Chapter 29. Kings Don't Cry.
One of the greatest ways to ruin a nice meal is by leaving the bitter taste of reality in another pony’s mouth.
The sweet flavors and delicate aromas that filled Emerald’s pallet in the dining hall had turned into nothing more than a simple mindless distraction to keep her mouth busy as she digested Princess Cadenza's earlier words. It had taken a great deal of convincing on the princess’ part for Emerald to truly believe her words, to believe that the world she once knew was no more. She and the crystal guards still held hints of doubt in their minds, holding onto hopeful thought that what Princess Cadenza revealed was nothing more than a cruel lie. However, to believe that an alicorn would ever lie was like believing that Eris was the physical manifestation of Faust, or that the gates of Tartarus were tied together with a loose piece of string. It wasn’t unthinkable, but it was still too terrifying of a thought to entertain.
Their choices were to either believe that an alicorn would actively lie to them for no apparent reason, or that they had truly leapt through time and traveled far off into the future. Neither option was held any sense of comfort in it, and each held their own hidden layers of darkness.
A tense silence filled the dining hall as the guards and maids who were already eating before they arrived stare at Princess Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor, completely unburdened by the dark truth that plagued the minds of those who escorted them to the dining hall.
Colonel Kernel had barely touched his serving when it arrived, and only chose to stare at the bubbles that slowly rose from his stew as it grew colder. Princess Cadenza and Prince Armor also held their own bitter sorrow as they ate, taking the silence that had built up at their table to retreat into their own minds. Emerald’s had briefly thought of asking them more questions, or at least warning the two that it was considered rude to lift table ware with telekinesis since it was considered rude in the Empire, but she tossed aside those thoughts as she retreated into her own mind.
She had felt many forms of pain during the years of her enslavement under Sombra, and over those years Emerald had begun to find ways to categorize and, for lack of better words, hide some of the more disturbing and dark memories that formed the groundwork of her nightmares. The pain inside of her wasn’t anything new, but it was still mortifyingly interesting how it felt similar to the other moments of immense pain in her life. It wasn’t like the numb pain that ate away at her mind whenever her thoughts drifted towards her deceased family, nor was it like the pain that forced her lifeless eyes to fill her pillow with tears after Sombra had done something unspeakable, instead, it was reminiscent of the pain she felt when her father left their family.
As a foal born out of wedlock, the laws allowed her parents to divorce since they never proved that they had the capability to produce another foal, making it easy for her father to spend the rest of his short life with his mistress. It was a bitter sense of betrayal that tore away at her heart, a feeling of regret, loss, and sorrow that built up a mountain of mixed emotions. At the peak of that large mountain rested a burning anger that was too far and always out of her reach, a desire to scream and shout, to grab the rage that steadily rose inside her and do something with it, a need to act. But, it would always be an effort in futility to grab those emotions since the climb up was filled with turmoil and sorrow. Instead, she chose to quietly sit in her own mind, and allow her thoughts to run without any restraint, and bury herself in the sea of confusion and bitterness.
Once Emerald resigned herself to the anguish that filled her, sinking deeper into the misery of her memories and thoughts, a polite cough from Princess Cadenza drew her attention towards her. The smile on her muzzle was more hesitant than when she had arrived in the Empire, and her mask of happiness was slowly slipping with each passing second, revealing the guilt and worry that laced her brow.
“Um, sooo… Does anypony want to talk about it?” Princess Cadenza asked, as her eyes drifted from Emerald to Colonel Kernel and then the rest of his guards. “I know that it’s a lot for everypoony here, but I think it would do some good to talk about this for a bit.”
Emerald caught several guards at the table exchanging glances as they thought of how to answer her. The princess’ proposal was a simple gesture of goodwill, a way to break the silence with the intention of providing some semblance of emotional support to them. It was a nice offer, but it wasn’t something Emerald felt comfortable accepting.
Not many ponies would feel comfortable talking about their thoughts and problems with a stranger, even if that stranger was a member of royalty. Emerald had only allowed Copper Plate to listen to her inner thoughts, and that was only after days of the older mare being stubborn in her resolve to help. There was no incentive for her to share her issues with the princess in front of everypony else at their table, and she doubted that anypony else felt inclined to either.
The princess waited patiently for one of them to speak their minds, but their clear hesitance to share anything made it obvious that it was an effort in futility. Once again, the sound of quiet conversations from the other tables began to bury the silence that had been built around their table. Most of the conversations Emerald overheard were theories and thoughts about Princess Cadenza, while others spoke about their thoughts on Lord Skeletor’s absence from breakfast. While there were some days where Lord Skeletor chose to skip his morning meal in favor of looking over the papers written by Copper Plate, abstaining from a meal with a foreign representative was something that was unheard of.
If the prince or princess had any complaints about Lord Skeletor’s absence from the dining hall, they didn’t choose to voice them to anypony, not that Emerald would have cared if they did. She had more important things on her mind than how they felt.
As she continued to think about the thousands of years that passed by without the Empire, Colonel Kernel stood up from his seat and excused himself by saying, “I need to go read.”
Once Colonel Kernel had trotted out of earshot, Prince Shining Armor raised his fore hoof to his muzzle and gently coughed as he tried to create a conversation topic. “My sister reads to compose herself too.”
“The colonel is only partially literate, your majesty. Saying that he needs to read is just a polite way to say that he needs to relieve himself,” Emerald informed him as she continued to eat her Skeletor stew. While it wasn’t the official name, it was commonly referred to as Skeletor stew by the guards and castle staff, since warm crystalberry jam stew didn’t roll off the tongue quiet as well.
“Oh… Um… Is it normal for ponies here to not be able to read?”
“Yes. Lord Skeletor had been planning to increase the literacy rate in the Empire by finding a new method for producing more paper. General Cannon Fodder and a few guards were tasked with trotting to the remains of the Ruva Kingdom to search for medicine and anything that could help with paper production,” Emerald explained plainly with very little emotion in her words.
