Chapter Text
In the beginning, it was nothing more than a microorganism in the vastness of space.
A whisper in the void, a tiny life form wandering in eternity.
He didn't come from any planet. How he came to be is still a mystery; no one has lived long enough to know. So old that even he himself forgot his own origin.
A predator? A parasite? No one was sure. But what everyone did know was that encountering this creature was a death sentence. For its existence depended on devouring other life forms.
Over time, this being gained consciousness and intelligence, enough to go after its next prey. Like a virus, with each host it invaded, it adapted and evolved, both physically and mentally, to such an extent that it was no longer bound to a single physical body.
After centuries and centuries with an insatiable hunger, it was able to overthrow kingdoms, civilizations, planets...
Convinced that he was superior to any other race, he created his own empire, an entire army composed of extensions of himself. Clones made to obey only him.
Several species tried to oppose him, but with each failure the Emperor only grew stronger, because his nature was to learn, correct, and perfect himself, eradicating his weaknesses with each new version of himself.
There was only one other Empire that managed to rival it for control of the universe. Its rivals and nemeses, the Eternians, or the First Ones as some know them, were the only beings with the power to stand against it.
The only ones who knew his weakness: Magic.
The Eternians, in a desperate attempt to surpass the Emperor's power, created a weapon of mass destruction made from a twin planet. However, by a twist of fate, this weapon vanished into thin air, dooming them to perish at the hands of the Emperor.
Although it was a victory for the Horde, it only marked the beginning of their downfall.
Only a millennium later, the Emperor was finally overthrown by a warrior of light.
The last Eternian wielded her sword and destroyed it forever, giving a new beginning to her planet, the clones, and the entire universe.
The war was over.
But can a being that has lived for so long cease to exist? Or can it only wait to return stronger?
What can be expected from someone who has only existed for one purpose:
Survive at all costs.
***
Adora could barely make out the words over the crowd that was gathering on the tarmac every second. A sea of radiant blue faces stretched around the old ship, cheering endlessly to bid farewell to their heroes.
"She-Ra! Please come visit us soon!" they shouted.
"Yes, I'll do it as soon as I can. I promise," Adora smiled, lifting a blue-haired little girl with sandy-colored hair.
Of course they would return. After three visits, this planet had become one of her favorites. The people were so warm and friendly, and it was painful to know how much they had suffered under the oppression of Horde Prime. Zandoria was their closest neighboring planet, along with Trollan and Trannis. They had visited several planets throughout the universe, but before returning to Etheria, the group decided to visit their now Planetary Allies. And the Zandorians were always very generous, offering a grand feast whenever they came.
"Yes! She-Ra!" the child shouted, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Adora gave her a couple of jumps in the air before carefully setting her down.
The blonde shook hands, thanked them for their compliments, and accepted the gifts from the people as she tried to board the ship, just like Glimmer and Bow, who were still talking to the Great Ruler of Zandoria. Catra was the only one who had been waiting for over an hour to see when this trio of softies would decide to leave.
"I'm serious," Glimmer assured the woman. "As Queen of Bright Moon, I promise you that from now on you are under the protection of Etheria."
"Thank you, it's always an honor to receive you, Your Majesty. Are you sure you don't want to stay for lunch?"
As soon as Catra heard the word "lunch," she decided that if she didn't drag her friends to the ship now, they'd never leave. She walked over to Glimmer and Bow and had them say goodbye to the monarch before heading down the ramp and speaking to Adora. "Celebrity, we really need to go."
The crowd shouted. "She-ra! She-ra! She-ra!"
Seeing that Adora didn't have the heart to end the celebration, Catra decided to intervene. "Thank you all so much, but the hero has to go now," she said, taking the blonde's hand.
The four waved goodbye to the crowd one last time before Catra pushed them inside and ignited the engine for liftoff into space.
***
"How's it going? I think I'm starting to get it," Glimmer said excitedly from the pilot's seat.
Bow had to grip the seat tightly to avoid falling to the ground due to the vehicle's erratic movements. "Yes, but it would be nice if you didn't make such tight turns," he said with a nervous smile.
"That's why I'm practicing. It hasn't been so bad, has it, girls?"
