From Eternia With Death
by Shadow RangerDisclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers, Masters of the Universe or any other show featured in this fanfiction. All characters belong to their respective copyright holders.
Author's Note: For timeline purposes the characters from Eternia are taken after the events in Episode 5 of Masters of the Universe: Revelation and the escape from Castle Grayskull in episode 6. It is set after the Power Rangers previous encounters with the Justice League.
From Eternia With Death
The universe as we know it is not quite as it seems. Beneath the planets, realms, and dimensions, the foundation of reality exists as the woven interaction between a domain of matter and the domain of energy. The domain of energy has many names. Some call it the Morphin Grid. It is the place where all energy begins and the place where it returns. Some prefer to refer to it simply as The Power.
And on the planet of Eternia, rules Castle Grayskull; an ancient fortress of magic and mystery where technology and magic mingle in impossible ways. Its power is sought by the dark forces of Snake Mountain, the sanctuary of sin and sorrow. Ruled by the demon sorcerer Skeletor and his evil acolytes, the armies of darkness will stop at nothing to steal the power of the castle.
And the only thing that stands in their way is Prince Adam, who defends the secrets of Castle Grayskull as He-Man! The most powerful man in the universe!
Or at least he did defend the secrets of Grayskull, until the day that Adam and Skeletor were destroyed by the power they were fighting over and Eternia was left without its villain, without its magic, and without a champion. But that changed the day that Teela and her companions returned from their quest to reforge the Sword of Power, bringing Prince Adam back to life once more.
The planet Eternia had suffered greatly during his absence. Only a short time back among the living, Adam was aware of the pain the removal of magic had caused, not just to the people, but to the creatures and the planets unique to Eternia and its magical energy. Re-entering Castle Grayskull and laying eyes upon the weakened form of the Sorceress had confirmed what he had already suspected: without the constant flow of extra-dimensional energy flowing through the orb buried in the bowels of Castle Grayskull, the planet would not survive much longer. With each magical creature that faded, the intrinsic fields that held Eternia together eroded; Adam had not just been playing huntsman in the afterlife, King Grayskull had seen to furthering his education in the ways of the Power.
So as he and his friends gathered at the site where years earlier he had been destroyed, Adam held aloft his sword and said the words he had expected to never speak again...
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!"
And those words were enough to begin the rebirth of Eternia as the spark within Adam, the connection to the power underlying the fabric of the universe, reached out through the Power Sword, crafted from the powers of light and dark energy. And the Power responded to his summons, channelled through the Power Sword and into the material universe. The orb of energy, the open end of the energy conduit formed, bringing life to the dreary chambers as the magical flora and fauna were restored. Magic seeped through the walls of the old castle, replacing the Hall of Wisdom with the broken remains of Castle Grayskull in all its magical glory.
A pillar of light filled the chamber, the empty connection between the planet and the Source, ready for a being to give themselves to the Power and guide it. With a nod from Man-At-Arms, the Sorceress stepped forward, reclaiming her previous role as the guardian of the power, directing the magic outward across the planet.
Lyn noticed the shaking from her bag and opened it, surprised to see the remains of Skeletor's Havoc Staff rise of its own accord, regenerating into the powerful artefact it had once been. A part of her wanted to shout a warning, but a whisper in her mind told her to remain silent and witness what was to come.
The process was almost complete, the Power had been called down upon them once more. All that remained was for Adam to claim the power and anchor it to Eternia. A simple step that would temporarily transform him into the mightiest man in the universe.
"I HAVE THE POW..."
His words were cut off by the sudden pain in his side. He froze, shocked by the sudden and possibly mortal wound on his side. He was aware that having left paradise once, he would not be permitted to return. And now it seemed his life was about to be cut short by the spike that emerged from his abdomen.
The chamber lapsed into silence, shocked by the turn of events. Eyes shifted from the shocked face of Prince Adam to the staff to the demon sorcerer holding it. Skeletor had returned, the last remnants of his twisted essence flowing from Lyn's wand-staff into his now regenerated body.
