Chapter Four: "He-Man's Reflection"
"They are full of secrets, Duncan."
Man-At-Arms merely nodded a little as both he and He-Man continued through the part of Oris called the Deepening Woods. It was where the Elves could best sense Faker's presence.
"Many of the ancients races of Eternia are. The Dragons, the Elves . . . even Elders and Ancients were full of mysteries and secrets. All we have is what they left behind."
He-Man shrugged, Power Sword at the ready. "I understand, I guess. But why? I know there are things Shorn isn't telling us. I want to know what it is they're not telling us."
"It's a simple matter of trust, He-Man. They don't trust us. We may wish they did, but unfortunately, life has other plans. But my hope is that this incident will help bring our two people together. Just as what happened to me brought the Dragons and Eternos into good relations."
He-Man nodded. "I suppose you're right, Duncan. But I can't shake the feeling that something happened in the mutual history of our two peoples. Something that shattered the trust so completely that the Elves felt they had to leave Eternia."
Man-At-Arms shrugged. "I wish I had an answer for you. But I think it would be best not to concentrate of the past. Instead, we must focus . . . on the future."
XXX
"The future of our people lies in this younger generation, Teela," Lorn told the Captain as they traveled nearly two miles west of He-Man and Man-At-Arms position.
"Isn't that how it always plays out?" she asked, leaping over a fallen log.
"Well, yes, but our previous generation has been around for over 1,000 years. The more they pass on, the more of us take their place. Our young people – my generation – thirst for more than Oris."
"What do you mean?"
Lorn paused in their hunt and looked around at the forest around him. "Oris has been our home for many, many long years. I myself am 700 years old."
Teela almost did a spit-take. Lorn didn't look any older than she.
"But because of that, we have grown curious about our roots. Eternia was the birthplace of my people, so what has become of it? Perhaps the Elves can find our place on Eternia once again."
"It has changed. Technology has become more prominent. But there is still magic and sorcery. There is war, but there are also those like ourselves that seek to end war and create peace."
Lorn looked away sadly. "Then, it hasn't changed that much. Our books and parents speak of war fought by the Eternian Men. They speak also of the price of peace."
"Life must preserved. There are prices, yes, but the innocent should never suffer. Eternos believes that all life is sacred – especially humanoid life. We have our weapons on stun and only the Royal Soldiers are authorized to kill – and that is only if they are ordered to."
This seemed to relieve Lorn and his forced a smile. "Perhaps things have changed, then."
Teela found herself smiling. "I like to think so."
XXX
"I think something is wrong."
Moss Man looked over at Ram-Man, eyebrow raised. A few feet away, Vorlon was scouting around, eyes squinting, searching for Faker. This party was a mile south of He-Man and Man-At-Arms.
"What do you mean?" asked Moss Man.
Ram-Man bounced just a little. "The ground. It just doesn't feel right."
"Well, we are in another dimension. That could have something to do with it."
Ram-Man shrugged. "Maybe. But I don't think so."
"Oh?"
Ram-Man bounced again, just a little. "It just don't feel . . . right. Like it's not real ground. Like it's all fake." Ram-Man then paused, as if in deep thought. Moss Man was used to this, as it usually took Ram-Man a while to process what he wanted to say and then to articulate it just the right way. "The more I bounce, the weaker it becomes too," he then said after a few moments.
"Strange."
Vorlon was still scouting the perimeter as Moss Man walked over to one of the trees and placed his hand on it. He reached out with his mind to communicate with it, but was stunned by what he found.
"Nothing," he said to Ram-Man. "Just energy. Weakening energy too. Every few seconds, it feels like the energy lessens just a little."
"THERE!" shouted Vorlon.
"Where?" asked Moss Man, turning to their previously silent companion.
At that moment, a blue figure slammed into Vorlon. The two went rolling across the ground, with the figure eventually kicking Vorlon into one of the trees. The figure then turned to Ram-Man and Moss Man.
"Faker," Moss Man grunted.
Ram-Man pressed on his communicator and alerted the others as Moss Man let loose vines from his body. They flew around Faker's body, but He-Man's evil doppelganger snapped them just by pulling his arms and legs away from them.
