He-Man 1. Chapter 1

In order to know the light; one must experience the dark.

* * *

Like all kingdoms with palaces there is a ball room. Gilded with splendor and sparkles, ornamented with glass and crystal the North Palace is where the ruling family wintered and held balls because of the Queen's fancy to have such a celebration. With gowns of silks and trains of lace, single noblewomen attended seeking the favor of the unmarried Prince Adam. Dressed in a tunic of weave of the finest clothes and lined with fur, Adam could find little to complain about.

Life was good.

"You haven't long before your twenty-first birthday, Adam." His mother reminded him.

Well, life was good until his mother reminded him of that.

With a glance over his shoulder, he looked at his father. His red beard showed the tale tale signs that his mother was right. His time was limited. But things like taking over for his father and finding a bride were things he cared not to think on. He knew the great sacrifice would be made in order for him to rule

"What's the rush?"

He heard his mother giggle at him. "You know, your father said the same thing to his father before him prior to his twenty-first birthday. At least, that's what I was told by your grandmother."

"And he waited and ended up with a wonderful lady."

"Charming to the last, my dear. But your father was in the middle of defending the Kingdom." It was a story he had heard and was told often. "We're not at war anymore. Not since He-Man defeated Skeletor all those years ago. Now go on and dance with the ladies, my dear son. At least have a good time."

"And nursing my broken toes." Adam grumbled under his breath.

His eyes scanned the ladies who stood in the crowd. All of them were beautiful and dressed in their finery. But he didn't see Teela anywhere in the crowd. it wasn't like he wanted to dance with her, more so that he wanted to annoy her. Beyond the awaiting ladies towards the shadows of the ballroom she stood. While dressed in a ballgown that he was sure his mother made her wear, she looked to be listening in to all the reports of the guards around their posts. Despite his mother's warning about letting Teela do her job prior to the start of the ball, Adam made a beeline straight towards her.

"We have a late arrival." Despite her father's attempts to improve the reception of the communicators in the room, the man's voice crackled with static; his picture non-existent.

"Who are they?" Teela asked ignorant of the Prince of the realm of Eternia approaching her as the throng of women parted before him like a stone parting the water of the river.

Adam smirked as the last noblewoman parted when he was set upon Lord Farclay. "Your Highness," The fat old man said to him. "This is my daughter Esmeralda and she would like to dance with you."

Adam, out of politeness and partially to appease the annoying old man, turned to looked at his daughter. Her dark black hair went beyond her shoulders, curled into lengthy ringlets. Her eyes shone like emeralds and matched her gown. Her smile was heavenly. His heart...it was hers.

Esmeralda curtsied in front of him. "Forgive my father's boldness, your highness. He was rather eager for us to meet."

Adam suddenly forget that the world existed outside of this beautiful creature. But suddenly remembered that he had been ordered to dance. "Would you like to dance?"

Esmeralda smiled. Her embarrassment adding to the color of her cheeks. "Yes, please."

With that, Adam offered her his hand and swept her towards the center of the ballroom where other couples were waltzing.

The sentry's reply to Teela's inquiry buzzed and crackled until all she could hear was what she believed was the man's scream and then the sudden stop of the transmission.

The music soared towards its crescendo. "Having a good time?" Adam relieved that the beautiful woman he had found hadn't stepped on his toes.

"Yes, but i believe that I wasn't truly you had in mind."

The woman was brilliant as she was beautiful. "Well, Teela looks to be busy. in fact, she's always busy. She believes that there's always something hiding in the shadows waiting to take us by surprise."

"But that's her job right? Poking around the shadows to see if anything is there."

"I suppose so. But enough about her. Tell me more about you." Adam swirled them around across the dance floor once more.

* * *

"Help me!" the sentry screamed over his communicator. "She's going to kill-.." The communication stopped then. And then for Teela and for several others standing near the door, the world went dark.

The doors to the ballroom blew open and a pillar of black smoke funneled in. Adam's quick eye caught the sight of several courtiers laying motionless on the ground. Some of them already beginning to bleed. Pressing Esmeralda behind him to protect her was all he could do besides back away from the black smoke that seemed to funnel in from the doors until it began to gather in the middle of the room. The smoke twisted and turned until it took on a form of a woman clad in black. Her dress curved to her shape as the smoke had curled and twisted. her eye were aglow with red magic almost as if that is what caused the smoke.

Evil-Lyn.

The only one of Skeletor's forces they hadn't found. They had assumed that Skeletor had broken her scepter and killed her. Her face was ageless as if she had commanded time to stand still. Everyone in the room backed away from the evil witch.

"What's the meaning of this?" Randor had somehow managed to breakthrough hi personal guard. Adam searched for them but all he saw was croaking frogs at his father's feet.

