C. Cowboy: some major stuff happens in this chapter, guys. Teela's emotional roller coaster is at its fever pitch; can He-Man stop her from making a major mistake? This chapter includes the song "My Immortal" by Evanescence. Make sure to leave a review and tell me what you think at the end please!
Chapter 4: Best Friends Again Or More?
Teela spun her snake staff around striking her three battle mates. Then bring it hard down right between Clawful's eyes, sending him to dreamland. Finally Whiplash's tail caught her back making her smack into the ground. She pulled herself to a setting position, and shook her head before looking up to see Trap Jaw aiming his gun arm at her head.
She looked down the barrel of the gun, and let her lips form a small smile, "Adam …" she sighed slightly, "I'm coming …" she then closed her eyes, hoping that when she opens them again she'd be looking into Adam's bright baby blues.
"Teela, are you alright?"
She opened her eyes and thought her wish had come true, till she realized the blue eyes looking down worriedly at her belonged to He-Man.
"Why?" she asked angrily, getting back up, giving Evil Lyn, who was attempting to attack her from behind, a back kick knocking her into a tree, "Who asked you to help?"
"Sorry for not wanting to see your brain decorating the ground," He-Man replied, a bit hurt by her anger.
"Yeah? Who asked you," She shot back before turning and going back into the fry.
"What I do?" He-Man asked Battle Cat, who was at his side. The large Tiger shrugged and the two followed her exampled.
The battle traveled from the front of Grayskull on down along the bottomless canyon. And as usual, once Skeletor got tired of playing he called retreat and Beastman's griffins came swooping down and plucked up the battled down minions.
"Well, that was a good work out," He-Man said settling Battle Cat.
"Ok everyone, lets go home," Duncan said, removing his helmet and wiping the sweat from his brow, then climbing on his wind raider.
"Teela? You coming?" He-Man asked looked at Teela who was just staring at the sky.
"Oh … yeah …" she responded sheepishly, "It… It's just it's a nice night, I may stay here for a little while, ya know, to clear my head a bit."
"Oh ok," He-Man nodded, "Don't stay too late, and be careful around that ledge. It's a really long drop."
"Thanks. I won't stay long and I'll be careful, so don't worry." Teela said with a small smile, "And He-Man … sorry for snapping at you earlier."
He-Man looked worried for a moment, he never remember Teela apologizing to Adam or He-Man, but shook it off to her grief of Adam, and mentally kicked himself for it. "Don't worry about, Teela, I'll talk to you at breakfast in the morning, goodnight."
"Goodnight …" Teela returned then watched Battle Cat and the wind raiders disappear before setting down hard with a sigh. She slowly looked skyward sadness shinning in her green eyes, "Adam? I wonder if you can hear me …"
(I'm so tired of being here)
"You don't know what I'd give to have a good fight with you again," she sighed sadly, "but I'd be satisfied just to talk with you again …"
(Suppressed by all my childish fears)
"I really blew it, didn't I?" Teela asked looking down toward the ground, "I pushed you away …"
(And if you have to leave)
"Tell you the truth, Adam …" She whispered, looking around to make sure no one was around to hear her, "I know I always said I wasn't the damsel in distress type, but … it would have really been nice if my handsome prince to run up, sweep me off my feet and save me in a fight… just once …"
(I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here)
"I don't mean I like to wear dresses, and jump at the sight of a mouse, and pass out at the sight of blood," She said her voice beginning to tremble, "But … if I could have you back I'd make the most pampered princess look like Evil Lyn."
(And it won't leave me alone)
"I sorry I failed you …" She said a tear sliding down her cheek, "I'm so sorry …"
(These wounds won't seem to heal)
"I miss you so much …" her tear filled eyes then traveled to the canyon, "I'm … I was your bodyguard …"
(This pain is just too real)
"I should have died … not you," She said, pain in her voice, "You were the heir to the throne, while I'm … nothing …"
(There's just too much that time cannot erase)
"Heh, if the old laws were kept, I'd probably be already with you, failing as your bodyguard and all," Teela chuckled dryly, "Like you know that, I know how much you love studying history … Ancients, I miss you, Adam … "
"Maybe …" Teela whispered looking toward the edge of the cliff, "Maybe I should keep the old law …"
(You used to captivate me
by your resonating life)
Tears slowly formed and slid down from her glazed over eyes, as she stood and faced the canyon, "You were right all along, you know?" Teela whimpered as sobs began to fill her throat, "I was always too concerned with training and practice … I always said you were wasting your life away, but … I was wrong …"
(Now I'm bound by the life you left behind)
"I … was the one wasting my life away," Teela sobbed as she took a step toward the canyon edge, "You lived your life every day."
