A/N: Final Word Count: 10,009 Pre-A/N's.
What's up party people! Monokub here with another dazzling chapter made by yours truly ^^ ...wow that sounded stupid to say out loud...
lol sorry, just got back from my day off of writing, and playing RE3/Resistance. The game is TOTALLY worth it, albeit short (I beat it within 5 hours) but there's so many unlockables for a lot of replay value every run. Plus, the best part is the Resistance mode where you play 4 survivors/players against 1 mastermind, which is totally fun X)!
But enough about that. Time to get on! We're on episode 2 now of and we're starting it off with a bit of a different opening that'll make more sense towards the end of the episode. Nothing more, nothing less. Just a boatload of fun.
With that said, on with the show!
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"Okay. Now stick out your tongue and go "Ahhhh" for me."
"Ahhh-AACCKKK!" Adora nearly choked as the scientist checked her tongue, somewhat forcefully even after the machine grabbed it with the tip of its three pincers, stretching it as far as she could get it. Smiling as the device performed a routine scan, dashing a small red light over the length of her tongue, she calculated a few modifications into the machine as the pincers released their grip, returning Adora's tongue to the safety of her mouth.
"Annnnnd done!" With another click of the button, Adora sighed as she was unstrapped from the metallic plates trapping her wrist in place, allowing the soldier to get off of her chair after what felt like hours.
"Eggsh, finnily..." Adora lisped a little, her tongue feeling a little numb as she rubbed her jaw. Looking back to the large monitor that depicted a basic outline of Adora's body, and several additional smaller monitors next to them displaying how her organs were doing such as breathing and heart rate, she came to realize that she didn't have much to complain about in the first place.
Not when she owed Entrapta for somewhat-saving her life, even though the alternative meant going to the Crimson Waste.
She shouldn't really have to go there in the first place, not after everything that's happened. So she made one little mistake and tried to get away with a single lie to Lord Hordak. She gets that. It was wrong of her to do so. A warning would've been nice. But getting imprisoned in Shadow Weaver's place and preparing to put her through the same punishment, if not more, that she was going to suffer in her place?
That felt like a step too far!
It felt like a betrayal to her, in a way, from Lord Hordak himself. Despite everything she's done for the Horde, all she's done to help the Horde that she's come to love, why on Etheria, in any frame of mind, did he think punishing her as he did was justified? It was one little lie, so what!
Granted, the lie involved how she had a hand in Shadow Weaver's escape, which she didn't mention, but still. She felt like she suffered enough from that betrayal, seeing how she finally started to accept her as a mother right before she escaped. Adora wasn't even aware that she gave Shadow Weaver the means to escape to begin with!
With all of this in mind, and coming to realize that Hordak may not have been the hero she always thought he was, Adora had enough. At the height of her judgement, right as Hordak was about to announce his punishment, she told him off. She slapped him in the face, told him all of her thoughts, and why she believed it was a sham to begin with, remarking how much work she's done for the Horde and others like her.
It was only then that she realized she may have pushed a bit too far when he announced there was a change in her punishment. She had Entrapta to thank for that, as it turns out, as she suggested, unintentionally, that she would've proven the last of her value if Adora managed to acquire materials from the Crimson Waste, tech necessary to complete their portal machine.
If it wasn't for Entrapta then, there was no telling what would've happened to her. All she knew was that she owed her. At least, she would once she gave Adora her clean bill of health and she got back from her mission.
"So?" Adora peeped up, looking between the scientist and her data. "How is it?"
"Hmm..." Entrapta analyzed the details at least three times in a matter of seconds. She had so many curious questions for the young ex-Force Captain like why everything between her right arm up to the right side of her neck was aging, but health always came first before science! ...Sometimes. "Well, the good news is, whatever was causing it stopped for the time being. I don't see it spreading anytime soon."
"And the bad news?" Adora almost didn't want to ask, knowing there was never good news without the potential bad.
"Well, I wouldn't exactly say it's bad, per se." Entrapta pulled one of the adjustable monitors to the top right closer to the two with her hair. "The main issue I'm having right now is the cause of these anomalies." She didn't let the reveal distract her as she immediately went back to her typing. "Based on everything you told me, their occurrences were far too random to be structural, to guarantee it was a decay of a virus or something."
"So, I'm not actually sick..." Adora rubbed her aging arm, still bothered by how it looked, even more so now that the Horde was aware of her condition.
"Not as long as you keep your powers charged up," she frowned a little as she looked off to the side, "at least, until you go to the Crimson Waste. For right now, all I can assume at this point is that the longer you're under the effects of your severe fever when you reach the limits of your power, the greater the drain it starts to have on the rest of your body."
Rubbing at her chin, the scientist leaned closer into the main monitor as she scanned the details of her readings. "What I find really strange is the effect its having on your body."
"Effects?" Adora tensed a little. "Like what? Is something going to happen to me?"
"That's just it. Despite how terrible the spread looks, no offense, there doesn't seem to be any loss of motor function or muscle control." She looked back to her friend as she continued typing away while scratching her head at the same time. "For all its worth, it's still just as functional as the rest of your body should be. In fact, it might actually be a little greater."
"Greater?" Adora looked over her hand again, how it looked like it was a century in age compared to the rest of her body, and back. "How would you call this any greater?"
"Well for one thing, it seems whatever is causing the aging process is also making it easier for your shadows to manifest around your arms, so you can draw them to your side more quickly. I wouldn't say it means your draining or using your powers any less than before, but at least with it, you should be able to call upon within an instant." That actually did sound like some good news for a change, even if she wasn't willing to test it.
The trip to the Crimson Waste alone would've taken several hours, even with their fastest mode of transportation. That already knocked off about half of Adora's day and time remaining she had to return to the Fright Zone with the technology. If she went out there for any longer, or overused her powers too much, she would've easily succumbed to the drainage of her powers within a couple of hours.
