The Spirit Of Knowledge

I jumped awake from the sound of breaking glass, taking a moment to calm down at the sight of a startled Index. I quickly remembered the spell I had placed on myself, and started doing some stretches. I couldn't figure out what startled me so much. I knew it wasn't how I woke up that scared me, I was never startled when a book was randomly dropped in the library, or the odd thump of my children fooling around. I couldn't have dreamed, there's no way the spell would have let me, and yet, I know whatever startled me happened in my sleep. Thinking back over my memories, I remember going to sleep, nothing, and for a small moment something caught my attention. It was only for a few seconds, but it pierced through my spell, and scared me. But I still wasn't fully conscious at the time, so I never processed what it was. And my dreaming mind couldn't, since no dreams. But what ever it was, it left a lasting trace of fear, enough to startle me when I woke up. I decided I would need to investigate it.

After I completed my stretches, I turned to Index, for some reason he still had his illusion going. "So, did I miss anything important?" I almost regretted asking him, once I saw the excitement go across his face.

"Well, it has been six months since you fell asleep, and I believe I did what you asked perfectly! I got a job, made friends, piled bits together with said friends, started the business, made more bits, expanded, made more bits, invested in other areas, made more bits, and expanded again! We got so big, that other businesses couldn't compete with what we had to over, which started running them out of business, so now we also buy all their products, than sell them on their behalf. With all that's been done, we basically own most of Equestria! I've even started expanding into other countries!"

He isn't going to... no way. "I think you did an excellent job, but just to be clear, I have no intention of taking over Equestrian." Instead of the shocked, or confused expression I had expected, he just tilted his head and pondered.

"Ahh! I get it, you don't want to deal with all the political and royal business, so we'll just be the true power behind the figureheads that the government becomes!" ... umm.

"Hey Index, where did you get the idea of background ruling from?" Please tell me I didn't... never mind I would be fine if this was my fault. It's a good plan after all.

"Well, some ponies accidentally overheard what I was saying about Celestia, and they gave me a card. The card had the address to this old guys basement,-" Damn, might need an Index doll for the next few questions. "- and there was a bar, and food, and a bunch of other ponies who thought like I did!" Oh, maybe I won't need that doll after all.

"So I spent the night talking to them, mostly about Celestia, but also about why they don't like her. Turns out her 'benevolent' ruling style just let's any pony do whatever they want. Like this pony names Black Bramble, he had an expensive deal with this noble. And the noble decides to flake on payment, but Bramble had him sign a contract before hand. But the noble just whines to Celestia and she abolishes it. The common theme throughout the ponies at the place though, is they hate how she rules, and not her. So they all want Celestia to be removed as the ruler, but not harmed in any way.

"So after a few days of meeting with them, they ask me what I plan on doing with my life, and other things. I talked about saving my bits, and the plan you gave me, and they said it wouldn't work. But I told them that my Father said it would, and that you are way older than all of them. They seemed to accept you would have more experience in such things, but they got curious about how old you are. So I told them you were over two-thousand years old, and they laughed at me.

"So I turned off my illusion, and created a doorway into the Library so they could see for themselves. "... what? " They were all so surprised, and they had so many questions. Like who you were, does Celestia know about you, and stuff like that. So I told them about her turning you to stone, giving you the castle, and again about the plan you gave me.

"For some reason they got these giant smiles on their faces, and gave me the bits I needed. When I asked why, they said it was because we were friends. So I started the business with them, they moved into the castle, they built banners and stuff for you, and we got an award from Celestia! But the ceremony for that isn't until a few days from now, oh and twilight won't stop trying to visit you."

I waited for him to continue, but he just looked at me expectantly. After going through the... interesting... information again, I pieced together what he said. I got a cult, he did good, I am rich, he made friends, I have subjects, Index is happy. Oh, and he can create doorways to the Library somehow.

"Well, I am very proud of what you accomplished, but I just wanted to be rich. If your new friends and you want to be the real power in the country though, I wouldn't mind giving you some tips. Make unofficial laws for when conducting business, or anything really, and if someone breaks those laws, you stop giving them business. If the company, still haven't told me the name, is as big as you said, than no one will want to disobey those laws. But again, don't go evil overlord on this. Also I want to set up some ground rules later."

