Episode 4:
IN THE LAND OF THE DEAD

VOICE CAST:
LAURA BAILEY as Teela
 LENA HEADEY as Evil-Lyn
GREG BERGER as Roboto
BRIAN DRUMMOND as Stinkor
APRIL WINCHELL as Scorpia
BOB BERGEN as Orko
JIM CUMMINGS as Beast Man
TIFFANY SMITH as Andra
CHRISTOPHER MCCULLOCH as Skeletor
TRAVIS WILLINGHAM as Adam/He-Man
and
SPECTRAL GUEST STARS:
TONY TODD as Scare Glow
COREY BURTON as Mysterious Man
and
SCOTTIE RAY
as
The Unnamed One

Teela twisted her staff a bit, activating a glow that lit up the room.

"You cannot make your living in the land of the dead, my dear...the only wealth you'll need to bring is the currency of fear," said Orko as they continued on. Upon seeing Teela glance at him, he explained. "It's an old Trollan nursery rhyme. This is the end part: flee before your mind goes mad, trust not what Subternia shows, terror fuels the fires of hell, whose lord is called Sca—" he trailed off, upon seeing a floating green wisp nearby. "...what is that?"

"Eyes open, everyone," said Teela. "Let's find the sword and get out."

But when she turned around, the others were gone! As if they had never been there to begin with!

"Orko?! Andra?!" Teela called out, suddenly spooked. "Stinkor?! Evil-Lyn?!"

Glancing around, she noticed a crystal jutting from the ground, glowing an eerie green color.

As she looked around, the only response she got was a throaty, echoing voice. "Teeeeela...Teeeeela..." it burbled.

Defensively, the former redhead took her blade and ventured further inward.

MEANWHILE…

Evil-Lyn opened her eyes to find that she wasn't in the cavern anymore...but a brightly-colored landscape filled with orange mountaintops, floating peaks, and upside-down rainbows.

"Eh? Where are we?" Orko asked, rubbing his eyes. But once he looked around, his eyes grew wide. "Wait a second...I know this place!"

"You know this place?" asked Evil-Lyn, bewildered.

"... it's Trolla!" Orko beamed. "I'm...I'm home! Or have I died?"

"Of course not, simpleton," Evil-Lyn responded. "This is some kind of Subternian illusion. And a good one, indeed."

"So we have to find the others," Orko declared. "Mystic Observation Lens...show us how to find our friends!"

As Orko wiggled his fingers, a massive magnifying glass appeared before him...and vaporized a nearby bird's nest.

"Aaugh!" Orko shrieked, mortified.

For reasons Evil-Lyn didn't understand herself, she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Just remember...it's only an illusion," she said as she glanced over to a nearby library.

"I'll try to keep that in mind…" Orko swallowed heavily, before he noticed the building. "Hey, wait—this is the library of the Academy of Magic! Maybe Uncle Montork could help…or Dree-Elle!"

"Friend of yours, I take it?" Evil-Lyn asked.

"Well, for a while we were…more than just friends," Orko responded, the tips of his ears turning purple. "But…eventually, we decided to just stay friends."

As they headed off, it almost seemed like they were being watched…but by who?

ELSEWHERE…

Andra, Roboto, Stinkor, Scorpia, and Beast Man were on a desolate field, littered with the bones of fallen warriors.

"Where IS this place?" Beast Man growled, his eyes darting around. "...I don't like it, not one bit!"

"That makes two of us, fuzz-face," said Scorpia.

"Calm down, you two," Andra insisted. "Let's figure out where we are, first. Roboto, access your enhanced telemetry. Where are we?"

Roboto's visor scanned the area. "According to my sensors...we are nowhere," he replied.

"And I suppose we're alone, too?" Stinkor asked.

"I detect no other life forms in the..." Roboto began, before Scorpia pointed him towards three Shadow Beasts, standing on a ledge, snarling. "...well. I stand corrected."

"I smell a fight," Beast Man growled. "Time for the savage Beast Man to break loose!"

"Stay sharp, everyone. Things are about to get hot!" Andra declared.

MEANWHILE, BACK WITH TEELA…

The blonde was following the glow as it gradually grew stronger, noticing she was heading down a pathway.

