Forged in Fire, Tempered by Time

On the Origin and Properties of Free Magic

By Prof. Close Scrutiny

Before discussion of free magic can begin, one must have a good understanding of aligned magic, sometimes called harnessed magic. That is, magic bound and utilized by a pony or some other creature. Many of the fully sentient races in Equestria and surrounding countries possess their own unique brands of magic. For example, after the recent Changeling invasion, many citizens will be familiar with that particular races magical abilities. They are by no means alone in possessing such gifts though; Griffons, Zebra, Dragons and many others all have their own brands of magic. For ease and brevity, this paper compares and contrasts pony magic and free magic.

All of ponykind is at least aware of the magic deeply ingrained within our species, even if they do not know the particulars. It comes in four distinct forms, each unique to a particular racial division.

Alicorn (Equus Aurae) Magic

This is the most powerful variant of actively wielded magic, channelled through a horn atop their heads. Only two known Alicorns exist in the world today, though ancient and fragmentary documents suggest that the race was once more prolific. The two known surviving Alicorns (Princesses Celestia and Luna) do not readily share knowledge concerning their history or abilities, consequently any theories concerning the source and scope of their powers is speculation at best. The most credible theories suggest that their powers stem from, or are associated with, the celestial bodies they are so closely connected to: The Moon and stars for Luna, and the Sun for Celestia. Because of the uncertainty surrounding the magic of Alicorns, this paper will mostly ignore it.

Unicorn (Equus Magia) Magic

This is the other variant of actively wielded magic. It is channelled through the Unicorns ubiquitous horn, similar in appearance to the horn of an Alicorn, though smaller in proportion. A Unicorns power stems from the reservoir of magical energy that resides within them, it is this energy that they wield when casting a spell.

The energy itself is obtained from food - much the same way that any other nutrient is - and the local environment. A malnourished or starving Unicorn has a significantly limited pool of energy to cast spells with. This results in weak or failed spells, and rules out many high energy spells. The exact mechanism that liberates magic from food is not entirely understood. It is thought to be a specific process that derives magic from food rather than directly extracting it, as the food we eat is not innately magical. The general environment is awash with latent energy and a Unicorn's body naturally attracts and absorbs this readily available resource. A learned Unicorn can even cast spells by directly using this latent energy rather than their own energy, although this carries its own risks.

When newborn, a Unicorn foal has no magical reserve at all, and totally lacks the ability to retain or produce magic. The body's ability to retain magic increases relative to the growth of the foal. In fact, the growth of their magical reservoir increases almost exponentially before levelling off when they hit puberty. During their development, there comes a stage where they have a great deal of magic residing within them, but lack the cognitive development to properly retain and control the energy. This results in strange and unpredictable bursts of magic from the foal as they unconsciously bend their internal energy to their whims.

The final size of a Unicorn's reservoir differs from pony to pony; the distribution throughout the adult population conforms to a traditional bell curve. On the far left side of the bell curve we have Unicorns whose magical power is almost non-existent, possessing only the most rudimentary telekinesis. On the far right, we have Unicorns whose powers rival that of the Alicorns, and are capable of truly extraordinary feats of magic. One notable example of such a Unicorn in current times is Princess Celestia's personal protégé, and bearer of the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle. Notable historical examples include such great mages as Starswirl the Bearded.

Pegasus (Equus Pennata) Magic

Unlike Alicorn and Unicorn magic, Pegasus magic is not actively channelled. Rather, it is a passive ability, requiring no thought on behalf of the user. It is responsible for the Pegasus's many abilities surrounding their flight and mastery of weather.

The passive magic of a Pegasus grants them many abilities naturally denied to the other races, although some may be granted temporarily by the consciously channelled magic of Unicorns or Alicorns. Of these abilities, the most widely known are the ability to walk on clouds, and the ability to manipulate and control the weather. These are the most physically obvious gifts granted by their magic.

Of the less visible, but no less important abilities, few outside of academia or the medical professions are aware of them. The list is as follows:

Durability - Pegasus, or specifically their bones, are far more durable than they should be. Like most flying creatures, they have a hollow bone structure to dramatically reduce their weight. This normally results in a much weaker bone structure. However, a Pegasus' bones are magically reinforced and able to withstand pressures many times greater than they would naturally be able to.

