Chapter Two
"Tests"
Day Two:
His foot dropped onto the ground; the mud squished beneath He-Man's boot. His other foot then lifted and met with the same fate. This continued on and on, and the hero of Eternia marched up the slope. His eyes looked up at this goal. Behind a small forest was the top of a tall mountain.
In the distance, thunderclouds gathered and were moving to meet him at the mountain. Opposition perhaps, but most likely not.
Behind him, the trusty Battle-Cat slopped his large paws into the mud, the crash of the ocean waves behind them both. At the beach, between Battle-Cat and the ocean, a Wind-Raider sat ready for them when the task would be completed.
Logically, he should have taken the Wind-Raider up to the top of the mountain. But LifeDeath told him upon their last meeting that "there were some places where technology did not belong." This was one of them. He-Man and Battle-Cat's quest for the Ancients had taken them to this small island in the Harmony Sea, where LifeDeath had told them they would find her siblings.
As noon came across the isle, He-Man reached the top of the mountain. Battle-Cat, caked in mud, looked at himself. "He-Man, as much as I don't like water - when we're done with this, I'm getting a bath."
He-Man said nothing in return as he retrieved the Sword of the Ancients. "I need to concentrate, Battle-Cat."
"Sorry."
After glancing at the nearing thunderstorm, He-Man slammed the blade into the mountain. The runes glowed red.
"Elemental Ancients, Eternia needs you!" He-Man declared.
The ground shook then, and right beyond the Sword of the Ancients, the rocks and dirt of the mountain began to churn. They took shape and form and became a man made of earth. He stretched out his stone arms and groaned deeply.
"Who awakens the Ancient of the ground?"
He-Man stood stately before the Ancient. "I, He-Man, protector of Castle Grayskull and guardian of Eternia. Your brother, Procrustus, has died and the Light Hemisphere has become - "
Ground groaned, but He-Man now realized it was a yawn. "Yes, yes. Whatever. You want my siblings?"
"Yes!" He-Man insisted.
At that moment, the storm reached the mountain. Lightning struck down and hit a tree down in the sparse forest. A flame exploded, and then became a fireball and launched up the side of the mountain. The fireball took its place next to Ground and took the shape of a man.
"I am Fire! Who has need of me?"
"I, He-Man, protector of - "
"He is that one from Grayskull!" grumbled Ground. "He's demanding that we join together on a quest to get the Light Hemisphere Light again."
A sizzling noise emanated from Fire, a noise that He-Man associated with puzzlement or wonder. "Curious."
It was then the wind picked up. It twisted and twirled around them - and then, a cloud of dust appeared, spinning in the twirling winds. It took the shape of a woman.
"What is this?" Wind asked, her voice like an echo.
"It is about Procrustus," Fire replied. "The Rising Son has summoned us and wants the rest of the family to go up against the Spirit of Evil."
He-Man blinked. 'Rising Son?' It had not been the first he was called it, but it was still new.
He was about to question it, when it began to rain. The water poured from the sky, but seemed to totally avoid Fire. The rain then spun around and took the form of another woman.
"What is this I hear about our summoning for Procrustus' sake?" Water questioned, her voice like the ocean waves below.
He-Man took a breath. "I am He-Man, protector of Eternia, and guardian of the secrets of Castle Grayskull. I am the wielder of the Sword of Power!"
"We know who you are," said Ground.
"We know what you're up to," Fire added.
"Our brother fell because of you, but none of what happened is of any consequence to us anymore," Water told him.
"Leave us now," Wind tacked on.
He-Man shook his head. "No. You will follow me to center of Eternia and you will aide myself and LifeDeath in the battle to free Eternia from the Spirit of Evil."
"No," Ground retorted. "We shall not."
"Fine then. Be that way. Cat?"
He-Man and Battle-Cat leapt into action. Battle-Cat leapt into Water, disrupting her form. At the same time, He-Man bolted for Wind faster than any of the elemental Ancients could fathom. He-Man gripped Wind and pushed her against Fire. At that moment, just as He-Man planned, Ground bounded forth.
Fireballs shot from Wind as she was slammed against Fire. The fireballs struck Ground hard, partially turning his body to lava and melting it. Wind was gone, so was Ground. Battle-Cat leapt out of Water, and He-Man gave a quick (and hot) kick to Fire and the two Ancients were knocked into each other.
"I can defeat you a thousand times over," He-Man told them as he stood with Battle-Cat. He lifted up the Sword of the Ancients. The Ground, Fire, Water, and Wind runes were glowing red, and the whole blade was pure white. "But I think your time would be better spent helping me save Eternia. You are at my mercy."
"Mercy!?" laughed Ground, his body reshaping.
"We are at no one's mercy," added Fire.
"But we have respect for you, champion of Grayskull, newfound respect," Water told him.
"And we shall join you," Wind ended.
Ground then spoke once more. "You will four of siblings - the Powers: Strength, Thought, Heart, and Population - next."
Fire followed up. "They are at coordinates 143117."
