Chapter II: The First Ghost
Keldor lay bed, staring up at the inside of the canopy, he knew all this talks about ghosts was foolishness but something about it had unnerved and rendered him sleepless for several hours until he had worn himself out and fell asleep.
Keldor lay in a dreamless sleep for hours until the ringing of the bells on his clock awakened him; it was one hour past midnight.
Keldor opened his eyes hoping or rather dreading to see a specter before him but there was nothing "Late in Despondos, just like you were on Eternia," Keldor said as he closed his eyes again and starting to go back to sleep.
Just as he was starting to fall asleep, a bright light filled the room it was so bright it forced Keldor to open his eyes; and when he did he saw a beautiful woman in a falcon costume.
"Are you the ghost whose coming was foretold to me by Hordak?" Keldor asked wearily as he looked at this luminous being.
"I am," The woman answered him in a tender voice.
"What business brings you here?" Keldor inquired wondering what business those in the other dimensions had with those in this dimension.
"Your welfare," The woman replied calmly as she smiled at the old tightwad
"A night of undisturbed sleep is what my welfare needs," Keldor snapped at the ghost.
"Then your salvation," the ghost retorted.
"Who are you?" Keldor asked the spirit wanting to know her name.
"I am the ghost of Christmas past," she introduced herself.
"Long past?" Keldor asked the spirit.
"No, your past," she told Keldor as went to the window in front of Keldor and opened it, "Come Keldor we have much to see," she said as beckoned to Keldor to follow her as she pointed outside.
Keldor got out of bed and followed her, he could tell it was long way down and could risk injury or even death he walked out the window.
"I beg your pardon spirit, I am a mortal and liable to fall if I go out there," he explained to the spirit nervously.
"Take my hand Keldor, and you shall take to the skies," the spirit replied stretching out her hand to Keldor.
Keldor held the spirit's hand and soon the two beings flew out the window and across the planet.
Keldor watched as the landscape of Eternia whizzed past him, he tried to avoid running into chimneys. "Spirit watch out!" Keldor said as he saw a chimney, but the spirit pulled up in time, all though a little too close to call for Keldor's liking.
Finally after flying for miles and miles, giving Keldor numerous heart attacks, Keldor could see a bright light, but it was too early to be the sun. Keldor gazed at it with intense awe as if it was some lost treasure.
"Spirit, what is that, it can't morning already?" he asked his guide curious as to what the light was.
"It is the past," the ghost answered as she took Keldor and zoomed into the light and suddenly they vanished from Eternia as they entered the realm of the past.
Soon the light reappeared but at a different place and time and out from came Keldor and his spectral guide.
Keldor looked around the landscape in awe as the two landed on the ground. A flood of memories and emotion bombarded his mind as he beheld place he had not seen in a long time.
"Do you know where we are Keldor?" the spirit asked Keldor as the old tightwad seemed transfixed by the sight.
"Of course I know where I am, this was my school," Keldor told her as a group of children ran past them. "These were my childhood friends, Thomas, Henry, Viktor! Look here it is me Keldor!" he called out to the kids but they acted as if he wasn't there, he turned and looked at his guide for an explanation.
"These are the shadows of things have been, they can neither see nor hear you," The spirit explained to him. The coldness of that fact stung Keldor but he had little to reflect on that.
"Come Keldor we have much to see here," she told as she pointed to the path that led towards an old schoolhouse, "Do you know the way?" she asked before they started their journey, her question was not so much her not knowing the way, but a way of testing the old skinflint to see if Keldor actually remembered something about his childhood.
"Do I know the way? I could walk it blindfolded," Keldor Boasted as they started down the path, the walked for twenty minutes when they came to Keldor's school.
The spirit transported Keldor into the school; there they beheld a little boy around the age of nine with the same blue skin, pointed ears, and jet black hair as Keldor and sitting all by himself reading a book.
"Do you recognize him Keldor?" the ghost inquired of the skinflint as she pointed to the boy.
"Yes, that's me as a boy," Keldor told her as walked closer to him, the sight of seeing himself all alone, gave him a brief sharp pain in his chest.
"Why isn't he going home, for Christmas?" the spirit asked Keldor, she knew the reason why, but she wanted to see what Keldor's reason was going to be.
"He's not going because he's father blames him for his mother's death and doesn't want him" Keldor replied with a little sadness in his voice.
"Why does his father blame him for his mother's death?" the spirit asked wanting to see Keldor's reaction to that question.
"His mother died while giving birth to him," Keldor answered her; the sadness of his voice was becoming more apparent.
"Where are his friends?" She asked him, she could sense that Keldor did have emotions, but he was hiding them.
