CHAPTER 7: RESURRECTION
Five years later...
Prince Adacan ran through the halls of the palace, desperately looking for his father. The young blonde boy was very energetic and everyone in the palace, except for his father, had a hard time keeping up with him.
But today, he didn't want to play. Today he had to tell his father what he had seen in the garden. He wasn't sure what it was, but it scared him.
He ran into the royal chambers where his grandparents sat on the throne. He waived at them but became so distracted that he ran right into the side of Man-At-Arms and fell down.
Man-At-Arms looked down at the boy and grinned.
"Are we in a hurry, Adacan?" he asked, teasing the boy.
Adacan ran his hands through his hair and looked at his teacher sheepishly. Man-At-Arms remembered seeing the same expression on Adam's face when he was a child.
"Gee, I'm sorry Duncan," he said, lowering his voice. "But have you seen my dad, I really need to talk to him."
Randor and Marlena looked at each other. They didn't have the heart to disturb their son on this of all days.
Marlena waived the boy over to her and he sat down next to her throne.
"You father's, um, busy at the moment and we mustn't disturb him," she instructed him. "Why don't you go play with Jerry or Orko until he comes back."
Adacan frowned. He wanted to talk to his dad now, but never disobeyed his grandmother. He stood up and brushed his red and purple jacket off.
"Okay," he said looking down at the ground. "But if Orko turns me into a flower or something, it's your fault."
The Queen giggled as her grandson walked out of the room. King Randor looked at her compassionately.
"Do you think we should have told him where Adam was?" he inquired of his wife. The Queen shook her red and gray haired head.
"No," she said consolingly. "If he doesn't remember what today is, then I don't want to be the one to remind him. Let him just have fun, there's no reason to spoil his afternoon."
The King nodded and smiled at his wife.
*****
Prince Adam stood in the clearing in the middle of the forest. The sky was cloudy and thundering as a storm rolled in, but he didn't care. He placed the small wreath of flowers he held in his scarred right hand at the base of the statue that stood over Erin's grave. Around him, he had had the clearing fenced off so that no one could disturb his slain wife's peace.
He knew she would hated all of this, a statue, the fence, the extra hoopla, but he felt that the clearing was sacred, and needed a spot for them that was closed off from the rest of the world.
He sighed. At 34-years-old, he was a widower with a growing son and the responsibilities of the royal court on his shoulders. Five-years-ago, none of that seemed to bother him, mostly because he was happy. He hadn't felt that way since Erin died.
He sat down on a nearby rock and looked at the bronze statue. When he commissioned it, he asked the sculptor to be sure it was the perfect resemblance of his wife, and for the most part it was, except for one minor detail, her face was solemn, not wearing the smile he had always remembered.
At first, he was angry about it. The statue looked sad and that wasn't the way his wife was, but overtime, he got used to it and actually came to like it better. He felt that this way, he wasn't alone in his grief and felt that somewhere, wherever she was, Erin was grieving at their inability to be together too.
He stood up and touched the statue. It looked down on him with the same look it always had. He wished that one-day, he would be able to come out here to find it smiling, but he knew that was a fairy tale that would never be.
He sighed and started heading back towards the palace. He felt a cool breeze brush over him, and he turned his face back towards the grave.
"I miss you, too." He said somberly.
Above him, rain started to sprinkle from the sky. A perfect match to the gloomy anniversary he had come to memorialize. He thought he should hurry before he was soaked to the bone.
After a while, he found his way back to the palace gates. The storm had grown much worse and he was soaked to the core. It didn't seem to faze him, though, as he walked past the guards who didn't say a word to him, on this particular day, no one usually did.
He walked through the palace and up to his room. He changed out of his wet clothes and grabbed a towel to dry his blonde hair. He sat down and looked into the mirror on the wall. Next year, his father, King Randor, was going to turn the kingdom over to him and this made Adam nervous.
