Secret’s Revealed

By Johnny Proft.

Based on characters and situations created by Marvel Comics, Universal Television, Fox Kids Entertainment, Toei Pictures, Bandi Entertainment, Saban Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, George Lucas, Twentieth Century Fox, Paramount Television, DC Comics, Archie Comics, Full Moon Entertainment, Brian Terrel and Johnny Proft.

 

It had been said that the planet Eternia had seen better times, the Space Rangers had returned to Earth, which was difficult for Johnny and Cassie, but they felt that their relationship was not meant to be and separated. It was five in the morning by Johnny’s watch; he had set it as if Eternia was Earth in the time perspective. He had had the dream again, the dream that had been haunting him since he had returned from the Death Star some time ago, normally he would have talked to Adam, or Teela, but they were both away on extended honeymoon. Johnny found himself wandering the halls of the seemingly empty palace, peering down at the small crystal he now held in his hand, having found it in the majestic evergreen forest, still contemplating the subjects around it’s origin.

"All right, I have this thing, so what do I do to avoid this blasted war?" Johnny asked the open air just as he walked strait into Ben Reily. "Oh, sorry Ben, I guess my mind was..." Johnny stopped in mid sentence as he saw Ben’s greatly desperate, almost ill face. "...Wandering, are you all right?"

"Johnny, I need to go home."

"Ben you are home."

"No, no, back to the planet of my bir...creation." Johnny sighed, he saw this day coming and was hoping ignoring it would make it go away.

"Okay Ben, but...I’d like you to come back for a few days if..."

"If what?"

"Well I’ll contact you if the event ever happens." Johnny said as they walked down the hall towards the elevator...Heading for Grayskull for the last time.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Tell me Sith lord, why do you fear this traveler?" Thanos asked the man sitting next to Darth Vader in the dark meeting room on the planet Coruscant.

"The boy has been prophesied to be the first block in the domino effect that will inevitably destroy the Sith."

"Our master has made this the Empire’s top priority, and Darth Skullious has full control in this matter and asked for your cooperation." Vader said in a voice that showed no emotion.

"Very well, I’ve always enjoyed tormenting the boy before destroying him, but very well, but I want his remains, how do you intend to proceed?"

"I’m sending my apprentice to join you," The hooded man said in his bone carved thrown chair as another hooded man stepped into the room.

"And who are you, may I ask."

"I call myself ...Nemesis." The man said, as he remover his hood, it was Johnny.

"How, how did you slip through my view?!" Thanos asked, shocked more than he had ever been.

"Different dimensions create different beings, yes my birth name is Johnny Spring’s but when I learned of my other self was such a creature of kindness and caring, I decided to change my name hoping to create a new identity." Thanos stood there for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"Excellent, excellent. One last act of confusion before the slaughter." Thanos said with an ongoing laughter, which seemed to echo through the planet size city.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Johnny walked down the New York City streets, it seemed like forever since he had been on Earth, one of many Earth’s at least. But as he turned the corner towards the pre-determined return site, he saw something he thought he’d never see again; it was incredibly damaged but unmistakable.

"U...UNICRON!?" Johnny said as he watched as the half-demolished orb slowly spin, hanging in the bright blue sky. Suddenly is seemed to disappear in space. "A dimensional gate, he’s leaving this reality, but how did it ever get to this reality?" Johnny quickly pressed a button on his wristband and aimed it at the dead robot planet in the distance. A small object shot off from the band and sped off into space, a loud beeping from his wristband confirmed Johnny’s hope; it had connected and stuck itself to the planet’s hull. "Look’s like there’s dirty work afoot." Johnny said as he pressed a button on his wristband and jumped through the newly created gate, which hung next to him.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Seven of Nine was busier than ever, studying the odd power fluctuations coming from the nearby nebula when the captain entered Astrometrics.

"Good evening Captain." Seven said in a monotone voice.

"Seven, it’s one in the morning."

"Forgive me captain, good morning.", said Seven of Nine.

Captain Janeway sighed.

"What have you found out?"

"There is an odd object feeding off the nebula’s energy, but that is not why I called you here."

"It’s not?"

"This object, which is sphere sized, was at one time and may still be, alive." Janeway’s heart froze.

"Borg?"

"That was my first assumption, but all Borg vessels send an automatic homing beacon if there are vital materials on board, this object has sent no such frequency."

"Than what is it?"

"I have no idea." Janeway fiddled with her com-badge for a moment, then tapped the center of it.

"Chakotay, set course to the Fracton nebula, maximum warp." Janeway said as she sped out of the room, Seven of Nine close behind.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Johnny returned to the Royal Palace, he never expected to see princess La Landra in the guest quarters as he past them. Johnny ignored her, (it was simple since she didn’t see him), and raced into the Royal Hall.

"Your highness, I request access to one of your space vessels." Johnny said as he bowed before the King and Queen.

"I’m afraid not, we need you for a diplomatic meeting." Johnny groaned to himself, he was made an Ambassador for Eternia several weeks ago, but it was difficult when you had the weight of the universe on your shoulders and are already employed as a teacher. "The Shi’ar have come in hopes to join with us to begin some sort of armada of peace. We hope to start a new order of peace and happiness through out the multi-universe, and you are their sole reason for starting with Eternia. "Johnny sighed.

"Your highness, Unicron may breathe again." The King and Queen gasped. "This treaty must wait, that monster must be stopped at all cost." Randor sighed.

"Thank you, highness, I will conduct your peace treaty after I stop Unicron." Johnny said as he raced out of the room.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Before Johnny could do anything, he had to speak with La Landra, he had to explain in person why the treaty would have to wait.

"Come in Jonathan." La Landra said just before he entered the room.

"Greetings Empress, I’ve come to inform you that the..." Johnny was interrupted.

"I know why you are here, you come to hold back the peace talk’s so you can save your friends." Johnny nodded.

"Very well, the peace talks can wait, but I have a request." Johnny smiled.

"Name it."

"Charles has always spoken very highly of you, but as he has mentioned, you are only human. No special abilities, no god like powers, and yet, for seven years you’ve fought the greatest villains in the multi-universe to a standstill, Thanos, Skeletor, even the Phoenix has fallen to you." Johnny was growing tired of waiting.

"Your point Empress?"

"I wish to keep you alive for the talks, so I offer you this." She said as she handed Johnny a small pink crystal. "This is the shard of Em'cron, when used correctly, it will give its possessor the powers of unknown strength for a short time. And I also request that Gladiator join you on your quest." Johnny smiled.

"The more the merrier."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"You summoned me master?" Darkonda asked as he stood before the fog and hidden form of Horde Prime.

"Yes. Years ago, in another reality, my body was destroyed and my mind was striped from it. Eventually I was able to make a replacement, but now my body’s repairs are complete and the time has come for my mind to join it. It will soon be overhead, but when I merge with it once more, I will be at risk. I ask you to keep these fools away from the merging at any cost."

