The Soul Reaver

Chapter 1: The Decision

Hard to believe that I'm dead.

Yup, that's fan-fucking-tastic. Ah, you're probably wondering 'dafuq is going on brah!?' well, let me help you catch up. I'm dead. Dead as grass in the fucking desert. How did it happen? Well, that's actually the thing that's pissing me off!

It was a car! I even used the crosswalk like a normal person, instead of jaywalking like a dumbass! Like hell I'm going to accept this!

"It is time." I turned to the voice that sounded off from behind me, and what greeted my sight was... unwelcoming.

He looked frightening, what with his giant scythe. The being pulled out a piece of parchment and began to read off facts of my life, even my description!

"Dean Marcelo. six foot two, pitch black hair, small patch of hair on the chin, over zealous on personal beliefs, slightly insane, no appreciation for authority, and considered "a magnificent asshole" by his peers. Overall, a rather strange catch." The being listed in a rather bored, demonic tone. My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. I think I was just insulted...

"Fuck you man! I don't need your damn opinion on my life!" I shouted in anger. Just because he has a scythe... bastard.

"Well, come." He pointed off towards the distance and a bright flash blinded me.

After the light subsided, I looked and saw a white gate before me. I saw winged beings go about their business. What was strange was that I felt a sort of comfort coming from them. As if they will keep me safe...

But that's not what I want. I want to live! It was fucking unfair how I died! I deserve better than that! My eyes flashed in anger, I wasn't just going to roll over and accept this, death or not!

"No way! I haven't even finished my entire life, and you expect me to just sit here and let myself be taken? Fuck. That." I exclaimed harshly. The hooded figure stopped and looked directly at me, I gulped in fear, but held my ground.

The figure sighed and actually looked contemplative. "How strange... Usually, souls are always cowering in fear when they receive judgement from me. You, however, remain uncaring about who I am, and your place." he said in a dark monotone. I narrowed my eyes even more. It was true, I didn't believe in the 'know your place' bullshit. My place is a friggin house, not some social ladder or shit like that. It is said that all men are created equal in rights. No one should ever be that special, even if they have the money!

"What does that have to do with anything? I just want to live!" I exclaimed once more at the cloaked being. I think I have a feeling about who it is though, and that thought is not helping me get over my fear...

For the longest time, we stood there (Or rather mr.cloaky just floated but that's besides the point!) staring at each other. Normally, I'd be sweating up a storm, but since I'm dead, well...

Finally, Mr.Cloaky broke the silence. "You've piqued my interest human. If you want to live so badly, than perhaps a fresh start in a new world will suffice." It was more of a statement than a question. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. I didn't expect him to agree with me so easily... What's he hiding?

I narrowed my eyes once more. "What's the catch?" I demanded, and for the first time, I saw death grin. It was unsettling, to say the least.

"you must become my agent." He said. Once more, my eyes widened in surprise. Not only was he giving me a chance to live, he's giving me a cool sounding job as a means to pay him back? Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude... I shook my head to get my mind back in focus. Now wasn't the time to be blinded by such offers.

"Alright, but... How? How do you expect me to do YOUR job? Aren't you omniscient when it comes to your work?" I ask curiously. He chuckled in good humor and again did something that surprised me. He turned into something that resembles a human being.

Today can only get weirder...

He gestured for me to follow him, and the white gates disappeared. I followed him as we walked through the masses of people. He did this so nonchalantly, that I'm beginning to suspect he's done this before... It's strange really, I'm following one of the horsemen of the apocalypse for a job offer. Haseo, eat your heart out.

We arrived to another gate, except this one seemed... colorful. It changed colors repeatedly, never sticking to a single shade. I looked to death with a questioning look, wondering of the significance of this strange gate.

He caught my look, and slightly smiled. As if he would to a child... even stranger.

"You're wondering about how you could do something like my job, aren't you?" He asked sarcastically.

I felt a vein throb in the back of my head. "I asked you that already!" I shouted in anger.

