//------------------------------// // Issue 2.4 ~ An Issue in the Mindset // Story: It's All A Little Strange To Me // by Essay Jay //------------------------------// Starlight sat outside in the courtyard, quietly assembling a kite by her books. In the stillness of the morning, she enjoyed the peace and loneliness. The last night, she hadn’t been able to sleep, so she eventually wandered around to where she was now. Her mind was restless from the thoughts that were swirling within. It was a painstaking task to have to look down and read while manipulating a kite without magic. To assemble it with her hooves was a chore, for she had to check and double check that what she was doing was what she would’ve done if she had been using magic. It also meant having to concentrate on two separate things at the same time. Something she had had no trouble doing beforehoof. That, and the fact that she was beginning to feel the effects of her fatigue kicking in. It pained her to no end that she hadn’t gotten her kite up yet, and she had yet to turn a page! Focusing solely on her kite, she stuck her tongue out in concentration. Just put the spar here and tug the fabric over there… And tie these two ends together… Starlight cheered when she got it assembled. Happily picking it up in her hooves, she glanced upwards to look at some of the stray clouds. Wind. There was a decent amount of wind, and just enough for a good fly. Smiling, Starlight slowly uncoiled her string a little. Then, holding the hoof with the kite on it in the air, she waited for a small gust of wind to take it from her grasp. There! As it was swept from her reach, Starlight began to quickly give more slack as fast as she could with her hooves. A feat that was incredibly difficult, but not undoable. Now she could say she knew how to fly a kite successfully in every way possible! Smiling, she continued to uncoil as the wind continued to carry it further and further up. Soon enough, Starlight had a nice altitude. Sighing in content as she watched her making bob lightly in the air, Starlight pulled a book from the pile next to her. As she began to read, however, she found her eyes sliding right across the page, not really taking in anything on it. As she looked back up to watch her kite, she couldn’t help but think back to the conversation she had had with the Ancient One. It does not matter the why you did it anymore, Miss Glimmer... What matters is what you are going to do to fix it. The Ancient One’s words continued to echo within her, and she sighed, shutting her books. As she could see the sun in the distance beginning to rise, she figured it was time to get ready for her next lesson. As much as she wanted to continue flying her kite, she needed to get going. Others might see her and ask her what she was doing, and she would rather they didn’t. “I can certainly see why you would choose the art of kite flying as a pleasurable pastime.” The voice that spoke beside her made her freeze up. Squeaking in surprise, the coil dropped from Starlight’s grasp. The Ancient One quickly recovered for Starlight by grabbing the stringed spindle before it could meet the ground. “Careful, Starlight,” the Ancient One whispered. She smiled as she began to control the kite for herself, her movements a clear work of mastery. “Wouldn’t want to wake the others quite yet.” Starlight bit her lip and began to break a sweat as she quickly stuffed her books into her saddlebags. Making sure she didn’t trip on her new robes, she stood on all four hooves. Just as she was about to bow in respect, however, having seen countless others do so, the Ancient One held a hoof on her shoulder. “That isn’t necessary, Starlight.” The Ancient One turned to Starlight with a face of recognisable tiredness. “Trivial formalities like that won’t be a requirement. We are friends now, you and I, so you do not need to go to such extremes to show your respect. You can do that by learning well and following my teachings.” Starlight nodded vigorously, almost about to bow her head once more before she caught herself. Turning back to the kite at hoof, the Ancient One looked up. The kite weaved between the shifting folds of wind, bouncing along an unseen current and slicing effortlessly through the oncoming wind. Starlight glanced morosely at her hooves, shifting her weight around. With the Ancient One now in her presence, she couldn’t help but think of yesterday and everything that transpired- “Do not trouble yourself with our talk the other day,” remarked the Ancient One. “H-huh?” Starlight stammered, shifting her gaze nervously towards the Ancient One. The Ancient One shook her head, cutting Starlight off. “What I said does not matter to me or you right now, Miss Glimmer. I know what you are thinking right now, and doing so will do us no good.” “But you said-” Starlight sputtered, her ears folding back. “Are you capable of performing a simple spell without unicorn magic yet?” the Ancient One questioned. “No?” Starlight replied. “How many lessons have we had together?” she asked once more. Starlight answered in kind, turning her head to the side. “Just yesterday…” The Ancient One quietly handed the kite back to Starlight, who eagerly received the coil. Sitting on her haunches, Starlight made sure she was holding the coil in both hooves. Pointing up the the kite, the Ancient One turned to Starlight. “Starlight, how long did it take you to master flying kites?” Starlight stared at the spindle in her hooves. “...A little bit…” The Ancient One continued. “And how about mastering your magic to match that of a tired alicorn’s? Even enough to use a spell that requires absolute concentration lest their very essence be torn asunder by the very fabric of reality?” Starlight sighed closing her eyes, remembering the encounter with crystal clear precision and regret. “...Much much longer…” Starlight turned to look up at the Ancient One, who stood beside her with a face that told of her great wisdom and knowledge. “Where are you going with this?” “Just like how you got to this point here,” the Ancient One said, pointing up at the kite again, “Just like how you practiced your magic until it was outstanding in every way, you must gather your strength and learn. Walk before you run, Starlight. You cannot take on the task of rebuilding the walls between worlds and the strands of space and time as you are now.” Sitting on her own haunches, the Ancient One took Starlight’s hooves into her own with the string still in her hooves and made Starlight look into her eyes. “Tell me. Would you be able to save the world with those friends of yours with how you are now? Tired, broken, learning and healing?” Starlight couldn’t keep the eye contact. She broke away from the Ancient One’s gaze. Beginning to recoil the string and pulling her kite in, she sighed. “No. I wouldn’t be of any help at all.” “And what does that tell you?” Starlight paused, her heart cracking at the answer she had to give. “That… that it’s not my problem… and that I can’t be responsible for something I can’t do…” Smiling softly, the Ancient One nodded. “Precisely, Starlight.” Patting Starlight on the back, the Ancient One stood back on all four hooves. Glancing around, both mares could see that Kamare-taj was beginning to wake. Doors were beginning to be opened, and windows unlatched. The sun had finally broken over the mountains. “That shall be our lesson today, Miss Glimmer.” The Ancient One watched Starlight as she finally pulled in the remainder of her kite, beginning to disassemble the creation. Starlight gazed at the Ancient One with wide-eyed surprise. “W-what? Really?” “Yes,” was her simple answer. “You must know when you can tackle a problem, and when you cannot. Without the proper skills, you would be outrageously outmatched as a foal is to a full grown pony. You must remember when you can take a threat in full or when you must stand by and watch. You may try, and you may succeed... but you may also fail. This is the lesson for today.” With that, the Ancient One left Starlight to her own musings, moving on to oversee the other ponies that were training under her careful eye. But not to the extent the Ancient One seemed to be teaching Starlight. Still sitting at the edge of the courtyard, overlooking a hill that sloped downwards into the valley she had entered, she could only do one thing. Starlight pondered.