Chapter 13

The End of an Era

Where the hell was he? Teela fumed in her head. First Adam, now him. The morning's 'activities' had left the castle in an uproar. Dozens of men were being helped or carried inside, while the smell of death made the humid air even more stifling. She had been helping wherever she could and at the same time, hoping someone had seen her father or the prince.

"Teela!" He-Man leaped off the still moving Battle Cat. She was covered in blood. "Are you hurt?" Before she could answer, he was turning her this way and that, trying to find the source of all that blood. She laughed lightly at the anxious look on his face and found herself a little embarrassed but plenty touched by his concern. But then again, she reminded herself, this was He-Man and he cared about everybody.

"Don't worry. It's not mine." His hair was disheveled and his body glistened with sweat yet he didn't smell half as bad as she knew she was. There must be such a thing as too much perfection, she thought irritably. Usually, no matter what the crisis, when he would show up out of nowhere, she would always take a few seconds, at least, to drink in some of his splendor. However, she was a little distracted right now. "He-Man, have you seen my father, or Adam?"

"I haven't seen Man-at-Arms, but I'm sure Adam is safe."

"How can you be sure? Have you seen this?" She spread her arms wide and He-Man obliged her by grimly surveying the bloodied landscape. "How can you be sure he didn't return; that he didn't get caught up in all this? There was so much chaos…I don't know where any of the Masters are or if they're all right. We're doing the best we can moving the injured into the castle but there are so many and—"

"Teela." He-Man grasped her shoulders firmly in an effort to anchor her. "Everyone is all right, I've seen them all, except for your father of course."

"And Adam? Are you sure about him?"

"As sure as I'm standing here in front of you.

Just then, Buzz-Off descended before them.

"We have a problem."

"Yes we do."

"Father!" Teela spun around and promptly fell into his arms. "I was so worried," she said into his chest. He squeezed her tighter then gently eased her away.

"Skeletor escaped again?" He-Man asked.

Duncan frowned deeply, deepening the groves that lack of sleep and continual stress had already made. "Not without almost adding Ran-Man, Zodac and Ramona to his list of victims."

"I take it Evil-Lyn is still alive and kicking," Teela said dryly.

Duncan turned to his daughter, "That's enough. Like it or not, Teela, Evil-Lyn is now bonded to us. Everyone will have to get used to that."

"Father, we can't trust her—"

"We are running out of time," he cut her off, "We need to find Skeletor and bring him back to the dungeons where he belongs." The look in his eyes and the hard edge to his voice spoke of a much different place he would have preferred to see his brother's slayer—six feet below.

"Where do we start?" Buzz-Off asked.

"Snake Mountain."

Teela sent word to the King with one of her guards then they all piled into the speeder to go finish what Skeletor had begun.

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"He didn't mean to snap at you like that," He-Man said to her after she had been brooding next to him for the last ten minutes.

"I know," she said softly then turned to him, "I know he's trying to do what is best. He feels guilty for how he let things deteriorate with Uncle Carr, and now he feels responsible for his child. I understand that, I do, I just wish it could have been anyone else but that woman," she said fiercely.

"It'll be okay, Teela." Her palms were tightly curled on her lap, he reached out and covered one of them with his own.

"How do you know?"

"Well, from what I've seen so far, Evil-Lyn and your father have two things in common: they both loved your uncle and they both want what's best for his son." Teela opened and closed her mouth twice, each time without saying anything. She could not to contradict him on those points since Evil-Lyn seemed to be sincere on both accounts. But that was the problem. With someone who made lies their craft and subterfuge their occupation, how did you know when their sincerity was real or counterfeit?

"I imagine they both want Skeletor dead too," she mused after a while.

"There is that."

"We're here." Duncan said just as a thunderclap exploded and the heavens opened up.

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They were in Skeletor's throne room.

Mocking laughter bounced off the walls. The hideous cackling seemed to come from their left one moment, from the right the next; then it was as if they could feel his hot breath at the back of their necks.

"What sorcery is this?" Buzz-Off fluttered about nervously.

"Skeletor!" He-man called out angrily, "It's all over. Give it up!" Instead, Skeletor laughed harder.

"Come out!" Duncan bellowed.

"Man-at-Arms, you don't sound like your usual calm and controlled self. Did I upset you?"

"Show your face you coward!"

"I think you are the coward, Man-at-Arms. Four of you to little ole me, that's not very fair is it?"

"Fair! Was it fair when you ganged up on my brother Carr?" Duncan spit out.

A beat passed before Skeletor erupted in laughter again. Not mocking like before, but with true mirth.

"Carr was your brother." Duncan's eyes narrowed. Skeletor sounded as if that information was news to him—delightful news.

"That Evil-Lyn," he sounded impressed, "she has a truly remarkable mind. I understand now."

"Understand what."

"She frees herself of me by setting you against me with a vengeance; while she insinuates herself into the ranks of what she perceives as the superior opponent. Brilliant!" Duncan said nothing but Teela was grinding her teeth to dust. "He-made-me-happy-I-loved-him," Skeletor recited in a sing-song voice. "I knew it was rubbish." Suddenly a bright white flash illuminated a dark recess to their left an instant before Buzz-off was sent flying; an instant before it all went dark.

