Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a new day in the Fright Zone, which meant it was another day for Adora to fight giant robots with a giant stick. After observing proper dental hygiene and needlessly antagonizing her punching bag, she hurried to the training room.

The rest of her squad was right behind her, except for a perennially tardy feline.

“Psst. Anyone seen Catra?” Adora asked surreptitiously. Lonnie made a noncommittal noise while Kyle and Rogelio shook their heads.

“Ugh. Not again.” she grumbled under her breath.

“At attention, cadets!”

The training sergeant began to inform them about their mission before he noticed the absence.

“Where’s Catra?” he demanded.

“She will be here. I promise.” Adora lied confidently. The sergeant raised a skeptical eyebrow but continued regardless. He droned on and on about princesses and the infamous Whispering Woods but the mission was really just to fight giant robots in a room full of rocks, and Adora was a master of fighting giant robots in a room full of rocks.

No sooner had Adora and her squad entered the training room that a ‘Princess’ attacked them with its laser beam, forcing them to scatter. From there it took about ten seconds for Kyle to be hit with a laser and taken out of the fight. It was the longest he had ever lasted, so Adora supposed it was progress.

Adora and her remaining squad evaded several other Princessbots until they made it into a clearing. Any illusion of safety died a quick death, however.

“Adora!” Lonnie shouted, but she hardly needed someone to tell her not to stand on a floor tile that had suddenly started buzzing and glowing red. Sure enough, the tiles promptly tumbled down into the infinite abyss that was rather inexplicably beneath the training room.

She barely had enough time to mentally congratulate herself on not falling for such an obvious trap before a big floating ball - the leader of the ‘Princesses’, presumably - appeared from a hole in the floor, extended giant legs, and started shooting lasers at everyone.

Rogelio and Lonnie dived to the side to avoid being tenderized, but Adora charged forward with the confidence of someone who had done this far too many times and pole vaulted on top of the robot. She quickly smashed its sensors to pieces and stabbed through its head with her stick before getting blasted away by the explosion and landing a few meters away.

Naturally, only after all the hard work was done did Catra finally show herself, casually kicking the remains of the Queenbot into the hole it had emerged from before turning to Adora. Adora looked at her with irritation for a moment before Catra slyly pointed at the ground beneath her feet. Only then did Adora notice it was red, and oddly enough only then did it buzz and start falling into the abyss.

Thankfully Adora was able to jab her stick into the wall and avoid a most crunchy demise, but perhaps that would have been preferable to seeing Catra’s smug face leering down at her.

“Hey, Adora. How’s it hanging?” She asked slyly.

“Catra.” Adora grumbled despite the real possibility of falling to her death. “Did you really show up late and let us do all the hard parts? That is low, even for you.”

“Aw.” Catra replied mischievously. “You know nothing’s too low for me.” Laughing, she extended a hand down the hole.

“Now come on, you look stupid hanging down there.”

Adora smiled despite herself. Catra might have been a lazy jerk, but she was still her best friend. And besides, two could play at that game.

In the locker room, Adora took off her training gear and put on her favorite - read, only - jacket, even as Catra kept laughing at what passed for a prank in her eyes.

“You should have seen your face. You were like, ‘ahhhh nooooo, betraaaayaaal!’.” She cried, dramatically collapsing to the ground in a mocking imitation of Adora that certainly had no basis in reality.

“Come on, Catra.” Adora groaned. “We’re senior cadets now. I can’t believe you’re still pulling such childish, immature- IS THAT A MOUSE?” She suddenly shouted, pointing behind Catra.

“WHAT! WHERE?” Catra cried, leaping back to her feet in sheer terror before slowly deflating as she realized she had just tasted the bitter fruit of betrayal herself.

“Are you ever going to not fall for that?” Adora grinned, savoring the sweet taste of vengeance.

“I don’t know, are you ever going to let it go? That was one time!” Catra whined.

“I know.” Adora laughed. “But for some reason, it’s always funny!”

“Adora.” All levity in the room died instantly as the sinister drawl of Etheria’s worst mother seeped into the room like sulfuric acid into a birthday cake. Adora immediately stood at attention, while Catra leaned against the wall and scowled.

“Shadow Weaver.” Adora saluted.

“You have done well. You’ve completed your training course in record time.” Shadow Weaver continued in what she presumably thought was a congratulatory tone.

“Uh, well, that wasn’t just me. You know, Catra did, too.” Adora said, covering yet again for her feline friend’s less than stellar record.

“Don’t bother covering up for Catra’s incompetence, Adora. I was watching the entire time. I saw how Catra hid in the shadows like a cowardly little rat, only to jump out at the last second to claim victory.” Shadow Weaver said, her voice dripping with contempt.

“Sorry, Shadow Weaver.” Adora gulped, smiling nervously.

“The mission was to complete the course and defeat the Queen, right? Well I completed the course and defeated the Queen. I don’t see any problems here.” Catra replied snarkily.

“Of course you wouldn’t. You wouldn’t know anything about victory or success. You just want to coast along on Adora’s coattails, living a life of indolence and ignominy. Adora may tolerate this, but I will not. Now leave us before I make you leave.” Shadow Weaver growled, dismissing Catra with a flippant wave of her hand.

“Yes, Shadow Weaver.” Catra exchanged a glance with Adora before quickly departing.

“So, uh, did you want to talk to me?” Adora asked, rubbing the back of her head nervously.

“Obviously. Lord Hordak has been watching you. He sees great potential in you, potential enough for you to be made Force Captain.”

Adora’s heart skipped a beat.

“Really? Force Captain? You’re serious?”

“Of course I am. You are one of the finest recruits the Horde has ever had, and Hordak is eager to see whether your prowess in the training room will equal your might on the battlefield. To that end, you will lead the upcoming invasion of the Rebel stronghold of Thaymor.” Shadow Weaver said evenly, but with a hint of pride in her voice.

“So that’s it? We’re finally going to take the fight to those Princesses?” Adora asked, barely able to restrain her excitement.

“You will lead the invasion. Your squad will remain behind. They have not proven themselves to be anything but cannon fodder, and I will not let them squander this opportunity for you.” Shadow Weaver replied before turning away.

“But Shadow Weaver. With all due respect, they’ve been training hard for this. Don’t they deserve a chance?” Adora pleaded.

“Training hard? Do you take me for a fool?” Shadow Weaver growled, keeping her back to Adora.

“Catra, the coward taking credit for your work. That pathetic wretch who can’t even last ten seconds in the arena, and those two fools who did nothing but stare in awe as you saved them. They aren’t worthy of guarding a pantry, much less leading an invasion. They will not come with you, and that is final.”

Shadow Weaver produced a small badge and held it out for Adora.

“I have always known you were destined for greatness, Adora. Now prove it, to me, and to Hordak.”

Adora wordlessly took the badge and nodded. Satisfied, Shadow Weaver departed, leaving the newly minted Force Captain alone with her thoughts.

Adora looked at the badge despondently. She had wanted to be a Force Captain for as long as she could remember, but she had always imagined Catra being by her side. Without her, it felt strangely hollow.

Her ruminations were cut short when she was knocked to the ground by a furry blur. Catra was now lying on top of her, yet again showing her total disregard for personal space.

“What’d she say?” she asked, before her eyes were drawn to the badge in Adora’s hand.

“Hey, is that a Force Captain badge? Did you get promoted?”

“Yes… now please… get off me…” Adora groaned. Catra quickly stood up and helped Adora to her feet.

“That’s awesome! We’re going to see the world, and conquer it! Adora, I need to blow something up!” Catra purred happily, her eyes wide and sparkling with imperialist ambition.

“...Shadow Weaver said that the squad was to remain behind. Including you.” Adora reluctantly admitted.

“Should’ve seen that coming.” Catra’s smile instantly turned into a frown.

“She’s always hated me, no matter what I do.” She sat down on a bench, resting her head on her knees.

“Well you did kinda fudge the test back there. And you’re always talking back to her…” Adora replied, sitting down next to her.

“Oh, please.” Catra scoffed. “If I took out every single robot in that room in ten seconds and with my hands tied behind my back, the best compliment I could expect from her is ‘could have been worse’. I can’t win with her, Adora. So why should I bother trying to suck up if it will never be enough?”

“She’s not that bad, Catra. I’m sure if you just put the effort in, she’ll see that.” Adora said, putting a hand on Catra’s shoulder.

Catra shook her head.

“You don’t get it. She’s always liked you more. When you fail, it’s a learning experience. When I fail, it’s proof that I’m worthless.” Catra replied.

“You’re not worthless. I don’t care what Shadow Weaver says, you’ll always be my friend and I’ll never leave you behind.” Adora declared.

Catra smiled faintly for a moment. “A nice sentiment and all, but if you go alone to Thaymor, that’s exactly what you’ll do. You’ll be a war hero and I’ll just be… me.”

Adora briefly frowned before her mind lit up with a most cunning plan.

“What if… I didn’t go alone?”

The idyllic town of Thaymor was in the midst of a celebration, having no idea that a powerful Horde army was on its way to destroy everything they held dear. More than a dozen foot soldiers and combat robots, spearheaded by four mighty tanks, slowly bore down on the defenseless settlement.

Piloting the first tank, Adora struggled to contain her anxiety. Her performance here could make or break her entire career, and she needed to make sure the operation was performed to perfection.

“This is Scout A to Force Captain Adora.” A voice emanated from her badge. “The settlement is ungarrisoned, but some of the locals may offer resistance.”

“Roger that. Hold position and watch for enemy reinforcements.” Adora responded, trying to sound more confident than she really was.

“Wow, you’re really starting to sound like a real captain now.” Catra said, slinking up behind Adora and petting her condescendingly on the head.

“Not the time, Catra.” Adora grimaced.

“Aww, if you say so. Let’s make these Rebels regret their life choices, shall we?” Catra purred as the army reached the edge of the town.

Adora activated her badge.

“All tanks, open fire!”

The four tanks immediately charged and fired their powerful energy cannons, blasting through the meager huts of Thaymor like tissue paper. Citizens screamed and fled in every direction as fires began to rage unchecked, while dead and wounded littered the streets.

“That oughta take the rebelliousness out of the… uh, rebels.” Adora said, looking at Catra with an awkward smile.

“You’re going to have to work on your one-liners.” Catra deadpanned.

Adora rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

Switching her radio back on, she gave further orders to the troops.

“The tanks will hold position here. Squads A and B, advance into the settlement. If they surrender, take them prisoner. If not… you know what to do.” Adora said the last part with notable reluctance.

“Not willing to say kill? You do realize those cannons don’t shoot hugs, right?” Catra asked with playful mockery.

Adora sighed and opened the hatch.

“Let’s just get this over with.” she said, climbing out of the tank and landing on the grass. For a moment she was taken aback at how beautiful the surrounding land was, with all manner of trees and flowers. It was nothing like the industrial nightmare she lived in.

“Hey, no spacing out. We’ve got a city to burn.” Catra nudged her shoulder, bringing her back to the present.

“Right, let’s do this.” Adora said, unsheathing her staff. The remaining civilians of Thaymor looked on in terror as a dozen faceless goons marched towards them, led at the front by Adora and Catra.

Adora stared at the civilians coldly, even as inwardly she couldn’t help but feel a degree of sorrow. These people were clearly not Princesses, and were no serious threat to the Horde. But sometimes one had to be cruel to be kind, and if playing the villain could bring order and peace to these people, then so be it.

“Where is your leader?” She demanded, stabbing her staff into the ground as Catra stood by her side, looking rather bored if anything.

A few fearful civilians pointed to an old man lying on the ground nearby with a large chunk of masonry lodged in his abdomen.

“Well where’s his replacement, then?”

A short and timid woman eventually stepped forward, refusing to make eye contact.

“I’m his daughter. I guess that means…”

Adora’s heart sank with guilt. Part of her wanted to apologize, but the rest of her recognized the futility of it. Hiding her feelings, she continued.

“Very well. I demand the immediate and unconditional surrender of Thaymor. You and all of your people will agree to submit and become subjects of the Horde. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you refuse.” Adora said as harshly and mercilessly as she could manage.

The young woman nodded tearfully.

“We don’t want any more bloodshed. We’ll do whatever you want. Please, have mercy on us!” She cried out, falling to her knees.

Adora rubbed her forehead awkwardly.

“Uh, there’s no need for that. Men, restrain the prisoners. We’re taking them back to the Fright Zone.”

The soldiers dutifully began to carry out her orders, leaving Adora to stare at the smoldering remains of Thaymor.

“This was a victory. So why doesn’t it feel like it?” She asked quietly.

“Probably because all we did was terrorize a bunch of peasants and blow up some mud huts. I’m starting to think I should’ve stayed behind. This is just boring.” Catra yawned.

Almost instantly afterward, Adora’s badge lit up.

“Scout A here! I’m under attack by a Princess! I need reinforc- AHHHHHH!”

“Adora, look out!” Catra pushed Adora to the side as the still screaming scout landed directly where Adora had just been standing, producing a sickening crunch.

The two quickly stood back up, Adora and Catra unholstering their energy pistols.

“Who’s there? Identify yourself, now!” Adora shouted, seething with fury at her scout’s untimely demise.

A short but fierce-looking princess appeared in a flash of light, standing imposingly atop the remains of a house.

“I am Commander Glimmer, Princess of Bright Moon and daughter of Queen Angella. This town is under our protection. You will release your prisoners and leave at once, or face the full fury of a Princess!” She roared, righteous anger blazing in her eyes.

“I will never surrender to the likes of you! You and your kind will pay for everything you’ve done!” Adora shouted back.

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Glimmer said with a menacing scowl.

In unison, Adora and Catra fired at the Princess. She disappeared in another flash, leaving the blasts of energy to level what was left of the house.

“Now this is what I’m talking about!” Catra yelled with a murderous grin.

Adora turned to admonish her, only to see her get decked in the face by Glimmer, who had teleported next to her. Catra let out an undignified squeal and fell to the ground, while Glimmer followed up by firing a blast of magic energy at Adora.

Adora dove to the side, avoiding the hit and firing several shots at Glimmer, who then teleported directly above her and tackled her to the ground. Before Adora could react, Glimmer began viciously punching her in the face.

“Get. Out. Of. My. Kingdom!” She roared, punctuating every word with another punch. Adora’s vision swam and she tasted blood.

“It’s not your kingdom anymore. Face it, glitterbomb. You’re doomed.” Adora grinned in defiance, spitting a wad of blood in Glimmer’s face.

Glimmer growled in rage and raised her fist again. But that was as far as she got.

“AAAGH!” Glimmer howled in pain as an energy blast impacted her in the back. Adora seized the advantage and kneed the Princess in the chest, sending her tumbling backwards onto the ground.

Catra stood over the two, grinning as she aimed her pistol at the injured Glimmer, who now lay groaning helplessly on the ground.

“Oh, I’m sorry, were you distracted? I could come back later, if you want.” Catra said mockingly.

“D-damn you! Damn you all!” Glimmer growled out as Catra helped Adora back to her feet.

“Now, what do we do with this one?” Catra asked slyly.

“She’s too dangerous to take with us, and too dangerous to leave behind. We have no choice.” Adora said darkly, aiming her pistol at Glimmer. Catra eagerly followed suit.

“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” Adora said before pulling the trigger. Two energy blasts shot towards Glimmer, only to impact the ground as the Princess vanished into thin air.

Adora sighed in annoyance, holstering her pistol.

“I’m not even surprised. Well, with that injury she’s not going to be fighting any time soon. Let’s get back to the army. There might have been more of them.”

“So that was a Princess, huh? Is it weird that she was both stronger and weaker than I thought she’d be?” Catra asked as the two started to make their way back.

“No, I get it. She was tough, but not that tough. I bet her mother hoards most of the power for herself.” Adora replied, wiping blood from her mouth.

“Sounds familiar.” Catra remarked.

“Hey, don’t worry. After how well you did today, I’m sure Shadow Weaver will see you’re worth making a Force Captain.” Adora said optimistically.

“I shot a Princess in the back while she was busy punching the crap out of you. I’m pretty sure even Kyle could have made that shot.” Catra muttered, scratching her ear.

Adora was about to say something encouraging, but instead found herself grimacing as the throbbing in her head began to worsen.

“Oww. That stupid Princess did a number on me. I think I might be brain damaged.” She moaned, rubbing her forehead.

Catra snorted.

“Overreaction much? You’re not brain damaged. At least, not any more than you already were.”

“Shut up.” Adora punched Catra lightly on the shoulder. By now, they had reached the position of the army. Adora approached one of the soldiers while Catra walked off.

“Status report!” Adora demanded.

“All soldiers present and accounted for! The tanks and most of the robots are undamaged.” The soldier saluted nervously.

“Good news. Wait, what?” Adora cocked her head.

“Uh, Adora?” Adora turned to Catra, who was staring at the mangled remains of several robots.

Adora turned back to the soldier, scowling.

“What happened? And where are the prisoners?”

The soldier backed away slightly under Adora’s gaze.

“Uh, we were attacked. A lone man, wielding a bow. He destroyed several robots and
immobilized us before leading the prisoners into the woods.” The soldier explained, his voice cracking in fear.

“A diversion. Glimmer wasn’t as stupid as she looked.” Adora sighed, pressing a hand to her bruised forehead.

“Are we going to pursue, sir?” The soldier asked.

“No. If they want those people so bad, they can have them. We’re returning to base. Mission complete.” Adora ordered.

Thus, the army trundled back to the Fright Zone, leaving a ravaged husk of what had once been a thriving village in its wake. But even as she smiled and joked with Catra, Adora’s thoughts remained with Thaymor.

Chapter Text

Being the only professional medical officer for an entire army was a monumental responsibility, and a mostly thankless one. If Doctor Morvan minded, he never showed it, although he never showed much to begin with.

Tall and skinny, with bushy red hair, perpetually narrow eyes, and a long, crooked nose, Morvan looked more like the kind of person who caused injuries rather than treated them, but behind his sinister exterior was a man who truly cared about his patients. Or at least, Adora hoped that was the case.

“Sit there for a moment, and don’t move.” Morvan ordered, his tone flat and devoid of emotion. Adora did her best impression of a statue while the doctor waved a strange mechanical device around her head.

“Hmm, no cranial bleeding, that’s good. Looks like she just caused some bruising and swelling. It should clear up in a couple of days.” He said.

“Are you sure? I mean, I’ve heard if you get hit in the head really hard it can cause brain damage and you can become a completely different person or even die and I don’t want to…” Adora rambled on nervously.

“Calm down, kid. You’ve got a few bumps, that’s it. Getting stressed out about it won’t help anything. Just try to avoid getting hit in the face from now on, okay?” Morvan sighed.

“Right. Yes, sir!” Adora stood up and saluted awkwardly before leaving the room. Only a few seconds later, Adora popped her head back in.

“Are you sure you’re sure?” Adora asked.

“Get out of here before I harvest your kidneys.” Morvan said without raising his voice or even looking at her. Adora gulped and quickly left, deciding it would be a bad idea to antagonize the only doctor in the Horde.

Adora began walking back to her quarters, but didn’t manage to make it far before she felt the dark presence of Shadow Weaver behind her.

“Adora. I’ve been searching for you. Where have you been?” She said in something vaguely resembling a motherly tone.

Adora turned around to face her, rubbing her neck in embarrassment.

“Oh hi, Shadow Weaver, I was just checking in with the doctor. Wanted to make sure my injuries weren’t, you know, life threatening.” She explained.

“Do not waste Doctor Morvan’s time with bruises, Adora. You will suffer far worse injuries than these in service to the Horde.” Shadow Weaver responded dismissively, punctuating her statement by pressing a finger into Adora’s bruised forehead, causing her to grimace in pain.

“I… understand…” Adora said through gritted teeth, and Shadow Weaver pulled back.

“Now then, Lord Hordak requests your presence. He wishes to be informed of the details regarding the attack on Thaymor. I trust you will not disappoint him?” Shadow Weaver said, acting as if Adora had any choice in the matter.

“Of course not. I will see him at once.” Adora said, swallowing her anxiety.

“Excellent. Follow me.”

Shadow Weaver led Adora through a veritable maze of twisting corridors and creaking elevators, many of which she had never seen in her life, until they reached their destination. It was a large, empty room whose sole notable feature was the wall-sized window that offered an unparalleled view of the smog-choked skyscrapers of the Fright Zone.

Lord Hordak stood at the window, staring down at his kingdom with his arms folded behind his back. To Adora’s surprise, Catra was also there, staring at the floor uncomfortably.

“This is Force Captain Adora, Lord Hordak. I-” Shadow Weaver paused as she noticed Catra.

“What is she doing here? She disobeyed orders by going to Thaymor! You can’t possibly be rewarding her for that!” She raised her voice in anger.

“It is my prerogative to reward and punish as I see fit, Shadow Weaver. Do not suppose to tell me what I can or cannot do. Now leave us.” Hordak said coldly.

“Y-yes, of course.” Shadow Weaver stammered, clearly rattled, before departing. Catra grinned and sarcastically waved at her as she left.

“Now, tell me of what happened at Thaymor.” Hordak continued, keeping his back to them.

Adora cleared her throat. “Well, we destroyed the village without any trouble and captured the inhabitants, but then were attacked by a Princess. We were able to fend her off, but they rescued the prisoners and murdered one of my men.” Adora grimaced as she finished, recalling the scout’s gruesome death.

“It is for the best that the prisoners escaped. They will be more mouths to feed, more weight slowing them down. The more resources the Rebellion wastes taking care of refugees, the fewer it will have to resist our advance.” Hordak replied callously.

“As you say, sir.”

“Now, tell me more about your encounter with the Princess. How exactly did it transpire?” Hordak inquired.

“After we captured the townsfolk, one of our scouts reported seeing a Princess. Then he fell from the sky and almost landed on me. The only reason I survived was because Catra knocked me out of the way.” Adora explained somberly.

“She demanded I release the prisoners and leave immediately. When I refused, she attacked. She managed to pin me down and give me a real headache before Catra shot her. She teleported away before we could finish her off, though.”

A few moments of silence passed before Hordak responded.

“Interesting. Even among the best of my soldiers, there are only a handful who have encountered a Princess and lived. Even fewer can say they managed to harm one.”

Hordak slowly turned around, appraising the two with glowing red eyes.

“It seems I was right to promote you, Force Captain Adora. And it would seem that Shadow Weaver was wrong about you, Force Captain Catra.”

“Say what?” Catra’s eyes widened in shock.

“I believe I made myself quite clear.” Hordak said as he produced a badge and held it out in his hand. Catra reluctantly took it, still stunned by the promotion.

“I uh… thank you, Lord Hordak. I won’t let you down!” Catra said, saluting with a small purr.

“See to it that you do not. You are both dismissed.” Hordak commanded, returning to ominously staring out the window.

The two Force Captains quickly left the room, relieved to be away from his presence. They had barely made it a meter from the door before Catra ambushed Adora with a ferocious hug.

“Can you believe it! I’m a Force Captain now!” She squeed.

“I know. I was there.” Adora said with a teasing smile.

“Shadow Weaver’s going to be so mad when she hears about this! I can’t wait to rub it in her stupid face!” Catra grinned.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Adora warned.

“It’s not a good idea, it’s a great idea! I’ll see you later!” Catra exclaimed before rushing off.

“Catra, wait! And she’s gone.” Adora sighed.

As she slowly made her way back to the sleeping quarters - frequently getting lost on the way - Adora had plenty of time for ruminating on her first taste of real combat.

It had felt so exhilarating, ordering the tanks to open fire, watching Thaymor burn. But only from a distance. Seeing the destruction up close, knowing that innocent people had died because of her, staring into the eyes of a woman whose father she had just murdered.

She couldn’t do that again. Killing Princesses, killing soldiers was one thing. But enough innocents had already died in this war. She couldn’t keep adding to that.

And then there was the scout. The Horde had never shied away from instructing its recruits about the brutality of war and the inevitability of casualties, but knowing that in a theoretical sense was quite different from experiencing it personally.

Was it strange? A man who was effectively a complete stranger, a man whose name she didn’t even know, was dead. He was nothing to her, so why did she care?

Adora’s thoughts turned to his killer, that obnoxious little Princess who fancied herself a warrior. Just thinking about her made Adora’s blood start to boil. Who was this little brat to stand in the way of the Horde, to stand in the way of order and peace? Why did having the power to teleport and shoot energy from her hands give her the right to rule?

Adora growled to herself as she walked down the hall, drawing confused looks from several soldiers as she did so.

Before long, her thoughts shifted to her best, and arguably only, friend. Despite their many differences, they had known each other basically forever and had always had each other’s backs.

“I wonder if she…” Adora thought before shaking her head. They were friends. Really good friends, but just friends. She didn’t want to ruin that.

She didn’t want to see Catra say no.

Shadow Weaver was staring silently at the Black Garnet as Catra slinked into her room.

“Catra. I don’t recall inviting you in here.” She said coldly without turning around.

“Yeah, well I just thought you should know that Hordak made me a Force Captain. He sees my worth, unlike you. Does that make you angry?” Catra asked, relishing the moment.

“It was an unwise decision. You are not prepared for the responsibility, and your failure is all but assured. If Hordak wishes to find that out the hard way, that is his choice.” Shadow Weaver replied evenly.

“What is your problem with me?” Catra shouted, her smug demeanor evaporating. “No matter what I do, no matter what I accomplish, you never have anything good to say about it! Why?”

Tears started forming in her eyes.

“Why do you love Adora more than me?”

Shadow Weaver finally turned around, staring at Catra with her sinister, eyeless mask.

“Because Adora at her weakest is stronger than you at your best. Because for your entire life you have shown yourself to be nothing but a coward and a weakling. Because you are a failure.” She said this without emotion, as if she was simply describing the weather.

Catra growled, fury rising in her chest.

“A failure, huh! I’ll show you a failure!” She roared before lunging at Shadow Weaver. The wicked sorceress was ready, however, and immediately fired a blast of crimson lightning at Catra, flinging her into the wall.

“Yes, I suppose you did.” Shadow Weaver replied with a hint of amusement as Catra groaned in pain.

“Now get out of my sight. I have more important matters to deal with.” Shadow Weaver turned back to face the Black Garnet as Catra slowly got to her feet. She silently glared at her for a few moments before letting out a long sigh and leaving the room.

His screams pierced the air as he plummeted towards the ground. His bones snapped like twigs as he smashed into the dirt, his body left contorted and mangled.

Adora rushed over to him. His helmet fell off, but instead of the face of a stranger, it was Catra’s lifeless eyes staring back at her.

Her dream ended abruptly as she found herself getting slapped in the face repeatedly.

“Ehhh, what…” Adora muttered groggily, slowly opening her eyes. To her surprise, Catra was leaning over her, gazing at her with concern.

“Catra? Why’d you… hit me?” Adora asked, rubbing her forehead.

“I’m sorry! But you were screaming really loudly, and I thought you were having a nightmare.” Catra explained.

“I… was…” Adora said, flinching as she remembered it.

“Was it the spiders again? Or the one with Shadow Weaver in a bikini?” Catra asked, smirking.

“It… wasn’t anything like that…” Adora said, not ready to admit what she had seen.

“Well anyway, just remember it’s not real and it can’t hurt you. Except maybe that second one. Eugggghh…” Catra shook with disgust.

“Yeah, I know.” Adora tried to sound reassured.

“Well, anyway, good night.” Catra said, walking over to her own bunk.

“Wait!” Adora cried out, sounding more desperate than she would have liked. Catra turned around and looked at her curiously.

“Uh, could you… sleep with me?” Adora asked awkwardly.

Catra raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t mean like that!” Adora said, blushing intensely. “It’s just, you know, the nightmares… and you probably won’t be able to sleep if I’m screaming all night and…”

Catra snorted softly.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll keep the nightmares away. You don’t need to beg.”

“I wasn’t begging! I was just… uh, offering?” Adora said unconvincingly.

Catra rolled her eyes.

“Uh-huh, sure.”

Adora rolled over on her side, allowing Catra to cuddle her from behind. Gradually, Adora was lulled to sleep by Catra’s gentle, rhythmic purring.

“Mm… night…” Adora mumbled as she fell asleep.

“Goodnight, Adora.” Catra said softly, stroking Adora’s hair fondly as she slowly joined her friend in unconsciousness.

This time, the nightmares did not come.

Chapter Text

“Come on, we’re almost there.” Bow said encouragingly as he helped Glimmer along towards Bright Moon Castle.

“Horde scum… I can’t believe they got me…” Glimmer groaned between labored breaths.

“Well next time maybe you should watch your back.” Bow replied teasingly.

“I shouldn’t… have to… why do we have… to do this… oooowwwww… alone?” Glimmer muttered.

“Because you’re supposed to be grounded in your room and not off trying to save the world?” Bow suggested.

“Shut up…”

Finally they arrived at the gates of Bright Moon Castle, where the guards instantly rushed forward, visibly alarmed.

“Princess Glimmer, are you hurt?” One of them asked.

“Oh, I’m just… peachy…” Glimmer mumbled.

“She’s been injured. We need the Queen down here at once.” Bow informed them, and they quickly rushed off to find her.

“Great… now I’m going to be double grounded…” Glimmer grumbled.

“Well, maybe your injury will make her go easy on you.” Bow replied. Barely more than a second later, Queen Angella appeared from thin air.

“GLIMMER!” She shouted with barely restrained fury. Bow recoiled in shock, while Glimmer stared back at her silently.

“I explicitly ordered you to remain in your room! And not only did you leave anyway, you went off to fight the Horde! Again!” Angella continued.

“I’m not going to apologize, mom. We’re not going to defeat the Horde by running away!” Glimmer yelled back, anger dulling the pain of her injury.

“We’re not going to defeat the Horde by recklessly charging into battle, either!” Angella retorted, placing her hands on her hips.

“I mean, to be totally fair, we didn’t go out to fight the Horde. We just happened to be patrolling near a village where Horde scouts had been seen, and it just happened to get attacked, and…” Bow stopped as he noticed both Angella and Glimmer glaring at him.

“I’ll stop talking now.” He backed away slightly with a sheepish grin. Angella and Glimmer immediately resumed their argument.

“Look at how much ground we’ve lost. The Horde is advancing every day, and we’re practically rolling out the red carpet for them! The only reason Hordak’s not already here is because of the Whispering Woods, and that’s not going to keep them at bay forever.” Glimmer ranted, slowly becoming unsteady on her feet.

“You know we don’t have the resources to fight the Horde openly, Glimmer…” Angella trailed off as she noticed Glimmer starting to stumble. Immediately she rushed forward and caught her.

“Glimmer? Are you alright?” She asked, all of her anger replaced by concern.

“Ahh, I’m fine. Tis but a scratch…” Glimmer mumbled, her eyes half-lidded.

“We’ll see about that.” Angella declared, before the two vanished in a burst of magic, leaving Bow standing awkwardly by himself.

“I hope you get better soon!” He shouted into the empty halls.

Angella and Glimmer reappeared in Glimmer’s bedroom. The Queen gingerly placed her daughter down on the bed and appraised the wound on her back. It was bright red and covered with blisters, a type of injury Angella had seen far too many times.

“A second-degree burn. Courtesy of a Horde energy weapon, I presume?” Angella asked.

“Stupid cat woman shot me in the back…” Glimmer muttered.

“Well, fortunately for you I’ve had a lot of experience with this. Now this will hurt, but don’t move or I could end up doing more harm than good.” Angella said in a firm but gentle tone.

Glimmer grunted her assent, and Angella raised her hands over the injury. Magic energy began to swirl and collect around her hands before slowly flowing into the wound. Glimmer gritted her teeth to avoid crying out in pain, her back feeling as if it was being penetrated by hundreds of tiny daggers.

After what was little more than a minute but what felt to Glimmer like hours, the pain gradually subsided until only a light soreness remained. The wound had almost entirely healed, with the only indication left being a patch of slightly reddened skin.

“Are you done?” Glimmer asked groggily.

“Yes, you’re all better now. Now please, we need to talk about…” Angella trailed off as Glimmer started to snore quietly.

“...I suppose it can wait. Sleep well, Glimmer.” Angella said softly before leaving the Princess to her much-needed rest.

Glimmer ran joyfully through the fields with Bow at her side, laughing and joking like they always did. But then he started to run ahead of her, without saying a word.

“Bow, wait up!” Glimmer shouted, but he didn’t seem to hear her. She ran as fast as she could, trying to catch up to him. Finally, he stopped moving.

“Hey, Bow, what’s wrong?” Glimmer asked. Bow silently pointed at the village ahead of them. A burning husk littered with corpses, with Horde soldiers marching through it.

“We need to get out of here! Before they see us!” Glimmer cried out, but Bow didn’t move. She started tugging at his arm. It fell off like he was nothing more than a doll and he collapsed face-first onto the ground.

“No! This doesn’t make any sense! This is a dream, it has to be!” Glimmer shouted at nobody.

“Oh, Glimmer…” A dark, sadistic voice crooned from behind her. Glimmer whirled around and found herself staring face to face with the merciless blue eyes of the Butcher of Thaymor.

“You… you’re not here! You can’t be here!” Glimmer cried.

“You failed, Glimmer. And you’ll fail again and again until there’s nothing left…” The woman said with a taunting grin as she slowly advanced on Glimmer like a predator playing with its food.

“Maybe you’re right. But if I go down, I’m taking you with me!” Glimmer roared, charging at the commander with all her might.

“Ow!” Glimmer cried out as she ran straight into a wall. She rubbed her head as she looked around, recognizing her bedroom even in the dead of night.

“Stupid dream. Arms don’t fall off like that.” She grumbled. With so much adrenaline pumping through her blood she had no illusions about getting any more sleep, so she left her bedroom and started wandering aimlessly through the halls.

To her surprise, she found Queen Angella leaning on a balcony, staring forlornly at the stars. Glimmer froze, uncertain of what to do.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Angella said quietly.

“...Yeah, I guess it is.” She replied after a moment of silence, not really sure where her mother was going with this.

“Your father was such a brave man. He always put himself over others, doing whatever was necessary to protect the innocent from harm. And it got him killed.” Angella said, her voice quiet and almost trembling with grief.

“Mom...” Glimmer moved forward to comfort her, but stopped when Angella turned around.

“I could ground you again. I could order you not to fight the Horde. But short of imprisoning you it is clear that nothing is going to stop you from doing what you think is right.”

Glimmer’s eyes widened in surprise.

“What are you saying?”

Angella let out a long, exhausted sigh.

“I love you more than anything, Glimmer. I don’t want to lose you, too. But you’re right. We can’t keep hiding behind the woods and hoping it will keep the Horde at bay. At the same time, we can’t defeat them on our own. We need allies. We need the Princess Alliance.”

Glimmer spent the rest of the night trying and failing to get more sleep. She finally abandoned the task when light began to seep through her windows and headed to the war room.

The war room of Bright Moon Castle was really just a repurposed dining room, with a massive map of the Etherian continent spread across a table that had once held spreads of a much different sort.

Queen Angella was already there when she arrived, sipping a cup of tea and staring at the map with a thoughtful expression.

“Hmm… so we have Dryl, Plumeria, Snows, Salineas, and Mystacor. Wait, what’s that seventh one over there?” Glimmer asked.

“That’s the Fire Kingdom. We don’t talk about the Fire Kingdom.” Angella said in a stern voice that brooked no argument.

“Alright, then. Who’s the most likely to agree to restore the Alliance?”

“I have absolutely no idea. To be honest, I expect all of them will decline outright. It didn’t exactly go too well last time, and now the Princesses are more concerned with self-preservation than the greater good.” Angella sounded somewhat defeated.

“I imagine the Horde’s moving on them, too. Maybe if we help them defend themselves they’ll be more inclined to join us.” Glimmer suggested.

“Perhaps, but as far as I know there haven’t been any recent Horde offensives against any kingdom but Bright Moon. Although…” Angella trailed off.

“What is it?”

“Plumeria recently reported that they are suffering from some kind of blight that is killing their plants and even affecting the Heart-Blossom. Princess Perfuma has been unable to stop it and requested assistance, which I was unable to provide.” Angella explained.

“I bet the Horde is behind it. They’re trying to soften up Plumeria before an invasion.” Glimmer growled, clenching her fists.

“That seems probable.” Angella agreed. “Unfortunately, we barely have the manpower to protect ourselves, much less Plumeria. However, a small elite team might be able to find the Horde’s operation and destroy it. That might be enough to convince Perfuma and her people to restore the Alliance.”

Glimmer couldn’t help but snort in disbelief. “An elite team? What, me and Bow? Do you really think we can protect an entire kingdom on our own?”

“Not on your own, no, but with a little help from a few friends, you might stand a chance.” Angella looked at the door as if she expected someone to come through it.

Nobody did.

The Queen cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Excuse me for one moment.” She said before teleporting away. A few seconds later she returned, a Princess gripped in each hand.

“Rude! We were in the middle of something!” Netossa said irritably.

“Remember your prior commitments and I won’t have to do that.” Angella replied curtly.

“Of course. I’m sorry I forgot, Your Majesty. And so is she.” Spinnerella said with a deferential bow.

“It’s good to see you two again.” Glimmer said. She had never been particularly well acquainted with the couple, but that was no reason to be rude.

“Likewise. Now what was this about a bake sale?” Netossa asked.

Angella slapped her forehead loud enough to make a clapping noise.

“Exactly how inebriated were you when I told you about this meeting?” she asked, barely containing her exasperation.

“I don’t want to answer that question.” Netossa replied defensively.

Angella let out a long sigh before continuing.

“Right. Now that you’re here, we can discuss the plan…” She trailed off as she saw Glimmer raise her hand. “What now?”

“We’re missing Bow.” Glimmer pointed out. Angella groaned and teleported away again, coming back in a few seconds with an utterly shocked Bow.

“Mother of… Glimmer?” Bow cried out.

“Hey, Bow.” Glimmer waved at him.

“Now that everyone is here…” Angella said forcefully in a manner that made it clear she would not tolerate any further interruptions. “We can inform everyone of the plan.”

“Hey, Adora.”

Adora groaned, slowly opening her eyes to see Catra looming over her.

“Catra? What’s going on?” She asked groggily.

“Shadow Weaver’s summoned us for a briefing. Knowing her, we probably don’t want to keep her waiting.” Catra answered.

Adora quickly got to her feet, shaking off the cobwebs in her head.

“What do you think she wants?” Adora asked as she followed Catra to their destination.

“I don’t know, but I doubt it’s the pleasure of our company.” Catra replied with disdain.

Shadow Weaver was gazing ominously at the source of her power when the two entered the room.

“Adora.” She said with a semblance of affection.

“Catra.” She said with none. Catra bristled, but said nothing.

“Is there something you need us for, Shadow Weaver?” Adora asked.

“Lord Hordak has tasked me with conquering the Kingdom of Plumeria. They are little more than gardeners, but their Princess could be a dangerous enemy if not dealt with. An advance force is already poisoning their lands in preparation for a full invasion, but in order for Plumeria to fall, Princess Perfuma must die.” Shadow Weaver practically growled the last word.

“And let me guess, you want us to do your dirty work for you?” Catra asked derisively.

“I want Adora to do it, but I suppose you may offer some limited degree of assistance.” Shadow Weaver replied mockingly. Catra clenched her fists, only relaxing when Adora put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“When do we leave?” Adora asked.

“Immediately. There is a gunship waiting for you in Hangar Five. Do not fail me.” Shadow Weaver commanded.

Catra and Adora quickly made their way to the hangar, where they boarded the gunship. A fully armored Horde soldier sat in the pilot seat.

“About time. Did you get lost or something?” The pilot said in a tough female voice.

“Hey, not my fault this place is laid out like a fever dream.” Catra replied as she slumped down lazily into her seat.

“Well you better strap in unless you want to spend the entire trip smacking into walls. This baby might be ugly, but she’s as fast as they come.” The pilot informed them.

Adora quickly strapped into a seat before glaring at Catra until she reluctantly did as well.

“Alright, here we go. Try not to vomit on my ship.” The pilot said. Adora and Catra shared a nervous glance before the gunship abruptly rocketed out of the hangar and into the sky above the Fright Zone.

Catra and Adora were both shoved back into their seats, then shoved sideways, then forward, then backwards again. Adora slammed her eyes shut, praying for the nightmare to end as soon as possible.

Finally, after what felt like a thousand eternities, the ship steadied and began flying forward at a reasonable pace.

“How’d you like my flying?” The pilot asked eagerly, turning around to face her two passengers. Adora dryheaved while Catra coughed up a hairball.

“If you… ever do that again… I will make your intestines into a scarf...” Catra breathed, her eyes filled with hatred.

“Woah, woah, settle down. Just wanted to make your first time special, is all.” The pilot said, pressing a large button on the control panel.

“Autopilot engaged. Destination: Plumeria.” An automated female voice reported.

“Wait, if this thing has an autopilot, why do we need you?” Catra demanded angrily.

“The autopilot can only fly in a straight line, missy. Unless you want your ship to get shot down the second you encounter some kid with a slingshot, you need a pro like me to make her sing.” The pilot said cockily, leaning back in her seat.

“Oh, and the name’s Puff, by the way. I know who you are, so you don’t need to introduce yourselves.” Puff continued.

“Puff? What kind of a name is Puff?” Catra asked incredulously.

“Says the cat named Catra.” Puff replied, deadpan. Catra blushed and looked at the floor.

Adora cleared her throat. “Alright, Puff, how much longer till we get to Plumeria?”

“Oh, it’ll be a few hours yet. It’s a big continent. I can sing to you to pass the time, if you want.”

“NO!” Catra yelled with surprising conviction, drawing a confused look from Adora. “I mean, no.” Catra corrected herself.

“Are you sure? I do a mean baritone…” Puff pleaded.

“Consider this an order from your superior officer. Shut. Up.” Catra said through gritted teeth. Puff gave an enthusiastic thumbs up and silently stared out at the sky.

A few moments of awkward silence ensued before Adora couldn’t handle it anymore.

“So Catra, how exactly are we supposed to kill Perfuma? I mean she’s a Princess and we’re just normal soldiers. The only reason we were able to drive Glimmer off was because she got distracted.” Adora asked thoughtfully.

“Princesses may be powerful, but they’re also stupid and easy to manipulate. This Perfuma will bend like a twig if we hold her precious subjects hostage. Once we get her to exchange herself for her people, all we’ll have to do is shoot them all and go home. Problem solved.” Catra declared without a hint of remorse.

“Are we really going to take innocent people hostage and murder them?” Adora asked uncomfortably.

“Yeah, why not? We blew that stupid town to smithereens, didn’t we? How is this any different?” Catra replied, looking at Adora strangely for a moment.

“Oh… I get it. You feel bad about what happened, don’t you?” Catra said with a knowing smirk.

Adora blushed and looked away.

“I do not. They were enemies of the Horde. They got what was coming to them.” She said in a low voice.

“You’re a terrible liar, Adora, and even if you weren’t, I’ve known you since you were in diapers. You can’t keep secrets from me.” Catra teased.

“Okay, fine!” Adora snapped. “Innocent people died because I wanted to fire the big lasers, and it’s all my fault! Are you happy now?” She stared at Catra, tears falling from her eyes.

“Why would I be happy if you’re not?” Catra answered sincerely.

Adora sniffled, staring at the floor.

“I know we have to kill Perfuma, but…”

Catra got up from her seat and knelt down in front of Adora, brushing her tears away with a hand while giving her a reassuring smile.

“Relax. We don’t need to hurt anyone else. We just need them to think we will.”

Chapter Text

In a clearing just south of the main settlement of Plumeria, five figures appeared in a flash of light, along with a large wagon stuffed with fruits and vegetables.

“Remember to contact me with that tablet of yours when you’re ready to return. Or if you get into trouble.” Angella reminded them before disappearing.

“This is the capital of Plumeria? It’s just a bunch of tents!” Glimmer exclaimed.

“The Plumerians prefer to live in harmony with nature. This is as urbanized as they get.” Spinnerella explained.

“Harmony with nature.” Netossa snorted dismissively. “Yeah, I’ll pass on getting constantly stung by bees, thanks.”

“Now now, we’re here to help the Plumerians, not to judge them for their life choices.” Bow gently admonished.

“Yeah, yeah, help the flower people with their flowers. Should be a piece of cake.” Netossa waved her hand flippantly as she started walking towards the tent city.

Spinnerella followed behind, briefly turning around to mouth an apology to Bow and Glimmer before catching up to her wife.

“I’m not sure what I expected from them, but this wasn’t it.” Bow said after a brief silence.

“As long as they kick Horde ass, I don’t really care what they do. Now come on.” Glimmer replied, following the sapphic Princesses to the settlement.

“...Guess I’m lugging the wagon, then.” Bow said in resignation.

Princess Perfuma stood before the sickly Heart Blossom with her arms outstretched, grunting with exertion as she tried in vain to use her powers to heal the dying tree.

“Come on… stop dying… we need you…” She groaned.

Netossa approached the Princess, followed closely by her wife and Glimmer, but was soon halted by a local woman.

“Please don’t disturb the Princess. She is attempting to heal the Heart Blossom and cannot be disturbed.” The woman requested timidly.

“Uh-huh. And is it working?” Netossa asked dryly, crossing her arms.

“...No.” The woman admitted, eyes downcast.

“Then I don’t see the problem. Hey, Princess!” She shouted. Perfuma jumped, startled, before rapidly turning around.

“Oh! I didn’t know we had visitors! I’m so sorry, normally we’re very good about taking care of guests, but things are just so hectic right now…” Perfuma rambled.

“Fragaria!” She called. The timid woman stood at attention. “Please, show our visitors some Plumerian hospitality.”

“We appreciate the offer, but we can enjoy your hospitality once we’ve saved your lands from the Horde.” Glimmer replied.

Perfuma’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re here to help us? I’m… well, I’m grateful, but I don’t know if there’s anything you can do. The Horde’s not here. The plants are just… dying.” She said sadly.

“We suspect that the blight affecting your land is a prelude to a Horde invasion. If we can find out where they are poisoning the land, we might be able to stop them.” Glimmer declared, far more confidently than she felt.

“Of course, we do expect your help against the Horde in return.” Netossa said bluntly.

“Netossa!” Spinnerella looked at her in admonishment.

“Am I wrong?” Netossa retorted.

“I’m… not sure what kind of help we could offer. We’re not warriors. We’re a simple people who just want to be left alone.” Perfuma stammered slightly.

“Uh, can’t you control like any kind of plant? You could crush an entire army with that kind of power.” Netossa pointed out.

“No, absolutely not! My powers are for healing and love, not for violence! I could never use my powers to hurt anyone, not even the Horde!” Perfuma exclaimed.

“If you don’t fight back, the Horde is going to destroy everything you care about!” Glimmer shouted angrily.

“You don’t know that! Maybe we can negotiate with them!” The shaking in Perfuma’s voice indicated even she didn’t believe that was possible.

“Negotiate? You know what they’ve done! The Horde won’t rest until we’re all dead or in chains!” Glimmer retorted.

“Please, there is no need to yell. We’re all friends here.” Spinnerella interjected pleadingly.

“I don’t see a friend here. All I see is a coward about to watch her kingdom burn.” Glimmer’s voice was laced with cold fury as she slowly walked away.

Spinnerella and Netossa exchanged a concerned glance.

“We’re sorry for intruding. We wish you the best.” Spinnerella bowed courteously, before the two followed after Glimmer. Perfuma watched them go, tears in her eyes, before she turned around and continued her hopeless attempts to heal the Heart Blossom.

Bow had finally dragged the wagon into the center of the settlement, enjoying the attention as the locals gathered around and thanked him for the food.

“No, no, it’s no problem at all. Not for the mighty Bow!” He flexed his muscles dramatically, causing several women - and one man - to swoon.

“Hey, Glimmer!” He shouted as he saw the Princess walking towards him. His smile faded when he saw the scowl on her face. “Glimmer? What’s wrong?”

“Perfuma refuses to help us against the Horde. Apparently she cares more about avoiding a fight than she does about her kingdom.” Glimmer growled contemptuously.

“So what, we’re just going to leave them to be conquered by the Horde?” Bow asked aggressively.

“Pretty much. Maybe seeing what they do to Plumeria might finally convince the other Princesses to work together. Now let’s get out of here.” Glimmer said coldly.

“No.” Bow said simply. Glimmer looked at him with surprise.

“Even if they’re not willing to defend themselves, we can’t just sit by and let innocent people die. Not when we can do something about it.” He stared Glimmer down, the conviction in his voice absolute. “If you want to leave, fine. I’ll defend this place alone if I have to.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Cowards or not, the more ground the Horde takes, the worse it will be for all of us. Besides, I’m itching to break some more of their toys.” Netossa declared.

“If she’s staying, so am I. We’re a package deal.” Spinnerella added.

Glimmer let out a long sigh. “I guess we’re staying, then. We should start with finding out where the Horde is poisoning the plants.”

“That billowing pillar of smoke in the distance might be a good place to start.” Bow pointed out.

“How long has that been there?” Glimmer demanded incredulously.

“The whole time we’ve been here.” Bow slyly replied.

“Well, whatever. Let’s go kick their asses and… save the trees or whatever.” With that stirring speech, the four headed to the source of Plumeria’s blight.

The gunship touched down a large clearing on the outskirts of Plumeria. The area had already been made into a makeshift encampment, with more than two dozen soldiers ready and waiting.

“We’ve arrived, ladies!” Puff shouted.

“Thanks for the intel.” Catra said sarcastically. “Let’s go inspire the troops, shall we?”

“Uh… right, of course.” Adora replied nervously before following Catra out of the ship. The soldiers lined up in formation, their faceless visors all boring into Adora. She took a deep breath before beginning.

“Right! In case you haven’t figured it out, we’re here to destroy the Kingdom of Plumeria and put an end to its Princess once and for all. The locals shouldn’t give us any trouble, but Princess Perfuma’s powers are not to be underestimated. Bring your best to this fight, and we’ll all go home in one piece. NOW MOVE OUT!”

The soldiers immediately began preparing to move out, while Adora stood still, surprised by what she had just done.

“Wow, Adora, that speech didn’t completely suck. I was so sure you were going to screw that up.” Catra teased, resting an arm on Adora’s shoulder.

“So was I. I don’t even know where that came from, I just kinda winged it.” Adora admitted sheepishly.

“If it works, it works. Now c’mon. Time to kill us a Princess.” Catra said with a murderous grin.

As Glimmer and company approached the source of the smoke cloud, it became clear it was indeed the site of a Horde operation. From a cliffside, they could see that a small rudimentary fortress had been set up, with the smoke cloud emanating from an enormous structure in the center.

“Do you want to bet that’s what’s causing all this mess?” Glimmer eyed Bow.

“Seems pretty clear to me. But how are we going to stop it?” Bow asked.

“There are few problems we’ve encountered that can’t be solved by a gust of wind to the face, isn’t that right, Spinny?” Netossa nudged her wife’s shoulder.

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to smash something if we don’t even know how it works. It could just make things worse.” Spinnerella replied nervously.

“Worse than everything dying? Seems like we’re already at rock bottom here.” Bow pointed out.

“I suppose you might be right. You ready, Darling?” Spinnerella looked at Netossa.

“Always.” Netossa said with a grin. The two immediately leaped into the fray, landing in the center of the fortress and engaging the Horde soldiers present. Spinnerella effortlessly blasted men off their feet, trapping others in miniature tornados, while Netossa immobilized and tossed them around with her magic nets.

“Is it just me, or does it seem like they don’t need our help?” Bow asked, watching the scene below in amazement.

Glimmer sighed in annoyance before teleporting down into the battle. A soldier noticed her and immediately attempted to charge her with a stun baton, only for Glimmer to blast the baton out of his hands and kick him viciously in the groin. He collapsed with an agonized scream, leaving the way clear for Glimmer to blast open the doors leading to the main structure.

Standing before her was a massive mechanical device with pipes leading into the ground. Several large canisters filled with a strange liquid were attached to the device, evidently being the poison that was killing Plumeria.

“Alright, here goes nothing!” She shouted, before firing several blasts of magic at the center of the device. The machine roared and buckled as several holes were blasted through it, the pipes bursting and the entire structure destabilizing.

Glimmer teleported outside just in time to see the structure collapse in on itself. By now the garrison had been neutralized, with the Princess couple standing victorious over a pile of unconscious enemies.

“Are we done here?” Netossa asked, sounding almost bored.

“I destroyed the device, but…” Glimmer looked around at the forest, which hadn’t gotten any livelier. “It didn’t seem to work.”

“It did quite a lot of damage before you destroyed it. Perhaps the forest needs time to heal.” Spinnerella suggested.

“Maybe…” Glimmer trailed off as she saw Bow sprinting towards them, wild-eyed.

“Guys! We’ve got a problem. A big one.” He said.

“What? What happened?” Glimmer demanded.

Bow pointed back towards the village. Even from this distance they could see the unmistakable shape of a Horde gunship hovering menacingly above it.

“That happened! We need to get back right now, before Plumeria is lost for good!”

The citizens of Plumeria stared up in shock and horror at the gunship hovering over their heads. All their nightmares had come true at once, and they were already regretting their passivity.

Horde soldiers flooded into the settlement, holding the locals at gunpoint and forcing them to crowd together. As they did, the gunship landed in the center of the village, allowing Adora and Catra to disembark.

Adora regarded the cowering citizens before her with a cold glare, playing the part of tyrant to perfection.

“Where is Princess Perfuma?” She demanded. When she was met with silence, she calmly unholstered her pistol and fired it into the air.

“Do not test me. Where. Is. Perfuma?” Adora spat.

“I am right here.” Perfuma serenely walked forward, even as Horde soldiers trained their weapons on her from every direction.

“What is it that you want from us?” She asked, her gaze feeling like it as if it was piercing into Adora’s soul.

“We… we are here to kill you.” Adora answered, her voice wavering slightly as she aimed her pistol at Perfuma’s head.

“I assumed as much. I will not resist, but I beg of you, do not harm my people. They are innocent, and they are no threat to the Horde.” Perfuma said before calmly kneeling down, staring Adora in the eyes.

Adora should have fired without a second thought. A Princess was at her mercy, the source of all the evil and misery on Etheria. A Princess willing to lay down her life to protect her people, willingly to gracefully accept her fate. A young woman staring into Adora’s eyes as she prepared to end her life.

“I’m sorry.” Adora said quietly before pulling the trigger. That hesitation was all Bow needed to fire an arrow clean through the pistol, causing it to short circuit.

“Damn it, we’re under attack!” Adora shouted, throwing her broken pistol to the ground. Glimmer immediately teleported in front of her and grabbed Perfuma before vanishing again, while Netossa and Spinnerella attacked her soldiers from the sides, effortlessly incapacitating them without harming a single civilian.

“Adora, we need to get out of here!” Catra cried out, pulling Adora towards their ship, which had already begun to take off. Catra managed to scramble on board, but Netossa saw the fleeing Adora and shot a magic string at her feet, wrapping around her legs and causing her to fall face-first onto the ground.

“ADORA!” Catra screamed before the gunship’s door sealed shut and the ship rocketed away.

The Horde invasion of Plumeria had been decisively crushed in a matter of seconds, and the people of Plumeria cheered for their new heroes as Adora struggled vainly to free herself.

“There are no words that can express my gratitude for saving my people from the Horde.” Perfuma humbly thanked her saviors.

“We don’t need any reward. Just knowing that we helped is enough.” Bow said diplomatically, only for Glimmer to elbow him. “Ow!”

“Actually, if you’d be willing to join the Princess Alliance, that would be great. You don’t need to hurt anyone for your powers to do us an enormous amount of good.” Glimmer suggested.

“Okay.” Perfuma answered.

“It’s not just for our benefit, we’re fighting for all-” Glimmer stopped. “Wait, what?”

“I said okay.”

“But… what about before? How you’d never use your powers for violence and just wanted to be left alone? What changed your mind?” Glimmer asked, sounding more than a little exasperated.

“I had a lot of time to think when I thought I was about to die. And I realized something. I don’t want to die!” Perfuma said, sounding oddly excited about this revelation.

“Uh, good for you?” Glimmer looked at her with a confused expression.

“And if the Horde wants me dead, the only way I can stay alive is by fighting the Horde! So we’ll fight the Horde, save Etheria, and then I can go back to my flowers!” Perfuma cried out joyously, while the four heroes exchanged uncomfortable glances.

“I really should’ve shot you…” Adora muttered to herself.

Chapter Text

Catra silently left the gunship as soon as it had touched down in the hangar, not even giving Puff a glance. She walked to Shadow Weaver’s chambers without taking her eyes off the floor.

Adora was gone. Their failure had been all but absolute, and now Catra was going to have to answer for it. What horrible fate would Shadow Weaver have in store for her? Torture? Execution? Banishment?

For once, she didn’t even resent it. She really did deserve it this time. Perhaps if she had been more aware, more prepared, they would have been able to eliminate the Princess and drive off those reinforcements.

The most rational corner of her mind tried to tell her that it wasn’t her fault, that there was nothing she realistically could have done to prevent this travesty, but Catra was not a rational being at the best of times. She couldn’t help but blame herself.

Catra arrived at the door to Shadow Weaver’s quarters. Taking a deep breath, she entered. The vile sorceress was recharging her powers with the Black Garnet, groaning in exertion as she did so.

A few minutes passed before Shadow Weaver finished. She turned around to face Catra, surprise evident even through her mask when she noticed Adora’s absence.

“Catra. What are you doing here alone? Where is Adora?” She demanded.

Catra’s eyes remained locked to the floor as she began to explain.

“The mission was a complete failure. Perfuma and her kingdom survived. Our forces were completely destroyed and Adora… Adora was captured.” Catra’s voice wavered.

For a moment, Shadow Weaver didn’t react at all. The next moment, Catra found herself pinned to the wall by horrific black tentacles that wrapped around her throat, slowly asphyxiating her.

“THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! I SHOULD NEVER HAVE TRUSTED SOMEONE AS INCOMPETENT AS YOU WITH THIS MISSION!” Shadow Weaver roared, apoplectic with rage.

Catra didn’t even try to plead for her life, and were it not for her survival instincts she wouldn’t have struggled at all. What a failure she was, as a Force Captain, as a friend, as…

“It doesn’t matter what they do to us, you know? You look out for me, and I look out for you. Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have each other.”

“A…dora…” Catra groaned weakly as her vision started to darken and blur. She was on the cusp of losing consciousness when the tentacles receded, allowing her to collapse to her knees.

Catra gasped for air as she stared up at Shadow Weaver in confusion.

“Why… why did you stop…” She breathed.

“As pitiful a creature as you are, your death would be counterproductive.” Shadow Weaver answered, the fiery rage of just a few moments before replaced with her normal icy contempt.

“Against all reason, Adora cares for you. Perhaps more than anything else. Your death would destroy her, and that is something I cannot allow. That is the only reason why you are still breathing.”

“Now, come with me. I must begin to rectify your failure…”

The size and luxurious furnishings of Adora’s prison cell made it obvious that holding prisoners was not its intended function, but the magical force field surrounding her bed was more than sufficient to prevent her from escaping.

Adora stared up at the ceiling, many different emotions swirling inside her. Anger at the Princesses for defeating her. Anger at herself for hesitating, for being defeated so easily. Fear and uncertainty over what would happen to her, and more importantly to Catra.

“Shadow Weaver’s going to kill her if she comes back empty handed…” Adora muttered to herself.

Soon after, the hall outside echoed with the sound of approaching footsteps. The door opened and a tall, majestic woman entered. Adora had never met her in person, but she recognized the woman immediately. The leader of the Rebellion, Queen Angella.

“So you’re the one they call the Butcher of Thaymor, then? I didn’t expect you to be so… young.” Angella asked as she walked up to the force field, staring down at Adora with an inscrutable expression.

“The Butcher of Thaymor?” Adora snorted derisively. “First time I’ve heard that name. I kinda like it.”

“Yes, I imagine you would. Lord Hordak has proven to be an expert at finding some of the most brutal and remorseless killers on Etheria. But you are not one of them.”

Her eyes seemed to pierce right into Adora’s heart, seeing right through her villainous facade. The regret, the hesitation, the mercy, the love. All laid bare as if she had never bothered to hide it at all.

“I have lived for thousands of years. I know evil when I see it, and you… you are not evil. So why are you fighting for the Horde? You’ve seen what they are doing to Etheria, the atrocities they are willing to commit in order to claim victory. How can you live with yourself?”

Adora was taken aback by how forlorn Angella sounded. The Queen of Bright Moon, the fiercest opponent of Lord Hordak. But in that moment, she was just an old woman who had lost far too much in a war she never wanted to wage.

Adora sat up from the bed, her back to the Queen so that she couldn’t see the uncertainty in her eyes.

“The Horde has hurt a lot of people. I can’t deny that. But we are bringing order and peace to Etheria. We are making a world where everyone is equal. Where power comes from virtue, not birth.”

Adora stood up to face Angella, her determination returning as she stared the Queen dead in the eyes.

“Where tyrants like you are in the ground like you belong.”

Mild surprise briefly appeared on Angella’s face before it was hidden behind a neutral expression.

“I am no tyrant. I rule with the consent and adoration of my people. Can you say the same for Hordak? Do you love and admire him? Or do you simply fear him?” Angella asked.

Adora opened her mouth to retort, but no words left it.

The Horde served Hordak faithfully. She served Hordak faithfully. But was it truly their choice? Or was it because he had made them believe there was no alternative?

“You’re… you’re trying to make me betray him, betray the Horde. Betray everything I’ve ever stood for.” Adora managed, palpable uncertainty in her voice.

“I’m trying to make you think for yourself. If you must fight us, so be it. But at least fight us because you believe it is the right thing to do, not because Hordak told you it was.” Angella said quietly, almost pleadingly.

Adora averted her eyes, refusing to answer.

“Your dinner should be along shortly.” Angella said after a few moments of silence. “I must be going, but I hope you’ll consider what I’ve said.”

The Queen departed the makeshift prison cell, leaving Adora alone to ruminate on everything that had just happened.

“So, where exactly are we going?” Catra asked as she followed Shadow Weaver down the twisting hallways of the Fright Zone.

“Silence. You will find out soon enough.” Shadow Weaver replied cryptically.

Eventually, the two reached a moderately sized room with a large conference table, clearly intended for briefing officers. Nobody else was present, however.

“Wow, an empty room. This will definitely help us rescue Adora.” Catra dryly commented.

“I wonder if Adora would notice if I removed your tongue.” Shadow Weaver casually replied before pressing a button on the side of the table. A large holographic image of Castle Bright Moon appeared, displaying the interior as well as the exterior.

“It is almost certain that Adora is being kept somewhere in Castle Bright Moon. We are going to bring her back.” Shadow Weaver declared.

“We? Don’t you mean me?” Catra raised an eyebrow as she walked up to examine the hologram.

“Do you really think I would let you go alone with such a miserable track record? I will accompany you, to ensure that everything goes smoothly.”

Catra’s ears flattened with displeasure. “Oh… great…”

“We’re not going alone, however. I took the liberty of procuring one of the Horde’s finest warriors to assist in the operation. Force Captain Scorpia.” Shadow Weaver announced.

Almost as if she was waiting for her name to be called, Scorpia entered the room. Catra turned around to see her, her eyes widening in shock as she saw a fearsome behemoth of a woman staring down at her with a smirk.

“Uh…” Catra started to back away.

“Kitty!” Anything remotely intimidating about Scorpia’s demeanor vanished instantly as she transformed from a confident military commander to a small child within the blink of an eye. Immediately she grabbed Catra with her gigantic pincers.

“Just so you know, I’m a hugger.” Scorpia gleefully informed her before bodily lifting Catra in the air and embracing her. Catra struggled as hard as she could against this unwanted assault, quickly breaking free and scrambling over to the other side of the room.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Catra demanded angrily.

“What Scorpia lacks in common dignity, she more than makes up for in strength and loyalty. You would do well to follow her example if you wish to remain a Force Captain.” Shadow Weaver replied coldly.

“Right, whatever. So are we just going to rush and grab Adora, or what?” Catra asked.

“As ignorant as always. No, of course not.” Shadow Weaver answered. “You two will examine the schematics of Bright Moon Castle and memorize the layout of every room. Meanwhile, I will use my magic to find out exactly where they are keeping her. Assuming all goes to plan, we will move out tonight. Be ready.”

She didn’t bother to wait for questions, immediately departing the room and leaving the two Force Captains alone.

A few awkward moments of silence ensued before Scorpia tried to break the ice.

“So… I’m Scorpia. But you already knew that since she said my name and all. But did you tell me your name? You might have, but if so I forgot and I’m really sorry I’m usually so good with remembering names and…” Scorpia cheerfully rambled on, ignorant of Catra’s visibly growing irritation.

“My name is Catra, and no I didn’t tell you it because we’ve never met before.” Catra answered curtly, trying to focus on the map.

“It’s great to meet you, Catra! We’re going to become the best of friends, I just know it!” Scorpia moved closer to Catra, blushing slightly.

“Uh-huh. If we could just focus on the mission at hand, that would be great.” Catra said dismissively, not even looking at her.

“Right, of course! Uh, what are we doing again?” Scorpia asked.

Catra let out a loud groan.

“We’re trying to memorize the layout of Bright Moon Castle so that we can rescue Adora from the Princesses.” She explained irritably, hoping that Scorpia would stop asking asinine questions.

“Ooohhhh, riiight…. who’s Adora?”

Catra slapped her own forehead.

“Ugh, why does mom always have to tell me what to do?” Glimmer growled as she lay on her floating bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“In this case, I kinda have to agree with her.” Bow replied as he leaned back lazily in a recliner. “Interrogating prisoners requires a gentle touch, and, well…”

“Are you saying I’m not gentle?” Glimmer demanded.

“No, that’s… actually yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” Bow answered honestly.

“How dare you! I can be gentle when I want to be!” She practically roared, glaring down at him from atop her floating fortress.

Bow raised a skeptical eyebrow. A few moments passed before Glimmer sighed in resignation.

“Yeah, I’m as gentle as a cactus.” She admitted, laying back down on her beed.

“The first step is admitting it.” Bow said teasingly.

“Don’t make me hit you.” Glimmer facetiously threatened.

“Hey, just saying. Anyway, I’m so hungry I could eat a house.” Bow said, his stomach loudly rumbling in affirmation.

“Don’t you mean a horse?” Glimmer asked.

“Never! I can’t believe you would even suggest that I would sink so low by eating such a majestic and honorable beast!” Bow cried out melodramatically.

Glimmer rolled her eyes, smirking. “You’re so weird.”

“And that’s what you like about me.” Bow replied as he stood up. “You coming? We can ask the cook to make those jelly dumplings you like.”

“I’ll catch up in a bit. You go on.” Glimmer said.

“Alright, but don’t come crying to me if I eat them all before you get there!” Bow said cheerfully before leaving the room.

Glimmer’s smile died as soon as he left. She knew what she had to do.

Adora was fast asleep when Glimmer teleported into the prison room. Slowly, Glimmer approached the energy field.

“Mmm… hmm?” Adora mumbled. Her eyes slowly opened as she noticed the figure standing over her.

“You…” Adora muttered groggily.

“Yeah, it’s me. Now wake up.” Glimmer ordered. Adora yawned and stretched before sitting up to face the Princess, the fatigue in her eyes slowly giving way to hatred.

“I’m surprised Queen Angella would allow someone as stupid as you to speak with me by yourself.” Adora said mockingly.

“Don’t pretend like you know anything about us.” Glimmer scoffed, crossing her arms. “You’re just another brainwashed minion of Hordak. Have you ever even had a single independent thought in your life?”

“Plenty. Like how much I’m going to enjoy killing you when I get out of here.” Adora grinned wickedly, standing up from the bed and staring Glimmer in the eyes.

“Keep dreaming, Horde scum. Nobody’s coming for you and you’re never getting out of here.” Glimmer growled.

“Did you just come here to exchange insults? Because if so, I was having a wonderful dream about burning Thaymor to the ground…” Adora smirked. The only dreams of Thaymor Adora had were guilt-ridden nightmares, but Glimmer had no way of knowing that.

“You… BITCH!” Glimmer lunged at Adora, so consumed by rage that she ran headfirst into the force field. It promptly threw her across the room like a bowling ball.

Glimmer shakily stood up, only to find Adora howling with laughter at the sight.

“Wow!” Adora giggled, wiping tears of mirth from her eye. “I mean, I knew you were stupid, but I had no idea you were this stupid!”

Glimmer growled in fury at the prisoner, but the sound of approaching guards forced her to hurriedly teleport away. A few seconds later, the guards entered.

“What’s going on here?” They demanded, only to find nothing out of the ordinary.

“Hey.” Adora casually waved. The guards exchanged a confused look before returning to their posts.

Adora lay back down on her bed, still in good spirits from Glimmer’s misfortune.

“And here I thought being captured wouldn’t be any fun.” Adora said to herself as she stared at the ceiling, slowly dozing off again.

She never noticed the dark phantom watching her.

Chapter Text

“Hey, uh, Catra? Could you wake up, please?”

Catra’s eyes slowly opened to reveal Scorpia standing over her.

“What… what do you want?” She asked groggily, rubbing her eyes. Staring at a hologram for hours on end was evidently not the best way to stay awake.

“Well, Shadow Weaver just contacted me and told me to wake you up so that we can go save Adira.” Scorpia informed her.

“Her name is Adora, you… ugh, just give me a second.” Catra groaned as she stood up.

“Where are we supposed to meet her?” Catra asked.

“Hangar Five. Which I definitely know how to get to.” Scorpia said, nonchalantly scratching the back of her neck.

“Ugh, just follow me.” Catra muttered before walking off.

“I guess it might not be my place to ask, but what’s this all about? The rescue mission, I mean. Hordak’s not really the ‘no man left behind’ type, if you know what I mean.” Scorpia asked as she followed Catra down the corridors.

“I doubt Hordak even knows we’re doing this. Shadow Weaver just wants her favorite soldier back.” Catra said resentfully.

“Ooh, so it’s a secret! I love secrets!” Scorpia practically shouted, causing Catra to turn and glare at her. Scorpia gave her a nervous grin and mimed zipping her lips. Catra rolled her eyes and continued walking.

“So who is this Adora person, anyway? Is she nice?” Scorpia asked.

“Yeah, she’s nice. Too nice. She’s always thinking too much about other people and never enough about herself.” Catra answered, a hint of bitterness in her voice.

“It sounds like you’re close. If, uh, that’s not too personal for me to ask. Sorry, I’ve never been very good at… people.” Scorpia stammered slightly.

“Then we have something in common.” Catra replied. “But yes, she’s my best friend. Only friend, really. And I let her get taken by those damned Princesses.”

Catra stopped walking for a moment, staring at the floor. Scorpia put a reassuring claw on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Catra. We’ll bring her back, safe and sound. And then we can all be friends and have a big party together!” She said cheerfully.

“We’ll see.” Catra said quietly.

Soon enough, the two had arrived at the hangar, where a familiar gunship was docked. Shadow Weaver stood by the boarding ramp, reading a book as she waited for them.

“It is about time. I would have thought you would be more eager to rescue Adora, but it seems your slothfulness has no bounds.” She said contemptuously as Catra and Scorpia approached.

“It’s good to see you too, Shadow Weaver.” Catra replied sarcastically, walking past her and up the ramp. She sulkily sat down in her seat, with Scorpia eagerly sitting beside her.

“Pilot, are we ready to take off?” Shadow Weaver sat in the back, continuing to read her book.

“Yes, we’re, uh, ready to take off on your order.” Puff’s previously carefree demeanor was entirely absent. No doubt she knew of Shadow Weaver’s reputation.

“Go.” Shadow Weaver ordered, and the ship quickly blasted off from the hangar, heading for Bright Moon as the evening began to give way to night.

“We’re coming, Adora.” Catra muttered under her breath, gazing out the window with determined eyes.

The atmosphere of Castle Bright Moon was quite jovial. The successful defense of Plumeria was one of the only true victories the Rebellion had, and morale was at an all time high.

The heroes of Plumeria sat around the table in the great dining hall, enjoying a glorious feast that Queen Angella had prepared in honor of their victory.

“If I had known that heroism came with such tasty rewards, I would’ve started saving kingdoms years ago.” Netossa joked as she messily devoured a lamb chop.

“The food is delicious, darling, but helping people is its own reward.” Spinnerella replied as she daintily ate from a bowl of fruit salad.

“To heroism! And food!” Bow cheered, raising a glass in a toast. Bow and the two Princesses clinked their glasses together genially, but Glimmer did not. Instead she idly picked at her plate of strawberry dumplings with a fork, staring off into space with a frown.

“Is something wrong, Glimmer?” Bow asked in concern.

Glimmer looked up at him.

“I’m fine. Just thinking is all.” She said with a smile that failed to reach her eyes.

“Come on, Glimmer. How long have we known each other? You can’t trick me that easily.” Bow replied, scooting his chair closer to her.

Glimmer sighed and put down her fork.

“I just… I don’t know, things are going really well right now. It worries me.” She said.

“It worries you that we won?” Bow looked at her in confusion.

“Honestly, yeah.” Glimmer admitted, resting her head on her hands. “I mean, as long as I can remember, the Horde’s always had us on the defensive. Until yesterday, the closest thing we had to victory were successful retreats.”

Glimmer shook her head.

“Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I can’t help but feel like things are about to get a lot worse.” She said quietly.

Bow put a reassuring arm around her shoulder.

“There’s no doubt they have more plans in the works. We’re not even close to ending this war. But as long as we work together, I’m certain we can stop them.” He declared.

Glimmer smiled. It was small, but genuine.

“Thanks, Bow. I’m sure you’re right.” She said, her insecurities temporarily suppressed as she gazed into his eyes. Only then did they notice that Netossa and Spinnerella were watching them with wide grins.

“Aww, they’re so cute together!” Spinnerella cooed.

“Reminds me of us when we first met.” Netossa agreed.

Bow quickly scooted his chair away from Glimmer, both of them blushing furiously.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We are just friends.” Glimmer insisted, crossing her arms.

“Of course, of course. Just friends.” Netossa winked.

“Anyway…” Bow cleared his throat, transparently attempting to change the subject. “If we’re going to be working together, we need a team name. Something catchy, like the Best Friends Squad!”

“That’s the dumbest name I’ve ever heard.” Glimmer said bluntly.

“No offense, but I have to agree with her. It makes us sound like a bunch of kids.” Netossa agreed.

“I thought it was a cool name…” Bow sank down in his chair dejectedly.

“How about the Glimmer Group?” Glimmer suggested.

“Hard pass.” Netossa replied. Glimmer suddenly became far more interested in her dumplings.

“Oh, I have an idea! May I share it?” Spinnerella humbly asked.

“This isn’t a classroom, Spinny. You don’t have to ask.” Netossa said teasingly.

“Uh, right. Well, we’re a gang and there’s four of us. So how about the Gang of Four?” Spinnerella suggested timidly.

“What? That’s… not terrible.” Glimmer admitted.

“Not the most creative name in the world, but it’s reasonably catchy.” Bow stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“I could live with that.” Netossa said.

“Well then, it’s settled. To the Gang of Four!” Spinnerella raised her glass for another toast.

“To the Gang of Four!” They toasted in unison.

The gunship glided low over the Whispering Woods, birds scattering wildly in its wake. Night had fallen, with only the gunship’s headlights staving off blindness.

“Bright Moon Castle, dead ahead.” Puff informed them. Dozens of lights scattered across the castle made it glow brilliantly in the darkness, a beacon of hope to the downtrodden. And a landing beacon for the Horde.

Puff killed the gunship’s lights and slowly descended onto a large balcony attached to one of the castle’s smaller towers, flattening the flowers that had been growing there.

“Retreat to a safe distance as soon as we disembark. I’ll contact you when we’re ready for extraction.” Shadow Weaver commanded.

“Yes, sir. Good luck.” Puff replied.

“Luck is for the weak.” Shadow Weaver declared as she descended the ramp with Catra and Scorpia following behind. The ship immediately took off and flew into the darkness.

“Did we really manage to land here without them seeing us? They must have pretty lousy security.” Catra snarked.
As if alerted by Catra’s tempting of fate, a pair of royal guards burst through the balcony door, weapons at the ready.

“Trespassers! Identify yourself and surrender immediately!” One of them shouted.

Shadow Weaver calmly stepped forward, staring them down. The two guards flinched, their fear evident even with their helmets concealing their eyes.

“I could tell you who I am, but what would be the point? After all, you’re both about to die.” She said in a darkly jovial manner.

Before either of the guards could react, black tentacles flew from Shadow Weaver’s form, wrapping around their throats. They collapsed to the ground, choking and gurgling, as the air was slowly stolen from their lungs.

“Adora is being held not too far from here. Follow me.” She ordered calmly as she walked past the dying guards. Scorpia and Catra shared an unsettled glance before following her into the building.

The three silently traveled through the deserted hallways of Bright Moon Castle for what felt to Catra like hours, until they eventually came across a doorway with two Royal Guards protecting it.

“Halt!” They said as they pointed their staves aggressively at the intruders. They had no chance to do anything else. Shadow Weaver’s vile tentacles burst forward and wrapped tightly around their necks, snapping them like twigs.

Letting the lifeless bodies of the guards fall limply to the floor, the tentacles then slammed against the door, effortlessly shattering it as if it had been made of paper.

Adora instantly awoke and got to her feet, instinctively assuming a combat stance.

“Who’s there?” She demanded angrily, only to lower her guard in surprise when she saw her three visitors enter.

“Shadow Weaver? And…” She trailed off as she saw Catra.

“Hey, Adora.” Catra said as she walked up to the force field.

“Catra!” Adora exclaimed, instinctively reaching out to her friend only to wince in pain as her hand impacted the shield. “Ow!”

“I’m guessing this is some kind of force field. How are we supposed to get her out of here?” Catra looked at Shadow Weaver.

“This force field is magical in nature. Fortunately for you, I am something of an expert on magic. Do stand back.” Shadow Weaver said flippantly. Catra quickly obeyed, watching from a distance with a concerned expression.

Shadow Weaver took a deep breath and raised her hands. A massive surge of sickly red lightning poured from her fingertips, impacting the shield in a violent clash of magical power. The room was enveloped by blinding light as the lightning crackled harshly against the shield.

Catra, Scorpia and Adora looked away, shielding their eyes and groaning in pain. Shadow Weaver roared from the pain and exertion, but refused to submit.

Finally, the magical shield could withstand no more. In a remarkably anticlimactic manner, the shield dissolved almost instantly. A burst of lightning flew over Adora’s head and blasted a window-sized hole through the rear wall before Shadow Weaver relented.

A few moments of silence ensued as the three soldiers looked at Shadow Weaver in awe.

“Wow…” Adora said, dumbstruck.

“We must leave immediately. The castle will have been alerted to our presence.” Shadow Weaver commanded.

“It already is.” A commanding voice rang out. Queen Angella stood at the doorway, her face a mask of determination. Slowly she walked in, gazing evenly at the intruders.

“You will not leave here. The lives you have taken, the homes you have destroyed. As Queen of Bright Moon, I swear that you will answer for it all!” Angella declared.

“You are nothing. Your kingdom is nothing. Soon enough the Horde will devour it all!” Shadow Weaver taunted.

“You will devour yourselves first!” Angella leaped into the air, extending her mighty wings and firing a beam of white light directly at Shadow Weaver. The witch raised her hands, producing a sphere of darkness that swallowed the light before dissipating.

“I’ll deal with her! Run!” Shadow Weaver yelled. Adora, Scorpia, and Catra quickly sprinted out of the room as the two mighty beings clashed.

Catra pressed the badge on her chest as they ran down the hallways.

“Puff, we’ve got Adora, but the castle is on high alert. Be ready at the landing zone.” Catra ordered.

“Roger that.” Puff replied.

“Where are we going?” Adora asked, panting.

“There’s a balcony not too far from here that’s large enough for the gunship to land. Hopefully it won’t be guarded.” Catra answered as they approached the balcony.

Four guards stood watch at the door, inspecting the bodies of the guards who had previously been killed by Shadow Weaver.

“Of course it’s guarded.” Catra sighed. The guards quickly noticed them and readied their weapons.

“Surrender!” One of the guards shouted.

Catra responded by firing her energy pistol, hitting one of the guards in her unprotected lower face and causing her to collapse in agony as the energy burned through her flesh. The other three guards immediately charged with their staves, closing into melee range too quickly for Catra to fire again.

One of the guards lunged at Adora, aiming straight for her chest. Adora sidestepped the attack and grabbed onto the staff, yanking it out of the guard’s hands before slamming it against her head with enough force to knock her to the ground.

Another guard attempted to go for Catra, only for her to leap right over her and casually shoot her in the leg. The blast went right through her dress and into the unprotected flesh of her knee, causing her to topple over with a high-pitched scream.

The final guard went for Scorpia, only to have her staff grabbed by one of Scorpia’s giant pincers. Scorpia then used her other pincer to grab the guard by the neck and toss her down the hallway like a bowling ball.

The entire confrontation had lasted less than a minute. The guards were all on the ground in various states of severe injury, and none of them had been able to so much as scratch the Horde intruders.

“Well, that was fun.” Catra said, grinning at the pained cries of her defeated foes.

“If you say so.” Adora replied. The three walked out onto the balcony just in time to see the gunship land in front of them.

“Someone ask for a lift?” Puff asked cheerily. Everyone quickly boarded the gunship and took their seats.

“Wait, where’s the spooky lady?” Puff questioned.

“We’re going to have to go get her.” Adora informed her.

Shadow Weaver growled, sending a wave of tentacles up towards Angella. A powerful shockwave emanated from the Queen, disintegrating them before they could touch her.

Shadow Weaver responded by sending a stream of lightning towards Angella. The Queen blocked it with a hand and redirected it back to Shadow Weaver, who deftly sidestepped it. The lightning continued and slammed into the rear wall with a thundering crack. The already weakened stone was no match for such power, and the wall disintegrated as if it had been made of sand.

Without any hesitation, Angella fired a sustained beam of light towards Shadow Weaver. She conjured a dark shield to protect herself, but found herself slowly being driven back by the Queen’s awesome power.

“Your dark sorcery will not save you!” She shouted, glaring down at Shadow Weaver. She was so focused on defeating the dark sorceress that she failed to notice the gunship hovering outside the former rear wall.

“It… doesn’t… have to…” Shadow Weaver breathed.

Before Angella could even consider what that might mean, a missile soared through the air and hit her square in the chest. The explosion shredded what was left of the room and set the Queen flying backwards into the interior wall. She impacted the stone with a brutal thud before falling face-first onto the ground.

The gunship extended its ramp, allowing Shadow Weaver to climb aboard as Queen Angella slowly staggered to her feet. She walked over to the edge as the gunship rocketed away, her face and body covered with cuts and bruises.

“I hope I got through to her…” She said quietly to herself as she watched them escape.

The trip back to the Fright Zone was mostly uneventful. Shadow Weaver immediately returned to reading her book, while Puff focused on making sure they didn’t crash in the dead of night. Scorpia idly examined her pincers, while watching Adora and Catra out of the corner of her eye.

“It’s good to see you again…” Adora said drowsily. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, exhaustion quickly began to overtake her.

“I… uh…” Catra stammered, blushing. “It’s good to see you too.”

Adora mumbled incoherently in response, her eyelids fluttering for a while until they closed for good. Catra smiled as she watched her breathe peacefully.

“You care about her a lot, don’t you?” Scorpia asked, her tone unusually serious.

“More than anyone else.” Catra said, still looking at Adora.

“You should tell her how you feel. If you wait too long, you may never get a chance.” Scorpia replied.

“How did you…” Catra trailed off in surprise.

“I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know what love looks like. And trust me, you don’t want to make the same mistake I did.” Scorpia looked off into the distance.

“I… but what if she says no?” Catra asked quietly, gazing at the sleeping Adora with pained longing.

“That’s always a possibility, but you’ll never know if you never ask.” Scorpia answered sagely.

“...I’ll think about it.” Catra replied weakly.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence. After a few hours, the sickly glow of the Fright Zone appeared over the horizon, and before long the gunship had docked in the hangar.

The rest of the crew dispersed, leaving Catra and Adora alone on the ship.

“Hey, wake up.” Catra nudged Adora gently.

“Hrmmm?” Adora mumbled, her eyes half-open.

“Come on, you can sleep in the barracks.” Catra insisted. Adora shakily got to her feet. With Catra holding her up, the two slowly walked through the corridors until they reached the barracks.

As soon as she reached her bed, Adora collapsed headfirst onto it and fell asleep almost instantly. Catra smiled and shook her head.

“Good night, Adora.” She whispered.

Chapter Text

Lord Hordak leaned back on his throne, staring inscrutably at Shadow Weaver.

“You summoned me, Lord Hordak?” She asked, her voice tinted almost imperceptibly with nervousness.

“I did. I am curious about the details of the assault on Plumeria. It has been more than two days since the attack commenced and I have heard no word since.” He said evenly, but with an accusatory edge behind his words.

“Well, you see…” Shadow Weaver prepared to lie, but thought better of it. Hordak was infamous for feigning ignorance to weed out duplicity.

“The assault on Plumeria was a failure. They had assistance from Bright Moon and crushed our army. Force Captain Adora was captured, but I just returned from a mission to retrieve her.” She informed him.

Hordak did not seem surprised at all, confirming Shadow Weaver’s suspicions.

“Your candor is appreciated, Shadow Weaver.” He said calmly. “However, if you ever authorize such a mission without my approval again, you will wish I was merciful enough to kill you.”

“I understand, Lord Hordak. It will not happen again.” She humbly bowed.

“For your sake, I hope it does not. Dismissed.”

Adora awoke to the less than desirable taste of unwashed bunk. She quickly rolled over on her back and sat up, spitting out the hair and other debris that had collected in her mouth.

“Blech, my mouth tastes like feet.” She gagged.

When Adora was finished, she looked over to see Catra curled up on her own bunk, gently snoring. A small smile crossed her lips before she stood up, doing her best not to wake her sleeping friend.

Her efforts would prove to be in vain. Adora had barely moved from her bunk before Catra sleepily opened one eye.

“...Adora?” She mumbled.

Adora exhaled with mild frustration. She’d have a better chance of convincing Shadow Weaver to play the ukelele naked than of sneaking past Catra.

“Hey, Catra.” Adora said, turning around to face her.

“Mm, I wanted to talk to you about something, if that’s okay…” Catra said, stifling a yawn as she stood up.

“Heh, that’s funny. I wanted to talk to you about something, too.” Adora scratched her cheek.

“Really?” Catra’s eyes lit up and her tail straightened. Adora narrowed her eyes slightly in mild confusion, but she brushed it off.

“Erm, yeah. I’d rather not do it here, though. Who knows who might be listening?” Adora said.

“Ooh, I know just the place! Remember the secret lair?” Catra asked eagerly.

“You mean the old closet you hid in after you scratched Octavia’s eye out?” Adora asked skeptically.

“I wasn’t hiding! I was making a tactical retreat until the situation calmed down.” Catra insisted, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, that’s called hiding.” Adora smirked.

“Okay, whatever. Point is, we can go there if we want to talk without being overheard.” Catra said.

“If you say so…” Adora replied noncommittally.

The two best friends made their way through the corridors until they reached a particularly dark and dingy hallway with sputtering lights.

“Man, this place is a lot creepier than I remember.” Adora shivered slightly as they walked further down the hallway.

“What, afraid of the dark?” Catra asked teasingly.

“If by that you mean I’m afraid of being unable to see and falling on my face, then yes, I guess I am.” Adora replied with mild irritation.

The two continued down the hallway until they noticed a door to the right of them.

“Here it is. It’s been too long.” Catra said cheerfully as she opened it.

“Speak for yourself.” Adora muttered as she watched water slowly drip onto the floor from a leaking pipe on the ceiling.

“Just get in here.” Catra pulled Adora into the room and closed the door.

The room was quite spacious for a closet, being almost as large as their barracks. Adora remembered it being full of crates and tools in the past, but now it was completely empty.

Adora and Catra stared at each other for a time, standing only half a meter apart from each other.

“So… who should go first?” Adora asked.

“Uh, I guess you can.” Catra shrugged.

“Alright. What I’m about to tell you cannot leave this room. If anyone else finds out, we would both be in an enormous amount of trouble.” Adora began, placing her hands behind her back in an uncharacteristically formal stance.

“Trouble is my specialty. Haven’t you figured that out by now?” Catra winked.

Adora turned her back to Catra, staring dramatically at the wall.

“I’m not just talking about getting a scolding from Shadow Weaver. This could get us both killed if it goes wrong.” She continued firmly.

Catra cocked her head in confusion.

“I’m not sure I understand... why would…” She muttered.

“Catra.” Adora turned around to stare her in the eyes.

“I want to overthrow Lord Hordak, and I need your help.”

The silence that followed seemed to swallow the room whole as Catra stared at her in open-mouthed shock.

After half a minute, Catra started laughing uproariously, tears of mirth in her eyes.

“Oh wow, Adora, you really had me going there for a second. I thought you were serious…” She said, still laughing madly.

“I am being serious, Catra.” Adora looked Catra in the eyes. Her laughter quickly faded away as she realized Adora was being sincere.

“But… that’s insane!” Catra protested.

“I mean, I don’t like him either. He’s creepy and ugly and all he ever does is sit on his ass all day while grunts like us do all the hard work. But do you understand what he’ll do to us if he finds out that we even talked about this? He’ll send us to Beast Island for sure!” Her tail puffed out in fear.

“Where did you even get such a stupid idea? Did the Rebels fill your head with nonsense while they tortured you?” Catra snarled.

“They didn’t torture me, and no, they didn’t. I’ve just had some time to think. About Hordak, about the way he rules. I mean, why do you obey him?” Adora replied.

“...Because he’ll hurt me if I don’t.” Catra admitted.

“Do you think that makes him a good leader?” Adora asked.

“Not really.” Catra muttered, briefly looking at the floor.

“Think about it. If we take his place, we can make things better for everyone in the Horde. We can do what he has failed to do, and conquer Etheria!” Adora raised a fist and tightly clenched it, her eyes alight with a grand vision.

Catra snorted in amusement, crossing her arms.

“This is such a stupid plan. I’m in.”

“I know our chances are-” Adora stopped and cocked her head quizzically. “Say what?”

“I said I’m in.” Catra smirked.

“I… I didn’t really think you would agree.” Adora admitted sheepishly.

“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.” Catra replied.

“Heh, maybe not.” Adora smiled.

“So, do you have an actual plan to bring him down, or were you hoping I’d come up with something?” Catra asked dryly.

“I do. Kind of.” Adora cleared her throat. “The Horde follows Hordak because he’s the strongest, smartest, and scariest guy around. If we want to take him down, we need to show the Horde that we’re better than him in every way.”

“And how do you suggest we do that, oh wise one?” Catra raised an eyebrow skeptically.

“Simple.” Adora answered. “We serve to the best of our ability. When the soldiers see us lead them to victory after victory while Hordak sleeps on his throne, they’ll start to wonder why Hordak is in charge instead of us.”

“Wow, what a great plan…” Catra remarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but our war record isn’t exactly something to brag about.”

“I know that!” Adora grumbled. “That’s why we’re going to have to step up our game. No more defeats, no more retreats! Hey, that rhymes.” She giggled stupidly.

“We’re so dead…” Catra groaned, rubbing her forehead.

“Anywho, we’d better get out of here before someone wonders where we went. See ya later!” Adora waved cheerfully as she walked towards the door.

“Yeah, see you.” Catra said softly as Adora left the room. She stared at the open door for some time, clenching her fists and letting out a long sigh.

“Maybe it’s for the best…” She muttered before leaving the room and slamming the door shut behind her.

Glimmer yawned and stretched, relaxed and content after a pleasant dinner and an equally pleasant night’s sleep. After getting ready for the day, she left her room, only to see Bow sitting on the floor right outside.

“Oh hey, Bow. What’s up?” She asked cheerfully, only for her smile to die when Bow stood up and looked at her with an unusually somber expression.

“The Horde attacked the Castle last night. There were… casualties.” He said quietly.

“What kind of casualties?” Glimmer’s voice wavered.

“I think you need to see for yourself. They’re at the throne room.” He replied. Glimmer reluctantly took his hand and teleported the two to the entrance of the throne room. In addition to the guards, Netossa comforted a crying Spinnerella as they watched the proceedings. Roughly a dozen civilians were present as well, most of them crying or comforting each other.

Queen Angella knelt in front of four sealed caskets, her eyes shut and her hands clasped together. Her clothes were torn and body still marked with cuts and bruises, but she ignored them entirely.

“Though the flesh wilts, the soul remains. You shall be one with the light, forever in harmony with Etheria. So it has always been, so it always shall be.” Angella chanted, her voice filling the room.

Angella stood up and extended her arms as if embracing the deceased. Specks of light began to trickle through the caskets, collecting in the air above before drifting off in the direction of the Moonstone.

The Queen then teleported onto her throne and sank into it, holding a hand to her forehead with grief and exhaustion plain on her face. Gradually, the civilians trickled out of the room, and Glimmer walked over to her mother as the rest of the Gang of Four watched silently.

“Mom… what happened?” Glimmer asked gently.

“I wasn’t strong enough to protect them.” Angella said softly, staring off at something only she could see. “All this power, and I couldn’t save them. Just like I couldn’t save Micah. Just like I can’t save Etheria.”

“You’re wrong.” Glimmer blurted out. The gang looked at her in surprise, and Angella raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe we can’t save everyone, but we can still defeat the Horde. We can - no, we will - make them answer for all they’ve done and bring peace to Etheria again!” Glimmer shouted confidently.

Angella smiled with maternal pride.

“You always were a stubborn one, Glimmer. Perhaps I could learn something from you.”

“Mom…” Glimmer blushed in embarrassment, rubbing the back of her neck.

Angella teleported down from her throne, straightening her posture and looking at the Gang of Four with a determined expression.

“Glimmer is right. We cannot allow our losses to distract us. As long as the Horde continues to exist, Etheria will never know safety or peace. Securing an alliance with Plumeria was a great victory, but we will need all the Princesses if we hope to win.” She said soberly.

“So who should we ask next?” Netossa wondered.

“That’s up to you. I can bring you to wherever you decide.” Angella answered.

“I vote Dryl.” Bow said almost immediately. “Entrapta’s a goddess of technology and she would be invaluable to the Rebellion.”
.
“Are you sure you’re thinking about the Rebellion and not yourself?” Glimmer asked, her eyes narrowing skeptically.

“Uh… both?” Bow’s voice cracked.

“I’d really rather not go to Dryl. There are… rumors about Entrapta and I’d rather not find out how true they are.” Netossa said uncomfortably.

“What kind of rumors are we talking about?” Glimmer looked at Netossa curiously.

“That she has an army of robots that service her. In, uh, more ways than one.” Netossa coughed.

“...Oookay, Dryl’s off the list.” Glimmer said hurriedly.

“What? No fair!” Bow cried, only for everyone to ignore him.

“What about the Kingdom of Snows? They have really good ice cream.” Spinnerella suggested.

“We’ll have to go there for the Princess Prom soon anyway. No point in going there twice.” Glimmer pointed out.

“But I wanted ice cream…” Spinnerella lowered her head sadly, causing Netossa to pat her on the shoulder.

“...Mystacor?” Bow suggested half-heartedly. Glimmer instinctively made a disgusted face.

“Not in the mood for Castaspella telling me to lose weight, thanks. Guess that leaves Salineas, then. Anyone have a problem with that?” Glimmer asked.

When nobody said anything, Glimmer turned to her mother, who was looking at them bemusedly.

“Four tickets to Salineas, please.”

Adora leaned on the railing of one of the Fright Zone’s many exterior walkways, idly munching on a ration bar as she found herself lost in her thoughts.

It was going to be an uphill struggle to get the Horde to turn against their master. Maybe even impossible. For all she knew, Hordak was already intending to demote her for her failure, or worse. Her plan foiled before it began.

She shouldn’t have dragged Catra into this. Now she wasn’t just risking herself, but her best friend as well. All for a foolish plan that would almost certainly fail.

“Enjoying the view?” Scorpia asked cordially.

Adora jumped, briefly startled by the interruption before she leaned back on the railing as nonchalantly as she could manage.

“Uh, yeah, sure, I guess…” She stammered, refusing to make eye contact.

“Good, good. So, uh, how are things with you and Catra?” Scorpia wondered.

“They’re fine. Why do you ask?” Adora looked up at Scorpia, her eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

“Uh, no reason. No reason at all. Just seemed like you two were good friends. Really good friends.” Scorpia said shiftily.

