Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Adora was falling. For the briefest moment she had the time to regret her choice in ‘borrowing’ a skiff to go out with Catra. In hindsight this was probably how she should have expected things to go. Then the ground hit her and those thoughts went away. Replaced instead by a vision. 

She saw herself entering a clearing in the forest where in the middle of it a sword was stuck inside a cluster of roots. She approached it, compelled by something beyond her comprehension, and intrigued by its design, unlike any of the technology displayed by the Horde. "Cool". A touch on its pommel and there came a bright light and the clearing was replaced by flashing images that she did not truly understand, celestial formations, crystals and more, as well as an unfamiliar voice that spoke to her:

“Balance must be restored. Etheria must seek a hero. Adora. Adora…”

Then she woke up, with Catra was looking over her worriedly. Adora was still where she had fallen from the skiff. “Hey, Adora? Adora!” Catra's voice was uncharacteristically alarmed, and her feline face was close to Adora's, the heterochromatic eyes inspecting her closely.

“Catra? What… What happened?” Adora tried to sit up, but felt a terrible headache from when she had fallen. The pain made her almost lose consciousness again.

“You fell out of the skiff after you drove it into the tree.” Judging by Catra's tone of voice, she wanted to emphasise that the crash was Adora's fault, despite it being Catra who had caused it by trying to snatch the rudder from her in the first place.

“No, you drove it into a tree!” Adora pushed Catra off herself, causing the latter to fall into a heap of leaves with a yelp.

“Up for debate. Now come on.” She got up and gestured at the skiff.

“No, wait. Where did it go?” Adora got up herself to look around for where the sword was, only now just remembering the visions that she had.

“What?” Catra looked back at her, clearly not following her.

“There… There was a sword. It was right here. I tried to touch it but it got really bright.”

“Are you brain damaged?” Catra started inspecting her face in an exaggerated manner, as if looking for a concussion, “Don’t be brain damaged! Oh Shadow Weaver is going to kill me!”

“I’m not brain damaged! It was here, I saw it.”

“Right, you saw a sword while lying unconscious on the ground?” Catra crossed her arms, oozing of scepticism at her friend’s tale.

“Look, Catra. I know that I saw something and I don’t know but it feels… Important, somehow.” Not knowing how better to explain it she started looking around for it.

Catra gave a shrug of her shoulders, having clearly decided to give up on the matter. “Sure, sounds good.” And she joined her in her search.

Adora started delving deeper into the woods, followed by Catra, who evidently still did not really believe that the sword was real but liked going on adventures with her anyway. She was just about to give up herself and go back when she saw a light ahead, like the one in the vision. “Catra, look! I told you that I saw something.” She rushed ahead to find the clearing with the sword, just like how it had been in the vision. “Oh, this is great!” She went to grab it, “Do you think that Shadow Weaver will let me kee-”

Everything went dark. And then she saw a woman standing before her, speaking with the same voice that she had heard before, “Hello Adora.”

She got up, the scenery was as unfamiliar to her as the woman, advanced yet unlike that of the Horde. Where the Horde's technology was dark, metallic and industrial, this was crystaline, with writing running across it. “Who are you? What’s going on?”

“My name is Light Hope. I have been waiting a long time for you. But I could not reach you until you forged your connection with the sword.” There was a strange glitch in the woman's image a voice, the image juddering, just as the voice gained a static quality at the end, like it was transmitted through a speaker.

“You sent the sword?”

“The sword is meant for you.” An image of the sword that she had found appeared before her, insubstantial when Adora tried to touch it. “Etheria has need of you, Adora. Will you answer its call? Will you fight for the honour of Grayskull?”

“What are you talking about? What is… What’s Grayskull? You’re not making any sense! I don’t understand!”

“You will.”

“Wait!”

In a different part of the Whispering Woods, at Bright Moon Castle, Princess Glimmer was sulking in her room after having been grounded by her mother, Queen Angella, for having disobeyed her orders, despite how she had only done so protect the village of Elberon from the Horde. Not that her mother cared of course, to her, anything that might place Glimmer in even the slightest amount of danger was unacceptable. She was at this current moment pouring out her anger over her mother’s infuriating unfairness and lack of respect for her as a daughter, commander and person in her diary when an arrow came flying in through the window of her room, hitting the far side of the bed that she was lying in. From the arrow, a piece of paper unfurled, which said 'look outside', accompanied by the winking face of her best friend, Bow. Groaning, Glimmer closed her diary and went to the window, trying to keep a hushed tone as she called out. "Watch it! You almost hit me!"

Sure enough, Bow was standing outside, waving his hand and shouting infuriatingly loudly "Hey Glimmer!"

"Shh!" The last thing that Glimmer needed at this moment was another confrontation with her mother, and Bow voice felt like it might attract the attention of her, and everyone else in the castle, at any given moment. "Bow, what are you doing here?" She tried to keep her voice down as much as possible.

Unfortunately, it proved too low for Bow, who was on the other side of castle's ditch, to hear. "What did you say?! Come down here!" He continued to shout.

"I can't, I'm grounded." Shouting over the gap while still keeping a hushed voice proved a difficult balancing act for Glimmer.

"What?!" Bow shouted once more, clearly not hearing her.

"I'm grounded." She was now leaning out the window in an attempt to get the message across.

There was a brief pause, then Bow shouted yet again. "What?!" 

"I'm..." Giving up on thise futile endeavour, Glimmer used her powers of teleportation, just about the only magic that she could reliably pull off, to get over to where Bow stood. "... Grounded." She grabbed him, and teleported them both back to her room, to his startled scream. Once back, she allowed herself another groan. "I'm so mad at my mom."

"Oh." Bow cringed in empathic pain. "Is this about the siege on Elberon?"

"I was just trying to defend another one of our villages from falling into the Horde's clutches!" Glimmer sat down, still feeling angry and frustrated, though having Bow to vent it to did help, she had to admit. "She stationed me all the way out there because it's too remote to ever get attacked, but then it did, and it was my one chance to prove that I can do this. But she acts like I can't do anything because I'm 'just a Princess'." She grumbled, teleporting up to her other bed, which was hanging in the ceiling.

"That doesn't make any sense. Everyone here is a Princess." Bow was busying himself tidying up the room while listening to Glimmer. "I'm, like, the only one who's not a Princess."

Glimmer groaned yet again, a veil of despair falling over her. "Tell that to my mom."

"Hey, where does this go?" Bow interrupted her self-pitying as he was collecting discarded articles of clothing. 

"Bottom drawer." Glimmer did not bother rising out of her bed, electing to just vaguely point in its direction.

"Anyway, your mom might have a point." Bow finished putting away the old clothes, leaving the room in a slightly more passable state than it had been before. "Only reason you got out of there is because of your teleportation powers, and, let's face it, they don't always work that well."

"Looking for support here, Bow!" The last thing Glimmer wanted to hear was more talk about how she wasn't good enough.

"I'm just saying," without any ability to teleport, or otherwise do magic, on his own, Bow started jumping up the hanging steps to Glimmer's bed, "if you wanna prove yourself, it's gonna take more than running recklessly into any old battle. Luckily I've got just the thing. Check this out." He took out his electronical tablet where he kept most of his data, maps and various other utility functions. “I detected a piece of First One’s tech in the Whispering Woods. Or at least I think that I did.” he showed her the tablet. “There was a big burst of energy just now. I think that if we can find whatever caused it and bring it back your mom is bound to be impressed.”

“Did you forget that I’m grounded? We don’t even know if-”

She was interrupted by a knock on the door and the voice of Angella coming from outside. “Glimmer, are you in there? Glimmer?”

“Uh...” Not wanting her mother to see Bow while she’s grounded, Glimmer quickly teleported him back outside, leaving him in a bush as she teleported back into her room. “Everything’s fine, Mom.”

“Is someone else in there? I heard voices.” Judging by her stern voice, Angella was getting ready to rebuke her daughter once more.

“No one else is in here. Can you please just leave me alone?” Glimmer opened the door just enough to leave them able to see each other, while keeping the rest of the room out of view.

“I don’t appreciate your tone right now, young lady.” Angella was definitely intent on scolding her.

“What tone?!” Even though she knew deep down that her defensiveness would just make matters worse, Glimmer was too angry and caught in the heat of the moment to care.

“That attitude of yours is never gonna help you. You can’t act that way-”

“That’s not fair!” Glimmer shouted, before slamming the door in her mother’s face and teleporting outside to Bow, “I’m in.”

When Adora opened her eyes again she was back in the cadets’ quarters. Catra was sitting right next to her, jumping onto Adora as soon as she noticed that she was awake. “Hey, Adora.”

“Hey, Catra.” She looked around, spotting the sword right next to herself. “How long have I been out?”

“Long enough that I had to drag your body all the way back here. Oh I knew that you were brain damaged.” She gave a melodramatic look of anguish, “Now who will be there when I need her?”

“Relax, Catra. I’m fine, but are you alright? Did you get into any trouble on my behalf?” Adora felt some surprise that she still had the sword with her as she gathered her senses to herself, both because it seemed like the sort of thing to get confiscated, and because she had still not been entirely sure that it was real, and would remain real when she got back to the familiarity of the Horde.

“Oh, Shadow Weaver came to yell at me for having endangered you as usual but it was no worse than normal. I told her that you were fine and just needed some rest, and hid the sword away from her too.”

“Thanks,” she smiled gratefully, not that she had any reason to hide it from Shadow Weaver she told herself, but now she had more time to examine it. “And I’m sorry about that.”

“Yeah, well, it’s how it usually goes. I’m used to it.” Catra got off her. “Now get some rest or Shadow Weaver will have my head for keeping you up before your big day.”

“My big day?” Adora blinked and wracked her brain about what she meant before realising what it was.

“Thaymor, Adora. You get to lead tanks against a rebel fortress. And I don’t.” Catra tried not to sound grumpy at the last words but didn’t quite succeed.

“Oh, right, Yeah." Just recently, that had been what Adora had been looking forward to doing more than anything else. It felt strange that she'd have forgotten it, when it was her great chance to prove her worth as Force Captain. "That’s tomorrow?”

“Seriously, Adora? You’re supposed to be the one keeping track of things, not me.” Catra gave an exasperated roll of her eyes.

“Sorry, it’s just… It’s been a lot.” She looked at the sword again, “think that I’ll be able to bring it to the battle?”

“Probably?” Catra shrugged, “I mean, who’s going to say no to Shadow Weaver’s golden child?”

“I guess that you’re right,” Adora rested her head on her bed again, “Thanks for sticking by me. It was quite fun.”

“Yeah,” Catra curled up into a ball at the foot of the bed, “It was. Cool sword, too.”

“Night,” came from both in unison and Adora felt herself drift back to sleep.

“Still no signal from the thing?” Glimmer asked tiredly while trudging through the forest. They had been going for several hours now and she was starting to regret having followed Bow on this adventure.

“No, but it should be around here somewhere. The signal came from this direction.”

Glimmer groaned, “So we’re lost and your thing is useless.”

“It’s not useless,” Bow got a bit defensive at that comment, “It’s just that after the initial energy output it seems to have become dormant again. Or something, we won’t know until we find it.”

“So we’re just going to walk around in the Whispering Woods hoping to find a lost piece of First One’s tech that no one has found before us?”

“Yeah.. This isn’t going to work, is it?” He scratched his head whilst thinking, “Maybe if… wait, is that tracks up ahead?”

“It’s probably just our own, we’ve been going around in circles Bow.” Glimmer rested herself against a tree in exhaustion, wishing to be back at Bright Moon and the Moonstone. She regretted not having recharged before they went off into the woods.

“No… Look, it looks as if someone has been dragging somebody along here. Come, Glimmer, let’s follow these tracks. They might be important to this.”

Glimmer sighed but did follow with him, the two started investigating and after a while concluded that there had been two people going into the Whispering Woods and then one dragging the other outside, with the tracks disappearing near the edge of the woods.

“Don’t suppose that they were using teleportation?” Glimmer suggested half-heartedly as they stood there overlooking the plains beyond.

“No.” Bow contemplated it for a few moments, “I think that it’s one of those Horde machines. Which means that there have been Horde scouts investigating the area.”

“Maybe they were trying to find the way to Bright Moon?”

“Or maybe they were also after the First Ones’ tech. Let’s follow these tracks, come on!” He began jogging down the other way of the path. Glimmer thought about trying to run after him, then thought better of it and just teleported to where he’d stopped. They were in an empty clearing. “Why are we stopping, Bow?”

“The tracks turn back here. Whatever they found seemed to have knocked out or killed one of them, and I don’t see any other tracks or blood here.”

“So what you’re saying is…”

“... Is that whatever took out one of them probably was that energy blast I caught, yes.”

“So we’ve been just wasting our time walking around for who knows how long looking for nothing while the Horde probably has whatever that thing was, if there was any?” Glimmer gave a groan of frustration and sat down on the grass.

Bow sat down with her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Yeah, it’s not great, but at least we know that the Horde is up to something around here, and whatever it is probably involves First Ones’ tech. And we got some exercise as well!” He got a death glare from Glimmer, “sorry, bad time. But still, some good has come out of it.”

“I suppose,” Glimmer sighed, “let’s just head back home. My mom is going to be so mad at me.”

Adora was looking through the battle plans one final time before the squadron headed out, her sword fastened to her back, when Catra arrived for the goodbye. She stood awkwardly there for a few moments before speaking up, “Blow up something there for me, will you?”

“I will,” Adora turned around to give her a hug, “And I’ll be back before you know it. And when I do I will make sure that Shadow Weaver agrees that we make a great team, promise.”

This cheered Catra up a bit, “And don’t go and get yourself killed like an idiot on your first day. Imagine how embarrassing it would be for me to have been friends with the Force Captain who couldn’t do one mission before dying?”

Adora laughed at that, “It would be right terrible, you’d be the laughing stock of the Fright Zone.”

“Yeah… You take care of yourself now.”

“Why Catra, sometimes you almost sound like you care.”

“No I don’t! I just need to have some backup around for when I hit the big leagues.”

“Sure,” she waved as she got into one of the tanks, “If I find something nice there I’ll try and get it back for you.”

Catra watched as the group left, feeling some conflicting emotions at the whole thing, before she jumped away to bully Kyle to make herself feel better.

“Bow, you sure that this is the right way back? Don’t think that we went here when we went from Bright Moon.”

“Sure! I’m 100 % sure that we’ll get there soon. 90 %. At least 80 %. This is just a shortcut I think. We should be seeing a settlement… Any… Time… Now…” He trailed off, a look of horror on his face.

“Bow… Is that…” She was looking in the same direction as him at the rubble that could barely be seen through the leaves.

“Yes, Glimmer, I think that it is.” They continued forward to find the ruins of yet another raid by the Horde, fallen battle robots littered along with destroyed buildings. No one living in sight, the inhabitants having either fled or, worse yet, gotten captured by the Horde. They shared a quiet moment just looking over what had been lost.

“The Horde will pay for all that they have done,” Glimmer finally said.

“I know,” Bow sighed, “but that will have to come later. Let’s head on.”

“Yeah...” Glimmer responded dejectedly, turning to move forward when they suddenly heard a rumbling sound coming from the forest. 

“What was that?” Bow asked, and in answer a giant insectoid creature emerged from the ground, setting its eyes on the pair. 

“Don’t ask, run!” Glimmer screamed as she teleported the two to behind it just as it charged the spot that they had been at. Bow wisely followed her advice and the pair began running while the monster chased after them. Its size granted it an uncomfortably high speed and it was only when Glimmer teleported them over a smaller chasm that they shook it off. By then they had veered very off course, assuming that their course had been correct in the first place, and even Bow had to admit to being lost, at least for a few moments.

“Wait a minute, I recognise this. I think that we’re nearing the village of Thaymor. Alright, I know that we’ve been out here for longer than we meant to but now it’s finally just taking a rest there and then we can get home.”

“Finally, it’s already light by now. Mom absolutely knows that I left when I wasn’t supposed to, she’s going to murder me.”

Adora was keeping a watch high up where she could better direct the battle as she gave the order to the attack. The rebel fortress of Thaymor looked a lot less heavily defended than she had expected. There were no fortifications, no rebel soldiers greeting their swift offensive, nothing. It was remarkably easy, and for some reason that made her feel uneasy. She surveyed the area, there had to be some kind of defence other than a few civilians trying to fight back before being overwhelmed. Maybe they were trying to lay an ambush on her, they couldn’t have simply left one of their strongholds unguarded or else why hadn’t the Horde simply crushed them by now? Finally she spotted signs of rebel activity when out from the forest a Princess and her bodyguard rushed to attack her soldiers. Not the greatest garrison or the best executed ambush but it would have to be dealt with, she actually felt relieved to have something to fight. Because she didn’t want to get out of this without a proper fight of course and defeating a Princess would look better on her record than moving in without resistance. That was all.

The onslaught of the Horde filled Glimmer with overwhelming anger and before Bow could do anything she had teleported in to start fighting back against the soldiers. She had already seen one town ruined by them that week, she wasn’t in the mood to stand by and watch another get destroyed. “Bow! We have to help these people!” He didn’t really disagree with that and followed after her as best he could without any teleporting powers, firing trick arrows to catch as many soldiers as he could while Glimmer bashed them with her magic sparkles, but mainly her fists. They were delaying the advance but couldn’t really stop the entire force on their own, there were simply too many of them. 

“Any ideas?” Bow asked while he caught one of the soldiers that was about to strike Glimmer with one of his net arrows.

“You help the villagers escape, I'll try to take down their commander, we may still rout them.”

“Wait, Glimmer!” But she had already teleported away before he could protest her attacking the Horde leader all on her own. He jumped backwards away from the soldiers congregating around him. They were still advancing despite his best efforts and just as he got some breathing room from them one of the Horde robots appeared on his flank, eye ready to fire a laser.

Adora was just having her tank driven towards the two rebel warriors that were thinking of taking on her entire squadron on their own when the Princess suddenly disappeared and appeared right before her “For Etheria!” She shouted as she gave a glittery punch in Adora’s stomach that quite winded her. “For the Horde!” She responded reflexively and she raised her arms into combat positions, and the two began to fight atop the tank. Adora was a trained fighter, one of the Horde’s best, but the Princess had magic, making her unpredictable compared to most opponents. She could dodge out of her way and be at her back in an instant with her teleportation and her blows packed a surprising punch to try and block. She was just feeling like she was getting a good hang of her movements and getting a few good punches in when the girl teleported to her back, grabbed her and then took both of them into the air in front of the tank, sending them crashing down to the ground, Adora first. “For Bright Moon!” Feeling another punch on her back she felt that she had had quite enough by then. Shaking her off, she went for the sword, meeting the next magic attack with its blade. As she did so the world seemed to almost slow down to her as she saw the strange woman from before and heard the words echo in her mind over and over: 

“Adora. Will you fight for the honour of Grayskull?”

Not knowing why she replied to the Princess’ battlecry with a new one of her own.

“For the honour of Grayskull!”

Chapter Text

Before Glimmer knew what was happening she was hit with the force of an avalanche. There was a bright golden light just as she had tried to use some of her last reserves of power to knock this force captain down for good, and she felt herself being thrown into the air and flying several metres away before landing again, dazed and barely conscious. She was vaguely aware of Bow lying close to her, apparently unconscious or worse yet... The thought felt like cold water on her, clearing her mind enough to look at where her enemy had been, and in her place she saw a tall warrior with long flowing golden hair, a white dress and a golden tiara, wielding the sword that the force captain had been carrying on her back. She looked at Glimmer with bright blue pitiless eyes and charged towards her. Glimmer prepared for her end, wondering if mom didn’t have a point after all.

… Then the warrior suddenly stopped with a look of shock and horror as she looked at herself, and in another flash she was replaced by the force captain from before, dropping the sword and backing away from it. Seeing her chance while everyone else were stunned and confused at this event, some of the Horde soldiers having raised their weapons against the golden warrior before she had transformed back, Glimmer rushed to Bow’s side and, using all the strength she had left in herself, teleported the two of them as far away from the village as she could. She felt Bow lying before her, then everything went dark.

Adora had no idea where the two rebels had gone and at that moment she did not care much either. She looked at the sword lying on the ground before her as if it was a snake, ready to strike her at any moment. One of the soldiers approached her, his uncertainty apparent even underneath his suit of armour, and gave her a salute, “Uh, all clear, Force Captain. Some of the rebels got away but Thaymor is ours. Shall we pursue them?”

“No,” Adora shook her head, more to clear her thoughts than as a negative, “That will not be necessary. These people were no match for our war machine, they will not be a threat. Thaymor has fallen and the rebellion is one step closer to their defeat. Gather everything that we can to take back to the Fright Zone, then level this place to the ground so that the rebels can’t use it again.”

“Yes, Force Captain.” He gave another salute and left to execute the order, leaving Adora with her own thoughts. She still found something amiss with the whole battle and whatever this sword did seemed dangerous. She picked it up hesitantly. It seemed inactive and didn’t do anything to her this time but she still did not trust it. Adora did not like the thought at all but it seemed to have turned her into a Princess. She had no idea that people could just become randomly infected with Princesshood but she supposed that she should have known better than to pick up what was probably a rebel weapon, everything considered. Or maybe it was the sparkly one who did it , she thought as she put it on her back again. Would be just typical of them. Her train of thought was interrupted however when the soldier from before came leading a strange and extraordinarily beautiful beast back to where they were gathering the supplies won from the battle.

“What. Is. That?” She asked, quite mesmerised at its appearance, forgetting momentarily her own troubled mind.

“Uh, I think that it’s a horse, Force Captain.” He glanced between her and the horse, not nearly as taken in by the creature.

“It’s majestic,” to which he just shrugged and continued to lead it away. The creature itself seemed to look almost woefully at Adora, its long brown face seeming sad for some reason.

The appearance of this ‘horse’ did cheer Adora up a lot though, and she pushed her more solemn thoughts away to focus on the victory that they had achieved. Maybe she should give it to Catra, she had promised to get her something nice from here after all and she couldn’t think of anything nicer than that creature. Leading the squadron back to the Fright Zone she actually started feeling rather pleased at her first successful mission. She hadn’t let the Horde down, but instead actually beaten a princess in single combat.

Bow was the first of the pair to wake up, clutching his side where the robot had hit him. They were back in the Whispering Woods but quite close to the trail back to High Moon. He sighed to himself. The fact that they were out here and both had been knocked out did not bode well for the outcome of the battle and the fate of Thaymor. Bringing Glimmer onto his shoulders, he made the slow walk back to High Moon, feeling a not insignificant amount of guilt when he saw Queen Angella come flying down to see her daughter, who had only gotten hurt due to following his lead because of some stupid energy flare.

“Glimmer, Bow? Are you alright? You look hurt. Do you need healing?” She picked up her daughter and cradled her in her arms, flying away with her before Bow even had the time to answer.

When Glimmer woke up again she was lying on the bed beneath the Moonstone that was the heart of Bright Moon, and source of her own powers. Her mother was sitting and waiting patiently for her to wake up.

“Feeling better now?” She asked, to which Glimmer gives a mute nod. “Where have you been, what have you been doing?” Angella's voice sounded like it was taking everything in her power to keep it calm.

“I… Can we talk about this later, mom?”

“No,” Angella's voice gained a sterner quality to it, and the strain was quite audible, “I need to talk with you about what happened, what were you up to, running away like tha-”

“I get it, mom! I was grounded, I ran away and I messed up! You don’t need to pick on me for it!” Glimmer felt herself on the verge of tears after all that had happened.

“I’m not ‘picking on you’, Glimmer. It’s important that you tell me what caused this.”

“The Horde caused this, okay!” She was shouting by now, “They attacked Thaymor and I… I… Couldn’t stop them.” Breaking down into proper tears, she teleported away to her room so that her mother wouldn’t see her in this state, lying down on her bed, feeling both exhausted and very depressed about what had happened.

Adora had barely managed to get back to the Fright Zone when she was intercepted by Shadow Weaver, whose speedy arrival betrayed her having kept a watch on her during her mission, “Adora.” Her eyes seemed to narrow behind the mask of hers, not quite hostility but certainly a sign of suspiciousness.

“Shadow Weaver,” She gave a salute.

“Come with me.” Shadow Weaver gestured to a side corridor. There was no way to say no to that order, so Adora followed her, feeling rather self-conscious about the sword on her back all of a sudden. Shadow Weaver's red robes moved seemingly of their own accord as she led the way, a hypnotic pattern divorced from the legs that she presumably had beneath them. Adora suddenly wondered whether she even had legs, trying to wrack her memory before she remembered that there were more pressing matters. The reprimand she had been awaiting came as soon as they were out of sight and earshot of anyone else. “You have been keeping secrets from me, haven’t you, Adora?”

“No, Shadow Weaver, I would nev-”

“Silence!” She seemed very large and intimidating, her presence seemingly growing to fill the room, and Adora felt very small and insignificant in comparison. “It was Catra who put you up to it, wasn’t it? Who did you steal it from?”

“No one! We found it in the woods, and it was my idea, not hers!” Adora had a desperate plea to her voice, not wanting Catra to get in trouble for her sake, and preferably not to get into trouble herself either for that matter.

“Really now? And the reports of a... Transformation?”

“I… I don’t know what caused it, it just happened, and then it went away.”

Shadow Weaver looked at her for a few moments before, apparently satisfied, she suddenly switched tunes. “Very good, Adora. You’ve done very well, Lord Hordak will be most pleased by your performance in the battle.” She stroked her cheek and in doing so took the sword for closer inspection.

“... Thank you, Shadow Weaver. I’m glad that I didn’t let you down.”

“No, Adora…” For some reason Adora knew that she was smiling beneath the mask, “You did not. You have been a very good girl, and don’t worry your head about any Princesses or their magic. I’m going to make sure that it’s perfectly safe for you to use before returning it to you.” The sword melted into the shadows.

“That’s… Great. Thank you.” She did a final salute and Shadow Weaver glided away.

The ambush Catra had planned for Adora was simple but it did its job. She had been lurking in the corner near the locker room since she heard the news of the returning squadron and when Adora entered she tackled her to the ground from behind, “So how did it go? Great? Terrible?”

“I don’t really know, Catra.” Adora shook her off herself and dusted herself off before turning to Catra.

“You… Don’t know?” She tilted her head in confusion.

“It was… Weird. Come, let’s head up where we can talk about it in peace.” She gestured for Catra to follow her to their private spot.

It didn’t take them long to get up to the rooftops where they could sit and talk while watching the industrial landscape of the Fright Zone spread out before them. “So what was it that was so weird? You get in, you blow things up, you get out.”

“Well, yeah, but… Oh how do I even explain this? For starters the defences were way worse than they were supposed to be. And they had barely any defenders at all. It’s as if all of the intel was wrong, or they had been lying to us.”

Catra shrugged, “Well of course they did, they lie all the time, everyone does. You say this like it was your first time realising this.”

“It just didn’t feel right, Catra, okay? I’m not even sure if most of them were with the rebellion. Except for the Princess and the archer I suppose.”

“Wait, you fought a Princess?!" This got Catra's proper attention, not Adora's weird angsting about how she didn't meet proper opposition. "Why didn’t you lead with that, Adora? What was it like fighting her?”

“Annoying . She kept teleporting around me, making it really hard landing a hit on her. Finally I got her with the sword. Which leads to the other weird thing…” She took a deep breath and then said, very fast, “I turned into a giant Princess for a few moments.”

Catra looked at her for a moment, before bursting out laughing, “You, a Princess? Did you start to glitter and get a tiara?”

“Well… Yes.” Adora blushed as Catra continued to laugh. “But seriously, I think that the sword did something to me, and now Shadow Weaver has taken it from me.”

“If the sword was magic then there’s no way that she wasn’t going to. Shadow Weaver loves hoarding that for herself. Besides, it sounded like you didn’t like the sword.” Catra gave a casual shrug, but all the same, she was scrutinising Adora. Her friend was acting very strange, and her story was stranger still.

“I don’t! Or, well, it’s complicated. It was scary, but also cool. It was a strange feeling, like I was connected to it.”

“Yeah,” Catra thought on it for a moment, “I guess that I can see that. You always were the special one.” She gave Adora a playful nudge.

“I guess.” She smiled at her, “Want to see something nice though?”

The Horde didn’t really have proper stables so the horse was currently being kept in a warehouse with the other loot acquired for processing. Adora had made sure that it wasn’t taken away before she got to show it to Catra and once they arrived she gestured happily at it, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

Catra looked between the horse and Adora a few times, not sure how she was supposed to react. “But what is it?”

“It’s a horse!” Adora exclaimed enthusiastically.

At this point, after everything that she had been saying, Catra honestly wondered if Adora might not have gone mad from their visit in the woods. “And what does that tell me?”

“I… Don’t really know. But I found it and thought of how I was supposed to give you something nice.” Adora looked sheepishly at Catra, then the giant creature.

“Adora, what am I going to do with this thing?” Catra gestured at the horse. “I can’t exactly keep it inside, it’s huge. Now come on, don’t be silly, let’s go and have some real fun.” She took her hand and led her away from the warehouse, abandoning the horse to an unknown fate.

There was a knock to Glimmer’s door signalling the dreaded arrival of her mother. Her tears had dried up by then and she was calmer than she had been before, but she still felt too emotionally drained to even teleport down from the bed to open the door. “Come in, mom.” At which point Angella entered and flew up to sit by the side of her hanging bed.

“Glimmer, I just want to hear what happened. Please, tell me everything.” She implored her daughter, her voice very soft and gentle.

“Okay, mom…” She gave a sigh, “Bow wanted to take me into the woods because he had found the signs of some powerful First Ones tech, but when we arrived the Horde had already gotten it first. We then tried to get back but got a bit sidetracked by a giant monster and ended up in Thaymor. And there…” She paused for a long moment, “The Horde attacked it, and we tried our best, mom, but there were too many of them. And their leader… I don’t know what to say, she seemed normal at first but then she got really powerful.”

“Powerful? In what way did she do that?” Her mother tilted her head quizzically.

“Well, she had this big sword that she hit me with, threw me halfway across the village, and when I looked up she looked different. Like, she had this golden light and was dressed in white and gold. And she had really long hair all of a sudden. Glimmer thought back on the encounter, remembering the sheer awe and terror she had felt, like she was no longer fighting a human but some long forgotten demigod. "Oh, and a red cape too.”

Angella looked at Glimmer in stunned silence for a long moment while she processed the information. “Glimmer… What you are saying… By the description… You’re telling me that the Horde has She-Ra ?”

Chapter Text

Sleep did not come easy for Adora that night. Her new quarters were objectively quite nice compared to the previous bunk beds, but she had been used to sleeping along with the others for as long as she could remember, and the feeling of loneliness from being the only one in the room simply aggravated the unease that she had felt since the Battle of Thaymor. She shifted uncomfortably, wondering why it all bothered her so much. She had done what she was supposed to, and done so excellently at that. She did not really understand why she wasn’t pleased by it. Eventually, she gave up on sleep and got out of her room, trying to sneak back to her old dormitory. That was when she heard the voice of Shadow Weaver from behind, “Adora.” Adora gave a yelp and tried her best to give a salute without looking like she had just met a ghost, turning around to see Shadow Weaver indeed standing right behind her. “Adora, you should be resting, why are you up here at this hour?” Shadow Weaver's voice was silken smooth, affecting the maternal tone she often used with Adora.

“I couldn’t sleep and thought that I’d go up to… Get some fresh air.” She didn’t think that Shadow Weaver would approve of her returning to the other cadets.

There was no telling if Shadow Weaver believed her or not, her mask being as inscrutable as always. “You shouldn’t worry your head, Adora. You have done well. I knew that you were meant for greatness the moment I laid my eyes on you. And now I have proof.”

“... You do?” The talk of Adora being meant for greatness were hardly something new, Shadow Weaver had told her as much for as long as she could remember, but she was clearly hinting at more than the usual expectations and platitudes this time.

“Oh yes, I have studied the sword you gave me and it does seem quite remarkable. A thing of legend. And it only seems to respond to you.” She sounded almost wistful at the last words. It was easy to imagine her wishing to claim whatever power it held for herself.

“Me?” Adora was unsure if this was a test of some kind. “Why me?”

“Because you are chosen by it, Adora. Connected to it. Fret not, my dear girl, I will make sure that it is not tainted by any Princesses and their magic and then you will have it. And everything will be just perfect.”

For some reason Shadow Weaver’s words only creeped out Adora even more, “... Okay. That’s great. Thanks.”

“That’s a good girl,” she stroked her one last time, “Now go back to bed, you will have much work to do.” She seemed to meld back into the shadows as Adora hurried away.

But Adora did not return to her captain’s quarters. Instead, she continued on her way to where the other cadets slept. Most were already fast asleep by the time she arrived, but Catra’s heterochrome eyes looked up from where she laid curled up in Adora’s bed. “Hey, sleepwalker,” She whispered, “Your bed isn’t here any more.”

“Found no sleep and didn’t want to be alone,” Adora whispered back as she settled down on the bed.

Catra watched her for a few moments as Adora lay there, but did not question her decision. “Suit yourself,” and she tucked her head back into her curled up form.

The War Council of Bright Moon was a very somber affair, now more than ever. Most of the chairs were empty, just as they had been ever since the Princess Alliance broke apart. Bow and Glimmer, along with the two Princesses Netossa and Spinnerella, were the only ones to sit by the table when Angella came in, followed by General Juliet. Though not a Princess herself, Juliet was the Queen's chief advisor on military matters and the captain of the Brightmoon Guards, making her a key part of most war meetings. It would be Angella who opened the session by introducing the crisis at hand. “I’ve asked you here because we've received a distress call from Princess Perfuma. The Horde is laying siege to her kingdom. She’s asking Bright Moon for assistance. And no, Glimmer,” she said as Glimmer raised her hand, “I’m not sending you to Plumeria, it’s too dangerous, and you need to recover.”

“But Mom!” She protested, “I’m fine, and Plumeria needs our help.”

“I know they do, but I can’t risk you, not before you’re better at least. And don’t forget that you’re still grounded.”

Glimmer harrumphed, but did not protest further, consoled by Bow laying a hand on her shoulder. Angella took that as acceptance and proceeded, turning to Juliet. "General what would your assessment of the situation be?"

General Juliet gave a curt nod in acknowledgement of being spoken to, before providing a holoprojected map on the central table. “The Horde has set up camp at Plumeria's main supply route, meaning that it risks starvation unless we do something." She pointed out the Horde camp, which was marked on the map with the Horde's insignia; a stylised image of two bat wings. "While the Horde are not currently mounting a direct assault on the kingdom, they will weaken it for as long as this siege persists. The fall of Plumeria would be a great strategic loss, which would give the Horde a far greater foothold in the Whispering Woods."

"Thank you." Angella looked contemplatively at the map. "The Plumerian traditions of pacifism makes this a delicate operation. We need to provide them with the food they need to hold out, but I don't think that we'd be able to get them to fight the Horde. As such, I need people who could do the deliverance discreetely. Netossa, Spinnerella?" She turned towards the end of the table where the couple sat. "Can I rely on you?"

“Of course, your majesty,” Netossa replied, to which Spinnerella added “We’ll see to it that it happens without complications.”

“Good. I’m relying on you to make sure that Plumeria doesn’t fall. If it does, the Horde will have free access through the Whispering Woods."

"Mom!" Glimmer raised her hand, unable to contain herself. It was as if everyone were ignoring the elephant in the room.

Angella sighed. "Yes, Glimmer?"

"Delivering food supplies won't do anything in the long run, you're only delaying the problem." She pointed at the Horde encampment on the map. "For as long as this thing remains they'll keep besieging Plumeria."

"... And what do you propose?" Asked her mother, clearly anticipating the answer.

"Take the fight to them! Destroy the camp and drive them back!" Glimmer gave a forward punch in the air, sparkles coming out of her hand.

"No. That's out of the question. It's too risky." 

"But-"

"Glimmer, that's enough." Angella's voice had gotten a quality that said she would accept no further arguing. "Meeting adjourned."

Despite her promotion, Adora continued to train with her fellow cadets. If they weren't seen as ready for combat yet, then she would keep assisting them until they were. Today's training was not particularly different from the normal routine, with the group having to work to take down several robots in difficult terrain. Kyle was taken out swiftly by the training bots as usual, but both Lonnie and Rogelio had lasted through several attacks by now and Catra always performed well whenever she showed up, which was less often that Adora would wish, but on this day she was darting up in the ceiling, dodging their laser blasts. “Lonnie! Take their left flank, Rogelio, on their right, Catra, get down here and strike them from above!” Adora gave the orders with her best air of authority and felt pleased when the others executed them just as planned, leaving the robots confused as to where to target and giving her the opening to jump into their midst and start smashing them while they were distracted. It felt good working with the others, even if she no longer had to. They were a good team, and she felt responsible to make sure that they too were judged worthy to see proper battles with her. She couldn’t think of anyone else she’d rather fight with.

As the last of the robots fell to their combined efforts, Lonnie wiped the sweat off her brow, “Permission to rest, Force Captain?”

“Permission granted,” Adora sheathed her staff and sat down on one of the fallen robots. Catra joined her while Lonnia rested on her own staff, “Want to tell us more about what happened at Thaymor?”

“Not really, Lonnie. It’s not what it was chalked up to be. Just a few defenders that were swept aside without much issue.”

“And the talks about you transforming into a Princess...”

“Pay them no heed,” Adora snapped, “Let’s resume training.” There were grunts of annoyance at the briefness of the break, but she ignored them, focusing on drilling the group. As long as her mind concentrated on something else, she didn't have to deal with those uncomfortable thoughts that had been preying on her.

The scene in Plumeria was quite dismal when Netossa and Spinnerella arrived. The plants that made the kingdom so famous were dying everywhere and, in the distance, smoke rose from the Horde camp. Rather than the typical lush and vibrant colours the whole place seemed in the process of being terraformed into another industrial wasteland akin to the Fright Zone. “That’s not good, whatever it is,” said Spinnerella at the sight of the smoke, “might have something to do with all this death. The Queen didn’t mention any of this.”

“She probably didn't know. I say that as soon as we drop these supplies off we scout the place out and take them down,” her wife responded.

“I don’t know, dear." Spinnerella hesitated, for it felt wrong to disobey Angella's orders. "That’s not really what we’re supposed to do while here.”

“That’s Just because she didn’t know about the plants dying. You have to admit that this changes everything." Netossa insisted. "If we don’t act soon Plumeria may fall without the Horde having to lift a finger.”

Before Spinnerella could respond, they had arrived, to be greeted by Princess Perfuma and her people. “Our saviours have come!” She shouted in joy, flowers being conjured in celebration, “Bright Moon has sent aid in our hour of need. Thank you, thank you. Do you need anything from us?” The people flocked around them, a few of them already taking a stray apple to eat, while the majority either helped unload the cart or simply gathered around the two Princesses to give their thanks.

“This was more of an ‘us helping you’ scenario,” replied Netossa, “we’ve got you some supplies, but things seem pretty bad here in general. What’s going on?”

“Well, we’re in a bit of a rough spot at the moment," admitted Perfuma, before cheering up again. "But that’s no reason to be negative. The universe is sure to provide soon.” She clapped her hands once. "Please, do come with us so that we can celebrate."

“Yes, but what exactly is it? What's causing the plants to die? Is there anything that we can do to help?” Asked Spinerella.

“We… Don’t really know, but nothing I do seems to hold for long. Even the great Heartblossom,” she gestured to the huge tree in the centre of all that contained the Runestone from which Perfuma drew her power, “seems to be growing weaker.” A solemn moment came before she changed mood, “But enough about that, let’s eat first and then we can talk about such things.” She and her followers would go on to make a feast for their two guests. Spinnerella enjoyed the vegetables provided, trying to help make it a pleasant event. But Netossa was restless as the smoke continued to pour and all life around them continued to wither and decay, shifting her position often and shooting dark looks in the direction of the Horde Camp.

With the final training exercise done for the day, Adora was congratulating her squad when she spotted Shadow Weaver waiting for her in a dark corner. “You go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you later,” she said to Catra before moving over to her superior and giving her a salute, “Shadow Weaver.”

“Adora,” she took her by the back to begin leading her away. At first Adora was not sure where to, but soon felt a sinking feeling as she realised that she was being taken to the Black Garnet Chamber, Shadow Weaver’s personal room of sorcery that few dared enter.  “You still cling to those of your past, do you not see how much they hinder your progress? How much more you could be without them?” The lights of the corridor seemed to flicker out at her mere presence.

“I… With all due respect, Shadow Weaver, they’re a good team and no one has won a war on their own. I need them to back me up just as much as they need me.” Contradicting Shadow Weaver always felt like a gamble to Adora, but this was something that she intended to stand her ground on. It felt disloyal to abandon the rest of the group after all these years spent together.

“But you could be given other, better, people.” Shadow Weaver pressed further. "You could be our greatest Force Commander, I know it. Do not allow yourself to be hamstrung by subpar comrades."

“But these are my people." Adora placed a certain emphasis on the words. She didn't know if this was going to work, but she felt obligated to at least try to convince her. "We know each other, we’ve trained with each other. They’re the ones who I work best with. Please, just give them a chance.”

Shadow Weaver sighed and seemed to relent. “Very well, Adora. If you insist. You, and they, will be given a chance to prove yourself soon enough I expect. That is not why I brought you here though.” They entered the chamber, which was a relatively small, circular room. The place was dimly lit, the main source of light coming from the titular Black Garnet; a large blood-red crystal that dominated the centre of it. Adora noticed her sword lying on a table, it looked a bit different from before, though she couldn’t really put a finger on it. It was more just strange feeling she got from looking at it. “I have made some improvements to it." Shadow Weaver had noticed her looking intently at it. "You do not need to worry about anyone making you something that you are not again, my dear, I have made sure of it. Now let us begin your special training. Lord Hordak will want to see you soon, and I’ll make sure that you will be quite ready for it…”

“Alright, we can’t just wait while the Horde is doing whatever it is that they are doing.” Netossa had enough of this procrastination by the third course. “We need to act. And now.”

“But we’re not warriors, I can’t ask my people to throw themselves against the trained soldiers of the Horde,” Perfuma protested, “Perhaps we should ask the universe to provide us with the solution?”

“That might not be necessary,” interjected Spinnerella. “Dear, think that we could try and dismantle their operations ourselves?”

“Oh easily,” Boasted Netossa. “You just hang back and we’ll take care of this, no problem.”

There would, in fact, be some problem, because the Horde camp, though lacking in anything that could individually threaten a Princess, did have metal barricades guarding its perimeter, and several squadrons of soldiers garrisoning it. Still, Spinnerella’s power over wind would transport them over the walls and into the camp, taking them by surprise. The shockwave of their landing, with all the air Spinnerella had used to keep them airborne being sent outwards, threw the nearby soldiers flying, while Netossa threw energy nets to catch them. “And another one for me!” Shouted Netossa as she caught one of them mid-air, nailing him to the barricade.

“Not this again. Do we really need to make it a competition right now? Besides, it’s not fair for you to take credit for him, he was already taken out of the fight when I sent him flying.” Spinerella sent a gust of wind against the nearest charging soldiers, knocking them back and disarming them of their weapons.

“But he hadn’t landed yet, so it still counts.” Netossa gave the kind of smug smile that had been deliberately cultivated over the years to inflame Spinnerella's own competitive streak. Throwing more nets to catch as many of the troops as possible before they got up again, she gave a satisfied look when they hit their marks.

Spinnerella gave an exasperated sigh at that. She was quite used to these games by now, but Netossa’s wish to make a competition out of everything still managed to somehow be both frustrating and very endearing to her. She focused instead on holding back the remaining soldiers, whilst looking over at the great factory-like building at the centre of it. “The smoke is coming from inside of that thing, we should focus on getting inside it and check it out.” Making her way over to the entrance, she reached just as the door opened to let out more of the Horde to join the fight. She swooped them to the side with a gesture, before taking advantage of the open door to step inside.

“You do that, I’ll keep them at bay.” Netossa threw one of her nets to create an energy dome to protect the entrance of the building so that no one else could follow Spinnerella into it.

“... You’re only saying that because you want to make sure that you’ve knocked out more of them than I have.”

“Not only , dear.” She flashed her a smile, cut short by the need to return attention to the enemy assailing her.

Admitting to herself that she had stepped into that one, Spinnerella made her way inside, where she witnessed a piece of giant machinery that covered the entire room. It was injecting toxins into the ground, a green sludge that was seemingly made for the explicit purpose of dumpage, rather than merely a byproduct. Though Spinnerella had expected something like this, it was still unnerving the way that the Horde seemed willing to poison the land deliberately for no other purpose than to deny the enemy its products. It seemed clear that the Horde was using this machine to cause Plumeria to decay. Summoning a smaller tornado, Spinnerella wrecked the machinery, causing parts to go flying everywhere. She had to be thankful for her mastery of air magic in that moment, since it would help contain the inevitable toxic spill from spraying onto her in that moment, something that she would very much rather do without. “Alright, done!” As she stepped out Netossa gave her a high five, the Horde routing with their position lost.

They made their way back to the Heart-Blossom, where Perfuma and the rest of the villagers eagerly waited on them. “The conquering heroes return. Thank you so much for your help. Hopefully the land will begin to recover soon.” Perfuma created two victory laurels for the pair of them. 

“Oh it was nothing,” Said Spinnerella, trying to deflect some of the praise, “We just did what we could to help. The supplies should last you until the plants recover and we’ll report back to Bright Moon to see if we can get you some additional protection.”

Adora felt trepidation as Shadow Weaver led her towards Hordak’s sanctum. She didn’t remember when she had last been allowed inside it, and getting a personal audience with the reclusive leader of the Horde was a rare honour. Something that only increased her fear at messing it up. Approaching the throne where the pale and batlike ruler sat, she kneeled down until given word otherwise. Shadow Weaver approached as well, though she only gave a slight bow to him, “Lord Hordak. This is the Force Captain that I have spoken of. Adora has performed excellently on all tests, she did an exemplary performance on her first mission and she appears to have forged a powerful connection to the runestone embedded into what I have concluded is the mythical Sword of Protection. I promise that with my tutelage-”

“So she is ready for further assignments then, I take it.” Hordak cut her off.

“But my lord, she needs training." Shadow Weaver tilted her palms placatingly. "her potential is great but if you allow me to teach her the ways of magic-”

“Is she not a Force Captain?” Hordak snapped brusquely.

“Yes, my lord, but-”

“Then she is not to be coddled with. Rise, Force Captain Adora.” Adora did as she was told. “Our forces in Plumeria have suffered a setback in their operations. I need someone to rectify the situation. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Lord Hordak,” she replied.

“Good. Further training and conditioning will come, but I expect field performance as well. Demonstrate your connection and then be gone.”

Doing as she was bid, Adora took out her sword, raised it into the air and, as per Shadow Weaver’s instructions beforehand, concentrated whilst shouting “For the glory of the Horde!”

And Adora changed. She grew taller, her hair longer, her eyes brighter and her clothes were changed. But it was as if whatever Shadow Weaver had done to her sword had drained the light out of the dress. The white had darkened into black and the golden light emanating from her seemed different, the light was dimmer yet the shadows it cast had grown more prominent. She-Ra stood tall before Hordak, who simply nodded his head contemplatively, “You have my approval to proceed, Shadow Weaver.”

Chapter Text

If Glimmer never had to go to Dryl again, she felt that she’d die a happy woman in that moment. The claims that Princess Entrapta lived isolated from most were an understatement. She breathed out heavily as she got up on the final crescent and looked at where Castle Dryl stood. Even Entrapta’s abode looked foreboding to her eyes, being a dark castle standing on the mountain slope. “This Entrapta better be worth it,” she complained once she had caught her breath.

“Don’t worry,” Responded Bow, who was a bit ahead of her, “Entrapta is a genius with technology. If anyone can figure out what the Horde did to Plumeria, it’s her.”

“I suppose,” For all of her complaining, Glimmer did actually feel rather good about this mission. It was the first one that her mother had entrusted to her since… 

She pushed the thought away, “So, eager to meet her?”

“Oh yeah. I’ve got some ideas for some trick arrows that I’d love to hear her thoughts on. Did you know that we’re both members of the Etherian Makers Community?”

“... You may have mentioned that once or twice. So,” she gave him a playful push, “It’s a bit like meeting an idol then, isn’t it?”

“You could say that,” They had gotten up to the castle gate and Bow gave a knock. It was opened by what looked to be a small robot butler, “Isn’t it cool?” He whispered to Glimmer, who had to admit that it was, in fact, pretty cool. Bow’s enthusiasm was quite infectious, there was no getting around that.

The robot silently led them through the maze-like corridors of Castle Dryl, before unlocking the door to what had to be Entrapta’s personal room. Someone that could be none other than the Princess of Dryl was sitting and working on what looked like a three-pointed First Ones data crystal, using her prehensile hair as extra appendages. She was absentmindedly humming to herself as she worked before she noticed her guests. “Oh, hello there!” She turned around to face them while a strand of her hair flipped her welding mask up so that they could see her face, “Guests! How nice of you to come and visit me. Have you come to witness my experiments with First Ones Artifact 58?”

“Not… Exactly.” Said Glimmer. She had forgotten how eccentric Entrapta was said to be. “We’ve come on behalf of the people of Plumeria. We wondered if you could help us out with a problem?”

“A problem? I love solving problems! Tell me more.” Entrapta glided over to them quite seamlessly, her hair making her movement more fluid than one would expect, and took out a pen and notebook.

“Well, the Horde has sent some kind of toxin into the ground, causing all life there to wither. We thought that you might be our best bet for making an antitoxin to it.” Though Glimmer spoke casually, she did get ever so slightly uncomfortable at the way that Entrapta intruded on her personal space in her curiosity.

Entrapta contemplated this for a moment, “That does sound like an interesting chemical experiment, but I’m afraid that I have to decline. I’m in the middle of an experiment that could allow me to translate the writing of the First Ones. Just think of the possibilities that it would open up!” Her eyes were literally shining at the thought.

“Entrapta! Don’t you care about the people of Plumeria?” Glimmer had gotten rather annoyed at her apparent callousness but Bow put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

“Glimmer, let me handle this,” he whispered to her, before turning to Entrapta, “Hey, Entrapta. I’m Bow, this is Glimmer. I’ve corresponded to you a few times before. Huge fan of your work.” He shook one of her hair-arms with his hand, “I know that you said that this experiment was very important to you, but think of it this way: We’re offering you an opportunity to examine a piece of Horde machinery and its waste that you’ll probably never get again. This experiment can wait, it’s not as if anyone is going to come and steal it from you. I mean, they’d get lost or fall into one of the traps before they even get here. Love the traps by the way, really cool.”

There were a couple of seconds of silence as Entrapta mulled this over. “... Alright then.” She relented, “Give me a moment to just pack my things and I’ll come with you.”

“Yes! Thanks, Entrapta. We really appreciate your help in this.”

The packing took a little while to get done due to the chaotic layout of Entrapta’s lab, but soon enough they were all three ready to leave, letting the data crystal stay behind. None of them noticed when it turned from green to red and they were gone and blissfully unaware as it began to spread its influence over the castle, infecting the machinery within with its virus.

“About time that you showed up,” said Catra when Adora had finally returned from meeting Hordak. “What did Shadow Weaver put you up to that took this long?”

“It’s a really long story. Let’s gather up the others so that I can explain it to everyone at once.” Meeting up with Lonnie, Kyle and Rogelio in the locker room, Adora started explaining her meeting with Hordak. The others were quite impressed that she had gotten an audience with the overlord himself and gave a cheer when she told them that she had gotten Shadow Weaver’s permission to bring them as her team for the next mission. “Apparently our outpost in Plumeria recently fell to a rebel assault. Our task is to get in there, assess the situation, retake our lost ground and punish the rebels for their transgressions. Any questions?”

“I have a question,” said Kyle, “Who is the big scary lady standing in the corner?”

“Who?” A voice came from the shadows. “Oh, right. Me. Sorry.” A woman stepped out, with white hair, claws, a red exoskeleton covering most of her body and a long stinger, “Name’s Scorpia. I was going to introduce myself but then Adora started explaining so well and I didn’t want to interrupt her. I was supposed to provide you guys with some backup, a bit of muscle, you know. It’s really nice to get to meet a new team.” She gave them a group hug, something that none of the others seemed prepared or pleased for.

“Force Captain Scorpia,” Said Adora once she and the others had gotten out of it, “Will be our heavy hitter on this mission. If we need something destroyed or a shield against blasts she’s our girl. We’ll be leaving soon, everyone, so get your preparations in order. Thank you.” She felt rather good when everyone started preparing for the operation. Commanding came surprisingly naturally to her, and everyone seemed to be keen to prove themselves in what for most of them would be their first proper mission. With the Sword of Protection on her back and her team with her, she felt ready to tackle whatever it was that the rebels would throw at her.

Arriving in Plumeria, Bow started helping Entrapta set up her contraptions by the Heart-Blossom while Glimmer talked to Perfuma. “I’m not really sure about this.” Said Perfuma as she watched Entrapta tinker excitedly. 

“Neither am I,” Replied Glimmer, “But it’s our best bet of making you and your kingdom better before the Horde comes back. Bow trusts Entrapta, and I trust Bow.”

“I just, it doesn’t feel like this is the right way to do it. We should ask the universe to provide the solution, not treat our sacred tree like just another experiment.” 

“Don’t worry, Princess Perfuma,” Said Bow from high up in one of the tree branches, “Entrapta is an expert. She’ll get this done in no time and we’ll get this all removed.”

“Minor correction.” Interjected Entrapta. “The time this will take is higher than zero. Still,” She adjusted the settings on one of the gaugers, “The results will be very fascinating. I promise.”

This did not exactly reassure Perfuma but she decided not to press the issue further, there was not much other choice under the circumstances after all. And so they continued working towards their goal of understanding the poison that the Horde had used, to the pleasure of Entrapta and quiet dismay of Perfuma.

When Adora’s squad arrived at what had been the Horde’s stronghold in the area, they found a ruin of metal plates and broken machinery. Whatever the Princesses had done to destroy it, they had been thorough. “The rebels will pay for this,” she muttered as she walked through the debris, “I swear it.” Getting into the central building, she found the demolished remains of the core machine, broken beyond repair. She was still standing there, watching it, when Catra walked up to her. “So, our illustrious Force Captain. Conqueror of Etheria. Glorious-”

“Oh cut it out.”

“If the great leader demands it,” She gave a mischievous smile, “Going to spend the entire day looking mournfully at some piece of junk or what’s the plan?”

“Since you’re volunteering, Catra, I need someone to scout ahead. We don’t have any intelligence on the rebels in Plumeria and if they’re strong enough to do this,” she gestured at the destruction around them, “I’d rather know what they’re up to.”

“Aye, aye, captain!” Catra did a mock salute and departed, leaving Adora alone. She had already disappeared from sight when the latter exited the building to look over the rest of the squad. 

“Alright, everyone, remember to keep a low profile so that they don’t know that we’re here yet. Catra is scouting ahead but should be back soon enough, so I want you all to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Our first objective is to secure a perimeter around this base, and from there we'll see if we can't hurt the rebel outpost just ahead.”

“Aha! I have analysed the samples you gave me and am ready to go to the next stage. This is so exciting!” Entrapta practically danced as she read her report and gave a cackle of delight. 

“So you think that you could make a cure for it?” Asked Glimmer.

“Absolutely! I just need a little more time and I’ll have it ready for you.”

“Great!” Said Bow “Thanks, Entrapta. You’ve been a real help to us.”

“It’s been my pleasure! My understanding has only increased with this adventure!”

“That’s great,” said Perfuma, slightly less enthusiastically but still in good spirits at the news, “This land really does need to be healed. It fills me with such pain to see this desolation.”

“Don’t worry, Perfuma,” Glimmer reassured her, “You’ll have your powers back and everything will be fixed in no time.” Entrapta looked like she was going to point out again that this would actually take time to do, but then she remembered that she had already made that clarification and let it go without further comment.

Meanwhile, Catra sat like a shadow up in one of the trees, listening to them talking. “You guys just make this too easy.” She laughed quietly to herself and began to slink off.

“Everything went well?” Asked Adora upon seeing Catra return to the camp. She was weighing the Sword of Protection in her hand, readying herself mentally for the coming battle. Shadow Weaver had taught her that, like all magic, the sword’s powers were accessed through an act of will and concentration, focusing on what she wished to achieve and not letting any stray emotions confuse her. It could be difficult, and she had far from mastered it yet, but she was keen to make the first proper test of it in a real combat scenario. 

“You could say that,” From the look of smugness on her face Catra had found something that made her feel really good about herself. “It seems that our rebel friends over yonder are having a bit of a problem with their magic. Supposedly they’re looking to fix that by healing their big tree-thing but until then we may have something of a window of opportunity.”

Adora smiled at that, “Are you suggesting that we pay them a surprise visit while they’re focused on that?”

“You know, I think that I just might be.”

The first warning that something was wrong came when one of the Bright Moon guards gave a cry of “Horde Soldiers!” Next thing, she was knocked out by the sting of a great scorpion-lady while the other guards that had been sent to protect Plumeria headed in to join the fray. Turning her attention in that direction, Glimmer saw three more soldiers accompanying her charge, as well as none other than the very same Force Captain that she had fought in Thaymor. “Bow, Perfuma! Protect Entrapta! We can’t let them disrupt her work!” She didn’t wait to see if they did as she told but teleported into the fray, standing against the same woman as she had before. “Horde Scum!” She aimed a strike at her, but the woman deflected it with her blade.”You’ll pay for what you did to Thaymor!”

“What I did to your stronghold is no different from what you did to our own,” she replied, aiming a strike that Glimmer teleported out of the way of, “The only way that this war will end is if you cease your revolt and let peace and order return to Etheria.”

“It would be nothing but the peace of the grave!” Glimmer angrily retorted, “Spare me your lies, the Horde is attacking us because they’re evil and want to make us suffer.” She blinded the Horde soldier with her sparkles for long enough that she could get in a hit on her ribs before having to fall back from another slash.

“Well, you’re clearly not interested in debating politics with me,” the woman spoke through winded breaths, before raising the sword into the air, “So be it. For the Glory of the Horde!” And to Glimmer’s dismay, she did once more transform, turning into the tall lady that, up close, she had to admit did look a lot like the images of She-Ra she had come across. Her long blonde hair cascaded behind her back and her eyes were such a bright blue they almost seemed to shine. Though she was darker in her apparel than Glimmer remembered, and the Horde symbol was emblazoned on her chest.

“What have they done to you?!” Glimmer was aghast, this all felt so very wrong. Like a mockery of how it was supposed to by the cruel Horde. “You’re supposed to be the hero!”

“I am the hero,” replied the warrior lady, who was unmistakably the same person as before, but different. “I am liberating Etheria from dangerous and unstable Princesses like you.” And with that she went on a new offensive, and it was all that Glimmer could do to get out of the way of her swipes and jabs, let alone take her down.

“But look at yourself!” She cried out, “This is all wrong, can’t you see? Do you have any idea what they’ve done to you? Or do you just not care?” She changed tactics, defeating this warrior on her own didn’t seem possible, so she tried to keep her distance and just keep her distracted for as long as possible, putting greater distance into her teleports. As long as the others did well they might still win. “You’re She-Ra! You’re supposed to be the good guy. She-Ra wouldn’t do this.”

Her enemy gave her a confused look, “Who’s She-Ra?”

Glimmer didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry at that. Of course she didn’t know. The Horde would never tell such things. She teleported up to a tree to gather her thoughts, only for the tree to be felled by a single strike from the warrior and she had to teleport away again. Maybe she’s not She-Ra, but just looks a lot like her. Or maybe the Horde took She-Ra and did something to her mind. She looked around to see how the others were doing, and it did not look good. 

While the rest of the group attacked from the front, Catra had snuck around to flank the Princesses. Adora looked to be handling the sparkly girl quite easily all on her own, and even Lonnie, Kyle and Rogelio seemed to be doing a good job at keeping the rebel soldiers at bay. Well, except for Kyle of course, but even he hadn’t been knocked out yet, so it was better than usual. She just needed to draw the one called Perfuma away from the fight, and Scorpia could get in and take out the arrow boy and the Entrapta figure, who seemed the key in all of this. “Hey, think fast!” She said as she pounced down on the flower girl, claws first. Before the Princess could catch her breath to respond to her, or do much of anything, she had leapt up in the air again.

“Perfuma!” she heard the boy shout from down below, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Bow,” She replied, giving Catra a moment to wonder whether he got his name before or after he had taken up archery, “Did you see where she went?” In response to which, Catra made another dash. This time Perfuma was ready for her, and didn’t get thrown down on the ground again, but she didn’t care. She just needed to draw her attention for long enough to get her to break formation. And so she did, “There! I won’t let her get away this time!”

“Perfuma, wait! Glimmer said-” But she was already off, sending vines in Catra’s direction. How gullible were these guys? She wondered to herself, as she dodged out of the way and began attacking her.

“Oh hey there, Princess,” she went for a low blow and slashed her in the legs, “How nice to meet you.”

“You won’t win!” The Princess used her nature powers to send tree branches to attack Catra but the effort seemed to exhaust her, and the branches turned out to be incredibly fragile as Catra smashed them to splinters with ease.

“I think that you need to check your eyesight, Planta,” Not her best nickname but it did its job of annoying her while she continued to jump around, scratching her at every given opportunity, “Look around yourself. The Horde is winning. The battle, the war, you name it. Soon enough your precious trees will be gone.”

“No! The universe won’t allow it. Nature will reclaim what the Horde has taken.” She was growing weaker from the effort of fighting and her wounds, Catra could see that.

“If this is supposed to be nature’s protector, I can’t see that happening,” She gave a derisive laugh to further rile her up, seizing the opening as Perfuma made another attempt to summon her pitiful plants, to strike her in the stomach with her claws. The Princess doubled down, “What? I thought that you Princesses were supposed to be tough. Can you even call this a real fight?”

Bow did not have the time to do anything as Perfuma ran away, because just then the scorpion woman broke apart from the frontline battle to start charging him and Entrapta. “Entrapta, how long do you have left?” He asked as he made an acrobatic jump to get away from the woman’s claws, firing an arrow down at her that bounced harmlessly off her exoskeleton.

“Almost done,” Entrapta seemed to barely pay heed to the battle around her, inspecting her instruments.

As the woman turned around towards Entrapta, Bow saw what he had to do. “Hey! Don’t just turn your back on me!” He fired another arrow at her, which she dodged but did cause her to turn her attention back to him. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disrespect you,” she sent her tail against him, which he grabbed to pull her off-balance. By the time that she had righted herself he had sent a net arrow against her, which she broke free off, but only after a bit of struggle.

“How is it looking now, Entrapta?”

“I have synthesised an anti-toxin to the samples you gave me. I think. I would like to do some testing but this one should have an 83 % chance of a neutral-to-positive result.”

Bow looked around over the battlefield. The tall warrior that Glimmer had dubbed She-Ra was breaking everything that they were throwing at her, and Glimmer didn’t look like she could last much longer before she ran out of energy. Meanwhile the cat-woman looked to be having Perfuma at her mercy, and the scorpion one was already getting back up to fight again. “It will just have to do. Do it, Entrapta.”

“What? Don’t have anything to say to me?” Asked Catra as she grabbed Perfuma by the throat. “Nothing about how we’ll ‘never win’ or ‘The universe will fix this’? Come on.” She threw her into a tree and raised her hand to deliver the finishing blow, “Anything?”

Perfuma looked up at her, and despite the cuts and blows her eyes glowed with defiance… And more. Before Catra had the time to realise what was happening, roots were grappling her legs, pulling her down towards the earth. “Nature. Always. Wins.” She spoke through pained breaths.

“Catra!” Adora shouted as she saw her friend get pulled down. She immediately regretted doing so because her cry made Scorpia turn around to see what was happening to Catra, before being hit by an arrow sent by the archer that covered her in a sticky goo. The plants around them were growing back to life from their withered state and the great tree was glowing, in power. Clearly whatever had been weakening the Princess’ magic was no longer in play. Adora had enough with playing around at this point. As the glittery girl teleported into the air to dropkick her face, she grabbed her by the leg, throwing her several meters away into the flower girl, knocking the former out and breaking the latter’s concentration. She then jumped after her in a tremendous leap that would normally never have been possible for her and landed with her sword smashing into the ground where Catra and her opponent were.

The ground shook, and the disruption of the earth and the Princess’ attack allowed Catra to break free, while Adora grabbed the Princess’ head and smashed it into a tree, giving her what appeared to be a serious concussion. “Come on, Catra, free Scorpia and let’s get out of here!” She ran back to where the others had been holding the soldiers in check but were now being overrun by the arrival of poorly armed but numerous rebels. Her attack into their rear broke their will to fight though, and she grabbed Kyle over her shoulder while the rest of her squad made their way back to the camp. Putting him down, she turned back into Adora to catch her breath. “Okay. That was good work, everyone. I’m proud of you, even if we didn’t stop them from doing their whole thing. I think that we hurt them pretty heavily, and they’ll be much more reluctant to try and take out our camp after this.”

Catra looked glum though, “We still lost. Had to run away with our tails between our legs.” She began licking and wiping dirt off herself.

“Only because they greatly outnumbered us. Remember, our mission wasn’t to single-handedly seize Plumeria, just take our repayment for what they did to us. I think that this should qualify.”

The group gave a half-hearted cheer. Though they had done pretty well, and did feel relatively pleased with themselves when it came down to it, they were still exhausted and hadn’t gotten the glorious victory that they had all deep down been hoping for.

When Glimmer opened her eyes again she saw Bow standing over her. “What… What happened?” She asked.

“Glimmer, I think that we won. The Horde fell back when the people of Plumeria came to our aid and Perfuma…” He hesitated, “She got her powers back I think.”

“You… Think?” The wording of that worried her.

“See for yourself,” He helped her up to a sitting position, where she saw poor Perfuma lying completely unconscious. “She’s been quite heavily wounded from the fighting. She needs to be healed.”

Glimmer nodded, her thoughts were getting clearer now than before, and she knew what they had to do. “We’ll take her to Mystacor.”

Chapter Text

The training regimes had only increased in their difficulty and intensity since Scorpia joined the team, and even with the Sword of Protection, the squad was hard pressed to prevail against the bots thrown at them. Adora was still trying to figure out the magic that Shadow Weaver had been teaching her. She tried to summon a bolt of energy to strike down the bots coming for them but nothing nothing happened and she got blasted away by their lasers, with only the supernatural toughness of her current state stopping her from being knocked out. She landed on her feet some distance away and looked around to see how the others were doing. It wasn’t looking too good, the swarms were bearing down on them and there were too many of them for each to handle on their own. She rose up to a standing position and sprinted forward to join the fray again, but before she could do anything more, all of the machines suddenly powered down. She looked around to see what had caused the sudden end to the training session, the answer to which was made readily apparent in the darkness encroaching on the room. “Shadow Weaver.” She did a salute and turned back to her normal self.

“Adora,” Came the faux-motherly voice of the one who had raised her. “Why are you failing? You have so much power, yet you allow yourself to be distracted by the others.”

It took everything within Adora not to sigh at this, she had heard it quite too many times by now. “They are not distractions. They’ve helped me out on multiple occasions, I need them. I just need to master what power I have. Give me time.”

“I am afraid that I can not do that. You have new orders.” This made Adora perk up from her previous exasperation. “There has been a very peculiar change in Dryl. Abandoning her previous neutrality, the Princess of Dryl has sent out armies of robots against us. And against her fellow Princesses. It would seem that her ambitions far exceed what we’ve anticipated and she needs to be dealt with before she becomes a greater threat. With her conflict with the other kingdoms ongoing, however, you may strike without intervention and seize Dryl for the Horde.”

Adora did vaguely remember Dryl being mentioned during Force Captain Orientation. It was a small and isolated mountain kingdom ruled by a mad scientist Princess. Entrapta, she believed that the Princess was called. Very dangerous if allowed to use her technology, but one of the easiest Princesses to beat in a straight-up fight, supposedly. “Yes, Shadow Weaver. I will lead the squadron to take it if that is asked of me.”

“No, Adora. You will not. Force Captain Grizzlor will lead the forces to hold back the robot attack. You are to take a small strike team to get behind the enemy lines and capture Princess Entrapta of Dryl. Take out the head and the attacks will end, and Dryl will be ours.”

Adora nodded, “Understood. I’ll prepare the team for it.”

Carrying Perfuma through the Whispering Woods had been an arduous task, but the trees had finally come to an end, replaced instead by cliffs and plateaus. While this only made the task of carrying the stretcher made of plants that had been created for Perfuma harder, at least Bow and Glimmer knew that they were nearing the end of their journey. After a little more walking, they, at last, reached the cliff edge where, below them in the clouds, they knew that a great floating rock lay hidden. If they got onto it, then it would transport them to Mystacor. That was when they realised that they had yet another obstacle to clear before they could reach the veiled floating kingdom of sorcerers.

“So. How. Do. We. Get. Perfuma. Down. There?” Asked Bow between pained breaths, it had taken the last of their energy to climb the cliffs required to reach this place.

“I don’t know.” Answered Glimmer, who had sat down to recover her physical energy. “Give me a moment to think about it.” While the two of them could just jump down, doing so while they were bringing Perfuma, or worse yet throwing her down first, would risk hurting her more.

“Maybe you could teleport us down there?” Bow suggested half-heartedly.

“Not enough energy to teleport three that far, and it’s hard to aim it right when I can’t see it. Do you have any trick arrows for this? Something with rope, I don’t know.”

“Nothing safe enough while Perfuma is unconscious.”

“Oh, of course.” Glimmer rose up and felt the need to smack herself for not realising the obvious solution sooner. She blamed tiredness. “You jump down and get the cliff up to us, and I’ll teleport Perfuma and myself over.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Bow nods and takes a few more breaths to gather himself, “Well, wish me luck!” And he jumped down from the cliff into the clouds below, where sure enough the rock to transport them over was hidden, and levitated up to Glimmer’s height upon Bow touching it. The gap between it and the cliff was still too wide for her to safely jump over to it while also carrying Perfuma, but with a final teleportation, she got the two onboard it. As much as Glimmer was tired from the journey to Mystacor, the sight of it remained as breathtaking as always. The rock ferried them over the clouds, and soon they saw the floating island upon which the kingdom of sorcerers lay. It was there that they would meet Glimmer’s aunt, Castaspella, who could hopefully arrange for healers to help poor Perfuma. She felt sorry for her when she saw her body lying there, scratches and bruises all over her. It was yet another thing that she would take revenge on the Horde for one day, and this wrong She-Ra especially. 

It didn’t take long for Aunt Castaspella to come and greet them when they got over to Mystacor. They had barely gotten off the rock when she rushed over to hug her niece. “Glimmer? My Glimmer! How I’ve missed you, it’s been so long since you last came over. And you brought Bow too! And... Who’s this?” Her eyes fell on the lying Perfuma.

“Aunt Casta. This is Perfuma, Princess of Plumeria. She got wounded in a Horde attack upon her kingdom and we took her here to get healed. After all, you've got some of the best healers in Etheria.” She added the last part to try and butter her up before her inevitable dismay.

“So you’ve not come over to just visit your dear old aunt?” Casta’s voice was one of exaggerated disappointment, “Well, well, if it’s just business I’ll make sure that she’s tended to. But while you’re here, why don't you come and eat with me, and we’ll catch up?”

There wasn’t much that Glimmer could say in response to this that wasn’t rude so she went with “... Sure, Auntie.” She found it typical that Castaspella would be so sentimental even when they were dealing with matters of grave importance.

Bow looked quite pleased with the thought of dinner after their journey however, despite Glimmer remaining in a somewhat downbeat mood. “That sounds great!”

“Oh, such enthusiasm! You really could learn something from him, you know, Glimmer. No need to be such a downer all the time.”

“Yes, Aunt Casta.”

In the end, Adora had selected Catra and Scorpia to come with her on this mission since they were her strongest warriors; Scorpia was a fellow Force Captain (though she was not quite sure why she kept the title outside of tradition when she was usually put under the command of another Force Captain) and it would feel weird to leave Catra behind. The way to Dryl wasn’t the easiest, and not just because of the murder robots that seemed to lurk around every corner. Still, they were getting there and so far none of the bots that they had run into had fazed them much. They had taken the route that would get them past most of them after all, the better to pursue their stealth mission. As they were getting within sight of Castle Dryl however, they found a most peculiar sight. Princess Entrapta was sitting out in the open, tinkering with a fallen robot, equally oblivious of and unconcerned with the new arrivals. “This feels a bit too easy,” said Adora, to which Catra only gave a shrug.

“Maybe she’s out repairing her bots?” Suggested Scorpia.

“Perhaps…” Adora approached the Princess with her sword raised, “Princess Entrapta, you are under-” She didn’t get further than that, however, because the Princess noticed them for the first time and sprung up into the air. Quite literally in fact, her hair gave her quite the extra height when used to move.

“At last! Thanks for coming over here. Could you please help me out with this teensy weensy issue that I’m having?” She opened up her welding mask to give them a cheerful smile.

“Uh…” This was not the reaction that Adora had been expecting. “What issue?”

“Well you see, it would seem that my castle has turned a tiny bit… Evil, in my absence. I’ve been waiting for someone to help me get inside and none of my robots are responding to me. It’s really fascinating, just look,” She picked up the one that she had been inspecting and shoved it into their faces so that they all took an involuntary step back. At the core processor of it, some strange red tumour seemed to be growing, with red veins stretching out from it. “It looks to have been infected with a virus! Oh, this is so amazing, if my theories are right then we are witnessing a magnificent, unstoppable spread of an ancient malign code capable of self-reproducing and transmitting itself to all First Ones tech it comes into contact with! Ha ha ha!” She gave a mad cackle.

All three just looked at Entrapta for a few moments, not sure what to say about all of this. Adora was the first to speak up, “So… Can you shut down your machines, where’s this virus coming from, and who are the First Ones?”

“The First Ones? They were this huge, technologically advanced culture that ruled Etheria a millennia ago. They had mastered both science and magic in ways that we can only dream of.” She looked enraptured at the thought. “Compared to them, most modern technology is nothing. Your sword is First Ones tech,” she seemed to have noticed it for the first time despite Adora having been pointing it at her and got closer to inspect it, against all common sense. “May I inspect it? Touch it? Take it apart to see how it works?”

“Uh, no!” Adora quickly withdrew it out of reach of Entrapta’s “And you didn’t answer the first two questions. Where’s the virus coming from and how do we end this?”

“Oh, the virus? I would need to get closer to be sure but my hypothesis is that it came from First Ones Artifact 58. It contained a remarkable amount of data that I didn’t have the time to properly study before I was taken for the Plumerian research. If you take me inside I’m sure that I could fix this.”

Adora felt Catra tug at her arm to take her away to discuss this among themselves. “Just a moment, Entrapta, and we’ll be right with you.” She and Scorpia followed Catra a few meters away from Entrapta, who went back to tinkering with the bot like they were never there. “So, what should we do about this?”

“Simple. We take her captive, shut down her machines and return to the Fright Zone.”

“I don’t know, wildcat.” Adora hadn’t quite understood why Scorpia had started using a nickname on Catra. “She seems pretty harmless, if we just ask her to help us out I’m sure that we’d be done with this easily.” 

“Uh, have you forgotten that she is our enemy? Besides her rampaging machines she’s the one who helped the rebels win at Plumeria, are we just forgetting about that?”

Despite significant reservations about the Princess though, Adora was forced to agree with Scorpia. “She has a point though, Catra. If we can get Entrapta to help us willingly, taking the castle would be much easier. She knows the place better than we do, after all. We can worry about taking her captive later.”

Catra looked a bit grouchy at this, not having forgotten when she was dragged halfway down into the earth thanks to Entrapta’s presence, but didn’t have any real counterarguments to this, so she let the issue go without another word.

“I won’t trust her unreservedly if that’s what you’re worried about. She’s still a Princess.” Adora returned to Entrapta, “We’re willing to help you, Princess of Dryl, provided that you end your attacks upon the Horde and swear to take no further hostile actions against us.” 

“Great!” Entrapta got up and began leading them towards the castle, “Just be careful,” she told them while her back was turned towards the castle, facing them instead, “I may have left a bunch of traps around here that will also try to get rid of us.” As she said so, a spike pit was opening behind her, and Adora had to drag her back so that she didn’t walk into it. “Like that one! Good work.”

“Just… Watch where you’re walking, please?”

“Absolutely!” She led them into the courtyard. “Just follow me and I’ll lead you to the lab.”

They followed, against their better judgement, the Princess as she led them into the castle.

Dinner with Castaspella was quite pleasant, even if Perfuma weighed on their minds to a greater or lesser extent. Aunt Casta was quite easy to entertain, Glimmer only had to nod and agree every now and then while she chatted away about how she’d really love to have her over more often, maybe even for training, how she really hoped that Angella would come over and meet her as well one of these days and so on. Glimmer did tune out after a while, focusing on the food instead, when something Castaspella said caught her attention. “... And don’t you worry Glimmer. We’ve had worse cases here. Perfuma will be back in full shape in a month.”

“A month?! Auntie, the Horde are besieging Plumeria right now, we can’t wait a month for Perfuma to get back.”

