Derran walked briskly through the streets of Ponyville toward his destination. As he passed, ponies paused whatever they were doing to wave, or call out a greeting. Derran returned their waves, and acknowledged their greetings with a polite nod and a smile. Never slowing his pace his finely tuned hearing allowed him to listen in on snatches of conversation as he passed.
"There he goes!"
". . . handsome."
". . .hero."
". . .heard he wouldn't take the money. . .."
". . .heart of gold."
". . . wish he were mine."
Derran allowed the praise to register in his mind, but took pride only in the knowledge that his efforts were helping the town. Derran himself sought no accolades, only the knowledge that he was aiding the community. Though that's not to say he didn't appreciate the recognition. As he walked through the streets the Doom Slayer noted the progress of the repairs. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Ponyville Sawmill and dozens of volunteers, several frameworks for new houses had already been laid.
Derran marveled at the incredible speed with which the repairs were taking place, thanks to the combined efforts of the town. As it was, three house frames were nearly complete, and Derran saw that they were already preparing the bricks and stucco that would be used to create the walls. Derran smiled as he watched the various pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns working together in harmony to restore the town.
Unity, along with a belief that personal goals were less important than the good of all, was the force that made Equestria strong, and peaceful. Human's always seemed so selfish in comparison, always fighting with one another over petty differences, and often refusing any attempt at compromise. True that wasn't universal, but sometimes it seemed that when the chips were down, humans would rather fight each other over scraps, then band together. Tolerance, unity, understanding, love, and friendship, these traits seemed ingrained into the ponies at birth.
Humans on the other hand, frequently struggled with these concepts. Humans often traded integrity for wealth, principles for power, and worst of all; basic decency for the illusion of safety. However in all fairness the difference could be attributed to the fact that Equestria had rulers who unequivocally put their subjects before themselves. Whenever the ponies stumbled or made mistakes, the Seraphim were there to help guide them if they needed it. . . It was one of the many reasons the Doom Slayer was proud to serve them.
Derran was broken out of his musings by the realization that he had arrived at his destination. Carousel Boutique was well named. As the entire structure did indeed resemble a carnival ride turned into a building. Opening the door the Doom Slayer saw Rarity organizing a large number of boxes in the center of the room. As the door opened a bell rang, and Rarity turned giving Derran a warm smile.
"Sir Derran so lovely to see you again darling, welcome to Carousel Boutique." She greeted happily.
Derran gave a polite bow before answering.
"Good day lady Rarity, thank you for your gracious invitation." He replied formally.
Rarity beamed at him.
"Oh think nothing of it darling, it's my pleasure." She replied with a slight giggle.
Derran nodded before gesturing at the small mountain of boxes.
"If I may ask milady, what is all this?"
Rarity's smile broadened, though they had only had a brief opportunity for conversation, she simply loved talking to Derran. His manners were perfect, and his refined speech was an absolute joy for her to listen to.
"Oh these? Well as you know a lot of ponies lost their possessions during that beastly dragon attack. So I thought it only fitting that I should donate a few garments to the needy." She explained.
Derran nodded his approval.
"Very generous of you milady." He said sincerely.
"Well from what I've heard you're no stranger to generosity yourself darling." Rarity replied with another giggle.
Derran shrugged.
"I do what is needed milady, nothing more." He stated.
Rarity sighed happily, after getting over the shock of their first meeting, she had swiftly learned that Rainbow Dash had not exaggerated in the slightest about Derran's personality. He was the very definition of the chivalrous knight.
"Well sir Derran, shall we get started?" Rarity asked, gesturing to the curtained off changing room.
Nodding, Derran entered the small room and pulled the curtain shut behind him. Now hidden from prying eyes, the Doom Slayer began the process of removing his armor. First to come off were the heavy outer plates on the chest, shoulders, arms, groin, and legs. After setting those aside, Derran mentally disengaged the rest of the suit. Trails of hellish red light traced along the outside of the suit's waist, forearms, lower legs, and back.
