She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is produced by Dreamworks Animation Television, and both She-Ra and He-Man are owned by Mattel. Blah. Blah. Blah. Enjoy.
Chapter 11: The Power of Grayskull
(Right where we left off)
"Gal-uh-tay-uh…" Adora repeated the name; sounding out each syllable to see how it felt on her tongue. "What the heck kind of name is that?"
"It's… it's a Greek name." Adam said, clearly still in shock. "That's the language of… Mother's people. It means 'white as milk' and refers to the masterwork of the sculptor Pygmalion."
"So… our parents named me after a statue?" she asked, before the full weight of what she'd just said dawned on her. "I… I have parents?"
"So it would seem." The young Prince replied. "I… I'm not really sure how I feel about this. Other than that I've never been so happy to be rejected by a girl in my life."
"Yeah… lucky us."
The awkwardness in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
"So… what do we do now?" Adora asked her… brother. "Are we supposed to hug or something?"
"I don't know." Adam replied. "There's just so many things I don't understand. How did this happen?"
"To answer that question, we must go all the way back to the beginning." Shadow Weaver said as she and the Sorceress joined hands for some reason. "Back to when the Power of Grayskull first manifested."
"You children may want to close your eyes for this next part." The ancient goddess added with her usual air of mischief.
But before any of them could even try to react, the entire room was suddenly enveloped by a blinding white light.
And then everything went blank.
XXX
(0.27 Seconds Later)
After an infinitesimal moment of nonresistance, Adora suddenly found herself standing in the middle of an open field. Although 'standing' probably wasn't the best word since she didn't appear to have a body at the moment. So really it was more like her consciousness was floating over an open field.
"Whoa…" she said/thought as she started to fully grasp the strangeness of her situation. "This is freaky."
"Tell me about it." Said the disembodied voice of Adam.
"Adam? Adam, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me. I'm right beside you. I think."
"Hey guys! I'm here too." Orko called out from nowhere. "This is pretty neat, huh?"
"Are you nuts? I don't have a body! I can't even blink!" said Swift Wind, clearly still shaken by the day's events. "Ugh… This is sooooo wrong!"
ROAR!
"Okay, so we're all here. But where is here?" the young Prince asked confusedly.
"Look to your left and you will see." Said the voice of the Sorceress from somewhere high above.
Seeing no alternative, the group did as instructed, only to be met with a most alarming sight.
It was Castle Grayskull, but not as the decaying ruin surrounded by a bottomless pit they all knew. This one sat within a lush green meadow surrounded by fields and farms. And the castle itself looked almost brand-new. The walls were like polished marble. Flags were flying over the towers. The skull face was still creepy, but it was a much fancier type creepy.
"Where… or rather, when are we?" Adam asked, having some experience with time travel.
"This is Eternia, roughly two thousand years ago. In what is now known as the Age of Strife." The Sorceress explained academically. "During this time, our world was home to thousands of independent nations, each one constantly fighting with the others over limited land and resources. This was the Kingdom of Grayskull, ruled by your ancestor, King D'Vann Grayskull."
"Wait, there was a King Grayskull?" Adora asked confusedly.
"Yes, but unfortunately nearly all traces of his existence were lost during the Great Separation. Such a pity." The ancient goddess answered, sounding genuinely disheartened. "But at any rate, please direct your attention to the skies above."
Again they all did as instructed and, to their amazement, they saw a peculiar looking celestial body just faintly visible in the daytime sky. Adora could sense the confusion of her companions, but somehow, she knew exactly what it was.
"Is that Etheria?" she asked despite already knowing the answer.
"Very good, Adora." Shadow Weaver said approvingly. "Long before the First Ones colonized it, Etheria shared this part of the universe with Eternia. There were like twin planets, equal but opposite. While Eternia was diverse with sentient lifeforms, Etheria was rich with natural resources. The most prominent of which was magic."
In an instant the scene changed and the group suddenly found themselves at the bottom of a large, smoking crater.
"Where are we now?" asked Adam.
"Just watch and you'll see." Replied the Sorceress.
Just then, the group noticed that at the center of the crater there was a large, heavily damaged craft of some kind. By this point it was all but a total wreck; covered in soot and battle scars. But on the few undamaged bits, Adora could clearly see the unmistakable crystalline finish of First Ones Tech.