“Now, dear. I hope that you don’t expect her to go out and fight in her current state. That would only make matters worse. She needs rest.”

“But her people need her. Please, Aunt Casta, is there anything that we can do to help her?”

“Well, I suppose… If you two don’t mind running an errand for me. What do you know about Magicia’s Pitcher?”

“... That it will help Perfuma recover?”

“Well, yes. But aside from that it is a rare flower that grows within the Whispering Woods in places of magical power and its nectar has some remarkable healing properties. It’s said to live on the small balls of light that can be found in parts of the forest, catching them in its pitcher and digesting them.”

“Alright, Aunt Casta. We can do this, right Bow?” This did make Glimmer rather excited, having something to do again, a quest to complete.

“Eh, sure. Just… Do you know where this flower is, Castaspella?”

“If I did, I'd already have gotten some of its nectar. You’ll recognise it based on its blue pitcher. And make sure that you don’t damage the flower in the process. Just take some nectar, if you uproot the flower it will dry up in a minute.”

“Yes, it’s just that… the Whispering Woods are quite large, how will we find it if we don’t know where to look?”

“Ah, of course. Sorry, I’ll try and bring you a map of likely locations, but my suggestion is that you try to look for the golden spheres of light that they seem to feed upon.”

“And if we get it Perfuma will feel better?” Asked Glimmer.

“Oh, much better. It really has some fascinating properties, I could give you a book about it to read from the library.”

“... That won’t be necessary, but thanks, Auntie. We’ll make sure to get it for you, won’t we, Bow?”

“Yeah, just leave it to us and we’ll find it, eventually.”

“Excellent! And do be careful while in the Whispering Woods, won’t you?”

“Of course, Aunt Casta.” Glimmer makes a dismissive gesture with her hand. “We’d never get lost or run into trouble there.”

Unsurprisingly, there continued to be robots around seemingly every corner as the Horde strike force made their way further into Castle Dryl. Entrapta was guiding them through it, with limited success. Catra had been muttering about her treachery at first, but it genuinely seemed that she was as lost as they were in her own abode. Eventually, after they passed by the same painting for the third time, Catra had enough.

“Why did you design this place so confusingly?!”

“Well, I wanted it to be a labyrinth so that I was the only one who could navigate it.”

“The first part of that plan certainly succeeded.” Muttered Catra through gritted teeth.

“Yes… I’m afraid that my electronic map has also gotten infected with this evil virus.”

”Can we just focus?” Asked Adora, who herself had started getting a bit terse out of frustration, “We don’t want our voices to attract any more…” They turned around the corner “... Robots.” She sighed, for there indeed there stood a large group of them, turning their red eyes toward the group. “Alright, that’s it. For the Glory of the Horde!” There was a blinding light as she turned into the taller woman and charged at them. Catra was still not quite used to the changes in Adora, even if she did admit that she liked her hair better this way. 

“Should we… Help her?” Asked Scorpia, uncertainly, as they watched Adora tear into the robots in a frenzy.

“Eh, it’s fine, she got this.” Catra shrugged, while Entrapta took out her recorder as she observed the carnage.

“Notable property of the sword is turning the wielder taller. And also glowing.” She turned to the others, “Does she normally do that?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of become her thing now,” Responded Catra, as the last of the robots fell down and Adora turned around to face them. It was then she noticed that Adora now sported red eyes as well, and her sword looked infected by the same corruptive influence that had claimed the robots.

“Uh, Catra?” Said Scorpia, uncertainly. “Is she meant to do that?”

“No…” Adora had begun to run towards them with murder in her eyes, “Run!” Catra turned tail and ran in the other direction as Adora swung her sword at her with enough force to cut deep into the wall. Scorpia had to grab Entrapta as she ran after Catra, the Princess being too focused on studying the effects to realise when to flee.

“So what are we supposed to do?” Asked Scorpia as they ran back the way they came from, Adora tight on their heels. 

“I don’t know, I’ll think of something.” She jumped up to the ceiling where Adora couldn’t reach her. “Maybe try to knock her out.”

“But won’t I get into trouble for that?” Even parried by her claw, a hit from Adora forced her back several steps and made her drop Entrapta. 

“Fascinating,” Spoke Entrapta, lifting herself up into the air with her hair, before being kicked away by Adora. She didn’t seem to mind, instead speaking into her recorder to make notes out of what was happening.

“Just use your tail! If you’re so afraid of being in trouble, say that it was my idea.” Catra jumps down from the ceiling to pounce on Adora while she had her back to her, causing her to stumble forward. Right towards Scorpia.

“Sorry, Adora. I hope that you won’t be mad at me for this afterwards.” She sent the tail forward, stinging Adora, who crumpled back on the floor, going back to looking like her normal self.

“Think that we’re getting close?” Asked Glimmer as they made their way through the thick forest. Despite her shorter stature she still had to duck under branches every now and then when they strayed from the path. 

“Well, probably. We should be in the general vicinity if the map your aunt gave us is right.”

“ How general?”

“... Maybe a mile here or there away.”

Glimmer groaned, “I really don’t want to get lost here again.”

“It’s fine, Glimmer. We’ll find it and we’ll help make Perfuma alright.”

“Yeah…” This did make Glimmer feel better, “And maybe I can talk to her about reforming the Princess Alliance? We need each other, now more than ever.”

“Sure, that sounds like a great idea.” Bow continued to take a supportive tone to keep her spirits up. “I’m sure that your mom will be impressed with your initiative, and it will be a great help to the rebellion.”

Glimmer smiled at that, “We just need to… Wait, is that someone ahead?”

They heard a bit humming in front of them, and moving forward they saw a peculiar sight. An old woman, with purple skin and a long mane of hair, carrying a basket and broom. She didn’t seem to have noticed them yet, and they shared a look between one another before deciding to walk up to her.

“Oh dear me, Mara is that you?” She turned around to look at them, adjusting her glasses. “No… You’re not Mara, are you?”

“Eh… No. Who’s Mara?” Glimmer wondered if Mara might be a daughter of hers.

“Oh but you know Mara, don’t you? I can tell.”

“We actually don’t,” interjected Bow, “Was she supposed to meet you today?”

“Well, no, but she was supposed to meet me… Let’s see...“ She started counting on her fingers, “A while ago. But she is lost, the poor girl, and confused. You’re friends of Mara, could you help me find her?”

“But we don’t know who she is!” Glimmer had begun to suspect that the woman may have become a bit senile from old age.

“Of course you do, silly, you just don’t know it yet.”

“That… Doesn’t make any sense, but okay. Could you start by telling us who she is?” Asked Bow.

“She’s a friend of mine. Was supposed to come and help me pick berries but couldn’t show up. If you see her, will you tell her that Madame Razz is waiting for her?”

“We’ll be sure to. Now what are you doing out here alone in the woods?”

“Oh, but I am not alone, I have Broom, and Loo-Kee. And you two of course.”

“We’re just passing along. How do you know that we’re going in the same direction?”

“Because you are also looking for the nectar, silly boy. Does Razz need to explain everything to you?”

“... How did you know what we were looking for?” Asked Glimmer, who all of a sudden felt far less sure of her previous assessment of the old lady.

“Because you need it, why else? Now come along, we don’t have all day.” She started leading them along, with both Bow and Glimmer looking a bit sheepish as they followed after her. The terrain was difficult, but Razz seemed to know the way and led them through it with purpose. Soon enough they were in a glen where the small golden lights, like disembodied firebugs, that Castaspella had described, were floating. And in that glen, glowing faintly, there was a blue pitcher plant, one that could only be…

“Magicia’s Pitcher.” Said Glimmer, somewhat breathless at the shock of actually having found it. 

Scorpia had been carrying the unconscious Adora over her shoulder as the group made their continued way through Entrapta’s castle. She had just begun to stir when Entrapta gave an “Aha!” at having found the right door. “We’re here!”

“Wait, I think that she’s waking up.” Scorpia put Adora down against the wall, while Catra looked over her shoulder. “Sorry, for stinging you, but you left me with no choice.”

Adora blinked as she looked up at them. “Hey guys! What are we doing?”

“We’re… infiltrating Castle Dryl, remember?”

“Ooh, are we like secret spies right now?”

Catra gave Scorpia a look. “Does it normally have this side effect when you sting people?”

“Not that I’m aware.” Scorpia looked concernedly at Adora. “I hope that it’s not permanent.”

“Stop worrying about me, I’ll be fine!” Adora did a very wobbly attempt to stand up, having to be steadied by Scorpia before she collapsed on the floor again. “See? Perfectly fine. I’ll just… What were we doing again?”

Catra sighed and turned to Entrapta. “Let’s just get this done with. Entrapta, open the door.”

As the Princess started pressing the code to it however, a shock went through her. “Oh wow! The door is infected too! I can’t open it. This is incredible.”

This caused Catra to give another sigh and facepalm herself. “Alright, new plan. I’ll take care of Adora. Scorpia, you get that door open.”

“Right on it, wildcat.” Scorpia let go of Adora, who collapsed into Catra’s embrace.

“Hey, Catra.” Adora started to hug her, causing Catra to feel rather awkward all of a sudden. She turned her face away so that the others couldn't see her blushing.

Scorpia meanwhile was sizing up the door. “Alright, here we go.” She charged it and grabbed it with her pincers, trying to rip it loose from the wall. The door gave her a zap like it had with Entrapta, but Scorpia seemed barely bothered by it. The thing was heavy, being made entirely out of metal, but as she strained herself, it broke free, falling backwards from her and into the other room. “Whew! That was tough, but Force Captain Scorpia is ready to do anything!” Then she and the others saw what was inside the room, and her triumph proved short-lived. The entire room was completely covered with the red growth, spreading from the far wall all over the place. It looked like a giant organism had grown to encompass it, with a great glowing heart from which it had expanded. What space was left was crawling with robots.

Entrapta took out her recorder once more, “First Ones Artifact 58 appears to have built a protective shell around itself. Removing it will be more complicated than anticipated. It truly is a marvel of technology.”

“Whatever, how do we fix this?” Catra shook Adora off from herself and put her down, before extending her claws in readiness for the fight ahead.

“Well, you should be able to shut it down by removing the artifact.”

“Right, Scorpia, with me. Let’s destroy these bots, it’s no different from training.”

“Right on it, wildcat.” The two began tearing into the robots, while Entrapta walked up to the growth to take notes and Adora stood up again, walked a few steps, then collapsed and fell asleep. 

“How do we even get to it?” Catra jumped around the small mountain of red corruption, trying to find a weakness by which to get to the heart, but to no avail. That was when a massive robot that appeared to have originally been made for cleaning purposes broke through the wall. “Question asked and answered. Scorpia, get Adora and Entrapta out of the way of that thing!” Scorpia did as she was told, allowing Catra to jump down in front of the robot. “Hey, you, ugly!” It roared at her in response. “Yeah, you heard me! What kind of overdesigned piece of junk are you even?” It charged forward towards her but Catra jumped out of the way of it, causing it to crash into the growth. “That’s what I thought!” She was now sitting on top of the red structure. “That’s all that you are good at, crashing.” It repeatedly tried to roll back, then at her again, aiming its appendages at her, but she was just out of reach, causing it to fruitlessly crash into the structure she was on. “You were a failure at cleaning and are now a failure at killing!” She jumped behind it, causing it to roll back further to try and roll over her, only for her to climb up on top of it and land in front of it again. “Come on, big guy! Prove that you’re not completely useless!” It did a final charge at her and as it did she jumped onto it and ripped off its head, causing it to do no slowing down of its momentum, crashing into the thing with enough force to destroy itself and crack open the shell around the data crystal that formed the heart. “Your turn, Scorpia.” Catra sat down on the robot to catch her breath. “Destroy it.”

“Aye, aye.” Scorpia smiled and made her way to the crack, where she used her own strength to force it large enough to allow her through. With a bit of work, she made her way to the data crystal, and there she started hammering at it and forcing it loose with her pincers until it finally broke in half. And everything went back to normal.

Razz hummed to herself as she walked up to the plant and began to gently extract its nectar. “Don’t worry dears. I just need a little bit for Loo-Kee. You know how he is. You can have the rest of this.” She handed over a small bottle of the extract to Glimmer.

“That’s very kind of you, Madame Razz.” She said, quite taken by the old lady’s helpfulness.

“Oh it’s the least I can do for friends of Mara. Do tell her to come and see me when you next meet her, won’t you? She should have been here already.”

“I’m sorry, but we still don’t know anyone called Mara.”

“No?” She looked confusedly at them. “But I could have sworn…” She suddenly cheered up again, “Now, now, don’t you try to play tricks on old Razz. You know Mara, and Mara knows you. Just remember, she’s a kind girl, but she does not understand. You’ll help her, I know you will.”

“Wait, I don’t understand, how-” But the lady was already departing with surprising speed for someone of her age. Glimmer looked at Bow. “Do you know what she was talking about?”

“Maybe Mara is someone she lost in the war and wants back?” He suggested. “Seemed harmless but she probably expected us to bring news about her.”

“Maybe… But how did she know that we were after Magicia’s Pitcher?”

“... Might be from Mystacor and overheard it there?” He didn’t sound sure of the answer himself.

“Well, we’ll just tell this ‘Mara’ that Razz wants to see her when we next meet her. How hard could it be? Now let’s head back, we have what we need and Perfuma is counting on us.” They made their way back through the Whispering Woods, confident that whatever Razz had said probably wasn’t too important, and if it was they’d know what to do with it.

When she woke up again, Adora felt much better. “What happened? Why are we here?” She looked around the place. It seemed to be the lab that they had been searching for and they were surrounded by destroyed or deactivated robots. 

Catra approached her, “You went berserk when fighting those robots. Looked like your sword had gotten infected as well. We took care of things in the meantime.”

“That’s… Good.” She got back to her feet. “I didn’t know that the sword could get infected like that.”

“Oh, it’s simple.” Entrapta joined the conversation. “Much like the crystal and my bots, the sword, being First Ones tech, must be vulnerable to the virus. I really have to study this closer to achieve greater understanding.”

“Next time, please make sure that we don’t get an army of killer robots on our hands. Still, I’m glad to have been of help. I guess that not all Princesses are that bad.”

“Oh, I’m not a Princess in the sense of having a runestone that I’m connected to. Not like you.” Entrapta said this casually, but it still made Adora cringe a bit at the underlying suggestion that she was a Princess.

“Well… Like I said, I’m glad to have helped make things right. So if we can just go…”

Catra coughed loudly, “Adora, aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Oh, right. So, Entrapta, we were kind of meant to take you back to the Fright Zone when we came here.”

Entrapta looked befuddled at that. “Thank you for the offer but I’d rather stay here where all of my tech is.”

“... The Fright Zone has a lot of technology for you to tinker with if you come with us.”

She considered it for a moment. “But my lab is here, can’t you send it over to me and I’ll experiment with it?”

Both Adora and Catra stared at Entrapta, impressed despite themselves at this remarkable combination of boldness and obliviousness that could go into the suggestion. Then Catra was struck by a thought. “Why of course, Entrapta. If we send it over to you to improve you’ll send it back to us when you’re done, won’t you? We wouldn’t be able to just give it to you, but we could lend it and let you experiment, and then you’ll give it back.”

“Great! Thanks, guys! You’ve really helped a girl out here, and thank you for giving me more to study.”

Scorpia went over to give Entrapta a hug, one which she reciprocated heartily with her hair appendages. “Take care of yourself, and don’t unleash an evil robot army upon everyone again.”

“I’ll make sure not to! Thanks again, you’ve been great friends.”

“That’s what the Horde is all about. Friendship, loyalty, hugs.”

“Yeah, right, can we just get going?” Said Catra. “We’ve done what we needed to.”

“Bye, Entrapta. It was, uh, nice meeting you.” Adora led the group out of the castle, leaving Entrapta to her own devices. “I thought that you wanted us to take her prisoner?” She said to Catra.

“That was before I realised what she could do. Think about it, Adora. Did you see what she had achieved?”

“... An army of murderous robots?”

“Why yes. I want one of those at my side. If she can help us with our own robots…” She smiled, “Then I’m willing to leave her be.”

Adora thought about this. “You want to see if her experiments will be useful to us.”

“Exactly. Maybe nothing comes out of it, but if it does we’ll have more use out of her as an ally than a captive.”

“Not worried that we’re disobeying Shadow Weaver’s command?” Adora’s voice was sarcastic, she did not believe for a moment that she was.

“Well, I could say something about how she didn’t know about the circumstances on the ground, and this is actually in the spirit of her intentions. But you know what? If Shadow Weaver wants us to do it I think that’s a pretty good reason not to do it.”

“Careful, Catra.” Adora laughed. “Don’t say things like that within earshot of others. Shadow Weaver won’t like it.”

“I don’t remember the last thing I did that she liked, I’m beyond caring by now.”

Already, Perfuma was looking much better, sitting upright in her bed when Bow and Glimmer came to visit her with Castaspella to see how she was doing. “How are you feeling?” Asked Glimmer as she entered. 

“Much better, the balance of the body has been restored, thanks to you.”

“Plumeria is safe, but the Horde remains on its doorstep. The people need you, Perfuma, they need you to fight for them.”

“I know,” she smiled slightly. “I’ve realised that sometimes I can’t wait for the universe to stop evil. I have to help it along. I will not stand back and expect others to fight for me.”

“That’s great to hear, because I was wondering if you’d like to reform the Princess Alliance with us?”

“Really? I thought that the last one went horribly?”

“Defeat is not a reason to stop fighting. Our parents sacrificed themselves to hold the Horde back, are we to let them continue to destroy our lands without a fight? And if we fight, should we do so alone without the strength of unity? If we give in we trade uncertain victory for certain defeat, and dishonour the memories of those lost in the process.” Glimmer's eyes glowed in her zeal.

“I guess you’re right. Alright, if the Princess Alliance wants Plumeria they shall have it, and me with it!”

“Thank you so much!” Glimmer gave her a hug, before Castaspell pulled her away. Perfuma grimaced a little bit at the pain but looked like she appreciated it nonetheless.

“I don’t suppose that you’re going to invite your dear old aunt as well, Glimmer?”

“Of course, Auntie! If you want to.”

“I do. You’re right. My brother would have been disappointed in me if I let his daughter fight the Horde without my help. If you continue to be so keen to resist them… Well, I could hardly stop you, now could I? And then the only options are to bring the sorcerers of Mystacor to your side or leave you alone. I choose the former.”

Glimmer beamed at them, and gave Castaspella a hug as well, and then Bow for good measure. She felt enthusiastic again, for the first time in a while. There was hope for the Rebellion still, and the false She-Ra of the Horde would be cast down. She would make sure of it.

Chapter Text

“Adora? I mean, Force Captain Adora.” Kyle did an awkward salute as he handed a scroll over to Adora. She still didn’t feel entirely comfortable whenever she tried to sleep in her private room, but it was a pretty good office for work or when she wanted privacy. “This is for you. Or at least that’s what they told me. When they told me to give it to you.” He did the salute again, somehow it looked even more awkward the second time. “So… Now I’ve done that.”

“That’s… Good. Thanks, Kyle. Uh, dismissed?” Formality made her feel awkward even when it wasn’t Kyle doing it. Quite aside from him being bad at it, they had known each other since childhood, so it just seemed weird coming from him.

He hurried away, soon to be replaced by Catra, who sat down on Adora’s desk, tail flicking playfully as she looked over the scroll, “What’s that you’ve got?”

“I’m not sure. It’s an invitation to…” She read aloud, “‘The All-Princess Ball, Winter Wonderland’.” She looked up. “That can’t be right.”

“ Aww. So you are a Princess. ” Catra laughed, “Do you think that they’ll put a bunch of sparkles on you?”

“I’m not!” Adora gave her a shove, which only made her laugh more. “Anyway, I’m not going. They wouldn’t want me there, I’m not one of them and I have work to do.”

Catra balanced herself and started reading through it, it was a really long scroll. “What’s the Kingdom of Snows? Haven’t heard of it.”

“It’s the second largest kingdom after Bright Moon, and doesn’t support the Rebellion against the Horde.” Catra gave her a look. “What? I learned it at Force Captain Orientation.”

“Explains why they invited you, at least. Hm, this could be useful.”

“Catra, remember that part where I said that I’m not going? That still stands. I’m not a Princess. I’m just… Me.”

“Sure, but you got the invite, didn’t you? You don’t need to accept their assumptions about you, only use it against them.”

“... You’ve got something planned, haven’t you?”

“Do I ever not? This could be our big break, we’ll finally impress Hordak and make Shadow Weaver accept that we are better than her.”

“I guess that would be nice, but I don’t really follow this plan of yours. How is them thinking that I’m a Princess useful?”

“It’s the All-Princess Ball, if you get an invite then that means that they’re sending it out to just about everyone.” Catra jumped down on the floor and began pacing around as she thought about her plan. “Which means that the Rebels will be there too.”

“Yeah, but we can’t just attack them, there’s far more of them than us. Plus it’s neutral ground.”

“Exactly! Which means that they can’t attack us either. We get to be there, learn what they’re plotting, put a stop to it and report back to Hordak. And they can’t stop us. We’ll have… What’s the word?”

“Diplomatic immunity?”

“That’s it! If the Rebellion is sending people to the Kingdom of Snows it’s for the best that the Horde does too, so that it doesn’t fall to them, it was neutral, after all.”

“I guess…”

“Perfect.” She smiled in such a way that Adora wondered if she had just walked into some kind of trap.

Before she could continue with whatever devious plot she had in her mind however, the door was opened once again by Scorpia, “Hey, guys! Kyle told me that Adora had gotten an invite as well.” She showed them her own scroll, almost identical to Adora’s.

“Wait, is everyone getting invited? Why haven’t I been?” Catra looked a bit sullen all of a sudden.

“Is this about your family?” Adora wracked her memory. “Something about them having been in charge of the Fright Zone before Hordak?” A stray thought hit her. “Does that mean that Hordak got an invite?”

“Not that I know of, but yeah. Us Scorpionis used to be royalty, so I’m technically a Princess. Not that the other Princesses have liked me or the Horde has cared that much, can’t even use my own family runestone.”

Catra looked flabbergasted at this revelation, but Adora felt better having heard it. If Scorpia was a Princess then they might not be all bad, and it may be fine that she was thought of as one. Even though she wasn’t. Because she absolutely wasn’t. “Yeah, we were just planning what to do when we got there. Catra seemed to think that it’s a good idea, so I’m going, even though they shouldn’t have sent me an invitation. Because I’m not a Princess.” She felt a need to stress this part.

“Oh really?” Scorpia looked a bit hesitant. “Do you think… Could I come with you?”

“Sure. That’d be great.” Adora tried her most encouraging tone.

“Oh, thank you!” She gave the two of them a big hug. “And if Catra didn’t get an invite..” She released them, “Would you like to go as my plus one?”

“No,” Catra shook her head rapidly, “No, no. I can’t, Adora has already made me her plus one.”

“I have?” Adora winced when Catra gave her an elbow in the ribs. “I mean, of course I have! How could I forget?”

“Aww.” Scorpia looked disappointed, “I guess that I’m going without.”

“Wait.” Adora was thinking fast now. “How about Lonnie? I’m sure that she’d love to come with you, you should go and ask her.”

“That’s a great idea, thanks Adora. You’re really nice to me.” She smiled and waved at them as she left the room.

As soon as she was gone, Catra raised an eyebrow at Adora. “Lonnie? Really?”

“Well, I had to think of something. If we’re being diplomatic it’s good to have someone minding Scorpia whenever she gets… You know...  Scorpia. Rogelio isn’t the best at communication and Kyle is… Kyle. Lonnie seemed a good pick.”

“Hm. Fair enough.” They started inspecting the scroll, “This is going to take a while to sort out…”

“Yes!” Glimmer had done no more than pick up the scroll, when she teleported over to Bow’s room. “Bow! Wake up! Do you know what event we’re going to?!”

He was immediately startled awake and, upon seeing the scroll in her hand, broke out in jubilation. “Is it Princess Prom?!”

“It is!” She gave him a hug. “This will be so fun! And think of the opportunities. All of the Princesses will be there, this will be the perfect time to really get the Princess Alliance going. Like if we got Frosta and Mermista on our side all of the most powerful Princesses would have joined the Alliance.” She looked positively giddy at the thought. “Mom is going to be so impressed with me, she actually congratulated me when I told her about how I got an alliance with Perfuma.”

“And Castaspella?”

“Kind of, but she seemed a lot more reserved about her.”

“They still don’t get along?”

“Looks that way. Anyway, don’t really want to think about that at the moment.” She started reading the scroll to distract herself. “This will be wonderful, we should start to prepare our outfits together. Do you think that we should go for something winter-themed?”

“That’d make sense I suppose. And don’t worry about them, I’m sure that it will be a lovely day, and a great win for the Rebellion.”

Adora had no idea where Catra had gotten their outfits from and, upon further consideration, decided that she was probably better off not knowing. She did like the dress she had given her at least, wasn’t often that she wore one since it went against the Horde’s militaristic dress code. And despite her apprehensions about the whole idea, she had to grant the Kingdom of Snows that it had a truly grand palace. Still, she couldn’t help but be deeply suspicious of everyone around them, and was highly resentful when the guards asked her to hand over her sword. “I don’t like this,” she said to Catra, who had picked a tuxedo for herself. “What if they refuse to hand it back later, or lay an ambush while we’re unarmed?”

“Relax Adora, I can sneak back and get it for you if we really need to. Besides, these people look so stuck up about their precious honour that they wouldn’t even think about doing that. It’ll be fine.”

“Alright.” She took a deep breath to try and relax, but that only gave her more time to contemplate everything that could go wrong, from poisoned glasses to her forgetting some important piece of etiquette. The list of rules had been really long when she read it. “Nope. Do we really have to go inside?” She tried backing off.

“Yes we do.” Catra grabbed her hand so that she couldn’t get away. “Don’t be silly, Adora. Just let me take the lead and we’ll get what we want out of this evening.”

Reluctantly, Adora followed her inside, where they were met by one of the grandest sights she had ever seen. The ballroom was enormous, exquisitely decorated and, as far as she could tell, entirely made out of ice. She almost forgot that it was also full to the brim with her enemies as she took in the magnificence of it. Catra smiled at her, “See? Not so bad when we’re inside.”

“It’s… Beautiful.” Her eyes fell down on the young girl sitting on the ice throne at the far end of the room. She assumed that it was Princess Frosta, though she did not quite look like the fearsome and bloodthirsty warrior she had expected her to be. ”So, should we introduce ourselves to her?”

“Yes, just leave it to me.” They joined the queue leading up to Frosta made of people wishing to bring their greetings to her. Once it was their turn they made their bows, Catra managing to make hers seem a lot more natural than Adora’s, who was still quite stilted. “Revered hostess, we are honoured to have been invited to this ball. Truly it is an event for the-” 

She was interrupted when the glittery Princess teleported to where they stood all of a sudden and did a swift curtsy to Frosta. “Revered hostess. Allow me to issue my condemnation of these guests. They come only to bring war to your lands.”

Frosta fixed her with a glare that was quite impressive for someone of her age. “Unlike yourself, Princess Glimmer? Is that not why you are here? To drag me into your war?”

This seemed to have brought her out of her countenance, it was clearly not the answer she had been expecting. “But she’s not even a real Princess.” She protested.

“Princess Adora has been accepted as She-Ra, Princess of Power.” There was that name again . Everyone seemed to gasp at these words. “Unless you bring proof to refute her claim to the title?” Glimmer didn’t seem to know what to say to that, so Frosta turned her attention back to them. “You are welcome in the Kingdom of Snows under the ancient rules of hospitality. Leave conflict at the door.” The last part seemed to be directed as much to Glimmer as themselves. “And please enjoy the Ball.”

As they made their way down the steps from the throne, Glimmer was joined by her archer friend. She turned on Catra and Adora and, by way of opening conversation, told Adora “You’re not She-Ra!” She glared at her.

“Uh, I know? My name is Adora.” She gestured to Catra, who had taken to holding her hand again, possibly to reassure her. “And this is my friend, Catra.”

“I’m Bow,” said the boy, who looked like he was trying to calm down his friend, “And this is Glimmer.” There was an awkward pause. “So… What brought you here?”

Adora was about to answer, but Catra got in there before her, “As a gesture of goodwill, of course. We only want to bring peace to Etheria, after all.” She spoke loudly enough to be audible to nearby people, and Adora suspected that she was doing it deliberately.

Glimmer scoffed at that, “Like how you brought peace when you attacked Plumeria? Or the peace you gave Thaymor?”

“Plumeria and Thaymor were rebel strongholds that had been hosting attacks on the Horde.” Retorted Adora. “Our strikes were purely retaliatory.”

Glimmer made a theatrical yawn. “Spare me the Horde propaganda, please. I know what you did. Just because you’re wearing a dress instead of a sword doesn’t mean that I have to be nice with you.”

Before Adora could take this argument further, Bow intervened, “Moving past that… Ever been to a party like this before?”

Both Adora and Catra looked nonplussed at this. “What’s a party?” Asked Adora.

“... I’m going to take that as a no. It’s an event where you meet people, eat good food, mingle, have fun, that sort of thing.” They remained confused. “... You guys really don’t seem to have had a lot of fun in the Horde.”

“Hey, we’ve had fun! Right, Adora?”

“Yeah. Just because we don’t have your parties or fancy dresses doesn’t mean that we don’t enjoy ourselves.” She was feeling a bit defensive for some reason. “But you actually do this kind of thing often?”

“Well, not this one specifically. This just happens once every ten years. But as a general sort of thing… Yeah.”

“Huh. Sounds kind of enjoyable, actually.” Catra looked to Adora. “Maybe we should do something like that in the Horde?”

“Maybe. So what are you two doing? Like, in general?”

“I’m a Princess. Something that you will never be.”

“Yes, I’m aware.” Adora did reflect on the absurdity of how the one to agree with her on that front was the person who seemed to hate her the most. “I don’t want to be one. Princesses are a danger to everyone around them.”

“We’re not!”

“Glimmer, how about we take the time away to calm down?” Bow started leading her away. “It was… Interesting meeting you two.”

“Oh wow! This food is great! Why don’t we have this in the Fright Zone?” Scorpia had entered the ball, gotten to the buffet table and still not left it. “Lonnie, you really should try this.”

Lonnie sighed. “Scorpia, will we ever go beyond this place?”

“Do we need to? Catra said that I shouldn’t talk too much but act nice, and that’s what I’m doing, isn’t it?” She tried a piece of dessert. “And this is wonderful. I don’t even know what this is but I love it. Come on, Lonnie, give it a try.”

“Well, alright then. If it will calm you down a bit.” She went over to the table and tried a piece of the dessert. “That’s… Actually really good.”

“I know! I couldn’t believe it either. Do you think that we’ll eat this nice when we’ve united Etheria?”

“I doubt it, but one can hope.” She gave a tempted look at the table. “I suppose… Adora did tell me that my job was watching you, and I do that best while here. And if I’m here I might as well eat my fill. Will need fewer rations this way.” She began eating as well.

“That was just what I was thinking! We make a great team, Lonnie. Hey, do you think that I should bring some of this to Catra when I see her?”

“Feeling better now, Glimmer?” Bow had taken her to the side to give her a few moments to breathe, giving her a worried look as he did so. It did actually help her calm down, and she was grateful for his intervention.

“Yeah, thanks. And sorry, I shouldn’t have lost my temper.”

“It’s fine, they were just trying to rile you up. Don’t let them get into your head.”

“I just… They hurt Perfuma! How can they just stand there and be so casual about it? It’s like they don’t even realise that she almost died because of them.”

“I know.” He looked over his shoulder to see where they were but they had already gone away by then. He did notice two of their accomplices standing by the buffet table though. “I don’t think that they’re alone either, look.” He pointed them out to her.

Glimmer glared as her gaze followed that direction. “They’re up to something. I don’t buy that they’re just here for diplomatic reasons for a second. Since when has the Horde cared about diplomacy?”

“Oh I’m not arguing with you on that. But let’s not get too distracted by their arrival. We’re here to convince the Princesses to join our cause, remember?”

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t let them get into my head.” She took a deep breath. “Let’s find Mermista and talk to her about joining the Princess Alliance.”

After a bit of looking, they found Princess Mermista, ruler of Salineas and the Princess of the Sea, standing with a flamboyant-looking man. They were wearing matching blue outfits, her a sari and him a coat. She looked over at them as they approached. “So you guys also had to come to this party?” Her voice was bored as she looked over the events on display. “I suppose that you’re here to tell me how I should join your cool new Princess Alliance?”

“We would be honoured if you could, Princess Mermista,” said Glimmer in her most diplomatic voice.

“Then I’m going to disappoint you, because I can’t.”

“Please, Mermista, the Alliance could really use you. With Salineas we would control the seas and with your talents…”

“I already told you that I can’t. That means that I’m not able to, get it? The Sea Gate that protects my city is failing, without it the Horde could sweep in and take it if I joined with you.”

“Who’s your partner by the way?” Asked Bow, who had kept his eyes on the man, and noticed that he seemed like he was going to burst if he didn’t get to speak soon.

Mermista began to say “He’s not my-” But she was interrupted before she could finish.

“I am Sea Hawk, I am, I am! I am here with Mermista, my dearest madam!” He did not speak his words, he sang them.

“... He’s just my ride here.” She looked awkward to acknowledge him in the presence of others. 

“Not just, but I did indeed traverse the seas to bring my dear Mermista here! Slaying the untold monsters who sought to take her from me! For I am Captain Sea Hawk, traveller of all four corners of the world, conqueror of the seas, champion of the most beautiful woman in the world!”

“I’m still surprised that he didn’t set his ship on fire on the way here.” Mermista's voice was very dry.

“Must save something for the way back.” He chuckled nervously when he saw her glare, “I’ll think about some other way to show my affection.”

“Anyway…” Glimmer tried to get this back on track. “Suppose that we found a way to fix the Gate, would you join us then?”

“I guess ?” Mermista sighed, “I suppose that I’d owe you a favour then, so sure, I’ll think about it.”

“Glimmer, how do you suppose that we do that? That gate is First Ones tech, we don’t…” Bow realised where she was going. “Entrapta.”

“She knows more about that than the rest of us combined, if anyone can help fix it then she can. Do you know where she is?”

“I think that I saw her around her before, she can’t have gone that far.” He started moving away as he scanned for Entrapta.

“Uh, would a ‘goodbye’ kill you?” Mermista looked afronted at them leaving her so abruptly.

“Sorry, Mermista, and goodbye. We’ll get Entrapta and then follow you as you sail home?” Glimmer followed after Bow.

“Sure, it’s not as if I had anything else planned then.” She rolled her eyes annoyedly as they left, before turning to Sea Hawk.

As it would transpire, Bow and Glimmer would not be the first to find Entrapta. “Adora, Catra!” She was standing on an alcove looking over the ballroom when they came across her. “Are you here to watch the social experiment,too?”

“Why yes.” Catra smiled at the question. “Yes we are.”

“It’s fascinating, isn’t it? Just look at the patterns of their movement. And the way that new social groups are formed, only to break up soon thereafter. I’m learning so much watching this!”

“Anything in particular?”

“The social hierarchy is in constant flux, but Frosta remains at the top of it no matter what. Being the hostess clearly gives an almost insurmountable advantage in terms of social relations.”

“Yes, we figured out that one on our own,” said Adora. “Good to see you, Entrapta. Didn’t know that you went to events like this.”

“Why not? It’s a great opportunity to observe human behaviour that only occurs once every decade, of course I’ll take it.”

“I just thought… Never mind. I’m happy that you’re here, not a lot of friendly faces around here.” That was when she noticed Glimmer and Bow approaching them. “Speaking off…”

Entrapta turned around to follow her gaze, spotted the pair approach and went to greet them. “Glimmer, Bow! Have you met Adora and Catra yet?”

“Yes. We have.” Glimmer spoke through gritted teeth. “Why are you talking to them, Entrapta? Don’t you know that they’re from the Horde?”

“Yes, I believe that they mentioned that at some point.” Entrapta did not seem to have gotten her larger point.

“So why are you… Never mind. I need to talk to you, Entrapta. Away from those two.” She shot them a death glare as she started leading her away from them.

“My, my. Now that sounds like something that I want to hear about. Be right back.” Catra left Adora to begin sneaking after the others.

It didn’t take her long to hear Glimmer’s voice again amidst the sorl from the ball. They had gotten down a level to talk within the crowd, but were still close enough that Catra could hear them from her hiding spot above.

“... Because Mermista told us that the only way to get her alliance with us was by fixing the Sea Gate, otherwise the Horde might take Salineas. So we were wondering if you knew any way of fixing it?”

“Well…” She looked thoughtful, “That does sound like a very interesting project. Being allowed to inspect, and improve, the protective shield of Salineas would be a wonderful opportunity to further my knowledge of the protective abilities the First Ones were capable of. However…”

“There’s a problem, Entrapta?” Asked Bow.

“Not exactly. But I would need a lot more power to get it working again. Luckily, I’ve been picking up a massive signature within the Whispering Woods.” She took out an electronic map to show them. “It must hold a massive stash of First Ones tech, if I could only get my hands on it might prove the key to allow me full understanding of the secrets of the First Ones. Then who knows what I might achieve?!” She gave a loud cackle.

“Right…” Glimmer gave her a slightly disconcerted look. “So, reading between the lines, you want our help to get you there?”

“If you would be so kind. I promise that the stash will be worth it. Oh, just think of what I could build with it?” She was using her hair to spring up and down in excitement.

“Alright. We’ll get you to this stash of yours if you help us in fixing the Salineas defences, deal?” Bow put his hand forward.

“It’s a deal!” Entrapta shook it enthusiastically, before heading back to where Catra was hiding.

Choosing to act casual and get to know more, Catra leaned against the wall when Entrapta got up, having climbed up the wall with her hair instead of walking up the stairs like a normal person. “Hey, Entrapta.”

“Oh hello again, Catra. Are you bringing me any further discoveries about this great social experiment?”

“Oh yes, I was just going to… What is that you are holding?” She pointed at the map in Entrapta’s hand.

“This? It’s my electronic map, do you like it?” She got close to show it to her.

“It’s very well made, your handiwork I assume? And what’s that dot on it?”

“That? It’s nothing less than the largest signal of any First Ones ruin I’ve ever seen. This… This is nothing less than a treasure trove of the lost secrets of the ancients!”

“Wow, that’s really fascinating.” Catra was using her smoothest voice on her. “That’s so amazing that you’ve managed to track it. So you know where it is?”

“Yes and no. The changing nature of the Whispering Woods makes an exact location… Complicated. But I’ve narrowed it down to two quadrants.”

“You know, Entrapta, I really get why you’re so into this First Ones stuff. It must be so wonderful finding their technology, more powerful weapons than you could ever imagine.”

“And that’s only a part of it! Their technology allows me to make so much more than just weapons.”

“You know, Entrapta, from one enthusiast to another, why don’t you show me where this stash is?”

“Well, I’ve already promised Glimmer and Bow to show them, and I don’t think that they’d like to have you along as well, based on my observations of your interactions, but I could give you the coordinates for it?”

“That would be so helpful. I’m sure that Adora would love it as well.”

Adora was waiting on the dance floor for Catra to show up again, when she heard Princess Frosta announce the first dance. She looked around and spotted her approaching. Adora gave a smile as Catra got up to her “Hey, Adora.”

“Find anything?” They started dancing, following the routine of those around them

“Oh yes. Apparently our rebel friends are trying to recruit this Mermista character for their little rebellion, but her kingdom is currently defenceless or something like that.”

“So… This would be a great time to take out a potential rebel stronghold before they even knew what hit them.”

“Wait, I haven’t gotten to the best part yet." Catra grinned widely. "The reason why they wanted Entrapta’s help was to get this gate thing-”

“The Sea Gate?”

“That’s the one, they wanted to get it working with her help. But she wanted them to get her to this First One’s ruin that’s supposed to be full with this really powerful technology. If they can’t get that tech then they can’t fix the gate. And she gave me its location.”

“So if we beat them to it we can make sure that the gate is not getting fixed and secure a bunch of powerful technology for the Horde? That’s great work, Catra! I knew that I could count on you.”

Catra smiled. “Told you that this would be worth going to.” She dipped her. “I’ve been having a blast this evening, haven’t you?”

“This has actually been surprisingly fun.” Adora smiled back, she had not expected herself to enjoy this nearly as much as she had. “If we’re going to go after this ruin, then I suppose that we should send Scorpia and Lonnie to tell the others so that they can prepare a force.”

“That can wait until this dance is over. I wouldn’t want to interrupt them during it.” Catra was being uncharacteristically considerate, Adora reflected. She really must be in a good mood.

As the dance drew to a close however, Adora noticed Glimmer approaching Princess Frosta again. “You check in on Scorpia and Lonnie.” She told Catra. “I’ll make sure that Glimmer doesn’t try to woo over Frosta.”

Glimmer curtsied before Frosta as she stepped up to her. “Revered hostess. I have come before you to ask for your aid against the Horde. They have destroyed so much of Etheria in their expansion, we need to stay together to fight them. It is the only way we stand a chance against their desolation.”

“Revered Hostess.” Suddenly Adora showed up behind Glimmer and did a bow before Frosta. Glimmer felt annoyed at how artificial it looked, everything about the Horde soldier struck her as annoying, not least because she didn’t look at all how she expected one to look. Out of her uniform and in a dress she looked normal, even pretty, and for some reason that really vexed Glimmer. Horde soldiers ought to be monstrous, it made it easier to hate them. “The Horde is not a threat to those who do not take arms against it. We only wish for peace and order in Etheria. The Kingdom of Snows has no need to worry, we only fight when we have to, against those who attack us.”

Glimmer’s temper was never the best whenever Adora was around, and these blatant lies made it flare again. “Those who attack you?! The only thing that the Horde has done since it arrived is attack others. Revered hostess, please do not listen to her. She speaks only Horde lies, once the Horde is done with the rest of Etheria they will turn on the Kingdom of Snows as well, it is in their nature.”

“Silence, both of you.” Frosta looked coldly at them. “This is neutral ground, your conflict is not my conflict. We have protected ourselves well enough without outside aid for thousands of years, we do not need it now. Now please, take your argument somewhere where I don’t have to listen to it or my guards will make you.”

Dejected, Glimmer walked away, pointedly ignoring Adora. Getting Frosta might be harder than she had thought, so for now she focused her mind on Mermista. As long as she got her at least, this ball would be a success for her. She just had to find Bow and Entrapta again, then they’d make things right. 

As he made his way off the dance floor, Bow noticed yet again the other two Horde soldiers standing separated from the rest. Taking his opportunity, he decided to approach them to get a sense of their intentions, looking as casual as he might. “Hi there.”

The human gave him a suspicious look, but her scorpion-lady friend greeted him back, “Oh hello there. I feel like I recognise you from somewhere.”

“That would probably be that time when you attacked me in Plumeria.”

“That was you? I’m so sorry, I hope that there aren’t any hard feelings about that.”

“It’s fine.” He continued his best attempts at looking casual while dismissively waving it off as if them being on opposite sides of the war wasn’t a big deal. “I wasn’t hurt, which is more than what Perfuma can say.”

This jab worked a little bit better than he had intended it to. She looked hurt at the implied accusation. “That’s just how it works, you know? She hurt Catra too, Adora was right to defend her. I only wish that I could have been there for her…”

“You’re right, she was absolutely fine doing that.” He tried to get it back on track. “So… With the Horde, huh?”

“Yeah, we are. I’m Scorpia, and this is Lonnie.”

“Nice to meet you two, I’m Bow.”

Lonnie still seemed distrustful of Bow, which he supposed was only fair. She shot Scorpia a warning look, “Remember what we’ve talked about, Scorpia?”

“Yeah, yeah.” She replied, before turning back to Bow. “Heroes of the Horde, that’s what we are. Not big heroes, like Adora, but heroes. I like to say that in the Horde everyone is a hero.”

“That’s really nice for you, Scorpia.” Bow saw the opportunity. “So tell me about this Adora. Big hero you say?”

“Oh, I guess that people outside the Horde don’t know of that? Yeah, she’s like the most talented of her age of recruits, favoured by the bosses, always leads us well, has this magical sword, is best friends with Catra. She’s got everything, really.” She looked a bit wistful at the last past.

“That’s really interesti-” But Bow was interrupted as Scorpia continued to ramble.

“I just wish that I had something like their bond, you know? They always confide in each other about everything, have their own meeting spots, do you think that I could ever approach that?”

“... Absolutely. So tell me about Catra?”

“Catra? She’s great, you know. Really smart and decisive. She’s a good leader too. Even when Adora got sick in Dryl-” She was interrupted by a loud cough from Lonnie.

This really got Bow’s interest up. “You guys have been to Dryl?”

“That’s none of your business.” Lonnie fixed her gaze at him. “Now move along.”

Bow had barely managed to leave the scene when Catra arrived at it. She looked after him as he hurried away with a resolute gaze in his eyes. “What was that about?”

“Scorpia got a bit too talkative with the enemy.” Replied Lonnie. “Almost let slip about the operation in Dryl before I stopped her.”

“Well that’s no good, but we can deal with that later. We’ve found something big about the next Rebel moves, Adora and I are going to pursue them into some old ruins, hopefully we’ll be able to stop them from taking its tech.”

“Ooh, that sounds fun. Does that mean that we’ll get to come with?” Scorpia looked eagerly at Catra.

“No. You two are going back to the Fright Zone. There’s a window of opportunity to strike at Salineas while their defences are down, we can’t let it slip. You need to convince them to muster up a fleet to sail towards Salineas, so that we can take it out while it’s vulnerable and before it joins the Rebellion.”

“Aww…” Scorpia looked deeply disappointed. “Well, you’re the boss. Or I guess that Adora is the boss, and you’re her second… Never mind.”

Lonnie gave Scorpia a sidelong glance. “I’ll make sure that we get back and report this to Shadow Weaver.”

“Good. You should do so quickly, we don’t know how much time we’ll have before the rebels have fortified the city.” Catra left the two of them to find Adora again. It was time to begin the hunt.

Chapter Text

As always, the Whispering Woods proved very difficult to navigate, even with Entrapta’s map. Not only did the forest seem to rearrange itself to make it harder to pass through it, but it also appeared to interfere with the signal, making it hard to simply follow it to the end. Nevertheless, Entrapta maintained her chipper attitude, even as Glimmer and Bow felt a painful reminder of the last time they had gone out in the woods in search of a piece of First Ones tech. “Do you think that it’s a long way left?” Asked Glimmer. She didn’t want to keep Mermista waiting too long or she might leave without them.

“In terms of distance? Not at all.”

“And in terms of time?” Asked Bow.

“That is significantly less certain.” Entrapta took out her recorder. “Whispering Woods log, hour 6. Research assistants are becoming restless, expect to be asked to turn back soon.”

“Well I wouldn’t want to disappoint Mermista, but are you certain that this stash actually exists?” Glimmer wasn’t sure what she thought about being called Entrapta’s research assistant.

“Oh quite positive. Data never lies. It’s here, we just need to navigate the shifting woods to reach it. The fact that the map no longer works means that the signal is powerful enough to overload it, which means that it should be around here.”

“Think that this could be it?” Bow had just spotted a light in the distance, which seemed to gather the small floating lights of the forest towards it.

“Oh… Yes! This is it!” Entrapta started hurrying towards it before the other two had a chance to stop her.

“Entrapta, wait!” Glimmer ran after her, only to almost run into her as Entrapta abruptly stopped. Looking past her, Glimmer could see why. It was a massive spire of ancient design, surrounded by smaller structures that had clearly been made by the First Ones. Whatever Entrapta was looking for must be inside of it.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Entrapta was quite breathless at the sight of it. She started walking up to the base of the spire to examine it with her instruments. As she did, it lit up, sending a pillar of light high up into the air.

“It is.” Glimmer had to agree. “It’s like a kind of beacon.”

“Oh, I want to get inside of it so much . But how do I find the entrance?” She began taking notes of the ancient script in front of her. 

It was completely unintelligible to Glimmer, but clearly First Ones writing, which she took as a good sign. “Maybe I could teleport us into it?”

“Glimmer, you’ve never teleported three people at once before.” Protested Bow. “Maybe we shouldn’t test your limits by teleporting into a structure that we know nothing about?”

“Fine.” Glimmer didn’t like Bow reminding her of her limits, but he did raise a good point. “So what do you suggest?”

“You could teleport one of us in there, then get out and teleport the other as well.”

“Oh, let it be me, let it be me!” Entrapta clapped her hands in excitement. “I have never teleported before, how does it work? What is the power source? I want to know everything about it.”

“Not the right time for an interview, Entrapta, but alright, I’ll take you first.” Glimmer took her hand and teleported the pair inside. They were met with a dark tunnel, a crystal antechamber at the end of it. Entrapta looked to be taking out yet another instrument to catch and measure some of the magic that Glimmer had used, so she decided to leave her to it and teleported back outside. 

Bow stood waiting for her once she got there. “Everything went well?”

“Yeah, it does look like a pretty intact First Ones ruin from what I glimpsed. Want to head into it?” She took his hand.

“Wait just a second before we head in.” There was something that seemed to be bothering him. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about Entrapta.”

“What is it?” Bow rarely looked this serious without a good reason, so Glimmer was willing to hear him out while they were away from Entrapta. Perhaps there was another reason why he wanted to do the teleporting in pairs.

“Back at Princess Prom I got one of the Horde soldiers talking. From what I could gather, Adora had led her team on a mission to Dryl. And Entrapta seemed pretty friendly with her and Catra when we saw them together. It might just be nothing but…”

“... But if it is something we should probably try to find out about it before it becomes a problem.”

“Yeah. Entrapta isn’t a bad person, but she doesn’t seem to understand that the Horde is evil.” He sighed, “Alright, now that this is off my chest I’m ready to get inside.”

Glimmer teleported into the tunnel again, which was once again completely empty apart from the pair of them. Entrapta was nowhere in sight, having presumably run ahead while they were talking. Glimmer groaned, “Well, she can’t have gone that far, let’s try to find her.” And they began to head inside in search of their missing friend.

“You sure that this was the area that Entrapta showed you?” Asked Adora as she followed after Catra. Catra had insisted that she was the better tracker of the two, and some grudging part of her had to admit that it was true.

“I think so. If nothing else, their trail leads in this direction, so we’re only as lost as they are.” Catra was prowling the path low to the ground to make sure that she didn’t miss it, making her look even more catlike than usual. Her tail flicked rhythmically as she went forward. “And if they’re lost then that buys Scorpia and Lonnie more time, so stop worrying, Adora. We’re winning, can’t you feel it?”

“Not really.” Adora looked down at the makeshift map that she had been carrying, it wasn’t great but it was the best they could do with on such short notice. “Being out in the middle of nowhere doesn’t really make me feel like I’m winning.”

“Your loss.” Catra jumped up into a tree to get a better vantage point. “With what we’ve learned we’ll seize Salineas and gain the eye of Hordak himself. Shadow Weaver will have to step aside to our rising stars, everything will be just like we dreamed it would be.”

“That does sound pretty nice,” she had to admit. “Though it still feels a bit… Wrong.”

“What? Pushing out Shadow Weaver? She deserves it, Adora. It’s only fair.”

“Not that. The conquering Salineas part, they haven’t really done anything against us.”

“Well, they shouldn’t have gotten cozy with the Rebellion if they didn’t want this to happen.” Catra gave an unconcerned shrug. “It’s the fate of everyone who stands against the Horde, if they had been smart they would have joined us instead to get a seat at the victor’s table.”

“I know, I know. We have no choice but to punish them, I just wish that it wouldn’t have to come to this.”

“Careful, Adora. I wouldn’t want to see you go soft. Softness is for the w- Wait, do you see that?"

Adora did, in fact, see what she was referring to. The woods had all of a sudden been lit up by a bright beam of blue light going up into the sky. One reminiscent of the light that her sword had given when she had found it in the woods with Catra before. “I see it. I think that it’s what we’re looking for, the others must have just gotten to it.”

“Then there’s no time to waste.” Catra jumped down from the branch she had been sitting on to run towards it. Adora followed after her as quickly as she could. What they saw was a great, towering, beacon, unlike any they had seen before.

Glimmer and Bow reached the antechamber, with Entrapta nowhere to be seen. The place was surprisingly well lit up for being so old, with signs of First Ones tech everywhere. “I should focus on being annoyed with Entrapta, but this place is amazing.” Commented Glimmer.

Judging by his enthusiasm as he observed the crystals around them, Bow agreed with her on that. “We’ve got to find Entrapta though.” He looked around, there were several entrances to other tunnels in there, and no way which one she had gone through. “Any idea on how to do that?”

“Entrapta?!” Shouted Glimmer as loudly as possible. There was no response but the echo of her voice. “Entrapta, come back to us, we need to stick together!”

Her voice seemed to have done something, but it wasn’t summoning Entrapta back to them. The room went completely red all of a sudden, and a female mechanical voice spoke out. “ Unauthorised presence detected. Security protocol activated. ” Out of the darkness of the tunnels around them, red eyes blinked open.

“Uh, Bow… I think that I made this place angry.” She backed up to have her back against his. Great, mechanical spiders started making their way towards them.

Bow fired an arrow at one of them, but it flicked it away with one of its legs. “I guess we’ll just have to try our luck with one of these doors and hope that Entrapta picked the same one. Can you teleport us past the spiders?”

“Sure.” She grabbed his hand and teleported them to the opening of one of the tunnels, just as the spiders had been about to launch themselves against them. The horde turned to face their new position. “Run!” She kept a hold on Bow’s hand as they ran deeper into the ruin, the spiders tight after them.

As Adora approached the Beacon carefully, she noticed writing on it. Looked like some kind of password, she would have had to guess. “Do you think that we could use the word ‘Eternia’ to…” the path opened before them. “... I think that the answer was yes.” She began to step down into the tunnel that had appeared.

Catra followed after her, “How did you know the name Eternia or that it would help us?”

“It was written on the wall.” She gave her a look like it was obvious.

“... Follow-up question: When did you learn to read that writing?”

“I… Don’t know. It just came naturally to me. It didn’t happen to you?”

“Nope. That’s odd.”

“Maybe Shadow Weaver knows more.”

“Adora, I wouldn’t trust Shadow Weaver further than I can throw her, and I wouldn’t let her know about this kind of thing unless I absolutely had to tell her.”

“Fine, looks like we’re reaching the end of this.” They entered the same antechamber as Glimmer and Bow had just left, the artificial crystals standing like stalactites and stalagmites. It was quite beautiful , Adora reflected. She looked around the tunnels, wondering where the others could have gone. “Do you think that they haven’t arrived yet or are further inside?” She asked Catra.

“I’m pretty sure that they’re further inside, question is, how do we know where?”

Adora walked into the middle of the chamber, looking at the inscriptions around her. “Maybe there’s some kind of way- Ah!” She jumped backwards in fright, while Catra gave a hiss as the fur on her tail stood up. A ghostly woman had appeared before them, transparent and with strange, almost geometric, proportions.

“ Greetings, administrator. ” She spoke, her voice mechanical. “ What is your query? ”

“Uh…” The woman did not seem hostile to them at least. “What is this place?”

“ Subject: The Crystal Castle. Classification: Housing unit of Light Hope, facilitator of Etheria. Stronghold of Administrator She-Ra, Princess of Power. ”

“Whoa…” That was a lot of information at once. She thought that she remembered Light Hope from when she first picked up the Sword, and once again she seemed to be treated as She-Ra, whoever that was. “I think that she may be some kind of hologram or something.” She whispered to Catra.

“You think? Come on, ask her some more questions, we don’t have all day.”

“Fine.” Adora turned to the hologram again. “Are there any other people inside here right now?”

“ Query not recognised. ”

“Well, that didn’t work.” A thought struck her, if even some ancient hologram thought that she was She-Ra it might pay to ask what that actually entailed. “Who is She-Ra?”

“ Subject: She-Ra, Princess of Power. Classification: Wielder of the Sword of Protection. Her intended function is as guardian of Etheria, meant to bring balance to the planet. ”

“Oh.” Adora felt stupid for not realising it sooner. “It’s because I’m wielding this sword that everyone thinks that I’m She-Ra. She must have been some kind of ancient Princess.”

“That doesn’t explain why no one else can use it to turn into a giant lady.” Catra pointed out.

“Wait, that’s it! Catra, you’re a genius!”

“Well I knew that already, but why do you say that right now?”

“I could use the sword to gain access to this facility’s higher functions, maybe. Like Light Hope. Give me a second.” She drew the Sword and held it up into the air, “For the Glory of the Horde!”

“ Administrator dete- ” Suddenly the hologram glitched out for a second, and when it returned it, and the entire rest of the room, shone red. “ Alien contamination detected. Security Protocol activated. ”

“Well that isn’t good.” Adora looked around, seeing large mechanical spiders beginning to approach them. “Want to fight or run?”

“I say run, we still need to find where the others went.” Catra began running in the direction of one of the doors, Adora following suit. The doors began to close around them, and the spiders made the approach more difficult, but Adora slashed her way through them and shoulder barged her way into one of the doors, breaking through the stone by the strength granted to her through this ‘She-Ra’.

They had shaken off the spiders through a lot of running, and one tactical teleporting, but had gotten quite lost in the process. Glimmer, looked at Bow as they caught their breaths. “So where do you think that we are?”

“I don’t know, but we must be pretty deep inside it by now.” He looked around himself. They were in a strange hallway, with similar crystals to before, looking both manmade and natural at the same time. “Is this place creeping you out? Because it’s creeping me out.”

“Yeah, it is really weird. And no sign of Entrapta, she must have gone another way.”

They started walking forward through this almost otherworldly geography. “Thanks for getting me out of there, by the way. Who knew that a place this ancient could still have some very active security measures?”

“Yeah, it’s surprisingly intact in general, despite how it doesn’t look like anyone has been here in… centuries at least.”

“Well, the First Ones sure did build their things to last.” They had exited the hallways and entered into a room full with a black void instead, which somehow did not make the place any less creepy. “I feel sorry for Entrapta, she must be so scared, alone in this place.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever really seen Entrapta show fear.” Glimmer pointed out. “She’s probably just excited at all of this tech around us.”

“All the more reason why we should try to find her soon, she might not get the right reaction to finding these defences, which could put her in further danger.”

“Wait, I see a light ahead. It might be an exit.”

As they approached it however, it proved to merely be a lamp of some sort. Just as Glimmer gave a groan of frustration, the light flashed, and suddenly they were in the middle of a battlefield. Horde soldiers fought against those of Bright Moon, Salineas, Plumeria and more. Glimmer did not know whether to feel excitement at this display of unity between Princesses, or fear at the carnage around them. She settled on the latter when a Bright Moon guard fell beside her, she couldn’t be much older than her. “Bow, what’s happening?!” 

“I don’t know, but stay close!” Bow sent one of his trick arrows to catch a group of Horde soldiers approaching them… And it passed harmlessly through them. The net merely caused a slight visual glitch in the soldiers as it went past them like they were thin air.

“Wait… This place isn’t real.” Glimmer looked around more intently now. She started seeing faces she recognised, and they were not from her generation. “This is the Old Princess Alliance. This…” And she saw him . “... This is the battle where my father died.”

“But Glimmer, your father died ages ago, how does this place know anything about what happened then?”

“It must be drawing from our knowledge of the events here.” She ran towards her father, King Micah. “Dad, please! I just want to talk to you!” But before she had reached him he was struck down by Horde soldiers. “No!” She fell down on her knees, crying, and the visions changed. The lands the Horde had despoiled, cities destroyed. Everything that they had seen and heard as they grew up of what the Horde had done. Bow gave Glimmer what comfort he could, but even he looked deeply shaken, especially at the sight of the destruction of one particular village. “Why is it doing this to us?” Glimmer cried. “Why does it want to torture us like this?”

“I… Don’t know.” He admitted. “We just have to keep moving, and not let it break us.”

She nodded, wiped her tears away, and got up on her feet again. And that’s when it turned into a very personal atrocity for her.

Meanwhile, Adora and Catra had stumbled into their own projections. As they turned around a corner, the scenery changed into that of the Fright Zone. “You don’t think that we’re actually back home?” Asked Adora, uncertainly. The unsettling nature of the castle had begun to affect her as well.

“No way, it can’t just have taken us back…” Catra trailed off at the end as they saw Shadow Weaver round the corner towards them, looking furious.

“Shadow Weaver,” Began Adora, doing a salute, “I, this isn’t…” But the woman completely ignored her words and continued marching forward. It was just looking like she’d collide with them, when she passed through them without any effect. “Oh… This must be another one of those holograms.”

“Let’s see where she’s going then,” Said Catra, “Do you think that it’s showing what’s happening right now or-” But the question answered itself when they spotted themselves down the corridor where Shadow Weaver was going, only they were much younger. “Okay, that’s officially real creepy. How does it know this kind of stuff?”

Before Adora could answer however, the phantom Shadow Weaver spoke to their children selves, and the tone in her voice made even the real Adora and Catra cringe in fear. “Catra!” Dark tendrils came forward from her to grab the tiny Catra, who looked utterly terrified. “Not only have you stolen one of my books, but you’ve dragged Adora into your crimes as well. Explain yourself, child!”

Adora tried to get between them, “Please, Shadow Weaver, it was my idea, I just wanted to see if we could cast magic like you did.” She gave her a pleading look to let Catra go.

Changing tone completely, Shadow Weaver stooped down to her, “My dear child, magic is not something for children like you, you could have destroyed yourself if you weren’t careful. Now go and get my book back and I’ll let Catra go.” They all disappeared as Adora ran away to do so, leaving the real pair looking uncomfortable.

“I still can’t believe that we wanted to be anything like her,” said Catra, as she watched the spot where they had been.

“Sometimes I worry that we succeeded too hard.” Adora took out the Sword of Protection, which she had sheathed when they had escaped the spiders and she turned back from being She-Ra. She gave it a guilty look. “Shadow Weaver wants me to learn more about how to use the magic of the sword, but I just…” She sighed, “I don’t want to become what she is.”

“A bitter old woman clinging to power that isn’t hers?” Catra asked scathingly.

“Well, that I suppose. But she seems so consumed by her magic, like it’s become all that she is and she is dependent on it. I don’t want to be the same.”

“Hey.” Catra put a hand on her shoulder. “You won’t, I’ll stop her if she tries.”

Adora smiled, as the scenery changed once more. Now they were in the Fright Zone prison, watching their younger selves, early teens this time, have guard duty over the prisoners.Or at least Adora was, Catra was jumping up and down the different levels, using the verticality of the circular multi-storied prison to show off her agility. “Come on, Adora! Are you going to stay there all day? The prisoners aren’t all going to break out of their cells because you looked away for a little bit.”

“I can’t, Catra, I’m supposed to stay here in case someone wants to see any of them. I can’t just abandon my post.”

“You’d not be abandoning your post, you'd just keep patrol over the place with me. I’m just keeping myself alert whenever something happens.”

Adora looked quite tempted to take her up on her offer, when two older guards showed up and she did a salute. “Requesting prisoner 14C,” one of them said, “And make it quick, you wouldn’t want to keep her waiting.”

“Of course, sir. Just step on this lift.” As they did so, she pulled the controls to take them down to the cell, which they opened to lead a terrified prisoner out.

“No! Please! Don’t take me back to her!” She begged them, as they started dragging her away. Adora looked slightly uncomfortable with the pleading, even though she was a rebel who had forfeited her life when she took up arms against the Horde. She looked away as she was taken out of sight and, eventually, out of earshot.

“So, how about it?” Asked Catra.

“... Maybe later. I need to be here in case they come asking for more.”

“Always the dutiful one,” Catra rolled her eyes and went back to climbing the place.

“Yeah, that’s me.” Adora laughed nervously. “Always am.”

They disappeared once more, as the scene started shifting. “Told you that you were being soft.” Catra gave Adora a playful nudge.

“I’m not soft, okay! I just… You can’t expect me to not be a bit affected by the prisoners.”

“Yeah, yeah.” She chuckled. “ Soft. ”

Adora shook her head at Catra’s teasing, but the chuckle had died in her throat when the latest scene materialised. For in its centrepiece was Catra, red electricity crackling around her. She looked to be in incredible pain, as Shadow Weaver stood before her. “Never again try to disrupt my ritual, foolish child. So much work ruined because of you.” They were inside the Black Garnet chamber, and Shadow Weaver looked like she was quite tempted to murder the child.

Adora rushed into the chamber, likely attracted by the sound. “Please, Shadow Weaver! She didn’t mean to! We were just playing hide-and-seek.”

“That is no excuse for her behaviour.” Shadow Weaver twisted her hand, and tears filled Catra’s eyes at the pain. “Keep better control over your pet, Adora, or you won’t get to keep it.”

“Of course, just please release her.”

“... Very well.” Catra fell back down on the floor, with Adora helping her up on her feet. “Now leave me, there is so much I need to redo before it is ready again.”

The real Catra sighed at the sight. “We’ll make her pay one day, won’t we?”

“... We will.” Adora hesitated at the words, but she could say nothing less under the circumstances.

“Things will be different when we’re in charge. We’ll have all that we ever dreamed of, Etheria will be ours to conquer. Shadow Weaver will suffer for what she did.”

“Yeah.” They sat down, and this time it was Adora patting Catra’s shoulder. “Nothing could ever stop us when we worked together.”

“Why is this place showing us these memories anyway?”

“Maybe it is to weaken our resolve?”

“Then it’s not working. We’ve kept it so far, I won’t let some stupid machine take it away.” Catra stood up. “Come, if this is the best it can throw at us we’ll be through it in no time. Still need to take down Sparkles and friends.”

“You’re right.” Adora followed after her. “We’ve handled worse, we’ll take this. It can’t undermine us…” The scenery changed one final time. “... Any more.”

Thaymor was burning around them, houses collapsing into rubble as the Horde swept through the town. It was exactly as Glimmer remembered it when they last fled from it. She saw Horde soldiers marching through the town, while their machines of war reaped destruction everywhere. “No, not again.” She had a look of despair as she watched the town fall into nothing. “I know how this went, I don’t want to see it again.” Just as she thought things couldn’t get any worse, in stepped Adora once more, this time with Catra at her side. “Ugh, I’ve had enough with this!” Glimmer teleported up to them to try and hit Adora.

“Wait, Glimmer! Remember, this isn’t…” The blow impacted with Adora’s sword, forcing Glimmer to step back. “... Real?” Bow looked uncertainly at the scene, but as Catra jumped on Glimmer to try and claw her he decided that it didn’t matter if they were really there or just other illusions, he had to help his friend. He shot an arrow that forced Catra to jump off Glimmer to dodge it. “Hey! It’s not fair to gang up two on one!”

“Well if you insist.” Catra turned around and jumped across the battlefield to get to Bow, taking advantage of the illusionary buildings to stay out of sight. He turned around to see where she had gone when she pounced at him through a house, tackling him to the ground. “Like this better?”

“Actually, yeah.” He threw her off himself. “Yeah I do.” He had just gotten up and was about to draw an arrow when Catra swiped the bow out of his hands. 

“Aww. Does the master archer not have anything to fire with?” She clawed at him, which he did his best to get out of the way of, but in a fistfight there was one of them who had superhuman agility and natural weapons, and it was not Bow. Until he got an opportunity to get his bow back he resigned himself to just trying to fight defensively and hope that Glimmer managed to do the same with her opponent.

In this regard, Glimmer was doing better than her friend was. With Catra off her, she went back to attacking Adora. “You won’t get away with it, not this time.”

“Look, I’m sorry that it had to come to this.” Adora had a pained expression, and her own counterattacks with the sword were half-hearted at best.

“Sorry isn’t good enough! Thaymor is no more, and it’s your fault!”

“I know, I wish that there had been a less destructive way. But I had to do it, those were my orders.”

“I don’t care about your stupid orders!” She gave her a kick in the leg, followed up with a punch to the shoulder. “It was evil! What about that don’t you get?!”

“I had no choice, this is the only way to bring order to Etheria.”

“Etheria did just fine without the Horde coming in to ‘bring order’.”

“You wouldn’t understand. I will make things right. For the glory of the Horde!” Adora raised her sword up in the air, but nothing happened other than her getting pushed down to the ground by Glimmer. Sending the sword flying.

“No. You’re not She-Ra, you never were She-Ra, stop pretending like you’re anything like her.”

“I’m not pretending.” Adora blocked another punch with her arm and sent her knee into Glimmer’s stomach to force her off herself. “I don’t know anything about She-Ra, I just found the sword.”

“Oh so that’s it. You just happened to find it. Just typical, a Horde soldier randomly coming across a weapon that they were never meant to wield.” Glimmer teleported away to the sword, holding it up like Adora had done. “For the Honour of Grayskull!” But nothing happened to her either.

“It won’t work, I’m the only one it seems to activate for… Usually.” Adora held up her arms defensively as she approached.

“Well, isn’t that just typical? Ugh!” Glimmer slashed at her, but Adora grabbed her by the arms and wrested the sword out of her hands. “Why aren’t you the hero? You’re supposed to be the hero!”

“I am!” Adora backed off from her, towards an abyss. “I’m saving Etheria!”

“ This is what you call saving Etheria?!” Glimmer gestured to the destruction around them, before summoning her powers into as great a strike as possible. Surprisingly, Adora didn’t try to block it, she just had a defeated look on her face at those words. The force of the strike sent her tripping backwards, over the edge of the abyss.

“Adora!” Catra stopped her attack on Bow, who wasn’t sure how much longer he could have held out, to rush towards Glimmer’s position.

“Glimmer, behind you!” He shouted at her, running to get his bow again. She turned around just in time, managing to teleport out of the way of the attack. “Come on, let’s get out of here!” She gave him a nod and teleported to his side, before teleporting the pair of them away from the fight. 

“Adora!” Catra shouted down to the abyss once again, when the scene disappeared. Gone was what she had presumed was Thaymor, replaced instead by a black void. And out of the darkness, she saw the red eyes of the spider creatures approaching her. At that moment, she did not care that the enemy was getting away, she felt fear, both for herself and Adora. The abyss seemed to have disappeared as well, so she couldn’t even jump after her. “Well fine.” She hissed as the first spider launched itself at her. “We’ll do it the hard way.” She ripped it apart, but more were already congregating around her.

Finding an exit proved surprisingly easy. It was as if this place, which had been positively maze-like when they tried to get further inside, was now helping them along to get out of it. Bow and Glimmer ran through the tunnel from that strange place, almost crashing into Entrapta as they did. “Entrapta!” Glimmer didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved to see her. “Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Doing my research like I said that I would.” Entrapta raised an eyebrow. “What else would I have been doing?”

“Well no time for that.” Said Bow. “Do you have what you need?”

“Oh yes! Many times over! This place is amazing, it’s a treasure trove beyond my wildest imagination! I will need to return to do more research here.”

“That’s really nice for you, but I think that we need to keep moving. I hear spiders coming from behind us.”

“Oh! You’ve met them too? Aren’t they cute?”

“'Cute' isn’t the word I’d use to describe them.” Glimmer grabbed Entrapta’s hand to make sure that she followed while she and Bow continued running until they finally got out of it. Then she sat down to catch her breath. “Well, that’s step one done at least. I hope that the next few steps will be a bit easier.”

Chapter Text

Once again, Adora was falling. Thaymor had been replaced with strands of code, the scenery never being able to settle on anything quickly enough before she soared further past it. She was afraid, but somehow not due to the depth of the abyss she was falling into. Or at least, not the literal one. With nothing else to do, her mind dwelled on Glimmer’s accusatory words, and around her pictures formed of her memories, memories of guilt, of doubt. She was shaken to her core, feeling lost without anyone else. The doubts that she had held since Thaymor had only been aggravated by every subsequent confrontation with Glimmer, and the memories that she had seen called into question the righteousness of the Horde. Just as she wondered what to do with these troublesome thoughts, the scene changed, and she was back in the crystal hallways of the castle. And before her stood another hologram, one that she recognised from that day when she had taken the sword: Light Hope. “ Hello, Adora. ”

“Light Hope? Is that really… Who are you? What is happening?” She looked around,  checking herself to try and ascertain whether she had died from the fall or not. “Tell me, did I die? Where is Catra? Please, I need to get back to her.” She noticed Light Hope tilting her head at her ramblings, “Sorry, I’ll stop. Hi.” She waved her hand awkwardly.

“ Yes, hello. ” Light Hope studied the wave, before copying it. “ I have been waiting to meet you for a long time, Adora. Ever since you were a child, I have sought to help you realise your destiny. ”

“And… What is that destiny, exactly?”

“ You are She-Ra, Etheria’s Champion, appointed by the people that you know as the First Ones to protect and unite our planet. ”

“Right, I had kind of started figuring out that one on my own. But what does that actually mean? Who are the First Ones? How do I do this destiny stuff?”

“By bringing balance to the planet and ending the threats to its equilibrium. As She-Ra, it is your duty to restore Etheria to how it should be, and remove those that stand in your way.”

“Yeah, about that…” Adora scratched her neck due to her awkwardness. “I’m just wondering if there is any way to… Not have to do that? So far removing threats to Etheria hasn’t felt great.”

“ No. ” Light Hope shook her head. “ It is the only way. It is your duty as She-Ra to do so. ”

“Great.” Muttered Adora. “Someone else to tell me how it’s my duty to destroy her enemies.”

“I am merely Etheria’s facilitator. These are not my enemies but the enemies of the planet. ”

“Yeah, well, everyone seems to say that. I’m just a bit worried about who I’m supposed to believe. I mean, Shadow Weaver always told me that it was my duty to fight for the Horde, but I’m just worrying that she’s been lying to me. She’s not exactly been great, you know?”

“ Yes, I do know. She is incorrect. Your duty is to fight the Horde, not protect it. It is the legacy of the First Ones. The Horde is their enemy, and it is the enemy of Etheria. ”

“Wait, that can’t be right.” Adora blinked as she thought about it for a moment. “The First Ones are ancient, aren’t they? So how can they be enemies of the Horde?”

“ The Horde is far larger and older than you know, Adora. They fought with the First Ones across the stars long ago. It is because of this conflict that Etheria is stranded here in Despondos, instead of in the wider universe. ”

Adora looked a bit dumbfounded at this overload of information. “Okay, that’s a whole lot to unpack. What is Despondos, and what makes it different from the ‘wider universe’?”

“ This is Despondos, an empty dimension into which Etheria has been relocated. The wider universe is one full of stars shining in the sky, and orbiting these stars are planets, much like Etheria. There are more stars than human capacity to count. ”

“That’s… Huge. Really, really huge.”

“ Yes, it is. ”

Adora tried to wrap her head around the concept, failed, and decided to focus on her questions. “But why is it my duty to help some long dead civilisation instead of the people who’ve raised me? What do I care who fought who a thousand years ago?”

“ Because you are She-Ra, it is your duty to do so. ”

“I’m Adora! I’m just a normal person, I never asked to be wrapped up into this She-Ra business. Why don’t I get a say?”

“ It is not a matter of choice. It is your destiny. The Horde has kept you from me, but now that you are here I will undo their work and restore you to your true purpose. ”

“Undo what work?”

“ Cutting you off from me. Though I have watched you since you were an infant, I have not been able to reach you. Even when you found the Sword, our connection was corrupted. ”

“You’re kind of creeping me out here, Light Hope. Who was it that corrupted this connection?” Even as she asked, she already knew the answer.

“ The one you call Shadow Weaver. ”

Getting back to the Kingdom of Snows had been a longer trek than Glimmer would have liked, but at least they didn’t spend half their time lost this time. Entrapta had been spending the journey talking, both to them and her recorder, about all of the wonderful discoveries that she had made while in there, but Glimmer had tuned out early on. Even Bow, who otherwise tended to be really interested in tech talk, seemed to be too tired to properly concentrate. Entrapta didn’t seem to mind, or perhaps notice, that they weren’t really paying attention though. She was too excited to pay them much attention herself either. Arriving at their destination, they found Sea Hawk entertaining Mermista with songs, though judging by the expression of her face she was not particularly entertained. “Ugh, finally!” She said as they arrived. “I thought that I was going to go crazy having to remain here any longer.”

“Sorry, Mermista. We ran into some trouble getting what we needed.” Glimmer gave her an apologetic smile.

“Yeah, well, whatever. You’re here now, can we get going?”

“Sure.” They stepped into the ship. “Some of that trouble involved running into Adora and Catra, so we better make haste if they know what we’re planning.”

“Sure, absolutely. Because I totally know who they are, no questions asked.” Mermista sat down at the prow of the ship, clapping her hands together to make the waves work in the direction that suited them.

“Oh, right. They’re with the Horde.” Glimmer sat down beside her.

“And if they were there that means that they had been tracking us, or knew where we were going already.” Added Bow. “Which means that the Horde might know of our objective.”

Mermista sighed. “Which means that if you’re right you might have led them to my doorstep. Great. Well, good thing that you have the Princess of the Sea on your side, huh?”

“And the most daring captain to have ever sailed the high seas!” Added Sea Hawk.

“Allegedly. Just get us back as quickly as possible without sinking this ship.”

“If that is what my fair maiden requires. Now, on to adventure!”

