The light of the rising sun glinted off the spires of the palace. The polished gold shone so brightly that from the courtyard, it looked as if the whole palace were glowing.

But there was only one person in the courtyard at this hour, and he had no time to admire the beautiful scene. He was a tall, imposing figure, made all the more imposing by his green battle armor. Despite his appearance, however, he had a caring heart. And that was why he was striding across the courtyard in search of a certain young man who'd been absent from breakfast that morning.

In the training yard, a ferocious battle was taking place. Adam struck at the training robot mercilessly. The dents in its metal revealed how long this pounding had been going on. But even though the robot was showing signs of wear, Adam was not. He had just lifted his sword for a final blow when the robot suddenly halted. Its eyes went dark and it let out the whine of a machine powering down. Adam gaped it for moment before lowering his sword in disappointment.

"Stupid hunka junk,"" he muttered.

"Actually, I just cut the power."

Adam whirled around. Man-at-Arms, the captain of the guard, was standing behind him at the control console.

"The robot looked like it needed a break." Man-at-Arms quipped. Adam gave the machine a disgusted glare. Then he sighed and sheathed his sword.

"What do you want, Man-at-Arms?" he asked without looking at the soldier.

"What happened last night?"

"The usual. Skeletor's goons came, I drove 'em off—"

"That's not what I meant."

Adam didn't reply. But the sudden tenseness in his body sent a clear enough message. Man-at-Arms chose his words carefully as he continued.

"There were supposedly some harsh words between you and the King last night. You and he both are clearly upset." he paused. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."

Adam was silent. Now that his distraction was gone, unpleasant thoughts were creeping back into his head. That's why he'd been at the training field all morning; to drive out the memories with action. When he'd been fighting, there hadn't been any room for thought; it was just adrenaline and fury. Now, the feelings he'd bottled up since last night yearned for a release.

"Yeah," Adam finally admitted, "Yeah, Dad and I had a disagreement last night. But of course, it's all my fault. Just like it always is. because I'm a lazy brat who doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"That's not true," Man-at-Arms said calmly. But inside, his concern deepened. The bitterness in Adam's voice was jarring. "Whatever was said—"

"That's exactly what was said!" Adam spun around, words pouring out of his mouth before he could stop them. "He called me a spoiled toddler! A useless, lazy lump! And then—" Adam choked on the words as he said them "—and then he said how much better things would be if He-Man were his son."

Man-at-Arms blinked in disbelief. "King Randor...really said that?"

"He might as well have. 'He-Man's a hero. He-Man's responsible. He-Man's perfect in every way. Why can't you be more like that, Adam?'" Adam kicked viciously at the disabled robot. "He may not have said those exact words, but that's sure what he was thinking."

An armored hand came down gently on Adam's shoulder.

"Do you really think that's what he meant?" Man-at-Arms asked softly.

At the touch, the anger drained from Adam's face, replaced with despairing weariness. It was a weariness that Man-at-Arms had only ever seen on the faces of old soldiers; men whose long years of battle had stripped them of their strength and hope. It was not a look that belonged on a teenage boy.

"It's not fair," Adam whispered, "I try so hard...but I just can't win. When I mess up as Prince Adam, my father pours on the guilt. And if I mess up as He-Man, you and the Sorceress pour on the guilt. No matter what I do, I can't please all of you."

A heavy silence fell over the pair. Although Man-at-Arms's expression remained the same, Adam's words had hit him hard.

"To be guardian of Grayskull, especially so young, is a heavy burden," Man-at-Arms finally said, "Even heavier when it has to remain secret. But it's for a greater purpose. As long as you keep the kingdom safe, it doesn't matter what others think about you."

"Easy for you to say," Adam grumbled, shaking the hand off his shoulder, "When was the last time someone called you a useless lump?"

The boy trudged sulkily out of the training yard. As he entered the courtyard he saw the Masters leaving the palace, going off to take care of their assignments for the day. Two of them spotted him and headed his way. Even from a distance, Adam recognized the figures as Stratos and Mekaneck.