Catra clung to the ship's walls with her claws while Adora held tightly to her waist.
"Yes, of course. It was better than last time. Right, Catra?"
"If by 'good' you mean we didn't crash through the window, then yes, I think it was fine," said the cat, letting go of the wall.
Bow saw Glimmer pout and leaned over to put his arm around her. "It's not that bad, you've improved."
"I've had a good teacher," Glimmer said before kissing him on the cheek.
Adora laughed and walked away, leaving Bow and Glimmer to join her girlfriend. It was strange. It seemed like only yesterday they were on this very ship, on their way to save Etheria and defeat Horde Prime. And now they were returning from spreading the message of the Horde's fall across different planets.
Adora looked at Catra's peaceful face and smiled. "We're going home."
Catra turned to look at her. "Yes, now that we've sorted things out outside, I suppose we should sort everything out in Etheria."
It had been an exhausting two years since the end of the war. Almost the entire first year was spent holding trial after trial for every member of the Horde, and at the same time, each princess returned to her kingdom to set things right. There was much to rebuild and many people to relocate.
"That's right, there's a lot of work to do at home," Adora said, sitting down next to her by the window.
"And many pending punishments".
Adora knew Catra was still worried about the sentence she'd left unfinished in Etheria. Although it had been revealed that Catra had been important to the Rebellion's victory, that didn't erase her actions as Commander of the Horde. And the people demanded a punishment. "Don't worry, it'll only be a couple of years of community service. I'm sure everything will work out in due time, you'll see."
Catra took Adora's hand and rubbed it gently. "So... no more crazy adventures for a while? No more running around to save the world."
"Would you like to do it again?"
"No"
"Seriously, Catra?" Adora nudged her shoulder. "Are you telling me you haven't enjoyed being one of the good guys now?"
Catra gave her a small smile. "It has been fun, but I hope we don't have any more She-Ra missions for a while."
"By the way, girls!" Bow interrupted. "You're invited to dinner at my dads' house!"
"We'll meet Bow's 12 siblings!" Glimmer shouted excitedly.
Catra shook her head, but Adora nodded.
"Of course," Adora said, answering Catra's question. "I promise that from now on it will just be you and me. No surprises."
She meant it. She loved being She-Ra, but she also hoped to take a proper break like the rest of the princesses, and just...who knows? Dedicate herself to living her life.
Catra leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "I like that plan."
Just as Adora was about to kiss her, Melog jumped on her, licking her face, and Adora laughed, trying to get the cat off her.
"Hey!" Catra complained. "I was supposed to kiss Adora, not you!"
Adora was sure of one thing: she had never been happier in her entire life.
***
Hours of travel had passed when the ship announced they were arriving in their system.
"Whoa, watch out! Space tree ahead!" Bow said, adjusting Glimmer's arms to slowly rotate the ship around what used to be Horde Prime's ship.
"And is that thing just going to float there forever?" Catra asked, approaching to the couple with Adora.
"It seems so", replied Bow.
No one could ever imagine that that immense tree was once the ship of an ancient emperor.
"It's beautiful," said Glimmer. "But even if it's a tree, I never want to set foot there ever again."
"I agree," said Bow.
On their journey, they visited and liberated the planets that had been Prime's colonies. Every structure, ship, robot, and anything related to the Horde had been completely eradicated. It was difficult to convince many that Prime was truly gone, that someone had managed to defeat him, but finally, with She-Ra's presence, everyone was convinced of her immense power.
"Are you sure it was a good idea to let Entrapta return to the ship one last time?" Glimmer asked Adora.
"She wanted to rescue the rest of the clones that were left there. Don't worry, I was there to make sure she didn't do anything strange."
"And how do we know her curiosity didn't win in our absence?" Catra asked. "I mean, it wouldn't be a surprise if it did."
"She promised."
"Yes, and how did you manage to get her to promise?" Glimmer asked, sharing Catra's disbelief.
"I told her she could keep the rest of Prime's robots if she promised to stay away from the ship."
Bow shrugged. "It's a fair deal."
They circled the tree-ship and the beautiful planet of Etheria came into view.
