Within seconds they were standing before the temple, which seemed to rise up out of the sand abruptly, casting long shadows over them in the late evening sun. Lyn's stomach clenched with nervousness.
Keldor shouted a warning as several blasts rained down from the entryway of the temple. His shield took the greater part of the impact but sand still flew up all around them.
He-Man coughed as he tried to get through the cloud of sand without drawing his sword. "We mean you no harm, Faceless One," he shouted, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sand. "I am He-Man and She-Ra is with me. We are here on a mission from Grayskull." Almost immediately, the sand blew away and the air cleared around them.
"He-Man and She-Ra I know to be servants of Good, but you, Lyn…I do not know where your loyalties lie. Nor those of your companion." The Faceless One's voice was not judgmental; merely factual.
"Father," Lyn said, forcing her voice to remain strong, "I need to speak with you about many things. But first I must apologize for all I have done to disgrace and betray you."
The Faceless One hesitated. The words sounded so familiar. Still…"I have longed to hear such words from you for a very long time, Daughter, but how can I trust you after all that has passed between us?"
"That is why we are here," interjected She-Ra. "We will ensure that no harm will come to you while you speak with these two. I would also like to add that I believe they both have changed completely and are truly servants of Good now."
The Faceless One considered her words, probing their emotions and minds as best he could with his magic. Their minds were surprisingly well-shielded, he noted, but he sensed no deception from any of them. "I will hear your words. Enter." He turned aside and the doors behind him swung open.
Lyn fiddled with her hair as she heard the doors of her childhood home thud closed behind her, a wave of longing filling her. She had so hoped that her dreams with her father had been shared mages' dreams. Yet from his welcome, it did not seem that could be possible.
Silently they passed the magically sealed doors that barred entrance to the Ram Stone's chamber and continued on to the seldom-used sitting room. Lyn carefully schooled her face into a mask as she mentally prepared herself for her father's condemnation. Her hands unconsciously tightened; she only noticed it when her fingernails began digging into her palms. At every step, nostalgia filled her. Recollections of the days before her mother had died and whispers of later conversations--or rather, confrontations--between her and her father chased through her memory.
"Lyn, you must take responsibility for your actions!"
"You never understand me! Mother always understood!"
"She's not here. You're here with me, and will do as I say."
"I wish you had died instead of her!"
Lyn cringed as the echo in her mind faded away. She and the others quietly took their seats, but her father remained standing. She could feel his distrustful gaze on her.
"Well?" he asked in a voice as patient as she remembered.
Lyn tried to focus only on her father and forget all of the other eyes on her. "Father, I'm so sorry. I know I cannot simply walk back into your life and expect you to trust me. I understand that. But I have little time. Keldor and I have turned ourselves into the crown and have pled guilty of all charges." Her father moved closer at her words. "We are to be sentenced in less than two months."
"Are you seeking asylum with me?" asked the Faceless One softly. "I cannot offer you that under the circumstances."
"I do not seek asylum," Lyn said quickly. "And I understand why you couldn't offer it, but I do seek your help in order to complete one last act of goodness before I am given the punishment I deserve."
The Faceless One turned away. 'She seems so like she was in the dreams. Is it possible? I must know.' He turned back around decisively. "And if I offer you this help, what becomes of my grandchildren? Will this last act be something they could be proud of?"
"Grandchildren?" Lyn questioned weakly. She searched his featureless face and his posture for a hint that what she was hoping was indeed true. Trembling slightly and fighting not to show it, she stood and took a step towards him. "Father? The dreams? We did share them after all?"
"I had three, all within the last two months, and," he said, reaching out to cup her cheek with in his palm, "I can only hope I shared each one with my daughter, now a servant of Truth, and mother of Micah, Neara, and Keelyanne."
Lyn knees nearly buckled from relief; she choked back a sob and leaned into her father's embrace, smiling as one who had finally found her way home. "I've missed you,'" she whispered.
The Faceless One let his hand trail through Lyn's now-long hair. "So you have told me," he said gently. "And so I have missed you."
