Chapter Four
"Falling into Place"
Rain poured down upon the Great Towers that late hour. Adam couldn't sleep, considering all the chaos on Eternia. It had been three days since the distractionary battle at Eternos and there were no leads - not a single one. Cringer, who had been inexplicably nervous and antsy, joined Adam at the window.
"Can't sleep either, eh Cringer?" asked Adam, scratching the old tiger's head.
"Nope," Cringer replied. "Hungry though."
Adam smiled and nodded. "Me too."
The pair walked towards the kitchen, which wasn't too far away. Much to their surprise, Gwildor was there as well, munching on a few snacks.
"Gwildor? What are you doing here?" questioned Adam.
"I'm hungry," Gwildor replied. "I've been working in the lab. Something's wrong with the Cosmic Key."
Adam perked an eyebrow. "How so?"
"The gravitational alignments within Eternia are disrupting the Keys. The harmonic resonance is all off. I can't teleport anywhere due the resonance."
"Gravitational alignments?" questioned Adam.
Gwildor shrugged. "The core of Eternia! It's gravitational center is disrupted! I don't know why and I double-checked all of my equipment. I can't find anything wrong with it. It's like something within the heart of Eternia has gone crazy!"
Adam rubbed his chin. "I'm not totally surprised, to be honest. Considering all that's been happening, Eternia has been one step closer to chaos. But still . . ."
"There must be a connection!" Gwildor yelped. "I can't think of any other explanation!"
"Alright, calm down Gwildor. We'll assemble with the others tomorrow morning. Get your notes together and let's see if there's a connection."
***
Back at Eternos, which was also being pelted with rain, the Royal Archeologist Melaktha stretched his arms and yawned. It was late, and he should have gone to bed. But Man-At-Arms had asked him to look up any information regarding this storm. It had now covered the entire planet and the Royal Family was concerned for the safety of the world. There were, historically, records of such storms - though they were far and few in between.
As he thumbed through one of his history books, Melaktha found something that looked familiar. It was a map of Eternia, which showed known locations of the Ancients' landmarks and cities. There was something quite familiar about it . . .
Melaktha marked the page and found a map of the locations of the energy spikes. Some of the places that there was energy spikes were the same places as the old cities and landmarks. But there was still some missing. Of all the nearly two hundred energy spikes indicated, there were only eighty accounted for with the Ancient's cities and landmarks.
But he had an idea. He grabbed some tectonic plate maps and matched them up with the energy spikes and the Ancients findings. They matched, but only accounted for one hundred fifty of the energy spikes. They were another forty-to-fifty unaccounted for.
With a sudden burst of inspiration, Melaktha pulled out a map of the deepest caverns and tunnels on Eternia. He matched them up with the landmarks/cities, the tectonic plates, and the energy spikes . . . and found it.
"I've got it!" shouted Melaktha, standing up.
His assistant boy, Stanlin, awoke and rubbed his eyes. "Got what? What's going on?"
"The energy spikes! They're coinciding with the location of the Ancient's ruins, the deepest-reaching tunnels and caverns on Eternia, and the tectonic plates! Quickly, Stanlin! Wake Hovar!"
Stanlin blinked, wondering why Melaktha wanted the Royal Historian up at this hour. He mulled this over as he knocked loudly on Hovar's door.
"Yes?" yawned Hovar, opening the door. "Stanlin? Oh what does he want now . . . ?"
Stanlin shrugged. "I don't know, sir. He's going on about the energy spikes now."
Hovar pulled on a robe and followed Stanlin into the library, where Melaktha was comparing maps and inputting them into the computer. "What's all this about, Melaktha?"
"I've made serious progress in the study of the energy spikes. They all align with the tectonic plates, the deepest caverns and tunnels, and the known ruins of the Ancients."
Hovar nodded, beginning to feel his drowsiness fade with the importance of the new development. "Alright . . . okay. Can you bring that up on the computer?"
Melaktha keyed in the correct buttons and the map of the corresponding areas of energy spikes appeared. Hovar took a long look at it, curious. There seemed to be more to this. Why these areas? Why were these designated above any others?
