A/N: How's that for a short hiatus? LOL! We just can't help ourselves. We've been very anxious to bring Keldor back to Eternia and watch the fireworks. :-) So I'll just give the standard disclaimer and let you all get to it.... We don't own any of the MOTU characters, and we don't profit from this. Also, just a reminder, this is based primarily on the 1980's version, with a few things borrowed from the 200x version. And finally, if you haven't read any of my other stories or Stumbling into the Light by Little Llama Girl, I would suggest checking into those first...because by now, you've missed several weddings, defeats of major bad guys...in short, Eternia's not quite the same place anymore!
He-Man heaved a sigh of relief as Beastman, Tri-Klops, and Trap-Jaw gave up their latest attempt to take Grayskull, the three of them scurrying along as if he and Battle Cat were chasing them down. Normally he would have made a sharp remark to raise their ire, but today he didn't have the mental energy to do so.
'I never thought it would be so difficult to rule the kingdom as Adam and protect Grayskull and the people as He-Man,' the blond warrior thought to himself as he sheathed his sword and mounted the great green tiger, fatigue setting in mentally if not physically. 'At least, not while I've got Adora helping me.' Battle Cat let out a roar, and the defeated villains hastened their pace further. Soon they disappeared into the deep emerald cover of the Evergreen Forest. He-Man smiled down at his mount. "Let's go home, Cat."
'Thank you, He-Man,' the Sorceress sent to him telepathically. He waved in reply, but didn't go in. Adam was needed back at the palace. He glanced at his timepiece. For once he had enough time to get back without running Battle Cat into the ground. So much had changed now. He gazed out on the clear blue sky and felt the comfortable warmth hit his bare skin. He-Man sighed as he realized that this would be the perfect day for to go fishing with Cringer, or have a picnic with Teela in some lovely secluded garden somewhere on the palace grounds. 'Perhaps after Mother and Father return," he thought wearily.
Serena stood in the window of Grayskull, watching He-Man and Battle Cat leave, a concerned frown on her face. The feathers on her cape fluttered and swished in time with the movement of the breeze that rushed by her. She gazed out the large circular window at her retreating protector, lost in her thoughts. 'My champions, both He-Man and She-Ra, are growing weary. The day after Randor and Marlena left for their two-month hiatus, there was an attack on both Grayskull and the palace. The attacks haven't stopped since.' Serena grimaced. There was so much more—such as the natural disasters she was not sure were actually natural. On top of that were the rumors flying around that He-Man did not think Adam would be a good king, and was withdrawing his support from the royal family. Serena began to pace. 'I wish I could do something.' She squared her shoulders. 'I can at least watch the viewscreen.' Serena shook her head regretfully, and sighed. 'In fact, it's all I can do for them right now.'
It had been six weeks since Marlena and Randor had left, and Adam and Adora, having been left in charge of the kingdom, were now counting the days until they returned. Even Duncan was looking haggard lately, as the twins constantly turned to him for guidance and help. He-Man shook his head as Battle Cat moved at a smooth trot under him. Three earthquakes, two floods, two volcanic eruptions, a landslide, and at least a dozen attacks by Skeletor's former minions and Count Marzo. Only Hutch was unaccounted for, and that made the hero more uneasy than if the turncoat had tried to capture Grayskull or the palace.
'He-Man,' the Sorceress suddenly interrupted his musings. 'The palace is under attack!'
He-Man swore under his breath and urged Battle Cat on. 'Thanks, Sorceress,' he sent back, not bothering to ask who was attacking. If it was like the last six times, it was robots, with no one obviously in charge.
She-Ra dusted off her hands as the last of the robots fell. "Well, whoever's doing this, it's mighty nice of them to contribute to the metal supplies," she said cheerily to Fisto, who laughed in agreement. His smile faded as he caught sight of He-Man racing in on Battle Cat.
'Blast it all, I'm too late again,' He-Man cursed to himself. Every time he was defending Grayskull, these robots showed up at the palace. 'Someone is deliberately setting me up,' he fumed as Battle Cat skidded to a halt in front of the masters.
"They're all taken care of He-Man," Buzz-Off said, adding under his breath, "again."
"Duh, where were you?" Ram-Man asked as he did every time.
"At Grayskull," He-Man answered in his deep voice. "Beastman, Trap Jaw, and Tri-Clops tried to get in."