Water continued. "They will be helpful."
Wind finished. "But you will be tested."
He-Man smiled and nodded as the Ancients took their basic forms and soared into their respective runes on the Sword of the Ancients.
"Five Ancients in twenty-four hours, Cat. Not bad, huh?"
"No, He-Man. Not bad at all."
***
"This was a mistake."
"You had no choice."
"A dozen and half females and I'm the one that had to get pregnant with an Ancient? Just because I was - "
"Hey, I didn't ask for details, did I?"
"Shut up, SeaHawk."
"Oh, I see how it is - "
"Get out of my way. I'm gonna puke."
She-Ra made a mad dash for the side of the boat, and leaned over the railing. SeaHawk winced as the champion of Etheria surrendered to the effects of morning sickness. She had only been pregnant for close to two days (the equivalent of three months), but was gaining girth in her midsection already.
"This was a mistake," she repeated, stepping from the edge of the boat.
"You said that already."
She-Ra sat down one of the chairs, a hand against the bulge at her belly. "Ohhhh. Shut up please."
"Okay," SeaHawk replied, the smile falling from his face. He turned back to the navigation equipment for a few moments as She-Ra made herself comfortable. The sun shone brightly on them that morning, but the sky was a paler blue that it was should have as a result of the transformation of the planet.
She-Ra felt bad and looked over to SeaHawk. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to snap and bitch . . . it's just my body and all its wonderful hormones are outta control . . ."
SeaHawk turned to her and offered the beautiful woman a kind smile. "It's okay, She-Ra. Really. I understand."
"I know, but still . . ." She sighed. "I feel bad."
"Don't. It's okay. It's like you said, all the hormones and whatnot."
She-Ra smiled and placed her slim fingers on the bulge at her stomach. "You're a sweet guy, Captain."
"Yes, well, I've been trying to convince your friend Princess Adora of that."
She-Ra perked an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah," SeaHawk replied with a bit of a blush. "Not that I don't think that you aren't - "
"Oh no," She-Ra returned. "Don't worry. I have plenty of suitors. But tell me, SeaHawk, what is it you like so much about Adora?"
SeaHawk sat down next to her and with a wide smile, began to tell She-Ra just how he felt about Adora. While hearing it, any bit of crankiness left in She-Ra was vaporized.
***
Man-At-Arms made his rounds in the infirmary, mostly satisfied with the condition of the Heroic Warriors under the care of the doctors and nurses that ran the facility. They were recovering nicely, and now that word had reached Eternos that Skeletor would be there in four days - it was clear they needed to be top condition.
Scouts had been sent from West and North Eternos, and the King Stephan and Queen Johanna would be arriving shortly. Their children and spouses were staying at their respective castles. Man-At-Arms was more than happy about that. Less people to challenge the throne.
He was sure that it would happen. When Stephan and Johanna would arrive, there would be a call for Randor to be removed. Considering the fact that he had been sleeping with Marlena - an alien who had now betrayed the throne - for years, they would declare him unfit for rule.
And then . . . there would be civil war. Johanna and Stephan would engage themselves against the other in the vain hope that one of them would get control of Eternos. Those loyal to Randor would stand against the both of them, and all of Eternos would be in chaos.
But Man-At-Arms . . . no. He was loyal to no one. If there was indeed a challenge, he would be the first to assassinate all three rulers and take Eternos for himself. But he would have to be patient.
Yes . . . very patient.
***
The afternoon sun settled above the former-Light Hemisphere as the Wind Raider blasted over the Fertile Plains.
"That had been too easy," He-Man told Battle-Cat. "Far too easy."
"I agree, He-Man. I only hope gathering the other Ancients is just as easy, though."
He-Man shook his head. "It won't be. I know it. Hang on, Cat. We're coming up on the next ones. According the to information given to us by the Elemental Ancients, these coordinates are the home of the Powers."
He recalled his readings from his youth. The Powers were made up of Strength, Thought, Heart, and Population. There would be a test, the Elementals told him. Each of these four would test He-Man, to see if he was just and true is his quest.
He-Man hoped that he was ready for whatever would be thrown at him, but doubt lingered in the recesses of his mind. These were myths he was dealing with, and there wasn't much said about the Powers. Strength and Thought were pretty easy to know what was coming, but Heart and Population were complete unknowns.
The Wind-Raider sat down near a dense forest somewhere on the southern lands of the Fertile Plains continent. As it touched the ground and He-Man turned it off, the pair leapt out of it. The warrior of Eternia held the Sword of the Ancients in one hand and the Sword of Power in another.
With Battle-Cat close behind him, He-Man walked along a beaten path in the forest, and found it came to a huge set of ancient ruins. Actual Ancient ruins. Destroyed statues and shattered buildings were all over the area.
The Sword of the Ancients was glowing white now, and the Strength, Thought, Heart, and Population runes had turned red.