Faker then jumped up and slammed his fists into Moss Man's stomach. Moss Man went crumbling back. Ram-Man then jumped at him, but Faker punched Ram-Man right in the head before he reached him. Ram-Man went flying backwards.
Laser blasts then echoed out in the forest as Man-At-Arms and He-Man arrived on the scene. He-Man unsheathed his Sword of Power.
"Faker. End this."
"He-Man."
Faker drew his own faux Sword of Power.
The two launched at each other, blade slamming against blade. They struck each other with intense speed and strength, the sound of metal on metal echoing out into the otherwise quiet forest. As they two continued to fight on with their blades, it was soon evident that they were trapped in some sort of wild rhythm. They were evenly matched with strength and skill.
Slash, block. Thrust, deflect. Stab, dodge. Strike, miss.
For every new addition He-Man tried to add to his fighting pallet, Faker's incredible computer mind was able to instantly produce a counterattack.
"I had hoped after our last encounter you'd be done for," He-Man said at last as he and Faker continued their stalemated duel. "How did you get here?"
"I fell," Faker replied in that strange, computer-produced version of He-Man's own voice. "Into the Abyss."
"Yeah, I remember that," He-Man responded, hoping to distract Faker enough to get in a scratch. He wasn't able to; his attack was blocked. "Clearly."
"I was overcome in a burst of power. Energy cracked around me as a I tumbled into the heart of Eternia," Faker continued. "A portal flared open ever-so-briefly before me. I fell into it. I awoke here. It took me a long time to repair myself, but in time . . . I was able to."
"Then why did you stay?" He-Man questioned, dodging a swipe.
"I needed power!" Faker responded. "And now, I have it!"
At that moment, something happened. Faker's body suddenly started to glow. His eyes turned from red to white. Little streams of electricity began to flare out from him. Body aglow with blue light, it unleashed a wave of power that struck He-Man hard.
He-Man collided with the ground and watched as everything around Faker fizzled in and out of existence. He looked over at the Elves standing with the other Heroic Warriors and saw them all go wildly dizzy.
Distracted, He-Man barely had time to move out the way when Faker landed right above. He-Man leapt forward and landed a punch, sending Faker spiraling back. Faker swung in with his faux Sword of Power, but he was lagging. The attack that he had unleashed earlier had weakened him . . .
The faux Sword of Power slammed against He-Man's shield. He-Man punched Faker in the head twice, then kicked his wrist. Faker's sword went spinning through the air and landed a few feet away. He-Man went to punch Faker again, but was suddenly on the receiving end of his fists.
He-Man stumbled, but regained his footing fast. He struck Faker in the face with his foot, then elbowed him in the stomach. Faker groaned and He-Man was stunned at his own reaction to seeing his blue reflection in pain.
That sympathy was not repaid as Faker sped in fast and managed to punch He-Man hard three times, then kicked him in the chest a few times. He-Man then did something he didn't want to do. It was very unlike him, but he had to strike at Faker hard.
The shield of Grayskull slammed heavily into Faker's face. He-Man then pulled out the Sword of Power . . . and slid it into Faker's stomach. Huge sparks fired out and strange liquids began to flow out. Faker went to do the attack he wanted to do earlier, but was unable to with such damage.
"How?" asked Faker, his voice crackling. "You are not bloodthirsty."
"You have sought to destroy an entire dimension just for you own selfish reasons. It's wrong, Faker. You're wrong."
"I am your reflection, He-Man. Skeletor said so."
He-Man's eyes squinted. "The reflection of good is not evil, Faker. It's good."
Faker's glowing eyes went wide with realization, then dimmed and his body went limp.
He-Man sighed and pulled the Sword of Power out from Faker's gut. Faker's body slammed against the ground.
"Close one," he said as the others came over to him. "I guess it's over then."
Just then, however, the ground began to quake. The sky seemed go dim. Shorn and Vorlon both went dizzy, hands on their temples.
"No!" shouted Vorlon. "The damage was too much!"
"What do you mean?" asked Teela, helping to stabilize Shorn.
"Oris is dying," Shorn replied. "We can all feel it. We have . . . hours, if that."
