Another world...
another time...
in the age of wonder.
A thousand years ago, this land was green and good...
until the Crystal cracked.
For a single piece was lost...
a shard of the Crystal.
Then strife began...
and two new races appeared:
the cruel Skekses...
the gentle Mystics.
Here in the castle of the Crystal, the Skekses took control.
Now the Skekses gather in the sacred chamber...
where the Crystal hangs above a shaft of air and fire.
The Skekses, with their hard and twisted bodies...
their harsh and twisted wills.
For a thousand years they have ruled...
yet now there are only ten.
A dying race ruled by a dying emperor...
imprisoned within themselves in a dying land.
Today, once more they gather at the Crystal...
as the first sun climbs to its peak...
for this is the way of the Skekses,
As they ravage the land...
so, too, they learn to draw new life from the sun.
Today, once more, they will replenish themselves...
cheat death again...
through the power of their source...
their treasure, their fate:
the Dark Crystal.
But today, the ceremony of the sun gives no comfort.
Today, an emperor lies dying.
Today, a new emperor...
must seize the throne.
A thousand years ago, the Crystal cracked.
And here, far from the castle...
the race of Mystics came to live in a dream of peace.
Their ways were the gentle ways of natural wizards.
Yet now, there are only ten.
A dying race...
numbly rehearsing the ancient ways...
in a blur of forgetfulness.
But today...
the ritual gives no comfort.
Today the wisest of the Mystics lies dying.
Today they summon the one who must save them.
In the valley of the Mystics...
there lives a Gelfling, Jen.
The Skekses killed his family, destroyed his clan.
Only Jen survived...
to be raised by the wisest of the Mystics.
But there is a prophecy.
A thousand years have passed...
and now once more the world must undergo a time of testing.
Now it must be healed...
or pass forever into the rule of evil.
At this time, Jen is the chosen one.
Today, Jen's pipe gives no comfort...
for today his master lies dying...
and a journey must begin...
a journey of Jen.
Master?
At the time...
when three suns meet...
Master, what’s wrong?
You are in danger...
Gelfling...
and I must leave you.
Leave me?
Master, no.
Gelfling...
I have told you of the Skekses.
The Skekses killed my mother and father.
The story runs deeper than you know...
and you are part of it.
I don't understand.
The Skekses will vow...
to destroy you...
for the prophecy says...
you must find the Shard...
the Crystal Shard.
The Crystal Shard?
To save our world, Gelfling...
you must find the Shard...
before the three suns meet.
It not, Skekses rule forever.
Where is it?
Aughra holds the Shard.
Follow the greater sun for a day...
to the home of Aughra.
There she knows...
all the secrets.
Aughra? Follow the greater sun?
But Master, I'm only a Gelfling.
I should've told you these things...
long ago.
Now it is up to you.
Remember me, Jen.
We may meet in another life...
but not again in this one.
Master.
Don't leave me.
I hate your whimper.
Quiet!
He is not dead yet...
my Lord Chamberlain.
Kneel!
Bow!
Mine!
Back!
I...
I am still emperor.
I...
Oh, Master, I'll go where you send me...
though I barely understand.
Dear friend, be well.
Receive your belongings.
Receive them serenely.
Now we send forth Jen.
Watch over his dangerous quest.
Dear, dear Master...
I'll find the Shard.
I'm not ready to go alone.
All right. Alone, then.
The emperor is dead.
Which one of us will be the new emperor?
Oh, yes, my Lord Chamberlain...
time to choose an emperor.
It should be me.
- Yes. - Yes.
Not him. I must rule.
You should be the emperor.
There's going to be a fight.
It’s time to make my move.
It's me.
We're all with you.
Chamberlain, no. Wait. Stop. You can't.
Get back, spithead!
Chamberlain!
Lay down that scepter!
I challenge.
Trial by stone.
Trial by stone!
- Slaves, raise the stone. - Trial by stone!
Get out there! Move!
Let's pull that rope!
Come on, slaves! Pull!
Slaves, pull!
Pull, pull!
Harder! Pull!
I'm taking it.
Take the first blow, Chamberlain!
You whimpering worm.
You can’t beat that.
Let's see what you can do.
You can do it!
Good hit, Lord Chamberlain!
Lord Chamberlain!
Weak blow! Weak blow.
General!
The general’s really mad now.
- Come on, General! - Watch out.
Here he goes.
Me, the emperor!
The emperor wins.
Now, by the law, he must pay.
Stop. Stop him.
Yeah!
Take him down.
Get him.
N Now, let him go! - The chamberlain is banished.
Away! Away!
Now, bow down to me!
I am emperor!
Hail to the new emperor!
Hail!
The Crystal.
- The Crystal calls. - The Crystal.
To the Crystal chamber!
Hurry.
A Gelfling alive?
- A Gelfling. - A Gelfling?
- The prophecy. - The prophecy.
The prophecy says Gelfling will destroy us.
No. Garthim!
Attack!
Garthim soldiers, find the Gelfling!
Garthim!
The Gelfling!
Bring him to the castle!
Garthim, death to Gelfling!
Go kill the Gelfling!
- ugly. - hideous Gelfling.
What in the world?
This place is weird.
Let's see. Her name is Aughra.
Follow the greater sun for a day...
to the home of Aughra.
Some directions.
