Entrapta's hair flew freely behind her as she raced to her front door's trap room. She didn't want to keep her guests waiting, so she neglected to recover her gloves and mask on the way over. Hordak followed behind her, curious to see how this first encounter would proceed.

Kadroh accepted his new place as Entrapta's servant, but he had been as much since their fateful encounter on Horde Prime's ship. He had a head start. The possibility remained that their other brothers would resist the new arrangement. Entrapta had disrupted the hive mind, costing clones everywhere their most prized connection. Hordak had murdered Horde Prime, divine leader of the Galactic Horde.

Worse than a murderer, Hordak was a defect. An inferior being in the presence of his healthy brothers. While Hordak could make a convincing case for his leadership over the other clones, he feared many would not listen.

When he and Entrapta reached the room her door's trap led into, they were surprised to see no clones inside. Instead, the Salinean princess and her pirate escort lay on their backs, visibly shaken by their fall into Entrapta's giant cage.

That was odd. They'd been expecting princesses from neighboring kingdoms to arrive first. Dryl was landlocked.

"Hi Mermista! Hi Sea Hawk!" Entrapta waved, a section of her hair forming a giant hand. "Sorry for the wait. Hordak and I were in the middle of something."

The pirate raised an eyebrow at Entrapta's explanation. He took in her partial state of undress, a suggestive smile spreading across his face. "My dearest apologies for disrupting the action, Entrapta. We'll make our delivery swift." The pirate's eyes turned on Hordak next. His bright smile faded a few watts. "Nice hair."

"Hey, geeky princess. Why do you have a cage instead of a doorbell?" Mermista asked. She stood up with a huff, brushing dirt and cobwebs off her pants.

"You tried to use the front door as an entrance. The trap you stand in is the beginning of Crypto Castle's internal line of defense against outsiders." Entrapta explained for the other princess.

"...How stupid of me."

"Oh, don't feel bad! It's a common mistake among visitors. Now that I think about it, we should probably set up a designated delivery zone for visitors bringing clones," Entrapta mused, then blinked. "Where are the clones?"

"Still by the entrance. They weren't in range for your pitfall."

"I see… Hordak, could you let the clones in through the window entrance? I don't want to keep anyone waiting, and I need a second to remember the unlocking code for the cage down here."

Hordak assented. He turned for the exit, ignoring Mermista's shout of alarm. "You can't get us out of this?!"

Reaching the entrance Entrapta described was not a straightforward affair. A few days in the castle had given Hordak an idea of how to navigate, but he was no expert. He reminded himself that the current layout of Crypto Castle was Entrapta's own design. If he thought like Entrapta, he would find the entrance he sought.

Hordak paused in front of a cake painting. He let thoughts of his lab partner fill his mind, then turned to walk down a flight of stairs. To go up in this castle, one often needed to descend first.

He found a stepladder tucked away in a dead end. Hordak climbed the ladder with his eyes first. He allowed himself a small smile when he saw the window entrance's platform at the top. Success.

Hordak reached the top of the ladder in short order. He swung the glass door open with equal parts strength and dignity. He stepped into the view of a few dozen Horde Clones… and Octavia. One of his former Force Captains.

Octavia spoke first. "Lord Hordak! ...So that's how this castle works. Scorpia was right about this place being confusing."

"I am no longer the lord of anything… Octavia." Hordak hesitated. It felt strange to address her without a title. "Are these clones with you or the Salinean princess?"

"Mix of both. I rescued about half of this group from a pirate gang. Etheria's criminals are hunting your kind for vengeance now that the war's over. While I was on my way here, I came across a shipwreck in progress. Apparently Sea Hawk's newest boat has a wood rot problem. They had some clones on board." She smirked. "I don't have any reason to let them drown anymore, so I let the shanty lovers ride to shore with me. We stuck together on the way to Dryl too."

"I see." Hordak flipped the panel that unraveled stairs up to the window entrance. The staircase unfolded above the front door, covering the false floor that had trapped Mermista and Sea Hawk. Once the staircase was in place, Hordak held out his hand. "You may enter."

Octavia stood at the back of the pack, ushering her clone charges into the castle with the help of her stun baton. They hesitated, but obeyed. Several clones eyed Hordak with suspicion, but all seemed too stunned to speak.

