Ten years later
Adam woke slowly. He opened his eyes to the warm sunlight spilling in the window, illuminating the sleeping beauty before him. A small smile touched his face as he gazed at his wife and memories flitted though his mind.
Today was their tenth anniversary. It was also eleven years to the day since he had lost the sword. So much had changed in those first few months, and they had set the stage for the rest of his life. It was very different than the one he had pictured from the time he claimed the Power Sword until the day it was destroyed, leaving him He-Man forever.
But no one called him He-Man anymore. He was King Adam now, and sometimes folks even forgot there had ever been a difference between the two of them.
They had informed the rest of the kingdom of He-Man's true identity a few weeks after Skeletor had almost killed him and Teela. Adam had been concerned about the reactions of the Masters, whom he considered his closest friends, but it turned out that many of them had suspected some sort of connection between the prince and He-Man. They were surprised to learn exactly what it was, but not one of them was angry. They all understood and appreciated his efforts to protect his family.
To his amazement, the kingdom, even the entire planet, really, had rallied around him and the royal family, including Adora. Oddly enough, once the people had learned He-Man was human, was vulnerable in some way, they stopped expecting him to always save them. They started fighting back themselves. The Royal Army's numbers had swelled with eager recruits. With the added support of Duncan's security systems, Skeletor never even had a chance of getting near the palace again.
Adora had returned to Etheria, but not in the way she had thought she would. Adam and she had taken turns returning to Etheria, sometimes both going, to help the rebellion there. They built alliances, and took some of the Masters with them, but never the ones Hordak might recognize from his attempt to conquer Eternia. By having what became known as "hero exchanges" between the two planets, they were able to confuse Hordak and Skeletor. They moved between worlds using Grayskull and Skydancer Castle on Etheria. The two evil forces never knew where the unusual heroes were coming from, and they never came up with a plan that the Masters or the rebels couldn't handle.
It had taken more than two years to finally defeat Skeletor. He was now a powerless former wizard serving time in prison, along with Evil-Lyn, Beastman, Trap Jaw, and several others. There had been quite a few close brushes with death, but somehow almost everyone had survived it all, except for Kol Dar, a friend of Adam's, and a few Royal Guardsmen. Hordak had taken longer to defeat—it was six years before Etheria was free, and the cost of lives was high. Bow and Frosta were killed, as was a sorceress named Castaspella and hundreds of rebels. Hordak and many of his minions were also killed in the final few battles, much to Adora's pain. She had hoped Hordak would change his ways, perhaps understand why she had left and forgive her, but he remained angry with her until he drew his last breath.
Adam had claimed the throne two years ago, when Randor had suffered a mild stroke. She-Ra had not been able to completely heal him. He was still alive and mobile, and mentally almost as sharp as ever, but his body had slowed down. He had chosen to abdicate the throne to his son.
Teela's mother remained the Sorceress and would for as long as she was able. When the time came for Teela to become the Sorceress of Grayskull, Adam planned to relinquish the throne so that he and their children could go with her; that is, unless the Sorceress managed to hold on long enough until one of her grandchildren-who sadly did not know the truth of her relationship to them-managed to take over. If Adam did have to relinquish the throne before the children were grown, then Adora would become queen, and her husband of two years, Fisto, would become king.
Adam's thoughts wandered a bit as he recalled Fisto's immediate attraction and love for Adora. He had gone to Etheria with Adora and fought by her side from the first moment Adora had returned to her adopted planet. In spite of the immediate sparks he and Teela had noticed between them, Fisto and Adora had gone through their share of trials, particularly when Adora had met a pirate named Sea Hawk and the two of them had fallen in love. In spite of that, Fisto had continued to serve by Adora's side, saddened but undaunted in his desire to protect her. And he had been there for her two years later when Sea Hawk chose his life as a pirate over Adora.
Eventually Fisto's steady love and support had won Adora's heart completely. Adam secretly thought that Sea Hawk had been just a crush for Adora, while Fisto was her true love. If Fisto had ever thought differently or resented being the apparent second-choice for the princess, he never uttered a word about it. His unselfish nature had earned Adam's trust and loyalty a thousand times over, and Adam could think of no one better to take the throne…except perhaps his own son.
As if conjured by his father's thoughts, eight-year-old Quentyn came running in, his five-year-old sister Libbi and four-year-old brother Bayle trailing behind him. Battle Cat, moving slightly slower these days but still as powerful as ever, ambled in after them.
"I have the power!" blond-haired Quentyn shouted as he jumped onto the bed, landing squarely on Adam's stomach.
"Oof," Adam huffed, grinning at his son. None of the kids had inherited He-Man's traits of strength, but he liked to play around with them and pretend they were able to challenge his strength once in a while. "Good morning to you too, Son." Teela opened one eye and grinned at them.
"Tell us a story, Daddy!" red-haired Libbi demanded, climbing onto the bed, her large blue eyes wide and her lower lip pushed out in a pretend pout. That could turn into a real pout if she didn't get her way, Adam knew. Her full name was Libbi'Na, in honor of Teela's heritage, though it was rarely used. Libbi definitely had inherited her mother's temper and strong competitive streak.
"Lost sword," Bayle insisted, climbing up beside her. His own red hair glinted in the sunlight, his green eyes insistent.
"Again?" Adam asked with a mock-groan. He couldn't quite hide the smile pulling at his mouth, though.
"Please?" three voices asked in unison. Adorable faces stared up at him pleadingly.
"It's the anniversary," Quentyn reminded him, his blue eyes sparkling.
"Okay, okay," Adam agreed good-naturedly. He sat up and settled himself against the headboard. Teela snuggled close in, and the children followed suit, little Libbi making sure to get under his arm on the side opposite Teela. "Your mother, Grandfather Duncan, Uncle Orko, Cringer and I were on a picnic. Little did we know we were being watched by a Rock Man named Rabar…"
A/N: First, thank you Lord for inspiring me on this story. Thank you, all my wonderful readers, for your reviews and support. And thanks especially to Candi and Little Llama Girl for beta-reading this story for me.
Oh, someone asked about a sequel...no, there is not one, nor is there one planned. This story was never about taking down the bad guys, so I didn't feel I had to do so. I would have liked to delve into the story of Adora and Fisto, but it would have to be a separate book that is unlikely to be written.
It is with a bit of a sad heart I post this last chapter, as I feel like I'm saying good-bye. I have one other He-Man story that was actually started, but am not sure if I will ever post it. It is nowhere near completion. I've started writing an original story and the characters there are insisting on my full attention. (I finally get Adam, Adora, and Teela to stop bossing me around, and now I have a bunch of no-name characters trying to do it...sheesh!) God willing, I will post this other story, but right now it doesn't look promising.
It's not easy to say good-bye to a world where you've spent every spare moment for the better part of four years. But you all have been extremely encouraging in your compliments not just about the stories, but my writing as well. So it is with nervous anticipation and a bit of nostalgia that I move on. If I ever manage to publish a book, I'll be sure to let you know in my profile. :-)
God bless you all.