“We are. Do you have a problem with that?” Adora asked with an accusatory edge.

“No, not at all. I was just wondering if Catra, I dunno, told you anything recently? About her feelings?” Scorpia tapped her pincers together awkwardly.

“...No?” Adora cocked her head, staring at Scorpia with a bemused expression.

“Ah. Okay, then. Sorry to bother you. I should be really be going. I, uh, need to polish my carapace.” Scorpia said before rushing off as abruptly as she had appeared.

Adora watched her flee with an expression of total confusion plastered on her face.

“What the hell was that?” She asked aloud. When the air gave no reply, she shrugged and started walking back to the barracks. She had just made it through the door before her Force Captain badge glowed.

“Report to the throne room immediately.” Lord Hordak’s voice warbled through the badge.

Adora sighed. “No rest for the wicked, I guess.”

She turned around and headed to the throne room. When she arrived, Lord Hordak was sitting on his throne, looking down at Catra and Scorpia. Catra gave her a nervous look as she approached, while Scorpia pointedly refused to look at her.

“I must admit that I am disappointed in the lack of progress that has been made as of late.” He began without so much as a greeting. “The failed invasion of Plumeria was a significant setback, one I intend to correct. An army has already been prepared for the second invasion. They will leave tomorrow under your command… Force Captain Scorpia.”

All three of the Force Captains looked at him in shock.

“Really? Me? You want me to…” Scorpia stammered briefly before saluting with a pincer. “You honor me, Lord Hordak! I will not fail you!”

“But… what about us?” Adora asked in confusion.

“Your dismal failure in Plumeria has made me doubt my decision to promote you. You will instead lead the attack against Stonecliff Tower. If you fail again, you may consider your positions forfeit.” Hordak leaned back in his chair apathetically.

“I… uh… of course, Lord Hordak. We will do as you command.” Adora said before she and Catra reluctantly bowed.

“The details will be sent to your barracks. Dismissed.” Hordak waved them away.

Catra and Adora headed back towards their barracks while Scorpia began joyfully prancing down the hallways.

“So if we screw this up, we’re back to being grunts.” Catra muttered spitefully.

“Then we better make sure we don’t screw this up.” Adora replied.

They soon arrived back at the barracks, opening the door to find three familiar people sitting around waiting for them.

“Lonnie? Kyle? Rogelio? What are you doing here?” Adora asked in surprise.

“We finally managed to make it through training. No thanks to you two.” Lonnie crossed her arms irritably while Kyle looked at the floor and Rogelio stared at them inscrutably.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I wanted you to come along, but Shadow Weaver wouldn’t let me.” Adora said apologetically while Catra disparagingly smirked at them.

“Uh-huh.” Lonnie replied, clearly unconvinced. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore. Let’s just focus on the mission.”

“Wait, you’re here for the mission?” Catra blurted out incredulously.

“Yep. You got a problem with that?” Lonnie grinned.

“Oh, no problem, just Lord Hordak trying to get us all killed…” Catra muttered dryly, her sarcasm thinly masking her fear.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.” Adora reassured her before looking at Lonnie. “Uh, is it that bad?”

“Depends on your definition of bad. If by ‘bad’ you mean the five of us against fifty guys in a well fortified tower, then yes, I’d say it’s pretty fucking bad.” Lonnie answered sardonically.

“Fifty!?” Adora half-shouted. “Wow, Hordak really is trying to get us killed.”

“Told you.” Catra interjected.

Adora took a deep breath to suppress her anxiety.

“The odds are not in our favor, but that’s fine. We just have to be smart about this. They will be expecting a frontal assault by a whole army, not… well, us. We can use that to our advantage.” Adora stroked her chin thoughtfully.

“I assume you have a plan?” Lonnie eyed her skeptically.

“Something of one, at any rate. You guys should get some rest. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.” Adora replied.

“Whatever you say, Force Captain.” Lonnie put a sarcastic emphasis on the title. The trio quickly departed, leaving Adora and Catra alone in the barracks.

“This is just great.” Catra groused. “Leading the dregs of the Horde against a force ten times our size. Gotta say, this isn’t making me regret our little plan.”

“If we pull this off, nobody will doubt our strength.” Adora said eagerly.

“Yeah. If. Do you actually have a plan, or were you just saying that to make them feel better?” Catra asked.

“Of course I do!” Adora looked mildly offended.

“Alright then, General. Lay it on me.” Catra replied as she lazily flopped down on her bed.

“Well, first things first, we’re gonna need a dress…”

Chapter Text

The armored car tore through the underbrush of the forest, causing birds and animals to flee in every direction.

“Ugghh, I think I’m gonna be sick.” Catra retched, clutching Adora’s hand in a death grip as the car bumped nauseatingly around.

“If you’re gonna puke, it better not be on me.” Lonnie retorted from her seat on the other side of the troop bay. Kyle sat next to her, clutching himself tightly and whimpering.

“Don’t worry, Catra, we should be there soon.” Adora said reassuringly despite not knowing if that was true.

“We better… or else I’m gonna puke all over your nice hair…” Catra muttered.

“Aww, you think my hair is nice?” Adora blushed a little, ignoring the threat.

“Oh for the love of…” Catra grumbled, looking away.

The car continued its rough and sickening journey through the forest for another half hour before coming to a stop in a moderately sized clearing.

Adora looked up at the window that separated the troop bay from the cockpit.

“Why’d we stop? Are we there?” She asked.

“As close as I can get without alerting them to our presence.” Rogelio responded in his guttural lizard language.

“Alright, let’s go over the plan.” Adora stood up, looking at the rest of the squad meaningfully.

“There’s no way we’re taking this tower in an honest fight. That means we’re going to have to play dirty. Very dirty.”

“I love playing dirty…” Catra purred, causing Lonnie to briefly look at her in disgust.

“I hope you mean something more by that than rolling around in the mud.” Lonnie snarked.

“As we all know, the Rebellion is filled with sparkly-eyed do gooders who blindly rush in to protect the innocent.” Adora began, ignoring Lonnie’s insubordination. “So if we want to thin their numbers, all we have to do is threaten innocent people.”

“Great plan, Adora.” Catra replied sarcastically. “I’m sure they’ll rush right out of their fortress if we threaten the trees and birds.”

“Well as you told me before, it’s the thought that matters. If they think innocent people are in danger, they’ll come running. Right into our trap.” Adora grinned, punching her palm for emphasis.

“What innocent people? There’s nobody here except for them and us!” Lonnie exclaimed irritably.

“Which is where Kyle comes in.” Adora stared him down. “You brought the dress, right?”

“Uh, yes, of course. It’s, uh, right here…” Kyle stammered, pulling a short floral dress out of a supply pack.

“You’re going to play the damsel in distress. Run all the way to the fortress and tell the soldiers that your family is being attacked by the Horde. Beg them for help, and try to make it look good. If they let you in, do whatever you can to demoralize them. Tell them there’s thousands of us or that we eat the livers of our victims, or whatever.” Adora commanded.

“Oh, uh… okay! I won’t let you down, sir!” Kyle stood and saluted.

“Now get dressed. Lonnie, Catra, with me.” Adora ordered. The three exited the car, leaving Kyle to change into his disguise.

“I have to ask. Why the dress? Couldn’t this work just as well without it?” Catra asked.

“Probably. I just wanted to make him wear a dress.” Adora grinned.

“I love you.” Catra replied, more sincerely than she intended, but fortunately Adora laughed it off.

“Anyway, we need to set the table for our guests. Find good vantage points and wait for the signal.” Adora told them. Catra and Lonnie scurried off while Adora walked back to the rear hatch and opened it.

Kyle had finished changing and was admiring himself in a handheld mirror when the door opened.

“Eep! Sir, I uh…” He recoiled, blushing in embarrassment. Adora ignored him and walked up to the interior window.

“As soon as we’re out, put the car in reverse until you can’t be seen from the clearing. When I give the signal, drive back here at full speed and hit as many of the bastards as you can.” Adora ordered. Rogelio silently nodded in understanding.

“Alright, Kyle, it’s your time to shine. Run and scream like you’re about to die, because if you screw this up, I’ll turn you into a protein shake.” Adora threatened farcically.

Kyle’s eyes widened in horror, fully believing her. He bolted out of the car and sprinted full speed towards the tower, emitting a long, high pitched scream as he did so.

Adora walked out of the bay and closed the hatch, watching him run as the armored car slowly drove in reverse down the path.

“Run, Kyle, Run!” She shouted after him cheerfully.

The aptly named Stonecliff Tower was a fortified tower situated atop an imposing stone cliff, giving it a commanding view of the river and lowlands below. None of that particularly mattered to Kyle, however, who was simply desperate not to be made into a beverage.

The young soldier breathlessly ran down the dirt road, tripping and stumbling on the multitude of discarded branches and small rocks that littered the path. By the time he reached the gates of the tower, his once pretty dress was torn in a dozen different places and he was covered in cuts and bruises.

The two guards at the gate leveled their pikes at him, while several more guards on the ramparts took aim with bows and crossbows.

“Halt!” One of the guards said. “This is a restricted area. State your business.”

Kyle took a deep breath. It was now or never.

“Help! Please!” He cried tearfully, his voice as high as he could manage. “My family was out picking berries, but a Horde patrol found us! Please, you have to help them!” He fell to his knees, looking up at the guards pleadingly.

“I, uh… someone get Captain Aries!” The guard yelled. A brief commotion ensued before the gates were opened and a powerfully built man stepped forward. He was mostly humanoid, but with the head of a sheep and a pair of fearsome curled horns.

“What is the meaning of this?” Aries bellowed, his voice deep and gravelly.

“Sir!” The guards saluted. Aries looked down at Kyle with piercing eyes.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” He gruffly demanded.

“I…” Kyle wilted under his gaze. “I was just picking berries with my family, when the Horde came… please, I’m begging you…”

There was silence for several moments. Kyle began sweating, fearing he had been discovered.

“Where was your family attacked?” Aries asked, his voice somewhat softer than before.

“In the clearing… back a little ways…” Kyle answered pitifully.

“Horde scum…” Aries growled, clenching his fist. He turned to one of the soldiers.

“Get Squads Three and Five out there immediately.” He ordered. The soldier saluted and ran off to carry out his order. Aries turned back to Kyle.

“Come with me. You don’t want those cuts and scratches to get infected, trust me.” He said, holding out a hand to Kyle, who reluctantly took it. He followed the captain into the fort, looking down at the ground so that nobody could see his smile.

From her vantage point atop a large tree, Catra saw twenty soldiers of the Rebellion marching towards their position. She looked down at the ground and gave a thumbs up to Adora, who smiled in response.

“Now for the finishing touch.” Adora said, unholstering her pistol and firing it several times into the grass until the scorch marks resembled a certain word. She admired her handiwork for a few moments before rushing out of the clearing, taking cover behind a large boulder.

Gradually, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder until the enemy soldiers finally reached the clearing, their weapons at the ready.

“What the… there’s nothing here!” One of the soldiers said loudly.

“Wait, what’s that?” Another asked. Adora grinned wickedly and pressed her Force Captain badge. It glowed silently for a few seconds.

“It looks like writing. It says… splat?” A soldier said incredulously.

Barely a few seconds later, the sound of a roaring engine echoed through the forest. Like a demonic creature from another realm, the armored car blasted into the clearing.

“TAKE COVER!” Someone shouted. Most of the soldiers dove to the ground and out of the way, but six stood paralyzed with terror and were brutally crushed by the merciless metal monster, whose loud engine thankfully covered up the sounds of their bones and organs being turned into meaty pulp.

Adora had no intention of allowing the rest of the soldiers any time to recover. Immediately, she began firing at the nearest group of soldiers, hitting one in the head and another in the arm. Catra and Lonnie followed suit, firing at the prone and scrambling rebels from their vantage points.

The rebel soldiers were completely bewildered and surrounded on all sides. None of them could even see where they were being shot from, and none could offer any resistance. In less than two minutes, it was over.

The three emerged into the clearing, looking over the carnage.

“I think that went well.” Adora clapped her hands together cheerily.

“And here I thought you were getting soft.” Catra grinned, a hint of lust in her voice.

“Me? Never.” Adora chuckled.

Lonnie rolled her eyes.

“So now what? We got a bunch of them, so how are we going to get the rest?” She asked.

“That’s a good point…” Adora said in a low voice as she approached the slightly quivering body of a soldier who lay face down on the ground.

“Oops, looks like we missed one.” Adora kicked him over and pointed her gun in his face.

“Please, no! I’ll do anything, just don’t kill me!” He cried, raising his hands protectively over his face.

“Hmm. Anything?” Adora asked casually.

“I… yes… just let me live, I’m begging you…” He whimpered.

“What’s your name? Wait, I don’t care. I’ll just call you Coward.” Adora knelt down next to him and stared him in the eyes. “So, Coward, I’m perfectly happy to let you go, but you need to do something for me first.”

“W-what?” He trembled.

“You’re going to tell me everything you know about Stonecliff Tower. Defenses, weak points, all the good stuff. If your information checks out, you’re free to go. If not, well…” Adora mimed slitting her throat before standing up.

“I’ve only been here a few weeks, I don’t know-” Coward stopped when he saw Adora nonchalantly playing with her pistol. “I mean, I guess there’s the old drainage system. It goes under the tower and empties off the cliffside. But there’s guards watching it at all times from the walls. You’ll never get through.”

“So we go in at night, surprise them from the inside.” Adora clenched her fist. “What about inside? What else do you know?”

“M-most of the men are militia like me. Only Captain Aries is a real soldier. Without him, they should give up. And you won’t have to kill them. Right?” Coward pleaded.

“Where can I find Captain Aries? ” Adora demanded.

“At night, he’s usually in his office. It’s on the highest floor of the tower.” Coward answered fearfully. “...You won’t kill anyone else, right?”

“I’m not making any promises.” Adora said coldly as she forced him to his feet.

“Rogelio, keep an eye on our prisoner.” She ordered, bodily tossing the man into the bay like a sack of potatoes before resealing the hatch.

“It’s still a few hours until nightfall. What are we going to do until then?” Catra boredly asked, nudging a dead rebel with her foot.

“Well, we should probably find somewhere else to wait. This place is gonna get very smelly, very quickly.” Adora looked at the corpses around her, which were already beginning to decompose.

“I second that motion.” Catra grimaced.

“No complaints from me.” Lonnie agreed.

The office of Captain Aries was mostly empty, save for a simple desk, a few chairs, and an assortment of files. The only personal item he had was a framed picture of a smiling young sheep girl on his desk.

The Captain himself sat in his chair, his hands pressed up to his head as he grimaced in pain. Even with the windows covered in black shrouds and all sources of light extinguished, the pulsating pain in his head continued unabated.

A knock at his door momentarily distracted him from the pain.

“Come in.” He ordered, looking up as a soldier nervously entered the room.

“Captain, it’s been several hours, and we’ve received no word from Squads Three and Five.” The soldier informed him.

Aries closed his eyes tightly. He didn’t want to believe it, but the truth was obvious.

“It was a trap.” He sighed. “I should have seen this coming.”

“...What do we do now, sir?” The soldier fearfully asked.

“The only thing we can do. Wait.” Aries answered grimly.

After a few tedious hours, night finally fell, allowing Adora and her squad to approach the walls of Stonecliff Tower without being spotted. Carefully, they snuck around the side until they noticed the large pipe belching runoff into the river below.

“That’s our way in?” Catra whispered incredulously.

“You got a better idea?” Adora whispered back.

“No, but for the record, this is really gross.” Catra replied.

“Noted.” Adora approached the pipe and examined the water flowing from it. It was tinted brown and reached up to ankle-height. A revolting obstacle, but hardly an impassable one.

“Here goes nothing.” She plugged her nose with one hand and began wading through the wastewater, with Catra and Lonnie following behind.

The pipe stretched for what felt like forever, and the smell only got worse as they ventured further into it.

“You know, even if this works, I still think we should kill that guy just for this.” Catra grumbled.

“For once, I think we might agree on something.” Lonnie replied.

“Quiet.” Adora shushed them. “We don’t want anyone hearing us.”

The rest of the foul trek was spent in glum silence as the three waded through the mucky pipes until they reached a large room where several other pipes converged. Mercifully, there was also a ladder leading upwards.

“Oh good, we can get out of the shitwater.” Catra muttered dryly.

The three quickly got out of the shitwater. They ascended the ladder and emerged into a small windowless room with a single closed door.

Adora drew her pistol, prompting Catra and Lonnie to do the same. She then opened the door slightly and peeked through, seeing an empty corridor.

“Clear.” She whispered, opening the door fully.

With most of the tower’s inhabitants either asleep or guarding the exterior walls, it was a simple if nerve-wracking task to find a stairwell and ascend to the top floor. The floor was empty save for a ladder leading to the roof and one wooden door.

“This better be it.” Adora muttered, shoving open the flimsy door. The three filed in, weapons at the ready.

Captain Aries looked up from his desk, briefly appearing surprised before his eyes narrowed in contempt.

“I would ask how you managed to bypass our defenses, but your stench is answer enough.” He growled as the infiltrators slowly approached, aiming their weapons at his face.

“Now, now, is that any way to treat a guest?” Adora feigned offense.

“Of course. Where are my manners.” Aries snarled. “I’ll give you a proper Bright Moon welcome.”

Without giving his attackers any time to react, Aries kicked the desk with all his might, sending it skidding towards them. Adora and Catra barely managed to dive out of the way, but Lonnie was too slow and the desk smashed into her head-on, knocking her over and pinning her under it.

Adora rose to her feet just in time to see Aries barrelling towards her, his head down and his horns eager for blood. She raised her pistol, firing a shot that grazed his arm before quickly rolling to the side.

Roaring in pain and fury, Aries stopped and swiveled around, wrenching the pistol from Adora’s grip and crushing it in his hand. The jagged pieces of metal cut into his skin and blood flowed freely from the wounds, but he didn’t even seem to notice.

Adora backed away slowly, her mouth open and eyes wide with shock.

“I… wow, you’re scary…” She admitted, her voice wavering with fear.

Aries snarled and began moving towards her, only for an energy blast to hit him in the side of the face.

“Hey, ugly, forgetting someone?” Catra shouted tauntingly at him from across the room, smirking as she held her pistol with one hand. Aries let out a bloodcurdling roar and charged towards Catra, only for her to effortlessly leap over his head and shoot him in the back.

Aries whirled around, snarling viciously. Catra stuck her tongue out at him.

“Too slow. Better luck next time.” She grinned. But despite her best efforts to distract him, the captain’s gaze turned to Adora, who was attempting to extricate Lonnie from the ruined desk. Without even flinching, he pulled out a jagged metal shard from his hand.

Adora looked up just in time to see Aries bearing down on her.

“Oh, crap...” She muttered right before Aries grabbed her by the collar, hoisting her up in the air with his uninjured arm and holding the shard to her throat with his bloodstained hand.

“Adora!” Catra instinctively shouted, her eyes wide with horror. She aimed her pistol at Aries, but didn’t fire.

“Surrender. Now. Or she dies.” He growled, bringing the shard closer to Adora’s throat.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Catra replied, her initial horror replaced by a merciless glare. Aries looked at her, surprise briefly overriding his combat instincts.

“Why wouldn’t I?” He demanded to know.

“There are five hundred Horde soldiers prepared to attack this pathetic tower." Catra calmly lied. "Adora is the only reason we haven’t razed this place to the ground. She wanted to win without any more bloodshed. But if she dies, guess who’s in charge?”

Catra pointed to herself with a psychotic grin.

“So go ahead, kill her. But if you do, I will slaughter every man, woman, and child on this base, and I will make you watch.”

Aries faltered, the bloodlust in his eyes vanishing.

“I… you can’t be…” He stammered.

“It doesn’t have to end like that. Surrender, relinquish your weapons and I will let you all leave peacefully.” Adora added, having caught on to Catra’s scheme.

A few moments of silence passed.

“Promise me that nobody here will be harmed.” Aries insisted.

“I promise.” Adora answered.

A few seconds later, Aries released her, letting the bloodstained shard fall to the ground.

“I’ll inform my men.” He said quietly, walking out of the office with a trail of blood still leaking from his hand.

When he was gone, Catra looked at Adora with a sly grin.

“Did you like it? I thought I nailed it.” She asked.

“Ehh, you might have gone a bit overboard there, but I guess it worked.” Adora teased.

“Everyone’s a critic.” Catra rolled her eyes.

Lonnie cleared her throat loudly, causing Adora and Catra to look down at her in surprise.

“Can you save the banter for when I’m not trapped under a desk?” She asked irritably.

By the time the three exited the tower, the soldiers and civilians of the tower had all been gathered in the courtyard, their expressions defeated and fearful.

Captain Aries was standing in front of his men, having his hand treated by a medic. He looked up as the Horde soldiers approached.

“This is everyone left. The tower is yours, now honor your promise.” He said firmly.

Adora rubbed her hands together.

“First things first. Kyle, get up here.”

Kyle, still dressed like a woman, slowly stood up and walked over to his compatriots.

“You? You’re with them?” Aries growled.

Kyle nodded sheepishly.

“Sorry, orders are orders.”

“Now, we just need to wait for our reinforcements…” Adora muttered, glancing at the open gate.

Shortly afterward, the armored car pulled up into the courtyard. Rogelio exited the rear hatch, dragging Coward behind him.

“Put him with the rest.” Adora ordered. Rogelio wordlessly shoved him into the throng of captives.

“Now, I suppose Hordak will want to know of our success.” Adora walked into the armored car and sealed the hatch before pressing her badge.

“This is Force Captain Adora to Lord Hordak. I need to speak with you at once.” She said.

A long silence followed before Hordak’s voice came through.

“What?” He irritably demanded.

“We have captured Stonecliff Tower, and most of the garrison has surrendered. What are your orders?” Adora asked.

“Kill them all.” Hordak answered simply.

Adora’s eyes widened.

“Sir, I promised they wouldn’t be harmed. I can’t-” Adora objected.

“Do not make promises you cannot keep. You have your orders, Force Captain. Carry them out.” The line went dead.

Adora looked at the ground in shock for a few moments. Silently, she grabbed a pistol from the supply locker and headed back outside.

“So?” Catra looked at her questioningly. Adora responded by pointing her weapon at Aries, who looked at her in shock.

“Hordak’s orders were clear. We’re to kill them. All of them.” Adora said, trying to conceal the trembling in her voice.

The rest of the Horde soldiers, with the exception of the unarmed Kyle, aimed their weapons in the direction of the captives. Cries of fear emanated from the crowd as they slowly backed away, while Aries simply stared at Adora with an expression of absolute contempt.

“You bastard…” He breathed.

Adora stared him in the eyes as she prepared to fire. The moment seemed to last forever. Adora took a deep breath, tears forming in her eyes.

Slowly, she lowered her pistol.

“Go. Now. Run while you still can.” She said softly.

The captives and her fellow Horde soldiers looked at her in shock, none of them believing what she had just said.

“GO! NOW!” She fired her pistol in the air. The captives took the hint and quickly filed out of the gate into the forest beyond. All except for Captain Aries, who continued staring at Adora.

“You… why?” He managed.

“I… don’t know.” Adora admitted. Silently, Aries followed his men out the door, leaving Adora alone with her squad. Silence dominated the air for quite some time until Catra spoke up.

“I take it back. You really are soft.” Catra said quietly.

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Adora replied, looking at the ground uncertainly.

Chapter Text

The Queen and the Gang appeared on the shore of Salineas, instantly drawing the attention of everyone nearby. The civilians stared at them in shock while several guards quickly rushed forward, tridents at the ready.

“Halt!” One of them, presumably their leader, shouted. “Who are you? What is your business here?”

Queen Angella stepped forward, causing the guards to back away slightly.

“I am Queen Angella of Bright Moon, and these are my ambassadors. They have come in good faith and wish to speak to Princess Mermista. I trust there is no problem here.” She said with a mildly threatening edge.

The guards looked at each other with concern before the leader nodded.

“You may speak to the Princess if you wish. But be warned, her mood may be… less than ideal.” He said nervously.

“What does that mean?” Glimmer eyed him suspiciously.

“You’ll see soon enough.” The guard said cryptically, waving at the four to follow him.

“Good luck.” Angella wished them well before vanishing.

The Gang followed the guards through the settlement. All the while, the locals stared at them with expressions ranging from fear and uncertainty, to outright contempt.

“Doesn’t look like they’re too happy to see us.” Bow muttered surreptitiously.

“Well, hopefully we can change their minds.” Glimmer replied.

Eventually, the guards led them to a large building that towered over the rest of the city. As they did, they saw a peculiar man dressed like a pirate being bodily escorted out of the tower by two guards.

“I’m something of an expert on getting manhandled, but I must say you two are doing an excellent job of it! Have you done this before, by any chance?” He said in an oddly flirtatious tone.

“Yes. To you.” One of the guards said irritably before abruptly releasing him, causing him to fall over on his face. It didn’t seem to bother him any because he immediately leaped to his feet with a shining grin.

“Mermista may not have cared for that poem, but I can always write another! There is nothing Sea Hawk cannot accomplish when he puts his mind to it!” He declared to nobody in particular before joyfully running off.

The Gang of Four exchanged looks of total bewilderment.

“What.” Glimmer said flatly.

“If you’ll follow me, please.” The guard coughed awkwardly. Attempting to put the strange scene out of their minds, the Gang followed him down a long hallway before reaching a massive, ornate double door.

“Mermista’s throne room is just up ahead. Do remember what I said.” The leader said stiffly, returning back to his post without waiting for a response.

The Gang shared a look of trepidation before entering the throne room. It was quite thematically appropriate for a water princess, and looked prettier and more extravagant than the rest of the city put together.

“Wow. Do you think these waterfalls are drinkable?” Spinnerella asked in amazement, gravitating towards the nearest one with a wide smile.

“I think that Mermista might be less than amused if we tried to find out.” Netossa admonished her.

“Right, sorry.” Spinnerella reluctantly tore her gaze from the waterfall. The four slowly walked up to the throne.

Princess Mermista slouched on her throne, flanked by two guards as she angrily tore up a piece of paper.

“Ughhhhh, his poetry just keeps getting worse…” She groaned, letting the paper shreds float to the ground.

“Mistress, we have company.” One of the guards said quietly.

“I’m not blind, you idiot.” She replied before looking at her visitors with bored contempt.

“What?” She bluntly demanded.

“Uh, I… well, you see…” Glimmer rubbed the back of her neck nervously, taken off guard by Mermista’s lack of decorum.

“We’re here to request your support in reforming the Princess Alliance.” Bow stepped forward, covering for her.

“Yeah, that.” Glimmer weakly added.

Mermista snorted derisively.

“Sure, of course I will. After all, the last alliance was sooooo successful, I can’t wait to join another.” Her tone was as dry as the Crimson Wastes.

The Gang stared at her silently for a few moments.

“Ugh.” Mermista sighed. “I respectfully decline your offer as I must focus on the welfare of my people, blah blah blah blah…”

“You can’t be serious! The Horde is a threat to all of Etheria! If we don’t work together, they’ll destroy us all!” Glimmer shouted.

“Glimmer, calm down…” Bow grabbed Glimmer’s shoulder only for her to wrench it away, glaring at the Princess with righteous fury.

“Seems to me when we worked together, they destroyed us all anyway.” Mermista countered without showing a hint of emotion.

“Yeah, they did. And maybe they’ll win no matter what we do. But would you rather sit here and wait for the end or stand up and fight to stop it?” Glimmer demanded.

Mermista stared at them in silence for a few moments.

“My guards will escort you out. Don’t come back.” She said, her voice laced with just a hint of anger.

Glimmer’s eyes narrowed.

“Princesses are supposed to be strong and brave. I see you are neither.”

Her fiery anger was gone, replaced with glacial contempt. Without another word, she turned around and walked away, leaving the rest of the Gang to awkwardly follow her.

“So that… could’ve gone better…” Bow said as they exited the palace.

“The only way it could’ve gone worse is if she joined the Horde.” Netossa sharply remarked.

“Well, I guess we should head back to Bright Moon with the bad news.” Glimmer let out a long sigh, gazing miserably at the horizon.

“Wait.” Netossa said. “This trip may have been a bust, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have some… fun while we’re here.”

The rest of the group looked at her strangely.

“What do you mean, darling?” Spinnerella asked innocently.

“You know… fun…” Netossa winked.

Bow and Glimmer eyed each other while Spinnerella looked at her wife in confusion for a few moments.

“Ohh! You mean sex?” She finally asked, blushing coyly.

Netossa slapped her own forehead while Bow and Glimmer’s cheeks turned the color of ripe tomatoes.

“...Yes, I mean sex.” Netossa answered, mortified.

“Okay you guys have fun we’re just going to go over here!” Glimmer said hurriedly, dragging Bow off and leaving the two lovebirds alone.

“Hey! Where are we going!” Bow asked as they ran down the street, drawing the confused stares of passersby.

“I have no idea!” Glimmer admitted, practically shouting.

“Then maybe we should stop before we…” Bow trailed off as both of them looked at the scene unfolding before them.

Sea Hawk was now running around in a circle while being chased by a burly man wielding a sword. More than a dozen people watched the spectacle, including several guards, but none of them lifted a finger to help.

“I require assistance! Somebody? Anybody?” Sea Hawk cried out as he ran.

Glimmer groaned in annoyance and flung a bolt of energy at Sea Hawk’s pursuer, flinging him to the ground and knocking him out cold. Sea Hawk continued to run around in a circle for roughly ten seconds before he finally realized he wasn’t being chased anymore.

“I’m alive! It’s a miracle! Lady Luck shines on me yet again!” Sea Hawk exclaimed, gazing dramatically at the sky. Glimmer let out a loud, fake cough to draw his attention.

“Actually, I did that. You’re welcome, by the way.” She said dryly as the crowd dispersed.

Sea Hawk practically teleported in front of her, kneeling down and kissing her hand, making Glimmer especially thankful that she was wearing gloves.

“My lady, thank you very so much for protecting me from that ruffian! You are as heroic as you are fair!” He proclaimed. Glimmer grimaced with discomfort while Bow whistled nonchalantly.

“Whatever you say, weirdo. Now if you don’t mind…” Glimmer walked past him, only to find her path blocked yet again by the peculiar man.

“Wait! I can’t let your generosity go unrewarded! There must be some way I can repay you!” He insisted, almost pleadingly.

“That’s not necessary.” Glimmer replied, mostly out of a desire to get away from Sea Hawk as soon as possible.

“But it is! Sea Hawk always pays his debts! Unless he can’t afford to!” Sea Hawk declared proudly.

“Fine, I guess we could use some money.” Glimmer relented.

“Well…” Sea Hawk rubbed the back of his neck. “As it happens, I’m rather broke at the moment. But I have a ship! I can bring you wherever you want to go, on the house!”

“We have teleportation magic, so that’s not necessary.” Glimmer shot him down.

Sea Hawk looked taken aback for a moment before recovering.

“Do you need anything set on fire?” He asked hopefully.

“No.” Glimmer replied curtly before walking past him again. This time he didn’t appear in front of her again, instead watching her leave with an almost despondent expression.

“Glimmer, wait.” Bow caught up to her. “Mermista might have refused to help, but maybe we don’t have to come back empty-handed.”

Glimmer looked back at Sea Hawk, who was now flexing his muscles in a vain attempt to impress her.

“Are you seriously suggesting we try to recruit him?” Glimmer whispered.

“Beggars can’t be choosers. We need everyone we can get, even if they’re… him.” Bow whispered back.

“Recruit me to what, my new friends?” Sea Hawk stuck his head between the two, causing them both to recoil in surprise.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” Glimmer insisted unconvincingly.

“We’re looking for anyone willing to help the Rebellion against the Horde.” Bow answered, drawing a scowl from Glimmer in the process.

“The Rebellion, you say? Well then, count me in!” Sea Hawk replied jubilantly.

“That was quick. Are you sure you know what you’re getting into?” Glimmer asked him skeptically.

“Not at all, but I know there will be ADVENTURE!” He exclaimed with a dramatic pose.

Glimmer stared at Bow.

“I will never forgive you for this.” She said flatly.

It was a long and uncomfortable ride back to the Fright Zone, and for once not because of the bumping and shaking.

With the exception of Rogelio, who was busy driving, the rest of Adora’s squad silently stared at her.

“So… what happens now?” She wondered nervously after the silence had become unbearable.

“What do you mean?” Catra asked.

“I disobeyed a direct order from Lord Hordak. All of you are duty-bound to report me.” Adora answered uncertainly.

“Report what? I didn’t see anything.” Catra replied with a wink.

“If Hordak wants to know what happens on the ground, he can come and see for himself. I ain’t gonna tell him anything.” Lonnie added.

“I don’t want to get you in trouble…” Kyle stammered, refusing to make eye contact.

Adora knocked on the cockpit window.

“What about you, Rogelio?” She asked.

“Friends look out for each other.” He answered simply.

Adora leaned back in her seat, relief rising in her chest.

What Hordak didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Not until she wanted it to.

It was the dead of night when Angella awoke to a knock on her door. Despite her fatigue, she quickly arose and answered the door.

“Hello?” She asked tiredly, only for her eyes to widen in surprise as she saw a bedraggled Captain Aries standing on the other side, breathing heavily and with a hand covered in blood-stained bandages.

“Captain? What are you doing here? What happened?” She asked with concern.

Aries knelt before her, looking at the ground.

“I failed, Your Majesty. Stonecliff Tower belongs to the Horde.” He said through labored breaths.

Angella closed her eyes for a moment. The news was far from surprising, but no less unwelcome for it.

“What happened?” She asked softly.

“They played me for a fool. I lost nineteen men to an ambush, and then they infiltrated the tower. I was forced to surrender.” Aries informed her.

“How did you escape?” Angella inquired.

“I… we didn’t. The commander… Adora, I think her name was…” He didn’t notice Angella’s eyebrows raise at the name. “Hordak ordered her to kill us all, but she didn’t. She let us go.”

“...Interesting.” Angella said after a brief silence. “Captain, I believe you and your surviving men have earned a respite from combat.”

Aries looked up at her in confusion.

“I… I don’t understand. Is this because I failed?” He asked.

“No, not at all.” Angella answered gently, bidding him to rise. “You are a great and noble warrior, but even you need your rest.”

“I’ll rest when the Horde is destroyed.” Aries said gruffly.

“That may not happen for many years. In the meantime, you must rest, even if I have to order you to do it.” Angella insisted.

“I… will do as you command, Your Majesty.” Aries bowed, turning to leave.

“There is one more thing I’d like to ask of you.” Angella stopped him.

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Aries looked back at her.

“You and your soldiers must not tell anyone the truth of what happened. As far as everyone else is concerned, you escaped from a Horde massacre.” Angella said rather ominously.

“I’m not sure I understand…” Aries looked at her oddly.

“You don’t need to understand. You only need to follow orders.” Angella replied curtly, closing the door without giving him a chance to reply.

Aries stared at the door for a long time before walking away silently, burying his uncertainty as deep as it would go.

“Adora.” Catra flicked Adora’s face with a finger, waking her from her nap. The armored car had returned to the Fright Zone, and the rest of the squad had already returned to their barracks.

“Mm. Are we there yet?” Adora asked sleepily.

“Yeah. Now c’mon, sleepyhead. Hordak wants a word with us.” Catra replied.

Adora quickly rose to her feet, feeling quite nervous. Hordak didn’t know, did he?

Adora followed Catra through the Fright Zone until they reached Hordak’s throne room. They knelt before him as he regarded them coldly.

“Force Captain Adora. Force Captain Catra.” He began. “Your performance against Stonecliff Tower was far greater than I expected. Even with such limited resources, you destroyed the enemy completely. It seems your initial success was not a fluke after all.”

If Hordak intended that to be a compliment, it sure didn’t sound like one.

“Thank you, Lord Hordak. It is an honor to fight in your name.” Adora lied.

“Of course it is.” He said flippantly as the sound of approaching footsteps emanated from behind them. Adora and Catra glanced at the source to see Scorpia slowly walking towards the throne with a defeated expression and several arrows sticking out of her carapace.

“Force Captain Scorpia, what excellent timing. I trust Plumeria has suffered the Horde’s vengeance?” Hordak inquired.

Adora couldn’t tell if Hordak was being serious, given how obvious it was from Scorpia’s body language that she had failed.

“Uh, well, about that, sir. You know those helpless natives that you said wouldn’t pose a threat? They’re not so helpless anymore.” Scorpia answered as she plucked one of the arrows out of her pincer.

Hordak growled as he slouched back in his chair.

“Failure. I should have expected as much. Get out of my sight.” He dismissed her without a second glance. Scorpia left the throne room, despondently staring at the ground.

Hordak returned his gaze to Adora and Catra.

“Your success has been noted. When the next major offensive happens, I will be sure to call on you. Dismissed.”

The two quickly left the throne room and headed back to the barracks.

“Man, this has been exhausting. I can’t wait to get some…” Adora trailed off as she opened the door to find Shadow Weaver hovering in the middle of the room, staring at them.

“Adora. Catra.” Shadow Weaver greeted them with transparently deceptive courtesy.

“What do you want?” Catra demanded.

“Can’t a mother simply talk to her children?” Shadow Weaver asked with feigned offense.

“Since when do you ever just talk to us?” Catra asked incredulously.

“Besides, it’s late and I’m…” Adora finished her sentence with an exaggerated yawn.

“Don’t worry, this won’t take long. I’m simply here to tell you that I know.” Shadow Weaver said cryptically.

“You know? Know what?” Catra looked at her suspiciously.

“Don’t insult me with your pitiful attempts at lying. I know what you two are planning.” Shadow Weaver replied.

Adora’s heart leaped in her chest. It was impossible. There was no way.

“And I want to help you.” Shadow Weaver continued.

Chapter Text

Adora and Catra stared at Shadow Weaver, eyes wide and mouths agape.

“You… you what?” Adora stammered.

“I believe I made myself quite clear.” Shadow Weaver replied with a hint of irritation.

“Yeah, right. Since when have you ever helped us with anything?” Catra crossed her arms, having mostly recovered from the shock.

“As difficult as it may be for you to believe, I have always had your interests at heart.” Shadow Weaver said patronizingly. “Lord Hordak may have founded the Horde, but he lacks the vision required to lead it to victory.”

“I’m surprised you don’t want to rule yourself.” Catra spat back, glaring at her.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Nobody would ever willingly follow me.” Shadow Weaver replied evenly.

“At least you admit it.” Catra snorted.

“Leaving aside your trivial interruptions, there is still the matter of my offer.” Shadow Weaver shifted her gaze to Adora.

“What exactly do you have in mind?” Adora cautiously asked.

“Hordak’s confidence in me has waned significantly since the attack on Bright Moon, but I still have the power of the Black Garnet.” Shadow Weaver briefly conjured a shadow creature, its bright crimson eyes staring soullessly at Adora. “My dark eyes and ears can see everything in this cursed land, and beyond. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how useful that will be.”

“And what, we’re just supposed to trust you?” Catra stared at Shadow Weaver cynically.

“You don’t need to trust me, nor should you.” Shadow Weaver replied in a rare moment of honesty. “Just know that if you refuse my assistance, I will inform Hordak of your little plot.”

Silence ensued for a few moments as Adora and Catra looked at each other. Adora let out a deep breath before facing Shadow Weaver again.

“Alright, welcome to the team.” Adora said, less than enthusiastically.

“Splendid. Have a good night, both of you.” Shadow Weaver responded with insincere civility before departing, leaving the two alone in the barracks.

“Great. I’m sure this will end well.” Catra muttered dryly.

“If she wanted to tell Hordak, she would have. Maybe she really does want to help us.” Adora replied, sounding more certain than she felt.

“Shadow Weaver has never done anything that didn’t benefit her in some way. She probably wants to turn us into puppets and rule the Horde through us.” Catra retorted before flinging herself on her bed.

“Whatever the case, it won’t hurt to keep our eyes open. Figuratively speaking.” Adora yawned, getting into her own bed.

“Night, Catra…” Adora mumbled as she quickly fell asleep, unaware of Catra’s longing gaze.

The Gang of Four all stood in the war room, watching Queen Angella as she stared at the map thoughtfully.

“Mermista’s refusal leaves us at a significant disadvantage. Still, we can’t lose heart.” She began.” The Princess Prom happens in little over a week, and with it comes a prime opportunity to convince Frosta to join us. With her powers and the White Army on our side, we might actually have a chance of winning this war.”

“Frosta lost her parents at the Black Forest.” Spinnerella recalled somberly. “Do you really think she’ll be willing to commit to another alliance?”

“We’ll never know unless we ask.” Bow replied.

“We might have a better chance of convincing her if we were able to, you know, win a battle once and a while.” Glimmer grumbled.

“I guess Plumeria doesn’t count?” Netossa asked with more than a hint of sass.

“We can’t defeat the Horde just by holding what we still have. We need to take back what they’ve stolen.” Glimmer raised her voice, but stopped short of yelling.

“You know as well as I do that we simply do not have the manpower to launch an offensive. Not without leaving ourselves completely exposed.” Angella replied patiently.

“If we don’t bring the fight to them, it’s only a matter of time until we lose everything.” Glimmer stared her mother down, gritting her teeth.

“If we recklessly charge into battle, the only thing that will change is how quickly we fall.” Angella responded evenly. “Our best hope is to get as many allies as we can. Then we can discuss launching an attack.”

“Mermista refused to join us because of what happened last time. What if Frosta does too? Castaspella? Entrapta?” Glimmer angrily demanded.

“Then we stand with Plumeria against the darkness.” Angella answered softly.

Glimmer let out a long groan.

“I can’t take this anymore…” She stomped out of the war room.

“Uh, excuse me.” Bow bowed awkwardly before following Glimmer out.

Angella sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“I’ve fought wars that were easier than raising this girl…” She muttered to herself.

Lord Hordak sat on his throne, staring down at Adora as Catra as they bowed before him.

“You summoned us, Lord Hordak?” Adora asked respectfully.

“The Princesses have a decennial event known that they call the Princess Prom.” He spat out the name as if the words themselves were poisonous. “It will be held in the Kingdom of Snows on the Seventh of March, and all Princesses are allowed to attend regardless of affiliation.”

“Begging your pardon, my lord, but how does that help us? We don’t have any Princesses in our ranks.” Adora looked at him curiously.

“That is where you are wrong.” A slight grin formed on Hordak’s twisted face. “As a matter of fact, there is one standing right behind you.”

Adora immediately whirled around, raising her hands defensively.

“Get away from me, you- Scorpia?” Adora lowered her hands in confusion as she came face to face with the crustaceous Force Captain.

“That’s my name.” Scorpia put her pincers on her hips.

“Wait…” Adora turned back to Hordak. “You’re joking, right?”

“I never joke.” Hordak replied bluntly. “Scorpia may not have access to the powers of a Princess, but she is by all legal rights the heir to the defunct realm of Chelicera. As such, they have allowed her to attend the Princess Prom despite her allegiance to the Horde.”

Adora looked back at Scorpia, stunned.

“You’re… you’re a Princess…” She breathed.

“Sure am. Don’t worry, though, I’m as loyal to Hordak as you are.” Scorpia reassured her. Catra snorted quietly at the irony.

Suppressing her surprise for the moment, Adora turned back to Hordak.

“What would you have us do?” She asked.

“There will be heavy security and hostile Princesses present.” Hordak explained. “You and Scorpia will distract them without breaking any of their asinine rules. Catra will take the rest of your squad and plant thermal charges on the roof of the palace. Do this right, and the Kingdom of Snows will never be a problem again.”

Adora realized that such a plan would result in hundreds or even thousands of innocent deaths, but knew better than to raise her objections.

“A most excellent plan, my lord. We will not fail you.” Adora lied through her teeth.

“I will believe it when I see it. Dismissed.” Hordak leaned back in his chair.

The three Force Captains quickly left his presence and began walking down the halls together.

“Hey, Adora, I know this might be a bit forward, but would you like to learn how to dance with me?” Scorpia asked.

Adora stopped in her tracks, looking at Scorpia like she had just grown a second head. Catra also stopped, staring at Scorpia with a silent but distinctly murderous expression.

“You… what?” Adora responded in bewilderment. The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Scorpia’s eyes widened and her cheeks became as red as her pincers.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean like that. Not romantic or anything. I mean you’re cute and all but I wouldn’t want to impose on you two and maybe I should just stop talking.” Scorpia rambled on, her eyes shifting around like ping pong balls as both Adora and Catra stared her down.

“Maybe you should start again.” Adora firmly suggested.

“Good idea.” Scorpia hastily agreed. “You see, it’s expected that attendees to the Princess Prom will, uh, dance. Now my parents taught me how a long time ago, so I’m good, but I’m pretty sure they don’t cover that in basic training.”

“Are you suggesting that I don’t know how to dance?” Adora accused her.

“Not suggesting, exactly. More like… assuming.” Scorpia corrected her, refusing to make eye contact.

“How does that make any difference?” Adora half-shouted, causing Scorpia to flinch despite being far larger.

“Why are you being so defensive? We both know you can’t dance to save your life.” Catra crossed her arms smugly.

Adora glared at Catra. “I can too! Let’s find somewhere open so I can prove it!”

“As it so happens, I know just the place.” Scorpia said with a smile.

A few minutes later, the three entered the training room. It was completely devoid of obstacles and enemies, which allowed them to appreciate how utterly massive it truly was.

“When I said somewhere open, I didn’t mean it had to be this open.” Adora said, uncertain about Scorpia’s plan.

“Hey, no training is scheduled here until tomorrow, so we have all day to practice.” Scorpia replied.

“I don’t need to practice! I can dance just fine already!” Adora angrily insisted.

“If that’s the case, prove it.” Catra said with a sly grin.

Without another word, Adora walked several meters into the room. Letting out a long sigh, she fully extended her arms and began spinning around in place with an overly large grin plastered to her face.

Scorpia and Catra glanced at each other for a few moments. Almost in unison, they fell into their backs, howling with laughter.

“That’s… the worst dancing I’ve ever seen!” Catra exclaimed breathlessly.

“And you thought that was good? I’m dying!” Scorpia bellowed.

Adora quickly stopped ‘dancing’ and crossed her arms, glaring at the two.

“Well then, oh mighty Princess of Dance, what wisdom can you bestow upon me?” She asked, her words bloated with sarcasm.

Still laughing, Scorpia and Catra got to their feet.

“Well… first of all, you’re going to need a partner.” Scorpia explained. “Now while I’d like to…” She opened and closed her pincers for effect. “I can’t. That leaves Catra.”

“What?” Catra exclaimed. “You expect me to dance with Adora?”

“What’s the matter, Catra?” It was Adora’s turn to look smug. “Don’t you know how to dance?”

“I’m definitely better than you.” Catra scoffed.

“Uh-huh. We’ll just see about that, won’t we.” Adora retorted.

“Okay, this dance is fairly simple, but it’s easy to get tripped up if you aren’t careful. We’ll start by learning the moves individually. Hopefully that will mean less feet get stepped on.” Scorpia began.

What followed was several extremely tedious hours as Adora and Catra slowly learned the basic moves. All the while, Scorpia cheerfully encouraged them like a mother teaching her baby how to walk.

Finally, with Adora and Catra exhausted and bored in equal measure, their progress satisfied Scorpia.

“Wow, you’ve really learned a lot today. Are you ready to take the next step? Heheh.” Scorpia chuckled at the terrible pun.

“Ugh, what now…” Adora groaned, rubbing her back.

“Well, dancing alone is somewhat frowned upon at the Princess Prom. You’ll need to know how to dance with a partner.” Scorpia replied shiftily.

“Why are we even bothering with this nonsense, anyway? We’re just going to blow the place up!” Catra growled irritably.

“Catra has a point.” Adora admitted.

“Well, uh, yeah, but…” Scorpia stammered. “Well, you see, while the Prom is technically neutral ground, they’ll still be very suspicious of us due to our Horde ties. If I bring someone along as infamous as you, and you can’t even dance, they’ll be so suspicious that it could jeopardize the plan!”

Adora and Catra crossed their arms, staring at Scorpia with identical expressions of doubt.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a terrible liar?” Catra dryly asked.

“All the time. But I’m not lying! I mean, why would I? We’re all on the same side, I have no reason to lie. Do I look like a liar to you?” Scorpia rambled, her voice wavering and eyes darting around.

“Right now? Uh, yeah, you do.” Adora replied bluntly.

“Oh, well, uh… I have to go!” Scorpia abruptly shouted before sprinting out of the training room as fast as she could.

Adora and Catra watched her leave with blank stares.

“...What was that about?” Adora asked aloud.

“I have no idea.” Catra lied.

“Well, I guess this was a waste of time. Wanna go get dinner?” Adora asked, walking towards the exit.

“Wait.” Catra said, stopping Adora in her tracks.

“What’s up?” Adora asked curiously.

“It’d… be a shame if we did all that for nothing. Would you…” Catra blushed lightly, averting her eyes. “Like to try dancing with me?”

A similar blush appeared on Adora’s cheeks.

“Sure thing, Catra.” Adora answered with a smile, walking back towards her.

“Oh! Okay!” Catra said rather loudly, as if she hadn’t expected Adora to say yes. “So, uh, how did it go again?”

“Like this, I think...” Adora moved close enough for them to feel each other’s breath, clasping Catra’s hands in her own. They slowly moved around the room, performing the steps almost flawlessly. But neither of them really noticed.

Were Catra’s eyes always so pretty? Adora couldn’t remember. She couldn’t remember any time she had stared into them so closely and for so long.

“Catra…” Her heart pounded in her chest. From what, she wasn’t sure.

“Yeah?” Catra purred softly.

“I love you…” Adora dreamily whispered. Barely a second passed before her eyes widened in shock, her expression mirrored on Catra’s face.

“I, I mean…” She stammered, recoiling from Catra and attempting to move away, her face bright red. “I’m sorry, I made this weird. Let’s just get out of here and pretend this never…”

Adora trailed off as Catra closed the distance between them, their eyes meeting again.

“You’re such an idiot…” Catra smiled before planting her lips on Adora’s own.

Adora’s eyes widened in shock, her heart beating wildly. The kiss was short and light, but for both of them it was practically magical.

“I love you too, Adora.” Catra whispered as her tail wrapped around Adora’s legs.

As transfixed as they were on each other, neither of them noticed the figure watching them from the door. With a subdued smile, Scorpia turned and left.

“Hey. Adora?”

Adora didn’t stir, remaining deep in slumber. Catra looked down at her with annoyance.

“Adoooora?” She loudly drew out, but to no avail. With an irritated grunt, she smacked Adora upside the head. Even when mostly holding back, it was more than enough.

“Ow!” Adora cried out, instantly sitting up and rubbing her head. She looked up at Catra, distinctly unamused. “What was that for?”

“Not waking up.” Catra replied with a smirk. “Come on, we’ve gotta head out. The Prom is today and we have to go now if we don’t want to be late to the party.”

“Oh, right, that…” Adora muttered, her mind still somewhat foggy.

Catra held out a hand, which Adora gratefully took. Catra pulled Adora to her feet, but didn’t let go immediately, instead using the opportunity to give Adora a brief kiss on the lips.

“That doesn’t make up for hitting me, you know.” Adora remarked dryly, although her blushing smile said something quite different.

“Who said I was trying to make up for anything?” Catra grinned.

Together they made it down to the hangar, where Scorpia and the squad stood near the entrance, staring at where the gunship should have been.

“Hey, we’re here.” Adora said before she noticed the shipless hangar. “Where’s the ship?”

“You know, I was just wondering the same thing.” Scorpia turned to Adora with a wide smile. “Crazy, huh?”

“Yeah… totally…” Adora replied hesitantly.

“Did we go to the wrong hangar or something?” Lonnie boredly asked.

“No, no, I double-checked.” Kyle nervously insisted. “This is Hangar Five. The ship should be here.”

“But it’s not.” Lonnie pointed out.

“Maybe the pilot is running late?” Kyle suggested.

“She better get here soon then.” Catra growled threateningly, clenching her fists.

“I’m sure she will.” Adora reassured her, putting an arm over her shoulder. Catra’s anger quickly faded, replaced with a small smile and gentle purring.

“So, you two finally kissed. About time.” Lonnie said with all the tact of a flamethrower.

Adora blankly stared at Lonnie, her eyes as wide as saucers, while Catra extended her claws and hissed at her.

“Who told you that?” Catra demanded furiously.

Lonnie raised her arms behind her head, looking at the two with an amused smirk. Catra’s attempt at intimidation didn’t seem to affect her at all.

“Please, like I needed anyone to tell me.” Lonnie snorted. “Even Kyle is better at hiding his feelings.”

Kyle’s eyes widened and he began staring very intently at the floor.

“So how many people know? N-not that I’m admitting to anything…” Adora touched the tips of her fingers together nervously.

“Everyone in Etheria, would be my guess.” Lonnie replied snarkily.

“Well, fine. I don’t care who knows or what they think! Especially not you!” Catra defensively shouted, her tail puffing up.

Lonnie lowered her arms.

“Hey, I’m not trying to start a fight here. I’m happy for you. Really.” Her tone was dry but nonetheless sincere.

“I second that. Love is wonderful and you two make a lovely couple.” Scorpia clasped her pincers together and looked at them with an adoring expression.

Lonnie elbowed Kyle in the shoulder.

“Ow! Oh, right, I’m, uh, happy for you too.” Kyle stammered awkwardly.

“What they said.” Rogelio grunted succinctly.

“Well, that’s uh, great…” Adora mumbled with an embarrassed grin.

Thankfully, the moment was interrupted by the sound of roaring engines as the gunship glided easily into the hangar.

“Finally.” Catra groaned. The squad quickly walked over to the ship and up the boarding ramp.

Adora eyed the large metal crate in the corner warily as everyone took their seats.

“Sorry, kids.” Puff replied dryly without turning to face them. “Took longer than expected to load the explosives on board. Don’t touch them, by the way.”

“Are you sure you just didn’t get lost?” Catra sarcastically asked.

“I never get lost, Captain Kitten.” Puff replied calmly.

Catra’s body went rigid with fury and embarrassment as she leapt to her feet.

“Captain Kitten!?” Her voice cracked cutely as she shouted, much to the amusement of everyone present.

“Aw, it sounds so cute…” Adora teased.

“I am not cute! I am deadly!” Catra growled, convincing precisely nobody.

“Why not both?” Adora said with a sly smile.

“Because I… ugh, forget it. Let’s just get out of here already.” She plopped back into her seat with a resigned sigh.

“Your wish is my command. I hope you all brought winter coats.” Puff remarked.

The ship slowly lifted off of the ground before flying out of the hangar and speeding towards the Kingdom of Snows. Most of the squad fell asleep in a matter of minutes, leaving only Puff, Adora, and Catra awake.

“We’re gonna need to think of a plan before we get there.” Adora said quietly after a long period of silence.

“Do we? I thought we already had a plan.” Catra replied, giving Adora a confused glance.

“Hordak had a plan.” Adora corrected her. “We need a different one.”

“Are you sure we should be talking about this in front of, you know…” Catra whispered, tilting her head in Puff’s direction.

“You mean your plot to overthrow Hordak?” Puff asked casually. Catra and Adora stared at her in shock.

“What…” Adora managed, her heart sinking in her chest.

“Don’t worry, kids. The spooky lady told me everything. Your secret is safe with me.” Puff replied with a teasing edge to her voice.

“And you don’t have a problem with what we’re trying to do?” Catra raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Nope.” Puff bluntly answered.

“Um, well, I guess we can go back to planning, then.” Adora said, looking at Catra uncertainly.

“I don’t have a problem with blowing everyone up, but if you have a better idea, let’s hear it.” Catra replied, leaning back and placing her arms behind her head.

“Well, I’ve been thinking…” Adora rubbed her chin. “The Kingdom of Snows has been neutral ever since the Black Forest. They are clearly afraid of entering into another war with the Horde.”

“What a brilliant analysis, Force Captain Obvious.” Catra remarked with an unimpressed smirk.

“I wasn’t finished.” Adora chided her. “If all Frosta wants is peace, then all we have to do is convince her the only way is to help us defeat both Hordak and the Rebellion.”

“Oh, is that all?” Catra snorted in disbelief. “Maybe we can convince Queen Angella to go on a date with Kyle while we’re at it.”

“Hey, I don’t see you coming up with any ideas!” Adora pouted, crossing her arms.

“Why should I when we have a crate full of firebombs and a giant frozen palace filled with Princesses?” Catra retorted.

“Because… I…” Adora stammered as she struggled to think of a convincing reason.

“Because innocent people would die.” Catra answered for her.

“...Yeah.” Adora reluctantly admitted, staring down at the floor.

“You’re so soft.” Catra let out a quiet sigh. “But you wouldn’t be Adora otherwise.”

A few seconds of silence passed.

“We’ll do it your way. But if this doesn’t work, I am so going to rub it in your face.” Catra said with a teasing smile.

“That’s a fair trade.” Adora smiled back.

Queen Angella and the Gang of Four appeared at the entrance of the frozen palace, drawing only a few second glances from the crowd around them.

“Here we are. I hope you all enjoy yourselves.” Angella said warmly.

“You’re not coming?” Glimmer asked.

“I have other matters to attend to. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll do fine.” Angella reassured her before vanishing in a flash of light.

“Ooh, I can’t wait to get ice cream!” Spinnerella eagerly ran forward towards the doors.

“Spinny, wait! Come- ugggh.” Netossa groaned, chasing after her wayward spouse.

“...Well, guess we should head in.” Glimmer said, her voice tinted with anxiety.

The two approached the doors, only to be stopped by a spear-wielding guard.

“No weapons allowed on the premises. You must leave your bow outside.” The guard said firmly, pointing to a nearby kiosk where weapons were being stored.

“You can have my bow when you take it from my cold, dead hands!” Bow proclaimed dramatically, placing his hands on his hips and puffing out his chest.

Rolling her eyes, Glimmer took the bow from off his back and turned it in to the kiosk.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this! I have been betrayed by the one I trusted most!” Bow cried out, falling to his knees in anguish.

Everyone nearby stared at him like he was insane, except Glimmer who just let out an annoyed sigh.

“Bow, really? Now?” She asked incredulously.

“Sorry.” Bow sheepishly rose to his feet.

“Ugh, come on, let’s go…” Glimmer trailed off as she saw something in the sky. A small shape that seemed to be slowly getting larger. As it got closer, Glimmer’s eyes widened as she recognized the profile of a Horde gunship.

“It’s the Horde! We’re under attack!” Glimmer shouted, gathering magical energy in her hands.

“Stand down!” Two guards quickly pointed their spears at her throat.

“What are you doing? The Horde is attacking!” Glimmer growled.

“This is neutral ground. The Horde is welcome here, just as you are. Now stand down at once or we will have no choice but to use force.” The guards punctuated the statement by moving the tips of their spears closer to Glimmer’s throat.

Glimmer glared up at the approaching ship for a few moments before the energy in her hands dissipated. The guards lowered their spears and returned to their posts.

“I can’t believe they’re letting the Horde in here. After everything they’ve done…” Glimmer growled, not taking her eyes off of the ship.

“It’s their party, so it’s their rules. We need to focus on convincing Frosta to help the Rebellion.” Bow reminded her.

“Who in the Horde even got an invitation?” Glimmer grumbled as the ship slowly descended onto the entrance platform. “Don’t tell me Hordak is considered a Princess just because he stole the Black Garnet.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to see…” Bow said cautiously as the ship’s ramp lowered.

Adora and Scorpia descended from the ship, now dressed in formal attire. Glimmer’s eyes widened as she recognized Adora. Without thinking, she charged forward and stared Adora down, only a few centimeters separating their faces.

“You! What are you doing here?” Glimmer growled furiously.

“Enjoying the party.” Adora replied with a cunning smile.

“You… whatever you’re planning, I’ll stop it!” Glimmer shouted in her face, flecks of spit landing on Adora’s cheeks.

“You’re going to stop me from enjoying the party?” Adora asked calmly, even as it took every ounce of willpower she had to resist the urge to bash Glimmer’s face in.

“I… gah!” Glimmer swirled around and stormed away. Bow awkwardly waved at them before following her.

“Who was that?” Scorpia asked, rubbing her head with a pincer.

“My least favorite person on Etheria.” Adora ground her teeth.

“Yeah, I can see that.” Scorpia looked at Adora with concern. “Is she going to be a problem?”

“Definitely.” Adora replied.

“You seem to know her better, so maybe you should try and distract her and I’ll distract the guy whose shirt is too small.” Scorpia suggested.

“Why would we do that?” Adora asked dumbly.

“Uh, because we’re here to distract everyone while the others rig this place to blow?” Scorpia cocked her head. “You do remember why we’re here, right?”

Adora’s eyes widened. She had completely forgotten that Scorpia wasn’t in on the plan.

“Oh, right, of course! That plan. Yes, yes, right, go, uh, distract him. Yeah, do that.” Adora stiffly stammered out.

“Are you okay?” Scorpia asked.

“Yes!” Adora almost shouted. “Uh, yes, I’m fine. Just nervous is all.”

Scorpia smiled and wrapped Adora in a gentle embrace.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure everything will be fine.” She cooed, not seeming to notice Adora staring up at her with a look of abject horror on her face.

“Please don’t do that.” Adora quietly objected.

“Sorry, I’m a hugger.” Scorpia blushed shyly as she released Adora. “Let’s head inside, shall we?”

After depositing her pistol at the kiosk, Adora followed Scorpia into the ballroom. A large crowd was already present, enjoying the pleasures of the dance floor as well as the expansive buffet.

“Wow…” Adora breathed as she took it all in. “It’s… beautiful.”

“Sure is. For now, anyway.” Scorpia’s voice had a notable hint of sadness in it.

“Ahem.” Adora cleared her throat. “We should introduce ourselves to the Princess.”

“Right. They’d get suspicious if we didn’t. Er, more suspicious.” Scorpia replied.

The two walked past the festivities and up to the throne, where Frosta stoically watched over the partygoers. Scorpia stopped and bowed her head slightly, a move which Adora copied.

“Princess Scorpia of Chelicera.” Frosta said tersely. “You and your partner are honored guests of the Kingdom of Snows for the duration of the Princess Prom. Do not think that means I have forgiven you.”

Her eyes were solely focused on Scorpia, ignoring Adora entirely.

“I understand, Your Grace.” Scorpia solemnly answered, drawing a curious glance from Adora.

“Good. Enjoy your evening.” Frosta dismissed them calmly.

Scorpia and Adora walked away from the throne and back into the party.

“Now with that out of the way, I should go look for that guy.” Scorpia said, scanning the crowd.

“Wait, what was that all about?” Adora asked.

“Oh, just a formality. You know, they’ve done it for centuries so we have to keep doing it forever.” Scorpia explained.

“No, I mean… why did Frosta say that? That she hasn’t forgiven you, I mean.” Adora said.

“Oh, that? I don’t know, she was probably just talking about my service to the Horde.” Scorpia rubbed her head with a pincer nervously.

Adora raised an eyebrow, but decided not to press the matter further.

“Alright, time to begin. I’ll, uh, distract Glimmer and you… you do your thing.” Adora nodded to her.

“Roger that.” Scorpia saluted before returning to Bow hunting.

Adora began moving through the crowd, back towards Frosta. She stopped short when she noticed Glimmer standing before the throne, having an animated discussion with the child Princess.

“After all that the Horde’s done, after all the people they’ve killed… you’re letting them just walk in here like nothing happened?” Glimmer clenched her fists, coming dangerously close to yelling.

“The traditions of the Princess Prom are older than any of us, your mother included. Even during the Civil War, the traditions were upheld. I will not be the first ruler to break them, and there is nothing you can say or do that will change my mind.” Frosta stared Glimmer down, her voice and eyes as cold as the palace itself.

“You think the Horde cares about our traditions? Whether today or next year, they will come for you, and they will destroy everything you hold dear!” Glimmer exclaimed.

“They would not be the first to try. They will fail, as all have before.” Frosta replied calmly.

“So you’ll let the rest of the world burn, then?” Glimmer demanded.

“I am the Princess of Snows, not the Princess of Etheria. It is not my responsibility to protect the world, only my people. And I will not do that by joining in your foolish war.” Frosta leaned back on her throne.

Glimmer visibly seethed, but took a deep breath.

“I understand. Thank you for your time.” She said curtly, turning around and shooting Adora a nasty glare before walking back into the party.

Adora watched Glimmer retreat for a few moments with a small smile. If she couldn’t get Frosta to join her, at least Glimmer couldn’t either.

She briefly considered speaking to Frosta, but decided on another path. The bridge between her and the Rebellion was already shaky. Now it was only a matter of burning it to ash.

With a sly grin, Adora began following Glimmer.

The bellicose Princess had wandered over to the buffet, glumly picking out food. Adora slid up next to her, looking at her plate.

“Ooh, that looks good. Can I have some?” Adora asked mischieviously.

“Yeah, go get a plate like everyone else.” Glimmer scowled.

“Sure thing!” Adora cheerily grabbed a plate and filled it with chocolate chip cookies before beginning to eat messily from it, all the while following Glimmer around as she tried to walk away from her.

“Why are you following me?” Glimmer finally turned around and glared at Adora.

“I’m not following you. I’m just eating.” Adora said innocently, her mouth partially filled with cookie bits.

“Eugh, eat with your mouth closed! Do they not teach manners in the Horde?” Glimmer groaned in disgust. In reply, Adora stuck her tongue out, which was still speckled with cookie remnants.

“Gah, you’re as evil as you are gross.” Glimmer abandoned her plate and quickly walked away from Adora, heading towards the dance floor. Adora finished off the last of the cookies before continuing to follow her.

The dance floor was rather busy, with more than a dozen couples slowly traipsing across it and occasionally switching with each other. Adora waded in and found herself dancing with a woman she dimly recognized.

“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Adora asked, eying her dance partner.

“Do we?” Spinnerella’s brow furrowed. “I don’t recall, sorry.”

“Hrm, maybe I’m just imagining things.” Adora frowned.

The partners switched and now Adora’s partner was none other than Scorpia.

“Wait, what are you doing here?” Adora whispered.

“Following Glimmer's friend. What are you doing here?” Scorpia whispered back.

“Following Glimmer.” Adora whispered in reply.

“Huh. What are the chances?” Scorpia wondered loudly.

Another switch followed soon after.

“Nice party, huh?” Catra casually remarked.

“Yeah, I guess it is.” Adora replied before having a double take.

“Catra?” Adora asked in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“I got bored waiting in the ship, so I snuck in.” Catra answered coyly. “Do you like my outfit?”

Adora looked down to see Catra wearing an exquisite crimson tuxedo.

“Yes, it’s very dapper.” Adora admitted with a slight blush. “Now get back to the ship before you get caught.”

“Fine. Buzzkill.” Catra gave Adora a peck on the cheek before disappearing as abruptly as she had appeared.

Finally, another switch happened and Adora ended up with the dance partner she wanted.

“May I have this dance, milady?” Adora asked Glimmer tauntingly as they began an extremely tense and uncomfortable waltz.

“Is this what the mighty Horde has been reduced to? Trying to annoy people to death?” Glimmer asked with exasperation.

“Not exactly…” Adora replied ominously.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Glimmer scowled.

“You have a brain. Figure it out…” Adora trailed off with a menacing grin.

“Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. I won’t let it.” Glimmer responded confidently.

“Oh, you sweet summer child… you’re assuming it hasn’t already…” Adora with a soft, mocking tone.

“What?” Glimmer’s eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the thermal charges that have been placed throughout the palace. At the push of a button, I can end the Princess Prom and the Kingdom of Snows. Forever.” Adora smiled sweetly.

“You… no, you can’t… I WON’T LET YOU!” Glimmer roared, tackling Adora and sending them both careening to the ground. Adora landed hard on her back, pain lancing through her body.

“Where’s the detonator! Where is it?” Glimmer shouted, pawing wildly at Adora's dress as everyone looked on in stunned silence.

Glimmer stopped as she saw the pained yet smug grin on Adora’s face.

“So predictable…” Adora’s laugh turned into a cough.

Glimmer’s eyes widened as she realized that she had been deceived. Only moments later, several guards arrived, aiming their spears at Glimmer’s throat.

Glimmer raised her arms in surrender, her fury replaced by stunned disbelief.

“I… I can explain… she…” Glimmer weakly stammered.

“She is an honored guest of the Kingdom of Snows, as you were.” Princess Frosta coldly interrupted her, regarding her fellow Princess with undisguised contempt.

“The Princess Prom is supposed to be a time where even sworn rivals put aside their differences. I see that you were unable to respect this. As such, I have no choice but to order you to leave my kingdom at once. Guards, escort her out.” Frosta commanded.

The guards escorted Glimmer and Bow out of the palace, with Glimmer staring miserably at the floor despite Bow’s futile attempts to cheer her up.

Adora struggled to get to her feet, only for the pain to worsen. She then noticed a pincer being extended in front of her. She gratefully grabbed on, and Scorpia helped her to her feet.

“Thanks, Scorpia.” Adora muttered.

“No problem.” Scorpia said with a smile.

The two turned over to Frosta, who was staring at them ambivalently.

“I deeply apologize for the behavior of Princess Glimmer. Her actions violated the spirit of our ancient traditions, and she will be punished to the greatest possible extent.” Frosta reassured them.

“Thank you, Your Grace, that’s… ow.” Adora winced, rubbing her sore back.

“If you are in need of medical attention, we have healers I can call on.” Frosta offered.

“No, that’s fine. Just some back pain.” Adora replied through gritted teeth.

“Very well. If you will excuse me, I must return to my post.” Frosta turned around and began walking back to her throne.

“...So. What now?” Scorpia asked after a few moments of silence.

“Enjoy yourself. I need to talk to the Princess.” Adora said before following Frosta. Scorpia watched her leave in confusion before shrugging and returning to the dance floor.

Adora approached Frosta’s throne, swallowing her hesitance. This was going to be an extremely risky move, one that could either end with her and Catra sharing Hordak’s throne or sharing an early grave.

“Your Grace, I need to speak with you. In private.” Adora said soberly.

Frosta gazed down at her, her expression unreadable. After a few moments, she gave a slight nod.

“Come with me.” Frosta said curtly as she stood up from her throne. Adora followed Catra down several corridors and into a private audience chamber.

“Wait outside.” She said to the guards, who duly followed her instruction. Now the two were alone.

Frosta walked over to the largest chair in the room and sat down, staring up at Adora with mild curiosity.

“Speak.” Frosta commanded.

“I…” Adora took a deep breath before holding Frosta’s gaze. “We were sent here by Lord Hordak. He ordered us to plant thermal charges throughout your palace and detonate them.”

Frosta’s eyes narrowed.

“Why are you telling me this?” She asked calmly, but with fury buried in her words.

“Hordak believes it is acceptable to betray trusts, to slaughter innocent people. I don’t.” Adora replied sincerely.

“Strange to hear such things coming from the Butcher of Thaymor.” Frosta remarked.

Adora’s eyes briefly widened. “So, you know who I am.”

“Word gets around, even out here. So tell me, why should I believe anything you say?” Frosta stared at her skeptically.

“I don’t expect you to take me at my word.” Adora answered. “But the way I see it, you have three options. You can wait for Hordak to defeat the Rebellion and turn his gaze on you, you can join the Rebellion and be crushed alongside them, or…”

“Or what?’ Frosta asked flatly.

“You can help me defeat Hordak and the Rebellion. I will take his place and bring Etheria into a new age of peace and prosperity. I know my history, I know what Angella did to your people. I can undo it all, if you’ll only join me.” Adora gazed evenly at Frosta despite her insides feeling like jelly.

Frosta was silent for more than a minute.

“If you want my assistance, you must first prove your sincerity.” She finally responded.

“And how do I do that?” Adora cocked her head slightly.

“You can start by handing over those thermal charges you mentioned. Unless you have a problem with that?” Frosta raised an eyebrow.

“Not at all. They’re in a crate on my ship. Feel free to take them. Just, uh, be gentle.” Adora wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. “So, is that enough proof for you?”

“It’s something.” Frosta answered neutrally. “But even if I can trust you to keep your word, that doesn’t mean I can trust you to succeed. If I am to risk my kingdom and my people for you, I need to know you can do more than talk.”

“You know I can do more than talk.” Adora clenched her fist for emphasis.

“Yes, you can destroy defenseless villages. Good for you.” Frosta’s words were dripping with insincerity.

“So what would convince you, then?” Adora narrowed her eyes.

“Success.” Frosta replied simply. “Prove to me, prove to Etheria that you can match the might of Hordak and the Princesses. Then, and only then, will I consider helping you.”

Adora partially deflated. It was far from ideal, but it could have gone much worse.

“Very well, Your Grace. Thank you for your time.” She politely bowed before leaving.

Returning to the ballroom, Adora found and collected Scorpia before heading out of the party and back to the ship. As she collected her pistol from the storage kiosk, several of Frosta’s guards marched out from the ballroom and towards the ship.

Scorpia moved quickly to intercept them, obstructing the ramp with her body.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going? This is Horde property.” She said firmly.

“We have orders from Princess Frosta to search this ship and retrieve a crate of dangerous explosives.” One of the guards informed her.

“Explosives? Now why would we have brought explosives? It’s not like we came here to destroy the palace or anything…” Scorpia rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

Adora quickly put herself between Scorpia and the guards before the situation escalated any further.

“It’s alright, Scorpia. There’s been a change of plans.” Adora said.

“Really? Hordak’s orders seemed pretty clear.” Scorpia looked at Adora uncertainly.

“Trust me. I know what I’m doing.” Adora smiled in an attempt to reassure her.

“If you say so…” Scorpia reluctantly stood aside.

“Uh, just give me a second.” Adora said to the guards before walking up the ramp, where the rest of the squad were waiting in various states of extreme boredom.

“We’re almost ready to go, but we’re going to need to… er, offload some cargo first.” Adora rubbed her shoulder.

“Do we get to blow something up?” Catra stood up from her seat almost instantly, her eyes glistening with murderous desire.

“I’m afraid not. We’re handing over the bombs to Frosta.” Adora explained.

“What.” Catra said flatly, her left eye twitching. The rest of the squad looked at Adora in stunned silence.

“I’ll explain later. Just trust me, okay?” Adora looked at Catra pleadingly.

“Ugh. This had better be good.” Catra groaned and sat back down.

“Okay, you can come in!” Adora shouted down the ramp.

The guards promptly entered the ship. In a silent and awkward process that took several minutes, they carefully picked up the crate and brought it out of the ship.

“That was weird.” Puff said what everyone else was thinking.

“Hm, where’s- ah.” Adora stopped as Scorpia walked up the ramp. She immediately took her seat, avoiding Adora’s gaze.

“Guess there’s no reason to stick around.” Adora plopped down in her seat. “Take us home, Puff.”

“Gladly.” Puff replied.

The ship’s ramp closed and it slowly lifted off from the platform, sheets of snow and ice tumbling off the hull. With a mighty roar, the engines fired up and the ship blasted away, leaving the Kingdom of Snows behind.

Chapter Text

As the Horde gunship glided through the skies of Etheria, a long period of silence ensued until Puff decided to break it.

“Not that I want to tell you how to do your jobs, but I do hope you guys have a plan for explaining to Hordak why we completely failed our mission.” Puff said casually, but with a note of fear in her voice.

“Yeah, Adora, what’s the plan?” Catra cocked her head and stared at Adora questioningly, a move mirrored by everyone on the ship except for Puff and Scorpia.

“Erm…” Adora shrunk under their combined gazes. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

Catra rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Might wanna work on those long-term planning skills, Adora. I’ve heard they’re pretty important for world conquering.” She said dryly.

“Yeah, yeah, give me a minute…” Adora rubbed the back of her neck thoughtfully.

“Well, we could always admit our failure and beg for mercy, but even if Hordak is feeling really nice the best we can probably hope for is a demotion.” Adora murmured.

“Not a fan of that option, not gonna lie.” Catra wryly commented.

“Speaking of lying, that’s probably our best bet.” Adora’s brow furrowed in concentration. “We could tell him that, I dunno, the bombs failed to detonate and we were forced to improvise. And that I at least managed to ruin any chance of the Rebellion getting Frosta’s assistance.”

“Did you?” Catra asked.

“Oh yeah. I got Glimmer to attack me in front of everyone, it was awesome. The look on her face when she realized I tricked her was great, I wish I had a picture of it!” Adora grinned excitably, clenching her fists as she recalled the encounter.

“Aww, and I missed it. You’re making me wish I hadn’t followed your orders…” Catra whined half-seriously.

“Sorry.” Adora smiled sheepishly.

“Oh, it’s fine.” Catra dismissively waved her hand. “I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of that sparkly little runt.”

“Definitely not.” Adora agreed. “Anyway, hopefully that little tidbit will be enough to convince Hordak not to eat us.”

“W-what?” Kyle’s voice cracked in fear. “Nobody told me anything about getting eaten! I don’t want to get eaten!”

“Shut up, Kyle. The grown-ups are talking.” Lonnie said flatly. Kyle complied, curling up into a ball and sucking his thumb fearfully.

The remainder of the return flight passed uneventfully until the Fright Zone finally came into view. Puff gently brought the ship into the hangar and set her down.

“Home sweet home.” Puff remarked, turning to face Adora.

“Good luck with Hordak. For all our sakes.” She said, more seriously than normal.

Adora silently nodded. As the squad disembarked, Adora pressed her badge.

“This is Force Captain Adora.” She said. “We have returned from our mission and are ready for debriefing.”

“Throne room. Come alone.” Hordak tersely ordered after a few moments of static.

Adora shared an uncertain glance with Catra before looking over at the grunts.

“You heard him. Dismissed.” She said stiffly.

With everyone else returning to barracks, Adora made her way to Hordak’s throne room. He sat slouched on his throne, regarding her with an unreadable expression as she approached.

“Report.” He demanded.

With a deep exhale, Adora knelt down, gazing up at Hordak humbly.

“The explosives failed to detonate, my lord. We were unable to complete the mission.” She informed him with false contrition.

A low, primal growl came from Hordak’s throat.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” He asked coldly.

“I do.” Adora swallowed a lump in her throat. “We may not have been able to destroy the Kingdom of Snows, but I managed to sabotage the Rebellion’s attempt to recruit them to their cause. They will not stand in our way.”

“A trivial consolation.” Hordak scowled. “If you believe it makes up for your failure, you are sorely mistaken.”

Adora looked at the ground, closing her eyes.

“I accept whatever punishment you see fit for me.” She said quietly, waiting for the hammer to fall.

“I have no intention of punishing you.” Hordak replied evenly. “As irritating as your failures are, you are one of the only officers I have who has stood against the Princesses and come out alive.”

“...My lord?” Adora looked up at him, surprise plainly written on her face.

“I have another mission for you.” Hordak said without missing a beat. “As you have no doubt noticed, our forces are struggling to make any further ground against the Rebellion. If we are to crush them and end this war, we must acquire any advantage we can.”

Adora raised an eyebrow.

“What do you need me to do?” She asked.

“Princess Entrapta of Dryl is famous for her unmatched technological expertise.” Hordak began. “She lives as a virtual hermit in her castle, attended to by an army of robots. You will infiltrate Dryl with your squad and bring the Princess to me. Alive.”

“How do you expect us to do that? If she has the powers of a Princess, killing her would be hard enough.” Adora objected.

“From what little is known of her, it appears that Entrapta lacks any magical powers of her own. She should not pose a significant physical threat, but be on your guard nonetheless.” Hordak answered.

“I understand. I swear that I will not fail you again.” Adora promised.

“I do not care for promises. Only results.” Hordak said dispassionately. “You will leave on the tenth. Dismissed.”

“Yes, Lord Hordak.” Adora rose to her feet and bowed to him respectfully before departing the chamber.

When she returned to the barracks, she noticed Catra leaning casually against the wall.

“So, how’d it go?” Catra asked, trying to hide the nervousness in her voice.

“Surprisingly well, actually.” Adora replied, rubbing the side of her neck. “He obviously wasn’t happy, but he didn’t punish us either. He even gave us a new assignment.”

“Oh boy. I can’t wait.” Catra’s emotionless tone and slouched body language made her insincerity abundantly clear.

“We’re going after Entrapta.” Adora told her.

“Who the hell is Entrapta?” Catra asked derisively.

“Apparently she’s a technological genius. Hordak wants us to capture her so that we can use her talents against the Rebellion.” Adora answered as she sat down on her bed.

“Let me guess, it’s not going to be as easy as you’re making it sound.” Catra said dryly.

“Well, no…” Adora looked to the side. “She’s a Princess and has an army of robots. Hordak said she doesn’t have any magical powers, but I’m not sure I want to bet my life on that.”

“Sounds like fun. When do we leave?” Catra asked.

“The tenth. So at least we have some time to rest.” Adora replied as she lay down.

Catra didn’t respond with words, but a few moments later Adora felt a large furry lump snuggle up next to her, purring softly. With a smile on her face, she fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Glimmer sat despondently on the icy floor of the entrance platform, watching the Horde ship mockingly flutter away into the distance.

“I’m such an idiot.” She muttered.

“You’re not an idiot.” Bow said as he sat beside her.

“Yes I am.” Glimmer replied.

“No you’re not.” Bow stated firmly, looking into Glimmer’s eyes. “You made a mistake, a big one. But you know what? Everyone does. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and become a better person because of them.”

“It’s easy to say that when your mistakes don’t come with body counts.” Glimmer said softly.

“Yeah, maybe it is.” Bow admitted. “But we both know how high the stakes are. Hordak won’t stop until all of Etheria is crushed under his feet, and so many people have already given up. Don’t let yourself become one of them.”

Glimmer smiled and shook her head.

“Thanks for the pep talk and all, but it’s not necessary. I’m never going to stop fighting them, no matter what happens. It’s just that… I wish I was better at it.”

“Don’t we all.” Bow replied quietly.

The sound of laughter caused them both to turn their heads. Spinnerella and Netossa were approaching them, arm in arm and flush with alcohol and hedonism.

“Hey, guys, how’s it going?” Netossa asked, sounding far more cheerful than she ever did normally. “Whew, these snow people sure how to make a good cocktail!”

Glimmer and Bow glanced at each other for a moment.

“Uh, that’s great...” Glimmer said hesitantly.

“Did you guys try their ice cream! It’s so good I wish I could stay here forever!” Spinnerella squealed in delight.

“Maybe we should head back to Bright Moon…” Bow muttered as he retrieved his tablet and fiddled with it.

Shortly afterwards, Angella appeared before them. Her initially stoic expression faded as she saw the inebriated couple.

“Ugh, not again.” She let out a tired groan before looking over at Glimmer and Bow.

“Any luck with Frosta?” She asked them hopefully.

Glimmer sadly shook her head. Angella deflated with an exhausted sigh.

“Well, it’s getting late. I suppose we should return to the castle.” Angella said weakly.

The Queen gathered up the Gang of Four and they vanished in a cloud of energy, departing the frozen kingdom in failure.

Adora slowly opened her eyes, her mind still shaking off the edges of sleep.

“Mmm…” She mumbled contentedly.

“Hey, Adora.” Catra greeted her, an amused grin on her face. Adora belatedly realized she was no longer sleeping next to her, and was now standing over her bedside.

“Catra? Whassup?” Adora slurred.

“Nothing much. Just watching you talk in your sleep.” Catra replied teasingly.

“What’d I say?” Adora groggily asked as she sat up.

“Catra… Catra… oh, Catra…” Catra did her best impression of a breathy, lovestruck Adora.

“I do not sound like that.” Adora pouted, her cheeks reddening slightly.

“You sure?” Catra winked.

Adora rolled her eyes before standing up.

“Hmm. Free time, but how to spend it…” She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“Well…” Catra moved closer to her with a suggestive grin. “You know, we haven’t really gone on a date before.”

“A date?” Adora’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why would we go on a date?”

“Because we’re together now?” Catra raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, we are? I wasn’t sure if we were making it official.” Adora rubbed her shoulder awkwardly.

“I don’t kiss you because you taste good, you know. Although you really do…” Catra said coyly as she moved into kissing range.

“Catra…” Adora shyly murmured, blushing furiously.

The two shared a long, passionate kiss.

“So, as I was saying…” Catra grinned as she broke off. “Date?”

“Sure, but what are we gonna do? The Fright Zone isn’t exactly the place for a romantic evening.” Adora replied uncertainly.

“Pfft, who said anything about having a date in this dump?” Catra snorted derisively. “We’re going out on the town!”

“What town?” Adora asked.

“Erelandia. It’s an independent village in the Whispering Woods. The war hasn’t come close to touching them, so it’s a perfect place to hang out without drawing attention.” Catra explained.

“Uh, if it’s in the middle of the Whispering Woods, how are we going to get there?” Adora gave Catra a puzzled look.

“Well I was thinking we could borrow a skiff…” Catra murmured.

“You mean steal a military vehicle without authorization. I’m sure Hordak will be thrilled to find that out.” Adora said dryly.

“Hey, we have dozens of the things. As long as we bring it back in one piece, why would he care?” Catra replied casually.

“I’m not sure…” Adora trailed off as Catra made an adorable pouty face.

“Okay, fine.” Adora let out a resigned sigh.

“Yay! This is going to be fun!” Catra grinned excitably.

“We’re not blowing anything up.” Adora said firmly.

“I know, I know.” Catra rolled her eyes.

It was almost noon when Erelandia came into view. Adora set the skiff down a fair distance away from the town, not wanting to draw undue attention.

“So, what did you want to do?” Adora asked as they started walking towards the town.

“I dunno, I’ve never been here before.” Catra replied. “I’m sure we’ll find something.”

They walked into the village without any trouble. If any of the fungal denizens recognized their Horde uniforms, they were hiding it well.

“I’m hungry.” Adora mumbled, emphasized by her growling stomach.

“Maybe they have some food in there.” Catra pointed at a nearby building. Above the door was a hanging sign with a crude depiction of several small mushrooms.

‘Worth a shot.” Adora knocked on the door.

“It’s open!” A female voice called out from inside.

Adora glanced at Catra uneasily before walking inside. They found themselves in a large room filled with fruits and vegetables. A mushroom lady stood behind a counter, looking at them doubtfully.

“You don’t look like you’re from around here…” She said as they entered her shop.

“We’re not. We’re, uh, from Bright Moon.” Adora replied with a nervous smile.

The shopkeeper looked at them skeptically before shrugging.

“You could have come from the Fright Zone for all I care. As long as you have the coin.” She said tiredly, not noticing how Catra and Adora’s eyes briefly widened when she mentioned the lair of the Horde.

“Uh, of course. Wait, coin?” Adora repeated in confusion.

“Coin. As in, gold, silver, copper? You know, how everyone pays for everything?” The shopkeeper looked at Adora as if she had just asked how to breathe.

“Oooh right. Coiiiin…” Adora stretched the word out. “I know what that is. Don’t you, Catra? We know what coin is. We’re not… Catra?”

She turned to her side only to notice Catra was no longer there. Before she could consider what that meant, Catra re-entered the shop with a large pouch full of coins.

“Where’d you get that?” Adora wondered.

“Don’t worry about it.” Catra grinned slyly.

“Just bring whatever you want to the counter and I’ll tell you how much it’s worth.” The shopkeeper eyed them with a mixture of suspicion and boredom.

“Ooh, what’s this?” Adora eyed a shelf filled with leafy green tubes.

“...That’s celery.” The shopkeeper raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re from Bright Moon? It seems like you’ve never seen a vegetable before.”

“Sorry about her. She’s a little slow.” Catra covered for Adora, who made a pouty face but said nothing.

“I noticed.” The shopkeeper replied dryly as Adora started munching on a stick of celery. “Hey, you have to pay for that!”

Adora frowned as she finished eating it.

“That didn’t even taste very good. Why are you selling those things?” She asked with genuine curiosity.

“You’re supposed to use it in salads and soups, not munch on it like a horse!” The shopkeeper shouted. “Now you better pay for that!”

Catra calmly strode forward and set the coin pouch on the counter.

“How much?” She asked, her eyes boring into the mushroom lady’s.

“Uh, three copper…” The shopkeeper wilted under Catra’s gaze.

Catra placed three copper on the table, holding her gaze all the while.

“Pleasure doing business with you.” She said darkly.

“...Yeah, of course.” The shopkeeper weakly nodded.

“Is there anywhere else we can find food in this town? Preferably food that we don’t have to cook?” Catra asked.

“...Yes, there’s a restaurant down the street. It, uh, has a sign with a bowl of fruit over the door. You can’t miss it.” The woman explained hurriedly.

“Thank you for your time.” Catra gave her a predatory grin before walking back over to Adora, who was still gazing in awe at the vegetable-filled shelves.

“C’mon, Adora.” Catra patted Adora’s shoulder, breaking her out of her trance.

“Eh? What?” Adora asked dumbly as she followed Catra out of the store.

The restaurant was exactly where the shopkeeper said it was. It was a small and quaint building with room for only a few tables in addition to the countertop.

Catra confidently strode towards the counter and stared down the mustachioed mushroom man behind it.

“We’d like some food.” She said in a way that sounded more like a demand.

“Uhhh… okay. You can have anything on the menu.” The man answered nervously, using his head to gesture towards the menu on the wall above him.

“Do you have anything with meat in it?” Catra asked, noticing the menu options seemed to be exclusively vegetarian.

“I’m afraid not…” He backed away when Catra growled in response. “Actually, I might have some in back. Let me check!”

Catra grinned as the man retreated into the back room before looking over at Adora.

“What do you think a Spinach Agaric Delight is?” Adora murmured.

“Probably something gross.” Catra replied bluntly.

“Well it can’t be any worse than Horde field rations.” Adora dryly remarked.

Before Catra could reply, the mushroom man returned with a sealed glass container filled with a reddish-brown mush. Catra and Adora looked at the container with confused disgust.

“What… is that?” Adora grimaced.

“A leftover White Army meat ration from before the Battle of the Black Forest.” He helpfully informed them.

“That battle happened like a decade ago…” Catra retched. “Why do you still have that?”

“I… I don’t know.” He admitted. “I guess I just never bothered to get rid of it.”

“Well get rid of it now. I’ll eat your damn vegetables, just get that monstrosity out of my face.” Catra groaned.

“Alright, what would you like to order?” He asked with false cheer, placing the gastronomic abomination out of view.

“I’ll, uh, have a Spinach Agaric Delight, I guess.” Adora said with a severe lack of confidence.

“And, uh, I guess I’ll have the Banana Tiger.” Catra added.

“Good, good. Take a seat at one of the tables and your food will be out shortly.” He said before ducking into the back room.

Catra and Adora promptly sat down at the nearest table.

“Well, this is new.” Adora remarked. “Even if the food isn’t good, I like the idea.”

“The idea of what, being able to eat something other than ration bars?” Catra snarked.

“Yeah. I guess you didn’t have the chance to try any, but there were some really good sweets at the Princess Prom. I’m starting to realize why they’re resisting us so much.” Adora stroked her chin contemplatively.

“You think they’re fighting us because they don’t want to eat ration bars?” Catra snorted.

“Well, not just that. But look at them.” Adora gestured over at one of the other tables, where a family of three was eating and laughing together. “Safe, happy, free, and all without the Horde or anyone else telling them what to do.”

“Hmph.” Catra grunted. “It won’t last. As long as there are two people, one of them will try to rule the other. The only reason they’ve been able to last this long is because they’re in the middle of nowhere. When this war is over, whoever wins will march into this town and make it theirs.”

“Maybe.” Adora admitted. “But once we overthrow Hordak, we can change things for the better.”

Catra leaned back in her chair.

“Once we overthrow Hordak, will you still want to?” She asked.

“I…” Adora faltered. “I guess there’s no way to be sure. But it’s too late to back out now.”

“No, it isn’t.” Catra replied quietly. “There’s nothing stopping us from getting as far from the Horde as we can. We could live on a small farm and spend the rest of our lives raising animals and growing crops.”

“Do you want to do that?” Adora asked.

“No, that sounds boring as hell.” Catra snickered. “I’m just saying that we have the choice to leave it all behind.”

“What about Shadow Weaver?” Adora pointed out. “She has those weird shadow eyes of hers. We’d never actually be safe.”

“Oh, right…” Catra’s ears lowered. “I forgot about that. Guess you’re right after all.”

The mustachioed man interrupted their ruminations, bringing over their food and two glasses of water.

“Let me know if you need anything else.” He said before scurrying behind the counter.

Adora looked down at her dish. It was a bizarre combination of leafy green stalks and bits of boiled mushroom.

“Well… here goes nothing.” She took a bite of the spinach and grimaced.

“Not good?” Catra looked over at her.

“It’s… okay. Mostly tastes like bitter grass.” Adora chewed with her mouth open.

Catra looked down at her own plate. It was a banana without its peel, doused in half-melted peanut butter. She hesitantly took a bite only for her eyes to widen in delight.

“Mmmmmmm… this is delicious!” She exclaimed.

“Starting to wish I had gotten that instead.” Adora remarked dryly as she slowly chewed on raw spinach.

“Here, try a bit. It’s great.” Catra moved the plate over so Adora could try some.

Adora cut off a bit of the banana and shoved it in her mouth.

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Adora grinned. “Good to know not everything here tastes terrible.”

“We can buy another one if you want.” Catra dangled the coin purse temptingly.

“Well… one more couldn’t hurt…” Adora murmured.

They ended up spending more than two hours in the restaurant, finally leaving after eating a grand total of thirteen Banana Tigers between them.

“I regret nothing.” Catra said after letting out a loud, coarse belch.

“I regret a few things…” Adora clutched her stomach gingerly. “Should we head back now?”

“What?” Catra shook her head. “No way, we’re just getting started. I want to see what else I can buy here.”

Catra eagerly began running down the street.

“Catra! Catra, wait! Oh for goodness sake…” Adora stumbled after Catra, one hand still firmly gripping her stomach.

Catra stopped in front of an open-air storefront where a bunch of farming tools were on display. A large, well-built mushroom man stood by, admiring his musculature in a large mirror.

“Am I interrupting something?” Catra asked with a singular raised eyebrow.

The man quickly turned around to face her, his cheeks bright red.

“Nothing at all, I was simply, uh, making sure my mirror was still working.” He stammered unconvincingly.

“Not my business, big guy.” Catra said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m just interested in your merchandise.”

“Oh. Well.” The man cleared his throat.

“What were you looking for? We’ve got tools for farming, gardening, building, and…” He lowered his voice considerably. “Hunting. If you, uh, know what I mean.”

“Oh, I do.” Catra grinned wickedly.

“I thought you looked the type.” He smirked. “Come with me.”

He led Catra into the building behind his storefront, which was clearly just his house. He walked up to a bookcase and nudged one of the books to the side. The bookcase was suddenly shunted to the side, revealing a small room stocked with all manner of bladed and blunt weapons.

“Like I always say, a polite society is an armed society.” He placed his hands on his hips.

Catra slowly walked into the room, her eyes wide as saucers and her mouth hanging open.

“So many… I want them all…” Catra drooled.

“If you’ve got the money, you can have as many as you want.” He replied. “Although unless you’re planning to outfit a small army, I don’t really know why’d you want that many.”

“Oh, just to look at them. To imagine what could be done with them.” Catra said softly as she gravitated towards a small black dagger.

“Uh, right.” The man said, watching Catra with increasing concern as she picked up the dagger and gingerly rubbed it between her fingers.

“So sharp…” She whispered breathily. “You’re all I need…”

“So, uh, you gonna buy it or what?” He asked nervously.

Catra turned to him, her eyes alight with predatory instinct. She slowly began advancing, holding the dagger threateningly with a merciless grin.

Showing an impressive survival instinct, the man immediately bolted away as fast as his legs could carry him, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Too bad.” Catra idly played with the dagger as she walked out of the shop, where Adora was waiting.

“Wanna tell me what that was about?” Adora asked bemusedly

“What what was about?” Catra wondered innocently.

“The man who just ran away screaming bloody murder while you came out holding a big knife?” Adora answered dryly.

“Hey, free knife.” Catra shrugged. “I can’t wait to use this on someone.”

“Not on me, please.” Adora recoiled slightly.

“What?” Catra looked genuinely offended. “I’d never do that to you! I love you!”

“It wouldn’t be the first time. Remember when you scratched and jumped on me?” Adora crossed her arms.

“I was like six! That doesn’t count!” Catra pouted.

“What about the time you slapped me in the face?” Adora pointed out.

“That is not at all comparable to stabbing someone and you know it.” Catra grumbled.

“Maybe not, but the point stands.” Adora smirked.

“No, it doesn’t! I’m not going to stab you!” Catra shouted indignantly.

