The peaceful embrace of uninhabited nature

~~~OC: Logik~~~

A soft breeze could be felt as it traveled through the air, softly brushing Logik's fur as the stallion sat looking down onto the water below.

He had only ever visited Ponyville's dam a handful of times before, but every time he had been there the Unicorn had always enjoyed the peace that always seemed to surround the area around it. Unlike the settlement's centre, the dam did not have ponies walking about and doing whatever they did on a daily basis, socializing or working or both at once. Not to say that Ponyville's inhabitants were rowdy or noisy. Not at all. Logik simply enjoyed the sounds of nature over the sounds of civilization.

Various bird calls could be heard from above, trees softly rustled in the light wind, small waves gently hit the edges of the 'lake' formed by the dam... It was just...peaceful, looking at the water below him and listening to the sounds that you could never hear when in the hustle and bustle of a town in the daytime.

Calla Lily walked along the rim of the dam, her horn ignited as she took notes on the state of the structure. As a way of earning just a tiny bit more to support her family, Calla had taken over the task of doing a routine checkup on the state of one of Ponyville's monuments.

So far, so good. The blue unicorn blew her mane out of her face and stuck the clipboard in her saddlebag, figuring that a break out in the tranquil setting couldn't do any harm.

She realized she wasn't alone as she saw the other unicorn enjoying the day. He looked peaceful. She declined to disturb him, seeing as he looked to be getting away from the hustle and bustle of little Ponyville, but she leaned on the wall of the dam and stared out into the lake. She had problems to muse over.

Observing the water below, thinking simultaneously about everything and nothing at all, it occurred to Logik that this was a perfect opportunity to practice his magic. It was always good for him to attempt to become better at using his talent whenever he could, and the peace that he was currently situated in would surely give him the chance to practice some spells that required higher levels of concentration. His teacher had always said that 'you always can, and there for should, be doing something productive.' The Unicorn did not take it that far, but he did realize the (somewhat over-exaggerated) importance of those words.

After observing the water for a few seconds more, the stallion's horn began to glow with a light gray aura, and an area of the water below along with it. Logik concentrated on the water for a few seconds, and then a column of water began to rise from the surface. At first it started out as only a bulge in the water's appearance, barely bigger than any one of the small waves that constantly traversed its surface, but it soon grew bigger, a pillar of water slowly rising from the surface and soon after bending to form a new shape, silent and seamless.

Unicorns levitated objects just about every day. Everyone knew that. But the average Unicorn never had to levitate anything past a light, solid object. Levitating a liquid or similar unstable material was noticeably more difficult, especially when you levitated large amounts of it at once, as Logik was now doing. It was not a simple thing in practice. The stallion watched as the shape bent, his eyes fixed on the form as he attempted to block everything else out around him.

Oooh. That was a difficult trick. Calla remembered leading about the hallenges of lifting heavy objects, like anvils and wardrobes, in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but she had never attempted to lift water. There was never a need, nor reason, to do so.

She watched the unicorn, fascination growing in her golden eyes, but she didn't dare disturb him. She knew how hard it was to concentrate on lifting heavy objects with someone talking--after all, she did have to carry the gargoyle back from the old palace of the princesses as a new decoration for the town hall--but she felt envy for the unicorn performing the task. She had to work. All of her magic was now restricted purely to her special talent, which was survival and could be bent to accommodate many other talents, because her family needed her.

She was homeschooling Nikki and Kid now, Nikki because she was so far ahead of her peers and because she wanted so badly to be accepted into Princess Celestia's School, and Kid because the emotional and physical toll all the bullying was putting on him would have driven him into the ground, and she couldn't bear to see her son hurt like that. Nikki's lessons now focused primarily on magic, and though she didn't have her special talent yet, Calla had a rising suspicion that it would have something to do with her rare and unique ability to make costumes, clothes and objects appear out of nowhere.

She once had to wrestle a sword from Nikki and her fascinated friends. Nopony could explain how it got there. As Oreo put it, "Nikki made it pop out of nowhere."

Baffling as it was, Calla watched the other unicorn practice his magic. She sighed, realizing the time had come to move on, and she dejectedly walked closer to the stallion with the intent to pass him unnoticed.

The shape continued bending as Logik used his magic to manipulate the water, forming one of the letters of an ancient language that he had learned about. He began shifting the water to form a different shape, but as he was doing so he heard a crackling behind him, one that did not fit in with the sounds of nature that were filling in the silence. And, as usual, he overreacted.

