“Grandpa! Is this one alright?”

In a dim room filled with dusty tomes and questionable food materials sat a young girl barely past the age of ten.

Her twin golden pigtails shimmered in the flickering candlelight, her face already devoid of all baby fat, hinting at the beauty she was sure to become in the future.

She wore a dark hooded robe adorned with metal plated stars.

She stared onto a flat stone tablet as a middle aged man in similar attire appeared behind her.

"I thought I told you to call me Master or Lord Horus during your lessons Nelly!"

"Really now grandpa?"

"I am your teacher now! Not your family, and you will address me as such!"

"...You know this is why grandma wanted the divorce."

The man harrumphed and removed his black hood,  revealing a bright shiny dome that scattered the candlelight.

He sat beside her, peering onto the stone tablet.

Though it would appear to be a normal stone slab, his discerning eyes he could read the complex magical matrix contained within.

The countless invisible streams of light coalesced into a singular image of a lumpy quadruped casually sitting down.

"It looks like a bear. Zero magical signature. Threat level: minimal"

"So it should be okay right?"

"Even if you're summoning from a dead zone. A large carnivore is still dangerous. Why don't you try a rabbit, or perhaps a chicken?"

"No! I want this one. It's cute!"

"You're keeping it as a pet?! It might be weak, but it's still a wild animal!"

"That's ok, it won't hurt me."

She seemed so sure of herself. He supposed that having an all-powerful magician as a mentor sure helped her sense of security. That was also ignoring the problem of having to feed and clean after it.

"It will still be another four months before I teach you magical enslavement!"

"That's ok, Grandpa will do it for me!"

"I thought I told you to call me..." *Sigh*

The old man facepalmed. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he still had to instill a sense of discipline into this spoiled child.

"Fine, but this bear seems a bit too big. Why don't you find something more manageable like a panda and grandpa will help tame it for you!"

He lost.

"No! I want it! It looks so fluffy. I want to ride it, have it as a pillow, wash it in the bath! I'll also name it Boris!"

"That sounds remarkably similar to my own name."

"Yeah! Because he's big and strong and cuddly!"

The bald man couldn't hold onto his stern expression any longer as his face cracked into a smile.

He sighed. This was why children were just so...

"Fine, but don't expect me to help you feed it"

The little girl grinned. No old person could withstand her charms for long. Especially not this spineless old man.

"Keep track of its location while I set up the summoning circle"

Taking a battered pouch from within his robes, he gingerly sprinkled fine pink powder in a circle before placing a carefully inscribed lodestone in the center.

"Whenever you're ready Nelly"

She stared at the stone tablet. Apparently, the bear had gotten into a fight in the ten seconds it took for her grandfather to set up the circle. It ended fairly quickly though.

Removing her robe with one hand, she threw it to the side revealing a tight fitting ornate costume with a billowing long jacket and red scarf.

*Wait. When did she have time to make that?*

"I..Nel Von Heifin beseech the Lords of Magic! I tribute all three units of mana to summon thee"

The stone tablet shivered and floated on top of the lodestone as Nelly's hands glowed with power.

Countless shapes and runic characters surrounded the summoning circle, turning around the tablet like a gyroscope.

Seeing the intensifying brightness, the old man could only smile in his heart. This girl's talent was beyond compare. With but a few years, she was sure to create waves when she debuts in the new world.

Finally, the light reached its apex, leaving a pulsating swirling mass in the center of the room.

It was time.

"COME FORTH! My Ultimate Servant! Blue Eyes White Drag-- "

*Thud*

"CAN YOU BE EVEN A BIT SERIOUS?!"

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The old man rapped his knuckles sharply against the girl’s head. Perhaps it was a bad idea to have summoned a bunch of picture novels for the girl's enjoyment.

Squealing the girl clutched her head in agony as she tried to stifle the tears welling up in her eyes.

She didn't understand what was wrong. She thought she looked pretty cool.

A tad exasperated, the old man felt a slight twinge of regret. He really shouldn't bully his granddaughter too much, lest she hates him in the future.