“There are ponies out there in the storm?!” Shinning Armor asked in horror. “Why would Skeletor make them do that?”
“Lord Skeletor,” Emerald said, emphasizing his title to the prince once more. “Debated this decision with the other members of the council. While the medicine he introduced to the medical ward was able to help some patients, it hasn't been enough for ponies in more critical states. The expedition to the Ruva Kingdom was for the benefit of the Empire, and it was a decision that was reached by having the majority of the council agree to it.”
“You said he introduced a medicine, right? What is it?” General Camisole asked before the prince could say anything more on the expedition to the Ruva Kingdom.
“He called them ‘Placebos’. According to Lord Skeletor, the potion he brewed can only be effective if the one taking it both believes it can work and doesn’t know the ingredients,” Emerald explained. “A few ponies in the medical ward have been singing praises about his medicine, but it’s not effective for physical injuries like broken bones or scars. Which is why the expedition to the Ruva Kingdom was necessary,” she tacked on at the end, feeling the need to emphasize the importance of the expedition.
The Empire’s guests all stayed relatively silent as they shared several looks with each other, as if their eyes alone could speak a thousand words without any misunderstandings.
“And he really called them, ‘Placebos,’ right?” Princess Cadenza asked.
“Yes, that’s what he called them. He asked us if we had ever heard of a placebo before, and after affirming that we didn’t, he went on to explain how it was a type of medicine that relied on faith,” Emerald clarified. “He’s refilled our supply of Placebos several times already, but he’s explained that it’s not a terrifically effective medicine and has warned us to not allow the patients to rely solely on his concoction.”
“I see…” Princess Cadenza said simply as she stared at the food in her bowl.
“I think we’re going to have to have a long talk with Skeletor when we meet him,” Prince Armor commented, as if it were an afterthought to his wife’s words.
Emerald refrained from correcting him again about her lord’s title, and instead chose to continue eating her meal undisturbed. She didn’t know why they seemingly had an issue with the potions Lord Skeletor brewed, but she wasn’t concerned enough to question it. She was certain that once Princess Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor received their chance to speak with Lord Skeletor that he would be able to clear any misconceptions they had about his leadership.
She trusted her lord to know what to do, or at least how to subtly stumble to a good outcome. Either way, she had confidence in Lord Skeletor’s abilities and natural talents. In his relatively short reign, he had single hoofidly defeated Sombra, a feat that neither of the Alicorn sisters could claim, introduced a new type of metal, invented a medical potion, personally helped with the cleanup of the Crystal Empire, and created a holiday that would give the Crystal Heart a larger amount of love than usual. If he could do that, then there was no reason to doubt in his abilities to form a friendly relationship with Princess Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor.
Afterwards, he'd do something else that would add onto his list of accomplishments, causing all of his previous achievements to pale in comparison as he continued to lead the Empire. She was confident that her lord wouldn't disappoint her.
If Skeletor were asked to describe how he felt on the throne of the Crystal Empire, he would definitely say he felt "diffident."
He had never heard of that word back on his homeworld, and he was somewhat certain that it was a word that only existed on Terra, like how schadenfreude was a word that only existed in Germany. But all the same, he felt diffident after everything he learned. The chuckle that escaped his jaw held no joy or mirth as he contemplated his own thoughts on the throne. It was a disbelieving laugh at the absurdity of his life and the things that continued to pile onto him.
He was a normal human, trapped in the body of a fictional cartoon villain from the eighties, trapped in a crumbling Empire made of crystals that had ponies living in it, who in turn were trapped inside a pocket of time that held them prisoner for around three thousand years. To top things off, he was now the ruler of the world’s largest target surrounded by a world of nations with better soldiers, weapons, and overall firepower, all of whom would instantly pounce on the news of a broken Empire made out of money that was run by an incompetent idiot.
“Nye-heh-heh… Jesus… Fucking Christ…” He said as another chuckle left his nonexistent throat.
The threat of a guillotine paled greatly in comparison to a world that would sooner put him on a dissection table than an electric chair. He struggled to find something to hold onto, some kind of silver lining in the dark clouds that hung over his head, something to alleviate the weight on his mind as he thought about the world outside the Empire’s barrier.
Skeletor was joined in his silent thoughts by Avid Value and Crumb Catcher, who were both given an abridged version of Star Burst’s knowledge when they arrived with their gifts. The platinum tea set prepared by Avid Value was laid to the side of his seat while the box that contained Crumb Catcher’s gift was pressed tightly against his barrel as he hugged it on his seat cushion. Even the two guards who were in the throne room were still restraining the intruder showed signs of distraught over the idea of being sent through time. The only one who wasn’t really affected by their revelation was the one who delivered it to them, Star Burst.
She sat in the middle of the throne room with the two guards still holding her in place, staring up at Skeletor and the two council members as everyone silently dealt with the many things that weighed on their minds.
Avid Value was the first one to let his lips speak the words that swam in his mind. “This can’t be true, right?” He asked with a hint of hope lingering on the last word.
Skeletor threw a glance at the quiet thestral mare before turning his attention to Avid. He not only shared Avid’s skepticism, but he also held a large amount of distrust towards the mare. When she had first arrived in the throne room, Skeletor immediately assumed that she was an assassin of some sort that came to kill him and mentally prepared a few spells to incapacitate her at a moment’s notice. Though, truth be told, he didn’t feel too confident about his chances against an actual assassin. Which was why he felt relieved to have the two guards at his beck and call, restraining the mare so that he wouldn’t be suddenly stabbed.