After a few moments, He-Man cleared his throat. "I'm sorry to interrupt this moment," he said quietly, "but we need to move quickly. It's already dark, and we have to be ready to attack at first light."
Lyn nodded and stepped back from her father, wiping at her damp eyes. "He-Man is right. Time is short. Soon we and a select few others will need to enter a chamber of great evil within Snake Mountain. It is so well protected that even during our time as Skeletor and Evil-Lyn neither of us together nor separately could enter."
"Now we must enter it to stop Baron Hutch and Count Marzo," explained He-Man. "Only by destroying this link to evil on our world can Eternia be safe. The Sorceress has told us all that if we cannot destroy this chamber, the forces of Evil will overwhelm Eternia."
"And you wish to use the Ram Stone to aid you in this quest?" surmised the Faceless One.
"It was the Sorceress' hope that you would aid us all now," shared She-Ra.
The Faceless One stood silent and still for a moment, regarding each of them in turn. "Very well," he said finally. He motioned for them to follow him back down the hallway.
Keldor noticed He-Man growing more and more uncomfortable as they walked. He supposed the hero had a right. Most likely, the last time He-Man had seen the Ram Stone was when Skeletor had used it on him. Suddenly curious, Keldor moved alongside He-Man. "What happened when I used the Ram Stone on you, anyway?" he whispered.
He-Man hesitated a few seconds, as he almost always did when Keldor asked him something he wasn't sure he should reveal. "It stripped me of my power and reverted me to Adam," he finally replied in a low voice.
Keldor mentally shook his head. If he had followed up on the attack, he would have been able to defeat He-Man once and for all right then and there. 'Thank Truth I was too egotistical to do so,' he thought fervently.
Lyn followed beside her father as he pushed open the doors to the central chamber of the citadel. They entered the chamber side-by-side, the others trailing in behind.
The Faceless One turned to Lyn, a warning in his voice. "You understand that nothing must happen to this stone. It is destined to help decide the fate of the galaxy, not simply a single world. It must be returned so that it can be claimed by the proper one at the time of crisis to free peoples of many stars."
"I understand, Father. I swear we will get it-"
Lyn's words were cut off as the stone began to glow and rise up from its pedestal.
"What's going on?" asked He-Man, pulling his sword from his sheath.
"Can it be?" questioned the Faceless One in a tone of disbelief.
"Once a traveler from another world entrusted this treasure to the first Faceless One. I have waited for the day when one who can hold me in my true form would come to claim me," came a booming voice from everywhere and nowhere. The glowing stone rose higher and the pale green stone began to show cracks of brilliant white light. Everyone stood transfixed as a thick green coating fell away from the stone, revealing the small ram carving for what it truly was: an artfully-shaped Truth Stone.
"And now," continued the voice, "the time is here."
A great flash of golden light engulfed Lyn and raised her from the ground. Terrified, Keldor blasted at the magical glow as He-Man and She-Ra Raced toward Lyn, but the would-be rescuers were thrown back by a sudden intensifying of the magic surrounding Lyn.
"Only one who has bathed in the waters that created me," continued the strange voice, "may use me as I was intended." The stone traveled on a beam of light straight to Lyn's immobilized form. When the stone touched Lyn's forehead, a brilliant flash of light forced everyone to look away. "You and your descendants will keep the power of the stone within you for the rest of your days."
The voice continued. "No barrier will be able to stand before you or your descendants as they live their lives as servants of Truth on any world to which they are sent. You will teach them the great price of evil and guide them to serve your master, Truth."
The light began to fade and Lyn was lowered to the ground slowly. Keldor and the Faceless One rushed to her side.
"Are you all right?" asked Keldor, his voice in a panic.
"I'm tired," Lyn said, her voice faint. "The power of the stone was so great."
Without another word, the Faceless One gathered his daughter up in his arms. "You must rest for a time. The power of the stone is incredible, and to have it fill you…" His voice was filled with awe. "I know time is short but I can place you into a restorative mage sleep. It will leave you rested from one short nap."
Lyn nodded wearily, barely having the strength to hold onto her father's neck as he took her to another room. Keldor walked beside his wife, determined not to let her get out of his sight.
