Chapter 18- She-Ra
"Be sure to rotate patrols regularly. I want four shifts instead of three on guard duty every twelve hours. Hordak wants this accursed tower warded well, I intend to see it done right."
"Aye, Commanding General." The officer saluted smartly, then turning on her heel, returned to her post. Commanding General Onyx squeezed her legs together, urging the beast beneath her to an angry trot. It was always angry. Its rage sustained her when her own exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her resources.
Theirs was a symbiotic relationship, the spiritual energies of the Horde- steed fed off her own will, returning power and rage to her. In this heightened state of violent emotion Onyx was always ready to snap. Her control being tested to the limit, she knew she was close to breaking. The beasts muscles moved beneath her. Her body rocked in a gentle rhythm as she circled the town. She ignored the sweat dripping down her forehead, in spite of the frigid weather. She also ignored the ache in her thighs and lower back due to endless hours perched in the saddle. What she could not ignore was the buzz of energy emanating from the spectral tower at the apex of Rendwoll. It added to her irritation, making her head throb. But she was a soldier and a soldier was used to discomfort. She scowled at her thoughts, berating herself harshly for her lapse into self-pity.
The city wall was rebuilt, the ion canons fully charged in case of assault. No one could get in or out of the village, except through the front gate. As Force Captain Adora, Onyx had been to Rendwoll several times with Hordak; overseeing tax collection and participating in training exercises in the fields outside the town. As She-Ra, she had been here twice on recruitment missions. Never had the town possessed any aura of magic or power. But now, it practically vibrated with magical fervency. If there was one thing Adora could sense it was the presence of power. Wielding the Sword of Protection for seven years, channeling the awesome power of Grayskull through the sword and into her body for so long, left her with a strong and uncanny sixth sense about such things.
The power emanated from the tower. Her first inclination was to enter the Ivory Citadel which thrust from the earth like a giant fist raised in defiance to the rest of the world. Hordak, however, left explicit instructions only dire need should dictate she breach the doors to the building. Besides, Onyx had a feeling the power in the building was not for her, or Adora. It was a power that belonged to someone specific. She would be an interloper in the tower, and the tower would not willingly tolerate the presence of strangers. Onyx shuddered in the chill air of the evening, forcing her gaze away from the shimmering obelisk.
Only two cities stood free on Etheria. Brightmoon, under siege, with no hope of rescue and Mysticor. The last hope of the rebels would fall after her sister city's destruction. Pockets of resistance plagued horde troops in various places but they were minor annoyances, nothing threatening. Some small kingdoms around the mountains still offered token resistance but they would quickly be subdued. Soon Etheria would be conquered and the people would either submit to slavery or unite and rise up as one. The beast beneath her reared suddenly. Onyx, unprepared was thrown several feet into the air. She screamed, landing with a thud on the hard earth.
"What the-"
Adora. Adora. I need you.
"What! Who. who's there?" Adora muttered to the air.
Step outside the forcefield. The energy from the tower is preventing me from communicating clearly.
"Who is it?" Adora asked out loud. Only the night responded. Its silence was deafening. The stars beckoning her, bugs cried out, foliage crunched as serpents slithered. Adora was not afraid. She moved forward, vaulting over the wall in one smooth motion. "Alright, show yourself!" She commanded.
Do you not remember me, dear friend? There was a chiding, yet wistful note in the voice in her head, which now spoke clearly and strong rather than the muffled whisper it had been.
"Light Hope." It was a statement. There was no pleasure in her voice, no warmth. Adora had been alone, trapped in the role of Onyx for too long. She knew she should be less stiff, more caring, but she couldn't seem to find the desire to care inside her. "what do you want?" She sounded bored.
Step through the portal. Suddenly a golden gloriole of shimmering star streaks appeared before her, ocular in shape. It was a dimensional gateway, similar to the one she used to travel to Eternia, where her brother lived.
"Why?" She asked, making no move to enter the portal. Something inside of her was unwinding, something dark and angry and cold. "I don't have time for this. I need to return before I am missed." She turned to leap back over the wall.
PRINCESS OF POWER YOU MADE A VOW TO PROTECT THIS PLANET. YOU WILL ENTER THE PORTAL.
