A/N: To those who have asked about the story that comes after Reunions…you're asking the wrong person! Go to LittleLlamaGirl's profile and send her a private message. Carina is her playground, Keldor her protagonist. I will help her on the story if needed, but she has the "master plan" and that story, once written, will be posted on her account, not mine. I will say that life has held her up this past year, but hopefully things will ease up soon.
Also, for everyone enjoying this story: The problem with a fanfiction online is that you can't see how many pages are left. So this is just a gentle reminder that Adora is a supporting cast member, so to speak, and her story is a subplot. The purpose of this story was to explore Adam's life if he were stuck as He-Man, and if you look at the category, it's primarily a romance. Adora will come into the rest of this story as needed to achieve the purpose of the plot, but we won't be doing a full-fledged exploration of all she's going through. I know I have a lot of Adora fans out there reading this, so I just wanted to clear that up.
Chapter 17—Reunited
He-Man groaned as he came to. He felt…normal. Not strong like he typically did as He-Man, but like he usually felt as Adam. As he carefully moved his head, he realized he also felt incredibly lazy and comfortable, even though he could tell he was lying on something hard and cold. A small part of him grew excited, wondering if being trapped as He-Man had been nothing more than a dream.
He turned his head slightly to see Teela, Duncan, the Sorceress, Battle Cat…and a woman and a winged unicorn he didn't know, all watching him hopefully. Those gazes pulled him into a sitting position, where he held his head in a vain attempt to stop it from spinning.
"What happened?" he asked. He frowned. He was He-Man, not Adam. Of course he was. If he were Adam, Battle Cat would be Cringer. But he felt so bone-weary, and his voice sounded pathetic to his own ears. Faint, not strong like it normally did.
"Hordak used a machine to drain your willpower," the tall blond-haired woman answered, looking a bit apprehensive. He-Man looked up to see tears sliding down her face. "It's my fault. I am so sorry, Brother. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Brother?" He-Man and Teela echoed together.
The woman took a step back, looking at the Sorceress. "I-I assumed he knew…"
The Sorceress shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid not. But it's all right, She-Ra. He can know now."
He-Man leaned back against the wall, his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of what was going on. The last thing he remembered was being in the Fright Zone, trapped somehow. He had no idea what had happened there, how long ago it was, or where this woman and the winged horse had come from.
He should want to know. He knew he normally would. But he felt dull inside, incapable of dredging up the will to care. The last two questions he asked seemed to have taxed him in some way. He met Duncan's eyes briefly, and saw flash of understanding cross his mentor's face. Not that Duncan knew exactly what he was feeling, but he understood all was not right. He-Man idly wondered if he ought to say something about his lack of curiosity, and if it should be said in front of this strange woman or not. "It doesn't really matter right now," he finally said.
"Well it does to me!" Teela retorted sharply, her disbelieving eyes darting back and forth between him and She-Ra.
"Let's go upstairs so Adam can rest," the Sorceress suggested. "Grayskull's magic was able to hurry the healing process, but it is in no way finished. His strength will be back to near normal within a few hours, but we must keep him away from temptations for a few days, as he will most likely not have the willpower or fortitude to resist them."
A small part of He-Man wanted to complain that she was talking about him as if he weren't there, but instead he obediently grasped Duncan's outstretched hand and climbed to his feet, albeit unsteadily. He didn't feel like arguing. Nor did he feel particularly like getting up and going anywhere. But of the two, he had less of a desire to argue.
Duncan insisted that Battle Cat carry He-Man to his room, and the fact that the hero-prince didn't even make a token protest told Teela exactly how much he had been affected by the charger. She followed the small, silent party upstairs, pondering what had just been revealed.
Adora wasn't his soul mate. She was his sister. Teela wanted to smack herself for not noticing Adora's resemblances to the royal family. How was that even possible, though? How could Adam have had a sister they hadn't even known about? How old was she? She had to be older than Adam. Something must have happened for her to end up on another planet, and the king and queen had never even spoken of it. Teela's curiosity was piqued; she couldn't wait to hear the story.
Once in his room, He-Man meekly laid down, propped up on pillows provided by Teela and the Sorceress, as She-Ra went over to the tapestry, captured by its beauty and intricate detail.
"It's exquisite," She-Ra commented softly. "What is this a picture of?"
"The Royal Palace," Duncan said. "She-Ra, if you're comfortable enough…" His voice trailed off for a second, then he resumed speaking. "I've waited many years to see you again, Adora."
