Entry #8, Day 61
It is only very recently that I have come to consider why particular races channel magic through particular bodyparts. Through my research, though, I have come to an odd conclusion. It seems the location through which a spell manifests is surprisingly arbitrary. In my own situation, I find that only spells unique to a Unicorn require that they be cast through my horn. My student had helped me come to this realization, when she had cast the spell Black Flame through her hooves.
The sight of this evoked a curiosity in me that I decided I should properly come to test. So I had tried it myself. I discovered that, by focusing intently, and with no shortage of practice, I could evoke the black flames anywhere from my body. It makes for a very cozy coat in the cold to simply wear a thin cloak of fire. And it is more useful to grow crystals through my hooves than via a beam of light.
Indeed, I had come to wonder what exactly the purpose of a unicorn's horn is, if not to enable them to cast spells, until eventually, I had discovered a subtle magic that had actually wormed it's way into my other spells, unbeknownst to me. It seems that when a unicorn casts a spell by emitting a beam or a blast of light, they are actually casting two spells, a spell which creates what I will refer to as Unicorn Light, and the spell that they allow to ride on that light, like a passenger on a cart. This seems to occur whenever a pony wishes to cast a spell at a distance, instead of casting it via simply allowing the target to enter the radius of magic emitted from them.
Among the few books I can find on unicorn magic, there is no reference to this hidden unicorn spell, despite it's prolific, all-encompassing use. I assume I merely lack books which detail this extremely obvious phenomena, as the alternative is that no unicorn to date has realized the purpose of a unicorn's horn. To emit light upon which spells can be carried across vaster distances.
The awareness of change, an emotion unique to unicorns. In even the smallest quantities, this emotion can be used to create light. It is a feeling which emerges much more easily when casting a spell, I find, as in the moment you cast a spell, you are fully aware of the change you intend to exact on the world around you. The usage of Unicorn Light to carry other spells entwined with it's photons is incredibly useful, and realizing that it was almost a sort of metamagic changed the way that I view spellcasting.
The days when I had thought that I needed to send showers and spheres of black flames to strike at distant foes are now over. By instead using Unicorn Lasers, I can strike objects with the very literal precision of a laser, either creating explosions of hateful fire, or sustained, needle-tipped onslaughts of narrow destruction. A unicorn who masters this manner of spellcasting will find themselves in possession of what is in practice a doubled library of spells, as the usage of a spell changes more than you might expect with the simple alteration of it's shape and distance.
The most obvious use is, at long last, I am able to utilize the Black Flame for incredibly narrow applications, a strong, thin beam of it, with enough focus, can easily lance through many materials, slicing them apart. While it might be odd to say, substances which are transparent are even more susceptible to this, as the flames pass through them with ease, burning them apart. Reflective substances are a bit more of a hassle, and I do not recommend firing spells enhanced with Unicorn Light at any mirrors, as they may simply bounce off entirely.
Let it be said that there are no ponies old enough to desire a comb-over as the result of a magical mishap.
I can't help but think of the many qualities of light that could be exploited if applied to Unicorn Light as well. What happens to dark substances, which absorb the enchanted light? What happens to Black Flames, which drink in light with incredible thirst? What happens to florescent substances, which absorb, and then later, release light? Could such things be used to magnify the power of unicorn magic even further, through the simple manipulation of photons? I believe it would make for a worthwhile series of experiments, in the future.
Returning to the subject of casting spells through other parts of one's body, the uses are equally many. With focus and practice, one's entire body can become a conduit for spellcraft. Although it is interesting to note that a body part will not glow as a unicorn's horn does unless the magic being used is concentrated and intense. This is a useful benefit for one who wishes to cast spells with stealth and subtlety, especially among those whose careful gaze rests on the part of your body you have no intention of using in casting spells.
The black flames of hatred can turn a buck into a much more devastating blow, the Royal Crystal Growth spell can grow armor and weapons from anything touching your body, and Sombra's Corrupt Crystal Creation can be cast and controlled with nary a telling spark from your horn. Truly, this method of spellcasting is one worthy of mastery, if one is to become a master of the dark arts, both the magical ones, and the mundane dark arts of deception and subterfuge.
And, by understanding the way Unicorn Light functions, those among my readers who have that signature appendage must master it if they are to master dark magic. However ironic it may be that, in order to master the dark, you must first master the light.
One question worth asking, though I am unsure how I would test it with any ease or safety, does this mean that there are ways by which a spell could be cast simply by witnessing it cast? The spells carried by Unicorn Light are indeed carried on light. Which has that tendency to enter one's eyes.
I suppose you could say, seeing is believing.