Adora flinched in shock, trembling in fear as the power of the voice vibrated down her spine and into the depths of her very soul a chill wash of compulsion overtook her will. She found herself turning back to the portal. It was as if a war were being waged inside her skin. Half of her was screaming to run, in fury and wrath, to return to the village, call for backup; and another half, a buried and forgotten half, was pushing her into the portal. Forgotten Duty warred with angry desire and each second brought her closer to the portal. Why was she fighting? She was Horde. She feared nothing. People feared her. With a toss of her hair, lifting her chin, she willingly took the final step through the gateway. Instantaneously Adora appeared within the Crystal Castle and it was as if a spell were broken. She was horrified at what she had almost done.
"Light Hope! I. I'm sorry. I forgot who I was. I. I got muddled!" There was a haunted, shocked quality in her voice that frightened her more than her actions. A shimmering coruscation of rainbow light, flowing like a waterfall in reverse from the center of the floor before her, greeted her abrupt entrance. The love emanating in waves from the being of light seemed to permeate every molecule of Adora's body, erasing the anger and hate she had fed off of for so long. Adora was returned as reality shifted and Onyx was put back in her place, subordinate to Adora's will. Waves of golden light shot from the guardian of the Crystal Castle, traveling through Adora's body, entering her chest and exiting her back like ephemeral golden comets, soothing the pain and the emotional calluses she had been forced to grow. It was a baptism of love and Adora was renewed.
"I am returned dear friend!" Adora cried out through her tears.
I am gladdened champion of life.
"What can I do to be of aid?" Adora asked decisively; she knew only dire circumstances would compel Light Hope to pull her out of her cover.
The princess Glimmer and Ahgo King of Trolls lay dying within the camp outside of Brightmoon. Without She-Ra's immediate aid they will die. The rebellion will lose two of its noblest and most heroic champions. All hope may die with them.
Adora swallowed past the lump in her throat but couldn't stop the small gasp of emotional pain that escaped her lips.
"Light Hope, I don't know if the sword will work for me. Ever since I killed Leech- it is different or I am different. I. I can not bring myself to touch the naked blade!" Adora's eyes burned with shame and fear. "The Sorceress told me- she warned me not to kill with the sword but I did not heed her warning. It was my blade that severed Leeches head from his neck."
I do not know what consequences will come about if you use the sword to transform. I do know what will happen to Princess Glimmer and King Ahgo if you do not try. The choice is yours. Both the first ones and myself, all the guardians of Etheria's hope and custodians of the past, the many who gave there lives to prepare for this time in Etheria's history, trust that you will make the right decision.
Adora heard his words not just with her ears but in her heart. In her mind she saw Flutterina, her delicate beauty encouraging her to be bold; she saw the six small forms of the dead children, the ones in whose name she began her mad quest for unity at any cost. She beheld the council of the first ones as they had been in that place between life and death, darkness and light. They believed in her. So many depended on her. Then she thought of Glimmer, the fiery princess of rebels, she remembered the innocent warmth with which the princess had greeted her when she first joined the rebellion. Glimmer was an endless source of strength in those early days. Her naïve belief that good would triumph, and right would win against the odds arrayed against them, inspired Adora and countless others when hope seemed most distant.
Adora made her choice.
"Light Hope, where is Spirit. I will change- but I fear being alone." She heard her voice tremble and felt a wash of warmth from the Crystal Castle's guardian.
He is in Mysticor, dear heart.
"I must retrieve the sword." Her voice quavered in spite of her resolve.
A portal opened before her.
Good journey, Princess of Power.
"Good Journey, my friend. Thank you. Thank you for helping me find my way back to myself." In an instant, she vanished.
Adora appeared outside of her lodgings; a lavish, tent-like construction, about thirty feet in diameter. She held council's here, with her force captains and honor guard. Purposefully, she entered her quarters, heading straight for the back where her trunks were kept. There were two of them stacked together, near a small wooden table, rough and splintered on wobbling legs. A map of the area was spread over its unsanded surface. She bent over, heaving the top trunk aside. It landed on the earthen floor with a solid thud. Dust made a small gray cloud in the air around it, but to this, Adora paid no heed as she opened the second trunk. Adora pulled out her old force captain's outfit, the red suede arousing a flush of yearning in her heart to be back in the whispering woods with her friends, laughing beside a camp fire over some oddball remark Madame would make. Blinking back the tears threatening to fall, she made herself concentrate on Glimmer's need.
Beneath a few items of apparel was a bolt of crimson velvet. Wrapped within the velvet was her sword. Adora pulled it out of the trunk, still wrapped in the soft material and headed toward the exit. Once outside the tent, as if on cue, another portal appeared before her. She entered without hesitation. On the other side she found Spirit awaiting her arrival. He nickered joyfully, trotting to her side.
