"Episode" 16: Battle for the Universe Part 3: Core
It was a big battle in Eternia, the Rebellion and the First Horde were fighting against each other in what looked like a huge warzone. She-Ra was slashing a few robots before she looked and saw everyone was fighting before she was hit by a Juggernaut. She went to hit the Juggernaut back before she looked at Deiyoz. "Deiyoz! We need to get to Xyphak's castle! What's the fastest way?!"
"The fastest way is through the army... but it will take a while!" Deiyoz said as he went to hit a few with his staff. She-Ra kept hitting a few with her sword before she saw the Guardians were wiping most out. "They have more in the factories! We need to destroy them!"
"I thought the factory was destroyed... why are there more coming?!" Glimmer shouted before she kept hitting a few with her staff. She then gasped and realized that there were robots being made underground. "Unless... they're from underneath the factory! We gotta destroy them before more come!"
"Leave that to me... we'll handle the factory. You just worry about saving the universe" Bloodshot said before he twirled his blasters around and ran to the factory. A few First Ones and warriors from other planets followed Bloodshot to the factory, while the rest kept fighting. She-Ra then decided to cut through by slashing robots that were in her way to the castle, before she was hit by a few more Juggernauts.
"Adora!" Catra shouted before she slashed one of them with her claws and then kicked it back. "We have to focus on these stupid robots first. They seem to be getting in the way..." She then held her hand and nodded, making She-Ra nod as well before the two kept attacking the robots together. The two were attacking them together while the rest attacked on their own. Bow fired a few arrows at the robots before he looked at Glimmer.
"Glimmer! Catch!" He threw one of his arrows to her, before he fired a few more with his bow. Glimmer caught the arrow and then smirked before she had an idea.
"Bow you're a genius!" She shouted before she summoned a magic circle and placed the arrow in the middle of it. "It will take a while for this to charge! Don't let them hit me!" Glimmer shouted to everyone before she started to charge the arrow with magic. Some of the warriors and First Ones followed her orders and protected her, while the rest kept moving forward and attacking.
Some of the warriors were attacking the First Ones robots with their weapons. One of them punched the robot with his fists before sending one of them flying with his foot, making him fall down while Scorpia and Perfuma saw him and helped him up. "You alright?" Scorpia said to him before she shocked a few with her magic. Perfuma smiled and gave him a flower
"Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks" The warrior said before he went to keep fighting. Having the flower on his head before he resumed to kept on attacking. Everyone was still attacking, meanwhile Bloodshot and a few warriors and First Ones were down in the factory, seeing a door that would lead to underneath the factory.
"Anyone got any bombs that we can throw down there that'll blow up a factory?" Bloodshot asked them with a confused look on his face. One of the warriors smirked and brought out a device and gave it to him. "Alright... it'll do" He opened the door and then threw it down into the factory underneath, and then ran away. The warriors followed while one of them closed the door and then ran away as fast as they could.
Meanwhile in the battlefield, Kuljat and Nnjarak were fighting a few of the Juggernauts before one of them tackled Kuljat, leaving Nnjarak to fight them. Before he would continue, he saw Frosta freeze a few before giving Nnjarak a thumbs up. "Hey! Ice catapult! Let's go!" Frosta shouted before she jumped onto Nnjarak's hand. He nodded and then saw her covering her hands with ice before she got ready. "Fire!" Nnjarak nodded and then threw her straight towards the robots and Juggernauts, knocking them down and destroying them. "Yeah! Stormia heads up!" She made an ice spear and threw it to Stormia.
"Thanks, Frosta!" Stormia shouted before she twirled her spear and Frosta's spear around and shocked both of them before she went to attack some robots with them. Mermista and Sea Hawk were fighting with their weapons. Mermista twirled her spear and slashed a few robots with it, while Sea Hawk used his rapier and stabbed a few before laughing.
"What an epic finale adventure! Let's go dear Mermista!" Sea Hawk shouted before he went to keep attacking. Mermista groaned and then went to keep attacking.
