A/N: Okay, yes, you caught me. We are so far into the emotional turmoil of Reunions (we have way more written than what is posted) that I needed a break, so the last week I've played around with this. I gave myself the mental deadline of Valentine's Day only because I didn't want to be distracted any longer than a week...besides, things like this are fun only when I keep them short. So please forgive me for typos; Reunions now has my full attention back, so I'm not going to spend any more time on this, but I wanted to post it anyway. :-) Little Llama Girl assisted on this one as well.
He-Man strode toward the towering mountain of evil before him, fury coursing through his veins. Teela had been completely unreasonable and unlike herself in any way. Amidst the fury, guilt niggled at his mind as he recalled pinning her arms to her side while she screeched at him until Duncan finally gave her the sedative.
His anger was such that each step caused a footprint in the rock beneath him. He was nearly at Snake Mountain now. He had chosen to travel there by foot to give himself time to cool off, but it hadn't helped much. His eyes scanned the area for danger, his breath coming quickly, his hand clenching into a fist.
Skeletor was going to fix whatever he'd done to Teela, or he'd pay.
Skeletor ground his teeth together in annoyance as Evil-Lyn fairly floated around the throne room.
"He's so handsome, and strong," she gushed. She had been going on like this for hours as she planned out how she was going to win the love of the object of her affection.
"Drat it woman if you keep going on like that I'm going to blast you to Grayskull myself," Skeletor warned her. "Then I'm going to collapse that pile of broken-down stones on top of both of you!"
Evil-Lyn's response was interrupted by a pounding, which triggered the alarm. "Would someone turn that thing off?" Skeletor yelled through the siren, putting his hands to where his ears were supposed to be. The pounding continued to accompany the loud wail of the siren. Skeletor made his way unsteadily to the mouth of the snake. Looking down, he could make out He-Man punching at the mountain with clasped hands.
"Skeletor!" he called, pausing to look up as the alarm's warning cry ended abruptly. "What did you do to Teela?"
"What did I do to Teela?" Skeletor snapped back. "What have you done to Evil-Lyn, you muscle-headed moron?"
"He-Man," came Duncan's voice over the communicator, "Teela got away. She's headed for Snake Mountain."
"I'm already here," the hero answered shortly. He glared up at Skeletor. "We need to talk, bonehead."
"As if I'd be interested in anything you'd have to say," Skeletor retorted.
"Is that him?" Evil-Lyn asked breathily, approaching Skeletor from behind. "He-Man, my love! Wait there, I'll come down to you!"
Stunned into a momentary silence, He-Man stood rock-still as the witch disappeared and re-materialized beside him.
"I've been waiting for you forever," she said in a sultry voice, one hand reaching out to touch his well-muscled arm.
He-Man jerked away, his jaw slack. He quickly closed his mouth and narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't know what game you're playing at, Evil-Lyn, but-,"
"This isn't a game," she protested, her violet eyes huge and filling rapidly with tears. "I love you, He-Man. We're meant to be together. Can't you feel it?" She grabbed his head and kissed him full on the mouth, surprising him so much that he didn't move for several long seconds.
Quick to take advantage of He-Man's distraction, Skeletor transported down and as He-Man finally pushed Evil-Lyn away, the blue mage blasted Eternia's champion in the back, knocking him out.
"Skeletor, what have you done?" Evil-Lyn wailed, dropping to her knees beside her beloved.
"You need time to win him over, Evil-Lyn," the villain responded in a wheedling tone. "This way, we can get him into a secure cell in the dungeon, and you can have all the time you need with him."
Evil-Lyn smiled sweetly. "How...kind of you, Skeletor."
Skeletor laughed in malevolent triumph, not knowing his own turn was coming.
He-Man woke with a groan and turned to see bars in front of him. Oddly enough, though, he was settled comfortably in a wide and soft bed covered in sensuous white silk. He slid off the bed and walked over to the bars, noticing incredulously that there were pink curtains screening the sides of his cell. He pushed the front ones aside and his gaze met an empty hall.
