One quick note: the Faker in this story is taken from the 1980's MOTU. He was a complete replica of He-Man, except that his voice was a bit tinny-sounding. There was no blue skin and orange hair as some other fics have referenced--I guess that was from some of the comics or something.
Adam moved into the memory projector room carefully, trying not to show his fatigue. He'd been nothing but tired in the last few days since he'd been released from the medical wing, but exhausted or not, there was absolutely no way he was going to miss this. He eased into the love seat, breathing heavily from the walk down.
Adora fussed with a pillow and tapped at Adam to move so she could place it behind his head as Teela sat next to Adam on the small love seat. Adam rolled his eyes at Adora, but obeyed silently. His family had been overly solicitous, and it needed to stop, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon, he knew.
Once he was settled, Teela leaned into Adam's side, grateful that her mother had offered to care for Josiah. If this was half as amusing as Adam promised it would be, she was sure the laughter would frighten Josiah.
"I still don't know how you let Randor talk you into this, Son," said Miro with a cheeky grin. He sat in the chair beside the sofa Randor had moved into the chamber along with the other chairs so Mira, Hawk, Adora, Duncan, Randor, and Marlena could see this moment Keldor was going to share with them all on the memory projector.
Lyn and Keldor shifted on the sofa, Lyn throwing her knees over Keldor's legs and propping herself up with several pillows.
"Just make yourself comfortable," teased Keldor, his brow raised.
"I will," Lyn smirked. "You should as well," she advised and a second later Keldor felt a pillow hit the side of his head.
"Hey," he protested.
"A pillow for you," grinned Lyn as though she had simply offered him a pillow rather than almost bludgeoning him with it.
"Randor, I think you better show me how this thing works," suggested Keldor, holding up the metallic circle of the memory projector, "before I decide I'd rather toss pillows at my wife."
Randor chuckled, thankful for Keldor's willingness to put himself through this. They all needed the break from their current stresses. "You simply place it on your head and remember. I warn you, though, the memories are far more vivid than most of us have been prepared for."
Keldor donned the strange metallic headband and for a moment cloudy colors and indistinct shapes shown on the screen.
"Where to start?" wondered Keldor quietly, drumming his fingers on Lyn's knee.
"The first time we were looking down into the Sunken Jungle," suggested Lyn.
"Because you were right?" teased Keldor.
"Because that was the first time I'd ever heard you apologize, bonebrain." She smirked at him.
Keldor nodded, but then turned to look over at Miro. "This will show me exactly as I was, Father. Are you sure you want to see that?"
Miro gave an affirming jerk of his head. "You are sharing with us how you found your way back to the side of good. I want to see it, no matter what."
Keldor nodded and within seconds, the screen showed two figures standing on the edge of a deep precipice, trying to decide their next course of action in seeking good.
An hour later, Adora was doubled over, still laughing riotously, tears streaming down her face.
Adam held his side and tried stop laughing. "Ancients, Keldor, if you wanted to kill me, you could have found a less painful way," he gasped.
Keldor gave Adam a mock-glare as a giggling Teela punched her husband lightly on the arm.
Randor couldn't stop grinning. "I was wrong, Keldor. You got everything you deserved on Carina."
"I think we've had enough fun at Keldor's expense for now," Marlena interjected, her voice full of mirth. "Let's go have some lunch."
Everyone rose, laughter intermingling with light jabs and teasing. Hawk caught sight of Adam's grimace as he rose, and grabbed hold of the prince's arm. "Don't bother," Hawk muttered to Adam's muffled protest. "You're not fooling me." Teela stayed with them as everyone filed out of the room, and the three trailed behind slowly, Adam's face growing cross.
Adora grinned at Keldor. "How did that song go again, Uncle?" she asked as the family entered a cozy dining room.
"Ack! You would have to ask me a question you know I'd have to answer," he protested.
"Me?" Adora asked innocently. "Would I do that?"
"In an instant," answered Keldor, happy that this truthful answer is easy to give. "Look, if you really want those words to the little lost fur kit, you can ask Micah. When I'm far, far away."
"My favorite part was Neara," Marlena said with an impish smile. "Boo-boo 'way day, Keltor!" she imitated.
The others chuckled all over again as they took their seats on the rich upholstered dining chairs.
Keldor glared at Lyn. "And that was all your fault."
Lyn smiled serenely and leaned her chin on her hands. "A piece of manipulation that I am still quite proud of."
