Chapter Two: "Trouble"

As soon as She-Ra entered the Whispering Woods and SeaHawk bid her an overly regal ado, she was suddenly aware that something was wrong. It was a creepy feeling - perhaps just the way was rising or the fact that she and SeaHawk and his crew had just gotten away with destroying an oil drilling station scott-free. Whatever it was, she knew something was wrong.

"She-Ra."

She spun and saw He-Man, standing between a group of purple, bushy trees.

"He-Man?" The two siblings shared a brief hug. "What's going on?"

"Trouble," he replied sternly.

"I had a feeling. Skeletor? Hiss?"

"No. Hordak."

"What's going on?"

"I'm not completely sure. The Sorceress told me that Hordak was up to something here on Etheria and that we needed to see Light-Hope as soon as possible."

She-Ra nodded in thought. "I'm not quite sure how we'll get to him in time, though," she said simply. "Swift-Wind is on a sabbatical."

"The Sorceress said she would provide transportation."

At that moment, a golden, shimmering portal opened right to their immediate left. As she and He-Man entered into it, her mind went to Light-Hope. What was going on? What was happening that he couldn't contact and retrieve She-Ra himself?

Instantaneously, He-Man and She-Ra arrived in the large chamber that housed Light-Hope. The shaft of shimmering, rainbow colored light waved continuously at their arrival.

"Welcome!" Light-Hope greeted strongly.

"What's happening, Light-Hope?" She-Ra blurted out.

He-Man said nothing.

"There is a great threat, She-Ra, to all of Etheria. To, perhaps, all of the universe. But for you to fully realize what is happening, I must first tell you both of the distant past," Light-Hope began. "For you see, I was not always on Etheria. I began my existence a long time ago . . . on Eternia."

"Eternia? Are you serious?"

"Yes, He-Man. As you are both aware, during Eternia's First Age, the Ancients split the world in two. One hemisphere contained evil and the other contained good. In the hope of gathering the forces of good and evil to each hemisphere, the Ancients brought forth two powerful spirits. Myself, Light-Hope, for the forces of good. And Dark-Hope, for the forces of evil."

"You have a counterpart?" asked She-Ra.

"Yes. And for many years after we first appeared on Eternia, Dark-Hope and I battled time after time. During our last battle, we both feared for the safety of Eternia. So, we fled from that world. The battle and the escape were both weakening to us. We came to Etheria and we both slumbered.

"I remained here in the Crystal Castle, an ancient palace created by early Etherians. Its power of goodness replenished me as I slept. Dark-Hope also slept, deep in his Dark Palace, in the vast underground of Etheria. As time went on, the First Ones contacted us and a deal was struck: our war was not to resume until we had both awakened and could move on from Etheria."

"What happened? Why are you awake now?"

"Your arrival woke me, She-Ra. When Princess Adora arrived on Etheria, I became aware of the great threat of the Horde to Etheria. I wished to strike, but then discovered that you yourself contained a great destiny. The Sorceress of Grayskull contacted me and informed what your destiny was to be. So I waited. Waited for the time when you would retrieve the Sword of Protection and turn against your evil masters. Waited for the time when you needed me to guide you. Waited for the time . . . when my dark counter-part would awaken."

"Has he awoken?" He-Man asked tensely.

"Not yet," Light-Hope replied. "However, Hordak has learned of Dark-Hope and seeks to awaken him. If that happens, then I can not tell you what the consequences would be. It is too early for that war to be fought."

"What can we do to stop him from waking?" She-Ra questioned.

"You both must lead a strike team into the underground network of Etheria and intercept Hordak from getting to the Dark Palace." A map suddenly appeared in She-Ra's hands. "This will guide you."

"Thank you," she said then.

"Assemble your teams swiftly and move against the Horde elite as fast as you can. It will be nothing but doom if you fail."


"Your team, master," Shadow Weaver introduced, hands waving to Catra, Leech, Scorpia, Modulock, Multi-Bot, and twenty Horde Troopers.

"Excellent, Weaver," Hordak thanked. "A few business deals and then we will be off. Do you the entrance location to the underground?"

"Yes. And the way to the Dark Palace."

"Good, good."