The magic that had lain dormant inside it for a thousand years gave her such a strong aura that make it shone almost like a star. It was so dense and potent that even the non-magical beings could sense it. Etheria looked the same, but it didn't feel the same. Now it was different; it felt like a new world.
"We are entering to the atmosphere of the planet Etheria. I recommend using autopilot for a safer landing," Darla's voice announced.
Adora, Bow, and Catra stared at Glimmer.
"Okay, enough space handling lessons," Glimmer said in surrender, getting up from the pilot's seat.
"Yes, please do that, Darla," Bow asked.
"Understood," she replied.
***
The four friends landed Darla in the Bright Moon Gardens, where their other friends were waiting for them. The ship opened and the small group excitedly stepped out.
Melog let out a soft meow and proceeded to roll around on the fresh grass.
"Finally, after six months we're home," Glimmer said happily.
"That was a relief. I was starting to get bored of traveling in the middle of nowhere for days," Catra complained.
"Come on, wasn't it fun meeting all those people from different planets?" Bow said. "Etheria isn't the only place that's changed; it seems every corner of the universe will have a new beginning."
"I'm surprised at how much things have changed since the war ended," Glimmer said wistfully, looking at the rebuilt Bright Moon Castle.
"Yes, the girls say they have a lot to tell us about what's been happening in their kingdoms," Bow said. "I wonder if Entrapta will be coming to the meeting? She's been quite busy with the clones."
"Scorpia says the repairs to clear the Fright Zone have already begun. Perfuma has been helping as well, but Entrapta believes it will take more time to get it back to where it was before the Horde," Adora explained.
Right after the war ended, the Princess Alliance wasted no time in putting Hordak on trial and deciding what to do with the rest of the Horde soldiers, especially the clones.
Hordak, like the rest of the Horde members, was sentenced to community service to repair the damage done in the war, starting with the kingdom of Scorpia. As for the clones, Entrapta had no problem helping them transition to freedom and giving them a home in her kingdom.
"I know it's been two years, but I'll never get used to the idea of Entrapta and Hordak...," Glimmer whispered. "well, you know.
The rest of the all remained in awkward silence.
"Well, Entrapta cares for him, however strange that may seem to us," Adora opined, "and as long as Hordak behaves..."
"Yeah, I doubt it can get any weirder," Catra said.
The Best Friends Squad headed to the castle entrance where Spinerella and Netossa were waiting for them. Now that they were at peace, the girls finally had space to think about their future and enjoy their lives. And the news that Spinerella and Netossa had given them during their time away was a sign of that.
"I can't wait to meet Spinerella and Netossa's baby. It's the first baby in the Princess Alliance. It's so exciting!" Glimmer exclaimed. "We have to throw a huge party to celebrate!"
"Yes, yes, try not to overwhelm the baby, Sparkles" Catra said.
"Spinerella! Netossa!," Bow called out when he saw them.
"Hello everyone," said Netossa.
Adora and the others greeted the couple and quickened their pace to reach them. The two princesses looked lovely, but there was a special glow on their faces, a very noticeable joy. They wasted no time, and Spinerrella and Netossa introduced their daughter.
Spinerella discovered in her arms the face of the small, blue-eyed baby.
"She is Aurora."
"Aww," said Adora, Bow, and Glimmer.
"She's beautiful," said the young queen, taking her tiny hand. "We have a new princess."
The baby's hair was as soft as light purple cotton candy. Her skin, on the other hand, had Netossa's beautiful dark tone. A lovely contrast of colors that made her look like a beautiful aurora borealis at night.
"And we've brought gifts for you," said Bow, running his fingers over his little head.
"Come here, Catra," Adora said, noticing that she had stayed behind.
"Uh...yeah, babies aren't really my thing.
Adora turned around and gently pulled her towards the baby. "Come on, I know you'll like her," she encouraged her.
Catra looked at Adora and walked over to little Aurora. She retracted her nails and stroked her soft hair. Aurora gave her a sweet smile. "Okay, yes, I guess she's cute."
"—And do you plan on having a kitten in the future?" Netossa asked them with a mischievous smile.
Adora blushed intensely as Catra shook her head. "Whoa, whoa, hold on there" she replied, her tail bristling.
