Tears streamed down the Sorceress' face as she watched the royal family's reunion on her view screen. She was overjoyed for them. The king and queen had suffered the loss of their daughter so very long ago, and hope had been buried deep because of the secret they were forced to keep. That combination made it hard to keep hope alive at all.

Another secret revealed, yet hers was still held close. Today, for the first time in a long time, she was overly weary of it. She wanted her own daughter in her arms. The Sorceress raised her face towards the ceiling, blinking her eyes rapidly in a vain attempt to slow the tears. She wiped at her cheeks and took a deep, shuddering breath and let the picture in the view screen fade, giving the family their privacy.

"Are you all right?"

Her head jerked over as she met Duncan's concerned gaze. "Of course I am," she said as serenely as she could manage. His expression said he didn't believe her. He climbed the steps uninvited and knelt down on one knee, studying her carefully. The Sorceress gave him a wavering smile, then ducked her head.

"Have we done right by them, Teela'Na?" Duncan asked quietly, his gaze shifting to the now-black magical screen.

"Adam and Adora are He-Man and She-Ra, as they were meant to be," she said, her voice gaining strength with each word. "We have fulfilled our duty to them."

"And what of Teela?" he asked. He silenced her normal response with a simple stare and then he continued on. "Adam needed a companion, and you needed a safe place for your daughter. It worked out perfectly. And I know Teela could not know the truth before because a secret is a hard thing for a child to keep. I think we did the right thing, protecting her. But now? Why are we still hiding the truth now, Teela'Na?"

Her lip trembled. Having Teela here with her, even for a few days, had been sweet torture. But she wanted so much more. She wanted her daughter to know how much she loved her. She wanted to experience her daughter's love in return. "Do not tempt me with such thoughts, Man-at-Arms. Teela cannot know I am her mother until it is time for her to take her place here at Grayskull."

Duncan stood slowly, a challenge in his eyes. "And why is that, Sorceress? Are you truly protecting her? Or are you protecting yourself because you fear her anger and possible rejection?" He didn't wait for her answer, but made his way back down the stairs.

The Sorceress closed her eyes. It didn't matter that Duncan hadn't waited for an answer, because for once she didn't have one.

Teela smiled as she prepared to go to sleep that night, turning down her bed and running through a few breathing exercises designed to help her meditate. It had been a wonderful if exhausting evening. The shock and joy on the king's and queen's faces had been enough to make the trip to Etheria worth the frustrations and dangers a thousand times over.

She started to reach for her nightshirt, then stopped with a glance toward the direction of He-Man's room. She could swear she heard him pacing again. She wanted so much to talk with him about it all. He had had so much happen over the last few weeks. His head must be simply swimming with everything. More than anything, Teela wanted to be a good friend to Adam again. She hesitated a moment, then threw caution to the wind and padded over to his room. She knocked lightly, but the door was flung open immediately, as though he had been standing right by it.

Teela's breath caught in her throat. Just as when they had gone swimming, his chest was completely bare, but she only noted that in her peripheral vision because his eyes, which seemed to be burning, held her own gaze captive.

"You should leave," He-Man said. It seemed as if the words were hard for him to say. He clenched his jaw, then turned and strode to his window. Hurt and confused, but taking heart that he hadn't shut the door in her face, Teela closed it quietly and followed him across the room.

"Why?" she asked, genuinely curious and a touch worried. "I just wanted to talk about the day, Adam. Your whole life has changed for the second time in a month. I thought you might need a sounding board to sort of reflect on things." 'The way we used to,' she mentally added. She wanted to say it out loud, but didn't.

"That would be great," He-Man admitted, still not turning to her. He braced his hands on either side of the window, his arms stretched out and his body rigid. "Would you mind getting your father for me?" His voice was tightly even, as if he were fighting to keep something from his words.

First he had avoided talking with her after the Battle of Castle Freeze, now he was openly rebuffing her offer to talk, even though he was obviously troubled. "Fine," she said bitterly. "If that's the way you want it…" She turned to leave.

He-Man's hand closed in around her arm in a tight grip before she had even taken a step. "It's not," he ground out.

"Well then what-" Teela's question was cut off as she was whirled back around and found her mouth less than an inch from his.

