He-Man leaned back in Battle Cat's saddle, the soreness and stiffness in his body becoming more and more apparent as the adrenaline rush faded. He was so preoccupied trying to stay awake that he missed the concerned looks thrown his way by his friends.
Upon reaching the Attack Trak, the heroes squeezed in, except for Battle Cat and She-Ra. "We'll follow you to Grayskull," she told them. "I'm afraid we won't all fit in there!"
He-Man glanced over. "She-Ra, can I ask you a favor first?" he said softly, for her ears alone. He stepped back outside the vehicle and motioned to his still-numb left arm. "Skeletor caught me with one of his blasts. Could you…?"
"Of course, brother," She-Ra said. She stared at him, and he could see the mixture of concern, love, and anger in her blue eyes. For a moment, he wondered if he would get a hug or a lecture. Finally, though, she simply took his arm, healing it easily. She attempted to heal the rest of his body as well, but as the Sorceress had indicated, Grayskull's magic couldn't seem to fix damage done by itself. Actually, she realized, there wasn't anything actually wrong with He-Man. His body was just…fatigued.
She looked up at him. "I'm sorry. That's the best I can do."
He-Man nodded, having expected as much. "Thank you…for healing my arm and for not lecturing me."
She-Ra glanced away, then up at her brother. "I'm still furious with you, but the truth is, I'm not sure we would have rescued Teela and Duncan without Battle Cat. So if you hadn't been so stubborn…" her voice trailed off.
"By the way, Skeletor gave me a great cover story," He-Man said, mainly to change the subject. He explained it quickly. She-Ra nodded.
"Perfect," she said. "You'll need some rest—you AND Adam. I think I'll stick around for a while to make sure you get it." She waved as she and Battle Cat took off. He-Man sighed and pulled himself into the Attack Trak.
"So what's going on?" Teela asked impatiently. Her nerves were on edge, and she had difficulty sitting still. She put the Attack Trak in gear and took off. "What's wrong with you, and how's Adam? Is he okay?"
"As far as I know, Adam's fine," He-Man answered, leaning back in his seat. "He broke the spell, but Kaspanya still retained some sort of connection to him. It could have attacked him again at any time. To prevent that, I used the power of Grayskull to take the connection from him and place it on me." Another half-truth, he thought. He was so used to them, but so tired of them, too.
Understanding dawned on Duncan's face. This will explain to everyone why they are both out of it for a while, he realized. Good lad! His thoughts were cut short as He-Man's eyes drifted shut.
"We'd better hurry and get you back to Grayskull, son," he said aloud.
"I still don't understand," Teela ventured. "What did taking that connection from Adam do to you? You looked like you were falling asleep on the way back from Snake Mountain!"
"It was nothing, Teela. I'm fine," He-man said, trying to avoid the question, but unable to keep his eyes open. His voice didn't help either; it sounded faint, even to his own ears.
"Obviously, it was nothing," Stratos responded dryly. "That's why you're falling asleep talking to us."
He-Man sighed and roused himself again. Stratos and Mekanek were staring at him with both curiosity and concern. Duncan looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Even Teela was craning her neck around to see his face, and she was supposed to be driving. None of them had been present, of course, and he found it hard to find the words—and the energy—to describe what he'd been through. He really didn't want to re-hash it. Orko saved him from answering.
"The magic of Grayskull and the magic of Kaspanya fought within He-Man's body," Orko said, awe in his voice. "I've never seen anyone in so much pain before. The power of Grayskull won, but it left He-Man really weak and sore. Being near the talisman at Snake Mountain established a connection, and he was in pain all over again." He-Man didn't know whether to thank Orko or smack him for revealing so much.
"Thank goodness you're all right," Stratos said, Mekanek agreeing quickly. Teela was silent, while Duncan stared at him with real worry in his eyes.
"What did you do to Kaspanya?" He-Man finally asked Orko, trying to change the topic.
"Granamyr gave me a crystal that separated Kaspanya from his power. The power was trapped inside the crystal, and they were both sent to different dimensions," Orko answered. "That was the easy part, really. Adam and you did the hard parts."
"If you had to use the power of Grayskull to remove the spell from Adam, how did it affect him?" Teela suddenly asked, sounding very worried and a bit angry.
He-Man wanted to promise that Adam was fine, but the truth was, he had no idea what would happen when he reverted back to being the prince.
