A/N: Sorry for the delay, folks!
We don't own 'em, we just mess with 'em.
Keldor and Lyn walked down the empty hallway toward the throne room. They intertwined their fingers, but said nothing. Their hearts were lead within them, and their sorrow too deep for words. Yet just as deep was their conviction that what they were doing was right. It was with that thought that Keldor and Lyn entered the throne room where Randor, Adam, and Adora waited for them.
Adam stood as his father had taught him years ago, showing none of his inner turmoil. This should have been a day of triumph. Instead he felt only sorrow and worry. Randor seemed strangely relaxed; perhaps he felt sure he could sway the masters to accept exile over imprisonment. Adora looked downright miserable.
"Why don't you go change into She-Ra?" Adam suggested softly. Fisto and Duncan were already in the hangar, along with several other guardsmen who had Beastman and Tri-Clops ready to go. Ironically, the escorts were not to keep the prisoners in custody, but to protect them. Adora nodded and left the room quietly. Adam looked at Keldor and Lyn. "Let's get this over with."
"I hope you're right about this 'doing the right thing' idea," grumbled Beastman, as he sat in the back to the large shuttle. Lyn shot Beastman a glare.
Keldor sighed. "I said it was the right thing, fur-face. Not the easy thing."
Several guards looked toward each other with disbelief clear on their faces. Beastman growled irritably and slumped in his seat.
Fisto took the pilot's seat and spoke into the comm. "This is Royal Shuttle One leaving for the arena. Are the escorts in place?"
"Escorts are ready," came the quick reply.
A soldier helped Fisto go through the pre-flight check and in a few moments the craft was airborne and on its way. Adam sat with the guards overseeing the former villains; as Keldor and Lyn's custodian, it was expected of him. He carefully kept his face blank and his mind guarded; his silence, however, spoke of his worry, as did the glances he frequently cast at Keldor and Lyn. She-Ra rode with them as well, often biting her lip. Her sword was in her hand, but only for the peace of mind of the royal guardsmen.
Adam sighed inwardly and leaned his head back as they flew, closing his eyes for a moment. 'Good, please be with us all,' he prayed. 'Let the right decision be made, and keep us all safe.' He had felt so distant from Good since losing He-Man. Adam knew it was his own fault. The fact that he had almost betrayed everything he believed in still haunted him. Good's disappointment with him also hung in the back of his mind. He had felt unworthy of having a relationship with Good anymore. But suddenly, in this moment of need, Marlena's story of Jesus beat back those memories and feelings. Adam felt a few seconds of reassurance; when he opened his eyes again, he caught Keldor looking at him, and he offered a slight smile, still worried but not feeling quite as anxious.
Keldor caught sight of the reassurance in Adam's face, but he couldn't relax at all. The journey to the Great Arena was one of those strange times when a trip seems somehow both too long and too short. Keldor and Lyn held hands, each doing their best to be brave for the other. Lyn held tightly to the hope that Antaris had offered, and was able to keep her fear at bay for the most part. Keldor, however, found his mind full of his evil deeds and the fate that he deserved versus what he wanted. No one spoke a word; the only sound was the whine of the transport's engines.
Fear was too calm a word for what the four villains felt as the transport soared over the arena and circled around to land.
"By all that's True," Keldor whispered in horror.
They could see as they flew over that the arena was completely full.
The transport landed just outside the arena in a cleared area. Even though they knew that no one had been allowed inside the arena with weapons, Adam and She-Ra exchanged worried glances as they got up and moved to the opening transport door.
"They're really worked up," Adam said, looking around warily, half-expecting an attack of some kind. Even here, outside the arena in an area cleared out and protected by guardsmen, they could hear the roar of the crowd.
"Something's wrong," Lyn said, putting a hand to her stomach. She leaned against Keldor, both of them standing just behind Adam in the doorway of the transport.
"What?" Adam asked sharply, turning around.
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Something just doesn't feel right."
They filed out of the transport, the guardsmen right behind the four villains, holding their weapons at the ready. Randor, stepping out from a separate transport, looked to Man-at-Arms questioningly.
Duncan nodded and motioned for everyone to follow him into a covered holding area.