However, aside from breaking a magic detector thing, all she had done was talk about Canterlot and the world outside the Empire. Skeletor had asked if the lieutenant had any proof of her rank or her story about the Empire’s displacement, to which she produced her military ID complete with the current year of her enrollment in the army. So, either what she had come prepared with the world’s most insane story about being a lieutenant who came to deliver news about the Empire being sent through time in case she got caught, or she had been actually telling the truth. Unfortunately, neither option brought any peace to his thoughts.
“It would be odd for her to lie about something like this. There are a thousand more believable lies that she could tell us, and it would be too strange for her to choose ‘time travel’ as one of them. Not to mention the card she gave me earlier. May I see it again, lieutenant?” Skeletor asked Star Burst.
“Yes sir,” she affirmed.
Once again, the lieutenant took out her ID and slid it across the throne room floor. Using what he had learned from his magical studies, Skeletor used his telekinetic power to bring the plastic card to his sockets to verify it for the third or fourth time. Issued date: 7047 November 14, 2nd Lieutenant rank, and what looked like a bar code made of rainbow stripes and glitter on the side. There was also a small picture of her face with a black silhouette of a star that was partially obscured by a grey cloud, which he had to guess was her cutie mark. It was clear as day that both of them weren't drawings or portraits, but instead photographs that must have been taken with a camera, adding on another piece of evidence that the Empire wasn't in the year that it left.
“… First and foremost, we need to discuss how we plan to share this revelation with the rest of the council,” Skeletor announced before sending the card back to the lieutenant with his levitation magic. “We can’t keep this from everyone forever. News of the Empire’s reappearance will spread, and the modern world will come to our door step sooner than we could possibly imagine.
“Secondly… We must speak with Princess Cadenza and Prince Armor immediately. Avid, go find Emerald and tell her to bring them here as soon as possible, my previous orders to her are to be considered null. Crumb Catcher, gather the guards and all of your ‘friends’. We’re going to need as many ponies in here as we can fit,” he ordered.
It took a few moments for his words to register with Crumb Catcher, but once they had, the blue coated stallion quickly went to carry out Skeletor’s orders. The Royal Spy Master was in such a hurry, that he had accidentally forgotten to leave behind whatever present he prepared for the prince and princess, though that didn’t concern Skeletor too much. He doubted that any gifts they could provide would interest them anyway.
Avid Value rose to follow after Crumb Catcher, but was quickly stopped by Skeletor before he could even leave the dais. “Wait for a moment, Avid. There’s one more thing that I need to do.”
Skeletor’s eye sockets soon fell on Star Burst, whose eyes darted away from him once she noticed that he was looking at her.
“Lieutenant Burst, while I have no authority to order you, I would like to make a request. If you accept, then I can give you permission to leave the throne room and return to your other guards.”
“What kind of request?” She asked after a few seconds of deliberation.
“I would like you to return to your group with Avid Value and insist to have a gag order put in place so information about the Empire’s displacement will not spread. I want to avoid a mass panic and, if possible, ease the populace into accepting their leap through time.”
Star Burst didn’t answer immediately, though that was too be expected. Since she wasn’t the highest-ranking member of the guards who came with her, it wasn’t in her abilities to demand a muzzle order or to order her comrades to tell everyone with a working set of ears. He simply wanted her to suggest it, and possibly offer at least some semblance of an argument to her superiors if possible.
“… I’ll see what I can do,” she finally answered.
Once she agreed to Skeletor’s proposal, Avid Value rose from his cushioned seat to leave the throne room with Star Burst following closely behind him with the two guards escorting her, leaving Skeletor alone in the throne room with his own thoughts. Skeletor slowly removed the crown from his head to give it a passing glance, admiring the effort that had gone into it with halfhearted enthusiasm.
“… ‘uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.’ Hmph. Whoever wrote that should get a fucking medal” Skeletor muttered under his breath before he laid the crown down next to the base of the throne.
With a heavy sigh, Skeletor rose from the throne to walk to one of the throne room’s windows. The window he chose was the same one he stared out of when he had first arrived to the Crystal Empire, back when he believed that everything around him was a horrific illusion. The streets of the Empire were livelier than when he had first arrived, and he couldn’t help but let a small prideful smile stretch across his jaw, knowing that he was partially responsible for their recovery from Sombra’s reign.
Skeletor had never felt as if he earned or deserved the power the crystal ponies bestowed upon him, but he couldn’t deny that a small part of him felt warm at the thought of how much faith they placed in him. If someone had offered him the opportunity to relinquish the throne the day after his crowning, Skeletor would have greedily leapt at the opportunity without a second thought. However, that was when he didn’t know anyone.
There were a good number of ponies who grew on him, those who showed him a brand of kindness that he hadn’t received in his life on Earth. And how did he plan to repay this kindness? By leaving the Empire without a word, abandoning them without a shred of guilt weighing on his concourse. Sure, he had promised to himself that he would either wait for a suitable replacement or deal with Sombra’s lingering spirit first, but they were hollow words. If a portal back to his world had opened up at any moment, he wouldn’t have thought twice about leaving the crystal ponies to their own devices.
He had never considered what the ponies of the Empire meant to him, but after taking his time to reflect on all of the things that had happened to him since he was taken from Earth, he began to realize how much he cared for them. Skeletor wasn’t sure when his lingering fear of the quadrupedal aliens turned into affection, but when he realized it he started to feel a chill of shame fall over him.
Had he ever earnestly thanked any of them for his position? As much as he worried about being beheaded, the truth was that he should have realistically been killed on the spot in the throne room that day. And yet, they chose to look past his monstrous appearance, and praised him for everything he did. They choose him as their leader, they accepted him, and all he did in return was silently curse his fate as if it was worse than death. How would they have reacted if his plan to open a portal to Earth actually succeeded? Would he have even cared?
