Chapter Four - "Slumber"

The rocks were thrown forth, revealing the well-protected Heroic Warriors and Great Rebels. He-Man and She-Ra surged forward, blades out and ready as the Horde Troopers released their laser beams right at the twins. The beams were deflected immediately.

The others came rushing behind them, the force field created by Orko disappearing completely.

"You two!" shouted Man-At-Arms as He-Man and She-Ra took out four Horde Troopers, sending scattered electronics across the cavern floor. "Get to Hordak! Castaspella - go with them! We'll take care of these bozos!"

With that, Man-At-Arms took a shot at Scorpia. The others joined in, all except Orko and Kowl. They followed Castaspella, who in turn, followed He-Man and She-Ra. Laser beams filled the small area, cracking against the floor and wall as Man-At-Arms let loose at Scorpia.

By his side was Frosta, who jumped up to avoid an in-coming barrage from the Horde Troopers. Her fingers began to form snowflakes and when she landed, ice spikes were formed and smashed into a few of the Horde Troopers, completely destroying two of them and damaging a third.

Man-E-Faces came in right behind her, switched to MONSTER mode and slammed two mammoth fists into a few of the remaining Horde Troopers. As soon as he disabled a few more of them, he switched to ROBOT mode and went to calculate just which angles it would require to take out the rest.

Unfortunately, before his begin his calculations, a pair of huge webbed hands folded around his face. Everything began to go dark as Leech started drain him of his power. Just as things started to go, though, an object collided solidly with Leech's head. He crumbled to the ground, with Teela towering above him.

Teela grabbed hold of Man-E-Faces weakened frame and helped carry him behind her father, who was still firing at Scorpia. Scorpia, just as Teela and Man-E-Faces reached safety, launched her tail out. It smacked Man-At-Arms' lasers out of his hand. Taking advantage of this, Scorpia came running forward, claws pinching. Before she could get into a good position, a beam of light energy struck her and threw her across the chamber.

From about five feet from his left, Glimmer smiled and Man-At-Arms and tossed him his fallen laser. Mekaneck's head suddenly went flying by, narrowing avoiding the claws of Clawdeen (Catra's cat form). However, Bow's arrows went sailing through the dank air and exploded in a gray gas around Clawdeen's face.

Clawdeen went scampering back towards the few remaining Horde Troopers and returned to her Catra form.


He-Man, She-Ra, Castaspella, Orko, and Kowl soon found themselves facing the end of the corridor. It had been widening out and as soon as they reached the end of it, the Dark Palace was revealed. It was recognized by knowing parties as the nearly exactly duplicate of the Crystal Castle - however, instead of gold, it was a pure, ashy black. And the pink jewel on the Crystal Castle was instead red.

The Dark Palace was set in a massive open underground area with a high ceiling that seemed to have some sort of illuminating algae growing on it. The furthest wall was at least two miles away. It was quite the sight to behold.

"Incredible," Castaspella breathed.

"We need to get over there," She-Ra stated.

Just as they exited the corridor and entered the cavern, a huge form dropped down in front of them. It was Modulock . . . and Multi-Bot . . . together.

"Going somewhere?" came the sound of four voices. Two were the robotic voices of Multi-Bot and the other pair belonged to the mutated man once known as Galen Nycroft.

Their bodies had become some sort of bizarre-looking combination of red and black flesh and multiple colored robotics. There were twelve legs and eight arms to contend with and each one looked far stronger than when these two (or was it four?) creatures were separate.

"You face me now . . . as Megabeast!" shouted the four heads.

"You guys move along," He-Man told his allies. "This one is mine."

He-Man jumped up, flipped and went to punch Megabeast in one of his heads - when four arms grabbed him, tossed into the air and kicked him with three legs. He-Man crashed to the ground, but was unscathed. He pulled his Sword of Power and rushed forward.

"GO!" he roared.

Castaspella cast a brief spell of speed on her companions and they slipped by Megabeast, allowing He-Man to be his only contender.

She-Ra led them over a small rock slopes until they finally reached an open and flat area where the Dark Palace stood. Two huge gray doors hung open and within, She-Ra could see a chamber similar to the one that Light-Hope stood.

