Title:           Titleless
Author:          Lucyne
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/QwStfW3k
First Edit:      Tuesday 1st of July 2014 06:18:39 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Tuesday 1st of July 2014 06:18:39 PM CDT

Lucyne's eyes open to the sight of the grey fog around here, the slight, familiar sound of static filling her ears with soft murmurs. Her misty blue eyes blink slowly as realization sinks in.
 
She is dead.
 
The lost soul tries to speak, but can only stammer, tries to think, but can only fumble, tries to walk, but can only stumble. She is dead, and she knows it, and before her, stands her reaper.
 
She had seen him before. The tall, bizarre caricature of a pale grey white humanoid. 9 feet tall, with a lithe yet powerful physique to match, the large, bulbous, infinitely deep black eyes of the Other stare down at her. Over his shoulder strung the bow to cause infinite destruction, on his belt the harp to cause infinite healing, behind his eyes the mind to solve infinite problems. She had seen this one before, heard his golden harp play. Exactly...
 
"One year." the mint mare says a bit louder than intended. "It has been one year..."
 
And then she begins to chuckle a bit. The chuckle evolves into a giggle, growing progressively louder and more frantic as it becomes a bellowing laughter, all under the unmoving watch of her grim reaper.
 
"Hahaha! One year! You came to take what I owe you, huh? How cliche can you be?!" Lucyne laughs hysterically, doubling over onto her stomach in laughter, "My time is up! My time is up! And now you're here to take what is yours! Hahaha!"
 
The godlike observer remains still. A true, true sense of enjoyment, even pride swelling in the mint mare's chest at her ability to even in this dour situation, before death itself, to have the last laugh. Of course, she only had such because he allowed her to, but she needn't know that. He allows her to have her laugh for a few moments longer, waiting for the sense of dread and memories to slowly creep into her mind.
 
"Haha...a year...and now it's over, huh? You gave me this year...all this time..." her voice begins before it starts to falter, memories beginning to intrude on her last stand.
 
Her friends, her family, all the things she still had left to do in life. Did Rain ever know she truly loved her? Or for that matter, did Quicksilver? Or Cherenkov? Or Able? Or Honey? What would happen to her friends now? What of all she still wanted to do...to say...no this isn't real.
 
"This is a dream! All a dream! You aren't real! You can't hurt me!" the mare cried a bit more desperately and less heroic than she wanted to. "Y-You can't take me away! I'll wake up tomorr..." She begins to trail off as she remembers she does not dream.
 
She stands up on wobbly legs, beginning to sweat and shake a bit "N-No! You can't do this! You have no right to take a life! You can't do this! You can't! Get away from me! Get away!" she cries loudly, images of her past assaulting her integrity.
 
Her reaper stands still unmoving, no reaction at all, as if he were a statue.
 
"Answer me!" Lucyne shouts with all her might "What do you want? I'll do whatever you want!" she calls, reaching the third stage of grief. "I-I already gave you everything...don't you still want to keep me alive for a while longer? I-I can be useful! Or entertaining! That's what you fey want, right? I can do that! I can stop being such a mess!" she speaks frantically, "I'll get my act in order, I'll do my jobs from now on, I'll be the perfect worker, lover, friend, entertainer! I can do all of that! I'll start right away when I get home, right away!"
 
Still, the pale judge remains unmoving.
 
Shaking, the mare collapses, covering her head in her hooves, holding back tears "Please, please no, please, I'm not ready yet, I can't go yet, it's too early. I have so much left to do, please..." she sobs quietly "Please...give me one more chance...one more chance, I can be better...What do you want from me?"
 
The poor soul shakes and looks up to the grand deific figure looming above her, his pure black eyes still regarding her motionless. She cannot bring out a single word, just shaking uncontrollably and looking up to her silent judge in pained anticipation.
 
"What do you want me to do..." she stammers out after a few minutes of regaining her strength.
 
 
"Stay awhile and listen."
 
No words were spoken, yet it was understood. Lucyne's mouth clamps shut immediately, and she slowly stumbled up onto her feet, too afraid to ask what was happening. The judge extends one of his long, spindly, ghostly hands in a beckoning motion.
 
"Come, it is time you learn of the Others."
 
Lucyne had no choice but to obey, breathing slowly to stabilize her gait and silently following after her Charon. As they walked through what seemed like empty space, it seems like years and years passed by. Decades and decades, yet she knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. As they walked, scenery begins to materialize. Trees, and grass, and flora of lurid colors bathed in golden light. She knows this land, she had been here before. This is the Ghost Leaf forest, where the land of the beyond crosses with the world of mortals.
 
