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.
Nice so he does have another magic glowy thick that he can use, wonder how well it performs under pressure?
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Any world in which bullets can harm an Alicorn is a world in which Celestia and Luna are already dead. Cannons Exist in the cartoon, Magic exists in the Cartoon. There's no reason guns should not exist in the cartoon, unless there was a reason they aren't effective.
If bullets could harm a princess, then villains would use bullets. Therefore, the only possible valid reality is one in which bullets cannot harm an alicorn.
No reality containing both useful guns that can kill and alicorns personally fighting evil can logically exist, as someone would have already assassinated them.
9676463
Yes, she is. But in this story, the Ashlands Timeline occurred because Starlight Glimmer managed to steal Celestia and Luna's Cutie Marks, leaving the sun in the sky forever to bake the land into unrecognizability. I explained this in a previous comment.
It makes sense, because every timeline showed one of Twilight's Villains winning, with the last one being the timeline in which Starlight herself had won the first time.
9676475
In the MLP Movie, a clearly explosives-driven hook is fired from Tempest Shadow's Airship, with enough force to drive it through another ship's hull.
Furthermore, there exists a bonafide pistol in the comics, as well as Pinkie alluding to the fact that her Party cannon can be loaded with real cannonballs.
Nextly, Pinkie isn't even the only pony with a Party Cannon, Cheese Sandwich in the show has a Party Cannon mounted on an actual tank.
Finally, we know explosives exist in the show, because Fireworks exist in the show, and the comics, and the movie. Even if they didn't, Explosives most definitely exist in the form of unicorn magic.
We can safely assume Cannons exist in the show.
*EDIT* There are physical Cannonballs in the MLP Movie, settling the matter definitively.
*Second Edit* In the Nightmare Moon Timeline, there was still an alicorn willing and able to ensure that the lack of sunlight doesn't kill everything.
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Twilight, a fresh alicorn, was smashed through a mountain with raw physical force, and wasn't scuffed when she had Luna and Celestia's power, to give a ballpark estimate to an Alicorn's durability, you could vaguely state that an Alicorn can survive being smashed through one third of a mountain in the span of a few seconds without being scratched.
If you're willing to cite magical attacks based on their physical damage, Celestia wasn't scuffed by a blast of energy that was sufficient to turn swathes of landscape into rubble with the power of a single alicorn, when she fought Nightmare Moon.
Rainbow Dash doesn't even lose feathers from supersonic air friction.
The idea that they can be harmed by *A* cannonball is laughable, when far more impressive sources of damage did not even leave a visible trace that they occurred on them. Not even a few cartoon-friendly scratches, dust, or singed fur.
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Not a problem, I'm happy that you have enjoyed the fic to enter a discourse like this over it. Thank you for taking the time to discuss the matter civilly!
I wonder if sunset and others try some of those spells and methods from his book and reports? it probably makes a "master professional" angry and befuddles at Weiss work and style of teaching it to make sense in a way your magic and emotions are your his magic and emotions are his so it makes it more effective to use easy it be hilarious if some upshot tries to disprove his work and fails and maybe Weiss going hey wanna learn some light magic? that Unicorn Light might be a good spell for Trixie to practice
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Maybe bullets made from that changeling anti-magic throne?
Just caught up over the course of the day, and i gotta say this is some good shit my guy. I look forward to new chapters, much love.
Ah, that would explain how they're able to manipulate objects with their hooves. It's a tactile version of telekinesis.
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Additional firearms references- during the "Find a Pet" song RD requests a pet "fast like a bullet" and in "The Big Roundup" she says it's "time to call in the big guns".
Knowing Weiss he will one day steal forbidden spells simply by looking at them being cast.