A/N: Fair warning, this is not going to be regularly updated until Reunions Book 2: Homecoming is finished. I've toyed with this one for over a year, but it's nowhere near complete. And yes, I do have a life, but when you're in a writing mood, and your writing partner is not available, you have to play with SOMETHING!
This story follows "Quest for the Sword," from the 1980's MOTU show. In that episode, a rock man named Rabar stole He-Man's sword. At the end of the episode, he threw it into a pit leading to the center of Eternia. Orko just happened to be down in the pit trying to capture some of the power, and caught the sword on his way back up, saving Adam and Cringer from being He-Man and Battle Cat forever. But I couldn't help but wonder...what if Orko hadn't caught that sword?
Now I have to ask you to suspend logic a bit. The idea that the Sorceress could not re-produce the sword always seemed a bit silly to me, since she could draw on Grayskull's power. There are other "ways out" I could think of. However, exploring ways for Adam to get his sword back didn't hold any appeal. Exploring what his life might have been like if he had been truly trapped as He-Man…now THAT seemed interesting. And so I started playing.... I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed playing with it.
He-Man and Duncan rushed to the white-hot pit leading to the center of Eternia...the pit into which Rabar the rock man had just thrown the Power Sword.
"The sword, it's gone!" Duncan exclaimed.
"No, it can't be!" He-Man protested desperately, every fiber of his body railing against the undeniable fact.
"Even you couldn't survive down there, He-Man," Duncan said somberly, his black eyes unable to look away from the pit. The heat from the center of Eternia radiated towards them in nearly overwhelming waves, and a light sweat broke out under Duncan's armor. "Besides, the sword has melted to nothing by now."
"Then it's all over, Duncan," He-Man replied in quiet disbelief, knowing his friend was right. The heat on his own tanned skin was intense. Still staring at the white glowing hole, he added, "From now on, I'll never be Adam again."
After seeing Man-at-Arms, Ram-Man, and Orko into the wind raider to return to the palace, He-Man collapsed the entrances as the rock people had requested.
"The cave is sealed," he said reflectively, as a cool breeze brushed his dark blond hair gently. "Even as Adam's fate is sealed. And Cringer's too, my friend," he added with a glance at Battle Cat. The great green tiger lowered his head in sadness. After a short silence, He-Man mounted up. "Come on, Cat. Let's head over to Grayskull." He couldn't help but hope that the Sorceress had a way out of this mess. It was the only hope he had.
"I am sorry, He-Man, but there is nothing I can do," the Sorceress said gently, sensing his sorrow. "The sword was the only way Grayskull's power could be channeled into or out of your body." Her blue, orange, and white headdress poked at her scalp, causing her skin to itch, but she ignored it. She kept her green eyes focused on her champion. Grayskull's mediocre lighting could do nothing to hide the distress on his handsome face.
"And there is no way to re-create the sword," he surmised, the look on her face all the answer he needed.
"No," she replied. "It was created at the same time this castle was, joined to Grayskull's power in some mystical way that has never truly been understood."
Mentally, He-Man chased ideas that led to dead ends. Suddenly he looked up at her. "I could go to Trolla," he mused, hope brightening his blue eyes for a moment. "That would turn me back into Adam."
Teelana hated what she had to say. "But then He-Man would be lost to Eternia forever, and it is very possible that Skeletor would take over," she pointed out in her melodious voice. "It is a choice, but one you must make very carefully." She had no doubt he would do the right thing. Adam was He-Man because he never put himself first.
As if to confirm her thoughts, He-Man sighed heavily, with a slight shake of his head. He looked to his feline companion. "It doesn't look as if I have much of a choice, my friend, but you don't have to be Battle Cat forever. If you want to become Cringer again, you just need to say the word."
"No way, He-Man," the great cat growled, his yellow eyes determined. "I'm sticking with you."
Eternia's champion went down to one knee to give Battle Cat a grateful hug. "Then let's go back to the palace. We've got a lot of explaining to do."
"What will you tell them?" the Sorceress asked, her brow furrowed. "Your true identity could still pose a threat to their safety. Will you tell them who you are?"
He-Man raised his hands and let them fall listlessly. "I don't know, Sorceress." The Sorceress felt tears well up in sympathy as he turned away, Battle Cat following, and walked towards the jawbridge, repeating softly to himself, "I don't know."