Skeletor felt both ashamed and conflicted as he allowed his mind to wander. He had a home to return to, but in a way, the Crystal Empire had become his home as well. While he wouldn't call any of them his family, he felt compelled to call them something more than his friends. They were all his saviors, and he never showed them a hint of earnest gratitude. Sure, he had helped them, but that was only because of his obligation to the crown that they bestowed upon him. He only helped them out of his own self-interest, and the one decision where we chose to do something that didn't align with his self-preservation was just because he felt appalled about their views regarding marriage. Who the hell was he to judge them for their beliefs?
Even then, they still accepted his decision even though it went against their ideology. He was a selfish bastard who lied to them so that the Empire could fit his own image, but they still praised him and he had never properly thanked them for it. And if this meeting with the prince and princess didn't go well, he would probably never get the chance to sincerely thank any of them ever again.
He had no idea how advanced the world outside the Empire was, but he was certain that even the poorest kingdom on the planet could be a threat to the citizens of the Empire. And, with a human living inside the Canterlot Kingdom, it wouldn't have been a stretch to assume that her knowledge could have made them the most powerful kingdom on the planet. If Skeletor had explained the basic concept of a gun and what went into it to an alchemist in the Empire, then he could rest easy knowing that they wouldn't be able to recreate a modern gun until hundreds of years had passed. But, with over three thousand years of innovations in science and magic, a kingdom like Canterlot could possibly make one in only a dozen years at most. He could only silently pray that if Crystal had either purposefully or accidentally shared knowledge of weapons from Earth, that he could find a way to prevent the kingdom to the south from aiming their weapons at the Empire.
The hour had finally arrived. In a few minutes, Cadence and Shining Armor were going to meet Skeletor for the first, and possibly last, time. The feelings eager anticipation and fearful reluctance struggled for domination inside Cadence’s heart as she and the others made their way towards the throne room of the Crystal Castle.
Her earlier bravado and self-confidence had shied away from the surface of her mask after Lieutenant Star Burt informed her and Shinning that Skeletor wasn’t an illusion, and that he was most likely a demon that had escaped from Tartarus. For a brief moment, Cadence had contemplated sending a letter to her aunts by magic fire for them to prepare the Elements of Harmony. However, she felt that she needed to handle this situation alone, with Shining Armor at her side. How would history look at them if she decided to fly off with her tail between her legs so that her aunts could solve the problem for her?
She had already prepared herself to face off against Sombra without her aunt’s assistance, so she was confident that she could still defeat the demon alone all the same. Of course, she didn’t plan to fly into the throne room shooting lethal magical attacks left and right. First, she would try diplomacy, and when that would inevitably fail then she’d break out all of the lethal spells she had at her disposal. Although, there has a sliver of hope that they could settle this without any violence.
Lieutenant Star Burst had labeled him as a demon, but she also made sure to note that he seemed to prefer words over physical violence. While she was held captive, Skeletor could have unleashed any number of spells on the defenseless mare to make her speak, but instead he only relied on his words to interrogate her. He also didn’t prepare any spells like a compulsive truth spell or a liar’s bane spell, so he either didn’t know them or he didn’t feel that it was necessary to use them.
There was also the matter of the few things that he had done before Cadence and her husband even knew that the Empire returned. As far as she could tell, none of the crystal ponies in the Empire were under the influence of dark magic and they all had great praises to sing about their allegedly kind-hearted lord. There were still a few things that painted him in a negative light for Cadence, such as when he lied about the effectiveness of his Placebos.
She was surprised that he was arrogant enough to not even call them by a different name, and disgusted to know that he was actively lying to the sick and injured crystal ponies. However, while it could be considered morally wrong, it wasn’t illegal or explicitly evil, and it definitely wasn’t enough to condemn him to the depths of Tartarus without a trial. Even if he was a demon, that wasn’t enough of a reason to ship him off to the underworld. History had already proven that, like any creature on the planet, they were capable of great acts or wicked deeds. Of course, that didn’t mean that demons were widely accepted by society, especially after her aunt Luna had been possessed by a demonic spirit.
Skeletor was an issue that she needed to solve immediately. If he did something evil, then she could take care of the situation easily, sit atop the throne, and rule the Crystal Empire side by side with her husband. But, in the off chance that he was compliant with their demands, there would be no shortage of complications. For the moment, Cadence didn’t bother with worrying about what would or wouldn’t happen. What mattered most at that moment was meeting Skeletor and see how things would follow.
The guards standing at their posts outside the throne room threw up a quick salute to her and her husband before they proceeded to open the large doors that separated them and Skeletor.
“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Prince Shinning Armor have arrived!” One of the crystal guards bellowed before several more guards blew their double belled flugelhorns.
Thanks to the many mental notes she was able to take earlier, Cadence wasn’t caught off guard by Skeletor’s skull headed face or his hairless body. His appearance was slightly different than what she imagined, but it wasn’t much of a concern to her.
However, while his odd appearance wasn’t able to catch her off her hooves she was startled by the emotions wafting off of his body. Cadence felt sick as she observed the malformed amalgamation of emotions in him rise and fall to the surface of his body.
The fear that flashed in his sockets was a marriage of anger and sorrow that danced with paranoia and anxiety to form something horrific. The hints of joy she could see in him were a similar mess of distorted love and fragmented pride, and each emotion was stretched thin to hide the underlying emotions that were buried deeper within him, hidden under the surface of his calm facade.
Cadence also noticed that there were still some emotions that were slowly growing inside of him, similar to the new emotional experiences of a foal. She had personally witnessed many foals going through the phases of their basic emotions, growing and learning with each day that passed. Cadence couldn’t help but to be reminded of those memories as she watched those emotions slowly overtake the bastardized patchwork of feelings that filled him.
During her many years of studying magic and the emotional spectrum of feelings present in most creatures on Terra, Cadence had seen a wide variety of negative emotions. The burning passion of rage, the tender embrace of familial love, the sickening chill of dread, the nauseous feeling of paranoia, and on very rare occasions, the disturbing bitterness of murderous intent. But compared to everything she had even witnessed before, Skeletor’s emotional aura was outright horrific.