Adam gave a dramatic sigh. "If only we'd known," he lamented loudly, throwing up a hand as if imploring the heavens to explain themselves. "We could have had Star Child go to Snake Mountain and give Skeletor a kiss, and defeated him in five minutes."
Keldor growled something unintelligible at Adam, though the corners of his mouth were twitching.
"Yes?" Adam asked, mirroring Adora's innocence perfectly. "Did you want to say something, Keldor?"
"That's Uncle Keldor to you," the mage shot back.
Adam snorted, but didn't respond.
Suddenly Fisto rushed in from the hallway. "Sire," he called before he even reached them. "There's been a report of a giant attacking a village near the Mystic Mountains."
The laughter disappeared immediately. "Take She-Ra and Hawk and investigate immediately," Randor ordered.
"We would like to help as well," Keldor volunteered. The more he could get out of the palace before he was incarcerated, the better.
Randor hesitated briefly, then nodded decisively. "You're to obey Fisto's orders without question," he warned.
Keldor nodded.
"But Sire," Fisto protested, "how can we possibly trust them?"
Keldor grimaced. "I believe you among all of the guard should understand what it is to turn over a new leaf, my old ally." He shouldn't have goaded Fisto, he knew, but the statement bothered him when it came from one who once served evil beside him.
Fisto glared at Keldor, but Randor stepped in between them. "You can trust him because of what he has done," he said solemnly, gesturing towards Adam, who flushed slightly. "Remember that without Keldor, Prince Adam would be dead."
Fisto saluted to show his agreement, but he couldn't help thinking that he still needed to be on his guard. It was now his responsibility to protect the royal family--even from their own poor judgment.
The rush of adrenaline that had flooded his veins at Fisto's announcement had long since abandoned Adam. He and Teela left their supper early to see the warriors off from a nearby balcony. He sank wearily onto a bench that overlooked the hangar bay doors, and watched the group head out in the wind raiders. The fact that he wasn't at their sides ate at him.
"I should be there," he muttered.
"No, Adam," Teela countered gently but firmly. "You should be here."
Adam turned a disbelieving gaze on Teela. She crossed her arms over her chest.
"Believe it or not, I understand why you want to be out there. I was Captain of the Guard for the majority of my adult life, remember? But we have different responsibilities now. We are needed here." She sat down beside him and took a hand in hers.
Adam looked towards the sky where the wind raiders were already fading into the distance. "I hate staying back, Teela," he admitted, knowing that she truly did know how he felt. He rubbed tender circles on her hand with one thumb. "I know my duties lie here now, but it feels like I'm shirking my responsibilities." He shrugged and gave a self-deprecating smile. "I guess that doesn't make much sense."
Teela wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "It does. I almost went crazy at first when Saul was training the guards and I was at some tea with your mother entertaining courtiers. I wanted to chuck a few of them out of the window just to give the guard some target practice. I felt so useless there."
Adam chuckled.
"But it was my duty to be there. I had to build relationships with these other kingdoms, and as much as it irked me, I've seen since how important taking time to discuss silly little bits of nonsense over sweets and tea helps bring me close to those whose allegiance we need," Teela admitted ruefully.
Adam smiled at her tone. "I don't doubt that my responsibilities here are important, Teela. I have grown up knowing the importance of diplomacy and building those relationships." He sighed heavily. "I'm just not used to others going into danger, and not having a way to help them." Teela pulled back slightly to study him. He reached up to stroke her cheek tenderly. "Of course, for some reason, usually when I haven't been able to help, you've been the one in trouble." His voice was teasing, but then his gaze grew soft. "My one consolation is that you're here with me."
Teela leaned her cheek into his hand and sighed. "You miss it, don't you?"
Adam swallowed hard. "Yeah," he admitted roughly. "I never liked the fighting Teela, but I guess I lived in a fantasy world that the day He-Man would no longer be needed would be the day there was peace. The idea that He-Man would be gone while evil still existed on Eternia never even entered my head."
"At least now, the two most formidable enemies Eternia had for years are fighting in your place." Teela smiled. "Poetic justice. They have to pick up the slack and you can finally stop fighting."
Adam chuckled. "For now." His smile dimmed. "Until they're exiled or imprisoned."
"Maybe we should have them work off their sentence," Teela suggested with a smirk.
