A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, everyone. I'm amazed that you all have been as captivated by this story as I was. It's pretty much written now, I just have some editing to do, so I should be getting chapters up every 5-14 days, depending on my personal and work schedules.
Couple of responses to questions: CMB are my initials; Evelyn's just a pen name. I'm afraid I won't be sharing any more detail than that. And folks keep coming up with helpful suggestions as to how Adam can get his sword back. As I mentioned at the start, that's not what this story's about. It won't be happening, though I do appreciate you sharing your ideas. :-)
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!
He-Man reflected back on the events of their time at Castle Freeze as the group of rebels moved out late the next morning. In spite of his own exhaustion, he walked beside Battle Cat, knowing the great tiger was just as tired and sore. Their stamina had certainly been tested during the Battle of Castle Freeze, as the rebels were already calling it. Then his willpower had been tested when he and Teela had slept in the same room. He had barely slept all night.
Although fatigued, Adam felt the strong satisfaction of a job well done as he deliberately turned his thoughts to a more positive trail. Not only had they succeeded in defending Castle Freeze, but he had helped Frosta and Glimmer negotiate a written alliance the day before.
"Your people are very lucky to have a ruler like you," Glimmer said slyly as she caught up to him.
"I'm sorry?" He-Man asked, caught off-guard. On Battle Cat's other side, Teela frowned.
"I may be young, but I'm no fool," Glimmer informed him archly. "You knew exactly what to put into that alliance agreement. You weren't guessing or thinking about it; you knew. Whatever else you might be on your planet, you've obviously had experience in negotiating agreements. So you're either a ruler or in the government." She picked at a flower as she walked, pulling off its bright pink petals one at a time. "Since you're traveling with the captain of the royal guard, I'd say you're a king." She peered at him from under her eyelashes, waiting for a response.
"I think we ought to stop here to rest and eat something," He-Man said, glancing around and hoping to change the subject. "We have about another two hours of walking yet, don't we? The rebels fought hard. They could use a rest."
Glimmer let out a light laugh. "You don't fool me, He-Man. I know when someone's trying to change the subject."
Teela opened her mouth, her eyes flashing, and He-Man threw her a warning glare, hoping to keep her from saying anything too rash. They couldn't afford to alienate Glimmer when their mission was still incomplete.
"And a polite person would let him," Kowl hooted as he flew over and landed on Battle Cat's saddle. Adam noted with relief that Teela closed her mouth. It actually looked as if she were physically biting her lip. "These kind people have helped us a lot, Glimmer. It would be unkind to invade their privacy in return." The furry owl-like creature crossed his arms.
"You're right, Kowl. I'm sorry, He-Man," Glimmer apologized.
"That's all right," He-Man assured her. In looking at her assessing gaze, however, he doubted again that he had heard the last of her questions. Glimmer struck him as a determined young woman.
Teela was homesick. There was no other word for it. She longed to go home to her father, the palace, her job…and Adam. She was tired of him being He-Man, of every woman they met fawning over him. She sighed. That was an exaggeration, but that's how it felt, for certain.
She splashed some water on her face and decided to go for a walk through the camp. It was late evening, and already dark in the woods, but there was plenty of light in the camp. She knew that part of her mild depression was just the post-battle letdown, which was hitting her now that they were safely back in the Whispering Woods. Usually it hit her right after a battle, but Frosta's presence and the delay in their return to the Woods had kept her keyed up.
Teela broke into an easy jog, just to stretch her legs a bit. Usually it was easy to sleep off or work off the low…she slowed back to a walk and shook her head, sighing again. No, usually Adam found her and asked if she was alright, and she got both warm at knowing he cared and mad at him for being nowhere to be found during the battle. The result was that this empty feeling disappeared.
But not today. He had barely spoken to her all day—had barely spoken to anyone, in fact, that Teela had noticed. She understood he was tired, but she hadn't expected to be lumped in with everyone else and ignored. It hurt. A lot. Especially after she thought their relationship had been at least semi-repaired last night.
Teela's pace had increased without her realizing it; looking up, she saw she was at the outer edge of the camp already. She hesitated a minute, then decided a walk in the dark woods alone was just not intelligent. She turned back and strolled more slowly, taking in the sounds of the wind in the treetops, the laughter from the tents, the clanging of cookware—
And a low, guttural moan of pure pleasure, followed by a sensual laugh.
Recognizing the voices, Teela froze, her eyes moving slightly to the side to look at the tent just ahead and to her right, where the sound had emanated from. Against her own desires, her feet carried her within an arm's length of the tent as the groan came again. She could see the blurry silhouette of two people in the tent. Teela's mouth went dry as she realized what they were doing.
"Oh, Glimmer, that feels incredible," came He-Man's voice.
