Human

by DannyJ

Interlude 6?: A Sudden Shift in Perspective

You open your eyes again to find yourself alone. Welcome back. You were gone for a very long time.

Author's Note:

This place is new to you. Surrounding you on all sides is an empty blackness. It is a void that stretches forever in all directions. Much like Purgatory, this is a realm of endless nothing. For a while, you wonder if that might be exactly where you are, but such a thing is impossible. Even Purgatory had light. Purgatory had a floor. Here, you cannot feel your feet on anything. It is as if you are floating, for you cannot feel the sensation of falling. This place has no gravity either, it seems.

But how did this happen? How did you come to be in this place? You clutch your forehead and try to search your memories. What was the last thing that you...

Oh. That's right. You died. Again.

Your hands drop your side. Now you remember it clearly. They killed you again. You had tried your best to prevent your fate, but it was out of your hands. The higher forces had decided that it was time for you to die again. You did not even think it possible, for you were already a spirit, but it happened. The wave crashed over you, and all that could be perceived was blinding pain. You lost consciousness, and then... you were here.

How sad.

And how unfair too, you think. You did do wrong, and you know that now, but where was your second chance? Was this not a world of hope? Of optimism? A universe built on magic, and friendship, and the innate goodness in all of us? Where was your redemption? Where was your opportunity to show them that you didn't want it to end that way?

No mercy for human beings, it seems. No mercy for monsters.

You drift onto your back, still floating, and curl up into a ball. You hug your own knees and bury your head in your arms. This is your final reward, it seems. The lord of the dead has finally met his end, and now he is left to rot in a dark prison like a corpse. You'd say that it was at least a thematically appropriate fate, but you have no energy left to be snide.

It's strange. You were a god, but you were still never the master of your own destiny. You still never had any free will. Not even you, king of your own ethereal realm, endless and eternal, could decide your future for yourself. If you had only had that one power, the ability to decide and let it be your decision alone, you would have traded everything in the world for it. For a thousand years you slaved away to create a home for every lost soul in universe. You would have given it all up for a chance to be truly free.

Perhaps, you realise, it is that selfishness which is why don't deserve to be free.

Yes, you are selfish. No matter how many years you devoted to the lives and afterlives of others, what was it all for in the end? Did you truly do it because it was the right thing to do?

"Yes. I did it for them. I did it because I cared."

No you didn't. You're lying to yourself. You did it because you were bored, and because you thought that you could escape higher judgement that way. Your most recent death proved that you were wrong about that. You have always been, and still remain, a terrible person. You deserve to be here.

"N-no I don't..." you whisper to yourself as you close your eyes and try to block out the truth.

It is futile though. You know it is true. "Lord First" you called yourself. Truly the name of a humble and penitent soul. Ask yourself then, if you really did make the afterlife what it was out of kindness, then why did you make Hell into such a nightmare? And how can you expect redemption and forgiveness now, when you were the embodiment of harsh justice, cruel punishment, and the absolute rule of law?

As tears roll down your face, you look up again and scream into the void.

"I'M SORRY! I WANT TO TAKE IT BACK, BUT I CAN'T! I WAS NEVER ABLE TO!"

You stretch out again and cover your face with your hands. Though you can see nothing still, your eyes look out from between your fingers, and your screams are muffled by your palms. You feel them getting wet from your crying, and your anguished cries soon become quiet sobbing.

"I was as much a puppet as anyone else," you say. "I never had a choice."

Oh, but you did. A puppet-master can make their toy stab someone in the back, but the puppet itself needs to be carrying a knife first. Much as you like to say you were controlled, the Pantheon could never have made you do anything you weren't already willing and able to do. Anything you want to blame on invisible strings could just as easily have happened without them. And that's the truth of it all. Blame shadowy overlords all you want. It is still you who did all those horrible things.

"Please," you beg. "Someone, anyone, just give me a chance to make it all right again. I'll do anything!"

Anything, you say? That's quite a promise.

You feel something across your face. Something thin and long, like a thread. Actually, you notice a lot of them. As you pull your hands back, you find that the darkness is not quite so oppressive anymore. You can see your own limbs at the very least, and you can perceive your own hands in front of you. Most important though, you can see the strings.

Those invisible strings aren't so invisible anymore. They're tiny, and they give out no light of their own, but you can clearly see them. One at the end of each finger, others at your wrists and elbows, and as you look over the rest of yourself, you notice them around your ankles, knees, waist, and you can feel them on the back of your neck too. They are not tied to you. They are a part of you. They disappear beneath the skin, digging into your very soul.

They have been there ever since you stepped foot in Equestria. These are the strings that took away your precious freedom. Do they sting, Lord First? Are they painful?

