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The doctors never thought I'd survive. Ponies born with three legs rarely do. Not to mention my coat was jet black, which was considered a bad omen by some ponies. My father told me how happy my mother and him were when the doctor told them I hadn't died after one whole day, and that I had a chance of living longer than that. I was weak, could barely move for a few weeks, but I still survived.
My father told me how he remembered reading the newspaper headline: "Young foal born with rare birth defect survives three days." Ponies born with a missing limb usually didn't have enough strength to even move at all, and those who could move could just barely do so. I've been told it has something to do with chromosomes, or genes, or something like that, but I never really bothered to look into it. It never really was important to me why it happened because I could never change it, even if I did know.
However, I didn't really become "famous." For most ponies, it was just the "huh, that's interesting" kind of news. I didn't mind. After all, being famous would have just made my already difficult life even more so.
After I had survived long enough for the doctors to think I was ready to be given to my parents to care for me, I lived the kind of life you'd expect for a pony in my situation. My parents taught me things, how the world works, how to read, etcetera. Of course, I never learned how to walk, and that prevented me from living a "normal" life. When I was old enough to go to school, my parents got me a wheelchair and asked someone at the school to help me with my day.
I enjoyed the learning part of school, but never really liked the "being around other ponies" part of it. Probably because most of them were too busy laughing or making fun of me to talk to them. It was pretty rough, but I learned how to deal with it. It helped having an adult with me, so they were less willing to tease me to my face. I know they did it when I wasn't there, though. It never really bothered me, because I was too busy trying to learn all I could. After all, if I couldn't be physically strong, then I could at least be mentally strong.
I never cared much about things most ponies my age cared about. I never cared much about getting a Cutie Mark. I never cared much about making friends. I never cared much about social status, or really anything except learning. I was especially interested in math and science, although those were usually the classes ponies cared about less. Looking back at it, I realized that those programs were underfunded and neglected at the school, being overshadowed by the arts programs and the programs that taught practical skills, like farming and construction. Luckily, my parents would take me to the Canterlot Public Library after school sometimes so I could learn more.
Things went on like this for a few years, the routine basically the same from day to day. Go to school, ignore the bullies, learn, go to the library, learn some more, go home, sleep, rinse, repeat. I didn't mind the lack of change, but that's not to say I wanted things to stay the same. And the day would come when everything I knew changed forever.
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"Okay class, as you all know, today we're taking a field trip to the historic Canterlot Clock Tower. Everypony get your permission slips out!" The teacher said cheerfully. My history teacher is nice, although I don't remember her name. I never was good with names. Instead I would remember ponies by the role they played in my life. Science teacher, history teacher, doctor, and so on.
I wasn't particularly interested in this field trip, but my father had insisted that I go. Ever since my mother disappeared, he'd been trying his best to raise me and keep his job in the palace. He was a Royal Guardsmen there, but his shifts were usually early in the day, so he was almost always there to meet me after school. He wanted me to go on this particular day because he had a later shift, and the field trip would go on for longer than a usual school day. This had happened a few times before, so I was okay with it. I took my permission slip from my bag and handed it to the teacher.
We then walked to the clock tower. It wasn't too long of a walk, so we were there in just a few minutes. The teacher lectured us on how this tower was the first clock made in Equestria and how it represented harmony between the pony races, blah blah blah. I wasn't listening for most of it, my mind focused on the science book I had checked out of the library just for this trip, when I heard the teacher say something that caught my interest.
"Now, we will go inside to see how it works!" She said. I hadn't really thought about that. I had always assumed it was magic, just like every other clock in Equestria was. But when we went inside, I was shocked at what I saw.
The tower was filled with huge metal wheels, ropes, and other parts. There was always something moving around somewhere. That wheel turned, which causes that thing to lower, which causes...
DING! The bell at the top rang out, surprising a few ponies in the group. "You see, class, when this clock was made, there were no magic clocks. So instead, the ponies who built this one used a bunch of gears and pulleys to make a working clock. For a while, all clocks were made this way, until a method for creating magical clocks was invented by..."
At that point, I had stopped listening, instead marveling at the complexity of the huge clock mechanism. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen; tons of metal parts, each one finely made to serve a specific purpose, all fitting together to form a whole, doing things that were otherwise impossible without magic. As the teacher lectured on about how magic clocks replaced mechanical ones, I pieced together how the clock worked. So that gear turns, which turns that other gear, lowering that weight using that pulley, which in turn raises that other weight, which turns another gear, which then...