Hm… Hordak could work with this.

Hordak led the group to the main audience chamber, only detouring twice on his way there. Waiting for them were Kadroh and Emily, two individuals Hordak had not seen for days. Kadroh wore a garish yellow cape over his shoulders. The cape's clasp reflected the chamber's light, rendering its inscription unreadable. "Welcome to your new home, brothers! It is I, your brother Kadroh."

A clone near the front squinted. "Home?"

"Kadroh?"

"Indeed! Starting today, us brothers shall live in this magnificent maze with Masters Hordak and Entrapta as our leaders. We shall do many fun things together!"

Hostilities flared at the mention of Entrapta's name. "The Disruptor!"

"She broke Lord Prime's hive mind. She severed our connection with the ruler of the known universe!"

A clone sniffled. "We were unable to stand by Lord Prime in his time of greatest need! We failed our Lord Prime."

Kadroh's face fell. "Do not be afraid, brothers. I too remember my first days away from the hive mind. They were confusing and painful, but I learned many new things along the way as well. Master Entrapta is a kind master. Her power topples empires, yet she gives names to all her creations. She offers them affection and repairs them when they are defective." Kadroh turned to Hordak. "Master Entrapta's power is stronger than Lord Prime's ever was. When Lord Prime ordered her execution, Master Hordak killed Lord Prime's physical form instead. Her work on Master Hordak has rendered him capable of feats we can only dream of."

Kadroh's eyes shone with adoration. "I pray that one day I shall be as blessed as Master Hordak. I was favored enough to share a name with him for a time. If you serve Master Entrapta, she will show you a similar benevolence."

Hordak picked up where Kadroh left off. "Live here, brothers, and your lives shall extend beyond Prime's downfall. Outside these walls, you are the target of vengeful killers. Within them, you are the builders of Entrapta's architecture. If you wish to once again belong to a cause greater than yourself, submit yourself to our command."

The clones glanced wordlessly among themselves. Most kept their faces blank, yet their green eyes shone with teary desperation. Together, they waited for a hive mind to order their actions. An internal compulsion that would never again be felt.

"...Do we deserve to live on, brothers?" A clone standing in the back spoke up. Tears swarmed across his cheeks. "We let our Lord Prime die. Lord Prime created us to serve him in his quest to bring light to the universe. Brothers who failed Lord Prime in the past perished without exception. What greater failure exists than allowing our leader to fall?"

"You should not have rescued us, dear sister. We are the useless soldiers of a dead ruler. If we cannot be dutiful, then we must at least be loyal." Half the clones bowed their heads in solidarity with the current speaker. "His fate shall be the same as ours."

"No it won't!"

Entrapta burst onto the scene, Mermista and Sea Hawk falling in behind her. Strangely enough, she'd taken the door opposite the side leading to her front trap room. Entrapta's nostrils flared as she took her place at Hordak's side. "Horde Prime might have created you to serve him, but you live for something more!"

Every unnamed clone in the room froze at the sound of Entrapta's voice. Dozens of green eyes examined her, many for the first time. They took in her limblike hair, her brilliant eyes, and her tightened fists. Her every muscle spoke of a resolve more powerful than any of them possessed. Her confidence to inspire their destiny soothed their most pressing doubts.

Hordak knew exactly what his brothers were feeling. He knew because he had felt it himself. A long time ago, in a sanctum far away, he had placed his life in this genius woman's hands. Prime may have created Hordak, but it was Entrapta who'd brought him to life.

One by one, the newly arrived clones fell to their knees. "You… are right, oh Great Disruptor. You broke us away from Lord Prime's hive mind to bring us into your own service. We accept your rule, Lady Entrapta. Your light illuminates us. We shall conquer any land you desire and end the life of all who stand in your way."

Mermista's mouth fell open. "Um… Entrapta? You aren't building an army in here, are you?"

"No, no!" Entrapta's hair lifted nearby clones to their feet. "Rise, please. I'm not here to put my thoughts in your head. You don't live for Horde Prime, and you don't live for me either."

"Then… I'm confused. Who do we live for?"

"Yourselves! I know you don't have names yet, or… identities, but you're going to find them. We're going to learn about each and every one of you together. I'd like it if you help me build things around my castle, but really, I brought you here to help you. Not for you to help me."

