Author's Note

I decided to rewrite this chapter as I felt like it had dipped below my writing standards far too long ago. The next chapters might get an overhaul very soon.

If you're a new reader, then be aware that the first few chapters severely lack the quality of writing I have right now. The first few chapters will also be very similar to Don't Get Cocky, though differences will soon appear that will greatly change the flow of this story.

Chapter 1 : Prologe (rewrite)

I cannot say that I had a pleasant life, although, for the most part, I lived a regular, boring, uneventful life. Wake up in the morning, make breakfast, go to work, return home spending what little time I had available to play video games, watch TV or read fanfics before retiring for the night.

Well, I, for one, have had enough of this cruel, unchanging, colorless world. I have decided to leave it all behind one day. My name is Matthew Roberts, and this is my story.

You might be wondering, this very moment you are reading this, why'd I leave Humanity behind. Well, that decision did not come into my mind for long before I decided to take action as my first few years as a human were rather mundane, just like my family was.

My mother was a short, blond woman with ocean blue eyes, a brilliant woman in personality as well. My father was a large man with short black hair, the CEO of some company, I never bothered asking. I did not know much about the old man, other than he was the prime example for a chain smoker who burned away all emotions. My brother took mostly after my father when it came to his looks, though he was born with the short stature of my mother, overall a pretty decent guy, a very sporty guy who invested much time into the sport, friends, and electronics, he was on the best path to get a pretty well paying job.

I was rather large for my age and chubby. I cannot say that I was the best in school, but definitely in the upper ten percent. I was a smart, polite, and shy fella who was sadly often victim to bullying, not that I cared much about them. Of course, I had a good temper, but that did not mean I did not get into a few fistfights when they messed with my friends.

My life was very calm otherwise, though that changed once I reached the age of eight. It was a dark day for the family, one that set the rails to a long path going downhill. I returned from school one day, my birthday, if that was even important, an hour later than I promised to get by, but little goblin me thought that he could spend my time with his friends as the parents were visiting some friends. Once I entered the home, I was met with the image of my brother, twenty-seven at the time, his body twitching furiously as he was having a seizure. I called the paramedics as soon as I could, but when they saved him, barely, but the damage was done, and it changed him. He was nearly brain dead and a bit mad. I told no one that it was my fault for turning up late, not that I said anything for the following weeks, and just tried to help my big bro.

I lived not much of my youth out from this point on, always attempting to keep the crumbling mess of a family together. Mother was always depressed, Dad never home, and I was fighting with the guilt. Still, I believed that things could only go uphill from there on, but it did not. Exactly eight years later, my sixteenth birthday was yet another dark day. My mom was involved in a horrible car accident and was hospitalized. I came as fast as I could, leaving the house in chaos as I rushed towards the location of my mother. I arrived there not long after, I was not very short, but only skin and bones then, but as dreadful as I appeared at that time, the sight of her was many times worse. A scrambled mess of bandages, machines stuck into her flesh, and only her face scattered with scars was visible. I cannot remember how long I just stood there, watching, before finally closing the distance, more than once did I nearly collapse.

Once I came closer, merely a foot or two away, did she notice me under all the beeping noises. "Come... closer..." She begged with a weak voice, her breathing was painfully hard. I complied and knelt next to her. She leaned forward slightly and clenched her teeth as she forced herself into a better position, all while attempting to smile. "Matthew... Listen..." She chocked out. "I want you to... let go..."

My eyes widened as I pulled my hands away from her bed, though this only invoked stiff laughter from her, coughs followed with blood coming not long after. "Your bleeding ma, wait, I'm gonna get a doctor and-" She cut me off in my blabbering.

"No..." She sighed as she closed her eyes and leaned back. "My time has come... and I know you'll miss me, but please... don't..." She said as she opened her tearful eyes, staring deep into mine. "You have been wasting your life after your brother's accident. I want you to never forget who you are." The noises of the machines took on a much more aggressive tone, but as I was stand up in shock, she trapped me by the wrist. "Promise me-!" She coughed out blood. "Promise me, if you love me or anyone else that you will let them go and never forget them. Remember them for what made them special for you."

