Chapter Six

"Brother versus Sister"

"He-Man, my brother, stop this. Now. The Spirit of Evil drives you, not the good that is within. I do not wish to draw my sword and fight you."

He-Man smiled. "Now that's too bad - because I do!"

The Sword of Power in hand, He-Man jumped off of Battle-Cat. She-Ra leapt into the air, the Sword of Protection firmly in her grasp.

The two swords clanged together and the battle began.

She-Ra and He-Man landed opposite each other, and then turned and faced one another. Both each were in a battle-ready stance, swords out and gleaming in the sunlight. Tension held in the air for a moment, and then the two broke and moved towards the other.

She-Ra ran forward, avoiding He-Man's first swing and landing her sword against his during his second. He-Man pulled back, then, and made for a clean punch. She-Ra blocked his incoming fist and kicked him in the stomach. She-Ra stepped back then, and threw her leg out for a kick in He-Man's face.

He-Man, though, grabbed her ankle mid-kick. He was about to break it, when She-Ra yanked back, causing He-Man to tumble forward. With her other leg, she managed to kick him in the face three times. He-Man snarled and leapt into the air, Sword of Power raised.

She-Ra did the same, leaping towards his mid-air body. Two cuts were made and the two landed opposite of each other, blooding dripping from their blades.

First blood went to both of them.

***

"I can't watch this," muttered Marlena from one of the towers. Her two children were battling it - liken to kill one another. Her stomach wrenched at the thought of losing one of them to the other. "I've got to stop it."

"No yet, your highness," the Sorceress pressed, putting her hand on the Queen's shoulder. "Not yet."

Marlena looked away from her sadly and went back into the Castle Grayskull, where Orko went to console her. The Sorceress touched her temples lightly and reached with her mind, making telepathic contact with Light-Hope. Light-Hope, keeper of the Crystal Castle on Etheria, responded. Are you prepared? questioned the Sorceress.

As best as one can be for these things. But He-Man must in the right state of mind to undergo such an incredible burst. Can you put him where he needs to be?

The Sorceress looked down at the battle gravely. They were once more fighting with swords, clanging together, slashing . . .

Yes, she returned.

***

"Father, this is Teela. Come in!" Teela said over the comm-link.

Man-At-Arms pressed a key on his wrist. "Don't address me as your father on a mission, Teela. What is it?"

"I've found some of the others. Buzz-Off and Stratos have sustained major injuries, as has Fisto and Ram-Man."

"Find the others and regroup at the glen. Recover any injured bodies. And Teela?"

"Yes, Man-At-Arms," replied the young Captain, remembering her father's scolding.

"I'm authorizing lethal force against the Great Rebellion. You find anyone that's part of that group, you kill them."

***

Mermista, Netossa, and Perfuma ran through the forest, towing behind them Roboto, Extendar, and Moss Man in large system of nets. They came across Glimmer and Sunder, who were standing side-by-side next to the fallen bodies of Rio Blast and Snout Spout.

"Good to see you guys made out pretty well," Glimmer said. "Best to net up these two, Netossa. I'm worried they'll wake soon."

Netossa went to work, large and tightly woven nets coming over their unconscious bodies. They joined Roboto, Extendar, and Moss Man.

"Now what?"

"I haven't from my mother yet, but - "

A sudden explosion erupted right between then. Mekaneck and Sy-Klone leapt out from the forest, ready for a renewed fight.

"Take cover!" yelled Sunder, watching as Mekaneck retrieved small orbs from his belt. These orbs, Sunder recognized, were bombs. Sy-Klone took them then and sent them sailing through the air. Gust of wind under his command sent them straight for the Great Rebellion.

Glimmer went to work swiftly, creating a force field to protect them. The explosion erupted against the energy shield, but it had weakened her. Glimmer felt Sunder help her up. Mekaneck and Sy-Klone leapt up, ready to battle them.

Just then, two pure beams of energy fired down from the sky. They struck Sy-Klone and Mekaneck, throwing the two backwards. Glimmer, Sunder, Netossa, Perfuma, and Mermista all looked up to see Sorrowful arrive, carrying the unconscious forms of Madame Razz, Broom, Kowl, Spinnerella, Frosta, and Castaspella. Beside him were Flutterina, Sweet Bee, and Queen Angella, who was carrying bow.

"I thought you passed out!" yelled Sy-Klone to Sorrowful as the dragon landed, gently laying his allies on the grass.

