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Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 14

Adam knew that look—he knew it well. It was exactly how he felt for…he had no idea how long!

Adora stared at him with total befuddlement. It was clear that she had never considered for a second that he would refuse to touch the sword. And, he knew his sister: he knew she was about to insist, so before she could open her mouth to say another syllable, he exclaimed, "Look, Adora, I know…I know that you want me to take that sword, but…I can't!"

She frowned at her brother. "Why not?" she asked. "It's yours, and believe it or not, I think it would solve all of our problems."

He grimaced. "That's what I'm afraid of." When everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, he sighed and explained. "I don't know who to believe. Part of me feels that I should trust you and these people wholeheartedly. I even feel the pull of that sword, but another part of me remembers all of the good times that I've had with you and Hordak. It seems impossible that all of these memories I have are fake! Don't you see how horrible that would be?"

Randor stepped in front of him, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and said softly, "I know you're confused, Adam. I even know that you're probably a little frightened. I understand all of that, but son, imagine how we feel. You belong with us, and it kills me to see you in that Horde uniform." King Randor closed his eyes and breathed deeply to obviously keep himself in check. When he looked at Adam again, he continued, "We're from a different planet called Eternia. Twenty years ago, I fought with the Horde and Hordak stole your sister from us. He tried to take you, too." He paused as a shiver ran down his body. "I don't know what you think you remember, Adam. Maybe they're real memories of Adora's life with Hordak, so that's why they're so extensive and believable. But, I can promise you that you've spent your entire life with me. The Ancients know not all of those moments have been good, but they're real and I remember them. I want my son back—I need him back. Without you, Eternia is lost. I'm lost." Tears slipped down the king's cheeks and Adam felt tears spring to his own.

He glanced over at Adora and the sword and thought, "She was raised by Hordak, but I wasn't? How can that be possible?" He closed his eyes and asked aloud, "Can we not rush this? Can't I just have a little time to think?"

He stared deeply into King Randor's eyes beseechingly and Adam could see before the king said a word or even moved a muscle that he had relented. Randor nodded slightly and whispered, "Yes, if you need time then that's what you'll have. At least you're safe and with us. That will be enough for now." Then, without warning, Randor grabbed Adam's hand and pulled him towards him. Randor wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

At first, Adam was shocked at the king's actions and wanted to pull away, but he soon relaxed and hugged him back. This felt right.

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena stood on the balcony outside the throne room and stared up into the sky. It was daytime. She couldn't see any stars aside from the sun that lighted their sky, but she knew her family was out there somewhere…

She used to do this very activity when she had first come to Eternia. She had missed Earth at the time: she had missed her family and all of her friends. Looking up at the sky during the day or night had made her feel better because she knew they were still out there and they were still part of the same universe.

But, it wasn't working this time.

Try as she might, simply knowing that Adam, Randor, and Adora were out there somewhere wasn't enough. She wanted them back on Eternia and in her arms. And, once she got them there, she had no intention of ever letting them go again.

"Queen Marlena."

She turned around and looked at Man-at-Arms, who had stepped onto the balcony with her. He moved to the railing beside her and stared up into the sky, as well. Undoubtedly, he was missing Teela just as much as she was missing her family.

"I wish they would hurry up and come home," she heard Duncan mutter.

She nodded her agreement but didn't reply.

It was obvious Duncan needed to talk, though, because he turned to her abruptly and said, "I hardly know what to do."

She looked at him quizzically by raising an eyebrow, so he explained himself.

"I've spent the last twenty years looking out for Teela and Adam. I just feel so helpless right now. I wish I could have gone with Randor to get Adam back. I know I'm just his teacher, but he's like a son to me. I hate the mere thought of him being captured by the Horde. It's like losing Adora all over again." Tears came to his eyes as he whispered, "I know it's irrational, but I feel like I've let you and Eternia down again. Why didn't I do more to stop Hordak from taking Skeletor? If I had done that, Teela and Adam wouldn't have gone to Etheria right away and he probably wouldn't have been captured."