Adam laughed heartily at that. "That's a brilliant idea, Captain. I think the king should consider it." He pulled Teela close, and she wrapped her arms around him. They stayed like that for several minutes. "We need to get back to Josiah," Adam finally said, almost reluctantly.
"That's a responsibility I can't wait to get back to," Teela agreed, standing with him and tugging him toward the hall, an impish grin on her face.
The warriors reached the town in less than an hour. Keldor immediately noted that it was not one giant attacking the village, but three. He frowned at that oddity. Eternian giants were known to be solitary creatures, and very territorial. There was no written record of them ever working together.
The creatures were easily twelve feet tall, their muscles bulging as they picked up random items--rocks, wagons, whatever was within reach--and hurled it at houses. Half of the town was already decimated. People were rushing down the streets, pulling their children along behind them as they fled in search of safety.
She-Ra swallowed hard. Seeing a village in rubble like this reminded her so much of the Horde. Her heart ached for the people who had lost their homes to the destruction.
"She-Ra!" Keldor yelled, his voice full of disbelief. He pointed towards a lone figure who was cupping his hands under one of the giants' feet. With a huge effort he tossed the giant backwards. His blond hair brushed against his wide cheeks, and even from where they were in the air, they could see the red cross emblazoned on his chest plate.
It was He-Man.
They landed the wind raiders as close as they could to the town, She-Ra's heart thudding in her chest. 'Adam?' she sent towards the figure before her, trying to ascertain the truth.
"That is not He-Man," Keldor warned her, grabbing her arm as she started for him.
"Of course it is," Fisto argued, a wide grin of delight on his face. "He-Man!" he yelled, waving to the familiar figure.
"No, it's not. It's Faker," Keldor growled. He'd know his own creation anywhere.
Fisto hesitated. "Faker?"
"How could he have survived, Keldor?" Lyn asked in disbelief. "He fell down the abyss."
"I don't know," Keldor growled, "but I made him. I'm going to take him out. She-Ra, you and the others stop the giants. Faker's not alive. He seems to be, but he's only made of magic. I'm going to stop him before he causes any more damage."
With a flash of blue light, Keldor teleported himself just out of reach of the giants.
"What is he doing?" Fisto demanded, clenching his giant hand.
"That is not my brother, Fisto. Lyn?" She-Ra asked. "You know what that is?"
"Faker. A creature of dark magic. Long ago, Keldor created it with the aid of the Shaping Staff. It was such a strange combination of magic that I doubt anyone could make the like of it again, but it is a replica of He-Man in most every way. The only difference is that it is easily controlled by anyone strong in dark magic. It fell into the abyss at Grayskull many years ago," Lyn finished.
She-Ra and Fisto frowned at each other as Swift Wind neighed his own disgust. "Well, as much as I'd like to stand here and continue this discussion, there are still two giants left," She-Ra pointed out. "Up, Swift Wind!" The pegacorn reared and took off into the air towards one of the giants. "Let's get it to follow us out of the town, Swifty."
Lyn, Hawk, and Fisto looked at each other. "I guess that leaves the other one to us," Hawk observed dryly.
Lyn bounded out of the raider with Hawk and Fisto on her heels. Lyn shot several bolts of magic at the giant to get its attention.
Keldor took advantage of the situation to hit Faker with a carefully designed spell. He grew sick the moment his power touched the creature.
"Skeletor, it's not nice to attack someone without saying hello," Faker chided in a halting voice.
"He's changed somehow," Keldor muttered, more to himself than to anyone else. His beam of magic began to falter as he grew weaker. "I should have pulled you apart by now," he growled. "But there's so much evil flowing through you now, I can't destroy you."
"I have several sources of power I didn't have before Skeletor," Faker laughed mirthlessly.
Keldor gasped as his magic failed. He was sick and weak, but he pulled his blade nonetheless.
She-Ra and Swift Wind swooped around the giant's head, getting his attention easily. He began roaring at them, and swatted at them like they were gnats. Swift Wind dove and soared again as he avoided the giant's hands.
"I think we have his attention now, Swifty," She-Ra observed. "Let's get him out of here." They started towards the mountains, and the irritated giant followed them, still trying to knock them out of the air.
Fisto slammed the giant in the foot with his powerful hand. He felt a twinge of remorse as the giant howled, but he knew it would only cause the giant a bruise at worst. Hawk pulled out a freeze ray, and Fisto nodded, pulling out his own as well.