"What is your problem?" She-Ra whispered to He-Man as they waited for Lyn to arise from her nap. The Faceless One had kindly shown them into a large sitting room with a pleasantly bubbling fountain and a variety of snacks. Both of them were conscious of the time slipping away, but He-Man seemed to have even more on his mind. "You've been jumpier than Cringer in the wind raider since Lyn went to sleep."
He-Man shrugged. He didn't want to get into it with his sister. It would only upset her.
"Don't you pull that with me, brother," She-Ra ordered, more loudly now. "Out with it."
He-Man sighed. She wasn't going to let it go. "Hasn't it occurred to you that Lyn can now take away our power at will, and break down Grayskull's defenses at any time?" he asked, trying to keep his voice reasonable.
"I don't believe you!" she exclaimed. "When are you going to give them the benefit of the doubt?"
He-Man opened his mouth, then shut it again, trying to keep a cap on his emotions. He took a deep breath, but it didn't help much. "So I'm a little concerned at how much power Lyn was just given. I still think I've been more than generous in trusting them," he hissed angrily at her. "I brought them back to Eternia, I let Keldor walk free, I brought Lyn to the palace, I offered myself as guarantee they would show up to trial, and I escorted them into Grayskull! What more do you want from me, Sis? "
"Nothing," Keldor's voice replied over He-Man's shoulder.
"You have a real knack for overhearing me talking about trusting you, you know that?" He-Man asked tiredly.
"Maybe because you are always talking about me behind my back," offered Keldor dryly, "without checking to see whether or not I'm within earshot."
"Maybe you should stop sneaking up on people and eavesdropping." He-Man grinned at Keldor to let him know he was teasing.
Keldor chuckled. "Old habits are hard to break," he said with a grin, teasing back.
"We have to find you a new hobby," He-Man said in mock seriousness.
"Oh would you two stop?" She-Ra complained. "Where's Lyn when I need her?"
"She should be up within the hour," announced the Faceless One as he entered the chamber.
"Talk about eavesdroppers," muttered Keldor to He-Man so low that only the hero could hear.
He-Man chuckled, then held a hand out to Keldor. "Thank you for not taking offense," he said sincerely.
Keldor took his hand. "I understand why you feel as you do and you are welcome. You have every reason," Keldor said. He looked into He-Man's eyes. "I swear I mean you, nor Grayskull, or any other person on this planet, any harm. I swear it by all that is True."
"On one level, I know that," He-Man acknowledged. "But to be honest, Keldor, I still expect a betrayal. As you said, old habits die hard." He paused a heartbeat, still clasping Keldor's hand. "I--we can't beat Damien without you. I need to know, without a doubt, that you have my back. And She-Ra's. And Teela's. That you'll protect them both as I would."
"I will lay my life down for any of you," Keldor said simply. Before He-Man could respond, Keldor walked away, leaving the hero to mull over his words.
"I would that I could fight along side you in this great battle now that my duty no longer binds me to this place," said the Faceless One to She-Ra, "but I must systematically strip the magical protections here, for if this citadel fell into the wrong hands it could become a stronghold of some great evil. The magic here is great, and must be released and dispersed back into the desert. It will take many weeks to accomplish this."
Keldor approached them and was taken aback by what he saw. "Your face seems more defined," he observed.
The Faceless One ran a finger over his cheeks and the slight bump that once was his nose. "Indeed, you may be correct," he agreed. "The magical shield over my face and that of every guardian until my Lyn returned was meant to protect us from being constantly in the presence of the great stone's power. When the mantle of the Ram Stone's defense is on another it is said that the face can return in time."
The two moons of Eternia were bathing the gentle sand dunes in a pale glowing light as the group prepared to leave the citadel. They would spend the night in Grayskull, where Damien was least likely to sense the Ram Stone's power.
Lyn hugged her father one last time.
"Be careful, my child," admonished the Faceless One gently.
"I will," promised Lyn.
At those words the warriors and wizards trudged through the sands toward the place where Serena would conjure the gateway, safely away from the many protections Lyn's father had maintained over the years. Lyn looked a bit melancholy, He-Man noticed.
