Here they now stood, amongst the beauty of the Preternia forests, each at a crossroads, both thought they had moved on, both thought they had made peace with where fate had placed them, but seeing one another again opened up wounds that were still so fresh and tender.

Adam had interrupted a moment of contemplation for Teela, where she was letting frustration and anxiety boil over, she did not want Adam to see it, but he was always so concerned for her emotional and mental state, he could not help but intervene.

He offered words of comfort, Teela didn't want to hear it, she knew where the conversation was turning towards, and the inevitable was too heartbreaking to contemplate.

"You died on us Adam, and I couldn't mourn, so just, please, let me be angry"

"I...I understand Teela, I should never have hidden myself from you, you were always so honest and open about your feelings, and me? All I did was abuse your honesty" Adam said, resigned to the loss of trust in his friend, or so it appeared.

But Teela's response surprised him.

"It's not anger at you, its anger at me, at how selfish I am...you sacrificed everything to preserve Eternia, and I didn't even stop to consider that. And now here we are, and all I can think of is what happens when our precious little time here runs out, if you could, if you wanted to, you could leave Preternia with us, take back the sword, become He-Man again...but why would you ever leave? Its paradise, and you would dammit, you'd leave in the rhythm of a heartbeat, just to make sure mine beats again"

Adam placed his hand on Teela's broad shoulders, she clasped it with her own, she raised the hand ever more closely to her cheek and gently stroked it along her face.

"You would leave with us Adam, and even if you didn't, I can't bear to say goodbye. I'm angry at myself, at this situation, there's no way either of us can win. Come with us, and I might lose you again, I failed to protect you back at Grayskull, that's why I left the palace, why I cut myself off from everyone I ever cared about, Cringer was right, I ran away. They entrusted me with your life, and even with all that power, it wasn't enough to keep you safe...but I could have Adam, and I failed you, I failed your family, I failed myself"

Adam turned Teela's face to his, his eyes like delicate lights penetrating her inner doubt and darkness

"You have never failed Eternia Teela, in coming here, your party has united the forces of Snake Mountain and of Grayskull, that's something I could never achieve in all the wars I waged with Skeletor, you came here to re-forge the sword of power, you answered the call of a protector, because that's who you are Teela"

"I can't say goodbye to you Adam, you were taken too soon, I said so little when my heart meant to say a lot more, let me say them to you now, with the only appropriate language"

Teela wrapped her arms around Adam and pressed her lips to his. Adam blushed, but all too quickly realised the language he was learning.

The language of love.