Fortunately, he ensured that the spell was finished before tapping her on the noggin. Any problems with the spell would've been negligible at most.

The shining sphere cracked open like an egg, and from its innards leaped forth her new guardian beast!

*Splat*

A bloodied body landed in a heap on the ground. Its limbs were mangled and the wounds appeared fresh.

Her grandfather hesitated for a moment, inspecting her summon.

"...It's smaller than expected"

"Grandpa you idiot! Boris! Give Boris back!"

The little girl kicked her mentor, all the while nursing the painful welt on her head.

"Ouch! Stop kicking me, child! You never summoned him in the first place!"

"I would have if you didn't hit me!"

"The fault obviously lies with your summoning spell. I had no part in the problem"

Horus knew that he was obviously in the wrong, but he'd rather die than admit that to a little girl! He still had his pride, you know!

"Ah, wait, grandpa is sorry! It was all grandpa's fault! Don't cry. Shh Shh! Don't cry"

So much for pride.

After consoling his precious grand daughter for a good five minutes, he finally managed to calm her down.

"We can get Mr. Bear tomorrow ok? I'll quickly go make another summoning tablet, and we can try again"

"His name is Boris!"

"Yes, yes. We'll find Boris again"

The old man was quite thankful that he would probably never father more children in his old age.

Having wiped her tears away, Nelly finally became interested in the sack of meat that she summoned.

"Oh! This was the person who fought the bear!"

"He fought?"

The world that they pulled the person from was one where animals still held relative physical(?) superiority over human beings.

"Yeah! He punched Boris for a bit, but Boris won in the end!"

"With his hands?"

Even in a world such as theirs, only men with supreme confidence in their strength or martial abilities would take on wild beasts with their bare hands.

Pleased, the old man thought the summon wasn't a complete waste. At least he would have some worthwhile material for his necromantic experiments.

"He seems rather skinny..."

Perhaps it was muscle compression? The corpse's owner didn't have the body of a warrior, or was there something else?

"Yeah, he didn't last one hit from Boris before keeling over"

The girl pouted. Obviously still vexed that she didn't manage to acquire her summon of choice.

Confused, the old man appraised the body once more. The normal reaction would be to run or hide when faced with a bear, but this man fought it.

There must be a secret locked within the body!

Bringing mana to his eyes, he employed a quick clairvoyance spell as he inspected the body once again.

His eyes widened as a smile cracked across his lips.

"Ohoho? What is this?"

(It's Santa Claus!)

-break-

*Well shit*

A little ball of light was floating about in a canvas of bright blue. Like seriously, there was nothing else besides the color blue.

The ball of light, or Justin's consciousness, was torn between a mixture of self"pity and euphoria.

*So I fought the bear, and now I'm here...*

*Is this a lucid dream, or am I just dead and in some Assassin's Creed purgatory?*

No answer came as he floated about in a singular direction.

*Well if I'm lucid dreaming, I should be able to control my surroundings.*

*A piping hot blueberry muffin will appear before me. Right Now! Go!*

...

Nothing happened.

*Right. Dead. Got it.*

*So do I just float like this or does something happen eventually?*

*I hope I don't go insane*

*Oh wait, I'm already talking to myself. Ahaha, I really don't want to go crazy*

The light ball was getting rather sick of all the endless blue.

*Well if it's any consolation, at least I fought the bear. I made the first step towards being a fulfilled man!*

*Too bad I'm dead though*

*Now that I think about it, was it necessary to fight a bear with my bare hands? I could've used a weapon or a gun, and it would still be a rather impressive story...*

*Wait… I could've used a gun?*

A spiritual light bulb lit up within the light blob's 'head'.

*...Oh you are fucking kidding me.*

The blob started convulsing erratically before finally shooting explosively in one direction.

