Chapter Six: "The Terrible of Secrets"
Skeletor watched with delight as the power finished charging the Sword of Darkness. The crystals went dim as the final bit entered his blade. He stood up and picked the Sword of Darkness up from its altar. He could feel the energy within pulsing, returned to its state that it had been in years before when he first retrieved from Castle Grayskull.
As soon as he was finished, he left the chamber and resealed it. He walked to the Terror Pod that was still cloaked by his magic. He took away the cloaking field and got in. The last thing He-Man expected was to face down the Sword of Darkness again.
Skeletor saw that there was a priority message from the Mothership. He expected to announce that Onnar had fallen. He was certainly not expecting what the message really said. All Terror Pods and Mutant Troopers were to return to the Mothership for immediately surrender.
And then he saw the live transmission from the Oasis that showed the signing of the peace treaty. That was it.
Two minutes later, Skeletor watched as He-Man, Mara, and Crita appeared before him, teleported from the Oasis to the Ruins of Mida. Mara was brought along as a gift for Crita, whom he was aware she hated. A present for loyalty.
"Skeletor," He-Man said, standing up, "I wondered when you'd show up."
"Here I am."
"HEY!" shouted Mara as Crita grabbed her and pulled her away.
He-Man turned towards them but a blast of energy created a line of fire that stopped him. He-Man was then blasted in the chest by Skeletor and was knocked down.
"Eyes up front, He-Man," Skeletor said, laughing a bit.
"So what is this, Skeletor?"
"I'm here to finish the battle that started back on Eternia! The battle brought us here!"
He-Man remembered it all too well. In the aftermath of Vipera's defeat, Skeletor had turned on He-Man. As the Heroic Warriors and the Evil Warriors fought in the shadow of Castle Grayskull, so too did He-Man and Skeletor. That was, until they were teleported up aboard the Starship Eternia. The rest was history.
He-Man unsheathed the Sword of Power.
"It wasn't unfinished, Skeletor. We never stopped it. It's gone on as long as we've been here."
"Ah, and what a time it's been, eh He-Man? What a wonderful vacation. We've made new friends, new enemies, and yet still have had time for each other. It certainly has taken away the stress of being on Eternia."
"You won't be going back to Eternia, Skeletor."
"Oh? And what are you going to do, He-Man? Kill me? That's against all that you believe in. We've discussed this before, of course. Don't you remember?"
"Maybe," He-Man said, but wasn't sure himself. He was concerned about Mara, for one, but Skeletor was goading him. "I do of course remember saying to you 'enough talk.'"
"Ah, yes. At the throne of Grayskull, after I amassed a large portion of its power. I shall do so again."
He-Man made the first move. He swung the Sword of Power out and struck Skeletor's Havoc Staff. Skeletor blocked it and swung. He-Man leapt back and then swung again. It struck the Havoc Staff once more, rattling it.
Skeletor took a step back, swinging the Havoc Staff above his head. Lightning came down in small bolts. He-Man knew this move and did his best to contain the lighting to his shield and sword. He shoved forward, slamming his shield into Skeletor's chest armor. Skeletor tumbled back, but flipped back, Havoc Staff belching out another pulse of energy.
He-Man blocked the pulse and held strong against Skeletor, Sword of Power raised and readied. Skeletor stood a good eight feet away, Havoc Staff also at the ready.
"We could do this all day, He-Man. Eleven years we've been battling each other. Besides the occasional new move or surprise, there's very little difference in just how we fight. We are at a stalemate."
"What's your point, Skeletor?" asked He-Man, unmoving from his prepared fighting position.
"Perhaps it's time I revealed all of my cards to you, then. It is only fair. I did bring you all the way out to the Tri-Solar System and maybe its time you knew why. When I learned of Flogg, I saw an opportunity. I figured I would become his subordinate, aide him in destroying Primus, then take his ship and fleet and whoever became loyal to me and head back to Eternia. Where I would, well, you know, destroy Eternos, take control of Castle Grayskull, and ultimately, rule the world and spread my evil through the universe."
"Nice idea, but it didn't seem to work," He-Man replied, still trying to figure out what was happening to Mara.
"Not yet. Though I expect that much like Mara, there are other Mutants that are dissatisfied with the peace treaty and will hunger for a new leader. If I act quickly, I can still get rid of Flogg, take the Mothership, Mutant Troopers, and the Terror Pods and head to Eternia. If I act quickly and finish you off first, though."