This time he out right laughed! "I'm merely joking with you young one. To answer your question, contrary to popular belief, I do need help dealing with all of the souls that wander this world in hopes of reaching the afterlife. It is through ones such as yourself that I accomplish such things. There are souls, that just want to continue living, but seems as how they're dead, they can't just up and appear in their world! That would just cause a panic! So I send those that have family and friends here, to other worlds." He... was much more jovial than he was before. It was like a freaking switch! His face turned serious, better pay attention.

"However, they have to go through a transformation to become my agent... they must become a wraith." He returned to his dark monotone. I raised my eyebrow in confusion. It can't be that bad... Can it?

"well, if that's the only way I can continue to live, then so be it! Hell, this is an adventure! I ain't gonna say no to that!" I exclaimed as I tried to lighten the mood. Death sighed, He must think I'm being an idiot. But, then again, I'm dead, so who cares, am I right?

"Understand, being a wraith is a hard road. Regular things such as food and water will not fulfill the hunger you will experience. Only the souls of those you slay will satiate you. knowing this, do you still wish to become a wraith?" He said with a rather obvious darkness in his firm voice.

He has a point... Doing something like that, that's just a heavy burden. But...

"Yes. People have to make sacrifices, If I have to turn into something like that, I'm going to use it to my advantage and protect, instead of being a murderer." I said with conviction.

Death actually smiled. Not the one from before, that one was just terrifying. This one, was an honestly happy smile. He must not get those very often...

"hmm, You're a descent child. Even despite your file." I Sighed at the blatant insult. Oh well, I'm getting to live and he's my boss, He can force me to call him bubba for all I care. I owe him that much at least. The colorful gate opened and unleashed a rather bright light.

"Once you step through here, you begin the transformation and sent to the world I've picked for you. Be warned, the process is very painful, as is the transfer to the other world. You will also awaken some strange powers of your own. Powers unique to you." He cautioned. "So, prepare yourself."

Wait, why is he- OH SHIT! He just flung me through the gate, and boy was he right!

I feel like I'm on fire! Of all the times to not be a masochist! But... It was strange mostly...

I began to see some of the history of this world, and I felt... Angry doesn't begin to describe what I'm feeling. Humans used to be in this world. But... these... Ponies killed them. Every last one of them!

I could hear a scream. It sounded like... C-children... T-they didn't... OH THEIR LEADERS ARE GOING TO PAY!!!!!!!

When I get my hands on them, I'm going to wring their colorful necks! They killed us all... Well, the dead call out for blood.

And blood shall be given. I felt the pain leave me as I blacked out. I could only hope that I wake up somewhere Isolated.

My eyes shoot open As I look at my surroundings. I seem to be in a forest. It's strange, but from the history that I glimpsed at through the portal, This forest was like a separate world from the rest.

Everfree...

I rise from the ground to look myself over and find the obvious changes, and the clothes are an obvious one.

The hat's a nice touch!

Wait... I'm in a forest in the middle of god knows where, and I'm worried about my style? Wow, I need new priorities. I began to walk in whatever direction I wanted in hopes of finding civilization. After what seemed like a rather long time I began to hear a running river. Awesome! I was getting rather thirsty anyway! I strolled towards the water to get a much needed drink, But I pause as I see the color of my eyes.

They were no longer brown. instead, they were an icy blue. I shook my head and made for the water.

I cup my hands and dunk them in the water. The water felt cold, and odds are, it had some nasty shit in it, but i was thirsty.

When I took a single sip, my throat began burning as if I swallowed acid. 'wha... What the hell!?!' I thought frantically. Why did water have such an effect on me? My mind flashed to the talk with death as I coughed.

' you're a wraith now...Well shit.' I thought with disdain and annoyance.

"Oh dear! are you alright?" A flamboyant voice called above me. I froze in fear, Not expecting to encounter someone in this dense forest. As I turned towards the speaker, I assured him in a rather hoarse voice. Probably due to that little episode with the water.