Adam looked over his shoulder as Skeletor closed the short distance between them and plucked the Power Sword from his grip. And then with an almost dismissive motion, the young man was shoved forward, the spear-like end of the Havoc Staff being ripped from his impaled body.
"Skeletor?" Lyn asked, not believing her eyes at the sight of her former master as he examined the sword in his hand.
"My apologies for keeping you in the dark, my dear," Skeletor said as his staff vanished from sight. "But with my body destroyed by the explosion, I was forced to take refuge inside your wand staff to protect my essence."
He made a show of examining his restored body.
"You did good, Lynny," he remarked. "Now take your place at my side."
Lyn looked over at the fallen Adam and the kneeling Teela, realising that with Skeletor reborn there was only one place for her. It was with a reluctant sigh that she shook her hair and moved to rejoin him.
"It's been fun kids," she remarked as she walked in her master's direction. "I was almost starting to like you."
"Wait, you don't have to..."
Whatever Andra was about to say was cut off as Lyn used her staff to bind her in place. It was not the sort of thing a friend would do to another, but in Lyn's mind, being bound and captive was better than being obliterated by Skeletor.
Lyn continued to walk just passed Skeletor, taking a place on his right side, two steps back. Beast Man followed, standing to the left after offering his own greeting, which was ignored.
"What is wrong with you?" Andra demanded, staring at Skeletor.
Lyn sighed, recognising that the girl's mouth had just overcome any attempt Lymn had made to keep her safe. Andra had drawn Skeletor's attention onto herself.
"No, stop!" Teela cried as Skeletor paced forward.
"She asked me a question, Captain," Skeletor snarled. "It's only right I answer her. Look at my face child. It has furnished me a lonely life in which none would have me as a man." He paused to look down at the sword in his hand. "So now, I shall be a god."
Time slowed, the universe freezing in anticipation and even horror at what was about to occur as Skeletor raised the magical sword above his head and spoke the words.
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!"
His call was quieter than Adam's, something that made it sound all the more twisted as the Power reacted to his call, bringing forth the magic of the universe into his evil body and transforming it into the godlike being Skeletor believed he should possess.
"I AM THE POWER!"
Skeletor had won. His enemies were defeated and the Power belonged to him. He was no longer the mere demon sorcerer, for now with the Power of Grayskull coursing through him, he had become a god. His first act as the new God of Eternia was to execute the man who had stood in his way for so long: He-Man.
But Skeletor despite his elevation to godhood remained the same creature he had always been. And in his hubris, he overlooked the woman who had been the guardian of Grayskull's power for longer than he had been on Eternia to steal it. The Sorceress, a woman who had sacrificed her mortal life and freedom to be tied to the castle as its protector, was not on the side of Skeletor. She would defy him to the last and in that moment there was one act that would prevent him from claiming his prize.
"Shukmota, zoarvazeka!" she cried, calling the Power to her weakened form.
For five years Eternia had been without magic. In that time the Sorceress had given all of her power to help preserve what little of the planet she could. Her efforts had slowed the effects of magical decline. And when the magic had been restored, she had allowed it to flow outward to the world around her before recharging herself. As a result she was weakened, magically exhausted, but determined Skeletor would not get his way. With the last of her energy, she sent Prince Adam and her daughter Teela to where she hoped they would find safety; even if it meant leaving Eternia to face the wrath of its new god.
Unfortunately, her spell did not extend to Man-At-Arms - who had been bound by Evil-Lyn's magic, Cringer - who had been forced away from the others by Beast Man, or Andra - who was currently trying to keep Beast Man away from Cringer.
"Shukmota, zoarvazeka!"
In a flash it was over as the young warriors and their pet cat vanished, leaving Skeletor striking the stone floor of the castle before he turned back to her.
"Where did they go?!" he demanded.
She stared back defiantly. If she were to face death then it would be on her feet, not her knees.
"You have been the protector of this castle for so long," Skeletor stated as he closed the distance between them. "It is time for some new blood."
And with that he struck her with the sword, ending her time in the mortal world as her blood stained the castle floor.
"Good news for you, my dear," he said to Evil-Lyn as he pointedly ignored the grieving Man-At-Arms. "You have been promoted!"
