A/N: She-ra and the Princess of power were made by J. Michael Straczynski and Larry DiTillio, I only take credit for my own added character's and storylines. Similarly, any references will be attributed to their original creators when they pop up.
Recommended story: be unbroken or be brave again by RestlessWanderings
There some few others like this one, but I think this is my top pic. Catra is exiled to Beast island, so, in proper Catra fashion, she survives, thrives and grows. Also, Scorpia takes it personally and stars her own resistance. Adora helps, obviously.
BTW, I post on both A03 and FanFiction, if you prefer reading it there~.
I hope you enjoy!
Book X: Of Time & Concept
Chapter 2 ~ The Weight of the Light II
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Content Warning! There will be implied depression, BPD, suicidal thoughts and other similar themes. If any of the above is something you are not comfortable with, then you might want to skip this fic.
If not, welcome to the gem! Enjoy!
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"We need to move all those troops behind."
"Dear First-, the entire southern front line will collapse if we do so. We are not retreating." Micah hisses, eyes narrowed as his knuckles tighten on the table.
"And I keep telling you we won't be able to hold it." Light Spinner seethes back. "Better to retreat and cement our forces further behind than lose the entire theatre."
"And I keep telling you that it's almost one hundred and fifty miles. Do you want to surrender that to the Horde? And it won't only be the southern front we'll lose. They use it to push us outwards. More importantly, if they push us out we lose the advantage of high ground." Micah explains, breathing deeply as he returns to his chair. "Last I checked, we agreed to not have explosions thrown from mountains."
"Micah." Light Spinner grunts. "We do not have the numbers to defend that much land. Besides, Angella agrees with me, she's already making the necessary arrangements."
"Angella needs to remember sees in a Princess Alliances, which means talking to the princess."
"She's talked to all the relevant princesses."
"Yeah? And how did they take being told to leave their territory behind?"
"..." Her eyes narrowed, sending him an irritated glare which he happily returned.
"Okay. Look, how about this? We could use the safe houses Mysticor's been building? Maybe we'll finally find a use for the barriers they've been providing. Hit and run tactics have proven to be effective against them."
"...It could work." Light Spinner offers after a beat of silence. "But they could be left stranded if we leave them too long."
"It still irritates me that they're still refusing to send any personnel. A single battalion of mages can make all the needed difference for a battlefield."
"Count the blessings as they come. At least they're admitting the Horde is a threat."
"...I suppose so." Micah lets out a sharp breath. "But we barely have enough mages for a single battalion. If Mysticor got rid of its stupid ban we would easily have the numbers to make a needed difference."
"It is what it is." Light Spinner sighed sympathetically. "You'll be okay while we scout the north?"
"Of course!" He grins, ignoring how terrible he probably looks. "I've been taught by the best mage of our generation, after all! Kicking these-"
"Light Spinner!" A familiar voice cheers. Micah has a moment to give her a sympathetic glance before she's engulfed in Ange's arms. "Ah!" She grins happily, "My light points are already recharging."
"..Please release me, Ange. I'm working."
"Oh, come on! I haven't seen you in weeks!" She pouts in her usual disgustingly adorable manner.
"I'll leave you to your fun."
"What. Dam it, Micah, we were not finished."
"Nope. Micah made a brilliant choice. I say we leave and-"
Micah closes the door, happy to ignore whatever weird flirting ritual the two would get up to. Besides, it wasn't like he'd expected any form of success in his attempt to convince Light Spinner to not pull back the front line. Even though the seer idea of giving the much smaller army more territory to build up their resources left a particularly bad taste in his mouth.
The Alliance's greatest and main advantage was its far greater territory that occupied most of the centre and the entirety of the east of Etheria. If they were pushed back...
Well, even then, it'd barely be a quarter of Etherias total land under the Hordes control. But it would also mean the mountains would be entirely under their control. Which meant the Hordes capital, which was currently ridiculously near to the border, would be much better defended. And, with that, any chance of ending the war in the foreseeable future would be destroyed.
The war was already running the rebellion raged. Two decades meant his entire generation had been condemned to a lifetime of hell. The thought of leaving their children the same hell to claw their way through brought a deep mixture of shame and furry through him.
Which was the entire reason he'd decided to leave Light Spinner and Ange to their own devices. He'd rather neither snap from stress. Two high profiled figures snapping would be rather bad for the Alliance's morale.