"So," he drawled, "does this mean you're going to lose your face too? If you wish to tell me of course."
Lyn shot an annoyed glare at He-Man. But before she could say anything, she was pre-empted by Keldor. "You're not, are you?" Lyn looked expectantly at Keldor.
"Nope," said Keldor. "Not going to add it. Don't care if you wish to tell me or not. Tell me."
She-Ra and He-Man chuckled at this. Lyn smirked at Keldor's attempt to hide his panic behind humor.
"For as long as I can remember, I have been told that the stone was being kept until the one meant to hold that power within themselves, not hidden in the citadel, should come. That person is meant to use the power placed inside their very body to enter into secure places during a great war to come. A war that could decide the very fate of the universe," Lyn added ruefully. "I guess that time has arrived."
He-Man sighed. "Just once I'd like to get some clear directions and explanations on things instead of these vague mystical prophecies," he complained.
"That still didn't answer my question," Keldor pointed out as the quartet stood before the just- opened gate the Sorceress had conjured.
"I'm afraid I can't help you, He-Man," said Lyn, shooting a look of mock-annoyance at Keldor. "I feel much the same as you do. And, no, bonebrain, I will not lose my face.....but keep this up and I'll blast yours back to the way it was before."
He-Man and She-Ra laughed heartily, knowing Lyn didn't really mean it. Then the four of them returned to Grayskull to finish their preparations for the coming attack.
She-Ra wiped a tear from her eye as she stepped into Grayskull. Seeing Lyn and her father together had reminded her of Hordak. Two people on opposite sides of good and evil joined together again...she wondered again if his final act of sacrifice had eased his punishment in the afterlife. She cleared her throat and turned to the others. "Now what?
"Now we get some rest, and attack Snake Mountain at first light, hopefully before they learn that we have the Ram Stone," He-Man answered. "Any objections?"
"Shouldn't we make a plan of some sort?" She-Ra asked with a frown.
"Do we even know what will be needed to sever this link with evil?" asked Keldor, looking up to Malick and Serena. "We have a way into the chamber now, but what must we do to close it?"
Malick and Serena exchanged glances. "We know only what the prophecy said," Serena replied.
"So we go charging in and attack Snake Mountain and all in it, yet we have NO idea what we are going to do once we get there?" asked Lyn, her voice growing a bit shrill.
He-Man grinned cheekily. "I used to go visit you all the time with no idea what I'd do when I got there," he pointed out. "I'm still around." Serena paled at his words, and Malick glanced away. Not noticing their reactions, He-Man continued, "Keldor, remember the Obsidian Sphere?"
"I'd prefer to forget about that, if you don't mind," snapped Keldor. He sighed and took Lyn's hand. "I suppose it's a like a compulsion from the Truth, Lyn. We go and Truth works it out."
Lyn nodded, though she did not look the least bit happy about that. "We will not be able to draw on the magic surrounding Snake Mountain to fight," she worried.
"Who cares about that?" Teela asked, waving her arms about. "The Obsidian Sphere, Adam? Are you crazy? "
She-Ra's mouth dropped open as she recalled where she'd heard of that. "That's what you poured your power into, and it overloaded and exploded, killing you and Skeletor!"
"Right," He-Man said, nodding. "Same principle. We pour the power of Good into that nexxus, while Keldor, Lyn, and Teela use the truth stones and Sword of Truth to keep it pure. It balances, closes the nexxus, Damien's banished, and we go home."
"And what if there's another explosion like there was with the sphere?" Teela demanded.
He-Man hesitated. "I don't think it will, but we must remember the prophecy calls for a sacrifice," he said quietly. "I'm not trying to fulfill it, but I don't have any other idea of how to close that chamber forever. Do you?"
"As much as I hate to say it," admitted Keldor, "it is sound in principle." Teela glared at him.
"What about Trap Jaw and the others? It will be hard enough fighting against Damien, Marzo, and Hutch. How can we get them out of the way?" asked Lyn.