Once the light receded, seams were revealed where none had been previously, and the top half of the suit seemed to crack open from the back. Derran winced as the nero-link sensors lining the suits interior went offline, giving a momentary sensation of his skin suddenly being torn off. Removing his gauntlets and placing them on the ground, Derran pulled his arms out of the cuirass allowing it to fall to the floor. After taking a brief moment to adjust to the sensation of cool air on his skin, the Doom Slayer took a seat on a stool placed inside the changing room. Reaching down Derran removed his boots, first the left, then the right, before placing them off to the side. Finally he stood up again, and stepped out of the leggings. Grabbing a towel Rarity had thoughtfully placed on a nearby hook, Derran wrapped it securely around his waist, grabbed the crucible, and pulled back the curtain.
Rarity stared, she honestly couldn't help herself. She had assumed Derran to be in good shape, but the word "good" didn't even begin to describe it. His body was the pinnacle of human physical perfection, athletic build, perfectly muscled limbs, six pack abs, his body looked like it had been carved from marble by a master artist. In fact, the only imperfection that could be seen was dozens of pale jagged lines of varying sizes crisscrossing his body, so faint they were barely visible. Regardless, Rarity felt her face turning red as she drank in the sight of the Doom Slayer's godly form.
"Lady Rarity, are you well?" Derran asked gently with a concerned look, snapping Rarity out of her stupor.
Rarity's face grew redder still, as she realized she had been caught staring.
"Oh, oh yes darling, sorry I just, um, was. . . thinking what colors would suit you best!" Rarity explained, a little too loudly.
Derran gave Rarity a slightly skeptical look, but then shrugged.
"As you say milady." He said, deciding not to press the issue.
Shaking her head vigorously Rarity focused on the task at hoof, taking the necessary measurements, and trying not to start staring again. As she made her notations on Derran's physical dimensions, Rarity felt a fair bit of purely professional excitement. After all it wasn't every day you got to design clothing for a lifeform nopony had ever seen before, and she relished the challenge.
Already Rarity's mind flooded with ideas, and possibilities. In her head she started making a mental list of what fabric to use, how much would be needed, what colors would work best, and how it would all look once it was complete. Soon enough the measurements had all been taken, and Rarity had to try not to look disappointed as Derran re-entered the dressing room.
However as he turned, she noticed the strange object he had been holding firmly in his right hand. Till now she had been so preoccupied she hadn't really noticed it, but now it stuck out like a sore hoof. It was a horrific thing resembling the handle of a sword made of bone, and what appeared to be living flesh.
"Uh sir Derran, what is that?" Rarity asked, trying to keep her revulsion under control, as the thing seemed to radiate a sense of wrongness like a furnace radiates heat.
Derran froze for a barely perceptible moment before responding. He didn't think Rarity would be satisfied with the same answer he had given Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. So sighing heavily, Derran turned back to look Rarity in the eye.
"Forgive me milady, but I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss it." He stated.
Rarity nodded, as she could tell from Derran's tone, that the matter was not up for debate. In a way Rarity was relieved, as she'd really rather not have noticed the object to begin with. Still, she couldn't stop herself from asking the next most obvious question.
"Why is that?" She asked, a trifle hesitantly.
Derran sighed heavily before replying.
"Because merely the knowledge of what this is, could endanger you. Please believe me when I tell you that the less you know about this object, the safer you shall be." He explained.
Nodding slowly, Rarity decided that it was best to take Derran's word for it.
As he walked away from Carousel Boutique, Derran took the moment to reflect on recent events. His arrival, the fight against the dragons, meeting a new seraphim, meeting new friends, helping rebuild the town, the fight against the Timber Wolves. . . It was hard to believe that less than a week ago he had been on another planet, in another dimension, fighting to stop a mad scientist from unleashing armageddon.
Staring down at the Crucible in his hand, Derran also realized that this was perhaps the first time he felt he could claim an actual victory. Most of the time he merely felt like he was only delaying the inevitable, or just scraping through by the skin of his teeth. He had never been able to truly enjoy winning a battle, because the war felt like it was never going to end. The closest he had come to feeling a sense of true victory, had been nearly twelve hundred years ago, when he first met Luna and Celestia. He longed to see them again, and to give them the news they no doubt most wished to hear, that Hell had lost, and the gates of Heaven were secured.
