Chapter 4: Revelation
It seemed like hours before Sea Hawk finally brought the hover bike to a stop though it had actually only been about twenty minutes. Even then it was only because Adora finally… shall we say, talked him into it.
"All right that's enough Hawk. Stop the bike."
"Just hang on we'll be there soon."
You may recall that Adora had placed her arms around Sea Hawk's shoulders when they took off. It took only the slightest tightening to convince Hawk to listen.
"What's the matter with you Adora." Hawk asked once they had set down. "You're not acting like yourself at all."
"You'd be surprised how often I'm forced to be someone else," Adora muttered.
"What?"
"Look, before I explain why don't you explain where we're going? Whispering Woods is in the completely opposite direction! I thought you were trying to get us away from the Horde."
"I was headed for the Solar Clipper," Hawk said a little taken aback. "She's docked in a secret cove I set up not far from here. We'll be safe enough once we're aboard and cast off."
"No!" Adora shouted suddenly. "We have to go back. I have to retrieve my sword before it's too late."
"What? Adora, a sword isn't worth risking your life over. You can easily get a new one."
"No you don't understand. The sword's magical. If I don't retrieve it the Rebellion could be in big trouble."
Sea Hawk scratched his head trying to comprehend what he was hearing. He wasn't doing a good job of it.
"I still don't understand."
Adora took a deep breath and tried to brace herself for what she had to do. It had been what she had intended to do from the start of this day, which was quickly going downhill. Now that the time had come however, she found it harder than she ever could have anticipated.
"There's something I have to tell you Hawk. Something I should have told you a long time ago. I've wanted to tell you but kept convincing myself I couldn't. But I can't take it anymore."
Adora sat down on a fallen log, as her legs would no longer hold her up. It was silly in a way. All she had to say was two words. But once she said those two words she would be revealing a secret she had struggled to keep for years.
"It's all right Adora," Sea Hawk said sitting down beside her. "I love you. You know you can tell me anything."
"I love you too Hawk. I love you so much. But I'm afraid I haven't always been completely honest with you. I've been keeping a secret from you. Hawk… I'm... What I mean is… what I'm trying to tell you is… Ugh! By the Ancients why is this so hard for me to say?"
Sea Hawk took her hand in his. "Adora just say it. Whatever it is it can't be that bad."
Adora quickly shook her head. "No it's not bad at all. It's just… well I've been keeping it a secret for so long. And not just from you. Speaking of which, you have to promise me that you won't share this secret with anyone else. Not a soul!"
"I swear on the pirate's code, my lips will remain sealed. Now please tell me."
Adora swallowed and tried again. "Well, you see Hawk… I'm not exactly the person you think I am."
"Adora, you're the woman I love and nothing you can say will change that."
"Okay here goes… Hawk. I'm… I am…"
It just wouldn't come out. Adora shut her eyes and recited the words in her head hoping it would help her. For the honor of Grayskull… "I am…" I didn't work. She tried once more.
"What? Adora, you are what?"
Finally gathering all her strength she forced the words out of her mouth.
"I am She-Ra!"
There was a long moment of awkward silence before Sea Hawk was able to speak and then he only managed one word.
"What?"
Adora almost slapped him. It was hard enough getting it out and now he said "what?"! Somehow though, now that the words were out in the open, she found it easier to talk.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you Hawk. She-Ra and I are one and the same."
Hawk stood up shaking his head. "No, it can't be. This isn't funny Adora."
"It's not supposed to be funny because I'm not joking," Adora sighed. "Haven't you ever noticed how much we look alike? That our swords are identical in every unique detail? Or more to the point, that we're never in the same place at the same time? That I always disappear and then She-Ra shows up a minute later. And that she leaves before I turn up again?"
Hawk opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Now that he thought about it everything Adora was saying was true. But still his mind refused to accept this revelation.
"But... how?" he managed finally.
"My sword. It contains the powers of Grayskull, which I can call upon to transform into She-Ra. And that is why we have to get it back. Without the sword I can't transform and without She-Ra all of Etheria could fall to the Horde."
"You really aren't joking around here are you?"
Adora stood up and leaned in towards him. "Look into my eyes Hawk. I'm telling you the truth."
Hawk stared deep into Adora's eyes and gasped in shock. "Coat me in barnacles! You are She-Ra. Why couldn't I see it before?"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Adora said. "but I'm sure you can understand why I had to keep it a secret and why you can't tell anyone else. Even my parents don't know about this."
"Who else does know?"
Adora sighed and hoped he wasn't going to get jealous when she rattled off the list. "Well Spirit knows obviously because when I become She-Ra he becomes Swift Wind. And of course, there's my brother Adam."
"Adam? Wait, if you're She-Ra then does that mean…?"
Adora nodded. "Yes, Adam is He-Man. And, believe it or not, Cringer is Battle Cat. Aside from them there's only a few others. The Sorceress, Man-At-Arms, Orko, Kowl, Loo-Kee, Madame Razz and Broom, oh and Light Hope knows but then there's little he doesn't know."
"Is that it?"
She shrugged. "I think Zodac and Granamyr may know but I'm honestly not sure."
Hawk nodded it seemed like quite a few but compared with everyone who didn't know it actually was a very short list.
"But that's all?"
"That's all." Adora nodded.
"Come now, I think you're forgetting one other," someone laughed.
Adora and Sea Hawk spun around quickly to find themselves staring down the barrel of a laser pistol held firmly in the hand of a widely grinning bounty hunter.
"Hello. I didn't introduce myself last time. You can call me Road Queen. Now what should I call you? Adora? Or do you prefer She-Ra?"