"I don't know, Teela," he finally answered. "We had to leave as soon as I was able. We had no idea if Kaspanya would try to re-establish his hold through the spell."
He could sense her tension even from where he sat. He sighed again, sinking lower into the cushions. First his father, now Teela. At times he questioned whether they even cared about Prince Adam. It looked as if he now had his answer, but it seemed to be at the expense of their respect for He-Man. For some reason, that idea bothered him more than he wanted to admit, he realized as he drifted off to sleep.
"He-Man. He-Man, wake up," came a voice, hands shaking him firmly. He-Man opened his eyes and saw a blurred Duncan in front of him.
"Come on, lad, let's get you into the castle," the older warrior said. He attempted to help He-Man up, but the hero brushed away his friend's hand.
"I think I can make it, Duncan," he said wearily. He hauled himself to his feet with effort and left the Attack Trak. She-Ra and Battle Cat were waiting. He-Man leapt up behind his sister and turned to Stratos and Mekanek.
"I want to thank you both for helping today. We couldn't have pulled off that rescue without you," he said. Then he turned to Orko. "And thank you, my little friend, for coming to the rescue not once, but twice."
Orko chuckled uncomfortably and blushed so brightly they could see it through his clothing.
"I hate to sound rude," He-Man continued, "but She-Ra and I have something very important to discuss with the Sorceress. I know you're anxious to see Adam, but I'd appreciate it if you could wait here for just a moment."
The others nodded, easily accepting that He-Man and She-Ra were privy to some of Grayskull's secrets, of which they knew nothing. Battle Cat carried the twins into Grayskull.
"I am pleased to see you both back safely," the Sorceress greeted them.
"The others think I took the spell from Adam onto myself to save him," He-Man told her succinctly. He was beginning to nod off again. He dismounted stiffly and She-Ra followed, a frown on her face.
"We shouldn't have let him do it. It almost killed him," she said flatly.
"That's an exaggeration," her brother argued without much force. She whirled on him.
"Then why couldn't you tell Teela that Adam is okay?" she challenged. "You don't know, do you? You don't know what will happen when you become Adam again."
"No, I don't," he admitted. Forestalling her arguments, he held up his sword and called out, "Let the power return!" In a flash, the Prince of Eternia had returned, and he immediately collapsed.
"Adam!" She-Ra was standing close enough to catch him. She carried him into the next room, where he'd been lying only a few hours earlier, and the Sorceress followed her. She quickly felt his pulse. It was strong and steady.
"It's all right, Adora. He's only sleeping," the Sorceress assured her. "You'd better change back while I go and get the others."
A few moments later, Teela entered quietly but quickly, followed by the others. She kneeled by the bed and reached up to tenderly brush a lock of hair back from Adam's face. She wore an expression Adora had never seen on her before, a mixture of tenderness and love.
"Where are He-Man and She-Ra?" asked Mekanek.
"They have gone into chambers deeper within the castle, to better aid He-Man's recovery," the Sorceress answered smoothly. Since the prince was sleeping, Stratos and Mekanek bade everyone farewell and left.
"How is He-Man?" Teela asked, a little timidly. "I was a little rude earlier. I'd like to apologize."
"I'm afraid that he is in much the same condition as Adam," the Sorceress replied. "Neither of them have any injuries, but their bodies have been pushed beyond their capabilities."
"How could Adam possibly have withstood something that almost broke down He-Man?" Teela asked in awe.
"You must understand, Teela, that the magic caused them two very different pains. Adam's mind was attacked—his determination, his will, his wisdom, his courage. He had to face his fears. The spell caused a serious fever as well, but it left as soon as the spell was broken. For He-Man, the attack was completely physical—it was like a war fought between the magic of Castle Grayskull and the magic of the Talisman of Kaspanya, and it was fought within his body."
Adora shuddered as she listened to the Sorceress' description. Her brother had suffered incredibly today, and she couldn't help but wonder how it would affect him.
"Why did he do it?" Teela asked, a bit angrily. She couldn't shake the image of He-Man, exhaustion and pain showing in every movement. She was only now beginning to understand how close Skeletor had come to winning.
