Chapter 34. Sin By Silence.
A familiar and bothersome friend found Shinning Armor as he struggled to sleep next to his wife. The ghost of his anger prodded him with taunts as he tossed and turned, berating him for failing to help his wife in her desperate time of need.
Amidst the occasional pangs of guilt and self-deprivation, rang loud bells of annoyances that slowly grew into a song of looming rage. With a tired sigh, Shining Armor abandoned his attempts at sleep to reminisce on where his peaceful days had run off to.
The life of royalty was something that Shining Armor had never expected to receive, even with his betrothal to a princess. He had always believed that he would remain Captain of the Royal Guard in Canterlot, serving his country faithfully as his wife worked close by to handle the political strife’s of nobility. He never believed that the title of prince meant anything more than his position as a guard, it was only a colorful decoration that he received for falling in love with a beautiful mare. So long as Princess Celestia and Luna would reign over Equestria, his title would hold as much weight as Blueblood’s, if not less than Blue’s title.
However, his life as not only the Captain of the Royal Guard, but also his position as a guard as a whole was forcefully stripped away when it was revealed that the Crystal Empire had returned. Without any training or warning, Shining Armor’s title was given an actual purpose, and he would serve faithfully as a leader alongside his loving wife.
It was difficult to hide his emotions from a mare like his wife, but years of practice controlling his temper “issues” had given him an edge on concealing his feelings. Any regret and loss he felt was replaced by a burning desire to help his wife, to silently watch her work as he learned more about his position until a day would come where he could stand on equal hoofing and help her lead the Empire into a prosperous age.
Unfortunately, that burning desire was soon overwhelmed by a fury that he could only silence by biting his tongue. Shinning Armor yearned to feel the burn of his shouts plaster the walls of his throat, to defend his wife and shove anypony who would dare to make her cry.
Her tears could easily ignite his blood, and awaken the beast that he had spent years suppressing with her help. She hid her pain far too well, taking their distrusting glances and hushed whispers in stride as she moved ahead with a determination that only made Shining Armor admire her more.
The first day of Cadence’s rightful reign had possibly been the worst day of Shinning’s life, second only to the day of his wedding when he found out that his wife had been replaced for three days and that he was only a feather tip away from marrying an anorexic bug monster.
Shinning Armor’s short comings had made themselves more apparent with each passing minute that he sat in court. Most of the questions and concerns raised during court were reasonable, such as what they should expect going forward, would relationships between two mares and stallions still be permitted, and if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were still alive and well in Dream Valley. Cadence, heeding her council’s warnings, omitted any mentions of the Empire’s displacement whenever she talked about her adoptive aunts, and reassured them that they were both fine.
Court proceeded without many issues. It passed by in a blur of motion, with only a few questions sticking to his fresh thoughts. While nothing had gone terribly wrong, he did absolutely nothing to help aside from nod and grunt every-so-often. The rest of the day didn’t fare any better. While Cadence worked tirelessly to make sure the Empire was safe and that her position as princess was cemented, he trotted through the halls without any real plan.
Cadence and Shining Armor retired to their room in Celestia’s suite to end the day. His thoughts swam in the darkest recesses of his mind even in the comfort of their room, taunting him with every growing failure he faced as an ignorant prince.
All he could offer to his wife, a mare who now had the weight of an entire Empire resting on her back, was a pony to hug and quietly lament to. In a way, Shining Armor was nothing more than a pillow. The old Captain of the Royal Guard had become a more incompetent prince than the one Blueblood portrayed.
With that bitter thought, Shinning Armor joined Cadence in bed as they waited for the next day to arrive. Shining was unable to fall asleep as the weight of his own ineptitude began to eat away at his mind as the hours of the night began to leave him in the waking world. His anger towards himself and the Empire itself began to fester inside of him as he laid in bed. After nearly an hour of staring into the darkness of his eyelids, he eventually left their bed to prepare a letter.
If he was going to help his wife and the Empire, then he would need guidance from another prince, specifically, a certain fake prince.
The night was still fresh as Crux Heart trotted through the halls of the castle. His eyes trailed across the lit torches that were hung on the walls, watching the flames flicker in the gentle breeze that would occasionally pass through the halls.
Occasionally, Crux Heart would take an extra moment of his time to appreciate the various paintings that decorated the walls between the torches. While a majority of them depicted Princess Amore in various poses and acts, a rare few of the portraits depicted the Crystal Heart and the Crystal Castle. He admired the fine details that kissed the canvas, losing himself in the brush strokes that used old Equestrian art styles to create a loving reflection of the world. If he had the proper time to enjoy the many paintings that hung on the walls, then he might have noticed that there was a distinctive lack of portraits depicting Skeletor.
However, due to his current duties, Crux Heart couldn’t spare more than a few fleeting moments to look at the portraits or commend the dazzling architecture of the Crystal Castle.
He wandered the halls with nothing more than his memory to guide him, following the path that Star Burst had shown him after her reconnaissance of the castle. As he drew closer to his objective, a cacophony of coughing fits and groans became more prevalent with each step.
The restless patients of the castle’s Medical wing guided Crux Heart with their non-verbal pleas, begging for relief from their various ailments and pains. While the medicine he brought was originally only intended to be used for the other guards who came to the Empire, Crux Heart believed that he could make better use of it by using his limited supplies sparingly in the medical ward.
