Chapter Four
"Destiny's Journey"
Time was running out.
Within the library inside Grayskull Tower, Orko poured over large books. It took him an hour to find anything regarding teleportation and portals. Another hour to find anything regarding Etheria. His eyes and mind drifted from book to book, from passage to passage, from spell to spell without any luck so far. But he kept searching - until he found it.
And then he started reading it. It took a long time to get through it. And just as he ended the last passage -
"I DID IT!"
A golden portal appeared. And then, he heard another voice. A elderly, female voice from the other side of the portal.
"I DID IT!"
"What the . . . ?" Orko stuck his head into the portal and spotted the Great Rebellion and the Heroic Warriors. "I did it, not you!"
Madame scowled. "I don't think so, Trollian! I was one that - "
"- that finally got one right!" they both said at the time.
She-Ra stepped up, unsheathing her sword. "We don't have time for this. Everyone who's coming with us, please follow me."
Swift-Wind was next, and then the other Heroic Warriors - Snout Spout, Extendar, Rio Blast, Rotar and Clamp Champ - followed her in. Then, behind them, was Madame Razz, Broom, Bow, Frosta, and Glimmer.
"Take care of things while we're gone, mother," Glimmer said.
"I shall. Good luck!"
Arriving on Eternia, within Grayskull Tower, She-Ra took immediately control of the situation. "What's the situation, Orko?" she asked, the portal closing behind Glimmer.
"Stratos and Buzz-Off have a big army waiting for us. He-Man went to go fight Skeletor, but hasn't been seen since. Eternos is still secure. That's where everyone else is at!"
"What about Man-At-Arms and Teela?" questioned Extendar.
"I don't know. I don't think they've been captured yet."
"Good," She-Ra said then. She looked to the window. "Sunset. Not much time. Everyone - grab a vehicle. Orko, how secure are the Great Towers?"
"Secure! Nothing's getting here!"
"Excellent. Then let us depart for battle!"
As the group took off from the Great Towers, a set of very small figures approached Viper Tower. King Hiss and his Snake Men - now only 1/4 of an inch tall - reached its wall. King Hiss pointed to Blast-Attack. The robot exploded, blowing a very small hole in the wall. The Snake Men entered.
"The spell won't last much longer," Hiss guaranteed. "Until then, we shall take refuge here. And my powersssss will grow sssssstronger . . ."
***
"That's the last of 'em!" shouted Spikor as he and Whiplash herded Royal Guards into the prison. "Shouldn't be any more problems."
"Hey, I heard Skeletor went to that planet to find He-Man himself. Sounds like Evil Lynn really botched this one," Whiplash said, locking the doors.
"Probably that new guy, Karg. Oh well. Just as long as we have enough people here to handle all those Avions and Insectoids headed this way."
"HA!" laughed Whiplash. "Like they'll be able to get through us! No one will save these chumps! Besides, they would have attacked earlier anywho. Nah, it's just a rumor. No one's confirmed that."
Whiplash motioned around the room to the Heroic Warriors imprisoned on both sides of them. They were all behind metal bars, and chained up. "Yeah, guess you're right!"
With that, the pair left. Ram Man turned to Roboto. "Did ya hear that? Guess we were right. Stratos and Buzz-Off are alive!"
"And about to head here."
"If the 'rumors' are true."
"Oh, you know they are!"
"Guess it's time to make our move," said Sy-Klone. "Just like we practiced now. Roboto, Man-E-Faces."
Man-E-Faces went to his robot form and began to calculate equations while looking towards Ram-Man and Moss Man. Roboto, meanwhile, was looking at the control panel by the door. He accessed its system with his transmitter and began to transmit the proper release codes.
"Now," Mekaneck said, looking out the window by the door.
Roboto transmitted the last code. The cell doors opened wide without a single alarm going off. Man-E-Faces then nodded to Moss Man. "Prepare your weeds, Moss Man. Ram-Man, you got a firm grip on the chains?"
"Yep!" replied Ram-Man grasped the iron chains in his thick hands.
"Place your feet on the wall-floor corner of the cell and then jump hard! As soon as he does, Moss Man, get your weeds in here and them get into our shackles. That'll allow us to be free and fight back. Ready, Ram-Man . . . now!"