DING! The bell rang off again. An idea popped into my head. It was crazy, no, it was completely impossible, and it came out of nowhere. But at the same time, it was so simple that I wondered why I hadn't thought of it before. I began to plan it in my head, working out how the pieces would fit together. The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like it just might work.
That day, after school, my father and I went to the library. I wasted no time, asking for him to help find any books on machines, and machine parts, and how to make them. He asked why I was suddenly so interested in such an "obsolete" method of doing things. I told him that it wasn't obsolete, and that it was merely being used in the wrong way. I believed that, if done correctly, machines could solve problems that magic never could. And I intended to do just that.
Over the next few weeks, I slowly assembled my project. I kept it a secret from everypony, even my father. I told him it was a surprise. "Surprise" was a massive understatement. Often, I would ask him to get me a few small gears, or springs, or pieces of metal. And, being the supportive father he is, he would always at least try to get them for me. When it was finally ready, I told him to wait in the living room for a few minutes.
I took the metal contraption and strapped it on to where my front right leg would be. Then, for the first time ever, I stood up.
Many ponies claim to have had an experience that drastically changed how they viewed the world. This was mine. I took a moment to get used to it. My natural legs weren't that strong, so I couldn't stay up for long. Luckily, I had expected that. I strapped the metal bracings I made to my other legs. They were much simpler, only meant to help me keep my legs straight. Then, I called my dad back.
I will never forget the look on my father's face when he saw me standing for the first time.
For the first time in the twelve years I'd been alive, I could do something every other pony learned to do when they were two.
For the first time, I considered the possibility that I could have a normal life.
Then, the strain from standing got the better of me, so I removed my braces and sat down on the floor. I was lightheaded, and before I knew it, everything had gone black.
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The next time I woke up, I was in my bed. I could hear my father talking outside with my doctor, no doubt discussing what I'd just done. I took a moment to look around my room.
The room didn't have much in it, probably because my parents never thought I'd need much in it. There was my bed, a small desk with a lamp and some papers on it, and some framed photos on the dark blue walls. I looked at them. Some were of me alone, some were of me with my parents. One in particular caught my eye. It showed my father and mother standing on opposite sides of me. I was in my wheelchair. That was the first day I left the house since my parents brought me home from the hospital. The first day I went to school.
My thoughts drifted to my parents. First, my father. He was an Earth Pony stallion, with a gray coat and a darker grey mane. His name was Bremen-shade, although I'd heard many ponies just call him Bremen. His eyes were a dark blue, the same color as mine, as well as the paint on my walls. His Cutie Mark was a shield with then outline of an axe inside of it. He had always been there for me when I needed him, and he tried to help me in as many ways as he could.
It had been my mother's decision to paint the walls the same color as my eyes. She was a beautiful Unicorn mare, with a light blue coat and darker blue hair. Her name was Aurashine, although my father told me most ponies just called her Aura. I didn't know as much about her as I did about my dad, because she disappeared without a trace when I was five. She had sparkling emerald green eyes, and her Cutie Mark was a four-pointed white star surrounded by dark blue sparkles. My father says that she was one of the best Unicorns when it came to magic. According to him, she could lift an entire house if she wanted to, then transform it into one that was ten times as nice. She was even offered an internship with one of the Royal Magic Advisors, but declined it so she could have more time to raise me.
Just about the only thing she couldn't do is give me a new leg. Everything she tried failed. She asked everypony she knew who was good with magic, but none of them knew what else to try.
I suppose I was right about mechanical devices not being obsolete. Magic can do a lot, but some things can only be accomplished by something more physical. It had simply required somepony to apply it in a new way.
I heard the door open, and my father's face peered in.
"You awake, son?" He asked. I nodded in response.
"May I talk to you for a minute?" He asked, opening the door further. Another nod.
He walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Your mother would be so proud of you, you know that? What you did, well, it's never been done before." I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was sincere.
"It's almost funny. Here we all are, trying to fix you, and then you go and fix yourself." I didn't really know how to respond to anything he was saying, so I stayed quiet and listened.
"You know, I was just talking with the doctor, and he said that if you're careful, you can practice standing and walking tomorrow."
