Chapter 6
"Adora!" Halfway into her horse, Spirit's, saddle, the princess froze.
"Sorceress?" she called back. "What is it?"
"You must hurry, Adora! Your brother's life is in great danger! She-Ra is needed!"
The summons could not come at a worse possible time. The king and queen were already mounted and waiting outside the stable for her. This was supposed to be their day, their special day together. But Adam... oh, my brother, I should have returned your sword to you.
"Where? Where is he?" Suddenly, an image flooded her mind, and Adora knew what she had to do. I'm on my way."
"Hurry!"
Climbing into the saddle, the princess patted her horse's neck. "Well, Spirit, I guess it's time for Swiftwind and She-Ra to make another appearance." Her companion whuffled understandingly. Without pause, Adora drew her sword and called upon the ancient power of Grayskull.
How will I ever explain this to Mother and Father? How does Adam manage? With a sigh, she pointed Swiftwind toward one of the stable's many rear exits. It doesn't matter. All that matters now is saving Adam. Hold on Brother. Help is on the way.
"Glide! Can you get us into a glide?" Adam yelled as the windraider plummeted.
Teela turned a panicked look on the prince. "No! The helm isn't responding at all! We've lost all power, and the new safety chute hasn't deployed." Adam stared back at her and their eyes locked, Castaspella all but forgotten as they searched for some way out of their current peril.
"We've only got a few more seconds," Adam noted in a surprisingly calm voice. Teela, I –" The captain of the guard threw herself in the prince's arms, burying her face against his broad chest while the wizardess watched, feeling unbearably numb.
I guess it's up to me, she thought. But not with rose petals. Rising to her knees on the rear seat of the windraider, maintaining a precarious balance against the winds that buffeted the falling craft, Castaspella threw her arms wide to the sky.
"Spirit of flight, hear my plea! A falcon's wings grant to me!" Drawing powers from the very wind that carried them toward their doom, the wizardess shaped her will into a pair of enormous falcon's wings that grew instantly from the sides of the windraider. The wings unfurled, spreading out to catch the updraft and the windraider's descent slowed. At first, the change was barely noticeable, then, suddenly, they were soaring through the air once more – still going down, but at a controlled speed and incline.
Eyes closed, Castaspella sent tendrils of power questing outward, searching for a place to set down that wouldn't land them in a bog or on some farmstead's roof. Then, in her mind's eye, she saw it. A fallow field. Perfect, she sang inwardly. Now, if I can just maintain my hold on this ship long enough to get us there... Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she fought the power of wind and gravity.
She was but vaguely aware of her fellow travelers, but words of encouragement washed over her like faint whiffs of perfume. "You can do it, Casta. Just a few more seconds. Hold on, by all that's holy, hold on!"
Then, before she quite knew what had happened, it was over. The windraider settled like a feather onto the unplowed field and Castaspella settled with a considerably more jarring thud onto her haunches. We made it. We made it. We made – Her litany broke off with a small shriek as she was seized and pulled from the craft. Thankfully, before she could retaliate, her mind registered just whose arms were holding her. She looked up into his deep blue eyes and felt her heart skip a beat.
Ancients, I want this man.
"Casta! You did it! That was amazing," Adam cried as he swung her into a carrying hold and then whirled in place. "Absolutely amazing."
With a relieved sigh, the wizardess cuddled against his chest, resting her head upon his shoulder and closing her eyes once more. "I am always happy to be of service to my friends," she murmured.
"Is she injured?" Teela asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "We're out of range for our personal comlinks to contact the palace, but there must be a wide-range comlink in that village across the way. I could go for help while you watch her. The palace surgeon could be here in –"
With a regretful sigh, the queen of Mystacore said straightened away from her love's chest and said, "You can put me down now, Adam. I'm all right. I just needed a moment to gather my strength again, that's all."
With a blindingly happy grin, the prince complied. When she was standing on her own two feet, however, he captured one of her hands and bowed over it. Castaspella flushed rosily as he pressed his lips to her fingers. "A magnificent rescue, my lady," he said. "I thank you."
"The pleasure was entirely mine," Castaspella purred, ignoring Teela and her rolling eyes. "Believe me."
"Actually," a gratingly familiar voice called out, "The pleasure is entirely mine!"
"Skeletor!" Adam growled as all three of them spun in the direction from which the pronouncement had come. Then, before any of them could react further, a blast of energy hit the abandoned windraider, leaving naught but a charred pile of dust in its wake. The three travelers scattered, searching for cover, but there was none to be found.
Fearless, sensing an easy victory, the Lord of Snake Mountain advanced upon them.
Castaspella watched, mystified as Adam crouched a few meters away and reached behind him, desperately grabbing for something on his back and not finding it. What is he doing? Baffled, Castaspella began to draw power to her, but she was still incredibly drained from the ordeal with the windraider and it was slow going. Not enough. I just don't have enough strength. Focus, Casta! Focus!
Teela sped by in a blur of motion. The wizardess could not but admire the captain's bravery as she launched herself at the villain, her cobra-headed staff drawn and ready in her skilled hands. But her skill, no matter how great, was no match for the ancient alchemist's power.
With a negligent flick of his hand, Skeletor sent Teela spinning away through the air to land in ungainly heap beside the smoldering remains of their ship. "NO!" Adam cried, leaping to his feet and rushing forward to place himself between the stunned warrior and leering, skull-faced villain. "Skeletor, stop!" It's me you want! Let them go."
"How right you are, Prince Adam," the alchemist drawled. "It is you I want, but why should I spare them when I can just as easily do away with all three of you?"