A muttering from the side of the cell caught his attention. He-Man jerked that curtain aside impatiently. His breath caught on something between a gasp and a guffaw as he saw Skeletor standing inside a similar cell, his curtains burning in a pile next to the cell door. He was wearing a red silk dressing gown that barely came to his mid-thighs. His usual leather warrior garb was gone and his cowl was replaced with a matching red silk skullcap.
"My, don't you look pretty," joked He-Man as he began chuckling, inwardly thankful he hadn't awakened to find himself in similar attire. Skeletor's eyes glowed as red as the skull-cap on his head. "I guess Evil-Lyn must be having a really bad day."
"No you fool. I blasted you, but while I was busy celebrating that stupid captain of the guard shot me with a freeze ray before I could get away from her."
"Get away from her?" repeated He-Man, incredulous. It wasn't like Skeletor to run from a fight.
"I had to," Skeletor shouted with an obvious shudder. "She was kissing me and had shoved me against a wall, telling me how much she loved me. I couldn't take her down because she wouldn't give me enough room." He glared at He-Man accusingly. "You don't seem surprised."
"She spent half of the day going on and on about you," He-Man said, the fury suddenly returning. He raised his voice to a falsetto. "Skeletor is so boney. Skeletor is so strong. Skeletor is so powerful." He made a face of disgust.
"Jealous, muscle-head?" Skeletor taunted him.
He-Man raised an eyebrow. "At least I'm not the one in the red dress."
"It's not a dress," Skeletor growled as he pulled the robe even tighter around himself and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like furry short shorts.
"Could have fooled me," the hero said airily, choosing to ignore Skeletor's muttering as he began exploring his cell. He hesitantly reached out to touch the front bars, expecting them to be electrically charged or magically protected; to his surprise, they were not.
"What are you doing?" Skeletor asked irritably as he tugged the hem of his robe down self-consciously.
"Getting out of here," He-Man muttered, grasping the bars with both hands and pushing at them. They spread apart easily. He glanced around suspiciously. Just as he was about to step out of the cell, a blast of magic came from the shadows, the spell holding him motionless, though he strained against it with all his might. Evil-Lyn stepped from the darkness.
He-Man's eyes widened. She was wearing a sexy black dress that was skin-tight, accentuating every generous female curve. Her headdress was gone, and her short white hair was fluffed out, making her look softer. For a split second He-Man wondered exactly how bad it would be to just go along with this game she seemed to be playing.
"I love it when you use your muscles," she purred at him as she approached. She reached out and stroked his arm, his chest, then her hand trailed up his neck to caress his face. He-Man swallowed hard, his heart pounding in panic. A crimson blush spread across his face and neck.
"Don't be embarrassed, my love. You feel what any man feels when with his soul mate," Lyn purred as she lifted on her toes to trace the lines of his massive shoulders.
Skeletor started to cackle, but then he too found himself motionless, a paralysis beam locked onto him. Teela stepped forward from the shadow, wearing a dress similar to Evil-Lyn's, but of a shimmering deep jade green. Her hair flowed around her shoulders and deep green jewels dangled from her ears.
"You've disappointed me, Skelly," Teela said, her green eyes huge as she pouted at her beloved. "I thought you were going to use your magic to get out." The captain ran her fingers down his silk-covered chest. "I wanted to watch."
"You're insane," Skeletor spat at her. 'What is wrong with this woman?' the Overlord of Evil thought in a panic.
"Skelly, that's not a nice thing to say at all," Teela protested, entering the cell. "Look, I brought you flowers." She held up a rainbow-colored bouquet. "Aren't they pretty?"
"I hate flowers!" Skeletor snapped. If he still had his eyes they would be rolling back in his head by now. But at least without the nasal passages to trap the pollen maybe the pollen wouldn't affect him the way it used…..
"Achoo!" sneezed Skeletor.
"Oh you poor thing," murmured Teela. "Just like my father. My love, why didn't you tell me you were allergic to flowers? We have to communicate better dearest one," chided Teela in a sultry voice.
