Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter five of "To the Sea." This chapter introduces Randor and Marlena. It is quite rare to see He-man/She-ra fics where they are grandparents. I feel it is important to show them spending time with Apollo. Stay tuned for chapter five.

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Chapter 5: Of Grandparents and Their Grandson

Randor stood at the third-floor window overlooking the stable an hour later. He had his hands behind his back. He observed Adam and Adora having a playful sword fight using sticks. Adam poked his sister the shoulder with his. She growled in mock annoyance. She gave him a poke to his stomach with hers. They smiled at each other and crossed their sticks. They proceeded to fight again.

Randor looked around the room. The room happened to be large with blue walls and a white tile floor. The floor was mostly covered by a squared-shaped blue rug. It contained a couch, a rectangular-shaped glass table, and three chairs. Various toys could be seen on the rug, including a stuffed white tiger. A picture of two tigers fighting hung close to the window.

He looked over his shoulder at Marlena, who was seated on the floor with Apollo and Madame Razz. Kowl floated next to her. Apollo placed a building block in front of him. He clapped three times before placing his hands over his mouth. Madame Razz stacked another one on top of it. His grandmother followed suit with one more. Kowl came next with one. They continued stacking the blocks.

He couldn't help but smile as he turned back to the window. He enjoyed peaceful moments like this. He wished they could happen all the time, but he knew that was impossible with Skeletor on the loose. He wondered when the war against him would end. It had been raging on for years with seemingly no end in sight. However, he felt some comfort as the war against Hordak was drawing closer to the end. That meant his daughter, her husband, and their son would be home permanently.

His thoughts shifted to Adam and Adora. He felt fortunate to see them have play fights like their current one. He wished he could have seen that when they were children. He cursed Hordak for stealing his daughter from him and his wife. He hoped that monster would be permanently banished to a place that was impossible to escape from, even with powerful magic. He considered that justice in his eyes.

He started thinking about Adam and Teela. He felt so much joy that his son finally found someone to love. He never considered for a second it would be with his bodyguard. He hoped they would consider having children soon. At the same time, he was content with his grandson, who reminded him so much of Adam when he was a toddler. He remembered Adam having the same accomplishments and frustrations toddlers often had.

Randor snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a loud crash. He blinked three times as he looked over his shoulder to see a long line of blocks laying on the floor. Apollo clapped five times before placing his hands over his mouth. Kowl landed on the floor next to him. He placed his hands on his side and looked at him while emitting a soft chuckle.

"I think we stacked that tower a little too high," Kowl said and crossed his arms.

"Yeah. Tower went boom!" Apollo said while throwing his hands upward.

"Of course, there were no real explosions," Madame Razz pointed out as she gathered the blocks with Marlena and Apollo's help.

"This reminds me of when I used to play Jenga with my friends back on Earth," Marlena said, a smile forming on her face.

"What's Jenga, Grammy?" Apollo asked.

Marlena laughed warmly. "Jenga was a tower made of blocks with three forming each part. They went in different directions to maintain stability. Each player took a block and stacked it on top. The higher the tower went, the more unstable it became. Whoever made it fall down had to build the next one."

"Wow," Kowl responded.

"Stability is very important in this universe of ours," Randor said, going over to Apollo and squatting next to him. "Like the tower you, your grandmother, and your friends built, it does not last forever. It does require work to be maintained."

"You never know when you will lose it," Madame Razz added.

"True, Madame Razz," Randor agreed and glanced at his grandson. "You want to go watch your mom and uncle?"

Apollo squealed. "Yeah!"

Randor picked up Apollo gently. He rose to his full height with a loud grunt. He headed over to the window. They could see Adora pushing Adam's stick down with hers. Adam twirled around and knocked hers out of her hand. Apollo squealed and clapped twice.

"Uncle Adam beat Mommy!" Apollo blurted out in delight.

"Yes, he did," Randor agreed and patted the boy's back. "They've been working very hard to clean up the stable and the surrounding area after last night's storm. They decided to use this moment to play around."

"Storm was loud and woke me up, Grampy," Apollo said.

