//------------------------------// // Chapter 42. Rise From Your Grave, Unrestful King. // Story: Skeletor, Master of The Empire. // by Hotel_Chicken //------------------------------// 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, and a cleansing light that 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 mage like a disease. And like all illnesses, the body fought to cleanse itself of the Usurper’s influence. A warped reality formed around him as he slept, dragging him through a faintly familiar life. The twisted parody of his past came and left like waves on a beach, disappearing without a trace as new dreams filled his mind. He filled his role like an actor on stage. Each dream threw him into the body of a villain or friend, stumbling through them without any worries or cares. This time, his dream had been set in a nursery, where two blond haired babies were sleeping comfortably in their crib. Christmas ornaments and other decorations littered the window to their room, each of which Skeletor ignored as he crept into the room wearing a festive red costume. The bells on his boots jingled as he crawled in through the window, carrying a sack of toys for his niece and nephew that gotten caught on the window sill. "Tis the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la-La-la-la-la," he quietly sung, cautiously stepping closer to the large rocking crib in the center of the room. "Come, we now, our age of peril. Fa-la-la-la-la-La-la-la-la. Avoid the beasts, they might be feral, hm-hm-hmmm-hm-hm-hmmm." Peering over the edge of the crib, Skeletor wore a brilliant smile as he stared down at the little baby girl who was beginning to stir awake. "Hey there, Adora. Happy Birthday," he whispered, reaching into his bag to pull out a unicorn plushie. "I got you something. His name's uh... Well, you can name him. And I brought a—" "What are you waiting for?" A shrewd voice snorted, causing Skeletor to look back at the figure crawling through the window. His accomplice in crime, a white faced creature with fin-like flaps along the sides of his eyes, stepped inside the nursery without any grace. Hordak tapped his foot impatiently like a child, glaring at Skeletor as he folded his arms. “We don’t have all day, Numb-Skull. Give me the baby and grab the other one,” Hordak ordered. Adora’s wails suddenly struck Skeletor as he looked down to the baby that appeared in his arms. Her small hands fought against the blue blanket, struggling to fall out of Skeletor’s arms as they instinctively pulled her closer. “The baby, Skeletor, hurry,” Hordak reminded him. Following the apparent script of his dream, Skeletor nodded as he walked to the dark warlord, dropping the little princess into his arms without any hesitation. “Good. Now grab the other one. I’ll meet you outside!” “Sure, just leave me to do the work, you cybernetic couch potato,” Skeletor grumbled, stomping over to the crib to grab his nephew when his regret struck without remorse. Clarity crashed into his mind as he heard Adora cry louder, causing him to turn as as Hordak leapt out of the window with his niece. “Wait. No. No! No! Stop! Give her back!” He cried, falling to his knees as a chair struck him in the back. Groaning, Skeletor weakly turned to see his sister-in-law, a woman in a long green dress with short red hair, staring down at him with pure hatred. “You… You took her.” “N-no, no, Marlena, I—” “My baby! My baby! My baby! My baby!” She shrieked, leaping onto Skeletor like a wild animal as he struggled to push her away. “My baby! My baby! My baby! My baby!” “Get off of me!” With a forceful shove, Skeletor tore his sister-in-law off of himself and raced to the window, leaping into a bed of flowers outside as he ran away. His legs swam through a thick wall of jelly, struggling to let him run away as time slowed to a crawl around him. He could still hear Marlena’s demented wails as she slowly caught up with him, letting him stew in frozen fear as the nightmare came closer. There was no escape. She would catch him, it was inevitable. There was only one thing he could do... Skeletor awoke with a terrified scream, bolting upright from his bed as the fresh nightmare gripped his mind. Heavy breaths flew through his jaws as his eyeless gaze flew around the room, waiting for the twisted memory of his sister-in-law to return as he braced himself against the headrest. To his slow relief, his mind returned to the waking world as the dream faded away, leaving only a lingering fear as he tried to steady his heart. A moment after having his hand planted on his chest, it drifted down his abdomen as he tried to relax, only for the hand to brush against the stitches on his side. “Fuck,” he hissed. Falling back onto the headrest, Skeletor weakly glared at the ceiling as he stole quick gasps of air. A familiar mosaic hung above him, a collection of colorful gems shaped like spring flowers. He had only been in the royal ward once, but it was still a fresh memory. Reality drew him away from his nightmare, comforting him with the memories of his time in the Empire as his gaze shifted to the door. “Help…. Hello?