Deep in the bowels of Canterlot Castle, beyond the prying eyes of everypony, in a room even Princess Celestia knew very little about, a purple portal opened and a silver alicorn stepped through. As the portal sealed shut, she ignited her horn into a white spotlight, and set several torches ablaze. The fires revealed a secret workshop, filled with tools, machinery, and other odds and ends she could use to construct her wildest fantasies. Sadly, the only thing this room had collected over the course of the last four years was dust. She disconnected herself from her wagon, cast a Vortex Vacuum spell to clear away all the dust, and took a deep whiff of the lingering odor.

“Ahh…” she sighed as she exhaled, “Blood, sweat, and burning metal. I’ve missed those smells.”

Her horn glowed white once again and a bubble of energy expanded to coat the interior of the space like mystical wallpaper.

“The ultimate soundproofing spell.” she said to herself, “Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Just another reason why I love the Ponyville Library.”

She reached into a drawer and pulled out an aging yellowed parchment, one she herself drew many years ago, and pinned it to her wall. She then extracted a fresh sheet from the drawing pad in her wagon and pinned it up beside it.

“I have until sunset to get these upgrades finished,” she said to herself, putting pencil to parchment, “so let’s get started.”

The next morning, back in Ponyville…

After a slow start to the morning, Twilight Sparkle was helping Applejack finish gathering the last of the apples from her orchard. She sang a slow, brokenhearted melody to herself as she plucked apple after apple from the branches and magically lifted them into her friend’s cart.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Impact, Happy Birth…day…to…you…”

“Are ya still thinkin’ about that dang ungrateful hayseed, Twi’?” Applejack asked as she bucked another tree.

“I don’t think she’s ungrateful, Applejack, just…misunderstood.” the unicorn moaned. “She lost her parents on her birthday and gave up a wonderful life with Princess Celestia. I just can’t understand why somepony would do that! Oh, look! It’s Rainbow Dash!” she said, her tone lifting slightly.

The sky-blue pegasus came in hot, but didn’t hit anything during her descent. No unsuspecting ponies, no smashed walls, nothing. She touched down with a flawless landing.

“Umm…Applejack, did you just see what I just saw?” Twilight said, thoroughly shocked.

“Sure did, sugarcube.” the equally astounded farm pony replied, “and if ya see any of mah pigs start flyin’ by, would ya let me know?”

“Hey, Twilight. Hey, Applejack.” she said, moping slightly as she walked over to them.

“Alright, Dash, what’s eatin’ you today?” Applejack wondered.

“What makes you think something’s bugging me?”

“Ya just landed perfectly…” Applejack pointed out.

“…in Sweet Apple Acres.” Twilight finished.

“So what?” Rainbow retorted.

“You never land perfectly in Sweet Apple Acres.” they replied simultaneously.

“OK!” Rainbow shouted, “Maybe something is wrong with me…”

“She left an impact on you too, huh?” Applejack said knowingly as she bucked another tree.

“Yeah…” the pegasus sighed, “I’ve been really bucking myself for all those mean things I said about her.”

“Me too.” Twilight admitted.

“Me three…” Applejack concurred.

“It must be terrible, you know, being born with wings but unable to fly.” Rainbow groaned as she kicked a nearby stone. “I mean, my wings are my life…if I woke up tomorrow with only one, or even worse, neither of them…I’d have nothing.”

“I could say the same about my horn.” Twilight admitted, “If I woke up without magic, I’d probably lose it like…like…”

“Like when ya forgot ta write ta tha Princess and got everypony so fixated on that ratty ol’ doll of yers?” she said smugly, raising an eyebrow.

“Smarty Pants?” Twilight said, blushing at the memory. “Yeah. I remember…”

“Ya know Big Mac still has that thang, right? Won’t let anypony touch her.”

Her eyes momentarily bugged out of her head.

“Meh. Let him keep her.” she replied, dismissing it with a hoof. “I hope she brings him more joy than she ever brought me.” Her thoughts wandered back to Impact. “She was so nice, even with her temper. Sure, she destroyed some stuff, like the Carousel Boutique…”

“…and yer library…” Applejack concurred.

“…and Sugarcube Corner…” Rainbow Dash added.

“But everything she broke, she fixed…if anything, she tried to make them a little bit better than they were before.”

“Ya don’t know what ‘cha got ‘til it’s gone.” Applejack said with a solemn nod.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie popped up from inside Applejack’s cart, startling her friends and scattering apples everywhere.

“THEY PAVED PARADISE AND PUT UP A PARKING LOT!” she sang.

“What in the hay?!?!” Twilight gasped.

“Consarn it, Pinkie Pie!” Applejack said crossly. “Look at what ‘cha did!”

“Hey farmer, farmer, put away your DDT!” she continued to sing, “I don’t care about spots on my apples; leave me the birds and the bees. Please!”

“Oh, Pinkie Pie.” Rainbow said after a hearty laugh, “You are so random!”

“Alright, girl!” Applejack said with a chuckle, “Ya done had yer fun, now quit countin’ crows and git down here! Do ya know how long it’s gonna take ta pick all these up?”