"I think someone's trying to wear us down," She-Ra said as she approached, her long blond hair blowing in the breeze. "These attacks are almost predictable. They always attack Grayskull first, then the palace and always when I'm in the middle of something so you end up as the first person who has to be called, as if they're trying to draw you to the castle and keep you away from here." He-Man's eyes met hers. They both knew very well that whoever it was—most likely Hutch—waited for Adam to leave the palace each time so that He-Man wouldn't be able to show up right away.
"I agree," He-Man said aloud. "But why?" 'And perhaps more importantly, how are they tracking me so accurately?'
"Perhaps to cast more doubt on Adam," Duncan suggested. "It adds to the suspicion that you don't support him as king." He-Man threw Duncan a grateful look for bringing up the idea. He could see that although Duncan's slant was a new theory to most of the masters gathered around, they almost immediately bought into it, exchanging glances and a few nods. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Teela and I have the security system in place for its second test run," Duncan added. "Maybe that will help us figure out how they're tracking our movements so carefully." Understanding passed between the two men.
"Good idea," He-Man said, nodding. He glanced around at the masters gathered: Ram-Man, Buzz-Off, Mekaneck, and Fisto, as well as Saul, who had taken Teela's place as Captain of the Guard. He added, "I want all of you to be extra watchful. Someone's desperately trying to undermine Adam, and we have to find out if it's Hutch, Marzo, or some enemy we don't know about." 'At least that should help quell rumors that I'm not supporting myself,' he reflected ruefully.
"Do you think there's a chance whoever it is could be trying to keep you and She-Ra busy so he can get to Adam and Adora?" Fisto asked.
He-Man considered the idea briefly. If it wasn't Hutch, the idea had some merit. But eventually he shook his head. She-Ra also shook her head slightly to show she agreed with him. "No, I think they're just trying to feed these foolish rumors that I don't think Adam should be king." There was an uncomfortable shifting from Saul and Buzz-Off.
"I hope you all know that's not true," She-Ra added. There was a murmuring of "yes, of course" and heads bobbing up and down. No one said anything else. They weren't about to question He-Man or She-Ra.
"Grandfather?" Adam called after Miro. He barely suppressed a yawn. In addition to the activity around here, he hadn't been sleeping well. Dreams that Skeletor was holding Keldor hostage persisted, and had become more and more frequent of late.
The former king stopped and turned, smiling at his grandson. The fountain behind him bubbled softly as leaves from the newest snow blossoms danced around the swirling water. "Yes, Adam, what can I do for you?" Miro asked, reaching up to scratch his white beard absently.
"I was thinking of going to the oracle again to see if we can get a new lead on Keldor," Adam said, cautiously watching Miro's face. "But I thought I should ask what the oracle said, exactly, before doing so."
Miro smiled sadly. "That's something etched into my mind," he murmured. "Your son is trapped in a prison of hatred and evil," he recited. "To tell you now where he is and who he is would lead to the destruction of all Eternia. I am forbidden to tell you. I can tell you only that until one of royal blood points the way back to the light, in that prison your son will remain."
Adam's face paled slightly as Miro spoke. "Are those the exact words?" he asked, his voice hoarse.
Miro nodded. "I'll never forget them." He raised an eyebrow, taking in Adam's shocked eyes. "Does that help?"
Adam nodded weakly. "Very much so. Thank you, Grandfather." He turned away and walked into the nearest hall, the words echoing in his mind now. 'Your son is trapped in a prison of hatred and evil…until one of royal blood points the way back to the light, in that prison your son will remain.'
'If it's a figurative prison, not a literal one, then Skeletor could fit that definition. Good said that I was His voice to Skeletor,' Adam thought to himself as he walked on to the next meeting. Horror began growing like a weed in his chest as the idea took root in his heart. 'Could it be true? Could Skeletor be Keldor? It can't be true. Skeletor's not even from Eternia…or is he? He could have lied. Ancients, no. Please don't do that to Father and Grandfather.'
"Do you have it, Marzo?" asked Hutch from his perch atop Skeletor's old throne.
"I do," answered Marzo as he looked around the dank chamber. The green-grey steps that led to the dark throne had grown more worn since the last time he'd entered this place. Granted that had been over a hundred and fifty years ago, but just the same, he was surprised. Marzo took the backpack from his shoulder and opened it quickly. He pulled a deep green stone about the size of a child's head from the bag and held the glowing stone before his newest ally.