At that moment, Manteena and Double-Trouble entered. Hordak regarded Double-Trouble for a moment. She had only been in the service of Hordak for six months and had the unique ability to transform her hideous features into beautiful ones. Her job was one of great importance - a spy within the Great Rebellion.

The blond, hideous spy handed Hordak a report.

"The most recent intelligence on the Great Rebellion."

"That's an oxymoron," Hordak grumbled and then laughed a bit to himself. The others gave him a mandatory 'you're so funny' grin.

"They've maintained themselves in the Whispering Woods and at last check-in, She-Ra was in the Growling Sea. From what I can tell, she was the one responsible for the destruction of the oil drill."

"I had a feeling that was so," Hordak grumbled. "Very well. I am going in the underground for a number of days, Double-Trouble. I want you to return to the Whispering Woods and maintain your vigil."

"Understood."

Double-Trouble walked off as Manteena gave Hordak one last up-date before the dark master left. The two-faced spy made sure no one was following her . . . and then went to the main computer bank. Any security cameras would surely think she was only up-dating that database about her most recent Great Rebellion dealings.

What they didn't know - no one at all - was that Double-Trouble didn't really work for the Horde. On her first mission to spy on the Great Rebellion, she had been discovered by Queen Angella and She-Ra. The pair helped her discover that she didn't need the Horde to be free. A deal was struck and Double-Trouble had agreed to give false information to Hordak regarding the Great Rebellion and gather real information for the Great Rebellion regarding the Horde.

As she accessed the most downloaded file . . . she came upon one that made her stop completely. Her ugly jaw dropped as she stared at the monitor before her. They were battle plans for a final conquest of Etheria constructed by the most powerful members of the Horde elite and Horde brain trust. As she quickly examined them, Double-Trouble came to understand that there would be no halting these plans from coming to manifest.

They were perfect.

Double-Trouble quickly downloaded the plans, deleted the log of the download, and made for the nearest exit. Queen Angella needed to see these right away.


Teela really couldn't understand why He-Man had picked her for this mission. From what she understood, it was going to be a trip underground; a quest for some ancient power that had left Eternia a few thousand year ago and to stop Hordak from reaching it first. Nothing really out of the ordinary. It was just odd because, only a few months ago, any sort of bond of friendship (or something deeper, as Teela had always hoped) had been shattered quite harshly. They had, in recent adventures, been able to create a strong working relationship . . . but even that had been strained.

Which was exactly why, she thought to herself, it didn't make any sense that she get dragged along to Etheria on this mission with him. Whatever his reasons were, Teela did realize that if she were asked for, then she was needed.

So, with confidence, she strode into the courtyard, staff in hand, Sword of the Ancients on her back, and her red hair back in a ponytail. Already there was Orko, Man-At-Arms, Man-E-Faces, and Mekaneck. And, of course, He-Man.

"All set?" her father asked.

"Yeah," Teela answered and nodded briefly to the others.

At that moment, Gwildor came waddling out, Cosmic Key in hand. He began to punch in the coordinates for Castle Brightmoon and a portal opened, wide and fuming with strangely lyrical tunes emanating forth.

The Heroic Warriors entered.

On the other side of the portal, He-Man led his team into a large field that spread throughout the front of Caste Brightmoon. Waiting for him was She-Ra, Bow, Glimmer, Kowl, Frosta, and Castaspella. The blue sky and early afternoon sunlight spilled forth around them and He-Man was happy with such a beautiful day.

"Good afternoon, brother," She-Ra greeted.

"Hello, hello," He-Man replied, then looked to Frosta and Castaspella. Inwardly, he groaned. Both of them were so flirtatious with him - it was going to drive Teela crazy.

If we get out of here alive, we'll be lucky. If the three of them get out of here alive, it'll be a miracle, He-Man thought to himself.

"I'm afraid we don't have much time," She-Ra told them all. "According to this map, we can enter the great underground from the city of the Magicats. It's on our southern boarder."

As the group headed south, Man-At-Arms walked side-by-side with She-Ra. "Just who are these Magicats?" he asked her curiously.

"A race of cat-like people who are similar to Catra. We helped them fight off the Horde a few weeks ago. They're friendly. Good people."

"Which entrance do you think the Horde will be using?" wondered Bow from She-Ra's other side.

"I'm not sure. There are plenty of tunnels beneath the Fright Zone. I'm sure one or two of them lead into the underground."