So saying, the Lord of Snake Mountain turned his ram-headed havoc staff upon her. Castaspella froze. She was looking her death in the eye and knew it beyond all doubt. Worse, she was looking at her love's death, for Adam was the fiend's true target. No! Not now! Not when I was so close! Please! Opening the flood gates wide, she drew power in from the very earth beneath her feet. Not now! I can't lose him now!
Teela awoke with shrill screams ringing in her ears. Getting up onto her hands and knees, she shook her head, fighting to get her vision into focus. The odd screaming sound came again and she realized that it was not screams but laughter that she was hearing... the laughter of homicidal lunatic. She rubbed furiously at her closed eyes, trying to wipe away the film of confusion.
"How very noble," Skeletor said saccharinely, insane laughter still coloring his tones. "How eager you are to sacrifice yourself, boy. Perhaps you know what a joke your very existence is, the playboy prince."
Opening her eyes with a snap, Teela swiveled her head in the direction of Skeletor's voice. What she saw set the blood in her veins to boiling. Castaspella knelt on the fallow ground six, maybe seven meters away. Her eyes were closed and her fists were clenched in the soil beside her knees. Adam stood between the wizardess and the Lord of Snake Mountain... and Skeletor's havoc staff was pointed directly at the prince's chest.
He-Man better get here soon! Adam needs him now!
Taking a step closer to villain, Adam spread his hands entreatingly before him. "Leave them out of this, Skeletor, he said, shocking Teela with his calm, steady tones. "This is between me and you. There's no need to involve them."
"Oh, but they are involved, your highness. Your red-haired lackey –" Skeletor swung the havoc staff around and brought it to bear on Teela. Her eyes widened as she started to her feet only to fall back to the earth as one of her legs refused to hold her weight. White hot pain shot through her nerves and a wave of dizziness swept over her. She closed her eyes again, waiting for the nausea to pass. She opened them rapidly when Skeletor began to laugh once more.
Adam had moved. He now stood between Teela and the self-proclaimed overlord of evil. "Oh dear me, it seems you have a dilemma on your hands. You can't shield both of your little friends at once, can you?"
Adam clenched his hands at his sides, and took another step toward Skeletor. His back was a rigid line, quivering with barely suppressed tension. "If you want a fight, bonehead, I'll be more than happy to give you one," the prince snapped, his voice filled with tangible menace. "Just you and me."
The Lord of Snake Mountain cackled delightedly. "Me? Fight you?" He placed a hand against his stomach in a melodramatic manner. "Why, how utterly absurd. You're no warrior, boy! You probably haven't even as much skill as your little trollop over there!" So saying Skeletor swung his havoc staff once more, this time pointing it directly at the Queen of Etheria.
"No!" Adam took a single step toward Castaspella and the Skeletor pivoted, arcing his staff in Teela's direction.
The prince froze. His body trembled with the force of his fury, and Teela wished there was something she could do to help him. Failing that, she wished he'd have the good sense to run away. He disappears constantly, and now he decides to stick around. Adam, get out of here! Can't you see that he's just playing with you?
"Well, your highness, I suppose some concessions are due to royalty. I shall allow you to save one of your little playmates. The other I shall kill – just before I kill you. So, which one shall it be? You need only stand before the one you wish to spare, leaving the other an easy and helpless target."
"You won't get away with this, Skeletor. He-Man will stop you." Adam took yet another step toward the villain, and Teela realized abruptly just how close to Skeletor the prince was. In fact, he was now closer to the Lord of Snake Mountain than to either her or Castaspella. Alarm bells rang in her mind. No. Adam, no. What are you going to do? Get out of here!
Skeletor, seemingly unaware of the potential danger that the prince posed to him, grinned maniacally. "Oh, I wouldn't count on He-Man to save you boy. After what I've put him through for the last month, I doubt he'll get here in time to attend your funeral. Now, which shall it –"
The Lord of Snake Mountain broke off with a high-pitched hiss as the prince charged forward and drove his shoulder into the villain's stomach. This can't be happening! It can't be real! As Skeletor and Adam grappled with each other, Teela struggled to her feet. Her pulse racing, she pivoted, searching for her missing cobra staff. The sounds of the conflict, grunts and cries of pain, bombarded her. Then, she saw it, glistening in the sun, half buried in the loose soil of an irrigation furrow.
She stumbled after it, falling repeatedly and cursing her own body. Adam needs help! I need that staff! What is Castaspella doing? Can't she do something? Damn her! Teela squatted to retrieve her staff, then spun around to face the battle once more. The prince and his tormentor were rolling on the ground, fighting over the havoc staff. As Teela watched, Adam raised a knee, pulled it back and then let it fly directly at Skeletor's groin. The blow connected firmly, and the Lord of Snake Mountain howled with fury, eyes flaring red. An instant later, Adam gasped with pain, though she could not see what the monster had done to him in retaliation.
Stunned, Teela just watched for a few precious seconds as they continued to fight. Then, regaining her senses, she began hobbling toward them. If she had to, she'd break her staff over the villain's fleshless skull. How dare he attack Adam! I'll show him what we do to people who try to hurt the royal family. I'll make skull face wish that He-Man was here... to protect him!
When Teela was no more than four meters away, Skeletor rammed a hand into the prince's sternum, sending Adam lurching away, gasping for breath. Seeing her, the villain spun in place, bringing his weapon to bear upon her once more. Morbidly fascinated, she stared wide-eyed as magical power gathered around the ram-headed tip of the staff. It crackled and swirled, surprisingly beautiful for something so deadly. It brightened hotly, preparing to discharge, and Teela squared her shoulders, steeling herself for the blow to fall.
