Questions and Answers Chapter 2: Secrets and Lies, a he-man fanfic

The Past

You already know the story of He-Man my children, and how he came to battle with the evil demon known as Hordak. "But what happened afterwards?" you ask? Well, that my children is a very interesting tale.

Skeletor, having been defeated by the mighty He-Man, lay in the deepest part of King Randor's dungeon. His forces splintered without his leadership, and soon their disorganized attempts were easily beaten back by the Masters, giving way to perhaps the closest thing to peace that many people had felt in ages.

But, you say, what of Adora? That my children, is an entirely different story…

Secrets and Lies

The mountainside was desolate as the land surrounding it. This was lost on the lone figure seen climbing the mountain's jagged sides. Panting from exhaustion, the figure crawled up towards a small ledge and collapsed. Tossing the cloak that had kept most of her features hidden off, Adora gazed out upon the land with a hard look in her weary eyes.

"Nice view, isn't it?" she heard a harsh voice whisper behind her.

Turning around with her sword already in her hand, Adora was shocked to see the familiar form of Scorpia standing in front of her. "Of course, it was probably nicer before you lead your father's army here and had them burn the land and build priors of the dead, but then I already knew that." The half woman/insect smirked as her tail uncurled, venom already dripping from its tip.

Adora gauged her foe steadily. "I was wrong then, why can't you let me live in peace!" she shouted. Scropia's toothy smirk turned into full-blown grin as her claws clicked together. "What, you think a few well meaning deeds will wash the blood from your hands? You did this to me!" she hissed as her tail zipped through the air and grazed Adora's uncovered calf. "Why, what did I ever do to you?" her voice rang out over the mountain she easily crushed Adora's sword in her claws.

As Adora lay on the ground, she could only see the anger and pain in Scorpia's face as she stung her again and again. "But then I'm hardly the only one whose suffered because of you, isn't that right Catra?" she said another familiar form slinked out from the shadows. The panther roared as it leapt down upon Adora's prone form, biting and clawing…

"No!" Adora screamed as she woke up. Looking around to see only the barren countryside, Adora rested her head in her hands as she felt the tears coming. "Catra…" she sighed as she looked at the sun trying to pierce the early morning haze with its weak rays.

Standing up, she took one last weary look at her small campsite before shrugging her cloak back on and continuing her journey.

In the Lair of Hordak

The throne room of Hordak was strangely silent as he sat on his throne, gazing into a small floating orb. A mass of shadows near the base of the throne started to writhe and take the shape of a woman. Without taking his blood red eyes away from the orb, Hordak spoke, "Shadow Weaver, I trust you bring me good news?"

If the creature had the capacity to produce bodily fluids, then there might have a large puddle undernenth its feet as it spoke. "Master, your daughter has been seen, but sadly she still manages to elude even Grizzlor's beasts and our Horde troops have been stretched thin trying to maintain order…"

Hordak silenced it with a wave of his stump. "Enough. I do not care about your excuses, but I need her alive. Her body now holds a residue of energy from the Elders, and I need that power if I am to finally break free of this wretched land. Go, take all the manpower you need but I want her brought back her alive!" he hissed.

Bowing low, Shadow Weaver slowly floated out of the room. "Soon my daughter, soon…" he said as the orb suddenly went black and shattered on the ground.

Wastelands

Adora shuddered suddenly. Looking around, she saw nothing but the endless wastes around her. Shaking it off, she continued her trek across the land before the distant sound of voices made her stop.

Crouching low, she slowly made her way towards a large rock and spied an interesting sight before her: the land before was empty, yet she could hear the low mumblings of someone. Drawing her wooden staff out from under her cloak, she silently crept into the small clearing in investigate further.

The mumbling had morphed into a low whisper as Adora approached what looked a small outcropping of stones. Beyond the stones she saw nothing save a large field of mud and some rancid pools of still water.

Still wary, Adora walked over to the outcropping and sat down in front of, hoping the little amount of shade provided would be enough cool her down long enough for her gather her wits.

Fate is a funny thing. Adora, as she plunked herself down and started to ponder on just what exactly to do (mostly thinking of food and shelter) she decided to lean back, hoping the rock would be cool on that one side. But as she leaned back, she noticed that she kept going backwards instead of stopping. This was an unusual occurrence enough, but when she toppled end over end and landed with thump on something large and soft, she decided then and there that if she got any more ideas on sitting near talking rocks, she would just ignore them.

After coming to a stop, Adora got a good look at the landscape around her. Instead of the putrid swampland, all she saw was green, acres and acres of lush green grass and rolling hills. A gentle wind blew across her face to complete the perfect imagery of the scene.

"Where am I?" she said aloud as she started walking through the field. "Is this Adam's world?" she thought, her memories taking her back to the brief image of Adam's home world she saw when Hordak ripped open the hole in an effort to conquer it. Seeing nothing but grass, Adora debated as to wither or not to continue on or to simply head back.

