Disclaimer: I don’t own He-Man or She-Ra.
Chapter One- A Sinister Plan
“At last, a plan to capture Grayskull that can’t fail,” Skeletor cackled as he held up a page of parchment.
“We’ve heard that before,” Evil-Lyn whispered to Beast Man.
“What was that, Evil-Lyn?” Skeletor demanded.
“Uh, I said we can’t wait to hear this new plan.”
“Then, listen well for you have a part in this plan. This page contains a spell to combine two magic users’ power together that’ll be strong enough to bring down any magic whether from a person or object. Once memorized, the page must be destroyed or the spell won’t work.”
“Ah, so we use the spell on Grayskull,” Evil-Lyn said, comprehending the spell’s use.
“Not so fast. First, we must memorize it. After that, we need to test it before unleashing it on the Sorceress and Grayskull.” Skeletor laughed evilly and Evil-Lyn joined in.
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The image of Skeletor and Evil-Lyn laughing faded to blank glass and the Sorceress lowered her hand.
“This is most troublesome,” she said softly. “A spell of this magnitude would certainly defeat me and Grayskull.”
“Indeed,” said the Spirit of Grayskull. “There is a spell to defeat theirs as well as wipe it from their minds, but it will require stronger magic than you have now.”
Sorceress kept her face expressionless, but inwardly she was very worried. It would seem as if Skeletor would succeed this time.
As if sensing her thoughts, the Spirit added, “All is not lost. There is a way: Teela.”
“My daughter?”
“Correct. You could teach her a spell to lend her magic to you, enabling you to defeat Skeletor.”
“In order to do that, wouldn’t that require Teela to know that I’m her mother? I know the spell you speak of and it only works if the two have a family link known to both.”
“Yes. It is time for her to know her mother, but that is not all. After Skeletor is defeated, she will be the new Sorceress of Grayskull.”
The Sorceress gave a small gasp. “Her destiny is calling to her already? I did not think it would be so soon.”
“It is time. I will contact her to come to Grayskull now and you start looking over the two spells that are required.”
“Very well, Spirit.” The Sorceress rose and headed for the library, knowing that these would be the last spells she would research.
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Teela examined the obstacle course with an expert eye. Everything was set up as it should be. She only hoped that Adam could get through it without tripping. Of course, I’ll give him another demonstration of how easy it is.
She turned to see the prince eyeing the setup warily. She understood why: How many times had Adam failed to get this right? More times than she could remember, that’s for sure.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m going to show you again, how it’s done.”
“But Teela, we went through this several times yesterday,” Adam protested.
“And we’ll do it again today and even tomorrow until you get it right,” she countered.
Teela steadied herself at the start line and was about to launch into the obstacles she knew so well, when a deep voice said, “Teela.”
“Huh? Who’s there?”
“Teela.” The image of a head appeared in mid-air.
“Spirit of Grayskull,” she gasped.
“Teela, the Sorceress needs you at Grayskull immediately.”
“Of course. I’ll leave at once.”
The image faded just before Man-At-Arms came running into the courtyard. “Teela, we need you to lead the guards to one of our mountain villages to evacuate it. A dam is about to burst and it may touch off a rock slide.”
“But the Spirit of Grayskull said I’m needed at Grayskull right away.”
“Duncan, I could go find He-Man,” Adam offered.
“Fine. Adam, go find He-Man and Teela head for Grayskull.”
“Right.” Teela took off for the launch bay while Adam and Cringer went for a secluded spot to transform.
I wonder why the Sorceress wants to see me. I would rather go with Father to help that nearby village, but the Spirit of Grayskull said I must go to see Sorceress at once.
It turns out that Teela found a free Sky Sled just past the courtyard and decided to take it. She was about to hop onto her Sky Sled when she heard Adam’s voice say, “By the Power of Grayskull!” Curious, she peered behind a bush and saw an astonishing sight.
Prince Adam, cowardly Prince Adam transformed into He-Man! Her astonishment grew even more when she saw Cringer transform into Battle Cat!
Stunned, she got back on her vehicle and took off. Her mind was awhirl. Adam was He-Man! All this time and he never told her! Why? This question chased itself around in her head as she flew to Grayskull. Her mind kept replaying the scene she had just seen over and over and each time she felt awe at what she had witnessed. She was soon within range of Castle Grayskull and as the jawbridge lowered, she pushed thoughts of Adam to the back of her mind. She would talk to Adam about his secret later. She walked inside the castle, wondering why the Sorceress wanted to see her and knowing that she would soon find out.
Chapter Two- A Secret and a Destiny Revealed
“Teela, the time of your special destiny has arrived,” the Sorceress declared.