I was somewhat surprised. "Really?" I said in a somewhat excited, but also somewhat disbelieving way. He nodded, then smiled at me.
The next day, I stayed home from school. My father had arranged for the school to send all my schoolwork through the mail, and I would stay home and build my strength until I could walk normally. At first, I struggled. But I knew that I could do it. Days passed, and I grew stronger. Eventually, I didn't need the metal bracings to stand. I could walk around almost like any other pony. For the first time in my life, I could be normal.
On the last day before I went back to school, I looked up at the picture of my mom and dad and I. Yeah, she would be proud of me, I thought.
Many things changed after that. For one, I didn't need an adult wheeling me around everywhere. That meant the bullies could tease me much more easily. I had thought they'd have nothing to tease me about, but they found something.
"You couldn't even walk if it wasn't for that nerdy contraption of yours!" One bully said.
"Yeah, at least we don't need to be total eggheads just to be able to walk!" another bully said. The whole group laughed at that one. I just kept walking.
Besides the fact that I could walk, I was still very weak compared to other ponies. One bully took advantage of that by blocking the door when I tried to enter the classroom. "Only normal ponies are allowed in here," he said. "Go back home; it's the only place you actually belong, and even then you still won't be normal!" I couldn't push past him, so I just kind of stood there until the teacher saw us and made him move.
Despite the bullies teasing me more, I did alright. I was walking around just like any other pony. Eventually, the bullies stopped teasing as much when they realized there wasn't really any point anymore. It had only been a few months, but things were already starting to become "normal" again. It was then when I got inspiration for my next machine.
I was thinking about my metal leg, and how it made me able to do more things than I could before. If that was the case, could I create other machines to do more things? I wondered. And what kind of things would it do?
I then looked at the photo of my mother again, and it hit me. Until that point, I had seen magic as some foreign, unknown talent that I could never have. Earth Ponies can't use magic. But can a machine use magic?
I decided there was only one way to find out. I sat down at my desk, took a piece of paper and a pen, and started to sketch the design for a device that uses magic. However, after a few minutes of trying to design something, I hadn't even worked out where to start. How was I supposed to design something that uses a force I had no understanding of?
Guess I'll just have to do more research, I thought to myself.
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The next day after school, I went to the library. It wasn't the first time I went after I made the leg, but it was the first time in a while that I had a specific topic to research. As I entered, I took a moment to look around the building.
The Canterlot Public Library was truly an impressive building. Rows upon rows of tall bookshelves, each with hundreds of books on them. In the center, there was an area with tables for ponies to sit at and read. Towards the entrance, there was the checkout desk. The librarian at the desk saw me come in and smiled. She was nice, but I didn't know her that well.
"Well, hello there, Midnight Shadow!" She said cheerfully. "How are you today?"
"I'm fine." I replied. "Anyway, I need your help finding a book."
"What kind of book?" She stood up and walked around the desk.
"I need a book about magic. More specifically, how it works." She seemed surprised about this.
"Well, the magic books are in section C, but before you run off, can I ask you one question?" She replied. I nodded. "Why are you so interested in magic all of a sudden?"
I usually didn't try to find a book on a specific topic; instead, I generally just wandered around the library until a book caught my eye. Whenever I asked for a specific book, it was always because I was very interested in that topic. Of course, I understood her confusion. I wasn't a unicorn; why would I be interested in magic?
"I'm just curious. I have an idea and I want to see if there's any way to make it work." That wasn't really the best way to phrase it. I knew that if there was any way for this to work, I would find it. She seemed to understand, at least somewhat, and she nodded.
I made my way to section C of the library. It was towards the front, as were the other more popular topics of books. The books I usually read, ones about science, math, and things like that, were more towards the back of the large room. I looked through the books on the shelf, Magical Spells for the Everyday Unicorn, How to Interpret Spells, Magical Relics: The Dos and Dont's of Forcing Magic Into an Everyday Object. Then, I found what I was looking for. Method to the Madness: a Detailed Exploration of the Underlying Physics of Magic, an old-looking book with a blue cover. I pulled the book out and looked at it. It was written by some pony named Starswirl the Bearded. That's a funny name, I thought to myself. Then again, it wasn't too far from the naming conventions that were popular among ponies when the book was written. I was actually surprised how old the book actually was. According to the inner cover, it was published over a thousand years ago. It also seemed to have the author's signature in the cover. Judging by the dust covering it, I guessed it wasn't a very popular book.