"They all went home, but he doesn't need them, his magic books and the tales of sorcerers past is all he needs." Keldor stated proudly as if he was boasting of a great achievement.
"But they are not real friends," the spirit chided him.
"Not real, of course they're real," Keldor corrected her; to him these characters were as real as he was.
"Come Keldor we have another Christmas to visit here," he said as she waved her hand and the years passed like seconds before his eyes.
Now Keldor was 16 years old and sitting in the large desk was man with green skin and red eyes, it was Keldor's old headmaster, Mr. Hiss.
"Today Keldor you go into the real world, and become a productive member of Sssociety," Mr. Hiss told the young man before his desk.
"Ah here comes your coach, remember that what I told and you will ssssucceed," Hiss said as the doors to the school opened and young man with brown hair and blue eyes walked in, it was Keldor's older brother Randor.
"Keldor, I have wonderful news," he told his younger brother with a smile on his face.
"What's that Randor?" Keldor asked skeptically
"Father said you can come home to stay," Randor said happily.
"Really, he said that?" Keldor asked trying to not to get hopes up.
"Yes Keldor, he's waiting outside in the coach," Randor told him.
While this conversation Keldor stood in silent contemplation, the sight of seeing his brother brought back memories to him.
"He died at a young age, didn't he?" the spirit asked him.
"Yes, he was in lasted 20s when he died, it's a pity such a great life had to be cut short," Keldor replied, the thought of his brother's death brought back sad memories and that sharp pain in his chest had returned.
"He looks a lot like him," the spirit told him as she watched Keldor
"Who does?" Keldor asked curiously, as to whom the spirit meant
"Your nephew Adam," She informed him.
"I never noticed that," he replied as he looked at his brother, just noticing the resemblance.
"He's your nephew and you never noticed that, do you go through life blindfolded," she scoffed at him
Keldor didn't know how to answer and just kept quiet.
The ghost transported Keldor outside to the coach, there they saw an old man with a white beard looking over Keldor, it was Keldor's father, Miro.
"I wouldn't unpack your things you're only going to be home for a week," Miro told Keldor as the boy got on the coach.
"But you said he didn't have to come back here," Randor protested as he got on the coach.
"I did say that, but starting next week, Keldor starts his first job, he's going to be an apprentice at one of the finest tea houses on Eternia," Miro replied as he ordered the driver to tell the horses to pull the coach
"Come Keldor, we have more to see," as she waved and they left the school.
Soon they were at a warehouse on the side of Eternos. Keldor looked at the building and as he did a smile played across his face.
"Do you know where we are, Keldor?" the ghost asked him.
"Of course I had my first job here, its Fistiwig's "Keldor replied happily.
The spirit waved her hand and transported Keldor and herself inside Fistiwig's where a young a Keldor and his best friend Duncan were hard at work.
"Okay boys it's seven o' clock. Put those books away. It's time to party!" a man with a red beard and a large metal fist, Fistiwig, said as he helped his two apprentices put the books and desks away and prepare for the party.
Outside the Ghost of Christmas Past waved her hand and advanced time to a few hours later, the party had started.
The sight of the party gave Keldor a warm feeling in his heart; he remembered how much he enjoyed the parties as a young man.
He listened to the music and saw the people enjoying themselves and soon lost himself in the music and began to clap his hands and tap his foot on the ground.
"Fistiwig is a foolish man," she said bluntly looking at the change in Keldor's mood.
"Why do you say that spirit?" Keldor asked her, as he stoped tapping his toes, clapping and tried to return to usual dismal mood. He was curious as why she would call old Fistiwig foolish.
"Because he wasted a great deal of money on this party, that's being frivolous he could have put it to better use, don't you agree?" the spirit asked Keldor.
"No, I don't, what Fistiwig did for us couldn't be measured in money, but in the hours of happiness he gave us," Keldor said tapping his toes once again.
"This coming from you who values money and power above everything else," The ghost said as she raised an eyebrow in astonishment that greedy old Keldor actually was thinking about something other than money or power.
Keldor was about reply but something caught his attention a young woman with pale skin ebony eyes, and snow white hair standing in the corner of the room.
She wore a purple dress and cape with a tiara of the same color on her head, the sight of her made Keldor's heart skip a beat.
"There she is, the most beautiful girl I ever saw," Keldor said love struck "Lynn her name was" a love sick Keldor told the ghost.
"Let us see another Christmas with this woman," the spirit said as she waved her hand transported Keldor and herself to a park.
Keldor began to fell uneasy at his stomach, but it wasn't because of indigestion. He knew this place all to well, after all these years the memory of it still burned him.
"Please spirit, do not show me that Christmas," Keldor pleaded, but it was too late.