"I. Don't. Like. You!" shouted Skeletor. "How's that for communicating?" he snarled even as she played with the tie on his robe, tying it into a large red bow.
"Oh, Skelly, you don't have to hide your true feelings for me."
He-Man would have laughed out loud or punched something at that point, but Lyn's hands continued to roam all over his frozen form. He racked his brain, searching for something, anything, to stop this insanity.
"Look, Evil-Lyn, can't we talk this over?" He-Man asked as he felt her hands at the buckles of his harness. His breath seemed to leave him. Maybe he should have left that curtain closed. Whatever she had planned, he was sure he didn't want Skeletor witnessing it.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked in a sultry voice.
"Well, ah, you know, this is so uh, sudden. We should get to know each other a little," He-Man said desperately. "Skeletor and Teela should too."
"What? You're all insane!" Skeletor shouted.
"Come on, Skeletor, our girls deserve a little romance, don't they?" He-Man asked, hoping the old bonehead would get the hint.
"Oh," Skeletor said in a drawn-out, enlightened voice. "Yes, He-Man's right. Why don't you ladies let us go, and we'll prepare a candlelight dinner for you?"
Lyn dropped the spell on He-Man immediately, her eyes filling with tears. "Would you really do that for me?" she asked, her voice breaking.
"I do like to cook," he answered, not wanting to lie outright to her.
Teela turned off the stasis ray. "Can you cook?" she asked Skeletor hopefully.
"You'll never know," the blue mage snapped, then he vanished.
"Skeletor!" He-Man shouted in frustration as Teela burst into tears.
"A trick!" Evil-Lyn shrieked. She blew He-Man back with a blast of magic before he could defend himself. He landed hard against the back wall. Before he could recover, glowing chains grew out of the wall, encasing his ankles and wrists. He strained against them, but they wouldn't give.
"Teela!" he called, pulling hard. "Help me!"
Teela sniffed. "I don't think so, He-Man. We girls have to stick together, you know." The two women left, comforting each other in quiet tones, their arms wrapped around one another.
"Blast it all," He-Man muttered to himself. He rested a few moments to regain his strength, then wrapped both hands around one chain, took a deep breath, and pulled with all his might. For long seconds there was no sign of the chains weakening, but then, suddenly, a loud snap echoed through the cell. Unprepared and still shackled at his ankles and one wrist, He-Man fell backwards, his head smacking into the rock floor with a sickening thud and his shoulder wrenched by the chain still attached to the wall.
Stars and a white blur danced before his eyes. He-Man groaned as a voice talked to him. He was unable to make out what it was saying at first. 'Oh please,' he thought desperately, 'let me this all be the result of a head injury.'
Skeletor growled in frustration as He-Man blinked blearily at him. He wasn't even sure why he was helping the hero; he just knew he couldn't leave him to the mercy of these insane women. He used his magic on the remaining chains binding the hero. He-Man's arm fell to the ground heavily as the chain broke. "Get up, you muscle-headed moron," he snapped.
"Skeletor?" He-Man asked hoarsely as he climbed to his feet, unsteadily leaning on the wall. His shoulder and head both throbbed wildly.' Drat! It's real. Either that or I'm stuck in this nightmare.'
"Of course it's me, you fool," the villain bit off irritably. "Let's get out of here." He put a hand on He-Man's shoulder and transported them out of the cell.
"Did you get the homing device planted on He-Man's harness?" Teela asked Evil-Lyn. The witch threw her a cold look.
"Of course I did," she said icily. "I'm not incompetent."
Teela smirked. "I never said you were." Her smirk turned into a full grin as she checked the levels of her freeze ray. "This is going to be fun."
Evil-Lyn chuckled, her eyes alive with desire and anticipation as she answered. "It most certainly is," she agreed. "Now where are those furry handcuffs?" she asked as she packed her bag.
"Over there next to my red silk magic-resistant cords."
He-Man stared in surprise, then turned to Skeletor. "The palace?" he asked, jerking his head toward the magnificent structure.