Only one word came to her mind as she watched his emotions shift and change with every passing second. All she could think was that Skeletor was a monster.
Cadence didn’t allow the sickening bile in her stomach to rise more than it had, and hid her disgust with a gentle smile. It had taken a great deal of effort on her part to not teleport out of the room to vomit. In the end, however, she was forced to actively fight against her subconscious ability to see the emotional spectrum of creatures so that she wouldn’t have to stare at the unharmonious mass of tangled emotions that swelled inside of Skeletor.
As she slowly tried to collect her thoughts and ease the tension that rose in her stomach, Skeletor greeted the royal couple from the comfort of his throne. “Your highnesses, I welcome you both to the Crystal Empire, and I thank you both for taking the time to be the first kingdom to greet the Empire back to the world. I am Skeletor, Lord of the Crystal Empire.”
After making sure that words would be the only thing that left her throat, Cadence answered his introduction with her own. “Greetings, Lord Skeletor. I am Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Princess Cadence for short.”
“And I’m Prince Shining Armor. Thank you for treating our guards with hospitality after she was separated from the group.”
“It was the least I could do, your highness. Speaking of your lieutenant, did she convey my concerns regarding… You know what,” he said, allowing his gaze to flick over to the brown coated stallion who had led Star Burst back to them. “Your lieutenant has already informed me of the Empire’s issues… As well as the guest living in your kingdom,” he hinted.
Cadence nodded her head along in acknowledgement, pretending that they had something called a “human” named Crystal living inside the borders of Canterlot and that it was somehow responsible for Equestria’s technology. She would be sure to send a letter to her aunts later on to ask them if they had ever heard of a human before and, if possible, if they knew where to get one.
“That’s correct, Lord Skeletor. As you’ve been informed, any information regarding Crystal is considered to be highly confidential,” she fibbed.
“Yes, yes, I’ve been made aware of that, and I’d like to discuss this more with you in the future. However, before we continue, I have one question that I need to get out of the way," Skeletor announced as he leaned forward in his throne.
“I’ve debated how to dance around this issue for quite a while now, but I couldn’t see any other way to speak to you other than being direct. I believe that you and your husband have come to the Empire for a reason, and if it’s within my power, I can attempt to provide you with whatever your heart desire. For the sake of the Empire’s prosperity and the peace of our castles, I would like to form an alliance between the Crystal Empire and the Canterlot Kingdom.”
Silence fell over the throne room after Skeletor had spoken. Many ponies traded cautious glances as they waited for either Cadence or Shining Armor to answer Skeletor. Princess Cadence didn’t envision that this discussion would be brought up so swiftly, in fact she believed that he would have tried to avoid the topic if possible. However, he had plucked the apple from the tree, and there was no way to put it back on the branch.
Despite being caught off guard for a moment by his words, Cadence calmly composed herself and prepared her answer. Her voice was the embodiment of calm as she spoke, not allowing a single word to betray her intentions as she gave the demon her proposal.
“As I'm sure you’ve been made aware, I am the descendant of Princess Amore, and I am the rightful heir to the throne. I not only hold my ancestor’s name, but I bare the mark of the Crystal Heart, and I have attained ascension through my actions and efforts to spread love through Equestria. As such, I would like to discuss the possibility of abdicating the throne and allowing me to lead the Empire.
“I would allow you to still hold a position of high authority in the Crystal Empire that would in no means impede your current power. I would even be willing to give you leadership over one of the three kingdoms that make up the Crystal Empire, and allow you a position on—”
“No!” A single voice raged loudly. A booming command from the smallest and youngest pony on Skeletor’s council, Avid Value. All eyes turned to the Royal Treasurer as he stood defiantly against Princess Cadence’s proposition.
“Lord Skeletor is our Emperor, our lord, and our only king. He was the one who saved us, who healed us when we were sick, he was the one who found the Crystal Heart, he was the one who exposed Sombra’s true wickedness, and he’s the one who legalized relationships between two stallions or two mares! Not to mention, he was sent here on a divine quest from Faust herself to deliver us from evil and save us from the eternal winter outside the barrier. Without him, we’d all either still be imprisoned in our own bodies, or we’d be dead!
“You might be an Alicorn, princess, but he’s a deity sent by Faust! He purposefully chose a horrific body to test our willingness to accept Faust’s blessings, and he sacrificed his comfortable position amongst famous writers to help us. Meanwhile, you come here and dare to demand a crown you didn’t earn. You think the blacksmiths and I designed that crown for any creature but him? Ha! He’s the Lord of the Crystal Empire,” Avid Value boldly proclaimed.
“Um, now Avid, let’s not—”
“Avid’s right!” One of the guards shouted. “Lord Skeletor is the only ruler we need!”
“Wait, but—”
“He showed mercy to those two mares when they were caught in the mines!” Another pony yelled, causing an uproar of voices to rise in volume to praise their lord.
“Lord Skeletor had the doctors give medicine for my sister in the sick ward for her nightmares!”
“He ripped off Sombra’s head and paraded it around the castle!”
“His majesty let my cousin leave the guard willingly without any punishment!”
“He helped clear the rubble!”
“He made a holiday for all the ponies who died!”
“Lord Skeletor gave us hope!”
“He found the Crystal Heart!”
“He let us sing the anthem!”
Many crystal ponies joined in the chorus of arguments against Princess Cadence, causing the room to fill with praises of his accomplishments. Cadence’s eyes darted from one angry face to another as her heart began to race.
Her breath began to quicken as she hesitantly stepped back from her spot in the throne room. She was the Princess of Love, the pony almost everypony praised and acknowledged as a princess, she had never been the center of a crowd’s direct anger and disapproval. It was a hailstorm of rage that hit her with each loud praise, causing the princess to falter as she hesitantly stepped back from the center of the throne room. Before she knew it, her husband had quickly glued herself to his side with the lunar guards moving in to form a shield around them.