It wasn't that he wasn't prepared to be King, he thought he was, but kingly duties would keep him busy and he wouldn't get to spend much times with Adacan or himself. His parents, Man-At-Arms, and even his sister, Adora, had encouraged him to move on with his life and try to find another wife, but each time they brought it up, it only infuriated him.
He looked down to the scar on his right hand and remembered the promise he made five-year-ago.
"I swear to you, on the blood that gives me life and runs through our son's veins, that I will NEVER love another as I have loved you for as long as I live," is what he had told Erin as her lifeless body lay before him.
"I mean to keep that promise," he muttered to himself as he squeezed his hand shut. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice his bedroom door opening.
Pairs of gray eyes met each other as Adacan stuck his head in the room.
"Dad," he said softly. "I know you're busy but do you got a minute?"
Adam rubbed his forehead and smiled. He promised to always make time for his son, no matter what, and he meant to do just that, despite what today was.
"Sure kiddo, come on in." he waived the boy towards him. Adacan entered and knelt down to the floor and patted Jerry on the head. The old rottweiler just snorted and looked up at him.
"What's up runt?" the dog grunted. On the other side of the room, Cringer growled in jealousy and walked towards Adam who reached out to scratch him on the head.
Adacan walked over and sat on his father's bed. On the wall next to him hung a portrait of his mother and him when he was a baby.
He looked uneasily at his father.
"I wish I could remember her," he said quietly. "All I have from that day is this."
He grabbed a piece of his hair that had been turned gray. No one would tell him how it got that way, they always said when he was older, he would find out.
Adam just nodded his head and looked at the portrait.
"Your mother was a magnificent woman," he said, never taking his eyes off of the painting. "She was taken from us too soon."
Adacan hated it when his father was like this. Normally he was very social, but every year on the anniversary of his mother's death, his father became so detached and spooky.
"Listen, dad," he started to change the subject. "Something weird happened today while I was in the garden reading."
He wasn't sure how he would recall the events of the day. Adam cocked his eyebrow up and looked at his son questioningly.
"Oh?" he replied curiously. "What happened?"
Adacan looked down and then looked out the window. He was obviously very nervous about this. Adam tried to ease his concern.
"Son, you know you can tell me anything," he chided. "What's on your mind?"
The boy seemed transfixed by the storm and lightning outside.
"When I was in the garden, I could have sworn I heard a woman's voice calling me," he said slowly. "For a second I thought it was Aunt Adora, but when I looked around and saw no one so I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me."
Adam listened intently and nodded as his son continued.
"Then I heard it again, only this time it was louder. She kept saying something about 'Grayskull' and 'power,' but I couldn't make it out exactly."
Adam's eyes narrowed as anger started to buildup inside of him.
"That's when I saw this big falcon fly out of the garden," Adacan went on. "I have never seen one before, but this one came so close to me I could have touched it."
Adam gripped the sides of his chair so tightly his knuckles turned white and his son, being a very observant young lad, noticed it right away.
"What's wrong, dad?" he asked confusedly. "Was it something I said?"
Adam was transfixed on his bookcase and stood up. As he walked towards the door, his son followed.
"What is it?" he pleaded. "Please tell me."
Adam spun around and looked at his son with anger.
"Grayskull is the place where your mother died!" he yelled. "A place I never want to speak or hear of again! Is that clear?"
Adacan hung his head very low as Jerry growled in the background.
"Yes sir," the boy said and walked away towards his room. The tired rottweiler trailed him.
"That was real slick," he grumbled as he passed Adam, who slammed the door shut and walked away.
Man-At-Arms was in his workshop reading when Adam bust through the door. His former instructor looked over the edge of his reading glasses without raising his head.
"May I help you, Prince Adam?" he asked nonchalantly as he examined the hole in the wall from where the doorknob had hit it.
Adam slammed his hands down on Man-At-Arms desk and leaned in very closely.