Then, suddenly, Adam was in front of her, pushing her down. There was a blinding flash. The smell of ozone assaulted her nostrils, and she was falling, propelled downward by the bulk of the prince's body. He landed on top of her, a dead weight, and Teela rolled him off and to the side. She rose to her knees, ready to strike out a Skeletor, determined to hold the villain at bay until help could arrive. Before she could launch herself at him, however, her attention was arrested by Adam's too-still form. His chest didn't seem to be moving. Leaning over, she hurriedly placed two of her fingers against the side of his throat just under his jaw.
Where is it? Where's the pulse? It has to be there! Please...
Teela searched frantically for a pulse, but she found nothing. No! This can't be happening! It can't! She pressed her ear to Adam's chest, listening desperately for that steady rhythm. She strained to hear it, frantic for some indication that her friend, her very best friend, was not lost to her. Still, she found no sign of a heartbeat.
No...
Blinking, she gazed down into Adam's still face. His eyes were closed, but his mouth was open slightly, almost as if he would speak at any moment. And yet, his face was so passive now – barren of the personality that had always made it striking in life. In death, she saw only the shape of his features, and nothing of their beauty. She held a trembling hand before his parted lips, but no breath emerged. He was empty of life. Hollow. Soulless.
No.
I failed.
I failed him.
I was his protector, and I failed him.
Adam is gone...
They were simply too far from the palace. Too far from any major city for help to arrive in time. The equipment that could save him, the machines that could restore the animation to those fine features were simply out of reach. It was hopeless. She brushed her fingertips across one pale, smooth cheek. It was still warm to the touch, but she knew it wouldn't stay that way for long. Within minutes, his body would begin to grow cold. Adam hates the cold...
"NOOO!" The scream ripped from Teela's throat and echoed across the plain, growing ever louder in her own ears, reverberating through her mind.
Skeletor forgotten, she collapsed across Adam's chest, weeping inconsolably. She screamed into his shirt, clutching his body to hers. The tears poured from her, soaking into his collar, dribbling down his neck and dropping to the hard ground below. It should have been me! It should have been me! Elders, please, let it be me! Sobs racked her slender frame again and again, but her prayers went unanswered.
No...
"How touching," Skeletor hissed, sounding far closer than he's been only a few short seconds before. "But surely all your sorrow is wasted upon such a creature. He hardly seems worth mourning."
Teela heard the words. She knew she was still in danger, but she could not bring herself to care. Anger flared briefly, fury on Adam's behalf, but it was quickly overborne by a crushing weight of grief and despair. He was gone. What could Skeletor possibly do to her now? He can't hurt me more than this. No one can hurt me more than this. All he can do is end my pain. Please, just let him end my pain. Please...
"Don't worry, my dear girl," the Lord of Snake Mountain said, mock sincerity oozing from every word. "You'll be with your prince charming soon enough."
Teela was vaguely aware of the sound of power being drawn into Skeletor's staff. She heard him chuckle, heard the crunch of his feet moving across the fallow field as he came closer to her. She heard death approaching... and she welcomed it. Adam, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me...
Then a second scream split the air, an enraged shriek that grew in volume until even Teela flinched. "Get away from them you monster!" Castaspella screeched. "Get away from them or I swear I will kill you myself!" The air around Teela crackled with power, eldritch energy that seemed to rise from the very soil beneath her.
Without thinking, the captain shifted to cover as much of the prince's body as she could with her own. Even now, especially now, she could not bear the thought that Adam might be maimed or disfigured in some way. Suddenly dry-eyed, Teela did her best to shield him with her own vulnerable form. One last chance to protect you... I'm so sorry, Adam...
Levin bolts whizzed by overhead and Skeletor cried out in pain. "Another time, witch," he snarled. "I've accomplished my goal. The rest of you vermin can wait for extermination!" There was a tremendous flash, horribly reminiscent of the spell that took Adam's life, and then silence descended. Teela knew that Skeletor must be gone, but she could not bring herself to move from her protective position over her friend's... body.
A moment later, she felt a small, gentle hand on her back. "Are you hurt?" Castaspella asked. "It looks like Adam is unconscious but..." The wizardess trailed off as the captain groaned and began to cry anew. "Teela?" the Etherian asked, her voice suddenly quite high-pitched. "Teela, Adam is unconscious, isn't he?"
The captain tried to answer, but her throat wouldn't seem to work. She shook her head where it lay against the prince's collarbone.
"No," Castaspella whispered, sounding as despondent as Teela felt. "He doesn't look... injured. What happened?"
Swallowing hard, the captain said, "A spell. Skeletor hit him with a spell, and his heart – his heart just –" She was forced to stop as fresh tears filled her eyes and choked her throat.
"Get off him!" the wizardess snapped, pulling at one of Teela's shoulders.
Infuriated and beyond caring about the consequences of her actions, the captain screamed again. There were no words in her cry, just a primal shriek of pain and anguish. No one would move her. No one!
Grabbing both of her shoulders, Castaspella dug her nails into Teela's exposed flesh. The captain began to struggle, but the wizardess clung tenaciously to her. "Damn you!" Castaspella snapped. "Listen to me! I think we can still save him if you'll just listen to me! But there's not much time!"
"How?" Teela cried, lifting her eyes reluctantly from Adam's still form. The anguish she saw in the other woman's face was nearly a match for her own. "What can we do? Please tell me there's something we can do... "
Her eyes sparkling with unshed tears, the wizardess said, "I can keep his heart beating and start him breathing again, but I need someone to hold the rhythm." Her voice was firm and determined as she gazed into Teela eyes. "Your heart must beat for his. Your lungs must breathe for him. I will be the link. Now, open his shirt and place your hands on his bare chest, just above his heart. I need a few moments to prepare."