“You say that now, but what if you get really hungry and there was nothing else to eat?” Adora asked teasingly.

“I still wouldn’t stab you! Nothing could ever make me stab you!” Catra continued shouting, holding the dagger over Adora’s head in an unintentionally threatening manner.

“Are you completely sure about that?” Adora slowly backed away.

“Whoops, forgot I was still holding it.” Catra sheepishly affixed the dagger to her hip.

“Anyway, we might want to, uh, leave before we attract unwanted attention.” Adora suggested.

“I think it might be a bit late for that.” Catra said, gazing down the street. Four mushroom men armed with wooden batons ran towards them.

“Stop! You violated the law!” One of them shouted as they bore down on the two.

“Don’t kill them.” Adora muttered so that only Catra could hear.

“As you wish.” Catra grinned as she ran towards the hapless guards.

With a primal snarl she leaped into the air, landing squarely on top of one of the guards. He hadn’t even fallen to the ground before she followed up by pouncing on another guard’s back, sending him tumbling forwards onto the cobblestone.

Catra snapped to her feet, effortlessly dodging a desperate swing from the third guard. She grabbed the baton from the side and tore it from his grip, using her new weapon to slam him viciously across the face. With a pained cry he fell to the ground, leaving only one guard still standing.

For a few seconds, the two stared at each other in silence.

“Go ahead. Try me.” Catra bared her teeth.

The man quickly dropped his weapon before running away screaming, while his three comrades lay groaning and whimpering on the ground.

Catra turned back to Adora and made a mock bow.

“Thank you, hold your applause.” She smiled widely.

“If you’re done terrorizing the locals, I think we may have worn out our welcome.” Adora wryly remarked.

“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s hit the road.” Catra carelessly tossed the baton to the ground.

As the two made their way back out of Erelandia, Adora noticed the looks of the townspeople were much different than when they had first entered.

“They’re afraid of us now.” She observed, uncertain of how to feel about it.

“As they should be.” Catra regarded the cowering locals with a devilish grin.

Nobody else attempted to stop them from leaving, and they made it back to their skiff without incident.

“That was fun, wasn’t it? Aren’t you glad we came?” Catra asked.

“It could have ended better, I guess, but… yeah, I am.” Adora looked at Catra with a smile before starting the engine.

The skiff quickly flew away, leaving a stunned town in its wake as it began its journey back to the Fright Zone.

Chapter Text

The mood in the war room was far from jubilant. Queen Angella slumped in her chair as she looked over the map, not even bothering to hide her despair from the Gang.

“Without Frosta and Mermista, our only potential allies lie with Dryl and Mystacor.” She remarked grimly.

“Surely at least Castaspella will join us, right?” Glimmer asked hopefully.

“Last time Mystacor fought the Horde, her brother was… lost.” Angella softly replied. “Even if that hasn’t soured her on helping us, she’s an elected leader, not a monarch. If the sorcerers of Mystacor do not want to fight, there is nothing she can do to make them.”

“We have to try, at least. I’m sure she’ll listen to me.” Glimmer said with more confidence than she really had.

“Castaspella still sees you as a child, Glimmer. She won’t take you seriously.” Angella answered sternly. “I’ll handle her. You four will go to Dryl and do whatever you can to secure Entrapta’s assistance.”

“I… yeah, point taken.” Glimmer rubbed her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, kiddo. I’m sure we’ll find some way to make that crazy lady see reason.” Netossa reassured her.

“Yeah, we’re the Best Friends Squad! Er, I mean the Gang of Four!” Bow grinned.

Glimmer’s smile failed to reach her eyes.

“Yeah, of course.” She replied quietly.

“Just tell me when you’re ready to leave and I can bring you to Dryl…” Angella trailed off before looking up at the ceiling, her eyes narrowed.

“Mom?” Glimmer asked her with concern.

Angella stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before looking at her daughter.

“It’s nothing.” She smiled.

“Well, no time like the present. Any objections?” Netossa rubbed her hands together. Nobody spoke up.

“Very well.” Angella nodded.

The five promptly vanished in a flash of light. The war room was left empty in their wake, save for the shadowy creature slithering across the ceiling.

Adora and Catra arrived at the hangar, where the rest of the squad waited outside the gunship.

“You all know what we have to do.” Adora walked past without looking at them. “So let’s get it done.”

Everyone followed her into the gunship and took their seats.

“Puff, are we ready to take off?” Adora asked.

“Uh… not exactly…” Puff replied fearfully without turning to face her.

“What’s wrong?” Adora stiffened, unnerved by the pilot’s atypical reaction.

“Your pilot is afraid, as she should be.” Shadow Weaver replied coldly from behind them all. Everyone except Puff turned in surprise to see her standing in the rear corner.

“Shadow Weaver? What are you doing here?” Adora asked nervously.

“Your mission to Dryl will be more difficult than anticipated. The Princesses are sending a delegation in an attempt to secure Entrapta’s allegiance.” Shadow Weaver informed them as she hovered over to the front of the ship.

“Who are they sending?” Adora’s eyes narrowed.

“Who do you think?” Shadow Weaver replied patronizingly as she stared out the window.

“Glimmer…” Adora clenched her fists in anger. “How are we going to defeat Entrapta and Glimmer’s stupid gang at the same time?”

“You will not.” Shadow Weaver bluntly answered. “Not with the paltry force you have.”

She turned around to face Adora.

“Which is why I am coming with you. I can handle the child and her pathetic minions while you acquire Entrapta.” Shadow Weaver said firmly.

“I… we… thank you for your assistance.” Adora dipped her head in respect while Catra rolled her eyes.

“Save your gratitude.” Shadow Weaver callously dismissed her. “Pilot, take us to Dryl.”

“As you command.” Puff replied stiffly. The gunship blasted away from the hangar, heading full speed towards the lair of the hermit Princess.

Angella and the Gang of Four appeared before the entrance of Entrapta’s castle, with Angella vanishing as soon as they arrived.

“I wish I could teleport like that…” Glimmer remarked dryly.

“Woah…” Bow breathed, utterly in awe of the great castle. “So this is where the greatest genius on Etheria lives…”

“Try not to drool on the floor, will you?” Netossa snorted.

“Aww, darling, let him have his fun.” Spinnerella chided her.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone here…” Glimmer said as the four walked into the castle courtyard.

“From what I’ve heard, this place used to be a thriving village, but Entrapta’s experiments drove everyone away. Now it’s just her and an army of robots.” Netossa commented.

“If that’s the case, where are all the robots?” Glimmer wondered.

As if answering her question, several dozen combat robots swarmed out of the castle, surrounding them in seconds.

“Visitors are not welcome in Dryl. Please leave immediately.” Every single robot said in unison.

“We’ve come to speak to Princess Entrapta. It’s important.” Glimmer informed them.

“Visitors are not welcome in Dryl. Please leave immediately.” The robots repeated, raising their arm cannons threateningly.

“I don’t think we’re getting through to them.” Bow said.

“Then we’ll just have to go through them.” Glimmer fired twin blasts of magic at the robots in front of her, blasting several of them to pieces.

The rest of the Gang quickly followed her lead. Spinnerella calmly extended her arms, sending forth a gust of wind that tossed the remaining robots into the air.

Bow fired up at them, ripping through many robots with his arrows while Netossa conjured energy spikes beneath the rest of the falling robots. They promptly fell onto the spikes and were torn to shreds by the impact.

Less than fifteen seconds had passed, and the way into the castle was now open.

“Nobody can stand a chance against us, Spinny!” Netossa jubilantly high-fived her wife.

“I hope she doesn’t take that personally...” Bow murmured in concern.

“C’mon, we need to find her!” Glimmer shouted.

The Gang ran past the destroyed remains of Entrapta’s robots until they approached what appeared to be the castle’s front door.

“Now we need to be careful. This place is full of traps.” Bow informed them.

“Knock knock!” Glimmer said cheerfully as she fired a blast of energy at the door, ripping a hole the size of her head in it.

“Glimmer!” Bow cried out.

“What?” Glimmer asked innocently before firing several more blasts until the door was nothing but a few burnt shards of metal.

“Did you not hear me about the traps? We can’t just rush in blindly. Who knows what kind of crazy things Entrapta has in here?” Bow admonished her angrily.

“If they’re anything like the welcoming committee back there, I’m sure we won’t have any trouble.” Glimmer gave Bow a cocky smirk before walking through the now open doorway.

Bow stood there incredulously as Spinnerella and Netossa followed her through.

“Am I the only one here who values caution?” He asked nobody in particular before reluctantly going along with them.

The four made their way down a long empty hallway, devoid of anything except for metal struts and the occasional bizarre painting.

“I’d heard stories about this place, but I don’t know if they do them justice.” Netossa remarked, noticeably disturbed. “This is just creepy.”

“Yeah… it doesn’t feel like a home at all. Why would anyone want to live here?” Spinnerella asked, shuddering.

“Hey, I’m sure she’s not as bad as the stories say…” Bow claimed, but even he was starting to sound uncertain.

“As long as she’s willing to help, she can be as weird as she wants.” Glimmer said flatly as the Gang made it to a large empty rectangular room.

“Uh, where do we go from here?” Bow asked, noticing that there was no path other than the one they came from.

Before anyone could respond, a large metal door slammed shut behind them, trapping them inside.

“I knew it!” Bow’s voice cracked in fear. “I told you all about her traps, and you didn’t believe me!”

“Calm down, Bow.” Glimmer said confidently. “I’m sure we can handle anything she can throw at us.”

As if provoked by that statement, the lights suddenly cut out, leaving the Gang in complete darkness.

“...Guys?” Netossa asked nervously.

“Don’t panic! We’re fine!” Glimmer summoned a magic ball of energy to serve as a makeshift flashlight.

“We need to get out of here! Like, right now!” Bow squeaked.

“Oh, it’s already too late for that.” A high-pitched female voice warbled from unseen speakers. “My robots were supposed to keep out unwanted visitors, but I guess they didn’t do a very good job.”

“Entrapta? Is that you?” Glimmer asked. “We came here to ask for your help.”

“My help? Well, I’m flattered, but I have no time for guests. Science waits for nobody!” Entrapta said cheerfully.

“Ugh, come on!” Glimmer growled. “We came all this way, you could at least hear us out!”

“Really? Strange, my sensors indicated you appeared just outside of the castle. Hm, maybe I need to recheck them.” Entrapta replied thoughtfully.

“Uh, no, that’s not necessary.” Bow interjected nervously.

“Anyway, as I was going to say, you four are about to make a glorious contribution to science! Are you excited! I’m excited!” She sounded positively giddy.

“What contribution? What are you talking about?” Glimmer demanded.

“The room you’ve just wandered into is one of my test chambers! I’ve been experimenting on the use of electrical energy to incapacitate biological organisms, and now I finally have the opportunity to see how far I’ve gotten!” Entrapta blissfully rambled on.

“Uh, Glimmer, I think we need to get out of here…” Bow said nervously.

“Entrapta, I’m sure this is all very interesting, but we’re fighting a war and we need your help. So can you let us in already?” Glimmer asked with what little civility she could muster.

“Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time to talk afterwards. Assuming my calculations are correct. If not, well… I will not forget your heroic sacrifice in the name of science!” Entrapta declared.

“Sacrifice? What?” Glimmer’s eyes widened in shock.

Within the blink of an eye, bolts of electricity arced through the room, impacting everyone simultaneously. In unison, they screamed in pain and spasmed violently before collapsing to the ground.

Glimmer remained conscious, if only barely. She dimly noticed the lights coming back on and several robots entering from previously hidden doorways. She felt herself being crudely hoisted up in the air and saw the floor beneath her move as she was dragged off.

As her eyes slipped shut, her last conscious thought was an irritated admission that Bow had been right all along.

“I must say, this is quite the surprise.” Castaspella said with affected courtesy while she walked down the halls of Mystacor. “It’s been so long since you last visited, after all.”

“My duties as Queen keep me extremely busy. I’m sure you understand.” Angella did her best to remain civilized as she followed her former sister-in-law, but a small hint of irritation still leaked through.

“Yes, of course I do. Being Head Sorcerer is not as fun as it sounds. You wouldn’t believe how much paperwork is involved in running this place. Or, maybe you would.” Castaspella laughed mirthlessly.

“Yes, well.” Angella cleared her throat. “I must admit that I did not come here simply to make small talk.”

“I suspected as much.” Castaspella continued to sound superficially cheerful. “What do you want?”

“We are doing everything in our power to resist the Horde’s advance, but it is not enough. We need your help.” Angella said somberly.

Castaspella stopped in her tracks, but did not turn to face her.

“We lost so many that day. Limner… Micah… and what do we have to show for it? How can I expect anyone here to fight and die, just for the faintest hope of victory?” Castaspella asked quietly.

“If the Rebellion falls, you know that Hordak won’t stop with us. He won’t stop until all of Etheria is under his rule. You can either stand with us now, or stand alone then.” Angella replied, her tone firm but understanding.

“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.” Castaspella sighed, turning around to face the Queen.

“The Council will never agree to offensive operations against the Horde, but I will do everything in my power to convince them to sign a mutual defense treaty with Bright Moon.” Castaspella declared.

“I… that’s more than I expected. Thank you.” Angella bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

“There’s no need to thank me. I’m not doing this for you.” Castaspella replied curtly.

Without giving Angella any time to respond, she walked off, leaving the Queen to watch her leave in dismay.

“Hmm. Subjects are rendered unconscious for a period of approximately four hours. No lasting physical trauma…”

Glimmer slowly awoke to the sound of Entrapta muttering to herself. As she opened her eyes, she noticed that she and the rest of the Gang had been sealed in a large metal cage.

“Subject is beginning to regain consciousness. Must investigate impacts of electrical incapacitation on mental acuity.”

Glimmer looked up to see Entrapta standing over them, holding a recording device with one of her hair tails.

“Good evening, my new test subject! How do you feel?” Entrapta asked cheerfully.

“Like someone took a sledgehammer to my head…” Glimmer groaned, pressing a hand to her throbbing forehead.

“Subject is still capable of coherent speech. Wonderful! Tell me, do you remember how you got here?” Entrapta inquired, staring eagerly into Glimmer’s eyes with amoral curiosity.

“We… we came to recruit you for the Rebellion… and you lured us into a trap…” Glimmer muttered angrily.

“Test chamber.” Entrapta corrected her. “And if you didn’t want to be my test subjects, why did you destroy so many of my robots? It takes a lot of work to build that many, you know.”

“I’m sorry about your toys…” Glimmer grunted with exertion as she slowly rose to her feet. “But the survival of Etheria is at stake and we need your help.”

“Yes, yes, you said something about that before.” Entrapta stroked her chin with both a hand and a hair tendril at the same time. “But I’m really not sure what you’re talking about.”

Glimmer stared at Entrapta incredulously. “The… the Horde. You do know about the Horde, right?”

“The Horde…” Entrapta’s eyes sparkled with passion. “So advanced, so mysterious… I’d just love to get my hands on some of their tech. Think how much I could learn from them!”

“Hundreds of thousands of people have died because of them.” Glimmer replied curtly, clenching her fists in an attempt to restrain herself from yelling.

“Isn’t that what people always do?” Entrapta asked, completely sincere.

“...What?” Glimmer was at a loss for words. “How can you say that?”

“There are folds of tissue in the throat that produce various sounds when they vibrate, producing what we understand as speech.” Entrapta helpfully explained.

Glimmer slapped her forehead, grimacing.

“No, that’s not…” She let out an exasperated sigh. “How can you be so callous? People are dying out there and you’re just sitting in your castle playing with robots.”

“You don’t understand. Nobody does.” Entrapta’s jovial demeanor cracked and for just a moment, Glimmer could see an incredible sadness in her eyes.

“But that’s okay! I don’t need anyone to understand me! My robots are all the friends I’ll ever need! Whatever happens out there, I know they will never betray me.” Entrapta was once again acting cheerful, but it seemed almost forced now.

“Entrapta…” Glimmer tried to think of something to say, but came up short.

The sound of groaning from behind Glimmer caused her to turn around. The rest of the Gang was slowly beginning to wake.

“Remaining test subjects have regained consciousness.” Entrapta mumbled into her recorder. “If mental functions have not been inhibited, I can consider this test to be a perfect success.”

“You, with the exposed lower abdomen! Tell me, how are you feeling?” She gazed inquisitively at Bow.

“Ugh… what… what’s happening?” Bow mumbled, rubbing his head.

“Subject may have experienced craniocerebral trauma. Must investigate further.” Entrapta muttered.

“You, with the lopsided hair! How are you?” Entrapta moved her gaze to Netossa.

“Lopsided? How dare you!” Netossa growled, quickly getting to her feet.

“Subject appears unusually hostile. Uncertain if natural behavior pattern or the result of craniocerebral trauma. Must investigate further.” Entrapta now regarded Spinnerella as Netossa helped her to her feet.

“You, with the abnormally wide hips. Have your mental functions been impaired?” Entrapta asked.

“What? What’s wrong with my hips?” Spinnerella looked down at her hips, blushing with self-consciousness.

“Nothing at all, Spinny. Ignore her.” Netossa replied reassuringly.

“Hmm, with the exception of the sole male subject, all subjects appear to be mentally undamaged by the prototype.” Entrapta stroked her chin.

“Hey! I’m not brain damaged!” Bow finally managed to stand up, anger temporarily displacing his pain.

“Oh, excellent! Then it appears this test has been a complete success!” Entrapta cheered. “I thank you all for your participation!”

“You say that like we had a choice in the matter.” Glimmer crossed her arms.

Ignoring her, Entrapta walked over to a switch on the wall and activated it, causing the cage to sink into the floor.

“It was nice meeting you all. Follow George here and he’ll make sure you find your way out.” Entrapta said as a diminutive spherical robot rolled into the room.

“Wait, Entrapta, what about the Horde? You said we could talk about it.” Glimmer replied, walking closer to the hermit Princess.

“I thought we already did.” Entrapta turned to face Glimmer, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“I guess, but I was really hoping we could convince you to join the Rebellion. Please, is there anything we can do?” Glimmer begged, desperately wishing to avoid returning home empty handed.

Entrapta stroked her chin thoughtfully with a hair tendril for a few moments.

“Nope.” She said blithely before turning around.

“Entrapta, wait!” Glimmer’s words went unheeded as Entrapta quickly left the chamber.

Glimmer turned to face the rest of the Gang with a resigned sigh.

“Well, I guess we’d better go. She clearly has no interest in helping us.” She said softly.

Netossa and Spinnerella shared a sad glance while Bow walked up to Glimmer.

“It’s not your fault, Glimmer.” Bow tried to console her.

“I know it’s not my fault!” Glimmer shouted, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “It’s theirs! We’re doing everything we can to stop the Horde, while they do nothing at all! If the people who are sworn to protect Etheria are this useless, maybe… maybe we deserve to lose.”

She looked down at the ground, closing her eyes tightly in an attempt to stem the flow of tears.

“I know you don’t believe that.” Bow said gently, taking Glimmer’s hands into his own.

“No, I don’t…” Glimmer looked into Bow’s eyes sadly. “But I’m starting to believe we will.”

Bow opened his mouth, trying to think of some way to reassure her, but nothing came to mind.

The loud, grating sound of an alarm ended the conversation prematurely.

“What the…” Glimmer looked up at the ceiling. “What’s going on?”

“Test subjects!” Entrapta’s voice emanated from the round little robot. “I require further assistance. Please follow George if you wish to contribute.”

The Gang looked at each other.

“Maybe we still have a chance after all.” Bow smiled slightly.

“Only one way to find out.” Netossa commented.

Glimmer nodded silently. The four followed the strange robot down several hallways until it led them to a room filled with computer screens and open wires. Entrapta hovered a meter off the ground, supported by her hair tendrils as she watched a large screen.

The Gang approached her, their eyes widening in recognition as they saw the screen. It depicted a Horde gunship travelling at full speed towards the castle.

“It appears we have some more visitors.” Entrapta commented casually without turning to face them.

“You see? They’re coming for you, Entrapta.” Glimmer said with a hint of triumph.

“That is indeed the most likely conclusion. Strange, though.” Entrapta stroked her chin with a hair tendril. “I would have expected them to wait until after the fall of Bright Moon. Why would they attack now?”

“They must know of your talents.” Bow spoke up. “They’re afraid of you helping the Rebellion, so they’ve come to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Hmm…” Entrapta hummed thoughtfully, turning around to face them. “Normally I would send out my army of robots to drive them away, but well, you know.”

Everyone in the Gang suddenly looked sheepish.

“Oh, I know!” Entrapta’s eyes lit up. “You want my help for your Rebellion, right? And I need help protecting my home! If you agree to fend off the Horde, I’ll consider joining you. Is that acceptable?”

“You’ll consider it?” Glimmer raised a skeptical eyebrow. Bow elbowed her.

“Right, of course, we, uh, thank you for the opportunity. We won’t let you down!” Glimmer corrected herself.

Entrapta glanced at the monitor, where the ship was no longer in view.

“It appears they’ve landed just outside the castle.” She informed them. “You’d better hurry if you want to get back to the courtyard in time. George!”

George rolled over to her dutifully.

“To the courtyard!” She ordered, dramatically pointing at the door.

George made a mechanical chirp in response before rolling out of the room, the Gang following behind.

“Try not to die!” Entrapta cheerfully shouted after them.

An excruciatingly uncomfortable journey was mercifully concluded when the ship touched down in the open area just in front of the castle. Adora descended the ramp, followed by everyone else.

“Kyle, Lonnie, Rogelio. Protect the ship. Catra, Scorpia, you’re with me. Shadow Weaver, uh…” Adora looked at her uncertainly.

“We have no time to waste. The Princesses will have arrived ahead of us. We must ensure they do not obtain Entrapta.” Shadow Weaver said curtly, levitating towards the entryway.

“Right.” Adora hesitantly agreed.

“Could’ve sworn Hordak assigned us this mission…” Catra muttered to Adora as the three followed Shadow Weaver.

“Given how badly it turned out last time we fought them, I’m not going to complain.” Adora replied quietly.

Shadow Weaver stopped in the middle of the courtyard, the three stopped behind her.

“They’re coming.” She said ominously.

A few moments later, the Gang of Four rushed out of one of the castle’s entrances, lining up a few meters away from them. The two groups stared each other down, ready for combat, but refrained from attacking.

“Princess Glimmer.” Shadow Weaver said with a twisted facsimile of charm. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“Who… or what… are you?” Glimmer demanded.

“Did your mother never tell you? I suppose the memories were simply too painful for her.” Shadow Weaver enigmatically replied.

“What memories? What are you talking about?” Glimmer growled.

“Glimmer, don’t listen to her. She’s trying to bait you.” Bow interrupted.

“Clever boy.” Shadow Weaver calmly remarked. “We have wasted enough time, I think. It is time for you to learn what true power looks like.”

Shadow Weaver lazily raised an arm, firing a blast of dark energy from her hand. The energy impacted the ground in the middle of the Gang, knocking them all to the ground.

“Go. I will deal with them.” Shadow Weaver ordered.

Adora nodded and quickly ran past the temporarily incapacitated Gang, Scorpia and Catra hot on her heels.

“Now… shall we begin?” Shadow Weaver asked maliciously as the Gang got back to their feet.

“Rrraaagh!” Glimmer leaped back to her feet with a roar and fired several blasts of magic at Shadow Weaver.

The dark witch lifted her hand and Glimmer’s magical attacks dissolved like grains of sand in the wind.

“Pathetic.” Shadow Weaver remarked coldly.

“How about this?” Netossa conjured an energy net, quickly wrapping it around Shadow Weaver. Within a few seconds, the bright net started to turn black and melted away.

“What the…” Netossa backed away slightly, her eyes wide with shock.

“Your little magic tricks may serve you well against common soldiers, but I have more power than any of you could possibly comprehend.” Shadow Weaver haughtily declared.

“She’s too powerful! We need to get Entrapta and get out of here!” Bow yelled.

The Gang quickly ran towards the castle entrance. Before they could make it more than a meter, a massive barrier of black magic rose from the ground, cutting them off from the castle.

“If you wish to save Entrapta, you will have to defeat me first.” Shadow Weaver informed the Gang smugly as they turned around to face her.

“Then that’s what we’ll do!” Glimmer shouted confidently. “For Etheria!”

She punctuated her battle cry by firing several more energy blasts at Shadow Weaver. The dark sorceress swatted them away like flies, sending them back towards Glimmer.

Glimmer barely managed to jump out of the way, falling to the ground. Bow fired an arrow at Shadow Weaver, but the arrow disintegrated before it could even get close to her.

Spinnerella fired a massive blast of air at Shadow Weaver, but she raised a hand and set the attack flying back towards the Princess. Spinnerella was blasted backwards, slamming headfirst into a wall before limply falling to the ground.

“Spinny!” Netossa cried out, instinctively rushing over to the prone form of her spouse. Glimmer and Bow stopped attacking and watched in horror.

“Love… they told us it was our greatest strength.” Shadow Weaver slowly approached the couple. “They told us that there was nothing that could break it.”

“Spinny, wake up, please…” Netossa tearfully held her unconscious wife, barely even cognizant of Shadow Weaver bearing down on her.

“Bow… get mom…” Glimmer said quietly.

Bow quickly took out his tablet and desperately attempted to contact the Queen.

“How wrong they were. Love is fleeting, fragile. It is not a source of power, only weakness and failure.” Shadow Weaver continued as she stood over Netossa.

“Spinny… no… no…” Netossa whimpered softly.

A black tendril flew from Shadow Weaver and wrapped around Netossa’s neck, lifting her into the air. She struggled fiercely against the vile snare, but all of her strength meant nothing now.

“Netossa! No!” Glimmer cried, rushing forward. Without even looking, Shadow Weaver raised an arm in her direction, freezing Bow and Glimmer in place with dark magic.

“Watch how easily it breaks…” Shadow Weaver said darkly, clenching her fist.

The tentacle suddenly jerked to the side, and a loud cracking sound emanated through the courtyard. Netossa’s eyes bulged as her body went limp. The tentacle evaporated, allowing her body to fall listlessly to the ground next to her wife.

Glimmer and Bow watched helplessly, their eyes and mouths wide with shock and anguish. Shadow Weaver turned around and slowly walked over to where they were trapped.

“Do you understand now? This is what love brings you. This is what-” Shadow Weaver’s sadistic rant was cut off when a massive beam of light slammed into her from the side.

The sheer force of the impact catapulted her across the courtyard, and she landed on her back loudly enough to crack open the ground beneath her.

Glimmer and Bow looked towards the source of the attack in surprise. Queen Angella was standing before them, stoic and divine. With a slight wave of her hand, the dark fields holding the two in place ceased to exist.

“Mom!” Glimmer had never been more relieved to see her mother in her entire life.

“There’s no time to talk. We need to go, now.” Angella said soberly as Shadow Weaver began to rise.

“Bah…” Shadow Weaver spat, staggering to her feet. “You can’t protect them forever…”

Angella didn’t bother responding as she and the Gang of Four vanished into the light.

The three Force Captains walked down one of the castle’s corridors, weapons and pincers at the ready.

“Where are we even going? This place is like a maze.” Catra commented.

“If I had realized how hard this was going to be, I would have just ordered Puff to blow a hole in the wall.” Adora grumbled as they passed by a peculiar painting of a dog.

“I’d rather not have holes blown in this place while we’re standing in it, thanks.” Catra replied sarcastically.

A few moments later, the three emerged into a massive room, large enough to serve as a Horde hangar bay. It was well-lit but otherwise empty, A vast metal door was positioned on the opposite wall.

“Uh, I don’t want to be that guy, but… does this look like a trap to anyone else?” Scorpia asked nervously.

As if to confirm her concerns, the door sealed shut behind them.

“They do call her Entrapta…” Adora unholstered her pistol.

“Does anyone else hear that?” Catra asked as she followed suit.

The distant sound of gears and metallic clanging began to get closer and closer, coming from the door at the opposite end of the room.

“Giant robot?” Catra glanced at Adora.

“Giant robot.” Adora affirmed.

A loud metallic groaning sound emanated throughout the room as the enormous door slowly slid open. Catra and Adora aimed their pistols at the door, while Scorpia stood by with her pincers, uncertain of what to do.

Slowly and deliberately, the robot emerged into the light. A great steel behemoth as tall as a house and as wide as a particularly fat cow, it stood on four sturdy legs and was affixed with a twin cannon on the front. On each side was a strange metal protrusion with a function that was not readily apparent.

“Spread out.” Adora ordered. “Scorpia, hit it from the front and try to keep its attention.”

Scorpia nodded and charged forward.

“Catra, you go left. Let’s see if we can’t poke some holes in this thing.” Adora continued.

“Aye aye, Captain.” Catra winked.

The robot trained its sights on Scorpia as she charged screaming towards it. She raised her pincers in front of her head defensively, just in time to absorb the red bursts of energy from its cannons.

Simultaneously, Catra and Adora ran to each side, peppering the walker’s legs with energy blasts. The shots singed and blackened the armor wherever they hit, but failed to do any significant damage.

“Damn it.” Adora cursed under her breath.

Scorpia by now had advanced close enough that the walker was unable to shoot at her, and began clawing at its legs. Her pincers were unable to do anything more than dent the durable steel.

The walker began moving forward in an attempt to dislodge her, but she grabbed onto one of the legs and refused to budge. Looking up, she noticed something interesting.

“Hey, guys! I think the armor under here is weaker!” Scorpia called out.

Reacting quickly to this information, Adora and Catra rushed forward and followed Scorpia’s lead, grabbing onto two of its other legs. They began firing their pistols straight into its underbelly.

Scorpia’s insight proved correct. The armor of the walker’s underbelly was far thinner, and a handful of blasts were enough to begin to tear holes in it. The mechanical workings of the robot were exposed and began to melt like butter.

Now crippled and unstable, the walker began to teeter. The three moved out of the way as fast as they could, leaving the walker to collapse onto the ground with a satisfying crunch.

“Huh, that wasn’t so bad.” Catra commented as she looked over the carnage approvingly.

“Teamwork makes the dream work, or so they say.” Scorpia rubbed her forehead.

“I have bigger dreams than smashing a walking garbage can.” Catra replied as she began walking towards the entrance the robot had come from.

“Hey, you gotta start somewhere.” Adora remarked as she walked after Catra.

For whatever reason, the door had not been resealed after the robot’s dramatic entry, leaving the path wide open for the intruders. They cautiously continued down the eldritch corridors, wary of any further resistance.

Eventually, they reached a junction in the hallway with an imposing metal door on the opposite end. A large device was affixed to the wall next to it along with a large keypad.

“This looks important. Do you think she’s in there?” Catra wondered aloud.

“Hmmm...” Adora scrunched up her face as she examined the keypad.

“Careful, Adora. We probably shouldn’t touch that…” Catra warned.

“Boop, boop! Boop boop bop boop!” Adora blithely booped the big blue buttons.

Nothing happened. Adora hunched over slightly in defeat, turning away from the door.

“Did you really think that randomly pushing buttons was going to work?” Catra looked at Adora with a raised eyebrow.

“I wasn’t randomly pushing them! I put in your favorite number!” Adora pouted, crossing her arms.

“I’m pretty sure eighty-eight is only two numbers, not ten.” Catra smirked.

“Hmph. Well if you’re so smart, you open the door.” Adora retorted.

Without missing a beat, Catra unholstered her pistol and fired it at the keypad, melting it into slag. The door remained defiantly closed.

“Huh.” Catra looked at the door in surprise. “Usually that works.”

Adora leaned against Catra with a teasing grin.

“Having trouble?” She slyly asked.

“Shut up.” Catra said flatly.

“Alright, stand aside, you two.” Scorpia flexed her pincers. “This calls for a delicate touch.”

Adora and Catra gave her a wide berth, watching skeptically.

With a heaving grunt, Scorpia shoved her pincers into the door, attempting to pry it open with brute force.

Adora and Catra’s eyes widened in surprise as Scorpia slowly began to win the epic struggle. The pitiful steel proved to be no match for her might, and she forced the doors back into the wall where they belonged.

Catra whistled in appreciation.

“Nice work, Scorpia.” Adora grinned.

“Aw, you’re gonna make me blush.” Scorpia blushed.

The three made their way through the now open door and into Entrapta’s command center. The hermit Princess stood on her hair stilts, watching them intently as they entered.

“Hello, Horde invaders!” Entrapta smiled, waving a hand in greetings.

“Uh, hello.” Adora replied stiffly.

“I’ve been trying to figure out why you’ve come all this way.” Entrapta stroked her chin. “If you wanted to kill me and destroy my work, it would have been much easier to fire missiles at the mountain and cause a landslide.”

Adora and Catra exchanged an uncertain glance.

“If you wanted to kill me and seize my work, that wouldn’t help you very much since I’m the only one on Etheria who knows enough about it. Which only leaves one possibility. You’re here to capture me!” Entrapta excitably concluded as she leaped onto the ground.

“Why do you sound so happy about that? Do you want to be captured?” Catra bemusedly asked.

“Yes!” Entrapta covered the distance between them in what seemed like an instant, violating Catra’s personal space as she stared deeply into her eyes. “Since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of getting my hands on all that Horde tech!”

“Good to know…” Catra averted her eyes uncomfortably.

“You are here to capture me and bring me to the Fright Zone, right? Please tell me you are!” Entrapta switched her focus to Adora, pressing their foreheads together.

“That’s our mission, yeah…” Adora rubbed the back of her neck, blushing slightly.

“Wonderful!” Entrapta exclaimed before rushing over to one of her computers. “It will take a few minutes to transfer all my data, and then I’ll be ready! George!”

George quickly rolled through the door and up to Entrapta’s side.

“It’s finally time! Can you believe it!” She picked up the small robot and kissed it on what was presumably its mouth. The robot chirped happily in reply while the three Force Captains looked on, disturbed by the sight.

“Boy, am I not looking forward to the return trip.” Catra wryly remarked.

Chapter Text

It was the dead of night in the Kingdom of Bright Moon. Under normal circumstances, Glimmer would have been fast asleep, but instead she paced tirelessly around her room, unable to think of anything but what happened in Dryl.

Whatever that dark creature had been, it had demolished them with all the difficulty of crushing an ant. Nothing they did was able to even scratch her, and Spinnerella and Netossa had paid the price.

Immediately upon their return, Angella had taken them in for healing.

“I must be entirely focused if I am to save them. I know you are worried, but there is nothing you can do. Please, just try and get some rest.” Angella had told her.

Glimmer tried. She really did. She lay in bed for hours, but no matter what she did, sleep eluded her as her mind raced with thoughts and emotions.

She was the daughter of the Queen, the oldest and most powerful being on all of Etheria. She was a Princess, she had powers that ordinary people could only dream of. And yet, it was never enough. The powers she had were nothing compared to what their enemies could muster.

The answer was simple. She needed more power, she needed to become stronger. She needed to be able to protect her people, her friends.

But simple is not the same as easy. She had no idea where to even begin. Most of the Moonstone’s power was reserved for Angella, and she already knew what her mother would say.

“You are not ready. The true power of the Moonstone is too great for someone as young as you. It must be used with the utmost care, never in anger.” Angella sounded more condescending in her head than she ever did in reality.

“What is the point in having all that power if you’re too scared to use it?” Glimmer shouted angrily. The empty air was not forthcoming.

Glimmer walked over to her balcony and let out a long sigh as she stared thoughtfully at the forest below.

The Moonstone may have been out of her reach, but Mystacor wasn’t.

The journey to Dryl had been an excruciating ordeal all on its own, given that nobody dared to make small talk around Shadow Weaver. Now Adora found herself missing the silence as the hermit Princess refused to shut her mouth for more than five seconds.

“I still can’t believe it! I’m in a real Horde ship, going to the Fright Zone! This is the best day of my life! Have I told you that?” Entrapta gleefully asked Adora, once again showing her disregard for personal boundaries.

“Only about twenty times.” Adora answered wearily as she tried to pretend Entrapta wasn’t there.

Entrapta’s attention shifted to Shadow Weaver, who was trying her best to ignore the demented pink gremlin and read her book in peace.

“So… what’s with the mask? Are you ugly?” Entrapta asked with characteristic sensitivity, getting so close to the sorceress that the two were almost touching.

Everyone else - save the pilot - looked on in dread. Shadow Weaver was not known for her pleasant temperament at the best of times. Anyone who dared insult her directly would be fortunate if they were merely strangled to death.

Shadow Weaver simply looked up from her book and stared coldly at Entrapta.

“Get away from me, you vile creature.” She said, her voice leaden with contempt.

Entrapta’s face fell slightly and she quickly backed away, choosing to hang out next to Catra instead.

“Hi there. How are you doing?” Entrapta asked.

“Oh, just swell.” Catra’s ears lowered in annoyance and she tried not to look in Entrapta’s direction.

“You know, if we’re gonna be friends, I should probably know all of your names. You do have names in the Horde, right?” Entrapta scratched her head with a hair tendril.

“Duh.” Catra rolled her eyes.

“Your eyes are very pretty.” Entrapta said this as if it was a statement of fact rather than a compliment.

“Umm, thanks.” A light blush spread on Catra’s cheeks, taken aback by the sudden compliment.

“So, uh…” Adora cleared her throat awkwardly. “You wanted to know our names?”

“Right, yes!” Entrapta pointed a finger up in the sky. “Names are good!”

“Well then, my name is Adora. She’s Catra, that’s Scorpia…” Adora pointed to everyone and introduced them in turn.

“Ah, excellent! Thank you, Adam!” Entrapta said cheerfully.

“It’s Adora.” Adora frowned.

“Thank you, Adora!” Entrapta corrected herself. “I’m sure we’ll all have a great time together!”

She didn’t seem to notice how nobody else shared that sentiment.

The journey back to the Fright Zone only took a couple of hours, but to everyone but Entrapta it felt like it had taken weeks. Exhausted and miserable, the crew were eager to leave the ship. Soon enough the only people remaining in the hangar were Adora, Catra, Shadow Weaver, and Entrapta.

“Hordak will wish to… meet… Entrapta immediately. I must return to my duties.” Shadow Weaver informed them before floating off.

Adora and Catra looked at each other for a moment before turning to Entrapta.

“Before we see him, I should warn you that Hordak is… how do I put this… not very nice.” Adora informed Entrapta. “So be on your best behavior, okay?”

“Yes, sir!” Entrapta performed a mock salute with one of her hair tendrils.

“She’s so dead.” Catra muttered, rubbing her forehead.

Adora pressed her badge.

“This is Force Captain Adora. We’ve returned from our mission and have Entrapta.” She informed Hordak.

“Bring her to the throne room immediately.” Hordak ordered curtly.

Adora and Catra escorted the ‘prisoner’ to the throne room and stood before Lord Hordak.

“My lord, the Princess of Dryl.” Adora bowed her head, followed by Catra.

“She is not bound.” Hordak commented evenly.

“Entrapta chose to come with us willingly. She is… quite eager to get her hands on our tech.” Adora informed him.

“Entrapta can speak for herself.” Hordak’s eyes shifted to the Princess, expecting a response.

Entrapta said nothing, enthralled by the well-built cyborg. Adora noticed and hurriedly elbowed her, snapping her out of her trance.

“Uh, yes, right! It’s an honor to meet you, Lord Hordak. I’m a huge fan of your work.” It may have just been a trick of the light, but Adora could swear that Entrapta was blushing.

“I wouldn’t have expected a Princess to express admiration for my conquests.” Hordak replied with a faint hint of amusement.

“Well, I suppose those are nice too, but I was talking about your tech. Has anyone ever told you that you’re a genius?” Entrapta clasped her hands together excitedly.

Hordak briefly looked to the side. If Adora didn’t know better, she would have said he was embarrassed. But surely that was impossible.

“We should speak more in private. Force Captains, you are dismissed.” Hordak briefly glanced at Adora and Catra. The two bowed again before making themselves scarce, leaving Hordak alone with Entrapta.

“So, uh…” Entrapta rubbed a hand through her hair uncertainly.

“They say that your intellect and technological expertise are second to none on this world.” Hordak stood up from his throne and began walking towards her. “I am curious to see how true that is.”

“Well, I know my way around a robot, if that’s what you mean.” Entrapta replied with a faint blush.

“Come with me. There is something I wish to show you.” Hordak said as he walked past her and out of his throne room.

Her curiosity piqued, Entrapta eagerly followed Hordak down the winding corridors to his destination.

“You should consider yourself honored to be allowed inside this place. Even my highest ranking officers are not allowed in here.” Hordak informed her before opening the door.

Entrapta followed Hordak inside, and her mouth dropped as she took in the sights. It was some manner of laboratory, filled with all manner of strange devices that Entrapta didn’t know the first thing about.

“Wow…” Entrapta breathed in amazement. “What is all this stuff?”

“The kind of technology your people could only dream of.” Hordak walked over to a pronged metal spear that jutted out of the floor. “Do you know what this is?”

Entrapta followed him and scrutinized the device for a few seconds.

“I can’t say for certain, but it reminds me of some First One designs I’ve seen. Supposedly they had reactors so powerful that a single one could supply enough energy to an entire planet.” Entrapta said thoughtfully.

“This is far more advanced than anything the Eternians ever created. This reactor could produce enough power to supply a hundred worlds. If it worked.” Hordak growled in irritation.

“That’s amazing…” Entrapta drooled a little. “But wait, why would you even need that much power? What are you planning to do with it?”

“That is not your concern right now. First, I need this reactor operational.” Hordak stared down at Hordak, placing his arms behind his back.

“Do you know what’s wrong with it?” Entrapta stroked her chin.

“If I knew what was wrong with it, I would not need your help.” Hordak replied bluntly.

“Alrighty, then, I guess it won’t hurt to take a look.” Entrapta bent down and began closely examining the device with the eagerness of a dog examining a new bone.

Hordak watched the peculiar Princess with an inscrutable expression as she happily hummed to herself. The better part of an hour passed before Entrapta leapt to her feet triumphantly.

“Ah-ha! I got it!” Entrapta grinned at Hordak. “The cables you’re using aren’t insulated properly. The power is leaking out before it gets to the core. I fixed them, so it should work now.”

Hordak turned away from her in disappointment.

“I should have known someone from a backwater planet like this would have no understanding of the complexities of-”

Entrapta pulled the lever next to the reactor. After a few seconds, eldritch green energy began to flow freely from the device, forming into a large sphere above it.

Hordak turned around, his eyes wide with shock.

“Impossible…” He breathed.

Entrapta stared at the sphere, her eyes bulging with awe.

“It’s more beautiful than I ever could have imagined…” She almost seemed to be falling in love with the reactor.

“How could this have happened?” Hordak growled as he walked up next to Entrapta, staring at the sphere of energy with narrowed eyes. “I have been working on this for decades! How did I never notice such an obvious problem?”

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up about it.” Entrapta gave him a reassuring smile. “When you get really focused on a project, it’s easy to miss the little things. Trust me, I know. Sometimes, you really just need a fresh pair of eyes.”

Hordak continued staring at the device for a few seconds before turning to Entrapta with an uncertain expression.

“Perhaps… you may be right.” He admitted hesitantly.

“So, what’s this reactor for, anyway?” Entrapta attempted to ask casually despite her transparently obvious excitement.

“It was created for a singular purpose. To create a portal.” Hordak answered her, returning to his normal stoic demeanor.

“A portal?” Entrapta repeated in surprise. “I mean, I’ve read some First Ones writings that mentioned portals, and they are theoretically possible, but…”

“There is nothing theoretical about them. They are real, and I intend to create one.” Hordak walked over to a nearby computer terminal.

“Incredible. You could win the war overnight!” Entrapta said excitably as she followed Hordak to the terminal.

“That is the least I could do.” Hordak replied dismissively. “Tell me, have you ever wondered if this pathetic void was truly all there was in the universe?”

“I have thought about the possibility…” Entrapta admitted.

“Etheria exists within its own dimension of space, apart from the rest of existence. The universe, the true universe, consists of trillions of galaxies, each with billions of stars and planets.” Hordak explained.

“Stars? You mean the legends are true? The sky wasn’t always empty?” Entrapta asked, hanging onto Hordak’s every word.

“I do not know the history of this planet, nor do I care to. All I care about is returning to where I belong.” Hordak stared at the terminal grimly.

“Where you belong… so you’re an alien?” Entrapta stared up at him in wonder.

“From your perspective, perhaps. Such trivial distinctions matter little to me.” Hordak turned to face Entrapta.

“If you assist me in bringing the portal device online, I promise you that you will want for nothing.” Hordak declared.

“You don’t need to promise me anything. Never in a million years did I imagine I’d ever get the chance to do something like this! Anything I can do, I’ll do it! For science!” Entrapta jumped a full meter in the air from sheer joy.

“Then let us get to work, shall we?” Hordak allowed himself a small smirk.

The two were far too wrapped up in their discussion to notice the crimson eyes gazing at them from above.

Eventually, the stress of the day was overpowered by sheer fatigue and Glimmer was able to manage several hours of fitful sleep before the light of morning woke her.

Blearily, she tore herself from her bed and immediately went to see her mother. She started heading for the throne room before correcting herself and going to the infirmary. When she arrived, she noticed a Royal Guard watching the door.

She walked up to the guard, prepared to ask permission to enter, but the guard seemed to read her mind.

“Angella is still attending to your friends, but she said you could enter.” The guard informed her.

Glimmer nodded wordlessly and entered the infirmary. Much like the castle’s prison and war room, it was not actually built for the purpose. Instead it was a former guest bedroom that had been refitted to hold two dozen injured patients.

When Glimmer entered, she saw Angella standing over the unmoving forms of Spinnerella and Netossa as they lay on beds next to each other.

“Are… they?” Glimmer asked, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“Their injuries were severe.” Angella replied softly, refusing to look at her daughter. “But they will live.”

Glimmer nearly fainted from relief.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved I am to hear that…” She said with a grateful smile.

Glimmer’s smile died as quickly as it appeared when Angella turned to her, her face abnormally pale and eyes dull with exhaustion.

“...Mom?” Glimmer looked at Angella with concern.

“I’m fine. It was just a long night.” Angella offered a weak smile.

“Are you sure? You look… well, terrible, if I’m being honest.” Glimmer replied bluntly.

“Heh.” Angella chuckled mirthlessly. “I’ve had far worse nights than this. I’ll be fine, don’t worry.”

Part of Glimmer wanted to be angry at her mother for not doing more to fight the Horde. But seeing Angella so vulnerable, so miserable, made that impossible.

“I love you, mom.” Glimmer said as she wrapped her arms around Angella’s chest.

The Queen looked mildly surprised for a moment before she smiled and returned the embrace.

“I love you too, Glimmer.” Angella replied gently.

They held each other for much longer than Glimmer intended. When was the last time they had hugged each other? Glimmer couldn’t remember. She had almost forgotten how comforting it was.

“You have something to ask me, don’t you?” Angella asked when they finally broke off.

“What?” Glimmer asked back in surprise. “I mean, yeah, but don’t worry about it. You’ve got enough on your plate right now.”

“I told you, I’m fine.” Angella insisted.

“Okay…” Glimmer rubbed a hand through her hair. “There’s a few things I wanted to ask actually. About what happened in Dryl…”

“Whatever happened, I promise I’m not upset with you.” Angella said reassuringly.

“It’s not that. It’s, well, it’s about what hurt them.” Glimmer pointed to the unconscious Princesses. “When I asked that… being… who she was, she told me that you knew her.”

Angella’s eyes widened briefly in surprise. She walked away from Glimmer and over to the balcony, which offered a pleasant view of one of the castle’s gardens.

“I suppose we do, in a manner of speaking.” Angella took a deep breath, clearly reluctant to talk much about the subject.

Glimmer followed Angella over to the balcony and looked up at her.

“She said something about painful memories. I’m sorry, but I think I need to know.” Glimmer said quietly.

“No… you’re right.” Angella closed her eyes. “You do.”

Glimmer waited patiently for Angella to continue. After a few moments of silence, Angella opened her eyes again.

“That being is the most powerful servant of Lord Hordak. She calls herself Shadow Weaver now, but before that, she was known as Light Spinner. She was one of the greatest sorcerers of Mystacor, training many pupils. Including your father.” Angella winced while saying the last word.

“You mean that… that thing… knew my dad?” Glimmer recoiled in disgust.

“Unfortunately.” Angella replied somberly. “He didn’t tell me everything, but he told me enough. She manipulated him into performing a ritual which allowed her to obtain more power than any sorcerer before her. Then she murdered the Head Sorcerer and left to join the Horde.”

“I can’t believe it…” Glimmer said quietly, staring out at the garden below in disbelief.

“I hoped I wouldn’t have to burden you with this, but it seems she forced my hand.” Angella let out a tired sigh.

Glimmer shook her head to clear her mind. There was still more to ask. She turned back to her mother.

“...Thank you, mom. I know it wasn’t easy for you to tell me this.” She smiled.

“That’s quite alright.” Angella replied.

A brief silence ensued before Glimmer cleared her throat.

“That… wasn’t the only thing I wanted to talk to you about.” Glimmer said, a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice.

“Oh?” Angella raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“You see, I… I need more power.” Glimmer rubbed her hands together tightly.

“I understand why you feel this way, but you are not ready to wield the full power of the Moonstone.” Angella said firmly.

“I’m not talking about the Moonstone.” Glimmer tried not to smirk when her mother’s eyes widened in surprise. “I’m talking about Mystacor.”

“Mystacor?” Angella repeated in surprise before considering the prospect. “It’s rare for Princesses to become sorcerers, but it’s not without precedent. Are you certain about this?”

“Completely.” Glimmer stiffened. “The only reason we survived fighting Shadow Weaver was because of you, and you won’t always be there to save us. If we’re going to have any chance of holding our own against someone like that, we’ll need every advantage we can get.”

“If you wish to learn the ways of magic, I have no objections. Will you be bringing Bow along?” Angella asked in a way that sounded far too suggestive for Glimmer’s liking.

“Bow’s just a friend, mom, stop trying to make it weird!” Glimmer grumbled, crossing her arms.

“I didn’t say anything about that.” Angella said slyly.

“Ugh, whatever.” Glimmer rolled her eyes. “But I guess, if he wants to.”

“I’m sure he will come if you ask him to.” Angella winked.

“Okay, goodbye!” Glimmer hurriedly left the infirmary, her face redder than a tomato.

Angella watched her leave with a melancholy smile.

“Young love. So precious…” Angella said softly.

It took longer than Glimmer expected to find Bow. Eventually she found him in the dining room, eating breakfast with Sea Hawk.

“Ah, the Megakraken of Doom Isle! My, that was quite the encounter. The beast shook our ship around like it was a toy in a bathtub, but I held firm and we were able to escape its mighty tentacles. Well, except Jimmy. Poor Jimmy.” Sea Hawk was busy regailing Bow with tales of dubious veracity, the young archer hanging onto every word.

“That’s amazing. What happened next?” Bow asked, his eyes bulging with childlike curiosity.

“Well then my crew mutinied and threw me overboard. I got the last laugh, though, because the Megakraken returned and ate them all. I would certainly have perished as well, were it not for a timely encounter with the fairest maiden Etheria has ever known.” Sea Hawk smiled as he recalled the experience.

“Who was this fair maiden? I must know!” Bow’s voice cracked with excitement.

“Ah, who but the magnificent Princess of Salineas could be the fairest of them all?” Sea Hawk practically swooned.

“Wait, what?” Bow raised a skeptical eyebrow, taken aback by his answer. “Didn’t she toss you out of her palace?”

“She may play hard to get, but I know deep down she loves me with the fury of the ocean itself!” Sea Hawk punctuated his statement by suddenly leaping to his feet and pointing at the ceiling.

Roughly ten seconds of total silence passed with Sea Hawk continuing to point upwards until Bow let out a fake sounding cough.

“Um, okay...” He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

“Ugh, I can’t take this anymore.” Glimmer walked into the dining room with a groan. “Bow, I need to talk to you. Away from… him.”

It didn’t take much to convince Bow, who quickly stood up.

“It was, uh, great talking to you. I have to go now.” Bow told Sea Hawk diplomatically before hurriedly following Glimmer out of the room.

“So, what’s up?” Bow asked as they walked down the hallway.

“It’s about what happened at Dryl.” Glimmer continued without looking at him.

“Please tell me you’re not blaming yourself for that. None of us were able to do anything, it’s not your fault.” Bow said kindly.

“That’s exactly it. That being… Shadow Weaver… her power was so far beyond ours. Beyond mine.” Glimmer stopped and looked down at the floor.

“Glimmer…” Bow moved to put an arm on her shoulder, but pulled away when she turned to face him.

“I talked to Mom, and she agreed to let me train at Mystacor. Hopefully, I can learn things there that will even the odds.” Glimmer said quietly, avoiding Bow’s gaze.

Bow looked at her silently, unsure of how to respond.

“I’m sorry, I should have talked to you before making this decision. I just… she could have killed you, as easily as breathing. I felt so helpless, so useless… I never want to feel like that again.” Glimmer’s voice was barely more than a whisper, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“I think that’s a great idea, Glimmer.” Bow said softly.

“You… you do?” Glimmer looked at him, surprise evident on her face.

“You’re right. We had no chance against her.” Bow answered earnestly. “If there’s something the wizards of Mystacor can teach you to defend us from that kind of power, we’re gonna need it.”

“Well…” Glimmer put her hands behind her back shyly. “In that case… would you like to come with me?”

“Well, I’d love to, but…” Bow replied, blushing. “I have no talent for magic, so I’d just be a distraction. Besides, I’m needed here.”

Glimmer’s face fell.

“...Yeah, you’re right. It was silly of me to ask.” She muttered despondently.

“Hey.” Bow put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and smiled. “Don’t worry about a thing. Just focus on learning your magic, and I’ll hold the fort.”

Glimmer nodded and offered a weak but sincere smile in return.

“You’d better.” She said teasingly.

“Have I ever let you down before?” Bow asked, his smile morphing into a sly smirk.

“You don’t want me to answer that.” Glimmer replied with a smirk of her own.

“No, maybe I don’t.” Bow sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

Adora stood in the observation deck, looking down at the floor of the training room. There were no combat simulations today. Instead, a hundred raw recruits were being drilled in basic formations and discipline.

Even from her perch, she could see how young they were. She doubted many of them were more than ten years old. Perhaps it wasn’t surprising that a war that had lasted nearly four decades would force Hordak to start clawing the bottom of the barrel.

Adora let out a long sigh, a profound feeling of melancholy prevailing over her.

“Hey, Adora.”

Adora jumped slightly, startled by the intrusion. She turned around to see that Catra was almost directly behind her.

“Catra? Uh, hi.” Adora replied awkwardly.

“Did I startle you? Sorry about that…” Catra gave Adora a knowing smirk as she moved to stand by her side.

“Gotta say, this is one of the last places I’d expect to find you.” Catra commented as she watched the recruits.

“They’re children, Catra…” Adora said softly.

“So are we.” Catra crossed her arms impassively. “They’ll grow up fast, or they won’t grow up at all.”

“This war can’t end soon enough.” Adora closed her eyes.

Catra placed a comforting hand on Adora’s shoulder.

“We’ll end it together. Just you watch.”

Chapter Text

The immortal Queen and her daughter appeared near the edge of a cliff, overlooking a gigantic chasm. The evening sky above was choked with clouds, concealing the floating island of Mystacor.

“So, will you be coming to see Aunt Casta?” Glimmer asked.

“No… no, I don’t think I will.” Angella did her best to mask her distaste for her former sister-in-law. “But do give her my regards.”

“...Right. Bye, mom.” Glimmer replied with a hint of sadness.

“Goodbye, Glimmer. And good luck.” Angella smiled before teleporting away.

Glimmer stared out at the clouds for a few minutes. She took a deep breath and leaped off the cliff. As she tore through the thick layer of clouds, she briefly wondered if she had missed the platform and was about to fall to her death.

Fortunately for her, she landed safely on the floating platform, which proceeded to bring her through the wall of clouds and to the edge of the island.

Glimmer had barely stepped onto the island before she saw her aunt charging at her with a massive grin, her arms outstretched. She considered teleporting out of the way, but ultimately decided that it was a necessary sacrifice.

“Glimmer! It’s been so long since you’ve come to visit!” Castaspella forced Glimmer into a ferocious hug. “How has my favorite niece been doing?”

“Oh, I’ve been doing alright…” Glimmer said hesitantly.

“Wait a minute…” Castaspella said, mercifully releasing Glimmer from her clutches.

“Where’s that handsome young man, Bow? Did he not come with you? Don’t tell me you’ve broken up! That would just be awful!” Castaspella seemed like she was on the verge of tears.

Glimmer suppressed a groan.

“We didn’t break up because we were never together in the first place. He’s just a friend, Auntie. Now can we talk about why I’m here?” Glimmer bit her lip in an attempt to hide her frustration.

“Yes, of course…” Castaspella trailed off as she looked down at Glimmer’s waistline. “Hrm, I thought you said you were going to ease off on the strawberry dumplings.”

Glimmer scowled at her aunt, crossing her arms.

“I came here to learn how to use magic, not to go on a diet.” She replied gruffly.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” Castaspella briefly raised her arms in surrender.

“It’s fine. Now please…” Glimmer gestured to the school that towered over them.

“Right, right…” Castaspella turned around and began leading Glimmer towards the school.

“I’m sure you know that this kind of thing isn’t very common. Normally students at Mystacor begin training when they are very young, and receive a full education in addition to their magical studies.” She explained as they walked through the exterior gardens.

“Obviously, it would be silly to waste your time teaching you things you already know, so instead I’ll be instructing you personally. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.” Castaspella stopped as they approached the entrance and turned around to face Glimmer.

“Not at all, Auntie.” Glimmer replied. “I’ll be learning from the best.”

Castaspella winced at the compliment.

“Yes… the best… I suppose I am, now.” She murmured.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Glimmer said quietly.

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Castaspella reassured her. “Now, I should show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

Castaspella brought Glimmer through the hallowed halls until they reached what appeared to be the dormitory.

“I know how much you like your privacy, so I made sure you would have your own room.” She said as she stopped in front of one of the doors.

“Thank you.” Glimmer smiled sincerely.

“It’s no problem at all. Settle in and relax. Your training will start tomorrow.” Castaspella patted Glimmer’s head affectionately before walking away.

Glimmer looked at the door to her room for a few seconds before entering it. The room was fairly small and sparse, but reasonably comfortable. More importantly, she didn’t have to share it.

She promptly plopped down on her new bed. It was only early evening, but the poor quality of the previous night’s sleep made it quite easy for her to drift off.

“Bah, it is no use.” Hordak growled, stomping away from the console. “Without the proper components, there is nothing we can do to make this portal work.”

“Hey, you can’t give up now! Not when we’re so close!” Entrapta exclaimed as she placed herself in his path.

“I was a fool to think I would ever get off this blasted planet…” Hordak muttered, holding a hand to his forehead.

“We’ll figure out something, we just have to be persistent! Do you think I would have been able to make an army of robots if I gave up the first time one of them exploded in my face? Or the hundredth? No!” Entrapta stared up at Hordak firmly.

“For more than forty years I have persisted against all odds and sense. All the tenacity in the universe cannot change the fact that the portal will never function without a dimensional stabilizer.” Hordak clenched his fists and walked back over to the console that displayed the portal’s schematics.

“So what? Can’t we just make one ourselves?” Entrapta asked, walking up next to him.

“No.” Hordak answered bluntly. “Dimensional stabilizers are among the most advanced pieces of technology ever to be created. Even with our combined intellect, we would be but children playing with fire.”

“What’s the problem with that? Trial and error is the heart of science. We can just keep trying until we get it right.” Entrapta said cheerfully.

“You do not understand.” Hordak said darkly, turning to Entrapta. “There is no trial and error here. If we activate a portal with anything less than a perfect stabilizer, everything in this dimension will cease to exist.”

Entrapta’s eyes widened in understanding.

“Oh… that would be bad.” She said quietly.

“Now you understand why we cannot continue.” Hordak began to walk away.

Entrapta looked at the floor thoughtfully for a few seconds.

“Wait!” She cried out, causing Hordak to turn around.

“What is it now?” He grunted irritably.

“What about the First Ones? They had portal technology, didn’t they?” Entrapta asked eagerly.

“The technology of the Eternians was primitive and pitiful.” Hordak dismissively replied.

“But they had portals?” Entrapta asked again, running up to Hordak and staring him in the eyes.

“...Yes, they did.” Hordak answered reluctantly.

“Well, that’s great news! Etheria is positively littered with ruins they left behind. I’m sure if we look hard enough, we can find what we need!” Entrapta trembled with excitement.

“Even if by some remote chance you are right, there is no way to locate these ruins short of scouring the entire planet. Perhaps once this war is over, we could afford that, but not now.” Hordak replied, his voice tinted with resignation.

“Oh, don’t worry about that! First Ones tech gives off a unique energy signature. All I have to do is whip up a continental scanning device and we’ll be able to locate every single ruin on Etheria at once!” Entrapta said as she began jumping up and down like a child on a trampoline.

“You can do that?” Hordak asked in surprise.

“Of course I can! I’ll need a lot of resources and maybe a few weeks, but I’ll get it done!” Entrapta confidently declared.

Hordak stared at her silently for a few moments. Then, he nodded.

“Whatever you need, you shall have it.”

The training hall of Mystacor was a vast circular room, decorated with stained glass windows depicting famous sorcerers who had once learned in its walls. From its great size, Glimmer presumed it was normally host to dozens of students. Today, however, it was just the two of them.

Castaspella walked to the center of the room before turning around to look at her newest pupil. She produced a small silver orb from her robes and held it out in one hand.

Glimmer raised a confused eyebrow.

“Take this, please.” Castaspella told her.

Glimmer started walking closer to her, only to stop when Castaspella held up her free hand.

“Not with your hands. One of the simplest spells a sorcerer can learn is how to manipulate nearby objects without touching them. Telekinesis.” She explained patiently.

“So, how do I do that?” Glimmer asked, looking at the orb uncertainly.

Rather than answer with words, Castaspella calmly threw the orb into the air. Without wasting a moment, she carved a glowing blue triangle in the air with a finger. The orb’s descent was suddenly halted, and it was left suspended in the air between the two.

“To use magic effectively, one must be focused, your intent clear. You must know exactly what you are doing and what will happen. If you don’t…” Castaspella swept her hand through the triangle, causing it to dissolve into faint blue dust. The orb instantly began falling again and smashed into pieces on the floor.

“...Failure is inevitable.” She stared Glimmer in the eyes as she finished.

“I understand.” Glimmer nodded.

“We will see.” Castaspella drew another symbol into the air, one too complicated for Glimmer to understand, and the pieces of the orb began to reform back into their original shape. “Your turn.”

Glimmer looked at the orb on the floor for a few seconds. She took a deep breath and carved a pink triangle into the air. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the orb slowly began to rise from the floor.

“It’s working!” Glimmer shouted excitably.

Instantly, the triangle vanished and the orb clattered back to the ground. Glimmer’s elation evaporated and she let out an annoyed groan.

“Don’t lose heart, Glimmer.” Castaspella reassured her, clearly unsurprised by her failure. “This is a normal part of the learning process. Focus and discipline are not things you can learn overnight.”

“I know, I just… ugh.” Glimmer let out a long sigh.

“You’re used to having power come naturally to you.” Castaspella answered for her.

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Glimmer replied quietly.

“This road will not be an easy one.” Castaspella warned. “It takes many years for a normal student to learn how to use magic, but years are not a luxury we have anymore. You must learn, and you must learn quickly, or this will all be in vain.”

Glimmer looked down at the ground, closing her eyes.

“If you truly believe you have what it takes, I will teach you. But I will not hold back.” Castaspella said firmly.

A long silence came between them. Finally, Glimmer raised her head and met her aunt’s gaze.

“I am willing to do whatever I must. For Etheria.” Glimmer declared, her eyes narrow with determination.

“Good.” Castaspella smiled. “Then we shall begin in earnest.”

“Ugggggh…” Catra groaned, slamming her face against her pillow repeatedly. “I. Am. So. Bored.”

“I’m sure Hordak will have another assignment for us soon.” Adora tried to reassure Catra as she examined herself in the mirror.

“It’s been a week and he hasn’t even said a word to us.” Catra groused. “If you ask me, I think he’s been falling for that crazy nerd Princess.”

“I don’t think Hordak is even capable of love.” Adora replied as she undid her ponytail, letting her hair down in all its natural glory.

“Who knows what goes on inside that scary looking head of his? I’m just saying, it’s a bit weird that he went silent just after we gave her to him.” Catra rolled over on her back and stared up blankly at the ceiling.

“He’s probably been drilling her about all of her tech or something. Heh, drilling.” Adora chuckled at the unintentional pun.

“Oh, you’re the worst.” Catra rolled her eyes.

“I know.” Adora replied wryly.

Catra glanced at Adora, noticing her beautiful long hair. She walked over to her with a sly grin.

“It’s your hair and all, but I honestly gotta say that I prefer you like this.” Catra purred as she gently stroked Adora’s hair with her hand.

“Uh, you do?” Adora blushed intensely, looking down at the floor.

“Yeah, you look a lot cuter this way. Not that you aren’t always cute, but…” Catra grinned and kissed Adora on the cheek.

“Oh, stop…” Adora murmured in embarrassment.

“I’m serious.” Catra said softly. “Well, mostly.”

“I’m not sure…” Adora rubbed the side of her neck as she looked up at Catra. “I think the ponytail makes me look more mature.”

“Trust me, it doesn’t.” Catra replied teasingly. “It just draws attention to your gigantic forehead.”

Adora self-consciously looked at her gigantic forehead.

“My forehead is not gigantic!” She vainly insisted.

“Whatever you say, Forehead Captain.” Catra gave a mocking salute.

“Oh, very funny.” Adora crossed her arms and stared Catra down. “You’re a regular comedian, aren’t you, Captain Kitten?”

Catra grimaced at the nickname.

“Boo, you didn’t even come up with that.” She said flatly.

“Hmph.” Adora crossed her arms and made a pouty face. “Some of us have more important things to do than come up with mean nicknames.”

“Uh-huh, sure.” Catra smiled knowingly.

Adora opened her mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the unpleasant ringing that echoed throughout the Fright Zone, indicating that it was time for lunch.

“Ah, good, I’ve been having a craving for tasteless gray mush.” Catra dryly commented. “You coming, Adora?”

“You can go ahead. I’ll just be a minute.” Adora replied.

“Suit yourself.” Catra shrugged before leaving the barracks.

Adora stared at herself in the mirror for more than a minute. Her hand hovered over her hair tie, but she didn’t pick it up.

“Gigantic forehead…” She muttered under her breath. She left the barracks and headed to the mess hall, letting her hair flow naturally for the first time in years.

With a tray of what the Horde considered lunch in her hands, Adora scanned the mess hall for Catra. She quickly saw her sitting at an otherwise empty table and sat down next to her.

“Is it just me, or does the food taste worse than usual…” Catra trailed off as she looked at Adora and saw that her hair was still down.

“...Niiice.” She purred appreciatively.

“Yeah, yeah…” Adora blushed and stared down at her food.

“You know, the food here just doesn’t do it for me. Wanna head back to Erelandia and get some Banana Tigers?” Catra asked casually.

“I don’t know…” Adora murmured doubtfully, meeting Catra’s eyes. “What happens if Hordak has new orders for us and we’re hours away from the Fright Zone? He won’t be happy. Plus, last time we went there, we didn’t exactly make the best impression.”

“Aww, pssh.” Catra dismissively waved her hand. “Hordak’s too busy with his girlfriend to notice. And what are the locals going to do, arrest us? I’ll kick them into next week if they try anything.”

“You do make a compelling argument…” Adora glanced down at her intensely unappetizing meal. “Sure, what the heck, let’s get out of here.”

They stood up to leave, abandoning their rations and heading for the hangar. There were plenty of empty skiffs to take, and soon the two were off to Erelandia.

By late afternoon, they had reached the edge of the Whispering Woods. Suddenly, Catra started groaning in pain.

“Ugh, what the…” She clutched her stomach. “Adora, stop… I feel sick…”

Adora quickly brought the skiff to a halt in mid-air, looking over at Catra with concern.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” She asked.

“I… I don’t know…” Catra muttered.

Adora put a hand on Catra’s forehead.

“You don’t have a fever… how do you feel?” Adora asked softly.

“Like I’m about to throw up…” Catra retched.

“Okay, we’ll go back to the Fright Zone. Maybe Doctor Morvan can-”

Catra doubled over and vomited off the edge of the skiff, showering the ground below. Adora could do nothing but wince sympathetically as Catra retched.

“On second thought, maybe we should keep going. I’m sure Erelandia has a doctor.” Adora said hurriedly.

“Just hurry up…” Catra moaned, curling up into a miserable ball.

Adora piloted the skiff as fast as she could without aggravating Catra’s illness. After a little less than an hour, she could make out the buildings of Erelandia. This time, she didn’t bother with subtlety, landing the skiff in the middle of the town square.

The nearby citizens looked on in surprise and fear, perhaps believing they were under attack. Adora helped Catra off the skiff, allowing her to lean on her for support.

“Where is the doctor?” Adora called out to the nearby townsfolk.

Most of them didn’t respond, but an elderly mushroom man pointed over to a nearby store. If Adora had been in her right mind, she might have recognized it, but she was too concerned for Catra at the moment.

Adora brought Catra to the store, only to stare in surprise as it was the general store they had visited the last time The mushroom lady stopped sweeping the floors and looked up in surprise.

“Oh great, you two again.” She grimaced. “I hope you’re not here to rob me.”

“Look, we’re really sorry about what happened last time, but my friend here is really sick and I don’t know why.” Adora said, desperation leaking into her voice.

“And what makes you think I can do anything about that? I sell produce.” The mushroom lady placed her hands on her hips.

“Some old guy in the square pointed you out.” Adora answered honestly.

“Ugh, Pluteus. He can’t leave well enough alone, can he?” The mushroom lady grumbled.

“Alright, look. I’m no doctor. I just picked up a few things from my dad. He was the doctor, not me.” She said, glancing at Catra with a faint hint of sympathy in her eyes.

“Then where is he?” Adora asked innocently.

“The Black Forest.” The lady answered bluntly.

Adora winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

“It’s fine.” The lady cut her off. “Let’s just take care of your friend. Come on.”

She led the two through the door behind the counter and into a room with several beds. Adora gently set Catra down on the nearest bed. She groaned in pain and curled up tightly.

“Tell me everything you know about what happened.” The mushroom lady said firmly.

“Well, we were on our way here and she just suddenly felt sick. Then she, uh, vomited. A lot.” Adora rubbed the back of her head.

“Hmm. What happened before that? Did you come into contact with anyone ill? Or eat some bad food?” She asked.

“No, we…” Adora trailed off as she thought of the mess hall. “She ate the food, but I didn’t…”

“Sounds like food poisoning. Fortunately for you, I know a thing or two about that. She should be fine as long as she drinks plenty of water and gets her rest.” The mushroom lady replied, walking towards the door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean my store.”

“Wait.” Adora said, stopping her in her tracks. “What’s your name?”

“Why do you care?” She asked suspiciously without turning around.

“I just… you’re helping us out and I don’t even know your name.” Adora replied quietly.

The lady said nothing for a few moments.

“Amanita.”

She closed the door, leaving Adora and Catra alone.

Adora noticed that the room had an adjacent bathroom. She returned to Catra’s side with a glass of water.

“Hey, Catra…” She said gently.

“Mrmmm…” Catra mumbled, opening her eyes half-way to look at Adora.

“I have some water for you…” Adora brought the glass up to Catra’s mouth. She took it from Adora’s grip and downed the entire glass in one gulp.

“Thanks…” Catra offered a weak smile.

“Anytime.” Adora smiled back.

“Gotta say… this isn’t what I had in mind…” Catra muttered, tenderly clutching her stomach with one hand.

“We’ll get some Banana Tigers when you’re feeling better, okay?” Adora grasped Catra’s other hand reassuringly.

“I’ll… hold you to that…” Catra sighed faintly as she closed her eyes.

Adora watched over Catra for a long time. Even though Amanita had said she would be fine, she couldn’t help but worry. And not just about Catra.

If it was the food in the mess hall that was responsible, how many other people had been poisoned?

It had been a grueling and exhausting week for Glimmer. Wake up, eat, train, eat, train, eat, train, sleep. No time for leisure, and only barely enough time for rest.

Part of her wanted to give up, but deep down she knew that she had no choice but to continue. The pain she endured now would be nothing compared to the pain of watching the Horde destroy everything she loved.

She headed to the training hall, where Castaspella awaited her as usual.

“You’re quite the fast learner, you know. It takes most people months to reach this level, and you’ve done it in mere days.” Castaspella said with a smile.

“Well, I imagine getting personal instruction from the Head Sorcerer had something to do with that.” Glimmer rubbed her shoulder sheepishly.

“Don’t sell yourself short. Your dedication is what makes this possible.” Castaspella replied.

“If you say so.” Glimmer said noncommittally. “So, more triangles?”

“There isn’t much more I can teach you about telekinesis. I was thinking we should move on to a more complicated spell.” Castaspella wove a complex tapestry into the air and was suddenly engulfed in a blanket of white light.

As Glimmer stared with her mouth agape, the white light disappeared. Glimmer found herself coming face to face with none other than Glimmer.

“What the hell?” Glimmer cried out without thinking, looking at her doppelganger in horror.

“Sorry, perhaps I should have explained myself first.” The false Glimmer replied with Castaspella’s voice.

“Yeah, maybe you should have.” Glimmer grimaced. “Shapeshifting, I take it?”

“Indeed.” Glimmaspella replied. “The spell does nothing for your voice, but even so, there are many uses for it. Especially in war.”

“Do you have to look like me? This is really creeping me out.” Glimmer gritted her teeth.

“Sorry.” Glimmaspella cast the spell again. When the light faded, Glimmer was now staring at Bow.

“Hi, Glimmer!” Castabowa said in a disturbingly accurate imitation of Bow’s mannerisms.

“Gah, that’s even worse!” Glimmer groaned and turned around so that her aunt couldn’t see her blushing.

“Oops, my bad.” Castabowa said, casting the spell once more.

Hesitantly, Glimmer turned back to face her, only for eyes to narrow as she stared down her mother.

“Really?” She asked flatly.

“What?” Castangella asked innocently.

“Are you trying to make me feel uncomfortable? Because if so, mission accomplished.” Glimmer grumbled.

“Sorry, I got carried away.” Castangella disappeared in a flash of light and left Castaspella in her place.

“Still, this does lead into the most important aspect of proper shapeshifting. You have to know what someone looks like, and quite well, for it to work. If you don’t… well, it isn’t pretty.” She winced.

“Not pretty how? Is it dangerous?” Glimmer asked with a hint of fear.

“No, not dangerous. Just incredibly unsettling.” Castaspella answered in a way that made it obvious she spoke from experience.

“Hrm. Well, I’m not going to let that stand in my way. I’m ready.” Glimmer swept her doubts away.

“Good, good.” Castaspella smiled. “Let’s start with the basics…”

As much as Adora had desired to watch over Catra all night, the needs of her body proved too much for her to withstand.

Mere seconds after she awoke in the morning, she stood up and walked over to Catra’s bedside. She was curled up into a ball, snoring peacefully.

“Hey, Catra…” Adora said quietly, not wanting to wake her up. Catra’s ear perked up anyway and she slowly opened her eyes.

“Adora…” Catra muttered with a small smile as she looked up at her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Adora sheepishly apologized.

“It’s okay, I forgive you…” Catra murmured.

“How are you feeling?” Adora asked softly.

“Better… could use some water…” Catra shifted on the bed so that she was lying down like a normal person.

Adora quickly went to the bathroom and returned with a glass of water. Catra drank it all within a few gulps.

“Ahhhh.” She exhaled in satisfaction and smiled at Adora. “Thanks for playing nurse for me, Adora…”

“It’s nothing…” Adora blushed. “You’d have done the same for me.”

“Heh, I guess…” Catra chuckled weakly.

“Are you feeling well enough to move?” Adora asked. “Not that I want to rush you or anything…”

“Well, let’s see…” Catra slowly sat up on the bed, saying nothing for a few seconds.

“Ehh, I still feel a little sick, but it’s not too bad.” She said as she stood up.

“Want to get some Banana Tigers?” Adora smiled.

“Nah, they’d probably just come back up again.” Catra declined. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Catra walked over to the door leading into the store and opened it. Adora quickly followed her.

“You’re awake.” Amanita barely gave them a glance as she stocked the shelves with produce.

“Yeah, sorry for imposing on you.” Adora apologized. “How much do we owe you?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Amanita replied tersely. “Just don’t cause any trouble for us in the future, and we’ll call it even, okay?”

“Erm… okay. Thanks.” Adora said awkwardly as Catra rolled her eyes.

The two left the store and headed back to their skiff. No doubt remembering what had happened on their last visit, none of the residents of Erelandia had dared to so much as touch the strange vehicle or otherwise impede their progress.

After an uneventful and mostly silent journey home, Adora set the skiff down in the hangar. As she and Catra walked down the corridors, they noticed something strange.

“Aren’t there usually more guards around?” Catra wondered aloud.

“Yeah, there are…” Adora trailed off.

“Sounds like you have an idea why.” Catra glanced at Adora.

“If Amanita was right, what are the chances that only you were poisoned by the food?” Adora asked, unable to keep the anxiety from her voice.

“...Ah. Crap.” Catra replied flatly after a brief pause.

“Let’s go see Doctor Morvan.” Adora suggested. “If I’m right, he’ll be a lot busier than usual.”

“Right behind you.” Catra nodded.

Adora’s concerns were quickly realized when they arrived at the infirmary. There were a hundred beds, and every single one of them was filled with groaning Horde soldiers. The entire room reeked of vomit and feces.

Doctor Morvan was standing behind his desk, engaged in a heated exchange of words with someone neither Adora or Catra had ever seen before.

He was a humanoid eagle, complete with a sharp beak, a glossy white coat of feathers, and two vast wings draped across his back. The only indication he was a member of the Horde was the chestplate he wore, emblazoned with its sigil.

“The lives of my men may not have any worth to you, Doctor, but if you value your own, you will save them. All of them.” The eagle man said darkly, his voice deep and cold in a manner not unlike that of Lord Hordak himself.

“I already told you that there is nothing more I can do for them. Medicine is not magic, you witless brute!” Doctor Morvan stood behind his desk, staring down the eagle man without a hint of fear.

“Save your excuses for those stupid enough to believe them.” The eagle man replied callously, before noticing Adora and Catra out of the corner of his eye.

“It seems you have visitors.” He commented casually. He walked up to the two and bowed his head in deference.

“Force Captains, I have heard much of your exploits. It is a true honor to meet you in person. I am Force Captain Canaris.” His sinister demeanor had completely evaporated, replaced with affable charm.

“It’s, uh, a pleasure to meet you.” Adora’s hesitation leaked into her voice. She couldn’t help but be unnerved by how quickly his personality had switched.

“Wait, Force Captain? Since when?” Catra asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I was promoted ten days ago. I was to lead an attack against Plumeria yesterday, but…” His voice acquired a hint of sadness as he gestured towards the invalid soldiers crowding the infirmary.

Adora and Catra shared a meaningful glance. Hordak hadn’t told them anything about that. Why would he have trusted such a mission to an untested commander?

“My condolences, Captain.” Adora said formally, burying her doubts for the moment.

“Thank you.” Canaris replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”

Adora and Catra watched Canaris leave before approaching the doctor’s desk. Morvan was now sitting down, rubbing his forehead.

“What a worthless excuse of a man…” Morvan let out an irritated sigh, glancing up at his new visitors. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Well…” Adora cleared her throat. “Catra here came down with food poisoning yesterday, and we came to see if it was just an isolated incident.”

“I hope I don’t need to answer that.” Morvan said dryly.

“Yeah, I kinda figured.” Adora sheepishly rubbed her shoulder. “Still, if there’s anything we can do…”

“Certainly.” Morvan said with affected cheer. “If you want to play nurse to a bunch of people spewing fluids from both ends.”

“Hard pass.” Catra grimaced, an expression mirrored by Adora.

“Then stop wasting my time.” Morvan scowled at them.

Adora and Catra glanced at each other for a moment before they decided to leave the mercurial physician to his work.

“So… what now?” Catra asked after they had left the infirmary.

“I don’t know…” Adora murmured as they walked aimlessly down the corridors. “Does it seem strange to you?”

“Does what seem strange?” Catra looked at Adora curiously.

“We’ve lived here our whole lives. Do you remember a single time where something like this happened?” Adora asked, stopping to face Catra.

“You mean the food poisoning? I…” Catra’s brow furrowed. “No, I guess not. What are you getting at?”

“I’m starting to think it wasn’t an accident.” Adora said soberly.

“You… ah…” Catra nodded in understanding. “You think someone’s playing saboteur, huh?”

“I can’t be certain of it, but my gut tells me yes.” Adora affirmed.

“Funny. All my gut’s telling me is ‘ow’.” Catra remarked slyly.

“Not the time.” Adora rolled her eyes, smiling faintly despite her best efforts.

“Whatever you say.” Catra shrugged. “So, what are we gonna do?”

“I’m not sure.” Adora stroked her chin thoughtfully. “There’s no point in telling Hordak without any evidence.”

“Why would we tell Hordak? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about our… y’know.” Catra winked conspiratorially, lowering her voice. “If someone really is trying to sabotage the Horde, maybe we can get them to join us.”

“Maybe.” Adora said hesitantly. “I guess it depends on who it is.”

“Well, it won’t matter if we can’t find them. So, where should we start?” Catra asked.

“The scene of the crime, of course!” Adora declared, dramatically pointing down the hallway.

“The mess hall is the other way.” Catra dryly remarked.

“I knew that.” Adora claimed unconvincingly, lowering her arm.

“Sure you did.” Catra smirked as she started walking towards the mess hall.

“I did! I was just pointing for emphasis!” Adora weakly insisted before following Catra.

The mess hall was devoid of soldiers when they arrived, the tables orderly and spotless. The two walked past the tables and up to the kitchen counter. The only visible person in the kitchen was a wiry young man cleaning a stove with his back to them.

“Hey, you!” Catra called out menacingly.

With an undignified squeak, the man whirled around.

“Who’s there?” He cried, his eyes bulging with fear.

“Sorry about that.” Adora said kindly while Catra smirked at him. “We just wanted to ask you some questions.”

“Questions? What kind of questions?” The man asked nervously, his terrified sweat visible from several meters away.

“Well, what’s your name, for one?” Adora asked.

“T-Trey.” He stammered out.

“Alright, Trey, I’d like to ask you about what happened yesterday.” Adora smiled in an attempt to reassure him.

“What? I don’t know anything, I swear!” He feebly insisted.

“Really? Because you seem awfully nervous for someone who doesn’t know anything.” Catra said, her voice low and dark.

In the blink of an eye, Catra leaped over the counter and pounced on Trey with a ferocious roar. Trey lay pinned on the ground, staring in horror at the merciless predator above him.

“N-nono, please! I don’t know anything, please don’t kill me! Please!” Trey whimpered pitifully.

“Maybe some pain will get you to talk…” Catra bared her teeth, her eyes glinting with pleasure.

“Catra!” Adora yelled sternly. She had climbed over the counter and was staring down at the two.

Catra looked up at Adora in surprise.

“C’mon, he clearly knows something. Just let me hurt him a little.” She sounded like a child asking to play with a new toy.

Adora responded with a silent glare. After a few seconds, Catra let out an annoyed sigh and stood up, releasing Tray from her grasp.

“You’re such a killjoy sometimes, you know that?” Catra said with obvious disappointment.

Adora ignored her and extended a hand to Trey. Reluctantly, he took it and she helped him to his feet.

“I don’t want you to get hurt, Trey. But if you don’t help me, I don’t know if I can stop her.” She said softly. Catra looked at her with confusion, but said nothing.

“I… I’m scared… if she finds out, she’ll kill me…” Trey mumbled, staring at the ground.

“I won’t let that happen. Please, tell me who did this.” Adora gently insisted.

“T-the head chef… Mary… she poured something into the food before it was served yesterday. I just clean things, so… I didn’t think anything of it. Until…” Trey trailed off.

Adora looked over at Catra for a second before returning her gaze to Trey.

“We need to find Mary. Do you know where she would be?” She asked.

“The… the service dormitory.” He gave them directions.

“Thank you, you’ve been a great help.” Adora thanked him before she and Catra headed towards the service dormitory.

“You know, that worked out quite well.” Catra commented idly as they walked.

“What do you mean?” Adora asked.

“You know, me playing the bad guy, you playing the good guy. It worked pretty well, didn’t it?” Catra replied.

“We were playing? Seemed like you were about five seconds from tearing his throat out.” Adora gave Catra a bemused glance.

“C’mon, give me some credit.” Catra snorted. “You really thought I was going to kill him?”

“Yes.” Adora answered bluntly.

“I…” Catra briefly stopped in her tracks, taken aback. “Well, I wasn’t. I just wanted to make him talk.”

“Mmhmm.” Adora murmured, not entirely convinced.

“Ugh…” Catra exhaled with mild irritation. “Well, like I was saying, our little routine seemed to work pretty well on that guy. Maybe we should try it more in the future.”

“You just want an excuse to pounce on people and scare them half to death.” Adora remarked flatly.

“...Maybe.” Catra admitted. “But hey, if it works.”

Their conversation ceased as they approached the service dormitory.

“You armed?” Catra asked under her breath.

“Yeah. You?” Adora asked back.

“Always.” Catra grinned.

They entered the service dormitory. Several dozen people, including custodians, engineers, and kitchen staff were present, chatting amiably with each other or fast asleep in their beds.

“Attention!” Adora shouted, instantly drawing the gaze of everyone in the room.

“Where is Head Chef Mary?” She asked firmly.

The throng of people slowly parted to reveal a short, stocky woman in the plain gray uniform of a Horde chef. Her eyes widened as she recognized her visitors.

“We would like to ask you a few questions.” Adora said calmly. She surreptitiously unholstered her pistol, and Catra did the same.

Mary reacted faster than either of them expected, grabbing a young man in a custodial uniform and holding a kitchen knife to his throat. Catra and Adora raised their pistols, but were unable to get a clear shot.

“Come any closer and I’ll slice his throat open! Do you hear me?” She yelled gratingly, her eyes bulging with fear.

“Really? Because right now he’s the only thing standing between you and a hole in your head.” Catra cheerfully pointed out.

“If you want to live, you’ll let him go. Now.” Adora ordered sternly.

“No! You can’t protect me! Nobody can! I’m a dead woman either way!” Mary ranted maniacally, sanity clearly having abandoned her long ago.

“What are you talking about? Who do you need protection from?” Adora asked slowly.

“Everyone! Everyone wants to get me now! I’m a dead woman! I’m a dead woman! Dead, dead, dead, dead!” Mary cackled mirthlessly.

“She’s totally lost it.” Catra muttered.

“She might still know something. Let’s try to take her alive.” Adora replied under her breath.

“Shoot the ceiling to distract her. I’ll handle the rest.” Catra said quietly, reholstering her pistol.

Adora hesitated for a moment, but decided to trust her. She raised her pistol and fired a shot into the ceiling, singing the metal and surprising almost everyone in the room.

Mary was briefly stunned, giving Catra the opportunity she needed to charge forward and viciously wrench her arm. Mary let out a shrill scream of pain, dropping the knife and letting it clatter to the floor.

Shoving the hapless hostage to the side, Catra then leaped onto Mary and knocked her to the ground. Mary was completely discombobulated by the sudden attack and offered no resistance, staring into Catra’s eyes with almost childlike wonder.

“Such power…” Mary whispered reverently, trembling in pain and fear.

Catra didn’t bother responding to the crazy lady, instead standing up and looking back at Adora. Like everyone else in the barracks, Adora was staring at her with wide eyes.

“Told you I’d handle it.” Catra gave Adora a cocky smirk.

“...That you did.” Adora holstered her pistol and walked over to the supine form of the head chef, glaring down at her.

“Now, Mary, we have some questions for you…”

Chapter Text

The deranged head chef had done little more than babble incoherently while Adora and Catra hauled her to the cell block. Mary continued her babbling even after being restrained in a cell.

“I can’t even understand a word she’s saying anymore.” Catra crossed her arms, looking down at the pitiful creature with disgust. “Do you really think she can tell us anything?”

“Anything’s possible.” Adora replied before returning her gaze to the prisoner.

“Mary.” She said softly. “Can you hear me?”

“Darkness… the darkness… it’s coming…” Mary mumbled, her eyes glazed over. “What she wants, she gets… I am nothing… we are nothing…”

Adora and Catra shared a meaningful look.

“You don’t think…” Adora trailed off.

“Who else could do something like this?” Catra asked.

“Shadow Weaver.” Adora clenched her fists, her eyes narrowing. “I know you’re watching.”

“Astute as always, Adora.” Shadow Weaver appeared outside the cell, levitating ominously.

Adora and Catra immediately whirled around, staring her down with identical expressions of contempt.

“Why did you do this?” Adora demanded.

“Why? It was for you, Adora.” Shadow Weaver said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You just put a stop to a nefarious plot to cripple the Horde from within. Word has already begun to spread, and with it will come ever more admiration from the common rabble.”

“And you couldn’t bother to tell us about this?” Catra growled. “I puked my guts out because of your stupid little plan.”

“My heart bleeds for you, Catra.” Shadow Weaver’s words were choked with insincerity. “But as difficult as this may be for you to believe, there are more important things than your comfort.”

“People could have died. I don’t want to overthrow Hordak by becoming just as bad as him.” Adora said firmly.

“The bacterium I used is non-lethal. We can’t afford to waste so many lives, after all. However, that does remind me…” Shadow Weaver approached Mary ominously.

“Shadows… darkness… death…” Mary breathed, trembling in terror as Shadow Weaver towered over her.

“You have served your purpose.” Shadow Weaver lazily waved her arm.

Mary’s neck snapped like a twig and she slumped limply against the wall, her wide and empty eyes staring blankly at the floor.

Adora’s eyes widened in shock, while Catra crossed her arms stoically.

“You killed her!” Adora blurted out.

“She was a loose end. Now she is nothing.” Shadow Weaver said casually before turning to face Adora. “If you are to lead the Horde one day, you must learn to set your compassion aside. It will not serve you.”

“I…” Adora faltered for a second. Before she could think of a retort, Shadow Weaver vanished, leaving her alone with Catra and the corpse of Mary.

“...She’s a real bitch, isn’t she?” Catra remarked calmly after a brief silence.

“I can’t believe I ever thought she was a good person…” Adora muttered as she looked upon Mary’s corpse.

Catra placed a comforting hand on Adora’s shoulder.

“She’s been messing with our heads since we were kids. Don’t blame yourself for that.” She said softly.

“I… but what do we do? How do we stop her?” Tears began to form in Adora’s eyes.

“I wish I knew, Adora.” Catra replied somberly. “I really do.”

Queen Angella leaned on the balcony of her private chambers, staring off into space in somber reminiscence.

The twenty-fourth of March. Nine hundred and seventy six years had passed since that fateful, terrible battle, and yet her memories of it never grew duller.

She could still see the bloodstained ice, the brutalized bodies of friend and foe. The twisted laughter of the Snow King as his mind finally snapped and he tried to take the whole world down with him.

“Etheria needs you, Angie. Far more than it needs me.”

Angella could still hear her voice, soft and melodic. She remembered her gentle green eyes, her sweet laughter, her limitless compassion.

“I love you. I will always love you.”

Tears flowed freely from the Queen’s eyes, just as they had on that day all those years ago. It was said by some that time healed all wounds. But if a thousand years couldn’t heal hers, what could?

“It should have been me.” Angella whispered, the words barely audible even to herself.

“Good news!” Entrapta said excitably, running up to Hordak like a puppy as soon as he had stepped foot in his lab.

“What is it?” Hordak asked gruffly.

“It took much less time than anticipated to build the scanner. It’s ready and waiting for you.” Entrapta grinned.

“Indeed?” Hordak’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Then let us not waste any time.”

Hordak followed Entrapta over to the scanning device. It was a bulky metal box affixed to the wall with a bunch of strange dials and antennae jutting out of it. On the wall above it was a large holographic screen that depicted the entirety of the Etherian continent.

“That big button there turns it on.” Entrapta informed him. “I really wanted to push it, but I thought I should wait for you.”

She looked up at him with big, quivering eyes, like a child asking for candy.

“Can… can I push it?” She pleaded.

“...You may.” Hordak said, unable to hide his bemusement.

“Yay!” Entrapta gleefully pushed the big button. The machine instantly lit up, producing a variety of mechanical whirring and cranking noises.

“It may take a few seconds, but…” Entrapta trailed off as red dots began to appear on the screen.

“There! It’s working!” Entrapta jumped for joy. “Every piece of First Ones tech on Etheria, ready and waiting for us! Can you believe it?”

“Impressive…” Hordak said quietly, staring at the screen. “Most impressive.”

“Hmm…” Entrapta stroked her chin with a hair tendril as she examined the dots. “Most of the signals are pretty weak, but there are a few places where they appear to be much stronger. The Fright Zone and Dryl, obviously, but they also appear to be concentrated in the Whispering Woods and the Crimson Wastes. There’s also an island to the northeast that’s giving off a very strange signal…”

“Beast Island. Nothing good can come from going there.” Hordak informed her curtly.

“Hmm?” Entrapta looked at Hordak curiously, but didn’t press the subject. “Well then, it seems our best bet would be either the Woods or the Wastes. I’m no expert, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard anything good about them. They’re supposedly filled with monsters that can rip people apart in seconds.”

“The local wildlife will not stand in the way of my destiny.” Hordak declared dismissively. “Nor will anyone else.”

“You’re the warrior, not me.” Entrapta shrugged.

Hordak turned away from the machine, considering his next move.

“The Whispering Woods is patrolled by the Rebellion, and the Crimson Wastes is beyond the edges of their territory. Only a small elite force will have a chance of making it through.” Hordak said, more for his benefit than Entrapta’s.

“Ooh! Can I come?” Entrapta asked excitably.

“...Yes, you can come.” Hordak replied, sounding more like a resigned parent than the leader of a planet-conquering empire.

“Yay!” Entrapta cheered. “This is going to be so much fun!”

Hordak pressed a button on his arm, allowing him to communicate with every Force Captain - and Shadow Weaver - at once.

“Come to the throne room immediately.” Hordak ordered, promptly terminating the link.

Everyone was already present by the time Hordak and Entrapta arrived at the throne room. He walked past them and sat down on this throne.

“This operation could decide the fate of the war. I expect all of you to perform flawlessly.” Hordak said ominously.

“Canaris, you will take two squads and raid Elberon. Octavia, you shall do the same with Alwyn. Shadow Weaver, you will use your shadow spies to attack Plumeria. Dismissed.” Hordak tersely ordered, waiting for them to leave before continuing.

“Adora, Catra, Scorpia.” Hordak stared down at them menacingly. “While the Rebellion is distracted, you will take the gunship and travel with Entrapta to the Whispering Woods. You will search for any technology left behind by the First Ones and then return to the Fright Zone.”

The three stared at him in silence for several seconds.

“Am I understood?” Hordak growled impatiently.

“Yes, my lord!” Adora hurriedly replied.

“Then you are dismissed.” Hordak waved them off.

The three Force Captains and the rogue Princess quickly made their way to the hangar and boarded the gunship.

“I just got the call a few minutes ago.” Puff said while they took their seats. “Where are we headed?”

“The Whispering Woods, apparently. We’re looking for First Ones tech or something.” Adora informed her wearily.

“Oh… great…” Puff’s lack of enthusiasm was palpable.

“Isn’t it?” Entrapta said much more loudly than she needed to. “Oh, just think of the wonders we might find! This is the best day of my life!”

“Speak for yourself…” Catra grumbled, slumping into her seat as the ship took off and began its journey towards the magical forest.

“I hate to ask, but how exactly are we going to find anything? The Whispering Woods is huuuge.” Scorpia asked what everyone but Entrapta was thinking.

“Don’t worry. I built a device that scans for First Ones energy signatures! We just have to follow the signatures and we’ll find what we’re looking for in no time!” Entrapta replied cheerfully.

“Uh-huh. And where exactly is this device?” Catra asked dryly.

“That’s simple! It’s…” Entrapta stopped in mid-sentence. “...In Hordak’s lab.”

“And how are we going to use it from Hordak’s lab?” Catra asked, even more dryly.

“Well… ummm…” Entrapta stammered briefly. “I know roughly where the signal came from. We’ll just have to keep our eyes open. Don’t worry about a thing!”