“No time at all, Applejack. I’ve got it!” Twilight said as she targeted the fallen apples with her magic and levitated them back into the cart. “Pinkie Pie, what are you even doing in there anyway?”

“Well,” she explained, “I was walking past Carousel Boutique and I saw the strangest thing. Spike was helping Rarity design a new outfit for Fluttershy.”

“What in tarnation is so strange ‘bout that?” Applejack asked.

“From what I saw, it was black.” Pinkie replied.

“That’s pretty strange.” Twilight admitted, “Why would Fluttershy wear black unless…” She trailed off immediately, her face paling at the thought. She spun on her hooves and darted for Carousel Boutique as fast as she could, with her friends trailing close behind.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no…” she mumbled to herself. The purple unicorn could deduce only one logical reason why a pegasus as bright and cheerful as Fluttershy would dress in black at this time of year…

She was going to a funeral.

“Just two more stitches…” Rarity said sharply, bound and determined to make this outfit absolutely perfect, “and…done!”

The four friends burst through the door of Carousel Boutique, anxious and exhausted.

A squeal of terror rang out and a blur of pink and yellow darted behind the changing room curtain.

“WHOA!” Spike shouted as Twilight barreled past him, spinning him like a top.

“Girls!” Rarity squealed in surprise, “What in the name of high fashion is going on here?”

“Pinkie said you were making a new outfit for Fluttershy.” Twilight added.

“Actually, Twilight, as much as I’d LOVE to take the credit, I just brought it to life.”

“Ya said what now?” Applejack questioned.

“I didn’t design it. Fluttershy did.”

“Ah’ll say it again, ya said what now?”

“Rarity!” a gasping voice called from the changing room, “I’m ready!”

“Let’s see it, darling!”

The yellow pegasus took an breath, audible from behind the dressing room curtain. Recalling her less-than-super modeling experience with Photo Finish, she strode into the room and struck a pose, keeping her head held high and spreading her wings for all to see. She was wearing a simple vest, like the one she wore during Winter Wrap-Up, but this one was a glimmering silver. Her forelegs and wings were covered by skintight fabric sleeves, the same shade as her vest, but the symmetry was way off. The left sleeve was silver from the shoulder to about two inches above the knee, where it abruptly changed to black. Her left wing was completely black as well. Completing her outfit were two red ribbons, one tied above her left knee and another at the base of her left wing.

Everypony did a double-take and stared at the pegasus’ ensemble. Factoring out the pink mane and yellow coat, Fluttershy looked exactly like Impact Hammer.

“Wow, Fluttershy!” Spike said with a bright smile, “You look good! I mean REALLY good!”

“I couldn’t agree more, Spike. It clashes with her coat like a cart accident and I utterly despise spandex, but when you consider the garment’s true meaning, I can’t help but agree with you.”

“Fluttershy…YOU designed that?” Rainbow asked as she gawked astounded.

“It came to me in a dream…” she replied, “along with another idea.”

“Idea?” Pinkie wondered.

“Animals often misbehave when they want attention.”

“Of course!” Applejack said, “Winona steals mah hat or Apple Bloom’s bow every now and then when she wants ta play.”

“Where are you going with this, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“When Impact attacked Pinkie back at Sugarcube Corner, I don’t think she was really trying to hurt her… Call it a hunch, but I think it was a cry for help.”

“Cry for help?” Pinkie exclaimed, “But she seemed so cheerful and happy when we first met her!”

“What makes you say that?” Twilight asked.

“Think about it. What one thing do you love most in the world, more than anything in Equestria, not counting your friends and family?” she asked in her usual shy tone, eyeing each of her friends in turn.

“If I had to choose, I’d say…my books.” Twilight declared.

“Making beautiful outfits for all of Equestria!” Rarity exclaimed.

“Probably mah hat.” Applejack said.

“My parties, duh!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

“Definitely flying.” Rainbow Dash responded.

“Now close your eyes…” Fluttershy instructed.

The five ponies did as they were told.

“Now imagine that one thing being ripped away from you,” Fluttershy continued, “and no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you can’t get it back. It’s gone forever. How would you feel?”

Their ears dropped at the thought.

“Absolutely despondent.” Twilight admitted.

“Inconsolably depressed!” Rarity gasped.

“Downright miserable.” Applejack grunted.

“I’d be absolutely terrified!” Pinkie cried.

“I’d have nothing left to live for…” Rainbow sulked.

“That’s how Impact feels every single day,” Fluttershy explained, “She wants somepony to notice her, to help take away the pain, to fill the emptiness in her heart.”

“Wow. Ah never thought ‘bout it that way…” Applejack admitted, slightly embarrassed.

“Perhaps we have made a critical error in judgment.” Rarity sighed.

“Dang, Fluttershy! What’s gotten into you?” Rainbow Dash asked, stupefied by her fellow pegasus’ sudden burst of confidence.

“Did you borrow one of my psychology textbooks by mistake again?” Twilight retorted skeptically.