"To save Adam," Adora whispered, staring at her brother. "Adam broke the spell as much as anyone could, but the curse of Kaspanya was that once he'd touched you, he could return at any time. Any time Adam was depressed, in mourning…Kaspanya would have been back." She paused, then turned to Teela. "We tried to tell He-Man not to go to Snake Mountain, but Skeletor wanted him in exchange for you and your father. He was afraid if he didn't go, Skeletor would harm you."
"Oh," Teela said softly. She felt admonished and cherished at the same time. And her feelings for He-Man only grew stronger in that moment, even as she reached up again to touch Adam's cheek and assure herself he was alive.
Word spread quickly across Eternia about both Adam and He-Man. Both the king and queen were distraught over Adam's relapse, which they believed occurred when He-Man took the curse off of Adam. Randor was full of chagrin when he learned that He-Man had nearly sacrificed his own life to do so. Marlena returned to Grayskull immediately. The Masters were kept on full alert, as Randor expected an attack from Skeletor.
Well-wishers poured into the palace for Adam, not knowing he wasn't there. Duncan dealt with them as they came. They left behind gifts and stories that made him choke up. Adam is so busy pretending to be a goof and saving the world as He-Man, that I think he's forgotten how much he touches the lives of others as just…Adam, the old soldier thought
A few brave souls, wanting to wish He-Man well, went directly to the doors of Grayskull. Teela gained the duty of greeting people outside of the castle and accepting their gifts on behalf of He-Man.
"I'm sorry, but we can't allow anyone into Grayskull," she repeated over and over. They, too, told stories of how He-Man had touched their lives in some way. It was nearing the end of the day when, through one of these stories, Teela learned something that disturbed her deeply.
A man approached her, a farmer to judge by his clothing. Like the others, he was disappointed but not surprised that he couldn't see He-Man. He introduced himself as Clemence, and began to tell Teela about He-Man saving his family from an earthquake. It wasn't an unusual occurrence, in fact it was something that had happened too many times for Teela to pay close attention. She was getting tired by this time, but something tugged at her. There was a sadness in his eyes, in spite of his gratitude.
"Where did you say you were from?" Teela asked when the farmer had finished speaking.
"Rock Haven," he replied. "It's about four hours south of the palace, if you've a vehicle. Longer if you're walking." He grinned, and Teela smiled in return. Then her mouth went slack.
"Oh," she said softly. "I remember now. I'm so sorry about the loss of your boy."
Clemence bowed his head. "Aye, thank you. He-Man tried hard, but even he has some limits."
Teela's eyes narrowed. He's said nothing about Adam, she realized. She thought fast, wanting to ask the question in a way that would not cast Adam in a poor light. "Was He-Man the only one who showed up to help you?" she finally asked, as casually as she could manage.
"Aye, we live pretty far from town, on a large farm. Thank goodness he did find us, or we'd all have died that day. Please tell him we wish him a speedy recovery," Clemence said. "I'd best be going now."
"Farewell," Teela answered, fighting to keep her temper under control. As soon as he was out of sight, she turned on her heel and marched into the castle.
He lied to me, she thought furiously. Adam lied. He was probably off in some field sleeping when He-Man was helping that family. A small voiced asked how he knew about the incident at all if that was the case, but she immediately dismissed it. He said he was helping He-Man and he wasn't. He lied. He even sounded like he blamed He-Man for that boy's death. How dare he! He lied. He lied. The words kept cadence as she marched to the room where Adam lay, apparently still sleeping. In her fury, she'd pretty much forgotten that he had been through so much.
The Sorceress appeared before her as she reached the room. "Teela, I do not know what is wrong, but Prince Adam is still very weak and in need of complete rest. Whatever your problem is, you must leave it out here, and not take it into this room with you," she said firmly. With her voice softening slightly, she added, "If you wish to talk about what is troubling you, I will be more than happy to listen."
Teela seriously considered shoving the Sorceress out of her way at first, but quickly decided that the idea was foolish. She did want to talk with someone, but not the Sorceress. She just didn't know her well enough, although she did feel a certain…connection with her. No, the person Teela really wanted to talk with was Adam, because he'd always been her best friend and confidante, and even now that he was the problem, her instinct was to turn to him. Teela bit her lip, realizing that wasn't possible. She really needed…Duncan. Her father knew Adam better than anyone, and might even know what had happened that day.
