She-Ra and The Princesses of Power, developed by Noelle Stevenson, is the property of DreamWorks and Mattel. I just like playing with their toys.
Evil-Lyn sauntered into the throne room of Eternos, finding it silent and empty as a tomb. She stood before the raised dais which held the King and Queen's thrones, casting her gaze about.
"Skeletor?" Evil-Lyn called, answered only by a hollow echo. A sly smile crept across her face before tentatively seating herself upon the Queen's throne.
"Comfortable?"
Evil-Lyn leaped to attention, a yellowed skull mask looming over her. "My Lord!? I was just..."
"I know exactly what you were doing," hissed Skeletor, eyes burning like hellish embers. "But no matter. You have something to report?"
"Of course," said Evil-Lyn. "Tri-Klops already seized the city's main forge. We'll be ready to begin mass-production in a few days. Also, Mer-Man's forces have what's left of the Royal Guard pinned down in Seahaven but he's demanding more-"
"I could not care less what that barnacle-brained buffoon demands," snapped Skeletor. "What of Adora?"
"Trap Jaw's interrogating Man-At-Arms and Beast Man's already on the twin's trail, but... does it really matter?" Evil-Lyn asked. "We have Eternos, we have an army! We can pick off the other kingdoms one by one, until all Eternia is-"
"Eternia is nothing!" Skeletor snarled. "Our ancestors ruled the Known Universe, forged weapons that could ravage galaxies and you speak of conquering kingdoms, of lording over this lone ball of mud?!"
Evil-Lyn took a step back, slightly startled.
Skeletor's eyes blazed brighter. "Ancients, First Ones, by any name, Adora is the key to their secrets... their power! Through her, I shall rebuild their empire in my image! Through her, I shall be... Master of the Universe!"
"I..." Evil-Lyn began.
"But first we have to find her, don't we?"
"I shall redouble our efforts."
"You do that. Oh, and Evil-Lyn...?" Skeletor raised his Havok Staff, blasting the Queen's throne to burning shards. "I rule alone."
[-]
The Wind Raider lay embedded in the soil, rotting like a dragon's corpse. A winged shadow circled the wreckage before landing in the form of a mammoth gryphon. The leonine raptor placed a giant talon on the Raider's scrap as though claiming its kill.
Beast Man leaped from his winged mount, sniffing the dirt by the crashed craft. He followed the unmistakenly human scent down to the side of a wide dirt road, still fresh with tracks of heavy hooves and wheels leading north.
The apish brute growled low, leaping back on his winged mount. The gryphon unleashed a piercing shriek as it took to the skies once more, resuming the hunt.
[-]
The wagon trundled over the stony road, swaying back and forth like a mother's rocking arms. Adora dozed sleepily under the caravan's thick tarp-like roof. Her eyes flickered open dreamily. It took her conscious mind a moment to register the enormous yellow orbs staring back at her.
"YEEEAGGHH!" Adora recoiled.
A dwarfish lemur-like creature darted to the far side of the wagon. Giant cat-like eyes glared suspiciously from a flattened face covered with white fur.
"Don't do that," panted Adora, heart racing.
"Odiphus not like Blonde Girl," hissed the furry creature. "Blonde Girl smells!"
"Well, maybe Odiphus should respect Blonde Girl's personal space!"
Adam poked his head through the wagon's front flap. "Oh good, you're up. We're almost there."
Adora climbed onto the wagon's driver seat, where Adam was sitting by a grey-furred elder of young Odiphus' species. The elder held the reigns of an animal that resembled a giant purple anteater.
"Did Blonde Girl sleep well?" asked the elder.
"Well enough," said Adora, trying to work the kink out of her neck.
"Oonar is sorry about Odiphus," whispered the elder, glancing over her shoulder. "Odiphus has... issues."
"That's an understatement," muttered Adora.
"What my sister means is we're very grateful for the ride," interjected Adam.
"It no trouble," said Oonar. "There it is..."
On the horizon, loomed a row of the largest trees Adora had ever seen. Their trunks wide as the towers of Eternos, leafy tips almost brushing the clouds.
"The Evergreen Forest."
[-]
Adora and Adam eventually disembarked at a fork in the road, one branch turning east towards the coast while the other continued north into the dim depths of the forboding forest.
"Will Blonde Girl and Blonde Boy be alright?" Oonar asked, wagon pointed eastwards.
