“You’re not screaming in fear, so that’s a good start.” Impact said with a halfhearted chuckle. She limped to the center of the room and gently lowered herself to the floor, lightly thumping her hoof once she got comfortable, nonverbally asking her companions to join her.

With uncertain nods, five ponies and a dragon gathered around the triped and settled down onto the library floor, but the sixth pony bolted to the other side of the room.

“Pinkie Pie! Please get over here!” Twilight begged.

“NO!” she shouted, “She tr-tried to k-kill me! I’m n-not taking ch-chances!”

Pinkie Pie looked deep into the alicorn’s face and found it impossible to interpret. The very same pony whose murderous, hate-filled eyes almost became the last thing she ever saw was now reduced to a crumbling shell of her former self, cast aside like the discarded ribbons and wrapping paper from a birthday present. Either Impact was truly sorry for what she’d done back at the Corner, or this was some kind of trap…

“Impact…” Fluttershy asked quietly, “What exactly...happened…to you? That is…you know…if you don’t mind me asking.”

“I do mind you asking, Fluttershy,” she said darkly, “Extremely so. Every time I talk about it, I’m forced to relive the darkest night of my life.”

“Oh…” she whimpered. “That’s okay…you don’t need to talk about it…”

“But I do…” Impact said mournfully, “Now that you already know my secret, you deserve to know the whole truth, so I guess one more descent into darkness won’t kill me.”

She turned her head away from the group and sniffled as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

“How did this happen, you ask? Two words: Tumblestone Canyon.”

Everypony’s jaw dropped to the floor, except for Twilight and Spike, but Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash’s expressions were now fully corrupted with fear.

“Tumblestone Canyon?!?!” the five ponies cried fearfully.

The alicorn nodded.

“Sweet apple cider…” Applejack cried mournfully. “Oh, sugarcube, Ah’m so sorry.”

“Me too.” Fluttershy concurred as she gingerly took Impact’s one front hoof in her two hooves.

“Same here.” Rainbow Dash agreed as she scooted alongside Impact and hugged her tightly.

“Why is everypony so afraid of Tumblestone Canyon?” Twilight asked with a puzzled glance.

“Don’t even get me started, Twi’.” the orange pony interrupted, looking her in the eye as she cut her off sharply.

“Four words, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash added. “High octane nightmare fuel.”

“From the day they’re foaled,” Fluttershy said sternly, “every pegasus in Cloudsdale is warned to stay away from Tumblestone Canyon.”

“It’s far more dangerous than Everfree Forest,” Rarity chimed in, “and I wouldn’t send my worst enemy into it.”

“Worse than Nightmare Moon!” Pinkie Pie shrieked from across the room, “Worse than Discord! Worse than any punishment Princess Celestia could ever imagine!”

“But what’s so bad about it?” Spike implored.

“What’s so bad about it!?” Applejack exclaimed. “Every Apple ah can think of has had some kinda accident in that there place. Granny Smith once told me that in her younger years, she cut her rump something fierce on a crazy-sharp chunk of stone and dang near bled ta death in that canyon. Big Macintosh twisted his ankle while we were out on an apple delivery and was off his hooves fer a week. A tumblin’ stone once knocked me so hard on tha noggin that Ah couldn’t remember mah own name fer three days! It’s a miracle Ah got out alive. Only Apple who hasn’t been through Tumblestone is little Apple Bloom, and Ah don’t EVER wanna see tha day she does.”

“Spike, I’ll make it simple.” Rainbow Dash interjected gravely, “Ghastly Gorge is a nightmare for a pegasus. Tumblestone Canyon is a death sentence.”

“Oh my!” the purple dragon gasped.

“A fate worse than death if ya ask me!” Applejack added, “Between tha cliffs and tha chasms, that canyon is a deathtrap, hooves-down!” She stomped to emphasize her point. “And that’s not even countin’ tha rockslides…”

Impact whimpered and cringed when she heard the word “rockslides.” Applejack saw her shudder and stopped speaking.

“Hold up…Is that how ya lost yer parents, darlin’?” she asked.

“And so much more…” she said gloomily, as she spread her wings and raised her injured hoof.
“Last chance to back out...” she warned, “Do you really want to know?”

The seven friends nodded simultaneously without a moment’s hesitation.

“Very well.” The alicorn began, “It all started ten years ago, on my eighth birthday…”

(Flashback) Impact’s POV

It was another normal birthday for me. My dad, Sledge Hammer, a master craftspony, was picking up his usual bushel of apples from Sweet Apple Acres. My mom, Acrylic Paint, a gifted artist, was running some errands in town. I was long gone, lounging in the Ponyville Library, lost in my literary labyrinth and loving it. Fantasy, history, science fiction, horror, the occasional arithmetic textbook, not that I minded, and every other book I could think of. I was reading a first-aid manual about treating broken bones and other severe injuries when I heard somepony calling my name. A sudden yawn snapped me out of my trance and I noticed that the sun was starting to go down.

