“Hiss

“Hiss!” Skeletor screamed, scrambling up to the wall to steady himself. Fisto’s unexpected blow had rattled him, and his magical recharge had run out. He cursed himself for teaming up with the snake king for even a moment; his only consolation was that Hiss was most likely as drained of energy as he was. The dark lord took a few steps after the writhing snake man when he was nearly knocked off his feet by a violent tremor running throughout the chamber. “What are those blasted heroes doing up there?” he growled.

“We’ll let you know,” Pythona said as she fell in behind Hiss. The leader of the snake men charged forward, his path nearly cleared at the moment by Skeletor’s previous blasts. Only the bothersome little Trollans hovered in his path, having floated over after their friends had been pushed aside.

“Out of my way, you annoying little pests!” Hiss barked.

In unison, Dree-Elle and Orko chanted. He couldn’t make out the words over the growing roar from the chamber above, something he was almost grateful for; the little aliens cloyingly cute phrasing usually turned his stomach. He saw their hands twinkle, and before he could say another word, he found the mouths of his snake heads bound shut by small straps. The little runts had the audacity to muzzle him!

Orko nodded to Dree-Elle in satisfaction, and began to cast another spell. Hiss was writhing so fast he was nearly a blur, but Dree-Elle pointed frantically as one, then another of the magical straps went flying into the air. “I don’t think we made them strong enough,” she yelled.

Orko heard her, and nodded. “We need to block the door!”

Dree-Elle lost most of what he said to the rising din from above, but understood enough. They turned to the doorway and began a new spell, only to be pushed aside as Hiss and Pythona shot through before they could finish.

“Keep going!” Orko hollered. “We can still keep Skeletor out of there!” I hope, he thought.

The two Trollans completed the spell quickly, and roots and vines grew out of the entranceway, interlacing and creating a formidable blockade.

Skeletor raged as he glared at the diminutive mages; even without his magics, he was still extremely strong, but it would still take a few minutes to claw through the roadblock now in his way. And he seriously doubted he had even those few minutes from the way Snake Mountain was shaking.

The light from the stones had become almost unbearable; Frosta had turned away completely, and was trying to re-focus her vision by staring down the twisting corridor leading downstairs. As she rubbed her eyes, she thought she saw a bit of movement, a shadow against the wall. A second later, a jumble of snakes atop two human legs started charging up the corridor toward her. “Company!” she screamed, trying to be heard above the roaring stones. Spinerella turned, and her eyes went wide as she caught her first glimpse of Hiss. Frosta motioned for her friend to start twirling, and the ice queen raised her arms in front of her. She strained, biting her lip as she attempted to summon her powers once again. She pulled her arms back and thrust them forward, grunting hard as ice sprang from her fingers; it was not the usual torrent of cold she was known for, but an unsteady stream of ice and snow that taxed her strength. Spinerella was faring little better, her twirling slow and clumsy compared to her normal proficiency. Swift Wind stepped up behind her and began flapping his wings in earnest to add to her power. The corridor floor was gradually covered in ice, and Hiss stumbled into the wall as his feet hit the first slippery patch in his path.

The snake king howled in rage from his many mouths as he righted himself. He braced himself against the wall and started up again, but then stopped short as the mountain trembled anew, this time more violently than before. He craned several of his heads to glance past Frosta and froze in his tracks.

He-Ro winced as the magic poured forth from the stones into his body. The pain was intense, far more so than he had anticipated. It felt as though every atom in his body was trying desperately to fly off in a different direction, and though he was tapping the magics of Grayskull stored in the ancient orbs to bolster the trio’s power, the task was taking its toll. He wished he could check on He-Man and She-Ra, but the glare from the stones made opening his tightly clenched eyes impossible, and there was no way his voice could be heard above the cacophony emanating from the stones. He had to contact them, though, as the spell had reached its zenith, and they had to brace for the final mystical surge that would return the magics to their rightful places. He reached out with his mind, and touched theirs.

He-Man and She-Ra felt his presence; rather than the mental shout the Princess of Power had endured before, this was a low whisper behind their thoughts. The stranger was careful not to distract them from their work, but quietly warned them of what was to come in a moment. He in turn sensed their understanding, and concentrated on the final part of the spell. His words were soft, inaudible even to his own ears, but he knew it was the content that was important, not the volume. As he spoke, the mountain rumbled again, and the stones’ let loose with an ear splitting whine.

Hiss could see nothing with the glare from where he assumed He-Ro and his cronies to be, but even weakened as he was, he could sense the immense power building before him. The magics were returning, and he knew he did not want to be around for what lay ahead. He resumed his human form, and turned as Pythona caught up to him. “Master, are we too late?” she asked, shouting at the top of her lungs.

Hiss glowered at her. “Unfortunately,” he said, his voice too low to be heard. He grabbed her and shot back down the corridor.

Frosta stopped her small ice flurry as she heard a voice in the back of her head. It was low, but insistent, and she knew immediately it was He-Ro. She turned and saw Spinerella holding her head with an odd look on her face. Swift wind cocked his head to the side, evidently receiving the message as well. It was short and to the point.