Bow and Glimmer laughed with Spinerella and Netossa.
"So, what about you two?" Spinerella asked the other couple. "Are there any plans for a baby in the future?"
The couple remained silent, their faces red; this time Adora and Catra mocked them.
Spinerella and Netossa decided to give everyone a break and invited them to the small party.
"The others are waiting for us inside, let's go," said Netossa.
"Guys, it's great that you're here!
Everyone turned around in surprise to see Princess of Dryl leaping towards them.
"And with Darla!" she added, looking at the ship in the garden.
The guys were so distracted by the baby that they didn't notice when she arrived.
"Entrapta", greeted Bow.
"Hi Bow!" she greeted, waving her hand. "How was your trip?"
"Quite good. The modifications you made to Darla were very helpful," Adora replied.
Entrapta looked energetic and cheerful as always, although she looked somewhat disheveled, a little more than usual.
"I figured as much, although I did think about several adjustments I could make in case you want to take another trip. I was thinking of implementing a cannon to eliminate obstacles or a beam to...
"Hey Entrapta, something's moving behind you," Adora interrupted, noticing a strange movement in her backpack.
She hadn't noticed, but it was a rather strange backpack.
The bag shook and a strange whimpering sound came from it.
"Oh!" Entrapta turned around and smiled. "It seems he's awake."
"What are you carrying there, Entrapta?" asked Bow. "Is it an animal?
"Even better," the princess said, pulling out with her long hair a creature with tanned skin, dark blue hair, and big bright eyes. "He is my son, Zed."
"What?!" The whole group opened their eyes in surprise. Had they understood correctly?
Several seconds passed as they looked at the strange baby, wondering if it was what it appeared to be.
"How curious, all six of you suddenly turned pale," Entrapta said, placing a hand on her chin.
Even Spinerella and Netossa, who were in the back, were shocked by this revelation.
"I don't understand. When? How? What?!" Catra exclaimed.
"I know I should have told you during our calls, but I was so excited that I decided to surprise you in person," Entrapta replied, hugging her little one. "Isn't he adorable?!"
Entrapta was so focused on the baby that she didn't notice her friends' incredulous expressions. She turned happily and pulled the baby closer to them with her hair. "Would you like to hold him?"
"—Ehhh..." the four replied nervously.
The baby had pointed, ash-gray ears peeking out from its messy hair. Its tanned skin was speckled with gray markings on its hands that ended in small claws, and two thin lines ran across its face from its left eye to its ear, its most noticeable mark of Hordian origin.
Melog approached Entrapta, sniffing at the baby. Then it shrank back with a growl and ran away.
"Hmmm, that's a strange reaction from your friend, Catra."
The silence was awkward for everyone except Entrapta, who was still waiting for an answer. The baby remained silent and stared intently at the strange beings.
"Of course, Entrapta," Bow replied, bravely approaching. It wouldn't be very kind to reject her friend's baby. "He seems like a cute boy."
The baby looked at Bow, who carefully picked him up. "Hi Zed," he greeted.
Bow observed him more closely. "He has your eyes, Entrapta." Indeed, his eye and skin color seemed to be the only things the baby inherited from his mother.
"Yes!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Good observation, Bow. He has my iris color, though he doesn't seem to have inherited my hair's extraordinary abilities."
"Bo," Zed stammered.
Both Bow and the others turned around to listen attentively.
"Bo," Zed repeated.
Bow snapped out of his surprise and became excited. His first word had been his name—"Yes, that's right. I'm Bow."
"Bo," repeated the smiling baby.
"He's very clever. Just like your Entrapta," Adora said, approaching and taking the baby's small claw.
"Yes, he's very advanced for a baby his age," Entrapta replied. "I'm not sure if it's because of his hordian blood or because of me."
Zed gripped Adora's finger tightly and put it in his mouth.
It was very sweet until Adora felt a sharp prick in her skin.
"Ouch!" she shouted, pulling his finger out.
Zed laughed and when he opened his mouth he revealed two tiny fangs, barely visible, but sharp.
"Oops, careful. His teeth are coming in" Entrapta warned. "I wonder if I should give him something harder to chew on? He's been biting Hordak a lot these past few days."