They heard the sickening crash of bone against stone and rushed through the darkness towards it.

"You're in my house now." They each heard his hissed warning in their ear as if he was standing right next to them.

"Where is he?" Teela asked.

"Stay close." Duncan said, reaching for her in the darkness.

"Man-at-Arms, take Teela and get out of here. I will deal with Skeletor."

"Yes Man-at-Arms, run away. Let He-man fight your battles as usual."

Teela felt someone behind her and spun around clutching her staff tightly in her white knuckled fists. Just then the lights returned brightly, blinding them. Skeletor picked Teela up as if she weighed nothing and flung her towards the edge. He-Man recovered first, just in time to see her drop out of sight, her startled scream echoed a moment later.

"Teela!" He ran to the edge and dove after her.

Duncan's eyes refocused to reveal that he was all alone. He'd heard his daughter's rapidly fading cry and He-Man's yell and quickly surmised what had happened. He started to bolt towards the ledge but found himself on the ground clutching his windpipe after it collided with Skeletor's outstretched arm.

He twisted to the side just as Skeletor slammed the tip of his sword into the ground where his head had been a quarter of a second before. Duncan rolled to his feet and kicked Skeletor in the head before he could launch another attack. He then somersaulted backwards to give himself time to recover from his own injury. He prayed that He-man had managed to reach Teela in time.

Skeletor shook off the blow, raised his sword over his shoulder and charged. Duncan fired his weapon and watched in frustration as Skeletor twisted and weaved, successfully dodging every blast. Duncan raised his armored arm just in time to halt the side ways slash of the sword and squeezed the trigger with the other hand, grunting in satisfaction as the blasts finally made contact. Skeletor, whose torso was not six inches away from the muzzle, groaned in agony and slumped to his knees. Duncan placed his left leg against the wall behind him for leverage and jumped over Skeletor then he rushed to the ledge. He knew that that wasn't nearly enough to kill him but he had to make sure that Teela and He-Man were all right.

He skidded to a halt and looked over the side. He-man was hanging by his finger tips from a narrow ledge about a dozen feet below while holding on to Teela.

"He-Man."

"I've got her. Be right up," He-Man reassured him confidently. "Man-at-Arms!" He called out but was too late to warn him. He watched as Skeletor dragged his friend and mentor away from the edge in a head lock.

Duncan clawed at the arm across his throat then swung his elbow behind him. He felt it connect with ribs and prepared to fire another hit. Before he could make another swing, Skeletor stabbed the back of his right thigh with a knee, sending Duncan to his knees immediately. Duncan aimed behind his shoulder to where he guessed Skeletor's head was and fired until Skeletor was forced to relinquish his hold on his neck to avoid getting hit. He shoved Duncan to the ground and removed his sword from its sheath. He pulled it apart and twirled the twin blades expertly around his fingers.

"You are no match for me, Man-at-Arms."

Duncan struggled to rise only to have the side of his face ground into the dirt by Skeletor's boot on his head. This is it, Duncan thought, his eyes unblinking as he waited for the final blow. He flinched at the crash of the sword against the stone floor a fraction of an inch away from his ear. Was it possible for him to have missed?

"I've always hated that damned ponytail."

Duncan's eyes widened and his lips drew back from his teeth in an outraged growl.

"You bastard! You killed my brother. You tried to kill my daughter!"

"Yes. And when I'm done here, I'm going to try again and again until I get it right."

Duncan cried out in pain. Skeletor had pushed the edge of one blade into the flesh between his shoulder blade and spine. His mouth hung open and his red eyes flashed with satisfaction—torturing Man-at-Arms more than made up for his failings with Evil-Lyn earlier. He twisted the blade and laughed at the wounded-animal sound it produced from Man-at-Arms' throat.

"It's all over now," he said and raised the second blade.

He-Man pulled himself to the top and in one fluid movement, slipped Teela off his back to the side with one hand and pulled out his sword with the other. He sent it hurtling through the air towards Skeletor.

Skeletor looked up in shock just as the blade impaled him through the chest, its momentum sending him flying across the room.

No one moved or said a word as the incredulity of what had just happened sunk quickly in.

"Father!" Teela rushed to where he was lying on his stomach, his eyes fixed on Skeletor's limp form not five feet in front of him. Teela eased him unto his back and placed his head in her lap.

"I'm all right. You all right?" His eyes searched hers, letting all his love and concern for her show on his face.

"I'm fine now. We've got to get out of here. We have to get Buzz-Off and get you out of here." Duncan was not listening. He was looking at He-Man who had not moved yet, his stunned gaze on Skeletor.

"He-Man," Duncan said gently.

Instead of replying, He-Man walked slowly over to the body of his long time rival. He knelt and after a while pulled the Sword of Power out of Skeletor's chest.

"He-Man," Duncan said again, "Is he dead?"

"Yes. Teela's right. We need to get out of here." Teela was looking at him sadly and in Man-at-Arms' eyes he could make out a blend of gratitude, understanding and pity. He looked away, walked to where Buzz-Off lay moaning and picked him up.

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A/N Thanks to all those who reviewed last time. I am glad you are still reading. Just one chapter left.