"Watching He-Man lecture Adam will be more fun than a party!" Teela said gleefully as she sat on the stone table. She wrapped her clasped hands around one knee, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Her red hair was swept up and held by a tiara that marked her as the Captain of the Guard, exposing the creamy white skin of her long, elegant neck.
Duncan frowned lightly. He didn't think this was going to be a party at all. Then he caught sight of He-Man and Battle Cat approaching and went still. Adam was carrying himself and hiding his feelings as well as he usually did, but the old warrior was experienced in knowing his young charge; he could see the slightly sorrowful tilt to He-Man's lips and the shadow in his eyes. He-Man had corrected both of those by the time he drew near; no one other than Duncan would have known anything was wrong.
"Did someone mention my name?" He-Man asked lightly as he approached. "And what was that about a party?"
Teela turned to him, her green eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Oh good, you're here! Let's go find Adam! I can't wait to hear you tell him what's on your mind!" He-Man's face fell. Teela cocked her head at his sudden change in demeanor.
"Teela," He-Man said steadily, trying to keep his voice from sounding as heavy as his heart, "we're not going to be able to find Adam."
"What do you mean?" Teela asked, her voice losing its joy at the seriousness in his tone.
He-Man swallowed hard as he looked her in the eye. He'd thought about it the entire way home, how to do this without causing despair or revealing his secret. He'd only come up with one solution, albeit a temporary one.
"Adam's not going to be around for a while," he said.
"I don't understand," Teela said, her eyes narrowing. "You mean he left? Like on a trip?"
He-Man nodded. "He had something to take care of," he explained. 'Like getting rid of Skeletor.'
Teela stood in protest. "So he just went off? By himself? Without me?"
He-Man's eyebrow quirked slightly, but he simply nodded again, adding, "With Cringer, of course." He waited for the explosion.
"Of course," Teela said absently, her face growing dark as the seconds ticked by. "Adam hardly goes anywhere without Cringer. But how am I supposed to protect him if I don't even know where he is?" He-Man and Battle Cat exchanged glances. Teela looked up at her hero and added angrily, "This is so like him. Just leave us doing all his work." He-Man said nothing, and Teela sighed, her hands going onto her hips. "Did you see him before he left?"
"I was there," He-Man answered calmly, forcing himself to stay relaxed. He had never had so much trouble hiding his emotions before. He had managed to avoid conversations like this as Adam. He either played dumb or conveniently disappeared. He couldn't do that as He-Man, though. That would be out of character for the hero, and could very well hint at who he was.
"Did you lecture him like I told you to? Did he get upset?"
"I didn't need to say a word," He-Man said truthfully.
"He already knew how we felt?" Teela asked, something akin to fear skirting across her face.
"Yes, he knew," He-Man replied. He glanced at Duncan, who was frowning at him.
"Is that why he left?" Teela demanded incredulously. "He ran away because we were upset with him?"
"He didn't run away," He-Man objected, striving to keep his expression calm. "Adam will be back."
"When?" she challenged him. To her surprise, He-Man dropped his gaze for a second, as if to collect himself. But when he met her eyes again, his face was as placid as the Glass Sea. 'I must have imagined it,' she thought briefly.
"I don't know." It came out low, in a tone Teela was too irritated to analyze.
Teela dropped her hands, anger welling up. There was something about the solemnity to He-Man's face that told her this wasn't just Adam out having fun, but this was Adam. He always got out of scrapes unscathed. 'In fact, Adam's always out having fun. This is no different,' she told herself. 'But still…' "Why would he leave so suddenly, and without saying good-bye? I don't understand. Is he upset with us?"
"It came up pretty unexpectedly, so he told me to tell everyone good-bye for him," He-Man answered with another helpless glance at Duncan. The older soldier pursed his lips, obviously not understanding the tract He-Man was taking but choosing to trust that the hero was doing the best he could. "Adam wasn't angry with me or you or anyone else, Teela. He just had to leave for a while. I'm sure he'll come back when he can."
'When he can?' The words echoed in her mind, and Teela whirled away for a moment. To her surprise, she felt tears threatening. She had the strangest feeling this time was different. She blinked angrily. "Where did he go? I need to talk to him." She turned back around sharply, her voice hard, hiding her worry, if not her anger.
"I-" He-Man fumbled. He didn't want to lie to her. It went against everything within him. "Look Teela, Adam's safe. Let him be for a while, okay?"