"How long will it take to bring him back? How long will the spell –"
"All we can do is keep him alive until help arrives or we drop," Castaspella interjected heatedly. "I can't raise the dead... just keep him from slipping away. Now, let me concentrate!"
Teela nodded, and got to work without asking any further questions. Time was of the essence. Even if they had access to all the equipment in the palace infirmary and her father's lab, they would still need to hurry. If a person was dead too long, then they stayed that way. Though it seemed considerably longer to her fear-heightened senses, Teela knew that Adam couldn't have stopped breathing more than a minute or two earlier. Perhaps less. If the Etherian queen really had a way to revive him, then there was hope. Real hope.
At first she tried simply to unlace his shirt, but she was shaking so hard that her fingers couldn't undo the ties. Pulling a small knife from a compartment inside her staff, she quickly sliced through the cord, being careful not to nick Adam's skin. Then, pulling the shirt roughly open, she placed her trembling hands over the prince's heart. He's usually so ticklish.
"Hold on Adam," she whispered. "Stay with us just a little longer. Don't leave." Don't leave me... "Please, just hold on a little –"
Suddenly, Castaspella's hands settled over hers. They were scorchingly hot, and Teela's heart lurched in response. She gasped, and heard the sound echoed by the prince. Beneath her hands, deep within that broad chest, Adam's heart began to beat again, keeping time with her own. Eyes wide, her heart racing in time with his, Teela stared down into Adam's face, entranced by the color that was slowly creeping back into his cheeks.
Aware that the heart beneath her hands was racing as fast as her own, Teela closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, slowing it down, inhaling long and deep. Her mind wandered. The field, the battle, even the wizardess slipped away as she focused inward. It was as if she could feel Adam's heart beating within her, alongside her own. As if his breath was in her lungs, as if his mind itself was opening to her...
"No, Teela. Do not delve too deeply," a familiar voice spoke in her head. "Some boundaries are not meant to be crossed."
"Sorceress?"
"Yes, Teela. Help is on the way."
Her eyes still closed, the captain felt a light, almost feathery touch on her arm. Then warmth trickled through her body, like sunlight through leaves. She had the sense of another mind passing through her, following the slender thread that linked her life to Adam's and then sinking away, out of reach.
Adam sat sideways in his favorite, cushioned chair, one leg dangling over the armrest, an open book across his lap. The sun shone in through the window, illuminating the pages. A soft, warm breeze accompanied the sunlight. Dust motes danced in the light, swirling like giddy fireflies. The prince yawned and turned the page. He was drowsy, but that was hardly a surprise. Lately, it seemed as if he was always tired. It was just life. It had a way of wearing anyone out. If that person was a prince and a champion to boot, then he was bound to spend a lot of time yawning. Except for that, he felt pretty good.
Well, maybe he was a little hungry. He wouldn't have minded having something to snack on, but the desire for food wasn't urgent. In fact, nothing felt very urgent. For the first time in many years, there was nowhere he had to go and nothing he had to do. He could relax. Smiling, he reached down to pet Cringer, but the tiger was not in his usual place at Adam's side The prince's brow furrowed as he his fingers passed through the spot where the cat's head should have been.
"Cringer?" he called, sitting up and setting the book aside. "Where are you, Cringer?" He stood and turned in place, quickly searching the room with his eyes, but there was no sign of the large feline. It seemed wrong to be here without his companion. Very wrong. They should be here together. He was positive of that. They were supposed to go... somewhere... together.
Panic stirred in his gut and Adam dashed for the door. "Cringer! Where are you?!"
As Adam reached the door, however, it dissolved into a fine mist and was replaced by a fully stocked bookcase. Baffled, the prince spun around and saw that the door had reappeared on another section of wall. As he started toward it, it swung open of its own accord, and a blindingly bright light poured forth from the portal. He turned quickly away and threw up a hand to shield his dazzled eyes. After a moment, the light dimmed slightly, and Adam turned back to face the door, gazing at it through the slits between his fingers.
A shadowy figure stood there, backlit and blocking out much of the light. The outline was amorphous at first, but it gradually shifted into the outline of a large man. Adam watched apprehensively as the man stepped forward and into the room. The figure gestured with its hand, and the light dimmed yet again. The portal was bearable to look at now, and the prince watched it in fascination, entranced by the swirling, rainbow-colored eddies. The creature who'd come through the door was temporarily forgotten.
"Adam?" the figure spoke quietly, and the prince twisted his head around to gaze into the man's face. It was his father, the king of Eternia.
"Father?" he asked, somewhat alarmed by the solemn look on the king's face. "Father, what are you doing here? And where is Cringer? He's supposed to be with me. I don't understand why he isn't here."
Randor extended an arm toward his son, palm upward, a gentle smile spreading across his lips. "It's all right, Adam," his father replied, his tone soothing away some of the prince's worry. "Cringer will join you later, but right now it's time for us to be going."
"Going?" Adam asked, neither moving nearer nor walking farther away from that outstretched hand. "Going where? I don't understand."
His father smiled lovingly and, stepping closer, he reached out to ruffle the prince's hair. "Father!" Adam protested, ducking away.
Randor laughed. "Adam, I'm so proud of you. You've worked hard and sacrificed a great deal for the sake of this land and its people. No one could or should expect you to do more." The king's chill fingers came to rest on Adam's cheek, and despite the warmth he saw in her father's eyes, the prince shivered slightly. "Now, come along, Son," he said, once more holding his hand out to the prince. "It's time for you to rest. You've earned it."
