The Spirit Of Knowledge

"Master, Celestia and Twilight are at the door!" Everyone but myself and Codex were shouting and panicking, but out of all the noise one thing stood out to me.

"We have a door?" For some reason everyone stopped moving once I asked that. Even codex was looking at me strangely.

"Master, how did you not know there was a door? You have lived in here for two thousand some years." Codex asked, in a surprisingly respectful manner.

"Well, I mostly just stay in the center of the library, I created Vlad and the rest to find me books and manage the parts I don't visit. Also to be fair, I can just will myself in and out of here. Kinda makes a door useless."  Codex gave a slow nod at my explanation, and seemed to except it. "Now then, I'm going to go see what they want, and I want Codex to hide in my experimentation room, I have ideas for the future that would be ruined if they saw your new body."

After I finished speaking, Codex rushed to the testing room and everyone else put away all the books currently out, we have visitors and I did create them to keep the library presentable. With a nod of satisfaction I manifested myself far into the aether. I spotted them in the distance, and carefully flew behind them. They were waiting at the bottom of the spire... now that I think about it, I never explained what the outside of the library looks like. While the inside has more width than height, the outside is a thick, and very tall spire, things like bigger on the inside aren't that big of a deal here. It is completely black, with darker swirling designs cover it. At the very bottom, in front of Celestia and Twilight is a normal black door. It's barely distinguishable from the surrounding... stone? With great care I slowly floated up behind them, listening to their conversation.

"I mean, we can learn so much!" Twilight sure is excited.

"Yes, we could." Celestia.. less so.

"I can read about Starswirl, and learn how he made those creatures, I've never even heard of the writing he put on them." Like hell I'm teaching her.

"Before any of that, Shade would have to let us into his library wouldn't he? Plus, he might find it rude if we try and force him to teach you." Ahh Celestia, ever the voice of reason.

"I can't help but agree with her, it would be rude." I agreed with Celestia's opinion, and felt the need to voice such agreement.

"You see twilight, Shade agrees wh-" I smiled as they slowly turned to look at me. Twilight had a confused expression on her face, and Celestia giggling at her for it. Nothing really seems to faze her...

"So, how can I help you?" After sputtering for a few seconds, Twilight raised a hoof to her chest and breathed deeply, before breathing out while pushing out the hoof.

"I would like to read your books." Well that was blunt. I was about to reply when Celestia nudged Twilight with her wing. "Please." She nudged her slightly harder. "Oh, and I would like to formerly invite you over for some tea." After talking she looked over at Celestia, who gave her nod of approval, causing twilight to have a pleased look on her face. Can't have that now can I?

"Well, you certainly were polite about asking, with a nudge in the right direction." Twilight looked downwards, slightly blushing. "However, I don't know you very well, and I don't trust you to be within my domain. You might try to steal a book or something." She adopted a face of shock, before sputtering indignantly.

"One, I would never harm or steal a book!" I don't doubt it, but this is to much fun. "Two, you yourself called this a library!"

"Yes I did, but you're wrong about which type it is." Twilight tilted her head to the side. "A public library collects books for everyone to read, and mine is a private library. It collects books for me to read. And last time I checked, me myself and I doesn't include you." Her eyes seemed to go vacant, and she just floated there. I think I might have broken her. With a nod of satisfaction I turned to Celestia. "I would love to have some tea. What time should I be there, and where are we having it?" Instead of annoyance, or anger, she just smiled at me.

"How about tomorrow evening at three, canterlot castle?" I gave her a nod, and she smiled wider. "Then I'll take my leave. I think something in the aether is disagreeing with twilight." I turned to Twilight, who was still sputtering away, and watched as they both disappeared. That went pretty well all things considered. Hmm, the door is right there...

Once I materialized into the library, I was immediately questioned by Codex. "So how was it? Did you slap a bitch?" It took me a few seconds to stop laughing, he doesn't even know that's a thing.

"I, I supposed I did in a figurative way, but not I didn't physically 'slap a bitch'. More importantly, why aren't you in the testing room?"

"I knew they left from your thoughts." Oh well, alright than.

"So you know what happened?" Nod "Did you tell anyone else?" Shake "Well, for those who don't know, I'm having tea with Celestia tomorrow evening at three. Now that they're gone though, actually hold on a sec. Codex, if you read my thoughts, then why did you ask me if I slapped one of them?"

"I can only read the thoughts you actually speak in your head. I figured you slapped one of them and thought nothing of it." Wow, he really doesn't like them.