…” He called out with a hoarse voice. “Somebody… help?” In a haze of minutes, or even seconds, the door to his private room opened revealing a dark figure cloaked in rags. Several other ponies dressed in similar clothes quickly trotted in after, their words melting into a frenzied mess of questions as they began surrounding him. Skeletor felt an odd sense of weightlessness as their hooves pressed down on his chest, their orders melting into a quiet string of noise as he felt the room begin to subtly shift. Too many hooves were touching him. Too many ponies, too much darkness. The room wasn’t supposed to be swaying. “Help… Help… Help, help,” he repeated, stealing short breaths as he tried to grab one of their hooves. He barely noticed the thin needle prick his limp arm as the world grew darker, calling him back into the realm of dreams. He wouldn't be alone in his final nightmare. While Skeletor explored the depths of his mangled mind, falling deeper into the role of his adopted memories, a certain alicorn struggled to stay awake on her throne. Cadence lightly nodded along with her remaining council members, sending another pony out of the throne room as the next petitioner arrived. The stallion’s words barely registered as Cadence chased after her drifting thoughts. News of Skeletor’s momentary recovery was a desperate beacon of hope for Cadence, how had been glued to the throne of her castle for the better part of three days. It took a surprising amount of willpower to not teleport to his room and drop the barrier surrounding the Empire. Thankfully, her sleep deprived council and her equally tired husband were there to make sure she didn’t leave her post. While she sat on the throne, Shining Armor and the council handled the limited number of court proceedings, only allowing a select few ponies inside until things outside became less hectic. Or at least until the mob outside stopped chanting, “Curse Cadenza”. Whichever came first. But between keeping a barrier above the Empire, keeping her aunts informed, constantly checking on Skeletor’s condition, as well as convincing everypony that he was still alive, and watching over her council, chanting was the least of her concerns. It was a struggle to keep the Empire from collapsing, and her subjects’ animosity had only served to make it harder. Without the ambient love they used to openly share, the Crystal Heart had fallen like a stone into somepony’s hooves, and her Empire had been delicately balancing on the tipping point of a full revolution. If nothing changed, then Cadence would have to…. Well, she honestly had no idea what she would do. Princess Celestia never prepared her for an uprising. Those happened to other kingdoms, where corrupt leaders had abused their powers and earned the ire of their citizens. It wasn’t supposed to happen to Alicorns, they were supposed to be better. She was supposed to be better. The Canterlot Nobles had already branded her as the “other” Princess, the one nopony would even remember. But was being hated by her own subjects any better than being the forgettable princess? Why did it have to happen to her? Where had she gone wrong? Why didn’t they love her? Too many questions filled her mind, and there wasn’t an answer in sight to any of them. All there she had was a flickering hope that Skeletor would soon wake up. Then she’d fix everything. Everything would be perfect. He’d help her explain what happened, then they’d get the barrier set up and Twilight and the others would come and everything would start to turn around and she could finally stop lying to Skeletor and then she’d ask for forgiveness and then she’d be a perfect princess and— “Princess,” Emerald Secret called out, shaking Cadence from her descending thoughts as she turned to look at the Royal Advisor. “Yes?” Cadence quickly asked, taking stock of the suddenly empty throne room as the other Council Members rose. “Court is over, your majesty. You should hoof over control of the barrier to the prince,” Emerald Secret advised. Shining Armor stood as confidently as he could, rising like the supportive pillar that she had become desperately reliant on. But even Cadence could see the cracks, the wrinkles under his eyes and the slight sway in his stance. While he was able to maintain a barrier over Canterlot on the day of their wedding, it was mostly a show of power and dedication to her. Holding a barrier on a clear fall day wasn’t the same as defending against a storm. Besides, with Shining Armor being the only magic caster with any medical knowledge, even if it was only first degree, he was the only one who could cast healing magic on him. She couldn’t afford to hand over the reigns to Shining Armor. Besides, Princess Celestia didn’t need help. If she could do it, then Cadence could too. “No, it’s fine Emerald. I’ll hold it for a bit longer,” Cadence replied, slowly rising from her throne with Crumb Catcher’s helpful hoof. “Your majesty, while it was good for you to hold the