"Oh," Adam said, feeling mildly embarrassed by the fuss he'd made. "Is that all?" Randor nodded. "And Cringer will catch up with me later?" The king nodded again. With a sigh, Adam held out his own hand. His palm hovered over his Father's for a moment, then –
With a shocked cry, the prince wrapped his arms around his torso and fell heavily to his knees. Pain ripped its way through his chest. His heart raced. Faintly, beneath the frantic pounding of his heart, he heard a distant voice whispering urgently to him. "Hold on Adam," the voice pleaded, thin and reedy. "Stay with us just a little longer. Don't leave. Please, just hold on a little –"
"Teela?" Adam called, "Is that you?" He listened, straining to hear her, but all he could make out was the booming beat of his own heart. It was so loud, almost as if there were two hearts beating in his chest. But that was impossible...
A second jolt of pain surged through him, and Adam doubled over, arms wrapped tightly around his stomach. "Father, what's happening to me?" he asked, frightened by the intensity of the pain that tore at him. "Please, why does this hurt so much?"
Randor knelt calmly beside him, placing one cool hand on his son's arm. "Take my hand and the pain will stop," he promised. "Just take my hand and it will all be over. You can rest at last, Champion of Eternia."
Fighting against the pain, fighting the light-headedness that threatened to send him spiraling downward into oblivion, Adam reached for his Father's hand. To rest... that would be nice.
"NO!" The cry rang through the air, and the prince clapped his hands over his ears, trying desperately to muffle the sheer volume of the exclamation. "Prince Adam! Stay away from the door! You must not go through that portal!" The voice was strident, but it was also familiar. Adam fought to remember, but he could not place the speaker.
The king, who seemed even more alarmed than his son felt, stepped away and began to scan the space around them. Blue fire burned within the depths of his eyes, and the prince felt the stirrings of fear.
That's not my father, he realized abruptly. Elders, what is happening to me? Pushed beyond endurance, the prince made it to his feet and retreated to the far corner of the room where he hunched down, waiting to see what would happen. The man – That is not my father! – continued to search the room, swiveling his head to take in every possible angle. There was something fluid and unnatural about the way that the creature moved, and Adam wondered how he could ever have mistaken it for the king.
Then, without warning, the man ceased his survey and turned his entire body, focusing his attention on a spot near the center of the room, a spot that was a mere two or three meters away from the prince. As Adam watched, tiny pinpoints of light appeared, hanging in the air like a swarm of drictens. They whirled for a moment and then coalesced into the translucent form of a woman. A woman whom the prince knew very well.
"Teela!" Adam shouted, relieved beyond imagination. He stood, grinning happily at her. "Boy, am I glad to see you!"
For an instant, the woman seemed puzzled by his greeting. Then, smiling softly, she said, "Come to me, Adam. You must come away with me. You don't belong here... "
The woman held her arms out to him, but the prince stayed firmly where he was, his brows knit in confusion. The face and the body – though translucent – were that of Teela, but the voice was wrong. Very wrong. He looked closer, scrutinizing her image and realized that she was, in fact, not Teela's exact duplicate. Her jaw was a trifle wider, her ears a touch smaller, her smile... infinitely sadder.
"Who are you?" he demanded, hunching down again. "You're not Teela! You're another one like him, aren't you?" he accused, pointing toward the fake Randor.
The woman shook her head, further opening her hands, beckoning to him. "You know me, Adam. Your heart sees me as I truly am, sees what lies beyond the robes of power, sees me as I see myself. You know me, child."
The prince's eyes narrowed as he studied the woman's face. There was something so familiar about her eyes... "Sorceress?" he whispered. She smiled and nodded. "What are you doing here? And where are we? I thought I was in my room, but this place feels wrong somehow." He glanced about, and as he did so the very air seemed to thicken, shadows lengthened across the floor, and the light beyond the windows dimmed to darkness. Only the rainbow brilliance of the portal remained to illuminate the small space. The prince swallowed nervously.
"Yes, Adam, it is I," she said gently. "As for where we are, that is a bit more difficult to explain. It can wait, however. Right now, I need you to come to me. Take my hand. Your friends are waiting for you." When he hesitated, she added, "They're very worried."
"Teela and Castaspella!" He leapt to his feet, but when he tried to run to her, the man who looked like his father was suddenly in his path, blocking the way. The prince tried to go around the pseudo-king, but the creature moved in time with him. Infuriated, Adam lunged for the man, but he jerked to a stop as the Sorceress threw herself between them. She screamed once, a shrill cry of pain as the man whirled and caught her arms with his hands. They fell to the floor in an explosion of light and sound. Adam backed hastily away, unsure what to do or who to trust. His eyes rose from the struggling pair on the floor to the shimmering portal, waiting open all this time.
Maybe he could find some answers through that door.
Before Adam could move, however, the combatants broke apart, and he was left with the pseudo-Randor standing between him and the young Sorceress. "I will not allow you to harm him, Oracle!" the man said, his icy voice sending shivers up Adam's spine. "His life in this world of possibilities is at an end. He must pass on."
Breathing hard, the Sorceress said, "I am not here to harm him, Sentinel. I am here to help him return to the world of the living. It is not his time to die." Her gaze shifted from the man to Adam, and the prince wondered what horror she must see in his face.
It was like having someone shake him. Die? Am I dead? That would explain a lot. Dead... He knew that he should rail again it, should fight for his life, but he was so tired, so lethargic. Lately, it had all seemed so pointless. Nothing he did had any lasting impact. Skeletor remained as much of a threat as ever, and new enemies emerged every day. What had He-Man really accomplished? Certainly, Prince Adam had accomplished nothing save to alienate his family and friends.
"You must not think that way, Adam!" the Sorceress cried, stepping closer, earning a snarl from the Sentinel, who remained planted firmly between them. "He-Man is a great hero! The people need you! Your family needs you! You have much to live for!"
