CHAPTER EIGHT

"Battle of the Great Towers"

Man-At-Arms leaned against a wall and pressed a few keys on a computer pad retrieved from his vault.

"This is a little something I was working on before Hordak came," he said to He-Man. Suddenly the center of the floor slowly opened. As it did, it was making a rough and tumble sound - like rusty metal scrapping against rusty metal. "Need to make sure that's oiled," he smiled, taking a bite of a piece of bread.

Where the floor had opened, a suit of armor that looked much like Man-At-Arms old armor was moved up from below. It was bigger than the previous - much bigger, with more weapons.

"Wow. Duncan, it's . . ."

"It's cybernetic," he replied, using a walking stick to help him over. "It should still be working."

The floor closed back up, allowing the armor to remain. He walked over and opened a panel on the front.

"This is incredible."

"Nothing this good on Primus?"

"No . . . I guess not," he mused. "Strange too. From what I gathered, their civilization is far more advanced than ours."

"Guess they never thought of it," Man-At-Arms answered, tinkering with the computer. "Yep. Everything seems to be working."

"Are you sure about this? I'm certain Gwildor can handle this."

"No, he can't. Trust me, He-Man, after everything those rust-buckets have done to me, I need some payback."

"Right. And you'll get it."

He-Man made his way out of the lab and into the courtyard of Eternos. People were gathering weapons that had been left in forgotten vaults and secret rooms through the remains of Eternos. Still, even with the bounty taken from the Fright Zone, this army was not going to be well armed.

The odds were against them, especially for an offensive strike.

Just then, there was an explosion for 350 kilometers away.

"What was that?" he asked aloud.

"Just one of our booby traps," answered Clamp Champ. "But one of our last ones. It's obvious they're getting closer to the force field."

"Well, let's make sure they don't get any closer. Gather the troops. Let's get ready to wage war."

***

It was many hours later, then, that the early afternoon sun drifted over the Great Towers of Eternia. Hordak was alone in his throne room, his hand running across the blade and hilt of the Sword of Deception.

"Yes . . . yes . . . we'll crush them, won't we? Yes . . . yes . . ." he whispered. "They won't come for you, no no no. They won't get me and they won't get you."

Suddenly the doors of the empty throne room were opened swiftly. "Master Hordak!" shouted Mosquitor. "Please accept my apologies, but a lone man is approaching the Towers!"

"What?!" exclaimed Hordak. "Who is it?"

"See for yourself, master!"

Hordak ran to the lift and up to the top of the Central Tower. He looked through a pair of binoculars at the figure. It was none of other than He-Man, riding Battle Cat.

"It's him! It's He-Man!" shouted Hordak.

"I want a piece of him," Modu said from behind.

"Me too," agreed Lock.

"No. What . . . what is he doing . . . ?" wondered Hordak.

He-Man came to a complete stop. He paused before the Central Tower.

"HORDAK!" he shouted. "I HAVE TO COME TO FIGHT YOU!"

"WHAT?! ALONE?"

"NO! NOT ALONE. NEVER ALONE!"

He-Man pressed a button on his communicator. In a blue, hazy flash, the Cosmic Key quickly teleported the soldiers of Eternia and the Defenders of Grayskull all behind He-Man.

"CHARGE!"

The army pressed forward, weapons ablaze.

"Kill them! Kill them all!" shouted Hordak.

Horde Troops ran to their gun turrets and opened fire. Laser beams struck the ground, sometimes smacking into the random soldier. But they kept pressing on. Then the great door opened and out came scores of Horde soldiers, lasers firing.

They were so many of them.

Oh so many of them.

Beams of energy sliced through the air, taking down soldiers left and right.

"BACK!" He-Man commanded. "FALL BACK!"

The soldiers began to lay down cover fire, allowing both the army and the Defenders to pull backwards. Horde Troops began to appear before them in large packs. Dozens upon dozens upon dozens . . .

"He's in retreat?" wondered Hordak. "Why is he in retreat?"

"I think we beat him, master," replied Catra.

"So quickly, though? That seems very strange," Mantenna observed.

"Wait. What's that sound?"

"Sounds like . . . buzzing?"

Leech looked towards the source. "BY THE SLIME PIT! NO! INSECTOIDS!"

