*Takes place before Season One*
After a chance encounter with Lyra Heartstrings, Twilight Sparkle finds the lost journal of Starswirl the Bearded. Princess Celestia warns her not to read it, for it was a work that drove him mad. However, it promises to reveal to her a secret that she had obsessed over for years that has powerful magical and philosophical implications, the Meaning of Life.
Even as she starts to learn about friendship, Twilight delves deeper into the secrets of the tome. An ancient being begins showing her visions in her sleep—visions of the secrets of the world.
Can her friendship and her sanity survive discovering the Meaning of Life?
Chapters (8)
I am surprised at how amazing this is! This should be on the front page l, far better than a lot of the stories I have read that appears on it!
Though for a story this good, I think you need better cover art. I like it for what it is, but people will pass this story by just by looking at how simple the cover is... sad but true. And this deserves attention!
I hope to see an update soon! Because I'm loving it!
6181112
Thank you for the praise.
Cover art's always been a problem for me. I can't draw that well myself, and I can't afford to commission any. While I did draw some art for the story, I thought it was too dark and might put some people off.
{Image redacted}
If you can think of anything better, please let me know.
6181738 hmm, I'll look around and see if I find anything that could be good.
Your image is good but, I think it may be a little spoiler heavy....
Hmm...
A Lyra and Twilight ship?
You have my attention sir.
6182080
I suppose you're right. I don't think anyone could guess the direction the story is going, but I don't want them to feel spoiled.
Interesting start, I'll be keeping an eye out.
Somehow I had no idea that this updated... but it's still great! I hope it updates again soon... and maybe next time I'll notice...
ugh... lunch just ended for me...
Woot! Great chapter liked 'the date' loved the gift guess Lyra found the best way to get Twilight's attention (not that it was hard), can't believe this fic hasn't caught on yet the writing is really well done. Thanks for Writing!
6261418
Thank you very much. Yeah, the story's gotten a pretty lukewarm reception, and that's pretty discouraging. I just wish I had more comments like yours. A single well thought-out comment is worth more to me than a thousand likes. Oh well. I'll have 2 more chapters to this story at least, guaranteed (since I wrote them over a year ago). Hopefully more.
Really enjoying this so far, and definitely looking forward to where it goes from here. Twilight being so oblivious about Lyra's motives was hilarious, and the kiss was adorable. Keep up the good work!
...Interesting...
Lovely, I hope to see more of this soon!
An interesting start to the story looking at the time of Clover the Clever and Starswirl the Bearded. Starswirl is an obvious Socrates parallel as a philosopher, which makes it all the more intriguing how a pony we know as a master spell creator should meet his end in such a manner. That last line is a bit of a tease, though, given that it implies he wasn't around anymore when his executors showed up to feed him poison, meaning his last spell made him disappear entirely.
Of course, we know the meaning of life, the universe and everything nowadays. It's 42, of course
And of course, in the FiMverse, it's just a theory disproven by Sunflanks, right?!
She was going to do a report initially on Changelings, but her teacher rejected that as being too ludicrous
'Accident', eh? Sounds like Twilight logic in the pursuit of reading forbidden knowledge.
I absolutely adore Lyra here, mainly because she's just the right combination of adorable, adorkable and the bearer of insane troll logic as the tropes would call it.
Celestia is in full-out troll mode that early in the morning
One always wonders in these sort of fics just how much Celestia actually knows about what Twilight is up to and investigating, and how much she just goes along with the flow as long as Twilight doesn't summon an Elder God down onto Canterlot. It did take Spike summoning her to show up right away to Ponyville in Lesson Zero, after all.
I love Lyra's performance, as well as the Maud Pie cameo (and of course most ponies find her a riot!). Twilight prior to actually getting out and making friends is completely adorkable at how socially awkward she is as always, and Lyra's happy-go-lucky-and-sometimes-crazy personality is refreshing. I'm actually a little bit surprised though, given how Twilight has noted her obsession with Starswirl (at least in reading all his eleven prior books in his anthology and springing to read his unpublished twelfth), that neither Lyra or Spike or herself for that matter have pointed out that maybe there's something to his stories about humans as well. Instead it'll take some time to knock her out of her rigid set of beliefs
I actually had to go back to Chapter One and look at the title of the book there. It seems weird to me that the book should have a 'New Equestrian Translation' given that it's obviously not a published book with only one known copy (two, if what Lyra has is a duplicate instead of stolen from the Starswirl wing), so it seems odd that it would get an actual translation from Ye Olde Equestrian.