Though she had survived the initial attacks by these annoying robotic spiders, Catra still had to beat a retreat, as there did not seem to be an end to them. Even one on its own was hard to deal with, but when there was no way for her to stop more from being summoned she only had one option left to her. She ran. She was faster than them, but they seemed able to show up anywhere, and the very architecture appeared to be aligned against her. For a moment, she wondered if she should just get out of there while she still could. Then she reconsidered it. Shadow Weaver would have her head if she left Adora behind, so she had to make sure that she got her back. The problem was that there was no way of knowing where she could be in this ever-changing maze, if she was even still alive. The thought made Catra feel a bit uncomfortable, so she dismissed it. There was no way that a mere fall could kill someone like Adora after all, she probably landed on her thick head and was perfectly fine. Maybe the dumb hairpoof finally becomes useful for something, she thought to herself, as she dodged out of the way of yet another group of spiders. This place really did not seem to want her here, which just made Catra all the more unwilling to leave. Continuing down the path, she thought that she saw Adora lying ahead of her, but as she ran forward, the scene changed, and she ran right into a spider web. More of the abominable creatures were congregating around her. “Adora?” She felt fear as she was ensnared by further webs. “Adora! Come on, Adora! I know that you’re here, don’t leave me!” Eight red eyes got very close to her face, as mandibles clicked threateningly. “ Please. ”

Adora was about to ask Light Hope more questions about what this ‘corruption’ entailed, when she heard Catra’s voice echo in the distance. Crying out for her. “Catra?” She asked, uncertainly. “Catra, are you there?”

“ Adora, you are becoming distracted. ”

“Well, of course I am! Don’t you hear it? It sounds like Catra needs me.”

“ Adora, you must not forget, the Horde upsets the balance of Etheria, you can not focus on the life of one friend over the planet. ”

“Why not?!” She fixed her eyes on Light Hope. “She’s important too.”

“ You can not see the greater picture. If you leave now before I have restored our connection I will not be able to contact you further, and you will remain under Shadow Weaver. ”

“I don’t care.” She looked around her place and noticed that there was no exit. She heard Catra again, sounding more desperate. “I need to save her.”

“ No, Adora. You can not allow your friends to interfere with your duty to Etheria. ”

Adora felt like she could have punched her had she not been a hologram. “ My duties are with my friends. My duty is to my family, the people who raised me, not some long gone civilisation.”

“ This Catra is keeping you from your destiny as She-Ra, I can not allow you to meet her. ”

And then it clicked to Adora. “ You’re the one who is hurting Catra.” She glared at Light Hope, and there was a fury building up inside of her. “Everything you’re doing here is just to make me some… Some pawn of yours, isn’t it?!”

“ Adora, you are not thinking clearly. It is my duty to help She-Ra realise her destiny. ”

“You know what?” Whatever had been keeping her from accessing her powers, be it the interference of Light Hope or her own doubts and guilt, seemed to be gone. Her eyes glowed brightly, adding to the icy stare she gave her. “I don’t see why you dislike Shadow Weaver so much. You two do seem to have so much in common.” She raised her sword into the air. “For the glory of the Horde!” And she shone with a light that seemed to suck out all other light from the room, casting it into darkness. 

“ You must not do this, Adora. I can not help lead you to your destiny if you do. ”

“You don’t get to decide what my destiny is.” Adora pointed her sword at Light Hope, and cast her into the shadows. “I do.” The scenery around her collapsed and broke down, and suddenly Adora woke up. She was still She-Ra, but she was lying on a table. It seemed as if her meeting with Light Hope had been in her mind, and around her broken pieces of machinery lay on the floor. It seemed that by turning into She-Ra, she had stopped whatever Light Hope had been planning. In the distance she heard Catra shout her name. “I’m coming, Catra!” She ran, and it was as if the entire place was being directed by her force of mind to lead her the right way. She found Catra, half-bound by spider webs, trying to desperately stave off the approaching monsters. No time to waste, Adora jumped forward and cut her free, before sending forth a shadowy blast of energy that destroyed the closest attackers and made the rest beat a retreat. “Catra, are you hurt? I came to rescue you as soon as I could.” She turned back to normal to look her over for injuries.

Catra waved her attempts away. “I’m fine, Adora. I was the one coming to rescue you, actually.”

“Really? It didn’t really look that way when I came.”

She scoffed. “Only because you took such sweet time getting back. I had it under control, just took a lot of effort getting to you.”

“Wait…” Adora smiled mischievously at having caught her. “So what you’re saying is that you went through all that effort against these dangers to rescue me? Aww, it’s like you do care.”

“No I don’t! It’s just that Shadow Weaver would have my hide if I abandoned you. That’s all.”

“Sure, sure.” Adora was still smiling. “It was all for your own enlightened self-interest.” She looked around. “I think that Light Hope may have gone offline, but I don’t know how long that will last for, and would rather not stay around when she turns back on. Let’s get out of here.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Sparkles and friends got away, as you might have guessed. She really did give you a beating in that fight.” Catra smirked.

“Then there’s no time to waste. Let’s hurry.” Adora picked up her steps, ignoring the last part of what Catra had said.

So far, the journey to Salineas had been quite calm and uneventful. Together, Mermista and Sea Hawk seemed an able duo in pulling the ship forward, and the former appeared to be experienced in handling the latter’s eccentricities, much as she claimed that she was one more shanty away from throwing him overboard. Glimmer was taking advantage of the lull in action to rest, while Entrapta was tinkering with the pieces of technology that she had found, talking into her recorder as she did. Bow had been relaxing next to Glimmer for a while, but seeing the opportunity to talk to Entrapta, he walked over to her. “Entrapta, do you have a moment to talk?”

“Of course, Bow.” She looked up at him. “Is this about my research?”

“No, though I would be up to hearing you talk about it afterwards.” The offer was genuine, Bow was quite interested in hearing what she had discovered. “It’s about…” He wasn’t quite sure what a good opening to this conversation was. “Remember when you got separated from us at the Beacon?”

“In the Crystal Castle, yes. It took longer than I had expected for you to follow me.”

“Well, we did try to, we just got a bit lost at first. And while lost we ran into Adora and Catra. You wouldn’t know anything about that?”

“Fascinating. And they weren’t holograms constructed by the castle?”

“I don’t think so. They seemed quite real.” He grimaced. “The claw marks certainly felt real. I was just wondering if you would know how they knew how to get there.” He wasn’t quite sure about his hunch, but it didn’t hurt to see if it was right, and he had been thinking a lot about all of it during the journey.

“Oh.” She thought about it for a moment. “Probably because I told Catra how to get to it.”

Bow stood silent for a few moments. That was more straightforward than he had thought it would be. And more alarming. “... And why did you tell her that?”

Entrapta looked like she did not quite understand the question. “Because she asked me for it, of course.”

There was a sinking feeling in his chest now. He did not like where this was going. “When did she ask you for it?”

“Oh, back at the ball.” She rubbed her chin with a bit of her hair. “Right after you told me that you wanted to go there, in fact.”

And there it was. The confirmation. “Thanks for telling me, Entrapta. You’ve been of great help.” He rushed away from her to talk to Mermista. “Alright, the Horde weren’t following us for no reason. They must have overheard us talking to Entrapta. Which means that…”

“... They know that Salineas is defenceless right now.” She finished for him. “Ugh, nothing is ever easy is it? We have to assume-”

“Ship ahoy!” Came the voice of Sea Hawk. “My, my. If it isn’t my old friend Admiral Scurvy from the looks of it?”

“Speaking of nothing ever being easy…” Mermista went up to him. “Sea Hawk, when you say ‘friend’, what do you exactly mean by that?”

“Oh, old Scurvy and I go back a long way. Served together many times, you know?” He noticed the look she was giving him. “... He may also have sworn revenge against me for having set his last three ships on fire, but I’m sure that I can convince him to let bygones be bygones.”

“No you won’t.” Mermista turned to the rest of them, putting her hands on her hips in an imperious manner. “Alright, all hands on deck! Geek Princess, if you have any gadgets that can help in a fight I suggest that you use them. Otherwise, get out of harm’s way. Someone, shake Glitter awake. I want everyone ready for a fight.”

“I do always love it when you use the captain's voice.” Sea Hawk coughed when she turned her eyes on him. “I mean, I’ll be ready to meet my old friend with words if I can, and with blades if I must.”

“Good. Let’s see if your friend is bold enough to challenge the Princess of the Sea in her own element.”

The other ship pulled up next to their own. “Sea Hawk!” A voice came from it, as a rugged man, with brown hair and skin and his own white shirt and blue (or rather, turquoise) coat, stepped to the side of the deck facing them. “I didn’t think that you’d dare to show your stupid mustache on open waters again, yet here we are.”

“Scurvy, my old friend!” Sea Hawk took on a forced friendly tone. “Fancy seeing you here! To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You know perfectly well what. You owe me three ships, I’m here to collect the first part of my payment.”

“Now you see, old friend. I’d happily accommodate you at some later date, but I’m currently on a very important mission for Princess Mermista herself, and speed is of the essence.”

“Then I won’t take long. Hand over the ship and everything of value on it and I’ll drop you off at the nearest-” He didn’t get any further than that, because all of a sudden a massive splash of seawater hit him in the face.

Sea Hawk gave Mermista a questioning look, who shrugged in response. “What? This was taking too long, and he was clearly looking for a fight. Let’s give him one.” She raised her trident into the air. “Charge!”

Not one to allow a bit of water to stop him, Scurvy drew his saber and rallied his crew to arms. There were only two of them, one feline and the other octopoid in appearance, but that did not mean that they were not a threat. The arrow fired by Bow against the former was easily dodged, and she jumped aboard to attack him and Glimmer. Mermista, meanwhile, chose to take the offensive, jumping onto the enemy ship to engage with the great and bulky octopoid enemy. Sea Hawk, for his part, drew his own golden rapier and began engaging with Scurvy. “You know, old friend, it’s been a good while since I had a bit of good old swashbuckling, I should thank you for making sure that I don’t get rusty. Say, do you think that this looks impressive to my Mermista?” He did a bit of an extravagant flair in his cut.

“It won’t after I’ve gutted you like a fish. Why is that your priority right now? This is a fight over life or death, not a chance to impress your date.” Scurvy did an aggressive thrust

“Uh, excuse me?” Mermista pushed her opponent away with a massive wave of water. “Presumptive much? Just for the record, I’m not his date.”

“Fine.” Scurvy slashed at Sea Hawk, who parried it and did a counter attack. “I don’t think that looking good to your not-date should be your priority when I’m about to cut you down.”He stepped out of the way of Sea Hawk’s counter-attack and grabbed him by the coat. “Case in point.”

“Oh bravo!” Sea Hawk just barely got out of the way of the follow-up slash, which cut off the part of his coat that Scurvy was holding. “The banter could still do with some work, but the fighting, why I’d say this is one for the ages!” They continued to exchange blows, while the rest of the group did their own fighting. Aside from Entrapta, who was staying back to avoid having to involve herself in the conflict.

Despite being two versus one, Bow and Glimmer were having some trouble dealing with their designated pirate. Bow was running relatively low on arrows, and Glimmer on magic, and they didn’t want to waste what they had left on these people if the Horde was indeed moving against Salineas. So they had to engage with her on her own terms, which was easier said than done. With her cutlass, she had the range on them, and getting up close against that when they were using their fists for combat did not seem very tempting. So they instead kept their distance and tried to circle around her as best they could while on a small ship. “Can’t we, like, talk about this?” Asked Bow, as she cut at him. 

She looked as if she considered it for a moment, then she resumed attacking him. “ No. ”

“Well… Good talk at least.” He jumped away from her, almost tipping over the edge of the ship. 

Mermista for her part had better luck with her opponent. “You know that you’re, like, totally outclassed by me, right?” She caught his sword with her trident, and with a snap threw it away. He roared at her in response. “Wow, rude.” He jumped at her, but hit a wall of water and was punched so hard in the face by her that he was knocked unconscious. “Woo, me.” She looked around and, seeing that the others were still having trouble with their opponents, sighed. With a flick of her hand, both of the remaining opponents had been encased in bubbles of water. “Can we just, like, move on here?”

“Glorious!” Even with his coat ruined, Sea Hawk somehow managed to sell the look of a roguishly handsome captain, at least in Bow’s eyes. “This was one of the best duels I’ve had in years! One worthy of celebration! I dedicate this to adventure!”

“Sea Hawk, wait!” But Mermista was too late, Sea Hawk had thrown a torch down on the ship, which very rapidly caught fire from it. Judging by the speed and colour of the fire, which appeared pink, there was something magical in his torches. Mermista had only barely managed to gather enough water to get herself and the others off the ship, as it went up in a blaze. Even through the distortion caused by the water surrounding him, the look that Scurvy gave Sea Hawk was killing . Mermista released him and his crewmate from her water, as Bow and Glimmer hurried to bind them. “Sea Hawk, what have I said about you putting ships on fire?”

“... That I should try to tone it down?”

“Well, yes. But also, stop it.”

Coughing up seawater, Scurvy looked up at Sea Hawk. “That’s…” Cough “ Four ships that you now owe me.”

Getting out of the Whispering Woods proved almost as troublesome for Adora and Catra as getting into them. Rather than simply returning back the way they came from, like the others did, they had to cross over to it to reach the coast where, if everything worked correctly, the Horde fleet would pick them up. More than that, they had to do so before the fleet passed by so that they didn’t miss them, and with the time spent getting to the Crystal Castle, and the one inside it, they were racing against the clock. As soon as they had gotten out of the castle itself, Adora pressed the button on her Force Captain badge that would allow her to communicate with anyone else with a badge like hers. “Force Captain Scorpia? We’ve suffered a few delays, but are heading towards the rendezvous point now.”

There was a few seconds’ delay in the response, but just as she started getting worried that she didn’t have any connection in the Whispering Woods, Scorpia’s voice cracked through the badge. “... How do I turn this thing on again? Oh, I have already? Right, copy that Force Captain Adora, we’re on our way. Hey, should I call you ‘Force Captain Adora’ or just ‘Adora’? Normally you seem fine with the latter but…”

Adora sighed, and spoke to her badge. “We’ll signal our location once we’re out of the woods, everything going well on your end?”

“Oh yeah, sure. Everything’s going smoothly. They actually put me in charge of this fleet, can you believe that?”

Adora could not, in fact, believe that. “Alright, we’ll speak more later.” She turned off her badge and looked over at Catra, “Weird that they didn’t put Octavia in charge of the fleet. She usually handles naval affairs.”

Catra shrugged. “I’m not going to complain. She never did like me much.”

“ I wonder why. ” Adora’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. Octavia’s antipathy towards Catra was well known, and went back to when she had scratched out Octavia’s eye as a child. “Still, it’s a bit strange, don’t you think?”

“Maybe they just had so much faith in Scorpia.” Catra laughed derisively.

“No offence to Scorpia, but I doubt that’s the reason why they did it. I guess that we’ll learn more once we arrive.”

“Maybe Shadow Weaver pulled the strings to place her golden child in charge of the attack.”

“Oh.” Adora hadn’t thought about that, but when Catra said it, it sounded uncomfortably plausible. “I hope that there’s some other reason for it.” She didn’t really want to be known as someone who rose in rank through nepotism. 

“It’s a bit late to start complaining now.” Catra was leading the way through the forest. “Always have been. It’s just how it is.” Adora had the feeling that she was deliberately not looking at her as she said it.

“I know, but I shouldn’t have to be happy about it, should I? I want to succeed on my own merits, not because Shadow Weaver likes me. It makes me just wonder if I really should have been made Force Captain in the first place. If I wouldn’t have gotten my rank otherwise, have I really earned it?” Adora hugged herself to get rid of the uneasy feeling inside her. 

They walked in silence for a while, Catra still not looking at Adora. After some time though, she did speak up. “I can’t claim that you aren’t favoured. I mean, you were appointed as soon as you finished your time as cadet, and have commanded people by far your senior.”

“... I’m waiting for the reassurance.”

“Fine.” She rolls her eyes. “”But you’ve also lived up to your expectations every time. You’ve been a decent warrior and commander on the missions that you’ve been given. And you’ve worked hard to get the position.”

“Aww, thanks, Catra.” Adora tried to give her a hug, but Catra jumped out of the way.

“I’m just saying this to get you to stop moping. What’s with you anyway? You’ve looked so down and unlike yourself.”

“It’s… Complicated. I just worry that we’re…” She stopped herself before she said anything treasonous. “Anyway. It’s just something that’s been bothering me about what we’ve had to do to bring peace to Etheria.”

“Huh, you really have gone a bit soft.”

“I have not, stop it!”

Catra shrugged, “I don’t know what you were expecting, Adora. War is violent, rebellion needs to be put down with force. It’s their own fault for trying to stand up against us. Besides, you’ve got to think about yourself, Adora. You’re always so ‘I can’t take these rations because then someone else might starve’. Those people don’t matter, nothing matters but ourselves. We’re so close to reaching the top, Adora. When we’re in charge of everything you can get to patch up everyone’s bruises as much as you like.”

“I don’t sound like that.” Protested Adora.

“You absolutely do. Can’t take anything for yourself, that’s why you need me.”

“Not because of your brilliance and charm?” Adora smiled a bit.

“Well that too, obviously. No idea what you’d do without me. Probably stumble around, getting nothing done because you want to try and solve the problems of everyone you meet.”

“Probably.” She laughed at the thought. “I’m glad to have you to help me along the way, Catra.”

“Yeah, well, don’t mention it.” Catra did look at her again, which Adora felt quite relieved at. “I’m just here to make sure that your dumb head and bleeding heart don’t get in the way of the mission.”

“And it’s got nothing to do with you liking being with me?”

“Pfft! You wish!” They laughed some more, and Adora’s mood began to improve as they continued walking through the woods. Despite the urgent pace of their steps, they still had the time to continue talking, and Adora did find it quite pleasant. Allowed her to put her mind at ease before the battle, and made it possible to push away those gnawing doubts that had been bothering her. The Horde may not be perfect, but it was her family. And she felt a lot more comfortable fighting for that than abstract concepts of “peace”, “order” or “balance”.

Eventually, they would reach the end of the woods, where it opened up to the sea. Adora would use the locator in her badge to signal to the others where they had arrived, and then it was just a matter of waiting. The wait did not take very long, they had clearly arrived just in time, for soon enough the Horde fleet showed up to pick them up. At first, Adora thought that it might have been a detachment of it that came to take them, or simply the vanguard of it. But then Scorpia stepped down to greet them, and to give them one of her hugs, of course. “There you are! I was so worried that you guys had gotten lost on the way. The fleet is yours. Well, technically it’s mine I guess, but I got the impression that I was meant to do some kind of transfer of command. Real implicit stuff.”

“This is it?” Asked Adora before Scorpia could babble on further. She looked over the six ships, suddenly feeling like she knew why they hadn’t bothered to bring Octavia with. “Where’s the rest of the fleet?”

“This is what they told me that you could use. Said that the rest were busy and you wouldn’t need more to do your mission.”

“That’s…” Adora wasn’t sure what to say. She had expected at least twice the number given and felt like, quite apart from it making the mission a lot harder than anticipated, it signified a lack of faith in her and her plan. “Great. I’m honoured that they’ve put so much trust in me that they didn’t think that I’d need more.”

“That was just what I was thinking as well! They really must be believing in you if they thought that you didn’t need anything but this.”

Adora sighed, and followed Scorpia up on the ship, before turning around and noticing that Catra was still standing on the shore. “Come on Catra, we’ve faced worse odds. Are you going to let some Princesses stand in the way of your dreams?”

“It’s not that.” Catra looked at the water that the ship was sitting in and hissed. “Do we really have to go by sea?”

This made Adora laugh. “What? Do you mean to say that the fearsome Catra is afraid of a little water?” She made a small wave splash up on the shore where Catra stood, who jumped back to avoid touching it.

“It’s not exactly a question of ‘a little’ water!” Her fur was standing on end, looking over the ocean.

This did make Adora feel a bit bad for her. She walked over and offered her hand. “That’s why we’ll be in a secure piece of metal that will protect us from the water. Now come on.”

Reluctantly, Catra took it, and soon the fleet was continuing its journey towards their target.

There was something eerily quiet about Salineas, when the ship docked in its harbour. It was too silent, with no one in sight. As if it was but a ghost town. It creeped Glimmer out just looking at it. “Where is everyone?” She asked, as they stepped out on the harbour, their legs adjusting for the lack of movement underneath their feet.

“Oh, everyone’s, like, fled because of the whole Sea Gate falling thing.” Mermista was taking the prisoners to be locked down somewhere. “It’s really inconvenient, if you guys could fix it as soon as possible I’d appreciate it.”

They looked at Entrapta, who noticed after a few moments that everyone was staring at her. “Is it time for my great and wonderful experiment in the capabilities of First Ones shielding technology?” She asked excitedly.

“No.” Mermista looked like she had quite enough dealing with everyone’s eccentricities for one day. “It’s time for you to fix my gate. No flair, no experiments and absolutely no explosions, got it?”

Entrapta looked like she was barely paying attention to what was said. “Of course! Oh this is going to be amazing!” She began climbing up towards the centre of the gate, using her hair and the cliffs and houses around her.

Mermista sighed. “Could you, like, babysit Geek Princess so that she doesn’t do anything stupid?” She asked Bow.

“Sure. I’ll tell you if anything happens.” He looked around to see how he’d get up there himself, before deciding to take the longer route up.

“Right.” The remaining three led their prisoners up to the castle, before locking them inside and putting one of Mermista’s few remaining guards on prison-watch. “So I’ve got this beacon thing that I can activate by the Pearl.” She sat down on her throne, above which the aforementioned Pearl, Salineas’ runestone, sat. “Never used it before but supposedly it sets off this big light beam for the others to see.”

“Oh, I know about those.” Glimmer remembered this from what her mother had told her. “They were used as emergency signals during the Old Princess Alliance. We could use it to let everyone know that we’re expecting an attack.”

“Right, yeah.” Mermista looked conflicted. “The thing is, Salineas has never had to use it before, we’ve held out against the Horde on our own, with none of the other kingdoms having wanted to contribute. I don’t want to, like, beg before them.”

So it was a question of pride , Glimmer thought. “It’s not begging,” she said consolingly. “You’re just letting them know that they have a chance to make up for that by helping you now. If you don’t tell them they will never know when to aid you. We’re making a new Princess Alliance, one better than the old one. They will come, I’m sure of it. But to do that you need to trust them and be willing to rely on them.”

“You’re really into your big alliance thing.” Mermista sighed.

Just then an arrow landed before them. On it a piece of paper was attached. Rolling it out, Glimmer found two words written on it: Look outside. And as she did, she saw faintly on the horizon the outlines of what could only be Horde ships. “They’re here.”

Mermista picked up her trident. “Then it’s time I show them what happens when you mess with Salineas.” She looked up at the Pearl, and made another sigh. “And I guess that I could do with some help as well.” She pointed her trident against it, and a beam of light, not unlike the one in the old ruin, rose up from it. “Don’t know if they’ll come but at least they’ll have the opportunity.”

“They will.” Glimmer reassured her. “I trust them, and so should you.”

“Well, if this battle isn’t a total disaster I guess that I’ll have to.” She smiled at Glimmer. “Because I’ll be joining them then.”

Adora was sitting in the captain’s cabin with Catra, the two of them discussing tactics for the coming battle, when Scorpia entered it. “You know, guys. I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?” Asked Catra, not looking up from the sea map that they had found and were using to conceptualise their ideas.

“This is a pretty big moment. For us I mean. For the Horde as well, I suppose, but I think that it’s a real test of the bonds of our friendships in the heat of battle.”

“Yeah?” Adora asked, somewhat distractedly, as she moved the pieces representing their ships forward on the map.

This was clearly all the encouragement that Scorpia needed. “So I’ve been thinking up a team name for us. I call it the Super Pal Trio!”

Both Adora and Catra looked up at this. “No.” Said Catra, decisively.

“Absolutely not.” Added Adora.

“No way are we calling ourselves that.”

Scorpia gave a knowing smile. “You say this, but I know that in your hearts, you secretly like it.”

“We do not like it.” Catra said very empathetically. “Now was there anything else you came here for, or just to suggest bad team names?” 

“Oh, right. We’re also within sight of Salineas. Came to you to let you know.”

Adora blinked, while Catra gave Scorpia a cross look. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”

“Because then I wouldn’t have the time to pitch the team name.” Scorpia looked like it was self-evident.

Adora sighed, “Scorpia, we need to have a talk about priorities at some point.” All three of them went up on deck, Catra looking suspiciously at the waves splashing against the sides of the ship. Scorpia had been right, in the distance she could see the Sea Gate standing imposingly against it. They were approaching it relatively quickly. Adora pushed any final doubts away and hardened her resolve. Now was not the time for such thoughts. It didn’t matter if the Horde doubted her or the Rebels hated her, it didn’t matter if she didn’t follow some grand destiny from a thousand years ago. She would fight and she would prevail. She was a soldier, it’s what she was meant to do. Others had begun this war, she just had to end it. The gate was within range of their artillery. Adora did a final sigh to gather her thoughts and steel herself before the coming battle. Then she raised her sword against the gate and said, with a voice loud enough to be heard on all ships. “Begin the bombardment! For the glory of the Horde!”

Chapter Text

Gathering at the top of the wall overlooking the sea, the heroes watched as blasts of energy, aimed at the gate, were sent from the Horde ships. Each one of the six ships was armed with a primary cannon that fired green energy bolts from a long distance. Too long a distance, in fact, for them to be able to do that much to retaliate. “I could maybe fire a few arrows at them, but I don’t know how much it’d do at this distance.” Said Bow. “Don’t have that many left, so will need to be a bit conservative about them.”

“And I could only take one of us out there, and it’d take a lot of my energy.” Added Glimmer. “Don’t want to waste so much before we’ve even started fighting.”

“Uh, guys?” Mermista raised an eyebrow at them. “Are you, like, forgetting what my element is?”

“You can reach that far?” Asked Bow; he knew that she was powerful, but found this quite above what even he had expected.

“I don’t have to. You’re forgetting one of the rules of water.” She held out her hand, and as they watched, waves started forming, growing larger and larger as they carried towards the fleet. “Motion carries.”

They witnessed the waves hit the fleet one by one, each crashing up against one or more ships. They weren’t powerful enough to directly capsize them, but they were throwing them out of formation and disrupting their aim. Shots flew wild as the crew tried to adjust for the sudden turbulence. Glimmer felt ready to give Mermista a hug. “That’s great! Think you can keep it up indefinitely?”

“Pretty much, as long as I’m concentrating on this. If they want to stop me they’ll just have to come closer.” She smiled ferociously. “I welcome them to.”

Aboard the enemy command ship, their opponents were realising much the same thing. “Can’t you compensate when aiming?” Adora asked Lonnie, who was manning their gun.

“It’s not that easy when the ship is constantly going up and down.” She replied tersely, before adding “Force Captain.”

Adora sighed. “Well, I don’t suppose that I ever expected it to be that easy.” She turned to Kyle, who was steering the ship. “Move us closer.”

He gulped. “Really, Adora?”

“Yes, really. Come on, Kyle, we don’t have all day.” She turned back to Catra and Scorpia, as the ship moved closer to the gate. “We’ll have to do this the hard way. If we get close enough we’ll be able to still fire on the gate despite their best attempts at upsetting the sea. The other ships will stand ready to resume fire if they focus on dealing with us personally. If I can keep their Princess busy, the rest of their fleet may still be able to do their job.” She looked down at the sword in her hand. “I’m the only one who might be able to beat her in her own element.”

“Yes, well heroic though that may be, I’ll be staying with the other ships, just in case they try to do anything about them while you’ve gone ahead.” Catra had crossed her arms as she said so. She noticed the incredulous look that Adora gave her over not wanting to be in the thick of the fight and rolled her eyes. “Fine, and maybe I’d just rather not go directly against the Water Princess. Stop looking at me like that!”

“I’m not saying anything.” Adora chuckled. “Alright, you stay back Catra, if you’re so soft that a little bit of water bothers you.” She grinned at Catra, who scowled at having the word soft turned back at her, but jumped off the ship onto a small group of cliffs sticking out of the water, and, from there, aboard one of the ships that remained behind. With that out of the way, Adora put her focus on the people standing atop the wall. “Let’s see if this gets their attention. Open fire on the gate.”

“Looks like it’s working,” observed Bow. “They’re getting closer.” A stray shot from one of the ships further behind hit the part of the wall that they were standing on, causing everyone to lose balance as it shuddered from the impact.

“Yeah, but, like, only one of them.” Mermista picked herself back up after having gotten to one knee from it, ignoring Sea Hawk’s helping hand. “I would have preferred to be able to take them on all at once, but I suppose this will have to do.” She shrugged. “Their leader is brave if nothing else.”

“So what do we do?” Asked Glimmer. She was a bit annoyed that Adora would get praised even now, under these circumstances, but that wasn’t the most important thing with the Horde beating down on them.

“We take out their forward ship, then the rest of them. You teleport your Bow friend down there and try to sabotage their cannon, I’ll follow my own way.”

“What about me?” Asked Sea Hawk, looking like he felt a bit left out of the plan.

“I don’t know, protect the gate and don’t do anything stupid.”

“You got it! You won’t be disappointed in me, Mermista.”

Mermista sighed, “I have the feeling that you’re going to prove otherwise, but sure.” She jumped off the wall and into the sea, her legs transforming into a fishtail mid-jump. She landed with an elegant dive, piercing into the water below the surface, and swiftly swimming towards the incoming ship.

“Well, I guess that we better join her.” Glimmer took Bow’s hand and teleported them both to the ship as well. Just as they did, Mermista jumped aboard as well. Facing them was Adora, as well as four of her accomplices.

Adora smiled and readied her position for the coming fight. “Nice of you to drop by. Surprised?”

“You’re way too persistent for that.” Glimmer retorted. “Besides, you revealed your hand too early.”

“Did I now?” Adora continued to give her cocky smile, which only looked worse when the one giving it looked like she might be some kind of demigod of old. “Well then, feel free to stop me.”

“My pleasure.” Mermista sent out three different watery tentacles to ensnare Adora from multiple different directions. “So you’re supposed to be this She-Ra? Somehow I thought that you’d be cooler.”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Adora gripped her sword hard and swung it around herself, cutting off the water as if it had been the limbs of an organism. “And you must be Mermista, right?”

“The one and only.” Mermista went in for a stab, which Adora blocked with the sword. “Nice hair though, how do you get it like that?”

“I… Don’t really know.” Adora looked like this wasn’t the line of banter that she had expected during that fight. “It just kind of grows out this way whenever I use the powers of…” She hesitated. “Of She-Ra, I suppose.”

“Nice. Not that I’m jealous or anything, but I’d totally get my hair that long. It looks messy, but in a kind of cool way.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Adora went on the offensive, cutting with her sword and forcing Mermista to back off and use her water powers to protect herself. “I do kind of like it.”

“Obviously I’m still going to cast you into the ocean for daring to invade me, but, like, otherwise, you do look cool. Though I’m not sure if black really works for you.”

While Mermista continued to do her combination of casual chatting and combat with Adora, Glimmer and Bow did a double team against the remaining crew. They weren’t doing too great, since they were outnumbered two-to-one, and neither of them was fighting optimally due to it having been a while since they last recharged or restocked on arrows. Glimmer was at the moment dealing with Lonnie and a lizardman that she did not know the name of. Under the circumstances, it was all that she could do to keep them busy dealing with her, let alone defeating them or permanently disabling the cannon. For as long as she felt that she had to be conservative with her magic and mainly fight with only her own body, Glimmer was doubtful that she could have beaten Lonnie alone, even less so with her friend for help. So she did the best thing that she could under the circumstances: she stalled for time. “It’s kind of funny how we keep running into each other all the time.” She teleported behind them just as they looked to have cornered her. “I would have thought that they’d have learned to send competent people after us by now.”

“Speak for yourself.” Retorted Lonnie, while her friend gave an angry growl in a language that Glimmer did not know. “Way I hear it, you’ve gotten beaten so hard over and over that you’ve had to run away at the first sight of us.”

“I have not!” Glimmer forgot what she was aiming for at that moment, and tried to land a magically powered blow, but Lonnie dodged out of the way and hit her in the stomach with her electric baton, forcing Glimmer to teleport away to get a moment to recover. She cursed her temper inwardly, before returning to the fight.

Bow was not having much more luck for his part. Scorpia seemed all but immune to his attacks, and packed such massive strength in her claws that even one hit was enough to send him flying across the deck. Meanwhile, the last crew member was firing the cannon, and from further behind the rest of the ships were doing the same. The gate was falling, and so was the beautifully decorated wall alongside it. That was when Glimmer noticed a familiar ship sailing out through one of the holes in the gate. “ Sea Hawk. ” She said, as she ducked under a blow from the lizardman. She saw him wave as he sailed past them, straight towards the rest of the Horde fleet. At that moment, she really hoped that he knew what he was doing.

Sea Hawk stood confidently by the wheel of his ship, aiming squarely against the closest enemy ship. Once the course was set, he went up to the sail, took out one of his incendiary bottles and waited for the right moment to let it go so that he could send his ship into a fiery death, hopefully setting off a chain reaction that would cause the enemy ships to blow up. As the moment came, he took off the cork of the bottle and shouted “Adventu-”

But he did not get any further, for just then a woman landed on his ship and ran her elbow into him with enough force to knock the wind out of him and make him drop the bottle. “I’ll take that,” she said, and snatched it out of the air, throwing it up and down in her hand as she inspected it.

“Ah, so another one that wants a duel with the legendary Sea Hawk? En garde!” He drew his golden rapier and pointed it towards the feline woman that he assumed must be Catra. 

“Hardly.” She gave him a bored look, as she threw the bottle over his head. Sea Hawk’s eyes reflexively followed the object to see if it would land with an inferno right behind him, but, in the fraction of a second that it took him to conclude that it was going to land in the ocean, his guard had been lowered. Catra had readied herself for a pounce, and just as she leaped towards him, his ship, which still carried the momentum from before, crashed into the metallic hull of one of the Horde’s, giving her jump additional force, and causing Sea Hawk to lose balance even before she hit him. He flew across the deck, Catra latched onto him with her claws, before hitting the railing hard enough to make his head ring.

“A dirty move, but I’ll allow it.” He noticed that he had dropped his rapier, as he tried to force Catra off him.

“Oh I think that you’re just going to have to.” She burrowed her claws into him, piercing through his coat and shirt and injuring the flesh beneath. Through the pain, he spotted Horde soldiers boarding his ship from the one he had crashed into. “Bind him, might as well take a hostage.”

Adora saw the ship crash at a distance, and felt quite glad at that moment that she had kept Catra behind to handle things. Mermista seemed rahter distracted by what had happened, which gave Adora the opening to press the offensive, striking at her in a flurry of blows that did end up leaving Mermista with a nasty gash in her left arm. “Ugh. Okay, timeout.” Mermista jumped back from Adora to avoid getting further hit by her. “I need to go and rescue my… That guy. I told him not to do anything stupid, but he never listens to me! Don’t think that I’m quitting this fight, back in a sec.” She jumped overboard and began swimming with remarkable speed towards the commotion further back.

With no practical way of following Mermista at her rapid pace, and the rest of the crew seeming able to handle Bow and Glimmer on their own, Adora chose to gaze ahead. They had gotten quite close to the Sea Gate now, and Adora could spot Entrapta working on it atop a floating rock. By now, there were significant holes in the gate, and many shots passed through it into the city beyond, sowing destruction with every hit. Entrapta, however, did look to be working on repairing the gate and, even more promisingly, there did not seem to be anyone left guarding her or the gate. Coming to a decision, Adora jumped off the ship and traversed up the floating rocks until she reached Entrapta. “Entrapta! I need to talk to you.”

“Adora.” Entrapta did not look up from her work, but rather continued to do her tinkering, her welding mask covering her face. “Have you come to witness my breakthrough in the understanding of First Ones shielding technology?”

“... Of a sorts. Entrapta, I need you to step away from there for a while.”

“I’m sorry, Adora, but I can’t do that. This experiment is of a rather sensitive nature and I can’t leave it or else the whole thing might collapse in a gigantic explosion!” She began laughing maniacally. “Which would be bad, I think. I’d need to move my equipment further away to preserve the data at least.”

“Gigantic explosion you say?” This did seem very interesting to Adora. “How come?”

“Well, the energy from these crystals is siphoned into the gate in a complex matrix that keeps the energy even and following the paths laid out by the writing on the gate. However, the addition of unpredictable waves of energy to the gate makes balancing this difficult, take too much and the entire thing suffers from an overload, which could take out the reactor…” She noticed that Adora was staring dumbly at her, not having gotten a word of it. “... I use crystal to power gate.” She said this very slowly and methodically, as if speaking to a child. “Crystal plus artillery equals too much power. Too much power bad for gate.”

“Right, I’m with you. But I really do need you to move to the side, Entrapta.” Adora drew her sword again. “So if you would…”

“Oh!” The sword did get Entrapta’s attention, though not in the way it might have for most people. She turned her head to look at Adora, or rather the Sword of Protection, properly now. “I knew that I recognised the images from somewhere! May I study your sword for an important research project?”

“Uh… Sure. Later, after the battle is over, if you move to the side.”

“Well alright then.” Entrapta stepped away, but just as Adora was about to strike at where Entrapta had been working to send a wave of energy powerful enough to take out the gate for good, she was hit in the back by a blast of energy and stumbled forward.

“Oh no, you don’t!” She heard Glimmer’s voice from behind her. Adora turned around to face her, just as she did a follow-up attack that Adora just barely blocked with her sword. Apparently Glimmer had spotted her up here while she was talking to Entrapta and teleported up to fight her. “Step away from the gate!”

“Well, hello Glimmer. Back for another round after you failed to take me down in the last few?” Adora struck the sword, not at Glimmer herself, but the part of the rock she was standing on, causing it to break apart, and her to fall down and having to teleport to another position.

“Funny.” Glimmer shot a small blast of energy at Adora, who blocked it with her sword and smashed the rock she was standing on again, forcing her to teleport to one out of her reach. “I seem to remember having beaten you last time we fought.”

“Only because I let you win.” Adora sent back at her, before sending her own energy blast through the sword towards Glimmer, who ducked out of the way of it. 

“Sure. If that’s what you’re telling yourself.” Glimmer looked over at Entrapta, who was spectating their fight idly. “Entrapta, why aren’t you working on the gate?”

“Adora told me to stay back for a bit.”

“Well don’t listen to Adora! She’s obviously just trying to sabotage you.” Glimmer teleported up to Adora, grabbed her, and then teleported them both away from Entrapta, who shrugged her shoulders as she went back to work. “You won’t win, Adora!” Glimmer had started to feel a real strain from her magic, she probably didn’t have a lot left to use, so she had to be careful. She did not feel nearly as confident as she let on, Adora was a challenge to fight even when Glimmer was the one with magic on her side, and terribly powerful when it was she and her She-Ra. 

“We’ll see.” Adora stomped on the ground with enough force to make the ground shake and a crack form through the wall from the foot. “This city doesn’t look to be in too great a shape by the looks of it.”

“And you’re happy about that, are you?!” Glimmer sent a fist against Adora, who caught it with her hand and pulled her forward to strike at her in the chest with her knee.

“Kind of. This is what I’m supposed to do, after all.” A strike from the sword caused Glimmer’s right leg to give up, and she fell down on her knees. “It’s my responsibility to make sure that the Horde rules over Etheria.”

“Your responsibility is to reap death and destruction wherever you go, you mean.” Glimmer got punched in the face but seemed too angry to care. “Your responsibility is to tarnish the name of She-Ra.” She tried to get up to attack Adora, but the leg gave up on her midway and she fell down on the ground.

“I thought that you said that you didn’t believe I was She-Ra.” Adora observed as she stood before her, as if waiting for her to get up and fight again.

“I don’t! You’re just… Why did it have to be you?!” Glimmer was crying now. “Of all the people that the sword could work for, it had to be a Horde soldier? Where’s the justice in this?!”

The pity in Adora’s eyes felt worse than when she looked hatefully at Glimmer. “I don’t know.” She said, quite sincerely. “I honestly don’t know.”

Jumping aboard the ship, Mermista sent a wave of water that carried the Horde soldiers off it into the sea, grabbing hold on Sea Hawk so that he didn’t follow with. “What were you thinking?” She asked, as she followed it up with another wave to push the enemy ships away from them. Catra was one of the soldiers in the water, looking quite angry at her interference, trying to get back onboard a ship.

“I tried to help out, you know.” Sea Hawk still had his hands bound and Mermista, too busy steering the ship around back to Salineas, did not feel like she could be bothered helping him untie himself at that moment. “I was hoping that if I could set my ship on fire-”

“This isn’t the time for that, Sea Hawk.” Mermista snapped, perhaps a bit harshly she recognised, but the circumstances did not make for an even temper. “Just… Stay safe, you know.” She spotted Adora getting up to Entrapta. “I need to get back to fighting their She-Ra thing.” Once the course was set back to Salineas again, she gave the ship a final push with her powers for extra speed and went over to the railing to jump back into the sea. Then she remembered something and turned her head back to Sea Hawk. “Do you think that my hair would be better if I grew it out longer?”

He took the fact that she asked that out of the blue quite well, everything considered. “I think that your hair looks quite lovely as it is, Mermista.”

“Figures that you would.” Just as she was about to jump overboard, an arrow with a rope attached to it hit the mast of the ship, and Bow came hurtling towards them from the other ship, looking quite the worse for wear.

“We must hurry!” He said as soon as he caught his breath. “Adora has reached the gate. Glimmer just teleported back to face her, but I don’t know how long she can hold her on her own.”

“Well, duh. That was what I was doing.” Mermista was still standing with one leg on the railing, looking about to jump into the water at any second. “Can you hold them off for a little bit while I kick She-Ra out of my city?”

“... That’s a lot to ask of a guy with three arrows left, but okay, I’ll try my best.”

“Great.” Mermista dived down and began getting up to where Adora was fighting Glimmer. Or, as it could more accurately be described by the time she was on the same level as them, Adora was pummelling Glimmer to the ground. “Hold on,”  She jumped in between them. “I said just a sec, didn’t I? You were supposed to be my fight. Rude.”

“Mermista!” Glimmer looked relieved at the assistance.

“Yeah, yeah. I know that I’m great, keep it together, Glitter.”

“This works for me.” Noted Adora, taking her fighting stance as the three began circling around each other atop the by now quite broken down wall. “I suppose that everything they said about it taking two Princesses for every proper Horde soldier was true.”

“As if.” Mermista began going on the offensive, using her trident water summoned from below them to attack Adora. Glimmer used the respite to breathe out a little, before joining her in the fight. For the first time during this battle, Adora was forced on the defensive, having to hold off both of their combined attacks on her own. Though Glimmer was far from fighting at her best at this point, being wounded, exhausted, and almost completely out of magic, she still proved a distraction that Adora could not discount for the potential threat she could pose if she let down her guard against her. And Mermista, she was fighting with a cold and ruthless efficiency at this point. Even with the strength of She-Ra, Adora found it taxing, blocking the strike of her trident, and having to deal with constant water attacks at the same time kept her too off-balance to take back the initiative. As they were fighting, Bow had taken position on top of another rock, and used his last remaining arrows to slow down the advance of the Horde fleet. 

But it was to no avail, for they had by now moved further into position, and with holes in the gate, their shots were passing through it, hitting the city of Salineas itself and the palace where the Pearl was kept. And also, where the prisoners were. As it would so happen, a stray shot from one of the cannons would hit that portion of the palace, cracking open parts of the wall around the prison like a gaping wound on a colossal beast. Not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth, Scurvy thanked his good fortune and began trying to get through the small gap in the wall. As he did so however, the door to his cell was opened by the guard that Mermista had assigned to make sure that they did not escape. “Halt! Stand by the wall, and make no sudden moves.”

Scurvy wondered for a brief moment if the only reason this guard hadn’t abandoned the sinking ship that was Salineas was because he was too stupid to realise it. “I can’t stand by the wall if I’m also supposed to halt.” He got out of the crack in the wall, a better escape route had already opened itself up to him.

The guard did not look amused with his snide comment, and pointed the spear he had threateningly at Scurvy. “No prisoner back talk. You’re coming with me to somewhere where you won’t try to escape.”

“Of course. But are you sure that you’ve secured my colleagues as well? This gap is quite wide, probably stretching to their cells as well.” The guard hesitated at these words, which was all the opportunity that Scurvy needed. With one hand he grabbed hold on to the end of the spear and pulled to keep the guard off-balance for the crucial moments while he moved within reach and with his other hand smacked him as hard as he could. To his credit, the guard wasn’t knocked out by that single blow, but now Scurvy was too close for him to use his spear effectively, and when he tried to drop it to fight Scurvy with his own fists, Scurvy did a follow-up strike against his throat, before using the hand by which he had been holding the end of the spear to turn it around and, with both hands, point it directly at the guard’s throat. “If you’d kindly give me the keys to the cells, I’ll just be on my way. Or I can just kill you and take them from your body, your choice.”

Soon enough, the guard was locked in Scurvy’s cell (he’d get out of it, but at least he’d have a hard time following them) and Scurvy had his weapons and crew back. Leading them through the almost completely deserted city, after having helped themselves on as much of the royal treasury as they could carry, Scurvy came upon a sight in the harbour that really made him contemplate how it was his lucky day that day: His old 'friend' Sea Hawk was alone on his ship, docking it to port, looking quite downbeat for reasons that Scurvy could not know, but assumed had something to do with the large battle going on. Scurvy and his companions moved up towards him, cutlasses drawn. Sea Hawk looked up at the sight of them, and his arm immediately went to where his own rapier should be, but it wasn’t there. “Oh, Scurvy! I see that you’re out again.” He dashed towards where he had dropped the rapier, but before he reached it, it was snatched up by Scurvy’s feline friend. 

“Hello, ‘old friend.’” Scurvy grabbed Sea Hawk by the coat and put his cutlass along his throat, “Happy to see us?”

“... Not particularly under the circumstances of this meeting.”

Scurvy chuckled. “Now that just isn’t a good way to treat your friends.” He gestured for the others to set them off to sea. “Thank you for preparing my ship for our departure though.” One of them started tying Sea Hawk up with some ropes that happened to conveniently be lying on deck. “Don’t worry, she’s in better hands this way. You’d probably just have set her on fire at some point.”

And so, the Dragon’s Daughter Three , named so because Sea Hawk had set both of its predecessors on fire, began departing from Salineas under a new captain, with a new crew, one prisoner and a lot of the kingdom’s treasure’s. Bow alone would pay attention to the seas enough to notice what had happened, and he was out of arrows by then. Though he tried to warn Glimmer and Mermista, they were too far away and too focused on fighting Adora to notice. The ship, and its crew, would escape, a problem for another day.

And so it was that all looked dark for Salineas. The last bits of the gate were falling, the city was under heavy fire, parts of the ancient statues and houses of the city had collapsed. Even though Mermista was beating back Adora with Glimmer’s help, it was not enough. Sea Hawk had been captured, and Bow alone could do little to check the Horde’s advance. The ships had gotten close enough that they’d pass through the gate any moment now, and once that was done, the soldiers would embark and Salineas fall. But just as all seemed lost, hope came to Salineas. A geometric portal began opening up in the city, and through it came Perfuma, Netossa and Spinerella. Last of all, Castaspella stepped through, and closed the portal. Reinforcements had come at last, and not a moment too soon. Netossa threw a protective net over the gate, adding an additional layer of protection to it. Behind that, Perfuma started making algae grow and harden to give Entrapta more time to do her work. Spinnerella, for her part, took to the offensive, using her powers over the air to fly up to the top of the wall, and from there sending whirlwinds against the ships below, sending them into disarray. A much-needed second wind had come to the rebellion, and now the Horde was on the backfoot. With no way forward anymore, and under heavy fire, the fleet did its best to try and withdraw to a safe distance, though this proved more easily said than done, for they were thrown about by Spinnerella, and both Perfuma and Netossa were already joining up with her to barrage them. Meanwhile, Castaspella had begun casting the spells that made her name so appropriate, helping Entrapta repair and reinforce the failing gate. All this, Adora could see from where she fought Glimmer and Mermista, but she could do nothing about it. Worse yet, if she tried to break away, Mermista would surely join in the attempts to sink her fleet. So she fought on, despite knowing that she was now alone against several Princesses. “I won’t fail!” She took a stance and banished the water attacking her through sheer force of will, meeting Mermista’s attacks with her blade. Adora was shining brightly now, but it was as if she was sucking the light out of the world, making everything around her seem darker, not brighter. “I won’t let them down!” A downwards cut from her blade towards Mermista’s head was blocked by the trident she wielded, caught by its end. 

“Salineas is defended. The Horde won’t take my home, not today, not ever.” Mermista tried to push back against the supernatural strength of She-Ra, the two beings of raw power clashing in their strength and will. The wall was breaking under their feet from the struggle, with Mermista pushing upwards with her trident while Adora was pushing it down into the ground.

Before this struggle over physical supremacy had been resolved, however, Glimmer intervened by tackling Adora away from Mermista. “Leave her alone! Just accept that you’ve lost!” Her attempt to punch Adora while she was down was caught by her fist, and Adora shook Glimmer off, only to have Mermista back for more fighting. 

Barely able to parry her next strike while on her knees, Adora fell back and assessed her situation. The other Princesses were already up on the wall, any moment now she’d have to fight five of them instead of just two, and loath though she was to admit it, even two were proving troublesome. Grudgingly, she began realising that she was probably not going to win this fight, burning though it made her feel to run away from it. As the two charged her, Adora slashed through the stoneworks around her, causing them to begin collapsing. As she did so, she fell back and, before they knew where she had gone, dived down into the sea and began swimming towards the nearest ship. At that moment, she was glad that She-Ra was useful in more than just battle, for despite the long height from which she jumped into the water she barely felt it when she hit the surface, and the long, powerful arms made swimming much faster than it had been for her in training. She had escaped, but the battle was lost, and she still needed to regroup the fleet, assess damages, and, worst of all, report her failure back at the Fright Zone.

With the Horde in full retreat, the Rebels finally had the time to breathe out. Gathering around each other, while Entrapta was hard at work getting the gate up and functioning again, they started clapping each other on the back and congratulated themselves for what they had achieved in turning back the Horde even with the might of the legendary She-Ra on its side. They had just gotten to the point when they discussed whether to pursue them in Sea Hawk’s ship that Mermista raised the question that was inevitably going to get asked eventually. “Uh, where is the guy anyway? Shouldn’t he be here with us celebrating?” She looked a bit bashful. “Not that I was too harsh on him or anything like that, but I wouldn’t want him to be, like, sailing away alone, moping, while we’ve just won.”

“Yeah, about that.” Bow scratched the back of his head. He’d been very quiet throughout this entire time. “Sea Hawk may have been, uh, captured.”

“Yeah, but, like, I totally saved him from that.”

“No, not by the Horde.” Bow looked more awkward than ever. “By Scurvy.”

“What?! Why didn’t you stop him?”

“Well I couldn’t.” The aggressive tone made him get a bit defensive. “I was out of arrows and they were too far away, and no one could hear me when I shouted for them.”

Mermista sank together a little bit at the new, looking quite dejected. “Well, I guess that we’ll just have to go and rescue the doofus. You guys with?”

Adora was not sure if she had felt as much fear as when she entered Lord Hordak’s chambers to report on the battle. She had been in many life-threatening situations before, some quite recently, but usually those involved too much adrenaline for her to have the time to contemplate the fragility of her own existence. But as she kneeled on the stairs before the throne by which the Horde’s supreme leader sat, she felt very small and vulnerable. She wondered if that was how the place had been designed, to inspire fear in all petitioners to Hordak. “Lord Hordak, I… Have failed you.” The words burned in her throat as she said them, she hated that feeling of failure.

He looked contemplatively at her, his emotions inscrutable. “Tell me, Force Captain. How have you failed in executing my will?”

“I tried to use the resources granted to me to the best of my ability, to seize Salineas in the name of the Horde. I wanted… To live up to the trust that had been granted to me.”

“And you did not?” He raised an eyebrow.

Adora’s cheeks were burning in shame. “I did not. Salineas, though crippled by the bombardments, and on the edge of having been taken, remains under Rebel control. Its Princess has aligned fully with the Rebellion.”

Hordak drummed his fingers on his throne. “And why did you not take it, despite being so close to doing so?”

“Because they had many allies, Princesses from across Etheria came to help them. The reinforcements proved too much for my forces to handle. We had to retreat lest we suffered needless losses to them. As it is, one of the ships granted was sunk, and the rest were damaged to some degree or another.” She waited for his reaction to this. For him to berate her, strip her of her rank, send her to the dreaded Beast Island, or any number of possible punishments that she could think of.

The one thing that she didn’t expect him to do was smile. “Well done, Force Captain.”

“... Pardon?”

He stood up from his throne and walked down towards her. “You’ve done what you were meant to do. You wondered, perhaps, why I did not give you any more resources to command.”

“... It was not my place to judge, only use what I had been given.”

He nodded at that. “So it was. But the reason was because Salineas was but one location on the board. An important one, but just one. Yet it was a challenge that our enemy would be forced to respond to. Do you see now?”

“I… Think that I do, Lord Hordak.” It was starting to grow clearer where he was going with this.

“Good.” He was now standing before her, a towering, pale, bat-like man. “Your suggestions for attacking Salineas were sound, but they failed to see the greater picture. While you were there, keeping the Rebels and their Princesses in check, the rest of our armed forces have swept forward, our ground forces are reporting victories in Elberron and Plumeria, and the rest of our fleet has scoured the coast while their attention lay at Salineas. The opposition has been insignificant and our advance unchecked so far. They concentrated their forces to defend one place, while I saw fit to strike at many. This was a test, Force Captain. Of the Rebels, and of you.”

“Of me?” She wondered if she had passed this secret test of his or not.

“Yes, your superior has been quick to praise your every achievement to me, while giving enough tools that a child could have done it.” His red eyes were fixed on her, and Adora was painfully reminded of her youth once again. “I found it quite bothersome. So I decided to put your abilities to the test by giving you a mission designed for failure. I wished to see how well you would do when facing the full might of the Rebellion. You did not disappoint.” This did make Adora feel quite a lot better. “She disagreed with my methods. I corrected her. You have earned your title, Force Captain.”

Chapter Text

“I’m in,” responded Glimmer to Mermista’s request for help in rescuing Sea Hawk. “We owe it to him for the help he’s given.”

“As am I, obviously. In case it needed to be said,” added Bow. “We won’t let our friends down.”

Mermista smiled slightly at that, looking at least somewhat touched. “I suppose that you deserve to have me with your Princess Alliance at this point. I know, I know, you’re greatly honoured, etcetera, etcetera.”

Bow gave her a hug. “I knew that you liked us deep down.”

Mermista slowly pushed him away. “Alright, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Personal space, please.”

“I’m just so happy that we could come and help out.” Perfuma said. “You can thank Castaspella for it. We’d never have been able to get here in time without her.”

“Well, I don’t want to take too much credit here.” Castaspella was smiling at the compliment nonetheless. “It was they who came to me asking for help. Apparently there had been an emergency beacon lit in Salineas.”

“Your mother said that she knew we’d find you here already.” Spinnerella smiled at Glimmer. “Said that no one quite takes initiative like you do for the Rebellion.”

“Well, she’s not wrong.” Glimmer smiled back. “I hope that she was proud of what I’ve done.”

“She was.” Said Netossa. “Worried, but proud.”

“Well that’s just mom. I’m glad that I didn’t disappoint her.” Glimmer looked down at her own bruised body and the cut on her leg. “I’ll be happy when I get back to her, feel like I could rest for a month.” She laughed, with some bitterness. “Not that the Horde will give me that chance.”

“You did well though here.” Bow reassured her. “We all did, the Horde will think twice about trying to take down Salineas now.” He turned to the later arrivals. “Will you guys get back the same way you came or come with us?”

“Unless you think that you’ll need us for tracking down this Scurvy fellow, I think that we’d better take the quick route back. The Alliance might need us elsewhere,” said Netossa.

“Besides, someone needs to stay back and wait for Entrapta to finish her work so that they can take her home,” added Spinnerella.

“Alright, sounds good. We’ve beaten this guy before, taking him down again won’t be a problem.” Mermista turned to Glimmer and Bow. “Ready to head out?”

Glimmer was about to say ‘yeah’ when Castaspella interjected into the conversation. “And leave so soon, without giving a hug to her dear aunt? Why I’d never allow it.”

This did make Glimmer roll her eyes, but she also couldn’t help but laugh at the sentiment. “Alright, Aunt Casta.” She gave her a hug. “Thanks for all the help you’ve given.”

Castaspella smiled as she hugged her back. “It’s what your father would have wanted me to do. You’re doing him very proud, Glimmer.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate that.” After a few moments, she released Castaspella from the hug. “Alright, now I’m ready to go.”

The unease that Adora usually felt from being inside the Black Garnet Chamber had only increased from her experiences in the Crystal Castle. She could not bear to look into Shadow Weaver’s eyes, or the slits in her mask as the case may be. “You wanted to see me, Shadow Weaver?” She did a salute, while averting her eyes the shadowy form of the woman that had summoned her.

“Adora.” The woman glided over to her, putting her hands on her shoulders. “You have done so well, Lord Hordak is impressed by your performance.”

“I still failed, didn’t I?” Adora felt uncomfortable by both the touch and the praise, but tried her best not to show it. “I let everyone down.”

“Oh, not at all, dear.” Her voice was soothing, and she adjusted Adora’s hair in an affectionate manner. “You did better than what many would have expected of you, you just need more training. That is why you are here.”

“... Shouldn’t I be down with the others instead then?”

“Oh, not that kind of training. No, that won’t help hone your special talents. You are not a mere soldier, Adora, you should not be held back by their simplistic training regimes. I can teach you so much more, to make you capable of wielding true greatness. Through me, you will learn magic, and become what you were meant to be.”

Adora felt cold at these words, the memory she had seen of that time Shadow Weaver had punished them for taking one of her books came back to her once more, and Catra’s words about not believing that they ever wanted to be like Shadow Weaver echoed in her mind. She tried to keep her face inscrutable, but a mild panic that she could not truly explain was rising in her. “Of course, Shadow Weaver.”

Something about her unease must have shone through, because her commander, the closest thing she had to a mother, looked concernedly at her. “Is something wrong, Adora?”

“No!” She said, a bit too hastily. “Everything is fine. That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“Adora.” Shadow Weaver’s voice was chiding. “You would tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you? It would not suit you to keep secrets from me.”

“Of course I wouldn’t! I mean…” Adora realised that the meaning of what she had said was quite ambiguous. “Of course I would. Tell you, that is. Because I trust you.” She was only digging herself deeper, and she could feel it.

“Mhm. So do tell me, Adora. Was it Catra, did she say nasty things again?”

“No.” Adora felt a sudden urge to defend her friend, lest she suffer for her sake. “It wasn’t Catra, not exactly.”

“So what was it that made you so… Unsettled?” Shadow Weaver’s presence was all-encompassing, making Adora feel like she was trapped in darkness by her.

“... Could we proceed with the training, please?” Adora did not know what to say to get her to stop bearing down on her, but complying with her requests usually worked relatively well.

“Why of course, I’m glad that you’re so keen to do it. I will make you truly great, Adora.”

Looking over Plumeria, Catra was grudgingly forced to marvel at the speed and efficiency of the Horde’s construction efforts. By the time that she and Scorpia had arrived, the place looked almost unrecognisable from when she had last been there. The previous outpost, long since repaired, was now but a rearguard to the much larger camp that had been built around the great Heart-Blossom Tree, with large sections of the surrounding forest having been levelled to make way, and fuel the industries back in the Fright Zone. Now they were putting up artillery pieces and other defences, while hunting parties were tracking down and bringing in those Plumerians that had escaped the initial assault. She watched idly as more of them were thrown into the cells that they had made. They were getting rather full, she noted, would have to either expand those facilities or begin shipping them to the Fright Zone soon. Scorpia stood beside her, looking pleased at the speed of the work. “I still can’t believe that they actually put me in charge of this place. Just look at it.” She was observing the construction of a new watchtower to warn of rebel attacks.

“Neither can I.” Catra muttered, before turning to a few of the soldiers that looked like they didn’t have anything that they were doing. “What are you doing, lazing around here? We’ll need another cell done before the next hunting party is back! Now!” She watched, with some satisfaction, as they all hurried away to do as they were told. By now, no one was left to question her commands, the last one to have tried had gotten their visor ripped apart by her claws and thought better of it.

Scorpia did not seem to mind Catra being the one to actually give all of the orders around the place. Did give her a taste of power, which she quite enjoyed, even if it did not make up for her underlying anger at her situation. Scorpia nudged her with one of her claws. “Hey, you’re getting really good at those yells.”

“I guess that I’ve got experience in that department.” Catra’s tone was bitter, as it reminded her of Shadow Weaver, who she was sure was even now plotting to take Adora away from her for good.

“Must have, because that’s some of the best-”

“Stop it!” Catra glared at her. “Whatever it is that you’re doing, stop it. I’m out here with you on a useless assignment, all so that Shadow Weaver can sink her claws into Adora. So cut it out, I don’t need your pep talks.”

“It’s not useless, we’re fortifying the frontier, securing control over our new territories, isn’t that important?”

“It’s just an excuse she makes to keep Adora for herself. And Adora’s not going to even realise it, she’s too gullible.” She kicked a rock in frustration. “And here I am, reassigned so that Shadow Weaver can keep me out of the way. I need to think of something.”

“Catra, calm down.” Scorpia put her pincers on Catra’s shoulders. “Maybe she is doing what you’re saying she is, I didn’t really get all of it, but you can still be happy. You still have me, and Shadow Weaver won’t keep Adora for herself forever, she’s a smart girl, and besides, Hordak wouldn’t allow it.”

“She’ll still find a way to keep her away from me.” Muttered Catra, though privately she did feel a bit better from what Scorpia had said.

“Well I’m here for you if you ever need to talk about it, Wildcat. But you shouldn’t feel so bad about it, you still get to be in charge of this whole squadron. Or I guess that technically I am in charge of it. Am I in charge of it? Doesn’t matter, point is, they listen to what you tell them to do, and isn’t that what you wanted?”

“It’s complicated, you wouldn’t understand.” Catra tried to wave her away, but that just made Scorpia give her a hug.

“Maybe not, but I still think that you should look on the bright side of things.”

Even without Sea Hawk the chase was swift, for Mermista was an able captain in her own right, her ship was one of the finest that Glimmer had ever seen and her powers over the sea aided them in their journey. Though Glimmer could not say for sure, she even seemed to have a special awareness that stretched beyond her vision to wherever the water went, for she never seemed to hesitate for even the briefest moment what route their quarry had taken. No matter if it truly was a supernatural gift given to her as the Princess of the Sea or simply navigational expertise the end result was the same: Soon enough, Scurvy’s, or to be exact Sea Hawk’s, ship was visible on the horizon, and they were closing in on it. Scurvy must have realised that he was being chased, and more importantly that he was slower than the ship chasing him, for after a while, the ship turned around to head towards them. As they got closer, they could see Scurvy standing by the side of the ship, his cutlass at Sea Hawk’s throat. “Ah, Mermista! I figured that you wouldn’t give up on your treasure hoard.” At this, they realised that aside from escaping and kidnapping Sea Hawk, Scurvy looked to have done a lot of plundering on his way out of Salineas. “Oh, or this guy I suppose.” He pulled the sword closer to Sea Hawk’s throat as the ships ended up parallel to one another. “Honestly, I don’t know what you see in him. Do you have any idea how many times I was thinking about whether to just send him to the bottom of the ocean?”

“Be my guest.” Mermista’s tone was dry, while her eyes were fixed on Scurvy and her trident was raised for a fight.

“Mermista, dear…” Began Sea Hawk, but Scurvy interrupted him.

“Oh no, don’t think that you’re getting him back that easily, as if I’m not well aware of your witchcraft. Now, don’t get any closer, or your boyfriend will get a terminal case of slit throat.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” She looked affronted at the suggestion.

“Good for you, you could do with better. But my point is, if you don’t want him dead you better stay away from us.”

At this, Sea Hawk did another try to get a word in. “Hang on, Admiral Scurvy, old friend. Would you really do that to me? Think of our history together.”

“Our ‘history’ is why I’m on the verge of feeding you to the fishes, don’t tempt me further.”

“Right, riveting stuff.” Said Mermista, while Glimmer was formulating an idea in her head. “Look, I know that you two have a lot to work out, but I’m, like, not going to let you go that easily. So you either hand him over to me and I’ll let you go or-” But she was interrupted as, using the very last of her strength, Glimmer teleported up to behind Scurvy and, before he knew what was going on, grabbed hold of him and teleported into the water. “... Or that, I guess. Works for me.” Mermista made a leap aboard the other ship, placing herself between Sea Hawk and Scurvy’s two crewmates. 

“Mermista! You came to rescue me!” Sea Hawk looked quite excited at the onset of battle, trying to get out of the ropes binding him while she started fighting the pair on her own.

“I didn’t come to rescue you.” Her tone was defensive now. “I just, like, couldn’t let Scurvy go. And he stole from me.” She added as an afterthought. Sending a wave of water to sweep her opponents away, she turned around to cut through the ropes.

Meanwhile, Bow had dived down into the water to rescue Glimmer, who was nearing unconsciousness from the exertion she had put on herself. The problem, naturally, was Scurvy, who looked livid at this turn of events and placed himself between Bow and Glimmer in the water. “Alright, boy.” He spat out some sea water he had swallowed. “If this is how we do it, then so be it.” He began attacking Bow in the water, trying to grab him and pull him down. 

“Wait!” Bow tried in vain to get past him to where Glimmer had started to sink. “She’s drowning, can’t you see?”

“So?” Scurvy had gotten a good grip on Bow now. He was larger, stronger and better at both close quarters fighting and swimming. Even staying up at the surface was proving a struggle, getting past him or beating him a near-impossibility. “Serves her right, this was a private business before you interfered.”

“What?” Bow could barely speak without swallowing water. “We… Supposed… Just… You… Kill… Hawk?”

“Yeah, basically.” Scurvy had now pulled Bow entirely beneath the surface, strangling him just as the water did its job. Bow could see Glimmer sinking down as well, a bit longer and it might be too far to get her out in time.

But just as all seemed dark, he heard a distorted voice from above the surface shouting what sounded like “Adventure!” And the blurry shape of what looked like Sea Hawk swung down on a rope towards them, his boot hitting Scurvy in the face. Scurvy’s grip on Bow loosened as he reeled back from the impact, and with his free hand, Sea Hawk grabbed hold of Bow’s arm and pulled him up again. “Hello, friend Bow. Nice to see you again.”

Sputtering out as much water as he could, Bow could only respond with a single word, “Glimmer!”

Seemingly catching on to what was happening, Sea Hawk landed on the deck of his ship, let go of Bow and dived down to get Glimmer as well. There were a tense few moments while Bow waited, not even paying attention as Mermista single-handedly beat up Scurvy’s crew before fishing up the man himself and punching him so hard in the jaw that a tooth fell out. Just as he had gotten quite worried however, Sea Hawk broke through the surface with Glimmer in one arm, getting up aboard the ship and putting her down for Bow to check. She was still unconscious, but clearly alive, and he helped her cough up the water she had swallowed. Once it was clear that she was fine, Sea Hawk struck a heroic pose, “Now that’s what I call an adventure!”

“Yeah, yeah, we did great.” Mermista was actually smiling when it was clear that everyone was alright, and tied up the captives to put on their ship. 

“Now, on for the after-adventure party!” He waved his golden rapier in the air as if to give the signal.

“I could kind of do… Wait, Sea Hawk, did you-” But her question was answered as Sea Hawk’s ship, which they had just cleared off, and which still contained most of the treasure stolen by Scurvy, burst into flames. There was a moment of silence as the fire consumed the ship with a remarkable speed, sending it, and the valuables it contained, down into the depths. Finally, Mermista spoke up. “I really regret rescuing you right now.”

Training under Shadow Weaver proved demanding and thankless, for she was high in her expectations, quick to point out mistakes and with no breaks allowed. If normal training at its hardest was physically exhausting, then this was that as well as mentally draining. It did not help that Adora still had her reservations about Shadow Weaver’s character, and felt concern at the dark and unclean nature of some of the magic she taught her. The concerns that she had uttered to Catra about the pair of them becoming too alike to Shadow Weaver became ever more pertinent as she was taught how to call upon darkness to do her bidding, for she knew well that she was taught the very same sorcery that Shadow Weaver herself used. Yet any protest, no matter how minor, was cut down, and she could do little but obey and proceed, falling asleep each night alone and exhausted. She had even begun to wonder if it was her tired imagination or if her quarters were getting darker every time she went to them. The day’s lesson was in how to use her powers to transform animals and bind them to her will. She had a selection of small animals, birds, rodents and reptiles to utilise the magic on. As a means to motivate her, Shadow Weaver had stated that any failures would get euthanized after the lesson was over. Most results were the same; giving the creature wings and a horn if it did not have them before, as well as changing its colours to white and rainbow patterns. Sometimes nothing seemed to happen, or the animal was simply injured in the blast. Even the successes appeared to disappoint Shadow Weaver, who watched intently. “Sloppy,” she said, as the latest test subject dodged out of the way of the beam. “You are not focused, Adora. You must concentrate.”

“I try to. But it’s hard.” Adora kept her voice level so that Shadow Weaver wouldn’t find anything to criticise about it. 

“And why should you let that stop you? Greatness is not easy, you have to work for it.”

“I don’t even know what you really want from me. I have transformed them, well some of them, like you asked me to.”

“And yet you lack control, you must control the transformation, make it follow your will. You’re letting the magic control you.”

Adora had to bite her lip to swallow the acidic retort that came to her mind at those words. “Of course, Shadow Weaver.”

Sensing perhaps what she was feeling, Shadow Weaver took a more conciliatory tone. “Adora, I only want what’s best for you. You know that, don’t you?”

“I… Yes, of course, I just…” She looked bashful, with no way, or wish, to say what she was feeling about the way Shadow Weaver had treated her, Catra and pretty much everyone come to think of it. 

Shadow Weaver gave her something approximating a motherly embrace, Adora’s She-Ra form making the height difference less uneven than usual, and tucked her hair behind her ear like she usually did when wishing to display affection. The much longer hair made the experience a bit different since it wasn’t a question of a strand but a long lock of it. “There is something bothering you, Adora. Has been for a while now.”

“No, there isn’t.” She said in a voice that even she herself recognised was unconvincing.

“You need to tell me, Adora, or else I can’t make you feel better.”

“There’s nothing bothering me. It’s just that, what we saw…” She trailed off, not wishing to say too much.

But it was too late, Shadow Weaver had her hook and she seized upon it. “What did you see, Adora?”

“Nothing,” she lied.

“Now, now. Was it from the ball, or the battle?”

“Not… Exactly.” At that moment Adora really wanted to be anywhere else in the world but in that room. But there was no escape. “It’s not important.”

“Oh but it is.” Shadow Weaver was examining her eyes closely. “I see now. You saw something while in the Whispering Woods, something that shattered your beliefs in the Horde… And in me.”

The accuracy was eerie. “... No?”

“Do not lie to me, Adora. I see the truth. But it’s alright.” She stroked her cheek.

“... It is?” Adora had expected her to be angry at her for it, to berate her for her failure as a loyal soldier.

“Yes of course. I told you; I need to know so that I can make you feel better.”

“You’re… Going to make me feel better?” For some reason, her reassurance only made Adora feel more unnerved.

“Naturally. You’re confused and distressed and I want to help you.” Her voice was soft, and made Adora feel sleepy. She was staring more intently than ever into Adora’s eyes, and there was something that kept her from averting her eyes from the stare.

“You’re right, I am confused and distressed.” Saying it out loud did make Adora feel better, it was as if she at last acknowledged a truth that she had known all along.

“And you want me to help you, don’t you?” There was something very comforting about the voice, like Adora could relax just listening to it.

“I do.”

“Then come with me.” Said Shadow Weaver, as Adora vaguely felt her body being moved, while her mind drifted away to sleep. “We’re going to do great things together.”

“I just can’t believe that they’d do something so awful, even if they are the Horde.” Perfuma watched the desolation around Plumeria with despair. It seemed as if it was just yesterday that she had been there, and yet the place was completely unrecognisable. A clear demonstration of how the Horde’s brutality extended to not just the people of Etheria but the land itself. Houses had been levelled, trees been cut down, even the grass and flowers had withered from their presence. Meanwhile, a large camp had grown in their stead, ordered around geometric patterns as opposed to the terrain. A subtle distinction, but one abhorrent to Perfuma, to whom it stood as only more evidence of the unnatural state of the Horde and its artifice. A sprawling complex of barrackses, lumber mills, watchtowers, artillery pieces and prison cells, all centered around her beloved Heart-Blossom Tree, which was currently being subjected to multiple metallic apparati for some unknown, but doubtless nefarious, purpose. She felt sick just watching it.

“It’s awful, but we’ll make it right, I promise.” Spinnerella put a reassuring hand on Perfuma’s shoulder, as the group spied the camp from their overwatch position. They had gotten the news of what had happened as soon as they had returned to Bright Moon, and yet it still did not diminish the shock of seeing it in person.

“I knew that it seemed too easy.” Noted Netossa. “It seems obvious in hindsight, Salineas wasn’t their main target.”

“Darling.” Spinnerella gave her wife a meaningful look. “We’ve been over this already, there’s no need to dwell on the past and what we could or could not have done. We need to focus on what we can do now.”

And that was the crux of the issue, what they could do under the current circumstances. Castaspella had returned to Mystacor to rally the sorcerers there for the Rebellion’s war effort, something that certainly felt needed as they watched the indomitable might of the Horde before their eyes, and yet something that meant that they could not use her magic to help take back Plumeria. They had gathered the Plumerians, what was left of them that hadn’t been taken captive by the Horde, that is, to themselves, but they were few in numbers compared to the Horde, and with neither the training or equipment to be able to stand up to them in a direct fight. Moreover, they were not particularly keen on fighting, and Perfuma could not blame them for that, for they were a peaceful people to whom war was still new, and now their homes had been destroyed and many of their families taken prisoner. “So what can we do?” Perfuma asked. “Do you think that you two could sweep through their camp like last time?”

“Oh, no. We’re good, but we’re not that good.” Netossa tried to count the defenders from a distance. “The last one was just a few soldiers, this one has that as well as a bunch of bots and heavier weapons. We’re going to need you and your people if we are to take it.”

“That’s a lot of people for us to take on. I don’t know if we can do this.”

“We can’t, at least, not unless we’re smart. Looks like they’re sending shipments back home, and apparently they’ve been sending out hunting parties to try and find all of the Plumerians. If we can time it so that we attack while most are away…”

“... Then we’ll only need to fight a small portion of their forces.” Spinnerella gave Netossa a hug. “They’ll still probably have at least a base level of soldiers, but if we strike at them fast and hard we might rout them before the others are back.”

“Exactly.” Netossa looked to Perfuma. “So, willing to give it a try?”

“Well, it’s better than doing nothing while my people suffer. Alright, I’ll back you. For Plumeria.”

Catra had just watched the last of the convoys depart with shipments of wood and labourers to the Fright Zone, feeling that despite the unfortunate predicament of her assignment, she was at least proving her worth for future promotion from her ignoble status as a mere cadet through her command of the Horde’s forces, when the first warning sirens blared. Jumping up on one of the roofs to see clearly, she found the reason why quite obvious: Rebel forces had begun an assault on the camp, and ones led by Princesses at that. A part of her was happy at the sight, for it meant that she would get the fighting she craved after all, and none would be able to deny her accomplishments if she won. But first, she had to actually win, and make sure that none could deny that the victory was hers. So she jumped forward over the rooftops towards the fighting, rallying the soldiers on the way, before diving down into the fray, being met by a rather familiar face. “Hey, Perfuma was it?” She slashed through the summoned vines to reach her. “Missed me?”

“I won’t let you defile this land any longer.” Perfuma glared at Catra and sent forth a roiling wave of bushes that the latter jumped over. “How can you live with yourself being part of this?”

“Oh, I find it rather easy.” Jumping away from Perfuma’s plant-based assaults, Catra placed herself back to back with Scorpia, who had also joined the battle by now. “Scorpia, are the new bots ready to be deployed?”

“Right they are, Wildcat. Should be here any moment now.” Scorpia’s stinger struck one hapless rebel, who collapsed from paralysis.

“Good. Let’s see if our friend is as good a tinkerer as she says she is.” Though the regular rebels fell rapidly to their defences, the three Princesses were proving quite a different level of danger, each one easily taking many of their best soldiers. Yet as they fought, the soldiers were joined in battle by the Horde’s machines of war, modified according to the designs made by Princess Entrapta. While the soldiers used their batons to keep the rebels at bay, the robots dominated from above, raining down lasers upon the enemy. Yet even they were proving insufficient for truly stopping the might of the magic at the enemy’s disposal. Brought low by the vegetation summoned, caught in the nets thrown over them or sent into the air by whirlwinds. In a way, Catra admired the purity of the power wielded, even if it was wasted on such misguided fools. More significantly however, she felt annoyed as the three made a breakthrough among the ranks of her soldiers to make their way towards the centre of the camp, where they might go for the prisoners or the Heart-Blossom. Thinking fast, Catra jumped down in front of them, “Oh I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“Stand aside.” Said one of them, a dark-skinned woman in blue who seemed to act as the leader of them. It was she who had thrown the nets during the battle. “You can’t beat us.”