Like Kadroh, Entrapta chose to use Hordak as an example of her influence. "I might have helped Hordak with his imperfections, but he was Hordak before he met me too. He had his own name, his own abilities. He had likes and dislikes, robots and soldiers, and even Imp, his first friend! Years ago, your co-master Hordak was just like you. He learned how to be his own person on Etheria, and you will too."

Octavia broke the silence that followed with slow moving applause. "Well said, Lady 'Traps. I always did like your briefings best."

Entrapta beamed. "Thank you… former Horde soldier! And thank you for bringing these clones to me as well. We're going to have a great time together!"

"Yeah, so now that the delivery's complete, can you get us out of your castle?" Mermista asked. "I like, really hate this place."

Entrapta's face fell. A tendril of hair went to fold her mask over her features, but there was nothing there. "You didn't like my tour? I designed the castle's layout myself."

"No, it sucks. How does Dryl feel about its castle being a pointless maze, huh?"

Hordak took no pride in what he said next. His only justification was that he'd done it in Entrapta's defense. "Dryl ought to appreciate the fact. This fortress is far better defended than the Salineas Castle ever was."

Mermista rotated on one heel to face him. Her brown eyes burned blue as she summoned a retort. Entrapta let out a small scream at the sight.

Her voice came out as a growl. "What did you say?"

"Like Salineas, Dryl's castle serves as the main entry point for the rest of the kingdom. Unlike your kingdom, however, it does not rely on a single magic gate to maintain its defenses. While Salineas once placed all its faith in a single runestone, the Crypto Castle integrates First Ones power with robots capable of turning even simple cleaning devices into weapons. Combined with its perplexing layout and abundance of traps, Crypto Castle is capable of withstanding an extended siege from outsiders. One would be delusional to call the Horde siege of Salineas extended." Hordak relayed the facts. His tone matched Mermista's in dryness. "You would have benefited enormously from a castle like Entrapta's."

Mermista growled incoherently. Sea Hawk laid a hand on her shoulder, which she threw off. The pirate turned to Hordak, eyes wide and cheeks pale. "I thought the treaty said you had to give up violence."

"I have. Did you see me lay a hand on your princess?"

"Ooh." One of the unnamed clones cooed.

Hordak might have left Mermista untouched, but Mermista did not return the courtesy. She closed the distance between Hordak and herself and grabbed the metal part of Hordak's arm. He could feel the strength of her grip. "What is your game?! You say you're done with war, but your armor says otherwise. If you ever invade Salineas again, I will personally hold you down in the deepest ocean trenches while you scream for breath. No one will ever find your body."

Hordak debated his next move. His first instinct was to break the princess's fingers, but that could be used against him by the Princess Alliance. The new order was fragile. If the other princesses believed Hordak had broken the treaty's terms even once, they would throw him in prison. Entrapta would have to orient the clones to Etheria by herself.

His other options were equally unappealing. Pulling away would show weakness, but verbal threats would escalate the princess's aggression. Hordak doubted his newest suit was waterproof.

Before Hordak could decide what to do, Octavia entered the argument on Hordak's side. "Yeah, and how are you gonna get close enough to do that? Last time Lo- Hordak and I were in Salineas, the pirates fought us harder than your army did. I thought Hordak returning to the field meant our battle would be less boring. Though I did like the weather we had there..."

"What is your problem?!" Mermista released Hordak's arm to confront Octavia. "If you want us dead, why did you bother to rescue us?"

"Because I don't want you dead, dummy. War's over, remember? But look: that doesn't change the fact that your kingdom's military sucks major barnacles. Maybe if you looked honestly at how the Horde wrecked your kingdom in the past, you can build a safer one for the future."

Hordak built on Octavia's idea. "I don't want your kingdom, Princess. If I did, why would I tell you how I took it the first time? Would I not keep your weaknesses as a secret I could exploit at a later date?"

"Maybe you could build a better castle, Mermista. Everyone on Etheria is rebuilding right now. Why not renovate too? I could help! I've never had a chance to make something underwater before." Entrapta re-entered the conversation, eyes shining with possibilities. "It could be really fun!"