"I doubt that'll happen."
"Doubt all you want. However, regardless, there is something I'll be taking back to Eternia that I did not expect to have when I first came to this solar system."
"And that would be?"
Skeletor's face did its best imitation of a smile that it could. Skeletor placed his Havoc Staff on his back and unsheathed the Sword of Darkness.
"You remember it well, of course."
"Yes. You've used it even despite it's de-powering . . . oh no . . ."
"Haha! Oh yes!" Skeletor lifted the Sword of Darkness and massive lighting bolts jutted forth. He-Man held up the Sword of Power, which did its best to absorb such raw energy.
"How?" questioned He-Man.
"An ancient secret buried beneath the ground here in the Ruins. Who would have known? Haha, oh He-Man! This will a sweet victory!"
Skeletor rushed forward and the two blades struck hard against each other. He-Man could sense the power flowing within the Sword of Darkness just as he had so many years ago before he de-powered it. The swords clanked against each other once more, energy spurting off with each strike.
Good and evil warred against each other once more. As the blades impacted, neither He-Man nor Skeletor garnering blood from the other. The air was silent save for the clanging the Swords of Power and Darkness and energy they produced.
"You know, of course, the history of these swords," Skeletor said to He-Man. "That at one time, they were in fact one sword. It was a radical attempt at uniting good and evil. You also recall that I tried to do it again so as to claim your power and to enter Grayskull without incident."
"Skeletor?" asked He-Man, their swords pressed against each other.
"What?"
"YOU TALK TOO MUCH!"
He-Man's fist slammed across skull, sending the villain flying back. He-Man ran towards him, but Skeletor struck his hand out, fingers outstretched, releasing a burst of force. He-Man pulled up his shield, which vibrated violently at the assault.
"Prepare yourself for your doom, He-Man."
As He-Man reached Skeletor, Skeletor pulled out the Havoc Staff. The Sword of Darkness and the Havoc Staff unleashed a massive joint blasted. He-Man didn't even have time to raise his shield when he struck him. His body went flying back, slamming into the ground.
He-Man pulled himself to his feet, but was blasted again. Even using the Sword of Power barely helped.
"For every defeat you've wrought upon me, He-Man, I bring about you this day. But first, I need something of yours . . ."
A beam of energy poured from Skeletor's body and slammed into He-Man. He pressed against it, but it was too much. The energy overcame. The Sword of Power dropped from his hand and He-Man collapsed.
Using telekinesis, the Sword of Power flew to Skeletor's hand. He wrapped his hand around handle and laughed.
"So it is, our swords were once one in days long since considered ancient. So it shall be again and so shall your power be mine."
He-Man got to his feet as Skeletor pressed the Sword of Power and the Sword of Darkness together. Skeletor pressed his magic deep within the mystic matrixes of the two blades, seeking out the core of their power and their deep history.
The tips of the blades began to melt together as they did so, lightning sired out, striking anything as good and evil fused together at Skeletor's will.
"So it shall be my destiny to take this joined blade and use to bring down the jawbridge of Grayskull. To enter its dark halls once and claim what should be mine! To embrace the destiny I have only graced once before!"
"NO!" He-Man shouted, but as he did, he felt weaker. Great coldness overcame his entire body as his strength depleted. With eyes that felt heavy, he watched as the Swords of Darkness and Power continued to merge. The tops of the hilts were pulling together, joining as it were one for years.
He-Man rushed forward, summoning all of his strength left. Skeletor's magic was all tied up fusing the blades, which prevented him from stopping He-Man at distance.
He-Man's fingers grabbed the still unmerged handle of the Sword of Power and pulled. It was too no avail. "No . . ." he muttered and Skeletor punched him in the face.
He-Man went spilling to the ground. Energy then began to form between him and the now almost joined swords. All of his powers, his strength, everything about him that was He-Man was being drained from him. The fusion was truly the end of He-Man.
"IT IS DONE!" Skeletor shouted to all that would hear.
Energy exploded for the now merged sword. Skeletor then watched as energy started to flow from He-Man into the joined sword.
"Ah, yes, your great strength is fading, isn't it? He-Man, no more . . . interesting."
Skeletor had expected He-Man to simply shrink down. The last thing he expected was for He-Man to actually change. But as light flowed around He-Man and Skeletor's own power increased massively, Skeletor was stunned as He-Man turned out to be a completely other form of someone else.