“Oh I don’t have to.” Catra smirked, partially to appear confident, partially because she enjoyed it. “You see, you forgot something.”

“And what would that be?” Asked Perfuma. She looked suspiciously at Catra, as if sizing up the threat of what she was saying. 

“This.” Catra snapped her fingers for theatrical effect. “Scorpia!”

“Yes, Catra?” Scorpia looked over from where she was fighting a few Plumerian rebels, seemingly not noticing as they tried to take advantage of this by beating at her armoured exoskeleton with their sticks.

“Order all of our artillery to fire at the centre of the camp at my signal.”

“Uhm…” Scorpia looked a bit uncertain at where she was going with this.

“Do it!”

“Yes, Catra.” She gave the order through her communicator.

“Now.” Catra smiled at the Princesses, who now realised where she was going with this. “Take one step further, and you can say goodbye to your precious tree, or the prisoners beside it.”

“You’re bluffing.” Retorted the net-casting one. To which Catra just smiled boldly.

“What if she isn’t?” Asked her friend in purple. “Can we really take that risk?”

“Nothing we’re fighting for will be worth it if she does it.” Added Perfuma, and that was when Catra knew that she had them.

“Do you really think that the Horde cares about any of those things?” Catra took a step closer, feeling great satisfaction as they backed away. “That’s the difference between you and us. We’re willing to sacrifice anything for victory, and that’s why you’ll always lose.”

“She’s just playing us because she knows that she can’t stop us!” The one in blue seemed annoyed at her companions’ falling confidence.

“Oh I can stop you. Because while we’re talking your little friends are getting beaten down. It won’t be you three against me, it will be you three against me and all the rest of the Horde here.” Catra laughed mockingly at the signs of fear in their faces as they realised that she had been wasting their time while the remaining rebels were taken down. “Oh I’m sorry, did you actually think that it would be this easy? The Horde is here to stay, it’s time you rebels accepted that.” Their morale now properly broken, the three began running back the way they came to try and stop Catra’s forces from taking all of their other friends captive as well. As they fought their way out, Catra noticed with no small amount of satisfaction as some of the rebels were in no state to retreat with them. She walked casually up to Scorpia as they went into retreat, “Order the artillery to fire after them to make sure that they don’t get any ideas about turning around.”

“Right you are, Catra.” Scorpia hesitated for a moment. “Not saying that you’re not great at standoffs but weren’t we ordered to keep the tree intact for Shadow Weaver to study?”

Catra shrugged. “Well, I wasn’t going to tell them that. I said what I needed to say. Because I know why our victory is certain.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because all the power in the world is worth nothing unless you’re willing to use it.”

When Adora woke up again she was back in her bed in her captain’s quarters, with no memory of how she got there. She had a strange sense of something being wrong, but she could not put her finger on what that could be. Last she remembered, she had been training under Shadow Weaver, perhaps she had passed out from the intensity of it. She resolved that she would ask her the next they met, wondering as she did what time it might be. Hopefully, it would not be long before she could resume training, and ask about what had caused her to pass out last time. As she went out of bed to check the time however, she heard strange noises from the vents, as if something large was crawling through it. “Who’s there?” She asked, as she reached for her sword.

In response, the vent was opened by appendages that looked familiarly pink and hairlike, and, true enough, out of it came Entrapta of all people. “Adora! I found you at last.”

“Uh… Entrapta?” Adora sheathed the sword and sat down on her bed, realising as she did that she was only wearing her shorts and tank top. “What are you doing here?”

“You promised me that you’d let me run tests on your sword after the battle was over, don’t you remember?”

“Oh, right.” She hadn’t thought much of that promise before now, having considered it no longer relevant after they had failed to take Salineas. “Uh, sure I guess. Since you’re here. How did you get here anyway?”

“Through the vents of course.” Entrapta sounded like this was the most obvious route in the world.

“... And the guards didn’t have a problem with you doing that?”

“Oh they did. Were being very rude and not letting me use their entrance, so I had to make my own to get inside.”

“Right…” She should probably have expected that answer. A problem to deal with later. “Well, nice to see you, Entrapta.”

“Thank you, I’m glad that you think so.” She had already begun to take out her recorder and instruments, starting by measuring the length of the sword. “Amazing discoveries, the so-called Sword of Protection does indeed act as a portable runestone, channeling the elemental powers of Etheria through it.” She turned excitedly to Adora. “Where did you find it, how do you use it? Tell me everything.”

“Calm down a bit, Entrapta. Start slowly, one question at a time.” She sighed at Entrapta’s expectant look. “Alright, I found the sword stuck in the ground in the Whispering Woods. Couldn’t really say where exactly on account of it being, you know , The Whispering Woods.”

“Fascinating, did it have any protective mechanisms?”

“Not really? I guess that I did get knocked out when I touched it, dreaming of…” She thought for a moment. “Huh, I don’t really remember what I dreamed of. Doesn’t matter, there was nothing stopping me from approaching it if that’s what you’re asking.”

Entrapta continued to do her research, writing notes down as well, while she was listening. “So you found it and it keyed to you? Has anyone else been able to access its magic?”

“Not that I know of.”

“And how did it interact with the Crystal Castle? Did it grant you special administrator access? Was that how you got inside? Do tell me how you acquired entrance.”

“... The Crystal Castle?” Adora frowned, for some reason she felt like she should know this, perhaps it had been taught in Force Captain Orientation, and yet the memory eluded her. 

“Yes, that’s the one.” Entrapta nodded. “Bow said that you and Catra had been there as well. I want to know how you got inside.”

“... When was this again?” The sense that there was something wrong had returned to Adora, stronger than ever before.

“After the magnificent social experiment we observed, and before you visited me in Salineas.”

“I don’t remember that.” She thought hard about it. “That’s when Catra and I were in the Whispering Woods again.”

“Correct.” Entrapta tilted her head. “Why would you not remember that? It was not very long ago, and quite the sight. A magnificent tower of First Ones origin, standing up in the sky, sending out a beam of light.”

That sounded familiar, she must have come across it while walking through the woods. “Yeah… I think that we saw that.”

“Good, now how did you gain entrance to it? Does the sword grant you the power of teleportation?”

“No, or at least, I don’t think so.” She clawed at the memory with all of her might. “I think that I said a word… Eternia, that was it.”

“Fascinating.” It wasn’t clear whether Entrapta meant what Adora had said or the runestone in the sword that she was currently observing. “And what can it do, how do you access its powers?”

“Oh it’s got a lot of different powers, I’m still getting the hang of them. I draw upon them through willpower, and focus on what I want to achieve.” This reminded her of how she was supposed to take lessons. “I’m sorry, Entrapta, but I’ve got to cut this interview short. Shadow Weaver is training me, and she wouldn’t like it if I was late.” A strange sense of unease ran through her, before she dismissed it.

“Alright, I’ve still learned a lot from all of this. I can’t wait to conduct further research on the castle, it’s a wonder beyond my wildest imagination.” Cackling wildly, Entrapta headed back to the vents, while Adora started changing into her uniform.

The mood back at camp was dismal, the crowd of rebels reduced after the battle, and those that remained were in many cases injured. Even the Princesses themselves, had taken a few blows. Worst of all, they had failed to retake Plumeria. What the Horde had seized through misdirection and rapid deployment, it had successfully defended by the way of threats and hostages. Perfuma sat miserably by herself, hearing without truly listening to Netossa and Spinnerella offering up alternative means to free Plumeria. In her heart though, she felt that she had failed her people, and the legacy that she was expected to uphold. Everything that she once had held dear was now in the hands of the most cruel and callous regime that she could imagine. Plumeria was lost, and it was her fault. “There’s no point.” She said. “They’ll expect another attack, we won’t have the numbers for it, and we won’t be able to take them by surprise again.”

“Maybe if we waited for Glimmer and the others…” Began Spinnerella, using her most encouraging voice.

“Then they’ll just have gotten more reinforcements, maybe even She-Ra. And there’s nothing stopping them from threatening my people, threatening the heart of Plumeria, again now that they know that it works.” She felt on the verge of tears. “I can’t save them. Not like this.”

“You will. It’s what Princesses do.”

“Well I’m not a very good Princess then, am I?!” The tears had begun now. “I never wanted this war, we’re a peaceful people, and the Horde took everything from us.”

“We’ll take it back.” Netossa tried to assure her. “We’ll throw down the Horde and take it all back.”

“At what cost?” Perfuma gave her a despairing look. “How much more will they destroy before we’ve beaten them, or worse, they’ve destroyed us?”

“Nothing more than we’d lose from lying down and accepting our fates. We have to fight for the future of our children so that they can live in peace and freedom.”

“No.” Perfuma stood up and started walking away. “I can’t fight if it means the death of everyone I know and love. If it means sacrificing my home and my ideals.”

“Perfuma, where are you going?” Asked Spinnerella.

“Back to Plumeria.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Netossa started walking after her, but Perfuma quickened her steps. “You can’t possibly think of going back there. You can’t take on them all on your own.”

“I know.”

“So what are you doing? Perfuma? Perfuma!”

She turned around, tears still streaking down her cheeks. “I’m going to negotiate for the freedom of my people.”

“In return for what?!”

“My own.” And she kept walking.

Chapter Text

The return to Bright Moon had been far from the triumphant arrival of the heroic victors of the Battle of Salineas that many of the group had hoped for. It did not take long after they arrived for them to be told of the Horde’s advances through Plumeria and elsewhere. They had halted their attack on the sea, but the offensive was rapidly taking more ground across Etheria. Queen Angella had gathered a war council to discuss the matter, and the entire group was invited to it. “As you’ve all hopefully been made aware of by now,” she began the discussion, “the Horde has been deploying significant amounts of troops to take territory from us everywhere.” She activated a projection of a map over Etheria, showing the routes that the armies had taken. “Unless we halt them soon, they will have overwhelmed most of the remaining free lands, placing countless people under their tyranny and making our position harder to defend than ever. Plumeria especially is a terrible loss for our cause, for with it they have taken another runestone from us, and may become able to end the magic of the Whispering Woods, in which case Bright Moon itself risks falling.” She sighed. “So that’s our situation, Castaspella is gathering the mages of Mystacor to hold off their advance here.” She pointed at the vanguard squadron that was cutting ahead of the others in its attacks. “While Perfuma has taken Spinnerella and Netossa with her to retake Plumeria.”

“But they can’t be everywhere at once, and the Horde is marching over all the land right now,” noted Glimmer.

Her mother nodded. “Precisely. Mermista, I hope that I’m not asking for too much when I say that we could really use your help right now.”

“Seriously?” Mermista looked a bit incredulous, and for a moment Glimmer was afraid that she’d say no, before she continued. “You guys gave absolutely everything you could to help me defend Salineas, what kind of person would I be if I turned you down in return? Besides, with the Sea Gate working properly again I’m totally sure that I can get my people onboard. Might be able to stop those coastal raids they’re doing.” She noticed Sea Hawk looking expectantly at her and sighed. “And I suppose that I could use a capable captain to help me do so.”

“Yes! Adventure!” He threw his arms into the air in celebration.

“I still haven’t forgiven you, you doofus.”

“You will though.” He smiled at her, and she gave him a soft punch in the arm to get him to stop.

“Thank you. Now, there are a few other issues that will need to be dealt with. And no, Glimmer.” Angella gave a stern look as her daughter raised her hand. “I’m not sending you out this soon again to fight, you look exhausted, and need to have your injuries tended to.”

“I wasn’t actually going to suggest that, mom.” Glimmer crossed her arms in indignation. “I just thought, if we need more help, maybe I could make another attempt to convince Princess Frosta to join the Princess Alliance. She has to see that we need to stand together now that the Horde are closer to her borders than ever, and her powers, and the power of her kingdom, could shift the tide of the war.”

She had expected her mother to protest this, but she simply nodded. “Alright, if you think that’s for the best.”

“Wait, really?” Glimmer was not used to being given permission this easily.

“Really.” Angella smiled. “For all that I don’t want you to risk yourself unnecessarily you have been remarkably successful in gathering allies. It’s thanks to you that the Princess Alliance has been restored. The Kingdom of Snows may have been neutral for centuries, but if anyone can convince them to join us it would be you.”

Bow raised his hand as well at that. “I’d like to go with Glimmer as well if that’s alright with everyone.”

Angella frowned, looking hesitant at that. “That is very understandable. However, the issue that I was getting at was the Horde technology. Reports have shown that the Horde is displaying unusually advanced war machines, but we haven’t had the chance to dissect them yet. I was going to ask Entrapta to do that, but she had already left before I had the chance to do so.”

“Ah.” Bow nodded at this, clearly seeing where she was going. “You need me to help understand how their weapons are developing so quickly and if we can put an end to it.”

“Yes, if you would not mind. I’m sure that you would love to accompany my daughter to the Kingdom of Snows, but right now you’re the only one in Bright Moon able to help us with this issue.”

“I’ll see to it, your majesty.” He gave Glimmer an apologetic look, and she returned a reassuring half-smile to him.

When Adora arrived in Plumeria, she had to marvel at the sight of the Horde’s efficiency. She had expected to find something like the old outpost relocated to a more central spot, yet what she beheld was nothing short of a fortress, built over only a short span of time. Passing under the gates leading into it, she smiled upon seeing Catra and Scorpia standing there, overseeing the work by the looks of it. “Hey Catra!” She shouted with a wave.

Catra’s head turned around fast enough that it looked to have hurt her neck by the massage she gave it. “Hey, Adora. What are you doing here?”

“I managed to get permission to inspect the frontlines. Thought that I might take the chance to see how you were doing. Hi, Scorpia.”

The woman looked pleased, but somewhat conflicted, to see her. “Hi, Adora, will you be staying with us then?”

“Not for terribly long, I don’t think. Need to get back to the Fright Zone for my lessons soon enough.”

“Your… lessons?” Catra narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the word.

“Oh, right. Shadow Weaver has been teaching me magic since we last saw each other, I think that I’m getting fairly good at it.”

“ Has she now? ” For some reason, this information seemed to have really gotten on Catra’s nerves. “What a coincidence. She must just love having you all for herself.”

“Well she has cut down my training with the others.” Adora shifted a bit awkwardly at the implicit accusation. “But she’s promised me that this is more important.”

“Well I guess that if Shadow Weaver says so then it must be right.” Catra scowled at the news.

“Look.” This was not going the way that Adora had intended it to go. “She still let me visit you guys. Well, I didn’t really tell her that it was you that I wanted to visit but still. Can’t we be happy with that?”

“Fine.” Catra rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “If that’s what Shadow Weaver wants us to be.”

“Catra…” Adora was not sure about what she had done wrong or how to get it back on track. “I’m sorry, I just wanted to meet you again.”

There was a pause as Catra seemingly fought over conflicted emotions. “You’re such an idiot, Adora. Okay.” Before she could get any further however, a signal blared from one of the watchtowers. “Ugh. I hope that it’s not another one of their attacks.” She jumped up on a roof to get a better overview of the situation. “Huh, that’s weird.”

“What’s weird?” Adora climbed up after her, leaving Scorpia behind, who looked very disappointed at being left out on account of how she couldn’t climb up as well. 

“Uh, guys?” Scorpia made a half-hearted attempt to get up on the roof, but her pincers only cut through part of the wall, being too sharp and inflexible to be good tools for the job. “A little help, please?”

But Adora had neither the time or means to get Scorpia up to where they were standing. Following Catra’s gaze, she saw Perfuma, alone, walking up to the fort. “What is she doing here?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I called it weird.” Catra shook her head exasperatedly at the question. “Might be a trap, they tried to attack us before while our guard was down.”

“I don’t think that it’s a trap. Look.” Adora pointed at the banner she was holding. “I think that it means that she wants to talk.”

As if to confirm what she had just said, they heard Perfuma’s voice cry out from the distance: “People of the Horde, I have come to negotiate the terms of my surrender!”

The beauty and splendour of the Kingdom of Snows had remained the same since Glimmer last was there, undiminished by the absence of the All-Princess Ball. Though it was much more quiet now, with only the occasional guard and courtier breaking the solitude of the icy halls of Frosta’s castle, it remained an impressive, if somewhat foreboding, sight. The aforementioned foreboding aspect of it would only increase as Glimmer approached Frosta’s throne, where the young Princess looked down upon her imperiously. “Princess Frosta,” Glimmer began with a curtsy. “I come to you in peace, bringing you greetings, and an offer, from Bright Moon.”

“Does that offer involve me joining your Princess Alliance?” Frosta asked, blunt and to the point.

“It may be, should you be interested in such a thing.” Glimmer tried her best diplomatic tone to avoid hostilities this early on.

“Well I’m not, no more than I was last time you tried.” The gaze that fell on her was cold and dispassionate, not angry but neither was it showing enthusiasm.

It was all that it took for Glimmer not to sigh at those words. It was an ill omen for the negotiations to start this way. “Please, I must ask you to consider what I say carefully before you decide on it. The Horde is growing more aggressive by the day, it won’t be long before they may be able to strike at your kingdom as well. As far as they are concerned, all of Etheria belongs to them, including your kingdom, and they intend to make good on those ambitions by force.”

“The Horde grew more aggressive after you tried to make a coalition to oppose them, their attacks have targeted those that have joined said coalition. And now you want me to join it as well? I fail to see how this will protect my kingdom.”

“Because we are stronger if we fight together. If you join us now, we might have the strength to push back against the Horde, yet if you wait until there is no one else left, all the might of the Kingdom of Snows won’t be enough to stand up to the Horde. And they will come for you eventually, it is in their nature to do so.”

Frosta continued to look unimpressed with her pleas. “So you say, but the last time the Princesses joined forces it failed catastrophically, while the years after the fall of the old Princess Alliance there managed to be a relative amount of coexistence with the Horde, which only ended now.”

This comment proved a bit too much for Glimmer’s temper to take. “The ‘coexistence’ that you speak of involved constant attacks against our border settlements, ceaseless new attempts to conquer us! Your kingdom might have been too distant to be on the receiving end of those but mine wasn’t! The Horde won’t stop trying to take us over because we no longer fight as one against them, they will just pick us off one by one. You may spare your kingdom a few more years, your majesty, but they will come for you as well, and then there won’t be anyone left to help you.”

Frosta crossed her arms petulantly. “That is not the tone you should take to your hostess, Princess Glimmer.”

Sighing deeply to regain her composure, Glimmer did another curtsy. “My apologies, I let my temper get the better of me.”

“Yes you did.” The sulking look that Frosta gave Glimmer reminded her that while she may be the ruler of a kingdom and heir to the magic of the Fractal Flake, the Runestone of her realm, she was still a child. Having already resigned herself to long negotiations, Glimmer considered whether there were better approaches to convince the obstinate Princess.

Disassembling the bot that he had been given, Bow dearly wished that it could have taken less of a beating before he had gotten it. Half of it had been impacted with enough force that it had collapsed in on itself, rendering that part of it useless to him. Still, despite this obstacle he was making good progress when he was interrupted by the arrival of Entrapta. “Bow! Have you seen Glimmer? I went to her room but she wasn’t there.”

“Glimmer’s away right now.” He sat down on the robot to face her. “But I’d be happy to tell her what it is that you want when we next meet.”

“That’s nice of you.” She seemed to consider the offer, while her hair absentmindedly went to Bow’s tools to start tinkering on the robot. “But I was hoping that I’d find her now. You don’t suppose that she could teleport to us?”

“No, but is there anything that I could do to help you out?”

“Well I suppose… Do you think that you could help me do further research on the Crystal Castle?”

“The Crystal Castle?” Bow was confused as to what she meant. “Oh, you mean the old ruin? I don’t know, Entrapta. It was pretty dangerous last time we went there, and I do have work I need to do.”

“Please, it’s terribly important for my research, I can’t just leave it.”

Bow sighed. “You’re going to go there no matter if I come with you or not, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” She nodded.

“Well alright then, Entrapta. I can’t really let you go in there alone so I’ll come with you, but after that I could really use your help researching this robot.”

“Oh that?” She looked at it. “Easy, give me a few tools and I can get it back to working again.”

Not knowing whether to be relieved or disconcerted at this assertion, Bow settled on “Alright… Uh, lead on then, Entrapta.”

The negotiations would take place out in the open, in the middle of the fort. Adora did enjoy the choice of location for the sense of power it gave her in the talks. It made it perfectly clear that Perfuma was negotiating on the Horde’s terms, as was only appropriate in diplomacy between the victors and the vanquished. She gave her the best winning smile she could. “So, have I understood it correctly? You are willing to put down the rebellious cause you’ve promoted and accept peace and order for Plumeria?”

“I’m willing to do what it takes so that my people don’t have to suffer in my place.” Far from won over by the smile, Perfuma seemed uncomfortable at the friendliness. “I’m willing to discuss the terms, but I want you to let my people go, or else there won’t be any peace.”

“You do realise that if you try anything we’ll be more than capable of taking you down?” Catra was sitting by Adora’s right side, with Scorpia on her left. She had a calculating look in her mismatched eyes as she spoke, as if contemplating how she would take down the Princess should the negotiations fall apart.

Before Perfuma could respond, Adora put a hand on Catra’s shoulder. “Catra, it’s fine. I’ve got this.” She turned to Perfuma once more. “I’m sure that can be arranged. The Plumerians may be given their own land to settle and-”

“No.” Perfuma shook her head. “I want them free, and that means without the Horde looming over them as they live their lives. No ‘Plumerian settlements’, freedom.”

Adora frowned slightly at her obstinance. “You are asking us to let them rejoin the Rebellion.”

“I am asking you to treat them as human beings, not slaves to your war machine, forced to live under your tyranny.” Perfuma crossed her arms. “Can you not see why people would rather want that?”

“It’s not a question of wants, you mean for us to allow all those people to become manpower for the Rebellion?”

“They would never have had to become Rebels if you hadn’t invaded us in the first place!” Perfuma rose angrily from her stool, causing Adora and the others to rise as well in case she meant to fight them. “We were a peaceful people, who only wished to live in harmony with the universe! And you took everything from us!”

“Plumeria was harbouring rebel insurgents and supporting Bright Moon.” Adora looked sternly at Perfuma, her hand gripping her sword. “Now do sit down.” As Perfuma complied, though still shooting the trio angry glares, Adora went back to the peace terms. Though she couldn’t help but notice that Catra’s claws remained extended, and she looked as if she was ready to leap onto Perfuma at a moment’s notice. “Your terms may be agreed to, but they are steep for the circumstances you are in. In return for this, we demand Plumeria’s complete integration into the Horde, and for you to return with us to the Fright Zone as a guest.”

The thought seemed to immensely depress Perfuma, who sunk down a little as she sat. “Your prisoner, you mean. All metal, and no life.” She sighed, resigning herself to her fate. “I don’t suppose that is negotiable?”

“I’m sorry, but no. If you don’t, we’ve effectively gained nothing from your surrender.”

“Fine…” A deep sigh. “I would also ask that you remove this awful, awful place so that people can live here in harmony with nature once more.”

“Unacceptable.” Adora shook her head. “Plumeria is a key strategic point that we can not abandon. The Horde remains.”

Perfuma had a defeated look in her eyes. “How can you do this? Don’t you see the harm that you’re doing to all of Etheria? Please, She-Ra, come back to us, you’re supposed to save us from this, not aid it.”

Adora fixed her gaze on Perfuma, “some old myth does not make me She-Ra. The Horde raised me, I owe my life and my loyalty to them. So do not try to sway me against them.”

Part of Adora felt sadness as these words seemed to dash Perfuma’s hopes more effectively than anything else that she had said during this discussion. Yet she could not stand incitements of treason. “Very well.” Perfuma’s voice was small and full of despair. “I accept your terms. Plumeria is yours.”

As she was being led away by their soldiers, Catra turned to Adora. “You’re not actually planning to uphold your end of the bargain, are you?”

“Of course I am, what kind of person would I be if I didn’t?”

“She’s in our grasp, we can just force her back to the Fright Zone without having to release a bunch of people to join the Rebellion.”

Adora shrugged. “It’s a comparatively small price for a surrendered Princess. Besides, if we did that no one else would surrender to us, and Perfuma would fight with all her might to free herself. This way… I think that she’s accepted her fate.” For some reason, the thought made Adora feel rather solemn. 

At first, Catra seemed to want to argue the point, but then she chuckled. “I did not expect such cynical thinking from you, Adora.”

This did make Adora smile. “You must have been rubbing off on me. At any rate, it’d be dishonest to go back on our word.”

“And that would make Honest Adora feel bad.” Catra looked like she had forgiven Adora for whatever it was that she had done wrong before. “Well, if it means that we get to leave this dump then I’m happy going back with you. Right, Scorpia?” She looked around, but Scorpia appeared to have left them to walk away to the other side of the camp, sinking down on a chair that creaked under her weight. “Wonder what’s up with her. Anyway.” She turned back to Adora, not giving it any further concern. “I can’t wait for us to force Shadow Weaver to recognise my achievements for once.”

“Please, Frosta,” Glimmer implored. “The Rebellion needs your help, or else darkness will consume all of Etheria. We can’t do this without you.”

“Then you shouldn’t have done it in the first place without asking me.” Frosta remained grouchy. “Why do I have to clean up other people’s messes?”

“The only ones who made this mess are the Horde, and we’re all trying to help clean it up. I know that it’s dangerous, but would you not rather choose uncertain victory over certain defeat? If we don’t fight them then the Horde’s victory is inevitable, and everyone will suffer for it.”

“I just…” This did seem to make Frosta soften a bit. “Everyone’s told me how badly the last Princess Alliance went, and how the Horde has never done anything to harm us. If we keep our neutrality we’ll be able to stop it from boiling over into our lands.”

“I’m sorry, but they’re wrong. It won’t stop it from happening, I’ve seen the Horde attack neutral lands whenever they believe that it benefits them.”

“But aren’t they beating you? Why should I join the losing side?”

“Because I have faith that if we all work together we’ll be able to stop them.”

“Why?” Frosta looked equal parts confused and curious.

“Because I have to. It’s the only way you can avoid falling into despair in times like these. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe we’ll all fall under their onslaught, but I for one refuse to go down without a fight. You should too.”

“That hasn’t been our way.” She looked like she was wavering. “They’ve all told me so. The Kingdom of Snows has always been neutral in conflicts.”

Glimmer put a hand on her shoulder. “I know, many of our kingdoms could have said the same before the Horde appeared. But times change, and we have to change with them.”

Frosta did not answer for a long while, clearly mulling her words over. Eventually she spoke up. “Alright, I’ll agree to join you. On one condition.” She held up a finger.

“Name it.” Part of Glimmer worried at what concession she might demand in return for her critical help, but under the circumstances no price was too steep.

“I get to have you as my bestie.” Frosta looked up at Glimmer, and once more Glimmer was reminded that in the end, she was still a child that had been forced to rule at a far too young age.

“Deal.” Glimmer smiled as Frosta gave her a hug.

“Yes! I’ve never had a bestie before, you should come to see my room. Oh, maybe you could play some games with me? I can help you make a character sheet.” She was talking too fast for Glimmer to get a word in, as she began leading her away. “What kinds of abilities would you like to have? Would you like to be my sidekick? Not that Winter’s Bane needs any sidekicks, she’s really cool and aloof.” Some tiny portion of Glimmer wondered if those terrible concessions wouldn’t have been the better option in the end.

The second time that Bow journeyed to the Crystal Castle did at least not take as long as the first, both because Bright Moon was closer to it and because Entrapta seemed to have improved her tracking device for finding it since last time. Even so, he still found a bit of gnawing guilt at having left his duties in researching the reason why the Horde was advancing so rapidly. He consoled himself that Entrapta could help him on that matter, though something about it all struck him as a bit off. “So, how are we going to get inside without Glimmer?” Last time she had used her teleportation to get them inside since they didn’t know any other way. 

“I have done my research on the matter since then, and believe that I’ve been able to devise a solution through the power of science.” Entrapta giggled excitedly, while she began pressing buttons on her recorder.

Bow’s heart sank a little as from it the voice of Adora came out. “... I said a word… Eternia...” And at the sound of that voice, the place began opening up. Entrapta continued to giggle, putting away the recorder and descending into the castle.

“Entrapta, wait.” Bow had not moved from his spot. “... How did you get a hold of that recording?” He knew the obvious answer, but did not want to believe it.

“I asked her, of course?” Entrapta seemed confused as to the question.

“You… Asked her.” Bow sighed, this was not going anywhere good, yet he had to push through. “When, and how.”

“Before I went to see you, and by talking. You do know what talking is, I presume, seeing how you’re doing it yourself.”

“Of course I know, Entrapta. But… How did you meet her? She’s from the Horde.”

“Yes, so I went to the Fright Zone to visit her.” Entrapta still did not seem to get where he was getting at. “I would not have thought it a complicated process.”

“And they just let you in?”

“Not exactly, the guards were being rather rude to me and did not let me inside, so I had to take a different route.”

“Oh.” Bow sighed with relief, this wasn’t nearly as bad as he had thought. “That’s good, for a moment I was worried that you were working with the Horde. Forgive me, Entrapta.”

Entrapta raised a quizzical eyebrow. “I’d be happy to, though I’m not sure for what.”

Bow began following her down into the castle. “It’s just that the Horde has been developing a lot of its tech quite recently. I didn’t mean to accuse but…”

“Oh, you’ve noticed? I’m quite proud of those designs myself.” Entrapta’s tone was casual, yet her words were like cold water on Bow.

“You… You did it.” He had stopped again.

“Of course, the Horde has been very generous in providing me new material for my research, and only asks for me to send designs and examples back to them every now and then. It’s been incredibly fascinating, their technology is unlike any other on Etheria, I only wish that I could meet whoever had developed it.” She did not even seem to have noticed the growing horror that Bow experienced at her words.

“Entrapta… Do you even realise what you’re doing?”

“I’m making exceptional progress in my quest to further my understanding of science and technology. With the help that the Horde has given me, and the secrets of this place, I may be able to unlock a new era of technology unseen since the First Ones!” Entrapta gave a triumphant laugh. “The knowledge of Etheria is at my fingertips!”

“You’re helping the Horde, Entrapta, do you even care about that?!”

“I’m helping science.” She seemed to have noticed his outrage by now, and had a stubborn look on her.

“Your weapons are bringing destruction across Etheria as we speak, don’t you see how wrong that is?”

“No? I merely seek to advance the technology of everyone. I've helped your side as well, haven’t I?”

“This isn’t about who you’ve helped most, Entrapta! Your technology hurts people, and you don’t even care, do you?” Something inside Bow broke at the magnitude of it all. “I’ve always respected you, Entrapta, looked up to you, and you never even batted an eyelid about helping the bad guys, did you? How can you be so amoral?”

“I’ve been helping everyone, why does it matter that some of those have been enemies to you?”

“It matters because it makes you nothing more than an arms dealer profiting from the suffering of others.” Bow started walking back.

“Bow, you’re going the wrong way.”

“No, I was before, now I’m not.” He sighed. “I can’t help you, Entrapta. Not if it means putting this kind of technology in the hands of the Horde. I’m sorry.”

“Well, I’ll stay. This is greater than the Horde or Alliance, it could revolutionise… Everything!”

“Please don’t. I promise you, Entrapta, it’s not worth it.”

“It will be, you’ll see.” And she descended further into the place. Part of Bow wanted to follow, to keep her safe from her own ambition if nothing else, but after what he had learned he could not muster the will to do so. Entrapta had chosen her path, and it was one that he could not follow. So, he walked away.

The trip back to the Fright Zone had been largely uneventful, it seemed that Adora’s prediction about Perfuma having given up the will to fight had proven correct. Scorpia had continued to act a bit weird whenever Catra was together with Adora, and she could not fathom why, even though the woman kept being perfectly polite to the both of them whenever they talked and always keen to be helpful. Despite that mystery, Catra did enjoy the journey, for she had Adora back for herself again, and was keen to gloat about her victory to Shadow Weaver. And speaking of the Devil, it did not take long for her to show up once they arrived to oversee Perfuma being led away, not to the normal prison complex but the Black Garnet Chamber itself. For a moment, Catra wondered if she should feel pity for the Princess, but that thought was discarded, for it was only fair that one that had lived her life in luxury would now suffer the same as she had for years. Besides, what Shadow Weaver would say next pulled her thoughts far away from Perfuma’s plight. “Well done, Adora. You’ve secured a Princess, and all of her magic for us to study. I will personally inform Lord Hordak of what you’ve achieved here.”

“Hang on.” Catra raised her voice up, despite knowing that the chances of her getting punished for it were high. “She only did that because I did the hard work beating her in the first place.”

“I know of no such thing, Catra.” There was a mocking quality to Shadow Weaver’s voice, that only goaded her on further. “Adora was the one to secure the annexation of Plumeria and the surrender of its Princess. You were merely another guard to our facilities there.”

Adora shifted uncomfortably at this. “Catra is right. I wasn’t there for the fight like she and Scorpia were.”

“Ah. Scorpia.” Shadow Weaver turned on her, causing Scorpia to flinch under her gaze. “You were the one appointed to command over Plumeria at the time, were you not?”

“Uh… Yes, but…”

“Then I will make sure that you are given a mention as well in the report for your contribution to the war effort.”

“But Catra was the one who gave me the instructions,” Scorpia protested.

“No need to be so humble, I know that you’ve worked hard for this.”

Catra was fuming. All of her work was being reduced to less than a footnote as she watched, all because of Shadow Weaver’s pettiness. The unfairness of it all made her lash out. “None of them would have gotten anywhere without me! You can’t take this from me! I worked hard for this success! It’s not fair!”

Shadow Weaver’s voice was hard and unflinching. “You forget yourself, Cadet. You should be thankful that I do not report your continued disrespect for the chains of command. You are not a Force Captain, you do not get to act like one.”

“... But it’s not fair.” The anger was slipping away from Catra, replaced instead by a crushing despair as she saw clearly before her eyes the impossibility of the task of earning her ranks.

“I decide what is or is not fair.” Shadow Weaver observed her for a few moments, before changing tone. “Yet you are not entirely incorrect, you have earned something for your contribution.”

“Really?” Catra doubted her ears, this was quite unlike Shadow Weaver.

“Really. If it is as you say, then perhaps I might allow you your own command to see if you do in fact have any worth as a commander.” She fixed her eyes on Catra. “But understand that this does not make you a Force Captain yet. This is merely to test you.”

“Of course.” Catra wasn’t used to Shadow Weaver being so reasonable, but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. “I won’t let you down.”

“Good. The garrison of Elberron is without a commander since Force Captain Grizzlor left it to continue the march further into the Whispering Woods. I expect you to keep order in the town.”

“Oh.” Now Catra saw how this was going, this was just another way for Shadow Weaver to separate her from the rest for the indefinite future. Still, there was no backing out of it now, and with any luck she might still get a victory under her name. “You can rely on me.” She did a salute.

“That’s a good girl.” Shadow Weaver began leading Adora away before they could even say goodbye, leaving just Scorpia with Catra.

“You take care, Wildcat.” Scorpia gave one of her signature hugs. “I didn’t mean to take credit from you. I know that you’re the most brilliant commander we could have.”

“Let me go, Scorpia. I’m not in the mood for any hugs.” Catra fought to get free, to no avail.

“That’s why you need one. It’s for your own good.” Scorpia kept hugging her for a bit longer, before letting her go. “I’ll… Uh… Help Adora with the… What was it that Shadow Weaver was doing to her again?”

Catra sighed. “You wouldn’t get it. Just…” She found herself at a loss for words. “Goodbye, Scorpia.”

“See you around, Wildcat.”

Chapter Text

Catra was walking listlessly around Elberon, not particularly caring about what she saw. It was a small and remote village, insignificant aside from how it provided one of the few relatively stable routes through the Whispering Woods. While the Horde had made a few raids on it in the past, it was generally deemed too unimportant and difficult to support to attempt a full occupation until now. As it was, however, it had gone from an insignificant village nestled within the Rebellion to an insignificant supply post for the Horde invasion. And the only thing that Catra was supposed to do was keep the native villagers in check with her small garrison, while others covered themselves in glory fighting the rebels across Etheria. At least when she was in Plumeria she had effectively commanded a whole fort’s worth of soldiers, and she had Scorpia with her. Catra had not expected herself to miss the woman, and yet here she was, wishing that she had at least someone to talk to, even if it wasn’t Adora. The thought of Adora renewed Catra’s bitterness with greater fervour, both for how Shadow Weaver had stolen her from her and how she had gotten all of the credit for her hard work. Just typical , she thought to herself, looking around for something to vent her excess aggression on. As it would so happen, she found it. The former mayor of Elberon, her title rendered defunct since the occupation, seemed to be having some form of argument with one of the soldiers over the local town hall, which had been repurposed as the Horde command centre since they had moved into town. “Now what’s this ruckus about?” Catra crossed her arms to look authoritative.

She felt a not insignificant amount of satisfaction when the woman’s pink skin turned pale from her presence. She folded the stupid fairy wings that everyone seemed to have around here behind her back. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I really need a few things left inside there and wondered if I could-”

“No.” Catra fixed her with her gaze.

“I promise that it will only take a few moments. If you want you can check that I don’t do anything while I'm there.”

“Are you deaf? I said no!” Catra approached her menacingly, enjoying the predatory feeling of dominance as the woman backed away.

“I’m really sorry to have caused a bother, I didn’t mean to. It’s just… My people depend on me.”

“No they don’t.” Catra grabbed her by her dress and pulled her towards her. “They depend on me and my goodwill, which is frankly running out right now. I’m one bad day away from levelling this entire place and shipping you all to the Fright Zone. So. Don’t. Give. Me. One. Got it?”

“Perfectly.” The former mayor looked absolutely terrified.

“Good.” Catra released her grip on her, and the woman began running away. “Now why are you just standing around there?” She turned her ire towards the soldier. “Get back to work!” Catra walked into the command centre, ostensibly to look over some maps and plans, but mostly to be alone. She kept it empty of others most of the time so that she could have some private space. While the opportunity to vent had been cathartic, now that it was over she had gone back to feeling lonely and miserable. She reflected on the cruelty and irony of Shadow Weaver choosing to give her what she wanted, but making sure that she wouldn’t enjoy it in any way. She wished that Adora was with her, or Scorpia, possibly even Lonnie, though that one was a stretch even now.

When Glimmer returned to Bright Moon, she did so in triumph, having secured the alliance with the second greatest kingdom of Etheria and fully united the Princesses against the Horde. Or next to fully, as it would transpire, for upon returning and meeting Bow in her room, she would be informed of what Entrapta had told him. “I just can’t imagine that Entrapta would willingly work with the Horde, and has been doing it this whole time.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“Neither can I.” Bow put an arm around her. “It just seems so strange, and yet she told me so herself. Maybe she doesn’t know what they’re capable of doing.”

“No. Entrapta has seen the Horde’s willingness to attack others firsthand, she can’t be excused with ignorance.” She sighed. “I just don’t know what to do about it.”

“We’ll figure something out eventually, in the meantime, uh... “ Bow coughed into his hand awkwardly.

“What is it?”

“There’s more. Perfuma has surrendered herself to the Horde.”

“What?!” Glimmer flew up into the air at that, accidentally knocking Bow aside. “She can’t do that! They’ll torture her or something. Why did she do it?”

“They were holding her people hostage, Glimmer. I don’t think that she felt like she had a choice.”

“We have to do something, we can’t just leave her in the Horde’s hands, just think of what they might do to her?” She felt as if she could teleport to the Fright Zone at that very moment to bust Perfuma out of there.

“Glimmer, calm down.” Bow made her sit down on the bed again. “I agree, but we can’t just rush in, we need a plan or something like that. We don’t even know where they’re keeping her.”

Grudgingly, she had to admit that he had a point. “Maybe we could talk to some of the other Princesses for help?”

“Maybe, think that we should wait with a plan to after we’ve talked to them?”

“Hm.” She thought about it. “Let’s first brainstorm a few ideas so that we have something to present to win them over.”

Bow nodded. “Alright then. Any suggestions?”

“Uhm…” There came the hard part. “Not really. You?”

“Me neither, never been to the Fright Zone, don’t know what to expect.” Bow sighed, but Glimmer could already see the cogs turning behind his eyes.

Adora bowed as she entered the Black Garnet Chamber, “You had requested my presence, Shadow Weaver?” She could not see her mistress, but she assumed that she must be there somewhere. Shadow Weaver did seem capable of appearing anywhere whenever she wished to, there was a common superstition that she could hear whenever she was spoken of wherever in the Fright Zone you were, and after years being raised by her Adora was still not entirely sure that there was nothing to that belief. 

Sure enough, from one of the many dark corners of the room that Adora could have sworn was empty, she emerged. “Adora, it is time for you to resume your training.”

“Great.” Adora drew the Sword of Protection. “What are we doing today?”

Shadow Weaver looked pleased with her enthusiasm, though it was always difficult to tell with the mask. “You have learned many of the basic abilities granted to you by your gifts, but your full potential is so much greater. I’m going to teach you more, help you master spells that you could only dream of. With my guidance you may become something tremendous.”

“So… I’ll be learning spells?” Adora was used to Shadow Weaver giving those little speeches about how it was through her that Adora would become special but it did make it difficult to decipher what she actually intended concretely. Sometimes she suspected that she did it deliberately.

“Yes, we will begin with how to bind shadows to your will.”

“Oh.” Adora hadn’t expected Shadow Weaver to start with her own particular brand of magic, but she supposed that made sense. “Is that safe?”

“No.” Was all the answer she got, as Shadow Weaver moved further inside. 

Following after her, Adora noticed Perfuma inside the chamber. The Princess was kept locked in place by a strange red current of electricity, clearly magical in nature, that was emanating from two braziers standing on either side of her. She was on her knees, apparently kept from moving by the red lightning, barely registering Adora’s presence. Already she looked worse for wear since last Adora had seen her, her long hair that she usually kept flowing behind her back was now hanging down around her face, with the flowers dotting it having withered and fallen out of it. Despite them being on opposing sides, Adora couldn’t help but pity her. “What will happen to her?”

“The Princess?” Shadow Weaver looked over at Perfuma. “Nothing that you need to concern yourself with. She is of no importance.”

“But I do concern myself,” Adora insisted, despite knowing that she shouldn’t tempt Shadow Weaver’s temper. “I was the one that she surrendered to, I’m responsible for what happens to her.”

She sighed and moved up to Adora to stroke her cheek. “If you wish to know, I am studying her connection to her runestone and how one may use or disrupt it. But do not bother yourself about her, I have taken over responsibility for her, free your mind from thoughts concerning her and focus on what I am to teach you.”

A part of Adora wanted to protest, but ultimately she did not know what she would even say, so she simply accepted it. “Yes, Shadow Weaver.”

“That’s a good girl. You shouldn’t feel responsible for what happens to your enemies, and make no mistake, she is your enemy, and would show you no more kindness if your situations were reversed.”

“I’m still not sure if this is a good idea, dear.” Spinnerella looked rather nervously at the path to Elberron. “We haven’t even told Angella of this yet, shouldn’t we try to coordinate?”

“That’d take too much time.” Netossa had a grim look to herself that did not bode well. “If we can just do this it may halt their advance in its tracks. We have to.”

“Darling…” Spinnerella sighed and gave her a hug. “It wasn’t your fault, you know?”

“Does it matter?” Netossa sighed as well, but did accept the hug. ”Even if it wasn’t my responsibility, which it was, for I was the one taking the lead, we still failed to retake Plumeria, and have now lost Perfuma. We have to do something to stave off the Horde before they get any further, we can’t just let them continue.”

“Be that as it may, I think that you’re being a bit rash right now.”

“... Maybe, but our scouts tell us that the Horde have left only a meager garrison in the village. We might not have long until they reinforce it, and then the window of opportunity will have passed. We have to do this now.”

“Fine, but I still am not sure about this plan. The Plumerians aren’t fighters, you know, and I don’t want us to bring them unnecessary casualties.”

“We won’t, I promise. We’ll overwhelm them before they know what hit them, and you and I will lead the attack, the Horde will be too focused on us to deal with them. This will work, darling, I promise you.”

“I really should get better at refusing you.” Spinnerella shook her head. “Alright, we’ll do it, but I’d rather not that the people of Plumeria join us in the fight.”

“Why not? They’re willing to fight and getting better at it every passing day, and they know the woods better than most.”

“That’s what concerns me. Aren’t we, in a way, contributing to the erosion of their pacifism, continuing the Horde’s work of taking their culture away from them? When they return to Plumeria, will they be the same people as before?”

“If they return.” Netossa fixed her gaze on her wife. “Spinnerella, I know what you’re talking about, but if we don’t give everything that we have to beat back the Horde they might never be able to return to their home. It's a sacrifice that we have to make to have our freedom, and it is one they are willing to make. I’m not forcing them to come, dear, I’m only taking the volunteers.”

“I suppose that I can’t argue with that. But I still hold reservations about it.”

“And I’m glad for it, means that I can count on you to keep me from getting carried away.” Netossa smiled at her, and despite her unease, Spinnerella smiled back. 

“Just don’t try to take on all of the Horde on your own,” she joked to ease the tension.

“What, afraid that you won’t be able to challenge my record?” Netossa laughed.

“Hardly, just worried that you’ll push yourself too hard.”

“I’d never!” She took on a look of mock offence. “Have I ever done that, dear?”

“All the time, you should accept that you’re not the best at everything.”

“And yet how could I have married someone like you if I was not?” She gives her a kiss. “I’m sorry, but the evidence speaks for itself.”

Catra felt quite pleased with herself as she looked over Elberron. It was no fortress, but she had completed a few barricades and other defences, and destroyed the buildings that obstructed the firing lines. The villagers had protested, of course, but she had silenced those protests quite effectively by demonstrating what happens when one of the robots fired their laser at a house. The terror had amused her slightly, especially when she had been going easy on them by not firing it at one of them. That would certainly have been a demonstration that they’d remember, though she’d rather not have to start killing people at random just yet. Still, she wasn’t going to tell them that, so she just left the implicit threat hanging over them. Since then the villagers had stayed quiet, which suited her just fine since it gave her the time to ruminate undisturbed. Until, that was, the rebels showed up outside the village. Plumerians, by the looks of it, and led by some rather familiar personages at that. “ Typical, ” She muttered to herself. “ And here I was hoping for a quiet day. Still.” She smiled ferociously. “Time to give them a fight that even Shadow Weaver can’t deny that I led to victory. To arms!” She jumped down to meet the rebel force, soldiers opening fire all around her while the ground itself was ripped open by the lasers fired by the few bots she had. “No one told me that I’d have to entertain guests this evening.” She continued to smile as she dodged out of the way of a net. “But before we get to the fun part we should introduce ourselves. Catra.” She extended her claws and leaped at them. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Netossa. Can’t say the same.” Another net thrown. “Didn’t imagine that I’d find you here as well. Got some other civilians that you plan to threaten to escape justice?”

“You think that I needed to do so to win?” Catra ducked under the net and tried to grab onto Netossa’s ankles, but was blown away by a powerful gust of wind sent by the other one.

“Doesn’t that make the fact that you did it all the worse if you didn't have to? Oh, and I’m Spinnerella if we’re doing introductions.” She sent another gust towards Catra, who just barely managed to keep herself from flying into a wall.

The third blast she did manage to jump out of the way of, however. Concluding that she wouldn’t be able to actually beat the pair on her own, but that as long as she delayed them she might be able to score victory that way, she decided to try to bait them, jumping around on the rooftops to keep their attention on herself. “You know, I’m surprised that the rebellion actually lets failures like you still keep command. I would have thought that they’d replace you after your last disaster.”

“You won’t get under my skin that easily.” Netossa cast a wide net that formed a dome around Catra, trapping her inside. 

“Oh yeah? Because it seems to me that if you hadn’t failed in your attack, and achieved nothing but a bunch of captured and wounded people, you wouldn’t be down one Princess now.” She smiled when that barb seemed to have had some effect, and tried to destroy the dome around her by leaping at it with as much force as she could. Unfortunately, it did not do more than budge a little, before relapsing elastically. Catra was just about to wonder how she was supposed to get out of it, when blasts from the robots burst holes in the dome, giving her a window to get through. Watching the battle, she felt pleased that her soldiers were holding their ground against the Plumerians, but those Princesses were wreaking havoc even during the brief interlude that she had been kept from fighting. Once again, Catra had to wonder at the power that they wielded, and how wasted it was on rebels without vision like them. Now, more than ever, she wished that she had some of the others to help her against them, but at least her soldiers were holding their ground well. She might even go easy on them after they’ve won, perish the thought.

“This is getting nowhere,” Glimmer groaned in frustration and started walking around in a circle to calm down. “We can’t plan how to get her out of the Fright Zone if we don’t know anything about the Fright Zone.”

“I… Might have an idea about that.” Bow was still looking like he was working something out while they were talking. “Entrapta said that she had visited Adora through the Fright Zone.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, she also said that she had to avoid the guards to do so.”

“You’re not saying…”

“Look, I know that Entrapta is getting a bit too friendly with the Horde, but if we talk to her we might be able to steer her onto the right path, and we might learn more about how to get into the Fright Zone.”

Glimmer sighed. Bow was making a good point, even if she didn’t like where it was going. “You want to talk to her.”

“I do, I want her to see reason. She’s not a bad person, not really. And she’s the best source of information we have on the Fright Zone. She can still help us, Glimmer, if we let her.”

“I know… But I still feel a bit… Betrayed that she’d work with the Horde behind our backs.”

“I get that feeling, I really do. But it shouldn’t stop us from doing what’s right.”

“No…” Glimmer reflected on how appropriate it was that Bow had the heart as his symbol. It seemed like he never could help but live up to its symbolism. “You’re right, Entrapta is still a Princess, and not lost on us yet. If we can help her and Perfuma at the same time, all the better.”

“Great!” Bow smiled with relief, the issue had clearly been nagging him for a while now.

“But I want you to promise that you won’t tell her about how we plan to rescue Perfuma, we can’t let the Horde know about that and she already told them about Salineas.”

A pained expression crossed his face at that. “Yeah… That she did. Alright, I promise that I won’t. But do give her a chance.”

“I will. I need to, and she’s earned that much for her help. Think that she’s still in the castle?”

“Probably heading back to Dryl by now, and I’d rather not get lost there again.”

“In the Crystal Castle or the Crypto Castle of Dryl?” Glimmer jested.

“Either of them.” Bow laughed a bit at that.

“Alright, I’ll call on Mermista and Frosta to gather here to help Perfuma. Meanwhile, we’ll talk to Entrapta and try to get information about the Fright Zone.” She gives a small laugh, quite pleased with herself. “I think that I’ve actually got some kind of plan now.”

“I knew that you would.” Bow gave her an encouraging thumbs up. “Commander Glimmer is the hero of the Rebellion after all. With her on our side we can do anything.”

“Hey. Stop giving me all the credit, you were the one who suggested that we see Entrapta.”

“Maybe, but that was just the nudge you needed.” He smiled warmly. “Just know that I trust you as our leader.”

There was something undeniably creepy about the way that the shadows seemed to move as Adora concentrated. Though she tried to ignore the feeling, she still felt reluctant about the magic that she was using, and this hesitancy on her part was according to Shadow Weaver what kept her from being able to fully control those powers. Yet despite her best attempts, the magic seemed wrong and unnatural to her, both in appearance and in how it felt to wield it. “Do I have to do this? It doesn’t feel right.” As she said so, the shadows seemed to creep up from the tip of her sword towards her arm, and it took all of her willpower not to drop it. She swallowed and forced them away.

“It is for your own good.” Shadow Weaver put her hands on her shoulders from behind her, observing her efforts intently. “Most fear the dark, for primal, irrational reasons. You should not be one of them, for the dark is an ally if you know how to command it. Do not stymie your potential by your fears, conquer those fears and become more powerful for it.”

“So… What do you want me to do?”

“Draw the light to yourself, control it, make it shine only where you choose to. Through me, you will become mistress of light and dark, don’t you want that, Adora?”

At the moment, she wasn’t sure if she did, but she did not say so, and merely nodded. “Of course, I will try.” She held the sword upwards and concentrated. Yet nothing happened, and she gave a frustrated look at the mask behind her face. “This isn’t working.”

“Of course it’s not, you lack focus, you do not wish for it enough. It is not a matter of trying, it is a matter of willing it to be so, to make reality bend to your commands.”

“Don’t listen to her.” The voice was weak, and for a brief moment, Adora wondered who had spoken, before she remembered Perfuma. The Princess looked up at them. “Don’t let her control you.”

“Silence! Do not interfere with the lessons.” Shadow Weaver made a gesture, and Perfuma cried out in pain as the sparks around her intensified. “Do not mind her, Adora. She only seeks to undermine your progress.”

“She’s. Wrong.” She spoke through pained breath. “Don’t. Let. Her…” But she could not speak further.

“Shadow Weaver, enough, please. Don’t hurt her.” Adora felt alarmed, and tried to walk up to Perfuma, but was stopped by the hands on her shoulders.

“She’s a liar, Adora. You know that I must punish liars, don’t you?”

“Yes, but-”

“If the prisoner disturbs you I can have her moved elsewhere for our lessons.”

“Thank you, but that’s… Not necessary.”

“Good. Don’t forget, Adora, that she is your enemy, and would do anything to undermine you if it gave her a chance of getting out of here or turning you against your family.”

“I know. I won’t let her do that, but you don’t need to be so…” She stopped herself before she said the word ‘cruel’. It wouldn’t be fitting usage for her superior, and Shadow Weaver would certainly take offence to it.

“There, my dear.” She embraced her. “I know that I sometimes must be harsh on those who have earned it but I do not do it without reason, rest assured.”

“I’d never suggest that.”

“I know that you wouldn’t. Now, try again, and remember, the magic responds to your emotions. Keep a calm mind and know that with enough strength you can bend anything to your will. For that is true power.”

As she was released from the embrace, Adora made a new attempt, closing her eyes. Rather than reaching for the magic immediately, she focused on what she had been taught, clearing her mind of doubts and conflicting emotions, anything but the power that she wielded. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated on how to shape the power to claim the light. Then she reached out, opening her eyes, while spreading out her arms and letting the sword hang before her by her will. She felt taller than usual, a common feeling since she had gotten the Sword of Protection, but one that struck her more than it normally did. Out of the corners of her eyes she could see her skin glow, while all other lights in the room seemed to dim, swallowed by darkness, as if all light was sucked into her. There was a rush of power, but she kept it from growing out of control, focusing it instead by drawing the desired spells with her hands in the air. The sword glowed brightly, the only other source of light in the room, and she realised that, much like it, she was levitating slightly, her long hair acting like it no longer registered gravity, and that this was why she was feeling tall even in her warrior form. With a gesture, she banished the shadows in the room, her own light illuminating it. With another, she caused the Black Garnet to come to life with a rumble and red glow. And with the third she eased the Princess’ pain from her fetters. “Be at ease.” She told her, very calmly, for her emotions still felt like a still lake. All the while she let the magic escape from her body and returned to as normal a state as she ever could be while ‘She-Ra’.

Perfuma looked up at her, something akin to a smile crossing her lips despite her situation. “You are better than she thinks that you are.”

Before she could say anything more though, Shadow Weaver intervened. “Excellent work, Adora. I knew that you could do it, you’re doing me so proud, my girl.”

Sheathing her sword and turning back into the regular girl that she was, Adora looked up at Shadow Weaver, a sudden boldness having gripped her since the experiment. “Shadow Weaver, with permission, I would like to spend some of my training time with my team, I know that we could grow greater together if we trained together.” She didn’t mention that she felt lonely and missed them.

“Perhaps… Eventually, but this is more important, Adora. I am helping you unlock powers that will make Etheria tremble before you. This is what you are meant for, you know that, don’t you?”

Wondering how long it would take before she had achieved the level of power that would satisfy the demands of the one before her, Adora could do little but say “Yes, Shadow Weaver.”

“You don’t mean to tell me that you’re callous enough to not feel any amount of guilt at what your failure has brought?” Catra laughed mockingly, deliberately trying to draw attention to herself and away from the others. It worked, though she paid the price for it when she was flung into the air by a small whirlwind and just narrowly avoided getting caught while up in the air by another net. She was very glad at that moment that she had the agility to land on her feet and avoid hurting herself too much from the fall, yet she still felt disoriented from the experience. 

Before she had the chance to fully gather herself, Netossa punched her in the ribs. “You don’t get to talk to me like that, you caused it.” The second punch Catra managed to dodge out of the way of.

“Maybe I did, then I’d do it again if it means not having to deal with you people anymore.” The close combat suited her just fine, too near each other for Spinnerella to send her winds without friendly fire, and with Netossa never having the time to start throwing nets. It was just a matter of speed and strength, both of which she excelled at. Taking the initiative, Catra attacked her in an unrelenting assault of claws and fangs, using every dirty trick that she could to keep the Princess off-balance. “I don’t really get you rebels, why support the losing side?”

“I suppose that would be beyond your understanding.” Netossa lept back from her, but Catra gave pursuit, all to make sure that she did not get a moment’s respite to catch her breath. “We do it because it’s the right thing.”

“According to whom? I mean, if you ask me, I’m making the right choice.” Her left foot managed to catch Netossa’s right leg, giving it a nasty scratch from its claws. “I’m certainly better off than you are.”

“I beg to differ, unless you mean to say that bullying a forgotten corner of the world gives you satisfaction.”

Now it was Catra’s turn to feel ruffled at the implication. “It’s not bullying, and this is just a step on the path to power.”

“Call it what you like, but I know why your defeat is certain.” Netossa rose up, despite her injured leg, and deflected the next few blows with a look of steely certainty.

The ironic echo of what Catra had told Scorpia before did disturb her, and despite knowing that she shouldn’t, she still felt that she needed to ask, “and why is that?”

“That tyranny always gives people a reason to fight it.”

Catra was about to give a barbed retort when she noticed that more than just Plumerians were joining the fray now. The people of Elberron were attacking her forces from behind, seeding panic among their ranks as they were now heavily outnumbered and attacked on two fronts. Even as she watched, men began breaking ranks and flee, while the last of the robots fell down with a crash. “No! Come back! This isn’t fair!” She wanted to stop them, but before she could she was completely wrapped up in one of Netossa’s nets. 

The look that she gave Catra while she stood over her was almost pitying, and for some reason, she hated that far more than any shows of anger. “Causes make people fight all the harder, but what do you fight for?”

Catra did not respond but simply glared as she was picked up and carried towards the centre of the village. She was angry with the Elberronians for having dared to rebel, with the Princesses for having captured and humiliated her, with Shadow Weaver for having sent her to this place in the first place to either go forgotten or get overwhelmed, and with Adora for having let all of this happen to her.

But most of all, she was angry with herself.

Chapter Text

Having to listen to the miserable mayor tell Spinnerella and Netossa how grateful she was at their liberation of the town and how she’d love to have them over for dinner as thanks felt akin to torture to Catra’s ears. She was actually grateful when she was put away in a cellar so that she wouldn’t upset the celebrations, though the sounds of it still made its way to her. Instead, she had the time to ruminate on her own thoughts, which were mainly dark ones about how one day she’d get revenge on everyone involved in her humiliation as well as worries about how this defeat would be taken back at the Fright Zone. No doubt Shadow Weaver would be immensely pleased with having found an excuse to finally cut her loose fully and, as far as Catra was aware, most of the other officers either wouldn’t care or would find it good riddance to be rid of her. The only one that she could rely on was Adora, and she’d hate to be seen as a liability to her, so she resolved to try and find a way to get out of this situation on her own and restore her dignity as anything but a failure, preferably by burning this entire town to the ground.

This was easier said than done however, for try as she might, the bindings that Netossa had created were too strong to be broken by brute force, and her hands had been neatly bound to avoid allowing her to use her claws to cut through them. Catra had more tools for cutting than just on her hands though, and with little to be found in the cellar that could aid her in her quest for freedom, she instead chose to begin gnawing at them with her sharp incisors. An undignified method, but it was the only one that she could see working at this point, and even that was more difficult than she would have liked, since Netossa’s bindings, rather than being of normal rope, were made out of magical light, and terribly strong. Slowly but steadily though, as the awful music and cheering died down, she wore them down enough to free her hands, and from there she could begin to free the rest of herself more easily. The moment she was entirely free, Catra stood up and stretched her limbs to get back feeling into them, before she turned to her next obstacle: the door. The Princesses had not been so kind as to leave the key for it down here and it was made of thick wood, a heavy object and of decently good craftsmanship. Still, they had underestimated Catra’s strength, determination and capacity for cutting through things if they thought that this alone would stop her. After a bit more time and effort, the door had been ripped into pieces, and Catra was free to walk up the stairs to her freedom. Or rather, she would have been, had not the Princesses been standing on the top of the stairs, looking down on her. “What do you think that you’re doing?” Asked Spinnerella.

Catra hissed at their presence and jumped back as the blast of wind that she sent from the top of the stairs made all of the splinters that Catra herself had just made fly all over her cell. “It’s none of your business, just let me leave!” She shouted up the stairs while she assessed her situation. Naturally, there was no other route to escape than the one her enemies were blocking, but at least this place gave her enough space to force them to come down to her if they wanted to capture her while being contained enough that she would be able to force them into melee if they did. 

“We just wanted to talk to you,” came the voice of Spinnerella.

“And see what all the noise was about,” added her wife.

“Well I don’t want to talk to you.” Despite her words, Catra wasn’t ungrateful if they intended to do so, since it gave her more time to try and figure out a way out of her situation.

“This will be much easier for all of us if you cooperate.” Spinnerella was trying for the motherly voice to get Catra to calm down, but she was long since used to Shadow Weaver doing the same whenever she wanted a favour, and had little regard to spare for it.

“Have you considered that maybe I don’t want to make it easy for you?”

“Now listen, young lady.” Netossa’s voice, in contrast, was sterner. “We were thinking of trying to get you released assuming that you work with us, so please stop trying to make this so difficult.”

Catra did not buy that for one second. “Oh yeah? Does the Rebellion let their prisoners go after a day? I had no idea.”

There was an audible sigh from Netossa that did make Catra feel a bit better. “We were hoping to do a prisoner exchange of us releasing you in exchange for getting Perfuma back.”

Amidst her bitterness, Catra could not help but find this plan deeply amusing, and she gave a high and mocking laughter that echoed through the cellar and up to the Princesses. “ Seriously? ”

“What’s so funny about it?” Asked Spinnerella, confused and at least a bit annoyed judging by the sound of her voice.

“ That’s actually your plan? ” Catra continued to laugh. “Oh, I forget how terribly naive you people are.”

“What’s wrong?” By the sound of footsteps, Netossa was walking back and forth on the spot while she was talking. “The Horde get back one of their officers, and we get back our Princess. Seems like a fair exchange.”

“Shadow Weaver would sooner send you a thank you letter for having gotten rid of me than anything that she actually values in return for my freedom. Why do you think that I was in this miserable town in the first place?” She was still chuckling a bit, though the bitterness had returned to her at the thought.

“Then why do you serve her in the first place?” Spinnerella sounded confused. “If she wants to get rid of you so badly, why are you returning to her?”

“I don’t fight for her . You Princesses would never get that.”

“Just seems to me that you’d find a better place with the Rebellion.”

Catra scoffed at the thought. “Thanks, but I’ll pass.” Something like a plan began forming in her head at the suggestion though. “On the other hand… Say that I were to agree, what would I get out of it?”

“People around you who won’t actively try to get you sacrificed like some pawn,” offered Netossa.

“That’s nice.” Catra was inching closer and closer to the door, silently preparing to take them by surprise and leap to freedom that way. “But more concretely...”

“Good food, nice beds, a cause that isn’t terrible and self destructive?” Spinnerella sounded uncertain what to say, as if it was so glaringly obvious to her that she was on the right side that she was perplexed by any challenge to that assertion.

“Funny. That’s how I’d describe the Rebellion’s cause.” In one bound, Catra jumped by all four onto the far wall and, without sparing a moment, she used the built up momentum to use that wall as a means to jump off and up the stairs with lightning speed.

In hindsight, that proved a mistake, for across the stairs one of Netossa’s nets had been placed, awaiting her to do this exact move. By the time that she saw it, it was too late to stop her momentum and she crashed right into it, landing by the feet of the Princesses, once more enveloped. “I’m sorry that you feel that way.” Spinnerella looked genuinely apologetic. “It did not have to go this way.”

Dryl had evolved since last Glimmer and Bow had visited it, that much was obvious even before they had entered inside the Crypto Castle. Throughout the courtyard they could see robots, not like those that they had seen in the past, which had been humanoid and of distinctively Dryl making, but new ones that carried the marks of other designs, all too similar to those of the Horde. Spidery robots, akin to those that they had fought on numerous occasions, that were equipped with new devices presumably of Entrapta’s making. She was revolutionising the industry, perhaps, but neither Glimmer nor Bow could see any good in the end results on display. Beyond the sheer combat potential that they knew that each of these robots possessed, there was something unnerving about the change to Dryl, as if the Horde was visibly twisting the place in its likeness, corrupting Dryl into another of its factories. Such fanciful imagery aside, it was a clear display of the increasing influence and power of the Horde, at a time when they hardly needed any further reminders. The small butler robot, itself unchanged by all appearances, that had taken them to Entrapta last time, led the way through the labyrinthine castle once more. When they entered Entrapta’s laboratory, they found her tinkering on one of her new robots, with her welding mask on. She turned around to see her guests, recognising them as she did. “Oh.” The mask was kept on as she met them, obscuring her face from view. “Hi, Bow. Glimmer.” There was a certain wariness to her, not outright hostility, but uncertainty.

“Hi, Entrapta.” Bow scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “I’m sorry for what I said before, it was a really big shock to me.”

There was a brief pause, as if she was thinking of what he was referring to, her emotions inscrutable thanks to the mask. “Does that mean that you’re not mad at me anymore?”

“No, I mean yes, as in I’m not mad.” Bow looked more awkward than ever, clearly not feeling fully equipped to properly deal with the topic. “I still think that what you’re doing is wrong, and you should stop, but I’m sorry that I got angry with you, I was just really upset at the news.”

“Oh that’s alright.” Entrapta’s voice was suddenly a lot more cheerful. “People do get upset sometimes. But I’ve been learning so much from this collaboration. Look!” She patted the robot that she had been working on, causing it to stir awake and begin observing the guests with its singular purple eye. “This is Emily, she’s the prototype I made from what I’ve collected when we…” She trailed off for a moment. “Anyway, isn’t she just adorable?” She gave the robot, Emily, a hug, and the machine actually seemed to respond to the affection, pulling in closer to the embrace.

“You… Named your robot Emily?” Glimmer was not quite sure what to think about it, aside from that Entrapta really needed more friends.

“Yes, don’t you like the name?” Entrapta did turn up the mask now so that she could rest her cheek against Emily’s round metal body. “I thought that it suited her.”

“... I’m sure that it does. It, uh, she seems… Nice.” Of all the things that Glimmer had expected when she entered the castle, Entrapta hugging one of the robots that had so often tried to destroy them was not one of them. In hindsight, maybe it should have been. “So…” She coughed, uncertain how to even begin tackling the subject that they had come for. “Entrapta, you’ve been to the Fright Zone, right?”

“Yes?” She raised an eyebrow, looking curious as to where Glimmer was going with this. Having had enough of the hug, she instead sat down on top of Emily’s chassis.

“What did you do there?”

“Oh a few things, I interviewed Adora, got some things that they must have forgotten to send me, and did some research on their technology.”

“And no one spotted you while you were there?” Asked Bow.

“Well Adora did, would have been a lot harder to interview her if she didn’t.”

“Aside from Adora that is.”

“Not after I got into the vents, people don’t seem to be using them a lot for some reason.”

“Can’t imagine why.” Glimmer thought about what she had said, so if they could get to the vents undetected they might stand a chance. “Did you see anything that looked like, say, hypothetical example, a prison?”

“Hm.” Entrapta gestured for Emily to walk to her workbench, from which she picked up an electronic device and began flicking through it while thinking. “I suppose that the large round place with rooms all along its walls might have been one. Why do you want to know?”

“Just… Curious.” Glimmer really wished that she was a better liar at that moment, but she didn’t want to tell Entrapta in case she told the Horde, wittingly or unwittingly.

“Alright.” To Glimmer’s relief, Entrapta actually seemed to have bought it. “Curiosity is a great tool for science, do you want a map of it?”

“... Yes.” Judging by the look on his face, Bow was as shocked as Glimmer at the ease at which they bypassed that step. “Yes, we would like that very much.”

“Great, just remember to return it to me after you’re done exploring the place.” Entrapta handed over the electronic device that she had been using to Bow.

There was a beat, as both Bow and Glimmer did not know what to say in response to this. Eventually, Glimmer got her voice back. “So you’re not going to stop us if we, uh, do that?”

“No, should I?”

“No, no. Just… The Horde might not appreciate it if we went exploring there, so could you do us a favour and not mention it to them?”

“Of course, anything to a fellow explorer. I’ve already promised Emily that I’ll be taking her on her first exploratory trip once I’ve gotten her to stop exploding whenever she overheats.” She patted her robot affectionately. “She’s such a grown girl, isn’t she?”

“Yes. Very.” Glimmer was still not sure what comments to actually give that wouldn’t offend. 

“You’ve been very helpful, Entrapta.” Bow actually walked up Emily to give her a pat himself. “But please remember what I told you. The Horde is evil, they will only bring destruction to Etheria.”

“On the contrary.” Entrapta smiled. “The Horde have been allowing a rapid technological advance unparalleled since the time of the First Ones, with a bunch of new tech that I can use, and the Fright Zone’s industrial output outmatches the rest of Etheria’s by 943%. If they can achieve this in only a few decades, imagine how much more they will grow in time?”

Glimmer could imagine that, and if the mental image brought Entrapta a sense of wonder, then it only gave her a deep dread. If Entrapta was right, and she probably was, then the clock was against them. “But they’ll use that to hurt your friends.”

“Don’t you use what I give you to hurt my friends as well?”

“No! That’s different, the Horde aren’t your friends. They just want to use you.”

Entrapta looked genuinely confused at this. “But don’t you want to use me as well?”

“I…” Glimmer didn’t actually have an answer to this question, and this deeply bothered her. “I suppose a bit, but not in a bad way, friends support each other. Right, Bow?”

“... Yeah.” Bow looked just as uncomfortable as she did at the question. The more Glimmer thought about it they had come to Dryl with the intent of using Entrapta for their own ends. “It’s just… the Horde doesn’t care about friendship in the same way that we do, they just want to conquer, subjugate and destroy. We want to help people.”

“No, they are my friends. The data says so, and data never lies.” Entrapta looked a bit obstinate now. “Just because they’re not your friends doesn’t mean that they aren’t mine.”

“I guess.” Glimmer sighed. Though she was loath to admit it, Entrapta had a point. The Horde was still a clear force of evil and destruction, and she was naive to not see this, but she had unwittingly hit Glimmer harder than she had imagined, and arguing with her felt weird when she had been so helpful. “They’re still destroying the land though.”

“I know, it’s given me a great deal of data.”

“ Good for you. ” Despite herself, Glimmer could still not help but keep some venom in her voice at how callously Entrapta treated the things that the Horde did.

Before she could make any further biting remarks, however, Bow intervened. “Thank you so much for your time, Entrapta, we’ll be going now.”

“Bye!” Entrapta waved them away. As they exited the castle, Glimmer reflected that of all the words that could be used to describe a Horde collaborator, cheerful was not one that she’d expect to use.

When Adora walked up to Shadow Weaver she made absolutely sure that there was nothing about her that could be criticised. Everything from the uniform to the salute had to be perfect, or else she’d never have a chance. “Shadow Weaver. I’ve read the reports from the frontlines.”

“As have I, Adora.” Shadow Weaver’s voice seemed vaguely amused, though Adora wasn’t sure if that was at her presence or the reports. Possibly both. “Do not worry, any setbacks will soon be rectified.”

“Good, because that’s why I was here. I would like to volunteer to lead a rescue operation. It’s been a while since we last saw action.”

“A rescue operation? Of whom?” It was certain that she already knew of whom Adora spoke of, but clearly Shadow Weaver wanted her to spell it out.

“Catra.”

“I’m sorry, Adora, but I’m afraid that I can not authorise that. Imagine sending our greatest warrior to rescue just one of many low-ranking soldiers, who failed at the one command that she had been given? I could never justify such a decision to Lord Hordak.”

“But she’s my responsibility, it’s my fault if she gets hurt.”

“I’m sure that the rebels would never harm someone as lovely as her.”

“Didn’t you say that they would treat us no better than we treat them if one of us got captured?” Adora was treading dangerous waters here, and she knew it, but what other choice did she have?

“Did I now? You must be misremembering, Adora, I told you that they would treat you no better, Catra on the other hand is… Unimportant. They would not care to harm her.”

“Please, I can’t just leave her in the hands of those people.” There was a tinge of desperation to her voice now, pleading. 

“No, my dear, I will arrange something, but you must stay here. You are too important to be wasted on such minor things when you still have so much to learn.”

“... Yes, Shadow Weaver.” Dejected, Adora did another salute and retreated back to her quarters. No matter what Shadow Weaver said, she still felt like a failure for not being there for Catra. She threw herself down on the cold, hard bed and thought about what she should do, if there was any way for her to still help Catra. In Shadow Weaver’s eyes she may be unimportant, but she was still Adora’s closest friend, and she felt empty without her. Her ruminations were interrupted, however, by a knock on the door. “Come in,” she answered, listlessly. 

Scorpia stepped inside, a packed bag on her back, as if she had prepared for a long trip. “So when are we going?” Adora hadn’t even told her of her plan to rescue Catra, but apparently Scorpia had just assumed that she had one.

“We’re not.” Adora groaned a bit, and put her hands on her face to block her eyes.

“Why not? Don’t you want to rescue Catra?” Even with her sight obscured, Adora could tell that Scorpia was confused.

“Of course I do!” She snapped, feeling a bit defensive about the implicit accusation to the question. “I tried to get permission to, but Shadow Weaver says it’s not important enough.”

There was a moment of silence, then Adora heard the sound of Scorpia walking up to the bed and sitting down next to her. “So what do we do?”

“That’s what I’m trying to think of. Shadow Weaver said that she might get someone else to do it, but that might take ages to happen, and she didn’t seem very bothered about the possibility of Catra getting hurt in the meantime.” Adora took the hands off her face and sat up in the bed so that she could talk to Scorpia on a more even level, height difference aside. 

“And we can’t let that happen,” Scorpia added decisively.

“Exactly. So we need to take matters into our own hands. What would Catra do if she was in my boots?”

“Catra? Pfft! She’d run away and not care what anyone told her to do.” Scorpia looked uncertainly at Adora. “Wait, you’re not saying that we do that, are you?”

“Well, what choice do we have? We need to rescue Catra, and if we can’t do so with permission… Then we’ll just have to do without.”

Adora had expected Scorpia to protest this, but instead, she simply gave her a massive hug. “Yes! The Super Pal Trio always sticks together!”

“... We’re not getting rid of that name, are we?”

“Nope!” Scorpia smiled at her.

“Well, in that case, we better move quickly, before Shadow Weaver catches wind of what we’re doing. Got everything that we need in your bag?”

“Yep, it’s all packed. I assumed that we’d be going so I packed for two.”

“Good. And thanks, Scorpia, I’m glad that I can count on you.”

“Any time, little buddy. Hey, I’ve been thinking, what kind of welcome home present would Catra like?”

Adora still felt a not insignificant tinge of guilt as they snuck out of the Fright Zone, she had disobeyed a direct command after all, and would surely pay the consequences for that when they got back. But as long as they got Catra back home it would be worth it, and she’d be willing to pay whatever price the future had in store for her.

“Just for the record, I absolutely hate this place.” Mermista cast a disdainful look over the grey wasteland that surrounded them, as they spied the sprawling industrial complex that was the Fright Zone from atop their cliff.

“Yes, we know, Mermista.” Glimmer gave her an annoyed look. “We all do, it’s the Horde, what do you expect?”

“No, but, like, it’s so dry here. This place just is not my element.”

“We all have to make sacrifices.” There had been some complaining from Mermista on the entire way from Bright Moon, and Glimmer had gotten quite sick of it. “You can turn back if you want.”

“Uh, rude much? Ease up there, Shiny, I’m just giving my valuable tactical observations.”

“I’m tired of waiting around.” Frosta joined in the conversation now, looking almost as bored as Mermista. “When do we get to punch some people?”

“As soon as Bow has figured out the best way inside, now quiet down, both of you,” Glimmer hissed. “We don’t want anyone to hear us.”

“Relax, there’s no one in earshot and that place makes plenty of noise on its own.” Mermista observed the place with the use of Bow’s binoculars. “How do these guards even tell the difference between one another? They all look identical with their uniforms.”

“Wait…” This made Bow look up from his datapad with the map. “Mermista, you’re a genius!”

“Thanks, glad to have a fan. So what makes me so brilliant?”

