Ramos was injecting something into Adam's IV when Randor and Adora entered the room. Teela stood to the side, tears streaming down her face.
"What's wrong?" Randor asked sharply.
"He just started thrashing around," Teela answered in a choked voice, approaching the bed and grasping Adam's hand. "The IV came out, and then his side started bleeding, badly."
"Why weren't we called?" Randor demanded.
"There wasn't time," Ramos said calmly. "Besides, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing." He motioned to the monitors. "His blood pressure's up, closer to where it should be. That water of Lyn's seems to be helping. The wound's not closing any faster, but his vital signs are better and the fever's gone down."
Jonas smiled to himself as he continued to apply the Waters to Keldor's face, which was actually starting to look a little irritated by the constant rubbing, although they had all been gentle. Jonas tilted his head to one side and shrugged, then began applying the water to Keldor's neck and exposed arms. 'It can't hurt to try applying it to other areas,' he reasoned.
Hutch pulled his cloak even more tightly around himself. It had taken several days of searching but he was here. He used what he'd learned of magic and sorcery from Damien to bypass the traps that protected this little-known jewel. Once again he was grateful Jitsu had shown up when he did. With his help, Hutch and Marzo were able to break into the Fartenton Magical Academy and steal one of their greatest books of magical lore and spells.
At the thought of Marzo, Hutch scowled. How he hated that he still needed that man. A man willing to leave Hutch after all of the work they'd put into overthrowing Adam together. Just because Damien was gone. Fortunately, the arrival of "He-Man" had been enough to convince Marzo to not leave before all their hard work had been given a proper chance to bear fruit.
A smirk appeared on Hutch's face as he recalled that meeting and the fear he and Marzo had both felt at seeing He-Man. Even Jitsu had wondered if he had wandered closer to the Valley of Echoes than he had intended. They soon learned, however, that it was in fact not He-Man, but Faker, a being created by Skeletor years ago. The thing had fallen into the abyss around Grayskull during a fight with He-Man. Apparently creatures made of magic like Faker could climb for years without tiring, because he had somehow managed to climb out—and now here he was, with perfect timing, appearing to help Marzo, Hutch, and Jitsu overthrow the royal family.
Hutch shook off a spider web and the memories in irritation. The strange text they'd stolen said the blood jewel would be in the center of a chamber of daggers. He felt along the wall until he met a dead end. He was about to turn around, but instead yelped in surprise when a silver blade jutted out and cut his hand. The blood dripped off of the shining blade and onto the stone wall. A rumble sounded around the underground corridor and the stone wall began to slide to the side.
"Macabre," noted Hutch as he saw the chamber filled with daggers stained with blood long dried. Each dagger stood like shining stalagmites from the floor buried at various heights around him. One reddish brown streaked path led to a low stone bench in the center of this maw of jagged and blood-streaked metal.
Hutch walked slowly until he could see the low bench for what it really was: an altar to Evil. In the center was a human skeleton with the knife used for the sacrifice still buried in the exposed ribs. Where the heart once was, there was now a ruby the size of a human heart. It was pulsing with an evil glow like a demonic heartbeat.
"Yes," hissed Hutch as he reached into the remains and pulled out the strange glowing jewel. "I feel your dark power. It is great. And your powers will be particularly useful in my conquest and rule of all Eternia."
Lyn rubbed Keelyanne's back to calm her. She was fussy and it was time for her nap, but Lyn was going to make sure Micah ate a full meal. Chef Alan had been so kind when Micah came back in, and had offered to let Micah have a chance to really eat this time.
Micah was eating his dessert when Lyn placed her hand on the chef's arm. "Thank you," she said, cutting her eyes to Micah.
"No problem at all. The boy was obviously upset before, and no child will ever be hungry in this palace while I'm in charge of the kitchens." With those kind words the rotund man swept off into the direction of his domain.
Lunch had taken twice as long as it should have, but now Antaris was playing chase with Neara, and Lyn was holding her child. For a moment she felt only peace.
The rich wood entry swung open to reveal King Miro. He was wearing a wide grin on his face. "I had heard you had arrived," he said, striding eagerly forward toward Lyn and her small family.
