"God and Mammon"

By General Stingrad

Hordak looked out onto his newly acquired kingdom of Eternia, it seemed like millennia since he first set on this land. He thought about the strange twist of fate the enabled him to come here in the first place- a young upstart named Keldor of Eternia.

His mind snapped back to the present. Now that Hordak was ruler he needed an icon - something for the people to remember him. King Hsss had Viper Tower, Skeletor had Snake Mountain but Hordak had nothing. Slowly he began to think up a plan.

"I know I'll force all of Eternia to declare me a living god, at last the name of Hordak will be synonymous with the divine" he gloated as he began to write the draft of his new religion.

Light years away on Etheria, Princess Adora looks out and ponders her future, ever since Hordak managed to gain control he banished Adora, Bow, Glimmer, Castaspella, and Flutterina and locked them in the Crystal Castle.

"How long have we been here?" she asked herself as she stared out at the oily slime that covered her planet, the once beautiful planet was reduced to toxic waste dump.

"Six months" Bow said as he sharpened his arrows, he looked around at the band of refugees in the castle.

"Bow what's the difference, why do we continue to fight?" she asked as she was thinking of committing suicide. She was suffering from claustrophobia and with 'loss' of She-Ra was taking a toll on her.

"We continue to fight because, one day we will finally destroy Hordak and regain Etheria," he said.

"We've said that for years now, and every time we fail" She said as she walked over to the corner of the room, "I don't know about you, but I've had enough, I'm going to kiss Thanatos and end this war once an for all" she threatened as she picked up a shard of glass on floor and held it up to her throat.

"Wait Adora" Bow said he and Glimmer tried wrest the shard from Adora.

Bow held Adora down while Glimmer tried to wrest the glass from her hand.

"Let go of me, Bow, I know what I'm doing" she yelled as she tried get free

"Glimmer, get the shard out of hand" Bow yelled as he tried to keep Adora steady.

Glimmer managed to get near to Adora but before she could get Adora to drop her would be weapon; Adora punched her in the face and cut her chin.

Adora looked in shock as she saw what she had done "Glimmer, I'm sorry, I just go so full of despair, that death was the only way out I saw," she explained in her between her tears.

"It's okay Adora, why don't you go lay down for awhile," Glimmer told her as she tried to stop the wound from bleeding.

"Why don't we give you something to help you relax" Bow suggested as he got a first aid kit.

First he went over to Glimmer and treated her wound by cleaning off the blood that was on her face then he put some antiseptic spray on it. The spray stung when it touched Glimmer torn skin and made her wince, then he dressed the wound with bandages.

"Now for your Adora" he said as he got out a hypodermic needle and filled it with sedative

"This might sting a bit" he warned Adora as he rolled up her sleeve cleaned the area he would use as the injection site and injected Adora with the medicine.

"Ow" Adora squeaked as she winced a bit form the injection, she watched as Bow cleaned what little blood came form the sight and cleaned the area with antiseptic pad and rolled her sleeve down again.

Within a few minutes she began to feel woozy so she curled up in the corner of the room and closed her eyes waiting for Hypnos to take her away.

Back on Eternia, Hordak had his troops begin to distribute the Treatise of Hordak, the proclamation that gave Hordak divinity.

According to it, Eternia had only one god, Hordak, and to worship other gods was punishable by death. It also stated that all of Eternia was to build him statue out of gold and jewels.

In the town square, people were watching Grizzlor post the document on as building.

"This is blasphemy the Book of Eldor says 'woe until you who worshipeth false gods, for the Goddess shall smite thee down'" one citizen complains before the guards carried him off to be executed.

"Anyone have any more questions " Grizzlor growled wanted to kill them all, when no one complained he growled "Good, No get out of here and start working on that statue." And left to do Hordak's bidding.

Meanwhile on Etheria, Adora found herself in a strange room.

"Where on Etheria am I?" she said as got up to explore this new place, the room was covered in white from floor to ceiling, no decorations were strewn in save for simple black and white clock with strange markings.

