One month later…

The clock struck noon in the Ponyville Library, where a very anxious Twilight Sparkle stood at her desk writing a letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This isn’t a friendship report, but I have something to say that you deserve to know about.

It’s been a full month and I haven’t seen Impact Hammer around Ponyville at all. The last time I remember seeing her was when she stopped by my library to return a book. Applejack galloped over and asked her to try to fix a piece of equipment on her farm. Impact agreed to help, and they left for Sweet Apple Acres, but I haven’t seen her since that night. It feels like she’s vanished into thin air and I’m getting very, very worried. I hope she didn’t go into Everfree Forest. Some ponies who enter never return, and a pony in her condition is much more vulnerable than any other. I’ve asked around town and nopony seems to know where she went, so I was wondering if you had any information regarding her whereabouts.

I’ve come to enjoy her company and I love her like a sister, but now that she’s been away for so long, I believe my fondness is far more than familial affection. Whenever I think about her, my heart starts racing, my hooves start trembling, and I feel strange…sensations…in even stranger places. Not painful ones, mind you. In fact, quite the opposite. They’re extremely pleasurable… and that’s what terrifies me. Nothing that makes a unicorn feel that good can be beneficial to her health. I’ve gone through every book in my library five times over, but I’ve found nothing that explains my condition. I know I’m not supposed to feel this way, but I do, and I think I’m starting to like it. Is there something truly wrong with me?

I miss Impact significantly. Coupled with all these questions and no answers, the lack of knowledge is driving me crazy, more so than when I almost missed the deadline for one of your friendship reports. I recently asked Applejack about my mental state that day, and she didn’t sugarcoat a word. “Sorry, Twi, but ya lost yer marbles somethin’ fierce that day!” she said. The rest of my friends offered several more befitting synonyms: mental, nutty, psychotic, crazy, and flat-out bonkers. In retrospect, I guess I did go temporarily insane.

I’m extremely confused and scared right now, and I would really appreciate any details you could give to help put my mind at ease.

Sincerely,
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S. Last week, Impact gave Spike a friendship report to send to you. I wanted to read it first, but he sent it before I could. Is there any way at all that you could divulge its contents to me? I don’t want something somepony else wrote damaging my reputation.

Noticing the look of extreme discomfort on her face, Spike sealed and sent the letter without question or delay. A few minutes later, he burped up a reply. Twilight quickly unsealed it and read it aloud.

To my faithful student Twilight,

Regarding Impact Hammer’s friendship report, she revealed some…details…about herself that she politely asked me not to reveal to you…

“See?” Spike said triumphantly, “I told you so!”
Twilight frowned at this, but continued reading.

However, the lesson she learned about friendship was the importance of having faith, more specifically, having faith in yourself. A lack of faith is the reason why she squandered her creative gifts, and it is also the reason why she unnecessarily spent an extra decade without her Cutie Mark. She made a statement which I found quite memorable, so I am passing it along to you. ‘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.’

Spike smiled. “Believing in yourself is a pretty important thing…” he said. Twilight shushed him and kept reading.

I know for a fact that Impact Hammer is very much alive and well. As for your lack of correspondence with her, I can only call it sheer coincidence. Two days after her birthday, she came back to my castle, wishing to collect the rest of the belongings her parents left her when they died. They left everything they owned to her, including everything in her father’s workshop and her mother’s art studio, all of which I was entrusted with when I adopted her. As we hauled everything up from the catacombs and into her wagon, I cheekily asked her about her plans for the future. She replied that one of her friends had recently given her a very good idea, and that she remembered seeing a very informative sign somewhere in Ponyville. I’ll admit that I cried a little when she left the castle, but they were tears of joy, I assure you.

Oh, dear! Look at the time! I’m deeply sorry Twilight, but I must end this letter prematurely! I must get ready for a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning. I hope you can understand.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

P.S. Don’t worry, my dear. Your reputation with me is still as pristine as the day you passed your entrance exam.

Twilight heaved a sigh of relief, grateful for her teacher’s words of wisdom, when Spike burped once again. However, the letter that materialized did not bear Celestia’s royal seal. Instead of a letter C on a circle of gold, the silver emblem instead bore the letter L.

“Princess Luna sent me a letter?” she wondered as she opened it and read it to herself.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

Before I begin, I must inform you that I intercepted your letter and made a few changes before it reached my sister’s eyes…

“SHE DID WHAT!?!?” she screamed, startling Spike, as she kept reading.

…but only because I wished to spare you the embarrassment of discussing such a salacious subject with Celestia, pardon my assonance. I wholeheartedly commend your desire to share every detail of your life with her, but she sees you as a creature of almost divine purity, and I didn’t want her to see her perfect angel fall.

“Awww…” she said, blushing as she kept reading, “Well, that was nice of her!”