A burst of energy shot from the end of the Power Sword, bathing Evil-Lyn in magic as it forcibly tied her to the power within the depths of the castle. She gasped as her mind was awakened to the universe and the power coursed through her. She almost missed Skeletor saying something about her being tied to the castle for all eternity as she struggled to grasp the enormity of the magic he had granted her.
"And now, use your connection and find out what that meddling sorceress sent her servants," he commanded.
Lyn had already seen what happened to those who defied Skeletor. She wished to live and so obeyed his command. Although as she tapped into the magic at her command, she could only ask: "Where on Eternia are they?"
Earth
"Where on Eternia are we?"
That was Teela's first thought as she came to, after the brief shock of Cringer calling her name. In her position as Captain of the Royal Guard, she had seen most of the planet. And those places she had not visited in an official capacity, she had made certain to visit during the years after Adam's death. So as she looked around at the buildings and people, she drew the immediate conclusion that they were no longer on Eternia. The question was: where had the Sorceress sent them?
"Andra?" she queried, only to be met by silence and then a small groan. "Adam!"
Adam, Prince of Eternia and apparently the Champion of Grayskull, was dying. The blood loss from his wound was already soaking into the street beneath him. Inside she felt an instinct to help, to heal the wound and save his life. But that instinct did not include any sort of instruction on how to accomplish such a task. And though her hands hovered above the wound, nothing happened.
"Zoar, help me!" she begged.
And then time seemed to freeze, just as it had years before when the Sorceress had tried to hold back the explosion that had taken Adam's life. She looked up, not believing the sight before her as a red-headed woman appeared in the air, her hands moving on top of Teela's outstretched palms.
"My little bird," the woman uttered, the words unlocking something inside Teela.
And at that moment, Teela knew what to do. She felt the power as it flowed from wherever it came, through her hands and onto the wound. With her mind and desire to repair the damage to guide it, the white energy repaired the damage caused by Skeletor's staff, saving the prince's life.
"How did I do that?" she asked, aware that there was nobody around to answer. Wherever they had ended up, Cringer and Andra were not with them.
The act of healing had taken a great deal out of her. But there was little time for speculation. Now able to get a better look at their surroundings, Teela realised that they had appeared in an alleyway and that their arrival had drawn attention. From the sirens and shouting, they were not in for a friendly welcome.
"We need to get out of here," she stated, looking down at the still-unconscious Adam. Magic was good for healing, but some injuries required time and rest.
A large vehicle pulled into the alley, the doors opening to allow armed men to exit. Overhead she could hear the sound of a flying machine. She caught a brief glimpse as it flew back and forth over the alley.
"Freeze!" a commanding voice ordered.
Men were running toward them, armed with weapons of some description. Clad in black uniforms with their faces covered, they spread out to surround the woman, and her unconscious companion. She noticed their leader did not have a mask. He was bald and carried a rifle of some sort. Teela's knowledge of weapons led her to believe it was capable of firing a blast from each barrel.
"Put your hands in the air where we can see them," came another command.
Teela obeyed, her eyes tracking the approaching soldiers, taking note of the insignia on their chests that read APEX. Despite the appearance of soldiers, Teela knew that if they had been her trainees, she would have punished them for such obvious mistakes in their formation. None of them had taken up a position to cover the others, as in their enthusiasm to make an arrest and no doubt claim the bonus, they completely overlooked the safety of their comrades.
"On three," Teela said in a low voice, watching as one soldier stopped in front of her. He was too close to defend himself if she lashed out. Which she did. "Three!"
Teela grabbed the weapon of the nearest soldier and used it as a lever to pull him from his feet and into his neighbour. In the close confines of the alley, she was about to use the dumpsters to her advantage, drawing upon the lessons her father had given her about facing multiple opponents. Normally at this point, she would be looking for a way out, to find a place where the odds were more in her favour, but she could not abandon her friend. Of the dozen soldiers that had entered the alleyway, she had managed to take down eleven just as Adam started to stir. With one soldier and his commander left, Teela looked for a way out.
The last soldier however was a little different from his colleagues. He had not rushed in when they had started resisting, choosing to wait for his opportunity.
