Chapter Five

"Battles"

Day Five:

It was just after midnight. SeaHawk sat up deck and looked out upon the dark calm of the ocean. He was taking up the watch of the night, with She-Ra down below asleep in her bed. He thought long and hard about his feelings for both She-Ra and Adora, and get coming up with the fact that he loved Adora, as much as he may have been attracted to She-Ra.

He produced his pipe, lit it, and gazed outward upon the splish-splashing surface of the untamed sea. SeaHawk puffed out bits of smoke from his pipe, and relaxed as the seemingly never-ending expanse of the ocean soothed him.

It was peaceful here, no matter what wars were being fought on both this world and his own. This was right where he wanted to be.

A noise caught his attention then. Something bumped against the ship and SeaHawk swiftly extinguished his pipe and rushed to the sources. A small, one man rowboat was bumping against hull.

"What in hell - ?" he remarked.

Two hands suddenly grabbed hold of him and pulled him backward. SeaHawk threw his arms back and grasped hold of a person that snagged him. He flipped that person over his body.

The man landed squarely on his feet. His was dressed in all black, head to toe, and had an emblem of a red dragon wrapped around a sword on his chest. SeaHawk went for his dagger.

"Who are you?" cried SeaHawk, hoping to yell it loud enough to get the attention of She-Ra below deck.

"Ninjor," the man said then. "I have come for the woman."

"Why?"

"I have come to kill her and the babe she carries. I will spare you."

"You'll have to kill me to get her!" roared SeaHawk, and he rushed at Ninjor with dagger high in the air.

Ninjor said nothing else. He whipped out a pair of nunchakus and spun them in the air. With lightning fast speed, the dagger was knocked out of SeaHawk's hand and fell to the deck. Ninjor then jumped, and kicked SeaHawk in the stomach.

His nunchaku then fell across the pirate's head and SeaHawk was down. Ninjor lifted him up and tossed him into the water. Ninjor had hardly turned around when She-Ra appeared at the entrance of the lower decks, Sword of Protection in hand.

"You are the one," he hissed. Ninjor flipped back, ninja stars spinning from his hands and slicing through the air towards She-Ra.

"SWORD TO SHIELD!" she shouted, and the Sword of Protection complied.

The shield deflected the ninja stars, sending them clattering to the wooden deck. Ninjor didn't mess a bit and released his long, curved sword. He charged at She-Ra, and the sword fell against the mighty shield.

She-Ra pushed against the sword, and then rammed the shield into Ninjor's face. Ninjor reeled back, and She-Ra (though heavy with child) leapt towards him. As did, she gave the command and the shield returned to the Sword of the Protection.

He swiped his sword toward her, but She-Ra's blade collided with his. She pulled back and deflected another thrust, followed by a third. After the third, Ninjor made a swipe at her gravid abdomen. She-Ra pulled back - further than normal this time.

Ninjor jabbed towards her. She-Ra rammed her Sword of Protection into the way. She thrusted the sword against his and Ninjor lost his sword. It landed with its blade embedded into the deck.

But once more, Ninjor didn't lose a beat. His kick was fast and it struck She-Ra's wrist hard. The Sword of Protection dropped. Ninjor swept through with a punch, but She-Ra blocked it. Ninjor dove through with a jab, and it connected with shoulder.

She-Ra felt the welt building with their skin had collided strongly. Barely a second later, Ninjor threw his palmed hand at her chest. She-Ra went flying backwards, falling onto her back through the door to the lower decks.

The champion of Etheria was suddenly aware of Procrustus with her womb. Her empathic powers seemed to be connecting with the Ancient within her in a way she never thought possible. She was aware of every move, even the ones that didn't make contact with the walls of her womb. She-Ra could sense the life-force . . . the very thoughts of Procrustus within her.

Ninjor appeared at the door now, and immediately fired three ninja stars at She-Ra belly. She-Ra, in a shocking display of instinct, threw her arms over her belly. The trio of ninja stars hit her forearms, and She-Ra groaned a bit as blood poured from cuts.