"We'll be fine," said Adora, slinging a backpack over her shoulder. "Thanks again for the supplies."
"It no trouble. Stay safe!" Oonar gave her reigns a quick flick. "Yip yip!"
The wagon began trundling east, Odiphus shooting Adora one last venomous glare from the back flap.
Adora shuddered before she and Adam stepped beneath the shadow of the Evergreen Forest's thick canopy, the one place on Eternia's Light Hemisphere untouched by the sun.
"So, quick recap," said Adora, walking along the twilight path. "There's a Castle Grayskull somewhere in this forest."
"So the stories say," replied Adam.
"Stories?" Adora asked. "Have you ever actually seen this castle?"
"Well... no."
"Has anyone?"
"Not... as far as I know."
"Oh great!" Adora threw her hands to the unseen heavens. "So you're not even sure this magic castle even exists!"
"Hey, I've known Man-At-Arms my whole life," protested Adam. "He's like a second dad to me. If he says Grayskull exists, it exists, end of!"
"And exactly how is finding it gonna save our family and friends from Skeletor?"
"I... have no idea," admitted Adam. "But it's the only lead we got."
Neither twin noticed the gold feathered falcon watching them from the lower branches, watching with eerily intelligent eyes.
[-]
Melog wheezed laboriously on the cold cell floor as Catra ran a gentle hand through their once bright and shimmering mane, now dim and grey.
"Is your... friend okay?" Teela asked, sitting against the cell wall.
"I don't know," fretted Catra. "It's this stupid anti-magic tech in the cells. Melog's practically made of the stuff."
"Sorry, sometimes my dad's a little too good at his job."
"Worst part is not even knowing if Adora's okay or not."
"If she's with Adam, she'll be okay."
"Sure."
"I'm serious!" Teela protested. "If you tell him this I'll deny it, but Adam's one of the smartest people I know. He's sharp as a serpintaur and slippery as an ekto-eel. There's no trouble he can get into that he can't talk his way out of."
"No way he's related to Adora then," snorted Catra. "She practically had a panic attack just bluffing the guard at the city gate. You know that's the third time you've brought up Adam unprompted since they threw us in here."
Teela arched an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just that you two seem... close is all?"
"Well... yeah," said Teela defensively. "I mean... we practically grew up together."
Catra smiled knowingly. "So did me and Adora."
Before Teela could protest further, a pair of Skele-bots marched past the cell, dragging a broken insensate form between them.
"Dad?" Teela roared, leaping to her feet. "DAD!?"
Catra tentatively placed a hand on Teela's shoulder, the only real comfort she could offer.
[-]
A smoky salty smell drifted through the endless gloom of the Evergreen Forest. A large fish turned on a spit, sizzling over a crackling fire.
"Grubs up," said Adam, cutting a slice and placing it on Adora's tin plate.
"Mmm... this is really good," mumbled Adora, taking a bite. "Who knew you could cook?"
"Heh, you think this is good, you should try my spiced bread," chuckled Adam.
"Look, sorry about blowing up at you back a the palace," sighed Adora. "I was upset about Glimmer and Bow but that's no excuse to take it out on you."
"Hey don't sweat it." Adam shrugged. "Besides, I was kinda taking my daddy issues out on you too."
"What is it with you and Dad, anyway?"
"I don't know," sighed Adam. "Back when I was little, I could tell Dad anything, even that I was a boy. In the last couple years, he's been pressing me to step up and prepare to become King but I don't know if I want that kinda power... or if I even shoul-"
A twig cracked.
The twin's heads turned. A scrawny green tiger with orange stripes stood frozen at the edge of the undergrowth, gripping Adam's fish in snaggletoothed jaws. Yellow eyes darted guiltily from one sibling to the other.
"Hey!" Adam cried.
The green tiger instantly dived into the brush.
"Come back with that!" Adam cried, giving chase.
"Adam!" Adora yelled, following. "Don't chase wild animals through the spooky woods!"
The green tiger dashed through the brush in a mad panic, skidding to a halt at the banks of a rushing river. The fleeing feline gulped before plunging into the foaming rapids.
Adam and Adora caught up just in time to see a green and orange tail vanish into the waters.
"We'll never catch him now," panted Adam, bracing his knees. "Tigers are excellent swimmers."
The green tiger immediately broke the surface, screeching and sputtering as he trashed pitifully against the surging waters.
