Friday, December 22, 2017

Episode 22 : The Wicked Truth! Farewell, My Queen!

Skeleton General Skull Kaiser
(Halloween Empire)

Skull Kaiser, formerly one of Samhain's greatest generals, stages a rebellion against impossible odds. The fate of countless worlds rests upon his ability to protect the Loss Queen and beat back her assailants. Along the way he is forced to fight old friends and make new allies...

Episode 22 : The Wicked Truth! Farewell, My Queen!

The episode opens with Skull Kaiser dashing through the well-guarded corridors of the Root Palace. He is beset by faceless troops who offer little resistance to his strength and do little to slow him. Throughout this sequence, we have a voice over from Skull Kaiser, recounting the bulk of his trek and he finishes by vowing success over Samhain and that as long as he lives, he'll protect the Loss Queen. Finally, Skull Kaiser stops as Titan Foiler steps out into his path. All of Titan Foiler's former apprehension over the state of their friendship is gone, he is terse and cold. Titan Foiler tells Skull Kaiser to go back to his precious Loss Queen and await the inevitable. Skull Kaiser laughs and assures Titan Foiler that there will be time for such leisure once he's finished here. Titan Foiler continues, telling Skull Kaiser that he's good but not that good. While unaided, the two may be an equal match, but the Titan Star is too strong, and Skull Kaiser has expended too much energy to make adequate use of the enhanced Ghost Kaiser. Besides, even if he did manage to destroy Titan Foiler, how could Skull Kaiser defeat Samhain when he'd be totally exhausted just reaching the Ultimate Shade King? Skull Kaiser cannot help thinking that Titan Foiler is right. He has spent nearly all his energy on the way to his goal; what will he have left for Samhain? Before they can begin fighting, a purple light appears between them and from it issues echoing laughter. Wrappings come from all directions and form Dust Pharaoh, who says that Titan Foiler is right, that Skull Kaiser needn't be burdened with this fight. Besides, he has a student to avenge. Dust Pharaoh tells Skull Kaiser that this is the last of his three boons to bestow and to make good on it. Skull Kaiser thanks Dust Pharaoh solemnly and proceeds. Titan Foiler is furious and orders Dust Pharaoh to stand down. The other laughs contemptuously and goes on to tell him how small a man he is. Titan Foiler lashes out in rage with the Titan Lance and the two begin fighting. Skull Kaiser reaches Samhain's chamber and violently knocks the doors in. Samhain grows to a great height and demands to be shown proper respect. Skull Kaiser tells his former king that he apologizes for what he has to do, but his conscience finally awakened and he couldn't deny it any longer. Samhain chides him for being a pawn always, first of his, then of the Loss Queen. He criticizes him for taking gifts and then turning on his benefactor. Skull Kaiser laughs and counters, knowing the origin of the Kaiser Bones, and criticizes Samhain for taking advantage of the weak-willed to further his own evil. Samhain tires of Skull Kaiser's talk and breathes fire down on his former general. Skull Kaiser uses the Ghost Kaiser and tears through a portion of Samhain's large pumpkin head. The trail of the Ghost Kaiser has a vacuum effect and drags Samhain's own fire back over him. The force of the combined fires chars Samhain and knocks him backwards. He stumbles backwards as he falls and shrinks down. When he hits the floor there is a great convulsion in the Root Palace. We cut at that moment to Dust Pharaoh and Titan Foiler who are both taking a breather from their fight. Both are ragged with damage from the other and each know the significance of that shock wave. They turn again to each other and renew their fight. Skull Kaiser is walking towards Samhain who is getting up from the ground. Samhain touches a hand of bundled twigs to the broken portion of his face left by Skull Kaiser's attack. We can clearly see the candle flame inside his head guttering. Samhain growls and shouts for Skull Kaiser to stop. He starts backing away, telling him he doesn't know what he's doing. He cries out one final time, but Skull Kaiser breaks into a run and shouts, "Kaiser Claw!" As he appears to make contact with Samhain, he instead seems to hit a glass pane which shatters, the dark giving way to warm light. We are now looking into the face of Champagne. A tear rolls down her cheek and she bows her head. Down below her lies Skull Kaiser, his helmet lying off to the side. Blood is coming out of his mouth and he appears to be choking on it. She takes up his hand in hers and tries to soothe him. "I did it," he says beaming in between coughing fits. Agrippa, with a nasty mark on his neck, appears beside Champagne, and scoffs, wondering what Skull Kaiser is so smug about since he obviously failed. Champagne shushes her bodyguard and says that though Skull Kaiser sought to destroy them, they have made a great ally this day. Agrippa is confused since he's only known Skull Kaiser as the scourge of his people and also because he's dying on the floor. Becoming lucid, Skull Kaiser damns the truth and apologizes to the Loss Queen that his success is also his failure—since the fever dream is over, so now is his life. She cradles his head in her arms upon her lap and says that he did not fail, that in fact, his was the greatest success.

Season 1 : END

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