"Ancients, I summon you! I am He-Man, guardian of Grayskull and defender of Eternia! I have come to - "
Out of nowhere, a sudden fist struck He-Man square in the fact. He tumbled backwards, the Sword of the Ancients flying from his hand. He looked up and saw a very muscular man in tan robes standing right before him. Strength, He-Man assumed. His face was completely covered in shadows by the hood of his robe, but He-Man knew.
Looking behind Strength, the other four of these Ancients stood on top of decaying pillars. Each one was featureless though, and looked exactly like the other.
"Pay attention to the task at hand," Strength told He-Man. His voice was hefty and meaty, full of power and aggression. "You wish our aid in your quest, you will fight me."
He-Man swung his Sword of Power around, but found two fingers firmly hitting his wrist, sending the Sword of Power flying into the air.
"No weapons and no pets," growled Strength.
"Fine by me."
He-Man went to punch his challenger, but Strength was much faster than He-Man would ever have imagined. He ducked and avoided the punch, only to punch He-Man himself squarely across the face. He-Man stumbled back a bit, but recovered fast enough to make for another punch. This one was blocked. He-Man went for a kick, but Strength kicked He-Man first.
"You are no champion of Grayskull. You could not have passed the trials if you have yet to lay a punch on me. Stop holding back, Rising Son."
He-Man nodded and stepped forward. Strength went towards He-Man, hands balled into fists. He-Man leapt up right above Strength's head, and landed right behind him. He whipped his foot around for a kick - and it missed. Strength slammed his elbow into He-Man's face.
"STOP HOLDING BACK!"
He-Man threw both fists into Strength's chest. Strength struck, grabbed hold of He-Man's head. His shadowed forehead collided with He-Man's and he head-butted him. He-Man, however, punch him in the face the next time he did that.
He-Man felt a rage boiling with him, and released it upon Strength. The Ancient repelled half the punches from He-Man, but took the other half.
"What is it that makes you hold back? Is it because the last time you let go like this, you nearly killed your own twin sister?"
"SHUT UP!" yelled He-Man and suddenly, all of his punches made contact.
"LET OF YOUR CONTROL! LET ME HAVE IT!"
He-Man did. A hard punch across the cloaked jaw sent Strength flying into air. As he streaked through the air, his body became ethereal and ghost-like and went into his rune on the Sword of the Ancients.
Did that feel good, He-Man? To let go like that?
"Who said that?"
I did. Your own mind.
He-Man looked over and saw that the second Ancient - Thought, obviously - had arrived at last. It was a second male, and this one was in blue robes.
"I see you mind, He-Man, the Rising Son. Every one of them. Do you see them, too? The ones that you've locked away? The guilt? The lust? The hate? The love? The loss of control? I see your mind goes wildly chaotic at the mere mention of your problems . . .," Thought said aloud.
Memories and the thoughts and feelings associated with them pelted his mind. He killed someone - how good it would feel to kill Skeletor - to have sex with Teela - to want to take the throne from his father - to hate his father for treating him like an infant - to hate his sister for being more responsible for he - for leaving her - Teela loving and hating and rejecting and wanting him - and -
"NO!" He-Man yelled. "I don't have these thoughts! I DON'T!"
You do, a voice from within his own mind told him. You did and you do.
"I don't want to have them . . ." He-Man muttered.
"I know," Thought said.
Right before He-Man's eyes, then, Thought became like Strength before him. He went ghost-like and into the rune on the Sword of the Ancients.
"Now that you have found these thoughts, what shall you do with your emotions?" said the third of the group. Heart, a female Ancient dressed purple robes.
"I don't . . . I . . ."
"How do you feel about these thoughts and feelings that you've been forced to acknowledge?"
"I hate them . . ."
"No. You don't. You feel guilty about them, don't you?"
He-Man looked at Heart and saw that much like the last two, her face was covered in shadow. He nodded a bit. "Yes . . .guilty."
"Best to not feel guilty, Rising Son. All people have thoughts like this. But they are fleeting and rarely ever acted upon."
"I'm afraid, though."
Heart turned her head curiously. "Afraid of what?"
"Of losing control. And acting on them."
"Ah . . . yes."
Once that was finished, Heart became ghost-like as well and disappeared into her rune on the Sword of the Ancients. He-Man felt heavy with burden all of a sudden.
But two slim and seductive hands came upon his bronze shoulders. Pair of lips met his and he felt a tongue come into his mouth. It was a kiss, a sweet and erotic kiss that made him feel warm and hot. When he pulled away, the final Ancient, Population, was before him.
Her face was still cloaked in a hood, but she was completely nude before him. "Lose control to me, He-Man. Have sex with me."
She held him tightly in her arms, the warmth of her flesh caressing his own. He felt so much desire, so much lust for her. He wanted her, here and now. And she was offering herself to him . . .
"No," he suddenly, and pulled away from her. "I have control. I need control. I will not lose it. Not to you, and not to the others."
Population nodded. "Yes. Then you have passed our tests."
And so, she too went to rune. He-Man shook his head, and was glad he found a cold waterfall nearby before returning to the Wind Raider.