"I woke him up," said Angella.

Right as she said that, Glimmer fired a second energy beam at Mekaneck, and the Heroic Warrior fell to the ground unconscious. Sy-Klone, distracted, fell by a beam produced by both Glimmer and Angella.

"Leave them," Angella ordered, pointing to all of the Heroic Warriors. "Glimmer, tend to Bow. Mermista, Perfuma, wake the others. Sunder, Netossa, Sorrowful, keep a sharp eye for - "

A spear suddenly shot from a branch and hit Angella in her left wing. Angella screamed in agony as blood gushed from the wound. Her white wing was suddenly stained red as the blood poured.

"Mother!" cried Glimmer.

Teela dropped from the branch, laser pistol in one hand, and the Sword of the Ancients in the other. Glimmer fired a beam of energy at Teela. Teela reeled around, the beam striking the Sword of the Ancients instead. The impact created a feedback, sending Glimmer to the ground in shock.

Ram-Man, Clamp Champ, Rotar, and Man-E-Faces then appeared behind Teela. "My father has authorized lethal combat, kids," Teela said with a rueful smile on her face. "Time to die. GET THEM!"

Just as the group was about to charge, a wall of plants grew swiftly from the ground. It surrounded the Great Rebellion, but they all knew it wouldn't last.

"Good . . . job, Perfuma," gasped Angella, her once white left wing now crimson with blood. The queen of Brightmoon looked to Sunder. Sunder nodded and took control of the situation.

Sunder turned immediately to the awakening Madame Razz. "Razz, help the queen! She's losing a lot of blood!"

"Right - right on it," stammered Madame Razz, coming awake and aware at last.

"Frosta! Is Frosta awake yet?"

"Yeah, just barely," replied Frosta.

"We need a wall of ice to support the wall of plants. Get to it."

"Piece of . . . ice cream cake," gasped Frosta, finally getting to her feet. She outstretched her arm, fingers pointed towards the wall of plants. A large, solid sheet of ice formed behind it, protecting them momentarily.

"Someone try and get in touch with Castle Grayskull. We need reinforcements. We need help. In the meantime, that wall won't last forever. This is what we do . . ."

***

He-Man was done holding back. Sister or no sister, She-Ra was going down. He slammed his fist into her stomach, then threw a second one across her face. She-Ra gasped at the impact and went to return the favor, but He-Man grabbed hold of her wrist and twisted it. The fist fell apart. He-Man then rammed his knee into her other arm, sending the Sword of Protection to the ground. He-Man then pulled his foot back and kicked the back of She-Ra's knee. She crumbled to the ground. He-Man punched her in the face, breaking her nose.

Just as he was about to punch her again, She-Ra ripping her hand free and blocked the punch. She pushed back on his fist and sent her brother stumbling back. She scrambled forward, throwing both fists into his stomach. She spun around, then, and her boot foot slammed across his cheek. She kicked it again with her other one. A jab to the neck caused He-Man to gasp hard, and She-Ra landed a punch in the face.

"STOP THIS!" she cried.

"NEVER!"

He-Man threw his thundering fist against her ribcage. She-Ra doubled-over as her ribs cracked. Another punch went to her back, and She-Ra gasped as she heard a crack. A third punched went to her hip. He-Man's fourth punch landed on her chest.

She-Ra, mustering all of her mighty, heaved a mighty fist right at his brother's head. Blood sputtered from his mouth as her punch ran him straight through. He staggered backwards. She-Ra jumped forward, fingers interlocked as she smashed her fists upon his right shoulder. She sent a fist into her brother's neck.

He-Man sent a fist towards her, but She-Ra blocked, then turned around to hit him. He-Man blocked that one, and swept his foot around to knock her down. She-Ra leapt up and kicked in him in the face.

"TRAITOR!" screamed He-Man. "You should be helping us!"

"NO, ADAM! YOU'RE NOT THINKING!"

"I'M NOT ADAM!" roared He-Man then. He sent a fist towards her, which was thankfully blocked. "I AM HE-MAN! I HAVE THE POWER!"

"So do I and I won't let you take Castle Grayskull!"

She-Ra reached for his face, but He-Man pummeled her in the ribcage once more. He grasped her neck and held tightly on it.

"This is it," He-Man said sternly, eyes filled with a sudden hatred that She-Ra had never known her twin brother to have.

"No . . . Adam . . . don't you see what you've become?" gasped She-Ra. He-Man held her above the ground, her feet dangling freely.