A quick glance over her shoulder reveled nothing more open fields, so she decided to press on into the confines of the strange land.

Back in the lair of Hordak

High above on his throne, Hordak looked at the hovering orb near him suddenly turned black. "Curious." He muttered as Shadow Weaver reappeared near the floor. "Master, I have located the area of your daughter's whereabouts."

Hordak, without even turning to look at the creature, simply placed the orb down near his throne. "As I ordered, but why exactly are you here then?"

Shadow Weaver nervously spoke as the outer doors to the room creaked open. "Well my liege, while I was able to pinpoint her location I lack the power needed to bring her back here."

"Very well, I will give you the help you need." Hordak spoke as two figures entered the room, all the while dragging behind them something large and very much alive, judging from the howls.

"Scorpia" Hordak said as the first figure stepped into the light and saluted, "You and Grizzlor will assist Shadow Weaver in finding my daughter. Did you bring the item I requested from Modulok?"

Grizzlor, a disgusting mound of fur and muscle, stepped forward and held a ornate mask up. The light played off the intricate designs carved into the metal as Hordak gave a satisfactory nod.

"Forgive me my liege, but how will this, err item by of any use to us?" Shadow Weaver asked, the fear in her voice becoming quite present when she realized that she had just questioned her master.

Instead of doling out intense physical pain, Hodak simply smiled (the sight alone was unnerving enough, but Shadow Weaver didn't feel like pushing her luck) and started to speak. "That mask my dear servant, is the final ingredient for our bait. Grizzlor, if you would?"

Merely grunting, Grizzlor reached back behind himself and dragged a form Shadow Weaver didn't think she would ever see again: the battered form of Catra, still trapped inside the body of a were-cat. With rough hands, Grizzlor pressed the mask onto Catra's face and stood back.

With an anguished howl, Catra fell to the floor as her body started to writhe in pain. As it happened almost a year ago, the sounds of bones and organ being shifted around filled the throne room as Catra once again underwent a transformation.

She howled as her tail was slowly absorbed back into her spine. Her purple fur seemed to melt back into her skin as her paws shrank and began to resemble hands and feet again. With her muzzle breaking and reforming back into a human jaw line, Catra weakly lifted her head off of the floor. In a raspy voice, she whispered: "I'm normal again."

Hordak grinned, tightening the flesh around his face. "Yes, that mask will keep you as you are now. Bring me Adora, and I will restore you. Fail me, and your time spent with Grizzlor will seem pleasurable in comparison."

Slowly, moving using joints that hadn't been used in almost a year, Catra stood up. "I live to serve Lord Hordak."

In the strange land

Adora smiled as she saw more of the countryside. Seeing a large tree near a small running body of water, Adora decided to indulge herself and take a rest in the shade.

As she approached the tree, she suddenly became light headed. Leaving on her staff for support, Adora was surprised when she snapped the wood into in her hand. "What's going on?" she said aloud as she suddenly became aware of just how tight her tunic had become.

Dropping the splintered staff, Adora started to undo the drawstrings when she noticed her breasts seemed to be pushing out from away from her. Ripping her cloak off, Adora was shocked to see that her entire body was not immune from the change.

Her pants, already worn and faded with wear, had taken on the appearance of a second skin while her crudely fashioned boots started to warp around her feet. Small cracks appeared in the leather around her toes as Adora hurriedly tried to pull the tightening things from her feet. As she bent over, she heard a loud 'rip'.

Looking down, she could see that the back of her pants was now wide open, although that was secondary to the problem of her rapidly swelling calves. With a grunt and a flex, her pants fell to the ground in tatters.

"I don't believe it" Adora whispered as she felt her now toned abdomen undernenth her shirt. "It's…it's finally happened again" she said in a whisper as she ripped her shirt off to admire the changes on her torso. Running a hand through her now shoulder length blond hair, Adora raced over to the small brook to get a look at herself but as she neared the running water, she felt a strange feeling sweep over her the closer she got to the water.

When she was near the edge, her pace had slowed down to a stumbling gait. "Maybe I just need a little rest" she said, although it came more as "Maaaaa" as she fell face first to the ground.

An intermediate amount of time later

The dull pain behind her eyes reminded her that she was awake. A soft and melodious voice coming from somewhere around her was speaking yet she could quite see the speaker. "My, you're awake!" the voice said, sounding greatly surprised at Adora's condition. "Where am I?" Adora asked, although her words were still slurring together.

The voice beamed, if it were possible for a disembodied voice to do such a thing as it answered; "You are in the land of Mysticor my dear. I am the ruler, Queen Mortella."

Slowly rising (and pleased to see that her body had lost none of its mass, indeed it looked as if she had actually gained some more muscle) Adora looked around to see just where she had woken up this time.

The room was vast and richly furnished. Adora noticed that bed she was currently sitting on looked be woven out of gold and silver and the sheets were of the finest silk she had ever felt. "Please, help yourself" the voice said. "Help myself to what?" Adora thought to herself, as various articles of clothing appeared draped over the back of what looked a solid gold chair.

