Chapter Eleven: "The Origin of Snout Spout"
She watched with an uncertain emotion as Adam and Kathryn cuddled on a bench beneath the late summer sun. Teela felt a tug of jealous and was shocked by it. Adam was her best friend . . . and here was Kathryn stealing him from her. Not that she didn't like Kathryn. That was the hard part, too. She actually liked Kathryn.
Everyone liked Kathryn.
The Royal family liked Kathryn. The Royal Council liked Kathryn. The citizens liked Kathryn. Even Duncan liked Kathryn. And why not? She was down-to-Eternia, grassroots. A farmers daughter - and with most of the population of Eternos being farmers (living in the Fertile Plains and all), most everyone could relate to her. And that didn't threaten her at all.
What did threaten was something that happened a day earlier, which - much to her surprise - was the fact that she about decked of the royal maids when they said: "She would make a good queen!"
And that didn't make any sense!
Could this jealously be something similar to what happened a year previous, in the Ice Mountains. She was madly in love with He-Man, but had irresponsibly projected those feelings onto Adam. Could she be doing that now? She hadn't spoken with He-Man in quite some time, but was well aware of the fact that he was not interested in her and any interest that he did have, he couldn't tell her. Was she putting that rejection onto Adam?
Why in the world would she do that? She asked herself that same thing a year ago.
It's not like Adam and He-Man were the same person.
Teela sighed and leaned against the pole as both Adam and Kathryn's cuddling began making out. In the span of a second, they were kissing and necking.
"Ugh," Teela said to herself. "Adam, no one wants to see that."
Teela walked off, looking for something to do. With most of the reconstruction complete, Evilseed and Negator imprisoned, and last night's prevention of a Spider invasion, things were quite dull for the Royal Captain.
It was then Teela spotted Snout Spout, sitting alone by one of the fountains. He wasn't looking very cheery, which wasn't much of a surprise, but he was looking much more depressed than usual.
"Snout Spout? Is something the matter?"
He looked up at her with surprise. "Uh, I don't know. It's . . . I've been trying to remember my family . . ."
Teela sat down next to him. "What do you mean? The memory blocks have been falling?"
"No, I'm . . . Teela, are you sure you want to hear this?"
"Yes. Go ahead."
Snout Spout took a deep breath. "You see, Teela, I was told that I was from Etheria. That I had a family on Etheria. A wife and kids. A family that I could barely remember, but can see if I try hard enough. But I was affected the Spirit of Evil just like the others, which would mean that I'm not from Etheria, but from Eternia. And that puts everything into question . . ." He paused, then grunted. "I have this image of a village, but I don't where it's from of where it's at. If only someone else could see it and tell me."
Teela put her hand on Snout Spout's shoulder. "I know a way. Every hear of my father's device called a Memory Projector?"
A few minutes later, the both of them were in a small chamber that branched off from Man-At-Arms' lab that held the Memory Projector. Snout Spout sat down, placed in front of a gigantic, wall-sized monitor. By his side, Teela adjusted the helmet that would translate his brainwaves into electronic signals.
"Okay, just concentrate on the village. Let it form, slowly. Just take it easy."
Snout Spout closed his eyes, mind moving back into the past. The Memory Projector began to form vague images on the monitor. Teela watched with growing curiosity as a village started appear, then fade.
"I recognize it," Teela realized.
Snout Spout's eyes snapped open. "Really?"
"Yeah. It was the village where She-Ra, the Queen, myself and a few of the others took refuge during the whole Spirit of Evil mess."
"Where is it?!"
"It's north of here. In the Evergreen Forest. I think we should get some help though."
An hour later, Clamp Champ, Fisto, Teela, and Snout Spout loaded into a Wind Raider and shot northward.
"When I was there, the village had been abandoned. I'm not quite sure what you'll find there," Teela told Snout Spout.
"It doesn't matter, Teela. The fact that it's one of the few memories I have is all that matters."
"We'll poke around the village, try and find some clues that might help get some insight to your past," Clamp Champ explained.
"I assumed as much."
"Here it is."
The Wind Raider floated to the ground, resting at the edge of the village. Snout Spout looked upon the abandoned village, expressionless and emotionless. He recognized it, oh yes, but it didn't spark any sort of emotion.
"Let's take a look around."