Glimmer, who still hadn't reacted, mentally rehearsed the timeline, trying to remember if she'd ever seen Entrapta differently during their calls. "Uh, wait a second, Entrapta, I'm confused," she finally said. "When did this happen?" she asked, pointing at Zed.
"Oh, do you mean when Zed was born or when he was created?
The group didn't know what to answer until Adora ventured to reply. "Both, maybe?"
"Well, that's very easy to answer. Zed was born 4 months ago, through the cloning process.
"Cloning?" Catra asked.
"Yes. Originally, Hordak created Zed in his sanctuary during the war. It was supposed to be a new body for him, but Hordak's genetic damage prevented Zed from progressing beyond a simple fetus. I had to complete his genetic code with my DNA; thanks to that, Zed was able to fully form, so now he's a super cute and cuddly baby," the princess explained, tossing her hair over his small head.
"Yes, I think that makes sense," Bow said doubtfully, handing the baby back to Entrapta.
In fact, it made more or less sense to them. Of course, Entrapta wouldn't pass up the opportunity to give life to a completely new being. And they also knew that the princess would never have the heart to get rid of a defenseless creature, no matter how strange it might be.
What was surprising was that she was willing to raise another living being.
"But don't worry, this hasn't distracted me from dismantling the Fright Zone," Entrapta said, nudging Zed with her hair. "Although Hordak and I have spent a lot of time explaining to the clones how Etherian infants work and how to raise babies. Anyway, I'm very excited to meet Zed; he's the first Hordian-Etherian hybrid. Imagine all we can learn from him, so many possibilities. I want to teach him everything I know, and I know he'll be extraordinary."
The four friends simply nodded.
Now that Catra thought about it better, Hordak had several of these creatures in his sanctuary. "Hey Entrapta, you said Zed was a cloning experiment, right? Do you and Hordak plan on having more than one?"
"Oh, we'll definitely have more than one."
The group was stunned by this confirmation.
"Spinerella, Netossa!" Entrapta called, running towards them. "Isn't it great? Zed and Aurora can be playmates!"
Entrapta brought her son closer to the 8-month-old baby. Zed and Aurora just looked at each other.
The Princess of the Winds gave a nervous but kind smile. "Of course, that would be wonderful. I'm sure Zed and Aurora will be good friends, won't they, my dear?"
"Yes, of course," Netossa replied uncertainly.
While Spinerella and Netossa continued talking to Entrapta, the others spoke in hushed tones.
"Entrapta and Hordak becoming parents?" the archer wondered.
"What do you think?" Glimmer asked. As queen, should I do something about it? She wondered.
"Well... Entrapta looks very happy," Adora said. The truth was, she was very tired from the trip and so surprised by this fact that she didn't want to overthink it right now. Besides, Entrapta was her friend, and she had long since accepted whatever made her friend happy, as long as it didn't involve creating weapons of destruction. "I think we should think about this later."
"Yes, that sounds good to me," they all agreed.
Spinerella, Netossa, and Entrapta entered Bright Moon's room with Adora and the others following behind.
"By the way, we need to see Mermista and Sea Hawk. They say they have some special news for us," Bow said.
"What news?" Glimmer asked.
"I don't know, but Sea Hawk sounded very anxious," Adora added.
***
The gathering was a small welcome party organized by Perfuma, Scorpia, and Frosta. They chatted about their journey and how each princess was rebuilding her respective kingdom, and of course, the main attraction was Princess Aurora. Netossa and Spinerrella received countless compliments and gifts for their little daughter.
Indeed, Zed was the elephant in the room, and no one dared discuss the matter at the moment, especially with Entrapta present. However, that didn't stop Scorpia from playing with Zed's claws or Perfuma from placing a little flower crown on him like she did for Aurora, and for Frosta, it was a relief to know that she would no longer be seen as the baby of the group.
The meeting ended that night, and Entrapta headed back to the ship to return to the former Fright Zone. Her friends had offered to let her stay, but she politely declined.
"Entrapta, are you sure you know how to take care of a baby?" Perfuma asked, worried as she watched Entrapta gently move the baby with her hair. "Remember, it's not a machine. Babies are delicate; they need a lot of attention."