Standing up and making her way towards the clothes, Adora was struck by just how soft the rugs under her feet felt, almost as if the material was alive. Picking up the nearest shirt, Adora marveled at just how beautiful everything looked. Every bit of cloth was made from silk or leather, and every surface was adorned with gold or silver. "How could such a realm exist with the Horde pillaging every village they come across?"

The voice answered back, a touch of pride in its voice. "Being the sole ruler of Mysticor, I am not with out my defensives. In fact, you stumbled into a favorite trap of mine. The Brook of Eternal Sleep has claimed many a invader my dear. If I hadn't been spotted your magnificent form, then I fear it would have been too late. But that's in the past; come, dress yourself and meet me in the grand hall. We have much business to discuss you and I…" the voice said, trailing off on a strange note

Hurriedly slipping on a light gown (that somehow managed to fit her now massive frame perfectly) Adora quickly walked barefoot down the hall where she heard the voice speaking again behind a large door that starched from the floor to the ceiling. "Oh, yes, she'll do nicely, very nicely indeed." The same voice she heard earlier said, either to itself or to someone else unseen.

Rapping her knuckles at the door, Adora heard a forced 'Enter' from the other side before twisting one of the giant knockers.

Entering the room, she was shocked to see that while the rest of the castle was opulent, the throne room was almost the exact opposite. Bare stonewalls greeted her sight, while a reclining figure in green lazed on a large slab of granite. A few old tables were the only other furniture in the room, and Adora couldn't help but notice the stench coming from the various beakers and vials scattered across them.

"Welcome my dear." The figure said. Adora noticed unlike the room, the figure was clad in a fine silken dress; but the strangest thing about her (and Adora was reasonably sure the figure was a woman) was the mask covering her face. The mask was white and had no visible markings or openings on it, leaving Adora to ponder just how the woman saw, spoke, or breathed in it.

"I see you are taken with my mask." The figure said after Adora realized she must have been staring. "But I first must properly introduce myself, I am indeed Queen Mortella. You must be famished by your journey, please sup with me and indulge me with tales of your travels" she said as she waved her hand.

Adora saw with amazement as the beakers and vials were suddenly replaced with large plates of roasted meat and large goblets of wine. Huge trays filled with every kind of fruit imaginable faded as Adora stared slacked jawed at the sight.

"Can I trust this?" Adora thought as she eyes the food wearily. The rumblings in her stomach told her a resounding yes, so Adora gave in and rushed the table. Devouring the food and drink with equal abandon Adora paused in between chews long enough to tell her gracious host of her travels, or at least a slightly censored version of them. Leaving out as to how she was the daughter of Hordak and a former captain of the Horde Army, Adora answered all of Mortella's questions honestly.

After she had eaten (although she noticed her host hadn't; in fact Mortella hadn't even left her throne) Adora sat back in her chair and gave a contented sigh. "I trust the food was to your liking?" Mortella asked. "Indeed, I haven't enjoyed food of this caliber for many cycles."

Mortella waited before speaking again, her voice full of pleading. "I fear I had an ulterior motive for rescuing you." That bit of news caused Adora to sit back up, her body subconsciously dropping into an attack stance. "Judging from your equipment, and your body, I thought you to be a mercenary and I have need of someone of your caliber."

Adora, relaxing somewhat, spoke cautiously as she answered. "I do lend my sword to causes if it benefits myself but what possible problem could a mage of your power need a simple sword for hire?"

Mortella, sighing as if a great burden had been removed from her shoulders, continued. "I am humbled by your compliments. But I am in need of your services. For you see, while I am truly the rightful Queen, I had to deal with both that foul nave Hordak and a pretender to my throne. I used most of the magic to hide my kingdom from Hordak. That is why it is untouched. But the pretender, who calls herself 'Castaspella' assaults me almost daily. Her attacks had weakened and scarred me, hence why I wear this mask. I couldn't bear for another person to see these horrid features. Please, help me" she asked as she clasped her hands together.

Adora mulled over the idea as she picked at the remains of the meat. True, she had no wish to get involved in anything having to do with magic, yet she couldn't sit by and do nothing. Mortella seemed to sense her indecision and pounced on it. "Of course, I hardly expect you to risk life and limb for nothing. If you manage to slay the pretender, then this shall be your reward…" she gestured with her left hand, causing a blinding light to fill the room. When the light faded, Adora was struck dumb as she saw gigantic piles of gold. "Now, will you help me?"

Staring entirely at the gold, Adora mutely nodded her head. "Excellent. I shall provide you with weapons and a map in the morning. Now if you will excuse me, I must retire for the evening."

And with that, Adora was left alone in the room. Backing away from the table, she slowly made her way back towards her room.

Wastelands

A large band of Horde troopers were marching across the wastes.