Entrapta’s reassurances failed to convince anyone, not even Scorpia.

“I hate my life.” Catra said matter-of-factly. Adora could certainly understand the sentiment.

“Ah… a good try, Glimmer. But remember, every detail matters.” Spinnerella said as diplomatically as she could.

“What do you mean?” Glimmer cocked her head quizzically. Spinnerella promptly conjured a mirror and allowed Glimmer to see the problem for herself.

She had intended to assume the form of Castaspella. She had succeeded for the most part, with one glaring flaw. She had no nose.

“Gah!” Glimmer winced, averting her eyes. She had never realized how horrifying people could look without a nose.

“Even the experts struggle with this one. There are so many important details that make up a person’s appearance. It’s not hard at all to forget something like that.” Castaspella reassured her.

“It’s not that.” Glimmer reverted to her true form. “It’s just really creepy…”

“No arguments here.” Castaspella agreed. “I hope this hasn’t put you off learning the spell. It could do the Rebellion a lot of good.”

“It’ll take a lot more than that to stop me, Aunt Casta.” Glimmer confidently declared.

“That’s what I want to hear.” Castaspella clasped her hands together eagerly. “Let’s try again. And this time, don’t forget the nose.”

It took several hours for the Whispering Woods to come into view. Thanks to Entrapta’s nonstop yammering, it felt like several years to everyone else. Except Scorpia, who somehow managed to fall asleep.

“So that’s when I decided an electron microscope didn’t make much sense as a toothbrush.” Entrapta explained, seemingly ignorant of how nobody cared.

“The Whispering Woods!” Puff sounded strangely excited, no doubt because it meant that she would soon get a break from listening to Entrapta.

“Oh, goody!” Entrapta rushed out of her seat and sat down in the empty co-pilot’s chair. “Now we just need to find the source…”

“All I see is trees. Lots and lots of trees.” Puff remarked as they flew low over the forest.

“Hmmm… trees… tech… teeth…” Entrapta murmured incoherently to herself.

“Great.” Catra said flatly. “We’re going to be out here all day, aren’t we?”

“I sure hope not…” Adora tiredly replied.

“Science… robots… soda…” Entrapta continued her incoherent murmuring for almost ten minutes.

“Ah-ha! There!” She finally called out, pointing jubilantly at the window. A large, multi-story building jutted out of the forest, plainly visible despite being covered in a considerable amount of shrubbery.

“Finally…” Catra breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t know how much longer I could have gone without strangling her.”

“Looks like there’s an open area right outside. Shall I set her down?” Puff asked.

“Do it.” Adora nodded.

“Roger.” Puff gently set the gunship down directly outside of the strange building.

“Entrapta, stay here until we make sure it’s safe.” Adora ordered, not wanting the dubiously sane Princess to get in the way.

“Okay! Don’t die!” Entrapta waved cheerfully as the three Force Captains left the ship.

“Woah. This place is big.” Scorpia stated the obvious as she stared at the entrance to the vast structure.

“It looks pretty good for something that’s been around this long. Are we sure we’re in the right place?” Catra wondered.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Adora unholstered her pistol, and Catra did the same. “Be on your guard. We have no idea what’s in here.”

“Like you need to tell me.” Catra snorted.

“Scorpia. Knock for us, please.” Adora dryly commanded.

“Sure thing.” Scorpia walked up to the door and tapped on it with a claw.

Adora would have slapped her forehead if she hadn’t been holding a gun. Catra was barely able to muster enough restraint to keep from laughing.

“No, don’t actually knock on the door.” Adora let out an irritated groan. “Break it open!”

“Oh!” Scorpia blushed. “Sorry, my bad.”

She quickly rectified her mistake, thrusting her mighty claws into the door. Whatever material it was made from practically melted in the face of her brute strength, leaving the doorway wide open.

“That’s better.” Adora said with a hint of condescension.

The three made their way into the structure, ready for combat. To their surprise they found themselves walking down a hallway that looked like it belonged in a mansion rather than a ruin.

“Who knew ruins had such good interior decoration?” Catra remarked wryly.

“This place… someone lives here.” Adora narrowed her eyes.

“Who in their right mind would want to live all the way out here?” Catra asked.

“Someone who doesn’t want visitors.” Adora concluded.

They walked down several more hallways in silence until they could hear the muffled sound of laughter emanating from a closed door.

“Looks like you were right.” Catra said quietly.

“Let’s not hurt anyone if we don’t have to.” Adora replied.

Adora approached the door and opened it just enough to see through. She saw two men sitting at a table in what looked like a dining room, one sporting a prodigious moustache and the other long, flowing dreadlocks.

“Two people. They look like civilians. Follow my lead.” Adora ordered.

Adora holstered her pistol and walked into the room. Scorpia looked at Catra, who shrugged and holstered her own weapon.

“Hello there!” Adora called out, immediately drawing the attention of the two men.

“Whoa there! Who are you? How’d you get in here?” George stood up and stared at Adora with a mixture of anger and concern.

“You’re gonna need a new front door. Does that answer your question?” Adora crossed her arms with a sly smirk.

“I…” George stopped as he saw the Force Captain’s badge on her chest. “You’re from the Horde.”

“Guilty as charged.” Adora replied calmly as she approached the table. “Don’t worry, we’re not here to hurt you.”

“You expect me to believe that?” George glared at her.

“No. But it’s the truth. We’re looking for First Ones artifacts. Once we have them, we’ll be on your way and you can go back to… whatever you were doing.” Adora said flippantly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We don’t have any artifacts here. Now please leave.” George said stiffly.

Catra snorted derisively as she walked up to the table directly behind where Lance was sitting.

“Lying isn’t your strong suit, Moustache. How about you tell us everything before someone has to get hurt?” Catra asked darkly.

“I told you, we don’t…” George began, only for Catra to calmly unsheath her dagger and hold it against Lance’s neck. “Lance! No, don’t hurt him!”

Adora prepared to intervene, but stood down when Catra gave her a knowing wink.

“Lie to me again. I dare you.” Catra grinned wickedly.

George could do nothing but stare at his husband helplessly. After a few seconds, he took a deep breath.

“I’ll show you the artifacts. Just don’t hurt him.” George said, his voice heavy with resignation.

“Scorpia, keep an eye on, uh, Lance.” Adora ordered.

“Roger!” Scorpia saluted, plopping down on a chair right next to her newest friend.

“You… what’s your name?” Adora looked at George expectantly.

“George…” He admitted, refusing to look her in the eye.

“Show us the artifacts, George. Cooperate and I promise no harm will come to either of you.” Adora said sincerely.

“Right this way...” George replied tonelessly.

Adora and Catra followed George down several hallways and into a massive room filled wall-to-wall with bookcases. Several wooden stands dotted the room, each with a display case and an accompanying object.

George stopped at the first one.

“What’s this?” Adora demanded to know.

“Uh, that’s a Colonia pitcher.” George replied.

“Is it First Ones tech?” Adora asked bluntly.

“I guess you could call it that. It’s just a pitcher, though.” George said, clearly hoping she would leave it alone.

“My orders were clear. It’s coming with us.” Adora said sternly.

“I… I understand.” George slowly walked to the next exhibit.

“This tablet supposedly dates back more than two thousand years. It’s… also First Ones tech.” He sighed sadly before moving over to a large decorative vase.

“This vase depicts the ancient First Ones hero known as She-Ra. She fought for the power of Grayskull, riding on a dragon to conquer evil.” He informed them, a hint of excitement making its way into his voice despite the grave circumstances.

“That might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Adora remarked flatly.

“She-Ra? Really?” Catra asked in disbelief. “What kind of a name is that?”

“Hmph.” George was clearly upset by their disrespectful attitude, but knew better than to say anything about it. He instead led them to the final major exhibit, a giant metal sphere perched on a pedestal.

“This is… well, I don’t actually know what this is. We recovered it from a First Ones ruin, but it could just be an oversized marble for all we know.” George looked at the ground, rubbing the back of his neck.

“What else do you have?” Adora asked, staring at him inquisitively.

“I… a few scrolls, some fragments…” He said nervously.

Adora narrowed her eyes.

“Okay, okay, there’s one more!” George relented. He led them over to a section of the wall covered by a curtain. He pulled on a hanging rope, lifting the curtain and revealing another display case.

Even without any knowledge of First Ones tech, it was obvious that this one was different. It was a large, glistening shard of some kind of gemstone. Adora stared at it, awestruck, until George’s voice snapped her out of her reverie.

“This is a runestone shard, recovered from the Crimson Wastes more than a century ago. I… I guess you’ll be taking this as well.” George lowered his head despondently.

Adora couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for him, but she wasn’t going to let that get in the way of her mission.

“We will.” Adora said coldly.

It was that time of the month. Bow had left Bright Moon, covered up his midriff, and set out into the Whispering Woods. He loved his dads, there was no doubt, but he couldn’t deny the sense of dread he always felt when he went to visit them.

Once again he would have to pretend to be someone else. Pretend to be the boring old historian instead of a noble warrior of the Rebellion. He hated it, but what else could he do? They could never understand it, they would never accept it.

Rationally, he knew how good he had it. Having two loving, living parents in this day and age was not something most people could claim. But no amount of logic could sway his emotions.

As he neared the library, Bow was almost knocked to the ground by a sudden powerful gust of wind. He looked up and his heart nearly stopped as he saw a Horde gunship blasting away.

“No…” Bow breathed, dread seeping into him like venom.

“NO!” He screamed, sprinting at full speed towards the library and through the shredded remains of the front door. He rushed down the empty hallways, his heart pounding so hard that it felt like it was going to burst from his chest.

He searched every room in the house, his heart beating faster and faster with every empty room. Finally, he burst into the dining room.

His fathers were sitting at the table, Lance bawling his eyes out while George held him in a comforting embrace. They looked up in surprise as he entered.

“Bow?” George asked.

The sheer feeling of relief Bow felt at that moment was nothing short of overpowering. His eyes rolled up in his head and he tumbled backwards onto the floor like a ragdoll.

Netossa slowly opened her eyes, only to immediately clench them shut when the light overpowered her vision. She had enjoyed her alcohol many times, but even the worst hangover had nothing on what she felt right now.

“Shit… the hell…” She muttered to nobody in particular. Her memories were hazy and incoherent, and her mind struggled to make sense of her situation.

Was this just a really bad hangover? Had she and Spinny partied too hard at the Princess Prom? That made some sense, maybe they had overdone it with the spiked punch.

No, wait. That wasn’t right. The Princess Prom had ended days ago. They had gone to… to Dryl. Yeah, to recruit the crazy robot lady. And then…

Netossa’s heart skipped in her chest. She remembered everything.

The Horde. The shadow bitch. Spinny’s body on the ground. The black tendrils wrapping around her, consuming her. And then nothing at all.

Was she dead? No, that didn’t make any sense. Dead people can’t think. At least she didn’t think they could. She had never been dead before, so how would she know?

Netossa groaned. This train of thought was getting her nowhere fast. Gingerly, she opened her eyes again, acclimatizing herself to the blinding light as much as she could. It took a few minutes, but eventually she could look around without feeling like she was staring directly into a flashlight.

With her vision returning, she immediately recognized her surroundings. She had visited the Bright Moon infirmary more times than she cared to recount, but never for something this severe.

Netossa blearily sat up in her cot, pressing one hand to her forehead. She looked over to her side and noticed a familiar face on the cot next to her.

“Spinny!” She instinctively cried out, fearing the worst. If her legs hadn’t effectively been noodles, she would have instantly rushed to her side.

Spinnerella mumbled softly in her sleep. A wave of relief washed over Netossa and she smiled despite everything.

Spinny was alive. They both were.

Chapter Text

“Wow… it’s… am I… dreaming?” Entrapta was practically in a daze as she beheld the trove of artifacts that now littered Hordak’s laboratory.

Hordak perused the selection with a contemptuous scowl.

“A pitcher… what a worthless relic.” He scoffed.

“Actually, it might be more than a pitcher.” Entrapta countered. “A lot of First Ones artifacts have secret messages hidden in them.”

Hordak wordlessly handed the pitcher to Entrapta. She examined it thoroughly for several minutes.

“No, it’s just a pitcher.” Entrapta put it down, sounding more than a little disappointed.

“Bah. Petty trinkets do not interest me, and I see nothing that even resembles what we are looking for.” Hordak growled, walking over to the scanner.

“Hrm…” Entrapta examined the pile. “Wait a minute, what’s this?”

She gently picked up the runestone shard with a hair tendril.

“Incredible…” She stared at it like a mother seeing their newborn child for the first time.

“What?” Hordak asked irritably without turning around.

“It’s a runestone shard. If I had to guess, it’s from the Spirit Ember.” Entrapta smiled at her reflection in the crystal.

“I have never heard of this Spirit Ember.” Hordak walked back over to her, gazing at the crystal disinterestedly.. “Will this crystal serve any purpose?”

“Well, not on its own. But the Spirit Ember was one of the Etherian runestones, the one responsible for controlling fire. It was destroyed centuries ago along with the Fire Princess and her entire kingdom.” Entrapta eagerly explained.

“If it was destroyed, how does that help us?” Hordak asked.

“Well…” Entrapta rubbed her chin with a hair tendril. “You see, I have a theory. I can’t prove it, not yet at least. I believe the runestones can’t be destroyed, only damaged. And if that’s true, maybe, just maybe, they can be rebuilt.”

“A second runestone would be invaluable to our cause.” Hordak acknowledged. “But without more to go on, searching for it would be a waste of time. We must focus on finding the stabilizer.”

Entrapta’s shoulders lowered in disappointment.

“Oh. Okay.” She reluctantly put the shard back in the pile.

Hordak returned to the scanner and examined the screen. First Ones signals still emanated from the Whispering Woods, but they were far weaker now. Now the strongest signal that didn’t come from a runestone or Dryl was in the Crimson Wastes.

“The Crimson Wastes… what could lie in that forsaken desert…” Hordak said quietly to himself.

“I dunno.” Entrapta appeared next to Hordak so quickly that one could be forgiven for thinking she possessed the power of teleportation. “I’ve heard it’s full of monsters. And roving bands of cannibals who eat everyone they see.”

“No mere monster will get in my way. If there is so much as a scrap of Eternian technology in that wasteland, it will soon belong to the Horde.” Hordak calmly declared.

“Oh, I can’t wait to get my hands on more tech… I wonder how my hair will hold up in the desert…” Entrapta twirled her hair tendrils.

“You will not be going.” Hordak said firmly.

“...Huh?” Entrapta muttered, looking at Hordak in surprise.

“The Crimson Wastes are too dangerous. The Horde cannot afford to lose you.” Despite his best efforts to sound dispassionate, a hint of genuine concern was evident in his tone.

“Oh…” Entrapta blushed, avoiding Hordak’s gaze. “I see…”

“Do not worry. I am certain that my forces will be able to acquire any artifacts that lie within the Wastes. You will have your tech.” Hordak continued, mistaking Entrapta’s embarrassment for disappointment.

“...Right, of course.” Entrapta touched the tips of her hair tendrils together as she stared at the floor. “Tech…”

Bow awoke with a throbbing headache.

“Owww…” He muttered, instinctively putting a hand to his head.

“Bow! You’re awake!” He recognized Lance’s voice immediately.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. He was in bed, with both of his fathers sitting by his bedside. They looked both worried and relieved at the same time.

“...Dads? What’s going…” He trailed off as the memories slowly trickled back in. “...The Horde was here. They didn’t hurt you?”

“It was scary, no question.” Lance rubbed his shoulder with a weak smile. “But they weren’t here for us.”

“They were here for our artifacts. They stole them. All of them.” George said grimly.

“But… why? What could they have been after?” Bow asked as he sat up in his bed.

“I have no idea.” George sighed. “But knowing the Horde, it can’t be anything good.”

“I need to tell Queen Angella about this.” Bow’s mouth moved faster than his brain.

An excruciatingly awkward silence ensued.

“I’m sorry, what? Why would you tell the Queen anything?” George asked suspiciously.

“I… uh…” Bow stammered. “I meant, uh… erm… well, you see, I… ah… I’m…”

“A terrible liar.” George interrupted him. “It runs in the family.”

Bow lowered his head.

“I’m a warrior of the Rebellion.” He quietly admitted.

The silence was even longer and more painful than the last.

“...You’re WHAT?” George suddenly yelled, leaping to his feet.

“I’m a warrior of the-” Bow began to repeat himself.

“I heard you the first time!” George yelled angrily. “I can’t believe you never told us!”

“Well maybe I would have if you weren’t so insistent on me becoming a historian!” Bow stood up and stared George down.

“Now, now, let’s be calm here. There’s no need to yell.” Lance attempted to mediate.

“I disagree!” George yelled. “There is a need to yell!”

“I just want to protect Etheria from the Horde! Is there something wrong with that?” Bow yelled.

“There is! You lied to us!” George yelled back.

“I’m sorry I lied to you! But I’m not sorry for fighting the Horde!” Bow yelled some more.

“I love you and I respect your decision, but please be honest with us in the future!” George replied with more yelling.

“I will! I love you, too!” Bow yelled in return.

“Can we stop yelling now?” Lance politely asked. “It’s starting to hurt my ears.”

“Sorry.” Bow and George said at the same time.

“Now then, as much as it pains me to admit it, the Horde knows where we live. Which means we’re not safe here anymore. We’re going to have to... “ Lance paused dramatically. “...Move.”

“You can come with me to Bright Moon.” Bow quickly suggested. “It’s safe there. Well, as safe as anywhere is these days.”

“I don’t know about that…” George hesitated.

“They have a library with ten thousand books…” Bow slyly trailed off.

“Sold.” George answered instantly.

Lord Hordak sat on his throne, Entrapta hopping in place by his side, as his three finest Force Captains approached.

“You summoned us, my lord?” Adora bowed her head.

“Your efforts in the Whispering Woods were satisfactory. Unfortunately, none of the artifacts were what I seek.” Hordak said evenly. “You must continue the search.”

“We will do whatever you ask.” Adora replied humbly. “Where do you want us to go?”

“According to Entrapta’s calculations, the optimal place to find more of these relics is the Crimson Wastes.” Hordak answered.

The three captains wore nearly identical expressions of shock.

“You… you can’t be serious. The Crimson Wastes are a deathtrap. Nobody comes out of there alive.” Catra objected.

“I am always serious, Force Captain Catra.” Hordak glared at her until she lowered her head, her ears flattening. “You are not wrong, however. This mission will be extremely dangerous. The wildlife and the locals will be hostile to your presence.”

“Don’t forget that you’ll have to travel through the Wastes on foot!” Entrapta chimed in.

“Wait, what?” Adora recoiled. “Why?”

“Because of the bomber birds, of course! Any flying object that goes over the Wastes will be swarmed by them. I… learned that the hard way, heh. Poor Willie.” Entrapta rubbed the back of her head.

“That’s just great. Next you’re going to tell us that the plants will spit fireballs at us.” Catra grumbled.

“No, don’t be silly!” Entrapta snorted. “They paralyze you.”

Catra groaned and slapped her forehead.

“Enough.” Hordak spoke up, a note of irritation in his voice. “You have five days to prepare yourselves. I suggest you make the most of them. You are dismissed.”

The three captains hurriedly left the throne room and returned to the barracks.

“Well. It was lovely knowing you two.” Catra said glumly, flopping down on her bed.

“Hey, don’t be like that. Together, I’m sure we can handle any danger that comes our way!” Scorpia assured her confidently.

“It would be nice if we knew more about the dangers before we faced them.” Catra groused as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

“We’re just going to have to be prepared for anything.” Adora soberly replied, walking over to the mirror to examine herself. She frowned, noticing several knots in her hair.

“Hard to prepare for something without knowing what you’re preparing for.” Catra dryly retorted.

“True.” Adora admitted while vanquishing her hair knots with a comb.

“You think Hordak knows…” Catra trailed off, remembering just in time that Scorpia wasn’t in on their little scheme. “Nevermind.”

Scorpia gave her an odd look before shrugging it off.

“I’m hungry. Anybody else hungry?” She asked hungrily.

“Dinner’s not for a few hours.” Catra pointed out.

“Shoot, you’re right.” Scorpia rubbed the back of her head. “Well maybe if I ask really nicely…”

“Good luck with that.” Catra rolled onto her side so that she could watch Adora groom herself.

Without another word, Scorpia left. Catra and Adora now had the barracks to themselves. A few minutes went by in silence while Adora finished combing her hair. When she was finally done, she turned to Catra with a thoughtful look.

“Do you think we should tell her?” Adora asked.

“I… I’m not sure.” Catra furrowed her brow. “She’s nice and all, but she’s kinda, I dunno, dopey. Seems like the type to accidentally blurt something out, y’know?”

“Yeah.” Adora couldn’t really argue with that assessment.

“Besides, the fewer people know, the better. I’m already not comfortable with Shadow Weaver and Puff knowing.” Catra scowled at the thought.

“Tell me about it.” Adora agreed. “Shadow Weaver’s idea of help leaves a lot to be desired.”

“That’s putting it nicely.” Catra felt mildly queasy even thinking about the incident.

A few seconds of silence ensued.

“So…” Adora murmured. “We might die in a few days.”

“We’re not gonna die. If anyone even looks at you the wrong way, I’ll kill them.” Catra’s words were toneless, but Adora could see in her eyes that she meant it.

“That’s… kinda sweet. And terrifying.” Adora smiled.

“Anyone who hurts you has it coming.” Catra blinked slowly at her.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Adora replied with a small chuckle.

The trek from the library back to Bright Moon would normally have been no trouble for Bow. With his fathers along for the ride, however, the trip had taken several times as long. By the time they reached the outskirts of Bright Moon, it was late evening, and all three of them were drenched in sweat.

“Oh, man…” George said in between gasps for breath. “I don’t remember this being so hard a few years ago… am I getting old?”

“You’re not getting old, Dad, you are old.” Bow replied, mostly jokingly.

“Hmph…” George grumbled. “Enjoy your youth while you have it. You won’t get it back.”

“I can see the castle from here. I can’t wait to take a bath.” Fatigue failed to put a dent in Lance’s natural cheer.

“Neither can I.” George agreed.

They made it the rest of the way to the castle without any trouble. Bow explained the situation to the guards at the door and they allowed them to pass.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this place…” George looked around as they walked down the expansive, finely decorated corridors. “Hasn’t changed much.”

“Do you really think the Queen will let us stay here?” Lance asked.

“I’ll explain everything to her. I’m sure she’ll understand.” Bow replied confidently.

After several more minutes of walking, they arrived at the throne room. Queen Angella was slouched on her throne, drinking lazily from a chalice. If she noticed them approach her, she made no indication of it.

“...Uh, Your Majesty?” Bow spoke up after an awkwardly long silence.

Angella’s eyes slowly met his.

“...Bow. Need something?” She asked, her words almost imperceptibly slurred.

“Yeah, I do.” Bow nodded. Something felt off about Angella but he didn’t feel it was his place to say anything. “The Horde attacked my home, and my fathers… well, they need a place to stay. I was wondering if they could stay here, at least for the time being.”

“Course… stay as long as you want. We’re all family here.” Angella let out a deeply undignified snort.

“...Uh, okay then. We’ll, uh, just leave you to it, then.” Bow said hurriedly, more than a little unsettled by the Queen’s uncharacteristic behavior.

Bow and his fathers quickly left the room. Nobody wanted to address what had just happened, so there was silence as Bow led them to one of the open guest rooms.

“Well, I guess you can stay here. They’re all the same.” Bow shrugged.

“I’m sure this will do nicely.” Lance smiled. “Now if you’ll excuse us, George and I need some private time.”

The two shared a romantic look.

“Right! Right, right, right. I’ll, uh, get out of your hair. Good night!” Bow’s face was as crimson as the hearts on his clothing. He immediately dashed down the hallway, leaving his amused fathers to their alone time.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Bow knew he needed to speak to Angella in more depth about the Horde attack, but she didn’t seem like herself at the moment. He decided to wait until tomorrow to speak to her again.

When the morning arrived, he made his way to the throne room. Angella sat on her throne, seeming much more alert and focused than she had the previous night.

“Good morning, Bow.” She smiled warmly as he approached. “Is there something I can do for you?”

“Good morning, Your Majesty.” Bow bowed politely. “And no, not exactly. There is something I need to tell you.”

Angella nodded, giving him permission to continue.

“When the Horde attacked my fathers’ home, they weren’t there to destroy anything. They were looking for artifacts left over by the First Ones.” Bow grimly informed her.

Angella looked surprised, much more surprised than Bow would have expected.

“I… I’m sorry, the Horde attacked your home? When did this happen?” Angella asked.

“Last night…” Bow narrowed his eyes. “I told you. I asked you if they could stay here, and you said they could. Don’t you remember?”

“I…” Angella faltered for a brief moment before regaining her composure. “Yes, of course, I remember. Your parents are free to stay here as long as they need to.”

“Yes, you said as much last night. Are, uh, are you okay?” Bow asked, his concern overriding his courtesy.

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine.” Angella smiled weakly.

“If you say so.” Bow murmured, unconvinced.

“Anyway, we were talking about the Horde.” Angella seemed eager to change the subject. “You said they stole First Ones artifacts?”

“Yes.” Bow knew that pressing the matter would be futile, so he went along with it. “I think they were after something specific. Something important.”

“It is certainly unusual behavior for the Horde…” Angella rubbed her chin with the back of her hand. “The attacks yesterday were strange, too.”

“Attacks?” Bow repeated in surprise. “What attacks?”

“The Horde launched attacks against Elberon, Alwyn, and Plumeria. All at roughly the same time, and all of which were repelled without much difficulty. The Horde usually concentrates its forces against a single target, so I wasn’t certain what to make of it.” Angella’s brow was furrowed in concentration.

“Maybe they’re trying to distract us.” Bow suggested. “Make us focus on the front lines while they go relic hunting.”

“It’s certainly a possibility.” Angella nodded in agreement. “But without any more information to go on, I don’t know how we can do anything to stop them.”

“I might be able to help with that.” George’s voice emanated from outside the throne room.

“Dad?” Bow turned around to see his fathers enter the room.

“Hey, Bow. Sorry for eavesdropping, Your Majesty.” George rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“You are excused.” Angella replied evenly.

“Now, then.” George cleared his throat. “One of the First Ones relics in our collection was a tracking device of sorts. Lance here told me that while one of the Horde soldiers…”

“Scorpia.” Lance blithely interrupted him. “Nice lady, surprisingly enough. We had a nice conversation about horticulture and...”

Lance quickly stopped talking when he saw George glaring at him.

“Anyway.” George continued. “He managed to place a tracking device on her. It emanates a very specific signal, which that doohickey of yours should be able to pick up.”

“Doohickey? You mean this?” Bow asked, pulling his tablet out from wherever it had been hidden on his person.

“Yes, that thing. Here, lemme see it.” George took the tablet from Bow and fiddled with it for a few minutes.

“And… there we go.” He grinned triumphantly, handing it back to his son.

The tablet now showed a simplified but still recognizable map of Etheria. A glowing red dot pulsated on the part of the map representing the Fright Zone.

“Um, that’s fascinating and all, but I don’t think we needed a tracking device to figure out that the Horde is based in the Fright Zone.” Bow said skeptically.

“Ah, but it’s not where they are now that matters.” George rubbed his hands together deviously. “It’s where they’re going.”

“They’re not going anywhere.” Bow eyed the stationary dot.

“Perhaps not at the moment.” George stroked his moustache. “But if they really are hunting for First Ones artifacts, I doubt they’ll stop with our little collection. There’s a lot of dangerous stuff out there, and we really don’t want the Horde getting their hands on it.”

“No, I guess we don’t.” Bow admitted. “I’ll keep an eye on the dot, then.”

“Splendid.” George looked at Bow expectantly. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind pointing us to the library with ten thousand books?”

For Adora, the days seemed to pass in slow motion. She never cared much for waiting, especially not when the thing she was waiting for could end up killing her. But it’s not like she had much choice in the matter.

When the arbitrary date finally arrived, Adora, Catra, and Scorpia mostly slept through the long and tedious flight as Puff navigated the gunship down the length of the Etherian content.

“We’re approaching the Crimson Wastes.” Puff loudly informed her passengers, instantly awakening them.

“Ah! Okay, good.” Adora shook her head in an attempt to wake herself up. “Uh, now what?”

“Keep flying.” Catra ordered. “I don’t care what Entrapta said, there’s no way I’m walking through this desert.”

“Whatever you say.” Puff boredly replied.

The ship flew over the unofficial border of the Crimson Wastes, where the lush forests of Bright Moon suddenly gave way to a barren and desolate land of craters and skeletons.

“The name’s certainly fitting.” Puff dryly remarked.

“All I see is sand and rocks. Where could the signal be coming from?” Adora wondered aloud.

“You’re asking me?” Puff snorted derisively. “I’m a pilot, not an archaeologist.”

“Well, keep going.” Catra lazily leaned back in her chair. “We can’t go back to Hordak empty-handed.”

Shortly after she finished her sentence, a loud thud echoed through the ship.

“The hell was that?” Catra looked around in confusion.

“Didn’t Entrapta tell us not to fly in here? I knew we should have listened!” Scorpia said nervously.

“Guys?” Adora pointed up at the cockpit, where a swarm of vicious looking birds was rapidly approaching them.

“Might want to hold onto something.” Puff remarked, surprisingly calm.

Immediately, she harshly banked right in an attempt to evade the avian swarm. Everyone in the ship was shoved to the side by the sheer force, only their harnesses preventing them from being tossed around the cockpit.

The birds were momentarily confused by the maneuver, before quickly reorienting and continuing the pursuit. Puff glanced down at a sensor screen which showed several dozen red dots rapidly gaining on them.

“You want me that bad, do you?” Puff said through gritted teeth before blasting forward at full speed.

The distance between the ship and the dots began to increase, but the birds refused to relent. After roughly a minute, Puff slowed the ship down and performed a 180 degree turn, allowing everyone to see the swarm bearing down on them.

“What are you doing?” Catra angrily demanded.

Puff let her actions answer for her, firing on the mass of birds with the gunship’s twin laser cannons and searing the sky with the brilliant blue beams. Many missed their mark, but many more struck home, flash frying the vile creatures and sending their scorched carcasses spiralling towards the ground.

“Alright! Take that, you stupid birds!” Adora cheered as the swarm was all but annihilated.

Her jubilation would be short lived as a single bird managed to survive the onslaught and dove headfirst into the gunship’s starboard engine. The fragile creature was quickly torn to shreds, its blood and innards causing the engine to explosively malfunction.

“That’s not good.” Puff stated tonelessly as the gunship began listing to the side, trailing fire and smoke from the destroyed engine.

“Oh, you think?” Catra’s voice cracked with fear.

“Brace for impact, everyone.” Puff calmly ordered. “This landing might be a bit bumpy.”

Adora and Catra’s eyes met, time seeming to crawl as the ship plummeted gracelessly out of the sky. It couldn’t end like this, could it?

Everything went black as the ship met the ground.

“I can’t say I expected that.” Bow stared at the glowing red dot on his tablet, now squarely parked in the Crimson Wastes.

“The Wastes are one of the most dangerous places on all of Etheria. Even the Horde will find it difficult to survive there, much less recover anything of value.” Angella said as she looked over the war room’s map.

“I’m not sure if I want to trust in the Wastes to stop the Horde.” Bow replied soberly.

“No, of course not.” Angella agreed. “But there is no way I am allowing you or anyone else to follow them. It is far too dangerous.”

“Hmm.” Bow murmured. “Maybe we don’t need to follow them. Maybe we just need to wait for them.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?” Angella looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“An ambush.” Bow punched his palm for emphasis. “Once they find what they’re looking for, we can use the tracker to find them and make sure they aren’t able to bring it to the Fright Zone.”

“An interesting idea.” Angella mused. “But hardly something you could do on your own.”

“I wasn’t planning on doing it alone...” Bow replied with a cunning grin.

“Adora? Adora? Wake up, already!”

A familiar, frantic voice echoed faintly through Adora’s ears. Her entire body felt as if it had been worked over by a sledgehammer.

“Catra…” Adora weakly muttered, slowly opening her eyes.

She was lying on an emergency blanket in a small cave. Catra was by her side, disheveled and bruised but otherwise unharmed.

“You’re alive…” Catra said softly.

“So my body tells me… owwwwww…” Adora tried to move, but quickly stopped as pain lanced through her back.

“Careful, you might have internal injuries.” Catra warned her.

“Since… since when are you a doctor?” Adora smiled through her pain.

“Since we crashed.” Catra’s sarcastic reply was tempered with concern.

“I… where’s Scorpia, and Puff? Did they…” Adora trailed off.

“Scorpia’s fine. I sent her out to scout the area.” Catra replied.

“And Puff?” Adora asked.

“She’s… not looking so good.” Catra stood up and moved to the side, allowing Adora to see an unconscious woman lying on an identical blanket a few meters away.

It hadn’t occurred to Adora that she had never actually seen what Puff looked like. Now she knew. Underneath the generic helmet and armor was a fluffy humanoid sheep who looked more like the imaginary friend of a five year old than an experienced combat pilot.

Under most circumstances she would have cared more about this revelation, but now was hardly the time.

“Is she alive?” Adora quietly asked.

“For now. She got thrown pretty far after we crashed, and she hasn’t woken up.” Catra looked down at the unconscious pilot with a faintly rueful expression. “Even if she did, the ship isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. We’re stuck here.”

“Great…” Adora muttered.

“It could be worse.” Catra turned to face Adora. “Although not by much.”

“I don’t see how.” Adora stared up at the cave’s featureless ceiling.

“We could all be dead.” Catra answered flatly, crossing her arms.

“That’s still a strong possibility. How are we supposed to get back to the Fright Zone on foot?” Adora asked despondently as she considered their options.

“Wait!” Her eyes lit up and she looked over at Catra with an excited smile. “Our badges! We can call for help!”

“Already tried it.” Catra pressed her badge, which briefly erupted in static before falling silent. “None of them are working. We’re on our own.”

Adora’s smile died and she returned to staring at the ceiling.

“Starting to wish we had defected to the Rebellion.” She remarked dryly.

“Oh, don’t even joke about that.” Catra snorted. “Those prissy little fairies aren’t worth the air they breathe.”

“True enough, but it’s not like Hordak is any better.” Adora replied.

“Yeah, well when we force him off that throne of his, we can rule this world as it was meant to be ruled.” Catra said with a devious grin.

“We should probably focus on not dying in the desert first.” Adora sardonically reminded her.

“Yeah, yeah.” Catra rolled her eyes. “Scorpia should be back soon. Hopefully she’ll have good news.”

A few minutes passed in relative silence before Scorpia entered the cave.

“Hey, Catra-” She stopped as she saw Adora. “Ah, Adora! Good to see you’re awake!”

“Yeah.” Adora weakly waved a hand in greetings.

“So, what’s it like out there?” Catra asked Scorpia expectantly.

“It’s… well, do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Scorpia replied.

“The… good news, I guess?” Catra raised an eyebrow.

“There’s a settlement not too far from here.” Scorpia explained.

“And the bad news?” Catra asked.

“There’s a settlement not too far from here.” Scorpia repeated herself.

“You just said the same thing twice.” Catra looked at her with bemusement.

“I know.” Scorpia cheerfully replied. “It’s both good and bad news. We might be able to find food and shelter there, but the locals will probably try to kill us.”

“They’re welcome to try.” Catra said darkly. “I’ll kill them all if I have to.”

“Hopefully…” Adora groaned as she sat up. The pain was considerable but not debilitating. “Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

“Here.” Catra extended an arm to Adora and helped her to her feet.

“Thanks.” Adora smiled at Catra before looking down at Puff’s unconscious body. “But what are we going to do about her?”

“There’s not much we can do.” Catra answered grimly. “It’s going to be hard enough getting out of this wasteland alive without having to drag her around.”

“What are you saying?” Adora turned to face Catra, her eyes narrowing.

“Hey, it’s not like I want to do this.” Catra replied defensively. “Sometimes, you have to leave people behind. That’s what they always told us, isn’t it?”

“Hordak might be willing to leave people behind, but I’m not.” Adora sternly declared, crossing her arms. “I’ll carry her myself if I have to.”

“You always have to be the hero, don’t you?” Catra rolled her eyes. “Fine, whatever. But if we die because of this, I’m going to kill you.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, but okay.” Adora shrugged. “Now, how are we going to carry her?”

“Allow me.” Scorpia stepped forward. “I know a thing or two about lifting.”

Adora and Catra gave Scorpia a wide berth as she gingerly lifted Puff off the ground and picked her up, supporting the body with her shoulders.

“She’s lighter than she looks.” Scorpia remarked. “Shall we go, then?”

The trek to the settlement was relatively brief but no less arduous for it. The heat of the desert was merciless, even in the evening, and predators watched them the whole way, just waiting for them to let their guard down.

After almost an hour of trudging through the dirt and sand, the settlement came into view. It was a giant makeshift tent pinned to the gargantuan skeleton of a long-dead monster. Clearly not a natural formation.

“Can’t believe people live here…” Adora grumbled, her hair and clothes drenched in sweat.

“Anyone who does can’t be too friendly. I hope you’re ready for a fight.” Catra said casually, seemingly unperturbed by the heat as they entered the belly of the beast.

Adora expected to find many things inside of this peculiar structure. Perhaps a cave full of cannibals, or a bandit hideout, or a bunch of giant snakes.

One of the things she didn’t expect was a fully-stocked cantina complete with functioning lights and filled to the brim with shady characters. The newcomers instantly attracted the suspicious eyes of nearly everyone present.

“I don’t like this place…” Adora murmured.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle this.” Catra grinned murderously.

While Adora and Scorpia stood awkwardly at the entrance, Catra strode up to the counter with unmatched confidence and locked eyes with the caprine barmaid.

“We need directions out of this dump.” She demanded.

The barmaid quickly turned around, refusing to acknowledge her.

“Hey! Don’t you ignore me!” Catra shouted, slamming her fist on the counter.

“Outsider…” A menacing voice said from behind her.

Catra immediately whirled around, coming face to face with a horned goon girl and a four-armed lizard girl.

“We don’t like outsiders here…” The horned goon girl continued.

“I don’t like you, either. So what?” Catra smirked.

“So you’re about to find out what we do with outsiders around here…” She said murderously as she and her companion advanced on who they thought would be an easy target.

Catra was quick to prove them wrong, leaping over their heads in a single bound and landing directly behind them. Before they even had a chance to process that, she delivered a brutal kick to the horned goon girl’s lower back, sending her tumbling forward. She smacked her head on the hard stone of the counter and collapsed limply to the ground.

The four armed lizard girl turned around and aggressively swung her arms at Catra, who weaved between her arms effortlessly. Grinning with pleasure, Catra unsheathed her dagger and dodged one final swing before slicing off the arm responsible. The three armed lizard girl let out an agonized, inhuman scream, running away as fast as she could while a viscous green fluid belched out of the gaping wound.

Everyone else in the cantina stared at her in stunned silence.

“Anyone else want some?” Catra emphasized her question by swiping her dagger through the air, sending flecks of green blood flying in every direction.

None of the other denizens seemed eager to challenge her, hurriedly averting their eyes and returning to their drinks. Adora stared wide-eyed at Catra, both impressed and disturbed by her vicious display of combat prowess.

“That’s what I thought.” Catra knelt down and wiped the rest of the blood off on the unconscious goon’s shirt before standing up again.

“Now then.” She stared down the barmaid, holding the dagger threateningly in her hands. “We need directions out of this dump. Don’t make me ask again.”

“I…” The barmaid quickly averted her eyes in fear. “I just serve drinks here. I can’t help you.”

“Then who can?” Catra asked impatiently.

“H-Huntara. She’s the boss around these parts. She knows the Crimson Wastes like the back of her hand.” The barmaid nervously explained.

“Where can I find her?” Catra stared at her expectantly.

“She has her own private room in the back.” The barmaid replied. “But she doesn’t like visitors. She won’t be happy that you-”

“I don’t care.” Catra cut her off and walked back to the entrance.

“Scorpia, wait here and make sure they don’t eat Puff.” She ordered.

“Roger!” Scorpia saluted with her free arm.

Catra and Adora followed the barmaid behind the counter and down a staircase. They emerged in a large lounge that was surprisingly luxurious, especially given its location. It featured carpeted floors, a bar of its own, and a massive couch.

A powerfully built, scantily dressed woman - clearly Huntara - sat lazily on the couch, grinning widely as she watched a woman wearing nothing but a loincloth dance suggestively around a steel pole.

Adora and Catra shared an unsettled glance while the barmaid retreated upstairs.

“Ahem.” Adora cleared her throat, walking into the room.

Huntara’s eyes shifted from the stripper to her new guests and her grin immediately turned into a scowl.

“We’ll have to catch up later, baby.” She said to the stripper, who quickly fled the scene.

“You must be new to the Crimson Wastes.” She stared at the two with undisguised contempt, even as she continued lounging casually on her couch.

“Because there’s only one rule here. Don’t. Fuck. With. Huntara.” She put special emphasis on the profanity. “Right now, you’re breaking that rule.”

“I’m sorry for intruding, but we’re stranded here and we need help to get back to civilization.” Adora diplomatically explained. “Er, not that this place you have isn’t lovely or anything.”

“I don’t give a shit. You can die in the wastelands for all I care. Or you can die right here, if you want.” The murderous intent in her words was clear despite how calmly she said them.

“If someone dies here, it’s not going to be us.” Catra said darkly, walking in front of Adora and staring Huntara dead in the eyes.

“Really now?” Huntara sounded almost bored as she stared down Catra in return.

“All we want is to get out of this disgusting place. Help us leave and you’ll never have to see us again. But if that’s not to your liking, I can just kill you.” Catra made it sound like the easiest thing in the world.

A long, tense silence followed before Huntara burst out laughing. Adora and Catra both looked at her in bemusement.

“Ahaha! You…” Tears of mirth fell from her eyes as she cackled. “You really think you could… hahah! That’s adorable!”

Catra narrowed her eyes and growled, but Adora put an arm in front of her, holding her back.

After an annoyingly long time, Huntara finished laughing and wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Oh man, I haven’t laughed like that in ages. You’re a funny one, kitty. Easy on the eyes, too. Maybe I’ll keep you around.” Huntara grinned suggestively, eyeing Catra’s chest.

“Try to make me dance for you like that and I’ll make you eat my knife.” Catra clenched her fists, barely resisting the urge to make Huntara do just that.

“Alright, alright.” Huntara chuckled as she slowly stood up. “I can never say no to a cutie like you. I’ll show you the path out of the Wastes.”

“Really?” Catra’s eyes widened in surprise. “Just like that?”

“Sure, why not?” Huntara shrugged. “I could use some exercise anyway. These muscles don’t maintain themselves, you know.”

“Great!” Adora chimed in, rubbing her hands together. “So should we head out now?”

“Are you kidding?” Huntara looked at her like she was brain damaged. “It’s practically nighttime. Do you know what kind of creatures roam the Wastes at night?”

“Uh… no?” Adora admitted sheepishly.

“Snakes the size of trees, man-eating plants with legs, spiders bigger than a house. You wouldn’t last ten seconds out there.” Huntara appeared to be completely serious, despite how absurd her claims sounded.

“Okay, that sounds terrifying. Can we stay here for the night?” Adora asked hopefully.

“Normally I’d tell you to go find a cave and hope the spiders haven’t claimed it.” Huntara replied. “But since I’m feeling nice, I’ll let you sleep on my couch.”

“That’s very kind of you. We appreciate it.” Adora smiled.

“Eugh.” Huntara groaned in disgust. “Can the gratitude, blondie. You’re gonna make me sick.”

“Erm, sorry.” Adora recoiled slightly.

“Now if you’ll excuse me, I would like to get myself some tail before bed. Don’t puke on my couch.” Huntara didn’t wait for a reply, ascending the stairs and leaving them alone in her basement.

Adora and Catra looked at each other in silence for a few seconds.

“I don’t like her.” Catra flatly stated.

“I don’t know, she seems okay.” Adora disagreed. “A little weird and a little rough around the edges, maybe, but who wouldn’t be if they lived here?”

“Something about her just gives me a bad feeling. I don’t think we can trust her.” Catra replied doubtfully.

“Well, do you have a better idea for getting out of here?” Adora pointedly asked.

“...No.” Catra admitted hesitantly after a brief silence.

“Then Huntara it is.” Adora declared. “Oh, and we should probably get Scorpia.”

“Oh right, I almost forgot. I’ll go get her.” Catra rapidly ascended the stairs, leaving Adora alone in Huntara’s pad.

Slowly and silently, Adora approached the mighty couch. She reached out and touched it with a finger, finding it surprisingly soft and squishy. With this knowledge, she confidently plopped down, sinking deeply into the cushions.

“Ahhh…” She closed her eyes and sighed with pleasure, having never experienced such a comfortable surface before.

“Settling in, I see?” Catra asked dryly.

Adora opened her eyes to see Catra looking down at her with an amused smile. Time seemed to have travelled faster than she realized.

“One day, I want a bed like this…” Adora murmured. “Hey, where’s Scorpia?”

“She’s coming.” Catra turned around to face the staircase. “You need help over there?”

“I’ve got it!” Scorpia’s voice echoed down into the basement. Catra shrugged and plopped down next to Adora, placing her arm around her shoulder and resting her head against Adora’s.

After a few minutes, Scorpia descended the stairs, holding Puff in her arms like a baby. She gently placed Puff on the couch, which had more than enough room for all four of them to lie down comfortably.

“Whew.” Scorpia sighed with relief. “I hope she wakes up soon. Carrying her around is not as easy as it looks, you know.”

She looked over at the cuddling pair with an awkward smile.

“So, uh… everything’s working out between you two?” She asked tactfully.

“Um… yeah?” Adora looked at her strangely, as did Catra. “Why do you ask?”

“Oh, I…” Scorpia blushed, averting her eyes. “I was just trying to make small talk, I guess.”

“Well you suck at it.” Catra said dryly.

“Catra…” Adora lightly scolded her.

“Ugh.” Catra groaned with mostly feigned irritation. “Sorry, Scorpia…”

“No, no, it’s fine. She’s right.” Scorpia sat down on the couch, leaving several persons worth of space between them. She stared at the ground with a forlorn expression.

“I… I haven’t had a lot of friends. None that have lasted, anyway.” Scorpia admitted. Gone was her normal boisterous cheer, replaced by quiet brooding. “I want to be a good friend, but no matter what I do, it feels like I end up driving people away.”

Catra and Adora glanced at each other uncertainly.

“I don’t know. Is there something wrong with me? Maybe I don’t deserve to have friends. Maybe I deserve to be alone.” Tears began to fall from Scorpia’s eyes.

Adora wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but she felt obligated to comfort her nonetheless. She gently extricated herself from Catra’s hold and walked over to Scorpia.

“That’s not true.” Adora said softly.

“It’s… not?” Scorpia looked up at Adora with wide, quivering eyes. Catra rolled her eyes in disgust.

“Erm… no, of course not.” Adora felt incredibly awkward but tried her best. “You’ve been a great asset, and a good friend. I’m glad I met you.”

“You are?” Scorpia breathed.

Before Adora could react, Scorpia leaped off the couch and wrapped her in a ferocious hug, forcing the air from her lungs.

“Yay! We’re friends! Best friends forever!” Scorpia cheered even as Adora’s life slowly ebbed.

“Help…” Adora weakly gasped.

“You’re strangling her, you idiot!” Catra angrily stood up.

“Oops!” Scorpia immediately relinquished her grasp on Adora, allowing her to gasp for breath. “Sorry, I’m a hugger.”

“So I’ve heard…” Adora rasped, rubbing her throat gingerly. She walked back over to where she was previously sitting and plopped down.

“Here’s some free advice for you, Scorpia.” Catra said dryly as she sat down next to Adora. “Don’t strangle your friends.”

“Sorry, sorry! I just got carried away! It won’t happen again, I swear!” Scorpia apologized profusely. Adora half-expected her to get down on her knees and beg for forgiveness.

“Ugh, whatever.” Catra sighed in annoyance. “Let’s just get some sleep.”

“Right, sleep! I can do that!” Scorpia lied down on the couch and fell asleep almost instantly.

“Weirdo.” Catra muttered under her breath. Adora couldn’t really disagree.

“I have to say, when I woke up this morning, I didn’t expect I’d end the day in a cantina basement.” Adora said quietly after a few minutes of silence.

“Did you expect you’d end it with me?” Catra purred, rubbing their heads together affectionately.

“I hoped.” Adora smiled.

Snuggled against each other as they were, it proved no problem at all for the two to find sleep, even in the unusual and dangerous circumstances they found themselves in.

Chapter Text

Catra awoke to the sound of footsteps. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw a towering figure approaching them. Instinctively, she leapt to her feet and unsheathed her dagger, standing in front of Adora protectively. Even when she recognized the figure as Huntara, she didn’t stand down.

“A light sleeper, eh?” Huntara smirked. “That will serve you well around here.”

“What do you want?” Catra demanded irritably.

“You wanted me to guide you and your friends out of the Wastes, didn’t you? I’ll be waiting at the bar. Don’t take too long, or I’ll be too smashed to guide you anywhere.” Huntara didn’t wait for an answer, leaving the basement as abruptly as she entered.

Catra watched her leave with a scowl before sheathing her dagger.

“Mrrmm…” Adora murmured sleepily from behind her. She turned around to see Adora blinking drowsily up at her.

“Hey, Catra…” She mumbled with a faint smile. “What’s goin on?”

“Our gracious host wants us to get ready to leave.” Catra couldn’t have sounded more sarcastic if she tried.

“Mm, but it’s so early…” Adora weakly complained, closing her eyes.

“I know, but unless you want to spend the rest of your life in this shithole, we’d better do what she says.” Catra looked over at Scorpia, who was still snoozing peacefully.

“Okay… just give me a minute…” Adora muttered.

Catra walked over to where Scorpia was sleeping.

“Wake up, Scorpia.” She didn’t even have to raise her voice.

“Ah!” Scorpia immediately sat up, her eyes wide. “Did somebody say my name?”

“We’re getting ready to leave. Hope you haven’t gotten tired of carrying our friend here.” Catra dryly informed her, eying Puff’s unconscious body.

“Don’t worry about me.” Scorpia said confidently. “I can carry her for as long as you need me to.”

Catra nodded silently before walking back over to Adora.

“Adora? Ugh, come on.” Catra grumbled as she realized that Adora had relapsed into sleep. She considered slapping her before a far better idea crossed her mind.

With a mischievous grin, she leaned in and licked Adora’s cheek. Within a few seconds, Adora’s eyes opened and she immediately recoiled.

“Ew! Catra, what the hell?” Adora looked at Catra with a combination of surprise and disgust.

“You’re awake now, aren’t you?” Catra winked slyly.

“Gah, I prefer getting slapped.” Adora stood up from the couch, awake but clearly not happy about it.

“I’ll be sure to remember that.” Catra grinned.

“Hey, guys!” Scorpia’s excited voice caught their attention. “I think she’s waking up!”

Adora and Catra quickly walked over to her. Puff groaned and shifted slightly, but did not appear to be conscious.

“Doesn’t look like it to me.” Catra boredly remarked.

“Hey.” Adora leaned in closer. “Puff, you there?”

Puff muttered something unintelligible in response, her eyes remaining closed.

“She’s probably brain damaged.” Catra said casually. “I told you we should have left her behind.”

“Puff.” Adora decided to try a different tactic. “Wake up. That’s an order.”

Surprising everyone, including Adora, Puff’s eyes slowly opened.

“Re… reporting for duty.” She mumbled softly, her eyes looking in two different directions.

“Are you okay?” Adora asked without thinking.

“My head hurts…” Puff muttered, closing her eyes.

“Do, uh… how do you check for brain damage?” Adora glanced over at Catra.

“Don’t look at me.” Catra shrugged. Scorpia didn’t seem to have any answers either.

Adora returned her gaze to Puff, who could barely be considered conscious.

“Can you walk?” She asked despite how obvious the answer was.

Puff replied with incoherent muttering.

“I’ll… erm, I guess I’ll take that as a no.” Adora looked over at Scorpia. “Sorry, looks like you’ll have to carry her again.”

“No problem at all.” Scorpia reassured her.

“Alright.” Adora nodded. “We shouldn’t keep Huntara waiting, then.”

The group took a few more minutes to prepare themselves before heading up the stairs and back into the cantina. Presumably due to the early hour, it was completely devoid of customers. Only Huntara was present, standing behind the counter while gulping down a mug filled with a frothing blue liquid.

“Ahh.” Huntara belched coarsely as they approached before carelessly tossing the mug to the floor. “Lemme tell you, nothing hits the spot quite like Death Venom.”

“I’m not sure I like the sound of that…” Adora said hesitantly.

“It’s not actually deadly, kid.” Huntara chuckled. “Well, it is if you drink too much, but that’s true of anything, really. Want some?”

“No.” Adora and Catra replied simultaneously.

“More for me, then.” Huntara shrugged. “You girls ready to go, or what?”

“As ready as we’ll ever be.” Adora sighed.

Seemingly for the hell of it, Huntara leaped over the counter, briefly startling the three.

“Then let’s not waste time.” She grinned.

“Hahah, I get it!” Scorpia let out a childish giggle. “Waste, like the Crimson Wastes. You’re funny.”

Huntara looked at Scorpia like she was a child that had just smeared her entire bedroom in shit. Scorpia immediately stopped giggling and looked at the ground.

Without another word, Huntara turned and began walking out of the cantina. After sharing a glance, Adora and Catra followed her, with Scorpia and her living luggage heading up the rear.

As rough and tumble as it may have been, the cantina was infinitely more pleasant than the wasteland outside. Adora had almost forgotten how unforgivingly hot and dry it was out in the open, and quickly began to sweat.

“How long will this take, anyway?” Adora asked soon after the cantina disappeared over the horizon. “To get out of the wastes, I mean.”

“Depends on how fast you’re going.” Huntara replied casually. “And how many monsters get in your way.”

“Monsters?” Adora gulped. “I thought you said they only came out at night?”

“Usually, but if they’re hungry enough, they’ll come out in the day too. Of course, it’s the monsters on two legs you really have to worry about.” As she was walking in front of everyone, none of them could notice her murderous grin.

“Monsters on two legs?” Scorpia repeated. “I’ve never heard of monsters like that. Usually they have four, or six, or eight.”

“She means people, you dolt.” Catra wryly pointed out.

“Oh. Oh! I get it. Very clever what you did there. Clever and funny, what a combo. You must have ladies climbing all over you.” Adora suspected Scorpia was attempting to flirt with Huntara, but she honestly couldn’t tell.

“I prefer my ladies to have more than air between the ears, crabcake.” Huntara replied irritably without turning around.

“Hey, I…” Scorpia began to retort before scrunching up her face and looking at Catra. “What does that mean?”

“It means you’re stupid.” Catra smirked.

“Oh.” Scorpia frowned. “That’s not very nice.”

“I’m not a nice person.” Huntara stated bluntly. “Out here, nice gets you dead.”

“Then why do you live here?” Adora asked, genuinely curious.

“None of your fucking business, blondie.” Huntara growled.

“Okay, sorry I asked.” Adora flinched, giving Catra an uncertain glance.

They continued in tense, awkward silence for what was at least several hours before they reached a massive crater, roughly equal in size to Bright Moon Castle. Huntara led them into the center of the crater before suddenly coming to a halt.

“Why are we stopping?” Adora asked, a pit forming in her stomach.

“I said that I would help you leave the Wastes, and I keep my promises.” Huntara said darkly before turning around to face them. “But I never said how.”

“I knew it!” Catra snarled, unsheathing her dagger and glaring at Huntara murderously.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, furball.” Huntara regarded her with a smug smirk. “Look around.”
The edges of the crater were lined with dozens of vicious-looking bandits, mostly equipped with primitive bows with a few Horde firearms mixed in.

“Hand over your weapons. Nice and slowly.” Huntara ordered.

Catra could easily dodge anything they threw at her, but she knew that Adora and especially Scorpia wouldn’t have that luxury. Hissing, she threw the dagger and pistol to the ground, with Adora following suit.

Almost as soon as they had done so, the two approached by several goons who promptly tied them up. Scorpia put Puff down and both of them were soon tied up as well.

“What are you going to do to us?” Adora asked, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

“Nothing at all.” Huntara replied with a sadistic grin. “The monsters, on the other hand...”

“What, you’re just going to leave us here to die?” Catra spat.

“Pretty much.” Huntara said casually before walking away.

“Alright, boys, let’s go home.” She called out. To her surprise, the goons lining the crater did not put down their weapons, but instead shifted their aim to her.

“The hell?” She asked in disbelief.

“You haven’t figured it out, Huntara?” A deep, arrogant voice boomed throughout the crater. “And here I thought you were supposed to be smart.”

A tall and thoroughly ripped lizard man entered the crater, flanked by several more goons.

“You… what are you doing here?” Huntara demanded, glaring at the lizard man with unrestrained fury. “This is my territory.”

“Was your territory.” He smugly corrected. “There is only room for one king in the Wastes, and it will not be you. Your own followers have seen to that.”

As he said that, the three armed lizard girl and the horned goon girl walked up behind him. They seemed in remarkably good spirits despite the injuries Catra had given them the previous evening.

Huntara’s eyes narrowed as she saw them.

“You? You did this?” She asked, her fury replaced with genuine shock.

“It’s nothing personal. He just offered us more.” The horned goon girl smirked.

“You…” Huntara stopped and stared defiantly at her rival. “Just get it over with.”

“No.” The lizard man said. “I think I will take my time with you…”

He raised an arm in the air and clenched his fist. At that signal, dozens of darts flew through the sky and impacted Huntara. She staggered for nearly ten seconds before she fell backwards onto the ground.

The lizard man walked up to her unconscious body, looking down at it with a predatory grin.

“We’ll soon see how strong you really are.” He spat on her face.

“Um, hey there, big guy… is there any chance you could let us go?” Adora asked hopefully.

The lizard man turned around, seeming almost surprised by the presence of Adora and her group.

“Outsiders, heheh.” He chuckled wickedly. “The Pit can always use more meat.”

“Meat? We’re not…” Adora trailed off when a dart hit her in the side. Her vision immediately clouded as all traces of energy fled her body. In a matter of seconds, consciousness had left her entirely.

Entrapta cheerfully hummed her way into Hordak’s lab, eager as always to take a gander at his chamber of secrets. However, almost as soon as she entered, it was clear that something was wrong.

Hordak was hunched over a mechanical workbench, groaning in pain while steel tendrils picked off pieces of his armor. He was clearly not in the mood for visitors. Entrapta’s curiosity got the better of her, though, and she inched her way closer to him as quietly as she could.

As she got closer, Entrapta’s eyes widened as she saw Hordak’s unarmored body. It was far less impressive than she had imagined. He looked almost emaciated, with sickly veins covering much of his body and several metal implants that appeared to be directly bolted into his flesh.

Entrapta was taken aback by this revelation, so much so that she forgot about stealth entirely and walked right up to him.

“This is incredible. You have to tell me everything! I need to know!” Entrapta shouted excitably.

“...Get out.” Hordak growled before turning around. “Get out right…”

He groaned and staggered slightly before collapsing. Entrapta immediately extended her hair tendrils, supporting his body and allowing him to avoid an unpleasant meeting with the floor.

“Hordak! Hordak, are you okay?” Entrapta asked, an element of genuine concern in her voice.

“I am… fine…” Hordak managed through labored breaths.

“No, you’re not.” Entrapta replied soberly. “There’s something wrong with you, isn’t there? You’re sick, and you’re using your armor to compensate.”

“It… it is not your concern. Now, release me!” Hordak attempted to sound intimidating, but in his weakened state it fell completely flat.

“You said you were an alien, but that doesn’t explain why your body is so frail.” Entrapta completely ignored his demand. “And you never told me where you came from, either.”

“Why… why do you even care?” Hordak weakly asked.

“Because I’m a scientist!” Entrapta pulled him closer and stared him dead in the eyes. “And a scientist never rests while there are questions to be answered!”

Hordak stared at her in silence for more than a minute. Entrapta wondered if someone had messed with the temperature settings in the lab, because she began to feel unusually warm.

“Fine.” He said harshly. “You want to know what I am? I am a clone!”

Entrapta stared at him in silent shock, her hair tendrils retracting and allowing him to stand on his own.

“A clone.” He continued dramatically. “Of the Eternal Emperor, the Master of the Universe, the Lord of the Stars. Horde Prime.”

“With an army of clones, he conquered everything in his path. No world could stand against us. Any who dared were annihilated without mercy. Entire galaxies fell in weeks. I was his best commander. I conquered a thousand worlds for him, but all he saw were the defects in my cloning.”

“Horde Prime is a perfect being, and anything less than perfection is a blight in his eyes. I was cast out and left to die. Yet, for reasons I still do not know, a portal brought me here, to Etheria. With only my feeble body and few scraps of technology, I forged an empire to conquer this world in the name of Horde Prime.”

“When the portal opens, the true Horde will come forth to destroy the Rebellion. Horde Prime will finally recognize my worth, and I will regain my rightful place at his side.”

Hordak faltered and he looked at the ground.

“It is a foolish dream, I know. A generation of war and most of Etheria still eludes my grasp. I have failed in all I have undertaken. Even if we manage to activate the portal, I will not have proven my worth to Prime.”

“Perhaps…” Hordak sighed deeply.” Perhaps he was right after all. I am nothing but a defect, a stain on his name.”

“You’re not a failure.” Entrapta said, her voice soft and sincere. “You’re perfect just the way you are.”

“Hah.” Hordak chuckled mirthlessly, turning around. “I am weak. My body is failing. My armor was once enough to make up for my frailty, but my condition deteriorates with every passing day. Perhaps it is for the best. I have sullied the name of the Horde for too long.”

“Don’t say things like that. You’re not weak, not at all!” Entrapta raised her voice. “You built an empire by yourself, fought the Princesses to a standstill when everything was stacked against you! How many people can say they did that?”

“It does not matter.” Hordak replied despondently as he stared blankly at a console. “Anything less than perfection is worthless. That is the way of the Horde.”

“Then maybe it shouldn’t be.” Entrapta said quietly, walking up to his side. “Imperfection is what makes us who we are. If we were perfect, we would all be the same, and that would just be boring.”

Hordak turned, looking down at her with an inscrutable expression.

“I mean, look at me.” Entrapta smiled earnestly. “I’m not perfect, not even close. I’ve failed far more times than I’ve succeeded, but I’ve never let that get in my way. And neither have you. Despite all the obstacles in your path, you’ve kept going. If Horde Prime can’t see the value in that, that’s his problem, not yours.”

Hordak stared at her in silence for a long time. Entrapta began to wonder if she hadn’t accidentally offended him.

“I…” He finally spoke. “I will consider what you have said.”

“There’s something else I’d like to do for you, if that’s okay. I’ll need my tools, though, so don’t go anywhere!” Entrapta sprinted out of the laboratory without giving Hordak a chance to respond.

Hordak silently watched the door close behind her. With a long sigh, he turned back to the console, Entrapta’s words burning themselves into his mind.

Adora felt very strange. She wasn’t truly asleep, but she wasn’t exactly awake, either. Her thoughts were incoherent, but she was dimly aware that her head was resting on something soft.

Voices echoed through Adora’s ears, distant and incomprehensible. She wasn’t lucid enough to wonder what was being said or who was saying it, only vaguely wishing that they would shut up.

Eventually, after what could have been ten minutes or ten hours, Adora’s mind gradually began to awaken. The voices became clearer and she could make out what they were saying.

“This is all your fault, you know. If you hadn’t tried to trick us, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” An extremely familiar voice said, seemingly from right next to her. She couldn’t remember who it was exactly, only that hearing the voice made her feel comfortable.

“What do you want, an apology?” A harsher, less familiar voice replied.

“I was thinking something more along the lines of making you eat your own teeth.” The first voice retorted.

Who was she? Her name was just out of Adora’s reach. She knew it, she just couldn’t remember.

“As much as I’d like to fight you, we need to save our energy for getting out of here.” The second voice said.

“You’ve already betrayed us once. What makes you think we would ever trust you again?” The first voice asked.

“I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m saying we should try to work together if we don’t want to die here.” The second voice replied.

“I’m hungry. Is anyone else hungry?” A third voice asked.

Adora murmured softly as her memories slowly returned.

“Adora?” The first voice - no, Catra - asked.

“Catra…” Adora breathed with a small smile, her eyes remaining closed.

“Took you long enough. I was starting to think you weren’t gonna wake up.” Catra’s dry tone masked genuine concern.

“Mm… I love you…” Adora sleepily muttered, still not all there.

“Uh, I love you too, but this really isn’t a good time for that kind of thing. We’re in a bit of a bind here and it’d be nice if you could snap out of it.” Catra replied with a hint of annoyance.

“A bind? What…” Adora trailed off as the memories finally came back to her. “Oh… that bind…”

“Yeah.” Catra said succinctly.

Adora finally opened her eyes, blinking rapidly. She was lying down on her back, with Catra’s lap serving as a makeshift pillow.

“Are you good?” Catra asked, looking down at Adora uncertainly.

“Getting there…” Adora mumbled. “We… we got captured by that lizard man, right? Where are we?”

“They brought us home with them.” Catra replied evenly. “Apparently we’re to serve as entertainment in something called the Pit.”

“I’m guessing they have more in mind than a song and dance routine…” Adora muttered dryly.

“Ooh, that sounds fun. Can we do that sometime?” Scorpia asked with childish glee.

“Scorpia…” Catra huffed in annoyance.

“Sorry, bad time to ask.” Scorpia hurriedly replied.

“The Pit is infamous across the Crimson Wastes. Anyone who crosses the Snake Men is forced to fight whatever monsters they’re able to scrounge up, all while the whole crowd cheers for your blood.” Adora heard Huntara’s voice, but wasn’t able to see her in her current position.

“Sounds lovely. Is there any way to win?” Adora asked.

“I’ve heard of a few lucky champions who managed to impress the crowd enough to get set free, but that’s not happening this time. I’m too dangerous to be allowed to live, and they’re not about to spare a couple of outsiders like you.” Huntara replied grimly.

“Escape or die, then.” Adora remarked. “I vote escape.”

“Easier said than done, blondie.” Huntara said wryly. “Look around.”

Adora reluctantly abandoned Catra’s lap, sitting up and taking in their surroundings.

The five of them were sitting - or in Puff’s case, lying unconscious on the floor - in a large metal cage, with barely a centimeter between each of the bars. The cage itself was stuffed into a large hole in the ground. A few scant beams of light managed to find their way down into the hole from above, illuminating what would have otherwise been a lightless chasm.

“Even if we could get out of this hole, there’s gotta be dozens of those bastards waiting outside. There’s no way we can take all of them.” Huntara said matter-of-factly.

“Sounds to me like you’re scared.” Catra mockingly answered.

“Hah.” Huntara scoffed. “Nothing scares me. I just want to die on my own terms.”

“We could try ambushing them when they come to get us.” Adora suggested.

“No dice.” Huntara shook her head. “I’ve had the displeasure of watching a few ‘matches’. We’re already in the arena. When they’re ready, they’ll raise the cage up. None of them will have to come close to us.”

“Cowards.” Catra grumbled.

“Yeah.” Huntara agreed.

“Well…” Adora looked at the ground. “Shoot. I’m out of ideas.”

“Guess we’re back to waiting for death.” Huntara let out an irritated sigh. “Man, this sucks.”

“Hmm.” Adora looked up at her curiously. “So, what brought you out here, anyway?”

Huntara’s eyes narrowed.

“I thought I made it clear last time you asked.” She replied gruffly. “None of your damn business.”

“Okay, maybe it isn’t, but if we’re all gonna die anyway, what’s the harm?” Adora smiled, not noticing the bemused look from Catra.

“...You’re a strange little whelp, aren’t you.” Huntara made it sound like a compliment and an insult at the same time.

“I’ve been called worse.” Adora shrugged nonchalantly.

“I’m sure you have.” That was definitely not a compliment.

“So? What’s your story, then?” Adora eagerly asked.

Huntara rolled her eyes in resignation.

“Whatever you’re imagining is probably a hell of a lot more interesting than the truth.” Huntara answered flatly. “The truth is that I was once just like you. One of Hordak’s mindless minions.”

“Huh?” Adora and Scorpia looked at Huntara in surprise, while Catra stared boredly at the wall.

“I gave the Horde the best years of my life, and got nothing in return. I finally decided enough was enough and legged it. There’s your story.” Huntara spat on the ground.

There was a brief silence before Catra let out a long, exaggerated yawn.

“Wow, that was boring.” Catra said with a small smirk.

“Nobody asked you, cat.” Huntara scowled.

“You know, I thought you looked familiar.” Scorpia looked at Huntara thoughtfully. “But I wasn’t sure if it was just my mind playing tricks on me.”

Huntara let out a deep exhale, knowing exactly what Scorpia would ask next.

“You were at the Black Forest, weren’t you? You vanquished Princess Viola!” Scorpia sounded almost awestruck.

“That’s a pretty way of saying I shoved an axe through her skull, but yeah.” Huntara stared at the floor, looking less than thrilled about recalling her past exploits.

“Wait, you killed a Princess?” Catra asked, sounding genuinely impressed.

“It wasn’t anything to brag about. She…” Huntara shook her head vigorously, as if trying to force her memories away. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Really? Heh.” Catra snorted. “If I killed a Princess, you’d never get me to shut up about it.”

“It’s not like you ever shut up anyway.” Adora said jokingly.

“How dare you!” Catra said with feigned anger, to which Adora replied by sticking her tongue out.

“Man, the Horde’s really started scraping the bottom of the barrel, haven’t they.” Huntara said flatly as she watched the two bicker like children.

“They might be young, but they’re a lot stronger than they look.” Scorpia replied.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Huntara looked up, hearing the sound of shouting from above. “Looks like it’s showtime, everyone.”

A few seconds after she said that, the cage began shaking as it was slowly and laboriously raised out of the hole.

“Well…” Adora gulped, staring up at the ceiling in fearful anticipation. “If we don’t make it out of this…”

Catra put her hand on Adora’s shoulder reassuringly.

“Look at me, Adora.” She said softly. Adora slowly turned to look at Catra and their eyes met.

“It’s gonna be fine.” Catra’s voice was gentle but resolute.

“You can’t know that…” The first signs of tears were appearing in Adora’s eyes.

“Yes, I can. I’ll kill every single bastard in the Wastes if I have to. Nothing will hurt you, I promise.” Catra smiled warmly.

“That’s not…” Adora closed her eyes in a failed attempt to suppress her tears. “That’s not what I’m afraid of.”

Catra was going to ask her what she meant by that, but they were out of time. The cage finally completed its ascension from the hole, allowing them to take in their surroundings.

The cage was at one end of an enormous arena, roughly the same size as the crater they had been ambushed in. The flat ground of the arena was surrounded by steep walls, with several rows of seating placed above them. Each seat was occupied by a bloodthirsty bandit, roaring for excitement and death.

At the opposite end of the arena was a gate as tall as a house. Above it was a great throne decorated with bones and painted with blood. The lizard man stood in front of his throne, watching over the arena with great anticipation.

“My Snakes, the day has come at last!” He bellowed, his voice easily reaching throughout the arena. “Huntara has been captured, and will now face the fate of all who dare defy the might of Tung Lashor!”

“Tung Lashor?” Catra snorted. “That’s his name?”

“No, that’s just what he’s been calling himself for the last few years.” Huntara replied. “His name is Shirley.”

“Wait, so he chose that name? Like, on purpose?” Catra asked in disbelief.

Huntara didn’t have the time to respond before Tung Lashor continued his grandiose speech.

“But before we watch the false King meet her end, we shall whet our appetites with the blood of these foolish outsiders who dared intrude on our lands!” Tung Lashor pointed down at the cage. “Which one of you wretches would like to die first?”

As soon as he finished his sentence, a primitive mechanism raised the front wall of the cage.

Without a second of hesitation, Catra stood up and walked up to the opening.

“Catra!” Adora scrambled to her feet. “What are you doing?”

Catra turned around and smiled at her.

“What I promised.” She turned back around and walked out of the cage without another word.

Adora instinctively attempted to run after her, but the cage slammed shut in the blink of an eye. She could do nothing but watch helplessly as Catra slowly walked towards the center of the arena.

“Few people are as eager as you to be the first to fight.” Tung Lashor remarked calmly.

“I’m not afraid of you.” Catra stared up at him in defiance, her voice raised so that everyone in the arena could hear it.

“Then you are either very brave or very stupid.” Tung Lashor looked down at her with amusement. “Either way, you are about to be very dead.”

“Am I?” Catra smirked.

A minion came up to Tung Lashor and handed him a sword. He threw it down into the arena, letting the blade clatter against the sand. Catra quickly scooped up the sword and examined it. It was simple and rustic looking, but it was a deadly blade of steel nonetheless.

“Make your peace, outsider, for your judgement is at hand!” He roared powerfully as the gate under his feet slid into the wall. A loud hissing sound began to emanate from the darkness beyond.

Catra backed up slightly, readying herself for battle. The roar of the crowd was almost deafening, but she barely even noticed it. All of her focus was on the gate, and whatever lay beyond it.

Slowly, almost cautiously, it began to emerge from the darkness.

It was an enormous beast, only slightly smaller than the entrance it emerged from. It was largely snakelike in its general appearance, with glistening red scales and predatory eyes, but with two legs and the fearsome talons of a bird of prey. Its back was adorned with two mighty wings, but they were shredded beyond any hope of recovery.

Even Catra was taken aback by the sheer size and fearsomeness of the creature.

“Catra! Run!” Adora shouted desperately, banging on the bars of the cage, but Catra stood her ground.

“She’s already dead.” Huntara said in grim resignation. “We all are.”

Adora watched Catra in silent anguish, tears falling freely down her cheeks.

“You should be honored, outsider. You have the privilege of being Deathfang’s next meal. Try not to make it too easy for him.” Tung Lashor sat down on his throne, looking down at her with a toothy grin.

Catra said nothing in response, her focus entirely on Deathfang. The two stared each other down for more than a minute, sizing each other up.

Deathfang made the first move, lunging directly for Catra with superhuman speed. Catra was not human, however, and was just barely able to roll out of the way. She was forced to immediately roll to the side again to dodge Deathfang’s tail, which he swung at her like a club.

Deathfang whirled around with surprising speed and deftness, charging Catra once more. Once again, she rolled to the side, with Deathfang barely stopping short of slamming his head into the arena wall.

Seeing a window of opportunity, Catra leaped onto Deathfang’s back and stabbed her sword into a space between several of the creature’s scales. It let out a deafening roar of pain before slamming its tail down on its back in an attempt to dislodge her.

Unable to remove her sword in time, Catra leaped off of Deathfang’s back less than a second before the tail would have crushed her, landing on her feet and immediately putting as much distance between her and the beast as she could.

It took Deathfang a few seconds to realize she was no longer on top of him. He rapidly turned to face her and charged for a third time. Catra rolled out of the way, only to realize too late that it was a feint. His tail was already flying towards her, and even her incredibly fast reflexes couldn’t save her this time.

The air left Catra’s body in an agonized gasp as she was slammed against the ground by Deathfang’s tail. Her vision began to swim and she hacked up blood.

“CATRA!” Adora’s anguished scream echoed throughout the arena, but was barely audible over the vicious cheers of the vile crowd.

Catra faced her death without a hint of fear, looking up into Deathfang’s eyes with a small smirk.

“What are you waiting for, big guy…” She muttered.

Deathfang bore down on her, bringing his head directly up to hers, and time itself stopped. Tung Lashor, his cheering minions, Adora and the others, all frozen in place. It was just her and the monster about to have her for lunch.

“What…” Catra looked at the creature in confusion. “What’s happening?”

“You are different.” A deep, resonant voice replied. Catra could only assume it was Deathfang, even though the creature didn’t seem to be using his mouth to speak.

“Uh, different from what?” Catra asked, feeling rather out of her depth.

“The others smell of fear, greed, weakness. You smell of bravery, loyalty, strength.” Deathfang answered.

“...Thanks?” Catra wiped blood from her mouth.

“So much time, it had been forgotten. The smell of worth.” Deathfang stared at Catra ominously.

“Umm… okay? Can you just kill me and get this over with?” Catra asked. “You’re really creeping me out.”

“Must not be slain, must be served, must be preserved. The fallen must be avenged.” Deathfang continued.

“...Wait, what?” Catra’s eyes lit up in understanding. “You mean you’ll fight for me?”

“Death will be deserved for those who stand against you.” Deathfang answered cryptically.

“Please stop talking like that, it’s annoying.” Catra said flatly. “Yes or no, will you fight for me?”

Deathfang stared at her in silence for a few moments.

“...Yes.” He said with a degree of hesitation.

“Sweet.” Catra grinned. “I’ve always wanted my own monster.”

“What is your command?” Deathfang asked.

“Kill them all.” Catra gleefully ordered before hastily amending herself. “Um, except the people in the cage. Don’t kill them.”

“It shall be.” Catra wasn’t sure how, but she could tell he was pleased.

Time resumed as abruptly as it had been interrupted, and once again Catra could hear the crowds roaring for blood. They would get it, but not in the way they wanted.

Deathfang turned away from Catra and stared up at his erstwhile master.

“What are you waiting for, you stupid creature? Kill her!” Tung Lashor yelled, standing up from his throne.

Deathfang replied by charging towards Tung Lashor, scaling the steep wall in a matter of seconds. Tung Lashor backed away, cowering on his throne as the beast towered over him. The crowd watched the scene in silent shock while Catra, who had gotten to her feet, looked on with a merciless smirk.

“What… what are you doing? I am your master! You must obey me!” Tung Lashor cried out in disbelief.

Deathfang lunged forward. With his mighty maw, he seized Tung Lashor by his head and tore it clean off his shoulders. Blood gushed from his headless body as it slumped against his throne. Disdainfully, he spat the head out, letting it land gracelessly in the arena.

“Awesome.” Catra remarked softly, her eyes wide with elation.

Deathfang wasted no time. Tung Lashor’s head hadn’t even hit the ground before he had set his gaze towards the stands. The spectators realized too late that they were next and began fleeing in panic. The monster was far too quick for them, moving to block their only escape route and methodically ripping each and every one of them to shreds.

Catra casually walked over to the cage while the carnage ensued.

“So, how do you like my new friend?” She grinned.

“I’m… what… you… how…” Adora stammered, unable to comprehend what was happening.

“If it makes you feel any better, I have no idea what the hell is going on either.” Catra gingerly rubbed her chest, still sore from Deathfang’s attack.

“I… I think I need to lie down.” Adora quickly sat down and stared blankly at the floor.

“Hmm. What do you guys think?” Catra looked over at Scorpia and Huntara as severed limbs were flung haphazardly into the arena behind them.

“If that monster gets us out of here, I’ll give it a backrub.” Huntara replied flatly, seeming rather unsurprised by the situation.

“Ooh, you can give backrubs?” Scorpia asked excitably, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Can I have one?”

“Not for free.” Huntara crossed her arms, averting her eyes from Scorpia’s gaze.

“Hmph.” Catra grumbled, annoyed by how little they seemed to care.

She turned her gaze back to the stands, her smile returning as she watched Deathfang finish off the stragglers. Their screams of terror and pain were more pleasurable than a hundred Banana Tigers.

When the last of the unfortunate scoundrels had been brutally removed from the world of the living, Deathfang leapt back into the arena, producing a shockwave of sand as he landed. He approached Catra, bowing his head.

“Nice work… erm, Deathfang.” Catra said the name with distaste.

“The name given by a creature of weakness and failure.” Deathfang replied. “It is not to be used.”

“It’s pretty over the top.” Catra nodded in agreement. “So what’s your real name?”

“So much time. The true name is lost.” He sounded almost sad.

“Then you’ll need a new one.” Catra looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Any ideas?”

“Names are not important. Only vengeance.” The monster answered gravely.

“Ehh, I guess that’ll work.” Catra shrugged. “Nice work, Vengeance.”

“Erm.” Adora abruptly interjected, having stood up again. “Are you… talking to him?”

“Yeah.” Catra turned around, regarding her with a smirk. “You have a problem with that?”

“No, I was just wondering, since it sounds like you’re… uh, talking to yourself.” Adora scratched her shoulder awkwardly.

“Huh? But he’s…” Catra turned to Vengeance. “I don’t get it, I can hear you. Why can’t she?”

“The minds are linked. The words are not spoken.” He explained.

“Thanks, that really clears things up.” Catra replied irritably before turning to face Adora once more. “I guess only I can hear him. I swear I’m not crazy.”

“No, I… I believe you, it’s just…” Adora looked down. “This is not at all what I expected to happen.”

“What did you expect to happen?” Catra eyed her curiously. Adora simply gave a silent shrug in response.

“I’m really happy for you and your new pet monster, but if you could let us out of this cage sometime, that would be great.” Huntara dryly spoke up.

“Are you going to give him a backrub?” Scorpia asked cheerily.

“You ever heard of sarcasm, crabcake?” Huntara flatly asked in reply.

“Oh… yeah, I’ve heard of it… totally…” Scorpia was hardly convincing.

“Oh just shut up already.” Huntara slapped her own forehead.

“Hmm…” Catra examined the cage. “Think you can open this thing up, Vengeance?”

Vengeance approached the cage. As soon as Catra had gotten out of the way, he grabbed onto the bars with his teeth. He barely seemed to require any effort, tearing through the steel like it was cotton candy. In less than a minute, the gate had been reduced to a bunch of saliva-covered fragments on the ground.

“Gross…” Adora looked at the pile in disgust. She and Scorpia gingerly stepped around the gunk and emerged from the shattered cage.

Huntara attempted to follow them, but Catra stood in her way.

“You may have forgotten about stabbing us in the back and leaving us to die, but I sure as hell haven’t.” Catra stared her down with narrowed eyes.

“Then kill me. It’s the way of the Wastes.” Huntara replied calmly.

“Catra…” Adora said softly, placing her arm on Catra’s shoulder. She didn’t even seem to notice.

“Scorpia says you were a hero once. You slew a Princess. That’s the only reason you’re not already in his mouth.” Catra pointed at Vengeance without taking her eyes off of Huntara.

“Nice to be given the VIP treatment.” Huntara wryly remarked.

“Do you want to live, Huntara?” Catra asked ominously.

“Erm… obviously?” Huntara gave Catra a strange look.

“Then kneel before me.” Catra ordered.

Huntara looked at her in confusion, an expression mirrored by Adora and Scorpia.

“I said KNEEL!” Catra’s roar was joined by Vengeance in a terrifying display. Adora and Scorpia both backed away in fear, while Huntara reluctantly did as she commanded.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Catra smirked.

“What do you want from me…” Huntara asked quietly.

“Only one thing.” Catra calmly answered. “Your loyalty. From now until the day you die, you will serve Adora and I, just as you once served Hordak. You will have all the power, wealth, and women you could ever want.”

Huntara gazed up at her silently, waiting for her to continue.

“But if you even try to betray us again, there will be no words to describe the torment I will inflict upon you. No matter how much you beg for death, it will never come.” Catra’s voice was almost devoid of emotion as she stared deeply into Huntara’s eyes.

As much as Adora wished to believe otherwise, she knew that Catra meant every word she said. Nothing could make Adora stop loving her, but that didn’t mean that Catra couldn’t be as terrifying as Hordak or Shadow Weaver when she wanted to.

“Have I made myself clear?” Catra crossed her arms.

“...Yes, you have.” Huntara bowed her head.

“Then you may leave. Return to your little tavern, but do not forget who your master is.” Catra declared.

Huntara slowly got to her feet, saying nothing as she walked towards the arena’s only exit, the gate where Vengeance had initially entered from.

Catra waited until Huntara was well out of earshot before letting out a delighted squee.

“That felt awesome! That feeling of power…” She shuddered in delight. “No wonder why Shadow Weaver does it so much, it’s amazing!”

Adora looked at her with open concern while Scorpia pointedly avoided her gaze.

“...What? Is there something on my face?” Catra frowned.

“No, just… you scared me a little.” Adora briefly averted her eyes. “Okay, a lot.”

“You… you don’t think I would do that to you, do you?” Catra asked softly, moving closer to Adora. Scorpia took the hint and walked after Huntara, leaving the two alone.

“I know you wouldn’t, but…” Adora sighed before looking Catra in the eyes. “I don’t know, it’s just, I don’t want you to end up like… them. Like a… a monster.”

“I…” Catra’s ears flattened and she looked at the ground. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“I’m not angry.” Adora said softly, raising Catra’s chin up with a hand. “I just don’t want to lose you.”

“You…” Catra wavered for a moment. “You won’t. Not ever.”

“You promise?” Adora’s voice cracked.

“I promise.” Catra replied gently.

In an arena of blood and sand, filled with the severed limbs of those who had come to see them die, and with a beast from a forgotten age looming over them, the two shared a long and tender kiss.

Chapter Text

The arena was only an exterior portion of a much larger fortress, carved directly into the rock of a large mountain. The few bandits who remained within were dispatched with ease, leaving the fortress under the nominal control of the Horde.

Vengeance was left outside to clean up the bodies, as he was far too large to enter the fortress without potentially bringing the entire structure down on top of them. They were able to retrieve their weapons and find a room previously used as a barracks by the bandits, where Scorpia watched over the unconscious Puff.

Adora and Catra walked down the imposing stone halls, exploring the remainder of the great structure.

“There is no way those bandits built all this.” Adora said as they passed several ornate carvings, each depicting a tall and imposing woman.

“Who cares.” Catra scoffed. “They’re dead, so it’s ours now.”

“Aren’t you the least bit interested in how there’s a massive fortress in the middle of a wasteland? About who built it, and why?” Adora stopped and turned to Catra.

“Not really.” Catra bluntly answered.

“Ugh.” Adora groaned, scrunching up her face. “You never change, do you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Catra smirked.

“It’s not.” Adora turned around and kept walking.

“C’mon, Adora, do you really think there’s anything in this oversized cave that will help us win the war?” Catra asked defensively as she followed her. “Or even get out of this stupid desert?”

“There could be.” Adora replied. “We’ll never know if we don’t look.”

“Hey, I’m not saying we shouldn’t look around.” Catra retorted. “Just that it’s boring.”

“You-” Adora stopped in her tracks as she heard the sound of metallic clattering from further down the corridor. She and Catra silently unholstered their pistols and cautiously advanced. The sound appeared to come from a room being used as an armory by the bandits.

The two entered the room, weapons at the ready. At first glance, the room appeared to be empty of life.

“Nobody’s here.” Adora said uncertainly, but did not lower her weapon.

Catra scanned the armory, her eyes narrowing as she smelled a strange presence hiding behind a large statue at the back of the room.

“Come out. Hands on your head, unless you want a hole in it.” Catra aimed her pistol at the statue.

Adora gave Catra a confused glance before the sound of feminine whimpering came from behind the statue.

“Come out. I promise we won’t hurt you.” Adora said gently.

“P-please, don’t hurt me…” The woman behind the statue pleaded. “I’m not with the bandits, I swear.”

“I believe you.” Adora replied, lowering her weapon. “Now please come out so we can talk.”

Slowly, the woman emerged from behind the statue, her arms raised in surrender. She was a short, dark-skinned human with long black hair, wearing an old dress that was torn in a dozen different places.

“Please, I...” She flinched as she looked down the barrel of Catra’s pistol. Adora gave Catra a stern look and she reluctantly holstered it.

“What’s your name?” Adora asked.

“I… Secunda…” She looked at the floor, rubbing her shoulder nervously. “Those horrible bandits, they kidnapped me and made me cook for them. And, they…”

“You’re safe now. They can’t hurt you anymore.” Adora reassured her while Catra rolled her eyes.

“I know… but, why are you here? Are you going to hurt me like they did? I’ll tell you about the treasure and everything, just don’t hurt me…” Secunda’s voice cracked and she shivered in fear.

“Oh, give it a rest…” Catra muttered under her breath.

“We’re not going to hurt you.” Adora walked forward with a kind smile.

“We might if you don’t tell us about that treasure.” Catra said darkly, ignoring the glare she received from Adora.

“The treasure… of course, I’ll tell you everything. I’ll even show you where it is. Just promise you won’t hurt me!” Secunda timidly squeaked.

“What kind of treasure are we talking about here?” Adora asked.

“All kinds of treasure… they never stopped talking about it. Gold, gemstones, even First Ones tech they scavenged from the deep desert.” Secunda answered, seeming a bit less fearful than before.

“First Ones?” Adora and Catra said at the same time. Perhaps their mission wouldn’t be a bust after all.

“Show us, please.” Adora requested.

Bow approached the bedroom with a degree of hesitation. From what he’d heard, Spinnerella and Netossa had recovered physically from the encounter at Dryl. But after how badly that had turned out, he wasn’t sure if they’d still be willing to help.

He let out a long sigh. There was no way to know without asking. He knocked on the door.

A few seconds later, the door partially opened and Spinnerella peeked out at him.

“Oh. Hi, Bow.” She said with a polite smile. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, you too.” Bow replied, hoping that his nervousness wasn’t readily apparent. “May I come in? I’d like to talk to you guys.”

“Of course.” Spinnerella opened the door fully, allowing Bow to enter.

Their bedroom was mostly the castle standard, but the lovebirds had added a few touches of their own. Most prominent was the giant heart-shaped bed in the middle of the room, which Bow couldn’t help but wish he had.

“What’s up?” Netossa was sitting up on the bed, rubbing her eyes. Bow finally noticed that neither of them were wearing an abundance of clothing.

“Erm. Is this a bad time?” Bow asked, his cheeks reddening.

“No, not at all. We were just… finishing up.” Netossa winked coyly at Spinnerella.

“Ookay…” As much as Bow wanted to leave the room right then and there, he knew he had to stay.

“Anyway…” Bow cleared his throat. “I needed to ask you something. Now, I know things went really bad at Dryl, but I was hoping you would be willing to help me with another mission. I won’t blame you guys if you don’t want to, so don’t worry-”

“What’s the mission?” Netossa interrupted him.

“I…” Bow was briefly taken aback. “Well, the Horde’s been searching for First Ones tech. We’ve been tracking their movements, and they’re currently in the Crimson Wastes. I was hoping you would help us ambush them when they attempt to return to the Fright Zone.”

“When do we leave?” Netossa asked.

“Well, whenever they leave the Wastes, I guess. Could be tomorrow, could be a month.” Bow looked at Netossa uncertainly. “Are… are you sure you’re okay with this? I mean, after what happened…”

Netossa stood up from the bed and walked over to him, her expression dead serious.

“None of us will be safe while the Horde’s still around. We’re in this until the end, no matter what happens.” She said firmly, her eyes boring into his.

“That’s right!” Spinnerella agreed.

“You guys…” Bow trailed off and looked away. “You’re gonna make me blush.”

“You’re already blushing.” Netossa dryly pointed out.

“Oh. I am? Heheh.” Bow chuckled awkwardly.

“So, does Glimmer know about this plan?” Netossa asked.

“No, she’s been… well, training ever since what happened. At Mystacor.” Bow informed her.

“Training or not, I’m sure she won’t want to miss this.” Netossa smirked.

“Excellent work, Glimmer.” Castaspella smiled at a picture perfect clone of herself. “Your progress has truly been remarkable.”

The false Castaspella returned to her natural form in a flash of light.

“Thanks…” Glimmer rubbed her shoulder hesitantly. “But, I don’t know… is this going to be enough?”

“Enough for what?” Castaspella asked.

“The Horde, Shadow Weaver… they’re so powerful. I don’t know if what you’ve taught me will be enough to turn the tide.” Glimmer stared glumly at the floor.

“Glimmer…” Castaspella said softly, patting her head in a motherly manner. “Nothing is ever certain. All we can do is our best.”

“But what if our best is not enough? What happens then?” Glimmer looked up at her aunt, her eyes glinting with tears.

Castaspella looked back at her in surprise, no answer forthcoming.

“There… there has to be something. Mom told me about Shadow Weaver, how she used some kind of spell to gain huge amounts of power. What if… I did that too?” Glimmer asked softly.

Castaspella’s expression instantly transformed from one of surprise to one of stern refusal.

“Absolutely not.” Castaspella harshly replied. “The Spell of Obtainment is the vilest magic of all. It gives great power, yes, but at the cost of everything else. You would be able to defeat the Horde, and become just as wicked as them in the process.”

“But…” Glimmer began to object, but stopped, sensing the futility in it. “I understand.”

“Great!” Castaspella returned to her cheery self with startling abruptness. “Now, I think we’ve practiced enough for today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Mm.” Glimmer murmured, watching her aunt leave the training room. She clenched her fists and scowled before leaving the room herself.

She began making her way back to her bedroom, but as she passed through the entrance hall, she noticed a few familiar faces.

“Bow!” She cried, immediately running to embrace him.

“Hey, Glimmer! Been a while, hasn’t it?” He returned the embrace with a smile. “How’s your training been?”

“Hard. Very hard.” Glimmer admitted. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.” Bow ruffled her hair fondly.

“Aww, so cute…” Netossa remarked, abruptly reminding the two that they were not, in fact, alone.

Glimmer and Bow quickly detached from each other, staring at the ground with reddened cheeks.

“So, uh… good to see you two. I’m… uh, glad you’re not dead.” Glimmer said awkwardly.

“Not as glad as we are.” Netossa smirked, crossing her arms.

“What brought you guys out here? I… get the feeling you didn’t just come to say hi.” Glimmer glanced around at the three curiously.

“You’re right about that.” Bow soberly replied. “A few things have happened while you’ve been training.”

Glimmer looked at him attentively.

“The Horde’s been scouring Etheria for old First Ones tech.” Bow began. “We don’t know why, but knowing the Horde, it can’t be for anything good. We’ve been tracking their movements, and we’re preparing an ambush for them when they return from the Crimson Wastes.”

“The Crimson Wastes, huh?” Glimmer raised an eyebrow. “Strange place to look.”

“Given how specific their targets are, I’m guessing they’re not just searching randomly.” Bow scratched his chin. “They might have a way to track First Ones signals. But that’s just a theory.”

“How are we tracking them, anyway?” Glimmer asked.

“Well…” Bow hesitated. “It’s a long story. We can talk about it later.”

“Alright…” Glimmer gave him a strange look. “So are we going now?”

“No, not yet.” Bow shook his head. “We need to wait for them to leave the Wastes. Queen Angella’s orders. But we’ll come and get you as soon as they’re on the move.”

“Got it.” Glimmer nodded before looking at Bow with a faintly longing expression. “But, uh, do you want to hang out? Or do you have to leave?”

“No.” Bow answered stiffly, blushing once more. “I mean, er, I don’t have anything else planned. We can, uh, hang out. If you want.”

Netossa and Spinnerella shared a knowing glance before giving the two some space.

“Wonderful! You remember the thermal springs, right? I haven’t gotten a chance to use them since I’ve been here, but now seems like a perfect time!” Glimmer chattered excitably.

“Sounds good to me.” Bow smiled.

Soon enough, the two were relaxing together in the ancient thermal springs, the cold evening air easily countered by the warmth of the water.

“Ahhh…” Glimmer practically melted into the springs. “I needed this.”

“Need is a strong word…” Bow looked up at the sky with a faint smile. “I’m glad we came here, though.”

A few minutes passed in silence as they enjoyed the healing springs. But even the magical water couldn’t deter Glimmer’s brooding forever.

“I’ve learned a lot here.” She said flatly, looking in Bow’s direction while avoiding his eyes. “But… ugh, I think I know a way we could defeat them, but…”

“But what?” Bow looked at her curiously.

Glimmer let out a deep breath.

“Shadow Weaver used some kind of spell to become as powerful as she is. I thought maybe I could use the same spell to defeat her, but Aunt Casta shut that idea down immediately. She says that it would make me evil or something.” Glimmer dismissively rolled her eyes.

“Castaspella is pretty experienced in the ways of magic. I’m sure she knows what she’s talking about.” Bow answered.

“Hmph. Taking her side, are you?” Glimmer crossed her arms, looking at Bow with narrowed eyes.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side, Glimmer.” Bow looked at her with a degree of concern. “But you don’t need to be a master sorcerer to know that messing with black magic is a really bad idea.”

“I… I know that.” Glimmer wavered briefly. “If there’s a better way, I’ll gladly take it. But what if there isn’t? Isn’t anything preferable to letting the Horde win?”

“If we defeat them by becoming just as evil as they are, they will have won anyway.” Bow said softly.