Indeed. Hundreds of Insectoids came from the sky, launching their weapons at the Horde Troops. Leading them was none other than Buzz Off himself.

"Attack! They who imprisoned me - attack!"

Over the sound of their wings flapping the air rapidly, the sound of weapons fire was heard. He-Man led the army and his Defenders forth, back into the fray.

While the Insectiods dropped bombs and fired lasers, the army went to hand-to-hand combat. Their lasers blared and their weapons clanged.

Ram Man bashed many together. Clamp Champ snapped few into pieces. Fisto pounded them. Teela knocked many to the ground, splitting them completely to bits.

Then, came another army. This one was also from the air.

Startos led a large contingency of Avions forth and they opened fire on the turrets, blasting them to shrapnel.

"This is not good!" Hordak squealed. "Not good at all!" He clutched his sword. He then looked down to the ground.

"HE-MAN AND SHE-RA HAVE JUST CUT THROUGH OUR LINE!" shouted Dragstor.

"They're making for the door! Grrrrr!" Grizzlor added.

"Close the door! CLOSE THE MAIN DOOR!"

Alas, just as the great door began to fall, He-Man saw it and leapt off of Battle Cat. Mere seconds before the door fell, He-Man caught it and pushed it up.

"SHE-RA!"

His sister jumped off of Swift-Wind and ran inside, disposing of the door operator and opened it. He-Man felt the door leave his grip.

"DEFENDERS! INSIDE!" he shouted, waving his hand.

Together now for the first in five years, the great Defenders were once again inside the First Hall of the Central Tower.

Horde Troops attempted to rush them, but the Defenders were too fast for them. He-Man turned to Oroko, who had joined them.

"Where is Hordak?"

With a few waves of his hands, an image of Hordak on the top of the Central Tower appeared. "Good. She-Ra, you're with me. We'll take the stairs. It'll be a long walk, but we need to do it."

"Right. Let's move."

"Extendar, Ram Man, Sy-Klone! Get Man-At-Arms and Gwildor to the Troop Control Room! It should be in the Viper Tower."

"Yes sir!"

"The rest of you - FAN OUT!"

He-Man and She-Ra made for the stairs. The others went up against a score of Horde Troops. Extendar, Ram Man, Sy-Klone, Man-At-Arms, and Gwildor headed towards a corridor.

The battle was officially joined.

***

He-Man and She-Ra rushed up the stairs in the hopes of reaching the top of the Central Tower. Just as they reached about halfway, they were confronted with the entire Horde Elite.

Catra leapt towards She-Ra, followed by Scorpia.

He-Man was attacked all at once by both Leech and Grizzlor. Grizzlor held his arms back while Leech made for his chest to suck the energy out of him. He-Man ducked, flipped Grizzlor over his back and right into Leech. Into his open hands.

Leech absorbed the energy from his furry friend.

"NO!" shouted Leech.

He-Man punched him clean in the face, knocking the buffoon to the ground. He looked back to see his sister smash Scorpia into the wall.

Catra leapt onto her back. "You traitorous bitch!" she shouted, her claws digging into She-Ra thick skin.

"Grow up, Catra," She-Ra replied. She pulled on Catra hair and yanked her around and kicked her in the face. Catra went stumbling down the stairs.

Just as She-Ra and He-Man turned around, both Modulock and Multibot smacked them onto the stone steps. She-Ra and He-Man glanced at each other, then reached up and grabbed the twin heads of both two-headed beings and bashed the pair together.

As soon as the brother and sister stood, Mosquitor, Mantenna, and Dragstor raced for them. He-Man immediately overtook Mantenna while She-Ra took Dragstor and slammed him head-on into Mosquitor.

"Good work," He-Man complemented.

"Thanks. Now let's take care of Hordak."

Just as they stepped over the bodies of the fallen Horde Elite, the duo were caught in some sort of strange web.

In front of them was none other than Shadow Weaver.

"My web of darkness will keep you away from the master," the dark witch said, her hands casting a spell that made the web of darkness stronger and stronger.

***

Ram Man slammed forward and bashed another unit of Horde Troopers. He turned to Man-At-Arms, who stood next to Gwildor by the door in the Viper Tower. Inside was the Horde Troop control computer.