Twilight at the end gets pretty darn creepy.
At this rate, she'll end up plowing through the combined works of Neightzsche
6352239
Yep! In this story, Starswirl is a parallel of Socrates, and Clover is a parallel of Plato. There's a lot of Western Philosophy (as well as a little Eastern) in this story, and I thought it would be interesting to make that connection.
6352347
Just wait until she thinks she's getting close to figuring it out!
6352464
You haven't been reading my story notes, have you?
6352630
This question will be looked at in further chapters. In this universe, Starswirl lived about 2500 years before present, when they spoke the Classical language. The princesses were born 2000 BP, when they spoke old Equestrian (hence Luna's Royal Canterlot dialect). MoM part 12 was put out of print about 500 BP, which is the copy that Twilight got a hold of. (Keep in mind that I wrote this story before the season 4 finale, where it was established that the princesses lived at the same time as Starswirl)
While Twilight did admire Starswirl, she didn't idolize him so much that she's read everything there is to know about him, and humans weren't even mentioned in the previous eleven volumes, which were written before he started going crazy.
6352768
Alright, you've definitely been going through my notes.
Nihilism is one of the main focuses of the story, and in many ways. Twilight's life here follows Nietzsche's own. In fact, in my first draft, the first thing that we can see Twilight do is read Neightzsche's "Also Sprach Zarathustra".
I was incredibly thrilled when I saw all your well thought out comments. Really, comments are the only thing that allows me to truly gauge how the readers feel about the story. The like bar and favorites don't really mean too much to me, and I'd rather have one comment like yours than a thousand likes.
In fact, I think I'm going to finish editing the next chapter right now.
Okay, I admit your comment from earlier did make me somewhat curious about this story. So I started reading, and from what I saw, I decided to go on. Now it's 4 am, and I'm not even completely done. Lord help me.
Anyway, to get this out of the system right away, there's been a few smaller mistakes I noticed. Chapter 1:
The first comma shouldn't be there. Or that's supposed to be it's instead of is. Not sure which one.
Chapter 2:
*word
Chapter 3:
*our
That about does it on the negative side, though. Apart from these, there's really not that much to criticize. You've got an incredibly spot-on description of Twilight, including all of her antics. The way you've portrayed this descriptive, inner monologue of hers, especially when dealing with the freakouts she keeps having is something I haven't seen at this level ever since finishing Hard Reset a while ago. I'm thinking highly of that story, so that's gotta mean something.
I definitely enjoyed the idea of including all these bits and pieces from different philosophers. Can't really go on about the interpretation of their work because, truth be told, I'm only vaguely familiar with most of the originals. The romance bit looks convincing and well-executed so far, I'll be looking forward to see how that develops. Which it probably will, judging from the story tags.
All in all, it's a well-written story, which I will happily continue to read. The prologue looked like it could need a few final touches language-wise, but that's probably just me being overly critical in the beginning. I'll read the remaining two chapters as soon as I have the time, but I like what I'm seeing so far.
Twilight... You just unknowingly made it official...
Hope you are ready for another kiss!
And I hope for another update!
This is amazing, keep up the great work!
As soon as I read the first four words, without even needing to read the second sentence, I instantly knew what this was a reference to. I'm just that good!
Interestingly enough, while most people associate Plato with the story, it may have been Socrates who originated it, as he is the narrator in The Republic. However, The Republic was published well after Socrates' death, so it could have been Plato who thought it up in the first place.
It seems a little bit weird to me to read Twilight here. Typically the fandom perception of her as a bookworm is to equate her with being well-read in everything, including symbolism and of course philosophy. There's some evidence to this by lines in the show, but it's fairly weak evidence overall, so her as a mare who only knows magic, science, history, in other words hard facts is still within the realm of feasibility.
