Truth be told, It was a minor miscalculation that had no dire effect on his plans. The Red Moon spell had not been taken into consideration, but it was a fairly simple puzzle that only took some patience to solve. Perhaps if Razella had used this failsafe trap when he was her pupil, it may have proven far more of a challenge to break. To a simpleton it would take years to understand MagiTek's solution to this problem. On the other hand, in terms of describing the speed of his escape it was like cutting a net with only a knife.

That knife of course being the small piece of DarkDespair he had kept for himself; something not even Prime knew of. This fragment allowed the wizard to remain alive for all these years and gave him additional power as well. MagiTek had been pleased upon seeing the entity escape the ship towards it's other half, LightHope; of course it would never be complete without him. The combination of LightHope and DarkDespair would renew a grim cycle of unfathomable power unseen for quite some time.

MagiTek was aware that the fusion would not work without every piece of the puzzle. His body had already been fused with DarkDespair's fragment, which meant that his presence was required for the conversion. Once inside it would be a simple matter of taking over the two halves and controlling their power (saving the universe would be a bonus in this as well).

The spellcaster felt a bit of joy in that notion.

Still though, this escape was taking a little longer than he'd like. Razella's little trick had one-upped him, something she had always done in the past. MagiTek tried to reason with himself that her attack was a minor miscalculation. Surely if he had known of this ability he would have devised a counter-method, but the fact remained was that he hadn't known or predicted her clever move. The old witch was correct in that MagiTek was able to escape from Code: Red Moon, though he still felt a bit of weight on his mind while replaying her words. Razella could not damage him physically; at least she hadn't done so during their encounter still managed to cut away at his pride. The feared Unholy King MagiTek, the one who practically created the Horde seen today, had been caught off guard.

Knowing this displeased him greatly.

While not even glancing at the vast reaches of space that have since over the years seemed almost boring to him, MagiTek shook his head; now was not the time for old grudges, now was the time for destiny. After the tedious breakout, the wizard lowered himself inside the Velvet Glove. Razella was a nuisance, but he could not concentrate on her at this moment. MagiTek had sensed various power fluctuations throughout the ship and it was time he confirmed his suspicions. Inside the lab where he first saw his teacher laid a computer, which was barely functioning. There was little surprise in this discovery after all he had witnessed the battles taken place here, yet this too was a minor problem. Using a fairly basic spell to separate the damaged pieces from the undamaged ones, combining this with MagiTek's own genius of technology helped to repair the device practically made it as good as new.

Grinning after the device finished downloading the specs of the Velvet Glove, along with the current surveillance cameras shots, he rested his hands on the metal lightly. Looking at the records of what had occurred on the ship, MagiTek held no emotion upon the scene. Dragora was finally killed, something that he was relieved at yet concerned about at the same time. He would have to make a mental note to study her battle later. For the longest time the thought of that woman's death would have pleased him greatly, but this wasn't quite how he had pictured it. Dragora was exceptionally strong, requiring the use of the Horde Prime's power to defeat her. Still, it came as no surprise to him that she had been defeated by She-ra.

Long ago MagiTek had discovered that the universe was statistically in favor of good defeating evil; a design by the First Ones for this particular iteration of reality that told of wanting a better world.

Long ago, MagiTek found Razella's teachings both amusing and strict. She would always find interesting ways of describing magic as being a sort of weapon to a warrior. Yes this was an appropriate comparison, but he was tired of fighting a single foe with spells, magic had other purposes as well. Technically Razella had never promoted the art of combat in spells, though one could tell she would not object to it (unless gone too far). MagiTek walked into his teacher's library and shook his head at the array of books, which were once again placed in a different order on the twisted shelves.

An undignified, yet appropriate word he used to describe Razella was that she was, well, weird.

As he looked upon the shelves MagiTek noticed something he hadn't before: a few books that appeared to be unopened for quite a long time. After being in Razella's home for all this time it was odd that these texts hadn't either been introduced to him or found before. The books were very large, which only made him more excited to start reading them, and even a bit heavy. It was then that MagiTek had made the shocking discovery of the universes' state of affairs. The First Ones, upon creating the universe, had many "failures" before which often resulted in erasing all traces of their mistakes.

