-"I Have something for your mission my love"- Randor told Marlena affectionately, she noticed the metallic corset on his hands –"It is a body armor made of platinum, gold and diamonds. It serves the double purpose of protecting you and it also might be valuable in case all the gold crowns I gave you run out"-

-"That is impressive Randor but where did you get it from?"- She said stunned

-"Lord Anteron had it made for his bride to be, when he heard of our predicament he donated it for our cause"-

-"We only heard of Adam's whereabouts yesterday how many people know about this already?"-

-"Most of the realm, I didn't think there was a reason for secrecy. Ever since they heard about it morale elevated, they now feel they have a reason to fight, they need the hope as well"- He said as he helped his wife put on the corset, thankfully it was so wonderfully carved that it didn't weight as much as she expected and she could hide it behind her simple knee long blue dress, an accurate copy of the one she wore when she first got to Eternia.

-"I wish Teela had one as well"- She said absent minded

-"Oh so she finally convinced Duncan?"-

-"No I did, I told him there was no way he would stop her from coming. After her outburst I realized that if he refused she would try to go to Earth on her own and that would be much more dangerous"-

Randor smiled and shook his head –"That girl is rather stubborn, she takes a lot after her father"- He couldn't help reflecting on how many similarities were between his best friend and his adoptive daughter.

-"She loves Adam Randor, and I'm not talking as a friend or sister."- Marlena said seriously

The king was mildly surprised at the notion –"Are you certain? How did you know?"-

-"Ever since Adam went missing I have gone into his bedroom everyday at night, I guess I couldn't help thinking I'll find him safe and asleep and that all of this had been nothing but a bad dream. One of those times I found her crying on his bed, it seems she had been doing the same. I found her wailing about the fact that she could no longer smell his scent on his pillow and I guess that made her realize he might not come back."- The Queen dropped her head sadly at the memory –"we cried together for a long time and had a very serious talk. She told me she had been in love with him for a long time but she was also confused about her feelings as well, she said she didn't understood how she felt about him until it was too late"-

Randor was shaken by this information but there wasn't much he could do about it right now, once Adam was safe in Eternos they would think what to do about it. Nonetheless he couldn't help fantasizing about his son finally married to someone who loved him and not as a pray of political machinations, he looked forward to it assuming Eternos lasted that long.

His beloved wife kissed him softly on the lips and with a sultry smile she told him

-"I have a few hours left you know? Duncan and Teela were called earlier by the sorceress she said they might need her help preparing for the trip"-

He held her close and kissed her back, his hands fumbling below the luxurious corset. They only hoped this wouldn't be the last time they made love.

…

Duncan paced through the main hall of castle Greyskull trying not to lose his patience, the sorceress had taken Teela to a hidden room for a private talk almost twenty minutes ago. The main reason of his concern was the fear he could see hidden on the oracle. Moments later Teela emerged from one of the many entrances looking confused and startled.

-"Are you okay Teela?"- He said concerned

-"Yeah, just a little shaken, she said she used some sort of adaptability spell on me so I could handle myself better on that planet, she told me you should go there as well"- she said pointing at the door behind her.

He followed the lit path inside the bowels of the castle were Teelana awaited him, he asked her about the spell since magic wasn't supposed to work on Terra.

-"I merely used the spell to alter her brain so it would absorb information at a more rapid pace, once you are back I will dissolve it"- Her eyes saw him with a vulnerability he had never seen before in his life.

-"Sorceress…"- before he could continue her lips crashed against his and he froze in pure shock, then her lips graced his left ear and she whispered

-"Remember"-

His eyes opened wide and he gasped, he looked at Teelana, really looked at her as he hadn't been able to do in years and kissed her with a passion he had been forbidden to feel. His hands were rough and possessive as he held her tight refusing to let go.

-"I'm sorry Duncan I just needed to see you once more"-

-"How could you do this to me, my love? How could you make me forget about you, about us?"- He said enraged

-"I was for the best, I am trapped here and you had to move on with your life"- Teelana said crying, countless times she had shed her tears in solitude, doing it in public was a little embarrassing.

-"I cannot move on! I cannot love anyone else but you, for years I have yearned for you without realizing. Do you have any idea how much I suffered for my loneliness? Yet at the same time the thought of being with a woman always felt wrong and I could not know why! My heart is yours alone whether you want it or not and there is nothing you can do about it. Please Teelana don't you ever make me forget again, I don't want to live longing for something I need but cannot recognize."-

Trembling, she kissed him one last time on his lips and then whispered –"Forget"- his stare went blank and she knew her lover was lost once more. The fear of the unknown was for her the most difficult to face, in that alien planet they would be far from her reach and guidance. Her daughter and her lover would be away and that scared her so she ventured to talk to her lover one last time, in case he would not return.