I mouthed something, what, I cannot even tell myself, in shock, I could only not, a stammer of an answer. "Y-yes."

My mother loosened her grip upon hearing my answer, her form gently sank into the bed as she smiled yet again. Her eyelids closed, and her breathing slowed down. "That's... all I'm asking for." She spoke slowly before the heart monitor let out a painful noise, I stood there for what felt like an eternity, before nurses rushed into the room, and I was forcefully removed from the room.

It took me a long time before the information finally sunk in, and I spend the following night sleepless, crying in a home feeling so empty. Her funeral was nice, not a lot of people came, and only a little was said, I think this was the most emotions my father showed in over a decade.

Life only went downhill at that point, I gave up finding anything joyful in life and was always in the mood to rot away in some ditch. I was lucky enough to get a job at my father's company, it was not a very prestigious position, but better than what I deserved. I started to understand my father over the years, not directly, but his ambition in his work, it allowed one to let the worries drown in stress, it enabled me to get home and let me fall asleep without any dark thoughts creeping out towards me, it made it possible for me to get by.

During the coming years, I graduated and was able to score and promotion to manager, it helped not having a care or empathy for customers, especially given that the business dealing with a lot of sad people. When I did not break down upon reaching the bed, I would sometimes try to use some of that free time, alone in the old family home. Since mom was gone and dad and I would work all-day my brother got moved to an asylum, I am not proud to say that I rarely visited. My life did not offer much for enjoyment, be it the time or myself as the obstacle, so I just kept hogging the money except for a game or movie once in a while.

After two more years of mindlessly working as a cooperate slave and wasting my time away in both the crucible farm as well as rotting away at home, my twentieth birthday came by. I was not keen on having any good mood on having a good mood on this day, and again this accursed day found a way to ruin my life even further. My father had sent me a voicemail, it's content? My brother died after a nurse gave him 'accidentally' an overdose and also informed me that he won't be coming to the funeral. I was already very burned at this moment in my life, it left me empty, but not saddened, and it made me angry knowing that.

I was surprised to find that many of his friends stayed with him through the years and attended his funeral, I was asked many times who I was, and every time I received apologize. I held a speech, it was short, I was used to holding these now, but the words were empty, despite me attempting to praise who he was. I, however, only now began to miss.

After yet another strategy, how I could easily say this was nearly sickening, but I had lost so much care at that point that it really did not matter. In the next couple of years, nothing really popped op, just old little me dusting away, nothing extraordinary. Only did I began to realize how much I had, only when I was robbed of it did I really start to honor what I was granted.

One day, again, my shitty birthday, I got a call, but it was not the usual complaint or rescheduling, but a notification from the hospital that my father was requesting my presence. I was... shocked at first, I had not visited any clinic since Mother's death and was cautious to even go there, but in the end, I did go there. Running would perhaps be better fitting. I cannot put in words what demon had overtaken me, but at this moment, I gain energy I never knew before and lost my sens for self-preservation entirely. I bolted out of the office and ran towards the clinic on foot, I did not own a car, and a taxi would've only gotten stuck in traffic.

I reached the hospital in record time, my breath was hard, lungs were burning, and I felt my entire body heat up. I was not a healthy man, all the years of fast food, microwave shit and letting my arse become the missing link between human and chair did a number on me, or rather, added one onto my weight. Not long after did I approach my father's room. The old man was but a husk, ashen skin, silver hair, and empty eyes, had I not known better than I thought that a ghost had come back from purgatory to haunt me.

"Stop staring and get closer, you bastard..." He mumbled, his breath was rusty, coughs finished his sentence. I narrowed my eyes at him and walked closer to him. "Kid... shit... I'm sorry." ? "I'm sorry I wasn't there when your mom left us." He forced out before taking a breather. "I thought... I believed... I was an emotionless and stubborn workaholic, but I want you to listen, even if I am not worth your time."

