1,111 Likes?!

Whoa... That's a lot of ones.

In all seriousness, thank you all so much. I'm always amazed to see the comments, likes, and seeing just how diverse some of my readers are. I'm so happy to know you've all been enjoying the story so far.

Now, I wish I had something better planned to give you all seeing as how we've hit a new milestone. I've been a bit busy with classes (read a lot) and it's been a balancing act. But, I'm trying to type in between classes now that we're halfway through the semester, and I've got around a thousand words so far.

Chapter 42 is about a third of the way done right now, and... I'm a bit hesitant to tell you this... A good portion of it is a dream sequence. I know, I know, it's not everyone's cup of sugar, but I'll need to hit a few scenes to develop Skeletor's "problem". Also, I'm going to introduce a few, not many, elements of He-Man lore into the story soon. One of these will be a rather obscure character in the franchise which I'll try my best to explain.

I don't want you all to suddenly break out google when I say, "Ah, such and such character was there," and none of you know who or what that character is.

Finally, to tie off this blog, I thought I'd share a brief preview of what I have so far. Hope you enjoy it, and spoilers ahead.

Death was not an unfamiliar feeling for Skeletor. At least not for his body.

The embrace of an endless void, the touch of fire caressing his skin, of light so pure it burned his sins. They were all deeply etched into his soul, leaving scars that would have never healed if it weren’t for the Usurper.

The “human”, was a prisoner inside Skeletor’s rotting mind, another untamed beast that was bound to the wizard’s soul by some mysterious force. But, the Usurper was different from the other demons and monsters that had been trapped inside Skeletor.

Unlike the ancient spirits that were chained to his body, the Usurper was a parasite. It was a vague memory given life, corrupting the evil mage from within.

And the oldest prisoner had seen it as a great opportunity. It was something the demon had not dreamed of in years, a shred of hope that had been lost for over a thousand years.

It was a chance to finally escape. The Usurper had already unknowingly freed him from his eternal slumber. All he would need to do was reach out to the Usurper, to feed the parasite and finally break free of Skeletor’s body.

He would have his chance soon, as the Usurper fell into the deep abyss of Skeletor’s memories. So long as the “human” lived, Skeletor would be nothing but a remnant of the past.

---

Days had passed outside Skeletor’s mind as a living nightmare took hold of the waking world. But for Skeletor, years and hours blurred into heartbeats, dragging him through a faintly familiar life. The twisted parody of his life came and left like waves on a beach, disappearing without a trace as the new waves arrived.

He filled his role like an actor on stage, falling into the role of a villain with ease as his mind carried him through the scenes.

This time, the stage had been set on an open field outside of Castle Grayskull, a recurring motif in many of his vague dreams. But unlike the many d failures that he had suffered and forgotten over the past three days, there was something different about his sweet nightmare.

He brushed off any thoughts as briskly walked through the forming meadows of blood-soaked daisies, letting the sounds of a distant war fall on deaf ears as he stripped towards the decrepit castle

The earth welcomed his steps like an eager friend, letting any lingering worries drift away as he felt the grass and twigs brush against his bare feet. It was a strangely beautiful contrast to the swarming storms that hovered above castle Grayskull.

A ghastly face hung in the green ether that covered the sky, blocking out the sun as the imposing Titian stared down at him.

Playing his part to perfection, Skeletor raised his Havoc Staff as he felt a familiar speech fall from his jaw.

“By rushing to the shelter of Castle Grayskull and your pretty Sourceress, you’ve spared yourself the fate coming for your parent’s and subjects,” Skeletor gloated, only feeling the euphoric joy of his words.

“At least, for now. But it’s quite a predicament, isn’t it, Prince Adam?”

Suddenly, the spectral entity above the castle began to morph, losing its form as it condensed into a sphere of boiling magic. “If you don’t open the Jaw-Bridge, I’ll unleash my Moon of Cataclysm and reduce the royal city of Eternos to smoldering ruins! But if you do, I’ll use the Power of Castle Grayskull to do far, far, worse! So, what shall it be? All knowledge and energy in the universe in the hands of your greatest enemy, the Demon-Wizard Skeletor? Or…

“Your beloved father, King Randor, and his subjects turned into particularly noble columns of ash?!” He threatened, delivering his final ultimatum to the power driven fool inside.

The Moon Stone, an artifact that was protected by the Comet Keeper, pulsated with energy as the spell above began to struggle against the shield that was coiling around it. Soon, the Moon of Cataclysm would erupt with untold power, washing over Eternos or returning to whence it came, depending on He-Man’s decision.

It was a great strain on his body, taking every ounce of his power to contain it, though he made sure to conceal it well. He stood proudly against the cries of his body, ignoring whatever toll the spell took on his body as he savored his inevitable victory.

“Yes, yes, take your time. I haven’t decided which of the prince’s friends should suffer excruciatingly first. Tela? Orko?” Skeletor mused with a great deal of gloating glee. “No, the cat. That annoying sniveling cat,” he reasoned.

“Skeletor,” He-Man’s unmistakable voice rumbled from behind.

“What? How did you get beh—“

A sword was thrusted into his chest without hesitation, burying a dark blade into what remained of Skeletor’s heart as he… He stared at a familiar monster.

The dark reflection of He-Man looked into his sockets with a cold boredom, watching Skeletor’s life slip away with little interest as the demon drew his last breaths.

"Nha...nih, na..." He quietly gasped.

The Moon Cataclysm, no longer bound by Skeletor’s magic, flew free into the atmosphere to return to its eternal rest in Eternia’s smaller moon as the sword was ripped from his chest.

Skeletor fell to the cold dirt, staring away from Castle Grayskull as the monster stepped over his limp body. Muffled words touched his skull, growing louder and more panicked as an explosion erupted from beyond his sight.

He could feel the power of the Castle leaving with the dark doppelgänger, draining from the stones and artifacts that once filled the powerful bastion. His life’s purpose, his reason for living, stolen by an imposter that had arrived without warning.

"N...Nah... Na..."

As the monster stalked away and Skeletor’s vision grew dimmer, he felt something strange start to crawl up his leg.

Comments

[Inquisitor Dragon]

Cool

[Nilam]

Way I see it, having parts of the story be dream sequences makes sense considering the state of minds Skeletor is in. Sombra messing with him, his magic tearing him to pieces... The signs are definitely there and can be used effectively, which I think you're capable of.

Also, I skipped the exerpt because I prefer to wait for the chapter properly. Especially after that first sentence

[sunsetshimmer_13]

b o o

[Officer Hotpants]

The story deserves it. It's very entertaining and, occasional repeated/missing word aside, very well written.