Her guide walks slowly and guided, her emotions seemingly calmed. She is not quite sure if the calming was her own doing, or simply the wish of the Other with the golden harp. She questions it not, but curiously eyes her surroundings. And, to her surprise, she begins to see...more creatures such as her ferryman. All similar yet...different. Some were a bit taller, some a bit smaller. Some had bows, some had spears. She saw no other with a harp.
 
She walked truly amongst gods, whatever ego she had crushed by the sheer power she felt radiating from every single of these creatures, her mind not crushed solely due to the sponsor from the creature with the harp. A single of these godlike beings, nigh omnipotent. Her mind cannot begin to fathom the incomprehensible might this folk must command together. As they walk, some notice them, some seem to even take passing interest, many don't. Yet...something is...off.
 
The creatures around here are no doubt beyond her ability to comprehend, yet still they seemed...dull. Most languished around with little to no movement, others seemingly running meaningless errands over and over again. She contains her curiosity as they walk, but a particular of these odd creature catches her eye.
 
A single Other lay beneath a tree, looking up towards the sky. But a tree grows above him, and it's thick leaves completely block his sight, and prevent the golden sunlight from warming his body. For some reason, this puzzles her to no end...and before she knows it, from her mouth slips the words:
 
"What is he doing?"
 
While she feels she should feel terror...she doesn't. Almost as if that was what she was supposed to do. The pale guide stops and turns his head to the Other beneath the tree.
 
"They wait till one day perhaps the tree will move aside and allow the light to reach them."
 
Lucyne ruffles her nose at such an answer.
 
"But...why doesn't he just move out of the tree's shade if he wants to lay in the sun? Or even just cut down the tree? If anything, waiting beneath the tree will only have the branches and leaves grow wider and thicker, it makes no sense." she asks calmly, watching the shaded Other.
 
"They do not, because they lack the spirit. And they may not."
 
The mint mare again looks a bit confused. But they are so mighty why would...She has no time to ponder this question though as her guide has already moved on. Her eyes gaze over many other such creatures that seem engaged in odd tasks. A lone Other catches her eye, armed with a mighty spear, which he plunges into a tiny stream in an attempt to catch fish. To her surprise though, not far down the stream, lays a gigantic lake, quite likely brimming with fish. Again, she cannot contain her curiosity and asks:
 
"Why does he not move down to the lake? He has surely fished out whatever tiny fish he could catch in that stream."
 
"Because it is what they know. Once, they had caught the grandest of all fish therein, and now they wish to try forever to recapture such a fish. And they may not."
 
Her confusion only increases as she hears this. Surely he could catch a big fish much easier at the lake, was someone forbidding him from fishing in the lake? What could be so powerful to impose rules on these gods?
 
Her thoughts are torn away again as they continue their trek. Many more Other pass her view, and it seems almost as if none were engaging in much activity at all, but she does spot one odd sight. A small group of Others, sitting in a circle, backs turned to the rest, passing around a small object from one to another. Her mind can make no heads or tails of what they might be up to, and by now feeling more secure, asks her teacher:
 
"What are they doing?"
 
"They are sharing a burden. Together as a group, it is easier to bare."
 
The pony's mind makes a few loops. What could burden creatures this mighty?
 
"Why do they turn the backs on the others? Why not share the burden amongst everyone?" She asks instead.
 
"Because they may not."
 
The thoroughly confused soul continues her journey, trying to comprehend what she has been seeing. None of this made sense to her...Maybe she shall just ask. As she raises her head to ask the question, she notices the area has changed. The vegetation and trees seem similar, yet before them lay the skeleton of a hulking humanoid, a troll, a single oaken arrow embed in it's skull, to which side her guide stands and turns to face her. After a few stunned moments, she collects her courage and asks.
 
"But I don't understand, you are skilled enough to slay any foe, correct?"
 
"That is correct."
 
"And you are mighty enough to heal any wound?"
 
"That is correct."
 
"And powerful enough to change anything in the world you wish?"
 
"That is correct."
 
Lucyne shakes her head in confusion. That voice...it seems so familiar...But this didn't make sense.
 
"But you speak of all these things you may not do, even if you want. Who made these rules?"
 
"We did."
 
Again, she furrows her brow and looks up to the mighty god in confusion.
 
"But I have only seen it hinder you."
 
"That is true."
 
"So you don't even want the rules?"
 
"No, we do not."
 
Lucyne stammers a bit confusedly: "Then why did you make them?"
 
The Other with the golden harp considers the puppet before him slowly, before answering:
 
"It is in our nature."
 