"Duncan," Marlena whispered. She wrapped her fingers around his which he had rested on the railing. "This isn't your fault. No one foresaw Hordak's actions. I didn't blame you twenty years ago, and I'm certainly not going to blame you now. Adam, Teela, and Randor will come home to us soon, hopefully even with Adora. I know it's going to happen. In the meantime, we just have to keep faith in that and continue to move the kingdom and the planet forward. I need you to help me do that, so now is not the time to self-doubt or self-deprecate…" She looked at him sternly and in a voice that she usually reserved for courtiers who were acting a little unruly asked, "Have I made myself clear?"

Duncan smiled, but before he could reply a loud boom was heard and a cloud of smoke suddenly engulfed them!

=)=)=)

Adam felt drained, physically and emotionally.

He was so grateful that the Rebels had taken him to Castle Brightmoon quickly. The truth was he was feeling pretty overwhelmed and felt like he could collapse at any given second. Princess Glimmer had shown him and the others to their rooms and now he found himself falling onto the bed like a rock. He knew why he felt so exhausted. He was tired of the pull going on inside his mind. He had explained it earlier: he didn't know who to trust and it was tearing him up inside, but that wasn't the only problem. He found the pull of that sword Adora had tried to give him insistent. He could feel it even now, calling to him, beckoning him to it. But he couldn't give in to it, at least not yet. Then, of course, the whole situation with Hordak left him feeling bewildered and confused. How could Hordak have abandoned him like that? Logically, he knew there was nothing that the Horde leader could have done. They had been surrounded by Rebels. "And, I kept stopping during our escape to look back at She-Ra. I'm the one who put myself and him in harm's way."

Of course, that's if Hordak was telling the truth, because according to Adora and King Randor, he was in danger when he was with the Horde. He closed his eyes wearily at the thought and rubbed his temples. There was just too much to think about. And, just when he thought he might be able to clear his mind and think about absolutely nothing for a while, he heard his door opening softly. There was no knock, no announcement that someone was coming, so he had to look to see who was visiting. He figured it would either be Adora or King Randor after having settled in, so he was surprised to see that it was Teela. "Oh!" he exclaimed and quickly sat up a little.

"Hi, Adam," the redhead said softly as she approached the bed. She sat beside him as he stared at her for a few awkward, silent seconds. She then cleared her throat and whispered, "We…haven't gotten the opportunity to talk really since we got you back, so I thought I would take that opportunity now."

He could tell she was nervous. She was looking down at the comforter on his bed and moving her hand back and forth across it. Every once in a while, she would look up, meet his eyes with her own, and then drop her head back down.

"Okay," he said cautiously. "What do you want to talk about?"

Teela laughed at the irony and replied, "Everything I want to talk about would be impossible since you don't remember me."

He scooted back onto the bed and rested his back against the wall beside them. "Well, I definitely don't know what to talk about. Like you said, I don't remember you, but…"

His words were suddenly caught off by Teela rushing to him and placing her lips squarely on his. Adam was stunned for only a few seconds before he surrendered himself to the moment. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back deeply. When they both pulled apart to breathe, Teela moved her lips down his jaw to his neck. She kissed and licked continuously, obviously trying to elicit some emotion in him, and as she ran her hands up and down his sides, she mumbled, "Please remember us, Adam—remember me. I love you so much! You have to believe us, you have to!"

She then sat on his lap and began kissing him again. When she pulled away, she stared into his eyes and stated firmly, "Tell me that you remember me."

Adam gazed at the beauty on his lap and actually thought about lying, but he knew the truth would be discovered soon enough if he did. So, despite the fact that it would ruin the moment, he told the truth: "I'm afraid I don't."

Her face looked pain-stricken, so he quickly added, "But I do…have feelings. It's hard to explain. This, what we're doing, it feels right somehow. I feel like you and I have done similar things before. I just don't remember…" He gasped as a sudden montage of images flashed in his mind. He saw Teela kissing him as she knelt between his legs while he was sitting in a bathroom. Then, he saw them kissing desperately outside while he was leaving to go on some kind of mission. Then, he remembered her running and kissing him while they were on the battlefield as King Randor and She-Ra watched amusedly.

