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Post by Kale on Apr 16, 2012 22:38:01 GMT -5
After taking a moment to consider her newfound tutor's advice, Snowdrop set back to her practicing. Kale watched uneasily, uncertain as to whether or not the filly could actually pull this off. With her wings acting as chaotically as they were, it was going to take a phenomenal amount of effort just to get them moving together, let alone supporting her in midair. But against all odds, Snowdrop seemed to be getting it right! Perking up and smiling a bit, the older pegasus was just about to congratulate his student on getting it--then her flapping fell apart.
"That's weird!"
That's an understatement.
"Why do they do that? My wings are acting silly, even when I'm paying attention to them! They just do it on their own!"
"I...I don't know," Kale admitted. "You'll probably just have to work on that before we try the running start again. But...but don't panic about it," he said, his tone shifting back a little to the more assured, educational mode. "It gets worse when you panic. Just relax, you can get through this." He knew it was the hardest advice a pony could give; if anything, telling somepony not to panic just caused them to panic more, which made them mess up, which made them panic even more, and it all spiraled into disaster.
Or at least, that was what experience taught him.
At any rate, the stallion didn't want to think about it, so he cleared his throat and spoke. "Try it again," he said calmly. "And don't think too hard about it this time. Feel your way through it."
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Post by Snowdrop on Apr 16, 2012 23:18:26 GMT -5
Snowdrop was rather more alarmed at Kale's concern than she had been at her wings acting so, well, out of control. Was it such a serious issue? Even though Kale had said not to panic, she felt distress creeping in anyway. Why wouldn't they work right?
With such anxiety in her mind, it was no wonder that her next few tries were more disastrous than ever. Which made Snowdrop feel more frustrated. She was in dire danger of falling into the cycle Kale had been thinking of. Suddenly, she stomped one hoof in her tiny and impotent fury.
"Please wait here a minute." was all that the little filly said to Kale. Then, unexpectedly, she charged off down the hill, as fast as she could go. Was she attempting another running headstart that would end in a shrubby tumble? No indeed, for although she did make a big spring (to clear the somewhat bedraggled lilac bush, which had seen enough abuse for one day) she landed neatly and safely on all four hooves.
Without attempting to fly, Snowdrop tore around the park for a few minutes, burning up anxious energy and releasing her worry and frustration. When she felt better in control of her feelings, she slowed to a trot and came back up the hill, panting.
"Okay." Snow said to Kale, in between gasps. "Let me try again." She presented her back to the stallion and tried again. Although her wing-strokes now held significantly less vigor than before, It took much longer for the first missed beat to occur, and when it did, they were a bit less chaotic than before, perhaps because neither wing had the energy to kick into high gear.
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Post by Kale on Apr 18, 2012 21:50:38 GMT -5
Things went about as well as Kale expected. In an attempt to take his advice, Snowdrop ended up doing the exact opposite. Somehow, her wings managed to get even more out of sync; in fact, it was to the point that Kale was wondering if, by exaggerating this tendency, they could cause them to be so out of step that they somehow looped back around to being in unison.
It was starting to give him a headache, though.
"Please wait here a minute."
"Huh?" Kale barely had time to say before Snowdrop darted off. The pegasus wilted, assuming that the filly had given up on him as an instructor and was just trying to leave him without his noticing. He dropped this (depressing) hypothesis for a new one, though, when he saw that she was running downhill. The stallion sighed; evidently, she was even more impatient than he'd thought. Didn't she realize it was still far too early for a second attempt at the running start?
Apparently, she did, because her leap wasn't followed up by frantic wing flapping. Instead, she just kept running. And running. And running. Watching her with blatant confusion on his face, Kale simply waited until, panting, she made her way back to him.
"Okay. Let me try again."
Kale remained baffled--at least, until a few moments into her latest attempt. Instead, a look of surprise and joy broke over his face. "Snowdrop, it's working!" he said excitedly, too happy for his friend to be upset when her wings inevitably lost their beat. "Not perfect, but a lot better!" Maybe there was hope for her, yet.
