Chapter Two - "Just Getting Started"

9:05 AM:

There are good days, King Randor always told himself, and there are bad days. This was, indeed, one of those good days. And after a string of bad ones, it was a blessed event. He stood in one of the high towers, his eyes gazing out upon North Eternos in the early morn. Compared to Eternos, North Eternos was small, but was unique in it of itself.

The portion regulated by his sister Johanna, North Eternos was a city on the crossroads. The road that joined the villages of the north crossed here with the road that leads into the Evergreen Forest. It was an important place, and luckily, one of the few places not affected by the Spirit of Evil-influenced attack. The perfect setting for this summit

"King Randor," said a steward then, "they're ready for you."

Randor nodded and followed the steward into a huge meeting room. Representatives and kings of the many peoples of Eternia were gathered here. Stratos, Hawk, and Delora of Avion. Buzz-Off and Garth of Insectia. Lizard-Man of Lizardia. King Paw of the Cats. King Jade of the Bears. Queen Valena of Ahberron. Queen Sumara of Arcadia. Princess Raya of Targa. King Marianius of Moriana. Counselor Cyril of the Golden Isles. Starchild for the Tree-People and the Cave-People. Naomi for Aquantica.

"So good to see you all once more," Randor told them. "We've completed much in these past ten days, and I only that we can continue on this same track through the rest of the summit. The cease-fire is now complete. The peace treaties and aid policies are just about through. What's left now is a touchy subject for all us."

A wave of agreement went through the crowd. King Randor took a breath.

"The military alliance."

9:13 AM:

The Talon Fighter lifted up from the Golden Isles and both Adam and Teela gave a fond farewell. "Oh man," Adam half-groaned. "What a trip. Bet that was pretty well-deserved for you, eh, Teela?"

"Yeah," she returned. "Though I'm a little worried."

"How so?"

"The Heroic Warriors. Everything that happened . . . it's really broken their bond. They were pushed to limit. We all were. But unlike you and me, Adam, I think the Heroic Warriors can't be so easily repaired."

"I have to agree. There is definitely some tension between them," Adam replied. "I'd hate for a battle to come up. Who knows how it would go."

"Huh," Teela then grunted.

"What is it?"

"Some sort of distortion in the sensors. It's coming from higher orbit. Strange."

Adam nodded. "You want to check it out?"

"Maybe. With my father's sensor array down, Eternos would have nothing to explain what it is. It could be a ship."

"Or it could be nothing."

Teela perked an eyebrow and smiled a little. "Are you saying you don't want to check it out? What's wrong? Scared?"

Adam laughed a little, and so did she. This sort thing had faded away over their trip and was now nothing more than a light joke.
"Nah. Let's go."

Teela nodded and punched up the engines. The Talon Fighter picked up speed and launched towards the distortion.

9:43 AM:

"The cloaking device is out of phase," Frog Man reported. He shot an anxious look at his captain, Sticky Fingers. Sticky Fingers, in turn, looked to Count Marzo and Negator.

"It's just until the energy field is complete. The last thing we want is someone contacting She-Ra or the Great Rebellion and hauling them over here," Negator replied, finishing up a few final calculations. "There. All communication and teleportation between Etheria and Eternia has been cut off."

Count Marzo smiled and pressed his fingers together. "Get the Shaping Staff ready, gentlemen."

10:17 AM:

Adora stepped out of her bedroom after yet another sleepless night. The sky was just beginning to caress the sides of Skydancer Mountain, lighting the inside of the Crystal Castle. As soon as she entered Light-Hope's chamber, she immediately knew something was wrong.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she asked, rushing over to the flowing, colorful entity. "Is it Hordak?"

"No, Princess Adora," replied Light-Hope. "I have lost all communication with Eternia."

"What do you mean?"

"Some sort of energy field has been erected. One that not even I can penetrate."

"Trouble?" wondered Adora grimly, thinking of the Sword of Protection that sat in her quarters.

"Perhaps, but even if it was, I doubt there is anything we can do about it."

10:30 AM:

"We've been searching for over an hour, Teela, and there's still nothing on the sensors," Adam told her. Teela made no reply, her intuition telling her differently. She saw a ship up here, she could have sworn it. But Adam was right. There was nothing showing up on the sensors, and that was just about the only answer she didn't.

"Prepare to take us into the lower orbit, Adam," she resigned, but her mind was still nagging her.

10:38 AM:

"Unacceptable!" shouted King Paw, slamming the proposed treaty down. "The kingdom of the Cats is not ready for such a military alliance!"

Lady Hawk of Avion groaned and folded her arms and wings over her chest. "Here's a surprise! The Cats unable to lend a hand when they're needed!"

"Silence, bird-woman!" snapped Paw, pointing at her harshly.

"The both of you must stop this bickering," chided Randor quickly, but calmly.

"The Aquaticans agree to not participate with this alliance, King Randor," said Naomi of that undersea realm. "We can not be held responsible for an attack against a land that is not our own."

"You misunderstand the terms of the proposed treaty," Lizard-Man told her.

"Never the less, many of us are reluctant to form any sort of alliance with Eternos," Queen Valena responded.

"This is crazy," Buzz-Off snorted.

"Quiet! All of you!" shouted Randor, anger rising. "You all sound like you did when the Spirit of Evil was commanding you! Listen to yourselves!"

10:57 AM:

Negator, Toy Maker, and Game Master completed their work on the Shaping Staff's projector. "It is done," Toy Maker told Marzo.

Marzo smiled, wide and evil, teeth glinting the dim lights of the bridge. "Good, good. And now, it's power."

