Midas

"Here Take this, I know it doesn't look like much ... But you'll see shortly, Don't ask any questions either kid..."

The tall Angelic creature chuckled, their fur shimmering with every breath. "I - I Don't understand, I thought I was d-dead?" Midas struggled to get the words out, His memory seemed to be a blur, but he knew one thing he definitely just died. "I'm Sorry Midas, I'm not allowed to share many details...Just remember Not everyone can be a God." A smile flashed across the creature's face as they turned their back to Midas and began to walk away...I guess I should follow them, I really don't think I have a choice. There was no scenery, there was no life, only nothingness. He expected a blinding white, but instead was met with a dull grey, the area was made up of cubic scenery, asif he was stuck in a land before creation.

He didn’t ask questions like he was told, his mother always said to respect your elders, he could only assume this creature had been dead for a while now. “We’ve arrived. Do you have the Jar I gave you?” Midas pulled the Thing out from where he’d tucked it in his wings, he gave a nod to the Angelic creature “Yes Sir, Right here…Uh what exactly is this Thing?”. Cocking his head to the side he eagerly awaited an answer, but instead the creature turned his back to him once again. With his back still turned he asked in a hushed voice “Midas, Do you remember the reason your mother named you so?” This upset Midas, of all the things to ask, how stupid, its just a dumb Fairytale, he thought in anger for a moment before replying.

“Yes Sir, She believed if you were of poverty and had a son, naming him after Midas would grant him riches in the afterlife…” Midas scoffed “But it’s only a dumb Fairytale she’d tell me, Born poor you die poor!”. The creature turned and smiled “Ah boy, You should always listen to your mother!” A booming chuckle emitted from them “After I disappear I want you to open the Jar. The Thing will turn gold. This is your ticket to meet the Gatekeeper. Best of luck Midas, May you bear our legacy proud.” The creature began to vanish, and Midas was left alone. He opened the jar and peeked in at the little statue inside the jar, it kind of looked like him…, it held no color currently, see-through like glass you wouldn’t actually see it in the Jar unless you knew the Thing was there. Well I guess I better touch it, but what did he mean by our legacy? Confused as ever Midas reached his hoof inside and tapped it on the glass gently, before his eyes the small statue began to turn to solid gold…

A portal to the Gatekeeper appeared, Midas Ventures inside.

“Yes, Yes Welcome, Come, Come child...We have much, very very much to talk about!”

Midas blinked twice, three times, four. Was what he was seeing real? After all he was dead, so I guess at this point he must accept this newfound reality. This was no Angelic Creature, much less a creature, it was an abomination littered with blinking green eyeballs, and gaping mouth holes filled with razor sharp teeth, he wasn’t sure if he should be frightened or intrigued. “W-what are you?” Midas managed to stammer out, the creature seemed delighted, doing a small summersault in the air where it was floating. “Hehe Why Yes! Yes! I’m a Gatekeeper you see! My story is for another day, Today we tell yours, yours!” The monster did another small flip and drifted over to Midas, it’s red electricity flickering off it’s fur casting red shadows upon Midas’ feathers, “Tell me Child, Do you Believe, believe? in Gods?”.

Midas wasn’t sure what to say, Gods? Like the ones people worshipped, or the ones in fairytales and myths? Why did this monster, of all things, want to talk about Gods. Perplexed Midas decided he might as well entertain this, after all this thing seemed harmless, playful almost. “U-uhm Gods? I don’t have belief. Why would a God leave so many to suffer?” Midas looked down ashamed, he knew many people believed in higher beings, Gods for that matter but all he had ever seen was pain and suffering. Attempting to think wasn’t getting him anywhere, his memory still seemed to only draw empty thoughts so he patiently waited for a response. A shrill giggle broke out, from which mouth was unknown, “Hehehehe, Oh child, Sweet child. Close your eyes, eyes...”

His eyes grew heavy, and memories of his final hours flooded his mind like a tsunami, not just memories but pain, hurt, anger. A familiar faint voice entered his memory sequence “Relax, Relax allow yourself to remember. Pain yes, yes it will hurt. But you must remember. Cruelty exists, but sometimes unlikely heroes are chosen, chosen….” the voice faded off as he awoke within his final hours all over again. Why did he have to relive this? What did this monster want with him, and with Gods? Wh- “Hey look, it's Poorass! Think he learned how to turn his shit into gold yet?” A large brute pushed his way past the crowd, gathering attention with every passing step, barreling his way towards Midas. The bully, Theon, he was big, strong, and handsome. Midas, well he was not, born to a poor widowed mother he grew up malnourished and defected by chemical pollution in the place they call ‘home’. Like a bull approaching his poacher Theon shoved Midas to the mud, “Oh Sorry Budd didn’t see you there, you blend right in with the mud!” laughter emerged from the crowd, and embarrassment leaked from every inch of Midas. Karma would make him pay, Midas thought, right?