So many questions raced through my head. Is this real? What will he say to me? What will I do on this day? These few moments of thinking of possibilities felt like hours and yet were just mere seconds.

"I have cancer." Father blurted out, my blood froze when I heard what he said, but he denied me to reply. "I thought what I did was the best for everyone. A man needs to be strong and get the meal on the table... well, look where that got me..." His sighed out as his eyes shifted out of focus. "I've wasted my life on work and didn't spend nearly enough time with my own family." His head turned to me, his teeth grinding with each other. "Don't repeat my mistake, get out there and make something out of your life, friend, family, or whatever and make sure to protect that."

I clenched my fists, his word filled me with anger, his own atonement of his wrongdoing far too late, and now he pushed it all onto me.

"Answer me." He glared, but his anger was masked by his own pain, back then I thought it was his own, but now I knew better, it was regret and pity.

I closed my eyes and counted, a mere nod escaped me. For the first time in a while, I felt something, my chest, and heart hurt, and the fear of having a heart attack kept me from going any further.

He continued to talk but was now looking straight into my eyes and possibly even my soul. "I have sold my company and all my belongings, the money will be in your bank account soon. Make the best of it". He said with his voice getting quiet.

I just stood there while I thought about the two paths that now opened for me. Either I now break down the walls that I hid behind for so long or deny the last wish of a dying man. I cannot say what made me chose this option, but I answered with a crisp. "Fine."

He said with a smile, even if it was a meeker one. "Now, go out there and make something with your life." He let out stiff laughter; I could only smirk with a shaking head. I turned around, the previous courage already wilted away, it was only when I picked up one more phrase that gave me the last needed boost. "I... always... loved you." I increased my pace and left faster than I entered.

At the end of this day, I went home one more time and sold everything not needed, the metaphorical stank of a horrible life had infested this place; thus, I needed to leave. I moved far away to some busy city full of places to work and chances to take. The first step I took was to receive a job at some gaming company, though my position was to plan events and alike, only a little involvement with programs and such. My position as heir of a once pretty successful company allowed me to gain such a 'good position' rather fast, even if I traded one crucible farm with another, this one just allowed crunch to happen much more often. I got my first project rather quickly as the event was right of the corner, and the last guy 'terminated himself personally and permanently' as to quote the secretary.

The job? Plan a gaming event for this one company. The task? Super long, hard, and exhausting. My sleep to work ration? Broken and nightmares filled with me being crushed by paperwork. I leveled up in life... heh.

After the paperwork was done (Fucking finally), everything appeared to work without a hitch. Now, after that was over, I just had to look around the entire Blizzcon at 3 pm and be done, but life decided that I could not even work without being interrupted, yet this event changed my life so much that I was almost thankful for it.

A young voice of female nature begged desperately."Please, I don't have anything, just let me go."

'What's going on there?' thought with confusion as I walked towards the area in question, a dark corner that I clearly ordered to be barricaded with something.

A deep voice said in a mocking tone. "Ohh, but I see something very nice around your neck. Such a beautiful necklace must be costly." Yet when his request, or rather, demand was met with silence, he screamed. "Give it to me!"

I turned around the corner and stopped with a confused look, though this changed soon to a look of anger. A teen in a dark hoody and greasy hair was holding a kitchen knife while threatening some girl, his choice of clothing made me wonder if he was an angsty teen or just tried to look edgy. The girl, on the other hand, had a slim build, and about half a head smaller than me, a pair of navy blue eyes adored her face. I narrowed my eyes as I took a few steps back and informed the security of the happenings.

I wanted to just wait out his 'menacing' speech, but his advance speed up far too fast, and the security wouldn't arrive on time. I knew that I had to do something, but given that I was in no shape or form to fight someone armed, I attempted to sneak up to him.

During my mostly silent advance, their conversation continued, if the girl saw me or just tried to theatrically and dramatically distract the thug was unknown to me.

She said with a determined tone, "M-My Necklace No, you don't understand my mother gave it to me before she passed away. You can't have".

