Now that I had the capabilities of using magic, my parents enrolled me in the local magic school. It was low-grade, but it got the job done. The school gave all students a basic understanding of magic then taught some intermediate skills. I can’t remember what those “intermediate” skills were, but I apparently learned them well. I do remember learning that there was a science to magic, though…
Anyway, years passed, and I graduated from the school. I wasn’t satisfied with this minor education, however, so I set out on my own accord to find a higher form of magic education. It would be a while before I would find it.
The best any of the graduates could do was practice and hone the skills they already had. They could read books from the library, too. It had a moderate supply of books for self-teaching magic. It took me less than a year to read all of them. And that’s saying something, seeing as how I took that time and then some to teach myself Fire Magic. Granted, I only did that every few days.
There was one book that I was particularly fond of and made the most use out of. The title was something like “Arcane Arts.” I skimmed through the table of contents and saw a Fire Magic section. I paid no mind to the rest of the book, even though I probably should have. Later in life I would realize that that book held more than some fancy elemental tricks.
I was smart for my age, I thought things through and applied earlier knowledge to try and learn new things. I did such when I applied what I knew from magic school to teach myself Fire Magic. I knew not to rush magic, but to rather meditate on it and eventually attempt the casting.
One thing that wasn’t so smart was to trek through the forest (by now the trees had grown back from being burned down a few years ago) and ascend partway up the active volcano to “meditate on the heat.” I said I was smart for my age, but I was sure as Tartarus foolish as well.
It wasn’t all about my practicing my magic, though; I also went briefly to the top to check the level of the molten rock to see if it would erupt again soon.
Not all of magic school was boring learning; I did meet a new friend, who will become a major part of my life later. Her name is Libri Booksworth. Her family owns the library, and I’ve seen her sometimes when I went by to collect some magic books. She’s a unicorn, obviously. Otherwise I wouldn’t have met her at magic school. She has a tan coat, and her mane is light brown and blonde. Her cutie mark is of a quill pen writing in an open book. I’d never think anything more of it if it wasn’t for the fact that the quill pen is golden.
Libri’s an interesting mare. She’s actually a bit like me- introverted, a bit nerdy, and loves intellectual conversation. She didn’t have quite the same foalhood that everypony else had. Having been raised in a library, she read many books, and was probably well educated from the moment she was able to read.
I refuse to admit that Libri is smarter than me, even though she actually might be.
Libri is an odd one, but she’s been my friend my whole life, so who can complain?
Libri, May, and Thunder: my friends for life. They pick me up when I’m down and help me when I need it even when I don’t ask for it. We make quite a group of ponies.
* * *
Eventually, I felt ready to cast fire magic, but I also felt that the volcano was too dangerous and unpredictable to even attempt a cinder upon the mountain. The Wastelands would have been a perfect place, except I was too young to venture out that far. So I was left with other choices: burn down trees, burn down houses, or go to the beach.
I reluctantly chose the beach. I didn’t like having to go near water to avoid causing damage, but it was my only convenient choice. I felt that being near so much water would be pejorative to my fire casting, but burning down buildings didn’t seem so optimal either.
I tried something simple first – illumination using fire. I combined the simple spell with my practiced meditated heat. I wore out quickly from overexertion. I hadn’t any idea why a flame wouldn’t emerge. It was only the first try, though, so I kept trying… and trying… and trying…
Panting and seeing the sun at the dusk phase, I decided to head back home and try again tomorrow. Perhaps I’d have more luck.
The next day, I went back to the beach and tried the same process. The same results happen. Not wanting to feel like an idiot, I thought about any alterations I could make to the trials. The only thing that made sense to me was that the heightened moisture in the air from the ocean was what was keeping me down. Thinking this, I waited until the next day to – reluctantly, I may add – ascend the volcano where the heat is pure and the fire soars.
Still no flame.
I was never a patient pony, so naturally I was enraged that I could not conjure even a single torch by then. It wasn’t like I wanted a huge conflagration! Just a small ember would have satisfied me!
Anger coursed through my veins, and then I felt something.
A bellow of fire erupted before me and shot me back a few feet and against the cliff face. My horn was searing.
Did I do that?
Something popped in my mind. What if my anger caused that ignition? I didn’t want to believe that petty emotions caused my magic to swell, and I still don’t want to, but the evidence was there. It was apparent that I’d have to find a way to trigger an emotional state in which my emotions were intense enough that another ignition occurs.
Only that once, though, would I rely on emotion to cause my magic to swell again. I try my best to not succumb to such trivial things. But to better understand how to cast fire at will, I had to use this tactic to get a better feeling for this strange magic.
Alas, I had to retire for the day. This was something to figure out some other time.
* * *
One does not simply walk into a deep emotional state, nor would one want to, anyway. I had no idea what was going through my head if I thought that this was the only way I could achieve what I desired to do.
Only once would I ever use anger or any other emotion to ignite my fire magic. As I’ve said before and cannot stress enough, I really don’t like succumbing to petty emotions. In order for this to work, though, I had to take in the feeling of the fire magic.
I really do have no idea what I was thinking back then. This was crazy!
What angers me, or rather what angered me? I was never easily angered, and I bet you can guess why. Hint: I hate petty emotions. The most I would ever feel is moderate annoyance. I had to dig deep to find anything worth getting fired up for. I could have said that I was alone in my quest to find knowledge of my power, but I chose that path on my own. To say that I was stuck on an island where nopony could help me would be a lie. I had my friends, and I knew they would try their best to help me in any way they could.
“This is stupid. Any anger or frustration I experience is short-lived,” I said to myself. “I need to find a different approach to this.”
… I talk to myself sometimes.
“Hah hah! You’re stupid!”
“I said that this idea was stupid.”
“Same difference.”
“Why are you always so derogative towards me?”
“’Cause I can be.”
“If this is just an effort to coax me into a state of anger, I must sadly inform you that it will not work.”
“Why? Is it because you’re afraid of your own emotions? Is that why you try so hard to conceal them?”
“Fear emotions? How could I ever be afraid of those wretched states of mind?”
“You’re just too prideful to admit to yourself that you fear emitting emotions because they could ‘taint your mind’.”
“Stop it.”
“What’s the matter? Do you not like being told that you can’t handle your own emotions?”
“Stop it!”
“You can’t even handle feeling affection towards another pony for fear of getting hurt in the end!”
“Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT!”
A stream of fire shoots out from my horn. I had succumbed to the anger, but I reluctantly felt it was worth it. With no time to lose, I strained to keep it flowing, and I became familiar with the feeling of how this new magic is cast.
It was powerful. It was nothing like I could ever have imagined of feeling!
It was short-lived. The magic blew up in my face again, but this time it was much more severe. The explosion was much more massive than the previous one, and my ears were ringing. It also blew me in the opposite direction, so I was hurdling off the cliff towards the trees below.
With the last bit of consciousness I had, I saw Thunder Crack swoop in and catch me. The next thing I remembered was being in the village infirmary.