Chapter Six

"Battle Royale"

Energy crackled from his fingers, smashing from Zodak into the Dark Cloud. The Dark Cloud let out a thunderous roar, and then launched a counter-attack. Zodak blocked with an energy shield and then fired a beam at the Dark Cloud.

The Dark Cloud avoided it, then charged the Cosmic Enforcer.

"Zodak's putting up a pretty good fight," Randor observed from within the throne room.

"He will fail," confessed the fearful Sorceress. "He is not enough."

"What makes you say that?" questioned Skeletor with a sneer.

"It took a legion of Cosmic Enforcers to stop the Dark Cloud before," stated Granamyr. "And that was after the Ancients softened him off enough."

"We'll defeat him this time," Randor said with confidence and pride.

"We must," Angella followed-up.

"There is hope," stated Stephan, looking at one of the monitors. "There's a Talon Fighter arriving. I take it that's the secret mission Teela and Adam were sent on? That's something."

Man-At-Arms grabbed his communicator. "Teela! Adam! Land on the roof! Teela, come down here immediately. Adam, Battle-Cat will be meeting you up there. Take him and find He-Man."

"Yes sir," Adam answered.

"Landing now, father."

As the battle between Zodak and the Dark Cloud roared below, the Talon Fighter landed on the Point Dread Tower of Castle Grayskull. Teela hopped out, followed by Adam. Battle-Cat rushed over to them.

"Come on, Adam," growled the tiger. "We need to find He-Man."

"We'll be back soon," Adam said to Teela, grabbing her arm. He leaned in close to her ear. "Be careful this time."

She smiled. "I won't," she teased. After a brief kiss, she ran down the stairs. Adam looked the door behind her . . . and pulled out his Sword of Power.

"What was that?"

"Just a kiss, old friend. Now, let's get started . . ." Adam replied. He lifted the Sword of Power high into the air. "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL . . ." he chanted. A flash of energy erupted, power surged around him, and Adam was replaced by He-Man. " . . . I HAVE THE POWER!"

Below, the Dark Cloud unleashed a powerful blast that finally took down Zodak. The Cosmic Enforcer crumbled to the ground, unconscious. His entire body was smoldering from the battle. The Dark Cloud then reached out with his hand and closed his fist. The drawbridge of Grayskull reluctantly opened.

Just as he set foot on it, though, He-Man and Battle-Cat jumped down before him.

"Not another foot, Dark Cloud!"

She-Ra and Swift-Wind appeared then beside He-Man and Battle-Cat. "Your time has at last ended."

"WHO ARE YOU?" said the thunder voice of the Dark Cloud.

"Your worst nightmare," She-Ra said valiantly, the wings of Swift-Wind rising up. Battle-Cat snarled at the Dark Cloud and He-Man lifted up his weapon and shield.

"The rain on your parade," He-Man joked.

The two thrusted forward, weapons unsheathed. She-Ra took the high ground and slashed with the Sword of Protection across his shoulder. The Dark Cloud unleashed a cry unlike any other as the blade cut through him.

He-Man, on the other hand, hit low. He stabbed the Sword of Power into the side of the Dark Cloud. The same cry emitted. The power of Grayskull was far mightier than anything the Dark Cloud had encountered before. Its power was that of the Ancients. It may have been altered by the Council of Elders at some point - re-forged, perhaps - but it was still embedded with the same powers of the Ancients.

As the pair came around for another pass, the Dark Cloud reached out and grabbed both swords and - though it burned his hands - pulled both He-Man and She-Ra from their steeds. The two were then slammed against the other and the Swords were out of their grasp. The Dark Cloud then threw them away, and walked up to He-Man and She-Ra. They were just about to stand up when he blasted them with an incredible flush of power.

"THE CHAMPIONS OF GRAYSKULL," the Dark Cloud rumbled/spoke. "WEAKLINGS."

The Dark Cloud then moved back towards the entrance of Grayskull. Granamyr flew forward. "Eternia rejects you!" roared the dragon king. "You will not take the power of Grayskull!"

Granamyr unleashed incredible magic beams at the Dark Cloud, but they had little effect. The Dark Cloud lifted his mace and slammed against Granamyr's great belly. The Dragon fell immediately, a burn mark on his scales.

And then, the Dark Cloud entered into Castle Grayskull. Five minutes until midnight. Until moonrise. Any more resistance would be easy to handle. He tore through the doors of the throne room, and confronted the final players in this foolish game.

The Sorceress, who sat at the throne of Grayskull. Kings Randor, Stephan and Queen Johanna of the Eternos kingdoms. Queen Angella of Brightmoon on Etheria. Man-At-Arms and Teela of Eternos. Skeletor and King Hiss, masters of Snake Mountain. Hordak of the Horde, and currently the wielder of the power of the Elders.

Easy pickings.

"For Eternia!" shouted Randor, Stephan and Johanna. They rushed forward with their blades, fully intending on going down fighting. The Dark Cloud didn't give them that pleasure when he knocked them against the floor.

Man-At-Arms and Queen Angella went at the Dark Cloud with everything they had. It was a little more than nothing against a being such as this.

King Hiss launched himself towards the Dark Cloud, but his presence did little for the Dark Cloud. He was defeated quickly.

"The throne of Grayskull will be mine," the Dark Cloud stated clearly.

"NO! IT SHALL NOT!" yelled Hordak then, stepping in front of him. "THE POWER OF THE COUNCIL OF ELDERS SPEAKS THROUGH ME AND DENIES YOU!"

The power brillant white light shined from the core of Hordak and blasted outwards. The Dark Cloud was suddenly staggered by all of this. Streams of energy poured from Hordak's body as the Elders emptied themselves from their former apprentice and assaulted this great evil.

