#Parables of the Kingdom of Heaven | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

bonefall · 2 years ago

Text

Better Bones AU: History Lesson

(A new, updated version of an old history lesson, with some new names and the hopes of being a better summary. Refer to this one over the old one!)

[ID: Ferncloud from Warrior Cats is lecturing Lionkit, Jaykit, and Hollykit.]

Teaching history in the Clans became an important feature after the defeat of Ripplestar near the beginning of the Chivalric Period. While elders are seen as the chroniclers of history, a dedicated Educator takes on the role of making sure each litter learns everything they need to know.

During the Settlement Era, ThunderClan's educator Ferncloud teaches the kits of ThunderClan about glyphs, the basic tenets of the Warrior Code, and an overview of history.

As of the newest arc, there have been 5 Periods so far, with each period being broken down into 3 Eras and side stories. Those are;

ANCIENT PERIOD Dawn Era, Code Era, Skyfall Era

CHIVALRIC PERIOD Ripple Era, Crusade Era, Campaign Era.

THISTLE PERIOD Broken Era, Tiger Era, Fire Era

HOMING PERIOD Journey Era, Settlement Era, Eclipse Era

MODERN PERIOD Reunion Era, Reckoning Era, Current Day

In addition, there is also a Prehistoric Period, which is only remembered by Clan cats through the tales of LionClan, LeopardClan, and TigerClan. The truth is even stranger than the mythological animals they tell stories about.

See: Hollyleaf's Century.

Ancient Period (1920s - 1970s)

Dawn Era

Thunderstar's Justice

Moth Flight's Vow

In the Dawn Era, the five ancient founders settled the Forest. From the North came the Clans, lead down from the mountains by Gray Wing the Wise. From the south came Warriors, following a king, Arc of the Park.

Gray Wing died in a fateful accident while saving his right-hand man, Shaded Flower. Clear Sky managed to keep the group together through his sheer strength, settling them into the forest. This all changed when a horrible accident caused the leg of Clear Sky's brother, Jagged Peak, to be permanently twisted.

His own brother and the leader of the Clan at the time, Clear Sky, cast him out. His pregnant mate, Bright Storm, protested this cruelty and tried to care for Jagged Peak all winter long. Her efforts were in vain as he starved to death, and the spirit of Gray Wing responded to this by sending her a hero and a sign;

Bright Storm's litter had one survivor, a ginger tabby named Thunder Storm, missing its leg in the same place where its uncle had lost his. They brought the child back to the group.

Refusing to learn his lesson, Clear Sky rejected the child just like he'd done to Jagged Peak. This time, many families did not abide the cruelty, headed by Tall Shadow. This caused the split between Sky's Clan and Shadow's Clan. Shadow's Clan came into constant conflict with the Wind Coalition, Thunder Storm broke off Thunder's Clan many years later after a great injustice, Tall Shadow's exile of Bumble, and he eventually struck up an alliance with the River Kingdom.

Rising political tension culminated in Sky's Clan taking the prince of the River Kingdom, River's Ripple, as a hostage. The First Battle broke out between all five groups at Fivetrees, a bloodbath with so much carnage that the bodies could not be buried in one day.

StarClan broke the battle with a flash of lightning, coming down from the heavens to offer each leader a revelation, and a reward. The reward being that each leader would get 9 lives to lead their Clans, and better understand the cats within them, as long as they gave a proper burial to each cat killed in the pointless fight.

The first two Commandments of the Warrior Code were made on this day-- the Law of the Land establishing borders, and the Law of Honor, which states that a true warrior does not need to kill in order to win their battles.

And thus ended the Dawn Era, and started the Code Era.

Code Era

Riverstar's Heir

Because this was before the Clans taught history, most of the Code Era is remembered in parables associated with the creation of Commandments 3 thru 8. It's also MUCH longer than most other Eras, with many of these parables being several generations apart.

The first addition to the warrior code happened with the death of the incredibly long-lived founder, King Riverstar. His openness and free approach towards love resulted in there being several contenders to the throne, inadvertently leading to the collapse of the River Kingdom.

With the addition of Code 3, the Law of the Deputy, the five groups became Clans in the sense they're known today.

The cats in these code parables are so old and so storied that they are seen as deities in StarClan, prayed to and invoked by the living. Examples being Daisytail, Patron of Protection and Parenthood, and Redscar, Patron of Arbitration and Decision-Making.

Later, the fourth commandment, the Law of Loyalty, was made in response to the open love of Ryewhisker and Cloudberry. It banned interclan mateships and closed off the groups in a way unseen since the Dawn Era, and ignited the ancient tradition of Kitten Stealing.

Unknown to the living, in protest of such an evil law, Ryewhisker and Cloudberry willingly joined the Dark Forest. They are two of the oldest spirits there.

An accurate chronicle truly begins with the Skyfall Era.

Skyfall Era

Cars, brand new highways, and suburban expansion started to cut into the Forest as the humans entered a new era... not that the Clans knew why it was happening. Kittypets, associated with these humans, started to be seen more negatively than ever before.

This Era is named for, and defined by, the loss of SkyClan.

Commandment 9, the Law of the Wild, was made in response to SkyClan cats defecting to live as housecats; "A true warrior rejects the soft life of a kittypet."

As their territory evaporated below their paws, SkyClan was blamed for everything out of their control. To this day, this era is framed as a cautionary tale to kittens, "What happens to a Clan when they stop living by the Code." In a famous final plea, SkyClan was turned away and exiled.

Their ancestors, 1/5th of StarClan, went with them... except for Skystar who remained in Silverpelt, revered as a Patron of Battle.

The Clerics of the four remaining clans protested the exile ferociously, banding together to go on strike until SkyClan was returned. To break it and bring their medics back under control, the Medicine Cat's Vow was codified into law.

Previously, it had been a personal vow between Clerics, one with no enforcement behind it. Not taking a mate or having kittens was to always keep medicine above Clan loyalty; but the code was enshrined to make a Cleric put Clan loyalty above all else. A corrupted vow. Dalestar of WindClan smeared his Cleric, Larkstripe, as a hypocrite and sent her kitten away.

See: Larkstripe

And thus ended the strike, and the Ancient Period, as the following Chivalric Period began.

Chivalric Period (1970s - Late 1990s)

Ripple Era

Ripplestar's Rot

Larkstripe's kitten was raised at Birdsong's belly in ShadowClan, the adopted brother of Gorseclaw and Spottedpelt. Ripplemoon understood it was a great injustice that SkyClan had been exiled, and vowed to make room for his siblings' father and Clan to return home.

Meanwhile, the 5th Oak at Fivetrees was beginning to rot. The Ripple Era was named for this time of tumult, ending with a crash as Ripplestar's war came to a bloody halt.

After the death of the 5th Oak, Fivetrees becomes Fourtrees, widely considered a sign that a Clan that cannot keep its borders does not deserve to have them. THREE new laws were added to the Warrior Code, all of them related to making cats more loyal.

The Full Moon Truce, ruling that cats were not to fight or argue at gatherings

The First Tasks, a set of pre-existing traditions now codified, that all apprentices had to complete upon becoming warriors

The Leader's Rights... to not be disobeyed.

The Clan Pride Tide that followed ignited war and chaos, considered to be the 'chivalric ideal' of Clan society. The battles were glorious, and never before were cats so honorable and ferocious. Punishments were harsh and severe... such as the one for a certain mother who took a halfclan mate, and was given 3 ill-fated kittens by StarClan.