"I hate this blasted weather!" Grizzlor roared as he shook the sand out of his brown pelt. Scorpia smiled as she his discomfort. "I see the heat is doing wonders for your sunny disposition." Looking back, she called out the lone figure covering the rear of the convoy. "What's the matter Catra, lose your own tongue?"

Suddenly, the entire group came to a halt as Grizzlor hurriedly motioned for them to stop. "What's the matter you hairy fool?" Scorpia spat as her mount near tossed her off.

"I smell her, she was here, but the trail ends. Almost as if she vanished" the hairy man beast said as he crawled on all fours and sniffed the ground around a large piles of rocks.

"Very well. We make camp here. We'll start our search when the light is with us." Scorpia barked as the Horde Troopers shambled off to prepare the campsite.

The Troopers began their menial tasks, Catra walked out into the wastes by herself. "I will find you Adora, and when I do I will make you suffer for what I've been through…" she said in a low whisper as she started to unfasten the mask…

Back in Mysticor-the next day

Adora awoke with a start. Looking down, she was pleased to see her body had retained its new dimensions. Reluctantly sliding out of the bed, her eyes gazed over the outfit that Mortella had apparently intended her to wear.

It was little more than a tunic really; the hem barely covered her groin. It felt like it was made from silk, yet it didn't tear now matter how hard she pulled at it. A golden crest adorned the front, while a long flowing red cape and leather boots completed the outfit. "Hmm, well at least it's better than rags" Adora thought as she dressed herself.

Later in the throne room

Her boots clicking on the stone floor as she entered the room, Adora was still surprised when Mortella appeared directly behind her. "That is the uniform of my personal guard. I felt it appropriate for the occasion. Now, I feel that aside from the clothes on your back I won't be able to help you any more."

Casting a cynical eye, Adora still managed to keep her voice even as she thought up a response. "I see, and why is that?"

With a face quite literally set in place Mortella shot back "Like I explained before, my powers are stretched to the limits. All of my power lies in magic, not some crude thing like a sword."

"How nice for you, but if this pretender is so powerful as you say, then just how do you suppose I deal with her?" Adora shot back, her temper beginning to show.

Sighing, Mortella pulled a dried out parchment out from someplace inside her flowing dress and unfurled it. "Here is a map to Castaspella's domain. It's called the Crystal Keep and it sits almost a day's march from here. Her magic is strong, yes, so much so that any and all attempts to use magic against have failed. The only time she has ever known pain is when simple weapons such as staffs and slings struck her. Sadly she can sense magic, but if you were to catch her unaware then she would be at your mercy. After you kill her, I want you to bring me her spell book; it contains many secrets that will enable me to fix myself and perhaps even drive that fiend Hordak away from here!" Mortella said, her voice suddenly becoming higher pitched. "Now go, and don't come back until you've brought me her head and that book!" she howled as she failed her arms about, causing a blinding mist to envelop the room.

Covering her mouth and closing her eyes, Adora felt suddenly dizzy as the most surrounded her. Opening her eyes, she saw she was no longer inside Mortella's castle but instead in a large forest.

The woods were perfectly silent and the wind bore no trace of anything, living or dead. Picking up a large tree branch that had fallen, Adora began walking forward, following the directions on the map that had suddenly materialized in her other hand. Treading as quietly as she could, Adora could see no signs that anything living had even been in the area. "That Mortella seems to be acting strange. Can she be trusted?" Adora thought to herself as she suddenly stepped onto a well-maintained path.

Back in the Wastelands

"I still say she's around here, I can smell it!" Grizzlor roared as the Horde troopers milled around. "That's just your own stench you hairy fool" Scorpia shot back. "Catra, have you found anything?" she hissed. When she received no reply, she coolly turned to a nearby Horde Trooper and placed one of her claws against its helmet. "Where is that rancid little feline?" she said, her grip tightening with every word.

"No. She has not been seen since last night. Several units have been searching for her, but there has been no contact" The trooper replied, his voice monotone despite Scorpia's claws leaving several deep gouges in the armor.

"Where could she be?" Grizzlor asked as Scorpia released the Trooper from her grip.

Back in Mysticor

Catra sniffed the air as she surveyed the area. The sight of the lush green grass and rolling hills made her pause as she simply sat and stared.

Shaking her head, the were-cat continued on her quest. "I don't know where I am, and I don't care. I can smell you Adora, and I WILL find you!" she thought as she broke into a dash as she followed the scent.

Adora gripped her arms as she felt a sudden chill go through her. Shaking it off, she spied the distance from the forest to the gleaming tower off in the distance. "If I hurry I might make it there by night fall" she thought as she started to jog towards the tower, unaware that she had been watched the entire time…

Mortella cackled with mad glee as she saw Adora approaching the tower. "Oh yes my pretty, soon I'll finally be the true ruler of Mysticor!"

