Hm?
Didn't think it through, did you? Pah!
No one ever does.
So, no need to run. Aughra cares for all the creatures of Thra.
Even the foolish ones.
Ah, I'll patch you up good as new.
Even though you did try to steal my mind.
Lucky you didn't get the chance.
Your little brain would've popped!
Stings, does it? Blame yourself.
But most never do.
It will leave a scar, but scars are good.
Minds forget, scars remember, hmm.
Hm?
What now?
Bah!
I warned you, Fara, but you would not listen.
By the lords' grace, Stone-in-the-Wood shall rise once more.
Bah!
Mother Aughra.
Seladon.
New crown, I see.
New clothes.
Some dress to conceal their body,
others to reveal their nature.
Perhaps my Paladins should seize you where you stand.
Look around you, prophet.
Was this in your visions?
Where were your minions when the Skeksis turned their wrath upon Stone-in-the-Wood?
Doing what they must.
Finding the key to ending Skeksis' power.
I will negotiate peace
- for all Gelfling. - Hm? Bah!
The Skeksis care nothing for peace.
Turn back.
Turn back before it's too late!
The All-Maudra is not yours to command, witch!
You trifle with powers you cannot understand!
Trust Aughra.
I trust... in the lords.
Foolish child.
Move, crone!
You're blind.
You're standing in the All-Maudra's way.
Now, Aughra shall see.
Don't worry, Mother Aughra.
I will convince the Skeksis to show mercy
upon you and your treasonous pets.
Hi-yah!
To the Castle of the Crystal!
Yah!
Brave Gelfling.
Lost, but brave.
Cannot see past her own rage, hm!
But most never do.
And you...
I have a job for you, little one.
Mm...
Greetings, wretched Gruenaks.
Ah...
Yes. I'm here to commend.
Much work you have done, yes?
Help make the Scientist's machine come to life in such short order.
Make... essence.
A vial for each Skeksis, yes?
Including... General.
A fellow,
a crafty fellow with great stealth
could replace the essence of my enemy.
No, no, no! Not with something so vulgar as poison,
but perhaps switch essence with a simple draft of water
and glowing milk of the desert Swothel, yes?
General will grow weak, vulnerable.
Perhaps crafty wretches who took such risks
to rid me of meddlesome enemy would earn freedom.
If those wretches do job well
and... tell... no one.
Hmm.
Ah... good. Is deal, then.
Now, we wait.
Mmm...
We must go after Brea.
- Your stolen friend was right. - Mm-hm...
The Hunter has set a trap. SkekMal's using her as bait.
She will not be harmed.
First, retrieve the Glaive.
Then...
defeat... the Skeksis.
Hup... go.
You need to rest.
We will watch over your friend-slave.
And...
the Archer.
Deet...
careful.
It'll take forever to walk all the way to Grot.
Then do not walk.
- Huh? - But do... follow.
Come along now. We haven't got all day.
Rian...
careful too.
I'll see you again...
friend.
Mm-hmm.
Behold.
Where does it lead?
To the Breath of Thra.
The Breath of Thra?
- Yeah. - All the way out here?
What's the Breath of Thra?
- You'll see. - Remember,
as you travel your path, you carry with you the seed of hope
that we, too, shall be one again.
So, don't... get... killed.
Hmm.
All right then. Best of luck.
I can barely see where I'm going.
I think that rock just tried to take a bite out of me.
Your eyes will adjust eventually...
- Daylighter. - Hm?
Daylighter?
Grottans have all kinds of names for Gelfling that live above ground.
- Sun Brain, Moon Child. - Hm, very funny.
Tunnel Screamer.
Yes, you're hilarious.
You'll get to hear them all when you meet my family.
Oh, good.
What's that sound?
The Breath of Thra.
Come on, Sky Baby!
I think I prefer "Daylighter."
These tunnels capture the warm air from the fire at the center of our world
and carry it through the ground like veins.
And that's why they call it the Breath of Thra.
It's incredible.
- Ready? - Huh?
We're going in there?
Unless you want to spend the next three days walking.
Well, what if you don't have wings?
Uh, you get smashed to bits.
Just another reason why it's good to have friends.
- Uh... - Try not to scream.
It scares the Hollerbats.
Oh, the Holler...
Whoo!
No, what are you... Deet! ]
Woo-hoo!
Ah! Come in. Come in.
Welcome, Gelfling of Stone-in-the-Wood. Take a seat.
Huh?
