Alright, two quick things to mention. 1) For the next several chapters, they will either focus on Hater or Wander. I just think it'll help the story flow better instead of trying to squeeze two POVs in the same chapter. But don't worry, they'll meet up again eventually ;) And 2) this chapter contains a bit of violence that may upset people, especially when they see the source of it, so continue cautiously. I probably won't have much more of this type of violence in the story after this chapter, but I still want to give you guys a warning and I even changed the rating of this story to 'T' just in case.

Alright, with that said, enjoy!

The buzzing of an alarm woke the sleeping skeleton, who then promptly shot a bolt of electricity through the clock, silencing it.

As Keir yawned, he could see familiar planets passing by his window. 'Did I seriously sleep most of today?' he thought, rubbing his eyes, 'Oh well, not like I have anything else to do here.'

By the time Keir had changed into a clean hoodie and got something to eat, the ship was just arriving at Skulltrion.

He couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that his home planet was the polar opposite of the one he had just visited, though he didn't really mind. There were no trees, but the rich black soil of the planet allowed for many foods to grow underground. The creatures who resided alongside the skeletons were nowhere near friendly, but could easily be trained with the right motivation. Small holes were scattered across Skulltrion's surface, occasionally emitting purple streams of poisonous gas that shot up like geysers, but the people has long adapted to these, so they were only a minor annoyance.

Houses made of various metals and rocks were also abundant throughout Skulltrion's surface, and in the exact center of the planet was the home of Lord Obsidian and his family.

A brilliant copper red with silver and black diamonds lining the walls and doors, the castle easily towered over everything else. Torches lit with blue flames stood outside of the front doors, accompanied by about a dozen skeleton guards. None of his parents' enemies dared to try and attack the castle, and only a few were foolish enough to attack on of their ships. It was a well known fact that they were one of the strongest kingdoms in the galaxy, and just by looking at their home, it was very easy to see why.

While he wouldn't mind redecorating the castle to fit his own style when he finally became Lord, Keir still welcomed the site of his home. Not bothering to wait for the announcement, the teenager simply pressed the door's button the second they landed and walked out. The soldiers of course bowed to him, but Keir pretended they weren't there and walked through the door that led to the throne room.

"Well, I see that you and your father have returned," a woman said after taking a sip from her drink. She was sitting in the throne next to his father's, looking relaxed but still dignified. Her choice of outfit - a silver silk kimono with blood red flowers that made her stand out from the cloaks her son and husband wore - wrapped around her skeleton body, making her look like a long dead princess that still manage to keep her beauty. Of course, all Keir saw was a crazy lady who his father married just because she happened to be the heiress of a wealthy family and had taken over a dozen or so planets. Then again, he was sure she married his father for the same reason.

"We said we would be home tonight," Keir replied as he walked further into the darkened room, "Are you really that surprised?"

"Not really, I was just making conversation, Keir," his mother smirked, "After all, what kind of son doesn't say hello to his mother after being gone?"

Keir rolled his eyes. They both knew why she even bothered talking to him. "Father didn't get the minerals, he's giving the planet three days to give them up before he tries to take them by force," the teenager stated in an exasperated tone.

"Damn it!" his mother yelled, throwing her glass against the shiny black wall. She scowled. "That moron. Doesn't he know that I need those minerals too?! Of course he does they're one of the most valuable and useful resources in the whole galaxy! I knew I should've taken Whitkalla while I had the chance, but that damned treaty he signed with Yonderia... idiot."

"I completely agree. Can I go now?" Still fuming, his mother waved him off and Keir gladly left. While his mother - technically step mother - wasn't nearly as bad as his father, the skeleton teen still wanted little to do with her. She could go from a dignified yet youthful lady to a furious, merciless witch in seconds, and Keir didn't want to be anywhere near that, especially when his father finally came inside.

When Keir was nine, Lord Obsidian had married Lady Arcana, and even at that age he knew that the marriage was nothing more than a business deal, an arrangement to make both their kingdoms stronger. Of course there wasn't any love between them, there were even times when the couple would stab each other in the back just to get control of a planet despite the fact that technically it was under both their control. But then again, only one person can rule while the other has to just sit to the side and look pretty. Keir didn't care about his parents' relationship, not in the slightest. After all, he hated them, so why should he care if they hated each other?