"Lyn, lend a freeze spell?" Hawk called as he and Fisto fired.
Lyn nodded and lifted her wand. With a quick flash of light an ice sheet began crawling around the giant's skin. She was focused on pouring more power into the spell when the giant swatted her, sending her flying into the air.
"Lyn!" Hawk yelled.
She-Ra and Swift Wind reached the mountains and darted into a large, dark cave--a giant's home, if She-Ra's guess was correct. They hid in a crevice as the giant clambered in after them. Once he was past, they flew out soundlessly.
"Good job, Swifty," She-Ra said, patting his neck. They flew back at top speed and had almost reached the town when Hawk's cry reached her ears, and she spotted a limp form flying through the air. "Oh, no! Go, Swift Wind!"
Hawk's cry reached Keldor as well, and he committed the worst error possible--he whirled around to find out what was happening to his beloved wife. Faker grinned and charged, his sword held high.
Keldor felt a sharp pain to the back of his head and he crumpled to the ground, dazed.
"Now, Skeletor," Faker said menacingly, "I will kill you myself."
Fisto's jaw dropped as he saw He-Man with his sword raised, ready to run Keldor through, but what sent chills down his spine was that the "hero" was laughing.
"You're not He-Man!" he yelled, hoping to distract this thing that so strongly resembled his friend.
Lyn opened her eyes to find herself in She-Ra's arms. Taking in She-Ra's tense expression, Lyn didn't bother asking what had happened; she simply healed herself. At the same time, she looked below and gasped as she saw Faker with his sword raised as Fisto yelled at him. Inexplicably, the giant Faker had tossed earlier had seemingly given up his attack and was wandering off. The other one stared at his frozen feet, perplexed, then shrugged, broke free, and ambled off in the other direction.
"I AM He-Man," Faker countered loudly. "And you are all traitors to Grayskull!"
There wasn't time to reach them. She-Ra took her sword out and hurled it with all her might as Faker plunged his downward. The Sword of Protection cut through the false Sword of Power easily, knocking it from Faker's hands at the same time. Swift Wind swooped over the evil being, hovering long enough to let Lyn and She-Ra jump off.
"You are not my brother," She-Ra snarled at Faker.
"You would turn your back on Grayskull too?" asked Faker loudly. His voice carried over to a small copse of trees where some villagers hid, observing the strange battle.
Lyn sent magical ropes to bind the false He-Man. He shattered them quickly and threw a powerful right hook to She-Ra's face, throwing her back and to the ground. Fisto and Hawk placed themselves squarely between their friends and Faker, giving Lyn a chance to heal Keldor.
"You are all traitors to Grayskull," Faker stated. The villagers looked at each other, confused. "You spread false rumors about my untimely demise, petrifying the good people of Eternia. And then you ally yourself with Skeletor, of all people!" His face took on a slightly pained expression. Lyn finished healing Keldor, as She-Ra gained her feet.
"You were about to take a life!" Fisto argued. "The real He-Man would never do that!"
"I will do what I must to rid Eternia of evil!" Faker snapped back. "And the royal family of Eternia has clearly sided with evil, accepting Skeletor as one of their own!"
She-Ra shoved her way in between Fisto and Hawk. "How dare you," she seethed. "My brother would never have turned his back on the royal family. How dare you sully his memory with your lies!" She raised her sword and pointed the jewel towards him, but before she could call on Grayskull's power to reveal him for what he was, he vanished, only his voice echoing in the air.
"I will defend the people of Eternia forever."
"Mira, I'm telling you, He-Man is not dead!" Pierce hissed furiously, trying to keep his voice down so the servants would not overhear him. "He's been seen by the people of five different villages in the last three weeks!"
"Pierce, even She-Ra says he's dead. Don't you think for one moment that his own sister would know?"
Mira huffed. She couldn't believe that Adam had to put up with this kind of irritation for so many years. She had to bite her lip to keep from blurting out the truth to her panicking husband.
Adam froze just around the corner from Mira and Pierce. He certainly didn't intend to eavesdrop, but their words had shocked him into stillness. He had been making his way back to his office, as he had been unable to rest in the suite. Teela had finally suggested he take a walk, because his tension was making Josiah cranky.
"We haven't known She-Ra very long," Pierce pointed out. "Maybe she's not to be trusted. He-Man has been speaking against King Randor and Prince Adam. Maybe she is on their side now, instead of her brother's."