MagiTek knew of the First Ones being a legend for creating worlds in nearly all the galaxies. To think that there had been other life forms that developed as his had, was unfathomable. What was the point of trying to better ones' society if a higher being merely felt that the rest of the universe did not live up to their expectations? MagiTek gripped the book slight and read on.

After creating a universe, they would merge their ethereal beings into one composite entity of incomprehensible power known as DarkHope. This DarkHope would split into LightHope and DarkDespair, effectively splitting the foci of the combined positive and negative energies of the First Ones across their creation.

After a predetermined period of time, usually when beings from the two host worlds would make contact, one of the two entities would send a mortal called a Herald carrying a sphere of light known as the Mediator, which relayed thoughts about the current universe between the two. Their judgment would decide the fate of the world, whether to wipe it clean of let it flourish in the AllSpace (a place which MagiTek knew of to encompassed more than one universe).

It was at that point that MagiTek began to formulate his plan, as well as being recaptured by the Horde. The Horde Prime, drunk on the authority given by this entity DarkDespair, decided to let him use nearly infinite power as some sort of cosmic joke. Realizing his deteriorating state, the Prime begged MagiTek to build him a containment suit that would both protect him and focus his new power.

Of course, he understood that this day would come when DarkDespair would tire of the Horde Prime's whims in order to begin the convergence. MagiTek kept his eyes on the screen before him and slowly walked out of the room. As he traveled deep into the Velvet Glove, there was a switch placed on the far wall that caught his attention. Thinking quickly, he activated it, releasing a very impatient little Imp.


She-ra hesitated before plucking the cursed sword from the floor and sighed in relief when nothing happened. It didn't feel right to allow this weapon to continue existing, but it would be wrong to ignore Dragora's wishes. Besides, the sword represented what Etheria was trying to accomplish: the end of hatred and war. Dragoth was a world that solved this problem in a very different way; by destroying it would also eliminate the memory of their accomplishment.

At that moment she realized that there was no time to waste, since Luminak was alone with the Horde Prime. Ignoring the pain in her limbs (which were slightly healed by the little power she had) She-ra ran through the door Dragora had pointed to earlier. Worry flowed through her mind upon the thought of Luminak fighting his brother. Despite his new powers, there was no way to tell whether the former tyrant could stand up against that kind of power.

Gasping slightly She-ra stood outside the Prime's holding chamber and gazed upon the damage around. Various wires, that she had never seen the like before rested broken on the floor and walls. Stepping through a hole made during the battle, She-ra finally spotted him. Luminak had his back turned to the startled woman, seeming down and dejected. As she advanced towards him, Luminak turned around with a solemn gaze. She-ra was surprised for a moment; had he not won if was still alive? Her boot suddenly felt as if she stepped in something wet and once she looked down her eyes widened slightly. Quickly She-ra put down the extra sword in order to heal her dear friend.

As she saw his hesitant expression the princess gave him a slight glare, "Don't you dare talk me out of it, your injuries must be healed."

The Prime's brother looked at her as if he wasn't quite sure that she had been speaking. So many thoughts whirled throughout his mind about Hordon and the dark entity. It had taken him a moment to realize that She-ra had been healing him, waiting for some kind of response.

"Stubborn as always, muscle maiden?" he chuckled for a moment and coughed. "Sorry, old habits."

She-ra grinned slightly his silly name he had made up for her over the years, but suddenly her expression became grim.

"Luminak... is your brother, I mean the Horde Prime, is he really-?"

"Yes and no," he looked at her with an indifferent gaze, "and you can stop calling me that; Luminak I mean. I no longer posses the power of LightHope's Herald, therefore I am not him anymore."

This notion came as a surprise to the Princess of Power. How could he no longer be the Herald and still maintain his appearance as Luminak?

She-ra stared him, slightly weary from having to heal another person, "But you are still different, in how you look I mean, but if that's what you want I have no problem with it. Besides by your 'yes and no' answer I can assume that the battle isn't over?"