At best, she had about three hours worth of powers she could use without worrying of succumbing to the fever it produced. One major problem behind this, however, was the fact they didn't even know where they were supposed to start looking. For all she knew, she might never find the technology within three to four days, even without any particular problems.
And, as always, it was the Crimson Waste they were going to. Anywhere they looked they were bound to find some sort of trouble between the locals, if there were any, and the wildlife itself. It'd be a miracle if Adora actually made it back in time before her time was up, and that's what Hordak presided himself over with anticipation.
The fact it would take a miracle to complete her mission.
"Ah, it's no sweat." The two looked back to the corner of the room as Scorpia could be seen packing several bags, being watched over by her favorite oversized-droid, Emily. "We can just take one of the wrist bands with us and it'll give us as much extra time as we need."
"Ehhhh, yeaaaah... about that..." Regret crossed over Entrapta's face as she turned herself around in the chair, looking away as she poked her fingers innocently. "Hordak said I wasn't allowed to assist you in the mission in any way, which includes letting you test out any new wrist bands, too. The most I could do for you was give you a quick check-up-"
"Which lasted over two hours..." Adora added, smiling a little as she joked.
"And allow you to recharge your powers before you went on your way... Sorry about that."
"It's fine, Entrapta, really." The friend smiled, walking to her side as she leaned against the console. "You did more than enough for me. I really owe you for this one." Right as Entrapta gasped with joy, Adora knew she had to correct herself before she jumped the gun. "That doesn't involve me letting you scan peoples brains in the middle of the night while they sleep again."
"Awww..." She moaned, crossing her arms in a huff. So she might have scanned one or two or 36 people's brains in the middle of the night when she first joined the Horde for about two weeks. It's not her fault she accidentally tripped over someone's blaster, causing it to fire into a flammable portion of the wall, setting off the smoke alarms and sirens all around the facility, and causing zone-wide panic for at least three hours. Some people were such overreacters!
As she saw her friend pout, giving a small chuckle at this, her look of brief joy was slowly diminished as she looked over to her other friend, one who had her back through everything. Scorpia.
Words could not express how guilty she felt for what she did the other day. Telling Scorpia off, insulting her, trying to say that she was a worse friend than Catra ever was, was just horrible. It felt horrible, it still did, and while she may have kept to her reasoning, it still felt horrible to do!
Scorpia was going to bust her out. Scorpia, the one with a possible future here, was going to break her out, the current traitor of the Horde, Adora, and planned to escape with her. She didn't care what kind of trouble she would be in, she didn't know what they would do after, she just wanted to rescue her friend from whatever fate Hordak had in store for her before it was too late. And, knowing she was trying to prove herself as a best friend, Adora knew simply declining the offer wouldn't have worked.
She had to break her heart.
The guilt of the matter didn't just end with that, either. Following everything that happened, everything she told off Hordak about, she came to her side. Right as Hordak was about to deliver a bit of physical punishment along with Adora's new orders, she intervend, standing by the girl's side and ready to protect her no matter how much trouble it got her into. If it wasn't for Entrapta's news, there's no telling how much trouble she would be in along with Adora. She just knew she couldn't keep quiet about it.
With a heart still heavy with guilt, as Entrapta returned to her monitors, the Horde soldier walked over to her large friend, standing over the girl from behind as she rubbed her own arm in comfort. "H... Hey, Scorpia? C-Could we... talk, for a bit?" Adora mumbled. Turning her head, the scorpion woman gave her a casual smile as she stood up again, still towering over the shorter girl as she looked down at her.
"Look, um... About... About what I said before..." She had never felt as awkward as she did now in this very moment. She had to think of what she wanted to say, try to explain herself calmly for her actions. How else was she supposed to say, "Hey buddy, just so you know, I didn't mean anything when I broke your heart into pieces and made you run away crying. No hard feelings.", kindly, and prove to her that she meant it?
She couldn't! At least, not on the spot as she did now. She felt a little stupid for coming all this way to apologize to her before even thinking about what to say in the first place. "I... I just... I just want you to know that... that... I-I didn't-"
*tug*
Whatever else Adora had to say appeared to be enough for the taller girl as Adora felt herself embraced in a tight hug, the scorpion having wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her in tightly. She didn't even settle for having Adora hug her as she normally did. She actually lifted her off the ground a little so she could squeeze in tighter, the blond's head leaning over her shoulder in surprise.
"I'm so glad you're okay!" She announced without a care in the world. Adora blinked to herself at this as she smiled, her eyes watering at the feeling as she threw an arm around Scorpia's head.
Nothing Adora did mattered to the friend, a best friend at that, in the end. As long as Adora was alive and well, she was still happy. She was content as she knew Adora didn't mean any of that, no matter how hurtful her words were. She was just happy enough to have her friend back to her side, with or without an apology to go with it.
Entrapta even smiled to herself as she saw the reflection of the two off her monitors.
"...Sc... Scor... pia..." Adora suttered, her body shaking a little as she turned blue. "I can't... brea... the..."
"I know, I'm so happy for you too!" Scorpia agreed, thinking the girl was referring to the moment they were sharing as her eyes were closed.
"I-I mean... y-y-you're... crushing me..." She squeaked, face turning from blue to purple in less than three seconds.
"I know, you're crushing my heart too!" She was so giddy with excitement to have the old Adora back that she didn't realize as she was coming close to actually BREAKING Adora's back in the squeezing hug.
All in all, as Adora puffed out the last bit of air she had left before passing out, she did have to admit.
She deserved this...
...
...