Mira gaped at her husband. "Are you out of your mind? Nobody has ever been more loyal to Adam and Eternia than He-Man! You have no idea. How you could attend this gossip mongering meeting eludes me as it is, but to go with this hostile attitude in the midst of other frightened allies astounds me. You'll only be adding to unease that Randor seeks to solve with the truth. He-Man is gone! Pierce, these rumors only do more to destabalize Randor's rule."
Adam had heard enough. He straightened up and rounded the corner, showing none of his weakened state only by sheer determination. "Aunt Mira, Uncle Pierce," he greeted them both calmly. "Is something wrong?"
Mira paled. She sputtered for a moment, causing Pierce to raise an eyebrow towards his wife. "N-Nothing is wrong, Adam. Just more inane rumors that your father has to struggle through." She narrowed her eyes at Pierce. "And some of us aren't helping matters any."
"Some of us are keeping an open mind," Pierce snapped.
"Which rumors this time?" Adam asked as if he were clueless.
"That He-Man is alive, of course," said Pierce, looking confused for a moment. "Are there others going around?"
Adam forced a chuckle. "There are always several going around, Uncle Pierce."
Mira longed to reach out and soothe her nephew but all she could do was shoot him an apologetic gaze. "We're going to a meeting now. Your father is meeting with several people who claim that He-Man rescued their villages and duchies."
Adam's chin raised a fraction. "I think I ought to attend that one as well." He motioned them forward. "After you."
Randor drummed his fingers as he waited for Pierce and Mira to arrive. The fact that Pierce had even shown up for this meeting told him where his brother-in-law stood on this matter; if he had truly felt that it was just a rumor, he would have stayed home. Stephen had returned home shortly after Adam had woken up, and was still there now. Mira, however, had remained at the palace since the fall of Snake Mountain, determined to help her family through their struggles, since she now knew Adam's secret. Pierce was supposed to be at home running his own kingdom.
The door to his left and behind him flew open and Pierce marched in, but it was Baron Grod's sudden leap to his feet, followed closely by the rest of the nobility and townspeople gathered in the room, that startled the king. Randor started to turn around, knowing that Mira did not warrant such a reaction, but in his heart he already knew what he would see.
"Prince Adam!" Baron Grod exclaimed, bowing. Several others followed suit, some with an inclined head, others with a full curtsy or bow. Adam nodded his acknowledgment as his eyes sought his father's.
"Father, I hope it's not a problem for me to attend?" he asked respectfully, but there was a hard glint to his eyes that warned Randor not to refuse.
"Of course not," the king agreed, but inside he sighed heavily. He had truly hoped to spare Adam from enduring this fiasco.
Once Adam was seated beside his father, the rest of those gathered in the room took their seats. Mira sat beside Adam and squeezed his hand bracingly under the table. Adam didn't look her way but squeezed her hand back.
Randor shifted nervously for a second. Then he took a deep breath and his royal persona fell back into place.
"I assume we all know why we've gathered here?" Randor paused for a moment to scan the faces assembled around the table. He bit back a grimace as he saw Adam's jaw twitching out of the corner of his eyes. Adam knew, all right.
"Aye, we do," began Baron Grod. "All of us are assembled here because we, or some of our citizens, have personally witnessed He-Man saving property, lives, or livelihoods in each of our regions. Some of the witnesses are gathered here as well."
"And more disturbing than seeing He-Man," interrupted Duke Farasin, "are the allegations he is laying against you and your kingdom."
"What allegations?" Adam demanded.
"That your family has aligned itself with Skeletor, and are no longer the good rulers you once were," Duke Sully said in a calm voice. Knowing who He-Man really was, he tried to communicate with his eyes that he was on the family's side, though he did not want to show his hand just yet. Adam must have known, because he relaxed slightly.
Pierce jumped in next. "I, for one, would like to hear the witness accounts."
A sturdy sun-browned man rose at King Randor's nod. "A fire wind was whipping through my fields and my little Janet was in the path of the blaze when He-Man arrived. He blew out the entire firestorm and brought me my child back. He told us that the firestorm was magical. That Skeletor sent it and Randor had allowed it because Skeletor tricked him into thinking he was his brother. He said that His Highness was under the spell of Skeletor now and soon we'd all serve under his rule."