I read the first page. For many years now, I have written manymagical spells, for a variety of tasks. However, I recently realized that I was as clueless as any other pony when it came to the underlying mechanisms by which magic acts the way it does. I decided to conduct a detailed scientific study to see if I could work out how magic works; its origin, its function, its reaction to certain circumstances, and maybe even what force drives it.
The book detailed the author's studies, and what he found. He discovered that magic was not a substance, but rather a specific type of wave similar to electromagnetic waves. Reading this, I was surprised how much he knew about physics, considering that he lived in an era where science basically consisted of "What would happen if I ate this plant?" Or "What happens when one mixes this thing with this other thing?" Knowledge of things like electromagnetic waves was basically nonexistent back then. I wondered how exactly he knew so much.
The book continued, describing the specific way these "magical waves" functioned, and what materials affected it. The author found that one material in particular conducted magical energy excellently; crystal. More specifically, the type of crystal that could be found in the caves below Canterlot. He discovered that this crystal contained a high concentration of an element he called Arcanium, which he later discovered was also present in the horns of Unicorns. This led him to believe that Arcanium could channel magical energy, and was how Unicorns could use magic in the first place. Again, I was surprised by how much this Starswirl pony knew about physics.
The book then describes how he tried to search for the origin of magical energy using a special Arcanium tool. He found that magical energy was stronger around specific points in space, points he called "nodes." He theorized that these "nodes" were the source of magic, and magical energy flows outwards from them where it can then be used by Unicorns, as well as other types of magic-wielding creatures. He believed there were different kinds of magical waves, but had no way to test it due to the lack of sufficient scientific instruments capable of doing so. Once again, I wondered how he could have possibly known about all of this before the invention of instruments that could detect them, but I had more important things to consider.
If I made a device using Arcanium, it could be possible to use said device to manipulate magical fields, much the same way as Unicorn horns do. Of course, I would need to obtain some Arcanium. Not to mention the fact that pure Arcanium was very flammable, according to the book, so I would need a spark-proof metal to build the mechanism. Once I figured that out, I would just have to design the device. I already knew a good spark-proof metal to use: bronze. Now, the only thing left was to obtain enough Arcanium crystal to make the magical funnel.
Luckily, the caves below Canterlot were no longer being used as a prison. Starswirl had to get express permission from the Princess herself to enter and retrieve his sample. I could just walk in.
The caves were fascinating to me. They weren't the most fascinating thing I'd seen, but they were definitely among the top ten. The beautiful sparkling crystal that formed the walls, ceiling, and floor of the caves was unique; it had a certain appearance to it that set it apart from non-Arcanium crystals. I found a crystal chunk that was big enough for my purposes, took the chisel and hammer I had brought, and broke it off from the wall. I had my sample, and could return home.
Now I just needed a way to extract the pure Arcanium.
Luckily, the book described how to do just that. The Arcanium crystal reacts to a special mixture of water, sulfur, and chlorine, separating the crystals into carbon dioxide and pure Arcanium, along with a sticky goo Starswirl referred to as "flux." Apparently, this "flux" had special properties of its own, but was apparently very dangerous, and had to be contained. I poured it into a jar, screwing the lid on tight, and stored it away under my desk in case I found a use for it. Then, I took the chunk of pure Arcanium and carved it into the shape of a rod. Then, I started building the mechanism. It took considerably less time than my leg did, because I was more experienced in making machines, as well as the fact that bronze was cheaper and easier to work than the steel I used to make the leg. I would never have used bronze for the leg, on account of it just lacking the strength of steel. The end result took about four days to complete.
It was a small, horn-like device, with the Arcanium in the center, surrounded by bronze mechanisms, and with a leather strap on the bottom. I strapped it onto my head, making sure it was aligned with the spot where a Unicorn's horn would be.
On pony skulls, there was a small section on the forehead where the bone was thinner. On Unicorns, there is a small hole to which the horn attaches. On Earth Ponies and Pegasi, this was covered by bone, but it was still thinner than the rest of the skull. This spot would be the best for attempting to control the device. The device had a special Arcanium "control" mechanism inside of it, which I had made out of the leftover Arcanium, that theoretically could allow a non-Unicorn to operate the device much the same way as Unicorns use their horns.