"We'll have to have a big enough distraction that they're preoccupied." He-Man glanced over to She-Ra. "We'll need help. If Hawk, Duncan, Lana, Fisto, Battle Cat, Swift Wind and a few others go in, I think they could handle the goon squad, don't you?"
"Absolutely," she agreed.
"Malick will feed power to Keldor and Lyn," Serena said. "Teela, he may have to feed it through you, for you to flow it to them through the Sword. Only by accessing the pure power of Grayskull will they be able to use their powers to fight against our enemies."
Teela nodded, a sour look on her face.
"He-Man, I know it is late and you are all tired, but I think you and She-Ra should return to the palace tonight to gather those necessary to create the distraction," said Malick. "When the distraction is underway, we will transport the five of you directly to the base of Snake Mountain. Lyn should be able to get you into it with little difficulty now."
"We won't have to go anywhere to gather them," He-Man responded. He closed his eyes. 'Duncan, can you hear me? Duncan!' He wondered briefly if Duncan was sleeping already. 'Man-at-Arms, answer me, please!'
'He-Man?' returned Duncan's startled voice. 'Since when can you-'
'I'll explain later. We need your help.' He-Man briefly outlined what they needed and why. There was a short silence when he had finished. 'Duncan, did you get all that?'
'Yes, but I don't like this, Adam. This didn't work so well last time with Obsidian Sphere.'
'Sure it did. Skeletor and I both survived, and it started him down the road to returning to Good.' He-Man swore he heard Duncan sigh heavily. 'The sphere was a small finite object, Duncan. This is a large part of Eternia we're talking about this time. I'm sure there won't be another explosion.'
'How sure?' Duncan demanded.
There was a pause. 'Very. But still…tell my parents I love them if I don't make it back. And Duncan...thank you for being my friend, my mentor, and my second father.'
'If you don't make it back I'm going to come into the afterlife and beat you senseless,' Duncan threatened.
He-Man chuckled. 'Yes sir.' He broke off the telepathy. "We're all set."
"Do you have the Sword of Truth, Teela?" asked Malick
Teela nodded. "I've been carrying it lately. With everything that's happened, I thought it might be the best protection against Damien and Hutch if they threatened Josiah again."
"Good," said Serena. She stood and held out a hand towards the west tunnel. "There are rooms down there for each of you. I suggest you get your rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."
Keldor nodded and pulled Lyn close to his side. Together they turned and walked down the hall, his hand lingering over her abdomen.
"Teela?" Adam poked his head into Grayskull's library and spotted her slouched over a desk, several books spread out around her. He shook his head slightly. She had said she would be along in a moment; that had been nearly an hour ago.
"Hey," he said softly, touching her shoulder gently as he reached her.
Teela woke slowly and looked at him, blinking hard as she tried to focus. "Hey," she returned huskily, noting he had changed back to himself. She rubbed at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I wanted to check one more thing, and the next thing I knew, I was off on another tangent."
"Did you find anything useful?" Adam asked in a slightly amused tone. His hand caressed her shoulder in a familiar gesture.
"Just the original writing of what Serena already told us—that it was the collection of Grayskull's magic to this side of Eternia that led to the void on the dark side, allowing Evil to create a direct connection to this world." Teela sighed. "Even if we manage to shut down the nexxus, Adam, all it does is rid Eternia of Damien. People like Hutch and Marzo will still be able to choose to do evil."
"Getting rid of Damien is a good enough reason for me," Adam said, a hard tone to his voice.
Teela smiled as she rose and hugged him. "Me too. Let's go get some sleep so we can kick Evil's butt in the morning."
"Absolutely," Adam agreed.
Duncan gnawed his lip in worry as the tight formation headed towards Snake Mountain. "I'm not sure why you wanted to come," he said crossly to Lana, as the wind raider soared through the air. "You have the baby to think about."
"Would you care to tell me again what Adam said to you?" she challenged.
Duncan sighed as Battle Cat growled from the back seat. He couldn't argue with her. They both felt something terrible was going to happen during this battle, and He-Man's words to him told them the hero suspected it too.