She had indeed become incredibly powerful if she had done that to the guards with only a glance in their direction.

"I seek your death and the death of your family and servants."

Judging from the magic she performed just moments before, Adam suspected she wanted more than just that.

Randor drew his sword and pointed it at the witch. "You will not have it today."

In an equally display of power and flash of light, the Sorceress of Greyskull appeared between the King and Evil-Lyn. "You have no power here witch."

Evil-Lyn laughed in response The chilling sound that erupted from the fiendish woman hadn't changed. It sent a chill down Adam's spine. "A full audience. I had no idea I was so deserving. As for my having no power here…"


	2. Chapter 2

The storm has begun to brew.

* * *

Adam found that he was still dancing with the charming lady, Esmeralda. Still spinning across the marble floor with his parents smiling at him with pride. Man-at-Arms silently nodding with his approval. Teela applauding by the doors of the great ballroom of the North Palace. She was proud that at last the boy was becoming a man.

The scene washed away as he opened his eyes and caught a glimpse of the sky above him. The ringing in his ear was settling into a small hum and then it was gone; replaced by shouts of men heading his way.

He called for them. All of them. His mother. His father. Even Evil-Lyn in hopes that the searing pain in his legs was some sort of contrived illusion of hers. Above him the sky was darkening and becoming thick with dark clouds. In all his years, he had never seen such magic. Magic. That's what it was. It had to be. No storm he had ever seen had looked so sinister and evil. Then he heard the cries for help. They were all around him. Adam struggled against the fallen rubble that had pinned his chest to the ground, and managed to roll it off of him. There was no semblance of structure when he managed to stand.

He heard booted steps run towards him, he turned to find the palace guards who, he assumed, had been spared when Evil-Lyn had forced her way in. He looked around him once more; paralyzed by the scene of complete destruction, and then he spotted a dainty hand near him, and then he sprung into action to free the owner who turned out to be Esmeralda.

"Your Highness, your legs; they're injured," Esmeralda pointed out. A cut above her eyebrow bled but she looked intact. It was then though he did feel that his legs were burning with pain. Instead of feeling invigorated and strong he felt weak and dizzy.

"Find the King!" One guard shouted from behind him as Adam crumpled to the ground. Somehow, someone had softened his blow before he hit the ground. Esmeralda's bruised and battered face came into view. Even then she was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.

"The Prince," she shouted at one of the guards behind her. "He needs medical attention!"

"So does everyone else here," a guard replied. Adam recognized him as Achilles, Teela's deputy commander. "Woman, go find help," he ordered her. "Use this to get into the communications bunker and pray that help is nearby. Jonna, come here and tend to the, Prince's injures. Price you pick seven men and seal off as much of the palace as you can."

Adam knew them all friends and comrades. "The rest of you men get busy and see if you can find any more survivors."

Adam watched as a young sentry approached Achilles. "Sir, we found the King and Queen along with the Sorceress." His expression was grim.

"Good, prepare them and the Prince for transport to the main city. At least there we can get them the help they need there."

"Sir, you don't understand."

Achilles seemed impatient with the young man. "I don't understand what?"

"With the exception of the the Prince...the King, Queen and the Sorceress are dead."

* * *

Teela with a heart heavy with sorrow and a sense of failure, surveyed the damage around her. What had happened hours ago felt as new to her as if it had occurred moments before. What had been an occasion for happy and pleasant experience had turned into a horrific splendor. Resting her head against what remained of the palace wall, Teela found that she felt a chill begin to inch into her soul.

Achilles draped cloak being wrapped around her shoulders. "It's growing colder, Teela we should move you into the transport…"

"I want to feel the cold," she told him. "I want the numb the pain I'm feeling right now."

Achilles turned her to face him. Eye to eye. Toe to toe he stood up with her. "This isn't a failure on your part. Each one of us bare some of the responsibility of what happened here. You must understand that, Teela."

Achilles was wise and that was part of the reason why she had appointed him as her deputy commander. "Do you not see what has happened?" Teela threw her arms up in the air. "We let Evil-Lyn get away because we thought she was the lesser evil. We thought she had sense enough to leave well enough alone. So I didn't pursue her. Had I ordered her found…"

"You wouldn't have found her, Teela, and this still would have happened. We can not change what has happened here! What we can change, Teela, is how we react."

Teela pulled away from Achilles and turned and looked at the sky. The clouds had grown darker since she had looked at them and they were spreading, creeping across the land and blotting out the sun. "You sound like my father." It was though she was a lost little girl in a raging storm that could not find home.

"Duncan…," Achilles said glancing up at the darkening sky. "He will be missed."


End file.

He-Man, Drama, Fantasy