(Your face it haunts)
"Maybe … I should have went fishing with you a little …" Teela whispered sadly, as she moved closer to the cliff, "Would you of minded sharing your shade tree with me for a little while a day? I used to dream of doing just that, you know?"
(My once pleasant dreams)
"Look at me," Teela whispered between sobs, "I'm a warrior, I'm not some weak love sick girl who misses a guy,"
(Your voice it chased away)
"But …" She said as a new set of tears spilled down her face, "Here I am talking to you as if you can hear me …"
(All the sanity in me)
She continued to walk till her toes met the edge of the cliff, and crouched down looking down into the gorge, "Oh, Adam, I am so sorry …"
(These wounds won't seem to heal)
"I'm going to come to you," Teela sobbed, "I don't deserve to go on living, I don't for not protecting you …"
(This pain is just too real)
"I'm coming, Adam …" Teela said her voice starting to clear up a little, "wait for me …"
(There's just too much that time cannot erase)
Meanwhile He-Man and Battle Cat continued toward the palace, the bed in his room growing more and more appealing, yet he couldn't help but have a strange sinking feeling in his stumach.
'HE-MAN!' came Sorceress' voice in his mind frantically. It surprised him so much he almost fell off Battle Cat's saddle.
(When you cried, "I'd wipe away all of your tears!"
When you'd screamed, "I'd fight away all of your fears!")
"Sorceress, what's wrong?" He-Man asked steadying himself in the saddle.
'It's Teela!' Sorceress exclaimed, a fear in her voice He-Man had never heard before.
"What's wrong with Teela?" He-Man asked as Battle Cat came to a full stop, "Did Skeletor's goons come back?"
(I held your hand through all of these years)
'No, nothing like that," Sorceress replied nervously, 'He-Man, you know how depressed she has been since you came up with this plan.'
"Yes, I've noticed, but what does this have to do with that," He-Man said confused, "What does that have to do with anything? She was just going to stay behind a while at the Great Canyon and … at the Great bottomless Canyon … oh shit …"
(But you still have)
He-Man quickly turned Battle Cat around and sped back toward the Canyon, "Faster! Battle Cat! Faster!" He-Man kept pushing his partner to run faster and faster as pure fear gripped his heart, "Come on, Teela don't do this … I'm coming …"
(All of me)
Teela then stood up and watched in a bit of wonder as she watched some broken soil fell from the edge down into the cloudy depths.
(I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone)
"I'm so sorry, father," Teela whispered as she gazed down into the darkness, "Guess I'm not as strong as I led everyone to think …"
(But though you're still with me)
"This is what I deserve …" Teela gulped, the fear of what she was about to do beginning to come, "but … he'll be on the other side waiting for me … and I can apologize for everything to his face … maybe he'll forgive me …"
(I've been alone all along!)
"TEELA, NO! WAIT!" He-Man cried as she took a step over the edge dropping down, "BATTLE CAT!"
(When you cried, "I'd wipe away all of your tears!")
Teela felt the wind wash over her as she free fell; it was quite invigorating.
(When you'd screamed, "I'd fight away all of your fears!")
"TEELA!!!" She heard as she felt a strong arm wrap around her. She opened her eyes to see He-Man still in Battle Cat's saddle pulling her to him with one arm, while holding onto the saddle with the other. "I have her, now grab the wall, Cat!"
(I held your hand through all of these years)
Battle Cat gave a mighty roar as he sunk his razor sharp claws into the side of the canyon, dragging a few feet before pulling all three to a stop. "Teela you ok?" He-Man asked worry written all over his face, "What were you thinking???"
"Why?" Teela whispered weakly, "I'm the only who deserves to die, why didn't you let me …"
(But you still have)
"I promised you, I'd never let anything happen to you," He-Man said softly, sounding frighteningly a lot like Adam, "EVER."
(All of me)
The two were silent the rest of the way, and Battle Cat finally made it up the steep side of the canyon and collapsed to his belly as soon as he was on level ground. "Teela, I don't understand …" He-Man said letting her down, but still keeping a hand on her shoulder incase she'd make another dive for the cliff, "Why do you think you deserve to die?"
"I failed him, " Teela whispered turning her back, her pride still not willing to let anyone see her weakness, "I failed Adam, I let him die …"
"Teela …" He-Man sighed looking down in shame.
"No, He-Man," Teela said firmly, yet her voice still trembled slightly, "My job was to protect the prince … and he …d-died … with me less then a few yards away from him, I failed …"
"So … you were just going to kill yourself for honor," He-Man asked trying to hide the hurt in his voice that she only thought of him as a job.