"Yes," he said angrily. "As a matter of fact you can tell me what the HELLS your daughter is trying to do to my son!"
Man-At-Arms leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. He wasn't used to an outburst by Adam and he certainly wasn't going to become used to it anytime soon, Prince or no Prince.
"I can tell you with certainty I have NO idea what you are talking about," he replied and held his hand up before Adam could say another word. "I can also tell you that if MY daughter is doing something to YOUR son, you really should take it up with her and YOU know where you can find her."
Adam stood up straight and looked at Man-At-Arms in fury.
"You know that is no longer an option for me," he said through gritted teeth as he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut on his way out.
Man-At-Arms shook his head and sighed deeply. Whatever Teela was up to, he hoped it was for a good reason, for hers, Adam's and Adacan's sakes.
"Kids," he muttered as he went back to his book.
*****
The lava pools outside of Snake Mountain swirled with their usual slow tendencies. A pair of feet walked a foot above them, slowly. As she got closer to Snake Mountain, Evil-Lyn levitated up to the open mouth of the great stone serpent and walked into Skeletor's former throne room.
She waved her wand and the room lit up, it was still dark and dismal, but at least she could see. Cobwebs covered the bone throne and the walls of the chamber. She waved the wand again and they disappeared.
"I don't know, I think they gave the room some ambiance," Beast-Man growled from the shadows as he approached the dark sorceress. "This room needs something."
Evil-Lyn looked at him in disgust. His red fur was matted into knots; he had drool in his thick beard and pieces of food stuck in his teeth. To top it off, he smelled like a wet shadow beast. She wrinkled her nose.
"I would think such a momentous occasion would have merited a bath, you big hairball," she hissed. "You shall offend our master with your very presence."
Behind him, Mer-Man appeared.
"Take it easy Evil-Lyn," he gurgled. "It's been rough on all of us the last few years."
And it had, so to speak. Ever since the Sorceress vanquished Skeletor five- years-ago, the lives of his evil minions had been very dull and lazy. Beast- Man lived amongst the animals but was no longer their master and had to fight for survival. Mer-Man had been punished by the rulers of the seas and was sent on sewage duty for his crimes. Evil-Lyn was forced to live in captivity in the Duroc Mountains, a place where no man or animal dared to go because of its high altitude and horrible windstorms.
But they had awaited this day, Evil-Lyn had predicted it after the last great battle. They had been as patient as they could, but it was finally here, they day where they would seek their vengeance on Grayskull and those do-gooder Defenders.
The only real pleasure they got out of that cursed day five-years-ago was seeing Prince Adam's perfect little wife get blasted by Skeletor. Evil-Lyn figured such a hit probably broke every bone in her body. It was a wonderful memory.
Evil-Lyn placed a glowing red amulet of Skeletor's throne. She reached over and plucked some of Beast-Man's hair out of his beard and some seaweed off of Mer-Man's head and set them down next to the amulet.
Lastly she reached into her pocket and pulled out a single white, pristine feather.
"What's that?" Beast-Man asked as he scratched the fleas on his head.
Evil-Lyn grinned and set the feather down next to the amulet.
"Just a little souvenir I took from the Sorceress once while in battle," she grinned. "If what I have sensed all along is true, she doesn't need it anymore anyway."
She had always felt there was a great power shift in Grayskull during that last battle, but she didn't dare try to take on the forces of good without Skeletor's help. His power made hers stronger, and as much as she hated to admit it, she could do more damage if skull face was around. She just wished it hadn't taken her five years to find this stupid amulet.
She stepped back and raised her arms in a trance like state.
"By the power of land, water and air," she chanted loudly. "We invoke thee great dark master to re-appear!"
The walls of the mountain started to shake, and the light flickered. Mer- Man and Beast-Man looked uneasily at each other and started to run, but they were glued to the spot. The amulet on the throne glowed and began floating. Evil-Lyn watched intently as a light shown forth from the amulet and created the open door of a portal.