"It will be done my lord." Darkonda said as he bowed and stepped out. He rounded the corner and stood before King Hiss.

"What was said?" Hiss asked evenly.

"He will be vulnerable and ordered me to protect him."

"Then that is what you must do." Darkonda was surprised.

"But this is our chance."

"Patience, in time we will have a better opportunity."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Meanwhile, in the Fracton nebula, the Starship Voyager hung in space, starring down the half demolished orb, which made the ship look like an ant in comparison.

"How’s it look in there, away team?" Chakotay asked over the com-link. The group of four that had beamed into the sphere in their astronaut suit’s to keep from suffocating.

"We’ll let you know." Janeway said as she looked over the orb’s interior. As they walked, Janeway noticed the small sheet of metal that lay on the sleek floor. "Tuvok, take a look at this." Janeway said as she picked it up and peered down at the small insignia on the metal. "Do you recognize this?" Tuvok looked down at the symbol for a moment.

"I’m afraid not, it appears to be some kind of symbol, but for some reason it seems familiar."

"Like a lingering memory from a dream, I feel it to."

"What could it mean?" Suddenly the room shook.

"What’s going on Mr. Paris?" Janeway asked.

"This thing’s guidance system’s just reactivated themselves." "Captain, I’ve just accessed this machine’s memory core, this orb was at once and may still be alive." Seven of Nine said.

"And there’s no mention of it in any Borg records."

"Now may not be the best place to discuss it."

"Voyager to Janeway." Chakotay said through Janeway’s communicator.

"Report."

"Some kind of vortex just opened up out of nowhere, and that orb you’re all in is floating through it and we can’t beam you out."

"Keep trying, but don’t let Voyager get sucked into it, we’ll find a way back."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Where are we going, if I may ask?" Gladiator asked as he glided along side Johnny and his sky sled.

"Castle Grayskull. If Unicron is going where I think he’s going, some old friends of mine are in deep trouble." Johnny said as they reached the bone shaped bridge outside Castle Grayskull.

"What a dreadful place." Gladiator said in disgust.

"It was made to look that way for a reason." Johnny said as the drawbridge opened. "Let’s go." Johnny said. He led Gladiator into the gloomy castle and through the maze of cold stone hall’s to the main thrown room, where the Sorceress sat at the top of the long tall staircase.

"My son, you’ve come back as I knew you would." Gladiator gave Johnny an odd look.

"This isn’t a social call mother."

"Indeed, your fear is much more to the point than you realize, this being of evil is only one of several problems, but perhaps I should have Zodak explain." Zodak, Johnny thought, it had to be a truly monumental problem if the guardian of the multi-universe was involved. Johnny looked to the mirror on the side of the large hall, from within the mirror a man stood, and magically stepped out , but a young woman, wearing a long black cape, leather jacket and blue jeans followed him. She also had with her a laser at her side, a sword on her back and a pair of sun glasses across her face.

"It’s been along time Johnny." The woman said evenly.

"Hello Cidney." Johnny replied. It was like yesterday in Johnny’s mind, after their first visit to Eternia, ever, he and Cidney grew quite fond of each other. When they could feel themselves being forced into separate reality’s, they had raced into each other’s arm’s, hugged and kissed, then those words flew back into his head, as if they had never left.

"I’ll always love you." Johnny struggled with the memory for a moment, then shook them away.

"Jonathan, our problems are mush greater than you might think, this Unicron never died as we were once meant to believe, he has resided on Horde World all this time, waiting for a time to strike, this Unicron is Horde Prime." Johnny’s hope of winning the day had just sunk.

"There’s more, Thanos had finally engaged his master plan. While he works with Horde Prime to reactivate Unicron, he has hired an assassin to kill you, the greatest killer in the multi-verse, it is said that he had brought a child into birth just to know the feeling of killing his own blood." Johnny nearly vomited at the thought.

"Who is he?"

"All we know is that he is known as Nemesis."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Adam was cold, but he was assured, Hordak’s goon squad had caught him just outside the mystic mountains. But his wife and their unborn child were hidden in the shrubs and Adam had made a diversion. It had worked, if Teela was smart which Adam knew she was, she would seek out Heleos, who resided in the Region of Flame, just a few miles from there. Adam lay back in his cell when he heard a coughing coming from the darkened corner, he looked into the corner for some time, waiting for the image to adjust to the darkness.

"TRAP-JAW?" Adam said in shock.

"Ah, the young prince. "Trap-Jaw said with a snicker, which turned into a cough.

"What happened here?" Adam asked Trap-Jaw.

"Hiss, it...It’s been so long."

"Tell me everything." Adam ordered.

"All right, all right..." Trap-Jaw said with a grown.

"Tell me, right from the start." Adam ordered.

"All right, all right. It all started about thirty years ago; Skeletor, Hordak, King Hiss, they all were spawned on Infinita, Eternia’s sister planet. But when the Demon’s polluted the planet to it’s core, we all traveled here, to rape and conquer this planet, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Skeletor first came to our planet as the wizard Keldor," Adam interrupted.

"That’s my uncle’s name."

"I don’t know if there’s a relation or not. Anyway, when King Hiss first met Keldor, he was intrigued, he wanted to see how evil he could make a man of pure good and richness. He defeated Keldor in battle and used his body for his biological experiments, that’s when Skeletor was born, Keldor was dead. Soon after King Hiss lead the Horde, and Skeletor and his minions to Eternia, soon after the Sorceress imprisoned Hiss in the bowls of Castle Grayskull. Skeletor began to serve Hordak, but all the while consoling his own agenda. When Hordak and all but those loyal to Skeletor abandoned Eternia, Skeletor prepared to activate his own agenda. It took twenty years to prepare, but just as he was about to unleash his master plan, He-Man appeared on the scene."

"And now he’s dead." Adam said.

"Dead, HAHAHAHA! Skeletor would never die so simply. He’s still around somewhere, preparing his Doomsday plan, and since he took those first twenty years it would only take him half the time to prepare, maybe less." The hero held shocked expression.

"There was a tower built in Etheria that monster, Horde Prime, he never showed up until ten years ago, and until three days ago, no one knew where he came from. He was once part of a massive transforming robot monster. He nearly destroyed a planet with his bare hands, he fed on entire worlds, when a small machine called the Matrix destroyed his body, but his mind survived. Once his conciseness found a machine that could fly threw space, he traveled to the planet that’s now called Horde World, where he had a new smaller body build, but this building was built to bring his original body here, rebuilding itself as it travels here." Adam was shocked.

"UNICRON!?"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Tell me master, you seem to know more about my duplicate than I do, how do you know all this information?" Nemesis asked Darth Skullious as they walked the halls of the Imperial Palace on Coruscant.

"Because he killed me once."

"Then how is it possible that you are here." Skullious snickered.