Lyra seems to be just about the perfect foil to Twilight (of course, given she only really had a role in Slice of Life, and very minor roles in the first episode and A Canterlot Wedding, we can make her personality whatever we want!). Where Twilight is introverted, Lyra is extroverted, and how! There's myriad documentation on how people living in big cities tend to be more pushy (not quite rude, just more in a hurry) than those living in smaller areas; this effect becomes more profound in Western cities or cities that become Westernised, as they literally walk faster. Lyra is a perfect example of what a city like Canterlot that is presumably large, being a capital, would do. Twilight, staying in the palace most of the time, wouldn't be affected anywhere near as much and her introverted status makes sense and somehow I got off track with this comment all of a sudden.
I do wonder though if that fourth chapter in the unpublished book had an attempted translation, and the pony translating it went mad in the process.
Obviously another branch shop of the same chain that opened Quills and Sofas in Ponyville. I imagine somewhere there's a shop called 'Quill Ink Pots and The Blood of the Damned for Evil Summoning Rituals', and for all those crazy RPG adventurers, another shop somewhere at the end of the world called 'Parchment and Weapons So Good They Have to be Sold at the End-Game Shop in the Middle of Nowhere Instead of the Capital of the World'
6354502 Having written fanfics before, I make it a part of my philosophy to leave comments on every chapter I read. I know how much of a brief dopamine rush it is to see a new comment or review. Sometimes it's just a few lines, sometimes it's a lot longer. I encourage you to pay it forward when you can! or maybe pay it back since I barely get any myself...
6352347
Oh I can just picture that conversation.
What's funny is that the Matrix is just a Hollywood version of Plato's cave.
I do hope Twilight is careful, not everyone can handle enlightenment. It drove me mad.
6355498
Thanks for keeping an eye out for the corrections. I have to proofread my own stuff, and sometimes things slip through the cracks. Oops.
Thanks for the words of praise. Honestly, I just happened to see your story above mine on the front page, and thought the coincidental wording was funny. Afterward, I kind of worried that it would seem like I was advertising my story unsolicited. Thanks for reading, and especially for your thoughts.
6356631
I honestly forget what happens when they watched the comet, I wrote that part so long ago.
...
Oh yeah. Neat.
6357000
Thanks again for commenting. After I published my second story on Fimfic to no comments, I decided that I wouldn't subject anyone to the same disappointment I had gotten. From then on, I comment on every story I read. The author may not particularly have desired my comments, as if I think negatively, I'll say it, but criticism is better than nothing. I can't really do every chapter without dying, as I've definitely read over a thousand of them so far. I have to salute your resolve.
As far as that tiny text that I can't read with my 20/160 vision... I'm pretty picky about the synopses of the stories I read. In fact, I'm having trouble finding any more. I'll take a look at your stories in particular, and they look like something I might be into, they'll be at the top of my list.
I would try to explain the whole issue with Twilight apparently not knowing the contents of other books about Starswirl...but in all honesty, it's a mistake on my part. The beginning of chapter one, as it is now, is just a short blurb from Twilight about how she's obsessed with the meaning of life after reading about how Starswirl discovered it. In the original intro that I had written, which is about 2K words long, she discusses how she first became obsessed with the question, and only learned later in chapter one that Starswirl had already discovered it. This would be why she isn't completely read in the classics.
I had decided that having Twilight talk about something that happened in the past right after a prologue that happened in the past might confuse readers, so I abandoned that subplot. This of course lead to this plot-hole. Good job for spotting it. I might try to explain it away later, but I try to be honest with my readers, the same way I hope they're honest with me, so this is the real reason.
I'd like to thank you again for all the comments. In truth, you might have saved the story. I tend to get really bummed out when I release a chapter with no response whatsoever, which is what happened to chapter four, and you motivated me to publish the fifth one. I got a pretty good response to this chapter, so I'm definitely going to keep going, at least for now.
6359150
Does Twilight seem careful to you when it comes to learning knowledge?
6362708
Whelp, she's screwed.
Great story, can't wait to see what happens next.
6362615 Don't mention it. If any, this story is definitely worth being advertised, and I didn't regret taking a look at it.
Plus, I appreciate the joke. Honestly? I'm pretty sure I'd have done the same.
I like it. It's a cute story. I'd be interested in seeing where it goes.
6382670
Keep in mind that the dark tag is there for a reason. It's going to start getting dark in about 2-3 chapters.