“Go! Now!”

The three glanced at each other. “NOW!” the telepathic voice repeated, this time strong enough leave their heads ringing. Frosta motioned for the others to follow as she took the lead, her right hand outstretched and ready with an ice blast in case they ran into Hiss on the way down.

He-Ro threw his head back and reached out again with his mind, linking himself with He-Man and She-Ra. “Get ready,” he warned. “Just concentrate on holding yourselves together, and let the magic pass through you.” The ancient wizard gripped his staff tightly. “Here we go.”

The stones were ablaze with energy spiraling out in all directions, its tendrils reaching out and finding the three heroes. The entire mountain quaked as each stone hovered closer to one of the warriors, hovering only inches from them, the Eternia stone choosing He-Ro, Etheria’s orb gravitating toward She-Ra, and Earth’s stone levitating before He-Man. The deafening whine intensified, and a beam of energy burst forth from each stone into it’s chosen champion. The heroes of Grayskull were engulfed in a cascade of power, each glowing like a miniature sun. The magic built until He-Ro’s voice thundered out, loud enough to be heard for miles.

“LET THE POWER RETURN!”

And the apex of Snake Mountain disintegrated.

King Hiss slammed into the tangle of roots blocking the exit from the corridor with all his remaining strength, but it gave only slightly. “Who is responsible for this?” he roared.

Orko hovered over, hands behind his back. Though his face was hidden, Hiss was sure he was smirking. “Clear this exit, you little worm!”

“Oh, I don’t know. I kind of like things the way they are.” The Trollan was enjoying this far too much.

“Orko, do as he says,” a feminine voice shouted. Orko’s sensitive hearing recognized it as Frosta. “He-Ro just told us to get out fast!”

Orko raised his arms and wriggled his fingers; the botanical blockade receded, and Hiss and Pythona barreled past him. Frosta, Spinerella, and Swift wind filed out behind him.

“What’s happening?” Duncan ran up, bellowing just to be heard.

“I’m not sure, but I think we better find some kind of cover,” the ice queen shouted back. Duncan turned around, motioning the others to follow. Skeletor glared the old warrior and glanced over at the corridor to the snake’s head, wondering if there might still be a chance to snare the power for himself. An ear splitting whine from above, however, quickly dissuaded him, and when the entire mountain began to convulse seconds later, he decided the best course of action was beating a hasty retreat. He slipped over to the far wall, and tapped a particular spot. A small section of the wall slid open, revealing yet another of his myriad secret passages. He silently hoped it was still usable as a section of the weakened roof above tumbled down.

“Over against the wall,” Duncan screamed as loud as he could, waving the heroes to the other side of the antechamber. Beast Man and Spikor followed and cowered next to a stalagmite. Hiss and Pythona slid over to the passage Skeletor had used; Hiss pounded the spot he had seen his rival hit, and the passage opened again. The two villains slipped through the opening and vanished.

“This is all part of the plan, right?” Andrea asked as Man-E slid in beside her.

“One can only hope,” he said, moving around to shield her as the whine increased in intensity; it had reached the point where it seemed there was no other sound possible when they heard He-Ro’s voice booming all around them. Then the room shuddered, and it felt as though the entire mountain had been lifted up and then dropped back down.

Duncan raised his head slowly, his ears still aching from the sonic assault they’d endured. He looked around to see the others rising in a similar fashion; more of the ceiling had collapsed, but no one seemed to have been caught in the fallout. “Anyone hurt?” he called out.

“No, we’re just peachy,” Andrea answered weakly.

“Ror, Fisto, Teela, make the rounds. Check for injuries.” He started toward the corridor leading to the snake’s head.

“Father, wait!” Teela shouted, running up behind the elder warrior. “Let me go with you.”

Duncan shook his head. “I don’t want to risk both of us here, Teela. I don’t know what happened up there or what I might find. I need you down here just in case.”

“Then let me go,” Kittrina bounded up on all fours. “I can get up there the fastest, and get out of there the fastest if anything’s wrong.”

Duncan eyed the cat woman and stroked his chin, seemingly unconvinced.

“She actually has a point, you know. She could get up there and back quicker than any of us,” Ror offered.

“Exactly. So I’ll be right back!” Before Duncan could stop her, she was bounding up the winding corridor.

“She’s quick, alright,” Duncan sighed.

“Speaking of quick departures, anybody seen Skeletor and company?” Man-E asked.

“Hiss and Skeletor took off through a tunnel over there,” Duncan said, pointing to the far wall. “Must be half a dozen escape routes in this room alone, from what I’ve seen so far. As for Beast Man and friends…” Duncan gestured to the rubble that had been blocking the entrance to the antechamber. It had settled in the chaos, and a small space had opened at the top. “Probably scampered out at the first opportunity.”

Man-E nodded and turned to Andrea. “How are you doing?”