"Okay, I guess it's my turn," he said, nodding to the commanding officer. "We can do this the easy way or we do this the hard way," he announced as he pulled out a strange device.
Teela shifted into a fighting stance that would allow her to defend herself if he attacked.
"The hard way it is," the soldier announced. "Good, I hate it when they just give up. APEX Warrior, Activate!"
The existence of APEX had been a closely guarded secret. Then a series of incidents and miscalculations a century before had revealed the organisation to governments around the world. Established by individuals who believed that aliens and demons existed and could invade Earth at any time, APEX had been considered a joke and later a nuisance as they attempted to interfere and seize evidence of extraterrestrial and extradimensional life forms and the technology they possessed. Their insistence that Earth should be protected by its inhabitants and that APEX should have an input into all matters concerning alien life had seen them banned from operating in many parts of the world.
The APEX Warrior was the pinnacle of the organisation's research, a means to fight alien invaders on equal terms. The original APEX Warrior had proven to be a powerful weapon and was deemed a success. Unfortunately it had been so successful that its creator had decided it was too dangerous and had stolen the completed unit. The current version though less impressive, had been mass-produced and handed out to hundreds of APEX personnel around the world, allowing them to take charge of situations where APEX could benefit.
"Give it up now," the Warrior warned. "I don't want to have to hurt you."
In response, Teela picked up a baton one of the soldiers had dropped during their fight. She spun the makeshift weapon, inviting the Warrior to try his luck. He did and found himself on the ground courtesy of a strike to the back of the knee followed by a blow to the back of the neck.
The Warrior growled, drawing a rifle as he aimed at the woman.
"That's enough!"
A green barrier appeared between the Warrior and the warrior he was fighting. Above them hovered the green-clad form of a Green Lantern, accompanied by the avian alien known as Hawkgirl.
"This is our arrest," the bald leader challenged. "APEX has granted us full authority to..."
"APEX doesn't have any authority," the Green Lantern replied. "You shouldn't even be operating in this city."
"APEX extended its patrol area," came the explanation. "It was decided that since this city sees more than the average amount of alien activity, APEX should be assigned to deal with it."
"In direct contradiction of the law," Hawkgirl stated. "And you do not have a permit for that gun," she added as she noticed the shot-canon rifle the commander was holding.
"This is an APEX matter," the Commander insisted. "We were here first, we claim jurisdiction. This is now a matter of global security. So stand down!"
"There is no such thing as an APEX matter," Hawkgirl replied. "Now get out of here unless you wish to try your luck against us, after what happened last time. Or we can haul you in and let the authorities decide how to deal with you."
"She assaulted my team."
"Your team attempted to detain her when it had no right. I'd say she should be able to claim it as self-defence. Besides, it looks like she went easy on them; aside from a few bruises they are mostly unhurt. Now collect your team and get out of the city before we decide to press charges."
There was a lot of grumbling, but the APEX agents did as they were told, unwilling to fight with those who could easily overcome them. Which, left Teela facing members of the Justice League. At that moment though she was more concerned about checking on her friend.
"So what do we do with them now?" Hawkgirl asked.
The Green Lantern landed in the alleyway. "APEX had a point: she did attack them."
As they debated, Teela was pleased to see that Adam had recovered.
"You know we can't arrest them just for being aliens," Hawkgirl pointed out. There was no question in her mind that they were not from Earth.
"Ring: biological scan!" the Green Lantern ordered, pointing the ring at the two youths.
"Subject One: Female, humanoid of unknown origin. Subject Two: Male, humanoid. Origin is half Earthling. Threat level: Uncertain!"
"It's not like your ring to not have a definite answer, even if it's wrong," Hawkgirl pointed out.
"Then we need to determine the truth," a third voice said. Adam looked around to see a woman dressed in red, blue and gold. The amount of clothing she wore made Teela feel overdressed. The woman looked around the alley before walking towards them. "I can sense something strange about them," she commented as her hand unhitched a lasso from her side. "If you cooperate, this will be painless," she promised before looping the end of the lasso over Adam's hand. "Now, to start with, who are you?"