Teela pulled back at the noise that escaped him and the sudden stillness that overcame his body. She said his name questioningly.

He stared at her for a moment before mumbling, "I think…I remember a little." He grinned and with a small laugh questioned loudly, "Did you and I make-out in a lavatory once?" He blushed when he realized how bluntly he had asked the question, but Teela didn't seem to notice.

Tears suddenly slipped down her cheeks. "YES!" she exclaimed; "That's the first night we expressed how we felt for one another! You were hurt and in the infirmary, because you had saved my life. I couldn't wait to talk to you, but unfortunately, your family was keeping you to themselves, so I snuck into your bathroom."

He brought a hand to her face to cup her cheek and asked wonderingly, "So, you're really my girlfriend?"

She nodded as a few more tears slipped down her cheeks. "Yes, and not only that, I'm your oldest friend and your bodyguard."

He widened his eyes at that news and she chuckled. "Yeah, I know, but it's true! You are Prince Adam of Eternia, and let's just say there is more to you than meets the eye."

Adam grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together. He watched his actions raptly for a few seconds before looking up into her eyes again. He admitted softly, "I also remember She-Ra and King Randor watching us kiss one time. We were on a battlefield, standing next to some kind of vehicle. You ran into my arms and…"

"That's when Skeletor escaped," she interrupted. "That's why we're on this awful planet!" She hugged him tightly.

He hugged her back and then sighed. Now the question was what to do with that information. He slipped his hands to her shoulders and pushed her back a little, so he could study her face as he asked the next question. He could tell she was a little surprised by his actions, but he didn't let that stop him. "So, this means King Randor really is my father?" He watched as she nodded. He then asked, "Have I really lived with him my entire life…and did Hordak really kidnap Adora and raise her?"

"Yes, Adam," she answered, running her left hand up and down his arm comfortingly. "All of that is true."

He swallowed roughly as he felt tears rush to his eyes. He still didn't remember everything, but he knew she was telling the truth. He felt absolutely…cheated. He missed out on a childhood with Adora and then Hordak had the audacity to give him fake memories of that time! How true were they in regards as to what happened to her during those years? And, even worse, the monster had stolen his real memories of his true family! He wanted desperately to get them back now!

He scooted towards the edge of the bed and said firmly, "Let's go!" Teela stood so he could get up and when he did, she questioned him.

"Where to?"

He grabbed her hand and announced, "To see Adora. Let's give that sword a try."

=)=)=)

Adora stood beside her father and Cringer on Queen Angella's throne. They were all discussing ideas on how to keep Adam guarded without making him feel like a prisoner. Teela was assigned to watching his door at the moment, but they would have to do a lot more than that. While she knew instinctively that he would never hurt them, she knew her father was right that he might try to escape and go back to the Fright Zone if he had an opportunity.

"Maybe we should simply make sure one of us is with him at all times," she suggested. "We can simply tell him we don't want him to be alone while he is in this state of mind. Surely, he can understand that." She looked to her father. "I'll stay with him in the afternoons and night." When Randor raised a brow, she explained, "He remembers me. If you stayed with him during those hours, he might not get any sleep. He might spend the nighttime hours contemplating if he can trust you. That surely won't help him build his strength up to fight Shadow Weaver's spell."

She watched as her father nodded and just when she was about to suggest who would take the morning shift, he exploded, "I just wish we could have gotten him to take his sword!"

Glimmer and Queen Angella raised their brows in confusion. "What do you mean, King Randor?" questioned the Etherian princess. "Adam has proven that he has good fighting skills many times against the Horde, but I haven't seen him use a sword too often. I don't see how sparring would help him remember anything…"

Adora had cringed at her father's expostulation and her friends' reactions to the words, so she was grateful when Glimmer had supplied an excuse for his words herself. She cleared her throat as she noticed the startled look that crossed the king's features. "On Eternia, Adam spars quite often with Teela, Man-at-Arms, and sometimes my father. Adam has combat lessons all the time. King Randor is probably thinking that familiar activity will jog his memory." She looked over at him and asked, "Right, Father?"

