In spite of the sense he had that She-Ra was in some sort of pain, He-Man forced himself to slow his steps as he approached the central gardens, from where the sounds of battle were echoing. Going in full-speed was likely to do more harm than good. He took a breath and hurled himself upwards to the top of the surrounding wall, where he had a bird's-eye view of the events in the garden.

Beastman, Queen Marlena, Fisto and numerous guards lay around the gardens. He hoped they were merely unconscious, but there was no way to tell from here. Duncan was struggling to keep a blaster trained on Skeletor; though it was pointing in the old bonehead's direction, Duncan was clearly having trouble holding it steady. Skeletor and Evil-Lyn had their magic trained on She-Ra. She was down on her hands and knees, trembling as she tried to get up. Orko was flying around Trap-Jaw, trying to distract him.

He-Man barely hesitated. She-Ra had a sword that repelled magic; either she hadn't been able to get it drawn in time, or it had for some reason been useless against Skeletor and Evil-Lyn's spell. Rather than take a chance on the latter being true, He-Man drew out a bolo. Swinging it around a few times, he threw it at Evil-Lyn, binding her arms to her side within seconds.

"Argh!" she cried angrily as she fell sideways, knocked off-balance by the bolo's force.

"What the-" Skeletor looked upwards as He-Man jumped down, landing relatively lightly considering the wall was sixteen feet high. "He-Man!"

He-Man's eyes narrowed. Skeletor didn't sound upset to see him at all, which meant this was a trap. His senses on high alert, he pretended not to suspect anything. "You've failed again, Skeletor. So why don't you gather up your cronies and head home? Unless you'd rather stay here. I have very nice cells picked out for each of you."

Just then, Duncan fired off a blast. Skeletor deflected it with barely a glance his way, managing to hit She-Ra, who had been struggling to stand. She collapsed to the ground.

"You're trying my patience, Skeletor," He-Man said, taking a threatening step towards him, his fists tightening.

Skeletor laughed, then released Evil-Lyn with a flick of his hand. The two of them stood to face He-Man. Duncan was firing no more shots; Adam assumed he must have succumbed to the injury or magic or whatever he had been fighting. He drew his sword warily, tossing it back and forth between his hands. "Last chance, Bonebrain," he said.

"Yes," Skeletor said menacingly. "For you."

The two fired their magic at him simultaneously in such a widespread arc that he couldn't deflect it all with his sword. He dodged to his right, rolled, then regained his feet, sword still in hand. "You're going to have to do better than that," he taunted them as his mind raced through options. The water fountain might-

"And so we shall," Skeletor agreed. He blasted his magic at He-Man, who swung his sword to deflect the blow. A split second later, Evil-Lyn fired her magic. He-Man twisted his torso to avoid it.

"Enough of this!" Evil-Lyn cried. A brilliant flash appeared before He-Man's eyes. He squeezed them shut and ducked his head instinctively, but it was too late. The flash had blinded him. He rubbed at his eyes and listened hard. He heard the familiar hum of magic and was able to drop to the ground to avoid it, but he wasn't so lucky with the next blast.

Orko flew around Trap Jaw, trying to remember a helpful spell. Desperate, he reached into his hat for inspiration and came out with a feather.

"Oh, that's really frightening," Trap Jaw taunted him. "What's it going to do, tickle me to death?"

Orko grinned under his scarf. "If you insist," he agreed. "Feather feather so very light, tickle Trap Jaw so he can't fight."

Trap Jaw's eyes widened. "Oh no," he exclaimed. He tried to use his grappling arm to grab the feather, but it slipped away and came at his stomach, brushing against him lightly and causing him to begin chuckling. "Cut that out or I'll cut you up!" he threatened. Instead, it continued even more emphatically.

Orko laughed in delight. Suddenly a bright flash shone behind him; he whirled around in time to see He-Man cover his eyes.

"He-Man!" he exclaimed. He rushed over as his friend dodged one blast from Skeletor, then fell to Evil-Lyn's terrible magic. Orko reached into his hat once more, hoping for a mirror to deflect her magical beam, and for once pulled out what he wanted on the first try.