"Do you have a better idea?" Skeletor asked scathingly. "Those two are out of their minds. Are we supposed to run around in the wilderness while they hunt us down?"
He-Man put his fists onto his hips, his face hard. "Look, I appreciate you rescuing me, but-"
"Which I only did so we can defeat them," Skeletor clarified, crossing his arms. "This is a temporary truce, nothing more."
"But," He-Man repeated, "if you think I'm escorting or even letting you into the palace, you're crazy. For all I know, you could have cast that spell on Teela and Evil-Lyn could be faking. This could be a set-up just to get into the palace."
"Look you mountain of meaningless muscle," Skeletor growled, "as brilliant a plan as that would have been, I hardly would have dressed myself in that disgusting garment. I want to go into the palace so we can find Prince Adam."
"Adam?" He-Man repeated in surprise. "What for?"
"Don't you know any legends or stories?" Skeletor asked disdainfully. If he had had eyes, they would have been rolling skywards. "The most common way to counter a love spell is with true love's kiss."
"And…?" He-Man asked, drawing the word out slowly. He wasn't following this line of thought at all.
"It pains me to tell you this, He-Man," Skeletor said, obvious delight in every word, "but I'm afraid your crush, the Captain of the Guard, has fallen for the prince."
There was silence for several heartbeats. Skeletor felt extremely proud of having caused He-Man pain. He knew the hero was soft on Teela. He couldn't wait for the hero's crestfallen expression once it finally sank in-
"Adam?" He-Man asked blankly, needing to hear this one for sure.
"Yes, Adam," Skeletor snapped, annoyed that He-Man wasn't devastated. "Do you know any other princes around here?"
He-Man couldn't help it; he laughed. "What on Eternia makes you think Teela is in love with Adam?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. "She thinks he's lazy and irresponsible."
"That's not what she told her friends," Skeletor countered. "She defends him with every last wit she has. Hmm," he muttered, "maybe that's why she's lost her wits entirely. She's had to defend him all of the time."
He-Man snorted, ignoring the villain's jibe at the prince while at the same time an odd warmth settled in his chest at the idea Teela cared more than she had let on. "That's because the two of them grew up together and he's the prince. She'll never let anyone talk badly about him."
"Believe what you will," rejoined Skeletor, his tone cantankerous. "I know what I've heard her say, and I've seen the looks between the two of them. I say we ask him to try to break the spell."
He-Man stood thoughtfully for a moment, gazing at the palace without really seeing it as Skeletor tapped his foot impatiently. Skeletor was wrong, of course, the hero reflected. Teela didn't feel that way about Adam. He-Man, maybe, but not Adam. 'Never Adam.'
Still…if there was even a small chance he was right, and it would break the spell on Teela and Evil-Lyn…"What about Evil-Lyn?" he asked abruptly.
Skeletor sighed with the enduring weariness of one long burdened. "I am hoping breaking the spell on one will break the spell on the other."
There was another pause. "You're wrong about Teela loving Adam," He-Man said, almost to himself.
"Just because you don't want it to be true doesn't mean it isn't! Besides, in all the other stories it's a prince's kiss that breaks the spell!" growled Skeletor, exasperated. "Either way it's worth a shot. I can't think of anything else, can you?"
"Maybe it'll just wear off," He-Man said hopefully. "Besides, where's the prince to kiss Evil-Lyn if she needs it? I can say for sure that Adam will never willingly kiss her." The hero barely repressed a shudder at the memory of her lips on his. Obviously that logic was faulty anyway.
Skeletor shifted uncomfortably for a moment and then placed his hands on his hips, causing the hem of his robe to rise dangerously high. He-Man wondered idly why the villain hadn't changed back into his normal attire.
"And how long are you willing to wait to see if that happens?" Skeletor demanded, interrupting He-Man's wayward thoughts. "Until they find us and-"
"We already found you," Teela interrupted from behind them.
