Chapter Three - "The Champions of Grayskull"

The change was immediate.

As She-Ra, He-Man, Battle-Cat, and Swift-Wind appeared on top of a wooded mountain, they could feel the changes immediately. The air was cleaner, fresher. Their power was immediately restored. Everything around them looked and felt younger.

"Where are we?"

He-Man oriented himself at his sister's query. His blue eyes searched for markings to indicate their surroundings and couldn't - at first. And then, when he turned to the bottom of the mountain, his eyes widened.

"Eternos," he muttered, though both of them could barely tell. The plateau that contained the great city was sparsely populated, with most of the homes laid around the plateau. The Palace was a shadow of itself, though resembled the one from their time.

"It's so strange," She-Ra said. "Everything else is the same, but the Palace . . . the city . . ."

"I know. It's odd," He-Man replied. "What should we do from here?"

"Find He-Ro and protect him?"

"I don't know. But I'm pretty sure we should probably change back to our normal selves first."

She-Ra nodded.

Prince Gray awoke with a start. The Staff of Power seemed to shimmer for just a moment and when it did, it reached out to him - touching Gray's mind. Something wasn't quite right. It was subtle, but it wasn't quite right. He stood up, his wife Taryn stirring just a little before the slumber took her once more deeply.

Gray walked over to the Staff and held it lightly in his hands. These were dire times. The war with King Hiss was growing far worse. The death toll was constantly rising. The might of the Snake-Men was overwhelming the might of Men. He hoped and prayed that this would be the final day of the war.

He thought briefly of his father. Gray was abandoned not long after his third birthday. It wasn't until five years ago that he discovered that his parents were hunted down because they were the king and the queen of Eternos. His grandfather, who had retired, retook the throne. And five years ago, as an orphan, did he re-discover his destiny to the heir to the throne.

As well as his destiny to become the guardian of the Light Hemisphere as He-Ro.

His leg ached, as it did since his youth, and he used the Staff of Power to help him out of his home. Outside, the sun was just breaking over the horizon. Early morning vendors were preparing their tables for the day of marketing. Guards were moving, changing shifts along the wooden wall that surrounded all of Eternos.

Gray felt something strange. There was something not quite right with what he was seeing. A few of the early rising villagers were walking along the roads of the village. But there was something . . . not quite right.

He found his gaze falling on a pair walking aimlessly near the marketplace. They were both wearing cloaks, but their hoods were down, revealing blond hair for each. Lovers? No. That didn't seem right. Brother and sister . . . twins. Yes, that was it. But just how did Gray know that?

With them was a horse and tiger - an odd pair, not out of the ordinary. What was wrong with them? Why did Gray feel like there was a certain strangeness to them?

He was about to walk towards - find out their names and where they were from - when a horn was blown from one of the lookout towers.

"SNAKE-MEN!"

Gray looked beyond the wall and saw fifty Snake-Men rushing towards Eternos. It wasn't a full-out attack, most likely just a shake-up technique used to keep Eternos on their toes. Gray thoughts of the twins were dashed, but when headed back to his house, he glanced back at them. The twins were rushing off with their animals. He would deal with them later.

Prince Gray entered the house. Taryn was awake and getting dressed.

"Go alert my grandfather," he told her. "I will see you soon, my love."

"How many are there?" asked the red-head.

"Fifty. Maybe more, maybe less."

She kissed him. "Fight with honor, my love."

With that, she rushed out of the house. Gray smiled and turned to a sleeping lizard. "Ready, Bone?"

The lizard licked its chops. "As always!"

Gray lifted the Staff of Power and exclaimed the words he had a habit of saying every time there was danger.

"BY THE MIGHT OF GRAYSKULL, MAGIC AND STRENGTH - TEMPERED BY HEART . . ." he cried out.

Power surged from the Staff of Power. It turned gold and a large silver egg appeared on the top. His body transformed, growing large with muscles developing quickly over his once thin frame. Golden armor covered his chest and boot. A thick blue hide took the place of his honor belt. Huge golden armored boot replaced his leather ones. His black hair draped down across his shoulder. A red cape flowed from behind him. The same read cross symbol from He-Man's harness appeared on his chest.

The transformation was complete. As the energy surged around him one last time, he bellowed the last of the incantation.

". . . I STAND FOR PEACE!"

So now, did He-Ro stand where there was once Prince Gray. He turned his still energized Staff of Power to Bone. A beam of power belted forward, transforming the lizard. He grew huge, filling the entire room. Red armor plated his body, along with a single horn coming from the crest. The chestnut colored Bone became Battle Beast.

"Let's teleport, Battle Beast."

The pair vanished as the transformation finished completely.

Adam and Adora, with their traveling companions, hid behind a hut in the vain hope of not getting involved in this battle. Just as they found a good spot, both were overwhelmed with a tingling sensation. Adam reached and grabbed the hilt of Sword of Power. It felt energized - powered up as if they were transforming.

"What's going on?"

"It's Prince Gray. He's transformed into He-Ro," Adora answered. "Adam, we should help him."

"But, Adora, the timeline . . ."

"The timeline won't be affected," she replied. Adam suddenly noticed that Adora's eyes were wide, as if she were looking at something that was mere inches from her face.

"How do you know that?"

"I . . . I don't know. I just do."

Adam was aware that his twin did have limited telepathy when she was She-Ra, but as Adora? No. And now, sensing things about the timeline? This was a new power.

"Okay. Let's get some place a little more secure and then do this."