Her laughing was interrupted as she caught sight of another figure approaching the Brook of Eternal Sleep. "What's this? Some wild animal has wondered in through the portal?" she wondered aloud as she saw the large purple cat succumb to the Brook's affects. "This might not be an ordinary creature, perhaps I could use it, in case that muscle bound oaf fails", she thought as a plan began to form in her mind…

Adora ignored the cold winds that had suddenly picked up as she approached the tower, which had seemingly moved closer in the scant few seconds Adora took her eyes off of it. Chalking it up to magic, Adora scanned the base of the tower for any possible entrances.

The tower was tall, its top levels hidden by the clouds. It was extremely narrow all the way around and there were no windows, so scaling was out of the question. That left the only option she could see: the front door.

Quietly opening the battered chunk of wood, Adora's breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon the interior.

The inside of the tower looked completely different than the outside. While the exterior gave the impression that the interior must be not much wider than a small room, the actual insides were massive, stretching back so far that Adora couldn't even see where the room actually ended. "Dammed magic" she muttered as she began to climb the staircase.

As she looked up, she noticed that the stairs had seemed to go on forever. Turning back around, she could only see stairs and more stairs back the way she came.

Sitting down, Adora angrily hit the stair she was sitting on, leaving a massive hole behind.

A beautiful voice spoke, causing Adora to leap to her feet. "And how might you be?" asked the voice in a polite tone.

"Nobody special" Adora stammered, trying force herself to remain calm. "I'm just looking for someone named Castaspella"

At that, the voice's polite tone changed. Adora couldn't see the speaker, but she knew she just made a mistake.

"I see, one of Mortella's little toys? Unlike your master I never hide from a challenge"

The staircase started to swirl around her. Closing her eyes, Adora felt as if she were upside down and right side up at the exact same time. Opening her eyes again, she saw that she was in a well lived in room. A rusted crest hung upon the wall and a most of the furnishings had either scrolls or books scattered about them. The voice of her host and intended target spoke again. "Draw your weapon. If your are going to kill me, I think making you earn your fool's gold would be worth it."

Turning around, Adora saw a woman not much older than herself standing before her. Clad only in simple blue tunic and boots that might have been white at one point, the woman didn't have any weapon in her hands, but Adora knew at this point that thinking her would be quarry to be helpless would be both foolish and perhaps fatal.

Adora spread her arms out in a peaceful gesture. "As you can see, I am unarmed. But judging from what you have said, I suppose it is safe to say you are not a pretender to the throne?"

Castaspella kept both her hands raised, but she said nothing further. Unwrapping her cloak and dropping to the floor, Adora stepped back. "The one who calls herself Mortella told me that you were constantly attacking her and threatening the kingdom"

Castaspella's eyes harden at Adora's words. "That deceitful witch!" she shouted, "That madwoman usurped my throne and banished me to this remote area, she killed or drove off my subjects, no, I'm sad to say that you have been tricked Adora".

At the mention of her name, Adora froze in her tracks. "I never told you my name" she gingerly as she started to inch towards her fallen cloak. "I know" Castaspella shrugged as she lowered her arms, "I placed a seer crystal above the gate. I knew your name, true form and your entire past the second you entered this tower. I just needed to make sure you weren't still planning on killing me."

"Wait, true form?' Adora asked puzzled. "Well, I have to say that while your body is quite impressive on its own, I've never come across a individual who could absorb magic quite like you."

"You mean, you know why I changed?"

"Not quite, no" Castaspella said as she sat back down on her throne, "I would like a chance to study you, I fear we have a much more pressing arrangement at the moment. Mortella has undoubtedly had some kind of tracking or observation spell placed on either you or your equipment so I'm rather positive she already knows I'm not dead."

Sighing, the would-be ruler of Msyticor ran a hand through her auburn hair. "I know you have many crimes on your head Adora, and much blood on your hands. What I need is someone to help me. Mortella has always been able to find a way to best in physical confrontations, but with your id I think I defeat her once and for all. Of course, I would also understand if you were to leave without helping. You have been mislead by almost everyone you have met and I have not given you any sort of reason why you should aid me, but I beg you. Please help me, if Mortella is not stopped, she could easily become a worse menace than even Hordak himself."

Adora looked the woman over before speaking. "You're right, your fight is hardly mine. But you are also right, I've done many horrible things. Perhaps you could help me with my burdens and I could help you with yours?"

Meanwhile

Mortella picked up the small crystal sphere that had just played Adora's betrayal out and crushed it in hand. Ignoring the pain and the blood, she stormed down the corridor towards her newest guest.

Seeing the were-cat sleeping on the large bed, she quickly tugged on the creature's tail eliciting a dangerous growl from the large feline.

Ignoring it, she grinned as she saw the cat's fangs barred. "Yes, you're no ordinary creature, are you?" Turning around and walking back towards the door, she glanced over her shoulder towards the feline. "If you're interested in killing that blond woman, then follow me…"

Back in the tower

Adora looked skeptically at the woman. "How exactly could I help you? I lack even a sword, and you seen to be just as powerful as Mortella." Castaspella gestured, and a small map floated over from its resting place. "I know, although I don't quite understand how yet, that your body is absorbing magic. By entering this land, you caused the change. I could offer you a chance to control your transformations, if you are willing to help me"

Adora looked at both Castaspell and the map. "I've served under enough masters" she spoke after a long silence. The disappointment was quite evident in Castaspella's face before Adora spoke again, "but I will side with you as a friend".