I turned the device on. It hummed gently, as magical energy began to flow through it. The pure Arcanium was working just as it should. Whether or not the control mechanism would work remained to be seen.
Before I left the library, I read another book. Magic for Beginning Unicorns: How to Create Magic with your Mind. I didn't need to check it out, because all I needed to know was what Unicorns do to use magic. The book said that to cast basic spells like levitation, a Unicorn simply needs to envision what they wish to happen. I picked up a pen from my desk and set it on the floor. Then, just as the book said, I envisioned it moving upwards.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the device hummed louder, and started glowing bright blue. The pen glowed with the same blue aura, and slowly lifted up into the air.
I had done it. I had created an artificial Unicorn horn.
I knew this would change everything. My leg changed my life, but given as my condition was very, very rare, it couldn't really help that many ponies. But this, this could fix a condition that the majority of ponies had. Every Earth Pony and Pegasi had the same condition: an inability to use magic. This device solved that. I could do so much more than I ever could before, just as I set out to do. Another thought popped into the back of my head; What else can I make a machine to do?But it was quickly overshadowed by my excitement for what I'd accomplished. I had, once again, done something nopony had ever done before, beating all odds and proving once again that machines had great potential.
But instead of doing something magic could never do, this time it does exactly what magic does. Something I would never be able to do.
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My dad was beyond impressed. He was amazed at what I'd done. He decided to take me to show it to the Royal Magic Advisors. He was sure they'd be impresses just as much, if not more than he was.
That wasn't the case.
"Not to sound rude or anything, but what exactly is the point of this device?" One of the Advisors asked.
"It allows non-Unicorns to use magic, just as Unicorns do!" I responded.
"And what, exactly, is the point of that?"
I was confused by this. "What do you mean?"
"What is the point of letting Earth Ponies and Pegasi use magic? They have their talents, the Earth Ponies tend the land, the Pegasi control the weather, and all the magic is left to the Unicorns, the ones who actuallyknow what they're doing." He responded, slightly annoyed.
"But..." I began to reply, but was interrupted.
"Unicorns have handled magic for centuries, and you come in here and tell us you have a way to make that power available to everypony? " Another Advisor said. "That's ridiculous! Even if it does work, it's still pointless. I'd bet most non-Unicorns don't even care that they can't use magic."
"Listen, kid." The third Advisor said. "Your mom was a Unicorn. She understood magic. You, however, do not. How could you possibly claim to know enough about what you're doing to do it right? Trust me, kid, stick to what you know, do it well, play your role in our world. We have our roles, your dad has his role, everypony has a role to play. Don't go around thinking you can change that."
Then, to everypony's surprise, there came a loud sound from the distance. It shook the building, nearly causing me to fall over. Looking out the window, I saw a rainbow sweep across the sky. Then, the building shook again. Something crashed through the roof of the tower across from the one we were in. It looked like, a dragon? It looked odd, almost as if it were an oversized baby. Purple beams of light came from a window halfway down the tower.
A few moments later, it was over. The dragon disappeared, the purple lights stopped flashing, and everything went still. The Advisors went running out, to see what happened, if anypony was hurt, and if they could help. I was left alone, standing on the top floor of the highest tower in the Canterlot Royal School of Magic. I was confused about what had happened, but I didn't really want to stay to find out what happened. I went home, head hanging low, saddened by the Advisors' response to my invention.
They told me I didn't know anything about magic. I decided to bring the book by Starswirl and show them how I'd learned to make this device. But, upon returning home, the book was nowhere to be found.
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I went to the library, thinking maybe my dad returned it for me. Maybe I'd lost track of time, and it was due that day? I couldn't ask him, seeing as he had a late shift that day. However, as I searched the library, I found nothing. I searched first the section where I found the book, then the rest of the library, with no luck. I asked the librarian if she had seen my father come in and return the book. She shook her head no. The only place I could think of to look was in the advanced section.
The advanced section of the library was in a tower behind the main library. I don't know why they put it in a separate tower. Maybe they ran out of room? I climbed the stairs up to the top. I didn't really know what to expect.
The advanced section was even more magnificent than the regular library. It had two stories of its own, with a giant hourglass in the center, and a huge glass window overlooking Canterlot. I was about to start looking for a book when I heard voices coming up the stairs. For some reason, I felt like I should hide.