“That… that doesn’t even make sense!” Glimmer abruptly stood up, looking at Bow angrily. “If we beat them, we win! Why do we have to play by the rules when the Horde doesn’t?”

“Those rules are all that separate us from them.” Bow declared, standing up to meet her gaze.

“For…” Glimmer growled, clenching her fists. “Damn it, Bow, I’m not saying we should go burn down villages and enslave people! I’m just saying we need to start fighting for real!”

“I know what you’re saying.” Bow replied, his tone calm yet firm. “I know you have the best of intentions, but you’re talking about messing with forces beyond anything either of us can understand. There’s no way to know what will happen. For all you know, you could end up destroying Etheria, not saving it.”

“I…” Glimmer exhaled, averting her eyes. “I think I need to be alone…”

She quickly stepped out of the thermal spring. Bow wanted to say something as he watched her leave, but no words left his mouth.

Adora and Catra followed Secunda down a multitude of barren corridors until she stopped at a large door. It was cobbled together from metal and chunks of wood, making it stand out like a sore thumb in a fortress carved from stone.

“Here we are…” Secunda rubbed her neck, glancing at the two nervously.

“This door looks like it was made by an eight year old.” Catra scoffed. “I bet I can kick this thing and it will fall apart.”

“Catra, don’t-” Adora’s warning went unheeded as Catra slammed her foot into the door. The wood buckled slightly under the pressure, but nowhere near enough for it to break.

“OW!” Catra cried out in pain. She quickly sat down, licking her injured foot.

“Why did you do that.” Adora looked down at Catra like a disappointed parent, while Secunda briefly smirked.

“I thought it would break…” Catra murmured pathetically.

“Even if it did break, it would’ve still…” Adora let out an exasperated groan. “Ugh, forget it. Both of you, stand back.”

Secunda quickly backed away from the door, looking on with wide eyes. Rather than standing up, Catra slowly rolled to the side before continuing to nurse her foot.

Once both of them were out of harm’s way, Adora unholstered her pistol and fired a single shot at the door. The crude barrier might has well have been made of air, with the energy blast leaving a hole the size of Adora’s head.

With a small smirk, Adora continued firing. A few more shots were all it took to leave an opening large enough for a person to fit through. Adora holstered her pistol and walked up to the new hole, peering into the room beyond.

Secunda’s information had certainly been correct. The room was almost full to bursting with all kinds of trinkets, from the usual metallic coins and shiny gems to a variety of ancient-looking gizmos that were presumably made by the First Ones.

“Jackpot.” Adora clasped her hands together triumphantly.

Catra hopped up to her side, holding her injured foot slightly above the ground. She whistled appreciatively as she looked over the trove.

“Nice.” Catra grinned. “We could retire with this kinda loot.”

Adora gave Catra a skeptical glance.

“Kidding, obviously.” Catra snorted.

Adora returned her gaze to the treasure, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

“Now how are we going to bring all of this back to the Fright Zone?” Adora wondered aloud. “Getting back on foot will be hard enough without lugging several tons of metal around.”

“Maybe Vengeance could help with that.” Catra suggested before suddenly shaking her head. “Uh, nevermind, he said no.”

“You can talk to him even when he’s not here?” Adora looked at her in surprise.

“Yeah. Don’t ask me how it works, I have no idea.” Catra shrugged.

“Hmm.” Adora looked over at Secunda, who was standing awkwardly a few meters behind them. “I don’t suppose you know about anything here that could help? I mean, they didn’t bring all this treasure here on foot, did they?”

“Well, no…” Secunda briefly looked at the floor. “There’s a hangar bay where they stored all of their vehicles. I can show you, if you want.”

“Please.” Adora replied evenly.

Secunda led them through several corridors and up a long, winding staircase. Then several more corridors until they reached the hangar bay. It strongly resembled the hangars of the Fright Zone, except it had been carved from stone as opposed to being forged with steel. A gigantic rectangular hole had been carved into the mountain, allowing an impressive - if rather precarious - view of the wastes.

The hangar was large enough to store a dozen gunships with room to spare, but it was only host to a paltry trio of old and poorly maintained skiffs.

“This is underwhelming.” Catra dryly remarked as they walked up to the skiffs. “Guess I shouldn’t have expected anything more from a bunch of morons like them.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Adora replied. “It’s either this or walking.”

“These things look like they’re held together by rust and spit.” Catra crossed her arms. “We’ll probably end up crashing again, even without those stupid birds trying to ram us.”

“Oh right, the birds.” Adora had nearly forgotten about the reason they had crashed in the first place. Her brow briefly furrowed in thought before she turned to Secunda.

“How did they get around with these things?” She asked.

“The birds only attack things that reach above a certain height. If you hover just above the ground, you should be fine.” Secunda answered readily, almost sounding like a different person.

“I mean, that’s what I heard from the bandits…” Secunda squeaked, staring intently at the ground.

“Thank you, you’ve been a great help.” Adora smiled sincerely.

Catra looked over Secunda with narrow eyes, but said nothing.

“Well, we should probably stay here for the night.” Adora rubbed her hands together. “Tomorrow we can load this stuff up and head home.”

“You really think it’s going to be that easy?” Catra raised an eyebrow.

“No.” Adora admitted. “But what else can we do?”

“Point.” Catra flatly acknowledged.

“So, uh.” Adora turned back to Secunda. “I guess you’re free to go, but you probably don’t want to wander out into the wastes by yourself. So if you want to come with us…”

“I…” Secunda hesitated. “No, no, that’s fine. I’ll just… stay here.”

“You sure?” Adora gave her a confused look. “You’ll be lucky to last a few days here on your own.”

“I’ll be fine.” Secunda replied stiffly before walking away.

Adora looked at Catra uncertainly. She responded with a shrug.

Without Secunda as a guide, it took them much longer than it should have to find their way back to the barracks, where Scorpia continued to watch over Puff.

“Hey, guys!” Scorpia lit up as they entered. “Did you find anything cool?”

“Bunch of treasure and skiffs to carry it.” Adora replied. “Even some First Ones gunk, too, so we won’t have to go back to Hordak empty-handed.”

“Oh, that’s great!” Scorpia cheered. “I wasn’t looking forward to disappointing him again.”

“Yeah.” Adora agreed before her eyes turned to Puff. “She doing any better?”

Scorpia’s face fell.

“I don’t think so.” She answered sadly.

“Well, maybe Doctor Morvan can help her when we get back.” Adora said hopefully.

“Yeah.” Scorpia looked away.

“Putting all of that aside…” Catra interrupted them. “We’re gonna need someone to load all of the treasure. I call not it.”

“Not it.” Adora said almost immediately afterward.

Both of them turned to Scorpia.

“I’d love to.” She lied. “But, you know…”

Scorpia opened and closed her pincers.

“Unless you want claw marks on all the important shiny things, you’d better use those nice opposable thumbs of yours.” She remarked dryly.

“Uggggh.” Catra let out a loud, exaggerated groan before turning to Adora.

“I said ‘not it’ first, so you’re going to do it.” She declared.

“That’s not fair. How about we play Rock, Paper, Scissors and whoever loses has to do it?” Adora suggested.

“Fine.” Catra grumpily agreed.

So began the legendary contest which would decide the fate of the world, or at least their back muscles. The audience - really just Scorpia - watched in silent awe as the two combatants stared each other down.

“Rock, paper, scissors!” Adora yelled.

When the dust settled, Adora was holding out a flat palm. Catra, on the other hand, was holding out a closed fist.

“Damn it.” Catra said flatly. “Best out of three.”

“We never agreed on that.” Adora crossed her arms.

“Well, how about we each do half of the work?” Catra suggested, sounding increasingly desperate.

“We never agreed on that, either.” Adora smirked.

“Pwease?” Catra mewed, staring at Adora with wide, pleading eyes. Adora couldn’t deny how cute it was, but she knew Catra’s tricks all too well. She wasn’t about to fall for such an obvious attempt at pulling on her heartstrings.

“Come on, Catra.” Adora replied with an annoyed frown. “You lost, fair and square. Now you need to do what you promised.”

“Hmph.” Catra grumbled. “I will remember this.”

She stormed off without another word. The room was silent for a few seconds before Scorpia spoke up.

“Man, she really didn’t want to do that.” She rubbed her cheek with a pincer.

“She’s always been lazy.” Adora turned around to face her. “At least when it comes to anything that doesn’t involve killing people.”

“She does like killing people.” Scorpia nodded sagely.

“Loves killing people.” Adora corrected, sitting down on a spare cot.

“You know, sometimes I wonder what she’d be like if I wasn’t around.” She said, as much to the empty air as to Scorpia. “You know, to keep her from doing anything really awful.”

“But you are around.” Scorpia replied. “Why think about something that’s not true?”

“Just because it’s not true now doesn’t mean it won’t be true someday. What happens if…” Adora looked down at her knees. “Well, if I die. What would she do then?”

“Well…” Scorpia trailed off. They both knew enough about Catra that the conclusion was as obvious as it was terrible.

“I guess that’s another reason not to die.” Scorpia remarked evenly. “Aside from the obvious ones.”

“Mm.” Adora murmured, too lost in her own thoughts to give a coherent reply.

“Just a few more adjustments…” Entrapta murmured as she tinkered with Hordak’s armor.

Hordak grumbled irritably but allowed her to continue her work. A few more minutes passed before Entrapta put down her tools.

“There we go!” She clapped her hands together excitably. “Now, it may take some getting used to, but this new armor I’ve made will more than compensate for your body’s weakness.”

Slowly, Hordak stood up, testing her design. Much more than simple armor, it seemed to almost move on its own, allowing him to move around freely without exerting his frail organic body.

Never in his life had he felt like this. So strong. So powerful. He couldn’t help but grin.

“So…” Entrapta moved closer to him with an eager smile. “How do you feel?”

“Powerful.” Hordak answered simply, clenching his fists.

“Wonderful!” Entrapta spun around in place several times before returning her gaze to him. “Do keep in mind that this is a prototype. There will certainly be some kinks that will need to be ironed out, so don’t go too crazy with it, okay?”

“I do not ‘go crazy’.” Hordak replied with bemusement.

“Right…” Entrapta bit her lip. “Just give me a shout if the armor gives you any trouble, kay? I’m gonna go find something to eat.”

She started heading for the exit.

“Wait.” Hordak called out just before she reached the door. Entrapta stopped without turning around.

“I… appreciate your assistance. Your efforts have proven invaluable to our cause.” It almost seemed to cause Hordak physical pain to offer such a compliment.

“You really mean that?” Entrapta practically teleported up to him, standing on her hair tendrils so that she could look him in the eye.

“I do.” Hordak avoided Entrapta’s gaze, as it made him feel far too strangely for his liking.

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Entrapta said softly.

“I did not say it to be nice. I said it because it is true.” Hordak tried his best to sound dispassionate.

Entrapta smiled. Hordak couldn’t understand why, but somewhere deep within him there was the desire to smile back. It took all of his willpower to suppress it.

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.” Entrapta said sincerely. “And I’m not just saying that because I don’t have any other ones.”

“...Friend?” Hordak repeated.

He knew the word, of course, but to have it be applied to him was absurd. He wasn’t anyone’s friend. He was a general, a conqueror. Love was for the lesser races, not for a scion of Horde Prime.

Before either of them could say anything further, Entrapta’s stomach growled loudly.

“Oopsie.” Entrapta let out a small laugh. “Should really fill this thing up before it gets any angrier. I’ll see you around!”

The Princess dashed out of the lab at top speed, yet again leaving Hordak to contemplate everything she had said.

“Friend…” Hordak repeated quietly to himself.

With little else to do, Adora and Scorpia ended up retiring early. The beds were hardly the picture of comfort, and they smelled as bad as the bandits who previously slept in them, but living in the Fright Zone did a lot to get a person used to such unpleasantries.

The two were fast asleep by the time Catra returned, tired and grumpy from several hours of physical labor.

“There, I moved all the stupid junk. Happy now?” She asked irritably before she realized that everyone else in the room was unconscious.

“Hmph.” Catra grumbled as she approached the bed where Adora was blissfully snoozing away.

Catra wanted very much to be angry at Adora, but the longer she looked at her, the harder it was.

“Ugh, why do I love you…” Catra muttered under her breath.

The bed was clearly intended for one person, but Catra wasn’t about to let a trivial detail like that get in her way. She wrapped herself around Adora like a living, purring blanket, with their foreheads just barely touching.

Adora smiled in her sleep, and Catra couldn’t help but smile back as she readily joined her in oblivion.

The rest of the night passed in peace. Adora was the first to awaken, murmuring and slowly opening her eyes. She was slightly surprised, but certainly not displeased, to realize that she was being cuddled.

“Catra…” She mumbled affectionately.

“Mrrm…” Catra murmured, shifting around slightly in her sleep.

Adora enjoyed their embrace for some time, but reluctantly recognized that the mission took precedence. She slowly untangled herself from Catra’s hold and stood up.

“Ehh?” Catra blearily looked up at her, having been roused by the movement.

“We need to get ready.” Adora smiled at her. “We’ve got a long day ahead.”

“Just… a few more…” Catra rolled over on her side.

Adora snorted in amusement before walking to the other side of the bed.

“C’mon, Catra. It’s not like you ever let me sleep in.” Adora looked down at her, crossing her arms.

“I know…” Catra let out a resigned sigh and extended a hand in her direction. “Just help me up.”

Adora grabbed Catra’s hand and helped her to her feet. Catra took advantage of the situation to give Adora a brief peck on the lips before walking over to where Scorpia was sleeping.

“Scorpia! Naptime’s over!” She yelled in her face.

Scorpia’s eyes instantly darted open and she leapt to her feet. Only Catra’s quick reflexes prevented her from getting bowled over by the giant woman.

“Huh? What? Are we under attack?” Scorpia asked, her pincers in a defensive stance and her eyes darting around like pinballs.

“Catra…” Adora said disapprovingly, but Catra was too busy laughing to notice.

Scorpia slowly lowered her pincers as it became clear there was no immediate threat. She frowned at Catra but said nothing.

“Anyway…” Adora walked up to them. “We should be ready to head out in an hour or so. It’ll take pretty much the whole day to make it back to the Fright Zone, and that’s if we don’t run into any more problems.”

“So what you’re saying is that it will definitely take more than a day.” Catra wryly remarked.

“With our track record, that’s almost a certainty.” Adora admitted with resignation.

“I can’t wait.” Catra flatly replied.

After what ended up being closer to two hours, they finally departed the fortress, lowering their skiffs as close to the ground as possible to avoid the attention of the menacing avians.

They flew in a relatively haphazard row, with Catra in front and Scorpia - along with their moribund pilot - in the back. Each skiff was further burdened by a large crate containing loot from the fortress.

“Hey, what about your monster friend?” Adora yelled so that Catra could hear her. “Is he gonna have a problem following us?”

“Nah, he said he can sense where I am!” Catra shouted back.

“Creepy!” Adora winced at the thought.

“Tell me about it!” Catra yelled in reply.

As it turned out, the fortress was situated near the edge of the Crimson Wastes. It took less than an hour for them to make it over the unofficial border and back into the considerably less deadly forests of southern Bright Moon.

Catra knew they weren’t out of the woods yet, literally or figuratively, and kept her eyes peeled for hostiles. The wildlife was unlikely to take a shot at them and they were far from anything resembling civilization, but only morons believed themselves to ever be truly safe.

The thick forests of the area left only a handful of paths available for them. Flying higher would have been preferable, but nobody wanted to test that out, even without the bomber birds around to harass them.

Several more hours passed in tedium. Catra found herself almost wishing to be attacked, just to alleviate her boredom.

The universe saw fit to grant her wish, as a large tree toppled over, cutting off the path in front of them. Catra stopped her skiff just in time to avoid slamming headlong into it. Adora and Scorpia quickly came to a stop as well.

Barely a second later, a pink blast of magic rocketed out from the trees to their east, aimed directly at Catra’s head. She managed to duck just in time, the blast singing the grass behind her.

Snarling, Catra leaped backwards off the skiff, firing her pistol at the trees where the attack had come from. Adora and Scorpia quickly abandoned their vehicles, looking around for their unseen enemy.

“Come out and face us, cowards!” Catra roared.

As if responding to her demand, an all-too familiar Princess appeared in the air above Catra and landed on top of her, knocking both of them to the ground. Catra growled and thrust at Glimmer’s abdomen with her dagger, but she teleported away less than a second before metal met flesh.

As Catra quickly leapt back to her feet, a powerful gust of wind came from the south, targeting Adora and Scorpia. Scorpia covered her face with her pincers, managing to partially resist the blast and shielding Adora from the worst of it. Bow, Spinnerella and Netossa now stood to their south, cutting off any hope of escape.

Adora unholstered her pistol and began firing in their direction, using Scorpia’s skiff for cover. Scorpia charged forward into melee range, attempting to use her poisonous stinger to incapacitate their foes.

While their companions fought each other, Glimmer teleported behind Catra and fired a blast of magic into her back. Catra howled in pain and stumbled forward, barely managing to remain standing.

“Payback, bitch.” Glimmer smirked, briefly letting her guard down.

Catra panted heavily, staring at the ground for what seemed like hours but was in truth no more than several seconds. Her peripheral vision blackened, and any semblance of rationality was gone.

There was only one thing on her mind.

Blood.

Catra whirled around, pouncing on Glimmer with extraordinary speed even by her standards. Glimmer was stunned by the suddenness and ferocity of the charge and failed to react quickly enough.

As soon as Glimmer hit the ground, Catra dragged her claws diagonally across Glimmer’s face. She let out an agonized scream as Catra tore through her skin like paper, leaving five deep, bloody lines in their place.

Glimmer looked up at Catra. Her eyes were wild and bloodshot, her mouth twisted into a psychotic grin. For a few brief seconds, Glimmer was paralyzed by terror.

Glimmer regained her senses mere moments before it would have been too late, vanishing into thin air just as Catra was about to sink her teeth in. Catra leapt to her feet, snarling in primal fury as she looked around, waiting for her meal to show itself.

When Glimmer appeared again, she stood atop the fallen tree. Catra began running on all fours towards her, while Glimmer fired several blasts of magic at her. Even in her primal state of mind, Catra effortlessly dodged the attacks without slowing down. With a guttural roar she leapt up at Glimmer, her claws fully extended.

Catra’s claws were only centimeters away from Glimmer when she vanished yet again. She swiped at empty air before landing on the path ahead, temporarily disoriented. When she regained her bearings, she leapt back over the tree.

When she did, she found the Gang of Four standing by the rear of the convoy, with Adora and Scorpia bound in energy nets behind them. The three Princesses readied their magic while Bow aimed his bow at her.

“It’s over.” Glimmer declared, raising her voice so that Catra would hear her clearly. “Surrender, beast.”

Nobody was surprised when Catra responded by roaring and charging directly towards Glimmer. Netossa calmly flung an energy net towards Catra, who ran straight into it and was sent tumbling to the ground. The net enveloped her, refusing to budge even as she snarled and writhed like a wild animal.

“The hell’s wrong with her?” Netossa asked flatly.

“I don’t know, maybe- agh!” Glimmer winced. With her adrenaline fading, the pain from her open wounds became far sharper.

“We need to get back to Bright Moon as soon as possible.” Bow said, concern obvious in his voice. You could get an infection if your mom doesn’t heal those cuts.”

“I’ll be fine.” Glimmer insisted, gritting her teeth. “The relics take priority.”

“If you say so.” Bow reluctantly agreed before walking over to the crates.

“You bastards…” Adora looked up at her captors with pure hatred in her eyes. “We did all the work, and now you’re just going to take it?”

“Isn’t that the way of the Horde?” Glimmer asked without even looking back.

Adora looked at the ground. She couldn’t deny the truth of that.

“So…” Adora began, attempting to stall for time. “What happens now? Are you going to kill us?”

Glimmer snorted derisively before walking over to where Adora lay bound in the dirt.

“You really don’t know anything about us, do you?” She asked, kneeling down so that she could look Adora in the eye.

“I hate you. I hate you more than anyone.” Glimmer stated calmly. “I would have no problem with killing you, and honestly? I want to.”

“What’s stopping you?” Adora spat.

“The Rebellion does not murder the helpless.” Glimmer replied before standing up. “No matter how much they might deserve it.”

“How noble of you.” Adora said without a trace of sincerity.

Glimmer didn’t bother to respond, walking over to Bow.

“So, what have we got?” She looked at him curiously.

“Aside from a strangely large amount of gold and gemstones, there’s a fair amount of old gadgets here.” Bow answered. “No idea what any of it does, but it’s probably best if we keep it.”

Glimmer nodded.

“Alright, let’s get moving.” She ordered.

They did not get the chance to follow her order. Despite his great size, Vengeance crept upon them while barely making a sound. When he closed to forty meters, he charged at Netossa, refraining from roaring so as to not give his position away.

Netossa, Glimmer, and Bow all had their backs to the south. Only Spinnerella saw the charging monster in time. Acting on instinct, she sent a blast of air at her wife, sending her tumbling to the ground and out of harm’s way.

Glimmer and Bow whirled around, their eyes widening in horror as they looked upon the great beast, which was now almost close enough for them to touch.

With a hideous snarl, Vengeance swiftly lunged at Bow. Glimmer immediately grabbed onto him and teleported out of sight. As Spinnerella helped Netossa to her feet, Vengeance twisted around and charged at them.

Out of pure desperation, Spinnerella raised her hands, calling on everything she had. An enormous gust of wind burst forth, slamming into the mighty beast with the strength of a small hurricane.

Vengeance was temporarily brought to a halt by the sheer force of her magic. He closed his eyes to shield them from harm and dug his claws into the ground, allowing him to withstand the magical tempest.

Spinnerella maintained the assault for nearly twenty seconds before she exhausted every last ounce of power in her body. The wind abruptly ceased and she collapsed unconscious into Netossa’s arms.

“Spinny!” Netossa cried out.

While supporting her unconscious wife with one arm, Netossa used her free hand to form an energy barrier between them and Vengeance. The barrier had barely been up for a second before the beast began slamming into it, snarling with bloodlust.

It took all of Netossa’s concentration to maintain the barrier against his onslaught. She grit her teeth, her eyes narrowed in determination.

“You’re… not… getting her…” She growled as Vengeance pounded on her glowing wall.

Fortunately, salvation quickly came in the form of Glimmer, who appeared inside of the barrier and grabbed onto Netossa, teleporting away immediately afterward. The energy field disappeared, and the nets imprisoning Adora, Catra, and Scorpia quickly followed suit.

“Woo hoo!” Adora leapt to her feet, punching the air in celebration. “The Horde rules, the Rebellion drools!”

She walked over to Catra with a smile, who was still lying prone on the ground.

“Your new friend really pulled through for us, huh?” She chuckled.

Adora’s mind could barely register what happened next. One moment, she was standing over Catra. The next, she was lying flat on her back, with Catra pinning her to the ground.

“Gah! What are you-” Adora stopped as she looked into Catra’s eyes.

She may have looked like Catra, but all she was in that moment was a savage predator, eager to tear Adora’s throat out like she was nothing more than wild game.

“C-Catra?” Adora breathed, her heart gripped with fear. “Catra, snap out of it! Please!”

Catra didn’t seem to hear her, or if she did, she didn’t care. She moved closer to Adora’s throat, grinning all the while.

“No matter what happens…” Adora said softly, her eyes moist with tears as she resigned herself to the inevitable. “I will always love you.”

Catra’s eyes bulged in shock, and she stared blankly at Adora for several seconds. Her eyes slowly closed and her body went limp, lying unconscious on top of Adora.

Adora was briefly confused until she looked up and saw Scorpia standing over them, her freshly used tail still standing ready.

“What’s wrong with her?” Scorpia asked somberly.

“I…” Adora faltered, looking at Catra’s slumbering form. Fear and confusion boiled within her.

“I don’t know.”

Chapter Text

The Rebellion made no further attempts to waylay the impromptu convoy, leaving Adora plenty of time to contemplate what had happened while they passed through kilometers of empty forest.

Catra lay flat on the floor of Adora’s skiff, completely unconscious. Without her to pilot the third skiff, Adora and Scorpia had been forced to abandon it and its cargo after making sure nothing that looked technological was left behind.

Whatever had happened with Catra, Adora was certain it wasn’t her fault. She knew Catra as well as she knew herself, if not more so. She knew that Catra would sooner die than harm her, and was as confident of that fact as ever.

But that didn’t make her feel any better. The fact still remained that Catra had come within a hair’s breadth of killing her. Something had happened to her, had made her lose control, and Adora had no idea what it could be.

Perhaps it was some kind of dark magic? Shadow Weaver’s doing? Given everything Adora had seen her do, it couldn’t be ruled out. Maybe an illness of some kind? Or perhaps something to do with Catra’s new friend?

Adora shook her head, trying to dispel her thoughts. That kind of speculation was pointless without more information. Right now, she needed to focus on returning to the Fright Zone and fulfilling their mission.

It was almost midnight by the time the Fright Zone finally came into view. Adora and Scorpia had only just docked their skiffs in the hangar bay when an alarm began to ring.

“Huh?” Adora looked around in confusion. “Are we under attack?”

“I don’t see anything.” Scorpia replied.

It was then that six Horde soldiers burst into the hangar, with Captain Canaris at their head. Canaris aimed his pistol at the new arrivals, and his soldiers followed suit with their rifles.

“Surrender yourselves at once!” He shouted before recognizing Adora. “Ah! Force Captain!”

“Hey.” Adora gave him a halfhearted wave, in no mood for pleasantries.

“My sincerest apologies.” Canaris holstered his weapon, followed by the rest of his men. “The vehicles you brought are registered as stolen.”

“Yeah.” Adora tersely acknowledged. “Since you’re here, you can help us out.”

“My men and I are at your disposal.” Canaris bowed slightly. “What can we do for you?”

“Bring these up to Hordak’s lab.” Adora gestured at the crates. “And bring Catra and Puff to the medical bay. Have Catra restrained, just in case.”

“At once.” Canaris glanced at his soldiers, who quickly began carrying out her orders. “Is there anything else you wish of us?”

“No.” Adora replied curtly, walking past him towards the door. Scorpia followed her, but not before mouthing a ‘sorry’ to Canaris.

At this point, the only thing on Adora’s mind was sleep. She headed for the barracks as quickly as possible and collapsed on her cot. She dimly heard Scorpia say something before she crashed into unconsciousness.

The next morning, when Adora awoke from her dreamless sleep, she immediately headed for the medical bay.

Doctor Morvan sat behind his desk, not at all surprised to see her walking up to him.

“Ah. Here to see your friends, no doubt?” He asked brusquely.

“Yeah.” Adora nodded. “How are they doing?”

“Well.” Morvan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Your ovine friend is suffering from the effects of a severe concussion. It may take her several months to fully recover. If she ever does.”

Adora winced. She suspected it was bad, but now she knew for sure.

“And Catra?” Her voice hitched slightly.

“She’s fine, as far as I can tell.” Morvan stared at Adora inquisitively. “She just had some kind of sedative in her system. To be honest, I’m rather confused why you ordered her to be restrained.”

“It’s…” Adora looked at the floor, not certain if she wanted to trust the doctor with this information.

Morvan seemed to realize what she was thinking.

“I can’t help her if I don’t know what’s wrong.” He stated evenly.

“Yeah…” Adora let out a long sigh before looking up at him again. “We were ambushed by the Rebellion yesterday. None of us were injured, really, but… Catra, it’s like she lost her mind. She became a wild animal, nearly killed me. If Scorpia hadn’t stung her…”

Morvan leaned back in his chair, brow furrowed in thought.

“Very peculiar. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of anything like that.” Morvan remarked. “Of course, I also have had very few opportunities to study her kind.”

“What do you mean?” Adora asked. She had never given it much thought before, but Catra was the only being of her kind she had ever met.

“Ah, forget it.” Morvan sighed. “The point is, I have no idea what the problem could be.”

“Well, that’s just great.” Adora crossed her arms. “Can I at least see her?”

“Be my guest.” Morvan flippantly waved her off. “Take a left down the hall. She’s in Isolation Room Two.”

“Thanks.” Adora said, sounding more rude than she had intended, before following his directions.

She ended up in a hallway filled with a dozen separate isolation rooms, briefly making her wonder why the Fright Zone needed so many of them to begin with.

Adora quickly shook the thought away and approached the door marked ‘Two’. She took a deep breath before opening the door and walking inside.

The isolation room was small and cramped, with no furnishings or decorations of any kind save for a single bed which was currently occupied by Catra. Metal restraints snaked out from the walls, coiling around each of her limbs.

Catra was completely motionless except for the faint motion of her breathing. Slowly, Adora walked up to the bed, anxiety causing her heart to skip a beat.

“Catra…” Adora murmured.

Catra’s eyes shot open, causing Adora to recoil in surprise.

“Ah!” Adora gasped before hastily putting on a smile. “You’re awake! So, uh, how are you feeling?”

Catra didn’t look at her, instead choosing to stare at the ceiling.

“I’ve never felt worse.” Catra replied tonelessly.

“Do…” Adora hesitated. “Do you remember what happened?”

Catra looked up at her, tears already beginning to form in her eyes.

“Every second of it.” She said softly.

Adora opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

“Adora…” Catra’s voice cracked with remorse. “I’m so sorry.”

“I… I don’t know what happened.” She continued after a few seconds. “I could see everything, but it was like someone else was controlling me.”

Adora walked towards the door without saying anything.

“If… if you never want to see me again, I understand. I wouldn’t forgive me either.” Catra’s voice was raspy with anguish.

Adora pressed a button near the door. The restraints relinquished their hold on Catra, retreating back into the walls. Catra quickly sat up, staring at Adora in bewilderment as she returned to her bedside.

“Adora? I don’t…” Catra trailed off when Adora gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Catra.” Adora said warmly. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“But… but… I almost killed you…” Catra stammered in disbelief. “You’re not angry? Not even afraid?”

“Of course I’m afraid.” Adora quietly replied, looking Catra in the eyes. “I’m afraid for you. Something is trying to control you, making you hurt the people you care about. And I’m not going to rest until I find out what.”

“I don’t deserve you…” Catra smiled tearfully.

“Don’t be silly.” Adora smiled back. “Of course you do.”

They gazed at each other silently for some time.

“So, what happens now?” Catra eventually asked, wiping her tears away.

“Now?” Adora bit her lip. “We try and find out what happened.”

“I think it’s pretty obvious.” Catra remarked as she stood up. “There’s exactly one person we know who could mess with my head like that.”

“...Shadow Weaver.” Adora clenched her fists subconsciously.

“I think we need to pay her a visit, don’t you?” Catra’s voice had a murderous edge.

Shadow Weaver had her back to the door when Adora and Catra entered her private chamber.

“To what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked dryly without turning around.

“Don’t play dumb with us.” Catra growled, pointing an accusing finger at her. “Your shadow puppets watch everything we do. I know you know why we’re here.”

“Impertinent as always.” Shadow Weaver remarked calmly. “You think I’m responsible for your predicament.”

“Of course I do!” Catra angrily exclaimed. “Who else could it be? You messed with my head, just like you always have!”

Shadow Weaver slowly turned around to face Catra.

“Catra, I have never considered you to possess an abundance of intellect, but this is foolish even by your standards.” Shadow Weaver said in a vaguely mocking tone.

“What, you expect me to believe that you love us or something?” Catra crossed her arms and glowered at her.

“Haha.” Shadow Weaver chuckled darkly in amusement. “No, I expect you to believe that I am not so reckless or wasteful as to endanger your life, and more importantly Adora’s life, for no reason.”

“You did a lot more than endanger Mary’s life.” Adora scowled at her.

“Pawns exist to be used and discarded. You are not a pawn. Nor are you, Catra, as foolish as you may be.” Shadow Weaver said matter-of-factly.

“Thanks. Really warms my heart.” Catra sarcastically replied.

“Let’s pretend to believe you for a second.” Adora stared at Shadow Weaver skeptically. “If you’re not responsible for what’s happening to Catra, then who is?”

“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t know?” Shadow Weaver asked, almost managing to sound genuine.

“No.” Adora and Catra answered simultaneously.

“Very good.” Shadow Weaver sounded pleased. “Indeed, I know what ails you.”

“Let me guess, you’re not gonna tell us.” Catra remarked dryly.

“The knowledge alone would do you no good. If you want to conquer your malady, you must first conquer your past.” Shadow Weaver clenched a fist for emphasis.

“My past?” Catra recoiled, her eyes widening in surprise. “What past?”

“Did you think you were born in the Fright Zone, child?” Shadow Weaver mockingly asked. “Did you ever wonder why you have never seen any others of your kind?”

“I…” Catra trailed off and stared at the ground, causing Adora to look at her with sympathetic concern. “I… I don’t know…”

“The answers are out there, if you choose to seek them. If you do, however, you must do so alone.” Shadow Weaver ominously declared.

“Alone?” Adora snorted. “Well, there’s no way that’s happening. I’m not letting Catra out of my sight until we get this sorted out.”

Catra raised her head, meeting Shadow Weaver with a determined gaze.

“If that’s what I have to do, I will.” She declared.

“Catra?” Adora stared at her in shock.

“It’s okay, Adora.” Catra gave her a weak smile. “I won’t let her manipulate me. But I need to get the bottom of this. Before… it happens again.”

“I…” Adora briefly closed her eyes. “Be careful, okay? Don’t…”

“I won’t.” Catra said softly. She gave Adora a gentle kiss on the lips, while Shadow Weaver watched them with an unreadable expression.

With great reluctance, Adora left the chamber, the door sealing shut behind her.

“So.” Catra plucked the badge off of her chest. “What now?”

Glimmer’s face felt like it was being dipped in molten copper. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to move or scream.

As much as she wanted to blame that accursed cat for the agony she was now forced to endure, Glimmer knew that the fault lay with her. In her overconfidence she had left herself open, and the bitch had simply taken advantage of that.

She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Next time, things would be different.

Next time, they would win.

The pain finally began to recede as Angella finished healing her. Glimmer slowly opened her eyes, letting out a shuddering breath.

“That hurt…” She muttered, looking up at her mother.

“I know.” Angella replied softly.

Glimmer sat up on her bed and teleported down to the mirror. She expected her face to be unblemished, but to her horror, her face was marked by five long scars where the lacerations had been.

“Oh…” She saw herself grimace.

“Magic can only do so much, I’m afraid.” Angella appeared by her side.

“Yeah.” Glimmer let out a long sigh. “Maybe it’s for the best. Now I’ll always have a reminder of what happens when I get too cocky.”

“That’s a good way to look at it.” Angella smiled faintly.

The rest of the Gang was already present in the war room when Angella and Glimmer appeared.

“Hey, you’re finally-” Bow stopped when he saw Glimmer’s face. “Glimmer? You…”

“I’m fine.” Glimmer said tersely. “Let’s get on with it.”

The rest of the Gang exchanged looks before Bow awkwardly cleared his throat.

“We may have been unable to defeat the Horde-” He began.

“Again.” Netossa interjected.

“...Again.” Bow continued, flashing her an annoyed look. “But we can’t let that keep us down.”

“Nice pep talk.” Netossa crossed her arms. “I’m sure that will really help when we tangle with that giant lizard thing.”

“Don’t be rude, darling.” Spinnerella chided her.

“Ugh.” Netossa groaned before looking at Bow. “Sorry. Just getting sick of almost dying and having nothing to show for it.”

“I don’t blame you.” Bow nodded sympathetically. “It feels like the Horde is always two steps ahead of us. And even when we do get the drop on them, they have an ace hidden up their sleeve.”

“Speaking of… does anyone know what the hell that thing was?” Glimmer looked around at the table. The rest of the Gang shook their heads.

“It was a big scaly monster with wings. Fast as hell and it somehow got the drop on us despite being the size of a small house.” Netossa shrugged. “Other than that, no clue.”

Only Glimmer seemed to notice Angella’s eyes widen at the description.

“Impossible.” She muttered under her breath.

“Mom?” Glimmer asked.

“Looks like someone knows.” Netossa observed.

“I…” Angella hesitated. “It may be a dragon.”

“A dragon?” Bow repeated. “They’re depicted on some First Ones relics, but I thought they were just a myth.”

“Myths are often born from the truth.” Angella somberly stared at the map. “Etheria was once home to thousands of dragons, but they died out long ago. Or, so I believed.”

“So why would one of them turn up now? And fighting for the Horde of all things?” Glimmer asked.

“I…” Angella winced. “I wish I could tell you.”

Glimmer looked at her mother oddly. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Angella knew more than she was letting on, but saw no point in pressuring her about it.

“So the Horde’s got a runestone, Entrapta, a bunch of First Ones tech, and now a fucking dragon.” Netossa dryly remarked. “Things are really looking up.”

“Hmm.” Bow rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “What if we brought Entrapta back?”

“Say again?” Netossa looked at Bow like he had just grown a second head.

“I know she’s a little flaky…” Bow trailed off when everyone except Angella stared at him.

“Okay, a lot flaky.” Bow admitted. “But she’s also the greatest genius on all of Etheria. We need her help, or at the very least, we need her to stop helping the Horde.”

“That’s a nice idea.” Glimmer replied. “But they’re almost certainly keeping her in the Fright Zone. How are we supposed to infiltrate it, find her, and get out?”

“Easy, the Queen can just teleport us. Can’t you?” Netossa looked at Angella expectantly.

“The Fright Zone is covered by a magical interdiction field.” Angella explained. “Any unauthorized magic is rendered completely useless, even mine. I could teleport you relatively close, but then you would have to walk through several kilometers of Horde fortifications.”

“...Oookay.” Netossa winced. “Forget I asked.”

“I wasn’t going to suggest we try and head there directly.” Bow pulled out his tablet. “The tracking device is still operational. Sooner or later, they’re bound to go searching for more First Ones tech. When they do, we can ambush them and steal their vehicles.”

Everyone stared at him silently for several seconds.

“You do realize that’s what we just tried to do, right?” Netossa replied incredulously.

“We almost won that, uh, one.” Bow retorted. “If it hadn’t been for that dragon coming out of nowhere, that tech would be in our hands now.”

“What happens if they bring it along for the ride next time? How are we supposed to fight something like that?” Netossa asked sharply.

“We’ll… have to cross that bridge when we come to it.” Bow rubbed his shoulder.

“Ugh.” Netossa groaned. “We can try your plan, but at the first sign of that scaly fuck, we run like hell. That okay with you?”

“Fair enough.” Bow shrugged.

Catra piloted the skiff through the desolation that surrounded the core of the Fright Zone. It was beyond stupid, she knew, to trust anything Shadow Weaver said. But at the same time, she had no other leads to go on, nothing else that could explain what had happened to her.

As much as she wanted to deny it, there was also a part of her that wanted to know who she was and where she had come from, even if the answers would not be pleasant.

After several hours, Catra arrived at her destination.

Sandwiched between a creek and a cliff was a small village, or rather what was left of it. All of the homes had collapsed in on themselves, with rubble scattered in every direction. The ground was littered with char marks, dried blood, and the skeletal remains of its former inhabitants.

Catra brought the skiff to a stop just outside the village before entering on foot. She couldn’t help but be confused. Was this where she was born? Or just another random village the Horde had sacked? She doubted the skeletons would give her any answers.

“Hello?” She called out, not expecting any reply. Indeed, none came.

Catra walked further into the ruined village, into an open square that was likely once a park or market. Several dozen skeletons were strewn carelessly around, including many that were far smaller than the others.

Catra grimaced, swallowing to suppress the acid rising in her throat. She quickly moved past the square towards the rear of the settlement.

Past more ruined homes was a much larger dwelling at the base of the cliff, presumably the former residence of the village leader. It was more intact than the rest of the buildings, but still looked like it could collapse at any second.

They’re coming! Get the children to safety, now!

A male voice, authoritative yet strangely warm, emanated from behind her.

“Who said that?” Catra whirled around, aiming her pistol at the source of the sound. Only empty air greeted her.

“I know you’re there! Come out and face me!” She roared.

What about you? I can’t leave you behind!

A desperate female voice replied, but not to her. Catra spun around, again aiming at the source, only to yet again find herself aiming at nothing.

I will hold them off as long as I can. Now go!

As Catra watched in open-mouthed shock, the hazy, ethereal form of a woman appeared before her. She looked almost exactly like Catra, only much older.

The ghostly woman stared at Catra for several long seconds before running right through her and towards the wall of the cliff.

“What? Hey, wait!” Catra cried out, chasing after her.

The ghost stopped at the base of the cliff, near a small indentation in the otherwise smooth rock. She pressed the indentation with a hand before vanishing as abruptly as she appeared.

Catra slowly approached the spot where the ghost had been standing. She briefly hesitated before pressing the indentation.

The cliff itself seemed to ferociously groan, causing Catra to instinctively squeak in fear and jump back. Next to the indentation, a chunk of the cliff wall - barely taller than Catra herself - lowered into the ground, revealing a narrow tunnel.

Her pistol at the ready, Catra cautiously entered the tunnel. It went several meters into the cliff before opening into a large chamber.

The chamber was surprisingly spacious, being wide and tall enough for an entire gunship to sit comfortably inside. Several crystal sconces on the walls provided decent light, while the sides of the room were stacked almost to the ceiling with crates.

At the rear of the room was a single skeleton, sitting slumped against the wall. Dried blood covered the floor all around her, far more than anyone could lose and survive. Catra could only assume it was the strange woman she had followed.

“What the hell is this?” Catra asked as she holstered her pistol, knowing full well that Shadow Weaver was watching her every move. “How does any of this help me?”

She received no reply.

“Ugh, fuck!” She growled, clenching her fists and glowering up at the ceiling. “You’re just screwing with me again, aren’t you! All this talk about my past, but all you’ve done is sent me gravedigging!”

Please… I’m begging you…

The same female voice from earlier spoke again, but it was weak, desperate. The feeble cries of a newborn echoed alongside her words.

Save her…

Catra looked down at the corpse once more, her eyes widening in understanding.

“...Mom…” She murmured, her chest tightening uncomfortably. She stared at the ground and closed her eyes.

“Why did you show me this?” She quietly asked.

“What is a person without their past?” Shadow Weaver’s voice ominously echoed throughout the chamber. “A wanderer, lost and confused, their life devoid of all meaning and purpose.”

“Bullshit.” Catra didn’t raise her voice or even open her eyes.

“Is it?” Shadow Weaver replied. “Tell me, then. What is your meaning? Your purpose?”

“Who cares.” Catra said flatly.

“You do.” Shadow Weaver calmly stated. “You can lie to Adora, you can lie to everyone else, but you can’t lie to me. I know who you are, I know what you want. From before you could walk, you have wanted one thing above all.”

“Shut up…” Catra gritted her teeth.

“You have wanted to be necessary. To be important. To be great.” Shadow Weaver paused for a moment. “And you are not.”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” Catra screamed hoarsely, her eyes snapping open.

A long silence followed, briefly making Catra hopeful that Shadow Weaver had actually listened to her. Soon enough, though, her sickly voice returned.

“But you can be.” She continued as if Catra had never interrupted her. “A great leader acts without haste, hesitation, or guilt. They leave no questions unanswered, no weaknesses unaddressed, and no enemy unvanquished.”

“And what is this supposed to do for me, huh?” Catra gestured towards her mother’s remains. “Am I supposed to feel sad about this? No, no, that’s not like you. You want me to feel nothing at all, I bet. Compassion is a weakness, and all that?”

“An unavoidable weakness, for most.” Shadow Weaver sounded almost melancholy. “It is your choice what you feel right now. Grief or apathy, only you can decide.”

She paused briefly.

“So, what do you feel?” Shadow Weaver asked.

“I…” Catra looked at her mother again, flinching at the sight. “Bad, I guess. I don’t know, I’ve never felt like this before.”

“Loss.” Shadow Weaver explained. “That is what you’re feeling.”

“I don’t like it…” Catra grimaced and rubbed her shoulder.

“Nobody does.” Shadow Weaver somberly remarked. “We all want to keep everything, and everyone, we hold dear. But that’s not how the world works. No matter how tightly you grip, it will all slip away in the end. Even Adora.”

“I’ll never let that happen.” Catra hissed. “I’ll burn the whole planet down first.”

“Your devotion is admirable.” Shadow Weaver commended her. “But even you can’t protect her at all times, and from everything. Her end is inevitable, as it is for us all.”

“You can’t know that.” Catra retorted. “Queen Angella is immortal, isn’t she?”

“Queen Angella has more magical power than every other being on Etheria combined, myself included. She is closer to a god than a creature of flesh and bone.” Shadow Weaver pointed out.

“If she became a god, then so can we.” The thought was completely ludicrous, yet Catra said it without a trace of irony.

To her surprise, Shadow Weaver laughed. Not the typical ominous chuckle she occasionally indulged in, but a genuine, hearty laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Catra scowled, crossing her arms defensively.

“You’re finally beginning to understand.” Catra was sure she was hearing things, because she swore Shadow Weaver sounded proud of her.

“Ugh, whatever. Look, I’ve ‘conquered my past’, haven’t I? Can we skip to the part where you cure me?” Catra asked irritably.

“I never said that I could cure you. Only by confronting your past can you understand.” Shadow Weaver cryptically answered.

“Is this not confrontational enough for you?” Catra shouted. “What else do you want from me?

“You have confronted the dead.” Shadow Weaver replied. “Now you must confront the living.”

Catra blinked.

“...The fuck?” The laconic question was laced with equal amounts of anger and bafflement.

Shadow Weaver did not respond, her presence seeming to recede for the moment. Catra was about to shout at her some more, demanding answers. It was then that she heard the sound of approaching footsteps, quiet but still audible to Catra’s feline ears.

Catra whirled around, aiming her pistol at the entrance. For just a second she thought she was staring into a mirror, as she stared into a pair of eyes that looked just like hers.

There was no mirror. She was Catra’s kin, there was no denying it. They looked almost identical, except the woman had short hair and looked considerably older. Her clothes were also far shabbier, appearing to have been worn for decades without maintenance.

“What…” The woman breathed, her eyes wide with shock.

“Who are you?” Catra demanded. She hid it better, but she was just as surprised as her doppelganger.

“Im… possible…” The woman mumbled in disbelief. “I’m seeing things…”

“You’re not seeing anything that isn’t here. Now answer the damn question!” Catra growled, keeping the pistol aimed squarely at her head.

“I’m…” The woman took a deep breath. “My name is Koshka. We… we thought we were the only ones left.”

“There are more of you?” Catra asked in surprise, lowering her weapon slightly.

“Four, including me.” Koshka replied somberly, looking at the floor. “That’s it.”

“Confronting the living, huh…” Catra muttered to herself as she holstered her weapon.

“I’ve never met another person, uh, like me before.” Catra’s voice had a noticeable uncertainty to it. “I’d… like to talk more, if that’s okay.”

“It is.” Koshka nodded. “But there’s something I need to do first.”

“Alright…?” Catra cocked her head quizzically.

Koshka slowly walked up to her, the tiniest of smiles on her face. Without saying another word, she wrapped her arms around Catra’s chest, nuzzling their faces together. Catra’s eyes widened, but to her own surprise, she did nothing to resist.

“I’m so happy you’re alive, little sister…” Koshka purred, tears sparkling in her eyes.

“...Sister?” Catra quietly repeated.

“It must have been fate that brought you back to us...” Koshka said softly.

“Yeah.” Catra glanced up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. “Fate.”

After Koshka was finished, Catra followed her out of the hidden chamber.

“The Horde did all this, I assume?” Catra asked as they passed the corpse-strewn square.

“Yes.” Koshka stared forward, as if afraid to even look at the bodies. “I remember it like it was yesterday. The Horde sent messengers, demanding our submission. Arslan, our father, sent them away.”

“The Horde doesn’t take no for an answer.” Catra remarked.

“No, they don’t. They arrived the next day. Men, women, children… it didn’t matter. They killed them all.” Koshka choked up.

“How did you survive?” Catra asked.

“We were out hunting.” Koshka sadly explained. “When we returned, all we could see was fire, death… and… this terrible, dark creature watching over it all.”

Catra subconsciously clenched her fists. Of course Shadow Weaver had been responsible for this. How else would she have known everything she did?

“I’m sorry.” Koshka stopped and looked at Catra, wiping tears from her eyes. “This is a happy occasion. I shouldn’t be bringing it down with… memories.”

“It’s fine.” Catra tried to sound reassuring, despite how unnatural the situation felt to her.

“I’ll take you to meet the others.” Koshka smiled weakly. “I’m sure they’ll be as thrilled as I am to meet you.”

“Uh, sure, okay.” Catra didn’t know what else to say, so she simply followed along.

Koshka led Catra out of the village and over the nearby creek. They travelled through what was once a forest, but now was home to nothing but blackened chunks of wood and heaps of ash. Eventually, Koshka stopped in front of a small hole in the ground, only barely larger than a manhole cover.

“Here we are.” Koshka said before calmly walking into the hole.

“Huh?” Catra peered down into the hole to see Koshka smiling up at her from barely more than a meter below.

“Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe.” Koshka reassured her before getting out of the way.

Catra rolled her eyes before following her into the hole. She landed effortlessly on the dirt below and immediately appraised her surroundings.

Unlike the strange chamber in the village, this cave looked completely natural, with no hints of advanced technology in sight. The ceiling was low, forcing Catra and Koshka to hunch over, and the entire cave was roughly the size of the barracks back at the Fright Zone.

Three other members of her species sat in the back of the cave, sitting around a firepit that was filled with wood, but not currently burning.

“Hey, guys!” Koshka said cheerfully as she walked over to them. “You’ll never guess what I found!”

“Food?” One of the people by the firepit asked without turning around. He was a lanky looking man who lacked any fur, making him look like a wrinkly old geezer. He had a nasally, childish voice that instantly got on Catra’s nerves.

“Look behind you, dumbass.” The gray-furred woman on the opposite side of him looked directly at Catra. Her deep, confident voice was belied by her petite frame and wide, innocent green eyes.

The nasally man turned his head, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw Catra.

“Oh! My!” He exclaimed in an strangely stilted manner, quickly standing up and backing away.

The last person was a tall and skinny man with mostly white fur, broken up by several patches of orange and black. He looked at Catra and nodded silently. Catra had no idea what he meant by that gesture, and felt mildly unsettled by it.

“I found her while out, uh, hunting.” Koshka explained. “She’s my sister, uh… what’s your name?” She gave Catra a curious look.

“Catra.” Catra answered matter-of-factly.

The gray-furred woman let out an undignified snort.

“Something funny?” Catra glared daggers at her.

“No, nothing at all.” She smiled back innocently.

“Right.” Koshka spoke up, eager to defuse the situation. “Catra, meet Calico…” She gestured to the silent one, who nodded again.

“Donskoy.” She gestured to the grotesque creature cowering in the back.

“And Korat.” She gestured to the snippity woman, who gave Catra a half-hearted wave.

“Charmed.” Catra said without a hint of enthusiasm.

Was this really it? All of that mystery, all that pageantry, just for a few idiots in a cave?

Koshka noticed Catra’s disappointment.

“They can be difficult sometimes. But they’re good people. You’ll see.” She smiled.

“Uh-huh.” Catra murmured, utterly unconvinced. “Can I talk to you outside?”

“Um, sure.” Koshka’s brow furrowed slightly in confusion.

“Great.” Catra said. She walked over to the hole, easily climbing out of it and walking far enough away so that their conversation wouldn’t be overheard by the others.

Shortly afterward, Koshka emerged from the hole and walked over to her.

“Is something wrong?” She asked softly, her eyes wide and sympathetic.

“Ugh, don’t look at me like that.” Catra shuddered, staring off to the side to avoid Koshka’s gaze.

“Huh?” Koshka recoiled. “I don’t understand. Like what?”

“Like you care about me. It’s weird.” Catra muttered.

“Why is it weird that I care about you?” Koshka asked in genuine confusion.

“Because we just met.” Catra sighed, reluctantly meeting Koshka’s eyes. “You’re acting like we’ve known each other for years. An hour ago, I didn’t even know you existed.”

“I…” Koshka wavered. “...An hour ago, I thought I had no family left in the world. But then fate saw fit to bring you back to us. I’m sorry, I just… I’ve imagined meeting you for so long, but I never thought…”

“That I’d be an asshole?” Catra wryly asked.

“No, just…” Koshka rubbed her arm. “I thought we’d be the best of friends. I guess that was silly of me. You must have been through so much… I can’t blame you for not wanting to open up.”

“Gah…” Catra growled as a cocktail of conflicting emotions battled within her. “I hate talking about my feelings.”

“That’s okay.” Koshka smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

Catra let out a long groan, slouching her shoulders.

“Look, I…” Catra began, intent on telling Koshka off.

Before any more words left her mouth, however, she remembered what Shadow Weaver had told her. Did Koshka know anything about her illness? It couldn’t hurt to ask, could it?

“Hey, uh, this might seem a bit out of the blue.” Catra looked at Koshka, but avoided her eyes. “But I have this problem, and I was wondering if you might know anything about it.”

“If there’s anything I can do to help, you only need to ask.” Koshka kindly replied, causing Catra to shiver involuntarily.

“Right, well. I was in a fight not too long ago, and…” Catra clasped her hands tightly, her claws digging into her own skin as began recounting the memory. “I completely lost control. It’s like I became a wild animal.”

“I even…” Catra’s voice lowered nearly to a whisper. “Nearly killed someone very close to me.”

Koshka patiently waited for her to finish before answering.

“It’s called ferality.” She gently explained. “It can happen to any of us in times of great stress. It’s not surprising at all that it happened to you in battle.”

“How do I stop it?” Catra asked.

“You… can’t.” Koshka answered. “Not like you’re thinking. It’s not a disease, it’s a part of us.”

Catra’s heart sank, despair plainly visible on her face.

“So I’m a ticking time bomb. Forever.” She said flatly.

“I didn’t say that.” Koshka walked closer to Catra, while still leaving a reasonable distance between them. “You can’t stop it, but you can control it. To some extent, at least.”

“Control it?” Catra snorted. “I couldn’t do anything except watch my body attack people. How am I supposed to do anything about that?”

“You’re worried about hurting those you care about.” Koshka observed. “There is a method to prevent that, one that our people have practiced for generations.”

“What is it?” Catra couldn’t conceal her anticipation. “Tell me!”

“It is simple, but not easy.” Koshka began. “When you go feral and are in danger of hurting someone, you must focus on nothing except your love for them. Hold onto that love like it is the only thing keeping your head above the water, do not waver even for a second. If you do that, your feral form will not harm them.”

“That’s… the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Catra said in bemusement.

“The power of love doesn’t just work in fairy tales, Catra.” Koshka smiled.

“Right…” Catra sighed. “Well, thanks anyway, I guess.”

“If you don’t believe me, how about I show you?” Koshka gazed at Catra intensely.

“Show me what, your love?” Catra grimaced, backing away slightly. “Yeah, I’m gonna pass.”

“Do you want to control your feral form? Or are you content with the possibility of harming your loved ones?” Koshka pointedly asked.

“I…” Catra faltered for a moment, clenching and unclenching her fist. “Damn it. Fine.”

“Follow me.” Koshka beckoned.

Catra once again followed her sister. They walked through the dead forest for some time until they reached a small grove which had managed to avoid the Horde’s wrathful flames.

“Trees.” Catra dryly observed. “How helpful.”

Koshka silently walked forward, kneeling down in front of a plant which Catra had never seen before. It consisted of a green stem that was more than a meter tall, festooned with several large white flowers.

Even from several meters away, Catra scrunched up her nose at the pungent odor the plant gave off. After a few seconds, her nostrils began to burn and she was forced to plug her nose.

“Gah, that stinks. Why did you bring me here?” Catra asked in a nasally voice.

Koshka didn’t visibly react to the smell, calmly plucking a flower from the stem and plopping into her mouth. She stood back up and chewed on the flower for a few seconds before spitting it back out.

“...What the hell are you doing.” Catra was seriously regretting the decision to follow her about now.

Koshka stood still, her back to Catra. Catra walked forward slightly in confusion.

“Uh, hello?” Catra briefly struggled to remember her name. “Uh, Koshka? You okay?”

Koshka slowly turned around, staring at Catra with wide, bloodshot eyes. She let out a vicious snarl and began walking ominously towards her.

“Crap.” Catra said flatly. She immediately began backing away, unholstering her pistol and aiming it at Koshka’s head.

“Don’t make me.” Catra hissed.

She never got the chance to make good on her threat. In the blink of an eye, she was on her back, pinned to the ground by Koshka.

“Gah… fuck…” Catra groaned in pain. She attempted to struggle out of Koshka’s grip, but it was as futile as armwrestling a dragon.

“I guess I deserve this…” She wryly thought as she stared up at her soon-to-be killer.

Catra expected Koshka to tear out her throat, just like she had almost done to Adora. Instead, Koshka simply stared at her, breathing heavily.

“...Deja vu.” Catra muttered under her breath, remembering the arena.

“Gonna kill me or what?” She raised her voice. “I don’t have all day, you know.”

Koshka slowly blinked at her. She moved closer to Catra’s face, causing her to wince and close her eyes. It would be a pathetic and painful death, but at least it would be a quick one. Hopefully.

Instead of the expected agony, Catra felt a peculiar sensation on her cheek. She opened one eye to see Koshka gently drawing her tongue across her cheek.

“Ew…” Catra grimaced, but otherwise didn’t move.

Koshka continued grooming her for a little while longer, until she suddenly stopped, looking around wildly.

“You okay there?” Catra raised an eyebrow.

Unsurprisingly, Koshka didn’t respond. She leapt to her feet before giving chase to something Catra couldn’t see.

Catra quickly stood up, just in time to watch Koshka pounce on a poor rabbit that had just been minding its own business. She ferociously tore into the helpless creature, blood spraying all over the ground and onto her face.

Catra slowly walked over to the scene, keeping enough distance to avoid the blood splatter. She watched Koshka devour the rabbit with amused curiosity.

“Better him than me.” She smirked.

Koshka had mostly finished her meal by the time her senses returned to her. Immediately, she stood up and recoiled in disgust.

“Gah… I’m sorry, little guy.” Koshka looked down at what remained of the rabbit. She looked over at Catra, her face and much of her body still painted with blood.

“And… sorry about that.” She frowned apologetically.

“Which part?” Catra asked dryly.

“Let’s go with all of it.” Koshka gestured for Catra to follow her before walking back in the direction of the cave. Hesitantly, Catra complied.

“I was afraid you would refuse to come if I told you what I was going to do.” Koshka explained.

“What, chew on a flower and then go crazy?” Catra asked dryly. “Yeah, I might have had second thoughts.”

“But now you see what I was talking about, don’t you? You can’t stop it, but you can control it.” Koshka said with a faint smile.

“So you were in control when you licked me and tore that rabbit to shreds?” Catra eyed her skeptically.

“Uh…” Koshka’s cheeks reddened, which Catra would have noticed if they hadn’t already been covered in blood. “Yes and no. You don’t control the form, exactly, but you can guide it.”

“Guide it.” Catra flatly repeated.

“Yes.” Koshka nodded. “When I attacked you, I couldn’t stop myself directly, but by concentrating on our bond, I, let’s say, convinced my feral form to see you as family instead of as food.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you licked me.” Catra’s eyes narrowed.

“Huh?” Koshka stopped, looking at Catra in confusion. “Yes it does, we…”

She stopped mid-sentence, struck by a sudden realization.

“Of course...” Koshka lowered her voice. “You wouldn’t know.”

“Cryptic.” Catra remarked irritably.

“Sorry.” Koshka offered a weak smile before explaining. “It was common amongst our people for close family - and, uh, lovers - to help groom each other.”

Catra barely suppressed the urge to retch.

“I don’t know why I assumed you knew that…” Koshka briefly trailed off. “Sorry. And I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Catra waved her hand flippantly. “Just don’t lick me again. Ever.”

“I’ll do my best, but the feral form does what it wants.” There was a barely perceptible hint of slyness to her voice as she continued towards the cave.

“Uh-huh.” Catra watched Koshka incredulously for a few moments before walking after her.

They arrived at the hole, but Koshka walked past it without a word.

“We’re not going back?” Catra asked her.

Koshka briefly turned to look at her, giving Catra a good look at her blood-encrusted face.

“Looking like this? I think not.” She dryly retorted before continuing.

“Right.” Catra rubbed her ear.

They returned to the creek that separated the former forest from the former village. Koshka knelt down and let the fresh water flow over her face and chest. Downstream, the water went from mostly clear to a pinkish-red as it was tainted by the ex-rabbit’s blood.

“Wonder if anyone else drinks from this.” Catra watched the reddening stream with idle curiosity. “They’re not gonna have a nice day.”

“The only thing downstream from us is more villages that met the same fate as ours.” Koshka somberly replied as she used her claws to scrape bits of dried blood from her face. “The Horde has no tolerance for anyone who refuses to kneel to them.”

“Right.” Catra’s brow furrowed. “So why are you guys here, then?”

Koshka, having finished cleaning herself, stood up and faced Catra.

“I thought the answer was obvious.” She frowned. “We have nowhere else to go.”

“Sure you do.” Catra crossed her arms. “You can always join the Horde.”

Koshka recoiled, horror written plainly on her face.

“Why… why would we ever do that?” She asked in quiet disbelief. “They slaughtered our people, destroyed everything we had. I’d rather die than help them.”

“Right…” Catra trailed off awkwardly, rubbing her hands together.

For a moment, Catra wondered what Koshka would think about her allegiance to the Horde. But it was a different question that was foremost in her mind.

“Then, I don’t know, why don’t you join the Rebellion?” Catra asked. “Don’t you want vengeance against the people who did this?”

“What good would vengeance do us?” Koshka asked in reply. “It won’t bring our people back, and it won’t make their souls rest any easier.”

“What good…?” Catra clenched her fists. A fire began to kindle in her chest as she stared her sister down. “They deserve to die, all of them. Why would you let them get away with it?”

“Nobody gets away with their sins, Catra. The hearts of the wicked shall forever torment them with their misdeeds.” Koshka answered serenely.

“What…” Catra narrowed her eyes in contempt. “You think people like that have a shred of good in them?”

Koshka opened her mouth to reply, but Catra didn’t give her the chance.

“They don’t!” Catra shouted, advancing on Koshka so that there were only a few centimeters between them. “They will never regret hurting people, because they enjoy it! The only way they will ever pay for what they’ve done is if we make them pay!”

A long, tense silence ensued as Catra furiously glared at Koshka.

“...You may believe that.” Koshka finally spoke. Her voice was soft but had a noticeable edge to it. “But I do not.”

The fire in Catra’s chest became an inferno.

“Were the rest of our people as pathetic as you?” She snarled. “Then maybe they deserved to get wiped out!”

“You don’t believe that…” Koshka wavered, as if she was trying to convince herself of that fact.

“Don’t pretend to know what I believe!” Catra spat in her face. “We may share blood, but you know nothing about me!”

“Catra, calm down…” Koshka backed away slightly.

“Calm down?” Catra let out a long, mirthless laugh before returning her gaze to Koshka, her eyes alight with rage. “Why, I’m completely calm!”

“Catra-” Koshka began, only to be violently interrupted when Catra’s fist connected with her face. She stumbled backwards, just barely managing to avoid falling over.

Catra gave her no time to recover, delivering a swift kick to Koshka’s unprotected abdomen. She gasped in pain and doubled over, clutching her stomach.

“I can’t believe this.” Catra walked slowly around Koshka, staring down at her with pure hatred in her eyes. “My sister, my blood, and you’re nothing but a trembling coward. Hide in a hole and expect everything to work out on its own, will you? How’s that working out for you now?”

“Catra…” Koshka gasped out, unable to raise her head.

“Maybe I should finish the job Shadow Weaver started.” Catra unholstered her pistol and aimed it at Koshka’s head.

Catra expected Koshka to plead for her life, to cry and whimper like a child. Instead, she slowly raised her head and met Catra’s gaze. There was no fear in her eyes, only sadness and resignation.

“Is that what you want?” She asked softly.

Catra froze. She stared into Koshka’s eyes for an eternity, her finger rubbing against the trigger. She wanted blood, she wanted to punish Koshka for her weakness. She wanted to kill her.

She pulled the trigger.

Koshka didn’t even flinch as a bolt of energy sailed past her, singing the ground by her side. Only once she realized she was uninjured did she look at Catra in surprise.

“Take your band of idiots and get as far away from here as possible.” Catra calmly ordered without lowering her pistol. “If I ever see any of you again, I’ll take my time killing you.”

“I…” Koshka let out a weak sigh, tears forming at the edges of her eyes. “I understand.”

Koshka slowly got to her feet and began to walk back towards the cave. Catra holstered her pistol, watching her leave with a scowl.

Koshka briefly stopped in her tracks.

“I hope you find peace someday.” She said without turning around.

“I won’t.” Catra tersely replied.

No further words were exchanged between them.

Catra watched Koshka’s retreating silhouette until it receded from view. She stood alone at the creek for a long time, staring at the flowing water. The blood had mostly been carried downstream, but a faint hint of pink still colored the creek.

She half-expected Shadow Weaver to appear with more unwanted advice and cryptic remarks. When nothing happened, she deftly made her way over the creek and returned to where she had left the skiff. She jumped up onto it, quickly checking to make sure it was still in working order.

Catra glanced briefly at the desolate village. With a shake of her head, she sped off towards the Fright Zone.

Chapter Text

Hordak watched impassively as Entrapta sorted through the piles of old tech that now littered the floor of his laboratory.

“Hmm. Is this it?” Entrapta pulled out a jagged piece of metal and handed it to Hordak with a hair tendril. He briefly examined it before scowling.

“Useless.” He growled, letting it clatter to the floor. “Just like the rest of this garbage. This is a waste of time.”

“Aww, don’t say that.” Entrapta looked up at him with a kind smile. “Even if we don’t find your diamond stapler-”

“Dimensional stabilizer.” Hordak irritably corrected.

“Even if we don’t find it, that doesn’t mean this is a waste of time.” Entrapta cheerfully continued. “Science isn’t just about what you do on purpose, after all. I mean, most of my inventions came from mistakes. You just gotta keep at it, until something happens.”

Entrapta paused for a few seconds.

“Usually an explosion, but that’s okay!” She grinned. That just means science is happening!”

“Hrm.” Hordak murmured.

He looked down at the piles of junk for a long time, before something caught his eye. A small orb, barely larger than a thumb, nestled atop a small mountain of refuse.

“There.” He pointed at it.

“This thing?” Entrapta gently picked it up with a hair tendril and brought it up to her face, staring at it inquisitively. “Are you sure? It’s so… small.”

“Power is about more than size.” Hordak admonished her.

Entrapta stood up and handed the orb to Hordak, allowing him to examine it more closely.

“Yes, yes...” He grinned. “This may just work after all.”

“Woohoo!” Entrapta jumped for joy. “I can’t wait to see this baby in action!”

Hordak walked over to a large scanning device and placed the orb inside. After about a minute it relinquished the orb again, with a screen lighting up and displaying a wall of archaic text. Hordak’s grin vanished as he finished reading it.

“Damnation.” Hordak said quietly.

“What’s wrong?” Entrapta abruptly appeared by his side. “Is it not the thing?”

“No, it is.” Hordak replied somberly. “However, it is far more primitive in its construction than I anticipated. It will require substantially more power to use, far more than the reactor can provide.”

“So?” Entrapta shrugged. “Just build another one.”

“You do not understand.” Hordak clenched his fist. “This reactor was constructed with components from my ship. There is no way to build more, not without access to the resources of Horde Prime.”

“Hrm.” Entrapta’s brow furrowed and she rubbed her chin. “That is a problem.”

“A problem…” Hordak chuckled mirthlessly as he gazed at the ancient orb. “There is always another problem. This is my fate, to fail again and again, with success dangling just out of my reach.”

“You only truly fail when you give up.” Entrapta said sagely. She then bit her lip, considering her own words. “Hmm, or when you die. I guess you can’t really come back from that.”

“What use is tenacity if the goal is impossible?” Hordak asked hopelessly. “Without a second reactor, there is simply nothing we can do. And there is no way to build a second reactor!”

He punctuated his words by slamming his fists on the scanner, briefly startling Entrapta.

“...Wait a second.” Entrapta’s eyes lit up. “If we can’t build a reactor… we can find one!”

Hordak turned his head, looking at her skeptically.

“Find one.” He flatly repeated.

“Yeah!” Entrapta nodded, smiling. “The First Ones left so much tech lying around, I’m sure they must have left a reactor or some kind of power source, right?”

“It is… possible.” Hordak admitted. “I suppose we have little choice in the matter.”

Hordak walked over to the laboratory’s other scanner and activated it. As it had before, the screen displayed the locations of every First Ones artifact that still had power.

“There are still so many of them.” Hordak stated. “It could take years, even decades before we find it. If we find it.”

“Hmm…” Entrapta stroked her chin as she examined the map. Her eyes lingered on a peculiarity, a small but significant energy signature located in the Northern Wastes. There was something important about that place, something she was forgetting.

“Aha!” She pointed at the ceiling triumphantly as she remembered. “The beacon, of course!”

Hordak looked at her in bemusement.

“What beacon?” He asked.

“Oh, sorry.” Entrapta rubbed the back of her neck with a hair tendril. “See, there’s been all sorts of weird stories told about the Northern Wastes. Most of them involve a giant beam of light that sometimes shoots out of the ground, like some kind of beacon.”

“You think that the beacon was left behind by the Eternians.” Hordak surmised.

“I’d bet my whole castle on it.” Entrapta smirked. “And if I’m right, then something must be powering that beacon.”

“Hmm.” Hordak stroked his chin. “An intriguing idea. Very well, I will send out a team to investigate the beacon.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Entrapta cried, raising her hand like she was in a classroom. “Can I come?”

Hordak looked at her uncertainly for a few seconds.

“...Yes, you may.” He said awkwardly.

“Woohoo!” Entrapta leapt into Hordak’s arms and embraced him with both her arms and her hair tendrils. “You’re the best friend ever!”

Hordak’s eyes widened in shock, completely taken off guard by the sudden display of physical affection.

“Ahh… uhh… you are welcome?” He managed, his cheeks reddening.

Returning to the barracks, Adora lay down on her cot and stared blankly at the ceiling.

Catra had made her decision. She needed to respect that, even if she couldn’t understand it. The irrational part of her wanted to follow Catra, just to make sure nothing terrible happened. The logical part of her knew that Shadow Weaver would surely expect that.

Adora felt helpless. She hated feeling helpless.

She remained lost in her thoughts for some time before the sound of static from her badge snapped her back to reality.

“Come to the throne room at once.” Hordak tersely commanded.

Adora let out a long sigh. Perhaps if nothing else this could provide a distraction from worrying about Catra. She got to her feet and headed to the throne room.

When she arrived, Hordak was standing in front of his throne. There was a certain vigor to his presence that Adora had never seen before. Entrapta was by his side, jumping up and down in childish anticipation. Scorpia was also present, presumably having been summoned as well.

Adora bowed before him.

“My lord?” She asked.

“Where is Force Captain Catra?” Hordak asked with barely veiled anger. “She did not respond to my attempts to contact her.”

“I…” Adora faltered briefly.

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat, reluctantly meeting Hordak’s piercing gaze. “She’s… not well, my lord. She needs time to recover.”

Hordak stared at her in silence for more than ten seconds.

“Hmph.” He finally answered. “This mission is too important to delay. You will have to go without her.”

“I understand.” Adora nodded. “What’s the mission?”

“There is an ancient power source located deep within the Northern Wastes. You will accompany Entrapta while she searches for it.” Hordak explained ominously.

“You will protect her at any cost. Your own lives, if necessary. Am I understood?” He glared at the two captains.

“Loud and clear, my lord.” Adora humbly replied, even as her stomach twisted with dread.

“You will leave in one hour.” Hordak declared. “Dismissed.”

“I can’t believe we’re going to the Northern Wastes! This is going to be so much fun!” Entrapta cheered as their small transport craft navigated the choppy seas that separated the Fright Zone from the frozen north.

The three of them stood on the deck, dressed in thick winter clothing. It would be critical for survival in the Wastes, but it was difficult for Adora to appreciate that fact while her entire body was drenched in sweat.

Entrapta was sweating just as profusely as Adora, but it certainly hadn’t put a damper on her spirit.

“Ooh, do you think they have ice cream?” Scorpia asked dumbly.

“Ice cream…” Adora muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, they’ll have it right alongside the buffet table and the dance floor.” She answered with caustic sarcasm. “Where do you think we’re going, the Kingdom of Snows? Nobody lives in the Northern Wastes.”

“That’s too bad.” Scorpia frowned. “I’ve been hankering for some ice cream.”

“Ooh, that reminds me!” Entrapta chimed in. “I’ve been working on a machine that automatically creates and dispenses ice cream. It’s still in the prototype stages, but I can show it to you when we get back.”

“Really?” Scorpia stared at Entrapta in genuine awe. “That’s incredible. You truly are the greatest genius on Etheria.”

“Aww…” Entrapta blushed, averting her eyes. “That’s the second nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

Adora said nothing, but privately she very much desired to see this machine for herself. It may have just been the imminent heatstroke talking, though.

Fortunately for her health, the temperature soon began to drop precipitously, flakes of snow falling from the sky and sprinkling the deck. The noon light began to rapidly fade, until it was as dark as the middle of the night.

“We must be getting close.” Adora observed as the last vestiges of heat were drained from the air.

“I don’t see any land.” Scorpia looked out at the waters in front of them, putting a pincer to her forehead to shield her eyes from the nonexistent daylight. “A lot of water, though.”

Adora gave her a bemused look, but refrained from commenting.

“Fascinating…” Entrapta shuddered in delight. “I’ve heard that the moons’ light doesn’t reach here, but seeing it for myself…”

“So how are we supposed to find this power source, exactly?” Adora looked over at Entrapta curiously. “Hordak was a little light on details.”

“Yes, the power source!” Entrapta pointed dramatically at the sky. “There should be a beacon of light that shoots from the sky periodically. We just need to wait for it to happen and then follow it to it source.”

“How periodically is periodically?” Adora raised an eyebrow.

“I dunno.” Entrapta happily shrugged. “Could take years, months, or it could happen five seconds from now.”

Exactly five seconds after Entrapta finished her sentence, a massive beam of light shot out of the darkness in front of them, illuminating the entire sky with glowing blue radiance. With the darkness gone, the shore of the Northern Wastes was plainly visible, allowing their boat to safely run aground.

The three stared at the beam in silent awe. It appeared to be emanating from much further inland, with its source concealed by the sharp white hills that dominated the landscape.

After several minutes, the light vanished as abruptly as it appeared, plunging the world into darkness once more.

“Alright…” Adora stared at Entrapta. “So how are we going to get there without being able to see where we’re going?”

“I’m one step ahead of you!” Entrapta grinned, pulling several clunky sets of goggles from a pocket that looked far too small to hold them.

“Here, try them on!” She tossed a pair to Adora and another to Scorpia before putting on a pair of her own.

Adora stared at the goggles in confusion for a few seconds before doing as Entrapta said. Everything she looked at was now covered in a fuzzy green tint, but at least it was visible.

“Uh…? Little help here?” Scorpia asked, the goggles dangling limply from her pincer.

“Oh, right, I forgot you don’t have opposable thumbs.” Entrapta grabbed the goggles and affixed them to Scorpia’s face. “There we go. Now we can see in the dark!”

“The dark is very green.” Scorpia commented.

“Well technically, color comes from light, and darkness is just the absence of light so that means darkness has no color.” Entrapta rambled with no sign of stopping.

“Very interesting.” Adora lied. “But we have a mission to complete, and I’d rather not spend any more time here than we have to.”

“Yes, the mission!” Entrapta exclaimed before looking at Adora in sheepish confusion. “Uh, what mission?”

Adora slapped her forehead, immediately regretting it when her hand struck the metal goggles.

“Ow.” She winced in pain, rubbing her hand.

“Oh, right, the beacon!” Entrapta jubilantly remembered.

“Yes, the beacon…” Adora sighed in annoyance.

“Well, what are we waiting for? There is science to be done!” Entrapta declared. Without waiting for a reply, she propelled herself off the deck with her hair tendrils, landing expertly on the frozen shore.

Adora looked at Scorpia, who shrugged. They climbed over the railings of the deck and promptly gave chase to Entrapta, who had ran joyfully ahead rather than wait for them.

“Entrapta!” Adora vainly called out as she attempted to catch up to the overeager scientist, following Entrapta through the snakelike passage that separated the otherwise impassable hills.

Unfortunately for Adora and Scorpia, the passage was covered in a thin but extremely slippery layer of ice. As soon as Adora’s feet touched it, she found herself sailing backwards.

“Aaah! Craaaap!” Adora cried out, closing her eyes in anticipation of an unpleasant meeting with the ground. Instead, she tumbled into the pincers of Scorpia, who caught her with ease.

Confused as to why she wasn’t in horrible pain, Adora opened her eyes and saw Scorpia smiling down at her.

“Icey you’re having some trouble.” Scorpia winked.

Adora rolled her eyes at the terrible pun, but smiled back nonetheless.

“Thanks, Scorpia.” She said sincerely.

“Don’t mention it.” Scorpia replied, letting go of Adora. “What are friends for?”

“Hrmm.” Adora frowned as she looked over the slick path ahead. “Unless we want to end up like Puff, we’re gonna have to be really careful about this.”

“I know what we can do!” Scorpia happily exclaimed. “Have you ever heard of sledding?”

“...No?” Adora looked at Scorpia with a raised eyebrow.

“Aw, man, it’s great. You basically take a big piece of wood, lie down on it, and then slide down a path covered in ice.” Scorpia explained eagerly.

“That sounds really stupid.” Adora remarked flatly. “And dangerous.”

“It’s not stupid if you’re having fun!” Scorpia grinned. “I guess it’s still dangerous, though.”

“Also, we don’t have any wood.” Adora pointed out.

“That’s okay! Watch and learn, Adora!” Scorpia confidently declared before belly flopping onto the ice. As Adora stared at her in utter bafflement, she began to slide herself down the passage like a living canoe.

“I know the strangest people…” Adora said under her breath. Reluctantly, she lay herself on the ice and started sliding after Scorpia. Even with her formidable winter clothing, the frozen floor gave her body quite the chill.

After several minutes of the bizarre and unpleasant experience, the passage opened up into an enormous valley, one large enough to contain several copies of the Fright Zone side by side. The valley was almost entirely comprised of flat, featureless sheets of ice, but Adora could just barely make out a strange tower in the distance.

With no other leads to go on, Adora and Scorpia continued sliding themselves towards the structure. As they drew nearer, Adora was able to get a better look at it. The circular, crystalline tower jutted several stories into the sky, completely untouched by the elements.

A faint blue sphere of energy enveloped the tower and its immediate surroundings. Inside of the sphere, there was not so much as a fleck of ice or snow to be found, but neither was there any plants or other semblance of life.

Adora and Scorpia passed through the field with no issue. If she couldn’t see it, she wouldn’t have even known it was there.

Now that they were on good, firm ground again, Adora wasted no time getting to her feet and approaching the tower. Scorpia briefly attempted to continue sliding on the dirt, but quickly gave up on that idea and reluctantly walked after her.

The tower’s sole entrance was a massive pair of double doors, which were firmly sealed shut. A small podium stood next to the doors, the top of which was imprinted with the shape of a human hand.

“I imagine this is the place.” Adora looked up at the tower, which certainly looked the part of a mysterious ancient beacon.

“These doors look really big.” Scorpia commented. “I mean, I can try, but I don’t know if even I could pry these babies open.”

“The First Ones are known for their booby traps.” Adora replied. “Brute forcing our way through is probably not a good idea.”

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.

“Also, where’s Entrapta?” Adora asked, looking around for the enigmatic inventor.

“Right here!” Entrapta dropped down from the ceiling above the double doors, landing directly in front of Adora.

“Gaah!” Adora raised her fists defensively. “Don’t do that!”

“I was trying to tamper with the door’s mechanism, but it’s being very stubborn.” Entrapta immediately began to explain. “It even zapped me a few times!”

“Well, what about that thing over there?” Scorpia asked, pointing towards the podium. “Maybe it opens the door somehow?”

“I already tried that thing.” Entrapta replied. “It poked the tip of my finger with a needle and then told me I couldn’t come in. It was very rude about it, too. See, watch!”

Entrapta skipped over to the podium and placed her hand on the imprint. She winced slightly and several seconds later, a feminine, mechanical voice emanated from the podium.

“Biological impurities detected. Terminating entry procedure.” The voice said tonelessly.

“Biological impurities?” Adora repeated incredulously. “What the hell does that mean?”

“I have no idea!” Entrapta happily declared. “But I’m sure we can find our way past this door even if this machine is being a jerk! We might need to bring some high explosives, or maybe some climbing equipment, or…”

Adora walked over to the podium while Entrapta continued to ramble. She stared at the hand imprint for several seconds before taking off her left glove and placing her hand on it. She felt a brief sting on the tip of her pointer finger, causing her to wince involuntarily.

“Entry procedure initiated. Welcome, Scion of Eternia.” The mechanical voice spoke again.

“What?” Adora recoiled in surprise as the great doors slowly began to slide open with a harsh metallic groan. Both Entrapta and Scorpia stared at her, making her feel intensely uncomfortable.

“Amazing…” Entrapta murmured, stroking her chin. “I wondered if the stories were true.”

“...Stories?” Adora repeated dumbly.

“Some scholars believe that when the First Ones left Etheria, some stayed behind and interbred with the local population.” Entrapta explained. “It’s a fringe theory, but we may just be looking at proof.”

Adora couldn’t help but let out a snort.

“Me? A First One?” She asked, smirking. “I really doubt that. The machine’s probably just malfunctioning or something.”

“It’s possible.” Entrapta eyed Adora meaningfully. “But unlikely. It knew I wasn’t one.”

“I…” Adora trailed off, then shook her head. “Let’s just focus on the mission.”

Adora walked through the now open doors, with Entrapta and Scorpia close behind. The inside of the tower appeared to be hollow, and there were no discernible features or machinery of any kind. It was at least well lit, allowing them to take off the cumbersome goggles.

“What the… there’s nothing here!” Adora’s voice echoed slightly.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Entrapta replied.

While the doors laboriously slid shut, the entire floor began to slowly descend underground.

“What’s happening?” Adora looked up at the retreating ceiling, her eyes wide.

“Aha! It’s an elevator!” Entrapta giddily exclaimed. “It must be taking us to the beacon! Ooh, this is so exciting!”

After several minutes, the elevator reached its destination. For a few seconds, the three simply stared in silence at what they saw.

The chamber the elevator opened into was surprisingly large. Carved in the characteristic style of the First Ones, it was a rectangle exactly a hundred meters in length. The ceiling was at least as high as the tower outside, if not even higher.

Despite its size, the chamber was almost entirely empty. The walls were ringed with luminescent sconces and there was some kind of device at the opposite end, but there was no indication why the chamber was as large as it was.

“This place is big.” Adora stated the obvious.

Entrapta wasted little time in rushing over to the device. It was an elegant pyramid more than a meter in height, adorned in strange symbols and buttons of various shapes and sizes.

“This has to be it! Let’s see what this baby does.” Entrapta grinned, pushing one of the buttons with a hair tendril.

“Entrapta!” Adora shouted, running to catch up to her. “Are you sure it’s a good idea to-”

Adora didn’t have time to finish her sentence.

“Playing most recent recording.” The same mechanical voice from earlier emanated from the device.

The lights dimmed slightly, and suddenly the entire room was filled with holographic images. Hundreds of armored soldiers stood at attention, while a tall and majestic woman stood in front of the device.

Adora couldn’t help but stare at the strange woman. She looked familiar, yet alien at the same time. Her hair was long, flowing, and as golden as Adora’s own, her eyes a cold, piercing blue. She was clad in ornate metallic armor, as stark white as the ice outside, with a silken gold cape that reached down to her knees.

“Scions of Eternia!” The woman shouted, staring out at the soldiers. Her voice was proud, deep, and commanding.

“Today, we celebrate a glorious triumph! The petty kings of this world have submitted to our might! The paltry few who remain to challenge us have fled into the wilderness like the wretches they are!”

Adora and Scorpia exchanged uncomfortable glances, while Entrapta stared at the holographic woman in total awe.

“For too long we have hidden in the shadow of the Horde. No longer!” The woman sliced her arm through the air for emphasis. “A new era is approaching, brothers and sisters. We will take back what is rightfully ours, and the universe will once again kneel before us!”

The woman waited a few moments before continuing.

“I will not lie. The road ahead will be long and painful. Many of you will be forced to lay down your lives for the cause. But I swear, on the blood of Grayskull, I will not rest until Horde Prime lies dead and Eternia rules the stars again!”

“Hail to the Queen! Hail to Eternia!” The mass of soldiers roared in unison.

“I think we’ve heard enough.” Adora stared at Entrapta, who reluctantly pressed the button again.

“Recording playback halted.” The mechanical voice informed them. The holograms vanished as abruptly as they appeared.

“...So.” Adora said awkwardly. “Guess the First Ones weren’t as nice as people think.”

“It would seem that way.” Entrapta agreed, rubbing a hair tendril with her hand. “Strange that no sources mention this, though. You’d think there’d be other records of their tyranny, or at least some myths that have been passed down through the ages.”

“Well, that’s a mystery for another time.” Adora replied, her eyes flicking over the pyramid. “Right now we need to see what’s powering this thing and take it back to Hordak.”

“But who knows what other information could be stored here? If we just rip out the power source, we might never be able to find out!” Entrapta emphatically objected, violating Adora’s personal space and staring directly into her eyes.

“I don’t think Hordak would appreciate it if we delay his plans for the sake of satisfying your curiosity.” Adora retorted, meeting Entrapta’s gaze.

“Curiosity?” Entrapta’s eyes narrowed in anger. “This is our history you’re talking about! What if this is the only record of its kind? If we destroy it, we’ll be destroying history itself!”

“Hey, I’m not any happier about this than you are.” Adora replied evenly. “But openly defying Hordak? Not a good idea, trust me.”

“I’ll gladly take the blame if it means finding out more about the First Ones.” Entrapta firmly answered.

The two continued their staring match for nearly half a minute. The entire time, Scorpia was watching on the sidelines, her eyes darting between them in suspense.

“Fine.” Adora finally relented. “You can stay here and tinker with the damn thing.”

“Yay!” Entrapta’s anger vanished instantly, and she kissed Adora lightly on the cheek. “You’re a wonderful friend, Adora!”

“I… erm…” Adora averted her eyes, her cheeks bright red. “Thanks…”

With blissful ignorance, Entrapta returned her attention to the ancient device.

“You guys might wanna get comfortable.” Entrapta hummed. “This could take weeks. Or months. Or years!”

“Yeah…” Adora rubbed her shoulder. “As much as that sounds great, I think Scorpia and I will head back to the Fright Zone. Someone’s gonna have to tell Hordak about all this.”

“Oh.” Entrapta frowned for a split-second before it was replaced with a smile. “Tell him I said hi!”

“We’ll do that.” Adora cleared her throat before turning to Scorpia. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea leaving her here?” Scorpia wondered as they began to walk back towards the elevator. “I mean, what if something happens?”

“Heh, like what?” Adora asked with a small smirk. “There’s nobody here-”

The universe did not even allow her to finish that sentence, as a deep booming sound reverberated from the tower above. The entire chamber shook slightly, although not enough to affect their balance.

“That can’t be good.” Scorpia looked up at the ceiling apprehensively.

“Warning.” The mechanical voice emanated throughout the room. “The facility entrance has been breached. Multiple non-servient lifeforms detected.”

The warning came only a few seconds before the intruders revealed themselves. In a flash of light, Glimmer and her Gang appeared on the elevator platform, ready for battle.

“I’m sorry, are we interrupting something?” Glimmer asked mockingly, balls of magic forming in her hands.

Adora was briefly taken off guard by the deep scars that now adorned Glimmer’s face. She snapped back quickly, scowling at the Princess.

“Actually, we were just leaving.” Adora’s voice had a dark edge to it as she reached for her pistol.

“Don’t worry, this will only take a second.” Glimmer smirked.

Adora swiftly unholstered her pistol and fired at Glimmer just as she fired two blasts of magic in turn. Adora barely rolled out of the way of Glimmer’s magic, while her own shot singed Glimmer’s shoulder.

Glimmer growled, her eyes focused solely on Adora.

“Take care of the traitor.” She ordered. “I'll handle the Butcher.”

While Scorpia was faced with the unenviable task of fighting off three combatants at once, Glimmer slowly approached Adora, her face a mask of determination.

Adora fired another shot at Glimmer, but this time the Princess was ready. She teleported directly in front of Adora and wrenched her arm, causing the pistol to clatter to the floor.

With the pain only fueling her fury, Adora slammed her forehead into Glimmer’s. Glimmer stumbled backwards, momentarily dazed. Adora eagerly took advantage and tackled her to the ground.

With Glimmer now pinned to the floor, Adora punched her forcefully in the mouth. Glimmer hissed, her lips becoming stained with blood. Adora attempted to land a second punch, but her fist met empty air as Glimmer teleported away.

Adora swiftly rolled to the side, knowing perfectly well what was coming. A second later, Glimmer landed on the spot Adora had just been occupying. Adora thrust her leg out, connecting with Glimmer’s thigh and causing her to stumble forwards.

Adora used those few seconds to jump to her feet and lunge at Glimmer, intent on grappling her again. Acting on instinct, Glimmer raised her hands, firing a ball of light straight at Adora.

Adora had no time to dodge. The magical strike hit her in the face with the force of a strong punch, causing her to stagger and nearly fall over.

Adora managed to regain her balance, just in time for Glimmer’s fist to collide with her jaw. The force of the impact sent Adora crashing backwards onto the floor.

Blearily, Adora stared up at the ceiling. Her ears were ringing and her vision looked like someone had smeared olive oil on her eyes.

“Looks like I win.” Two Glimmers stood over Adora, their voices echoing strangely.

Adora tried to respond, but only an incoherent groan came out of her mouth.

Leaving her opponent where she lay, Glimmer turned to see how her compatriots were faring. Their eyes were on her, with Scorpia defeated and bound behind them.

Glimmer teleported up to the Gang with a triumphant smirk.

“That was easy.” She brushed her hands together. “Once we find their skiff, we can head to the Fright Zone and rescue Entrapta.”

“Uh. Glimmer.” Bow pointed towards the opposite end of the chamber.

“Eh?” Glimmer cocked her head before turning to see what he was pointing at. Her eyes widened as she saw the hermit Princess, happily messing with the ancient terminal with no regard for the battle that had just taken place.

“Well.” Glimmer dryly remarked. “That’s suspiciously fortunate.”

“I wouldn’t start celebrating just yet.” Bow replied.

The Gang cautiously approached Entrapta. When they passed Adora’s prone form, Netossa off-handedly wrapped an energy net around her, just in case.

“Hmm. This button is bigger than the others.” Entrapta murmured to herself, ignorant of the Gang’s presence even when they were only a meter behind her.

“Entrapta, we’re here to rescue you.” Glimmer declared.

“Hrm. If it’s bigger, maybe it’s important.” Entrapta pressed the big button and the chamber was immediately bathed in darkness.

“...No, it’s just the light switch.” Entrapta pressed the button again, returning light to the room.

Glimmer groaned in exasperation.

“Entrapta.” She repeated irritably. When Entrapta failed to respond, Glimmer grabbed onto one of her hair tendrils. The tendril immediately escaped from her grip and slapped her lightly across the face.

“Look, don’t touch.” Entrapta replied calmly without taking her eyes off the terminal.

“Sorry.” Glimmer said as sincerely as she could manage. “But we need to talk.”

“Okay.” Entrapta turned around, looking at Glimmer with curiosity. “Who are you?”

“...What?” Glimmer recoiled in surprise. “Glimmer. Princess Glimmer. Don’t you remember us?”

“Oh, Princess Glimmer…” Entrapta smiled and nodded. “...Are you sure we’ve met before?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Glimmer replied through gritted teeth.

“If you say so.” Entrapta’s eyes began to flicker back towards the terminal.

“Ahem.” Glimmer loudly cleared her throat. “We’re here to rescue you.”

“Rescue me? From what?” Entrapta looked at her in genuine confusion.

“From the Horde?” Glimmer bemusedly answered.

“Well, I appreciate the thought, but I’m doing just fine with the Horde.” Entrapta replied cheerfully. “They’ve been really nice to me. Plus, I’ve learned more in the last month than I usually do in a few years.”

“What.” Glimmer said flatly, staring at Entrapta in disbelief along with the rest of the Gang.

“Entrapta, you can’t be serious. The Horde is evil. They hurt people.” Bow interjected.

“So do you.” One of Entrapta’s hair tendrils pointed at Adora’s supine form.

“That’s…” Glimmer scowled and clenched her fists. “That’s completely different! We’re fighting in self-defense! They’re fighting to conquer Etheria!”

“Isn’t it exciting?” Entrapta asked giddily. “A thousand years of stagnation is finally coming to its end! Progress is coming to Etheria, and I get to be a part of it!”

Glimmer and the Gang stared at her in stunned silence for several seconds.

“If you serve the Horde, you’re an enemy of Etheria.” Glimmer finally declared, looking at Netossa meaningfully.

Netossa took the hint, firing an energy net that entrapped Entrapta, hair tendrils and all.

“Hey! I wasn’t finished!” Entrapta exclaimed in mild annoyance.

“Even if we can’t get her to help us, at least this way the Horde can’t make use of her, either.” Glimmer remarked, staring down at Entrapta’s wriggling body with total contempt.

“A victory is a victory, I guess.” Bow frowned, rubbing a fist against his chin.

“A First Ones ruin, the Butcher of Thaymor, and two traitorous Princesses.” Glimmer clapped her hands together for emphasis. “This might be the greatest victory we’ve had yet.”

“Not saying very much.” Netossa wryly pointed out.

“Shut up.” Glimmer said without malice.

“You think you’ve won?” Adora’s voice carried through the chamber. It lacked her usual confidence, instead sounding like she was trying to fake it. “You haven’t! Not by a long shot!”

Glimmer walked over to where Adora lay on the ground.

“We’re not done yet.” She met Adora’s eyes, smirking. “And we won’t be until the Horde is gone forever.”

Chapter Text

Glimmer swallowed her apprehension as she approached the quarters of the Queen. She hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the door.

“Come in.” Angella’s voice came through.

Glimmer entered the room, closing the door behind her. Angella leaned over the balcony, staring out at the evening sky.

“Um, hi, Mom.” Glimmer greeted her, sounding more awkward than she would have liked.

“Glimmer.” Angella turned around, greeting her daughter with a warm smile. “Did you enjoy the feast?”

“Yeah, it was lovely.” Glimmer said hurriedly. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh?” Angella raised a single eyebrow. “What is it, then?”

“I… I’m worried.” Glimmer fidgeted with her hands. “About the prisoners we took. The Horde already breached our defenses once. What’s stopping them from doing it again?”

“Ah.” Angella looked at Glimmer sympathetically. “Your concern is understandable, but it has already been addressed. The prisoners have been moved to a secure facility, the night sentries have been doubled, and everyone has been instructed to stay vigilant for any signs of Horde incursion.”

“Do you really think that will be enough?” Glimmer’s voice cracked. “What if Shadow Weaver attacks again?”

“Then I will deal with her.” Angella replied evenly. “Please, Glimmer, let me worry about this. You should get some rest.”

“What about the prisoners?” Glimmer anxiously wondered. “Are we going to interrogate them? We need to find out why the Horde’s being hunting for old tech.”

“Glimmer.” Angella stared at her firmly. “I will handle it.”

“But-” Glimmer began to object, but the look in Angella’s eyes told her that it would be futile.

“Fine.” She hissed.

Angella opened her mouth to speak, but by the time she did, she was the only one left in the room.

Adora’s prison cell was different from the last time. Previously, she had been kept in an ordinary room of the castle, but this time, she was in a proper cell. A glowing blue energy field stood in place of a door, reminding her of the prison in the Fright Zone.

She had no idea where she was, but she doubted she was in the actual castle. Both the cell and the hallway outside of it looked as if they had been carved out of stone, and no attempt had been made to liven up the space with decorations. A few sconces on the walls provided just enough light to see, and no more.

The cell itself was largely barren. A stone latrine sat at the back, while a wooden table sat up against the energy field, allowing for food to be passed to her without having to risk her escaping. Next to the latrine was a single bed, which was much more comfortable than the surroundings would suggest.

The food was excellent, too, fresh and prepared by the Queen’s personal cooks. Still, as Adora sat on the bed and stared at the energy barrier, she could think of nothing but escape.