Panic and gripped her mind tightly as their shouts rose in volume, until one voice rose above the rest in a demand for everyone’s attention.
“SHUT UP!” Skeletor roared violently. “This is a discussion between me and the royal family members of the Canterlot kingdom! I will not tolerate any more outbursts!”
“But, you—”
“Not now, Avid!” Skeletor ordered. “Just… Just give me a moment, Avid. I need to choose my words wisely…”
All attention was focused solely on Skeletor as he slowly breathed. It was as though the room had only existed for his whims. Skeletor had made it clear that he was in control, and that everypony else was only there because he allowed them to be. If he wished it, he could have ordered everypony to leave and not a soul would hesitate to follow his orders.
“… You want me to abdicate the throne, correct?” He asked with an unnervingly calm voice.
The tension in the throne room had risen to a new height, as if a single word would cause a small war to erupt in the throne room. And to Cadence, it very might as well have.
After a few moments of composing herself, Cadence found the courage to finally speak to Skeletor.
“Yes. I want us to resolve this peacefully.”
The throne room remained shrouded in silence as the alicorn princess and demonic lord gazed into each other’s eyes. She could see past the conflicting emotions that swarmed inside his eye sockets, and stared deeply into the abyss that hid in his sockets until the cold stare of his soul matched her gaze. And in turn, it felt as though Skeletor was staring into her soul as well.
Skeletor steadily descended for the dais of his throne to walk towards the royal couple, reaching them in a matter of moments with his long strides. Cadence felt her husband’s barrel press tightly into hers, but her eyes only remained locked with Skeletor’s as he approached.
When the demonic monster was only a few feet away from them before he abruptly stopped. Slowly, Skeletor raised his arms to remove the crown from his head and lowered himself to one knee before Princess Cadence. His arms were stretched out to her, holding the crown to her as he stared at the floor.
With a somber voice that still commanded respect from the crystal ponies, Skeletor spoke to the prince and princess.
“Your majesties, I, Lord Skeletor, being of sound mind and body, do herby relinquish command of the Crystal Empire. May the crystal ponies find never-ending happiness under your new reign,” he announced.
“My… My lord?” Emerald murmured under her breath.
“What?” The blue stallion next to the dais asked in awe.
Time seemed to stand on the edge of life, balancing in that moment at his words. It took a moment for Skeletor’s words to finally register with Cadence as she stared at the crown in his lightly trembling hands.
Despite her desires to end this as quickly as she could, Cadence couldn’t help but utter a single word as she stared into her reflection in the crown’s bright sapphires.
“Why?” She asked in a breathless voice, quiet enough to almost go unheard if it weren’t for the heavy silence that filled the throne room.
Skeletor refused to look up at her face as he spoke, remaining on one knee with his hands outstretched to the prince and princess.
“Under different circumstances, I wouldn’t be as trusting with you or your kingdom. I know nothing about you and I have no reason to believe that you have the Empire’s best intentions at heart. I can’t even trust your claim to being Princess Amore’s distant descendant. However, the world outside the Empire knows you, and you know it. I am nothing more than a stranger to these lands, and I don’t believe I can guide the crystal ponies through it.
“I know you all see me as a good person, but I am not a good leader. The ponies of the Crystal Empire need someone with experience, someone who will get the support of others so that the Empire can be rebuilt and so that the citizens can receive the help they desperately need,” he told the princess before he raised his skull to look at the many ponies who listened to his words.
“They can help rebuild the Empire so that it can regain its former glory. They can bring doctors with medical knowledge that can contest with miracles, and bring supplies that could save lives that are on the verge of death. The world outside the Empire’s borders is vastly different than any of you remember, and they can guide you through it.
“I won’t lie, there will be hardships and challenges you won’t even be able to imagine. New forms of economy, a new system of etiquette, a vastly different system of agriculture, and things that will sound almost mythical when you hear of them. They know this world better than I do, and they’ll be able to lead you into the new era that surrounds the Empire. They’ll help you all...
“… Being your leader has meant more to me than I ever realized. You all took me in, and you gave me a home. You’ve helped me so much.”
Tears began to leak from Skeletor’s sockets as he spoke to the crystal ponies.
“I… I never wished to be your king. But I’m so happy that I was… You… You’ve all helped me so much… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better leader. I’m sorry that I was selfish. And I’m sorry that I never thanked any of you for what you've done,” he apologized as he used the corner of his cloak to wipe away the tears that ran down his cheek bones.
“I don’t know what I would have done without any of you… Thank you all… I will never forget this… ALL HAIL PRINCESS CADENZA AND PRINCE ARMOR!” He exclaimed as he threw one of his fists into the air.
The echo of his words bounced off the walls of the throne room and rang out through the windows, leaving the room to return to its loud silence as he stood there with his fist in the air.
“… All hail Princess Cadenza and Prince Armor!” The blue stallion shouted.
“H-hail Princess Cadence and Shining Armor!” A guard added on.
Soon, many of the ponies gathered began to chant their praises for Cadence and her husband until Emerald Secret and Avid Value were the last to join in. All the while, Skeletor stared at a single crystal in the walls, refusing to meet anypony's gaze as he led them in the cheer for the Empire's new rulers.
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Heh, clever. He effectively threw Cadence under the bus, oh wait i just remember. Twilight's coming... shit.
Take that plotters, traitors and chess masters! Bet you didn't expect Lord Skeletor handing you his King and still winning now did ya!?
And yet, in true curiosity one must ask: What is the cost of this strange play?
I was expecting more of a conflict, a commotion, or a contesting of the throne and the rights to it. This is not what I was expecting, but it was far more in line with Skeletor's personality. The question remains, what happens to him now?