"I'm pleased to hear that" Castaspella answered as she handed the map to Adora "We'll have to prepare, knowing Mortella she's undoubtedly planning an attack." "Then we should prepare ourselves for battle!" Adora almost shouted, a fierce gleam in her eye. "No, I'm afraid it's not that simple. For you see, battles here are not fought like you would expect. We use magic for our armies, but I'll explain more in the morning" the mage said as she suddenly looked away and began to fiddle with a large pile of scrolls and other assorted magic items, leaving Adora to stand in the middle of the room and watch.

"One of these days I am going to have to swear off getting involved with magic" Adora swore to herself as she picked up her cloak and walked over to a unused corner and sat down for the night.

And true to Castaspella's words, Mortella was in fact drawing up plans for battle. "Well my furry friend, I'll place you near the back so you can get the drop on them while I engage them from the front. Brilliant, yes?"

If Catra was impressed by the plan, which to be truthful looked more like a random series of X's and dotted lines across the table, she hid it well. Mewing and bowing her head, this action sent the current ruler of Mysticor into a fit of mad laughter.

"Oh, this will be a grand epic!" she gasped between peals of laughter

The next day

Adora opened her eyes and looked around the room. Castaspella was currently slumped over a nearby table with a large mound of books and charts undernenth her. Judging from the position of her body and hair, it seemed safe to say that she had spent most of the night at that one table.

Standing up (and quite pleased to see that she still had her muscled form) she walked over to the sleeping sorceress and lightly shook her.

She was rewarded for her efforts when the bleary-eyed magic user jumped up and spat out several curses in a language Adora had never heard before, causing her to fly backwards into the wall.

As Castaspella rubbed her eyes and looked at her handiwork, she blushed slightly as she saw Adora suspended from the wall upside down. "Sorry" she muttered as she gestured, breaking the spell and turning away as Adora struggled to keep her modesty in tact.

"This is the last time I get involved with magic" Adora muttered under her breath. Ignoring her companion's fight with her clothing, Castaspella gathered up several books and began to chant. As a large portal opened up in the center of the room, the brunette sorceress turned to Adora. "Follow me, please." She spoke as she stepped through the portal.

"Well, once again into the breech" Adora said wistfully as she entered the portal and felt her whole world shift around….

An undeterminable amount of time later

Exiting the portal, Adora looked around to see nothing but a vast field with a hill on the far side. "Stay down" Castaspella whispered as she straightened her tunic. "This is a duel between sorceresses, normally no mortals are allowed on the field."

"Then what am I suppose to do?" Adora whispered back as she saw the other hill grow hazy as another portal appeared.

"Stay down and stay put. Mortella has tried to cheat before, I doubt she'll let a chance like this slip by without resorting to some kind of trickery."

As the portal vanished, Adora saw both Mortella and a familiar form exit. "Catra!" Adora almost shouted as she saw the purple feline leap down behind the hill.

"So, we met again" Castaspella shouted as Mortella (who was no longer wearing a mask and looked perfectly healthy Adora noted) flexed her hands. "But this time I fear I won't hold anything back!" she shouted as she thrust her hands outwards.

The air around the field rippled like the surface of a lake as Adora saw a large army composed of skeletons burrow up out of the ground and began to march towards their position.

"This is it!" Castaspella smiled as she raised her hands in a similar gesture. "I need you to sneak around the field and take her while she's distracted." She whispered as Adora saw a large giant appear from thin air and began to hurdle huge chucks of stone at the skeletons. Seeing the worried look on her face, Castaspella added: "Don't worry, these are magic beings, they have no power outside the field"

"That's not very comforting" Adora thought o herself as she raced alongside the field, the screams of the giant making her shudder as she saw the skeletons whittle the gargantuan being down inch by inch with their blades.

On the other end of the field

Mortella grinned as she witnessed the giant being reduced to a bloody pulp by her army. "You know the deal, correct?" She mock whispered to the crouching form of Catra. All she heard in reply was a deep growl, which brought forth a new series of laughter from the green glad sorceress.

"Excellent, now I need you to follow the plan and take that meddlesome upstart out before she completely drains my powers!" She shouted to the rapidly disappearing purple form.

Near the midway point, a few minutes later…

Adora carefully made her way towards the other hill. Breathing slowly, she ignored the sounds of battle near her, but she didn't ignore the sound of a branch breaking.

Turning around, she glanced up to see the one creature she had hoped never to see again. "Catra…" she softly said as the feline leaped from her hiding place and towards her with claws outstretched.

Nimbly leaping out of the way, Adora winced as her right calf suffered a glancing blow. "I don't want to fight you" Adora said slowly as she looked directly into the hate filled yellow eyes.