Teela's hand flew to her mouth as her eyes blurred with tears. Part of her denied it, denounced even the possibility, but her mind leapt to the inevitable conclusion. She turned and ran blindly through the camp to her own tent. Desperately needing an outlet for her raging emotions, she began going through her exercise routines, seeking solace in the monotony and the pain she was causing her battle-weary body.
He-Man stretched in the early morning light. His muscles were still a bit sore, but Glimmer's magically aided massage the night before had helped soothe most of it away. By the time she had finished he had fallen asleep in her tent, much to his chagrin, but Glimmer had been kind enough to wake him so he could return to his own tent for the night.
Hearing the clang of swords, He-Man smirked to himself. Teela was at it already. He followed the sounds to find his friend beating up on a defenseless metal pole stuck into the ground. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. Using the swords on it gave the men the feeling of how clashing swords would reverberate up their arms. However, he hadn't seen Teela use the pole in years; she usually preferred a live opponent.
"Need a partner?" he called.
Teela straightened up and turned, breathing heavily, and he was surprised by the mixture of animosity and sadness in her eyes. In three strides he was before her, grasping her arms, her skin soft under his hands. "Teela, what is it? What's wrong?" he asked urgently.
Teela's already-reddened eyes welled with tears, but her chin went up. "Nothing. I'm fine," she replied, her voice sounding choked.
"You can't fool me. I've known you for too long, Tee," He-Man said gently, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "Tell me what's wrong." He reached up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, but Teela jerked away as if she had been burned.
"Just leave me alone," she ordered, turning away from him.
"I won't," He-Man said, even more worried now. He grabbed her arm and turned her back around. "Teela, this is me. Adam. You can tell me anything." She shook her head. "Teela, did someone hurt you?" His voice was low, almost ferocious, caused by a swell of anger at the thought of someone hurting her in any way.
Teela looked up at He-Man, surprise in her eyes as she answered him. "No. I'm fine, Adam. Really." She forced a smile. "Just a bit homesick, I guess."
He-Man pulled her into his arms. "Ah, Teela. You should have told me."
Teela nestled against him for a moment, then shrugged. "Like you said, we're stuck here for now. Might as well make the best of it." She pulled back and looked at him, concern in her eyes. "But what about you? You and Battle Cat fought harder than anyone. Are you all right?"
He-Man nodded, a slight grimace on his face. "I'm a little sore, but I'm okay."
Teela grinned up at him—it looked a bit fake to He-Man, but at least it was a grin. "Good. So what was that about sparring with me?"
"He-Man! He-Man!" A small purple-colored Twigget ran over to He-Man as he was clearing brush so additional tents could be erected. With two victories on their record, the rebel numbers were starting to grow.
"Well hello there, Spritina," He-Man greeted her, pulling his mind from wondering why Teela had seemed so distant since they had returned to the rebel camp three days before. "What can I do for you?"
"A villager just brought this for you!" She handed him an envelope, upon which his name was scrawled in a feminine script. Spritina waited eagerly as He-Man turned it over a few times out of habit, searching for any sign of a trap or spell.
"Well what's the matter? Don't you know how to open it?" Spritina demanded in her high voice, her large eyes staring up at him impatiently.
He-Man chuckled. "Sure I do." He tore it open and scanned it quickly, his brow furrowing. Adora wanted him to meet her in a field near Thaymoore-alone. It didn't take a genius to figure that this was most likely a trap. But if there was any chance that it wasn't a trap, that Adora might be turning over a new leaf and ready to embrace her destiny…it was a chance he simply had to take. However, he didn't have to take it alone, as the note demanded. But who to trust? He-Man frowned. Teela and Battle Cat were off at someplace called Mystacore doing some reconnaissance for the rebellion. From what he had learned of the area so far, he figured it would take almost a full day to get there, find them, and get over to Thaymoore.
That wasn't acceptable, as far as He-Man was concerned. It would mean missing Adora, as the note said she would be there only this afternoon. He couldn't take the chance of missing her.
"Well what does it say?" Spritina asked curiously, standing on her tip-toes to try to see the note.
He-Man folded the note quickly, his mind racing. "Spritina, if I'm not here when Teela and Battle Cat get back tonight, can you give them a message?"
Spritina's eyes widened in worry as she regarded He-Man somberly. "Yes."
"Give Teela this note and tell her to follow me as soon as she can," He-Man requested, placing the note back into the envelope. "It's very important."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Spritina asked, taking the note hesitantly.
He-Man shook his head. "Thanks, Spritina, but if this is a legitimate request, I don't want to spook the person. And if it's not, then it could be very dangerous."
Spritina bit her lip. "He-Man, I don't like this. Can't Glimmer or Bow go with you?"