Who is Aughra, anyway?
One of these things?
Maybe she murders Gelflings.
What am I doing here?
Are you a Gelfling?
Yes. My name is Jen.
The Gelfling all dead. Garthim kill them all.
You can't be Gelfling.
You look like Gelfling, smell like Gelfling.
- Maybe you are Gelfling. - I'm looking for Aughra.
- Who sent you? - My master, wisest of the Mystics.
Where is he? Around here?
- He's dead. - Could be anywhere, then.
Are you Aughra?
Are you afraid of me?
Think I'm going to eat you? Hmm?
What do you want of me?
A Shard. A Crystal Shard.
Is that all you want? A Crystal Shard?
Drop him.
Ow! Oh, no.
Aughra?
What's it for, hmm?
Is that what you want to know? You want to know what this is all about?
Is that it, Gelfling? You don't know?
You've never looked at the heavens.
Everything in the heavens is here...
moving as the heavens move.
This is how to know when, that's what.
Suns, moons, stars.
Yes, the angle of eternity.
That's how I know it's coming.
How else can I make the prediction?
A thousand years ago, there was a Great Conjunction.
I was there.
Three suns lined up.
That's when the Crystal cracked.
That's when the Skekses appeared, and the Mystics.
Another Great Conjunction coming up.
Anything could happen.
Whole world might burn up.
End of Aughra.
Better have your Shard before that, Gelfling.
Now, ask what the Great Conjunction is.
What's the Great Conjunction?
You tell me.
The Great Conjunction is the end of the world...
or the beginning.
End, begin. All the same.
Big change.
Sometimes good.
Sometimes bad.
Ah, there it is.
Gelfling knows nothing.
Aughra, what do I do with the Shard?
Heal the Dark Crystal.
But how?
Questions, questions. Too many questions.
Do you want a Shard? Here.
Which one is it?
Don’t know.
Listen, Gelfling.
There is much to be learned...
and you have no time.
Which one? Which one is it?
It's one of these three, I’m sure.
You've already taken too long, Gelfling. Hurry.
But how do I choose?
Yes!
Now, you don’t know what to do with it. No one told you that, did they?
But Aughra knows.
Garthim!
Out! Get out!
Garthim, get out!
Take your hands oft...
At last, the Crystal calls.
It is time...
time to return to the castle.
Now I’ve got the Shard...
but what do I do with it?
What is it?
Am I supposed to take it somewhere?
What's so special about this Shard?
It doesn’t look like any...
I don't like this.
Oh, no. Right in the mud.
Fizzgig.
You Gelfling, like me?
Well, yes.
But I thought I was the only one.
I thought I was.
Here. I'll help you out.
- The first thing I remember is fire. - Where did it start?
It's a war, I think.
A tree. My mother puts me right inside, and we...
Mother! Mother, the monster!
First thing I remember is the kind one.
He picks me up. He makes the monsters disappear, and I'd be safe.
I am safe.
What's happening?
We're dreamfasting, sharing our memories.
I’m having a bath.
When I was little, I used to get fed by my new mom.
- She called me Kira. - ... and then bigger.
And, Master, you showed me the whole valley stretching out.
I thought it went on forever. Kira, watch out!
The Garthim! They capture the Podlings.
Then I am happy.
My master is family, teacher and friend.
And I can nearly forget everything that happened.
And talk with flowers and all the living things.
He shows me numbers and things called words.
Everywhere I go, I learn the shapes of kindness.
I learn from them all, except there's no one here like me.
I need to find...
I love them all, except I need to find...
- Wait. - I want N-
- It’s going away. - It’s going away.
Oh, no. I'm sinking.
Don't move.
Where would I go?
- What is that? - Just a Nebrie.
She won't hurt you.
Kira.
Your name is Kira.
We were dreamtasted, you and I.
Fizzgig.
Come on.
- You seem very strange to him. - He seems pretty strange to me.
He’s nervous.
Here, Skekses are watching always. We must go.
Come.
Ah, roast Nebrie, my favorite.
Roast Nebrie. I want the rare piece.
Slaves.
You slime face!
Rotten!
Yuck!
Slaves!
Eat!
It seems to me that Gelfling...
has escaped, huh?
No Gelfling ever escaped from my deadly Garthim.
More food. More food!
Something got in my teeth.
Enchanting meal.
Dessert! Crawlies!
Ooh, dessert!
- Stop it! - Crawlie!
Not bad at all.
Look. The Garthim return.
The Gelfling.
Release the Gelfling.
- What's this? - Fools! Skekses fools!
What do you want with me?
This is no Gelfling!
Of course I'm no Gelfling, you putrid lizards!
I'll get my eye to you.
She was with him. She helped him. Where is he?
Gone! Gelfling gone. Stupid Garthim.
You want Gelfling, why not ask me?
Easier to send your crab-brained soldiers, burn my home!
Now home gone, Gelfling gone. Nothing but Aughra!
Moldy mildew mother of mouthmuck!
Dangle and strangle to death!
Oh, how crude!
Watch your tongue, harridan. We are lords of the Crystal.
Lords? Not for long.
What about the prophecy...
that a Gelfling will end Skekses power?
He'll come, make you crawl, like the worms you are.
Find that Gelfling now!
Crystal bats, fly!
Search the land! Search the water!
Search the sky!