Sea Hawk snapped his fingers, “I think that I’m hearing the sound of an undercover adventure!” He gave a bashful look when the others shushed him. “Sorry, just got a bit excited.”

“Before we get ahead of ourselves.” Glimmer pointed at Frosta. “How are we disguising her? She’s too young to be a guard.”

“No I’m not!” Frosta crossed her arms indignantly.

“ Please be quiet, everyone.” Glimmer groaned. “We won’t be finding anything your size while in there, that’s all I’m saying.”

“She’s right.” Bow looked thoughtfully at Frosta. “But we are going to the prison. If the four of us pretend to be guards, we can say that Frosta is being taken there. That way we might be able to search it freely.”

“Counterpoint.” Mermista gestured at her long braided hair. “I’m not getting this in under a helmet.”

“You could maybe undo the braids and just… Tuck it inside the armour?” Glimmer suggested half-heartedly.

For a moment, Mermista looked like she wanted to protest this course of action, but then she just rolled her eyes. “Fine, the sacrifices I make for you guys.”

“I hope that I get to have the coolest uniform, don’t you guys think that would be fitting?” Sea Hawk looked expectantly at them.

“Everyone, could you just take it seriously for a moment?” There was a tired quality to Bow’s voice. “We’re doing this for Perfuma, remember?”

“Right, of course, taking it seriously.” Sea Hawk shuffled over to Mermista’s side. “You do think that I’d fit as the coolest guard though, don’t you?”

“... Sure.” She did not seem like she knew what to say to that.

“Great! I knew it.”

“Alright, everyone.” Bow put away the device and turned to address the small group properly. “I think that I’ve got the route that we’ll take, so if everyone just follows my lead we may be fine.” He began leading the rest down the cliff towards the Fright Zone. “See that building over there?” He pointed towards one of the sections of the complex in the outskirts close to them.

“Yeah?” Glimmer looked at it. “That’s our entrance?”

“Aye. We’ll need to get to the top of it without being seen by any of the guards, or drones, or anything that might cause an alarm.”

“Can’t you teleport?” Sea Hawk addressed Glimmer. “You could teleport us all up there and we’d be in without problem.”

“This is a bit too many people for me to just teleport them all up there, Sea Hawk.” Though his words did make Glimmer think. “But if you need me to, I could get there ahead of the rest of the group and… I don’t know, create a diversion or something?”

“That might work.” Bow was looking through his binoculars at their destination. “Do you think that you might distract the guards with some noise to cover our approach?”

“Absolutely.” She smiled. “Leave it all to me.” And with a flash of sparkles, she had teleported away and was standing at the entrance point, guards patrolling below her. Crouching down, she watched as the rest of the group steadily moved forward, hiding behind one rock after another. Once there was no way for them to get any further without a serious risk of the guards spotting them she took action, teleporting away for a moment to cause a distraction by sending a toolbox full of metallic objects tumbling down with a loud sound. Before any guards showed up, she teleported back into position and watched the rest climb up to join her. 

“Well, we’re here.” Mermista looked around herself. “So what’s our next step?”

“We’ll need to use these vents, c’mon.” Bow stooped down and used one of his arrows as a tool to dismantle the fan that was spinning in front of the vent connected to the roof. “Aha!” It slowed down to a halt, allowing him to dislodge it from the vent. “So what order are we going in?”

“I’m sticking with Glimmer.” Frosta stood right beside her, slightly too close to her personal space for her comfort. 

“Right, then we’ll go first I guess, since we’re the smallest.” Glimmer didn’t particularly enjoy admitting to that fact, but it made the most sense.

“I guess I’ll take the rear.” Mermista shrugged. “Beats being crammed up between everyone. Oh, and something about me being the strongest and so should guard our backs.”

“Then Bow and I will go in the middle.” Sea Hawk nodded. “On to…” He noticed everyone giving him a look. “... Adventure.” He finished in a very quiet voice.

Creeping through the vents, they found that, first and foremost, they were unsurprisingly not designed with human use in mind, and Frosta was the only one even remotely comfortable crawling through it, and most of the others couldn’t help but hit their heads regularly. Glimmer quietly prayed that no one would think to investigate the noise. The second thing that they found was that there were grills that they could look out through, allowing some degree of vision into the rooms that they passed by, which did help with their orientation. Even so, it took all of Bow’s efforts to read the map to keep them from getting lost. Eventually, by the point that all of their limbs were aching, he whispered. “ Alright, I think that we’re supposed to exit here, Frosta, see any guards? ”

“Nope, can we finally leave this thing? ”

“Yes, but try to be quiet. ”

“Oh no. ” Mermista's dry voice came from the back. “What of the rock concert I was planning? ”

They exited the vents to find themselves in what appeared to be a locker room. It was empty, just as Frosta had said, but searching through it did give them the uniforms they needed. Once everyone but Frosta was dressed up, Glimmer turned to the others. “Okay, just the prison left. We can do this, I believe in us.”

“They’ll tell stories of this rescue mission when we’re done.” Sea Hawk covered his face with his helmet, but not before giving them a smile. “Perfuma will be out of the Horde’s clutches before she knows it.”

From what Adora could see of it, hiding in the forest, Elberron looked like a fairly quaint little town, aside from how a good third of it had been destroyed, presumably from the Rebel attack on it. “So, first thing, how do we get into this place? And second, how do we find Catra? Oh, and how do we get out of there afterwards, since I’m listing steps?”

“We sneak up, eavesdrop on the guards, and then bust excitedly out of there.” Scorpia tried to imitate using a hand to provide shade for the eyes from the sun with one of her pincers, though, judging by her grunting and repeated changing of position, the result was less than satisfactory for her. “Poor Wildcat, how awful this must have been for her.” 

Adora gave her a sidelong glance. “Scorpia, no offence, but you’re not really the stealthiest person I know.”

“I know.” Scorpia sighed. “I could never compete with Catra, she’s just too good at it.”

“No, I mean, as in, I’m not sure how we’re going to get you in there undetected. You kind of stick out a bit.”

“Oh, right! I don’t know, think that they’d recognise me?”

“Well, they’d probably figure out that you’re from the Horde, what with the tail and all. I don’t think that the Rebels accept any of your people among their ranks.”

“Well that’s not very nice.” Scorpia looked a bit affronted. “Not that I’d want to join them, but still, they shouldn’t be able to turn people away like that.”

Adora shrugged. “Their loss is our gain. Well, apart from right now. Hm... “ She didn’t like the idea she had, but she also couldn’t come up with any better. “Would you mind if I try to scout ahead, while you wait for me to give the signal?”

“Sure thing. What kind of signal will you give? Oh! Will you send out a great flare that hangs over the village?!”

“No, I was more thinking along the lines of shouting your name when I’m in trouble.”

“Ah right, I wondered where you had the flare.”

Not bothering to reply to that comment, Adora started to do her best surreptitious sneaking over towards the village. Which is to say that she tip-toed around from rubble to rubble, throwing on an old rug strewn across the ground over herself to slightly hide her uniform. Once inside the village bounds, she did her most casual march, occasionally whistling to be extra inconspicuous. She was just about to cangratulate herself for her successful infiltration, when a bored Rebel soldier, Plumerian if she had to guess, approached her. “Hey there. New in town, aren’t you?” His upper body was mostly just covered in pink tattoos and his blonde hair had flowers in them for reasons Adora couldn’t fathom. “I think that I was supposed to, like, ask everyone new around what business they have.”

Adora immediately did a full salute, almost dropping the rug from her shoulders as she did so. “Hello, fellow Rebel. I am but an innocent traveller, come to visit your beautiful town.”

It took a few seconds as he processed what she had said. “You’re with the Horde, aren’t you?”

“What?! Nooooo… I’m just… Inspecting your prisons if they’re up to proper Rebel standards. Except we don’t have any standards, because we’re Rebels.” She desperately thought of something more to say. “Down with Hordak! Wait, is that treasonous for me to say?”

The guard still did not look like he had quite comprehended what she had said. “I’m just going to… Call the alarm.”

“No, wait!” Seeing him raise a horn to his lips, Adora did the only thing that she could think of, and punched at it so hard that she broke through the horn and hit him in the face, knocking him out. “Well that could have gone better. Scorpia!” She raised her voice.

Entering the prison, the Princess squad was struck by how thoroughly oppressive its atmosphere was. The place seemed designed to strike fear into those who entered it, bearing down on them from all sides, with the deep pit in the centre being quite capable of inducing vertigo if you stood close to it. Perfuma was nowhere to be seen, though, with the amount of cells in there, there was no way to be sure if they hadn’t just missed her from their brief scan of the place from the entrance. As they tried to walk further inside to get a better look, however, one of the guards stationed by the control room in the middle called out. “Who’s the prisoner that you’ve got there, guys?” He looked down at Frosta. “And why are you bothering taking a girl anyway?” A shrug. “Don’t remember this many guards being needed usually.”
“That’s because she’s Princess Frosta.” Glimmer tried her most authoritative voice, imitating how her mother sounded when she gave people commands as best she could. “We need to take her to the most high security cells where you hold Princesses.”

“Princess Frosta?!” This did catch the guard’s attention. He turned around, “Hey, Lonnie! They’ve got Frosta! Didn’t you say that you saw her at the… Princess Ball Thingie?”

One of the two remaining guards gave an annoyed roar in a language unknown to Glimmer, while the other grunted. “Quit fooling around, Kyle. We’d know if they had captured someone like her.”

“But look! They’ve actually got her, I think. Come on over.”

The one called Lonnie gave an exaggerated sigh and walked over to them. “Yeah, that’s Frosta, alright. Why are you even taking her here anyway?”

“... Because this is the prison?” Bow’s voice was uncertain.

Something told Glimmer that Lonnie was rolling her eyes beneath her mask. “Yeah, but you’re not taking an actual Princess to the regular prison. Have you forgotten Shadow Weaver’s orders?”

“No, of course not.” They were on the precipice of disaster here, but if Glimmer could just keep the conversation on for a little longer they may learn where Perfuma was held. “But, just in case we had, what were those orders again?”

“Ugh.” Lonnie took off her helmet so that she could facepalm, and as she did, Glimmer had to actively keep herself from startling with recognition. She was one of Adora’s soldiers, which explained why she had apparently been at the ball. She shook her brown dreadlocks free. “How did you guys even capture a Princess?”

“It’s a really long story.” Bow seemed to be of the same mind as Glimmer about just trying to get the information they needed before things went wrong. “But how about those orders, huh?”

“Well, since you did actually capture one, I’ll do you a favour. You’re supposed to take them to her in the Black Garnet Chamber.”

“Oh, yes of course.The Black Garnet Chamber.” Glimmer laughed nervously. “How could we have forgotten?”

“We’ll take her to it right away.” Bow tried to lead the group back the way they came, but Lonnie called out after him.

“What’s your name again? I feel like I should recognise you despite you clearly being new around here.” She had started to squint at him suspiciously.

“My name? It’s, uh, Gun. Gun Guardsson.”

Lonnie gave him a deadpan look. “That’s the stupidest name I’ve ever heard. Can I see your face, Gun?”

“... That won’t be necessary. You see, it’s horrifically disfigured, I don’t like showing it to people. A gun accident, heh.”

“The thing is… I don’t think that I’ve ever heard your voice around here, Gun.”

“Well, I am new around here, like you said.” Bow was frantically gesturing for them to be ready to run behind his back. “Not a surprise.”

“Yeah. It’s just, I have heard it elsewhere, I’m pretty sure.” Lonnie was looking intently at them now, sizing them up. Kyle, meanwhile, was backing away slightly. “So why don’t you show me that disfigured face of yours, Gun?”

“I will, as soon as we’ve taken this Princess to where she’s supposed to be.” He tried to walk away from her.

“Rogelio!” Lonnie called back to her comrade at the controls. “Sound the alarm, we have intruders!” She drew her baton and tried to charge them. 

Casting off her pretend shackles, Frosta conjured up a wall of ice to stop her. The ice was thick and looked sturdy, and yet, even so, it shook from the impact of her blow, cracks forming from the spot that the baton had hit. “‘Gun Guardsson’? Seriously?”

“I panicked, okay!” Bow drew the weapon he shared a name with.

“So what do we do now, genius?” Mermista cast off the armour and gripped her trident with both hands. Sirens were blaring all around them and it was only a matter of time before the ice wall broke down and more guards came from down the corridor.

“We need to move, and find where the Black Garnet Chamber is, now!” Glimmer took the lead, just as the ice wall broke down from the combined efforts of Lonnie, Kyl,e and Rogelio. 

What ensued was complete chaos, with the trio chasing after them, soon joined by more guards from everywhere. The group did manage to hold their own, with Glimmer teleporting around to confuse them, and Mermista unleashing water from the pipes around them to drench the feet of their pursuers. A seemingly harmless act, before Frosta froze the water, catching many of them and rendering them unable to move due to how their boots were entirely attached to the floor. Even so, they could not stay still, or else they would soon be surrounded and overwhelmed, and the mixture of running away and exchanging blows with their pursuers did not leave much time to actually figure out where they were going, especially since they were no longer using the vents for navigation and their choices in what corridors to take were mostly based on which had the fewest guards coming through them.

So it was, that when they finally found some officious-looking doors, guarded by two men wielding polearms and shields, they could only pray that this was indeed where the Black Garnet Chamber was. While Glimmer and Bow held back their pursuers, firing sparks and arrows to keep them from charging straight down the corridor, Mermista and Sea Hawk incapacitated the two guards, and Frosta began breaking open the doors with the giant ice fists that she had created. They were hardy though, and for a brief moment, Glimmer despaired that they wouldn’t be able to get through in time, Lonnie and Rogelio had already caught up to her and Bow respectively, and while they may not be the equals of Adora and Catra, they were still good fighters, pushing them back, and with more on the way. A triumphant cry from Frosta told that she had done it though, and, wasting no time, Glimmer grabbed Bow’s hand and teleported the two of them into the room, while the others followed in through the small gap in the doors that she had created by punching and bending the steel until it gave way. Glimmer was just about to draw a breath of relief from having escaped the hectic flight, while Frosta was busy reinforcing the doors with ice, when a voice rang out from the darkness of the room. A haughty, male voice that had an air of undeniable authority to it. “I would not have thought the Rebellion so bold as to send some of their most valued members on an assassination attempt.” There was no Black Garnet here, instead, it looked like some form of workshop, technology lying strewn everywhere. From out of the shadows, a pale, batlike man, with vividly red eyes and an armoured suit with the mark of the Horde on its chest and a long red cape behind. “Yet clearly desperation has bred a new level of foolishness. So be it.”

“Have you found Catra yet?” Asked Scorpia as she shoulder-barged through a group of rebels from behind, scattering as surely as if she had been a bowling ball. She looked around expectantly, as if waiting to see her by Adora’s side at any moment.

“Not yet, I got caught before I’ve reached wherever their prison is.” With Scorpia beside her, Adora took the charge, running straight towards the frightened rebel spearmen. “For the Glory of the Horde!” She felt no small amount of satisfaction when her transformation terrified them so much that they broke ranks before she had even gotten close enough to hit them. 

“Aww. And you were doing so well from what I could see. Sneaking around like a proper spy. You even used a disguise!” There was not a hint of sarcasm in Scorpia’s voice.

“I know, it was completely unfair that the guard would see through it.” Adora shook her head, not really wanting to acknowledge how poorly that conversation had gone. “Well, I’m not seeing a prison around here, maybe that big hall in the middle-” But she was interrupted by a blast of air hitting her all of a sudden with enough force to knock her into a nearby wall. 

“Well, this is new.” As the dust settled, Adora could see Spinnerella walking up to them, with Netossa by her side, holding a bound Catra. “We were just about to leave this town. Are you two here for her or to reclaim it?”

“We’re here for Catra.” Adora slowly got up on her feet again, vaguely noticing that the wall she had hit had broken into rubble, despite how she didn’t even feel that hurt. “Let her go, and we’ll leave the town alone.”

“Tempting, but I think that I’d rather take you down as well. The Horde would have to agree to some pretty good terms if he had all three of you as hostages.” Netossa was about to raise her arm to throw one of her nets at Adora, but when she did, it got a bit too close to Catra’s face, who clearly saw the opportunity and bit her in the wrist. “Oww!” Netossa unceremoniously dropped Catra on the ground. 

“About time that you showed up.” Catra continued using the only weapon left to herself by lunging for Netossa’s ankles with her sharp teeth. Netossa, perhaps rather sensibly, jumped far out of the way of her. “Now get me out of here!”

Running towards her, Adora cut through one of the nets flying towards herself, before helping Catra up on her feet. “Catra! I’m so glad to see you! Did they hurt you? I’ll kill them if they did.” She cut through the bindings with her sword, trying very hard not to disembowel Catra in the process.

“I’m fine, wasn’t too bad. They mostly just kept stopping all of my escape attempts.” Catra smiled slightly, her teeth rather red on closer inspection. “I made sure that they paid for it though.”

“Great! I was so worried for you.” Adora turned her back around so that she and Catra could fight back to back, while the rebels had clearly gotten their hearts back from the arrival of the Princesses.

“And I was too!” Shouted Scorpia, as she picked up one rebel by the throat and threw her into the rest of them. “Just… So that you know.” She was spared from the awkwardness of what she had said by Spinnerella attacking her, using her mastery of the winds to provide a match to Scorpia’s raw strength.

“So what’s the plan for getting out of here?” Catra parried a spear thrust with her claws, before striking down the offending rebel soldier. “Man, that felt good! I’ve been waiting to get some revenge for a while now.”

“Well…” Adora blocked a strike from Netossa, holding her ground against the Princess’ blows. “Plan was to sneak in, free you, and sneak out with none the wiser.”

Despite having her back turned to her, Adora could feel Catra giving an exasperated glance around the rebels gathering around them. “Plan’s going well I see.”

“Well, you know, we’ve freed you, so that’s part of it completed.” Adora swung at Netossa, who jumped out of the way and threw a net that ensnared her legs. “We just need to get out of here.” She slashed the net open to free herself.

The fight might have been fair, had it only been the Princesses that they fought, but the multitude of rebel soldiers around them were complicating the battle. Scorpia in particular, having been isolated when Adora rushed ahead to rescue Catra, was having a difficult time of it. Fighting Spinnerella and the soldiers at the same time was taking a toll on her, clearly, and she had started to accumulate a few wounds, scratches mostly thanks to her exoskeleton, but worrisome all the same. As far as Adora could analyse the combat, they were being beaten back, and more quickly than she would have liked. She tried to move over to help Scorpia, but Netossa kept blocking the way. “We’re still not actually getting out of here.” Catra noted. 

“Well we can’t. We need to get to Scorpia.” Adora made a lunge forward, but got tripped up by Netossa’s leg and almost fell over.

“So this is the fabled She-Ra?” Netossa threw a net at Adora that she barely avoided. “I thought that you’d be more impressive, being the reincarnation of the legendary warrior or whatever you are.”

Adora grunted in annoyance. Netossa was clearly trying to rile her up, and she didn’t like that it was actually kind of working. “What? Want me to be this kind of demigod of war that people make out her, me, whatever, to be?”

“Yeah, kind of. You’re nothing more than a girl that the Horde uses for propaganda purposes, don’t seem too great to me.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Adora snapped in anger, striking at her.

“Oh but I do.” Netossa seemed to be enjoying this. “You see, your friend there was so sure that no one would find her valuable enough to rescue. And yet you’re here, the noble heroine.”

“Get to the point.” While part of Adora did feel slightly flattered at the implication, she was still terse, and awaiting whatever it was that Netossa wanted said.

“Well, it’s very admirable, I must say. Though it does make me wonder.” She threw a net slightly to the side of Adora, which she dodged out of the way of, only to realise a fraction of a second later that it wasn’t aimed at her. It hit Catra as she had her back turned, causing her to fall over.

“Catra!” Adora immediately tried rushing over to help her, but got hit by a net as well in the process.

“Aha!” Netossa looked triumphant at her victory. “See? I told you that I had figured out She-Ra’s weakness.” She gave Spinnerella a smug look.

“Yes, that’s very good, dear.” Spinnerella was still fighting Scorpia, who appeared to have gotten a second wind from seeing her friends in danger.

“I’m coming for you, guys!” Scorpia fought her way through the rebel soldiers, casting them to the side, but even her great resilience was at its limits, and the combined efforts of Spinerella’s and Netossa’s magic finally brought her down as well.

“I’m just saying, you have to admit that I’m good at finding people’s weaknesses.” Netossa looked down at them. “And now we’ve got hostages aplenty.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, darling. We need to pack them up and take them to Bright Moon.”

All while the pair were speaking, and Netossa gloated about her victory, Adora tried to get herself free. She had dropped the sword when she got caught by the net and couldn’t simply cut her way through it. She could see Catra already trying to free herself from her bonds. “Yeah, yeah, I still can’t wait to tell everyone that I’m the vanquisher of She-Ra.” Netossa’s voice fueled Adora’s feeling of anger, frustration and humiliation. She had come so far, only to fail and be caught. She would not allow this, she could not allow this. If she did she would be nothing more than another failure. And they’d take Catra, which might be the worst of all, because Catra might be right, no one else would rescue her. 

Then, all that anger was washed away by a greater certainty. A resolve to not let it come to pass. “No.”

“Yes I am, I beat you fair and square. Maybe people will finally recognise my power.”

“No.” With a tremendous effort of strength, Adora broke through the magical bonds and stood up, grabbing her sword as she did. She could vaguely feel that her eyes were burning bright, staring Netossa down with an unrelenting intensity.

“Well if you want to do a second round…” Netossa threw another net, which Adora effortlessly cut through mid-air. 

Adora could feel the power building up within herself, she concentrated and found her inner focus. The day was darkening all around them, as if the sun had suddenly become obscured, and yet she shone brightly, her light all the greater for the darkness that seemed to surround it. “You will not take us.” She raised the Sword of Protection against them in challenge, the winds that Spinnerella were building up causing her long blonde hair and red cape to rise up in the air. She wasn’t sure if she was imagining that her black dress had taken on a more shadowy aspect to itself, but at the moment she did not care, her mind focused entirely on defeating her enemies.

“Well you asked for a demigod…” Spinnerella sent a great tornado against Adora, who somehow turned her sword into a shield to catch it. Adora idly wondered how she had known to do that, but there was no true surprise within her, her focus not allowing such distracting emotions. She stepped forward, the shield turning back into a sword. In the periphery of her vision, she could see the rebels backing away from her. 

“Step away from her!” Netossa stepped in between Adora and Spinnerella. “Don’t come any closer.” Even they looked somewhat fearful now.

“You should just have let her go.” Adora summoned a great surge of dark magical energy that she unleashed upon them. Despite the displays of power, her voice was calm and even, the anger she had felt had been focused into simply another weapon to defeat them with. She was in complete control, of herself and of her situation. 

Netossa seemed to try to contain the magic within one of her nets, subduing it into one controlled orb before her, but just as she looked like she might succeed, Adora ran it through with her sword, unleashing it all once more. There was a briefest of moments, when Adora’s mind went back to normal, that they looked each other in the eyes, neither of them sure what was about to happen. Then the moment broke, and everyone, friend and foe, looked in horror as all of the magic was sent straight into Netossa’s heart, and the day seemed as dark as night for just a second. “I... “ Netossa stared in disbelief for a moment, not quite able to comprehend it. “I feel wrong, so wrong.” And as she said so, she fell over, spasmed for a few moments, and then was perfectly still.

The trance-like state of tranquil clarity, unsullied by emotions, broke completely, and Adora stepped away in horror at what she had just done. She opened her mouth to say something, what, she was not sure, but got thrown back by the sheer force of Spinnerella’s magic, fueled by her anguish into a storm. “Darling!” She rushed to her wife’s side. “No, please don’t. I couldn’t bear it.” But there was no answer from Netossa, and though the day was slowly growing brighter again it seemed to still carry something of the darkness from before.

Adora was still in a state of shock when Catra picked her up, she and Scorpia now apparently free from Netossa’s webs. “Come on, we can’t stay around.” She started leading her away, Adora not truly feeling capable of saying anything right at that moment.

There was a brief moment of panic when the entire party, in unison, realised that they had, by accident, walked right into Lord Hordak’s own sanctum, and were now facing the leader of the Horde himself. Mermista was one of the first to gather her bearings once more. “This wasn’t the plan, but if you want to fight then let’s do it! for Salineas!” She charged him with her trident.

“Brave. Commendable.” Hordak let it glance off his armour, before grabbing it and, with a strength that must have been tremendous, wrested it out of Mermista’s hands before throwing it away. “Foolish.”

Glimmer teleported up to them to aid Mermista in the fight, “You don’t scare us!” This statement was factually untrue, Hordak was in fact very frightening, but she wasn’t going to admit to that.

“Yeah!” Frosta joined in as well. “We’ll beat you!”

Before Bow or Sea Hawk were to join the fight however, a laser fired from a Horde robot melted the ice wall, and a good portion of the door itself with it. Lonnie and Rogelio charged in, while more Horde soldiers waited for the chance to get through the choke point. “Frosta, a little help here?” Bow was firing what arrows he had, while Sea Hawk dueled Lonnie.

“But I’m fighting Hordak with Glimmer!” Frosta protested, throwing an icy spike at the overlord’s chest.

“Now, unless you want us to get overwhelmed!” Before Bow could back away, Rogelio grabbed him by the arms and threw him into a tank, causing it to crack and some strange green liquid to pour down on him.

“Fine.” Frosta fell back to hold off the Horde soldiers, meeting the far larger Rogelio defiantly. “Hey, lizard! don’t throw my friends!” She made a great axe out of ice and began taking him on with a disturbing amount of aggression for someone so young.

“This act of defiance will be punished most severely.” There was a cold fury to Hordak’s voice, a restrained hatred of those who would dare to intrude upon him. “The rebellion will burn for your transgressions, and you will suffer most of all.” He caught Mermista’s fist with one hand, bending her arm around to dislocate it.

Yet despite the agony that she must have suffered from his grip, Mermista did not give in, but jumped up and directed her legs at his chest, using both of her feet to push Hordak away, freeing herself. “Talk about a guy full of himself.” She massaged her injured arm. 

While the fight was going on, Bow looked around the lab to see if there was anything that could get them out of there. There were a lot of things lying around, most of which he did not understand or really want to think about for that matter. He did however notice that there were a fair few pieces of ammunition, explosives and other inflammable materials. It might open a way out if he could get it working, and perhaps ruin some of Hordak’s work as an added bonus. “Guys! Keep him busy! I’ll get us out of here!”

“Like we weren’t already.” Taking a more cautious approach this time, Mermista avoided the full frontal assault in favour of skirmishing around him, exploiting his slower movement to avoid getting hit.

“Cowards. Fleeing already?” Hordak backed away from Mermista, towards a lever. 

“Oh don’t think that I’m fleeing.” She ran towards him. “I’m taking you down, for Perfuma.”

Just before it happened, Glimmer realised the trap set. Hordak smiled, sharp red teeth almost shining in the darkness, and pulled the lever. For a brief moment, Mermista looked confused as to what it had done. Then she collapsed on her knees, holding her throat, as the air was sucked out all around her. Hordak walked up to her and grabbed her by the throat. “Did you think that it would be this easy to defeat me? Your hubris will cost you much, when I’m done with you I-” But suddenly he himself doubled over, releasing his hold on Mermista. It did not seem to be the air, or lack thereof, that bothered him, but he grabbed his stomach as if suffering some great pain or illness. “Argh!” With his free hand, he tried to continue to strangle Mermista, who seemed to be on the verge of unconsciousness.

But before he could kill her, Glimmer teleported over to where he had thrown Mermista’s trident, grabbed it, teleported to turn off the lever and then struck at Hordak’s armoured body from behind. “Bow! I really hope that you’re done with your plan!” She grabbed Mermista and used her very last reserves of magic to teleport both of them away from Hordak.

Seeing them fall back, Frosta and Sea Hawk joined them, while a tide of Horde soldiers rushed in to help deal with the intruders. “I must agree with Glimmer, friend Bow.” Sea Hawk gave a nervous look at the oncoming army, while Hordak rose up again to order them forward. “We don’t have much time.”

“Almost done. Just be ready to take cover.” Bow had set up some form of fuse to whatever scrap he had been able to scavenge for his purposes.

“Duck from what?” 

“This.” He started the fuse, and all of them, except for Mermista who was already lying on the floor, ducked as the far end of the wall exploded, opening up a path out of the Fright Zone. “Now come on!” The entire sanctum rumbled, and the coming Horde soldiers had to fall back for a moment to avoid the flowing debris. 

“But what about Perfuma?” Frosta looked confused. “Aren’t we supposed to rescue her?”

“We’ll have to do it another time.” Bitter though it felt to say it, Glimmer did not see any other way under the circumstances. “Now we just need to get out of here alive.”

And out they ran, fleeing from the chasing soldiers, egged on by their fuming leader, who did not bother taking up the chase himself, but instead emptied his sanctum of anyone who might disturb it and stood there, watching what may have been years of work undone for no other reason than that they had happened upon it. His roar of anger echoed after them as they fled the Fright Zone, Mermista still barely conscious and all of them fearful for their lives. It would not be until they reached the Whispering Woods that the chase was given up, and by then they were all exhausted, mentally and physically. 

Chapter Text

The Princess Party, as the group might unofficially be called, despite neither Bow or Sea Hawk being Princesses, would use the time spent in the Whispering Woods to take a moment to breathe. The flight from the Fright Zone had been hectic, chased as they were by Horde soldiers on flying skiffs that sought to intercept and capture them. They had only truly escaped them when they had entered the forest, since the soldiers did not dare to pursue them into those treacherous paths, and could not bring their skiffs in among the thick trees. The path back to Bright Moon was long and crooked, but at least that time gave them a degree of recovery. Yet, the time given was not enough, not nearly enough, to prepare them for the shock when they finally arrived. The first sign that there was something wrong was how quiet everything was. No one greeted them when they arrived and when they walked up to the gates, the guards simply opened them in silence. Despite it being a sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, the air was heavy and oppressive, and all of them noticed it. Even Sea Hawk had lost his usual jovial disposition, which was a rare thing indeed. Entering the throne room, they found Angella talking with Spinnerella and Castaspella. As soon as Angella saw Glimmer and the others arrive, she flew over to them. “Glimmer! Where have you been?! Oh, I’ve been worried sick about you!” She quite literally picked up her much shorter daughter, which managed to be both endearing and embarrassing to Glimmer. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine, mom. Please put me down.” Glimmer fought to escape her grip, to no avail.

“Not until you tell me what you’ve been doing. You should have told me, Glimmer. On top of everything else…” She shook her head ruefully.

“Mom, what’s going on? Everyone is so on edge.”

“It’s… Netossa, dear. But do tell me what you’ve been doing, I want to know.”

“It’s not important. Just doing our part for the Rebellion.” Glimmer did not wish to admit that they had been to the Fright Zone at that moment, not when her mother was already so agitated. “But what about Netossa? Where is she? Is she hurt? Captured by the Horde?”

“Not exactly.” Angella got a hesitant look to her face, putting Glimmer down gently on the ground again. 

“Well what’s that supposed to mean?” Glimmer could hear a few gasps from behind her as the others started realising what her mother meant. There was a sinking feeling in her.

“She’s… She fell in battle.”

“... She’s dead, isn’t she?” There was a hollow feeling inside Glimmer, not quite sorrow, more like an emptiness, a deadening of emotions.

“Yes.” Angella looked sadly at her. “Yes she is.”

The others started to walk up to Spinnerella to offer their condolences to her. She looked quite devastated, her eyes red from crying and with a distinct look of not having slept throughout the entire night. She gave them a half-hearted smile in gratitude and started exchanging hugs. Glimmer stayed with her mother though, still feeling consumed by that hollow feeling. “How did she die?”

“I still don’t understand all of the details, but there had been fighting in Elberron, she and Spinnerella had gone to liberate the town. The Horde made a counter-attack of some sort, I believe to rescue one of their own, and…” She paused for a moment. “And She-Ra killed her.”

All that Glimmer could say was “Why?” She had not been terribly close to Netossa, she and Spinnerella had been something akin to honorary aunts to her, but they had generally moved in different social circles and, being quite older than her, not been engaged in the same activities. Even so, the idea that she was suddenly gone seemed so unreal to her, like it couldn’t possibly be true.

“I don’t know, Glimmer. It’s the nature of war.” Angella gave her a hug. “From what Spinnerella told me, She-Ra used some form of dark magic to strike her down.”

The words weighed heavily on Glimmer. It felt so surreal to hear them used for such a mythical hero, someone that she had idolised since she was a child. “Mom, why is She-Ra…” She grasped for the right word. “A villain?”

“I don’t know the answer to that question either. She’s quite unlike what I know of the She-Ra of old. I doubt that she’s the same person, but it is tragic that the Horde would tarnish her legacy so.”

“Maybe they did something to her, corrupted her in some way. Her outfit is so dark, and she… I don’t know.” Glimmer sighed. “Never meet your heroes, I guess.”

Angella smiled sadly. “I’m sure that the truth will become clear in time.”

“But how can she act so normal while serving something so evil? She’s behaving like everyone else, and yet she still does such awful things.”

“Most do. Remember, Glimmer, even your enemies are still people, with their own feelings and desires.”

“I know. I’m still going to stop her though.”

“I know you will, my dear. Now come, we’ll need to begin to prepare the funeral.” Angella began leading her away. “I wish that we had more time to prepare it to give Netossa her proper respects, but the war demands our focus. It’s not what she deserves, but it is what she would have wanted.”

In another part of Etheria, a different group would also make its way back to base. In contrast with the Princesses, it would be the tightness of the security that made the Horde band aware that there was something off, and how quickly they were called out upon returning. Adora was still unusually quiet herself, she hadn’t talked much on the way back, and both Catra and Scorpia had decided to give her some space, electing to simply reassure her every now and then that she did the right thing. The problem was that it didn’t feel like the right thing. Certainly, she was fully capable of coming up with the rationalisations that it was simply war and Netossa was an enemy combatant, that she’d have done no different and that it was her duty as a Horde soldier to kill Princesses. But even so, the brief look of realisation of what was about to happen on her face had deeply unsettled Adora, who could not help but empathise with those final moments of pain and fear. She had not really thought much about what it would actually be like to kill someone before. Certainly, the Horde had been good at teaching her how to defeat her enemies and of the glory of destroying those who opposed the Horde, but the actual death itself seemed glossed over. She worried that there was something wrong with her, that it made her weak to be the only one to be so unsettled by it when no one else had any issue with it clearly. Her brooding, which had otherwise gone undisturbed on the way home, would however be interrupted when they arrived before Shadow Weaver, who looked down on them with a cold fury, reserving particularly hateful glares towards Catra, who looked back at her defiantly. “You disappoint me, Adora.” Shadows danced around the corridor at her words. “Did I not tell you to stay?”

“... Yes, Shadow Weaver.” Adora simply looked down on the floor, she did not have the will to defend herself at that moment.

“And now look at you. You’re a mess.” She sighed and approached to look over Adora, studiously ignoring Catra glaring at her as she did. “This is what happens when you don’t do what I say.”

“I’m sorry.” She did not know what else to say, she knew perfectly well that she was a mess at that moment, there was no point denying it.

“Hey!” Catra spoke up at this. “Leave her alone, she’s had it rough, and she killed an actual Princess, so there.” She met Shadow Weaver’s gaze with a glare of her own.

“Ah, Catra.” Shadow Weaver’s voice was cold as ice. “Your impertinence does not suit you. When will you stop relying on your better to save you? You’re a disgrace, when Lord Hordak learns of your failures he will-”

“Do what?” A voice came from behind Shadow Weaver, a deep and hard voice, as Lord Hordak himself stepped out of the shadows. “How will I deal with a failure, Shadow Weaver?”

“My Lord.” She did a hurried bow to him. “Catra was the one who oversaw the occupation of Elberron when she allowed it to fall into enemy hands, routing the garrison and-”

“You are not answering the question.” Hordak cut her off. “Tell me, how should I deal with failures?”

There was something to his question that seemed to frighten Shadow Weaver, though Adora was not sure what it was exactly. Had she failed him in some way recently? As she watched them, she noticed that there were a few dents in Hordak’s formidable armour, three parallel cuts in his cape and that he carried himself slightly differently than usual. Though he still stood tall and proud, something told her that he was in pain. All in all, he seemed to have been in a fight, despite rarely venturing into the field. “I… Am unsure what you mean, My Lord.” Shadow Weaver tried her most diplomatic voice with him.

“Then allow me to make it clear for you. Despite being responsible for the place’s security, you have allowed rebels to infiltrate us, reaching all the way to my inner sanctum, destroying years of work, and letting them get away with it. Does this seem like failure to you, Shadow Weaver?” His voice was threatening as he fixed her with his red eyes.

“But My Lord, this only happened because Catra had failed as a commander and lured Adora away from her-”

“Are you suggesting that our defences are relying on a single soldier being present?” He arched an eyebrow. 

“... No, My Lord, but-”

“Then I do not see why this is relevant. It is a poor commander who pushes their failure onto others. Are you a poor commander, Shadow Weaver?”

“No. This was a temporary error that will be rectified.”

“See to it that it is. I will deal with you later. Now. Get. Out.” He raised an arm to point her away, brooking no further disagreement.

Humbled, Shadow Weaver departed without another word. By the look on her face, it was taking all of Catra’s willpower not to laugh at her as she left. Turning her attention to Hordak, Adora did a salute. “Lord Hordak, I apologise if I have neglected my duties in the Fright Zone. I promise-”

He waved her excuse away dismissively. “Your apology is unnecessary, Force Captain. The failure was not yours, and I have already expressed disagreement with keeping you here in this manner.” He fixed her with his scrutinising gaze. “Is it true that a Princess fell at your hand?”

“... Yes.” Adora swallowed at the memory. “She did. Her name was Netossa.”

“Hrm.” He seemed to consider the information. “Impressive work. I will ignore the dereliction of duty this time, but see to it that you do not abandon your post again, Force Captain.”

“I won’t.” Adora promised.

“Good. I will consider what award to give for your achievement.” He sounded like he did not actually care much for either the achievement or the award, simply acknowledging what Adora had done and considering that enough. For her part, she did not mind that he didn’t dwell on it, she was quite sure that some grand ceremony would just make her feel worse, and might cause her to embarrass herself. “For now, you are needed in the field.” He let his gaze wander to Catra and Scorpia as well, both of whom tried to stand a little straighter under it. “All of you.”

“What is the mission?” Asked Catra.

Hordak ignored the question, looking calculatingly at them. “Force Captain Scorpia.”

“That’s right.” Scorpia looked like she wasn’t sure what kind of etiquette was appropriate under the circumstances. “My lord?”

“And…” His gaze fell on Catra, considering her for a moment. “Catra, was it?”

“Yes, Lord Hordak.” Catra seemed equal parts nervous about what Hordak had planned and pleased that he remembered her name.

“The offensive is beginning to lose momentum. The Whispering Woods are slowing down movement considerably, and our forces are overstretched. The Rebels are likely to make a concerted effort to retake the initiative. I want you to stop them and their inevitable counter-attack.”

“Yes, Lord Hordak.” Adora did a bow. “We won’t let you down.”

“See to it that you don’t. Etheria cries out for order and discipline, and these savages spit on the offer I make.” He clenched his jaw. “Punish them for their transgressions, they can not begin to fathom the magnitude of the crime that they committed. None of you can.” He turned around brusquely and walked away without another word, leaving the three standing alone.

“So…” Scorpia was the first to break the silence, scratching her head with one of her pincers. “Back to fighting I guess?”

“Guess so.” With Hordak and Shadow Weaver gone, Catra took the time to chuckle. “Man, I don’t think that I’ve ever seen Shadow Weaver get such a telling off, that was just great.” She noticed that Adora was still silent. “Hey, Adora? Are you alright?”

“Oh?” Adora had been drifting off to her own inner thoughts with the moment of quiet. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I mean, why wouldn’t I be? I’m a hero now, right?”

“Well I should say so.” Catra bit her lip, looking hesitant. “Thanks for the help, by the way. It was nice that you’d come.”

“You know what would make you feel better, Adora?” Scorpia gave her a hug. “Some tea from my old family recipe. That always makes me better whenever I’m down. Do you want some too, Catra? You know, since you got kidnapped and all?” She looked hopefully at Catra.

“Huh? Uh, sure?” Catra shrugged. “I guess it can’t hurt.”

“Great! I’ll, uh, leave you two alone and make sure that you get some before we head out.” Scorpia hurried away, though looking back over her shoulder regularly as she went, with an almost regretful look to her.

Another minute passed by in silence before Catra spoke up once more. “Want to head to where we can talk alone?” When Adora simply nodded quietly in response she led her away to their usual spot on the rooftops that they had used for years whenever they wanted a bit of time for themselves. “Don’t worry about Shadow Weaver, by the way. She’s never going to hurt her golden child.” Catra seemed to try very hard to sound chipper and not bitter when saying this.

“I’m not… It’s not her that I worry about.” Adora curled up into a fetal position as she watched the industrial skyline.

“Well, what is it then?” Catra raised an eyebrow as she observed Adora.

“I’m not really sure.” Adora sighed. “I’m… Not weak, am I, Catra?”

This question made Catra snigger. “Wait, you’re seriously asking me that? Adora, you’re the strongest person I know, it’s honestly kind of terrifying.” Her voice was casual as she said it, but the word ‘terrifying’ did not make Adora feel any better at all.

“... Am I?”

“Yeah, like you’re actually kind of awesome whenever I see you kick those Princesses around, but I’m glad that I’m on your side.” Catra’s half-smile died when Adora continued to look uneasy. “Hey, is this about all that magic Shadow Weaver is doing with you? Because she is not up to anything good. Like, I shouldn’t even need to say that. The old crone can’t bear to have anyone whose power doesn’t come from her.”

“It’s not about that… Not directly.”

“So what is it? You’re the hero, Adora, you saved the day, helped me get out of a tight spot and slayed one of our great enemies. Didn’t you tell me that you would kill a Princess when we were children?”

“I did, but that’s the problem. I don’t feel like a hero. I feel weak, none of the heroes we were told about felt so awful at killing someone, a Princess even!”

“Well obviously. What kind of stories would they be if they did? Besides.” Catra chuckled. “If anyone ever calls the Princess-killer weak, just punch them, the idiot deserves it.”

This did put a bit of a smile on Adora’s face. “I guess they do.”

“There you go. Or better yet, ask me to punch them for you. I could use some exercise, you wouldn’t believe how boring Elberron was most of the time.”

Adora laughed at Catra’s enthusiasm at the idea. “What if you can’t punch a problem away?”

There was an audible gasp, and Catra grabbed Adora by the arms to turn her towards her. “Who are you? Where is Adora?”

“I’m fine, Catra.” She smiled at her, actually feeling a little better now than she had before. “Would you like to do a sparring match with me later?”

“Pfft! Only if you think that you’ll feel better from losing to me.”

“I wouldn’t lose to you.” Adora gave her best cocky smile.

They were still talking about more light-hearted subjects when Scorpia found them at last. It had taken her a while to figure out where they were, much less get up to them, apparently, but the tea was quite good, if a bit cold by then. Whatever the future had in store for them, Adora could at least spend a few moments with her friends without having to dwell on what she had done.

“Look, Emily. I told you that I wasn’t lost. I don’t know what you were so worried about.” Entrapta looked up from her datapad to see the Crystal Castle tower before them. In response to a few beeps from Emily, she continued. “Yes, I know that we went to the wrong place a few times at first, but the process of elimination is a key part of scientific rigour.” Emily did the closest thing that a robot that communicated purely through beeps could to a groan. “Now, now. There’s no need to take that tone with me, young lady.” Entrapta wagged her finger at her companion as she walked up to the entrance of the castle. “Let’s see here…”

After a bit of fiddling with her recorder, the voice of Adora once more said the word ‘Eternia’ from it, and the entrance opened up for the pair. Ominously so, judging by Emily’s concerned tone. Entrapta, for her part, rose up in the air using her prehensile hair to lift herself from the ground as a show of her excitement. “This is going to be so amazing.” At the sound of Emily’s protests, she continued. “I know that they told me to let it rest, but this is simply too important, for all of Etheria, to ignore. I have to do this, for science!” She raised a finger into the air, and at these words entered into the gaping maw of the castle, to grasp for the secrets at its heart.

It would not take any more than the antechamber for Entrapta to stop on her journey to marvel at the technology around her, as even one of the many data crystals surrounding her contained more information than most people would gather throughout their lifetimes. It was a treasure without equal, and despite Emily’s protestations, taking the form of worried beeps, Entrapta was soon compelled to lift one of them from its pedestal. The entire room turned red as she did so, and a synthetic voice called out to them. “ Unauthorised presence detected. Security protocol activated. ” All around them, the doors were closing, while spiders appeared to remove the intruders.

“Not to worry, Emily.” Entrapta jumped out of the way of one of the spiders as it attacked her. “This is all part of the plan. This is what happened last time I visited.” Emily gave a dubious sound as she fired her laser to dispatch with some of the spiders attacking them. “Yes, they did chase me off that time, but not before I got the technology to build you, you beautiful piece of machinery! Ah!” One of the spiders had caught Entrapta in its web, and was descending upon her. “No! Bad robot spider!” Before it could sink its mandibles into Entrapta though, it was neatly bisected by a shot from Emily’s laser. “Thanks, Emily.” Entrapta patted her robot friend on the shell, before turning to the spider corpse. “Oh, but this is interesting.” Unheeding of the battle between Emily and the remaining spiders, Entrapta stooped down to do a dissection, taking out some of her tools and her recorder. “Crystal Castle log, attempt 3. I am analysing the body of one of the castle’s Spider Guardians, sample provided to me by my partner, Emily. Say hi, Emily.” One of her overly long pigtails gripped the recording and stretched it out to Emily, who gave a beep amidst her spider fighting. “That’s a good girl.” The other pigtail was busy dissecting the corpse while she turned the recorder back to herself. “Now, these beings were already marvels of engineering, ones that I intend to further study for the development of my latest generation of robots, but this discovery, if true, could revolutionise everything we know about technology! This castle seems to possess the template to teleport or even create these Spiiiiideeeers!” Her voice wavered as one of them launched itself at, and she had to beat a hasty retreat to not get devoured. “Don’t you know that it’s rude to interrupt someone while recording? Where was I? Oh, yes!” She continued to talk while running away from the spider. “This is in itself a truly fascinating piece of technology that I look forward to further researching, but the greatest part is that the spiders incorporate organic elements ! This means that not only are the First Ones capable of unseen levels of organic and technological integration, but they can even synthesise organic matter!” She gave a mad cackle of jubilation. “This may be one of the greatest discoveries of our age!” She looked around to where Emily was fighting off the spiders. “Also, we should probably run. Emily, blow up this door!”

The funeral was a solemn affair, as most funerals are. Spinnerella took the central role within it, as might be expected with the death of her wife, but many others, like Angella or Castaspella, had held speeches about the virtues that Netossa had possessed, their memories with her and how sad they were that she was no longer with them. Glimmer had not been one of them. It felt disingenuous to speak as if she was one of the people closest to Netossa, when in truth, she had spent most of her grown-up life only superficially interacting with her. And now she would never get the chance to change that. Bow was crying next to her, but Glimmer still found it difficult to nail the feeling within her as anything but a vague emptiness . She did not think that it was what was commonly labelled as grief, perhaps it was shock at how sudden and unreal the event had been. Regardless, the outward effect was stony silence rather than tears, as she watched the proceedings continue. On the row in front of her, Mermista was massaging her throat, still sore from when Hordak had tried to strangle her. Looking closely, Glimmer noticed that she had tears in her eyes as well, which quite shocked her. Mermista had always seemed the strongest of them, not just in body but also temperament, more likely to snark than show any emotion to what happened around them. And yet she was actually crying, for a woman that she must barely know at all. It both touched and shamed Glimmer, who wondered what kind of monster it made her to not shed any for a woman that she had known for as long as she could remember. After finishing her own speech, her mother would go back to sit next to Glimmer, looking at her gently. “How do you feel?”

“Terrific.” Glimmer sighed. She could sense that there was a ‘talk’ coming, and she did not have the energy for that at the moment. Looking over the assembly, she wondered if it had looked like this when they had done the funeral for her father, sans the body itself since it had never been recovered. She had been too young to have more than fragments of memories of the time, let alone fully appreciate the magnitude of death when she was so little. “Did he… When he…” She did not complete the sentence, partially because she did not have the energy to, partially because she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say.

Her mother seemed to intuit her intent though, for she gave her a hug. “It was very beautiful, I’m sure that he appreciated it where he is now.” She smiled sadly at the memory.

“I don’t want anyone else to die.” It was a childish wish, and Glimmer knew it, but it was an earnest one all the same.

“And I hope that no one else will.” Angella released her from the hug. “You still haven’t told me what you were doing.”

“It’s really not important, mom.” Glimmer was absolutely not in the mood to hear her mother reprimand her about their excursion to the Fright Zone. 

“But I want to know what my daughter does. Is that so much to ask for?”

“... We tried to rescue Perfuma.” Glimmer’s voice was very low, barely audible.

At first she wasn’t sure whether Angella had heard her, for there was a moment’s silence as she processed this information. “ You did what? ”

“ We tried to get Perfuma out of the Fright Zone. ”

“Glimmer… That’s incredibly dangerous.” Angella was clearly straining to keep her voice low so as to not distract everyone around them.

“I know that it is, but we had to try and get her out of there.”

“But you could have gotten yourself killed.” Angella frowned in worry.

“ I know, mom. ” Glimmer’s voice was now loud enough to draw some attention to herself, and she tried her best to keep it more level. “I’m aware of what risks we took.”

“You really should have told me about it beforehand.” Her mother put a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder.

“Well, add it to the list of reasons why I’m a terrible commander.” Glimmer’s tone was more bitter than she had intended it to be.

Angella blinked. “You’re not a terrible commander, dear. What has made you think that?”

“I just… There’s always things going wrong, and you keep telling me how reckless I am.”

Angella sighed. “I’m just saying that because I worry for you. I don’t want to lose you, because I do think that you are great, as a leader and in all other respects.”

“That’s… Thanks, mom.” Glimmer sighed as well, even though she should be happy at the praise. It was nice, but it didn’t fully address the underlying issue of how it seemed like the best she could achieve was pyrrhic victories. She gave a half-hearted smile. “I’m going to go out there again, you know? After the funeral is over.”

“I know. You are your father’s daughter after all, it would be pointless for me to try to stop you. But do be careful.”

“I’ll try my best.”

They spent the rest of the funeral in silence, watching it wrap up to its final stages. Most of the official ceremony had already been done, with Angella having been one of the last to make a speech for the departed. By now, the body was being sent to its final rest, followed by the assembled crowd moving from the bright and sunny outside to the halls of Bright Moon Castle to mingle and eat for a bit. Glimmer did not really feel like eating though, so she instead resolved to gather up the other members of the Princess Party, a name that she had come to prefer in her mind, to discuss what to do next. Bow had continued to stick around her even after the funeral was over, and Frosta, not knowing most of the gathered people, quickly came over to Glimmer as well. Which left Mermista and Sea Hawk, who turned out to be sitting by a window looking down over the vale below the castle. “Oh hey.” Mermista did not turn around at their arrival, but seemed to be inspecting the treeline. “That was, like, a real downer to come back to.”

“I agree,” added Sea Hawk. “I hadn’t even met her and still I can’t but mourn her loss.”

Frosta walked up to sit on the window sill so that she could look out as well. “What are you looking at?” She asked curiously.

“Oh, nothing really.” Sea Hawk sat up to make some space for her. “Just admiring the view from up here.”

“It is quite nice,” Glimmer agreed. She was unsure how to approach the subject she had come for, and so settled on making some small talk. “I’ve always loved the beauty of this place.”

Bow put an arm over her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s something that I’ve appreciated since I first came here.”

“Well, it’s pretty, but you didn’t come here to admire it with us.” Mermista proved straight to the point. “So, like, what’s the plan?”

Glimmer clenched her jaw to harden her resolve. “We take the fight to the Horde. We push them back, and make them regret ever hurting us.”

“Okay... So how do we do that then?”

“We’ll take out their forces in the Whispering Woods so that they can’t push any further. Then, I don’t know, we’ll start retaking what has been lost.”

She had expected Mermista to protest this plan, which was admittedly still in a very early stage, but she just shrugged. “Sure, sounds like a plan to me.”

“Should we ask Spinnerella to come with?” Asked Frosta. “She might like to beat up bad guys with us.”

“I think that she’d rather take some time to rest and mourn,” opined Sea Hawk. “There are other adventures that she can come with.”

“Yeah, we should probably give her a bit of space.” Bow looked at Glimmer. “Does your mom know that we’re doing this?”

“Basically, yeah. I didn’t want to bother her with the details of it.” Before anyone could protest this, she changed the subject. “Before we go though, I think that I should show you guys the armoury. Or, well, the room where I’ve collected a bunch of weapons over time. Come!” She waved them to follow as she led the way to her private collection. 

Before they could enter it, however, Glimmer would have to contend with the ancient and immortal guardian that blocked the way. The sphinx that would only let a seeker with a swift tongue and swifter mind gain the prize within. “Glimmer,” her mother admonished, “where do you think that you are going?"

“Mom!” Glimmer did her best attempt at looking innocent, which consisted of jumping in surprise, before putting her hands behind her back and looking up at Angella as if she had done nothing wrong. “I was just showing my friends around the castle.”

“Specifically the part containing your weapons and armour collection?” Angella raised an eyebrow. 

“I… Wait, you knew about that?”

Her mother sighed an exasperated sigh. “You haven’t exactly been subtle about it, dear, and this room had to be given for you to store things in.”

“ Oh. ” Glimmer blushed embarrassedly. “Well, I’m going out on another mission to fight the Horde, and thought that we should gear up beforehand.”

“I know, dear. That’s why I’m here.”

“Please don’t try to stop me, mom.” There was a hint of despair in Glimmer’s voice, she did not want to fight about it at that moment.

“I’m not trying to stop you.” Angella shook her head. “I meant what I said about how I don’t think that I could. I came to give you a gift.” She reached out into the thin air with her hand, and summoned into it a long staff with a star and circle for Mystacor and Bright Moon respectively at the end of it. “Your father’s staff. I thought that you ought to wield it if you intend to carry on his legacy.”

“I…” Glimmer was at a loss for words at the gesture. After a moment of indecision, she went forward to give her mother a hug. “Thanks, mom. I won’t let him down.”

“You never have.” Angella gave her a benevolent smile.

The door to the Black Garnet Chamber opened while Perfuma was doing her very best to keep dark and gloomy thoughts away from her mind. Her usual daily rituals to center herself and put her mind at peace were a lot more difficult to do in her current position, and her shackles felt like they were draining her of life. The worst part, however, was the isolation, for she was unused to being so alone, with her only regular company being her horrible captor. Speaking of whom, unsurprisingly it would be she that entered through the opened door. As difficult as it was to tell Shadow Weaver’s moods behind her red mask, she seemed very angry at something. Perfuma tried to stay silent and inconsequential, so as to not draw her attention while she was in this mood, but to no avail, for after taking a moment to collect herself, Shadow Weaver turned towards Perfuma and gazed down upon her with those eyeslits in her mask. “There is no use pretending to not be awake.” She did not walk so much as float up to Perfuma, observing her. “You will give me the secrets of the Heart-Blossom, Princess. It is better not to struggle.” With a gesture of her hand, she caused the pain from the shackles of electricity to intensify, looking dispassionately as Perfuma struggled against it.

“I’ve already told you, I don’t know how to do that, and I wouldn’t even if I did, no matter how much pain you cause me.” Perfuma looked up at the unfeeling mask. “Why do you do this? Do you like to make people suffer?”

“Of course not. It is but a means to an end.” Despite her words, there was a sadistic quality to her as she watched Perfuma’s futile struggle to break free, her life slipping away from her slowly but steadily. “Through you, I will learn all that I can about how to use your runestone, and with it I will master two runestones. I will be more powerful than anyone before me, with or without your cooperation.”

“My friends will stop you before that,” Perfuma spoke in defiance. “The Heart-Blossom will never accept you.”

“It will, and your so-called friends are nowhere to be seen. They are being beaten, killed, why would they waste resources on you?”

“Because… They’re my friends.” Putting it like that made the argument sound weak even in Perfuma’s own ears. She didn’t like what she was hearing about them being killed, but maybe it was just lies made by Shadow Weaver. “We look after each other.”

“And yet you sold yourself out to us. To them you are nothing but a traitor and a turncoat, scorned by all.”

“That’s not true!” The words cut deeply into Perfuma. “I did this for them! I wanted to keep them safe.”

“That’s what they all say.” Shadow Weaver put a hand by her cheek. “Admit it, you turned your back on their alliance, an unforgivable act.”

“No…” Her voice broke slightly. “Stop it.”

“None will come for you.” Seemingly satisfied, Shadow Weaver turned her back on Perfuma, gliding over to a basin of water standing on a pedestal. “They will regret turning their backs on me.” She seemed to be talking to herself now, ignoring Perfuma while she gazed into the water. “I will not be denied, not by anyone. If more direct measures are needed…” She paused, as if contemplating what she was about to do. “So be it. From the farthest regions of Etheria, I command you, be as one!” She raised her arms into the air, drawing, both from the bowl and the surrounding rooms, shadows that she shaped with them. Perfuma watched with no small amount of horror as the shadows were being formed into what seemed to be a living entity, vaguely humanoid but with only a single red eye for a distinguishing feature in an otherwise smoky and insubstantial black body.

“Yes, Emily, I am going, but this is all just so very fascinating.” Despite Emily’s beeping protestations that they must hurry to get away from the spiders, Entrapta could not help but stop at every new corner to observe the remarkable technology on display. “Oh, look! I- Okay, I’ll look over it later.” She was now being actively pushed forward by the robot. “You were a very good girl back then, by the way.” Already, Emily’s self-repair protocols had allowed her to undo all of the damage taken from her fight with the spiders, and Entrapta beamed with pride that she had done so well, against First Ones bots no less. “My very best model yet.” They had now stepped into a vast, dark and empty room. Walking further into it, Entrapta was just about to wonder aloud what its purpose was for, when the surroundings changed, reforming into images of Dryl. “Fascinating!” She pulled down her mask to see past the illusions. “This is some amazing technology!” Stopping only to marvel at the holographic projectors, Entrapta forged on, with Emily doing some increasingly exacerbated beeps at the chittering sound coming from around them. Neither dissuaded or confused by the illusions (or at least Entrapta wasn’t), they continued their progress, to the increasingly visible frustration of the castle itself.

Eventually, they appeared to be approaching the heart of the castle, with the illusions giving way to a causeway surrounded by, and in some parts overgrown with, crystal formations, beyond which a star-filled black sky could be seen. Just as Entrapta stood perfectly transfixed by the sight, a hologram appeared before them, causing Emily to jump in fright. “You do not have authorization to be here. Please leave. ” The hologram was of a blue woman, her body made of geometric shapes, giving her a very angular appearance.

“Aha!” Entrapta was pleased at this clear sign of progress. “Hi, what is your name?”

“My name is Light Hope, and I must tell you that only She-Ra and her noble steed are allowed inside the Crystal Castle. You must leave now. ”

“So you’re the central artificial intelligence of this castle?” At this point, Entrapta was holding her hands by her cheeks to contain her excitement.

“Yes. I am. Now please leave. ”

“Oh, this is so exciting!” Filled with a sublime feeling of exaltation, Entrapta ignored the second part of what she said. “Such a tremendous artificial intelligence, oh, I need to see your central core!” She started to run further ahead on the causeway, climbing the crystal growths with her hair.

“I said that you- ” Light Hope looked at Emily, who gave a shrug with her two front legs. Teleporting in front of Entrapta, Light Hope held out a hand to stop her, despite being entirely insubstantial. “You are not allowed in here. If you do not leave, I will have to unleash my security systems on you. ”

“Oh that’s alright, Emily and I have figured out how to deal with those.” Entrapta smiled up to Light Hope. “And I just want to look, I can’t go back, not without betraying my cause!”

“What is your cause? ” Light Hope tilted her head to emote a quizzical state.

“Science, of course!” Entrapta decided to continue to climb further inwards, albeit at a more sedate pace now. “This is a simply amazing discovery, I really must see it.”

“Is my understanding of modern Etherian dialects faulty? ” Light Hope followed after her. “I wish to make it clear that you may not trespass here. ”

“Oh I know, people always tell me that I’m not allowed to go to places, but just think of all the discoveries I would miss out on if I listened.” She found it strange that most people did not seem to understand this obvious truth.

“I can not allow you to go any further, it is against my programming. ” Light Hope summoned a group of spiders to block the path for them.

“But please?” Using her hair to climb up so that she was on the same eye level as Light Hope, Entrapta clasped her hands in prayer to be let through. “How can I stand by and let this opportunity slip away? I must persist. Think of-” She didn’t get any further, as the spiders launched their attacks against her and Emily. The latter beeped in challenge and shot out lasers against them, cutting through many of the crystals in the process. Tragic though their destruction was, for Entrapta found them both beautiful and intriguing, she was proud at Emily’s evident combat prowess. Using the brief respite while Light Hope calculated through what means she should deal with them, Entrapta jumped over the spiders from her high position and began rushing ahead. The entire place was shifting to block the way for her, but Entrapta was small and agile, and faster than the changes in the castle or the spiders chasing after her. 

Reaching the end of the causeway, Entrapta found what she had expected to find: the core processing unit. Light Hope blocked the way as well as a spectral hologram ever could. “ Stop. No further. You can not do this. No one may tamper withor risk jeopardising the Heart of Etheria Project. ”

“Alright, the Horde should be here soon.” Bow was currently acting as their scout, mostly because he was the only one with a pair of binoculars. The rest were waiting tensely for the expected unit to show up in their sights. Having equipped themselves with new armour from Glimmer’s collection, and been given the command of a small group of Bright Moon guards, the Princess Party awaited the inevitable confrontation with no small amount of trepidation. If their plan worked and they could pull this ambush off, they would have the element of surprise, but even then, they were outnumbered, and while the regular soldiers might be relatively minor threats to them, they did also have two robots and a tank with them, and previous battles had shown that the Horde was hardly to be underestimated. 

“I still think that I should be fighting with Glimmer.” Frosta had been sulking a fair amount over being paired with Mermista for the coming battle. “Why can’t I fight with my bestie?”

“We’ve been over this.” Glimmer had spent a lot of her time while waiting trying to understand the capabilities of the staff that her mother had given her. It did seem quite powerful, as might be expected from how it had once been her father’s. She did like the idea that she was picking up his mantle, making his sacrifice a little more worthwhile. “It simply makes the most tactical sense, Mermista’s water powers complement your own ice powers really well. If you work together we’ll have better odds of victory.”

“Besides.” Mermista was leaning against one of the many trees around them. “Stick with me and you get to see, like, the coolest fights.”

“Really?” This did seem to cheer Frosta up considerably. “Will I get to use ice sledgehammers to smash them with you?”

“Totally.” Mermista smiled at her newfound enthusiasm.

“Okay. Then I suppose that I can stick with Mermista.” Placated, Frosta sat down beside Sea Hawk, who was spending his preparation time making sure that his armour complemented his clothes stylishly. Grudgingly, Glimmer had to admit that he was doing a good job of it.

“Alright, it’s almost time.” Glimmer looked the group over. “We can do this, and if we do, we’ll put a stop to the Horde’s advance, for now and hopefully ever.”

“Hear, hear!” Sea Hawk cheered, before being reminded to be more quiet by a look from Mermista.

“We won’t let them take one step further,” Glimmer continued. “We won’t let them take any more people from us.” She raised her staff up in the air. She didn’t know why, but it felt like the right thing to do, something inspirational. “For everyone that we have lost.” For a brief moment, she fantasized that the fragmentary reflection of herself in it was that of her father instead, when he wielded it against the Horde.

Progress through the woods was slow, since they had to cut down the trees in front of them to make way for the heavier weapons and leave an easily followable trail after them as they progressed forward. In theory, they could just abandon the tank and robots and walk through the woods on foot, but that would be suicidally stupid since they’d inevitably get lost and picked off by either rebels or the creatures of the forest. So instead they had to progress in a slow, loud, obvious way that left a highly visible trail after them. Needless to say, Adora did not find these the most ideal of tactical circumstances to be in, and she grunted a bit in annoyance as she read the input that the tank was giving her. “I don’t like this, we’re sitting ducks here if the Rebels show up.”

“Isn’t that kind of the plan?” Wondered Scorpia. “To be here when they eventually attack us?”

“Yeah, but I don’t like letting them choose the time and place like this.” Adora tried to find something to do to put her mind at ease, but within the cramped space given her she had no such luck. “This is driving me crazy! I want to get out and do something, not just sit in here.”

“Hey, relax.” Catra put a hand on her shoulder, making her sit down after she had tried to rise from her chair. “As long as they don’t know that you’re here we still have something to throw at them that they won’t expect.”

“I know, but I don’t like just waiting for something to go wrong, I need action.” Adora felt tempted to start pacing around to get rid of the excess energy.

As if in answer to this unknowing prayer by a god that she would never know the name of, the calm was broken by the sound of shouts and screams, as well as the heavy thuds of one object colliding with another. “I think that you got your wish.” Catra opened the hatch in the ceiling and jumped out of the tank in a single agile bound.

Smashing on the autopilot, Adora got out of the chair to follow after. While Scorpia opened the back door for them to get out, she drew the Sword of Protection and, emitting a light visible even from outside the tank, transformed with the words “For the Glory of the Horde!”

Rushing out, she found one of the robots already being demolished by the Princesses Mermista and Frosta. “Oh. It’s you.” Mermista was standing on top of it and ran it through with her trident, before jumping down in front of Adora. She was more heavily armoured than she had been before, looking like some warrior queen of old. “I guess that you’d like another round?” She twirled her trident in challenge.

“Mermista, fancy seeing you here.” Adora took the challenge and began engaging with her, sword clashing with trident. “And… Frosta? So you’ve thrown your lot with the Rebels as well then?”

“Well, Glimmer did make a pretty good case.” Frosta looked slightly awkward at the implicit accusation. “And you are constantly invading everyone.”

“No we’re not!” Affronted, Adora stomped the ground with enough force to put Mermista off her balance. Before she had the time to regain it, Adora punched her away. “Huh, I can do that?” She turned around just in time to block Frosta’s sledgehammer of ice with her sword. Then she hesitated. “Uh, am I supposed to fight you? You’re like ten.”

She immediately regretted lowering her guard when Frosta transformed the sledgehammer into a giant fist that she used to punch her in the stomach with. “I’m twelve I’ll have you know!”

“My bad.” The punch had winded Adora quite a bit. As she straightened up again, Mermista charged at her once more. Forced on the defensive, she parried the attacks, but just as she tried to get in some of her own, she heard what sounded like Catra screaming her name from within the tank. Heedless of the strike in her back from doing so, Adora abandoned the fight to rush into the tank to see what was going on. “Catra?!” And yet no one was in it. Just as Adora was wondering what was going on, she noticed that the self-destruct mechanism had been activated. In the brief moment before the vehicle turned into a ball of fire, she threw herself out of it, her leap given extra force from the shockwave of the explosion, throwing her several meters away. Concussed, her vision blurred, she looked over the battle. The rebels were clearly winning, aside from the tank, the remaining robot had also fallen to a series of arrows, and the soldiers appeared scattered and confused, something that she could share at that moment. Far from being inside the tank, Catra was isolated, fighting Sea Hawk away from the rest of the troops. Scorpia, similarly, appeared to have been drawn away from the main fighting by something or other. Trying to get up, Adora felt a sinking feeling, as she noticed many of the soldiers being routed by the enemy. They were losing, and in her state there was no great chance that she’d turn the battle around. Shameful though it was, she had no other choice but to call a retreat. Adora had failed, she had been defeated, and easily so. She had let them down as a captain.

“I promise that I won’t do anything bad.” Entrapta immediately set about inspecting the technology before her. The artificial intelligence was clearly remarkable, yet she could already see the limits put to Light Hope’s potential, constraints and poor design, as well as the wear of age. Within seconds of analysis, she could already see how to optimise it. “You know, you really should have sent for me to help you sooner, this is clearly in need of a fixer-upper.”

“I do not have any memory of sending you for help. ” Light Hope observed Entrapta as she worked. “This is very sensitive, you do not understand what you tamper with. ”

“I know, that’s why I’m here to find out.” Entrapta smiled up at her. “So this Heart of Etheria Project, is it about harnessing the elemental runestones connected by First Ones tech to the planet’s core?”

Light Hope did not have the physical capacity or impulse to blink, but if she did she would have. “Yes. Are you looking through my memory files? ”

“No, I just figured that one out on my own.” Ignoring the still ongoing fight between Emily and the spider robots, Entrapta took out her tools to help fix the connections and make for a more efficient use of the limited amount of remaining energy that the castle had. “You were lucky I came along, this wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

“I am uncertain how to properly transmit the information that your help is not warranted or asked for. ”

“That’s because it is needed.” Entrapta shook her head. “And people don’t always ask for the help that they need.”

“It is not- ” At that moment, the rerouted power began coursing through Light Hope’s system. “What did you do? ”

“Oh I just fixed some issues that you were having.” Entrapta felt quite pleased with her work. “You should operate much more smoothly now.”

“This is ancient technology beyond Etherian knowledge. The chances that something went wrong are exceptional. ”

“Oh there’s usually more explosions when things go wrong for me.” Entrapta paused to listen to the sound of any brewing up. It did not seem so. “So I think that you’re fine.”

Light Hope observed Entrapta for a long moment, apparently calculating something related to her with her newfound processing power. No more spiders were showing up though, which Entrapta considered a good sign. “You are unusually technologically adept for your age. ”

“That’s what everyone has led me to conclude.”

“And you are fascinated by the technology of the First Ones, correct? ”

“Yep!” Entrapta nodded her head enthusiastically.

Another pause as the machine mind ran further calculations. “What is your name? ”

“Entrapta. From Dryl.” She made a token attempt to shake Light Hope’s hand with one of her slings of hair, to make a good impression.

A third and final pause. Light Hope did not react to the attempt at friendliness, and her face was completely frozen in her impassive stare. “The Project may benefit from you. Temporary administrator access granted to Entrapta of Dryl. ”

Chapter Text

Retreating from the battle had been as exhausting for Adora’s squadron as it had been humiliating. Leaving behind their heavy equipment had been an easy choice, since most of it was already badly damaged by the time that she had called for retreat, but the idea of letting any of her soldiers be abandoned was far less palpable for her. A fighting retreat to make sure that the wounded got away from whatever terrible fate the rebels would have in store for them had more than doubled the number of cuts and bruises on her, and as soon as they had made some distance and she had turned back into her normal form, she had collapsed. The group seemed to have taken that as a sign to make camp, and fortunately the rebels had, by all appearances, given up the chase. Rather too quickly, in fact, she suspected that this was all part of some elaborate trap by them, but getting up made her entire body ache even more than it already did. Due to this, Scorpia had elected to use her authority as Force Captain to take charge, and her first order was to make sure that Adora got a proper rest to recover. That was the point when Adora found that she could not actually sleep at all, and the night, rather than a time of recovery, became a futile struggle to keep the unwelcome thoughts away from her head. Failure. Adora twitched, closing her eyes and trying to shut it out. You let them all down . “I didn’t mean to,” She whispered to herself. Mean to? When has that ever mattered? Your forces are in shambles and it is your fault. She wished that Catra was back soon, she had gone to take watch up in the trees to ‘clear her head’, but life always seemed less worrying when she slept at the foot of Adora’s bed. When you go back, Hordak’s wrath will be terrible. Adora punched the ground hard enough to make her knuckles ache. “Just stop, please.” And what would that achieve? You can pretend that you didn’t fail in your expectations, that you won’t have to beg for forgiveness? She rolled around on the ground, hugging herself for comfort. All because you could not follow your teacher’s guidance. “I had to save Catra,” she protested weakly. And then what? You’re not strong enough to protect her like this. At this point, Adora had had enough. Despite her every muscle protesting from the effort, she stood up so that she could take a walk, following Catra’s example about clearing her head.

It was Kyle who would be the guard that she passed by when she began her walk. “Uh, Adora? Can I just say Adora? Aren’t you supposed to be resting or something?”

“It’s fine, Kyle. And I’m just going to stretch my legs.”

“Scorpia said that you really needed to lie down though.” He paused. “Thanks for getting me out of there, by the way.”

“It was the least that I could do.” Adora’s attempt at a smile turned into a pained grimace. “I’ll talk to Scorpia about it later, alright?”

“Alright.” He looked somewhat concernedly at her as Adora continued walking. Touching though it was, it only exacerbated her sense of frustration with her own weakness and failure. Having to receive pity from Kyle, the most sad and pitiful of the cadets, rankled her pride. If he viewed her that way, then how much more negatively wouldn’t everyone else see her? The thought of dead Netossa entered unbidden into Adora’s mind, the fear that she had felt in those final moments. 

“She deserved it though.” She tried to rationalise the thing to herself aloud, her feet taking her further from camp. “She was a Princess, a bad guy, and she hurt Catra. I couldn’t let her take her again.” Even when spoken only to herself, the excuse rang hollow. “And Catra’s right. People shouldn’t judge me weak, I’m the one who killed a Princess. Just because I feel bad about it doesn’t mean that I’m…” She trailed off. She wasn’t sure what word to use. Traitorous? Soft? Cowardly? “Come on, Adora, get a grip on yourself.” She gave herself a slap. “Ow.” Adora immediately regretted it when the pain in her body intensified. “It’ll be fine. Hordak knew that we were overextended. I didn’t lose too much. I’ll tell Shadow Weaver that I’m sorry for having run away, and everything will be as it should be.” Yes, that sounded somewhat like a plan to her. Perhaps not a very good plan, but at least it gave her something to focus on. “And when I’m back, Catra will be done and we can…” She stopped, as she noticed lights flickering ahead. It would seem that the rebels had indeed been pursuing them, and were planning to attack them under the cover of darkness. Adora gripped the Sword of Protection and began sneaking closer to the source of the light. She wondered if her body would be in less pain when she turned into She-Ra.

“I still think that we should do more to capture and pursue the Horde when we win.” Glimmer sat grumpily on a fallen tree, annoyed at how little the others seemed to care that the Horde had gotten away. “Otherwise, what’s even the point?”

“Adventure!” Sea Hawk stood up dramatically. “The glory of victory, to hear the horns of triumph and return home to the accolades of the people.”

“Also, you know, getting to totally wreck their machines, rout their soldiers and hurt their leader.” Mermista gave Frosta a small fistbump. “Nice work, by the way.”

“Thanks!” With the battle over, and the party grouped around the campfire, Frosta had apparently decided that Mermista would have the honour of being her second bestie, and positioned herself between her and Glimmer. “Did you see when I punched She-Ra?”

“But they’ll be back, they always come back. And unlike us, they don’t offer such mercy when they’re the victors.” Glimmer stared into the fire. It was weird how despite the decisive victory that they had gotten, she did not feel any better. She had expected herself to, perhaps getting some catharsis from victory and revenge. And yet she still felt nothing.

Bow, perhaps sensing her mood, gave her a hug. “And that’s what makes us different from them. We don’t stoop down to their level, or else we’d be no better than they are.”

“But what if that’s why they’re winning? Because they’re willing to go to greater lengths to take us out than we are? Maybe we’re losing because we’re not willing to do what has to be done?”

“You don’t believe that, do you?”

Glimmer sighed. “I suppose not. It just doesn’t seem right that the one who killed Netossa isn’t made to answer for her crimes.”

“I do want to point out.” Mermista raised a finger. “That Frosta and I did give her a good pummelling. She was, like, so messed up by the end there.”

“But that’s only temporary. She’ll be back soon enough. We should try to, I don’t know, take her out more permanently from the field.” Even as she said it, Glimmer knew how it sounded.

“What, like killing her? You can’t mean that, can you, Glimmer?” Bow looked a bit worried at these words.

“No!” She added hastily. “I just mean that we could maybe… Capture her or something, find out what she knows about the Horde and keep her from fighting us.”

“She makes a fair point,” opined Sea Hawk. “Going to greater lengths to capture the enemy leader isn’t evil, it’s reasonable. I myself have on many occasions-”

“Sea Hawk.” Mermista gave him a nudge. “Now’s not the time for that.”

“I suppose.” Now it was Bow’s turn to sigh. “Just doesn’t sit entirely right with me.”

“Nothing about war should.” Glimmer went back to staring in the fire.

“Still though…” Bow clearly tried to take it to a more upbeat track. “We won the battle, maybe this is the start of the turn-around. The point when we start to drive them back from the lands that they’ve occupied.”

“Clearly what you guys need is a She-Ra of your own.” Mermista gestured at herself. “I’m willing to volunteer. You can call me Sea-Ra, and I’d have, like, super long hair, a trident of power and a cool tiara. Then, I’d duel She-Ra on top of the highest tower of the Fright Zone, and it’d be dramatic lightning, thunder, rain and some really cool music.”

“That sounds epic!” Frosta seemed incredibly enthusiastic about this idea. “Can I be there as well?”