"Most tigers," said Adam, casting off his magenta vest.
"What are you doing!?" Adora blurted.
"He'll drown," answered Adam, stripping down to his binder and shorts before diving headfirst into the raging river.
"Seriously?!" Adora shrieked, running along the river bank as an ominous rumble grew ever closer. "Oh no..."
She raced ahead to find the river terminating in a roaring waterfall, drawing Adam and the struggling tiger inexorably towards it.
"For the honor of Grayskull!" Adora cried, summoning her energy sword. Prismatic light enveloped her form, transforming the lost Etherian into She-Ra, Princess of Power.
She-Ra wasted no time slicing down a sapling that would have passed for a full-grown tree in any other forest, hurling the massive trunk across the mouth of the waterfall.
Adam grabbed the makeshift bridge with one arm, a waterlogged feline limp in the other as he dragged them both back the shore. The soaking prince flopped himself down on the riverbank, a green-furred snout nuzzling him gratefully.
[-]
Insects buzzed amid the undergrowth and birds cawed amid the upper branches. The green tiger chuffed contentedly, laying his head in Adam's lap as they dried themselves by the crackling fire.
"He sure doesn't act like a wild tiger?" Adora mused.
"I'm not sure he is," said Adam. "Check out his back left paw."
Around the feline's ankle ran a thin ring of pale furless scar tissue.
"Poor guy must've escaped from a circus or something," said Adam, scritching behind the big cat's ear.
"So, any thoughts on a name?" Adora asked before something rustled in the underbrush. She assumed a battle-stance, summoning her energy sword.
The tiger leaped into Adam's arms, shivering in terror.
A tiny brown-furred creature halfway between a squirrel and a rabbit poked its head from a shrub, wrinkling a pink button nose.
The tiger let out a yelp of fear, trying to scramble behind Adam's head only to send them both falling to the ground.
"How about Cringer?" Adam muffled through a mouthful of green fur.
"Cringer it is," snickered Adora, dismissing her energy sword.
The 'squabbit' sniffed the air cautiously, before diving back into the undergrowth.
"Huh," mused Adam, dusting himself off as the newly named Cringer slumped sheepishly. "Wonder what spooked-"
"ADAM, DOWN!" Adora cried, tackling her brother to the ground as a vast winged shadow swooped over them.
Titan talons gleamed in the light of flickering flames before they were extinguished by the beat of mammoth wings. Only Adora's quick reaction had kept those talons from ripping Adam's head off.
Adora summoned her energy sword once more. "For the honor of Grayskull!"
Adam grabbed a smoldering branch from the remains of the fire, brandishing it like a club as Cringer cowered behind him. "What's the battle plan?!"
The gryphon banked for another pass as Beast Man leaped from its back, swinging from branch to branch and shrieking like a blood-mad baboon.
"RUN!" She-Ra yelled.
The trio raced through the winding forest, Beast Man and his pet drawing ever closer, only to skid to a halt as they came to a yawning gorge.
"Oh, come on!" She-Ra cried.
The gryphon loosed a piercing screech before dive-bombing its prey. She-Ra shoved Adam aside, morphing her energy sword into a shield as the gryphon's razor beak clamped down on the construct.
"ADORA!?" Adam dashed to his sister's side only to be knocked to the ground by a shaggy red paw. He tried the stagger to his feet only for Beast Man's clawed foot to pin him to the ground, crushing the breath from the prince's chest.
"People is just another kind of animal, boy," growled Beast Man, raising his stun-whip. "And there's no animal I can't break!"
Adam screwed his eyes shut, bracing for the first lash. Before the whip couls strike, Cringer leaped from the undergrowth. His fangs sunk into Beast Man's wrist. The shaggy brute immediately dropped his whip, trashing and screaming in a blind panic as he tried to shake the green feline loose. He hopped backward onto a rocky outcropping that began to crumble under his weight.
Cringer managed to leap to safety before Beast Man went tumbling into the gorge. The gryphon instantly forgot She-Ra, leaping off the precipice and after its master. After a few moments, the winged creature rose once more into the sky, carrying a bruised and battered Beast Man by the scruff of his neck like a sickly kitten.
"OH YEAH!" She-Ra whooped, reverting to Adora. "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!"
"HOUSE OF MIRO, REPRESENT!" Adam crowed, high-fiving his sister. Cringer nuzzled Adam's leg as the prince knelt to administer well-deserved scritches. "Who's a big brave kitty? You are! Yes, you are!"