"The force fields are in place just as you requested, Sire," Duncan informed Randor. "No one will be able to enter the perimeter or step onto the arena without my approval. I've placed the field generator safely inside the field, so it can't be sabotaged." The entire group followed Duncan as he led the way from the pavilion to the covered walkway that led inside the arena, to the main juror's dais and the King's podium. Duncan continued to share security measures. "The testimonial stand is rigged so that those guarding or judging in the arena will be protected when testifying, but an opening in the shield can be created when those from outside the arena wish to testify, without jeopardizing safety."
Randor continued to exude a sense of calm and control, nodding his understanding as Duncan spoke, and walking with a sure step. Adam, however, looked around anxiously as they entered the wide-open sandy grounds of the arena, and the crowd's roar increased. He had to agree with Keldor and Lyn. Something felt off. 'Serena?' he sent. 'Do you sense something wrong here?'
A falcon's cry answered him. Looking up, he spotted a soaring bird, larger than Serena's form and with unfamiliar brown markings. 'Malick?'
'Yes, Prince Adam, the Sorceress and I also sense something very amiss here. We can't pinpoint what, but I will be looking out for the first sign of trouble. I promise to alert you when we find something.' Adam could hear the concern in Malick's voice.
As King Randor took his place at the King's podium, Adam, She-Ra, and the guardsmen led Keldor, Lyn, Beastman, and Tri-Klops out to stand at a low platform ringed by armed guards for the accused, directly in the center of the arena. The crowd began to roar in earnest now with shouts and angry chants. Adam was fairly certain the Mystic Mountains could hear the outrage of those gathered for this sentencing.
All assembled raised their hands in a gesture for silence and slowly the crowd grew quiet. As the voices lowered, Lyn leaned closer to Keldor, seeking comfort.
'Remember what Antaris shared with us,' Keldor sent, though he could not see how this most recent wisdom from Antaris could be more than wishful thinking. 'One act of goodness will show the way past dark hate, and one simple truth will lead us home to stay.'
Lyn chuckled, though without mirth. 'I remember them as well as you do, since Antaris just decided to share them with us before we left our suites, but you can't hide how little hope you have now. Not from me.'
Keldor gave Lyn a look that was something between a sheepish grin and a grimace. He squeezed her hand and chuckled ruefully at his astute wife.
Duncan and Lana quickly took their seats with the other masters, in the stands just outside the forcefield.
Silence descended upon the crowd as Randor stepped up to his podium. All eyes focused on him and vocal projectors sent his voice far and wide as he began his opening remarks.
"People of Eternia, we are here to listen to testimony regarding Keldor, formerly known as Skeletor, and Lyn, formerly known as Evil-Lyn, and Beastman and Tri-Klops. All have pled guilty to the crimes of which they were accused. The purpose of hearing testimony today is to decide the severity of their punishment." Randor's voice was steady. The crowd responded by settling down. He looked towards the south-center section of the Great Arena, where the stairway was widest; seated there was the majority of those who would testify. "We have gathered representatives both for and against these criminals. I ask that when a witness takes the stand, he or she state which of these people they are speaking for or against. The first witness is Man-E-Faces."
Man-E-Faces walked up to the shield and waited the opening to appear. Fisto parted the shield, nodding at Man-E-Faces, who entered swiftly. Even so, a stray rock made it through before the shield could close up again.
"I am testifying against Beastman and Skeletor," Man-E-Faces said in his calm, gentle voice once he had taken the stand. "They imprisoned me while I was in my monster form. I was already performing evil acts, bullying others to get what I wanted and needed. They forced me to continue, and tried to use me to get into Castle Grayskull. They made me a slave."
Keldor squirmed in his seat and risked a glance at Beastman. To his surprise, the furball seemed a bit embarrassed; he was looking down and picking at his fingers, emitting a low growl in an undertone that Keldor remembered well from the days when he would reprimand Beastman for foolish actions.
Adam leaned over to his father as Man-E-Faces finished his statement and was escorted out. "This crowd is really worked up," he murmured. "Perhaps we ought to alternate the testimonies for and against so they don't work into quite as much of a frenzy."
Randor nodded; the rumble among the crowd had indeed grown while Man-E-Faces had testified. Randor called Fisto up. The Captain of the Guard looked over from his post at the shield generator, surprised, then nodded and took his place.
Fisto placed his overlarge hand on the railing as he began his testimony, stating he was testifying on behalf of Lyn and Keldor. "I have seen all gathered here at their worst. I have the shame of admitting that I once worked alongside them as they robbed, destroyed, and harmed the good creatures of Eternia, so I am even more surprised than you to be sharing this testimony with you."
