Chapter One: Everything is Awesome

"C'mon, wake up! You're already late!" Teela's voice was accompanied by her also shaking him violently.

Adam opened his eyes as he was rudely awoken.

Was it weird that Teela was in his bedroom, unchaperoned, and waking him up for the day instead of a palace servant or even Man-at-Arms? It should be weird. But it was Teela. Sometimes she just did things because she wanted to. Forget rules, and court protocol, and propriety.

"Teela, what's the big idea?" Adam demanded, running a hand through his mop of golden blond hair.

"You were supposed to sit in on audiences today, remember." She scolded him. "C'mon, the Kings are waiting for you."

Teela grabbed his red vest and threw it at him, then exited the room to give him some privacy to change.

Weird, it almost sounded like Teela said 'kings', with a plural.

It was 'Kings' with a plural.

When Adam arrived in the throne room, it was to find his own father sitting on one throne, and another person sitting on an identical throne. Both elevated equally on the dais.

Adam paused when he entered the throne room, not recognizing the second… King.

He wasn't human, or at the very least, not fully human. He as human in shape, like many races on Eternia. Two arms, two legs, five fingers, one head. But his skin was a vivid jewel-blue, which was definitely not a human color, and his ears were tall and pointed, also not a human trait. He had long black hair that was brushed back away from him face, a thin mustache, but a thick goatee.

"Well, brother, your son has finally decided to grace us with his presence." Said the stranger King to Adam's father, Randor.

He called him brother.

Adam knew who the second King was now. His father often spoke of his long-lost brother. His half-brother, the Gar Prince Keldor.

But… Keldor disappeared years ago. Adam was barely even born when Keldor vanished.

How could he be here now?

Adam didn't get the chance to ponder this too hard, because at that exact moment, the doors to the throne room opened up again and this time a blond girl around Adam's same age came running in.

"Sorry I'm late!" She announced.

"Adora," Randor addressed her, "you're even later than your brother. Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do with you two."

Wait, Adam's brain felt inexplicably sluggish for some reason, did father just call him this girl his sister? But, Adam had no sister. At least, not any sister that he had ever met! Then again, Uncle Keldor was supposed to be many years missing, yet there he was sitting on a throne next to Randor. Sharing power as co-Kings.

"What is going on here!?" Adam demanded.

"We're trying to get the day's audiences started, Nephew." Keldor informed him with a tone of voice that implied long suffering patience. Apparently, Adam and his sister, Adora, were a source of much frustration in the palace. "Now, sit down so we may begin."

Adora sat down on the steps that lead up to the dais.

Adam just continued to stare at Keldor. There was something off about this. There was something off about all of this. He didn't have a sister, and he wasn't supposed to have an Uncle Keldor anymore. Yet everyone else was acting like nothing was amiss. Everyone was acting normal.

"Adam, sit down with your sister." Randor ordered his son.

Reluctantly, Adam did sit down.

He heard Keldor chuckle behind him. "Teenagers, stubborn and rebellions for no reason. I am dreading the day when Malkyn gets to that age."

"Ugh, I know." Randor agreed. "In a perfect world they would just stay cute little kids forever."

And who the hell was Malkyn?

Adam was sure he must have sat through several audiences with his father and uncle, but they all went by in such a blur, by the end of them, Adam wasn't sure they actually had any audiences at all.

The doors to the throne room opened again and a woman walked in.

Adam sprang to his feet, recognizing her instantly.

She wasn't wearing her usual black and purple leotard, fanned helmet, and cape that he was used to seeing her in. But there was no mistaking that face. Evil-Lyn!

It was Evil-Lyn! Evil-Lyn was in the palace and she managed to get all the way to the throne room without any alarms being raised. Adam reached a hand over his shoulder for the power sword, only to realize that it wasn't there. In fact, he didn't remember seeing it anywhere in his room when Teela woke him up.

Then his brain registered the rest of what his eyes were seeing.