"Sea Hawk now isn't a good time..." Mermista said before she waved her hair with her hand and then kept attacking with Sea Hawk.
Meanwhile, Sheyon and Arden were still attacking, the bots, before they saw Bloodshot running to them. "Did you put the bombs in the factory?!" Sheyon asked before he kept attacking the bots. Arden attacked a few with his fists before grabbing Sheyon's sword and attacking them with it. Bloodshot simply nodded before he brought out a button to trigger the bombs.
"This button will trigger them. We just gotta wait till there's a lot coming from the factory..." Bloodshot said before he looked at them. "Anyone wanna do the honors?" He asked before he shot a few robots with his blaster. They both looked at each other before Arden grabbed the trigger and was about to press it, before he was hit in the back by one of the robots.
"Arden!" Sheyon shouted before he grabbed the robot and destroyed it before he went to help up Arden. He groaned a bit before he looked at Sheyon and then smiled before hugging him. Sheyon hugged back before he went to keep fighting, Arden picked up the trigger and then went to a safe place to press the trigger. As he arrived, he then looked at the fighting happening before he went to press the trigger, making an explosion occur that took the remains of the factory down, causing a huge sinkhole to appear before he kept fighting.
Azdar saw the sinkhole before he growled and then went to fight Arden, clashing his weapon with Arden's. "You've ruined everything that we have been working on! Traitor!" He shouted before he clashed with him. Arden clashed with Azdar more, before he ducked one of his slashes and then countered by slashing his chest, giving him a visible scar before he roared at him.
"Heh... looks like I touched a nerve..." Arden said before he went to attack. Azdar roared and then went to clash with him. The two kept clashing with each other, before it was interrupted by a few robots attacking Arden. Azdar laughed before he was slashed at the back by Marlena and Adriana
"No one touches my little brother!" Adriana shouted before she kicked Azdar in the back, making him move forward, and then trip thanks to Marlena leg sweeping him. Mally, Ariane, and Amber all then hit him before Amber laughed and then brought out her hammer.
"WHOA! Amber! Put the hammer down! We don't want to kill him!" Mally shouted before she tried to tie up Azdar before he broke free. She took a few steps back before looking at Amber, who was twirling her hammer with an innocent look on her face. "Alright fine... knock him out- wait where did he..."
Suddenly Azdar knocked Mally back before doing the same to Ariane and Amber. He went to attack Arden now, roaring and slashing constantly like he was a berserker. He kept attacking more and more before he clashed with Sheyon, who gave him a scar on his arm with his sword. Azdar then grew more enraged and before he would try to attack, he was knocked out by Amber with her hammer, making him fall down before being tied up by Netossa's nets. Spinerella looked at the two and then giggled while Netossa looked at Amber.
"Boom, nets!" Netossa said before she looked at Amber and gave her a high five. "You got some good skills, Amber... guess Adora got her clumsiness from you" She said to her before she went to keep fighting. Amber blushed and giggled before she attacked a few with her hammer.
Meanwhile, She-Ra and Catra were pushing forward, slashing the robots that were in their way before they were in the clear and near the castle gates. The two looked at each other before they saw Bow and Teela before waiting for Glimmer. Glimmer was all charged up and pointed the charged arrow at the gates. "Everyone move out of the way!" Glimmer shouted, signaling every First One and Warrior that were part of the rebellion to move while the robots kept fighting. With one release, the arrow fired and hit every robot that was in its way, before it hit the gates, breaking the gates before all the robots looked at her. Glimmer teleported and appeared with the other four before seeing everyone else was fighting. Arden looked at the five before he ran to them.
"You... have to stop Xyphak. We'll hold them off as long as we can..." Arden said to them before looking at She-Ra. "Adora... go save the universe one last time. We all believe in you..." He smiled before he went to keep fighting with the other Rebellion Soldiers and Warriors. She-Ra smiled and then looked at the others that were with her, before she looked at the gates. She then walked in along with the others, walking to the same place that Xyphak was in before he left. Everyone looked at each other before looking at the place.