Speaking from firsthoof experience, I can explain your mysterious malady in four simple words:

You’re falling in love.

Everypony falls in love sooner or later. When love’s venom stops the heart for the first time, it makes the body do strange things, but the feelings are completely natural. Nothing is wrong with you, Twilight. Your brain is just wired a little differently than most ponies. OK, a lot differently. Forgive me if I withhold my enthusiasm.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend that you find a place to balance this new emotion in your mind, and find one fast. Love is an ethereal concept, meant to be experienced in life, not explained in a book, but it can also be a powerful distraction. I don’t want you shirking from your studies, but I also don’t want you spending the best years of your life in isolation like I did. I didn’t have a choice in the matter, but you do. Make it count.

In closing, I also wish to extend my hoof as a clandestine liaison between you and Celestia. If you ever have any problems you feel are too sensitive in nature for her to know about, please feel free to write me in her stead and I shall do everything in my power to resolve them.

Sincerely,
Princess Luna

Twilight couldn’t believe what she was reading! She finally had a logical explanation for her emotions! She clutched Luna’s letter to her chest and squealed.

Suddenly, somepony started pounding furiously on the library door. Spike scampered over and opened it to reveal…

“Pink-OOF!” he half-said as a sentient cloud of cotton candy tackled him.

“Spike?” Pinkie asked curiously. “Oh-my-gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you down there!”

“Of course you didn’t…” he grumbled to himself.

“What’s going on?” Twilight questioned.

“I’m gathering everypony in Ponyville!”

“For what?” Spike asked.

“You haven’t heard!?!?” Pinkie exclaimed, gasping loudly and slurring her words in excitedly. “This will NEVER do! You two are SO definitely invited! I can’t believe this is happening! I have to go tell the others! Another neighbor in Ponyville…GAH! I can’t believe it!”

“Pinkie Pie…” Twilight tried to say, but she ignored her. She was locked in motor-mouth mode, talking and talking until her face turned blue.

“For the love of Celestia, Pinkie Pie! BREATHE!” shouted a fearful Twilight, hoof-slapping her friend across the face.

Pinkie Pie sharply gasped for breath as her train of thought derailed. Her bubblegum complexion slowly returned, except for the faint red hoofprint on her cheek.

“Twilight? You…you hit me!” she whimpered, rubbing her face, “Why would you hit me? I thought we were friends!”

“I’m sorry, Pinkie,” she said remorsefully, “I didn’t know what else to do! You forgot to breathe again! I had to get your attention or else you could’ve suffocated!”

“Oh. OK then! I forgive you!” Pinkie said with a giggle. She inhaled deeply, but before she could open her mouth, Twilight clamped a hoof over her lips.

“Now tell me…SLOW-LY…what you want to tell me.” Twilight said.

“You know that place four buildings down from Sugarcube Corner?” Pinkie asked calmly.

“The one that’s been vacant for the past six months?” Twilight inquired.

“Somepony’s moving in…” she said in a singsong voice.

“Really?” the unicorn asked.

“Yeah, and they’re opening a new shop, too!” Pinkie continued. “The ribbon-cutting ceremony starts in half an hour!

“And let me guess…” Spike mentioned, “You’re throwing a ‘welcome-to-Ponyville’ party? You throw those for every new neighbor!”

“Silly dragon! It’s not a ‘welcome-to-Ponyville’ party!” Pinkie chuckled. “It’s a ‘party-your-flanks-off-grand-opening-celebration-of-absolute-insanity’ extravaganza!” Sheesh, Spike! I know I love parties more than most ponies, but I’m not that crazy…I never said she was a new neighbor!

“Party-your…grand-open…new neighbor…wha?” Twilight said, completely confused and unable to comprehend her bright pink friend. “What are you talking about? Who’s moving in?”

Pinkie whispered the name in her ear and Twilight almost got her horn stuck when she hit the ceiling.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!?” Twilight shrieked.

“YEAH!!!” Pinkie squealed back. “Now let’s go, or we’ll miss everything! She still owes me a party, and I intend to deliver!”

Several buildings down from Sugarcube Corner, Twilight, Spike, and Pinkie Pie met up with their friends. A large crowd of ponies had gathered before a building concealed by a large curtain. It appeared as if stallions and mares from all over Equestria had gathered in Ponyville for this occasion.

“Fillies and gentlecolts!” the mayor of Ponyville proclaimed into her microphone, “It is not every day when a new pony comes to town and even less common when a new pony comes to stay. She may have had a rough start, but her dedication and perseverance have in one way or another left an impression on us all, and I am happy to announce that she has decided to make her mark here in Ponyville. Nevertheless, I am pleased to welcome…”

The mayor’s words faded as the loudspeaker fizzled and died, eliciting murmurs of confusion from the crowd.