Entrapta simply placed Zed in his special backpack, "Of course! I've read 27 manuals, observed 252 hours of child behavior, and tailored a personalized sleep routine for him."
"Oh, yes...of course," Perfuma replied nervously before returning with Scorpia and Mermista.
"You shouldn't worry," Scorpia told Perfuma, shaking her enormous claw as she said goodbye to her long-haired friend. "It seems Entrapta has it under control. I think she'll be a good mom."
"We shouldn't be asking ourselves if Hordak will be a good father," Mermista said, observing with his arms crossed.
Perfume noticed her tone of voice. "You should feel relieved, Mermista. We always had doubts about whether Hordak's change was real. I think this proves it."
"Does this really do that?" she asked skeptically.
"Of course, a baby always changes things. I think it's a beautiful thing," Perfuma said, and Scorpia nodded.
"A baby conceived through one of Entrapta's crazy genetic experiments proves nothing," Mermista replied. "I don't see any reason of why Hordak would accept this. This all sounds more like Entrapta meddling where she shouldn't. I just hope Glimmer doesn't let this influence her and let her guard down."
Perfuma and Scorpia remained silent.
Emily and Imp boarded the ship as Entrapta said goodbye to the others. "Thanks again for letting me take Darla! This girl definitely needs a makeover after such a long trip."
"Entrapta," Adora called before she stepped onto the ramp. "I knew you and Hordak were moving forward, I just didn't imagine you two intended to..." Now calmer, she observed Zed more closely, noticing the features he shared with the clone and the princess. Zed's enormous pink eyes watched her with a look of pure curiosity that reminded her of Entrapta. Without a doubt, this was her little one.
Adora could be oblivious about many things, but of everyone, she was the most aware that Entrapta and Hordak's relationship was real. Even though many still didn't understand it.
"Does this seem strange to you, Adora?" Entrapta asked, seeing how she stared at Zed.
"No, it's not that, it's just...you took us by surprise. You know you can count on us if you ever have any problems with people."
"A problem with people?" Entrapta asked, confused.
"Because of your little one."
"Are you offering yourself as a babysitter?" she tried to guess.
"Oh, no... I mean... I'm not talking about those kinds of problems. You know... your thing with Hordak, I'm sure there will be people with questions and..." Adora smiled nervously, noticing from Entrapta's face that she wasn't understanding what she meant. "You know what, it doesn't matter. Forget what I said." She shook her head. Perhaps it wasn't worth upsetting her friend right now. Besides, she was Entrapta. If there was anyone capable of dealing with oddness regardless of others' opinions, it was her.
Adora looked at Zed tenderly one last time, extended her finger, and he took it in his small hand. "Goodbye, Zed. I hope to see you again soon."
Entrapta smiled at the gesture, said goodbye to Adora, and climbed aboard Darla to take off.
She put it on autopilot, and during the trip she kept talking to Emily and Imp about her projects, her innovations, and anything else, "—And we've managed to create a chemical that will restore the art in the Scorpions' castle."
Imp let out a squeal and flew onto Entrapta's back to check on the baby. He approached and sniffed it, making it squirm.
"Imp, stop. You're bothering him," she gently scolded him.
Imp left Zed and flew above, repeating the word "Baby" in Entrapta's voice.
The princess looked over her shoulder to see if he had woken up.
"Well, I see you're still asleep," she said. "Emily, record."
The robot nodded with a beep, and Entrapta began to speak. "Day 122 of Zed. After several trial-and-error experiments, I can confirm that Zed finds my speech quite comforting, unlike lullabies. It seems that talking to him during his gestation period in the capsule helped him become familiar with my tone."
She turned once more to look at Zed's serene face. "He seems to simply enjoy my voice. If that's the case, I'll continue speaking."
The tiny baby squirmed on her back but continued sleeping. Entrapta gazed at him tenderly. He was the cutest baby she had ever seen.
"You're so full of possibilities, Zed. And in a way, you arrived at an excellent time. Certainly, a war isn't ideal for a baby, and I can't wait to show you all of Dryl. The cooks are going to love you. And think of all the things we could build together—that is, if you enjoy science as much as your dad and I do. Speaking of your dad, all of this is very new to Hordak, so try to be patient with him."