“Impact!” I heard my mother call, “Where are you, dear?”

“In here, Mom!” I shouted back.

“Come on, darling. It’s time to go!”

“MOM! Do I have to?” I groaned, not looking up from my book, “I’m right in the middle of a book and I don’t wanna wait a whole year to finish it!”

“You’re in a library, you silly filly!” Mom giggled, “You can check it out and we’ll mail it back when you finish it. Besides, your father and I have a surprise for you!”

My eyes lit up and I whirled around to see them sitting on the rug behind me, with a beautifully-decorated cake sitting between them. It had white frosting, black icing borders, and the words ‘Happy 8th Birthday’ written on the top in dark blue icing.

“Happy birthday, Impact!” they cheered.

I squealed at the top of my lungs and raced toward the cake, my book forgotten, but I tripped over the rug, tumbled head-over-hooves, and landed face-first into the cake with a thick, squishy SPLAT. I could feel bits of cake and gobs of frosting in my mane, in my nose, and all over my face.

“Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry!” I spluttered as I stood up, “I didn’t mean to…” I was on the verge of crying, but I could hear my parents laughing.

“I know you love blue velvet cake, Impact, but save some for us!” Mom laughed.

“It’s alright, sweetie. It was an accident.” Dad said with a chuckle, using his magic to conjure a wet rag and wipe my face. “Maybe you should just open your presents now.”

He pointed a hoof to a stack of boxes near the library door.

“YAY!” I squealed as I cast a levitation spell. My horn began to glow and the boxes rose into the air. I jerked my head methodically, as if wielding a sword, to ferociously disembowel the colorfully-wrapped packages. My endeavors revealed a diverse array of gifts. From my mom, I received a first-aid kit and a new dark blue traveling cloak.

“Ultramarine.” she mentioned, “Your favorite color.”

My dad gave me a hatchet with matching blade protector, a fresh roll of Stallion Tape, and a travel-size toolkit, with two screwdrivers, six wrenches, and a seventeen-piece socket set.

“It’s just what I wanted!” I cheered, “Thank you!”

“There’s one more gift, dear!” Mom said with a wink.

“Really?” I asked, “Where is it?” Suddenly, I felt a cloth being draped over my back, which I discovered were connected to a set of dark blue saddlebags, emblazoned with a gleaming silver gear with six rectangular teeth. “Thank you both so much! This has been the best birthday ever!” With a beaming smile, I raced into their hooves and received a warm group hug.

“We’re glad you enjoyed it.” Mom said happily,

“But…what does that symbol mean?” I questioned, pointing to the emblem on my saddlebags.

“Look at my Cutie Mark.” Dad explained, directing my attention to him. I turned my head and the picture on his flank: five small sledgehammers arranged to form a five-pointed star.

“Dad, I’ve seen your Cutie Mark a thousand times!”

“Yes…but look closer. What do you see behind it?”

I did a double-take and looked again. Behind the sledgehammers was…I gasped…

“A silver gear with six teeth…” I said shakily, touching a trembling hoof to my lips. “When did you get that?” I asked.

“The day I got my Cutie Mark.” Dad replied.

“I thought the hammers were your Cutie Mark!” I said in surprise.

“They are. This gear is a very special symbol. Every pony in our family receives it when they get their Cutie Mark.”

“Then why doesn’t Mom have one?” I asked in wonder.

Dad smiled. “Your mother became a Hammer when she chose to marry me,” he said. “Only blood descendants, ponies foaled into the family, can receive this symbol.”

“Oh…” I said with a nod.

“Alright, Sledge.” Mom interjected. “Save the history lesson for the trip home. Let’s get this mess cleaned up so we can get going. We have one last stop to make.”

Dad and I cleaned up the spilled cake while Mom checked out the book I was reading and slipped it, along with the rest of my gifts, into my new saddlebags. We then departed for the Ponyville Cemetery.

After paying our respects to Grandpa Deadblow, we loaded up the wagon and started for home. We were about thirty miles into the journey, and the sun hung low in the sky. Everypony was tired, especially me. Dad decided to stop and take a break when a sudden gust of wind sprang up. It knocked down a dead tree several lengths ahead of us, blocking our usual route home.

“Sledge, what should we do now?” I heard Mom ask worriedly.

“Calm down, Acrylic!” I heard Dad say, sharply but softly, trying to soothe his mare’s anxiety, “Everything is going to be fine, dear. There was a fork in the road a couple miles back. We might be able to take the other path home. Let’s try it.”

“Alright. Let’s go.” I heard Mom reply.

I felt the wagon turn around and slowly began to drift off to sleep.

Suddenly, I felt Mom nudging me awake.