The magical aura surrounding the levitating water vanished, and the liquid came crashing down into the 'lake' below. Simultaneously, Logik jumped up with a start and turned around, seeing a Unicorn mare. There's no timber wolves or dragons in this area, calm down. You're too jumpy, and it's embarrassing.

"Oh, u-um, uh, h-hello," the stallion said, a nervous smile on his face.

"Oh my stars," Calla said quickly. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you! Your magic was just so fascinating, and you distracted me for a moment. Please forgive me."

She shifted her saddlebags and held out her hoof.

"My name is Calla Lily. I hope we didn't get off on the wrong hoof, seeing as I just disturbed what must have been an insane amount of concentration, but you seem like a pony who's very knowledgable in the way of magic. I haven't met another pony like that in Ponyville since our newest princess, and it just piqued my interest."

"Oh my stars, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to disturb you! Your magic was just so fascinating, and you distracted me for a moment. Please forgive me."

"O-oh! N-n-no, I-I just...over...reacted..."

The mare held out a hoof, and, after a second of hesitation, Logik accepted the greeting.

"My name is Calla Lily. I hope we didn't get off on the wrong hoof, seeing as I just disturbed what must have been an insane amount of concentration, but you seem like a pony who's very knowledgeable in the way of magic. I haven't met another pony like that in Ponyville since our newest princess, and it just piqued my interest."

The stallion was blushing very slightly now, not one to easily accept such recognition. Can you not just act normally?

"I-it's ok, it...it's nothing, r-really. I was...just...practicing, n-nothing to worry about. B-but...thank you. Oh, a-and I'm...Logik. Good to meet you." Logik bowed slightly when he introduced himself, more out of habit than anything else. "A-are you also, or have been, a-a student of magic? You also seem...well-informed...on the s-subject."

Calla nodded.

"I attended Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns for eight years," she replied. "My parents sent me up there when they realized little Buckingridge had nothing to offer in the way of true academia."

She smiled and rubbed her leg.

"I think I'm in the same position again. My daughter has two years to go before she can apply, and I pulled her out of public school so she can be prepared for the entrance exam. It's all very exciting, but sometimes it's nice to have a break, correct?"

She sighed and stared out into the now calm reservoir.

"So, Logik, if you did not learn under the Princess, then from whom did you learn such intense magic?"

"I attended Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns for eight years. My parents sent me up there when they realized little Buckingridge had nothing to offer in the way of true academia."

Logik nodded as she spoke, not too surprised that this mare had attended the same school as he had. One did not learn a great deal about magic in normal educational institutes, so the pony would actually have been surprised if the mare hadn't attended the Celestia's School. There were other ways of learning such things, though.

"I think I'm in the same position again. My daughter has two years to go before she can apply, and I pulled her out of public school so she can be prepared for the entrance exam. It's all very exciting, but sometimes it's nice to have a break, correct?"

Logik gave one slow nod. "I-Indeed so." He could easily relate to that. When he had resided in Canterlot, he had always been pushed past his limits to become something better, and, although this had and still was helping him in the long run, he had found it a great relief to move to a quaint town such as Ponyville.

"So, Logik, if you did not learn under the Princess, then from whom did you learn such intense magic?"

"W-well, I actually a-also attended Celestia's S-School, like you, th-though I...well, I at-tended it for ten y-years or so, though I-I learned much of...what I know n-now, from a professor of the s-school...Onyx w-was his name, you may or m-may not have heard of him...when I was an a-apprentice to him. He w-was and s-still is a...perfectionist...by nature. H-he was not a-an easy person t-to learn from, b-but he had a-a large amount of kn-knowledge to show f-for his...work, experience..."

Calla nodded.

"It looks like it would have been a rather rigorous course," she said, leaning on the railing. "I'm more of an adventurer, myself; my job requires me to go into the Everfree on a regular basis."

She chuckled, rubbing an old scar at the base of her horn. "I almost lost my magic once. I think the shock would have killed me. I've never known a life without it; magic is me. That would have been really bad. It was only two months before my wedding day that it happened, but with a little unconventional knowledge from a rather intelligent Saddle Arabian friend of mine, I made a full recovery."

A smile twitched at the corner of her mouth.

"What about you, Logik? What great adventures have you embarked upon?"

"It looks like it would have been a rather rigorous course. I'm more of an adventurer, myself; my job requires me to go into the Everfree on a regular basis." Logik nodded to acknowledge the mare's words, watching as she lifted a hoof and rubbed the base of her horn, where the stallion now noticed a scar.