Maybe we're working together for the day, Adam thought hopefully. That wouldn't be so bad. Both of the Masters were easy to get along with, and neither was likely to make snarky comments about last night (unlike a certain red-head he could mention).

"Good morning, your Highness," Stratos greeted as he and Mekaneck stopped in front of Adam. Mekaneck was less formal, merely giving a nod and a grin.

"Morning, Stratos; Mekaneck." Adam replied. There was a moment of silence between the parties. The Masters watched Adam expectantly.

"So—what's up?" Adam finally asked.

"What do you mean—Oh, wait," Mekaneck interrupted himself, suddenly realized something. "You weren't at breakfast today, so you didn't hear Man-at-Arms give out assignments."

"We're accompanying you today," Stratos said as if that should explain everything.

"Oo-kaay...Accompanying me where?"

The Masters gave him questioning looks. But before they could explain, someone else interrupted.

"Adam."

Adam stiffened at the sound of his father's voice. He looked around slowly. Randor was approaching, looking just as grim as he had last night.

"Glad to see you on time for a change," the king remarked.

"Father." Adam forced his lips into a smile and tried to be polite, "On time for what?"

"You're coming with me to meet with Chief Carnivus."

"What?" This was news to Adam. "Since when?"

"Since now. Come on, men," the king motioned for the Masters to follow him as he started toward the hovercraft bay. Adam hurried after him.

"You know," he said, trying to keep his voice level, "A little warning would've been nice. Like, if you'd actually told me about this."

"We don't always get what we want in life, Adam." the king replied curtly, "The experience will help you grow. And you need all the help you can get."

"Of course I do," Adam muttered. They boarded the hovercraft. Adam sat by a window, pointedly ignoring his father. Randor intently studied a scroll of parchment, although his scowl suggested that his attention was not wholly focused on it. The hovercraft rose and began its journey. Still no one spoke.

"...So," Mekaneck finally said, disliking the silence, "Why are you meeting with Chief Carnivus again?"

"To inspect the damage from Skeletor's last attack," Randor replied, not looking up from the parchment. That was all he said. The uncomfortable silence returned.

Mekaneck felt as if he'd walked into a parallel universe. King Randor, who was normally so polite, was acting curt and irritated. And Adam— carefree Prince Adam, who could always be counted on for a laugh—was about as cheerful as a Shadowbeast with a toothache. Animosity hung in the air like suffocating fog.

Well, Mekaneck thought sarcastically, won't this a be a fun trip?

Felis Qadi was a secluded village high in the mountains. It was not a human village, however; its inhabitants were Qadians, a race of catlike warriors. With their sharp teeth and feline features, they cut an intimidating figure. But King Randor had learned long ago not to judge by appearances; the Qadians were a friendly people and always welcomed him and his soldiers.

This time, however, their greeting was a somber one. The village was in ruins, and the few buildings that were intact were crammed with the injured. Adam took in the grim scene as he followed his father, who was in deep discussion with the head cat.

"—we've started to rebuild," Chief Carnivus was saying, "but it's slow going. Many of our people are too wounded to assist in construction, and we're rapidly running low on medicine and supplies."

"I can provide both," Randor assured the chief, "And some of our soldiers can be dispatched to help in the reconstruction efforts. Adam—"

"Yeah, I'm writing it down," Adam grumbled, scribbling the information on a roll of parchment. He'd been given the "privilege" of being scribe for the trip, meaning he was forced to listen and record every word his father spoke. It was an important job, but that didn't make it any less tedious. As Randor and Carnivus argued about quantities, Adam looked at the surroundings. All around him, disheartened Qadians trudged along with slumped shoulders and bowed heads. Fear was still evident in their faces.