"Although I was once evil, He-Man, Teela, and a little girl showed me how I wrong I was to be following that path. I changed. But I must admit, I never thought that Skeletor and Evil-Lyn could change. Yet they have. I have seen Keldor and Lyn continually put their lives in danger to protect others. Though it is not known by many, when Prince Adam was attacked earlier this month, it was Keldor and Lyn alone that rescued him. I have seen them fight those who would harm the citizens of Eternos. I have personally been healed from injuries received in battle by Lyn. They do not seek reward, and I have seen no sign or hint of treachery from them. Their hearts are no longer bent to evil, but to good. And their actions over the last month have proven that to me." Fisto stepped aside and the crowd's voices rose again in agitated murmurs.
Next, a duo of Widgets scrambled up the steps to the witness platform. They waited patiently while an opening was made in the shield and then scurried through. The voice amplifier floated down to the two men.
"I am Candoo and this is Squinch and we are here to share the fact that all four of these villains are responsible for attempting to steal our corodite. Not only that, but many people were hurt, and our village was damaged badly when they attacked." Candoo folded his arms as if he were done.
"Yeah," Squinch agreed. "And we had to rebuild our school. Of course," he added distractedly, "it was not as nice as it is since that blue wizard stopped that... Heeeeey." Squinch squinted his eyes, then stepped over to whisper into his neighbor's ear.
Candoo shook his head. "That's not him. I would recognize him anywhere, and-"
Squinch grabbed Candoo's glasses from his head and shoved them down on his face.
"Well, looky there," Cando said scratching his double chin. "It is that same wizard. Who'd have thunk it?"
"I beg your pardon gentlemen?" asked Randor as the men agitatedly talked to one another. Randor's eyes flashed to Keldor; a lavender blush spread was spreading on his cheeks. 'What has he done now?' Randor thought resignedly.
"Begging your pardon, Your Majesty. About a month and a half ago there was this furry creature. I think it called itself a Sirk Ack. Or maybe it was a Sick Yak." Candoo scratched his head.
"Do you mean Syriak?" asked Randor, slightly bemused as Keldor's blush deepened and spread down his neck.
"Yeah, that's it," said Candoo, lighting up. "It was attacking our village and doing massive damage. We rushed to defend the corodite because we thought that was what it was after. We were pushed back at the entrance of the mine and would have been hurt badly if our standoff had continued when he," Candoo pointed to Keldor, "showed up. He fought against the creature and managed to stop the thing without anyone getting hurt. Not even the Sick Yak."
"Syriak," corrected Squinch.
"That's what I said," protested Candoo. He knocked the metal horned helmet from his partner's head. It landed on the platform with a clatter. "As I was saying Your Highness," the little man continued, "the mage found out that the creature liked pies, and while it was distracted eating all of the tarts on a dessert cart we keep near the mines, he put some kind of magical collar on it so he could keep it from hurting anyone else without having to hurt it."
"And he gave us enough gold to repair all of the damage the Syriak did to our village," interrupted Squinch.
"It was more than that," Candoo argued. "It was enough to make all of the repairs needed and to give every villager a pie a day for a year."
"Too true," agreed Squinch. "That was mighty nice of him. I like pies a lot. Especially Laura's pies."
Randor's mouth twitched as he stifled a laugh at the thought of Keldor, the giver of pies. "Is that all, gentlemen?" he asked.
"Oh yes," agreed Candoo. "At least I think so."
"I thought we were testifying against them?" asked Squinch, scratching his head.
"We did," said Candoo.
"Uh, are you sure?" inquired Squinch.
"I'm the brains around here, and I say we did," Candoo snapped.
Snickers and outright laughter rang out throughout the stadium as the Widgets left, still bickering over whether they had accomplished their purpose or not.
Randor swallowed hard, though he retained his composure. As much as he had enjoyed the Widgets' testimony, it had to look to some as if they had stacked the testimonies in favor of the villains. With that in mind, he called another one who was testifying against the group.
Drak, now a young man, guided his grandfather through the force shield and aided him up the steps to the stand. Adam closed his eyes briefly, wondering if Keldor would even remember these two. His stomach turned over; there was no happy ending to this story. Almost automatically, he raised his eyes and scanned the crowd as Drak began to speak.
"I once thought that Skeletor was a great man," he said. "One day, my grandfather and I found He-Man in one of our traps in the forest, greatly weakened from having swallowed poisonous swamp water. I wanted to turn him over to Skeletor, to reap the reward I felt he would give." He set his jaw in determination, evidently having a hard time keeping control of his emotions.