Adam felt the compulsion to answer truthfully wash over him. Somewhere deep inside he felt that he should attempt to resist such an intrusion, but another part of him realised that the truth was likely their best option.
"I am Adam, Prince of Eternia and defender of the secrets of Castle Grayskull," he said. "And this is Teela, my... friend."
There was a hint that he was not being completely truthful, but Wonder Woman realised that there were likely feelings that the boy had yet to understand.
"You're injured," she noted. She glanced at Teela, noticing that she also had some injuries.
"I should be dead," Adam remarked, before looking at Teela. "How did you heal me?"
"I don't know," Teela admitted. "We just got here and you were dying... I couldn't let you die... again."
"I remember the Sorceress casting a spell to protect us," Adam said, trying to recall everything they had been through. "A teleportation spell." He looked around. "Where are Andra and Cringer?"
"I don't know," Teela admitted. "They must have gotten separated."
"We need to find them," Adam decided. Because believing they were lost in this strange place was better than the possibility that they were trapped in the castle with Skeletor. "Where are we?"
"You landed in Washington," the Green Lantern told them. Neither recognised his uniform.
"Washington?" Adam queried. "We're on Earth?"
Adam had heard much about the planet of his mother's birth. Marlena had made a point of teaching him about the land where she had been born, and some of its cities.
"Earth? That's impossible!" Teela stated. "The Sorceress was weak when she cast the spell and was trying to keep Skeletor at bay. There's no way she had enough power to send us to Earth."
"She could if she teleported us to one of the dimensional doorways beneath the castle," Adam answered. "She wanted us away from Skeletor and off-planet as far as she could manage."
"Great, so we just need to figure out a way to find our friends and return to Eternia. And then we can worry about a demon god who is probably destroying Eternia as we speak."
"If your friends are on Earth, we can find them," Wonder Woman assured them. "If they're not, maybe we can help you find a way home. For now, you'll need to come with us." The woman seemed to realise they hadn't been introduced. "I am Wonder Woman. This is Hawkgirl and Green Lantern," she added pointing at the winged woman and the green uniformed man who appeared to be talking to the ring on his finger.
"Ring: I need information about a planet named Eternia."
"Error: The planet Eternia is outside of the jurisdiction of the Green Lantern Corps. All information is restricted to the Guardians. Your query has been logged for a follow-up. You are required to report any interaction with Eternia before your next recharge. Battery now at ninety-eight percent."
"I don't like the sound of that," the Green Lantern commented. "When the Guardians restricted information it usually ended badly."
"Don't worry about it for now," Wonder Woman said, "We have more than one source. We'll put the rest of the League on alert, just in case."
In the past many of the Guardians' little secrets had turned out to be dangerous to the safety of the Corps and the rest of the universe.
"We need to get back to the Halls of Justice," Green Lantern decided. "You two will need to come with us, while we confirm your story."
"Don't worry, you'll be safe," Hawkgirl assured them. "It'll be safer than staying here."
"J'onn, five to bring back," the Green Lantern called.
In a column of light, they disappeared.
Castle Grayskull, Eternia
Weeks had passed since the teenagers had been whisked away by the Sorceress. During that time all attempts to locate them had failed. And even when Skeletor had turned his wrath upon the people of Eternia to lure them out, Adam and his friends had failed to show.
"I found them, my Lord," Evil-Lyn announced as she sauntered into the throne room.
In return Skeletor looked up for the first time since he had started his invasion of the planet, his will extending beyond the walls of the castle to bring darkness to the people of Eternia. In that time he had grown more and more distracted, the strain of holding onto the power forcing him to concentrate.
"Well done, my dear sorceress," he finally said, looking her up and down. "It only took you a month."
"I had not expected her to send them off the planet," Evil-Lyn replied, quick to defend herself. "I searched the whole planet before looking elsewhere. Do you have any idea how many places there are to hide on Eternia?"
"Off the planet?" Skeletor repeated, sounding interested as he raised his head. "I didn't think she had the power for such a feat."
"She was desperate," Evil-Lyn allowed. "She somehow tapped into the powers of the castle to send them somewhere she believed they would be safe." She paused for effect. "Earth."