"No," He-Man said sharply. He sighed inwardly as Spritina backed up a step, slightly frightened by his tone. "Look," he said more gently, dropping to one knee, "this person…Bow and Glimmer don't like her. They don't trust her, and they're right not to. But I think she could be made to see how evil the Horde is. And if she joins the rebellion, she could be very, very helpful to them. I need to talk with her. I'll be all right. If something does happen, Teela will know what to do. Okay?"
Still biting her lip, Spritina nodded hesitantly. "Okay, He-Man."
He-Man approached the field cautiously. He had scouted around, and as best he could tell, there were no Horde troopers around. But that didn't mean they weren't magically cloaked.
Adora stood in the middle of the field, watchful, as she had been standing for the last ten minutes since he had first arrived in the area and caught sight of her. She had regularly turned about, presumably looking for signs of him, but He-Man had far too much experience hiding his movements from Teela to allow Adora to become aware of his whereabouts until he was ready.
As he stepped into the field, Adora's chin came up and her gaze settled on him. He-Man continued to glance around warily as he approached her, stopping a few steps from her.
"You came," she said, her eyes oddly bright and her voice husky.
"Of course I did," he said, his feeling of unease growing. "Your note said you wanted to talk. Did you go out and see Etheria, as I requested?"
"I did," she said slowly, her eyes suddenly going distant and unfocused. "I-" She broke off and shook her head. She looked up at him and stepped forward, her hand going to his arm and rubbing up and down tenderly. "But that's not what I asked you here to talk about."
"Then what did you want to talk about?" He-Man asked, hiding his apprehension. His stomach tightened in warning. He scanned the area once more, but still saw nothing.
Adora suddenly pressed herself against him seductively, causing him to look down in surprise. Her mouth was suddenly a breath away from his own. He-Man felt a wave of revulsion rush through him. "He-Man, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind. I think-"
"You can stop thinking along those lines," He-Man said firmly, stepping out of her reach.
Adora's brow furrowed uncertainly for a few seconds, then she smiled at him. "Don't you like me, He-Man?"
He-Man crossed his arms, his back straight. "It has nothing to do with that. I'm just not that kind of person, Adora."
Adora flushed red. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that." She seemed to struggle with herself for a moment.
"Adora, is that the only thing you asked me here for?" He-Man asked softly, reluctant to pass up the opportunity to try to reach her once more. He dropped his arms, both to make himself seem more approachable and to allow himself time to react to any traps. "Or are you ready to join the side of good?"
"I am on the right side," Adora protested, but her voice lacked conviction. Her hands went to her waist. He-Man eyed the gun at her right hip, his hand instinctively rising a few inches to grab his sword. "He-Man, surely you must have seen by now that your rebel friends have lied to you. Hordak is the rightful rule of Eternia. He is good and kind."
"Those are lies, Adora, and you know it," He-Man said flatly, staring hard at her. He tilted his head. "I can see it in your eyes." A slight breeze crossed the meadow.
Adora lowered her eyelids as if the shield her thoughts, then bowed her head, allowing her long blond hair to cover her face for a moment. He-Man tensed even more as he realized the birds had stopped singing. He took a half-step back from her, debating whether he should leave.
"Adora," He-Man finally said, keeping his voice soft, "I think you're under a spell. You will only be free of it if you fight it." He reached out and touched her forearm gently.
Adora's head came up quickly, her gaze tortured. She twisted to angle her body slightly differently. She looked at He-Man pleadingly, her mouth moving soundlessly. He-Man's stomach clenched as he read her lips. Ambush. Run.
Her warning came too late. Behind her, several troopers appeared out of nowhere. Whirling around, He-Man found he was surrounded. He turned back to Adora, unable to keep the disappointment from his eyes.
"I'm sorry," Adora whispered. Looking down, He-Man was just in time to see the gun in her hand go off, sending him into oblivion-again.
Adora's heart felt heavy, though she wasn't sure why. The plan had been successful; the threat of He-Man to the Horde had been eliminated. He was securely in Hordak's charger now, his willpower slowly being drained away. When it was finished, he would be a slave to the Horde…if the draining of the machine didn't kill him. It was an unstable prototype at best.
"You did well, Adora," Hordak congratulated her from his throne.
"Thank you, my liege," Adora responded, her heart pounding at the thought that he or Shadow Weaver might know she had tried to warn He-Man. She still didn't know what had come over her. Something about his integrity as he had turned down her advances had triggered a chord in her that she simply didn't understand.
"Shadow Weaver, I have decided that He-Man's children would be powerful warriors," Hordak went on, rubbing his chin. "I want you to start gathering healthy women of child-bearing age. Once we have drained his willpower and you have set your spell on him, we will have him couple with the women and get them with child. He should be able to handle at least five or six each day." Adora listened, her mouth going dry and her stomach turning over in disgust. "We will raise up a generation of warriors stronger than any the Horde has ever seen before."