She-Ra whirled around, surprise lighting her face. "How many people know this secret?" she demanded.
"Duncan, Orko, the Sorceress, Man-at-Arms, Teela, and my parents," He-Man replied. "Now what's this about you calling me brother?" His voice was slightly stronger and carried a note of curiosity now; his eyes were watching her carefully.
"Let me show you," the Sorceress suggested, creating a magical orb that floated before them. "You were not an only child, Adam. You and Adora were twins, born to Randor and Marlena."
Teela's mouth dropped open. He-Man shot straight up in the bed. She met He-Man's eyes and saw her own shock mirrored there. Another deception, this one obviously known by both their parents. Twins? Somehow this made the fact that it had been kept a secret seem even worse, at least to Teela.
"Your parents were overjoyed, as was the entire kingdom," the Sorceress continued. "Twins born to the reigning king were considered a sign of good fortune. But before you reached your first year, the Horde invaded Eternia, led by Hordak and Skeletor."
"Skeletor?" repeated Teela, horrified. "He was a member of the Horde?" He-Man leaned back against the pillows again, looking even more stunned, his eyes wide and his arms crossing as if on their own.
"Yes," the Sorceress replied, glancing at Teela. "The Horde was defeated, but Hordak did not take defeat easily. He knew that Adam and Adora were destined for something special, though he did not know what. So he and Skeletor attempted to kidnap the two of you. Man-at-Arms interrupted them, but Hordak escaped with you, Adora."
She-Ra wiped a tear away as she gazed at the hologram of her sobbing mother, Randor desperately trying to hold back his own tears as he comforted her. "My real parents," she whispered.
Teela felt an urge to reach out to the woman; she was feeling much friendlier now that she knew Adora was Adam's sister, not his soul mate. Still, she didn't trust strangers easily, and She-Ra was still a stranger. In fact, until earlier today, she had been an enemy. Teela couldn't forget that. So instead she moved closer to He-Man, wordlessly offering her support to her best friend.
"We searched for you every day, Adora, but we could not find the world to which you were taken. We had no spies to infiltrate the Horde, nor did we know much about them. And so their battle here was shortened to a page in the history books…because to protect Adam from the pain of your loss, to save him from becoming a renegade bent on revenge, obsessed with finding you, we wiped the memory of you from the people's minds-even from Adam's. The only ones who remembered you were myself, the king and queen, and Man-at-Arms."
"You had a foreshadowing, didn't you?" He-Man asked, sitting up straight again, his entire focus on the Sorceress.
"Yes," she admitted. "Knowing what you were missing would have twisted your heart with anger and bitterness. You would have been rejected as the sword-bearer."
"And that would have been bad how?" Battle Cat complained, causing a few chuckles.
Teela felt as if her world had been upside down and then righted again. He wasn't destined for She-Ra. She still had a chance…but a chance at what? With an inward sigh, she silently admitted to herself that she was attracted to him—maybe even more now than she had been before she knew he was Adam. She folded her arms, trying to sort through her feelings as she watched He-Man stand and embrace his sister for the first time.
He-Man held his sister tightly, barely able to believe all that had transpired. He felt complete for the first time in his life. A piece of him, a part he hadn't even known was missing, had returned. Feeling a dampness on his chest, he glanced down at She-Ra, surprised.
"Are you all right?" he asked tenderly.
She-Ra nodded as she pulled away, not bothering to wipe at her tears. "I didn't know," she said in a choked voice, her eyes meeting his. "I didn't know what I was missing. I feel so full, like I'm whole."
So she felt it as well. He-Man grinned down at her. "That makes two of us."
"Now that the two of you are reunited, the spell of forgetfulness has been broken," the Sorceress said with a wide smile. "Everyone in the kingdom will remember you as a baby, Adora, and that the Horde stole you from us. They will celebrate your return with much joy."
She-Ra smiled uncertainly. He-Man raised an eyebrow, studying her. "I'm stuck being He-Man, but that doesn't mean you have to remain She-Ra. Why don't you transform back into Adora?"
Her eyes widened. "Why are you stuck being He-Man?"
"Long story short, my sword's been melted into nothing," He-Man explained succinctly. "It's all or nothing. I either stay He-Man forever or turn back into Adam and never become He-Man again."
She-Ra's jaw dropped open. "Oh my." At He-Man's gesture, she nodded and transformed back into Adora.