Entrapta turned to look at him when she noticed he had opened his eyes. "Oh, you're awake."
Zed remained calm.
"You know, Zed. I'm a princess, which means you're a prince too. Well, actually, I'm not a real princess. I doubt anyone in Etheria would consider me a leader. Ruling a kingdom was never my thing. I'm more of an engineer, an inventor."
Zed simply bowed his head, not understanding a word of Entrapta's explanation.
"I know I'm not like the others, Zed. And it's okay if you don't always understand me, but I promise I'll do everything I can to make sure you grow up to be the best you can be. And I really hope we get along very well."
Zed gave a long yawn before curling up again and falling asleep once more.
Raising a child was undoubtedly going to be a challenge. She had researched every detail about what a baby needed, and she was aware that there could be many variations in what her child might need, but that didn't scare her. She was a scientist, and as always, Entrapta would observe and learn.
***
The next day, the hall of Bright Moon Castle was filled with worry and hysteria from Glimmer's Royal Court. Long hours of extensive discussion ensued regarding the arrival of the new prince. Glimmer managed to reassure them, saying she needed time to make a decision and that she would look into the matter. However, the following day and in the days that followed, more and more subjects continued to request audiences with the queen.
Apparently, the news of Zed's existence spread like wildfire in the few hours he was in Bright Moon, as even rulers of other kingdoms began asking the queen what her stance was on the half-breed.
"Queen Glimmer, please, explain to us."
"Is this another experiment by Princess Entrapta?"
"What will happen to the princess's Horde baby?"
"Princess Entrapta is brilliant, but her judgment has already cost us a war. Are we going to risk it again?
Seeing how overwhelmed Glimmer looked, Bow decided to intervene. "Listen, I know this is unexpected, but I remind you that Zed is a child, exempt from any Horde crimes.
"Exempt?" said a nobleman. "So, after all, a Horde will rule Etheria. Give the Horde a piece of our planet. After everything they've done."
"Dryl is a very small part of Etheria. And nobody is giving anything away," Glimmer replied authoritatively. "The laws are very clear, and they say that any heir, regardless of race, can inherit the throne, as long as they are a descendant or relative of the current monarch. Zed is Entrapta's son, therefore Dryl belongs to him by right. That's not up for discussion."
People continued with more complaints.
"Isn't there any other legible relative in the Dryl House?" they asked.
"There aren't any. And even if there were, Zed would still be first in line. According to the people of Dryl, Entrapta's lack of a mate and heir had long been a source of concern." Glimmer straightened in her seat. "Now they have one, an heir to guarantee the lineage of Dryl's royal family. Perhaps not in the way they expected, but they have one."
"And do the Drylians agree?" asked one of his guards.
"They think it's better than nothing."
The crowd erupted in protest.
"Of course, we expected nothing less from the Dryl House! They always do what they want!"
"As always!"
"I am aware," Glimmer raised her voice, "that this is an extraordinary and unforeseen situation! But Dryl is a hermit kingdom with a culture and customs different from our own. If their kingdom accepts it, I cannot intervene."
People remained silent.
"However, I guarantee that Zed will be carefully monitored. And only if he becomes a threat to our security, he will be stripped of his title of prince, just as we would with any other ruler of Etheria." Glimmer rose from her throne. "This session is adjourned."
The guards understood the order. They began escorting people to the exit until someone else spoke.
"My queen, the war has taken so much from us. Do not let all our sacrifice be in vain."
"That's all for now, leave," Glimmer ordered.
The people obeyed and withdrew in silence. Once they were outside, the General asked, "My queen, are you sure the creature will not be a threat?"
"At this moment I'm not sure of anything. We know nothing about the Horde race."
"I can see they know he's the son of a clone, although they don't seem to know that that clone is Hordak."
Until now, Entrapta's relationship with Hordak had been limited to mere rumors, and only those who interacted with the Princess of Dryl had noticed. However, Zed's presence was definitive proof of what much of the civilian population was unaware of.