When he finally arrived at the two familiar doors he pushed past them quietly, as to not disturb any ponies who were actually able to get some rest during the night.
The medical wing of the Crystal Castle was a battlefield. Every bed had been occupied by a pony, and several makeshift beds had been erected and laid in any place that was able to fit them. The ceiling, in contrast to the morbid scene that was laid before him, was a tapestry of different crystals, each carved and placed to create a series of beautiful images depicting nature.
It was as if the room found a special and disturbing balance between pretty and sickening. He was reminded of the colorful hospital rooms for young ponies and how they would usually be decorated in popular book illustrations and rainbows. He hadn’t thought much of it when he was a colt, but looking at the scene before him ignited a faint feeling of fear that tickled his mind when he was younger.
As his mind wandered to trickling memories of his youth, he quickly dug into his satchel and covered his muzzle with an herbal mask.
His eyes traveled across the many beds and hanging curtains, searching for anypony who needed immediate assistance. He trotted into the room slowly, surveying the ward with a wandering gaze as he passed by several beds. When he thought of simply trotting up to one of the coughing patients to see if they were awake, a tangled mess of black sheets appeared to spring to life next to Crux Heart, causing him to release a startled yelp as he instinctively moved away from the living shadow.
“Quiet! Most of the patients are sleeping!” The black figure reprimanded.
Crux Heart stared in stunned silence at the stallion. If Skeletor was a monster that leapt from the pages of a foal’s tale, then the doctor was a relic that trotted off of the pages of a history book.
The stallion was covered mane to hoof in a black robe with a dark wooden mask that bore a striking resemblance a large parrot. The mask clearly wasn’t made for the doctor, as it had an opening for a horn slot that had been covered with a wrapping bandage, which was similarly applied to any cracks that were running along the beak of the mask. The tinted glass of the mask's eyes didn't show a hint of the doctor's face and the black robe concealed his hooves in a blanket of darkness, allowing the doctor to work in anonymity and in safety.
“What are you doing here? This area is restricted!” The doctor quietly told him as he stepped closer to Crux Heart.
“S-sorry, I-I’m a medic and—”
“A what?” The doctor interrupted as he circled Crux Heart.
“A-well it’s like a type of doctor and—”
“You’re a doctor?”
“Well yes, bu—”
“Are you here to help patients?”
“Th—”
“Perfect. Quickly, follow me this way,” the doctor ordered without hesitation, leaving a very bewildered thestral sitting in the middle of the ward as he glided away like a shadow. “What are you doing? Get up! I need all the capable hooves I can find, now come!” He quietly ordered.
“I-duh-bu-ye-yes sir!”
“Keep your voice down!” The doctor reprimanded.
“Sorry…”
Without another word, the cloaked pony led Crux Heart out of the medical ward and into a personal office. There were several cots set up inside the office, each occupied by slumbering mares and stallions who looked like they were teetering on the edge of death.
“Sweet Celestia. What happened to them?” Crux Heart asked.
“They’re overworked. Now come along, I need to get you dressed properly,” the doctor explained as he threw open a dresser to reveal dozens of slightly modified physician uniforms with covered horn holes and wing slots that were stitched closed. “Here, this should be fine.”
The doctor plucked the uniform off of the rack and practically shoved it into Crux’s barrel before he silently trotted off with Crux Heart in tow. “While I would love to have you on as an empiric, I’m afraid I’ll need you to get your hooves somewhat scuffled. The opium is kept here, the bandages are here, all of our surgery instruments are here, and over there is where we keep our thread and needles,” the doctor pointed as he trotted through the office.
Crux Heart quickly tore off his satchel and other clothes to throw on part of the old physician uniform, struggling to trot and change as he switched between using his fore hooves.
“I’ll start you off with a simple task. Just check each bed’s chamber pot and empty it in that container over there. The maids should be able to take it away in the morning and take it outside the barrier.”
“Well, actually I was wondering if I could help examine the patients, see—”
“Yes, yes, you’ll be busy helping patients later. If those chamber pots are allowed to overfill then that will be disastrous for the other patients, now go! I need to distribute placebos to several patients and then move onto the others,” the doctor stated firmly as he trotted off to another room.
“Placebos? Wait, weren’t you ordered to stop using them?” Crux Heart asked.
The doctor turned quickly as he prepared to berate Crux Heart for his question, only to stop and take a moment to properly look at Crux Heart.
“Oh… Oh you’re a thestral aren’t you… You’re one of those thestrals,” he seethed. “You and the Princess’ other thestrals are the reason why I’m working on five minutes of sleep for the past eight hours. I can’t believe I almost allowed you to work on my patients. Out! Get out! Go! We don’t need you here!” The doctor demanded as he pushed Crux Heart away.
“Wait, I just want to help!” Crux Heart quietly argued.
“You can help by staying out of our way! I don’t need somepony around who will… Who will…”
The doctor trailed off as he hesitantly backed away from Crux Heart. He visibly shook in fear as he looked around at the other patients, whipping his head around as if he were an actual parrot.