"Unfortunately not. My brother has been defeated, but apparently there is another being we must worry about," Hordak rested his hand on her healing ones causing her to look up. "I don't think I ever told you his true name, the Horde Prime. His name was once Hordon and he had somehow come across a power that he felt would be able to help him lead the Horde on my home world."

As Hordak spoke he finally was able to feel some emotion for his brother, if only because he could see She-ra's concerned expression when he spoke of killing Hordon. The former general gave her a reassuring smile and pushed back the feeling of weakness within for a moment. It was a rare moment between the two as not even in Adora's childhood had she remember him speaking of his past.

"The Horde today is nothing but a cheap imitation, nothing like the original save for the name. This thing, whatever he merged his body with, is sentient. After defeating my brother the power that made me Luminak had burst through my body and was taken by the being out of the ship."

She-ra's eyes widened upon the news, "Do you know where it's headed?"

Hordak looked at the woman, realizing again how much she meant to him. The injuries on her body were healed a little, but not completely gone. He noticed the short intakes of breath and tired arms that struggled to keep upright while she healed him; there was no doubt that his daughter was very much exhausted.

"Stop this, She-ra. We both know you can't afford to pass out right now. Besides, it is not my injuries which is affecting this weakened state of mine," he winced. "But to answer your question there is only one place on Etheria where so many clouds gather and all electronic devices fail no matter how strong the transmission signal is; no doubt about it, that thing was heading for the Crystal Castle."

"I see," she spoke with a tired tone, "so now LightHope is in danger as well."

Even though Luminak was a short-term form, Hordak felt very empty without it. A wave of great sorrow encompassed him as the power left his body; it was as if he had been born and taken away from his family all at the same time. Hordak didn't know what to make of his feelings or if he even had any powers at this point. Never before had he felt so weak, the thought of going into battle soon was almost frightening; though there was no way he could ever back out now. His gaze finally shifted towards the sword She-ra dropped and immediately remembered her encounter with Dragora.

Following his eyes the woman picked up the blade and stood, "There isn't much time to explain everything, Hordak, but I will shorten it to the best of my ability. Like your brother, Dragora had made a deal with the terrible power inside this blade. Unlike the Horde Prime she had done this for noble reasons in order to save her family, though it too came with a high price."

She-ra paused for a moment and felt sorrow over take her once more. It was an unfair ending for such a good soul. Hordak stared at the woman he called his daughter for many years and stood up only to rest a hand on her shoulder. She-ra shook her head a little and continued on.

"I'm sorry Hordak but I did defeat Dragora, though she did not deserve such an end. It wasn't Dragora's fault to become this way and yet I couldn't think of any other alternative, any other way to avoid killing. I've always believed in redemption. How can someone die for something that wasn't even their fault?"

Hordak remained still and sighed.

"From what you said it seems that you hadn't really killed her rather, you released her."

She-ra smiled slightly but continued to look down, "Thank you for that, though it is still unsettling to think that the only course of action I could take lead to death. Isn't this what I am suppose to avoid? Good people shouldn't be killed, especially if it wasn't their fault. The side of light is supposed to be against destruction; so does this make me evil somehow? How can one not become corrupted by killing even for a 'noble' cause?"

"Heh," Hordak chuckled half heartedly, "its strange that you tell me this, but having a piece of LightHope inside of me has shed, well, light on a few things."

For an instant he felt a stinging sensation in his body at the thought of light. It still hurt greatly to be separated from what he once was, but remained strong for the person closest to him.

"You are better than a villain like me She-ra, don't ever tell yourself otherwise. Like that Unholy King who took the sword and killed her opponents, does not make her evil in your eyes, as you will remain pure in mine. Each time you are forced to kill I know you only do it with the thought that you're you will never have to in the future. Take it as… a step toward working for a time where such actions will never have to be used again."

"I suppose," she looked at him directly. "Yes, I guess you are right, but now we have to get back to the Whispering Woods; my friends could be in trouble."

Hordak nodded with a bit of fear of returning to the woods. It would be a miracle if most of the rebels wouldn't recognize him and those who knew who he was would keep his or her mouths shut. Before She-ra picked up the blade an object whirled by and grazed by her face. Wide eyed, the Princess of Power turned around to see what it was; when she did she let out a small, surprised grin at the scene. Imp smashed directly into Hordak's face, which caused him to stumble slightly on impact.