“My special destiny?” Teela repeated.
“Yes. The time has also come to know your mother.”
Excitement welled up inside the young woman. She had wanted to know her mother for years and now the moment had finally arrived.
“Please, Sorceress. Tell me who my mother is.”
“I…am your mother, my daughter.”
“You? Why did you never tell me?”
“It was necessary to keep it a secret. If any of our enemies knew you were my daughter…”
“They would use me to get you to surrender Castle Grayskull.”
“Correct.”
“That plan wouldn’t last long. He-Man would rush to save me.” The thought of He-Man reminded Teela of what she had seen earlier. “Mother, I saw Adam become He-Man before coming here. Why didn’t he tell me?”
“For the same reason why I never told you that I’m your mother.
“And now for the other reason I called you here. Skeletor is planning to unleash an unusually powerful spell on Grayskull; one that I alone cannot defeat. The time has come for you to take my place as the Guardian of Grayskull.”
Teela was stunned at this pronouncement. “Me? Become the Sorceress?”
“Not right away, my daughter. For now, I will teach you magic so that together we can defeat Skeletor’s spell. Afterwards, you will indeed take my place and I will continue to instruct you, though I will have no magic.”
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Teela returned to the palace some time later with magical knowledge swirling within her head. She silently repeated everything she had learned, knowing that in a few hours or days she would need to use it to defeat Skeletor. The Sorceress didn’t know the exact nature of the spell the two of them would face nor how long it would take Skeletor to learn and test it. Obviously, their enemy would test it before using it on Grayskull; anyone would test a new weapon or magical item to make sure it didn’t backfire in some way.
She also wanted to confront Adam over what she had seen, but the Sorceress cautioned her against such an action. She did tell her that Orko and her adopted father, Man-At-Arms, knew Adam’s secret. Teela decided not to confront the prince. Instead, she decided to give Adam a training lesson as soon as she found him.
About fifteen minutes later, Teela and Adam faced one another armed with a sword and a shield each. As they fenced, Teela realized something that she hadn’t before: Adam’s sword was the same one that He- Man used. I can’t believe I never noticed that before. How could I have been so naďve? The two of them continued to train for an hour before a weary Adam started to walk away.
“Adam, where are you going? We just got started,” Teela scolded.
Adam gave a weary sigh. “I’m done for the day.”
“Now, come on Adam. I know you can do more. There’s a reserve of strength and energy inside you that you haven’t tapped yet. You need to tap it now. I won’t be able to be your bodyguard forever.”
Adam whirled around and stared at her. He was surprised to hear Teela speak like that; it was almost as if the Sorceress was speaking through her. He considered her words before raising his sword and shield. “Okay. You say I have an untapped reserve. Well, let’s tap it.”
Teela smiled as the two continued the lesson. That plan worked perfectly. She had been bursting to say she knew the prince’s secret, but refrained from saying it out loud- at least in the blunt sense. By saying he had a hidden reserve, she hinted she knew his secret and that she would soon be fulfilling her destiny as the new Sorceress of Grayskull- not that he was aware of that. She showed him new maneuvers that she felt he was ready to learn. He actually seemed eager to learn these new moves and as he practiced them, Teela could almost see He-Man before her instead of the prince. I was so oblivious to so much, but now my eyes are open and I see everything differently. I wonder when Skeletor will attack. Will it be soon or not for some time?
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A glowing jewel lay behind a protective shield that thus far no one and nothing could penetrate. That was something that Skeletor intended to correct. The jewel wasn’t magical; it was simply rare and valuable. It was the shield that he wanted to bring down- with the spell that he and Evil-Lyn had practiced for two days until the chant was word for word perfect in their recitations. Once the spell was in their minds, Skeletor burned the page so that the spell would work. Now, he and Evil-Lyn stood before the jewel’s shield. Skeletor held out his hand and Evil-Lyn put her hand in his.
They began to chant and a bright red beam shot from their joined hands and struck the shield which sparked and flared as it fought back against the beam. The Evil Warrior continued to chant and the beam grew brighter and wider. The shield sparked furiously before it dissolved in a loud explosion that sent Skeletor and Evil-Lyn onto their backs. Skeletor was on his feet first and he approached the jewel, his hands outstretched in case he came into contact with the shield. There was no resistance as Skeletor reached the jewel and held it up in his hands.
He laughed. “We did it, Evil-Lyn! The spell works! Let us rest for tomorrow we will conquer Grayskull!”