"Teela," He-Man whispered, sounding desperate as his head slowly moved closer to hers.

Teela knew that it was his current lack of willpower that was causing him to even think about kissing her, but Ancients help her, she didn't care. She suddenly felt as if she had been waiting for years for this kiss. Before he could find the fortitude to fight against his desire, she lifted her mouth to his and kissed him. A thrill went through her, followed by an indefinable yearning.

He-Man held almost still for a second, then with a low groan he was kissing her with a passion that both thrilled and frightened her with its intensity. His hands cupped her face gently as his tongue explored her mouth.

A moment, an hour…Teela didn't know how long they spent kissing each other, but when his hands started drifting lower, she made herself put a hand on his chest and step back forcibly until she was out of his reach, though it took all her willpower to do so.

"Wow," she said breathily, looking at him in amazement.

He-Man was breathing heavily, his face holding pained expression. "Ancients, Teela, I'm so-"

"If you say you're sorry I'm going to throw you out that window," Teela snapped. She smiled to show him she had no regrets and was not angry, even though her head was swimming with wild emotions. She felt elated, terrified, shocked...

"I had no right," He-Man said, taking a step back from her. "You deserve a husband, a home, a family. I'm stuck as He-Man. I can't offer any sort of commitment, any promises of the future. I-"

Teela listened to his babbling in growing disbelief, unsure whether to laugh or yell. "First of all, that's a stupid excuse even if I wanted anything like that, and second of all, that didn't stop you from lying with Glimmer," she interrupted before she could stop herself.

He-Man's mouth dropped open. "G-Glimmer?" he repeated shakily, clearly confused. "I never—Glimmer and I didn't—I wouldn't-"

"I saw you two after the Battle of Castle Freeze," Teela growled at him, interrupting his stammering. She crossed her arms. "Don't lie to me."

Understanding dawning on his face, He-Man almost reached for her, his jaw clenching again. He stood there with his arm partially outstretched for a minute, shaking slightly. Then his hand dropped to his side in a tight fist. "Teela, Glimmer gave me a massage with her healing magic because I was so sore," he stated, his eyes begging her to believe him. "Nothing more."

"But I saw…" Teela's voice drifted off as she realized she hadn't seen—or heard-anything that would disprove his assertion. "Oh," she said in a small voice. She bowed her head, unable to look him in the eye. "I jumped to conclusions again. I'm sorry."

He-Man wanted to reach out and tip Teela's face up so that he could see her eyes, but he didn't trust himself to touch her. Not with the memory of her soft lips so fresh in his mind. Even thinking of it caused him to take a step towards her before he could stop himself. "It's okay," he said, feeling his face redden. "Misunderstandings happen." He deliberately took three steps back until his back was against the cool stone wall.

Teela looked at him uncertainly. "What about the kiss we just shared, Adam? Was that a…'misunderstanding?'"

He-Man wrestled with what to say. He didn't want to mislead her. There really was no future for them. He had never felt anything more for Teela than a brotherly fondness, the love one family member had for another. He didn't know why his body was betraying him like it was, but it didn't change the fact that he just didn't love her "that" way. And he would not couple with anyone unless he did love her that way and planned to marry her—which wouldn't happen with anyone, since he was stuck being He-Man for the rest of his life.

"I…" He-Man cleared his throat and tried to slow his rambling thoughts while Teela waited expectantly. "I don't know what it was," he confessed lowly. "Ever since I've been stuck as He-Man…" He didn't finish the sentence, but apparently he didn't need to.

"I've felt it too," Teela said, dropping her arms and taking a step towards him, her green eyes boring into him. "What do you think it means?"

"It's just a physical attraction," He-Man said softly, striving to keep his voice and face calm, to hide his inner turmoil. "It will fade."

"And if it doesn't?" Teela challenged him, stepping close enough to kiss him again.

He-Man took a breath and her scent filled him. His eyes locked with hers. "It's a reaction just like the adrenaline," he managed to reply in a slightly flippant tone, wanting nothing more than to pull her against him. One hand reached out as if of its own accord, settling gently on her hip.

Teela tilted her head at him. "Lots of experience with this type of thing, huh?" she asked in a tone that matched his. "Let me guess. Elevated levels of testosterone?"