Not that'd he'd initially realised how important they'd become during this war. Something like that was reserved for princesses or very high nobles, not former farmers who...
Well, it was still weird thinking of Light Spinner as Angella's advisor who more often than not led small highly skilled squads in carefully planned attacks rather than the nerdy, easily irritated Elena that would forget to eat because she'd almost figured out how a particularly complex spell worked.
And then there was Ange.
And then there was Ange.
Honestly, Micah had no idea what to make of that.
It'd been a little weird watching Light Spinner just... Well, let the younger woman follow her around. Adorable, yes, but weird as hell. His old mentor had never been much for empathy and comfort, so the image had just been... weird. Very, very weird.
And that had been before Ange had proved to be... incredibly skilled at war. He wasn't quite sure how to define her influence. For that matter, he wasn't entirely sure what to call whatever Ange did.
And then there was her magic.
Which was near nought. But not nought entire. Her aptitude for most magics was abysmal, yes, but then so was most princesses.
What she was good at was enhancing magic. Not even enchanting, but plain enhancing magic to make one harder and faster and just...
Well, it hadn't taken her long to simply cement herself as something aching to the Alliance's symbol.
Not that he didn't get it. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, which bared a similar image to an old mythical figure. Add that she had the same compatible magic and the many rumours Micah suspected Angella was at least partially responsible for spreading and he wasn't exactly surprised people had taken to calling her the lost princess.
Their flirting was still weird, though. Kind of adorable, but very weird.
Whatever. He might as well find Angella and make sure she was playing nice with the other princesses. With any luck she was and he would have some semblance of a relaxed day.
...Ha. He wished.
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"Why is it so cold?" Ange whines, body shivering as she tightens her grip on her cloak.
"Snow tends to be cold, I'm told." Light Spinner drawls, only somewhat concerned for her friend's state.
"I know. But I was hoping it wouldn't... Well, I suppose I wasn't expecting it to be this cold. Honestly, Luz, it snows in Brightmoon and it's still warm."
Light Spinner would beg to differ. But she'd also seen Ange walk around Brightmoon in T-shirts and shorts so she doubted the woman would have listened anyway.
"We'll only spend a day or two. It's a basic scouting mission." She repeats with a sigh, gaze catching a glimpse of yet another approaching cave. "I brought you a spare coat anyway, maybe this time you'll listen when I say it's cold."
"Thank you, Luz!" Ange offers a smile, eyes sparkling fondly as Light Spinner rolls her eyes, continuing through the path at a slightly quicker pace. "I know we scarce on mages and stuff," She continues, letting out a resigned sigh as she follows suit, "but isn't it kind of controversial to send the two of us on a scouting mission?"
"And you're saying this now as opposed to during the briefing because...?" She raises an eyebrow, letting out a resigned noise as her partners face blushes. "It's the location of the island which makes it worthwhile." She offered instead, deciding not to start another lecture on following orders without complaint.
"Er-, it's in the south?" She offered tentatively.
"Yes, and until recently, it was also the hub for all southern trade routes, which made us near two-thirds of sea-based trade." At Ange's blank stare, Light Spinner decides to stop at the entrance of the cave. "It's because of the rising water level. Well, not only that. Etheria's average temperature has been decreasing over the years and the total amount of yearly daylight we get has also been decreasing. It's not why the cold war started, but it is the reason the princess civil war started eight centuries ago. The Pearnula Empire was kind of held accountable once people started realising the sea level was being raised and started destroying the place. Literally. They went from having a quarter of Etheria under their rule to just a few cities and made Salines their capital. Which is why the Salines kingdom barely has any political clout in the Alliance." She explained, lips twitching as Ange's fascinated expression.
"But if it's been happening for years, why are we being sent now?"
"Ah. See, that's the issue. The water level was rising maybe five feet every century. It was enough that it's noticeable but nowhere near enough for people to panic about it. But now," She sharply adds, leaving her no chance to interrupt, "it's been raising a few inches every year. More importantly, it's been getting significantly colder the further away you go from the capital."
"Er-? Which one?"
"Any. We wouldn't be as concerned if it were only ours. Thing is, the Horde is just as clueless as to what's happening as we are. Or, well, at least that's what they're claiming; but I can't see any valid reason they'd sabotage their advancements. It's getting to the point we've started discussing the option of declaring a ceasefire because this didn't accelerate until the war started."