"It's all clear," announced Sy-Klone.

"Excellent. The three of you stand clear. Gwildor, come with me. Get out of the Cosmic Key. Prepare to set the coordinates for the old planetoid that was home of Horde Prime."

"What?! Are you out of your mind?!"

"Horde Prime is dead. There's nothing there anymore except for a big hole in the ground. Trust me."

"Oh, alright."

As Gwildor grumbled, Man-At-Arms opened up a panel and began to toy around with the wires. He could hear the sounds of Horde Troops attacking his friends. But as much as the warrior inside him told him to fight with them, the scientist told him to wait.

"Father!" shouted Teela through the comm-link. "We're being overwhelmed."

"I know, Teela. Don't worry. I've almost got it."

He yanked out a long cord and attached a device at the end of it. He pressed a key on the device and handed it to Gwildor.

"What do you want me to do with it?" asked Gwildor.

"Hook it up to the Isodynamic Processor on the Key."

"Are you insane? The power flow won't produce the correct amount."

"Gwildor, I've been planning this moment for three and half years. Trust me."

Gwildor scoffed and grabbed the cord and connected it to the Cosmic Key. The coordinates were all set. Gwildor hit the button and the Cosmic Key activated.

It opened up like a flower and spun, producing energy and light dancing above it. Man-At-Arms pressed a few keys on the control panel.

Suddenly, bright blue flashes in the hallway began to appear. For every single Horde Troop in the corridor, there was flash of light and they vanished.

"What the - ?!" exclaimed Ram Man.

"Where'd they all go?" asked Extendar.

"I tied the Cosmic Key into the transmitter and tuned it to a certain wavelength that reaches every single Horde Trooper on the face of the planet. The teleportational energy produced by the Cosmic Key is being sent through the Troops and teleporting to one location - the former planetoid of Horde Prime."

Indeed. All throughout the halls of the Great Towers, blue energy swept across the Horde Troops, causing them to vanish. Not just here, but all throughout Eternia.

The captured villages are freed - no more of their guards stand above them.

The patrols are abandoned.

And on the surface of Horde Prime's planetoid - all the Horde Troops crash to the ground, smashing into each other as they do. Sheer destruction.

Man-At-Arms walked out and joined Teela, who watched as the army and soldiers of Eternia cried out in victory.

"We did it," she breathed.

"Not completely. Not yet. Come on. Defenders! Follow me!"

They made for the stairs.

***

She-Ra, tangled as she was, reached for her sword and grasped it.

"It's over," said Shadow Weaver.

"By the . . . honor . . . of Grayskull . . ." she muttered as she held onto it. "IT IS NOT!"

She-Ra grabbed the sword and spun it. The web of darkness was done for. He-Man dropped to the ground next to her.

Before Shadow Weaver could do anything else, She-Ra punched her in the face. The witch fell to the ground. He-Man and She-Ra ran to the top of the tower.

It was there, as a cold and rainy wind began to wipe over their faces, that they found Hordak. He held his dark sword in his hands and glared at the two.

"You've finally come for me and mine," said Hordak.

"Hordak, we've taken your army. Your Horde Elite has been stopped. Eternia is freed. End this," He-Man ordered.

"Yes. And then revive Etheria."

"Never . . . NEVER!"

Hordak shot forward, sword in hand. He swung at She-Ra, but missed, striking her sword instead. He-Man took towards him, but his sword was blocked by Hordak.

Hordak punched him in the face, and then flew back and kicked She-Ra into the wall. He-Man lurched towards Hordak and swung at him from above. Hordak blocked it and slid the sword down, slashing his leg.

"HE-MAN!" shouted Teela as she, Man-At-Arms, and a few of the others joined them.

"No, Teela," Man-At-Arms said. "This is their fight."

He-Man ignored the wound and took another swing at Hordak. Hordak received a slash to the arm, but used the momentum to move his sword near the hilt of He-Mans. He then head-bunted He-Man and pushed the sword from his hand.

The Sword of Power spun into the air and struck the floor. He-Man was about to reach for it, when he felt Hordak's hand on his arm.

"Father . . ." Teela muttered.

"No. We need to see this played out. If these two fail, then we will step in. Only if."