"So this is the transference stone. Excellent. And you are sure that you will be able to destroy its ability to increase the power of those we intend to give it to?"
"Yes," assured Marzo. "This stone can only increase the power of the users for as long as they are draining the natural lifeforce it's keyed to, and I've set the stone to pull the power from the Vine Jungle. I have been watching these blue elves for a long time and have decided that they could very easily be stirred up to attack the nearby kingdom of Illgar and cause problems for other kingdoms as well. And if we spread the rumor that it was the search for this blue-skinned elf called Keldor causing the problems in the first place and that this search was all Adam's idea, so much the better."
"Excellent!" said Hutch in a disgustingly cheery voice, his eyes glowing with delight. "You have a plan for getting this stone in the right hands?"
"Yes," supplied Marzo. "It will be simple. I've already located the most likely candidate and have made initial contact. We should have this newest complication in full swing in less than a week."
"I don't know why you would even bother with meeting with this pale-faced soulless one," complained Senset.
"Because," snarled Reneil, "I'm tired of spending my life in subservience to the bunch of toothless old women who call themselves our leaders. This stranger offers us a tool that will allow us to take control over our people, and I, for one, intend to take it. I know that the others would not balk for a second if they knew that this kind of power was at stake."
"And if this stranger's trade item is not up to his description?" asked Senset, crossing his lightly muscled blue arms over his toned chest.
"We kill him," answered Reniel. He looked at his younger brother scornfully. Honestly, how could his lack wit of a brother have come from the same parents that had borne him? Reniel shook his head in disgust. He pushed a lock of his midnight blue hair back from his face and looked through a break in the canopy of the dense jungle that was his home.
"And this stranger's price?" asked Senset impatiently, seeing his elder brother losing himself in his thoughts once again.
Reniel snapped his attention back to his brother, a look of amusement on his striking blue face. "This cowardly man wants us to attack and take one kingdom. He says that he seeks revenge against this kingdom but that he does not want to be implicated in the act himself. We are to be his instruments of revenge. It costs us nothing. We end up with more slaves and more plunder and the fool gives us enough power to take whatever we want. He has no idea of exactly how powerful his trade will make us, the pale-faced idiot. He puts in our hands something that will give us the power to rule this entire planet."
"If his source is as strong as he makes it out to be, we can take out much more than one small kingdom," agreed Senset. "But to conquer the entire planet, Reniel. Why? We don't need it. We are long-lived and bear children among ourselves only rarely. We would never need all of the resources and would not have enough power to control a world full of slaves."
"You are a person of such limited thinking, Senset," Reniel growled, his patience wearing thin. "We do not need to control all of the people of this world to rule it and take full advantage of its resources fully. We need only to kill all of those unworthy ones who use these resources. Without the encroachment of the soulless ones, our jungle can be as vast and limitless as it once was according to the old stories. Those we do allow to live will be those that we can control and use for benefit. We rid the planet of all of those offensive animals that dare to pretend intellect and spirit. It is the right thing to do, my dimwitted brother."
The air was surprisingly still and hot as Randor's guards stood along the border of the strange and mysterious Vine Jungle. Captain Hamel shifted on his feet. 'Only one more hour,' he said to himself. 'Only one more hour and this boring shift is over.' Hamel didn't mind his assignments with the royal guard, but this border patrol they maintained seemed so useless. In the five years that King Randor had maintained this guard, not one breach of the kingdom had even been attempted.
The captain was about to turn to make another report to King Pierce's guard when a glint of something metallic caught his eye. He pulled his freeze blaster and shouted, "Show yourself to be unarmed or I will shoot!"
Captain Hamel heard a strange laugh just before he saw the brilliant flash of blue light that knocked him unconscious.
"Your Majesty!" shouted security chief Winfric. "We've been attacked. The blue elves have attacked in force. They have taken Grenen as well as some of the smaller outlying villages. Now they are attacking the northern borders of Illgar. There are more than we can fight. It is only a matter of time till our troops are overrun."
"What?" cried Pierce. "Get Queen Mira and Jeremy to a transport. I am going to Eternos, and demand that my nephew, Prince Adam," he said through gritted teeth, "fix whatever he's done to offend He-Man and send my kingdom the help we need."