And this punishment truly ended the Ripple Era, and lead to the Crusade Era.

Crusade Era

Darkstar's Commandment

Pinestar's Crusade

When a false sign from StarClan was misinterpreted by the Cleric of ThunderClan (unknown to all: Birchface was a rogue StarClan warrior who sent it), Oakstar ferociously exiled Mapleshade and her three kittens in the midst of a storm. With nowhere to go, she tried to bring her children across the river to their father's Clan. They did not survive.

Darkstar refused to even allow her to bury the kittens in RiverClan. Mapleshade exacted her revenge, taking out 3 cats before being taken out herself. Furious at the injustice and murder, StarClan damned every cat involved, and gave Darkstar and Oakstar a command; to NEVER let this happen ever again.

Darkstar created Darkstar's Commandment, that all kittens were to be protected regardless of origin, and no one would be compelled to reveal the other parent of their kittens. This is known as the Queen's Rights.

See: Queen's Rights

Oakstar opposed this change at first, until he was beaten by Darkstar and forced to accept this new law. Fearing that StarClan would be furious with him, he attempted to please them by starting crusades against the cats of Chelford.

These Crusades lead to the creation of BloodClan, to defend Chelford cats against Clan invasion. From this point it evolved into a system of governance unique to itself.

See: Brief BloodClan Guide

WindClan and ShadowClan joined in on these raids for several years, with only RiverClan abstaining. Between the cats of the forest there was an era of odd 'peace' as they had new targets to battle for honor... until Heatherstar took power.

The Campaign Era reignited inter-Clan hostility.

Campaign Era

Tallstar's Collapse

Brokenstar's Cataclysm

Stormpaw's Demon

Bluestar's Flowers

Heatherstar of WindClan flexed her ambition by launching a campaign to take the Mothermouth Moorland from ShadowClan, setting off a cascade of renewed inter-Clan hostility. It caused ShadowClan to hold territory from ThunderClan, ThunderClan to re-take Sunningrocks, and RiverClan to assert control over the Gorge, causing periodic four-way fights between them in ways unseen since the Ripple Era.

WindClan lost the tradition of tunneling in this Era; as it isn't useful for the total war that Heatherstar needed to take such a huge chunk of territory.

In the later half of this Era, a group of young cross-Clan friends started to meet in secret. Bluemoon of ThunderClan, Hoprunner and Ashfoot of WindClan, Lizardstripe of ShadowClan, Oakheart of RiverClan, and Barley Senior of BloodClan.

They called themselves the Forget-Me-Nots, and it was the beginning of the ideology known as Fire Alone. Bluemoon's love of her friends, and the loss of her family in pointless battles, made her realize that something needed to change.

And yet, this era gave birth to something much more rotten. As the Clans hardened and started to see the more brutal parts of the code as fundamentally opposed to its softer laws, the tenets that would found Thistle Law began to form.

See: Thistle Law

Named for a painful lesson that Thistleclaw taught his apprentice, Bluestar's rise to power stalled its implementation for a few more safe years. It was the ironic negotiation of a Peace Deal to end the Mothermouth Moorland war which ended the Chivalric Period, and birthed the Thistle Period.

Thistle Period (Late 1990's - 2008)

Broken Era

Spottedleaf's Plague

After generations of fighting, Raggedstar of ShadowClan was old, tired, and wanted only to see peace for his last years of life. He went to end the war and stop fighting for the Mothermouth Moorland which had been contested for so long.

His son and deputy, Brokentail, killed him before he had the chance.

The rise of Brokenstar was the first true implementation of Thistle Law. His followers believed that the only way to truly win a war was to destroy the opposition-- completely. As Heatherstar had done before by sacrificing tunneling, Brokenstar, too, was prepared to make sacrifices.

In just a few short years using brutal tactics like poison claws, traps, and apprentice-targeting, ShadowClan had shredded WindClan's numbers. The final bloody event in this eradication was the WindClan Massacre, a full assault on their camp, and ShadowClan had even broken the code by bringing inexperienced warriors to battle. Casting out a full Clan was considered evil and barbaric.

Rebels formed in this time, but without help, they would have stood no chance against the popular Brokenstar.

It was Bluestar of ThunderClan and her young champion, an ex-kittypet called Firepaw, who agreed to lend their aid. Guided by the words of a prophecy, "Fire Alone Will Save The Clans," Bluestar instilled in her apprentice a new way of seeing the world.

With Brokenstar deposed, Bluestar sent her champion again to fetch WindClan. They gave ShadowClan space to recover, defended the weakened WindClan against River and Shadow, and even accepted a blinded Brokenstar out of mercy. At all turns, Bluestar embodied justice and chivalry...

Or so the ThunderClan history lessons say. Others like to put more emphasis on the growing darkness behind Tigerclaw.

Tiger Era

Tigerstar's Paws

It officially began when Tigerstar took power in ShadowClan. TigerClan lasted for only six horrible moons and defines the shortest era in the history lessons, but its story is told with horror and hushed tones.

Dozens of cats died, in raids and in executions. Prey was stolen from other territories and slaughtered en-mass to build a ridiculous, reeking monument of bones. There wasn't even enough to build a solid hill, so Tigerstar demanded they create a pointless facade over mud just for his ego.

But all of this was still not enough for him, and he contacted BloodClan to negotiate the Impossible Deal. They would have half of the Forest, if they helped him kill his enemies. Scourge did not trust Clan cats, but against his better judgement, as if the heavens were whispering in his ear... he agreed.

The Era came to a crashing halt when Tigerstar attacked his ally and Scourge famously opened him up in two hits. A very special song was made about this moment; Tiger's In A Heap.

Fire Era

Cinderpelt's Solution

Firestar's Quietus

The Tiger in RiverClan

Tigerstar had made a deal, and Scourge intended for it to be upheld. Half of the forest was rightfully his, and he would evict any Clan cats who he found living on it, tired of their dishonorable ways. He gave them three days to clear out.

Firestar was able to convince the four Clans to unite as one to defend against this threat, but he had a revelation. Scourge wasn't wrong. Clan cats had acted dishonorably with him, making promises they didn't intend to keep, attacking him when he didn't obey like a minion. In spite of being Bluestar's champion and successor, Firestar himself had been treated as if he was lesser, just for his birth.

To Scourge, and to Rusty, the Clans HAD been dishonorable. The Code ended at the border and treated outsiders as less-than-cats.

When the battle with BloodClan began, Firestar and Scourge faced off. The battle was legendary. In a fateful move, Firestar slammed the leader of BloodClan to the ground, and ripped his collar clean off. "A true warrior does not need to kill to win their battles."

Calling for a retreat with his life, Scourge left his collar behind on the battlefield. Firestar returned it, and opened up new negotiations with the humbled leader. "We have won our right to the forest, but speak to me; how much of Tigerstar's impossible deal can we honor for you?"

The answer was so simple as to be ridiculous. They wanted materials like wood, nice-smelling flowers, and new kinds of food. Things that they couldn't find in the dumpsters and gray pavement of twolegplace, and BloodClan could offer materials of their own to trade.

The Fire Era allowed the Thistle Period to have a brief, but sweet time of peace. This time of cooperation ended in a horrible ball of chaos, as the forest was destroyed by man and the cats had to go on a long journey.

Homing Period (2007 - 2018)

Journey Era

As the forest was destroyed, the Clans sought guidance from StarClan. The Clerics went to the Mothermouth, as was expected in those days. Cinderpelt, Littlecloud and Cinderpelt's apprentice Leafstripe were slightly late, as usual, taking their time getting there to have their bi-weekly chat.