In her arms, Evil-Lyn was carrying a child. A toddler, on the older side of four years, maybe five, Adam wasn't good with guessing kids ages. But the kid's age didn't matter, what mattered was that she had a hostage. Adam had to be very careful and not try to escalate the situation, lest Evil-Lyn harm the hostage…

…King Keldor got up off his throne and stepped off the dais to her. "My love."

Adam's jaw dropping, he watched his uncle wrap both arms around Evil-Lyn and the child she was holding, in a tender hug.

When the hug broke away, Evil-Lyn hefted the child in her arms, redistributing their weight on her hip. "Someone wanted to see their dad."

Keldor took the child from Evil-Lyn, hefting their weight on his own hip. "Malkyn, you weren't misbehaving for your mother, were you?"

The child shook his head, assuring his father 'no', he wasn't misbehaving. Then leaned in and clung tight to Keldor's shoulder armor.

From back up on the dais, Randor laughed. He similarly got up and stepped down. "Well, I guess audiences are over for the day. Prince Malkyn demand's King Keldor's attention."

Keldor booped the toddler on the nose with a finger. "My son, you have my undivided attention."

"Adora, Adam, looks like you're free." Randor added to his own children.

Adora skipped out of the throne room, happy to no longer have royal duties to fulfill.

Adam just stood there, taking it all in and thinking how strange and unreal everything seemed.

He had a sister that he was pretty sure did not exist yesterday. He had an uncle that he was pretty sure was missing and presumed dead yesterday. Said uncle was apparently married to Evil-Lyn whom he was pretty sure was their enemy yesterday. And Evil-Lyn and Keldor had a child together, a cousin which Adam was one-hundred percent sure did not exist yesterday.

What the heck was going on!?

He needed to find Man-at-Arms. Or the Sorceress! They always knew what was going on, even when he did not.

Adam bolted from the throne room.

Running through the corridors of the palace, Adam was so distraught that he didn't even care that servants had to jump to get out of his way, or that he almost bumped into people several times. That is, until he actually did collide with someone.

Adam ran headlong into a solid wall of muscle and fur.

Blinking, Adam's vision was filled with a wide chest covered in shaggy red fur and a turquoise star pendant hanging on a heavy chain. A stone of dread sank into Adam's stomach. He recognized that pendant, it was the one Beastman always wore. Beastman, whom was Skeletor's minion. Another of Skeletor's minions was in the palace.

Sure enough, when Adam looked up at the face that went along with the chest he'd just ran into, it was indeed Beastman looking down at him.

"Whoa there, Prince Adam!" He said, and closed both of his massive paws around Adam's shoulders to stead him. "Where's the fire?"

"Let me go!" Adam jerked his body violently, expecting to have to struggle hard to get out of the villain's grasp.

But Beastman let him go almost immediately without so much as a protest.

Man-at-Arms appeared from around Beastman, the latter's bulk and fluff having concealed him from view. "Adam, it's not like you to be rude to one of the Masters." He said. "Is something wrong?"

First Evil-Lyn was lover to his uncle, and now Beastman was one of the Masters? No.

No. No, no, no, no! This was all wrong. This was all wrong!

And worse, Man-at-Arms didn't seem to see it. He just said Beastman was one of the Masters. Man-at-Arms didn't find anything strange about that. He just blurted it out, as if it was common knowledge. As if it was old news. As if… as if it had always been that way.

"I-" Adam had no idea what to say. "I need to go."

If Man-at-Arms was also under the influence of… whatever this was, then the only other person who could help him was the Sorceress. The Sorceress would know what to do. He just needed to get out of the palace and get to Castle Grayskull.

He needed a Wind Raider, which meant he needed to get to the hanger.

Mekaneck was in the hanger, doing routine maintenance on the Wind Raiders. But he wasn't alone. Adam experienced his third great shock of the day when he saw Tri-Klops and another Gar he did not recognize in the hanger with Mekaneck.