Wulfric nodded and rushed to fulfill his king's command.
Tension flooded the room. Men in the finery of nobility sat around a rosy wooden table. The men were each wearing their own unique expression of concern or anger. All looked uneasy. Adam and Adora sat at the head of the table of leaders attempting to do what Randor had seemed to do so effortlessly—to exude a sense of well-being and assurance that would set the men at ease. Adam sighed. 'Definitely have to work on that soothing I've-got-everything-under-control presence Father pulls off so well.' Adam was beginning to see how growing a beard might be a good thing. He always saw his father's jaw twitch when Randor was angry, but then, he was looking for it. It would be easier to hide his irritation, if his own jaw wasn't giving his irritation away so obviously right now. Adam leaned over on his hand to hide his sign of impatience as he listened to another rumor. 'Wonder how hard it would be to make gossip a crime?" mused Adam sourly. 'Then at least I could fine the jerks that have started all of this mess.'
"This palace has been attacked fourteen times in the last two months, and He-Man hasn't been around to defend it but once," Pierce said, slamming his fist down in challenge. His light brown hair was normally swept away from his face, but it fell forward slightly as he stared at his nephew. "I demand you tell us what the problem is."
"There is no problem," Adam said calmly, although inside he was seething. 'Breathe, Adam, breathe,' he ordered himself leaned forward, still feeling slightly out of place in his father's chair even after two months. "Now King Pierce, you said you had an urgent request. I have gathered the nobility as you requested. I assume your request is of a more substantial matter than to ask the whereabouts of a hero who is not on the palace payroll and has the freedom to come and go as he wishes?" Several of the noblemen sank down slightly in their tapestry-padded chairs at his veiled reprimand, but Adam's words had no effect on Pierce.
"Blast it all, this is important," Pierce fairly roared. His amber eyes glared at Adam. "He-Man has been the lynchpin to the defense of this kingdom, and he's all but abandoned us. I demand to know why."
"I agree," Baron Grod said unexpectedly, his dark eyes looking slightly abashed. "I'm sorry, Prince Adam, but Pierce is right. If there's a problem, we need to know about it."
Adam stood slowly and cast his glance about the table, staring each person down in turn. "There is no problem," he said in slow, measured tones. "He-Man has fought long and hard against the evil on Eternia, and if he chooses to pursue other endeavors now that Skeletor is gone, that is his business. If Hutch or anyone else threatens us, I'm sure he'll be here to help. But I remind you, He-Man and She-Ra are not universal saviors. We need to be able to take care of ourselves, with or without them." Adora glanced sideways at Adam, knowing from his tone that he was angry and tired of defending himself. 'My poor brother,' she thought angrily, her cheeks flushing as she grabbed the arms of her chair to avoid throwing the centerpiece at her least favorite uncle.
"So there is a problem," Pierce challenged. "You told He-Man we didn't want his help, didn't you?"
Adam opened his mouth, then closed it again, his jaw twitching. "Wait here," he said shortly. He strode out of the room without another word. The nobility glanced around at each other uneasily.
Adora kept her chin up, even though several dirty looks were thrown her way. For a brief moment, Adora wished this were a Horde leadership meeting, so she could have the pleasure of challenging any one of these men to a fair fight. She looked around the room, her eyes narrowing. She was sure she would be able to take any of them—without the help of her sword. That thought and the mental pictures that came with it brought a slight smile to her lips.
"Where do you suppose he went?" Grod finally asked no one in particular after a few moments.
Sully harrumphed, knowing full well where Adam had gone. He wondered again why the prince had not had some sorceress cast a spell of forgetfulness on him. "I suppose he went to put his fist through a wall because you dunderheads are frustrating enough to try the patience of the Elders," he snapped at the group, his dark eyes harsh.
"I resent that," rumbled Jase, his face reddening enough to match his red hair. He had taken over Myrna after Hutch's defection.
"So do I," Pierce retorted, his eyes narrowing. "My kingdom is being threatened, and He-Man is nowhere to be found. I think I deserve to know why."
"Perhaps if you'd told Adam your kingdom was being threatened, he could have taken care of it," He-Man said from the doorway. The nobility shut their mouths and a few of them swallowed nervously. The hero was obviously annoyed. He-Man took a few steps into the room and folded his arms, his gaze hard.
"I did," Pierce retorted, his face reddening.