"...and this is where you'll find the advanced books," a mare's voice said. She sounded very familiar, but I couldn't remember where I'd heard her before. "If you want, you can stay here a while."
"Really?" A filly's voice said. She sounded very excited to be here. I watched from my hiding place underneath a table as the filly walked in.
She had a lavender purple coat, with eyes the same color. Her main was dark purple with a pink and light purple stripe, parted by a horn on her forehead,and she had a six-pointed purple star surrounded by smaller white stars as a Cutie Mark.This seemed familiar to me, but I couldn't place it. She stood in the doorway, looking around, clearly happy to be here. "Wow! It's even better than I imagined!" She didn't see me, probably due to my jet black coat blending with the shadows under the table. She had a baby dragon on her back, seemingly the same one I had seen earlier that day at the Royal School of Magic. It seemed very likely she was the one who caused him to grow like that, as well as all of the purple light. "Thank you, Princess!"
It was when she said this that the other pony entered. I recognized her immediately. Her flowing rainbow mane, white coat, light purple eyes, Sun-shaped Cutie Mark, all pointed to her being one specific pony.
I was in the presence of Princess Celestia herself.
I had heard her voice before at the Summer Sun Celebration, explaining why she sounded so familiar. I had never seen her up close, though. She had a golden crown with a purple jewel embedded in it atop her head, and around her neck a similar looking pendant. Her long horn and feathered wings were the telltale signs of an Alicorn. I didn't leave my hiding spot, and luckily it didn't seem like she noticed me.
"You're welcome, my dear student," She responded to the filly. Her voice was wise, yet gentle. "Well, I'll leave you to it." She left, closing the door behind her. I breathed a very small sigh of relief.
The filly ran to the bookshelves, admiring their contents. "Wow, Spike! Look at all these books!" I guessed Spike was the name of the dragon. "This is the best day ever!"
Then, there was a large explosion that sounded like it came from the base of the tower. The building shook violently, nearly exposing me from my hiding spot and knocking the purple filly off her hooves. The dragon fell off her back, but she was quick to pull him close to her again.
The building continued to shake, and it was then I realized that the roof was starting to crumble. First, it was just small bits and pieces, but soon huge chunks of wood began to fall. It wouldn't be long until the whole thing collapsed. The filly was seemingly paralyzed with fear. I knew I had to do something, but I didn't know what I could do.
That was when I remembered my artificial horn. It was still strapped to my head, ready to be turned on. I flipped the switch, and felt it hum as it started up. The roof was just a moment away from collapsing.
I ran out to where the filly was on the floor, and tried to envision a shield around the two of us. The horn hummed louder, barely audible over the sound of the building's shaking, and soon a glowing blue shield appeared overhead, a split second before the roof crashed down on it.
The filly opened her eyes. She was scared. I knew I had to get her out of there, because I couldn't hold the shield forever. Already it was starting to crack.
"Go!" I yelled to her as she got back on her hooves. I opened a gap in the side of the shield for her to get out. "You have to go now!"
She froze for a moment, then grabbed Spike and ran. A moment later, the shield broke, and the roof collapsed on top of me.
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I was barely conscious. Heavy pieces of debris had pinned me to the floor. I could feel the tower shaking. It would collapse at any moment.
Somehow, I was still awake when I landed. I was in pain, for sure, but awake. I felt myself get crushed more and more as the walls collapsed inwards. Hundreds of pounds of wood, glass, and books above me, I could barely move. Then, I realized my metal leg was broken. Most of it was completely missing, with only a few pieces left intact. It was then I realized just what kind of trouble I was in. If I didn't get out soon, I would either suffocate, be crushed, or bleed to death.
Then, I had a crazy idea. I still had the artificial horn, and although I was too weak to use it, the rod of Arcanium was still intact. I wiggled around until I got it off my forehead, then grabbed it in my hoof. I struck it against the remaining steel parts of my leg.
First time, no luck.
Second time, still no luck.
Third time, it ignited. Then, I nestled it between two pieces of debris in front of me, trying to angle it so it would explode outwards instead of inwards. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the explosion. I waited a moment, but nothing happened.
I opened one eye to see what was happening, then the Arcanium went off.
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Everything past that was a blur. I remember there being a hole in the debris, me crawling through it the best I could. The last thing I remember before passing out was the silhouette of an Alicorn against the light of the sun.
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