Tri-Klops was handing Mekaneck tools, apparently helping out on the mechanic job, while the Gar sat by and watched, eating a sandwich. The scene was so casual and innocent. As if all three were very familiar and comfortable with each other. As if they were friends.

None of that made sense!

Tri-Klops was the first to notice Adam was there. He didn't look up. It wouldn't have mattered if he did, Tri-Klops was blind. But he did announce, "You seem troubled, Prince Adam."

That was when Mekaneck and the Gar noticed her was there. Mekaneck extended his neck to see Adam over the vehicle he was working on.

"I need to get out of here." He was saying it more to himself by this point. He needed to get out of this crazy alternate world where there were extra people in his life that didn't exist and his enemies were chummy with his friends.

"It's dangerous to get behind the controls if you're distraught." Mekaneck warned him. "I'd feel better if Kronis went with you."

The Gar that Adam did not recognize -Kronis, apparently- put his sandwich down and dusted the crumbs off his hands.

"I'm not distraught." Adam assured him, lying through his teeth. He was close to panicking, actually. "I just need to get some air. So, I'm going out and I'm taking a Wind Raider. And I'm going alone!"

And because he was still a Prince, even in this utterly bonkers world, there wasn't anything anyone could do to stop him.

Adam hopped in the closest Wind Raider to him and took off, shooting out of the hanger with a speed that was definitely 'reckless'.

He was sure he passed over the plains, but it happened so fast, it was like Adam blinked and he was already flying over the Evergreen Forest.

Castle Grayskull resided within the forest, but for some reason, Adam couldn't find it. He was He-Man, finding Castle Grayskull should not have been difficult for him. Even if he was somehow inexplicably lost, he should be able to call out to the Sorceress and have her voice guide him to the Castle. The Sorceress had always managed to contact him telepathically before, and while Adam hadn't exactly tried, he was pretty sure the connection should work the other way around.

But when Adam called out to the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, all he was met with was silence.

He circled the Evergreen Forest two more times, searching for the Castle by air. The gray stone towers and done skull of the façade had to be visible from the air. When Adam still didn't see it, he had to conclude that it being absent was just another thing wrong with this crazy alternate reality he seemed to have woken up in.

Reluctantly, he returned to the palace in Eternos.

There were no worried Masters or parents to greet him and lecture him on the dangers of going out alone. The planet was not being threatened by Skeletor and his minions. The minions were Masters themselves, and Adam hadn't seen or heard anything about Skeletor at all. It was like the evil sorcerer didn't even exist at all. So there was no danger in Prince Adam going out alone. So there was no reason for his parents or the Masters to worry about him.

Adam wandered the halls and corridors of the palace, looking for more inconsistencies. If he kept picking out the things that were different, eventually he should be able to figure out what was going on and if he needed to stop it in his capacity as He-Man.

He reached a hand up over his shoulder, touching nothing but empty air. He also needed to figure out what happened to his sword. It was like it didn't exist.

The power sword didn't exist.

Castle Grayskull didn't exist.

The Sorceress didn't exist.

But his Uncle Keldor did.

A cousin Malkyn that he'd never heard of did.

A sister he was sure he never had did.

This world he was in might seem nice, it might be peaceful, but it was definitely not his own world. Perhaps he and the Prince Adam that did belong in this world switched places and there was another Adam out there in another dimension that was just as confused and concerned as he was.

Maybe this was one of Skeletor's tricks and everything he was seeing was an illusion. Maybe none of it was real.

To test this theory, Adam stopped walking and kicked the wall closest to him.

The wall seemed solid, but he felt no pain when he kicked it.

He continued wandering and somehow found himself out in the training yard where the Masters and the Royal Guard practiced. A number of the Masters were gathered around the sparring circle, leaning against the railing and watching whoever was in the ring.

With no other idea how to make sense of his situation and nothing better to do, Adam joined the group. Pushing his way between the Kronis and Stratos.