His laughing image faded from the Window of Spirits. The Sorceress spread her arms. “The time has come. Skeletor will attack tomorrow. I must summon Teela now so that we too can prepare.” She transformed into Zoar and flew out of the castle.
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Teela was practicing her fighting skills as well as her agility when she heard a sound overhead. Teela looked up to see an orange falcon circling overhead: An orange falcon who looked like the costume the Sorceress wore! Again, Teela marveled at how oblivious she had been to not have caught on before.
Teela, I need you at Grayskull. Skeletor will be attacking tomorrow.
The young woman realized that the Sorceress had just spoken to her through telepathy. She kept her focus on the falcon and said, “I hear you, Mother. I’m on my way.” She headed to the landing pad and jumped onto a Sky Sled while Zoar flew back to Grayskull. Teela arrived at the castle at the same time as the falcon and flew her Sled inside and landed it next to the drawbridge as it cycled closed. She rushed to the throne room in time to see the falcon turn back into the Sorceress. She smiled at her daughter for a moment before adopting a business-like tone.
“The time has come. Skeletor has tested his spell and is ready to use it. From what I’ve managed to learn, he and Evil-Lynn will both chant the spell that will strengthen their magic that would overpower my own. The knowledge I have taught you will be of tremendous use as it will unlock your own magical energy and will lend itself to me in order to defeat both Skeletor and Evil-Lynn.”
“What’s to stop them from using it again?” Teela asked.
“Our combined power will overwhelm them and the spell’s chant resides solely in their minds now. The chant will be wiped from their minds due to the immensity of our power.”
Teela was amazed at her mother’s knowledge of the spell. How did she learn all this? Perhaps, she soared over Snake Mountain as the falcon. It certainly sounded like a great way to gather information.
“Now, let us practice and prepare for Skeletor’s attack. Tomorrow, when Skeletor comes, I will contact Adam through telepathy so that He-Man and Battlecat can help to drive Skeletor away after we defeat him.”
Telepathy. I would love to learn that handy skill. Perhaps, Mother or the Spirit can teach me, the young woman thought as she followed her mother into the laboratory to continue their practice and begin preparation for battle.
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“Sorceress, this time I will conquer Grayskull!” Skeletor declared the next day. “Your magic is useless now. Even He-Man can’t save you!”
“No, Skeletor,” Sorceress replied calmly from the window. “You won’t succeed. Not now or ever.”
“That’s what you think. Evil-Lyn.” The blue-skinned villain held out his hand and Evil-Lyn placed her hand in it. They raised their joined hands and began to chant.
Teela, out of sight, knew that was her cue. She slipped her hand into her mother’s and chanted the words she had been taught to lend her magic to help the Sorceress. She felt a bit light-headed as her magic flowed out of her, but she shook it off and continued the chant.
Sorceress felt strong magic flow into her while Teela chanted out of sight. Their powers were melding together and she prayed it would be enough. Yes, she had sounded confident when relaying the plan, but she had been concerned that Skeletor would triumph.
Sorceress raised her hand and it glowed with a brighter yellow than normal. The glow intensified and she saw her enemies drop their hands and use both hands to shield their eye from the light. Sorceress concentrated on the spell she needed and the light in her palm shot out and hit Skeletor and Evil-Lyn with enough force to knock them on their backs. At that moment, He-Man came charging up on Battle Cat which caused the evil warriors to flee.
She felt Teela’s hand slide out of hers and she turned in time to catch her daughter as she slumped down. She scooped up the semi-unconscious young woman and carried her to her bedchamber. She laid her on the bed and was about to leave when Teela murmured, “Mother.”
“Hush, my daughter,” said the Sorceress gently as she stroked her hair. “Skeletor has been defeated and you need to rest; lending your magic to me has exhausted you. Sleep now and when you awake, we will start the transfer of guardianship.”
Teela nodded and dropped off to sleep, knowing that her destiny was finally here.
Chapter Three- The Transfer
The Sorceress raised her arms and called, “Spirit of Grayskull, the time has come for my daughter, Teela, to succeed me as the Guardian of Grayskull. Let the transference of magic commence!”
“So it shall be done,” the Spirit replied.
White light formed around the Sorceress and glowing brighter with each passing second. Teela shielded her eyes from the glare. The light soon became a pillar of energy that rose out of the Sorceress and descended on Teela. The young woman felt the energy seeping into every fiber of her being and knowledge she had never know before was pouring into her mind. Soon, the light faded and Teela opened her eyes to see her mother looking the same as she did moments before. She looked down to see herself wearing the same costume as her mother and knowing that from this moment on she was the Sorceress and could be Teela no longer.