Everything seemed to happen at once from there.

Teela ran into the main entrance of the gardens and tackled Evil-Lyn to the ground just as Skeletor focused his own magic on He-Man. Orko managed to dart in front of He-Man and use the mirror to deflect Skeletor's blast. He thought only about deflecting it, not where he was deflecting it to. It soared in the direction of where Evil-Lyn and Teela were wrestling and hit them hard, sending both of them flying into the far wall.

Stunned, Orko dropped the mirror. "What have I done?" he whispered. He flew over to Teela frantically. She wasn't moving. He shook her shoulder as hard as he could. "Please be all right, Teela! Teela!"

Skeletor laughed maniacally as He-Man got to his feet unsteadily. From the nausea and the dizziness, He-Man guessed that the magic Evil-Lyn had used had messed with his inner ear. It was recovering, as were his eyes, but neither was doing it fast enough for him. Not with Skeletor still posing a threat.

Then he became aware of a sense that someone was around him. He could only see out of his peripheral vision, but Skeletor had stopped laughing and there were bodies nearby. In the distance, perhaps across the garden grounds, someone else was laughing uncontrollably, as if they had breathed in laughing gas.

"Looks like you're outnumbered now, Bonehead," Battle Cat's voice growled from He-Man's right. It sounded as if he were speaking from a long distance, but He-Man could now make out his shape not three feet away.

"And you've worn out your welcome," said Stratos from He-Man's left, sounding as if he were on the opposite side of a canyon.

He-Man silently wondered when the two of them had arrived. The Sorceress must have sent Battle Cat via a portal; there was no other way he could have arrived so quickly unless he had left Grayskull shortly after He-Man.

"Perhaps I have," Skeletor agreed to He-Man's surprise. "Until next time, fools!" He raised his havoc staff and he and his cronies disappeared.

Although bemused by the fact that they had left so abruptly, He-Man's attention immediately went to his family and friends. He was worried about all of them, but it was Teela he stumbled to first, where Orko floated next to her limp form, patting her hand and begging her to wake up.

The fact that the ship's engines revved up registered briefly as He-Man dropped down next to Teela. He didn't think she was dead; killing magic took a lot of power out of a magician, and left him or her vulnerable, so Skeletor rarely tried to use it unless he became too infuriated to think straight. Still, seeing her prone form, even through the dark blotches in his eyes, caused Adam's throat to tighten.

He felt for a pulse as Skeletor's ship roared off, breathing a sigh of relief as he found one. He blinked hard, trying to clear his vision.

"Oh no," Orko whimpered. "You're crying. Is she—"

He-Man chuckled slightly, the sound hoarse. "No, Orko, she should be fine. I'm not crying. Evil-Lyn blinded me with her magic, and my vision's still not right."

"Oh," said Orko in obvious relief.

"Everyone seems to be okay, but they're all unconscious," Stratos commented, coming up behind He-Man.

He-Man rose to his feet and staggered hard to his right. Stratos caught him. "Easy, my friend. Are you hurt?"

"I'll be alright," He-Man replied, his voice weak. He cleared his throat as he straightened up slowly. "Evil-Lyn's second spell did something to my inner ear, I think. I'm dizzy and everyone sounds like they're talking through a pillow." He glanced around carefully, noting his vision was almost clear now, and spotted She-Ra struggling to get up. "Let me get to She-Ra." He picked up her abandoned sword on the way to her side.

His sister was holding very still, supporting a great deal of weight on her arms. He-Man squatted down and handed her the sword. "Call on it. It will heal whatever they did," he advised her in a low undertone. "But do so quietly. No one can know how much you depend on that sword." He stood slowly and backed away as she did as he had suggested. She remained on the ground, and although a faint glow appeared about her, there was nothing else to call attention to her.

Once she had regained her feet, she approached him, her brow furrowed as she looked around. "Everyone's hurt," she fretted. "What can I do?" She reached up to touch his arm, and the same glow that had touched her a moment before centered itself on her hand. She gazed into He-Man's face, her eyes filled with pain. "I can feel that something's wrong with you, that there is some pain you're not admitting to."