"They'll find out eventually, I just didn't want to upset them any further for the time being. The princesses and I still need to discuss what measures will be taken. But I do know that making a child pay for the crimes of others is wrong."
He dismissed the General, who then left, leaving Bow and Adora behind.
Glimmer grunted the moment she was left with her friends, "Good heavens, I don't think people will let this Zed thing go so easily."
Bow and Adora ascended to the throne.
"Well, clones aren't actually dangerous," Adora said.
"Identical clones," Glimmer replied. "Zed isn't exactly a clone. I admit the General has a point there."
"I don't think he could be any more dangerous than an ordinary Etherian," Bow said. "Entrapta doesn't have a Runestone, nor any magical power. Besides, she would tell us if Zed ever do anything out of the ordinary."
Glimmer turned to look at Bow, her eyes rolling back in her head.
"Well...maybe she will leave it out if she didn't think it was important," Bow admitted.
"That's it, this has a solution!" Glimmer exclaimed. "Entrapta is surely keeping track of everything Zed does. Perhaps we could ask her to give us a growth report every so often. That way we can tell people there's nothing to worry about."
Bow and Adora looked at each other with uncertain expressions.
"I don't know, it sounds a bit excessive. It's a baby, Glimmer," Bow reminded her.
"Yes, you're right. But we have to offer people something to calm them down, even if it's absurd," he complained, having no other ideas.
"Is that true?" Adora asked. "Could you revoke Zed's title even though he's from another kingdom?" Adora didn't know all the laws exactly, nor the full extent of Glimmer's power, as queen of the most important kingdom in Etheria.
"Not exactly, it's more complicated than that, Adora," Glimmer replied. "Being a princess is something you're prepared for your whole life, from birth. There's a certain standard we all have to meet: studies, training, etiquette..."
"It's a system that guarantees each kingdom will have a prepared and responsible leader to assume the position," Bow added.
"In hundreds of years we've never had to revoke a title, because for that to happen all the princesses must agree. And we're talking about serious problems: corruption, betrayal, war... It's an extreme measure for an extreme problem."
"Okay, then there's nothing to worry about," Adora replied optimistically. "Zed will have his prince training. I don't think the girls will object."
"Not us," Glimmer sighed. "The problem is the other kingdoms that aren't part of the Alliance."
Bow hugged Glimmer, resting his chin on her head to reassure her. "Maybe we're jumping to conclusions. Don't let other people's worries get to you, Glimmer. Maybe Zed will be a good thing for us."
Glimmer looked up at him, not understanding what he meant.
"You said it yourself," Bow continued. "People are nervous about the presence of the clones and all the damage done in the war. And what better way to unite two such different races as the Etherians and the Horde than with a prince?"
Glimmer thought what Bow said made sense. However, a small part of her mind shared some of the people's fears. "But the Horde, the horde soldiers..."
"All that is in the past, Glimmer. You are the Queen of Bright Moon; your opinion carries great weight with other kingdoms and princesses. If you recognize Zed as a prince, the other kingdoms will too."
Glimmer nodded in agreement.
"Do you remember what we said? A new beginning, a new era of peace. We have to believe that Zed is a sign of the new world we want to create for ourselves and our children."
Glimmer let out a heavy sigh and slumped back. "I guess we just have to let things take their course. It will be a long time. Zed will have to follow the proper protocols to be allowed to inherit Dryl when the time comes."
"Exactly. One step at a time. Let's let Entrapta and Hordak adjust first," Adora added.
"Hordak..." the queen scratched her temple. Damn, that was going to be another scandal.
No. No. Bow was right. One step at a time.
"Okay, fine," Glimmer gave Bow a tight hug and smiled. "You know, you'll be a great king, don't you think, Adora?"
Bow blushed and Adora laughed along with Glimmer.
Days passed before Glimmer managed to reassure her subjects. It had been difficult enough getting used to the idea that the clones were going to stay. And people were still having trouble accepting them. Glimmer wondered if she was asking too much. If accepting Zed was too much for her people.
Was Etheria ready for a Horde prince? Right now? Glimmer didn't have an answer.
Entrapta didn't know it, but she had detonated a bomb that had shattered the people's relative peace.