[-]
"He's coming around, pass the water," whispered a faint voice in the darkness. Duncan's swollen eyes flickered open as a canteen pressed to his lips, bringing cool relief. Randor and Bow bent over the prone Man-At-Arms, worry etched deep on their faces.
"How are you feeling, old friend?" Randor asked.
"Never better," chuckled Duncan weakly, trying to raise himself from the cell floor. He fell back, white-hot agony flowing through his left leg like molten lead.
"Easy," said Bow. "We think your leg is broken."
Duncan grimaced. "More like shattered."
"Adora and Adam?" Randor asked warily.
"Got them out of the city," answered Duncan.
"Thank the Ancients," sighed Randor with relief. "That just leaves-"
"Dear old Keldor?"
Skeletor stood on the other side of the cell's shimmering forcefield, flanked by twin Skele-bots. His skull mask was frozen in a mocking grin as he regarded his captives with amused contempt.
"MONSTER!" Randor roared. "What have you done with my brother?!"
"Oh never fear," sneered Skeletor. "We're taking good care of your pet half-breed."
"FILTHY BRUTE!" Randor's fist landed like a hammer on the forcefield. "If I ever get my hands on you..."
"If?" Skeletor's eyes blazed crimson as he stepped forward, forcefield crackling as he slowly forced his way through it.
Randor took a step back, placing himself between Duncan, Bow and the masked warlock.
"Now, Randor..." spoke Skeletor, the air growing chill with every word. "You were saying something about getting your hands on me?"
"My lord," spoke Tri-Klops's voice from one of the attending Skele-bots.
"What?!" snarled Skeletor, turning from his prey.
"Beast Man has returned. He's waiting in the throne room."
"Another time, Randor," spat Skeletor hatefully before turning to leave, cloak billowing imperiously behind him as he stepped back through the forcefield.
No sooner had the Warlock left than Randor slumped against the cell wall, clutching his chest. "I'm getting too old for this sort of thing."
"Why does he hate you so much?" Bow asked.
Randor's brows furrowed. "I have no idea."
[-]
"You should have been there! Catra's helmet had these cute little cat ears", squeed Adora, hacking through some vines with an energy blade. "I swear, it was the most adorable thing I've ever seen."
"Gotta admit, I kinda envy you and Catra," said Adam, hopping over an oversized root with Cringer in tow. "Wish I had someone I was that close to."
"Oh, figured you'd have half of Eternos after you?"
"Well, there is this countess from Perpetua..."
"What about Teela?" Adora asked. "I kinda thought you two were..."
"Eeew, don't even joke!" Adam shuddered. "We practically grew up together."
Adora smirked knowingly. "Suuure, that's what I use to thiAAAGH!"
The ground suddenly crumbled beneath Adora's feet, sending her plummeting into a lightless pit.
Adam peered over the lip of the pit. "Adora, are you alright?!"
"Yeah, I think so," groaned Adora, feeling her way through the blackness. "Think I landed on a pile of sticks or something."
Adam cocked an eyebrow. "Sticks?"
"Lemme get some light..." Adora summoned her energy sword, filling the pit with a pale pinkish glow, finding herself staring into a fleshless animal skull. She immediately extinguished her sword.
"Adam..." Adora's voice cracked. "I don't think these are sticks!"
Adam felt his way around the edge of the pit, unnaturally smooth as though gnawed away by thousands of tiny teeth.
"Adora," he whispered. "Don't panic but I think you may have fallen into an arthros pit."
"What's an arthros?"
"Believe me, you're happier not knowing," answered Adam. "Just hold tight while I grab some vine and... try not to make any noise."
Adora sat frozen in lonely darkness for a seeming eternity. She stifled a yelp as a vine landed on her shoulder.
"Come on," whispered Adam.
Adora began slowly scaling the pit, taking painful care not to make a sound. She'd finally clambered over the lip when an outcropping stone came loose under her foot. The stone landed in the bone pile like an anvil dropped from heaven, sending a loud crack echoing through the subterranean tunnels. An echo answered by a low rumbling drone that shook the forest floor.
Adam yanked Adora to her feet, terror in his eyes. "RUN!"
"Why are we always running!?" Adora screamed as she, Adam and Cringer fled through the trees. Behind them, a swarm of ravenous blood-red arthopods erupted from the pit like a geyser before giving chase.
