{"sf1_id":868852,"sf2_id":"zeRWj9Jm","title":"Chapter 1: The Judgement of Lily Marks","author":"FarmWolf","words":1086,"posted_at":"2015-06-03T03:34:00.000Z","tags":["Afterlife","Fox","Jesus","Personal Redemption","Religion","Short","Spirit Bound","fanfic","furclad"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/868852-chapter-1-the-judgement-of-lily-marks","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/zeRWj9Jm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/39/b8/39b8521e-d17e-48df-86c9-8c83316c7e12","description":"#1 of The afterLife of Lily Marks\n\nPlainwalk and I had been discussing the afterlife and judgement. This idea came to me a little later on. Here's my idea of what might happen when an evil person dies. Since Hitler isn't in Spirit Bound, I used Lily...\n!!!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\n!!!!!!!!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!!!!!!!\n!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!!\nThis story mentions events in Chapter 12 of Spirit Bound and obliquely refers to other events in that story.\nIf you haven't read through Chapter 12 yet, you may want to do that before reading this story.\n!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!!\n!!!!!!!!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!!!!!!!\n!!!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\nSpirit Bound universe and characters are copyright plainwalk.\nThis story is copyright FarmWolf.","content":" **The Judgement\u0026nbsp;of Lily Marks**\n\n\"Lily Marks.\"\n\nThe white fox stepped forward at St Peter's summons. He held out a paw and said, \"Welcome.\" He was furclad, as was everyone here, now that she could see them. She was, too, when she thought to check. It would have bothered her, before, but here it didn't seem to matter to anyone.\n\nLily looked around.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere were Furs everywhere, mostly in pairs or small groups. The further she looked, the more Furs she saw. And the more she looked at them, the more she could tell about them.\n\nThat one was a Jew. She could tell, somehow. What was a Jew doing here? Their religion didn't have the same kind of afterlife that Christians were promised.\u0026nbsp;\n\nThere was a Buddhist. And a Hindu. And a Muslim. And...an atheist? Where was she? Were there any other Christians here at all?\u0026nbsp;\n\nLily scanned the area, using her new sense, and found three Christians nearby, sitting under a tree talking. She strode over to them and said, \"Excuse me.\" They looked up at her and one said, \"Can I help you?\"\n\n\"I hope so,\" she said. \"I'm looking for somebody. Where is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?\"\n\n\"I am here, Beloved,\" came a voice from beside her.\n\nLily turned and saw the most beautiful Fur she'd ever beheld. His beauty was partly physical, but there was more to it. He had presence, she decided. His whole being radiated exquisite power, infinite wisdom, and absolute kindness.\n\nShe was momentarily stunned but regained her faculties. \"Where are we?\"\u0026nbsp;\n\n\"Walk with me,\" the being said. \"There are things we must discuss.\"\n\nHe led Lily away from the other Furs, and they soon walked in a meadow beside a stream. He turned to her and said, \"You asked where we are. Where do you think we are?\"\n\n\"I would guess that this is Heaven, or some part of it,\" she replied. \"But, it can't be. There are so many here who should not be.\"\n\nHer companion regarded her for a moment. He raised an eyebrow and said, \"Who should not be here?\"\n\n\"Well, I saw a Jew just after I got here. And a Muslim. And people from other weird religions. And an _atheist_, for God's sake!\"\n\n\"Why should they not be here?\"\n\n\"Because they're not Christian! They haven't accepted you as their personal savior!\"\n\n\"And what is the mark of one who has done that?\"\n\n\"They dedicate their life to you entirely, they attempt to be like you every day.\"\n\n\"And all of the people you have seen here have done that.\"\n\nLily's muzzle gaped and she was speechless for a moment. \"But-but...how can non-Christians have done that? They haven't accepted you as the Son of God!\"\n\n\"Am I?\"\n\n\"Of course you are! This is ridiculous! How can you question yourself?\"\n\n\"Don't you?\"\n\n\"Well, yes, I have questioned myself, but I'm a mortal! I'm imperfect, fundamentally flawed, nothing without your redemption!\"\n\n\"So, you truly believe that you require my intervention to be a complete, valuable being?\"\n\n\"Yes, of course!\"\n\nJesus Christ turned to Lily, looked directly into her soul, and said, \"Nonsense.\"\n\n\\* \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \\* \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \\*\n\nLily wasn't sure how long she had run.\u0026nbsp;\n\nWhere the hell **was** she?! She was dead, she was sure of that. Memories had come trickling back. She'd been knocked unconscious, and then shot dead, while trying to help the Hunters capture Nathanial.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNathanial. She'd accused him of terrible things, been a total bitch to him for years. Why? None of the reasons seemed to make sense in this place. She could remember their last argument, and her venomous accusations seemed ridiculous now. What bloody difference did it make that he was a different religion?\n\nThese thoughts had whirled around in her head as she ran, and it had been their unrelenting torment, not the actual physical activity, that had worn her down. The total shock of Jesus telling her she didn't need him, combined with the memories of her life from an objective viewpoint, had broken Lily. She lay weeping in a dense forest, where no more light reached the ground than understanding reached her consciousness.\n\n_Where do I go from here?_ she thought. _Is this my punishment? To stay here and wonder for all eternity why I did terrible things?!_\n\nAfter some time--she couldn't have said how much--she remembered the new sense she'd used when she arrived here...wherever here was. She'd been able to know things about people just by looking at them. Could she apply that to this situation as well?\n\n_What do I need to do to **understand**?_ Lily thought. _There's so much I don't know._ More memories were coming to her now, along with other information. Not only was Nathanial a Mage, but he was more powerful than anyone knew.\u0026nbsp;\n\nNicholas had developed more in the last few weeks, with the help of Nathanial and their new friends, than he had in his whole life. And Micah...\n\nMicah, too, was developing fast. And he--all of them--had abilities that no one suspected.\u0026nbsp;\n\nAnd they were all friends with other kinds of magical beings.\n\nLily found the strength to rise, and made her way through the forest. As she continued to ponder, the forest thinned, and she could see to navigate. It resembled a place that she had known in her childhood, and she had been impressed by its exquisite beauty. Only here, it was even better.\n\n_So many things I didn't know. What else don't I know?_ More images came to her. Her pups and their friends had already fought great evil, and a larger conflict was looming for them.\n\n_Why am I only learning this now?_ Lily wondered. _And why would it have made me **furious** before?_\n\n\"You have questions, Beloved.\"\n\nThe Fur she had thought was Jesus stood before her. She hadn't seen him approach, or maybe she'd been too wrapped up in her own thoughts.\n\n\"Many questions.\"\n\n\"Tell me what you do know, and you will find that you also have answers.\"\n\n\"I'm dead, I know that,\" Lily began. \"I remember the circumstances. I know that I was terrible to my family, for reasons that made perfect sense to me at the time.\"\n\n\"Good. Good. And what is this place?\"\n\n\"I -\" More information came. \"It's a place where I get to...evaluate my past life and...decide how to do better next time?\"\n\nThe Fur she now knew was not Jesus smiled, and the whole forest was bathed in sunlight.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"The afterLife of Lily Marks","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/983014-chapter-2-the-labors-of-lily-marks-part-1.json"}}