He-Man looked from her hand to her eyes and back again. Could it be that she had some mystical healing powers? "Try to heal me without the sword," he suggested quietly.

"What? How?" She-Ra asked, her tone a bit desperate, as if she thought he was asking for something far beyond her means.

"Look at your hand," he urged.

She-Ra did so, gasping slightly. She closed her eyes and murmured softly to herself. He-Man felt warmth permeate his skin where her hand rested, and travel throughout his body. It centered in on his head, then his ears, then faded. He twisted his head from side to side quickly, grinning as he took note of the fact that the dizziness and nausea were gone. "You did it!" he exclaimed. He winked at her. "I think you have some others to help."

She-Ra grinned back at him. "So I do."

At He-Man's urging, She-Ra went to Marlena first, then Duncan. She felt a profound joy that she was able to help others in such a way. To heal, instead of fight…it was an incredible gift, and she was humbled by it.

Focusing her mind back to the people who needed her, she approached Teela. Her brother was with Marlena, making sure she was alright, but when he saw where She-Ra was going, he was by her side in less than a minute. She-Ra laid her hands on Teela's head. Before she sent her healing magic through her, she tried to sense where the pain was, to see if she could somehow know what the injury was. She frowned lightly. She could sense it was in Teela's ears, but that was all. "For the honor of Grayskull," she whispered. The incantation seemed to make it easier to focus her magic.

Teela opened her eyes. "She-Ra? What happened?" she asked in a dazed voice.

"I did," Orko confessed. Adora turned around, surprised. The little Trollan could really sneak around when he wanted to. "I accidentally caused some fireworks when She-Ra was trying to get the queen away from Beastman, and then when I blocked Skeletor's blast from hitting He-Man, it hit Teela and Evil-Lyn."

His voice was so despondent that She-Ra wanted to reach out and hug him. Instead, she awkwardly patted him on the shoulder. "It's alright, Orko," she assured him. "Everyone's okay."

"That's right," Teela agreed as He-Man helped her to her feet.

She-Ra hid a smirk. He had been gentle with Marlena, but this…this was pure tenderness brought about by a different kind of love. Now if only she could get him to see it…

A groan interrupted her thoughts and pulled her attention away from the three of them as He-Man and Teela continued to assure Orko that he had done what he could, and no one bore him ill will for his out-of-control magic. Looking over, she saw Fisto in a sitting position, cradling his non-mechanical arm. She went to him quickly.

"Are you hurt?" She-Ra asked kindly as she crouched beside him.

"No, I always groan like that," he growled at her, looking down at his arm as he moved it, trying to ascertain how damaged it was. He had a metallic echo to his voice, as if more than his arm was bionic.

"I can heal it," She-Ra offered, keeping her voice soft. She reached out to touch his arm just as he looked up and met her eyes. A thrill raced through her, one she didn't understand. "I-if you want me to," she added shakily.

"Want you to what?" Fisto asked, his brown eyes holding her gaze. His orange-red beard hid much of his face, but his eyes were kind…with a little bit of an edge there, as if he knew the darker side of things. He was missing an innocence that Adam had, and She-Ra felt some kind of connection that jolted her heart.

She-Ra paused for a few seconds as she processed his question. "Heal your arm," she replied finally.

"Oh…sure," he replied.

She-Ra proceeded to do so, wondering why she was suddenly having trouble keeping her hands steady.

"Are you all right?" He-Man demanded, searching Teela's face for signs of pain or fatigue.

"I'm fine," she assured him.

He-Man's eyes narrowed. She-Ra could heal injuries, but as he could tell by his own current state, she couldn't replenish energy or make adrenaline fade. He wasn't sure Teela was as fine as she thought she was. "Maybe you ought to sit down," he suggested.

"He-Man, I'm fine," she replied impatiently. She looked as if she were going to say more, but then her gaze shifted to something behind him. "Well, look at that," she said softly.

He-Man turned to find She-Ra and Fisto staring at each other, both seeming somewhat dumbstruck. A smirk tugged at one corner of his mouth. "You don't think-"

"Love at first sight?" Teela asked, her own mouth twitching as he turned back to her. "You never know."

