Lost in a Lost World
Chapter 16
Homeward Bound


"Tells us what you've seen in faraway forgotten lands.
Where empires have turned back to sand"
– The Moody Blues, Lovely To See You

The following day found Chelsea at Castle Grayskull. Adam and Adora accompanied her there to take her leave before she headed back to Earth.

"Take care, Chelsea," Adam said, shaking hands with her. "Try to stay out of trouble."

Chelsea laughed, "Gee, thanks, Adam."

She turned to Adora and said, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Adora. I wish you the best of luck in kicking Hordak's tail off Etheria and back to the Horde home world."

"Thank you, Chelsea, for everything," Adora said, shaking hands, then embracing her warmly.

"You're welcome. It wasn't like I could ignore that dream." Chelsea shivered.

"Are you ready to go, Chelsea?" the Sorceress asked.

"Oh yes. Much as I would love to stay, I've got a house to clean up and get ready for my friends' invasion."

The Sorceress smiled, "The portal is ready whenever you are."

"I'm ready," Chelsea answered. Yes, she thought, she was ready. She had her own life – family, friends, and studies – awaiting her, no matter how much any one or all three might be doing their damnedest to drive her crazy at any given time.

The portal burst to life – a glowing oval shape filled with streaks of golden light. Chelsea stared at it, amazed, for a moment.

"Way cool," she breathed.

"If you ever need help, Chelsea…" the Sorceress began.

"I'll know who to turn to," Chelsea replied with a smile. "I think I've got it covered, Sorceress. I've got excellent teachers between my grandmother and my mentor."

She waved goodbye to everyone and stepped into the portal to go back home.


The Sorceress watched Chelsea go, knowing that the young woman from Earth was in good hands.

Adam and Adora bid their goodbyes, since Teela was awaiting Adam for a sparring match.

Adora teased her brother as they walked out of the Castle, "I think, Adam, that she wants to make sure you don't go running off-world without her again…"

The Sorceress silently laughed, as the conversation drifted back to her. All was quiet for the moment, and perhaps she would go watch this sparring match between her daughter and Adam.

At the royal training ground, Adora and Seahawk sat on the sidelines with Man-At-Arms standing over them, to watch the sparring match.


Adora couldn't resist teasing Adam as he got stung by Teela's training blade. "Remember, brother dear, keep your guard up."

Duncan glanced at Adora briefly, then concurred, "She's right, Adam. You dropped your guard just enough that Teela was able to make a hit."

Adam glanced sideways at Adora and commented, "Gee, thanks, Sis."

"Only doing my job," Adora laughed.

"As what?" Seahawk questioned.

"Annoying sister," Adam commented, before taking a deep breath and turning to face Teela again.

Another volley and neither Adam nor Teela were able to score until Adam made a misstep that allowed Teela to complete another stinging hit.

Duncan made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like annoyance to Adora before he spoke up.

"That's enough. Adam," he called out. "Adora, take your brother's place."

"Huh?" Adam looked surprised at his teacher

"Me?" Adora questioned.

"Adora?" Seahawk asked, looking up at him.

"Yes. I want Adam to see where he's dropping his guard. Teela, I want you to practice against someone who's got a different style, one whose weaknesses you don't know right away."

"And, what about me, Man-At-Arms?" Adora asked, getting up.

"You also need to remember to keep your guard up, but in a different way, Princess," he commented obliquely.

"Uh-oh," Seahawk commented with a grin, "I think you're in trouble, Adora."

"I think you're right," Adora answered under her breath. She was sure that this was from the debriefing after the previous day's skirmish with Skeletor.

He was. Duncan grilled them hard, calling out maneuvers.

Teela attacked hard and fast, with her father ordering moves for her and then critiques for Adora.

"Adora, keep your guard up. You're dropping your shield."

Teela saw a tightening around Adora's eyes as she corrected her position, but did not verbally answer except for a short sigh.

She had to admit that Adam's sister was a very tough opponent. She couldn't reach that almost-meditative state which allowed her to read her opponent's body language and anticipate their moves. Adora was very good at not telegraphing her moves, and her returns to Teela's attacks were hard and fast.

"Good, good. That's better," Man-At-Arms called out and Teela was unsure if he meant her or Adora, but there was no time to debate it as he ordered another series of attacks.