“Testing!” she tapped the microphone with her hoof, “One two, one two! Is this thing on?”

“It’s OK, Mayor! I can handle it!” called a voice from behind the curtain, “Just blew a fuse.”
The microphone crackled back into life.

“Now, where was I?” she continued. “Oh, yes. I am pleased to welcome the newest member of the Ponyville family… Impact Hammer!”

The silver alicorn strode out from behind the curtain to take her place at the podium. Some ponies, like Twilight and her friends, cheered wildly, some were indifferent, and some had their minds blown by the fact that she had both a unicorn horn and pegasus wings.

“By the Goddesses!” somepony shouted.

“The rumors are true!” echoed another voice.

“She is an alicorn!” said another pony.

“Please calm down, everypony.” Impact spoke calmly into the microphone. “Yes, I am an alicorn. That fact is undeniable. However, that has little to deal with who I am inside, and you shouldn’t view me any differently because of it.” The murmurs quieted down and she continued speaking.

“First of all, I again wish to thank all of you for coming to celebrate this event with me. This day is the fulfillment of a dream I’ve held close to my heart ever since my fillyhood. I’ve waited so long for this moment, and I wouldn’t be here without the love and encouragement of my parents.” She lowered her head in memoriam. “Rest in peace.”

Everypony lowered their heads in silent prayer for a brief moment.

“After fixing my own problems,” she continued, “as well as helping a special friend repair an important piece of equipment, I’ve finally figured out what I’m supposed to do with my life. I’m supposed to build things, all kinds of things. It doesn’t matter if I have to fix something old or build something new, restoring old memories or crafting new fantasies, I’ll do my absolute best make it happen, because I was put on this planet to create.” She strode across the stage to a large braided rope. She gave the rope a yank and the curtains fell.

Gasps and sighs of amazement and approval echoed from the crowd as the curtains revealed a beautiful new building. It outer walls were painted with a soothing blend of blues and purples, creating an inviting atmosphere. The building was decorated with mechanical accents, like gears, springs, and pistons, making it seem almost like a fully-functional machine. Finally, the crowning feature of the building was the sign on the roof, a mallet and a pegasus wing, arranged in an X beneath a glowing light bulb. A red ribbon was stretched out in front of its doors, tied between two support beams of the porch.

“Today, my friends,” Impact said, enunciating with a flourish, “I open the doors to a world where lost memories are restored and where shattered dreams are made whole again. A world I someday hope we can all be a part of. I present to you, my world. I present to you…The Broken Wing Workshop! Miss Mayor? Would you do the honors?” she asked, levitating the ceremonial scissors.

“Absolutely.” She grasped the handles. “Fillies and gentlecolts, with the cutting of this ceremonial ribbon, I hereby declare the Broken Wing Workshop open for business.”

The scissors closed with a metallic chink and the ends of the ribbons fell, prompt a wave of riotous cheering. She quieted them with a wave of her hoof.

“As a little treat for everypony,” she continued, “I wanted to give a small taste of what I’m truly capable of.” She stepped into a strange set of silver boots, tied a red cloth around her neck, and called out.

“Ready, girls?”

“Ready!” Scootaloo said from the porch, wearing four orange boots.

“Hey, Squirt!” Rainbow Dash called. “What are you doing here?”

“Today we’re crash test fillies!” she cheered. “Watch this!”

Scootaloo pressed a button on her left front boot and the soles of her boots glowed purple. She leapt off the porch, and four large jets of fire erupted from her hooves, propelling her high into the air, leaving Rainbow Dash and everypony else completely dumbstruck.

Having spent two straight weeks etching Impact’s instructions into her memory and almost a lifetime worshiping and studying her favorite pegasus, she streaked back and forth across the sky, soaring, looping, and tumbling. She descended elegantly, striking a pose as she landed.

“But…what the…how did?” The technicolor-maned mare asked, fumbling her words.

“Impact made them for me.” Scootaloo said with a mane flip and a satisfied smirk. “I call ‘em my Scoot Boots. Who says you need wings to fly?”

“Ready!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed from the first-floor balcony, posing in four white boots.

“Sweetie Belle!!!” Rarity shrieked. “How did you get up there?”

“Like this!” she replied as she strode to a metallic curlicue that spanned the height of the building. She tapped a button on one of her boots and climbed right over the edge of the guardrail. Rarity screamed in terror, expecting her to fall, but she didn’t. She leapt from the guardrail to a nearby downspout and continued walking down the outside of the building, the soles of her boots glowing green as she defied gravity. Once she got down to street level and stepped onto solid ground, she sauntered toward her sister with an impish grin.

Rarity raced over and hugged her little sister tightly. “How did you do that?” she wondered, “and where in the world did you get those stylish new boots?”