"It looks... empty" Teela said before she saw a guard. The guard just looked at them, not even standing in their way before he put his weapon and shield down. Everyone was confused at first before She-Ra walked forward.
"Why aren't you... attacking us?" She asked with a confused look on her face. The guard looked at her before he looked down the hall and then looked back.
"Xyphak's gone mad... he's going to activate the Core himself... if he does that... he'll destroy the core, and Eternia... it will be destroyed" The guard said before he looked at them. "I know destroying Eternia is the only way but... doing it like this... this is wrong..." The guard said before he looked at them. "You have to stop him... please hurry!" He said before he ran away from the place. The others looked at each other while She-Ra looked at the halls. She then walked forward with no hesitation, the others following and getting their weapons ready.
"This is it... we have come this far, and now it's time we end this... let's go" She-Ra said before she walked in. The others followed and walked deep in the halls. Glimmer looked at all the First Ones writing before she looked at Bow, who was looking as well. Teela and Catra looked at the First Ones writing on the other side, before they all stopped in front of a door. She-Ra looked at the door and looked at the First Ones writing on the door.
"What does it say?" Catra said to her before she looked at it. Teela looked at it and then looked at her, waiting for her to say it. Everyone else got ready, getting in a battle stance and gripping their weapons. Adora looked at the writing before she spoke it.
"Grayskull" She said, seeing the writing glow before the door then opened. As soon as it opened, she gasped and saw a very huge sphere of energy crackling and sizzling and glowing in a blue and rainbow color. She then saw Xyphak right in front of it, getting ready to activate it before she walked forward. "Xyphak! Your army is about to be defeated by The Rebellion... surrender and you and your army will be saved... if you activate the core... you will destroy Eternia!"
"Eternia... is already in the verge of destruction... I am saving it by activating this core... you will try to stop me... but try to do it... it will get you nowhere..." Xyphak said before he went to go activate the Core of Eternia. She-Ra walked forward and then raised her sword in front of him.
"Doing this, will only make it worse... please stop this!" She said to him, making him look at them before he clenched his fist and then looked at all of them. "Please... let me help you"
"Oh... you will help... by staying out of my way" He said in a calm tone before he jumped up and then slashed the floor, causing the four except She-Ra to fall down. Xyphak then ran to She-Ra, clashing his fist with her sword, causing the two to fight. Glimmer and Bow supported She-Ra by firing their magic and bows at him. Xyphak didn't feel them before he threw them back at them. Bow and Glimmer dodged before they kept firing, while Teela and Catra got their weapons and went to attack. Catra tried to slash Xyphak, but it didn't do any damage, while Teela slashed his back, not doing any damage as well. Xyphak growled and grabbed Teela. He then threw her all the way to a wall, causing her to scream as she then fell down and tried to get up. Catra saw Teela before she screamed and tried to attack him more. She-Ra did the same thing, slashing her sword at him, causing him to scream as a cut was shown on his shoulder.
"The sword... it's strong against him, and it damaged him... none of our weapons have any effect on him!" Teela shouted before she got up, groaning a bit. "We need... to let Adora handle this..."
"But she needs out help!" Glimmer said before she kept trying. The magic wasn't affecting Xyphak before he grabbed a giant boulder and threw it to her. Glimmer dodged and then looked at the others who stopped.
"Please... Adora's the only one that can defeat him!" Teela said before she saw Xyphak and Adora resuming to fight each other. Everyone watched before they decided to stop, instead they supported her by helping her out. Glimmer summoned a few magical circles for She-Ra to jump on, before she went to slash Xyphak in the chest. He screamed and then grabbed her, throwing her to the wall. She-Ra stabbed the sword to the wall before she let go and then summoned a rainbow projectile sword. She then went to go attack him with both of her swords, clashing them with his fists. The two kept clashing each other's weapons before they both looked at each other.