At the end of that volley, he called a halt to their sparring.

"All right, that's good enough for now. Cool down and make sure you get some fluids," he commented.

Adora, very grateful for the reprieve; handed the practice sword and shield back to her brother as she quit the field. She had a feeling he was going to need them again soon.

Duncan turned his attention to the sidelines, "Adam, do you see where Teela and Adora are keeping their guards up?"

"Yes, I think so," Adam answered.

"Now, I want you to copy that," Duncan said with a curt nod before turning back to Teela and asked, "Are you ready for another round?"

"Yes," Teela answered after finishing her large cup of water.

"Good, then take your places and begin again," he ordered.

Adam did remember to keep his guard up after Teela scored a solid hit on his right hip.

"Adam, you're telegraphing your moves!" Duncan called out. "Your body language is giving you away. Pay attention to what you're doing!"

"Sorry, Man-At-Arms," Adam replied before fending off a new attack by Teela.

It was a fierce match between the two. Sitting on the sidelines once more, Adora could see Teela making few errors as she used her size to her advantage. She was quicker on her feet than Adam by just a fraction and that kept her out of range for most of his returns.

Adora could see that Adam was more flat footed instead of up on the balls of his feet, ready to move. She had her suspicions about that, but kept it to herself.

So, it went back and forth for several more minutes. Adam would press Teela back, but make some minor error that would allow her to regain the ground she'd lost. He would make her work for it, but he would give the ground back to her. Then, it happened: Adam overextended himself just enough for Teela to deliver a resounding slap with her practice sword to his sword hand, knocking the blade from his hand.

"Ouch," Seahawk commented. "That's going to leave a bruise."

Duncan made a noise before agreeing, "I think you're right. All right, Teela, Adam, that's enough for today."

Teela looked back at her father, clearly expecting him to say something else, but he didn't.

Adam shook his stinging sword hand and said, "Good match, Teela. I guess you're still better than me."

Adora and Duncan exchanged a sideways glance. They knew better. If Adam had truly wanted to win the match, he could have done so.

Teela narrowed her eyes at Adam, clearly wanting to say something. She opened her mouth, but quickly shut it again as she thought twice about what she was going to say. She didn't seem to want to jeopardize their undeclared truce. A moment later she said, "I don't know, Adam. You did pretty good yourself."

"I'll take that as a compliment, then," Adam said with a grin.

Adora shook her head; her brother was playing it smooth all right.

"Well, if you'd just pay more attention to what you're doing, Adam –" Teela said with snap to her tone than she'd clearly meant. Her face turned pink right after the words left her mouth.

"I know, I know," Adam said, not taking offense at the snap in Teela's voice.

Before anyone could say anything else, an alarm beeped on Man-At-Arm's wrist. He checked his chronometer and said, "Adam, Adora, you're due in court in thirty minutes."

"Uh oh…" Adam said. "Come on, Sis. We'd better go get ready."

Adora sighed; she had forgotten the promise made to her mother that day. "I'm coming."

"The things we do for family?" Seahawk asked with a grin, helping her to her feet.

"Oh yes," Adora answered.

"I'll have to tell you about the hoops I had to jump through for my father…" Seahawk commented, wrapping an arm around her waist as they followed Adam back towards the palace.

"Oh?" Adora raised one delicately sculpted eyebrow at him.

"When we have more time, I'll tell you. For now, you have a promise to keep…"

The afternoon court was filled with weightier issues, scheduled purposely for that day by the King's secretary Adam's research of the day before was put into use during this court session; and while it was lengthy and drawn out, Adora found it interesting to see the two cases presented.

"It's a battle, all right," Seahawk commented quietly from their vantage point just off the dais and to the right of the dual thrones.

"It's a battle of words, Captain Seahawk," the ambassador answered.

"This is what I'm – we're – fighting for on Etheria. The right to a fair trial for issues like this," Adora put in. "But, I do have to admit, I'd almost rather be fighting Hordak than to sit here day after day doing this. My training didn't exactly cover politics and courtly situations."

"Now, Adora, could you ever see Hordak arguing something so mundane?" Seahawk teased.

Adora chuckled, "Oh no, not at all. He would have resorted to blasting something by now, and Shadoweaver would have attempted to cast some spell or another."