But before she could vocalize this realization, a figure immerged from out of the wreckage. It was a man, a human man, but not like any the young Heroine had ever seen before. He was at least twelve feet tall and completely ripped. I mean seriously, it looked as though his abs had been chiseled out of marble. He had long, blonde hair that hung over his shoulders in a fashion that was somehow both barbaric and regal, and his piercing eyes sparkled liked mud colored diamonds. Upon his back he wore a cape made from the skin of some great white beast; possibly a mammoth or a giant bear. In short he was quite imposing, but what really took the cake was his face.
"Adam." Adora said to her brother in hushed astonishment. "He looks just like you."
"So I've noticed." He replied, sounding just as amazed. "Is that him?"
"Indeed it is child. But take a look at what he's carrying in his arms." Shadow Weaver said cryptically.
Once again following instructions, Adora looked down and noticed that the ancient King was indeed carrying something, or rather someone. It was a woman. A beautiful, albeit battered and unconscious, woman with dark skin, dark hair and the most immaculate pair of angel wings she'd ever seen.
"Who is that?" she asked aloud.
"That is Captain Veena Itassis; a ranking officer in the Hok Science Navy and the sole survivor of that crash." The Sorceress explained, once again keeping things strictly academic. "Had King Grayskull not been out for his morning patrol, she'd likely have died from her injuries, or worse, been found by someone much less chivalrous."
"WHISTLE!" went the King to signal his mount, which Adora just now noticed was a giant, emerald green, saber-toothed lion. "To me, Granger!"
ROAR!
Replied the great beast as he returned to his master's side and allowed him to climb on. Moments later, the mighty jungle cat reared upward and then dashed off; presumably in the direction of the Castle.
"Who are the Hok?" Adam asked, seemingly at random, but admittedly Adora had been wondering the same thing.
"The Hok are… or rather were an ancient and powerful race from a distant world. Eons ahead of the rest of the universe in terms of technology and their understanding of the mystic arts, but their success had made them arrogant. They refused to share their advancements with anyone, which made them a tempting target for raiders. After several decades of hit and run attacks, the sparse few that remained fled their planet in search of a new one. Which is how Captain Veena ended up here."
"Whoa… that's some heavy stuff." Adam said in wonder. "So what happened to her?"
"Oh… King Grayskull took her back to his Castle to recover." The ancient goddess explained. "Naturally, she wasn't too thrilled about being 'held captive' by a stranger, especially an alien, but over the next few months she softened up and even started to trust him. But of course, coming from an isolationist culture, Veena still wanted to leave Eternia as soon as possible to rejoin her people. That is… until one day."
Once again the scene changed and our heroes found themselves in front of Castle Grayskull, only now everything looked different. The sky was overcast, making the landscape seem darker, colder, and somehow edgier than it had before. In the distance, a great black shadow was crawling across the ground; making it appear as though the fields and spinneys were being consumed by a giant blob of tar.
"Look!" cried Adam in shock and alarm.
Despite not being able to see where he was pointing, Adora somehow knew to look up. And what she saw was almost too terrifying to believe.
High above Eternia flew a positively gigantic spaceship; roughly the same size as a football stadium for you unfortunate Earthers. Compared to the sleek, crystalline structure of the Hok vessel, this ship looked rather clunky. The outer hull was a dull metallic grey and some of the parts on the engine looked like they'd been cannibalized from other vehicles. But by far the most striking feature was the insignia painted on the bow; a blood colored skull with bat wings.
"It… it can't be." The young Heroine thought aloud.
But before she could question things any further, a strange, shimmering effect appeared on the plain twenty yards away from the main gate. Within seconds, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of armed warriors appeared on the field before them. At first glance they seemed a rather motley crew, each one a member of completely different species. Some were reptiles, some were more like birds or fish, there were even a few that looked like they were made of rock or crystal. But what bound them all together, aside from their crazed and bloodthirsty demeanors, was the horrifying symbol they all had tattooed on their bodies; the same skull with bat wings that was on the ship.
Despite the rather ragtag nature of the group, the invading force was surprisingly well organized. They were split up into several tight little phalanxes, which formed a straight path for their leader to walk down. Or at least Adora assumed he was the leader, since out of all of them, his appearance was by far the most striking.
