He-Man 1. Chapter 1

**Identity Crisis**

After the defeat of King Hiss and Serpos three weeks ago, a time of quiet had descended on all of Eternia. Well... all of Eternia except for King Randor, who found himself pursuing the corridors and arguing loudly with an ever-present piece of air that seemed to be named Adam. "Adam! Why must you run from everything? If not battle, it is responsibility! When I find you I'm going to... to..." Randor clenched his fists and let out a roar as he passed a guard he failed to notice.

The young man remained stoic until he found himself in the King's blind spot, when he broke forth with a grin and shook with silent mirth. It was common to see the King upset with Adam, who was not a piece of air but in fact, his son. Now a young man of eighteen, the crown prince appeared to be for all intents and purposes, completely useless. However, many of the guardsmen had had suspicions about the true nature of Randor's son. They had been confirmed early that morning when a squadron of new guards had appeared. The oldest, a strapping man in his early twenties, had been overheard speaking with Mekanek. He told the master that Adam had asked them to come, and he would appreciate it if Captain of the Guard Teela were not told just yet.

Many of the inhabitant's of Eternos Palace had long suspected that their Prince was simply not ready to tell his father, and the Captain of the Guard (who was often missing Adam as well), what he was doing when he could not be found. Those suspicions had turned to rumors, some of which were not so nice, when the heir to the throne of Eternos had begun to disappear for unusually long periods of time. Over the last two weeks the Prince had been gone for days on end more than once. It was obvious to everyone but Randor and Teela that Adam was putting a plan into action. The young guard turned to look out a window, wondering if the Prince's plan would keep him away from the palace again tonight.

* * *

"Duncan," the King spoke, as he walked into the workshop of his Man at Arms, "have you seen Adam today?"

"No, I haven't," Duncan responded, looking up from his latest piece of work. He watched Randor worry his beard, then absentmindedly flick away a whisker that came loose. "Frankly, I'm surprised."

* * *

EvilLyn turned her headdress about in her hands, pondering how best to solve a most pressing dilemma. She needed to bring Hordak back from Despondos, but was it possible with his sanctuary destroyed? "Best to look into the past to discover the future," she spoke quietly to herself. She waved a hand back and forth, chanting. "Memories of this living sphere, to me only will you show, in picture stark and clear, the history that I wish to know." Images formed like a mist, blocking out the desolate landscape before the witch. After a moment she knew when she was watching. It was six years after the disappearance of the Council of Elders.

_Skeletor had been acting strangely for, well, years at that point. In the last few weeks he had begun arguing with himself at the strangest times. And not the normal debate over which next big plan was the best. Now he had ripped his hood to shreds and was yelling that he hadn't signed up for this. He was silent for a moment, then glared fiercely at his faint reflection on the Great Wall. Suddenly, the blue man was sucked forcibly into the wall itself._

The mist reformed into the Eternos Atrium Foyer. Evil Lyn only recognized the room from a description she had heard one man telling another. It was made of warm golden hues of stone; pillars lined one side of the room. The front and pillared side of the room bore giant windows. A small door on the back wall linked the room to the palace proper, while fantastically large doors opened onto an equally large terrace that welcomed the people of Eternia.

_The view was toward the monolithic outside doors, which were open. Sun shone in from the doorway and the windows covering two walls. A long table was set up in the center of the room. King Randor and Queen Marlena sat in comfortable chairs, backs to the doors. Two blonde toddlers played on the floor; one had a cropped shock of rugged hair on top of his head, the other had chin length ringlets cross pinned behind her ears. The little boy looked sharply up at the curtain to the left of the entry. His sister immediately stopped crawling after the ball that was rolling away, suddenly sitting. She placed a hand on her brother's left foot._

**AN:** If you want more you're gonna have to review. One word is enough. And if anyone has any ideas for improvements to EvilLyn's spell I'm all ears. I'm trying to make it sound like the ones in MOTU200X. And I have nothing against the old cartoon it's just a little too corny for me to work with. And hey, it wouldn't be good if it wasn't corny ;)


	2. Chapter 2

Adam stood at a high working table in the middle of a dark room, pouring over a large parchment. Despite the blinking lights all around the walls and the fall of his hair, the Prince's blue eyes caught a silver flutter to his left. He did not move from his stance, leaning on his hands; but he assessed the form which had just appeared between the table and the open door. A short athletic man with gossamer wings alighted quietly on the floor. "Adam," he said austerely.