A pair of red, glowing eyes was the first thing they saw before all went dark.
*****
Teela's head snapped up with a start as an icy feeling rushed through her veins.
She walked to the window of Grayskull and looked out onto the horizon. In the distance, dark, ominous looking clouds formed over the wastelands.
She felt evil penetrate the land with such force, she thought is would cause her pass out. Zodac had warned her about this.
She steadied herself and walked back to her throne room. With a wave of her serpent wand, she brought up the image of a boy sitting in his room.
She hated to do this, but Adam had managed to create a mental block against her years ago, and she saw no other way to get his attention. She looked to her right where a faceless figure in the white cloak stood next to her.
"I wish I didn't have to do this," she said as the cloaked person just nodded, as if to give her the go-ahead.
Teela closed her eyes and focused.
"Prince Adacan, hear me..."
*****
"Prince Adacan.."
The boy nearly fell off of his chair. He looked around the library anxiously. Jerry cocked his head and looked at his young master, who was acting very strangely.
"What is it, kid?" he whined. "Something spook you?"
Adacan stood up and walked around the bookshelves, trying to find whoever was calling him.
"I hate it when other kids play jokes on me," he said looking under tables and around corners. "I get in trouble when I do it, but no one else seems to."
He shrugged and started to sit down again.
"Prince Adacan! You must come to Castle Grayskull at once..please hurry!"
Adacan's eyes widened. There was no one else in the room but him. He looked to Jerry who was beginning to look at him like he was Cringer.
"Did you hear that?" he asked the confused dog.
Jerry scratched behind his ear and grumbled.
"Kid, I can hear a baby cry for the western village of the Sea of Rakash, but I don't have a clue to what your talking about," he said.
Adacan walked out of the library and walked up the long, golden steps to his father's room. He knocked nervously on the door. There was no answer so he slowly opened it and walked inside to the open window.
On the far horizon, he could make out a dark storm that seemed to be building up slowly. In the other direction, he thought he could see a light. He ran to his room and got his hand-held telescope and ran back to his father's window. He shut one eye as he looked through it with the other eye.
The light was coming from a strange looking old castle.
He put the telescope down. "Is that Castle Grayskull?" he asked himself.
He looked down and saw the Royal guard landing field on the outskirts of the palace. Although he had never flown a sky sled by himself, he knew how.
Man-At-Arms didn't like what he was seeing as he watched his young student walked hesitantly between two Wind Raiders and start heading for the sky sleds. He stayed back, far enough as to not be seen by the boy and continued to watch as Adacan jumped on a sky sled and started to power it up.
Just as he was about to take off, Man-At-Arms stepped out and put his hand on the front of the sled, as if he could stop it with sheer will power.
"And where exactly do you think you are going young man?" he demanded, obviously displeased.
Adacan turned the sky sled off and looked down.
"Castle Grayskull," he said softly.
Man-At-Arms didn't hear him and leaned a little closer.
"What was that?" he kept prodding.
Adacan threw his fists down in a tantrum.
"Okay, okay I was going to Castle Grayskull, I'm sorry but this lady keeps calling me and..."
A loud voice interrupted Adacan's explanation.
"WHAT?!? YOU WERE GOING WHERE?" Prince Adam walked up behind his son, very angry, his face red with emotion. "Have I not told you that Grayskull," He flinched when he said the word. "That place is forbidden to you!"
Adacan looked down, he didn't like for his father to be angry with him.
"I know father," he started. "But the lady keeps telling me.."
Adam looked at Man-At-Arms who just shook his head.
"Enough!" he said still looking at his former instructor. "I will put an end to this myself."
Adam walked to one of the Wind-Raiders and took off, his face still red with angry emotions. Man-At-Arms hid his smile. He knew where Adam was going and though he felt sorry for the wrath his daughter was about to face, he felt in his soul that things might finally get back to normal.
"It's about time," he muttered to himself as he escorted young Adacan back to his room.
