Chapter Five: "Redemption"

He-Man stood at the top of a tall tower, staring out at the horizon. Below, a massive crowd of Elves had gathered, carrying with them packs and various other personal items. Sighing, He-Man sat down and looked out to the west. The horizon was non-existent. It seemed to just vanish in a fog of silver.

"Faker's been taken care of," Man-At-Arms stated. "I set up a small, cycling Electro-Magnetic Pulse that disables Faker's systems every thirty seconds. Moss Man and Ram-Man are watching him."

"Good."

"This isn't your fault, you know."

He-Man shrugged. "Might as well be. Faker's my responsibility. My darkness. My doppelganger. I should have been sure he was gone. That he was no longer a threat."

"How could you have known?"

"I don't know. But these people have to leave this place they have made their home because of my because of my inaction."

"You didn't know, He-Man. You watched Faker fall. There was no reason for you to believe that Faker was still alive. Besides, there was Skeletor to contend with . . ."

"Doesn't matter, Duncan. My life has been dedicated to protecting the innocent since I was given this sword! And I wasn't here to protect these people."

Duncan placed his hand on He-Man's shoulder. "Times like these makes me know that they were right in giving you the Sword of Power. You need to know that it's not your fault. It was never your fault. You didn't know that the Elves. You didn't know they needed you."

He-Man sighed and nodded a little. "I guess I understand, yeah. It doesn't help much, but . . ."

"Is this how you truly feel, He-Man?" asked Shorn suddenly. "My apologies, but I couldn't help but overhear."

He-Man nodded. "Yes. It is." He paused and looked out at the fraying west. The fog of nothingness had spread to the north now. "I can not apologize enough for my irresponsibility."

"But Man-At-Arms is correct, He-Man. You did not know that we were even here in Oris. And if you thought Faker destroyed, then how could you even suspect that he would be causing chaos and destruction in a realm you never even knew existed?"

He-Man shrugged. "It's the principle, sire. Faker is my nemesis. My enemy. I should have made sure. I should have been more careful."

Shorn stepped forward and placed both his old hands on He-Man's shoulders; his gray hair spiraled around his head in the wind.

"If there are more people like you on Eternia, then I can believe that perhaps your world truly has changed. That perhaps we can once more walk along the paths of Dellos and soak in the air of the great Eternia."

"There are, sire," Man-At-Arms answered.

Shorn nodded. "I believe you. Then, the time has come. At long last . . . the Elves shall return to Eternia."

XXX

"The spell will be difficult to cast," Shorn stated about an hour later. "It requires the opening of a portal to Dellos on Eternia. That is the simple portion."

In front of him, in the throne room, were all the heads of the families, as well as the Heroic Warriors. Some of them looked happy, others uncertain and even more were downright disgruntled.

"The hardest part will come after arrive on Eternia. The Tower of Oris must remain intact until we leave. Afterwards, it must be destroyed or the feedback will destroy us. However, who remains to destroy may not have time to get to the portal before the entire dimension vanishes. I will ask for volunteers."

"I will do it, father," Lorn offered.

"No need, Prince Lorn," He-Man cut in. "I'll do it. I'm the strongest and I'm the fastest. I can stay and do it."

The looks from all the others in the room were that of shock and surprise at this outsider's willingness to step up and take on such danger just for them. But He-Man spoke the truth. He was more than willing to do this, to stand up for them when they needed it. To redeem the actions of Faker with his own actions.

"We . . . we will accept your help, He-Man."

He-Man bowed. "I am honored, then, King Shorn."

XXX

The Elves gathered together around the Tower of Oris. He-Man stood at the bottom of the Tower with the rest of the Heroic Warriors, and Faker.

"Leave him here," He-Man said. "The dimensional collapse will destroy him once and for all."

"Really?" asked Teela.

"Yeah. It's the only guarantee, I think. And that way, we don't have to deal Skeletor trying to get his hands on him again."

Man-At-Arms nodded. "It's for the best."

"MY PEOPLE!" Shorn suddenly shouted from before them all. All 1,500 Elves looked to their leaders. "THE TIME HAS COME! WE MUST RETURN FROM THE WORLD WE ONCE LEFT! CHANT, NOW, CALL UPON THE POWER TO OPEN THE PORTAL BACK HOME! SING TO US, NOW, THE ELFSONG OF ETERNIA!"

He-Man, Moss Man, Ram-Man, Teela, and Man-At-Arms all watched then as the Elves began to sing as one. It was marvelous sound, filled with beautiful Elfish words that flowed from their mouths softly. Their bodies began to glow. The ground itself started to glow. The entire realm started to glow.

A massive silver round portal appeared before the crowd. He-Man looked to the group and nodded. As the Elves began to file into the portal, the Heroic Warriors followed.

"Be careful," Teela said, eyes locking onto He-Man's.

"I will be."

"Just hurry," Man-At-Arms followed up.

He-Man smiled and nodded.

An hour passed, then another . . . and finally, the last bunch of Elves entered the portal. King Shorn was the last.

"We'll maintain the portal as long as possible, but it will be difficult."

"I understand. Don't worry. I'm make it."

Shorn walked through the portal. He-Man turned to the Tower of Oris. What he saw was Faker snapping free of his binds.

"He-Man!" shouted Faker.

"Faker!" He-Man responded, pulling out his Sword of Power. "How can you be active?"

Faker looked at He-Man curiously. "I overrode and rerouted my power units. This dimension is collapsing. How can you still be here? I am detecting no more Elves and that is a portal behind you. Logic dictates that you should not be here."