At last, the final bit of power was ripped from He-Man. A light came around He-Man's body as the energy departed from him. When the light faded, the terrible truth was revealed to Skeletor.
Skeletor stood in shock unbridled as He-Man was revealed to him to be none other than Prince Adam.
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"I've waited a long time for this, you soft little bitch," Crita whispered into Mara's ear, a knife at Mara's jugular.
"Nice that you had goals," Mara said. She then bit down on Crita arm. Crita screamed and Mara away. She then kicked the knife from Crita's hand and elbowed Crita in the nose.
"MY NOB!" yelled Crita. "Yob bwoke muh nob!"
"Shut up," Mara said, kicking her in the stomach, then in the face. Mara then ran off to find He-Man.
What she found Adam, Sebrian's nephew, on the ground before a glowing and stock-still Skeletor. She reached for her comm-unit and contacted reinforcements.
"We actually just picked up a major energy spike there, Mara, and were on our way," Hydron said through the comm-line.
"Hurry."
Mara grabbed the knife and hid behind one of the ancient pillars.
Meanwhile, Skeletor stared at the unconscious form of Prince Adam. His first thought, after calming down, was that he could have finished this all years ago. Weeks after their first battle, Skeletor had captured both Adam and Teela. If he just killed the boy then, none of this would have happened. Skeletor would have been inside of Grayskull the next day . . .
This made Skeletor insanely angry.
As did his next thought, which was the anger that this boy, this whelp, this puny creature that Randor brought into the world . . . was the mighty He-Man. The son of his Randor, his spoiled brother.
Which brought Skeletor to his third and most enraging thought. Adam was able to claim the power of Grayskull as his own, but Keldor was not? Keldor was not as worthy as Adam?
"Wake up," Skeletor said.
Adam did not move.
"WAKE UP!"
Adam sat up fast. "Skeletor! I - " He stopped and looked down. "Oh no."
Skeletor kicked Adam across the face. He was older than the last time he had seen him, just a year or two shy of thirty.
"Stand up!"
Adam complied. Skeletor sized him up. "The mighty He-Man was Prince Adam all this time."
"No, I wasn't . . ."
"DO NOT LIE TO ME!" Skeletor shouted and fired a bolt at Adam. Adam went spiraling back, his chest smoldering. As soon as his body hit the ground, though, he was lifted into mid-air telekinetically. Adam tried to struggle against the invisible bonds, but found them rather impossible.
"So the Sorceress found you worthy, eh? Thought you might be able handle to have the power of Grayskull? I suppose she was right."
"I didn't go looking for it."
"Don't presume I'm looking for answers, boy. Why on Eternia they found you worthy to have the power of He-Man is beyond me."
"I became He-Man to fight you, Skeletor! I became He-Man to stop you from destroying all of Eternia!"
"So you felt your cause was worthy?" Skeletor asked, then laughed maniacally. "As did I when I first found Castle Grayskull!" Skeletor stepped towards the still suspended Adam. "Did you not know my secret identity? Did your ignorant father not tell you the story?"
"I . . ."
"Silence. You see, dear Prince Adam, once upon a time, I journeyed to Castle Grayskull seeking my own power. I sought to rise to the throne of Eternos by gaining the power of Grayskull and stopping the threat of Orcs that I had in fact set against the Palace. I figured helping the Orcs reach Eternos would create enough of a threat for Castle Grayskull to appear to me. It was and I went there. I struck down the Sorceress and took up the Sword of Darkness. Heh. Unfortunately, that lout Duncan had stopped me from aiding Eternos. My 'betrayal' was exposed to your grandfather and your pathetic family and I was cast into exile. I was found unworthy to be bestowed with the power that you so obviously have, or rather, had."
"But . . . I never knew . . ."
"Ah, you still haven't figured it out, have you? You stupid boy. I'm your beloved long-lost uncle Keldor. The same blood that runs through these veins runs through yours and your sisters and your fathers! And now with your power stripped away and joined with mine, I shall breach Grayskull and claim what I have long since lost!"
"No you won't!" shouted Mara. "Drop him, Skeletor."
"Or what?"
Mara tossed the knife and it swung towards Skeletor, targeting his chest. Skeletor, his power levels only second to when he claimed the power of Grayskull years ago, stopped the knife in midair. With little more than a flick of power, the knife's very molecules drifted and scattered.