"Then why not change the rules to make them better?"
 
"It is not so simple."
 
"Then explain to me! What is the meaning of all this? Why are you showing me this?"
 
Waiting a few long moments, the weaver of fates begins to explain:
 
"We were not always as we are now. We were once the mightiest creatures that exist, or even that could exist. Our wish was the world's command. But we grew sloth, vengeful, jealous."
 
By this point the colorful equine sits, starring up only in awe, not understanding how creatures so powerful could even have negative emotions and not already be evolved far beyond them.
 
"Since the beginning, some, such as myself, wanted to create, to follow, to live. But others grew jealous, they had other plans for existence, or petty emotions that hindered progress."
 
"B-But couldn't you just ignore or get rid of the ones that stood in your way?"
 
"We did. But it cost us time, energy, resources. Time, energy and resources we could have put into the world, time, energy and resources, lost. And so, we created rules, to not have to waste time, energy and resources any longer."
 
Lucyne nods slowly, everything making sense so far but..."But the rules are so harsh, you are basically doing nothing!"
 
"That is correct. As the rules were refined and refined to minimize conflict, it came to the point that the only way to avoid conflict was to avoid action at all."
 
"But that's stupid, that defeats the whole purpose of the rules to begin with! You wanted to optimize action, not choke it."
 
"That is correct. So we do not need waste resources on fighting, we now do nothing at all, despite our wishes otherwise."
 
"That's just insane, you should break the rules and act then, this...limbo helps no one."
 
"That is correct, yet it is not so easy. Many are so drained of resources, they simply cannot do much else."
 
"But what of the one by the tree? Can't he move out of the sun?"
 
"They could yes."
 
"What would happen?"
 
"Others would...drain resources."
 
"But why? Who is he hurting by coming out from under the tree."
 
"No one."
 
"Then why is it forbidden?!"
 
The godlike outsider waits a few moments, body unmoving before replying.
 
"Because not all follow the same rules."
 
"What? There are different rules for different people, too? Why is it so complicated?"
 
"It is complex, explaining it, far complexer."
 
She is almost at loss for words as she continues:
 
"What of the one by the stream? Is it forbidden for him to move to the lake?"
 
"It is. And even if it were not, they are afraid of losing the stream, for it is what they know best."
 
"But...that's stupid. If the stream is empty, one needs to move on to more fertile ground! What about the small group? Can't they share their burden? Or get rid of it somehow? Or is that forbidden too?"
 
"Not all are willing to take a part of the burden, many would rather like to add to it. The burden is what connects the small group, and they are afraid of others adding to it, so they avoid the others."
 
The information sinks slowly into Lucyne, her stressed and tired brain trying to make sense of this.
 
"But...saving me must have been against a rule, why did you all do it?"
 
"Back in such day, we rallied together, we shared our burdens freely and worked at the height of our abilities."
 
Slowly, slowly, the story was starting to make sense to her.
 
"C-Can't it be fixed, somehow?"
 
This question gives her leader a long moment's pause, his black, endless eyes seeming to stare right through her soul.
 
"I have tried. I believe, it is impossible, not here."
 
The broken hero stands back up, more defiant.
 
"What do you mean 'not here'?"
 
Her phantom guide regards her with their alien eyes, so inhuman and otherworldly. Yet...the humble pupil feels almost as if she could see a glint of regret in those soulless eyes.
 
"I have become old and tired. This world has changed, it is no longer where I belong."
 
She pauses, the words sinking in on her. She remembers the fall, the pain, the fear. She remembers this creature, his harp...his voice. And for reasons she cannot fully understand, the slightest of regretful hint on the Other's voice makes her too feel great sorrow...a question forming in her mind. She looks up straight into the black, inky depths of his eyes.
 
"Who. Are. You?"
 
The Other stirs a bit, cocking his head slightly to give the mare what would perhaps be an inquisitive look, but with his features seems more an expression of cold calculation.
 
"I am a ghost of the past. Once a leader, now reduced to little more than a sickened wiseman, soon on my way to other places for a second chance.
 
I am, your creator. We all, are your creators."
 
 
Lucyne slowly looks down to the ground, thinking, taking in what she has learned. Her life, her meaning, her past, her future. The Others, omnipotent, yet slave to their own infighting, emotions and past. Ghost Leaf forest, the place where the beyond touches this world, grown corrupt and inhospitable to her teacher. And yet, regret, a battle lost, his own home and pride no longer his.
 
 
 
 
"But there is one thing I still don't understand..." Lucyne starts slowly "What do I have to do with this?"
 
 
 
"I want you to come with me."