shield while court was in progress, you’re away from prying eyes. You need rest, your majesty,” Crumb Catcher reasoned, leading Cadence to the bottom of her dias while keeping her balanced. “I’m fine, Crumb Catcher,” she argued. Her statement may have held more weight if she hadn’t practically fallen into her husband’s embrace once Crumb Catcher let go. “Sweetie, you need to rest. Now,” Shining ordered, lending her a supportive hoof as he casted his own shield spell directly under hers. “Drop the shield and then go to bed.” “I can—” “Sleep, your majesty,” Crumb Catcher added on, ignoring the glare Cadence sent his way. “Princess, as I said earlier, you’re no longer being watched. Nopony here will judge you for resting after your endeavors. You’ve shown the crystal ponies that you’re strong, even in the face of their anger and the North’s storms. “But even alicorns need rest, your majesty. So, take care of yourself. Rebuild your strength for tomorrow, or risk losing it all tonight.” “I… I… Bucking, fine,” Cadence groaned, dropping the shield and sinking deeper into her husband's open forelegs. A heavy sigh passed her lips before a powerful yawn escaped as well. Her heavy eye lids slowly pressed together, calling her to the comfort of her dreams with sweet promises of rest. She barely noticed Shining Armor guiding her to General Camisole’s back, allowing the princess to rest her head on the general’s withers as she trotted to the royal bedroom in a daze. “We should stop by Skeletar,” she mumbled, slurring his name as she tried to fight her own body. “I’ll take care of it, your majesty,” Emerald Secret promised. “I was already planning to check on Copper Plate. I’ll tell you if anything has changed.” Cadence lightly nodded as she unconsciously followed Camisole’s pace, slowly drifting away as she descended into her own mix of dreams and nightmares. Returning to the stage of his mind, Skeletor once again found himself in a warped memory. 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 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 strode towards the decrepit castle. Nostalgia wrapped itself around his heart as his gaze fell on the orb in his hand. A swirling mass of energy danced in his palm, allowing him to mutter a spell as the sphere began to dissolve in his grip. Freed from it's small prison, the energy shot towards the sky and expanded over the horizon, blocking out the sun as a ghastly face began to form in the clouds. 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 parents and subjects,” Skeletor gloated, feeling the euphoric joy of his words as he stumbled through the memory. “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. The field was deathly silent as Skeletor waited, watching the castle's draw bridge with an intense gaze while the minutes passed. Skeletor's impatience eventually drove him to gloat more, hoping to draw out He-Man as he held the spell aloft in the sky. “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 as the sword was ripped from his chest. He could only think about how cold the sword felt as he fell to the ground. It was a strange thought to hold onto, gnawing at his mind like an obsession as he felt his life slip away. It shouldn't have been that cold. His last moments of conscious thoughts weren't consumed by power or revenge, but by the freezing touch of a sword as it glided through him. As the world around him began to fade, drawing him into the furthest depths of his mind, he felt a hand grab onto his cloak and tear him away from his nightmare. All he could see was a flash of green before a row of jagged teeth howled into his face. "Awake, Usurper! Do not fall deeper into his mind!" Waking with a start, Skeletor once again found himself in the royal ward at the dead of night. A hoof crept onto his hand as his gaze darted through the room, calling his attention to the pink unicorn next to his bed. Alicorn his thoughts corrected. Unicorn’s didn’t have wings on Terra. They weren’t like the unicorns on Earthernia. His drifting thoughts were brought back to the waking world as Cadence’s voice touched his ears, drawing his gaze to the sleep deprived princess as the moonlight shun through his window. “-ake up, Skeletor. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she began muttering, laying her horn on top of his hand as her horn began to glow. The magic encasing her horn lasted for only a moment before it dissolved. Whatever spell she had used weighed heavily on her body, forcing her head to fall limp on the side of his bed. Skeletor, feeling confused, tired, and worried, which was not an unusual combination of emotions for him, slowly allowed his hand to rest on Cadence’s neck as he tried to collect himself. For some reason, he felt tempted to delve back into his nightmares if he could escape reality. Whatever monsters his mind could conjure were surely nothing compared to the cruelty of tomorrow. Sadly, Cadence would be the only one getting sleep that night as his restless mind tried to make sense of his faint nightmares.