"Oh Spirit!" Adora gasped, as he fondly nuzzled her chest with his muzzle, small nickering noises emitting from his throat, expressing the joy he felt at being reunited with his long absent mistress and friend. Tears once again swam in her eyes, blurring her vision, but this time she wept with joy and a fierce surge of love rose within her breast as she clung tight to Spirit's auburn mane. She allowed herself a few brief moments to revel in the luxury of being loved, before pulling away, and looking into the wide, intelligent eyes of her equine companion.
"Glimmer needs our help Spirit! We can't let her down. She needs She-Ra, though, not me, and Swift-Wind can get her there faster than anything else." Spirit pawed the ground, lifting his head as if in understanding. Taking a breath Adora forced herself to grip the sword in her hand, allowing the crimson material to fall to the ground.
Immediately a wave of malevolence rose from the blade, enveloping her in a dark and malice-filled miasma. Adora was driven to her knees as the assault on her spirit increased in strength. A frightened gasp found its way past her constricted throat and terror engulfed her. A will, not her own was fighting for dominance of her being. Something was inside her head, sifting through her thoughts and memories. It was vicious, ripping and tearing through her mind, visions of her life flashed in brutal clarity across her psyche as she relived every hateful, hurtful action, thought and deed. Pain held her in its thrall now, and refused to let go. Adora suddenly realized she could not release the sword, even if she wanted to.
Spirit reared on his hind legs, nostrils flaring in panic and fear. He knew something was not right. He pranced and bucked nervously around Adora's trembling form, equine screams of fear and concern emitting from his powerful throat as he watched helplessly as his mistress endured a torment he did not understand.
Adora could feel the malice of the will in her mind as it dominated her thoughts with savage enjoyment, causing her to relive every bestial moment of Leeches execution. Suddenly Adora somehow knew that part of the will was Leech. She could feel him, oozing through her thoughts, gloating and triumphant as he forced her to her knees, reveling in his power over his former commander, even in death. Suddenly something shifted in Adora's brain. Pain exploded with feral intensity behind her eyes. If possible she would have screamed. Then, like a marionette, being jerked on a string Adora shot to her feet. An essence other than her own controlled her now, as she thrust her arm into the dark night sky.
Moonlight and starlight caressed the silver blade of precious metal. Words unuttered in thousands of years were forced from her fear fettered throat.
"For the Honor, of Grayskull!" Powerful sparks ejaculated violently from the sword tip, spraying Mysticor's central garden with a starburst of golden ebullience. "I yield to hero's judgment!" Pain splintered and coruscated down Adora's entire body. Emerald fire raced the length and breadth of her limbs. It seemed as if Grayskulls power was flowing into her body and tearing her open from the inside. Then in a flash the pyrotechnics were gone. Adora crumpled to the ground. She was transformed, she thought, with an oddly detached part of her mind.
She didn't think she would be able to heal Glimmer though. Or Ahgo, either. Adora knew, even though she was now She-Ra, she was dying. She could feel her life slipping from her body, she knew a great psychic wound had opened inside her and if it was not closed she would die. The pain was intense, but nowhere near as bad as it had been when she transformed. Adora knew, though part of the will that had invaded her had been almost like an echo of Leech a large part of it- the part that had judged her- was the will governing the power of her sword. Powers bestowed on it by the ones who had forged it, endowing it with all the powers of Grayskull.
Swift Wind stood over his supine friend, worry clouding his doe-eyed gaze.
"She-Ra, what is wrong? I sense your pain." She-Ra smiled sadly at her friend. She reached a trembling hand towards his velvet soft coat, stroking his forelimb, unable to sit up and embrace him, so great was her agony.
"I am dying, my friend." Swift Wind whinnied in angry protest.
"Nay, friend! Etheria needs its champion! She-Ra you must not die!" She- ra sighed softly.
"It is not my choice. I only wish." Her voice faded and tears the pain could not wrest from her welled and fell from eyes blue as cerulean seas, yet clouded with ineffable sadness and world-weary acceptance.
"Tell me, dear friend."
"I will die without telling Bow how I feel. He will live on never knowing I." Her voice cracked and she could not continue. Swift Wind snorted in defiance.
"Hang on my friend. Though I cannot heal you, this I can change. Don't die. Please, just don't die!" With a terrified whinny Swift Wind leapt into the air, flying toward the castle gates at Mysticor.