In a flash, the master assassin was standing over her, his recovered sword above her neck. To She-Ra, he looked much like a scorpion poised to strike with its deadly tail.

And then Ninjor went flying forward, the sword going with him. SeaHawk, dredged to his skin, stood and the door and pulled She-Ra up. Ninjor was coming back fast, sword drawn.

She-Ra was on the deck now, SeaHawk close behind her.

Ninjor was up the air, and his foot fell onto the back of SeaHawk's head. SeaHawk crumbled to the ground and Ninjor made for She-Ra.

Another ninja star was produced and spun out, striking She-Ra's left calf. She spun to the ground, making sure to land on her butt. She-Ra searched for the Sword of Protection, but couldn't find. Ninjor was too fast. She-Ra went to stand but Ninjor pushed her back down.

His sword was once more in its sheath and was now wielding a pair of sai; one aimed for She-Ra's head and one for her belly.

"Your death will be swift."

And something odd happened. She-Ra sensed a bizarre power forming in her womb. Ninjor stopped and looked down at the bulge into She-Ra outfit. It was . . . it was glowing.

"What in hellfire?" he questioned.

She-Ra gasped as something incredible happened. Her body seized and she gripped the deck with bloody hands as power glowed from her abdomen.

A beam, then, of pure energy fired from right above the skin. It smashed into Ninjor, throwing him high into the air and far away from the boat.

Somewhere out on the horizon, there was a splash as Ninjor fell into the water.

She-Ra pulled took out the ninja stars, her body shaking. She winced in pain as the blood-soaked weapons were pulled from her hand clattered to the ground.

"What was that?" asked SeaHawk, making his way over with the Sword of Protection.

"Procrustus . . . he just saved my life," She-Ra told him. She rubbed her hand on her belly. "All three of our lives."

***

There it was.

It was huge, an incredible force of soldiers and warriors from all across the Dark Hemisphere. It loomed on the horizon, but the chants, and shouts, and thundering sounds of their march could be heard across the kingdom.

There it was.

Daybreak revealed its place on yon horizon, issuing forward in the dismissal light of the dawning sun. Spears and swords and other such weapons of death glinted from even the farthest distance. This great Army of Darkness made for Eternos.

And there it was.

Dark and gray clouds gathered above this incredible army, thunder beginning crack as a storm carried with Skeletor's army. Shadow Wing the dragon cried out and circled the military might, as did Skeletor's vulture, Screech. Fleets of Land Sharks, Spydors, and the like roved the ground, most of them in the front of the soldiers.

Fright filled King Randor's eyes as he, Mekaneck, and King Stephan all stood on the balcony and watched the army grow closer.

"We've rounded up every soldier we could find," Stephan told his old brother, his voice dipped in something like betrayal and deceit.

"Three hours away, I'd say," Mekaneck reported. "Maybe a little more."

Randor nodded. Mekaneck walked off, then, leaving Stephan and Randor alone on the balcony. "This will be a difficult thing, this battle," Randor mused nervously.

"Yes," Stephan replied, and pulled out a dagger. "Especially since the troops will be serving a new king."

Randor turned around, eyes wide as Stephan lunged at him with the dagger. But before the dagger could be pressed into Randor chest, a beam of energy fired from the balcony entrance. It struck Stephan square on the back and sent her tumbling to the floor.

Johanna stood at the entrance, a laser weapon in her hand. "Johanna!" exclaimed Randor, but the weapon was now trained on her oldest brother.

"It was set to stun," she told him, cocking her head over at Stephan. "But for you, it will be kill."

Johanna stood ready to fire, but suddenly felt something cold and round press against the back her head. Man-At-Arms emerged, a laser pistol against Johanna's head.

"Duncan! Thank the Ancients!" Randor cried. He started for his old friend, but Man-At-Arms pulled out a second laser pistol.

