Chapter 3
He-Man entered the throne room, where MAA, Teela, and the other heroic warriors, along with Cringer and Orko, were waiting. Teela turned her head, avoiding his gaze. MAA stared at him with an icy look that, before this point, would have made him feel ashamed.
But He-Man no longer cared.
MAA finally spoke, breaking the silence. "You murdered Trap-Jaw."
"I did."
"You used the Power Sword to take someone's life."
"True."
"And you act as if you don't feel guilty."
"You're right. I don't."
The ice finally melted, and MAA exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!!"
He-Man's neutral expression didn't change. "No, Duncan. Just my patience with Skeletor and his minions. We've granted them mercy time and again, and each time they've done something worse than before. What he has done over the last few days is absolutely unforgivable. He couldn't even let my parents rest in peace! Wasn't murdering them enough?"
At this, a confused look appeared on the face of everyone in the throne room, with the exception of MAA, Orko and Cringer.
"[I]Your[/I] parents?" said Teela. "What are you talking about?"
He-Man sighed, turning to his allies. "My friends, it's time to let you in on my most closely guarded secret. MAA, don't try to stop me."
MAA, who had started to try and quiet him down, stood rooted tp the spot, traces of anger still etched on his face.
He-Man raised the Power Sword, and quietly he said, "Let the power return!" When the lightning subsided, Prince Adam was standing there, looking around at all the shocked faces that surrounded him.
Teela was astounded. "You...you mean...all this time...all those battles with Skeletor...all those victories...you were the one who was fighting alongside us?!"
Adam nodded. "Yes, Teela. I'm sorry from keeping this from you. I've wanted to tell you-all of you-for the longest time, but I was under strict orders not to reveal my secret. Only Orko and Duncan knew, and they were bound by the same agreement."
"Cringer-does this mean that he's Battle Cat?"
"Yes, it does."
Teela shook her head, "I'm sorry, Adam. This is going to take some time to sink in. You and He-Man, one and the same-I can't believe it."
"I know it's hard to believe, but you saw the truth with your own eyes. I [I]am[/I] He-Man."
"Wow, just...wow."
MAA stepped forward. "And that's why you asked us here? To break your promise to the Sorceress and reveal your identity to everyone?"
"No, old friend. There is more-something very important."
He climbed the small flight of stairs that led to his father's throne, then turned and looked at Duncan, a serious look on his face.
"As you know," he said, "the death of my parents means that I am the king of Eternia. But I have something that needs to be done-something that involves being away for an indefinite period of time. As such, Duncan, I would like to appoint you acting king, until such time as I return."
MAA's anger faded as he looked at Adam. "King? But it's an important position, and even if I'm just filling in for a time, it's still a serious proposition. Are you sure about this?"
Adam placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You were my father's top advisor. You understood the reasons behind all his decisions. I wouldn't think of entrusting this responsibility to anyone else."
MAA considered for a moment, then...
"Very well, I accept this responsibility. I promise to rule fairly in your absence."
Ram-Man asked the question everyone was thinking. "But, Adam, where are you going? Why are you doing this?"
Adam's expression became as hard as stone. "Let's just say that by the time He-Man is done, Trap-Jaw's won't be the only body laying around. Nobody try to stop me. Skeletor's gone too far, and I'm going to see that he pays...whatever it takes."
Everyone was shocked, and many seemed ashamed of their ally.
MAA nodded. "Very well. But when you return, don't expect things between us to be the same as they were."
"I won't."
Adam raised his sword and shouted:
"BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!"
As the lightning faded, He-Man turned to Cringer. "I want you to stay here. I'm going to have enough blood on my hands as it is, and I don't want you going down the path I'm about to."
Cringer whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes. "Ok. Be careful, and come back soon."
"I will."
And with that, he turned and headed for the palace hangar. ************************************************** He-Man powered up the Wind Raider, preparing to set out on his journey. As he began to lift off, he heard his name being called from behind.