"Why are you asking me questions?"

"'The reflection of good is not evil. It's good.' That has contradicted my programming and I must investigate."

"I am making up for you mistakes, Faker. This dimension is collapsing. The Tower of Oris must fall for the Elves to be safe on the other side."

Faker looked to the Tower and then back to He-Man.

"If the Tower of Oris falls, then the dimension will cease to exist almost immediately afterward. It is almost impossible for you to get to that portal. You are prepared to possibly sacrifice yourself for these people?"

"I am. To make up for the damage you did, yes."

"I did . . . the damage. By your logic . . . your 'good' . . . I should be the one in your position? Willing to sacrifice myself?"

"I . . . I suppose so."

"Odd," Faker replied then looked away, red eyes closed in what He-Man could only guess was deep thought. So strange, to see this thing . . . this man . . . with his face. Faker then looked up at He-Man with an expression He-Man could only determine as pure honesty.

With lightning fast speed, Faker pushed He-Man hard. He-Man went flying back and landed just two feet shy of the portal. Faker then turned to the Tower of Oris.

His fist slammed against the wall, immediately creating massive cracks that ran up the ivory surface. He-Man went to move, but then saw what Faker was doing. He was helping He-Man. He was making up for what he had done wrong.

Faker continued to slam his fists into the Tower of Oris, shaking and rumbling. He-Man took a few steps forward, but stopped as soon as the Tower of Oris came apart and crumbled completely. Faker vanished underneath the rubble. All of Oris then started darken. He-Man leapt back and into the portal . . .

XXX

"That was close!" Teela shouted as He-Man rolled out of the portal mere seconds before it vanished.

"You did it!" yelled Lorn. "You destroyed the Tower or Oris!"

"No," He-Man coughed. "No. It was Faker. Faker did it. He . . . I don't know what happened. He suddenly understood what it meant to be opposite of evil. Faker saved you."

Hours passed, then, with the Elves spreading themselves out across the island, exploring and planning. He-Man and his allies went back to their Talon Fighter, escorted by Vorlon, King Shorn, and Prince Lorn.

"Many thanks, He-Man. We owe you greatly," Prince Lorn stated. "All of you. Captain Teela, I hope to see you again."

Teela smiled. "Yeah, maybe."

Man-At-Arms cleared his throat and shook hands with Lorn. "Good journey."

Vorlon stepped over to He-Man. "You put your life on the line for my people, He-Man. I wish to apologize for myself and my associate when we came to you the first time in the Evergreen Forest."

He-Man paused, then shook hands with the Elf that had attempted kill him just days before hand. "I forgive you."

"We have much work ahead of us," Shorn then said to all of them after getting some plant and rock advice from Ram-Man and Moss Man. "This was our home once and must be made so again. But for all the work ahead of us . . . I must say, there is a great part of me that is happy to be on Eternia again. Fare the well, Heroic Warriors of Eternos. Good journey, He-Man of Grayskull."

XXX

They rode back in the Talon Fighter. He-Man sat in the front seat with Man-At-Arms. Moss Man, Ram-Man, and Teela all sat in the backseat and had – much to their surprise – all fallen asleep. It was somewhat comical, watching them all doze off together.

Above them, the sky was filled with stars. Below, the water swirled in the Harmony Sea gently. He-Man pulled out bottle of water from the food pack and poured it into the portal coffee-maker. A few minutes later, both Man-At-Arms and He-Man had a pair of small thermoses filled with hot coffee.

"We're making good time," Duncan stated, drinking his coffee.

"Yeah."

"Faker on your mind?"

"Yeah." He-Man took a sip of his coffee. "You know, the three times I faced with him, I saw him as nothing more than a robot wearing muscles and skin that looked like me. Well, except for the coloring."

"Right."

"But, in those last few minutes, it was like he had grown. It was as if he had surpassed all his programming . . . and started to understand the nature of good. I couldn't help but see myself within him. As he pushed me away and started to destroy the Tower of Oris, I saw . . . well . . . my reflection. A blue reflection, but my reflection."

"Hmmm."

"It just bothers me that it was after those first few minutes of true human understanding that Faker was destroyed."

Duncan grinned a little. "I can understand that. But, I believe you can take solace in the fact that the first thing he did when had achieved, as your put it, 'true human understanding' and was able to surpass his programming, he did what you were prepared to do. Sacrifice himself for others. Save others before himself. Faker did indeed become a reflection, He-Man. A reflection of your heroism."

He-Man smiled. "Thank you."

Duncan lifted his thermos. "To Faker."

He-Man touched his thermos to Duncan's. "To Faker."

"Mmmm, oh Lorn . . ." Teela suddenly muttered in her sleep. Both Duncan and He-Man looked back as Teela talked in her sleep.

"Great. Something new to worry about," Duncan grumped, turning back to the controls.

"I wouldn't," He-Man responded, sipping his coffee. "And hey, at least the Elves are back and on good terms with us."

"I'll say that. The past never seems to stay old, does it?"

"I would say not." He-Man settled in chair. "How much longer, would you say?"

"Four hours." Duncan shifted the Talon Fighter's position just a little. "Homeward bound."

THE END . . . FOR NOW


XXX

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

IT'S DONE! After all these long, insane months of gathering eDust and about a kajillion delays, "The Elfsong of Eternia" is done! Yay! Thanks for tuning in, guys, and I hope you enjoyed!

W

PS – Faker's story ain't over! Check out the up-coming "My Blue Reflection!"