Later that night, after the memorial service wound down, every pony went their separate ways for the night. Twilight walked back to the library, hauling a sleeping Spike on her back. She trotted inside, locking the door behind her. As she reached the base of the stairwell, she suddenly stopped. Her eyes lit up with panic as a dire epiphany ravaged her body like a tidal wave.

“No…No…No…No…NO!!!” she shrieked, rearing up in terror.

“AAH!” Spike screamed, tumbling off her back and landing on the floor with a heavy thud. “What’s going on?” he asked blearily.

“I FORGOT TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE PRINCESS!” she shouted. “HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN!?!? Spike, take a letter! I’ve got to… I’ve got to…”

“TWILIGHT!!!” the dragon screamed.

“WHAT!?!?” the unicorn retorted.

“Relax!” Spike said, quickly lowering his tone as he glaced at the clock, “It’s past midnight. Besides, you already spoke to the princess back at the cemetery. You had a long enough conversation to fill at least a month’s worth of friendship reports, maybe two!”

“But…but…but…” she stammered.

“Watch me.” the dragon said, “Breathe in…now breathe out…in…and out…”

She inhaled and exhaled in sync with her dragon, trying to calm herself down.

“We don’t want a repeat of the Smarty Pants incident, now do we?”

“No…” Twilight sighed.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Oh, great! Who could be visiting at this time of night?” Twilight sighed in grief. She raced to the door and opened it to reveal… “Impact!? Hi!” she greeted her friend with a smile. “Did you need anything?”

“No…No…” she replied uneasily, scraping at the ground with her hoof. “This might sound a bit embarrassing, Twilight, but I actually came to…return a book.”

“A book?” she asked. “You’ve never checked out any books from me!”

“Well, not from you, per se…” She magically opened her saddlebag and pulled out a weathered tome. “It’s kinda overdue, but I was hoping you could overlook the late fees, you know, for a friend? I’ve taken very good care of it!”

“Let’s see.” She read the cover. “‘Emergency First-Aid: Treating Twenty-Two Types of Trauma.’ Impact, how long have you had thi…?” She trailed off when she noticed that the bottom edges of the book were dotted with a dried crimson substance. She carefully sniffed it.

“Is this what I think it is?” Twilight asked nervously. Her eyes widened as Impact slowly nodded.

“It’s a really good book.” she stated, “Very informative. You should read it when you get a chance. It just might save your life one day.” She flashed a sly wink and a smile. “It sure saved mine.”

“IMPACT! WHERE YA AT, GIRL?” echoed an unexpected, yet very distinct scream as Applejack came tearing around the corner. “Oh, thank goodness Ah found ya! Ah’m in a purdy tight spot right ‘bout now!”

“What’s the matter, Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“Oh hey, Twi’! Didn’t see ya there!”

“This is my home,” she stated matter-of-factly, “It’s kinda hard not to see me here.”

“You wanna run that by me again, little miss smarty-flanks?” Applejack snorted.

“OK, AJ.” Impact interrupted, “Pump the brakes and back the cart up before you say something you’ll regret.”

“Sorry, Twi’. Didn’t mean ta insult ya. Ah’m a little on edge tonight…”

“Now what did you need me for?” Impact asked.

“Ah was doin’ some late-night apple-buckin’ when one of mah haulin’ carts broke loose!” she exclaimed. “It rolled down a hill and crashed inta a tree! Nopony was hurt, thank Celestia…but now it’s ruined, and it was mah favorite one, too! Ooh, Big Mac’s gonna be awfully sore if he gets wise ta what Ah did!” She shuddered at the thought.

“How ruined?” Impact asked curiously.

“Two busted wheels and a cracked axle.” Applejack explained, “Since yer so handy with tools and such that ya built yerself a new leg and wing, Ah figured maybe ya could help a pony out? Ah’ll give ya a dozen apples fer it!”

“It’s a little out of my way…” she said as she yawned, “Hmm…make it two dozen and she’ll be rolling before sunrise.”

“Ya gotta deal!” she said joyfully, grabbing her hoof and shaking it vigorously.

“Careful, Applejack! That’s the bionic one!” Impact warned.

“Oh! Sorry!” she said with a slight blush of embarrassment.

“Let me get my tools and I’ll be over in ten. Sound good?” she said with a smile.

“That’d be perfect!” she cheered, “Ah’ll try ta pick up all tha pieces and meet ’cha at tha big red barn! Ah’ll see ya later, Twi’!” The orange pony galloped away in a rush.