It had been a while since they had been captured. Adora didn’t know exactly how long, but it was at least a few days. Scorpia and Entrapta were safe, presumably, but she hadn’t seen them since being brought to Bright Moon.

She had already attempted many times to breach the barrier, but all she had accomplished was bruising her knuckles. The barrier was thin and transparent, but it may as well have been made out of titanium for how little it cared for her puny strikes.

Adora wanted nothing more than to escape, but all she could do was wait. Wait, and hope that the Horde would be willing and able to rescue her again.

The sound of footsteps echoed from down the hallway, catching Adora’s attention. It wasn’t mealtime, or at least she didn’t think it was. Telling time was a luxury she hadn’t appreciated until now.

The footsteps became louder until a familiar face stood outside the cell. Queen Angella’s expression was neutral, yet Adora instantly felt judged by it.

“It has been some time.” Angella’s voice was soft and kind, as if she was greeting an old friend.

“Not long enough.” Adora retorted, but her words lacked venom.

“Yes, of course.” Angella smiled faintly. “I must admit, I didn’t think you would heed my words.”

Adora’s eyes widened. She couldn’t know, could she?

“You spared the survivors of Stonecliff Tower, disobeying a direct order from Hordak in the process. That was very brave of you, and very noble.” Angella commended her warmly.

Adora winced. She wasn’t sure what she expected. It was foolish to think the men she spared wouldn’t tell anyone.

“Don’t think that means I’m your friend.” She said after a brief silence. “The Horde is the future, even if it needs new leadership.”

“It is your choice to believe that.” Angella replied evenly. “Perhaps you’re even right.”

“Weird to hear that coming from you, of all people.” Adora let out a quiet snort.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from living as long as I have, it’s that nothing is ever truly certain.” Angella turned her back to Adora, but did not leave.

“Okay…” Adora trailed off awkwardly. “You know, when I used to imagine being captured by the Rebellion, having cryptic conversations with you was not what I had in mind.”

“Hm?” Angella murmured. “What did you imagine?”

“Er, nevermind.” Adora blushed at the thought. “Just, I don’t get it. I’m just another faceless minion. I shouldn’t even get a second glance from someone like you, let alone… this.”

“We are what we choose to be.” Angella turned around, meeting Adora’s eyes. “The difference between those who lead and those who are led is the desire to be more. To do more.”

“You think I have that?” Adora raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“I know you do. The question is, what kind of leader will you be?” Angella asked.

The Queen did not wait for an answer, leaving Adora to think on what she said.

Lord Hordak paced in front of his throne, rubbing his hands together in what would normally be seen as a gesture of nervousness if performed by a lesser being.

It had been three days since Entrapta had departed to the North, and there had been no word since. Surely she was just taking her time, and he was concerned over nothing. There was no need to have wasted resources sending a team after her.

Yet, Hordak had done so anyway. It was illogical, it was unbecoming, but he had done it. And he wasn’t certain why.

Three Horde soldiers entered the throne room and cautiously approached him. He stopped pacing and stood in front of his throne, staring down at them expectantly.

“Report.” He ordered.

“We found their ship, my lord, and followed the path to some kind of ancient ruin.” Lonnie explained. “There was a large group of soldiers guarding it. They… were Bright Moon guards, my lord.”

Hordak stared at Lonnie in silence for several long moments.

“You are dismissed.” He said tersely.

“Yes, my lord.” Lonnie bowed and quickly left the room with her squadmates in tow.

Rage was an old friend of Hordak’s. He had felt it nearly every day since he had landed on this forsaken world. Usually, it took the form of volcanic fury, but this time was different. This time there was just a cold, simple certainty.

He was going to bring Entrapta back.

He was going to make the Rebellion bleed.

Hordak pressed a button on his arm, connecting him to his officers. The ones that weren’t presently being held captive, at least.

“Throne room. Now.” He hissed.

Within several minutes, Shadow Weaver and his three remaining Force Captains arrived.

“The Rebellion’s recent insolence must be repaid in kind.” Hordak calmly declared. “Canaris, you will take your unit to Elberon. Burn it to ash.”

“What about the inhabitants, my lord?” Canaris asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

“Their fate is not my concern.” Hordak replied callously.

“I… yes, my lord.” Canaris bowed. “It will be done.”

“Octavia.” Hordak turned to her. “You will take your unit to Alwyn and show it the same mercy.”

“Yes, my lord.” Octavia bowed with a small smirk.

The two Force Captains departed to begin their missions, leaving only Shadow Weaver and Catra for Hordak to address.

“Uh, not that it’s my place to ask, but what’s going on?” Catra looked at Hordak with confusion.

“The Rebellion captured Entrapta.” Hordak clenched his fists. “We are going to bring her back.”

“Entrapta?” Catra repeated. It was then she finally realized there were two other notable absences. “Wait, where are Adora and Scorpia?”

“They were tasked with escorting Entrapta.” Hordak answered. “Obviously, they failed.”

Catra’s stomach lurched.

“We’re going to save them too, right?” She asked, hoping too much concern wasn’t leaking into her voice.

“If possible.” Hordak waved his hand dismissively. “However, Entrapta is the main priority.”

“Speak for yourself.” Catra wanted to say, but she wisely held her tongue.

“We will need as much intelligence as possible before we begin this operation.” Hordak’s gaze moved to Shadow Weaver. “Have your shadow spies located the captives?”

“They have.” Shadow Weaver answered. “They were taken to an ancient prison facility underneath Bright Mountain. Unfortunately, it is protected by some kind of anti-magic field. My spies are unable to breach it.”

“Perhaps if you hadn’t launched that foolish rescue mission, they would still believe their castle to be secure.” Hordak stared daggers into her.

“I…” Shadow Weaver faltered. Catra couldn’t help but grin at the sight.

“No matter.” Hordak continued. “If this mission is to be successful, we will need eyes on the inside of this prison. Someone must infiltrate the facility without the aid of magic, and then return without alerting anyone.”

“With all due respect, that sounds impossible.” Catra objected as respectfully as she could manage.

“At the moment, perhaps.” Hordak acknowledged. “Machines can do many things. I will simply have to create one that can carry out this mission.”

“Won’t that take weeks at the very least? Do we really want to wait that long?” Catra questioned. She immediately regretted opening her mouth when Hordak’s eyes narrowed.

“You are dismissed, both of you.” He said tersely. “I will contact you when my preparations are complete.”

The two duly left his presence. Shadow Weaver didn’t say as much as a word to Catra before floating off to do whatever she did in her spare time, leaving Catra to wander back to the barracks.

Catra’s body functioned on autopilot, with her mind completely consumed by recent events. The whole feral business, finding out about her family, and now losing Adora for the second time. It was a lot to take in within just a couple of days.

She could really use a nap.

Catra blundered into the barracks and plopped down on her cot. She was half-asleep before she heard the sound of the door opening. She swiftly sat up, her eyes widening when she recognized the intruder.

“Hey.” Adora casually waved.

“...Adora?” Catra stood up and slowly approached her in disbelief. “But… Hordak said you were captured.”

“The Rebellion’s guards aren’t very smart.” Adora smirked. “It was easy to trick them and escape. Then it was just a really long walk back.”

“I…” Catra’s eyes narrowed and she feigned a wide smile. “I’m so glad you’re back!”

She moved to embrace Adora, but at the last second, she pulled out her pistol and aimed it at Adora’s head.

“Don’t move.” Catra kept smiling, even as her eyes glistened with murderous intent. “Or they’ll need a mop to clean up what’s left of you.”

“C-Catra?” Adora stared at her, eyes wide with terror. “What are you doing?”

“I don’t know who or what you are, but you’re not Adora. If you want to live, you’ll tell me what you’re doing here. Now.” Catra growled.

“Aww, what gave me away?” Adora grinned, the fear gone from her eyes.

“Your smell, mostly.” Catra replied evenly. Adora smelled like many things, but her doppelganger had no scent at all.

“Shoot, should’ve known a cat lady would be able to sniff me out.” Adora replied, seeming more disappointed than anything.

“What are you doing here?” Catra asked again. “And who the hell are you?”

“Well, kitten, I just happened to be in the neighborhood when I heard the Horde was looking for a spy.” Adora licked her lips creepily. “It just so happens that my last employer met a most violent end.”

“At your hands, I’m guessing?” Catra asked flatly.

“At yours, actually.” Adora shrugged. “Not that I’m angry or anything. He was good in the sack, but not for much else. I can’t say I’ll miss him too much.”

“Huh?” Catra’s face scrunched in confusion. “Who?”

“Maybe this will jog your memory a little.” Adora said ominously. In the blink of an eye, her form completely changed into that of a short, dark skinned woman.

“Remember me?” Secunda grinned wickedly before transforming again, this time into a spindly reptilian creature.

“I guess.” Catra boredly replied. “You were that crying chick from the fortress. Your act needs work, by the way.”

“I’m always open to critique, but you don’t have to be so rude about it.” The shapeshifter crossed their arms and made a pouty face, completely disregarding the firearm still being pointed at them.

“I like being rude.” Catra casually replied. “Now, answer my questions.”

“Okay, okay.” The shapeshifter let out a bored sigh. “I’m a shapeshifter, in case that wasn’t obvious. You can call me…” They briefly paused, as if they had forgotten their own name. “Double Trouble.”

“There’s a long story about where I came from and how I ended up in the Crimson Wastes.” Double Trouble eyed Catra meaningfully. “But you don’t seem like you’d care too much about that.”

“Not even slightly.” Catra nodded.

“Hm.” Double Trouble frowned slightly, but continued on regardless. “Long story short, then, I’m looking for a job, and I know you have an opening.”

“We might.” Catra answered. “But how do we know we can trust you?”

“Look, kitten.” Double Trouble replied condescendingly. “I’m not going to pretend like I care about your stupid war, but if I’m going to get involved, it’s going to be for the winning team. As long as you’re willing to pay me, I’ll be your loyal little minion.”

“Even if I agreed, it’s not my decision to make.” Catra replied, lowering her gun slightly.

“I figured you’d be able to persuade Hordak better than I could.” Double Trouble scratched their shoulder. “I don’t think he’d be very happy about an intruder waltzing up to him and asking him for a job.”

“Probably not.” Catra agreed, holstering her gun. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Splendid.” Double Trouble said in such a way that Catra honestly couldn’t tell if they were being sarcastic or not. “Shall we go talk to him?”

“Yeah.” Catra muttered, walking past Double Trouble and towards the door. Right before she left, she turned and met their eyes.

“Oh, and if you ever pretend to be Adora again, I’ll shove my knife down your throat.” There was no emotion in her voice, only calm certainty.

“I’ll keep that in mind, kitten.” Double Trouble blinked, but showed no signs of fear.

Catra bristled at the nickname, but said nothing. She left the barracks and headed back to Hordak’s throne room with her new acquaintance in tow.

Hordak was slouched on his throne when they arrived, looking rather miserable. He immediately sat upright when he noticed his new visitors.

“What is the meaning of this, Force Captain?” Hordak growled, his eyes flickering to the shapeshifter. “Who is this creature?”

Double Trouble looked mildly offended, but said nothing.

“This is Double Trouble, my lord. He’s a shapeshifter.” Catra explained.

“I’m not a he, but otherwise she speaks the truth, my lord.” Double Trouble bowed extravagantly.

“Prove it.” Hordak tersely ordered.

“As you wish.” Double Trouble transformed into a mirror image of Catra.

“Gah!” Catra instinctively recoiled at the sight of her doppelganger.

Double Catra smirked at the real thing before returning her gaze to Hordak.

“As you can see, I can imitate both a person’s appearance and their voice. I also pride myself on my acting skills. Give me enough time, and I won’t just look like someone. I’ll become them.” Double Catra grinned deviously, ignoring how the real Catra was glaring daggers at her.

“Interesting.” Hordak stared at Double Catra inscrutably. “Your services could prove invaluable. Yet I sense you are not offering them for free.”

“Nothing is free, my lord.” Double Catra replied.

“What do you want?” Hordak bluntly demanded.

“Ah…” Double Catra stared off into the distance dramatically for several seconds. “I want a lot of things. But right now I’ll settle for, let’s say, ten thousand Aura per month.”

“The fuck’s an Aura?” Catra eyed her doppelganger.

“The metallic currency used by the Etherians.” Hordak answered before meeting Double Catra’s eyes. “We have seized much of it over the years. It can all be yours, if you serve me.”

“Ooh, I like the sound of that.” Double Catra rubbed her hands together greedily, causing the real Catra to roll her eyes. “It’s a deal.”

“Could you change back already?” Catra asked irritably.

“Ah, oops. Forgot I was still you.” Double Catra apologized with dubious sincerity before returning to their original form.

“I have a mission for you, shapeshifter.” Hordak walked slowly up to Double Trouble and stared them down. “Should you choose to accept it.”

Double Trouble met Hordak’s gaze with a fearless grin.

“What’s the mission, my lord?” They asked.

“You will take a skiff to the edges of Bright Moon.” Hordak began to explain. “Once there, you will use any means necessary to infiltrate the prison facility underneath the mountain. You will locate the captives they have taken and report your findings using this communicator.”

Hordak handed Double Trouble a small device. It resembled a Force Captain badge, but lacked the Horde sigil.

“Sounds easy.” Double Trouble remarked casually as they put the device in their pocket. “So who am I looking for, exactly?”

“Force Captain Catra can provide that information.” Hordak answered, walking back over to his throne and sitting down. “Once you have sent your report, we will commence the rescue operation. If you feel up to the task, do whatever you can to cause chaos in their ranks.”

“I’m always up for a little chaos.” Double Trouble licked their lips. “When do I leave?”

“As soon as possible.” Hordak replied. “Dismissed.”

Catra and Double Trouble left the throne room and walked towards the hangar bays.

“The blonde and the crab, I remember.” Double Trouble scratched their cheek. “But while I’ve certainly heard of Entrapta, I’ve never had the pleasure of making her acquaintance. Will she be hard to spot?”

“Trust me, she won’t.” Catra glanced at them meaningfully. “Her hair is bigger than you are, and she never, ever shuts up.”

“Hm.” Double Trouble murmured. “Good to know.”

After several minutes, the two arrived at the hangar and walked up to one of the empty skiffs.

“You know how to drive these?” Catra rapped her knuckles against the side of the skiff.

“How do you think I got here?” Double Trouble winked slyly.

“Good, I don’t have to teach you.” Catra didn’t even glance at them as she walked towards the exit.

“Try not to die.” She called out tonelessly before leaving the hangar.

With Double Trouble now on their way to Bright Moon, Catra was eager to take the nap she had been distracted from. Unfortunately, she had only just arrived at the barracks when Hordak’s voice warbled through her badge.

“Come to Hangar Two at once.” He ordered tersely.

As soon as Catra was sure Hordak couldn’t hear her, she let out a loud, exaggerated groan. Once again, she was denied the pleasure of rest.

Catra made her way to Hangar Two, grumbling under her breath all the while. Hordak and Shadow Weaver were already present, standing in front of a menacing Horde gunship. It was identical in appearance to the one they had used in the past, but had the significant advantage of not being a gutted hulk in the Crimson Wastes.

“Force Captain Catra.” Hordak acknowledged as she approached.

“Reporting, my lord.” Catra bowed her head slightly.

Hordak turned to Shadow Weaver.

“You have your orders. I expect them to be carried out to the letter.” His tone was calm, but with just a hint of spite.

“I understand, my lord. It will be done.” Shadow Weaver bowed and quickly left the hangar.

Catra swallowed a lump in her throat. She had been in Hordak’s presence many times, but there had always been someone else there as well. Now that she was alone with him, she felt distinctly uncomfortable.

“So, uh, what are we doing? Erm, my lord?” She asked nervously.

“We are heading to the fringes of Bright Moon.” Hordak informed her as the two walked up the boarding ramp. “As soon as the shapeshifter reports back, we will assault the prison and retrieve the captives.”

There was nobody else in the ship, not even a pilot.

“Wait.” Catra said. “Who’s gonna fly us there?”

“Me.” Hordak replied as if it was obvious. He sat down in the pilot’s chair and began to prepare for takeoff.

“Uh, alright.” Catra hurriedly buckled herself into a passenger seat. Mere seconds later, the gunship blasted out of the hangar at top speed.

Catra spent the first few minutes of the flight doing her best to avoid throwing up. Either Hordak wasn’t a very good pilot or he didn’t care about the comfort of his passengers.

As her nausea faded, she couldn’t help but consider the wisdom - or lack thereof - of Hordak’s plan.

“Uh, not that I want to question your judgement, my lord, but are we really going to attack the heart of the Rebellion by ourselves?” She asked as deferentially as possible.

“The more moving pieces there are, the more likely one of them will break.” Hordak answered gruffly. “If Shadow Weaver fulfills her part of the mission, the Rebellion will be too distracted to offer serious resistance.”

“Erm. Okay.” Catra muttered.

She considered inquiring further, but ultimately decided against it. Irritating Lord Hordak was a fairly reliable way of ending up on Beast Island. That didn’t mean she felt particularly confident about their chances, but fortunately, she had a friend to call on.

Catra hadn’t seen or spoken to Vengeance since the ambush in the forest, but she could feel his presence in the back of her mind. It was soft and unassuming, barely even noticeable, yet constant.

“Hey, Vengeance.” She thought. “You there?”

“The servant is always ready.” The ancient monster’s words echoed through her mind.

“We might need some help with this mission.” Catra continued. “Do whatever you can to hurt the Rebels, but I’d rather if Hordak didn’t find out about you just yet.”

“It shall be.” Vengeance acknowledged.

With their telepathic conversation concluded, Catra could do nothing but wait as Hordak flew them straight into the heart of the enemy.

Glimmer stood in the kitchen, ignoring the surprised looks of the staff as she devoured several strawberry dumplings that had been left over from the earlier feast. She wasn’t the least bit hungry, but the delicious treats provided a welcome distraction from her anger and stress.

“Oh hey, Glimmer- woah.” She heard Bow’s voice and looked up to see him standing at the kitchen door.

“What?” Glimmer asked defensively before swallowing the final bite. Her lips were lined with strawberry jam and her eyes were visibly bloodshot.

“You doing okay?” Bow winced.

“Of course I’m doing okay!” Glimmer walked up to Bow, staring him down. “Why wouldn’t I be doing okay?”

“It’s just… you’re, uh, eating quite a lot.” Bow rubbed the back of his neck.

“What are you, my aunt?” Glimmer growled. “I’m not fat!”

“Not yet.” One of the cooks muttered, causing Glimmer to whirl around.

“I heard that!” She roared in fury. The cook recoiled in fear and duly shut their mouth.

“Glimmer.” Bow said softly. “If there’s something bothering you, we can talk about it.”

Glimmer turned to face him, but pointedly avoided eye contact.

“I told you, I’m fine.” She insisted through gritted teeth.

“Glimmer-” Bow began, only for Glimmer to vanish in a flash of light.

For several seconds, he stared at the empty space where she had previously stood, while the kitchen staff awkwardly returned to their duties. He considered going after Glimmer, but decided against it. If she wanted to be alone, there was no point in pressuring her.

Bow let out a long sigh.

“Hey, guys.” He called out to the kitchen staff. “Do you know where they keep the wine?”

There were no two ways about it. Sea Hawk was bored.

When he had signed up with the Rebellion, he expected a life filled with epic clashes, clever plans, and daring rescues. Villages throwing parties in his honor, maidens and men alike lining up in droves to admire his bravery and excellent physique.

Instead, he was cooped up in a castle, left in reserve like some kind of cheap wine. Sure, the food was wonderful and the Queen in particular was very easy on the eyes, but it took more than gourmet cuisine and a fair host to satisfy Sea Hawk. He needed adventure as much as a horse needed hay.

Wait, did horses actually need hay or did they just like it? He thought about this for much longer than anyone should while he meandered through the castle corridors.

To his surprise, he ended up in front of his bedroom, or rather the guest room he had been granted. He hadn’t meant to come here, and was about to continue wandering down the hallway when he noticed a slip of paper partially wedged underneath his door.

“A message?” He asked aloud, his eyes alight with curiosity. “From who could it be?”

He bent down and plucked the note from the door, gazing intently at the words written upon it. The handwriting was exquisite, princely even. And yet, there was an unmistakable terseness to the message.

Edge of the forest. I won’t wait for long. - M

Sea Hawk’s mouth formed into a toothy grin. It was Mermista, he was certain. No doubt her heart had been torn asunder by his lengthy absence, and she could bear to be apart from him no longer.

He hadn’t even needed to inform his body. It skipped joyfully through the corridors of its own accord, making great haste towards the edge of the Whispering Woods.

The light was just beginning to fade from the sky when Sea Hawk saw the lovely Princess of Salineas. She stood next to a tree, watching him approach with a doe-eyed expression.

“Mermista!” Sea Hawk cried out, tears of joy already forming in his eyes. “My fair Mermista, it has been too long! Has your heart yearned for me, as mine has for you?”

“Oh, yes!” Mermista cried out passionately. “I cannot contain myself any longer! Your absence has been a plague on my heart! Every day, my thoughts are consumed by you! I want you to caress me, to cuddle me, to feed me ice cream and read me your poetry for hours on end!”

Sea Hawk recoiled, staring at Mermista in bewilderment.

“Are… you okay?” He asked, his normal foppish demeanor vanishing entirely for a moment.

“Too much?” Mermista grinned. Her form melted away, replaced with the true form of Double Trouble.

Sea Hawk stared at the shapeshifter in open-mouthed shock for a second before recovering.

“You!” He growled, his eyes narrowing. He instinctively reached for his sword, only to remember too late that he hadn’t brought it.

“Me.” Double Trouble smugly replied. “Long time no see, Hawk. Still pining over that dead fish? Some people just don’t know how to move on.”

“What are you doing here?” Sea Hawk demanded, desperately trying to keep the fear from his voice.

“Oh, I just thought I would see the sights…” Double Trouble casually advanced on Sea Hawk with one arm behind their back. “See some old friends…”

Sea Hawk began backing away, only to trip on a branch and fall gracelessly onto his rear. As he stared up at Double Trouble in shock, their form changed once more. Sea Hawk found himself staring into the cruel, sadistic eyes of Sea Hawk.

“And become them.” Double Hawk’s hidden arm thrust forward, jabbing Sea Hawk with a stun prod. He let out an undignified squeal and collapsed onto his back.

Gasping in pain, Sea Hawk struggled to look up at his assailant. Double Hawk casually sheathed the stun prod and pulled out a length of rope.

“Just like old times, isn’t it?” He remarked while tying up the hapless sailor.

“You craven snake…” Sea Hawk glowered at his double. “You won’t get away with this!”

“I always get away.” Double Hawk stood over him with a smug smirk. “Haven’t you learned that by now?”

With his new disguise, Double Hawk began walking towards the castle, leaving the real Sea Hawk to struggle ineffectually against his bonds.

The guards of Bright Moon Castle were more alert than usual, their eyes peeled for the slightest sign of Horde activity. But Sea Hawk was a member of the Rebellion, if only on paper. Double Hawk entered the castle without getting so much as a second glance from the guards.

Double Trouble had not taken Sea Hawk’s form to gain access to the castle. Taking the form of a faceless guard would have been an effortless endeavour. Indeed, that was the form they had taken to deliver the note to Sea Hawk’s doorstep in the first place.

But Double Trouble wasn’t interested in the easiest path to victory. They wanted a challenge. They wanted to have fun. And they wanted to screw with an old friend.

Stealing Sea Hawk’s identity accomplished all three goals at once. No doubt Double Hawk would not be allowed in any sensitive areas, so he would have to get creative in order to succeed.

Double Hawk wandered down the castle corridors with Sea Hawk’s characteristic gusto. He had heard of the wonders of Bright Moon - who hadn’t - but he had never seen it in person. If anything, he found it rather underwhelming. A lot of glitz and glamour, but very little substance.

No wonder they were losing.

As he approached an intersection in the corridor, Double Hawk’s thought process was violently interrupted when something slammed into his side. He was knocked off his feet and had a fairly unpleasant meeting with the polished floor.

For a brief moment, Double Hawk wondered if he had somehow been caught. He looked up at his assailant, noticing with relief that it was just a sheepish young man.

“Oh! Sorry, Sea Hawk!” Bow’s cheeks looked like they had absorbed half the blood in his body. He extended a hand and helped Double Hawk back to his feet.

“I, uh, I guess I was distracted. Sorry, again.” Bow was noticeably slurring his words. No doubt he’d had a few.

“That’s quite alright.” Double Hawk feigned a smile. “Happens to the best of us.”

“Hey, uh… can I talk to you for a bit?” Bow leaned in conspiratorially.

“Erm.” Double Hawk’s eyes flickered back and forth as he tried to think of a way to disengage without breaking his cover.

“Please?” Bow’s eyes were wide and watery. The saccharine display immediately made Double Hawk feel nauseous.

“Uh… okay.” Double Hawk hesitantly agreed. “What did you want to talk about?”

“Not here.” Bow whispered.

He dragged Double Hawk down the hallways until they came to a large balcony that offered a view of Bright Mountain’s magnificent waterfall. Bow looked around to make sure there was nobody else nearby before he turned back to Double Hawk.

“I know this is weird.” Bow rubbed his hands together nervously. “We haven’t talked much, and honestly, I’m not sure why I asked. But, I don’t know…”

Double Hawk considered jabbing Bow with his stun prod, but held off for the time being.

“It’s Glimmer.” Bow let out a long sigh as he leaned against the railing, staring forlornly at the waterfall. “She just… the stress of everything, the war and all. It’s getting to her, I know it is. But she won’t relax, she won’t even talk to me. Ugh, we’re supposed to be friends!”

Double Hawk stared at him blankly as he rambled on. When he took this mission, he certainly hadn’t expected it would involve a complete stranger pouring his heart out to him.

“What do I do? Do I just let her keep going on like this? Damn it, I wish this war was over!” Bow harshly slammed his hands against the railing, tears falling freely from his eyes.

Several minutes passed. Neither of them said a word or moved from their spots.

“Sorry…” Bow sniffled. “For wasting your time.”

“Um.” Double Hawk managed. “It’s okay.”

“I’m gonna go to bed…” Bow hurriedly left the courtyard, leaving Double Hawk to watch him go in bemusement.

“Well that was weird.” Double Hawk said to himself. “Ah, well.” He shrugged.

With that bizarre distraction out of the way, Double Hawk could return to his mission unimpeded. He continued his nonchalant tour of the castle, making note of every room and person as he did so. It wasn’t strictly part of his mission, but he liked to be prepared.

After the better part of an hour, Double Hawk finally made it to his objective. A long, narrow bridge led from the lower levels of the castle into the innards of the mountain. The hole in the mountain was filled by a large, ancient stone door. Three guards kept a silent vigil in front of it.

The chances of bluffing his way past the guards were slim to none. It was time for a spot of violence, but that would require him to get up close without them realizing his intentions. Almost immediately, he recalled the encounter with Bow.

Of course. Nobody expects the drunk.

“What do you do with a drunken sailor, what do you do with a drunken sailor…” Double Hawk staggered his way down the bridge, singing loudly and completely out of tune.

The guards didn’t move from their posts, but were visibly confused as the seemingly drunken man approached them.

“Hey, guysh, watcha doin out hurr…” Double Hawk slurred, hiccuping.

“This area is restricted. Please return to the castle.” One of the guards stiffly informed him.

“Re.. shtickshted…” Double Hawk murmured, giggling. “I like sticksh…”

“He appears to be severely inebriated. Maybe we should help him?” Another guard suggested.

“Our orders are to stay put and guard this door.” The first guard replied without turning to look at her compatriot. “We are not to leave it for any reason until we are relieved.”

“Ah, relief… I need to relieve myself shomewhere…” Double Hawk continued to stagger forward until he was within melee range of the first guard.

“Stand back from the Queen’s guard, or we will be- gaaah!” The guard’s warning ended in a sharp cry as Double Hawk jammed his stun prod into her abdomen. Her spasming hand relinquished its hold on her staff, allowing Double Hawk to grab it with his free hand while she collapsed to the floor.

“We’re under att-” The second guard attempted to cry out. She was swiftly silenced when Double Hawk jammed the butt of the staff into her throat. She let out a choked gurgle and stumbled backwards off the edge of the bridge.

The third guard swung their staff at Double Hawk’s head. He deftly dodged the strike and took advantage of the brief opportunity to close the distance between him and his target. Wasting no time, he slammed the side of his staff into the guard’s helmet. Now severely dazed, the guard was unable to do anything to stop Double Hawk from calmly shoving her to her death.

Smirking, Double Hawk threw the staff after her before walking over to where the last guard lay on the ground. She struggled to move, still recovering from the effects of the stun prod. Double Hawk yanked the helmet off her head and tossed it aside, allowing him to look her in the eyes.

“Please… don’t kill me…” She pleaded desperately as she looked up at him.

“I don’t do requests, lady.” Double Hawk replied callously. “Give me an incentive and I’ll consider it.”

“You… you can’t get through this door without a code.” She said between gasping breaths. “I can tell you what it is…”

Double Hawk glanced up at the door. Indeed, there was a large stone keypad placed in the center of the door. There were ten keys, each corresponding to a base numeral.

“Okay.” He returned his gaze to the guard. “Spill it.”

“1-2-1-9-8-3.” She hesitantly answered.

Keeping one eye on the tattletale, Double Hawk entered the code into the door. After a few moments, the massive stone slab began to rise, revealing the tunnel beyond.

“You told the truth. How kind of you.” Double Hawk remarked, turning back to the guard.

“Please, let me go…” She whimpered. “You promised you would…”

“I said I’d consider it.” Double Hawk smirked. “And upon further consideration, I think you should join your friends.”

“What? No, plea- aagh!” Her pleas were violently terminated when Double Hawk thrust the stun prod into her stomach. While she writhed helplessly on the ground, he casually used his foot to nudge her body off the side of the bridge.

Double Hawk watched with amusement as her flailing body careened the fifty meters to the ground below. Alas, as much as he wished for more time to admire his handiwork, he was on the clock.

With nothing else in his way, Double Hawk waltzed straight into the Rebellion’s secret prison. The entire facility consisted of narrow, branching tunnels, lined throughout by empty prison cells. Double Hawk wasn’t claustrophobic by any means, but he couldn’t help but feel constrained by the cramped environs.

The narrowness of the tunnels precluded the possibility of hiding from any guards who happened to be patrolling in them. Fortunately, the interior of the facility was sparsely guarded, no doubt to overconfidence on the part of the Rebellion.

Double Hawk prided himself on his excellent sense of direction, but even he spent a lot more time than he would have liked wandering through the winding passages. Eventually, he came across one of the few cells that was presently occupied.

Scorpia was sitting on the floor of her cell, carving stick figures into the stone floor with her claws.

“Hello there.” Double Hawk called out to her. “You are Scorpia, correct?”

“Ooh, is it dinner time?” Scorpia immediately leapt to her feet, staring at Double Hawk eagerly. Her face fell when she realized Double Hawk was not a guard. “Aww, it’s not dinner time, is it…”

“No, it’s rescue time.” Double Hawk raised an eyebrow. “Do you know where the others are?”

“Fraid not.” Scorpia shrugged. “Haven’t seen them since we got captured.”

“Great.” Double Hawk said without sincerity. “Guess I’ll go and find them.”

After a few minutes of wandering, he heard a female voice echoing down the halls. With no other leads, he followed the voice to its source.

“If my analysis of these energy fields is correct, which it is with a 0.004% margin of error, then this facility is approximately nine hundred and seventy-six years old! Fascinating!”

Entrapta hung from the ceiling of her cell, her hair tendrils gripping the walls on either side. The lack of a conversation partner did not impede her endless chattering.

“The crude nature of these tunnels indicates this facility was most probably not a First Ones construction, but built shortly after their departure from Etheria. Perhaps it was intended to contain prisoners from the Civil War? Must investigate further.”

Catra’s description had been brief and less than flattering, but Double Hawk couldn’t fault it for accuracy.

“Ahem.” He cleared his throat. “Princess Entrapta, I presume?”

“Ooh, a visitor!” Entrapta plopped down from the ceiling and excitedly ran up to the energy field. “Are you here to help me study this facility? I’ve asked the guards, but they won’t say anything to me.”

“Uh… not exactly.” Double Hawk scratched the side of his neck. “Look, do you know where Adora is?”

“Nope!” Entrapta cheerily exclaimed.

“Okay, then.” Double Hawk swiftly moved on, not wanting to spend any more time around the strange woman than he had to.

Despite the prison’s confusing layout and the lack of directions, Double Hawk quickly managed to locate the last prisoner.

Adora paced back and forth within the confines of her cell, her mouth twisted in a grimace and her eyes pointed firmly at the floor. Only when Double Hawk stood up right next to the energy field did she stop and look up at him.

“Nice moustache.” She snorted derisively. “You grow that on purpose?”

“It’s not mine, actually.” Double Hawk smiled. “I’m just borrowing it.”

Adora cocked her head quizzically.

“I have no idea what that means.” She flatly replied.

“Explanations can wait.” Double Hawk pulled the badge from his pocket and brought it up to his mouth. “Can anyone hear me?”

There was no response.

“You, uh, have to press it first.” Adora awkwardly informed him.

“I knew that.” Double Hawk gave her a dirty look as he pressed the badge. “Ahem. Can anyone hear me?”

“Who is this?” Lord Hordak’s irritated voice emanated from the badge.

“Oh, right.” Double Hawk had forgotten that he was currently speaking with Sea Hawk’s voice. “Sorry, my lord, I’m someone else at the moment. I found the prisoners, though. They’re unguarded for the moment, but I don’t know for how long.”

“I will be there shortly.” Hordak succinctly replied, terminating the connection without waiting for a reply.

“Rude.” Double Hawk frowned at the badge before returning it to his pocket.

“Don’t worry, he’s like that with everyone.” Adora reassured him. “Can you get me out of here?”

“Would if I could, sweetheart.” Double Hawk shrugged. “But I have no idea how to open these things. You’ll just have to wait for your boss to get here. Speaking of which… be right back.” He abruptly dashed down the hallway.

“Wonderful.” Adora sighed.

The Horde gunship was situated in a small, raised clearing, only a few kilometers away from Bright Moon Castle itself. Hordak and Catra stood just beyond the boarding ramp, giving them an excellent, if unappreciated, view of the castle illuminated against the night sky.

Having just finished his conversation with his new spy, Hordak turned his gaze to Catra.

“Come, Force Captain.” He walked up the boarding ramp, his cape billowing dramatically behind him. “We have no time to waste.”

“Yes, my lord.” Catra dutifully followed him back into the ship and quickly strapped herself in.

Hordak sat down in the pilot’s chair and pressed his armband.

“Commence the attack.” He tersely ordered. Immediately afterward, he took the controls, flying the gunship low to the ground in an attempt to avoid detection as they approached the Rebellion’s primary stronghold.

Glimmer sat on the roof of one of Bright Moon’s many towers, glumly staring at the forest below. She had spent the last several hours there, ruminating over her mother’s intransigence.

After all this time, it was nothing short of ridiculous that Angella still took the Horde so lightly. When would she realize it was time to get serious? Would that ever even happen? And if it didn’t, how could the Rebellion ever hope to win?

Movement near the treeline caught Glimmer’s eye, distracting her from her thoughts. For a second, she thought it was just a trick of the light, or perhaps a wild animal. As she looked closer, her heart nearly stopped as she saw something that should have been impossible.

An entire Horde army had broken through the Whispering Woods. At least a hundred soldiers and droids, along with a dozen tanks, were now marching straight towards the castle.

Glimmer leapt to her feet with a growl. If the Horde were going to attack her home, they would be going home in pieces.

The advancing Horde army provided more than sufficient distraction to allow Hordak to pilot the gunship over the bridge which connected the castle and the prison. Unfortunately, the narrow width of the bridge precluded a proper landing.

“Uh, how are we supposed to land here?” Catra asked.

“We are not.” Hordak pressed several more buttons. He stood up from the pilot’s chair and walked over to the boarding ramp, opening it while the ship was still hovering a half meter above the bridge.

“Uh… what are you doing?” Catra stared at Hordak with a mixture of surprise and concern.

“The ship will remain in this position until we return.” Hordak tersely explained, keeping his gaze on the bridge the entire time. “We must make haste.”

Hordak promptly disembarked, landing with a loud clanking sound on the bridge below. With a shrug, Catra followed suit, landing easily beside him.

The massive stone door that protected the prison remained ajar, and there was no sign that the Rebellion was aware of their presence. The frontal assault seemed to be paying off quite well.

As Hordak and Catra approached the open door, an unfamiliar man rushed towards them. Catra instinctively unholstered her pistol and aimed it at the man’s head.

“Stop right there! Who are you?” She shouted.

“You know who I am, kitten.” Double Hawk gave her a suggestive wink.

Catra rolled her eyes and holstered her weapon.

“Where are they?” Hordak demanded, in even less of a mood for games than usual.

“Right this way, my lord.” Double Hawk beckoned them forth. The two followed him through the veritable maze that the Rebellion called a prison, the narrow width of the tunnels forcing them to walk in single file.

When they reached Scorpia’s cell, she had returned to drawing stick figures on the floor, barely even seeming to notice her new visitors at first.

“How primitive.” Hordak contemptuously assessed the energy field.

“I don’t see an off switch.” Catra remarked as she looked around.

“Hmph.” Hordak rubbed his hands together. He stood in front of the shield, forming his right hand into a fist and thrusting it into the barrier. It may as well have been constructed from cotton candy for how little it was able to resist the power of Hordak’s cybernetic appendage.

“Neat.” Catra smirked, as the shield flickered and died.

“Force Captain Scorpia.” Hordak addressed the newly freed prisoner, who quickly stood up and gave him an awkward salute.

“Present and accounted for, my lord!” Scorpia replied stiffly, sounding almost embarrassed.

“Fall in.” He ordered. He briefly glanced over the crude drawings, scowling at the sight before moving on.

Double Hawk took them to Entrapta’s cell. The Princess had latched onto the rear wall of the cell while continuing to engage in vibrant conversation with herself. Her chattering abruptly ceased when she saw Hordak through the energy barrier.

“...Hordak?” Her eyes widened in shock. So thorough was her surprise that her hair tendrils detached from the walls, causing her to land gracelessly on her rump. “Ouch!”

“Entrapta.” Hordak’s tone wavered as he said her name.

Entrapta quickly recovered from her fall and ran up to the energy field, pressing her face into it and staring Hordak in the eyes.

“You came for me!” She smiled tearfully. “I didn’t know if you would…”

“Oh, for the love of…” Catra muttered under her breath, crossing her arms and refusing to look at the cloying scene. Double Hawk similarly winced at the sight, while Scorpia was much more sentimental, silently wiping tears from her eyes with a claw.

“I… I mean, the Horde needs your expertise.” Hordak stammered slightly. “Now, stand back.”

Entrapta cocked her head in confusion, but did as she was told. Once again, Hordak smashed his fist through the barrier. It did not hold up any better than Scorpia’s had, and within a few seconds the Princess of Dryl was a prisoner no longer.

“Yay!” Entrapta charged into Hordak’s arms, enveloping him in an affectionate embrace. “You’re the best, Hordak!”

“I…” Hordak stammered, his cheeks brightening. “We really do not have the time for this.”

“Oh, right.” Entrapta sheepishly released him.

“Take us to the last prisoner.” Hordak’s gaze moved to Double Hawk, who nodded in acknowledgement.

The shallow bay that separated Bright Moon Castle from the edge of the Whispering Woods was known - and named for - its placid harmony. Tonight, however, Harmony Bay would be anything but harmonious.

The Horde army, having breached the Woods, advanced rapidly into the shallows. If they thought that by attacking at such a late hour that they would catch the Rebellion off guard, they were sorely mistaken.

Glimmer strode forward to meet the invaders, flanked by Spinnerella and Netossa. Behind them marched the virtual entirety of the Bright Moon Guard, just under a hundred strong.

There were two conspicuous absences in the rebel line. Bow was presently sleeping off the effects of copious amounts of liquor, while Angella was nowhere to be found.

Glimmer gritted her teeth in anger at the thought. The Horde was literally at their doorstep and still she shirked from battle.

So be it, then. The Princesses would simply have to do what the Queen would not.

“Charge!” Glimmer roared, leaping into the fray and flinging bolts of light at the first rank of Horde goons. The Bright Moon Guards charged forward with a raucous roar, their staves couched.

While the lines crashed into each other, Spinnerella summoned a mighty gust of wind and sent it straight at one of the Horde tanks. The tank was flung into the air by the impact, landing gruesomely on an entire squad of soldiers. Spinnerella spared a second to wince at the sight, but quickly returned her attention to the battle.

Ultimately, the forces of the Horde proved no match for the Rebellion. Their line was rapidly driven back, their soldiers sustaining heavy casualties while inflicting few to none. Even their great tanks were easily reduced to scrap metal by the Princesses’ magic.

Glimmer smirked, her hands placed confidently on her hips as she stood amidst the remains of what had been a mighty army only a few minutes prior. Half of the Horde host had been killed outright, with the remainder being bound in Netossa’s energy nets.

“That was easy.” Netossa remarked, walking up to Glimmer’s side.

“The Horde’s arrogance will be the end of them.” Glimmer proudly asserted.

“No, I mean… that was way too easy.” Netossa clarified. “I mean, look at our guys.”

She gestured towards the Bright Moon Guards, most of whom were milling around waiting for orders while the rest watched over the captured Horde soldiers.

“We didn’t lose anyone.” Netossa pointed out. “Hell, I don’t think any of ‘em were even scratched. Something’s wrong here.”

“You… hrm.” Glimmer began to retort, but stopped. Frowning, she walked over to the nearest captured soldier. Like all of the others, he was clad in full body armor and a face concealing helmet.

“What are you doing here?” She angrily demanded. The soldier said nothing.

Huffing, Glimmer yanked the man’s helmet off his head, only for the helmet to evaporate in her hand. The soldier swiftly followed suit, along with the rest of the Horde army. In a matter of seconds, the only trace of the battle was the rebels looking around in confusion.

“What the fuck?” Netossa’s crude question spoke for everyone present.

“They… they weren’t real!” Glimmer exclaimed. She turned to Netossa, her eyes widening in realization. “All of this was just a distraction, and we fell for it!”

“Why would they…” Netossa scowled as she figured out the answer. “The prisoners.”

“Damn it!” Glimmer clenched her fists. “Come on, you two! We need to get up there!”

Netossa and Spinnerella quickly joined their hands with Glimmer, and the three vanished.

Adora sat on her bed, staring blankly at the barrier as she waited to be rescued. She expected to see Catra, or perhaps Shadow Weaver. Never in a million years would she have expected that Hordak would undertake this mission personally.

“Lord Hordak?” She recoiled in surprise when she saw him through the energy field.

Hordak responded by thrusting his fist through the barrier and disabling it, causing Adora’s eyes to widen even further.

“Am I dreaming?” She asked quietly, genuinely uncertain.

“We are leaving, with or without you.” Hordak growled, having little tolerance for inane questions at the best of times.

“Okay, I get it.” Adora quickly stood up and walked out of her cell, following Double Trouble along with everyone else.

She smiled faintly when she saw Catra, but said nothing. Even disregarding the dangerous situation they were presently in, she preferred if Hordak didn’t know about their romantic lives. Catra appeared to feel the same way, judging by how she also refrained from interacting.

The impromptu conga line quickly made its way out of the prison and back on to the bridge. While still relatively narrow, the bridge was wide enough to allow them to spread out.

“It is only a matter of time before the Rebellion grows wise to our trickery.” Hordak remarked. “We must leave immediately.”

The Horde team quickly ran towards the gunship, which was still hovering above the bridge. There was no apparent indication that they had been discovered, and for a scant moment it seemed as if they would be able to escape without any trouble.

Mere seconds before they could make it to the boarding ramp, a blinding light emanated from the vessel, forcing everyone to cover their eyes or look away.

“What…” Adora groaned, holding an arm over her eyes. “What’s happening…”

“A clever plan, Lord Hordak.” Queen Angella’s voice seemed to come from every direction at once. “But not clever enough.”

Suddenly, as if propelled by a rocket, the gunship was flung violently off the bridge. It sailed off into the distance, impacting one of the mountains on the opposite end of Harmony Bay with a glorious explosion.

With the gunship no longer blocking their view, they could now see Queen Angella standing before them. Her expression was calm, but the determination in her eyes was unmistakable.

Hordak and his three Force Captains stood their ground, while Entrapta and Double Hawk wisely backed away from the immortal monarch.

“It is good that you have come here.” Angella remarked, her eyes meeting Hordak’s. “When the rest of the Horde learns of your defeat, they will crumble. Etheria will finally know peace again.”

“Bah.” Hordak growled. “Your pathetic magic won’t save you. Etheria belongs to the Horde, and there is nothing you or any of your worthless minions can do about it.”

Angella’s gaze moved to Double Hawk. There was a hint of anger present in her voice, despite her attempt to project a facade of serenity.

“Sea Hawk, I believe it was.” Angella looked over Adora’s shoulder at him, her eyes boring into his. “I granted you sanctuary in my home, and you repay me by murdering my subjects and aiding my enemies?”

“What can I say? The Horde pays better.” Double Hawk shrugged. He couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of making Sea Hawk a wanted criminal again.

For barely a second, Angella’s mouth twisted into a scowl.

“Even after all you’ve done, I have no desire to hurt you. Any of you.” Angella stated, her eyes flickering to each of them in turn. “Surrender. Please.”

“I am a scion of Horde Prime. I surrender only to death.” Hordak declared, meeting Angella’s benevolent gaze with defiant crimson eyes.

“Then you leave me no choice!” Angella’s serenity gave way to righteous indignation as she shouted, opening her grand wings and propelling herself ten meters above the bridge.

Immediately afterward, she used her magic to blast the section of the bridge she had just been standing on. The ancient stone was torn asunder, chunks of masonry raining to the ground below while a cloud of rocky dust obscured the scene.

The dust cleared after a few moments, revealing a massive gap in the bridge that even Catra would have had a hard time clearing.

Hordak stared up at Angella, completely unmoved.

“If you were as powerful as your followers claim, this war would have ended long ago.” His voice was raised slightly, but his tone was otherwise flat. “Unless, of course, you are simply a coward.”

Angella’s response did not come in the form of words. Her face set in divine fury, she raised her hands, sending forth a massive beam of light straight into Hordak and his minions. The light did not abate, and in fact seemed to increase in intensity every second.

Hordak raised his arms to protect his eyes, struggling to resist Angella’s unsurpassed power while his companions collapsed to the ground behind him, screaming in agony.

The combination of every injury Adora had ever experienced could not even come close to how much agony she was presently in. Even with her eyes slammed shut, the light was truly and literally blinding. After a few seconds, she could see nothing at all.

Yet even after her eyes failed her, her torment only grew. Adora knew of nothing to compare it to. If she did, she might have likened it to being bathed in boiling oil. She could barely think at all, her mind dulled by the terrible pain. All she wanted in that moment was for it to stop.

She got her wish.

Chapter Text

Glimmer and her companions appeared at the door to what had moments earlier been the bridge between the castle and the mountain prison. To their surprise, they saw Queen Angella hovering over a massive gap in the bridge, staring at the prison’s open door. There was no sign of the prisoners or their would-be rescuers.

“Mom!” Glimmer called out, causing Angella to turn around. When she saw her daughter, she slowly glided down to the impromptu balcony. The three backed away to give her enough room to land.

“Mom, what happened? Why is the bridge destroyed? Where are the prisoners?” Glimmer asked in rapid fire succession as soon as her mother landed.

“They managed to escape.” Angella soberly explained. “I’m not certain how, but I assume dark magic was in play.”

“What? You mean, they got away? All of them?” Glimmer didn’t even bother to hide her outrage.

“I’m afraid so.” Angella sighed.

“I can’t believe this!” Glimmer turned away, throwing her hands up in anger. “We actually managed to capture three of the Horde’s top goons, only for you to practically hand them back over! Is that what you meant by ‘handling it’? Because if so, mission fucking accomplished!”

Netossa and Spinnerella shared an uncomfortable glance, unnerved by Glimmer’s outburst.

“Glimmer…” Angella said softly.

“Agh! Just leave me alone!” Glimmer growled, disappearing immediately afterward.

An awkward silence ensued for a few seconds.

“I’m sure she doesn’t mean that, Your Majesty.” Spinnerella tried to reassure her.

“Of course.” Angella answered tepidly. “I must attend to the funeral preparations. Excuse me.”

The Queen disappeared before waiting for an answer.

She hadn’t lied to them, exactly. She fully intended to oversee the funeral ceremony of her slain guards, but first there was another matter that needed to be dealt with. One she had been putting off for far too long.

The Northern Wastes were as hospitable as ever when Queen Angella appeared in front of the ancient tower. The six Royal Guards at the door immediately pointed their staves at her, only to relax as soon as they recognized their monarch.

“Your Majesty.” The guards bowed in unison, although only one of them spoke. “What can we do for you?”

“I’m here to relieve you. Your willingness to carry out this unpleasant task is greatly appreciated, but no longer necessary.” Angella replied evenly.

“I… thank you, but are you sure that’s wise? What if the Horde returns?” The guard asked.

“That is my concern, not yours.” Angella cryptically answered. “Now, come with me.”

With noticeable reluctance, the guards approached their sovereign, each one placing a hand on her arms. In the blink of an eye, they vanished, returning to Bright Moon.

Angella, however, remained behind.

When she returned from the Wastes, Angella saw to the souls of Sea Hawk’s victims. It was a ritual she had performed truly countless times over the last millennium. Despite that, the pain of losing her subjects to pointless violence never seemed to dull.

When it was finally over, and their souls had been returned to the Moonstone, Angella retired to her chambers, eager to end what had been a thoroughly miserable day.

Unfortunately for the exhausted monarch, her sleep that night was just as poor as the day itself had been. She had barely gotten a few hours of rest by the time light began to filter through her windows.

Any hope of sleeping in was dashed when Angella heard someone knock loudly on her door. She grimaced with irritation, but quickly put on a mask of courtesy.

“Come in.” She called out as she stood up.

The door opened and Glimmer walked in, quickly closing the door behind her. She looked much more disheveled than usual, clearly having had no more luck with sleep than Angella had.

“Ah, Glimmer.” Angella put on a maternal smile. She suppressed the urge to tell Glimmer to leave her alone and let her sleep some more. “What can I do for you?”

“Hey, Mom.” Glimmer said without enthusiasm. She started pacing around Angella’s room, barely sparing her mother a glance.

“Is something wrong?” Angella’s smile slowly died.

“Look, I’m uh, sorry about earlier.” Glimmer said. Her flat tone and unwillingness to meet Angella’s eyes made her sincerity questionable. “I just… this isn’t working. What we’re doing, I mean. I just think we need a change of plans.”

“We’ve been over this, Glimmer.” Angella sighed, unable to hide her exhaustion. “If we stoop to the Horde’s level in order to defeat them, the Horde will have won anyway.”

“For fuck’s sake, Mom!” Glimmer whirled around to glare at Angella, any pretense of contrition evaporating instantly. “I’m not saying we should start enslaving people and torturing prisoners! I’m just saying we need to take the fight to them for a change!”

“We tried that, once.” Angella’s voice trembled slightly at the memory.

“It ended… badly, I know.” Glimmer took a deep breath to calm herself. “But you and I both know that if we don’t try again, it’s only a matter of time before the Horde makes it past the Woods and puts an end to the Rebellion for good.”

“Even with all the Princesses united, we were swept aside like insects. Can we really defeat the Horde in open battle with only Plumeria by our side?” Angella asked despondently.

“Probably not.” Glimmer admitted. “But I wasn’t suggesting an open battle.”

“Then what are you suggesting?” Angella raised her eyebrows.

“We use speed and stealth to our advantage.” Glimmer explained eagerly. “With our teleportation magic, we can get behind their lines and sow chaos in their ranks. Destroying supplies and vehicles, ambushing patrols, anything we can do to injure and demoralize them.”

“That may work for a time, but it would not be long before the Horde adapted.” Angella murmured.

“Then we’ll adapt faster.” Glimmer clenched her fist for emphasis. “We’ll change up our tactics regularly, so that they’ll never know what we’ll hit and how.”

“You’ve thought a lot about this, haven’t you?” Angella asked with a faint smile.

“I have.” Glimmer nodded, her conviction more than evident. “We might not be able to destroy the Horde, but maybe we can do enough damage to convince the other Princesses that this fight isn’t hopeless after all.”

“It’s a bold plan.” Angella remarked. She turned away from Glimmer and walked over to the balcony, staring out at the early morning sky. “A very dangerous one, too.”

“No more so than sitting here and waiting to die.” Glimmer pointed out.

“No… I suppose not.” There was a slight degree of hesitation to Angella’s admission. She turned around to face Glimmer again. “Still, perhaps there is another way-”

The sound of someone slamming on the door interrupted their conversation.

“Your Majesty!” Someone shouted through the door, their anxiety readily apparent through their voice alone.

Angella swiftly teleported to the door and opened it, while Glimmer stood behind her.

It was one of the Royal Guards, sans helmet and staff. She panted heavily, presumably having ran all the way through the castle.

“What is it?” Angella and Glimmer looked at the guard inquisitively.

“We’ve just received a report. The Horde has attacked Elberon and Alwyn!” The guard explained between gasping breaths.

“What, another raid?” Glimmer wondered.

“No…” The guard briefly hesitated. “Elberon has been completely destroyed.”

Glimmer visibly tensed up, while Angella seemed almost resigned.

“Casualties?” Angella inquired.

“Elberon was evacuated in time. They should arrive here in a few days.” The guard explained.

“That’s good…” Glimmer let out a sigh of relief.

“What about Alwyn?” Angella stared at the guard pointedly.

“I… we don’t know. We haven’t received any word from them since the original message about the attack.” The guard reluctantly admitted.

Angella shared a meaningful glance with Glimmer before returning her gaze to the guard.

“Thank you. You are dismissed.” She said tersely. The guard bowed and quickly walked away.

“We need to check up on them. They could be in trouble.” Glimmer insisted.

“That’s exactly what we are going to do.” Angella took Glimmer’s hand. The two vanished from the throne room, appearing on the outskirts of Alwyn.

Or rather, what had once been Alwyn.

It was not the burned out buildings or the ravaged farmlands that shocked Glimmer. She was all too familiar with what the Horde did to villages that refused to surrender. But even then, the majority of the citizens were typically spared.

Alwyn had been shown no such mercy. The bodies of the citizens lay strewn across the ground, slaughtered without regard to age or gender. The scent of charred wood mixed with the stench of burned and rotting flesh, with the resulting miasma blanketing the entire area.

“No…” Glimmer’s breath hitched.

Angella said nothing. She gazed upon the scene with the somber stoicism of one who had witnessed far too many like it.

“We… we need to look for survivors. Maybe someone…” Glimmer trailed off, choking back tears. Even as she said it, she knew it was pointless.

“They’re gone, Glimmer.” Angella replied softly, shaking her head. “All we can do is make sure their souls become one with the light.”

“That’s…” Glimmer glared at her mother, clenching her fists. “That’s not all we can do! We need to make the Horde pay for this! For all they’ve done! We can’t just keep waiting for their next move!”

“Glimmer, please.” Angella tried to interject.

“Don’t ‘Glimmer, please’ me!” Glimmer snarled. “You’ve had almost forty years to end this war, and you’ve failed miserably! Maybe it’s about time someone else has a turn, huh?”

“What exactly are you saying?” Angella’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m saying maybe we need a new Queen!” Glimmer’s voice seemed to echo through the desolate village.

Silence ruled for several tense moments as Angella stared at Glimmer with unmasked surprise. The Queen quickly recovered, returning to her normal stoic demeanor.

“As I have told you before, you are not ready.” Angella began her usual tired spiel, one which Glimmer had heard a thousand variations of by now. “The power I wield and the responsibilities I hold are far too much for someone as young as you. One day, when you are older, perhaps-”

“With you in charge, I’ll never get the chance!” Glimmer bitterly retorted. “You’re just going to keep letting the Horde bulldoze our settlements and butcher our people, until the day they finally bypass the Woods and burn Bright Moon to the ground!”

“That’s enough!” Angella shouted, her nostrils flaring as she towered over her daughter. “Do you want to be grounded, young lady?”

“That’s your answer to everything, Mom!” Glimmer glared up at her. “It’s too bad you can’t ground Hordak. Maybe then Dad would still be alive!”

The accusation may as well have been a javelin for how easily it pierced Angella’s heart. For a few moments, she simply stared at Glimmer blankly, her eyes glistening with newly formed tears.

Glimmer’s fury was rapidly replaced by remorse when she saw the grief on her mother’s face.

“Mom… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.” She said softly.

“It’s okay…” Angella smiled sadly. “You don’t need to lie.”

“I didn’t…” Glimmer weakly insisted.

“You’re right to blame me.” Angella walked over to where the barely recognizable corpse of a child lay decomposing on the dirt. Glimmer’s eyes followed her, but her body stayed put.

“All of this, all the death and suffering, is because of me.” Angella lamented. “Because of my failures.”

“That’s not true! Hordak’s to blame for this, not you!” Glimmer objected as she walked up to her mother’s side.

Angella let out a short, mirthless chuckle.

“Do you want to know the real reason I don’t want you to be Queen?” She asked without looking up. “I don’t want you to become like me.”

“I’m not sure I understand…” Glimmer muttered, her brow furrowing.

“You’re everything I’m not, Glimmer.” Angella shifted her gaze, allowing her to see Glimmer out of the corner of her eye. “Brave, energetic, tenacious. When you see this, you want to stop it. I see this, and hope only to delay it.”

There were many things Glimmer considered saying in response, but ultimately she said none of them.

“You are right.” Angella turned to face Glimmer fully, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “I am leading our people to destruction through inaction. If Bright Moon - no, if Etheria is to survive, it needs a leader willing to do whatever is necessary to save it.”

Angella paused for a moment.

“That leader isn’t me.” She said quietly. “Not anymore.”

“What are you saying?” Glimmer stepped back slightly in surprise.

“Come with me.” Angella bade, extending a hand to Glimmer. She didn’t immediately take it, instead looking at her mother in confusion.

“Please.” Angella added. Glimmer nodded and took her hand.

The ruins of Alwyn disappeared from view, replaced with a gentle glow as they stood before the Moonstone.

“What’s going on?” Glimmer asked. She had her suspicions, of course, but they all seemed ridiculous.

Without answering, Angella turned to the Moonstone and calmly placed her hands on the ancient orb. A golden stream of magic, tinted with violet, flowed from her body into the stone, visibly sapping her energy as it did so.

“Mom?” Glimmer’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

After a few more seconds, Angella removed her hands from the Moonstone.

“Ah…” She muttered, placing a hand to her head in fatigue.

“Mom?” Glimmer couldn’t keep the panic from her voice. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Glimmer.” Angella reassured her with a weak smile.

“What did you do?” Glimmer demanded.

“Try to recharge.” Angella cryptically answered.

Glimmer gave her mother an odd look. She considered asking Angella for clarification, but ultimately decided to just do as she said. With noticeable hesitation, she placed her hands on the Moonstone.

Glimmer had always had a difficult time trying to explain how the process of recharging felt like to people - mostly Bow - who had never been connected with a runestone. The best she managed was comparing it to filling up a bucket of water, except the water was pure energy and the bucket was her own body. It wasn’t a great analogy, but it approximated the sensation, at least.

But this? This was very different. It wasn’t filling up a bucket of water so much as dunking the contents of an entire lake on that bucket, and then having the bucket somehow be able to hold it all.

The feeling of so much power flowing through her body was almost intoxicating. The only thing that came close was when she had first linked with the Moonstone as a child, and even that paled in comparison.

She couldn’t help but grin.

“This is amazing!” Glimmer cheered.

“It is, isn’t it?” Angella replied with a melancholic smile.

In her magic-fueled ecstasy, Glimmer began joyfully teleporting around the Moonstone, giggling like a toddler the entire time. Angella stood still, waiting patiently for her to finish.

After several minutes, the euphoria began to dim and Glimmer regained her senses. Immediately, she appeared in front of her mother, blushing in embarrassment.

“Sorry, I guess I got carried away.” She mumbled in contrition.

“That’s quite alright.” Angella kindly answered.

“Wait…” Glimmer’s face fell in realization. “If you gave me your powers, doesn’t that mean you’re not… y’know?”

“No.” Angella shook her head. “I still have half of the Moonstone’s power. The rest is yours.”

“Half…” Glimmer quietly repeated in disbelief. “You really think I’m ready for this?”

“Nobody can ever be ready for something like this, Glimmer.” Angella placed a hand on Glimmer’s shoulder and stared deeply into her eyes. “We just do the best we can, and hope it’s enough.”

“I… I don’t know…” Glimmer stammered. For years, she had been asking for this, practically begging for it. But then, she had never truly expected her mother to give in.

“If you wait for certainty, you’ll be waiting forever.” Angella said softly. “I do not know if you can save us, but I do know this. If you can’t, then no one else will.”

“No pressure, huh?” Glimmer joked in an futile attempt to relieve the tension.

“This is the burden of leadership.” Angella sagely remarked. “If you do not wish to accept it, you can return your new power and we can forget this conversation ever happened.”

Glimmer turned her gaze to the Moonstone. For a time, she said nothing as she watched the ancient orb fizzle and crackle with eldritch energy.

Glimmer’s thoughts were riddled with doubt. For all she attempted to project a facade of confidence, she had always lived in the shadow of her immortal mother. Every single triumph in her life came with the knowledge that it would be a pale shadow in comparison to the immutable glory of Queen Angella.

She wasn’t worthy. She couldn’t do this. She would fall, and the Rebellion would fall with her.

There was no one else worthy. No one else was willing to try. The Rebellion would fall regardless.

There was nothing to lose.

Glimmer turned back to Angella, her eyes filled with somber determination.

“I accept.” She declared.

It was uncommon for more than a dozen people to be in Bright Moon’s throne room at any given time. It was nearly unheard for it to be occupied by more than a hundred people.

Every member of the Royal Guard, save for a handful who continued their watch duty, were present and accounted for, standing stiffly in rows. Netossa and Spinnerella stood near the front, sharing expressions of uncertainty. All eyes were glued forward at the presently empty throne, waiting for the Queen to arrive.

They did not have to wait long. With a flash of magic, Queen Angella appeared in front of her throne. At the same time, Glimmer appeared at the entrance to the throne room, watching the Queen along with everyone else.

“Guardians of Bright Moon.” Angella began, her voice easily traversing the great chamber. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I have summoned you like this.”

She paused for a few seconds, as if waiting for a reply.

“The truth is, the fate of Etheria rests on a knife’s edge. Despite a few minor victories, the Horde’s advance continues without restraint. Since our defeat at the Black Forest, it has been my strategy to delay them as long as possible. I hoped that we might be able to convince the other Princesses to rejoin the Alliance, or perhaps find some other way to defeat the Horde.”

Angella clenched her jaw.

“I can delude myself no longer. It has done nothing except allow the Horde to advance almost unchecked through our lands. If there remains any chance of defeating them, it will not happen by hiding behind the Whispering Woods.”

A low murmur of surprise spread through the assembled guards. Angella waited for it to die down before she continued.

“The position of General is the highest military rank of our kingdom. It was last held by my husband before his… his death.” She repressed the desire to avert her gaze from her soldiers. “Perhaps it is only fitting that this day has come.”

“Glimmer, step forward.” Angella called out.

Dutifully, Glimmer walked down the narrow aisle that separated the rows of soldiers. She noticed many of them sneaking glances at her as she passed, causing her to feel abnormally self-consciousness. She did her best to put her nervousness aside as she knelt before the Queen.

“Princess Glimmer, Commander of Bright Moon.” Angella formally addressed her. “Do you swear to protect this kingdom and its citizens? To stand for all that is right and just, even in the face of the greatest darkness?”

“On my life and immortal soul, I swear it.” Glimmer declared.

“Then rise, Princess Glimmer, General of Bright Moon!” Angella’s shout echoed throughout the throne room. Glimmer promptly obeyed, standing tall and proud.

“Is there anything you would like to say to your new soldiers, General?” Angella asked, glancing at Glimmer.

“There is.” Glimmer turned to the assembled warriors of Bright Moon.

“The Horde’s had it easy for a long time now.” She began. “They’ve been stepping on us for years without having to worry about getting stepped on in return. That ends today.”

Glimmer paused for a moment.

“The Horde is too strong to face in a pitched battle. We learned that the hard way. So instead, we’re going to play dirty. With the Moonstone on our side, we can hit wherever we want, whenever we want. While Hordak’s fixing one mess, we’ll be free to create another.”

An agreeable murmur rose from the crowd.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. Anyone who comes on these missions may not come back. I’ll do everything I can to ensure that doesn’t happen, but even the Moonstone can only do so much.”

Glimmer took a short breath.

“I know what I’m asking of you, and I won’t force any of you to join me. I’ll go by myself if I have to. If any of you do not wish to participate, you may return to your duties at once.”

The challenge to their dignity could hardly be considered subtle, but it was nonetheless effective. Roughly two dozen of the soldiers sheepishly left the throne room, but the remainder - including Spinnerella and Netossa - remained where they were.

“Very well.” Glimmer nodded. “Before we can begin, I’ll need to know if you can really handle yourselves out there. The day after tomorrow, we shall be hosting a tournament. Those who perform the best will join me, while the rest will remain behind to protect Bright Moon.”

“That is all.” Glimmer finished. “Dismissed.”

The remaining soldiers filed out in an orderly manner. Glimmer barely managed to wait for the last one to leave before she deflated with a massive exhale.

“Sheesh. Thought my heart was gonna explode there.” She remarked, placing a hand to her furiously beating chest.

“You did just fine, Glimmer.” Angella reassured her.

“Woo, this is awesome!” Netossa rushed up to Glimmer without regard for decorum, while Spinnerella attempted in vain to stop her. “We’re finally going to kick the Horde in the balls for a change!”

“Darling!” Spinnerella chastised her. “You can’t say things like that in front of the Queen!”

“Oh, crap.” Netossa’s grin vanished. She bowed before Angella. “I, uh, apologize for my coarse language, Your Majesty.”

Glimmer held back a snort, while Angella regarded Netossa with a bemused expression.

“You are forgiven.” She replied curtly before teleporting away.

“Cool.” Netossa stood back up and turned to Glimmer as if nothing happened. “So you’re a General now, huh? How does it feel?”

“Honestly?” Glimmer grimaced, rubbing her shoulder. “Not great.”

“Weight of the world on your shoulders, eh?” Netossa elbowed Glimmer playfully.

“Something like that.” Glimmer flatly answered.

“Hey…” Netossa frowned, noticing Glimmer’s discomfort. “I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“We’re both sure.” Spinnerella added with a warm smile.

“Erm…” Glimmer’s cheeks reddened. “Thanks.”

“Y’know, I can’t wait for this tournament.” Netossa commented in a transparent attempt to change the subject.

“Why, so you can show off?” Glimmer asked wryly. “I already know you two can handle yourselves. We’re trying to find other people who can.”

“Yeah, well…” Netossa began to retort, only to realize too late she had no idea what to say. “...Okay, point taken.” She acknowledged sheepishly.

“Darling, maybe we should give Glimmer some space.” Spinnerella whispered in Netossa’s ear.

“Uh, so we’re gonna go… do something else now.” Netossa clumsily managed.

“Um, okay.” Glimmer replied awkwardly.

The two Princesses hurriedly departed the throne room, leaving Glimmer alone. She lingered for a while in the empty room, her brow furrowed in thought as she considered her next moves.

It was undeniably a sign of how desperate the Rebellion was that they would even consider giving full military command to a sixteen year-old girl. Glimmer had been fighting the Horde for most of the past two years, but she was well aware of how little she truly understood about war.

Bright Moon’s library was among the grandest in all of Etheria. Before the formation of the Horde, it had been a pilgrimage site for scholars from across the world. But that was a long time ago. Glimmer had never seen anyone there except the librarian and Bow.

Agnes the Librarian was a crusty old woman with a long, hooked nose and a nearly hairless head. Her resemblance to the unflattering stereotype of witches was uncanny, but Glimmer wasn’t rude enough to say that to her face. She didn’t even look up from her book when Glimmer teleported in front of her.

“Can I help you with something?” Agnes barely enunciated her words, but many years of experience allowed Glimmer to understand her.

“Uh, yes.” Glimmer cleared her throat. “I was wondering if we had any books on war.”

“A few hundred, I’d say.” Agnes replied. “Want to be more specific?”

“Right.” Glimmer nodded. “Do we have any books about military strategy and battle tactics?”

Agnes slowly looked up at Glimmer, staring into her soul with beady eyes.

“War’s not something our people know much about.” She remarked. “Before the Horde came, it was nigh on a thousand years before the last one.”

“I realize that, but I’m about to be leading people into battle.” Glimmer sighed. “I’d like to know all I can first.”

“Hm.” Agnes murmured thoughtfully. For nearly twenty seconds, she did not say a word or move a muscle.

“Um.” Glimmer cocked her head in confusion. “You still with me?”

“The Years of Red and White, by Talos of Dryl.” Agnes suddenly answered.

“Great.” Glimmer rubbed her hands together. “Where can I find it?”

“It was checked out several days ago.” Agnes replied.

“What?” Glimmer recoiled in surprise. “By who?”

“Don’t know their names.” Agnes shrugged slightly. “Two men with dark skin. One had a moustache, the other long hair and glasses.”

“You sure?” Glimmer’s brow furrowed. “Doesn’t sound like anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“I saw what I saw.” Agnes returned her gaze to the book on her desk. “Apparently, they are guests of the Queen.”

“Hrm.” Glimmer murmured. “Thanks for your help.”

Agnes grunted in reply, no longer interested in speaking.

Glimmer considered asking her mother about it, but decided not to. If these strange men really were royal guests, they would be staying in the guest rooms.

It only took a few minutes of perusing the guest hall for Glimmer to find the only guest room with a locked door. She could hear voices coming from behind the door, further confirming it.

Glimmer knocked loudly but politely on the door.

The voices stopped, and she could hear the sound of shuffling before the door opened, revealing a dark skinned man with a moustache.

“Ah, hello there!” George smiled. Although they had never met before, Glimmer got the distinct impression that he knew who she was. “What can we do for you, miss?”

“Hello to you, too.” Glimmer replied with a small smile of her own. “Uh, can I come in?”

“Certainly.” George beckoned her inside.

The guest room looked like every other one of its kind, with only a few personal belongings to differentiate it. One of them was a small table with two chairs and a checkerboard, where Lance was presently sitting.

“I didn’t interrupt you guys, did I?” Glimmer asked.

“Oh, it’s no problem at all.” Lance reassured her as he stood up. “Visitors before checkers, as I always say.”

“You’ve never said that before in your life, Lance.” George dryly pointed out.

“True, but it’s never too late to start.” Lance joked as he walked up to Glimmer. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Glimmer. That handsome devil's name is George, and I'm Lance.” He extended his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you…” Glimmer extended her hand, only to pull back suddenly in realization. “I didn’t tell you my name.”

George slapped his forehead while Lance rubbed his hands together awkwardly.

“Well… uh, see. Our son, uh, has told us a lot about you.” Lance gave Glimmer a weak smile.

“Your son.” Glimmer flatly repeated, raising a single skeptical eyebrow.

“I’m not sure I’d believe him either, but he’s telling the truth.” George chimed in.

“Really now.” Glimmer’s disbelieving gaze migrated to him.

“I’m serious!” George threw his hands up. “He says you’re the best of friends.”

“Wait.” As Glimmer continued staring at George, the truth became increasingly obvious. “You’re not talking about Bow, are you?”

“Bow, our sweet little wondermuffin…” Lance cooed.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Glimmer backed away from the two slightly. “You’re really Bow’s parents?”

“Technically, it’s a bit more complicated than that.” George rubbed his chin. “But for most intents and purposes, yes.”

“Wow.” Glimmer said flatly. “And was he ever going to tell me about you guys?”

“He wanted to wait for a good time to bring it up.” Lance explained. “Guess that, uh, didn’t work out so well.”

“Ugh, I’ll deal with that later.” Glimmer let out a long sigh. “Anyway, back to the reason I came here.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot.” George said. Both he and his husband looked at Glimmer expectantly.

“I’m looking for a book called The Years of Red and White.” Glimmer told them. “The librarian said you guys have it.”

“That we do!” George walked over to a shelf and plucked up an old, thick volume.

“Given that it was written by a Prince of Dryl, we were hoping it would have some juicy details about the First Ones.” George explained as he handed the book to Glimmer. “But there’s barely a mention of them in the whole thing.”

“You know, I can’t help but wonder what someone like you wants with an old tome like this. Forgive me for saying this, but you don’t really look like the historian type.” Lance looked at Glimmer with obvious curiosity.

“Lance...” George gave him an admonishing look.

“No, no, he’s right.” Glimmer hurriedly answered. “I was hoping to find some mentions of strategy or tactics. Something that might help us against the Horde.”

“Ah, right.” George grimaced. “I’m afraid to say you’re wasting your time. The book is little more than a dry recounting of the events of the Civil War. Talos may have been a brilliant inventor, but a good writer he was not.”

Glimmer visibly deflated.

“Great.” She muttered, handing the book back to George. “Well, it was nice to meet you guys, at least.”

“Likewise.” George and Lance answered simultaneously.

“Oh, and please.” George continued. “Don’t be too hard on him. He’s a good kid. He’s just… not the best with telling people things.”

“Did he tell you about his service in the Rebellion?” Glimmer asked.

George and Lance glanced at each other for a moment.

“Uh… no.” George answered hesitantly.

“Of course.” Glimmer rolled her eyes. “If you’ll excuse me, I think he and I need to have a conversation. Just as soon as I find him.”

“See you around!” Lance waved goodbye to her.

Leaving the two to their devices, Glimmer began the hunt for her reticent friend.

Adora’s eyes snapped open. She looked around frantically, struggling to recall where she was and how she had gotten there. Her memories failed her, but her eyes did not.

Slowly, a spit spun over an open fire, turned by a figure bathed in shadow. Adora realized in horror that she was impaled upon the spit, the flames licking her skin hungrily.

She tried to scream. Her mouth opened, but no sound left it.

“Don’t be afraid.” The shadowy figure came closer, allowing the light of the fire to illuminate her.

It was Glimmer, but it… wasn’t. She had the head of Glimmer, that unmistakable smug grin, but it was affixed to Angella’s body. Her voice was wrong, too. It sounded like…

Shadow Weaver?

“Mommy’s here…” The tripartite abomination moved even closer to Adora, so that their faces were barely a few centimeters apart.

Adora could do nothing but watch helplessly as the creature opened its mouth. There was nothing inside of it, only an empty void that became larger and larger until it was the only thing left.

The walls of Hordak’s throne room were bathed in blood. Hordak’s body lay in front of his throne, torn asunder as if by a wild animal. His throne was now occupied by Catra, who stared blankly ahead with unblinking eyes. A puppet without its master.

Adora desperately attempted to reach her. She ran as fast as she could, but the distance between them only grew.

“Catra!” Adora struggled to cry out. Her lungs felt as if they were filled with water. “Come back!”

“You can’t save me.” Catra’s voice was distorted, like it was being transmitted through a malfunctioning radio.

“I need you! Please!” Adora cried out.

Adora scrambled up to the throne, rushing to embrace Catra. Flames suddenly burst forth, covering Catra’s entire body.

Catra didn’t scream, move, or even react at all. She simply looked at Adora, her face blank and empty, as her body was slowly reduced to ashes.

Adora stared at the remains of her best friend in stunned anguish.

Catra was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

It was all her fault.

“Hey.” A female voice echoed in her ears. “Are you okay?”

Adora’s eyes slowly opened. Her vision was foggy, but she could make out the person standing over her. Adora felt a vague sense of recognition, but her mind was still too scattered to recognize them.

“W-what…” Adora murmured drowsily. “What’s going on?”

“You were screaming in your sleep. Sounded like a really bad nightmare.” The woman explained.

“You mean…” Adora smiled weakly as relief washed over her. “Everything’s okay?”

“I… I wouldn’t go that far.” The woman replied hesitantly. “You were all burned pretty badly.”

“...Catra?” Adora’s smile died, her heart skipping with apprehension.

“Unconscious, but alive. Don’t worry.” The woman reassured her.

Adora looked up at the woman with narrowed eyes, struggling to recall where she knew her from.

“Is something wrong?” The woman cocked her head slightly.

“Who… who are you?” Adora asked.

“Oh, right.” The woman let out a short chuckle. “Guess you’ve never seen me, uh, ‘naked’. I’m Puff.”

The name proved sufficient to jog Adora’s memory.

“Puff…” Adora muttered. She closed her eyes, feeling a pounding headache coming on. “I thought you were…”

“Injured?” Puff answered for her. “Still am, but I can help around here a little. Besides…” She looked away, rubbing her shoulder. “Least I can do after you guys saved my life.”

“We just did what anyone would have done.” Adora humbly replied, wincing in pain. As she awoke, she became increasingly aware of the soreness permeating her entire body, and of several peculiar cords connecting her innards to a large machine next to the bed.

“No, you didn’t.” Puff shook her head, despite knowing Adora wouldn’t see it.

“I…” Adora’s attempt at a response ended in a half-hearted sigh. “How long has it been?”

“About a day, give or take a few hours.” Puff explained. “Doc says you were lucky. Another minute of Queenie’s magic and you’d have been melted like butter.”

Adora briefly grimaced at the thought.

“Wait…” Adora opened her left eye to look at Puff. “How did we… you know, not die?”

“Beats me.” Puff shrugged. “I’m just a pilot. Magic and miracles aren’t exactly my thing.”

“Right…” Adora closed her eye again. She may have slept for four days, but she still felt completely exhausted.

“Do you need anything?” Puff asked.

“S’m water…” Adora murmured.

“You got it.” Puff duly went to fulfill Adora’s request.

Despite her increasingly severe headache, Adora managed to glance around at her immediate surroundings. She recognized the Fright Zone infirmary from her previous visits, but couldn’t see most of it without moving her still quite tender body.

The bed on her left side was occupied by Catra. She was clearly unconscious, and her fur seemed oddly darker than normal, but Adora was comforted by the sight of her steady breathing.

“Hey.” Adora heard Puff’s voice and slowly turned her head to face her.

“One cuppa water, as promised.” Puff proudly declared.

Adora instinctively started to move her arm to take the cup, only to grimace in pain as her arm’s nerves objected loudly to the action.

“Careful, careful.” Puff gently warned. “Your injuries haven’t healed yet. Here, let me help you.”

Puff brought the glass of water up to Adora’s mouth. Under normal circumstances, Adora would have felt intensely self-conscious about this situation, but she was far too exhausted to care. She gratefully drank from the cup, slurping down the water until there was no more water to slurp.

“Thanks.” Adora said, letting out a quiet burp.

“No problem.” Puff took the now empty glass. “Need anything else?”

“M’good.” Adora mumbled. “Gonna sleep s’more.”

“Alright. Try not to have any more nightmares, okay?” Puff teased.

“Do my best…” Adora managed.

Adora could no longer keep her eyes open. Slowly but surely, she drifted back into oblivion.

Chapter Text

Just like his creator, Lord Hordak was a being of pure rationality and singular focus. The only thing that mattered to him was ultimate victory. He cared for nothing and nobody else.

That was the mantra he kept repeating in his head, even while he kept an unflinching vigil by Entrapta’s bedside.

Along with the others, she had suffered severe burns from the ferocious power of Queen Angella, and currently languished in feverish sleep. Morvan had already assured him that her injuries were not fatal, and that she would recover fully within several weeks. There was no logical reason for him to be here, and yet he was.

Hordak’s own injuries were painful, but insignificant. Horde Prime was all too familiar with the danger posed by such vile magics, and thus made sure to imbue all his clones with innate magical resistance. If his body had been forged correctly - he growled subconsciously at the thought - he wouldn’t have been harmed at all. Even with his comparatively frail body, he suffered only the equivalent of a bad sunburn.

“My lord.” The voice forced Hordak to divert his attention from Entrapta and to the wicked crone floating beside him.

“What is it.” Hordak gnashed his teeth as he spoke.

“Captains Canaris and Octavia have returned from their assigned missions.” Shadow Weaver answered evenly. “Elberon and Alwyn have been reduced to ashes, as you commanded.”

“Hm.” Hordak murmured. He wasn’t about to show it, but the news did a fair amount to brighten his day. “Give them a day to recover, then send them to the Northern Wastes. The beacon’s power source must be recovered.”

“Ah…” Shadow Weaver paused for a moment. “I’m afraid that will not be possible, my lord.”

“What?” Hordak spat. “Are you refusing my orders, witch?”

“Not at all, my lord.” Shadow Weaver quickly assured him. “The beacon has been destroyed.”

Hordak clenched his fists and snarled. His day had been quite decisively darkened again.

“Angella.” He spat the name out like poison. “She must have realized what we were trying to do.”

“Is there anything I can do for you, my lord?” Shadow Weaver’s tone was deferential, but there was a distinct hint of mockery buried within it.

“No. Leave me.” Hordak tersely commanded.

Shadow Weaver calmly floated away without another word, allowing Hordak to return to his silent vigil.

Glimmer had spent more than an hour combing the castle for any sign of Bow, but to no avail. Her irritation gradually grew as she wondered if Bow wasn’t deliberately hiding from her.

The last place she could think of was Bow’s room, but that seemed a ridiculous prospect. It was only late afternoon, and Bow usually only spent time in his room to sleep.

Still, Glimmer was out of ideas. She wandered up to Bow’s room and knocked on the door. As she expected, she was met with silence.

Glimmer let out a loud groan as she turned away from the door. Only then did she hear the quiet sound of snoring coming from behind it.

“The hell…” She said quietly.

Under most circumstances, Glimmer would not have been so inconsiderate as to use her teleportation powers to barge into someone’s room while they slept. Today, she was far too angry, tired, and stressed to care. She barely hesitated for a moment before appearing by Bow’s bedside.

Bow was deeply asleep, curled up in the fetal position. He was clad in hot pink pajamas that exposed his midriff and were dotted with happy red hearts. With one arm, he held a teddy bear protectively to his chest like it was his own child. His free hand lay in front of his mouth, where he instinctively suckled his thumb.

“Oh for the love of…” Glimmer groaned. “Bow! Wake up!”

“Glimmer…” Bow murmured happily. “I’m glad you’re back…”

“Back? What are you talking about?” Glimmer’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“You’ve gotten so… so big…” Bow breathed.

“How dare you!” Glimmer shouted, clenching her fists.

“So fluffy… so fuzzy… like pudding…” Bow blissfully mumbled.

For a few seconds, Glimmer was left at a loss for words. Then it came to her.

“Oh, you’re talking in your sleep.” Glimmer’s fury mostly faded. Bow couldn’t realistically be held responsible for the nonsense he muttered while in dreamland.

Just as she was about to wake him up, her eyes were caught on a strange object by his bedside. It was a bottle of Etherian red wine, drained to the last drop.

“Well that explains a lot.” Glimmer muttered. She was hardly an expert on alcohol, but even she was well aware of its less savory properties. Even if she woke him up, it was doubtful that he would be in any position to answer her questions.

“Ugh, fine, we can talk later.” Glimmer relented with an annoyed sigh. “But don’t think you can avoid me forever.” She disappeared in a flash.

Bow continued on dreaming, completely ignorant of the intrusion.

“Hey, Adora...”

The intimately familiar voice caused Adora to stir.

“Mrm.” Adora murmured, her eyelids fluttering. “Whuh?”

Blearily, she opened her eyes. Pain was still present throughout her body, but it was quieter now. She almost felt like she could stand up, but she wasn’t particularly eager to try.

“Adooora.” The voice called out in a gently mocking tone.

“Mm…” Adora slowly shifted her head, allowing her to see the source of the voice. Catra was still laying in the bed next to her, but now she was very much awake.

“Hey…” Catra smiled weakly.

“Hey…” Adora replied with a smile of her own.

“How do you feel?” Catra asked softly.

“Like crap.” Adora let out a short sigh, closing her eyes.

“Same.” Catra replied. “Was starting to think the stories we’d been told about the Queen were just meant to scare us. Guess not.”

“No kidding.” Adora muttered. “She really was going to kill us, wasn’t she?”

“You sound surprised.” Catra observed.

“A little.” Adora understated. “I just… it’s weird. Both times I’ve been captured, she’s paid me a visit.”

“To gloat?” Catra asked dryly.

“No, not at all…” Adora breathed deeply through her nose. “I think she was trying to teach me something. More than anything, she seemed… regretful. But then, she turns around and nearly burns us all to a crisp. I don’t get it.”

“Princesses love mind games.” Catra casually answered. “She’s just trying to mess with your head, so that you’re easier to manipulate. Sounds like it’s working, too.”

“Maybe.” Adora replied without conviction. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“You’re overthinking it.” Catra snorted. “She’s literally just Shadow Weaver if she wasn’t ugly.” She briefly turned her gaze to the ceiling. “And yes, I know you’re listening. I meant what I said.”

If Shadow Weaver was listening, she did not rise to the bait.

“I’m sure you’re right…” Adora trailed off, frowning. “What happens now?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Catra shrugged her shoulders, then immediately winced from the pain. “Ow.”

“You okay?” Adora looked over at her in concern.

“Heh, just a little tender.” Catra chuckled softly. “Don’t worry about me.”

“I’ll always worry about you.” Adora sincerely replied as she stared into Catra’s eyes.

“Mm.” Catra murmured. “You’re a real sap sometimes.”

“You have a problem with that?” Adora asked with a teasing smile.

“If you weren’t so hot, I might.” Catra winked.

“Catra…” Adora’s blush was well camouflaged by her heat-reddened skin.

“Oh, you two make such a lovely couple.” An effeminate voice, alien to Adora’s ears, interrupted the moment.

“Jealous?” Catra gazed past Adora at the source of the voice.

Adora followed Catra’s eyes, recoiling at the sight of the reptilian creature lying on the bed to her right. Their normally green skin now had the hue of a ripened orange.

“Eek! What are you?” Adora blurted out in surprise.

“I’ll assume that’s not how you greet everyone.” Double Trouble dryly remarked.

“Oh, uh, sorry.” Adora quickly apologized.

“Water under the bridge, darling.” Double Trouble gave her an unnerving smile.

“So… erm, who are you?” Adora asked.

“Whoever you want me to be.” Double Trouble replied in an almost flirtatious manner, staring deeply into Adora’s eyes.

“Uh, what?” Adora quickly averted her gaze, feeling distinctly uncomfortable.

“He’s a shapeshifter.” Catra explained.

“I’m still not a guy, but yes.” Double Trouble nodded.

“Pfft, yeah right.” Adora snorted in disbelief.

“I would prove it to you right now, but I have to heal first.” Double Trouble flicked their tongue. “The good Queen did quite the number on me.”

“Huh? You weren’t even there.” Adora stared at them with narrow eyes.

“Was I not? You were not a fan of my borrowed moustache, as I recall.” Double Trouble grinned at the sight of Adora’s eyes widening in realization.

“Oh…” Adora breathed out. Her mind was immediately filled with innumerable questions, which came flooding out of her mouth like water from a burst dam. “How is that even possible? Is it magic, or were you born with it? Are there more of you?”

“Who cares?” Catra scoffed.

“I do.” Adora replied without taking her eyes off of Double Trouble.

“Curious little one, aren’t you.” Double Trouble commented in apparent amusement. “It’s magic, but I was also born with it. All of my people are.”

“Your people? Can we meet them?” Adora asked. Genuine curiosity was only part of her intention here. An army of shapeshifters would be an invaluable asset.

“No.” Double Trouble’s answer came swiftly. “They’re dead.”

“All of them? What happened?” Adora pressed, her curiosity only growing.

“They died.” Double Trouble tersely replied.

“Alright, I can take a hint.” Adora relented, moving her gaze to the metallic ceiling.

An awkward silence followed, lasting for roughly a minute. Just as Adora had decided to break it, Catra let out a loud, psychotic laugh.

“Uh…” Adora looked over at Catra with concern, while Double Trouble looked at her like she was insane. Neither of them were particularly keen on asking her about it, however.

The ensuing silence was even more awkward than the one that had preceded it.

Tournaments were a rarity on Etheria. Violence was not looked upon fondly by most people, even for the purpose of friendly competition.

However, Glimmer needed the best of the Royal Guard for her plans. Short of sending them into battle and seeing who came back, this was the only real way to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The castle of Bright Moon had many large and expansive rooms, but none were suited for a grand melee. Instead, an arena had been constructed on the shallow lands that separated Harmony Bay from the edge of the Whispering Woods.

Calling it an arena was generous, Glimmer admitted to herself. It was little more than a crude picket fence encircling an area barely large enough to fit a cottage. But it would have to do.

The newly minted General stood outside the arena, watching the proceedings with Spinnerella and Netossa by her side. In addition to her normal outfit, she had donned a layer of heavy plate armor. It would not only provide more protection in battle, but - she hoped - it would make her seem more like a warrior and less like a dainty Princess.

Angella was present as well, intending to heal any injuries resulting from the tournament. Her reluctance was practically written on her face.

The members of the Royal Guard who hadn’t shirked from the challenge were assembled before them, waiting patiently for their General’s command.

Swallowing her anxiety, Glimmer addressed the soldiery.

“You know why you’re here.” She said in her most authoritative tone. “Divide yourselves into teams of two.”

The soldiers swiftly followed her command.

“Each pair will fight each other in the arena, one at a time.” Glimmer continued. “Don’t kill each other and stay within the arena. Otherwise, anything goes.”

She pointed to a pair at random.

“You will start us off.” Glimmer commanded.

The pair complied, entering the arena and taking up positions opposite each other. They hefted their staves, ready to engage.

“Begin!” Glimmer roared.

The soldiers charged at the same time, thrusting their staves in virtually identical motions. The impact sent both of their weapons clattering to the ground. The combatants clumsily bent down to retrieve their weapons, the effort taking far longer than it reasonably should have. When they finally succeeded, they attempted to renew the duel, only for both of them to disarm each other yet again.

“Oh boy, the Horde better watch out.” Netossa wryly commented as she observed the pathetic scene.

“I’m sure they’re not all this bad.” Glimmer replied, more to reassure herself than anything.

“Yeah, some are probably even worse.” Netossa snarked.

Netossa’s words proved prophetic.

Five tedious hours passed, with every duel being more embarrassing than the last. The Royal Guards certainly did not lack in courage and determination, but they seemed to have no understanding of tactics beyond mindlessly charging into the fray and hoping for the best. Each duel ended in a draw, with both participants glumly returning to the castle.

As dinnertime approached, Glimmer had all but given up hope that there was even one member of the Royal Guard worth having by her side. She didn’t even hide her lack of enthusiasm when the final pair entered the arena.

“Just… get it over with.” She sighed, waving her hand at them.

As expected, one of the guards charged forward blindly. Glimmer’s eyes began to glaze over as she saw the inevitable conclusion in her mind.

Breaking from the pattern displayed by everyone before her, the second guard did not charge forward at her opponent, instead waiting for them to come to her. At the last second, she sidestepped, casually swiping the staff from her opponent’s grip as she did so.

The disarmed guard turned around, only for her abdomen to meet the butt end of a staff. She cried out in pain and tumbled to the ground, decisively defeated.

The victorious warrior turned to Glimmer and her cohorts. They stared back at her in surprise, with the exception of Angella who quickly appeared in the arena to ensure that the loser wasn’t seriously injured.

“You… you won.” Glimmer said after a few seconds of silence.

It wasn’t all that impressive, but after five hours of seeing amateurs stumble over each other, Glimmer’s standards had been sharply lowered.

“Ahem.” Glimmer cleared her throat, regaining her composure. “Name and rank, soldier.”

“Juliet, Commander of the Bright Moon Royal Guard. I submit myself to your judgement, General.” Juliet declared soberly as she knelt down in deference to Glimmer.

“Erm.” Glimmer muttered, taken aback by the overly formal display. Netossa stifled a laugh, while Spinnerella looked away to hide her reddening cheeks. “There will be no need for that. You can stand.”

“Ah.” Juliet swiftly stood up. “I apologize for my-”

“Don’t.” Glimmer raised a hand to quiet her. “You were the only victor today, Commander, but you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t consider that to mean very much.”

Netossa and Spinnerella both looked at Glimmer uncertainly. Angella, having finished tending to the defeated guard’s wounds, watched her with a neutral expression.

“I understand, General.” Juliet bowed her head. “If you do not consider me worthy, I will leave with the others.”

“I didn’t say that.” Glimmer said calmly. “I’m not convinced you have what it takes, but I am willing to give you a chance to prove it.”

“Sir?” Juliet’s brow furrowed in surprise.

Glimmer teleported into the arena. She glanced at the defeated soldier, who had just managed to get to her feet.

“Your weapon.” She held her hand out expectantly.

The soldier handed her staff to Glimmer before limping out of the arena. Angella teleported to where Glimmer had previously stood, leaving the arena to Glimmer and Juliet.

“I won’t use any magic.” Glimmer assured her. “I just want to see how you handle yourself against a real opponent.”

“As you wish, General.” Juliet nodded.

“Fifty Aura says Juliet gets flattened in ten seconds.” Netossa whispered into Spinnerella’s ear while the two combatants took their positions.

“You want to take that bet?” Spinnerella whispered back, smiling. “She looks pretty tough to me.”

“Pssh.” Netossa scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”

“Are you ready, Commander?” Glimmer inquired.

“I am, General.” Juliet affirmed.

Neither of them said another word as they slowly approached each other, staves lowered. Their eyes met, both combatants attempting to discern the intent of the other.

Glimmer made the first move, thrusting her staff towards Juliet’s abdomen. Juliet quickly raised her own staff to block the strike. The metal poles impacted with a loud clang.

For several seconds, the two pushed their staves together in an attempt to force the other backwards. When neither budged, Juliet disengaged, backpedaling several steps and raising her staff defensively.

Glimmer let out a primal snort before advancing on Juliet again.

This time, Juliet did not wait for Glimmer to make the first move. She thrust her staff downwards, ensnaring Glimmer’s left leg between its two curved prongs. Immediately, Juliet yanked the staff to the left, bringing Glimmer’s leg with it.

“Gah!” Glimmer cried out as her balance was stolen from her. She gracelessly tumbled to the dirt, landing harshly on her back while her staff clattered beside her. The air left her lungs in a sharp gasp, leaving her helpless and struggling for breath.

Juliet extricated her staff from Glimmer’s leg and brought the tips of the prongs up to Glimmer’s throat.

“I believe I win, General.” Juliet declared evenly. If she felt any joy at the victory, she masked it well.

“Yes…” Glimmer admitted through heavy breaths, using the back of her hand to wipe a trickle of blood from her mouth. “So you have…”

Juliet lowered her weapon and extended an arm down to Glimmer, who gratefully accepted the help getting to her feet.

Angella appeared at Glimmer’s side soon after, prepared to heal her.

“I’m okay.” Glimmer shook her head. Angella hesitated briefly before teleporting back to the castle.

“Oh, come on!” Netossa angrily exclaimed from the sidelines.

“Time to pay up, darling.” Spinnerella said with a faintly smug smile, extending her hand expectantly.

Netossa growled under her breath, but forked over the five silver coins before crossing her arms with a huff.

“You will buy me ice cream some day.” Spinnerella solemnly informed her new coins before placing them in her pocket.

Glimmer watched them with a small smile for a few moments. It quickly faded as she turned to Juliet.

“I might have held back, but the Horde won’t.” She said quietly, meeting Juliet’s eyes. “They have terrible machinery, dark sorcery, and even ancient beasts on their side. We will try to avoid them as much as we can, but it’s inevitable that we will have to face them at some point.”

“I am not afraid. I will gladly lay down my life to protect this world.” Juliet declared, her voice equally quiet but laden with confidence.

“Mm.” Glimmer murmured before raising her voice, loud enough for the others to hear. “Welcome to the team, Commander Juliet.”

“Thank you, General.” Juliet bowed her head slightly.

“Now, I think we could all use a nice dinner…” Glimmer trailed off as she spotted a shadowy figure lurking in the trees just beyond the arena. It wasn’t a threat, but she almost wished it was. That would at least have been less awkward.

“General?” Juliet asked in confusion.

“Yes!” Glimmer half-shouted, attempting in vain to act nonchalant. “Uh, you guys can go on without me. I’m just… gonna take a walk before dinner.”