Ram-Man pressed his feet hard against the corner and then jumped while holding a firm grasp of the chains. The wall behind him shattered and tore open. Starlight poured in, hitting them all. Weeds shot out of the ground and into the locks of the shackles. They sprung open.
As Skeletor's robotic centurions entered, the Heroic Warriors went into action. Ram-Man and Man-E-Faces ripped open the cells of the Royal Guards, releasing them as well.
Together, both forces rushed out of the prison and into battle . . . with 10,000 centurions.
"So . . . now what?" asked Roboto to Sy-Klone.
"Get to work."
And so, the 4,000 Royal Guards and the Heroic Warriors launched themselves into combat.
***
Stratos stood at the edge of the Evergreen Forest with the Avions and the Insectoids around him. She-Ra and her team were just appearing from the horizon. When they reached them, it then realized that a mere two hours remained until Skeletor took the power of Grayskull for his own.
"She-Ra, good to see you again."
"You too, Stratos," she replied on the back of Swift-Wind. "But I'm afraid there isn't time for pleasantries. You and Buzz-Off should have left already."
Buzz-Off shook his head. "We decided it was best to beside you then ahead of you."
She-Ra shrugged. "That being said, gentlemen, let us go forth and meet the enemy! Ya!"
And so they flew, across edges of the Evergreen Forest, and then above the flat farmland of the Fertile Plains.
***
Ram-Man slammed himself into Jitsu, sending the golden handed villain flying back into a unit of centurions. He turned around, finished with the warrior, when Jitsu slammed his hand onto Ram-Man shoulder blade. Ram-Man could feel the impact through his armor. Another blow from Jitsu to the gut sent Ram-Man to his knees.
Moss Man managed to tangle Webstor up in weeds and he held the enemy safely above the others. But, a blast of smell from Stinkor sent Moss Man down, causing his body to shrivel. Mer-Man leapt into place then, and sliced off the weeds Webstor was tangled up in.
Roboto couldn't calculate fast enough to keep Tri-Klops from firing at him. Each beam of energy came from a different eye on his visor. It slammed into him, striking his casing open slightly each time. The final blast causing Roboto to fall.
Rokkon and Stondar shot towards Two-Bad, but the two-headed enemy smashed one with a hammer, sending him into the floor and the other with a laser beam, sending him into the air.
Man-E-Faces was smashed again by Whiplash. He went flying back into a wall. His human side wasn't working, so he attempted his robotic side. He attempted to configure a model in which Whiplash would most likely attack again. It resulted in a punch in the face. It was obvious that the primal fighting urges within Whiplash were acting, so Man-E-Faces went into monster mood. It proved to be a waste of time - he was slammed twice more into the wall.
Fisto took a swing at Trap-Jaw and managed to severely damage his robotic arm. Trap-Jaw groaned in pain. Fisto swung again, but Trap-Jaw was prepared. As he swung, Trap-Jaw snapped his mouth on Fisto's hand. It became gnarled. As he cradled it, Trap-Jaw kicked him in the face.
"Looks like we're surrounded," said Sy-Klone, back-to-back with Mekaneck. All of the Evil Warriors now assembled around them. The Royal Guards had already been recaptured.
Just receiving a message, Tri-Klops looked up from his communicator at that moment. "It's about to get a whole lot worse."
Mekaneck and Sy-Klone then realized what time it was. Midnight. Then, the holosphere activated and displayed a terrible images . . .
***
She-Ra and the others stopped dead in their tracks. The holosphere was activated. She and her allies watched in horror at the images it displayed from the throne of Castle Grayskull. He-Man - her brother, Adam - was being whipped and forced into bowing before Skeletor. Broken, beaten, but She-Ra could still see the strength within him to resist.
And then there was an even more horrific scene. The Great Eye of the Universe opened up behind Skeletor, and power was seen flowing to - into him - from him. The power of Grayskull was his now. Skeletor was suddenly transformed before their eyes.
As they neared Eternos, they could hear Skeletor's terrible cry. ". . . I AM A GOD!"
A deathly silence filled the air as the images fled from the holosphere. Stratos and Buzz-Off turned to She-Ra.
"Orders? Head to Grayskull?"
