The Dark Crystal

1

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 Skeksis.

The gentle Mystics.

Here in the castle of the Crystal,

the Skeksis took control.

Now the Skeksis gather

in the sacred chamber...

...where the Crystal hangs

above a shaft of air and fire.

The Skeksis, with their hard

and twisted bodies...

...their harsh and twisted wills.

For a thousand years

they have ruled...

...yet now there are only 10.

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 Skeksis.

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 10.

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 Skeksis 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.

The 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 Skeksis.

The Skeksis killed

my mother and father.

The story runs deeper

than you know...

...and you are part of it.

I don't understand.

The Skeksis 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.

If not, Skeksis 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!

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 sceptre!

I challenge.

Trial by stone.

Trial by stone!

Trial by stone!

-Slaves, raise the stone.

-Trial by stone!

Get out there! Move!

-Trial by stone!

-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.

He 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.

-Weakling.

-General!

The general's really mad now.

-Come on, general!

-Watch out.

Here he goes.

Me, the emperor!

The emperor lives!

Now, by the law, he must pay.

Stop. Stop him.

Take him now!

Get him.

-Strip him!

-Now, let him go!

The chamberlain is banished.

-Away!

-Away!

Now, bow down to me!

I am emperor!

Hail to the new emperor!

-Hail!

-Hail!

Hail to the new emperor!

-Hail!

-Hail to the new emperor!

Hail to the new emperor!

Listen. The Crystal.

-The Crystal calls.

-The Crystal.

To the Crystal chamber!

Hurry.

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!

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.

But 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?

What do you want of me?

A Shard. A Crystal Shard.

Is that all you want?

A Crystal Shard?

Drop him.

Oh, no.

Aughra?

Aughra?

What's it for?

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 Skeksis 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

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