“Ugh…Five more minutes…” I mumbled, half-asleep.

“Impact, please wake up. Your father needs us outside.”

Knowing Dad’s punctuality, I had no choice but to comply. I put on my saddlebags, grabbed a fresh canteen just in case, and begrudgingly got out of the wagon. Once outside, I was greeted by a frighteningly breathtaking sight. We were at the bottom of a canyon...a big one.

“Dad, where are we?” I asked nervously.

“Tumblestone Canyon,” he replied solemnly, “It’s filled with steep cliffs, wide chasms, and sudden drops, and in the summertime, this canyon is riddled with rockslides.” I shuddered as a cold chill shot up and down my spine, and by the look on Mom’s face, she felt one too.

“Rockslides?” we asked simultaneously.

He nodded. “Yes. Boulders break loose from the canyon walls and tumble to the canyon floor below, but only in the summertime, and it’s almost wintertime now. Tumblestone Canyon is one of most dangerous places in Equestria, but a rockslide hasn’t happened past late summer in over three hundred years.” A wave of fear washed over me and I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

“I don’t wanna go in there!” I whimpered, “It looks dark and scary in there!”

“Do you remember the Illumination spell I taught you last year?” Dad asked, igniting his horn with a flourish, creating a personal spotlight that bathes the surrounding area in a white light.

“Of course I remember, Dad!” I retorted, mirroring his movements and casting my own spotlight. “But what if you or Mom gets hurt? I don’t wanna see you get hurt. I love you!”

“I agree with Impact, honey. I’m a pegasus, and every pegasus in Equestria knows to stay away from this place. It’s not worth it. Please turn back so we can find another way around.”

“I love you both,” Dad consoled, “But we have no choice. If I had any other option, any option at all, I’d take it. Any other path would take us days, maybe even weeks to get home. This is our only straight shot, and if we just move slowly and stay quiet, everything should be fine.”

“It’s all right, dear,” Mom cooed softly, drying my eyes with her wing, “Everything is going to be okay. Your father needs his spotlight to guide the wagon, and we need to keep an eye on the back end so it doesn’t fall over the edge. Just stay close to me and watch your step.”

“Okay, Mama. I trust you.” I said shakily, using my special phrase to let her know that I was ready. I was scared out of my mind, but I was ready.

We slowly made our way through the canyon, inch by inch, step by step, until we were almost free of that terrible place, until we hit a bump…and that’s when everything went wrong. The ground started shaking. I looked up to see pebbles and rocks started rolling down the canyon walls. I was so scared, I couldn’t move. I saw my life flash before my eyes as the rumble grew louder, and I started freaking out. Suddenly, I heard my father’s voice.

“IMPACT! ACRYLIC! RUN!” Dad yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Daddy!” I screamed.

“Sledge? What about you?” Mom hollered back, “Get out of there!”

“THE WAGON’S STUCK! I CAN’T MOVE!”

“OH NO!” Mom said in terror.

“DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME! JUST RUN!” Dad roared, the canyon walls rumbling ever louder as the falling rocks gave way to boulders.

“NO!” she shrieked, racing to his side, nuzzling his neck and hugging him tightly. “I’m not leaving you behind. Never again!”

“Neither am I!” I bawled, psychologically and emotionally torn. My heart was screaming “STAY!” and my head was screaming “RUN!” but I didn’t know which to obey.

“IMPACT HAMMER, YOU LISTEN TO YOUR FATHER!” Mom yelled, “RUN! RUN AND DON’T LOOK BACK! FLY IF YOU HAVE TO!”

“OK, MOM, DAD!” I hollered back as I turn to run, “I LOVE YOU!”

“WE LOVE YOU TOO!” I barely heard them shout back in unison, above the canyon’s roar. As I ran back toward the entrance of the canyon, I looked back for a split-second, just in time to see Mom and Dad share one last kiss as they became obscured by a thick cloud of dust.

I never saw them again.

With the spotlight from my horn as my only guide, I ran for my life, jumping over rocks and branches and dodging the big shadows where boulders were about to land. Suddenly, a large fissure opened in the canyon floor ahead of me. I kept my breakneck pace, spread my wings, and leapt as high into the air as I could. I soared over the chasm, effortlessly gliding to the other side. I was three, maybe four pony lengths off the ground, seconds away from touchdown, when a rock the size of a watermelon slammed onto my left wing. I felt the bones snap like twigs and screamed in pain. The next thing I knew, I crashed left side down into the canyon floor, knocking the wind out of me. I skidded for about fifteen lengths, as the canyon continued crumbling around me, and I blacked out.

I regained consciousness later that evening. The sun hadn’t fully set. It was hanging on the horizon by a thread, but the moon was clearly visible in the night sky. I wasn’t sure if I was dead or dreaming, so I tried to move. I screamed in anguish and immediately regretted my decision.

