Chapter Five: "Destiny's Path"
"We should pull back," Flogg said to Skeletor.
As soon as he said that, both Hoove and Slushead went flying into each other, thanks to Flipshot and Nocturna.
"Not yet, no," Skeletor grunted. He looked to the capsule. "I sense He-Man is returning."
Skeletor slinked off, away from the battle. Flogg mumbled something inaudible and entered the battle. From his hand shot a harpoon that wrapped around the nearest Galactic Guardian he could find – Hydron.
"One more move and fishbowl gets it!" Flogg shouted to the Galactic Guardians.
"Me?" asked Slushead, as he too had a clear helmet on.
"No you dumbass!" fired Flogg. He ripped off Hydron's helmet and placed a laser pistol to his head. "I mean it! Weapons down, you fools! Step away from the Mutants and line-up!"
"Don't do it!" yelled Hydron to his teammates as they began to walk single file towards Flogg. The Mutants gathered around them.
"We don't have much of a choice, boss," Tuskador commented.
"On your knees, fleshy-ones!" shouted Lizorr.
They complied willingly, and went down on their knees, hands behind their heads, surrendering to their enemies.
Skeletor walked along the grassy hill, hating this planet more and more by the second. A part of him actually did want to turn back, head home to Eternia. The whole plan was a longshot, but he tried his best to maintain his faith in it.
"Come on, He-Man," Skeletor said. "Come on out. We must speak again, about the changes we have gone through. How our lives have changed."
He-Man was crouched low in a thick outcropping of bushes. He watched as Skeletor walked by and his ears listened to every word he said. It was not yet time to strike, not until he had gained some sort of surprise on him.
"I asked you twice about the loneliness of good, He-Man, and neither time did you answer. I ask you once more. Is the path of good as lonely as that of evil? Does your poor heart ache for a friend or a lover or family?"
He-Man bit his lip.
"I recall striking down Teela when Hiss and I rose the Great Towers. You seemed quite upset with that. What about Battle-Cat? Orko? She-Ra? Man-At-Arms? Dear friends, one and all, but just how much time did you spent with them? Ah, He-Man, we could be related, for we both know the sting of our sacrifices, our paths of absolutes. Your path of good, mine of evil."
He-Man had heard enough. He leapt out, Sword of Power drawn. Skeletor spun towards him, unleashing a lightning strike of energy. He-Man deflected it, sending it to their left.
"We chose our paths, Skeletor," He-Man declared, slamming his Sword of Power against Skeletor's Sword of Darkness. "Let us walk them and stop complaining about it."
Skeletor cackled into the morning air, their swords striking each other again.
Here we are, once again, He-Man thought to himself. Fighting the same war, fighting the same battle. It's always Skeletor . . . it always comes back to Skeletor . . .
"We're missing one," Hoove noted as he shackled the last of the Galactic Guardians.
Flogg perked an eyebrow. "What? Who?"
"The invisible one," said Lizorr, sniffing the air. A breeze was coming in from the west, away from the Galactic Guardians.
"Find him, then!" yelled out Flogg.
As soon as that was said, Hoove went sailing into the air. The shackles on Spinwit's arms then clanged open. Just as the Mutants went into action, Spinwit sent a massive burst of air that sent the group flying back about ten feet.
Vizar and Spinwit moved quickly, releasing the others, the Galactic Guardians coming free. They once more charged the Mutants, the battle begun anew.
Their swords clanged together and with each impact, bursts of power fired forth like small explosions. Streaks of lightning charged outward, the power of good and evil conflicting in such a titanic manner. Such ancient weapons, these blades, but so powerful and in truth, intended for their bearers.
Destiny had brought He-Man here, across these past few years. The path his life took changed the moment he found his long-lost sister. It was only two weeks later that the Snake-Men were released, which was followed by the restoration of the Great Towers. That, in turn, had led to the Horde/Snake-Men War.
He-Man blocked a swipe from Skeletor and leapt back, putting some space between the two of them. Once more, Skeletor blasted at He-Man. His shield was up to the task of deflecting it harmlessly. Skeletor used this spare moment to rush to He-Man and jab at him with the Sword of Darkness. It struck his shield harmlessly.
The Horde/Snake-Men War allowed Skeletor to take sweep into Castle Grayskull and Eternos, nearly conquering all of Eternia. If not for She-Ra to handle Eternos and his allies to rescue He-Man himself, it all would have crumbled. And it had been Skeletor's disruption at Castle Grayskull that brought forth the Dark Cloud. Which lead to the quest with Teela and the Sword of the Ancients . . . and those kisses in the Ice Mountains . . .
Skeletor swiped at He-Man and drew blood. He-Man stood at attention and swung against the Sword of Darkness.
The Sword of the Ancients . . . the trap laid out by the Spirit of Evil. His way of destroying Procrustus and transforming the entire Light Hemisphere into a second Dark Hemisphere, corrupting them all into evil men and women. The quests with Teela, She-Ra, and SeaHawk to restore Eternia . . . the price of that success was the damage done to Eternos and the other kingdoms of Eternia.
He-Man slammed his shoulder into Skeletor's chest plate, then slammed his fist against Skeletor's skull. Skeletor reeled back, but He-Man didn't stop. He smacked the Sword of Darkness out of the way with the Sword of Power, then punched Skeletor in the gut, then across the skull.