"Earth? Yes, of course, she would send them to that wretched little planet," Skeletor fumed. He recalled his previous encounters on the planet, or more to the point: he could not recall what had occured the previous time he had visited that planet, but it had taken months for him to fully recover. "She is a fool if she believed they would be safe from me there."
And in a way, they were. Skeletor recalled a visitot from Earth whom he had managed to turn into a servant for a brief time, before the alien had broken through his control and forced him to retreat. It had taken Skeletor weeks to recover the magic he had expended to escape that day. Still, he couldn't allow Adam and his little friend to escape, not when Adam had stood against him for so long. Not when Adam's survival would bring hope that He-Man would save them.
"I have already taken steps to recover them," Evil-Lyn announced. The choice of servants at her disposal had been vast, but in the end she had picked those that she would not be sorry to see lost on an alien world. "But I didn't just come here to talk about those kids. I know what has been ailing you my lord, and how to cure you."
"Ailing me?" Skeletor asked. His voice had taken on a dangerous tone. "And what makes you think that anything can affect me in this form?"
"You have not been yourself since you transformed into a god," Evil-Lyn explained. "I took it upon myself to find out why."
"And what did you discover?" he asked as she slid her hands over his arms.
"You've absorbed too much power, too quickly," she explained. "You body needs to develop the means to channel such energy and you remaining in this form prevents those conduits from forming. The Power needs to be refreshed until it becomes a natural part of you," she responded, "otherwise it becomes stale. You need to allow the Power to return and then call it back. The more you do so, the easier the Power will become to control. And besides," she whispered as her hand traced its way down his chest, "there are some things that I cannot do to you as you are now. After all, to sleep with a god risks waking up dead."
How she had gone from standing before him to straddling him was uncertain, but with his mind distracted by his godhood, Skeletor found he didn't care. Evil-Lyn was offering him something that he couldn't deny that he wanted. Especially as she leaned in closer.
"Let the power... return!" he whispered urgently as she shifted her weight back and forth.
And in that instant, Skeletor was returned to his previous state as a demon sorcerer, his mind clearing as he took notice of his situation. A part of him protested at allowing Evil-Lyn or any of his followers so close, but a more biological part of him responded as she moved back and forth. As such he barely noticed as she gently removed the sword from his grasp, until she had it pointed at his throat.
"All that power and you had no idea what to do with it," she chided. "A little boy with a single fixation, unable to deal with the thought that He-Man is beyond your reach. You will never destroy He-Man, not with all the power at your command. Because without He-Man, you are nothing."
"Oh come on Lynny, be reasonable," Skeletor begged, but she ignored him.
"If you want He-Man so badly, go and find him," she instructed. "And maybe when you return, we can discuss things."
She waved her hand and a portal opened before the demon sorcerer.
"After all I've done for you, couldn't you fetch them back?" he asked.
"You tethered me to the castle, remember?" she shot back. "I already sent your servants to find them. Surely taking charge to ensure their success is not beyond you. Or would you prefer that I make myself the Champion and hunt them down personally?"
She held the sword, considering the implications of her suggestion. It would bring her unbelievable power and the freedom to use it. On the other hand she had seen what happened to those that took the Power for granted.
Skeletor however decided to take away her choice in the matter, unleashing a bolt of energy intended to disarm the wayward sorceress. Evil-Lyn shielded against the blast before opening fire with all her power, forcing Skeletor to fall back. He tried again as she stalked toward him, this time managing to blast the sword from her hand... into the portal.
"NO!" Skeletor cried, witnessing his chance at becoming a god once more slip through his finger. "You stupid woman, do you know what you have done?" he growled. Although faced with the option of chasing after the Sword of Power and continuing to berate a being who at that moment could easily destroy him - for unlike her predecessor, Evil-Lyn had no qualms about doing so - he realised that the possibility to return to his previous state as a god was escaping him. "We'll discuss this later," he promised as he dived into the portal.
"And why do you think that portal leads to wherever I sent the sword?" she asked as he was passing through, taking satisfaction in the loook of genuine shock on the demon's face. With him gone, Evil-Lyn closed the portal with a wave of her hand and considered her next move.