For a moment, she considered, but then shook her head. "No. No . . . I have faith in He-Man. He will stop Skeletor. We need to free Eternos. And then . . . deal with Skeletor. Press onward!"
***
Sy-Klone readied himself, as did Mekaneck. "It was fun while it lasted," said Sy-Klone.
"Tell me about it," Mekaneck replied. "Let's make this a good one."
The Evil Warriors circled around them, moving tightly into an attack formation. "Ready . . . set . . ." Tri-Klops taunted. "Prepare to - "
"HALT!" shouted a voice from above. Stratos appeared, flying down from the night sky. With him, 2,000 Avion warriors and 2,000 Insectoids. She-Ra, the Great Rebellion and the Heroic Warriors came down as well and unleashed their fury.
"Skeletor has not won this day yet, I say!" shouted She-Ra. "As champion of Grayskull, I so declare it!"
She-Ra jumped off of Swift-Wind slammed right into Tri-Klops. The triple-eyed villain was thrown backwards into a group of centurions. The centurions then approached her, but they were all shot down by Bow. She waved to him and then went after Clawful.
Just then, a large group of centurions went flying into the air. Ram-Man stood and began to smash and bash each robotic warrior that came by. Man-E-Faces and a revived Moss Man were at his side. They joined with Mekaneck and Sy-Klone and soon enough, Fisto. The newcomers Rotar, Clamp Champ, Extendar, Rio Blast, Rokkon and Stondar joined too, and then finally, there was Buzz-Off and Stratos.
"FOR GRAYSKULL!" came a roar from above. Battle Cat and Orko - who had apparently freed the tiger - took to the front of the Heroic Warriors. The team - the group - the force of nature - surged forward with a power and ability unlike any other she had ever seen.
"FOR ETERNIA! FOR GRAYSKULL!" She-Ra found herself saying. That was what she needed. A united front against the Horde. That's how she would defeat Hordak. She lifted her sword and was swiftly followed by Bow, Glimmer, Madame Razz, Broom, Swift-Wind and Frosta.
Tri-Klops and the Evil Warriors were being pushed back towards the Palace, as this unstoppable force pressed against them. The Avions and Insectoids along with the newly-freed Royal Guards, wrought destruction against the centurions.
The Evil Warriors entered the Palace, and immediately pulled into the throne room.
"Tri-Klops," beeped in Evil Lynn.
"What do you want?! I'm busy!" snapped back the triple-eyed enemy.
"We've been forced to retreat. He-Man's been freed and Man-At-Arms, Teela, and Gwildor are back from Earth with some aliens to help them! We're on our way to Eternos now. What is the situation?"
"We're going to Hell in a hand basket, Evil Lynn! Make for Snake Mountain! We're pulling out!"
As soon as he spoke those words, the door to the throne room exploded open. She-Ra, the Great Rebellion, and the Heroic Warriors all piled in.
"RETREAT! LAY DOWN SOME COVER FIRE!" ordered Tri-Klops.
The Evil Warriors made for a back exit of the throne room. They used their powers and weapons to guard their retreat, but it didn't seem to matter. They were gone from Eternos in a matter of moments.
***
He-Man heaved, his body aching. The power of Grayskull was ripped away from Skeletor, transforming him into his former self. His Chaos Staff was shattered and it was done and over with.
"It's over, Skeletor," He-Man told his old enemy.
"Yes . . ." snarled Skeletor, the illumination fading from his face. "FOR YOU!"
A blade appeared in his hand - the Sword of Darkness - and struck at He-Man. He-Man fell to the ground. The Sword of Power slid to the edge, and dangled above the pit below it. The hero of Eternia dodged a quick jab by Skeletor and grabbed his Power Sword. Skeletor leapt forward and pressed his blade against He-Man. He-Man pushed - too hard, he realized too late - and Skeletor was gone.
Shocked, He-Man looked down into the pit and watched as Skeletor fell. And kept falling . . . until he could see him no more.
Lights came on, and He-Man stood victorious. The energy field that had imprisoned the Sorceress vanished. The centurions and Skeletor's cronies had abandoned Grayskull, well on their way back to Snake Mountain.
"Victory!" yelped Gwildor. "He-Man! Victory!"
"Victory!" shouted Man-At-Arms and Teela.
"Victory . . ." He-Man whispered, eyes looking away from the pit.