If her words were understood, Catra showed no signs of it as she leapt again.

Again barely dodging her attack, Adora picked up a broken tree branch held it at the ready. On Catra's next pass, Adora stepped forward and shoved the thick piece of wood directly into the cat's open jaws.

Seeing the purple feline collapse to the ground and gagging, Adora took the opportunity to run towards her original destination…

Mortella's face was covered in a fine lair of sweat as Castaspella destroyed more and more of her forces. Hearing the sound of movement behind her, she smiled as she suddenly put her hands to her side, causing the rest of her forces to fade away. Turning her back on the field, she looked over the small patches of bush and trees that littered the surrounding area. "I know you're there". She whispered as her fingers flexed and moved strangely…

Adora crept quietly towards the hill when she saw Mortella stop her attack on Castaspella and turn towards her. She didn't understand what the sorceress was saying, at least until the ground under her feet started to bubble.

Her feet sinking in, Adora tried to wretch herself free but all she managed to do was drag herself deeper as Mortella approached.

"I've waited a while for this," she said as she bent down and forcibly grabbed Adora's head. The ground continued to suck her down almost to her waist and her hands had unfortunately become encased in the muck as she struggled, "Don't move too much, I might let you live after I kill that upstart" she said as she pressed her thin lips to Adora's mouth.

The effect was strange, no doubt. Adora felt a tingling sensation in her mouth that seemed to spread out through her body and leave her nerve endings on fire.

As Mortella continued to press her lips to hers, Adora also another sensation: The sensation of emptiness.

She could see her muscles shrinking back down to their originals as the kiss continued. Mortella's frame suddenly seemed to enlarge as she broke away and stood up. "This…this power!" she shrieked as Adora saw the green selves on her robes tighten as the cloth tried to hold back the rapidly swelling biceps.

Causally flicking her wrist, Mortella grinned as a large tract of land in front of her exploded. "More, I need more!" she moaned as her clothes continued to shrink, the green silk giving way to revel muscled flesh.

Within seconds, Adora had shrunk back down to normal, where as Mortella now possessed a body that rivaled even her own muscled form. "This is true power!" Mortella shrieked as she tore the shredded remains of her gown away from her.

Standing naked before the playing field, she grinned madly as with one hand she brought down a rain of fire that immolated the area. "Submit to your master!" she screamed to Castaspella as the other mage quickly abandoned her hill seconds before it too was saturated in flame.

As Adora struggled in the muck, she heard a sickeningly familiar growling behind her. Straining her neck, she saw the limping form of Catra easing up towards her.

With the sight of the now nearly unstoppable mage in front of her and the knowledge that a almost three stone feline who had a intense hatred of her behind her, Adora gave grim smile as she managed to wretch one of her now painfully small arms free of the muck and make a fist.

"Today's just as good as any to die." she said as she prepared for the inevitable onslaught of fangs and claws.

But she was caught off guard as Catra made her way over to her, but instead of pouncing on her prone form, she opted to start digging at Adora's covered arm.

Catching on, Adora slipped both her arms over Catra's offered neck and held on, and within seconds she was pulled free from the trap.

Standing up (and still trying to adjust the sudden lost of muscle mass) she looked at the power mad Mortella as she continued to blast the area. Turning back to Catra, she gave a weak grin to her former friend. "Just the two of us against a stronger foe. Almost like old times, eh?" she said weakly as she thought she caught a glimpse of a smile on Catra's muzzle.

"Beta attack pattern" Adora signaled as the two of them took in opposite directions.

Mortella screamed in near orgasmic ecstasy as she saw the battered form of Castaspella being pulled in two different directions by her traps. "Yes, yes, this is my destiny! All those years wasted when I needed" but she was cut off as large purple blur shot off from her right and landed on her, biting and clawing. Mortella, panicking at first, as the large creature tore at her skin but her panic turned to glee, as she saw no visible marks. She simply smiled as she grabbed Catra by her neck and hoisted her above her head with one hand. "So you betray me as well? So be it" She said as she heard the sound of something whistling through the air towards her head.

Looking at the source of the noise, she was greeted with a large branch hitting her directly in the eyes as the felt a familiar someone tackle her legs.

Her sense of balance momentarily disrupted, the sorceresses toppled over like a fallen tree.

Sadly she didn't stay down long, as she up with both her hands around Adora's and Catra's throats. "Amusing" she smiled as her grip tightened. "Pointless, and guaranteeing a violent death, but amusing."

As Adora's vision began to blur, she thought she felt something familiar as Mortella's hands squeezed the life out of her.

Looking through the black haze that had settled around her eyes, she noticed that Mortella's muscles had lost some of their definition; in fact they seemed to be almost fading away. It didn't take long for Mortella to notice it too.

"What are you doing?" She shrieked as she felt herself being unable to support both the mass of Adora and Catra. Dropping the two of them and stumbling back, she gazed with horror as she saw the vengeful of Castaspella standing over her.