“Sure. We’d fight some, she’d have the upper hand but then I’d totally beat her through the force of righteousness. She falls down from the tower but I, like, grab her arm at the last second to save her, and she gets to join the side of good in return for telling me the secret of how she makes her hair look so good.”

Everyone laughed for a bit at Mermista’s tale. “Do you think that She-Ra can turn good?” Asked Frosta.

“Well, that’s what they do in all the stories.” Mermista shrugged. “But, like, I don’t know whether she can.”

“I hope so.” Frosta seemed to be considering the possibility. “She’s good in all of the tales, isn’t she?”

“Well this isn’t those tales, and she’s not good here.” Glimmer decided to add her thoughts to the discussion. “I don’t know what she is, but it’s not good. No one who kills people for resisting tyranny can be.” She cringed slightly upon realising what she had said.

The mood immediately fell once more. “We should probably try to get some rest,” Bow said after a pause. “Need to get up early tomorrow.”

“Uh, yeah, totally.” Mermista looked deeply unenthusiastic about the thought of getting up early in the morning.

“I can’t believe that you guys let me stay up this long.” Frosta realised what she had said. “Not that I’ve ever had to go to bed earlier. Because I’m a Princess.”

They said their goodnights and established a watch rotation (Frosta being exempted but Mermista not, much to her chagrin) and before long most of them were asleep.

“I know that it’s just an empty field, Emily, but the map says that it is here.” Entrapta looked around the fields of wheat for a sign of the watchtower that they were looking for. The meeting with Light Hope had proven deeply illuminating, but there was still so much that she could not, or would not, tell her. The very thought of it made Entrapta giddy with excitement, she felt like she had only gotten a first taste of all the knowledge that could be at her disposal, and that alone was greater than years of research. Now, in return for further knowledge, Light Hope wanted her to fix a watchtower that had broken in ages past, which would allow her full access to Etheria. Just as Entrapta was imagining the resources at her disposal when that happened, a few beeps from Emily brought her back down to reality. “I suppose that the map could be outdated, but there should at least be signs of it, so start scanning.” She was sitting on top of Emily as the robot began scanning the field, looking at the fascinating configuration of rocks floating high in the sky. It seemed relevant to her, the ability of the rocks to defy gravity spoke of some great power of technological or magical nature (or both) in the area, which was unlikely to be a coincidence. Indeed, the more she observed them, the more likely it seemed that the stones may be part of the lost watchtower. As if to confirm this, Emily followed Entrapta’s gaze with her scan, and as soon as it fell upon the rocks, she immediately started beeping fervently. “Oh wow, this is amazing!” Entrapta stared in awe at what was indeed rubble, still carrying the power of old even after having been obliterated a thousand years ago. “And also bad. None of my tools will reach that far.” She looked contemplatively at the sight. “Gather as much visual data as you can for me, Emily, this project just got much bigger than I thought.”

It was not that Catra wished to be away from Adora per se, any more so than she wished to be away from everyone at least, but the recent defeat had lowered her spirits as well, albeit not as much as it had their daring hero. Spending time together with Adora made it a lot harder to brood most of the time, and Catra was in mind to do some brooding on her own. All battles had a certain level of confusion and chaos to them, she had learned that much by now, but the last one had been particularly anarchic, and for their side more so than the rebels. Easy though it was to just shrug and ascribe it to a failure on Adora’s part to handle the inevitable ambush, there was something funny about the whole thing. At the time, it had seemed as if Adora had been led away through the woods in some form of chase, only for her to turn out to have been back at the tank the entire battle. It was weird, and Catra didn’t like it when things were weird, at least not if she wasn’t the one to stand to benefit from it. Eventually she relented though, she didn’t have enough information to solve this mystery yet, or even be sure that it was a mystery and she hadn’t just gotten confused during the battle. Jumping down from the tree branch she had been sitting on, she walked back to where Adora had been lying. To her great consternation however, Adora was no longer there. “Where has she gone now? I thought that Scorpia told her to stay put.” Catra had been rather surprised when Scorpia had taken charge of the group when Adora was wounded. Admittedly she was second to her by rank, but so far Scorpia had seemed very passive in Catra’s eyes, and willing to let others like herself take charge instead. What initiative she lacked for leadership however, she made up for when it came to taking care of others, and she had made herself quite busy seeing to people’s wellbeing. Now though, one of the people in her care seemed to have disappeared. Catra sighed, and walked over to the nearest watch. “Kyle, where is Adora?”

“Oh, hey Catra.” He looked a bit nervously at her. “She said that she needed to stretch her legs.”

“Okay, but where is she?” Catra shook her head in annoyance.

“In the woods I guess, just went on a walk.” He gestured behind himself with a thumb over the shoulder.

“... In the woods?” Catra stared Kyle down. “The Whispering Woods? She went alone into the woods while hurt and you let her ?”

“I, uh…” He was looking really nervous by now. “She was very persuasive, and she said that it was fine and she’d-” He didn’t get any further, because Catra had forcibly shoved him out of the way.

“Useless. You had one job, Kyle.”

“Actually I think that my job was to look out for approaching enemies.” He stood up again, but made sure not to get in Catra’s way.

She didn’t bother to respond to this however, merely givingan annoyed growl as she stalked off into the woods. Kyle, probably wisely, did not choose to interfere with this, allowing Catra to depart on her own to find Adora. She couldn’t have gone that far, her scent still hung in the air. “Adora, where are you?” Catra muttered, more to herself than for Adora to hear. The woods were getting very dark, and though Catra was loath to admit it, they were creeping her out. “Come on, Adora, what’s wrong with you, going out here alone?”

Catra had not expected to get an answer to this question, so despite explicitly looking for her she was still surprised when Adora’s voice came in return. “Ah, Catra. Always out to tell me how wrong I am.” From out of the shadows, Adora stepped out.

Originally, Catra had intended to approach her, possibly give her a hug if she felt in the mood, but something in Adora’s voice kept her back. “There you are, you really shouldn’t have gone away like that.”

“Well, I suppose that I can always rely on you to come tell me what I can or can not do.” Adora smiled, but it was not a friendly smile, and her eyes were cold.

“... What’s up with you?” Catra felt unsure about what was going on. “You’re being more aggressive than usual.”

Adora chuckled. “I suppose that you should know, you are the expert on the topic after all.”

“Yeah… Definitely more aggressive.” Catra eyed her friend warily. “... You shouldn’t take the loss so badly, you know? You still got us out of there.”

“No thanks to you. Where were you during that fight?”

“I was distracted.” Catra knew how weak that defence was. “It won’t happen again.”

“That’s what you always say, Catra.” Adora did a half-sigh. “‘No this time I mean it.’ When is that ever going to happen with you?”

Something felt very wrong, even quite aside from how much the accusation hurt. “... Why are you saying this to me?”

“Someone had to eventually.” Adora shrugged. “Maybe if it’s me you’ll finally listen.”

“ Listen to what? ”

“Oh, you want me to spell it out, do you?” She chuckled slightly. “That you’re an ungrateful parasite, sucking power from your betters, but never giving anything in return. It’s kind of sad, actually.”

“... You don’t mean this.” Catra’s mouth felt very dry, and it seemed to her as if there was an abyss just beyond what she could see, waiting to claim her. “Maybe Shadow Weaver messed with your mind, or... Or… You got a big blow or something.”

“Right, because it must be me, it can’t just be you that’s the problem here.”

“I…” Catra was backing away now. “Stop it. Whatever this is, stop it.”

“As soon as you stop messing everything up and needing me to help you out.” Adora tilted her head. “Oh but you can’t, can you?”

“What’s wrong with you?! Why are you doing this to me?! I thought that we were friends?!”

“Maybe I just don’t like you as much as you like me?”

It was the metaphorical coup de grâce, Catra felt like she had just been stabbed in the heart with a dagger, and then had it twisted for good measure. “I…” But words failed her, she turned around and started heading in the other direction.

From behind her, the final scathing insult came flying. “Yes, run away, Catra. It’s the only thing you’ve ever been good at.” 

The further Adora followed the light, the brighter it became, until it seemed almost as bright as day despite night having fallen. It did not, as she had first suspected, stem from a campfire, but rather natural light, giving the place a sense of following a different day and night cycle than many others. It was an eerie sensation of having stepped into a different time than usual. Adora hesitated, wondering whether she shouldn’t just turn back to camp before she ended up lost, but something compelled her to stay. Curiosity, perhaps, or some other instinct. As she crouched in the bushes, wavering on what to do, she heard humming ahead of herself. Curiosity finally winning over caution, Adora began to sneak ahead to see who it was ahead of her. Despite her best attempts to be little more than a ghost in the shadow of the trees though, she still made quite a lot of noise stepping on twigs and pushing branches to the side. She’d have been annoyed with herself had she not seen the source of the humming right then; An old woman, with a long pale pink mane of hair and a purple dress, was sitting outside of a small house that seemed to have been grown from out of the forest itself, with bushes forming a dome with an opening in it. She looked to have been knitting, when she stopped humming. “Who’s there?”

Deciding that the old woman seemed harmless enough, Adora stood up from her hiding spot. The fact that her legs were screaming in pain from staying crouched may have also played a part in it. “Hi, uh, sorry, didn’t mean to intrude.” She suddenly became very self-conscious about the fact that she had been holding her sword as if expecting a fight.

Rather than looking at all alarmed by Adora’s appearance though, the woman looked at her with an expression that seemed to almost be recognition. “There you are! I was wondering why you didn’t show up, Mara.”

“Who?” Adora raised an eyebrow, wondering just how old this woman might be. “I’m sorry, I think that you’re mistaking me for someone else.”

“Nonsense, Mara dearie!” The woman smiled happily at her presence. “Did your friends tell you to come over to me?”

“Uh… No?”

“Really?” She scratched her chin. “They must have forgotten about it. Not to worry though, my dear, Madame Razz never forgets anything.” A smile.

“Right…” Adora was quite certain by now that this Razz woman was rather senile. “I should probably just head back, sorry to have bothered you.”

“But don’t you want me to finish knitting this sweater for you? I’m almost done, Mara, no need to be in such a hurry.” She showed her the sweater that she had apparently been knitting, which, upon further inspection, was actually marked with the image of the Sword of Protection.

“I… How... “ Adora looked down on the sword in her hand, deciding at last to put it on her back. “Did you know that I would be here?”

“Yes, of course! Haven’t you been listening, dear?” Razz chuckled, and went back to knitting.

Adora sat down beside Razz. “Why do you call me Mara?”

“Such silly questions that you ask, Mara. It’s because you are Mara, or at least, you are very like her.” Razz gave Adora a close inspection. “Though you are a bit different from my Mara.”

“Is Mara your daughter?” Somehow, Adora was only getting more confused the longer the conversation went on.

“No, no. She’s like you. She-Ra.” Razz smiled once more at Adora.

“Oh.” Now it was coming together for Adora. “The sword belonged to her, didn’t it? She must have been its previous wielder.”

“Mhm.” An encouraging nod.

“Then… Who was Mara? What did she do? What does it even mean to be ‘She-Ra’?”

“Oh dear, I’m afraid that if I could answer we’d be sitting here so long you’d be as old as I am!” She gave a laugh.

“But you knew her, didn’t you?” Adora pressed on. “I need to know, I need to understand. Shadow Weaver won’t tell me anything about it.”

“No, of course not.” Razz’s mood shifted abruptly from joyful to solemn. “There’s so much that has gone wrong, but you can still fix this. I believe in you.”

“But I don’t even know what I’m supposed to fix, or how, or anything, really. I just… Don’t know what to do.”

“And you expect some old woman in the woods to tell you that? Ha!”

“Well, I’m just hoping… If you know about She-Ra…”

But Razz shook her head. “You shouldn’t expect others to answer that question for you, dear. Listen to your heart, it alone will tell you the truth.”

“Everything just feels so awful, like none of this is right. I just… I don’t know.” Adora sighed. “I’m not even sure what I’m expecting of you. I just want things to be clear, but they’ve been so confusing for so long.”

Razz gave her a nod. “It is hard, my dear Mara. But you are strong, you always were. I trust that you will do the right thing.”

This made Adora chuckle a bit. “Then you trust me more than everyone else.” A sigh. “Myself included.”

“Oh, come now. You don’t think like that. You never have. But you must hurry, for your heart is in grave danger right now.”

“Is it?” Adora reflexively touched her chest where her heart was. 

“Not that one. Back from where you came.” Razz shook her head disparagely. “You really are a most silly girl, Adora.”

“... I don’t think that I ever told you my name.” There was something deeply strange about Razz, that much was obvious to Adora, but even after all this talking she wasn’t sure what it actually was.

“Oh you haven’t yet?” The old woman frowned in thought. “I’m sorry, dear, I must have gotten confused.”

That left her absolutely none the wiser. “So I do need to get going? Wasn’t I supposed to wait for the sweater?”

“What?” She looked down on it. “Oh, that one? It’s already done, Mara dearie.” She handed it over to Adora. “I hope that you’ll like it, I made it especially for you.”

“Thanks?” Adora took it, standing up. “It was nice talking to you, Madame Razz.”

“And you as well, as always.” She gave Adora a final smile. “Take care when you leave, outside this light, the shadows will haunt you again.”

“I’ll… Make note of that.” Adora started to walk back.

From behind her, the voice of Razz gave a final cry. “And remember, dear! You must remember! Your heart depends on it!”

Somehow feeling like she had been told a lot and yet been left none the wiser for it, Adora picked up her steps, carrying the sweater on one arm. Though she hadn’t noticed it at the time, while she had been talking to Madame Razz she would appear to have recovered a lot from her previous injuries. Even so the ominous air of the forest was only increasing by every passing step, and, cryptic though they were, Razz’s words seemed to command a certain urgency. So she hurried her steps, almost running by the time she got back to camp, and quite out of breath. Rogelio had taken over watch since she left, and he simply gave a grunt in his own language upon seeing her, looking mildly perplexed at her arrival but not like he truly cared as far as she could infer from his tone and body language. Even after all of these years, most of the others only knew a handful of the things that Rogelio said. Passing him by, she made for where she had been sleeping. Strangely enough, Catra had not returned from her time alone yet. Adora was just about to go asking if anyone had seen her, when she got grabbed into the air from behind by a towering figure. “There you are. I was wondering if I’d have to call a search party for you.”

It was Scorpia, holding Adora up for inspection. “I’m fine, Scorpia, I just needed to clear my head.” Adora tried in vain to get out of her pincers.

“Oh I’m not accepting any of that.” Scorpia inspected Adora. “Are you hurt? Where did you get that sweater from? Ooh, it’s very nice.” She coughed. “Focus, Scorpia. Where’s Catra?”

“How am I supposed to know that?” It seemed that Adora was not done feeling incredibly confused. “I was about to ask you that.”

“Kyle told me that she went after you to make sure that you didn’t wander off on your own. Didn’t I tell you to try to rest?” Scorpia shook her head. “She went to find you, because she’s a great friend like that.” She let out a deep breath. “And you haven’t seen her?”

“No.” The confusion had now been replaced by a creeping dread, both at Razz’s words and Scorpia’s. “She went a while ago?”

“Yeah… Oh this is really bad. If my wildcat is out there alone in these woods… We need to help her at once!”

Everyone was quite tired when they rose up in the morning, Mermista being the most visibly grumpy about how early they were having to wake up. This made breakfast a rather subdued affair, as none of them truly had the energy to make a lot of smalltalk. Once that was done though, they had to discuss where to go next. “I say that we should go and find another group of...” Frosta interrupted herself with a yawn. “... Horde soldiers, and punch them.”

“That seems, like, kind of random though.” Mermista was leaning on Sea Hawk’s shoulder, looking like she might fall asleep at any moment. “Rather than walking around for ages until we find some guys, can’t we, like, tear down one of their forts? Retake some ground, that kind of stuff?”

“Oh, that sounds good. We could reclaim a part of Etheria that the Horde’s taken.” Glimmer liked the idea very much, and Frosta nodded approvingly as well. 

“Uh, guys?” Bow was the only one in the group who looked like he had gotten enough sleep that night. “Maybe we shouldn’t just rush ahead to attack some actual stronghold without any rest, planning or backup? Shouldn’t we at least tell Glimmer’s mom about it?”

All three of the girls groaned at the killjoy, but Sea Hawk surprisingly gave a nod in agreement. “I must say, I agree with friend Bow here. The greatest adventures require some buildup to make you worthy of their glory. Now, while I could probably single-handedly punch out an entire garrison-” He was interrupted by Mermista doing some loud coughing that sounded suspiciously like laughter. “... Eh, it’s important to remember that it doesn’t become narratively fulfilling unless we do it properly.”

“So… What are you suggesting?” Glimmer looked at him curiously, it felt weird that Sea Hawk wasn’t the one suggesting that they simply rush into things.

“A montage!” He raised his hand dramatically.

“Yeah, no.” Mermista had recovered herself from her coughing fit by now. “I’m way too tired for a montage.”

“Not even a small one? They are quite fun, you know?” He smiled at her.

Mermista groaned. “Someone stop him before he convinces me that this is a good idea.”

“We could go and see how Entrapta’s doing,” suggested Bow. “I need to return the map I borrowed from her, and she does seem like she could use the company.”

Frosta raised a hand. “Entrapta is the one with all of the gadgets, right?”

“Yeah.” Glimmer wasn’t really in the mood to talk to Entrapta at the moment, and not just because she was still quite tired. The thought of the Princess of Dryl did make her very uncomfortable, it felt so wrong that anyone could willingly cooperate with the Horde and still act so… Well, normal might not be the right word for Entrapta, but she was no monster. “Do we have to do that now?”

“Well I did kind of promise her to. And it seems like now’s as good a time as any.” Bow shrugged. “Besides, can we really expect her to be on our side if we don’t even pay her a visit every now and then?”

“Fine.” Glimmer did something between a sigh and a groan. “I’ll come with you.”

“Pass.” Mermista shook her head slightly, seemingly as little as possible to preserve the energy and its resting position. “We don’t all need to go visit Geek Princess, why don’t Sea Hawk and I sail the sea, hunting for Horde ships while you do that?” She gave him a slight smile.

“Ooh! Can I come with?” Frosta looked expectantly at them. “I’d love to be at the sea, there’s so much ice you could make!”

“...” Mermista looked like she had just had some cunning plan of hers foiled. “Fine. You could come with us as well.”

“Then it’s decided.” Glimmer felt much more energised now that their planning was done. “Bow and I go and visit Entrapta, while Mermista, Sea Hawk and Frosta,” she kept herself from smiling. “Push the Horde back on the sea. Good planning everyone.”

“Alright, Emily! Ready?” Entrapta rubbed her hands together expectantly. As soon as Emily gave the beep for all clear, she pressed the button before herself. “Here we go.” The conduits began to crackle with electricity as the machinery that she had brought powered up. It was fortunate that Entrapta had a lot of robots to help lift things for her, because the project had required a lot of heavy machinery, both to conduct the required energy and to reach up into the sky high enough to place the stones of the former watchtower in the centre of the sphere of effect. Now it stood, a monument to her knowledge of engineering and First Ones technology, and the efficiency of her builder robots in setting it up in such a short time, forming something akin to a crown around the hanging cloud of debris. 

“Experiment number nine underway.” Entrapta spoke into her recorder. “This might be the one.” The last eight attempts had been rather explosive, but that was just part of the process of experimentation. She pulled down the welding mask on her face to protect it while she watched the symphony of technology unfold. The cloud began to rotate, first slowly, then more rapidly. To Entrapta, it was a beautiful sight, every stone a puzzle piece that she sought to place together. Blue lightning coursed through them, causing the stones to glow from fragments of First Ones writing. “The experiment remains stable, increasing power.” Entrapta pressed another button. Now the rotation started to follow patterns as decided by the inscriptions on them, the puzzle pieces were placing themselves into position. Order was brought from the chaos. As she watched, the Watchtower, powered up once more, began rebuilding itself on its own. 

As the final piece fell into place, it emitted a great glow, and throughout the field, more writing appeared, stretching out like lines, or wires, perhaps more accurately. “We did it!” Entrapta gave Emily a hug. “Oh, this is going to be amazing.” She took out her datapad and started accessing as much of the new burst of information as she could. “Connection restored, there’s so much data. This will take a while to go through.” A segment of her hair lifted the mask from her face, and she stared mesmerised at her pad. “It’s… Oh… This is interesting.”

Deeply hurt by what had been said, Catra had been wandering aimlessly through the woods for a while, not quite sure where she was even intending to go. In a forest infamous for its labyrinthian nature and twisting paths, this unsurprisingly did not lead her back to camp, but instead took her further and further away from it. She felt too distraught to truly care about this fact, returning to camp would inevitably result in another meeting with Adora after all, and in that moment she did not feel any fear, for it did not seem as if any monster of the forest could hurt her as much as she had already been hurt. And so she walked, for what must have been many many hours, until morning had come, and the forest finally ended. She had no idea where exactly this was, but judging by the signs of deforestation she’d guess somewhere in Horde territory, the Rebels seemed like far too great treehuggers to ever consume this much wood in one sweep. She should probably be happy at this opportunity to find her way home, but she was still too apathetic to care. Feeling deeply physically and mentally exhausted after her long walk, Catra sat down on a tree stump and tried to recover somewhat. She was just about to doze off, when she noticed movement in the distance. Three Horde skiffs by the looks of it. “Well, at least I’m getting out of this mess.” She stood up and waved to get their attention.

Each skiff had two soldiers onboard upon further inspection, and they were heading straight for her. Sliding to a halt before Catra, the leader of the group stepped off her skiff and walked up to Catra in a manner that suggested her trying to be intimidating. “Well, well. What do we have here?”

“Uh, excuse me?” Catra tilted her head quizzically.

“I said, ‘what do we have here’.” The woman sighed at Catra not playing along properly. “You’re supposed to answer it.”

“Sure, if that’s what you want.” Catra shrugged. This woman seemed to be new at her job. “Catra. Uh, private, I guess?” She scratched her head, unsure what her official designation was now that she was no longer a cadet. 

“And what are you doing out here, private Catra?” Beneath her helmet, she seemed to be sizing Catra up.

“Look, I’m really tired. Can we just skip this and get to the point?” Despite her outward languidness, Catra had tensed up. Something was definitively up with these guys, and she did not like it at all.

“If you so insist.” The soldier switched over to a terser tone. “We’re here to keep a look out for deserters, and we had been warned that some might show up soon. And it just so happens that you look just like one.”

So that was what this was about. It all did seem a bit too convenient. “... Would you believe me if I said that I just got lost?”

“Oh, it’s not a matter of whether I believe it.” Catra was sure that she was smirking beneath the helmet. “It’s about whether the tribunal does it when we bring you back.”

So it was straight to a military tribunal. Something told Catra that she wasn’t going to win that one. Even aside from its merciless reputation, this all had Shadow Weaver’s fingerprints over it, and she’d definitely make sure that the court’s stacked against Catra. And yet, the other option… “Look. I…” Catra was about to suggest that they spoke with Adora to make it clear that it was all fine, but based on the last time she had seen her, that absolutely wouldn’t work out.

“What? Not going to put up a defence?” The voice was mocking, goading Catra on further. “Seems straightforward enough to-” She did not get any further, for in that moment Catra had grabbed her by the throat and thrown her headfirst into the pilot of her skiff. Not a moment to waste, she jumped aboard it and kicked both of them off it. Setting off at maximum velocity, she heard the voice shout “After her!” And the whirring of motors as the other two skiffs jumped into action. 

What followed was a long chase, with her pursuers constantly firing after her as they went along. “Okay, Catra, this may be the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” She had to duck as a laser flew just over her head, and another claimed the upper part of the helm of her skiff. The ground underneath changed from former forests, to barren hills and finally to a desert wasteland. It was at this point that they finally gave up on chasing after her, apparently deciding that they’d rather leave her in the desert than try to take her. Catra couldn’t blame them, she was deep in the desert, her skiff was falling apart and running out of fuel, and she didn’t have a map or anything to help her get out of it. The skiff was, unsurprisingly, poorly stocked on provisions, and she already felt thirsty, having not drunk anything for what must have been at least twelve hours now. Catra had only one thing going for herself in that moment; a certainty of what region she was in. Abandoning the skiff as it ran out of fuel, she started heading out into the unknown, braving the most inhospitable place in Etheria: the Crimson Wastes.

Chapter Text

Adora had not slept at all for what remained of the night. First she had stayed up in the hope that Catra would come back to them, then she had stayed up because she was too stressed out and worried to get any sleep. And as soon as dawn broke out, she had rallied the, somewhat disgruntled at the early hour, camp to head further back to report on their defeat and the missing Catra. Things took a turn for the far more complicated however when they arrived at the local outpost. Inquiring if anyone had seen her proved illuminating, but not in any way like Adora had expected or wanted. Catra had been seen, yes, but the circumstances… Now, the circumstances made Adora wish that she hadn’t been. Apparently, she had deserted from the Horde and stolen a skiff after assaulting an officer, before fleeing into the Crimson Wastes. “It just doesn’t make any sense.” Adora walked back and forth, trying, and failing, to get rid of the stress she was feeling. “Why would Catra do that?”

“Maybe she got lost and they mistook it for deserting?” Suggested Scorpia. She was sitting on a crate, doing the closest thing to wringing her hands that she could when the hands were giant pincers. “Those woods are pretty hard to find your way through, even for her, and…” She lowered her voice conspiratorially, despite the fact that they already were out of earshot of anyone else. “I’ve heard that some of our hunting bands can be a bit trigger happy when it comes to deserters.”

That was a good point, there often tended to be certain rumours that many of the supposed deserters taken were simply people caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. No one really wanted to confront the issue, because the stigma around desertion was so great that none in the Horde wanted to stick their neck out for someone who might be innocent, but nevertheless, the rumours persisted. “I guess… It just all seems a bit too convenient .”

“Convenient?” Scorpia looked confused at the word. “I don’t get how any of this is convenient.”

“Not for us.” Adora shook her head, intensifying her pacing. “I just… I can’t put my finger on it, but it seems a bit off somehow, do you know what I mean?”

“I don’t know, I think that you’re a bit too agitated right now, Adora.” Scorpia rose up from the crate she had been sitting on to put her pincers around Adora’s shoulders to stop her from walking in circles. “We should focus on what’s important at the moment.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Adora took a deep breath. “We have to find Catra, then we can think about that. I’ll tell the others.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Scorpia smiled, and followed her as she rejoined the rest of their squadron.

“Alright, listen up, everyone!” She got up on a stone so that she could look over the rest of the group. Most looked tired and weary from the recent fight and having to march so early in the morning. Adora couldn’t truly blame them, somewhere in the back of her mind her body was protesting the lack of sleep that she had gotten, but she did not care, feeling as if animated by a spirit of restlessness, undaunted by such petty things as sleep deprivation. “I… We need to help Catra. If she’s lost in the desert without any water or supplies then she won’t last for long. We have to save her, I won’t let any member of the team down. I…” There was an awkward pause as she realised that she hadn’t thought of a good way to end her speech. “Any questions?” She looked out over the group expectantly.

“I’ve got a question.” Lonnie raised her hand into the air. “Why are we doing this again?”

“Because it’s what friends do. Because Catra depends on us, and we can’t just let her down.” Adora wasn’t entirely sure where Lonnie was getting at, helping Catra seemed so obvious to her, but she had a feeling it wasn’t good.

“Right… When was the last time that Catra did that for anyone here?”

The question took Adora rather aback, and much to her annoyance it seemed to be resonating with quite a few of the others. “Well I… I suppose she hasn’t had the chance to do so lately. It’s rather beside the point though.”

“But you’re asking us to venture into a death zone for her, and I’m having trouble thinking of the last time she was even nice to us.” Some of the others nodded at Lonnie’s words. “We’re tired, Adora, we’re unprepared, and by the sounds of it Catra has abandoned us. Aren’t you taking this a bit far?”

“I’m sure that’s a misunderstanding, Lonnie, and I’m not leaving anyone behind. I can’t. That place being a death zone is exactly why I must go after her.” Adora jumped down from the stone so that she could be on the same level as Lonnie, looking her into the eyes.

Lonnie hesitated, as if feeling pained at what she was going to say. “But with all due respect, this isn’t our mission. I respect your leadership, Adora, I really do, but this feels like taking it too far. I just want to go home.”

Adora was silent for a few moments. Then she sighed. “You’re right, Lonnie, I can’t make you follow me to the place where no one comes back from. I can’t make any of you do that. So I’ll just ask, who is willing to go with me?”

There was an awkward silence, with everyone shifting uncomfortably under her gaze, none of them willing to admit to cowardice, and yet none wanting to enter the Crimson Wastes either. Scorpia alone raised an arm into the air. “I am.”

This almost made Adora smile. “Just like before.” She turned to the rest. “Alright, Lonnie, can I trust you to take the rest back to the Fright Zone and report on what’s happened?”

“Yes, Force Captain.” She straightened her back somewhat. “And… I’m sorry, you know?”

“Yeah, I know. Just… Make sure that everyone’s safe, Scorpia and I will handle this.”

Everyone started getting into formation, few willing to meet Adora’s gaze. Only Kyle of all people walked up to her, awkwardly rubbing his shoulder. “I hope that you find her. I know that I wouldn’t be of much use to you there but… I’m grateful. You got me out of that fight, despite how most wouldn’t have bothered to. So I just want to say… Good luck I guess?”

“That’s… Thanks, Kyle.” Adora relaxed the stern expression that she just now realised that she had been keeping. “And I’m sorry if I ever give you a hard time.”

This actually made him laugh. “Don’t worry, compared to most, you never have.”

Not knowing what to even say in response to that, Adora watched them head out in silence, before turning to Scorpia. “You and me again, then?”

“Yup.” Scorpia smiled encouragingly. “Don’t worry, nothing can stop the Super Pal Trio for long. We’ll find her.”

Adora let out a genuine laugh at the name. “I fear that I’m going insane, Scorpia, I’m actually starting to get around to you calling us that.”

There was little about life that Catra did not hate. She hated herself, her situation, Adora, the Horde, Shadow Weaver, the Crimson Wastes, the Princess Alliance, try as she might, she really did have a hard time finding something that she did not hate. Every plant she had come across was deadly, every creature even more so, the closest thing to water that she had found was quicksand and she had no idea where she was going. With nothing else to entertain herself with, she had gotten the morbid habit of counting how long it took until the desert found a way to kill her. Considering how she felt ready to collapse from thirst, she estimated that there wasn't very long left. And yet, despite the crushing weight of despair and loathing that threatened to make her collapse as much as dehydration did, she kept walking, hoping beyond hope to find the lifeline that would save her. She did not think that she would find it, but she refused to simply give in, to admit defeat, to prove them right. She was not a coward, and if she died, at least she’d die proudly.

So she walked, on and on, until she reached the skeleton of what must have once been an enormous beast, perhaps one of the dragons that she had heard tell of. Strangely enough, it was actually showing signs of intelligent civilization, with pieces of cloth hanging over it, but Catra wasn’t going to complain about that. At least she’d get some shade from it. Stepping inside the great maw of the ancient beast however, she found something that she neither expected or wanted to see: people. There were people in the Crimson Wastes, and every one of them looked to be competing on who could look the most like a tough outlaw. Frankly, she found most of them were trying way too hard. The place looked to be some kind of cantina, which she certainly wasn’t unhappy about since that meant she could actually get something to drink. Noticing the wary eyes cast on her by the locals, she walked up to the bar and swiped a horn full of something that she’d otherwise consider too disgusting to try from a goatlike woman sitting by it. “Thanks.” She took a deep swig of it. It was indeed completely disgusting, but Catra was very much not in a picky mood and needed to get something to drink, and the Horde hadn’t been so charitable as to give her whatever they used for currency in the Crimson Wastes before she left it.

“Hey!” The woman looked angrily at Catra. “What do you think that you’re doing?”

“Taking from someone who didn’t look like they needed it and giving it to someone who did.” Catra met her stare with a raised eyebrow. “You got a problem with that?”

“... You’ve got some nerve, don’t you?” The goatwoman drew a dagger made out of bone and pointed it at Catra, while her accomplice, a four-armed lizardwoman, cracked both pairs of knuckles menacingly. “An outsider, eh? Maybe you care to be introduced to some of the rules here then?”

“Really?” Catra carried a studiously bored expression while she emptied the last of the drink. “And what are those rules then?”

“There’s only two rules in the Crimson Wastes.” The goatwoman held up two fingers to demonstrate. “One, the strong make the rules-”

“Great!” Before she could react, Catra grabbed her by the top of the shirt and slammed her face into the bar table hard enough to break her nose. “Oh, would you look at that? I guess that this makes me the strong.” When the woman tried to get up, Catra stomped on her bent leg, causing her to fall down in pain. A hiss at the lizardwoman was enough to make her reconsider whether to aid her friend. “And since I make the rules, I say that rule number two is ‘everything that you own is mine’. Speaking of…” Catra grabbed the dagger that had been dropped when the woman collapsed. “I’ll have that.”

This little demonstration was enough to make most of the patrons stop looking at Catra with predatory eyes and go back to what they were doing. With one noteworthy exception. A tattooed purple woman, with a muscular body and long white ponytail, walked up to sit beside Catra where the goatwoman, who was now limping away, had sat. “Give this kid another drink from me,” she told the bartender. “I’m Huntara.” She reached out a hand to shake Catra’s.

Catra took it and shook hands, “Thanks, I guess?”

Huntara waved a hand dismissively. “That bit of entertainment that you provided was well worth it.” She sized Catra up. “So, what’s your name, kid, and what takes you to the Crimson Wastes?”

“Catra, and that’s none of your business.” She wasn’t in the mood to tell a complete stranger her mess of a life story.

“Ah.” Huntara nodded sagely, as if inferring more from the answer than Catra had said. “Well, you seem to be stern stuff, Catra. I could use someone like you.”

“That’s what everyone always thinks.” Catra began drinking from the tankard that the bartender gave her. “Until they no longer do.”

“Do you have anywhere that you’re going right now?”

“I guess not. Are you trying to recruit me to something, Huntara?”

“I suppose I am.” Huntara smiled, and kept a steady gaze. “I’m the strongest leader of the Crimson Wastes, and I think that you’ve got some potential if you want to join me, kid.”

“Well it’s not as if I’ve got anything better for me, so sure. Do you guys have some special uniform or something?”

Huntara chuckled at that. “Nah, don’t worry about that. Just remember one thing.” She rose up from the table and began walking outside, grabbing the two people that Catra had been confronting before by the scruffs of their neck and dragging them with her. “Don’t trust anyone in the Crimson Wastes.”

“Oh that’s easy.” Catra followed after, her tone bitter and her mind full of painful memories. “Don’t trust anyone anywhere.”

“I really do hope that Entrapta actually is here.” Glimmer sighed in relief upon seeing the spire of the Crystal Castle appear in the distance. Finding the place again had been a tremendous pain and she was sure that they had gotten lost on at least two separate occasions. “It will be really annoying if this was all for nothing.”

“She’ll be here,” Bow assured her, not for the first time. “She said that she was going here herself last we visited, and it’s not as if Entrapta goes to a lot of other places usually.” They had first visited Dryl, where all the servants could tell them was that Entrapta was out on an expedition. This had jugged some memories about what she had mentioned to be planning on doing last time they visited her.

“Apart from the Fright Zone,” Glimmer pointed out.

“... Apart from the Fright Zone, yes. I promise that if that’s where she is right now, I won’t insist that we visit her.”

“Deal.” Glimmer laughed, right as the trees made way and they finally got to walk up to the castle without having to navigate the underbrush. “Shall I teleport us inside again then?” She held up a hand for Bow to take.

“We might not need to. Entrapta showed me how A- how the others got into the castle last time we were here.” Bow looked like he tried very hard not to draw attention to how he had almost said Adora’s name out loud.

“And what’s that?” Glimmer was fine about Adora, really. She didn’t need Bow to tip-toe around the subject, like mentioning her name was going to make Glimmer explode in anger. Thinking about everything Adora had done only filled her with a mild murderous rage and… She just remembered to pay attention to what Bow was saying when he made a cough to clear his throat. 

“Eh, Eternia?” He tried uncertainly. At the sound of that word, some of the writing lit up, and the castle lowered the floor before them to reveal the way inside. “Huh, I wasn’t sure if that was going to work.”

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.” Glimmer shrugged, and led the way inside. Walking down the familiar corridor, they entered into the antechamber, where a familiar looking robot was walking around, prodding at things in a curious fashion. She turned around and gave an excited beep when she noticed the new arrivals. “Looks like you were right, Bow. Entrapta’s definitely here.” Glimmer walked up to the robot. “Hey, Emily was it, right? Would you kindly show us where Entrapta is?” She took the way that Emily bobbed her round body for a nod. “Thanks.”

Leading the way with an expertise that spoke of a detailed memorisation of the layout of the castle, Emily took them deeper and deeper inside, going past the furthest point that they had gotten to last time they were there. Eventually, they entered into a spherical room, in which Entrapta was standing, reading through papers of schematics. “Oh, hi there, Bow, Glimmer.” She looked up from her readings. “I was just going to contact you, thanks for coming by!”

“We got the map back for you, Entrapta.” Bow walked over to her and handed the datapad that they had used to navigate the Fright Zone back to Entrapta.

“Hm?” She looked at it confused for a moment, before realising what it was. “Oh, right!” She pocketed it using her left pigtail. “No, that wasn’t why I wanted to see you, you see-”

But she was interrupted by the appearance of a hologram, whose sudden materialisation startled both Bow and Glimmer, but seemed to leave no surprise with Entrapta. “These are intruders upon our work. Shall I remove them? ”

“No, no.” Entrapta shook her head while keeping an affectionate, almost maternal, tone of voice. “These are my friends. And what have I said about hurting friends?”

“That I should not. ” There was a certain level of reluctance to the voice of the hologram.

“That’s right.” Entrapta smiled at her. “This is Light Hope, by the way,” She said as a manner of introduction. “And these are Bow and Glimmer.”

“... Pleasure to meet you,” Glimmer tried hesitantly.

“How strange. In what way is it a pleasure? ” Light Hope tilted her head to emote curiosity, her face remaining completely expressionless.

“Uh… Just nice to meet new people, that’s all.”

Bow saved Glimmer by switching the subject. “So why was it that you wanted to see us, Entrapta?”

“Oh, I was just wondering if I could ask for a teensy-tiny favour from the two of you.” Entrapta held up two strands of hair with a very narrow space between them to signify how tiny it was.

“That favour being?”

“Well you see, there’s this magnificent find of First Ones tech that I’ve located in the Crimson Wastes and-”

“Hold on.” Glimmer interrupted her. “The Crimson Wastes ? You mean that giant lifeless desert that’s been abandoned for centuries and no one comes back from?”

“That’s the one!” Entrapta nodded enthusiastically.

“Thanks… But I think that I’d rather pass.”

“Aww.” She looked very disappointed at that. “But it’s really important to our project here, and it would be such an extraordinary find!”

“What even is it? Do you know that?” Bow looked more curious about this find than Glimmer felt was really warranted under the circumstances.

“It’s a spaceship! A huge, ancient vessel for traversing the stars themselves! Oh, it must be a wonder to behold.”

“But… There aren’t any stars,” Bow pointed out.

“Not yet there aren’t!” Entrapta giggled maniacally, before composing herself. “And once there were, how else do you think that we have a word for them?”

“That’s… A really good point,” he conceded. “So what are you actually planning to do? Bring the stars back?”

“Oh, eventually.” By the sound of her voice, Entrapta seemed to treat a task of such cosmic magnitude as little more than an afterthought. “It’s a little complicated though. First, we’d need to-”

“All you need to know, ” Light Hope interrupted, “is that balance must be restored to Etheria. ”

“Yes, what she said.” Entrapta nodded. “And even some of the memories stored on Mara’s ship would be really useful for that.”

“Hang on.” That name triggered some memories in the back of Glimmer’s mind, though it had been months since she last heard it. “Who is Mara again?”

“Oh, she was the She-Ra before Adora.” Entrapta uttered the revelation with a completely casual air, as if not realising the magnitude of it.

“What?!” Glimmer turned to Bow. “But that means… What does that actually mean?”

“What can you tell us about Mara?” It was Entrapta that Bow asked the question to, but Light Hope who responded to it.

“Mara was the last in the line of She-Ra. It was she who ended that line and stranded us in the empty dimension of Despondos. Due to her actions I have been unable to restore balance to the planet for a thousand years. ”

“That’s… A lot.” Bow rubbed his head at these revelations and their lack of context. “Why did she do that?”

“She became compromised. Her mind strained at her burden and she lashed out, nearly dooming us. ”

“That does sound like someone I know,” Glimmer muttered acidly.

“Yes. Adora is much like Mara, she too refuses to accept her destiny and instead misuses the powers given to her to disrupt the balance of Etheria.” Throughout this, Light Hope spoke with the same even tone. It was somewhat unnerving. “That is why I am forced to seek out alternative means to ensure that someone worthy of the mantle of She-Ra wields that power. ”

“So if we help you, you’ll make sure that we get a good She-Ra?” This actually did seem like a tempting opportunity to Glimmer. 

“Yes. Everything will be as it should be. ”

Glimmer groaned when she remembered where Entrapta had asked them to go. “Bow, please talk me out of this, I don’t want to go to the Crimson Wastes.”

“I’m sorry, Glimmer.” Bow smiled sheepishly. “But Entrapta won me over with the word ‘spaceship’.”

“You absolute traitor.” Glimmer shook her head in resignation. “Alright, fine, we’ll do it for you, though I’m not sure how we’re going to bring it back. I can’t imagine that the spaceship is still functioning after a thousand years.”

“Oh technically we only need the ship records.” Entrapta seemed to be dreaming away at the thought of a functional spaceship. “Though if you can get the whole ship back as well I’d be really grateful.”

“We’ll see what we can do.” Bow looked back at the corridor that they had arrived from. “Though I don’t suppose that we could borrow Emily for getting out of this castle?”

Adora had taken to using the sweater that Madame Razz had given her as a source of shade for herself, finding it far too warm to actually wear and not knowing any other use for it, but not wanting to part with it. “Why does the desert have to erase tracks?” She complained. “Finding Catra is hard enough as it is.” They had found the skiff that Catra had taken, lying abandoned and already half-buried in the sand, but from there it had mostly been guesswork guiding them. What if you had already passed her by, buried by the desert, and didn’t know it? It was a deeply morbid thought, and she tried to push it away from her mind. 

“I’m sure that she went this way. It makes sense that she followed the landmarks, like we did.” Scorpia clearly tried to be at her most encouraging to lift Adora’s spirits, and deep down Adora was grateful for it. “Don’t worry, it can’t have been that long ago, and I know that my wildcat won’t give up, and has already found shelter for herself.”

“Why do you call her that?” Adora asked, feeling somewhat curious and wanting to take her mind off the more depressing thoughts.

“Hm?”

“‘Wildcat’, what made you call her that?”

“Oh.” Scorpia scratched her head awkwardly. She almost seemed to be blushing for some reason, like she was embarrassed at the nickname. “Because… She is. She is a real wildcat, and I thought that it was a nice name for her.”

“Right.” That hadn’t really answered it to Adora but she didn’t have the energy to press on with regards to it. She sighed, looking over the horizon for any hint of Catra. She is not there, she will not be there no matter how many times you look. A growl of frustration.

“I can stop calling her that if you want me to?” Scorpia sounded uncertain, possibly mistaking the growl as directed against her.

“What? No, it’s fine, Scorpia. I just… I’m really tired right now, sorry.” It was true, she was unimaginably tired, but she could not rest. Any moment of rest would let Catra slip further away from her. Exhaustion will claim you before you find her. Turn back, you are walking into your grave and you know it.

“I bet. Did you get any sleep last night?” Scorpia gave Adora a somewhat worried look. “Do you need to rest for a moment?”

“I didn’t, but we can rest after we’ve found Catra. It’s too warm and I’m too worried right now to rest anyway.” As if on cue, the dark thoughts returned to her. You are a fool who thinks that this will achieve anything. Catra is gone, and it is your fault, if you hadn’t walked into the forest none of this would have happened.

“You really do care for her, don’t you?” Scorpia’s voice carried a strange mixture of admiration, sadness and something that Adora couldn’t quite place. 

“Well of course I do. She’s my best friend, and has been ever since we were children.” 

“I know, I know. I just… I know that I’ll never be able to match the bond between you two, and I’m… Okay with that.” Scorpia’s voice wavered, and she looked more awkward than ever. “I just hope that you might see me as a friend as well.”

“Naturally, I do.” Adora was more perplexed than ever at this point, it seemed so obvious, and yet like something was missing. “I do think of you as a friend as well, Scorpia.”

“Aww. Do you think that Catra does as well?” Scorpia had gone back to blushing.

“I’m sure that she does.” Adora smiled, both to reassure her and because Scorpia’s sincerity gladdened her heart. 

“Gosh, you’re just too nice.” Scorpia lifted Adora up in a hug. “This is what makes the Super Pal Trio the best unit in the Horde.”

Despite Scorpia’s kindness though, Adora’s mind kept being plagued by dark thoughts. So this is what you rely on? One impassioned follower, when even your childhood friends consider this a doomed folly. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Scorpia, but I feel like I’m going insane.”

“Huh?” Scorpia put her down again. “Look pretty sane to me.”

“It just feels like my mind is… I don’t know, unravelling? Like I keep getting these terrible thoughts over and over.” The truth can be terrible. Adora shook her head to dismiss it.

“Nah, you’re not insane. You’re just worried. I get that, I’m worried too, but it’ll be fine, soon as we find Catra.” Scorpia smiled, and led the way forward, one pincer holding Adora’s wrist. “Once we’ve put everything behind us it will be alright.”

“Thanks, Scorpia. And… I’m sorry. For dragging you into this.”

“You didn’t. I follow because I want to.” She gave a shrug, and moved on to another subject. “By the way, where did you get that sweater from? I’ve been trying to figure that one out all day now.”

“Oh, an old lady in the woods gave it to me. She said that she had been making it for me.” Adora thought back to that particular encounter. “Was rather strange, but she seemed nice.”

Rather than comment on the implausible nature of that answer, Scorpia simply nodded. “Right. Uh, say hi from me if you ever meet her again.”

“Uhm… Yeah.” There was an awkward silence as they continued to walk over the dunes, until Adora spoke up again. “Is it just me, or does that giant skeleton look pretty significant?”

“Welcome to the Valley of the Lost.” Huntara planted the staff end of her weapon, an odd extendable sword-staff hybrid, into the ground, whilst overlooking a canyon in the desert. Within the canyon, Catra could see a thriving town community carved out of the mountainsides. “My home. Come, I’ll show you around the place.” Huntara led the way down to it, past rickety wooden bridges and narrow alleys. The people were the same kind of outlaws as before, but here there was a clear sign of society outside of violence, with merchants and craftsmen visible all over the place. Eventually, they arrived at Huntara’s house, which was only significant from the others in being somewhat larger, otherwise being made of the same stone and mud as the rest. Catra suspected that she did that deliberately to cultivate a humble leader image around herself. She sat down on the makeshift throne she had there and let her weapon rest along its side. “Can be your home too, if you want it to be.”

“You mean if I join you and this gang of yours.” Catra crossed her arms, she was tired and really not in a mood to beat around the bush. “I mean, I’ll do it, I’ve already said as much, but let’s not pretend that you’re doing this out of pure altruism.”

Huntara chuckled. “Fair enough. I won’t lie to you, kid. And not just because I think that you’re smart enough to see through it. It’s a tough life, but at least it’s a life.”

“I’m used to tough lives, this can’t be any worse than what I’ve already got.” Catra reclined against the wall, wondering what she was getting into, and if she even cared at this point.

“I figured as much. Horde, right? I think that I can tell from your fighting style.” Huntara watched Catra carefully, looking like she was still undecided on what to make of her. “Deserter?”

“No. ” The hair along Catra’s back bristled with indignation. “I didn’t desert , it just… happened this way I guess.”

“Fair enough.” Huntara nodded to this. “Whatever the reason, there’s a lot of people here running from something, especially the Horde, this is their home, and we look after one another.”

“A lot of people… You included?” Catra raised an eyebrow. “You said that you recognised my fighting style, so what are you running from?”

There was a low growl from Huntara’s throat. “Watch yourself, kid. I may be taking you in, but that doesn’t mean that you can talk to me however you like. Huntara runs from no one , understood?”

“Of course.” Catra smiled, this place was proving almost too easy to get the hang around. “I won’t bother you about it again. So… What’s the deal? What am I getting out of this, and what are you asking in return?”

“Simple: I’ll provide you with a place to sleep, food and your share of the loot. In return I want you to help us against rival gangs.”

“And who are those?” More than anything, it was the offer of a place to sleep that tempted Catra the most at that moment.

“A few, none as strong as us, but the most annoying of them are the snakes of Tung Lashor.”

This caused Catra to snigger. “I’m sorry, but what did you call him?”

“Don’t underestimate him just because of his name,” warned Huntara. “Tung Lashor is a dangerous old snake that insists on being a thorn in my side.”

Hearing the name again sent Catra off to another fit of laughter. “How does anyone follow someone called Tung Lashor though? Does he lash them with his tongue if they don’t?”

“Well, he does have a whip that he likes to use a lot…” Huntara looked to be trying very hard not to crack up, herself.

“Seriously?” By now, Catra had mostly managed to stifle it to sporadic giggling. “That’s actually sad. How haven’t you wiped this guy out?”

“Because he’s only an annoyance, but an annoyance that would take more than it is worth to truly crush. And besides.” There was a half-smile on Huntara’s lips. “If I did that everyone else in the Crimson Wastes would gang up on me, and I quite like the way I have it now.”

“Well, if you ever change your mind, do invite me, he can’t be all that tough with a name like that.” Catra smirked, moving to exit the building. “For now though, just make sure that I’ve got somewhere to sleep and I’ll follow you.” 

Despite her words though, she found herself disappointed. Sure, Huntara was strong in her own way, Catra could tell that, but she sensed complacency as well. There was too little ambition, and she didn’t even seem to seriously consider actually taking out her long-term rival. Wandering the bustling streets, Catra found herself idly wondering what she could turn the Crimson Wastes into if given the power to. The Horde may have flaws, but at least it wielded power, and exercised that power as it wished. There was a level of order and control to it that she did not grasp here, and she suspected that for all of Huntara’s posturing, she was more afraid than most. Then Catra shook her head, and dismissed those ideas. She had a long way to go before she could think of ruling, for now she simply had to survive. Looking around for something to do, she noticed the two members of Huntara’s gang that she had quarreled with in the cantina. They did not seem to have spotted her, for which Catra was grateful since she did not feel like she could be bothered to do another confrontation and they had surely not forgotten their grudge yet, so she decided to observe them from the shadows. They appeared to be talking to one of the local merchants, before departing with a new dagger. Curious, and thinking that she might as well sell off the dagger she herself claimed if there was a market for it, Catra approached the same stall, with the merchant seeming to immediately spot her approach, and smiled widely at her. “Welcome, welcome, and what can I do for you?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” Catra cast a reflexive look back to make sure that the outlaws weren’t returning.

“Oh, a great deal, I’m sure.” The merchant did not miss the look, or the blade by her side either it would seem. “A lovely weapon you have there, I wonder who you stole it from.”

Catra gave a hard stare. “Are you accusing me of something?”

“Oh, not at all, darling. Everyone here steals. And in this case I think that I made a nice profit from your theft.” The smile did not fall.

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome.”

“And to think that you’d be so rewarded by the chieftain for bullying her underlings. Tsk, tsk, it’s like she doesn’t appreciate them at all.”

Catra raised an eyebrow, whatever else could be said about this odd shopkeeper, at least she had found someone interesting enough to talk to. “Should she?”

“Hardly. But it is a fascinating choice, nonetheless. I mean, what kind of message does it send, ‘beat up one of Huntara’s goons and she’ll recruit you’? Imagine if that one got popular? Chaos, I’m sure.”

“You seem to know a lot,” Catra observed. “And are very forthcoming to me about it.”

“News travel quickly, darling. And it’s a price I’m willing to pay for the chance of talking to someone remotely interesting around here.”

“Flattered.” This did seem like a very convoluted way to butter Catra up so that she’d buy something, but she wasn’t complaining. “But I can’t imagine that this place lacks interesting people of all things. Most other things, yes, but that?”

“Oh, you’d think so, wouldn’t you?” A bored sigh, while the merchant cast a somewhat disdainful look over the crowd. “Perhaps they once were, but nowadays they’re just the same petty trifles over and over. Some men stabbed over simple coin, where’s the drama, I ask you?”

Though articulated differently, this hit surprisingly well with what Catra herself had already been thinking. “I won’t argue there. It’s like everyone lacks true ambition.”

“They do. All of them. Their grandest secret is the desire to usurp rule over this collection of hovels. Most share it, but they don’t think any further than that.” Another smile, while the merchant clasped hands together and observed Catra. “But you’re not like them, are you? You have a much more fascinating role in this story.”

“Well I’d like to think so.” Catra chuckled. Obvious flattery though it was, she appreciated it. “You still haven’t told me what you sell here, weapons?”

“For the moment. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lucrative business, as you might imagine, but surprisingly stale for a trade in life and death. Don’t think that it’s my calling.”

“So, what, you’re trying to get me to help you in a career change?”

“Perhaps. We shall see. For now, I’m just bored and looking for some stimulating conversation.”

“I guess you got it.” Catra looked down at the dagger. “Don’t suppose you want to buy this thing then?”

“Oh no, I’m afraid that I’m closing shop.” An apologetic shrug.

“All this talk and you won’t even make a trade?” For some reason, this caused Catra to laugh. “I don’t know much about this sort of thing, but that doesn’t seem to be how you conduct a business.”

“You’d be surprised. But I’m sure that we’ll get the chance to make a deal some other time. See you around, Kitten.”

“Huh.” Scorpia looked over the bar full of people. “I thought that this place was supposed to be completely abandoned. Shows what I know, I guess.” She waved at the patrons, who all stared at her and Adora. Not one of them waved back. This made her cough awkwardly and withdraw her pincer.

“Well, if there’s life here then we know that Catra hasn’t been lost to us.” Despite the unfriendly welcome, Adora felt reassured by the presence of people, for it made her more certain than ever that Catra was still alive, no matter what the voices in her head told her. Though she was rather disappointed not to find her among the patrons. She walked up to the bartender. “Hey, uh, I don’t suppose that you’ve seen a feline woman enter this place recently? She’s got gold and blue eyes, brown fur, a long mane of hair and cute teeth.”

The bartender stared at Adora for a few seconds before responding. “No.” She then walked away, not allowing Adora any chance to ask further questions.

“... Okay then.” Adora looked over at Scorpia, who just shrugged like she had no idea what that was about either. “Everyone, could I have your attention?” She stood up on a table to get a good overview of the room. Sure enough, that got everyone’s attention, though their attention was more reminiscent of a flock of predators having spotted prey than a helpful audience. “We’re looking for a friend of ours, and wonder if anyone has seen her.”

“So… You’re tracking someone?” An insectoid woman, with long antennae and yellow skin gave Adora a hostile look.

“That’s right.” Finally someone that Adora could speak to in this place. “Have you seen her?”

“You know what we do to outsiders hunting people around here?” As if to reinforce what she said, she drew a dagger.

“Uh, no?” Adora reflexively backed away, which caused the round table that she was standing on to become off-balance and fall over, sending her sprawling into the crowd. “But I think that ‘hunting’ is a bit of an aggressive term, don’t you?” She was now sitting on the ground, surrounded by hostile faces.

“We gut them and cast them out for the desert to take care of.” A ferocious smile. “You want me to demonstrate?”

“... I’d rather not.” Adora tried to rise up, but got the blade of the dagger pressed against her throat. “How about we just leave and don’t bother you any more?”

“Oh it’s far too la-” Suddenly, the woman froze, and crumpled over on top of Adora. 

The culprit was made evident from how Scorpia retracted her stinger back to herself after having sent it in their direction. “She’s fine, promise. So how about I just take Adora and we’ll be on our way?”

“Get them!” A voice shouted from somewhere, and the bar was pandemonium, everyone rushing to attack Adora and Scorpia. The former had to use her previous assailant as a shield to avoid getting completely ganged up on before she had even gotten to an upright position. 

“There’s no need to fight!” Adora jumped behind the bar, where the bartender lunged for her with a short knife. Adora ducked, and used the momentum of the lunge to send her flying into the crowd trying to climb after her. Picking up a tankard, she smashed it into the head of the first one to get behind the bar. “Sorry. But can’t we talk about this?”

Scorpia was not having much better of a time. Several people tried to jump on top of her and attack her in her weak spots, before she grabbed them and threw them into the walls. “You guys are really rude, you know?” One patron tried to stab her in the back, but her tough exoskeleton absorbed the hit and he got stung by her paralysing pincer for his trouble. “Though wow, these guys must be really loyal to Catra!”

“I don’t think that this is about Catra!” Adora jumped up on a shelf to avoid an angry tigerman, but it broke under her weight and she fell down on top of him, her feet hitting him on the head, causing him to fall unconscious. She had to run away as the rest of them chased after her.

“Then it’s just even ruder.” One foxlike person leap towards Scorpia, but she caught her in the arm holding the knife with one of her pincers. There was an audible crunch, and the foxwoman yelped in pain. “Oh, did I break your arm? Oh gosh, I’m so sorry about that!” Scorpia let go of the woman, who fell down on the floor with a whimper. “Though I suppose that you were trying to stab me.”

“I don’t want to fight you! What is it that you don’t understand about that?!” Adora was finally cornered, and people were approaching her with smiles on their lips and knives in their hands. “Okay, that’s enough !” She drew the Sword of Protection and raised it into the air. “For the Glory of the Horde!” Suddenly, she was no longer Adora. She was She-Ra, an avatar of war. Tall, with a red cloak and black dress, and she was so done with these people. They all hesitated in fright at her words and her transformation, and with a superhuman speed, she went on the offensive. The closest of her assailants was punched into the air hard enough to break through the ceiling. The second got hit with enough force to completely knock them out and dislocate their jaw. The third was grabbed by the tail and thrown into another group. By the time that she and Scorpia were done, there were several broken limbs and even more broken ribs. “ Now .” She glared at their crumpled bodies. “Is anyone actually going to tell me where she is, or have you all completely wasted my time?”

“She went with Huntara.” A snakeman was massaging his hand after She-Ra had stomped on it.

“Where?” She picked him up by the throat with one hand.

“To the Valley of the Lost. It goes that way.” He pointed with his unhurt hand. “Just follow the path until you reach a ravine. Don’t hurt me.”

“I wasn’t going to hurt you until you attacked me. What is wrong with people?!” She released her hold on him, causing him to collapse down on the floor with a gasp of pain. “Come on, Scorpia, we’re leaving.”

Both Bow and Glimmer had gotten rid of the armour that they had been using during the battle before departing on their journey. It was useful for combat situations, but rather impractical outside of those, especially when they were going into a hot desert where the metal would only conduct more heat. Bow had updated his pad with the coordinates for the ship that Entrapta had given him, though that had only gotten them so far. “Why did I agree to this?” Glimmer complained. “Entrapta must have infected me with some kind of science-love-thingy.”

“I don’t think that there is such a thing.” Bow laughed slightly, and checked the area ahead with his binoculars.

“But you know that if there was, she’d have gotten it, and how else do you explain how I thought that this was a good idea?”

“Because this could be a huge boon to the Rebellion, explain our history more and provide a great boost to our understanding of science and technology?”

“No, that’s not why.” Glimmer shook her head. “It must be the science-love-thingy.”

“Well, whatever the reason is, you’re here, and will get through it. And it hasn’t been so bad thus far.”

“Aside from that time I almost drowned in quicksand.”

“Okay, true.”

“And had to teleport us out of the way of a giant monster.”

“What does it even live on out here?”

“And your pad stopped working once we got to the desert.”

“Okay, you’re right, this place is awful.” 

“What are you even looking at?” Glimmer took the binoculars and stared in the direction that Bow had been. She only found another of the many great skeletons of a bygone age lying there.

“I thought that I saw movement over there before, and isn’t it a bit weird that there’s a bunch of blankets strewn across it?” Bow scratched his temple, looking into the distance at it.

“Hm, you’re right.” Looking closer, Glimmer saw the blankets that Bow spoke of. “But can’t they just be from an older age when people still lived here?”

“I think that they’d have disappeared by now if that’s the case.” Bow shrugged, and took back the binoculars. “Seems like it’d be worth investigating. If nothing else we might find some shade there.”

Of course, what they found was a little bit more than just shade. Walking into it, they found a cantina full of people who all looked bruised, beaten and trying to fix the place up. They turned their heads around to see the newcomers, and upon seeing them they all, unanimously, gave out a single, collective groan. “We don’t want any trouble,” the bison woman at the bar said. “Please leave us in peace.”

“... Okay.” Glimmer was incredibly confused at the whole thing. “We just wanted to get a map or something.”

“Outsiders are nothing but trouble,” the bartender stated, to which everyone nodded like it was some great ancient wisdom. “We’ve had enough of your kind for one day.”

“There’s been other people from outside the Crimson Wastes coming in here today?” It might be nothing, but the coincidence did seem significant to Glimmer.

“Absolutely wrecked the place.” The bartender shook her head ruefully. “There was this big menacing scorpioni and one absolutely terrifying tall lady with a sword.”

Bow and Glimmer both looked at one another and said, in complete unison, “She-Ra.”

“Where did they go?” Asked Bow.

“Look.” The bartender rubbed her neck. “If I tell you, will you leave and never talk about this place again?”

“Uh, sure?”

“Right. They went to the Valley of the Lost, I can get you some directions. And if you see them, please shank them for me.”

Once they were back outside again, both Glimmer and Bow exchanged looks. “Well that was weird.” Glimmer felt as confused as ever at the whole thing.

“Think that we should go after them?” Wondered Bow.

“Absolutely. They must be hunting after the ship as well, if it’s linked to She-Ra and everything.” Glimmer started following the directions given. “Besides, it’s not as if we can just let them walk around menacing the locals. We have to stop them.”

Catra did actually feel somewhat better after having gotten some sleep. Her whole world was still turned upside down, and even thinking about her last encounter with Adora made her want to tear down the whole world and then put the ruins on fire, but at least she was rested, no longer hungry and thirsty and she could think clearly. The strange merchant had been right, the place stank of pettiness, but it was something that she could work with. One day, she would be on top of it, and finally get the respect that she deserved. Today, however, she was content to play the role of subordinate, and so she walked in on Huntara talking with what looked to be a messenger. “Hey, I’m kind of bored and was wondering if there was anything that you wanted help with.”

Huntara dismissed the messenger and turned around to look upon Catra with a frown. “I had no idea that you were this much of a wanted person, kid.”

“Huh?” Catra wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but it didn’t sound good. The hair on her back rose slightly in tension.

“There’s been outsiders coming, looking for you.” Huntara scratched her chin. “Happens sometimes, but usually they give up or the desert takes care of them. These ones are stubborn though, and heading this way.”

“Wait, seriously?” Was it Shadow Weaver? Even Catra would not have thought that she’d be so petty as to go out of her way to hunt after her when she should by all rights be dead now. And just as she was feeling like she might have a chance to escape her old life for good.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that whoever told them the way gets punished, and we’ll be prepared to take them down when they arrive.” Huntara placed a hand on Catra’s shoulder. “You’re one of us now, kid. We won’t let them take you.”

Chapter Text

“You know, I think that I’m actually starting to like this place.” Scorpia gave a contented sigh, closing her eyes while the rays of light fell on her. “I mean, it’s warm, dry, sunny, what’s not to like about it?”

“That makes one of us.” Adora honestly felt tempted to transform into She-Ra and conjure dark shadows, purely for the purpose of cooling herself from the heat. “But I’ve just got to think of it as a test of all those survival training programs. ‘If you can survive in the Crimson Wastes, you can survive anywhere’, that sort of thing. Besides, if Catra got through this, why shouldn’t I?”

“Why do you think that she went this way, anyway?” Scorpia articulated the question that had been bothering Adora ever since yesterday.

“I don’t know.” In hindsight, she really wished that she had asked some more questions from the local clientele, but she had been so frustrated with them by the end that she had feared that if she stayed any longer she would end up breaking a few more bones. Not that they didn’t deserve it. “Maybe she got kidnapped? Or some local guide showed her the way? Or…” Some of the possibilities seemed too terrible to utter aloud. “I just hope that she’s okay.”

“Catra is a survivor, she’ll be fine.” Scorpia had quite clearly decided to take on the role of emotional support after seeing how nervous and distraught Adora was. Last night had not been great for Adora’s mental health either, but the further south they got, the less she heard the voices, and so far she had been mostly free of them this day. A consolation that she happily took, considering how awful she felt otherwise.

“I know… But what if she isn’t?” Adora anxiously gripped her own wrists. “What if something awful happened to her and it’s my fault because I wasn’t there to protect her?”

“Hey.” Scorpia took Adora by the shoulders, holding her firmly with her pincers. “Take a deep breath, I worry about Catra too, but it won’t do her any good if you freak out.”

Adora breathed in and out, slowly. “That… Actually works surprisingly well.”

“I know, right?” Scorpia released Adora, and they resumed their walk. “Whenever I get too freaked out over something I remember what my mothers told me and take a deep breath, and I’m usually fine.”

After having walked in silence for a while, Adora spoke up once more. “Do you think that this ravine might be the valley that we’re looking for?”

“Guess so.” Scorpia shrugged to show how she didn’t know anything more about it than Adora. “Think that this means that we’ll find people again?”

“Probably. Hopefully they’ll be a bit friendlier than the last ones- oww!” Something had stung Adora in the neck all of a sudden. Grasping for where she had been stung, she found a small dart sticking out of her. “Okay, is there anyone in this land who doesn’t try to attack us?” She felt a mixture of annoyance and dizziness at this, her head was swimming a little bit and she almost lost her balance when she took a combat stance.

“Are you alright, Adora?” Another dart hit Scorpia, but bounced harmlessly off her exoskeleton with a satisfying clatter. “You don’t look so good.”

“I’m fine, just, try to see who’s attacking us.” Adora scanned the cliffs around them for hostiles, but found her vision too cloudy to see any. “Show yourselves!” Another dart hit her, this time in the waist, her sight too impaired and her reflexes too slow to dodge it. “For the Glory-” But when she raised her sword into the air, she found it too heavy to lift, and she fell face first forward, having completely lost her balance. The sand embraced her, and everything went dark.

Considering how neither Bow or Glimmer had expected to find any form of civilization when they entered the Crimson Wastes, the Valley of the Lost was quite remarkable. Certainly, it was very rustic compared to either their own agrarian home or the brutalist industry of the Fright Zone, but it was still a clearly living society, with people doing ordinary things to provide for themselves. A brutal society, where everyone was armed and robbery seemed commonplace, but a society nonetheless. Of course, it was also a society with which they were entirely unfamiliar with. “Any idea where they might have gone?” Glimmer looked around in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of Adora or Scorpia.

“Well, they’re not her, we’d have seen them if they were. Scorpia does kind of stick out from most of the crowd.” Bow for his part was looking for someone seeming like they could be talked to.

“As do we.” Glimmer was finding that a purple dress did not make for the most covert of outfits. “I don’t like this. These people look dangerous.”

“Well, we’re not going to get anywhere if we don’t at least try to get their help though. Come on, we can’t just stand here.” Bow led the way through the marketplace, keeping his eyes out for someone who looked like they knew what was going on.

“I’m not suggesting that we just stand there.” Glimmer followed after. “But we are standing out, and I don’t like it. How do you know that someone won’t try to rob us?”

“Well, I don’t imagine that we’ll be much less safe here than anywhere else in the valley.” Bow’s eyes fell on a street magician doing a performance for the local crowd.

It was a fairly good spectacle, overall, this person clearly knew the trade well, being able to conjure up things from thin air, only to make them disappear in a flash as well. “Thank you, thank you.” Several bows to the applauding audience, who threw coins that were deftly catched. “And a flower to the young lady.” With a final bow, the magician handed over a small native flower to Glimmer.

“Uh, thank you?” Glimmer took it, not sure of the intentions behind the gesture. “Excuse me, could we ask you a few questions?”

“I’m sure that you could.” A smile as the performer leaned back while the crowd dispersed. “I can’t say whether I can answer them though.”

“... Right. Well, we were just wondering if you had seen…” Glimmer thought it best not to mention their past hostilities just in case. “Some friends of ours? A Scorpioni and a blond girl?”

“Are you now? Well, maybe I could answer that one.” A hand was held out expectantly. “But since you’re new around here, I’ll give you a piece of advice for free, darling. This is the Crimson Wastes, everything here has a price.”

This did make Glimmer reflect that being a Princess did have its boons outside of the magic of the Runestones. She took out a purse of gold and held it up for demonstration. “Alright, you can have this, if you answer all of our questions.”

“Certainly. Your friends have been taken by Huntara, the local warlord if you didn’t already know.”

“They’re captured?” Asked Bow.

“Oh yes, she doesn’t much like outsiders interfering with her business.” A chuckle. “Though I’m sure that you two have nothing to worry about.”

“That was… Easier than expected.” Glimmer had certainly not expected their enemies to be taken out without needing their help. “What will happen to them?”

“Why they’ll put on quite a performance I expect. I heartily recommend that you stick around for it.”

“... Performance.” Bow was clearly getting as tired by the cryptic answers as Glimmer was. “Does this Huntara plan to kill them?”

“I believe that is her intention, yes. But like I said, I think that it’s all going to be quite the performance, one that will make what you saw seem like but a foretaste of the main course.”

“That’s… Very kind of you to mention.” Not that Glimmer would feel terribly sorry to see them die, but she didn’t like the suggestion of them being used in blood sports or something similarly barbaric. “But we do have something else that we need to do as well.”

“And can I help you with that?”

“Maybe.” Bow gave Glimmer a glance, and she nodded in response. “I don’t suppose that you happen to know the location of a First Ones spaceship?”

“Oh yes, of course.” There was a nod, as if that was a perfectly normal thing to ask for.

“Wait, really?” Bow raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting it to be that straightforward.

“Absolutely. It was unearthed recently by a storm, and news about potential treasures travel quickly around the Crimson Wastes. In fact, it’s only a little way west of here.”

“Alright, that’s actually some pretty good information.” Glimmer gave the magician her purse. “I guess we’ll be on our way.”

“Of course, thank you, thank you. But do stick around for a little while. I promise that it will be worth it.”

Leaving this strange fellow behind, they made their way to one of the upper cliffs of the valley to sit down and watch the town alone for themselves. “I’m not sure what to feel about this Huntara planning to publicly execute them,” Bow said. “It sounded very bloodthirsty.”

“Well, they are killers, Horde soldiers and all that,” Glimmer felt obliged to point out. “If anyone deserves it…”

“Yeah, I know. Still, doesn’t feel right, you know?” Bow had a contemplative look on his face.

“I get that, but also, what are we supposed to do? Try to stop her from killing them? Adora destroyed Thaymor, she killed Netossa, she’s been attacking us all the time, it’s not as if we owe her anything.” Despite her words, it still made Glimmer feel uncomfortable as well. Despite the long conflict with the Horde, the Princess Alliance had generally tried to avoid lethal violence if it could, and this did feel like killing them, even if it was simply by inaction.

“I don’t think that Huntara’s taking them due to Thaymor, Netossa or any of that. Honestly, I’m not even sure why she did it in the first place. I think that’s what bothers me the most, I don’t even know why she thinks that they need to die. They should at least get some kind of… Trial or something.”

Glimmer sighed. “I really hope that you’re not suggesting that we rescue our sworn enemies, Bow.”

“Well, if it helps, don’t see it as ‘rescuing’. See it as ‘taking to Bright Moon’.” 

“And how are we supposed to explore Mara’s ship with two prisoners and a bunch of angry outlaws chasing us?” Glimmer gave Bow a sidelong glance. “You know, the ship that we’re actually here for?”

“That’s true…” He looked quite uncomfortable with the whole situation. “But it doesn’t seem like a very good guy thing to do, letting them die, even if only by inaction.”

“I suppose.” Glimmer groaned. “This would have been a lot easier if we weren’t the good guys, just saying. Alright, fine, we’ll stick around and see if we can get them out of here, maybe offer something to Huntara, I don’t know.”

“Thanks.” Bow offered her a hug. “I know that it’s hard, sometimes the right thing to do is.”

The first thing that Adora noticed when she woke up was how hard the floor was. The second thing was how much her head hurt. “Ugh.” She tried to rise up, but her legs weren’t cooperating. That was when she noticed the third thing: She was in a cell, with Scorpia next to her.

“Easy there now.” Noticing that Adora had woken up, Scorpia helped her get into a sitting position. 

“What happened?” Adora rubbed her head, feeling disoriented and like she had a massive headache. There was a guard within her line of vision, but that one was a little bit away and did not seem to care much about them.

“I think that we got ambushed. I mean, I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on, but you collapsed and then a bunch of people showed up to poke me with pointy sticks and throw ropes around me. There was this one called... Oh what was it?” Scorpia placed the end of her pincer on her chin. “Huntara, I think? Anyway, she said that she was taking us in for being outsiders intruding on her lands.”

That wasn’t good. “Have you seen Catra?” Adora tried to look if she was in one of the other cells.

“No, but I’m sure that she’s alright.” The fact that Scorpia felt the need to add that implied that it was more to reassure Adora than because she really was sure. “They wouldn’t hurt her I think, and she probably got out of the way of trouble.”

“Hopefully.” Adora tried standing up, this time with more success. “But I miss her.”

“And I’m sure that she misses you too.” Scorpia looked like she really wanted to change the subject, perhaps to cheer Adora up. “But I’m sure that we’ll be out of this soon, and then we’ll find-”

“ Hey, Adora. ”

“... Her.” Scorpia’s voice died away, and it was obvious why. Catra had entered the tunnel outside their cell while they were talking.

“Catra!” Adora rushed to the bars. “You’re alright?”

“No thanks to you.” Catra tapped a finger on one of the bars, which gave off a soft clang from it. “So, what brings you two out into the middle of nowhere?” She appeared to be angry at something, but Adora wasn’t sure what.

“We… Wanted to find you.” Adora tried to take Catra’s hand, but she withdrew it from her before she could. “To bring you back.”

“Ah, right. So that we can go back to the game of ‘everyone hates Catra’. Thanks, but no thanks.” Catra’s eyes were hard and cold, and she started walking back and forth before the cell. “I’d rather just stay here, where people appreciate me.”

It took Adora a few moments to actually process this. “What? You’re not coming back with us?”

“No. I’m sure that Shadow Weaver will be very sad at the news.” Catra laughed a bitter laugh. “She’ll need to pick a new hobby.”

“Catra, what are you talking about? Please, we can talk about this, whatever they said about you isn’t true, I’ll straighten it out, just come back.” Adora held out her hand between the bars for Catra to take.

“Don’t you get it?!” There was a mixture of anger and pain in Catra’s voice. “No one wants me back. No one needs me back. Everyone hates me there anyway, here I can make my own life, my own choices. So don’t try to take that away from me!”

Adora felt like something broke inside of her at these words. It took her a while to speak again, and when she did her voice was small. “... I need you.”

Catra took a very deep breath, conflicting emotions crossing her face. “No. You don’t.” And she walked away, leaving Adora’s outstretched hand hanging.

Catra could not believe the nerve of Adora. To cast her out, only to try to pull her back in. And she seemed so sincere as well. That, Catra decided, was the most cruel part of it all, to not even acknowledge her leaving but simply think that she could make things go back to how they always were. Catra felt like she had just gotten a taste of false hope purely to twist the knife further in. You can never go back. All this did was make her second-guess her new home, and her plans for it. She was so consumed by her own thoughts and doubts that she did not notice where her feet took her, until she walked in on Huntara eating. “Oh, uh…” Catra had no idea what to say.

Huntara just pulled out a chair though. “If you’re here to annoy me you better wait for after I’m done eating. Otherwise, you could probably use something to eat yourself.”

“... Thanks, I guess.” Catra sat down and took a bite of the food. It was disgusting, but she had lived on disgusting food for her whole life so it was hardly something new. They ate in silence for a little while, Huntara seeming more focused on the meal than Catra. “So… Captured those outsiders, huh?”

“Yep.” She cleaned her lips with her hand. “Had expected them to be more trouble after everything I had heard about them.”

“That’s good.” Catra ate in silence for a little longer. “So what will you actually do with them? Send them back into exile?”

“Oh no.” Huntara shook her head. “No, we’ll just do what we usually do and throw them into a hole in the desert to die.”

Another moment of silence as the words sunk into Catra. “Wait, what?”

Huntara raised an eyebrow in surprise. “They’re outsiders. They’re a threat to all of us if they go back.”

“Yeah, but…” Catra had not thought this far ahead. “You don’t have to kill them for my part. If they leave, no one else will come for me.”

There was a sigh, while Huntara seemed to mull over what to say. “Listen, kid. It’s not about you, if people started to know that the Crimson Desert was a place where outlaws, deserters and what not went, then we’d have no end of trouble here. So if it makes you feel better, it’s not because of you that I’m doing this.”