Hordak positioned the flat end of his sword in front of He-Man. "Let's see who you are," Hordak said. He touched the sword to He-Man's forehead. The hero of Eternia and Primus was mesmerized.

"Take the power away!" shouted Hordak.

He-Man suddenly felt energy leaving his body and taking to his air. The next thing he knew, he was no longer He-Man. He was Adam!

Teela gasped. "What . . .?"

"Oh no," whispered Man-At-Arms.

Hordak grabbed Adam by the throat. "A whelp!" he snorted. "The Prince of Eternia is He-Man? The true He-Man is nothing!"

He tossed Adam across the roof.

Just as Teela was about to join in the fight, She-Ra rammed herself into Hordak. "THIS ENDS NOW!" she shouted.

Teela made her way over to Adam, who was very out of it. His eyes were transfixed on She-Ra as she did battle with Hordak.

"Adam . . .?" asked Teela as she tended to him.

He looked to her, his eyes bloodshot. "I'm sorry . . . I should have . . . I couldn't . . ."

"It's okay, it's okay. I understand, I . . ."

Adam looked up then and saw Zoar circling high above. The animal form of the Soceress contacted Adam telepathically.

Adam . . . this is a lie, she told him.

What-what do you mean?

The power of his sword deceived you into turning yourself back into Adam. This sickness and weakness you feel is false. Grasp the sword and become He-Man again.

Yes, Soceress . . .

Adam struggled to his feet.

"Adam? Adam!" shouted Teela as the young blond man reached for the Sword of Power.

"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!" he shouted. "I HAVE THE POWER!"

He-Man took his place. Teela stood in shock as she watched the transformation. He-Man paid her no attention and ran towards the fight. Hordak was about play the same trick he had done on He-Man with She-Ra.

"NO!" He-Man shouted. He hit his sword against Hordaks.

She-Ra gasped and grabbed her own sword. Hordak was outnumbered.

"Your game is over with, now," He-Man said. He moved forward, striking at his sword with all his strength. Hordak gasped at his hilt with both hands as He-Man strained the Sword of Power against Hordak's Sword of Deception.

She-Ra ran behind Hordak, her sword spinning. He-Man jumped back, causing Hordak's hands to go along with momentum. Just as they did, She-Ra's Sword of Protection spun through and SLASHED off Hordak's hand.

His hand - along with the Sword of Deception - went flying off the roof. As the sword tumbled through the air, Zoar snatched it and carried it back off to Grayskull.

"Nooooo!" Hordak shouted. "I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!"

He reached for a dagger with his free hand, but felt the cold of the Sword of Power at his neck. And then he felt the Sword of Protection at his spine.

"It's . . . it's over . . . Hordak . . ." He-Man said, catching his breath.

"Yes," agreed She-Ra. "It is."

Soon, He-Man and She-Ra joined the masses outside the Central Tower. They were all shouted and clapping in victory. He-Man turned to She-Ra, then to Teela.

"People of Eternia!" he shouted. "It's time I reveal a truth to you. Many years ago, Prince Adam was given a magical sword that would transform into the hero you see before you. For now you must understand that Prince Adam and I are one in the same," He-Man revealed. He raised his sword and in a flash of light, became Adam again.

"I was told never to tell anyone my secret," said Adam. "For if someone were to discover He-Man's true identity, then all of those around me were vulnerable to be hurt. But it seems, now, that that no longer matters."

"Indeed," said She-Ra. She became Adora again. "We were doing this for all of you."

"Eternia has changed, my friends. And we must change again now. For as I become stronger by becoming He-Man and Adora becomes stronger by becoming She-Ra, we must make Eternia become stronger as well. Therefore, until King Randor, Queen Marlena, or even King Miro are found once again - Adora and myself will lead you."

The crowd roared with joy.

Adora smiled at her brother and continued. "As Adora and Adam will you be led. As He-Man and She-Ra, we will protect you!"

The crowd roared again.

"Then to the rebuilding of Eternia!" shouted Adam. "And to the restoration of Etheria! WE HAVE THE POWER!"

As the hours flew by, the clouds broke and joy filled the lands of Eternia. The towns and villages were opened up and the people celebrated with whine and fellowship. The great army of Eternia took control of the Great Towers again.

All was right in the world once more.

For now . . .