"Go to Hell."

"You've become your own worst enemy!"

He-Man looked away in denial. "Shut up, She-Ra."

Despite the tightening of his grasp, She-Ra continued to speak. "You've become Skeletor . . . you're just like him . . ."

A blaze of fury filled every fiber of He-Man's being. He swung his fist around and let it run right into She-Ra. He let go of her at that precise moment. Blood shooting from her mouth, She-Ra was thrown a good ten feet back.

He-Man bent down and lifted up the Sword of Power. She-Ra spit blood out of her mouth - and a tooth, she thought - and landed hard on her back right in front of Grayskull. She looked at her brother and saw something that she would never forget. Hatred . . . and death in his eyes. He held the Sword of Power high, as if ready to strike and finish her.

"DO IT!" she screamed at him, barely able to stand up. "I'll even help you." She-Ra snatched up the Sword of Protection and said the words. "Let the power return!"

He-Man paused slightly as light and energy appeared on his sister. She transformed, suddenly, into Adora. "End it, Adam, just get it over with. I'm done fighting you."

Adora tossed the Sword of Protection aside. "I'm tired of seeing my brother turn into another Hordak, Hiss or Skeletor." He-Man paced picked up. "Kill me."

He-Man reached her and grabbed the back of her head, his large fingers intermixing with her soft blond hair. He lifted her up, the sword pulled back and pointed at the abdomen.

"DO IT!" shouted Adora.

He-Man paused, and looked into the eyes of his twin sister. There was something there, something he recognized. Something he had known. Something that was still within himself . . .

"You can't do it, can you?" Adora gasped, feeling the blade press slightly against her stomach. He-Man let go her head, and Adora's feet touched the ground once more. "I knew there was still some good left in you."

"No, Adora," He-Man returned. "There no good left in me. Only evil."

The Sword of Power pushed forward . . . straight through Adora's stomach and out through her back. Adora gasped, blood rising from her mouth. She gargled slightly, her breath going shallow. He-Man pulled his sword back and watched as his own twin sister crumbled to ground, blood pouring from her fatal wound . . .

"No," he muttered. "No. No! NO! NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! NOOOOOO!!! What have I done?! WHAT HAVE I DONE?!"

A sudden bright light shone onto him. The Sorceress, from one of the towers, was the one creating such power. It ripped through him, tearing at his mind and body. A portal then opened above him.

"Light-Hope!" shouted the Sorceress. "NOW!"

A thunderous energy crushed He-Man, sending him to his knees. Voices roared in both his ears and mind. The power of Grayskull warped around him. Perverted and darkened from the Spirit of Evil, it began to transform once more. The Sword of Power lit up brilliantly in He-Man's hand. It felt hot and cold at both the same time.

His armor shattered as the combined power of Light-Hope and the Sorceress worked through He-Man. The power that was Grayskull turned evil was being restored by these two. The Spirit of Evil's influence on Grayskull was waning.

Battle-Cat roared as the effect splashed onto him, tearing into him and transforming what the Spirit of Evil had one.

In one final burst of power, He-Man and Battle-Cat faded away. Adam took his place and collapsed to the ground in a heap next to Cringer.

The drawbridge opened suddenly, and Marlena rushed out to her daughter. Orko followed her close behind. Marlena held up Adora in her arms, and checked for a pulse. She was alive, but barely. Marlena found a strength within and carried inside Castle Grayskull. Orko snatched up the Sword of Protection and followed.

Orko then flew back out and dragged both Adam and the Sword of Power into the Castle, Spirit in close pursuit. The drawbridge slammed shut.

Watching from a nearby boulder, Man-At-Arms shook his head in anger. "Damn it," he muttered. "Man-At-Arms to Teela. Teela do you copy?"

***

The wall had just shattered and the battle had just begun when Teela comm-line opened. "Teela, do you copy?"

"Man-At-Arms! What is it?"

"Pull back. Head back to Eternos."

"What?!" she questioned, dodging an ice spike from Frosta. "Why? What happened?"

There was short pause before her father replied. "We lost He-Man. He's turned against us. As has Adam. Gather as many as you can and meet me back at Eternos. We can't win this one."

Teela signaled to the others to lay down cover fire. Mekaneck and Man-E-Faces did as the Heroic Warriors pulled their unconscious comrades back into the forest, and moved southward.

"What about She-Ra, Man-At-Arms?" asked Teela.

"She's dead."