blue pony stuck her head in the projected screen. "You said duty!"

The first hologram, a white pony, frowned down at the second, before turning it's gaze back to the ponies assembled. "Celestia and Luna, signing off."

"Bye!"

The six ponies stared at the now-dull wall, mouths gaping.

"We're... what?" Applejack muttered.

Another section of the wall revealed a secret, sliding away like a door. A small figure, not equine at all, stepped through.

"Spike? What's going on?" Twilight asked.

The little dragon shook his head. "You've been in the dark for far too long." He pulled out a box from behind his back, opening the steel cover to reveal a shining white interior. On the what-seemed-to-be silk were six watches. "All six of you are here for different reasons. But you've all had a special connection since before you met."

He walked up to the first pony in line; Pinkie Pie.

"Spike? Didn't you buy cupcakes from me yesterday?"

He rolled his eyes. "I had to make sure it was you." He lifted one of the watches out of the box, a simple grey band. However, when he buckled it around Pinkie's hoof, it turned a bright pink and a small logo in the shape of her cutie mark showed up.

"You, Pinkie, have the Element of Laughter. Use it well."

The next pony was Applejack. This time, the band became orange.

"'Ah could have sworn I'd seen you before."

"I came by for a dozen apples once. Your Element is Honesty. Use it well."

Fluttershy... Rainbow Dash... Rarity...

"Spike, why didn't you tell me?"

The dragon strapped her band on, which became a nice lavender color. "You were the one that couldn't know at all."

He stepped back and held up his other claw, revealing a light purple band with a green flame insignia. It had blended so well with his scales that it hadn't been noticeable.

"Put your hoof to your watch." He instructed.

Each pony felt themselves being lifted into the air, a magical wind kicking up. Arcane metal appeared, shimmering in the color of the bands. The metal attached to each pony's body, forming a thin - but apparently protective - coat.

There was a unified awe throughout the ponies.

"You guys just wait until you see the 'zords." Spike added with a grin.

Extended Canon

The Queen was moping.

She had been moping for a while now. And pacing.

Yes, she had recovered from her failure. Most of her Changelings had returned safely, a few still healing worse wounds. The hive was back to normal, and life went on. True, it was a little harder to find food now that the ponies were on alert, but they were kind of stupid.

But none of that was the reason.

The reason was that little rat, Shining Armor.

For once in a millennia, she had been able to feed freely from true, unfaltering love. And damn, it had been good while it lasted. It had been such a long time since...

Chrysalis flinched, almost missing a step. Her heart. The one thing that made her able to be Queen, to find even the smallest amounts of compassion across Equestria.

It hurt.

She lay down with a sigh, rubbing her forehead with one hoof. "Damn that fool." She hissed. "Damn that stupid love potion..."