“You… You won’t tell her, will you? Please, there are many patients here that I need to help, and his medicine has been a great boon to us! Please, please don’t tell anypony that we’re not following the princess’ order, I beg you!” He pleaded desperately as he grabbed onto Crux’s cloak. “Y-you can’t tell anypony, t-they’ll take away everything we have, and then I won’t be able to treat our patients, and-an-and I-I just need some time, please! I’ll, I’ll comply with the Princess’ order, but I can’t do it now. Please, you have to understand! Please don’t tell them, I just need more time!”
Cruz Heart wilted at the doctor’s pleas as his duty to the princess struggled with his desire to help the ponies in the medical ward. He looked down at the emotionless mask that stared at him, feeling pity for the stallion who was clinging to his robe like it was a life vest.
“I… But the princess—”
“I know! I know, and I’ll do it. I’ll get rid of it all, but I just need time. Please, I-I just need a week, just one week and I’ll get rid of whatever remains. Please, it’s all some of the patients have!”
“Bu… I… Oh, Celestia Damnit, I won’t tell them, alright?” He yielded.
“R-really? I… I-I, we just need some more time and… and I, we… Thank you!” The doctor exclaimed as he suddenly wrapped his forelegs around Crux Heart.
A symbol of death among the modern ponies was hugging him like a scared foal. It was, for lack of a better term, very weird.
After a near minute of repeatedly thanking Crux Heart, the stallion pushed himself away from the hug and took a few calming breaths. “Thank you again, mr… I apologize, but I don’t even know your name.”
“Crux Heart.”
“Crux Heart? A fine name. I am Doctor Spoon Sugar, the… The head of the doctor association in the castle. I… I want to thank you again for understanding. I promise, I’ll get rid of the placebos, but we need them right now.”
“Why? Didn’t uh… The butler? That’s the stallion, right?”
“Crumb Catcher?”
“Yeah, didn’t he tell you why the placebos were being confiscated?” Crux Heart asked as he readjusted his physician uniform.
“He did, but we neither care or truly believe it. I know very little about magical medicine, but I trust that Lord Skeletor wouldn’t lead us astray by giving us false promises. Besides, even if he did lie, his creation works.
“Lord Skeletor promised us that General Cannon Fodder would return soon with medicine from the Ruva Kingdom. I want to believe him, but we can’t afford to wait much longer, especially since the princess decided to cut off our hooves by taking away the placebos Lord Skeletor provided us. I gave Crumb Catcher most of what we had, but it would have been insane to give her all of it! Some patients can’t sleep without it, and others are getting better because of it. Even if everything Crumb Catcher told us was true, the patients don’t know.
“It’s a rather ingenious idea, tricking the body into believing that it’s repairing itself and healing faster. And I can’t argue with the results. Lord Skeletor explained what it could and couldn’t help with and warned us to not rely on it too much, but… We’re working with less medicine each day. We started giving out placebos like they were free snowflakes. Many patients have become reliant on it, and I can’t take it away from them without at least offering an alternative… I hope you can understand, we’re doing the best we can to help but… Sometimes, it’s just not enough,” He explained mournfully.
“… It’s really that bad?” Crux Heart asked as he looked over at the many beds. It was one thing to read about the history of Eequestria’s medicine, but to see it first hoof was something else entirely.
“I’m afraid it is. The others and myself have been working tirelessly to make sure everything is fine. Due to Lord Skeletor’s concerns about suicide, many of us have been working days to not just treat ponies, but to also calm their minds. There’s too many patients and not enough of us, let alone enough medicine… Thank you again, Crux Heart.”
“Of course, doctor. I, uh, I actually have some medicine that you might be able to use,” Crux Heart reassured him as he pulled a box of medical supplies out of his satchel.
It certainly wasn’t enough for the number of ponies who were present in the ward, and Crux Heart internally chastised himself for only brining the equivalent of an expensive first aid kit with him, but Doctor Spoon Sugar looked at it as if it were a fireplace on a cold winter night.
“I… Thank you, Crux Heart, I… I… How… How do you open it?” The doctor asked as he struggled with the clasps.
“Oh, sorry, let me get that for you. I only brought one tonight, but… I think they wouldn’t notice if a few more went missing,” Crux Heart reasoned as he passed the open box back to the doctor who inspected it with unrestricted curiosity and joy.
“You would really do that for us? I don’t know what to say other than thank you, so… Thank you! Thank you so much, Doctor Heart,” the doctor cried as Crux Heart suddenly found himself in a one-sided hug. Thankfully for the thestral, the doctor relinquished his grip around the stallion’s neck and quickly returned to inspecting Crux Heart’s gift.
“I must admit, I’m unfamiliar with a few of these strange bottles, but with your help, I believe the patients of this ward may have a real chance. Thank you again, Doctor Heart. Now, we have not a moment to lose. Follow me, Doctor Heart, we have patients to help and very little time to do so,” the doctor ordered with a hope filled tone as he quietly trotted away.
“Of course, doctor,” Crux Heart agreed easily. While he knew that General Camisole would probably approve of his work if he had just told her, that would have meant having more guards present who could expose the already weak ponies to new diseases and illnesses. And now, he had another secret to keep from his commanding officers and his prince and princess, one that would potentially risk his career if it came to light. He would actively defy the orders of an alicorn princess, a sin against his code as a guard for the royal family of Equestria.