"Don't worry, I'll be ooooooooooohhhhhmygooooooooood!!!" I shouted in fear and surprise. It wasn't another human that was checking on my well being, it was a water serpent! a BIG one at that! I stepped back a little in case it decided to have Italian for dinner, and it seemed to have picked up on my fear.

"Oh I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" He apologized rather loudly. Seems how he doesn't... sound harmless, I think that's the phrase I'm looking for anyway, I move forward slightly to placate him.

"I... uh... Don't worry about it." Smooth Dean. Maybe next time you'll start singing dean martin songs for no reason other than to piss him off.

"Oh no, I simply must apologize!" The serpent continued to have this sort of sad look. Or at least, That's what I thought he was looked like. For all I know he could be laughing his scaly ass off on the inside.

"Look, I told you, you don't have to wor..." My voice trailed off. I felt strange, as if something was calling out to me. I took a good look at the serpent and saw something even stranger. In the center of its body, floated a giant green flame.

'what is that? it looks so...Tasty..." I felt a grin tug at my cheeks. Unconsciously, I felt a sucking wind enter my lips. Almost like a vacuum. I saw a trail of the green flame move towards my mouth. As soon as it entered, I felt a rather euphoric sense of bliss overflow me. It was like when you wake up from the best damn nap you've ever had.

My eyes snapped back into focus and the flame stopped entering my mouth. I looked towards the serpent and saw that the scales around his face seemed to have sunken in, as if he was starving.

'what the fuck have i done?' I asked myself. The serpent... no, Steve, is unconscious. I tried to remember what death explained to me about wraiths to find out what I've done, and the results were... Frightening. I was sipping his soul. If I didn't stop when I did, He'd be nothing but a husk of his former self.

'What have I done to myself...?' I thought with regret. I almost took an innocent life, But I felt... good. Not emotionally good, but physically. This made feel uncomfortable, to say the least.

I seemed to have gained some of the serpent's memories, along with a renewed sense of direction through them. I seemed to be heading in the direction of... Ponyville.

Oh dear lord have mercy. I sifted through more of Steve's memories to find the location of any near by settlements, and the closest he knew of was a cottage. Okay, now we're making progress! I walk off into the direction of the cottage, with the events of what I nearly did still replaying in my mind.

So... That's what death meant about souls being my sustenance. I guess there's going to be less animals in the world now.

After an eternity of walking, the cottage graces my sights. I grinned to my self, If a pony is in there, well... Nothing like scaring the neighbors.

I arrived to the front door and wrapped my fist and knocked.

"I'll be right there!" A rather soft voice replied to my sudden arrival. The voice sounded female, and fairly pleasant. Maybe things will go according to-

Maybe not.

What answered the door was a pony. Now, were it any other circumstance, I'd probably decapitate them, than parade through their city yelling I'a dagon, but there was a problem.

She's just too fucking adorable. I'm normally not affected by such a thing, but she was diabeetus cute. We stood there rather awkwardly, well me mostly, she looked ready to pass out from fear. She had a long pink mane, was canary yellow, and had wings on her sides. I guess she's a pegasus mare. Her eyes were wide and pupils were dilated in complete fear.

I'm guessing she knows what I am. Or, what I was anyway.

"H-H-H-H-H" She couldn't even finish her sentence she was that scared!

"Yeah. Human" I deadpanned. She keeled over and passed out. Well shit, That was a rather good first impression.

I looked at her fallen form, and began to see her soul. It was a pure white, like she's done no wrong. How odd...

I knew what I had to do... But I didn't like it. I took the smallest chunk of her soul, enough to give me some memories, but not enough to make her look like an anorexia victim. Her name... her name is Fluttershy.

I can never make myself known to this one. She really is too innocent. It would be cruel.

I make my way to ponyville. It's time to show myself to the town.

They'd better hope they don't do anything stupid.

[Prologus theme]

A/N: How's it going bros? Well, I did it. I made a different story other than my black heart pirates story! Rest assured, that one takes precedence over this one, But I just wanted to show y'all this little idea of mine that has been floating in my head. Let me know what you think!