- What? - Sublime!
Sublime.
- Oh, boy. - Oh, no!
What's going on?
- No, no! It can't be! - What's happening?
- It's all true! - Let us go!
You're wasting your time.
I have strapped scores of Gelfling into these very chairs.
And I was equally unmoved by their screams.
No!
But I was loyal! I warned you of the guard's revolt!
Ha!
Ah, then it is only fitting you meet the same end as your fellow guards.
Please, my lord. Mercy!
The only mercy I have left to offer...
is death.
Yes!
Gaze into the beam!
Ah! Yes!
Now...
give yourself to the Crystal.
Give the Crystal everything!
Give the Skeksis your essence!
Good, sterling.
Fresh essence.
Ambrosial and exquisite.
Bring the essence.
The patience of the Emperor is finite and decreasing exponentially.
But...
the Chamberlain's vial stays.
The Emperor remains displeased with skekSil. Ha!
Look! We made it!
- Ah! Magnificent! - My home.
That's Domrak! Isn't it beautiful?
Hello there!
Huh?
- Spitter! - No!
Watch out!
- Deet, are you hurt? - I'm fine. Look!
I am the Ascendancy.
What are those small creatures? Are they Arathim too?
They're not like any Arathim I've ever seen.
I think they're somehow controlling those Gelfling.
- My family. - Huh?
We have to find them!
I know every tunnel through these caves.
Yes. Right behind you.
Keep up, you lackadaisical lumps!
Now that I have mechanized the draining process,
I can drain Gelfling on a prodigious scale.
The Emperor will be pleased with me.
I said keep up!
About time.
Out of my way!
Stop this at once!
Look at yourselves.
Squealing, gorging.
This essence is hard come by.
Let's not use it all today.
I'm kidding, you fools. Dig in!
We are Skeksis eternal!
Skeksis eternal. Hail to the Emperor!
Skeksis eternal!
Hail the Emperor!
- Yeah! - Yes, drink!
The euphoria!
Indeed!
Splendiferous rejuvenation.
A sensation like no other!
I can see! My eyes are working!
I'd forgotten just how ugly you all are!
What?
Rapturous!
I will create a new ritual for the consuming of essence.
One with many ablutions.
Ablutions!
What's an ablution?
Mm...
Hm.
One of you tell me what an ablution is.
- I demand... - Ablution.
My pustules stopped oozing!
What?
I am beautiful once again!
It isn't working! It isn't working!
Why? Why?
- Something is wrong. - A temper...
Celebrate!
We are Lords of the Crystal and Thra!
Excellent work.
Will be rewarded with freedom for you and friend.
- When time is right. - Mm...
The Chamberlain is back where belongs.
Such power!
All-Maudra here.
Bring her.
What?
- The All-Maudra requests an audience. - The All-Maudra?
She's dead.
The new All-Maudra.
Ah.
Well, then,
show her in!
They barely had time for them to burn the last one.
I wonder if it's as ugly.
Oh, yes, very ugly.
Wise and noble Emperor,
I am Seladon of Ha'rar,
daughter to Mayrin, the traitor All-Maudra.
Proceed.
My mother was led astray by conspirators
who foolishly wished to overthrow the mighty Lords of the Crystal.
Now, I come before you to plead for mercy.
I humbly beg of you to release the Stonewood,
so they may continue to serve Skeksis as all Gelfling do.
Uh...
No.
I understand.
The Stonewood must pay for their defiance,
but the other clans have not forgotten their place.
Surely they will be spared your wrath.
No.
Emperor,
- you are as wise as you are fair. - Mm...
Of course a few traitors may hide within any clan,
but punishment will be reserved for those who dare spread the filthy lie
that you are draining Gelfling!
But we do drain Gelfling.
So we may drink your essence!
Poor, poor child.
Seven Gelfling from each clan.
That is the request you made of my mother,
and I shall honor it.
Volunteers to serve as you see fit.
A small price to pay for a new age of peace.
Uh...
No.
- She offers her own to us. - How coldhearted.
She could be a Skeksis.
Lords of the Crystal, please.
My sisters, Brea and Tavra. Spare them if no others.
No!
Look at me!
I'm the All-Maudra!
I'm the leader of the Gelfling!
The ruler of the dead!
Look at her face.
I think she's going to cry.
Enough!
Huh?
The All-Maudra was a shepherd.
Now, it's time to harvest the herd!
No, please!
Please, my lords!
Please! Please!
