---- Cognizance----
We strive to learn, but for what purpose?
Twilight Sparkle, a lavender unicorn of an enormous magical and scholarly potential that earned her both the title of the Element of Magic as well as the title of the Keeper of the Archives, softly turned a page of her well-worn volume of The Elements of Harmony: A Study of Mares and Friendship and sighed. It was neither the faded ink on the page nor the tiny rips in paper near the spine of the book that caused her huff of breath, but rather the boredom that gripped her mind. Another page crackled as it was turned by her weary hoof.
As the last word had been read by the librarian, she gently closed the book and set it down on her bedside table. She looked over to the small writing desk that was nearly hidden away between the many bookshelves and towers of literature that spanned from the floor to the ceiling. A slightly younger version of herself appeared there, writing diligently on stiff pieces of parchment that would then, after the very last concluding paragraph was written, go on to become the very book she had just finished reading.
Her words of excitement at completing her first professional work drifted up from memory as if they were submerged in water. ”Yes! My very first book is finally done! I hope my friends like it too!” Of course, they had only shown a limited interest common of those who lacked her enthusiasm for the dullest of subjects. However, in the scholarly setting of Canterlot, she had a blast of popularity that drew her into the spotlight, prompting her to continue in her studies of magic.
Her tired eyes passed over the other leather-bound volumes that she had written. The usual spark of eagerness when faced with the prospect of reading didn’t ignite inside the purple unicorn as the golden letters on their spines glittered up at her. Instead, she felt a strange weariness, as if something was pulling at her heart. She reached out with her magic and pulled a slightly worn volume out from between the grip of two others.
“The Failings of the Griffon Empire.” The title rolled off her tongue as she slowly opened the book, its leather cover cracking as it yielded to her its secrets. Of course, she had already read this book many times before. In merely a few seconds she tossed it aside and pulled another before her. “The Study of Anthropology. I think Lyra always liked to borrow this one, but no.” She quickly flicked through the pages with her magic before throwing the book atop the other. “No.” Tiring of her meticulous search, she lifted the entire stack into a circle around her, slowly spinning them so she could read each of their passing titles.
“Wonderbolts: A Study of the Pegasi’s Physical Limits. No.”
“Cooking is Magic. Why do I even have this still? I don’t even cook.”
“Rainbow Blasts. I was there when Rainbow Dash did the Sonic Rainboom, I don’t need to read about it.” The pile of discarded books swiftly grew, as did her frustration.
“No, no, no, NO” She cast a wave of power outward as she set her frustration free. Each of the heavy volumes thudded against the walls and floor as she stamped her hooves on the ground. “I have all of these books but nothing to read!” She kicked one of the cast-off tomes and winced when a flash of pain seared across her hoof. “Ouch! Note to self: don’t kick books.” She limped over to the door of her personal library and out into the castle corridor.
Once outside, she pushed magic into her horn and conjured a glowing platform made of pulsing light. After she stepped onto it, the magical device took off down the hallway. Within moments she was jumping onto the cobblestones outside of the Royal Archives. “There’s got to be something to read in here.” Her heart thudded in her chest as she slowly brushed her hoof against the large doors that creaked loudly as she pushed them open.
The sight that greeted her was enough to make her body flood with warmth. The ancient volumes of knowledge peeked down to her from towering bookshelves that were nearly as tall as the Town Hall in Ponyville. She trotted past the numerous ‘A’ section books and soon was passing the ‘B’s. Her gaze swiftly moved over the strong backs of the books with their titles shining bright in the sunlight that filtered in through the windows high above, the particles of dust filtering in and out of the radiant rays. By the time she had gotten to the ‘U’ section, her frustration had reached a boiling point. “I don’t believe this! I’ve read all of these too!? Ugh!”
Her hooves thudded hollowly against the tiles as she galloped to the back of the library, where the lonely books that were unfortunate enough to begin with the letter 'Z' sat with dust completely covering them. She cast a cleaning spell and coughed slightly as the cloud of newly freed dust blew into her face. Her eyes frantically scanned up and down the rows of neatly placed volumes, searching for something, anything, that she hadn't read already. Her heart fell through the floor as her gaze touched the cold, dark stone of the walls.
“I… I’ve read… all of them.” Her hoof lifted slowly to brush one of the ancient books. “Every last one!” Suddenly the book she was touching was on the floor as she cast it aside in rage. “All of them!” Tears welled up and overflowed as she knocked more of the volumes onto the floor, her anguished sobs being lost to the echoing thuds they made as they hit the tiles. “I’ve read them all! There’s no point to them being here anymore!” Her horn flashed with a blinding light as she cast an igniting spell onto the yellowed paper. She watched with unseeing eyes as the blazing books slowly turned into ash before her.
“Twilight Sparkle!” The affronted and commanding voice of Princess Celestia filled her ears. “What are you doing?” A golden aura surrounded the books, smothering the fire and repairing the damage it had done. Twilight hung her head so that she could only see the hooves of the Princess that she had been the pupil of for so many years before. “Come with me.” Before Twilight could say anything, a yellow sheet of magic wrapped itself around her. Its warmth was similar to that of a fresh ray of sun breaking through a blanket of clouds as it pulled her down into the familiar feeling of teleportation.