“No, Twilight. I just understand animals.” she said with a chuckle and a bright smile. “Ponies are animals, too.”

“So what’s with the getup, sugarcube?” Applejack wondered.

“It’s a memorial outfit for Impact. I won’t let her won’t suffer in silence anymore.” Fluttershy’s timid streak began to flare again. “I just need to figure out where she is…”

“Ponyville Cemetery!” Applejack piped up suddenly, “She’ll be there at sunset. She told me herself.”

Twilight cast a hopeful glance at each of her friends and received an approving nod in return.

“Hey, Rarity?” she asked, pointing to Fluttershy’s new outfit, “How fast can you make five more of those?”

Ponyville Cemetery, at sunset…

As the solar and lunar orbs traded places once more and day gave way to night, Impact Hammer stood before the wrought-iron gates of the Ponyville Cemetery. The edges of her blue cloak rustled in the wind.

“Here we are again.” she said with a sigh.

She pushed the gates open with a loud, heavy creak. The hallowed grounds lay dormant this evening, except for the rustling of the fallen leaves. An occasional animal howl from the Everfree Forest punctured the silence every now and then. The winds of a cool autumn night blew through her mane, sending an arctic tingle up and down her spine.

She slowly trotted down the dirt path, passing row after row of tombstones. The markers divulged the standard information: names, dates of birth and death, and phrases of kind remembrance, like “devoted spouse,” “loving parent,” “faithful friend,” and words of that nature. In addition, each headstone bore a carving of the Cutie Mark of the deceased. Following a trail she had trotted so many times before, she eventually arrived at a long, rectangular headstone which bore two symbols: a gear with five sledgehammers arranged in a star and a glass jar filled with paintbrushes.

“Hey Mom. Hey, Dad. It’s me.”

She unclasped her cloak and it fell around her hooves, revealing a black box protruding out of one of her saddlebags.

“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Can you believe it’s been ten years?” she asked with a half-hearted laugh, trying to conceal the intense emotional pain.

“So…how have I been over the past year? Hmm… back in the spring, some griffon named Gilda kept getting in my face, so I had to knock her down a peg. Ugh, what a featherbrain.” She furrowed her brow in thought. “I was invited to my first Grand Galloping Gala! Sure, there was a mix-up and I was forced to masquerade as Princess Celestia for the entire night, but I can’t say I didn’t enjoy myself.” She cleared her throat. “After all,” she began to speak in a perfect imitation of the Sun Princess’s voice, “I’ve had years of practice.” She let her voice fall back to normal. “Oh! I ran into Mr. and Mrs. Driver six months ago! Did you know they have triplets now? Me neither. Screw, Socket, and Spline. Cutest colts ever! Well, I guess that’s pretty much it…Oh, wait! I have something to show you…”

She opened the box to reveal two gleaming white objects. One was cylindrical and had a slight taper. The other was a flat, lopsided shape.

“These devices combine six factors which I had overlooked in my previous model. Six special factors, which six equally special ponies helped me discover.” Using her magic, Impact stood her new bionic leg upon the ground and levitated her new bionic wing alongside her body.

“Fluttershy showed me how to make them comfortable.”
She moved her new wing closer to her body and inserted her wing stump into the opening, and with a soft click and a whirring noise, it connected to her body securely. She did the same with her new leg, which connected after a similar set of sounds. She cooed in ecstasy as the silicone-lined sockets of her new limbs caressed her damaged skin ever-so-tenderly.

“Twilight Sparkle taught me how to make them functional.”
Once the connection was made, several small green lights began to flicker into life along the sides of her new leg and wing. She released a short burst of magic, casting the very obscure ‘I Got Nerve’ spell, and several short yelps of pain escaped her lips as the nerves were quickly rerouted, reconnected, and reactivated. Once every light turned green, she could feel her new limbs again, and actually feel through them. She started pacing back and forth; moaning in pleasure as she flexed her legs and flapped her wings to degrees she hadn’t stretched in years.

“Rarity demonstrated how to make them fashionable.”
After her stretch, her horn began to glow, and the bionic appendages began to change color, starting at the attachment points. She used the ‘Color My World’ spell, one she had seen Rarity used back at the Carousel on one occasion to change a bolt of fabric from one hue to another. The outer shell of her wing and the outer casing of her leg gradually darkened, fading from pure white to stone grey to metallic silver, perfectly mimicking the glossy sheen of her coat. It was now impossible to discern where her anatomy ended and her technology began.

“Applejack provided means to give them strength.”
Using her magic, Impact teleported a pair of safety goggles over her eyes and turned her attention to a large object on her left, concealed by a sheet. Walking over to it and pulling the sheet off with her teeth, she revealed six objects: a thin wooden board, an overturned clay flowerpot, a concrete cinderblock, a ball of twine, a coil of rope, and a length of metal chain. Impact stepped up to the board and placed her bionic hoof atop it, sizing it up once… twice… thrice… then with a loud battle cry, she reared to her full height and slammed her artificial hoof into the board, breaking it with a loud CRACK. Smiling widely, she proceeded to display the durability of her new leg by wreaking similar vengeance upon the other two objects, pulverizing the flowerpot and cracking the cinderblock clean in two. Next, she uncoiled the twine, rope, and chain, and then used her magic to suspend them in the air beside her. Finally, she extended her left wing and quickly lunged toward her right, her faux feathers cleaving all three cordages in one strike. Satisfied with her work, she teleported the rubble into a nearby refuse bin and returned to her parents’ gravesite.