"Be sure to rotate patrols regularly. I want four shifts instead of three on guard duty every twelve hours. Hordak wants this accursed tower warded well, I intend to see it done right."
"Aye, Commanding General." The officer saluted smartly, then turning on her heel, returned to her post. Commanding General Onyx squeezed her legs together, urging the beast beneath her to an angry trot. It was always angry. Its rage sustained her when her own exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her resources.
Theirs was a symbiotic relationship, the spiritual energies of the Horde- steed fed off her own will, returning power and rage to her. In this heightened state of violent emotion Onyx was always ready to snap. Her control being tested to the limit, she knew she was close to breaking. The beasts muscles moved beneath her. Her body rocked in a gentle rhythm as she circled the town. She ignored the sweat dripping down her forehead, in spite of the frigid weather. She also ignored the ache in her thighs and lower back due to endless hours perched in the saddle. What she could not ignore was the buzz of energy emanating from the spectral tower at the apex of Rendwoll. It added to her irritation, making her head throb. But she was a soldier and a soldier was used to discomfort. She scowled at her thoughts, berating herself harshly for her lapse into self-pity.
The city wall was rebuilt, the ion canons fully charged in case of assault. No one could get in or out of the village, except through the front gate. As Force Captain Adora, Onyx had been to Rendwoll several times with Hordak; overseeing tax collection and participating in training exercises in the fields outside the town. As She-Ra, she had been here twice on recruitment missions. Never had the town possessed any aura of magic or power. But now, it practically vibrated with magical fervency. If there was one thing Adora could sense it was the presence of power. Wielding the Sword of Protection for seven years, channeling the awesome power of Grayskull through the sword and into her body for so long, left her with a strong and uncanny sixth sense about such things.
The power emanated from the tower. Her first inclination was to enter the Ivory Citadel which thrust from the earth like a giant fist raised in defiance to the rest of the world. Hordak, however, left explicit instructions only dire need should dictate she breach the doors to the building. Besides, Onyx had a feeling the power in the building was not for her, or Adora. It was a power that belonged to someone specific. She would be an interloper in the tower, and the tower would not willingly tolerate the presence of strangers. Onyx shuddered in the chill air of the evening, forcing her gaze away from the shimmering obelisk.
Only two cities stood free on Etheria. Brightmoon, under siege, with no hope of rescue and Mysticor. The last hope of the rebels would fall after her sister city's destruction. Pockets of resistance plagued horde troops in various places but they were minor annoyances, nothing threatening. Some small kingdoms around the mountains still offered token resistance but they would quickly be subdued. Soon Etheria would be conquered and the people would either submit to slavery or unite and rise up as one. The beast beneath her reared suddenly. Onyx, unprepared was thrown several feet into the air. She screamed, landing with a thud on the hard earth.
"What the-"
Adora. Adora. I need you.
"What! Who. who's there?" Adora muttered to the air.
Step outside the forcefield. The energy from the tower is preventing me from communicating clearly.
"Who is it?" Adora asked out loud. Only the night responded. Its silence was deafening. The stars beckoning her, bugs cried out, foliage crunched as serpents slithered. Adora was not afraid. She moved forward, vaulting over the wall in one smooth motion. "Alright, show yourself!" She commanded.
Do you not remember me, dear friend? There was a chiding, yet wistful note in the voice in her head, which now spoke clearly and strong rather than the muffled whisper it had been.
"Light Hope." It was a statement. There was no pleasure in her voice, no warmth. Adora had been alone, trapped in the role of Onyx for too long. She knew she should be less stiff, more caring, but she couldn't seem to find the desire to care inside her. "what do you want?" She sounded bored.
Step through the portal. Suddenly a golden gloriole of shimmering star streaks appeared before her, ocular in shape. It was a dimensional gateway, similar to the one she used to travel to Eternia, where her brother lived.
"Why?" She asked, making no move to enter the portal. Something inside of her was unwinding, something dark and angry and cold. "I don't have time for this. I need to return before I am missed." She turned to leap back over the wall.
PRINCESS OF POWER YOU MADE A VOW TO PROTECT THIS PLANET. YOU WILL ENTER THE PORTAL.
Adora flinched in shock, trembling in fear as the power of the voice vibrated down her spine and into the depths of her very soul a chill wash of compulsion overtook her will. She found herself turning back to the portal. It was as if a war were being waged inside her skin. Half of her was screaming to run, in fury and wrath, to return to the village, call for backup; and another half, a buried and forgotten half, was pushing her into the portal. Forgotten Duty warred with angry desire and each second brought her closer to the portal. Why was she fighting? She was Horde. She feared nothing. People feared her. With a toss of her hair, lifting her chin, she willingly took the final step through the gateway. Instantaneously Adora appeared within the Crystal Castle and it was as if a spell were broken. She was horrified at what she had almost done.
