A/N: Another dual update so please check out Chap33 before this one! Again I'm feeling a little off so I hope it didn't come across in my updates. Please review...I could use a little love this week :/ :)

Chapter 34

"Skeletor has teleported off of Eternia," the Sorceress explained as they seated themselves at the council table. "I was able to track the magical signatures before they dissipated and it led me to the planet named Saturn located within a remote solar system of the Milky Way Galaxy. There he may have stopped to rest before continuing to Earth," she explained.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"What makes you sure he went to Earth?" Teela asked.

"Because the enemy is arrogant and power hungry," she replied. "Saturn is uninhabited. Skeletor requires a planet that is densely populated in order to satisfy his lust to conquer and enslave."

He-Man arched an eyebrow. "That makes sense," he mumbled.

"Then we need to follow him," Teela urged.

"Do you know where he is…on Earth that is?" Duncan inquired.

The Sorceress shook her head. "I do not, Man-At-Arms. Earth is approximately one and a half times larger in mass than Eternia and contains seven billion souls, almost twice the population of Eternia. If you pursue now, it will take you many months if not years to locate him. That is, unless he succeeds sooner than anticipated and makes himself known," she replied, her lips thinning in agitation.

He-Man eyed the Sorceress, this the first he's seen her emitting any kind of frustration. "So...we wait until he makes a move?"

She shifted her gaze to him and nodded. "Yes, He-Man."

He grimaced. "The damage he could inflict on my mother's home planet...," he speculated, his expression pained before regrouping, his face suddenly shifting to calm. "I hope we find him soon. In the meantime, this waiting around is going to be difficult."

Teela turned anxious eyes to him and covered his hand with hers giving it a gentle squeeze. He snapped his head to her, locking gazes.

"I believe we'll catch him before he has the chance to do real damage. And besides, we won't necessarily be waiting around, He-Man," Teela responded, her gaze soft. "We have a wedding to plan."

Blushing slightly, He-Man's eyes widened before glancing nervously at both of her parents prompting them to smile warmly in response.

Appreciating the irony of having multiple hidden identities in the room, BattleCat chuckled and snorted amusedly at his partner's awkwardness while he lounged on the floor near the hearth.

Greyskull's Warrior glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at him in warning.

Duncan suppressed a grin.

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Sensing his unease, the Sorceress cleared her throat.

"Come, He-Man, you must change back so that we may take your vitals." She gestured to the hall as she stood prompting the men to rise in courteous response, Teela following.

"We must get you back to your room and to your bed, young warrior. In case vertigo settles in." She turned to the cat. "Come, BattleCat."

Cat jumped to his feet and followed as they all made their way to the King's bedchambers. Once there, they stood alongside the bed with Duncan positioning himself within catching distance in case the Prince lost his balance.

He-Man eyed everyone and nodded slowly settling his gaze on his mentor. "Duncan, careful. When I transform, energy bolts accompany my reversion as well. I don't want to electrocute you," he warned.

The older man nodded. "Understood. I'll be careful, lad."

The Sorceress watched while Teela held her breath.

He-Man took a deep breath and expelled it from his lungs before lifting his sword above his head. "Let The Power Return," he stated softly.

Waves of bright energy undulated from his feet cascading up his body and finally engulfing him, swirling around him at his command. Teela noted that the reversion back was much more subdued than the initial transformation to He-Man; its relaxed waves and subtle gyrations caressed him from head to toe engulfing BattleCat as well. After a final bright flash, Prince Adam and Cringer now stood before them.

Adam's eyes suddenly rolled back as his sword dropped noisily to the floor. Losing his balance, Duncan and Teela caught him before he reached the floor. The Sorceress caught him as well sending a magical wave of support to keep him from falling. Together, they placed him onto the bed and pulled the bed linens over him as he had now become pale and had begun to shiver.

"A-Adam?" Cringer called out fearfully as he jumped atop his bed and nuzzled his face.

Teela's eyes filled with tears, as she fixed his bed covers. "Will his body never have a reprieve?" she complained as she brushed his bangs from his eyes.

The Sorceress sent Teela a look of remorse as she closed her eyes and waved a hand over him. She stood stock still, her palm in the air as her eyes moved rapidly underneath her eyelids. After a few moments, she opened them and focused first on Duncan, then Teela.

"His blood pressure is very low but improving rapidly. His body temperature, however, has fallen eight points. We must keep him warm and hydrated," she stated.

Duncan glanced anxiously at the woman as Teela turned tortured eyes to her. "What's happening?"

"Because he is not completely healed from his wounds, Prince Adam's body struggled under the weight and strain of Greyskull's magic. This test was necessary to determine his progress," she replied. "I am however pleased at the young Prince's stamina as he has proven stronger than I had anticipated."

Teela nodded and swiped at a tear as Duncan looked on wearing a hopeful expression. He turned to the now unconscious Prince ruffling his hair.

"You'll be home soon, lad. Soon."

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A few days later, Queen Marlena paced nervously within her office, thoughts of her son's latest health report as a result of his transformation into He-Man swirling within her mind.

Her chief scribe waited patiently for her next dictate.

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"

Regaining her composure, she stopped and turned to him. "Yes, Ian. I'm sorry. I was having a moment."

"My Queen, if I may speak freely?"

"Yes, of course."

"How is the Prince, your Majesty? Rajon saw him when he arrived at the infirmary all those weeks ago," Ian stated timidly. "My Queen forgive me but, his Highness was bleeding profusely and appeared extremely pale. Some of us here at the Palace despaired whether he would survive," he shifted his somber gaze to the floor. "My girlfriend Chalie cried for weeks," he again met her gaze. "Is he…okay?"