"I almost lost my magic once." Logik winced slightly. "I think the shock would have killed me." No doubt... "I've never known a life without it; magic is me. That would have been really bad. It was only two months before my wedding day that it happened, but with a little unconventional knowledge from a rather intelligent Saddle Arabian friend of mine, I made a full recovery."

"What about you, Logik? What great adventures have you embarked upon?"

Logik paused for a second before replying. "W-well, h-honestly, I can't say I have t-travelled much or....experienced...any...incidents such a-as yours. I've o-only recently moved out of m-my home city in the p-past year. I-I have visited the E-Everfree Forest before, but o-only f-for simplistic reasons. However, it i-is my hope to travel past the E-Equestrian border in the n-near future. I w-will have to see what h-happens prior t-to that, th-though." He thought about his answer for a second more, and then added on to his response. "I-I have experimented w-with the invention or c-creation of spells, b-but I-I hardly think th-that to be a significant occurence."

Calla pursed her lips, staring wistfully into the calm waters of the reservoir.

"While you're at it, could you come up with a spell to teleport ponies to their loved ones?" she asked, mustering a smile but letting it fade. "My son's been missing for a little over a month, and he's in very poor health. My husband, daughter and I have been worried sick as Tartarus, but there's been no sign of him."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and glared at her hooves.

"I know I did something wrong. Maybe I was too overbearing? Too loving? He might have been tired of the love we showered on him, since we had adopted him from off of the streets. Oh, Logik... It's so hard, not knowing if he's hurt or... or..."

"While you're at it, could you come up with a spell to teleport ponies to their loved ones?"

Logik didn't even give a hint of a smile. He recognized the small joke, but the way the mare said it did not encourage humor or amusement. I don't believe I like where this is going...

"My son's been missing for a little over a month, and he's in very poor health. My husband, daughter and I have been worried sick as Tartarus, but there's been no sign of him." The mare wiped the tears that had begun forming from her eyes and continued. "I know I did something wrong. Maybe I was too overbearing? Too loving? He might have been tired of the love we showered on him, since we had adopted him from off of the streets. Oh, Logik... It's so hard, not knowing if he's hurt or... or..."

Logik stood there feeling somewhat out of place for a moment, unsure what to do. I should comfort her...or should I not...? I would rather not become a part of this... The stallion took a few steps towards the mare to stand closer to her and spoke.

"I-I am truly sorry for you. It really must be a lot t-to bear, nothing that I can even c-compare any of my past experiences with. Y-you should not blame yourself for this, though. He may have had his own reasons f-for leaving. If he was content with your family, th-then I'm sure he would have s-spoken up if something w-was wrong." Hopefully he had said the right words. The stallion was not often put in a situation such as this one.

Calla nodded, acknowledging his words as she tried to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. It's just not Kid who I'm worried about; it's Brawny and Nikki, too."

She shook her head, as if it would expel the angry and grievous thoughts from her mind. What good was it to burden this shy stallion with her problems? That was no way to treat a new friend. She sucked in a breath, letting it whistle down her throat before suddenly lifting a rock and hurling it into the reservoir. 

"Faust, I'm mad at life, but it is not mine to share. I'm sorry to bother you, Logik. Times are hard, but it's no excuse to ruin some pony's day."

She tilted her head up.

"Thank you for being so patient with me. I'll leave you to your studies now. Who knows? Maybe I'll later you around in happier times. I apologize for distracting you. Carry on."

She picked up her fallen quills and clipped her saddle bag shut, making to leave.

"I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. It's just not Kid who I'm worried about; it's Brawny and Nikki, too." He could not recall hearing any of these names in the earlier conversation, though simply through logic he could guess which belonged to who. The mare sucked in a breath, and hurled a random rock into the water below. "Faust, I'm mad at life, but it is not mine to share. I'm sorry to bother you, Logik. Times are hard, but it's no excuse to ruin some pony's day. Thank you for being so patient with me. I'll leave you to your studies now. Who knows? Maybe I'll later you around in happier times. I apologize for distracting you. Carry on."

Logik simply nodded as the mare picked up her saddle bag. "I-it's fine, no need to apologize. I do hope that we may meet again a-another time, though i-if you need any assistance at all with this...situation, please do t-tell me. I-I don't have much to offer in terms o-of practical skills, but I would be happy to help in any way I can."