Of skimming & studying

...skip-skip-skip-splash.

A decent throw, really, the stone bouncing off the surface of the water eleven times. Intel nodded. "This is really an excercise in telekinesis," he explained, "Getting the stone to skim requires the right velocity and angle, and thus requires excellent horn control. Technique matters, much more than simple raw magical energy. Probably why I liked it so much."

He was standing on the bank of the stream, with the two foals he'd somehow managed to end up teaching. It was decided to start with the basics, and he had started with something very basic indeed. "It's amazing how many ponies use telekinesis in their day to day life without actually refining it properly. But if you can't control this simple feat to a high degree, you will find you simply cannot use higher level spells with any sort of reliability. Horn control is really one of the major things the school will drill into you, for the consequences of a spell gone out of control can be absolutely devastating."

Intel then nodded to his pupils. "Now why don't you two try."

Steel found a nice stone and charged.He threw the stone and he counted quietly:
"One,two,three,four,five,six,seven,eight,ni...sunk."
"Well.Nice result anyways.Eight is preety nice."said Steel while "phew"-ing."Let's see you Seledora."said Steel while looking at Seledora.He was smiling to show her that it's not that hard.

Seledora looked at the water and then at the stones. She had never really tried to do much with telekinesis. She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth, put herself in a power stance, head down, hind quarters up, and focused. 'lift the rock' she thought. The rock rose tremulously from the side of the river and slowly into the air. She focused even harder. 'throw the rock'.
The rock soared out over the water. Seledora look up, her eye wide, her ears perked up and a expectant smile on her face.

SPLOOSH!!!

The rock did not skip, hell, it didn't even go more than five feet. It had just slammed into the water, blasting water in all directions, including onto the three ponies on the bank. Seledora's ears were flat down, as was her hair, which was plastered over her face. She hung her head and a frown spread across her mouth.

Intel blinked, soaked in water. Then shook off the water on his glasses. "Ah, I see."

"Well, Seledora, first thing I will say is to throw a somewhat smaller stone next time so that the resulting splash won't be quite as large. It's much easier with small stones as well."

His tone was not unfriendly, nor was it scolding, it was simply the tone of an advisor. An interested and amused advisor, but nevertheless an advisor. Observing the two foals was a curious activity in comparison. For Steel, telekinesis was natural and practiced enough that skimming a stone came in one fluid and automatic motion. Seledora on the other hoof, had broken the action into definite 'steps', pausing to think after each one.

"Second thing I will say is a question to both of you. When you skimmed the rock, what were you thinking?" As he asked this, he levitated another rock and threw it.

Skip-skip-skip...

"As you probably know, a unicorn's magic tied very tightly to his or her thoughts, so it is a very important question, and I'd like you to answer it to the very best of your ability."

...skip-skip-splash. Twice the number this time, twenty-two. Intel waited expectantly for an answer.

Intel's question worried Steel.He had a special way to items.
"Please don't laugh,but...I think everything's alive and I just think something like "C'mon little stone,you can do it.Please do it for me."."Steel got worried if the others would laugh at him.He just said:"Come on.You can laugh now."

Seledora pushed her hair out of her face as she looked at Steel. No one had ever shared such a view as that. She had always thought of everything as a living being, weather immobile or not.

She was lost for a moment, just staring at Steel until she remembered that Intel had asked them a question. She broke her gaze off of him and back down to the ground, blushing, as she said "I address my horn as a second mind, attached to me. It listens to what I ask it to do....most of the time."

"Ah."

Intel closed his eyes to try and decipher his thoughts into actual words. He levitated a rock, but he didn't throw it. Instead, he just let it drop onto the ground. He was silent as it clattered amongst its fellows. Then he spoke in calm, but deadly serious voice.

"A rock has no opinion on whether it is skimmed or not. It doesn't think rocks are special because of a low self esteem, it doesn't have a point of view in the first place. A rock is simply a rock. What it does is not dependant on the rock itself, but what other things do to it.

Similarly, your horns have no opinion on what it does. It will not distinguish between a spell to do good and a curse to commit a horrible atrocity. Your horn is not separate from you. What it does purely rests on its wielder."

He levitated a stone.

"If a rock was pushed off a cliff to crush a pony, you wouldn't blame the rock. If a pony chokes another with his magic, you wouldn't blame his horn. When you skim a stone, you don't look for the answer from the rock, or from the horn."