Mermista's eyes stayed wild, but she no longer looked like she wanted to attack anyone. "How do I… uggggggggh. Everything is broken. Etheria's magic being free means the tides are all different now. My powers are a mess. How do I fix anything like this?"

Octavia seized the opportunity. "Hire me, Princess. I'm a soldier. The Horde might not exist anymore, but this captain knows force when she sees it. If you want a military that doesn't flee at the first sign of laser cannons, put me in charge of it."

"How can I trust you?"

"Don't do it right away," Hordak advised. "Make Octavia start in the bottom of your ranks. Force her to earn your trust. She's a clever enough soldier to rise regardless of where you let her begin."

Mermista didn't accept Hordak's proposal to his face, but he could tell she was considering it. She examined Octavia from head to toe, eyes narrowed.

While she was inspecting the former Force Captain, Sea Hawk leaned over to whisper a question to Entrapta. He likely believed Hordak couldn't hear him. "About what you said earlier… you and Hordak were 'occupied' when we arrived."

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Your… software and his hardware. Is it… compatible?" An odd question, coming from the pirate. Beyond posing as an inspector once, Sea Hawk had no technical inclinations to speak of.

Entrapta's eyes lit up. "Very! We've been working on seamless integration ever since I lived in the Fright Zone."

Sea Hawk's reaction to that statement was… concerning. He pulled back, eyes receding into his sockets even as his mouth spread into a grin. Color spread back into his cheeks. The man looked ready to sing.

Before he could, Mermista announced her decision to the crowd. "Octavia can come back to Salineas with us. I'll… talk to my general about her.

"Sea Hawk, come on. We can find our own way out."

Octavia followed the pair out, taking one last look at Hordak as she left. "Thanks for the good word, old boss."

Hordak nodded in acknowledgement. And so a diss on Crypto Castle's layout became Salineas's chance at military redemption. Despite Hordak's distaste for Mermista, he hoped they pulled it off. Salineas had the resources and talent to be a formidable naval power. Its rulers had squandered that potential for too long, relying on their magical inheritances while allowing crime to fester in their seas.

Entrapta sent Emily off to guide their departing guests. As the robot crawled out of the room, she lifted herself onto her hair to ensure all the clones could see her. "Hello friends. Sorry about the minor delay in our start time. Today is going to be super fun!"

The new clones gave her puzzled looks. "Fun?"

"Yeah! I have everything planned. It's going to be great. I know you clones have a lot of rituals. Who's ready to learn a new one?" Entrapta raised her hand, hoping the clones would follow her lead. None did.

"It is incredible, brothers. I have completed the ritual myself," Kadroh spoke up for the first time in a while. He held up part of his yellow cape, alluding to the ritual's contents. "Follow us now!"

Entrapta, Hordak, and Kadroh led their first batch of clones to an open, well ventilated space in the side courtyard. Leaning against the outer wall were giant vats of dye in every color (except light green, the color most associated with Horde Prime). Next to the vats was a table with blank metal bars and an engraving bot. As the sun set behind the castle, lamps of purple light cast the scene in an otherworldly hue. A soft, cold breeze on Hordak's skin gave the air a crisp freshness.

"I call this ritual the Rite of Personalization. When you came to Etheria, you clones all had matching white capes. We're going to use those for the ritual today. If you have lost your cape or it has been damaged beyond your liking, a new cape will be provided for you. One at a time, each of you will take your cape and drop it in a vat of dye. Choose the color that speaks to you in the moment. Once you retrieve your cape from the vat, the dye will take a few minutes to dry. Wait while it does."

So far, so good. The clones were still confused by the concept of individual choice, so letting them begin with simple matters was appropriate. There were no crises to be had over the color of a cape. No, Hordak's concerns related more to the next set of instructions.

"Once your cape is dry, bring it to me at the table over there. The metal bars are clasps that double as name tags. Once you pick a name, it will be engraved into the tag by a bot. I'll attach it to your cape, and bam!" Entrapta's hair poofed out for emphasis. "You have begun to personalize. Ritual complete! When everyone is done, we'll go back into the castle. You will find your sleeping quarters and enjoy some rest. Any questions?"

"We… we shall choose our own names? We have never had names before. Would you grant them to us, oh Great Disruptor?"