"Welcome to the temple of time" a voice said out of the darkness.

Soon a strange old man appered, he wore black robe that coceled his face save for his long white beard which reached to the floor. He wore a rope belt and which tied in a knot.

He held a scythe in his red hand and a glass orb in his left, attached to his belt was a golden hourglass.

"Who are you?" Adora wondered as she walked up to the man.

"Greetings Adora, I am Chronos, master of time in the universe, I have come to show why it its important for you to continue to live and fight Hordak" he said as he peered into the orb in his left hand.

"It makes no difference, he's won" she said as she walked away, She knew that somehow no matter what she did, Hordak would triumph, all she wanted to do was end her suffering once and for all.

Chronos come over to her and held out his scythe, "if he's won, then touch this blade and see the fruits of your labor" he ordered.

Adora ran her hand across the blade and upon toughing the point she bled and fell to ground in swoon.

She remained unconscious for a moment and then woke up, "What did you do to me?" she demanded to know as she massaged her forehead still aching from fainting.

"I granted your wish, you died" Chronos told her as he gazed into the orb he created, "and now we will see how much 'better' things have became since your demise" she said as he shrouded himself and Adora in his black cape and vanished into thin air.

Meanwhile on Eternia, Hordak gazed out onto the horizon, a horizon that he was said to have made at the beginning of time.

"Grizzlor, get in here" he yelled as he noticed that there was no statue on the horizon.

"Yes, o divine Hordak, Lord of the Universe" Grizzlor chanted as genuflected to new god of Eternia.

"Get up, fleabag" Hordak snapped as he turned to face his servant, "Grizzlor, why are the slaves not building my idol?" he asked in feigned calmness.

"The slaves still hold fast to their beliefs, they claim that they will suffer hellfire if they worship you, o divine lord of creation" Grizzlor explained.

Hordak's eyes grew bright, "If you will not do your job, Grizzlor which is to make sure the slaves do my bidding, then, I will personally sacrifice you to myself, to appease my wrath"

Grizzlor prostrated himself in front of Hordak, "Please, O lord Hordak, forgive me for not doing thy will" he sobbed in front of his 'divine' master.

"Very well" Hordak acquiesced, "but we must teach these slaves a lesson," he informed Grizzlor as the feral beast got up.

"Yes, master but how?" Grizzlor questioned the maker of all, he was eager to complete Hordak's request and save his own life.

Hordak thought for a moment, and then smiled as came up with a solution "Have your men decimate the slaves, and for every day they refuse to work, kill off another ten" Hordak ordered his servant.

"But my lord, they would rather die serving their god than live and worship you, the entire population would be killed off before they would begin to break" Grizzlor alerted his master, fearful of the work not being done.

"Yes, then let them be killed, I will purge this entire planet if need be, I will purify all the universe, O will let this planet know, that in all of creation there is one god and his name is HORDAK!" he proclaimed "No go and do my bidding" he said as pointed out the door to Grizzlor.

While Hordak was planning to kill off slaves Adora began a strange journey.

Just a moment ago, she was in a strange room, now she was on a strange planet "where on Eternia are we?" she asked her guide, the Mysterious Master of Time known only as Chronos.

"We are on Eternia" Chronos said he showed Adora the land.

It was a wasteland, black ooze covered the land and the only visible object was huge golden statue.

"What happened here?" she said as she looked in horror at the apocalyptic sight before her.

"Hordak has won, once the people of Eternia found out you were dead they gave up all hope, they became martyrs rather than live as slaves to Hordak." Chronos explained to her "come, we have more see see here" he said as grabbed Adora by the hand and vanished again."

When they reappeared they were in a place that looked to be temple, it was decorated with Horde emblems and paintings and statues of Hordak. The place reeked with the stench of blood and death.

"Where are we, it smells like cemetery in here" Adora said as she shut her nose with her hand.