The intro starts with Shadow Weaver in the Black Garnet chamber spying and glaring at a image of Catra. Than the image dives into the water of her scrying spell.
~ We're on the edge of greatness ~
Where we have Catra at Bright Moon looking both determined and forlorn out into the distance.
~ turning darkness into light ~
A scene of kid Catra and kid Adora training together in the fright zone under Shadow Weaver. Before being replaced with a image of Adora glaring at a heart broken looking Catra who's on her knees across a battlefield.
~ We're right beside you ~
But than Glimmer and Bow teleport to Catra side raising her spirit back up, as shown with her surprise blinking when Gimmer offers her a hand, than she smirks accepting the help as she takes the lead ahead of them.
~ Ready to Fight! ~
Catra raises her sword, transforming into She-Ra in a glorious flash of light
~ (fight, fight, fight fight) ~
Then She-Ra rushes off into battle with Glimmer and Bow following right behind her.
~ We're gonna win in the end! ~
Mermista rises out of a tide, blasting Horde soldiers with water.
~ We must be strong, And we must be brave ~
Perfuma burst from the ground, capturing and tying up Horde soldiers with vines.
~(we must be brave) ~
Frosta rides an entire wave of frozen water, freezing Horde tanks in their tracks.
~ We're gonna find every bit of strength that we have ~
The scene shifts to Hordaks throne room where the evil shadowy figure sits upon his throne, his red glowing eyes being the only noticeable part of him, surrounded by notable members of the Horde, consisting of Adora and Catra's squadron, Shadow Weaver, Adora, Scropia, and even Entrapta.
~ and never let go ~
The scene shifts to an epic clash between Catra and Adora, the She-Ra gritting her teeth as she presses her sword against Adora's electrical baton, as the Force Captain herself grins with chaotic excitement as the red jewel from her headband shines.
~ (Oh ah Oh) ~
Adora and Catra push each other off as they back up into their friends- Entrapta and Scorpia for Adora, and for Catra Bow and Glimmer.
~ We must be STRONG! ~
The scene ends with a final shot of both sides looking across the field, a transparent image of Catra and Adora's faces filling the sky as the colors are split between them;
A majestic darkness shining into light upon Catra's side, and a horrid light seeping into darkness on Adora's half.
...
...
The Crimson Waste.
The The Valley of Death.
The Nightmare Wasteland of Etheria.
There were a lot of names it went by within the Fright Zone, and, standing atop a giant skull, the remains of whatever great beast was felled here, Catra could easily see why as she looked out into the distance.
Everything about this place screamed death to her, lifelessness. There wasn't a single piece of forestry or grass over the view, the barren wastes of the land held little to no animal life, nothing that she could see, and the scent of this place alone was just crawling with death. She actually couldn't get a scent of anything out here other than death and decay, the heavy winds blowing near-endlessly of the creatures that met their demise here.
It was a little unsettling, really.
If the fact she could smell nothing but death within this massive wasteland wasn't enough to give her the jitters, the lack of sound picking up in her ears did. Usually, regardless of the environment, her ears could easily pick up the faint sounds of nearly anything. Birds chirping in their high-pitched tweets, animals running through a stream or cracking the branches beneath their feet, or the simple leaves being blown across the fauna.
And out here there was nothing. No sounds of animals or people that could've given her a clue, no animals calling to one another, nothing. Even a simple leaf falling against the ground would've been an indicator about what was out there. But this place? It was a dead zone for any and all of her heightened senses. Out here where death and decay rule, she wasn't going to be the one leading them straight ahead anytime soon.
She could've sworn this place was almost as bad as the Fright Zone was if she closed her eyes long enough.
"This place is huge..." She mumbled to herself, looking back to her friends as she jumped from the giant skull. "Are you guys sure you wanna come now? Honestly, I wouldn't blame you for turning around for once since I haven't completed my bond with She-Ra yet."
"Of course." Bow smiled in reply, Glimmer nodding her head in agreement as she crossed her arms. "We wouldn't even think of letting you go off on your own out here."
"It definitely beats being stuck in the castle with Shadow Weaver all day long." Glimmer added. "Even if she is locked up." As true as it was, the mission wouldn't have commenced this early if it wasn't for Shadow Weaver's arrival in the first place.
Not even one night ago, during the same evening in which Catra renounced her personal desire for a kingdom, the old tormenting witch who used to abuse Catra, known as Shadow Weaver, descended upon her. It wasn't for any specific attack, or any desire to harm the new She-Ra in any manner, but to request her aid, for herself, and for Adora.
Naturally, following a brief skirmish with the magicat who was more than delighted to smack down the sorceress of darkness for several minutes, the woman was imprisoned within a magical cell, one barely double the size of her arm's length in radius, and enchanted to prevent her from ever escaping it.
She had no desire to.
It was there that she requested aid from a rather reluctant Catra, one who would rather, on the surface, let her old tormentor die as payback for all the misery she caused her all her life. To her, she would've done the world a much greater service by allowing her to kick the bucket, without worrying of her bond with the sword diminishing in the process since it wasn't by her own hands. It wasn't until she mentioned Adora's recent predicament that she became interested in saving the old crone, purely out of self-interest, and later, partial desire.
Following a lengthy few hours until Catra finally returned to the group, prepared and capable of healing the wicked witch, Shadow Weaver finally delved into her history with the young girl known as Adora, one founded as an infant from another world, the one who was meant to be She-Ra, and a dreadful parasite that had come to infect her.
That parasite was none other than the forbidden Spell of Obtainment, the very same spell that got Shadow Weaver banished from Mystacor in the first place.
Here, she went to great lengths of explaining everything of history since she first used the spell on herself, to how it eventually came to be transferred to Adora after the headband it was infused into came to be destroyed. She explained to them everything that was happening with the girl, how the parasite was sapping away at her energy constantly, and how it would play on her own emotions and memories in order to tempt the girl to find more and greater sources of power, to quell a hunger that could never be sated.