Just as they were about to reach the doors, though, Shadow Weaver stood before them, energy swirling around her hands.

"Remain where you are," she hissed.

"You really think that's going to happen?" asked Castaspella, Shadow Weaver's former classmate. Two beams of light came bursting from Casta's hands and they struck Shadow Weaver, stunning her just enough for She-Ra, Orko, and Kowl to get into the main chamber of the Dark Palace.

Hordak held up the tablet that contained the incantation for awaking Dark-Hope. He stood at the edge of a large circle in the ground as soon as he finished reading off the words, sigils around the circle began to light up. Right as the last finished up and the circle filled with green light, Hordak heard She-Ra arriving.

"You're too late," he stated simply to the heroine.

"Stop this, Hordak," She-Ra replied and raised her Sword of Protection.

Hordak snorted, spun around and tossed the tablet right at her. She-Ra smashed it on her way over to Hordak.

"Foolish move, She-Ra," Hordak laughed. "That tablet was the only thing that contained the incantation to put Dark-Hope back to sleep! Too late now, though."

As soon as he said that, the green light swirled and then dimmed. A shaft of what could only be described as black smoke burst forth. Behind the dark smoke was a pulsating red light.

"I am Dark-Hope," said the shaft of darkness. The pulsing red light got brighter with every word. "Why have you awakened me from my slumber?"

"I am Hordak, leader of the Horde, master of the Fright Zone. I share your evil."

"Do you?"

"I do."

"Then step forward, Hordak, let me peer into your soul."

Hordak walked right into the shaft that was Dark-Hope. She-Ra's eyes widened.

Go forward! shouted Light-Hope in her mind. Hordak must not be given any of Dark-Hope's power! He must sleep once more! His time has not yet come!

She-Ra did so. With her Sword of Protection sheathed, she ran and jumped right into essence of Dark-Hope himself.

Orko and Kowl, who had been hiding behind one of the pillars, flew out from their spot. "What do we do now?" asked Kowl.

"That tablet! Hordak said it had the incantation to put Dark-Hope back to sleep. Maybe if I can read it, I can say the spell."

"But She-Ra smashed it."

"Then we'll just have to fix it."

The pair went straight towards the shattered tablet and started to examine it. Slowly, then, piece-by-piece, they started to put it back together.


"Who are you?" shouted Dark-Hope as She-Ra entered a realm of thick, red clouds.

"I am She-Ra, defender of Castle Grayskull and the Crystal Castle, enemy of the Horde, defender of Etheria, and leader of the Great Rebellion!" She-Ra shouted back.

"You are Hordak's enemy?"

At that moment, Hordak appeared right in front of She-Ra. She instinctively went to move for her Sword of Protection, but found her limps locked in position. Form what she could tell, Hordak was in the same predicament.

"The Crystal Castle, eh? Then old Light-Hope did awaken before I did. Very interesting. Unfortunately, our war is not for a few more years. I am not at my full power. But luckily, She-Ra, you have just given me something to feed me. Your beautiful spirit will be exactly what I need."

She-Ra could feel Dark-Hope's cloud-like tendrils enter into her chest, seeking for all that was good within her; searching for just which part of her spirit to sucking on. But as the dark entity probed, She-Ra felt Light-Hope's voice in her head.

Goodness will hold him off! Light-Hope pleaded. The power of light! A memory! A joyous memory! Lock on to one and force it upon him! It is the only way!

She-Ra's mind searched her memory as she began to feel her own life force start to drain. All of them - the ones she had been experiencing recently - had been dark and full of despair. But there was one, above all others, that she knew would do the trick. She brought it out and forced it forward.


Adam grinned back at Adora as she waited in the shadows. "Okay, everyone!" he told them. "No peeking!"

Teela, Randor, Marlena, and Man-At-Arms all had their eyes covered. Adam was almost floating with excitement. She wasn't surprised - as his twin sister, she was feeling the same way. But there was deep feeling, bubbling through the happiness. Sadness . . . and anxiety? Would they even remember her? Would they love her? What if they didn't? Would they hate her?