"This is Temple of Hordak Victor or Hordak Victorious, this where people come to worship Hordak," he told her as they walked around looking at statues of Hordak, some of which were soaked in blood.

Adora looked confused "Hordak is not a god, he's a mere mortal" Adora corrected Chronos.

She knew he was right, after all Hordak fled when he realized that he couldn't capture Eternia, if he was a god he would been able to kill Randor and easily conquer Eternia, but nothing is ever what is seems with Hordak.

"Yes, but after He-Man left for Primus and trapped in you the Crystal Castle, he began to believe that he was a god, and is forcing the people to worship him" Chronos told her

Adora couldn't believe her ears, Hordak was a god and he was forcing the people of Eternia to worship him, she knew what she had to ask but she was afraid to, finally she spoke up "What happens to those who refuse to worship Hordak" she asked weakly.

Chronos stared at her and replied, "They are sacrificed to Hordak"

Adora knew that Eternian and Etherian people are fanatics about their faith, if Hordak was sacrificing those people who refused to bow to him as a god then maybe the whole planet is dead.

While she was pondering she was she heard the sound footsteps approaching, quickly she ran to go hide. Once she was hidden she saw two Horde Troopers coming with a shipment of prisoners

"Hordak will be most pleased with this day's sacrifice" one trooper gloated as led the prisoners he had captured.

Adora couldn't see who they had captured, but knew in her heart that it might her friends who were captured.

"Come Adora we have two more things to see" Chronos said before he and Adora vanished.

"Blast these slaves" Hordak sneered as gazed out from his palace, "Even with their ranks decimated, they still refuse to give in," he growled. "Grizzlor get in here" he barked.

"Yes my divine lord" Grizzlor groveled as he crawled in the room, he knew that Hordak was mad, and if found out that the statue was still not built Hordak would sacrifice him.

"Grizzlor, these slaves aren't working are they" Hordak asked

"No, Great One" Grizzlor stuttered, knowing the head probably was going to die.

"That's what I though, Order your men to kill everyone and begin working on the statue," he commanded

"Yes my Lord" Grizzlor said as he left the room to tell his troops their orders.

While Grizzlor was getting his troops ready Adora and Chronos continued their journey, they where in a dark room, the only light was a small candle on a stone altar, as far as Adora could tell there were no writings on wall.

"Where are we now" she asked her guide.

"We are in the Sacrifice Room, my dear" Chronos said weakly, he was beginning to age, his hands were thin and looked almost skeletal and he was using his scythe as a cane.

Adora wanted to ask him why he was aging, but before she could she hard Horde Troopers coming, she still couldn't see whom they had captured. She walked up to get a closer view; her eyes grew large when she saw that it was Bow.

The trooper laid Bow on the Altar, chanted a prayer in some strange language and slit his throat.

"No! Bow, why did this happen" Adora screamed, she torn apart with anger, why had Chronos wanted her to see this.

"Why did this happen? Simple, after you're death, Horde Troopers stormed the Crystal Castle and captured your friends, without you there to provide strength and support your friends surrendered"

Adora didn't want see anymore of this, but some dark curiosity in her wanted to see if the others were captured too.

Soon the next victim was brought in it was Glimmer; then Castaspella; then Flutterina were killed. The river of blood that flowed from they severed necks was burned in Adora's mind.

"There is one more thing to see" Chronos said as he pointed to the altar.

Back on Eternia, Grizzlor began his campaign of murder, "all right, men go into the city an all surround locales flush out the slave and kill them" he yelled as his scrambled to obey.

Grizzlor felt uneasy, this wasn't supposed to happen, he looked around to see what was a matter, nothing, it was just as should be, his men were giving an order and he was carrying out. Suddenly, he saw his troopers come runner out of the city.

"Fools what happened," he yelled as grabbed the first solider he could catch.

"Sir, there's a demoness in the city, protecting the slave, she killed some of my men, we had to flee" he stated as calm as he could.

"Weakling" Grizzlor yelled as he snapped the soldier's neck and went himself.