As Teela's eyes darted around, she heard a deep, raspy voice. "Ahhh...at last...so much anger..."

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a silhouette, and slashed at it—only for the form to disappear.

"...masking so much fear..." the voice growled, as a skull-like form took shape, glowing within the darkness.

Teela raised a brow. "...Skeletor?" she asked.

"Not quite..." growled the voice. "But I remember the name."

Teela swallowed heavily and tried to keep herself focused. "Who are you?"

A dark chuckle came from the fog. "The shadow of a ruler...now ruler of shadows," he responded. "And this humble domain."

As he stepped forth, Teela could now see a red-eyed, skull-headed individual with a dark mauve cape on his back.

"Why have you come to this place?" he asked, and now Teela could see the glowing outlines of bones over his black body, as well as his skull glowing green.

"I'm looking for a sword," the blonde warrior responded, trying to remain calm.

"Ah...! A collector, like myself!" the skull-headed individual crooned. "A keeper of relics, once treasured...now without purpose, abandoned to the deep end of eternity." He held out his palm, and in it he conjured half of the power sword—specifically, the Sword of Darkness half. "Though some of them—the special ones—still do glow..."

Teela reached for it, but he pulled it away. "I will GIVE you that which you seek, Teela...but as an exchange," he hissed. "One cannot get something for nothing."

"Fine," responded Teela. "Exchange for what?"

"Your...FEAR!" the skull-headed ghost bellowed. "Show it to me! How long I have waited here, alone and deprived. Nourish me with your delicious fear!"

Teela steeled herself. "I fear nothing."

The skull-headed ghost just chuckled. "Oh, you are DRIPPING with it!" he exclaimed. "If fear were sweat, you'd be wiping your brow! Reveal your fear, and I will GIVE you what you came for."

"So...have we got a deal?" he asked.

"My fear...for the Sword piece," Teela mused. "And the safe return of my friends."

"Done," the ghost responded. "But first...your end of the deal."

With a wave of his hand, he conjured a massive hole beneath her.

"Enter, warrior...and relinquish your fear."

Teela closed her eyes and took an uneasy breath before she took a step, and found herself falling into the hole.

"Enter the well of Darkness, Teela..." the ghost growled. "Survive your demons and gain the prize you seek...but succumb to them, and you will spend eternity here, with me, as part of my collection."

ELSEWHERE…

Evil-Lyn and Orko entered the Library; tall bookcases lined the two-story room.

As they approached an altar, Orko recognized the place. "This...this is the Spellspring!" he exclaimed.

Evil-Lyn raised a brow. "And that is…what, exactly?" she asked.

"It's the source of all Trollan magic...our life force," said Orko. "...but it's dry."

As he glanced around the room, a heavy feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. "...they're all gone..." he murmured, brushing some cobwebs off of a nearby globe.

Evil-Lyn raised a brow. "Who's gone?" she asked.

"My people...this place should be filled with Trollans…" replied Orko. "The Spellspring should be flowing with life..but…it's not."

"Magic really IS dying, and not just in Eternia," murmured Evil-Lyn. "But why are we being shown this?"

"The scary thing is...what if it's NOT just an illusion?" Orko asked. "If they're really gone...that makes me the last Trollan in the universe."

Evil-Lyn shook her head. "That…that can't be," she said. "It has to be some sort of possible fate…showing us what could happen, not what WILL happen."

Orko sat by the side of the Spellspring. "Some people think my name's a slurring of 'Oracle'...but it's not," he said. "It comes from an old Trollan phrase. Yawla kees orko...it means 'seek the light in the dark'."

[Did not care for the explanation we got in the actual episode. Made Orko's parents come off as uncaring douchebags who were only concerned with status. The Trollan language, however, is credited to cyndalyssa on Tumblr, as well as CrazyNutBob on DeviantART.]

Evil-Lyn looked almost pensive as she sat next to the diminutive magician.

"But, to be honest...it's hard to be positive when things are going wrong," said Orko. "I get that I was the royal jester...but back home, I was a prodigy. A wunderkind, some would say. And just when things were improving for me...it all went completely downhill. I became the least of them...now I'm the last of them."