The two men whirled around, He-Man drawing his sword defensively. Evil-Lyn, now dressed in a short black tunic, pouted at him. "You aren't going to hurt me, are you my love?" she asked in a petulant voice.
"I am not your love," hissed He-Man, stepping back away from her.
"Get away from me, you red-headed reaper," Skeletor ordered Teela.
"Oh, Skelly, I love it when you talk that way," Teela said with a wicked grin. She stepped towards him, her hands reaching for his. The leather black miniskirt rode dangerously high as she walked, the mesh top showing glimpses of skin that He-Man had never expected to see on Teela. "Let's go somewhere more private."
He-Man and Skeletor exchanged glances. "The palace it is," He-Man agreed, and they took off running.
Duncan looked up from the wind raider he was working on as the two men came in, panting and glancing over their shoulders as if there were demons on their heels.
"He-Man! Skeletor!" Duncan exclaimed. His black eyes narrowed at them. "What's going on here?"
"Teela and Evil-Lyn are under some sort of spell," He-Man replied succinctly. "I need you to keep an eye on Skeletor while I find Adam."
"Adam!" Duncan exclaimed. "What do you need him for?" To his surprise, He-Man flushed a deep red.
"Skeletor can explain it," He-Man muttered. "I'll send Adam along and go look for Battle Cat. I have a feeling I'm going to need him if this doesn't work." He left Duncan with a freeze ray trained on Skeletor.
Adam glanced self-consciously at Man-at-Arms as he re-entered. Duncan did not look pleased. In fact a look of disgust was on his face as, not from Skeletor's theory, but because of the villain's apparel. 'How did that thief get the dressing gown that the Sorceress gave me for my birthday last year?'
Adam looked at Skeletor instead of his mentor. "This is an insane idea," he said, crossing his arms uncomfortably.
"You're as bad as He-Man," Skeletor snapped. "If you have a better idea, speak up. I'll gladly listen."
"I-," Adam began, but again was interrupted by Teela's voice.
"Hi, lover," she said. She stopped short when she saw Duncan's frowning face of displeasure. "Father." She spotted Adam next, and froze, a tracker in her hand.
"Where's He-Man?" Evil-Lyn asked, looking around.
"Now, fool," Skeletor hissed.
Adam swallowed hard as he stepped forward, hoping that it was a good sign that she hadn't taken her eyes off of him yet. "Teela," he said in a gentle voice. She didn't answer, but stared at him with something like astonishment. His stomach twisted in nervous spasms; Adam knew he couldn't prolong this or he wouldn't have the courage to actually do it. He quickly cupped her face and lowered his mouth to hers before she knew what was happening.
Adam's breath left him immediately. Every nerve tingled with the sensation of coming alive. Before he quite realized it, he was thoroughly exploring her mouth, and she was kissing him right back, her hands clinging to his shoulders.
When the kiss ended, Duncan was staring at them open-mouthed. Teela drew back and opened her eyes, her entire face soft. That kiss had confirmed it for her, somehow. She had known when Adam stood where the homing device said He-Man should be that something was off, and suddenly it all made sense to her--how Adam was never around when He-Man was, how he was always running. She didn't know exactly what the connection was, but it was there, somehow. Somehow they were the same. She started to question Adam about it, then caught sight of Skeletor. Immediately the look of wonder left her face, replaced by desire. She shoved Adam away from her, hard.
"Skelly!" she exclaimed angrily. "How could you let him kiss me like that?"
Skeletor's eyes glowed red; he raised his hands, ready to blast Teela into oblivion. "Stop calling me Skelly!" he screeched at her. He let loose with a blast of power; Adam, knowing Skeletor as he did, was ready for it, and he tackled Teela just in time.
"Adam! Teela!" Duncan cried out, stunning Skeletor instantly. He turned his weapon on Evil-Lyn before the witch could move. "Are you both all right?"
Lying underneath him, Teela stared at Adam as if she had never seen him before. Only He-Man had those reflexes. So she was right. They were the same person, somehow. It briefly crossed her mind that she should warn Skeletor, but something in her rebelled at the idea of betraying her childhood friend like that.