It did not make Catra feel better. “But you don’t have to kill them. Can’t you just keep them?” She frowned. “Wait, that came out wrong.”

“I’m not keeping a slave economy if that’s what you’re thinking.” Huntara scoffed. “But food and water is precious around here, I’m not going to waste it keeping people captive perpetually.”

“But-” Catra protested.

“Now, kid, what did I say about annoying me when I’m eating?” Huntara demonstratively took a bite. “I’m not discussing the matter over dinner.”

“Fine.” Leaving the rest of her plate unfinished, Catra stormed off, her already dark mood having gotten significantly blacker. Everything would have been fine if they had just left her alone, and now she did not know what she was going to do. “Ugh, idiots should have just stayed out of it.” She could see herself, leading the Crimson Wastes, no one telling her what to do. But no, she would never get her dreams, not without paying a steep price for them. It was how it had always been. She smashed open the door to her room, intent on sulking there until she thought of something to fix this.

Such sulking would not be an option however, for she had a guest inside it. A figure in the colourful outfit of a performer was standing there like they owned the place. Turning from the window to Catra, they made a bow. “There you are.”

Catra gave the briefest hiss of surprise, before charging them, pressing them up against the opposite wall and pressing her arm against their throat. “Who are you? What are you doing in here?”

“Easy there, easy.” Rather than looking alarmed, the performer simply smiled at her. “That is no way to treat a friend.”

“Try again.” Catra scoffed. “I don’t know you.”

“On the contrary. Don’t you recognise me, Kitten?” The smile grew unnaturally wide.

“Wait…” She recognised that nickname, from the marketplace. “You’re that merchant, aren’t you? How…”

“Oh please, I already told you that I was thinking of doing a career change.” They deftly got out of Catra’s grip. “Do you like it? I think that it suits me much better, don’t you?”

It definitely sounded like the same person, but even now, Catra could not see how anyone could have put on a disguise so flawless. “What are you doing in my room?”

“Talking to you, of course, there’s not much else of interest here.” They cast a look over the barren walls. “Was a bit disappointed about that, but it’s not as if you can help it.”

“Well, why do you want to talk to me then?” Catra crossed her arms, she already felt like she was getting ensnared into someone else’s game and she had enough of that for a lifetime.

“Well I had promised some people a grand performance, and I wouldn’t want to let them down.” They spread out their hands theatrically. “And I think that you would rather like one as well.”

“What?” Catra chuckled. “You want to recruit me to your act?”

“ My act?” They placed a hand on their chest. “Oh, you misunderstand. You’re the star of it, if you want to be.”

Catra tilted her head. “And why exactly would I want that?”

“Because unless I’m mistaken, those people hunting after you are your friends-”

“You are mistaken,” Catra snapped.

“- And you know what Huntara does to those terrifying outsiders.” They continued as if Catra hadn’t interrupted them.

“Well… That’s not my problem.” Catra could practically see the web surrounding her now, and yet she was still listening. There was something about this person’s way of speaking that she found very compelling.

“Of course not, that’s why you haven’t been plotting how to get them out the moment you learned of their fate.”

“... You’re right, I haven’t.” Even to Catra’s own ears, that sounded weak. Whoever this person was, they had a talent for getting under her skin.

“Mhm.” A smile of vindication. “But you don’t know how to do it on your own. I can help you with that.”

Well, at least Catra could hear them out. “How so?”

“Ah, but I should have introduced myself.” They made another bow, and as they did, they changed, the colourful outfit being replaced by a dark one, while they grew taller and thinner, with green skin, blonde hair and a long tail. The smile was wider than ever, with long pointed teeth and reptilian facial features. “Name’s Double Trouble.”

Catra gave a yelp of shock at the transformation before her eyes. “Wait, so that’s how…”

“Oh yes. I am an artist, and transformation is my art. I may take on many roles, but my true calling will always be an actor first and foremost.” They looked rather pleased at Catra’s surprise.

“I…” Catra regained her composure. “Why would you help me?”

“A very good question.” They seemed to think about their answer. “You have already heard my opinion of the pettiness of these people, I’m looking for a change in scenery. Broadening my horizons. And you, my friend, can help me with that.”

“Ah.” Now it started to fall together for Catra. “You want to get out of the Crimson Wastes.”

“That’s right, Kitten. Of course, I do expect to be paid for services rendered.”

And there was the catch. “I don’t really have any money,” Catra pointed out.

“No, but I think that you know those who could get you that. And trust me, darling, they’ll want to after we’re done.”

“You’re very confident. Most don’t exactly like me.”

“Then let me tell you a secret of how the world works.” Double Trouble placed a hand on Catra’s shoulder. “They don’t need to like you, as long as they depend on what you have to offer them.”

“And what can I offer them?” Catra had been well and properly ensnared by now, and she knew it.

“Oh so many things. But to start with, your friends, technology from a bygone age, intelligence of the Crimson Wastes, some captured enemies, and myself of course.” They offered her a hand.

Catra hesitated for a moment, but she knew what choice she would inevitably make. She took the hand. “You better not let me down.”

“I would never.” Double Trouble smiled at the bargain made, and for a brief moment Catra wondered if they really were a flesh and blood being and not some trickster spirit of the desert.

“So, what’s the plan, oh shapeshifter accomplice of mine?” Catra’s ambition of being Huntara’s second and the ruler of the Wastes may have died, but Double Trouble had stoked one greater yet. It did not matter if people hated her, as long as she was too useful for them to get rid of. Power will be hers. 

“You get your friends out of their cell, and I’ll open the way for you. There’s a place west of here that I think that you’ll love to see.”

“Cryptic as always.” Catra had not expected anything else at this point. “Fine. I’ll get going then.”

“One more thing though.” Double Trouble transformed back into the weapons merchant from yesterday. In their hands was the Sword of Protection. “Price can be negotiated later.”

Catra took the sword. “You took this from Huntara?”

“It’s like I said, Kitten.” They exited through the window with an elegance that their current shape did not imply. “Around here, everyone steals.”

“You sure that you don’t know why Catra is upset with me?” This was not the first time that Adora had asked that question. It might also not be the last.

“Pretty sure, yeah. Last time I saw you two together you were tight as…” Scorpia searched for the right word. “Something really tight.”

“But how am I supposed to make up for it then?” Being imprisoned seemed the least of Adora’s worries at the moment. “It’s all my fault, I must have done something that caused Catra to get sent here. I… Wait a moment.” It was just then that she noticed that the guard she had spotted when she woke up was now gone. She wasn’t sure for how long they had been, but she had a feeling that they should have been replaced by now. “Scorpia, did you see when that guard disappeared?”

“Hm?” Scorpia looked over to where they had been. “No, didn’t really pay attention to that.”

“Maybe we could get out of here so that we can go and talk to-” Adora just noticed who had entered the tunnel. “- Catra!”

Once again, Catra was walking up to their cell, this time holding the Sword of Protection and looking less angry and more awkward. “Uh, hey Adora. Scorpia.”

“Look, Catra, we can talk about whatever it is that-”

“Save it, Adora. I’m just here to get the two of you out of here.” There was a weariness and resignation to Catra’s voice. “Ugh, they could get me a massive sword but not a key?”

“Who?” Scorpia stepped up to the bars.

“Never mind.” Catra glanced down at the sword in her hand. “Maybe if I…”

“Ooh, let me!” Scorpia enthusiastically grabbed the bars with her pincers. At first she seemed to have intended to try to cut the lock away from them, but in her enthusiasm she accidentally ripped the whole door off its jars. “Oops, sorry.” She tried, and failed, to gently place it down against the wall, but it fell down with a clatter on the floor. 

Both the other women looked at Scorpia in stunned silence for a few seconds. Catra was the first to speak up. “You’ve been able to do that this whole time ?”

“Uh, I guess I have.” Scorpia looked apologetically at the broken door. “Should I have mentioned that? I probably should have mentioned that. I was just waiting for you two to come up with a plan first.”

“... Why do I even bother?” Catra facepalmed herself. “Right.” She looked awkwardly at Adora. After a moment, she held out the sword, pommel first, to her. “This isn’t because I like you, you just happen to be my ticket out of this.”

“Well…” Adora gave Catra a tentative hug. “Even so, thanks.”

Catra coughed. “The sword, remember?”

“Oh, right.” Adora took it. “Should I do it now?”

As she said it, two outlaws walked past the opening of the tunnel and one of them, the pink goatwoman taking the lead, glanced into it, saw the three gathered there and did a double-take. “The prisoners are escaping!” She shouted, while her companion, a four-armed lizardwoman, charged in towards them.

“Yes.” There was a strong hint of amusement in Catra’s voice. “Yes, I think that you should.”

Adora held the Sword of Protection up into the air, scraping the ceiling of the tunnel. “For the Glory of the Horde!” In a flash, she was transformed into She-Ra. The lizardwoman stopped her charge, taken aback by the transformation and associated flash of light. “Want to try it?” Adora gave a cocky smile. In response, the lizardwoman reached for a blowpipe and fired off a dart towards her. Adora simply blocked it with her sword. “Alright, my turn.” She leapt forward, and in a single bound reached her opponent with startling speed, hitting her with a punch powerful enough to send her flying straight out of the tunnel. The other outlaw took one look at her knocked out companion and thought better of fighting them, running away as quickly as her legs could take her.

Catra chuckled. “Well, we should get going before more show up. I’ve got a contact that will help us out of here.”

Despite being an entirely unassuming building, the place that they had been directed to as where Huntara lived seemed to have an ominous quality to it. Of all the many stupid things that Glimmer had done in her life, few seemed to stand out as much as walking up to a warlord’s front door and bargaining for the lives of their enemies. “Here goes nothing, I guess.” She stepped inside.

“It will be fine.” Bow followed after her. “You’ve got this.”

The one who presumably was Huntara looked up when they stepped into her abode. She was tall, and of a muscular build, a single look making it clear that no matter what other qualities she may have, one that kept her in power was the fact that she was strong enough to take on any challengers to her rule. “And who might you be?”

Glimmer curtsied. “Princess Gli-”

“No, no, none of that.” Huntara waved a dismissive hand.

“Excuse me?” Glimmer was confused, and slightly distraught. This was not the greatest of beginnings for a petition.

“No court formalities and politeness, I’m not some fellow Princess that you’re visiting for tea. Just tell me who you are.”

“I’m Bow, and this is Glimmer.” Bow came to the rescue. “We’re with the Rebellion.”

“That must be very nice for you.” Huntara scoffed. “Good to see that they’re still using kids. What do you want?”

“We’ve heard that you recently captured some members of the Horde,” Glimmer tried tentatively.

“Yeah?” A raised eyebrow. “What about it?”

“Well, word on the street was that you intended to make some kind of bloody spectacle out of them…” Bow looked about as awkward as Glimmer felt, it was not the easiest subject to approach in a diplomatic fashion.

“You shouldn’t listen to whatever random strangers on the street tell you, kids.” Huntara chuckled. “I’m not some barbarian.”

“Oh, good.” Glimmer sighed with relief. Maybe they didn’t need to have to do this after all.

“I was just going to throw them into a pit to die.” Huntara shrugged like it wasn’t some kind of big deal.

“... You were what?” And just like that, Glimmer’s hopes had been crushed.

“Yeah, it’s how we usually deal with nosy outsiders.” Huntara seemed to realize what she had just said. “Yourselves excluded, of course.”

“That’s… Isn’t that a bit grim?” Bow asked.

“Look, it’s not what you kids may be used to, but it’s just how things are done around here. You grow accustomed to it.”

“Seems a bit extreme though, doesn’t it?” How Glimmer had come to plead for Adora’s life she still had no idea, and yet here she was.

“Then what do you suggest that I do instead? Just let them go? If I do that, more will come.”

“Well, we were just thinking that if you transferred them to us, we could get rid of them for you,” Bow said. “I promise that we’ll keep them prisoners, they’re still from the Horde after all.”

This made Huntara break out into laughter. “They’re your enemies and you guys still want to plead for their lives? You’re idealistic, I’ll grant you that.” She looked to be thinking it through. “Tell you what, it’ll please my latest recruit if I agree, and I’m feeling nice today. I’ll let you have them on the promise that you make sure that no one outside of the Crimson Wastes hears about us.”

“Deal.” Glimmer reached out her hand for shaking, but before Huntara could take it they were interrupted by one of her followers rushing in, panting heavily.

“The prisoners are on the loose!” She said frantically. “They got out, and are tearing through us!”

Huntara fixed her with her gaze. “What did you say?” A moment’s pause. “Where’s Catra?”

“Catra is here?” Bow looked at Glimmer, who shrugged in reply to show that she didn’t know any more than him.

Even the laughter of the woman seemed almost goatlike. “With them, of course. Turns out your little kitty wasn’t all-” She did not get any further, because Huntara had punched her in the jaw hard enough to knock her down on the floor.

“Don’t speak to me like that.” Huntara stepped over the crumpled body to look out over the Valley of the Lost, where chaos and confusion was spreading like wildfire. She took a deep breath. “She betrayed me.”

“Well, that’s Catra for you.” Glimmer stepped up beside her. Just like this, the entire attempt to do the one kind act to her enemies seemed so pointless. “She’s a schemer, that’s for sure.”

Huntara gave her a sidelong glance. “And how do I know that you weren’t part of the plan to distract me?”

“Please, I may want them to get a proper trial in Bright Moon, but they’re still our enemies as well.” And as Glimmer said this, a light went up for her. “And if you want, we can help you capture them again.”

“Why would I accept an outsider’s help?”

Despite the awful situation before her, Glimmer could not help but smile. “Because you won’t defeat She-Ra without us, and I think that I know where they’re going.”

The rush out of the Valley had been relatively straightforward, all things considered. There had been few people barring the way, and those that did were taken down easily. Double Trouble had clearly done their job well, and when the group reached them, they were waiting by the dunes outside of town. “You’re pretty good at this, I’ll grant you,” Catra said as a way of greeting.

“Enough for an applause?” They smiled at the sight of the rest of them.

“Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Catra gestured at them as a means of introduction. “This is Double Trouble, everyone. They’re the one who helped me with this.”

“A pleasure.” Double Trouble bowed, and kissed Scorpia’s pincer. “Now, they’ll be coming soon, and it isn’t too long away, so we better get going.”

“Uh, it’s not that I’m not in on the plan, but where are we going again?” Scorpia looked around at the rest of them.

“Oh you’ll see.” Double Trouble clearly was enjoying the suspense. “Words simply can not do it justice.”

As they started walking, Catra sidled up to Adora. “I’m still not over it, you know?”

Annoyingly, Adora’s reaction was not one of regret, shame or even anger, but simple confusion. “Over what?”

“You know, back in the woods.” This still wasn’t getting the reaction that Catra sought out. “Oh come on, like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“... I really don’t.” Adora seemed to be thinking back. “Was it when I went off without telling you?”

“Well, kind of. I mean…” Catra stared into Adora’s nonplussed face. “You really have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”

“Nope. But whatever it is, I’m sorry for it.”

“I…” Catra looked at Adora. Then at Double Trouble. Then back at Adora. There was a growing realization inside of her. “... I’m going to kill Shadow Weaver.”

“Catra, what are you on about?” Adora looked as confused as ever.

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s an illusionist, she plays mind games, this whole thing was all her doing.”

“Uh, no, it’s not obvious. Could you please explain what’s going on?”

“She deceived us, Adora. It was she who sowed confusion during the battle, who… Told me some awful things.” Catra looked away from Adora for a moment. “But it doesn’t matter, none of that matters. You’re mine, and we’re going to destroy her, destroy everyone who stands in our way.”

Adora looked unsure as to how to reply to that, but before she could formulate one, Double Trouble threw their arms into the air. “Tadam!” Before them was… Catra had never seen one before, but she was pretty sure that it was a spaceship. “Impressive, right?”

“It is,” spoke Adora. “But why are you taking us here?”

“Well I figured that if the Princess wanted to get it so badly that she came all the way out here it must be rather important, and you’d probably want it as well, if only to deny her.”

“Princess?” Asked Scorpia. “There’s a Princess here?”

“Oh, did I forget to mention that? There’s a Princess in the Valley of the Lost, and an archer friend of hers as well, looking for this.” Double Trouble smiled at Catra. “This is all going to my pay, right?”

“Double Trouble, if you continue to do this well, you’ll never have to worry about money again,” Catra assured. This was a prime opportunity, and she liked those.

“That’s what I like to hear, Kitten.” They led the way down into the ship. “Of course, I don’t know why they’re interested in it. It’s already been ransacked, and people have been hearing voices from it, but who am I to question royalty?”

Stepping inside it, the place had indeed seen everything not nailed down stolen. And then everything that was nailed down for good measure. It was surprisingly small as well, like it was just an entry room to the larger ship. “This isn’t it, right?” Adora asked, looking around the place.

“If it isn’t, no one’s found a way to the rest of it.” Double Trouble shrugged, and sat down to observe the others examining the ship’s interior.

Catra was dusting off the far wall when she heard a voice that made her jump in fright. “ She-Ra. Etheria. Gone. ”

“Uh, did you hear that?” Scorpia asked. “Or was that just me?”

“It’s not just you, Scorpia.” Catra looked around to try and locate the source of the voice. “I think that it’s coming from further inside the ship.”

“It mentions She-Ra. Maybe it needs me to transform.” Adora took up her sword. “For the Glory of the Horde!”

“Ooh, impressive light show.” Double Trouble commented upon seeing Adora change into She-Ra. 

Nothing seemed to happen in response to it, though. “Maybe it needs you to wave it around and do some magic?” Suggested Catra.

“Maybe…” Adora looked around, and her eyes fell on the floor. “Is that.. I think that I know what I have to do!”

“Well don’t just leave us hanging, tell us, Adora.”

“It’s written on the floor. Remember when I transformed my sword into a shield in Elberron?”

“Yes?” Scorpia did not seem to get where Adora was going any more than Catra did.

“I think that’s the key to opening this place.” Adora looked up from the floor and noticed everyone looking expectantly at her. “... Only problem is that I have no idea how I did it.”

“How hard can it be?” Scorpia nodded, as if this all made perfect sense. “Just think shield thoughts.”

“... Okay.” Adora held the sword before herself. A minute passed. Nothing happened.

“Ugh, do we really need to get inside of this place?” 

In response to Catra’s question, the voice came out once more. “ She-Ra. Etheria. Gone. ”

“We can’t just leave the mystery unsolved, especially if it’s got something to do with me.” Adora tried waving the sword around. “Just give me a moment. Scorpia, maybe you could try to hit me, and when I block, it might transform into a shield.”

This method did not turn out to do anything other than make a ruckus as Scorpia hit the sword again and again. Catra rolled her eyes. “ This is the stage that we get stuck on?”

“I’m sure that I’ve got it.” Suddenly, the sword transformed. “Aha!” Adora’s triumph was short-lived, for what it transformed into was not a shield but a golden dinner plate. “Well, it’s progress, at least.” After a few more tries, at which point even the ghostly voice had become not so much scary as annoying, she finally got it to turn into a shield. “See? Now I just have to do this…” Adora directed the shield downwards towards the floor, which lit up along the inscriptions on it. “... And it should open.” The light spread out from across the floor up to the walls, where the image of She-Ra was formed from it. The wall opened up to let them inside. “Told you that I could do it.” Adora smiled smugly. Her smugness did not endure for long though, due to how a flock of bats flew out of the darkness to get out of the ship, with Adora being right in their path. The surprise alone made her depower from her She-Ra state.

“Yeah, yeah. You’re great and all.” Catra gave her an amused look. “Let’s see if it’s worth the wait.”

It was when they got to the command bridge that they found the source of the voice: A hologram of a woman that looked like Adora, but not like Adora. She was very similar to whenever Adora was transformed into She-Ra, but clearly not the same person. “I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone. ”

“Huh.” Scorpia looked curiously at the hologram. “So she’s like some kind of predecessor of yours?”

Adora frowned though. “You’re ‘Mara’?”

In response, the hologram repeated the same message. “I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone. ”

“You know that name?” Asked Catra.

“It’s what Madame Razz called me.” Adora looked to see if she could find something else of interest.

“Who?” Catra had never heard that name before.

“It’s a long story. But if she’s Mara… I’m not sure what this means, but I know that it’s important. Help me try to find more information.” Adora went behind the hologram, to the control panels that couldn’t have been in use for centuries at least.

“I am Mara, She-Ra of Etheria, and I am gone. ”

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” After a bit of searching, she found a slot fit for her to put her sword into it, like a keycard in a way. Placing it inside, Adora backed off, while the ship appeared to further light up and activate.

Everyone looked around in awe as the ancient ship turned its power on, though Double Trouble was trying to hide it behind an expression of moderate interest. The hologram disappeared, only to reappear again in the captain’s chair, but now looking like a normal human instead of like She-Ra. She looked heavily wounded, clutching her stomach and breathing heavily. “I don’t have much time. I barely made it out.” There was distortion in the voice and image, before it readjusted itself. “If you are seeing this, it means you wield the Sword. You are the new She-Ra. It means I failed. I was supposed to be the last. And I am so, so sorry.” Even as a hologram, the bitterness of her voice and face shone through. “I don’t know what they told you, but it wasn’t all bad at first. We were the first ones to settle Etheria, to really study this planet’s magic. How could it go so wrong? Light Hope…” The rest of the message was too heavily distorted to understand, but that was not what was at everyone’s attention. At the mention of Light Hope, Adora gave out a cry of pain and collapsed, clutching her head.

Chapter Text

Remember, dear. You must remember. Your heart depends on it.

Adora knew the name Light Hope, it was there, just in the back of her mind. But there was something else as well, a deep, undeniable sense of wrongness. She felt like she stood before a closed door, but did not have the key to open it. She knew that the truth was held behind the door, but try as she might, she could not brute force it. It was a slippery thing, like black smoke, always falling through her fingers. Trying to decipher it, she was reminded of back when Entrapta had interviewed her, about… The Crystal Castle. Yes, that was its name. She reached out, almost grasping it and then…

“Adora?” Catra was holding Adora’s body as she slid back into consciousness. It reminded her of when they had first found the Sword. That too felt very important to her at that moment. 

“Ugh, what happened?” Everything was swimming before her eyes, but she vaguely felt Scorpia placing down the sweater she’d been carrying with herself all this way as a makeshift pillow to keep her head from lying on the metallic floor. The sweater, the one that Razz had given her, with the Sword on it, it all seemed so important for some reason.

“You fainted after listening to that hologram ramble on.” Catra looked somewhat reassured now that Adora was awake, though she still seemed rather concerned. “Oh, I knew that this place was up to no good.”

Then Scorpia showed up within Adora’s line of vision as well. “Do you feel ill, is there anything that I can get you?” Behind Scorpia, Adora could discern Double Trouble observing everything as well as her vision got clearer, though they looked more curious than concerned at what had happened.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” Flattered though Adora felt at the attention shown to her, they had more important things to worry about. “Was there anything else to the message?”

“No.” Catra shook her head. “It became unintelligible at the same time that you fell unconscious.”

“Right.” That was deeply disappointing, but nothing that she could do about at the moment. “When will the others show up?”

“Oh, any moment now, I’d expect.” Double Trouble spoke up. “Our little tour has taken some time.”

“Then we have to prepare if we’re going to catch them.” Adora was grudgingly allowed to rise up by Catra. “We need to come up with a plan of some kind.”

“Don’t worry.” Catra smiled. “I think that I have an idea.”

The ship showed up on the horizon long before they got to it. It was an impressive sight to be sure, and Bow looked like he could hardly take his eyes off it. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “This thing is just amazing. Just think of all of the journeys that it’s made, back when there were stars in the sky.”

“It’s pretty cool, yeah.” Though Glimmer hadn’t been focusing on the ship itself as much, Bow’s enthusiasm for it was highly infectious. “Though we’re absolutely not going to be able to get this entire thing back to Entrapta.”

“Don’t know why you outsiders are all so interested in it,” said Huntara. She had brought a handful of thugs with her to make sure that they got the job done, including the one that had brought the message of the escape in the first place. That one seemed to be in a fair amount of pain, both her nose and jaw suffering injuries. “It’s haunted and there’s nothing left of value within it.”

“Haunted?” Bow gave her a concerned look. “How’s it haunted?”

“Well, you know, spooky voices, that sort of thing.” Huntara shrugged. “What did you call that girl that you’re hunting?”

“She-Ra?”

“Yeah, they speak her name, whatever that means.”

“It means that we’re on the right track,” said Glimmer. “That ship holds the secrets of She-Ra, maybe the secrets to winning the war.”

“In another thirty years, maybe,” scoffed Huntara. “Whatever those secrets are is none of my business, I just want to see the traitor punished.”

“You will,” Glimmer assured her. “Trust me.”

Entering into the ship, they found it dark but for the lines of light running a web through the walls and floor. There was an opening beckoning them further inside. “Well this is new.” Huntara looked around at the lights. “Place was a lot smaller last I was here.”

“Good, then they’re here.” Glimmer led the way into the bowels of the ship with greater confidence than she truly felt.

Delving into the ship, they found Adora, Catra and Scorpia waiting for them at the command bridge. Adora was holding the Sword of Protection, letting the flat end of the blade rest on her shoulder. “That’s a lot of you to come for us.” She waved with her free hand. “Hey, Glimmer, what made you join up with these people?”

“Honestly?” Glimmer really couldn’t believe that she had let herself be talked into standing up for Adora. “You’d never believe me if I told you.”

Huntara growled beside her. “You shouldn’t be testing my patience, kids. Surrender, and I may show mercy.”

Adora turned her attention over to her. “Oh, so you’re Huntara then?” Glimmer was expecting some form of snarky retort as Adora looked her over, but her voice sounded pretty sincere. “Cool. Wow, you look strong.” This made Catra send an elbow into her ribs. “Oww! Did I say something wrong?”

“Enough!” Huntara slammed the butt of her sword-staff into the ship’s floor. “I’m very disappointed in you, Catra. I had high expectations of you.”

Catra scoffed. “I suppose there must be a first for everything.” She had a calculating look on her face as she observed Huntara. “But what was it you said? Oh right, ‘trust no one in the Crimson Wastes’.” She threw a half-smile towards Bow and Glimmer. “I hope that she told you that as well, would be a shame if your trust in her turned out to be misplaced.”

Huntara had tensed up like a predator readying for a pounce. Her eyes were fixed on Catra and every muscle in her body seemed to be making ready for the attack. “I must say, kid, I don’t see why you want to go back, you seem like made for this place.” There was an undeniable bite to her words.

“Really?” Catra chuckled, and contrary to Huntara she looked almost relaxed, as if showing how little of a threat she considered her. “Made for fighting for who would control the most empty sand dunes, who owns the most scraps of dirt?” She laughed some more. “I mean, if you can’t even beat a guy called Tung Lashor and you’re supposed to be the strongest around here, what does that say about everyone else?”

Too late, Glimmer realised what Catra was doing. “Huntara, wait!” She tried to grab her hand, but Huntara had already rushed forward to try to skewer Catra.

Catra jumped out of the way with a contemptuous air to herself. “Like seriously, you had everything that you needed to at least make yourself the ruler of this dump, and you couldn’t even muster the will to do that?”

Huntara continued to chase after her. “Oh, when I get my hands on you…” She made a swipe that Catra narrowly ducked under.

“Then what?” Catra backed away from her, towards a side corridor. “You can go back to lying to yourself in peace about how you’re not a coward running here to get away from all of your problems?”

Huntara continued her unrelenting assault until both of them were gone from the room, leaving the rest of them to stand there awkwardly. “So… Uh…” Adora picked up a First One device. “Is this what you want?”

“What is that?” Asked Bow. “Is it some kind of ancient First Ones weapon, the key to space travel, the secrets to She-Ra’s powers?” He held his hands to his head at the possibilities of what it might contain.

“... No, it’s just a recording of Mara’s final log. I think.” Adora tilted her head. “Wait, was that what you were after?”

“To be honest we weren’t really sure what to expect,” Bow admitted. “So there’s no great secret technology in here then?” He realised what he had said. “Apart from the ship itself, obviously.”

Adora shrugged. “If we’d found one you’d think that we’d have used it against you by now.”

“Bow, she’s wasting our time,” Glimmer interrupted. “Adora, surrender and give it to us. We’ll make sure that you get to stand a fair trial in Bright Moon.”

“Right.” Adora looked over at Scorpia by her side. “What do you say, Scorpia? Shall we submit to the demands of rebels and outlaws?”

Scorpia smiled and cracked her pincers together. “Nah, I say we take them.”

“Well you heard her.” Adora lifted her sword into the air. “For the Glory of the Horde!”

There were shouts of alarm from the outlaws with them at her transformation, but both Bow and Glimmer were well used to it by now, and simply drew his bow and teleported to She-Ra respectively. “This isn’t going to work out like you hope it will, Adora.” Glimmer threw sparkles into her face to blind her, before teleporting out of range of her counterattack.

“It rarely does.” She-Ra deflected a dart shot by one of the outlaws towards her, before sending out a wave of magic with a sweep through the air that hit them and threw them down on the floor. “Doesn’t mean that I won’t stop trying to make things right.”

“Stop saying that!” Glimmer went in for a quick attack. “You never make anything right, you just cause misery wherever you go.”

Meanwhile, Bow was having a similar struggle of his agility against Scorpia’s raw strength, keeping his distance while shooting at her. “I don’t suppose that I can convince you that this thing would be better off in our hands?”

“Probably not, but feel free to try.” Scorpia picked up one of the outlaws just as they tried to rise up again after She-Ra’s attack and threw her towards Bow. 

“Well… We’re going to give it to Entrapta, who knows best how to handle these things,” Bow offered.

“Bow!” Glimmer teleported up to him. “What have I said about telling our enemies about our plans?”

“Sorry, but maybe we can still talk this through? Do we always have to fight them?” Bow’s question was answered by She-Ra sending out a ray of light in their direction.

Glimmer only just narrowly managed to grab hold to Bow and teleport both of them away from it before it hit them. She was feeling her reserves of magic getting more and more exhausted. “We can’t. They’re the bad guys, and we need to stop their plans.”

“We don’t even know what their plans are!” He protested.

“That’s why we need to stop them.” Glimmer rose up and turned to She-Ra. “Actually, I don’t suppose that you’d tell us what your plans are?”

“Uh… No?” She-Ra gave her a confused look. “Why would I do that?”

“Worth a try.” Despite the fact that she was almost out of magic, Glimmer prepared herself to charge in once more. The only alternative was letting her take out the guys that Huntara had brought with after all. 

She stopped herself before she did, however, by the sound of Huntara’s voice ringing out through the room. “This has gone on for long enough!” She was holding Catra, the edge of her blade pressed against her throat. “Back off, you two.” She pointed menacingly at She-Ra and Scorpia.

“Huntara!” Glimmer was so happy she felt she could almost hug the warlord at that moment. Despite her bravado, she was glad to get a truce to the fighting.

She-Ra turned back into Adora and looked uncertainly at Huntara. “Uh, can’t we talk about this?”

“Hey, let me go!” Catra fought in vain to get free of Huntara’s grasp. 

“No step closer or I’ll show you what I do to traitors,” she threatened Adora and Scorpia.

“Wait.” Glimmer interceded before Huntara did anything drastic. “Adora, give us the recordings.”

Adora shifted her feet awkwardly. “Will you let Catra go if I do that?”

“... I’ll promise that she won’t get hurt, that’s as much as I can do right now.” Glimmer was under no illusions that she could negotiate for Catra’s release while Huntara was the one holding her. 

“I…” Adora met Catra’s gaze, and was given a nod by her. “Fine, I agree.”

“Great!” Bow gave an audible sigh of relief, while Scorpia looked deeply confused as to the entire thing.

“Alright, just hand it over carefu-” Glimmer did not manage to complete her sentence before Adora threw the object towards Huntara. The warrior caught it deftly with one hand, but as she did, her hold on Catra was momentarily weakened, and the feline wasted no time using the opportunity to slip free of her. Before Huntara could catch her again, she had jumped over to where Adora and Scorpia stood. 

Since Huntara looked like she might try to attack them again, Glimmer grabbed her hand. “We have what we came for, fighting them further is pointless. We might not even win it.”

Huntara wrested her hand out of Glimmer’s grasp and did a low growl, but Bow came to Glimmer’s aid in calming her down. “We’ve already beaten them, but many of your warriors are wounded, and will need to be looked after.”

“... Fine.” Huntara pointed her weapon at the Horde soldiers menacingly. “But enter my lands again and I will not show such mercy. Understood?”

“Uh, of course.” Adora exchanged a look with Catra, Scorpia still looking like she’d like to ask what was going on but thought better of it.

“Hmpf.” Huntara led the way out of the ship, handing the data disk over to Bow. “I hope that you’re grateful.”

“Absolutely,” he assured her. “You did the right thing.”

“Maybe so.” She sighed. “I have no love for the Horde, They stole my life, and when I broke free of them I had to flee here.”

“Well…” Glimmer smiled her best winning smile at her. “The Alliance would love to get someone like you on our side, and if you stick with us you’d get to beat up Horde soldiers all the time.”

This made Huntara chuckle. “You know what, Glitter? I might just take you up on your offer.”

As soon as the others had disappeared, Catra burst out into laughter. “I can not believe that this worked!” She felt very proud of herself for this particular plan, even though she had to frantically make up new steps as she went along behind the scenes when it became clear that Sparkles had joined forces with the bandits. “Think that they bought it?” She asked Adora.

“Honestly, at one point even I kind of bought it. How did you even meet them?” Adora wiped the sweat off her brow.

“Okay, can someone please explain to me what’s going on!” Interjected Scorpia. “Because I really don’t get it.”

“Right.” Catra led the way down the side corridor she had gone during the fight. “Scorpia, meet Huntara.” She gestured at the fallen body of Huntara lying on the floor, a bone dagger sticking out from her back and her hands and feet bound. She was gagged, and mostly unconscious by the looks of it.

“That… That just makes things even more confusing. So who was it that captured you?” Scorpia scratched her head at the sight.

“Double Trouble.” When Scorpia still looked like she demanded further explanation, Catra elaborated. “They’re a shapeshifter, a really good one. And now they’re our spy.” She chuckled slightly. “Bet Shadow Weaver couldn’t have done this.”

“... Okay, I think that I get it. I mean, not really, but so this is the real Huntara, and the other one isn’t, but is on our side.”

“Basically.” Catra smiled at Adora. “Couldn’t you have put on a bit more of a convincing act?”

“Well it worked, didn’t it?” Adora said, a bit defensively.

“I suppose. And no telling Shadow Weaver about them once we’re back. This is my way to success, and she’s not stealing it.” Revenge was close now, Catra could almost taste it. A revenge long overdue as far as she was concerned, but all the sweeter for it.

“So, what are we doing with her then?” Scorpia pointed at Huntara.

“I guess we take her captive,” suggested Adora. “We can’t let her go free, seems like it’d ruin the whole point of a spy.”

“I have another idea.” Catra had been thinking about this step of the plan while she and Double Trouble had been staging the ambush on Huntara. “She’s the biggest baddest chief around here, right?”

“Right.” The other two nodded along, expecting Catra to continue.

“So that means that by taking her out, we’re leaving an empty seat for the second biggest to take over.”

“Sure, that makes sense,” Adora agreed. “Still not really getting where you’re going with this though.”

“What I’m getting at is that this makes her one of the best bargaining tools we could ever ask for, if we want to secure the Wastes for the Horde.” Catra was fairly confident that she had the outline of the plan in her head now.

“... So who’re we bargaining with?” Asked Scorpia. “Because a bargaining tool is only useful if you’re bargaining, right?”

“Well, the second biggest is supposedly Tung Lashor.” Catra held up a warning finger. “Don’t laugh.”

“I wasn’t going to.” Adora looked amused, either at the name itself or Catra calling attention to it. “So you want to negotiate with him about helping the Horde in return for offering him Huntara?”

“Basically, yeah. If we can get his collaboration while taking out his rival, we’ll secure most of the Crimson Wastes for the Horde.” Catra looked expectantly at the others. “So… What do you think?”

“Sounds like a brilliant plan to me,” offered Scorpia. “I don’t know how you manage to keep coming up with those.”

“Uh, thank you, Scorpia.” For some reason, the compliment did weird Catra out a little bit. “But anyway, we should get going soon.”

“Right, right.” Scorpia nodded, apparently noticing the awkwardness. “I hear you, Super Pal Trio heading out.”

When they came back to Bright Moon, the rest were already gathered in the war room. Huntara had picked out her most able followers to come with when they returned to the Valley of the Lost, and personally helped Bow and Glimmer get back to their home. The further they had travelled, the more moved she had become by Glimmer’s efforts to recruit her to the Princess Alliance, and fight back against the Horde that once stole her when she was a child. Now, they found themselves reunited with the others, Angella casting a stern gaze upon her daughter as they entered. “Glimmer, where have you been? And who’s this?” She gestured at Huntara.

“It’s a really long story, mom.” Glimmer found it probably not the best idea to tell her immediately about how they had rushed into a desolate wasteland on a flimsy lead. “Meet Huntara, she’s a friend we met who helped us along the way and wants to join us against the Horde. Huntara, this is Queen Angella of Bright Moon. My mother.”

“Pleasure meeting you.” Huntara looked like she intended to shake hands, but then thought better of it and made a curt bow. “Your highness.”

“And you as well.” Angella looked questioningly at Huntara, before turning back to Glimmer. “Long story or not, I’ll want to hear what you’ve been up to. You can’t just disappear without a word.”

“It was for a really good reason, I promise, and we got a new ally for the Princess Alliance.” Glimmer tried her best winning smile, hoping that it would convince her mother to not question her any further on the subject.

“Indeed.” Huntara nodded to what Glimmer said. “The Horde has taken so much from my people, if you can help make sure that they never bother the Crimson Wastes again then allying with you would be my pleasure.”

“... The Crimson Wastes?” There was an awkward pause as Angella said this, while in the background all of the other attendees started to distance themselves from what looked to become an argument. “You went into the Crimson Wastes ? Alone?”

“... Bow was with me as well, mom.” Glimmer tried.

“Please don’t drag me into this.” Bow stepped slightly away from Glimmer so as to not involve himself in the argument, looking extremely ill at ease.

“That’s no excuse. You didn’t tell anyone that you were going there, did you? What if you had gotten lost, or captured? We’d never have known where you were then.” The queen frowned in disappointment.

“But we didn’t get captured or lost!” Glimmer protested. “It went fine, we got some information about She-Ra and made important friends there.”

“That’s quite besides the point, Glimmer. You knew perfectly well that you should have warned me before going there. That place is dangerous, and you can’t just keep throwing yourself heedlessly into those kinds of places. Why can’t you simply follow my lead?!” As she spoke, Angella got more and more agitated.

“Because if I did that we’d never get anything done!”

“That’s not true! You just never stop to ask me for what I plan! You never listen to me!”

“Oh you’re one to talk about never listening!” At this point, Glimmer was fully willing to engage in this row. “I succeeded despite the obstacles, why can’t you be proud of me for that?!”

“I…” This actually made Angella’s face soften. “I am proud of you, but can’t I worry for you as well?” Behind her back, Bow seemed to be trying to gesture to Glimmer to give her a hug.

“... Yes, of course.” Glimmer did reach up to embrace her much taller mother, who returned it. “I’m sorry, mom.”

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten angry at you. You did well, Glimmer.” Angella gave a half-smile to her as she led her to the table, everyone else in the room giving a sigh of relief at the situation being defused. 

“Right. Ignoring that whole thing…” Mermista spoke up, apparently having been interrupted by the trio’s arrival. “We defeated the Horde fleet under What’s-Her-Name?”

“Octavia,” Frosta provided. “She told me that before I punched her in the face.”

“Right, Octavia. We totally messed her ships up, sending her back with her, uh, tentacles between her legs.” Mermista shrugged at the literal take on the metaphor. “Don’t think that they’ll be ready to face us on the sea again soon. Oh, and Sea Hawk didn’t set a single ship on fire.”

“I know, it’s just terrible,” he bemoaned. “It would have been so beautiful, but I just couldn’t find that spark of inspiration.”

“Also because I threw all of the torches into the sea.”

“Well that too,” he admitted. 

“And the sorcerers of Mystacor are ready for our counter-offensive,” Castaspella spoke up. “As am I, obviously.”

“And I as well,” Spinnerella quietly said. She still didn’t look terribly well, and might have dropped a bit of weight since Glimmer last saw her.

“Are you sure?” The Queen gently asked. “There is no shame in wanting more time to mourn.”

But Spinnerella shook her head. “The Horde won’t give us that time. If I stand by more people will be lost.” She gave a hollow laugh. “Besides, I don’t think that she’d mind it if I mourned her by fighting the Horde in her name.”

“Alright.” Angella nodded to that. “Then I’m going to ask for you all to join in this push to dislodge the Horde from their recent conquests. If all goes well, we’ll have undone much of what they’ve achieved since they took Plumeria. I believe in you all. For Etheria.”

“You’re going to regret this.” Huntara glared at the three while she was forced along by Scorpia. Her hands were still bound, and from them a rope was held in one of Scorpia’s pincers. “Trust me, you will.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Catra waved a dismissive hand at the posturing. “We heard you the first time.”

“You kids have no idea what you’re getting into. The Crimson Wastes won’t be tamed this easily.” She spat at Catra, hitting her in the back with the spittle.

“‘Kids’.” Catra tasted the word on her lips. “That’s still all that we are to you. Kids.” She turned around to face Huntara. “But that’s your mistake, Huntara. We’re so much more than just children to be bossed around by their betters.”

Huntara scoffed in her face. “Why? Because you followed the double dealer’s schemes and stabbed me in the back?” She groaned slightly in pain. “Literally.”

“No.” Catra shook her head, her resolve greater than ever. “Because I’m done letting others be the ones to use me as a puppet.” She turned her back to Huntara and kept walking, the sandy dunes passing by under her feet. “There’s going to be a new management.”

“Ooh, I love new managements,” Scorpia piped up. “Will it give us bonus rations?”

“... No Scorpia, we’re the new management.”

“Ah, right.” She nodded along to this. “So that means that we can give ourselves bonus rations?”

Catra did not reply to this, instead sidling up to Adora. “We’re so close. Soon we’ll have what we always wanted.”

“Hm?” Adora had been staring in the distance for a while and took a few moments to pull her attention back to the present. “I’m sorry, Catra, what were you saying?”

“We’ll be on top of the world, like we always dreamed we would.” Catra gave Adora a nudge. “Come on, don’t tell me this isn’t what you want.”

“Oh, right. That’s nice.” Adora said this in a rather half-hearted way though. “Uhm, sorry, I keep getting distracted. There’s this thing that I need to remember.”

“What is it?” Catra raised an eyebrow, it was unusual for Adora to be so quiet.

“Well if I knew that I wouldn’t need to remember it, now would I?”

“Point taken.” Catra looked around for signs of Tung Lashor’s gang. “Hopefully we’ll find them soon enough, I can’t wait to be rid of the sight of all this sand.”

Perhaps Catra’s wish was granted by some unknown deity, for it did not take that much longer before the first signs of the bandits they were looking for appeared, and soon thereafter two snakemen would appear, pointing their bows at the party menacingly. “What do you want?” One of them asked, trying to sound gruff but failing due to his high-pitched voice. 

“We’re here to see Tung Lashor.” Immediately after she said this, Adora turned to whisper to Catra. “You’re right, his name is pretty stupid.”

“I know, right?” Catra walked up boldly to the archers and gave one of them a slight shove. “So what are you two waiting for? Bring us to him.”

Where Huntara had favoured a simple chair, Tung Lashor was sitting on a much more ostentatious throne made out of bones and scrap metals, though it only looked slightly ramshackle in Catra’s eyes. He was a big red snakeman with black stripes and a muscular body, with a whip hanging from his side. He chuckled upon seeing Huntara. “So some new people seek to join the mighty Tung Lashor, and have brought me a prize greater than any before to show for themselves.” He rose up from his throne, walking up to them. “Very good.”

“Nah.” Catra said this in her most casual voice, not letting herself get intimidated by the warlord’s blatantly obvious attempt to appear frightening.

“... No?” He looked confused, and just like that, his intimidating presence was completely undermined.

“No. We’re here to bargain with you. Also, seriously, what’s up with that name?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Tung Lashor!” The snakeman looked affronted at the suggestion.

“I guess there isn’t if you’ve been out in the sun for too long…” Catra shook her head disparagingly.

Adora coughed slightly. “Catra, we’re not here to make an enemy out of these people.”

“Yeah!” Tung Lashor beat his chest to build his confidence back up again. “Listen to your friend, little kitty. You don’t want to get on my bad side.”

“Oh, please.” Catra waved a dismissive hand, gauging the reaction of the room. Most of the assembled gangsters seemed somewhere between frightened and amused at her irreverence, which suited her just fine. “Do you think that we defeated Huntara only to be frightened by you? We took out the strongest in the Crimson Wastes, and we’d just submit to some other gang for it?”

Tung Lashor bristled indignantly. “Huntara is not the strongest in the Crimson Wastes!”

“No, she’s not.” Catra smiled up at him. “I am.”

“You think so?” He towered over her, using his size to appear more intimidating. “And now you seek to challenge me, is that it?”

“Not unless you force me to.” Catra did a casual shrug, unimpressed at the display. “I’m here to give you an offer.”

“Tung Lashor is not interested in the offers of some lowlife upstarts! I will not treat a gang of three as my equals, no matter their prisoner.” He hissed in anger. “I don’t even know who you are.”

“We’re the Horde.” Catra deeply enjoyed the dead silence that fell upon the room at these words. “So no, you’re right, you’re not going to treat us as your equals.” She walked past him, sitting down on his throne, to the utmost shock of the onlookers. “You’re going to treat us as your superiors.”

A mixture of fear and anger crossed Tung Lashor’s reptilian face. “And why would I do that?” He growled. “The Horde have never bothered to involve themselves here.”

“That’s because until now we didn’t care about this pathetic little desert. Now we do, and you’re going to help us subdue it.”

“I don’t work for the Horde,” he shook his head. “I’m my own chief.”

“And you want to be the chief of this entire wasteland, for some reason. We can help you with that. Your biggest rival has been left leaderless, with our support you’ll be able to take over them all. All we ask in return is for you to do a few favors for us, starting with making sure that Huntara never becomes an issue for us again.” Catra smiled from her sitting position. “So, what do you say?”

There was silence as Tung Lashor thought her proposal over. Eventually he spoke up again. “Alright, fine, I can agree to that, but get off my throne.”

“Great.” Catra walked up and offered her hand to him, but as he took it, she yanked her arm down, causing him to stumble forward, and when he did she placed her left hand at his throat, claws extended. “And just remember, we took down one of you already. Don’t ever think that we can’t take down another. So don’t try to double-cross us.”

Even though he had by now journeyed through it on several occasions, Bow still found the Crystal Castle to be as confusing and disorienting as ever. He felt unwanted by the castle, as if the will behind it disliked intruders. Having already met Light Hope, his rational side could not truly bring itself to disagree with his gut feeling on the matter. Still, he had promised to deliver Mara’s records to Entrapta and Bow did not like going back on his promises. After the war meeting was over, he had taken his leave from Bright Moon to travel here. Glimmer had kindly offered to follow him, but he could tell that she’d rather stay with the others, so he had taken this upon himself. After walking the corridors of the castle for an indeterminate amount of time, he did eventually meet up with Entrapta, who was tinkering with a crystal formation, several tools and instruments lying strewn around her. “Oh hi, Bow.” She took off her welding mask and looked up from where she was sitting when she noticed his approach. “How did it go? Did you make many fascinating discoveries? Please, tell me everything.”

“Well to start off, the Crimson Wastes weren’t nearly as deserted as we thought. Apparently there live a whole bunch of people there.” Bow scratched his head a bit as he thought about what they had experienced while there. “They were a bit weird, and kind of aggressive sometimes, but we made some friends there.” He considered whether Huntara really could be called a friend and not just an ally of convenience. “I think. Honestly, sometimes it all seems so muddled.”

“I’ll bear it in mind if I ever start anthropology. But did you find the ship? Tell me that you did, it’s been on my mind all the time.” Entrapta looked eagerly for news.

“Yeah. We couldn’t exactly just move it, but I got something from it for you.” Bow handed over the records to Entrapta. “Think that you’ll like these, they’re from a previous She-Ra.”

“ Mara. ” Without any forewarning, Light Hope materialised right beside Entrapta, who didn’t seem bothered by her sudden appearance despite how it made Bow jump in surprise. “ It holds Mara’s records. ” It was difficult to tell Light Hope’s emotions, since her voice stayed even and her face did not emote, but there was a solemn air over her.

“That’s the one.” Bow looked quizzically at Light Hope. There was something up with her, but he wasn’t entirely sure what that could be. “Some of it looks to have been degraded, but I’m sure that you could get that fixed.”

“ Yes. Give me access to them and I will make sure that they are corrected. ” As Light Hope spoke, the feeling within Bow that she was being even creepier than usual increased.

“Actually, I meant Entrapta. I mean, she’s the one who does the fixing around here, right?” Bow tried to gauge Light Hope’s reaction to what he said, but to no avail.

Entrapta looked confusedly between the two of them. “Sure, I can do that. No problem.”

“ I would recommend that you allow me first-hand access to the information contained within, ” Light Hope insisted.

“But what’s the harm in Entrapta looking over it first, really?” Bow was now quite sure that his gut feeling about Light Hope was right. “Unless you’re worried about what she’d find?”

“ I do not need to disclose my reasons to you. ” There was now a stern quality to the hologram. “ It is personal. ”

“I get it, just, I don’t see why you’re being so secretive.” Bow shrugged, trying to seem more casual than he really felt. “The choice of what to do with it is yours, Entrapta, I’m just the delivery guy.”

“Well thank you so much for the delivery.” Entrapta smiled at him. “I’ll see what I can do about it.”

Adora had never expected to feel so happy seeing the oppressive skyline of her home. Though there had always been a certain menace to the Fright Zone, and not just because of the name, her time wandering the desert had made her miss it, and she felt glad to finally be back where she belonged. As they entered it, Scorpia spoke up. “Geez, I really hope that we haven’t missed too much while we were away.” She looked anxious at the thought of having been left out of the loop.

Catra had a determined look to herself though, casting her eyes around the place like she was afraid that the shadows were coming to get her. Which, in fairness, was a rather reasonable concern under the circumstances. “Well Scorpia, why don’t you check in with everyone else to let them know that we’re back and see what’s happened since we were away?” She did not look at Scorpia as she said so, instead looking for something that only she could see.

“Yes, ma'am!” Scorpia did a little salute. “Ready to be of service!” She started walking, then stopped. “Wait, should I check in with the others first or go and get a report?”

“Just do whatever, anything that you feel like.” Catra waved a dismissive hand.

“Oh, okay.” Scorpia resumed walking, albeit with a little less enthusiasm than before.

“And Adora-” Catra began, before Adora interrupted her.

“You’re up to something, aren’t you?” She folded her arms.

“No, I mean, yes, but nothing that you need to worry about.” The defensive tone in Catra’s voice spoke a different tale to her words however.

“Well I am worrying about it, so tell me what it is.” If Catra had some risky plan in mind, Adora would much rather be in on it now than when it all got going.

“It’s… About Shadow Weaver,” Catra responded evasively, while quickening her steps. “There’s this thing that I want to deal with before it becomes a problem.”

“Catra, what aren’t you telling me?” Adora kept up the pace, chasing after her friend. 

“Something that I need to deal with alone.” Catra gave a rueful smile. “You’d only slow me down.” She began running.

“Catra, wait!” Adora tried to grab hold of her hand, but she snapped it away. 

“It’s for the best.” For a moment, the look of resolve looked shaken by pain, but then she continued nonetheless.

Adora hesitated for a few moments, torn between the instinct to protect Catra and the one to follow her wish. Protection eventually won over, and she started to go after her, but as she rounded the corner, she was met with the appearance of none other than Shadow Weaver herself. The corridor went dark, and Adora could see nothing except for the approaching figure, not so much walking as gliding forward, her fingers tilted together. “Adora.”

Immediately stopping and falling into a nervous salute, Adora looked up as Shadow Weaver seemed to envelop everything with her presence. “Shadow Weaver. I’d like to report my return after a successful mission in the Crimson Wastes.”

“Successful?” Shadow Weaver’s masked face was now uncomfortably close to Adora’s own. “You went there to find the deserter, didn’t you?”

“Yes, Shadow Weaver.” Adora’s mouth felt very dry. “And she wasn’t deserting, she just-”

“And yet she’s not here with you. Tell me, Adora, where is she?”

“I… Don’t know.” It was the truth, since Catra hadn’t told her where she was going, but it felt like a lie nonetheless.

“No?” Shadow Weaver stroked her cheek with one hand. “I’d like to talk to her, to understand this misunderstanding that seems to have happened. Would you be a dear and help me?”

“She…” Adora felt like she was frozen to the spot, paralysed by something. “She had to do something important without me.”

“Did she now? That wasn’t very kind of her, was it? To leave you out.”

“She didn’t mean it that way.” It was getting hard to breathe now. “She just…” And the realisation struck Adora. “... Needed time.”

Shadow Weaver reached the same conclusion as Adora a moment later. “ No. The scheming little brat.” Anger radiated from her shadowy form, plunging everything into complete darkness. And then she was gone, and everything returned from normal, apart from how every light in the corridor had malfunctioned.

“ Catra. ” No longer feeling like she was rooted to the spot and about to suffocate, Adora immediately began sprinting with an urgency greater than ever. Whatever Catra had planned, she had the headstart, but there was no telling when Shadow Weaver would catch on to what she was doing. Her eerie ability to appear and disappear out of nowhere made it hard to calculate how long a chase would take, but either way, Adora had no intention of leaving Catra alone in this. She raced after, hoping that her intuition was right and that Catra was in the Black Garnet Chamber.

The sound of voices from within the chamber would vindicate Adora’s assumptions. Shadow Weaver’s voice, high and full of fury, could be heard before the doors to it were even within sight. “You dare to invade my sanctum?! You think that you could simply free this prisoner and sabotage my work for your petty revenge?! When I’m done with you, you will envy her fate.”

Catra laughed loudly, even though she sounded like she was in no small amount of pain. “Your ‘work’ has nothing to do with this. I figured out your secret. You’ve been sabotaging the war effort for your own gains, deceiving us all. And I’m going to make sure that you pay for it.” Even from a distance, the glee in Catra’s voice was notable enough to be heard through the pained coughs. “I’m bringing you down, you old witch.”

There was a quiet, apart from the ambient sound of the Fright Zone and of Shadow Weaver’s magic. When Adora approached the door to the chamber, she heard the voice again, now low and venomous. “You know nothing. You can prove nothing. You are but an insubordinate soldier, and your rebellion will no longer be tolerated.”

“Oh, but I can prove it, because I realised that you’ve been keeping her here this whole time, where you do your magic and keep your secrets.” Catra grunted in pain. “So Princess, in return for your freedom from this crone, would you tell what you’ve seen her do?”

“If it meant that I would no longer have to be subjected to her cruelty?” Perfuma’s voice was identifiable, but sounded a bit raspy from disuse, and probably a dry throat. “Absolutely.”

Adora opened the door, to see a sight that was terribly familiar to her. Shadow Weaver had suspended Catra in mid-air, keeping her immobile through the use of her magic. Behind her was Perfuma, still kept imprisoned through the usage of red currents of magic, looking worse for wear than ever. There was a strange sense of dejá vu to the scene, like Adora had seen it before. Pain shot through Catra’s body, like it had when they were… When they were…

Remember.

And at last she had it. The memories came to Adora, of what they had experienced in the Crystal Castle, what they had seen. She remembered when Shadow Weaver had done the very same magic, same torture, to Catra when they were children, and she remembered all of what she had done, the awful cruelty done by the closest thing that they had ever had to a mother. In the distance, she heard Shadow Weaver tell Catra “You are a traitor, and I will dispose of you like I should have done long ago.”

Rage filled Adora’s heart. It was a terrible and all-consuming rage, devoid of reason or pity. The manipulations that she had endured, the sanctity of her own mind having been violated, while Catra had been left to suffer the physical punishments by the monster standing before her. All of it fueled this rage that she did not know that she possessed, and she drew the Sword of Protection, charging in. “For the Glory of the Horde!”

The strike fell before Shadow Weaver had the time to do more than turn around and acknowledge Adora’s presence in the room. It tore through her mask, shattering the entire thing and leaving the face beneath visible. And what a face that was. The skin was grey and corpse-like, with sores and veins running across it. Even the diagonal slash across her face that Adora has just made barely stood out from the rest of it, practically indistinguishable from the scars she already had, aside from the black blood weeping from it. Her mouth held a row of uneven fangs, but the worst thing by far was the eyes. The iris had an unpleasant pale brown colour to it, the pupils were twisted into the shape of a lambda and the entire eyes shone with a red light, before it died down. She looked upon Adora with a mixture of shock, anger and accusation. “Adora, how could you? ” All around her, the magic was dying down. Catra landed on her feet as the magic that had been suspending her went away. It seemed that the mask had held the source of Shadow Weaver’s power in some way.

Once the rage died down, it was replaced by shock, both at what she herself had just done, and the hideous visage before Adora. “I…” She backed away towards Catra, hoping to find comfort there.

No such comfort would be found however, instead, Catra gave Adora a small but angry shove away from herself. “What did you do that for?!”

More confused and distraught than ever, Adora looked between Catra and Shadow Weaver. “... Isn’t this what you wanted?”

“Yes, but…” Catra’s glare was replaced by a look of deep disappointment. “She was supposed to be mine to take down, I had it all planned out and now look at her…” She looked at Shadow Weaver, who for the first time that Adora could remember looked helpless and pitiful, as if by taking away her mask, Adora had destroyed not just her magic, but the aura of terror she inspired, revealing her wretched nature to the world. “What’s even the point any more?” Catra sighed. “I wanted to break free when she least expected it and take her down by surprise, but now you’ve beaten me to it. Ugh.” She gave a grunt of frustration.

“I’m sorry.” Adora gave Catra a comforting hug. “I just wanted to save you.”

“I don’t need saving.” Her voice was bitter. “I can manage on my own.”

Adora felt a little bit sceptical about Catra’s ability to do it all by herself, but knew better than to argue about it. “So… What do we do with her?”

In answer to her question, every single screen in the entire chamber turned on at once, showing none other than Lord Hordak himself, observing the gathered people in the chamber dispassionately. “Now, what is the meaning of this?”

“Lord Hordak!” Shadow Weaver immediately took on her most sycophantic tone of voice. “These insubordinate soldiers have defied my orders again and again, they’ve deserted and now they’ve attacked me, trying to bring the downfall of the Horde.”

“Really?” He raised an eyebrow, showing no fear at the sight of Shadow Weaver’s face, merely a slight disdain. “Is this what happened?”

“Yes,” said Shadow Weaver tersely.

Catra made to protest this story, but Hordak held up a hand for her to keep quiet. “Then why does it not align with what I heard from here?” His voice was perfectly calm, but none could help but notice the threatening quality to it.

“... My Lord, you heard?” There was a slight tremble to Shadow Weaver’s voice now.

“I heard enough.” Though Hordak did not raise his voice, he did not need to. His anger was apparent enough even so. “You have forgotten; I see all, I know all. You have betrayed my trust, and I will make sure to find out how deeply your treachery goes. Force Captain.” He directed the last bit to Adora.

“Yes, Lord Hordak.” Adora, still in her She-Ra state, bowed to the screens.

“You have done well in removing the traitor within our midst.” Hordak either did not notice or chose to ignore the scowl that Catra gave at these words. “Make sure that she’s locked away.”

“Of course, Lord Hordak.” Adora bowed yet again, while the screens went black once more. It was then, as she glanced over to where Shadow Weaver had been keeping Perfuma prisoner, that she noticed for the first time that the Princess had been missing for a while now. “Hey, where did the Princess go?”

Though Bright Moon was far from empty of people, Glimmer had still felt very lonely while Bow was away. Not that she really wanted to go to the Crystal Castle, but she had still missed his company. The recent row made it feel awkward to try to talk to her mother, her aunt had been so overly enthusiastic talking to her about what she had been doing that Glimmer had made her escape within half an hour, she didn’t know what to say to Spinnerella other than a few condolences and well wishes and as for Mermista, Sea Hawk and Frosta… They seemed to be having too much fun, she was afraid that she’d ruin the mood. So instead she waited, hoping that he’d be back soon. It was while doing so that she spotted Huntara walking the castle grounds, apparently exploring the place. Not having anything better to do, Glimmer teleported down to her. “Hi there.”

“Oh! Hey, kid.” Huntara smiled. “You really can sneak up on people with that teleport of yours, huh?”

“Guess so.” Teleporting had been second-nature for Glimmer for so long that she sometimes forgot that most people weren’t used to it. “What are you doing here anyway?”

“Getting to grips with this place, of course. Never seen anything like it before.”

“You like it?” Though Glimmer certainly found Bright Moon beautiful, it was also one of those things that she had become used to for so long that she had come to take it for granted. Watching someone see it with new eyes was always enjoyable. “Lived here my whole life.”

“There are worse places to be bound to. What I’m interested in though is the woods.” Huntara gazed out over the wide forest before them. “Is it true that they are enchanted to make anyone who wanders them become hopelessly lost?”

“Kind of.” Glimmer shrugged while she too gazed over them. “I mean, the Horde has been weakening it by cutting down large parts of the forest and messing with the Heartblossom, and besides, the people who know the forest are pretty good at navigating it even so, but otherwise… Yeah.”

“Interesting. There’s just so much that is new to me here, but I promise, I’ll be a quick learner, you can rely on me and my warriors.” Huntara initiated a handshake, her grip less rough than Glimmer would have imagined.

“I’m glad for it, we need all the help we can get. Mom, the Queen I mean, I guess she’s doing what she can but…” Glimmer trailed off, not sure what to say.

“I get it. And don’t listen to her, no one gets anywhere without a bit of initiative. You should be proud of what you’ve achieved.”

“Think so?” She found it nice to hear someone else say what she thought, rather than chiding her for her actions.

“Absolutely. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here, so don’t feel like you need to keep yourself in her shadow.” Huntara placed an arm over her shoulder. “I believe that you have the drive to become greater than that.”

“Thank you, that’s very nice of you to say.” Glimmer smiled at the boost to her confidence when she noticed two people approaching the castle, one of whom looked remarkably like “Bow!” Without any warning, she teleported herself and Huntara over to them.

Bow was accompanied by none other than Perfuma herself, helping her walk. “I found her like this on the way back,” he offered as an explanation.

“Oh, Perfuma, you look terrible!” Glimmer rushed forward to help Bow keep her steady. Her words were not an exaggeration, Perfuma really did look terrible, like a shadow of what she normally looked like. Her hair was a matted mess, her cheeks were gaunt and she looked much paler than usual.

“Hi, Glimmer.” Both Perfuma’s voice and the smile she gave Glimmer were faint.

“Huntara, please go ahead and tell everyone that Perfuma is back. She looks like she needs a really good meal.” Glimmer turned her attention back to Perfuma. “I’m so glad that you’re back, what did these monsters do to you?”

“Nothing I want to talk about right now. I’m just glad to be back.”

The rest of their walk back was done in silence to spare Perfuma’s voice, and as soon as she was brought inside, there were several people who came to help her out, leaving Bow and Glimmer alone. “At least there’s some good news,” Bow noted.

“Yeah. How did meeting Entrapta go?”

“Oh it went fine, I guess, but I’m really starting to worry what she’s gotten herself into. There’s something weird going on there.”

“We’ll deal with it when we have to. For now, let’s just be happy that there’s some hope again.”

Chapter Text

The Rebel camp was bustling with activity, people moving back and forth in preparation for the coming assault. Of the realms of Bright Moon, Mystacor, Plumeria, Snows and Salineas, only the last one had not provided a noteworthy detachment of troops, being busy as they were with containing the Horde’s attempts to take control over the seas. Even then though, both Mermista and Sea Hawk had come to aid their friends, making this a formidable force harkening back to those of the last Princess Alliance. They were camped close to one end of a ravine, through which a large river was running, and on the other side of the ravine there was a Horde stronghold that had been built during their offensive to secure control over this key strategic location. With its overwatch of the river crossing they would need to go through it to further their advance to retake the lost lands. “So, first order of business.” Castaspella looked over the assembled Princesses. “We need to get our forces over the ravine without the Horde taking them out, does anyone wish to bring any suggestions?” She gave a significant look to Mermista and Frosta. 

“We’ve totally got this.” Mermista smiled confidently. “I’ll bring up the water of the river to our level, and Frosta can freeze it over. Boom, bridge.”

“Is that really safe?” Spinnerella looked sceptically at her. “I mean, what if they blow it up while we’re passing through? It’s just ice.”

“It’s not ‘just ice’.” Frosta gave her an offended look. “I’ve built things way stronger than a bridge with ‘just ice’.”

“She makes a good point though, but I do like your idea.” Castaspella looked contemplative, before smiling. “Ah! My sorcerers and I will cover the approach with spells of protection. Should keep both the bridge and those on it safe.”

“Uh, have any of you actually tried running on ice?” Bow raised a hand. “It’s slippery. Like, really slippery, and we’re doing this over a chasm…”

“It’s not slippery if you do it right.” Frosta rolled her eyes. “But fine, I’ll add railings.”

“Much appreciated.” Glimmer did not think of herself as one to try to hog the center of attention, but she had to admit that she found it somewhat grating how quickly she had been put to the sidelines. It was natural of course for Castaspella to take charge of the meeting, she was the oldest and most experienced of those assembled, who aside from Spinnerella were all younger Princesses as well as Bow and Sea Hawk. But even so, Glimmer had gotten so used to being the leader of the group that she felt off-balance by the change in the social hierarchy. “I want to teleport inside the place.”

“Glimmer, that’s far too dangerous for you,” Castaspella protested. “You can’t take on a heavily defended fortress all on your own.”

“Listen to your aunt,” Spinnerella added. “We can’t really help you if you head in there alone.”

“I won’t be alone. I can teleport others with me, you know?” Glimmer tried and failed to keep the exasperation out of her voice. This was why making plans with adults was so annoying, they always fretted over her safety like she couldn’t defend herself. Reminded her of her mother.

“Yeah, but only one or two.” Bow held up his hands apologetically when Glimmer shot him a small glare for taking their side. “I’m sorry, but it’s true and ought to be brought up.”

Somehow, the fact that he was right annoyed Glimmer even more than him raising the point in the first place. “Yeah, well, three people can still do a lot in the right circumstances. Look,” She turned her gaze back to Castaspella, “you don’t need to act like I need to be taken care of. I’m capable of my own, and this will allow us to get behind their lines. You can’t deny how useful that is.”

“I suppose that you’re right.” Castaspella looked thoughtful at the prospect. “But don’t tell your mother I agreed to this, she’s already not answering my letters.”

Glimmer chuckled slightly at that. “Deal. So who’s going with me?” She looked at Bow.

“I’ll go with,” he volunteered. “Don’t worry about that. Also, might let me rain arrows down on the Horde from above.”

“See, I’d love to come,” Mermista responded. “But Frosta and I are needed at the main assault, so… Ya know.”

“I’m coming.” This was the first time Sea Hawk had seemed to pay attention to the meeting, before now he had been busy filing his nails while leaning back in his chair. “Adventure, devious infiltration, fighting against overwhelming odds? It’s the role I was born to play!”

Mermista looked sceptical at this proclamation, but Castaspella simply clapped her hands together. “Well, that’s settled then. I hope that you all know your duties, let’s get this siege going, shall we?”

There were a lot of running soldiers all around the keep as far as the eye could see. The final preparations for the assault at hand were coming to fruition all over the place. Catra watched and waited while men took position, checking in on Double Trouble’s updates on the enemy movements. Scorpia was standing by her side, fidgeting nervously on the spot. “So… What are you doing?” She asked, kreening her neck despite the height difference of the two making it completely unnecessary.

“I’ve told you already.” Catra gave Scorpia an irritated look, placing the tablet out of sight of her. “It’s none of your business.”

“Yeah, I just… Figured I could help you with whatever it is. You know, like friends do.” She gave a hesitant look at Catra. 

“Look, Scorpia. I appreciate what you’re trying to do…” Catra began.

“Oh, you do?! Gosh, I was so worried there for a moment.” Scorpia breathed a sigh of relief. “You know, I almost started to think that…”

“... But I need you to give me some space, okay?” Catra picked up the tablet that she’d been using to communicate with Double Trouble and jumped out of Scorpia’s reach.

“Oh. Yeah, okay. I’ll just… Go and do my thing… That I know what I’m supposed to do.” After looking around for a moment, Scorpia began to lift some crates at random to give herself the appearance of working.

Catra did feel a bit bad seeing how dejected Scorpia looked, but she quickly reminded herself that it was necessary. Scorpia couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it after all, and this was a secret that could change the war. The less she knew, and the less involved she was, the better, and hurt feelings were hardly as important as the war effort. Having thus rationalised her actions, she proceeded to review the final preparations. The attack would be coming very soon, and for all that they knew of it beforehand it still would not be easy to withstand. The Princesses had mustered a sizable force, not just of their underlings but they themselves had united for this. If the Horde lost here, it would undo many of their more recent victories, and Catra would rather not have such an outcome be on her name so soon after Shadow Weaver’s downfall. On the other hand, a victory would strike a terrible blow to the Rebellion that she doubted that they would recover from any time soon, and give her the glory she had worked so hard for. Just a bit more time, and everything would be as it should be. She would be recognised, acclaimed and given her due value. But that would only happen if everything went exactly as it should, and as such, she could tolerate no flaws, no weaknesses, no failures . 

It began with the sound of the war chimes and horns calling for battle. The warhost that the rebels had gathered may not match the Horde armies in sheer numbers, but it nevertheless represented a great show of unity, and was one of the strongest armies that had been mustered for the war, especially after one accounted for the individual power possessed by each of the Princesses there. Mermista was leading the vanguard together with Frosta when the signal came to attack. She raised her trident into the air, summoning water from the river down below for Frosta to freeze into a bridge. “Charge!” She shouted, before adding, in a more quiet voice. “Or whatever.”

Frosta grinned as she transformed the water. “Oh this is going to be fun. I don’t think that I’ve seen so many bad guys to punch all at once before. Have you?” She skated across the newly made ice bridge, Mermista sliding after her.

“I mean, I guess the Battle of Salineas had kinda similar numbers. I don’t know, I’m not counting them, am I?” Mermista sent a splash of water up at the ramparts.

“Oh yeah! That must have been fun.” Frosta took the water that Mermista had sent and created a curved slope out of it for the two of them to travel up through. “I heard about it a lot, you know?”

“‘Fun’ isn’t how I’d call having your kingdom invaded and, like, nearly destroyed.” Up on the battlements, Mermista shifted to a battle stance, using her trident to knock down enemies as they approached. “Just hope that it doesn’t happen to you.”

“Yeah… Everyone’s been so afraid of that back home. They kept telling me that it was proof of what’d happen if I joined the Rebel Alliance.” Just as a Horde soldier made to attack Mermista, Frosta froze his arm into place with the wall, before giving him a punch to send him unconscious.

“So why did you join then?” Mermista summoned more and more water to them, trying to get it into the wall between the tiniest of gaps. “It’s not like you had to, you know? You could totally have gotten away with just kicking Glitter out on her sorry butt.”

“Well yeah. But I think that she was right, we can’t just ignore the rest of the world forever. And the Battle of Salineas showed another thing too.”

“And what’s that?”

“That the Horde can be beaten.” Frosta raised a hand into the air, and crushed it together into a fist. And as she did so, the water Mermista had pushed inside the wall froze into ice, expanding it beyond the space available to it. There was an audible groan, then, it started breaking, cracks running through it from top to bottom. Frosta stomped at the crack, and it widened further, metal plates falling loose while the stone ruptured. “They’re not invulnerable.”

“Maybe so.” Mermista grabbed Frosta and pulled her away just before that section of the wall collapsed completely. “But don’t let them take you down with them.” She looked at the heap of rubble left from the whole in the wall. “If anyone asks, I totally meant for that to be poetic.”

Frosta laughed at that. “Absolutely.” She created an ice wall to stop the Horde soldiers that were trying to interrupt their conversation, and also attack them. “Guess you never really had the same choice on whether to join the alliance or not?”

“Eh, you know…” Both Mermista and Frosta had to grab hold onto the parapets when a strong gust of wind sent by Spinnerella from where she was fighting caused so much turbulence that everyone was forced into a brief break from fighting while debris was flown everywhere. “Kinda? I mean, they sure put things into perspective, and it’d just be weird for everyone to have helped me and then I just go ‘bye, have fun dying or something’.” 

“I guess. Sorry for not being there.” As the dust settled, battle resumed, and below them, rebels poured through the hole in the wall. With the heart of the battle transitioning from the walls to the ground, Frosta made the path for the two of them to get down to the thick of it.

“Nah, don’t be. It’s not as if you promised to be there or anything.” Mermista followed her down, helping lead the rebel breakthrough. So far, the Horde did not seem to have any of its bots at the ready, so it was all just foot soldiers equipped with tasers and energy weapons. Something that could little hope to compete with the powers at a Princess’ disposal. “And, like, you’re here now, so, like…”

“Hey, I don’t mean to interrupt.” A stinger tail came hurtling towards Mermista, which she narrowly dodged under. The sender was naturally none other than Scorpia, making her way towards them through the fighting. “But could you two keep the chitchat to after the battle is over?”

“What? Not paying you enough attention, Horde scum?” Mermista made a jabbing motion with her trident towards Scorpia’s throat, but she blocked it with one of her claws. “You sure you can handle it?” wrenching the trident out of Scorpia’s grip, she twisted it around so that the butt of it hit her on the chin.

“Ouch. You know, that actually hurts more than you might think.” Scorpia took a step back to give herself enough room to rub her chin. 

Mermista used this temporary break to send a wave of water pushing away the nearby Horde soldiers, knocking many of them off their feet and allowing the rebels to push further into the fortress. “Get used to it. I’m only getting started.”

“I guess that makes two of us.” Scorpia rolled her neck, before throwing herself into the thick of it once more. The two made battle, while both Frosta and Spinnerella brought down those Horde soldiers who dared to stand against them.

Catra had a good overwatch on the battlefield from atop the fort’s central tower. She liked the feeling of power it gave her to survey things this way, there was a rush from being able to observe things from up high, and it did help give her a good idea of how things were progressing. She felt a brief flicker of envy at the way that birds were able to get as high as they wanted all the time, but pulled her focus back to the battle before it had gotten too distracting. The rebels were pushing her forces back into the courtyard, having all but completely overtaken the outer wall. The moment of truth was fast approaching, whether the plan would succeed or fail. Her muscles tensed in anticipation. “ Come on, Adora. ” She muttered to herself. “ Now’s the time. ”

Her view would however be interrupted by a bright flash behind her. Catra spun around on the spot, to see Glimmer having teleported up to her position, along with Bow and that pirate guy from Salineas. “Catra!” Glimmer fired off some sparkles at her, which didn’t really hurt so much as irritate her nose with the smell of glitter. “Hiding away from the fighting like a coward now?”

“Har-” Catra got interrupted from finishing her sentence by a powerful sneeze. Once she was no longer doubled over from getting the glitter out of her system, she saw that the pirate was pointing his rapier at her, while Bow had an arrow readied. “Hardly. I’m just delegating. You know, like a leader is supposed to.” Catra smirked at the glare Glimmer gave her. It really was far too easy to push her buttons. “Besides, someone needs to be here on the off-chance that the enemy decides to attack our rear, and it’s not as if I could leave that to Kyle.” She sighed when all three of them gave her a nonplussed look. “You have no idea who I’m talking about, do you?”

“Maybe you should have left Adora here, then we’d actually be challenged.” Glimmer retorted angrily. It was a blunt attempt at retaliation for Catra’s snide comment, but it actually hurt surprisingly much. 

“Where is Adora, anyway?” Bow asked. 

“Like I’d tell you.” Catra scoffed. She backed off from the trio to get close to the edge, folding her arms behind her back so that none of them would see the signal emitter she was holding. “I’ll grant you though, Sparkles, it wasn’t a terrible idea, trying to outflank us.”

“My name is Glimmer.” She, along with the two men, approached Catra warily. Far below, the battle continued to be fought. Time was almost up.

“Whatever. Here’s the thing, Sparkles. You think that you’re really clever, sneaking up from behind like this.” Catra allowed herself another smirk. “But what if your opponent thought the same thing? What if this whole thing…” In the distance, the sound of a hundred engines starting at once were added to the cacophony of battle. “... Was all just a trap?”

“What have you done, Catra?” Glimmer asked, looking both suspicious and alarmed at this new sound. 

“Oh but it’s not what I have done. But you were asking me before where Adora was.” Catra grinned, sharp teeth bared. “Behind you all.”