"You can't know that for sure...they could still be out there," Evil-Lyn responded. "And besides, I'd never say this if anyone else was around, but...your magic has always proved impressive when it needed to be."

"I never thought I'd hear THAT from you," remarked Orko.

Evil-Lyn couldn't help but chuckle at Orko's comment. "Anyways, you've got to fight to hold onto what you have," explained Evil-Lyn. "And to get more of it."

Orko raised a brow. "...can I ask you a personal question?" he asked.

Evil-Lyn smirked. "...no, they didn't name me Evil-Lyn. I added the evil part myself in an act of teenage rebellion," she replied. "For you see, I didn't exactly have a pleasant childhood."

"How bad was it?" asked Orko.

"I was born in the Zalesian slums," Evil-Lyn explained. "And when I turned five, my starving parents had no choice but to try and cut off my hand for food. Since I had no desire to be someone's dinner, I fled, hiding in the sewers like a rat. My solace was in the sewers, so that's where I stayed for 20 years. And I went from victim to victimizer. Just as I began to believe my life was worth less than sewage…that was when he showed up. I despise Skeletor, make no mistake about that…but I owe him my life. He lifted me from the Zalesian gutter…he taught me to fight, he enhanced my magic…he gave me a place to belong."

She glanced over to Orko, who was giving her a look of skepticism. "...you're not serious, are you?" he asked.

Evil-Lyn raised a brow. "What gave it away?" she asked.

"For one, the whole story reeks of please feel sorry for me," Orko explained. "I mean, you could practically hear those sad violins playing. Not to mention, it's so melodramatic."

Evil-Lyn shrugged. "Usually I'm a better liar than that…I must be out of practice," she mused. "Alright, I'll tell you what really happened."

But before she could begin, she turned to the side and raised a brow. "Wait...I sense something," she said.

"Eh? Like what?" Orko inquired.

Evil-Lyn said nothing as she clutched the hilt of her wand tightly.

Out of the shadows emerged...a Trollan, but this one didn't look friendly or approachable, like Orko. He looked mean. He wore a dark purple hood and mask, as well as snakeskin chainmail over a dark blue robe.

"...so...you've come home, boy..." he rasped.

"Who the devil is this?" asked Evil-Lyn.

Orko was paralyzed with fear. "...th-the...Unnamed One...!" he gasped.

"Unnamed One?" Evil-Lyn asked. "What is this, your people's Boogeyman?"

"No, Scare Glow is a Boogeyman," Orko replied. "The Unnamed One is like our devil. One of the most evil magicians in the history of our people. He helped to forge the Sword of Power, but he betrayed his kin and tried to steal the power of the universe for himself. As punishment, he was stripped of his form and cast into a nameless dimension."

"But with magic dying, the barrier has shattered..." hissed the Unnamed One. "...and now, I! Am! FREE!"

"I have seen into your minds," the Unnamed One grinned wickedly. "And as a token of my appreciation...I will show that which you fear!"

As his eyes glowed, both of them were surrounded. Orko, by shadowy Trollans. And Evil-Lyn...by a blue-skinned, dark-haired, mustached man.

Her eyes went wide in shock. "...Keldor?!" she gasped, terrified.

The young man chuckled devilishly. "What's the matter, Evelyn? You look like you've seen a ghost," he remarked.

Evil-Lyn, for once in a long time, looked genuinely terrified. "N-no! You can't be here!" she exclaimed. "You...you can't! This isn't real!"

"Oh, I'm not real, am I?" Keldor asked. "Is THIS not real?" And he flung his hand out, sending Evil-Lyn flying backwards into a bookshelf.

"Lyn!" Orko called, before he was attacked by the Shadow Trollans.

"Maybe if you'd have been here, you'd be able to have helped," the Unnamed One mocked as the Shadow Trollans delivered blow after blow to Orko. "Instead, you wasted your time with imbecilic magic tricks, playing the role of royal buffoon to those Eternian barbarians!"

"No! No! I was training to become a great sorcerer!" Orko insisted, trying as best as he could to fend off the blows. "To help all of you! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have left!"

"Excuses, excuses...all you can muster are excuses!" Montork's voice echoed. "You weren't here to help!"