Lyn turned and mirrored her father-in-law's smile. "They arrived a few hours ago. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
Miro interrupted her with an upraised hand. "I will hear no apologies from you my dear," he replied, tracing his fingers down his sleeping granddaughter's face. "You have had more than enough on your mind. You would have told me before the day was out."
Lyn breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
"Ma?" asked Micah, turning toward the visitor.
"Micah, this is King Miro. He is your Da's father."
"And your grandfather," interjected Miro looking at the young man with pride. "If you'll have me."
Micah grinned and stood. He reached out his hand, and Miro took it and pulled the lad into a firm embrace. "I am so glad to meet you. Keldor is so very proud of you."
Micah looked away and wiped his eyes before he responded. "I'm proud of him too."
Neara, upon noticing the stranger and the way everyone seemed to be happy to see him, decided to investigate. She tugged on her ma's arm. Lyn chuckled and placed her hand on her eldest daughter's head. "This is Neara."
Miro sank down to his knees and looked in his granddaughter's eyes. "I'm very happy to meet you."
Neara grinned and reached out to give him a hug. Miro hugged her tightly, then stood with a groan. Neara tugged at his robes and held out her arms. Miro chuckled and picked up the little girl with an effort, amused when she kissed him on the cheek.
"Well thank you very much, Neara, but what was that for?"
Lyn chuckled. "You groaned when you got up. Neara thought you might be hurt."
"My kisses make everyone feel better," explained Neara, matter-of-factly.
Before King Miro's great smile faded from his face, Orko came rushing in holding an inverted serving tray as a makeshift shield.
"Has anyone seen Chef Alan?" he squeaked, slamming the doors with magic and placing a magical lock on them.
Keelyanne began to wail in earnest as the noise jarred her awake. Orko jumped and spun around mid air. "Oh I-I'm sorry," he stammered. He lowered his makeshift shield to the nearby table and floated up to Keelyanne. "Aw, I'm sorry baby. I didn't mean to scare you."
At that moment he realized who was holding the child, but before he could say another word, King Miro's hand clasped his shoulder.
"Friend, Orko, I would like you to meet my grandchildren. Micah," he said motioning to the lad next to the table, "Neara," he continued pointing to the giggling child in his arms, "and Lyn is holding Keelyanne."
"I really am sorry," said Orko quietly as he looked at Keelyanne. She had calmed and was now hiccupping softly in Lyn's shoulder.
"It's okay," Lyn said, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.
"You seemed in quite a rush," noted Antaris. "I wonder if you need any help at all?"
Orko shook his head quickly. "I-I'll be fine. It's just Dree--my wife--is at the craving craze stage of her pregnancy. She's having cravings pop up instantly and if she can't have what she craves she gets a bit," Orko tugged at his scarf, "cranky."
Lyn looked at Orko with an upraised brow. "Couldn't you just conjure what she wants?"
Orko stopped for a moment his eyes wide. "Why didn't I think of that?" he said, snapping his fingers. "Peaches, berries, sweet, and tart, become for me culinary art."
A glittering silver tray appeared out of thin air, filled with dainty cakes drizzled with candied fruits.
"Perfect," breathed Orko with relief.
Neara laughed and clapped her hands at the display of magic. She reached out to touch the tray.
"Neara stop," cried Lyn.
Trying to heed her mother's warning, Neara only tapped the tray lightly, but still it spun violently, sending a pile of cakes back onto Orko.
"Oh no," he moaned as the children chuckled.
Lyn waved her hand and a tray of identical treats appeared. "Here you are," she said passing them to the small magician.
A pounding on the door reached them. "Orko, are you in there?" Dree Elle called, her normally whispery voice sounding almost harsh.
"Thanks!" Orko whispered to Lyn. He released the magical seal on the door and floated over to Dree Elle, holding out the treats. "Just what you asked for, my dear."
"Oh, Orko," Dree Elle whispered, blinking her eyes rapidly. She ate one of the treats and hugged him. "I'm sorry I got so nasty, Orko. At least it's not much longer."