There was a sudden rumble of thunder, followed by flash of lightning. The storm raged outside, as well as all across Eternia. There was something eerie about that that bothered Hovar. But there something about it that seemed to important to what they were seeing.
"Melaktha, can bring up the correct storm maps and correspond it with the energy spikes?"
"Sure," Melaktha replied, hitting a few keys.
The storm map appeared on the screen, with the energy spikes mapped in white dots. Hovar noticed nothing new about this, but there was something vaguely familiar about it.
"Can you render that image so it's projected onto a sphere? Like how would look like from space?"
Melaktha shrugged. "Okay, but I'm not sure what it's going to prove . . ."
"Trust me. I've got an idea."
The image distorted and rounded before their eyes on the screen. The energy spikes laid across the storm . . . forming into something both Melaktha and Hovar were very well aware of.
"By the Ancients . . ."
"Literally."
***
Dawn was breaking over the Dark Hemisphere, though through the storm clouds and the usual murkiness, it could hardly be known. Locus stood at the edge of the open mouth of Snake Mountain. He prepared himself, his mind reaching out . . . and coming into contact with the one he wished to speak with.
Master, all has gone as planned. The forces are moving, as you have begun, Locus reported.
Excellent, Locus. There will be a great reward for you when this is over, replied the Spirit of Evil. What happens now will change Eternia forever. Evil will eclipse good . . . once and for all.
The contact ended and Locus turned his attention to Skeletor and King Hiss, who both stood at the edge of the entrance.
"What does he say?" asked Skeletor.
"My master has nearly finished his task. He only awaits for one last piece to fall into place," Locus reported. "In the meantime, I would begin to get the word out to any and all allies of yours. I swear to you now, Skeletor and King Hiss, Eternia will fall to the forces of darkness in less than fifteen days."
***
Clamp Champ and Moss Man walked down the corridor, both curious as to what this meeting was going to reveal that they hadn't already known. Entering into the Meeting Hall, they found Prince Adam, Gwildor, Man-At-Arms, King Randor, Queen Marlena, Rio Blast, and Teela all waiting for them.
"Sorry if we're late," apologized Clamp Champ.
"It's alright," Adam told them. "We're still actually waiting on Hovar and Melaktha."
"The Royal Archeologist and the Royal Historian?" questioned Moss Man. "Why? I don't understand. How does this involve them?"
"You'll find out," Man-At-Arms answered. Moss Man nodded, succumbing to patience.
It was then that Hovar and Melaktha walked in and took a seat at the table. "Sorry," Melaktha said swiftly. "We were just finishing gathering notes."
Randor nodded and raised his hand slightly, forgiving the two. "It's alright. Understandable. I think it best if we recap and compare notes. Rio Blast? You go first?"
Rio Blast nodded and stood up. "About ten days ago, the animals in my herd started acting funny. Aggressive, but not angry. Scared. And it's been growing since then. I've spoken to some of my comrades and they said they've heard the same thing all across the Fertile Plains. Animals, getting scared of absolutely nothin.' Jumpin' at shadows. No explanation, not a one."
Randor turned to Moss Man and Clamp Champ. "About the same time as the event in the Evergreen Forest?"
"Yes," Moss Man answered. "Clamp Champ concluded that the five-mile burn radius was a result of a spell. After speaking to the trees, they claim that a man brought the fire and a being MADE of fire came forth from the flames."
"The circle of fire was outlined with dust from a shattered Singing Crystal from the Crystal Caves," followed up Clamp Champ.
"A connection?" wondered Adam. "The animals get spooked right around the time this being made of fire is supposedly summoned in the Evergreen Forest?"
"Perhaps," Man-At-Arms replied. "But there is still another, bigger piece to this puzzle. Hovar? Melaktha?"
Hovar turned on the holographic projection, an image of Eternia appearing above the table. The storm was raging across its atmosphere, making nearly all of the land and seas impossible to view. "Last night, Melaktha was cross-referencing some data regarding the correct planet-wide storm when he stumbled across a number of connections between the ruins of the Ancients, deep caverns and tectonic plates - connections that matched up with the energy spikes that we've been detecting."