"And because of that, we suffered! I had to watch my friends—my brother—wither away into nothingness!" Dree Elle's voice echoed. "THIS is the legendary sorcerer we put all our hopes into?"

Meanwhile, Keldor approached Evil-Lyn, who was pulling herself to her feet.

"That silly little jester can't help you...nor can that bleeding-heart blonde," he said. "The only one you can rely on...is ME."

As Evil-Lyn glanced up, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and for a brief moment, the face of Keldor resembled...SKELETOR!

"No…no…!" she whispered, gripped with fear. "Y-you can't be here! I saw you die!"

Keldor simply flashed a wicked smile. "Nothing ever truly dies, does it?" he asked, almost sounding as though he were speaking with both his own voice and Skeletor's.

"This can't be…I was finally free of you…" Evil-Lyn barely managed to exclaim as she tried to aim her wand.

"Well, that's never going to happen," sneered Keldor. "I mean, look at yourself. You can't even hold that wand steady."

And he drew back and smacked it out of her hand with ease. It clattered to the floor a good few feet from her.

MEANWHILE...

Teela got to her feet, at the bottom of the deep pit. "Alright... we've covered falling, and being alone in the dark," she said. "Not my idea of terrifying, but...fine. Let's keep it going. Well?"

Suddenly, there came a heavy footstep, prompting Teela to turn around. Emerging from the shadows was Adam...but his eyes were full of hatred.

It had been so long since she'd seen her best friend. The hero of Eternia. The man she'd failed to save all those months ago.

"...Adam?" Teela asked, astonished.

"Looks like we meet again, Teela," Adam spat, the words on his tongue like venom. "Hopefully you don't just run away like you did before."

The blonde warrioress was visibly shaken by that comment, but she still stayed vigilant, not letting her guard down for a second.

"I never meant to run away," she insisted. "I just wasn't fit to be a royal guard. Not after you—"

"DIED?!" Adam snapped.

Teela found herself at a loss for words.

"Yeah, I died," Adam spat. "And what did you do then? You gave up. You quit. And then, you RAN AWAY!"

At this point, Teela's heart began to race as her breath became rapid and uneasy.

"Oh! I think I struck a nerve," smirked Adam. "Let's see if I can't strike it again."

And so, he lifted his sword aloft. "By the power of Grayskull."

SKROKA-THOOM!

With a strike of black and green lighting, Adam had turned into He-Man. "I have the power…and you bet I'm gonna use it," he said with a sinister grin.

"Adam," urged Teela. "I don't want to fight you!"

"Well, that's unfortunate," growled He-Man. "Because I want to fight YOU."

And with a growl, he raced towards her, sword at the ready.

Teela knew that she could either die or fight. Naturally, she chose to fight. She quickly pulled out her own blade and blocked the strike from her fallen friend.

"There we go!" He-Man laughed—but it wasn't like any of the times he'd laughed before. This sounded evil. "At least make it interesting for me!"

MEANWHILE…

Andra and the others were fighting off not only the shadow beasts, but a horde of zombies as well.

Andra was firing off her wrist gauntlet, Beast Man was wielding his tetsubo, Stinkor was spraying them with his corrosive stink, and Roboto was firing at each of them.

Scorpia was ripping through them with her pincers, one by one, but she was gradually getting tired. "Anything you can tell us about these guys—that would be GREAT!" she called.

"These are Shadow Beasts," replied Roboto calmly. "But unlike any we have encountered. They seem to be reacting to fear."

"Great…" grunted Stinkor. "I don't suppose anyone might be afraid here?"

"Actually…" Roboto stated, turning toward Andra. "...it is your fear they are reacting to."

Andra blocked a zombie attack with her gauntlet. "Why not yours?" she asked.

"Being a machine...well, is it not obvious?" the robot responded.

"Alright, then I envy you!" Andra admitted as she dodged another zombie. "It's hard to keep focused on fighting when you're scared out of your mind!"

"How enlightening," commented Roboto.

And then...inspiration struck!

"En-light-ening!" Andra exclaimed. "That's it!"

BACK IN THE LIBRARY...

Both Evil-Lyn and Orko were still in the middle of their own confrontations.

