The Spirit Of Knowledge

I suppose you expect something from reading this. Maybe you have troubles in your life, and reading about mine makes you feel better. Maybe you just think it's a great read. Maybe you want to read about the magic I was capable of, and somehow replicate it, or even replace me as knowledge. Though that last one would be a stupid reason. You can't replace me, knowledge doesn't work that way. If you remember something you forgot, the knowledge isn't different or new from that last time you remembered it. It's the same exact thing, you just didn't know it and now you do. There is no difference between the facts people know. If they both know the same facts about gravity, the facts don't change between them. They can learn new knowledge, learn new facts. But the old facts are the same, and will stay the same for every being who learns them. So yes, you could become knowledge, but you wouldn't be the same as me.

You wouldn't have the same strengths or ideas as me. You might be stronger or not as strong, your bond weaker or not. I don't know. But the point is that you would be different. You would be new. There is a way to use this journal to "replace" me. It probably won't work for you. Knowledge is gained for the sake of knowing, of understanding everything around us. You can't bond to knowledge if you don't understand it, or represent its virtues. Same thing with anything you could possibly bond to. You might be asking why I'm writing all of this here. Well, not everything stays happy for me. Soon, you're going to learn about failed ascensions. What happens to those who try to ascend, to bond with something they don't represent.

Or something they did, but they forsook at the last second to get where they are. The beings who don't care about the risk, and just want to bond to the strongest force they can. It never works of course. That's why there are so few immortals. The ones who are willing to do anything to achieve it, are never worthy of what they think they are. The ones who are worthy to be so strong, never care about becoming immortal at any cost. They just enjoy their lives to the fullest. To ascend all you need to do is represent a virtue, of anything really, pool a ton of magic power into yourself, and die. That's right, you read that correctly. To ascend, unless ascended by an ascended being like I was, you have to die. That massive amount of magic you took, is simply to great for a mortal shell, so it breaks it.

But if you hang onto your virtues, if you are truly worthy, than a bond will be created, and you ascend. When twilight sparkle ascended, it was in this way. She had used an unfinished spell, and basically cursed her dearest friends. Eventually, she succeeded by reminding them of their lives and friendships, and using her connection to her element to bond to the concept. She didn't do it intentionally, it was all the tree's fault. But in the end, she thought of the right words, in the wrong presence, (the elements), and at the moment the bond was strongest, the tree loaded so much magic into her she burst. Left little tiny sparkles and dust in the air, so don't remind her friends,(if they're still alive), they basically breathed her in with all their gasping. And just like that, twilight became an immortal princess of friendship.

Technically she had the help of an ascended being, (How the hell does a tree ascend anyway? Did it play enough footsie with other tree roots that they were considered in harmony or something?) but the tree did it in a way it happened naturally. It probably doesn't want anything knowing it's sentient. You can't force a tree to not be a tree, but you can force a sentient being to leave you alone. Conspiracies aside, congrats, you now know how to ascend. I've been using the term immortal for you, but you only really become ageless. You can still die. Not easily, but it can happen. So you going to do it? Will you pick about your inner being, find your strongest virtue, and believe in it so much you will risk dying, the thing you want to avoid, and try to ascend? Of course not, rational being don't do things like that. The ones who try are desperate, insane, or just general husks of who they once were. At that point they don't represent the virtue, and they fail.

The truth is, there are two ways to ascend. There is only one way you can possibly do it. Get it the tree's good graces, rub its roots or something, or get in good with the princesses/discord. Represent your virtue thoroughly, and be patient. Become their friend and in time, they will think, "Hey, why not?" and ascend you. Is it vile to just use their emotions like that? Yes, yes it is. Will most of those who read this go through with it? No, because I doubt Celestia would let it fall into the wrong hands. You probably think I"m trying to trick you or something, that I"m evil. Or you trust me, (for whatever reason), and you don't really care about ascension in any way. But one or two of you, you like what you just read. You're going to go through with it. And you're going to die. Because by reading this, you will never ascend that way. You will know what you're doing, you will know your treachery. And whatever false virtue you used to get in their good graces, the virtue they try to ascend you with, you won't represent. So burn this book, scream in rage monster, because I just took ascension away from you, even in death, I protect my friends. Even if they don't think of me as such.

Where did all this come from? Where did my story fall once again? I don't know. I don't know the events that led to my demise. I'm using a time spell, so I can write this, and think a way out. And I don't see one. Her blade is almost at my heart, the dam things enchanted. It will follow my link back to my domain, destroy my... shrine, totem, true heart, basically my center of power. I'm sure you read about it before, but it doesn't really have a name beside the big book. I have things I like to call it though. Anyway, enough delaying on my part. I don't exactly have the time, heh, so I'm about to die. I made it so my children will live, I protected my friends one last time, and I bet now I have your rapt attention. Oh and if a certain someone is reading this... I forgive you. (#No spoilers! ... bloody ponies won't even get the reference but it was so worth it.) You were fooled, we all were, and I should have seen it coming. Guess all my avid readers want to know where it went wrong. Well, it started a few weeks after I woke up, and I should have guessed something would happen.

Things were just going too well. My plans uncontested, myself content. My children happy, and Equestria praising my compony, the one Codex built. I had a castle, I was making friends. And I miss all of it. I don't want to die, I like to think the good I orchestrated was worth more than the bad. That I was a good person. But I can't really tell now can I? Morality is judged in the eyes of others, and I have no one to ask. It's just me and her, and I doubt I can talk faster than a blade kills me. Isn't it strange? The things we think of, before we-

I woke up to the sound of a crystal shattering, and the excited buzz of Codex chattering as fast as he could. He was saying things about process, awards, and friends. He had the biggest smile of pure joy on his face, and I knew right than. Today was going to be a great day.