"You need to stop this, Xyphak... you're going to put Eternia in danger! You need to let it rest in peace!" She-Ra said before she clashed more with him. She then took a few deep breaths and went to fire a rainbow blast from her rainbow projectile sword that hit him in the face, scaring him before he looked at her.
"I do, what I do for the good of Eternia... this is the only way for peace to occur, by activating The Core of Eternia... and there is nothing you can do to stop me... you are in my way... and now... it is time I destroyed the sword... as you did with our sword..." He said before he walked to her. She-Ra ran to him and clashed her swords with him.
"Activating the Core, will destroy everything in the Universe. Everyone in every planet will be destroyed! You don't want to do this! Don't finish what Horde Prime started!" She-Ra shouted before she kept clashing with him. The two kept clashing before they felt a rumble, seeing a few First Ones writing fall down and shatter. "See? This is what happens when you activate the Core... Eternia will be destroyed faster if you do it!" She said before she got in a battle stance. "I won't let you destroy billions... I stopped Horde Prime, and I will stop you..." She said before she yelled and attacked him. Xyphak roared and went to do the same thing, both punching each other's fists before they kept clashing with each other again. The Best Friend Squad watched as they were fighting, before they helped support again. This time Bow and Teela distracted Xyphak, while Catra held She-Ra's hand.
"We do this together" Catra said before she smiled. She-Ra nodded before she let her hold her hand. The two ran to Xyphak who was distracted, and then jumped up, both punching him in the face that sent him flying to a wall. Xyphak fell down and then slowly got up, looking at the two before he growled.
"Give up... even though I'm the only one that can defeat you... together, we can all defeat you. You don't have to do this... please surrender" She-Ra said to him before she raised her sword forward and then looked at him. Xyphak got up and then looked at her before he growled and then walked away to the core. "Xyphak... do not make me do, what I did to your brother..."
"Horde Prime inspired me to do this... and so I will finish what he started..." Xyphak said to them before he looked at her. "But one thing does question me... about you... you used the Crystal of Arxia to destroy the heart... right?" He said to her before he turned around. She-Ra looked at him with a glare before she nodded.
"It was the only way to destroy the Heart of Etheria... why are you asking this question, Xyphak?" She-Ra said before she put her sword away. Xyphak looked at them before he looked up, seeing the battle was still going on outside.
Meanwhile outside, everyone was still fighting, most of the robots were gone and the ones remaining were the First Ones, Clones, and some of the men. Kuljat was leading the warriors and getting ready to attack, before they all felt a rumble occur as they saw a crack appear on the ground. "Eternia... it's falling apart..." One of the First Ones said before they looked at the Rebellion. "We must finish what Horde Prime has started... you First Ones that joined the Rebellion... are traitors. And for that, you will be sacrificed, as others will be, so there will be peace" They said before they got in a battle stance. Arden looked at them before looking at a First One that saw the villagers and then looked at Arden.
"We need to evacuate everyone... this fighting is making things worse... and this fighting will destroy Eternia if we keep fighting... we need to leave" Arden said before he looked at the First Ones that weren't on their side.
"Eternia has been our home... we can't leave..." The First One said before he looked at the villagers. The villagers were all worried before one of them looked at the Princesses and then walked to them. Everyone saw her walking to them before she stopped and then gave one of them a hug. The one she hugged was Scorpia. Scorpia teared up and then hugged the one that hugged her.
"Ooh... I'm great with hugs!" Scorpia shouted before she and Perfuma hugged her. The First One looked at the moment happening before he looked at everyone. He then looked at the ships before he looked at Arden. Arden looked at the First One and then nodded before he said.
"It's your choice..." He said before he and the others looked at them. The First One then looked at everyone and then nodded.
"Alright! Let's move... get everyone in the ships! We're evacuating..." The First One said before he ran to the ships. Everyone then went to evacuate every single villager in Eternia to the ships. Everyone else did the same thing, before they all noticed that the Best Friend Squad wasn't out yet.
