Gif
...Anonymous
08/06/16(Sat)22:58:37 No.28095582
>>28095083 #
My headcanon (Which, really, can be applied to any magical setting) is that the whole world is permeated by a field of fine nanobots - every time a civilization advances to a certain degree of technology, their progress becomes exponential, and they quickly develop advanced technology. At the same time, the technology eventually causes the world to end.
 
After nanobots were invented, they were instructed to clear global warming and restore the environment, but after something went wrong, they quickly dismantle everything.
 
After a few millennia, the nanobots are dormant from a lack of input, but some species have evolved to communicate with the machines, using horns as antenna for radio waves. While their basic function is limited to reproducing and some basic matter manipulation, en masse and in certain configuration, it gives us the magical "Spells" we see.
 
Energy weapons are clusters of nanobots firing overpower disassembly lasers. The particles are nanobots disintegrating from the overload. Only some unicorns can do it because it requires advanced knowledge ("Fire Suicide Laser" isn't an integrated function)
 
Teleportation is literally being disassembled and reassembled, with data conveyed over weak intra-bot radio (The reason long-distance teleportation isn't really possible).
 
The bots are also designed to latently enhance biological function and act as a sort of hands-free internet access system, connecting with satellite archives to beam knowledge directly into the mind in the form of vague suggestion (The reason there are multiple references to bullets, tanks, "Man"/"Men", advanced physics being taught to children). Automatic DNA repair and health preservation allows some organisms to live for centuries, while errors in the system result in heavy mutation - causing the existence of "Manticores", "Phoenices", and "Gryphons".
>>28095693 #
...Anonymous
08/06/16(Sat)23:12:58 No.28095693
>>28095582 #
Shields are nanobots constructing themselves into a thin several-molecule-thick shield with a structure like graphene. This is also a complex function (Again, hence why only some unicorns can do it)
 
Basic "Spells" like telekinesis are integrated into the bots, and are easy to command.
 
Time travel and dimensional travel are also possible, and the only reason they can be done is because of the old-tech knowledge repositories subtly being beamed into the psyche. The nanobots can be, of course, programmed to perform those functions.
 
The old civilization's use of this technology infiltrated itself into parallel universes (EqG), though since the nanobots don't recognize the structures of the new world, and lack access to the knowledge-repositories, they can't do jack shit until someone with the radio-control mutation turns up. Cue the arrival of Twilight and Sunset. We see that in the EqG world, some individuals have developed the mutation, but it is not widespread, nor is it very thorough - basically vestigial. Since the 'bots are used to the DNA of the "Old-species", they introduce elements of their DNA to any species they encounter, sometimes fucking up big time (Demon Twilight, Sunset). This is why the EqG people are pink.
 
The elements of harmony are an advanced system created by the old-race as a way of communicating with the bots. They contain microprocessors capable of interacting with the nanobots in ways the radio-control mutation cannot. The "Rainbow friendship blast thingy" is a highly concentrated delivery of nanobots via orbital means, under the control of the EoH. They do whatever the wielder(s) want, from petrification to totally rearranging brain chemistry ("Cure Mental Illness").
 
Like I mentioned before, the bots were also made to function as a direct link to the internet. One of these links is social media; this manifests itself in some races with the radio-control mutation as a sort of latent emotional telepathy.
>>28095769 #
...Anonymous
08/06/16(Sat)23:18:33 No.28095732
 
Gif...Anonymous
08/06/16(Sat)23:23:51 No.28095769
>>28095693 #
Essentially, the organisms have evolved to broadcast their emotional state via the network through their brain chemistry (Since the network was made to telepathically connect you to the internet, it requires no antenna).
 
Over the course of millenia of the nanobots' work, the planet has deteriorated massively. Billions of tonnes of material in the crust, mantle and core were used to construct nanobots, which have redistributed themselves into the air - this has resulted in a subtle reduction of gravity over time as more mass is around and above us, rather than over us.
 
Half of the world is sea, with the other half being Equestria, which is the only place where there are nanobots. That's why gravity doesn't just equalize itself from there being just as many nanobots on the other side.
 
Pegasi fly through a combination of fucked up genetics from fucked up nanobot DNA caches and using wings as radio control antennae rather than horns - while they do not emit light. they are also much less functional, with pegasi being only able to execute a few biologically pre-programmed commands. Organisms with multiple antennae are able to command much more potent "Magic", being able to reach out to more bots. Alicorns are the result of botched healing, from a combination of fucked up DNA caches and emergency healing in case of near-death.
 
Unicorns use their horns as antennae, pegasi use wings, and Earth ponies use hooves. Other races don't have the mutation, and cannot use magic. Note that Gryphons can fly simply because of natural biology.
>>28095795 #
...Anonymous
08/06/16(Sat)23:27:08 No.28095795
>>28095769 #
 
Then what about dragons and Centaurs?
>>28095803 #
...Anonymous
08/06/16(Sat)23:28:18 No.28095803
>>28095795 #
All the creatures are a result of fucked-up DNA repair caches. Dragons are spliced abominations, as are basically everything else.