"It woke many people in the palace up. I have no idea how I slept through all that," Randor said with a chuckle.

"I don't know I slept through that either," Marlena commented while going to his side.

"It left a huge mess, but teamwork made the cleanup go a bit faster," Randor pointed out and patted his grandson's stomach. "Of course, Lisa had to go poking a few people with a bush branch." He shook his head in disbelief. "That girl is full of mischief."

"Apollo can be quite the mischief maker," Marlena said and pinched the boy's cheek. "Yes, he can."

"Hold me, Grammy," Apollo said while holding out his arms.

"Sure," Marlena said, taking him from her husband. She bounced him a little bit, making him laugh. "You like that, huh?"

"Yep!" Apollo said, holding his nose upward.

"Don't hold that nose so high, little man," Randor scolded playfully. "You will drown if it rains."

"I will hold it as high as I want!" Apollo declared. "Yep, yep, yep!"

Marlena ruffled Apollo's hair. She laughed lightly at his swatting her hand aside. He laid his head on her shoulder. She rubbed his back in a light manner. Randor tried not to smile, but he couldn't help herself.

"The joys of grandparenthood never get old," Marlena said sweetly.

"No, they do not," Randor agreed. "Of course, I do not like changing smelly diapers."

"No parent or grandparent does," Marlena responded.

"I always thought Adam would be the first of the twins to have a child. Adora beat him to the punch," Randor commented, looking out the window. "I want Adam and Teela to have a child soon. He is the heir to the throne after all."

"They haven't discussed it yet. It is best not to rush them," Marlena said in a gentle voice.

"I understand what you are saying, but he is past his mid-twenties. Most princes have had at least one child by age twenty-one," Randor pointed out truthfully.

Marlena sighed softly. "I know. You should remember either of them may not be able to have children. They could adopt a child. That would not make it any less of an heir."

Randor put his arm around her shoulder. "That is true. I have no doubt Apollo would love to have a cousin to play with. Isn't that right, little man?"

Randor became confused when he heard nothing. He glanced at Apollo, who was asleep against Marlena's shoulder. He couldn't help but chuckle as she patted his back.

"All that talking we did must have worn Apollo out," Randor said.

"It's time for this guy's nap," Marlena said. "I will put him to bed."

He gave her a small hug. "I hope he does not sleep for very long. He is going horseback riding with his parents in the Evergreen Forest."

She laughed. "I will make sure he is up by early afternoon."

Randor observed Marlena walking away. He shifted his attention back to the window. He watched Adam and Adora have another play fight with their sticks.

00000

Marlena reached Apollo's fourth-floor room within eight minutes. She approached the crib and laid him down in it gently. She pulled the blanket over him. She spotted his stuffed brown bear in the corner. She picked it up and placed it beside him under the blanket. She folded her arms and laid them on the rim.

Marlena looked around the room. The room was medium-sized. It had gray walls with splotches of light gray all over them. Red carpet covered the entire floor. A rocking chair was set next to the window. The changing table was close to it, as was the diaper disposal bin. She heard knocking and turned to see Duncan standing in the doorway. Orko was floating next to him.

"Hello, Man-at-Arms, Orko. It's good to see you," Marlena greeted in a warm voice.

"Hello, Your Majesty. It's good to see you too," Duncan responded, coming to her side along with the Trollan. "So, Apollo has decided to take a nap."

"He fell asleep on my shoulder while Randor and I were talking," Marlena said, a chuckle coming from her.

"Aw. He looks so peaceful," Orko cooed while clasping his hands together.

"He sure does," Duncan agreed and grabbed the rim. "Before long, he will be sleeping in an actual bed."

"That could take him some getting used to. Lisa was scared of her first bed," Orko said honestly.

"Most toddlers are, Orko," Duncan murmured. "It is important parents teach their children that changes may seem scary, but they are good for them."

"Randor and I had to fight to keep Adam in his first bed. He did not want to sleep in it and kept begging for his crib," Marlena commented.

"He is as stubborn now as he was back then. I don't think that part of him will ever be changed," Duncan admitted while crossing his arms.