The man had the decency to look unhappy about the news he was sharing but added. "I've seen He-Man before. He came to our village one day and spoke with a little boy. He sure seemed the same."
Cringer paced outside of the meeting chamber. His tail was twitching in an agitated way. First Callie had gone for another walk with that blue-faced villain—who had saved Adam's life, Cringer reminded himself with a low growl--and now he couldn't even curl up at Adam's feet in his office while Adam poured over piles of documents because Adam was in this stupid meeting. Cringer sighed. When he closed his eyes and leaned his head over Adam's boots it was almost as peaceful as Adam's fishing trips.
But lately, Cringer had been unsettled. Like Adam, he was having a hard time dealing with the loss of his alter ego, even though he had professed to hate being Battle Cat from the first day. He sought solace in Adam's company, the two of them often sitting together silently, sometimes alone, sometimes with Callie.
Callie. His mate, who lately had taken it on herself to take long walks with the enemies instead of staying by his side.
Cringer growled under his breath, earning a frightened look from a passing servant. He unsheathed his claws and scraped at the stone floor, his agitation growing as he heard raised voices from within. Something was wrong.
'If you don't stop attacking that floor, someone's going to kick you out of the palace,' Callie teased him, padding up softly beside him.
"S-something bad is happening," he replied with lowered ears as he stared at the door. The "soundproof" door and walls made the voices unclear to him, but the tone still carried through.
Callie licked his face. 'Let's go back to guarding the Syriak,' she suggested.
"S-So you can be close to your new best friend?" accused Cringer, his ears flattened against his skull.
''What are you talking about?' Callie growled softly.
"J-Just the fact that every time I look up lately you are walking with that tr-traitor in p-prince's clothing," snapped Cringer.
'He is NOT my best friend, but he is good. Cringer, I know you've had a very long and bad history with him, but Adam has too, and he's forgiven him. Anger doesn't suit you, my great cat."
"I am n-not angry at him anymore--much anyway. B-but I'm not going to go out of my way to become his new p-pet." Cringer sniffed disdainfully.
'I am nobody's pet! I stay around you because I chose you for my mate even though you are a pet,' Callie returned hotly. 'I walk with those who interest or concern me, and Keldor concerns me. He is a good man trying to do what's right and it is too much for him at times. I know I help him. I like him. And he likes me.'
"G-great!" grumbled Cringer with a soft snarl. "You and that b-brute Panthor can start a fan club for him, but you can c-count me out."
"Well, maybe I will!' Callie hissed. She started to stalk away when a thought struck her. Perhaps there was another way she could help Keldor without making Cringer jealous.
'Who is Panthor?' Callie asked as she strode smoothly to Cringer's side.
Cringer's eyes widened. "Y-you don't know?" He was still annoyed at her, but he decided that he didn't want her to leave, so he motioned for her to follow him.
Callie shook her head in response to his question, even as she padded next to him.
"H-he's a big b-bully of a purple panther that Skeletor used to ride into battle."
'I'll bet he never stood a chance against you,'" Callie said rubbing her cheek next to his.
Cringer purred a bit, his hurt feelings soothed. "Not against B-battle Cat."
'You are Battle Cat, love. He wouldn't have ever existed without you.'
Cringer abruptly sat down and glanced up and down the hallway cautiously. "I w-wouldn't want anyone to know this, b-but..." he trailed off.
'You miss being Battle Cat,' Callie filled in, already knowing because she was sensitive to how he had been feeling.
"N-not being all brave and bold, but the partnership between He-Man and B-Battle Cat," Cringer explained. "I-I felt like that was my purpose in life."
Callie licked his face even more enthusiastically than before. 'You still have Adam. And now you have me as well,' she said to comfort him. The two cats put their heads close together and went to find a cozy place in which to curl up.
Several other witnesses had stood up and given similar accounts of He-Man saving their villages. Adam felt sick to his stomach. The evidence was there...how could he deny it? And to what purpose was this impostor working? Was he evil? If not, why was he speaking against the royal family? The questions swirled in his mind. He caught Randor's worried gaze and saw the same underlying shock in his father's eyes.
"Clearly He-Man is not dead as you led us to believe, King Randor," said Baroness Dalia with a hard look to her perfectly made-up face.
"He-Man is gone," Adam said before he could stop himself. All eyes turned to him as She-Ra and Fisto slipped into the room. 'Oh Ancients, what do I say?' "No one wants to believe otherwise more than I do," he added quietly. "But it is simply not true. This man is an impostor, using He-Man's name and reputation to his own end."