Five years later...
Prince Adacan ran through the halls of the palace, desperately looking for his father. The young blonde boy was very energetic and everyone in the palace, except for his father, had a hard time keeping up with him.
But today, he didn't want to play. Today he had to tell his father what he had seen in the garden. He wasn't sure what it was, but it scared him.
He ran into the royal chambers where his grandparents sat on the throne. He waived at them but became so distracted that he ran right into the side of Man-At-Arms and fell down.
Man-At-Arms looked down at the boy and grinned.
"Are we in a hurry, Adacan?" he asked, teasing the boy.
Adacan ran his hands through his hair and looked at his teacher sheepishly. Man-At-Arms remembered seeing the same expression on Adam's face when he was a child.
"Gee, I'm sorry Duncan," he said, lowering his voice. "But have you seen my dad, I really need to talk to him."
Randor and Marlena looked at each other. They didn't have the heart to disturb their son on this of all days.
Marlena waived the boy over to her and he sat down next to her throne.
"You father's, um, busy at the moment and we mustn't disturb him," she instructed him. "Why don't you go play with Jerry or Orko until he comes back."
Adacan frowned. He wanted to talk to his dad now, but never disobeyed his grandmother. He stood up and brushed his red and purple jacket off.
"Okay," he said looking down at the ground. "But if Orko turns me into a flower or something, it's your fault."
The Queen giggled as her grandson walked out of the room. King Randor looked at her compassionately.
"Do you think we should have told him where Adam was?" he inquired of his wife. The Queen shook her red and gray haired head.
"No," she said consolingly. "If he doesn't remember what today is, then I don't want to be the one to remind him. Let him just have fun, there's no reason to spoil his afternoon."
The King nodded and smiled at his wife.
*****
Prince Adam stood in the clearing in the middle of the forest. The sky was cloudy and thundering as a storm rolled in, but he didn't care. He placed the small wreath of flowers he held in his scarred right hand at the base of the statue that stood over Erin's grave. Around him, he had had the clearing fenced off so that no one could disturb his slain wife's peace.
He knew she would hated all of this, a statue, the fence, the extra hoopla, but he felt that the clearing was sacred, and needed a spot for them that was closed off from the rest of the world.
He sighed. At 34-years-old, he was a widower with a growing son and the responsibilities of the royal court on his shoulders. Five-years-ago, none of that seemed to bother him, mostly because he was happy. He hadn't felt that way since Erin died.
He sat down on a nearby rock and looked at the bronze statue. When he commissioned it, he asked the sculptor to be sure it was the perfect resemblance of his wife, and for the most part it was, except for one minor detail, her face was solemn, not wearing the smile he had always remembered.
At first, he was angry about it. The statue looked sad and that wasn't the way his wife was, but overtime, he got used to it and actually came to like it better. He felt that this way, he wasn't alone in his grief and felt that somewhere, wherever she was, Erin was grieving at their inability to be together too.
He stood up and touched the statue. It looked down on him with the same look it always had. He wished that one-day, he would be able to come out here to find it smiling, but he knew that was a fairy tale that would never be.
He sighed and started heading back towards the palace. He felt a cool breeze brush over him, and he turned his face back towards the grave.
"I miss you, too." He said somberly.
Above him, rain started to sprinkle from the sky. A perfect match to the gloomy anniversary he had come to memorialize. He thought he should hurry before he was soaked to the bone.
After a while, he found his way back to the palace gates. The storm had grown much worse and he was soaked to the core. It didn't seem to faze him, though, as he walked past the guards who didn't say a word to him, on this particular day, no one usually did.
He walked through the palace and up to his room. He changed out of his wet clothes and grabbed a towel to dry his blonde hair. He sat down and looked into the mirror on the wall. Next year, his father, King Randor, was going to turn the kingdom over to him and this made Adam nervous.