Adam got up carefully and held a hand out to her. "I'm okay. Teela, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she said evenly as she got to her feet. She bent over for a few seconds as if winded. Concerned, Adam bent slightly down to see if she was all right. Teela quickly pulled back her fist and slugged him with all her might. Unexpected pain exploded in his face as he staggered backwards.
"Teela, what on Eternia are you doing?" Duncan demanded in horror, reluctant to take his weapon off of Evil-Lyn.
"Getting a head start," she growled. Adam, still seeing stars, took a step towards her, and was rewarded with a swift kick to the stomach and another punch to the face, this one landing him on his back. Teela bent down and hauled the unconscious Skeletor over her shoulder.
"Teela, stop this instant. That's an order," Duncan commanded. "Captain!" He couldn't believe his own daughter was betraying them like this. This spell was incredibly powerful. They had to find the source.
"You're not going to shoot me, Father," she said, placing Skeletor into a wind raider as gently as she could.
"I will if I have to, young lady," he threatened. But he couldn't take the gun off of Evil-Lyn, and Teela knew it.
"Sorry, Father, but Skeletor and I belong together," she called as she started the engines. A minute later, the wind raider roared out of the hangar.
Adam had managed to pull himself up and watched her go, feeling sick to his stomach. That kiss had changed everything for him. Teela had been his friend, but now…he was sure he could never look at her the same way again.
"Adam, go get He-Man," Duncan ordered shortly, oblivious to his protege's feelings--or perhaps ignoring them.
Adam was just as glad; he certainly didn't want to discuss either that kiss or the fact that Teela had successfully slugged him right now. He simply nodded, regretting the motion as it sent his head swimming. He nearly stumbled out of Duncan's workshop into a nearby room. A quick glance around confirmed that the room was empty. Adam shut and locked the door, then raised his sword. "By the power of Grayskull!" he called.
As the sound of the magic faded, he heard a triumphant voice. "I knew it! I knew when I saw you as Adam and I realized I loved you that you were both Adam and He-Man."
He-Man whirled around to see Evil-Lyn standing there, her fists on her hips and—he gulped—if possible, an even stronger desire in her eyes than before. "Total power," she whispered as she approached him, her hips swaying as she walked, "the strongest man in the universe and the ruler of all Eternia."
"How did you get away from Man-at-Arms?" he asked, backing up as rapidly as he could. He nearly fell over the desk; he realized belatedly he was in Teela's office as he sent one of her extremely neat piles fluttering to the floor.
"Don't worry, old stuffy head's only sleeping," she said sweetly, her lavender eyes fairly glowing as she approached him. "I had to follow you. I had to know for sure." He-Man ran out of room to back up as he hit the wall behind him.
"Evil-Lyn, you can't trust your feelings right now," He-Man said gently. "There's a spell on you. You don't really love me; you just think you do."
A flash of indecision crossed her face before her self-assured air came back into place and she laughed lowly. "Oh, He-Man, you can be so humorous," she whispered, bringing her mouth closer to his, her hands on his shoulders.
Resolutely, He-Man pushed her back and held her easily at an arm's length. Evil-Lyn pouted at him. "Don't you want me, Adam?"
"Don't call me that," he said, his tone a bit harsh and his eyes suddenly icy. "No one can know the truth."
"But why?" Evil-Lyn purred. "It's certainly something to be proud of. Much better than being called a coward." She ran her hands along his biceps, unable to reach any other part of him, and tried to wiggle out of his grasp.
He-Man reluctantly realized that the time had come to switch tactics. Teela and Skeletor were getting further away every second; he had to do something.
"If you truly love me, you won't tell a soul," He-Man said, feeling like a heel for playing on her confused feelings. His stomach clenched in his disgust with himself. "My enemies would kill my family and all those I love."
Evil-Lyn's eyes widened and she went still. "Even me?" she squeaked.
"Even you," he confirmed, swallowing the bile rising in his throat. He detested lying.