"Okay, Adam," said Randor. Her father. This man was her father. The only one she could even come close to referring to in that position was Hordak. "We've done as you've asked. What is this surprise you've promised us? Are you going to keep us waiting all day?"

Adam smiled and turned to her. "Come on," he whispered. She nodded slowly and walked across the Throne Room floor. Her knees felt like Jell-O, her shoulders felt heavy. Adora was about to meet her parents for the first time since she was an infant.

She glanced at her brother, who was still smiling. Adora called upon her strength to bring up, but it didn't last long.

"Okay!" Adam yelled. "You can open your eyes now!"

Teela was first and Adora remembered a slight bit of jealousy. "Who is that?" she asked.

Man-At-Arm's jaw dropped and she suddenly remembered that he had chased after Hordak. Other than the Sorceress, he was the last one to see her before now. "By the Ancients . . ." he muttered.

Adora turned, finally, to her parents. They had just removed their hands and looked down at Adora with strange curiosity.

Randor talked first, eyes just now catching sight of her. "It's about time - " he started but stopped immediately. Marlena's eyes grew wide

For a second, they didn't seem to realize who this was. Adora's heart pounded. Who were these people to her? Who was she to them? Would they love her? Would they even know her?

After a second that lasted a lifetime, Marlena spoke. She gasped. "Adora!"

That was all it took. She ran towards Marlena, a name escaping her lips. "Mother!" The two embraced.

Randor immediately held the two into his arms as Marlena continued to say her name, tears falling down across her cheeks.

"You're home," said Randor as Adam came to join them. A few more words were spoke, causing Adora's heart to open up and accept these people as the family that she did, truly belong to.

Randor slung his arm around Adam's shoulder. "Adam," he said with a smile, "I want you to know that you've made me the happiest man . . . on all Eternia." He hugged him again, then turned to the entire family. "The royal family is whole once more. And by the Ancients, I swear that nothing shall separate us again."

It was those words that pounded it in for Adora. She was home, at long last.


She-Ra held this memory forward. She pushed, shoved it, and held it up high in her mind and her heart. She could feel Dark-Hope pull back, shocked and stunned. He yanked his non-corporeal body out from her and fled from her spirit like a shadow from light.

She-Ra took a deep breath and then was plunged out. She collided on the floor only a few feet from Dark-Hope. She could still see Hordak's ghost-like body within.

"I need to stop him," she said, readying herself once more for a leap in.

"No need, She-Ra, who-who," Kowl then said, floating over. He carried with him the tablet, covered in glue that was probably from Orko's magic hat.

"I can maybe - hopefully - put him back to sleep using this second incantation," Orko said nervously.

"Then do it, Orko, and fast."

While Dark-Hope was probing her inner being, She-Ra had sensed Dark-Hope's intentions of giving Hordak the secrets to entering the Whispering Woods. That knowledge would surely end it all for the Great Rebellion.

Orko lifted the hefty tablet in his blue hands and began to speak the words that were on it. As he started, a few fireballs came sailing out of Dark-Hope. She-Ra blocked each one from impacting Orko with the Sword of Protection.

The symbols that surrounded Dark-Hope suddenly began to glow. A green light appeared at the base of Dark-Hope.


Hordak curled his upper lip he sensed Dark-Hope begin to slip away.

"Ah, my fellow follower of darkness, no need to be frustrated. It was not my time to emerge yet. There is a war to come, one in which I will play a part in. But that will not be for a number of years. Follow through with these plans to conquer Eternia, and when I awaken next, I shall bestow upon you great power."

"If that is your will," Hordak grunted, "then let it be done."

"Before I leave, though, I will give you a taste of what will come when I truly do return."

As Hordak was thrusted out of Dark-Hope, great power filled him. His body could hardly retain it and as soon as he emerged, he nearly passed out.

"This is over for today, She-Ra," Hordak spat.

He went running out of Dark Palace faster than She-Ra had anticipated. She turned back to where Dark-Hope was and watched as the evil entity slipped back into the green energy and returned to his slumber. This was all far too easy, she realized, and then understood that this was only the beginning.