Adam shook his head. "The people have She-Ra, and my family has Adora. They don't need me." The Sorceress started to protest, and he added, "I'm sure, if I really am dead, that a new hero will rise." Ignoring the growing pain in his chest, he smiled at the Sorceress, doing his best to reassure her. "Don't feel badly about this, Teelana. I always knew that I wasn't likely to see my old age. If it's my time, then just let me go. No one will blame –"
"Teela is right! You are an idiot!" she snapped, fury radiating from her like heat from the sun. The prince blinked and took a step back, wary of her ire and the power it generated. "You are not replaceable! What of your children? What will become of them?" she demanded heatedly.
"My children?" Adam repeated, his eyes widening as he gaped at her. "But I don't have – I've never even – I can't have any children."
The sentinel looked away and grew very still for a moment, reminding Adam startlingly of Roboto when he was accessing some tremendous databank. After a moment of concentration, he fixed his steely gaze on the Sorceress' face and said, "The champion has no children. You are lying. You are a threat, and you must leave this place." Then, without another word, he spun around and walked toward Adam. The prince backed hastily away, alarmed by the creature's seeming hostility.
The pseudo-Randor immediately stopped and regarded him curiously. Gradually, his face shifted until he once more strongly resembled Adam's father. The Sentinel smiled benignly and held out a hand. "It's all right, Adam. I am here to help you. I will guard you on your journey to the next world. You need not fear me, Champion."
Adam's gaze was caught and held by the Sentinel's. The warmth and sincerity in the man's eyes was undeniable. Surely, Adam thought, I can trust this creature. Even if he is not my father, he clearly means me no harm. Surely...
The prince doubled over as a sharp pain in his chest took his breath away. Through the pain, through the haze it created in his mind, he was aware of but one fact. His heart was drumming and a second drum beat alongside his. How could this be happening? If he was dead, why did it hurt so much? Can't I ever do anything the normal way?
The drumming grew louder, and with it a dear and much loved voice grew clearer in his mind. "Adam, please come back to us. Don't die. Don't leave me. Please... "
Teela. If only I could...
The pain receded for a moment, and the prince straightened, once more catching the Sentinel's eyes with his own. He was instantly mesmerized.
"Trust me, Champion. You must trust me." Adam found himself reaching toward the creature without consciously making a decision to do so, and only a shrill cry from the Sorceress stopped him from taking the Sentinel's hand.
"No!" she screamed, running forward and placing herself between them once more. Disoriented for a moment by the sudden break in the Sentinel's gaze, Adam swayed on his feet.
"You must not interfere!" the creature snarled again. "Until his soul passes on, he is vulnerable. He could be destroyed even now!"
"But it isn't his time," she insisted. "I am an oracle. You know this."
"Yes," the Sentinel agreed, turning to watch her dubiously.
"It is not this man's time to die," she declared, the shifting light and shadows creating the tantalizing illusion of wings behind her spread arms. "His children are not yet born. But I have foreseen their coming. His wife will bear his first child with the rising of the sun in 553 days. He cannot die!"
My children! Can it be true? But, who? Teela? Castaspella? My children?
A grin spread slowly across the prince's face. "My children!" Dashing past the Sentinel, he threw his arms around the Sorceress and lifted her into the air. "My children! I'm going to be a father!"
With a startled laugh, the Sorceress hugged him back and gently kissed one cheek. "Yes, Adam. You are. Now cease this foolishness and return to the world where you belong."
Chuckling, the prince set her back on her feet and turned to face the Sentinel. "I'm sorry, but it's not my time. I can't go with you."
The creature blinked, seeming puzzled by the prince's statement. It opened its mouth, on the verge of speaking, but a sudden, blinding pain sent the prince to his knees. Adam clutched at his chest, closed his eyes and fell into darkness.
She-Ra gasped, her vision going black for a moment as the world spun around her. When everything righted itself again, she discovered that she was still in the saddle, clutching Swiftwind's mane as they flew at high speed above the Fertile Plains. There was a tremendous pain in her chest... and an aching hollow place in the vicinity of her heart.
"NO!" she screamed, burying her face against the horse's neck. Tears welled in her eyes then fell free, dampening Swiftwind's hide beneath her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. Adam! No... He can't be gone!
"She-Ra!" her companion cried, his deep voice filled with concern. "What is it, my friend? What's wrong?" He turned his head back toward her, as far as he could go with dislodging her from her desperate clutch on his neck.
She-Ra choked back the screams that clawed at her throat. "Adam," she whispered disconsolately. "It's Adam, Swifty. It's my... my... brother –" Fresh sobs tore at her, and the princess willingly gave way to them. "He's dead! I felt it! It felt him die!"
Her companion let out a shrill, whinnying scream of his own. "No, She-Ra! You must be mistaken. The Champion of Eternia cannot be dead! It must be a mistake!" Without consulting her, Swiftwind folded his wings in slightly, doubling their speed to dangerous levels.
Please be right, Swifty. Please. I can't lose him. As they sped toward their target, She-Ra was overwhelmed by remembered images of her brother. That dreadful moment when she'd realized that he was in fact her brother, the incredible joy she'd felt so quickly followed by terror when he collapsed inside Hordak's foul trap. There was the day he met Castaspella for the first time, the shameless way he'd flirted with the Etherian queen, enjoying her quick wit and evident admiration. The way he'd blushed when Frosta kissed him in He-Man's form. The way he cried, when he admitted the end of his hopes where Teela was concerned. Introducing her to their parents. Riding Battlecat into the sunset. Always a step ahead, forging the way. Always there when she needed him. Stubborn. Beautiful. Proud. Loving. Ridiculously humble. Her big brother... Slowly, a new emotion began to take root in She-Ra's soul. Something she had not felt in many years. Something she had not allowed herself to feel since her days as a Horde captain.