Man-at-Arms glanced around out of habit, making sure all was well with the group. Hawk, seated on Swift Wind, flew to their right, with Orko clinging to his shoulders. To their left were Fisto and Ram-Man on sky sleds.
Snake Mountain came into view, and Duncan's stomach clenched. In the middle of the mountain was the hangar opening, and it was this opening the group aimed for. The sky sleds and wind raider were equipped with mesatronic missiles--they weren't as strong as the bomb, but they would cause enough damage for this.
Fisto moved into the point position as they drew nearer to the opening. A mere three hundred feet from the hangar bay, he fired the missile, deliberately going low and blowing out the bottom. Duncan's missile went wide left, entering the hangar but hitting a wall instead of the vehicles. Ram-Man's aim was never strong when he used anything but his head; his missile, which was supposed to go wide right, went directly into the hangar, but somehow missed the vehicles inside. Instead it went into the back wall. The result was a mess that didn't do any real damage.
"Perfect," Duncan said with a grin. "All right, troops, break off!" he called into the communicator. "The mission has failed. Full retreat!"
"Those infidels think they can attack my home base and get away with it?" Hutch snarled as Duncan's call came over the radio. "Trap Jaw, Clawful, Two-Bad, Khan, all of you! Down to the hangar immediately. Salvage whatever vehicles you can and get after them." The motley crew before him stared at him for a few seconds, stunned to see his smiling facade dropped for the moment. "Now, you fools!"
Hutch groaned and held his head as they tripped over each other in their efforts to get out the door. Spikor and Webstor actually got stuck as they tried to get through the doorway together.
"This may be a diversion of some sort," Damien hissed, appearing beside Hutch. "He-Man and She-Ra are not in the group that attacked."
"Which is why," Hutch said in the most respectful tone he could manage, "Marzo, you and I should remain here."
Marzo, who had been watching the retreating forms of their cohorts, turned. "Oh, good. I certainly didn't want to be anywhere near them."
"We should prepare for another attack," Damien growled. "To the nexxus, both of you."
"Are you sure about this?" asked Teela as Lyn reached out her hand toward the princess.
"I am sure. If all of you link your hands to me or someone touching me, I'll be able to take us through the walls of this fortress undetected."
With the Ram Stone's power added to her own, Lyn found it easy to protect all five people and Malick in his falcon form, and put them into a ghost-like transparent state. Then they simply walked directly through the rough base of Snake Mountain. A mighty roar sounded in the distance and echoed off the dank tunnel in which the group emerged. Malick flapped his wings and flew off to see what he could find.
"What was that?" asked She-Ra.
"By that noise," began Keldor, "and the smell," he added wrinkling his nose, "I'd say we are close to Beastman's little zoo. Follow me."
Two-Bad got in a lucky shot--lucky for the heroic warriors. He managed to hit the wind raider, sending it down less than a mile from their hidden reinforcements of Buzz-Off, Stratos and Mekaneck. The sky sleds and Swift Wind followed the wind raider down to the ground, where Duncan, Lana, and Battle Cat were already out of the wind raider and preparing to fight the incoming forces. Buzz-Off and Stratos flew out from amid the trees, Mekaneck not far behind.
"Remember," Duncan instructed solemnly, "we have to delay them for a while, so either we capture them all quickly, or we let them think they're winning."
"Through here." Keldor motioned with his lion-headed staff.
She-Ra looked around anxiously, but their diversion seemed to have worked. They hadn't seen a soul yet.
"This is too easy," He-Man muttered.
"It was your plan," Lyn hissed at him.
"I didn't expect it to work perfectly," he whispered back.
"Sh," Keldor whispered. "We're almost there."
As their own voices fell silent, the echo of voices ahead of them could be heard. The group of heroes looked at each other in horror.
"Now what?" She-Ra hissed.
"Arrgh," screamed Buzz-Off. "I'm stuck."
Webstor chuckled maniacally and approached the trapped Master with a gleam in his many beady eyes. Blasts of lasers and magic exploded all around them as everyone was now fully engaged in battle. Buzz-Off pulled a blade from his belt only to have it jerked from him by a lightning-quick line of spider web.