"So this is how it ends for the sorceress of the night." Keldor taunted. "Pitiful, really."

Grabbing her wand, Lyn tried to steady herself and utilize it—but it flickered like a light bulb before it stopped glowing.

"Of all the times for it to stop working…" she fumed.

"Come now, Lyn—what happened to all that bravado and wicked glee you used to have?" asked Keldor. "Don't tell me hanging around with the prince's court jester has sapped you of all that."

Orko, meanwhile, was still trying to fend off the Shadow Trollans.

This is terrible…I barely have time to focus, so I'm being bombarded at every turn…but even if I did focus, what would guarantee that I actually succeed this time?

Sure, he'd had some successful tricks pulled off—but more often than not, he tended to muck it up.

"And even then, Uncle Montork would always understand. Even when I botched things up, he always encouraged me to get better. To never stop practicing," Orko muttered. "...and like Lyn said, this is an illusion."

So, Orko shut his eyes and began to concentrate.

Remember, Orko—you only fail if you just stop trying altogether. Fine…let's give it one more shot.

This room's too dark, and that's no fun.

Let's fill it with a little sun!

This time, as the sun began to take shape in Orko's hands, he gradually widened the gap so it had more space to fit.

"Eh?" the Unnamed One asked. "What is this?"

"Let's just say…I finally saw the light," smiled Orko as he raised his hands, allowing the light orb to float out further so it could fill the room. "And you will, too!"

"No! That's impossible!" the scourge of Trolla exclaimed in anger and disbelief. "How could you have possibly made that spell work?"

"Simple," smiled Orko. "I'm Orko the Great, aren't I?"

"No! NOOOOO!" roared the Unnamed One as he was seemingly consumed by the rays of light that shone forth, and vaporized him and his Shadow Trollans.

As Keldor was preparing to deal another blow to Evil-Lyn, he looked up and saw the sunlight beams shooting forth.

Holding up his arms to block them, he soon found himself being vaporized by them…and turning into…

"A Shadow Beast!" Evil-Lyn exclaimed, watching the specter of Keldor disintegrate before her eyes. "In hindsight, that makes a lot of sense…"

"There…he's gone," said Orko, dusting his hands off. "...you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine," Lyn said as she got up and brushed herself off. She then brushed back her messy hair and donned her helmet. "Just a little…shaken up is all."

"Good to know," Orko said. "Now let's get outta here and find our friends!"

As he said that, a doorway formed in front of them.

"Looks like that's our exit," mused Lyn. "So we'd better take it!"

And so, the duo headed for the doorway.

MEANWHILE, IN THE FEAR PIT…

Teela was doing her best to fend off the hateful He-Man, but it seemed like her best was hardly "good enough". It felt like a twig trying to stand against a hurricane.

"Come on, Teela! Is that really all you've got?" He-Man mockingly asked while clashing his sword with Teela's staff. "I can see why you quit."

"Dammit! Just shut up and fight!" the blonde warrior woman spat back as she performed an uncoordinated downward slash, only for it to be casually sidestepped by the hulking illusion.

"Wish granted," he smirked as he drew back, and belted Teela in her stomach so hard—

KA-WHOOM!

…that the wind was knocked from her sails, sending her flying four feet.

Teela gasped for air while clutching her mid-section.

"This is the best you can do?" He-Man sneered as he strode over. "And you wondered why I didn't trust you."

Teela tried to push herself up, but collapsed back to the ground. "No! You're…not real!" she grunted.

"Oh, I'm real, all right," He-Man remarked as he materialized an axe in his hand. "Real enough to DESTROY YOU!"

And he lifted the axe into the air, readying to bring it down on Teela's head.

Come on, body! Get up! Teela thought before rolling out of the way of He-Man's axe as it came down upon the floor.

"Certainly this isn't all you're capable of," He-Man sneered smugly.

"I'm not out…just yet!" the blonde warrior woman replied as she picked herself up off the ground. "I just got a little winded, is all!"

And she readied her staff, then activated the grappler attachment, swinging it around. She lashed it forward at He-Man, who effortlessly used his bracer to block each blow, and sent it back as Teela came running towards him.