Nope! Not dead…not dreaming…

I thought slamming into the ground at full speed was painful, but the sensations I woke up to were beyond comprehension. My head was pounding, my whole body ached, and the air was thick with the scent of my freshly spilt blood. I couldn’t tell if I’d been given a blessing or a curse, but a second chance is a second chance. As I cleared the thick, choking dust from my lungs, I tried to get a glimpse of exactly what happened after I went down. My back kept brushing up against a large boulder, and judging by the sharp, stabbing pains I felt when I moved, I assumed my left wing was crushed beneath it. I saw an even larger boulder before me, pinning my left foreleg slightly above the knee. I could see where the bone was broken, protruding beneath my skin but not puncturing it. I also noticed small rivulets of red seeping out from underneath the rock. The rocks were restricting the blood flow and keeping me alive, but they wouldn’t hold forever. I had to stop the bleeding, and soon. I tried to animate the rest of my body and discovered that nothing else seemed to be broken. It didn’t hurt to breathe, so I could guess that none of my ribs had cracked, but I was still trapped between a rock and a hard place…and another rock.

When the dust settled and the noise faded, I did the only thing I could think of…I started screaming, as loudly as I could, hoping against hope that my parents would hear me…that anypony would hear me. I screamed until my lungs started to burn, but nopony came to help, and it slowly dawned on me that my actions were in vain.

Nopony knows I’m down here. Nopony knows I’m still alive. I’m all alone.

I had only the echoes of the wind and the cries of native fauna to keep me company. As my vocal cords seized up and my screams became whispers, the worst possible thought anypony could think burrowed into my brain.

I’m going to die here…

At this point, the realization that I was trapped was finally sinking in, and I just gave up. I started crying, longer and harder than I ever thought I would. For the first time in my life, I was utterly alone. I glanced up at the sky. The sky was crystal clear, the stars were twinkling, and the moon was shining brightly. Everything was so beautiful, but I was in too much pain to truly appreciate it. As I stared deeply into the Mare in the Moon, I remembered everything I could, from the books I’d read and the storied I’d heard, about the legend of Princess Luna: from her psychological breakdown to her subsequent exile, and how she eventually transformed into her royal darkness, Nightmare Moon. I had nothing to live for and nothing left to lose, so I closed my eyes, took several cleansing breaths, and prayed for her guidance. I asked her for a sign that I still deserved to live. I opened my eyes and waited for something, ANYTHING, to happen.
Suddenly, I noticed a bright light that was seriously starting to annoy me. Somewhere in the distance, something was reflecting moonlight out of the sky and into my eyes.
Averting my gaze, I noticed a large dark object lying several feet ahead of me. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized it.

My saddlebags! They must have fallen off when I went down! The gear is reflecting the moonlight!

I felt a small pang of hope resonate deep in my heart.

“THANK YOU!” I shouted at the sky, although I only managed a hoarse whisper.

I cast a light levitation spell and slowly dragged my saddlebags toward me, bit by bit, until they were within my reach. I upended them and dumped out their contents in front of me: my first-aid kit, my toolkit, a hatchet, a roll of Stallion Tape, and a canteen full of water. The last object to fall out was the emergency first-aid manual I had borrowed from the library. By some twist of fate, the book fell open before me to the exact page where I left off.

The title of the next section made my blood run cold.

Section 10: Alleviating Amputations

It was the toughest decision I ever had to make, and it felt like it took forever. I had two choices: either stay here and face certain death…or permanently disfigure my body, risking exsanguination and infection, for a far-from-guaranteed chance of survival. It was a perfect example of a “lose-lose” situation, but no matter how I sliced it; life always seemed a better outcome than death.

“Well, if nopony else is coming to rescue me, then I guess I’ll have to rescue myself.”

I lifted the canteen to my lips, took a small sip, then resealed it and started reading. Flipping through the pages with my good hoof, I learned everything I needed to know about the procedure. It was instantly clear that amputations required some kind of cutting force, so I knew my new hatchet would get some use after all. What I didn’t know was that the procedure would require something called a tourniquet, two in my case, which the book said was a type of pressure bandage used to completely halt all blood flow to a part of the body. Every tourniquet requires a cravat, which is a bandage tied around the injured body part that distributes the pressure, a windlass, something that is tied into the tourniquet and twisted to create the pressure, and something to secure the windlass so the tourniquet doesn’t unravel.

Working quickly and calmly, I examined my supplies.

First, I needed the cravats. I opened the first-aid kit with my hoof and found the special bandages that the book described.

“Cravats…Check!”

Next, I needed the windlasses. The book said that anything could be used as a windlass, so long as it was strong enough to twist and it could be easily secured. I opened my toolkit and extracted two wrenches.

“Windlasses…Check!”

Lastly, I just needed a way to secure them to my body. I eyed the roll of Stallion Tape.