“Rainbow Dash demonstrated the true meaning of speed.”
At this point, Impact noticed that she was standing on the main circular path that inscribed the cemetery. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk down the path. It started slowly, with a mild canter, but her pace began to climb. She continued running in circles, as her nostrils flared and her coat began beading with sweat, but her tempo kept rising until she reached her absolute limit; a full-bodied, adrenaline-supercharged gallop worthy of the Running of the Leaves. When Impact felt her body start red-lining, she changed course onto a straight path and unfurled her wings. Up and down, they began to flap, as she continued to gain speed. She closed her eyes and drew a mental picture in the back of her mind; her heartbeats, hoofbeats, and wingbeats became out-of-sync waves on an oscilloscope. As she focused her energies, she could visualize the lines beginning to synchronize. Not yet…she thought, No… No… No…

There!

In one fluid sweep, Impact opened her eyes and leapt into the air, almost clipping the cemetery fence as her long-neglected aerial instincts finally took over. Her old and new wings working beautifully in tandem, she began cackling, almost maniacally, as she streaked across the sky. She kept rolling, twisting, and diving, until her flight path had more loops that Pinkie Pie’s favorite swizzle straw. Finally, she began to decelerate and descend until she could safely touch down. Her landing was slightly rough, but acceptable. “Not bad for my first time in ten years,” she thought, smiling to herself as she trotted back to her parents’ headstones.

Panting breathlessly, she continued her monologue.

“Finally…Pinkie Pie…contributed…the element…of surprise.”
Suddenly, the sky became much darker. Looking skyward, Impact saw one stray cloud shrouding the full moon, blocking her crystal-clear view of the night sky. This brought an immediate frown to Impact’s face. She would not let this stand. Pressing a button on the side of her left leg with her right hoof, she reared back once again as her leg underwent a shocking, yet remarkable transformation. The outer casing separated and slid back, revealing a strange mechanical device. It was a dark grey metal cylinder with an opening at the end. As Impact steadied her balance on her hind legs, her mane and tail began to glow and crackle with electricity, but the energy was rerouted through her body and into the machine. Its surface began to light up as her mane and tail faded back to their natural colors. A translucent sphere formed in the opening of the device and began to glow a very bright blue. Her world suddenly seemed to flow in slow motion.

What’s…happening? This energy...I’ve never felt anything like it before. It feels so wrong, but it feels so right. Should I try to stop it? No. This is my gift. This is my destiny. This is my time. My time to show Ponyville…to show Equestria…how big an impression one little Impact can make.

The alicorn released a powerful scream that could best be described as a war cry. The sphere receded for a brief instant before rocketing outward as a neon blue stream of energy, traveling at speeds the Sonic Rainboom could only dream of reaching. Its recoil nearly knocked her flat on her flanks. The poor little cloud never saw it coming, and never had a chance. It vaporized instantly, and the sky regained its lunar luster, but the blinding beam of energy kept right on going, straight into the sky and out into the great unknown. Back on the ground, however, the blinding light had stopped. Impact could only gasp for breath, stare at her hoof in shock, and wonder what in Equestria she had just done. What was that? A lightning bolt, an ion stream, an energy blast…No, none of those seem right… She racked her brain for an answer, any answer. Suddenly, two words popped into her head. She had no idea how they got there, but they felt so right.

Plasma Cannon. This is my Plasma Cannon.

The words echoed in her mind as her new toy began to disappear, the white outer panels sliding back into place as if nothing ever happened. She looked down at her new leg, absolutely dumbstruck, but she shook it off and regained her composure. She had one last thing to do before the night was over. Staring at the sky once again, Impact spoke.

“I owe them my life. They saved me from myself. They’re some of the best friends a mare could ask for, and I went and ruined everything. I wouldn’t be surprised if they…never want to see me again…” Her eyes were focused on the stars, so she never noticed that her flanks began to glow with a pale white light.

“Mom, Dad, it’s been such a long time since you left. Do you still remember…the incident?” Her horn glowed briefly, and a very familiar, beautifully decorated cake suddenly appeared at her hooves. “Well I do, so to celebrate the occasion, I figured I’d do something special for all of us.”