"Part of it, yes …" Teela nodded weakly, "But … look at how I treated the best friend I ever had…" she said stopping for a sob, "Except for when he would run from battle, for what ever reason, he … he was always there. I … I was hurt that he wouldn't even try to stand at my side in battle … but as soon as it was over, he always came to me, not father, not any of the others, he came straight to me, to make sure I was alright, to help me any way he could … and I … I always shot him down for it …I didn't deserve his friendship … so … you stopped me this time …" she said strength returning to her voice, "I will not stop trying to find a way to get to him, I want to apologize for … for everything …"
"Stop it, Teela …" He-Man ordered, not able to look up at her for the shame that was eating him alive, "I … Adam … wouldn't want that and you know it!"
'That's not going to be good enough, Adam,' Sorceress' voice said in his mind as Zoar came to land on Battle Cat's saddle, 'Tell her … tell her everything.'
'But, Sorceress,' He-Man responded telepathically, 'you ordered me, no one can know my secret?'
'I'm making an exception,' Sorceress said softly yet coldly, 'look at her, is there anything else you can do or say to keep her from taking her own life? The answer is no. She doesn't need He-Man now; she needs Adam. If you feel you can trust her with your life, tell her you trust her with it. Show her you trust her with it.'
"Teela …" He-Man said after a gulp to gather his courage, finding barely enough for what he was about to do. "Teela, look at me …"
She slowly looked up, thinking he was going to try something else to change her mind about the situation, not a clue how right she was. "Nothing you can say will change my mind, He-Man," Teela said coldly, yet sadly.
"I'm sorry …" He-Man said finally looking into her eyes, and she was shocked at the raw shame that was shinning in them, "I'm sorry for keeping this from you for so long …"
"Keeping what from me?" She asked totally confused.
The most powerful man in the universe answered by gripping the hilt of the Sword of Power in his trembling hand and drawing it over his head, "LET … THE POWER … RETURN!!!"
When the pyrotechnics let up, Teela stood there completely stunned, working her mouth up and down like a goldfish. "You …" She whispered looking utterly dumbfounded at the timid looking Adam who was staring at the ground in shame, "You're alive?"
"I … I can explain …" Adam whispered as Teela slowly stepped closer to him, "I … I'm really He-Man, or He-Man's really me, which ever way you want to look at it … I didn't think many people liked me, Adam I mean, so I thought it would be best if I got him er me er the other me out of the way for a while, but I swear I never meant to hurt you or cause you to do this, Teela, I'm so sorry …"
Teela responded by a very quick very hard right cross sending him flying backwards a few feet. "Ow, I knew that was coming…" Adam said as he pulled himself to a setting position while rubbing his sore jaw, thankful it wasn't broken.
"You son of a bitch!" Teela growled as she walked up to stand between his legs, making him very nervous mind you, then squatting down to looking him dead in the face, "How … how could you think no one would miss you? You're the gods damn prince, damn it!" she said grabbing his collar, "Adam, I don't care if it meant you could play super hero every hour of every day, and this meant you could save every single person and make the world a much better place, do you know how I felt when I thought you were dead?? Damn you, you stupid, self centered, egotistical, foolish, insensitive, ungrateful … Ancients I missed you …" She said breaking into sobs and burying her face into his shoulder.
"I … didn't see that coming …" Adam said in surprise as Teela wrapped her arms around him, soaking his jacket in her sobs.
"Shut up and hold me, you lying bastard," Teela said between sobs, "I'll beat the idiocy out of you later if you wish…"
"Ok," Adam said as he wrapped his arms around her back.
After Teela finally calmed down, Adam told her everything. He told her about her father taking him to Castle Grayskull and receiving the Sword of Power on his sixteenth birthday, about how he was basically forced to pretend to not care about anything and act like a coward, and about his plan to ease his pressure, which almost cost his best friend her life. It took a long time for all the detail to be told, and when Adam finished, he looked down in shame. He expected her to yell at him, "go ahead and say it, Teela," Adam sighed, "I know, I may have thought I was acting like a coward, but I guess I really was one all along."
"No," Teela whispered looking away slightly, "Sure your plan was pure stupidity, but … what you just told me was not cowardice."
"What?" Adam asked looking at Teela, who was now setting at his side.
"Adam, I know I've heard that princes are expected to do certain things, but … have you had a single choice in anything you've done in your life since your sixteenth birthday?" Teela asked looking into his eyes.