Man-At-Arms then picked up Skeletor's Cosmic Key. The one that actually worked now. "Set the coordinates for Eternos, Gwildor, we need to get back to the Palace and free it."
"Sorceress, she needs your help," He-Man pointed out. One of their allies from Earth - Julie - was in serious pain and would most likely die in the next few moments. The Sorceress moved over and studied the wound. With a few words, it was instantly healed.
"Thank you," Julie's boyfriend, Kevin, replied.
"No," the Sorceress answered. "Thank you." She then turned to He-Man. "He-Man, the power of Grayskull was removed from Skeletor, but there is still a problem."
"What do you mean?" He-Man asked.
"The Great Eye will reopen in three days now. Skeletor was stopped, but Grayskull still needs its power to pass to someone. There is still a danger here."
He-Man nodded. "Right. You! Lubic!"
The bald alien with the gun, Lubic, looked over with shock. "Me?!"
"Yes, you. We're heading out of here," He-Man ordered. "If anyone that the Sorceress doesn't approve of enters this room, shot them."
Lubic turned to the Sorceress. "You? You're the Sorceress?"
"Yes. Yes I am."
Lubic shrugged. "Whatever."
Man-At-Arms turned to Gwildor. "How much longer?" he demanded.
"Not much, not much. We'll be at Eternos in no time."
"Don't bother," came a cheerful female voice. She-Ra entered the throne room of Grayskull, a smile on her face. He-Man smiled and ran to his sister. The two hugged. Teela snarled to herself.
"Eternos has been freed. The Evil Warriors are in retreat, heading back to Snake Mountain. Along with the rest of their centurions."
"Victory, then!" Gwildor yelled.
***
A few hours later, She-Ra and He-Man entered into the throne room once more. Man-At-Arms and Teela were already there waiting for them.
"We've made contact with North and West Eternos. Both are recovering nicely. The Avions and Insectoids are going to be helping them out with their lost crops," Man-At-Arms reported.
"The city is secure," Teela said then. "The wall is being repaired and all citizens have returned to their homes. The only people unaccounted for would be Adam and Adora."
"They're still at a secure location," Man-At-Arms explained. "What about Randor and Marlena?"
"Both Orko and Madame Razz are looking into that," She-Ra answered. "We're hoping to have them freed by tomorrow. Did your friends go home? I thought I saw that bald guy, Lubic, hanging around the Palace earlier."
"Kevin and Julie went home. Lubic has chosen to remain with us."
It was then the Sorceress reappeared. "We have much to discuss."
The four stopped right in front of her. The Sorceress was back in her eagle-garb and looked both relieved and stressed at the same time. The throne room of Grayskull had yet to revert to its natural state. "What is it, Sorceress?" wondered Teela, for some reason feeling a sudden connection to this woman.
"The Great Eye will reopen in three days. We must be prepared this time."
"Agreed. Someone must be here at all times," He-Man stated. "It's imperative we don't have a repeat of yesterday."
"I'm worried about Skeletor. I know he fell into the pit . . . but could he still be alive?" wondered Man-At-Arms.
"I do not doubt it, Man-At-Arms," said the Sorceress. "But it will be a long time before he is ever at full power once again."
"King Hiss?" questioned She-Ra. "Where is he? Was he taken back to the Void?"
"No," He-Man answered. "But Orko shrank him and the Snake Men. It's temporary, but should last another week or two."
"Bold move, that Orko," Teela stated.
"Never would have seen it coming."
He-Man and She-Ra both grinned. "Well, I think that covers everything. Unless, there's something you want to add, Sorceress?"
"I trust you all," the Sorceress said then. "And I can only hope that we can see the end of this together. But I fear that a great evil approaches. I can not see it, nor even sense it. But I know it is coming to Eternia. It is such an incredible evil. One that not even I am sure we can face down . . ."
***
Far beyond the stars, a darkness stirs and moves. From the time/space curve, it snaps from its chains and moved towards where power can be given and taken. It is called to, this Nameless One. The empty throne, the Great Eye of the Universe . . . Castle Grayskull . . . its opportunity calls to the Dark Cloud.
TO BE CONCLUDED . . .
Look for "Masters of the Universe: The Crossroads of Destiny - Book Four: Restoration" coming soon!