"Uh uh uh," chided the overgrown arachnid. "You've just arrived, my flying friend. You can't leave before you join me for dinner."
Buzz-Off groaned. "Can't you think of anything more original?" he taunted as he strained against the sticky cords.
"Perhaps over dessert," Webstor said as he shot a mass of web over Buzz-Off's mouth.
Muffled groans of protest were barely heard above Webstor's clicking laughter.
"Oh no you don't!" squeaked Orko as he flashed in between Webstor and Buzz-Off. The magician waggled his tiny fingers as Webstor growled in frustration.
"Oh, look, it's dessert," he snarled. "I guess I'll have you first."
"Spider spiteful be gone from sight, free my friend and be tied up tight."
The cords of webbing that were wrapped tightly around Buzz-Off turned into pink ribbon and swirled toward Webstor like a satin windstorm. In an instant, Webstor was wrapped in a cocoon of pink knots and bows. A pink gag hung from his mouth. Buzz-Off activated a port-a-prison around his enemy and patted Orko on the back. "Thanks little guy. I owe you one."
"No problem," said Orko, pointing toward a pile of loose and falling stones, "but it looks like Rammy's in trouble."
"What are we waiting for?" asked Buzz-Off, soaring into the air. "Let's go!"
"I hate waiting," Keldor complained under his breath. The group was in a hidden crevice, one Keldor hoped Hutch and the others hadn't found yet.
"If we attack them when they're accessing the power, we might as well sign our own death certificates," Lyn reminded him. "We wait until they're gone. It'll buy us a few minutes, at least."
Duncan swung his sword hard at Two-Bad, meeting the two-headed villain's own sword, then dodged the blast from Trap-Jaw. Fisto slammed his giant fist into the ground, causing Hutch's groupies to stumble a bit.
"Fall back!" Duncan commanded.
"Get them!" Trap-Jaw yelled, pumping his fist in the air. "We'll teach them to mess with us!"
Buzz-Off and Orko arrived at the pile of rocks just as Ram-Man surfaced from below it. "Rammy, are you okay?" Orko called.
"Duh..." Ram-Man replied, his eyes crossed.
Buzz-Off grabbed the short man by the shoulders and lifted him into the air. "Come on, Rammy, we've got to fall back a bit." His voice was annoyed. None of them liked this cat-and-mouse game they were playing, especially since they didn't fully understand it. Duncan had simply said they had to keep Skeletor's former scumbags busy for as long as possible, and draw them as far away from Snake Mountain as they could.
It seemed an eternity passed as the group inside Snake Mountain impatiently waited for the three evil villains to leave. Keldor breathed a sigh of relief when they did so by a different hallway. He held the others still for a few moments, then nodded. "Let's go," he whispered.
Keldor and Lyn led the way towards the nexxus, going more slowly as they drew nearer to the chamber. "Stop," hissed Lyn. "We're near it." She focused on power of the Ram Stone within her and uttered an incantation. Unfamiliar power flooded her. A brilliant green light shone as a light in the shape of a ram and burst forth, obliterating the magical fields protecting the chamber of evil.
A feeling of evil rolled forth in waves, causing Lyn's and Keldor's stomachs to churn as if they were on fire. The two took involuntary steps back. He-Man, Teela, and She-Ra drew their swords, the magic of Grayskull sensing their needs and creating a light shield against the evil magic before them.
Malick, in his falcon form, soared down the hall and transformed. "Quickly, my friends," he urged. He began pouring power into Teela. Lyn and Keldor pulled power from her and focused their magic through their Truth Stones and into the chamber. He-Man and She-Ra pointed their swords towards it and let loose Grayskull's power. White magic poured forth from the set of champions, into the eerie fire before them.
Yet nothing happened. The fire continued to rage.
"It's not working!" Lyn cried out.
"It's got to!" He-Man protested, even though he too could see there was no change in the chamber.
"Where's your sacrifice, He-Man?" Damien's voice taunted from behind.
"Break off!" Malick yelled.
The heroes broke away from the chamber, turning almost as one to face their enemies.