"Because my dear apprentice, he had done so after I had simply tasted the sheer mind boggling power that resides inside that castle of his. With that microscopic amount of power, I have learned much, I am easily more than a match for King Hiss, Horde Prime, or even that fool Thanos. I joined the Sith to learn to control these unlimited powers I now process. In that time I have learned to take control of my situation, and together we are ready to take revenge on that meddling boy." Skullious said with a horrid cackle, Nemesis joined him in the laughter that echoed through the halls of the Imperial Palace.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"So what do we do?" Cidney asked.

"This is the final battle that has been predicted for years, the battle that will end all of this foolish fighting. But for us to win, you, Jonathan, must take control." Johnny groaned.

"Terrific." Johnny said just before Teela, with a massive stomach bearing her unborn children, raced into the hall.

"Sis, what’s wrong?" Johnny asked.

"It’s Adam, by the god’s, Horde's men grabbed him back at the mystic mountains, and they pulled him into a travel corridor." Johnny gasped as she handed Johnny Adam’s sword.

"Let’s not let things get any worse. Cidney, you and Zodak come up with a list of allies and bring as many of them as you can here and prepare for a battle, Gladiator your with me, Teela I...guys, can you give me, Teela, and the Sorceress a moment." Johnny’s friends nodded and walked into the next room.

"Mo...Sorceress, I don’t have time to talk about this, you will tell her the truth and now, or I will tell her and let you pick up the pieces." The Sorceress didn’t like Johnny’s tone, but had no other choice.

"Very well, go. I will speak." Johnny nodded, then left. The Sorceress stepped down the stone staircase and sat next to the pregnant woman who looked up at her from the step she sat on. "Teela, I have something to tell you, I...I am your mother."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"And where are we heading now?" Gladiator asked after they exited the travel corridor and flew threw the whispering woods at 50 + speed, Johnny now wearing a sky pack.

"Adam is my best friend, plus we will need him. As He-Man he would be literally our strongest asset."

"I beg to differ." Johnny sighed.

"If you want." Johnny said as he stopped short, seeing a long black tower standing in the distance.

"Holy crap?!" Johnny said in shock.

"What purpose would such a structure hold?" Gladiator asked.

"Must be what old hp is using to pull his body back." Johnny said as he led the way towards the tower.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanos sat in his thrown deep within Snake Mountain, watching as the current events between Johnny and Horde Prime unfolded. He rose and spoke evenly when King Hiss entered the room.

"What are you planing Hiss?" Thanos asked.

"What ever do you mean master?" Hiss replied.

"Your involvement with Horde Prime’s plan has jeopardized one of my long term projects. The Traveler will be killed when he least expects it, and Horde Prime will never be given the chance to become Unicron again. And I will use Grayskull’s secrets to destroy the multi-verse." Hiss laughed.

"That’s it, after all this time, after all these twisted plans and foolish mysteries, that’s all this has ever been about? Galobulys was right, you are a Titan gone ludicrous." Thanos trembled in rage.

"How dare you speak to me in such a foolish manor."

"Very well master, I will withdraw my involvement. Enjoy your rampage of destruction." Hiss said. Thanos almost screamed, but it would have to wait. Right now, he had to prepare his spell, his plan was to distract Johnny with his dreams, while Nemesis killed him in his sleep.

"Soon, my boy, it will all be over."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Johnny hated rescue missions, but they always had to be done, and he always seemed to be the one to do it. As he and Gladiator rounded the corner, Johnny walked head long into Morbious. Johnny shook his head and looked at his bloodthirsty friend.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Johnny asked. "You should be in Dr. Petzer’s med. bay."

"We have found a solution." Morbious said, pointing to the patch on his shoulder. "It’s not a complete cure, but it will keep my bloodlust in check, we handle the withdraw symptoms later." Johnny groaned under his breath.

"Okay, where’s Adam?" Johnny asked.

"Just around the corner, but Trap-Jaw is in the cell with him." Morbious replied.

"Okay, let’s get this done with, you find Adora, and you and meet us at Castle Grayskull, we’ll get Adam and get out of here." Johnny said as he led Gladiator down the hall. When they reached Adam’s cell Johnny playfully knocked on the bars.

"Stone wall’s do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage, ‘Hank McCoy’" Johnny said jokingly.

"Johnny!" Adam said as he raced up to the bars.

"Where are the key’s?" Johnny asked.

"Don’t need ’em." Trap-Jaw said as he bit his steel jaw through the bars like they were made of bread.

"Couldn’t you have done that before?" Adam asked.

"We wouldn’t have stood a chance out there on our own." Trap-Jaw said as they exited the cell. "Besides, I don’t like to eat between meals."

"This is yours." Johnny said as he handed Adam his sword. Adam, wasting no time, aimed his sword at the heavens and yelled out, "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL..." In a flash of white hot light, Adam was transformed into He-Man once again.

"You were He-Man all this time?" Trap-Jaw asked.

"You never knew?" Johnny asked. "Well, it doesn’t matter, He-Man we need an exit, quick." He-Man nodded and punched a 12 ft hole in the prison wall.

"Humph, impressive." Gladiator said as he picked up Trap- Jaw and flew out through the hole.

"Want a lift brother-in-law?" Johnny asked.

"I’ll be all right." He-Man said as he jumped out the hole and landed on the cool grass some twenty feet below.

"Show off." Johnny joked as he joined his friends in the journey back to the travel corridor.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"How’s your progress coming?" Johnny asked Cidney as he and his friends met her and Zodak at the giant room outside the travel corridor.

"We’ve got a list together and were about to start a collection." Cidney replied.

"All right. Cid, you get those heroes together and quickly. Adam, Morbious went to get your sister some time ago, he should be her with her soon, when she gets here, you be sure to get back quickly too. I’m going to need everyone’s help on this, but I have a small errand to run myself." Johnny said as he started for the exit.

"Where are you going?" Cidney asked.

"To find my assassin."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"How, how could you have kept this from me for so long?" Teela asked angrily.

"Because it is how the Sorceress of Grayskull must be trained, the Sorceress must not know of her destiny until it is almost upon her."

"What dose that mean?" Teela asked, suddenly, a small puddle formed underneath Teela’s legs. "Oh god, my water just broke!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Johnny had found himself in the Region of Flame, why was he here, because this is where he would be if his would want to kill someone, the body would be easily disposed of in one of the lava lakes surrounding the dangerous land. But suddenly fatigue hit hard, Johnny fell to the ground, his eye’s heavy like iron weights. Just before he blacked out he saw the outline of a man in a black robe, a long steel sword at his side, and a flash light like device attached to his belt.

"Fear not, my equal, you will feel pure pleasure before you die." Nemesis said as everything went black.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cidney was worried, she wanted to do as Johnny said but she knew he would need help, she had met his double once before, and she knew Johnny was a match for him, but if Thanos was involved, then he would defiantly need help. Cidney instantly looked up to Zodak, who was looking strait back at here.