Marlena eyed him as her gaze softened. "Yes, Ian. He had taken ill and was moved to a secure area to receive treatment. He's much better now, friend. My husband and I thank you for your concern," she replied with a warm appreciative smile.

Ian seemed to relax as he nodded in relief. "Yes, your Majesty."

"Okay, my friend. Let's get this missive completed so we can finally be done for the evening, shall we? It's been a long day, hasn't it?" she stated warmly.

Ian nodded enthusiastically offering a relaxed grin. "Yes, Ma'am. A long day indeed."

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King Randor sat behind his office desk and spoke into the communicator.

"David! How are you and your lovely wife the Duchess?"

"We are well, Sir. Thank you for asking. And her Majesty? How does she fare?" came the reply.

"Very well. My wife and I want to thank you for your family's concern and kind prayers with regard to my son's recovery, David. As you know, he had a rough time, son," the King replied, his voice cracking.

There was a pause. "Yes, Sir. We were stunned at the news of his injury," he replied, his voice filled with emotion. "But Adam's always been strong. We had every hope that he would make a full recovery and he has. We're very anxious to see him. Is he still at Castle Greyskull?" came the response.

"Yes, David. But he's slated to return tomorrow. I'm sure you're aware that your entire family is always welcome in Eternos, son. You may come visit him anytime. Your father is a great friend to me, young Duke. How is he, son?"

Another small pause. "He is well, thank you your Majesty. As you know he is older and although he has lost the strength in his legs, he is in high spirits. Mother and Father enjoyed having the both of you here in Aberra last week, Sir."

"Absolutely, son. We thank you for your hospitality and we look forward to seeing all of you soon, we hope?"

A small pause. "Yes, Sir. If it is acceptable, we would like to visit in two weeks' time. This we feel with allow your family the private time you need with Adam back home. My wife and I also have an exciting announcement we'd like to share with you all."

Randor's eyes brightened. "Certainly! We will look forward to your visit, David."

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Baffled, Keldor stood in the middle of downtown Kingman. Down the street, a sign read, 'Hill Top Motel: Best View In Kingman.' Nearby another sign read 'Historic Route 66'.

The quaint, desert town was quiet and seemingly deserted at 11PM. Keldor and Evil-Lyn had hitched a ride for the last seventy miles to town deciding it best not to use magic and draw attention to themselves at this point. The disappointment in his voice was unmistakable.

"This is Kingman?" he hissed. "Kings are supposed to rule from this very site and all I see around me are dry, prickly bushes blowing across the sand and disgusting little animals crawling on the ground!" he shrieked.

"I'm tired and hungry, Keldor," Lyn complained wearily. "Let's just find something to eat and a place to rest," she implored. To her, this venture was beginning to look like a bust. Maybe she should have stayed in Eternia? Since inadvertently learning the Prince was alive, her hopes of seeing him again increased until this maniac pulled her away with the threat of her father's life hanging over her head if she didn't accompany him.

"Fine," he huffed.

Spotting a small establishment with the sign, 'Mr D's Route 66 Diner' and several patrons hunching over their dinners, he gestured towards it. "We should find repast there. Come!"

The bell atop the doorway announced their arrival as the chatter ceased immediately and everyone stared wordlessly at the odd looking couple; a young woman with pixie cut snowy white hair dressed in a purple body suit and thigh high boots, and the mature man with a long black pony tail, goatee wearing baggy slacks and a double breasted shirt. They were both carrying bags and seemed road weary.

The man with the goatee looked angry. "And just what are you all staring at, prey tell? Haven't you seen a man and a woman before for Elders' sake?" he barked.

Most of the locals just shrugged and went back to their meals. The children stared open mouthed never having seen anyone with looks such as these.

The two made their way to the bar and sat heavily on the stools. Keldor consulted his Eternian compass just as he felt a tug at his elbow sleeve. He snapped his head down to glare at the offending child.

"Mister, are you guys in the circus?" a little brown-haired boy asked hopefully, his hazel eyes wide with wonder and excitement.

"Yes, yes, yes, we're magicians from out of town. Now shut up and leave me alone, boy! Go back to your mommy!" he snapped impatiently waving his hand wildly.

The boy's eyes widened in fear as he ran back to the booth where his parents stared open-mouthed at the strange ill-tempered magician.

"What'll it be?" a tired waitress wearing the name tag 'Flo' asked unenthusiastically, her pen hovering over her pad.

"Whatever you've got that's edible, maiden," Keldor replied waving his hand dismissively.

Flo rolled her eyes and penned something on her pad before turning on her heel towards the kitchen.

He turned to Lyn. "This is useless. Where does one travel to obtain riches and glory?"

Overhearing his question, an older man with a scruffy beard hunching over his plate of pie turned. "Why, everyone knows the answer to that one, my strange looking friend," the man replied with an accented twang as he took a sip of coffee from his mug.

Keldor arched an eyebrow and turned. "The answer?" he asked sharply.

"Vegas."

The dark Prince furrowed his brow and cocked his head. "What is a Vaygus?"

The man shook his head. "Naw buddy. V-E-G-A-S. As in LAS Vegas. You ain't never heard of it?"

"No," Lyn replied, already tired of this conversation.

"Well, that's the place if you want money and fame," he stopped to eye Evil-Lyn. "And girls...if you know what I mean," he added with a lustful smirk on his lips, his eyes raking over Lyn's body.

Repulsed, she curled her lip and rolled her eyes.

Keldor however was intrigued. Leaning over he asked the man, "Tell me. How do I get to this…Las Vegas?"