Chapter 7: The Beginning of the End
Sunlight shown through the window of the spare bedroom of Castle Grayskull and fell upon Prince Adam's face, as his eyes squinted before opening slowly. He looked down to see a pair of blue green eyes staring right back at him.
"Morning," Teela smiled, resting her chin and hands on his chest.
"Morning," Adam replied, blushing when the memories of what happened the night before flooded past the morning amnesia.
"Ya know, for a lazy prince," Teela purred curling up beside him burying her face in the bend of his neck, "You've got amazing stamina. You sure your powers as He-Man don't stay with you like this? Because after last night I'm beginning to wonder." She whispered, placing a feather kiss on his shoulder.
"You're one to talk," Adam said, realizing she was blushing as much as he was, "You sure you don't have superpowers too?" He then brought his hands to her sides and began to tickle mercilessly.
"Adam!" She squealed squeezing arms to her sides and rolling off him. But Adam with the momentum continued over to rest on top of her, continuing his assault.
"I haven't heard you squeal like that since we were six," Adam stated, then taking a sly smile, "came close last night though."
"Tease," Teela smiled, as Adam stopped the tickle attack.
Adam then blushed brighter when he realized their position and the fact they were both still undressed completely. "Adam …" Teela said softly growing softly, bringing her arms around him, "I think … no …" She started moving her face closer to his, "I know I … I love you," She said barely above her breath as her lips brushed his.
But then the door opened and Man-At-Arms walked in, "Adam, I believe it would be best for Teela to stay here for the time being so we need to go back to the palace to get her … oh my …"
"Hero or not," Duncan growled forming his arm cannon, "You're mine boy."
"Father!" Teela yelled, her eyes widening, as Adam jumped off the bed and dove for his pants, jerking them on in one fluid motion. Barely missing a low powered blast that blew up a mirror.
"I'm not going to kill him," Man-At-Arms stated, firing another low powered blast just missing him, "Eternia needs him, Teela, that's the only thing keeping his head attached right now."
Adam then dashed out into the hallway, desperately trying to get to the throne room, and to the Sorceress. But then he stopped, realizing that the Sorceress is her mother and she could definitely hurt him worse. Going to the Sorceress was a bad idea. A blast then shot over his shoulder missing his head by inches. Running though is a good idea. He then reached over his shoulder for his sword. He-Man would have a better chance at physically stopping an angry Man-At-Arms then Adam. But when he felt nothing but air, his eyes widened in fear.
"Looking for this, Your Highness?" came Man-At-Arm's angry voice. Adam looked back to see Duncan holding the Sword of Power and Teela standing behind him, covering herself in the bed sheet, and yelling bloody murder.
"RUN, ADAM!" Teela cried, as he took off down the corridor.
"Sorceress might kill me," Adam thought as he ran as fast as he could, "But at least she isn't sadistic like Duncan, she'll make it quick and painless. Sorceress it is then."
He made his way to the throne room, and ran and hid behind the confused Sorceress as Man-At-Arms dashed in on his tail.
"Sorceress, out of the way," Man-At-Arms said his armcannon locked onto Adam, "If you knew what he's done, you'd probably want what I want to do to him too."
"I know exactly what he did, Man-At-Arms," She said in a voice similar to her usual cold voice, but had a icy edge to it, "he comforted my daughter in her time of need. So they made love? You said it yourself it was only a matter of time before they took their relationship to the next level."
"But … but …"
"Prince Adam," Sorceress said looking back at the terrified teen, "Do you love Teela? Answer carefully …"
Adam seemed to take in the question for a second but without a moment hesitation, "Yes, I do, I do love her, I have for some time now …"
"Very good," Sorceress smiled, "If you had answered in any other way, you would of wished I had allowed Man-At-Arms to continue his assault on you. Though remember that a fate worse then what Man-At-Arms can dream of doing to you will happen if you break her heart."
Adam then carefully approached Man-At-Arms and took the sword of power, "Get dressed," Man-At-Arms barked. Adam jumped and ran out of the throne room.
"I figured you would be happy for them, Duncan," Sorceress mused looking at her old friend.
"I am, Teela, I just wish they hadn't of moved so fast," Duncan sighed, "At least give me time to realize our baby girl is a woman now …"
"You called me Teela," Sorceress said looking almost misty eyed, "You haven't called me that in a long time …"
"You told me not to, Sorceress," Duncan said bitterly, "Now if you excuse me, I must prepare for our leave."