Mara was then thrown back with a telekinetic burst.
"You're next, after the boy."
Skeletor pulled out the sword. Adam got a good look at it. On the one side, it was violet, the color of the Sword of Darkness; on the other it was silver, the color of the Sword of Power. There was still a chance he could access his power if he reached sword.
"And now, Prince Adam," Skeletor said sinisterly, "you will die."
Before Skeletor could make a move, however, a barrage of laser beams came slicing between Skeletor and Adam.
"Ah come on, Skelly, what did Adam do to you?" asked Flipshot, leading the entire legion of the Galactic Guardians, plus Master Sebrian.
"Did you not know, fools? Adam here was He-Man all along!"
A few looks were exchanged, but the reaction was not what Skeletor wanted. "Who cares?" asked Hydron.
"We all have our real identities. Makes sense He-Man's got one too," Flipshot stated. "Now, why don't you come along and we'll find out whose behind your mask?"
"Fool! My face was my mask! This is who I truly am!" Skeletor shouted, throwing forth massive energy bolts at the Galactic Guardians.
The Galactic Guardians went to work. Spinwit unleashed a wind that kicked up dust cloud. Artilla, Hydron and Flipshot took shots at Skeletor through the cloud. All of these laser shots were deflected, but it allowed for Kayo and Nocturna to move forward and engage Skeletor physically.
Meanwhile, Master Sebrian focused his mysticism on Adam's bonds. They released him after a bout of concentration. Mara rushed over and helped Adam away from Skeletor, who was fairing very well against the Galactic Guardians.
"Secret's out," he muttered, feeling weak and tired.
"It's okay," Mara said and kissed him on the top of the head. She wasn't quite sure why.
"I need my sword."
"Where is it?" asked Sebrian, looking around.
"Skeletor merged it with his own. He has all my power now."
Sebrian looked to the sword in Skeletor's hands as Skeletor unleashed energy from it. He could sense that Skeletor was indeed far stronger and more powerful, just by the way he was physically glowing. But he also sensed something else. A subtle, slight connection between the sword in Skeletor's hand and Adam.
"There is still a connection between you and the sword. What should be done? What can be done?"
Adam was low on options, but he knew one thing that always worked when he had to access the Sword of Power's greatest power. If he could reach the sword somehow, grab its handle, maybe . . . just maybe . . .
"I need a distraction."
"He seems pretty distracted right now," Mara said, watching as the Galactic Guardians struggled against him.
Adam shook his head. "He needs to be more. I need to get to the sword."
Sebrian stood up. "I will attend to it." Master Sebrian walked forward, staff raised up. He unleashed all his power at Skeletor, striking at the villain.
"What is this?" asked Skeletor, feeling Sebrian mystic abilities collide with his intense magical fields. "You truly believe you defeat me with your tricks?"
"I did so before," Sebrian responded.
"It took the power of the Inner Council to do that," Skeletor snorted. "And now, you face a much stronger Skeletor than before."
"Well, Skeletor, you know what they say!" yelled Adam, rushing over and grabbing the hilt of the sword. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"
Skeletor went to send a blast of energy at Prince Adam as he struggled to grab the sword, but found Adam was blocked by a force field created by Sebrian. Adam grasped the hilt and blade of the sword and hung on for dear life.
"BY THE POWER OF ETERNIA!" he shouted.
Skeletor felt a surge of energy rip through him and the sword. Adam smiled as power roared from the swords and into him. Skeletor started spasming as a huge bolt of lighting tore between both he and Adam. Skeletor's hands released the sword and Adam grabbed the handle and held the sword up here.
He could sense all the power of both Sword of Power and the Sword of Darkness within the joined blade. But unlike Skeletor, Adam made a decision as the power Grayskull roared around him that made him worthy to be of such might. He chose to reject the Sword of Darkness' power.
As the power of Grayskull collected into the joined sword, Adam felt his very will and what tied him to the Sword of Power push away the Sword of Darkness. There was a massive burst of light and the Sword of Darkness was blasted away from the Sword of Power, landing onto the ancient ground.
The transformation process then resumed. Once again, Adam felt the warmth and power of Grayskull through him even despite such a great distance from Castle Grayskull. Instantly, Adam was He-Man again.
"I HAVE THE POWER!"