Sliding between his legs, Teela wrapped the cable around his arches, then pulled them taut as He-Man fell to the ground. However, the muscular giant was back on his feet in seconds.

"And for the record, you did trust me," Teela declared. "In every battle against every foe, with your life."

"Not my real life," scoffed He-Man. "I bet you're feeling angry. Betrayed, even."

"Personally, I wouldn't blame you," echoed a voice that sounded like Teela's own, much to her bewilderment.

And then, to her shock, out came what looked like Teela…albeit from the days when things were different.

"After all, I'd be angry if someone lied to me for two years," she said, her irises glowing red.

"I suppose you never knew me at all," He-Man responded, his tone firm and cold. "And when you learned the secret, you just couldn't take it. You don't deserve the sword. That is why I have the Power. And you…have nothing."

The Teela clone then advanced on the real Teela, delivering a flurry of sword slashes that she quickly parried.

"Deep down, you know the truth," the copy mocked while she and her real counterpart were caught in a clash.

"And what would that be?" the real deal asked.

"Your own sheer incompetence," the false Teela replied, which further enraged the real Teela. "How can you possibly protect Eternia, when you can't even protect your own best friend?"

Teela faltered a bit. "You can't pin that on me!"

"I don't have to," scoffed the false Teela. "Your words have displayed this on many occasions. When the Orlax poisoned Randor, you began ranting at Sorceress, angry that with all her power, she couldn't even save the king. And you just kept on griping about how this kingdom was built on hidden truths and flat-out lies. And after Skeletor's attack on Madaka…you truly believed you needed to protect He-Man from Adam's so-called manipulations. Perhaps the Warrior Goddess is merely a petulant, spoiled child, furious that she hasn't been invited to partake in these secrets. Those that were shared with everyone…except. For. You~"

Now Teela felt even worse than she had before. She definitely remembered each of those instances that had been mentioned.

[As seen in the Revelation and Forge of Destiny miniseries comics…which will be adapted in some way here. Eventually.]

"See? You know I'm right," the false Teela smiled wickedly as she kneed her counterpart in the chin, knocking her to the floor. "Because I know what you fear. You're afraid that even after all of your hard work…Adam won't be willing to forgive you if he knows what you did. Hell, YOU can't even forgive yourself!"

"You're right." the real Teela admitted. "I have made mistakes, but then again who hasn't?"

The false Teela raised a brow.

"And for too long, I've let my mistakes run my life," Teela said, as some blue markings appeared on her forehead. "...but not anymore."

"Big words, but that's all they are!" the false Teela scoffed, drawing her blade. "See if you can back them up!"

And she ran towards her goodly counterpart, who planted her feet fiercely.

"From now on…I'm putting them behind me!" Teela declared, as she spun her staff and jutted it right into her counterpart's chest, sending a surge through it which caused her to explode into green fog.

"That's one down…but do you think you have what it takes to deal with me?" the false He-Man asked.

Teela cracked her knuckles. "A few minutes ago, I wouldn't be too certain," she replied. "But now? …let's go."

The false He-Man cracked a sadistic-looking smile. "This might be getting interesting," he remarked.

He then drew his sword and let out a yell as he charged at Teela.

Teela took a deep breath and channeled her energy through her body, before she ran at him.

Back with the others, Andra had just finished making some modifications to Roboto's systems.

"And you're sure this will work?" inquired Stinkor.

"The calculations have been made," replied Roboto.

"Then let's turn up the power!" Andra declared as she jumped behind a nearby rock while the zombies continued approaching. Flipping open a panel on her gauntlet, she pressed a few buttons.

Roboto's chest glowed brightly as a magnificent light shone forth, illuminating the area and engulfing the zombies entirely.

"Huh…I guess it did work," Scorpia said, surprised at seeing the zombies completely vaporized.

"Roboto, have I mentioned I love ya?" Andra asked.

"No, but it is most appreciated," responded the mechanical warrior.

Back with Teela, she continued battling the false He-Man, clashing blade against steel.

"You tried so hard, and got so far," he remarked. "But don't you realize that in the end, it doesn't even matter?!"

"It doesn't matter what you say," Teela replied. "I won't give in or compromise—guess it's because I've got a steadfast heart of gold. Don't ask me why, I don't need a reason…I've just got my OWN way!"