Melaktha stood up. "I summoned Hovar immediately and that's when we started to make a connection. We placed the energy spikes and the outline they were creating with the landmarks onto the current storm. There's a definite image, but it'll be difficult for those you not as well versed with the marking of the Ancients to see. But luckily, the image is easier to see in Doppler."
The hologram of Eternia changed. White spikes appeared along the planet and lines connected them. And the storm cloud changed, reformatted into Doppler RADAR - which showed wind speeds, cloud cover, rain amounts, and lightning strikes in comparative colors.
The image became clear then and everyone gasped.
There, on the surface of Eternia, was a man. His was huge, with four large arms and long beard and hair. His body was outlined by the energy spikes and the storm's Doppler RADAR allowed for the perception of depth to his form.
"Procrustus," muttered Moss Man.
Marlena was a bit confused. "I'm a little lost," she confessed. "I'm afraid I'm behind in my Eternian mythology. Who is Procrustus?"
"Procrustus," began Hovar, "was one of the Ancients. Before the unknown beginning of the First Age, but at the end of the time of Preternia - the Ancients chose to create two different halves of Eternia. The Dark Hemisphere, where Evil resides. And the Light Hemisphere, where Good resides. To keep the two halves from blasting apart from each other, legend tells of Procrustus, the Ancient that moved into the center of Eternia and holds the planet together."
"And now he's in danger," Teela said then, with a strange knowingness in her voice. "Look at him. He's crying out for help."
The others eyed her oddly, for how and why Teela would have picked up on such a fact was strange for her. But after she said that, it seemed apparent. The face was Procrustus was of distress.
"That explains the gravitational realignment," Gwildor stated. "The Cosmic Key has been unable to match the harmonics of Eternia because the core of the planet was changing. Something IS happening to Eternia - and Procrustus."
"But what? And by whom?" asked Clamp Champ. "And what does it have to do with what happened in the Evergreen Forest and the spooked animals?"
"It has EVERYTHING to do with the fire and the animals," a voice said suddenly.
Everyone looked to the door and saw the Wizard of Stone Mountain himself, Malik, enter with his assistant Kareen.
"Malik?"
"My apologies, you highness," stated Malik. "I know I am uninvited, but I have come bearing news regarding the subject at hand."
Randor paused for a moment, taking it all in. "Apology accepted and you are forgiven. Now, please, share with us what you have learned."
Malik nodded and sat down at the table with Kareen. "The Ancients have had many enemies. One of which was the Spirit of Evil. When the Ancients went their separate ways at the end of the First Age, the Spirit of Evil was banished. But, in recent times, it has emerged from time-to-time looking for souls to steal - including my own. It can be defeated and recently was by He-Man and myself.
"Yet, it has returned. Moss Man, Clamp Champ - it was in the Evergreen Forest that Locus summoned the Spirit of Evil using the shattered Singing Crystal. The presence of the Spirit of Evil has been what is scaring the animals, Rio Blast. It was released and went about a new task. It yearned to destroy the one Ancient still on Eternia."
"Procrustus," Adam assumed.
"That's right. Without the other Ancients, Procrustus is no match for the Spirit of Evil. It intends on kill Procrustus."
"Wait a minute," interrupted Man-At-Arms. "Killing Procrustus would destroy Eternia."
Malik shook his head. "No, not exactly. You see, after Procrustus is killed, the Spirit of Evil would assume his position. But instead of maintaining the Light and Dark Hemispheres, the Spirit of Evil intends on merging them."
Randor's jaw went slack. "He's going to kill Procrustus, and then transform the Light Hemisphere into another Dark Hemisphere?"
Malik continued. "And if he does, then all of Eternia will change in dark and evil ways. Nothing will be the same. He'll use this all-evil Eternia to spread his darkness across the universe. Right now, Procrustus is holding his own. But it won't last more than a few days."
"Is there anyway to defeat the Spirit of Evil?" asked Marlena.
"Only one weapon - the Sword of the Ancients."
Teela's heart jumped. The Sword of the Ancients was given to her, and sat locked in her quarters. Automatically, she knew that the fate of Eternia rested in her hands.