Orko sighed in relief. "I know, Dree, I know," he murmured softly as he escorted her out of the room. "I'm going to go see Adam now, okay?"
"Okay," her voice answered, barely traveling back to the group.
"Did you hear Randor set the memorial service for He-Man?" Miro asked Lyn, silently reaching for Keelyanne.
"Who's He-Man?" Micah asked.
"A hero who..." Miro looked at Lyn in silent apology, "who lost his life in the battle where your cousin Adam was hurt."
Antaris grimaced. There was more to this He-Man than the king was sharing. Before he could question it, however, he caught Lyn's eye and she nodded. Antaris decided that Lyn would not go along with this partial truth unless it was important.
"So he was fighting with Da and cousin Adam?" asked Micah curiously.
"He was fighting with your Da," Miro agreed. "He sacrificed himself to shut down a special connection Evil had to this world."
"I didn't know the service was scheduled," Lyn interjected to stave off further half-truths.
"Randor was discussing it with Mira and Stephen when I met them while searching for you." interjected Miro. "It's to be held in two days."
"So soon?" asked Lyn in shock.
"He-Man has been gone for over a week already," Miro reminded her. "To delay any longer would be considered disrespectful to his memory."
The Great Arena was filled to overflowing. Representatives from Etheria, Phantos, and other worlds He-Man had impacted filled the inside seats, along with representatives from other Eternian kingdoms, the Masters and He-Man's friends. The remaining seats were filled with people he had helped or people who had admired him. Duncan's hologram projectors were set up to show outside the arena and into every city in the kingdom. All of Eternia, and even beyond, was mourning this day.
Man-E-Faces swallowed hard as he approached the middle of the stage set in the center of the arena. He had been chosen to narrate the ceremony, an honor he had humbly accepted.
"My friends, fellow countrymen, visitors, guests," he began in a solemn voice. "Today we gather to mourn the passing of Eternia's greatest hero. He-Man was not just a hero for his feats of strength, but for his acts of kindness and love. I myself was a lost soul before he extended a hand in friendship. Like many of you, I owed him my life, and wish more than anything that I could have prevented this sudden loss." Man-E-Faces swallowed hard and forced himself to speak clearly.
"As many of you know, Prince Adam was critically injured in the fight that cost He-Man his very life. Because they need to return to Prince Adam's side, King Randor and Princess Teela will pay their respects first."
Randor climbed the steps, trying to infuse confidence into his stature. "Just over a week ago, Eternia lost a hero. But as Man-E said, we really lost far more than that. We lost a friend who was true to all that was good. We lost a leader. We lost a role model."
Jonas leaned over to Antaris as Randor went on. "Do you feel as if he's avoiding telling the truth about something?" he whispered.
"There is some great secret here," explained Antaris. "I'm not sure what it is, but Lyn is aware of it."
"She did warn us that coming to this memorial could be uncomfortable for us," agreed Jonas. He rubbed his hand across his slightly upset stomach. "Now I know why."
"It is tempting," Randor was saying as they returned their attention to him, "to lose faith in the good of this world when faced with a loss such as this. After all, He-Man was the epitome of what a champion of goodness should be. If even he, who had the power of Grayskull on his side, could be destroyed, what hope do we, mere mortals have?"
Silence answered his question as Randor paused. "My friends, I beg you, do not accept this lie. He-Man may be gone physically, but his spirit lives on. We must never forget the things he taught us: to be strong, to do the right thing even when the odds are against us, and to put life first. It is by living and continuing to fight against evil that we honor his memory."
A murmur ran through the crowd gathered as Randor finished. Low chants of "He-Man, He-Man" echoed around the arena for several minutes as Randor took his leave.
Silence fell again as Teela walked to the center of the platform. Everyone knew her as one of He-Man's closest friends, and rumors had made them more.
"There were very few of us who truly knew He-Man," Teela finally said, looking at the sky as she fought back tears. "He kept a big part of himself secret, because he wanted to protect us all from the threats he lived with on a daily basis. His courage was beyond what any of us knew, beyond what any of us had a right to expect out of another human being. Perhaps some suspected that He-Man had an easy life when he wasn't out protecting Grayskull or the palace, or helping people. Nothing was further from the truth. He-Man bore a greater burden than any of us can understand."