The village was small, consisting of a few houses and offices. Once upon a time, these may all have been considered quaint and cozy. Now, however, after years of abandonment, they were decrepit and worn by both weather and animals.
"Nothing?" asked Fisto.
"Nothing, no," Snout Spout replied and looked out at the village. "But this is the village. I know it is . . . I . . ."
And that's when it all came rolling back to him . . .
Twenty years ago . . .
"Henry!" called out XXXX (his wife). "Henry! What is it? What is that noise?"
Henry looked up from the garden and searched for the low rumbling that was echoing all throughout the village.
"I don't know. Get back inside, XXXX(his wife), there's this war on and this is probably having to do with it!"
"Henry!"
"Get back in the house! I mean it! Take the XXXX(his son)!"
Henry ran from the house into the center of the village. He stopped, stock still, as dome-headed robotic Horde Troopers marched into the village, weapons aimed.
"Surrender now! You will be placed in a slave camp immediately!" the lead Horde Trooper announced.
"NO!" shouted Henry and ran forward . . .
"By the Ancients!" yelled Snout Spout. "I remember!"
Fisto turned to him. "What is it? What do you remember?"
"The Horde! They came and were going to enslave us . . . but I made a deal. I don't know why they listened to me, but I made a deal with Hordak. I . . . I don't remember what happened after that."
Clamp Champ came over, hearing this with his hypersonic hearing. "What about the deal? Was just Hordak there? Or was there someone else?"
Snout Spout closed his eyes hard, deep in thought. Teela joined at this point.
"Yes . . . there was someone else there. It was . . . it was . . ." He opened his eyes and looked at them all. "Batros. He was with them."
Teela looked at them all. "We need to find Batros, then."
When the Wind Raider returned, Rotar and Extendar were there waiting for them. "We got your transmission," Extendar reported.
"We've been in contact with some of the tracking stations. Last we heard, Batros is currently in the Santalucia Mountains in the Dark Hemisphere," Rotar finished.
Teela nodded. "This is a volunteer mission. I contacted my father on our way and he has authorized this plan. We're not going attack anyone, nor are we going capture Batros. Question him and that's it. Fisto and Clamp Champ are both in. You two mentioned you wanted a part of this?"
"Yes."
"I owe it to him," Extendar said, then looked at Snout Spout. "You saved my life when you busted us out of the Fright Zone. I owe you."
"Thank you. Thank you to all of you," Snout Spout told them.
A few minutes later, the Wind Raider was airborne again, this time joined by a Talon Fighter. As they made their journey northwest, Snout Spout turned to Teela.
"I understand why some of the others have joined me," Snout Spout asked. "But I have yet to figure out why you are here. I am surprised."
Teela smiled. "Don't be. You see, I never knew who my mother was. Never. And when you talked about your kids, it just reminded me about that. I realized that they probably never knew who their father was. And . . . I know what that's like."
"Thank you, Teela. I appreciate that."
Santalucia Mountains, located in the craggy northlands of the Dark Hemisphere. The home of the Bats, lead by Batros himself. Batros, who murdered Lord Dactys after he was recruited by Hordak to gain a stronger power on Eternia over twenty years ago. Batros, who stood at Hordak's left hand with Keldor, Calyx, and Prahvus. Batros who remained in strong power since Hordak left Eternia. Batros, who was both Man and Bat. Batros who holds the secret to Snout Spout's past.
He watched as the Wind-Raider and the Talon Fighter came into the mountains and he hesitated. He could sense something different about this situation. He couldn't quite pin it down, but this was definitely strange of the Eternians to be doing this.
So, Batros ordered all of his Bat warriors to remain at their posts and traveled out of their vast caverns to greet the newcomers.
The Wind Raider and the Talon Fighter landed.
"I expect there to be a good reason as to why you have entered into my realm."
"Yeah, and I'm sure you were just SO busy sleeping upside down," Fisto fired back.
"You have three minutes. Just don't start with the fighting and we'll be fine."
"I have to admit, I'm a little surprised at you, Batros," Teela told him, one hand on the Sword of the Ancients.
"Just bare in mind I outnumber you. But I realize no one wants to fight. We detected no other strike force and your's is much to small to matter." Batros took a deep breath. "That . . . and I'm tired of fighting for now."