Turning his full attention to his company, the blonde replied expectantly, "Merrin."

"The wives have all been sent out to the other kingdoms with your letters. They should arrive in Eternos randomly."

"That's good. I'll need your messengers to be at the ready. I trust you to do your thing. You do understand what needs to happen?"

"Definitely," Merrin waved the question away. "I'm going to have Able go with you from here on out. A web configuration will handle the rest of what you need."

A voice spoke from the shadows behind Adam. "Have you made any progress Adam?" The Prince smiled and returned to his parchment.

"Yes. I'll show you on the map. Merrin, this should help you as well." The small man with the gossamer wings moved to where he could see. "This is a disused part of the palace where-"

* * *

"EvilLyn!" The witch did not turn at the sound of her name to see Kobra Khan scrabbling his way up through the crags. She did however begin to wave her arm in his general direction, frantically motioning for silence.

_Skeletor had burst forth from behind the curtain the wine colored curtain. The Royal couple stunned as Skeletor snatched up the little girl. The little boy, however, was not the least bit surprised. He grabbed his sister's foot, bracing himself in an attempt to pull his sister free of the blue hands. With a mighty wrench the fiend pulled the girl free of his little hands. He shifted the tot into one arm and swooped down toward the boy. The child jerked adding to the backwards momentum from loosing grip on his sister and toppled to the floor. Skeletor's arm swiped past the little boys face. The child squawked as his head bounced off the floor. As the blue hand grabbed the boy by the face, there was the roar of an angry man. A chair broke over Skeletor's head. He looked back at the toddler on the floor, now surrounded by Marlena, and decided to evacuate. Before Randor could grab something else to clobber the fiend with he was gone over the railing._

_The little boy's wide blue eyes welled up with tears that flowed into his wide open mouth. "Oh, Adam! Don't cry. It's just a bump," Marlena gathered up her son, "Don't cry."_

_Randor stood staring out the open doors. "DUNCAN!"_

"EvilLyn, what are you watching?" The witch let out a nasty hiss in response. Kobra Khan's eyes widened and he ducked, protecting his head. When no attack was forth coming, the SnakeMan sat very still and very quiet on his usual boulder. EvilLyn, however, took no notice; still engrossed in the images before her.

_Skeletor was running back to the Mystic Wall. Suddenly spinning around, he spread his arms in frustration. The little girl squealed and flailed as she nearly fell from the muscled blue arm. "I...ARAGH... am NOT," his body swung around, seemingly against his will, "GAH...back in," he continued lurching toward the wall, "that STUPID, RUN DOWN-" Skeletor strained against the wall, his nose no more than an inch away. "No! NO! NEV-"_

EvilLyn raised one eyebrow, humming with interest. The picture reformed on what was obviously the dark side of Eternia, inside the Mysitc Wall.

_Skeletor was slumped that the bottom of the dully shimmering yellow wall. His RamsHead staff was still laying where he had dropped it, which by the alignment of the stars in the perpetually purple sky, was hours before. The skull faced man was panting heavily and staring with a blank look on his face. Finally, Skeletor heaved an almighty sigh and shoved himself from the ground. "Well, that's never going to be allowed to happen again."_

"How very..." EvilLyn smiled slowly, wickedly, "interesting."

**AN:** Anybody else ever get frustrated that things look so much longer in Word than they do when you post 'em?  
Anyhoo. Want more? You gotta review. Short stuff is still awesome, but meaningful feedback always gives me ideas. If you think it about my stories I want to hear it! There are no stupid quest- er... ans- um... STATEMENTS. Yup all coments are good, including flames.


End file.

He-Man, Adventure