In the beginning, Skull had wanted to know the Arcobaleno, but he had still wanted to die.
It sounded bad if anyone heard it, but they had such short lives, they didn't understand what it was like to never see the end of it, how appealing the idea of eternal rest became after so long.
That was in the beginning though.
As time passed, and Skull- now fully 'awake' and focused on the people and things around him- interacted with the Arcobaleno and the world around him Skull found a new purpose emerging from his hope.
If this was truly to be his final years on the planet, Skull decided he wanted to live them to the fullest in the way he had stopped doing after the first thousand years.
He wanted to enjoy life again.
He wanted to see the world and its people through the eyes of the people around him, wanted to laugh, and love and be happy one last time before he went to greet all those who had passed before him. (And Skull was fully aware that if they were waiting for him at the end, they were going to be rather cross with him over the millennia of indifference and apathy were he had allowed his body to move like a robot and had placed his mind…elsewhere, but he would just be glad to see those he still loved even now eons later when their faces and names had faded but their core being was still remembered and cherished.)
It was hard, Skull could admit to that. He had had the mindset of indifference and the knowledge that he would never die for so long that even though he had decided to live again, it still took quite a bit of effort.
Skull was kind of glad that his Arcobaleno body had been frozen at two years old despite the 30 or so years that had passed since the Curse was first placed on him.
It gave him the time to work through some of his issues and habits so that, when it was over, he could live again.
Luce was actually a huge help in that time frame as was her daughter.
The Seer had known, even without Skull telling her, what had happened to him, and what he had decided, what Skull had been through and planned and she had set out to help him accomplish that.
Luce had earned herself one hell of a Guardian that way, though it had not been planned on her part.
And Skull had found himself someone he considered worthy of his protection and loyalty and respect and he allowed her to guide him.
Luce was not his Queen, had not earned the right of a bowed head from him had not earned his devotion, but she had earned his protection and council, had earned his loyalty and respect, and he had been sad when she passed away.