Adam was expecting to see Teela wiping the floor with some new recruit, or maybe even one of the seasoned Masters. She was very formidable and ruthless when she was in a mood. But it was not Teela in the sparring circle. In fact, no one was sparring at all.

Instead, Adam's vision was filled with another enemy.

Panthor.

Skeletor's feline steed.

But, just like every other Evil Warrior that Adam had seen since waking up that morning, Panthor did not appear to be a danger to anyone.

Quite the contrary. Panthor was being ridden by the little toddler, Prince Malkyn. The small child looking more like a toy doll in the saddle that was sized for a grown warrior to ride in. His feet barely even went over the sides of Panthor's broad back, and Malkyn had to hold onto the pommel swell with both hands to maintain his balance. But he seemed to be having a good time. Giggling happily and smiling so wide his eyes crinkled.

Keldor stood in the center of the ring, leading Panthor with voice commands, making sure the massive cat didn't move too fast or too suddenly and accidentally throw the child. All the while, Keldor kept his attention focused on his son, his stance light in case he had to spring quickly to catch the child if he did fall.

Adam leaned against the railing and watched the spectacle.

Everyone looked so happy. The Evil Warriors mingling with the Masters, his uncle who had been missing and presumed dead for years, the child that Adam was pretty sure didn't exist, even Panthor who was being ridden by said inexplicable child. Everyone was happy and everyone was friends. It was nice.

This world was nice.

Even if it wasn't right.

Finally, Keldor declared that that was enough and Panthor had been a good sport, but it was time for Malkyn to let him go. Keldor reached up to gently pull the toddler from the saddle.

"And remember to thank Panthor." Keldor told his son. "He did you a special favor. Dylinx don't just let anybody ride them, you know."

Hefting the child in his arms, Keldor held him high enough that Malkyn would pet Panthor on the nose as a thank you.

Adam pushed back from the railing and wove his way through the Masters and Guard to get back inside the palace. This might not be his world, but would it really be so bad if he stayed here for a while? This nice peaceful world where enemies were friends, his family was whole, he had extra relatives, everyone was happy and Skeletor seemed not to exist at all.

Everything was so perfect; it was like a dream.

Adam froze.

It was like a dream!

Experimentally, Adam kicked the wall again. It felt solid, but Adam felt no pain.

Because there was no pain in dreams!

The audiences in the throne room and his trip between Eternos and the Evergreen Forest each seemed to take no time at all because time didn't have to make sense in dreams.

Adam didn't inexplicably wake up in an alternate version of Eternia. Because Adam wasn't awake at all! He was just dreaming. Lucid dreaming, apparently.

He felt a tension drain out of him. There was nothing nefarious going on. It was all just a dream. He could enjoy it while it lasted, then wake up in the morning like always. Imagining that he had a sister and a cousin that he'd never know before was a little weird, so was dreaming his long-lost uncle that he never met was back. But he could tell Man-at-Arms about it in the morning. Duncan would have an explanation for him. Duncan had an explanation for everything. And if not Duncan, then the Sorceress.

Knowing it was a dream now, Adam did something that he never would have been able to do in any version of a real world.

He found the closest window, climbed up onto the sill, then jumped out-

-and flew.

Flying on a Wind Raider or a Sky-Sled was nice and all. But in dreams, Adam could fly like Stratos flew. With his arms out, nothing under him but empty air. And that was exactly what he did do. Fly over Eternos.

Stratos and Waspus came up on either side of him.

"Lovely day for a flight, eh Prince Adam?" Asked Waspus, as if they were old friends and hadn't spent most of Adam's life as enemies.

"Indeed." Stratos agreed on Adam's other side. "Nothing beats a good flight with friends. Except maybe a good game with friends. Waspus, would you like to play Cards Against Eternia later?"

"Only if Buzz-Off can join us." Waspus insisted. "That dude his hilarious!"

Both Stratos and Waspus flew off in a different direction away from Adam, laughing together as if they were best friends.