"Adora shares the same stubbornness as Adam does. They get it from their parents," Orko added.

"Sometimes, it pays to be stubborn. A person should never give up in succeeding unless they are sure they have done their best and can go no further," Duncan explained.

"I can safely say I am stubborn with my magic. I won't give up until it works," Orko said with much pride.

"That's good, Orko," Duncan replied. "Of course, you can rest for a while and try again later."

Orko nodded in agreement. He, Duncan, and Marlena observed Apollo rubbing his eye and stirring in his sleep. The boy did not wake up. He moved his head slightly to the side.

"I hope Apollo and Lisa take well to Ellie when she gets here," Duncan whispered and uncrossed his arms. He propped his head up with his elbow.

"I did not know Ellie for very long, but she was the sweetest girl. She enjoyed laughing at my magic going wrong. She thought it was entertaining," Orko said, forming fists and placing them on his sides.

"I remember when you snapped your fingers and accidentally made two pies appear above my head. They splattered all over me," Duncan mumbled with a roll of his eyes.

Orko put his hands behind his back. "Ellie found that funny."

"So did the rest of us," Marlena said, warmth echoing her voice. "Sometimes, the craziest things can be the funniest."

"So true," Duncan agreed. "I wonder if Ellie had any boyfriends while she was living on her farm."

"She probably did," Orko said, giving a shrug. "Who knows?"

Marlena pressed his lips together. "I am sure she will tell us. There is a chance she still has a crush on my son."

"But Adam is with Teela now. He noticed Ellie's crush, but he was never really interested in her," Duncan pointed out matter-of-factly.

"That may be, but crushes can linger for years. They can't be forced to go away," Marlena murmured.

Duncan sighed. "You are right."

Duncan, Orko, and Marlena watched Apollo turn on his side and grab the bear. The boy returned to his back with a soft sigh. He twitched his nose before licking his lips.

"It's such a joy being a grandparent," Marlena said happily. "I enjoy spoiling my grandson."

"Of course, he does not act spoiled at all," Orko added.

"I hope to become a grandfather soon myself," Duncan said and cupped his chin in his hand. "I would love for Adam and Teela's first child to be a girl. I want to spoil her to no end."

"The downsides to babies are spitting up, drooling, and changing their dirty diapers. Apollo can really stink up a room," Orko mumbled annoyingly while waving his hand in front of his face.

"Sometimes, we are given the baby version of a shower from him," Duncan grumbled and shook his head in disbelief. "It stinks."

"Girls don't do that. They are not made for it," Orko commented and touched his hat.

"They can still stink up a room. Lisa did that a lot when she was a baby," Duncan said, looking at him.

"Lisa pulled on everything within reach when she was a year old. So did Apollo at the same age. I still remember them pulling on my ears," Orko said, touching his ears. "Ouch."

"That does not hurt as much as hair, mustaches, and beards being pulled," Duncan said and cleared his throat.

"I know," Orko agreed. "Anyway, it always a joy to have Lisa and Apollo around. They are such good kids."

"We must always make the most of their visits. They do not come here very often," Duncan said, sighing heavily. "Their parents are busy fighting to free Etheria from the Horde."

"That war has been harder than the one here. It is all because Etheria was already conquered. We've done well in keeping Skeletor from conquering Eternia," Orko explained.

"You have to admire him. He does not give up easily," Duncan whispered with a shake of his head. "He is still not one to be trusted."

"You got that right," Orko agreed. "He is a bully."

Duncan nodded in agreement. He placed his hands behind his back and clicked his tongue three times. Apollo emitted a soft sigh.

"Bullies do not have to be magical. They can be ordinary people," Marlena responded.

"Bullying does not just consist of the physical. It consists of the emotional too," Orko said, sadness lining his voice.

"Boys prefer physical bullying. Girls prefer emotional bullying," Duncan answered.

Orko held up a finger. "We must teach Apollo and Lisa it is not okay to bully other kids."

Duncan inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "Right."

Duncan, Marlena, and Orko glanced down at Apollo. They watched him twitch his nose and mouth.