"That'd be quite the coincidence, wouldn't it?" He-Man asked with a shake of his head. "Adora once served Hordak, and Fisto served Skeletor. Now they're both redeemed and fighting on the side of good."

"Quite a coincidence indeed," Teela agreed. "But I would say that would give them a deep understanding of one another." Her voice had lowered with sadness as she spoke. He-Man glanced at her uneasily as she closed her eyes for a few seconds and put a hand to her head. "On second thought, I think I will get some rest before dinner. I'm wiped."

"I'll walk you to your room," He-Man said. Teela looked as if she were going to argue with him, but he shot her a look and she closed her mouth.

A few minutes later, He-Man was wondering if it had been a bad idea. He wanted to hold her so badly he was nearly shaking. He felt an overwhelming urge to touch her, to assure himself she was alright. He frowned as they walked. What was wrong with him? It wasn't as if she had been close to death. She had been threatened or injured many times before. It had always upset him, but something about it was different now. He had been nearly frantic over Marlena as well. He had always felt relief before, but he felt shaken this time.

At the door, he bid good-bye to Teela almost absentmindedly, lost in thought but still feeling the urge to hug her and assure himself she was okay. Instead he gave her hand a squeeze and turned away. As he continued down the hall, the pieces started to come together. As He-Man he had always held himself somewhat apart in an effort to protect his family and friends. He had kept his emotions under tight control. But as Adam…unless the conversation involved He-Man and he was forced to be stoic, he had pretty much worn his feelings on his sleeve. The conflict of the two was wearing on him. He had still kept part of himself back out of habit, but after being He-Man for so long, he was beginning to realize it wasn't how he wanted to live his life.

Adora's troubled look at dinner the next night didn't escape the notice of the royal family, Duncan, and Teela. He-Man finally slammed down his fork. "What is it?" he demanded roughly. His parents looked at him in surprise; their looks forced him to swallow and gentle his tone. "Adora, I can tell something's wrong. What is it?"

"I…" Adora stared down at her plate.

He-Man's shoulders tensed. "Adora?" he prompted her.

"I love you all," Adora finally said. A large tear dropped down onto the cream linen tablecloth. She looked up and met their eyes in turn. "This last week has been the most wonderful of my life."

"But?" Marlena asked quietly.

Adora seemed to struggle for a moment, her brow furrowing, clearing, then furrowing again as she thought. Finally she looked at He-Man. "I betrayed you. It was my fault you were in that charger."

"You made it right," He-Man answered, uncertain where she was going. They had had this conversation several times already. "You saved my life."

"But I've helped the Horde gain power in Etheria, and I haven't made that right," she said, her voice pleading for understanding. "I-I think I need to go back. Etheria is my world. I need to help free it from Hordak and his evil rule."

Randor clenched one fist. "No! We just got you back. You can't just leave us again."

Adora smiled tremulously. "Father, I don't want to, but…I'm She-Ra. I have a responsibility to protect the innocent. I can't in good conscience leave the people in the grip of the Horde."

Adam understood. With the power bequeathed to them came a very solid sense of duty. When you had a feeling you were to do something to help someone, it was nearly impossible to ignore it. He lowered his head, fighting an overwhelming sense of sadness, trying to instead focus on the fact that his sister was doing the right thing.

"I understand," Marlena said before Randor could protest further. She reached over and covered Randor's fist. "She's not ready to stay yet, Randor. We have to let her go."

"Please understand. It's not that I want to go," Adora said earnestly.

"It's her duty," He-Man said, his eyes meeting Duncan's. Man-at-Arms frowned, his brow furrowed. "We have all made sacrifices for the sake of our duties to the people of Eternia. Adora's responsibility is also to her people. For now, that is the people of Etheria." He shifted his gaze to Adora. "For now," he repeated, almost in warning.

Adora smiled her appreciation of his understanding and thanked him with her eyes. He-Man offered a small, lopsided smile of his own.

"Well said, son," Randor finally said in a heavy voice. "Adora, when do you plan to leave?"