"Is that Hordak?" the young Heroine asked alarmedly.
And indeed that appeared to be the case. Granted, Adora had never actually met Hordak face to face, but she had seen his image on Horde propaganda posters enough times to recognize it anywhere. And yet, something was most definitely off about him. For one thing, he was dressed, for lack of a better comparison, like a pirate. Seriously, he had the long coat, the boots, the earrings, the dreadlocks, the tattoos, even the tricorn hat. The only thing that didn't mesh with the buccaneer motif was the weird metal collar he had around his neck, which seemed to have a speaker on the front. Another thing that was off was his eyes. The Hordak she knew had red eyes, but this guy's were green.
"No, child. That is his… oh, let's say, very distant ancestor." Shadow Weaver explained. "The great-great grandfather of he who would come to be known as Horde Prime. The dread pirate Captain Hordeth."
"Hordak's ancestor?" Adora parroted her former mentor. Well, that at least made some sense. "But what is he doing here?"
"Just listen and you'll see."
While the young Heroine had been pondering, the scene had been playing on. Apparently at some point King Grayskull had stepped outside to address the invading pirates, since that's what was currently happening.
"I am D'Vann Grayskull, King of this region." The ancient monarch said to the space pirates; his voice tone both forceful and cultured. "What brings you to my land?"
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty." The pirate captain replied in a swaggering voice that sounded strangely mechanical; Adora now suspected that the collar on his neck was some kind of artificial voice box. "Name's Hordeth. And what brings me here is that little minx you've got hidden away in your Castle."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Don't play dumb with me! We know you've got her!"
"To whom are you referring?"
"To whom are you referring~ You know exactly to whom I'm referring to whom! That little Hok bitch! We know she's in there!"
"And what business of that is yours?"
"It's my business, because that little slut is bursting with raw energy. Enough to power a hundred starships for two years. She's worth at least 90 mil on the open market."
"So you are slave traders. Is that it?"
"We prefer the term 'entrepreneurs'." Hordeth replied jokingly, earning some hardy chuckles from his crew. "Look, you seem reasonably intelligent for a primitive, so I'm gonna make you a deal. You bring out that little flying money magnet and we'll leave. Don't and we'll kill you and everyone else inside. You're choice."
"Your vile horde will never breach the castle walls."
"Perhaps I wasn't clear before. Give us the girl or die!"
Upon hearing this, the King furrowed his brow and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I am not moving from this spot."
"Die it is."
Then with a snap of their captain's clawed fingers the pirates leapt into battle; shouting, cursing and brandishing their assorted deadly weapons.
Within seconds they were swarming on Grayskull like a school of piranhas; hacking, slashing, stabbing and shooting at him from every angle. But no matter how many hits he took or how much blood was spilt, the ancient King did not yield. He struck back in force; cutting down at least five or six at a time with his sword.
This continued for several minutes until finally Grayskull was the only one still standing. His body was covered with cuts and plasma burns, and the effort had left him all but completely exhausted, but the noble King was victorious.
"Is that… pant… the best you can…"
BLAM!
Or so it appeared.
When the dust settled, Hordeth and at least 800 of his men were still standing, and the captain himself was holding the blaster whose bolt had just pierced the King's heart.
Grayskull fell to his knees as the pirates all laughed at his misfortune, the sight of which made Adora's blood boil. Hordeth had sacrificed a couple hundred of his men, probably the weakest or least experienced, just to wear her ancestor down and leave him vulnerable to a sneak attack. It was a cowardly and dishonorable tactic. Befitting of the Horde.
"CHARGE!" Hordeth yelled at the top of his voice; signaling the entirety of his remaining forces to swarm on the castle.
But even as the pirate horde descended upon him, King Grayskull showed no signs of fear. He propped himself against his sword and fixed his attackers with a stern, steely gaze. He knew he was about to die and he accepted it with dignity. Adora couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
Just then the young Heroine noticed something out of the corner of her eye. High atop the castle wall, just above the main gate, Veena was watching these events unfold; tears streaming from her eyes. She brought her hands together, as if to pray, and was suddenly enveloped by a mysterious white aura.