The early rays of the morning soaked the Empire in light as the sun rose over the horizon.
The sun called to the sleeping creatures of the world to rise from their beds, stirring them from a deep slumber that painted worlds of creativity and horror alike. Among these resting creatures was a stranger from parts unknown, Skeletor, a monstrous being that looked like a nightmare given life.
He laid in his bed quietly with his hollow eye sockets pointing towards a wall, never revealing if he was asleep or awake. If it weren’t for the steady rise and fall of his chest, his silent observer probably would have mistaken him for an actual corpse. Occasionally, he would mumble about an evil violin or a grey colored skull before he would shift his weight and turn on his side. Other than those few instances, Skeletor almost perfectly resembled a slowly rotting carcass.
Star Burst, a lieutenant of the Lunar Guard, and a mare tasked with keeping an eye on her new charge, clung to the shadows of Skeletor’s room as he slept. Her eyes and ears focused solely on the former lord of the Crystal Empire, watching him from the safety of the darkness that his new room provided. Stacks of crates and wooden barrels, filled with crystals of various shapes, sizes, and colors, created a labyrinth of shadows for the thestral guard to hide in. Her white fur armor was cast aside for a sleek black padded vest that hugged her barrel, giving her the advantage of stealth and security as she prowled inside the demon’s den.
She hid in a nook between a few crates that were clustered together, concealing her from the stream of light that flowed in through the windows of his room. Even if the sun had risen to its peak in the sky, Skeletor would never be able to see the lunar guard that was hiding inside his room. At least, that’s what Star Burst had hoped for.
In truth, every second inside his room was a small torment for the lieutenant. The fear that lightly griped her mind when she first snuck into his room turned into quiet paranoia that promised a swift end when she was inevitably caught. These concerns were something that Star Burst had become quite familiar with on a few missions, especially those that involved her working with others who lurked in the shadows alongside her. Any small mistake, like the idiotic blunder she made outside the throne room’s windows, would betray her hiding place and potentially end her life and the life of her fellow guards.
Her current mission wasn’t one that just endangered her own life, or her fellow guards, but potentially the lives of everypony in the Crystal Empire. She couldn’t afford to have Skeletor find out that he was being monitored.
Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor could, if they were smart, plead ignorance to their guard’s actions and pin the order solely on General Camisole. Camisole and Star Burst would both be able to hold their heads high and take the fall, but that would only be if Star Burst was caught, a fear that was subtly growing with each passing minute.
Thankfully, when Skeletor was finally roused from his slumber, the demonic creature was blissfully ignorant of his hidden observer. He slowly lifted himself from the bed and shambled towards a crate that held a small fraying twig. He shambled around the room as he brushed his teeth, dragging his around as if he were a limp puppet as he threw his body forward.
After briefly averting her gaze when Skeletor took out a chamber pot, she and the other guards had already learned about the Empire’s lack of plumbing much to Camisole’s chargin, she subtly left her hiding place as Skeletor grabbed his tribal staff and threw on his cloak to leave.
She activated the enchantment that was placed on her armor before she slipped through the top of the door as he closed it, allowing her to go unnoticed as she followed Skeletor. The only indication of her presence to the demon was a gentle breeze that kissed the back of his hood, prompting him to look behind himself for only a moment before shrugging it off and walking down the hall.
Thanks to a rechargeable camouflage enchantment that the prince placed on her uniform, Star Burst was able to do her job more efficiently. Of course, while the enchantment was a great boon to her tasks, it wasn’t a professional enchantment. Small hints like her still visible shadow and the light shimmer that brushed against the air around Star Burst would reveal her if anypony noticed. So, Star Burst silently glided in near the ceiling, avoiding the light that protruded from the windows or torches that lit the halls.
As she followed Skeletor in secret, the once lord of the Empire gave small greetings to the occasionally passing guard on patrol and several maids who were busy at work cleaning another room. He had stopped several times to question his own direction before he finally found a familiar path and walked without any hesitation in his steps. After making his way through the halls, Skeletor soon entered the Crystal Castle’s main dining hall.
The hushed and idle conversation that leaked through the doors moments before fell silent as Skeletor pushed open the door, drawing the attention of everypony inside as the old squeaky hinges of the door announced his presence. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor were already seated at the royal table with the council when Skeletor arrived, and joined in the collective gawking that everypony else had initiated.
Skeletor, either too tired to care or too used to seeing reactions like this, simply exchanged a silent greeting with a wave of his hand before he walked towards a table that was filled with crystal guards. He took a seat next to Colonel Kernel, throwing himself to the whims of gravity as he plopped into the small seat.
“Good morning, sir,” the grey stallion greeted. “It’s good to see you in the dining hall again.”
“Well, thank you for inviting me to your table, yesterday,” Skeletor said with a suppressed yawn.
The voices of the other tables soon returned to their hushed whispers and gossip as Star Burst focused solely on Skeletor’s table. Similarly, to the blue skinned demon, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor were both being watched by a pair of thestral guards who exchanged a low whistle greeting with Star Burst.
“It’s an honor to have you here, sire,” one of the other guards said as gave a nod of his head. “To be honest, a lot of us weren’t sure if you’d come in since you didn’t join us for dinner the night before, or anything yesterday.”