Temperature sustention - A Pegasus' body temperature drops no lower than one or two degrees below their standard body temperature. This threshold, maintained by magic, makes them all but immune to the cold. This means they remain unaffected by the freezing temperatures in the upper atmosphere and need not worry about wind chill when flying. This also renders them all but immune to cold related maladies such as frostbite and hypothermia.

Enhanced muscle endurance - Specifically the wing muscles. They do not tire or suffer the same debilitating build up of lactic acid as does regular muscle. This is despite the lack of any mechanism or adaptation to account for the difference in behaviour. That's not to say that they don't suffer from these affects at all, rather they suffer them to a much smaller degree than does any other muscle in the body. The benefits to such an affect are obvious.

This combination of attributes make Pegasus undisputed masters of the sky.

These abilities are all normally magically intensive, though in Pegasus the processes seem to be extremely efficient. Still, the demand is huge. Much like Unicorns, Pegasus derive their magic from food and it is this high demand for energy that accounts for the incredible appetite and complete lack of body fat that Pegasus are well known for. The constant energy usage means any fat that does form is burnt off incredibly quickly. Their ability to magically sustain their body temperature also means  they have no use for fat as an insulator. A Pegasus lacks the Unicorns ability to absorb the naturally occurring energy of their surrounding environments.

As their pool of magic begins to wane, so to do the gifts it fuels. A sure sign that a Pegasus is malnourished or starving is a dip in body temperature. A malnourished Pegasus is also far more likely to break a bone should they suffer an accident, and their ability to control the weather lessens and becomes more erratic. The ability to walk on clouds evidently requires almost no energy to operate; even a near dead Pegasus can still traverse cloud.

Earth Pony (Equus Terra) Magic

Earth pony magic operates in a somewhat different manner to the rest of pony kind's magic. It is much more subtle; its effects aren't immediate which make direct observation difficult. As such, it is perhaps the least studied form of racial magic. From what limited studies of Earth Pony magic there have been, it has at least been established that it is perhaps the most complicated and intricate form of racial magic.  Contrary to popular belief, it is not their innate magic that is responsible for Earth Ponies strength, durability, and general physical domination. Baseline Earth Ponies are simply physiologically superior to both Unicorns and Pegasus. Under the correct circumstances however, their magic can improve on what they already have.

Earth Pony magic ties them directly to the world and the natural environment. This link is a remarkably close one, bordering on a dependence. It has a huge effect on their well-being, both mental and physical. An Earth pony in a healthy environment will be healthier than one in damaged or dying environment. In a thriving environment, an Earth Pony's already formidable physical attributes can be accentuated and improved even further. The environments natural energy appears to fuel them, much it does for Unicorns, though this is unconfirmed.

A healthy ecosystem brings other benefits to Earth Ponies as well. Injuries heal faster, the pony is less likely to suffer from mental illness, the immune system is strengthened, endurance is enhanced, and strength is increased. These are just some of many small changes to the body and mind that empower Earth ponies. Rather astonishingly, it seems that all of these changes are purely biological as opposed to magically powered as with Pegasus. The biochemistry within the cells is actually altered to be more efficient across the board, the white cell count goes up, neural conductivity increases etc. All of this is somehow triggered by the absorption of ambient energy from the local environment. How this works is currently a mystery; Earth Pony magic is tragically understudied.

Earth ponies do not simply leech off the local environment; it is a reciprocal, almost symbiotic, relationship. Earth ponies give back as much as they take. Every Earth pony exudes an invisible field, reaching out an indeterminate yet lengthy distance from them. The further from the pony you travel, the weaker the field becomes. It seems to follow general field theory principals, behaving in a similar manner to magnetic fields. These fields strengthen when combined with the fields of other Earth Ponies. The field produced by a large concentration of Earth Ponies is sizeable and can extend for many miles.

Living creatures - be it plant, animal, insect, or microbe - that reside within these fields seem to experience similar, though less pronounced, strengthening effects that Earth ponies themselves experience from their passive absorption of ambient energy. When looking at high altitude aerial photos, one can easily see the effect on the landscape. The areas immediately surrounding Earth Pony settlements are significantly greener than almost anywhere else. It is thanks in no small part to this effect that Earth Ponies make such good farmers.