And with that simple statement, my life changed completely. No longer was I Starswirl the college student, I was just Starswirl the college dropout. This concludes the first act of my story. As you can imagine, there were some heartfelt goodbyes, some tears shed, and a large feeling of emptiness as I stepped out of the campus with my belongings in tow. Moving back to my home was humiliating to some degree, but I was facing life with a new perspective. No longer would I be pressured into impossibilities, or commanded to follow a certain trail. I was now free to blaze my own, make my first steps into the real life, but there wasn’t much for me to walk on.
You see, I was still eager to study magic, but access to theoretical magic texts outside of Canterlot University was limited at best. The only way I could honestly start working toward my dream was to walk back to that campus to rent books from the library. It was a public library, and many of the ponies there were familiar, but it still brought back haunting memories of the life I had once lived. The walls themselves closed in ever so slightly whenever I went to retrieve a book from the shelves. In many ways, however, it was a good position to be in. I wasn’t a student, so the bells no longer applied to me. I had as much time as I wanted while I filled my small notebook full of notes on magic. I was able to rent unicorn exclusive books as Evenstar had granted me that privilege. It was a calming atmosphere, and I didn’t have anything keeping me from learning.
That existence carried on for several weeks into winter. However, the life that I lived wasn’t one that I was truly happy with. I was learning about mental dimensions at a rapid pace, but I wasn’t truly grasping the concepts. I wanted to learn, and I was learning no doubt, but it was as though I were doing hundreds of mathematical calculations in my mind, I wasn’t sure if any of them were wrong. Obviously, I was hindered by my physical nature, but that wasn’t about to stop me from pursuing my dreams. I was determined and stubborn. Giving up was not part of the equation. I saw that as failure worse than my suicide attempt. I wasn’t going to give in.
I have simply brushed by these few weeks because they were not formative to my development. Whenever I entered a routine in my life, the days would blend together. With me learning relatively little amounts of magic in a routine as typical as eating, my days may have well been one. There was nothing to mention during this short period, so I will begin this second section on the first day of winter vacation. As nearly all of the students were leaving for the break, I was beginning an increased regiment of study. I figured at the time that my lack of understanding stemmed directly from the more relaxed time in the library. I had a plan, one that required nearly every waking moment of my days to be spent in the library with my nose in every book I could find. Fate, however, dictated that I would do just the opposite.
And like the public library albeit on the university campus, I'm sure that Starswirl will be able to hit up Evenstar and other sympathetic professors in between classes...just as a friend to discuss--topics
Although, does this mean he's going to run into some tribalist opposition from some of the other professors and students?
I love this story, sure hope for more, I followed this baby since it started. I must say really like the character development in it. Thanks for your awesomeness.
6896013 Thanks for following it! The only reason why I've persisted with this story is because of people like you. If people weren't reading it, I wouldn't be going to such lenghts to bring it to you!
Chapter XXIV
Conclusions
or:
In Which Starswirl the Dropout Does a Sweet Flip (With his Life)