It wasn't that he wasn't prepared to be King, he thought he was, but kingly duties would keep him busy and he wouldn't get to spend much times with Adacan or himself. His parents, Man-At-Arms, and even his sister, Adora, had encouraged him to move on with his life and try to find another wife, but each time they brought it up, it only infuriated him.
He looked down to the scar on his right hand and remembered the promise he made five-year-ago.
"I swear to you, on the blood that gives me life and runs through our son's veins, that I will NEVER love another as I have loved you for as long as I live," is what he had told Erin as her lifeless body lay before him.
"I mean to keep that promise," he muttered to himself as he squeezed his hand shut. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice his bedroom door opening.
Pairs of gray eyes met each other as Adacan stuck his head in the room.
"Dad," he said softly. "I know you're busy but do you got a minute?"
Adam rubbed his forehead and smiled. He promised to always make time for his son, no matter what, and he meant to do just that, despite what today was.
"Sure kiddo, come on in." he waived the boy towards him. Adacan entered and knelt down to the floor and patted Jerry on the head. The old rottweiler just snorted and looked up at him.
"What's up runt?" the dog grunted. On the other side of the room, Cringer growled in jealousy and walked towards Adam who reached out to scratch him on the head.
Adacan walked over and sat on his father's bed. On the wall next to him hung a portrait of his mother and him when he was a baby.
He looked uneasily at his father.
"I wish I could remember her," he said quietly. "All I have from that day is this."
He grabbed a piece of his hair that had been turned gray. No one would tell him how it got that way, they always said when he was older, he would find out.
Adam just nodded his head and looked at the portrait.
"Your mother was a magnificent woman," he said, never taking his eyes off of the painting. "She was taken from us too soon."
Adacan hated it when his father was like this. Normally he was very social, but every year on the anniversary of his mother's death, his father became so detached and spooky.
"Listen, dad," he started to change the subject. "Something weird happened today while I was in the garden reading."
He wasn't sure how he would recall the events of the day. Adam cocked his eyebrow up and looked at his son questioningly.
"Oh?" he replied curiously. "What happened?"
Adacan looked down and then looked out the window. He was obviously very nervous about this. Adam tried to ease his concern.
"Son, you know you can tell me anything," he chided. "What's on your mind?"
The boy seemed transfixed by the storm and lightning outside.
"When I was in the garden, I could have sworn I heard a woman's voice calling me," he said slowly. "For a second I thought it was Aunt Adora, but when I looked around and saw no one so I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me."
Adam listened intently and nodded as his son continued.
"Then I heard it again, only this time it was louder. She kept saying something about 'Grayskull' and 'power,' but I couldn't make it out exactly."
Adam's eyes narrowed as anger started to buildup inside of him.
"That's when I saw this big falcon fly out of the garden," Adacan went on. "I have never seen one before, but this one came so close to me I could have touched it."
Adam gripped the sides of his chair so tightly his knuckles turned white and his son, being a very observant young lad, noticed it right away.
"What's wrong, dad?" he asked confusedly. "Was it something I said?"
Adam was transfixed on his bookcase and stood up. As he walked towards the door, his son followed.
"What is it?" he pleaded. "Please tell me."
Adam spun around and looked at his son with anger.
"Grayskull is the place where your mother died!" he yelled. "A place I never want to speak or hear of again! Is that clear?"
Adacan hung his head very low as Jerry growled in the background.
"Yes sir," the boy said and walked away towards his room. The tired rottweiler trailed him.
"That was real slick," he grumbled as he passed Adam, who slammed the door shut and walked away.
Man-At-Arms was in his workshop reading when Adam bust through the door. His former instructor looked over the edge of his reading glasses without raising his head.
"May I help you, Prince Adam?" he asked nonchalantly as he examined the hole in the wall from where the doorknob had hit it.
Adam slammed his hands down on Man-At-Arms desk and leaned in very closely.
"Yes," he said angrily. "As a matter of fact you can tell me what the HELLS your daughter is trying to do to my son!"