"You can't do this!" boomed the false He-Man in both his and Scare Glow's voices. "You are NOTHING! I am the master of fear! The king of the darkness!"

"Maybe so…" Teela responded as purple and orange light glowed around her. "But I'm the light…and I drive the darkness away."

"NOOOOO!" Scare Glow roared as he put his arms up, before he was knocked back by the wave of light.

As Teela lifted her hand skyward, the purple blade of the Dark Sword manifested in her palm. Reclaiming it, she headed for the exit of the cavern of fear.

Back with the others, they had all regrouped with one another.

"This is amazing!" Orko beamed. "You're all alive and safe! But…wait, where's—"

Rapid footsteps were suddenly heard nearby—which were, of course, from Teela.

"I'm here, Orko!" she said while catching her breath. "It took me a while, but I got what we came for."

"You found the sword!" exclaimed Andra. "Way to go, Boss!"

Evil-Lyn reached out. "Alright, now hand it over," she instructed.

"What for?" Teela asked.

"That's only half of the Sword," Evil-Lyn responded. "Do you know how to locate the OTHER half?"

After some hesitation, Teela handed the blade over, and Evil-Lyn grasped it in her hand, before she walked a few feet, and crossed the blade with her wand. Upon doing that, the wand's ember of magic shone forth, surging brightly. Evil-Lyn drew it down the length of the blade, leaving a flame-like pattern along it.

Then, she took the sword and drew it across a cavern wall, leaving behind mysterious text in its path. "Almighty Zoar, disintegrate this rock and open heaven's gates," she said calmly and clearly. "Turn to account the eyes of fate, and lead us to the saber's mate!"

Then, she plunged the sword into the stone, illuminating a massive purple archway. The spot where a door had formed began to glow brightly.

Stunned from that, Evil-Lyn fell backwards into Scorpia's grasp; and meanwhile, the door-spot's glowing had faded, giving way to a vast, lush, green world.

Teela's eyes widened. "Is that…Valternia?" she asked, awestruck. "How did—"

"With every last bit of magic she could muster," said Orko, coming up to her side. "And for the good guys, even! I guess nobody's born evil."

Lyn smiled at Orko—not a nasty smirk, but a genuine smile.

Suddenly, there came a rumbling noise that shook through the caverns, getting everyone's attention. And within the cave, there formed a colossal cloud of green fog, shaped like a skull.

"What truly matters…" rumbled Scare Glow as the fog began to take his shape again. "...is how you DIE."

Teela didn't hesitate to think of her allies. "Run!" she instructed, and they made a break for the doorway.

Scare Glow's fist took physical shape, and he clenched it, causing a root to shoot up and grab Teela by her leg…then Andra…then Roboto. He missed Orko, though.

"I will NOT be made a fool of!" bellowed Scare Glow as he trapped Beast Man, Stinkor, Scorpia and Evil-Lyn.

Orko's eyes darted around; his friends were in trouble—that was undeniable.

"Ahhh, yes…" Scare Glow declared as he strode through the fog. "Such rich, full-bodied terror…let it cry out, growing louder…LOUDER! But that's not enough...no, I need MORE!"

And thus, he clenched his hand again, causing the stalactites above to shudder before they broke free and plummeted towards the group…

…but they never landed.

Why…why didn't they land? thought Teela as she looked around…and then she saw it.

Standing before them was Orko, hands outstretched and keeping the stalactites afloat. "See if you like…a taste of your own medicine!" he declared as he began throwing them.

Scare Glow dodged and avoided the first three, only for the fourth to slam him right in the face.

"IN-SECT!" he howled, sending forth a swarm of glowing skulls. Quickly, Orko flew before the swarm and conjured a massive barrier to block them.

"Alright, magic…don't fail me now!" he grunted.

Everyone stared on in awe…but especially Teela and Evil-Lyn.

"Guys! I'm doing it! ME!" Orko squeaked. "Not too bad for the goofy royal jester, right?"

"Whoa!" Andra exclaimed.

"I never imagined he had it in him…" Beast Man muttered.

Teela, meanwhile, managed to break herself free of the rock root. "Orko, you have to hang on!" she called. "We'll help you!"