“Well…duty calls! Catch you later, Twilight!” Impact said as she followed behind.

“Goodbye!” Twilight called as she turned to go back inside. “Here, Spike. We’ll need to find a place for this book.” She magically tossed it to her assistant as she yawned, but he deftly caught it. “Be careful. I think it has blood on the bottom edge.” she said slyly.

“GROSS!” he cried, dropping the book.

“I’ll try to find a disinfectant spell in the morning.” she said, chuckling lightly at her assistant’s reaction, “Hopefully I can save it from the biohazard bin.”

As it came to rest on the floor, a single folded sheet of parchment fell out from between the pages of the first-aid manual. Spike ran to the door, hoping Impact hadn’t run too far away to hear.

“Impact, wait!” Spike called through the night. “You accidentally left something in the book!”

“It wasn’t an accident, Spike!” echoed her reply. “Burn after reading! You’ll know what to do!”

As she followed Applejack back to the farm with her toolkit inside her saddlebag, Impact Hammer picked up speed, unfurled her wings, and took flight.

“Hey, Applejack!” she called, “Looks like you could use a lift!”

“What in tha hay are ya talkin’ ‘bout?” she shouted mid-gallop.

“Hold on to your hat!” Impact yelled. Her horn started glowing as the alicorn began to levitate the earth pony.

“What do ya think yer-WHOA!!!” she screamed mid-sentence, holding onto her hat as she rose higher and higher into the air until she was level with the silver alicorn, “Consarn it, girl, if you drop me…” she grumbled.

“I’ll catch you, of course!” Impact said cheerfully. “And if I can’t, I’ll use my body to break your fall!”

“Are ya double-talkin’ me or speakin’ serious-like?” she accused, narrowing her eyes.

“As a heart attack.” she replied emphatically.

“Wait just an apple-buckin’ minute. Wouldja seriously give yer life just ta save mine? Didja just say what Ah think yer sayin’?”

“Not just for you, but for all of Equestria if necessary.” she replied without missing a beat as they touched down in the heart of Sweet Apple Acres, “My Cutie Mark represents sacrifice, and I don’t care if I have to lose my other three hooves and my last good wing! Limbs can be replaced, but lives can’t. I’m expendable. They’re not.”

Applejack froze as her breath caught in her throat and her blood ran cold. She would’ve fallen out of the sky if she wasn’t already on the ground.

“Well, dip mah hooves in sugar and call me Candy Applejack!” she said in astonishment, “Ah completely misjudged ya, Impact Hammer! Yer definitely not the pony Ah thought ya were.”

“What kind of pony did you think I was?” she asked, slightly hurt.

“When Ah first met ‘cha, Ah thought ya was a purdy nice pony. After ya chewed Pinkie up and spit her out, Ah thought ya were just a loudmouth with a bad temper. After ya made Celestia cry, Ah wanted ta stomp tha juice outta ya like a vat of fresh grapes. Now Ah see that despite yer flaws, ya got a heart of gold and a smart head on yer shoulders. Ah must say that ya more than earned mah respect, and Ah’m proud ta call ya one of mah best friends!” she wrapped her forelegs around the alicorn in a powerful, yet tender embrace.

“Thanks, Applejack.” Impact said, weeping a little as she hugged her back, “That means a lot coming from you.”

“How so?”

“You’re the Element of Honesty. Truer words could never be spoken.”

“Are ya mad at me, sugarcube? Yer kinda cryin’ just a tad…”

Impact smiled as she squeezed a little bit tighter.

“Just tears of joy.”

Meanwhile, back at the library…

“Impact, wait!” Spike called through the night. “You accidentally left something in the book!”

“It wasn’t an accident, Spike!” echoed her reply. “Burn after reading! You’ll know what to do!”

“That’s strange.” Twilight said as she picked up the parchment with her aura. “Why would she leave a message meant for you inside a book meant for me?”

“She probably knew who would find it first.” Spike said, wrestling the letter from Twilight’s magical grip. He unfolded it, took one look and whistled. “Oh! So that’s what she meant by ‘burn after reading’!” he said as he chuckled. “Well, look on the bright side, Twilight, at least now you don’t need to write to the princess this week.” He began to read to letter silently to himself.

Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m still not entirely sure how this whole ‘friendship report’ thing works, but the Cutie Mark Crusaders gave me a pretty decent rundown after I finished their ‘initiation ceremony’, so I’ll give it my best shot.

A Cutie Mark is the symbol of a pony’s special talent. I thought I would never earn mine, but tonight I did, and after some reflection, I finally know why. It represents something that they do better that anypony else because they want to do it. My new life in Ponyville has made right in less than a week what I’d been doing wrong for a decade. I finally have a reason to create again, thanks to the friends I’ve made here, especially that Twilight Sparkle. She saved me from myself, and because of her, I was finally able to reacquire what I had truly lost after my accident: faith.

After my accident, I felt broken inside. I now understand that I felt that way because I had lost the ability to believe in myself. My talent didn’t feel ‘special’ anymore because I didn’t feel special. Twilight and her friends made me feel that way again: appreciated, respected and loved. Faith is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of life; having it can make you, and losing it can break you, but finding it can take you…anywhere you want.

Hooves-down, Twilight is the friendliest pony I’ve ever met. Now that I think about it, she’s really kinda cute, too. Her charming personality, her color-streaked mane, that melodious voice, those sparkling purple eyes, and that horn?…Ooh! I’d let her reorganize my toolbox any day of the…Wait. WHY AM I WRITING THIS DOWN!?!? Grr…stupid brain! Focus, Impact! FOCUS! Umm…Please don’t tell Twilight I wrote that. Better yet, just ignore this paragraph altogether, OK? Thank you!

Lastly, I wanted to sincerely apologize for my unscrupulous behavior back at the library. A decade of bottled emotions is like a powder keg, and I never meant to hurt you, or your feelings. Somepony famous once said ‘the truth shall set you free’, so here goes. Ten years ago, I was just a filly, orphaned and alone, teetering on the brink of death…and by your hooves I was reborn. Now Princess Luna rules Equestria by your side once more, and I’ve finally repaired what was broken in my life, so let’s embrace the future with open hooves, but never forget the past.

In conclusion, just know that I love you more than Equestria itself and I always will. Be sure to tell Aunt Luna that I love her too, and kiss her good-night once from me, OK? Thanks, Mom.

Warmest regards,
Your gifted, twisted daughter,
Impact Hammer

“Well? What does it say?” she implored desperately.

“Trust me, Twilight. Some words are better left unread.”

“Come on, Spike!” she pleaded. “Let me see it!”

“Oh…alright!” He rolled the parchment into a scroll, sealed it with the royal emblem, and held it out to her. “Here. Now you see it.” She gripped the scroll in her magical aura as Spike suddenly burped, incinerating the scroll and sending it on its way to the princess. “Heh heh…” he chuckled weakly, “Now you don’t!”

“That wasn’t funny, Spike! You did that on purpose!” she said as she scowled.

“You said ‘Let me see it!’ and I did!” he replied.

“I wanted to READ IT!!!” she whined.

“Then you should’ve said ‘Let me read it.’”

“UGH!” she groaned in exhaustion, “I’m going to bed, Spike. Good night.”

“Good night, Twilight.” he replied before yawning himself and deciding to join her.

Meanwhile, over at Sweet Apple Acres…

“One last nail and…done!” said a weary Impact, wiping the sweat from her brow as she set her hammer back into her toolbox. “There! Good as new!”

“Twenty-two…Twenty-three…Twenty-four!” Applejack counted as she finished loading apples into a small basket.

“Hey, Applejack!” Impact called. “She’s all patched up and ready to roll!”

“Really?” she hollered back, “Ya sure work mighty fast, Impact!” She picked up the basket in her teeth and turned around, but it immediately fell to the ground as her jaw dropped.

“How does it look?”

“Tarnation, girl! It’s…It’s…”

“Like it never even crashed?”

“More than that! It’s perfect!” Applejack cried. “Ah swear girl, ya should set up shop in Ponyville, just fixin’ thangs ‘round these parts. Ya already made a repeat customer outta me!”

“Actually, Applejack, that’s not a bad idea…but I think you dropped something.”

“Ah, consarn it!” she groaned, “Lemme get ya some fresh ones!”

“That’s not necessary.” she replied, levitating the dropped apples back into the basket with her magic.

“Are ya sure? Ah can buck ya a fresh batch lickety-split!”

“It’s quite alright! Sometimes a little impact can make anything better!” she replied with a wink.

“That it can!” she chuckled, catching the joke, “That it can.”