Enchanting the stone with a little charm first, he threw it at an angle to the right, upstream. Every time it hit the water, its direction veered to the left a little each time, travelling in a large arc.

"The solution is within yourself," he said softly.

The stone managed to travel in a circle, where Intel caught it as it skimmed off the water.

"In the end, it is you that skims the stone," he concluded as he dropped the stone onto the bank, "It will be you, and only you who will cast your spells, and it is you who will be responsible for what it does.

...Listen to me, getting all serious. Sorry about that. It might have been better if I just laughed. Why don't you try again, Seledora?"

Seledora shook the water out of her mane, letting it come back to normal before she took her power stance again. She scanned the bank until a she found a nice small, but flat stone, perfect for skimming. She focused. Her horn glowed dimly for a moment and then the stone began to rise. "Come on." she thought. She rotated it several times, looking at all the details. Finally she straightened it out, then giving it a slight angle, she flung it out over the water. This time, she didn't let go of it.
"Skip....Skip....Ski-"
Ku-plunk!
The stone sunk into the water about twelve feet out this time. Much better than last time. The splash was much smaller this time. Seledora tipped over slightly and almost fell on top of Steel.

"GAH!"shouted Steel as Seledora almost squashed him.Steel quickly teleported away."Watch out,please!"said Steel as he calmed down."Next time,please don't try to squish me.Thanks."

Intel sighed, not sure at all if his words made any impression at all. They were foals, after all, and they tended to focus on other things rather than what they were being taught. At least, that's what he tended to do.

"So, apart from almost falling ontop of each other, what was different that time? What made it work?"

"Well, I did what you told me and went over what actions I wanted to make the rock perform. I must have lost concentration for a moment and it sank." Seledora said before turning towards Steel and saying "I'm sorry for almost falling on you. I must have expended too much magic in one go on accident. I'll be more careful next time."

"No problem Seledora."said Steel."Just don't do that to every pony you see.".Steel saw Intel's expression.He felt a bit ashamed because of the falling thing."And Intel,sorry if we disapointed you."said the colt while getting a guilty expression.He hated to dissapoint people.

Out of boredom,he wanted to lighten up the mood.He tried to pick up 2 stones.He threw both.The first one did "one,two,three,four,five,six,seven"and it sunk.The second one did "one,two,three,four,five,six"and sunk.He found this so fun,that he threw another one.The third stone went "one,two,three...fourteen,fifteen"and sploshed down."This is real fun!"said Steel while smiling.Then he remembered about Seledora,and just said:"Sorry."

"No no. I like the watching, but I guess I'd better practice." she said, glancing at Intel.

Seledora picked up a small stone and spun it around her head slowly. As it rotated, she closed her eyes, imagining the stone in her mind. She weighed, measured it, and identified it. She brought it to a halt infront of her and opened her eyes. Just like with the last one, she gave the stone a small tilt and flung it forward.

"....seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven." Sploosh.

Seledora smiled. She had managed her magic this time and did not react other that stagger a little. It was getting better. She looked to Intel with a smile on her face.

"The feeling of absolute control should be in every spell you cast," Intel said, smiling at his pupils, "Just like a leg, or your neck. Or your eyes. Or tongue. You don't doubt them when you use them, so why should your horn be any different?"

Rolling his neck, he continued, "Keep skipping rocks, and while doing so, tell me the difference between a spell and an enchantment."

Steel was about to make another shot at the skipping,but Intel's question hit him.He let go of the rock and started thinking."Well,the version I know is:The enchantment changes something's quality,function and so forth.But just simply-changes the thing.While the spell however is the thing we use to perform our magic.Basically-learn the spell,perform it using magic."Steel finished.He threw another rock.It made 14 splashes.He really had to think over that question.It wasn't the easiest one,but it was nor the hardest.He just dealt with it.

Seledora thought for a moment as she flung a few stones out across the water. "Enchantments are spells that are placed on an object or person, usually to enhance its abilities. A spell is what we call the idea we use to form our magic, giving it form and meaning."

"All enchantments are spells," Intel considered, again impressed with the answers that the two foals supplied, "Enchantments are just spells that continue their effect after the caster has stopped casting. 'Breaking' an enchantment simply means stopping the effect permanently. Curses are negative enchantments, charms are positive. So speaking of enchantments..."

He threw a stone.

"What's the one thing that can break all enchantments, regardless of their type, strength, or caster?"