So focused was the oracle placing the adaptability spell over the man at arms that she didn't noticed Teela spying near the entrance.

…..

The three of them fell hard on the cold surface, the force of the fall much greater than they expected. Marlena forced herself to stand up and the cold winter wind ravaged her skin, luckily they came prepared. She took a thermal blanket from her bag and wrapped it around Teela and Duncan who were still unconscious after the fall; she then dressed into the warmest clothes she brought. Their pulse was strong and steady and their breathing was regular, there were no signs of concussion either she just hoped they needed a little more time to adjust to the different atmosphere, which by the way was thicker than she remembered. The air was polluted and she couldn't help to cough, smog, she had forgotten about it.

Looking around she saw a large copse of trees, but a forest wouldn't smell like burnt fuel and she heard the sound of police sirens and traffic not far away. As Duncan regained his senses Marlena instructed him to put on warmer clothes and do de same for Teela as well.

-"Stay here"- She warned the Man at arms and followed the noise of traffic, she needed to know where they had landed, the sorceress told them she would open a portal that would lead them right where Adam had been transported. She saw the cars, much more and quite different from the models she remembered. She looked up at the large buildings and… the yellow cabs; looking at their license plates she muttered a curse. Of all the cities he could have landed on why New York?!

Marlena ran to find her companions; they needed to move on fast. Teela was awake already and she couldn't help thinking on how different she looked now, her hair was still red but it had turned to the brownish side of the spectrum, her eyes still green took a delicate brown hue. Marlena had forgotten how eternians seemed to have too bright colors on them; earth's more sober tones took over now.

-"How do you feel?"- The queen ventured to ask

-"Different and heavy, as you warned us. There is also a strange energy inside my body, I feel hyperactive somehow."- Teela said amused her father nodded behind her, he felt the same.

-"Well first of all as you know I have not been in this planet for almost twenty years so there seem to be a lot of things that have changed and I might not know about, second there are no nobiliary titles in this country we will call each other by our names."-

-"Of course your high… hum Marlena, what do you propose we do first?"- Duncan said obedient

-"We go to a pawn shop and trade our gold for regular money. Then we find ourselves shelter, food"- a woman walked past by them, she wore several colors on her hair and ridiculous high heels yet she managed to look at them as if they were the ones who looked strange –"An clothing I guess, to blend in a little better. After that we need weapons, just in case"-

They hadn't walked more than a few blocks when a tall man pointed a gun at Marlena and asked her for money. Duncan's protective instincts took off and he punched the guy on the face, to his surprise he laughed and told him –"You hit like a bitch"- While he chuckled Marlena kicked him in the groin and while he bent forward howling in pain she removed the gun from his hand.

-"Well we have a gun now, I need you both to familiarize with it because they're different form the ones you are used to"- Marlena said calm as the robber ran away, Duncan rubbed his hand embarrassed he felt as if he had hit a concrete wall.

-"Shouldn't we go after him?"- Teela said outraged

-"That would distract us from our mission darling"- Duncan said

-"He's right Teela, if we run after every criminal in New York we'll never find Adam and we might get into more trouble than we can handle."-

When they reached the first pawn shop they were glad the owner didn't ask questions, Teela raised an eyebrow when fifty gold crowns were replaced by several green papers with tiny portraits in it. Liquid money the queen had named it, that didn't make much sense either those were papers not fluid.

Marlena's eyes strayed to the newspaper the owner seemed to have been reading before their arrival.

-"Excuse me sir would you please tell me what date is it?"- Her voice cracked at the anguish rising in her chest.

-"January the 20"- The fat man answered dryly

-"What year?"- She barely managed to whisper

-"2014 lady"- He looked at her as if she had grown a second head

Marlena felt panic rising inside of her so she ran to the street to get some air

-"Father what happened?"- Teela said baffled at Duncan who had grown very serious

-"The queen told me she was taken from her planet on the year 1960 yet she spent 18 years on Eternia"-

-"Numbers don't add up"- Teela said comforting Marlena, her arms wrapped around the older woman

-"It has been 54 years, not 18, apparently time runs faster here; about three times faster to be accurate."- Duncan told them sadly

-"Adam was missing for four months so that means he's been here for…"- Teela said worried

-"A year! He's been in here, alone, for a year!"- Marlena cried