“Is there anything you can’t do?” I said with a sly smile as I picked it up. “Check!”

I now had everything I needed to start. Following the book’s instructions exactly, and taking extreme caution, I was able to elevate my injured limb and wing enough to slide the bandages underneath them. I was about to tie the knots when I notice a big red box at the bottom of the page.

WARNING! ONCE A TOURNIQUET HAS BEEN APPLIED AND SECURED, IT SHOULD NOT BE REMOVED BY ANYPONY, FOR ANY REASON, EXCEPT BY A TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL!

Acknowledging that, I took a deep breath and readied myself. This would require every last spark of magic in my body. I tied the bandages around my leg and my wing as tightly as I could. Next I added the windlasses and tightly knotted the bandages to hold them in place. I used my magical grip to twist the wrenches, turn by turn, again and again until the pressure was unbearable. After seven full turns each, I couldn’t feel any more blood seeping out of my wounds, so I tore off four long, equal lengths of Stallion Tape and firmly secured both windlasses to my body. I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t going to bleed to death…I hoped…

Now, I’d reached the point of no return, wholeheartedly dreading what needed to happen next. All that stood between me and freedom was the razor-sharp edge of my hatchet.

“Alright, Impact. It’s now or never. No turning back.”

I tried to take every last precaution I could before I did the gruesome deed. I took another sip of water to try to calm my nerves. I scooted my body closer to the boulder pinning my leg to minimize the risk of cutting something that didn’t have a multi-ton boulder crushing it. I placed a rag in my mouth so I wouldn’t break my teeth from clenching my jaw so hard. I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but the time for hesitation had passed. I lifted the hatchet over a spot between the boulder and the tourniquet.

“One…” I brought the blade down slowly as a test.
“Two…” Another bluff to ensure my alignment.
I clenched my teeth and prepared for excruciating pain.
“THREE!” I raised the hatchet as far back as I could and swung it down as fast as my magic could propel it. It connected and cleaved straight through to the bone and beyond with a sickening CRACK.

My entire body suddenly felt like it was being dipped in molten lava. I bit down on the rag as hard as I possibly could as tears began streaming down my face. My heart was racing. My head was throbbing. The sensory overload was pushing me to the absolute precipice of my sanity. I wanted to stop. Oh, sweet Celestia, how I wanted to stop…but I knew I couldn’t.

“No…turning…back!” I reminded myself between shrieks of pain.

I raised the blade a second time and brought it down on the same spot. I heard another CRACK, felt another wave of searing pain, but I couldn’t feel my wing anymore. I shimmied away from the rock just slightly and I didn’t feel anything tugging back. I felt blood dripping down my side, but it wasn’t spurting. I had just severed my wing with two strikes, and the tourniquet was holding! I was still alive…for the moment.

“One down…” I mumbled, my voice muffled by the rag between my teeth, “One to go.”

I became physically sick with pain. My nostrils were flaring, my adrenaline was pumping, and I could feel tears streaming from my eyes. My stomach was churning relentlessly and I could feel my birthday cake rising in my throat, but I fought the urge to vomit and choked it back down.

It was instantly apparent that my leg would not surrender as easily, so I repositioned my blade to strike my leg above the knee, between the tourniquet and the boulder, and descended into madness once again.

I raised the blade and slammed it with another wet, disgusting CRACK. Then I did it again, and again, and again, each strike a thousand times more painful than the last. Muscle fibers tore like parchment. Nerves strained and snapped like over-tensioned piano wires. Bones cracked like dead tree branches in a windstorm. I was blinded by absolute agony, screaming with a voice that could barely whisper through a gag which muffled most of the sound that passed through it. Finally, after five strikes, I heard a heavy THUNK. I looked down at the carnage and saw that the head of the hatchet was clearly stuck in the thick canyon floor. I eased myself away from the blade. The wound was oozing blood, but I saw no arterial spray, just several shreds of skin and muscle still bridging the two pieces; I winced as I jerked my limb free. Finally, I used the gauze wraps and some tape to lightly cover the exposed wounds and carefully wriggled my way out from between the rocks that almost became my tombstones. I was free! FINALLY FREE!

I tried to stand on my hooves but failed horribly. I struggled through three more attempts, failing each time, but as I finally managed to stand on the fifth try, I could feel my legs trembling like mad. My sense of balance was completely destroyed. I pictured myself as a newborn foal all over again; cold, scared, and uncertain of what would happen next. I felt completely unsure of myself, but my primary goal remained clear: survival. As I magically repacked my saddlebags, I instantaneously decided to leave the hatchet where it stood, still embedded in the canyon floor. I never wanted to see that torture device again for the rest of my life.

I contemplated my next move, which was...how to move. The techniques I’d been indoctrinated with since birth couldn’t possibly help me here…or could they?