“Well I… Had a light meal outside the castle,” Skeletor answered as a maid trotted to their table with a serving for their prior lord. “Thank you.”
“Sire, do ya mind if I ask a question?” Another guard asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Skeletor said between sips of water.
Star Burst took a moment to fish out a bar of granola, strawberries, and pineapple crisps from her vest as they ate, taking small nibbles from her breakfast as she listened closely to their conversation.
“One of my friends outside of the guard said you were from the isle of Lost Angels in the Holy Woods. What’s it like there?” The guard asked, eliciting a quiet snort from the skull headed demon.
“Nye-heh. I believe your friend misheard me. I’m from Los Angeles, near Hollywood. Well, I was born there, anyway, I moved away when I was really young. I’ve never been back there since then, but I always did want to see it one day… I think I might try going there when I go back home,” Skeletor mused with a somberly wistful tone.
“Back home?” Colonel Kernel asked. “Are… Are you going to leave?”
“Well, yes I—”
“Is it because of the throne?” One of the guards asked, seemingly shocked by their own words as they tumbled out of their muzzle. There was no anger, pain, or any emotion in the guard’s question, just a deathly monotone voice that seemed to shatter the noise of the dining hall.
There was a sudden lull in the conversations around as ears began to point towards Skeletor’s table. Star Burst could swear that she heard the deafening scream of pure silence as everypony within earshot took note of the guard’s question.
“Um, no, no, it has nothing to do with that,” Skeletor assured.
“Then you’re not leaving because of the princess?” Another guard asked. Similarly, to his compatriot, his voice didn’t carry a hint of emotion when he spoke. Without warning, emotion returned to the guard as he quickly blinked and continued on with his line of questioning. “Then why are you leaving? Is it because something happened?”
“N-no, it’s not that,” Skeletor corrected. “It has nothing to do with Princess Cadence or Prince Shining Armor. I… I’m just a little home sick is all,” Skeletor promised as he quickly deescalated what could have potentially been a prime moment to capitalize on the guards’ wavering loyalty.
Star Burst felt her muscles ease at his words. Skeletor had clearly passed an opportunity to thrown the royal couple under the carriage, but that was only for the moment. Star Burst would reserve any judgement on the demon until she had solid proof on where his allegiances laid.
“You’re sick?” Colonel Kernel added on as Star Burst slunk back into the shadows in the highest corner of the ceiling.
The conversations at the other tables returned to their usual tempo, disguising their own attempts to listen as idle chatter about mundane things like the snow, crystals, and several quiet muttered mentions of a torn skull. Star Burst ignored most of the ponies in favor of listening to the demon and the guards at the table.
“What? Oh, no, not sick literally. I just… I just really miss my home. I love the Crystal Empire, believe me. It’s… There’s no place like this where I’m from, there aren’t towers of crystals or amazing guards like you guys,” Skeletor praised with a small toast of his goblet. “And don’t even get me started on how beautiful everything is. This is like a dream, a slice of heaven that fell down to earth. But it’s… It’s not really my home.
“My friends and family are all back home, probably worried sick about me, and I can only imagine that Panthor has been bawling her eyes out. Beast Man is definitely taking good care of her, so she’ll be fine without me… I’m sure they’ll all be happy to see me again.”
“Then… When are you leaving?” Colonel Kernel asked.
“It’ll be quite some time until I can go home. It’s a long and difficult journey, so I need the princess’ help. I’m not going to suddenly up and disappear tomorrow.”
“Well, do you think you could bring Beast Man and your panther to the Empire some day?”
“Beast Man?” Skeletor parroted. “What’s that?”
“You mentioned that a creature was watching after your panther,” Colonel Kernel told him. “Do you think you could bring them to the Empire to visit sometime after you go back home?”
Skeletor seemingly froze at the question, with a look of serious contemplation etched on his skull as he rapped his finger against the table.
“Ah, right, right. Now I remember, yeah, Beast Man is Raz’s nickname. I can’t believe I almost forgot about that. Sorry, I’ve got a little bit of fog on the brain right now, still waking up,” Skeletor explained as he stopped his finger short of the table, as if being held back by a small invisible shield that repelled him. “I think I might have come up with that nickname. Nye-Heh, he’s quite the animal lover. I’m sure he’d love coming to the Empire, though I imagine that Panthor would be a little frazzled from the trip. It may take a while, though… I’m a pretty long way away from home, and all that… Well, enough about that. Colonel, do you have anything interesting to talk about?”
“Oh! Well, no, not really.”
“Aw come on, I know that mare was looking at you yesterday,” Skeletor pressed on as he leaned against the table. “Have you thought about going outside and seeing if you could find her.”
Star Burst perked a brow at Skeletor’s sudden deflection. She could have easily presumed that Skeletor simply didn’t want to talk about his home, but that idea was immediately tossed aside. Whenever somepony would ask him about “America” he would give somewhat vague answers but still answers all the same. For some reason, Skeletor was oddly hesitant to speak about both the distance of his alleged homeland and the creatures he knew there.