Keldor saw his young self sitting on a bench with his old fiancée Lynn.
Keldor was a bit older now, his goatee was starting to grow and was dressed in black armor with a red bat on the chest, the emblem of the Horde.
"Soon my darling we will be married," Keldor told his love with smile of happiness on his face.
"You said that last year and we are still not together," Lynn told Keldor, she too had grown older, she still wore a purple dress but now her hair was hidden underneath a purple headdress.
"Yes, I know, but this time I mean it, soon Hordak will give me enough power to enter Grayskull and we can rule as king and queen of the universe. You can everything you always wanted and we can be together for ever, Lynn I love you and we will be married," he told her adamantly.
"I believed that Keldor, once, but now a new love has replaced me in your heart," she told her fiancé sadly.
"And what love would that be," Keldor asked her; he was unsure what she meant by those words.
"Your love of money and power, I have watched as all of you virtues have died off until you become consumed by your insatiable hunger" she informed him with tears in her eyes.
"That's not true!" Keldor said standing up to defend himself.
"Then answer me this, knowing I am a poor girl, the daughter of humble wizard who has lost everything, would you still seek me out?" she asked looking into Keldor's eyes.
Keldor said nothing and just sat there looking into her eyes, he was thinking.
"That's what I thought, goodbye Keldor of Eternia, I release you now," she said removing her engagement ring and placed in Keldor's hand.
"Did I ask to be released?" Keldor inquired of her, this was a shock to him and he was still trying understand how this all happened.
"Not in words, but in your eyes, farewell Keldor, may you be happy with the life you have chosen for yourself," she said as she walked away.
"NO YOU STUPID MORON, SAY SOMETHING DON'T LET HER GO, WAIT LYNN COME BACK, DON'T GO!" Keldor screamed as he watched the woman of his dreams leave the room while his younger counterpart did nothing
He fell to the ground in tears, the pain of the memory was intense that it stings him to this day.
"Spirit why do you torment me? Why do you take delight in my pain?" he asked sharply as he looked up at the ghost.
"I told you these are they shadows of the past, you created them do not blame me," she told the old miser, "Come we have one last thing to see," she told him as she waved her hand and commanded space and time to march on once again.
Keldor now find himself at a small house, inside he saw Lynn in the kitchen preparing dinner.
She was older now, but still ravishing as ever, she still wore a long purple gown but she no longer wore a headdress and her white hair which was normally short was now a cascade of snow.
Keldor watched as she turned to the front door which was creaking open and saw a man wearing black armor, cape, and a black mask with horns which concealed his face.
Lynn got up and went to greet him.
"Welcome home my darling Lord Masque," she said as she helped the man into the door and take off his cape.
It was apparent to Keldor that this man was Lynn's husband, a joy he was had a chance at but lost it.
"Thank you dear, where are the kids?" Masque asked curiously as he went into the parlor and sat down.
"They're out back playing," she informed him as she sat down beside him.
He looked around to see if the kids weren't around and told Lynn, "you won't believe who I saw today."
"Who did you see?" she asked curiously eager to know he saw today.
"You have to guess," the man said playfully.
Lynn thought for a moment, "I don't know, um, was it Keldor," she replied jokingly.
"Mr. Keldor it was," he told her seriously.
She was dumbfounded that her husband at actually saw Keldor, "where did you see him at?" she asked still amazed by this news.
"I saw him heading back from Hordak's banishing ceremony, he has no one now just himself," Masque said half pityingly and half amazed how one man can be cold and distant.
Lynn was silent for a moment as she shed a single tear for her old lover, even though he left her for his money and power, deep down inside she still felt sadness for Keldor.
"Why are you crying?" Masque asked concerned for his wife.
"I feel sad for him, a man cut off from all human love is no man, he is a slave and one day I hope he realizes that before his chains weigh his soul down and prevent from seeing God," she said sadly.
"True, but enough of stingy old Keldor, it's Christmas let's celebrate," Masque said as he took Lynn's hand, lifted her off her seat and began to dance.
The sight of Lynn with another man was too much to bear and brought him to his knees crying.
"Oh spirit, I ask you again, why you take satisfaction in my pain, why do you enjoy my suffering?" Keldor said looking at his guide.
"I told you these are the shadows of what have been, you created them, you're the only one to blame for you misery," she reminded him coldly.
"Leave me spirit, haunt me no longer!" Keldor told the spirit waving his hand in the air as if trying to get a fly to go away.
"Very well, but remember, this is your doing Keldor, not mine," she said as she mystically transformed into a falcon and flew away, leaving Keldor alone in the snow.
Keldor closed his eyes, wishing not even to see the house and sat down crying in the snow.