"Go my dear, I will send you there myself, I can retrieve the hero’s myself, go." Cidney nodded as she disappeared in a flash of light.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Johnny," A voice said from a white light ahead of him. "I’m here Johnny." the voice said from within the light. When looking at the light Johnny could feel pure joy seem to radiate from it. "It’s better here." the voice said, it was Gabrielle. Johnny wanted nothing more than to walk into the light, to be without evil, without the fighting, without the...Wait he thought, here there was no pain, no problems of any kind. He needed pain, he needed problems, that was life, that was what living with people was like. It was the way things worked, but that was just it, was.

"JOHNNY!" A voice said from behind him.

"Cid?"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Cidney got to Johnny, he seemed to be lying across the warm ground, sleeping peacefully, with his duplicate towering over him, a sword pointed at Johnny’s heart.

"JOHNNY!" She called out. Nemesis waived his hand at Cidney and she was flung down to the ground and pined there by some unknown force.

"Your to late my dear, your love is already dead, nothing and no one will ever bring him back." Nemesis said, as he plunged his sword into Johnny’s body. But seconds before it hit flesh, the sword stopped short. Nemesis looked down to see two hands pressed tightly together, the swords tip between them.

"Wanna bet, ASSHOLE!" Johnny said as he kicked the sword out of his hand, back flipped five feet from Nemesis, and caught the sword just in time to block Nemesis’s light-saber. "Why do I recognize this sword?" Johnny asked.

"Because I took it from He-Man’s dead body in my reality." Nemesis said with an evil snicker. Johnny swung at Nemesis, fury in his eyes, but Nemesis swung back, slowly forcing Johnny back towards a pit of lava. "Tell me, brother. How does it feel to know that I am the one who will destroy your universe, as I have done to several other’s?" Nemesis asked.

"Just fine actually, because it won’t happen." Johnny said as he dove, feet first between Nemesis’s legs. Nemesis, caught off guard by the sudden difference of weight, stumbled. Johnny caught Nemesis’s arm and pulled him out of harms way. Nemesis laughed.

"You are a fool, just as my master said." Nemesis said as he dove at Johnny, sword at the ready, Johnny ducked and used Nemesis’s forward momentum and sent him hurtling into the lava pit. Johnny sighed.

"Sorry, I tried." Johnny said as he looked down at the sword he had taken from Nemesis. "It’s sad, a sword of Grayskull in such an evil position." Johnny said sadly.

"Couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy." Johnny said as he raced over to Cidney.

"You okay?" She asked. Johnny gave her an inquisitive look. "What?"

"Your love?" Johnny asked with a corny smile.

"Shut up." She replied. As they left, Johnny saw the sword Nemesis held, it was exactly like Adam’s. Johnny picked it up and took a good long look at the majestic blade, then threw it into the lava. To hold a weapon taken from the greatest hero he ever knew made him sick, the sword melted in the lave, sealing the dead remains of the evil Johnny Springs forever.

"Let’s get this over with."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Adam and his sister stood together in the tiny top floor room in the attic of the Royal Palace, feeling the un-resting soul within the room.

"Queen Xerxa, we your descendants call upon you, with a question." Suddenly the wind began to blow violently, debris flying left and right, as the two siblings waited for the ghost of their late grand mother.

"For fifty years I have been tormented by disappearance of my son’s lost soul, now you come asking about him." Adam almost spoke, but was stopped by his sister, who rested a gentle hand on his shoulder and stepped before her grandmother’s ghost.

"Grandmother, we must know. Is Skeletor really Keldor?" The spirit hung it’s head low.

"He is your fathers brother." Adora and Adam gave each other a shocked expression.

"But only in body, his soul lays in limbo, until the keeper of his body is destroyed, only a child of Grayskull can kill the Lord of Destruction." Adam groaned.

"And the only child of Grayskull we know is Johnny."

"Aren’t we children of Grayskull?" Adora asked.

"We’re only defenders of Grayskull."

"Wrong child of mine, for you are closer to the boy you speak than you may believe." the spirit said.

"What are you saying?" Adam asked.

"Before Keldor left on the journey that meant his end, he had a love, a woman known Teelana, they had a child together, but for the boy’s safety they kept the relationship a secret. " The spirit began to fade away.

"Wait!" Adora cried.

"Know this, Skeletor is the key to this devastation to come, he must be destroyed in order to save this world and any other." The image faded and Adora gave Adam a confused look.

"Teelana?" She asked.

"The Sorceress, Johnny’s mother." Adam replied.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanos stood inside the hallowed out chunk of mountain top carved into a giant snake’s gaping jaw, peering out at the darkened land below.

"Ahh, such beauty, such calmness, to think these majestic lands would be polluted with such thoughts of ...peace, harmony, The very thought makes my stomach turn. My assassin has already failed. I must say I am disappointed in Skullious, I’d think a Sith lord could train a better apprentice, especially one so similar to the boy himself, but I must remember not all duplicates are created equal. HISS!" Thanos finally bellowed, King Hiss stood behind Thanos, almost reviling in his master’s failure.

"Yes milord?"

"Destroy the Traveler, use that space mutant if you have to, Darkanda, I want the boy’s body hanging in the jaws of this serpent, let him rot in the one thing he hate’s the most, a viper." Thanos said with a laugh as he walked back into the mountain.

"Perhaps he will not be the only one who lays rotting in a python’s jaws." Hiss whispered as he peered down at his hands, which started, for a moment, resembled a serpent’s jaw under his tan glove. "Only time will tell."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Cidney and Johnny returned to Grayskull, they were amazed to see so many old friends in one place.

"It’s like a reunion." Cidney said with a wide smile.

"Yeah, without the depressing teachers." Johnny added as they walked into the room. The heroes greeted one another in great delight, all except for one, a young girl no older than 19. "Who are you, I met you seven years ago, in whispering woods. You gave me the Orrin."

"All I can tell you is that I’m from Eternia’s future, and I’m here to help, the Sorceress in my time told me I was needed here." Cidney didn’t like it.

"Can we trust her? She’s awfully young."

"But her time travel story makes sense, in seven years she hasn’t aged a day, plus she asked me to protect the Orrin to protect, I failed in that task but I somehow discovered it again in the evergreen forest. But we can’t deal with that now, okay guys and girls. We have a big job to do, If anyone wants to back out, now’s the time." For a moment there was silence. Then Raphael, the one teenage mutant ninja turtle that made the trip stepped out.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say, let’s kick some ass." The group of hero’s cheered. Johnny smiled.

"All right then, we’ll separate into two teams, Cidney here will lead team one, and team two will be lead by myself. Team one will be made up of Batman, Raphael, Wolverine, Andros and Hercules, team two will consist of Spider-Man, the Guyver, Morbious, Mystic, Jack Deth and Gladiator. Did I leave anyone out?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, what about us?" He-Man asked as he and She-Ra steeped into the room. Johnny smiled.