The king quickly seized the opportunity to fix his blunder and replied, "Yes, you're quite right."

Just as Adora was about to continue with her earlier conversation, they heard a voice ring out across the throne room."

"Well, maybe we'll have to put that thought to the test!"

=)=)=)

Adam watched in amusement as everyone snapped their heads towards him. They were obviously shocked to find him outside of his room and willingly seeking them out. Earlier, he had insisted on going to bed because he was tired, but that was before Teela had worked her magic. He smiled at the thought and looked at her. He grinned as she winked at him, so he took her hand and led her farther into her room towards the throne.

Adora and King Randor both gasped at the sight of Adam holding Teela's hand and clearly showing a level of intimacy that wouldn't have been appropriate unless both knew they were in a committed relationship. They hurried down the throne steps and stopped when the couple stood before them.

The king looked at him with such hope that Adam's heart was pounding deeply in his chest. He didn't know whether his next words would disappoint his father or bring a little joy, but before he could say anything, the king asked, "Adam, do you…do you remember Teela? Do you remember us?"

Adam looked at Teela before answering this question. She nodded at him, so he breathed deeply and turned back. "I don't remember everything." He saw the king's enthusiasm deflate a little, but it didn't leave entirely, so he continued, "But, I do remember a little."

Teela leaned against Adam's side and added, "He remembered the first time we kissed and the second time we got him back from Snake Mountain, you know, before Skeletor escaped with Hordak."

King Randor and Adora couldn't seem to control themselves. They smiled as they rushed forward and threw their arms around him. "This is wonderful news!" the king shouted happily.

"And, that's not all," Adam added.

When they pulled away to look at him, he looked at Adora and said almost timidly, "I…I think I want to, um, try your theory."

When she raised a brow inquisitively, he looked at King Randor. "I'd like to…try the sword thing, whatever you wanted to do."

King Randor grinned, and Adora rushed to hug him again. "Oh, my brother, you have no idea how relieved I am to hear those words."

"You might be surprised," he countered. "That darn thing has been calling to me ever since you showed it to me! It will be a relief just to make—I don't know how to explain it—that yearning go away, whether it gives me back my memory or not."

"It will," King Randor said confidently. "I don't have a doubt in my mind."

Adam acknowledged the king's words with a single nod. He, then, turned to Adora and extended his hand. "Give it to me before I lose my nerve."

Adora turned around and looked at Glimmer and Queen Angella, who were watching everything with interest from the throne. She whispered when she turned back to him, "We have an audience. It's probably best that we go back to your room. Remember, your sword and its powers are a secret we have promised to keep and protect."

He nodded understandingly and said, "Then, let's go!"

=)=)=)

Walking into Adam's bedroom, Teela, Cringer, and King Randor stood off to the side as Adam and Adora stood in the middle of the room. Without any hesitation, she pulled the Sword of Power from her back when he extended his hand to her like he had done in the throne room. She looked at the sword and mumbled, "I sure hope this works." He did, too.

Adora slipped the sword into his hand and Adam closed his eyes. Once again, like he had noticed with Teela earlier, what he was doing felt right. Then, he remembered earlier in the day when he had tried to protect Hordak: at that time, he had a different sword in his hand and it had felt awkward to him. He knew now it was because that sword hadn't been this one. This was the one he was used to. He breathed deeply and opened his eyes.

He stared at the sword for a moment and that's when he noticed everyone was as still as mice. It almost looked like they were holding their breaths. He looked back at Adora and noticed even she was watching him hopefully.

He wasn't sure why—he honestly wasn't even sure what he was doing, but he moved away from Adora. Intuitively, he felt as though he needed to put some distance between himself and everyone else. He stared at the sword and an unexplainable desire washed over him. He tried to fight it, because he thought the actions seemed silly, but the voice that he had heard earlier that day interrupted his thoughts.

"Give into your desires and instincts, Prince Adam. Your destiny awaits for your return and you are needed more than you know at this moment! Hurry!"

Listening to the voice, he did as it bid. He caressed the blade momentarily like it was an old friend, then held it up in the air, and yelled instinctively, "By the Power of Grayskull!"