“Impact designed them.” Sweetie Belle admitted as she lifted her hoof, inadvertently pulling all of the hairpins out of Rarity’s mane. “Magnets. I may not be as pretty as you, big sister, but I’m definitely more attractive.”

Rarity’s lips curled into a smile and the Belle sisters shared a hearty laugh.

“Ready!” Apple Bloom shouted from the roof, rocking four yellow boots.

“Apple Bloom!” Applejack hollered. “Git down from there right now young lady, before ya hurt yerself!”

“What’d ya say, big sis? Ah can’t hear ya!”

“Ah said GIT DOWN FROM THERE NOW!!!” she shouted, the anger in her voice concealing her worry.

“OK…if you say so…”

The yellow filly tapped a button on her left front boot and the bottoms started glowing orange. She took a deep breath…got a running start…and jumped.

Terrified gasps rang out through the crowd.

“The horror! The horror!” somepony screamed.

She hit the ground hooves-first and a powerful shockwave emanated from the impact zone, obscuring the area with a thick cloud of dust.

Somewhere amidst the chaos stood a pale gray stallion with a black mane and equally dark eyes. His name was Neighthan Explosion.

“Metal.” he said with a hoarse, gravelly rasp as the wave of wind and dust blew back his mane like a sandstorm.

“APPLE BLOOM!!!” Applejack shrieked. Sick with dread, a million horrible thoughts sped through her mind as she raced to where her little sister landed. How would she explain to Big Mac that she’d let his littlest sister turn herself from Apple Bloom into Apple Sauce? She expected to see a broken, bloodied splat of a filly, but when the dust settled, Apple Bloom emerged…giggling like a schoolfilly and completely unharmed. While the ponies of Ponyville breathed a sigh of relief, the orange mare’s train of thought jumped the track, plunged into a ravine, and exploded into a thousand-foot fireball.

“WHAT IN THE HAY WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!” Applejack raged, “YA ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!”

“Ah’m sorry Ah scared ya, sis,” Apple Bloom said apologetically, “but that’s what these here boots are meant ta do. Ah could fall from Cloudsdale and not feel a thing, so long as Ah land hooves-first.” The youngest Apple caught the ‘don’t you bucking think about it’ staring-daggers look in her big sister’s eyes and immediately decided to change the subject. She looked over her shoulder and spied an empty wooden box beside a trash can. She backed up to it and bucked it as hard as she could. Her boots amplified the momentum into a sonic pulse, crushing it into splinters, much to Applejack’s astonishment.

“Now imagine doin’ that ta an apple tree. These boots turn mah tiny kicks into tha kinda bucks Big Mac would make. Impact built ‘em fer me so Ah could help out with tha apple-buckin’ and stuff. Besides, she wouldn’t let me touch ‘em until she knew they were safe. Same with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. We’ve been testing these suckers for almost a month! We know how ta handle ‘em.”

“Well, as long as yer safe.” Applejack admitted as she hugged her sister, “That’s all that matters.”

“This concludes the demonstration.” Impact concluded with a bow. “I’m not here to start some kind of technological revolution. Even the most impractical of devices can have practical purposes. I can fix things, but I can make things, too. Life is a game and the world is the board. I just like to create new ways to play.” Amidst a sea of applause, Impact made one final statement. “As a gesture of gratitude, I’d like to invite everypony to join me at the banquet hall this afternoon for a celebration hosted by our very own Pinkie Pie!”

A frenzied wave of cheers rang out once more and the crowd began to disperse.

Twilight and her friends wove their ways through the crowd to welcome and congratulate their new friend, but just as they reached her, the three fillies raced over and tackled her, singing their praises about their new boots.

“Everything’s perfect!” they cheered.

“Well, I’m glad you like them,” she replied, “but just remember, girls. These boots are for Crusader missions and absolute emergencies only. Use them, don’t abuse them. Nopony likes a showoff.”

“But, Impact!” they whined.

“I’d listen to her if I were you.” called a very familiar voice from above.

Out of nowhere, Princess Celestia descended from the sky with Luna in tow. Everypony knelt in their presence.

“Princess Celestia?” Twilight said, “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia chuckled, “Always searching for reasons. I just came to visit...and I happened to see Impact’s little demonstration.” She turned to Impact. “Your technology is most impressive, my dear. You have a very bright future indeed.”

“Thank you, Princess.” she replied, “With proper testing and licensing, these could become life-saving rescue tools, or maybe even something more…”

“Hey, Impact!” Scootaloo asked, changing the subject. “What can your boots do?”

She smiled a knowing smile.

“Everything the three of yours can do and a little bit more.” she said with a wink in Celestia’s direction. She tapped a button on one of her silver boots and the soles began to grow bright red.

“Sorry, girls, but I can’t show you all of my tricks.”