When they arrived, they found Mothwing frantically digging at a collapsed rockfall. If they hadn't been late, they too would have died. Mudfur and Barkface were dead. The remaining Clerics dug until their claws were bloody, then fell asleep where they stood.

Leafstripe of ThunderClan received a prophecy. Four chosen cats must follow the Brightest Star, and find them a new home. These four cats were sent by each Clan; Brambleclaw, Tawnypelt, Feathertail, and Crowfoot. Squirrelpaw and Stormfur joined them, without permission.

As they went on a quest that would come to be known as the Sundrown Patrol, the four Clans suffered through many hardships. ThunderClan was forced out of its camp, WindClan was poisoned and ensnared, RiverClan pushed for Sunningrocks as the river dried up, and ShadowClan's marshland was filled in.

After the patrol returned to free several cats who had been trapped by humans, the Clans left hastily to begin the Great Journey.

Something changed on that trip together. For the first time ever, the four Clans had to rely on each other, and see things the way they could be. The apprentices and kits in particular walked away with a unique mindset about cooperation, summed up with a special dish they created together known as Paw Soup.

But of course, it did not last. On reaching the lake and discovering the Moonpool, Leafstripe received three new prophecies.

"Blood will spill blood and the lake will run red."

"Fire and tiger will clash and burn together into ash"

"The first of the lake will guide WindClan."

Her name was changed to Leafpool, an honor title to reflect her powerful seeing abilities.

After the death of Tallstar and the hasty rise of Onewhisker to power, Mudclaw decided that this prophecy must mean that the first cat to see the lake after the Great Journey would lead WindClan. Since he lead the first patrol here, he was especially convinced that it meant him.

(Unknown to him, it was referring to his child, Kestrelflight, who would be the first kitten born at the lake. Shortly followed by his brothers Harestar and Owlclaw, Hare and Kestrel were given to Mudclaw's brother Torear shortly after their birth while Whitewater kept Owl.)

Mudclaw's Rebellion spiraled into a conflict involving cats of all Clans, lead in by Hawkfrost. After a failed assassination attempt on Onewhisker's life, StarClan was so furious at Mudclaw's insolence that they smote him with a falling tree.

When this failed, Hawkfrost became desperate, getting three Tribe cats temporarily cast out of RiverClan, and attempting to kill Firestar to put Brambleclaw into leadership. When Brambleclaw hesitated, Mothwing sprang out of a bush to rescue the leader, and Brambleclaw fought his brother. But, he was unable to land the fatal blow, and Hawkfrost lunged for his sister... only to impale himself on the stake she was holding.

As the lake ran red with tiger blood, Brambleclaw stepped down from his deputyship, and Brackenfur took power. Mothwing returned with the body of her brother, but her troubles were not yet over. The cats of RiverClan who had participated in WindClan's rebellion didn't believe it was an accident, and Leopardstar did nothing about these accusations.

Mistyfoot realized that something had to be done. Hawkfrost was a victim as much as he was a perpetrator, and these ideas had to be pulled up at the root.

Every Clan has a different moment for where the Journey Era ended. ShadowClan believes it's when they arrived in their new home. WindClan thinks the death of Mudclaw feels right. ThunderClan sees it as the appointment of Brackenfur as deputy. RiverClan marks it at the sudden death of Leopardstar to a rogue, bludgeoned to death on a rock.

Homing Era

An unprecedented time of peace, never seen before, nor since. These days have come to be seen as halcyon, divided up into 'episodes' of conflict and interesting tales.

Some of these episodes are,

The Shinewater Plague

When a twoleg truck veered off a thunderpath and spilled gallons of shining poison into RiverClan territory, Mistystar had to decide what kind of leader she wanted to be. In this instance, she accepted help in spite of what some of the harsher cats of her Clan demanded.

ShadowClan's Lichen Rebog Project

Arriving at the lake was hard for ShadowClan, as the rivers in their territory were deep and their land was largely useless pines. Blackstar commanded an ambitious terraforming project, blocking up the rivers and controlling the flooding to turn their land into a marsh. ThunderClan offered their help, as usual.

Ripwater's Devastation

A giant, monstrous fish lurked in the depths of the lake, sucking down a RiverClan apprentice into the abyss and making fishing dangerous for any cat going for a swim. Ripwater needed to be dealt with, but RiverClan had never killed something as large as a boar, let alone larger.

Salt Patrol

This was the first time that the Clans had regular access to gathering their own salt, an important medicine for treating infection and parasites. There were times that apprentices of all Clans would converge, by coincidence, for a beach episode.

The Tribe's Rogues

Taken aback by the fact the Tribe cats ask for help even when they have a choice, Clan cats grapple with what this says about their own upbringings.

See: The expanded notes on how the Tribe visit has been completely reduxed to fix its problematic elements.

The Three, who would come to be known in story and legend, grew up in this period, exploring themselves, their friends, and the culture around them.

This time of kindness came to a tragic end in the Battle of the False Eclipse, and the Cruel Season that followed it.

Angered by ThunderClan's meddling in their affairs, WindClan and RiverClan attacked them and pulled all the Clans into a lake-wide brawl that was only ended by a flash of darkness. Sol showed them a taste of what was to come just a few years later, when the planes of reality would collide.

The Dark Forest had been making its moves and sewing seeds of discord within disgruntled cats of the Clans, involving them in a plan to snatch godhood from the stars. Their first major move was the 'accidental' killing of Brackenfur in the Battle of the False Eclipse, and the fire in ThunderClan that came later, as cover for killing Firestar.

And so, Bramblestar ascended to power with Squilf as his first deputy, Thornclaw as the second after Hollyleaf spilled a secret, and the young prodigy vanished into the tunnels for many years. A third cat of great prophecy was born to her brother.

See: Hollyleaf, just, this whole post

Eclipse Era

Uniting a group of cats with almost nothing in common, Tigerstar planned to usurp StarClan and become the new deities of the four Clans. He relied heavily on his son, Hawkfrost, to be his diplomat and keep the unstable alliance together just long enough to accomplish his goals.

Lionblaze and Jayfeather learned there was a plot, but didn't know how to infiltrate it. Lionblaze sent his daughter, Ivypool, in to spy on the demons and their schemes. Hawkfrost became her Dark Forest mentor.

The Dark Forest plan: replace every cat in power with a trainee before the night of the True Eclipse, to make their takeover easier. Simple enough. Harder was coordinating a bunch of trainees with completely different motivations.

See: Motivations of Dark Forest trainees

Firestar and Brackenfur were first. Sedgecreek and Mistystar, Ashfoot and Onestar, Russetfur and Blackstar were next.

The Dark Forest succeeded in pitting ThunderClan and ShadowClan against each other, thanks to deputy Thornclaw's influence. After the death of Russetfur, Blackstar was absolutely devastated and prone to Sol's influence. This was ShadowClan's first collapse, but unfortunately, not its last.

Redwillow, Ratscar, and Applefur took power of the Clan in his absence, and leas to bloody infighting as they tried to hold onto it. It was Rowanclaw rallying Blackstar's family to remind him of how loved he was that brought him back around, calling forth enough manpower to overthrow the trainees and take ShadowClan back.

Just before the Eclipse was about to commence, Hollyleaf returned just in time to fight for her family.

Thanks to the information of cats like Ivypool, the Clans were able to prepare for the Night of the True Eclipse. Unfortunately, the days of the Homing Era were gone, and they had a hard time uniting as a front. While ShadowClan and ThunderClan were able to rally and limit their losses, WindClan and RiverClan remained individual targets.