He-Man stared at Pierce. "I know for a fact that's not true." Pierce met He-Man's eyes defiantly for a few seconds before looking away. He-Man continued after a brief pause. "I don't appreciate the lot of you giving Adam a hard time. Someone's fueling these rumors that I don't support him, and that someone is probably Hutch. I would have expected you to have enough faith in the royal family and in me to know better than to believe rumors."
"Well, you haven't been around much," Grod pointed out gingerly, his tone full of respect.
"Where I've been is my business," He-Man said firmly. "As long as I am able, I will help defend Eternia and defend the innocent, no matter who the king is. I suggest you stop listening to the rumors to the contrary." He-Man's gaze swept the room, and no one met his eye except for Sully and Adora. "Good. I have to go now, but I'm sure Adam will be back in a few moments."
Adora could feel the embarrassment in the room as if it were tangible. She even felt chastised, and she hadn't done anything. 'I'm glad he did it, though,' she reflected. 'Their attitudes were way out of control. She sighed, 'I still wouldn't mind challenging a few of these 'gentlemen' to a good fight though.' Between what He-Man had said to the masters a couple of weeks ago and what he had said today, Adora knew there would be fewer problems among the leadership. The people, though…she shook her head. The rumors were even more rampant among the populace. Adam—the kind prince everyone loved—was getting harsh, suspicious stares and turned backs when he went out into public. He hid it well, but Adora knew that it cut him to the heart to have his people act like that towards him.
Adam re-entered the room and took his seat and then stared at his uncle. "He-Man said you've had some trouble," he said without preamble. He had wanted to solve this rumor problem on his own, but it was too far out of hand. He could see now that he was going to have to use He-Man's "help" quite regularly to stem the tide of rumors Hutch had created—assuming that's who was behind everything. "I assume that's the real reason for this emergency meeting, King Pierce?" He emphasized the title so subtly that Pierce's head jerked up, wondering if he had heard Adam correctly.
"Yes, Your Highness," Pierce said quietly. He felt so odd, as if He-Man's presence had chased away a red haze that had been surrounding him for days. He continued, his voice heavy, "The Alma'Odela, the blue-skinned elves, have attacked my people. They took Grenen, and most of the northern territory. They are advancing on the city of Illgar itself as we speak."
"What? Why didn't you call for help when the battle began?" Adam asked, alarmed.
"It began last night. The village fell in one night," Pierce said bitterly. A flare of anger flew across his face. "Some people have suggested it was a result of your search for the blue-skinned man you called Keldor." A few of the nobles exchanged confused glances at this accusation.
"I'm sure it's just a coincidence," Adora interjected firmly.
Adam sat in silence for a moment. Located at the edge of the Vine Jungle, and even encompassing some of that foreboding territory, Pierce and Mira's kingdom was difficult to get to. Wind raiders couldn't land in the dense growth. The attak traks could barely get through. Getting assistance there would be difficult at best.
"Take Saul and three units with you immediately," Adam said slowly. "Let them do the recon work and set up an initial defense plan. Ram-Man and Mekaneck will go with you, and perhaps Moss Man will as well. They're all here at the palace. I'll have He-Man and She-Ra meet them there." He met his uncle's gaze. "We will do all we can to protect your people."
Pierce nodded tightly.
Teela didn't move from her side as she heard Adam enter the darkened room and quietly undress. He slipped into bed beside her and wrapped an arm around her, his skin cool on her warm body. As was his habit of late, his hand quickly trailed down to her swollen stomach, where their baby was already kicking up a storm. Adam smiled tiredly, filled with wonder at the sensation.
"I heard you're going to Pierce's kingdom tomorrow to help defend it against the blue elves," Teela said tonelessly. Out in the sitting area, Cringer and Callie raised their heads and looked at each other, then got up and padded into the soon-to-be nursery. Cringer nudged the door shut with his head and hid under a blanket. Fireworks were coming. Callie settled next to him, purring to offer comfort, only the gold specks on her otherwise black coat showing in the dim moonlight.
"They need help," Adam said by way of agreement, his smile gone. "Northern Illgar fell to them early this morning. I've already sent Saul and three units out, as well as a few of the masters."
"You shouldn't be going," Teela said peevishly.
"They need help," Adam countered, keeping his voice steady. Teela had been overly emotional the entire pregnancy. He breathed a silent sigh, praying for the strength to remain calm during the fight he knew was coming.