In one fluid motion, she slammed her face into the cake, chewing and swallowing with childlike ferocity, splattering frosting and crumbs everywhere: on her face, in her mane, and in the grass. Once the cake had been thoroughly destroyed, she looked to the heavens. The silver alicorn smiled and started to laugh. She laughed so hard she toppled over onto her back, smearing frosting and cake deep into her coat. “Look at me now!” she said breathlessly, “I can walk again. I can run again. I can fly again! For the first time in ten years, I finally feel complete.” As she rolled over and stood up, the glow grew brighter, but was now concealed by the thick layer of frosting. “I don’t know if you can hear me, or if you can even see me,” she continued, sobbing as tears began streaming down her face, “but I want you to know that I love you!" she screamed at the sky in heartbroken triumph. “I love you and I miss you, but even though you’re gone, I know I’ll be alright.” She smiled tearfully as she bowed her head and closed her eyes. “Now that I’ve fixed myself, I can fix anything! Thank you.” Finally, the glow on her flanks reached a crescendo and exploded outwards in a flash of blinding light, but yet again, she remained oblivious to it. However, as the light faded and the dust settled, she did notice that somepony behind her was shouting, and it was getting louder. She turned around and couldn’t believe was she was seeing.

Everypony in Ponyville had surrounded the cemetery, and her friends were front and center. Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, even the Cutie Mark Crusaders were there. The even stranger fact was that they seemed to be cheering for her. She wasn’t sure whether to be happy or angry with them. She just bared her soul, and they were praising her like she had just put on some kind of theater performance? Were they actually commending her or just mocking her as revenge for all the mean things she’d done? What was going on? Suddenly, she noticed that each of her friends was wearing a strange outfit. What is that? She squinted to try to get a clearer view through the moonlit night. What is going on here? Impact wondered. As more and more ponies filed into the cemetery, she still couldn’t tell what was going on. It’s as if they’re…

However, as the Princesses of the Sun and Moon teleported before her, Impact’s jaw dropped. As they stood in front of her, her new appendages popped free without warning and fell to the earth. The sudden shift in her center of gravity made her lose her balance and fall. She landed face-first in an unnoticed mud puddle, splattering the three alicorns with cold, wet mud.
Everypony gasped in horror at the scene. Surely such an insult would not go unpunished.
Celestia and Luna stared daggers at the fallen alicorn, who was mentally kicking herself for letting such a careless mistake occur.

“Your Majesties, I am so sorry!” Impact stammered as she shakily stood up. She cringed in mortal terror, fearing their wrath, until Princess Celestia did something nopony could have expected.

She started laughing.

“Tia!” Luna barked softly. “Have you lost your mind? What in Equestria is so funny?”

“Can’t you see it, Luna?” she said between giggles, “I’ve seen ponies fall to pieces at the sight of me…but never like this!” Her knees gave out and she collapsed to the ground, howling with laughter. “Oh, it hurts!” she groaned, clutching her hooves to her ribcage as she laughed. “Make it stop!”

Luna’s mind went blank for a moment. A slightly goofy smile crept to her lips, and before anypony could react, she was on the ground as well, laughing alongside her big sister. Out in the crowd, Pinkie Pie started laughing, too. Rainbow Dash joined in, then Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and even Twilight. Cheerilee, the schoolteacher, started chuckling, and even Big Macintosh even let out a guffaw. As more and more ponies succumbed to the realization that their beloved Sun Princess had just made a joke, and quite a humorous one at that, it spread like wildfire until the entire cemetery was alive with the sound of unbridled laughter. Even Impact herself started smiling as she realized the sheer irony of the faux pas she’d just made.

After about a minute, the laughter began to die down, and Impact, who was still scared of what was about to happen, finally found the nerve to ask a question.

“Princess Celestia? Princess Luna? Are you still mad at me?” she asked as she wiped the mud from her face.

“Oh, Impact Hammer. You always did know how to brighten my day, even when you weren’t trying.” Celestia said, trying to calm her subject’s anxieties.

“Accidents happen, my dear.” Luna added. “You need not fear us. You just need to…to…” She snickered as she pressed a hoof to her lips.

“I just need to what?” Impact implored as she reattached her leg and her wing.

“…Pull yourself together.” the Moon Princess said with a smirk, winking at her sister.

And with that, they were back on the ground, laughing their flanks off.

Impact could only roll her eyes and facehoof herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight Sparkle do the same.

Once the laughter stopped for what she hoped was the last time, the three alicorns walked over to greet Twilight and her friends, and Impact finally discovered what the hay was going on.

“Why is everypony dressed like that?” she asked worriedly.

“It was actually Fluttershy’s idea.” Pinkie Pie said with a smile.

“What are you doing here anyway?”

“The same reason you’re here.” Fluttershy said quietly.

“We wanted to say goodbye, too.” Twilight concurred.

“Y’know, show yer folks how much ya mean ta us.” Applejack added.

“Everypony needs a cheering section sometimes!” Rainbow Dash cheered. “Ouch! Wing asleep! Wing asleep!” she yelped, flapping furiously as she tried to make the burning, tingling sensation go away.

“Even after everything I said?” she said, her voice laced with regret, “Even after everything I did?” She nervously scraped at the ground with her hoof. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“Everypony makes mistakes every now and then,” Pinkie Pie said with a giggle, “but sometimes you just have to look back and laugh at them! I already know you have a wonderful sense of humor, so you’ll get your turn!”