Dovewing lead a coalition of cats to counter the Dark Forest wherever they attacked, her father Lionblaze trailing just behind. Jayfeather used his powers to summon cats from StarClan itself, using a stick stolen from Rock to resurrect a tree and pull down as many angels as could fit on its branches.

Though outnumbered and losing, Tigerstar had vowed to go out in a blaze of glory. Scourge under his left claws and Blackstar bleeding out a life to the right, Firestar himself came in to settle the score with his old foe.

Modern Period (2018 - Today)

Reunion Era

ThunderClan's Tempest

Heartstar's Rise

Following the terrible carnage of the Great Battle, a grand storm blew through the lake and brought flooding unlike anything ever seen before. In the aftermath, many of ShadowClan's carefully managed projects took a beating.

The other Clans were reluctant to lend their aid, in contrast to the peace and cooperation of the Homing Era. Frustrated by ShadowClan's first collapse and the lack of help they were receiving now, the youngest generation was desperate for radical change. Many of the dejected cats around the lake agreed, Dark Forest trainees, halfclan cats and lovers, codebreakers, and so on.

They were co-opted by a terrible actor. Darktail had infiltrated SkyClan, many miles away, and exploited their internal divisions. Sharpclaw, Rockshade, and cats like them joined his cause, and SkyClan had fled in the chaos. He offered his help to the struggling ShadowClan, and any Clan cats seeking a safe haven. Breezepelt and his fellow ex-trainees were some of them.

"Nevermind your borders and your battles and your bloodlines," Darktail announced, "We will all be the Kin." Slowly, each of these things he spoke against became central to his movement.

WindClan, lead by Onestar, reacted severely. He put a complete embargo on any Clan lending aid, even denying them medicine during a terrible outbreak of Yellowcough. When ShadowClan fell apart, the Kin absorbed it completely and became an unstoppable force.

Heathertail couldn't handle the horrible cruelty of her father, and joined them hoping to get her half-brother's side of the story.

This was when The Kin started expanding, targeting their neighbors for territory. It was only through the return of SkyClan that the cult was able to be defeated, and because of their role in the final confrontation, it was agreed they had a claim to the Lake.

In memory of the conflict, and with respect to the destroyed ShadowClan, a new commandment was added to the code. The Law of the Lake demands that in times of stress, no Clan may allow another to falter and disband.

Rowanstar intended to live the last of his days in shame, having watched Dawnpelt die, his Clan disband, and Tigerheart vanish. Tigerheart returned only to die in a horrible accident, and Rowan refused to watch his last child be taken from him.

Drowning away his lives in the Moonpool so Heartstar could rise, the Era ends with the resurrection of ShadowClan.

Reckoning Era

Squirrelflight's Horror

Tawnypelt's Mountain

Ferncloud's Parting

SkyClan joining the lake and ShadowClan reforming caused struggles for territory. It was already a tight squeeze for ShadowClan before they joined, and accommodating an extra Clan would require careful diplomacy.

Unfortunately, Bramblestar had other plans. It got into his head that his deputy, Squirrelflight, was undermining him and he played a pointless game with his power. Joining Heartstar in an ill-fated invasion on a nomadic group, ThunderClan lost the respected senior Cleric and discoverer of the Moonpool, Leafpool.

But in those days, there was nothing that could be done about a bad leader besides violent revolution. Any telling of this era of history starts with these events, to establish why ThunderClan did not quickly realize their leader had been replaced by an Impostor only a few moons later, and why they didn't immediately do anything about it.

This impostor's first action was to announce his plans at a peaceful gathering. While losing a life, StarClan had told him they were disappointed and furious at the lack of a reckoning for the cats who had been disloyal in the previous two eras. HalfClan cats, insurgents, and other Codebreakers must be punished and brought in line, to return the Clans to a better time.

Most leaders agreed with this sentiment, and loosely implemented tests of loyalty. It wasn't enough for the Imposter, who was particularly insulted by Bristlefrost codebreaking within his own Clan to see Rootspring of SkyClan.

So at the next gathering, he called together the five Clans, implored them one more time to truly punish their Codebreakers or else StarClan would never come back, and finished his speech by ripping open Bristlefrost's neck.

Over the screams of the crowd, the full, uncovered moon shined bright. He pointed up with his bloodied paw, citing its light as StarClan's approval.

It wasn't the first time an unblemished moon meant cruelty, and SkyClan refused to be part of this evil game. Conflict escalated into a full-blown civil war, leading to scores of dead cats, and the eventual cornering of the Impostor.

When he escaped into the Dark Forest with the ghosts of the fallen kept hostage, Squirrelflight organized a final push to free those who were trapped. These cats came to be known as Lights in the Mist:

Harelight (then called Harefur) and Mistystar of RiverClan

Ivypool and Ferncloud of ThunderClan

Rootspring and MacGyver of SkyClan

Shadowsight and Flowerscar of ShadowClan

Breezepelt and Leaftail of WindClan... after Breezepelt conked Crowfeather over the noggin to forcefully take his spot.

(Exact cats liable to change, particularly MacGyver, Flowerscar, and Leaftail)

In the final confrontation, Ashfur revealed his special powers, having killed and absorbed the ancient spirit Clear Sky as well as several other demons and angels. He was too powerful to defeat, in spite of the combined efforts of the Dark Forest, StarClan, and the Lights in the Mist. In a final, grand effort, Shadowsight used a lightning bolt coursing through his veins to hold the monster down, and Bristlefrost sacrificed her life and eternity knocking Ashfur out of the sky like a falling star.

They crashed to Earth as a pair of asteroids, leaving a crater that became a small pool on SkyClan's border.

This fight destroyed a region of StarClan, an in-between area known as the Meadow of Young Stars. Now a shattered plain unable to separate the Place of No Stars from Silverpelt, A guard defends the single unstable bridge between the lands.

See: StarClan 101

~Current Day~

Ferncloud died tragically after confronting her brother on that fateful mission, and ThunderClan mourns its educator. In respect and heartbreak, its elders have hesitated in choosing a new cat for this role.

With two Eras behind them, the Clans have been loosely speculating what the new name for this Period will become, what its theme will be. There's no way to know until it happens... and it's not as if all the Clans agree on where exactly the times begin and end.

In the meanwhile, a new commandment has been added to the code. It's called Bristlefrost's Law, and for the first time, there is now an official system for changing Clans to be with a mate or a partner. Not all like this change-- some call these cats 'Turnclaws,' and didn't think there was a problem with the way things were.

Bramblestar has been tired since his ordeal, and ThunderClan is hoping he will step down soon. Mistystar has also been slow and aching, but her son Reedwhisker is a fine deputy, and he will make a fine leader as well.