Truths and lies often mingled in his words, weaving an incomplete story that held nothing more than interesting words and key phrases to string his audience along. Star Burst could easily see past his crumbling facade, especially when he wasn’t prepared to tell a lie or a half truth at the drop of a satchel, but she still found herself wondering if his obvious attempts at lying were just another mask to hide his true intentions. As the saying went, the Noble of an estate will often overlook the boring court jester.
“Do you already have a mare who caught your fancy? Or perhaps a stallion, I don’t judge,” Skeletor asked, pushing on the question in a jovial tone as he started to drink from his goblet.
“No, sir. I can’t say I ever have. Have you ever dated anyone, sir?” Colonel Kernel asked, prompting a guard at the table to add their two bits.
“Oh yeah, what was your harem like?”
Skeletor nearly chocked on his drink at the sudden question, hacking violently as he pounded his fist against his chest several times. The guards suddenly tensed as his eruptive display, flinching with each loud cough that rang out. Colonel Kernel and several other guards nearly leapt out of their seats, possibly to aid Skeletor in some way, before he raised his free hand to give them a silent command to be still.
“Koof. Wh… What?” Skeletor asked as he regained his breath.
“Well, da word in da mines is that ya had a busy ‘celebration’ after caving Sombra’s skull in. Ya were nowhere ta be seen for a whole day afterwards, an everypony heard ya scream like a Windigo about buckin’,” a green coated guard answered as he and the others took their seats once more. Several of them met the eyes of ponies at other tables, giving them each a voiceless reassurance that everything seemed to be fine.
“Well, I can assure you I was not doing… that. I… Was recovering from my battle with Sombra. And what do you mean by, ‘bucking’?…. Please tell me that doesn’t mean sex,” Skeletor added on with a deadpan tone in his voice.
“Um… It doesn’t?” Colonel Kernel hesitantly answered.
“Fucking pony puns,” Skeletor muttered with a shake of his skull, clearly unconvinced by the colonel’s compliant lie. “Anyway, I wasn’t doing anything like that. In fact, I wasn’t doing much of anything aside from sleeping for a whole day.”
“King Sombra really hit you that hard? From what I heard, you wiped the floor with him in seconds.”
“Well, Nye-Heh, it was a bit longer than that, I think. Besides, it’s not like I slipped on the stairs or anything, so how else could I have gotten hurt? Nye-hehe-he-heh…. heh. Anyway, I don’t have a harem or anything close to it, nye-heh, I can’t believe some ponies actually thought I had one.”
“Really? Seems like something that anypony could believe, it’s pretty common for royalty to at least have a few concubines. Heck, even the pink princess over there has one next ta her,” the green coated guard stated as he stole a glance at the royal table. Skeletor’s gaze appeared to follow that of the other guards as they all looked over at Prince Shining Armor.
“Wait, I thought he was a prince,” Skeletor said as he looked back at the guards for conformation.
“He could technically be one,” Colonel Kernel voiced. “A few of Princess Amore’s concubines held the title of prince, but they were usually stallions of high merit. Being a ‘prince’ isn’t really the same thing as being the princess, it’s just a way of saying that he’s worthy of giving and accepting love to the princess.”
“Huh. It’s not even past eight and I’ve already learned something new. The more you know.”
“Yeah, hey, back to the original topic. Ya really don’t have a harem?” The most boisterous guard resumed.
“Yes, I can confidently say that I have never, nor will ever, have a harem. I couldn’t even handle one relationship back home, there’s no way I could trust myself in a relationship with more than one person,” Skeletor stated firmly with a light touch of humor.
“Did you not have a special somepony back home, sir?” Colonel Kernel asked as Skeletor finished his drink.
“No, I was never really focused on being committed to a relationship. Even if I was, there wasn’t anyone who really caught my attention, every… evvv….” Skeletor trailed off, leaving his thoughts to die on the edge of his throat as he stared off into space.
The guards, who were quick to catch Skeletor’s derailing thought, attempted to bring Skeletor back to the conversation with a light tap on his shoulder, instantly freeing the skull faced demon from his spell bound state.
“Sir, are you alright?” Colonel Kernel asked.
“Ah, y-yes, yes of course I’m fine, I’m completely fine, absolutely fine, definitely,” he unconvincingly promised as he rose from his seat. “I just remembered that I… needed to go somewhere to do something, something really important that I can’t be late for. Sorry to dine and dash like this, I’m sure we can call continue talking tomorrow,” Skeletor quickly apologized as he moved out of the table, unknowingly dragging his stealthy shadow away from her hastily finished breakfast as he nearly stormed out of the dining hall.
He didn’t hold the same confident posture that he usually carried, instead adopting a stiff stance while he walked through the halls. His pace increased drastically, stopping just short of a hurried jog as his breathing rapidly increased. Skeletor’s fingers brushed against the ridges of his skull as he quietly repeated a single word.
“Evelyn… Lyn… Lyn, Lyn, Lyn…” He muttered as he stomped towards his room.
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You better 😡 post another chapter or die 🔫 u can’t leave me on a cliffhanger like this or we going to have to fight 🥊😡🥊
Amazing chapter by the way
You seem to confuse the doctor and the thestral medic a few times. The thestral becomes crux, then the old timey doctor becomes crux. Isnt the thestral supposed to be spoon something?
Thanks for the chapter.
Wow... this game of cloak and dagger is really intense.