He-Man tilted his head to the side critically as he stared at her eyes, then he smiled abruptly, satisfied with what he saw there. "You've changed. Let's go to the palace. I can't wait to see Mother's and Father's reactions." There was a bit of time difference between Eternia and Etheria; he judged it to be about an hour before dinner time at the palace.
"I advise you not to stay for long, He-Man," the Sorceress cautioned. "You should return here as quickly as possible. You need the protection of Grayskull for a while."
He-Man nodded, then shook his head slightly and frowned at her. "For what? I feel fine now."
"Oh?" The Sorceress raised an eyebrow. "In that case…Skeletor has been a thorn in our sides for far too long. He-Man, I order you to go find him and kill him."
"Okay," He-Man agreed instantly, taking a few steps towards the door.
"He-Man, stop." The Sorceress' voice was loud and commanding.
He did so, a light sweat breaking out on his forehead as he realized he had taken both of her commands seriously and started to obey them without a second thought. He turned around slowly, horrified. "What was that all about?" he demanded, breathing harshly.
"Remember, Hordak drained your willpower. Part of what makes you He-Man is that you have a great deal of self-control. With a weakened willpower, that resolve slips," the Sorceress explained, her green eyes warm though her voice was firm. "You are susceptible to all of your innermost natural desires, as well as commands from those you trust. You are vulnerable right now, and I expect you will be for the next day or two. So please-"
"Don't stay long at the palace," He-Man reiterated regretfully. "I understand."
Duncan cleared his throat. "Perhaps we could bring the king and queen here instead," he suggested. "it would give them more privacy for their family reunion anyway." He tilted his head towards the Sorceress. "If you don't mind feeding a few extra mouths for dinner."
The Sorceress smiled. "That's a wonderful idea, Duncan."
Adora paced nervously in the kitchen, glancing at the door again and again, knots tightening her stomach. "Do you think Mother and Father will like me?" she asked for the seventh time.
"Adora, they're going to love you," He-Man assured her again, a smile tugging at his mouth.
Adora knew she must be getting on her brother's nerves, but he didn't show it in the least. She sat down at the table across from him, twisting her hands nervously. "I've never been this scared or excited in my whole life," she confessed abruptly. She rubbed at her weary eyes. The time difference was getting to her in spite of her excitement.
"It must be overwhelming," He-Man said sympathetically. There was something in his eyes that told her he truly understood.
"It is," Adora agreed softly, nodding. "I always thought my parents abandoned me. To find out that Hordak stole me from them…" Tears welled up in her eyes. "He was a father to me, Adam. I feel so betrayed and confused, like me entire identity is just…" She held up her hands helplessly.
"Lost," He-Man supplied quietly, his gaze holding her own for a few more seconds. Adora again felt that connection, that her twin understood far more than either of them was saying. He-Man dropped his eyes to study his glass, his thumb running over the condensation that had formed on it. "You have a lot in common with Teela and Mother and Father right now, Adora. I'm not who they thought I was. I'm blessed that they're not only speaking to me, but they've forgiven me and moved on in our relationships."
Adora tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean?"
"None of them knew I was He-Man until about two weeks ago," He-Man said, his voice so low that Adora had to lean forward to hear it. "I kept it a secret from them for over six years."
"But why?" Adora gaped. "They're family and your closest friend. Didn't you think you could trust them?"
"Yes," He-Man answered without hesitation. "But I was afraid what my enemies might do to them if they knew the truth."
"Oh. I hadn't thought of that," Adora said, feeling foolish. Her cheeks grew warm.
"What was your life like, growing up with the Horde?" He-Man asked, changing the subject abruptly.
Adora smiled at him, thankful for his thoughtfulness in trying to distract her from her own embarrassment. "It wasn't bad, actually," she said, a wave of nostalgia surprising her. "I was raised by a kind woman named Shakra, for the most part. Hordak was always nice, even gentle towards me, though I often heard him scolding troopers who had failed him, and he was really harsh with them. I even saw him blow a few things to pieces, but it never occurred to me that he might harm me. If he ever lost his temper over something I did, he must have hid it pretty well."
He-Man's brow pulled together. "I'm surprised to hear that, although I'm glad for your sake," he commented. "He seemed pretty cruel when he threatened to leave me without food or water for three days. So I assumed your childhood had been harsh."
