I just wanted to say thank you for the reviews and PM's I've been getting for this story. It means a lot. I'll go ahead and say there is going to be a lot of twists and turns with this story, but I'm sure you knew that from the former story, LOL, so I hope you enjoy the ride. Also, I wanted to let everyone know I posted chapters of this story and "Teela's Visitor" closely together, so please be sure not to miss any of them! I might even get one out another for "Against Nature" today. We'll see. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 6
Things couldn't possibly get any worse than they were now. Everything had gone so horribly wrong and he had never seen this coming in a million years. He felt the tears rush to his eyes despite them being closed and a few even made their way out to slide down his cheeks.
He never thought his father would have kicked him out of the palace. He never thought his father would have stripped him of his title. Despite the fact that he had disappointed the king throughout the last two years, he thought they had enough love for one another to work through it until he was able to tell him that he was He-Man. Opening his eyes, more tears fell and for a moment, everything was blurry so he couldn't see where he was.
It didn't really matter where he was now, he supposed. All he knew was that he hurt and it was the most unbearable pain he had ever felt before.
He sat up and was surprised to discover that he was in a bed. He wiped at his tears and tried to remember where he was and how he had gotten there. It didn't make sense that he had been kicked out, stripped of his title, and able to find a comfortable place to stay that same night. Swallowing roughly, he glanced around the room warily and his eyes settled on the large laser gun at his window.
"Where on Eternia, am I?" he questioned. He threw the blankets from his body and noticed the nightclothes he had on. It was a simple gray pajama set, but the emblem on his left breast was unmistakable: it was the symbol of the Horde.
Gasping, he ran to his window and confirmed where he was. He was in the Fright Zone, but why? How had he gotten there? Why wasn't he in the dungeon if he was now a prisoner? His head started pounding intensely and he grabbed it as he stumbled back. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the pain to abate. It seemed like the sharp stings running throughout his head would never cease, but eventually they did. Breathing roughly, he dropped his hands and opened his eyes again.
He had thought earlier that things couldn't get any worse, but as usual he had been proven wrong. Not only had he lost his family, now he was a prisoner of the Horde. He got up from his seat and went to the door to see if it was locked. He knew it probably was but it didn't hurt to try. He merely sighed when his suspicions were confirmed. He then reached to his back to grab the Sword of Power, but there was a hint of a memory in his mind, just a small one, that told him it wasn't there. When that was confirmed, he thought he remembered the sword flying from his hand during some kind of battle, but when he tried to latch on to the memory, it faded away.
Deciding he did not want to wait for someone to show up to check on him, he began to pound on the door. "Hey, someone let me out of here!" he exclaimed several times. He knew no one would comply with his demands, but he was hoping it would bring someone to him. Then, he might be able to learn how he had gotten there and what was going on.
It took several minutes, but eventually he heard movement outside his door. He continued to pound, but then he heard Hordak's voice say, "Stand back." Doing as he was told, he moved away from the door. He knew better than to try to rush through it when the door opened, because Hordak would undoubtedly have a number of Horde Troopers with him and without his Power Sword, he didn't stand a chance.
When the door finally opened, Hordak and Shadow Weaver walked into the room. "Ah, Prince Adam," Hordak greeted, almost a little smugly.
He didn't greet Hordak. Instead, he wrinkled his nose and asked, "What am I doing here, you villain?"
"Villain? Me?" Hordak looked at Shadow Weaver for a moment and continued, "Is that the gratitude I get after giving you a place to stay?"
Adam took a cautious step back, not because he was scared but because he couldn't fathom what the other meant. He was sure the Horde leader was being sarcastic, but Hordak actually seemed to mean his words. "What are you talking about?" he asked carefully.
"I watch Eternia from time to time. I heard the news about you losing your royal privileges and everything that goes with it. Instead of letting you fend for yourself outside Eternos, I brought you here. You would think someone in that situation would show a little gratitude."
He fanned his hand out and quipped, "Gratitude? You think kidnapping someone and keeping them prisoner is an act of kindness?"
Hordak shook his head and replied, "I did not kidnap you. You came quite willingly since you were so upset at the time."
Adam wrinkled his brow in confusion. "If that's the case, why was the door locked?"
"For your own protection," he answered.
"Right," he said disbelievingly. "Look, Hordak, I don't know what you're up to, but it isn't going to work. Just because I'm having a hard time with my father right now doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to turn my back on what is right. Whatever game you're playing will fail—I guarantee you that—so you might as well let me go."
Hordak growled in frustration and snapped, "We'll see about that. Come, Shadow Weaver."
They both left the room and locked the door again.
Adam still didn't know what was going on, but he knew he needed to find a way to escape. He knew he couldn't rely on his father's help. He didn't know if his father knew he was no longer on Eternia. As much as he hated the thought, he wasn't even sure King Randor would care. He wondered if Adora knew where he was.