"Good boy!" added in Rotar.
"Quiet! Just because I'm tired of it doesn't mean I won't still do it! What do you want? You now have two minutes!"
"Twenty years ago, you were with Hordak during an attack on a small village. During which, a man made Hordak a deal. We're trying to figure out what happened to that man," Clamp Champ requested.
Batros scoffed. "If you knew how many people tried to make Hordak deals . . ."
"Please," Snout Spout pleaded. "It was in the Evergreen Forest. A man named Henry. He had a family."
The leader of the Bats paused in thought, then at last nodded. "Yes, yes! I remember him! He made a deal with Hordak . . . promising that if Hordak gave the village time to evacuate, he would offer his services. Hordak took the deal, but amended that both Henry and his family were to be taken to encampment at Snake Mountain because he would better serve Hordak there. However . . . Hordak had every intention of using ol' Henry as soon as the opportunity presented itself."
"What happened to Henry and his family during the Horde withdrawal?" asked Fisto, looked at a flustered Snout Spout.
"They went with him, presumably to Etheria. Why? What does this matter to Eternos?"
Snout Spout stepped up. "I was Henry."
Batros smiled. "Well! There you are! That explains it all, then! Hordak's handiwork, of course! He rewards me with power and he rewards you by turning you into a freak!"
"I'LL SHOW YOU A FREAK!" roared Snout Spout, lurching forward.
"No!" Fisto shouted, holding him back.
"Temper, temper, hose nose. I just helped you find your past."
In less than thirty seconds, the Wind Raider and the Talon Fighter were in the air, heading back to Eternos.
"So, what do we do now?" asked Snout Spout.
"We contact Brightmoon, see if they have any information," Clamp Champ answered. "Teela, if you could contact Gwildor and let him know we're looking to head off to Etheria?"
"Gotcha."
Snout Spout - Henry? - found himself facing filled with a strange apprehensiveness. For the first time in years, he was about to see his wife and kids. How would the react to seeing him again after all this time? What if she had found someone else?
These were only a few of the many thoughts that swirled around his mind.
But there was one thought that the rest of them were all centered on.
What would she think of him now that he was a freak?
"We've been check records every since you called," Adora told them as the group followed her through the corridors of Castle Brightmoon. "When the Horde held the kingdom, they used it as an information resource center. We've been able to decrypt most of the databases since we retook it."
"And? Did you find something?" asked Snout Spout.
"In here."
They all went into a small room at the end of the corridor. A Horde-style computer unit mostly dominated the room. Adora immediately began to recall some files.
"Well?" Clamp Champ questioned.
"We've found a name. Henry, son of Eli and his wife, and his children. Transferred here straight from Eternia. According to these records, Hordak that Henry son of Eli be taken into custody of the Horde. That was seven years ago."
Snout Spout nodded. "That was me. I know it was. The memories . . . they're starting to resurface."
Adora gave him a smile. "Then you'll like this. I've got you a location of the family."
Snout Spout walked alone down the path, eyes centered on the small cottage at the end his journey. As he did, memories that had been long locked away started seep back into his mind. They moved slowly, like glaciers in water, but they were returning. His wife was named Tara, his children were Caleb and Jeb. They were all coming back to him.
Yet . . .
When Snout Spout got to the door, all of these thoughts and memories were brushed aside. His heart thundered in his chest, his lungs heaved. All of his nerves stood on end as he raised his fist . . .
And then his fist fell. Doubts stung him like a thousand bees.
"How can she love me?" he whispered. "How can I face her as such a freak?"
Snout Spout turned around, away from the door -
"Henry?"
There was she was. Tara, with her dazzling red hair up in a bun. She had gained a little weight, but was still just as beautiful.
"Tara . . ."
"Henry . . . is that you?"
"Yes."
"Henry!" She took off, running to him and throwing her arms around him. "Oh, Henry, I knew you'd come back! I knew it!"
"But . . . Tara . . . my face . . ."
She kissed his cheek. "I don't care, I don't care at all. Oh, Henry, I love you!"
Caleb and Jeb came running around the corner, at first a little shocked at this bizarre elephant-man standing there.
"Boys, this is your father!"
"Dad?"
"Father?"
The sons of Snout Spout came over and joined their mother in hugging him. Snout Spout began to weep.
He was finally home.
