//------------------------------// // Sympathy From The Lord // Story: Life, Death, and Ponies // by thunderclap //------------------------------// You wake up feeling weightless. When you open your eyes you see nothing but white going on forever. “Unnngh, what happened?” You said while rubbing your eyes. Then the moment you were run over played back in your mind. “Oh, that’s right, I’m dead. I guess it’s fitting. I’ve spent my whole life watching and moving away from death, and now I got to see my own come. Still, I can’t believe this is the afterlife.” You said turning your head around to get look at the expanse of white. “If this is heaven then whoever designed it has a weird sense of the word paradise.” “This is not heaven, [your name],” echoed a voice from the void around you. “Well, it seems I’m talking to God now. Are you going to tell me that my life wasn’t as horrible as I made it out to be and that I should’ve had more faith in you?” “No, I came to tell you that I am truly sorry for the way your life played out.” All of a sudden you burst out laughing at what God had just said. “Are you serious?” You said after catching your breath. “You’re apologizing to me? You who did things like sent plagues onto people and tested them by telling them to kill their children. I must be hallucinating because that’s just ridiculous.” “Yes, I did many things out of my blind rage and curiosity, and even now I’m trying to figure out the right way to watch over the ones I’ve created.” God said in a remorseful tone. “Did the perfect being just tell me that he has flaws? Man, my mind just keeps getting better and better.” “I am not a perfect being. That is where humans got things wrong. I have flaws like any other being. The only difference is that I can alter the world as I see fit. At first I showed myself as much as possible to help give my people faith and to show them that I was there. I ended up doing the things you said and as a result people feared me and did horrible things in my name. Now I try to show myself as little as possible and people are still doing terrible things. I’m starting to doubt that anything I do will make the world any better.” God sounded like he was on the verge of tears as he spoke. “Well, you’re God so why don’t you just start all over?” “Doing what I do is a lot like being a parent, just because I don’t like what my children are doing doesn’t mean I’m going to wipe them all out.” “Didn’t you that with that whole Noah’s Ark thing?” “That story is completely untrue, I may have done some horrendous acts but destroying all of humanity in a flood wasn’t one of them.” “And the apocalypse?” “I made that up a long time ago to frighten people.” “Well, not that talking to you hasn’t been fun, but can we get to the part where we talk about why I’m here instead of heaven or hell?” “You are here because I’m giving you a second chance at life.” “You’re doing what now?” “I am giving you, life again so that you can find happiness and as my way of apologizing for the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded your life.” God said, sounding like he was hiding something. “What unfortunate circumstances would those be? The fact my mom died of disease, or that my dad committed suicide, or is there something else I should know?” You said, on edge. “Yes, there is something else.” God replied, sighing. “It concerns your thread of fate.” “Wait fate is real?” “Very much so. Now, may I continue?” You only nodded. “Every person is born with a thread of fate that is given to them at birth. It is one of the few things that I did not intend to happen but did, and I cannot control it. This thread does not dictate what a person’s actions or thoughts will be. It merely steers a person’s life in a certain direction. Normally the thread’s effects are negligible at best, but there are some cases where the thread causes many events to take place in a person’s life. In some cases these events lead a person to greatness but in others…” “In other cases it does what?” You cried, already coming to a grim realization. “In other cases this thread will cause much tragedy and strife in a person’s life. You are one of those truly rare cases. You were born with a thread of tragedy. Even among others who have been born with this thread yours was especially strong.” You were visibly shaking as soon as God had said that. Tears were starting to form in the corners of your eyes. You didn’t know whether to be angry or sad. So you chose both. “So everything that’s ever happened to me is this fucking thread’s fault? I killed my parents?” You screamed, tears steadily rolling down your cheeks. “I know you’re upset but…” “Upset? I’m more than goddamned upset.” You hissed. “I’m absolutely pissed! All of my life, I’ve always wondered why I couldn’t stay happy. Why I couldn’t keep anything I cared about ever. And now, now you tell me that it’s all some damn thread. How should I feel? Should I thank you for telling me the truth or curse your name forever? Because honestly, I don’t know what I should feel anymore.” “I’m truly sorry, that is why I’m offering you a second life. Now that you’ve died once your thread is no longer with you. If I do this everything in your life will have nothing to do with fate of any kind.” God explained, possibly crying. “Why are you offering me this? Aren’t there others that could use a deal like this? Or am I actually the worst case scenario when it comes to life?” “You are not the first person that I’ve given a second chance to. Some of them were in situations much like yours. So I ask you, [your name]. Will you take this second chance?” “Huh, sure, do it. Send me back.” “I cannot send you back. Once a life is extinguished in the world there is no way of sending them back.” “Then how am I going to get a second chance?” “Instead you will go to another world. Life cannot be brought back into a world, but new life is formed all the time. That being said will you still accept my offer?” “You know as well as I do that I had nothing in that world anyway so why not?” “Very well, [your name] I now grant you a second life as payment for the tragedy you have endured.” God boomed in a commanding voice, finally collecting himself after his little display of emotion. The next moment you could feel an incredible force pulling on you, and everything went black again. Just like it had when you died. You could feel yourself return to consciousness with a groan. You could hear birds outside your window and light was making its way past your closed eyes, filling your vision with red. ‘That was the weirdest dream I’ve ever had.’ You thought. ‘I mean dying and talking to God. Maybe I do need a Psychiatrist?’ “As long as it’s anyone but that woman again.” You said to yourself. You opened your eyes and found that you weren’t in the room of your foster home anymore. Instead you were in something that resembled a palace’s bedroom. You started to panic and wondered what had happened to you last night. You looked around the room and found a dresser with a mirror behind it. You payed no heed to the dresser, it was the reflection in the mirror that grabbed your attention. Instead of your face was a very confused looking… horse? You rushed over to the dresser to make sure that what you were seeing was correct. When you reached it the horse in it only got clearer. You tested it by making a series of faces but the horse in the mirror acted in unison with your movements. “That wasn’t a dream, was it?” You said a slight hint of fear in your voice. “I actually died and now I’m a dark blue… is that a horn on my head?” You reached up to the appendage on your head and discovered that you did in fact have a horn. You shook your head, tousling your hair that was now the same sapphire color as your fur, and running through it was a black highlight. All of a sudden the part of your brain that dictated logic and reason hay wired and you were left muttering incoherent statements for a few seconds. “Calm down if I just calm down maybe I can… Aaaaaagh!” You couldn’t take it anymore and screamed. In an instant a grey horse with a horn like yours rushed into your room. He was wearing some sort of golden armor and had a concerned look on his face. “Sir, are you alright? Why did you scream?” The sight of this talking horse did nothing to alleviate your shock and left you stammering to yourself. “Sir, what happened? Please, I’m trying to help you.” You finally managed to collect yourself to a degree that allowed you to speak. “I just had a strange dream. And, I’m kind of confused about where I am.” “You’re in Canterlot Castle, of course.” The horse said, alleviated that there was no present danger. “Oh, is that right? Well, I’m sorry for intruding but I have to go.” You replied and tried to get out of the room. “I’m sorry but I can’t let you do that. The princesses requested to see you as soon as you had woken up.” ‘I might as well do as I’m told. I shouldn’t make these princesses or whatever mad at me if I can avoid it.’ “Lead the way.” Was all you said to the guard. The guard led you through long corridors that were decorated with red tapestries that had a depiction of the sun on them. As you made your way through the grand hallways you managed to collect your thoughts and went from being confused to angry. ‘So god tells me I get a second chance at life and what does he do he sends me into a world of talking… I think I’m a pony. Yeah, that’s what a tiny horse is called. That doesn’t matter!’ You told yourself trying to get yourself back on track. ‘What does matter is that God didn’t even give me a little warning ahead of time. You know maybe he could’ve said, “I’m giving you a second chance at life… and you’ll be a pony in it.” If this is a joke then God has a real sick sense of humor.’ You concluded. The guard stopped your train of thought as he stopped in front of a large door that had a sun on it. The guard stopped and with the help of two other guards that were standing watch there, opened the door with a glow at the end of their horns. You didn’t have time to be impressed as you were led into a grand throne room with two large ponies with wings and horns at the end of it. The first one was snow white with a mane that flowed with different colors even though there was no wind in the room. It had a gentle face that let you know that it was a female and only wore a crown and a necklace. It was less flashy than the guards’ armor but it didn’t have to be, her presence alone was enough to draw your eyes toward her. The other pony was black with a mane that swirled like stars. She also only wore a necklace and crown although hers were black instead of gold. She was also a little shorter than her white counterpart. Both of them stared at you with curiosity. It was like they were trying to tell if you were a threat of some kind. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. I have brought you the strange pony we found last night.” The guard who had led you from your room said with a bow. “Thank you. You can go back to your assigned duties now.” The white one who you guessed was Celestia said. Her voice was calm and motherly. You started to tear up, the last time you had heard a voice like that was from your own mother. You stopped yourself from crying just as she returned her attention to you. “I have a few questions for you.” “Only if I can answer them without your royal henchmen staring at me.” You said indicating the guards around the room. “The princesses cannot comply with that order.” A white guard with wings spoke up anger present in his voice. “We are charged with the task of watching and protecting the princesses at all times.” “I will respect your wish if you can give us a good reason to do so.” The Celestia said, silencing the guard that had spoken with a look. “We… I agree your request is odd.” Luna said. It was strange. She was obviously fully grown but she almost sounded like a teenager. “Because I have a feeling that you’re going to ask me where I’m from and how I got here, and both of those questions have answers that I don’t want anybody to hear if they don’t have to.” The two princesses shared a look for a moment and told the guards to leave. “We’ve told our guards to leave.” Celestia said once you three were alone in the room. “Now, tell us where you are from and why you were unconscious in the royal garden last night. You took a deep breath and started to tell them your life story.