"They haven't come out yet..." Arden said before he and the others waited while everyone was evacuating. They hopped that they would be alright before they went to resume helping every villager.
"Why are you asking this question, Xyphak?" She-Ra said before she put her sword away. Everyone looked at Xyphak, confused on why he asked that, before Xyphak looked at the five. He soon chuckled and then looked at the Amity Chip on his chest.
"You want to know why I asked...? The Core of Eternia has a failsafe as well... Deiyoz had it... but... he didn't know one thing about the failsafe... I found it... before he hid the codes" The Best Friend Squad all were in shock by what he said, before Xyphak pointed at She-Ra. "The Crystal of Arxia... after you used, She-Ra's powers more than the Crystal... the Crystal of Arxia vanished, and it was no longer in her body... you destroyed it, and the Heart of Etheria with it" He said before he looked at the others.
"How do you know about all this?" Glimmer said before she got her staff ready. Xyphak looked at her before he looked back at the others.
"I know, because one of the clones in Etheria contacted me... they told me about Horde Prime's death... and how you killed him... but now... I finish what Horde Prime has started... by bringing peace, and order, to the galaxy... would you like to know how we met? It all started many years ago... when Horde Prime visited me..."
Flashbacking to years ago, Xydren saw Horde Prime arrive before he looked down and saw the Horde Army was fighting against the First Ones. He then saw the door open, revealing Horde Clones attacking his personal guards. Xydren gasped and then looked at the constant violence the clones did, before he saw Horde Prime himself walk to him, getting ready to attack him. Xydren then fell on his knees and bowed to him, hoping he would be spared.
"Great Horde Prime... please spare me... I have done nothing to deserve this death" He said to him before he lowered his head. One of the clones looked at him and then got ready to attack, before the back of his neck was injected by one of Horde Prime's coils, making him fall down with his eyes turning white. Horde Prime walked forward and then grabbed Xydren's chin, before looking at him.
"Interesting... you would pledge yourself to me?" Horde Prime said before he kneeled down and then placed his hands on his shoulders. "You are rather interesting... for a First One... what do you have that will please me?"
"I... have plans. I know about a weapon, a weapon that will bring peace to the galaxy" Xydren said before he looked up. Horde Prime chuckled and then got up before he placed his hand on the top of Xydren's head.
"A Weapon you say...? Interesting... very well... you may now rise... my Twin Brother" The clones beside him gasped as he never gave the title "Twin Brother" to anyone that wasn't a Horde Soldier before. Before they bowed. "You will be my Second in Command, watching in the shadows and reporting to me... when the time is right, many years from now... the First Ones will know about this alliance... and... we will be together, First Ones and Horde Soldiers... to form a new alliance..." Horde Prime said before he walked away. Xydren looked down and felt honored before he got up and smiled, walking away with the Horde Clones following both Xydren and Horde Prime.
Back to now, everyone was shocked to hear Xyphak's story, before She-Ra walked forward and then raised her sword in front of him. "So, you were the one... that started this... all of it! You wanted me to become a mindless super warrior for your army... you wanted my family to be gone, and now... you want to destroy the universe... I won't let you do this! Now please stop this!" She-Ra said to him, keeping her sword raised before Xydren poked the sword.
"You... have no authority to tell me what to do... Since I no longer have options now... because of you... it is time I took a risk..." Xyphak said to them before he looked at the core, and then the Amity Chip on his chest.
Everyone in the surface of Eternia meanwhile was still getting everyone to the ships. As soon as everyone was near, they then looked to see if they would come out now, before Kuljat looked down and saw The Best Friend Squad were talking to Xyphak. "They are trying to make him surrender..." Kuljat said as everyone else looked down and saw what was happening. Deiyoz looked down and gasped, realising that Xyphak was close to activating the Core of Eternia. Back in the Core of Eternia, Catra walked forward and stood beside Adora.
"What do you plan on doing, Xyphak... you don't have any options left... and never will. Surrender and please come with us... don't risk this... please" Catra said before she looked at, She-Ra, smiling at her. She-Ra smiled back and then looked at Xyphak.