Spinnerella and Netossa shared a glance, but said nothing. The two, along with Juliet, began making their way to the castle, leaving Glimmer alone in the empty arena.

Well, almost alone.

“You can come out now.” She called out to the shadow.

Slowly, the shadow walked out from under the trees, allowing the evening light to illuminate his features. As she could already tell from his silhouette, it was Bow.

Bow walked into the arena, but noticeably kept several meters of distance between himself and Glimmer.

“Hey…” He rubbed his hands together nervously. “So, I wanted to talk to you…”

“I met your parents.” Glimmer said calmly, crossing her arms. “They seem very nice.”

“D’auh.” Bow flinched and let out a strange noise, clearly surprised. “I mean, uh, well, um.”

“Very compelling defense.” Glimmer said with a slight roll of her eyes. “I thought we promised we would never lie to each other?”

“I didn’t lie!” Bow insisted. “Er, not exactly!”

“Not exactly?” Glimmer raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You told me your parents were dead. Are you saying your dads are zombies or something?”

“No, they’re not zombies!” Bow vehemently objected, almost seeming genuinely offended by the accusation. Glimmer stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

“They’re just…” Bow let out a deep breath, refusing to look Glimmer in the eyes. “They raised me as their son, but they weren’t the parents I was born with. They… well, you know how the Horde is.”

For the better part of a minute, neither of them moved or said anything.

“I’m sorry, Bow.” Glimmer said softly. “But you should have told me the truth.”

“I know, I know…” Bow sighed, dragging a fist through his hair as he spoke. “I just, for the longest time, my parents didn’t accept me for who I was. They wanted me to be a historian, like them. It was only recently they found out. They say they’ve accepted it, but I’m not sure I believe that. I think they’re still hoping I’ll change my mind.”

“Will you?” Glimmer asked without thinking.

“Not as long as the Horde rampages through Etheria. One day, maybe, when this is all over, I can settle down with…” Bow’s eyes briefly met those of Glimmer. “Someone.”

Glimmer swiftly looked away, her cheeks brightening in embarrassment and her heart beginning to beat much more rapidly than usual.

“Yes.” She said stiffly. “I’m sure you will make an excellent husband someday.”

“Thanks...” Bow’s cheeks were just as flush as hers. “So, anyway, I heard about the Horde attack. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help. I was… um, not feeling well.”

“Yes, drinking an entire bottle of wine will do that to you.” Glimmer dryly replied, returning her gaze to Bow.

“Ahh…” Bow grimaced. “The kitchen staff told you.”

Glimmer almost corrected him, but wisely decided not to say anything about her little intrusion.

“And right after lecturing me about my eating habits. Hmph.” Glimmer scoffed facetiously.

“I wasn’t lecturing you!” Bow objected. “Or, at least I wasn’t trying to. I’m just worried about the toll this whole war is taking on you.”

“What does the war have to do with how much I eat?” Glimmer raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing, at least not directly.” Bow answered. “I’m just concerned that you’re using food as a way to cope with the stress.”

“Like you did with that bottle of wine?” Glimmer dryly asked.

“Yes.” Bow replied without hesitation, to Glimmer’s mild surprise. “But I shouldn’t have. It might have dulled the pain for a bit, but all it did in the end was give me the mother of all headaches.”

“I assume you’re trying to make a point here?” Glimmer eyed him curiously.

“More clumsily than I’d like, but yes.” Bow looked Glimmer in the eyes as he slowly approached her. “We’re at war. Stress and pain can’t really be avoided. But we can deal with those things in healthier ways.”

“Such as?” Glimmer asked. The two were now standing close enough to kiss.

“Talking to each other.” Bow replied softly. “If we share our pain, then maybe it won’t hurt so much.”

“I don’t know…” Glimmer’s eyes lowered, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I don’t want to burden anyone.”

“Don’t think of it like that.” Bow smiled. “Think of it as a trade. I help you, and you help me. What are friends for, after all?”

Glimmer couldn’t help but smile a little herself. It was such a Bow thing to say.

“Alright.” She relented. “I suppose it’s worth a shot.”

“Heheh.” Bow chuckled. “Nice one, Glimmer.”

“I’m sorry?” Glimmer cocked her head quizzically.

“I saw what you did there…” He said with a knowing grin. “Worth a shot… ‘cause I’m an archer? Eh? Ehh?”

Glimmer’s look of confusion swiftly transformed into an annoyed glare.

“...No?” Bow’s grin withered away.

“No.” Glimmer flatly replied.

“Ahem.” Bow cleared his throat. “Why don’t we head to dinner now?”

“Good idea.” Glimmer said, her glare unwavering.

Dinner was winding down by the time Glimmer and Bow arrived at the dining room, but fortunately enough food had been saved for them that they were both able to eat their fill.

The hearty meal - in particular Glimmer’s prized dumplings - did much to improve her spirits, at least in the short term. It also made her feel rather drowsy, or perhaps that was the result of spending half the day watching Bright Moon’s supposedly elite warriors embarrass themselves.

Regardless of the cause, Glimmer bade goodnight to Bow and headed back to her room, intent on getting some relaxation time before bed. She swiftly collapsed on a cushioned lounge chair, letting her body sink deeply into the soft, pillowy surface.

“Mrrmrm…” She closed her eyes, smiling widely at the ever-comforting sensation.

Perhaps Bow was right. Whatever problems they had, they could work out together. And now that Angella had finally given her the green light, the Horde wouldn’t know what hit them.

Perhaps this war would end soon…

That hopeful thought would be the last Glimmer had for nearly eleven hours. Her sleep was ultimately disturbed by a firm knock on her door.

“Glimmer?” She heard Angella’s voice through the door. “May I come in?”

“Mrm…” Glimmer shifted in her chair, blinking rapidly. “Yeah.” She called out, her voice raspy from dehydration.

Angella appeared next to Glimmer’s floating bed. Her confusion was visible when Glimmer was nowhere to be seen.

“Down here, Mom.” Glimmer yawned, stretching her limbs without leaving the comfortable confines of her chair.

Angella quickly turned around. When she saw Glimmer, she teleported in front of her, looking slightly worried.

“You didn’t spend all night in this chair, did you?” She asked.

“Might’ve…” Glimmer mumbled.

As much as Angella wanted to lecture Glimmer about the importance of proper sleep positions, she had more pressing concerns at the moment.

“Well, I hope you got a good night’s sleep, General.” Angella put particular emphasis on the title. “Because I have a mission for you.”

Five minutes passed between Glimmer’s awakening and her arrival in the war room, still shaking off the cobwebs of sleep.

The rest of the Gang of Four were already present, along with their newest addition. With the exception of Juliet, they all looked as bedraggled as Glimmer.

“If we’re gonna attack the Horde, can’t we do it in a few hours?” Netossa grumbled, rubbing her forehead.

“I realize how early it is, but I’m afraid this couldn’t wait.” Angella informed them before taking a deep breath. “The refugees from Elberon should have arrived by now. They haven’t.”

“Maybe they’re running late?” Bow suggested.

“It’s possible.” Angella said skeptically.

“You think the Horde’s involved.” Glimmer surmised.

“After what they did to Alwyn, there is nothing we should put past them.” Angella’s tone was even, but oddly stiff, as if she was attempting very strongly to suppress her true feelings. Only Glimmer knew her well enough to even notice, but she also knew well enough not to say anything.

“Elberon’s a pretty long distance from here.” Netossa pointed out. “Even with teleportation magic, how are we supposed to find them? They could be damn near anywhere.”

“There’s only one road between Elberon and Bright Moon. It’s unlikely that they strayed too far from it. Keep an eye out for any signs of recent travel, and I’m sure you’ll find them.” Angella did her best to sound hopeful, but Glimmer wasn’t the only one who could tell it was forced.

“Then we should go as soon as possible.” Glimmer concluded, her eyes drifting over each of her comrades in turn. “Any objections?”

She was met with silence.

“Okay, then.” Glimmer punched her palm for emphasis. “Let’s move out!”

It was deathly quiet when Glimmer and company appeared in the center of Elberon. Just as with Alwyn, every building had been burnt to cinders.

“Uh, why’d we come here? Did you think they’d come back or something?” Netossa eyed Glimmer skeptically.

“Gotta start somewhere.” Glimmer shrugged as she walked through the ruins. There was something strange about what she was seeing. Or rather, what she wasn’t seeing.

“Do you see it?” Glimmer asked nobody in particular.

“The burned out buildings?” Netossa snorted. “Yeah, I’m not blind.”

“No bodies.” Juliet observed. “Not even bones.”

“So everyone in Alwyn got butchered but everyone here escaped? Is there something I’m not getting?” Netossa’s brow furrowed.

“Maybe they were warned ahead of time, and Alwyn wasn’t.” Bow suggested.

“Maybe.” Glimmer pursed her lips.

“Well, they’re not here.” Netossa said as she peered around the immolated husks. “And I’d rather not hang around, if that’s alright. This place gives me the creeps.”

“We’ll teleport down the road at regular intervals, keeping an eye for any sign of them or where they might have gone.” Glimmer declared.

“What if they went a different way?” Bow wondered.

“We can’t look everywhere at once.” Glimmer sighed. “We’re going to have to hope they didn’t stray too far. Now come on. The more time we waste, the less likely we’ll find them in time.”

Teleport, search, find nothing, repeat. This was the pattern that dominated most of the day. Glimmer’s teleportation may have saved them time, but it did nothing to dampen the monotony. Not for the first time did she find herself envying the Horde and their flying vehicles, as unsightly as they may have been.

They had started their search in the early morning. Even as the light in the sky dimmed, the refugees - alive or dead - were nowhere to be found. Everyone had an identical expression on their face, one of exhausted boredom.

Finally, they reached the last stop on the road. The towers of Bright Moon and its eponymous mountain were visible over the treetops. They were home, and there was still no sign of the people of Elberon.

“Well, that’s a whole day I’ll never get back.” Netossa groused.

“Don’t worry, darling, I’m sure I can make you feel better once we get back home…” Spinnerella said coyly.

“Heh.” Netossa grinned at the thought.

“I don’t get it.” Bow rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “If the Horde had caught up to them, there should be bodies, or at least signs of a struggle. But there’s been nothing. It’s like they never even existed.”

Glimmer closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh.

“I guess we should tell Mom… Queen Angella the bad news.” She said glumly.

“Hey, it’s not your fault.” Bow quickly put his hand on Glimmer’s shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. “You know that, right?”

“Mrrm.” Glimmer murmured, wanting little more in that moment than to sink her head into an entire plate of strawberry dumplings.

“Does anyone else smell that?” Juliet asked as she smelled the air.

“Smell what?” Netossa eyed her strangely. “I just smell grass and…”

It was easy to overlook. The plants and grasses gave off pungent odors of their own that largely masked the scent, which was already relatively mild. But with their attention now focused on the scent of the air, the rest of them gradually noticed it as well.

“Rotten flesh…” Netossa’s eyes narrowed.

“The refugees?” Spinnerella asked apprehensively.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Glimmer declared. She feared the worst, but did her best to keep on a brave face.

“The wind’s blowing west, so that means the smell should be coming from… there.” Bow pointed towards the east. There was nothing in their immediate field of view save for grass and trees, but it was the best - and only - lead they had.

Quickly but cautiously, the group moved east, off the road and into the light forest beyond. The scent grew stronger as they did, confirming Bow’s claim.

After several minutes, the trees gave way to an open field, large enough to fit a small village and empty save for a coating of short grass and the occasional loose rock. It was bordered on three sides by the forest, with the eastern side occupied by a wide cliffside as tall as a three story building.

The various critters of the forest, normally famed for the cacophony of noises they made, were strangely silent. The only noise came from Glimmer and her group as they stepped through the short grass.

“I don’t see anything. What’s making that smell?” Glimmer wondered as they walked further into the field.

“Uh, guys…” Bow stopped, his voice cracking.

“What?” Glimmer asked, turning to face him along with everyone else.

“I don’t think this is a rock…” Bow pointed down towards several objects at his feet. They may have resembled a rock at a glance, but upon further inspection…

“It’s a leg.” Juliet concluded calmly. “Not a bit of flesh left. Even the marrow’s been sucked dry.”

“Then where’s that smell coming from?” Netossa asked, looking around for any more errant body parts.

“There!” Spinnerella pointed towards a bush near the center of the field. There was something on the ground in front of it, but it was too distant for them to know what it was.

“Keep your guard up. If something preyed on the refugees, it could still be here.” Glimmer warned.

The group walked up to the bush, and Glimmer hesitantly picked up the strange object. It was about the size of a large bowl, with a rough and slightly squishy surface.

“I’m… what is this?” Glimmer cocked her head in confusion.

Curiously, she rotated the object in her hands. Her eyes widened as she stared into the lifeless eyes of a decomposing head.

“Oh.” Glimmer remarked in subdued horror. The head tumbled out of her grasp, landing with a light squelching noise on the grass at her feet.

“Well.” Netossa said, audibly nauseous. “There goes my appetite.”

From the way Spinnerella and Bow were grimacing and averting their eyes, it was clear they felt the same way. Only Juliet managed to remain stoic.

“We’re not dealing with the Horde… are we?” Bow asked, his voice trembling slightly.

“No…” Glimmer’s eyes narrowed. “At least not their soldiers.”

Everyone except Juliet looked at her, their eyes wide. They all knew exactly what she was referring to.

It was almost as if her words had summoned him. Thrusting aside the trees atop the cliff as if they were mere twigs, Vengeance let out a bloodthirsty roar as he leaped off the cliff and towards his new prey.
Glimmer instinctively teleported several meters away, while the rest of her squad were able to barely scramble out of the way before Vengeance crushed the puny bush beneath his massive body, a small but potent shockwave emanating from the landing site.

They had survived Vengeance’s initial surprise attack, but now they were scattered. Bow and Spinnerella were at his left, Glimmer at his right, with Netossa and Juliet behind him.

“Bring this thing down!” Glimmer punctuated her shout by firing twin spears of light into the dragon’s flank . Her increased power was quickly made evident by the increased speed and intensity of her magic, but even so, it only managed to singe the dragon’s scales.

Simultaneously, Spinnerella hoisted herself into the air atop her own personal tornado, placing herself well out of range before sending fist-sized blasts of air raining down all across Vengeance’s back. Bow put as much distance between himself and Vengeance as possible, delivering a never ending stream of arrows.

Netossa wrapped a ring of energy tightly around Vengeance’s tail in an attempt to immobilize him. Juliet did not let her lack of Princess powers or a ranged weapon deter her in the slightest, jabbing her staff repeatedly into the monster’s rear.

Vengeance did not tolerate this indignity for long. He whirled around with tremendous speed, the energy net snapping like a twine rope. Netossa and Juliet now gazed directly into his gaping maw.

Barely a second elapsed between when Juliet met the dragon’s eyes and when he charged forward, intent on tearing her head off her shoulders. That was just enough for Netossa to desperately fling a string of energy into Juliet’s side. The force of the blow was enough to catapult Juliet several meters to the side, sending her tumbling to the ground.

With Juliet temporarily out of the picture, Vengeance wasted no time in lunging towards Netossa, attempting to pin her against the cliff wall. Netossa rolled to the left, evading death by a matter of centimeters. Vengeance tore through the empty air she had just occupied, slamming his snout against the hard stone with enough force to send a number of fist-sized rocks raining to the ground around him.

Vengeance was momentarily stunned by the impact. While her compatriots continued attacking, Glimmer took the opportunity to warp to Juliet’s side. The commander lay on her back, battered but conscious.

“Are you alright?” Glimmer asked as she picked up Juliet’s discarded staff from the ground.

“Yeah.” Juliet answered, her voice strained from pain. “Just… need a hand.”

Glimmer extended her free hand, helping Juliet to her feet.

“Thank you, General.” Juliet said quietly.

“No need.” Glimmer handed the staff back to her.

Vengeance recovered quickly from the blow to his head. While arrows and magical strikes Netossa and Spinnerella continued to bounce harmlessly off his body, he turned to Glimmer and Juliet and charged at them with frightening alacrity.

Glimmer grabbed onto Juliet’s shoulder, teleporting them both into the infirmary of Bright Moon Castle.

“General?” Juliet looked at her in bewilderment.

“I’ll handle it, don’t worry.” Glimmer assured her before teleporting once again. She appeared atop the cliff that overlooked the battlefield, giving her a bird’s eye view of the situation.

The rest of the Gang was hitting Vengeance with all they had, and managing to avoid his lethal charges in the process, but it didn’t seem to matter. The arrows bounced harmlessly off his scales or else only barely pierced them, Spinnerella’s wind powers served only to annoy, and Netossa’s energy nets may as well have been made from licorice for how poorly they stood up to the beast.

Glimmer clenched her fists. She possessed half the Moonstone’s power now, but so far she hadn’t truly used it. Perhaps now was the time to change that.

She gazed at the battle below for a few more seconds. Vengeance lunged once again at Netossa, and once again she managed to dodge him. But even from her vantage point, Glimmer could see her getting slower. Bow was running out of arrows, and Spinnerella’s attacks were gradually becoming slower and less intense.

They could always run, and let the Horde’s monster continue to wreak havoc on innocent people. Or Glimmer could summon Angella, and hope she would be able to stop the abomination.

Ultimately, it was Glimmer’s pride that made the decision for her. She was General of Bright Moon, damn it, and this was her land. She was not about to let some oversized lizard run roughshod over it.

She raised her arms, channeling every bit of focus and energy she had into her hands. Twin orbs of light formed on her palms and combined into one, glowing with nearly blinding light that bathed the entire battlefield and the sky above it.

Everyone below, including Vengeance, turned to look up at her. Their eyes met, bestial green staring into righteous, merciless purple.

Glimmer released the brilliant orb, letting it careen directly into the dragon’s head. Everyone except Glimmer was forced to shield their eyes from the resulting explosion of light. The magic of the Moonstone allowed her to stare into it without harming her eyes, but all she could see was a featureless white void.

Several long seconds passed before the magical light faded away. Vengeance had coiled up like a snake, burying his head into his body to shield his eyes. The light had only barely faded when he rapidly uncoiled himself. Many of his scales were visibly singed, but otherwise it appeared that no harm had been done to him at all.

Glimmer and the Gang all stared at the creature in shock and more than a little fear.

“What are you…” Glimmer asked quietly.

“The blood of the betrayer flows. The blood will paint the dust.” A cold, merciless voice echoed within her mind as Vengeance stared deeply into her eyes.

“...What?” Glimmer breathed. She was no coward, but she couldn’t help but shudder.

Vengeance was silent for several seconds, but Glimmer felt a strong sensation of annoyance emanate from him.

“The day will come.” He finally declared.

The great dragon began to move, making Glimmer and the Gang ready themselves. Instead of continuing the battle, however, he slowly meandered into the forest, making his way through the trees with considerable dexterity for such a large creature.

Glimmer appeared next to Bow and Netossa, with Spinnerella landing shortly afterward. Glimmer’s eyes were narrow and downcast, while the others’ were wide and uncertain.

“So, that happened.” Netossa’s attempt at humor was undercut by her obvious apprehension.

“Are… are we gonna chase it?” Bow asked nervously.

“What’s the point.” Glimmer grimly muttered, her fear and confusion rapidly giving way to despondence. “All of our power, even the Moonstone, and he just shrugs it off.”

“Gah! Fuck!” She suddenly snapped, firing a blast of light into the cliffside that tore a hole the size of her head into the stone. The rest of the Gang winced at the sight. “The people of Elberon are in that monster’s stomach and all I could do was tickle him!”

As Bow attempted to calm Glimmer down, Spinnerella’s eyes were drawn to a roughly person-sized hole that had been made in the cliff wall, courtesy of a hungry dragon’s head. Curious, she began walking over to the hole.

“Spinny?” Netossa asked, but Spinnerella didn’t seem to hear her. Shrugging, she followed her wife over to the hole.

“Hmm…” Spinnerella stared into the dark tunnel beyond the hole. It was narrow, winding, and poorly lit, making it effectively impossible to tell how deep it went.

“Hello?” She called out. Her voice reverberated through the tunnel.

“Spinny, what are you doing?” Netossa looked at her wife, brow raised in confusion.

“The big evil monster is gone! You can come out now!” Spinnerella continued shouting into the abyss.

“You really think they’re in there?” Netossa asked skeptically.

“Worth a shot, isn’t it?” Spinnerella replied with a hopeful smile.

A few seconds passed before Spinnerella’s shot in the dark was rewarded.

“Hello?” A high pitched, feminine voice called back in response.

“Hello!” Spinnerella shouted.

“Hello!” The voice replied.

“Hello!” Spinnerella called out.

“Hello!” The voice said again.

Netossa slapped her forehead.

“Are you from Elberon?” She hurriedly shouted into the tunnel, not wanting to hear any more superfluous salutations.

“Yes! Are you?” The voice replied.

“Uh…” Netossa trailed off in bemusement. “No, we’re from Bright Moon. Are you the only one in there?”

“Oh no, there’s lots of people here.” The voice answered. “But they’re too scared to come out. They’re afraid the monster will eat them.”

“Then why are you here? Aren’t you scared of the monster, too?” Spinnerella asked.

“My daddy went to get help, but he didn’t come back for a long time. I wanted to go look for him, but the door was full of rocks.” The voice explained.

Spinnerella and Netossa glanced at each other with a sad, knowing look.

“Oh, but you’re here now. That means my daddy must have gotten help, right?” The voice asked hopefully.

“I… ah…” Netossa stammered. “We’re here to help, okay?”

“Okay! I’ll go tell the others!” The voice cheered. “I can’t wait to see my daddy again!”

“Poor thing…” Spinnerella said softly.

“Yeah.” Netossa sighed as she turned around. Bow had managed to calm Glimmer down, but she was still visibly upset.

“Hey, guys!” She called to them. “We found ‘em!”

Glimmer and Bow quickly ran over to the hole.

“You did? Are they alive?” Glimmer practically demanded to know.

“Sounds like it.” Netossa nodded. “They hid in this cave to get away from that thing. Now that it’s gone, we can make sure they get to safety.”

“Well…” Glimmer managed a faint smile. “I guess it could be worse, then.”

Chapter Text

Back and forth, Hordak paced in front of his reactor. So much power was at his fingertips. As always, it was not enough. With the Northern beacon destroyed, he was at a complete loss. Even if there were other power sources on this forsaken world, surely the vile Queen would have seen to their destruction as well.

No. It was well and truly hopeless. Whether he defeated the Rebellion or not, he would die on this rock. Horde Prime would never even know of what transpired here. Perhaps that was for the best.
Hordak was far too distracted by his despondent thoughts to notice the door to his laboratory open.

“Hello!” Entrapta casually waved, instantly bringing him back to reality.

“Entrapta?” He whirled around, eyes wide in surprise.

Entrapta’s skin was much redder than normal, and it was home to a number of unsightly blisters. It did nothing to dull her characteristic cheer.

“Hey, Hordak! Nice to see you again!” She exclaimed happily as she approached him.

“Should you not be in bed? Your injuries have not healed fully.” Hordak pointed out.

“Pssh, a little pain isn’t about to get in the way of me and scientific progress.” Entrapta scoffed. “I didn’t let a severed arm get in the way of upgrading my robots, and I’m certainly not going to let these burns get in my way now.”

Hordak raised an eyebrow at the casual mention of severed limbs, but decided not to inquire further.

“Very well.” He acquiesced.

“The Rebellion interrupted me before…” Entrapta mused, walking over to the reactor. She began to stroke her chin with a hair tendril, only to wince in pain and quickly retract it. “Perhaps with a larger force, we could-”

“I am afraid that will not matter.” Hordak interrupted.. “The Queen figured out our plan. The beacon is gone.”

“Hrm.” Entrapta’s brow furrowed. “That’s unfortunate...”

“Without the additional power of an Eternian reactor, the portal cannot be created. It has all been for nothing.” Hordak didn’t bother to keep the despair from his voice.

“Hmm.” Entrapta murmured. Without offering an explanation, she wandered over to the locator device and activated it.

“There.” She pointed to an island off the coast of the Fright Zone, which was matched only by the Runestones in the intensity of the energy signatures it was giving off.

“As I told you before, nothing good can come from travelling to Beast Island.” Hordak said as he walked up to her side.

“Why is that, anyway?” Entrapta looked at him curiously. “Whenever I ask anyone about it, they just tell me to stop asking. Or they run away screaming. That happens too.”

“From what information I have been able to gather, Beast Island was used as a disposal facility by the Eternians.” Hordak explained. “Any technology that could not be repaired or safely destroyed was left to decay there.”

“That doesn’t sound very scary.” Entrapta remarked. “Why are people so scared of it?”

“They are scared of it because they know it only as the destination of enemies and traitors.” Hordak let out a short, sinister chuckle. “Of course, if they knew the truth, their terror would only be magnified.”

There was no trace of terror on Entrapta’s face, only immeasurable curiosity.

“Tell me more!” She practically pleaded.

“Much of the technology on Beast Island remains active.” Hordak continued. “The twisted energies they emanate have corrupted the native plant and animal life, making them irrevocably hostile. Additionally, something in the island’s interior is continuously broadcasting a powerful infrasonic signal. If you survive the beasts, you will become one.”

“How do you know so much about it, if it’s so dangerous?” Entrapta wondered.

“I have sent several probes into the island’s interior over the years.” Hordak answered. “They were able to obtain a substantial amount of information before the native creatures reduced them to scrap.”

“So, the signal makes it deadly for people, and the wildlife makes it deadly for robots.” Entrapta summarized.

“I hope your curiosity has been sated now.” Hordak began to walk away.

“Wait!” Entrapta called out. Hordak stopped in his tracks, but did not turn around.

“The signal must be powered by something. We could send in a robot to find its power source and bring it back!” Entrapta exclaimed.

“The monsters will tear it apart before it could even get close.” Hordak replied.

“If we send it alone, maybe.” Entrapta grinned. “But what if we send a bunch of other robots with it? An entire robot army!”

“Our robots are needed to bolster the garrisons.” Hordak countered, turning around to face her. “If we send them off to Beast Island, we will be leaving ourselves vulnerable to a Rebel counterattack. Not even Angella could ignore that opportunity.”

“What if we made more robots?” Entrapta asked.

“That-” Hordak raised a hand to object, but immediately lowered it. “May work. Still, given the extreme ferocity of the native monsters, it would require several dozen robots at a minimum merely to clear the way to the device. There is no telling how the beasts will react once we disable it.”

“Worst case scenario, we don’t get the reactor and we’re down a few robots. Best case scenario, we get the reactor and can finally create that portal! Come on, it’s a no-brainer!” Entrapta cheerfully argued.

“Mm.” Hordak murmured. “I will allocate the necessary resources to you. Let us hope this does not prove to be a waste of time.”

“Is time you enjoy wasting really wasted time?” Entrapta rhetorically mused.

Hordak gave her an annoyed glare.

“Sorry.” Entrapta hurriedly apologized. “I’ll go get my tools!” She scurried away without giving Hordak time to say anything further.

Hordak watched her leave, maintaining his glare until the door closed behind her. As soon as he was alone, his glare slowly morphed into a small smile.

Glimmer used only a fraction of her power against the rubble blocking the cave, not wishing to bring the entire cliff crashing down on the people of Elberon. That did not stop the loose stones from being effectively disintegrated, leaving the entrance wide open.

“Hm.” Netossa made a sturgeon face. “Not bad.”

Glimmer tossed a few balls of light into the tunnel to illuminate it for the refugees. The Gang waited in silence for several minutes before people finally began to trickle out from the hole.

The first of the refugees to exit was the mayor, who instantly recognized Glimmer.

“Princess Glimmer!” She exclaimed joyfully. “It’s really you!”

“Yeah, it’s me. Hi.” Glimmer weakly waved, managing an embarrassed smile.

“That’s twice now you’ve saved us all!” The mayor’s eyes sparkled with grateful tears. “Words can’t even begin to express how grateful we are.” Her gaze moved to Glimmer’s companions, who stood awkwardly to the side. ”To all of you.”

“You’re welcome…” Glimmer scratched the side of her neck uncomfortably. By now, the rest of the villagers had exited the cave.

“We should get these people to the castle. Y’know, just in case…” Netossa didn’t need to finish her sentence.

“Right.” Glimmer nodded. She took a few steps back from the crowd.

“Can I have your attention, please?” She called out to them. When all eyes were on her, she continued. “I would like you all to divide yourselves into groups of four. I will teleport each group individually to the castle. The Queen will then see to your needs.”

It took longer than Glimmer would have liked, but the villagers did as she commanded. After five short trips, only the Gang of Four, the mayor, and a single child were left.

“Alright…” Glimmer sighed, eyes drooping from fatigue. “Almost done.”

“Wait!” The child suddenly exclaimed. “Where’s my daddy?”

Glimmer and Bow were visibly confused by her outburst, while Spinnerella and Netossa exchanged knowing glances.

“Your daddy? What do…” Glimmer trailed off when she saw the faces of the other Princesses. Putting two and two together, she looked down at the child.

“I’m sorry.” She said softly, her voice hitching.

“You’re sorry?” The child cocked her head to the side. “What for?”

“Come on, Flutterina.” The mayor said hurriedly. “Let’s get to the castle. We’ve all had a long day, haven’t we?” She gave Glimmer a pointed look.

“Ah.” Glimmer nodded, biting her lip. “Yes, I guess we have.”

Without another word, she teleported the mayor and Flutterina to the castle before immediately returning to the cave entrance.

“So, I’m guessing that head belonged to…” Bow trailed off.

Netossa and Spinnerella nodded simultaneously.

“Man.” Bow rubbed his throat. “Who’s gonna tell her? I mean, she still thinks he’s alive. She needs to know, right?”

Slowly, everyone’s gaze shifted to Glimmer.

“What are you all looking at me for?” She asked irritably. “I’m a complete stranger! Who wants to hear their dad died from someone they don’t even know?”

“You know exactly what she’s going through.” Spinnerella quietly answered. “You can help her through this.”

“Ugh…” Glimmer let out an exhausted groan. “I don’t know if you all have noticed, but we’re in the middle of a war right now. We don’t have time to play grief counselor when the Horde’s still out there causing more grief!”

“It wouldn’t take very long, Glimmer.” Bow said softly. “Even just a few hours would go a long way.”

“And why don’t you do it, huh?” Glimmer crossed her arms. “You lost your parents, too, didn’t you? That’s what you said before.”

Netossa and Spinnerella’s gaze briefly shifted to him in surprise.

“It’s different for me.” Bow answered. “I barely have any memories of them. The only reason I even know for certain is because my dads told me.”

Glimmer looked over at Netossa and Spinnerella, asking the same question to them with just her eyes. They both shook their heads.

“Gah.” Glimmer clenched her right fist. “Fine, I’ll talk to her. Tomorrow. Right now I just want to sleep.”

“Fair enough.” Bow nodded. “Let’s go home.”

Adora had almost gotten used to waking up to the sensation of body-wide pain. Almost.

“Mrrrmmm…” She murmured, finding it more difficult than usual to open her eyes. When she finally managed it, she was unsurprised to find herself in the same cot she had been lying for the past week.

The worst of it was over by now. Her skin was still slightly redder than normal, but it had otherwise been healed fully. The strange tubes - eyevees, she heard Morvan call them - had likewise been removed from her body.

Adora shifted her head, allowing her to see Catra snoozing on the cot beside her. The sight made her subconsciously smile.

“Hm…” She heard a voice coming from behind her. For a moment, she thought it was Double Trouble again, no doubt about to say something unflattering.

Adora turned her head towards the source of the voice, only to see Doctor Morvan standing at her bedside. He looked down at her with an expression of mild curiosity.

“Interesting.” His voice was so devoid of emotion that it was impossible to tell if he was being sincere. “It normally takes several weeks to fully heal from second-degree burns. I wondered if there were physiological differences between…”

“Physio what now?” Adora’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“Never mind.” Morvan replied dismissively with a slight roll of his eyes. “You appear to have healed quite nicely, so I see no reason to keep you here any longer. Can you stand?”

“I… dunno.” Adora shrugged. “It’s been a bit.”

“Well?” Morvan backed up several steps to give Adora room, keeping his eyes on her the entire time. “Get on with it.”

Slowly and cautiously, Adora slid off the bed and stood up. She was hit by a wave of dizziness, and her knees felt like jelly, but she managed to keep herself upright.

“Woah…” She muttered, blinking rapidly in an attempt to combat the dizziness.

“Quite normal for someone who has spent several days in bed.” Morvan replied without a hint of concern. “Take a few minutes to get your bearings, and then return to… whatever it is you do.”

“What about Catra and the others?” Adora asked. “Are they going to be released too?”

“No, not yet.” Morvan shook his head. “As I said, you’ve healed a lot faster than you should have. They’ve still got a ways to go.”

“Oh. Okay.” Adora nodded. “Can I uh, tell Catra? I don’t want her to worry when she wakes up and sees I’m not here.”

Morvan gave her a patronizing look.

“If you must.” He walked away without waiting for a reply.

After taking a few minutes to readjust, Adora navigated the narrow pathways between the cots and up to Catra’s cot. The tenderness of her skin forced her to keep her body straight when she slept, instead of curling up like a cat as she usually did. It did not detract from her cuteness in the least, at least in Adora’s unbiased opinion.

“Mm.” Catra shifted slightly, seemingly aware that someone was looming over her. She let out a quiet exhale, her left eye opening halfway.

“Dora…” She muttered.

“Hey, Catra.” Adora smiled kindly.

“You’re… up…” Catra groggily managed.

“Yeah.” Adora nodded. “I’m all better now, so the doctor discharged me. I just wanted you to know.”

Catra let out a barely audible snort of amusement.

“Not a kid anymore…” She mumbled. “Don’t need to hold my hand…”

“Hey, I just didn’t want you to worry.” Adora replied defensively, her cheeks brightening.

“Sure…” Catra’s eye slid shut again. “Sleepy…”

“Night, Catra.” Adora whispered.

It took only a few seconds for Catra to begin snoring again. Adora silently chuckled at the sight before leaving her to rest.

The first priority was to reclaim her clothing. She wasn’t naked, but the thin gowns that the infirmary made their patients wear weren’t much better. She walked over to Doctor Morvan, who was writing a report at his desk.

“Um, hey, Doctor?” Adora asked, feeling more than a little self-conscious. “Do you, uh, happen to know where my clothes are?”

“Ah, yes.” Morvan didn’t look up at her or even stop writing. “They were returned to your barracks.”

“Great, thank you.” Adora went for the door.

“Ahem.” Morvan cleared his throat, causing Adora to stop mid-stride. She turned to look at him, visibly confused.

“I’ll need your gown back before you leave.” He explained tonelessly, his eyes never wandering from his report.

“What, right now?” Adora recoiled. “But I need to get my clothes. What, am I supposed to walk to the barracks naked?”

“Yes.” Morvan bluntly answered.

“That’s stupid!” Adora exclaimed angrily.

“I don’t make the rules.” Morvan shrugged. “Take it up with Hordak if you want.”

That was not a conversation Adora wanted to have with Hordak. Or anyone else, for that matter.

“Fine.” She relented. “Don’t look.”

Morvan briefly glanced up from his report to give Adora a bemused look, before immediately returning his attention to the paper.

Adora let out a long sigh. It was just one more thing Hordak would have to answer for.

Reluctantly, she removed her gown, keeping her eyes glued to the doctor the entire time to make sure he didn’t try to take a sneaky peek. To her relief, he never did.

“Alright.” She said, holding the gown in a pile in her hands. “Where do I put this?”

“There’s a linen basket on the outside of the door.” He answered.

Adora saw no need to respond. She exited the infirmary and deposited her gown in the basket.

Most of Etheria had a strong taboo against public nudity. In the Fright Zone, it wasn’t seen nearly as harshly, but it was still far from an everyday occurrence to see someone wandering the halls in their birthday suit.

As such, it was inevitable that Adora turned many heads as she made her way to the barracks. Most were brief glances of curiosity, although there were a few of a much more licentious nature. A sharp glare from Adora was all it took to get them to hurry off in the other direction.

It was unfortunate that a sharp glare could not dissuade the metal floors from being unpleasantly hard and almost bone-chillingly cold.

Perhaps that was the idea. A punishment for getting injured.

When Adora finally made it to the barracks, she went straight for her bed, eager to get her feet away from the cold floor. She sat on her bed, letting her feet dangle over the floor as she waited for the warmth to return to them.

A brief glance to her side revealed her clothes, piled up neatly atop the single flat pillow. Her Force Captain badge was placed atop the pile, like the bow of the world’s most underwhelming birthday present.

Adora quickly dressed herself, not wanting to be caught with her pants down. Fortunately, her clothes appeared to have been unharmed by Angella’s terrible power.

Once she was decent again, she affixed her badge back onto her coat and walked over to the mirror to regard herself.

Doctor Morvan had not been lying. Her injuries had healed completely. If she hadn’t lived through it, she would never have believed it.

“Weird…” Adora murmured to herself. Why would she have healed so much faster than Catra or any of the others? She had been closer to Angella than most of them when she unleashed her power. If anything, it should have taken her even longer to heal.

She found herself recalling stories Shadow Weaver had told her as a child. One of the many powers the First Ones were attributed to in the old legends was the power of regeneration. They could supposedly heal much faster than ordinary Etherians, and even heal from wounds as terrible as severed limbs and lost organs.

That alone wasn’t so concerning. The myths could have been exaggerated. Perhaps Adora was simply built different.

But then there was the pedestal in the Northern Wastes. It had tasted Entrapta’s blood and knew she wasn’t one of them. So why had it opened for Adora?

Was she really a First One?

Adora stared at her reflection in the mirror. It felt like staring at a stranger.

Surely if she was really a First One, she would have some memories of it. She hadn’t a single memory of living anywhere that wasn’t the Fright Zone, of any parent that wasn’t Shadow Weaver.

Infants didn’t retain their memories. If she had been taken young enough…

Adora clenched her fists. These thoughts would get her nowhere. The only way she would get an answer is if she asked the one person who might know the truth.

Shadow Weaver was recharging her powers with the Black Garnet when Adora arrived in her chambers. She stopped when Adora entered the room, but did not turn to face her.

“Adora. It is good to see you up and about. You’re welcome for the rescue, by the way.” She drawled.

“Am I a First One?” Adora bluntly demanded.

“No mood for pleasantries, I see.” Shadow Weaver slowly turned around to face her. “What makes you ask such a question, I wonder?”

“Does it matter?” Adora asked, staring down Shadow Weaver with a scowl.

“Not particularly, I suppose.” Shadow Weaver shrugged. “This conversation was inevitable.”

“Are you going to answer my question or not?” Adora angrily grit her teeth.

“I see Catra’s impatience has worn off on you.” Shadow Weaver remarked calmly. “How unfortunate.”

“Or maybe we’re both tired of your stupid mind games.” Adora retorted.

“Stupid?” Shadow Weaver repeated, seemingly offended. “Adora, you may take issue with my methods. But everything I have done, everything I will do, has been for your own good.”

“I can’t tell if you’re lying to me or lying to yourself.” Adora crossed her arms. “But either way, I’d like my answer now.”

“Very well.” Shadow Weaver acquiesced. “Your suspicions were not misplaced. You are indeed not of this world.”

“So I was right?” Adora recoiled. Never in her life had she felt so uncomfortable about being correct. “I am a First One?”

“Yes…” Shadow Weaver stretched out the word. “When you were merely an infant, you were brought to Etheria through a portal and left to perish in the wilderness. Fortunately, Lord Hordak found you before the beasts could, and brought you to the Fright Zone.”

“But… why? How? Where did I come from?” Adora asked quietly, her eyes wide with shock.

“Contrary to popular belief, the First Ones did not go extinct.” Shadow Weaver calmly answered. “They merely left this world and returned to the stars. They are still out there, somewhere. I can only assume you were taken from whatever world they are currently hiding on.”

“What…” Adora breathed. “Stars? Other worlds? What are you talking about?”

“Ah, of course…” Shadow Weaver said wistfully. “I had the same reaction when I found out. For a thousand years, our people have lived on Etheria, believing that all that exists is our world and its moons. The reality is that we are trapped in a tiny pocket of the universe, like a bottle of water in the ocean. There is more out there than you could possibly comprehend.”

Silence settled over the room for some time as Adora stared blankly at Shadow Weaver, her eyes wide and mouth open.

“I…” Adora finally gasped out. “I think I need some air.”

She bolted out of the room without waiting for a response, moving as quickly as she could without risking a collision with any of the soldiers walking through the corridors. She found one of the many small balconies that dotted the skyscrapers of the Fright Zone and leaned on the railing, gazing at the unsightly forest of industrial structures below.

Adora had expected Shadow Weaver to deflect, to obfuscate, to lie, just as she always did. She never expected to get the raw, unvarnished truth from her. She certainly didn’t expect how uneasy it would make her feel.

She almost wished she could forget their conversation ever happened, to return to blissful ignorance.

But no, Shadow Weaver was right. This was inevitable. And now that she knew, there was no going back. No more pretending.

She wondered about the circumstances behind their arrival on Etheria. Shadow Weaver claimed it was some kind of magic portal that had brought her here, but she never explained how or why.

Adora only saw two possible reasons for this. Either Shadow Weaver was concealing those answers, or she didn’t know them. Neither possibility gave Adora much comfort.

“Hey.” A voice came from Adora’s left.

“Ah!” Adora flinched, startled. She looked to her left in alarm, only to relax when she recognized Puff. She was wearing a normal Horde uniform instead of her usual armor. “Uh, hey there.”

“I didn’t startle you, did I?” Puff asked with a teasing smile.

“No, no, not at all.” Adora lied.

“Mhm.” Puff murmured knowingly, leaning on the railing beside Adora. “So, are you thinking about something? Or just enjoying some freshly polluted air?”

“Oh, I dunno…” Adora returned her gaze to the factories below. “Just thinking about how my whole life is a lie and everything I thought I knew was wrong.”

“Ah.” Puff nodded sagely. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but if you need an ear, I’ve got one to spare.”

“Heh, thanks.” Adora let out a short, mirthless chuckle. “I’d take you up on that, but I’d probably just make you feel the same way I’m feeling right now.”

“Already do.” Puff calmly answered.

“You…” Adora looked up at her in confusion. “You do?”

“Yep.” Puff nodded. “Your… uh, your ‘mom’ showed me something. Kinda upended my whole worldview.”

“Does that have something to do with why you’re…” Adora trailed off. As far as she could tell, there was nobody else around, but it still didn’t seem like a wise decision to talk treason in a public space.

“It does.” Puff replied quietly, staring directly into Adora’s eyes. “Let’s just say I see Hordak in a new light now.”

“I see.” Adora said after a brief silence. “Well, I’m glad to have you with us.”

“Aww. You’re gonna make me blush.” Puff smiled.

“Just being honest.” Adora smiled back.

“Well.” Puff stood up from the railing with a long sigh. “As much as I’d love to stay and chat with you, I have to go check in with the doctor.”

“Oh, yeah.” Adora had almost forgotten about Puff’s injury. “You’re doing okay, right?”

“Yep, don’t worry.” Puff replied. “He’s just keeping tabs on me to make sure everything’s right in the noggin. Should be cleared for active duty again in a couple of days.”

“That’s good to hear.” Adora stood up from the railing while keeping her gaze on Puff.

“Just no more flying into the Crimson Wastes. I’m not eager to go through that again.” Puff’s tone was facetious, but sincere.

“I don’t think any of us are.” Adora answered jokingly.

“Well, see ya around.” Puff said with a flippant wave of her hand.

“See you.” Adora said in return.

With that, they went their separate ways. Adora initially planned to return to barracks, but a strong protest lodged by her stomach convinced her to pay a visit to the mess hall. Fortunately, she arrived in time for breakfast.

Unfortunately, it was Horde breakfast.

One of the perks - if one could call it that - of being a Force Captain was being able to eat ahead of the rank and file. It was a perk Adora had never taken advantage of, partially because it felt wrong and partially because even a starving man would think twice before eating the slop the Horde considered food.

As Adora had arrived later than normal, the line was fairly short. She soon got her tray of barely edible gloop and found herself looking for a table. Technically, there was nothing preventing her from plopping herself down at any table that happened to have an empty spot, but she knew from experience that most Horde soldiers didn’t take kindly to strangers sitting with them.

A quick scan of the mess revealed a few familiar faces sitting at a nearby table, saving Adora from an uncomfortable social encounter. She walked over to the table, putting on a friendly smile.

“Hey, guys. May I sit with you?” Adora asked politely.

Lonnie looked up at her with a bemused expression. Kyle looked nervous, and Rogelio looked… like Rogelio.

“Uh… I mean, you’re the Force Captain, right?” Lonnie replied. “It’s not like I can tell you what to do.”

“Well, no.” Adora’s smile faded somewhat. “I just thought I’d ask. It’s the polite thing to do.”

“Sit wherever you want.” Lonnie said, looking down at her tray. There was a noticeable hint of bitterness to her words. “I really don’t care.”

“Hey…” Adora sat down in the empty space between Lonnie and Kyle. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“I dunno, are we?” Lonnie refused to look at her. “I mean, seems like you’re having a great time with your Force Captain buddies. What do you need us for?”

“I…” Adora opened her mouth, only to realize she had no real response to that.

What had it been, a month since they had said so much as a word to each other? Had she even thought about them in that time? Not really, at least not until a few moments ago.

“I’m sorry.” Adora said quietly. “I didn’t mean to leave you guys behind. It’s just… y’know, Hordak keeps us pretty busy.”

“No shit.” Lonnie took a massive swig of water, slamming the cup down with enough force to rattle the entire table. “But c’mon, Adora. He hasn’t kept you so busy that you didn’t have time to pop in once and a while and say hi.”

“Hey, Lonnie…” Kyle feebly interjected. “Don’t you think you’re being a little hard on her? I mean, who knows what kind of crazy stuff Hordak’s been having them do?”

“I don’t remember asking for your opinion, Kyle.” Lonnie glared at him. He quickly looked away, whistling nonchalantly.

“No, you’re right.” Adora let out a dejected sigh. “Things have been crazy, but it’s still on me. I got so wrapped up in everything else that I… well, I forgot about you guys.”

Lonnie, Rogelio, and Kyle all looked at her.

“I’ve been a bad friend, and I’m sorry about that.” Adora’s eyes flickered to each of them in turn. “If you don’t want me around, I’ll leave you alone.”

The three stared at her in silence for several seconds.

“Ugh.” Lonnie grumbled, rolling her eyes. “You’re such a sap-”

Rogelio elbowed her in the arm.

“Ow.” Lonnie grimaced and rubbed her arm. “Fine, whatever. Just don’t do it again.”

“Thank you.” Adora smiled widely. “I promise I won’t.”

Their conversation had taken enough time that by the time Adora finally started picking at her food, breakfast was officially over. She was forced to wolf down as much as she could, which was a difficult task given the unpalatable nature of the food.

Adora’s former squadmates, having already finished, left along with nearly everyone else in the mess hall, the din transforming into relative silence in a matter of seconds.

As she forced down the remainder of her breakfast, Adora heard voices coming from behind her.

“What is your problem with me?” A female voice asked angrily. Adora didn’t need to turn around to recognize that it was Octavia.

“My problem?” A refined male voice retorted. They had only met a few times, but then Adora hadn’t met anyone else who sounded like Canaris. “You know quite well what my problem is, butcher!”

Adora perked up slightly at the word ‘butcher’, only to belatedly realize that Canaris was referring to Octavia. She shifted in her seat, allowing to see the two Force Captains engaged in an aggressive staring match on the far side of the room.

“Is this about Alwyn again?” Octavia asked, sounding more annoyed than anything. “I carried out my orders. Can you get that through your thick bird brain?”

“Our orders were to destroy the villages, not slaughter their inhabitants!” Canaris shouted.

Adora grimaced. She might not have known the details, but it was obvious that Octavia had been responsible for something truly terrible.

“Hordak left their fate to us.” Octavia replied. “You let them go, I didn’t. You don’t see me judging you for that, so why are you judging me?”

“Because what you did was wrong!” Canaris spat. “You murdered innocent people!”

“They were supplying food to the Rebellion.” Octavia crossed her arms. “None of them were innocent. If you expect me to feel guilty about what I did, you’re going to be disappointed.”

“One day, you’re going to pay for what you did.” Canaris lowered his voice menacingly.

“Is that a threat?” Octavia lowered her voice in turn.

The two stared at each other in silence for several seconds. Adora considered intervening, but before she could, Octavia let out a derisive snort.

“Yeah, I thought so.” She turned to leave, briefly glancing back at Canaris as if to dare him to attack.

Canaris continued glaring daggers at her, but otherwise did nothing. Octavia rolled her eye at him before leaving the mess hall.

Only when she had left did Canaris notice their one-woman audience. He said nothing to Adora, but gave her a respectful nod as he departed.

Adora watched him leave with a thoughtful look.

It was evident that Canaris had a stronger moral compass than most servants of the Horde, and he was not afraid to show it. On top of that, he was a Force Captain, a rank which came with a considerable degree of power and influence.

Had she found a new collaborator?

Before the war, the village at the foot of Bright Moon Castle was home to no more than a hundred people, primarily farmers who helped keep the kingdom fed. Now, more than a thousand people called it home, the result of Angella’s open door policy towards refugees.

The village had never been meant to house so many, and it showed. Ramshackle houses were crammed together in tight rows, with barely any room left for greenery. The inhabitants, many of whom had been forced to leave their homes with little more than the clothes on their back, were all but destitute. Only the charity of the Queen kept them from starvation.

The sheer contrast between the glorious castle of Bright Moon and the squalid slum beneath it was sobering, to say the least. In Glimmer’s mind, it served as a constant reminder of the Rebellion’s failure. Her failure.

She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be in the castle, planning their next moves against the Horde. Instead, she was wandering down narrow and fetid streets, searching for a young girl so that she could tell her that she would never see her father again.

The section of the village where the people of Elberon resided was even more rundown than the rest, the consequence of increasing raw material shortages.

Given their situation, Glimmer was surprised to see the villagers of Elberon cheering and celebrating in front of their new dwellings. A large, muscular woman went to town on a set of drums, producing a hearty beat which incited many to dance. Watching it all was the mayor, a glowing smile on her face.

Visibly baffled, Glimmer walked up to the mayor.

“Uh… what’s going on?” She asked.

“We’re celebrating, of course!” The mayor’s smile didn’t waver as she answered.

“I’m not sure I understand.” Glimmer’s brow furrowed. “What are you celebrating? I mean, after everything…”

“Ah, I see.” The mayor’s smile faded slightly. “You think because we lost our home, we should lay around and be miserable.”

“Well.” Glimmer rubbed the side of her neck. “It would make sense.”

“The Horde may have destroyed our home, but they did not destroy us.” The mayor met Glimmer’s eyes. “We’re alive, free, and together. That’s what we’re celebrating. You can join, if you like.”

“Thank you, but I’ll pass.” Glimmer spared a glance at the revelers. She couldn’t imagine celebrating like that when the situation was so grim. “There was something I wanted you to ask about.”

“Oh?” The mayor looked at her expectantly.

“The girl…” Glimmer briefly trailed off. “Flutterina, wasn’t it? I was wondering if you… uh, told her.”

“About her father, you mean.” The mayor’s smile remained, but it was countered by the sadness in her eyes. “I haven’t. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to say. Her mother died many years ago, and she has no other family. How are you supposed to tell someone that?”

“Well…” Glimmer rubbed her hands together nervously. “I was thinking I could be the one to break it to her. I… I’ve been where she is.”

The mayor nodded in understanding.

“She’s at the pier, I believe.” She informed Glimmer. “Said she wanted to go fishing.”

“Thank you.” Glimmer lowered her head. “And… I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” The mayor reassured her.

Her words couldn’t have been more wrong, but Glimmer did not challenge them. Without another word, she left the refugees of Elberon to their peculiar festivities and headed towards the pier.

The ‘harbor’ of Bright Moon, such as it was, was far too shallow for a boat of any appreciable size to travel through. The creaky wooden pier that jutted into its waters was therefore exclusively for the purpose of catching the fish that wandered too close to the shore. Most Etherians were vegetarian by inclination, but when faced with the very real prospect of starvation, there could be no such thing as a picky eater.

When Glimmer stepped onto the pier, there was only one other person present. Flutterina sat at the far end of the pier, her legs dangling off the edge. She swayed side to side, as if listening to a song only she could hear.

The creaking of the boards as Glimmer approached her should have given her way, but Flutterina seemed to be in her own little world. Even when Glimmer stood right behind her, she remained oblivious.

Glimmer’s eyes fell on a metal bucket next to Flutterina, filled halfway with freshly caught herring. Flutterina didn’t have a net or rod, so Glimmer was at a loss as to how she had managed to catch anything.

“Uh, hey.” Glimmer said quietly.

“Shh.” Flutterina didn’t turn around, and continued to sway. “There’s a fishy.”

“Huh?” Glimmer raised her eyebrows.

“Shhhh.” Flutterina shushed her again. “It’s coming.”

With a small shrug, Glimmer stood and silently watched Flutterina for several seconds. Suddenly, Flutterina thrust her right arm into the shallow water, retracting it a moment later with a wriggling, crimson-scaled herring grasped firmly in her hand.

“Ooh! It’s a red herring!” Flutterina exclaimed happily, staring the poor fish in the eyes as it suffocated. “I’ve never seen one of you before! Are you magic? Can you grant me wishes?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s just a herring.” Glimmer remarked, feeling deeply bemused by the entire situation.

Flutterina’s smile faded with the herring’s life, becoming a slight frown when the fish stopped moving.

“Aww, you were right.” She said dejectedly. Her low mood lasted for no more than two seconds before her frown twisted into a grin and she casually tossed the dead red herring into the bucket. “Ah, well! I’m sure he’ll be good eating!”

Glimmer instinctively took a step back, unnerved by Flutterina’s peculiar behavior.

“Are… uh, are you okay?” She asked.

“Yep!” Flutterina jumped to her feet and turned to Glimmer with a cheery smile. “Want to noodle with me?”

“You…” Glimmer did a double take. “Want to what?”

“Noodle.” Flutterina cocked her head to the left, gazing deeply into Glimmer’s eyes. “Y’know, catch fish with your bare hands. My daddy called it noodling. I thought everybody knew that.”

“I… ah…” Glimmer quickly averted her gaze. “I did not know…”

“Well now you do!” Flutterina exclaimed. “And knowing is half the battle!”

“Uherm.” Glimmer cleared her throat awkwardly. “Speaking of, uh, knowing… there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Okie.” Flutterina cocked her head to the right.

“Your dad… you see…” Glimmer struggled to find the words. “He’s… he’s…”

“Oh!” Flutterina’s eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together. “He’s coming back! I can’t wait to show him all the fish I’ve caught! Oh, he’s gonna be so proud of me…”

The more Glimmer stumbled over her words, the worse it would hurt for the kid. She took a long, deep breath.

“He’s dead.” She said softly.

Flutterina stopped, staring at Glimmer uncomprehendingly. She didn’t move, or even breathe, for several seconds, almost literally petrified by the revelation.

“Flutterina?” Glimmer asked.

Flutterina’s eyes, filled with glee just a few moments before, seemed to be drained of it in real-time.

“He… he promised…” Her voice was so quiet that Glimmer could barely hear it.

“I’m sorry…” Glimmer’s stomach twisted in sympathy. “I don’t know what to say, but… if there’s anything you need…”

Flutterina burst forward, wrapping her arms around Glimmer’s waist and burying her head into her chest. She said nothing. The only sound came from her ragged breathing, broken up by short, choked sobs.

Glimmer was taken aback at first, but quickly returned the embrace.

“It’s okay…” She murmured softly. “It’s gonna be okay…”

They were empty platitudes, as she knew all too well. But it had helped a little for her, so maybe it could help Flutterina.

“He told me…” Flutterina’s voice was hoarse from anguish and muffled by Glimmer’s breasts. “He promised he would come back… that… that everything would be alright…”

Glimmer shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep the tears from leaking out. She quickly gave up, and let them flow down her cheeks.

“Don’t worry, Glimmer. I won’t be gone long.”

“But… the Horde… they’re so strong… what if they win?”

“They won’t win, honey. We’ve got all of Etheria on our side. The Horde doesn’t stand a chance. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“You… you promise?”

“I promise.”

“They lied to us…” Glimmer whispered, so quietly that even Flutterina couldn’t hear her.

"He lied to me."

Chapter Text

It felt strange to be planning in the war room without Angella being present, but Glimmer couldn’t let that get to her. She had a war to win.

The rest of the Gang of Four, as well as Juliet - they really needed a new name - were present, their eyes all on her. Waiting for her to speak.

“Ahem.” Glimmer cleared her throat, adopting a stiff, commanding posture and tone. “From the reports of our scouts, we know that the Horde has approximately two dozen bases and outposts in the Royal Plains. Four of them are covered by the Fright Zone’s anti-magic field and therefore cannot be taken at this time, but the rest are vulnerable.”

“We do not have the manpower required to hold these positions.” Glimmer continued. “but if we launch raids against the less well-defended outposts, we can cause significant casualties and delay their offensive operations.”

“They have been on the offensive so long that they will not expect us to bring the fight to them. We must take advantage of that to hit as many bases as we can, tonight. They will not make this mistake again.”

Glimmer stared at her assembled team stoically.

“You have half an hour to prepare yourselves. Then, we will leave.”

The Princesses and Juliet quickly left the room. Bow looked at Glimmer like he wanted to say something, but ultimately left without a word, closing the door behind him.

Now alone, Glimmer slowly deflated, her shoulders slouching and her stoic expression reforming into a tired frown as she looked down at the map.

A lot of people were going to die tonight.

With any luck, they would all be the Horde’s minions, for once.

The Horde worked fast. It had been only two months since Adora’s forces had crested over the horizon, and one could easily be forgiven for thinking there had ever been anything in the location besides an austere Horde outpost.

There was nothing of Thaymor left in the facility designated Outpost 25. It was simply another stepping stone to the fall of the Rebellion and the complete subjugation of Etheria, and not a particularly important one, either.

Outpost 25 was little more than a series of tents set up in a square, centered where the village used to be. In contrast to most other Horde bases, there was no running water, electricity, or defenses beyond a primitive palisade that would have had trouble keeping out hungry rabbits.

In his five years as an active Horde soldier, Phil had been shuffled through half a dozen of the Horde’s outposts, but none of them had been quite so dreary as this one. As far as he could tell, there was no point to the base at all, except possibly as a punishment for poorly behaved soldiers.

It wasn’t all bad, though. Here, at least, he had met him.

Technically, Phil was supposed to be on patrol. Which he was. So what if he had wandered nearly half a kilometer away from the outpost? Maybe he had spotted something suspicious. It’s not like the Sergeant would ever know.

Ever since they had met a month ago, Phil could barely go a few minutes without thinking of him. His long, beautiful mane, those piercing brown eyes. He was truly majestic to behold.

But it wasn’t his appearance which drew Phil to him. The Horde was not a pleasant place for those who had no friends. Without anyone to back you up, you were easy prey for bullies of all kinds. Mostly they just berated him with juvenile insults, but he still had the scar over his eye from that punk, Biff. At least he had eventually been sent to Beast Island for his many misdeeds.

He was different. He never judged Phil, never told him he was worthless or that he should have died in his mother’s womb. He just sat there and listened patiently.

If only everyone could be like him.

Phil recognized the familiar copse. The place where they had originally met, while Phil had been chasing a deer in the hope for some decent food. As usual, he was already there, standing in the center of the copse.

With a wide grin on his face, Phil ran up to him.

“Horsey!” He cheered, wrapping his arms around the horse’s neck in a gentle embrace. Horsey whinnied happily, nuzzling his head against Phil’s. “Who’s a good horse? You are! Yes, you are!”

After finishing their traditional greeting, Phil retrieved a small container from his pocket. It was supposed to contain the Horde’s ever-palatable rations, but instead it contained a variety of nuts and berries Phil had managed to scrounge up over the last few days.

Phil emptied the box into his hand and held it out to Horsey, allowing him to gratefully gobble up the treats.

“Sorry, Horsey.” Phil apologized as he allowed the horse to lick the salt off his hand. “I would’ve got more treats for you, but the Sergeant’s really been on my ass lately. She expects me to document everything I see in writing. What am I supposed to do, just write down ‘I saw nothing’ fifty separate times? This place is so dead…”

Horsey interrupted his grousing by gently nudging his head.

“Present company excluded, of course.” Phil politely corrected himself. “Honestly, you might be the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Horsey nickered in response.

“Aww, really?” Phil blushed faintly. “You’re such a charmer, Horsey.”

Phil and Horsey spent the next several hours frolicking together, thinking of nobody and nothing else. It wasn’t until the sky began to darken that Phil was brought back to grim reality.

“Damn.” He cursed, looking up at the sky. “I was having so much fun, I didn’t even notice…” He let out a resigned sigh. “Sergeant’s gonna have my ass for breakfast.”

Horsey nudged his head, letting out a quiet snort.

“Believe me, I’ve thought about it.” Phil replied with a mirthless chuckle. “Horde doesn’t take too kindly to deserters, and no way am I shacking up with the Rebels. Those idiots are all gonna end up against the wall sooner or later, mark my words.”

Horsey whined softly, nudging Phil’s head again.

“Yes, I’ll bring more treats next time.” Phil shook his head, smirking. “See you around, Horsey.” He gave the horse a light kiss on the snout before beginning the tedious walk back to camp.

Phil had traversed this route at least twenty times, and not once had he seen another person or any living creature larger than his head. The lack of threats had led to complacency, and he allowed his mind to wander as his body continued forward.

Not for the first time, Phil considered the irony of his relationship with Horsey. He had once belonged to a villager of Thaymor, only for the Horde to come destroy everything he had known and force him into the woods. And now he was friends with a soldier who had helped burn it to the ground.

Horsey didn’t actually see it that way, obviously. He was a horse. The Horde, the Rebellion, Thaymor, these meant nothing to him. His concerns were much more immediate and primal. Food, shelter, companionship. Phil couldn’t do much about the second one, but he could at least give him some snacks and keep him company.

It was the least he could do, really.

Finally, Phil arrived at the edge of the forest. Outpost 25 was now well within view, only a few minutes walk from his position.

He took a long, deep breath. He was really not looking forward to the punishment for being late, but the longer he delayed, the worst it would be.

Phil had only taken several steps out of the forest when it happened.

A Horde soldier - Phil couldn’t tell who from this distance - materialized almost fifty meters above the encampment. As Phil watched in open-mouthed horror, the screaming man plummeted back down to Etheria before landing out of view.

There was no doubt in his mind. He remembered what had happened to Jenkins during the original attack on Thaymor. Only the Queen’s wicked daughter was capable of that.

The Princesses were here.

Phil didn’t like to think of himself as a coward, but going up against the Princesses was nothing short of suicidal. He did the only rational thing he could, and swiftly retreated to the forest, using the trees as cover.

He should have ran deeper into the forest, back to Horsey. He didn’t. He couldn’t.

The Princesses didn’t waste any time. The poor man had barely hit the ground before a brief but mighty gust of wind blew the tents off their posts, sending them careening in every direction. The soldiers within, most of whom had been asleep or relaxing, were caught completely by surprise.

While Phil watched helplessly, his comrades attempted to fight against the encroaching Rebels. Their efforts were courageous, but completely futile, and they were swiftly torn asunder by the Princesses and their demonic powers.

The massacre lasted no more than fifteen seconds. The entire outpost had been left in ruins. Phil was now the sole survivor of what had, only a minute ago, been a twelve-man garrison.

It was too much. Phil’s knees failed him and he sank to the ground, clutching the nearest tree for support. He hadn’t been close with the other soldiers, but for them all to be snuffed out in the blink of an eye… it made him feel nauseous.

Phil watched the Rebels vanish from the field. Whether they intended to return to their lair or cause further mayhem, he couldn’t know.

Yet even as Phil failed to keep his dinner inside of him, he felt a peculiar sense of relief. He wasn’t certain why at first, until the realization finally came.

He was dead.

Rather, he was dead as far as the Horde was concerned. When the Horde discovered the slaughter, they would assume he died with the rest. Nobody would notice or care if the corpse count came up one short.

It was a bittersweet feeling, to attain his freedom because of such a horrible event. But Phil resolved to make the most of it.

Using the tree as leverage, he pulled himself to his feet. He looked out at the flat, charred ground where the outpost had previously been. Then, he slowly walked back into the forest. Back to Horsey.

Phil’s life had been nothing but war and pain.

But now? Now, he would know bliss.

One down, a lot more to go.

The Horde’s operation in the ruins of Thaymor had been small and without much in the way of defenses. Glimmer knew the rest of their bases would not be nearly so easy to destroy.

Next on the list was Stonecliff Tower, or as the Horde now called it, Outpost 26.

Glimmer and her group appeared in a small forest clearing near the tower, one that still had visible signs of battle from the Horde’s ambush more than a month earlier.

She gave a silent nod to others. Then, she vanished, reappearing roughly a hundred meters above the tower. Immediately, she carved a triangle into the air with a finger, the levitation spell allowing her to resist the fatal pull of Etheria’s gravity.

With her bird’s eye view, Glimmer could see the entirety of the tower and its courtyard. She noted every soldier, vehicle, and cannon along with their respective locations.

This method allowed her an unrestricted view of the tower’s exterior defenses, but she could see nothing of its interior. Fortunately, she had another method for obtaining that information.

The courtyard was occupied by many soldiers and robots, but only a single guard was present on the top of the tower, peering out at the Whispering Woods with binoculars.

Glimmer appeared directly behind him, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

“Huh?” The guard tried to turn around, but by the time he did, he was several hundred meters above the ground.

Glimmer, falling with him towards the ground, took the time to blow him a raspberry before teleporting back atop the tower. The guard’s screams and crunchy demise would no doubt have alerted the rest of the garrison, so Glimmer had taken care to drop him nearly a kilometer away. She watched the distant speck in the sky tumble back to Etheria, a small smile on her lips.

She quickly wiped it away. There was far too much work to be done.

Remembering Castaspella’s training, Glimmer wove a complex spell into the air. In seconds, she assumed the form of an anonymous Horde grunt, complete with full armor. The lack of complicated details to remember made the spell abnormally easy, as long as nobody expected her to undress.

With her new disguise, Glimmer was free to investigate the corridors and rooms of the tower, making note of everyone she saw. When she was satisfied with her reconnaissance, she walked up to the nearest Horde grunt, who patrolled an otherwise empty hallway.

“Do you know where our commanding officer is?” Glimmer performed her best imitation of a goose stepping Horde minion. “I, uh, noticed something out in the Woods, and I think they should know about it.”

“The Force Captain.” The soldier, a man judging by his voice, emphasized the title. “Is in his office. You should know where it is.”

“What if I don’t?” Glimmer asked.

“Then look for it.” The soldier contemptuously replied.

“Rude.” Glimmer looked around to make sure there weren’t any witnesses, and then placed her hand on the man’s breastplate.

“What are you doing?” He asked angrily.

Glimmer’s grin was concealed by her glamour as she teleported both of them over the same area she had dropped the tower sentry. She immediately returned to the tower, allowing the grunt to have a fateful encounter with the ground.

Without directions, it took Glimmer several minutes to find the Force Captain office. As it happened, he occupied the same office that Captain Aries had when the Rebellion still owned the tower. Two grunts guarded the door, one on each side.

“Halt.” One of the guards said to Glimmer when she approached. “State your business.”

“I saw activity in the Woods, possibly Rebels.” Glimmer informed them. “I thought he should know.”

The guards briefly glanced at each other.

“Very well.” The guard on the left knocked on the door. “Force Captain! Someone has intel on the woods!”

“Let them in.” A gruff voice called back through the door.

The guards opened the door for Glimmer, allowing her to enter the room before closing it behind her.

A massive, bestial man with a mane nearly as large as his head sat behind a metal desk, staring directly at Glimmer.

“You have information for me?” He asked tersely.

“Yes, Force Captain.” Glimmer said as she walked slowly towards him. “The Rebels are preparing an offensive against the tower. Princess Glimmer is personally leading the attack. She has already infiltrated the tower and killed two of your soldiers.”

“What…” The Force Captain’s brow furrowed in confusion as Glimmer reached his desk. “What are you talking about? How do you know all of this? Who are you?”

“I should be asking you the questions instead.” Glimmer let the glamour fade away, allowing the Force Captain to see her true form. He stared at her, shock fatally delaying his reaction.

“My question is…” A sadistic smirk crossed Glimmer’s lips as she grabbed his arm from across the desk. “Can you fly?”

“Guards!” The Force Captain called out in panic, but it was too late. By the time the guards burst through the door, he and Glimmer were hovering five hundred meters above the tower courtyard.

Glimmer swiftly drew a triangle in the air, allowing her to float in the sky and appreciate the spectacle of watching the massive man flail and scream as he plummeted to the ground. The Force Captain landed on top of one of the armored cars stationed in the courtyard, the impact crushing the vehicle like a pancake and shattering every bone in his body.

“Too bad.” Glimmer remarked slyly. With her reconnaissance mission dramatically concluded, she teleported back to the clearing, where the rest of her group waited anxiously.

“They’ve got about fifty men and bots, two dozen cannons facing outwards, and three armored cars in the courtyard.” She swiftly explained. “They’re already down two goons, their commander, and their fourth car. They should be in panic mode right now, so we need to hit them before they regroup.”

“We’re ready.” Netossa nodded, followed by everyone else.

“Good.” Glimmer nodded back.

Most of the Horde soldiers in the courtyard had surrounded the ruined car, utterly bewildered by the demise of their commanding officer. They were completely unprepared when Glimmer and her group appeared in the center of the courtyard, standing directly behind them.

“For Etheria!” Glimmer roared, firing twin blasts of light at the nearest goons. The concentrated power pierced through armor and flesh alike leaving cauterized holes the size of dinner plates in their chests. The two men toppled over, dead before they hit the ground.

The rest of her group quickly joined in. Juliet and Netossa charged into melee range, the former stabbing at goons with her staff and the latter using her nets to trip and immobilize the bots along with any soldier foolish enough to get too close. Bow took aim at the cannons atop the battlements, firing expert shots to disable them before their operators could turn the guns inward.

Spinnerella summoned forth the strength of the wind and sent it straight into one of the intact armored cars. The force sent the car flying towards the battlements, crushing five cannons and their operators before landing in a mangled heap outside the wall.

Glimmer teleported around the battlefield, never staying in any location for more than three seconds. Any soldier who gave the others trouble, or any cannon that Bow wasn’t able to hit, were annihilated by the Moonstone’s might.

While off-handedly blasting a cannon operator’s head to dust, Glimmer noticed about a dozen men piling into the remaining two armored cars. For a moment, she thought they were going to attempt to turn the cars’ cannons on her friends, but instead they drove straight through the gate in a haphazard attempt to flee.

“Oh no you don’t.” Glimmer growled.

There was only one route the cars could take, so Glimmer teleported to the forest clearing, waiting for the cars to arrive. It did not take long.

The cars stopped in their tracks when they saw Glimmer standing calmly in front of them, hands on her hips. Their hesitation only lasted a moment before they both drove full speed towards her. Whether they were simply attempting to force her to get out of the way or attempting to run her over, nobody would ever know.

Glimmer’s face was free of even the slightest hint of fear or concern as she drew two triangles in the air, side by side. The cars were less than a meter from her as they suddenly began to hover above the ground. Their tires spun furiously, their engines audibly chugging, but none of it made a difference. The cars continued to rise in the air, slowly at first, but then with increasing speed. Before long, they were nearly fifty meters above the clearing.

“Please!” Glimmer heard a female voice call out from one of the cars. The sheer terror in her voice was palpable, even through the distortions of the intercom. “Show us mercy!”

Glimmer’s brow narrowed with indignant fury. She teleported onto the hood of the car where the voice had originated from, staring at the soldiers cowering inside.

“I will show you mercy.” Glimmer’s voice was calm, menacing, and laden with murderous intent.

“I will show you Alwyn’s mercy.”

“N-no!” The voice pleaded desperately. “Please, don’t!”

Glimmer teleported into the air in front of both cars, quickly carving another triangle to keep herself afloat. With a merciless glare, she sent two blinding beams of light towards them. The glass windshields shattered instantly, the light forcing its way into the cabins and frying everything and everyone inside. Twin explosions ripped through each car as their volatile engines were penetrated, raining superheated shards of metal down on the clearing below.

Satisfied, Glimmer let the two gutted hulks tumble lifelessly to the ground. What remained of the cars crinkled up like aluminium foil from the impact, the sound echoing through the nearby forest. She gave one last look at her handiwork before returning to the tower.

When Glimmer reappeared in the courtyard, she found that her comrades had mopped up the last of the Horde resistance. Every cannon had been destroyed or disabled. The fourteen soldiers who remained breathing were collected in the center, bound by Netossa’s nets.

“Good work, everyone.” Glimmer quickly drew the attention of the rest of the group. “Time to move out.”

“Wait, what about the guys inside?” Netossa asked.

“It’ll take too long to deal with them.” Glimmer answered. “They won’t be able to hold this outpost with so few men, anyway.”

“It’s your call.” Netossa spared a glance at the imposing tower.

“What about the prisoners?” Bow chimed in. “We can’t take them with us. Are we going to bring them back to Bright Moon?”

“We can barely afford to feed the refugees.” Glimmer shook her head, frowning. “Maybe we should just kill them.”

“What?” Bow recoiled in shock at the mere suggestion. “We can’t do that! It’s wrong!”

“Doesn’t seem to get in their way.” Glimmer dryly pointed out. “Besides, if we let them go, we’ll just have to fight them again.”

“Then we’ll do that.” Bow replied. “But we can’t stoop to their level.”

Glimmer already had, but Bow didn’t know that. She was in no hurry to tell him, either.

“Fine.” She sighed. “We’ll head to the next base.” She made a pouty face, like a child who had just been denied dessert.

“Rebel scum!” Shouted one of the captives in a high-pitched male voice. “You won’t get away with this!”

Without changing her expression, Glimmer drew a triangle in the air, causing the impudent captive to gradually rise a meter above the ground.

“Wooaaahhh!” He cried out in terror, any trace of courage or defiance evaporating instantly.

“You scream like a girl.” Glimmer taunted him before she and her companions vanished into light.

Immediately upon their departure, the energy nets binding the soldiers disappeared, as did the levitation spell holding the man aloft. With a shrill scream, he landed belly first onto the dirt, humiliated but alive.

For the surviving soldiers of Outpost 26, the battle was over.

For the rest of the Horde garrisons that tainted the Royal Plains, it had only begun.

The Robot Assembly observation room was spartan even by Horde standards, but Hordak could not care less. He was completely fixated on the mad genius below.

Under normal circumstances, it took at least a dozen men and machines, not to mention many hours, to create a single robot. With just a single diminutive robotic companion at her side, Entrapta was performing all the necessary steps herself in a fraction of the time. The pace was simply breathtaking. Even Horde Prime’s best factories would have struggled to keep up.

It continuously baffled Hordak how her brilliant mind could have ever formed on such an insignificant and superstitious planet. If Hordak believed in destiny, he might have ascribed her existence to it. Of course, he was above such absurdities.

Hordak heard the sound of the door sliding open behind him. He stiffened, but did not turn around.

“You are disturbing me.” He said coldly to the unseen intruder. “For your sake, I hope you have a good reason.”

“I apologize, my lord.” Shadow Weaver’s tone betrayed her insincerity. “I believed you would wish to be made aware of the situation on the Royal Plains.”

“What situation?” Hordak irritably asked.

“A Rebel strike team launched lightning raids against many of our bases.” Shadow Weaver explained. “Several were completely wiped out, while many others suffered great casualties. A full tally of our losses is being prepared now.”

Hordak did not move or speak for several seconds.

“How did this happen?” He asked with barely restrained rage.

“It appears Queen Angella has stepped aside from military matters.” Shadow Weaver replied evenly. “She has allowed her daughter to take the reins. Clearly, Glimmer favors a more… aggressive approach.”

“Where does that leave us?” Hordak clenched his fists.

“In a very vulnerable position, I’m afraid.” Shadow Weaver didn’t sound concerned in the slightest. “The reports indicate that Glimmer made extensive use of teleportation magic in the attacks. There is no feasible way to defend the remaining bases without extending the anti-magic field.”

“Extending it further would risk overloading the system.” Hordak replied grimly. “It appears we have no choice, then.” He turned around to face Shadow Weaver, his glowing red eyes staring into her eyeless mask.

Without taking his eyes off her, Hordak pressed a button on his arm, connecting him to the commanders of every surviving Horde base.

“Effective immediately, all Outposts save for Outposts 1 through 4 are to be abandoned.” Hordak informed them. “Any equipment that cannot be returned must be destroyed.” He terminated the link.

“Do you have a plan to deal with this upstart Princess, my lord?” Shadow Weaver asked with a hint of mockery. “Surely you don’t plan to cower behind the field forever?”

“Mind your tongue, witch.” Hordak growled, turning his back to her. “This is merely a setback. The Horde will triumph in the end, as it always does.”

“Of course…” Shadow Weaver drawled. “But will you?”

Hordak scowled, but said nothing to challenge her question. With an unseen smirk, Shadow Weaver departed the observation room.

Chapter Text

It was a strange feeling, to be anxious and bored at the same time.

Twelve days had passed since the escape from Bright Moon, and four had passed since Hordak’s order to withdraw from the Royal Plains. There had been no missions to undertake or duties to perform.

Without anything to distract her, Adora spent most of her time in bed, wearing nothing but her nightclothes. When she wasn’t sleeping, she was daydreaming, and when she wasn’t daydreaming, she was worrying. About Catra and the others, the Rebellion’s sudden success, Hordak discovering the duplicity in his ranks…

And, of course, that she was an alien.

Was there a way someone was supposed to react when finding out everything they ever believed was wrong? That they were, in fact, completely different from who they thought?

“Ugh…” Adora groaned as she stared listlessly at the ceiling. Several strands of her hair had found their way onto her lips. It was an irritating sensation, but she couldn’t muster the energy to move them.

Part of her mind wondered who her real parents might have been, what her homeland was like. The rest of her knew there was no point in thinking about people she would never meet and a place she would never see.

More importantly, what was she going to tell Catra?

She could tell her nothing. It would be the simplest course of action.

No, she couldn’t do that. Catra deserved to know the truth. And if she had to learn it, better from Adora than Shadow Weaver. No doubt their ‘mother’ would find the most inopportune time to reveal it, if given the chance.

Adora rubbed the hair off her mouth with the back of her hand. She let out a long sigh and slowly rolled onto her side, remaining in that position for several more minutes until she laboriously escaped the clutches of her bed.

The many days of inactivity had visibly taken their toll on Adora’s appearance. Her hair was unusually unkempt, her posture slouched, and her eyes tired and distant. She put less effort than normal into dressing herself, and ended up wearing her coat inside-out without realizing.

Dressed fully, if not properly, Adora left the barracks and headed for the infirmary. Despite knowing exactly where it was, she went the wrong way multiple times in her lethargic stupor. She drew many eyes as she shambled her way through the corridors, but nobody stopped to inquire about her condition.

Eventually, the dusty cogs of her mind managed to divine the proper path. She was only a few hallways from the infirmary when someone darted from around the corner. They had no time to slow down, and their heads bonked together loudly.

“Ow!” Adora cried out in pain, rubbing her forehead.

“Ow.” Catra muttered while mimicking Adora’s gesture.

The two stared at each other in blank surprise for several seconds. Catra was surprised because of Adora’s unusually slovenly appearance.

Adora was surprised because Catra was completely naked.

“Uh…” She stammered, blushing fiercely. Her gaze almost immediately wandered towards Catra’s breasts.

Catra put her left hand on her hip, looking at Adora with a shameless smirk.

“Like what you see, Captain?” She winked.

“Catra!” Adora gasped out, rendered nearly speechless with embarrassment and disbelief. “You’re… you’re naked…”

“Good to know your eyes still work.” Catra remarked dryly.

“I… I…” Adora blinked rapidly. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she began to feel lightheaded.

“Adora?” Catra cocked her head, her face scrunching up with concern. “You okay?”

“I… ah… uh…” Adora mumbled incoherently.

Why was it getting dark? Did someone turn out the lights? What was…

Adora’s eyes opened, and she found herself staring at a familiar ceiling. She was in the barracks, lying in bed. Which meant that…

“Just a dream…” Adora murmured in relief at the knowledge that she had not actually seen Catra naked in the hallway.

If she had been more cognizant, she might have wondered why she was still fully clothed when she had supposedly dressed herself in a dream. It was only when she noticed the sound of quiet breathing coming from her left that she realized something was wrong.

“Wait…” Adora muttered, rolling onto her left side. Catra, now fully clothed, sat on the bed next to her. Her eyes glistened with mirth.

“Fraid not.” Catra said with a teasing smirk.

“Huh?” Adora’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Then how did I…”

“Fainted.” Catra replied succinctly. “Brought ya here.”

“Mrrmph.” Adora murmured, avoiding Catra’s gaze. “Sorry…”

“Sorry for what?” Catra asked, her brow raised in genuine confusion. “Seeing me naked? Why would I care about that? It’s not like you were peeping on me in the shower.”

“Not that…” Adora let out a short sigh as she rolled onto her back. She knew she should be looking at Catra for this conversation, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

“I’m an alien.” She stated flatly.

“If that’s a joke, I don’t get it.” Catra gave her a strange look.

“It’s not a joke.” Adora closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath. “I’m not from this planet, Catra. I’m a First One. I came to Etheria through a magic portal.”

Catra said nothing for several seconds.

“Did they leave a tag on your butt?” She asked wryly. “Where’d you even get this idea?”

“No…” Adora’s brow furrowed. “Shadow Weaver told me.”

Catra let out a derisive snort.

“Really, Adora?” She scoffed. “I thought we established that Shadow Weaver can’t be trusted to tell the time of day.”

“That didn’t stop you from going on that weird mission before.” Adora retorted. “What even happened with that, anyway? Did you get cured or what?”

Adora couldn’t see it, but Catra winced.

“Ah… maybe.” Catra answered with noticeable hesitation. “We’ll know if it happens again, I guess.”

“Comforting.” Adora remarked.

“So you really believe her, then?” Catra’s desire to change the subject was palpable. Adora obliged, despite her curiosity.

“It’s strange, I know.” Adora rubbed her nose. “But it makes a certain kind of sense. Plus… I can’t see why she would lie about this.”

“Who knows why Shadow Weaver does anything?” Catra asked rhetorically. “I doubt even she does.”

“Fair point.” Adora conceded. “Still… I don’t think she was lying this time.”

“Alright, let’s say she isn’t.” Catra licked her lips. “What does that change?”

“Everything.” Adora quietly answered.

“Wrong.” Catra replied calmly.

“What?” Adora slowly sat up on her bed, looking at Catra in surprise. “What are you talking about? Of course it changes everything. I’m a damn alien, Catra!”

“Maybe you are, maybe you’re not.” Catra met Adora’s eyes and shrugged. “Honestly? I don’t care. I love you, and I’m not gonna stop just cause you weren’t born on this stupid rock.”

Taken aback, Adora took some time to reply. Her eyes began to fill with tears, not of sadness, but of happiness and relief.

“Catra…” She breathed softly.

“Cue the tears.” Catra remarked with a slight roll of her eyes. “You’re so predictable, y’know that? Can’t believe you’d think something this dumb would change my feelings for you.”

“Sorry.” Adora sniffled.

“And stop saying sorry for no reason.” Catra commanded facetiously.

“Sorry.” Adora said without thinking, only to belatedly realize her mistake. “Uh, um…” She barely kept herself from saying sorry again, while Catra stared at her with a single raised eyebrow.

“I just thought…” Adora wrung her hands and stared at the floor. “I dunno what I thought… gah, feelings…”

Catra slowly leaned forward, gently raising Adora’s chin up with a hand. Their eyes met before Catra moved in for the kill, kissing Adora tenderly on the lips.

“Mm.” Adora murmured, surprised but not displeased.

It had been more than two weeks since the two last shared a kiss. Neither of them had realized just how much they had wanted more until this moment.

“Your coat’s on backwards…” Catra purred as she massaged Adora’s shoulders. “I could help with that…”

“It is?” Adora glanced down at her coat, the innuendo flying straight over her head. “Huh, weird. I usually don’t-”

Catra gently bit Adora’s cheek, careful to only use enough force to pinch her skin and not pierce it.

“Ow!” Adora winced slightly. “Why’d you bite me?”

“Funny how someone can be so smart, and yet so dumb…” Catra murmured as she grabbed onto Adora’s coat and began to slowly pull it off.

Adora looked at Catra in befuddlement for a few seconds before it finally came to her.

“You want to…” Adora breathed. “Are you sure…”

“As sure as I am of anything…” Catra replied softly. “I don’t want to die without knowing what it feels like.”

“We’re not gonna die, Catra.” Adora’s reassurance rang hollow, even to herself.

“This is war.” Catra shook her head. “You can’t know that.”

Adora averted her eyes. As desperately as she wished to avoid admitting it, Catra was right. They had only barely escaped death at Angella’s hands, and there was no guarantee Shadow Weaver would be there to save them next time. Still…

“If you don’t want to, that’s fine...” Catra said with a curt sigh.

Adora slowly returned her gaze. The two stared at each other in silence for several long seconds.

“When we win…” Adora swallowed a lump in her throat. “Then, we can. Alright?”

“Alright.” Catra scratched her cheek, frowning in disappointment. “But if I die before that, I swear I will haunt the fuck out of you.”

“Fair enough.” Adora chuckled nervously.

Catra sank back into her bed, lying down on her side while still facing Adora.

“There’s something else I wanted to ask you.” Adora said after a brief silence.

“Oh?” Catra raised her eyebrows.

“About our… ahem, plan.” Adora lowered her voice surreptitiously. “I may have found someone willing to help, but I wanted to check with you first.”

“Who’d you find?” Catra asked mid-yawn.

“Force Captain Canaris.” Adora replied.

“That’s the, uh, bird guy, right?” Catra’s brow furrowed in thought. “Why him?”

“Well, his rank, for starters.” Adora scratched an itch on her forearm. “Plus, I, ah, noticed him arguing with Octavia a few days ago. Apparently, he’s got something of a soft spot for civilians. What she did to Alwyn really got to him.”

“Oh, right, I think Puff mentioned something about that.” Catra nodded. “Didn’t know the ugly bitch had it in her.”

“Yeah.” Adora briefly pursed her lips. “...So, what do you think? Should we tell him?”

“I don’t know, Adora.” Catra murmured. “Just because he hates Dumbface doesn’t mean he’ll be willing to go the whole way. He could sell us out.”

“That’s always a risk.” Adora sighed, rubbing her throat. “If you don’t think I should, I won’t tell him.”

“Hm.” Catra smirked. “How about I keep an eye on him for now? If he seems legit, I might just change my mind.”

“I can work with that.” Adora smirked back at her.

Several days of near constant toil had not dulled Entrapta’s energy in the slightest. As Hordak continued to watch her from the observation room, he began to wonder if she was not, in fact, a robot herself.

In four days, while working almost entirely by herself, Entrapta had built just over a hundred robots. It was not just the speed of her work that was impressive, but the quality.

Combat tests had already shown her new robots to be at least three times as effective in combat as the standard Horde models, despite the lack of any visible difference. Additionally, they were extremely compact and could be safely dropped from the air.

Soon, their new army would be ready to send against the monsters of Beast Island. With the Rebellion on the offensive for the first time in nearly eleven years, Horde Prime’s assistance was needed now more than ever.

He just hoped that it wouldn’t be another dead end.

The door slid open behind Hordak, alerting him to the presence of a guest. He didn’t turn to face them, as he was already aware of who it was.

“Shadow Weaver.” His tone was calm but laden with disdain.

“As requested, I have the full casualty report from Glimmer’s attack.” Shadow Weaver informed him with superficial courtesy.

“Get on with it.” Hordak tersely commanded.

“Sixty-seven soldiers killed, including Force Captain Grizzlor.” Shadow Weaver recited in a clinical voice. “A further eighty-one were wounded. Forty-three robots were destroyed, along with fifty artillery pieces and sixteen armored vehicles.”

Hordak barely resisted the urge to smash his fist into the window. No battle had resulted in so many Horde casualties since the Black Forest. To lose so many again was… humbling.

“We… will need a new Force Captain.” Hordak said, his voice audibly strained.

“Indeed.” Shadow Weaver readily agreed. “Do you have a replacement in mind?”

“Who do you think is the most capable among the common soldiers?” Hordak inquired.

“Hm.” Shadow Weaver murmured thoughtfully. “Sergeant Lonnie has proven herself a capable and loyal servant of the Horde.”

“Very well.” Hordak conceded. “You have my permission to invest her with the rank of Force Captain. Dismissed.”

Shadow Weaver left his presence without another word.

As with everyone of any importance, Lonnie was stalked by one of her shadow eyes at all times, making it an exceptionally simple matter to find her.

When Shadow Weaver caught up to her, Lonnie was relaxing on a bench in the changing room, having just concluded a grueling day of combat training. Kyle and Rogelio were also present, but a silent glare from Shadow Weaver sent them both fleeing the room.

“Uh, can I help you?” Lonnie flinched slightly under Shadow Weaver’s intimidating gaze.

“You’re not a cadet anymore, Sergeant.” Shadow Weaver remarked calmly. “You are under no obligation to continue training every day.”

“I know that.” Lonnie crossed her arms defensively, holding Shadow Weaver’s gaze despite her evident fear. “But ever since the Rebellion took the Plains, we’ve just been sitting on our asses. I don’t want to end up like Adora, loafing around all day while-”

“If you wish to keep your tongue, do not speak ill of Adora.” Shadow Weaver warned. The lights in the room seemed to dim, and the temperature dropped by several degrees.

“Ah.” Lonnie audibly gulped. “I will keep that in mind.”

“Good.” Shadow Weaver said with feigned cheer. The lights and temperature swiftly returned to normal. “Now, there is a reason I came to speak with you. Stand.”

Lonnie stood up, waiting apprehensively for Shadow Weaver to explain herself.

“A Force Captain was among the casualties of Glimmer’s attack. I recommended you as their replacement, and Lord Hordak agreed. Congratulations, Sergeant Lonnie. You are now Force Captain Lonnie.” Shadow Weaver’s words were bereft of any emotion as she handed the badge to Lonnie.

“I… woah.” Lonnie managed, eyes wide with surprise as she affixed the badge to her chest. “I didn’t expect this at all… uh, thanks?”

“There is no need to thank me.” Shadow Weaver drawled. “After all, I did not recommend you out of the goodness of my heart.”

Lonnie winced, her surprise quickly returning to fear.

“Shoulda known this was too good to be true.” She muttered.

“At Stonecliff Tower, Adora disobeyed a direct order from Lord Hordak.” Shadow Weaver seemed to tower over Lonnie as she spoke. “Such an act is treason, punishable by death. Failing to report treasonous activities is similarly punishable by death.”

“So, why’d you have me promoted?” Lonnie asked.

“A pawn is only as useful as the power it wields.” Shadow Weaver replied evenly. “You can either serve me faithfully, or fail me painfully.”

She glanced over at the open door.

“Oh, and that goes for you two, as well.” Shadow Weaver casually remarked. “There is no hiding from my eyes.”

After a few seconds, Kyle and Rogelio peered around the corners of the door. They reluctantly reentered the room, looking anywhere that wasn’t at Shadow Weaver.

“Guys…” Lonnie rolled her eyes, completely unsurprised by their snooping.

“When I give an order, I expect you all to follow it without question. If one of you refuses, or breathes a word of this to anyone else…” Shadow Weaver trailed off for dramatic effect. “I will kill all three of you. Am I understood?”

Lonnie briefly glanced over at Kyle and Rogelio, both of whom were nearly paralyzed with fear, before returning her gaze to Shadow Weaver.

“I understand, Shadow Weaver.” Lonnie bowed her head in fearful deference. “We will do as you say.”

“Then, we have nothing further to discuss.” Shadow Weaver floated lazily out of the room, briefly stopping at the door.

“Oh, and do enjoy your promotion.” Her words were filled with sadistic mirth.

Lonnie grimaced, but said nothing as Shadow Weaver departed.

“Man…” Kyle said as soon as the door had closed behind her. “What have you gotten us into?”

“What have I gotten us into?” Lonnie scowled, crossing her arms. “In case you’ve forgotten, you were both there too! We all refused to turn Adora in, and now we’re all paying the price for it. Don’t you dare act like this is just my fault!”

“I wasn’t!” Kyle recoiled. “I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Sure you didn’t.” Lonnie rolled her eyes. “Well, like it or not, we’re all Shadow Weaver’s puppets now. You’d better do what she says.” She pointed at Kyle accusingly. “I’m not dying because of your mouth, Kyle.”

“I won’t tell anyone, I swear!” Kyle exclaimed. “I don’t want to die either, you know!”

“Calm down.” Rogelio interjected, placing himself between Lonnie and Kyle. “We are friends.”

“I… ugh.” Lonnie groaned, staring dejectedly at the floor. “I know. Just… fuck. I’ve always wanted to be a Force Captain, but not so that I could be Shadow Weaver’s errand girl.”

“The situation is not ideal.” Rogelio replied, keeping one eye on both of his friends. “We are friends. Friends stand together, no matter what. We can survive this. We will survive this.”

“Woohoo!” Kyle pumped his fist in the air enthusiastically. His enthusiasm quickly faded when he noticed Rogelio and Lonnie staring at him in bemusement.

“Not really the time for that, Kyle.” Lonnie dryly remarked.

“Sorry...” Kyle lowered his head.

“Anyway.” Lonnie cleared her throat. “Rogelio’s right. We just need to keep our heads above the water. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find a way out of this mess.”

Her words were punctuated by the sound of her stomach growling.

“Speaking of mess, heh.” Lonnie chuckled weakly, despite the severity of the situation. “Anyone else hungry?”

Rogelio and Kyle nodded simultaneously.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Lonnie pointed dramatically to the door. “Men, move out!”

Entrapta hummed cheerfully as she put the finishing touches on the hundred-and-tenth member of her new robot army. She was too absorbed in her work to notice the door slide open or Lord Hordak enter the room.

Hordak did not interrupt her work, patiently waiting for the several minutes it took for Entrapta to finish. Her burns had healed quite nicely, and there were no visible signs of scarring. If anything, he found the reddish tint her skin now had to be oddly appealing.

“Yes, yes…” Entrapta’s eyes gleamed as she reviewed her latest creation. “I’m getting better at making you guys. I think I will call you… Bert!”

She started to walk towards her tools, prepared to begin construction of the next robot, only to bump straight into Hordak.

“Oh, excuse me, I’m in the middle of something.” Entrapta said in a robotic manner. It took several seconds of blankly staring at Hordak for her to be shaken back to reality.

“Oh! Hordak! Sorry, I was just in the zone there.” Entrapta apologized with a smile, backing away slightly. “What can I do for ya?”

“Dah!” Hordak made a surprised noise, having been shaken out of a reverie of his own. “Ahem, I mean, I believe we have enough robots to complete the mission. It is now simply a matter of transporting and commanding them.”

“Aww…” Entrapta’s disappointment was evident on her face. “I was having fun…”

“You… enjoy performing the same task repeatedly?” Hordak looked at her in bemusement.

“Yep.” Entrapta nodded cheerfully. “Always have. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”

“No, not at all.” Hordak reassured her. “I only came to tell you that I no longer require you to construct more robots. If you wish to continue, I will not get in your way.”

“Aw, thanks.” Entrapta smiled, her cheeks reddening. “You’re the best boss I’ve ever had. And also the only boss I’ve ever had.”

“Uh, yes.” Hordak cleared his throat awkwardly. “I will leave you to it, then.”

“Okie dokie!” Entrapta exclaimed. “Lemme know how they do out there!”

Hordak nodded silently and departed the assembly room, allowing Entrapta to return to what she considered a recreational activity.

It took several hours for the robots to be brought from storage to the hangar bay and then loaded onto a pair of gunships. All the while, Hordak paced in his laboratory, finding it increasingly difficult to remain patient as the hours ticked by.

By the time the gunships had been fully loaded, it was already late evening. It would have been sensible to wait for the next day, when visibility would have been better, but Hordak had already waited long enough.

“We’re ready, my lord.” Puff’s voice warbled from the communicator on his arm. “Just waiting on you.”

Hordak didn’t bother to respond, quickly making his way to the hangar where both gunships were waiting. He boarded the second gunship and took his place in the cockpit.