Adam found himself flying over the plains. The grasses were in bloom, a sea of pale purple and pink flowers. He landed and started gathering some of the tiny blooms up into a bouquet. Perhaps he'd give them to dream-Teela and because this was a dream, she wouldn't berate him about trying to force to her like 'girly things'.

Moving through the grass, only selecting the most perfect of perfect dream blossoms, Adam accidentally came upon his uncle again.

Keldor seemed not to notice him, however.

He was sitting on a picknick blanket on the grass, Evil-Lyn next to him, Prince Malkyn napping between them. Keldor was pouring two glasses of wine and he passed one to Evil-Lyn.

"I have my crown and my son." He was telling her. "I have everything I need."

Adam backed up before either of them noticed him. Even in a dream, it somehow felt wrong to intrude on them.

It was also a little odd that in his dream, he kept coming upon what looked like his uncle's ideal life.

But then, not everything in a dream had to make sense.

Adam returned to the palace, and because he was traveling in a dream, it only took him one step to get there. One foot he was standing in the blooming grasses of the plains. The next step he was standing outside Teela's bedroom with a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

Then he was in Teela's bedroom, and she loved the flowers.

Then they were taking a chase and respectful stroll through the palace grounds, because Adam did not want this to turn into one of those dreams where the servants had to change the sheets after he woke up.

Walking hand in hand with dream-Teela was nice. She didn't even once make fun of him for lining sappy romantic stuff. And, because this was his dream and he made the rules, Teela was also wearing a dress.

Adam spent a lot of time with Teela.

They went swimming in the Harmony Sea. Skying in the Ice Mountains outside of Stilia. Got nice and tan in the Sands of Time. Attended every local holiday and feast that Eternia's rich tapestry of cultures offered.

Then came back to the palace and had dinner with the family.

Randor and Keldor, somehow managing to share the head of the table. But this was a dream, so why not!

Adam sitting next to the sister he was really, really, really sure he didn't have, and Teela sitting across from him.

Evil-Lyn sitting at Keldor's right hand and their son in a high chair between them. One would think that a toddler would make a fuss at a dinner table. Refusing to eat, crying, or even throwing food. But Malkyn was perfectly behaved. He waited for his father to cut his food for him, and did not fuss when his parents tried to feed him. He was perfect.

Then again, this was a dream where everything was perfect. So why not make the cousin that Adam never had perfect too.

Perfect and peaceful was very on-brand for this dream.

He was gonna feel great when he woke up.

Which should actually be happening pretty soon.

Yeah, time didn't make sense in dreams. This one day had already been packed with enough activities to fill a month of time in the waking world. But Adam still had a biological clock ticking in the back of his mind, counting the hours he had been asleep.

It was actually past time for him to wake up.

So… why wasn't he waking up?

Adam drummed his fingers on the table. Dinner was over and he didn't think anything was even served, except to the toddler.

Malkyn had fallen asleep in his highchair, and Keldor gathered him up in his arms and carried him upstairs to bed.

It struck Adam then, it was weird how his dream included an uncle he never met and a cousin he never had, and that he kept intruding on Uncle Keldor's perfect moments with his family. Maybe this wasn't his own dream he was in, maybe it was Uncle Keldor's.

Maybe when Keldor disappeared, he was trapped in this strange dream reality and he, as He-Man, was supposed to rescue him!

Adam followed Keldor up the stairs.

Malkyn was already tucked into bed when Adam got there, but the toddler wasn't asleep anymore. He sat up in bed, the blankets pulled up to his chin while he watched his father check the closet, and under the bed, and behind the doors.

"Nope, no mysterious Unnamed monster there!" Keldor promised his son. He crossed the room to give Malkyn a good night kiss on the forehead. "You're safe. Nothing is going to take you anywhere?"

Keldor moved to leave the room, but Adam was in the doorway.

"How long have you been trapped here?" Adam asked.

Keldor only stared at him, complete and utter incomprehension on his face.