I am very glad to see that they're not completely obeying Cadance's stupid order about the placebo. Someone is actually using their braincells, and it gives hope that maybe not all of Cadances own guards are incompetent. This is a reassuring thing, and gives me a bit of much needed hope.
Skeletor's memories seem to become more and more distorted with time, and that is a worrying thought. If enough time goes on, and his own memories are replaced by the actual Skeletor's, then there is a very real possibility his personality will change as well, and become something much more villainous in nature...
Thank you very much for the update!
Uh oh.
It seems Skeletor is having memory issues.
Besides that, it seems the Princess's own retinue is beginning to turning against her, if only in attempt to help those who need aid.
Evelyn....
She clearly needs to be nerfed.
when's Shining gonna do something utterly stupid it reflect soo badly on Cadence she probably thinking of divorced. Cause we all know he's a Faust dang moron.
Oh God, memory leaking from actual Skeletor?
The plot thickens.
10666663
Bearer seek seek lest
looks like some of the memories are starting to blend together.
10650816
Evil Lyn
thewizardsnightshirt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Episode-1.png
i bet Cadence and Shining Armor are going to be in for a shock when suicide rates spike because they stopped the placebos.
Holy cats, it's an SCP!
"(Not part of the Displaced multiverse.)"
SOLD! *puts in read later*
Oh dear from the looks of it I think we might be seeing the start of a downward spiral for our character, as it looks like he might be starting to become Skeletor mentally as well as physically, as we've seen hints of him having Skeletor's memories coming into play, and if this trend continues or worsens than worst case scenario he might forget his original life completely and believe he is and always has been Keldor/Skeletor.
Though let's hope it doesn't come to that worst case scenario, but very eager to see what's going to happen to our dear "hero" on the mental side of things.
Also quite enjoyed the povs of this chapter with Shining Armor thoughts finally get a look at, and we also see that the Princess action of pulling back the placebo's might have perhaps been made in too much haste.
With all his lies the ditch keeps getting deeper. Sooner or later the truth WILL come out, and skeletor will have all those who trusted him turn away. It's as they say, "if your gonna lie you better have a good memory", and skeletor is reaching the point he can't even remember himself anymore.
10666633
To be honest I'm not sure just how villainous Skeletor really is. In the original cartoon he did what he did for power. Other than thinking up the goofy plan of the week for the episode I don't remember him being very malicious. He seemed to spend most of his time insulting his henchmen. Now lets really take a look at who Skeletor actually is. Skeletor was the oldest son of King Miro, and his brother Randor was crowned king for heroic deeds that Skeletor actually performed.
Skeletor was a scientist, a scholar, and a general. He was also the obvious heir to the throne of Eternia. He was also poisoned or cursed (depending of the series or comic you read) Most places imply that it killed him and Pig-dac saved him. Technically I believe he is a Litch.
I think if you put that personality into a situation where he is not in Eternia, he might just be more of a pushy jerk more than an actual bad guy. After all Star Swirl the Beard-o was a power hungry scientist and scholar as well. That being said, while our skull headed hero is cautious and somewhat intimidated, the real Skeletor wouldn't take any shit from Shiny, cadence, or any backstabbing assassins.
Of course hearing him insult Shining Armor would be fun.
https://youtu.be/mNz6eHfsESQ
The Monk
“Puberty was a curse for those inflicted with it, and boundless amusement for others who survived the process.” -Scarheart
Uh oh. Memories getting overwritten, huh?
new chapter and featured WOOT
10666695
I second this.
Everyone is concerned about Skeletor's memory getting taken over by the Real Skeletor's, but notice that the only time this happens is with NAMES. He still remembers most things about his world, like like the geography of America, his writing buddies, the convention itself, and various scientific facts and pop culture.
I don't know the significance of all of his close friends and kitty having names/ nicknames from the He-man show, but I don't think he's going to lose his life's memories and have them all replaced with Skeletor's any time soon.
10666762
The thing is he not lying he telling the truth but his memory being over written so while he honest what comes out is not, and I'm more worried of a coup in his name
Shining Armor needs to quit being a prince, and be a guard again. He needs to take command of the Crystal Empire's guards. That's what he should be doing instead.
Shining: (approaches Cadence now) Cadence.... I'm not a prince. I'm a soldier. That's who I am. That's what I do.
Cadence: (thinks) ... ..... Alright. Then... Resume your post now, Guard Captain Shining Armor.
Shining: (salutes) By your command, my Princess. (/salute) (leaves)
That's what needs to happen here now.
10666788
Ah, but the catch is that's the 1980's version of Skeletor. People seem to overlook the 2002 Skeletor, who the story's Skeletor's appearance is based on (and the story's cover art). Now unless Hotel_Chicken has said otherwise, I consider his abilities and personality based around the 2002 version, not the 1980's version.
10666762
He's not lying though? Skeletor is having his memories fucked with. He's not intentionally misleading them. If anything, the Crystal Ponies are the ones who built the "Skeletor is from beyond the rainbow" idea. Never once did Skeletor say such a thing, but it's like a bad game of telephone - the story get's farther and farther from the truth with every retelling. That's not Skeletor's fault.
so is he getting a bit of a memory mixup, or was he actually a Skeletor expy all along and his mundane life just so happened to come eerily close to what Skeletor would have been on a world without THE MAGIC OF MANSCAPING!
