Part Four – Overcome

One

Her feet landed firmly on the rocky surface far beneath Snake Mountain. The light was dim, but she recognized the room. It was indeed the same from all those years ago. In the center of the chamber was a flat stone where the fake sword had once sat. She lit her flashlight and with one hand on her laser pistol, she leaned (which was hard, considering her belly) forward and looked closely at it. Runes lined the top of the stone.

She cursed herself for not studying the languages and symbols of the Ancients.

"It ssssays 'The Sword of the Ancientssss is found in the heart of those who dessssire it. But thosssse who desssssire it will not find the Sword of the Ancientssss.'"

Teela's heart froze. The lack of battle had somewhat dulled her instincts. Laser pistol ready, she turned around . . . and faced King Hiss.

"Hiss . . ." she breathed, not sure what to do. Should she fire? Negotiate?

"Teela," Hiss said, walking fully into the chamber. The chamber was suddenly awash with green glow. His yellow eyes went a little wide when he saw the seven month bulge beneath her chest. "You're with child."

"Yes. And I hope you keep that in mind when you consider what your next move is going to be."

"You think I am going to harm you?" he questioned. "Perhaps. But I must ask . . . is that my child in there?"

"What?"

Hiss looked at her with the eyes of a predator. "Are you pregnant with my child? Perhaps your father didn't tell you . . . I was to mate with you when your body was the vessel of Vipera."

"No . . . it's not . . ."

"Oh, but how can you be so sure, Teela?"

"I am sure. No . . . it's . . . the timing doesn't add up."

"I am a Snake-Man. Gestation for my people is different than yours."

"Stop it."

Hiss smiled wide, revealing a set of nasty fangs. "Maybe you should remain here, so that I may raise my child."

"SHUT UP!"

"HISS!"

Both Teela and King Hiss looked over and saw Evil-Lynn standing in the doorway. In her hand was her staff, which was glowing silver.

"Teela, don't believe his trickery," Evil-Lynn said then. "King Hiss, may I remind you that we had an agreement. This chamber is among those that belong to me."

"You had an intruder."

Evil-Lynn smirked at Teela. "She is as big as a house. Hardly an intruder."

Teela grunted, but bit her tongue.

"Fine," Hiss snarled and walked out of the chamber. "It isssn't my child."

Evil-Lynn turned at last to Teela. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm . . . I'm looking for the Sword of the Ancients."

"You know for a fact that the Sword of the Ancients is not here. When it was here, it wasn't even the real thing. How could you not remember that?"

"I thought perhaps there was some sort of clue . . ."

"The Sword of the Ancients is fruitless search. You should be aware of that. How it was you that had it in the first place is beyond me, but if you can not find it, then it means that it does not want to be found."

"I need to find it, Evil-Lynn. I have to. For all of our sakes . . . it is what can stop Hordak once and for all."

"How do you know that? How do you know that one blade can make the difference in this battle?"

"It did in the battle against the Spirit of Evil and the Dark Cloud."

"Different creatures. Tell me, Teela, just how in the hell did you think you were going to fight Hordak? Waddle up to him and hope that your water doesn't break when the heavy fighting begins?"

"It would be . . . don't be stupid. It would be after the birth that I would go after him."

"Then why aren't you looking for the Sword of the Ancients now? Why not wait until you drop the kid out?" Evil-Lynn sighed and seemed to soften. "It is not very often I find myself giving out advice or help . . . but considering our previous alliance years ago, I feel as though I should be the one to tell you this. Your putting the life of your unborn child at risk. Doing this is foolish and stupid. I can give you a Fright Fighter capable of being undetectable to the Horde's sensors. Take it to your secret base, have that baby, and then – if you must – resume this foolish quest."

Teela turned her back to Evil-Lynn and stepped over to the stone. She place her hands upon the stone, trying to make a decision.

"You're certain this contains no clue as to the location of the Sword of Ancients?" she asked, looking to her.

"King Hiss translated it himself for you. But do you really think that Skeletor or I wouldn't have pursued it?"

"You really think I can trust you?"

"There's no need for games here, Teela. I have a non-aggression pact with Hordak."

Teela turned away again. After a few more moments, Teela nodded. "All right. I'll go."

A few moments later, Teela was in the Fright Fighter. The insect-like airship blasted off from Snake Mountain and Teela took it into the cloudy sky. However, a mere hour later, she turned around and instead headed northwest – towards the Harmony Sea. All of this, of course, was seen by the forces of Snake Mountain, as they had a homing device on the Fright Fighter. Evil-Lynn felt it an advantage to know where the resistance base was.