The Clans have gone through a hard time, but there seems to finally be a light at the end of the- oh hey what's Splashtail up to

#Better Bones au #BB!History Lesson #BBAU #warrior cats au #ITS DONE #NEW HISTORY LESSON #BIGGER AND MEATIER THAN THE LAST #BEE HOLD #IM LOSING MY MIND

835 notes · View notes

warping-realities · 8 months ago

Text

Building an Empire II - The Supplier

Javier stared with his usual cold eyes at the priest of the almost empty church in which Isabel's body was being laid to rest. He had never been religious despite his aunt's efforts. He sent too many men to their final destination to have any hope of being welcomed into the kingdom of heaven. Now, in possession of the Reality Warper that possibility interested him even less, why worry about being a servant in the kingdom of God when he himself had become a god on Earth? Still, out of respect for Isabel's faith he chose to watch over her body in the religion she had believed in throughout her long life. Using his finances he managed to have the funeral held in one of the most important churches in the city. He couldn't help but find it funny how the money bought a luxurious send-off for the aunt of one of the city's biggest criminals. Apparently someone in the church organization had also noticed the irony of the situation and sent a young clergyman to perform the funeral rites. A young priest apparently very idealistic, very debauched or very reckless who had spent the entire sermon talking about repentance, the fires of hell and how those who committed sins against the Lord would pay on the day of judgment. Isabel didn't deserve to have anything like that said at her wake, but Javier had the clear impression that the religious man's target was someone else. A shame for him because he had chosen the wrong man on the wrong day to provoke, a man who carefully watched him speak while plotting the best use he could get of him in his schemes.

At the end of the ceremony, Javier remained seated in one of the church seats, critically watching the few people present say their last goodbye to the deceased and leave the place. Many with their eyes lowered to avoid eye contact with him, some having the decency to at least nod their head, although none had the courage to try to comfort him. He didn't judge them, he was always intimidating and with stories about his life being whispered throughout the city no one would want to be seen near him. It didn't matter in the slightest to him, the only constant in his life had been Isabel and now she had left, but not before leaving one last gift. A gift that would fulfill any need for contact he might have that these people were unable to provide. Because the contact he wanted was different, he had very specific needs and that arrogant young priest would help him satisfy them in different ways.

When the last of Isabel's friends finally left the church Javier approached the pulpit where his aunt's body rested and his next prey awaited. The priest was blond and quite young, not yet thirty years old, when Javier saw him he was irritated because he would like a latino priest to watch over his aunt and he had been clear about that. Only at the moment of the sermon did he understand the reason for that choice. As he bent down to place his hand one last time on Isabel's cold face, Javier could see from the corner of his eye the priest judging him with the falsely pious look of those who consider themselves morally superior.

Feeling the weight of that gaze that was at once merciful and judgmental, Javier raised his own eyes and faced the preacher.

"Beautiful litany Father...?"

"Ryan, my son. I'm glad you liked it. It's important when the message touches the faithful."

Leaving aside the irony that a man at least 10 years younger was calling him his son, Javier preferred to give the young priest rope to hang himself.

"Even those strayed from the herd?"

"Especially these, my son. Do you know the parable of the prodigal son?"

"Yes Father, Aunt Isabel made me complete my catechesis, even though everyone at the time already knew about my... nature."

"She was a very wise woman. For there is nothing in nature that the Lord cannot change. Since he was the creator of everything and everyone, he knows our every sin and will judge us all, but he also provides the way to salvation. "

"So that's what we are, Father? The prodigal son and the father who takes him back and leads him on the right path? I'm sorry, but a boy like you is not the father figure I have in mind."

"A church priest is the father of all the faithful, my son, age is irrelevant in this case." Father Ryan replied, to which Javier preferred to respond with another provocation.

"Tell me, Father, what leads someone so young to choose the church these days? To give up what the world has to offer, so many... pleasures?"

"Earthly pleasures are nothing compared to the nectar and honey of eternal life, my son. But answering your question, my choice was easy, I found in the abode of God the peace for what afflicted me, the balm for my pains and the expiation of my sins."

Does this mean what I'm thinking? Javier thought to himself. If that were the case, any slightest regret he might have for what he was about to do would disappear, but to be sure of that he would first need to do it. But not before a last provocation.

"It's a shame, Father, that I don't think my sins need atonement. I took from the world what it denied me and I don't regret it, everything I achieved was due to my merit and those who stood in my way were the same or much worse than I ever was. And as for what you call sin, what you fear to the point of cloistering yourself, it is something that I do not give up, it is something that I indulge and revel in and that I I'm proud. Another sin to put on the list, pride, pride in not being a hypocrite who is so afraid of what he is that he prefers to hide in a pair of skirts like a woman."

"How you dare to say sinfull words in the Lord's house your sodomite?"

"I dare because I'm can." Answered Javier with a golden shine in his eyes watching Father Ryan be enveloped in an equally golden cocoon.

Javier stared at the golden figure for a few moments before shifting his gaze to the figure above the altar.

"Sorry, but today the greatest power at work will be me." He muttered right before invading Father Ryan's mind and reality. What he saw there surprised and angered him, but not for the reason he thought he would find it. Father Ryan was as big a hypocrite as he had imagined, but the reason for that enraged him. Since he was a boy Seamus Ryan had been brought up considering pleasure as a sin and the sexual act between two men as inconceivable and thus he had always denied his desires. The few times he had let it slip it the punishment he had inflicted on himself had been exemplary. What further increased Javier's disgust was fact that the young priest really believed in what he said and did, in the expiation of sins through pain and in the denial of his own identity. Also the fact at the same time he was dedicated, he gave food to the poor, participated in social works and helped children in need without ever giving them a look of desire, but if these people show any sign of the sin that he tried so fervently to hide he leaves them in misery . The combination of all that with Javier's own needs would make the new and reformulated Father Ryan someone very complex, in a way that his own creator could not understand, just as he could not understand himself.

With one last glance at the figure on the altar Javier set to work exploring the different possibilities that the small golden artifact imbued with his will had to offer.

...

Seamus Ryan found himself in the memory he had tried so hard to repress. The first of many to come and the most significant of them. He saw himself again on that terrible afternoon at boarding school, when at the age of twelve, while watching the older boys play football, he felt a strange sensation between his legs, an itch followed by an uncontrollable urge to touch his dick. Unfortunately for him, Father Connor saw what was happening and punished him severely, instilling in little Seamus the shame and guilt that he would associate with that feeling for the rest of his life. Feelings that would only increase in the years to come, leading the boy to try to purge any type of pleasure, no matter how small. He never masturbated and constantly self-harmed when he had any thoughts he deemed impure. He acquired the habit of fasting for days to avoid gluttony and the only alcohol he tasted in his life was altar wine. He did not even allow himself to participate in group physical activities for fear of desire and to repress the pleasure, preferring to take long walks, often barefoot, feeling his injured feet bleed to mitigate his sin. Yet deep down he knew that if he looked into the abyss within him the abyss would look back and that's why he set out to purge that evil in himself and in others. He became a man thin to the point of being skeletal due to lack of nutrients and a lack of love for himself, preaching about a love he was unaware of because he never had the opportunity to know what it was to truly love, using the excuse that God's love was enough to him. However, if the Lord Himself stood before him and told him that there was no sin in being who he really was, he would have turned his back on Him in disbelief, so deep was the contempt within him.

Javier also watched that scene wondering if a single moment could actually define someone's life. With that thought in mind he made a decision.

….

Sean Ryan found himself once again in the memory that would define the course of his life. He saw himself again on that terrible afternoon at boarding school, when at the age of twelve, while watching the older boys play football, he felt a strange sensation between his legs, an itch followed by an uncontrollable urge to touch his dick. Unfortunately for him, Father Connor saw what was happening and tried to punish him. Unfortunately for that bitter man the boy had a spark of rebellion burning inside him. A spark that flared up at that moment and made the boy run away from the boarding school that night, but not before committing another act of rebellion, doing exactly what the priest had tried to restrain him and feeling the greatest pleasure of his young life.