"My grandfather refused. Skeletor somehow found out, however, and chased us, even sending his hunter robots after us. We raced back to our village, where we had the medicine that would make He-Man well." Drak paused, tugging on his shirt uncomfortably. His grandfather raised his hand and grasped Drak's forearm comfortingly. "But when we got there, our village was completely destroyed. Every person was missing."
"We managed to get He-Man to the Healing Tree, and once he recovered, he helped free my fellow villagers from Skeletor's prisons. Skeletor was intending to make slaves out of them." Drak's voice choked up slightly. "We celebrated our freedom, but only later, after we returned to the village, did we find the full measure of the destruction. Two of our people had been killed in the fires Skeletor set. A half-dozen others were burned badly, losing the use of their legs or arms. One went blind. Our lives as we knew them were over."
Drak dragged the back of his hand across his eyes. "Our homes were gone, and because we were inside Skeletor's territory, it was difficult for King Randor to get us assistance. He-Man made countless trips personally escorting the supplies we needed. I will always be thankful to him for that, but it cannot undo what Skeletor did. It cannot bring…bring back my sister."
By the time Drak was done, the anger at Keldor had returned, and many in the arena were openly crying, having similar stories to tell.
Randor looked at his brother to see his head down, his face pale, and a look of utter misery on his face. He caught Keldor's gaze for only a moment, but in that moment he saw a regret and repentance in the wizard's eyes.
Randor raised his hand for silence and called forth his next witness.
"I can see Randor now seeks to sway the people back to sympathy. He calls those two Truth Sworn Antaris and Jonas." Hutch stroked his beard. "He has made a foolish move. The people of Eternos will not accept the word of offworlders..."
"You are right, my ally. I believe it's time to move out," Marzo agreed. He tapped the jewel on his wristlet to summon Faker.
Recognizing the signal, the warrior stepped in front of the people gathered in their small army. "It is time!" he shouted. "Time to reclaim our world from Skeletor and all those corrupted by his evil magic!"
The people shouted and pumped their fists in the air. "He-Man! He-Man! He-Man!"
Faker lifted his sword. "Follow me to victory!" he boomed. Turning on his heel, Faker led his army down the road to Eternos, Marzo and Hutch following just behind him.
"...he tried to use the Cosmic Comet to disintegrate Castle Grayskull, but we made another comet and turned both comets good," said Zagraz in a wavering voice. "That didn't mean Skeletor was done with me, don'tcha know. Some time later he kidnapped me and tried to make me use my comets for evil. I wouldn't do it, and without me at home, my comets went wild. He put the whole planet in danger, and I had nightmares for months afterwards." The gray-haired comet-keeper grinned. "But I bet he had more nightmares, because my little comet Doodles chased him through Snake Mountain for an hour."
Adam hid his grin behind his hand. He had to convert a chuckle to a cough when he saw Beastman, Tri-Klops and Lyn each struggling to maintain a straight face. Lyn and Tri-Klops half-lost the battle and their shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Adam's grin faded as the rumbling from the crowd penetrated his humor. He glanced around again; while he was too far away to see expressions, the angry growl emanating from those gathered was far too obvious to ignore. It didn't seem right. In spite of their anger, the people had seen the humor in the Widgets' testimony. Not this time. 'Malick, did you find anything?' he sent out, drumming his fingers anxiously on the table before him.
'Not exactly. I sense a power moving closer to you, but I cannot find the source,' Malick returned, his frustration clear even in his telepathic thoughts.
"The next witness will be Bedorat, the Syriak, with Prince Adam to assist in giving his testimony," Randor said, nodding to Adam.
Adam groaned internally. He had been dreading this, even though Keldor had promised to produce pies if Bedorat became overly agitated. Still, Adam kept his chin up and his shoulders straight as he approached the shield to guide Bedorat inside.
Bedorat's eyes grew wide as the shield parted and he spotted Adam. "Friend!" he said excitedly.
Adam smiled at him. "Yes, friend," he agreed again, for what was probably the sixty-fifth time that month. "Come with me, Bedorat." He led the Syriak, who towered over him by shoulders and head, to the stand. The crowd quieted, some of them frightened by the imposing creature.
"Bedorat, do you remember why you came to Eternia?" Adam asked.
"Kill," Bedorat answered seriously. "Bedorat like to kill. I'm good at it."
