Being an MOTU fan of both the 80s and the 200Xs, I have always had one question that while many on this site have given excellent opinions of...just never satisfied that little bit I can never let go...Why Adam?

I of course do not own, profit, or in anyway shape or form claim He-Man and MOTU as my own...they belong to Mattel and other corporate offices of which I can only dream of working for...

200Xs series as the setting and I am going to go back a bit...

Mystic Wall Eternia +8yrs

Sunlight bathes the green fields and shimmering waters of the plains leading to Eternos. The sky is blue with an inkling of one of the moons not far off in the western sky. All in all a day to be out working, playing, or both. A day of happiness and relaxation...and for most this was entirely true.

The palace shown as the jewel of Eternos, pale spires topped by golden domes reflected the posterity of the kingdom and the peace of the times. It seemed idyllic and even though it was very young, there was little doubt of the stability of Eternos and the seemingly bright future rolling towards all. Again a time of laughter and hope...for most of its citizens.

The one catch in the grand scheme of things, the one hitch in the smoothly running plans of all of it...was Prince Adam. Mostly 8yrs olds are expected to be out raising a ruckus in the street, a field, or even just dirtying the clothes they swore would not get mud on them when they left home. Not Prince Adam...he had to study, or really, be lectured by tutors attempting to teach him the protocols and expectations of the years to come...however the Adam did have one thing going for him...he was very sneaky!

"Adam!...Adam...where are you?" the one person he did not want to see right now, mostly because she was bossy, stubborn, and downright strict even for being 9. She was also the ONLY person who could find him...he would have to figure that out one day.

"Adam...Father wants you to come back...you have to study...Adam?...please?" that was CHEATING...whenever Teela used please in the slightly scared voice he had to come, mostly because she was the only friend he had that did not use the word 'Prince' nor seemed likely to any time soon.

"Fine I am up here Teela," the bright red head of hair came running to his favorite tree by the brook, whoever had planned the palace grounds had left many natural areas for use. He had heard this was a good fishing spot...not that he was that bored!

His blond hair got in his eyes for a second, just long enough for Teela to trip on a root and sprawl into the water. Adam heard her fear as she splashed in the stream, her arms trying desperately to learn to swim...he did not even pause.

He swung down from the branch and leapt into the brook, the pull of the flow was weak but like Teela he had not learned how to swim...but he was a natural. He flung an arm under her flailing arms and dragged her back to the shore...both panting they collapsed barely 20 feet from the tree.

"Don't you dare tell Father you did that! He would have a fit if he knew I put you in danger Adam!" her green eyes bore holes into his glacial ones. The slicked hair, soaked clothes, and blotched face was too much...Adam rolled around laughing until tears came...only Teela would yell at him for saving her!

Feeling a wet lick on his cheek with mewling, Adam opened his eyes to find Cringer looking worried at him, that was how she found him, he would have to make sure Cringer stayed with him from now on.

"Well Teela I will make you a deal, we stay here and relax to dry off and I will not say a word..." Adam smiled at her frustration...a conflict between returning the Prince to her Father and not letting the same person find out she had nearly drown in the most placid brook in all of Eternia...

"Deal!" she finally huffed out and then promptly tackled Adam and tickled him until he surrendered.

Finally the day was looking up!

For a time the two friends with Cringer simply enjoyed the light breeze and glorious day...the near tragedy in the brook however kept bothering Teela. She resolved to learn to swim at the first opportunity, but she could not deny that Adam had saved her with no thought to his own safety.

"Adam...why did you jump in?...I could have hurt you...or taken you with me?" the sudden realization of how close her best friend and she nearly drowning here far from help or discovery...she felt lost and reaching a deeper understanding of how fragile both their lives could be...it was a lot for her young mind to grasp all at once.

"Don't be silly Teela...I could never stand by or ignore someone in need...I mean my tutors bore me to death but I get it...I have to learn and be responsible one day," Adam's eyes took on a far away look and somehow he looked older than he should...but the moment passed and he smiled at his friend's confusion, "Look I may hide here now and again but that is just when it is getting too much...I need time to take have fun...to unwind, to even just not be me for a little while."

Teela did not understand...she looked forward to growing up, she could not wait to follow her father into the guard and become a masterful warrior...but part of what Adam said reached her...he would always be a little goof...but when it counted he would not abandon his friends. For some reason she found this most satisfying but the words for the concept were not in her yet...so she went back to basking in the sunshine and hearing Cringer mew as he chased butterflies around them.

"Promise me something Teela..." Adam was lying on his side and his eyes, normally so bright and care free seemed very serious as he looked into hers. She saw that older look in him again but it just made him more her friend not less, at her nod he continued. "No matter what they try to make me, you will be there to knock me down a rung, or tackle me, or do whatever it is you do...you are my only real friend...I need someone to keep me down here and not always hiding in the trees." He smiled at the last to show a bit of humor, but Teela understood.

"Well how about I become Captain of the Guard and keep you out of trouble that way...so you can't possibly get rid of me!" The thought took root in her as more than a tease...she would guard Adam as he had just saved her, she would learn how to save him. It seemed to be very bright out now and a much happier day. Adam seemed to brighten at the thought of Teela trying to guard him, after all he would be a mighty Prince of Eternos...no mere guard would stop him having fun!

Not far off from the brook, well withing the trees, Man-at-Arms smiled at the children as they proceeded to do mock combat where Teela was a guard and Adam was both attacker and victim. He had almost run out when Teela fell in the brook but the Sorceress had held him back and he had seen the first confirmation of what he had been taught to expect. Adam had not even paused or looked to see where he was going to land, he had simply done what he needed to save his friend. The Elders had not said why Adam would be the hero to come but now Man-at-Arms saw a glimmer of what would be. Not many 8yrs old would hop from a tree branch into a brook to save someone.

Keep watch over him...but let him have this time as well...we cannot influence him too much yet or all may be lost. The Sorceress seemed to sound amused herself, no doubt she was somewhere near watching over Adam and Teela both. Only time would reveal all but Duncan knew that his duty to his King and Grayskull would soon require a great deal more influence on the young prince.