"Something like that," He-Man answered, mesmerized by her red lips that were slowly drifting closer to him again. His other hand reached up to caress her cheek.

"I don't believe you," she said in a soft voice, her breath teasing his face. "See, I'm figuring you out, Adam. You didn't lie. You just avoided the last few questions I asked. You're not going to manipulate me like that anymore."

What little control he had was slipping fast, and the fact that she was truly figuring him out made it slip away that much faster. "This is wrong," he whispered shakily.

Teela kissed him lightly. "Why?" she asked, her voice husky.

He couldn't seem to think past the next few seconds, beyond his own mounting desire. He struggled to think of an answer to her question. "Because-" He-Man's words were cut off as the door to his room was flung open, and a livid Sorceress appeared in the doorway, her hands glowing. He-Man gulped as Teela whirled around, her face flaming. "Well, there's one reason."

Adora moved around her room hesitantly. Her parents had apparently used it as a guest room in extreme cases when the palace was filled to overflowing, but for the most part, the room had been waiting for her. It was relatively bare; though thoughtfully decorated, it lacked any sign that someone lived here. Of course, no one had, she reflected with a wry smile.

The bookshelf was one area that was completely full. Adora examined the unfamiliar titles carefully. She had not seen many books growing up in the Fright Zone—unless they were about Horde history, science, or battle strategies—but it seemed to her that there were books here for a girl of every age. Adora's eyes watered slightly. She wondered if her parents had bought the books for her each year, hoping for her return.

"For Adora," she murmured, spotting one by that title that looked handmade. Curiosity got the better of her. She pulled it down and opened it, gasping softly.

"My dear sweet Adora," the first letter read. "It has been a full year since that evil villain Hordak kidnapped you from us. Not a day goes by that I do not think of your beautiful blue eyes and angelic golden curls. I miss you with an ache so deep that it has become a constant part of everything I do.

"It has not been easy to move on, but I have tried for the sake of your brother. Poor little Adam. He cried for three days straight without you. He was inconsolable. Then, a few weeks after you were kidnapped, the Sorceress of Grayskull came to us. She feared we would be unable to find you, and although she promised to continue trying every day, she had a request. She asked that we let her cast a spell to erase you from the memories of the people…and Adam. Only she, your father, Duncan, and I would know the truth. She said it was vital to the future of Eternia that Adam be spared the pain of your loss.

"It was the hardest decision anyone has ever asked me to make, Adora. It felt like I was giving up on you. And yet I could not deny that Adam, as young as he was at only seven months, changed as soon as you were taken. He had always smiled so easily. But even a month after you were taken, he was solemn, bossy, and often cried for no reason. He was a different baby. And so we agreed.

"Now, nearly a year later, I know that decision was the right one for Adam. He smiles again, and has latched onto Teela, Duncan's daughter, as a sister, although she is a few months older. He doesn't understand why he adores her so, but we do. Deep down, he still misses you, as do your father and I.

"I love you, Adora. We both do. I pray I will hold you in my arms again- soon.

"Love, Mom."

Tears streamed down Adora's face as she turned the page. Marlena had written her letters every year, sometimes on her birthday, sometimes on the anniversary of the day she was kidnapped, sometimes both days, and occasionally on random days in between. The letters highlighted the top memories of the year, how much Marlena wished her daughter was with them, what planets the Sorceress had searched that year, and how Marlena longed to hold or even just see Adora again.

When she had finished reading the letters, Adora held the book close to her. It had evoked such a longing within her, and at the same time, it filled her. It eradicated every doubt she had held about who she was and how her family felt about her. Every word had been written with a love she had never even known existed.

Adora stood and put the book back on the bookshelf. She went to the bathroom to splash water on her face, and stopped short. There was a large oval-shaped container of some kind in the room. It looked like it could hold several people at once, it was so huge. She washed her face, then eyed the large object curiously. Several knobs were attached to it. Before she could touch them, a knock sounded at her door.

"Adora?" Marlena's voice called softly. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, come in!" Adora called back. Her mother entered in, clothes in one hand.

"Your clothes are perfectly acceptable, dear, but I thought you might want something different for tomorrow," Marlena said, holding them out. "There's a nightgown for tonight as well."