I'm sorry let me pick up my tears
I'm disappointed that Cadence effortlessly claimed the throne without showing or even feeling a shred of humility. Let her have the Empire, but I hope the fact that she has it bites her in the ass.
Wow. The ending of this chapter brought tears to my eyes.
Wow... I was expecting Skeletor to abdicate so he can focus on finding a way home, but not like this. At least Twilight and Cadence can’t take credit for killing Sombra.
i.postimg.cc/cJsHqxQ2/image.png
Holy God, I give thee a ten, for this was beyond my expectations.
This single chapter has made this entire story beyond its own worth in reading!
Good job, mate.
And, I sincerely hope Cadence's demands bite her in the ass.
Hmm well this will be interesting to see all the different POV reactions for everyone involved next chapter. Let's be honest now, he unintentionally made himself out to be a heroic martyr doing what is best for the kingdom over his own happiness, this will bring about many more conflicts later on. Maybe a civil war later on as they feel he was the better choice, who knows.
So what happans now
That was wonderful, but now its on hiatus. I am filled with mixed emotions.
10517725
while cadence gets to be the leader skeletor will have their admiration and respect and if cadence and the others act against skeletor the empire will likely turn on them
That... did not go as I expected.
To be Honest, I'm a bit put off by Cadance and Shining Armor in this. They're kind of being presumptuous about being the rightful rulers of the Crystal Empire. Who fucking cares if you're the last descendant of Princess Amore? She died THREE THOUSAND YEARS AGO. I would love to see someone claiming to be the last descendant of an Augustus Caesar march into Rome, and try to name themselves ruler of Italy. That'd go over hilariously.
Skeletor is/was the ruler of the Crystal Empire by merit, not long-thinned bloodline.
And Skeletor has no clue what he's done, either. He worked his ways into the hearts of the ponies of the Crystal Empire. Now Cadance and Armor seem like usurpers who have stolen his throne from him in the eyes of his adoring subjects. Now, especially after that spirited speach, the ponies of the Crystal Empire will continue to adore Skeletor, and be distrusting of Cadance and Shining Armor.
He gave Cadance and Shining Armor exactly what they wanted, but they still lose. And Skeletor has no idea.
Now the question becomes, what happens now?
Ah, shit... isn't Twilight and Co' going to arrive soon? I wonder how it would look if Skeletor got attacked by them, right after handing rulership over to Cadance and Shining Armor. Lord knows the Elements of Harmony can often jump the gun. Just look at how they treated Zecora at first sight. They may not react well to a seemingly undead monstrosity.
Also, I hate Cadance and I hope she and her husband get the hell out of the Empire post-haste. She's feels incredibly unlikeable. Although, I am wondering how those planning that coup against Skeletor will react. He willingly gave up his throne to an alicorn princess who claims to be a descendant of Amore. I could see how that might throw a wrench into the mindset of "Skeletor is evil incarnate" they have going on. After all, didn't they think he was an evil monster working against the Empire, who would never give up power? His actions in the throne room fly in the face of that theory of theirs.
I am really concerned about that "hiatus" tag...
10517843
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/924397/skeletor-hiatus
This'll explain the hiatus.
Is this the end?
I fear seeing the haitus button.
Edit: ahh finals. Hope it goes well.
Good Luck.
hmmm
This is a very interesting turn of events. The ball is firmly in Cadance's court. If she were to immediatly demand he leave or something to that effect Her reign would end in a coop I believe. I kind of want her to do something really stupid and get kicked out but I don't know. I've never seen a 'human ruler of Crystal Empire' take this turn should prove very interesting.
As good of a twist this is I cant help worry its just a cheap easy way to wrap up the story.
10517776
10517843
If you read the author’s blog post you will understand why it’s being put into hiatus.
FYI the hiatus is supposedly going to last until near the end of December
Well now this took quite a unexpected twist, and can only wonder how Candace and Shining Armor will rationalize his actions, and think of them as well. I really just loved his speech start from finish really got me straight through the heart.
10517909
Aww should probably mention that in the author's notes then.
Its delayed till the end of december by the way.
10517892
She most likely be kicked out anyhow seeing as she came to the Empire with no plan other than beat Sombra, sit on throne, she brought no resources with her no doctors, no work force to help rebuild and with the vault being empty no wealth to purchase or hire any help, steel being worth little in modern world and Celestia can't send help as Equestria is also almost bankrupt.
I wonder if Cadance feels any shame for her assumptions
And like that Skeletor just gave himself a BIG shield of `NYEHEHEHEHE YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME YOU PRESUMPTUOUS POMPOUS PONIES!!` by doing that. If ANY of the ponies of Equestria go after him without him giving a VERY damn good reason for it...the crystal empire is gonna go full on French revolution levels off violent I think.
AMAZING! I loved this whole thing! Skeletor willingly handing over the throne in this way was such a twist. This chapter felt like a dang season finale and with it going on hiatus for a few months, it might as well be.
As for Cadance, I must say that I'm not liking her. With Skeletor's selfless action here, she'll definitely be seen in a negative light from the citizens and that makes so eager to see how she handles it. Cadance got her wish but I hope it bites her in the butt. Keep up the amazing work here and I hope finals go well for you.
I like stories where the characters actually act like real people. Skeletor here did exactly what you would expect him to do given how you portrayed his character. Cadence is still kind on an unlikable bitch though....
Can't wait to see how this plays out.
10517721
I feel like twilight gonna do a classic xenophobia shit, and that the empire is gonna go revolt big time.
10518003
even though Skeletor genuinely wants out of the position , it doesn't help when trigger happy ponies arrive spouting harmony with rainbow lasers. Though it is a shame Spike wont become a hero.. who knows maybe he still gets to be a hero with Skellly's help
10517969
l highly doubt it, seeing as she shamelessly lies about being a descendant of Princess Amore, and rightful heir to the throne... she is none of that.... Princess Amore's family was all murdered along side her by Sombra with no survivors, so that is a lie.... the only thing that ties her the crystal empire that she has, is her butt tattoo of the crystal heart, which does NOT mean that she is meant to rule over the Empire, that is something she has chosen to believe.