Reattaching the Crucible to his belt, Derran headed toward the construction sites. Repairs were progressing, but they weren't yet complete. There was still work to do, and now that he was finished with Rarity, Derran needed to get back to it. After being trapped in an eternal sleep for several hundred years, Derran relished the chance to do something positive with his strength. Arriving at the location he had passed on his way to the boutique, Derran headed toward a makeshift worktable covered in architectural plans. A pair of hardhat wearing earth ponies pointed at the blueprints as they discussed the finer points of the construction.
". . .the frame is almost ready, but only on three sides, and we need to make sure the floors are all level before we go any farther." Said the first pony, a grizzled middle aged stallion with a grey mane and tan coat, his flank adorned with a hammer and nail cutie mark.
"I told you pa I checked the floors myself and they're fine!" Spoke his assistant, and apparent daughter. A teenage mare with a short cut red mane, white coat, and a cutie mark displaying a level and protractor over a blue sheet of paper.
"Did you check em twice?" Asked the stallion archly.
Well. . .no, but-" She replied, before her father cut her off.
"But nothing Lilly, measure twice, cut once, you know that." The stallion admonished.
"But daaaad. . ." She began, at which point Derran decided to weigh in.
"Excuse me, please forgive the interruption, but I am inclined to agree with the gentlecolt." He stated calmly.
"See Lilly this stallion knows what's. . ." He trailed off as he looked up to see who had spoken. "Mr. Grandel!?" He said shocked." I-I'm so sorry I didn't realize you were coming by, what can I do for you?" He asked, apparently embarrassed he hadn't noticed Derran's approach.
Derran smiled warmly as he responded.
"Honestly I was going to ask you that very question, I was hoping to aid in the repair effort. That is, if you have a spot for me?" He explained.
The stallions face did a couple of contortions before settling on a thoughtful frown. However before he could answer, his daughter spoke up.
"Oh wow! Can he dad, please, pleeeeease!?" The young mare asked, shooting Derran looks of fangirl adoration.
The stallion gave his daughter a reproachful look, before returning his attention to Derran.
"In all honesty Mr. Grandel, we already have more than enough hooves to do the work. The only place we're short staffed is in the more technical parts of the construction, planning, drafting, adjusting blueprints, that sort of thing. Are you any good with that kind of work?" He asked.
Derran sighed, and shook his head.
"I am afraid not, architecture was never a skill I was trained in." He said apologetically.
The stallion shook his head.
"That's what I was afraid of. I don't wanna waste your time just giving you busy work, so I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer. Besides, after all you've done for this town you deserve a break." He said sincerely, as his daughter's face fell.
Derran nodded.
"I understand, thank you for your time, and do let me know if you happen to change your mind." He replied with a smile, and a polite bow.
As he turned to leave however, the stallion spoke up.
"Mr. Grandel?" He asked.
"Yes?" Derran replied, turning back.
The stallion seemed to take a moment to find the right words before replying.
"Well just on a personal note, I wanted to say thank you. You may not have realized it but I was right behind the Princess during the dragon attack. Those monsters would have killed us all if you hadn't shown up, of that I have no doubt. You saved me and my family's lives that day, and that's something I'm never gonna forget, if you ever need anything from me and mine, you only have to ask." He said feelingly.
Derran smiled gratefully.
"I appreciate your words very much Mr. . ."
"Brown Stone." He stated with a small smile of his own.
"Mr. Brown Stone, and as it happens there is something I could use your help with." Derran stated.
"You just name it." Brown stone declared happily.
"I require assistance finding the Sweet Apple Acres farm, if you could point me in the proper direction I would be most grateful." Derran said with a smile.
Brown Stone's Daughter instantly spoke up.
"Ooh, ooh, I know the way! I can take him!" She practically shouted.
Brown Stone looked into his daughter's pleading eyes before letting out a sigh.
"Mr. Grandel this is my daughter Lilly, if you like she can show you the way to Sweet Apple Acres."
Derran gave a gentle smile.
"I would be honored." He said with a short bow.
"Yes!" Lilly shouted before grabbing Derran's hand with her hoof. "It's right this way Mr. Grandel." She said giddily.
"Lead the way milady." Derran said with a grateful smile.
Applejack wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of a hoof as she paused in her work. Glancing down the all but endless rows of fruit laden apple trees she sighed heavily. As much as she hated to admit it, the farm was getting just too big for a mere four ponies to manage.