Adam breathed a sigh of relief. Bedorat was having one of his more lucid moments. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. "You came to kill He-Man, right?"
Bedorat growled suddenly, showing his teeth. "Bad man gone."
"He-Man is gone," Adam said by way of agreement. "But while you were fighting him, Skeletor sent you to the Valley of Echoes. When you got out of there, Keldor found you." He pointed to Keldor. "Tell me about Keldor."
"He gives me pies," Bedorat said, drooling slightly. "Sometimes he takes me to places where I can fight, and that makes me happy. But I have to stay in one place a lot." He frowned. "I don't like being in one place."
Adam turned to the crowd, feeling like a traitor. "Bedorat was once a proud warrior, a mercenary, but a warrior nonetheless. Because Skeletor sent him to the Valley of Echoes, Bedorat's mental capabilities are much lower than they once were. I feel I must add, however, that Skeletor did so to save He-Man's life, as the Syriaks were intent on destroying He-Man. And since finding Bedorat, Skeletor-Keldor-has tried to both help Bedorat, and keep others safe from his wild antics."
Amidst wild booing from the crowd, Adam turned back to Bedorat. "Come, Bedorat," he said gently. "You need to go now." He took Bedorat's huge hand and led him towards the forcefield. Fisto created the opening just as they reached it, but Bedorat pulled away suddenly, turning back to Keldor. "Pies!" he insisted.
"Outside, Bedorat," Adam said firmly. Bedorat swung his arm, knocking Adam back.
"Pies now, please!" the Syriak yelled at Keldor.
Adam flew back a few feet, landing hard. He laid there, his vision dancing in and out and his lungs refusing to work.
"Adam!" Randor yelled, coming to his feet.
There was a huge commotion in the arena; assuming it was because of the activity inside the shield, no one paid it any mind. Keldor produced a pile of pies for Bedorat as She-Ra ran for Adam. But before she could reach him, Hutch, Marzo, Jitsu, and Faker materialized just inside the opening of the shield.
Marlena looked around in horror. The guardsmen were fighting. Marzo and Hutch had led their army directly into the arena, and they hadn't even known it. The two sides were now engaged in an all-out battle. "How?" she whispered, but it was a rhetorical question. Obviously whatever the duo had found to fuel their magic, it had allowed them to cover their attack. Marlena could also see that some of the citizens were joining in one side or the other; others were cowering in their seats or running.
Hutch immediately threw a spell at the forcefield generator, effectively sealing them all in. "Isn't this a nice, cozy reunion?" he asked cheerily.
"Jitsu," Fisto growled, making a fist with his giant hand.
"You're mine," Jitsu returned, and he threw himself at his nemesis. Their metal fists collided in mid-air, sending resounding shudders through each of them. Their eyes locked. Jitsu threw a mighty swing that Fisto dodged. He managed to knock Jitsu's feet out from under him, but Jitsu did the same to him from the ground. Together, they rolled about, fighting for supremacy.
Keldor and Lyn started forward only to have the guards surrounding them aim their weapons at them.
"We wish to protect the royal family," shouted Keldor. Lyn snapped her hand at the wrist and the men dropped their now super-heated weapons. The guards were not to be deterred, however; they grabbed them back up quickly.
"We could disarm you anytime we wish," Lyn said heatedly, her eyes glowing, "and instead we should be focused on protecting those under this shield."
The guards cast wary glances at each other and finally seemed to agree with the condemned. As one they ran toward the fray.
Hutch raised his hands and directed a stun blast at Beastman and Tri-Klops. Tri-Klops shouted a warning, but the blast was too massive. It encompassed the two of them as well as the guards around them. "I'll deal with you traitors later," Hutch snarled as the entire group dropped to the ground, stunned into unconsciousness.
She-Ra dove at Faker, tackling him to the ground. She scrambled to her feet and drew her sword; Faker met her at the same time with his own, and the two entered into a duel. She-Ra cast an anxious glance at Adam, who still hadn't moved, then turned her attention to the enemy before her.
Teela dodged around everyone, intent on getting to Adam. Frantically she dropped beside him, noting his open eyes darting about. Marlena knelt down on Adam's other side. "He just had the wind knocked out of him," she said. Adam managed a slight nod. She looked up at Teela. "Let's not tell them that, though."