Class began like normal, Theon showed up “fashionably late”, the teacher lectured us about late homework, but we never expected what would play out next. With his face tucked in his book, Midas took careful notes, he couldn’t afford to fail, “OH MY GODDD! NO EDDY STOP!” A girl's scream broke the drone of the teacher's voice, was it Sarah? Tina? I couldn’t tell, but why was she screaming, what was Edd- He has a gun. Midas’ heart dropped, This was Karma, and it was pointed at Theon, But did he really deserve to die? Should I stop him? Why isn’t anyone else moving?! His thoughts were racing and vision blurry, he wasn’t thinking anymore just acting. “No Eddy you can't! St-” Pop-Pop

“Hello, Hello. Welcome back Child, I see you remember. Some, some try to be a God, others become heroes. You see child, your name holds a legacy, legacy. Being poor, or rich has no standing here, here only your heart matters. And you child, have a heart of gold.” Midas wasn’t sure what to say, or even how to process the memories he was just enlightened too, regardless he tried to piece together a reply, “I-- I uhm, only did the right thing...He didn’t deserve to die for bullying people? I was only trying to ---” Midas trailed off, he died...what good had he done, he didn’t even save Theon? Did he die for nothing? For a bully?

“Child! Child! Listen, Would you like to be a God?”

”G-God? Me? I'm a kid! How could I possibly be a God?!”

The Gatekeeper giggled, almost uncontrollably “Yes! Yes, silly child, I know this. You must first become an Angel, you are not ready for the task of God yet, yet!” they drifted closer “Listen, as per Legacy, Legacy states you shall live in riches, everything you touch turns to Gold! But with such luxury comes discipline, and giving, giving. You will be mentored in the ways of a Midas God, and eventually given a position in your own reality!” Midas blinked, the information he was being given was surreal, a Life of Luxury? A Mentor? Endless Gold?! He almost couldn’t believe his ears, but he couldn’t help but question the oddity of the situation like owning his own reality or the existence of other Midas’. “S-So Gatekeeper, There are others like Me?” The gatekeeper did two flips and excitedly trilled “Oh Yes! Yes! I'm but one of many Gatekeepers, There are many Universes, Many Gods, Many Realms! Realms! You shall learn this all with time. But first where is your Jar? With your Thing, thing?” The monster made a grabbing gesture at Midas, who frantically looked for the jar, finding it he pulled it out. The small Thing inside was now solid gold, and most definitely sporting similarities to himself. “Mmm! Yes! Yes! This Thing, is your key! Always keep him with you, he will allow you to summon us Gatekeepers at your will, will!” The Gatekeeper giggled once more and tore a Portal from thin air “Luck Child, be with you. Shall we cross paths again, again!”

“Wake up! Hey! Hey! You Okay?” a small voice poked at the edges of Midas’ dreams, who was this? Was he dreaming still? The grogginess began to evaporate as he pushed himself off the ground, Grass? Water? Was he alive again? “You’re Okay?!” A girl around his age stood over him, she seemed kind enough adorned in silvery white fur, and lightly glowing gold markings she looked like an angel. “Who are you? Where am I?” Midas couldn’t help but admire the girl, he’d never really been this close to one before when he was living, confused as to what was going on still he searched his wings for the only thing that might give him answers, The Jar.”Oh you have one too! I- I mean I'm Athena! Nice to meet you, Guess you have a gold heart too huh?” Athena took out her Jar from a small pouch, she also had a Thing! Maybe she could give him answers, he smiled shyly and moved his jar into a better view for her to see. “Whoa cool, yours is Gold?! Mine just Garnet, Weird huh? Let’s go Mentor is looking for you, I'm glad I got to meet you first, what's your name?” Midas smiled as he trotted to catch up to her pace, “I’m Midas, Nice to meet you!”

Mentor didn’t look like us, he looked more like the monster from the rift, red electricity danced off his body, and dark purple and red ooze drifted off his body like he was in zero gravity. His gaze was strong, he didn’t move other than the slight bob of his levitation and static, “Ah Yes, Yes. The New One. Come, don’t be scared, The rifted ones see all, all. We are to be worshiped, not shunned.” A smile broke out across its body, static seemingly just as excited, Midas was unsure what to think after the nice spritely Gatekeeper he had just met, his Mentor seemed a whole lot more intimidating. “Midas, Child. Your tasks are long, hard, daunting. But a golden heart always shines through, through. You shall learn the ways of Gods, Humans, Animals, Creatures, and Monsters alike. Give life and take life. Give riches to the poor, and lessons to the rich. And one day you will be a God, God.” Midas kept his gaze locked on his Mentor soaking in what he had to say, but not daring to speak a word. “Athena, Midas, Travel together. See the universe, learn the universe, help each other. Together you shall become the strongest of Gods and Goddess’. Trust, Love, Give. And most importantly protect each other from the evils of world, world. That is all children, for now, I shall reappear when of need, need.” With that their mentor faded, and a portal was left in their wake, with an adventure awaiting the new Angels.

I will become a God. Afterall, everything I touch turns to gold.