"She-Ra needs to go in team one and you, He-Man need to go team three."

"Team three?" He-Man asked.

"Teela’s still here, and she’s gone into labor."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Fright Zone trembled underneath the gargantuan mass of the robotic planet, which hung in the sky overhead. The Horde troopers and senior solders gasped as it seemed to descend towards the tall dark building. If you were able to fly through this painting of darkness, you would see Darkonda perched at the top of a tree a few feet from the tower. His eye’s, capable of firing laser beams capable of burning through steel, were aimed at the spot where Horde Prime would connect with the massive planet. Suddenly there was a beeping from Darkonda’s metal wristband.

"What is it?"

"This is Hiss, Thanos has ordered me to have you kill Johnny."

"But I thought you wanted him alive."

"I didn’t say I was going to have you do what Thanos ordered. Here are my orders..."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As the two teams of super hero’s entered the massive room deep in the bowls of Castle Grayskull, with tall stone doors circling the room.

"Team one is going to the Fright Zone to stop Horde Prime from connecting with Unicron. The Autobots almost lost their planet to that monster, I won’t let that happen again. Team two is going to Snake Mountain, if Skeletor is alive that’s the first place he’ll head for." As the two teams entered one of the two travel corridors Johnny pulled Andros to the side. "Before we head out I have one question, how’s Cassie?"

"I...She got married last week, to Prince Daxion."

"Who?"

"Masked Rider." Johnny sighed.

"Go on buddy. Save the universe, again." Andros smiled and walked into the portal. For some reason Johnny wasn’t disappointed. As he entered the portal he didn’t notice Cidney watch him go, a single tear trickled down her face as she entered the portal to Etheria.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It took thirty minutes to get from the spot the portal left Cidney’s team to the Fright Zone. As they walked up towards the edge of whispering woods, Cidney had a fearful feeling.

"I haven’t been here in seven years."

"That’s not it is it?" Wolverine asked.

"I think Johnny was in love with another woman." Wolverine groaned, wishing he hadn’t started the conversation.

"Whatever happened in seven years, you and I both know he still cares for you." Cidney nodded. "Well kid, let’s get this ..." Wolverine was interrupted by a beep from an old metal keepsake Cidney held in her pocket.

"This is Cidney Porter, identify yourself."

"This is captain Katharine Janeway of the Starship Voyager. My away team and I are trapped on an odd sphere we require assistance." Cidney smiled.

"Hey Logan, despite what people say, you are in fact a source of good luck. Okay cap, I can direct you to a transporter system, but we need your help."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Snake Mountain was cold and dark, much more so than usual. Johnny didn’t like it, especially when they came upon three tunnels, splitting off into three different directions.

"DAMN!" Jack yelled in anger.

"Well this wasn’t here before." Johnny added in confusion.

"So what do we do?" Spider-Man asked.

"What else can we do, we split up into groups. Spidey, you take Morbious into the center tunnel, Gladiator, you and Guyver take the center, Jack, Mysty, you two are with me. Let’s do our job and get out of here, any of you see Thanos, use the com system to get the rest of us. Let’s get this done people." Johnny said as they all raced into their respective tunnels.

"When did you become the respectable leader?" Jack Deth asked.

"I don’t know Jack, it’s been a long time since the Trancer problems." Johnny said as he took a close look at his surroundings.

"Yeah, but that was a lot easier." Jack replied. "Your awfully quiet kid, what’s your story." Jack asked.

"I kind of ran away from home to get here, I couldn’t just say no when Zodak contacted me." mystic said.

"Look squirt, I agree with your parents. You’re too young to be fighting demons, but I have to admit, I was around your age when I started traveling." Johnny said as he examined a wall as they walked. Mystic smiled.

"It’s really good to hear you say that." Mystic said.

"Why?" Johnny asked, Mystic was about to reply when there was a loud sound from the direction they were headed. Suddenly the cavern was alive with Snake-men. Johnny pulled his blaster, Jack did the same. Mystic pulled a sword from her back and sliced away at the closest monsters. The three warriors were holding their own when two Snake-men came from behind and hit Johnny hard with the steel handle of their sword, sending him into unconsciousness. Jack and Mystic were forced to watch helplessly as he was dragged away, forced to continue their battle with the serpent men.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cidney, Wolverine and Hercules had entered the Fright Zone undetected, leaving the rest of the team to circle the dark city, and form a parameter.

"I don’t like this it’s almost to quiet." Hercules said between strides.

"Your not far off Goldie-locks, I can smell armor lubricants, there are either solders, or uniform lockers nearby." Wolverine said as they rounded the corner and stumbled into a locker room.

"Well, let’s suit up." Cidney said with a smile. In seconds the three friends were wearing Horde's men uniforms, but were waiting in the room with their helmets off.

"What are we waiting for?" Wolverine asked impatiently.

"Janeway and her crew, they had to run a little errand before getting to the transporter." Just as the words were out of her mouth, the four Federation crew members were materializing in front of them.

"Captain Janeway of the Starship Voyager, at your service." Cidney smiled. Just then a beeping came in from Cidney’s com-link.

"What is it?" Cidney asked.

"Well kid, we got a call from Johnny’s group, they were attacked by Snake-men, and now we’ve lost contact." Cidney wanted to give the order to go after them, but Johnny’s life wasn’t the only one at stake.

"It can’t be helped. We have to finish our mission, then we’ll go after them, okay guy’s let’s..." Cidney was cut off, when a platoon of Horde troopers, led by the Horde generals, Leech and Mantenna, attacked without warning. The group dove for cover, taking down as many troopers as they could with the away teams phasers, but there seemed to be no way around them.

"Look guys, Janeway’s in charge, I’ll give you cover, once you get an opening, take it and destroy that planet." Cidney said, then without warning jumped into the barrage of laser fire. Janeway didn’t like it, but years of Star Fleet training prepared her for almost anything.

"Let’s go people, we have a mission to complete." Janeway said as she quickly let the five others through the opening and into the next corridor.

"Llleeeevveeee ttthhhheeemmmm." Mantenna mumbled in his insect like voice as he looked over Cidney’s now lifeless body.

"Is she dead?" Leech asked.

"No sir, she’s merely stunned."

"Good, send her to Hordak, he’s in Horde Prime’s chamber." Leech said as he walked off, feeling his job was done.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"ADAM! YOU DID THIS TO ME YOU BASTARD!" Teela yelled as her labor pains kicked in. She was being wheeled into the emergency bay in Eternos when Adam finally raced up beside her.

"Adam thank god!" Duncan said as he saw his son in law finally arrive.

"I was held up." Adam said as they entered the ER.

"How’s it going doc?" Adam asked.

"Well she’s fully dilated, but, Duncan you’ll have to leave." Duncan nodded and was about to leave when he saw someone walking down the corridor.