"Moving on, before we run out of daylight, I want you all to start repairing the old everfree castle. I'm going to ask Celestia to let me have it tomorrow, to make up for turning me to stone. I have no doubt she'll say yes, so I want it repaired as fast as possible." After I finished speaking they all immediately headed to where I assumed the door was. I was going to make sure they wouldn't get lost, but it was getting late, and I was to tired to care.

Once I fell asleep, I immediately realized I was dreaming. In front of me sat the golden cat from before, and around us was a vast white nothingness. I just sat there staring at him, for what felt like hours. It took me a while to notice, but whenever I moved, he copied my motion exactly. "I wonder what you represent now?" Even though he followed my motions, no sound came from him.

I wonder what I represent. I didn't here him with word... it's more like I knew what he said. It was like I was remembering that he said that, without him saying anything at all.

"You represent me as a spirit?" Yes, and no "You represent me?" Yes, and no "You represent me, but you don't represent me?" Yes "How can you be both?" What is you but isn't you, it represents all that you are but it itself is different, you own it, and it controls you "So, your saying you represent a part of me, that controls the rest, but still belongs to me? It is me, but it's different." Yes "You don't look like a darker half." You destroyed that part " Huh, I guess I did. So you were battling my darker half?" You were battling your darker half

(So, he's something that battled myself in my place. He is apart of me, yet separate. I own him, but he controls me. You could call him me, yet still say were two individuals. He know's the questions I have, but not the answers, but he knows if I'm wrong. So he doesn't know what he is because I don't know what he is, which makes sense, but he knows enough to say I'm wrong. That means I know enough to say I'm wrong. So he represents a part of me, that isn't really me, he in someway controls me, but ultimately he belongs to me. So it's a part of me, that controls the rest of me at least somewhat. He isn't my heart, because that wouldn't be defined as an individual, and he knows things I know, but I haven't thought of yet.)

"You're my subconscious?" Yes "You're why I can cast spells like I do now." Almost there "The stuff I need for the spell comes to me effortlessly, like remembering the answer to a problem. I don't need to think it through, my subconscious just give it to me!" So close "It started after I became the spirit of knowledge. So, since I'm the spirit of knowledge, I can effortlessly recall anything I've learned, and use that knowledge effortlessly. For that to be possible, my subconscious would have to become a lot stronger!" Yes

(Now that I think about it, how I'm able to do spells like that, and how my subconscious managed to fight off whatever tried to enter my dreams was really bugging me.)

"Thanks for figuring out the... oh." I looked around me, but my subconscious was gone. I guessed he only wanted to help solve that question. (Now what do I do?)

I woke up to codex shaking me. "Master, you have tea with the bitch of strings in a few minutes. Also, the everfree castle has been repaired per your instructions."

I sat up and blinked away my drowsiness. "Thanks for waking me up, and that was fast. Did you guys even sleep last night?" Codex cocked his head at the question.

"I am a book, and they are manifestations of magic runes. We do not sleep." Huh, go figure.

"If you ever want to experience it, feel free to make it so you can. I'll be back in an hour or two." He just nodded at me, and sat down to read a book. I just chuckled at him before leaving. He already has the knowledge of every book written in the last two millennia, and he's reading one anyway.

(If he is that bored, he'll love the job I have for him.) I thought to myself, as I got close to the physical world. Imagine the aether realm like water, that's floating over the physical realm. You kinda just, swim into yourself to enter it. To exit you just 'swim' to the lowest area and you can see where you're about to exit. I was at the very edge, looking for a good spot to manifest. I found Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and the pink one together in a room drinking some tea. Celestia and Luna spotted me immediately, and I made a note to ask them how later. I couldn't see into the aether realm when I wasn't in it. Since I was discovered, I manifested and sat down at the table.

"So what kind of tea are we having? Also hello." Everyone but twilight returned my greeting, she just gave a cute little harrumph, making the other three giggle.

"We are having a simple earl neigh. I do hope you like it." I swear she does that on purpose somehow.

(Just ignore it, just ignore it, for the love of you ignore it.) See what I did there? "I'm sure it's amazing. Would you be so kind as to poor me some?" After Celestia poured me some, we all spent the next thirty minutes making small talk. You know, talking about gossip and stuff. Though the atmosphere was kinda tense. I don't know who Blueblood is, but he sounds like a prick. Even twilight eventually loosened up. I was honestly surprised it took her as long as it did to ask about my collection again.

"So, is there an actual reason you don't want anyone in your library?" Her question caused the other three to look at me in interest.