Actually, because of Granny Smith's age, it was more like three and a half ponies these days. Not to mention that recently Applejack and Big Mac had added several more rows of trees to the equation. The idea had been to offset some of the loss of trees to the vampire fruit bats that had moved in a year or so ago. However they had severely overestimated how much of a loss the bats had actually caused. Now they were stuck with too many trees for not nearly enough ponies, Applejack almost wished there were more vampire fruit bats to redress the balance.
One positive of the increased number of trees was that they had the bits to hire some help. Unfortunately, they had not found anypony qualified, and were running themselves ragged trying to maintain all the trees. However, at Twilight's suggestion, Applejack had agreed to offer the job to somepony who at the very least was certainly strong enough for the job.
"So when d'ya think mister Derran's gonna get here sis?" Asked Apple Bloom eagerly.
Applejack looked down at her sister's enthusiastic face with mixed feelings. On the one hoof, Derran was the hero who saved all of Ponyville, including her sister, from a group of vicious dragons. On the other hoof, he was a force of unrelenting fury that could destroy all of Equestria if he so choose.
However, it was abundantly clear that Apple Bloom trusted him fully, and Big Mac, who had actually been in town during the dragon attack, said he'd be happy to have Derran on the farm. Granny Smith had also given a yes vote to the idea, saying that anypony who risked their life to save others must have a good heart. Applejack didn't doubt that Derran was a good stallion, she just felt like she needed more time to process everything. Nevertheless, she had told Twilight to extend the invitation to him, now she was just waiting to hear back.
"Ah'm not really sure sugarcube, he might not even show up today, heck, he might not take the job at all." Applejack replied.
Apple Bloom's face fell a little.
"So. . . you don't think he's coming?" She asked, trying to hide her disappointment.
Applejack smiled, ruffling her sister's mane affectionately.
"Now ah didn't say that, I'm jus sayin we have ta be patient. Sides ya'll know him better'n me, so really I should be askin you if you think he'll come." She said with a chuckle.
Apple Bloom smiled at that, before looking thoughtful.
"He'll come." She said with absolute certainty.
Applejack arched an eyebrow.
"Oh, What makes ya'll so sure?" She asked with a smile.
Apple Bloom Pointed a hoof.
"Cause he's right over there." She declared in a slightly smug tone.
Turning around, Applejack saw that her sister was right. Walking up the path was the man himself chatting with a pony she recognized as Lilly, the daughter of Mr. Brown Stone. As she watched, Derran said something to Lilly before giving a bow, to which she nodded vigorously then shot back down the path to Ponyville.
Continuing up the path on his own Applejack had to admit Derran cut an impressive figure. His stride was one of quiet confidence, his head held high, and gazing ahead as he moved forward with a gentle smile on his face. He seemed at once, at peace, and powerful. Like a warrior king, ready to bring order to chaos, either by wisdom or force. This image was only reinforced by the way the rows of trees seemed like pillars in a great temple. The light playing down through the canopy creating the image of one blessed by some form of divinity. Applejack almost felt like she should be bowing.
"Mister Grandel!" Apple Bloom shouted running toward the figure.
Derran gave a broad smile as he knelt to greet his young friend.
"Good day Apple Bloom, I trust you have been well?" Derran asked gently.
Apple Bloom nodded vigorously.
"Yep, are ya'll gonna work on the farm with us?" She asked excitedly.
Derran inclined his head.
"I am indeed, if your siblings find me a satisfactory candidate of course." He replied.
Applebloom practically jumped for joy.
"Well then c'mon an ah'll introduce ya to em." She said grabbing Derran's hand.
Crouching slightly, Derran allowed Apple Bloom to lead him by the hand toward her sister. Then, for just an instant, the image changed. . .
Derran was no longer being led forward by Apple Bloom, but by a young human girl of twelve in a light blue dress. She had fiery red hair like her mother, and piercing blue eyes like her father. She smiled up at him with a face full of freckles, the sun playing off her fair skin.
"Aren't you happy daddy?" She asked happily.
Then Derran blinked, and he once again found himself hand in hoof with Apple Bloom.
"I'm sorry what?" Derran asked, slightly confused.