"Imp!"

"Oh man Chief!" the little guy flew back a bit only to cling to his profile again. "I missed you so much! That greedy traitor MagiTek had me locked up but I got out, now you can go show him whose boss!"

Hordak raised a brow at the creature, too shocked to respond. It was even more surprising that he had actually recognized him despite his change in appearance. The situation caused Hordak to glance around vigorously, but eventually he sighed a little and placed his hand on the little one's back; after all the boy had been the former general's only trust worthy companion for many years. Imp looked up from Hordak for a moment and was surprised to see She-ra standing before him.

Glaring at her the youngling stuck out his tongue.

"Imp, stop that," Hordak removed his hand ready to scold him a bit, "things have changed."

Imp thought he heard his master incorrectly. The creature moved away slightly from the general; it concerned Imp that Hordak was not acting like the fun tyrant he used to be. A thousand possibilities ran through the child's head and most blamed She-ra for the transformation, causing him to glare in her direction.

"How could you!" Imp pointed at her. "What have you done with Hordak! I'll take you on myself if you don't tell me right now!"

Hordak grabbed the little one's tail, "Enough Imp! She did nothing but help me in this situation; I need you to accept that things are different."

The little creature stared at him with concern, "Different? This is your worst enemy Boss, how can that possibly change? You always said how much you hated her nearly everyday! You're so different now Hordak, what are you saying?"

Imp lived out his life in the Horde, knowing nothing else but to cause destruction, which often gained Hordak's praise. Realizing this, there seemed to be no other way but to appease the child until it all could be explained later.

"I know we haven't seen each other in a while Imp," Hordak rubbed his eyes slightly and wondered how he could go about this properly. "The Horde will still exist, but I plan to rebuild it in the way it was meant to be. I know that you've grown used to way things are now; unfortunately right now I need your trust and will explain things later in greater detail."

As soon as Hordak could tell he'd caught Imp's attention, he decided to sweeten the deal, "Yes there are changes Imp, but for the better; I need you to get along with She-ra for now in order for my plan to work. Also I promise that afterwards you will be able to get to see all the action you want despite this unexpected transition."

The little creature stared at Hordak in awe; in a very different way his boss's dream was finally happening. Hordak was going to take control and that notion couldn't make Imp happier. On the other hand it seemed odd to change the way things were since life was already sweet, but Imp knew he could trust Hordak to keep his word. Suddenly the creature grinned and promised him his loyalty in great joy; She-ra giggled at the display. She understood the life that Imp came from and hoped that the little creature would understand the entire situation when explained to later.

After all there weren't many people who Hordak could call a friend.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," a feminine voice interjected.

All three heads snapped in her direction, none knowing whom this woman was. She-ra called out to her asking her such, until her eyes widened in realization. A brief flash appeared before the Princess of Power's eyes, which showed a familiar outline of a dear friend.

"Madame Razz?" she exclaimed.

"Yes and no," the woman smiled. "Madame Razz is an alternate persona I have taken on for the past few hundred years. I was to remain in her guise for a few more until switching to a new one. However, current events have brought out my true form and self."

Hordak furrowed his brow and placed his hand on Imp's head to calm the boy, "True form?"

"Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Razella Redmoon, Organic Copy of Red Eleven, a member of the First Ones."


The forest was in a state of complete chaos as one of the Rebellion's worst fears was realized: the Whispering Woods had been invaded by the Horde. Troopers stunned any rebel in sight, freezing nearly half of the camp upon arrival. Having gained data on the stronger fighters in the woods allowed the soldiers to take them out quicker. Bow rubbed away a bit of sweat and dodged a beam headed for his shoulder. Thinking quickly, the archer let loose three arrows, charmed of course, which locked on and took out three troopers instantly. Unfortunately there was no time to relish these small victories as he had done in the past. Bow's love of fighting grown out of hand at times on Etheria; it was just so easy to impress someone.

