CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Confrontation"
The celebrations were great as Randor and Marlena arrived in the courtyard of Eternos that fine, spring day.
"Thank you!" shouted Randor to the screaming number of praisers. "Thank you! It is so great to have returned! Thank you!"
The crowd wouldn't stop enough for him to say anything. They were just so happy to see their king and queen returned to power. Adam smiled and looked to his sister.
"They seem pretty happy to be back," Adora said to him.
"Yeah. But I've gotta say, I'm going to miss running this place. It was a lot of fun," Adam replied, watching as his father began to give his 'homecoming' speech above the roaring crowd below.
"MY PEOPLE!" Randor greeted. "My people! My body is weary . . . BUT MY HEART IS STRONG! To return home is to be like been given the greatest gift of all! My life has been restored completely to me! Thank you! Marlena and I could not be happier! And what a time . . . WHAT A TIME IT IS TO BE HOME AGAIN! The war is over! Peace runs throughout Eternia! Even Snake Mountain, I am told, is considering peace talks! I owe it all to our children - Adam and Adora!"
Adam and Adora stepped up and bowed to the crowd, which was excited with a pitch unexpected. The shouted, cheered, exclaimed and just plain old hollered.
"My wife, your Queen Marlena, would like to say a few words now . . ."
Marlena stood then before Randor, who had stepped back. "Thank you, Randor. Well, I must say this beats working on a computer all day," she joked. Laughter exploded. "We've been gone a long time. And now that we're back, we've found a lot of changes. First of all, our children are really She-Ra and He-Man. Surprised as we were, I think a part of us always knew. Second, our priority is to maintain the peace that our children have brought to this world once more. This includes finding and contacting the lost races that disappeared during Hordak's attack. Finally, this new peace must reach across all of Eternia - even to Snake Mountain itself. We are more than willing to negotiate with them. What Randor and I - what we all want - is peace. And with the strength of Eternos itself behind us, that is exactly what will have!"
The crowd began to cheer the loudest now. Randor spoke a little more, but other than a large number of 'thank yous' and crowd-pleasing phrases, the speech was just about over and Randor and his family joined Teela, Duncan, and Ram Man in the corridor leading into the main throne room.
"The people are happy to see you again," said Duncan, leaning on his cane.
"I've noticed. It's good to be back," Randor told him. "You have no idea what it's like."
"Yeah," answered Duncan. "Yeah, I do."
Marlena put her hands Duncan's arm. "Oh, we're sorry."
"Yes, it's just - "
Duncan raised his hand, stopping his oldest of friends. "Please. I'm fine. It's good to have you both back in command. Not that THESE two haven't done a good job."
"Thanks Duncan," Adam laughed.
"Seriously though," Randor told them. "You both have made us very proud. Very proud."
"Thank you, father," Adora answered.
"Well, I suppose now we have to focus on making contact with the so-called 'lost peoples' of Eternia," Marlena suggested, taking her seat in the Queen's chair.
"Agreed," Duncan said, sitting down in a nearby seat. He paused in long thought. "I think I'll head over to Castle Grayskull and speak to the Soceress myself. Maybe I can talk some sense into her . . ."
"Why you, father?" asked Teela. "I mean, why would she listen to you above Adam or even Adora?"
"Just a thought, hon."
"It's a good idea, Duncan. Adora, you mentioned speaking to the Sorceress multiple times about this. Perhaps you should go with him."
"Right then. Let's go."
***
Deep beneath surface of The Sands of Time, in the large chamber that once housed the Great Towers, a shadow flickers across candlelight.
Not far away, Eldor began to finish writing in yet another volume of journals. He had grown used to the silence in the past eight hundred years. It helped him sleep, to be honest. So imagine his curiosity when he heard his door creak open.
Eldor spun around and held his staff aloft. "Who's there? Who's out there?" he asked. For some reason, his magic would not allow him to know who was in the Great Chamber. Eldor made for the door and entered into the Great Chamber. There was nothing. He stepped out a little more.
"You've met your end, silly man," a voice cackled and echoed through the room.
"YOU!"
Eldor turned around too late. He met with a blast of incredible power that sent his flying across the very large room. The figure that administered the blast walked into Eldor's room and made for one book.
The Book of Living Spells.
He pulled it into his cloak and made off.
***
"No," said Sorceress straightly at Man-At-Arms.
"Sorceress, please," Adora pleaded. "This is very important."
"I can not. I have sworn my life to protect them."
Man-At-Arms turned to Adora. "Adora, can you wait outside. I have to speak to the Sorceress alone."
"Oh. Um, okay."
The blond princess stepped into the foyer and shut the great wooden doors, leaving Duncan and the Sorceress alone in the Throne Room.
"What are you playing at, Sorceress?"
She stepped down from her throne. "I can not allow Adora or you to enter. It is too dangerous."
"Why? Come on, there has to be a reason. There's a reason for everything you do. Why can't you tell me what is going on?"
"Simply put, Man-At-Arms, there are many things you do not understand. I am trying to keep these species separate from the Eternians. I would have moved the Avions and the Insectiods in this other realm as well, but I saw that He-Man was returning."
"Okay. Why?"