In addition, she also explained what the Horde had been up to within recent months, including what they were trying to accomplish now. Lord Hordak, the Horde, were working on a machine capable of creating a portal, one large enough to open a wormhole between space, and capable of bringing a massive army from who-knew-where that would all but surely annihilate any and all resistance to the Horde once and for all.
The only hope they had at this point was Mara's message, the original She-Ra who stranded Etheria within the far reaches of spaces over a millenia ago. With a message that was broadcasted and traced all the way to the Crimson Waste, the three friends found themselves forced to traverse the dangerous wasteland in hopes for an answer that could save their home, something, anything, capable of stopping this portal from being made.
Along with that, it was also a personal quest for Catra herself. With her bond with the sword nearing completion, the magicat was starting to become a bit desperate to finish her long journey to become the legendary She-Ra once and for all. Only, there was one minor setback she was experiencing.
What else could she change about herself?
She opened up as much as she was willing to these days, and it seemed to be enough for the sword. Several times she put her personal vendetta on hold for the sake of the people she cared about. And, much to her annoyance, she gave up an entire kingdom just for a large portion of the bond, one of the last things she could've done to change anything about herself.
With time running out, options being limited, and Catra's growth to She-Ra hanging in the balance, the Crimson Waste would prove to be the best and last place for answers, either to their salvation or destruction.
"I'm more surprised your mom was alright with us taking off, Pinky." Catra mentioned, casually placing her hands behind her head. "I would've thought something like a mission to the Crimson Waste would've been too dangerous for her taste."
"Oh, she hates this idea," she passed off with a wave of her hand, "which is why I didn't tell her we were going. Besides, it's not like anyone else has a plan to stop Hordak from opening a portal."
"You lied about the fact we were going to a dangerous wasteland on a possible suicide mission to your mother?" Catra smirked. "Nice." She had to admit, she was a little impressed. Not as much as Bow lying to his fathers for years about his role within the Rebellion, but it was a start.
"And you're right." She continued, walking ahead as she lead the trio. "Tracking Mara's message to the source is the best lead we have out here."
"Plus, for an inhospitable desert, this place is kind of beautiful." Bow commented, taking in all the scenery.
For a place riddled with death all over, the way everything felt like it was balanced wherever he went with scenery, it kind of had an artistic look to it. The three even came across a small purple bird that flew bravely past them. "Aww, look, there's even a cute little bird." He smiled, observing the cuteness with Glimmer as the two watched it land on a plant, one that looked like it had claws growing out of a cactus.
Catra stared at the bird with her own sense of wonder, surprised something that cute was actually within this wasteland. Maybe there was hope for this place after all?
*sweesh*
And by the sight of the bird suddenly being frozen in a small block of ice, she realized how wrong she was.
"Ah!" Bow and Glimmer shrieked, startled by the sudden freeze.
"Annnnnd now there's a dead frozen little bird..." Catra mentioned, seeming only slightly fazed by the sight compared to the other two.
"Never mind, this place is terrifying." He decided, watching as the frozen bird landed harshly against the ground.
"Look, I get it. The place is dangerous," she said, looking back to the frozen bird, "and possibly a bit scarier than we thought. But this is the only chance we have to figure out more about the portals, and Mara, and..." She frowned a little looking back to the sword behind her back. "...And finishing my bond with the sword." She really didn't know which was more important to her at the moment.
If they found a way to stop the portal or to keep the Horde from opening one, then they would still have the Horde they know of to deal with, and Catra would always be susceptible to letting her emotions weakening her bond as long as the sword was incomplete. And, if they found a means to finish her quest to complete a bond with the sword, she would have a far greater advantage over the Horde in terms of strength, but then they would have a massive army coming through some portal to deal with.
In either scenario, there didn't seem to be a good piece of news without the bad. The only way this would've turned out to be good entirety was if there was an answer to both their problems, a solution to close the portal and complete her bond with the sword. As it stood now, there was no way she was going to finish her bond with the sword all on her own.
Not with the guilt of all that's happened, the worry she had over her ex-friend, still drowning in her heart.
*pat*
*pat*
She tensed her lip a little as Bow playfully patted her over the head with the tracker pad, smiling with Glimmer as the two stared at her. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine. We'll solve all our problems before anything can get worse. I promise."
"... Fine." It didn't bring a smile to her face, but it did seem to be enough to make her shrug it off a little. "So, which way are we going then?"
"...Eh heh..." The archer scratched his cheek as he turned his eyes away from the two. "So, uh, slight problem." Catra's eyelids immediately dropped with annoyance, considering he just said things couldn't get any worse. "Uh, my tracker pad, is dead." Leaning a little closer to their tech expert, the two looked at the monitor of his pad, one displaying a basic image of Bow's face with X's over his eyes and his tongue sticking out.
In other words, kaput.
"So, we have no map, my senses are useless here, and the plants turn birds into solid blocks of ice." She listed off, rolling her eyes at all the good information they had. "Definitely seems like we're off to a good start."
"At least we know we're in the north right now." Glimmer reminded, trying to remain optimistic. "So if we go south, we'll reach the center in no time, and we'll be halfway to wherever we're going regardless. Maybe even find what we're looking for in the center." She looked around in all directions for a bit as she tried to get her bearings. "... So... any idea which way is south?"
Taking a moment to look at the sun, shielding her eyes a bit with her hand, Catra said, "Well, from what usefulness I got out of my survival training, the sun rises and sets from the east to the west. Which means we want to go..." Pausing, she took a look at the nearest stalactite-like rock sticking out of the ground, seeing which way the shadow was moving to know where the sun was moving, before pointing off partly to the right. "That way." She declared, taking the lead.