"If continues on this course," Tri-Klops told Evil-Lynn and King Hiss, "she'll be in the Ice Mountains by tomorrow."

"Why is she doing this?" asked Hiss.

"It could be that the resistance base is in the Ice Mountains," Tri-Klops poised.

"All of our intelligence reports indicate it's most certainly not," Hiss snapped.

"She's back on her quest," Evil-Lynn sighed. "She's more than a little determined, it seems. I thought she was smarter than this."

"Why do you care?" questioned Hiss.

Evil-Lynn sighed a little. "Teela and I have something very much in common . . ."

"What does that mean?" Hiss pressed.

"It doesn't matter."

Two

It took some flying around, but eventually Teela remembered just where she had landed the Talon Fighter years ago. After landing in Ridges of Spires – the boarder of the Mystic Mountains and the Ice Mountains – Teela napped. She was exhausted in every way. She wanted to give in, to give up, to just stop . . . but she willed herself not to. She kept her eye on the goal: the Sword of the Ancients.

Teela wasn't quite expecting to be making a journey in the cold of the Ice Mountains, but she had some various clothes. She piled on some layers, rationed out her food supply and compressed as much as she could.

Pulling on the her backpack and with her staff in hand, she stepped out of the Fright Fighter. It was frigid. Despite the three layers of clothing, it was just plain cold. The wind seemed to cut through her clothing. The snow felt as though it had seeped right through her boots.

"Go on, Teela. North. Just move north."

And so Teela went north. Leaving behind her only refuge, she trekked northward, into the snow and cold of the Ice Mountains.

As she walked unseen path, she looked for and recognized many landmarks that she and Adam had passed during their quest for the Sword of the Ancients.

Her walk was slower as a result of her burden, but Teela was determined to meet her goal. As the sun began to sink and cast a fiery orange light upon the snowy ground, she settled down in the exact same spot that she and Adam exchanged their first kiss.

She whispered in his ear: "All these years, Adam . . . I've fallen in love with you." They had hugged, then they had kissed.

Then she broke his heart.

"It's just sad," she muttered, looking at the remains of the fire they had built. It was funny to see the stones still in the same circle around the snow covered charred wood.

She sat against the same large rock. She made a new fire. Wrapping herself up with the sleeping bag, she hunkered down as best she could. Teela dozed off more than a few times. In the middle of the night, however, she awoke after a fleeting dream with Adam in it.

Her green eyes turned to the sky. Despite snowflakes flowing around her, the clouds had parted and revealed to her a vast star field.

"Adam . . ." she said without even thinking about it. "I miss you more than anything else in the world. I wish you were here with me. I wish you were here . . . and that it was yours . . ."

She very quickly dozed off again.

Three

The sun broke through the clouds and Teela awoke some hours later. The fire was long since out. She had slept sitting up and was feeling very uncomfortable. It was a bit of a struggle to stand up, but using the staff to help, she was on her feet. She stretched and then resumed her quest.

She traveled all day, walking past the familiar sights on her self-determined mission.

As the sun began to set, she came to a spot that she absolutely knew was where she and Adam were taken underground. But as she studied the surroundings, she was stunned to find . . . nothing. No crevasse, no abyss, no rupture.

"Ancients . . ." she said as both a call out and a curse. "No. I didn't come all this way, risk the life of my baby, for nothing. ANCIENTS!" she shouted. "HEED MY CALL!"

Silence, save but for the howl of the wind.

"ANCIENTS!"

Emptiness.

"ETERNIA NEEDS YOU! I NEED YOU! ANCIENTS! PLEASE!"

She was stunned to find that tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks. Teela could feel her face becoming hot. Anger was boiling over inside her.

"ANCIENTS! ANCIENTS! COME OUT! I NEED YOU! PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU!"

Teela fell to her knees and began to openly weep. Weeping became sobbing. She rubbed her palms against her tear-filled eyes.

"Ancients . . . please . . ."

There was a low rumble from below. Teela had a suddenly feeling of weightlessness. Her heart leapt up. Her baby kicked. Everything turned completely black for a full minute as she seemed to just float.

Four

The darkness gave way to the chamber of Procrustus. Her eyes followed the massive chains to Procrustus himself, who sat in the center of the chamber – the center all of Eternia. He seemed to not even be aware of her presence.

"Mighty Procrustus," she said loudly. "I am here to see you. I am in need of the Sword of the Ancients."

"I have been watching you," came an elderly female voice from behind her.

Teela turned and saw the Ancient known as Unity. Though to Teela, she was far older than when she had last looked upon her. Teela bowed.

"My Mistress Unity."

"Rise, Teela daughter of Duncan and Teelana, of the Order of the Goddess, Captain of the Royal Guard of Eternia. I know of what you seek."