"How convenient," Pierce muttered. "This all has a familiar ring to it--you all claimed the same thing during Prince Adam's trial when he killed Darren."
"And they were right," Mira added firmly.
"And they are right again this time," said She-Ra, stepping forward. "I would know before any of you if there was a chance He-Man was still with us. As it is, Captain Fisto and I have just returned from facing this impostor, and I can assure all of you that whatever that impostor is, it is not my brother."
"Keldor identified the being as something called Faker--a creature he created during his time as Skeletor," reported Fisto.
Adam's head jerked up in horror. "What?"
She-Ra looked at Adam, her brow furrowed. "Faker. Keldor tried to destroy it, but something has reinforced its power, and he can't undo the magics he used to create it."
"Prince Adam, are you all right?" Duke Sully inquired, real concern lacing his voice as he observed Adam's stark-white face.
"I had hoped that creature was destroyed when I--when it fell into the abyss surrounding Grayskull," Adam fumbled, his mind racing ahead. 'That thing was in the abyss all these years, near the source of Grayskull's power?'
Randor and Mira glanced at Adam sharply, surprised at his near-slip.
"He-Man told me of how Faker fell in when it tried to attack him," Randor added to divert attention from Adam. "Being a creature of magic, not nature, I suppose it simply continued to fall until it hit something, then climbed back up."
"Well that certainly sheds new light on things," Mira commented.
"Indeed," Dalia murmured.
"Are you sure this is this Faker?" asked Pierce with concern. "After all the identification came from Keldor." Pierce spat the name and tension spread through the room once again.
She-Ra crossed her arms and pinned him with a hard gaze. "Do you have another explanation, Pierce? Because I know that was not my brother."
"It tried to kill Keldor," Fisto added abruptly. "He-Man never tried to kill anyone."
Several lords looked as if killing Keldor wouldn't be a bad thing.
"No matter how we all feel about Keldor, I must agree with Fisto," Sully chimed in. He met Adam's eyes with a calm assurance. "He-Man valued all life. If this He-Man tried to kill Keldor, then it is not the real He-Man. And if it is not, we must ask ourselves, what is the real reason he is pretending to be?"
"The obvious answer is to discredit the royal family," answered She-Ra. "Something Hutch and Marzo have been trying to do for months."
"But I thought they were destroyed at the battle at Snake Mountain?" asked Baron Grod.
"No, they were not," She-Ra responded, almost regretfully. "Keldor and Lyn sent them to the Valley of Echoes so we could deal with Damien. We had our hands full with him."
"Keldor and Lyn again," Pierce grunted. "It seems to me that much of the trouble is surrounding them. I believe your supposed indebtedness to them for saving Prince Adam's life is clouding your judgment, Randor."
"That's enough of that," Randor said sternly. He placed his hand on the table and stood. "If you want to waste the time of everyone here and find yourself thoroughly embarrassed, I can have Keldor and Lyn summoned and Teela can use the Sword of Truth to prove they are not behind this. I will in fact be happy to do so if it will put these rumors to rest. Do I need to? We know that He-Man would not seek to take a life, and we have She-Ra's word herself that this person is not her brother. I doubt that She-Ra would be mistaken about that. You choose."
The noblemen exchanged glances. "I certainly do not need further proof," Sully said firmly, his sour face challenging those around the table to disagree with him. One by one they nodded their assent.
"Very well," Randor said, relaxing slightly. His eyes grew hard as photanium. "Now then, we need to discuss how to bring this 'He-Man' in for questioning. Only then can we truly deal with this situation."
"You want to arrest He-Man?" Baron Grod asked in disbelief, gaping.
Randor sighed a bit impatiently. "It's not really He-Man," he ground out. "And I seek only an audience with this person. In the past, seeking an audience with the real He-Man was a common practice."
"Perhaps," said Adam, slowly, "this could be the answer. We spread the word that we seek to speak with this 'He-Man.' We will offer a neutral and safe location and make this discussion public. Perhaps then the rest of Eternia can see what these others have."
"But what if this He-Man does pose a threat?" Mira worried aloud. "Does he have, ah, the real He-Man's strength?" All eyes went to She-Ra and Fisto.
She-Ra nodded, her face betraying none of her own misgivings. "Yes. But we'll be ready."