Chapter Six
Hordak walked along the large platform, then bowed before the swirling mass at the end. The mass flashed and thundered as Hordak bowed before his master - Horde Prime. "Master, I have recovered the Jewel of Amara. What is it you wish me to do with it?"
There was a rumble, then a voice that sounded like marble scrapping concrete. "Build an army . . . then go forth to Eternia and take what we lost."
Hordak nodded and stood up. "Yes, great Horde Prime."
Meanwhile, back on Eternia . . .
Skeletor gruffed to himself as he scanned Randor, Stephan and Johanna. They, who had betrayed him so many years ago, dragged him along towards a meeting with Skytree. Skeletor was angry - possibly angrier than he had ever been. His continually reached towards his power, only to find that it wasn't there. The Jewel of Amara had such a profound affect on him - accompanied by whatever spells the accursed Sorceress had placed on him.
The sun was setting and moonrise would be soon. Maybe then, his powers would start to return to him. Darkness always fueled him -
"Skeletor," whispered Johanna. He looked up and saw her staring at him. There was something in her eyes, something he had not seen since those days many years ago.
"What do you want?"
She stared at him curiously, as though her eyes were probing deep into his soul. "Are you okay?"
He grunted harshly. "Fine."
There was a quick snort from the other side of the Attack Track. Skeletor and Johanna both looked at the source. Stephan was toying with his sword, and glared at Skeletor suspiciously.
"What do you want?" hissed Skeletor.
Stephan stood up, and holding his sword upright. "You were always one of long-winded speeches and boastings. But the ever since you left Eternos, you've been quiet. What's on your mind . . . Keldor?"
Skeletor suddenly snapped to attention, straining at his bounds. "DO NOT CALL ME THAT!"
"Ha ha ha!" laughed Stephan. "Look at you, Keldor, so powerless it's driving you mad!"
"THAT IS NOT MY NAME!"
"But it is your name," came Johanna's voice, her eyes searching within him still. "It is the name that mother and father gave to you. It is the name you were born with. No matter what happens to you, you'll still be Keldor to - "
"NEVER!" yelled Skeletor. "Know this, I am not the man who was your brother! I am Skeletor! Keldor died the moment THIS happened!" he snapped, lifting up his face. The rising moonlight shined off his yellow skull. "And you will all pay for what your betrayal!"
Randor put the controls on automatic, then turned back to Skeletor. "Let's keep one thing straight," he started, "you were the one that betrayed us."
Skeletor snorted. "Watch your backs! All of you! I will kill you all!" Skeletor muscles tensed and his hands turned to fists. With all his might, he reached for his missing magic, still finding it depleted. Anger filled his body, making him want to kill everyone right now.
A gentle hand fell onto his shoulder. "Keldor . . . Skeletor . . . whatever you wish to be called . . . we want to help you. And if you help us destroy want our forefathers created, we will."
"NO! I do not want your help! Never!"
Johanna closed her eyes, then reopened them and looked to her two older brothers. She then looked back at Skeletor. "You're still our brother. No matter what."
For a mere fraction of a second, there was glimmer in the darkness of Skeletor's eyes. His expression changed, and Keldor seemed to reemerge. But as soon as it appeared, it was snapped away.
"How kind of you to say," Skeletor mocked. "If not foolhardy. The Jewel of Amara can not be destroyed. It was created to serve the royal family and it will serve me. When I escape I shall use it to conquer all of Eternia."
The others sighed deeply, then strode away. Skeletor felt something in the pit of his stomach that told him just how transparent his threat had been.
Back at Eternos . . .
She-Ra and He-Man ran into the Throne Room, followed by Queen Angella and Man-At-Arms. "Queen Marlena, we have a problem," He-Man said.
"Hordaks forces are building. He's planning an invasion of Eternia."
Marlena stood up, shocked by this news. "I thought the Horde ceased their attacks on Eternia."
"With the Jewel of Amara, Hordak is feeling much more confident," Man-At-Arms explained. "As the ruling member of the Eternos, it is your word we must follow."
Marlena nodded. "Prepare the troops. Queen Angella, I respectfully ask - "
Angella raised her hand and smiled. "Members of the Great Rebellion will help you. Our experience in fighting with the Horde will be invaluable."
"Thank you."
Meanwhile, finally, the Attack Track stopped in the middle of a huge forest, and Randor, Stephan, Johanna, and a shackled Skeletor, all stepped out. The moon had completely risen, casting a blue light through the canopy of the forest. White pedals rained around them and even Skeletor felt awed by such a wonderous sight.
"You have come so far . . ." a voice came. It was deep and creaked throughout the forest. The sound of tree limbs lurching in the wind filled the air.
"Skytree," addressed Randor. Before him, a large oak had seemingly come to life, speaking with a mouth and looking with two eyes. Randor bowed, as did Stephan and Johanna. Skeletor, though, continued to stand.