"But you do know where he is?" Teela asked, her worry dissipating. Then she realized that if He-Man knew where Adam was, and wasn't worried about the prince, then Adam probably was off having some fun. She grew more certain of that as He-Man nodded reluctantly. "Where?" she demanded harshly.
"I can't tell you," he said, hating himself as her face fell and flushed pink with anger. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sure Adam will return when he's ready," Duncan added, with a confused glance at He-Man. 'Why doesn't he just tell her the truth?' he wondered.
Teela nodded slightly. "I suppose you're right, Father. He always does." She cast a disparaging glance at He-Man and marched off, her head held high.
He-Man blew out a breath. "Is she always like that when Adam's not around?" he asked.
"Pretty much," Duncan said frankly. Carefully keeping his voice neutral, he asked, "Care to tell me what's going on, lad?"
He-Man wasn't fooled by Duncan's tone. He knew his mentor too well. And he couldn't blame him; he didn't like to see Teela so upset either.
"Once Skeletor's defeated, I can change back into Adam by visiting Trolla," He-Man answered, his arms crossed defensively. "But I can't do it now; Skeletor's too dangerous." His blue eyes begged Duncan to understand.
"So you're hoping to defeat him quickly, and Adam can return and He-Man will pass into history," Duncan concluded, his face a bit troubled. He reached up to scratch at his chestnut-colored mustache.
"Yes," He-Man said slowly. "What's wrong, Duncan?"
"It's not always Skeletor we need you for, He-Man," Man-at-Arms pointed out. "What if something else comes up?"
He-Man said nothing for a moment, silently admitting the truth in his friend's words. He ran a tanned hand through his dark blond hair. "What am I supposed to do, Duncan?" he asked, despair clear in his voice for the first time.
Duncan pursed his lips, considering the options. "Tell Teela and your parents the truth," he finally suggested. "Maybe tell everyone. Then build a life for yourself as He-Man and prince. You're still the heir to the throne."
"I don't know," He-Man said uncomfortably, shifting his weight. "The whole reason we've kept this a secret is to protect them. To tell them now still puts them in danger. If the entire planet knew, that would be true even more so."
"Adam, if you don't tell them the truth, where are you going to stay?" Duncan asked reasonably. His logical mind worked through potential issues one at a time. "I can get you some money under the guise of giving it to Adam, but it wouldn't be enough. You have no place to go, no source of income, no food..."
He-Man's eyes grew wide at something behind Duncan. "K-King Randor," he stammered slightly, his voice loud. "Good evening, Sire." Duncan paled slightly and turned around, wondering how long the king had been there. 'Did he hear me call He-Man Adam?' Duncan worried. He dismissed the idea as he took in Randor's confident gaze. He-Man must have spotted him well before Randor was within earshot.
"Hello, He-Man, Duncan," the king greeted them as he drew nearer. His brown hair and beard were neatly trimmed as always, his blue robe spotless. His dark brown eyes noticed their tense faces quickly. "Is everything all right?" The two exchanged glances.
"Actually, King Randor, He-Man has something to tell you," Duncan admitted, leaving the decision to He-Man. Randor looked at the hero expectantly.
"Your Majesty, Adam-" he paused for a second or two, trying to make up his mind which way to go. One thought overwhelmed everything else. 'I can't risk the lives of my family and friends. They're already targets, but if Skeletor knew exactly how important they are to me, he would stop at nothing to get to them.'
"What is it? Is Adam all right?" Randor demanded, anxiety entering his eyes.
"Yes, he's fine," He-Man quickly assured the king. Randor relaxed slightly. "But he's had to leave to take care of some things, I'm afraid. He's not sure when he'll be back. He asked me to let you know."
Randor's brown eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Well I suppose I can speak with him in the morning then."
"Your Majesty," He-Man said slowly as he tried to figure out a way to word things without lying, "Adam's going to be gone for a very long time. Possibly months." 'Or years.'
"What?" Randor asked, alarmed. "Where did he go?"
"I can't say where he went," He-Man replied, feigning a nonchalance he didn't feel. He recalled several things his father had asked him to take care of—in fact, Randor had probably been looking for Adam to take care of at least one of those things. "In the meantime, if you need assistance with something, I'll be happy to help you out."