(No getting out of this one.) "Well, my library is the spiritual manifestation of my domain, since knowledge isn't a physical thing. My domain is where all my power is stored, and if anything happened to my body, a new one would regenerate in my domain. As long as I keep everyone I don't fully trust out of my domain, and I don't piss off something much stronger than me, I won't die. Not to mention if someone found out what were in my library my power was centered at, they could steal it and hide it away. They could then blackmail me into doing anything they wanted, on threat of death. I don't think you would do that, but I do think you could tell someone something I don't want them to know. Ponies are generally to innocent and trusting for their own good, let alone mine. Celestia and Luna almost cursed me into an eternal prison by accident already." (No reason to tell them it saved me though.)

They all seemed taken aback by what I said, and Luna and Celestia's expressions quickly turned somber. Twilight opened her mouth to say something a few times, but closed it without saying anything. Eventually Celestia spoke up.

"I am truly sorry about what happened, but it was truly an accident. Can you truly blame us for reacting the way we had in the circumstance?" I honestly took the time to think about it.

"If I'm being honest, then no, I don't blame you. I still don't forgive you either. However, I think I have a way you could make it up to me."

Celestia seemed hesitant in responding, not that I could blame her. She probably thought I would ask for something unreasonable, like her life or... princessdom? Her nation. "I would love to put hurt feeling to rest, but what are you asking for?

"All I want, is ownership of your old castle in the everfree. Give me that, and, well, we won't be exactly even, but I'll consider us so." Celestia was relieved, while the other three were confused.

"I think we can afford to part with it, but may I ask, what do you want with it?" The other three's looks of confusion turned to interest in a second.

"I plan to repair it, and make it my own. I'm old, and I feel like owning a castle. Repairing your old one is quicker then building my own."

"Tis a good of reason as any. We shall not decline thy request." (...What? I don't even, that way of speaking never even became popular! There was like, three hundred ponies tops to ever speak like that! What the hell?)

"I thank you then. Unfortunately I have a lot of work ahead of me, and I must take my leave." I gave a nod to each of them as I addressed them. "Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Pink one." I barely got her look of surprise before I demanifested, and went back to my domain. I wasn't lying when I said I had a lot of work to do.

I immediately called everyone to me as I entered The Library. "Alright, I want everyone but codex to furnish my new castle. The sisters said I can have it, and I want it livable as soon as possible. So, I'm entrusting you all to decorate it to your tastes. Don't do anything to wild, and you can pick your own rooms. If anyone talks to you asking for me, just say I'm busy and I'll be available in a month or two from today." My librarians immediately cheered, and left to follow my instructions. I really hoped they wouldn't make the castle to tacky. "Alright Codex, I have a special task for you." He visibly straightened up once I mentioned that. "I want you to make yourself appear as a normal pony, get a job, and collect a hundred bits. I than want you to find out which towns sell certain things and a low price, and buy them, than sell them at towns that sell them for a high price and sell them there cheaper. I want you to create a business that does this, and create connections to all of equestria's towns.

After you get big enough, build a decently sized building in each town and sell as big of a variety as possible. Offer to sell other merchants merchandise for them, with them getting most of the money. Make sure each building looks the same, and has the same name on a big sign on the building. Hire managers and employees for each of them so their self sufficient. Make sure you're always making a profit, but don't be a cheapskate. Make sure there is good customer service at every one of them. Once they get big enough build them in cities as well. I also want you to find ponies that have great ideas, and make them a deal. You fund what they are going to create, and you get half the profit off of it. Make sure the company name is on each item. Don't limit it to physical things either. A new medicine, farming technique, and things like that are just as valuable. Hire employees to search for such ponies as well, and build a building they can all work in. While you're doing this, I'm going to use a spell to put myself into a dreamless sleep, because I don't want to wait for you to finish. When you're done, come wake me up. Just break the crystal ball I'll have next to me. I'm putting a lot of faith in you here, so don't let me down."

"Of course! I will not disappoint you master, and thank you for trusting me with such an instrumental task!" See, a normal person wouldn't agree to do something like this for me. But Codex is completely loyal, and doesn't sleep, combine that with how quick he is to solve problems, I have no doubt he can do this. And since it is something I asked of him, he won't get bored and will give it is all. You can't get that out of normal friends. Damn I miss normal people.

"Alright, I'll see you soon, well soon for me, not for you. Good luck codex."

"Thank you master, sweet dreams!" With that he left, and I crafted my new sleeping orb. I couldn't help but smile as I laid down to sleep. I was going to be rich soon.

"You've been saying the same thing for four months! Where is Shade?" Twilight couldn't believe him, for the last four months there hasn't been any activity regarding him! It was like he was purposefully ignoring her! Not to mention that new company that sprouted up almost overnight. You don't just randomly become that successful. She didn't know why he was doing it, but she would find out his plans. There was no doubt he was behind the company. Why else would it be called Knowledge Inc.?