He searched the town but couldn't find anything; finally he came into what was once a temple before Hordak transformed it into a tool shed. There in front of him was group of slaves armed with tools, ready to fight.

"So this is demoness that terrorized my men," he said laughing at the small ragtag army that stood before him. He raised his word ready to kill them when one of the slaves began chanting and to Grizzlor's surprise he saw a slave march to the front and began to chant a prayer.

Grizzlor backed down as he saw the flames began to rise from the floor, they swirled around the until the began to take the shape of the Goddess of Grayskull, the imaged turned green and out of the flames, the Goddess herself appeared, Grizzlor swung his at sword at her but the goddess melted the sword, he began to back out of the temple and before the deity could attack, Grizzlor left the building.

Back on Etheria, Adora's mind was spinning, she had witnessed the deaths of her friends, but what made it worse was their deaths were her fault; she didn't what think about it. Suddenly, two Troopers came in the room, on of them had a body slung over his shoulder.

"That one's already dead," the second trooper told his collegue, pointing to corpse he was carrying.

"I know, but Hordak wants us to be sure" the first commented as placed the body on the altar. He examined the body, trying to find the cause of death of his victim, at first it looked like natural causes until he spotted a large cut on the throat. "Cause of death extreme blood loss due to a severed jugular vein" he noted.

Adora watched as the trooper continued the examination, she wondered who was this poor dead soul, and was Hordak skeptical of the person that warranted the troopers sacrificing him/her.

"Who is that they brought in?" Adora asked her guide as walked closer to the altar. She began to feel nauseated, she wasn't sure if it was the stench of blood or just the feeling of watching her friends die, but whatever it was it was becoming unbearable.

Chronos turned to look at her; he seemed older now than before almost dead, "You will know soon enough young one," he whispered.

Adora watched as the guard pull out small axe from his belt and decapitate the victim, the head fell off the alter and rolled in front of her feet, it was tempting her to pick it and see how was this person was.

"Now what do we do" the second trooper asked his superior.

"Hordak wants to see the body" the other replied as he dragged the body of the victim out of the room with the other trooper following him.

Adora thought for moment, did she really want to look at this head that was before her feet, what if this person was someone she knew, finally she picked it up and went over to the light to see who it was they killed.

She gasped in horror as she beheld the victim face, it was her own, she was the victim who Hordak was skeptical about the reports of her death, suddenly, the eyes of the severed head opened and smiled at Adora.

She screamed and turned as she dropped the head, almost falling into a huge chasm that had mysteriously appeared, she managed to avoid plummeting into it by holding on to the ledge.

"Chronos help me, I can't hold on for much longer," she cried out trying to climb out of the hole. Her grip was slipping and she was afraid that she would not make it.

Chronos did not answer, finally a strong wind blew off the hood of Chronos to reveal that he was dead all that remained was a skeleton

Adora, gasped in horror at the revelation, however, the fright caused he jump and made her hand slip, she was holding on to the ledge with one hand.

"Please, someone help me, I can't hold on" she begged as she could feel her hand slip. Her heart was pounding with fear as she tried not to look down into the chasm.

Her plea went unanswered, she could fell the ledge begin to crack, frantically she tried to pull herself up, but there nothing was nothing but air for her feet to grab a hold of, finally the ledge gave way and Adora went sprawling backwards into the canyon.

"Please help me!" she screamed, but no one showed up, the last thing saw was Chronos' grinning skull and then all was dark.

Back on Eternia Grizzlor was running from the Goddess, he knew that he had to warn Hordak before it could destroy all that Hordak had set in place. Finally, after a long run across the countryside, Grizzlor reached the Central tower.

"Lord Hordak! Lord Hordak" Grizzlor yelled as ripped the door off its hinges and ran up the steps that led to Hordak's throne.

Hordak was busy meditating on his next move when Grizzlor entered the room, "What is Grizzlor" Hordak yelled as he jumped with surprised at the sound of Grizzlor's voice.