"You surely know some interesting people, Princess," the ambassador commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh yes," was the answer. Adora still marveled at Adam persisting and being vital in helping her break the spells and training that had kept her from questioning Hordak's actions too deeply.

After all the arguments, pleas and petitions for the day had been heard, Marlena cornered Seahawk. "Captain Seahawk, would you care to join me for a cup of tea?"


"Uhm, yes, Your Majesty," Seahawk was surprised to be approached directly Adora's mother.

"Good, then come with me, Captain," Marlena said, wrapping an arm around his and steering him away from the crowd that was slowly dispersing.

"Uh oh…" he heard Adam comment not so quietly as he was led away.

Marlena paused, looked back over her shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'll return him in one piece."

Moments later, they were in the Queen's Solar, where a servant was just delivering a fresh pot of tea.

"Prefect, thank you, Delia," the Queen said with a warm smile.

"Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?" the older woman asked.

"No, no, we'll be fine, Delia," Marlena assured her.

The maid curtseyed and left the solar, leaving them alone.

"Please, Captain Seahawk, have a seat. I promise, I don't bite," Marlena assured him.

"I'm not so sure about that, Your Majesty. I have a feeling you have plenty of bite at times," Seahawk said, taking a cautious seat.

Marlena laughed. "I will plead the fifth."

"Your Majesty?"

"Sorry, a leftover saying from my former home," Marlena said, pouring herself a cup of tea and sweetening it with honey and sugar. She poured one for Seahawk and after sweetening it for him, handed it over.

"Now, I know you're wondering why I pulled you in here…"

"Very much so," Seahawk answered.

"I promised this isn't the interrogation you'd face from my husband," Marlena assured him.

"The king did seem a bit – protective – where Adora's concerned," Seahawk offered diplomatically.

"Oh yes – protective is a very good word," Marlena grinned. "I think he was still holding out hope for Adora to marry someone from the Eternian nobility – until he saw the two of you together, that is."

Seahawk didn't know what to say to that.

"You make a wonderful couple," Marlena went on to say. "I knew you cared deeply for Adora when you went to Earth – a place you knew next to nothing about – in order to find her and try to fix whatever Hordak and Shadoweaver had done to her now."

"Thank you, Queen Marlena," Seahawk answered, still not sure what the queen wanted of him.

"Please, just Marlena in here. Out there," Marlena waved a hand, "I have more than enough people bowing and scraping while at the same time, still hoping to get some juicy tidbit of gossip to spread."

"I did notice some of that already, Your – Marlena," Seahawk answered, thinking back to the previous night.

"Since I know my daughter will probably be pacing her suite worrying about how badly I'm interrogating you, I'll get to the point. I want to know just how committed you are to the fight against the Horde?"

"Totally," Seahawk declared without hesitation. "I'll admit, it took a lot for me learn that you can't be neutral in this fight."

"Oh?" Marlena raised an eyebrow as she sipped her tea.

"I made a rash – no, not just rash – but stupid mistake in going after what I just assumed was a Horde tax galleon. That mistake cost me having my ship blown out from under me and almost losing Adora and my crew as Horde prisoners."

"I'm glad to hear that, Seahawk, very glad to hear that," Marlena said with a smile. "I'm sorry that it took losing your ship, but I'm very glad to hear that you are totally committed to the fight against the Horde."

Seahawk silently sighed in relief. He had passed another of those dreaded, surprise exams from the future in-laws. He, who had never expected to be serious about any woman, had been shell shocked to discover the connection between Adora and himself, and then even more to find himself signing on for the fight against the Horde. He still wasn't sure how it happened.

Marlena grinned. "I did promise that this would be easier than if it were my husband doing the questioning."

"That you did," Seahawk found himself grinning in return.

"Now, finish your tea and let's go find my daughter so we can show her that I have left you in one piece," Marlena ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Seahawk answered, raising his teacup in response. Now that the weight of the pop quiz was off him, he found he could actually taste the beverage that had been handed to him and see the room he was in.

The Queen's Solar may have had a feminine sense and scent to it, but the color scheme was hardly delicate. It was a mixture of bold colors that seemed to reflect the mother of the woman he loved.

Once he finished his tea, Marlena lived up to her word and escorted him back through the palace corridors, the long way, Seahawk suspected, to show that she had chosen and fully supported him as her daughter's fiancée.