"Prince Adam, Master of the Universe, HE-MAN let us finish our never ending battle." An all too familiar voice said. Adam looked up at Duncan and nodded. He pulled the Sword of Power and called to the heavens, one last time,

"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL..." A bolt of lightning flew harmlessly threw the ceiling, striking the sword and transforming it’s owner into the mighty He-Man. "I HAVE THE POWER!" He-Man walked up to his struggling wife and gently rested his hand on his wife’s stomach. "I won’t let him near you. I’ll be back." He-Man said as he passed Duncan and out into the hall to fight his oldest and most deadliest enemy, the lord of destruction.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Johnny awoke he was shackled to a stone wall, overlooking the dark Treeland below, through the jaw of a giant stone serpent. Thanos stood before him, peering out at the skyline, the Sorceress half laying on the floor, Thanos’s hand around her throat.

"MOTHER!" Johnny screamed as soon as he saw what was going on.

"Ah the sleeper awakens, now boy let’s get down to business." Thanos said as he simply threw his mother over the cliff, hurtling towards the dead tree’s below, far below.

"NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Johnny screamed louder than ever before.

"Give me the Orrin, boy." Johnny looked at Thanos, tears of torment and rage trickling down his cheeks.

"Why?"

"Very well, here it is boy the whole reason I’ve hunted you down for seven years, as you may or may not know, I once held a weapon in my hands called the Infinity Gauntlet. But it was taken from me, and its six powerful gems were scattered throughout the multi-verse. Now the gauntlet itself exists in every reality in another form but in the entire multi-verse there are only the six gems, and only together can the gauntlet’s power be absolute, Skeletor was too...uninformed to use this reality’s gauntlet, the wheel of infinity, and it was destroyed. But I was able to reformat it, now I have all the gems except the one that resides in the Orrin. When the gauntlet is whole once more, I will have the power I need to not only destroy the universe, but the entire multi-verse, when that happens, I and lady death will rule the remains together." Johnny gritted his teeth.

"You’ve hounded me for seven years, killed Gabrielle, killed my mother, and made my life a living hell, just so you can have absolute power, just to peek the interest of a bony old demon from the Nether World, THANOS, THIS ENDS NOW!" Johnny said as he ripped the chains off the wall and lunged right at Thanos.

"I’LL TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB!" Johnny screamed as Thanos, for the first time was in a state of shock and was searching for something from within his pockets. Johnny noticed this and kicked whatever was in his hands away. Then kicked Thanos into a stone wall as he pulled the Orrin from around his neck.

"If you wanted it so bad why didn’t you just take it?" Johnny asked, trying to think through his rage as Thanos stood up. For a moment Johnny forgot about rational thought and swung his fist into Thanos’s face with tremendous force, sending Thanos back to the ground. "That one was for Gabrielle," Johnny said as he picked Thanos up and flung him into another wall, making an indentation into the cavern wall. "That one was for my mother." Johnny said as he picked him up again and punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "That one was for me, and this is for the hell of it." Johnny said as he finally flung him down the cavern and finally hitting the rear wall. Johnny then looked down at the Orrin again, actually thinking now. "It’s stronger than even you are isn’t it?" Johnny asked as he aimed the mystical gem at Thanos.

"No, not that anything but...NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!" Thanos bellowed as he was sucked into the gem. Johnny walked over to the edge of the chasm and peered down. His mother’s body lay twisted and torn at the cold dirt floor of the outside woodland. That’s when he noticed the item he had kicked from Thanos’s hand before, it was the gauntlet, with five gems in place Johnny almost put the sixth gem in place, but then remembered that old proverb, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." And raced down the snake’s throat to get his team out.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cidney found herself in a dimly lit chamber, Hordak stood beside her but didn’t say a word, he and the being behind the fog were happier beyond delight to see the Sorceress finally meet her end on a nearby view screen. Cidney drew her sword and swung at Hordak, but Hordak pulled his own sword and blocked Cidney’s blow, forcing Cidney to back up towards one of the many man made chasm’s serenading their area. Hordak finally sent her to her knee’s then rose his sword and swung it hard at Cidney, but this time Cidney leapt away, sending Hordak off balance and tumbling into the chasm. Cidney looked into the chasm and gave a short sigh of morning,

"No one deserves to die, not like this." Cidney said to herself.

"Then mourn not for Hordak but for your Sorceress." A towering voice said from every corner of the massive room filled with fog.

"What’s happened?"

"Thanos had killed the keeper of Grayskull. It will be my first target once I rejoin with my old body." Horde Prime said in joyous laughter. There was a rumbling from out of no where.

"What was that?" Cidney asked, not knowing what to do.

"The Horde has attacked your foolish group of freedom fighters, even the rebels of whispering woods had joined in the fight some time ago, but they two are falling." Cidney looked up at the monitor on one side to see the war continuing outside, if there had been one or two more fighters on their side, the heroes would have been able to defeat them, but now they were barley holding their own. Suddenly Spider-Man, Morbious, Mystic, Jack and Gladiator joined in the fight, turning the tides in the war.

"Hey Cid miss us?" Johnny asked from behind as he and the Guyver raced into the room from beside her.

"Johnny your mother.." Cidney muttered.

"I know Cid." Johnny said as the three looked for a way to stop Horde Prime.

"What do we do?" The Guyver asked.

"I don’t know Shawn." Johnny replied.

"There is nothing you can do, soon Unicron and I will be one once more." Horde Prime said with a loud sinister cackle.

" No you won’t, Captain Janeway and her away team trashed the connection circuit, there’s no way to reconnect prime, your dead in the water."

"You’ll get lot’s of complement’s later, we got to get out of here." Johnny said as he lead the way out of the room.

"NO I WILL NOT BE DENIED!" Horde Prime said as he continued the connection, and the entire building began to tremble.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As Johnny lead the way the three friends plowed into a stone wall.

"My sense of direction is way off today." Johnny said as he faced his two friends. Suddenly from out of nowhere, Darkonda appeared.

"You, you were the one who gave the zoinoid* formula to Kronos." The Guyver said as he took a fighting stance, (*Another story for another time).

"SHHH this is the way out." Darkonda replied as he led them out off the hall.

"Do we trust him?" Johnny asked.

"We don’t have any choice." Cidney replied as she followed Darkonda. Johnny, and the Guyver followed her.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Why did you come back Skeletor?" He-Man asked.

"Your children would mean my end, I must destroy them before they can grow old enough to stop my plan." Skeletor said as he swung his sword at He-Man, cutting a gash into He-Man’s shoulder.

"You will not touch my children!" He-Man said as he plunged his sword into Skeletor’s chest, piercing his black heart.

"You were right Skeletor," He-Man said as he watched Skeletor’s body begin to disintegrate, "My children were the end of you, when you went after him, you forced me to sink to your level." As Skeletor’s body disappeared into dust, He-Man’s essence seemed to float away from He-Man’s body and form a skull shaped mist.