"Ah said: aren't ya'll happy you're gonna be workin at Sweet Apple Acres?" Apple Bloom repeated.
"Oh, yes, it will be good to get back to working the land again." He said smiling.
Apple Bloom smiled back up at Derran, and he had to struggle to remember that the girl she so reminded him of, had died over a thousand years ago.
this is still a good fic but please stop with theses filler chapters already
8074226 Bruh what do you expect? Him coming into equestria and then suddenly demons everywhere? Cause that's not how Equestria works.
8074306 no I am expecting this story to move on and not have the protagonist doing bugger all and get on with this whole changelings teaming up with some dragons or hurry up and bring in the princess's already I mean we are 9 chapters in and they are MIA and largely bugger all has happened since the doom guy has killed garble and his goons and if this just to tell us that ponies are happy and thankful for him saving them then all I can say is
Damn, this isn't going to go good places.
also, in response to the author's note-
She Walks Again in the squeal.
8074226 There are two types of filler, good filler (which this is) and bad filler. You are mixing up both. ;)
Dang, the dude is a walking talking mare magnet.
8074353 there is no good filler
OK, ok, I understand how some of you might be getting fed up with the lack of fighting, but there is a good reason. When I started writing this I wanted it to be a story, not a chaotic eternal brawl. I wanted the story to have depth, and meaning, and to be something that would be remembered.
Non stop action may sound appealing but the reality is that that's not going to be interesting in the long run. Not to mention that a fight without context is utterly meaningless. For example, take Lord of the Rings, a classic piece of fantasy literature that is instantly memorable. Now imagine what it would be like if you took out all the bits where there was no killing. Just like that, a masterpiece becomes a disjointed mess that no one would ever want to read, let alone remember.
Don't get me wrong I love fight scenes, I love writing them, but I have to temper my love of action with my desire to write a good story. This is supposed to be a story about love, and friendship as much as one about epic battles. Besides think about it, if there was never any break in the fighting you would get bored. A fight is far more epic when it's had time to build properly.
I assure you Chrysalis, and her draconic allies will be making their appearance, but not till the time is right. However since you seem to be losing patience I'll let you in on a little secret. . . There's a war coming.
A war that will give you all the action you crave, and more besides. No it's not the fight with Chrysalis, and it's not Hell either, it's someone else entirely. However if you want to see that war, and who it's with, I'm afraid you're going to have to sit through my boring exposition, character development, and romantic sub-plots. Think of it as forcing yourself to eat a salad so you can justify having an extra big slice of cheesecake.
Now if that still doesn't satisfy you, then why not write a Doom/MLP crossover yourself? No I'm serious: go ahead and write your own fanfiction with the kind of action you want to see. If you can manage to string together a good story with uninterrupted combat sequences I will be the first to congratulate you. I say this because I tried that once before, and let me tell you, the reviews were anything but kind. However just because I couldn't do it doesn't mean you can't, so go on and give it a try, I will be interested to see what you come up with.
Signed Thule117.
8074406 I just want to see the princesses reaction
8074226
True One: But, this ain't a normal Doom Fic, where Doom Guy is here to rip and tear everything, this actually a more deep story, and these "filler" chapters, are important to the story.
8074226
Real One: Here's a good Ripping and Tearing Fic: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/340131/fall-of-equestria-bringer-of-doom
Poor guy. I guessed he would have moved on from such a sad past. I see now that was very cold thought. What father and husband would ever be free from such loss. Can't wait for more.
8074362 I wouldn't even call any of this filler yet. If you're looking for a single, simple plot of mindless killing, there are many to choose from that caters to just that.
8074406 Keep up the awesome work. I'm really digging this story.
I actually like having some "filler" so long as it shows exposition, which I feel these have been doing. It has allowed our protagonist to meet the Mane Six, and allow some world building. And as Thule said, a good story is rarely non-stop action. I imagine we will see some more mini-battles before we get to Chrysalis and friends, but until then, I will continue to enjoy these peaceful chapters. Keep up the good work.
*reads AN*
I agree with you on the art thing. We need more art!!