=)=)=)
She-Ra and Swiftwind flew towards the Fright Zone at a high rate of speed. They didn't tell Teela or anyone else that they were going. She thought it would be an easy enough operation: get inside, go to the dungeon, and bust Adam out of there. She had done it before without any problem, so she didn't have any doubts that she could do it again.
She knew the hard part would be seeing her friends and not releasing them. She would take the chance IF it presented itself and she was sure no one would get hurt, but otherwise, her main concern was her brother, because he would help her get her friends out. It was better to have her brother at her side when going up against the Horde. That had always been the case, so it was a priority to get him back first.
She closed her eyes and once again stopped herself from thinking about Teela. She knew the captain would be one of the first things her brother asked about when she saw him, and she didn't want to have a negative reaction. She didn't want to build herself into a state of intense anger, because Adam would notice. She didn't want to give him a reason to worry or feel responsible since he had been captured.
She could see the Fright Zone in the distance and wondered at how she could have ever mistaken the place belonging to good and honest people. Even the name sounded menacing. But she knew that was because of Shadow Weaver's spell. Her powers were great, but luckily they weren't as powerful as Castle Grayskull's. Looking down, she ran her fingers through Swiftwind's mane and said, "Okay, Swifty, we need to be on a sharp look out for anything out of the ordinary. Hordak might be expecting us."
"I will, She-Ra," he replied.
The closer they got to the Fright Zone, the more anxious she got. The troopers weren't outside searching for her or Adora like they normally would be in a situation like this. The last time the Horde had taken Adam, the grounds had been cluttered with Horde Troopers. She wondered why it was different now. They landed on the roof of one of the towers and she walked Swiftwind over to a small nook that was just big enough for him to fit inside. "Stay here," she said. "I'll be back soon…with my brother."
"Good fortune, She-Ra," he replied and she hurriedly made her way inside.
=)=)=)
Hordak stomped back into the throne room and saw Skeletor seated on his throne once again. He immediately transformed his arm to a stun ray and shot it at him.
Skeletor had noticed the Horde leader's presence, so he had expected some kind of reaction from him. He merely held his hand out and absorbed the hit without any pain. He stood calmly and asked, "Did things not go according to plan?"
Hordak grumbled for a moment and spat, "Your spells seem to have worked. He seems to accept the fact that Randor has disowned him, but how does that help us? He does not want to accept my help. He calls himself a prisoner. How will that help me get Adora back or help you break King Randor?"
"It doesn't," replied Skeletor.
"What?" yelled Hordak. "Do you mean that you've been playing with us this entire time? Why, I ought to…"
"Wait," Skeletor said, lifting his hand in a gesture for him to stop as he descended from the throne. "I have not been playing with you. This was a test. We now know that when I erase a portion of Prince Adam's mind and then Shadow Weaver uses her magic to tell him what to believe, it works. Now, we will go back and finish the job."
"Finish the job?" he questioned.
Skeletor shook his head and mumbled to himself, "Imbecile! I have to explain everything to him like I did with that miserable Beastman." Getting louder, he answered, "Yes, Hordak. Now that we have made Prince Adam believe King Randor has forsaken him, we will back the memory up a bit. We will make him believe it happened at an earlier age." He laughed sadistically and glanced at Shadow Weaver, who had followed Hordak inside. "Figure out what you want Prince Adam to know from a very early age, Shadow Weaver. This time, Prince Adam will remember being raised by the Horde with Adora. Incorporate truths, things that you and Hordak can easily reference when talking about Adora." He laughed again. "When King Randor sees his son as a member of the Horde, fighting with us and calling you 'father,' it will break his spirit."
Hordak rubbed his chin with a wicked smile and said, "I like it; I like it a lot." He paused for a moment and said, "If we catch Adora, this spell would work on her, too, and finally things we will be as they should have been so very long ago."
Teacher and pupil laughed cruelly, and neither could hardly wait to get started.
=)=)=)
She-Ra slipped inside the Fright Zone undetected and made her way as carefully as possible to the dungeon. She tried her best to stay out of view of any cameras, but the place was littered with them and Hordak had changed a lot of things since Adora had lived there. Regardless, she believed she had been successful.
Walking down the corridor that led to the dungeon, she was surprised to see only a few guards on duty. They were standing in front of a cell that contained her friends and members of the Royal Guard. They were cluttered together in that one area. Many of them were awake and speaking quietly with one another. She felt sorry for her friends and she knew she would feel even worse if she could not free them when she saved her brother.
Looking around the room, she noticed all the other cells were unoccupied. She turned back to the guarded cell and looked inside carefully to see if she could see her brother. She didn't. Stepping out of her hiding spot, the guards exclaimed, "She-Ra!"