And with that, He-Man faced down Skeletor. Skeletor grabbed the Sword of Darkness and stood before He-Man, breathing hard.
"Where's your banter, Skeletor? Now that all the secrets are out, I figured you'd be all talk."
"DIE!" Skeletor roared, a lightning bolt flying out from the tip of the Sword of Darkness.
"Not today," He-Man said, sending his own lightning bolt out from the tip of the Sword of Power. The lightning bolts collided and both swords shook and vibrated as their power struggled against each other. They were evenly matched, much like Skeletor and He-Man. Equal in both power and strength. But there was something about He-Man that brought him victory against Skeletor. He-Man was worthy of the power of Grayskull. He was chosen.
Skeletor . . . was not.
The lightning bolt from He-Man's Sword of Power jumped and slammed into the Sword of Darkness. Once more, it tore from Skeletor's hand and a beam of energy flew from it into the Sword of Power. He-Man absorbed the energy from the Sword of Darkness, leaving it dead and de-powered again.
As excess energy flowed off of He-Man, Skeletor charged with the Havoc Staff. With one swipe, He-Man struck the Havoc Staff. The staff shatter and the ram skull fell to ground. He-Man then shoved Skeletor back and Skeletor fell back about ten feet.
Skeletor scooped up the Sword of Darkness and started for the Terror Pod, where Crita was already preparing it for launch.
He-Man let out a blast from the Sword of Power, which was still brimming with the excess power of the Sword of Darkness. Skeletor and Crita were both thrown into the Terror Pod, which then closed and sealed. Energy then formed from the Sword of Power and blasted to the Terror Pod. The Terror Pod was bound together by wrapping of energy that connected back to the Sword of Power.
"I declare you King Skeletor and Queen Crita!" shouted He-Man. "King and Queen of Nothing! Go now to your kingdom!"
With that, there was a sudden burst power and the Terror Pod went instantly flying into the sky, vanishing almost immediately at speeds uncharted.
"You did it!" shouted Mara, rushing over.
"Stay away!" He-Man proclaimed. His body was now boiling with excessive energy. "The power that Skeletor had in his sword is still with me! I can't control it. I need to release it!" He-Man then looked up. "And I think I know how."
The Sword of Power raised, He-Man unleashed a huge beam of energy that flowed from his entire body. It fired into the sky . . . and struck the shield. And that's when something amazing happened . . .
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"Alcon! Krex! Meloc! Look at this, look at this!" Gepple shouted to his compatriots.
"What is it?" asked Alcon, looking at a monitor.
"Some sort of massive mystic energy surge has just struck the shield at the Ruins of Mida. There's a major reaction between the shield's energy signature and the mystical energy. I've never seen anything like it," said Meloc, looking at the monitor a little more closely.
"There's a massive power surge now. We're witnessing a major planetary transformation," Krex then said, looking at a monitor displaying more information.
Alcon, now understanding the situation, brought the readings from the Trithuseum Crystal Generator that powered the shield. "The power readings of the Trithuseum Crystals are all over the place! They've managed to absorb the mystical energy and are producing fields that are continually transforming the output of the Inner Council's telekinetic energy."
"I'm getting new readings now," Gepple reported, checking out another display. "By the Council, look at this . . ."
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"Inner Council, what is happening?!" yelled Werban, scared for his life as the Trithuseum Crystals went pretty much insane.
"There is a major shift in the atmospheric levels. We can sense a new mystical energy interacting with our and rechanneling everything into the Trithuseum Crystals, which is in turn producing a world wide atmospheric transformation," the Inner Council said in one telepathic voice.
Drissi then entered. "Excuse me, but just received new data from the scientists. This transformation that's occurring, it's . . . it's something astonishing."
"What is it? Spit it out, girl!" Werban said.
"Somehow the mystic power released has interacted with the shield's own telekinetic and mystical energy and has re-routed through the Trithuseum - " Drissi read from the report in her hands.
"Enough! I know that much already!"
Drissi grabbed hold of Werban's arms. "It's the atmosphere! Primus' atmosphere is reverting back to how it was before the ancient wars!"
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The excessive energy finally left He-Man. Breathing hard and feeling quite tired and exhausted, he fell to his knees and dropped the Sword of Power. After taking in a deep breath, He-Man picked up the Sword of Power again.
"Let the power return," he said and immediately transformed back into Prince Adam. He then promptly passed out.