I've been reading and enjoying the story for the 'Romance' tag mostly but I can see the set up for some 'Dark' I'm definitely sticking around you've captured my interest.
So far, so good! I do hope that Twilight allows their friendship to grow...
orig07.deviantart.net/00b9/f/2011/287/3/2/jd___that__s_what_she_said_by_leeroysmx357-d4ct9db.jpg
Aw, that ending. It's nice to see Twilight opening up, even if is just a little and with great reluctance lol.
And I'm very interested in seeing what happens next. :)
I hope you keep going, an interesting pairing alongside philosophical topics has definitely got my interest.
Yes please continue writing :)
Though, this is dialogue and he's drunk, so it's okay.
You know, when I first read the description, I thought Lyra was actually going to be an immortal Clover the Clever who had decided to live a simple life and initially fell in love with Twilight because of her similarities with Starswirl. The mind can jump to all sorts of odd conclusions, and now I really want to see that story.
Anyway, happy writing; this is interesting so far.
Am I... AM I STILL INTERESTED? HELL YEAH I AM!
It's still getting more and more interesting!
So... You better keep this story coming!
Can't just leave it here... That's not a conclusion...
I'm watching you... So this better update...
I guess so.
If this chapter hadn't ended the way it had with Twilight finally realising Lyra's feelings, I was going to suggest we could get some slapstick comedy, where as Twilight and Lyra continue going out for events and everyone knowing about Lyra and Twilight's relationship but for Twilight.
Then Twilight could finally realise the Meaning of Life, but because she's friends with 'that crazy mare who believes in those ape things' nopony takes her seriously until after she dies.
Or something. Then it could loop back around to an equal-but-opposite situation of Saint Equinas, in that she would be forgotten while she lived but her research remembered and finally accepted and celebrated after she died.
Alas, it is a shame that stories cannot spring like Athena, fully formed, from thy head and ready for reading.
I shall wait patiently for thine next chapter.
6386093
He wasn't actually drunk, just star-struck. But I'll make sure to keep an eye out so far as the jealousy-envy distinction knowing you're around...
And Clover is definitely dead. The disappearance of Starswirl was enough to make it into the history books, so if his student disappeared too, it would have definitely drawn interest. I like your story idea, but that's not the direction this one is going.
6389856
Ahh! Okay, I'm writing, I'm writing! (2.5k words so far...)
No you're not.
6395975
That's an interesting idea. If I were writing a comedy, that'd be a pretty sensible way to go about it. However, this story is very much "Dark" first, "Romance" second. The comedy and lightheartedness I've put into the story so far is there to provide an emotional anchor for the first half, to provide a contrast for the sadder, darker second half.
Sorry if the story isn't what you were hoping for. I hope you continue to read it...
6397714
Like Athena? As in a complete pile of papers spewing forth from a hole in my forehead, covered in blood and afterbirth? I think I like this way better.
6405665 ok yeah you are right in that I'm not "watching" you... But I am watching for an update! But now that you confirm that you are writing more of this means that I can wait for it. As long as I know you are writing I'm fine. lol
NOW... I must sleep! Goodnight!
6405688
Delightfully twisted. I like how you think.
I suppose all the gore would make it difficult to read. If only I wasn't stuck in linear time, I could read faster than authors could write... oh wait, I already do.
This Twilight would get along great with a certain Souske Sagara from "Full Metal Panic". They are both completely oblivious to social interactions.
Loving this story, even though Twilight seems to be getting railroaded into a future shotgun wedding.
I'm curious though, Is the meaning of life something truly powerful in this world? Or is it the equivalent to a really great recipe for toast? I'm sure I will learn in time.
Yay! I love this story! I think I say that every time....
Anyway, at least she is starting to realize that she likes Lyra!
I like how she says things without realizing that it could be rude! Lol that's how I have always imagined her, and poor poor Lyra.... She needs to remember that Twi is new to this whole thing!
6439843
More important than what the meaning of life turns out to be is what it means to Twilight. This is what she's chosen her life to pursue. Whether it turns out to bear fruit, or whether she's found something more meaningful than what she pursues, or even if that more meaningful thing is indeed more meaningful philosophically, is what's important. Whether Twilight still feels vindicated after discovering the meaning of life is yet to be seen.