Bow gave the Princess of Bright Moon a small smile, impressed with Catra's tracking skill, as the two began to follow the magicat from behind. Glimmer would admit that even with all the trust she had in her friend, she was a bit skeptical over how reliable it would be in a wasteland such as this. With everything that could kill you out here, even plants, she could've lead them into any direction, or any thing's direction in the process.
As she followed behind her friends, she came to a brief stop as she turned around again, realizing the small pile of debris they just passed was actually the remains of a crashed Horde skiff. Examining the small vehicle, her eyes widened at the sight that pretty much summed up the direction that this entire journey was going to take them.
A single Horde soldier, the dried up bones of one, lied straight against the rusty metal, with nothing save for it's dusty armor being the only thing to identify it as. Something killed the soldier out here years ago, and whatever it was, it was capable of bringing the whole vehicle down, given the gashes along the remains of the torn metal.
It was a perfect representation of the Crimson Waste, a dire warning for the princess as she fretted over the sight, and ran to catch up with her friends.
Here, nothing truly survived. Not for long, anyways. Out here, there was only one of two possible outcomes amongst the desert sand and the dangerous plants. Either you were skilled enough to survive the wasteland, and could make it to wherever your journey took you.
Or, you would become one with the many horror stories that gave this place its fear.
...
...
"Day 135, this could be it." Entrapta announced as she spoke into her tape recorder, standing at Hordak's side before their tireless effort. Her fruits of labor were about to pay off in a huge way, a great way, if everything went according to her calculations.
This was the moment that she, and more importantly Hordak, had been waiting for. With their combined genius, the two had managed to do the unthinkable as they finally finished the last key details to their portal technology, possibly creating the first and greatest device that Etheria's history has ever known!
They worked tirelessly together through hours on end, day in and day out as partners. Together, they went through the details, explored the range of their gathered technology, tested out the various algorithms that they had come across, and had finally achieved Hordak's Ultimate goal! The suspense was actually getting to the leader of the Horde, despite not showing it as he stood as he always did with his hands behind his back.
"Initiating the first test. Here we go. Aha!" With a genuine squee and a twirl, the scientist activated the device, backing away as the machine powered up before them.
Her hair was blown back as she pushed her hands together, almost as if she was praying, as she watched the technological magic work its wonder. From the mere tesla it once was, and always started with, it began to hum with electrical energies as the parts along the floor gathered around it. The scattered pieces of First Ones tech, the devices they managed to create with them, generated with life as sphere of energy grew ever brighter.
Personally, this would be the key victory that the Horde has ever known if they could pull this off. All the years of research, all the technology he had salvaged, all the years wasted on constant failures, had finally come to this! He actually smiled to himself as the portal finally materialized into thin air, then back to the assistant that helped him through all of this.
He had to admit, out of all the past assistances and scientists he had working at his side... she was the most useful to him.
*HMMMMMMMM!*
The wonder and excitement plastered over her face began to fall apart as the two looked back to the source of the increasingly loud hum. Already, Hordak could see it was destabilizing, falling apart, falling to pieces. It was a sight Hordak angrily watched time and again, knowing how it always started, and how it was going to end.
"Something's wrong!" She shrieked. "I'm turning it off!"
"No, you fool!" Hordak shouted, grabbing her arm before she reached the device. "It's going to-!"
*BOOOOM!*
A massive shockwave blew throughout the facility as the powerful explosion went off. It was a miracle that the explosion managed to remain mostly-contained, scaling in size to the portal itself in all directions, and nearly engulfing the eager young scientist in the process, as a white flare flashed across the room.
Smoke settling in, slowly dissipating around them, save for the machine, everything else appeared to be all right. Emily and the imp behind them were safely at a distance as the imp hid behind the droid. The leader of the Horde itself could actually be seen over the young scientist with an arm draped over her protectively, the young girl having no idea what happened seconds before the flash and head rattling from the shockwave thereafter.
For the most part, everything seemed to be fine. The machine was broken down into chunks of its former self, but nothing that couldn't be repaired over a bit of time. Hordak himself, on the other hand, looked a little less for wear as one of the large wires connected to his left arm's armor broke, the commander grunting in pain as he pulled away.
"This doesn't make any sense." Entrapta said, bewildered by the failure of their experiment as she leaned up. "It should work. The machine didn't have enough power, so we added First Ones Tech." The Horde leader watched as his assistant got back to her feet, strolling closer to the wreckage in contemplation. She ignored the electricity continuing to dance around it. "Then it was blowing out the power grid, so we rerouted it. Now it's powered, it's functioning, but it won't activate a portal."
Noticing as Hordak walked away, her attention was drawn to the broken chunk near her feet. "It's like there's a key. Maybe when Adora brings that tech back from the Crimson Waste-"
"Hah..." Hordak laughed in a deep tone, leaning over his work table at the mention. "Adora is never coming back from that fool's errand. The machine is a failure. We're done here. Get out." He felt shame hanging over his shoulder, over his cape as he lowered his head. Failure at his constant string of failures, failure over the fact he failed once again, and failure in knowing that the future would hold even more failures.
"But, that was just our first test." Entrapta pointed out, approaching from behind. "If we try-"
"I SAID WE'RE DONE!" He roared as he turned to face the girl, his very presence sending a powerful wave felt throughout the room capable enough to blow her hair back a little.
The quirky scientist lowered her brows a little bit in despair, following along as she felt the tiny imp on Emily pull her from behind. The imp was more than aware of his master's current anger, and how much he could be pushed when he was within this state.
None.
Reaching the door, the scientist gave another frown as she looked back to the fearless leader, hearing him pounding a fist against his table in frustration. She just couldn't understand his anger or why he was angry in the first place.
