The inky black void of nothingness has greeted my eyes once again. This time, I felt as if I would be here for a much longer time. After all, I had died once more. For years, I had done everything to help my people avoid this fate, only to usher it directly unto them. Perhaps I deserve to be trapped within the void.

Suddenly, I began to watch my life play out in front of me, as if I was in a theater. Every introduction, every lesson, every report, and every funeral. My falling out with Master Wilhem, the founding of the church, the first beasts, Gehrman’s disappearance, meeting Ludwig, and the night of my fall were all there. Every moment was accompanied by the somber music, retelling my folly to trust the blood. Eventually, it ended with my burning carcass, stuck in the nightmare, finally being freed by the strange hunter, before fading to black.

Then, the music changed, as the screen returned into that strange forest I had woken up within. It showed me the moment I saved those 3 fillies, and the moment that Twilight and her friends saved me. I watched as Twilight and her friends calmed me down, and managed to take me back to the library. I watched as I sobbed into Twilights shoulder, finally letting all of the pain I felt be released. I saw my meeting with Celestia, and her slow and gradual growth to not only accepting me, but befriending me.

I saw Discord twist my mind, before returning it to normal and apologizing. I witnessed Luna comforting me after the nightmare tormented me with my failures. I relived my meeting with Cadence and her beloved. I saw my treks through the forest, searching for a friend, long lost. And finally, I watch my sacrifice, as a blade pierced my heart from behind. I witnessed my friends crowd around me, crying, and begging me not to go. The music slowly fades, and the screen goes black, as tears begin to fill my eyes.

“Such an eventful life. No matter where you were, or what you were dealing with, you always did your best to save others.”
As I hear that voice, I quickly turn around, surprised to see the great one within this place.
“Oh, Don’t be too surprised. You meet Odeon here all the time! Why can’t I use it to give a little gift?”
“A… gift? What do you mean?” “I’m saving your life, dummy! And here I thought you were supposed to be smart.”
“But why? After everything I caused, all the pain I inflicted. Even here, I have cause so much pain, including to you. So why, why save me?”

He chuckles lightly before responding.
“*sigh* You still haven’t forgiven yourself. The reason I give you a second chance, just as Odeon did before me, is because despite your misgivings, and the pain caused by your actions, you are a good soul at heart. Everything you did, you did trying to save lives. When those you worked with valued their research over human life, you cut ties with them. Despite what you think of yourself Laurence, It was not you who truly caused the beasts. It was your fellow men.”

“Their greed and gluttony caused them to seek out more blood, even after they had been cured. Their bloodlust caused them to seek to shed their humanity. Their pride made them refuse that anything was wrong. Their sloth did nothing as the city burned to the ground. Their envy caused them to seek the blood, to become as strong as the hunters fighting the beasts. And their wrath caused them to harm anyone they saw as outsiders, labeling them as the reason the blood was tainted. Yharnam represented the seven sins, and that is why the city fell. Not you.”

“But not every soul within the city was as corrupt as most. Valtr, Ludwig, Gehrman, you, and many others before and after held on to their humanity, seeking to save as many as they could. While Yharnam was falling to its cancerous self, you and the few others like you were fighting a losing battle, trying to save those who did not deserve to be saved. All the while, the gods watched. While some didn’t care, some like Odeon did all they could to help.”

“And that’s why I saved you. Because I see within you the same thing that Odeon saw within you. Something that Yharnam threw away as soon as they got a taste of true power. Compassion. While fear makes you human, compassion makes you more than human. Even when you threw away your humanity, you held onto your compassion, hoping that someone would kill you, and save the people from your rampage. And when you turned again, for which I am sorry about, your first instinct was to tell your friends to run, as you didn’t wish to hurt them. You yet live, because you care.”

As he stopped, all that he had said finished sinking in. This entire time, I thought it was all my fault, that if I hadn’t found the blood, this would have never happened. But from what he said, my discovery had only sped up the inevitable. And the more I thought, the more it made sense. The choir and the school of mensis and their secret projects, the blood brothels, the sudden hate towards outsiders, the dependence on blood, he’ll even the blood cocktails, it was all signs showing that Yharnam was too far gone. But, it had still been my discovery that catapulted the city into the chaos as quick as it did.