The Spirit of Evil's legacy left a destructive mark on Eternia, pitting He-Man against Count Marzo, the Pelicons, and into the arms of his once beloved Kathryn. The events afterward, meeting He-Ro and then the mystery of Keldor . . . reaffirming in his position, in his place in life and his duty to good and justice.
Skeletor blasted He-Man with a wave of his hand, then shoved at him with an invisible force. He-Man was thrown back, his legs smashing into the ground. Skeletor then unleashed a streak of energy that shot He-Man square in the chest. He-Man fell, chest smoldering. He coughed and then stood up.
"You won't defeat me that easily," He-Man said, Sword of Power still in his hands.
The liberation of Etheria from Hordak. All that build-up, all those plans, finally coming to realization. The battle against the Horde had been long and harrowing, but worth it. Worth every damn minute of it.
"No, I suppose I won't," Skeletor then said.
He-Man had just stood up with Skeletor pulled at the capsule. With one flick of the wrist, a beam of blue light came flying out from the capsule and struck the Sword of Power. Immediately, the Sword of Power vibrated with the strike. He-Man then realized that the two were linked, the capsule containing Grayskull's power and his blade.
The release of Vipera, the alliance and betrayal of Skeletor . . . it had been a lead-up to this. Here it was. At long last, here it was.
He-Man pulled the Sword of Power back, hoping to break the connection.
"I don't think so, He-Man!" Skeletor cackled, touching the Sword of Darkness to the capsule. Energy fumed from the place where they touched. Powerful beams were released, rumbling through the morning air.
"The power of Grayskull links your Sword of Power to this capsule! It shall be mine! Your power shall be mine!" Skeletor yelled, power roaring around them.
He-Man could feel his arms growing weak, the Sword of Power looking dull. Was this truly it? Really the end?
"I will take your power, He-Man, and then overthrown Flogg! And I shall move onto Eternia with his grand fleet and this incredible power! I SHALL SHATTER THE DOORS OF CASTLE GRAYSKULL! I SHALL BURN ETERNOS TO THE GROUND AND SWEEP ACROSS THE PLANET LIKE A VAST STORM!"
He then pointed the Sword of Darkness at He-Man. He-Man, weakened already, was suddenly held in place. One hand still holding onto the Sword of Power, He-Man was floated into the air, hanging suspended two feet from the ground.
"But first . . ." Skeletor then said, almost in a whisper. "First I shall kill you. Yes. You shall die on this silly world, far from your home and from those you loved and called your friends. Your path has ended, He-Man!"
"No," He-Man protested as Skeletor brought the Sword of Darkness to his neck.
"Oh yes . . ." Skeletor retorted. "You will die here, alone."
"I . . . I am never alone . . ." He-Man said defiantly.
He-Man felt something click within him. His strength returned, if just for a moment. The Sword of Power ripped from its invisible moorings, as did his entire right arm. The blue energy connection still intact, the Sword of Power slammed against Skeletor's Sword of Darkness.
The spell was disrupted and Skeletor was thrown back from the backlash.
He-Man fell onto his feet.
Skeletor stood up.
He-Man was faster. His hand thudded against Skeletor's arm, and then snatched the capsule from his armored fingers.
"NOOOO!" roared Skeletor as He-Man lifted the capsule above his head.
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!" he exclaimed, the capsule releasing white light in his hand. "BY THE POWER OF ETERNIA!" he then said. His fist crushed the capsule and He-Man then lifted the Sword of Power.
"I HAVE THE POWER!"
Massive bolts of power surrounded He-Man, the power of Grayskull now completely restored. He-Man locked eyes with Skeletor, Sword of Power raised.
"Now . . . where were we?"
Skeletor hissed and let loose a beam of energy. He-Man shrugged it off and rushed towards Skeletor. Skeletor swung the Sword of Darkness. He-Man deflected it, punched Skeletor across the skull, in the chest, in the stomach, and then turned kicked him in the stomach again.
"Destiny brought us here, Skeletor," He-Man told him as he knocked the Sword of Darkness from Skeletor's hand. "Our paths of good and evil have crossed once more."
He-Man threw Skeletor backwards.
"It's time you learned that as long as I have a breath within me, I will be there to stop you from spreading your evil."
Skeletor stood up and telekinetically called over the Sword of Darkness. It reached his hand and he pulled out his Havoc Staff.
"Then . . . this is not the end."
Skeletor vanished from sight, teleported away.
He-Man was in motion. He ran back towards the battle site. What he saw made him smile.
The Galactic Guardians had the Mutants on the run. A few Terror Pods had landed, apparently making it through the hole.
Skeletor joined the Mutants as they boarded the Terror Pods in retreat.
The Denebrian vessels were gone in a matter of minutes, taking Skeletor with them. He had been right. This was the end of their war.
But as the Galactic Guardians, Master Sebrian, Mara, Drissi, and Caz joined with He-Man, the hero of Eternia . . . and of Primus . . . understood something that had taken him since the release of the Snake-Men to fully and completely comprehend.
He was never truly alone. There was no loneliness of good as there had been for evil. As long as he stood for good, and for justice . . . he would never, ever be alone.