"Do you mean to tell me that my son, the Prince of Eternia, decided to take a sabbatical without first discussing it with me? And he asked you to assume his duties, as if you haven't enough to do?" Randor demanded, his face reddening. His left hand balled into a fist at his side.
He-Man took an involuntary step back. It was the first time he had been in the king's presence as He-Man when he actually felt as though he were still Adam. "A-actually, sire," he stuttered, "I, ah, that is, Adam-"
"Never mind," Randor said, shaking his head. "I don't mean to take my frustrations out on you, He-Man. I just wish that boy would learn to be responsible." He-Man's face flushed beneath his tan, but he said nothing more.
"Sire, I need He-Man's assistance on a few long-term projects," Duncan interjected. "Would it be all right if he stayed here at the palace for a few weeks?"
"What? Oh, of course," Randor answered absently, his mind still on his wayward son. "Make yourself at home for as long as you like, He-Man. Duncan can show you to a room. And I do hope you'll join us for meals."
"I would be honored, King Randor," He-Man answered, relieved that his immediate problems of food and shelter had been solved. "Thank you." The king bid them farewell and walked away, muttering about Adam under his breath. He-Man let out a sigh and sat down heavily on the stone bench, closing his eyes for a second.
"Thanks, Duncan," he said, looking back up at his mentor.
"That was perfect timing," Man-at-Arms grunted. "He was so concerned about Adam that he didn't even question why you'd need to stay here this time when you haven't done so before."
He-Man nodded in agreement. "It will give me some time to figure out what to do," he said quietly.
Duncan nodded. "This is a difficult situation. In spite of what I said before, I think you were wise to buy yourself some time, He-Man. You want to make sure you make the right decision, and truth be told, I'm not sure what that is. But if you want a sounding board, you know where I am."
"Thank you, Duncan," He-Man murmured. His distracted tone alerted Duncan that his thoughts were elsewhere already.
"What else is on your mind, lad?"
The hero shook his head. "Silly little logistics. I'll have to gather up some other clothes; I can't wear this all the time." He pulled a face. "It'd stink very shortly." Duncan chuckled at that. "I have to pretend I don't know every nook and cranny of this palace. I can't let on what things I enjoy; someone's bound to pick up that they are the same things Adam enjoys. If I get injured, I can't heal myself without the Power Sword."
Duncan regarded him steadily. "I think those are legitimate concerns, lad. You can't avoid the things you like just because they're the same as Adam's, but you do have to be careful. And not being able to heal yourself--that's a major concern. The Power Sword has rejuvenated your strength, broken spells, cut through force fields...you're at a real disadvantage without it."
He-Man re-crossed his arms, feeling like a child who had lost a favorite toy. "I know."
He-Man chose a room in the same hall, across from Adam's room; that way, if he wanted to get something from "Adam's" room, it wouldn't look nearly as suspicious. Unfortunately, he reflected, it also put him in the same hall as everyone else. He hesitated in the hallway for a long moment, wondering if he shouldn't move to a different wing in case Skeletor did attack him here. The thought lingered in his mind as he reluctantly went down to dinner.
He-Man hesitated again as he drew near the table. It was amazing how out-of-place he felt. His mother noticed his pause immediately.
"He-Man, come sit here," Marlena invited, indicating Adam's chair. He took his seat and waited quietly for the food, feeling odd being in his normal chair when some of those present didn't know who he was. As foolish as it sounded, he felt like he was trying to replace Adam. 'Get over it,' he told himself.
"He-Man, I must apologize for never having had you here for dinner before," Randor said. "After all you have done for Eternia, I should at least have had the decency to do so."
"That's all right, King Randor," he assured him. "My other obligations would probably have kept me away. I appreciate your hospitality now."
"Man-at-Arms tells us you were unsuccessful in recovering your sword from the rock people today," Marlena said, an indefinable look in her eye.
"Unfortunately, that's true," He-Man admitted.
"Will that be a problem for you?" the queen asked.
He-Man shrugged. "It doesn't cause any problems I can't handle." He winced inwardly as he spoke the half-truth. He wasn't sure he could handle this, actually.
Teela eyed him curiously, noting that he looked slightly uncomfortable. She'd never seen him like that before, and she wondered at the source. He had spent a lot of time in the palace, and never seemed out of place before. "Where do you usually live, He-Man?" she asked suddenly.