That night he wandered the streets of the city and saw things he never imagined, women exposing their half-naked bodies on street corners, men kissing women and other men, committing all kinds of carnal acts. There he saw sin for the first time and fell in love with it. And it was in the midst of the dazzled stupor of discovery that he was stopped by an imposing figure, a true giant who opened the way in the middle of that sea of sin and desire like Moses had opened the red sea and who awakened in him another type of desire, the greed, because that was exactly how he would like to be someday.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" Asked the giant caramel-skinned police officer with a mustache that still gave no indication of how big he would one day become.

"No...nothing sir." Sean replied in a stuttering voice.

"This isn't the place to someone like you, boy. What's your name?" The man said with a stern look at Shane.

"Seamus, sir, but my friends cal me Sean."

"Flores speaking, I found the kid. I'm going to take him back." The police officer spoke into the communicator he carried with him.

"Come on boy, half the city's police are looking for you."

"I won't to go back"

"I don't give a fuck about what you want, you'll come with me." Miguel Flores scolded, making Sean Ryan scared and amazed at the power exuded by the police officer in such a way that he was paralyzed and allowed himself to be taken by the police officer to his car.

"Come in Seamus." The officer said before muttering to himself. "A boy from Saint Colum runs away and the world despairs, while fifteen kids can die of cold and hunger on the street because they can no longer bear living in the damn Santa Maria de Los Dolores and it's just a fatality… Hey kid, what you think you doing?” Shouted the policeman, grabbing the boy by the scruff of his neck when he tried to escape from the car.

"Do another funny thing like that and I'll put you on the trunk like a criminal. I'm solo tonight, no partner, so no one will ever know what happened to you. So you better behave, sit there quietly."

Fearing retaliation from the giant police officer, Shane calmed down.

"Tell me boy, what makes someone run away from a guarantee of a hot meal, a roof over their head, a comfortable bed to sleep in and a quality education?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Boy, I was raised in the Santa Maria de Los Dolores orphanage, believe me that anything you went through at your fancy school, I've certainly seen or experienced worse."

"Father Connor well... he..."

"Did the bastard put his hand on you?" The policeman asked, even more angered, although for the first showing some kind of real interest in the boy.

"No sir, I mean yes, but not in the way you think, he punished me..."

"Ah, and what did you do boy?"

"I don't know, he said that I sinned, that I was unclean and that I should be ashamed, but... if so, why was it so good?"

"Don't tell me that withered old man caught you playing with your little wand?" Officer Flores asked with an mischievous smile on his face.

"Well, yes... but it didn't seem like that was what irritated him so much."

"So what was it?"

"You wouldn't understand"

"Boy, I told you that I lived a good part of my life in an orphanage for boys run by the church. If there's anyone who can understand you, it's me. Tell me, you were caught snooping at your classmates in the shower or..."

"No, no, it wasn't that... well it was... but they were playing ball..."

"Boy, I don't know why I bother saying this. So remember what I'm going to tell you because it's something I had to learn on my own. The world is an unfair and cruel place, and even more cruel to people like you. So you'll have to find a way to live with that. There will be people who will hate you just for being the way you are, many will humiliate you or your opportunities to have pleasure. But you said it yourself, if its is a sin, why its so good? Do you really think that God would make you the way you are if its a sin? I don't know if I believe in a God, but if you do, come to an agreement with him. Let it be something just between you, he will respond or not and you will live the way you think is best. "

"But isn't it wrong?"

"Tell me boy, is it more wrong to taste good food and the heat of someone else's body or to purposely go hungry and cold to punish yourself for something that is not your fault? A real sin is not take advantage of it when other people would give everything to have the opportunity to be in your place."

"But people will treat me badly if I... if I …"

"Yes, they will, but no one outside you needs to know that. Well, you and God I imagine. Don't be stupid, don't inconvenience these priests, be a perfect example of a little holy boy. But don't let them take away from you who you are. And when the time comes, you will find a way to do what is best for you. It may be that you find a good woman who understands the needs you have, or it may be that you have to face the cruelties of the world with your head held high, which always seemed to me an idealistic idiotic thing to do. Be smart boy, do your own thing and remember to take advantage of the opportunities that life gives you, not everyone will have the same ones. We're here, I'm going to take you inside and have a word with this Father Connor. Be smart, show them what they want to see and most importantly don't fuck with my shift again, Sean." The police officer concluded, opening the car door with what appeared to be a genuine smile.

As Sean entered the school he couldn't resist looking back and taking one last look at Officer Flores, not yet knowing how much that encounter would influence his life. At that moment the only thing he felt was admiration for the man and a wave of desire different from the one he had felt the day before, as this was a desire to become exactly like that man, even more so after he saw the expression that the policeman he demonstrated as Father Connor's thin figure walked towards him.

From that day on, Sean Ryan followed Officer Flores' instructions as if they were divine commandments. In front of the standards of the boarding school he acted with all the purity and innocence in the world, but behind their backs he began to enjoy and experiment. At sixteen years of age he didn't resemble the thin, emaciated boy he had been. With a healthy appetite, combined with constant physical exercise, he became a strong and fully developed young man. He was adored by everyone and the priests had great hopes for a future for him within the church, the only one who seemed to harbor any kind of grudge against him was Father Connor, but some deep fear prevented him from doing anything against him. Sean, for his part, wasn't so sure if his future would be in clerical life. That changed just before the boy's seventeenth birthday, when sweaty after rugby training he was getting ready for a shower and was approached by another of the boys on the team. Until that moment, no matter how much he had indulged in the pleasures of food, drink and the self-satisfaction of masturbation, he had never experienced the pleasure of orgasm with another person. After the sex, with his body covered in sweat and cum, he sat on the bench in the locker room and was sure that he would never look for a good woman to cover up what he was. But in those years he had learned to be as smart as Officer Flores had asked him to be, and suddenly the idea of the clerical life became a much more interesting prospect.

…..

Just over ten years after the fateful meeting between Sean and police officer Flores, fate (actually Javier) brought them face to face again. Newly ordained, Sean, now Father Ryan, had managed to obtain a position of great importance, which had raised some eyebrows within the church hierarchy, but he had known very well how to obtain and return favors during his time as a seminarian, coming to the conclusion that his superiors were as hypocritical than he was, but at least he assumed that for himself. The position he obtained was an old desire, he would be part of the body of clergy at the church of Santa Maria de Los Dolores, but more importantly he had managed to be appointed director of the orphanage attached to the parish, which had required the collection of many favors and for him to kneel in different ways. However, the position was undoubtedly his and with enough money for a good renovation. Freshly returned from a short vacation after his appointment he found himself opening the suit already too small to his huge body while observing the state his future domain was in. He had been this way for some time when he was surprised by an unexpected visitor.

"When I heard the name of the new director of this place I needed to make sure, and when I saw your photo Father my doubts increased. A big man of that size couldn't be the withered boy that I delivered to Saint Colum so many years ago."

"Ten years and 3 months exactly. And what I can say about the size is the result of adequate nutrition and physical exercise." Oliver replied with an unrequited smile.

"I'd say much more than simply adequate, you could take a bull by the horns boy."

"A police officer once told me not to hold back my needs."

"Detective, I'm a detective now, Sean"

"I am now Father Ryan, Detective Flores."

"That's exactly what I'd like to talk about." Miguel Flores responded with a pointed look and a cold voice.

At that moment, before the older man's gaze, Father Ryan found himself in the same position as Father Connor so many years before and despite all the confidence acquired with years of practice in physical activities, he could not avoid a shiver of fear.

"What do you expect to do here boy? I hope you're not doing this to satisfy the need I feared the other priest had tried to satisfy with you."