Teela sniffed. "He-Man was one of the truest friends I could ask for. He never judged me, even though he had to pull me out of a lot of scrapes I shouldn't have gotten into in the first place. He always thought of others; he never put his own needs first. I know that we will all miss him deeply. But as King Randor said, his spirit lives on, and it will continue to inspire us for generations to come."
Like Randor, Teela stopped after the short speech. They had both agreed not to say anything that would require them to lie outright, so the less said, the better.
Antaris began to rub his stomach as well. "This secret they're keeping is great, but I can tell the spirit of what they're saying is true. They had a deep affection for this He-Man, but I am not sure he is dead. Perhaps just gone beyond their reach."
Jonas nodded. "Perhaps." He scanned the crowds. There were battalions of soldiers, heroic warriors of every race and species, and countless royal houses arrayed in their version of mourning clothes. Mostly blacks and grays, Jonas noted.
"Do you suppose," asked Jonas, "that Keldor had to come back here in part to find the princess meant to stand beside us as we finally drive the Horde from our world?"
"In a world so full of heroes," agreed Antaris, "it would stand to reason that the princess will arise from these brave people."
Teela and Randor had quietly taken their leave, and Ram-Man was on the platform. He had been selected by the Masters by the luck of the draw, since there was not enough time for everyone to speak.
"He-Man needed his sword to fight," Ram-Man said, startling the crowd with the abrupt manner of his beginning. "A rock man stole it from him, and we went after it. He-Man tried to talk him into givin' up the sword, but he wouldn't listen. Man-at-Arms said he might have ta fight him for it, and He-Man refused. He didn't want to be the one to teach them to fight." Ram-Man rubbed his nose.
"Dat's what He-Man was like, always doin' the right thing. He was the nicest and smartest guy I ever knew, and one of the best friends a guy could ask for." This time the squat man wiped a tear away. "I'm gonna miss him a whole lot."
The simple, heartfelt speech touched many hearts, and tears that had been held at bay now began to fall. The ceremony continued on for another hour. Fisto got up and spoke of how He-Man had turned his life around. Queen Elmora of Phantos recalled how he had rescued her from Skeletor's spell. Jonas and Antaris grew more comfortable as these other people spoke.
Then Duncan stood. "There's not a lot I can say that hasn't already been said," he announced. A few people chuckled lightly at that, glad to smile for the first time in hours. "He-Man was like a son to me. When he first took on Grayskull's power, he came to me almost constantly for advice. As the years progressed, I turned to him just as often. He was a wise young man, dedicated to good. His passing is a great loss for all Eternia."
Jonas groaned under his breath. "Whatever the secret is, he knows it as well," he whispered to Antaris.
Antaris nodded thoughtfully, his eyes narrowed as he watched an unknown warrior woman approach the center of the staging area.
"What is it?" Jonas asked, following Antaris' gaze.
"I'm not sure," Antaris replied slowly, though an idea was beginning to form.
She-Ra's heart was in her throat as she stood before the crowd. Instinctively she knew that these people would look to her now as a protector as they had once looked to He-Man. Something about the idea bothered here, but she had no idea why. "He-Man was my brother, and my heart is heavy with this loss. He rescued me," she said slowly, focusing on what needed to be said. "Like Adora, I was lost. If it were not for him, I would not be here today, and it is very possible that the Horde would still be in control of Etheria. But it wasn't his strength that rescued me. It was his heart."
Jonas gasped as he looked closely at She-Ra. "I think I understand now."
"As do I," agreed Antaris in wonder, careful to keep his voice low. "She has been changed by magic somehow, and I can sense that magic seeking to lead us away from the realization of who she is, but it is her. And if there is a power so mighty that it can so alter and strengthen a person, it is no wonder that this is such a great secret."
"And a secret it must remain, I'm sure," agreed Jonas quietly. "But you do realize that she is a princess."
"Yes, and more," Antaris explained. "When I was at lunch with Lyn and her children yesterday, Adora was there. Apparently she is the same child Hordak raised on Etheria, and she was very concerned with our plight. She knows of Devrian and his evil. She asked if we could use any supplies or medicines. She assured me that anything she could provide would be given to us."