“After bein’ alone fer so long, ya told yer deepest, darkest secrets ta six complete strangers.” Applejack mentioned, “Impact, ya finally found tha nerve ta step outta yer comfort zone. That kinda honesty takes serious courage.”

“Your generosity knows no limits.” Rarity added, “You give more of yourself in a single day, in words and deeds, than I ever could in a year.”

“Your capacity for kindness rivals even my own.” Fluttershy admitted, “You say all the right things to all the right ponies, and you always know how to brighten even the darkest day, not to mention you dislocated your shoulder saving a little duckling from a terrible demise.”

“You braved the elements for ten years just to keep a family tradition alive,” Rainbow Dash said, “even though your family is no longer with you. That takes dedication. Mad props on your loyalty, girl!”

“You survived the most horrific tragedy anypony could imagine,” Twilight informed, “and even though the scars on your mind, body, and spirit may never heal, you still find the strength to smile at the sunrise. I could study spellbooks until my mane turns gray, but I’ll never understand the magic that lives inside you.”

“I-I don’t know what to say…” Impact said, thoroughly astounded at the level of emotional support her new friends were providing.

“We can never truly understand the pain you experienced that day or the hardships you’ve endured since.” Luna stated solemnly, “However, we are not incapable of trying. Just because you may sometimes feel alone, does not mean that you are alone. Everypony has a heavy burden to bear. Always remember that.” she finished with a smile.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders suddenly raced over to talk to their newest, and oldest, recruit.

“We’re your friends!” Sweetie Belle cried.

“And we stick together, no matter what!” Apple Bloom finished.

“Ugh!” Scootaloo groaned, “Enough of this mushy stuff!” She turned around. “Alright, everypony,” she shouted, “You all know why we’re really here! On the count of three! One…two…three!”

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IMPACT!” came the reply in a deafening chorus.

Impact stopped and stared wide-eyed. For the first time in a long time, she had an epiphany.

These ponies might not be blood relatives…well, Celestia would always be her mom, but still…even after everything she’d said and done, these ponies still respected her. They cared about her, not about what she looked like and not about what she did. They loved her.

She had a family again.

She almost started to cry, but a strange tickling sensation began to bother her immensely.

“I…I don’t know what to say, except thank…HEY!” she suddenly yelped in shock, whipping her head around to see a very familiar pink pony…licking her!?!

“Pinkie Pie? What in Equestria do you think you’re doing?!?!” Rarity shouted. “That is so disgusting!”

“What!?” she said. “No point in wasting perfectly good cake. Besides, there’s something underneath all this deliciousness that I think everypony will wanna see!” She giggled as she continued licking the frosting from Impact’s flanks with reckless abandon.

“Stop it…that tickles…What are you talking about?” Impact said with a shudder as Pinkie accidentally licked a…sensitive area.

“All done! See for yourself!” Pinkie said, licking the frosting from her lips as she took a step back.

“What’s the big deal, Pinkie?” said Sweetie Belle, trotting over to see what the hay Pinkie was talking about. “I don’t see anything…whoa! Apple Bloom! Scootaloo! Check this out!”

Everypony turned to see what Sweetie Belle had noticed. Impact herself turned to look and was struck speechless. Instead of the usual silver emptiness, a new image adorned her flanks. It was a gray six-toothed gear. In addition, something else had appeared. She did a double-take. Within the gear were six raindrops, arranged in a circle, radiating outward from the center. However, the raindrops did not look like raindrops. The shape was right, but the color was wrong. Instead of being clear like rain, they were a deep, dark, glistening crimson. They weren’t drops of water; they were drops of blood. It was only when she tried to wipe the red spots away that she finally understood what she was looking at, and she couldn’t stop smiling.

“My Cutie Mark…I finally have my Cutie Mark!”

She squealed in delight and took off, running, jumping, and bouncing around the cemetery faster than Pinkie Pie on a sugar high.

“Oh, come on!” the Cutie Mark Crusaders shouted simultaneously.

“What’s tha matter, girls?” Applejack asked.

“Impact is twice our age, and even she gets her Cutie Mark before us?” Scootaloo groaned.

“It’s not fair!” Sweetie Belle cried.

“What’s she doin’ that we’re not doin’?” Apple Bloom protested.

“Aw, shoot, girls.” she replied. “Ah know it don’t seem fair, but life’s hardly ever fair.” She pointed a hoof at Impact, who was currently weaving through the tombstones at a full gallop, smiling and laughing every step of the way. “Think about it. When she was a filly yer age, she lost her leg, and her wing, and her parents, all in tha same night. She’s gone without a Cutie Mark, among other things, longer than y’all have been alive. After all she’s been through, don’tcha think she deserves it?”

“Yeah.” the Crusaders grumbled in defeat. “She does deserve it.”

“Someday,” Applejack said, “Y’all will deserve yer Marks, too, and that’ll be tha day ya get ‘em, OK? Now go say hi ta yer friend.”

“Alright!” they cheered, right before that friend screamed “PONY PILE!” and tackled them into a smiling, giggling heap.

“I know we’re still friends, but since I’ve got my Cutie Mark, does that mean I can’t be a Crusader anymore?” Impact asked, hanging her head slightly.

