-Author Omake-

The room was small and the detective standing in it made Seliena feel even smaller.
'Almost made it...'she lamented thinking back to how easily she'd been cornered trying to leave the site.

The young newly promoted detective sat down in a chair across from her and opened a laptop and spun it towards her.

It was opened to Fanfiction . net.

"Did they kill all the good stories?" , he asked plainly.

"I'm not sure." she whispered.


Shadowruni shuddered awake.
His body and spirit broken.
His mind hazy and vision spinning.
He struggled to bring the world into focus.

Through dry and cracked lips he rasped to the Story Admin, "Why didn't you just delete my account?"

"Your punishment must be more severe. You will watch as all the stories you've fallen in love with and respect, if nothing else, are ashes. When that is done you'll have my permission to be deleted."

With that said a small screen was turned on where the author could see it and the Admin left.


Shadowruni watched the site with a sinking heart.

Story after story fell before the overzelous Admin.

Stories with adult plots and real character development.
Stories with ideals that went beyond simplistic cartoonish approaches and limitations.
Stories that streched the bounderies of their creators and took on a life of their own.

Even worse in his mind were the authors who capitualated and edited their work.
He couldn't see them but knew they were there. Some of the most promising and interesting ideas he'd read in ages washed away by fear.

He heard a chanting:

"Deshi, deshi, basara, basara!"

Struggling to stand his keeper, and elderly middle eastern man, helped him to the edge of his cell and he watched as a man tried to climb the walls of the deep hole that let air and supplies into this dark hell on Earth he'd been placed.

"What are they saying?" he asked grimicing as his dislocated back spasmed.
"Rise, rise, up, up." the man replied.
"Has anyone ever made it?"
"One has. He was raised in the darkness. He is like you in many ways."

Off to the side another man speaks rapidly in Arabic and gestures towards Shadowruni.

"He says your back can be fixed but it doesn't matter if you're afraid to go back."
"I'm not afraid. I'm angry."


Hanging from a sling with a sickening crack was heard has Shadowruni's bones were set back into proper position. He passed out from the pain but saw something. A vision. Someone he thought gone and dead.

Concolor44.
"You're dead."
"There are many forms of immortality."

The conversation between them was brief but intense and while he couldn't remember it upon waking one thing echoed deeper than anything else.

"If you make yourself more than just an author. If you devote yourself to an ideal. They can't stop you. You become something else entirely. A legend."


Over the next months Shadowruni devoted himself to becoming what he once was.
Ruthlessly punishing himself by reading and re-reading his reviews and requests that he continue.
He climbed the wall. Without a rope. There was no going back. He'd either make this time, unlike his last attempt with the safety rope, or die trying.
He didn't fear deletion anymore.

The chanting had risen so loud that he could feel it shaking dust off the walls.
He looked at the gap that'd stopped everyone else so far.

He looked.
He breathed.
He lept.

With almost just his fingertips he made it to the next ledge and climbed into the sun. Not having seen it for months.

Idly he kicked a rope down to those who'd helped him and began he trek back to show the Admin that there are stories worth saving.


I'm back and finishing this and my other stories.

-Shadowruni