“But my discovery still caused the fall to speed up. If I hadn’t discovered the blood, maybe the fall would have taken longer, and less would fall victim to their loved ones tearing each other apart.”
“And that, ladies and gentlemen, is reason number 2! Even when you’re faced with the truth, instead of being completely relieved, you are still willing to accept your part within the fall.”
“And why is this so important.
“Ugh, so impatient! Where’s your sense of mystery? Don’t you enjoy a good story? The reason this is so important is that good ol’ Od want to see if your worthy!”

“Worthy? Worthy of what?!”
“Only time will tell. Looks like it’s about time for you to wake up, so don’t worry! You’ll get more exposition in the sequel!”
And with that, he bursts into what appears to be an explosion of cake. Of course, he leaves me absolutely confused before completely vanishing. Just after he vanished, though, the black void begins to lighten, and the nonexistent ground begins to shake. I hear the slow beeps of a heart machine, before every thing goes white.

As my eyes slowly open and get adjusted to the light, I notice something. This is the first time I’ve been in an Equestrian hospital, and let me tell you, their equipment was much more advanced than Yharnams. Which confuses me as to why they still use bows, but that doesn’t matter right now. What matters is the pink blue that is upon me as soon as I awaken.

“GASP! IKNEWYIUWOULDWAKEUPI’MSOGLADYOURUPNOWIGETTOPLANALAURENCEISALIVEPARTYAND *inhale*SHOWEVERYONETHATWE’RESOSORRYANDGLADYOURALIVEANDTHATTHISWILLNEVERHAPPENAGAIN!” Of course the first one to find me would be the pink reality warper.
“Oh silly! I do more than warp reality! Uncle Odeon says I could do a lot if I just tried to figure out what I could do instead of party all the time! ”
“I… what?”
“Oops! Sorry! Didn’t mean to say that! Let me just… there! Now there’s a spoiler warning!”
I went from one absolutely insane creature to another. Thankfully, I hear someone else coming, hopefully they can balance out the insanity.

“LAURENCE!”
I recognize Twilights voice as she runs up to me, crushing me in a hug.
“We were all so worried! I so glad you’re alive! When we saw your wounds, we thought … Don’t ever do that again … Please.”
“I won’t Twilight, I promise.”
“But will ya pinkie promise?!”
“Umm… no. If I ever have to put my own life on the line to save my friends, I’d much rather be able to keep the friendship afterwards.”
“Aww, ok.”

Slowly, more and more trickle into the room. Applejack is next, and after greeting me and saying she was worried, she apologized toTwilight for the way she acted during the wedding. Next was Rarity, and she was the same way. Rainbow Dash was, as always, Rainbow Dash, and didn’t apologize until Applejack nudged her. Finally in came Fluttershy, who apologized for being absent from the wedding, while also stating how glad she was that we were all alive. Then, the princess came in.

“I am glad to see you alive Laurence. We were all so worried about you.”
“I’m glad to be here as well, but I think that someone owes someone an apology.
She flinched, before sighing.
“You’re right. Twilight, my faithful student. I should have listened. I should have saw the signs, and noticed what was happening, but I was so happy that Cadence was getting married, I was oblivious. And when you pointed them out, instead of listening, I shunned you, saying you had a lot to think about. When it was I who had a lot to think about. I am sorry my student. Could you ever forgive me?” The sudden hug wrapping around her neck was all the answer she needed, before she lightly sobbed, embracing Twilight back.

After more guests arrived to thank me, eventually Cadence and shining arrived. They thanked me for helping to save the wedding, and were glad to have me as a friend. Slowly, most of the guests left, except for Twilight, Celestia, Cadence and Shining armor. Eventually though, Twilight left with Cadence and Armor to go have dinner with their parents, leaving me and Celestial in the room.
“Laurence, I cannot express how happy I am that you were there during the wedding. Thanks to your actions, not a single pony died during the invasion. And no researchers did either, though one came really close.”

“They’re our newest one, too. Would have been a shame if they died.”
“Really? Who?”
You.
I was speechless. She had actually gotten me a research assignment. I hugged her.
“Thank you. For everything.”
I noticed a light blush on her face form, but ignored it as she began to speak.
“No, thank you.”
As Celestia began to set the sun, I thanked Odeon for the second chance.

I am Laurence, the first Vicar. I lost everything trying to save humanity, only to speed up their downfall. I am a scholar, a leader, a man of the gods, and most importantly, friend to Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, discord, and many others. After all I have been through, all the nightmares I have seen, i know the future will be rough. I know there will be challenges, and more blood must be spilt. But I also know one important thing: that my friendships will get me through it all.

Author's Note

The final chapter of my first story! Only the epilogue remains.