I’m a right-lead pony, I thought to myself, so when I walk, my left front hoof hits the ground before my right. If I try to walk like that now, I’ll fall flat on my face every time. I can’t have that, so maybe…just maybe…

I slowly raised my right hind leg and brought it forward. Next, I brought my left hind leg forward, which startled me a bit as I almost fell over, but didn’t. Lastly, I took a step with my right foreleg. A slight grin crept across my face.

“I…I did it.”
Now do it again.
Right…left...right…
I move forward.
Do it again.
Right…left…right…
Again!
Right…left…right…
AGAIN! NOW DON’T STOP!
Right…left…right…right…left…right...right…left…right…

I felt myself grinning wider as the sense of accomplishment sent a warm, fuzzy feeling rushing through my body. As draped my saddlebags over my back, I kept moving forward. I left the canyon, now and forever, and followed a dirt path to the top of a hill, climbing until the vast panorama of Equestria stretched before me. I saw the towering castles of Canterlot in the distance and felt a pang of dread in my chest. As I continue limping down the dirt path, I tried to lift what remained of my injured leg, but it was completely numb. I felt the slow trickle of blood from my wing amputation seeping through the fabric of my saddlebags and tried to slow my heart rate by thinking happy thoughts, but I was already thinking too many painful ones instead. I kept walking for what seemed like hours, trying anything and everything to keep myself awake. I tried talking to myself, spelling words, solving math problems in my head, and even splashing water on my face, but my body kept growing colder and my vision darker. Eventually, I emerged from a forest, coming within sprinting distance of the outer limits of Canterlot. I tried to take one more step, but I stumbled and collapsed to the ground.

As I shakily drew what I assumed would be my final breath, my eyes widened and the inevitable truth hit me like a buck to the face.

Escaping Tumblestone Canyon was the easy part.

I was free…but far from safe…and nowhere near sound…

I’d mutilated my body into an equine hourglass…filled with blood instead of sand…

…And my time had just run out.

(End flashback)

“And that’s where I lost consciousness.” Impact finished, “Some wonderful birthday that turned out to be…”

“Oh my…” Fluttershy moaned.

“By the sun and moon…” Twilight gasped.

“Tarnation…” Applejack said, removing her hat and clutching it over her heart.

“That’s so awesome, and yet so terrible!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed halfheartedly, equally disgusted, intrigued, and distraught.

“Is it over?” Spike asked as he peeked out from his hiding spot behind Twilight, his eyes tightly shut and hidden behind his claws.

“So that’s why you wanted that blue cloak of yours fixed so badly!” Rarity stated, “It wasn’t just a gift from your mother…”

“It’s the only outfit I have that conceals all of my flaws.”

“I’ve heard some heartbreaking stories before, but that was THE…WORST…POSSIBLE…THING!” she cried out in anguish.

“Impact… I’m so, so sorry… I didn’t know…honest…” Pinkie Pie choked through broken sobs as she walked over and sat down between Twilight and Applejack, her hair hanging limp and lifeless.

“There was no way you could have known.” Impact interrupted, “Because I didn’t know how to tell you.” She enchanted a nearby box of tissues to float around the room so everypony could dry their eyes. “That’s why I didn’t want you to throw a party for me, Pinkie. Not only was I mourning my parents, but I was afraid of how everypony would react if I showed them the real me.”

“Parties are supposed to be fun!” Pinkie said sadly, “Why would you be afraid of having a party?”

“Ponies can be cruel, Pinkie.” Impact explained, “Ponies have been making fun of me ever since I was a filly, and it only got worse after my accident. Because of all the taunting and teasing, I’ve always had trouble keeping friends, and I’ve always had issues with my temper. Regardless, I never should’ve snapped at you like that. You were just trying to make me happy, and I ruined it. If anything, I should be apologizing to you.” She crawled closer to her new pink friend and flashed a quick, endearing smile. “I’m really sorry, Pinkie Pie, for attacking you, for wrecking my party, for everything.” She stood shakily on her three hooves, her knees trembling. “Can you ever forgive me?” she asked.

“ABSOLUTELY!” Pinkie squealed as her hair brightened and volumized from dull pink flatness into cotton-candy cloudiness. She leapt to her hooves and tackled her new friend with a powerful hug. “But to make up for it, you HAVE to let me throw you a party!”

“How about next month? I get to pick the place, but you can do everything else however you want. Deal?”

Pinkie nodded furiously. “Deal!”

“As for the rest of you…” Impact wheezed, still pinned beneath the pink pony, “Can you forgive me?”

The five ponies exchanged glances. Eyebrows were raised. Smirks were shared and received. Sneers of displeasure slowly became sighs of relief. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash shouted, “PONY PILE!” and somewhere within the ensuing blur of manes, tails, joyous laughter, and Applejack’s hat landing on her head, Impact found her answer.