Also i would gladly be a knight/soldier protecting Equestria
8074406 none of that I have problem what my problem is that the story is dose not seem to be going any where yet and It dose not have to be a fight scene it can be drama or heck some big piece of lore for this fic or just do something like you did t changelings and dragons just some thing other then him just walking around ponyvile doing nothing
8074536 I do not want just endless killing just something other then doom guy walking around doing bugger all hell I would happy if doom guy and AJ or big mac have an apple bucking contest
8075459
True One: But for that AJ need to trust the OverPowered Badassery that is Doom Guy first, through a lot of chapters, many that lack "cool" stuff, i.e. fighting action and such.
8075535 true but it would be funny
8075639
True One: It will probably happen, if AJ wants a bare-hand/hoof worker.
Doom slayer has PTSD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know, there's already an entire complete fanfic where Celestia is The God Empress Of Ponykind.
8076876
Except I never said "Ponykind" I said Mankind. Because I for one would be more than happy to turn rulership of the earth, and all humans on it, over to her and the other alicorns.
8079358 Well, I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll want a story like that.
*accidentally unlatches 'Doge's' cage*
Amazing much
Good read
too short
so wow
*locks doge into another room*
'Hmm... Yeah, what doge said.'
8074332 I honestly have to agree, I just want the heartfelt reunion already dammit.
8076876
Well,There is also her sequel "The Empress Returns" where Celestia come back (together with Twilight ) to reclaim her throne as Empress (To save mankind,defeat Chaos ect.)
8076876
I was just reading that what
So, lady applejack... we kick the trees?
Tha's right just kick them till the fruit falls off a them.
Lady Applejack, you don't want me to kick your trees.
8377725
The difference is if you punch a tree, it drops apples.
When I punch a tree, blood and gore pour out alongside health, ammo and armor, and all the other trees in the area shit themselves.
Okay, I'm done. I've got a bit of a tolerance for this kind of thing, but there's a level of Gary Stu even I can't take.
Once again the over simplistic comparison between man and cartoon.
It is not mankind that is competitive, violent and selfish, its our very universe. Death, war, famine and suffering are aspects of nature, the success of life on our world and of mankind as a species stems from the competitive nature of nature. Its kindness, justice, friendship and love which are human traits that challenge nature, and they don´t come without a cost...that´s what makes them meaningful.
8502902
Well that's very hard to say when all we have is humans to go by. But when you are comparing it too works of fiction with certain differences then it's completely fine to say. I mean I hate when they just dump and dump on the human race, we have our own sort of noble spirit, but we certainly have our downsides.
8432666 THE DOOM SLAYER IS THE FIRST GARY STU, OF COURSE, HE'S RIPPED!!!!!!!!!!
As much as people like to say humans are selfish bastards we do have an instinct to protect things that appear innocent or we connect with personally. So if equestia was real I'm sure there would be alot of people who would stand up to protect such a place.
This is getting interesting...
8377725
god DAYUM i love your profile picture, simply fantanstic.
Careful. This sounds close to being anti-human, which I hate. Also wanna state right now that the ponies are far from perfect or all about friendship and unity. Need I remind about the pony nobles?
As for celestia being the leader of mankind? ...I would entirly be opposed to it, at least at first. If she earned our trust and is honest to God good then after a year or two I could warm up to it.
9358254
Derran's entire planet was destroyed by the greed of a single man, and then on the next planet he visited ruled by humans, another group almost did exactly the same thing. So you can imagine how that might color his view. He knows the ponies aren't perfect, but compared to humanity they are paragons of virtue as far as Derran's concerned.
That actually brings so much to the character. Also, that's just sad to see how rage can absorb a good person when loses something so precious it can never be replaced.
Oh things are getting good! *grabs popcorn and throws it on my face*
I think you mean skeptical
9641321
Good catch, this chapter was written back before I did much editing so there are bound to still be errors. I fixed the one you pointed out and a few others I noticed. Thanks for the help, and let me know if you see any more.
Me too *sigh*, me too (no homo tho).
The feels at the end there. Oof.