It was a failure. So what? One of the key fundamentals of being a scientist was failing and learning from new results. This was no different. So what did he have to be so angry about that he couldn't even look her in the eye? Couldn't tolerate her presence? For a moment, she could've sworn there was something else getting to him that he wasn't revealing, like it was holding him back.
Whatever it was, she didn't care. With the doors closing in front of her, she was convinced to get to the bottom of things before this day was through!
...
...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Across the desert, the three friends could be seen screaming and running for their lives as they continued to outrun the massive three-headed snake.
"WHY IS IT STILL CHASING US?!" Catra shouted as she ran for her life, Bow and Glimmer to her right and left respectively.
"IT'S A DESERTED WASTELAND WHERE FOOD IS SCARCE, WHY DO YOU THINK?!" Glimmer shouted back, barely paying attention to the girl as she ran.
"CATRA, CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?" Bow yelped, barely putting rhyme or reason to his logic.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO? ASK IT TO HOLD STILL LONG ENOUGH TO TURN SHE-RA?!"
"WELL, I DON'T KNOW! CAN'T YOU TALK TO IT OR SOMETHING? JUST SAYING!"
"WHAT PART ABOUT ME BEING PART CAT OF ALL THINGS MAKES YOU THINK I CAN TALK TO IT!?"
"CAN YOU BOTH JUST ZIP IT AND KEEP RUNNING BEFORE-"
"Aaaahhh!" With a cry in unison, the three friends felt the ground give way below them as they stepped over the rocky cliff they were on, sliding to the bottom of the large trench they were in as the snake came to a sudden stop. With no way to access the trench with its massive size, it gave off one more hiss to the group as it turned tail and slithered away.
At the bottom, breathing with such a relief after their ordeal, Catra was the first to jump back to her feet. Taking a quick peek at Glimmer who fell near her, and a Bow who was currently emptying his mouth from the handful of sand he practically inhaled, she let out a small groan as she shook the sand from her pants and her shoulders.
"Ok, so," the magicat listed off with her fingers, "the plants are trying to kill us, our tech is useless out here and trying to kill us, and apparently sitting against a boulder which turns out to be an egg can make a three-headed snake run rampant. Personally, we're lasting a lot longer than I expected." Her optimism wasn't shared with the two irritated friends, knowing it was the same cat's fault for sitting on the egg to begin with to take a breather.
"Ugh, why can't I just teleport us to the center of the Waste?" It felt like such an obvious plan to Glimmer that they should've started with it the moment they got here.
It felt even more obvious to the annoyed Bow who already had a reason for it. "Because you don't know where it is and you would run out of power before we made it." He stated, getting back to his feet as she gave him a bitter look in the eyes.
"Oh, thank you for reminding me that my powers are limited." She gruffed, walking ahead down the trench. "You think I don't kn- Whoooa!" The princess let out a panicked cry as she sunk straihgt into the ground, being caught in the sand trap that blended into their surroundings perfectly.
"Pinky!" Her senses went off on high alert as Catra dashed straight into the sandpit head first, intending to swim her gullible friend out before she drowned.
It took only three seconds of this for Glimmer to reappear at Bow's side, panting heavily and out of breath at the recent scare the sinking took out of her. "Huff... Huff... Not to worry. I'm fine!" It was times like this she was proud to be gifted with the ability to teleport. With talent like that, there was nothing she had to fear!
"... Where's Catra?" All she got in response was her remaining friend pointing to the pile of sand she just popped out of. Groaning, the princess teleported once again, reappearing this time with an exhausted looking Catra hanging an arm over her annoyed shoulders.
"Ughhghhgghh!" Catra gargled, shaking the sand out of her rough hair and coughing it out of her mouth. She didn't care in the slightest, or seem to notice for that matter, as she shook it around her friends like a wet dog, spreading the sand around them. "And quicksand. Now we can add quicksand to the list of things trying to kill us." Her eyes widened a bit as she took a deep breath. "Phew, so many things to learn about this place."
"Catra, we understand your desire to become She-Ra, but we're not fully prepared for this." Bow admitted, much to Catra's dismay. "Maybe we should reconsider this and gear up more back at the castle? We can try again tomorrow."
"Pffft, says you." She was willing and eager to prove themselves as she pulled her arm away from the other princess. "I'll make us a shelter, we can use this trench as basecamp."
"Or, we could go there?" Glimmer considered to the rest of them as she spotted a structure a short walk away.
Turning to her, the magicat peered over the distance, cupping her hand over her eyes to shield it from the sun and to make it out more clearly. Seeing this, the archer offered his binoculars to the accepting cat, getting a better view of the supposed structure Glimmer was looking at.
Off in the distance, she could make out what appeared to be some sort of bone graveyard, one compiled of a single large skeleton of a beast hanging out of the ground. From the distance, it didn't appear to be all that different, the stench of death hanging over the hollowed bones as much as the other skeletons and dead piles they came across.
However, the one key detail she noticed were the various drapes and tapestries over the colossal skeleton. It had enough silk over its ribcage to act as a wall, one capable of protecting those within it from the numerous sandstorms they were caught in. In addition, she could also make out some poles off to the front and back of it and a small line of rope connected to them, with a dozen pieces of clothing hanging over it like someone's laundry.
Whatever the place was, it gave Catra enough reason to smile at the sight before handing back the ocular device to the tech expert. "Or, that could work too. See? We'll be fine!" She kept up her foolish optimism as she walked on, ignoring the dead and dreary faces of her allies. "We'll get out of the heat, get some drinks, and maybe find a map while we're there."
