CHAPTER FIVE

"Return to Etheria"

The chamber was dark and quiet that afternoon. No sound filled it. The Crystal Castle on its high perch sat above nearly all else on Etheria. Much has changed for this sister planet of Eternia. As Teela had told him when He-Man returned, the prisoners and warriors of Eternia had been taken to Etheria. To Hordak's Fright Zone.

According the Soceress, the Crystal Castle was the only place on Etheria that for some reason could be reached using her magic. Everything else was blocked with no explanation.

And so, the silence of that chamber was crashed that night by the noise of a doorway in reality itself opening.

He-Man and Teela appeared then.

"Hello?" asked He-Man aloud.

"I don't see anyone," said Teela.

"Don't move!" shouted a female voice.

Suddenly, five figures appeared before them. Shocked looks were on both sides. He-Man and Teela were now face-to-face with old allies.

Princess Adora - sister to Adam

Glimmer - mistress of the healing and teleportation spells, daughter of Queen Angella of Etheria.

Castaspella - Adora's best friend that practices white magic

Bow - the talented archer, who was now sporting an eye-patch and goatee

Fluterina - the flying look-out

"He-Man . . . ?" asked Adora.

"Adora!" shouted the hero.

The two ran to each and embraced. Adora then turned to Teela and hugged her as well. Hugs were received all around. As He-Man as these old friends greeted them with love and kindness, he began to realize something had changed greatly.

Never had he seen such people with the longing for such hope in their faces. Something must have happened here. Something bad.

"Adora . . . what's happened?" He-Man asked.

"I . . ." she began. "We must speak alone. Come with me."

The pair began to make for a door in the wall. Teela looked to the others as they began to walk off. She grinned at Bow.

"So, Bow, still the only guy here?"

"Ha ha! Yeah. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Although at this point, I probably know more about girls than you ever will."

"I'll bet that," replied Teela. "I was raised by all boys."

"Then you'll be more the warrior I ever will be."

"And you'll be more the girl then I ever will!" laughed Teela.

Bow grinned and then laughed too. He wiped a tear of laughter from his eye. "You know, it's been a while since I've been able to laugh again."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Come on. The others will explain it to you."

Meanwhile, in another section of the Crystal Castle, Adora took her brother to a small room high up in the large place.

"Adora?" asked He-Man when they arrived.

"He-Man," she began. "I lost my sword in the last battle. I want to speak to Adam."

"Right." He-Man said the enchanted words, then converted back to meek, little Adam. "Hello Adora."

"Brother."

She took him in her arms and hugged him tightly as a sister would her brother. He hugged back. They released.

"I don't know where to begin. But I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. Come here. I have to show you something."

She tapped on a part of the wall. It suddenly opened up and revealed the outside. What Adam saw was shocking. Below the mountain and straight on towards the horizon was sheer devastation. The very ground seemed elevated and completely black.

"What . . . what is this?"

"Six months after you left, Hordak seemed to disappear for a few months. When he returned, he was far more powerful. He had somehow found a way to convert life-force into power for him to absorb. Hordak spread this oil all across the lands to absorb all forms of life - Etherian, plant, animal - every last bit of it. He was able to cover most of the globe in a matter of weeks.

"Eventually, we were able to fend off his dark oil. This was only because he had begun his campaign on Eternia. There were some pockets of land that were left protected. Apparently this was frustrating Hordak because he was busy negotiating some peace treaty on Eternia. When this treaty was settled, he returned for a month."

Adora paused and looked her twin brother in the eyes. "When he returned, everything fell apart. The villages were consumed. I was about to turn in to She-Ra, but his Horde Troops got to me first and stole my sword. They can't use it, nor destroy it. Nonetheless, it's in the Fright Zone.

"When all the villages fell, the remainder of the Great Rebellion was forced here - one of the two places the oil could not touch. The first was the Fright Zone. This is the second. The only reason why he hasn't taken the Crystal Castle is because Light-Hope is protecting us with some sort of shield. But it's fading. Each day, the oil grows nearer."

Adam paused. "And he plans on doing this to Eternia?"

"He would have already, except it's so different than Etheria. Different blood, different life-force. And with all the different magics already in place, it's making it most difficult."

"Whatever happened to Horde Prime?" asked Adam.

"Killed, we believe. His base still stands, it's just nobody lives there anymore. Which brings his whole point of existence into question. Adam, we've spent over a year in here. We've been through so many books in the great library."

"What about the First Ones? The ones we've always believed forged our swords? Didn't they use to live under the Castle?"

"Gone. And our grandfather is out there somewhere, trapped in suspended animation within the oil."

Adam clutched his fist. "We need to free the prisoners from the Fright Zone."

"We can't. We don't have the resources to launch that kind of attack."

"You don't. But we do. I've got a plan. Trust me."

"I will. There is so little hope here, Adam."

"I know. But don't worry, Adora. Your big bro is here now."

She smiled. "Big bro, huh? Yeah right. I'm older than you!"

"Only by about ten seconds!"

"Still older, fruit for brains!" she replied, getting him in a headlock and giving him a noggie.

"No fair! No fair!"

"Say uncle!"

"Skeletor! Skeletor!" he shouted.

"Ha ha ha - huh?!" Adora stopped. "Skeletor?"

She let him go. "Yeah. He's kinda our uncle. It's complicated. But here's what I know on my end . . ."

"Please. Indulge me. Then, when you're done with that, tell me this grand plan of yours."

***

Hordak sat in the Central Tower of the great towers of Eternia and held his sword. He graced his left hand over the sharp, black blade. It was so smooth. He moved the flat end next to his face and rubbed it across his cheek. It's cold metal felt so good against his warm skin. His tongue flickered out and licked it.

He snorted.

"So wonderful, my little sword, so wonderful . . . aheheheh . . ."

Suddenly there was ringing throughout computers of his chambers. He punched a key and Grizzlor's voice was heard.

"Grrrrr . . . master . . ."

"Grizzlor! What do you want?"

"Reporting in, grrrrrr. Have yet to penetrate the force fields around Eternos. Booby traps!"

"I want all available troops there! Bust through those force fields!"

"Yes master! Grrrr. Grizzlor out."

The intercom was closed and Hordak went back to caressing his sword. "So smooth, so cold, all mine . . . all mine . . ."

***

Adora threw open the doors of the main chamber of the Crystal Castle. "We have a plan!" she shouted.

He-Man followed her. "It's going to require some serious effort, but I think we can do it. Teela, contact the Soceress. It's time."

Teela nodded. "Right."

"Okay people. Here's what's going on."