"Let them try," she said, straightening up and sounding, for the moment, more like her normal self. Her jaw locked with determination. She dropped her hands from his arms and put them defiantly on her hips.
"Please Evil-Lyn, just keep this between us," He-Man pleaded, forcing himself to take her by the hand. She gazed at their clasped hands for a full minute before responding.
"You do care," she said in wonder, her free hand reaching out to stroke his face as her eyes filled with tears. He-Man barely refrained from jerking away, but he didn't answer her, either.
"Help me find Teela and Skeletor," he asked quietly.
"What for? We don't need them," she countered in a voice full of invitation. Evil-Lyn raised her face to his, her eyes drifting closed.
"Ah…" He-Man muttered as he shifted her to one side and stepped around her. He began backing towards the door. "A-an adventure together might help us bond," he said, his voice gaining conviction as he spoke. He always had been able to infuse his voice with a completely false confidence.
"Oh," Evil-Lyn said dreamily, "how romantic." He-Man raised an eyebrow; her definition of romance was certainly lacking. He was almost tempted to take her on a real date. Then maybe she'd be so disillusioned with Skeletor she'd defect to the side of good. Realizing how out of control his thoughts were getting, He-Man shook his head hard. He wondered briefly if the spell were rubbing off on him. That thought sent him out the door with a hard stride.
"Let's go," he ordered curtly.
Skeletor groaned, the roaring of the engines hurting his already-sensitive head. He forced himself awake when he realized he couldn't move his hands; looking down, he saw his wrists were tied with a red silk strand of some kind. He pulled at them, but they remained tight against his skin.
"Don't bother," Teela said, casting a glance at him. The wind blew her red hair back away from her face as they flew along. "They'll keep you from using your magic."
"You troublesome tramp, let me out of this," Skeletor growled.
"Skelly, is that any way to talk to your future wife?" Teela pouted.
"I'll marry you when the Tar Swamp is farmland," the villain snapped.
"Oh, you tease," Teela said with a grin. She winked at him. "We'll have at least a half a dozen kids, you know. But I insist we remodel Snake Mountain. It's disgusting. And you have to give up this whole villain thing. It doesn't work for me, and it'll put me at odds with Father a-and Adam." She kept her gaze carefully trained ahead, feeling guilty at keeping a secret from her love.
"Stop prattling on or I'll throw myself off this thing!" Skeletor demanded.
Teela's eyes went wide with alarm. "Oh, no, Skelly, don't do that! Look, we're almost home!" She added, more quietly, "Carpets and bright tapestries in the throne room. And the whole thing needs painting. It's such a depressing green-gray." She grinned his way again. "You'll feel much better about everything once it's painted a nice light cream."
"Aaargh!" Skeletor screamed. He wondered how injured he would be if he really did throw himself overboard.
Finding Teela and Skeletor was easier than He-Man had dared to hope. In her love-swept condition, Teela had apparently forgotten that all of the wind raiders had been equipped with homing devices, and he and Lyn arrived just outside of Snake Mountain only moments after Teela and Skeletor. The hardest part was Evil-Lyn's hand constantly on him the entire flight there. His face flushed as she once again reached out to touch one hard-muscled leg as he leapt of the wind raider, her hand going much higher than he would have liked.
"Teela!" He-Man called as he landed on the ground. Lightning flashed in the ever-dark sky above the fortress. He could see Teela had her arms locked around Skeletor, holding him to her tightly. The mage, apparently still a bit stunned, was pushing at her with a distinct lack of strength.
"Forget it, He-Man. You had your chance. Now I've chosen Skeletor," Teela said, lifting her face to the skinless one before her. "He is everything I wanted in a man—witty, courageous, tough…" He-Man's teeth ground together involuntarily.
"Get off me, woman!" Skeletor snapped.
"Actually, I think Teela has the right idea," Evil-Lyn said, placing herself in front of He-Man and wrapping her arms around him. "Let's see how strong you really are," she whispered.
"I don't think so," He-Man said before he could think twice about it. Evil-Lyn's face grew murderous.