No! Please! My lords, please!
Mercy!
No, no, no, no, no!
- Stop it! Leave me alone! - All right, that's enough.
Drain it.
No! Don't! Stop it!
Fresh essence?
Follow her. Follow! Quickly!
Poor lost child.
There. That's where I live.
All clear.
My home.
It's...
destroyed.
I'm so sorry, Deet.
My fathers.
My brother.
I should never have left.
We'll get your family back.
- Why would the Arathim do this? - I...
What did the Grottan ever do to them?
Who's there?
Show yourself!
Is it a Spitter?
Come out.
I won't warn you again!
It's my brother!
He's under the Arathim's control too.
Oh, no.
Bobb'n.
We not Bobb'n.
Whoever you are, I beg you,
let my little brother go.
We...
- ...Ascendancy. - Deet, be careful.
He's just a childling.
He'd never hurt anyone.
- What is he doing? - He's calling the others.
You have to stop! Bobb'n, stop!
It's too late!
Here it comes!
No!
Where'd it go?
Bobb'n, stop!
- We have to go after him! - Deet! Wait!
- What's that? - Nurloc.
- That's a Nurloc? - It's darkened.
- Bobb'n! - Oh, this is bad!
Watch out!
Deet, get your brother to safety!
Bobb'n! Come back!
Wait! Look at me!
You hungry?
I'm a much tastier Gelfling!
Rian, no!
Don't worry! I've got this!
Dinner time! Come on! That's it! That's right!
Come on! Come on!
Follow me.
You think yourself so smart.
Now, what are you prattling on about?
- Your essence fails! You're a fraud! - Bah!
You can swindle the Emperor and the others, but not me!
I see through you.
Your so-called Elixir of Life is a lie!
Ow! Hands off, malcontent.
What can you do to stop me, weakling?
It seems you are the weak one.
There is nothing wrong with the essence. The fault must lie within you!
Impossible!
Easy, friends.
No need for quarrel.
Nothing worse than seeing Skeksis turn on Skeksis.
Mm?
Huh?
- What is it? - What?
What happened?
- Smells like... - It's arrows!
- What? How? - What's happened?
Nothing more. Nothing more!
- Is he all right? Is he dead? - SkekMal?
Careful! Careful! Careful!
Is he dead?
- What? - Oh, skekMal!
We must help our fallen brother.
Is that skekMal's blood?
- Who did this? - Does the Hunter live? Is he dead?
Alive...
but barely.
And where does this tunnel lead?
I'm not sure.
I thought you knew... all the tunnels.
Wait. Shh!
I hear something.
Is it Bobb'n?
I don't think so.
Get back, Rian, now!
No! No!
I am the Ascendancy.
Join the Ascendancy.
No, no! Rian!
Please!
Please, stop! Stop!
No!
Rian...
Deet?
What happened?
Bobb'n saved us.
Well...
thank you, I guess.
We go this way. We go now.
He wants us to follow.
What could possibly go wrong?
Subject suffers severe exsanguination.
Extreme distress to the humus.
- The humus? - What's that?
Imbalance of intrinsic fluids.
Manifold ruptures in corporeal morphology.
Ah. Ah...
Expiration... is...
inevitable.
No, no, no! What could have done this?
Isn't it obvious?
Gelfling!
I feel ill.
But Gelfling could not have done this.
- Not to Skeksis! - No.
Not to the strongest!
No!
Well, any one of us could be next!
Quiet!
Give the Hunter essence now and as much as it takes.
Perhaps not all of it.
SkekMal must not die!
It will be done, my Emperor.
What's that? That noise.
It's coming from in there.
Hm... oh!
Ah...
Oh, look!
The clever princess.
No, you can't do this!
And yet it is already done.
You're all monsters!
Have you only just figured that out?
Perhaps you are not so clever after all.
The Skeksis gave us everything.
Seladon.
And now they're taking it all back.
What happened to you?
There was an order to the world.
Everything... worked...
until you and your friends broke it.
How can you say that?
Look what the Skeksis are doing to Gelfling!
Mother should have made a deal with the Skeksis.
Compromised.
Saved the lives of many by sacrificing a few.
Sacrificing a few?
And who decides who lives and who dies? You?
Yes!
I am the only one capable of making the hard choices.
If mother could you see you now...
Mother is dead!
As we will be soon enough...
all thanks to you.
- Pathetic. - Tavra?
You're alive!
You must get us out of here, sister!