"Oh, they're lovely," Adora said with a smile. A light blue frock with white tights, and a red one with black tights, both obviously exactly her size, as was the white nightgown. She felt a flood of gratitude that she would be able to get out of the Horde uniform she wore, comfortable though it was. "Thank you."

"Are you settling in all right?" Marlena asked with a warm smile, staring as if she could not take her eyes off of Adora.

"Yes," Adora said a bit shyly, hanging up her new clothes. She turned to her mother. "I…found the book of letters."

Marlena's eyes filled with tears and she smiled again. "I have kept that book 'hidden' in plain sight in this room for years, though I always took it out of the room when we needed to have guests here. Did you…read it?"

"Every word," Adora confirmed. "Thank you, Mother. It meant—means—everything to me. It helps me understand what you went through."

"I never wanted you to doubt that we looked for you almost constantly," Marlena said softly. "But the universe is a large place. How ironic that if not for your brother losing his own sword, we might never have found you."

Her brother, who had almost died because of her. Adora suddenly realized she couldn't handle any more emotions tonight. Her life had changed far too much in the last day. She cast about for a safer topic. "The large object in the bathroom," she finally said, "the one that looks like it could hold a bunch of water. What is it for?"

"The bath tub?" Marlena asked in surprise. She chuckled softly. "Forgive me, Adora. It never occurred to me that some of our mechanisms would be strange to you. Come, let me show you how it works."

"I am beyond disappointed in the two of you," the Sorceress said in a hard tone, her eyes furious. The glow from her hands faded; apparently she had not been about to blast them as they had both instinctively believed, but had just finished using her magic to open the door.

He-Man had automatically moved in front of Teela to protect her. "Sorceress, I can explain," he said firmly. Battle Cat, who had been sound asleep until the Sorceress had barged in, stood watching them all uncertainly, his tail flicking from side to side.

"You have an excuse," she retorted, her gaze moving to Teela. "You, however, do not."

Even knowing she was right did not stop Teela from getting defensive, and when she felt defensive, she attacked. "What's your problem?" she demanded. "Whatever happens between me and Adam is our business, not yours."

"You are taking advantage of him," the Sorceress said evenly, walking straight at them. He-Man stood still, blocking her.

"Step aside, He-Man, and stay out of this," the Sorceress ordered, glaring at him. He obediently sidestepped out of the way, leaving Teela nose-to-nose with Grayskull's guardian. "You know his willpower is weak right now."

"I just came in here to talk to him because I care about him, nothing more," Teela snapped. "I didn't plan to kiss him!"

He-Man opened his mouth, then closed it again, folded his arms, and shifted his weight, still staring at the two of them, his face blazing red.

"Knowing how vulnerable he was, you should have left when he told you to!" The Sorceress' chest heaved.

"So you were spying on us?" Teela shrilled. "You have no right to do that!"

"I wasn't, but even if I had been, I have every right," the Sorceress snapped.

"Because he's Grayskull's champion? He's a grown man, not a child!" Teela said, her fists clenched and her eyes flashing. "You can't just invade his privacy whenever you feel like it!"

"Teela," He-Man said in warning.

"I have more right and responsibility than you could possibly comprehend," the Sorceress said before He-Man could add anything more, some of the fire going out of her eyes. "My responsibility is to the both of you, not just He-Man. And clearly I failed in that duty by asking you here to be subjected to temptation."

Teela's lips parted. "Subjected to temptation?" she repeated incredulously. "Look, Sorceress, no disrespect, but Adam and I are not children. We are adults who can make our own decisions-"

"You are adults who each have a heavy responsibility, a burden to bear," the Sorceress interrupted sharply. "Pre-marital romps are a luxury neither of you can afford. I never thought I would have to remind you of that, Teela."

"Gee thanks," He-Man muttered under his breath.

Teela ignored his comment as she stared at the Sorceress, her brow furrowed and her eyes nearly sparking with indignation. "I don't believe this. I'm getting a lecture from a recluse." The Sorceress' eyes flashed, but Teela plunged ahead heedlessly, her voice growing louder with every word, her ire going up with every passing second. "I am a grown woman capable of making my own decisions. I know darn well what my responsibilities are. What right do you have to remind me of them? Who do you think you are, my mother?"