His grinned and chuckled deeply, his entire being just screamed scumbag. "That are some big words for such a small girl, but ultimately it's your choice if you want to give me that thing or met her again." He twirled his knife until the blade pointed towards the ground, and he lifted the weapon, but by then, I already stood behind him.

I was a foot away from the wannabee gangster, but I could barely contain the anger, I was seething, and it took all of my willpower to restrain myself from doing something stupid, but then a malicious plan popped up in my mind. I reared back my foot and kicked him hard in the balls, his screams, this howling filled all of heaven and hell as the steel caped hard leather boots ripped into his privates, and a loud pop rang out through the entire alley. He fell to the ground, a crying and cursing mess hiding his crotch.

I would've kicked him despite his broken will, but the security guards appeared too soon for that; they kept their apologies short before taking the scumbag with them.

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath before my drained visage was replaced with my inner dead customer support personality. "In the name of this company, I'd like to apolo-uff!" I was interrupted as a fleshy missile slammed into me and attempted to choke out the very last breath of life out of me.

She said while burying her face in my chest while crying her eyes out. "Thank you *sob* thank you so much *sob* I don't know what he would have done if you didn't come here *sob*."

'What the fuck?' I thought as I pried my hands free and slowly attempted to grab her sides, a sexual harassment lawsuit was something I really didn't need, but the moment I looked at her, I thought my sight became blurry, and I felt weird, but much more lively than normally being freaked out as my heart raced painfully fast.

I tried to sound professionally and calmly. "Eh, miss, I-uh. don't want to bother you, but could you please stop crying, the danger is over, and there is no need to ask the what-if question." I failed miserably at the previously mentioned task, but I was in no way used to comforting anyone other than mirror image in the vodka bottle.

I was about to ask one of the meatheads to help me, but those bastards had already left me. "So, how about we just forget this incident and see the rest of this event." This answer was partially scripted by the company's unofficial and partly false slogan 'We can't afford another lawsuit.' She, surprisingly, nodded.

The rest of the day spend on the convention, and we got each other to know a bit. Her name was Elizabeth Goldheart, and I really liked her being near her, or maybe I just liked her. It was a very long time since I was able that I viewed someone's presence more than tolerable.

When the day had grown old, and the sun was setting, the sky was basked in a crimson glow and the cold winds of the night that was soon to embark began to flow through the streets through the town, the fun found its end. I bid my farewell, thinking nothing other than perhaps gaining some praise from the boss for averting a court date, but I was wrong, I would be getting so much more.

With a gentle smile on her face, Elizabeth said. "Thanks for the day, Matthew. It was a very nice evening, even with that incident. Ohh, and before I forget to take this". She handed me a piece of paper that she pulled out of her pocket.

"Whats's this?" I asked with confusion, a row of numbers was written on it. Looking back then, it was perhaps one of the dumbest moments in my life.

Elizabeth chucked. "It's my phone number dummy. I hope we can meet again." She said with a smile, but her moment was broken by an annoyingly loud horn. "Oh, that's my ride, bye, Matthew!" She shouted as she runs towards an expensive-looking limousine, entering it and driving off with a final wave. How a fat pile of shame like me was able to get, a date was really beyond me.

For the first time in many years, life finally, life and fate decided to smile upon the road ahead of me, and the next six years became the sweetest time of my life. The days became brighter, the joy was sweeter, and my mood better; I even lost tons of weight. Elizabeth and I got to know each other, and we both enjoyed each other's presence. She was a brilliant, funny, and kind woman, and although she was beautiful, I cared not for that. Now that I mention that, Elizabeth grew up in a wealthy family, but her parent got murdered in an alley at midnight after a visit to the theater, she was the lone heir of the family thus all the riches was granted to her, but they could not fill the hole in her heart. She also hated people making references to batman because... well, you know why.

Now back to happier topics, we spend many weekends together and even went on a few dates, but both of us were far too shy to go any further, yet we didn't need to; we were happy. We spend a lot of time playing any game that got into our hands, watched movies and she even got me to get invested into my little pony, to this day I have no idea how she managed that. In other words, it was perfect.