When they ran towards her, she made quick work of them. She then approached the cell as Bow stood up and exclaimed, "Boy! Am I ever glad to see you!"
She nodded and replied, "And, I am happy to see you, my friends. Is Adam with you?"
"Adam?" Castaspella asked as she stood from her seat and made her way over to them. "Adora's brother? No, he's not with us. Why? Did the Horde capture him, too?"
"Yes," she answered. Realizing she had to take this chance regardless of where her brother was, she bent the bars apart so that everyone could get out. She grabbed Bow lightly as soon as he came out and said hurriedly, "Bow." When Castaspella and Frosta also emerged, she called their names, as well, and asked, "Do you think you can get everyone out of here safely without being detected? I have to find Adam."
"Sure thing, She-Ra," Frosta replied.
Before She-Ra could walk away, Bow cried out, "Let me go with you."
She turned around and said, "No, Bow. It's easier for me to search the Fright Zone without you. Besides, the others stand a better chance of escaping when you're with them. Please, get our friends to safety, and Adam and I will come behind you as quickly as we can."
"If you're sure, She-Ra," he replied reluctantly.
"I am. Good luck, my friends!" she cried and then ran back through the corridors. She would search this entire place to find her brother if she had to.
=)=)=)
Grizzlor sat in the control center and watched in shock as the Rebel prisoners stepped onto the ground floor from the staircase. Not sure if he should set off the alarm, he immediately punched a button that would get him in contact with Hordak. "Grizzlor to Hordak," he repeated several times.
"What is it, Grizzlor?"
"The Rebel prisoners are free, Mighty One! Do you want to sound the alarm?"
He could tell Hordak almost cried "yes" but had stopped himself. "Is She-Ra with them?" he then questioned.
"Not that I see, Mighty One."
"Is Adora?"
"No." There was a grumble for a moment and Hordak replied, "She-Ra must be here, but she's searching for Adam. Yes, sound the alarm. Perhaps, we will make She-Ra turn back to help her friends. Alert my personal guard and send them to guard Adam's room. We must keep the Eternian here at all costs."
"Yes, sir."
=)=)=)
She-Ra searched every place she could think of where they would keep prisoners inside the Fright Zone. "Is it possible they're keeping him somewhere else?" she asked aloud. "Beast Island, perhaps?"
"Could be," she heard a voice say behind her.
She turned around and exclaimed, "Hordak!" No sooner than those words escaped her lips, Skeletor and Shadow Weaver turned a corner and stood behind him. She gasped a little and Skeletor took that opportunity to step around his former teacher.
"She-Ra, so we meet again," he said with a chuckle. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. You will not find Prince Adam here. It is better for you to go and help your miserable friends who will probably be surrounded by Horde Troopers in a matter of moments."
She-Ra stood her ground and demanded to know, "Where is Adam?"
Hordak stepped beside Skeletor and commanded, "Tell Adora if she wants to see her brother again that she must come to the Fright Zone herself. I will not tell you or anyone else where he is. If she does not, I will keep her brother a prisoner forever. What do you say, She-Ra?"
Already knowing she had searched every form of cell in the Fright Zone, she knew Hordak had hidden him away somewhere else. The question was "Where?" She didn't have a clue. She gritted her teeth for a moment and said, "If you hurt him, Adora will never…"
Skeletor snapped, "Just deliver the message, She-Ra! If you do that, nothing will happen to her precious brother!"
She knew she didn't have much of a choice. She nodded and said, "I will tell her, but you must agree to let my friends go free."
"I will make no such bargain," snapped Hordak; "You are not in a position to make demands."
"If you want Adora to know your message, I do," she argued right back.
"Ha!" exclaimed Skeletor; "Just like a woman not to use common sense! Adora will come either way when she sees that you didn't bring her brother back. Now, if you want your friends to even have a chance of escaping, I suggest that you go to them and help. Otherwise, we will keep them and you, too!"
She-Ra didn't waste her time. She turned around and ran.
=)=)=)
As soon as She-Ra was out of hearing distance, Skeletor turned to Hordak and said, "It doesn't matter whether she's able to rescue her friends or not. Soon, we will have Prince Adam and Princess Adora and then all of Eternia will be mine!"
He lifted his hands triumphantly and started laughing.
Hordak and Shadow Weaver looked at each other for a moment with a look of annoyance on their faces. "You mean, Etheria will be Hordak's," Shadow Weaver corrected.
Skeletor continued to chuckle and said, "Right, right…that, too."
As Skeletor walked away to go to Prince Adam's bedroom to get things started, he heard Hordak mumble, "And, Eternia will be, too." He knew the other didn't think he had heard him, but it didn't matter. He continued to laugh. If history had taught them both anything, it was that they couldn't trust each other. Skeletor had always trusted in that, so Hordak's words didn't faze him at all.