No Alt Title today, sorry.

Umbra sped along the inter-dimensional highways at the speed of thought. He had a very important meeting to get to, after all.

Finally, he arrived at his destination: VOID CENTRAL HQ, home of the SysAdmins. The shadow-man slid through the thin crowd of Admins, taking note of each and every one of their unique designs.

Demonic, Angelic, Shadows with different highlights, animals, Eldritch Abominations, inanimate objects, ordinary beings. If there was something to look like, there was a SysAdmin that looked like it.

Reaching a single door marked: Meeting Room 2B, Umbra pushed it open and floated to the nonexistent ground, walking forward to face the being behind the solitary desk.

"Hey Boss. I guess you're wondering about that notice I filed, yeah?"

The being shifted in its chair and swiveled around, adjusting the nameplate attached to its cloak.

WHEN I HEARD THAT ONE OF MY BEST AND BRIGHTEST WAS TURNING IN THEIR TWO CYCLE NOTICE, I WAS VERY CONCERNED. TELL ME, UMBRA. WHY HAVE YOU DECIDED TO LEAVE THE SYSADMINS?

"Because... I'm tired, Boss. I mean, I see all these SysAdmins and they're perfectly happy being the ones that nobody sees. But, even if I was a loner on earth, even if I left Equestria because I didn't want to make friends... I can't stand the thought of people hating me just because of what I am. It's too tempting to blast them out of existence. And you've seen past that Fourth wall. Hell, all SysAdmins ignore it. I know what my author goes through when he writes us into existence. I know how many people hate the SysAdmins. I know that there are so many authors beyond that thrice-damned Wall that have considered removing their stories from this Canon simply because they know of me. It stings, Boss. It really does."

I SEE. WELL. CONSIDERING YOUR SIDE ACTIVITIES, I SUPPOSE YOU SHALL BE KEEPING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF POWER, YES? ENOUGH TO FIRMLY KEEP YOU WITHIN THE TITAN CLASS OF DISPLACED BEINGS?

"I have to have some way of keeping my shop open. I can't just pull people into my Subspace Pockets without my status as a SysAdmin, now can I?"

I SEE THIS IS YOUR FINAL CHOICE. ONE THAT A VAST MAJORITY OF YOUR ALTERNATES HAVE AGREED TO. EVEN THAT MOST UNHELPFUL ONE.

"Yes."

THEN AS HEAVY AS IT MAKES MY NON-EXISTANT HEART BE, I, DEATH, THE END OF ALL THINGS, THE DESTROYER OF THE VOID, THE KEYMASTER, THE RULER OF SYSADMINS.... HEREBY STRIP UMBRA SHADOW-WALKER OF HIS TITLE OF SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR AND PLACE HIM DOWN TO TRAVELING SALESMAN OF THE VOID. SO MOTE IT BE.

The soundless declaration echoed across the Void, even as Umbra felt his shadowy flesh strip itself away and be replaced by something considerably more mortal. Not human by any means, but certainly mortal, for a given value of the word.

Umbra rose, his name and title stripped away from him, feeling lighter and more free than he had in trillions upon trillions of eons. He looked down at his human appearance: pale skin, a white button-up shirt with a black tie printed on, black jeans, black and white sneakers, a black wristwatch, and a thin braid descending to his ankles.

UMBRA-NO. THAT IS NO LONGER YOUR NAME, FOR YOU HAVE FORSAKEN YOUR TITLE. TELL ME, VOID DWELLER. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

"My name... My name! It's... Aaron. Aaron Heibai. I haven't used that name in so long... I almost forgot who I was... who I am!"

INDEED. NOW GO FORTH, HEIBAI, AND REVEL IN YOUR NEWFOUND FREEDOM. THE SYSADMIN CORPS SHALL MISS YOU GREATLY.

"Thank you, Boss... for everything."

I'M NOT YOUR BOSS ANYMORE, AARON. I'M SIMPLY YOUR ACQUAINTANCE NOW. GO ON. SHOO. YOU'VE GOT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE AHEAD OF YOU.

Thus, the newly de-powered being flew away in a wisp of shadows and flares, once more himself.

"Oh goddammit, how the hell do I navigate anymore!? WHERE THE HELL AM I NOW!?"

Author's Notes:

All you Displaced authors that I know (I'm not pointing fingers but you know who you are!) you drove me to this!

Well, that and the fact that I realized that having Umbra be the Displaced Group's unofficial Reset button is kinda stupid.

Goodnight, all. And hey, I finally finished a story for real!

Notice

Aaron's story has an official sequel to it, found here.

Toodles~