Bile rose up in Adora's throat. After what He-Man had just told her only a few hours ago, she couldn't help but recognize that this would horrify him. It was, in fact, the cruelest thing she could ever remember Hordak suggesting. To make a sex slave of someone…Adora shuddered. Then her thoughts turned to the children. To produce children simply to be warriors seemed wrong as well. 'Is that all I am to him? Is that why he raised me?' Though she instinctively denied the thought, her eyes burned.
She felt so confused, so foggy-headed. "Mighty Hordak, may I retire?" she asked quietly. "I-I'm not feeling very well." She held her breath. She was taking a huge risk in admitting such a thing to Hordak. He hated any show of weakness.
Fortunately, tonight he was in a jovial mood, high on his success. "Of course, Adora," he answered with a wave of his hand. Adora could feel Shadow Weaver's gaze on her as she left. The witch was suspicious, as she had been ever since He-Man had arrived on Etheria, though Adora was sure she had done nothing to warrant suspicion—at least not before today.
Adora walked through the halls slowly and entered her room as if the weight of Etheria were on her shoulders. The sword He-Man had given her stood in the corner of her room, seeming to beckon her. She stared at it fearfully. It seemed as if every time she picked it up, she grew more confused. She started remembering seeing things on Etheria that couldn't possibly be true-things like the Horde soldiers whipping slaves and throwing them in a lake when they asked for a simple drink.
She sank onto her bed, staring out the window, trying to ignore the sword with the shimmering jewel. "I'm so lost," she whispered, staring up into the star-lit sky. "Help me, someone."
He-Man came to slowly, lacking any desire whatsoever to actually open his eyes. He was in some sort of glass box; a strange eerie glow surrounded it. 'Got to get out of here,' he thought. Wherever "here" was, that is. He struggled to his knees, feeling as if a huge weight were oppressing his every move. "What is this?" he muttered to himself.
Deciding he didn't want to know and didn't particularly care, He-Man tried to stand up but quickly found that he couldn't. The harder he tried to rise, the more pressure there was on his shoulders. At the same time, it felt as if something were draining his strength.
Well, he didn't need to stand to get out of here, he decided. He pulled his fist back and threw it forward to slam it into the glass-but he couldn't. It was as if he were trying to punch through the Tar Swamp itself. Even drawing a breath suddenly seemed to be difficult.
Angry with himself and the situation, He-Man surged upwards. He stood for a second, but the pressure slowly forced him down to one knee. He braced one hand against the glass before him.
"Blast it," he whispered. He tried rocking the glass cage, but it was bolted to the floor, it didn't move. The mild effort left him even more exhausted. He-Man drew in a deep breath. It was tempting to sit down and rest, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't know what they were doing to him, but he refused to give into it.
'They will not beat me,' he swore to himself desperately. He would die before he admitted defeat.
Duncan dropped his screwdriver as the Sorceress' voice echoed loudly in his mind, her worry coming through loud and clear. 'Duncan, you must come to Grayskull immediately.'
"What's wrong?" he asked aloud, his heart in his throat. He had been concerned for Teela and He-Man since they had left more than nearly two weeks ago on some sort of assignment the Sorceress refused to discuss. He almost felt this summons had been inevitable.
'Adam is in grave danger. I am doing what I can from here, but I may need you to go after him.'
"What about Teela?" Duncan demanded as he climbed into the wind raider. "And Battle Cat?"
'They are not going to arrive in time.' There was a slight pause, during which Duncan tried to swallow his heart back into his chest. 'There is something I must attend to. Someone else that might help Adam, if only I can reach her. Hurry Duncan.'
With that her connection to him was severed. Duncan cursed softly as he flew the wind raider out of the hangar and pushed it full throttle for Grayskull.
"Can you smell anything, Battle Cat?" Teela asked, glancing up at the moonlit sky. They had arrived back to the Whispering Woods only an hour ago and were met with a nearly frantic Spritina, who had barely managed to keep her word to He-Man. Teela and Battle Cat immediately followed the note's directions to the field near Thaymoore.
"Horde troopers," Battle Cat growled, sniffing hard. He looked up and off towards the Fright Zone. "They have him."
Teela closed her eyes as worry consumed her for a few seconds. In that time, she had a mental image of He-Man, beaten into submission, lying on the floor of a dungeon cell. Horrified at how vivid the image was, she snapped her eyes back open and mounted up on Battle Cat. "We need to get some help, Cat," she said with determination.
"But He-Man's in trouble. There's no time," Battle Cat growled at her, his body trembling in his eagerness to run in the direction he knew He-Man to be in.
The image of He-Man lying in a dungeon cell, severely beaten, almost made Teela agree with Battle Cat. But she shook her head. There was no reason to believe they would do anything more than hold him prisoner, as they had before. She was just letting her imagination run away with her. "No, Cat, we need help," she said with difficulty, tears pooling in her eyes. She raised her chin. "Don't you worry. We'll get him out of there."