"Thats a great idea! I can't wait to go tell Bramble about it. The company is named Knowledge Inc, see you later!"

(And just like that he's gone. Knowledge Inc though, are you kidding me? I should have told him a name for it. Something cool, like Future industries, or Spirit Tech. Ooh, Spirit Tech, maybe I can change it?) With a sigh, I walked towards the big book. It was time to read about all the magical phenomenon that happened for the last six months. How could this day get any worse?

Ok, so you're probably wondering how someone as old as me, could be dumb enough to think those words. Well, I spent all that time reading, so I don't really have the experience of dealing with 2000 years of life bullshit, I only read about it. And things definitely got worse. Now, before we get into what I read, I know a few readers will complain about exposition. The whole, show don't tell thing. Well, first, this is my journal, fuck you. Second, do you really want me to 'show' you six hours of boring ass reading? I don't think so. I could just do where I only show the interesting parts, ... nah fuck you exposition for the win.

Anyway, while I was asleep a few interesting things happened. First, the tree of harmony sent out a magic pulse into the aether, until it found me. It's been watching me ever since that pulse, and being rationally creeped out by that, I read backwards in the book. Going through till I woke up until than, The Tree had been keeping an eye on me the entire time. And that creeped me out, a lot. If you're to stupid to think what I did, this is what went through my mind.

(Ok so, I have a tree stalking me. Said tree, controls the elements of harmony, or is? The elements protected me from being purged, though I had thought it was an accidentally triggered reaction to the spell being destroyed. If it wasn't, than that tree is sentient, and I owe it my life. If it can send a pulse through the aether, and is sentient, it can go into the aether. Wow, that'd be funny to see. Back on topic me, If it can go into the aether/ send its power through it, than that time bubble from before wouldn't have weakened the elements. If the elements weren't weakened, than the Tree freed me itself. That would mean it had to understand what was happening, or just trust reality that much. Or it could control reality, like a god. All hail the tree god!)

Anyway, that one's the least likely out of the theories. Still though, sentient protective magical super stalker tree. How is this my life? Oh right, I was an idiot. Well, second interesting thing I found, is that literally everything has magic in this world. Every single atom is filled with the stuff, and it leaks into the... (souls?)... souls of all sentient beings. I mean, you already knew that, but I didn't.

And finally, the most important discovery, the one I've been putting off as much as possible. The horrible event, that managed to scare me enough subconsciously it almost broke my spell. The epic terror that haunts my thoughts, that distracts me from all other things. Oh, the horror of what is written, shall be told next time on spirit stalker tree!

I'm kidding, you wouldn't get the reference anyway. So, I'll just spit it out. Something tried to ascend, and somehow they managed to from a half bond with an element they don't represent. Now you probably don't understand how bad that is. See, you can't connect to something, unless it views you as worthy. The lesser things don't give a fuck who connects to them, but things like love and knowledge? If you don't represent it, or it doesn't allow you to, you don't connect to them.

That would be why it's only a half formed connection. Whatever they tried to connect to rejected them, and they tried to overpower it anyway. That has some side effects, like corruption of the self and soul, corruption of mind and magic, insanity, forced malevolence, and eventually suicide. If you are experiencing any of these side effects, please call your local princess so she can put a sword through your neck. Celestia would do it to, there's no saving any being who goes through with it, except for killing them early enough.

And if they haven't been killed by now, since it happened a good three months ago, there isn't anything left to save. The thing that is left is nothing more than a twisted corpse, run on twisted principles, with the desire to see itself and or all life ended. It doesn't care about morals, or ethics, or pain, or anything that might cause something sane to question what they're doing. It won't stop, it won't go away, and it can't be saved. There is nothing that can be done to save it, because the damage to literally everything involving them is so great, the soul moves on as if the body had died. So in reality, you have a powerful empty corpse trying to kill you. Isn't this going to be fun?