The Dark Cloud, with great effort, reached forward and slammed his hand onto the face of Hordak. The Horde Master let out a yell as the Elders power at last faded from him.

Teela grasped the hilt of her sword and dashed towards the Dark Cloud. She didn't even get close to him before he threw the body of Hordak into her.

The Sorceress now stood before him. "ONE MINUTE REMAINING," the Dark Cloud rumbled/spoke. "NO MORE TRICKS?"

"Only us!" shouted He-Man and She-Ra, thrusting their swords into the Dark Cloud's back. He spun around and smacked them all away.

He then grabbed the Sorceress by the neck. "OUT OF MY WAY!" he beckoned and threw her from the throne.

Just as the Dark Cloud was about to sit down, a figure leapt up from the shadows. Skeletor, wielding his own blade, slammed right into Dark Cloud. He then threw his sword across the Dark Cloud's chest, and then blasted him with his Chaos Staff.

The Dark Cloud fell from the throne. Skeletor stood before the Great Eye of the Universe once more as the cranks began to turn, about to open it up.

"Grayskull's great power shall be mine once again!" he declared.

Unexpectedly, slim fist came from his side. The Sorceress then kicked him in the gut, and shoved him away from the throne. She now stood in his place . . . and the Great Eye of the Universe opened up upon her.

A firery orange light shined down upon her and she lifted up her arms. Her wings spread out and her whole body came alive with power. All eyes fell upon her as she claimed the power of Grayskull once and for all.

"The power of Grayskull is mine once more," she declared. She then turned to the Dark Cloud. "Now . . . get out of my castle."

The Dark Cloud stood to full power. "I CAN STILL KILL YOU!" he spoke/thundered. Energy blasted out of him and struck the Sorceress.

The others all surrounded him and readied themselves for a battle to the death. "This ends now," said He-Man as he, She-Ra, and Zodak started to charge the great enemy.

"INDEED IT DOES! I SHALL DESTROY ALL OF GRAYSKULL!"

"No! You won't!" yelled Teela then, wielding the Sword of the Ancients.

"YOU! WHAT CAN ONE SMALL GIRL DO TO STOP ME!?"

"This!" she shouted, lifting up the Sword of the Ancients. The runes on the blade glowed blue as she leapt up and slammed it into the chest of the Dark Cloud.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Blue light broke through the living storm that was his body. Parts of him began to blast open, his entire body fading away. She pulled the sword out and the body dissipated. All that was left of him was a red orb that flared brightly.

"He-Man! She-Ra! Destroy the orb! It is his purest form!" shouted Zodak.

She-Ra lifted her Sword of Protection and slammed the blade against the orb. The glowing red orb cracked.

He-Man lifted his Sword of Power then and stabbed the orb full in. The orb exploded, red light filling every window of Grayskull.

When the light faded, all that remained of the Dark Cloud was grain of black sand on the floor of Grayskull. Zodak walked over to it and ensnared the sand into an energy container. "It done. I shall take this far from this universe."

He-Man nodded, exhausted. "Good. Victory!"

She-Ra raised her fist. "Victory!"

"Not exactly!" yelled Skeletor, coming to his feet. "We stand in Grayskull! It shall be ours!"

King Hiss placed his hand onto Skeletor's shoulder. "Not this day, Skeletor. Their people outnumber our people. We are surrounded. I believe it's best if we pull out."

Skeletor hissed at the Snake king, but then looked around. It was true. Randor, Stephan, Johanna, He-Man, She-Ra, Teela, the Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, Angella - even Hordak.

"We'll gladly escort you out, though," He-Man said with a smile.

Skeletor said nothing as they all walked towards the drawbridge of Grayskull. Outside, the freed soldiers cheered and shouted as one when they arrived. It was over. This war was won.

As Skeletor, Hordak, King Hiss and the others went their separate ways and the armies began to move out, He-Man went to talk to the Sorceress.

"That was pretty close," he said clearly.

The Sorceress nodded. "Indeed it was. But the day is won, He-Man. It is time to rest. The threat is over."

He-Man nodded and made for the drawbridge. Before he left though, he turned back to face the Sorceress. "Sorceress . . ."

"Yes?"

"You did well."

She smiled at the warrior. "Thank you."

He-Man walked out of Grayskull and watched as the rest of the troops departed. He smiled at this, because he knew - inside - that this was one of the finest days in all Eternian history. The sun was starting to come over the horizon, sending warm light through the lands. It was quite beautiful.

"Nice sight," Teela said, coming up to him. "Hi He-Man."

"Hi Teela. Yes it is," He-Man greeted. "I thought I saw Adam around here somewhere . . ."

She attempted a smile, but it turned in a concerned look. "Adam, heh. I um, I kinda worked myself into a problem with him."

To this, He-Man was surprised. As Adam, he and Teela shared a very wonderful night. "What do you mean?"

"I mean . . . I guess . . . I was just . . . it's stupid and mean . . ."

He-Man shook his head. "What happened?"

"Last night, Adam and I . . . we kissed. And I told him I loved him."

He-Man nodded. "That's good. How is that a problem?"

Teela bit her lip uncomfortably. "I . . . um . . . I don't."

He-Man's eyes grew wide. "What?!"

"Yeah. I . . . I was . . . I guess I was . . ."

"Was what? What were you doing?"

"I was projecting my feelings for someone else onto him."

He-Man perked an eyebrow. "Well, who is it then? Who do you love?"

She looked at him and looked deeply into his blue eyes. "You. I love you, He-Man, and not Prince Adam."