It occurred to Adam then, Uncle Keldor might not even know he's dreaming. As a general rule, most people could not lucid dream. Probably the only reason why Adam was aware none of this was real was because, in the waking world, in was He-Man. With the Power Sword came certain other benefits even when he was not transformed.

Instead, Keldor tried to push past Adam. "You're in my way."

And then something odd happened.

The scene inverted somehow.

Adam was still standing in the doorway. He was still blocking Keldor's path. That stayed the same.

But Keldor was now no longer inside his son's bedroom, but outside it. Outside and trying to get back in.

Adam looked behind him the room was dark and the sky outside the bedroom window showed it was much, much later at night too. And uncommonly dark for an Eternian night. No stars. Just a little sliver of one of the moons, and the city lights. Fell things happened on nights as dark as that.

Keldor tried to push past Adam again. More forcefully this time. "Move!"

Only because he was so confused by the sudden and inexplicable change, Adam did not move. He just stood there, still blocking the door way, and staring at the dreamscape like a moron.

There was something else happening here that he was missing.

"I have to get to my son!" Keldor snarled at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw a shadow move in Malkyn's room.

A floating shadow.

It seemed a little absurd, even for a dream, but the vague silhouette of the shadow almost reminded Adam of Orko. A pointed hat, pointed ears, long sleeves and pointed fingers, a robe for a body, but no legs or feet. It just floated above the bed.

But that was all Adam could discern. No detail.

Because it was a shadow.

Distracted by the shadow, Keldor was finally able to shove Adam to the side.

The lights flicked on. But the shadow was gone.

And so was Malkyn.

Keldor ripped the blankets off the bed, thinking the toddler was just hiding under the covers. As children did when they had nightmares. But there was no child there. The bed was empty.

"Where is my son!?" Keldor demanded.

It didn't seem like he was directing the question at Adam, but Adam was the only one in the room with him.

"Um… I don't-"

Then Keldor rounded on him with a fury Adam was not expecting. Keldor's previously gentle eyes seemed to glow a sinister red from their very depths. The glow seemed eerily familiar to Adam. He'd seen a glow like that in another face, though he could not remember where.

Then Keldor grabbed Adam by the throat, lifting his whole body by the neck. "You did this!"

As Keldor spoke, his rage at his son vanishing seemed to boil his very skin. The blue of his forehead bubbled and hissed, his ears melted. The skin of his cheeks sagged as they dripped on the floor.

In a matter of moments, his Uncle Keldor's face was washed away. Leaving behind only a sinister skull. A skull with glowing red eyes. A skull that was very familiar to Adam.

"S-Skeletor!" He accused with a gasp.

Adam struggled. Now that he knew Skeletor was, indeed, involved in this, he did not want to get killed in this dream. In normal dreams when a person dies, they just wake up. But with Skeletor involved, Adam wasn't sure if he might die in real life as well.

And there was no Castle Grayskull in this dream, which meant he could not transform into He-Man here.

Trying to free himself, Adam lifted both feet and tried to kick Skeletor off himself. But the undead sorcerer refused to let go. He held Adam in a death grip. All Adam succeeded in doing was causing them both to lose their balance.

And they both fell out the window.

The last thing Adam saw was the hard ground of the city plaza rushing up to meet him before-

…

-Adam woke with a start, his adrenaline pumping, gasping for breath. He put a hand to his throat just to make sure there was no blue hand still gripping it. There wasn't.

Then he reached a hand over his shoulder to search for the Power Sword. It was right there. Slung over his back, where it belonged.

Finally, he looked at his surroundings.

He was lying in a massive spider's web, and Adam did remember vaguely that Orko wanted to visit some place called the Dream Weavers.

But that was not what his eyes focused on.

Laying in the exact same web, multiple threads connecting them, and seemingly having just woken up as well, was Skeletor.

"Skeletor, you're-!" Adam began to accuse. Then, in his post dream haze had a sudden epiphany. "...Keldor."