The three exchanged glances.

“Not a chance.” Apple Bloom replied.

“You have yours, now you have to help us find ours!” Sweetie Belle cheered.

“You’re not getting away from us that easily!” Scootaloo said with a smirk.

“Oh well. If I have to…” Impact groaned with an intentional sarcastic inflection. “Once a Crusader, always a Crusader.”

“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS NEW RECRUIT! YAY!” the three fillies cheered.

“That Cutie Mark of hers really is downright purdy.” Applejack said with a smile, casting a glance at the alicorn’s newly-decorated flank. “Hey, Twilight. What do ya think it means?” she asked with a puzzled glance.

“Hmm…” Twilight pondered. “It’s a tough call. Symbols can be interpreted in many ways. The blood drops I can explain, but the gear…” she thought about it, but couldn’t find an adequate explanation, “…its meaning eludes me.” She turned to her teacher. “Princess Celestia, what do you think the gear means as a Cutie Mark?”

“Actually, Twilight, I’ve seen that gear symbol before,” she said, “and it’s not a Cutie Mark at all. It’s something called a Cutie Crest.”

The six ponies stopped in their tracks.

“WHAT!?” they exclaimed.

“A Cutie Crest?” Applejack asked. “Dang! Never seen one, never heard of one. What’s so special ‘bout ‘em?”

Celestia cleared her throat and elaborated.

“A Cutie Mark represents an acquired skill; one which everypony must discover on their own. A Cutie Crest, however, represents an inherited skill, passed down from one generation to the next, which manifests in a pony from birth, long before their Cutie Mark appears.”

“Come again?” Applejack said, looking completely stumped.

The princess stopped, rephrasing her explanation so everypony could understand.

“If a Cutie Mark shows a pony’s talent, then a Cutie Crest is like a superpower.”

“Ohh…” she said, nodding understandingly, “Gotcha.”

“Wait!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed excitedly, “Do you mean like heat vision, ice breath, and super-strength!? Cool! Where can I get one of those Cutie Crest thingies?”

“Not those kinds of superpowers, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said, “and you can’t get a Cutie Crest, you’re born with it. Besides, you’re the only pony in Equestria who has done the Sonic Rainboom…twice.” She gave Rainbow Dash a smirk. “That could be considered a superpower.”

“Hey! Yeah! You’re right!” the sky-blue mare cheered.

“So…these Cutie Crests…Are they rare?” Rarity asked.

“Extremely.” Celestia continued, “Only seven families in the history of Equestria have earned them. The Hammer family Cutie Crest symbolizes the gears constantly turning in their minds, representing their natural blessing of creativity. I still remember centuries ago when Ball-Peen Hammer gave me a life-size statue of myself as a birthday present.”

“What was so special about it?” Pinkie Pie pondered.

“The medium he used.” Celestia said warmly, “He carved my likeness, not from a block of clay or stone, but from a frozen block of peanut butter.”

“Peanut butter!?” the pink pony exclaimed. “Crunchy or creamy?”

“Creamy.”

“That’s an insane idea! Crunchy peanut butter has so much more texture!”

“I thought it was an insane idea, too.” the princess said with a smile, “However, as I noticed the intricate details of his workmanship and he elaborated about how he spent three months making it and keeping it intact, I realized it was one of the most beautiful gifts I’d ever received.”

“It sounds like it was pretty awesome.” Rainbow Dash said with a nod.

“It was…until it melted the next day.” Celestia laughed. “But the royal chef used what he could to make sandwiches for everypony in Canterlot, and they were delicious.” She licked her lips, fondly remembering the taste. “The birds, squirrels, and other small creatures devoured the rest.”

“So, even after the statue was destroyed, he knew it would still be useful… in more ways than one…” Rarity remarked.

“…and he continued sculpting for the rest of his life.” the princess finished. “Three days before he passed away on his deathbed, he wrote a letter to me. He thanked me for inspiring him; because the moment he earned his Cutie Mark, a chisel, and his Cutie Crest, the same symbol Impact now bears, was the moment he believed with all his heart that his statue of me was truly perfect.”

“Wow!” Twilight said in astonishment, “That’s pretty creative!”

“Indeed so, my dear, and I see the same fire in Impact’s eyes that I’ve seen in every one of her blessed ancestors. I personally look forward to the wonders she will create. Now, would your friends kindly excuse us? I’d like to speak to you in private.”

“Sure thing, Princess!” Applejack said. “Come on, girls! Let’s leave these two alone.” The orange pony led her four friends away.

Celestia turned to her student. “Twilight, I want your opinion. Now that you know about Impact’s Cutie Crest, what do you think her Cutie Mark means?”

The purple unicorn furrowed her brow in deep contemplation for a moment, and then spoke.

“It consists of six drops of blood, so she’s a sixth-generation member of the Hammer bloodline. As for its meaning… I have two theories, princess, but they both lead to the same conclusion.”

“Please enlighten me.” Celestia inquired.