Count Marzo produced an amulet from a small bag on his belt. It lit up with crimson energy and struck the Shaping Staff. The Shaping Staff, which was rigged to a dozen wires and those wires connected to a large computer, began to absorb the energy.

"The DNA is programmed in?"

"Eternians and alien, yes," Game Master replied.

"Activate it then, and let's get this show on the road."

11:00 AM:

Just as the Talon Fighter began to enter into the lower atmosphere, the sensor alarms went crazy with noise. Adam pressed a few keys and then looked to Teela.

"I'm reading a huge energy wave," he reported. "It's epicenter is right where we thought that ship was and it seems to be moving outward."

"'We?' I don't think so. I saw it and you just went along."

"Teela?" asked Adam, slight panic entering his voice.

"Yeah, what?"

"It's heading this way! Pull up!"

Teela grasped the controls and the Talon Fighter responded, but not before the wave struck the back of the ship, shaking it heavily. Controls exploded, panels smoked. A faint light passed through them both. Teela shivered, a small and strangely familiar spark filling her. When this same light came to Adam, he felt a barrier, blocking whatever was happening to him. The power of Grayskull was protecting him - but from what?

"Teela!" he shouted, grabbing Teela's shoulder as she shook a little with cold.

"What?"

"We're going down!"

The Talon Fighter streaked to the ground, a trail of smoke following it.

11:01 AM:

Ram-Man slammed his head against the stone, and it smashed into place. "Ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted to no one in particular. "The Second Wall is all fixed up!"

"Good job, Ram-Man," congratulated Man-E-Faces as he, Meckaneck, and Sy-Klone approached the human battering ram.

"We'll take a few minutes and break," Meckaneck told them, "and then we'll check out the repair schematics for the Third Walls."

"Sounds like a good idea," Sy-Klone replied.

"Yeah! And I think I'll get me a - " Ram-Man was unable to finish, however, as sudden flashing wave of light shimmered above them. Ram-Man looked up, staring at it as it flew over them and headed in all directions. When he looked back down at his allies, he was shocked by what he saw!

They changing - transforming before his very eyes! In a matter of seconds, Man-E-Faces, Meckaneck, and Sy-Klone were now a ferret, a goat, and a frog. Ram-Man spun around, and noticed that many of the others were transforming as well, just like his friends. Before Ram-Man could hope to do anything, however, his transformation began.

11:02 AM:

Queen Marlena stood with Fisto, Clamp Champ, and Man-At-Arms as the light splashed and shimmered above them.

"What is - MOOOO!" Marlena threw her hand to her mouth, only to find that her hand had been replaced by the hoof of a cow. Within seconds, she transformed into a bovine of Earth.

Beside her, the men transformed as well. The three of them became a Caterchiller, a Triophant, and a Shadow Beast.

Inside the North Eternos Palace, King Randor was transformed into an Ice Hacker. Delora, Stratos' wife, was changed into a horse. Queen Valena became a huge bat. Queen Sumara was now a small spiked rat. Princess Raya was now a deer. King Marianius was now a Pegasus. Counselor Cyril became a Narlwhale. Starchild was changed into small, brown-furred mouse.

The entire delegation was on their feet in a matter of seconds, trying to assess what was happening.

11:04 AM:

"Something's happening!" yelled Orko. Before he could say anything else, however, there was a splash of light and energy and the Trollian was suddenly a slug.

Extendar transformed into an Ape. Snout Spout became a lizard. Rio Blast was now a bull. Rokkon was then transformed into a fly. Stonedar followed up by becoming a spider.

All of the Humans and aliens at the Great Tower were transformed into various animals, leaving it completely unguarded.

11:20 AM:

"The wave has finished its sweep of the Light Hemisphere," reported Game Master.

"I'm scanning for confirmation," followed-up Toy Maker. "I'm detecting no Eternia Human nor alien DNA yet."

Count Marzo turned to Dark Dream and nodded slowly. "Best to get to work, my friend."

Dark Dream laughed hollowly and closed his eyes, his power reaching around Eternia and touching the Dark Hemisphere, where he was the strongest. It was there that he concentrated.

11:22 AM:

In the inner chambers of Snake Mountain, Evil-Lynn stood topless in front of Tri-Klops. Tri-Klops gazed up at her with one of his eyes from bed, intoxicated by the sight. She was smiling sexily, but paused when she heard a shout outside. It was Beast-Man, yelling something about more animals.

"Did you catch that?" she asked, feeling no shame in her current attire in front of Tri-Klops.

"Forget about it. It's Beast-Man. The guy's an idiot."

Evil-Lynn nodded slightly, then turned back Tri-Klops. "So, how about we do what we did last time, huh? I felt good, didn't it?"

She was leaning half on the bed now, looking up at Tri-Klops with deep seduction in her eyes. Tri-Klops nodded, then yawned loudly, closed all three of his eyes and fell back against his pillows, deep in sleep. Evil-Lynn's jaw dropped.

"Oh! That's nice!"

Much to her own surprise, Evil-Lynn yawned herself and fell onto the bed, sleeping soundly.

Outside, Beast-Man was slumbering right in front of King Hiss, who had demanded that he shut up. The entire mountain went silent, save the occasion snore or grumble. Beyond it, everyone in the entire Dark Hemisphere fell asleep in the middle of whatever they were doing.

11:31 AM:

Captain Sticky-Fingers looked over at Count Marzo and gave him a wide, toothy grin. "Seems all of Eternia had bended to your will."

Count Marzo nodded and patted the Space Pirate on the back. "It sure seems that way, doesn't it? Let's land this boat and get stealing, huh? Parts one and two of this scheme are completed, but something always goes wrong. Count on it. Let's move it."