01x04 - Land of the Dead

[bunniefuu]

You cannot make your living in the land of the dead, my dear.

The only wealth you'll need to bring is the currency of fear.

It's an old Trollan nursey rhyme.

The end part goes like this: Flee before your mind goes mad, trust not what Subternia shows, terror fuels the fires of hell whose lord is called Skell Oh, what is that?

Eyes open, everyone.

Let's find the sword and get out Orko?

Andra?

Lyn?

Tee Laa Ah!

Where are we?

Oh, Trolla!

I'm home!

Wait.

Am am I dead?

Of course not, simpleton.

This is some kind of Subternian illusion.

A very good illusion.

But where are the others?

Mystic observation lens, reveal where we may find our friends!

Ahh!

Imbecile.

Good idea!

Someone at the Academy of Magic can help us find them!

Hey, wait up, Lyn!

Can I call you Lyn?

No.

My lady, where are you?

!

My lady?

!

It doesn't make sense!

She was right in front of us!

Calm.

Down.

First, we figure out where we are, then we can look for the others.

Roboto, access your enhanced telemetry.

Where are we?

Sensors indicate we are nowhere.

Yeah.

And I suppose we're alone, too.

I detect no other life forms in the I smell a fight.

Ah!

At last - So much anger Masking so much fear Skeletor?

Not quite - but I remember that name.

Who are you?

The shadow of a ruler - now ruler of shadows and this humble domain.

Why have you come to this place?

I'm looking for a sword.

Ah!

A collector like myself!

A keeper of relics.

Once treasured, now without purpose, abandoned to the deep end of eternity.

Though some of them, the special ones, still do glow I will give you that which you seek, Teela as an exchange.

Exchange for what?

Your fear!

Show it to me!

How long I have waited here, alone and deprived.

Nourish me with your delicious fear!

I fear nothing.

Oh, you are dripping with it!

Reveal your fear and I will give you what you came for.

All right.

My fear in exchange for the Sword of Power and the safe return of my companions.

Done!

Enter the Well of Darkness, Teela.

Survive your demons and gain the prize you seek.

Succumb to them and you will spend eternity here, with me, as part of my collection.

The revelation beckons!

The Spellspring!

- "Spellspring"?

- A great font of mystical energy.

The never-ending source of all Trollan magic.

Our life force.

But it's dry.

They're all gone.

How?

Magic really is dying, and not just in Eternia.

But why are we being shown this?

The scary thing is w-what if it's not just an illusion?

If they're really gone, then then that makes me the last Trollan in the universe.

You're right.

That is scary.

You know, my name isn't really Orko.

Well, I mean, it sort of is, but My parents wanted to set me up for greatness, so when I was born, they gave me a name to match the position of honor they expected I'd achieve one day.

But, when you're little, some words are hard to pronounce.

I said "Orko" when I really meant Oracle.

They called you Oracle.

All-knowing, all-powerful.

No pressure, right?

Well, didn't take long to see how different I was from the other younglings.

Magic comes easy to Trollans, even in youth.

But me?

I can't do anything right.

Spells, charms, they all end in disaster.

Anyway, "Orko" stuck, and I think when my parents saw the failure I'd become, they were glad it did.

"Oracle" would've only made people laugh at me more than they already did.

No one's laughing now.

I was the least of them, now I may be the last.

That's funny, right?

Small insignificant You have to fight for everything they won't give you.

Your enemies, yes, but especially your friends.

When they say you're weak, it's because they don't understand how even the tiniest measure of strength can fill an entire universe.

To them, it's "sorcery.

" To me it's magic.

Can I ask you a personal question?

No, they didn't call me "Evil," I added that part later.

Oh, bollocks.

Run!

Okay.

We've covered falling and being alone in the dark.

Not my idea of terrifying, but whatever!

Let's keep this going!

Come on!

I'm waiting!

Ah.

Okay.

No!

Excuse me.

I'm sorry.

Pardon me.

Sorry.

Excuse me.

That will require medical attention.

Anything useful you can tell us about your friends here?

Firebats are no friends of mine!

"Firebats"?

- Ahh!

They are Shadow Beasts, but unlike any we have encountered.

They seem to be reacting to fear.

Your fear.

Why not yours?

As an artificial construct, I do not experience fear.

Okay, then, I envy you!

Because it is hard to fight when you're pants-wetting scared!

How enlightening.

"Enlightening"!

You're a powerful witch!

You must have a spell or two you could use!

I need my staff to focus what magic I have left!

What about you?

I told you!

If I'm good at anything, it's being good at nothing.

Unless shadows can slip on banana peels or catch on fire, I'm useless.

Sounds like your parents talking.

I've waited a long time for this!

Ahh!

And you wonder why I didn't trust you.

But you did.

In every battle, against any rival.

With your life.

Not my real life!

Turns out, you never knew me at all.

You have always been alone!

You are not him!

You're not real!

You are nothing!

I am fear.

Your fear.

Inadequacy and abandonment - frailty and isolation all because of a secret I imparted to everyone but you!

So much power for one being to hold over another.

I have the power because you surrender it.

Ahh!

Now I see!

Now I know what really frightens you!

Most people fear being ordinary but you are just the opposite.

- Ahh!

- They lied because they were trying to protect you.

From what?

From what you fear the most that which so deftly controls you your own fate.

I control my fate.

By hiding it away.

Pretending to be ordinary when you know, deep down, you are so much more.

And how that must terrify you Yes.

Yes it does.

Because I don't understand it.

I never have.

But that doesn't mean it controls me.

I own my power.

Every part of it.

My strength, my hope Even my fear.

And you can't have any of it.

No, we made a deal!

Feed me your fright.

Give me your power!

The only power down here is the one you've given me.

The power to manifest my fears.

To control them.

To own them.

This can't be.

What are you?

Oh, Scare Glow I'm your worst nightmare.

Orko Orko!

It's over.

You're all alive!

But where's?

Teela!

You found the sword!

Give it to me!

That is only half the Sword of Power.

Do you know how to find the other half?

Almighty Zoar, disintegrate this rock and open Heaven's gate.

Turn to account the eyes of fate and lead us to the saber's mate!

Is that Preternia?

How did?

With every last bit of magic she could conjure for the good guys!

Turns out, nobody's born evil.

But what really matters is how you die!

Run!

Ahh!

Not now!

Yes.

Yes.

Your fear crying out!

Louder louder louder!

Insect!

Look!

Lyn!

I'm doing it!

Me!

Orko, you have to hold on!

Teela, it's okay.

I'm not afraid.

He can't scare me.

He can't do this alone.

Huh?

!

Demon, be gone Go back to your shadow!

Orko I tried to save him.

Not hard enough.

It should have been you.

Stand down!

This alliance was a mistake.

But one I can easily fix.

Teela!

Adam?

By the power of Grayskull!