"You love her, don't you!" she shrieked at him. "I'll show you who the better woman is!" She let go of him and raised her wand towards Teela. Then, abruptly, she stopped.
A pink glow suddenly surrounded the two women. Both seemed to relax, growing still and limp but remaining on their feet. Skeletor broke free of Teela as He-Man stepped away from Evil-Lyn. The two men exchanged glances. "Is that it?" He-Man asked lowly. "Is the spell ending?"
"Perhaps," Skeletor said thoughtfully. "Or it could be getting stronger somehow." He narrowed his eyeholes. "If it is ending, there is a good chance they will remember nothing. If that happens, we both go home and never speak of this again." His tone clearly indicated that he expected an argument, and his body tensed. "Now get me out of these." He held up his bound wrists.
"You got it," He-Man agreed fervently, surprising the evil villain. Skeletor relaxed as He-Man cut him loose. The villain quickly used his magic to change the red dressing robe and skull cap back into his normal garb as Evil-Lyn slowly came out of the trance and began looking around wildly.
"He-Man!" the witch exclaimed harshly, a familiar hatred settling into her face as she raised her wand.
"Boy, am I glad to see you back to normal," He-Man said with a grin. Confused, the witch looked to Skeletor. Teela began looking around as if dazed.
"That won't be necessary, my dear," Skeletor informed the witch, motioning for her to lower her wand. Evil-Lyn slowly obliged. "He-Man and I have agreed to end this, and for once, I'm honoring our agreement." He cast a glance at He-Man. "Don't get used to it, He-Fool."
"Don't worry, I won't," He-Man said, bemused by the whole situation.
"What's going on here?" Teela demanded as she came to her senses. She looked around, taking stock of the situation rapidly. "When did I get to Snake Mountain? Did I get kidnapped again? And what on Eternia am I wearing?"
"Teela, you wouldn't believe me if I told you," He-Man answered, shaking his head. "But everything's okay. Let's just go home." He grasped her arm firmly and steered her towards the wind raider. All the while, he did the best to ignore the tingles of awareness that were now racing along his fingertips straight into his gut, causing an unsettling and unfamiliar warmth. Mentally, he shook his head. He definitely wasn't going to be able to look at Teela the same way again. Ever.
Teela looked at him sideways, also surprised by the shockwaves of feelings his touch was arousing. That had never happened before. At the same time, she wondered why he suddenly reminded her of Adam.
An odd shape just under his buckle caught her attention. She pulled her hand out of his, reached out, and picked at it, her hand brushing his shoulders. She could swear she heard the quick intake of breath, but a quick glance at He-Man's face revealed nothing. Teela instead turned her attention to the small electronic circle in her hand.
"What's the homing device for?" she asked, turning it over in her fingers. "Were we testing it for Father or something?" She frowned as she tried to remember how she had gotten to Snake Mountain dressed in…she glanced down and blushed furiously…in this slutty attire.
He-Man took the small device from her and contemplated it for a moment. Then he abruptly threw it as far as he could, grunting with the effort.
"Hey," Teela protested, her eyebrows raised in surprise. "That was one of Father's new ones."
"Well, now he'll see how good the long-range component works," He-Man muttered. "Let's go."
Teela followed her champion back to the wind raider, suddenly eager to go home and see Adam.
Epilogue
Orko wiped his brow in exhaustion. That love spell he had needed to get his pets to stop fighting over their territory had been much more difficult than he had anticipated. He didn't know who this Valentine guy was, but he must have been incredibly powerful when he was alive if using his name now caused a flood of power that strong.
Orko laid down on his bed, fatigue setting in. It was a good thing he'd been left alone today, or he might never have figured out how to cut off the spell. He shuddered as he thought of all the things that could have happened as the spell's power grew.
"Like Man-at-Arms always says, I have to be more careful," he said aloud to himself as he drifted to sleep. "What if I had cast that spell on Skeletor?" Then he grinned drowsily under his scarf. "Hey, maybe that's not such a bad idea…"