Well I mean, if you ignore reality then I guess you can convince yourself of anything. If this quote right here about humans was true then civilization wouldn't exist and the very morals your talking about wouldn't exist or be valued. They were, after all, created and are valued by humans at large. Humans are constantly selfless. People who say we're selfish never have anything to point to other than a handful of criminals who are, duh, criminals and therefore against what humanity believes is acceptable behavior and probably against human nature, too, since if they were some sort of primal natural part of humanity then they wouldn't be considered evil. And "often" trading integrity for <X thing you disapprove of>? That's ridiculous. If that was common then we wouldn't even have values or laws, it's against human nature. And trading "basic decency for the illusion of safety" what are you even referring to? Talking about following oppressors who claim X group is a threat or something? Because very little of humanity does that and only when they actually have reason to believe it.
If you want to bash humanity, you have to have something to actually bash it for. But...the thing is you and anyone else trying to simply doesn't have that. Because at the end of the day, you don't have a moral high ground because that morality was created by humanity and is considered morally right throughout all of humanity.
10227571
While I find it refreshing to a degree that someone has such unquestioning faith in human goodness. I feel you are being a bit naive. Human civilization has always existed in either a state of moral grey, or evil. However, rather than engage in a lengthy debate, I shall (as requested) provide real world examples for each of Derran's criticisms of humanity, restricting myself to only a few examples to avoid carrying this on any farther than necessary.
First, the one citing fighting over petty differences and refusing compromise. Key examples of this are obvious whenever you study hard data regarding how people are treated when it comes to even things as simple as skin color or gender. In first world nations like America women, homosexuals, and minorities, are still paid less and hold far fewer positions of power than those who are straight, male, and white. Moving farther afield, we see even greater disparity in nations like China India and Russia. China for example, recently opened up "Reeducation Facilities" for Muslims in their country, which is essentially a nicer way of saying "Concentration Camp". In Russia, being gay is all but illegal and openly derided as being evil in government sanctioned broadcasts. In India, woman, for the most part, are still treated as second class citizens or even property, largely due to cultural traditions that make it more beneficial to have male children, and while the practices in question are supposedly outlawed, the authorities care little about enforcement. Then, if we go even further afield than that, we come to nations where being gay carries the penalty of execution, and being a woman means you have no rights whatsoever, like most middle eastern, African, and some poorer Asian countries.
As for integrity being traded for wealth, let us consider the veritable mountain of unethical behavior displayed by countless corporations throughout recent history in the name of profit. Perdu Pharma one of the several companies that started the opioid crisis, the now defunct Enron that deliberately ruined thousands of employees livelihoods, Amazon which treats its warehouse employees like slave labor, Bernie Madoff who deliberately destroyed countless lives with the largest Ponzi scheme in history, or the mercenary company Blackwater (now called Academi) whose whole business model is literally killing for profit. The list is endless even if pared back to just its worst actors, the sad truth being that morality doesn't pay. "If a person is rich, it's pretty much guaranteed they did something dishonest at some point", and lest you think that is my personal bias, that is actually a near direct quote from some personal acquaintances of mine who are actual millionaires (meaning that by the standards of the top 1% they are positively poor). Now that I think of it, the mere fact that 1% of the population of America (the richest country in the world lest we forget) controls 60% of its wealth should be enough to safely make my point, in a fair and just society the spread would be far more even.
Next we come to trading principles for power. You claim that little of the world follows leaders because they point to an enemy and declare all the peoples suffering can be traced to them. With all due respect, that is fundamentally untrue. In China and Russia, they lead the charge against the western nations, same in the middle east. In America and much of Europe we blame immigrants, opposing political parties, and China. In Israel they blame Palestine and vice versa, and in the Philippines they blame drug dealers. In every case, a leaders have emerged and been elected that champion the classic 'Us vs Them' mentality, as has been done countless times throughout history. This is not an isolated event, it isn't even uncommon, it is in fact, the status quo for much of the world. It worked for everyone from Julius Ceaser and Napoleon to Stalin and Hitler, and it continues to work today, whether the threat is real or (far more likely) imagined, because at the end of the day a well told lie is always easier to swallow than the truth.
