//------------------------------//
// Prologue  
// Story: The Poniad, Part I 
// by Illiad_Easle 
//------------------------------//

(Excerpt from Beings of Equestria)
Empathic, (em-path-ick): A sub-race of unicorn that is physically alike to unicorns. The only difference is that Empathics have the ability to sense emotion in other ponies from a distance and are also able to follow the emotional trail of anypony they have become familiar with. Contrary to the popular belief, Empathics are relatively harmless. Common behavioral traits include an aversion to large groups or parties, though they usually prefer company to solitude. One common misconception about Empathics is that they can read minds, however, Empathics can only sense emotion. Some Empathics, as described below, can sense complex emotions and are then able to guess what somepony might be thinking. There are some ponies that can read minds however, see Telepathic.
Empathics are divided into two groups, Introverted, and Extroverted. introverted Empathics can spread their emotions to nearby ponies, while extroverted Empathics can draw energy from nearby ponies. Because of this, changelings are sometimes refereed to as an extreme form of extroverted empathic.
Empathics are now very rare, though were not originally, between 950 and 1000 ANM (After Nightmare Moon), the total number of documented Empathics in Equestria dropped from over 1000 to just over 20. Many of these have been attributed to the mass migrations of 998 ANM.  
Within the two groups of Empathics, individuals are distinguished by their level of ability. This is determined by the kind of emotions they can sense and how far their range extends. Most Empathics are level five. level 6 and above have been rumored to have a secret Empathic code based on faint emotional bursts that, supposedly, can be senced up to 1000 meters away.

Level 1: Can sense primary emotions, such as happy, sad, and mad. Has a range of 5 meters.
Level 2: Can sense primary emotions. has a range of 10 meters.
Level 3: Can sense secondary emotions, such as furious, depressed, and excited. has a range of 20 meters.
Level 4: Can sense secondary emotions. Has a range of 25 meters.
Level 5: Can sense any emotion. Has a range of 50 meters.
Level 6: Can sense any emotion. Has a range of 100 meters. 
Level 7: Can sense any emotion. Has a range of 200 meters.
Level 8: Can sense any emotion. Has a range of 250 meters. 
Level 9: Can sense any emotion. Has a range of 500 meters.
Level 10: Can sense any emotion. Has a range of 1000 meters. 

There is only one weakness  unique to Empathics. If too much emotion* is within their sensing range their horn will begin to glow extremely brightly, giving off sparks and sometimes smoke. If the emotional levels do not drop to sustainable levels soon, the Empathic’s horn will crack, causing a shockwave of emotional energy. The Empathic instantly becomes insane and any ponies in the immediate area will become emotionally distressed for between a few hours to 2 months, depending on their previous emotional standing. The shock wave may cause insanity in other ponies if the Empathic’s level is greater than 6.

*Too Much differs between Empathics, but is often more for higher levels and tends to rise or fall over time depending on the general atmosphere of the Empathic.