Calming down, Father Ryan resumed his smile.

"On the contrary, I assured you that all my needs are well met and fed and this is not one of them. In fact, it is precisely to combat these needs that I am here. After our meeting I followed your advice and made my own agreement with the Lord, one that I can live with and that I assure you is much less problematic than what many of my teachers and superiors do with their lives. But I also took an interest in this place and investigated it, using every means at my disposal including some disgusting moments with disgusting old men. Believe me, telling yourself that a hole is a hole doesn't help much when the body attached to said hole is hateful. Finally, after a lot of trouble, I discovered what was really happening here and I took steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again. The kids will have a safe place to live, all of them, even those who don't fit in at least until adulthood.

"You're a better man than me Father." Detective Flores replied with a half smile.

"I'm not so sure about that Detective Flores. I may be the Father here, but in my dreams you're the one I call Papi."

"I'm flattered, kid, but it's not going to happen. You've become a beautiful piece of meat, but for me you'll always be that skinny kid from Saint Colum. I'm sure that if you're the kind of man I think you are, one day you'll be in my shoes and respond in the same way. But don't be sad, if you you want to taste the Latin spice so much, I know exactly who could be your Papi.

…..

Javier withdrew from Father Ryan's mind with the thought that his treatment of him was more of a favor than a punishment. So much so that he spared his original's bitter conscience from the suffering given to Michael Fischer. He justified this attitude to himself by the fact that the Priest was not part of his personal revenge plan but just another piece in the greater scheme. Still, why had he given Flores a sympathetic streak? He would have to be very careful not to end up going soft. Speaking of soft, the thin, golden figure of the original Father Ryan lost its rigid metal appearance on this shelf and began to expand before Javier's eyes. Another change in relation to what happened in the previous experience. Before his eyes Father Ryan blossomed like a flower. A giant muscled flower of a man.

It was not possible to say a specific location for the beginning of the transformation as everything occurred at the same time. The lean torso expanding into enormous pecs, the thin arms becoming the size of clubs, the slender legs growing to the size of tree trunks, the abdomen in a gut that would certainly be a mixture of muscle and fat when the new Father Ryan revealed himself and finally the cadaverous face giving way to a round jolly face.

Javier admired the work for a few moments before the gold faded into brilliant dust and revealed the figure of Father Ryan. A well-built young man, with developed muscles covered by a layer of fat that only increased his overall size, giving the impression of a beast cloistered inside that cassock with the new memories that entered Javier's mind at that moment confirmed to be the purest truth, or not so pure, since Father Ryan's inner beast manifested itself in the extremely libidinous sexual acts that he enjoyed intensely. Something that the round, smiling and apparently innocent face of the figure that stood up and spoke to Javier did not show.

"Now that your aunt's soul is committed to the Lord, do you have any other business to attend to, my son?" He asked with a friendly and pious tone that hid very well the intentions behind the question, and only a careful look would be able to reveal the malice hidden in that cherubic face. A look that Javier possessed.

"We'll take care of what you want, Father, but before that, let's take care of business." Javier replied, although he burned with desire.

…..

These catacombs were built next to the parish and run throughout all of the church land. No one has been here for years since priests stopped being buried here. Many don't even know about the existence of the place and I was very diligent in erasing the physical records of it and no one ever bothered to make digital records. In addition, Detective Flores' contact at city hall also sorted through their records and those at the municipal library. Unless someone looks through old newspapers and finds some mention of the existence of these crypts, they exist only for us and those we grant access to them." Father Ryan explained as he guided Javier through the spacious place.

"What about the equipment and personnel needed?"

"The boys arranged everything. They were all raised in Santa Maria de Los Dolores and are very grateful for the payment given to their colleges and specializations and most importantly they have my complete trust and believe in the project. I know you're not the type who trusts others, but this time you'll have to trust me."

"That will depend on the results you produce but something tells me I won't need to worry to much about that." Javier replied with a half smile.

"So what do you say if I show you what we've produced so far so you can evaluate the results produced and mitigate any remaining concerns?" Father Ryan responded, guiding him through the dimly lit corridors of the place to a solid steel door that seemed completely out of place in that environment and making Javier wonder how he had managed to install it there. Meanwhile, the priest's eye was scanned, causing the huge door to open into a room where there were several computers, a laboratory and some young men working. A substance like molten gold could be seen in some of the beakers arranged on the laboratory bench, while one of the men observed with a critical eye a round, gelatinous pill of the same tone before depositing it in a black box with an alien shape where several other pills were placed. identical ones abounded. Javier observed the efficiency of the production with a look of approval that did not go unnoticed by Father Ryan.

"What do you think of these results?"

"They certainly ease my worries, but do I still need to ask you what the production estimate is?"

"A fair question but again I better answer by showing you." Father Ryan replied with a mischievous smile as he opened the door to a large warehouse and several shelves full of those strange black boxes and each of them filled to the brim with those golden pills.

One would have to wonder how the bed in the room attached to the facility had withstood the weight and adventures of the two mammoths that occupied it that afternoon. A mocker could say that it was divine providence. And divine had been the pleasure experienced by Father Ryan from the moment he had savagely torn Javier's shirt down to the last of their organs, and it was with regret that he watched the older man put on one of the clothes he had provided just that type of occasion.

"Are you sure you can't stay longer, Papi?" He tried.

"I have an unpostponable commitment and looking at you I think it's time for you to think about being someone's Papi." Javier replied, savoring the irony that only he could understand.

"And who said I'm not already?" Father Ryan joked with a smile while lying in the bed.

"Feel free to do whatever you want boy, as long as you don't forget who is your Daddy.”

“I will never forget Papi. What is this important commitment you have?”

"With production and supply secured, we need to place the product on the market. But to do this we will need a dealer." Javier replied with one last smile for his lover before leaving to ensure that.

#male tf #mind change #reality change #corruption #mental transformation #my story

62 notes · View notes

ao3feed-brucewayne · 2 months ago

Text

Parables of a Butler

by PatronSaintOfGotham And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ Matthew, 13:10–15 One-shot. Alfred reflects on the Robins. Words: 4742, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: DC Animated Universe (Timmverse), Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Wayne Family Adventures (Webcomic), Robin: Son of Batman (Comics), The Batman (Cartoon 2004), Robin (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Nightwing (Web Series), Red Robin (Comics), Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010), DCeased (DC Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne, Batfamily Members (DCU), Tim Drake (DCU), Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne Relationships: Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Alfred Pennyworth, Batfamily Members & Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Alfred Pennyworth, Alfred Pennyworth & Jason Todd, Alfred Pennyworth & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Light Angst, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Jason Todd is Robin, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Tim Drake's Missing Spleen, Tim Drake Needs a Hug (DCU), Tim Drake is Robin (DCU), Damian Wayne is Robin, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Damian Wayne Feels, Dick Grayson is Robin, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Hurt Dick Grayson, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Good Grandparent Alfred Pennyworth, Alfred Pennyworth is a Saint, POV Alfred Pennyworth, Awesome Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Feelings, Robins are the Same Age (DCU), parables, Catholic Guilt, Catholicism, Catholic Imagery, Introspection, Personal Growth, Anthology, Jason Todd's Batarang Scar, Caring Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily is a Mess (DCU), Batfamily Angst (DCU) via https://ift.tt/qKhUkgP

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

20 notes · View notes

myremnantarmy · 2 months ago

Text

𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥

Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

LK 21:29-33

Jesus told his disciples a parable.

“Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.