"Man-At-Arms, there is a battle coming. It has shaken my dreams for the past twenty-five years. I didn't believe it at first. Not until Hordak came. It was then that I sent these people to this realm for safekeeping. I did not want them in this battle."
Man-At-Arms paused in thought as the Soceress walked over to a nearby window. The early afternoon breeze ruffled the feathers of gown.
"I feel like . . . I feel like I'm not seeing the whole picture right now. I accept that, though. For now, I'll accept that. What I'm not seeing is why this sudden need for secrecy!"
"It is difficult, Man-At-Arms. I have sworn my life to uphold the secrets of Grayskull and of Eternia. The knowledge that I guard is great. Knowledge is power, as you know. And the knowledge of which I speak is known to Prince Adam."
"Adam?"
"Yes. Speak to him and you will understand why you can not be allowed into the other Realm."
"Let Adora in, then!"
"Perhaps, but I . . . no. THEY CAN NOT BE ENDANGERED! THEY CAN NOT BE!"
"DAMN IT, TEELANA! JUST LET US IN THERE! AREN'T YOU CONCERNED FOR THE MATTERS OF THE KING!?"
The Sorceress turned on her heels and faced him. "How DARE you place your authority on me!"
"And how dare you place yours on me! We need peace and we need sovereignty. But most of all, we need to security! We need to know they're safe!"
The Soceress began to walk out of the room. "They are safe, Man-At-Arms."
"Will you stop calling me that! My name is Duncan! And get back here, I need to talk to you!"
Duncan started after as fast as he could, but he was much slower with his cane. It constant 'clank' on the stone floor was enough to catch her attention. She turned around and looked at his limping body.
"I can heal you."
"I don't want you to. I'll be fine. I need to speak to you about something, though."
"I can not talk right now. I have matters to attend to."
She turned her back on him. As she started towards a corridor, Duncan straightened himself. "We're at twenty-eight years, Teelana. Two more and Zoar will leave you for an entire year."
"I know."
"Every thirty years, the power of Grayskull recollects itself throughout the universe. For one full year, you are not binded by its power. That was one full year we had together. In two years, we can have another."
"I . . . I know."
"I want to share that year, Teelana. I want Teela to know the truth. We're grandparents now."
"I know. I met the child and . . ."
"The knowledge you gave me was scared, Teelana. The knowledge that Grayskull would be nothing but rocks for twelve months - it was special. And you shared it with me. Now I'm asking you to share knowledge with me again. Share it with the one you love. Share it . . . with the one that loves you."
The Sorceress walked over to Duncan stately and carefully. She looked straight into his eyes, the moved forward and kissed him passionately. Duncan kissed back and pulled her against him when they broke.
"I always loved you, Duncan. Always."
"I know. I always loved you too, my beautiful Teelana."
She paused, then pulled back. "I allowed myself to be blinded. Thank you, Duncan. Thank you. Please retrieve Adora. I will prepare the gateway."
"Yes. And thank you."
A little later, Adora entered a long corridor within the very heart of Castle Grayskull. Her eyes darted from side-to-side, glancing at the different doors. She finally reached the end and a very large, locked door.
"This will led you into their realm. They have the means to let you return," the Sorceress explained.
"Thank you, Sorceress."
The door opened, revealing a field of stark-white energy. She stepped in and found herself surrounded by trees.
She looked around and didn't recognize a single thing. Wherever she was, she hadn't been there before - that's for sure. "Hello?" she called, walking across the grass under the shade of the trees.
"Halt there!" came a shout.
Two Elves, fashioning bow and arrows, and three trolls appeared before her. "Identify yourself!" shouted one of the trolls.
"My name is Princess Adora, daughter of Randor and Marlena of Eternos, wielder of the Sword of Protection. I have come in the name of peace."
"Let her pass," a booming voice commanded.
The five parted and let Granamyr, the king of the dragons, pass from the deepest woods to their location. Adora saw this mighty dragon and came down onto one knee, bowing in respect to his leadership of the dragons.
"Granamyr, greetings," she stated.
"Princess Adora," he replied. "Stand and let us speak."
The pair began to walk through the forest together, the five warriors disappearing into the woods.
"I was wondering why you were still here," Adora said. "We all were. We have defeated Hordak. The lands of Eternia are free once more."
"We remain because we chose to. For many thousands of years, have the peoples of Eternia been forced to compete with each other. I have often wondered why that was. Now that I know, I would rather have no part of it. And neither will the Bears, the Cats, the Elves, the Treeprecauns, the Trolls, and the Widgets."
"So what is it you would have no part in?"
"The end of 1,000 year-old experiment. Ask your brother, Adora. He knows the truth. We will have no part of the judgement and the battle to come."
Adora paused. "What judgement and battle?"
"You will have to ask Adam."
"What about when this judgement and battle is over?"
"Our children may return, but for the leaders of old, we will remain. We will always remain."
"Tell me, Granamyr, do you know what is coming?"
"Yes."
"Why can you not share with me?"
"Because the truth is too devastating. We have been watching from this realm. We have seen the toll is has taken on He-Man. Someone you trust must tell it. Go, Adora, speak to Adam."