The Sorceress was still staring at her, and Teela sighed. "Alright, I'll behave myself. Let me put these in there." She lifted the packages in her arms. "One of them has the muscle relaxing herbs the healer wanted Adam to take. Apparently he can look forward to feeling like one big cramp when he finally wakes up." The Sorceress studied Teela for another minute, then nodded and stepped aside.
Teela entered the room and her remaining anger was swept away. Every time she had come in to check on Adam, he had been motionless. Now, although he was still asleep, his face was contorted in pain, and one leg was pulled up, his arms unconsciously wrapped around it. Adora struggled to pull his arm away so Marlena could massage the cramped muscle. The Sorceress had come in behind Teela and immediately went over to Adam and placed her hand on his head. He gradually relaxed, slipping back into a peaceful sleep.
The Sorceress turned a tired smile to Teela. "He's already been 'one big cramp,' as you said, Captain," she noted a bit dryly.
"How many times has that happened today?" Teela asked in a low voice, her anger finding a new outlet. Adora and Marlena exchanged a look she couldn't identify.
"Only three or four," Marlena said, her voice making it plain that she didn't expect the Captain of the Guard to make an issue of it.
With barely controlled anger, Teela set the boxes down. "Most of these are gifts for He-Man," she said as she rummaged through them. "But one has herbs that are supposed to relax muscles to help prevent cramping. The doctor didn't expect it to hit Adam today, so I wasn't in a rush to bring the herbs up. I've had them for over an hour." Her tone spoke volumes, indicating that she didn't appreciate them not sharing information.
Marlena smiled in acquiescence to Teela's point and nodded her head in thanks as Teela gave her the box containing the herbs. "Adam always has been an unnaturally fast healer," she said. "Most of us lose that ability to rebound quickly as we get older, but I think he actually heals faster now than when he was a boy."
"Don't forget that Grayskull's magic is helping him through this time," the Sorceress reminded them gently. "But I fear he will still have a long recovery ahead."
Teela was about to comment when she noticed Adora's face. "Adora? Is something wrong?"
Adora shook her head quickly. She couldn't tell Teela she'd been wondering how long Eternia would be without He-Man, and how long She-Ra could be away from Etheria. "No, Teela. I just know this is going to drive Adam nuts." At least that much was true.
"Stop…talking…like I'm…not here," a weak voice from the bed muttered.
"Adam! You're awake!" his mother cried.
Already his eyes were drifting shut again. "Barely," he whispered. "Go…home."
"We'll take you home tomorrow, Adam," Teela assured him. The arrangements had already been made, provided he was ready to travel.
Marlena had prepared the herbs in a drink and put a straw between Adam's lips. "Drink," she commanded. "It'll help with the cramps." She'd also discovered that the water provided by the palace healers had some nutritional value as well, which he certainly needed.
Adam complied only because he was terribly thirsty. The last thing he wanted was a drug. But the liquid soothed his throat and gave him the ability to speak for just a moment before lapsing back into sleep.
"You all need to go home," he re-stated. "I need…to stay here. Skeletor…will attack."
Adora understood immediately, and she was furious. He wanted to be at Grayskull, away from watchful eyes, in case Skeletor attacked and He-Man was needed. At the palace, the healers would be around him almost constantly. Here, he had privacy—especially if he sent them all home. He-Man is the last thing he needs to worry about, she thought. Why does he have to be so incredibly stubborn?
Marlena and Teela bought the idea right away, though.
"Grayskull is more secure than the palace," Teela said thoughtfully. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to keep him here for a few days?"
"I agree," Marlena answered. "That is, if you have no objections?" she asked, turning to the Sorceress.
Knowing what Adora was thinking, the Sorceress nonetheless felt compelled to agree with Adam, Marlena, and Teela. She felt sure that there was more to this than they had seen thus far, and that Skeletor had additional surprises up his sleeve. Even in his weakened state, He-Man could be what tipped the scales in their favor.
"I do not have a problem with it at all," she finally said. "Adam has been a good friend to all of us, and it is my pleasure to help him…and you."
Adam was already sleeping again. At the urging of the Sorceress, the other three women decided to return to the palace for the night to get some rest. Teela was once again stewing over Adam's lies, and Adora was furious with him for not taking care of himself. Marlena noticed the tension and could only wonder what was wrong with the two of them.
With everyone gone and the room becoming peaceful again, Cringer crawled out from under the bed and jumped on top of it. Stretching out next to Adam, he purred until he fell asleep.