This leads me to trading basic decency for the illusion of safety. Let me ask you, how many rights to privacy have you signed away to combat the "War on Terror"? How about the "War on Drugs"? The "War Against Godless Communism"? Each of these charming little turns of phrase has been used to justify invasions of privacy and personal liberty at different times. Sometimes they had justification, (I remember the days when you could bring a jack knife aboard a plane, which always struck me as asking for trouble even before 911), but many other times they don't. For example, during the "War on Terror" we used brutal torture to attempt to extract intel from prisoners, I say attempt because it didn't actually work, and has never worked. I even have a copy of the Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Torture declassified in 2014 sitting right here next to me. 549 pages of damning evidence of a situation where fear and lust for revenge were prioritized over obeying the moral and written law. Heck, take a look at the invasion of Iraq, for all people claim we were lied to, the reality is that the American public was too afraid and angry to check the math. In more recent times we have the Civil Forfeiture laws, that states the police are permitted to confiscate, and then keep or sell, anything they suspect is being used in a crime. No, not proven of bing used in a crime, just suspected of being used in a crime, and on more occasions than I care to list, this power has been abused. Additionally, even if you can prove whatever was confiscated under civil forfeiture law was not in fact, used or intended for use in a crime, the police are under no real obligation to return the property that, by all rights, they stole. You can sometimes get it back, if you have enough money for a good lawyer, and if you can keep paying the lawyer for the months or even years of litigation it will take to prove your case, at which point they might pay you for the property that they in all likelihood already sold. As to why such a poorly thought out and easy to abuse law was ever ratified in the first place, the answer is simple: people were afraid of drug dealers getting away.
I cannot claim I am one of the great students of moral contemplation and debate, nor am I a true student of law or governmental operation, at best I am an armchair philosopher/historian, and even that might be overstating it. However I feel the idea that humanity is a shining pillar of civilization is misguided. Humans are, at our core, simply very smart animals. Emotion and instinct rule over us far more than logic or morality. We murder, we ostracize, we rape, pillage, and plunder. We hate each other for no reason, and kill each other for even less reason than that. Our civilizations are best exemplified by a series of Jenga towers, swaying unevenly as we pull block after block from their foundations, uncaring of how many we can take before the inevitable collapse. When we see power, our first thought is how to weaponize it against our enemies. When we see wealth, our first though is how we can keep it for ourselves. When we see weakness, our first thought is how to exploit it.
Yet, at the same time, our potential for growth is boundless, if rather chaotic. We steal today, but perhaps tomorrow we will give freely. Our hand raised in anger one minute, may be extended in aid the next. Two hundred years of tyranny and oppression, might still one day give way to freedom and love. Humanity has the endless capacity to choose the higher road, and just because we don't today, doesn't mean we wont tomorrow. The question is, will we choose the path of logic and trust, where we must sacrifice some of what we have for the betterment of all, often enough to survive and thrive, or will our choices of greed and distrust overcome us, and lead us all to eventual war and ruin?
Ultimately, I feel the question of human morality boils down to this: Either we are a flawed species that is struggling to grasp the universal moral code that will lead to peace and understanding in enough of our species to allow for advancement to a point of balanced coexistence with our planet and each other, or there is no 'universal moral code', and we are destined to remain as squabbling animals that will eventually wipe themselves out. I believe there is, or at least 'can be', a universal moral code that will give humanity the direction needed to one day rise above itself by defining good and evil in a clear manner. However I have grave doubts about both our ability to find it, and our ability to agree to it. Because at the end of the day it requires us to choose to constantly sacrifice, to adapt, to forgive, and to trust. And whether we like to believe it or not, it is much easier to hate, to lie, to steal, and to kill.
However, at the end of the day, we are talking about my story. A fictional story, about an emotionally scarred super soldier who worships ponies, and as a result of past experience, has little reason to trust or even believe in human goodness. It's very hard to love your species, when human greed and arrogance destroyed your first home, and the next human populated world you encounter is apparently giving carte blanche to an evil mega corporation run by a delusional robot, and a satanic cultist posing as a scientist, all in the name of making sure people can keep their cell phones charged. At the same time, it is hard to find flaw with a race that has managed one thousand-plus years of peace and prosperity devoid of murder, rape, or genocide, when humanity can't even manage to go ten without all of those things with war sprinkled liberally on top. So yes, Derran has a bit of a bias against his own kind.
10227971
Honesty thx for the history lesson
10227571
You sir have inspired me! Could you perhaps direct me to the nearest Imperial Guard recruiting center?
10227971
You sir, have inspired me! Where is the nearest Imperial Guard recruiting center?