10667203
and the same thing will happen with the story of him leaving a returning to his home, by being banished by the vile princess of love
the great thing about this chapter is showing off all the different pov and showing how everyone is reacting to both Candace and skeletor
shining Armour: he seeing things through the lens of husband, want Candace to be happy and angry at those making her upset even though he should be seeing thing from a princes perspective but by his own admission he not, and that gonna lead to him doing something stupid
Crux Heart: expecting to see skeletor actions as a bad light but instead see the truth that they as outsiders are causing more damage then good
yet willing to keep quite even though letting Candace know might improve the situation
Doctor Spoon: spoon shows clearly that as far as the crystal ponies are considered Candace is the princess but skeletor is THEIR lord, and it interesting how afraid doctor spoon became at the thought of Candace finding out and fearing for his life as if she was a tyrant
Star Burstis only looking skin deep and judging based on appearance and is afraid of what they dont understand and that fear could cause problem especially if the crystal ponies do find out of the spying on skeletor
very interesting and one things certain that all the pov are gonna collide and it gonna be a big mess
Oh my gosh. It's getting even more complicated, again.
This is a very good chapter.
It is very interesting that you always think that nothing will get more complicated and then.
It gets more complicated.
Another great chapter.
The brotherhood approves.
P.S: is it only I or is Skelos talking getting... weird...?
That's probably not good
10667282
actually, he seemed afraid that cadance would take the rest of the placebo and this would hurt his patients. I don't think he considered himself at all. he's just a doctor trying to help his patients and fears what cadance's actions will do to them
So are his memories and Skeletor's memories merging?
10667035
I think the point is that this is starting to have a serious impact on skeletor (the main character). Also if he did not lie about his relationships, then Evil Lyn is completely Skeletors (He-Man) memory and not a replacement of an old friend from earth.
This means, while he might remember his true home, parts of the He-Man Story might be added to that till the point he doesn't know anymore what was really his home and what was fiction.
10666762
What exactly is he lying about?
All the ideas about him being a demon lord or a divine messenger were things everyone assumed on their own and I don't think he even realizes that's how they see him.
10668543
So not replaced memories, just added memories and not knowing which is which...
Also, didn't he say his father's name was Arthur at some point in the story? If Show-Skeletor's father's name was Miro like Rikithemonk said, then he probably is having added memories rather than the memories or names of his real family being replaced.
Hmm can't tell but I think actual
Skeletor might be somewhere insidehis mind. Also his memories are getting mixed. But now he thinks he personally knows 'Celestias' human.
10666788
skeletor does a amazing feat of magic
Shining Armour : wow i didn't know you could do that?
Skeletor : I could write a book about what you don't know!"
MWEHEHEHEHEHE HE-MAN!
Oh man, they are merging together.
While I am worried about our MC's mental health, I can not wait to hear him just start lambasting the others with insults.
10666762
A lot don't care what he really is. The ponies didn't respect and love him because he is an angel, but because he worked to better their lives and provided a Healthcare system that helps with their trauma.
The angel thing really only came into context during the Gay Marriage and Relationship banning from Amore.
10670427
What a lot of people dont understand or dont want to understand is that hes been lying from the start. His little mind cure, who he is, what he is, where he came from, the fact that sombra ain't even dead, I could go on. When all that comes out do you really believe that their gonna be singing praises for him? Yea a few might understand why if he finally explains it all, but the fact remains hes lied to them over almost every major issue.
The topper will be that he didn't kill sombra, so who's to say that many will think hes working for or with sombra? Many will never believe him ever again. In the end he still lied to them, no matter the why's or reasons.
10670619
... he legit told them he's from America and he did smack Sombra hard and they burned the body.Are you on mushrooms, re-read the story . He only lied about Armore to protect her reputation. But he never once lied about where he's from , he even gave them a lil story about his friend. But then his memories start being messed up
10671470
So why is he still going by skeletor? Why hasent he just came out and told everyone hes actually a human from another reality who has no fucking clue what hes doing so that theres no room for misconceptions? Why hasen't he told them sombras still alive so they could watch for him?
I stand by my point, lying leads nowhere good no matter the good intentions, and while he may have told truths in some regards he knows they've been misconstrued by many and he hasn't corrected the issue. If he did he wouldn't be in his current situation.
10671689
It's not a lie anymore. Read the current chapter, it looks like he start mixing up his own memories with Skeletor's. You could say he is becoming Skeletor truly. I'm willing to bet he already forgotten what was his true name.
10673366
my friend I think you need to read the whole thing it showed at the very beginning that he forgot his own name that's why he was going by skeletor
I have a question is this skeletor the version that actually knows how to dual wield or is he the cartoonier version cuz I think that'd be a very fun thing to show just like one day he sees like a two swords and he's just like I'm going to wheel these now
10676217
A little bit of A, a little bit of B. "Skeletor" in this story isn't from one canonical source. He shares traits from a multitude of Skeletors and "his" backstory is mostly based off of Dual Wielding Skeletor. Skeletor has the potentially to become a beyblade of destruction, but that won't happen for... Honestly, I don't know how long. Oh, he'll also have a sharper tongue like the original too.