Man-At-Arms leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. He wasn't used to an outburst by Adam and he certainly wasn't going to become used to it anytime soon, Prince or no Prince.
"I can tell you with certainty I have NO idea what you are talking about," he replied and held his hand up before Adam could say another word. "I can also tell you that if MY daughter is doing something to YOUR son, you really should take it up with her and YOU know where you can find her."
Adam stood up straight and looked at Man-At-Arms in fury.
"You know that is no longer an option for me," he said through gritted teeth as he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut on his way out.
Man-At-Arms shook his head and sighed deeply. Whatever Teela was up to, he hoped it was for a good reason, for hers, Adam's and Adacan's sakes.
"Kids," he muttered as he went back to his book.
*****
The lava pools outside of Snake Mountain swirled with their usual slow tendencies. A pair of feet walked a foot above them, slowly. As she got closer to Snake Mountain, Evil-Lyn levitated up to the open mouth of the great stone serpent and walked into Skeletor's former throne room.
She waved her wand and the room lit up, it was still dark and dismal, but at least she could see. Cobwebs covered the bone throne and the walls of the chamber. She waved the wand again and they disappeared.
"I don't know, I think they gave the room some ambiance," Beast-Man growled from the shadows as he approached the dark sorceress. "This room needs something."
Evil-Lyn looked at him in disgust. His red fur was matted into knots; he had drool in his thick beard and pieces of food stuck in his teeth. To top it off, he smelled like a wet shadow beast. She wrinkled her nose.
"I would think such a momentous occasion would have merited a bath, you big hairball," she hissed. "You shall offend our master with your very presence."
Behind him, Mer-Man appeared.
"Take it easy Evil-Lyn," he gurgled. "It's been rough on all of us the last few years."
And it had, so to speak. Ever since the Sorceress vanquished Skeletor five- years-ago, the lives of his evil minions had been very dull and lazy. Beast- Man lived amongst the animals but was no longer their master and had to fight for survival. Mer-Man had been punished by the rulers of the seas and was sent on sewage duty for his crimes. Evil-Lyn was forced to live in captivity in the Duroc Mountains, a place where no man or animal dared to go because of its high altitude and horrible windstorms.
But they had awaited this day, Evil-Lyn had predicted it after the last great battle. They had been as patient as they could, but it was finally here, they day where they would seek their vengeance on Grayskull and those do-gooder Defenders.
The only real pleasure they got out of that cursed day five-years-ago was seeing Prince Adam's perfect little wife get blasted by Skeletor. Evil-Lyn figured such a hit probably broke every bone in her body. It was a wonderful memory.
Evil-Lyn placed a glowing red amulet of Skeletor's throne. She reached over and plucked some of Beast-Man's hair out of his beard and some seaweed off of Mer-Man's head and set them down next to the amulet.
Lastly she reached into her pocket and pulled out a single white, pristine feather.
"What's that?" Beast-Man asked as he scratched the fleas on his head.
Evil-Lyn grinned and set the feather down next to the amulet.
"Just a little souvenir I took from the Sorceress once while in battle," she grinned. "If what I have sensed all along is true, she doesn't need it anymore anyway."
She had always felt there was a great power shift in Grayskull during that last battle, but she didn't dare try to take on the forces of good without Skeletor's help. His power made hers stronger, and as much as she hated to admit it, she could do more damage if skull face was around. She just wished it hadn't taken her five years to find this stupid amulet.
She stepped back and raised her arms in a trance like state.
"By the power of land, water and air," she chanted loudly. "We invoke thee great dark master to re-appear!"
The walls of the mountain started to shake, and the light flickered. Mer- Man and Beast-Man looked uneasily at each other and started to run, but they were glued to the spot. The amulet on the throne glowed and began floating. Evil-Lyn watched intently as a light shown forth from the amulet and created the open door of a portal.