...Life did not wish for me to have anything nice...

It all started with a few thoughts, a few more used tissues here, and we did not think much of it in the process, but her declining health one day took a step curve downwards. We went to the best doctors in the country and spend uncountable hours for a solution, an option, a hope... I did not come, and I was again forced to watch the world around me rot away. This time, I couldn't just sit around and wait.

I visited her daily for many hours, my life was simply far too empty to live alone anymore. When I was notified that her life had reached the end of the staircase, I made a radical decision, I never regret it, but my heart did. I bought something incredibly expensive, several things, and went to the hospital, smiling despite what I was about to do, joyful despite the somber poison gnawing on my soul, excited despite knowing full well what lied ahead.

I walked towards the hospital, dressed in an elegant black suit, the top hat from my father's wedding rested on my head, and upon reaching my darling, I did the unforeseeable. I knelt down, put all my courage together. Elizabeth weakly moved her eyes towards me, her form was pale, barely any flesh on her bone and muscle long gone, her look was filled with surprise. I proposed, I can never forget the look on her face, joyous beyond comprehension, tears of happiness were shed from both parties as she accepted. The ring I put on her nearly slipped off, but it held on barely, just like her, and the kiss that followed was sweeter than anything I ever knew before. The kiss was ended when Elizabeth broke down, the ringing of the heart monitor drained me of all emotions, she had more time, all doctors said so, but she died anywhere, at this spot in my arms.

Her funeral was... nice, a lot of people came and near all of them attempted to cheer me up, it did nothing, I felt nothing at that point anyway. When it came to the talk, I said a few nice things, yet not one tear did I shed. I left after that, the little get together 'party' I skipped, gone home and buried myself in the alcohol, the only thing that made me feel anything, even if it was disgust.

Life then reached the lowest point I ever had been, all colors had vanished, the only grey remained, well, that and the excuse for a human being that was me. I let myself horrible gone, not from eating too much, but just laying around all day and drinking, it was only when I received a letter that I could feel my heart again, even if it was more ache. I received her fortune, the estate was sold, yet happy brought me no cheer, only her last few words gave me enough hope to make a few steps to get off the broken road instead of down the cliff.

Dear Mattew, when you are reading this, then I have most likely already past on,
and I just wanted to thank you for making my last few years the best of my life.
You gave me a chance to be happy and the light again,
I can safely say that this was the best and greatest adventure I ever could've gone on, and no one could've guided me through it than you.
I enjoyed every second of it and so did you, although it's over now,
I wish for you not to give up the warmth as well.
You stayed with me through low and high; thus, I wish you not to fall into the pit I was stuck in for us long,
and search your own new adventure with a new companion.
By now you should be aware that I handed all my belongings to you,
and that was not because I did not want my spoiled cousins to have it,
but for you to invest in a brighter day.

Thank you, Matthew, my love,

Yours sincerely,
Elizabeth Goldheart.

I read this piece of paper so many times, each line engraved itself into both mind and soul, I am not shying away from the truth that I broke down and cried for hours. It has gotten all out of control, it was just too much for the handle any more, and any source of relief was more worth than gold at that point.

My salvation came when all of a sudden a wave of stories began to pop up about people landing in the fictional universe of my little pony, this would've never bothered me or even got that hopes up, but the timing was too perfect with the number of people that were seemingly swallowed by the very ground at comic cons. Looking back, I don't know what had gotten over me to believe these rumors, but perhaps fate had a lot more influence on my life than I initially thought.

Like I've done before I sold everything I owned, quit my job and traveled to each kind of 'geek convention' available, so many times was it a waste time just for other people to vanish, and just as my hopes began to fade, I found him during some gaming convention with's name I forgot. I went there like I 've done to any other place, dressed in the only piece of clothing I had, a business suit with my father's top hat on my head, in hand was a suitcase with all my savings in both dollars and checks. An accumulated amount of 4.3 million dollars, if I would've gotten robbed, then I would've chosen to cling onto the case and get shot, another way to end the pain.