*No! I can't die like this! (although I'm already dead) Give me a redo! A redo! Nobody has even seen me die to a bear, I'll just end up as compost. Actually, screw a gun! I'll just wear some hockey gear and wield a stick, that's fair right? Oh Lord, o(?)h heavens, I have so much to live for. Please have mercy!*

The heavens were silent as the blob 'screamed' with increasing intensity.

*I don't need another life. Just another shot at the bear! Yes, the bear. He is the cause of all of this. I swear, if I ever get out of this blue hell, I'll murder the bastard.*

*Give me another chance God! I know you're listening! You're probably giggling to yourself while hiding behind some blue shower curtains! I won't have it! DO YOU HEAR ME? I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!*

His mind may have slightly broken then and there.

*Ahahaha! When I get married, I'll do it in a science museum. My pastor will be vegan, and the wedding cake will be bear flavored topped off with lots of 'fuck you'*

*I'll be a zoo keeper, and I'll capture the bear that killed me. For all other bears, I'll feed them choice cuts of triple A beef, while I'll feed it stale raisin bran, without the raisins!*

*Do you think I'll be stuck here forever?*

He drawled.

*Well, you're right! But don't think you'll be safe up there forever! One day you will slip up, and when that happens… hey, can't I just have another chance? Please? I haven't even lived yet. My last girlfriend only wanted me for my pog collection. Don't you feel any sympathy?*

//2 hours later//

*Actually, I ate five pounds of pineapple at once because I was too lazy to put it back in the fridge. I was raised to never waste food, so I kept eating it through a bloody mouth. Nobody told me the hell that would await me nine hours later...*

*I tried it again the next day, but I also drank milk this time. Obviously, a base counteracts an acid right? But it just gave me more pain, but less blood...*

Perhaps some higher power felt pity, or perhaps it just wanted him to shut up, but there was a single small wooden door that materialized before the blob.

Is this a mirage?

Unable to believe his eyes, the blob quickly rushed over towards the door. It bumped against it, feeling the gnarled hardwood, excitedly feeling the first sensation in what seemed like an eternity.

*Uhuhuhu*

Barely able to stifle his joy, he reached out with his hands and... wait.

He didn't have any hands!  

He pounded against the doorknob, trying to get some form of grip on the thing, but his ethereal body just slipped around it.

He tried envisioning hands as hard as he could, but again, nothing happened.

"Damn you, God! Is this how you decide to torture me? Well, I renounce you. I renounce you and your family, your wife, your cow, your kids. I won't rest til the day I see you""*

The door began fading away into nothingness.

*Waiwaiwait! I'm sorry your benevolence! I would never presume to question your almighty power. Please don't leave me. Please ;-; *

The door slowly came back into existence but remained firmly shut.

*Um...Lord God? Could I humbly ask you to open the door?*

The door remained shut.

*Do I have to do something? Is there a password? Oh! Maybe this is related to my goals prior to my death by bear!*

The door creaked slightly which he took for confirmation.

*I...uhh promise to live a fulfilled life from now on!*

...

*I vow to not be too shy to talk to people with resting bitch face!*

...

*I SWEAR TO STOP FLATTENING ALL MY PILLOWS! *

...

It couldn't be?

*I promise to fight the bear again*

The door knob wriggled as if unconvinced.

*The bear shall meet its demise by my hands*

Another wriggle, this time a bit stronger.

"I WILL KILL THE BEAR!!"

The blob roared. Sound echoed out for the first time as his resolve resonated throughout the world of blue, eventually piercing the heavens!

The door unlocked with a click, and swung open revealing a dark abyss. Malicious shadows swirled within, dissipating into hazy wisps around the door.

Sheepishly the blob looked around, as if uncertain of his next move.

The door squeaked. As if unsure why he wasn't charging through. Where was the heroic spirit that was flaunting his hate boner for the bear earlier?

The door squeaked twice more as if agitated, quickly bringing Justin back to his senses.

Passion welled within his 'chest' once more, as courage...or insanity took hold of him.

*FOR A FULFILLED LIFE!*

Throwing all its sheepishness aside, the blob plummeted into the darkness, filled with a fiery madness.