"Goodbye old friend" she said as the mystical energies cackled off of her battered frame. With a strong gesture she sent a tidal wave of engery flowing over Mortella.

Adora felt her blood begin to circulate again as she lay on the grass. She saw a bright flash of light and heard what could have been a scream, but at the moment she was much too concerned with just how refreshing the ground felt on her back as she slowly passed out.

Later

Adora slowly opened her eyes. Feeling like mud had been poured into her bones, she struggled to lift the covers off of the bed. After what seemed like a nigh epic battle to lift the simple woven sheet, Adora finally noticed that her body had returned to it's original state.

As she stared in mute horror at her now slender hand, the door to the room creaked open and Castaspella glided into the room. "Ah, I see your awake now." She said as a large tray filled with food appeared on a small table next to the bed.

"What happened to me?" Adora asked, her throat raspy. Castaspella sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "As near as I can tell, Mortella absorbed the magic that was in your body. When I subdued her, the magic somehow caused a feedback of sorts and it went back into the land instead of you."

"Will I be able to transform again?" Adora asked hopefully as she feebly tried to pick some food off of the tray.

"I'm afraid I don't have a answer for that. I'm also afraid I have some more bad news" taking a deep breath she looked Adora directly in the eyes. "You can't stay here"

"Why not?" Adora asked as she swung her legs out over the side of the bed and onto the cold stone floor. "Like I said, your body seems to absorb magic. The longer you stay here, the weaker my shield becomes. But I do have some good news" she said as she pulled out scroll out of somewhere and unraveled it.

Spreading it across the bed, Adora looked down in amazement as she saw an armored woman fighting a large black mass with a sword while riding atop a winged stallion.

"This is She-Ra, a warrior who is said to be able to save this world form Hordak and according to this" she said as pointed to the faded writing around the edges, "The warrior will be one born of light yet raised by the night/weak yet strong/ and the rest is unreadable" she added as she pointed to a large spot that had faded away to nothing.

Looking at the faded picture, Adora lightly traced her fingers over the image of the warrior. "So you think I could be her?" she asked idly.

"There is a chance. If you can master the sword of power then that would prove that you're the warrior."

Mulling it over, Adora carefully gauged each word before answering. "Alright, but just where exactly would I find this sword?"

"That I'm not so sure of. According to the scroll, She-Ra's weapons are surrounded by water, and only She-Ra herself can obtain them. It seems that part of earning the weapons seems to involve walking on water."

"Well I glad it's so easy" Adora replied, her tone not even trying to hide the frustration she felt. Castaspella ignored the sarcasm as she withdrew a small blue gem out from someplace and placed it in Adora's hands. "I know this may not seem like much, but this gem will act as a conducting rod of sorts. When you smash, it will allow you to draw a small amount of magic into yourself, although the effects will only be temporary. Of course, I've also provided you with a few other items which you can use in an emergency."

"Thank you, but before I go" Adora as she made her way to the door (she had suddenly been dressed in a plain jerkin and breeches the moment her feet touched the floor) "What about Catra?"

"Now she's a special case. I saw her help you, and I know her current physical state is mystical in nature. But She also serves Hordak and I am tempted to place her with Mortella." She replied, her tone hardening as Adora though she caught a glimpse of movement in one of the jewels sitting on the dresser. Ignoring it, Adora once again looked the sorceress in the eye. "She was my friend once, and it is partially my fault she is stuck in her current state, can you help her?"

Castaspella lingered on the plea (much to long for Adora's liking) before answering. "Yes. Her curse doesn't drain any magic, so she may be allowed to stay in my kingdom. But as for you…" she said as she began to weave her fingers in a bizarre geometric pattern, Adora felt a icy wind envelop her as the room blurred away only to be replace with the unwanted scenery of the Wastelands.

Looking around and only seeing endlessly barren stretches of dirt, Adora gave a wry smile as she slung a freshly packed sack (which had faded into view by her feet) over her shoulder and began to walk, her thoughts surprisingly untroubled.

Meanwhile

"Arrgh!" screamed Scorpina as she whipped her tail at Grizzlor's head. "Where did that flea bitten fool go?" she shrieked at the cowering man/beast. "I don't know! It's like she just vanished into thin air, I can't even smell her!" he whined as the venom from her tail burned away parts of his fur. "Hordak ordered us not to return until we found that spoiled brat, and now that furry freak runs off!" Scorpina vented to the arid desert. "Am I cursed to be surrounded by idiots?" she cried to the heavens as she kicked a Horde trooper that had become immobilized due to the weather.

"Adora, I will find you if it's the last thing I do!" she howled at the sands around her.

While quite a distance away

Adora felt a chill go down her back as she pulled out a rolled up map form her sack. As she looked at it, she could see lines being formed and changing as she walked. "Impressive" she thought as she turned around to the north and started walking. "For once, I actually feel like there might be a place for me outside of the Horde" she thought to herself as she started on her journey.

The end