Changing Fate (A Dark Crystal Short Story)

Changing Fate

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SkekSo gasped for air as he swiftly sat up on his giant magenta bed. His cold sweat that slid down his wrinkled decaying face while he stared off into the distance with his quivering ale blue eyes, showing signs of fear. His skinny hand is placed on his saggy boned chest as if he could calm his so-called "heart of stone" that was battering his rib cage for freedom. SkekSo's pantings were quick and shallow at first, but as he slowly took in his surroundings to find that he is in his master bedroom, the pants became slower and deeper to the point where he was finally able to calm down. However, the nightmare that he had not too long ago is still fresh in his mind like a raw fresh of meat. He could still the roaring thunder that awoke him from the harsh storm that passed outside his window.

With a sudden jolt of urge, SkekSo instantly left out of his sleeping chambers, grabbed his ramen black and velvet silk night robe and hastily walked out of his room and through the empty stone hallways with his feet hitting on the cold hard floor, making a slapping sound with every step. The halls almost pitch black, which didn't help the frantic emperor's sight, but he didn't care, he knew where he was going. What he cared about though was the nightmare that kept repeating itself in his head, from start to finish. It was a story that he couldn't stop reading no matter how much he wanted to and it's slowly crippling his anxiety.

Normally if it was his normal nightmare about his own demise that appeared so often, then he would only be shocked by it before calming himself enough to fall back to sleep as best he could. But this was not his normal nightmare. It was a different. It was a nightmare that was suppose to be a blissful dream, yet when is name was being called to him his only emotions was fear. He could still hear the call echoing in his mind, the call which he is now answering with mixed emotions of fear and yet determination.

The memory of that cursed nightmare came to a holt when the fleet-footed emperor finally arrived at his destination. He is now face-to-face with a wooden doorway that was decorated with paisley carvings. The door was placed there to let the other Skeksis know that no one other then SkekSo himself as well as the owner of the door could enter through.

Even though what he was about to do would be considered as slightly creepy, he didn't waste his time no second thoughts and immediately opened the door to reveal what looks to be a child's bedroom. The bedroom consists of a tall book shelve full of books of different fictional stories and historical facts from the past, both that no doubt were written by SkekLi and SkekOk. There was also lots of small toys that were found scattered all over the floor, there were enough to send a Skeksis to the Scientist for foot injury. But the one thing that SkekSo was more focused on then any furniture or decoration in that room was the single wooden-built, fabric covered bed that was decorated with pink silk curtains with a continuous golden-lined thread near the edges of the silk curtains.

The minute he saw the bed, SkekSo immediately paced himself quietly towards it and soon find a small body-shaped sleeping figure, the covers slowly bouncing up and down. As he drew closer, he was close enough to recognise the shoulder-length blond hair that had the top half of the hair platted. It was only Kira, his six-trines-old adopted Gelfling daughter who is.

The now eased emperor was able to release a sigh of relief before kneeling down to the level of the bed to avoid scaring the young child if she were to suddenly wake up. He also made sure that the bed sheet was properly tucked into her as it did when he last saw Kira in bed. It was at this moment when he started having different thoughts flowing through his head like the waters of Sifan Coast.

The first thought he had as he was staring at Kira's innocent slumber was a memory of when he first met the youthful Gelfling, who was no more then under a trine old when he saw her. Kira was the the daughter of the Vapra princess Brea as well as the last Gelfling that was left alive. She was only kept alive because it was discovered that infant Gelflings don't consist as much essence as an adult one, infact they were similar to a podling's essence. Even though the emperor had other multiple reason why he would do this, that would've been the exact reason to let Kira live until her 24th birthday. The whole "Father figure" scenario was just to mess with the infant's innocence, so when the time comes to drain her, he could enjoy seeing her face of betrayal. Since then he made sure that no other Skeksis would try to do anything to her before that then, SkekSo wasn't as bright as the scientist, but he wasn't stupid enough to to forget exactly what the other Skeksis were like; treacherous, tetchy and thirsting for her essence before him. He made sure they never get the chance, not while the emperor is around.