"The Spirit of Castle Grayskull?" Adam said in confusion.

"Prince Adam, you have broken your word. You have taken a life with the Power of Grayskull. And no matter how black and dark that life was, it was a life. The sword will retain its power, but you will never again command its power. In time your love will become the Sorceress of Grayskull in the Lady Teelana’s absence, but there will no longer be a need of a Defender of Grayskull for some time. Until then, the sword must be returned to Grayskull until a new champion is chosen in the way you were. But take gratitude for this fact, your grandparent’s spirits are now free." Adam watched as the spirit faded away. Adam sighed and walked into ER.

"I’m here." He said to Teela as her baby’s started to breathe life.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Johnny dodged a large chunk of rock falling from the ceiling.

"Make it quick Darkonda!" Johnny yelled to the front of the line as the four warriors reached towards the exit. Suddenly as the building continued to fall apart around them, light was visible a few yards away. Suddenly, the crumbling rocks collapsed over the light.

"Shawn, make us an entrance." Johnny yelled, as the man in the alien biological armor grew a four foot long blade from his elbow and cut through the debris in seconds and was able to kick a new hole into the rock. Without a moment to spare, the four fighters all dove for the exit, all rolling to their feet in record time and racing away from now crumbling Fright Zone and reaching the safety of whispering woods. Just when they thought it was all over, Johnny looked up and gazed in horror at the giant robot man like monster towering over them, almost to big for the planet to hold him."

"FOOLS, UNICRON IS REBORN!" The monster said with a deafening cackle.

"It won’t last." Janeway said as she and all the hero’s gathered. Suddenly and without warning, Unicron was sent flying into space, under his own power, twenty seconds later, he exploded in a dazzling ball of flame, seen from over three fourths of the planet surface, a sigh that the war between good and evil was over, for the moment.

"What the hell happened, he had us." Johnny asked.

"He failed to realize his own explosives moved near his central nervous system and the reprogramming of his guidance systems." Seven of Nine said with a satisfying smirk, the closest thing to a smile you would get out of the woman.

"Janeway, I’m impressed, your crew has improved since our battle with the Borg."

"Well one good turn deserves another." Janeway replied.

"Amen to that lady, amen to that. Well Cid, let’s get all our friends home." Johnny said as he led the way back towards the dimensional portal.

"Wait a minute, where’s Darkonda?" The Guyver asked.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Well, was it done?" King Hiss asked Darkonda as they stood facing each other in a field of tall grass several miles from whispering woods.

"Yes, Unicron was destroyed, as was Skeletor, Hordak, and Thanos. And I helped Johnny and his friends escape, but why did you want them to live?" Darkonda’s words were barely out of his mouth when a python’s jaw wrapped around his throat, coming from King Hiss’s arm.

"That is not your concern, do I make myself clear?" Darkonda struggled to nod. "Excellent." Hiss said as he released his viper-grip and tossed him a small vial of liquid. "Drink that before the venom kills you, now things are as they should be, we will bide our time, and when the time is right, my wrath will be felt by the entire multi-verse, and now there is no one who can stop me!" His said with a laugh as Darkonda feverishly consumed the liquid.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Time passed as it often does, most of the hero’s had returned to their homes, but a very few decided to stay for a day or two. Johnny found himself looking through his mother’s old library when he stumbled upon an old leather bound book. Johnny picked it up and opened it. Within the old cover was the Sorceresses journals. He flipped threw the pages until he came upon his own name. The page read:

"My boy was born a hero so many years ago. It makes my heart ache to be able to watch him through my mirror, able to have watched his whole life and not be able to tell him about his father, Keldor was a man of vision, of heroism in his own right. He willingly sacrificed himself to Skeletor so save his son, and his son may never know the truth. One day Teela will know the hole truth, but Johnny ...I simply weep for him." The page after and every other was blank, these were her final thoughts.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Spider-Man asked as he walked up beside his old friend.

"Oh nothing, you wouldn’t believe some of the old crap women read." Johnny joked as he set the book on his late mother’s coffee table.

"Well, I’d better get out of here, Teela’s the Sorceress now and certain rules apply." Johnny said as he and Spider-Man walked out of the room in the castle’s right tower and down the spiral staircase.

"Hay buddy I got a question for you."

"Shoot webs."

"Well you’ve been fighting these monsters and villains, how did you ever get started in all this, how did you get stuck with the job of saving all reality?" Spider-Man asked in his normal charm as they steeped out onto the jaw -bridge and Johnny sat down and leaned against the bone shaped rock.

"God it was so long ago. Well I was 18, living in a small town in Minneapolis, I had a life, more or less. A home, a job at a comic shop. I never really had any parental figures. Every moral, and every thought between right and wrong I learned from characters of fiction, or I thought they were at the time. Every lesson I learned in life I learned from either He-Man or you. I never smoked, drank, or did harm to those weaker than myself. Well, I met Cidney at the comic shop after a year or two, she was never really into the comic thing but she always had the time to listen. She was the only one who treated me like a person then, the only one who treated me like I belonged. I had a crush on her for awhile, but then figured I’d never had a chance with her. Then one day a guy walked into the comic shop and asked if I knew where Grayskull was, it’s not the normal question you get from a comic fan in those days, then I got a closer look at him, it was Prince Adam. At first I thought I was reliving high school, that some immature idiot was playing a joke on me, but as we were crossing the street, a car was swerving out of control from around the corner, he pushed me out of the way. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt at that point. Cidney thought I was joking when I said this odd person wanted to take us to Grayskull so she agreed to go with us. After we helped Adam find his sister we found out that we were forced to travel through the multi-verse for an unknown amount of time. After I left Eternia for the first time I met you and we fought Carnage together. That first time we had to separate was the hardest thing I ever had to do, Pete. If I could turn back the clock, I would have left her on her Earth all those years ago."

"She get in the way a lot?" Spider-Man asked.

"No, she never asked for this Pete. We were just kids, we should never have been responsible for the protection of the multi-verse. It broke my heart to have to put her through that."

"If you cared for her so much why did you marry Alena, or almost marry Gabrielle or Cassie?"

"Well Pete, I thought, and still think she only thinks of me as a friend. Sure those three days we spent together after we found Adora. We were kind of an item, but I only saw her like seven times after that, I figured she would have been married herself by now. Honestly Pete, now that it’s all over, how do I handle this? Do I go back to Earth, stay here? Or settle on some unknown planet?"

"Well Johnny all I can say is, I never knew my parents, one must have been better than none, and you do have two nieces and a nephew who’s going to need a role model, and I also heard your Eternia’s Ambassador."

"Yeah, lucky me, huh. The Shi’ar Empress just signed a peace treaty with us. What would you do Pete?"

"Honestly, if I had my way I’d go back to Earth, but let me tell you why, my family is there, and not just MJ and Aunt May, but Robby, Betty, Jill and Author Stacy and yeah even Jamison."