"Surrender, and we will take you somewhere, where you will never harm anyone again... you will be safe, and free like the others." She-Ra said. Glimmer and Bow smiled and gave Adora a hug along with Catra and Teela. Xyphak looked at what was happening before he clenched his fists, making the armor on his hands to break and fall down. He then looked at the others, his eyes glowing with rage before he looked at the Amity Chip on his chest.
"Enough... you all will never stop me... and you are wrong... I do have one last option... an option that I have always wanted to do for a very long time..." Xyphak said before he stood in front of them, looking at them before he chuckled evilly. He then grabbed the Amity Chip from his chest, before pulling it out, making him groan a bit in pain, still standing before red electricity sparked all over him. "You said... that you destroyed the Heart of Etheria with a failsafe... a failsafe was the reason why the Heart was destroyed... but now... it is my turn... the failsafe will never destroy it... you will never destroy it... not if I absorb the core FOR MYSELF!"
Xyphak shouted, punching the Core of Eternia with his armorless hand, causing the Core to turn black, before changing to red. Red lightning crackled and clashed all over the room where the Core was, before the ground started to shake. The entire sky in the surface of Eternia changed from blue to Red, with the clouds becoming pure black. The Best Friend Squad looked at what was happening before they all looked at each other. She-Ra looked at him before she looked at the others. "RUN!" She-Ra shouted before she ran out of the room and into the halls. Everyone did the same thing and followed her, all running away from the crumbling halls, seeing that the halls were collapsing, blocking the path to the Core. As everyone ran out, they got out of the halls and ran in Xyphak's castle. Soon they all got out and then saw the entire castle collapsed, destroying everything including the room where the Core was. Back in the Core, Xyphak kept absorbing the Core of Eternia inside of him, slowly changing into what he was before the Amity Chip was first inserted into him. His eyes started to glow red as he then screamed as the Core was being absorbed by him.
Meanwhile back outside, everyone saw The Best Friend Squad come back before they all ran to them. Deiyoz stood in front of them and then looked to see the core was no longer visible because of the boulders and rocks covering where to see it. "What happened...?" Deiyoz said before he looked at them. She-Ra was speechless, the pupils in her eyes were very small, feeling very shocked and speechless of what happened. She then looked up, and before she would speak, she heard a roar, and saw the castle was rumbling. As soon as everyone looked, they then saw a claw come out, crushing the boulder with his bare hands. He then roared and jumped out, before landing right in front of them.
He was now over 16 feet, and more muscular than before. He had a shell on his back with spikes all over it, his arms and legs were very big, with shells on the sides of his wrists and shells on the feet, with spikes covering them, and spikes all over it. His legs were now big too. He had a tail that had a very sharp blade at the end, as well as spikes on it. His head was now shorter but wider, with his lower jaw overlapping his upper jaw, and now having four horns on his head. Two were pointing back while the other two were curved forward. His eyes were glowing red with evil, as red lightning electrocuted all over him. He had successfully absorbed the Core of Eternia, and now was in his true form, looking eviler than what he looked in the past in Horde Prime's Ship. "Hello... Adora..." He said in a dark, and booming voice. He then chuckled and sharpened his claws. "And now... farewell..." He said as he then got in a battle stance, roaring as he was now ready to attack the entire Rebellion. The true final battle had now begun, The Rebellion against Xyphak, to decide the fate of the universe, once and for all
To be Continued
Author's Note: Man was this a fun "Episode" to make. To recap what has happened, the Rebellion and The First Horde were fighting each other, The Best Friend Squad was fighting against Xyphak, we got his backstory on how Xydren met Horde Prime. Now we have reached the climax of the battle. The final "Episode" before the Epilogue, with The Rebellion now facing off against Xyphak in his monstrous new look. And... two surprises at the end. So, tune in, as we have 2 more "Episodes" until Remnants of the First Ones is completely finished!