Author's Note:

99 of the characters presented in this story are the property of Mattel and Filmation and do not belong to me in anyway. This is a Fanfiction, written solely for the entertainment of its readers and myself. I make zero cash off of this.

This is a re-write of the original "The Final Adventure." It is the beginning of much longer fanfic that will now be in tune with the fanfics written since then. It is therefore in the same continuity as "Preludes and Beginnings," "He-Man: Year One," "The Day That Nothing Happened," "The Elfsong of Eternia," "The Crossroads of Destiny," "Prophecy & Change," "Just Another Day," "Liberty and Valor," "Manifest Destiny," "Roots," "Deus Ex Machina," "My Blue Reflection," and "The Last Battle." It will fit around "A Winter's Heart" and "The Shroud of the Horde," though both may be edited to fit with slight changes in the continuity.

Enjoy!

Previously:

The fallen Prince Keldor became the warlord Skeletor and warred with the forces of Castle Grayskull and Eternos. This drew him into conflict with Prince Adam, who used the power of Grayskull to transform himself into the mighty He-Man. For many years, neither one knew they were fighting a blood relative.

Until now.

On the distance world of Primus, He-Man was pitted against Skeletor amongst an interplanetary war involving the citizens of Primus and the Mutants of Denebria. As the final battle between Primus and Denebria drew to a close, their true identities were revealed. He-Man then managed to put Skeletor and the Mutant female Critta into a space vessel and launched it into the depths of space. With the war over and Skeletor in exile, He-Man has chosen to return home.

Home. Where his long-lost sister Adora had taken up the mantle of She-Ra. Where King Hiss had been dealt a hefty blow. Where the ancient enemy Hordak was imprisoned on Etheria. And where the one he had loved for many, many years – Teela – waits for him.

But this was the status quo when He-Man left Eternia for Primus. He has no idea what awaits for him now.

Prelude

The stars drifted before him as he sped towards Eternia. Towards his home. His race had nearly been won. The time of his return was at hand.

The time . . . of his betrayal.

Zanthos, the Eternian-born Cosmic Enforcer, fled from the stars and shot towards his homeworld. He knew that both He-Man and Skeletor were gone. They had left nearly three years ago. He also knew what had happened to both Eternia and Etheria in their absence. He knew that he was partially to blame for that . . .

Years ago, after the end of the Third Age but before He-Man rose, he had given to Skeletor the Golden Discs of Knowledge. These were powerful items that he had hoped that Skeletor would be able to access and translate. Skeletor had been among the greatest powers then, though only a select few knew that at the time.

What knowledge Skeletor had gained from the Golden Discs had been used for only evil. It was too late when Zanthos discovered that. The Spirits of the Elders rose up against him and trapped in a phantom form. It was only through the mighty He-Man that Zanthos had found redemption. The Golden Discs were given to the Cosmic Enforcers and Zanthos was accepted into their ranks.

But . . . Zanthos' guilt got to him. He began to see the broader picture. He knew some of the Cosmic Enforcer's plans, but not all of them. And for the sake of homeworld, he had given in to his instincts and raced home in the hope of revealing the truth to the people still living there.

He made touchdown in far north of Eternos, at the City of Wisdom. Once upon a time, this university had been the Hall of Wisdom, home of the Council of Elders. No longer, however.

Zanthos knew Eternia far more than the other Cosmic Enforcers. He could hide out long enough for He-Man or Skeletor to arrive. There was nothing anyone else could do at this point, anyways. Was he too fast? Should he have gone to Primus?

"Zanthos!"

Zanthos spun around and saw one of his fellow Cosmic Enforcers standing before him. Strobo.

"What are you doing here, my friend? Why did you retake one of the Golden Discs?"

"That is none of your concern."

Strobo stepped closer. "Zanthos, I can understand your concern for these people, but what is done is done. We must allow events unfold on their own now. There is nothing more for us to do."

"You're a terrible liar."

"Zanthos, you are a fellow Cosmic Enforcer. I would hate to have to use force . . ."

"You're going to have to!" Zanthos shouted and unleashed a bolt from his hand.

Strobo was struck square in the face, stunned that Zanthos would strike so hard and so fast. He tumbled back, off-balance. Zanthos rushed forward. Strobo recovered quickly.

A circle on his chest opened up and unleashed a blue light that spotlighted on Zanthos. A white burst of lightning flared out from the center of the light. The lightning struck Zanthos heavily. It skewed through his body light a knife.

"No!" he grunted. "I will not be defeated this way!"

Strobo floated over. "I am sorry, Zanthos. I tried to offer you a chance to help you. You've had more than enough chances at redemption."

"I AM NOT AFTER REDEMPTION!" Zanthos shouted. A beam of energy fired from both hands. Strobo blocked it with a force field.

"Then what do you seek?" asked Strobo. A white light fired out from his chest open and it burned at Zanthos.

"JUSTICE! SALVATION FOR MY PEOPLE!"

"You're confused."

Zanthos unleashed a massive series of lightning bolts from his fingers. They struck at Strobo with intense ferocity, causing him to fall back.

"NO! No, don't you understand? For the first time in a long time, I see everything with perfect clarity!"

"See this!" Strobo countered and the light turned red. Again, a lightning bolt fired out, but this one was larger and much more destructive. It hit Zanthos square in the chest and blasted right through him. Zanthos fell the ground in a heap, dead. His helmet rolled across the cobblestone ground. He was dead.

Strobo conducted a complete search of the body and the surrounding area, but found nothing. Zanthos had left for Eternia with a Golden Disc of Knowledge with him. But where it was now . . . was beyond even this Cosmic Enforcer.

He incinerated Zanthos' body, then lifted up into the night sky, headed back towards the stars.