Adora sighed heavily, folding her arms and putting her chin on them. "I know he has a mean streak," she said sadly. She bit her lip, then looked him in the eye. "He was going to make a slave out of you." She swallowed hard.
"I know," He-Man replied quietly.
"And I helped him capture you. I'm sorry, Adam. I'm so sorry." Her eyes filled with tears.
"Hey," He-Man said, his voice tender. He reached out and put a hand on hers. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You were under a spell. He and that witch were controlling you, Adora, with lies and magic. When you had a choice, you saved me. That's what counts." One side of his mouth tucked in and he tilted his head slightly. "You know that, right?"
Adora nodded and took a deep, shuddering breath. She stared at the wall for a moment, randomly tracing the lines in the stone with her eyes. "I wonder now if he ever even loved me, or if I was just a means to an end for him," she confessed lowly. "But what end? Why did he kidnap me if he didn't know what my destiny was, exactly?"
"For Hordak, a 'special destiny' must have been a euphemism for 'power,'" He-Man mused, propping his chin in one hand. "He didn't care about what that destiny or power was, just that he somehow had control over it."
"And what about you?" Adora asked curiously, peering up at him. "Why did you try so hard to win me over to your side?"
"Because I knew what your destiny was, and I knew that if the sword was choosing you, then your heart was not evil," He-Man said simply.
Adora ducked her head so that her hair hid her face. His simple, complete faith in her was overwhelming. After being betrayed as she had been, her own supply of trust was a bit short. Frankly, she kept expecting someone to throw her out of Grayskull, or send her back to Etheria.
Teela's voice echoed up the stairs to them, and He-Man's eyes lit up. Adora smiled in spite of her semi-morose thoughts. "How long have you and Teela been together?" she asked.
His gaze had wandered towards the door, but now it flew back to her. "Together?" he asked blankly. "We're not together as a couple or anything. We've just been friends our whole lives."
"So there's no romantic interest there at all?" Adora asked, unable to resist teasing him. She really couldn't help it. In spite of the fact that she and Adam had only recently met, she was comfortable with him, as if she had grown up with him. It was weird, feeling emotionally close to someone she barely knew. It made her want to trust him completely.
Her teasing was rewarded as his face turned red. "I'm not looking for that kind of a relationship," he mumbled. "I'm still getting used to being stuck as He-Man and trying to figure out how to handle it the rest of my life."
"How long have you been, uh, stuck?" Adora asked, wondering if he resented being He-Man forever, or if he resented her prying. It was clear that something wasn't setting right with him.
"A little over a month," he replied, glancing towards the door again.
"So you told them who you were because of that?" Adora asked, understanding dawning.
"Yes," he admitted, his face returning to its normal tan.
Teela strode into the room just then, and a smile appeared on He-Man's face that nearly lit the room. Adora smirked under a hand that she had quickly raised to her mouth. 'No romantic interest, huh? Sure, Brother.' A second later, he averted his gaze, as if afraid to meet Teela's eyes, and his face took on a faint blush. That only served to make Adora more certain.
"They're here," Teela announced, her own gaze falling on Adora. "Father's bringing them up."
Adora stood quickly, nearly knocking her chair over, panic gripping her. He-Man stood as well and moved beside her. He placed an arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. That contact eased the knot in her stomach, and she slipped an arm around his waist, marveling at the feeling of being protected not only by his strength, but his love for her. She took a deep breath, telling herself she could trust him as she looked into his blue eyes. She smiled up at him and he winked at her.
"It'll be fine," he whispered as footsteps echoed outside the door. Adora nodded and waited to see her parents for the first time.
Marlena followed Randor and Duncan up the stairs, her step light. She had hardly seen Adam in the last month, and she couldn't wait to give him a hug and sit and talk with him. She was so glad that Duncan had called and told them that Adam wanted to see them immediately. She was a bit concerned that he couldn't leave Grayskull right now, since she didn't know the reason; Duncan had merely said that He-Man was alright and they would explain after Marlena and Randor arrived. It made Marlena a little more anxious to see Adam, but she wasn't worried. After all, he was He-Man.
Duncan stepped aside and gestured for them to enter the kitchen area. Randor walked into the room ahead of her and stopped. "Oh, hello," he said in an odd tone. Marlena stepped around him as he paused. "Don't I know you?" Randor asked just as Marlena caught sight of the young woman who was standing with He-Man.