Keir continued to his bedroom, not stopping until he reached the door. Like his bedroom on his father's ship, his home bedroom was very similar - right down to the clothes and food on the floor - but did have a few differences. For one, he had replaced his bed with a hammock. It wasn't much, but it was more comfortable than his old stiff mattress (although if he was being completely honest he would've wanted something like a waterbed). There was also a desk in this room which was completely covered in books and maps of the universe, as well as notebooks filled with strategies, plans and even designs for weapons. He would've called it a hobby if it weren't for the fact he was an heir to an empire; That meant it was a job, a duty.

When it came to conquering worlds, both of his parents had their own ideas. Lord Obsidian, for example, would simply go to any planet he deemed 'useful' and trying making a deal with them to sign over ownership and complete control. Of course the deals would be in his favor, and any loopholes that could be found would only help him. If the planet's ruler didn't agree, Obsidian had no qualms about killing the leader and persuading the next in line to take the deal. Of course, even this didn't always work, but his troops were strong enough to take on any challenge. Basically, one way or another, his father always got what he wanted. The 'Threatening Legal' strategy as Keir called it was efficient in the end and (usually) didn't take a lot of soldiers and usually kept whatever his father wanted the planet for in tact, though it could be a slow process.

Lady Arcana's strategy however was very different, being just as explosive as her personality. She would simply take a ship out to whatever planet she wanted, and simply drop a few bombs and missiles here and there just to show the planet she meant business (and maybe even to have some fun in her own demented way). Once the dust cleared, she would then find whoever was in charge and give them a choice to either surrender or die. No armies, no wars, just one very deadly skeleton woman. Of course this was slightly messy in Keir's opinion. What was the point in ruling a planet if most of it's civilians were dead or injured, then who would worship you or follow your commands?

So, not wanting to just copy either of their strategies, Keir took to spending most of his time building his own strategies and strengthening his mental and physical skills. Because no matter what, he was going to eventually take over the entire universe. This was something many rulers strive for, but none had yet accomplished. 'But if I could do it...' Keir thought, clenching his fists. If he could rule the galaxy, it would finally prove that he wasn't worthless, that he was better than his father. That was his goal, and he would be the greatest ruler his planet - and the universe - had ever seen.

Smiling to himself, Keir picked up his red guitar that was leaning against the corner of his room. He tuned for a few minutes before finally playing something resembling a melody. He never wrote lyrics, the notes (and sometime screeches if he had it plugged into an amp) of his guitar spoke for themselves. Besides, he hated rhyming.

Picking up his headphones and placing them on his head, Keir then decided to just play along with one of his favorite heavy metal songs with the volume at full blast. Any amount of annoyance, anger, frustration or combination of the three had melted away by the time he finished. Instead, he felt like he was on top of the universe. 'Like... Like a superstar,' he grinned.

Suddenly, there was a small knock at his door and his scowl returned. "What?" Keir growled, tossing his headphones on his hammock.

"Sorry, I just wanted to say hi," replied a small voice as the door opened, revealing his step sister. Relieved it wasn't one of his parents, Keir's face softened. "Hey sis," he replied, "I take it you want to hang out in here?"

The skeleton girl nodded and rushed into the messy room, sitting down on the floor and clutching one of her stuffed animals that Keir personally thought were ugly as sin but never said a word about them. She was wearing a black tutu with a silver skirt with red bows on it, as well as the letter 'E'. The girl looked up at him and smiled happily.

Keir tried to hide his own smile as he turned the volume on his guitar down. "Alright Ember." He didn't have to tell the seven year old to be quiet, so he just started playing one of her favorite songs.

It was strange, and Keir still thought it was strange. When he heard he was getting a baby step-sister along with a mother after the marriage too, he wasn't exactly happy. In fact, there were still small holes in the castle from some of the tantrums he had thrown. But as his sister grew and he got used to having her around, the two started spending more time with each other - and without Keir even knowing it! It started when he noticed Ember sitting outside his bedroom when he practiced, listening and never making a sound. Eventually he started allowing her inside his room, where the two step siblings would have small chats that were - for lack of a better word - nice.

Ember was never annoying or bratty like Keir thought she would be, and while he wouldn't say they were the closest of siblings, they still kept each other company. It was the only real connection Keir had to someone - as small as it was - and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Did you do anything interesting while you were away?" Ember asked when he finished his song, knowing better to ask how his trip was.