- We are not your sister. - We are not your sister.
Tavra.
Tavra, what's happening?
We are not Tavra.
Accept your fate,
make your peace.
The age of Gelfling has come to an end.
This is the last of my stores of essence.
So, drain more Gelfling.
But, Emperor, there are limits to what even essence can heal.
Right in the beak!
If the Gelfling know we can die, it will be the end of Skeksis rule.
Drain every last Gelfling in our cages.
Bathe the Hunter in essence if you must.
We are immortal at any cost!
Immortal!
Come on! Collect them!
Ornamentalist, Scroll-Keeper, let us be gone!
Bobb'n!
Slow down!
Wait for us!
Bobb'n? Bobb'n? Where have you go...
You save our lives, we save yours in return.
I don't like this.
Fathers!
Maudra Argot?
No. Wait. It's not her.
We are the Ascendancy.
We are all Arathim as one.
No.
What have you done with the Grottan?
They will be delivered to the Crystal Castle
in exchange for the return of our home:
these caves.
This isn't your home, it's ours. The Grottan have always lived here.
Untrue!
Once, we Arathim made our nest here,
then the Skeksis came.
They demanded we serve them.
When we refused, they drove us out
and gave our caves to more willing subjects: you.
Now, we will take back our home.
Once and for all.
- What's wrong? - Huh?
- The Nurlocs! - They're killing us!
What one feels...
all feel.
It's like dying.
The Nurlocs, they don't know what they're doing.
They're infected by the Darkening.
But the Skeksis must've known the Darkening has spread throughout Grot.
Huh...
Well, don't you see?
They've sent you here to die.
The Darkening destroys everything it touches!
Hm...
Perhaps the Gelfling speaks true.
The Arathim are trapped here.
The Nurlocs have blocked every escape.
- We will be... - ...Exterminated!
I can get you above ground.
The Sanctuary Tree can take all of us to the surface.
You'd help us after all we've done to you?
Why?
My clan takes our name from these caves.
But if you were here first,
that makes you Grottan too.
What do you ask in return?
Free all the Gelfling under your control
and fight with us against the Skeksis.
Arathim did not defeat Skeksis.
Gelfling cannot defeat Skeksis.
But the Arathim and Gelfling together...
might stand a chance.
The Ascendancy has heard your truth.
Truth...
We will fight by your side.
By your side!
Arathim and Gelfling...
together!
Oh...
What happened?
- Fathers? - Oh!
Deet!
- Deet! - Father!
Fathers!
This is Rian.
We have to get topside.
Ah!
I'm not going anywhere until one of you tells me what in Thra is going on here.
Bah!
Ah, there you are. It's about time!
Bah!
Ah.
You've done well.
You should be proud, little one. Aughra has seen what she needed to see.
What?
What do you mean, "alliance"?
Gelfling and Arathim?
Hm. Hard to surprise a prophet.
The creatures of Thra align with one another.
A Skeksis lies dying.
Hm.
All signs and portents come together.
The Skeksis are desperate.
A-ha!
It's time to make my move.
- Arathim. - That's right.
For so long,
I have fought the Darkening alone.
You're not alone anymore.
The tide is turning.
A resistance is forming.
The Skeksis will fall, and the Darkening will end.
- Thank you, Deethra. - I promise.
Thank you...
Your family's safely above ground.
And the last of the Arathim are going up now.
It's time for you to go.
You're not coming?
No. I have to find the Glaive.
You can't go alone.
You should be with the ones you love.
Don't worry about me.
I've made it this far... somehow.
But...
I...
The Darkening! It's coming!
I cannot hold it back.
Oh, Thra, have mercy!
Leave the Sanctuary Tree alone! You're killing it!
We have to stop them!
You have to stop! Stop!
Nothing can be done.
Thra calls me home.
No.
It's all right. I will carry on.
I will defeat the Darkening!
The Darkening is pure energy.
- It cannot be destroyed. - Deet, they're coming!
If the Darkening can't be destroyed, then how do I defeat it?
Like all energy, it can only be transferred, moved!
Teach me how. Please!
Blessing or curse, I do not know.
But my power... is yours.
I won't. I won't.
Oh, Deet?
Let me help you.
What?
Sweet Nurloc.
You healed it.
But... how?
The Sanctuary Tree gifted me its power.
One last act of kindness.
Deet? Deet?
Deet...
Deet.
Deet!
Hold on.
Don't let go.
Rian?
I've got you.