"...What are you?" you ask the strings.

It doesn't matter what they are though, for you are a puppet, and you know not to question your masters now. As you stare at the strings for minutes on end, you realise that it no longer matters what you ever thought before, what you ever did, and whose fault any of it was. You wanted redemption? Here it is. Earn your forgiveness through obedience. You are a man of great potential and great power, and you have been rescued from the oblivion of non-existence after what should have been a second and final death. You are now being given that opportunity you begged for.

Any notion of freedom leaves your mind. You don't deserve freedom, you wretched creature. And you acknowledge that now. You have become something so much better than that. Yes, you are not free, but think about it. Now, at least, you are innocent. You committed your crimes, and you were executed for them. Clean slate now. Everything you do from here on out, you do at the bidding of greater powers that you cannot disobey. And through your service, you will be granted peace. You will have your redemption. And whatever you do in the cause of that redemption, your conscience can remain clear.

That is a promise.

"That is a promise... Wait... What am I hearing? Who's talking to me?"

Nobody is talking to you.

"I'm still being controlled... Who is controlling me?"

You stop caring about who is controlling you. Everything is fine. You are done with your previous life, and now it is time to begin a new one.

"Of course..."

You stand up, and your feet find purchase on a cold stone floor this time. The darkness of the void bleeds away, and it becomes bright again. You stand now in a foggy place that could almost be the first circle of Limbo were it not for your inability to connect with it as you did with the afterlife that you once ruled.

You turn around and see a man standing behind you. He is bald, and wears a suit and a pair of glasses. His shoes are a shiny black, and his tie is red. He holds his hands behind his back, his expression completely neutral. You do not recognise him, but you do feel as if you know him. In fact, you do know him.

"You... I know you... You fucking BAST—!"

Halfway through your foolish attempt to assault an omnipotent being, you stop yourself. At that moment, you remember that you are obedient now, and that you have no freedom, and so cannot punch your master. Furthermore, you know that your master is benevolent and kind (far more than you ever were), and that your anger is completely misguided.

You stop, and lower your fist. A great sense of shame overcomes you. How could you have even thought of harming this man? You love him. He is like a father to you. He has given you everything, both the gifts that you had before which you squandered, and the new gifts that you have now which he will generously ensure that you use properly. Why are you so ungrateful?

It is exactly as said earlier. You are a terrible person. But he will help you get better.

"I-I'm sorry, sir..." you stammer out.

The man says nothing, simply turning and walking away through the fog. He beckons you to follow, not turning to look back at you as he does. You feel the strings tighten and pull at you more, dragging you in his direction. You are forced to do as he says and walk after him. It is excruciatingly painful, and every tug rips away what little free will or independent thought you have left. You wonder if you should be resisting it, but then you wonder why you would ever want to do that. Here is what you wanted. Redemption. Penance for your sins. It is wonderful.

You smile as you walk after the other man, willingly now. After being a monster for so long, held on the end of a chain and lashing out at everyone, the leash has tightened, and you are tame again. This is what you were meant to be.

You are truly happy.

END.

Author's Note?:

...

This is the most fucking pretentious thing I've ever done in my life.

Comments

[Curious]

Mindfuuuuuuck!

[Armalite]

I saw the update and I was like, OH SHIT! I quickly glanced at the word count, and was like, OH SHIT!

[LordAlania]

FUCK, If my eyes do not fool me, this is cartoon meta over fanfcition meta. I thought you would do it eventually, but I did not expect this.

[Conscriptor Fabellae]

Huh, Well okay then.

[Slip Kid]

Well, I would normally post an articulate and well thought-out comment, but I'm tired. Therefore, my response reads thus: fucking space aliens mate.

[Florida]

Dick Cheney

[Someother Pony]

This is the most fucking pretentious thing I've ever done in my life.

As long as you acknowledge it.

[DannyJ]

3613975

SEE? IT USES THE SECOND PERSON STYLE TO MAKE THE READER FEEL FIRST'S POWERLESSNESS AND LACK OF CHOICE. ISN'T IT CLEVER? AREN'T I CLEVER? GOD, I'M SO CLEVER. I BET NOBODY EVER THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE HOW SUBTLE I AM.

Please somebody kill me.

[nobodyreallyimportant]

Wat.

...

Wat.

[A Generic Carrot]

3613998
We can't, we have no free will to do so....

[A Generic Carrot]

3613998
We cannot, for we no longer the free will to do so...

[DannyJ]

3614038

Fuck.

[A Generic Carrot]

3614043
Why do I have two comments?

[DannyJ]

3614046

Lag?

[A Generic Carrot]

3614051
yup.

[Brony Pony]

Oh my Celestia... depressing....