"I thought I told you not to try and stop me."
Teela approached him, hands at her sides. "I'm not. I just wanted to tell you to return safe, to me..."
"What?"
"Nothing. Forget I said anything."
"Alright. I will return soon enough..."
"Wait, just one more thing."
He-Man turned, and Teela was suddenly kissing him, her arms wrapped tightly around him. He-Man embraced her, returning her kiss with the same intensity. Finally they separated, and He-Man, blushing slightly, said, "I promise, I will be safe when next you see me."
The tears in Teela's eyes nearly made it impossible for her to see. "Thank you. I guess this is...good-bye for now."
"Yes...well, I'd better get going. I'll be back soon, I promise."
And with that, he eased the Wind Raider out of the hanger, and flew out of sight.
Teela lowered her head. "I'll hold you to that...my love." ************************************************** He-man checked the Wind Raider's directional controls. "Straight on target for Castle Greyskull. I'd better get this over with-I don't have the time to listen to the Sorceress's yelling all day."
He looked below to the expanse of land stretching out beneath him. And saw something that brought back the fury that he'd felt earlier that day.
Beast Man, one of Skeletor's henchmen, was fighting a large reptilian creature, trying to use his animal controlling ability to bring it under his command.
His bright orange fur matched the anger that He-Man felt inside. The Wind Raider dove quickly toward the evil warrior, and was on the ground less than a second before He-Man jumped out, drew his sword, and thrust it through the back of Beast Man's neck.
Beast Man was shocked as he watched the sword tear through his throat. He- Man pulled the sword free, blood splashing heavily on him. Beast Man fought to breathe, as the creature he was fighting slowly advanced on him. The warrior was unable to scream as the beast snatched him up in its massive jaws. The sounds of crunching bone were heard as the villain was devoured by the beast. He-Man, satisfied at the outcome, climbed back in the Wind Raider and returned on course to Castle Greyskull.
TO BE CONTINUED...
He-Man entered the throne room, where MAA, Teela, and the other heroic warriors, along with Cringer and Orko, were waiting. Teela turned her head, avoiding his gaze. MAA stared at him with an icy look that, before this point, would have made him feel ashamed.
But He-Man no longer cared.
MAA finally spoke, breaking the silence. "You murdered Trap-Jaw."
"I did."
"You used the Power Sword to take someone's life."
"True."
"And you act as if you don't feel guilty."
"You're right. I don't."
The ice finally melted, and MAA exploded.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!!! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!!"
He-Man's neutral expression didn't change. "No, Duncan. Just my patience with Skeletor and his minions. We've granted them mercy time and again, and each time they've done something worse than before. What he has done over the last few days is absolutely unforgivable. He couldn't even let my parents rest in peace! Wasn't murdering them enough?"
At this, a confused look appeared on the face of everyone in the throne room, with the exception of MAA, Orko and Cringer.
"[I]Your[/I] parents?" said Teela. "What are you talking about?"
He-Man sighed, turning to his allies. "My friends, it's time to let you in on my most closely guarded secret. MAA, don't try to stop me."
MAA, who had started to try and quiet him down, stood rooted tp the spot, traces of anger still etched on his face.
He-Man raised the Power Sword, and quietly he said, "Let the power return!" When the lightning subsided, Prince Adam was standing there, looking around at all the shocked faces that surrounded him.
Teela was astounded. "You...you mean...all this time...all those battles with Skeletor...all those victories...you were the one who was fighting alongside us?!"
Adam nodded. "Yes, Teela. I'm sorry from keeping this from you. I've wanted to tell you-all of you-for the longest time, but I was under strict orders not to reveal my secret. Only Orko and Duncan knew, and they were bound by the same agreement."
"Cringer-does this mean that he's Battle Cat?"
"Yes, it does."
Teela shook her head, "I'm sorry, Adam. This is going to take some time to sink in. You and He-Man, one and the same-I can't believe it."
