The mood was somber as the the three Royals, Duncan and Teela assembled for the grim task of reliving Adora's kidnapping. Adam felt like the worst kind of villain for forcing his parents to go through this. Surely it would have been less painful for everyone if he'd asked the Sorceress to show him Hordak.

Teela had firmly spoken to him when he'd voiced these fears out loud. She was emphatic in believing that the King and Queen would have been broken-hearted if he had gone to Grayskull instead of seeking them out. If he'd done that, he would have pushed them out of an experience that they would have regretted not sharing with him.

"But I hurt my mother. I heard her crying..."

"Hordak hurt them, Adam. We're preparing to find her, and bring her home. Sharing this with you may be cathartic, they need to be there for you, as well – if you suffered through it without them, you would simply transfer your guilt to them."

Adam had conceded defeat, knowing in his heart that she was right, but still, the sound of his mother's anguished pain had haunted him since leaving his father's office.

"Your majesties," Duncan spoke formally, his grip on his emotions tenuous. "I volunteer to share my memories."

"No," Marlena asserted. "I was there from beginning to end, and it is right that I share mine. Do not fret for me, old friend... I can do this. I let her be forgotten... it's time I remedied that."

"It wasn't your fault," Adam said, his frustrations with the secret-keeping resurrecting.

"No. Nor yours. We all had to make sacrifices for the greater good. Speaking of Adora wouldn't have brought her home. Imagine, son, if you had been corrupted by her loss... if you hadn't been able to become He-Man – what would we suffer today? Even if, by some miracle, we were able to fight off Skeletor, we wouldn't have any means of finding Adora. The sword may have begun to charge, but you may not have been suited to deliver it to her."

He nodded at her, unable to speak and she gave him a sad smile.

She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes, counting to ten in her mind to calm herself. Then she took the circlet and put it on her head with deceptive calm and grace. Teela watched her, transfixed by how regal she was at all times. She was an intimidating predecessor with the perfection she employed in everything she did.

In grim silence, they waited for the device to work.

The memory started off harmlessly enough – a young and very beautiful Queen, and her two infants. Teela, despite herself, curled her mouth into a smile at the sight of the two young ones. She looked at Adam, trying to trace his adult features into the child's, but the child was so young, it's features had not yet approximated adulthood. Nonetheless, both children were very cute.

Marlena was singing to the babies, and pain caught in Adam's throat. He remembered the songs – she had sung to him as an older child. He forced himself to look at his baby sister. She was beautiful – as he had known she would be. How could his parents have endured this loss? They hadn't been granted the dubious gift of forgetfulness where she was concerned.

He stole a glance at Duncan, another who had been forced to live with these memories in silence and he was shocked to see tears on the older man's face. Duncan, stoic Duncan, was crying.

Randor remained stoic through absolute strength of will. His throat was choked with pain. He didn't trust himself to speak.

And then it happened – the attack – both children were screaming wildly, not knowing what was happening, but knowing something was very very wrong. Skeletor and Hordak were there, and suddenly Duncan too was there, trying to save the babies.

Teela was trying not to cry, and she held onto Adam fiercely. She felt his trembling. He was in so much pain. She rested her cheek against his chest, this time trying to reassure him with her presence. He was breathing hoarsely. His heart was a rapid staccato that she felt must hurt in his chest. She saw the set of his jaw and the icy rage in his eyes as he witnessed Hordak and Skeletor commit this awful crime. She knew he was angrier than he'd ever been at the monster – even more angry than when Skeletor was building the goblin gate... even more angry, perhaps, than at the battle of Lee.

"By the elders," he growled,"I should just go-"

"No," said Duncan sharply, looking to his comrade. "You cannot. You cannot allow hate to rule your actions."

Adam's gaze was icy and Duncan fought against looking away.

His intention to speak and to protest Duncan's edict was short-circuited at watching the rest of the kidnapping take place. He saw it all - saw Skeletor restraining his mother, saw Hordak steal his sister, and saw the despair of the Royal couple and Duncan as they realized that Hordak had taken her somewhere they couldn't reach.

An eternity later, Marlena tore the projector from her head. She forced herself to place it gently on the table. There was no cause to destroy the object – it had served it's purpose. She was trembling violently and Randor wrapped his arms tightly around her, needing her as much as he needed to comfort her.

Silence filled the room – punctuated only by the harsh breathing of it's occupants – all enraged and saddened by what they'd seen.

"By the elders," gasped Duncan. "I failed you that day. "

"You didn't. There was little time to react - and you saved Adam," Marlena croaked. "I'm eternally grateful to you for that."

Duncan met Adam's pain-filled gaze with his own.

"I almost didn't -"

"You did," Adam broke his own silence, his voice hoarse with anger and pain. "Duncan, I saw it – if it wasn't for you – they would have stolen us both. I owe you the life that I had. Thank you for rescuing me when I was too helpless to protect myself."

"Adam, please believe me – I didn't save you because I knew you would be He-Man. I knew that both of you would be champions, I didn't play favorites. You just happened to be closer to me-"

"Father, of course you didn't," Teela burst out, getting up and moving to hug her father.

"I realize it looks – like I did."

"Stop it," Adam ordered him, claiming the authority of friendship rather than title. "I saw it all. You did the best you could."

Duncan looked at his friend, awed at his forgiveness. Adam was giving him the same speech he'd given him so many times when the hero had felt guilty for not doing more – for allowing harm to come to people.

"I always thought – I could have done more, " he ground out, echoing He-Man's oft stated lament.

"So did I," Marlena said. "Not you... me... but now – seeing it again – well – it's clear we were caught off guard. You didn't fail, Duncan, and neither did I."

Randor broke his silence.

"You were both outnumbered by two very powerful evil warriors. It wasn't either of your fault."

Adam turned to his father, hearing his strong and assertive tones as he comforted his wife and his friend. The bond between these three went deeper than he could have ever known.

"Can you forgive me," Duncan turned to Adam. "You know I'm capable of so much more than that – surely you wonder at my incompetence?"

Adam moved over to his friend and placed his hands on the other man's shoulders. Meeting his gaze with his own, he spoke the words he truly felt.

"I don't forgive you because there's nothing to forgive."

"Was it enough," Marlena asked him, her tone unconsciously pleading. "Do I have to share more with you?"

"You've given me more than enough," Adam told his mother, moving to hug her. "I'm so sorry to make you relive that."

"Adam, it wasn't you who made me. We knew it had to be done."

"Do you think you could handle him, son," Randor questioned, his gaze worried. "Hordak is extremely powerful."

"The Sorceress has shared his history with me, Father – and he is a formidable threat – far worse than Skeletor. I don't underestimate him... yet, I believe Grayskull will give me enough power to match him in combat. Grayskull never failed me before."

"We've always had the masters," Teela added, her voice troubled. "All you'll have is me..."

"All? Don't underestimate yourself."

"Don't overestimate me either. I'm good at what I do... or what I used to do... but lets face it... I have normal strength and no special powers. In the end, I could create more problems than I solve. I could end up his prisoner."

"This mission is dangerous, no doubt. But it must be done. We won't go in blindly, we will plan ahead with the knowledge we do have. There are so many points of strategy that need to be worked out."

"Let's convene to plan after dinner," Randor said, giving his son and Teela quick hugs. Randor hated to dismiss his son after seeing how close he came to losing him, but he needed to be alone with Marlena so he could give into his own tears.

Adam nodded kindly.

"We will see you at dinner, then."