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Post by Snowdrop on Apr 19, 2012 19:25:38 GMT -5
Snowdrop glanced back and, seeing Kale's delighted expression and hearing his warm and enthusiastic praise, the filly broke into a gleeful grin of her own. She couldn't really explain how she had guessed she was trying too hard, or how she had known that doing something she was good at (in comparison to flying, at least) would relax her. However, she was very relieved. At least Kale didn't seem to think it was a hopeless case!
Kale had said she had done much better! That was what he had said! Snowdrop was so happy she couldn't stand still. She simply had to skip and twirl and prance in circles around Kale for joy. "Do you think I can learn to fly, eventually?" she asked, not afraid to ask the question that had been a stone in her stomach for so long! It felt so good to ask someone else, to be able to ask someone else! "I don't care if it takes a long time, or if it's a lot of hard work! I want to be able to fly, so I can finally go home and see Mama and Papa in Cloudsdale whenever I want to! They would be so proud!"
Snowdrop suddenly skidded to a stop as suddenly as she had started and looked up at the sky. It was overcast, of course, but she stared into the sky hard, as though she were looking through the sky right to Cloudsdale. She was, in fact, trying to imagine her parent's delighted expressions as she showed off her new ability to fly and how it would change everything! Only...
..Only the picture wouldn't quite come clear in her mind. Her parent's faces were fuzzyish and blurry. She couldn't remember what they looked like when they were amazed and happy. She tried to remember the last time she had visited home. It had been a couple months before she had moved to Ponyville. They had been very seriously concerned with the winter audit, making sure every place had received enough snow and cold before spring. She still got letters from them, of course, regular letters. Why couldn't she remember their faces? It hadn't been that long! ...Had it?
Snowdrop felt the warning stinging in her eyes and she pulled herself together with effort. I won't think sad things! I wont worry if they will know me when they see me! Of course they will! And I said I would be good! I said I would be strong and brave! Strong and brave and good fillies do not cry over silly things! And indeed, with a deep breath, Snowdrop knew she turned a cheerful face to Kale and even managed a little giggle.
"Hahah! Sorry about that! I was trying to imagine what it would be like! Should we practice some more? Only..." Snowdrop glanced at her back a bit ruefully "My wings are feeling a little tired. I guess I haven't been practicing as hard as I thought."
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Post by Kale on Apr 20, 2012 20:48:19 GMT -5
Kale watched Snowdrop circle him with a general air of satisfaction. She was happy, he was happy; everypony was happy. It was working out nicely, especially given how poorly it had been going at the start.
"Do you think I can learn to fly, eventually?"
"Can?" Kale began. "You w--"
"I don't care if it takes a long time, or if it's a lot of hard work! I want to be able to fly, so I can finally go home and see Mama and Papa in Cloudsdale whenever I want to! They would be so proud!"
Kale didn't really mind being interrupted. The pegasus could tell that Snowdrop was too excited to really be thinking hard on manners right now. And after how difficult it had been getting her into this mood, he had no intention of ruining her joy by complaining. So, he simply continued to view her gleeful bouncing and skipping, smiling and waiting for her to get tired.
But she didn't just get tired. She halted abruptly, a shadow crossing her face out of nowhere. Furrowing his brows in concern, Kale took a tentative step toward the filly. "Snowdrop?" he said softly, lowering his head to get closer to her eye level. She didn't respond, and when the stallion thought he saw water squeezing its way from between her eyelids, his worry only grew. "Are you alright?"
"Hahah! Sorry about that! I was trying to imagine what it would be like! Should we practice some more? Only...my wings are feeling a little tired. I guess I haven't been practicing as hard as I thought."
Straightening up, Kale breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, you'll get there soon enough. But I think that's enough practice for now, we don't want to run you ragged." Giving Snowdrop a light hoof to the shoulder, he added, "But you did great. I think you'll be flying in no time."
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