Ange blinked. "What. As if they've already been discussing it with the Horde? Or just offered the idea in a meeting?"
"As in," Light Spinner offers softly, "they asked us to scout this place to see if it's still appropriate to use as neutral ground. It's supposed to be symbolic since this is where they signed the treaty that ended the last civil war. They're probably hoping that a place that used to be a tropical island is now an Iceland will be enough of a message for it to get through.
"You're such a nerd."
"Being educated does not mean I'm a nerd." She sniffs mildly offended. "Besides, last I checked, being knowledgeable was directly proportional to magical ability, so why wouldn't I want to study this." She ignores the silly woman's smirk as she puts down her bag. "We'll be resting here for the night. I have no idea how bad the night gets and I'd rather not find out."
Ending the conversation, she starts to unpack, only somewhat focused as she directs her attention on setting up barriers. Granted, there was nothing particularly dangerous on the island, but she'd rather not risk it. Especially while she was asleep.
Honestly, she was rather torn between the idea of a ceasefire. On one hand, she'd prefer the war to just end, and it wasn't like she was unused to experiencing the end of a conflict without it being resolved. She thought there must have been three conflicts in the eight years she'd lived before the civil war started. On the other, she realised the Horde wouldn't just return the territory they'd taken, which would cause a whole new level of problem for the alliance since there was a significant number of princesses that had lost their kingdoms.
As in, it might start another civil war inside of the Alliance since, so far, the best idea was to give them titles of nobility. Which rather obviously would not go well. At all.
Then there was the issue that the Alliance would call the ceasefire when it was the Horde that had started the war. Granted, the main offence they'd done when the war started had been…
Actually, that was complicated in itself. See, there wasn't any signed treaty on the matter, but it was generally agreed that conflict should be resolved with magic. So when any war broke out between two or three princesses, it barely lasted a week and tended to be between a hundred to some few hundred mages fighting.
The Horde had neatly sidestepped the lack of numbers by using non-mages, which made up most of Etherias population, and machines, which made up roughly a third of the Hordes army. Which had left the Alliance scrambling since not only had they been much less organised back then -for that matter, they hadn't been militarily inclined at all. More politically beneficial alliances that had been smart enough to realise that the Ordu had been entirely serious once it started invading neighbouring kingdoms.
All in all, it'd left previous silent agreements on how to conduct, resolve and constrict conflicts in tatters. So obviously -thought also clearly not that obvious since it took the alliance years- they'd followed suit and done the same, forming what might have been-
Well, she wanted to call it the bloodiest civil war in history, but there wasn't that much known of the first civil war and barely anything that wasn't religious past the millennia, so…
Her point was that for all she wanted this war over, she also didn't like the idea of practically surrendering because they were dallying with an issue the Horde might have started.
Shaking her head, she finishes the last barrier in the network before walking towards the entrance of the cave, not partially surprised at finding Ange sitting next to a wall, staring at the void of the sky with a fascinated expression.
"Have you ever wondered," Ange starts, "what the sky would look like if there were still stars?"
"...Sometimes." Light Spinner offers, taking a seat next to her as she starts a campfire with a simple spell.
Granted, she felt that was something everyone wondered at least once. It was something historians could debate for hours without end. Most common folk didn't believe there'd ever been starts to begin with, and even the average noble was sceptical of their existence. Only Mysticor held the general belief and claim that the stars were in fact, factual and not mythological.
"The matron at the orphanage used to call me a falling star." Ange smiles wistfully. "I always wished I could see them at least once."
Messenger of stars, she thought idly. Eyes darting towards the fire as she pondered what to say.
"I see." She didn't; but also wasn't quite sure what to say. "Once the war's over we could explore some of the First one's temples. With so many scattered throughout Etheria, it shouldn't be too hard to find one." She says instead, rubbing her hand in hopes it was the right thing to say.
"...I think It'd like that," Ange admits, leaning her head into her shoulder, eyes half-lidded as she smiles happily. Her cheeks slightly blushed from what Light Spinner assumed was the cold. "I knew I got your name right." She whispered smugly.
"There's only so many times you can brag about giving me my name." She sniffs primly. One of those days's the woman would drop it.