"I'm not sure," she confessed. "I thought perhaps in the next few days." Her eyes welled with tears again. "I promise to come visit as often as I can."

"I'll go with you," Teela offered, speaking for the first time. There was a collective gasp as she turned to the king. "Your Majesty, I have seen these people. They need training. And as Captain of the Royal Guard, it is my duty to ensure the safety of all members of the Royal Family. It is my opinion that Adora is in far more danger on Etheria than any of you are here on Eternia. I believe I should accompany her."

"No!" The word, hard and forceful, was out of Adam's mouth before he even realized he was on his feet. All eyes turned to him.

"Teela, you have a valid point," Randor observed mildly, though his curious eyes were on his son. "However, it does not necessarily have to be you who accompanies Adora. We have a few days yet. Let's reflect on it."

Adam and Teela were staring at each other so intensely that for a moment He-Man didn't even register his father's words. When they did penetrate his mind, so did the fact that Teela's stare was full of confusion and anger. With a mumbled excuse, he strode out of the room.

It was too much. He had to let off some steam. The events of the last month rolled through his mind as he broke into a run outside the palace walls. The sun was low in the sky, but he had about an hour of daylight left. He started out at a relatively gentle pace, but was soon pushing himself as fast as he could go. He didn't stop until he reached the edge of the Eternian Ocean. He dropped to the ground, breathing hard, and lowered his head into his hands.

The tears came hard and fast and he let them. He had once thought that being royalty and being He-Man meant that he had to be strong all the time. It was part of what had led to his bout with depression about a year after becoming He-Man. It had taken a lot of time, conversations with Duncan, and reading for him to understand the fallacy of that belief. Still, it felt a bit strange to be crying as He-Man. Usually he had reserved that for his time as Adam—another pretend difference he had created between his two personas. Another barrier now broken.

The saltwater from the crashing waves before him flew into his face. He wiped both the water and his tears away and heaved a sigh. That most of the major changes in his life had all happened at once seemed ironic, somehow. Funny that he had always thought being He-Man would be the biggest change in his life, and he supposed it still was. But he was just about used to that now. Being stuck as He-Man, finding out he had a sister, that his best friend-who thought she was in love with him-was about to leave with Adora, those were things he felt were overwhelming at the moment.

The whine of a wind raider reached his ears. He ignored it as it landed a few hundred yards away in the darkening twilight. But he knew it was Teela before she even got out and walked towards him, then eased herself to the ground next to him. He didn't look at her; he didn't want her to see his reddened eyes. She said nothing at first; she just sat beside him, allowing both the tension and the camaraderie to build.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she finally said, her tone matter-of-fact.

He-Man shrugged. "It's not you, Teela. It's just been a lot to handle, and the idea of you both leaving took me by surprise," he said quietly. He wondered how she had found him, but didn't ask. "I needed a run to work off a bit of the stress."

"You were the one who said you wanted some space." He-Man winced at the reminder, but her voice was not angry or petty. It was gentle, like she was truly trying to ascertain what he wanted from her. Her next words confirmed it. "I think it might be best for both of us. But I won't go if you don't want me to." Now there was a hopeful note to her tone.

"I have no right to ask you to stay." His own voice had no hope, just a dead sort of acceptance. He already knew she would go. She was right. It was best for both of them. His head knew it. It was his heart he was having trouble with at the moment.

"Well I am your bodyguard," she teased, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

Adam smiled weakly at that. "Adora needs you."

"And you don't."

"Not the way she does."

"Your father wants me to stay." Teela seemed to be testing the waters now, giving him a chance to change her mind.

"He doesn't want to lose both of his 'daughters' at once," He-Man replied, finally daring to look her in the eye. He couldn't see her well; it was getting dark quickly. "Just as I don't want to lose both of my 'sisters.' We'll both adjust."

Teela shrugged. "We'll see what happens. I'm not sure Adora wants me to go."

He-Man shook his head slightly. "She'd be crazy not to."

Teela glanced sideways at him. "Well, she is related to you."

He-Man jerked, and Teela laughed. Reluctantly, he joined in, desperately trying to ignore the ache in his heart at the thought of life without Teela.