Teela stood up best she could. "The Sword of the Ancients, my lady."

"Indeed. I do not have it. None of the Ancients do. It was lost in the dimensional portal, remember? It is banished from this place . . . for now."

"For now?"

"Well, it does belong here, Teela. Though I can not guarantee when or if you shall you have it again."

"Are you telling me that it's gone?"

"Your journey was fruitless, yes. Unfortunately."

Teela ran her hand through her red hair, just out of frustration. "I . . . I can't accept that."

"You must. The Sword of the Ancients is lost. For now, yes, but its return is unknown. And you have higher responsibilities."

"Stop," Teela snapped, dropping all of formalities. "Just stop. I'm tired of people telling me that I'm pregnant and I need to stop what I'm doing."

Unity sighed and stepped forward. "Perhaps you need some introspection."

"No, I don't . . ."

"Child, you must re-think things now. You no longer have your own life to care about. Is that what this quest has been about? Denying that? Denying that you have a new life that will depend on you? You know that the Sword of the Ancients was unreachable . . . and yet you quested after it.

"Your friends, your enemies, and everyone in between told you to call off this quest. They reminded you of your impending responsibility. But you denied it and moved on with a journey you had to know was not going to be fulfilled."

"You're wrong," Teela grunted.

"Am I? Look within yourself and seek out the answer. You're afraid. Afraid of becoming a mother. Afraid of having to raise your son under Horde rule. Afraid of leaving the child motherless . . . an orphan. Is that why you couldn't wait until after the birth? Was this entire quest made because you felt the need to be a warrior instead of a mother?"

Teela completely lost it. She sobbed heavily and just cried and cried. After a few minutes and chocking down the spurts of sobbing, she nodded.

"Yes," she said at last. "I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry. I just wanted . . . I'm so afraid. I didn't know what else to do. I had this dream . . . and I thought it was a sign . . . and I just . . . I just wanted to . . ." Her voice was drowned by her own sobs.

"Teela . . ." Unity said, stepping forward and laying her hands on Teela's face. "You have a journey ahead of that will be greater than any other. You are going to be a mother. Yes, the call of battle will come. You will have to put your life on the line . . . but for now, your son needs you."

Teela nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"I shall return you to your vessel. From there, you must make the decision to continue on this journey . . . or to end it. Make the right one."

Teela nodded again. "I . . . I will."

Unity then lifted her head. "The Sword of the Ancients is still out there, but recall what the stone said. 'The Sword of the Ancients is found in the heart of those who desire it. But those who desire it will not find the Sword of the Ancients.' It means that those you lust after it shall not receive it, but those that will have it will receive it."

"I understand."

"Good journey, Teela, daughter of Duncan and Teelana."

There was a burst of light and Teela once again was filled with the weightless feeling. Her feet then touched the ground and the light faded. She found herself standing the cold again, next to the Fright Fighter. Teela looked upon the view, gazing at the Ice Mountains with new eyes.

She got into the Fright Fighter and started it up. As the vessel ran through its start-up checklist and Teela got comfortable, she rolled up her shirt and looked down at her belly.

"I'm sorry," she said to her son. "I . . . it was wrong of me to do this. I know that now. I'm, listen, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not perfect. I'm going to make mistakes. You see, son, I never had a mother. It's going to be tough. There are going to be times when I won't be there, when I'm going to have to battle this terrible person that's hurting people."

She sighed and ran her hands across the bare, tense skin of her belly. "But you need to know that I love you. I love you. I can't wait to see you and hold you in my arms. While I'm scared, I . . . I can't wait to be your Mommy."

Five

Teela arrived at the fort by the next morning. The others were livid, but she had told them that she had decided to take up the leave of absence. That calmed them down quite a bit. Two days later, she came to the cavern where the civilians were occupied.

Teela arrived in her bedchamber, her journey done with. Her efforts were fairly fruitless, but in retrospect, it wasn't exactly an unsuccessful mission. In many ways, she had found strength that she had seemed to lose in the past few months. Her ability to hold to hope and to stand strong against the darkness had been reborn.

Within her pregnant belly, her unborn baby kicked a little. She smiled and ran her fingers across the taunt skin.
"Leave of absence, huh?" she asked of the child within. "All right, kiddo. Consider us on vacation. As much as we can be, at least."
Teela got into her pajamas and sat upon her bed. She lit a candle and brought it close. Once more, her thoughts turned to Adam, who was far from home.
"I'll be waiting for you," she whispered.

After a few long moments of silent introspection, Teela blew out the candle. She huddled up with her sheets and fell into a nice, comfortable slumber.