Entrapta shrugged. "I can help you with them, but it's going to be your name at the end of the day. I want you to make sure it's a name you want to be called. Not only will you refer to yourself by your name, but other beings will know you by your name as well. You need to be sure you like it.

"Oh, and one more thing! No clones can have the same name as someone else. I'll be keeping a record of everyone's name to make sure it doesn't happen by accident." She clapped. "Now let's go!"

Clones at the front of the group removed their capes, watching the vats of dye with trepidation. Hordak and Kadroh stepped forward to take the lids off while Entrapta turned her engraving bot on for the night. Hordak deliberately arranged it so that he would finish opening vats closest to Entrapta while Kadroh stood at the opposite side of the courtyard.

After much coaxing, the first clone dropped their cape into forest green dye. When he lifted the article of clothing, the dye reached up to his forearm. Green droplets rolled off the cap back into the vat while Kadroh cheered, "beautiful choice, brother! The green of the foliage on this planet is a sight to behold. You will look just like the trees."

Once one of their number made the choice to start the ritual, more clones stepped forward. They got capes in brown, orange, red, purple, blue… even hot pink. The process was extremely messy, but none of the clones minded the fact that their body parts were also a new color. To them, that was part of the experience. After each new dye drop, the brothers complimented each other on their color choices, comparing the hue to something they'd seen on Etheria. Their attitude towards this ritual was jovial, a contrast to the ceremonial affairs Horde clones were familiar with.

Hordak couldn't help but smile. The innocent wonder of his brothers was a far cry from Hordak's first experiences on Etheria. Back then, he had been bloody, broken, and banished from all he'd ever known. Determined to regain his stolen pride, Hordak had seen Etheria only for how it could be conquered. Beauty had taken many years to enter his life, and when it did…

He combed through his hair with one hand. In a way, he had completed the Rite of Personalization a few days ago.

"It's dry!"

The voice cut through chatter, grinding the easy conversation to a halt. All watched as the freshly green cape and its owner approached Entrapta's table. Fear permeated the courtyard, as if Prime could arrive at any moment and punish his clones for seeking a forbidden name.

If Entrapta noticed the fear, she did not acknowledge it. "Oh, this is pretty! Very even coating on the dye job. Now, what name do you want?"

"Uh…" the clone stammered. "Brother Kadroh said something about my cape looking like foliage. I… I like that word. I want to be called Folie… if it pleases you, oh Great Disruptor!"

"Folie, huh? I like it! Very cute." Entrapta placed a metal bar into her bot's mouth, then input the five letters Folie had requested. When the engraving was complete, she attached the new clasp to Folie's cape. "There you go, Folie. Congratulations on a successful ritual."

Folie glanced around the courtyard, still waiting to be struck down. When no assault rained down from the heavens, he accepted his cape back and waited near the courtyard entrance.

Emboldened once again by Folie's bravery, more clones stepped forward to declare their names. Some named themselves after people they had met on Etheria, like Octavius and Misto did. Others named themselves after objects or food, as was the case for Spear and Apple. In a twist of irony, Apple's cape was blue, not red.

Entrapta went along with any name the clones presented her, only modifying them slightly if the name was taken by someone she knew. She complimented each name, even the asinine ones.

The rest of Etheria may not have come to terms with the clones' presence, but they were adapting to Etheria at a remarkable pace. Hordak felt… proud of how fast his brothers were adjusting to their new life. They had a peace within themselves that had taken Hordak decades to achieve. Perhaps that was one more way in which Hordak was defective. He did not adapt to change as well as his brothers did.

At least he had Entrapta's favor. So long as his brothers continued to give her distance and respect, Hordak could keep his place at her side. He could still prove to her he did not need to be replaced.

Never again would Hordak allow himself to become replaceable.

A/N's: I laid the foundation for the final smut in this chapter. Contrary to what Sea Hawk now believes, these two have not had sex with each other yet. I originally had Bow arrive in this chapter, but his role has been moved to a later chapter. I feel like Sea Hawk and Mermista were a good choice for the first shipment, and Octavia brought the scene together. The final ritual scene is meant to be an inverse of Prime's purification ritual. Both involve colorful pools, but one wipes your mind while the other lets you find yourself.

The clones were fun to write, guys. I love them already. I hope you enjoyed them too.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed yourself, and please leave a comment if you can!