"Catra, I doubt there's anything useful in there." Glimmer replied, following the cat through the entrance of its gaping mouth. "Even if there was, the people here could be just as ruthless as the wasteland itself. We'd get kicked out in an instant, and that's if we're lucky!"
"Uh, hello? Who do you think you're talking to?" Catra smirked back. "I'm from the Horde, I'm as ruthless as they come. Trust me," she told them as she pulled back the drape over the entrance, "these guys are going to be nothing compared to-"
*Thud!*
And at first glance, noticing the beaten green-scaled lizard tossed to her feet, she immediately realized how wrong she was as the three looked back. Ignoring the small gasp coming from her friends, who were just as surprised to find people here, this makeshift bar was a lot more upbeat, emphasis on the beating, than she anticipated.
The cantina itself was actually pretty decent looking, given their surroundings. It had many furnishes between leather chairs top of rugs, a half dozen tables scattered throughout the area, the walls of the establishment were actually constructed with blue walls over the bones of the structure, the countertop was occupied with several species between foxes, wolves, satyrs, lizards, etc., and a minotaur-like woman rubbing away the filth of the glass she was holding, several horns protruding on both sides of her head.
The ceiling around them was also met with its own kind of ambience, as well as a fellow cast to boot. Several of the occupants were hanging around from the dried bones above them, remaining silent to themselves as they stared at one another. Because of the way the lighting was angled, it reflected off of several of the hanging jugs, actually making some decorative scenery as the lights reflected off its surface into a glittery decoration.
If you took out the intense thugs and the person who just kicked someone between the legs from under the table and the fact no one addressed the person that was just tossed in front of them, this place would actually be somewhat decent compared to the rest of the wasteland.
And to Catra, it felt like her idea of home.
"Heh, this is nothing." Catra whispered, grinning back to the two. "Just try to act tough. Act like me. We'll be fine." With confidence hanging over her head, the magicat put on her best stern warface as she marched ahead, followed by Glimmer who puffed her cheeks a little ruggish before spitting off to the side.
Out of the trio, Bow was the only one who was still anxious at the scenery and Catra's hastiness. He kept it to himself as he repeated to himself what Catra said, taking a look around as he walked. "Good afternoon, fellow patrons." He said, almost sternly like he was ordering them to as he waved. "Except, I don't care if you do have a good afternoon, because I'm bad." He grumbled, flexing his muscles while walking.
"Wow, Bow, what can I say? You're an animal." Catra chuckled to herself, refraining from the burst of laughter she felt at Bow's pathetic aggressiveness. Facing forward again, she came to a stop as she sat along the stool in front of the counter, keeping a smug look on her face as she leaned an arm against the surface. "Hey lady, be a pal and get some water for me and the dweebs over here, will ya? And tell us where we are while you're at it." She ordered as the two friends stood some distance beside her.
*squeak*
*squeak*
*squeak*
Like she was intentionally doing it, the lady continued to ignore Catra as she rubbed the glass in her hands a little harder, an irritating sound rubbing off of it and twitching Catra's ears. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" Catra growled a little, beginning to glare as the woman turned around. "Listen, bub-!
*SHINK!*
Catra didn't blink. She didn't breath. All she did was look down to her right hand pressed firmly against the countertop, and the thin skinning knife that stuck out right between the lines of the fingers. Waiting a few seconds until she finally did blink, her eyes were drawn back to the tauros-like woman who glared at her at eye level, tolding the hilt of the knife that nearly took any of her fingers off. She flared her ring-pierced nostril at her, not caring a little at how how much younger she was than her.
"Piece of advice, kitty." She growled. "Nobody, around here, calls me bub."
The normal person would've taken this threat to heart like any sane person did. Like the way Glimmer and Bow did, who watched with concern over her friend as they noticed some glances thrown in their direction.
Catra, on the other hand, didn't take this threat to heart, or any worry for that matter. Instead, she took it with stride, smirking at the sight and action caused right before her. These people didn't take any lip, any sass, any attitude they didn't like. Here, they made their point known, as violently as they needed to, without any concern of attention.
These were definitely Catra's kind of people.
"Kitty, huh?" She spat, never taking her eyes off the other's. "Not bad. I like it."
*tug*
"Ah-!" The barkeep let out a small yelp as Catra pulled. In the blink of an eye, without giving the woman any frame of warning, she found one of the magicat's fingers sticking through her nose ring, the gentlest pull causing an extreme amount of pain.
"But you I don't like. So tell us where we are, now!" She repeated. As if the woman hadn't learned a single lesson out of this, just proving to Catra how aggressive these people could be, she quickly grabbed at the warrior's wrist, the startling of it causing her to pull her fingers out of the nose ring, and twisted the magicat around. Without missing a beat, she slammed Catra's back onto the counter, glaring down at her even harder.
"You know what happened to the last person who pulled my ring?" She spat, leaning closer to Catra's fearless, grinning, face. "Let's just say he donated a bit of himself to be my new cleaning rag." At that moment, Catra knew only one thing about the Crimson Waste. Or, more specifically, this establishment.
This was the greatest place in the world.
"Huh, good to know."
*Bam!*
"Agh!" Letting out another shrill cry, the barkeep winced in pain as she rubbed her forehead. Without showing any sense of fear, Catra casually and painfully kicked her back with the butt of her right knee, decking her square in the forehead and knocking her back into the various glasses behind her.
Luckily, none of them appeared to rumble or break as the barkeep glared back at her. For whatever strange reason, she didn't seem to continue this little rumble they were having as she went back to wiping her glasses, as if she was calling off the rest of their fighting. Not only that, but the rest of the patrons were just as quiet to themselves as she was, as if they were intentionally trying to avoid making a scene for whatever reason while wanting to cause one.
"Where are you going?" Catra asked, raising a brow as the woman went further down the counter to continue her work. "Come on, I was winning!"