Adam could practically hear the arthros flesh-rending mandibles chittering behind him, as a golden feathered falcon swooped overhead.
Follow.
The word rang through Adam's mind without ever having passed through his ears. "Quick, follow that falcon!"
"What!?" Adora panted. "Why!?"
"I don't know!"
The trio followed the raptor through the twisting forest, the undergrowth parting before them until they came to a vast clearing. They squinted as blinding sunlight hit their eyes for the first time in days.
"Whoa!" Adora gasped.
Far across the barren plain, on the far side of a yawning gorge stood an ancient fortress of grey-green stone. Though worn by the centuries, the keep had been carved in the unmistakable image of a titan skull.
"Castle Grayskull," Adora whispered in awe, before the ravenous buzz drew closer. "RIGHT! RUNNING!"
The trio raced across the blasted plain, swarming arthros hot on their heels. They managed to reach a bridge of petrified bone that spanned halfway across the gorge. Before them gaped an Abyss that must have plunged to the planet's core itself.
"Maybe we can jump it?" Adam offered, chin-pointing to the castle's raised Jaw-Bridge.
"And then what?" Adora asked, summoning her energy shield. "Get behind me!"
"Oh, to hell with that!" Adam retorted, ripping a shard of bone from the bridge and brandishing it like a club.
Cringer by contrast, had no scruples about cowering behind Adora with paws over his eyes.
The clearing went dark as the rest of the Evergreen Forest, swarming arthros blocking out the sky. The trio braced themselves as the hungry insectoids began to descend.
Suddenly, the hollow eye sockets of Castle Grayskull blazed to life. A wall of white-hot light swept across the plain like a wave.
Adora covered her eyes, momentarily blinded. By the time her vision returned, there was no sign of the arthros swarm, just a thin layer of ash spread across the barren plain. "Whoa..."
A loud creaking echoed across the silent plain as the Jaw-Bridge of Castle Grayskull slowly lowered into position. Adora and Adam exchanged a cautious glance as they stared into the castle's shadowed gateway, yawning like the maw of a hungry beast.
"After you," said Adam.
[-]
Skeletor's eyes burned like scarlet stars within the void of hollow eye-sockets. "You lost her?"
A bruised and bandaged Beast Man cowered at the foot of Skeletor's throne, the rest of the warlock's warriors keeping a safe distance as the shaggy brute stuttered. "Well... I mean..."
"SILENCE!"
Beast Man winced like a frightened puppy as the throne room went deathly quiet.
"Losing Adora was your first mistake," whispered Skeletor cooly. "Do you know what your second was?"
"Um... no?"
"Coming back here!" Skeletor roared, unleashing a blast of crimson lightning from his Havok staff.
Beast Man crumpled to his knees, howling in agony as the eldritch energies ripped through his body. The torment continued until the howls had been reduced to barely audible whimpers.
Evil-Lyn approached the throne, side-stepping the prone Beast Man like a soiled rug. "If I might make a suggestion?"
"It had better be good," spoke Skeletor.
"If we can't go to the children," answered Evil-Lyn. "Perhaps we should bring them to us?"
[-]
"So then I tried running a multi-spectral phase scan and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to pinpoint the signal in another hour or so," said Entrapta, excitedly tapping at Darla's controls as Eternia hung serenely in the ship's viewport. "But enough about me, how's everything on Beast Island?"
"The reclamation of the discarded First One tech is proceeding apace," answered the holographic image of Hordak. "The isle is almost habitable."
"And how's Wrong Hordak?"
"Must we call him that?" Hordak grumbled.
"By nice, he likes it!" Entrapta protested, eyes narrowing slightly. "You are being nice to him, right?"
"Of course," sighed Hordak. "In any event, my brother is as... enthusiastic as-"
Hordak's hologram abruptly flickered, replaced by a grim hooded figure in a ghoulish skull mask.
"Princess Adora," hissed the holographic Skeletor. "I am broadcasting this message across the planet on all channels and frequencies. It's an ungodly waste of power so I'll get to the point. You have until moonset tomorrow to turn yourself into my custody. Otherwise, mummy, daddy and all your pastel-colored friends will pay the price. Tick tock."
The holo shimmered out of existence, leaving Entrapta alone on the bridge. "Oh... That's probably bad."
To be Continued...