Authors Note: The pre-prologue tells why the main character ends up with the ability and knowledge he has when he is reborn, however knowledge of Tartoro and ‘her’ will not come for a long time. Pre prologue characters may or may not make a reappearance much later in the story. Before the Prologue there will be a small info dump to explain a little bit about the world (you’ll get more info later as the MC learns). The prologue then sets the stage for the MC’s rebirth before we start the story.
I currently have all three parts of the pre-prologue written as well as a side story and the very basic info dump about the world. The rest will be posted when I re-read it all tomorrow to make sure it is valid.
Pre-Prologue Part One: Judgement
Location: Celestial transport in route to celestial court.
View: Main Character (MC will be changed when named after rebirth)
(If I don’t say otherwise in later chapters viewpoint is most likely MC and location is a continuation from previous)
I’m one of the souls on this bullet train heading to celestial judgement for our most recent lives. It’s way too crowded in here though, and I don’t like crowds to many people to be wary of. Dropping my most recent form, that of a chubby computer scientist, I reform as a ball and float above everyone. I move to the back corner near the door in order to get away from the crush and so I can get out faster when we arrive.
This causes some surprise since everyone else is still in the form most comfortable to them, coming from multiple lives on earth that means a human, and usually the form you had in your most recent lifetime. Some don’t even realize they can change, but a few of the more experienced souls follow my lead and float above the press of people. One of the ones looking at me in surprise is a midget, who almost gets squashed because he wasn’t paying attention. With a look of annoyance he suddenly turns into a 7 foot giant. I chuckle with a few other souls as an old granny scolds the now giant for bumping her walker, which is currently fading back into her form as she stands there shaking her finger at him. She is surprised when she reaches for the walker, that she didn’t need in this form, to find it gone. This causes me to chuckle louder.
That drama lasted the short amount of time to our destination and the door next to me opens. I float out but pull up short as a flood of information rushes over me for the second time. I would have had a massive headache, if I still had a head, as multiple lifetimes fill my memory now that I am back on the celestial plane. I already went through this when I gained my earthly memories, before getting on the celestial transport, but now memories from other worlds are released. The soul’s memories are dormant while we are using a physical mind to store information and it takes a trigger to awaken them such as ascension, courts, heavenly beings, etc.
One of those lifetimes, longer and darker than the others, causes me to float higher and double check my surroundings. As I check that none of the other souls are nightmares I see the golden cloud moving to its next destination. Yes it is no longer the bullet train I rode in on but now a golden cloud. It takes the form of transport for whatever world it goes to, in order to not scare the newer incoming souls, since there had been incidents where souls had to be forced on. After verifying that I am indeed in the celestial court I fly to one of the upper waiting rooms. With the influx of ground based humanoids from earth these rooms should be less crowded.
Entering the room with a collection of winged souls and a few of other soul balls like me. I see some fairy like creatures, a few different types of avians, and it looks like some winged lizardmen. I take my place in a ceiling corner, where I can watch the rest of the room. I review my returned knowledge as I wait. After spending a number of lifetimes in a worlds cycle of reincarnation a soul is sent to the celestial planes for judgement. Judgement is made based off of a type of energy that sticks to your soul called Karma. Karma is a form of energy that was spread through the multiverse to make the judgement of souls easier by one of the celestials in charge of judgement, and was named after her.