Good luck on your finals can’t wait till you get back
I feel things are going to go more chaotic, as opposed to if he resisted handing the throne to them.
>:)
I like how everyone has a reasonable motive and their actions are, while not ideal, completely understandable.
Cadence and Shining are going to have to debrief Skeletor, and when they find out he introduced placebos because the Empire has no medicine and problems with suicide that's going to really mess with their heads.
Then there's the food shortages, the homelessness, the loss of thestrals and ruva... The Empire is in a precarious state, and they have no immediate solutions even if Equestria can provide aid. I'm looking forward to Cadence having to swallow back her bile and admit that he made no significant mistakes, and at least seemed to have a plan.
10518030
What kind of asspull is that? Are we even reading the same story here, or are you making shit up and roleplaying?
Skeletor; "Oh new princess, please take throne so I can go home."
Crystal Empire; "NO!"
First Cadance compares Skeletor to having a foal's emotional stability then she thinks of him as a MONSTER. Hypocritical mare ain't she when you consider Twilight's socially stunted personality in the early years. Skeletor at least is socially aware and has a reasonable emotional reaction to being alone and possibly threatened by all those around him. I hope she realizes how wrong her opinion of him is soon.
Cadence is a bitch
I wonder if our local changeling will have anything to say about Cadence's claims/promises of love and tolerance for ALL?
Now this I did not see, but I am anticipating what’s to come
well Candace never saw that coming, but he may want to leave the throne, but majority dont want him to step down., specially with the celestia plans to drain the empire of it resources, Candace wont be popular no saved us from sombra to gain the crystal ponies favour, her rule gonna be short and unpopular
Ohh boy, I can just imagine the reaction when celestial comes to empty the vault 'for the greater good!' And ends up still dirt broke with nothing for the crystal ponies.
I wonder if Skeletor will leave the Crystal Empire
https://coub.com/view/iw5wb
He man nah nah nahahahanan
On one hand I don't see Cadance as a bitch here.
I see an Empath who, by her own and others decisions, NEVER had to deal with negative emotions aimed at her or people in turmoil like Skeletor was.
And thus she panicked, overreacted and was WOEFULLY unprepared.
Hopefully she learns from that slap to the face. to be fair fucking up is how most people learn things.
Now if she has any brain? As soon as she figures out HOW HARD A JOB she has signed up for? She will make Skeletor her Chancellor.
Leaving the guy having to deal with the same work. :D
Iron Chancellor Skeletor!
Also I suspect he wont be able to prevent them from painting his portrait now ...... CURSES! :P
---------------------
And when all the pomp and posturing is over and done with? I hope they sit down in private so Skeletor can have a long, LONG talk with them about the shit situation they just jumped into hooves first. And how Sobra's ghost is knocking around.
I suspect Cadence WILL puke when Skeletor tells her why there are no foals in the Empire...
I'm very pleased with this turn of events. I don't really have anything to say beyond what others have said. This story is one of the greatest of it's type, and is a personal favorite that is above many fellow stories, in my opinion. You've done a darn good job, HC. This is a great climax, and I look forward to the end of December, when the story returns.
I thought him turning over the crown may happen or at the very least Skeletor would be the one to try but that somepony would jump the gun and the crystal ponies would revolt. I can appreciate this very much, not every thing needs to be war and battles scenes. To see the he was on his knees and truly thanking the crystal ponies for everything they've done for him was truly something that tugged at my heart. To see that Cadence is willing to allow him to still retain power is a nice play, but at the same time let's not forget the expedition force has yet to return and among them is a very scheming stallion who was well into plotting our buddy Skeletor's down fall already, with the spy master partially on his side to. The part where Avid burst everyponies' bubbles was... to be expected given his deviation to Skeleton along with the others, but at the same time I didn't except everypony to go off in the throne room. I'm eager to see what's going to happen with Emerald, she is one of my favorite characters ad overall I think she will be the one to truly stay by Skeletor's side and help him through this and the trying times to come. I really love this story and am glad it wasn't turned into a part of the true Displaced multiverse. Keep up good work Hotel_Chicken and good luck with finals, I hated those.
10518336
Well Crumb Catcher had a plan for playing both sides so he is likely to ride this out even if the outcome is totally unexpected.
Cannon Fodder on the other hand is gonna fucking short circuit and it will be GLORIOUS!
I wonder if he will finally face reality or make an even BIGGER delusion to make himself feel vindicated?
On a funnier note. Does this mean that Cadence will have to wear the steel crown now? :D
10518347
I fully agree with you on everything. Crumb Catcher being a spy master is only going to go after what most benefit himself and allows him to continue living longer. I fully except to see Cannon Fodder to lose his sh*t when he sees Cadence on the throne and Skeletor as part of the council. After the way the ponies rallied to him, there is no way in Tartarus that he can just up and leave them. I bit Cadance well try and wear the crone but ultimately give it back. I also suspect the Crumb may work with Avid to possibly put Skeletor back on the throne, or at least keep everything under his influence.
...... I really hate cadence now. I really really hated how he just gave up. Cadence will be hoisted by her own. She will fall whenever she tries to undo what was done. She'll be destroy as the people force their hate upon her for forcing their lord away
There is an interesting problem in this attempted uplift of the Empire that both Skeletor and Cadence have both missed, due to the length of time that its been since these ponies have interacted with the rest.
If there's been any plagues or disease outbreaks that hit the rest of ponykind over the past 1000 years, there is a good chance that the Crystal Ponies will be severely vulnerable to its current form. More so if the disease isn't limited to the tribes, but just hits ponies as a whole. Like the flu.