Nodding, Teela eagerly rose to her feet and looked around, anxious to reveal Faker for what he truly was. She ran around to Hutch's other side, Marlena on her heels, both of them striving to keep Hutch's and Faker's attention off of Adam.
Almost lazily, Marzo tossed a blast at Keldor and Lyn. It blew over them as their shields held; the guards, however, were not so lucky. The four of them dropped to the ground; like the others they were unconscious. Keldor and Lyn exchanged a brief, uneasy glance.
'Their power is immense,' Lyn sent to Keldor. He nodded tightly, training his eyes on Marzo.
While Keldor and Lyn were distracted by Marzo, Hutch grabbed hold of the crimson gem and used its power to send out red ribbons of power that rose up out of the ground and encircled Lyn, dragging her toward him.
"Let me go, you vile piece of filth!" Lyn screamed in rage.
Teela had unsheathed the Sword of Truth, but hesitated now, gauging whether she should help Lyn or stop Faker. Finally she raised the sword in Lyn's direction, then Faker's. "One thing at a time," she muttered. She wasn't sure the sword could help Lyn, but she knew it could stop Faker, if only she could get a clear shot at him.
Hutch simply chuckled as he pulled Lyn's magic-bound body close to himself. "Too bad this magic weakens you so, dear Evil-Lyn," he taunted Lyn so only she could hear. "You might be able to use your powers to defeat mine if the evil of this particular magic didn't sicken you so." Hutch chuckled again. "You look positively green. Though that could be the unfortunate child within you. So sad that it will have to die when I kill you."
Lyn struggled but the magic was tainted. The more she struggled the more dark magic seeped into her and the more she had to fight just to stay conscious.
"Noooo!" shouted Keldor as he saw Lyn in Hutch's grasp. He started toward her, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marzo send a blast toward Randor. Keldor jumped into the path of the blast; unfortunately he was only able to partially complete the shield against Marzo's spell. Keldor and Randor were sent flying six feet into the side of the forcefield. Both men scrambled to return to their feet, Randor holding his head.
Faker caught sight of Teela pointing her sword at him; he grabbed hold of She-Ra's sword, swinging her around and flinging her against the forcefield. Before Teela could call on the sword's power, he had somersaulted over beside her and grabbed her arm in such a painful grip that she was forced to drop the sword. With his other hand, he grabbed Marlena's arm. "You two should be more ladylike," he scolded them in a mock-gentle voice.
She-Ra got to her feet and started towards Hutch, but the sight of the villain's sword tip pressing against the delicate hollow of Lyn's neck stopped her cold. Jitsu had gained the advantage over Fisto, and had him in headlock. Seeing Lyn's position, Fisto went still.
"Let her go," Keldor said softly.
Hutch grinned. "I don't think so."
"Surrender the throne to me, Randor," Faker called out. "The people demand it."
With that, a huge roar echoed around the arena. Randor looked around in disbelief as the people began chanting. "He-Man! He-Man! He-Man!" No one was cowering now. The royal guard continued to fight Hutch's army, but Randor could see even they were so surprised at the appearance of "He-Man" that they were being disarmed almost easily.
"The days of your evil rule are over," Faker said. "The people refuse to be under a king who allies himself with Skeletor. Abdicate the throne to me."
"Never," Randor said, his voice low but fierce.
Adam could still barely breathe; he sucked air inward choppily and willed his head to clear as he rolled onto his stomach and raised his head slightly. Bedorat was obliviously eating his pies; he looked at Adam and grinned. Other than him, no one else was paying attention to the prince. Adam glanced around, horrified at the turn things had taken so quickly.
'Keldor,' Hutch sent to the mage, 'I will win. It's too late for Eternia. If you cooperate with me, you, Lyn, and the child she carries can go back to that world you came from. If you don't, I will kill her.'
Keldor gasped as he saw a massive rock floating above Lyn's head. Hutch stepped back, dropping the still-magically-bound Lyn to the ground under the dark shadow of the boulder. Keldor squinted his eyes. There was some sort of magic. It didn't make the stone invisible but seemed to make Keldor want to ignore the stone. He cursed inwardly. It must be the same spell Hutch had used to sneak his men into the stadium.
'I see you've discovered my little trick. And now you will help me with another trick. You will kill Randor and claim that you are through using the royal family as puppets. I will teleport you away and seem to have destroyed you. You will make me a hero, and He-Man will make me his chief advisor. Do it!' ordered Hutch, causing the boulder to tumble a few inches. "Do it or your wife and child will die.'