A pair of red, glowing eyes was the first thing they saw before all went dark.
*****
Teela's head snapped up with a start as an icy feeling rushed through her veins.
She walked to the window of Grayskull and looked out onto the horizon. In the distance, dark, ominous looking clouds formed over the wastelands.
She felt evil penetrate the land with such force, she thought is would cause her pass out. Zodac had warned her about this.
She steadied herself and walked back to her throne room. With a wave of her serpent wand, she brought up the image of a boy sitting in his room.
She hated to do this, but Adam had managed to create a mental block against her years ago, and she saw no other way to get his attention. She looked to her right where a faceless figure in the white cloak stood next to her.
"I wish I didn't have to do this," she said as the cloaked person just nodded, as if to give her the go-ahead.
Teela closed her eyes and focused.
"Prince Adacan, hear me..."
*****
"Prince Adacan.."
The boy nearly fell off of his chair. He looked around the library anxiously. Jerry cocked his head and looked at his young master, who was acting very strangely.
"What is it, kid?" he whined. "Something spook you?"
Adacan stood up and walked around the bookshelves, trying to find whoever was calling him.
"I hate it when other kids play jokes on me," he said looking under tables and around corners. "I get in trouble when I do it, but no one else seems to."
He shrugged and started to sit down again.
"Prince Adacan! You must come to Castle Grayskull at once..please hurry!"
Adacan's eyes widened. There was no one else in the room but him. He looked to Jerry who was beginning to look at him like he was Cringer.
"Did you hear that?" he asked the confused dog.
Jerry scratched behind his ear and grumbled.
"Kid, I can hear a baby cry for the western village of the Sea of Rakash, but I don't have a clue to what your talking about," he said.
Adacan walked out of the library and walked up the long, golden steps to his father's room. He knocked nervously on the door. There was no answer so he slowly opened it and walked inside to the open window.
On the far horizon, he could make out a dark storm that seemed to be building up slowly. In the other direction, he thought he could see a light. He ran to his room and got his hand-held telescope and ran back to his father's window. He shut one eye as he looked through it with the other eye.
The light was coming from a strange looking old castle.
He put the telescope down. "Is that Castle Grayskull?" he asked himself.
He looked down and saw the Royal guard landing field on the outskirts of the palace. Although he had never flown a sky sled by himself, he knew how.
Man-At-Arms didn't like what he was seeing as he watched his young student walked hesitantly between two Wind Raiders and start heading for the sky sleds. He stayed back, far enough as to not be seen by the boy and continued to watch as Adacan jumped on a sky sled and started to power it up.
Just as he was about to take off, Man-At-Arms stepped out and put his hand on the front of the sled, as if he could stop it with sheer will power.
"And where exactly do you think you are going young man?" he demanded, obviously displeased.
Adacan turned the sky sled off and looked down.
"Castle Grayskull," he said softly.
Man-At-Arms didn't hear him and leaned a little closer.
"What was that?" he kept prodding.
Adacan threw his fists down in a tantrum.
"Okay, okay I was going to Castle Grayskull, I'm sorry but this lady keeps calling me and..."
A loud voice interrupted Adacan's explanation.
"WHAT?!? YOU WERE GOING WHERE?" Prince Adam walked up behind his son, very angry, his face red with emotion. "Have I not told you that Grayskull," He flinched when he said the word. "That place is forbidden to you!"
Adacan looked down, he didn't like for his father to be angry with him.
"I know father," he started. "But the lady keeps telling me.."
Adam looked at Man-At-Arms who just shook his head.
"Enough!" he said still looking at his former instructor. "I will put an end to this myself."
Adam walked to one of the Wind-Raiders and took off, his face still red with angry emotions. Man-At-Arms hid his smile. He knew where Adam was going and though he felt sorry for the wrath his daughter was about to face, he felt in his soul that things might finally get back to normal.
"It's about time," he muttered to himself as he escorted young Adacan back to his room.