After wasting hours at this convention, my eyes, weary and tired from travel, despair, and living as a whole, met with the void under the hood of the most mysterious person on the internet at that point.

I don't know why, but I knew that he was no human, he just stood there like a statue, unmoving, not breathing, like he was frozen. His form was enveloped by a black cloak, too dark for any fabric to be like it was eating away at the very light shone at him. His hood slowly turned towards me in a slow, fluid motion, and when our eyes met, at least, that was what I believed to happen, my heart stopped for a moment.

"Make a photo; it lasts longer." His voice was like a whisper, yet it to me; it was as if he stood right next to me, whispering into my ear from up close. The temperature of my body dropped by one or two degrees, and my throat became dry.

I thought while keeping my shivering form under control.'Now or never'. before walking towards him, everything around us seemingly stopped existing, all sound vanished, yet I didn't dare to turn around.

"So... what poison will I be handing to you this time?" His raspy voice asked, yet it was in no way human. His hood sank slightly, leaving me confused as of he was mixing me up with someone else.

"You're the Merchant, right? You give people a fresh start and powers for a price?" I thought I tried to keep myself from breaking eye contact; if the whole thing was only a rumor, then I'd look like a complete idiot.

His hands clenched to fists, I swear I heard the air crumble between his fingers. "Yes... that's me. You've heard of me, but what I sell costs more than simple currency, but never knows the client what I ask of them." He said with a rustic laugh. "You sure you want to make this deal?"

"Yes," I answered crisp, a deep swallowed followed.

"So..." He asked with his sentence stretched out, his form leaned forward, our faces now only inches apart while I stared into a bottomless abyss from why a cold like the very void radiated, yet a sense of dreadful familiarity overcame me alongside phantom pain to my entire body. "What do you want? What do you desire? What are you ready to give?"

I slowly pulled up the suitcase, our staring contest unbroke as I placed the suitcase onto the table between each other, opening it while showing its rich content. "Everything," I said slowly. A pregnant pause followed, his gaze seemingly grew tired and a loud crash, bills flailing through the air, broke the hiatus, but not the eye contact.

"I ain't dealing with money, and for what you will ask, it is not enough." The mysterious figure that hosted the gate to the void said coldly, a chill streamed through his hood.

"Everything I have, all of it," I growled, nowhere else could I find a new beginning. The darkness left me before I spoke, and now it was surrounding me as I slowly began to lose all feeling in my body.

"What's your wish? How do you wish your story to be written?" The Merchant said, his voice as sharp as a blade that was gentle cutting my throat. "Answer me, and I might fulfill your deepest desire."

"I... I want to be able to do anything, be anything, become anything, and never need anyone's help ever again." I answer truthfully; I searched not for yet another version to have something stolen for me if I was to be left alone anyways, then I wanted to be fine this very way I was destined to be.

I cannot put in words if I was hallucinating or if I lost my mind this very moment, but I swear I saw the shadows form into a wicked smile, one that let your blood freeze to ice. "Surviving alone without ever needing someone else?" He asked slowly, as the shadowy maw slowly opened.

"Y-yes..."

"Deal... accepted." The Merchant said as my entire world became one with the void on him, only one thing remained warm and color, and that was an orb swirling in the air, bearing various colors, all colors of the rainbow yet white and black resided with it as well.

I gulped and slowly reached forward, the very light felt as if my flesh was burned away to cinders, yet I did not stop. I grasped it with all my power, it was like touching light, an indescribable experience that empowered my very being, such sweet energy coursed through my veins. As I was taking it all in, this bottomless well of energy, I felt my grip on all but the orb slip, melt away. It was too much, the pain unbearable, if it was not for what soon ended my agony, I perhaps would've lost my mind. The ground underneath vanished, or maybe it swallowed me whole? I do not know, all I know was that I fell, only one more sentence did I hear before losing my grip on both reality, as well as my consciousness.

"Let the story begin."