“Now that we understand each other a little better, does anypony have any questions?”

Relaxing on the floor in the middle of the library, Impact listened intently as her new friends peppered her with questions. Spike, having given up on his nap, had returned to the library after Impact revealed her true self and thus heard her whole story. The baby dragon was eager to start the friendly interrogation because underneath the anxiety, he was just as excited as everypony else to truly get to know the real Impact Hammer. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A one-winged tripedal alicorn was somepony you just didn’t meet every day.

“So…” Spike said, tapping his claws together nervously. “You’re an alicorn?”

“I sure am!” Impact said. “Is there something wrong with that?” She frowned slightly.

“No! No!” Spike stammered, “I just thought that…you know…Luna and Celestia were the only alicorns in Equestria, because they’re…you know…special.”

“That’s what most ponies believe,” she said, “Magic tends to sugarcoat and shroud the truths that science can easily explain. Since my mother was a pegasus and my father was a unicorn, then according to Gregor Manedel’s laws of heredity, I could have been born with pegasus wings, a unicorn horn, neither, or both. It’s extremely rare, but I beat the odds and got both.”

“That’s pretty cool!” Spike said happily, his mind still reeling a bit from Impact’s science-speak.

“Yes. Yes it is.”

“Will you live forever like Princess Celestia?” the dragon asked.

“I’ve cheated death so many times; somepony might assume I was immortal,” Impact said as she giggled, “but as far as I know, I’m as mortal as any other pony, including Celestia. Nopony can live forever, so I try to live my life to the fullest every single day, just in case it does end tomorrow.”

“Pretty smart philosophy!” the dragon replied.

“What’s your favorite candy?” Pinkie Pie asked, opening the floodgates on a seemingly endless stream of questions. “What’s your favorite fruit? What’s your favorite game? What’s your favorite sport? What’s your favorite holiday? What’s your favorite color? Do you like breaking things?”

“Slow it down, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack warned. “Don’t push her too hard–”

“Let’s see…” Impact took a deep breath. “Black licorice, pineapple, chess, equine parkour, Nightmare Night, ultramarine, and YES!!!” Impact spewed out in a single breath, keeping pace with the mile-a-minute pony. Pinkie’s jaw dropped to the floor as everypony else shared a smile.

“Ah tried ta warn her…” Applejack sighed, rolling her eyes. “Quick question, Impact. What’s up with yer name? Impact Hammer… don’t it start ta sound strange if ya say it enough?”

“Not really, once you consider the pattern. My name is Impact Hammer. My dad’s name is Sledge Hammer. His dad’s name was Deadblow Hammer, then Jack Hammer, then Claw Hammer, and all the way back to my great-great-great-grandfather, Ball-Peen Hammer.

“Oh! Now Ah get it! That’s just like what mah family does!”

“Exactly. You’re an Apple and I’m a Hammer. Your family’s a bunch of fruits and mine is nothing but tools!” she snickered.

“HAY!” Applejack began to retort, but started giggling.

Everypony burst out laughing at the bad pun, as Impact’s subtle wordplay was criminally funny.

“Wait a second.” Twilight said skeptically, pointing an accusing hoof while fighting back the giggles, “I distinctly remember seeing you on four hooves when we pulled you from the mud hole!"

“That’s because I was wearing my prosthetics.” Impact said with a smile as her horn began to glow with magical energy. Out of nowhere, a black wooden box materialized in front of her. She nosed the latches open to reveal a long, cylindrical object and a flat, lopsided object within. “My trusty sidekicks.” She said as she levitated them toward their proper locations on her body and attached them with two simple clicks. “I built them about nine years ago. The wing is purely for decoration, but the leg is 100% anatomically accurate. Some days I wear them, and some days I don’t.”

“I don’t see any straps or buckles…” Rarity mentioned, “How do they stay on?”

“The doctor called it osseointegration.” She disconnected her prosthetic limb, revealing a chunk of metal sticking out of the skin. “Before they sealed me up, they implanted a titanium bolt directly into the bone. As it healed, the bone grew around the metal and fused with it, creating a permanent anchor point for my artificial leg. There’s another bolt holding my wing in place.”

“Is it hard walking on three hooves?” Twilight asked.

“Difficult, but not impossible.” the hoofcapped alicorn explained, “Certain terrains are still a challenge, like snow, ice, and wet ground, but I have special boots for those conditions.”

“What do you like to do for fun?” Rainbow Dash asked, changing the subject.

“First of all, I LOVE reading.” she gushed, casting a knowing glance at Twilight, “Humph. Living in a library. I’m so jealous.”

The purple unicorn blushed and smiled. “Don’t worry.” she chuckled, “You’re welcome here anytime you like.”

