//------------------------------//
// Impact 
// Story: Thorn of the Earth 
// by Robipony 
//------------------------------//

One hour before impact
The following information was collected from verbal accounts.

The ponies looked up in the sky and watched as the object fell to earth. It was long and black but whither this was from the heat generated from the atmosphere or if that was the original color of the object is unknown. 

Twilight looked puzzled as she observed the falling object. Something her friends noticed. 

"What is it dear?" Rarity asked. 

"The object's speed," Twilight said, "it is falling much slower then I had anticipated." 

"What do you mean?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"The object should be falling much faster," Twilight replied, "yet it almost seems like it is trying to slow its fall." 

"That doesn't make any sense," Pinkie said, in a still cheery mood, "when rocks fall they can't do anything about it. Even Maud's rock knows that!" 

"Your right Pinkie," Twilight replied, looking up at the falling object, "it doesn't." 

Two minutes before impact

The six mares along with a few of the other cave occupants watched as the object came crashing down upon their home. Bits of debris from the falling object came showing down upon the town. Puffs of smoke rose into the air from where the debris landed and crashed into the buildings. 

The ponies watched in horror as the object like a giant thorn came down an pierced the flesh of the earth, creating a large gash in Ponyville. A large sound wave spread out from the impact, speeding out in all directions. The ponies in the mouth of the cave flinched as the wave hit them. While not dangerous the wave caused many of their ears to ring. Minutes passed before realization settled in. The object had crashed into Ponyville yet the town still stood.  

"How?" Twilight asked, looking puzzled at the town.

"Yay!" Pinkie Pie yelled, "The town is still there."

Despite the joy everyone felt at their home surviving the impact Twilight just kept looking at it in shock. 

"The impact should have destroyed the town," Twilight said, still in shock, "why is it still standing?"

"Does it matter?" Rainbow Dash said, "Our home is survived the impact. That is something we should be happy about."

After a few minutes Twilight signed and nodded, "You are right. Okay before we return to Ponyville, I will need to cast a spell to see if the area is safe."

"Why?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Because in past documents it has been noted that meteorites and objects from the sky sometimes radiate strange energy that can cause harm to living creatures around them." Twilight replied, "While there have only been a few occasions where such energy has been present it would be best to be safe rather then sorry."

"So deary how will this work?" Rarity asked.

"A long time ago Star Swirl the bearded witnessed such an event," Twilight answered, "He created a spell to detect such energies for this sort of an occasion. When this plan was in effect I discovered this spell in the Canterlot library. I will go down to the village and cast the spell, then I will return and report the results." 

After gathering a few supplies Twilight left the cave and descended the mountain towards the town. Her five friends waved to her as she left. 

Three hours after Impact
The following is a verbal account given to us by Princess Twilight Sparkle

When I was at the perimeter of the city I cast the detection spell. No energy was detected so I entered into town and continued to cast the spell. Minutes later no energy was detected, however something else seemed to be detected by the spell. Some strange "hum."

I continued walking into town towards the object. Again non of the malicious energy mentioned in  Star Swirl's book was detected but "hum" seemed to be growing more frequent. 

It was when I reached the center of town that I saw the object. Seeing it I realized what it really was. There was no way this object was a rock from space. The object was made entirely of metal blacked by the heat from the atmosphere as it fell. 

This alien object reminded me of a phobia I had once had as a kid. A phobia that had caused me terrible nightmares that only the calming hoof of my mother and father could hug away. A phobia I had shoved away long ago. A phobia that up to this point I had regarded as ridiculous. Until now. 

Xenophobia.

Then the detection spell wore off and the "hum" disappeared.