“Follow my lead.” Hordak ordered into his communicator. He lit the engines and carefully flew the ship out of the hangar. Puff waited until Hordak was clear before doing the same.

Under normal conditions, it would have taken a gunship no more than two hours to make the journey to Beast Island. However, laden down with fifty robots each, the gunships were slowed considerably. It was nearly five hours before they could make out the island, outlined against the black ocean by the dim light of the Etherian moons.

“On my signal, turn right and release the robots.” Hordak commanded as the two ships approached the island’s desolate shores.

“Now.” He gave the order as soon as the ocean underneath them gave away to sand.

While Puff turned her ship to the right, Hordak turned his to the left. As they flew in opposite directions along the beach, both gunships released their payload of compacted robots. A rain of ottoman-sized bricks fell upon the sandy shores, littering most of the southern coast of Beast Island.

Having finished unloading their deadly cargo, the gunships turned away from the island and began flying back towards the Fright Zone, while the bricks rapidly unpacked themselves into their combat forms.

As programmed, the robots began a slow, calculated march inland. Anything that moved or made a sound would be instantly turned to ash by high-powered lasers, or torn into fleshy chunks by missile launchers.

The Purge of Beast Island had begun.

In many ways, Catra was the ideal spy. She was faster and more agile than any normal person could hope to match. Her senses were sharp, and her cunning was unmatched.

There was only one problem. A good spy requires patience, and Catra had almost none.

It had only been two days since she had begun following Canaris, and she was already bored out of her mind. It certainly didn’t help that, even by Horde standards, Canaris was a prude. What little passed for luxury or entertainment in the Horde didn’t seem to interest him at all. He was all business, all the time. It made Catra want to punch him in his stupid beak.

Catra was seriously considering breaking off and going to do something more interesting, like picking her fingernails, when Canaris took a sudden turn into a maintenance corridor.

Her eyes narrowed. As far as she knew, there was no reason for a man of his station to be down there. Perhaps she had finally caught a break.

Catra waited a full minute before surreptitiously walking up to the door. She poked her head through, seeing nothing but an empty hallway. Cautiously, she entered the corridor, the door closing behind her.

There was no way to go except forward. Or back, of course, but Catra didn’t even give that option a second thought.

The maintenance corridor led to a small room which connected to several other corridors. A normal person would have had to rely on blind luck to know which hallway led to Canaris, but Catra’s keen sense of smell allowed her to know exactly where he went.

Catra continued prowling after Canaris for some time, until she finally reached a long but narrow chamber that overlooked the Fright Zone’s main reactor. It was lined wall to wall with large rectangles covered in flashing lights, which Catra presumed had something to do with keeping the reactor operational.

Several engineers were present, overseeing the consoles. One of them, a lanky brunette, was flinching before Canaris as he violated her personal space.

“I found your security badge in the public lavatory, Overseer.” Canaris stated calmly, but with contempt oozing through his words. “Do you realize the severity of this?”

“I didn’t… I thought I had it…” The Overseer stammered, unable to look Canaris in the eyes.

“But you didn’t!” Canaris raised his voice, stopping just short of shouting. “Security protocols exist for a reason. Remember our erstwhile Head Chef? Who knows how many more saboteurs the Rebels have hidden in our ranks! We are quite fortunate it was I who found this, and not one of them.”

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t…” The Overseer sniffled, driven to the point of tears. “It will never happen again, I swear.”

“It only needs to happen once.” Canaris growled, shoving a thumb-sized badge onto the Overseer’s chest. “Consider this your one and only warning.”

Catra had seen enough. With an exaggerated roll of her eyes, she retreated back into the tunnels, moving swiftly to avoid encountering Canaris.

“And here I thought you were going to do something interesting for once.” She muttered under her breath. “What a boring bird.”

When Catra returned to the barracks, Adora was relaxing on her bed. She hummed a jaunty tune to herself while casually tossing her Force Captain badge from one hand to the other.

“Ugh…” Catra groaned, collapsing face-first onto the bed next to Adora’s. “Cnrrasisaoringpude.” She tried to speak, but her voice was muffled by the pillow covering her face.

“What?” Adora sat up and looked over at her as she affixed the badge back onto her coat. “I can’t understand you.”

Catra extricated her face from the pillow and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling.

“I said Canaris is a boring prude.” She grumbled. “Like c’mon, everyone’s gotta have a little fun once in a while, right? Ugh, maybe he just has fun being the least interesting person in the Fright Zone.”

“Is he really that bad?” Adora raised an eyebrow.

“Bleh, I don’t know.” Catra sighed. “Maybe I just caught him on a bad day. Either way, you couldn’t pay me to watch that prick any longer.”

“Not even with Banana Tigers?” Adora offered teasingly.

“Heh, maybe.” Catra chuckled, her tail perking up at the mention of the delicious treat. “Wouldn’t be very smart to head to Erelandia with Glittertits on the warpath, though.”

“Glittertits?” Adora gave her a skeptical look.

“What?” Catra shrugged.

“But she doesn’t even have…” Adora trailed off when Catra began raising and lowering her eyebrows suggestively. “Never mind.”

“It’s okay, you can admit it.” Catra said with an impish smirk. “I won’t get jealous.”

“Ugh!” Adora groaned, her face growing increasingly crimson. “I do not!”

“You think she’s pretty…” Catra purred mockingly. “Pretty Glimmer… I better watch out, or she might steal your heart away.”

“Stop it!” Adora whined.

“Make me.” Catra smugly dared her.

“Okay, I will!” Adora shouted. She grabbed onto her pillow and used it to smack Catra across the face. The impact of the pillow hitting her face produced a sound not unlike that of a squeaky toy.

For a few seconds, Catra stared at Adora in shock. Then, her eyes narrowed in determination.

“Oh, now it’s on.” She growled.

Adora only hesitated for a second, but that was all that Catra needed to bring her own pillow to bear and send it crashing down upon Adora’s unprotected head.

“Ow.” Adora instinctively blurted out when the pillow bonked her painlessly on the noggin.

“That did not hurt.” Catra looked at her dubiously.

“Force of habit.” Adora sheepishly explained.

“Uh-huh.” Catra said without changing her expression.

The door slid open before either of them could say anything further. They both looked over at the door, their eyes widening as they saw Queen Angella enter the room.

“What the hell?” Adora and Catra asked almost in unison.

“Yes, it is I, Queen Angella of Bright Moon.” Angella declared, her accent even more pronounced than normal. “Fear me, for I will bore you to death with heroic speeches before I burn you to death with my magic oven powers.”

Adora and Catra both raised their eyebrows.

“Double Trouble? Is that you?” Catra flatly asked.

“...It might be.” Double Angella replied, her eyes darting around shiftily.

“You probably shouldn’t be walking around the Fright Zone looking like the leader of the Rebellion.” Catra remarked. “Might get yourself killed.”

“Give me some credit, kitten.” Double Angella strutted seductively towards where Catra and Adora were sitting. “I took this oh so very lovely form only mere moments ago.” She looked at Adora with a suggestive smirk. “By the way, golden girl, if you want to have fun with Glimmer, I’d be more than happy to oblige.”

All the blood appeared to instantly flee from Adora’s face, while Catra choked with laughter.

“Normally I’d charge for this service, but you can consider it part of the full package…” Double Angella purred.

“I’ll.” Adora gulped, embarrassed nearly beyond words. “Pass.”

“Suit yourself.” Double Angella eyed Catra lustfully. “How about you? Anyone you’d like to have some fun with?”

“I don’t think you’d be up for the kind of fun I have in mind.” Catra replied with a one-sided grin.

“You’d be surprised what I’m up for, kitten.” Double Angella winked.

“I am not hearing this!” Adora cried out desperately, slamming her eyes shut and pushing her hands firmly against her ears.

“Ah, such virginal purity…” Double Angella cooed, placing her arms behind her back coyly. “You’re gonna make an old shapeshifter cry.”

“Alright, alright, I think she’s had enough.” Catra looked over at Adora, who appeared to be on the verge of hyperventilating. “Wouldn’t want her to faint. Again.”

“Again?” Double Angella raised an eyebrow. Alas, her question would go unanswered.

“Good morning, everyone!” Scorpia exclaimed as she abruptly burst into the barracks, drawing the immediate attention of Double Angella and Catra. She was totally bereft of clothing, but this fact did not affect her demeanor in any way.

Fortunately for her own mental well-being, Adora noticed none of this, as her eyes and ears were still in full lockdown.

“It’s evening.” Catra dryly pointed out.

“It’s not particularly good, either.” Double Angella added.

“Also, put some damn clothes on.” Catra said with affected disgust, even as her eyes remained glued to Scorpia’s exposed body.

Scorpia walked over to her bunk, where her clothes were laid out for her, and began to put them on.

“Oh, how’d you get in here?” Scorpia asked the false Queen as she dressed herself, seeming only mildly surprised.

“Why, the awesome power of legs, my dear.” Double Angella twirled in place, showing off her exquisitely crafted body.

“Woah. Nice.” Scorpia commented, her cheeks brightening. “But shouldn’t we be trying to capture her?” Having finished getting dressed, she looked over at Catra in confusion.

“Shapeshifter.” Catra boredly answered. “Not really her.”

“Ooh, a shapeshifter!” Scorpia rubbed her claws together in excitement. “What’s a shapeshifter?”

Catra slapped her own forehead, while Double Angella slowly strutted up to Scorpia with a mischievous grin.

“Allow me to demonstrate, darling.” In the blink of an eye, the Queen of Bright Moon was gone, replaced by an exact duplicate of Scorpia.

“Huh?” Scorpia recoiled from herself in shock.

“Hmm.” Double Scorpia examined her upper body like she was trying on a new suit. “Built quite well. Not too hard on the eyes, either. Hmm.” She frowned as she looked at her pincers. “I do prefer having hands, though.”

Adora, who had finally opened her eyes and removed her hands from her ears, looked at Double Scorpia with something approaching awe.

“So you really are a shapeshifter…” She murmured to herself.

“Ugh, I’m gonna take a nap.” Catra grumbled, rolling onto her side with her back facing everyone else. Within seconds, she began to quietly snore.

Adora chuckled quietly at the sight before lying back down on her bed. She paid partial attention to the Scorpias, but avoided interrupting their conversation.

“So… who are you?” Scorpia asked, visibly unnerved by her doppelganger. “And when did the Horde get a shapeshifter? I feel like they’d have covered that in Force Captain orientation.”

“You can call me Double Trouble.” Double Scorpia replied, placing her pincers on her hips. “Your lovely boss hired me to help break you girls out of the clink.”

“You don’t actually look like me, do you?” Scorpia cocked her head quizzically.

“Ah, no.” Double Scorpia shook her head. While Scorpia watched, her doppelganger reverted to their true lacertian form.

“This is the real me.” Double Trouble said with a sly wink. “Like what you see?”

“I… hrm.” Scorpia’s brow furrowed thoughtfully as she examined Double Trouble’s body. “Interesting.”

“Interesting?” Double Trouble rubbed their chin, shrugging. “Suppose I’ve been called worse.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.” Scorpia hurriedly clarified, her cheeks becoming more sanguine by the second. “Just, I’ve never seen anyone, uh, quite like you before.”

“I would be surprised if you had.” Double Trouble replied evenly.

Adora winced from the vicarious embarrassment.

“Ahem.” Scorpia cleared her throat with a nervous smile. “You know, I think I might have forgotten my carapace cleanser somewhere. I’ll, ah, be going now.”

She did not wait for a response, darting out of the barracks as suddenly as she had entered.

“Not much social grace in that one, is there?” Double Trouble didn’t turn around to look at Adora, but she knew they were talking to her.

“I guess not?” She answered uncertainly.

“Hm.” Double Trouble murmured. “Well, now that I’m green again, I think I’ll celebrate by terrorizing children. Ta-ta.”

“Uh, goodbye.” Adora said flatly as the shapeshifter made their exit, the door closing behind them.

“...That was weird.” Adora remarked to herself.

After a few moments, her gaze turned to Catra. Smiling at the sight of the snoozing feline, she soon joined her in slumber.

The abominations of Beast Island were the most formidable on all of Etheria, unsurpassed in strength and capacity for violence. Even the monsters of the Crimson Wastes would have been unable to stand against them.

In the end, it did not matter. The size and ruthless efficiency of Entrapta’s mechanical army proved more than sufficient to counter the vicious brutes. Without organic minds for the signal to scramble or have their morale shattered by witnessing such terrible freaks of nature, the natives had no chance.

Hordak watched from the viewscreen in his laboratory while the robots methodically eradicated every hint of life on their approach to the center of the island. The minute losses they incurred delayed their advance, but did not stop it.

After three days of uninterrupted violence, Beast Island had been cleansed of almost all life, and the robots were able to advance unhindered towards the source of the eldritch signal, one of the many former Eternian outposts which soiled Etheria.

The interior of the decrepit outpost was home to many beasts of its own. They fared even worse than their brethren outside, and within twenty minutes the facility was cleansed.

The army’s vanguard entered the main chamber unopposed. With their eyes transmitting to his viewscreen, Hordak could see the great obelisk at the opposite end of the room. Even if he did not have the robot’s sensors to tell him, he could see how it pulsated with energy.

“Unit One.” He called, referring to the lead unit of the vanguard. “Activate primordial interface.”

The robot duly lumbered up to the obelisk and raised one of its legs. A thin pincer emerged from the leg, piercing the surface of the ancient computer. Immediately, the viewscreen was plastered with symbols of the Eternian language.

“Planetary catastrophe imminent. All Scions are ordered to return to New Eternia immediately. Please note that non-Scions will not be allowed on the evacuation flights. Hail to the Queen, and hail to Eternia.” The message repeated itself indefinitely.

Hordak was not known for his sense of humor, but he couldn’t help but find it darkly amusing that the signal which had corrupted an entire island and destroyed the minds of hundreds of people was nothing more than an expired evacuation notice.

“Terminate signal broadcast.” Hordak ordered.

One by one, the symbols disappeared from the screen. The process was strangely slow, as if the signal itself was resisting its demise. It proved irrelevant, as after three minutes, the last symbol vanished from the viewscreen.

“Disengage primordial interface.” Hordak commanded. “Scan for infrasonic frequencies.”

The robot swiftly complied, removing its leg pincer from the obelisk and making a loud whirring noise as it scanned the room.

“No infrasonic frequencies detected.” A line of text appeared on the viewscreen.

Hordak smirked. He was so close.

“Locate power source, and-” His order was cut off by an explosion. From the choppy sound and lack of any shockwave, Hordak immediately realized it had come from the robots’ side. He glanced at the indicators on the right of the screen, which showed every functional robot with a glowing white symbol. In the space of a second, four of the symbols darkened.

“What the? What is going on down there?” Hordak asked nobody in particular. He began shifting his perspective from one robot to the next, trying to find one with a clear picture of the situation, even as more robots were destroyed every second.

None of the robots could give him any clear visual, only smoke, fire, and the sight of other robots firing at an unseen foe.

The robot army had cleaved its way through the deadliest monsters on the planet like a battleaxe through a hummingbird. Now, in less than five minutes, they had all been reduced to scrap.

The only ones that remained were Unit One and its four guards, standing by the still-pulsating obelisk with their weapons trained on the door.

“RRRAAAAAGH!” A piercing, throaty scream echoed through the chamber.

While the scream continued to reverberate, a tall and muscular man entered the room. His hair and beard were long, dirty, and hopelessly tangled, and there was not a scrap of clothing anywhere on his body. He walked slowly towards the robots, wielding nothing but a long stick pockmarked with fungus.

The robots immediately fired their lasers at the bestial man. He let out another roar, and suddenly dark tendrils emerged from his back, identical to those used by Shadow Weaver.

After absorbing the energy from the lasers, the tendrils burst forth, smashing into the robots that fired them with enough force to tear them in half. The robots were all fatally damaged, but Unit One continued to transmit video feed of its destroyer as he approached the obelisk.

Hordak scowled. He knew that face, even if it was twisted by madness and obscured by a decade’s worth of unshaven hair.

“Micah.” He growled under his breath.

Chapter Text

Two days had passed since the Horde had been forced from the Royal Plains. The news spread like wildfire throughout Etheria, and with it, a newfound sense of joy and optimism.

The slums of Bright Moon, in particular, were clogged with revelers. The buildings and people looked as haggard as ever, but were now adorned with cheerful banners and glowing smiles. Most of the castle’s denizens had come out to party with the refugees, with the notable exception of the Queen.

Glimmer stood on the sidelines, with Juliet at her side. They watched the festivities with nearly identical frowns.

“War’s nowhere near over yet and they’re acting like Hordak’s already rotting in the ground.” Glimmer muttered.

“They want to believe it’s over.” Juliet observed. “So they’re pretending like it is.”

“You’d think at least the older people would realize this isn’t over.” Glimmer glanced at the numerous couples who danced down the narrow streets, accompanied by a jubilant and catchy drumbeat.

Spinnerella and Netossa were among the dancers, as were Bow’s fathers. Bow himself was dancing with Perfuma, a sight that Glimmer found irritating for reasons she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“I wouldn’t presume to know their thoughts, but I suspect they do.” Juliet replied. “Perhaps they just want to relax.”

“Heh.” Glimmer chuckled mirthlessly before half-glancing at Juliet. “Y’know, you don’t have to stand here and be grumpy with me. You have my permission to join in, if you want.”

“Thank you, but I’ll pass.” Juliet politely refused. “To be honest, I’ve never really cared for parties. I’d much rather be alone in my spare time.”

“I get that.” Glimmer nodded in understanding. “It can be overwhelming when everyone expects you to be all smiles and laughs.”

Juliet opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, Flutterina suddenly appeared from the crowd and wrapped her arms around Glimmer’s waist. Juliet immediately reverted to statue form, refraining from either moving or speaking.

“Hi, um…” Flutterina looked into Glimmer’s eyes, her brow briefly furrowing in thought. “Glimmer! Are you enjoying the party?” She cocked her head to the side, smiling widely.

“Ah…” Glimmer briefly hesitated before quickly faking a smile. “Yes, of course I am.” She lied.

“Really?” Flutterina asked. “You don’t look very happy to me.”

“Oh!” Glimmer flinched. “You… ah, noticed that, did you?”

“Yep!” Flutterina replied cheerfully. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” Her smile turned into a conspiratorial grin.

“That’s, uh, very kind of you.” Glimmer rubbed the side of her neck.

“Do you want to play with me?” Flutterina asked casually, but with a hint of desperation in her voice. “The other kids won’t play with me. They don’t like me.”

“I…” Glimmer stammered. She wasn’t particularly thrilled about the prospect, but she was even less thrilled about hurting the feelings of a newly orphaned child.

Flutterina’s smile faltered as she noticed Glimmer’s hesitation.

“If… if you don’t want to… that’s okay.” She said softly, her eyes moistening with tears.

“No, no…” Glimmer quickly reassured her. “I’d love to play with you. What did you have in mind?”

Flutterina’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You do?” She asked, her smile quickly reasserting itself. “Okay! We can go noodle together!”

Briefly, Juliet’s stoic facade cracked and she looked at the two with an expression that combined concern and disgust.

“It means fishing with your bare hands.” Glimmer hurriedly explained. She didn’t have to look at Juliet to know she would be confused by the term.

“Ah.” Juliet tersely acknowledged, her stoic expression returning.

“Anyway, uh, I’d love to.” Glimmer pursed her lips as she met Flutterina’s sparkling gaze. “But I’ve never… erm, done it before.”

“That’s okay, I’ll teach you!” Flutterina answered excitably. “C’mon, it’ll be fun!”

Flutterina darted off through the crowd, weaving through the throng of revelers without so much as brushing up against one. Glimmer waited until she vanished completely into the crowd, and then looked over at Juliet.

“Kids.” Glimmer shrugged before vanishing.

She reappeared on the shore right before the pier. There was nobody present, as all those who would normally be fishing were too busy celebrating the so-called ‘new era’. The raucous cheers and conversation of the party were still audible, but distance dulled them into a low murmur.

Glimmer paced in front of the pier, waiting for Flutterina to arrive. She did not have to wait long, as within less than a minute, the hyperactive girl thundered down the sands and up to the pier.

“Hey! How’d you get here first?” She asked, cocking her head slightly in confusion.

“Magic.” Glimmer answered, raising her hand and letting several harmless flecks of light loose.

“Ooooh.” Flutterina looked at the bits of magic glitter as they floated over her head and slowly dissolved into the air, her eyes wide with awe. “Can I do that?”

“Heheh.” Glimmer chuckled. “Well, most of my magic power comes from the Moonstone, but you might be able to learn regular magic one day.”

“Hmm…” Flutterina returned her gaze to Glimmer. “Will any of it help me fish?”

“I, ah.” Glimmer briefly hesitated. “I have no idea. I’ve never used magic to fish before.”

“There’s a first time for everything!” Flutterina cheerily proclaimed. “That’s what my…” Her face fell and she looked at the ground.

“Daddy used to say…” She softly finished, her eyes welling up with tears.

Glimmer instinctively moved to embrace her. Before she could, Flutterina vigorously shook her head.

“Nope! Not gonna be sad now! I am going to noodle, and I am going to enjoy it!” She defiantly declared, causing Glimmer to recoil in surprise.

“Um. Okay.” Glimmer was taken aback by Flutterina’s sudden shift in mood, but decided not to question it.

Flutterina skipped down towards the end of the pier, where an empty bucket was ready to be filled with asphyxiated herring. She sat down, dangling her legs off the edge of the pier.

Glimmer slowly followed, suppressing her reluctance.

“Gotta let your legs dangle.” Flutterina explained upon Glimmer’s arrival, looking up at Glimmer with a smile. “It attracts the fishies.”

Glimmer raised a skeptical eyebrow as she followed Flutterina’s instructions.

“Now, we need to wait for a fishy to come.” Flutterina grinned. “When it gets close enough, you grab it as fast as you can! They’ll try to swim away, but if you’re fast enough, you can nab em before they escape.”

“I’ll just watch, if that’s okay.” Glimmer blanched at the thought of murdering, and particularly eating, an innocent creature.

“Aw.” Flutterina looked at her with mild disappointment before shrugging. “More for me.” She returned her gaze to the water, eyes eagerly scanning for hapless herring.

“So, uh…” Glimmer trailed off, struggling to think of a conversation topic. “How do you like it here?”

“It’s okay, I guess.” Flutterina replied without taking her eyes off the water. “It’s cramped and smelly, but I’m not gonna complain. I… know how lucky we were.”

“What do you mean?” Glimmer asked.

“Sometimes I don’t go to sleep when I should.” Flutterina admitted. “I stay up and listen to the adults. A lot of times, they just make weird noises and make the walls shake.”

Glimmer grimaced slightly, realizing exactly what activity she was referring to.

“But a few days ago, I listened to them talking about another village. I’ll win, I think.” Flutterina’s pronunciation was off the mark, but it was obvious she was referring to Alwyn. “The Horde… they really did that? To everyone?” Her voice trembled as she asked the question.

Glimmer hesitated for a few seconds before answering.

“Yeah.” She closed her eyes. “They did. Even the children were…”

“Why?” Flutterina asked. “Why would they do something like that?”

Again, Glimmer hesitated. This was a dark subject for someone so young. At the same time, she saw no point in hiding the truth. Flutterina had already seen what the Horde was capable of, so it was only fair she understood their intentions.

“Because they’re evil.” Glimmer answered, clenching her fists. “They might look like you and me, but they’re nothing like us on the inside. They’re not capable of love, mercy, or guilt. When they hurt people, they don’t feel bad about it. They enjoy it, and they won’t stop until we’re all dead, or they are.”

“The monster that ate my Daddy… was he from the Horde too?” Flutterina asked. Several herring swam by, well within noodling range, but she ignored them completely.

“Yeah.” Glimmer nodded, letting out a quiet sigh as she unclenched her fists. “I’m sorry, I really am. You should never have had to go through this.”

Neither of them said anything for a long time. They simply sat together on the pier, watching the afternoon light reflect off the shallow waters of the bay.

“I want to help.” Flutterina finally spoke up, her voice quiet and hoarse.

“What?” Glimmer looked at her incredulously. “What do you mean by that?”

“I miss my Daddy so much.” Flutterina turned to face Glimmer, revealing the tears falling freely from her eyes. “Nobody should have to… feel this way. The Horde can’t… they can’t get away with hurting people. I want to help you stop them.”

“I…” Glimmer met Flutterina’s eyes.

There was a sadness in them, one Glimmer was all too familiar with. Yet, there was also determination. The same determination that fueled Glimmer’s struggle against Hordak and his tyranny.

“You’re so young…” Glimmer said softly. “It would be very dangerous. You could even die.”

“Then I’ll be with my Daddy again.” Flutterina smiled faintly, placing a gentle hand on Glimmer’s shoulder. “I can’t fight, but I can learn. Teach me how to be a great warrior like you, so I can help you stop the Horde.”

“I’m no great warrior, trust me.” Glimmer answered with a slight roll of her eyes. “I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time. I’d be an awful teacher.”

“I don’t believe you.” Flutterina said bluntly.

“...What?” Glimmer asked, visibly taken off guard.

“My Daddy used to read me stories about them.” Flutterina stared deeply into Glimmer’s eyes as she spoke. “The old heroes. He said that their power came from their hearts, not just their swords. Just like you.”

“Just like…” Glimmer repeated, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m sorry, kiddo, but… you’ve got the wrong impression about me. I’m no hero. I’m just someone trying to protect my home. And not doing a great job of it, either.”

“But-” Flutterina began to object.

“If you want to join the Rebellion, I’m not gonna stop you.” Glimmer interrupted her. “But there are plenty of people who can train you better than I can. Maybe Juliet, or Bow. Just…” She looked away. “Not me.”

“Oh…” Flutterina murmured, returning her gaze to the water. “Okay…”

They spent the next several hours together without either of them saying a word. Eventually, they parted ways, leaving the empty bucket at the pier.

The celebration was still ongoing, but Glimmer had no desire to return to it. She considered resting in her room, but ultimately decided on a more productive course of action.

The pair of guards in front of Mermista’s palace were understandably shocked by the sudden appearance of Bright Moon’s heir apparent in front of them. They immediately raised their spears in a defensive stance.

“I wish to speak to Princess Mermista.” Glimmer declared. They shared an uncertain glance before standing down, silently allowing her entry.

The throne room of Salineas was as beautiful as Glimmer had remembered. It contrasted greatly with the slovenly demeanor of its monarch.

Mermista sat cross-legged and slouched in her throne, protected by two stoic bodyguards. A tired servant held a silver platter of sushi on her left, from which she occasionally swept up a piece and tossed it carelessly into her mouth.

As Glimmer approached the throne, she began to feel an increasing sense of trepidation. Everything she knew about Mermista appeared to indicate that entreating her would be futile. Still, if there was the slightest chance that she could convince Salineas to rejoin the war against the Horde, it was worth the effort.

Glimmer took a deep breath before coming to a stop in front of Mermista.

“Hm.” Mermista murmured as she swallowed a bite of sushi. She made no effort to straighten her posture or show Glimmer any sign of respect.

“Princess Mermista, I’m glad to see you again.” Glimmer lied diplomatically.

“You’re playing nice, so you must want something.” Mermista tonelessly replied, looking at Glimmer with narrow, bored eyes. “Same as last time, I’m guessing.”

“Alright.” Glimmer admitted. If lying would get her nowhere, perhaps being as blunt as the Water Princess herself would. “No, I’m not glad to see you again, and yes, I’m here to ask for your help.”

“Word is you’re doing fine on your own.” Mermista briefly paused to consume another piece of sushi. “Lotta people are even saying the war’s good as won.”

“Do you believe that?” Glimmer asked pointedly.

“No.” Mermista sighed out the word.

“We hurt the Horde badly, but they’re nowhere near done.” Glimmer pontificated, provoking an exaggerated eye roll from Mermista. “I’m sure they’re already planning their next move. If we just sit around and wait for it, we’re gonna end up back at square one. And that’s if we’re lucky.”

“Blah blah blah.” Mermista replied, using her hand to mimic an overly talkative mouth. “I get it.” She let out a large amount of air through her nose. “If I joined your club, what would I even do?”

“Well, nothing at the moment.” Glimmer rubbed her cheek. “Until the Horde makes a move or we find a way past their anti-magic field, there’s not much that can be done.”

Mermista looked at Glimmer expectantly.

“In the event that either comes to pass.” Glimmer continued, placing her arms behind her back. “I would be honored if you would fight by our side, and help defend Etheria from the Horde.”

The two Princesses stared each other down for several seconds.

“Fine, whatever.” Mermista assented with a half-hearted wave and a roll of her eyes. “But you’re only getting me, not my guys.”

“Your… guys?” Glimmer cocked her head in confusion.

“Ugh.” Mermista let out a short groan. “People, subjects, fellow citizens. Whatever you wanna call them.”

“Ah.” Glimmer nodded. “Very well. I accept your conditions.”

“Conditions.” Mermista plopped another piece of sushi into her mouth. “Right.” She said with her mouth full, before swallowing loudly.

“Uh, yeah.” Glimmer winced in disgust at the sight. “I’m… gonna go now.”

“Toodles.” Mermista said without a trace of emotion.

Glimmer hurriedly teleported away, arriving safely in her bedroom.

The sound of distant percussion flowed through the open windows, a reminder of the ongoing festivities. She quickly plopped down on her bed, closing her eyes as she sunk into the luxurious mattress.

Everyone down there was clearly having a blast. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to join in for a bit?

No, there was no point. Concerns about the Horde dominated her thoughts, and there was no way she could pretend that they had been neutralized as a threat, even for just a few hours. Her presence would accomplish nothing except killing the mood.

Glimmer’s stomach growled loudly, temporarily distracting her. She hadn’t eaten all day, and now her body was demanding sustenance.

“Oww.” Glimmer clutched her stomach, gritting her teeth in pain. “Damn it.”

Dinner wouldn’t be for at least another hour or two, and she didn’t want to make another scene in the kitchen.

Perhaps it was a good thing, she mused. After all, if she couldn’t handle a few hours of hunger, what hope did she have against the Horde?

“Hmph.” Mermista glanced over at the empty sushi platter. “More.” She commanded without looking at the servant.

“Yes, Your Highness.” He quickly scurried off to fulfill her demand.

“Oooh, Mermista!” Called an all too familiar voice.

“Oh, no.” Mermista stated flatly.

Sea Hawk practically sprinted up to the throne room, clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

“A poem for you, my dear.” He bowed his head. “I wished to show my gratitude for your hospitality in my hour of need.”

“Wow. You shouldn’t have.” Mermista rolled her eyes.

“Nonsense!” Sea Hawk exclaimed. “I will not have it be said that Sea Hawk is anything but the most gracious of guests!”

With excessive pomp, he handed the newly crafted poem to Mermista. Indifferent, she brought it up to her face, scanning the words with narrow eyes.

The Fairest Love, by Sea Hawk

Oh Mermista, Maiden of the Sea,
My heart aches Greatly for Thee,
A Love stronger than all Eternity,
A Love that will never Flee
Like the Love you have for Me.

As she read through the poem, Mermista felt herself become increasingly nauseous. As soon as she finished, she released a small burst of water from her hand, wiping away the offending words.

“Ugh…” She crumpled up the soaked paper and half-heartedly tossed it at Sea Hawk. The paper bounced off his nose, while he looked at her like a freshly kicked puppy.

“You want to pay me back for helping you.” She muttered. “You can do it by never writing another poem again. Ever.”

“Perhaps a sonnet, then?” Sea Hawk stroked his chin, brow furrowing in thought. “Or a ballad?” His eyes suddenly lit up and he smiled. “Ooh, a song! Lots of people say I have a great singing voice!”

“How many of those people were sober.” Mermista asked flatly.

“Well, depending on how you define ‘sober’...” Sea Hawk rubbed the side of his neck. “But let’s not let them be the judge. I’ll show you, right here and right now!”

Without delay, he began singing in a manner that vaguely resembled that of an operatic tenor, but with a harshly wavering pitch that grated on the ears of everyone but himself. Mermista’s guards dropped their weapons in favor of protecting their ears from the auditory assault.

“Uuuuugggh…” Mermista groaned, rolling her eyes. “Kill me…”

The castle dining room was more crowded than usual. The Gang of Four were all present, as were Juliet, Perfuma, and Bow’s fathers. Save for Glimmer and Juliet, everyone was actively participating in the conversation.

“That was one heck of a party, wasn’t it?” Lance commented in between bites of potato salad. “I haven’t danced like that since our wedding.” He smiled at George, who was naturally sitting next to him.

“Yes.” George remarked, looking back at Lance with a smile of his own. “Of course, I haven’t had my feet stepped on that many times since our wedding, either.”

“I said I was sorry!” Lance blushed, suddenly finding something very interesting about his potato salad.

“Oh, I’m so glad I finally got to hang out with you guys!” Perfuma exclaimed with a wide grin. “Keeping the Horde out of Plumeria was fun and all, but nothing beats a good time with friends!” She wrapped her arm around Bow’s shoulder affectionately.

“Aha, yeah!” Bow’s cheeks visibly reddened. “Today was pretty great!”

Glimmer rolled her eyes, stabbing at her dumplings with a fork.

“Did any of you try the Apple Bobbing?” Spinnerella chimed in, holding aloft a crudely made stuffed cat. “I won this little guy. Isn’t he so cuuuute?”

“You do realize that was for kids, Spinny.” Netossa looked at her with a single raised eyebrow.

“It was?” Spinnerella’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yeah.” Netossa bluntly answered.

“Oh.” Spinnerella blinked. “Whoops.”

“Hey, did ya enjoy the party, Glimmer?” Bow asked, looking at her from across the table. Perfuma’s arm was still wrapped around his shoulder.

“Eh?” Glimmer briefly tore her gaze from her dumplings. “What?”

“Did you enjoy the party?” Bow repeated.

“Uh, yeah.” Glimmer lied half-heartedly, quickly looking back down at her plate. “It was great.”

“Uh-huh…” Bow frowned. His gaze lingered momentarily on her before he returned to conversing with the other diners.

There was plenty more small talk to be had, but Glimmer tuned it out, focusing on finishing her food as quickly as possible. As soon as the last dumpling had found its way down her gullet, she stood up and left without saying a word.

Glimmer walked a short distance down the hall before leaning against the closest wall and crossing her arms, staring down at the floor. She imagined herself as looking grim and brooding, but in reality she mostly looked like a pouting child.

As she expected, it did not take long for Bow to follow her out into the corridor.

“Hey.” He said warmly, allowing her a healthy amount of space. “You okay?”

“I don’t know.” Glimmer quietly replied, refusing to look at him. “I… you know this isn’t over, right?”

“The war, you mean?” Bow asked.

Glimmer nodded silently.

“Well, obviously.” Bow answered with a slight shrug of his shoulders. “I don’t think Hordak has gone this far just to give up now. He won’t stop until we make him.”

“Everyone’s acting like we’ve already won.” Glimmer sighed.

“Acting is the key word there.” Bow moved closer to Glimmer as he spoke. “Trust me, nobody thinks this is over. They’re just letting off some steam. Me and the Princesses - hey, even my dads - are ready to do whatever we need to do to put an end to the Horde for good.”

“Mm.” Glimmer murmured. “That’s good to know, but I’m not sure how much help it’ll be. That anti-magic barrier makes all of our powers useless, while they’re free to use their weapons as much as they want.”

“Yeah…” Bow grimaced. “My Dads and I talked a bit about that during the party. They’re experts on the First Ones, not the Horde, but there are some similarities between them. If the three of us put our heads together, we might just be able to find a way to counter it.”

“Really?” Glimmer looked up at Bow curiously.

“Hey, no promises.” Bow raised his hands. “We might turn up nothing. But we’ll give it our best shot, you can count on that.”

“Best shot, huh?” Glimmer raised an eyebrow, her lips forming into a faint smirk.

Bow cocked his head slightly in confusion before the realization hit him.

“Oh!” He exclaimed. “That, uh. That wasn’t on purpose.”

“Uh-huh.” Glimmer flatly replied, her eyes boring into his.

“Erm.” Bow swallowed audibly. “I’m gonna… go finish my meal now. See you later!”

He quickly darted back into the dining room, leaving Glimmer to shake her head in amusement.

“See you later.” She repeated under her breath.

It was a particularly frigid morning in the Kingdom of Snows when Glimmer appeared in front of the castle entrance. Within seconds, six spear tips were hefted less than a centimeter from her throat.

“I wish to speak to Princess Frosta.” She calmly declared without so much as flinching.

“The Princess has given strict orders.” One of the guards coldly informed her. “You are not welcome here. If you do not leave of your own accord, we will not hesitate to use force.”

Glimmer raised a dubious eyebrow. There was no way a few spearmen could defeat her, and from their tense, nervous body language, she could tell that they knew it, too.

“I will not leave until I speak to her.” She stared the guards down, confident in their unwillingness to attack.

The standoff lasted for almost a minute, with the spears hovering around her neck the entire time, before the guards reluctantly stood down.

“I will inform the Princess of your arrival.” One of the guards replied. She will decide whether or not to speak with you.”

He marched into the castle to explain the situation to his liege, leaving the remaining five guards to have an awkward staring match at Glimmer for the next several minutes.

Glimmer’s outfit was made of relatively thin cloth and left much skin exposed. Between that and the cold, most people would begin to shiver uncontrollably in under a minute.

Fortunately, one of the Moonstone’s many perks was a degree of natural resistance to extreme temperatures. For Glimmer, the subzero temperatures of the glacial North were as insubstantial as a light breeze.

Frosta finally emerged from the entrance. She regarded Glimmer with a neutral expression, but her narrow, subtly twitching eyes betrayed how she truly felt.

“Leave us.” She commanded without glancing at her men. They quickly complied, filing into the castle and allowing the two Princesses to speak in private.

“You have quite a lot of nerve, showing your face here after what you did.” She remarked evenly.

“From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologize for my actions.” Glimmer bowed her head, placing one hand on her chest. “I acted rashly and foolishly, and in doing so insulted the traditions of our ancestors, along with you and your kingdom.”

Frosta recoiled slightly, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Your… apology is accepted, Princess Glimmer.” Her voice noticeably wavered as she spoke. “But do not expect me to be so lenient a second time.”

“Thank you.” Glimmer stood up straight.

“You didn’t come here just for that.” It wasn’t a question.

“Ah.” Glimmer rubbed her throat. “No, I didn’t. I… well, I wanted to know if your answer has changed. I mean, regarding the war.”

“It hasn’t.” Frosta answered tersely.

“The Horde attacked Alwyn a little over a week ago.” Glimmer spoke calmly, even as her fists clenched. “They killed everyone. Butchered them like animals.”

“I know.” Frosta replied softly, much of the harshness leaving her expression. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

“Then help us.” Glimmer quietly exhorted.

“Seventy-six.” Frosta stated cryptically.

“Excuse me?” Glimmer cocked her head in puzzlement.

“Seventy-six.” Frosta somberly repeated. “That’s how many we lost that day. Seventy-four of our best warriors, and the parents I never knew.”

Glimmer winced in sympathy.

“Every one of my warriors has a family.” Frosta continued. “Husbands, wives, children. There are too many widows and orphans as it is. I won’t create any more. Not if there is any way I can avoid it.”

“I…” Glimmer opened her mouth to retort, but stopped herself. “I apologize for wasting your time, then.” She said, shoulders drooping in resignation.

“For what it’s worth, I hope this war ends soon.” Frosta remarked sincerely.

“Yeah.” Glimmer sighed. “Thanks.”

Without saying another word, she vanished, leaving Frosta alone in the cold. The Princess of Snows stared at the patch of empty air where Glimmer had just been standing, her expression inscrutable, before she turned around and walked back into her castle.

Chapter Text

“Doodee doo. Doodee dee. Dee da doo da dee.”

Entrapta murmured nonsensically to herself as she attached the arms to an otherwise finished robot.

“Dee da dee, doo da doo. Doopadilly doo.” She yanked on each of the arms to ensure they were properly affixed. “And we’re done! Welcome to the world… uh…” Her brow furrowed for a moment. “Andy!”

Just as she gave the new robot its name, Hordak entered the room.

“Entrapta.” He addressed her stiffly.

“Oh, yes?” Entrapta turned around to look at him with a friendly smile. “How’d my little friends do?”

“They succeeded in their intended task.” Hordak replied ominously. “The island’s wildlife has been purged.”

“Well, that’s great!” Entrapta exclaimed, only for her cheer to quickly fade upon reading the grim expression on Hordak’s face. “What happened? Don’t tell me they went rogue again. I thought I made sure to fix that little bug.”

“No.” Hordak paused for dramatic effect. “They were destroyed. All of them. Not by the monsters, but by a single man. Micah.”

“Isn’t he dead?” Entrapta’s brow furrowed.

“Unfortunately, no.” Hordak clenched his fists. “I intended to end his life then and there, but Shadow Weaver convinced me that his crimes deserved greater retribution. I suppose this is the price I pay for heeding the advice of that accursed witch.” He emphasized the final word by spitting contemptuously onto the floor.

“Well. That’s certainly a problem.” Entrapta murmured, stroking her chin with two hair tendrils at once. “My robots can stand up against most opponents, but I don’t think there’s anything I can do to make them a match for someone as powerful as that.”

“If you are escorted to the power source, can you safely remove it?” Hordak asked.

“Yeah, of course!” Entrapta used a third hair tendril to make a thumbs-up gesture. “But, uh, how do you plan on getting me there? Wasn’t he like one of the most powerful sorcerers ever?”

“I have already considered that.” Hordak replied. “Come with me.”

When Adora had gone to sleep, Catra had already been asleep in a different bed. Therefore, it came as a mild yet pleasant surprise when Adora awoke to the sound of quiet, rhythmic vibrations and the warm pressure of another person cuddled up against her.

“Mrm.” Adora opened her left eye half way. Catra’s face was only a few centimeters away from hers, breathing steadily in her sleep.

“Just can’t get enough of me, can ya.” She said quietly, smiling.

Adora gazed in silent admiration at the sleeping feline for quite some time. Unfortunately, the mood was soon killed by the sound of Hordak’s harsh voice piping in through her badge.

“Throne room. Five minutes.” He ordered before the transmission cut out.

“You’ve gotta be…” Adora muttered as she slowly got to her feet.

“Uhh?” Catra blearily groaned, her eyes opening slightly. “No, I loved the milk…”

Adora raised an eyebrow at the non sequitur.

“Catra?” She asked.

"Mm here.” Catra murmured, attempting to blink away her grogginess. “What’s… urm… goin?”

“Hordak summoned us.” Adora explained.

“Great…” Catra grumbled. “Was a nice dream...”

“Sorry.” Adora smiled sheepishly.

“Not your fault.” Catra grunted as she got to her feet. “Better go see what he wants.”

The two were mostly awake by the time they reached the throne room. Hordak stood like an angry statue in front of his throne, while Entrapta jiggled excitably by his side.

“Reporting for duty, my lord.” Adora bowed her head, followed belatedly by Catra.

“So I see.” Hordak remarked, staring at the two inscrutably. “We are missing one.”

Two minutes of intensely awkward silence followed before Scorpia rushed into the room and up to where Adora and Catra stood.

“Sorry!” She exclaimed. “I got my pincer stuck in a door again. Man, they sure close fast, am I right?” She grinned nervously as she wilted under the silent stares of everyone else in the room.

“I have summoned you here for a mission of vital importance.” Hordak began after several seconds. “There is an ancient power source located in the center of Beast Island. Entrapta is going to retrieve it. You are going to ensure that both return safely.”

“Beast Island?” Adora, Catra, and Scorpia asked simultaneously.

“Don’t worry.” Hordak said, a faint smirk on his face. “The terrible dangers you have heard about are not real. Not anymore. The twisted monstrosities, the silent song of madness, are merely legends now. You can thank Entrapta for that.”

“Oh… it was nothing, really.” Entrapta looked away, her cheeks reddening.

“A gunship has already been prepared in Hangar One for your mission.” Hordak continued, his gaze flickering over the three Force Captains in turn. “You will leave immediately. Dismissed.”

“Uh… yes, my lord.” Adora bowed, swallowing her hesitation.

The three Captains hurriedly left the room, leaving Hordak and Entrapta alone.

“You didn’t tell them about Micah.” Entrapta observed, her brow furrowing.

“They do not need to know.” Hordak ominously answered. “They are simply there as a precaution. I have other plans for dealing with that wretch.”

“Whaddya mean?” Entrapta cocked her head quizzically.

“He means me, little creature.” Shadow Weaver’s voice dripped with condescension as she casually floated into the throne room.

“Yes.” Hordak scowled at Shadow Weaver. “You were the one who told me to leave him alive, and now he is directly interfering with our plans. It is only fitting that you be the one to correct this.”

“How exactly do you wish me to correct this, my lord?” Shadow Weaver asked evenly.

“I would prefer that you end his worthless existence.” Hordak replied, his voice and body language laden with unrestrained contempt. “If you are too soft for that, I will settle for him being indisposed until Entrapta is able to escape the island.”

“Very well. I assume you wish this to be kept from the Force Captains?” Shadow Weaver asked, an almost taunting edge to her tone.

“They do not need to know.” Hordak clenched his fists. “Use your vile magic to cloak yourself from their presence, and board their ship with Entrapta.”

He turned to Entrapta, staring deeply into her eyes.

“Do not tell anyone about her presence, or of Micah’s survival.” He commanded. “Make sure they stay focused on the mission. Do you understand?”

Entrapta nodded silently.

“Then go.” Hordak ordered.

Entrapta quickly hopped out of the room, while Shadow Weaver’s body vanished into an incorporeal mist which filtered out after her.

Now alone, Hordak sat down on his throne, leaning into the uncomfortable hunk of metal. He clenched his fists and gazed up at the ceiling.

“So close…” He muttered quietly.

The three Force Captains had already assumed their seats on the gunship, waiting in silence for Entrapta to arrive. Hordak’s assurances did little to calm their nerves, as each of them had heard horror stories about Beast Island for as long as they could remember.

“Ugggh.” Catra groaned, unable to take the silence any longer. “What’s taking her so long? Is she making out with Hordak or something?”

“Please don’t make me think about that.” Adora replied half-seriously.

“Sorry.” Catra rolled her eyes.

Another short silence ensued.

“Hmm.” Adora murmured. “Wonder what he’s really up to. The Whispering Woods, the Crimson Wastes, the North, and now Beast Island. The most dangerous places on Etheria, one after the other.”

“You think he… y’know?” Catra asked, nudging Adora’s shoulder surreptitiously.

“No, no.” Adora shook her head. “If he knew, he’d have done something about it.”

Scorpia’s gaze shifted between the two in confusion.

“Knew about what?” She wondered. “What are you guys talking about?”

“Nothing.” Adora and Catra answered simultaneously, turning their gazes to Scorpia.

“Um… okay.” Scorpia slowly looked away, visibly unsettled.

“Real smooth.” Puff wryly remarked from the pilot’s chair, once more clad in full armor.

“I don’t recall asking for your opinion, muttonchop.” Catra retorted, crossing her arms.

“Ooh, muttonchop.” Puff repeated in a mocking tone. “You’re not thinking of eating me, are you?”

“I don’t think you want to know the answer to that.” Catra said with a malicious smirk, drawing concerned glances from Scorpia and Adora.

“You’re probably right…” Puff’s voice wavered. “I don’t think I do.”

“You wouldn’t.” Adora mouthed to Catra, only for Catra to give her a smile and a nonchalant shrug.

Entrapta arrived before anyone could say anything further.

“Sorry for the wait, everyone!” She plopped down in the empty seat between Scorpia and Adora. “Just had to, uh, go over a few things with Hordak.”

Catra glanced at Adora with what could only be described as an “I told you so’ look. Nobody noticed the small swirl of mist float up the ramp and settle quietly on the floor.

“Alrighty.” Puff loudly cracked her knuckles. “Let’s get going, shall we?”

Without waiting for her passengers to reply, Puff took the gunship out and began the flight to Beast Island. The dim light of the early morning gradually brightened as they flew over the sea, with the sky being fully lit by the time the island became visible on the horizon.

The gunship’s four visible passengers stared through the cockpit in shock and awe.

“What the hell is that?” Catra asked, speaking for her comrades.

“That.” Puff paused for dramatic effect. “Is Beast Island.”

Beast Island was unlike anything the three had ever seen. Several massive, twisted mountains seemed to jut straight out of the ocean, forming a crude pyramid that stretched for almost a kilometer into the sky.

As they got closer, it became clear that the mountains were not carved from stone, but had been forged out of a sinister metal that none of the three had ever seen before.

“So beautiful…” Entrapta breathed, her eyes wide and tearful with joy.

“Where are we even supposed to land?” Catra asked.

“On the shoreline.” Puff explained. “It’s the only part of the island not covered by those giant triangles.”

“And we’re sure that the monsters have all been cleared out, right?” Adora stared at the rapidly approaching beach with trepidation.

“Who knows?” Puff shrugged. “I’d keep your guard up, though, if I were you.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Catra grumbled.

“You’re welcome.” Puff smirked behind her helmet.

The gunship landed comfortably on the sandy beach, still pockmarked with tiny craters from where the unpacked robots had landed.

“Alright, kids.” Puff remarked as the ramp lowered. “Good luck out there.”

The four unbuckled themselves from their seats and walked down the ramp. None of them noticed the barely perceptible mist that flew out of the ship and sped off towards the island’s center, as if racing them to it.

“So, do we have a map, or are we just going to have to wander around and hope we find what we’re looking for?” Catra asked, glancing up at the towering metallic mountains with an expression that approached concern.

“Well, before they… erm, stopped transmitting…” Entrapta explained with a shifty look. “My bots were able to make it all the way to the center of the island and find the power source. I’ve got the data in this little girl here.” She tapped the side of her head. “Just follow me and we’ll all be home in time for ice cream.”

“Ice cream!” Scorpia exclaimed as the four began the long walk to their destination. Her eyes inflated to the size of saucers. “Things have been so hectic recently, I thought you forgot!”

“I never forget anything, my crustaceous acquaintance.” Entrapta winked. “Unless I do.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Catra asked irritably.

“Ice cream.” Scorpia helpfully explained.

The light of the morning was lost as the group entered the bowels of Beast Island. Were it not for the myriad of bioluminescent flowers and fungi that made the accursed land their home, it would have been impossible to navigate. Seared bones and charred hunks of flesh littered the ground, pitiful remains of the island’s previously thriving animal population.

Only Adora appreciated any of this. The rest of the group was too engrossed in their inane conversation to care.

“Yeah, no shit.” Catra rolled her eyes. “Why? Isn’t that like something that only the Snow people have?”

“They’ve had a monopoly on it for ages.” Entrapta rubbed her hands together. “Which is exactly why I came up with my own design. Paying for ice cream was really starting to get expensive.”

“Oh, really?” Catra’s tail stood straight up. “Does it work?”

“I haven’t had time to iron out all the issues, but it mostly works.” Entrapta replied, smiling. Just might have some weird chunks in it. Don’t worry about ‘em, though. They’re harmless. I think.”

“Uh.” Catra’s tail slowly lowered. “Okay.”

“Guys, I think we should keep our eyes open.” Adora raised her voice, stopping just short of yelling. “We have no idea what could be waiting for us here.”

“Ahh, when I was a little scorpling…” Scorpia reminisced, blissfully ignoring Adora’s suggestion. “My favorite ice cream was brown and filled with nuts and marshmallows. I wish I could remember what it was called…” Her brow furrowed in thought. “Something to do with rocks…”

“Oooh, you mean Rocky Road, dontcha?” Entrapta grinned. “I like that, too, but I’ve always been partial to Icecrab. It’s like normal ice cream, but made with frozen crab meat instead of milk. Mmm!” She smacked her lips together loudly.

Adora and Catra shared a disgusted glance.

“Hrm.” Scorpia frowned. “I don’t think my parents would like me eating our relatives like that.”

“Yeah.” Entrapta pursed her lips. “I have to pay triple the normal price because of how few people want to eat it. It’s sad nobody wants to. It’s really yummy.”

“I think we can all take your word for that.” Catra muttered.

“Can we please stop talking about ice cream?” Adora shouted up at the hidden sky, waving her arms angrily. “We’re on Beast Island, for crying out loud!”

The entire group stopped in its tracks. Scorpia and Entrapta looked at Adora in surprise, while Catra let out a loud, bored yawn.

“Sorry.” Scorpia sheepishly apologized, rubbing the back of her neck. “I, uh, dunno what came over me.”

“Ice cream fever.” Entrapta declared sagely. “I’ve had it before.”

“...What?” Adora asked, grimacing in bewilderment. “You know what, I don’t care. Let’s just keep quiet and keep moving, okay? You can talk all you want about ice cream after we get back.”

“Okay!” Entrapta exclaimed before sprinting ahead without a care in the world.

“Wait!” Adora called after her. “That’s not what I- ugh!” She groaned. “Damn it!”

With no real choice in the matter, Adora and her fellow Force Captains began to give chase to the eccentric Princess.

In the heart of Beast Island, the obelisk thrummed with energy. Its ancient cry had been silenced, but its soul remained.

It would always remain.

He would kill to protect it. He would die to protect it.

That was his purpose.

That was always his purpose.

He sat cross-legged in front of the obelisk, eyes closed as if in meditation.

More were coming. He knew they were.

He would not let them leave.

“Micah?”

His eyes shot open. 

A voice from the darkness. 

Why did it sound so familiar?

What was Micah?

He stood up, grabbing his staff from the floor. He scanned the room for intruders, finding nothing but darkness.

“Who’s there?” The words came out as a barely comprehensible growl.

“Micah…” The voice said again. 

The name was like poison to his ears. He staggered backwards, grimacing in pain.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

As he stared in wild-eyed shock, a figure emerged from the darkness. She was tall and pale, with glittering purple hair and a warm, gentle smile.

She was… familiar somehow. She was-

No.

Intruder.

Enemy.

Kill.

With a hideous scream, a brace of tentacles flew from his flesh, intent on tearing the intruder limb from limb. They never reached her, evaporating into mist centimeters from her body.

Without a word, the intruder turned and walked away, as if nothing had happened.

Chase.

He pursued her relentlessly, roaring in bestial fury all the while. He did not stop when she left the ancient facility, nor even when she led him to the opposite end of the island.

The strange woman finally stopped in a large clearing, empty save for the remains of several beasts. With the sky hidden by the mountains of metal, what dim light there was came from a handful of plants. Even with their help, the arena was nearly pitch-black.

The woman turned around to face him. She smiled, but it was not a kind smile. It was the smile of a manipulator.

“You once told me your love for her would survive, no matter what I did to you.” Her form had not changed, but her voice had become dark and cruel. “It appears you were mistaken.”

With a fierce bellow, the man who was once Micah aimed his crude staff at the apparition of Angella. A solid prism of shadow burst forth from the tip of his staff, accompanied by an eerie, high-pitched wailing.

The false Angella conjured a shield of dark magic, grunting in exertion as it absorbed the blow of the shadow strike. Forced to focus all of her energy on the shield, she discarded her magical facade and revealed her true form.

“Is that the best you can do?” Shadow Weaver asked mockingly. “You really are a disappointment.”

Snarling, Micah cast another spell. Three separate shadow prisms emerged from his staff, vaguely resembling a trident as they hurtled towards their target.

Instead of attempting to resist the attack, Shadow Weaver propelled herself into the air, levitating several meters above the ground. Micah’s prisms continued on through the rest of the clearing, tearing through the dense foliage beyond as easily as one would tear through wrapping paper.

From her new vantage point, Shadow Weaver raised her palms. A dozen black knives flew from each palm, each flying towards Micah with the force and speed of a bullet.

It was now Micah’s turn to conjure a shield in front of himself. The knives were easily absorbed into the amorphous mass. Immediately afterwards, Micah reconstituted his shield into a long, razor-thin spear and launched it at Shadow Weaver’s throat.

Shadow Weaver reacted by sending forth a tentacle which wrapped around the spear, causing both to disintegrate. A fresh pair of tentacles flew from her body, attempting to ensnare Micah’s legs. He rolled deftly to the right, evading their grasp.

Just as she had wanted.

In addition to the two tentacles targeting his legs, Shadow Weaver had conjured two more which lay dormant on the ground on either side of Micah. While he was still mid-roll, the tentacle sprung into action, wrapping itself tightly around his throat.

Micah let out a grotesque choking noise as the air was forced from his lungs. The tentacle rose into the air, bringing Micah to eye level with the still-levitating Shadow Weaver. His eyes bulged, his hands desperately scratching at the demonic noose as it continued to tighten.

Shadow Weaver floated closer to Micah until there were only a few centimeters between them.

“You were my best pupil, once.” She remarked, almost wistfully. “You had so much potential.” Her eyes suddenly narrowed, her voice turning sour. “Yet you wasted it all. And for what? Honor? Love? Was it worth it, Micah? Was it worth it?”

Shadow Weaver’s words were lost on Micah. His already maddened mind was rendered completely incognizant as his brain was starved of oxygen.

“Ah, but why do I bother?” She let out a low, sadistic chuckle. “You’re nothing but an animal now. A rabid dog. Killing you would be merciful.”

The tentacle abruptly vanished. With nothing keeping him in the air, Micah instantly succumbed to gravity. His limp, barely conscious body landed feet-first on the ground. His legs gave way within moments, and he tumbled forwards onto the dirt.

Shadow Weaver looked down impassively at Micah’s unmoving form.

“Unfortunately for you, I am not merciful.” She declared calmly.

Without another word, the sorceress vanished, leaving her former pupil unconscious and alone in the sunless forest.

“Entrapta! Stop!”

As it had several times by now, Adora’s cry went unheeded. Entrapta continued her gleeful romp through what had once been the deadliest place on Etheria, with Adora and her companions in hot pursuit.

Most people would have been disconcerted by the sheer number of slain beasts which littered the ground, or perhaps felt some sadness at seeing the robots they had built with their own hands reduced to undignified piles of scrap metal.

Entrapta was, of course, not most people. She did not even slow down to acknowledge the carnage, and continued on her merry way as her increasingly irritated escort attempted to catch up.

It was only when she reached her destination that the wayward Princess finally came to a halt. She stood before the obelisk, gazing at the ancient device with euphoric awe.

“So much power!” She exclaimed, her eyes alight. “So much knowledge! I must have it!”

Adora and her compatriots arrived in the chamber just in time to see Entrapta slowly raise her right hand to the obelisk.

“Entrapta!” Adora called out. “Wait! What if it-”

Entrapta placed her right hand flat on the side of the obelisk. 

For a moment, nothing happened.

“Biological impurities detected.” A familiar robot voice emanated from somewhere within the obelisk. “Engaging countermeasures.”

“Say what?” Entrapta cocked her head to the side.

“Entrapta!” Adora shouted desperately. “Get away from it!”

It was too late.

“AAAH!” Entrapta cried out in pain as a powerful burst of electricity surged through her body. She collapsed onto her back, spasming uncontrollably.

“Damn it!” Adora cursed, running to the Princess and kneeling down at her side. Scorpia and Catra followed, respectively appearing concerned and apathetic.

After a few seconds, Entrapta’s muscles stopped spasming, allowing her to take a deep, labored breath.

“Oh…” She gasped out, looking up at Adora with a weak smile. “That hurt…”

“Yeah.” Adora frowned sympathetically. “You feel okay now?”

“No, but…” Entrapta winced, her breath hitching. “Think that was about fifty thousand volts, give or take… should be fine in a few minutes, assuming my heart doesn’t stop…”

“Um, alright.” Adora’s brow furrowed in uncertainty. She slowly stood up and stared at the obelisk.

“Biological impurities detected.” She murmured as she moved closer.

“Adora?” Catra asked nervously. “You’re not seriously gonna… wait!” She reached her arm out reflexively.

Adora did not respond to Catra’s pleas. Nor did she hesitate before placing her hand on the smooth, alien surface.

“Access granted.” The robotic voice stated. “Welcome, Scion of Eternia.”

“Heh.” Adora smirked.

“Huh?” Catra asked, visibly confused.

“I’m one of them, remember?” Adora glanced up towards the top of the obelisk. “Apparently the First Ones only trusted their stuff with each other.”

“Uh, right.” Catra rubbed the back of her neck. “Whatever you say.”

“Soooo…” Adora stretched out the word. “Um, what do I do now?”

“There is one emergency recording stored on this terminal.” The voice informed her. “It has been… 356,480… days since the recording was created. It has been viewed… zero… times. Do you wish to view it?”

“Sure.” Adora shrugged.

A holographic image of a woman appeared in front of the obelisk. She was quite tall and clad in nearly full plate armor, but lacked a helmet, exposing her dark skin and weathered facial features.

“Woah there.” Catra backed several steps away from the hologram, while Adora walked around it so that she could see the strange woman from the front.

“My name is…” The woman’s voice was softer and higher pitched than her grizzled appearance implied. “Agh...” She clutched her abdomen with one hand, drawing attention to the gaping, blackened hole in her armor. “My name is Amaris. I am… I was… Commander Palatine to the Crown Princess, until she…”

Amaris let out a horrible, hacking cough, leaving much of the area around her mouth stained with blood. Adora and Scorpia watched in subdued horror, while Catra crossed her arms impassively and Entrapta stared in inquisitive silence.

“She betrayed us…” Amaris breathed out. “She betrayed us. I… I still can’t believe it. She was the best of us, as devoted as anyone to our… our destiny…”

She coughed again, sinking slowly to her knees.

“Doesn’t… matter anymore… she’s an enemy now… just like Horde Prime…”

Her words were cut off by a grotesque gurgle, followed by a thick wad of blood spurting from her mouth.

“Please…” Amaris gasped out, her eyes wide and bloodshot. “Please… if someone finds this… I hope you’re a true child of Eternia… I hope you can save us… stop her… from…”

She collapsed onto her back, blood flowing freely down the sides of her face.

“I’m… sorry, my Queen…” Amaris murmured, her voice barely audible. “I… failed you… I failed Eternia…”

She let out a quiet gasp, then fell still. Her eyes, wide and glassy, stared up at nothing.The recording continued, displaying her motionless corpse for more than a minute until the macabre hologram finally vanished.

“Emergency recording concluded.” The robotic voice chimed. “Would you like to hear it again?”

“No, definitely not.” Adora shook her head vigorously.

The obelisk fell silent, waiting patiently for her next command.

“Fascinating…” Entrapta remarked quietly. “It’s just like the holograms in the Northern Wastes…”

“Speak for yourself.” Catra yawned. “Who cares about some dead lady from hundreds of years ago? Let’s just get what we came for and get out of this dump.”

“Right, right…” Entrapta nodded. “Can, uh, someone help me up?”

Adora quickly complied, helping Entrapta to her feet.

“Thanks.” Entrapta offered her a brief smile before turning her attention to the obelisk. “Oookay.” She slapped her hands together. “Computer thingy, how do I access your power source?”

“Servitors are forbidden from accessing this information.” The voice answered. “Your punishment will be left to your Scion’s discretion.”

“I don’t think she likes me.” Entrapta frowned.

“Ugh.” Adora groaned in annoyance. “I’m a Scion, right? Tell me how to access your power source.”

“Scions are allowed to access this information.” The voice stated. “However, please note that any Servitors present to hear this information must be terminated as per Directive 17. Failure to comply with Directive 17 is a capital offense, punishable by summary termination. Do you wish to continue?”

“Umm.” Adora shot a glance at her companions. “I… wait, who will carry out that punishment?”

“As per Directive 11, all death sentences within the Dominion of Etheria are executed by the Crown Princess or her Commander Palatine.” The voice explained.

“Oh no, I’m so scared.” Catra flatly remarked, rolling her eyes.

“Okay, I’ll uh, terminate my… Servitors.” Adora lied transparently. “Just tell me how to get your power source.”

“This terminal’s power source is located in the primary forward compartment.” The voice droned on. “Any attempt to remove or tamper with the power source without a Scion’s authorization will result in detonation.”

“Um.” Adora paled. “How big a detonation?”

“The detonation of this terminal’s power source would produce the approximate energy of 14,598 tons of trinitrotoluene.” The voice answered.

“Ookay, I have no idea what that means.” Adora glanced over at Catra and Scorpia, who shook their heads, then at Entrapta. “You’re the genius, aren’t you?”

“Doesn’t mean I know everything.” Entrapta shrugged. “I’ve never heard of trynightyo-tallameen. If the robot lady’s using it as a measurement, though, I can only assume it makes a big bang.”

“Who cares?” Catra scoffed. “It said it’ll only do that if a Scion or whatever doesn’t say it’s okay.” She pointed at Adora. “You’re a Scion. Say it’s okay so we can get a move on. This place smells like ass.”

“I’m getting to that.” Adora shot her a mildly annoyed glare before turning back to the obelisk.

“Okay, I’m, uh, authorizing the removal of the power source.” She said nervously. “Please don’t explode.”

“Request acknowledged.” The robot replied. “Unlocking primary forward compartment. Deactivating self-destruct mechanism. Hail to the Queen, and hail to Eternia.”

A large rectangular hole opened up near the bottom of the obelisk, revealing a pulsating blue crystal roughly the size of Adora’s head.

“Shiny…” Entrapta remarked with an excited grin.

“It’s just a big crystal.” Adora’s brow furrowed skeptically. “How does this power anything?”

“No idea.” Entrapta declared, her grin unwavering.

“Alright.” Adora sighed, rubbing her forehead with one hand. “I’m not carrying it.”

“I’m not either.” Catra hurriedly added.

“I’m not good at carrying things…” Scorpia trailed off sheepishly.

“That’s okay! I’ll carry you, sweetie!” Entrapta giggled, staring deeply into the crystal in a disturbingly intimate manner. “Mm… Marie. Marie is a good name for you.”

Catra put a fist over her mouth to repress her gag reflex.

“Aww, that’s adorable…” Scorpia cooed, causing Adora to briefly perk up at the unintentional mention of her name.

“Alright, enough.” Catra threw her hands up in exasperation. “I’m gonna go… uh, make sure our exit is clear. Yeah.” She sped out of the chamber without giving anyone a chance to argue.

“I think I’ll… back her up.” Adora said lamely before following suit.

Catra had already made it to the entrance of the outpost by the time Adora caught up to her. She paced back and forth, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

“Hey…” Adora trailed off as she walked up to Catra, noticing her unhappiness. “What’s wrong?”

Catra let out a quiet sigh, failing to meet Adora’s eyes.

“Nothing. Just… getting real sick of following orders.” Catra groused half-heartedly. “Feels like it’s been forever since we decided to overthrow that prick.”

“Catra, it’s been two months.” Adora quietly replied. “The Fright Zone wasn’t built in a day. We can’t rush this, or he’ll send us to…” She was about to say ‘Beast Island’, but stopped herself.

Catra looked at her with a knowing smirk.

“Guess that story won’t work on us anymore, now that the monsters are dead.” She chuckled lightly. “I’m sure Hordak won’t tell the grunts, though.”

“No.” Adora murmured, her brow furrowed in thought as she looked at the ground. “What we really need right now is to prove beyond a doubt to the rest of the Horde that Hordak is no longer fit to rule them.”

“I’d settle for having the power of a Runestone or two at our backs.” Catra countered. “And I’m not referring to Shadow Weaver ‘helping’ us.” She emphasized the sarcasm in the word with air quotes.

“Say again?” Adora cocked her head quizzically.

“You heard what I said.” Catra calmly answered as she stared into Adora’s eyes.

“I… haha…” Adora let out a fake-sounding chuckle. “That’s, ah, really funny, Catra, but let’s be serious here…”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Catra asked flatly. There was not a trace of mirth in her eyes, words, or body language.

“Uh… well…” Adora’s eyes flickered back and forth nervously. “...No?”

“Shadow Weaver wasn’t born with the power of the Black Garnet.” Catra stated matter-of-factly. “She stole it. There’s no reason we can’t do the same thing to her.”

“Yeah.” Adora grimaced. “Except all of the reasons.” She began counting them on her fingers. “We don’t know how to do that, we don’t know what will happen if we do that, and there’s no way we can do it without her knowing. She’s almost certainly listening to us right now.”

“I’m sure she is.” Catra gave the hidden sky a mocking salute before returning her gaze to Adora. “She’s the one who gave me the idea, after all.”

“Huh?” Adora’s face twisted in surprise. “Why would she do that?”

“Well, I dunno if she meant to give me that idea.” Catra shrugged. “When I was off on my little journey, we had a conversation and it made me realize something.” Her voice lowered and she frowned. “Y’see, none of this is gonna matter.”

“I’m not sure what you mean…” Adora gave Catra a bemused look.

“Whether we defeat Hordak and the Rebellion, or not…” Catra shook her head. “None of it will matter. No matter what happens, we’re all gonna die, and nothing we’ve done will mean anything.”

“This…” Adora said softly, her heart sinking in her chest. “This doesn’t sound like you. Since… since when have you ever cared about that? You’ve always lived in the moment.”

“Maybe I’ve just pretended to.” Catra replied with a sad half-smile.

“Catra…” Without thinking, Adora closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around Catra’s back and nuzzling her head. “Please, don’t think about that.” She said softly, tears forming in her eyes. “We have a lifetime to be together.”

“It's not enough.” Catra’s reply was just as quiet as she returned Adora’s embrace.

“It’s all we've got.” Adora whispered back.

“What if it wasn’t?” Catra asked.

“Catra…” Adora chided gently.

“I’m serious!” Catra exclaimed without yelling. “The Queen’s immortal, isn’t she? We know it’s possible! All I’m saying is that we should try to get that kind of power for ourselves, and the Runestones are our best bet to do it.”

"I..." Adora began, only to realize she couldn't think of anything to say.

"You don't need to say anything." Catra managed a weak smile as she broke off from Adora's embrace. "I'm not expecting an answer right now. Just... think about it, okay?"

"Okay." Adora murmured.

The sound of familiar voices echoed from within the outpost, becoming louder with each passing second.

"So then, it was like 'woosh' and everything exploded!" Even from a considerable distance, Entrapta's shrill voice easily made its way down the empty corridors and into the unwilling ears of Adora and Catra.

"Woah." Scorpia's voice did not carry quite as easily, but it was still quite audible. "A lot of things around you seem to explode."

"Well, it's like my uncle used to say." Entrapta cheerily replied. "If you're not exploding, you're not sciencing."

"Uh-huh." It was obvious that Scorpia was nodding along even without being able to see her. "So what happened to your uncle?"

"He exploded." Entrapta answered matter-of-factly as the two finally emerged from the outpost. The crystalline power source was cradled in her arms like a newborn being held by their mother.

"Ah. Uh, sorry for your loss." Scorpia frowned at Entrapta before looking over at Adora and Catra. "Hi, guys, sorry for the wait. We, ah, got caught up talking to each other."

"It's fine." Catra said with a nonchalant shrug. "Let's go."

In contrast to their initial inland trek, the journey back to the shore was uneventful and relatively silent, or at least as quiet as it could be with Entrapta and Scorpia around. They piled back into the gunship and took their seats, the boarding ramp sealing behind them.

"Have fun out there?" Puff asked.

"Tons." Catra dryly replied.

"Good to hear it." Puff snarked as the gunship forced itself off the dead shores and into the afternoon sky.

It did not take long for Adora and Catra to become drowsy, their fatigue only enhanced by the calm flight and the endless chattering of Scorpia and Entrapta.

Adora was jolted awake when the gunship came to a sudden halt. Groaning, she opened her eyes, blinking blearily.

"What... are we there..." She muttered, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand.

"Yep." Puff stood up from the pilot's chair and took off her helmet, placing it between her right arm and the side of her chest. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a nap." She yawned, walking past them and down the boarding ramp.

Adora looked to her right to find Scorpia and Entrapta snoozing peacefully in their chairs, the latter of whom continued to snuggle with the power source even while asleep. After unbuckling herself and standing up, she looked to her left, where Catra was just beginning to stir.

"Mrrm..." Catra murmured, shifting in her seat.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Adora smiled down at her.

"Not fair..." Catra muttered, shaking her head. "You fell asleep first..."

"I guess we're both sleepyheads, then." Adora chuckled lightly, unbuckling Catra's seatbelt for her.

"Yeah..." Catra slowly got to her feet. She glanced over at their two talkative companions, who had yet to wake. "Should probably wake 'em up. I'm guessing Hordak will want his new toy as soon as possible."

Adora nodded in agreement before walking up to where the two slept.

"Hey." She said quietly. "Scorpia, Entrapta. We're here."

Neither of them stirred.

"Pfft." Catra scoffed as she walked up to Adora's side. "Did you really think that was gonna work?"

"Worth a try." Adora shrugged.

Catra cracked her knuckles with a toothy grin. Adora noticed, but by the time her mouth opened, it was too late.

"Hey!" Catra bellowed, slapping Scorpia and then Entrapta across the face. "Wake up!"

"Owie!" Scorpia immediately awoke, wincing and rubbing her face with a claw.

"Hahaow!" Entrapta made a bizarre noise that sounded halfway between a cry of pain and a laugh as she woke.

Adora gave Catra a silent look of disapproval, to which she responded with a smirk and a slight shrug.

"C'mon, guys, we're home." Adora sighed as she unbuckled Entrapta. "Are you okay with bringing Hordak that... uh, thing, Entrapta?"

"Uh..." Entrapta shook her head vigorously before looking up at Adora. "Ah, yes! Yes, of course! I'll make sure he gets Marie. You guys can go and do... whatever you do."

"Alright." Adora glanced at Scorpia, who had clumsily managed to unbuckle herself. "Well, I'm still kinda tired, so I think I'm gonna head back to barracks. Anyone want to join me?"

"You know it." Catra winked.

"Well..." Scorpia let out a particularly long yawn. "I guess so..."

The three Force Captains returned to barracks, leaving Entrapta to deliver Hordak's prize alone.

When the door to his laboratory slid open, Hordak was staring grimly at the tubes which contained his failed clones.

"Who dares interrupt..." He growled as he turned to face the door, stopping when he saw Entrapta. "Ah, Entrapta." His anger faded instantly.

"Hi, Hordak!" Entrapta used one of her hair tendrils to wave in lieu of her occupied hands. "I brought you a present!"

"So I see." Hordak walked up to her, grinning as he beheld the crystal. "I recognize this design. This is indeed an Etherian power source." He touched the tips of his fingers together. "Excellent..."

"Is it enough to get the portal up and running?" Entrapta asked eagerly.

"It will take some time to integrate it with the reactor, but it should work." Hordak replied, stroking the tip of the crystal with his finger. "That is, assuming it has enough power left."

"I'm ready when you are!" Entrapta smiled.

"I am always ready." Hordak declared with a smirk.

Chapter Text

The hinterland of the Fright Zone may have been less industrialized than the core, but that was all it had going for it. The once vibrant plant and animal life of Chelicera had long since been exterminated, leaving nothing but barren stretches of dirt and rock for kilometers in every direction.

The graveyard was disturbed by a single skiff keeping close to the ground. Driving it was Catra, who did not spare a second thought to the carnage surrounding her. She had seen it all before, and besides, she hadn't come out here for the sights.

It took nearly an hour for her to reach her destination, by which time the Fright Zone was only a distant feature on the horizon. To most observers, the hole would have been unworthy of anything more than a glance. The relatively small and narrow opening would have had a hard time fitting an average sized bear, much less anything greater.

Catra lowered her skiff to the ground, keeping the vehicle a reasonable distance away from the entrance, before quickly dismounting.

"Okay." She said flippantly. "I'm here."

"The fact is known." The rumbling voice of Vengeance echoed inside of her mind.

"Then where are you?" Catra crossed her arms impatiently.

"The servant is below." Vengeance replied.

"Well, can the 'servant' come back up?" Catra placed sarcastic emphasis on Vengeance's self-applied title. "If you asked me to come out all this way just so I could stare at a hole, I'm not gonna be happy."

"The servant is hunting." Vengeance explained.

"Hunting." Catra incredulously replied. "Down there?"

"The creatures in the darkness are consumed." Vengeance drawled. "The servant is sustained."

"How long's it gonna be?" Catra asked.

"The time will be short." Vengeance declared.

"Alright." Catra said with a resigned sigh. She sat down on the ground, propping her back up against the side of the skiff. It was hardly the picture of comfort, but tolerable in the short term.

Several minutes went by in silence while Catra became increasingly bored. Her eyelids were beginning to flutter when she noticed a reptilian head poking out of the hole, breathing heavily through nostrils that were bigger than her head.

As Catra watched, Vengeance slithered out of the cave like a snake, his wings and legs compacted in order to allow him to use an exit that would have otherwise been far too small.

When he was finally free of the cave, Vengeance stood in front of Catra and bowed his head low to the ground.

"The servant is penitent." He apologized. "The master should not have been made to wait."

"It's fine." Catra stifled a yawn. "Did the 'creatures in the darkness' taste good?"

"The nourishment was palatable." Vengeance lowered his massive body to the ground and raised his head to meet Catra's eyes.

"Uh... huh." Catra raised a skeptical eyebrow. "So, then. You called me out here. Why?"

"The full potential of master and servant must be achieved." Vengeance briefly paused. "For this to occur, the master and servant must understand each other. This understanding has not yet come to pass."

"So..." Catra's brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of his words. "We need to get to know each other better if we want to be more powerful? Is that it?"

"It is so." Vengeance nodded his head slightly.

"So what, do you want us to talk about our feelings?" Catra asked with a derisive snort.

"Speech is not sufficient." Vengeance answered. "Only through the shedding of blood can there be understanding."

"What, was Tongue Guy and his goons not enough?" Catra rolled her eyes. "How much more blood do you want?"

"The matter is not of quantity." Vengeance explained with a hint of irritation. "The master and the servant must shed blood together. The soul is revealed in the midst of chaos and death."

"Chaos and death, huh?" Catra purred, her tail straightening. "Well, now you have my attention. What did ya have in mind?"

"The hunt." Vengeance cryptically answered.

It had been more than forty years since his arrival on this forsaken rock. On more occasions than he could possibly count, he had been on the verge of abandoning all hope that he would ever leave it.

But it had all been worth it.

Now, his tenacity was finally to be rewarded.

In his laboratory, Hordak stood in front of the inactive portal device. His face was twisted by a wide and uncharacteristic grin.

"It is finally complete." He proudly declared. "After all this time... I can barely believe my eyes."

"So, what are we waiting for?" Entrapta asked. She hopped in place by Hordak's side, her grin equal in size. "Let's get this party started!"

"Indeed." Hordak gave Entrapta an amused half-glance. He looked down at his feet, where the lever that would activate the portal sat patiently.

"Let's." He pulled the lever.

Lunchtime was almost over. Most of the soldiers had already finished their meals and left, with only four stragglers remaining behind.

Octavia ate alone, eating not only her food but the food of several others who had generously 'donated' their meals to her.

Lonnie and her friends, as always, ate as a group. They had finished their food and were about to leave when Kyle spoke up.

"Hey, so guys..." Kyle awkwardly began, his eyes darting wildly between his two compatriots. "I've got a question to ask. I mean, if that's alright with you. I wouldn't want to-"

"Kyle." Lonnie said flatly as she stared at him. "Just say it."

"Right, right." Kyle rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "So uh, let's just... theoretically speaking, let's say I was... um, attracted to a person. Y'know, like when two-"

"You don't need to explain love to us, Kyle." Lonnie's lips twisted into a slight smirk. "So who do you have a crush on this time? Scorpia? Canaris? Or is it Adora again?"

"Eep." Kyle flinched, his cheeks turning the color of roses. "Ah, uh... none of the above?" He shrugged, his voice cracking.

"Really now." Lonnie raised a single eyebrow. "Well don't leave us in suspense. Who's the lucky guy or gal?"

"I... uh... erm... well... you see.... I... ah... errr..." Kyle stammered, wilting under the gaze of his friends.

With Lonnie and Rogelio focused on Kyle, and Kyle focused on his would-be confession, none of them noticed Adora enter the mess and walk up to their table, a friendly smile plastered on her face.

"Hey guys!" Adora exclaimed, placing her hands behind her back and leaning slightly to the side. "Whatcha talkin' about?"

"Oh." Lonnie looked up at her in mild surprise. "Kyle was just going to confess his undying love for someone."

"Oh, really?" Adora glanced at Kyle curiously.

"Ah..." Kyle gulped, his eyes wide with anxiety. "I... um... help..."

"C'mon, don't be shy." Adora reassured him. "We're your friends, right? We're not gonna judge you."

Rogelio and Lonnie shared a dubious glance.

"Okay." Kyle cleared his throat. "I... I love-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the mess was plunged into complete darkness. Nobody said anything until, a few seconds later, the room was lit a dim crimson by far weaker lights.

"The hell?" Lonnie wondered aloud.

"Emergency lighting." Adora observed, her prior levity replaced with a soldier's severity. "Must've been a blackout."

"I mean, that's nothing to worry about, right?" Kyle asked apprehensively. "They'll fix it and the power will be back on in a few minutes. Right, guys?" He looked at each of his friends for confirmation.

"It depends." Adora replied. "You guys stay here. I'm gonna see what's going on." She walked up to the door. To her surprise, it did not open.

Frowning, Adora waved her hand in front of the door for a few seconds. The door remained defiantly closed.

"Emergency power's supposed to include doors." She mused, her brow furrowing in concern.

"Something's wrong."

Lunch had been very filling for the elite of Bright Moon, particularly for Glimmer. Alas, as delectable as strawberry dumplings were, eating so many in so short a time did not come without a grave cost.

Left drowsy and bloated by her feast, Glimmer stumbled her way down the halls to her bedroom. Using her teleportation powers would have been quicker, but even her tired mind realized how dangerous it would be to use them in her current state.

Glimmer barged into her room, not even bothering to close the door behind her. She was in no shape to hop up the floating platforms to her bed, instead settling for her favorite chair. She slumped into the soft cushions, asleep within seconds.

"Glimmer." Bow's voice entered her ears, rousing her to wakefulness.

"What..." Glimmer muttered, her eyes partially opening to see Bow standing over her. "How long... what time..." She blearily managed.

"If you mean how long it's been since lunch, it's been about twenty minutes." Bow answered sheepishly. "I didn't want to wake you, but this is... well, it can't wait."

"Y'sure..." Glimmer let out an long, undignified yawn, her eyes closing once more. "Mm really not feeling well..."

"I can see that." Bow remarked sympathetically. "But it's the Horde."

Glimmer let out a whiny-sounding groan.

"Always the Horde..." She groused. "What now..."

"The anti-magic field." Bow explained. "It's down."

Glimmer's eyes shot open. Almost instantly, her drowsiness began to fade, replaced by a surge of adrenaline as she stood up.

"Have the others been told?" She asked, her eyes narrowed in determination.

"Everyone except Mermista." Bow replied, rubbing the side of his neck. "She's a bit out of my reach."

"I'll deal with that." Glimmer cracked her knuckles. "Have everyone else assemble in the war room."

"Already done." Bow said with a faint smirk.

"You're the best." Glimmer smiled back.

When Glimmer and Mermista appeared in the war room, the rest of the Gang was already present, along with Juliet and Perfuma. All eyes were on her, expecting answers.

"Okay." Glimmer cleared her throat, stiffening her posture. "The anti-magic field protecting the Fright Zone has been disabled. It's quite possible we will never get a chance like this again. If we can do enough damage to their infrastructure and leadership, we could end this war today."

"Sounds like a trap to me." Mermista interjected, crossing her arms.

"Same." Netossa nodded in agreement. "This seems too good to be true. What's stopping them from just turning the field back on as soon as we get there? Then we'll be in the middle of hostile territory without our magic."

"That's entirely possible." Glimmer admitted. "Even if it isn't a trap, this mission will still be extremely dangerous. We know very little about the internal layout of the Fright Zone, or its defenses. This could end very badly for us, but I believe it is worth the risk."

Glimmer's eyes moved over every member of her impromptu squad in turn.

"If any of you wish to remain behind, I won't hold it against you." She stated evenly.

Nobody said anything.

"Very well, then." Glimmer suppressed a grin. "Let's go over the plan. Spinnerella and Perfuma, we'll be hitting them in the heart. Anything that looks smashable, smash it. Even if Hordak escapes, it won't do him much good if the Fright Zone's a pile of rubble."

"Oh, I do love smashing things!" Perfuma exclaimed with a giddy hop.

"Smashing things is okay, I guess." Spinnerella hesitantly agreed. "I prefer ice cream, but I guess that wouldn't be very useful in this situation." 

"Bow, Juliet, and Netossa." Glimmer continued. "We know they keep their skiffs in a series of hangars. I'll drop you guys off at one of them. I don't think this is a trap, but just in case, we need to be ready to book it if they switch the anti-magic field back on."

"Awesome." Bow grinned. "I've always wanted to fly one of those things."

"Any objections?" Glimmer shifted her gaze to Netossa and Juliet.

"No, General." Juliet shook her head.

"You're the boss." Netossa shrugged.

"Good." Glimmer looked to her left at Mermista. Her slouched shoulders, limp arms, and half-open eyes betrayed her burning desire to be anywhere else. "Mermista, we know that the Fright Zone has an extensive sewer system, and where it ends. I'll get you there. All you have to do is... reverse the flow."

"...Do I have to?" Mermista grimaced in disgust.

"I mean, you swore to aid us..." Glimmer cocked her head to the side with a catlike smirk. "And the Horde drained all of the nearby water sources..."

"Uggggggggggh..." Mermista let out an exaggerated groan. "Fine... but you owe me for this, Sparkles." She poked Glimmer's chest for emphasis.

"Duly noted." Glimmer dryly replied. She turned to the rest of the group, rubbing her hands together eagerly.

"Now." She grinned murderously. "Is everyone up for some payback?"

The Fright Zone was the most fortified location on Etheria, bar none. Each of the towering skyscrapers were encrusted with automated cannons and sniper positions. Fifty soldiers amassed in the grounds in-between, accompanied by twenty tanks. Advanced sensors ensured any invading army would be spotted long before their arrival, and the anti-magic field neutralized the power of the wicked Princesses.

Without power, the cannons were useless. With the doors sealed, the snipers couldn't get to their posts. Without the sensors, there was no warning.

Not that it would have helped any.

In front of the assembled Horde forces, three Princesses appeared, standing side by side.

They did not even have time to raise their weapons. Glimmer fired twin beams of light at the hapless mass of goons, followed immediately by an overpowering gale and a surging wall of vines.

The three columns of magic power smashed directly into the Horde's front line. Dozens of men at once were seared into their armor, tossed around like ragdolls, or crushed under the weight of a furious ensemble of plant life.

The tanks rushed to fill in the gap, firing everything they had at the trio. Perfuma reacted swiftly, raising a vast barrier of vines to protect herself and her compatriots. Hundreds of bullets and plasma bolts collided with the barrier, slowly burning their way through.

"I... can't do this for long..." Perfuma said through gritted teeth, casting her arms forward as she struggled to maintain the barrier against the onslaught.

"You won't have to." Glimmer replied confidently. "Be back in a second." She vanished before either of her companions could say a word.

Glimmer reappeared inside the cockpit of one of the tanks, placing an arm on the shoulder of the driver.

"G'morning." She grinned.

"Wha-" The driver's exclamation was cut off when he appeared in the sky above his tank.

This time, Glimmer did not wait to watch gravity do its work. She immediately moved to the next tank, performing the same maneuver on its hapless driver. She repeated the move for every single tank, moving with such blinding speed that the first driver was still falling by the time the last was dropped.

Glimmer appeared in front of the vinewall, placing her hands behind her back as she watched the unfortunate men scream in terror as they plummeted to the ground. Each one landed atop their own tank, their bones snapping like twigs from the impact.

The roaring sound of gunfire and dying screams abruptly ceased, leaving an unnerving silence in its wake for a few moments as Glimmer gazed approvingly at the field of empty tanks and mangled bodies.

"Are they gone?" Perfuma asked, her voice muffled by the vines.

"Yes, they're gone." Glimmer turned to face the vinewall with a subdued eye roll.

"Oh, good." Perfuma sighed with relief. "My hands were getting tired."

The vinewall sunk into the ground, leaving no trace of its existence. Perfuma shook her hands vigorously to relieve their cramping.

"Where to now?" Spinnerella asked.

"Anywhere that looks important. But before we do that..." Glimmer gestured over her shoulder at the column of abandoned tanks. "I think they look smashable. How about you?"

"Oh, yes!" Perfuma exclaimed, her eyes glistening. "Very smashable, indeed! Can I smash them?"

"Yes." Glimmer said with a half-smirk. "You can smash them."

"Woohoo!" Perfuma jumped for joy as four massive vines burst from the ground in front of the tanks. The floral Princess grinned like a maniac, making exaggerated smashing motions with her arms.

"Smash! Smash!" The vines mimicked the motions of her arms, coming down on the tanks with all of nature's fury. One by one, the tanks were smashed, reinforced steel crumpling like cardboard. "Smash! Smash! Smash!" For reasons known only to her, she cried out the word for every tank she shattered.

Glimmer and Spinnerella watched the bizarre spectacle in bemused silence as the so-called pacifist reduced the tank column to an unrecognizable pile of metal and severed limbs.

"Wooh... heheh..." Perfuma took a deep breath as the vines receded back into the ground. She turned to look at her allies, her eyes dilated with pleasure.

"I... love... smashing..." She moaned in ecstasy.

"Um." Spinnerella rubbed her shoulder uncomfortably. "Okay."

"Come on, you two." Glimmer glanced up at the collection of grotesque skyscrapers that towered over them. "There's plenty more that needs to be smashed."

Hangar Four was just like all the other hangars in the Fright Zone. It was a massive, barren rectangle intended for the storage of flying machines, and nothing else. The recent battles had taken their toll on the Horde's forces, evident in how a hangar with a max capacity of fifty skiffs currently held only four.

A pair of unarmored technicians were the only people present in the hangar when Bow, Netossa, and Juliet flashed into existence behind them. They were vainly slamming on the exit hatch, having been sealed inside the hangar by the blackout.

"Hello!" One of the technicians, a dark-skinned woman, shouted as she continued smacking on the steel door. "Anyone? We're trapped in here!" 

The second technician, a reptilian male who could easily have passed for Rogelio's twin brother, noticed the new shadows being cast on the door and turned around. His eyes met Bow's, bulging in shock.

"Hey." Bow calmly waved, giving Netossa a meaningful side glance as he did. She took the hint, sending forth a pair of energy nets which entangled the technicians, causing them to topple to the floor in an undignified heap.

"Gah!" The female technician cried out in surprise. She quickly twisted her body around, allowing her to glare up at Bow. "Rebel scum! It doesn't matter what you do to us! You and your friends are dead!"

"Really?" Bow looked down at himself in feigned surprise. "I don't feel dead." He glanced at his allies with a facetious smirk. "What about you guys?"

He was answered with an annoyed glare from Netossa.

"Right." Bow's smirk vanished. "Not the time."

"I'm guessing you two aren't in the mood for giving lessons." Netossa crossed her arms, shifting her glare to the prisoners. "Let's hope the controls aren't too hard to master."

"Don't worry." Bow licked his lips and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "They don't call me B-Rain for nothing."

"I have never heard anyone call you that." Netossa flatly remarked. Bow didn't hear her, as he was already rushing over to the parked skiffs. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't go anywhere." She pointed at the prisoners threateningly before she and Juliet walked after Bow.

By the time they caught up to him, he had already mounted a skiff and positioned himself at the controls.

"Now." Bow smirked, placing his hand on the acceleration lever. "Let's see how this baby flies."

He pushed the lever. The skiff abruptly lurched forwards, nearly sideswiping Netossa and Juliet in the process.

"Careful!" Netossa shouted at him. "You almost took my arm off!"

"Sorry!" Bow shouted back as he sailed out of the hangar.

Netossa rolled her eyes.

"Alright." She glanced at Juliet. "You take one, I'll take one. Let's try not to hit each other, okay?"

Juliet nodded. The two proceeded to mount their own skiffs and familiarize themselves with the controls. Fortunately for them, the control scheme was exceedingly simple, requiring only a few minutes of experimentation to grasp.

With their crash course in skiff piloting complete, they flew their respective vehicles out of the hangar, ready to join the battle.

The sewers of the Fright Zone were truly remarkable. Kilometers of caverns and tunnels snaked underneath the ground, connecting the many buildings to the coast. Fecal matter, industrial runoff, and the leftover brine from saltwater purification were dumped into the Bay of Crabs, at a rate of hundreds of gallons every second. In less than forty years of existence on Etheria, the Horde had inflicted centuries worth of environmental damage.

Mermista stood across the bay from the array of vast pipes that sullied the ocean. Her ocean.

"Gross." She stated matter-of-factly.

Closing her eyes and raising her hands in the direction of the runoff pipes, Mermista concentrated all of her might against the onrushing tide of polluted water. For a few seconds, the flow continued unabated, but before long, it began to slow, and finally stop.

Mermista could feel it, even without opening her eyes. With a barely perceptible smirk, she pushed her hands forward, commanding the water to do the same. Instantly, the flow resumed, but in the opposite direction, several thousand gallons forcing their way back down the pipes.

When she was confident the force would be enough to carry the water to its destination, she lowered her hands and opened her eyes. She gazed at the runoff pipes, now empty of fluid. A brief sense of satisfaction at a job well done faded as she realized she was alone and in the middle of nowhere.

"Well." She said flatly. "Now what?"

To hunt alongside an ancient beast of myth was an opportunity unsurpassed in its rarity. Logically, the experience should have been incredible, the kind of tale passed down for a hundred generations.

If Catra ever had children - a doubtful eventuality - she certainly wouldn't be telling them about the time she spent several hours driving a skiff next to a dragon as they attempted to find something, anything, to hunt. Her initial excitement had long since faded, evident by her tired, narrow eyes and unrelenting grimace.

Normally, her impatience would have seen her call it quits long before. Only the promise of greater power kept her going for as long as she had, and even that wasn't enough to motivate her any longer.

She pulled the brakes, bringing her skiff to an abrupt halt.

"That's enough." She declared bitterly. "This is pointless."

"The displeasure is felt." Vengeance remarked, turning to regard her with reptilian eyes. "The hunt can be difficult, this is known. Perseverance must be shown."

"I think I've 'persevered' enough." Catra put mocking emphasis on the word as she met the dragon's gaze with an irritable glare. "We've been at this for hours and we haven't found so much as a squirrel. I'm hungry, damn it, and you made me miss lunch!"

"The servant did not mean to arouse your ire." Vengeance lowered his head apologetically.

"I..." Catra intended to continue her diatribe, only to let out a soft sigh instead. "Yeah, I know." She muttered, averting her eyes as her stomach twisted uncomfortably. "Let's just... try this another time. Maybe somewhere less, uh, dead."

"The offer is accepted." Vengeance nodded.

"Okay then." Catra rubbed her hands together. "Uh, see you later, I guess?"

"The servant will await the master." Vengeance replied, raising his head.

The long drive back to the Fright Zone was uneventful, allowing plenty of time for Catra to think. However, the continuous grumbling of her stomach made sure her thoughts never ventured far from food.

"I don't want to wait for dinner." She thought when the Fright Zone eclipsed the horizon. "Maybe I can swipe something from the commissary." The idea caused her to smirk.

As she drove her skiff past the jagged stone shards that passed for city walls, any sense of levity was killed by the distant yet unmistakable sound of gunfire and screaming.

Catra's eyes narrowed, her tail stiffening. She brought the skiff to a halt and dismounted.

With the speed and subtlety of her animal relatives, she crept towards the sounds of battle, concealing herself with the immense shadows cast by the Fright Zone's skyscrapers.

By the time she reached the source of the sounds, the air had been instilled with a new, deathly quiet. From her distant vantage point atop an empty grain silo, she could see why.

Three figures stood in front of a massive pile of bodies and crushed vehicles. They were too distant for even Catra's keen eyes to identify, but it didn't matter. Anyone with half a brain could have realized the truth. The Princesses had infiltrated the Fright Zone, and somehow they could use their powers.

"Vengeance." Catra muttered under her breath. "Gonna need your help here."

"This is Force Captain Adora. Can anybody hear me? Please respond."

Adora paced in front of the table where her three former squadmates sat, repeating the line several times into her badge. The only response she received was listless static.

"If someone could hear you, they'd have said something by now." Lonnie dryly observed.

"Damn it." Adora cursed. She glanced over at Octavia. Having finished her multiple meals, the bellicose Force Captain was now idly picking at her fingernails, completely unperturbed by the situation.

"Octavia, can you try contacting someone?" Adora asked.

"I guess." With a slight shrug, Octavia pressed the spot where her badge was, only to find it was no longer there.