He-Man knew she must have forgiven him for keeping Adam's whereabouts a secret, because there was no fire in her voice. He hesitated only a few seconds. "I'd rather not say, Teela. If Skeletor knew where my family was..."
"Say no more, we understand," Randor interrupted. He-Man nodded his thanks.
"Are you married, He-Man?" Marlena asked, her eyebrows raised as though the thought had never before occurred to her.
He-Man chuckled at that; it was the first smile that had broken onto his face all day. At the same time, Randor frowned at his wife. "Marlena, that's not something-"
"It's all right, Your Majesty," He-Man assured Randor, still smirking. He turned to Marlena. "No, my queen, I am not. But I am concerned for the safety of my parents, so I prefer to keep my private life a secret."
"That's courageous of you, though I have to confess I'm a bit disappointed myself," Randor mused. "I would have liked to meet them. They must be incredible parents to have raised an outstanding young man like you."
He-Man reddened slightly as he replied. "They are," he said sincerely. "I owe everything I am to them."
A small smile touched Duncan's lips.
Randor sighed. "I wish I could get some advice from them. I don't seem to be doing a very good job of getting Adam ready for the throne. He's too busy having fun and running off to take things seriously." He frowned deeply, wondering again where his son had gone off to.
"You underestimate yourself," He-Man responded before he could stop himself. Randor raised an eyebrow, and He-Man mentally scrambled to word things correctly. He wanted to defend himself and his father, but he couldn't risk giving anything away. "Adam respects you a great deal, Your Majesty. He may have trouble putting your words into action, but you've laid the foundation for him."
"I didn't realize you knew my son so well," Randor said, both eyebrows now raised in surprise.
He was digging himself into a hole already, He-Man realized. "It doesn't take long to see that he respects you," he said in attempt to backtrack without lying or admitting more.
"I agree, Your Majesty," Duncan added, relieving He-Man of saying more. He waved his fork in the air to emphasize his point. "Adam has become a fine young man with a good head on his shoulders, thanks to your guidance."
"And yours," Randor countered with a smile that soon faded. "But tell me, Duncan, if I've done such a fine job, then where is my son right now? Why did he go off without telling anyone where he was going?" Worry was now mixed with the anger on his face.
He-Man swallowed hard and risked a glance at Marlena. To his surprise, she was staring at him with an intense, probing look on her face.
"He-Man knows where Adam is," Teela interjected, much to the hero's dismay. "But he won't say." Marlena narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Hush child," Duncan ordered Teela, too late.
Randor turned to He-Man in surprise. "That's right, he did tell you, didn't he?" His face grew troubled again. "I won't ask you to break your word to him, He-Man, but I am worried. Where on Eternia could he have gone, and why wouldn't he tell us? This isn't the first time he's gone off without warning. I don't like that he's keeping secrets from us."
Duncan and He-Man exchanged glances as Marlena answered. "Neither do I, dear, but we must respect that Adam is a grown man. He has a right to his own life." Her eyes didn't leave He-Man as she spoke. He fought the urge to squirm under her thoughtful gaze.
"He also has an obligation to the throne," added Randor. He frowned. "He-Man, he's not in any danger, is he?"
"No, Sire," He-Man answered, his heart breaking at the obvious and unexpected concern he saw in his father's eyes. "He's perfectly safe." 'It'll pass. In a few days they'll just accept it.'
Randor stood at his bedroom window, one arm leaning on the frame, the other hand absently scratching at his beard. Marlena came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his midsection.
"Are you all right?" she asked quietly.
"Not really," Randor answered slowly. "There was something about He-Man's look tonight, Marlena. I've not spent that much time in his presence, though, at least not socially. Tell me, have you noticed...when he's not fighting evil or joking around, does he normally have that slightly melancholy air about him?"
"Not that I've noticed before," Marlena answered, her voice steady. "Perhaps he misses his family. He rarely stays here for more than a few hours."
"Perhaps," the king agreed doubtfully. "Or perhaps something is wrong with Adam, and he is reluctant to tell us."
"He-Man has never lied to us," Marlena countered. "If he says Adam is safe, then he is."
Randor turned to his wife at last, holding her gaze curiously. "You're not worried at all, are you?"
Marlena shook her head, a slightly mysterious smile on her face. "Not really. I'm sure he's all right, Randor."
The king held her close and sighed. Her instincts about their son were much more accurate than his. He would just have to trust her on this…her and He-Man both.