That judgement has five possibilities; time in heaven, hell, or purgatory, immediate reincarnation, and soul stripping. Heaven, Hell, and purgatory are different places a soul can wait as it sheds karma. Heaven is a nice place that also strengthens the soul for those who have a positive karma balance. Purgatory is a boring waiting area without much to do and is for those who have a minor negative balance. Hell is a place that ranges from irritation to torture depending on what level you are assigned for those with negative karma balance. Immediate reincarnation is just like it sounds you go right back into the river of souls to be reincarnated, and is given for those whose balance is basically neutral. Soul stripping is when a soul has its memory, personality, and power taken away reverting the soul back to its base state so that it hopefully turns out better next time.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been to this place, but this is the second time since my ageless life on the planet of horrors I’d rather not think about. After that universe was destroyed all the souls were thrown back into the river of souls and I spent four nice lifetimes on a peaceful scientific world much more advanced than earth that also had a bit of magic. I was then reincarnated to earth which has progressively become a worse place to live over the past five lifetimes. By the way just as an aside Jews, Christians, and Muslims all pray to the exact same god, and slaughter each other in his name. He is the top god for the planet and none of the holy books were his direct words. They were all written, rewritten, manipulated, translated, and edited by men who used them to keep power. For the most part the gods only interfere when absolutely necessary and are waiting for humanity to wipe itself out. They care only that the planet will be able to sustain sentient life afterwards.
Well, all of that aside it’s my turn now as I’ve just been teleported in front of a secretary’s desk. I expect to either be sent to heaven or reincarnated this time since my four trips to judgement on earth sent me to heaven twice, reincarnated once, and once to purgatory once, and I didn’t do anything wrong in my last life. We get judged at the end of each lifetime at a world and then judged for all of the time at the world when we make it back here.
I feel the being in front of me scanning my soul, which I don’t like but have to deal with, before I follow him to the office were I will be judged. Entering behind him I watch as the blue humanoid hands the folder he created to the judge, a red ogre looking giant with a horn coming from his forehead. The judge sits behind the desk as the secretary leaves the room. The judge looks at me with a scowl before opening the folder. Scanning the first three pages with a frown he flips to the fourth page. His frown deepens as he looks at what should be a short list of sins I committed while on Earth. I know because I asked to see my folder before and the judge showed it to me before explaining that all folders have the same layout. The first two pages are details on the soul including base personality and power level, the third is an overview of my lives on the most recent world and the more recent worlds I’ve lived. The fourth page is the start of the list of negative karma breaches. After that is positive karma and an overview of each of my lives. The judge generally reads the folder and after that reads the soul to clarify any questions before passing judgement.
I sit there expecting this to take a while so I’m surprised when the judge closes the folder after the fourth page, and doesn’t even look at the rest. The atmosphere holds an aura of menace as the judge looks up, which I don’t understand since I did nothing really wrong on earth. I certainly did nothing that would upset the celestial nor have I gotten on the bad side of any gods that matter let alone a celestial.
Judge: “So you were on Tartaro, I personally believe that we should strip every soul that was touched by that vile place if not destroy them entirely. Unfortunately I can’t order your soul stripped without reason and that doesn’t include being on that vile place. So save us both some trouble and ask me to strip your soul of its vile taint boy.”
I shiver just hearing the name of that planet, but it clears up why the judge is hostile. I spent more than one lifetime fighting there, I’m glad I ended up with an ageless body at the time so I could avoid having her play with my soul. After managing to avoid having my soul stripped and remade by her, fighting in a living hell for years, now this red bigot wants to mess with my soul. The light given off from my soul changes from a pale blue to a dark blood red as my rage comes to the fore.
Me: “No way you self-righteous prick. I didn’t spend hundreds of years fighting those monstrosities to keep her from playing with my soul just to let you do the same.”
As I say this I shift into the form I wore back then, still familiar as I spent way too long at war in this body. I form two swords by condensing my spirit power with some of my essence and set the edge vibrating. I prepare to charge this red ogre, it no longer matters that I’m in front of a celestial judge, all that matters is that I have an enemy in front of me. The judge sneers at me.
Judge: “Everything from that place is a monstrosity including you. I’ve marked your soul as my enemy. No being of power will help you as the enemy of a celestial and your soul will always be brought to me for judgement. I’ll send you to hell over and over again until I can finally shred your monstrous soul.”
Feeling him touch upon my soul I charge flying for his head, as he lowers his head to stab me with his horn I unsheathe my left blade cutting the horn as I twist myself over it. Coming down I lash out with my right sword aiming to cut his spine at the back of the neck as he screams.
Judge: “GO TO HELL!”