"You don't suppose she is the last piece necessary for the prophecy to be fulfilled and the Horde driven from our world?" asked Jonas in an excited whisper.
"We shall see," said Antaris, resisting the urge to jump ahead of the Truth with the assumption. "I am very interested to see how the Truth leads in the next few weeks, if these last few days are any indication of what we will see."
"There have been many rumors about where my brother's loyalties lay," She-Ra was saying. "Please, I beg you, do not dishonor his memory with any more of these rumors. He was very close to the royal family, and loved them as his own. He believed that King Randor and Prince Adam are good men with the people's best interests at the center of their lives. He-Man is no longer here to lead us, but we do have good people like King Randor and Queen Marlena, Prince Adam and Princess Teela, Princess Adora, Fisto, Man-at-Arms, and others. It is time to look to them to lead us through what we hope will be a time of peace. That is how you can honor He-Man's memory."
Lyn rubbed her hair with a plush blue towel. She turned toward the steamy mirror with a sigh. Miro had fallen completely in love with her children and they returned his affection. Neara was besotted and began calling him Grandfather without a second's hesitation. Micah was a bit shy at first, but Miro won him over quickly. Lyn chuckled and laughed. She doubted Keelyanne had left his arms at all that first hour. He doted on her completely.
Lyn smiled when she remembered his kindness to her. He'd taken in her rumpled clothes and the dark circles under her eyes and ordered her to her suite for a shower and a rest. He'd informed the children that they were going to the open air market so he could spoil them properly as is a grandfather's place. Lyn was so tired she didn't make it to the shower; she had collapsed into the bed instead.
Now rested and freshly showered, Lyn followed the sounds of her children's laughter to a playroom and her heart melted. Micah was adjusting the controls on his new glide board and Keelyanne lay on a blanket, her collection of stuffed Eternian animals strewn around her as she played peek-a-boo with her grandfather.
"Ma!" shouted Neara rushing up to Lyn. "Look what Grandfather got us." She held up her tiny wind raider that was being piloted by gronks and a tiger that looked exactly like Cringer.
Lyn smiled and admired the toy. "That's wonderful. Did you remember to say thank you?" she asked.
Neara nodded proudly.
Miro stood to his feet and took Keelyanne in his arms as he walked up to Lyn. "You look better, my dear."
"Thanks to you," Lyn said. "I was wondering if you could watch them a little longer. I want to check on Keldor."
"Of course," Miro replied kindly. It would be my pleasure."
At the name Keldor, Neara laid her toys aside. "I wanna see Da," she pleaded as she came up to her ma.
"Neara, Da is very sick. He needs to rest."
"Ma, I miss Da," Neara sniffled.
Lyn was torn, and Miro saw the indecision in her eyes. "Lyn, I'll bring them down with you for a quick visit and then they can come back here with me," he offered.
Lyn looked back down at Neara. "If I let you go, you have to return with Grandfather when I tell you. Do you understand? "
Neara nodded and hugged her. Lyn stood and walked with Neara's hand in hers and her free arm wrapped around Micah's shoulder. Miro followed closely behind with Keelyanne in his arms.
Teela finished feeding Josiah and raised him to her shoulder to burp him. "How long will you have to continue bathing Keldor with those Waters?" she asked Jonas.
The man shrugged. "Until they're out of danger, I suppose."
Teela was just about to lift the sheet to see how Adam's side looked when Lyn entered the room, Miro and her children trailing behind her. Teela swallowed hard. Having so many people from another world in here worried Ramos because of the higher risk of infections, so it worried her as well. But she couldn't deny the family the chance to see Keldor. Nor did she want Keldor moved; she wanted Adam healed as soon as possible. She straightened her back against the weight of the responsibilities and worries that seemed to be weighing her down and smiled at the family, doing her best to be friendly.
Jonas smiled and placed the dampened cloth back in the basin. "I'll be outside if you need me," he offered as he made way for the small group.
Neara rushed from Lyn's side and crawled back up on her Da's bed and hugged him tightly round the neck. Miro chuckled as she began to scatter kisses on his face.