"I know it's hard to believe, but you saw the truth with your own eyes. I [I]am[/I] He-Man."
"Wow, just...wow."
MAA stepped forward. "And that's why you asked us here? To break your promise to the Sorceress and reveal your identity to everyone?"
"No, old friend. There is more-something very important."
He climbed the small flight of stairs that led to his father's throne, then turned and looked at Duncan, a serious look on his face.
"As you know," he said, "the death of my parents means that I am the king of Eternia. But I have something that needs to be done-something that involves being away for an indefinite period of time. As such, Duncan, I would like to appoint you acting king, until such time as I return."
MAA's anger faded as he looked at Adam. "King? But it's an important position, and even if I'm just filling in for a time, it's still a serious proposition. Are you sure about this?"
Adam placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You were my father's top advisor. You understood the reasons behind all his decisions. I wouldn't think of entrusting this responsibility to anyone else."
MAA considered for a moment, then...
"Very well, I accept this responsibility. I promise to rule fairly in your absence."
Ram-Man asked the question everyone was thinking. "But, Adam, where are you going? Why are you doing this?"
Adam's expression became as hard as stone. "Let's just say that by the time He-Man is done, Trap-Jaw's won't be the only body laying around. Nobody try to stop me. Skeletor's gone too far, and I'm going to see that he pays...whatever it takes."
Everyone was shocked, and many seemed ashamed of their ally.
MAA nodded. "Very well. But when you return, don't expect things between us to be the same as they were."
"I won't."
Adam raised his sword and shouted:
"BY THE POWER OF GREYSKULL!"
As the lightning faded, He-Man turned to Cringer. "I want you to stay here. I'm going to have enough blood on my hands as it is, and I don't want you going down the path I'm about to."
Cringer whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes. "Ok. Be careful, and come back soon."
"I will."
And with that, he turned and headed for the palace hangar. ************************************************** He-Man powered up the Wind Raider, preparing to set out on his journey. As he began to lift off, he heard his name being called from behind.
"I thought I told you not to try and stop me."
Teela approached him, hands at her sides. "I'm not. I just wanted to tell you to return safe, to me..."
"What?"
"Nothing. Forget I said anything."
"Alright. I will return soon enough..."
"Wait, just one more thing."
He-Man turned, and Teela was suddenly kissing him, her arms wrapped tightly around him. He-Man embraced her, returning her kiss with the same intensity. Finally they separated, and He-Man, blushing slightly, said, "I promise, I will be safe when next you see me."
The tears in Teela's eyes nearly made it impossible for her to see. "Thank you. I guess this is...good-bye for now."
"Yes...well, I'd better get going. I'll be back soon, I promise."
And with that, he eased the Wind Raider out of the hanger, and flew out of sight.
Teela lowered her head. "I'll hold you to that...my love." ************************************************** He-man checked the Wind Raider's directional controls. "Straight on target for Castle Greyskull. I'd better get this over with-I don't have the time to listen to the Sorceress's yelling all day."
He looked below to the expanse of land stretching out beneath him. And saw something that brought back the fury that he'd felt earlier that day.
Beast Man, one of Skeletor's henchmen, was fighting a large reptilian creature, trying to use his animal controlling ability to bring it under his command.
His bright orange fur matched the anger that He-Man felt inside. The Wind Raider dove quickly toward the evil warrior, and was on the ground less than a second before He-Man jumped out, drew his sword, and thrust it through the back of Beast Man's neck.
Beast Man was shocked as he watched the sword tear through his throat. He- Man pulled the sword free, blood splashing heavily on him. Beast Man fought to breathe, as the creature he was fighting slowly advanced on him. The warrior was unable to scream as the beast snatched him up in its massive jaws. The sounds of crunching bone were heard as the villain was devoured by the beast. He-Man, satisfied at the outcome, climbed back in the Wind Raider and returned on course to Castle Greyskull.
TO BE CONTINUED...