"The throne will be mine, you highnesses," Man-At-Arms declared.

"HOW DARE YOU - !?" roared Randor. Johanna just stood there.

"How dare I? I'll tell you how I . . ."

Man-At-Arms stopped completely in his sentence. He fell to the ground, weapons falling out of his hands. Three darts were apparent in the nab of his neck. Johanna and Randor turned to see who was responsible.

"Father!" yelped Johanna.

"I'm sorry," Miro told them.

He produced a gun and aimed it at Johanna. Three darts shot out and struck her in the chest. She fell. He then aimed it Randor. Three more darts emerged and set the king to the ground.

"I am very sorry, my children," Miro muttered. This was not a position he wished for himself anymore, but fate and destiny were tricksters. There would be no question that he was the one to lead Eternos in these dark and terrible hours - so terrible that he thought he would never anything close to them in his lifetime.

"Your highness!" cried Sy-Klone, who ran with Mekaneck, Buzz-Off, and Ram-Man.

Mekaneck was the first to arrive at the balcony. "We heard noises, thought there maybe a - " He stopped mid-sentence and joined the others in slack-jawed surprise.

"King Miro?" wondered Buzz-Off.

"What happened here?" questioned Ram-Man sharply.

Miro recalled the cover story the Sorceress had helped him develop. "The Spirit of Evil . . . it attacked their minds, and took control of their bodies. They must be locked down. I will command Eternos from now on."

Sy-Klone followed Miro as the king marched towards the throne room. "Sire, how did you get here?"

"I learned of the war. Thought I maybe needed and used an old spell book to bring me here. I see now that I was indeed needed," Miro lied. "But it matters not, now. Reinforce all walls, and ready all weapons. We shall see this battle out and Eternos shall be victor."

Sy-Klone nodded slowly. "Yes, sire."

Miro went to the throne and sat upon it once more. He never thought he would again rest on it again, but this was what needed to be done.

***

As the hours passed and passed, Skeletor sat perched on Panthor, eyes locked on the red walls of Eternos at it grew closer to his grand army of evil. All around him, drums thundered, horns blew, and chants were yelled. The battle was drawing near.

The dark clouds were now forming above Eternos, and the sound of thunder filled parts of the sky as they did so. Skeletor turned to Evil Lynn, who was driving one of the Spydors next to him. She nodded.

"The time has come!" Skeletor roared, his voice carrying throughout the entire army. "Evil Lynn - join with me!"

Thunder rolled over the land, and the clouds began to merge. Lightning flashed. The winds picked-up sinisterly. No rain fell yet.

The army was completely in view, the fate of Eternos perfectly clear. The Ogres groaned lightly, their large bodies shaking the ground with each step. The Belats caw into the darkening early afternoon sky. The Torks chanted and rallied in some dark, unknown tongue. The Bats squealed and screeched, leather wings flapping, ready to lift into the air at the proper command. Kobloids snarled and grunted with battle fury building within. The Ilkorts took large, long strides, rocks and other such large objects firmly in hand. The Rock People slammed their fists together, the sound not unlike thunder. Orcs roared in readiness. Goblins, then, shrieked with ready delight. The Mer-People waved their tridents and blades in the air in anticipation. The Reptons hissed, the tension coming to its peek soon.

Skeletor lifted his Chaos Staff as Evil Lynn lifted her own wand. Streams of power snapped and streamed up from them, into the heavy dark clouds above. Thunder crashed and thoomed all around them.

Lightning cascaded across the terrain between the army and Eternos. It whipped and sputtered, and finally connected with the city itself. Small explosion erupted, screams echoed, and the army drew every closer.

King Miro gripped the hilt of the family sword he never thought he'd touched again. All of Eternos, as evil had it become, depended on his leadership. As another and final volley of lightning struck the city, he shivered, confidence wavering.

"Begin the attack," called out Skeletor.