"What is she doing?"
"Something that had never been done before." The Sorceress answered. "All her life, Veena had been taught to distrust and despise outsiders. To view them as covetous and greedy. But seeing Grayskull display such courage and honor, even in the face of certain death, stirred something within her. And drove her to transfer a portion of her life energy into him."
Suddenly the injured Grayskull started to glow with the same ivory aura as Veena, just as he was being overtaken by the murderous pirates.
"And when the mystic energies of the Hok merged with King Grayskull's incredible strength and determination, something new was created. Something magnificent."
BOOOOOM!
In an instant, the world became nothing more than a blinding flash of light and the ground shook as though it had been struck by a gigantic meteor. Moments later the light died down and the world returned, only now the scene had completely changed. Dozens of pirates were laying dead on the ground, their bodies charred to a crisp, while their surviving cohorts stood frozen in terror. King Grayskull was standing once again, his wounds miraculously healed and his body enveloped in a glorious royal blue aura; looking very much like a god.
A few of the pirates managed to overcome their shock and tried to jump him, but this proved to be a fatal mistake. For with one swing of his sword, the godly King unleashed a wave of energy that cut down his attackers, along with about four dozen other pirates who were standing behind them, and carved a massive trench in the earth.
"Retreat!" screamed one of the survivors, and his associates quickly followed his lead.
As his soldiers ran past him in a shameful display of cowardice, Hordeth ground his teeth in frustration. He then grabbed one unfortunate soul, who looked suspiciously similar to Adora's old teammate Rogelio, by the throat and pulled him close to his face.
"What are you doing? He's just one man!" the pirate captain said furiously.
"We'll fight men, Sir. But that guy's a demon!" replied the lizardman, earning himself a swift and painful death by strangulation.
"RAAAAH! Children! I'm surrounded by bloody children!" Hordeth roared in frustration. "Fine! I'll do it myself!"
And with that said, he walked towards the approaching god-king and tapped a button on his metal collar.
The two warriors were less than a few yards away from each other, when the ruthless pirate let out a deafening roar; one that formed a powerful wind tunnel that slammed right into Grayskull's body.
"The Power Shriek of Captain Hordeth was feared throughout the universe in ancient times." The Sorceress narrated. "It is said to have been powerful enough to cleave flesh from bone and shatter mountains. But even it was no match for the combined power of Captain Veena and King Grayskull."
And sure enough that seemed to be the case. For although the sonic attack had torn his clothes to shreds and sliced at his skin, the mighty King did not falter; for every new wound was quickly healed by the Vok Captain's ethereal radiance.
Little by little, Grayskull forced his way through the deadly din; slowly inching towards his intended target. At some point, even Hordeth began to marvel at his resilience and perhaps even fear for his own survival. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the mighty King grabbed the loathsome cad by his throat and lifted him high off the ground; crushing the metal collar and possibly his larynx in his iron grip. Then, using his free hand, he delivered a devasting blow to the pirate's face, sending him flying fifty yards until he hit the ground with a painful thud.
Those brigands who still remained looked on in horror. Their captain, the great and terrible Hordeth had been defeated. And now their fates were in the hands of some primitive warrior King with godlike powers.
"Your leader is vanquished! Take him and leave!" Grayskull said sternly to the cowering horde. "But know that if you ever return I will not be as merciful."
Not needing to be told twice, the pirates quickly collected their captain and teleported back to their ship; the ship itself began a full retreat soon after.
With the threat neutralized and his kingdom safe, the aura surrounding Grayskull dissipated and he allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief.
"It is done."
"D'Vann!" cried an exotic and unfamiliar voice from somewhere close by.
Unsurprisingly, it was Veena, who had flown down from the castle wall to embrace the weary warrior; tears of joy streaming down her face. Naturally, Grayskull returned her embrace, and before long the two were sharing a deep and passionate kiss.
"Aww~ That's beautiful." Said Orko, ever the sentimentalist. "Hey, can I get a copy of this? This would be great for the Palace's next movie night?"
"Patience, young mage." Said Shadow Weaver, sounding only slightly annoyed by his comment. "Not all stories end with two people falling in love. Sometimes, that's just how they begin."
End Notes:
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Peace.