“Teela Na,” the Spirit said. “Someone must go to the palace to tell Man-At-Arms and Adam that the transfer has taken place. The Sorceress does not know how to use telepathy or become Zoar yet. I will instruct her in the use of telepathy. Can I ask you to go to the palace to tell them?”
“Yes, of course, Spirit.” She gave the Sorceress a kiss on the cheek. “I will return soon, my daughter.”
Teela Na was a bit nervous as she piloted her daughter’s Sky Sled toward the palace, yet she knew what she needed to say. It feels strange not to have to rely on a crystal to maintain my human form as is having my true name back. I do feel a bit guilty that my daughter had to take my place though I knew that one day it would eventually come to pass.
Teela Na landed the Sky Sled and paused to look around. She was so accustomed to flying around in order to find Duncan or Adam that having to do so on foot was a bit disconcerting. She heard footsteps and turned around to see Duncan behind her with a surprised look on his face.
“Sorceress?” he asked.
The former guardian shook her head before replying, “I am the Sorceress no longer. I am Teela Na. My daughter has taken over my duties as Guardian of Castle Grayskull.”
Man-At-Arms was taken aback. “So soon? But why?”
“I had sensed that the time was drawing close, particularly when I learned of Skeletor’s plan. The new Sorceress has much to learn and I offered to come here to break the news to you and Adam before I return to Grayskull to act as an advisory in magic.”
“Well, don’t let me delay you to going back to help the Sorceress. I’ll tell Adam for you.”
“I thank you Man-At-Arms. Goodbye and I promise to visit from time to time.”
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Adam gaped at Man-At-Arms, hardly believing what he was hearing. Teela was the Sorceress now and the former Sorceress was going by her true name now. This knowledge made Adam aware that Teela now knew his secret and the fact that he had never told her. But, surely she also knew why he didn’t tell her.
“Adam, are you all right?” came Man-At-Arms’s voice, sounding a little distant.
Adam shook his head slightly before saying, “Yeah, I’m all right. It’s just a shock hearing all this. I didn’t realize that the time had come already.”
“I know. It was a shock to me as well.”
“It is kind of nice that Teela, er I mean, the Sorceress now knows my secret and why I didn’t tell her.”
“Not just your secret, but Adora’s as well.”
“Hey, you’re right. Adora should know there’s a new Sorceress. Perhaps, she’ll learn to contact my sister.”
“I have a feeling her mother is instructing her in that right now.”
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“That’s right, Sorceress. Now, concentrate on Adora while calling her name.”
“Adora…Adora,” Sorceress chanted as she stood in front of the Window of Spirits with her hands clasped at head level. It felt strange to be addressed as Sorceress, but she knew she would eventually become accustomed to the title. She pushed this thought aside as she continued her efforts to contact Adam’s sister.
Her efforts paid off as the mirror shimmered and Adora’s face appeared in the glass. Her blue eyes looked puzzled as she looked at the Sorceress. “Teela?” Adora asked, puzzlement also evident in her voice.
Sorceress shook her head. “I’m not Teela anymore. I am the new Sorceress and I was urged to call you to tell you this and that I now know that you are also She-Ra.”
“You’re not angry that I never told you, right?”
“Correct. I’m not mad at you or Adam. I understand why both of you kept your secrets.”
Adora smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. I-,” Suddenly the sound of explosions was heard and Adora looked behind her before facing the mirror again. “I’m afraid I have to go. Hordak is attacking.”
“Goodbye, Adora and good luck.” The Rebel Leader’s image vanished and the Window was an ordinary mirror again.
Chapter Four- Proposal and Wedding
“Adam, you will be king one day. I believe the time has come for you to choose your royal consort,” Randor declared three days after Teela Na visited.
Adam stared at his father in surprise. Choose a consort now, of all times? He saw Duncan recoil slightly from surprise as well. He had been hoping that Teela would be Adam’s consort despite her destiny of being the new Sorceress. A bit foolish of me to think that Teela could eventually be queen of Eternia when she was to be the Sorceress. I wonder if Adam had considered Teela.
The prince was staring at the steps to the thrones, appearing to be in deep thought. It’s not like I didn’t know this was coming. It’s just I didn’t expect it to come so soon. I had thought of asking Teela, but that’s no longer possible. I know Mother and Father would have approved of her; I must choose someone else and I think I know who.
Adam raised his eyes. “Father, I didn’t expect to have to choose so soon although I did have a few options to choose. After some thought, I decided to go with a friend of Adora’s.”
“One of Adora’s friends?” Randor was intrigued. Who could have captured his son’s interest? “Who is she, Adam?”
“She is Queen Castaspella of Mystacor.”