"That's exactly who I think I am!" the Sorceress shouted back.

"And besides, I-" Teela froze and stared at the Sorceress, open-mouthed. "What?" she whispered. Her heart pounded so loudly she could hardly hear anything else. "What did you say?"

"I said I'm your mother," the Sorceress repeated, her voice full of regret. It was obvious that the Sorceress was serious; her look of consternation confirmed that not only was it the truth, but it was a truth she had not intended to reveal. She reached out quickly and touched Teela's forehead.

Teela frowned as her mind grew fuzzy for a few seconds. She shook her head to clear it, denial rising up and the words bubbling out. "It's not true. It can't be true."

The Sorceress raised her chin, a surprised alarm entering her eyes. "What?"

"You're my mother?" Teela asked in a whisper.

The Sorceress gave He-Man a slightly panicked look. "Yes, I am," she admitted.

"You're lying," Teela insisted. But even as she said the words, she remembered times when she had felt her mother's presence so strongly she could almost feel her arms around her, and other times when the Sorceress had expressed concern for her that was far deeper than Teela had expected. The truth seeped into her, bringing tears to her eyes.

"All this time, you've been right here, and you never told me?" Teela asked, her voice breaking. She crossed her arms tightly. "No. You can't have been so cruel. No mother could do that to her child." She looked at Adam desperately, wanting him to tell her that the Sorceress was joking.

"She's telling the truth, Teela." His voice was gentle, soft, but it only infuriated Teela.

"You knew?"

He-Man nodded miserably. "I'm sorry."

"How could you?" Teela seethed in disgust, backing towards the door of the room. "You knew how much I longed for my mother. You were supposed to be my best friend." He-Man hung his head, a huge sigh raising his shoulders. Teela looked at the Sorceress. "And you. You must have watched me over the years. You must have known how much I wanted to know the truth, how much I wanted my mother to come back." Her throat tightened as she spoke.

"I did," the Sorceress said, tears beginning to trickle down her face.

"How could you be so cruel?" Teela repeated, her own tears spilling over. "Both of you? You…you…" Words failed her. Choking back sobs, she whirled around and ran down the stairs, out of the castle, into the night.

He-Man started for the door, but the Sorceress' voice brought him up short. "Where do you think you're going?"

He froze and turned back around, seeing her differently for the first time. He had never seen her lose her temper before tonight. Somehow it was fitting that it was her own tempermental daughter who had brought it out. He only hoped the years of placating Teela would help him deal with the Sorceress now. "To find my friend," he answered quietly. "It's late. It's not safe for her to be out there alone, not in that state."

The Sorceress folded her arms. "I highly doubt she wants to see you right now." Her voice was choked, not at all like her normal peaceful warm tones.

"She can't stop me," He-Man said with a shrug. He needed to go to Teela. The urge to try to fix their relationship, or at least apologize, was overwhelming. Once again, he had betrayed her trust. He'd be lucky if she ever trusted him again.

"She could indeed stop you," the Sorceress countered. "If she orders you-"

"That's a chance I'll take," He-Man said firmly. He raised an eyebrow as another thought occurred to him. "Unless you plan to go after her?"

The Sorceress looked undecided for a moment, a volley of emotions flying across her normally placid face. "I don't think that would be wise," she finally said. "Teela's very angry now. We might both say things we would regret later."

He-Man nodded his understanding. He and Teela had a long history. If heated words were exchanged, they would likely be forgiven because of their deep friendship-or at least he hoped they would be. There were no guarantees after he had hurt her so many times. But at least he had a chance. The Sorceress and Teela did not have that historical relationship upon which to pull.

Battle Cat growled and took a step forward, but He-Man shook his head. "I need to talk to her alone, Cat. But thanks."

"Are you sure that is wise, given what just happened?" the Sorceress demanded, sounding very like Teela at the moment.

He-Man's face grew red, but he raised his chin. "Nothing will happen. You have my word."

The Sorceress frowned. "Normally that would be enough, He-Man, but I fear you may not be able to keep that promise this time. I will be watching."

"As you were earlier?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I was not," she retorted. "The Castle's spirit warned me that the two of you were about to commit a sacred act within these walls, and that you had told Teela to leave but had not the fortitude to resist further. It told me there was a danger to your virtue, to the very essence of who you are."