"You do not bow before the oldest creature on all of Eternia?" questioned Skytree. "I must respect that, son of Miro."
"I am no longer a son of Miro," Skeletor retorted. He could hear the others tense up. "I am darkness. I am Skeletor."
Skytree made a noise that sounded almost like a laugh. "Indeed you are. But you can not destroy the blood runs through you. It is why you sought the Jewel of Amara, is it not? Stand, please, all of you."
"Thank you, Skytree," Randor said, eyes glancing at Skeletor.
"Forgive us for our brother," Johanna said.
"The children of Miro. Your ancestors went to the Council of Elders and asked them to create great weapons to keep the forces of evil at bay. The Jewel of Amara was chief among them. But Gray, the man who would become He-Ro, banished the Jewel when he realized its great destructive power. He knew that no man, in his lineage or not, should use this great weapon.
"And yet . . . Keldor has. Despite his very roots, Keldor - or Skeletor, as he is called - betrayed that which Gray enforced many years ago. And yet, Randor, honoring his roots, comes to fix the mistakes that Keldor has. The children of Miro honor their roots.
"As," he started, then adding a small chuckle, "do I. The Council of Elders feared that this may occur and prepared for it. Only the combined power of Castle Grayskull and an heir to the lineage of Gray and the royal family can destroy the Jewel of Amara."
Randor sighed and nodded.
Eternos was a buzz with activity. Teela had placed all guards along the walls, all civilians were being held in emergency shelters, which were heavily guarded. Heroic Warriors and Great Rebellion members were readying themselves for a battle of which Eternia had not seen in a long time.
"Where is father?" He-Man asked She-Ra as they stood alone in front of the gates of Eternos.
"I more curious as to why he took Skeletor with him. Our aunt and uncle makes sense, but why Skeletor?"
Just then, the voice of Man-At-Arms broke their conversation. "Your majesty, with all due respect, you can not do this!"
Queen Marlena appeared then, with Man-At-Arms in quick tow. She-Ra and He-Man exchanged looks, realizing that she had traded her beautiful dress for that of a warrior. "I can and I will," she said. "I am the Queen and I will fight with my people. And the last time Hordak attacked Eternos, he hurt me more deeply than I ever thought possible. I will fight, Man-At-Arms. So says the queen."
Man-At-Arms nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, of course, your majesty."
"Thank you," Marlena responded. She glanced at He-Man and She-Ra, then back to Man-At-Arms. "Have you spoken to my children?"
Man-At-Arms withheld looking at She-Ra and He-Man. "Yes. They're protected."
"Good. If we fall here, they will be are only chance."
Suddenly, there was a sound like thunder, and flashes of golden light nearly a mile away. Large portals opened, and Horde Troopers marched out. Leading them was Hordak, riding on his Mantisaur, with the Jewel of Amara dangling around his neck.
He-Man and She-Ra looked at each other, then back to the Queen Marlena and Man-At-Arms. "Prepare for battle," was all the queen said.
Thunderous horns roared, and the soldiers prepared their weapons. The Heroic Warriors and the Great Rebellion stood up, ready for what was coming. The sound of mechanical boots came crashing down on the soil, all lead by Hordak.
He-Man and She-Ra hopped onto their respective rides - Battle Cat and Swift Wind - and turned to the heroes behind them.
"Be fast and ready," She-Ra advised. "Horde Troopers are expecting a frontal assault. If we divide and conquer, we'll be able to catch them off guard. As soon as we strike through Hordak and his elite, push through the center lines. Aim for the heart of the army. All soldiers will follow through then, moving around and into the Troopers."
"Whatever happens, do your best to stay out of the effects of the Jewel of Amara. Trust me, it's not pleasant," He-Man continued. "She-Ra and I will keep Hordak distracted. The rest of you, work on the Horde elite and push into the center. Don't stop moving, no matter what."
Teela looked to He-Man then. "Are you ready?"
"Yes. Open the gates!"
The gates of Eternos opened up and He-Man and She-Ra lead the contingent of Heroic Warriors and Great Rebellion down towards the Horde Army before them. Just as the pair were about to clash, there was a sudden blast from the sky.
Hordak and He-Man looked over to see King Hiss and Evil Lynn leading the Evil Warriors and the Snake Men towards Hordak and his Horde Elite.
"The Jewel of Amara belongs to Skeletor!" shouted King Hiss, immediately clashing with Hordak.
"FORWARD!" shouted He-Man. He was shocked at King Hiss's sudden loyalty, but didn't have time to dwell on it. Neither of them deserved to have the Jewel of Amara.
The battle was joined immediately. Grizzlor and Beast-Man snarled at each other, then lashed out, ripping and biting at the other. Bow fired his arrows at Tri-Klops only to have them blasted away be his eye beams. Leech began to suck off Ssqueeze's energy. Manteena fell to Ram Man's head-bunt. Evil Lynn blasted away Catra.