Marlena froze in mid-step, although she automatically smiled warmly at the young woman. At first her heart sank just a little. Adam had chosen a wife, and they hadn't even met her yet? But then Marlena looked more closely at the young woman. Adam's blue eyes and blond hair. Randor's nose. Her own chin and cheekbones. It couldn't be…and yet it had to be…Marlena looked at Adam's face for confirmation. He was grinning from ear to ear, his eyes alight with expectation, looking like the cat that swallowed the canary, as the saying had gone on Earth.
Marlena looked back at the young woman who was looking from her to Randor and back nervously, expectantly, her mouth half-open as if she wanted to speak but was unable to do so.
"Mother, Father, may I present-" He-Man began.
"Adora?" Marlena rasped, interrupting him. Her hand went to her pounding chest as Randor drew in a sharp breath next to her. "Are you Adora?"
As if He-Man's grin wasn't enough to give the answer away, the young woman nodded, tears spilling over. She looked completely unsure, her gaze full of trepidation and her hands twisting nervously. Marlena didn't think or observe any more. She rushed to Adora as fast as her feet would carry her and wrapped her in her arms as she had wanted to do for the last twenty-three-and-a-half years.
"My baby, oh my precious baby," Marlena sobbed, the words tumbling out as if someone else were speaking them. Her royal control, her poise as a top astronaut, everything that had held her together since Adora was kidnapped suddenly evaporated. She pulled away to look at her, her hands on either side of Adora's head as her eyes drank in the sight of her long-lost daughter.
"Mother?" Adora whispered, almost fearfully.
Marlena stroked Adora's hair back from her face. "We searched so long for you. I'd almost given up hope," she rambled, the tears falling unceasingly. "I can hardly believe it. Oh God, thank you." She pulled Adora into another tight hug which Adora promptly returned, the joy of the moment intermingled with a slight sadness of knowing she had missed years of her daughter's life.
Adora breathed in the sweet scent of her mother-she smelled of a light, flowery perfume that reminded Adora of the purple meadow flock fields back on Etheria. There was a slightly earthy smell to Marlena as well, one that spoke of cleanliness. It was such a sharp contrast to the dirt and sludge of the Fright Zone that Adora suddenly worried that she might not be presentable to her parents. In fact, her father had not yet approached her.
Adora pulled away from Marlena, who seemed to understand that she wanted to see her father. They both turned to the king, who had remained frozen to the spot, his gaze on the two of them. He was ram-rod straight, with piercing brown eyes that told Adora he could see through just about any pretense-except the one put on by his own son for the last six years. And now his long-lost daughter had returned. 'It must be so much to take in,' Adora thought. To her surprise as well as the surprise of the others present, she suddenly curtsied, bowing her head and keeping it bowed before him.
"Your Majesty," she said softly.
There was silence for a few long seconds, then a trembling hand reached out and pulled her chin up. "My daughter," Randor said hoarsely, his eyes bright. He looked at He-Man. "You found her."
Adora felt a warm glow of pleasure as He-Man flushed slightly, but answered his father steadily. "The magic of Grayskull found her, Your Majesty. Teela, Battle Cat and I just went along for the ride."
"You found her," Randor repeated softly, dropping his hand. "You brought her home." He suddenly swayed on his feet, and He-Man was next to him in a second, his arm supporting Randor.
"Take it easy, Father," He-Man said worriedly.
Randor closed his eyes and sagged against He-Man for just a few seconds, then he straightened up and reached for Adora. She went into his arms willingly, mildly surprised at his strength as he held her. She realized she had at first expected him to be stiff, unyielding, like Hordak, but his reaction at seeing her had then made her expect him to be weak. The truth was neither. His embrace reminded her of her brother's-strong, secure, promising of love.
"The Royal Family is finally together," Randor said, his voice gathering strength as he spoke. He pulled back and held her arms with both of his hands. He looked at Marlena and He-Man, pausing as his gaze fell to the latter. "Finally, after all these years. Son, this day you've made me the happiest man on Eternia." He looked over to Teela and Battle Cat, who had been silent observers of the entire scene. "Thank you both as well."
Adora grinned as Adam turned red, but nodded. Teela and Battle Cat merely inclined their own heads to accept the thanks. Her brother clearly didn't know what to do with praise—at least not from their father. She'd figure that out later. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to hold and be held by her parents and her brother. She was part of a real family now, and she wanted to absorb that fact and all the details that went with it.