"Um, actually, not really …" Adam said sadly, "I could have turned away, stayed with you during that fist battle, and left the sword at Grayskull, but I knew that if we didn't have help, Skeletor's forces were too much. I couldn't bare the thought of him hurting any of you."
"So you gave up everything," Teela said astonished, "You sacrificed respect of everyone in the Kingdom, including your own father, took all the crap I threw at you, and any and all choices you had in the way your life would go … to protect us?"
"Yes," Adam said boldly, "and to keep you and the others safe, I'd do it all over again, excluding this stupid idea of mine."
"You know … Adam," Teela sighed taking all this in, "you really are the bravest man I've ever known."
Adam couldn't help but blush, "But Teela …" Adam sighed growing serious again, "I tried to take the easy way out, turned my back on you, on everyone."
"You made a stupid move, and it hurt … a lot, but you were still with us, with me, even if we didn't know it," Teela said looking at the stars, "But you know, I knew all along, I'm not sure how or why, but I … I just knew you were still with me …" she said giving his hand a squeeze, "So, what now?"
"Everyone else thinks I'm dead," Adam says though shame is dripping off his words, "I think I'll keep it like that for now … I have done a lot of good without having to worry about being drug to one of father's diplomatic meetings,"
"I knew it …" Teela said a smile crossing her lips, the first real smile she's given in a week, "You didn't do this for 'the good of Eternia', you did this to get out of doing the boring work, right?"
Adam brought his hand to his chest in mock-shock, "Teela, you wound me!" She then shoved Adam playfully as they both went into laughing fits together.
"You know my room just has one small window that can be completely sealed," Teela said casually, "You know … if you wanted … you could maybe sneak up at night and I could seal the door and window, you could change back to Adam and we could … ya know … talk …"
Adam's face immediately turned beat red, "Teela … I know you missed me and all but … Ancients, don't you think that's moving a little fast?"
Teela gasped, then turned the same color as Adam, "Get your mind out of the gutter, you pig!" Teela scolded slapping him across the face playfully. "What I meant was … Adam, don't you remember before everything happened, you used to come into my room after everyone went to bed or I would come to yours and we'd just sit and talk about … I don't know … stuff … really don't think we even knew what we were talking about, we just talked. I just … you know … we could act like best friends again."
"I'd like that, Teela," Adam said smiling happily at her, then standing up to grab his sword, "Well, it's getting late so we better go back, it's getting late. And Teela … I'm … I'm sorry again … for everything."
"I may not be as good at keeping secrets as some people," Teela said giving Adam a small glare, "but … you know you can trust me … you could always trust me."
"Thanks, Teela," Adam said as he drew his sword, "that means a lot to me."
"Adam, wait," Teela said before Adam could transform, "Just, one more thing, just for me to prove to myself this isn't a dream."
"What do you mean-" Adam said but was cut off as Teela grabbed both sides of his face, and gently pressed her lips to his in a firm yet at the same time gentle kiss. Adam's eyes went the size of saucers as she gingerly licked his lips before breaking her kiss. He still stood there dumbly as she took a step back with her fingers on her lips, almost like she surprised herself doing what she just did.
"I-I'm sorry," Teela apologized as it sunk in what she just did, and the fact the prince still stood there holding the sword over his head with an extremely dazed look on his face. "I just wanted to make sure … you were really here …" she said looking away shyly.
"Oh …" Adam said, his face showing a bit of disappointment but shook it off as he tightened the grip on his sword. "BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!!!!"
In a flash of light, Adam was replaced by He-Man. "I HAVE THE POWER!!!" He-Man cried out as he pointed the Sword of Power at Cringer, changing the cowardly feline into the might Battle Cat.
"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second," Teela yelled waving her arms, "Cringer … the scared of everything that moves Cringer, is BATTLE CAT???"
"Yes that's right, Teela," He-Man said as if it was as simple as one plus one equals two.
"Lets just go home, He-Man, er Adam, er … what the heck do I even call you now??" Teela asked rubbing her temples, "I'm getting a headache."
"Lets when I'm in this form you can call me He-Man in public but if you want to call me Adam when it's just you and me, it won't bother me," He-Man said saddling Battle Cat, reaching for Teela's hand to help her on.
"I might be able to get used to this …" Teela sighed as she leaned against He-Man and slowly drifted off to sleep with a small smile on her lips.
He-Man couldn't help but give a small smile, it really was amazing how much better he felt telling the truth to atleast one person. Maybe this won't be THAT bad of a thing after all, especially since he got his best friend back.
"Yes, Battle Cat," He-Man whispered as he looked down at the sleeping girl before him, "Things are finally looking a little up."
To Be Continued …