And of course, that task was breaking free of the castle so that she could turn her power loose upon the chaos that was existence. But in order to do that, she needed understanding, which meant talking to the one man likely to know more about the power of Grayskull and its sorceress: Man-At-Arms. And if he didn't talk willingly, she was certain that torturing his cellmate Andra would convince him.
OA
"Lantern John Stewart, it is unusual for you to seek us out," the Guardian stated.
John Stewart, the Green Lantern assigned to the planet Earth, was one of the most self-reliant of their Green Lanterns, rarely seeking the advice or opinion of the Guardians, unless the circumstances were unusual. Just as well, given that John Stewart was also one of those Lanterns who were willing to defy the will of the Guardians if it meant fulfilling their duty.
"My ring encountered a problem earlier today," he stated.
His attendance had drawn the attention of three of the Guardians, each of whom listened with interest. Ring malfunctions that were not caused by a lack of energy were rare or dangerous... sometimes both.
"I asked the ring a question and it locked down, insisting that I report to the Guardians before my next recharge. I came as soon as circumstances allowed."
"And what question did you ask?" one of the Guardians inquired. "There are very few things that would cause this sort of reaction. The rings are designed to aid a Green Lantern unless the query is illegal or dangerous... or in breach of your oath."
"I asked my ring to identify two teenagers that had shown up unexpectedly," John explained. "The first was detected as a humanoid of unknown origin and the other as half-unknown. During the conversation one revealed himself to be an alien prince and when I asked the ring for details about his planet, it shut down."
"Using the ring to identify a life form's origin is not against the rules of using a ring," the Guardian replied. "I do not see why asking for details of a planet would trigger such a response."
"Which planet?" the second Guardian asked.
"Eternia," John answered, noticing the immediate reaction of the three guardians.
The first Guardian reached out his hand, taking hold of John's hand as his finger touched the ring.
"I have unlocked your ring," he said. "The topic of Eternia is one that we do not discuss, but the ring should not have considered it forbidden."
"But why is Eternia a problem?"
"Because, John Stewart, the planet is a place where the Guardians lack influence," came a surprisingly honest response. "Eternia is a world of magic and science combined in ways we cannot understand. A place of chaos that defies order."
"That's it?" John asked. "You consider the planet out-of-bounds because you cannot control it?"
"The Green Lanterns were created to bring order to chaos," the Guardian reminded him. "It was a failed venture. Now they exist to try to bring some law and order to the universe and prevent the spread of chaos. You should know that in the beginning there were two universes, where magic and science were held in equal regard. We Guardians sought to remove magic from this universe by forcing it into the second universe, shifting the balance between magic and science here and there. Eternia is the world that functions as the meeting place between those two universes. It is a world that while a part of both universes, truly has no place in either."
"Be warned, John Stewart: Eternia is one of the hubs around which both universes turn. At times Eternia shifts from one universe to the other, becoming the centre point around which the universe revolves. The time is approaching when Eternia will once again assume it's place as the dominant power of this universe and when it does, the night shall grow darker than ever before."
"Now charge your ring, and be gone."
It had not been as informative as John had hoped, but as he prepared to return to Earth, he had countless questions for their young visitors. It seemed the Guardians considered Eternia a threat, which meant John would not lower his guard until he was certain that Adam and Teela were safe to be around.
"IN BRIGHTEST DAY, IN BLACKEST NIGHT, NO EVIL SHALL ESCAPE MY SIGHT. LET THOSE WHO WORSHIP EVIL'S MIGHT, BEWARE MY POWER: GREEN LANTERN'S LIGHT!"
He vanished in a ball of green energy.
"Was it wise not to warn him?" one of the Guardians asked as they watched him depart. Before adding: "About the return of Skeletor."
"He will find out soon enough," came the reply. "The prophecy is unfolding just as we expected. We must trust that Lantern Stewart and his allies will be able to deal with Skeletor on their own. Our efforts must be directed at finding the sword and using it to bring order as promised."
"We gave him that ring for a reason," the third Guardian added. "If he is the Green Lantern we believe him to be, then he will use the ring and ask his questions. Otherwise, he is not the subject of the prophecy
End of Part