Rage.
Real, genuine, unrestrained fury coursed through her being, setting her blood aflame. Skeletor will pay for this. He'll pay for taking my brother from me. Adam, I promise you, I swear by all that I hold holy, the villain will pay. She straightened slowly on Swiftwind's back, her eyes wide open, the wind drying the tears on her cheeks. A strange calm had come over her. I was a Horde captain long before I was a champion. The Sword of Protection may not be used to kill, but I have hands...
"Fly faster, Swiftwind," She-Ra commanded, her voice hard as the steel of her sword. "The others may still be in danger. There's not a moment to lose."
Whickering his agreement, the horse picked up speed yet again. Within seconds they were in sight of the farm that She-Ra had seen in the Sorceress' mind. There was the field where she'd seen them standing, talking and laughing while Skeletor crept up upon them, plotting his attack.
He planned this, She-Ra though angrily. He spent weeks wearing He-Man down, killing him one little piece at a time, just waiting for a chance to assault a member of the royal family... my family. That monster has been scheming for months. Her eyes narrowed as her fists clenched in her companion's mane. He will sorely regret his cruelty.
The wind whipping through her hair, She-Ra scanned the ground searching for the windraider. There was no sign of it. Where could it be? Then, as they listed to the west, she caught sight of a large ashen heap with a ring of debris scattered around in. Within that ring of destruction knelt two women. She-Ra's brother lay, unmoving, on the ground between them, his head pillowed on Teela's lap.
Adam! Oh, my poor brother...
"Down, Swifty!" the princess ordered, her eyes fixed on the still form of only sibling. "Oh, hurry, my friend!"
"Yes, She-Ra," the winged-horse replied, going into a controlled dive.
She-Ra was out of the saddled and stumbling toward her brother before Swiftwind's hooves had even touched down. "Adam!" she cried, falling to her knees beside him, oblivious to the presence of the other women. Tears once more welled up in her eyes as she captured one of his hands and pressed it to her cheek. "My poor, dear –" the princess broke off with a gasp. His hand is warm. He's still warm? "Adam?" Hardly daring to breath, she anxiously studied her brother's body. To her amazement, his chest was moving steadily up and down.
Sitting back on her haunches, She-Ra took in the whole tableau through misty eyes. Her attention had been so wholly focused on Adam that, until that moment, she had not even registered the faint nimbus of light that shrouded the queen of Mystacore. Nor had she noticed Teela's hands, pressed flat to Adam's chest. She peered closer and it quickly became obvious that the captain and the prince were breathing in unison, their hearts beating as one. More amazing still, a falcon perched on Teela's gauntleted wrist. And not just any falcon...
Zoar! Here? But, Grayskull is unprotected! Why would the Sorceress –
"A spell! It must be a spell," the princess murmured, stunned almost beyond the capability of thought. "They're keeping him alive! Oh, thank the Elders!"
"Adam is alive?" Swiftwind asked, speaking just beside her ear, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin.
Turning a beaming smile on her companion, she blinked back her tears. "Yes, Swifty. He's alive somehow," she said, tear filled voice heavy with relief. "Now, I've got to see what I can do to help."
Swiftwind nodded, then rubbed the side of her head with his muzzle. "I will stand guard, She-Ra. Have no fears, my friend, for I will allow nothing to interfere." She-Ra smiled thankfully at him, cupped the side of his jaw in her palm for a moment, then turned back to her brother. Placing her hands beside Teela's, She-Ra quickly entered the trance that would allow the Sword of Protection to heal her brother's wounds.
As she sank herself into the meld she sensed few injuries in Adam aside from an irregularity between the beating of his heart and his nervous system. An infinitesimal tendril of power wound its way from the sword, through her hands, and into her brother's body. It tweaked that vital rhythm, putting his system back into synch with itself. He spasmed beneath her hands and drew a deep shuddering breath. Teela breathed in with him, and before she could even considering pulling free of the meld, She-Ra felt the sword move to heal the captain's wounds as well, sending power coursing through She-Ra, into Adam and across the link between him and Teela. Similar offshoots of power found their way into Castaspella and Zoar, healing whatever mild maladies they encountered.
As the healing meld dissipated, the sword once more became quiescent. She-Ra opened her eyes in time to see both of the other women collapse to the fallow ground, sinking almost in slow motion. The link between them and the prince broke with a crackle of electricity and a sound like shattering glass. Castaspella moaned once and was silent. Teela never made a sound as she crumpled. The only one to speak was Zoar. Teela did not stir, not even when the falcon that had perched like a statue on her arm took flight, disappearing into the distance with a shrill and weary cry.
"Get him to safety, She-Ra. Skeletor may yet return. Adam is his target. I know this now. Get him to safety!"
Perhaps because of the five-way link in which the healing was performed, She-Ra did not feel remotely drained. They had pooled their energy with the sword as a focus, all of them bent on but one thought. She watched the Sorceress go, feeling emotionally numb but surprisingly energetic. She's no doubt headed back to Grayskull. I hope she will be all right on her own for the journey. It was the last thought that She-Ra had to spare for anyone other than her brother for some while.
Gathering his still limp form into her arms, She-Ra tenderly brushed the hair back from his face. Mindful of their potential audience, she did her best to address him as a champion should and not as a sister. It was poor effort at best.