Keir was about to say no when the face of Prince Eryll flashed in his mind. "I- No," he replied, shaking away the memory, "Boring as always, but at least Father didn't get too pissed about anything." Ember giggled slightly, and Keir smirked. "I know, don't swear." Adjusting his guitar, he was about to start playing again when a voice stopped him.

"Oh! There you are, Ember!" Both siblings looked up to see Lady Arcana standing in the doorway. "I was wondering where you were," she said to her daughter, "It's time for your elegance lessons. You want to be a great ruler like Mommy, don't you?" She smiled and Ember didn't reply, but she did quickly get up and stand next to her mother, disappointed she had to leave.

Keir scowled. 'She's just a kid, let her have fun,' he thought. Besides, it wasn't like she was next in line, so she didn't have to worry about learning stuff like 'elegance' until she was at least ten. "Oh, and Keir?" The teen looked up, blinking. "Your father wants you in the training room."

Keir gave an exasperated sigh. "Awesome," he said as he sat his guitar down. At least training was something useful, not like the occasional chores he was sometimes made to do as punishment that were no use to him whatsoever.

The trip to the training room only took a few minutes, but when he arrived only his father stood in the room, surrounded by weights and stun lasers. The lights were dimmed slightly and the air was tense - at least, that's how it felt to Keir, but the heir refused to show any fear. "Where's my trainer?" he asked?

"I gave him the day off since I figured I could teach you a lesson of my own," Obsidian answered coolly.

Keir stood still, staring down his father. "And what lesson is that?"

"One you should have learned a long time ago, or perhaps one I've already taught and you refuse to remember." The Lord began to walk around his son, Keir still didn't move. "After all, if you're going to be 'damn sure that you're better than me' when you take my place, you should get as much knowledge from me as you can."

That time, Keir visibly flinched. In the moment when he lost control and yelled at Eryll, he had forgotten that there were cameras placed on the outside of every ship in his father's arsenal, including his personal one.

His father had heard every word.

Before Keir could do anything else, his father forcefully turned him around, lifting him off the ground by the scruff of his hoodie. His yellow eyes burned into his son's, showing absolutely no signs of love or even respect. Keir only saw disgust.

The fabric was starting to burn, and Keir could feel electric pulses surging through him. The teenager grit his teeth, silently wishing it would stop, but that only made his father tighten his grip. After what seemed like forever, Obsidian dropped his son and then walked over to the main computer in the room, not even giving Keir a chance to catch his breath.

"Computer," he stated, "Training Level 20, now." Keir's eyes widened, but he didn't stay down. Instead, he stood up, swaying a little but raising his arms in preparation for whatever his father was getting ready to throw at him.

It was over in five minutes. After only five minutes, Keir was back on the floor, his body aching, his bones cracked and bitter tears threatening to fall.

"I suggest you don't forget this lesson, son," Obsidian told him, towering over him like a predator over its prey, "You will give me respect. Without me, my kingdom that I build, without my wealth and power, you. Are. Nothing. Even if you do take my place," - he emphasized the word 'if' - "It will still always be mine. I hope you took this lesson to heart." With that, Obsidian walked away, and Keir finally let the tears fall.

'Damn him!' the teenager thought, using all his strength to keep from losing control of his power and possibly injuring himself even more. His injuries weren't the cause of the tears though, it was the fact that his father was right.

When the time came - if the time came - he would be given the planets his mother and father had control over like a dog being given scraps from dinner. They wouldn't be earned, they wouldn't truly be his. That really was the worst part of all.

The words of his father returned with a vengeance, and Keir let out a frustrated scream. "I wish I wasn't your heir! I wish I was just some commoner! Then at least when I did take over all those damned planets, at least they would be-!" He opened his eyes. "They would be mine."

Of course. This was the solution. He could hear a chuckle come from him, and then uncontrollable laughter. He was an idiot for not thinking of this sooner! Of course the irony wasn't lost on Keir. His father, in an attempt to break his spirit, had given him new hope.

Standing up, Keir smiled to himself. He would be the best ruler the universe had ever seen, a thousand times better than his father. It would take a while, a year or two at least, but he would do it.

Of course, he knew what the plan meant, but he would gladly endure it. The ending result would be more than worth it. "Computer," he said, "Reload Training Level 20." Keir ripped off his gloves, now able to feel the entirety of his power. The raw energy surged through him, the feeling easily overpowering the weight of his injuries for the moment.

Raising his hands, Keir smirked. This was only the beginning.

"Start!"