"Unnn," groaned Keldor raising his hand to Neara's back. "I'm up. I'm up," he muttered almost incoherently.
"Keldor?" breathed Lyn in wonder as she rushed to his side. Her hand smoothed back his hair and in a moment his blue eyes opened and locked on her lavender gaze.
"Lyn?" he croaked, then looked down at the tiny person clinging to his neck. "Neara? What are you doing here?"
"Da!" she squealed happily. Lyn shushed her as quickly as possible and Miro rushed to the empty chair between Adam's and Keldor's beds. "Son, are you alright?"
"I think so," he said, weakly wrapping an arm around Neara and reaching his free hand to touch the face of Keelyanne, still in Miro's arms. His hand shook as he touched her; whether from weakness or disbelief no one could tell. "Where's Micah?"
"I'm here, Da," he said eagerly, walking up beside Lyn and placing his hand on Keldor's arm.
"Adam?" Keldor asked. He forced himself to relax and allow his head to rest, feeling as if his insides were made of Tar Swamp goo.
Miro looked over at Adam, but his chest rose and fell rhythmically. Teela watched him intently, then shook her head at Miro, distress plain on her face.
"He's here, Son, but he's not awake," Miro finally said. "You might know more about his health than we do, with that spell you cast. He woke up for a few seconds when Ramos brought him out of the drug-induced coma, but you two have been unconscious ever since."
"How long?" Keldor asked. He took a deep breath, trying to will strength back into his voice, and wished desperately for a drink. "And why are they here?" he asked tenderly as he glanced down toward the tiny girl wrapped around his neck.
Miro shook his head. "Days. Adam developed a fever, maybe from Damien's poison. There was no other sign of an infection. You two were brought back from Snake Mountain ten days ago." He looked to Lyn to offer her explanation of the kids' presence.
"Adam was full of that poison," Lyn confirmed. "Your connection to him could not heal him fully unless you were continually purified from the evil you were touching as your life force intermingled with his. We were almost out of the Waters when Antaris and Jonas showed up with more Waters and the children at Grayskull, because they felt led to come." Lyn shrugged with a smile, thankful to see Keldor's midnight blue eyes in reality instead of a dream.
Keldor chuckled weakly. "Sounds like Antaris."
"What are all of you doing in here?" Randor asked from the doorway, keeping his voice kind. Ramos had spoken to him as well about the risk of infection. "It's supposed to be limited to..." His voice trailed off and he stopped short, causing Marlena to bump into him from behind.
"You're awake," Randor said. He looked hopefully over to Adam, his face falling when he saw his son's still form.
Marlena, too, looked back and forth. "I don't understand," she said. "Shouldn't Adam be awake as well?"
"It's okay, Uncle Randor," explained Micah.
Keldor's mouth dropped open. He looked at Lyn and mouthed the words, "Uncle Randor?"
She grinned and gripped the hand that was resting on Neara's back.
"Da taught me that these linking spells help heal but the person being healed usually takes a little longer to finish the healing," Micah explained earnestly. "The link makes sure that the healing happens though." Micah looked back at his Da. "Isn't that right?"
"Yes," confirmed Keldor, fighting to keep from showing that he was already tiring, "but he will not be able to heal well if he cannot rest."
Miro nodded and clasped Keldor's shoulder. "I'll be in soon to check on you, my son," he promised and headed to the door with Keelyanne in his arms. Micah padded quietly to his Da's side and hugged him before turning to go with Miro.
Lyn reached for Neara but she began to shake her head vigorously. "I wanna stay with Da," she pleaded.
"Neara, please," Lyn said gently. "Da needs to rest."
"I'll be quiet," Neara promised in a whisper. "I'll take a nap with Da like I do at home."
Marlena came beside Lyn and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she won't cause any problems, Lyn." Marlena leaned down close to Neara, "Just so long as you promise to stay quiet, little one."
Neara nodded and hugged Keldor fiercely around the neck. He hugged her back and whispered, "Not so tightly you little trapper vine. You're choking me."
Neara loosened her grasp but did not let go.