When their buds burst open,

you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;

in the same way, when you see these things happening,

know that the Kingdom of God is near.

Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass away

until all these things have taken place.

Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will not pass away.”

#jesus #catholic #my remnant army #jesus christ #virgin mary #faithoverfear #saints #jesusisgod #endtimes #artwork #Jesus is coming #come holy spirit #Gospel #word of God #Bible #bible visuals #bible verse of the day #bible verse

19 notes · View notes

prolifeproliberty · 1 year ago

Text

Why does God allow evil to exist?

Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’

And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭13‬:‭24‬-‭30‬ ‭NASB

“But God is perfect and all powerful, why can’t He get rid of the evil without harming the good?”

Because the evil isn’t just “bad people” among us. The evil is in our own sinful hearts. To get rid of evil, He would have to get rid of us too.

In our Baptism, in Confession and Absolution, in hearing the Gospel, and in Holy Communion, we receive the forgiveness of our sins won for us by Christ on the cross. But while we live here on earth, we still live with our sinfulness - though we are no longer slaves to it (Romans 6).

When Christ returns on the Last Day, then we can finally be resurrected in our glorified, perfected bodies and live with Him without sin and all its consequences. That will happen - just in God’s timing, not ours.

It may feel like we are waiting a long time and suffering under the weight of evil in this world, but when we are in the world without end, this life will seem like a distant memory, a blip compared to eternity.

Almighty, everlasting God, Your Son has assured forgiveness of sins and deliverance from eternal death. Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that our faith in Christ may increase daily and that we may hold fast to the hope that on the Last Day we shall be raised in glory to eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

#Christianity #good and evil #faith #heaven

162 notes · View notes

alasse-earfalas · 3 months ago

Text

44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. - Matthew 13:44-46 KJV

I was listening to this song about v. 44 above, and it struck me that the treasure the man found was far more valuable than the purchase price of the field. Selling "all that he had" was hardly a sacrifice for the man, compared with what he knew he would gain by buying that field. Likewise, when we give our all to the Lord, we find in time that the Lord gives us far more in return.

Unlike the man in the first parable, who happened upon his treasure, the merchant was actively searching for "goodly pearls". And he found one: a "pearl of great price". It was of such a high value that the merchant, like the man with the field, was willing to sacrifice all that he had in order to obtain it. No doubt he knew the value of pearls and had come across many already. No doubt he understood just how priceless this singular pearl was. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7). Those who honestly seek the truth will find it, and will understand the eternal value of what they have found.

No matter how we come by the gospel of Jesus Christ, whether by happenstance or by diligent search, the same sacrifice is asked of each of us: "all that [we] have". But the return is far greater: eternal life in the presence of God.

That is why the kingdom of heaven is like the man and the merchant: because it is filled with those who understand this, filled with those who sacrificed all other treasures for the matchless gift to be there.

#christianity #christian faith #bible #bible scripture #bible verse #bible study #new testament #parables #jesus christ #owl city

15 notes · View notes

nerdygaymormon · 8 months ago

Text

Matthew 25:14-30 - Parable of the Talents

Jesus tells a parable that says the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by a man going on a long trip. He calls together his servants and entrusts his money to them while he is gone. He gave five talents of silver to one servant, two talents of silver to another, and one talent of silver to the final servant—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

The servant who received the five talents of silver began to trade the money and earned five more talents. The servant with two bags of silver also went and earned two more. But the servant who received the one talent of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

After a long time, their master returned and he wants an accounting of the funds he left with them. The servant who was entrusted with five talents came forward to say he used it to gain an additional five talents. The master replied, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Let's celebrate together."

The servant who had the two talents came forward to say he had used it to earn two more talents. The master also congratulates him and invites him to celebrate together.

Then the servant with the one talent of silver said, "Master, I knew you were a harsh man as evidenced by you harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering straw you didn't set out to dry. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth to keep it safe. Here is your money back." The master calls this servant wicked and lazy and asks if you knew that I'm such a harsh man because I take profits I didn't work for, why didn't you deposit my money and at least earn some interest on it?" Then the master ordered the one talent of silver taken away from this servant and given to the servant with the ten talents.

The master goes on to say that those who use well what they are given, will be given even more, and they will have an abundance. But for those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The Kingdom of Heaven is like this.

————————————————————

First thing we need to make clear in this story is that a talent of silver is a LARGE amount of money. Some scholars estimate a talent was worth 20 years of wages for the common worker. Let's imagine someone who earns $25,000/year today doing work like cleaning houses or doing yard work, using that comparison would make a single talent worth $500,000.

Right from the beginning, this story is not what we would expect, the master leaving huge amounts of money with his servants for them to manage on their own with no instructions or supervision.

It makes sense to us in a capitalist system that people use money to make money. An investor uses money to buy shares of a corporation and expects it to work to earn a profit and pay the investor a dividend. If the corporation doesn't make more wealth, then the investor will take their funds elsewhere. This is greed-driven, not a charity. This is how the master in the story operates, he uses his money to reap profits from others who do the work.

The servant who buried the money blames his master's ruthless craving for profits as the reason he didn't want to possibly lose the money and so he buried it. However, the master is not pleased because he has no profit and points out that depositing the funds at a bank and earning a low interest rate is low risk and at least earns some profit.

If this is what heaven is like, then God wants profitable servants, not excuses. There's many ways to use what God has given us. Success isn't rewarded with carefree living on the beach, instead you're given more responsibility.

————————————————————

I've heard this parable used in two ways. One is to say we are each to work as hard as we can because we know God is harsh and demanding. The word "talent" in the story means an amount of money but in English the word "talent" means an ability or aptitude, and thus many say that whatever natural talents we have, we must develop and use them for Jesus (like he's the investor and we're the corporation that has to earn a profit), or else!

Another interpretation is that this isn't about working as hard as you can and only then are you valuable to the Lord, instead this is actually about grace. The Lord gave them huge sums of money and no rules about how to use it, they are enabled to act. The one who gets called lazy and wicked is the one who didn't try new things, who doesn't take risks, who does nothing but hide what he was given. Even if we have a fear of risk, there's low-risk options for us, but we must do something, even if not everything works out.

Let's take our body as an example of something given to us. We only have the use of it during this mortal life, then God takes it back.

In the first interpretation, we must exercise hard and eat right and care for our body, make it into the best, most-healthy version of itself so that we can use on doing good works for the Lord. In the second interpretation, we are given a body and it's up to us to experiment with it in different ways and in that way grow, like trying different sports, training our hands to play a musical instrument, experiencing the pleasures of sex and the pain of injury, we are to take risks, even if some of those risks don't pay off, because that's how we grow.

————————————————————

What would be a queer interpretation of this story?

Telling queer people not to “act” on their queerness is akin to telling us to bury our talent and to go back to the Lord without doing anything with it.

Queer people are told to hide who they are. Gay, bi, and pan people have the capacity to love, but too often we're told we shouldn't, to bury that desire and instead return it unused to the Lord. Trans people are told not to explore their bodies and ways to change it to fit who they are on the inside, that God would rather we return our bodies unaltered and unexplored. This feels like the opposite of what this parable is teaching.

Also, we know Jesus uses the money in the story as a metaphor, elsewhere in the scriptures we're told accumulating riches is problematic, we're to use what money we have to help others. What would be examples of "investing talents" that God would view as profitable? How about helping queer people to overcome the shame they were taught? What about fighting for equity and justice for groups, like queer people, who are not treated fairly in our power structures?

#queer scriptures #queer faith #queerstake

33 notes · View notes