“Queen Castaspella? She rules alone?”
“Yes, Father. I met her once and she seemed interested in me and I was also interested in her. If she had a husband, I suspect I would have met him.”
“Well said, son. I approve.” He glanced at Marlene, who nodded. “We approve,” he amended. “I suggest you find a way to contact her and ask if she will be your consort, or rather, fiancé. I expect you to come back when you receive an answer.”
“Yes, Father. I’ll do that right away.” Adam left the room with Man-At-Arms right behind him. “Duncan, you know I would have ask the Sorceress if she hadn’t already fulfilled her destiny.”
“I know, Adam.” As the two men climbed into a Wind Raider, he added. “I assume we’re going to Grayskull to contact your fiancé?”
“Right.”
“And on the way there, you can tell me about this Castaspella. How did the two of you meet?”
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Sorceress was concentrating on the orb, just as she did when she was substituting, only this time she was having no trouble focusing on the different areas of Eternia. She turned her thoughts to the front of the castle and saw a Wind Raider with Adam and Man-At-Arms in it heading for the drawbridge. She sent the orb away with a wave of her hand and waved her other arm to lower the bridge and waited for her visitors.
She kept her voice calm and pleasant as she greeted them. “Adam, Man-At-Arms. What a nice surprise. How can I help you?”
“Sorceress, I need to contact Etheria,” Adam said.
“Of course, Adam. Do you wish to speak with Adora?” Sorceress asked as she led them to the Window of Spirits.
“Actually, it’s one of her friends. Queen Castaspella of Mystacor.”
Adam’s request threw her off slightly, but she didn’t allow this to show. Instead she said, “Very well.” She stood before the Window and chanted Castaspella’s name as she had done for Adora. The glass shimmered and the queen of Mystacor appeared. Adam suspected that she was looking into her mystic pool to speak to them.
Castaspella smiled at the prince. “Adam, how lovely to see you again. What can I do for you?”
“My father has told me that I must choose a royal consort whom I will marry one day. I thought about it and well…Castaspella, will you marry me?”
Castaspella’s blue eyes widened in surprise and shock at the question before a beaming smile came to her face. “Oh, Adam, I am flattered. Yes, I will.”
“Wonderful. I’ll let my parents know. Oh, Adora should know too.”
“I will tell her.”
“Thanks, Castaspella.”
“Oh, no trouble at all, dear.” The Window shimmered and became an ordinary glass again.
Adam turned away from the mirror and saw surprise flicker across the Sorceress’s face before she smiled warmly. “Congratulations, Adam. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, Sorceress. We have to go so I can tell my parents that Castaspella accept my proposal.”
“Of course. Goodbye.” Sorceress continued to smile as her friend and father left the castle. Once they were out of sight, she let the smile slip and felt tears burn behind her eyes. She had wanted to be Adam’s consort, but instead he chose someone else, and a queen at that!
Teela Na stepped up beside her daughter and pulled her into a comforting hug. “I know you’re upset,” she said soothingly. “But, you couldn’t be queen of Eternia and the Sorceress of Grayskull.”
Sorceress blinked back her tears before answering, “I know you’re right, Mother. I do enjoy being the Sorceress and I know I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“That’s the spirit. Besides, think of Adam. He has a secret you know that he can’t tell his fiancé.”
Sorceress chuckled. “That’s true. May we study some more magic? I would like to learn to change to a falcon so I can observe Adam’s wedding when that day arrives.”
“I would be happy to teach you and it’s not at all difficult.” The two women headed for the laboratory to begin another lesson.
Zoar soared through the sky, months later, enjoying the freedom of flight as much as she did the first time she flew. She circled above a brightly-colored, decorated courtyard where the wedding would take place. She could see from her height, people gathered outside the wall near the courtyard. She didn’t see the royal family, her father, or the bride. Am I early as the people are? she wondered.
The blast of wedding trumpet almost startled her and sent her flying away. She quickly got a hold of herself before looking for a place to land. She found a spot on the wall where she could watch the proceedings and not be spotted. It would seem I am just in time.
The king and queen appeared first, followed by her father and Adam and then Castaspella and Adora. It was clear that the bride and groom were the happiest people in the courtyard, perhaps the happiest on the planet.
Adam and Castaspella stood before the king and queen and Adam gazed at his bride before lifting his eyes slightly to look at the partially concealed falcon on the wall.
She stared back before tapping her telepathy. “Hello, Adam. I wanted to be present on this happy day.”
“Hello, Zoar,” Adam replied. “I’m glad you came. It mean a lot to me.”
“My pleasure.”