He-Ro, riding Battle Beast, came out from the wall, Staff of Power in hand. The Snake-Men were led by Rattlor, one of King Hiss's elite.

"What is this rabble?" laughed He-Ro.

Rattlor made no reply. He leapt into the air, neck extended, shrieking a battle cry. He-Ro jumped from Battle Beast and slammed his fist into Rattlor's face. He-Ro then landed square on his feet. Rattlor landed on his back. He-Ro lifted up the Staff of Power. The egg on its top opened up.

As Battle Beast rushed into the small army, He-Ro pointed the Staff of Power at on coming Snake-Men. There was burst of green light, followed by a blast of flame. The Snake-Men fell back, the heat too much for them. He-Ro wasn't, however, and a gale wind lifted the Snake-Men, tossing them into their companions. The remaining Snake-Men not being taken down by Battle Beast were now being washed away by a stream of water from the Staff of Power.

"Mastery over the elements helps," He-Ro gloated and punched out one of the Snake-Men.

The Staff of Power struck the ground as the Snake-Men were starting to regroup. A tremor shook them off their feet. He-Ro looked around, taking a quick count of just how many were left. So far, so good. He heard a sudden rattle, and turned around just a bit too slowly . . .

He-Ro watched as Rattlor came flying towards him - then stop. Rattlor was yanked back, and went to flying backwards into the wall. The man who just defeated him smiled.

"Figured you could use a hand."

He-Ro watched as the man (who wore an honor belt and a harness) and a woman (who wore a beautiful white dress with a golden tiara) sprang into action against the Snake-Men. Once more, He-Ro was overcome with the feeling he had watching those twins from before. He realized right then that he was watching them again.

And then he realized he that man had the same symbol on his chest as He-Ro did. Then . . . he saw the swords and he realized with quite some shock just where those swords were from. They were part of the set from Castle Grayskull.

"RETREAT!" cried a recovering Rattlor.

The Snake-Men did in fact turn tail and started towards the east. He-Ro did not smile, nor did he make any move to stop them. There were more important matters to deal with. He turned to the transformed twins.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"I am He-Man," the man in the harness greeted.

"And I am She-Ra," the woman in the white dress followed.

"Where did you get those swords?"

He-Man grunted. "Well, you see, that's what we need to talk to you about . . ."

"Wrong answer," He-Ro replied. The Staff of Power sent out a burst of wind that sent He-Man sailing across the field.

She-Ra stepped up. "We're not here to - "

"You stole those blades from Castle Grayskull!" He-Ro exclaimed and let out a flame from the Staff.

"Sword to Flame!" She-Ra cried. The Sword of Protection caught fire and absorbed He-Ro's burst. However, just as she did, his boot collided with her abdomen.

"I hate doing that to a woman, but I - "

"Don't worry about!" she retorted and made to punch him.

He-Ro deflected it and the second she fired at him. He moved his Staff to strike her, but she used the Sword of Protection to block it. She-Ra leapt back.

"You must listen to me!" She-Ra cried. "We are not here to hurt you!"

"Liar!"

He-Ro suddenly went fumbling to the ground as He-Man tackled him. He-Ro kicked He-Man off, but He-Man landed perfectly on his feet.

"What is this madness?" shouted He-Ro. "Give me the blades! Now!"

He-Man and She-Ra glanced at each. They raised their swords and the pair erupted in a blast of light and energy.

"Understand us! We are the guardians of Castle Grayskull! We are not of this era!" She-Ra shouted.

He-Ro lifted the Staff of Power and it too erupted as theirs did - except his was far brighter and much stronger.

"I am He-Ro! And you are no match for me!"

"This is crazy," He-Man said, lowering his Sword of Power. "We're not here to -"

"Give me your swords," He-Ro said one last time. "Now."

He-Man and She-Ra lifted their blades. They didn't want to fight, but He-Ro seemed quite adamant about it. Suddenly, three forms came crashing between the trio - Battle Beast, Swift-Wind, and Battle-Cat. They all roared, hissed, and neighed respectfully.

"STOP!" Battle-Beast thundered.

"We talked it out for you," Swift-Wind told them.

"Fighting right now is useless," Battle-Cat said.

"What is this, Battle-Beast?"

Battle-Beast looked at his companion. "They are from the future, He-Ro. They have come back in time to help you!"

He-Ro glanced at He-Man and She-Ra, then back at Battle-Beast. "Help me? How?"

"We're here to save your life, He-Ro," He-Man told him.

"Just how do you plan on doing that?"

Right when She-Ra was about to answer, the Sorceress telepathically appeared in front of them. Except, it wasn't the Sorceress known to He-Man and She-Ra. This one slightly bigger than the Sorceress once known as Teelana, and this Sorceress had hazel eyes.

I am the Sorceress of Grayskull! said the Sorceress. Your arrival to this time period was unplanned! What has happened to bring you here?

"That is something we must speak about," He-Man returned.

Come to Castle Grayskull, then, and we shall all palaver.

"Sorceress, I am not sure if this is the wisest course of action," He-Ro protested.

You must work on your trust, He-Ro. Follow your heart. These are not enemies.

He-Ro took a deep breath, then nodded. "Understood. We shall be there soon."

The visage of the Sorceress vanished. He-Ro paused, then turned to them all. "Saddle up and let's go. I want to get to the bottom of this."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I don't want to come off as a post-whore or anything, but I'm just a little curious as to why no one has reviewed this yet. I mean, the last two were really well-reviewed, but everyone seems to be avoiding this one. Just a little surprised, is all. Drop me a line and let me know what I'm doing right/wrong. W