“My first theory is blatantly obvious. She suffered a severe fillyhood trauma that left a dramatic impact…no pun intended…on her life. She was forced to amputate her limbs, giving up essential parts of her body while enduring excruciating pain in the process, in order to survive.”

“And your second theory?” the princess asked.

“Her Cutie Mark has six blood drops. I’ve only known Impact for three days, but she’s one of the most unexpected friends I could’ve made. She’s loyal, honest, generous, humorous, kind, and by far one of the magical ponies I’ve ever met. Sure, she’s a bit short-tempered, but it’s an understandable fault given her checkered past. Aside from that one fatal flaw, she’s a perfect embodiment of all six Elements of Harmony! Add to that her behavior, where she’s willing to do anything and everything in to help a pony in need, even at the cost of her own life.”

“So, Twilight Sparkle, what is your conclusion?”

“If my logic is sound, and it is, then her Cutie Mark represents…sacrifice!” the unicorn stated proudly.

“Exactly.” Celestia smiled. “Both of your theories are correct. Every day is a challenge for her, but she still struggles on, ready and willing to donate her time, effort, and resources in order to assist others, regardless of the toll it may take on her. She bears burdens on three hooves under which most ponies with four would collapse. Her body may seem weak, but her mind is strong, and her spirit is even stronger. Creativity and sacrifice…what a powerful combination. I see great potential in her.”

“So do I, Princess,” Twilight sighed blissfully, “So do I.” Twilight had a sudden thought and tapped her teacher on the leg. “Princess? Princess…”

Celestia’s mind began to wander, an event which did not occur very often, but when it did, it meant something. She thought back to the day she first found Impact and every day since. She remembered signing the adoption papers, bringing her home for the first time, and giving her a grand tour of the castle. She thought about changing her bandages, teaching the tripedal filly how to walk again once her stitches healed, and watching proudly as she demonstrated the first prototype prosthetic leg she’d built, taking her first quadrupedal steps since her accident. She recalled when they ate together, traveled together, and wasted hours upon hours reading in the Royal Library together. Most of all, she fondly reminisced upon how they fell asleep together every so often, curled up in the most intimate of embraces, sharing their body heat as if Impact was still as cold and clammy as death.

She always thought that the relationship between herself and Impact Hammer was strictly platonic, with herself as the caretaker and Impact as the patient, but somewhere along the way, it became more than that. It began to dawn on the princess that Impact meant so much more to her than just an injured patient or a loyal subject. She just couldn’t see the truth until it was far too late.

The Sun Princess just stared in silence at the newly-Cutie Marked alicorn, remembering the daughter she never knew she had until she was gone.

“CELESTIA!” Twilight screamed.

“Wh-wh-what!?” she stuttered, snapping back to reality.

“You miss her, don’t you?” she said knowingly.

“Is it that obvious?” she asked, her white cheeks blushing pink.

“Even after everything she said…even after she broke your heart…you still want her back.”

“She never broke my heart, Twilight,” Celestia admitted, “because Impact Hammer would never do such a thing to me unless she had one hundred valid reasons to do it.”

“Wait… then why were you crying when she left the library?”

“Twilight, my student.” Celestia turned to look her pupil directly in the eyes. “When you grow up and have foals of your own, you’ll learn firsthoof that every mare cries when she realizes her foal isn’t a foal anymore. Even though I’m no longer her legal guardian, my blood still runs in her veins. I’m proud to have called Impact Hammer my daughter, and I shall cherish those memories until my dying day, but although I desperately want her to come back to Canterlot and fill that role once more, a small part of me always knew that she wouldn’t want to.” She ended with a soft chuckle. “Can’t blame a mare for trying though, can you?”

“No, I can’t.” Twilight shook her head in agreement. “However, if you can’t bring her to you, maybe you should go to her. After all, just because you won’t be together all of the time doesn’t mean you can’t be together some of the time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Spend one more night with her, for old times’ sake.” Twilight explained. “Not today, not tomorrow, but someday soon. Clear your schedule for one night and devote it to just you and her. Have a laugh, swap stories, read your favorite books, and then fall asleep together, just like the way it used to be…the way you know it’s meant to be.”

“That…is a very good idea.” she said as her eyes lit up, “I’ll keep in under consideration.”

She slowly lowered herself onto the grass and sighed as the evening dew soaked her abdomen.

“Oh, Twilight…Where does the time go?” she asked, “How can ten years go by in what feels like ten minutes?”

“Time flows at a constant rate, Your Majesty.” she said matter-of-factly as she settled down beside her, “It’s our perception of it that changes.”

“So it does…so it does.”

“Princess Celestia? I have a question to ask you, if you care to answer, but it’s kinda…personal.”

“What is it, my faithful student?”

“Have you ever thought of me as a daughter?” the purple unicorn asked, her cheeks blushing as brightly as the pink streak in her mane.

“Oh, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia giggled as a warm, maternal smile flowed across her face. She affectionately wrapped a wing around her pupil and kissed her softly on the cheek, like a mare kissing her filly good night.

“Since the day we met, I’ve never stopped.”