I, Benjamin Polny, was reborn into a supernatural world granting me more special abilities.
One of them I call Absolute Soul Storage. This is a unique ability that I had in my past life, one that allowed me to be reborn with my previous memories and experiences, though it took 14 years for me to be able to access those memories. My body and mind had to be strong yet still malleable enough to handle the stress of almost a century's worth of living. Apparently, puberty was the age where the bare minimum requirements were met.
Anyways, while this body is no longer Jonathan, everything else was still here. I even talked and acted like my past self before I got complete access to my old memories once more, so there was no dissonance between the identities.
Lastly, my first ability seems to have gotten an upgrade since I reincarnated. Now I can do unto others’ minds what I do to my soul with my Absolute Soul Storage. All the same rules apply, but I must be in contact with the person for my power to work. I can also now copy and paste experiences and memories however I want, including between people. At this point, my name might as well be Charles Xavier.
The only thing I can’t do is engrave other peoples’ memories onto their souls, but my boons don’t just end there.
On Terra, people can be born with other soul-related powers. In fact, about 60% of the population can be born with a Soul-Power. If one was not born awakened, there were even artificial methods to awaken anyways. Making about 70% of the population have some form of Soul-Power.
There is more to it than that, as out of the 60% who awakened naturally, about 4% had a chance of a double awakening. Also known as being born with two powers. There is also a 0.2% chance of triple awakening, and if a quad awakening is a thing, it hasn't happened yet.
I was a part of the lucky group of double awakeners, having been born with 2 other powers. They are respectively called Tunnel and Cell. No, I didn't name them, this world has a Soul-Item called a soul reader. This was the item that told me the name of my powers. However, it could not recognize Absolute Soul Storage as a Soul-Power, which was quite interesting.
I did however wonder, why there weren't a faction of superheroes and a society of supervillains that were constantly at war with each other. Or at least why wasn't crime more rampant than it seemed around me.
That question was answered quite easily by one fact. I lived in the rich area of the capital, being born into a very, very, very, rich family. My mother in this life was the head of a very prominent and efficient transportation company, my father held a monopoly on soul item production. Together, they practically became John D. Rockefeller and the government couldn't stop them as my father's Soul-Item production was extremely crucial to society, so the government greatly benefitted from our monopoly.
Nevertheless, crime was definitely rampant, even more so than back on earth. Hell, slavery was even legal, especially thanks to Soul-Items that have the function to instill absolute commands. Thankfully my father and mother were not interested in slave trade, and the Soul-Items he produces were traditionally meant for the captured daemons or monsters that dominate Terra.
Ahh, yes. The other bombshell, humans have only conquered 25% of Terra. The rest of the world is dominated by beings of pure carnage and evil; the daemons. Or by animals who have rapidly mutated through Soul-Power; monsters. Put all that together with the fact that the phone was only invented when I turned 18.
Oh, Earth, you will be missed.
Once again, I watch as my mother was being buried, but I was happy for her. Both my parents' death was a natural one, they had me very late in their lives so their time came soon after I turned 36. Their deaths being mere months apart. Though somehow, I didn't mind. I was a bit mad at them for leaving me with so much paperwork, but as I watch them be buried, I could only remember the good times we had together.
Their death even got me a little introspective. I was mentally immortal thanks to my original superpower from Earth, there would be many times where I see people come in and out of my life.
I was at my happiest when I watch the people close to me live a fulfilling and satisfying life.
Maybe I should see a psychologist. I assume this line of thought isn't normal. Others at the funeral are even looking at me oddly, but that was probably due to my long-perfected poker face.
It took a couple of weeks to get all my emotions under control and manage the massive mound of paperwork that was left on my desk. Once I finished that up, I finally had the time to go out for a walk.
What! Managing a monopoly was tough, even though the technology in this world finally managed to catch up to Earth, to an extent.
I grabbed a beanie to cover my hair and put on some sunglasses with a trench coat to complete my disguise. I also nabbed a pencil and a small notepad, along with my phone, wallet, and some business cards. You never know when a grand business opportunity could show up. Once I shoved everything into their rightful pockets, I finally took a step outside and breathed in the fresh air.
Thankfully it was always chilly in Siript the capital of Issoulful. It never did go above 70* Fahrenheit It never got below 50* either, making it the best place to live for those who enjoyed the autumn chill. Something that I definitely did.
Walking around the streets, I take in the hustle and bustle of the city. After about an hour of walking, having relaxed my body, I head to the darker areas of the city. The places where the homeless congregate. Every now and then, I would go around and give money to some of these people. After I scanned their memories first to make sure they would use the money to actually get themselves off the streets.
This of course doesn’t even make a dent in the homeless population. Nor is it to make me feel good about myself. No, my main way to do that is through the various charities and homeless shelters that I own.
This was my way of making sure I don’t let the money get to me. Having so much power at your fingertips, and being cooped up in a mansion with so many butlers and maids, and constantly dealing with nobles with sticks so far up their asses that they don’t even realize that shit comes out their mouths.
No, I come out here and do this to help mellow myself out and regain some sanity. Ironic, I’m here to help others to help myself.
As I kept walking around, I heard the sound of little girls crying. Something that I haven’t heard since before my death. My fatherly instincts kick into overdrive, scouring around for the source of the noise. Until I come across two little... fillies, huddled together, crying.
One was a yellow pegasus with a soft pink mane and tail, the other was a purple unicorn with mostly deep purple hair. They both had marks on their flanks, the pegasus had butterflies, while the unicorn had stars.
They stifle their tears as they look at me with fear. I rub my eyes with disbelief. I should not be seeing this right now. This should be, by all means, impossible.
However, what am I but an impossibility as well?
I reach out my hand, to touch them, to scan their memories. To test if this was a new type of monster or a daemon’s illusion, but the pair flinch and cower further into each other in terror.
I stop and then try a way of communicating my lack of hostility towards them, a method that would only work if they truly are what they look to be. I draw on my notepad Equestria’s flags.
I squat down and show it to them, recognition immediately flashes on their faces. I put away the pad, as I reach out a hand to both of them, they both reach out with a hoof to meet my hands.
I scan their mind, but not to check who they are, as I already know. I compile and copy their knowledge and experience of the language of Equestria instantly onto myself.
“Hello little fillies, my name is Benjamin Polny,” I speak in perfect Equestrian. They both jump into my arms out of hope and relief, making me land on my glutes.
“Please help us!” Their sorrowful cry echoes around me, and I would be damned before I let these little girls rot away in the streets, or reject their call to action, or let my Alice’s saviors down.