It was a wonder the room wasn't red, his face was so flushed, Adam couldn't help thinking. But she was right. As both prince and Grayskull's guardian, Duncan and the Sorceress had stressed to him time and time again that it was important he have no relations with anyone but his wife; that in addition to being disrespectful to the women, it was also a form of abuse of his power and influence. It was a theory he agreed with strongly. Had he given in to the first woman who had thrown herself at him, he would have had relations with hundreds of women by now, possibly leaving a strong of fatherless children behind—and to weigh in another concern, they would have been children with a legitimate claim to the throne.

"Nothing more will happen," he assured her again. Without waiting for another response, he turned and jogged out of the castle.

It was too bad, actually, that Adora had gone back to the palace with their parents. Out of everyone involved, she could probably most relate to how betrayed Teela was feeling right now, He-Man mused as his pace increased to an easy run. Eternia's two moons lent more than enough light for him to track Teela. She had obviously run blindly, crashing through high grasses and low-hanging branches.

He-Man's thoughts inevitably turned to their kiss as he ran, the memory of her warm lips causing a bittersweet yearning within him. He slowed to a walk, suddenly angry. Of all the stupid things to do...how could he have kissed his best friend, a woman he had grown up with and looked on as a sister? A woman who was one day going to be his partner the way the Sorceress now was? The Sorceress should have blasted him, he thought dryly. Maybe it would have knocked some sense into him.

He didn't understand what was going on, why he was so attracted to her. He had never felt this way as Adam. Grayskull's magic had to be messing with him somehow, and he didn't appreciate it. He felt as if he were being pushed into a relationship he didn't want. He wanted friendship with Teela, nothing more. He just had to get his body to understand that. He-Man blew out a few deep breaths. He had to put this out of his mind. His friend needed him.

He broke into a jog again, and found her within a few minutes. She had gone only about a mile. She was sitting near a small pond, throwing rocks into it. He slowed immediately upon spotting her, walking slowly up to her.

"Teela," he called softly, so as not to startle her.

"Go away," Teela said without looking at him.

He-Man meekly turned and walked a few steps, then stopped, trembling slightly. His desire to help her warred with his urge to obey her. His breathing grew harsh as he struggled with the conflicting feelings.

Zoar flew through the air as quickly as she could, the beat of her wings seeming to echo her thoughts. 'Oh no oh no oh no.' She had left Battle Cat to watch over He-Man and Teela on the view screen-a risky move, but one she felt was necessary. Since Adam believed she was watching him, he would hopefully have more restraint now. She desperately needed to talk to Duncan, at least somewhat in person. She soared over the palace grounds and landed gently on his windowsill, screeching to wake him up.

"Zoar! What's wrong?" he said in slightly groggy voice, sitting up in bed quickly and swinging his feet to the floor.

'Man-at-Arms, I have made a terrible mistake,' she sent to him telepathically. 'Teela knows I am her mother.' She briefly explained what had happened. Other than a slightly raised eyebrow when she mentioned how close Teela and Adam had been to each other, he showed no reaction until she finished.

"Frankly, Sorceress, I'm glad to have the truth out in the open," Duncan said, rubbing a hand over his bleary eyes. "But if you're so upset over telling her who you are, why didn't you just erase her memory again?"

'I tried, but I could not.' Zoar clicked her beak together in agitation. 'She managed to block my attempt to do so.'

Duncan's eyes grew wide. "You mean she attacked you?" he asked in surprise.

Zoar screeched, shaking her head. 'No, I mean she blocked my attack magically.'

"What? How?" Duncan demanded.

'I do not know, but that is not the problem. Teela knows the truth, and she is angry with me, with you, with Adam.' She shifted her weight. 'Adam has gone to her side, but I fear even he may not be able to break through the anger I sensed in her.'

He smiled gently at her. "You worry too much. You were once as hot-headed as she, you told me. She'll calm down eventually, Zoar."

'I do not want her to hate me.' Falcons weren't supposed to be able to cry, but she could feel her eyes getting moist.

"She won't," Duncan assured her, staring into her eyes. "Believe me."

After a second, Zoar nodded. It was what she had needed to hear.