"And start a family?"

"Whatever works." Spider-Man said with a smile behind his mask as he walked off. As Johnny followed, Cidney steps out from her hiding spot from within the castle, a tear trickling down her cheek.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Johnny sat at his desk in the far corner of Duncan workshop, Duncan leaning over his shoulder as Johnny wrote.

"Damn it Duncan. It just isn’t working, I can’t be a school teacher and the ambassador for the planet." Duncan smiled.

"Johnny it’s up to you, but you did promise to be a teacher and you can’t just refuse the King of Eternia."

"Yeah, yeah, but I..." Johnny stopped as Cidney walked into the room.

"I just remembered, Teela and I have sparing practice." Duncan sped out of the room.

"Hey Cid." Johnny said as he stood up. Cidney walked over and sat onto the desk.

"Johnny, tell me something, what would you say if I asked you if you were seeing anyone?" She asked in an oddly seductive way. Johnny gave a weary but meaningful smile as he rested his hand on hers.

"I would say I have taken a long time to think over my options and have decided to stay on Eternia. Now my turn, what would you say if I asked you to stay on Eternia for a few weeks?"

"I would say that I had talked to King Randor three days ago and he said he had a castle in a small town down the block called Eternos, that needed two good friends, or in his words, a beautiful couple to live in. My turn again, what would you say if I asked you our to dinner?"

"I would say sure, only if I can get the check, and we could check out that castle afterwards."

"Especially the bedroom." Cidney added. "I never got to thank you for saving my life, again." she said as she slowly leaned towards him, he leaned down to meet her and they kissed, a long passionate kiss.

"The rest will have to wait." Johnny said as he pulled away gently.

"Give me one good reason."

"Because Teela’s at Castle Grayskull and Duncan will be back in at lease five minutes after he’s figured out why his daughter is late for practice." Cidney laughed and kissed him again. Johnny watched as she walked out the door, then feel onto the desk, suddenly in love.

"Times have never been better."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A month past, Johnny and Cidney were now closer than ever, but Johnny still felt empty inside. One summer morning he slipped out of the castle he lived in. He enjoyed living his own little castle with Cidney, but it seemed empty, like they didn’t belong there.

"Mom, I wish you could hear me." Johnny said as he swept the dirt and twigs off his mother’s tombstone. "I had been fighting evil for so long, I don’t know what to do now. Should I go off and travel some more, or should I stay here, marry Cid, start a family? I think it’s time I stopped asking questions and actually took a stand." Johnny said as he set a single rose on the short green grass and walked off.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That night Johnny slept, and again he had the dream, he stood in a field of grass. He stood there barefoot, with a pair of blue jeans and no shirt. But this time, instead of a bright orb of light, a tall splendor woman, wearing a falcon headdress, and a feathered gown with a cape of orange and blue feathers. Johnny walked up to the woman as she removed her headdress to reveal her long red hair.

"Mother?" Johnny asked. The woman nodded. "Why, why didn’t you tell me for five years?"

"You were a boy, you were still learning about being a hero, things had to be kept secret to protect you."

"And my father, Keldor?"

"Keldor...your father was the kindest man I ever knew. But our marriage was kept secret for several reasons. At the time King Randor didn’t approve, but Hordak and Thanos both knew that he would be the father of the man who would destroy them. And when they stumbled upon the realm of demons, the searched for two years until they found the most evil and horrid demon they could find, Skeletor."

"And he possessed him, killing my fathers soul in the process."

"But now the two of us are together, and you are happy, right?"

"Yes and no, I mean I love Cidney, but I.. I feel like... something feels like its missing." the Sorceress walked over to Johnny, and touched his shoulder. A light glow shined from inside his side pants pocket, Johnny pulled out the Em’cron shard La Landra had given him earlier.

"You now have the power to make one godly action." Johnny didn’t understand.

"What do you mean?"

"You have the power to literally do whatever you wish but you can only use it once." Johnny nodded.

"Thank you mother." Johnny said as he embraced his late mother.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The moon shun brightly over the slumbering city of Eternos as Johnny tip toed through the palace hall. He came to the corner, turned and entered the trophy room. There stood the Sword of Power, and standing in the glass case next to it stood the Sword of Protection. Johnny wanted to take both, but that would be wrong, the Sword of Protection still had use, but the Sword of Power was now useless, but Johnny could now change that. As Johnny reached out to move the glass and take the sword from it’s foundation, the room’s lights flickered to life. Johnny wired around to see Adam and Adora, shocked expressions on their faces.

"I assume your wondering what I’m doing here?" Johnny asked.

"You’d be right." Adam replied.

"Yeah, look Adam, your sword has been made worthless, for a good reason mind you, but it still happened. Now I’ve been given a chance to bring power back to this weapon, but if you don’t want me to, I won’t fight you." Adam said nothing, he looked at his sister, who looked back, and the two siblings walked over to the swords, de-activated the alarm systems, they each pulled their own sword from their holsters, and handed them to Johnny.

"Do what you must." Adam said. Johnny nodded.

"Adora, I wasn’t going to take your sword, it can still be used."

"I wouldn’t want to be She-Ra without a He-Man beside me." Johnny gave a weary smile, stuffed the two swords in his bag, and tiptoed away.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Jonathan, why have you called me out of the castle, I have no power outside of it." Teela asked as the brother and sister stood outside of Castle Grayskull.

"Jonathan?" Johnny asked.

"I’m trying to sound more like mother." Johnny smiled.

"Look, it took me three years to keep her from calling me "Child of Grayskull". Let’s just keep it at Johnny." Johnny said as he pulled the two swords.

"How did you get those?" Teela asked.

"Ask me again sometime. Your father said that the teleporter in his workshop, once finished, will work just like the travel corridors. So..." Johnny said as he pulled out the glowing Em’cron shard. He held it between one sword and his palm, used it to first make the two swords fuse into one, then while the sword still glowed with power, plunged the sword into the flat slab of rock next to the jaw bridge. "Let’s get off the jaw bridge now!" Johnny said as he led Teela off the bridge just before the jaw bridge rose up and sealed shut with a stone scraping sound that echoed throughout the evergreen forest.

"No one will ever enter Grayskull until evil rises again and a person chosen by Grayskull pulls the sword from the stone and the power of Grayskull are once again in need of a hero." Johnny said as he walked back to the attack track.

"You mean I can go back to my husband!" Teela said with joy as she kissed her brother on the cheek and raced into the attack track. Johnny smiled.

"And I can finally ask Cid to marry me." Yep, life sure is full of surprises. Time passed as it always does, Johnny soon married Cidney and they lived in the Royal Palace with all their friends from Eternia. Johnny and Duncan also continued to be great ambassadors to the planet, they had already worked out treaties with the Shi’ar, the Federation, and the planet of Cybertron, and now Johnny is a happy man and nothing more, the one dream that kept him going for seven years.

 

The End For Now................