Skeletor's caused so much pain. How can anyone be so heartless ? Adam wondered. He turned his attention back to the monarchs in front of him. They were currently discussing how much lumber would be needed for the reconstruction. The discussion, however, was interrupted as a thunderous roar echoed through the village.

Chief Carnivus looked up in horror.

"That was a Parek-Narr," he gasped. Randor nodded grimly, his hand moving to his sword hilt.

Terrified shrieks suddenly pierced the air, but were drowned out by a second roar. Then a dark shape charged at them from among the rubble. The royal party scattered. As the beast rushed by, Adam saw the long horn and rough hide of a Parek-Narr. That was bad; those creatures were brutally strong and dangerous. Adam leaped to his feet; the other warriors were already gathering around the beast to attack. Adam was reaching for his sword when the urgent voice of the sorceress cut through his thoughts.

Adam! Your father is in danger!

"Yeah, I can see that," he growled.

No, look up! Among the rocks!

Adam glanced toward the outcrops of rock that surrounded the village. At first he saw nothing. Then a movement in the shadows caught his eye. A figure was hiding there, among the boulders. The figure shifted, and the end of a blaster appeared in the light. A chill ran down Adam's spine as he realized who the blaster was aimed at.

"FATHER, LOOK OUT!"

Randor whirled around as he heard the warning. He caught a glimpse of his son's face before Adam tackled him, shoving him backwards. At that moment, a flash came from the outcrop of rocks. As Randor hit the ground, a blue light exploded where he'd been standing a second earlier. The blinding rays engulfed Adam, and a strange crackling noise filled the air. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the light winked out of existence.

"Adam!" Randor scrambled to his feet, half-blinded. All around him, he heard cries of alarm and panicked voices. A hand gripped his shoulder

"Get back!" Stratos' voice cried. Randor felt something massive rush by as the warrior dragged him out of the way. Though his vision was still blurry, he assumed it was the Parek-Narr. The creature was thundering away from the village as fast as its short legs could carry it. There was another running figure in the distance, too. A figure that gleamed metalliclly as it fled. Stratos took to the air in pursuit, leaving Randor on his own.

The king assessed the situation. Terrified Qadians ran in all directions, and Carnivus was barking orders to a group of soldiers. But among the chaos his son was nowhere to be seen.

"Mekaneck!" Randor spotted the soldier crouching on the ground. "Where's Adam?"

Mekaneck looked up at the king. Something about his expression sent a chill down Randor's spine.

"He..." Mekaneck began to say, "Right here...he was right here and then..."

It was then that Randor saw the strange dust on the ground. It was bright red and grainy, like sand. It was scattered on the spot where the blue light had appeared—where Adam had been standing.

"There was a laser blast of some sort," Mekaneck stammered, "It hit Adam and...He's gone. He's just...gone".

There was a whoosh overhead, and Stratos suddenly touched down beside the king.

"Tri-Klops," the warrior gasped, panting, "It was Tri-Klops...Saw him running away on a skyride...Couldn't stop him..." Stratos paused and sucked in a deep breath. "This was Skeletor's doing. Obviously an attempt on your life. We're lucky it failed."

Randor listened to this report in silence. His face was white, his eyes fixed on the strange dust on the ground.

Without warning, the king fell to his knees. The chaos, the noise of the his surroundings seemed to fade away. Only one thought ran through Randor's mind as he stared at the little pile of red sand in front of him.

"No," he gasped, "It can't be..."

A laser blast. Adam had been standing here. A laser blast had hit him...he'd been hit and now he was nowhere to be found. Randor had been standing here just before the blast...surely the laser had been meant for him. Meant to destroy him. But Adam had pushed him out of the way, and now...there was nothing but dust there.

Nothing left of his son but a few flecks of red dust on the ground.

A howl of despair ripped from Randor's lips. The sound struck terror into the warriors beside him, and in all who heard it. It was an inhuman wail; the sound of a creature in absolute and unimaginable agony. As the cry echoed through the village, one word could be distinguished in it.

"ADAM!"