"And you need to be here," she retorted. "How can you rule the kingdom when you're running around as He-Man?"
"I can't," Adam answered, growing impatient in spite of his good intentions. "That's why I won't be He-Man when I'm king. But right now, I have both responsibilities."
"There are plenty of others you can send," Teela snapped, still not facing him. Adam let go of her and flopped onto his back.
"I said I'd send He-Man, so He-Man's going," he muttered.
Teela swung her legs off the bed and sat up awkwardly. She struggled to her feet and turned, looking down at him. "You've got to get over this idea that it's your job to save the world, Adam," she said forcefully. "It was once. It's time to move on now."
"I'll move on when it's time," Adam growled. "I need to do this, Teela." He too rolled out of bed, anger coursing through his veins.
"Why?" she demanded hotly. "What's so blasted important that you've got to abandon your family and your kingdom?"
"I am not abandoning anyone!" he shouted back. He clenched his fist as he fought to bring himself back under control. "And I don't owe you an explanation."
Teela's eyes flashed. "I'm your wife! How can you say you don't have to explain it to me?" she asked.
"That's right, you're my wife, not my keeper," Adam bit off. "And it would be nice if you showed some respect for once, instead of constantly questioning my decisions!"
"I do not constantly question you!" Teela shouted at him. "How can I? You're never here to question!"
"What?" Adam fairly roared. "What exactly does that mean?"
"You missed our anniversary because of an attack on Grayskull," Teela said, starting to count on her fingers. "Then a state meeting ran over the day you were supposed to 'make it up' to me. You missed my birthday because of an overnight visit to Avion and a side trip to help Celine as she took over her father's kingdom." Her voice dripped with jealousy over his visit to Celine, but Adam was too angry to notice. "And you've missed dinner every night this week because of some random reason or another. I've hardly seen you!"
"You knew what my life was like long before we married," Adam said, forcefully pushing away the guilt that was starting to creep in. He pulled on his pants and grabbed a shirt.
"But you always made time for your family before," Teela said, her voice nearly breaking. Her heart went into her throat as he headed for the door. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I need to go for a walk," he snapped.
"That's right, leave when things get rough," she retorted. "You're good at that. You've had lots of practice."
Adam froze in the doorway, his silhouette framed perfectly in the doorway. Teela suddenly wished with all her heart she could take back the words. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he left before she could get out a sound, the door closing softly behind him. She sat down on the bed, unable to contain the tears any longer, and wept. Callie crept into the room. The great cat shoved her head under Teela's arm, purring softly. Teela stroked the black-furred head over and over, then slid onto the floor and hugged Callie for all she was worth.
'But you've always made time for your family before.'
Teela's accusation played over and over in his head as Adam headed out into the gardens. But even as vast as they were, they weren't big enough for the amount of movement he needed. He headed outside the palace walls with only the two moons to give him light, and broke into a steady jog.
He hated fighting with Teela. It had happened more frequently than he cared to admit during the last two months. The pressures of ruling, being He-Man, and being a husband and father-to-be were stressing him in ways he had not expected. Teela's emotions had been exceptionally volatile during her pregnancy. It was a difficult mix.
A branch snapped behind him and Adam whirled around, drawing his sword smoothly at the same time.
"I-it's just me, Adam," Cringer stammered, flattening his ears against his head.
Adam relaxed and lowered his sword. "What are you doing out here?"
"I thought you m-might need some company," the tiger answered, coming up alongside of Adam and rubbing his head on the prince's thigh.
"Is she right, Cringer?" Adam asked softly as he scratched behind Cringer's ear. "Have I been ignoring her?"
"Well, you haven't been around much," the tiger replied evasively. "But you can't always help that."
"How do I make time?" Adam muttered aloud, not expecting an answer. "How do I give Teela what she needs, without neglecting my duties?" It had been easy before she was pregnant. She was with him most of the time. Now that she was with child, though, Adam had been reluctant to have her out there fighting by his side. Teela felt the same way, so he wasn't forcing the separation on her, but…
"M-maybe you should give up being He-Man," Cringer suggested. He grinned. "I wouldn't mind not having to be that awful Battle Cat anymore."
"Maybe I should," Adam agreed in a whisper, surprising them both. "Maybe it's time, Cringer. I just don't know anymore."