Not that she minded, she thought peacefully. Ange smiling wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
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"Trekldit." Light Spinner hisses, using the boulder to crush the immediate advancing enemy as she ducked for cover. "Your squad?" She asks, a circle chant already appearing in her hand as she levitated the nearby boulders, serving as projectiles for the nearest approaching targets.
"Dead." Ange whispers soberly, "It's just us now."
She almost curses a second time. A pung of misery wells through her as she firmly ignores the number of friends she's just lost.
And then it's succeeded by anger. The knowledge that even when the council promised supplies and locations they'd still fail to honour their word.
The barrier should have never fallen. If it'd been made properly they would have never been found.
"...Did they restore the communication array?" She asks after a beat, the echo of explosions only growing throughout the valley as she forces her thoughts to calm.
If they managed to reach the Alliance, Micah might have the chance to teletransport towards them. It was a far shot, she knew, and Ange's expression answered her question before even speaking the words.
"...They died trying." Ange exhales, grip tightening on her lance as she peers over the boulders. Her other hand wipes the slight trail of blood falling down her face with little show of concern. "Luz," She adds, voice carefully controlled, "we're completely surrounded."
Light Spinner lets out a tired breath, leaning onto the nearby boulder as her eyes dart towards the large machine. It almost resembled a wagon, a large spear-like shaped object attached to its upper body which emitted explosion-like beams far more powerful than the robot's the Horde had so far employed.
Whatever it was, it just massacred her soldiers. Massacred her friends as her spells did little more than bounce on its surface.
She supposed it didn't matter now, she thought somewhat resigned. Even if she did figure out a way to destroy it, they were outnumbered, trapped and surrounded.
Blinking, her legs buckle, her back on the boulder as she slides onto the ground.
"Luz?" Ange jumps alarmed, catching her before she reaches the ground. "What's wrong? Did you-?" Her sentence cuts off, eyes widening as they both stare at her leg.
Light Spinner grimaces at the sight. "Can't feel it." She admits simply. Not feeling much need for fake bravado. "No wonder it was so difficult to walk." Her attempt for humour falls to deaf ears, a forced smile never quite reaching her lips.
Her head spins slightly, body feeling heavier as a faint buzzing like noise echoes in her ears.
"-going to be okay. Come on! There's no way you'd-"
"Ange." She manages to find her voice. "Ange," She repeats with a sudden well of desperation. "I'll buy you some time, you should still be able to tear your way through the east."
"No! Absolutely not. I'm not-"
"Ange." She repeats again. "There's no way I'll make it. You need to leave. Now."
"...No. No, no, no-"
She feels her consciousness fade, just for a moment.
It takes a second for it to return, the echo of another explosion as what she assumes is the last of the defences crumbling.
"It's okay," She offers softly, perhaps in some desperate attempt to comfort Ange. Or maybe it's to comfort herself, she truly couldn't tell. "I-."
"I'll get us through this," Ange says firmly, eyes flashing dangerously. "You'll live through this. You will."
Before she can even begin an argument, Ange's lips press into her own, mind blanking as her mayhem of thoughts freeze.
It... isn't a particularly pleasant experience.
Not the kiss itself, obviously. But not quite with the blood and dust on both their faces. Not with the body of their friends surrounding them as troops after troops march to end them.
"You'll live through this," Ange repeats, eyes flashing scarlet as something dark flashes through her spear. "You will."
And then her vision fades. The echoes of pain flashing through her mind as an inhuman reverberation spreading throughout the valley.
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I sometimes post art of my fanfics here:
Deviantart: sapphireandemeralds
Twitter: SappandEmr
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Urgh. I keep having to go over the same draft again and again because I just can't get her character quite right. I-, well, if anyone told me a year ago I would have written SW love life I'd taken them to the hospital after throwing them out of the window. Only me.
This side story just won't get itself done! True, Honkai update just came out with Herrscher of Flame scion but still. Also, Moon Halo? Absolutely beautiful.
On that note, I've started finishing ideas for Book 2, so as soon as the next chapter is out I'll start with that!
On a final note, if you thought I should have written something differently, be it personality and/or displays of different states of mentality, a different conversation, or a different story idea, please leave a comment! I always love hearing what people have to say, especially when I get to brainstorm for ways to improve this fic! Any advice is welcome and appreciated! Always.
Anyways, Ill See you next time! Chao!
~ Sapphire and Emeralds