Sorceress watched him walk out her eyes sparkled for a moment with sadness and longing, before she forced her emotions back down and returned to her throne. She must ready Grayskull to now not only protect the Power of the Ancients, but now her own daughter.
---
He-Man, Teela, and Man-At-Arms returned to Eternos to gather Teela's things for her stay at Grayskull. Both He-Man and Teela were walking a distance away from Man At Arms, both out of the wedge the revelations has caused and, in He-Man's case, fear for his life.
"Duncan, He-Man, Teela," King Randor said walking up to them, strangely wearing his old military uniform, "I feared you would not reappear for the operation."
"Operation?" Teela asked as Duncan and He-Man looked at each other worriedly.
"Yes, haven't you notice my absence over the past few weeks?" Randor asked, pulling out a container of camouflaged make up and placing some on his cheeks, "Come on, Operation: Explosive Farewell is do is set to begin in a matter of hours."
"Um … what?" He-Man finally spoke up, with extreme worry on his features.
"Come on, I have to get that … thing back for taking my boy," was all Randor said as he lead the group back toward the hanger.
---
The wind raider shot over the dark hemisphere, less then thirty minutes from Snake Mountain. Randor and Man At Arms rode in the front while Teela and He-Man occupying the back.
The Guardian of Grayskull looked at the passing sights with a thoughtful look on his face. But when a small hand resting on his arm brought him back to reality. "Are you ok?" Teela whispered worriedly.
"He really does …did care about me … you cared about me …" He-Man whispered looking at Randor's back, pain shining in his blue eyes, "I really screwed up …"
"Adam, of course he cares about you, he's your father, he was hard on you, but that's what fathers are for," Teela smiled, "And despite your stupidity and how I used to act, I care about you too, as much if not more then your father. And don't worry, He-Man, I'm sure you'll find a way to rescue Prince Adam from where ever he's trapped." She said with a coy smile and a wink.
"Thanks," He-Man smiled as Teela patted his arm.
"You can thank me tonight when we get back to Grayskull …" She said mischievousness flashing in her blue-green eyes.
He-Man blushed but nodded anyway, "Ok we're there," Randor said bringing the wind raider down to a newly built bunker with Snake Mountain barely visible in the distance.
"What's going on, Your Highness?" Man At Arms asked as the group walked in to the bunker where a few marines were all taking photos and watching over remote images.
"We placed every heavy explosive in Eternos at specific points around the base of Snake Mountain. I do not know if this will get Skeletor or not, but by the Ancients, this will hurt him like hell!" Randor said his face contorting in rage, "You know, the last time I told my son, my ONLY son, I loved him was on his tenth birthday? Now I can never tell him how much I loved and cared about him, and how proud I was of his achievements, half of our alliances in the last year would never have happened if not for him. And through all my tests I gave him, to see if I could change his chosen course, he stood strong and never failed me once. I was so proud of him, but never could bring myself to say it." He then wiped a tear from his eye. "Skeletor will pay for this in spades."
Duncan and Teela looked back to see He-Man looking visibly ill. His eyes were wide and on the verge of tears and he was trembling like a leaf, but the soldiers and Randor were to into what they were doing to notice. "Now, Keldor," Randor said placing his hand over a switch, "This is for Adam. Eat fire you blue skinned, heartless, son of a bitch!"
Randor twisted the switch and in less then a second a bright flash resounded from Snake Mountain then a loud sound like thunder echoed over the dark hemisphere. The whole group looked and instead of seeing the dark and brooding Snake Mountain, they only saw black smoke rising from the ground where it once stood.
"By the Ancients …" Man At Arms gasped, "Your Highness! The Snake Men!"
"Fear not, Duncan," Randor said walking past Man At Arms, Teela, and He-Man, "We made sure the gate would not be caught in the explosion, this mission was a success … lets go home." He then walked out not noticing He-Man had to be practically held up by Teela and Man At Arms.
"He-Man? Adam?" Teela whispered looking up at He-Man worriedly.
"What have I done?" was He-Man's only reply.
---
Teela quickly lead He-Man into her room, and slammed the door and closed the curtain, "Do you need to …" She started but the flash of light cut her off, "Change back …"
She then turned to see Adam sitting on her bed with his face in his hands. "You ok?" She asked sitting down slowly beside him.
"No, Teela, No I'm not," came Adam's muffled voice, "How could I have done this? It was logical at the time … now it just … it just don't work …"
"Look at me," Teela pulled his hands away from his face and cupped his cheeks in her hands, making him look her in the eyes, "You did what you felt you had to do, I'm sure myself and your father didn't make it easy on you anyway. I just wish it didn't take thinking I lost you to get it through my head how badly I treated you."