[The dead Pixel Brony]

Alright then...

[TheNomad]

Now I know what I'llbe doing for the next 2000 year...

that was a good story! can't wait for more!

[iloveportalz0r]

i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/436/998/e93.jpg

[Alphaetus_Prime]

I am reminded of Ponystuck. I think.

[Knightmare Neko]

3613998
I'll do it when courier's journal is done.

It finally started I'm not killing ya off till its finished.

[OMJay]

I see someone's been playing The Stanley Parable.

[ShortHopLaszer]

3613998

I'm not sure if you were featured before, but you are now!
Kinda funny that this was the chapter that did it.
Take a screenshot of it, if you miss your chance I have one.

Btw, I love your over-the-top, anything-can-happen writing style.

[Inazuma]

Sorry if I sound rude but: WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT????!!!!

[Armalite]

3614779 It's edgy. It's mysterious. It's thought provoking. It's shit.

[DannyJ]

3614751

It happened when the story was first posted, actually. It's just that every time a story previously featured updates, it gets put back in the feature for repeat exposure. How long a featured story stays there after an update depends on how much "heat" it generates. Human reliably stays there for a few hours usually, due to regular comments talking about the update itself, plus a steady stream of a few dozen new favourites every update. My other stories get higher than usual attention in this time as well.

3614779

Dude, I don't even know myself.

[ShortHopLaszer]

3614792

Oh, lol.
Thank you for the explanation.
I've been lurking from my ipod forever and a while ago the feature bar stopped showing up on it.

I believe I stumbled upon your fic when you were on interlude 4 maybe?
Anyways that night I read the whole thing from beginning to then in one sitting.
Very entertaining to say the least.

[Coltsguy]

I feel like things have been skipped.

[Anonymous Jackalope]

This looks promising. Very, very promising.

I hope you do not disappoint.

[RedvsBlue327]

3613944 Maybe the suited man is in league with G-Man. Or prehaps they're buisness competitors.

[Daxisle]

DannyJ

WHY YOU TEASE ME LIKE DIS!?!?!?!

[Inazuma]

3614792

Does this mean no more Human? Does this mean the end of my favorite fic ever?

[Focusphobia]

This has been... Strange.

[Nappa]

And so yet another aspect comes into play. This new human or "puppet-master" seems to be one of the avatars of the Pantheon, as previously mentioned? Or an entirely new factor?

Anyways, you said something about doctor who in a blog post, so I'm predicting that's coming along soon in someway, shape, or form.

[Trihors]

Fuck sake man!

Like, what is this... I don't even...

[hs0003]

Argh, you did something and now it keeps saying that there is a new chapter even though I read this already.

[White Hooves]

So the real villain is the author himself?

[jolan5]

Uwaaaaaah?!?

[meme-asaurus]

3616335

Saw it coming.

[meme-asaurus]

You know what this reminds me of? That one episode of Princess Tutu.
25.media.tumblr.com/5f28f436ebcbe50c5f13f5cf231d5a7b/tumblr_mjiwbawwcX1qjjmdno7_1280.png

[VeeEight]

Whoa wait a second. First was being manipulated, continues to be manipulated then dies again for the umpteenth time. During this entire process he allows himself to get mindjacked? What the actual fuck?

I think I've gotten this completely wrong. I must have.

[Deamon]

O-kaaaaayyy.... I'm guessing this is just something that made it's way into your head and refused to gtfo until you wrote it and isn't actually canon?

If not, what. First was last seen running away from Mystic, why would he be dead. Let's just hope it involved mass pony death.

Also, nice trick putting it in the Author's Note, had me thinking it was just an announcement when I saw the word count.

[steampvnc1880]

Man, the Stanley Parable really clued me into the concept of malevolent narrators and Free Will (or lack thereof). This gave me chills.

[Shanenator]

...Huh. Well I'm confused now. I also want to see how First died. I find it interesting that you tell us he died before actually showing us how it happened (fuck "show, don't tell" right?). I guess all I can really say is that I'm eager for this to update!

3614381 i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag40/Shanenator777/sweetiebeautiful.jpg

[Darkrainb0wdash]

3614779
Well, you see... it's all because the white lantern ring is a jack ass.

[Garion]

I hope you choke on your own dick and die Danny you pretentious piece of shit

[DannyJ]

3622333

Oh yeah. Talk dirty to me, slut. Tell me I'm a bad boy.

[Garion]

3622340
You are a very naughty boy.
So naughty that you can't play CIV with me and Spiffy tonight

[DannyJ]

3622365

WAIT OH GOD NO WHAT'S THE SAFE WORD I FORGOT

[Garion]

3622368
You are why I drink so much.
Its so I die an early grave and forget you