Nightmirror

by MostBrainWhyYes

The Obstacle

It has been one week since I have read the transcription I have made of the ancient book within Azatrot's ruins.
Things have changed.

I decided to do a spell from within the book to access this realm. I do not know what has possessed me aside from curiosity or if anything has indeed possessed me but I remain unable to stray from my course. Perhaps it is destiny~ hehe. But this is extremely anxious.

I see myself in a mirror, suddenly she turns and moves into the mirror behind her and I am drawn to her. The spell is designed similarly to a reverse channeling, instead of summoning a spirit or energy, it sends. I am in this odd realm I think I read of previously. But I must! Idk what draws me to her, to follow her but I am and will. Like a stranger who left a purse you want to return as they keep walking through different places, following is naught but an instinct at this point. I step into the mirror as she does and I see her step through the mirror.

She, I, or we, idk, this could be a projection of the subconscious of my desire for curiosity. Ah! The mirror is thick and flexible like a bubble but heavy. She is too. I don't have hooves? Well it makes sense, maybe my mind wouldn't have hooves, or my soul. I must follow Twilight. But my senses feel amplified, I can feel in all directions and everything is so nauseatingly detailed, gravity my mind is telling me exists but then when I recall a levitation spell even without attempting to cast it gravity corrects itself, and I never look away from Twilight. I follow.

"The sensations are almost too much, but because of mental preparations working I could ease myself perhaps." Twilight walks around drawn to another mirror. She has trepidation and some anxiety, but her confidence swiftly returns through her determination and resolve bursting and overflowing her spirit with power. As she dips her head into the mirror it clings like unexpected thorough affection but distorts her perceptions kaleidoscopically and the affection reels her in and she feels lost in a void. In a void all you can do is look to yourself. The eyes appearing must be a subconscious projection of the self! This realm is currently tied to psychological priming, its not a realm, then? Disappointment. Hm, it can be used for extensive learning tho. But I must clear my thoughts with the methods Zecora taught me before.

She meditates and casts a reveal spell once her mind is perfectly tranquil. It reveals two things, her subconscious desire for knowledge, and, much further away another presence which is revealed to objectively not be of herself. While it is merely the front of the presence with a mind that's foreign it could really be anything, besides an illusion. Because if a person never sees a tiger nor hears of a tiger before and sees only a patch of its fur theres not enough information to conclude what it is. But this feels vast ancient powerful knowledgable. Its tempting me to get closer but I don't see why not.

I float over and a sense of overwhelmingness hits me as I realize its much further away and larger than I thought. A faint color of humor appears in the bottom right corner of it.

"Uhhh, hi!" Its presence easily dwarfing in size the image of Canterlot Castle to my filly self.

"I am the being of which knowledge you seek." Images of libraries and such appear before, causing Twilight to question if the spell was truly accurate. But its never been wrong before, its a high unicorn spell!

"Isn't.. this is a bit convenient?" Silence.

"Tell me the secret to this world!"

"Forty two." Ugh it references that.

"Wait a minute. I must be entirely revealed to such a massive presence as yourself in spirit. So you show me only things you know tend to tempt me!"

"..Yes."

"Why?"

"For your convenience."

"Its not convenient, and you gave a joke answer, frankly I don't think I can trust you!"

"I can teach you a new spell." Twilight scrunches up her face, she definitely wants to know a new spell, but she came here to clear up mysteries, like how did they even have greater magic potential and why did it vanish? This presence is large it may know what it is.

"...Very well tell me how to perform this new spell and what it does." If the spell isn't new or doesn't do what it insists then I cannot trust it.

"Here is the spell circle you must invoke and must invoke it with feelings of knowledgability clarity and sensation of bringing clarification." It shows a massively complex circle, and it'd take me ages to make! My determination burns brighter than my doubt though. The colors in the presence shift, then I realize I almost forgot to test the spell or ask what its supposed to do and just nearly cast it mentally without asking. I look up at it suspiciously.

"What does it do?"

"Its a spell that will satisfy you."

That's peculiarly worded.. It could sate hunger. It could reveal the knowledge which I seek. It could pacify me to lose all curiosity!

Its colors shift anxiously. "Look a red herring!" Its presence shifts revealing dozens of lifetimes of information that appeal to base instincts that I don't consciously reject. My goodness. Erotic novels, good coffee in the morning, new releases to literally every book I memorized, brother congratulating me. The feeling I got when I was accepted into Celestia's school when I got my cutie mark. Images of me being a deity, me living out romances, all kinds of questions like how does Pinkie Pie or Discord defy physics and all kinds of answers for all of those that just barely leave the primary detail out of grasp like coming close to bliss but it keeps teasing you causing you to want it even more because its so close in reach.

But this is all too good. Plus it said red herring, it was getting flustered, can I honestly even pressure something with such a massive mind? I suppose larger minds take more time to move its individual components making my brain extra efficient or something? Idk. Or soul, whichever it is.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nope cannot tell you~."

"Why not?"

"Can't say, obviously." PFFFF.

Now I am frustrated, but retain my cleverness as I think of ways to make it reveal itself, objectively, not a chance to provide an illusion. But it could all be an illusion usually, except for the consequences of the events and I know anti-mind-washing spells since the Chrysalis events. I mentally prepare 23 spells, but fancily prepare 42 instead just to taunt the presence that I will succeed from being meticulous. It seems smaller now relative to my spirit. Perhaps more of my brain cells or magicyte cells are triggering at once. It doesn't seem like an authority, it doesn't seem like its presence dictates indirect courses of actions to prevail. Time to be direct!

"Forgive me but I am a species that would literally die without magic in the world, if that fuel is running out because of something here I need to know and release anymore that I can!" Overflowing with magical spirit Twilight overshadows this being.

"I am unable to do any further at this juncture. Just know I am naught but a part of 'The Presence' which you internally refer to me as. You would find out sooner or later. But some things cannot be as readily conveyed in words. You cannot imagine what you are getting into, nor comprehend."

"I reject your notion of a lack of ability to comprehend or imagine! I have many tools at my disposal and you won't hinder intelligence any further! appealing to basic instincts!? Please its something we have seen before, you insult my intelligence, no, the intelligence of my species! Sure we have Derpy, but we also had Starswirl and many others." Twilight regains composure. "This might be goodbye." In more ways than one. She releases her massive pent up magic filling the entirety of the void.

It transforms from the release of this magnitude of magic.