"Oh yeah, too bad what I felt I had to do caused my father to turn Snake Mountain into a crater, and drove you to attempting suicide," Adam said trying to look away, "Yea I did some real good."
"Adam, if you don't stop feeling sorry for yourself, I'm going to make you," Teela warned a strange glimmer in her eyes.
"Yeah, how would you do that?" Adam said looking up at her trying to hid his interest.
"Maybe something like this," She replied before pressing her lips to his.
The kiss intensified and Adam lay back on the bed and pulled her to lie on top of him, but before they could do much more a knock came on the door. Teela sighed and looked back at her door, "Who is it? Don't come in I'm … not decent."
"Have you ever been decent?" Adam whispered earning a playful slap.
"It's your father, Teela," Came the muffled voice on the other side of the door.
Teela sighed and climbed off Adam and walked toward the door, "What is it-" she said as she opened the door but cut herself off with a scream when she seen who was on the other side.
Adam leapt to his feet as Teela came back in with Kagato holding her before him by the neck. Adam quickly drew the sword and held it over his head, "BY THE-"
"Uh, uh, uh," Kagato smiled at Adam as he squeezed Teela's neck so tightly she audibly gagged, "Lets keep you just the way you are, Your Worship."
"She's your daughter," Adam barked, lowering his sword but not resheathing it, "don't hurt her, if you let her go I'll surrender."
"Adam, no," Teela grunted trying to free herself from Kagato's iron grip.
"You know what," Kagato said in mock thought, "I think I will hurt you first, boy, for touching my daughter. I'll save you for later, sweetheart," He said roughly throwing Teela on her bed, then grabbing Adam by the collar and throwing him out into the hallway.
Adam pulled himself to his feet, and tried again to transform, but found himself being lifted up into the air. He looked down to see Kagato just before he threw him through over the railing and through the stain glass window into the throne room.
If a crazed psycho with He-Man level strength wasn't following Adam, he would of notice the eyes of his father, mother, and the other Masters staring in shock at him alive and well.
"Lets even the score, Kagato!" Adam barked as he picked up the Sword of Power and raised it over his head.
"ADAM, NO!" Man At Arms tried to stop him but it was far too late.
"BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL!"
Light shined through out the throne room, blinding everyone, and when the pyro let up, He-Man was standing in Adam's place, "I HAVE THE POWER!"
"Ah, so you want to go the hard way, do you, Guardian?" Kagato laughed, walking toward He-Man and the too shocked to fight Masters.
"I'm ready for you this time, Kagato," He-Man said, rearing back and throwing the most powerful thunderpunch he could muster.
Kagato took the punch to the chest, and other then the ear shattering sound of the contact, it appeared as though He-Man did nothing.
Kagato chuckled at the stunned expression on the Guardian of Grayskull's face, before backslapping him. He-Man spun four times in the air before finally landing with a thud on the stone floor. "I get it now, hero," Kagato said walking around the stunned champion, "You're afraid, you're afraid of the power that has been freely given to you. But what I don't understand is why? Why limit yourself to being a man when you can be a god?"
"Go … to Hell …" He-Man grunted, on his hands and knees, before gasping out blood as Kagato forcefully punched him directly on the middle of his back almost making him fold backwards.
"Pathetic …" Kagato said looking down at the battered Champion of Eternia.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" A voice called behind him. He spun around just in time for a snake staff to strike his face and send him down to one knee. Teela swung her staff and released a barrage of swings and kicks on her so-called father.
Teela's attack was stopped by a quick punch to the sternum causing her to fold over Kagato's arm. "As feisty as your mother, I see," said Kagato, throwing her over his shoulder.
"Teela!" He-Man cried, diving at Kagato, only to be kicked right in the face. He did a complete 360 in the air before landing on the ground with a sickening thud.
"Now, I have my sacrifice and I will have the full power at last," Kagato laughed before disappearing.
"Teela …" He-Man said, reaching out to where Kagato stood, before darkness overtook him.
"Man At Arms, ready a rescue group for Teela, I'll be in my chambers," Randor said coldly turning toward the doorway behind the thrones.
"Randor, your son, he's alive," Queen Marlena said from the knocked out He-Man's side, "Don't you even care?"
"No, Marlena," Randor replied, his voice showing nothing but anger and hurt, "My son is still dead to me."
To Be Continued …