All throughout this, the magicat was completely unaware of the several handfuls of people giving Glimmer and Bow uneasy looks, some of them standing right at their side as they stared in silence. "Eh heh... Y-You know, Catra," Glimmer piped up, "I'm not so sure these are the kinds of people we should be asking for help." Bow remained silent himself through this as he stared straight ahead, ignoring the wolfman next to him who seemed to be getting his scent.
Turning around, Catra narrowed her brow in irritation as the rest continued to ignore her. Those that didn't seem to notice the fighting were minding their own business, and those who didn't care were much more interested in the archer and the princess than the cat who proved she wouldn't take any lip from those around her.
With a deep sigh, for a moment, it looked like Catra was actually going to listen for once as she leaned her elbows against the counter to her back. That foolish optimism disappeared when they remembered one crucial piece of information.
"Hey, dweebs!"
This was Catra they were talking about.
She shouted out, glaring in just about every direction around the room. Glimmer and Bow felt their spirits slowly leaving their bodies as Catra just signed their death warrant. "Which one of you lowlifes are going to give us directions around here?" Of the many faces that turned and seethed in silence, Glimmer and Bow were the only ones trying to gesture for the girl to stop, sliding their hands across their throat. "We're not from around here, so the faster someone tells us, the sooner we'll be out of your hair-!"
"You're outsiders." A voice broke the magicat's words as she turned to the sight of a misty-pink-colored satyr walking towards her, followed by a large lizard who was covered under a brown cloak, save for his hood.
"Tch, yeah?" Catra grinned again, not even bothering to give her direct attention to her. "And what if we are?" That proved to be another mistake as the satyr grabbed the feline's vest by the collar of her outfit and pushed her against the counter, all while the large lizard pulled in Glimmer and Bow into a hug-like headlock under both his arms.
"We don't like outsiders here." Her own eyes narrowed at the magicat who gritted her teeth in anger to her. "And since the Crimson Waste didn't take care of you," she grinned, "we will."
Even to this, Catra didn't show any sense of fear as she accepted the challenge. "Oh yeah? Well take your best shot. I'd like to see you tr-AHHHH!" With a startled yelped, the magicat felt both her arms being looped around from behind by a strong pair of arms, pulling her back. Lifting her head enough to see, her pupils shrank a little as she saw the barkeeper smirking back to her, intending to make the oncoming fight a bit more "interesting" for herself.
That was the only moment Catra wondered if she went too far with pulling the nose ring.
*CRASH!*
It was with the sound of the glass shattering over an orange frog-like lizard's head did anyone within the cantina look back, fright and worry filling most of their eyes. Catra and her friends stared along the rest of the residence as a mysterious and large figure walked over to the group, the girl blinking curiously as the stranger approached.
A curiosity that heightened as the satyr-like woman gulped, and the barkeep released her arms from behind.
"W-We didn't mean to disturb you." She muttered sheepishly.
In no more than 10 seconds, those very same pair of creeps were seen being tossed out the front entrance.
Standing in the light under the cantina's skylight, the rugged figure stood. Lights appeared as if they were dancing over the air around her as they descended from above. Everybody gave their attention to the figure as they rose to their feet, out of fear, and respect.
"There's only two rules in the Crimson Waste." The figure said, squeezing her intimidating fists at her side. "One, the strong make the rules. And two," turning back, the fellow warrior gazed piercingly at the trio who stood behind her, as well as the other idiots who knew better, "don't annoy me when I eat." Catra continued to stare at the woman as Glimmer and Bow watched from right behind her, practically using her like a shield. "I made rule one. They broke rule two."
"B-But that stupid cat started all this when-!" Whatever the barkeep had to complain about didn't go so well with the mighty warrior who grabbed her against the sleeve of her uniform.
"They didn't know the rules. This was their warning. You do, you broke it, and I didn't punish you for it. KEEP it that way." She warned, shoving away the barkeep soon after. "And get these brats a drink. Pronto!" Nodding in fear, the barkeep quickly rushing out of the way. By the time the warrior turned back to the trio, three mugs filled with water were slid down the counters, in front of each of the chairs. "Are you kids all right?" She asked, in a somewhat aggressive, softter, voice.
"Y-Yeah, we're fine." Bow stuttered, still intimidated by the towering figure like the rest of them were.
"I-I apologize on her behalf." Glimmer chuckled a little nervously. "Catra can be a bit of a... wild cat, at times. Heh heh... Right Catra?" She nudged her friend's shoulder trying to get her to apologize. "...Catra?" Noticing the cat's silence, she took a step ahead of her to see something she has truly never seen before.
Catra, staring awkstruck, as her eyes sparkled with flashes of stars around her head.
Instantly, this woman was everything to Catra.
The way she didn't take any annoyances that came her way.
How she enforced her own rules with her own two fists.
The way she intimidated everyone around her with her very presence, making her demands to whoever she wanted whenever she wanted.
And never taking excuses from the people around her, choosing to believe whoever she wanted to believe, not whoever she had to.
It was then and there Catra only thought of one very definitive thing.
She's... So... AWESOOOOOOOOME!
...
...
...
A/N: And with the environment around us, I can safely say another episode "bites the dust" and mean it this time ^^... and no it still doesn't make it sound any better out loud... *sigh*
Had a lot of fun towards the end of this episode as I remembered the kind of place were getting into. With Catra's kind of people hanging around the joint, I could only picture the numerous ways she could introduce herself to a group full of herselves- the tricky part was making it kid appropriate XP Lol
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed, as I look forward to some of the scenes between the magicat and her new favorite idol throughout the next few chapters X)
With that said, hope you all enjoyed! Leave a like, fave, follow, and review and hope to see you soon!