"Prince Adam? Your highness, can you hear me? Oh, please, Adam. Please be all right," She-Ra begged, as she cradled her brother's body in her strong arms, her head bent low over his. "Just open your eyes... please." She-Ra began to rock gently back and forth, Teela and Castaspella utterly forgotten. I should never have let him leave the palace without his Power Sword. I should never have let him go out without me when I knew that Skeletor was on the rampage. I should have stuck close. I should have –
The princess' rambling thoughts broke off abruptly as her brother's eyelids fluttered for a moment. She watched with bated breath as he turned his head to the side, wet his lips and then, ever so slowly, opened his eyes. "Adam?" she said, nervously smoothing his hair away from his face as she fought back yet more tears. "Say something, Adam. Please."
The prince looked up at her, his eyes gradually focusing on her face. When, at last, he got a good clear look at her, he groaned. "She-Ra?" her brother said, raising a hand to rub at his face uncertainly. "Oh nuts, I think I forgot to duck..."
Half laughing and half sobbing, the champion wrapped her arms around her brother and buried her face in his shoulder. "Oh, Adam! Don't you ever do that again! I was so frightened, thinking I'd lost you. I love you so much! Please don't leave me like that again!"
"Don't cry," he pleaded, wrapping his own arms around her and holding her tightly. "I hate it when you cry."
I wonder if this is what a hang-over feels like? Teela gingerly rolled onto her side, eager to get away from the clod of dirt that had clearly been attempting to burrow into her side permanently. As she straightened, she caught sight of the prince of Eternia, and every other thought fled her mind for a moment. Adam! He's alive! We did it! We did it! Oh, thank you, Sorceress... thank you.
Rising to a sitting position, she watched anxiously as the prince opened his eyes and grimaced up at – She-Ra! Teela's jaw dropped open. She blinked repeatedly, half wondering if her eyes mightn't be playing tricks on her. Question upon question bombarded her. When did she get here? How did she know we needed help? Why wasn't she here sooner? Where's He-Man? Why is she crying? What –
Then, She-Ra's words penetrated the fog around Teela's brain, and the captain found herself wishing for unconsciousness to take her once more. "I was so frightened," the Etherian champion sobbed, clutching the prince to her, "thinking I'd lost you. I love you so much! Please don't leave me like that again!"
For one eternal moment, Teela's world went blank, an endless white sea of numbness. Then, everything came spiraling back in at the speed of light, and the captain knew one thing beyond any doubt.
She-Ra loves him. She-Ra loves Adam. She-Ra...
Teela sat there, breathing hard and gaping at the tableau before her. How can this be happening? Is there any girl on Etheria who doesn't love Adam?! Is there any woman on Etheria that Adam hasn't flirted with? The lovers, for there could be no doubt that the prince returned the champion's affection, pulled apart and grinned stupidly at each other.
"You are quite late, She-Ra," Adam noted, sounding decidedly smug. "I would have –" He broke off abruptly, a look of wild dismay coming over his features. "Ancients! Where are they? Where's Castaspella? Where's TEELA!"
Struggling away from the champion's embrace, the prince got rapidly to his feet, and turned in place, scanning the area with his gaze. His eyes immediately settled on her, and he let out an alarmed sound that the captain hadn't heard since Cringer was a kitten. Then, before Teela could say a word, Adam had crossed the intervening distance and scooped her into his arms. He clasped her tightly for one endless moment, their hearts beating close together while his breath ruffled the hair on the top of her head. Then, he sat her back on her feet, keeping one arm draped comfortingly around her shoulders.
The blue eyes that gazed down into hers were a study in relief and other inexpressible emotions, and Teela felt her anger draining away in the face of his genuine concern. "Thank the Ancients you're all right," he said, hardly louder than a whisper. "I thought that Skeletor's blast might have hit you."
The captain bit her lip, abruptly recalling just how close she'd come to losing her best friend, the only man she... Heart thumping like a kettle drum, Teela pulled the prince into a bone crushing hug of her own. "You idiot. You're the one who almost –" She couldn't say it. She simply couldn't say the words. Especially not that word. Not in relation to Adam. Oh, gods and goddesses above, what am I going to do?
"I'm fine!" Adam protested, laughing against the top of her head. "You're almost as bad as She-Ra, but at least you're not crying. You're obviously made of sterner stuff." Pulling back slightly, Teela glared up at him, hoping her eyes weren't as misty as they felt. The prince just wiped a smudge of dirt from her face and refrained from commenting on the state of her eyes. Or on the flush that had gradually crept across her skin under the influence of his steady gaze. "Now, Teela, where is Castaspella?"
"Here, your highness," She-Ra called, and they both turned toward the sound of her voice. The champion was kneeling beside the crumpled form of the queen of Mystacore. Castaspella was unmoving and dreadfully pale, and for one horrible instant Teela feared that the Etherian had given her own life to save Adam's. But She-Ra did not look remotely distressed enough for that to be the case, and Teela heaved a sigh of relief. The prince, however, did not seem reassured by their rescuer's calm manner.
"Castaspella!" he cried, dropping to one knee beside the unconscious woman and taking one of her hands in his own. Staring down into the Etherian's pallid face, he began to chafe her wrists gravely. "She-Ra, what's wrong with her? Is she injured, or –"
"Easy, Adam," his lover soothed him. "She's just completely exhausted. At a guess, I'd say it took every reserve of power she had to perform the spell that saved your life. It almost took more than that."
Adam looked up and gazed, dumbfounded, into the champion's eyes. "Spell? But, I thought that you were the one who... I mean, that you and Sorceress... " Eyes wide, he glanced back down at the still form of the wizardess. Leaning down, he slipped his hands beneath Castaspella and lifted her into his arms, cradling her tenderly against his breast. "Will she be all right?" he demanded, his own face gone ashen with worry. The Etherian queen let out a small sigh, and the prince clutched her more tightly against him.