“Shaken, but not stirred,” she said, managing a small grin. Man-E looked at her blankly. “Sorry, Earth reference,” she explained. “Everything seems to be where it’s supposed to be.” She looked around, and then cocked her head to the left, listening. “I don’t hear the storm anymore.”

Man-E paused, and then nodded. “You’re right. I could hear the thunder before, even over the fighting. It’s quieted down.”

Duncan glanced down at his chest armor and fiddled with a few controls. “I’ve actually got some power flowing here,” he noted, a tinge of excitement in his usually steady voice.

“They did it,” Teela almost whispered. “He-Man and the others did it.”

Kittrina bounded up the twisting corridor, her feet and hands barely touching the floor. She, too had noticed how quiet things had gotten, and she hoped that meant good news. As she neared the end of the passageway, she felt a cool breeze wash over her, and smelled fresh, damp air. She also caught the scents of Grayskull’s champions.

The cat woman slowed and crouched as she reached the hallway’s end. Tentatively, she poked her head up just enough to catch a glimpse of dark clouds and a light rain; she was looking at the sky. She popped upright, and surveyed what was left of the snake’s head. The entire roof was gone, as well as a portion of the floor. There was very little rubble lying about, just piles of dust and pulverized rock, so she could only assume the missing portions of Snake Mountain had been atomized or blown out into the desolate landscape that surrounded the fortress. Her thoughts left the devastation when she saw three of the dusty piles on the floor start to move. One shook it’s head, and a cascade of thick blond hair wafted in the wind.

“She-Ra!” Kittrina blurted, leaping to the heroine’s side. She glanced over at the other two dust covered champions, both slowly rising and brushing themselves off. “Are you guys alright?” the she-feline asked.

“I think so,” He-Man said, shaking his head. He blinked and looked around. “Can’t say the same for Skeletor’s place, though.”

She-Ra managed a smile. “Do we know how to throw a party or what.”

He-Ro sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. He said nothing, just stared out at the Eternian sky. The clouds were still heavy, but the rain had become a steady drizzle, and the wind was soft.

“Well, what’s the verdict?” He-Man asked. “Did we do it?”

The elder wizard rose and, without turning, nodded. “We did it, He-Man. The magic is back where it belongs. The worlds are back to the way they should be.”

“Yes!” Kittrina yelped, dashing over to the corridor and shouting. “They’re okay, everyone. Everything’s okay!” She bounded back over, her tail thrashing excitedly.

He-Ro turned and couldn’t help but mimic the she-cat’s wide grin.

She-Ra and He-Man joined the wizard near the edge of what remained of the floor. The Princess of Power closed her eyes and tilted her head back, reveling in the light rain. He-Man looked out past the bleak terrain in the direction of Eternos, and saw the clouds beginning to break slightly.

“He-Man!” Duncan’s voice cried out from behind them.

Eternia’s hero turned reluctantly from the view before him, and headed back toward his friends. Duncan charged up to him, grasping He-Man’s shoulders with a huge smile on his face. “The danger’s over, I take it.”

He-Ro answered before He-Man could speak. “It’ll take a little while for everything to get completely back to normal, but the laws of physics and magic are re-asserting themselves. Eternia, Earth, and Etheria should be fine.” He turned to his newfound friends. “Thanks to all of you.”

“Hey, big guy, you were the man with the plan, remember?” Weldon offered.

“A plan that never could have worked without these people,” He-Ro said, gesturing to everyone.

“A team effort,” She-Ra agreed.

“Yeah, we sure make a good team,” Ram Man agreed. “But I got one thing I am kinda worried about.”

“And that is?” Ror asked, puzzled.

“We’re really getting’ hard on ceilings lately, don’t ya think?” he replied, pointing up at the sky.

“Ya know, he may just have a good point there,” Weldon agreed with a chuckle.

He-Man walked over and held out his hand to He-Ro. “Weldon’s right, you know.”

He-Ro took the outstretched hand in his own. “We are getting a little rough on roofs, aren’t we,” he grinned.

He-Man laughed, more so than was probably warranted, but it felt too good to stop. “You know what I mean. If you hadn’t been here, I doubt we could have pulled this off.”

“Don’t sell yourselves short, He-Man. Eternia would have been in good hands whether I was here or not. I’m just glad I could help.” He shook He-Man’s hand vigorously, and then winced. “Unfortunately, Weldon was right with something else he said earlier, too.”

“What was that?” He-Man asked.

He-Ro gave him a lop-sided smile. “I am getting too old for this.” He rubbed his shoulder. “Ouch.” “Hiss!” Skeletor screamed, scrambling up to the wall to steady himself. Fisto’s unexpected blow had rattled him, and his magical recharge had run out. He cursed himself for teaming up with the snake king for even a moment; his only consolation was that Hiss was most likely as drained of energy as he was. The dark lord took a few steps after the writhing snake man when he was nearly knocked off his feet by a violent tremor running throughout the chamber. “What are those blasted heroes doing up there?” he growled.