As they entered the Whispering Woods, a memory flickered in She-Ra's mind.


"HELP! HELP!"

Adora felt the ground move and the six-year-old lost all of her footing. She fell, her butt colliding with the slick floor. She had wandered into one of the tunnels after classes ended and before dinnertime with her caretaker, Shakra. Little did the young girl realize that construction in a near-by tunnel had caused this one to rumble. Huge boulders had blocked her exit almost as soon as she entered.

Alone in the dark, Adora didn't bother standing back up. She hugged her legs to her chest and sobbed in helplessness. She even stopped screaming for help.

Another rumble shook the tunnel. A small shaft of light emanated from the wall of recently fallen boulders. In a matter of seconds, then, she watched as the boulders vaporized. Standing there, in the light, was a creature that could have looked like a angel despite his demonic features. In the blazing white light from the entrance in which she had come into, Hordak stood.

"Adora!" he snarled and all thoughts of happiness were gone in that second in which he said her name. It was full of anger and frustration.

"Mister Hordak?"

"What are you doing in here!" he growled. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! HOW DARE YOU ENTER THESE TUNNELS!"

"Leave her alone, Hordak!" came the shout of Shakra. She came running from behind him and quickly took the sobbing young girl into her arms.

"You dare to - "

"She's scared enough as it is!" Shakra interrupted. "Do you really think she needs you to yell at her about coming in here? You don't think being trapped in here is punishment enough!"

Hordak snorted and said nothing. He turned a little and allowed Shakra to carry Adora out of the tunnel and into the light. She muttered comforting words to her charge as she passed Manteena.

"See!" Manteena cried out. "My big ears are good for something!"

As Hordak passed him by, he smacked Manteena in the face. Nothing more was ever said of this incident.


For years after this afternoon incident, She-Ra didn't really think much of Hordak's anger besides that of some sort of angry parent. However, know that she was aware of the full truth behind it, her feelings about it were tainted. Was he angry because he had encountered some resistance that he hadn't intended on meeting and was he just taking it out on her? Was he angry at her because she yet to realize her special destiny and might have died before he found out what it was?

She-Ra sighed and stuffed these thoughts away. This was no time for musing, she decided. She had work to do. All around the sounds of the Whispering Woods filled their ears. The chirping of the birds, the leaping of the squirrel from branch to branch - it was peaceful, as ever.

"It's so beautiful here, don't you think?" asked Castaspella, her arm hooking with He-Mans. He-Man gulped.

"Um, yeah, I suppose."

"Oh, I don't know," Frosta sighed, putting her hand on He-Man's shoulder. "You should come up to Castle Chill sometime, He-Man. It's even more beautiful up there."

"Well, uh, maybe . . ."

Teela grunted quietly from behind He-Man. She turned to Bow and whispered to him: "Are they always like this?"

Bow shot her a dark look and started walking a little faster. Teela perked her eyebrow in confusion. "What was that all about?" she muttered.

"You beat the shit out of him, remember?" recalled Glimmer for her.

"Oh! Oh, Ancients, yeah. I completely forgot." She sighed. "It wasn't . . . I mean . . ."

Glimmer offered her a slim smile. "I understand. He does, too. That doesn't mean he likes for it or anything, but he understands."

"It was hard time for all of us," Mekaneck said, his neck stretched out in front of him so he could be a part of the conversation.

"Well, we can't all be like Perfuma and Moss Man, making up right after it happened," Glimmer said. "For what it's worth, I know that a lot of us do forgive you guys for what happened, despite the fact that it wasn't your fault."

Teela and Mekaneck shared a quick glance. Despite the fact that they had been the ones that attacked the Great Rebellion, it wasn't completely their fault. The Spirit of Evil was in the back on every Eternians mind that dark day, pushing every amount of aggressiveness and anger to the surface until it broke out.

And while Teela and Mekaneck were among those that wanted a sense of forgiveness from their Etherian counter-parts, there were a few Heroic Warriors that felt as though they did very little wrong save lose control. It was a place of weakness and tension that would be forever standing in whatever bond the Heroic Warriors and Great Rebellion shared.

Teela and Mekaneck spoke none of this and the rest of the walk to the entrance to the Magicats underground city was spent with only small talk.