But when Orko spoke back, it wasn't in a tone that implied shock or fear—he sounded…calm.

"Teela…it's okay," he said, gently. "For the first time in a long time…I'm not afraid."

And as he smiled, his scarf sagged, giving way to his face—a small, cat-like visage with light-blue skin.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen…people of Eternos…Orko the Great has one last trick," he said. "...and thanks for believing in me. Really."

With a roar of rage, Scare Glow increased the output of skulls as he began to move closer. "Fall…" he growled. "...FALL!"

Being pushed back, Orko conjured up another barrier to fortify the first one.

Teela used her staff to chip Andra free, Roboto burned his bindings away, and then did the same for Scorpia and Stinkor.

Beast Man burst loose, and then clawed away Evil-Lyn's bindings.

"...he can't do this alone," said Evil-Lyn as she raised her wand. "Work, damn it…that's all I ask…just this once…" she whispered, clutching it tightly.

As the orb atop the wand glowed, it sputtered like a bad light bulb and went dark, causing Lyn to collapse on her knees.

"N-no…no…" she groaned as Beast Man hoisted her over his shoulder. "I…I have to do something…"

Teela, apparently, had the same idea, as she made her way towards the two combatants.

Meanwhile, Orko had conjured one last barrier ring around himself, while Scare Glow trudged ever closer, arms outstretched as though he was preparing to wring the little Trollan's neck.

"YOUR END…IS NIGH!" he bellowed as he grabbed Orko by the scarf.

The Trollan sorcerer just smiled in a catlike manner. "Well…we all gotta go sometime," he said as he constricted the first barrier around Scare Glow's wrist.

"Eh?" asked the lord of the shadows. "What is this?"

Orko moved the second barrier, trapping it around Scare Glow's chest.

"Orko from the Trollan Lands…grant to me one last hand…" he said. "Demon be gone, I say it well—return to where, the shadows DWELL!"

And he clutched Scare Glow's wrist tightly. Teela pushed forward with one final step—just as the two were engulfed in a tremendous explosion!

BARAKA-CHOOOOOM!

The resulting blast knocked her and the others flying through the doorway, and into Valternia's grassy grounds.

Lifting her head, Teela saw that the doorway was now rapidly filling with rocks, and her heart sank as it closed behind them…but one last thing came from the portal.

…a small scrap of purple cloth, burned lightly as it fluttered out. As Teela caught it in her hand, the sheer gravity of what just happened hit her like a ton of bricks.

Orko…the court magician…the mischievous spellcaster…one of her closest friends…was dead. Her eyes grew wet, and she collapsed to her knees, trying to hold back a great, heaving sob.

As she cried for her fallen friend, she felt a hand on each shoulder. One from Andra, and one from Roboto.

Beast Man bowed his head. "I'll admit, I didn't think much of him," he said quietly. "But that move earned my eternal respect. His tale shall be told...good and bad."

Evil-Lyn's hands were still trembling as she looked on in shock.

"I…I tried to help him…but it didn't work…" she muttered, stunned.

Scorpia cried quietly, and Stinkor hugged her close.

"...did I miss something?" asked a familiar voice, getting everyone's attention.

Standing on a hilltop was a young man with short blonde hair, clad in a red jacket, white undershirt, brown gloves, periwinkle pants and dark magenta boots. His blue eyes shone in the sunlight.

Teela's eyes went wide, and her words caught in her throat. Only one made it out.

"...Adam?"

...yeah. For the time being, Orko is out of the picture. But if you know Orko, he's seldom gone for long. At the very least, I wanted to put some respect on the little guy's name if he was gonna go out with a bang. And that meant bringing his backstory back in line with the Filmation one, not this nonsense that Ted Biaselli and Kevin Smith spun out of nowhere. Also, taking potshots at the dopey "boo-hoo, sooo sad" backstory that they constructed for Evil-Lyn. I mean, geez louise, man.

Still, it hurt me to write Orko's demise, seeming or genuine. Plus...we got a face reveal.

Join us next time, for the conclusion of Part 1. In the meantime, we've been working at this for a while, so until then, we're going to take a break and work on some of our other projects.