If you told a beautiful maiden that you were a part of the rebellion and showed her a bit of your combat skills as well, it was like becoming her prince charming or savior. The war allowed him many chances to show off his heroics, which made him feel better than eating at a giant victory feast. It was true that Bow always enjoyed fighting, but now it was different; this was survival not fun. Yet even now the archer hoped to hear a child's gasp of delight upon seeing his bravery, if only to lighten the gravity of the situation.

Although the sight of Lily kept Bow completely focused on the battle.

The grotesque woman's tentacles pierced many of the frozen rebels, turning their will against their comrades. She had even summoned various her warriors who had fallen for her in the past to help slaughter the rest, most notably the women. Bow's sweat grew cold at the sight; he wished that either Glimmer or Casta would wake up soon to help. Soon enough the archer noticed two of Lily's slaves trying to enter the medical tent. As he rushed to the scene, Bow blocked one fighter's sword while kicking the other away from the area. He called a few other rebels to help defend the tent, reading their weapons for the approaching soldiers.

"You knooooow you can't win rebels. Man, I don't even know why you all bother, isn't it easier just to love me? Is that so hard?" she batted her eyes a little.

The archer managed to shoot a few troopers, though didn't want to admit that his pack felt lighter, "You may have gotten through our defenses, but I'd rather die by the hand of a weak Horde Trooper that be close to you in any way!"

"Uck!" she fanned her hand at the rebel whose voice traveled far across the sea of troops, "You like, don't even know. Life is much happier with me since I am the perfect lover. I will take care of you, feed you and satisfy your every desire whenever you wish; isn't that what every man dreams of? You're just in denial!"

Bow grimaced at the thought of her being the 'perfect woman', but then his eyes widened upon seeing her latest victim.

"You were always my favorite," Lily grinned while caressing SeaHawk who was conscious and tied up by one of her tentacles. "I'll make sure to give you special treatment."

At that moment she was about to attach another tentacle from behind to the pirate's neck until a high-pitched alarm resonated throughout the room.

"This is the Unholy King MagiTek speaking," he paused. "Due to the destruction of both Dragora and the Horde Prime Hordon, by right of succession, I am now the new Horde Prime. My first command is that the Velvet Glove must divert all of its energy from Horde Crystals to my own reserves. Destiny is at hand. Lily, I am going to require your help immediately at this point; report to me at once, I know you can feel my presence."

Lily grunted for a moment and dropped her prize to the ground. Before Hawk could move a trooper quickly shot him with a stun beam while witnessing the Unholy King leave the vicinity with a frown on her face. Relief had gone through Bow when he realized that Lily was no longer around. A rush of confidence filled the archer as he ordered the remaining rebels to take out the robots while firing a few shots himself.


Hordak, She-ra and Imp stared at Razella after she revealed what the First Ones had done in the past. Razella revealed to them all about LightHope and DarkDespair including the concept of how they had recreating the universe after so many 'failures'; it was all a little unbelievable.

"Unthinkable," said a wide-eyed She-ra. "The First Ones, my god, LightHope…they could never something this evil…they created this world…they created everything."

Hordak recovered slightly from the shock and folded his arms, "In a way, it makes sense. LightHope was to aid the side of good, and DarkDespair evil."

Imp stared at him as he continued on, not really understanding the details being spoken. On the other hand, Imp knew when something seem dire to the former general and listened on, "The Horde, using DarkDespair, had conquered several galaxies, while LightHope's people on Etheria had not spread their ideal of peace nearly as far. In their minds, the universe had lent itself to evil, despite the best efforts of LightHope to aid the forces of good."

Defiantly shaking off a feeling of great unnerving She-ra spoke," So how do we stop Tabula Rasa?"

"Impossible." Replied the witch. "The only way to do this would be to destroy the combined entity of LightHope and DarkDespair; a feat that cannot be performed by mortals, and would be maddeningly difficult for immortals."

"But…you did not say it was impossible for immortals. We must make preparations immediately," spoke Hordak, who had no idea as to what he was implying the group to do.

As Razella heard the other two agree she gripped Barom who began to glow and floated above the three, blocking their path out of the room.

"I am afraid…I cannot let you do that."