The Horde skiffs came out of the forest before the rebels had any chance to regroup to face the new threat. Adora stood at the forefront of the wedge that they formed, keeping herself steady as they plunged into the exposed rear. Jumping out of her skiff before the helmsman circled around to harass the more scattered fleeing rebels, she took out her sword and shouted with all her might “For the Glory of the Horde!” Not merely as the transformation phrase, but also as a rallying cry for her forces and a challenge for the rebels. She-Ra was here, in all her terrible might. Already, the braver members of the rearguard were trying to push back the attackers before morale collapsed. One particularly foolhardy rebel charged She-Ra herself, and was immediately knocked out with a single strike for her trouble. Far more dangerous were the sorcerers, spellcasters led by a middle-aged, black-haired woman who summoned the elements to repel the attackers through magical incantations and gestures. Singling her out as the most immediate threat, Adora rushed towards her, jumping over the heads of several rebels to get near this woman. Unfortunately for her, a strong wind caught her mid-air, sending her flying off-target. She landed in a bit of a crash, mostly having She-Ra’s supernatural resilience to thank for not taking any serious injury from the impact. Looking around to see what had caught this mishap, she spotted a figure making their way back from the breach in the outpost's walls. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it turned out to be the same woman who possessed mastery over air that Adora had fought before. The one she believed was called Spinnerella. She was stout, and a little bit pudgy, with a pleasant, maternal air over herself that was at the moment somewhat ruined by the death glare she was giving She-Ra. Though she threw more attacks her way, this time Adora was ready for them, and had solid footing to help steady herself. “ You. ” She had hovered over to She-Ra by now, looking even more cross at seeing her up close.

“Yeah, uh… Hi.” She-Ra went for the thrust, but her blade was sent off-course by the strong currents that encircled them. “So…” They went back and forth in their attacks while she tried to think of what to say. “Uh, what’s your deal then?”

She got a look of disbelief in response. “You… Killed my wife. You do know that, right?”

“Oh.” Memories of the event came back to her, along with an overwhelming feeling of guilt. “ Oh. She was your wife?” Suddenly, a lot of the context around the two having been seen together so often, as well as Spinnerella’s  reaction to the other’s death, became a lot clearer. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… Well I guess I kind of did, we were fighting… But not…” Before she had the time to formulate an even half-decent apology, she was hit by the full brunt of one of the air blasts, knocking her over.

“It doesn’t matter. You did it, and there’s no bringing her back.” her tone of voice was not quite angry per se, just very sad. She looked down at Adora from where she stood, and there was almost pity in her eyes. “Nothing I can do will return her, not even killing you.”

“I… Don’t know what to say.” The guilt that had pressed Adora since that day felt more overwhelming than ever. She no longer had any will to fight, and just like that, as if by reflex, she was no longer She-Ra, just the young Force Captain. She felt very small, lying sprawled on the ground. 

The solemn moment was broken by the battle around them however. While Spinnerella was busy looking down at Adora, a pair of Horde skiffs had targeted her, perhaps seeing their leader in peril, and opened fire as she was distracted. Though she was hardy enough to not go down immediately, she was nonetheless still forced back, injured from several hits. One of the skiffs skidded to a halt next to Adora. “Force Captain!” Both of the soldiers onboard gave her a salute. “Are you alright?” One of them, female by the sound of the voice, asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Adora stood up and realised as she did that there were tears in her eyes. She quickly turned away and wiped them off in a way that’d look like she was brushing off dust before either of them realised. “Thanks for the assist.”

“We have them on the ropes!” The other, male apparently, said. “The battle is ours, I can feel it.”

“That’s great.” The reply felt mechanical somehow. She looked around, they were indeed winning by the looks of it. The sorceress she had aimed for at the beginning was directing the efforts of her fellow mages to counter this new attack, while back at the fort, the rebels were getting pushed back. “Well, let’s get back to it.” She raised her sword into the air. “For the Glory of the Horde!” Nothing happened. Both troopers looked at her questioningly. “ I said , For the Glory of the Horde!” Still nothing, the energy that normally came so readily at her disposal refused to cooperate. She was still her normal self. “Ugh, forget it! I can still fight.” She jumped aboard the skiff. “Let’s head for those Sorcerers, I want them driven off before they turn out to have some kind of super spell or something that they’re preparing.”

“Yes, Force Captain.” The woman, who apparently served as the helmsman, nodded. 

Even without being She-Ra, Adora’s presence seemed to invigorate the soldiers close by, who fought harder than ever now that she was there. She threw herself into the thickest fighting, hoping that the pain and adrenaline would soothe the numbness she felt inside of herself. That by getting another step closer to the end of the rebellion, the end of the war, she’d fix it all, make it all better.

It did not.

The looks of shock, followed by a deepened despair, were beautiful to Catra. Below, the latest models of bots, one of Entrapta’s gifts, were turning the tide. Together with the troopers that had been holding the breach, they kept the rebel vanguard engaged, forcing them to stay while their friends were attacked further back. A strong anvil to Adora’s hammer. Above, she did the same thing with Glimmer and her friends. She knew that she couldn’t beat them on her own, but as long as she kept them occupied, they could do nothing to stop what was unfolding. “It was my idea of course, but even I didn’t think that you’d walk into this trap that easily.” She mocked, jumping at Bow. He managed to dodge out of the way, but in doing so, got out of reach for Glimmer’s hand as she reached for him to teleport them away. “Turns out, you’re even dumber than you look, and that’s really saying something.”

“Why you…” Glimmer blinked forward to punch Catra. It did connect, and the sparkly girl packed a surprising punch everything considered, but it meant that she was no longer focusing on getting a hold of both Bow and the pirate to get them all away from there, so she didn’t mind it too much. “Do you have any idea how annoyingly smug you are?” The follow-up punch did miss Catra, who took the opportunity to take a swipe at the princess. 

“If you didn’t want me to be smug, you shouldn’t constantly give me reason to be so, should you?” Before Catra’s claw could connect, she had disappeared. Not wasting time looking around for her, she immediately changed tracks and launched herself at the closest combatant she could see, which was the pirate. “You’re really asking for it, you know? Especially when it makes you so angry .” She chuckled to herself. 

“Be that as it may.” The pirate kept his distance from her as best he could, using the longer reach of his sabre to keep Catra at bay. “You know the saying: Pride goes before the… What was it again? Defeat?”

“Fall.” Bow volunteered while firing his annoying trick arrows at Catra. Fighting three reasonably skilled combatants at once was proving very exhausting. “And Sea Hawk’s right. The Horde may be very proud, but it will fall one day.”

“To you guys? Not on your best day.” Catra’s reflexes just barely had the time to tell her that there was danger from behind when Glimmer showed up just there, an attack ready. She threw herself forward to avoid it, but got hit in the leg by this Sea Hawk as she did so. She grimaced, but stopped herself from letting off a sound of pain. No good to appear weak to her enemy. “We know everything you’re planning before you do, we’re stronger, smarter, better on every front. We will win.” She was losing this fight, and she knew it, but she had delayed them for long enough that the battle was being won anyway. “You’re just sport .” She spat venomously. 

“Only as long as the game goes your way.” Glimmer grabbed Bow’s and Sea Hawk’s hands, and in a flash all three of them were gone.

What followed was, quite undoubtedly, a defeat for the Rebellion, and they were forced to withdraw under heavy fire. But Glimmer’s return, and Adora’s perplexing choice to cease channelling She-Ra, was at least enough to avert total catastrophe, and the rebels made a fighting retreat, harassed all the way by those skiffs. Beaten and dejected, but still alive, they made camp further north. In the commander’s tent, the mood was mostly the same as among the soldiers, except for Sea Hawk, who seemed elated that he’d made a meaningful contribution in wounding Catra, and was telling a half-listening Mermista his somewhat embellished version of events. “This… Is bad.” Castaspella opened the meeting with.

“Yeah, you can say that again.” Mermista concurred. “What?” She added, when she noticed everyone looking at her. “You’re all thinking it.” 

“We did beat up a lot of bad guys though.” Frosta chimed in. “Like a lot .”

“Yeah, but they beat up a lot of us too, and there’s more of them than there are of us.” Glimmer sighed. “They knew we were coming.” The air got even heavier at these words. No one contradicted her statement, but all seemed uncomfortable at it. “Either their scouts have gotten a lot better than ours suddenly, or they figured it out through some other means.” She noticed Castaspella furrowing her brow at this last bit, suddenly appearing thoughtful. “Either way, we have to assume from now on that the Horde is watching our every move. We need to regroup and find out how they’re doing this.” The words Catra had said came to Glimmer’s mind, ‘We know everything you’re planning before you do’ . 

“What do you think, Spinnerella?” Asked Bow, giving the woman a prod.

“Hm?” Spinnerella had been completely lost in her own thoughts for the duration of the entire meeting. “Yes, I agree with Glimmer about what we’re talking about.”

“As do I.” Nodded Mermista, and so did the others.

While the rest of them exited the tent on this note, Glimmer stayed behind, wanting to catch her aunt alone. “Aunt Casta? Can I talk with you for a moment?”

“Of course, Glimmer.” She gave her a tired smile. “What do you need?”

“Do you have any idea what could give the Horde this knowledge? Is there some kind of spell they might be using perhaps?”

“You’d have to narrow it down, dear. Properly applied, there’s many spells that could achieve this.” At her core, Castaspella was a teacher of magic, and she would be remiss to go without an opportunity to demonstrate this. 

“Yeah, sure. But what spells do you think that they might have that could do this?” 

“Hm… I… Hm.” Castaspella looked thoughtful at the query, holding her hand by the chin in the typical thinking pose. “Well, I could say ‘none at all’. The Horde has never had a history of utilising magic. Officially.”

“And unofficially?” Glimmer pressed on. She felt certain that there was more to do this, and Castaspella’s hesitance only confirmed it in her eyes. “Please, Aunt Casta. This is important, you know it is.”

“Yes, well, there’s always been rumours . It was before my time, back when the Horde had first arrived. I was only a small child then. Back then, Norwyn was head sorcerer of Mystacor. You do know about him, don’t you, Glimmer?”

“Yes, Aunt Casta I know of him.” Glimmer nodded exasperatedly. “I paid my attention to classes.”

“Now now, don’t take that tone with me.” For a moment, Castaspella sounded an awful lot like Glimmer’s mother. “Well, Norwyn had a very promising pupil, one who had grown into one of the most powerful sorceresses of their age. Light Spinner .” She paused for dramatic effect.

This wasn’t the first time that Glimmer had heard this name, for Light Spinner’s tale was often used as a warning about the dangers of delving into the arts of sorcery best left undisturbed. Even so, she hung onto her aunt’s every word. “She began using the dark arts, didn’t she?”

“Yes she did.” Castaspella nodded. “And on one terrible night, she killed Norwyn, consumed by the power she sought to wield. After that, she was never seen again.”

Glimmer mulled this information over. She hadn’t heard this particular part often before, usually it just ended with something vague about her being banished, but it wasn’t quite what interested her at the moment. “But as far as we know, she’s still alive, isn’t she?”

“Yes, there’s never been any proof of her death. And rumours from the Fright Zone tell of a dark sorceress at times.”

That settled it in Glimmer’s mind. “Aunt Casta, could I come with you to Mystacor? I want to learn more about magic if that’s what the Horde is using to spy on us, and I need to figure out if Light Spinner has anything to do with it.”

A strange flicker of emotion crossed Castaspella’s face. A mixture of pity and regret. “You may Glimmer, though I should warn you now. You may find more truths than you’d like.”

Catra was sitting on the battered and broken battlements, watching and listening to the raucous party going on at ground level. The soldiers were cheerful, jubilant even, and yet she found she could not share their joy. The longer she watched, the more the knot in her stomach grew, anger, resentment and sadness mingled together into an awful mixture. For despite everything she had done, she found herself forgotten. Many cheers were made for Adora, their great and mighty saviour. Still others for Scorpia, who’d held the breach during the worst of the assault, and for many others that Catra could not be bothered to remember the names of. But none for her. None for the one who had orchestrated this entire plan, who had single-handedly held three of the rebel heroes at bay. Because she was the one who operated from the shadows, the one they didn’t see. She laughed bitterly at the irony of it, wondering whether this was why Shadow Weaver had always been such a vindictive old witch. There was no glory to be found in the shadows, Catra saw that clearly now, and cursed herself for having thought otherwise. Thankless and forgotten was her duty. She would probably have continued with similar gloomy thoughts for quite some time, but she got interrupted in her moodiness by Scorpia’s voice. “There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.” The larger woman sat down beside Catra. “Why aren’t you at the party?”

“Oh, you know. I’m not really a party kind of person.” Catra lied. “Prefer to relax after a hard day’s work.” There was an edge to the last line, implied meaning that, of course, went immediately over Scorpia’s head.

“Oh I know what you mean. I normally don’t go to a lot of parties either, but these people were so nice, I just couldn’t refuse them.” She gestured with her pincers at the gathered crowd.

“They are.” Catra agreed. To you . She thought to herself. The silence dragged out for an uncomfortable length of time while the two of them sat and watched the festivities. “Was there anything else you wanted?”

“Oh right!” Scorpia slapped her forehead. The gesture looked really awkward when done without proper hands. “Sorry, you were just being so nice, I completely forgot. Adora wanted to see you. Said it was important.”

“Yeah, I suppose if that’s what Adora thinks, it must be the case.” Catra reluctantly stood up and began scanning for her. She’d lost sight of Adora in the throng of people a while ago, another insult added to injury.

“That’s what I thought too.” The sarcasm had apparently eluded Scorpia. “Hey, are you alright?” For the first time, she seemed to notice how morose Catra looked. She stood up as well, looking to hug her.

“I’m fine.” Catra dodged out of the way of Scorpia’s embrace. “Honestly. I just needed some time for myself.” She began walking away hurriedly to not have to deal with that particular conversation any longer. “I’ll go find Adora.”

It would take her a while to find Adora, she wasn’t at the party like Catra had expected her to be, nor could she find her in the commander’s tower. Eventually she ran right into her rounding a corner, both of them getting knocked down by the impact. “Oh, sorry.” Adora massaged her head. Then she noticed who it was she hit. “Catra?”

“Hey, Adora.” Catra stood up and dusted herself off, trying to look cool despite the recent crash. “You were looking for me?”

“Oh right, yeah.” There was a pause. “Uh, could we take this outside?” Adora stepped to the side to let Catra pass in an act of chivalry that looked as awkward to her as Catra felt at that moment.

“... Sure.” Catra followed her out to one of the balconies. They stood there looking out over the vista for a while, neither of them wanting to speak up. “So… Uh… What do you want to talk about?”

It took so long before Adora responded, that Catra got unsure whether she’d even heard her. “I’m leaving for a little while.”

This was even stranger than what Catra had expected. Seemed unlike Adora to suddenly abandon her post and responsibilities. “Why? Where? What are you up to?”

“It’s… Nothing.” Adora drew the Sword of Protection and looked at it solemnly. “There’s just some… Things. That I need to figure out.”

“Right…” This was definitely unusual. “So, where are we going?”

“Back to the Crystal Palace. And… I’m going alone.”

“No you’re not!” Protested Catra. “That place is dangerous, do you think that I- Do you think that the Horde would just let one of its top commanders walk into that place alone?”

“Please, Catra.” Adora gave her a pleading look. “Don’t make this any harder. There’s some things I need to figure out, She-Ra things, that I’m only going to do on my own. It’s for the greater good.”

“Well fine.” Catra crossed her arms, feeling hurt and rejected to have been called only to be told this. “But if I’m going to have to rescue you, I’ll be very cross. And you better be back quick, you hear? This war’s not going to wait for you.”

“Thank you, Catra.” Adora gave her a hug. “I knew that I could rely on you. You’ll take good care of everyone while I’m away, won’t you? I won’t be gone for long, but it’ll be worth it, you’ll see.” 

And on that note, she left. Catra watched her, frankly astonishingly poor, attempts at sneaking out from up high. After getting saluted for the fifth time, Adora had finally escaped out of the fort, and soon disappeared into the darkness, until eventually even Catra’s eyes could no longer see her. Nevertheless, she stood vigil for a very long time, watching where Adora had disappeared. And that terrible knot in her stomach grew further still.

Chapter Text

Stepping onto the floating platform that would ferry them over to Mystacor, Castaspella gave Glimmer a smile. “You know, if I knew that the threat of total subjugation of Etheria by the Horde would be what made you visit me more often, I could have arranged for that to happen much earlier.” She joked, before looking down at the clouds below as the rock they stood on began moving.

“That would certainly have been… A way of getting my attention.” Glimmer followed her lead and started cloud watching as well, mostly because there wasn’t much else to do while they waited to arrive. “Sorry if I haven’t seen you as much as I could. I guess I have, I don’t know, just been busy I suppose.”

“You’re certainly a very busy young lady, I’ll give you that.” Castaspella smiled. “I’m sure your father would be very proud of you.”

“That makes one parent at least.” The thought made Glimmer sigh. This whole discussion reminded her that she hadn’t seen her mother much lately. Something that, no matter how valid her excuses were, she couldn’t help but feel guilty about. 

“Oh I wouldn’t know about that. Your mother and I haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I am quite sure that she’s very proud of what you’ve done as well.” Castaspella put a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine anything that’d make her more proud than seeing us losing over and over. Sure must be inspiring to watch.” She sighed, noticing that they were fast approaching Mystacor.

“Now, now. Let’s not have that attitude. I seem to remember you having won your share of battles. What about Salineas, hm?”

“None of it matters in the end though!” There was a note of exasperation to Glimmer’s voice about the whole situation. “Sure, we beat them occasionally, but what do we get? The Horde always has more men, more machines, more of everything. They just keep on going while we get less and less to defend.” She sighed. “I try my best to stop them, but it never seems to be enough.”

“All the more reason to be proud then.” Castaspella said firmly. “If you can keep on fighting despite such unwinnable odds, if you are willing to face any amount of defeat in the hope of eventual victory, why, I can scarcely imagine what kind of mother wouldn’t be proud of you for that.”

“That’s… Actually quite nice. Thanks, Aunt Casta.” Glimmer smiled at her, stepping off their platform now that they had reached Mystacor.

“Oh it’s nothing, dear.” Castaspella waved the comment to the side. “And if you need any help in this research of yours, why, you do have the greatest sorcerer of Mystacor for an aunt, don’t you?”

“I… Hm.” For some reason, the thought of asking Castaspella for help in this project hadn’t really struck Glimmer. She had gone into it with the expectation of doing it on her own. “You know what? Sure, I’d be happy for the help.” She smiled at her aunt, who beamed in response.

“Excellent! Oh, you won’t regret this!” She grabbed Glimmer’s hand and gestured dramatically. “To the library!” Evidently expecting her to teleport the two of them to it.

“Ah.” Now Glimmer remembered why she didn’t do things together with her aunt more often. Castaspella was very nice, but she could be really intense at times. Still, the choice was already made, so it was only to reconcile with the inevitable. She teleported them over in a flash. “So how would we-”

“Now then, let’s start with the most important school of magic for gathering information: Divination!” Castaspella snapped her fingers, and books began flying towards them from atop the many shelves of this library. The whole place was huge, and full with enough books that it’d last a lifetime to read them all. Already, a large enough pile had been formed in front of Glimmer that it’d probably take her days to finish with them. “Divination, as I hope you already know by now, is the art of farsight, to learn the things beyond what’s before your eyes. It’s got many different uses, at its most advanced you may even glimpse the future, but it has a great weakness. Now, can you tell me what that is?” Castaspella smiled at Glimmer, looking more like an over-enthusiastic school teacher than someone dealing with the serious business of counter-espionage.

“It…” Glimmer tried to think. She had probably learned this at some point, but decided to simply venture for a reasonable guess. “... Can’t be done on the fly?”

“Exactly! As a rule, scrying requires time, ingredients and a proper instrument, making it difficult to cast in the field.” At Castaspella’s command, a few of the books opened up to tell Glimmer what she had already said at greater length.

“I’ll bear that in mind if that’s what they’re doing.” Glimmer tried to put the books away, but they were proving very insistent. “But really, we don’t know how the Horde’s spying on us in the first place. Can’t we at least try to narrow that down first by finding out if Light Spinner’s got anything to do with it?”

“Ah.” Castaspella faltered briefly, as if hesitating, before putting on her big smile once more. “Yes of course. You’ll want… Let’s see here.” She looked around for the right book. “This one.” And yet another book came flying down from a shelf to add itself to the growing pile. “ Before the War; Mystacor under Norwyn . It’s exactly what the title suggests, really. Part biography, part history book, should have any information that you need on Light Spinner. If you really think she’s got something to do with this.”

“Thanks.” Glimmer opened the book to page through it just to get a sense of what was in store for her. The calligraphy of the text was beautiful, but not the easiest to parse, and broken only by the occasional image added to it. Combined with how many pages there were, she got the feeling that this would take her a while. Sighing to herself, Glimmer went back to the first page to read it through properly. “It’s just a hunch, but it’s the best I’ve got to work with. I mean, if there’s a whole bunch of magic that could spy on us, we need to narrow it down somehow. And also find out how we might take it out.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to it I suppose.” The facade of cheerfulness Castaspella normally kept on at all times cracked ever so slightly yet again. “I’ll be here… When you’ll need me. Should you need me, I mean. I… I’m sorry.” She sighed. “Anyway… Have fun studying!” And with that, she left her to it. 

Left with a lot of books and one to talk to, Glimmer put herself to work. It did feel reassuring every time she heard people like her say that they were proud of her, she remembered her mother had done the same at Netossa’s funeral, but it always seemed like just a temporary salve for the wounds that had been done to her confidence, and soon enough they would start hurting again. Then there was the separate issue that Castaspella seemed to be hiding something from her, and she wasn’t entirely sure why. She had no doubts about her loyalty to the rebellion, but something about Light Spinner seemed to unnerve her.

“Come on. Who are you?” She asked the book, turning yet another page. The book did not respond, only providing her with more information of the teachings of Norwyn and other long-dead sorcerers. Chapter after chapter, and not a single mention of Light Spinner, it was as if she never existed. She threw the book away in frustration after it became clear it didn’t have anything of what she was looking for, just in time for Castaspella to return to check on her.

“Glimmer!” She caught it mid-air with a magic spell, putting it down gently. “These are valuable books you know, you ought to respect them and treat them with care.”

“ Sorry, Aunt Casta. ” Glimmer buried her head in another of the books. “Didn’t mean to.”

“Be that as it may, be more careful or I will have to take away your library access.” She put down another half dozen books to the already monumental pile. “Some other examples that you might find useful, I’m reading up on my divination counter-spells if you need me.”

“... Thanks.” Glimmer was still having her head on the desk. The help was appreciated, but she couldn’t help but notice how she was getting new books to read much faster than she finished the old ones. This was going to be a long stay.

“Catra! Hey, wait up, Catra!” Scorpia was chasing after her, just as she was leaving the outpost. For a moment, Catra contemplated just running away, she was definitely faster than Scorpia and this way she wouldn’t have to talk to her. 

Still, it wouldn’t help her in the long run and she wasn’t in the mood for running, so she turned around. “ What? ” She hoped the tone of voice would be enough to cut this short.

Unfortunately, Scorpia had never been the best at taking a hint. She stopped before her to catch her breath. “Thanks. Hey, where are you going? Can I come with?”

Deciding to go with what was technically true, Catra replied. “Scouting. I won’t be gone for long.”

“Right, of course, want me to accompany you? You know, for backup? In case something bad happens out in the woods like last time?”

“No.” The bluntness of the reply seemed to crush Scorpia’s spirit and Catra felt obliged to add something more. “... Look, it’s the sort of thing best done alone.”

“Yeah, obviously. Sorry I would just get in the way.” Scorpia did her best smile. “Good luck, Wildcat.”

“Uh… You too. Hey, you get to be in charge of the fortress while I’m gone.” Then she added under her breath. “ Even you can’t mess it up. ”

“Aww! You really mean that?” Somehow, Scorpia seemed to have taken the last part as a compliment.

“... Sure. Now I really have to go.” And with that, she left her to return to the outpost, while Catra headed further in. Truth be told, this could have been done with Scorpia accompanying her, she was going to meet up with Double Trouble, and Scorpia was one of the few people who knew of them. But since she didn’t fully trust her to keep her mouth shut, she preferred to keep it on a need-to-know basis. Besides, she preferred to be alone when she was feeling moody, and this was one of those times. It was completely unfair, she had decided, that Adora would leave her behind like that, and not comparable to what she just had done to Scorpia. The thought that it could be so made her uncomfortable, and so she pushed it aside. 

She did not have to wait long at the meeting spot before someone who looked exactly like Huntara arrived. Even knowing that it was Double Trouble before her, she couldn’t help but think of them as Huntara, at least until they opened their mouth. “Darling, how good to see you again. Did you miss me?” 

Catra folded her arms. “I’m not here for chit-chat, just give me what I want.”

“Oh I’m hurt.” Double Trouble imitated fainting, transforming back to their default chameleonlike  shape. “And I still haven’t even been paid yet.”

“Ah. So that’s how it is.” This was what Catra had ‘requisitioned’ several payrolls for. She threw a bag of gold at them. “Now spill it out.”

“Yes, yes. But do try to loosen up, there’s no fun in this if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing.” They began playing with the coins given, making each dance around. “The Princesses are still licking their wounds after their last beating, all despondent and wondering how the Horde could have outwitted them so.”

Catra narrowed her eyes. “They’re suspicious? You promised you wouldn’t have a problem.”

“Oh no, don’t you worry. They think that you’ve cast a spell to spy on them. Little Glimmer has gone all the way to Mystacor to do her homework on it.” They smiled from ear to ear.

“Let her, she’s looking in the wrong places but if she wants to waste her time might as well. What are the others doing?”

“Oh most of them are back in Bright Moon, but they’re still trying to prepare for the Evil Horde’s next attack. Speaking of…” Double Trouble leaned in conspiratorially. “They’re using me as one of their scouts. So tell me, who’s your least favourite Force Captain and I’ll make sure the Rebels rid them of you, and make Huntara look oh so good in the process.”

“Now there’s an idea.” Catra smirked. “If you can make sure that it keeps them busy for a while, I’m sure Hordak wouldn’t mind if I sacrificed an expendable war party while we push against them on other fronts.”

“That’s the Kitten I like to see. So scheming.” They put their hands on Catra’s shoulders. “For the good of the Horde of course. Opening up positions for ambitious young soldiers like yourself is just a happy coincidence.”

“Of course.” She was smiling broadly now. “It’s been years since Grizzlor last did something worthy of the title of Force Captain anyway so I think it’s time he worked for it again. I’m sure he’ll live up to the expectations. Meanwhile, I think I have to take care of some personal business that I’ve been neglecting for a while.”

The Crystal Castle had not changed much on the outside since Adora last visited it. It was the same beacon that she had travelled to with Catra to stop the Princesses from reinforcing and recruiting Salineas. That mission had not achieved its desired outcome but she had learned a lot from it, things that Shadow Weaver would rather that she forgot. Now she was back to learn more, to untangle the mystery of her past and of She-Ra. “Eternia” she said aloud, wondering about the significance of the word while the door opened.

The inside of the castle was a completely different matter however. Where before it had been an abandoned ruin, inhabited only by its spidery guardians that seemed to appear and disappear as the situation demanded, now it flourished with life of a sort. Robots of all shapes and sizes were working away, fixing damage both ancient and recent and apparently restoring the place to its former glory. “... Okay then.” Adora walked past the bots, which reminded her of those she had fought in Dryl but did not appear to be hostile, seeming content to ignore her.

It was when she reached the centre of the antechamber that Light Hope appeared. “ Greetings, Adora. I did not expect you to return to this place. This demonstrates greater willingness to follow your destiny than anticipated. ”

“Hello to you too, Light Hope. I… Uh…” Adora couldn’t help but remember the last time Light Hope had tried to make her follow this ‘destiny’ and it had almost cost Catra her life. Much as she felt bad pushing Catra away, this was why she didn’t want to take her with her on this trip. “Maybe I am, but first I need to know more. Who am I? What is She-Ra? Who are the First Ones?”

“ The First Ones were explorers who journeyed beyond the stars to settle Etheria. She-Ra is a guardian appointed by them to protect and unite our planet. It is her duty to bring balance to Etheria. ”

“But that’s the same thing that the Horde says. I just don’t get why this means I can’t be with them.”

“ The Horde is the enemy. ” Light Hope replied as if this was enough of an answer.

“Why? Because apparently you fought them a super long time ago?” Adora looked up at the hologram woman sceptically.

“ That is correct. They disrupt the balance and interfere with the Runestones that harmonise the magic of Etheria. Until they have been removed, Etheria can not fulfil its purpose. ”

“Which is what?”

“ To be balanced. ” She simply replied.

“... Okay. That’s not really an answer though. I mean, what does ‘balance’ even mean?” 

“ All will be clear in time. But first, you must embrace your destiny so that Etheria can be- ”
“Please don’t say ‘balanced’ again.” Adora shook her head, she was feeling like she was getting a headache. “Isn’t there anything more that you can tell me? I came here for answers.”

“ You are not yet ready. You must let go of your attachments and sever your connection to the Horde. Stay here and train and I will tell you more. ”

“So that’s it? I just need to turn away from everyone I’ve known, everything I’ve believed in to serve your cause and you’ll actually tell me something useful?”

“ That is correct. ” Light Hope answered, blunt as ever.

“Well at least you’re being honest about it.” Adora folded her arms. “Tell me one more thing though. Who is Mara?”

There was a pause, as if Light Hope actually hesitated on what to say. “ Mara was the one to break the line of She-Ra. She turned away from her duties and became unstable. Her decisions caused catastrophic damage and left Etheria stranded here in the empty dimension of Despondos. Do not become like her. ”

Adora took a deep breath, seeing the decision placed before her. “I can’t be what you want me to be, Light Hope. There’s so much going on and I… Can’t just leave everything to do something I don’t even really understand. What am I supposed to do, just stay here and train while there’s a war going on?”

“ Yes. ”

“Well that’s not possible! There’s people depending on me, I can’t just abandon them because you want me to.” She turned away from Light Hope.

“ Adora, understand that if you leave now I will have to treat you as having gone rogue like Mara. ”

“Then at least I’m in good company. The First Ones are gone, I just don’t see why it matters anymore. I’m sorry.” She began walking.

“ I too, am sorry. Perhaps if I had been able to guide you sooner I would not have needed to wait for the next She-Ra. ”

Most of the Princesses had left Bright Moon to take care of the latest Horde attack that Huntara had reported, but Perfuma was still recovering, and in no state to return to battle yet, and Bow had chosen to stay with her. He was sitting beside her bed, taking the time to do some tinkering to keep himself busy during the periods when she was resting. At the moment she was awake but looking deeply unwell both mentally and physically. “I wish I could have gone with them.” She finally said after a long silence.

“I’m sure they’re doing fine.” He said to reassure her.

“Yeah, but what if they’re not? If they’re in trouble there’s nothing I can do to help them. I’m just the flower girl that can’t even make any flowers anymore.” Perfuma’s powers hadn’t been functioning since her imprisonment in the Fright Zone, whether due to the magical nature of her bonds or the Horde’s continued occupation of the Heart-Blossom that she drew her powers from.

“Hey, you’re more than that. Even without any powers you’re still one of the bravest people I know. You actually chose to sacrifice yourself for your own people, and that’s kind of amazing.” Bow gave her a genuine smile to show how much he meant it. 

“... So you don’t think I betrayed you then?” The uncertainty in Perfuma’s voice betrayed that this was a fear she had been carrying for a while.

“What? No, of course not! Perfuma, we did everything we could to get you back.” The idea that they had been harbouring a grudge against her for it seemed incomprehensible to Bow. “I can’t think of anything more selfless than what you did. You’re a hero, Perfuma, truly.”

“Thank you.” There was a great deal of warmth in her smile, and for the first time she looked somewhat resembling her old self. “I really needed to hear that.”

“It’s the truth, ask anyone and they’ll agree. I’m sure you’ll be back in shape soon, and I know that you can be powerful, but you don’t have to prove anything for us. We’ll support you no matter what.”

She nodded at this. “I think I need to sleep, but I appreciate you keeping me company, Bow. It’s been a long while since I’ve been with friends.”

The mountain of books for Glimmer to read was only growing the longer she stayed. She felt like she was drowning in them and yet she was no closer to the actual truth she was looking for. The mentions of Light Spinner were but oblique mentions and warning tales of the dangers of dark magic, nothing concrete on what exactly she did or what happened to her. Castaspella had remained focused on cataloguing magic that could be used for espionage and seemed insistent that Light Spinner was before her time, and while that seemed true enough there was something deeply off about it all, and Glimmer could not shake the feeling that she was withholding critical information. 

Impatient with the lack of progress, she decided that it was time for a new approach. Leaving the gathered books where they were, she headed out to explore more of Mystacor. Even though Light Spinner might have absolutely nothing to do with their current problems, there was a strong stubborn streak in Glimmer that meant that every adversity she faced in finding information about her only increased her drive, and she was becoming convinced that the information was hidden away for one reason or another. If she knew places like Mystacor well, and she fancied that she did, they usually had a forbidden section of the library or something like that where they kept certain books away from public view. Not that anyone had been kind enough to set up signs saying ‘this way to places you aren’t allowed to enter’ so she had to find it on her own. Luckily, years of circumventing her mother’s restrictions had prepared her well for not only how to sneak around unnoticed but also pinpointing all the places she wasn’t allowed inside. Once she finally did come across the door leading to where the secret books and scrolls were hoarded, it was of course locked and with several wards in place to prevent people from breaking it open. A predictable hurdle, and not one that Glimmer would allow to deter her. Being a master teleporter and having spent several hours reading up on what magic was commonly used to facilitate or deter espionage, she really did not take very long to overcome the security that had been put in place, and gain entrance to the contents locked behind the door. 

Even when illuminated by the violet glow of one of her conjured magical orbs, the room was undeniably creepy, apparently a storage where the Sorcerer’s Guild put away everything too distasteful to see the light of day, from presumably cursed artefacts to scrolls and tomes of forbidden lore. The shadows played strangely in the light, dancing around on the walls and almost forming strange patterns and figures if she allowed herself a bit of imagination. “ ... Okay. Greaaat. ” She really didn’t want to linger too long, and not just because of the spooky facto. Sooner or later Castaspella would probably figure out where she’s gone and she’d rather not get caught and told off. But this place was massive, and just picking out books at random really did not strike her as a good idea. Part of her was starting to have second thoughts on whether this was such a good idea but giving up had never been Glimmer’s style. She just had to figure out how everything was sorted and where any books on Light Spinner were and she’d be out of there.

Not much had changed in Elberon since Catra last saw it. Some of the previously destroyed houses had been rebuilt and the villagers seemed to have done their best to return everything to a degree of normality. There was a militia now, a couple of townsfolk with spears standing guard like they were ever going to be able to do more than mildly inconvenience the Horde. She almost found it cute, the way they actually tried to put up a fight at her approach. Catra suspected that she would have been able to defeat them all on her own even without the backup troops she had with her, and part of her wanted to test the theory out, but sadly it would have taken too long and allowed the rest of the people the chance to flee. So instead she took the boring but practical option and led the force in a concerted assault that overran the place within minutes. Even so, being back here, rectifying her old shame, felt immensely cathartic. She laughed to herself while she walked up to the mayor’s house. “ Oh I really needed this. ”

That was when the mayor of the town, that insipid purple fool that had so annoyed her on her last visit, rushed out of the house, saw Catra and stopped dead in her tracks. “Catra!” The look of alarm on her face was unmistakable, and very satisfying.

“Me.”  Catra agreed, still approaching her. “What, didn’t expect to see me again?”

“L-look, we can talk about this.” She was casting terrified looks at where the Horde was rounding up the rest of her people. “Call off the attack and maybe we can-”

“No.” One strike from Catra was enough to make her fall over. “You had your chance to cooperate and you blew it. Now Hordak wants to set some examples in retaliation for the recent rebel aggression.” She grabbed the mayor and pinned her against the wall of her own house. “And guess what? Revolting against his benevolent rule puts you on the list, lucky you.”

“What are you going to do to us?”

“Why I already told you that last time I visited, don’t you remember?” Catra showed off her teeth in a wicked grin. “I’m going to level this whole place to the ground, take all of you to the Fright Zone and leave nothing but ashes to suggest there ever was a place called ‘Elberon’.”

“You can’t! You mustn’t!” More than mere panic, the eyes were now showing the despair that must be felt at such a future. “Please, have mercy.”

“Ugh, quit moping, why don’t you?” Catra rolled her eyes. “I’m letting you live, aren’t I?” Much as she despised every single person in this entire town, actually killing them seemed wrong, and not just for stupid, soft Adora reasons. It wasn’t that she didn’t want their blood on her hands but it would just be disappointing if her first kill was of civilians, where Adora had slain a Princess. It wasn’t mercy, she decided, she simply wanted it to be meaningful.

Having apparently given up on pleading, and perhaps guessed where Catra’s had been wandering off to, the mayor gave one last show of defiance. “The Princesses will stop you.”

“Sure they will.” Tired of this back and forth, Catra allowed her men to lead the mayor away with the others. The Princesses were currently nowhere close to the town and would not be able to intercept their return to the Fright Zone. She breathed in the smell of burning houses and the intoxicating rush of power it gave her. This was by no means the most impressive victory she had experienced, but it had erased the shame of failure and brought tangible results she could impress Hordak with. The adults would likely be used as forced labour within the mines under the Fright Zone, but the children would have the chance to be raised as soldiers of the Horde, and be able to one day make their mark on the world. Just like her.

While the journey to the Crystal Castle had been less informative than Adora would have liked, she had still learned enough to give her something to think about on the way back to the Fright Zone. Mostly, her thoughts circled back to this ‘Mara’, and whatever she had done a thousand years or so ago. Adora still only possessed scattered fragments based on what Madame Razz, Light Hope and Mara herself had told her, each seeming intent on telling a different version of the story. Entering Hordak’s sanctum to report to him, she briefly considered asking him what he knew of this ancient Horde and what it had to do with She-Ra, but thought better of it. The supreme leader of the Horde was known for his bad temper and for wishing to leave his past a mystery. Instead, she stood at attention and spoke into the darkness. “Force Captain Adora, reporting for duty, sir.”

And out of the darkness, the tall, pale leader of the Horde stepped into the light. “So I see. Tell me, is there a reason why you are interrupting my work?”

“Well, I…” Adora was so used to reporting to her superiors that the question threw her off balance. “I just wanted to know if you had any orders for me or wanted reports from the field or…” She trailed off, suddenly unsure whether her presence here was actually warranted.

“Hm.” Hordak walked around Adora, like a predator circling prey, arms folded behind his back. “You were raised and conditioned by Shadow Weaver, were you not? Shown great favour by her?”

“Yes.” She tried to stand still and not follow him with her gaze.

“Did you ever have reason to suspect her disloyalty towards our cause before it was unveiled?”

Adora had the distinct feeling that there was no right answer to this question, so she went with the most honest one. “No, Lord Hordak. I had no idea.”

“Meaning that you either failed to exercise due vigilance or lied to yourself to protect her.” Hordak’s words were harsh and full of judgement. 

A hundred different responses went through Adora’s head at that, each more unwise than the last. Eventually she settled on one of the less awful ones. “With all due respect, my lord, rooting out traitors was never my role, I did as I was told and assumed that any orders came down from you.”

This made Hordak stop, and Adora grimaced at her own lack of tact, but then he nodded in agreement. “You are correct, you did your duty, and although normally her influence would call your loyalty into question, you did demonstrate it when you took up arms against her.”

Adora let out a sigh of relief, some of the tension in her body going away. “Thank you.”

“As for your orders, you are to take over your predecessor’s duties in operating the logistical efforts keeping our war machine intact. And you will not interrupt me further, the rebel attack disrupted years of work, so make them pay for it .” He grit his teeth. “There can be no more setbacks to the project, am I understood?”

“Yes, my lord.” Adora bowed deeply, wondering what this project was about but figuring that if Hordak had been willing to tell her that he would have done so already. “I will see to it at once.”

“Good.” He turned away from her. “Continue your good work, Force Captain, and I’ll have no reason to doubt your allegiance.”

The search for the right book was both longer and more harrowing than Glimmer would have liked, involving walking past far too many creepy objects, from skull amulets to menacing suits of armour, and opening the wrong book and having to read about whatever awful thing got it banned from the public library. Usually it involved dark magic of some sort, like being able to make blood boil and similarly gross stuff. But with perseverance came success, and eventually she found her way to where the biographies had been stored. There, her prize was waiting for her: A book detailing the life and fall of the sorceress Light Spinner. 

A mage of great renown in her time, Light Spinner had been a teacher in the Guild of Sorcerers before the arrival of the Horde, apparently having taught Micah, Glimmer’s own dad, and during their early rise advocated a militant stance against them. At this point, Glimmer was worrying that her hunch might have been completely off the mark, for so far Light Spinner seemed alright from what her skimming through the book told her. But then the book got to her darker side, how she broke ancient bans of dark magic, made pacts with unnameable entities from beyond and killed Norwyn before disappearing from history. And apparently, Micah helped her do all of this.

Glimmer couldn’t decide whether she found the fact that her own father had been helping a traitor of Mystacor more alarming or how eerily close the descriptions of Light Spinner’s ‘umbrakinesis’ were to the woman who had been holding Perfuma captive. That’s when the door opened and she heard her aunt’s voice. “Glimmer? Are you in here? Glimmer? You’re not hurt are you?” Castaspella looked inside, spotted Glimmer underneath her ball of pink light and let out a sigh of relief. “Oh thank goodness! Glimmer, I’ve been looking all over for you!”

“... Aunt Casta, why didn’t you tell me that dad was Light Spinner’s apprentice?”

“Ah.” Castaspella faltered, a look of shame crossing her face. “First you have to understand that he was very young, this was before I even began training here.”

“You still knew about her, you could have told me.” Glimmer gave her a reproachful look.

“... Yes, I should have.” Castaspella walked up to Glimmer with an apologetic look. “I just liked your enthusiasm so much I wanted to delay the moment when I had to have the talk. I’m sorry.”

The genuine remorse did make Glimmer soften up a little. “Did he… Why did he do it?”

“Oh Glimmer.” Castaspella put her hands on Glimmer’s shoulders. “Don’t think too poorly of your father. He had no idea what his mentor was up to and spent the rest of his life trying to make up for his mistakes.”

“Well, anyway, cross referencing the book with what Perfuma told us I think that Light Spinner really is working for the Horde.” Glimmer took a deep breath to calm her emotions. “I’m not sure how we can use this yet, but I think if we know how her magic works we might be able to put a stop to it.”

Castaspella sighed. “Alright, I’ll look over this as well, but can I get your word that you won’t start looking up dark magic unsupervised.”

“Please, I’m not that reckless.” The thought had struck her, but she supposed this was wiser.

“Good, and Glimmer?”

“Yes?”

“ Please don’t tell your mother I let you sneak in here. She already won’t respond to my letters.”

This did make her laugh. “Deal.”

Chapter Text

When Catra entered Adora’s quarters shortly after her return to the Fright Zone she was in a very good mood. In a stunning display of incompetence, Force Captain Grizzlor had walked right into a Princess ambush and gotten himself captured, and none but Double Trouble, who had gotten paid extra for their silence, could challenge this version of the course of events. A tragedy for the Horde, but an opportunity for Catra, since with Grizzlor out of the way, and Hordak uninterested in a prisoner exchange, there was now an empty spot open among the ranks of Force Captains. And it just so happened that news of Catra’s latest success in Elberon would arrive before Hordak just as he’d be considering replacements. All in all, the scheme had gone off without a hitch, and after so many disappointments, the title of Force Captain was finally hers. “ Hey, Adora. ” She puffed out her chest proudly, trying to draw attention to her new badge.

Adora looked up from her desk and gave Catra a tired smile. “Oh, hey Catra.” Paperwork surrounded her, taking up every bit of available space, and judging by how weary her eyes were she had been reading them for quite some time. “Good to see you again. Look, I’m sorry… About last time.” 

“It’s fine, I got some opportunities of my own while you were away and they really paid off.” Catra smiled her most disarming smile, still trying to draw Adora’s eye to the badge.

“I’m glad. I wish I could say the same, Light Hope didn’t say-”

“Who’s Light Hope?” 

“Oh, uh, the scary hologram lady.” Adora went on. “Anyway, she refused to tell me much more unless I do everything she tells me to do exactly as she says.”

“Sounds like someone we know.” Catra rolled her eyes.

“Yeah…” Adora seemed to be deep in thought about something. She looked like she might just have been about to say something more when Catra, deciding that she had to up the ante if she wanted Adora to notice her promotion, sweeped a pile of papers off the desk with her tail and planted herself on it instead, putting her chest at Adora’s eye level. “Careful! These things are really important!” Adora looked in dismay at the fallen papers.

“Sure they are.” A glance told Catra that they were mostly boring nonsense that clerks were supposed to do, not warriors like them. “How long have you been at this? Don’t you have other people to do the paperwork for you?”

“ I wish. ” Adora buried her head in her hands. “With Shadow Weaver gone there’s no one left doing any of this. It’s like everything had to go through her for the Fright Zone to even function. Our whole industry was dependent on her!” There was a despairing note to her voice.

“Guess that’s one way of getting job security.” Catra had to admit it was a clever way to make sure Hordak never got rid of her, even if it didn’t work forever. “But hey, cheer up.” She patted Adora on the head. “I’m sure you’ll find some lackeys to take care of most of this stuff, and now you get to have me with you when you go to all those boring meetings.”

“Huh?” Adora looked up at her, somehow still not seeing the obvious. “Thanks, but that’s really not necessary, Catra. You don’t have to be there and I know you don’t like them.”

Catra sighed, wondering not for the first time how Adora managed to be amazing at so much while also being the most oblivious person in the world. “Actually I do have to be there from now on. It’s part of my new duties since you were away.” She wasn’t actually going to go to them, at least not unless it meant she got to spend more time with Adora, but she chose not to mention this. “It’s a shame what happened with Grizzlor, but times change…” By now Catra had thrown subtlety to the wind and was actively tapping her chest to draw Adora’s eye.

Adora stared blankly at her for a few excruciatingly long moments, before the figurative lightbulb finally lit. “You’ve been promoted?! Congrats, Catra!” She gave her a hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to boast.” Catra lied, preening at the praise.

“No, no, you’ve absolutely earned it.”

“Yeah, I have. So…” Now Catra turned to the other purpose of this meeting. “You look dreadful, when was the last time you slept?”

“Oh…” The fact that Adora had to think of the answer was not a good sign. “I think I might have fallen asleep at some point. Probably woke up only a few hours ago, so I’m fine.”

“Sounds like you need some time to relax, and I need to celebrate this promotion. So what do you say we take some time off, spend time with each other like old times?”

“I… Can’t, Catra.” There was a deeply pained expression on Adora’s face. “I’m sorry.”

“Why not?” She raised an eyebrow, trying to keep her voice level and her face from frowning. “It’s not like we’ll be gone for long.”

“Because…” There was a long pause, and then it all spilled out of her. “Because if I don’t do this the whole Horde might grind to a halt,  everything we’ve achieved will be for nothing, the Rebellion will spread and all of Etheria will fall into chaos!” Adora had a frantic look in her eyes and seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown.

“Right, look, I…” Catra patted Adora awkwardly, emotions were really not her strong suit. “You’re doing good. Just… Forget I said anything.” She couldn’t help some bitterness from escaping her at the end.

“I’m sure these papers won’t take much longer.” Adora pleaded with her. “And then I just need to ask Shadow Weaver some questions and-”

“ What?! ” Catra shoved Adora away at this. “Are you crazy? You know she’d do anything to manipulate us again!”

Adora rose up from having fallen down on the floor at the push. “I have to. There’s some things I have to know about myself, and the Horde and… Everything. Light Hope won’t tell me, Hordak won’t tell me, Shadow Weaver is the only one I have left to ask.”

Catra folded her arms and looked away angrily. “I should have known you’d be soft on her after all of this. Fine, go and have another one of your nice chats with Shadow Weaver if you want to.” She stormed out of the room.

“Catra, wait!” Adora called after her, but she was already gone.

As soon as the doors closed behind Catra, she kicked a wall hard enough to make her foot hurt. The clang echoed loudly, causing skittering to be heard a little bit away. “Huh?” She rounded the corner in search of the source of the sound, to come across the small grey creature commonly known as “the Imp”. Reputed to be both pet and spy of Hordak himself, the little critter, looking a lot like some kind of baby Hordak with bat wings, was seen as an ill omen by almost everyone in the Horde. “Oh knock it off.” Catra glared down at the Imp, who hissed at her in return. “Think we’re conspiring now? Paranoid old man.” She continued storming off to find something to take her mind off everything.

There were a lot of conflicting emotions that Adora dealt with for the rest of the afternoon. Part of her wanted to run after Catra and make amends with her, because she knew that she had upsetted her badly. At the same time she had her duties to the Horde, and the mere thought of failing to live up to the trust Hordak had put in her filled her with anguish. Both paths caused her pain, so she eventually settled on a compromise in the form of finishing the last of what she considered essential, and putting the rest off until later, maybe finding some other people to do the bureaucracy for her before then. 

By the time she felt free enough to start exploring the Fright Zone looking for Catra however, she was already long gone. After hours of searching, all she achieved was finding that Catra had already left with Scorpia and the latest war party sent out. There was a sting of jealousy and abandonment to be added to her already heavy heart, but Adora swallowed it down and returned to her duties. The idea of returning to reading paperwork felt too mentally daunting, so she went with what was next on the list: Meeting Shadow Weaver. That was not something she found easy either, and her walk to the cells was heavy and reluctant, but she could not give up on what she felt she needed to know.

Even shackled and powerless, Shadow Weaver looked menacing, her unmasked face revealed in all its horror. Her lips parted into a mocking smile shen Adora opened the door to her cell. “ Ah, Adora . I was wondering how long it’d take for you to visit me. I’ve missed you, my child.”

“Trust me, feeling’s not mutual.” Adora gave her a stern glare, still standing at the entrance.

“No? And yet here you are, visiting your poor old-”

“ Don’t. ” All the bitterness in Adora’s heart seemed to go into that word. “Don’t pretend that you care about me, don’t pretend that you’re my mother, for once can you just not manipulate me?”

There was a calculating look in Shadow Weaver’s strange eyes as she took in what Adora said, before she smiled. “Very well, I won’t pretend that I’m not still angry at how you betrayed me, but we have better things to do than talk about our past, don’t we?”

“That's why I’m here, actually.” Adora walked inside and sat down opposite of her former mentor. “Nobody will tell me about the past, about the Horde or She-Ra or… Or me.”

“And you want me to tell you everything?”

“You’re the only one who doesn’t have anything left to lose from keeping secrets from me.”

“ Mhm. Clever girl.” Shadow Weaver chuckled. “Perhaps the time is coming when you are ready. But you did rather wound this old woman.” Her hand traced the scar across her face from when the Sword of Protection had struck her. “And it’s a long story, too long for one sitting.”

Adora saw the implied request offered. “Fine, I’ll see you some more, but you’re going to have to actually give me something. What do the First Ones have to do with the Horde and She-Ra?”

“Everything. This thing that you call the Horde is only a fraction of the truth. The true Horde is too large for you to even begin to imagine. And it’s old, old enough to have seen the First Ones. And destroyed them.” She gave an amused smile at the last part.

“But how is that even possible? Where are they? Why aren’t there any signs of them?” Adora thought for a moment. “And why doesn’t Hordak want to talk about them?”

“Now that’s a question that you should think about. They’re not here, they live in another universe infinitely vaster than our own. And they should stay that way.”

“Why?” Adora raised a suspicious eyebrow. “Aren’t we, weren’t you, also part of the Horde? Why shouldn’t we connect with this… Wider universe thing?”

“Because it would mean the end of Etheria. Hordak needs you, without people like you he’s just one man, and he knows it. But if his plans work, if he regains contact with the Galactic Horde, none of us will be needed anymore.”

“That’s what he’s been working on?” Adora shook her head to get rid of treacherous thoughts. “And why should I trust you anyway? You’re just trying to undermine my loyalty to Hordak.”

“By all means, keep serving Hordak for as long as he needs you, goodness knows I did. But don’t ever allow him to reach a point where he and his master have no more use for you. When that time comes, he will discard you.” She pointed a finger at Adora for emphasis. “It is inevitable.”

“I… I need to go.” Adora rose up to walk away. “We’ll talk some other time.”

“Of course, Adora. I’m not going anywhere. But before then I was wondering.” There was malice in Shadow Weaver’s eyes. “Why isn’t Catra with you on this visit?”

Adora averted her gaze. “She doesn’t want to see you, simple as that.”

“Of course not, I’m not surprised. But she preferred that you met me like this, alone?”

To this, she got a glare in answer and Adora left her without another word.

Although the trip to Mystacor had been very informative to Glimmer, having given her a lot of information on Light Spinner and strategic usage of magic, she was glad to be going back to Bright Moon. She had missed her friends while she was away and felt the need to return to the frontlines. Glimmer had never shared her mother’s ability to guide the war from afar, the idea was frankly alien to her. First on the agenda was of course meeting up with her oldest and closest friend, the one named “Bow!” She jumped to give him a tight hug. 

“Hi, Glimmer.” He smiled and hugged her back. “How have you been?”

“Good, good.” She released Bow from the hug. “I think I may have some answers, and you?”

“Yeah. Mostly been keeping Perfuma company while she’s recovering. She’s not doing great but I think it’s getting better.”

“I’m glad. I actually need to talk to her about her imprisonment in the Fright Zone. Do you think now’s a good time or that I better wait?” Glimmer would like confirmation about her theories, but it also seemed like the sort of thing that might not be too sensitive.

“... Maybe later. She’s currently resting and I’d rather not disturb her. What is it that you want to know?”

“So apparently there was a rogue sorceress called Light Spinner who dabbled in dark magic and left Mystacor, and I was thinking that maybe she’s…”

“Oh! You think she’s Shadow Weaver?”

“... Shadow Weaver?” It really could not be that obvious, Glimmer thought to herself. “Like a darkened version of ‘Light Spinner’?”

“Yeah. That’s what Perfuma’s warden was called. Scary masked woman with shadow magic, she was defeated by She-Ra, which is how Perfuma escaped.”

“That all fits… Wait what?” Now that was a very sudden wrench thrown into Glimmer’s theory. “Adora defeated Shadow Weaver? Why?”

“I don’t know.” Bow shrugged. “But it apparently depowered her, which is what gave Perfuma the opportunity to get away.”

“But… Ugh.” There went that theory. “Why did she take her down anyway? Aren’t they supposed to be on the same side?”

“You’re… Upset that Adora brought down the evil sorceress who imprisoned and tortured Perfuma?”

“ No. Kinda. I just did so much work proving that Light Spinner was working for the Horde and it was all wasted effort.” Glimmer sighed.

“Hey, it wasn’t wasted.” Bow put a hand on her shoulder. “We now know where this Shadow Weaver person came from and who knows when that might come into use? Besides, even if she lost some kind of Horde power struggle doesn’t mean that your magic hunch isn’t right. There could be other people using magic to spy on us, like She-Ra.” He then added as an afterthought. “Or maybe they’ve just got some new spy-bots surveilling us or something.”

This made Glimmer laugh. “You should probably do some research of your own just in case they are. But thanks, I appreciate the sentiment.” She gave him a hug. “Anyway, you don’t happen to know where mom is? There’s some things I’d like to talk to her about.”

“Uh, probably in the war room? It’s where she usually hangs out these days.” Bow gave her a ‘I don’t really know’ shrug.

He would be right in this guess, as they found when they checked it out. Queen Angella was holding discussions with General Juliet in one of the smaller, less formal meetings that occurred regularly without the need for full attendance. “Oh Glimmer, how good to see you again.” Upon seeing her daughter, Angella stops talking to Juliet and goes to give her a hug. “Are you alright? How have you been? It’s been a while.”

“Good.” Glimmer found it easier to default to that answer rather than getting into her feelings. “I’ve just been busy, you know, with the Rebellion.” 

“Yes, of course, you’re doing great work.” There was a palpable awkwardness between them. “Heard you’ve been visiting your aunt.”

“Mhm.” Glimmer nodded, trying to think how to broach the subject of her dad. “It was… Interesting. Learned a lot. Uhm…” 

Angella tilted her head. “Something the matter, Glimmer?”

“It’s just…” The moment dragged on painfully. “Could we talk about Light Spinner?”

“Ah.” Understanding dawned on her mother’s face. “Of course.” She tried to smile to encourage Glimmer to go on, but it was clear the name was not one she wanted to hear.

“I think she’s been around teaching the Horde magic. I’m not sure if she still does but… I thought you should know.”

“That is troubling, and would explain some things.” Angella frowned. “How sure are you of this?”

“... Pretty sure, it just fits. I think she goes by the name Shadow Weaver these days.” Glimmer took a breath then asked the real question. “Did dad tell you about her?”

There was a pause while Angella’s eye fell on the chair that Micah used to sit in. “Yes, and I met her once before her fall. None suspected a thing at the time, but if she’s with the Horde, be careful, for she wasn’t just a great sorceress but an insidious manipulator.” A pained expression crossed her face.

“Yeah, I guess she’d have to be.” Another awkward pause. “Sorry.”

“No, no.” Her mother smiled down at her. “I understand the need to ask, especially if she’s still active. Your father could have told you more about her but…” She shook her head and changed the subject. “Actually, you’re friends with Frosta, aren’t you?”

“Yeah?” Glimmer raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“We’ve… Taken our losses.” For an immortal angel, Angella suddenly looked her age as the weight of the people lost under her command bore down on her. “We need more if we are to be able to hold back the Horde, and the Kingdom of Snows has been the most untouched by the war.”

“You need them to commit more.”

“Yes.” Angella sighed deeply. “I don’t like having to do this but we’re losing this war, and the Horde just has more of everything than we do. We need more… Manpower.” She grimaced at the term and how reductive it was.

“I’ll talk to her, promise.” Glimmer gave her another hug. “You’re doing the best you can.”

“Oh how I wish that it were true.” Angella’s voice was full of the sadness of someone who had to gamble with countless lives over and over again. “If it was, your father would still be with us.”

“So…” Scorpia leaned in over Catra. “You wanna talk about it?”

“ No. ” Catra had been in a huff throughout the journey, barely speaking with anyone. The silence dragged out as Scorpia continued to look like she was expecting a proper explanation for why Catra was in such a sour mood. “Ugh, Fine , Adora’s being stupid. After everything we’ve gone through, after everything she’s pulled, she still thinks that visiting Shadow Weaver’s cell is a good idea. Just because she wants a history lesson doesn’t mean that she should repeat history!”

“Pretty bad fight, huh?” Scorpia gave her a sympathetic look.

“You could say that. She’s such an idiot, too busy doing everything anyone tells her to have time for…” She trailed off. She was going to say ‘me’ but didn’t like how that sounded. “You know, what’s important.”

“Hey.” Scorpia tried to give her a hug but Catra shook her off. “I’m sure Adora didn’t mean to turn you away. And besides, you’ve still got me here, Wildcat.”

“I suppose.” Catra didn’t want to give up on her sullen mood just yet, and so decided to change the subject before Scorpia had the chance to soften her heart further. “Anyway, while Adora’s busy I was thinking that it’s time we put the Rebellion on the backfoot again, strike them where it hurts.”

“That’s why you asked me where their breadbasket was?”

“Yeah.” Catra felt a bit sheepish admitting to not already knowing this. “Look, I’m new to this ‘Force Captain’ thing, haven’t been to any of those ‘Orientations’ or whatever.”

“Hey, nobody’s judging you.” Scorpia held up her pincers appeasingly, which didn’t really have the same disarming effect as if they had been hands. “I’m just happy I was able to help.”

“But yeah, that’s why we’re heading for Alwyn. If enough of the Whispering Woods have withered it may now be within striking distance, and if the Rebels don’t yet know it all the better.” She smiled.

“That’s why you’re going to call on…” Scorpia looked around conspiratorially. “ You-Know-Who, yeah? ”

Catra nodded. Double Trouble was the ace up her sleeve (not that she wore sleeves) that made her confident enough to make such a bold attack deep into Rebel territory. She had also banned Scorpia from mentioning their name to make sure she wouldn’t accidentally blow their cover with a thoughtless comment to the wrong person. “Keep an eye on things while I’m gone, alright?”

The whole of Scorpia seemed to light up at this request. “Sure thing, Wildcat. You can trust me, I won’t let you down.” She beamed with pride.

“... It’ll only be a couple of minutes.” Catra had no idea how even Scorpia could mess things up in the time it took her to get an update from Double Trouble. She left Scorpia to supervise the convoy while walking off to get some privacy for her call. Once she had found a tree to sit in undisturbed it didn’t take too long for her chameleon friend to respond.

“Darling, how good to see you again.” Speaking was the perfect replica of Huntara, aside from the wide smile and way of speaking. “I was wondering when you’d check in on me, it’s been a while.”

“Cut the chatter, Double Trouble.” Catra huffed irritably. “Do the Princesses have any defences in Alwyn that I should be aware of?”

“Someone’s in a mood.” The shapeshifter changed back to their default look. “Promotion’s not suiting you?”

The speed at which they had picked up on the fact that she was wearing a Force Captain’s badge now did impress Catra, albeit grudgingly. She supposed that it was part of the job for Double Trouble to take note of all physical details. “It’s fine, I’m fine. Why does everyone think that I’m not fine?”

“Oh it’s written all over you, Kitten.” They had a calculating look in their yellow eyes. “It’s Adora isn’t it?” They took on Adora’s voice and appearance, complete with an insufferably smug grin. “You wanted to impress her, and she brushed it off, just like that. Maybe she said something insensitive, or didn’t act like how you had wanted her to. How close am I?”

“ The. Alwyn. Report. ” Catra spoke through gritted teeth.

“Oh, my apologies, I plain forgot.” Annoyingly, they did not change out of looking like Adora, just giving her a wink. “Now, now, don’t fret. I haven't heard anything about anyone being sent there and believe me, these people don’t understand how to keep secrets.”

That checked out with what Catra had been informed. “Make sure to keep it that way, and send me everything else that you’ve picked up on their movements.”

Double Trouble-posing-as-Adora gave a mock salute. “Aye, aye, Captain .”

The moment Glimmer had entered Frosta’s room she had been greeted with a hug and taken to sit down on the sofa with her. “What did you want to talk about? Do we have a new mission?! It’s about time we went out to kick some Horde butt again. Do you think I could beat She-Ra? I bet I could, why haven’t you sent me to do so yet?”

“... Right. So, Frosta, you know how we got beaten pretty badly in the last fight?”

“Sure, but we always get back up from it, don’t we?” Frosta looked at Glimmer quizzically.

“... That’s easier said than done. There’s a lot of people still wounded out there, you know, and us Princesses can’t be everywhere at once.”

“What are you saying?”

“Look…” Glimmer sighed. “There’s a lot of people not in shape for fighting, and we really need more if we’re to have a chance against the Horde. The ‘mission’ is to go to the Kingdom of Snows and see if we can get more people to join the rebellion.”

“ Oh. ” It seemed as if Frosta physically deflated as all of the excitement was sucked out of her. Her gaze fell down to her feet. “ Okay. ”

“I get that it’s hard to ask more of your people to take up arms, but we really need it and the Kingdom of Snows has been the least affected by the war so far.” Glimmer put an arm over Frosta’s shoulders.

“It’s not that.” She sighed. “I mean, I guess it’s that too but also… I don’t want to go back home.”

This did take Glimmer by surprise. “Why not? I thought you loved your home, all the snow and ice you could ever want to play with.”

“If I could play with it.” There was a hint of bitterness in her voice. “I do love it, but back home I’m ‘the Princess of Snows’ and everyone expects me to act a certain way. I can’t show any emotion or do anything ‘improper’. Here I can just… Be myself, you know?”

“Yeah, I get that.” Glimmer had noticed that Frosta had become much more outward-going after joining the Rebellion, but had simply assumed that it was her getting out of her shell. “My whole life my mom has wanted me to act like her, be all dignified and reserved. But it just wasn’t me.”

“How did you get her to stop?” Frosta looked up from her feet to stare at Glimmer with curiosity in her eyes.

“Oh it wasn’t easy.” Glimmer laughed. “We’ve argued so much about how a Princess should act over the years. I guess she just eventually realised that she can’t change who I am.”

“Think you could help me be who I am when in the Kingdom of Snows?” Frosta’s eyes shone with hope.

“Absolutely.” A smile. “I’m sure your people will love you for yourself, not just their image of how the Princess of Snows is supposed to be.”

“Thanks.” She leaned in to give Glimmer a hug. “I suppose I’ve been missing my room, remember all the games there I showed you?”

“How could I forget?” That had certainly taken up an entire afternoon.

It was with no small amount of trepidation that Adora once again visited Hordak’s inner sanctum. Trying to figure out whether he actually wanted her to deliver reports to him or not wasn’t easy, especially since he wasn’t exactly forthcoming about his inner thoughts most of the time and too irritable for her to dare to ask. Even so, duty was duty and she ultimately decided that risking his wrath due to her interruptions was better than neglecting her obligation to give him updates. “Lord Hordak?” It was too dark for her to see him but he hardly ever left this place so she assumed he was somewhere in here.

There was a light in the far end of the room that illuminated his silhouette briefly before fizzling out. He did not turn to look at Adora when she approached him, just stared at the machine that had emitted the light and was now short-circuiting before him. “I assume that you are disturbing me for a good reason, Force Captain.” There was no anger in his voice, just a weariness, which seemed a good sign.

“Yes, Lord Hordak.” Adora bowed to his back. “I’ve come to report that the Fright Zone is once again operating at full capacity and that the Horde is on the offensive once more.”

“Good.” He half turned his head her way to glance at her with a single red eye. “You impress me, Force Captain. I had expected it to take you longer to adjust to your new role.”

Adora blushed a little at the praise, it was a rare honour for Hordak to be positively surprised about someone’s performance. “Just doing what I’ve been trained for.”

“Yes… It would seem that your former superior did not fail me in this one regard.” a silence hung in the air as they both thought of Shadow Weaver in the prisons. “You will have to get rid of her eventually, as a final test. She is too dangerous to fall in the hands of the rebels.”

“I… Understand.” Much as her feelings towards Shadow Weaver were complicated to say the least, she didn’t want to kill her or consign her to some horrible fate like Beast Island, especially not when she was finally giving her the answers she had been seeking. “Lord Hordak, with all due respect, she’s still useful to us, even as a prisoner, we shouldn’t throw her away.”

There was a long pause as Hordak stared Adora down, seemingly trying to discover her inner motives. “I see. You may keep her for now, but when the time comes you will do as I command. The sorceress is a treacherous influence I have allowed for too long.”

“Yes, my lord.” It was all that she could reasonably ask for.

“Do not believe that I am… Ungrateful.” He said the last word slowly, as if trying to comprehend its full meaning. “Your accomplishments in the name of the Horde have impressed me and I believe that it is time that I appoint you as my second in command to lead it in my name. But after the betrayal of your now predecessor I must be sure that your devotion is complete and unfailing.”

“I won’t fail you.” Adora bowed deeply. “Thank you, for the honour.”

“You have earned it. She-Ra.” He turned his back to her to go back to working on the machine. His Imp flew down from the ceiling to land on top of the machine.

Adora stood there for a little while, torn between a desire to ask what he was building on and a sense that she should probably conclude her audience while Hordak was still in a good mood. Eventually, curiosity won out. “If I may ask, what is it that you’ve been working on?”

Hordak didn’t immediately answer, bending down to fix something that had broken when the machine short-circuited before. But apparently he was in a sharing mood, at least by his standards. “A communications device.” Was the curt answer.

“Cool, cool.” Adora nodded her head to look smart. “That would be useful to expand our reach or something.”

A condescending chuckle. “That is the least it can do. If I needed to, I could make it so that people could communicate from pole to pole as clearly as you and I do now, and it would not take me a day’s work.”

“Right, of course.” She thought of what Shadow Weaver had told her before, and thought she could venture a guess. “You’re trying to communicate with another world, aren’t you?”

Hordak froze, then turned his head towards her unnervingly quickly. “Impressive guesswork. Yes, it is not Etheria that I wish to communicate with.”

“... Does it have to do with the history of the Horde?” Adora wasn’t sure whether he would appreciate that she had been looking into this subject already, but she was still feeling bold enough that she might ask some general questions.

“It seems that I have underestimated you, Force Captain.” It was impossible to tell if there was approval or disapproval in Hordak’s voice. “It has everything to do with the history of the Horde.”

“May I know?”

Hordak looked at her with an evaluating look in his eyes. “No.” He returned to his work. “You must prove your loyalty before then.” There was a finality to his voice that told Adora that her audience was over and she’d be foolish to push any further.

Perfuma’s recovery, aided as it was by the best healers in Bright Moon, was going steady, and it was not long after Glimmer and Frosta had left that she was considered good enough to be allowed to walk freely again. Bow had continued to accompany her to make sure she was okay in case she had any relapse. Even after she had begun to improve, Perfuma still lacked her magical connection to the Heart-Blossom, which left her feeling as if a part of her was still missing. That’s where Bow’s plan came in. “What better way to reconnect to nature than being back in nature, eh?” They were in the common room and he was carrying a backpack full of all the supplies they might need, plus a couple of devices of his own making meant to pick up on any Horde bots in the area just in case he was right about the Horde using some new form of spy-bots to scout them out.

“Are you sure this is such a good idea, Bow? I really appreciate the thought but what if something bad happens out there?” Perfuma had been vacillating a lot between her love for nature walks and anxiety from everything that had happened recently.

“It’ll be fine.” Bow had decided keeping an optimistic outlook was one of the best things he could do, and something he had long practised. “Glimmer and I have hiked to Alwyn tons of times, it’s not too far. And they grow the best apples anywhere, you really have to try.”

This caught the attention of Huntara, who was sitting in a corner silently maintaining her equipment. She looked up at the two of them. “You guys going on a hike?”

“Yeah! You want to come with?” Now Bow might have someone else to help Perfuma if she needed several hands.

Huntara practically purred in response. “Sure, if Flower Girl over there is okay with it.”

They both looked at perfuma, who seemed taken aback but recovered herself pretty quickly. “Perhaps it is the will of the universe that we travel together.” She said with the voice of someone trying very hard to appear wise to mask their uncertainty.

“That’s the spirit!” Huntara gave Perfuma a slap on the shoulder, causing her to wince in pain. “Oh right, taking it easy on the Flower Girl.”

“That would be appreciated.” Bow took the lead on their walk out of the palace and through the Whispering Woods. “So, Huntara, how has it been since you’ve joined the Rebellion?”

“Oh it’s been loads of fun.” Huntara laughed to herself. “I had expected a bit more winning, but so far I’ve enjoyed this, seeing new places and meeting new people.”

“It is nice seeing all the people the cause has brought together.” Perfuma agreed. “What made you decide to join the Rebellion?”

“Catra.” Huntara did not elaborate further, leading to a quizzical expression on Perfuma’s face.

“It’s a long story. Catra betrayed Huntara’s trust and brought the Horde to her lands” Bow explained. “She joined us to get revenge and bring the fight back to the Horde.”

“Oh.” Perfuma looked very glum at this. “Yeah, my story is kind of similar I suppose. She helped the Horde occupy my kingdom and hurt my people.”

“Kitten sure knows how to hit people where it hurts, huh?” A wry smile played on Huntara’s lips. 

“I guess you could say that.”

“Anyway,” Bow decided to steer the topic to something more pleasant. “Have either of you been to Alwyn before?” He continued when they both shook their heads. “You’ll love it when you see it, it grows all the supplies Bright Moon could ever need, huge orchards with more fruits for you to eat than all of the Crimson Desert combined.”

“That sounds really nice.” Perfuma’s voice was a lot happier with all this talk of plants. “Sounds like Plumeria before the Horde came.”

“Aren’t you worried the Horde would attack it if it’s so important?” Asked Huntara.

“They’ve never been able to reach this far into the Whispering Woods before, we should be safe.” Bow assured her. He took his new device out of his backpack. “And besides, if they were in the area this tracker would be able to-” He noticed the red dots appearing in the corner of it. “Uhoh.”

“What?” Perfuma had gone back to being anxious upon seeing that reaction.

“Trouble. It’s picking up Horde machines heading towards Alwyn.”

“Perhaps we should head back to warn Bright Moon.” Suggested Huntara.

“No.” Bow shook his head. “We’re almost there, if we had to trek back and forth we’d never reach it in time. We’re just going to have to buy time for the people to get out of here.”

“But how? I’m completely useless in a fight. I still don’t have any of my magic back.” Perfuma tried to get the plantlife around them to move to no avail. 

“Maybe not, but who says they know that?”

Nothing was ever simple in life. Catra had hoped to just swoop into Alwyn, steal as many supplies as possible, burn down their orchards and then fall back before the Princesses had any chance to respond. But of course there would be complications to that plan to deal with. As they approached the outpost, a tree fell down and crushed one of the robots under it while an electric arrow short-circuited another. The source of this disturbance was not hard to see, having placed themselves in the way between the outpost and the convoy: Bow and Perfuma.

“What are they doing here?!” Catra felt like she wanted to rip her hair out. This was exactly why she had checked with Double Trouble that this place would be unguarded. Princesses always complicate things. 

“Maybe they’re here for the fruit?” Scorpia picked up one from the fallen tree and started eating it. “Oh wow! I can see why. This is so much better than those ration bars! And they just grow it? Why don’t we grow fruits like these?”

“Focus, Scorpia. This isn’t a buffet we’re going to.”

“Oh that’s a great idea! We should make a buffet of these when we get back and everyone can share, maybe you’ll invite Adora and-”

“ Just shut up. ” Catra walked to the front of the column, sizing up her opponents while trying her best to look calm and collected like things weren’t getting off the rails. “Wow, I can’t believe you guys are already back for more hurt. Haven’t we taught you enough lessons already?”

“We can’t let you attack these innocent people, Catra.” Bow had another arrow ready to be drawn and fired at a moment’s notice. “And do you really want to stand in the way of an angry Perfuma while surrounded by trees?”

“That’s right.” Perfuma waved her arms in an exaggerated fashion. “Oooh, aaah.” There was rustling in some of the bushes accompanying this.

“... You’re bluffing.” Last report Catra had gotten from Double Trouble was that Perfuma was still out of commission after whatever Shadow Weaver had done to her.

“Oh are we? Then explain this!” There was a pause as nothing happened before Bow repeated himself. “I said, then explain this !”

Another tree fell down to block the path forward. Catra remained sceptical but did remember the last time she had engaged Perfuma in a direct battle. The experience had been… Unpleasant. “Cool. You’ve mildly inconvenienced us, whatever will we do?” She glanced down at her pad, where she had just gotten a message; a single arrow pointing to the right. Looking at where the arrow was pointing she thought she could see Double Trouble-posing-as-Huntara beneath the trees, ready to cut down another tree on top of where the Horde was now clustered. “They’re stalling, Scorpia, get that stupid log away from here and let’s crush them. I’ll deal with the source of this ‘tree magic’.”

“Now you’re really going to get it.” Bow fired an arrow at Scorpia, who just lifted up the entire fallen tree to shield herself, before throwing it at him and Perfuma. “Prepare the great arootening!”

“Bow, I don’t think that they’re buying it.” Perfuma ducked down and started throwing apples at the advancing troops. “Also there’s no word like ‘arootening’.”

“Hey, if it’s any consolation I absolutely thought you were using magic.” Scorpia caught one of the apples and started eating it as she took the vanguard. “Also, man, how do you make these things so juicy?”

“Lots of water, light and love mostly.” Perfuma said helpfully, backing away towards the village.

“Oh that’s why we don’t grow them back at the Fright Zone. The water and light I mean.” Scorpia hastily added. “We don’t have a shortage of love, right Catra?”

But Catra was busy approaching ‘Huntara’, who drew their blade and engaged her. “ What are you doing? ” Catra hissed in a low voice, jumping out of the way of a wide sweeping strike.

“Playing along. You should too.” Double Trouble kept up a pretty convincing offensive, but their blows were always just slow enough that Catra could safely dodge them. “I hope you don’t mind that I had to improvise some after it turned out that this was going to be a double date.”

“Very funny.” Catra made her own pretend attacks for the sake of appearances. “So what’s this then? You didn’t tell me they were sending people here.”

“A bit of a last minute decision I’m afraid, darling. Thought it was best to tag along even if it wouldn’t give me any chance to contact you. After all, is this a setback or an opportunity?”

While she was still annoyed with them, she had to admit that was an interesting idea. “I suppose I can work with this but… Don’t blow your cover. You’re more valuable than some second-rate Rebels.”

“Oh I’m flattered, truly.” Double Trouble was leading their faux-fight closer to where the actual battle was ongoing. By the looks of it things were going well for the Horde, but Bow and Perfuma continued to delay their advance and stop them from just looting the place like what was the plan. “So how do you want to play this, Kitten?”

“Just get them to fall back. I don’t want these people, so let them focus on ‘saving’ them from the big bad Horde. And let’s make it convincing too…” Catra delivered a kick with enough force to send Double Trouble flying in the direction of the rebels. It was surprisingly cathartic considering how they weren’t even her actual enemy.

Double Trouble got up and fell back to join Bow and Perfuma, giving them a performance about how Catra was simply too strong for them. It was actually kind of flattering, and seemed to convince them to fall back. Things finally seemed to get back on track, and of course that’s when the ghosts began showing up.