“Thanks.” Impact said, running her hoof through her mane as she turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash. “I’m also a trotceuse. I’ve studied and practiced equine parkour, or EPK, since I was ten. It’s basically getting from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. I don’t need both my wings to defy gravity, and sometimes I do it three-hooved when I’m desperate for my daily adrenaline rush.”

“Cool!” Spike and Rainbow Dash agreed, intrigued by the concept.

“On the other hoof, I like tinkering with things. You know, taking stuff apart to see how it works and then putting it back together. I also like to find old parts and use them to build new things. It’s what I was born to do.”

“Wait.” said Rarity, “If you KNOW that’s your talent, then why haven’t you received your Cutie Mark like us?” she asked, noting Impact’s blank flank.

She cast a backward glance at her hindquarters and sighed. “I don’t know. My prosthetics are the only things I’ve built since my accident. I guess they’re just something missing in my life, and I haven’t figured out what it is yet. My life was turned upside down, but it got better for a while…”

“How so?” Twilight wondered.

Suddenly, somepony knocked at the front door.

“I’ll get it!” the purple unicorn beamed.

“No, I’ll get it.” Impact insisted as she rose to her hooves and walked toward the noise.

“What happened next?” Fluttershy suddenly asked quickly and nervously, much to everypony’s astonishment.

“Pardon?” Impact said, raising an eyebrow.

“I said…‘What happened next?’” the yellow pegasus repeated, “You didn’t finish your story.”

“Hold on, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash said, thunderstruck, “You’ve been actually listening?”

“Oh yes, Rainbow. Every single word.”

“Seriously?” Spike interjected.

“Ah half-expected ya ta be runnin’ fer yer life by now, screamin’ in terror and such.” Applejack said matter-of-factly as she adjusted her hat.

“Why would such a gentle pony like you be so interested in such a terrible story?” Rarity asked in disbelief.

“Oh, believe me, Rarity, I wanted to stop listening when she got to the bad part…but as it kept getting worse, I guess…umm…I kinda started to like it.”

“Say WHAAAAT?” Pinkie Pie interjected.

“I know it goes against my nature,” Fluttershy continued, “but it’s not a scary story. It’s a survival story, and it makes me feel…better about myself. I suddenly feel stronger as a pegasus than I felt this morning. Is that a bad thing, Impact?” she asked with a whimper.

“Not at all. What you’re feeling is perfectly natural.” she explained happily, “Nopony truly knows what they’ve got until it’s gone. Take it from somepony who knows firsthoof.”

“I guess you’re right…” the yellow pegasus said in agreement.

“Wow, Fluttershy! This is some pretty hardcore stuff, even for me.” Rainbow said with a nod of approval. “You’re tougher that I thought you were… about 20% tougher.”

“So…What did happen to you after you passed out on the way to Canterlot?” Spike asked.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that.” Impact replied.

“Well, WHY NOT?” the purple dragon suddenly demanded, pounding on the floor in frustration.

“Spike!” Twilight scolded.

“Because I already finished my part!” Impact shouted, noticeably agitated. The silver alicorn’s horn glowed and the door opened, revealing two more alicorns, both of whom everypony recognized instantaneously and dropped to the floor.

“Princess Luna, I presume.” Impact said as she knelt to the floor, bowing out of respect along with Twilight and the others. “Your mane is looking especially dark and lustrous this evening.”

“Why, thank you, miss…” Luna replied, “Hmm… I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we’ve met. Who are you?”

“Impact Hammer!?” the white alicorn behind her suddenly said with a hesitant smirk, which became a cheerful grin. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again!”

“Hello, Princess Celestia. You’re looking as sleek and svelte as ever! How have you been?”

“Quite well, quite well, and thank you for the compliment. What about you? How have you fared over all this time?”

“Same as usual, Your Highness… Surviving.”

“I am pleased to hear that. Things haven’t been the same in Canterlot Castle since you left…”

“Wait…YOU TWO KNOW EACH OTHER!?” Spike said disbelievingly.

“Yeah, and we’re a lot closer than you think. How long has it been?” Impact asked curiously.

“I’d say about…four years.” the princess replied.

“Wait a minute, Impact.” Spike said, “You still haven’t said why you won’t finish the story.”

“Story? What story?” Celestia asked, thinking for a moment. “Oh… You’re telling that story… the one about how I found you barely alive on the outskirts of Canterlot?”

Impact nodded and a sudden tsunami of stunned silence flooded the library.

“Wait a second, Princess…” Twilight said apprehensively, “Are you saying that you’re the reason Impact is still alive today?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Twilight.”

The purple unicorn’s jaw dropped, along with everypony else’s.

“Now does everypony understand?” Impact said. “In the next chapter of my tale… I’m not the pony telling the story.”

“That distinction falls upon me.” Celestia entered the library and lowered herself to the floor, as Princess Luna followed suit and settled down beside her, then cleared her throat and joined the storytelling circle.