As the conflict continued, He-Man spotted Randor, Stephan, Johanna, and Skeletor rushing towards him. "He-Man, only the lineage of the royal family and the power of Grayskull can destroy the Jewel of Amara. Since you posses the power of Grayskull and I - "
"- and you are the king," He-Man continued for him. "We can do it, but give me a moment."
King Hiss had managed to get Hordak off of the Mantisaur and the two were engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Hordak was just about to use the Jewel of Amara on first ruler of Snake Mountain - when He-Man punched him suddenly in the face. King Hiss was shocked, but even moreso when She-Ra kicked him in the stomach.
His hands formed into snakes, which snapped and hissed at She-Ra. She leapt back, and his snakes snapped once more, stretching out towards her. She-Ra glanced quickly at He-Man, who was keeping Hordak distracted long enough not to use the Jewel of Amara.
"He-Man!"
He-Man glanced over and nodded. Hordak took the moment to use the Jewel of Amara. Just as he did, King Hiss lurched once more towards She-Ra. The pair - He-Man and She-Ra - leapt out of the way. The Jewel of Amara fired at King Hiss right as the snakes dug into Hodark's shoulders.
King Hiss fell to the ground, his worst fears taking over his mind. Hordak fell as well, poison filling his body. But the leader of the Horde pushed himself up, and reached for the Jewel of Amara.
But before his fingers could grasp around the crystal, a foot connected with his face. Skeletor stood there, and reached for the Jewel of Amara.
Randor slammed into him, throwing Skeletor away from the Jewel. He-Man rushed over and picked up the Jewel. He was about to slam the Sword of Power into it, when he felt a sharp burning sensation in his ankle. He looked down to see King Hiss. The snake man had somehow found a way through the dark nightmares to strike at He-Man.
She-Ra smashed her fists against him, then headed towards He-Man's fallen form and the Jewel. But right when she did, a beam from Hordak knocked down next to her brother. Hordak pulled himself up, thanks to the Shadow Weaver.
Skeletor pushed Randor away from him and managed towards the Jewel of Amara. He picked it up and cradled in his arms. Randor pulled out his sword and kept at Skeletor's throat.
"I don't want to kill you," he said. A pang of remorse came through him. This man was his brother, but he couldn't risk the destruction Keldor - Skeletor - might do with it.
"If I can not have the Jewel of Amara," Skeletor spoke, "then I will use its power to destroy itself!"
"That's impossible, Skeletor. Only the - "
But Randor's voice seemed lost as the Jewel of Amara began to glow brilliantly. His sword dropped as energy began to pulsate within the crystal and it seemed to implode. With a flash of power and a thunderous crack, the Jewel of Amara completely vanished - destroyed by Skeletor's own hands.
For a moment, there was stunned silence. Hordak gathered himself up and looked upon his army and saw that it had suffered great devastation. "Your orders?" asked Shadow Weaver.
"Get us back to the Fright Zone before this poison gets the best of me. Signal a retreat."
Great portals suddenly opened up and the Horde Troopers rushed through them. Skeletor, likewise, turned to Evil Lynn.
"Grab King Hiss and let's get out of here!" he shouted, rushing off.
Randor and his siblings made no effort to go after the man that had been their brother.
A few days passed and He-Man made a full recovery from King Hiss's poison. Adam and Adora decided to join their mother and father before Adora left for Etheria. The four were in the courtyard, bright springtime flowers in bloom and the warmth of the sun shining down on them.
"Our family is very important to us," Randor said to them. "We must never forget where we come from. The strength of who we are is determine by those who came before us. The ones that forged the way and whose roots we have grown from."
He looked at his two children. "Never forget that. And never forget how proud I am of you."
Randor, Marlena, Adam and Adora all hugged. But even in such a loving embrace, Randor's mind reached out to his long lost brother, wishing that his father had said that to Keldor . . .
King Hiss joined Skeletor in his throne room. Skeletor had kept to himself since the battle, and barely said a word to anyone. "You're up to something, Skeletor," King Hiss accused immediately.
"I am not," Skeletor answered.
King Hiss looked at his partner in evil slyly. "You've changed, Skeletor. You acknowledged a part of your life that you abandoned and looked at with scorn so that you could access the powers of the Jewel of Amara. But when you finally had the Jewel of Amara, you destroyed it. Why is that, hmmm? Could it be that opening that part of your life brought out long locked away feelings that you hadn't counted on?"
Skeletor looked up at King Hiss. "Don't make me laugh, King Hiss."
"You didn't destroy the Jewel of Amara, did you?"
The master of Snake Mountain reached into his belt and retrieved the Jewel of Amara. "Something I plan on saving for a rainy day, King Hiss."
"They'll be suspicious, you know. Only the combination of a royal family member and the power of Grayskull can destroy it. It's only a matter of time before the Sorceress or Skytree finds out it's still around."
Skeletor chuckled, then grinned at King Hiss. "Why, King Hiss, I have all the time in the world . . ."