"My Lord, the slaves are revolting, they've summoned their Goddess to fight with them, and fear an rebellion before too long" the hairy henchmen reported, Grizzlor wasn't sure what his master's reaction would be this news, Years ago, when the Great Rebellion was started Hordak dismissed as a 'pitiful insurrection' but those insurrectionists managed to gain control of Brightmoon and drive the Horde from that Kingdom. Whatever his reaction to this revolt would be, he knew it would not be good.

Hordak merely stood, there, "if they want a divine war, then they will have one" he said as he stood up and removed the Sword of Deception form the wall. "Come Grizzlor, let us face the Goddess and be rid of this threat" he told his aide and left the throne room, with Grizzlor following behind him"

Back on Etheria, Adora opened her eyes, she was afraid she would be lying at the bottom of chasm that lead to oblivion, but she wasn't. She was at the Crystal Castle, where Hordak had imprisoned her. She checked her throat; there was no cut on it.

"It was all a dream" she sighed in relief, the horrible events she saw were all an illusion, things were as they had been.

She looked around the room, her friends were sleeping, probably they were exhausted from trying to keep her from killing herself,

She stood up ad went to look out the window, Etheria was the same as it was, the same black slime still covered all the land, trapping the innocent people of Etheria in an eternal slumber.

"I know now that my death will only bring suffering, I have to endure this imprisonment and give hope to her friends" she told herself with a new resolve, the only way she would accept death now was in battle with Hordak.

On Eternia, Hordak was standing on the roof on the Central Tower, he could sense the heavens were preparing to go to war with him, he raised the sword of Deception in the air and shouted "Goddess, you dare challenge me I will destroy you" Hordak yelled at that air.

Lightning flashed in the sky and thunder answered Hordak's threat, suddenly the Goddess herself appered.

"Hordak, you dare proclaimed yourself master of my people" she said defiantly, as he swung her staff at Hordak.

"I will destroy, goddess and then I will rule all of creation" Hordak retorted as he blocked the Goddess attack.

The battle went on for hours, the Goddess and Demon, fought, exchanging blows and threats. Finally, the Goddess managed to knock Hordak's sword from his hand.

"Now Hordak, your evil will end" She declared as she prepared to kill Hordak.

"No, It is you who will die" Hordak sneered as he kicked the Goddess in the Stomach and picked up his sword.

While the Goddess was recovering, Hordak picked her up by the neck, and held the sword in front of her face.

The Goddess eyes were filled with terror, "Please Mercy, Hordak, I beg you" the Goddess pleaded with her foe.

Hordak was not swayed, "Farewell sweet Goddess, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest" Hordak whispered to her.

Soon the sword began to glow, Hordak was draining the Goddess of her powers and transferring them to himself.

"Please, stop" the Goddess whimpered as she felt her powers leave her, soon she was reduced to nothing and dead

"Now I am truly a god," the Ruthless leader declared, the power of the goddess had transformed him, his cape had turned into a pair of wings, his eyes glowed with energy, and he was no levitating.

"Now to dispose of you" Hordak said as he hoisted the Goddess's lifeless body in the air and hurled it to the ground.

"Come Grizzlor, we have work to do," he told his ally looked out towards Eternia, "With their Goddess defeated they will now have no choice but to worship me" he declared as he left the roof.

Once inside, Hordak imbued his troops with his powers and sent them out into the towns to destroy those who would not bow before him.

Hundreds of people died. They had wondered where their Goddess had gone, a few people began to give in to Hordak and start to build his statue, but most continued to fight because there was still hope, She-Ra- there was no report of death and hope that she was alive began to grow and Hope that she would vanquish Hordak once and for all.

Back on Etheria, Adora too was filled with anew sense of hope, she looked out onto the land, not with despair but hope and resolve, " I swear by the First Ones, that I will fight to my last breath and either free Eternia and Etheria from Hordak or die trying" she said as went back into the room and went to sleep dreaming of a freed Etheria.