"Light Hope! I. I'm sorry. I forgot who I was. I. I got muddled!" There was a haunted, shocked quality in her voice that frightened her more than her actions. A shimmering coruscation of rainbow light, flowing like a waterfall in reverse from the center of the floor before her, greeted her abrupt entrance. The love emanating in waves from the being of light seemed to permeate every molecule of Adora's body, erasing the anger and hate she had fed off of for so long. Adora was returned as reality shifted and Onyx was put back in her place, subordinate to Adora's will. Waves of golden light shot from the guardian of the Crystal Castle, traveling through Adora's body, entering her chest and exiting her back like ephemeral golden comets, soothing the pain and the emotional calluses she had been forced to grow. It was a baptism of love and Adora was renewed.
"I am returned dear friend!" Adora cried out through her tears.
I am gladdened champion of life.
"What can I do to be of aid?" Adora asked decisively; she knew only dire circumstances would compel Light Hope to pull her out of her cover.
The princess Glimmer and Ahgo King of Trolls lay dying within the camp outside of Brightmoon. Without She-Ra's immediate aid they will die. The rebellion will lose two of its noblest and most heroic champions. All hope may die with them.
Adora swallowed past the lump in her throat but couldn't stop the small gasp of emotional pain that escaped her lips.
"Light Hope, I don't know if the sword will work for me. Ever since I killed Leech- it is different or I am different. I. I can not bring myself to touch the naked blade!" Adora's eyes burned with shame and fear. "The Sorceress told me- she warned me not to kill with the sword but I did not heed her warning. It was my blade that severed Leeches head from his neck."
I do not know what consequences will come about if you use the sword to transform. I do know what will happen to Princess Glimmer and King Ahgo if you do not try. The choice is yours. Both the first ones and myself, all the guardians of Etheria's hope and custodians of the past, the many who gave there lives to prepare for this time in Etheria's history, trust that you will make the right decision.
Adora heard his words not just with her ears but in her heart. In her mind she saw Flutterina, her delicate beauty encouraging her to be bold; she saw the six small forms of the dead children, the ones in whose name she began her mad quest for unity at any cost. She beheld the council of the first ones as they had been in that place between life and death, darkness and light. They believed in her. So many depended on her. Then she thought of Glimmer, the fiery princess of rebels, she remembered the innocent warmth with which the princess had greeted her when she first joined the rebellion. Glimmer was an endless source of strength in those early days. Her naïve belief that good would triumph, and right would win against the odds arrayed against them, inspired Adora and countless others when hope seemed most distant.
Adora made her choice.
"Light Hope, where is Spirit. I will change- but I fear being alone." She heard her voice tremble and felt a wash of warmth from the Crystal Castle's guardian.
He is in Mysticor, dear heart.
"I must retrieve the sword." Her voice quavered in spite of her resolve.
A portal opened before her.
Good journey, Princess of Power.
"Good Journey, my friend. Thank you. Thank you for helping me find my way back to myself." In an instant, she vanished.
Adora appeared outside of her lodgings; a lavish, tent-like construction, about thirty feet in diameter. She held council's here, with her force captains and honor guard. Purposefully, she entered her quarters, heading straight for the back where her trunks were kept. There were two of them stacked together, near a small wooden table, rough and splintered on wobbling legs. A map of the area was spread over its unsanded surface. She bent over, heaving the top trunk aside. It landed on the earthen floor with a solid thud. Dust made a small gray cloud in the air around it, but to this, Adora paid no heed as she opened the second trunk. Adora pulled out her old force captain's outfit, the red suede arousing a flush of yearning in her heart to be back in the whispering woods with her friends, laughing beside a camp fire over some oddball remark Madame would make. Blinking back the tears threatening to fall, she made herself concentrate on Glimmer's need.
Beneath a few items of apparel was a bolt of crimson velvet. Wrapped within the velvet was her sword. Adora pulled it out of the trunk, still wrapped in the soft material and headed toward the exit. Once outside the tent, as if on cue, another portal appeared before her. She entered without hesitation. On the other side she found Spirit awaiting her arrival. He nickered joyfully, trotting to her side.
"Oh Spirit!" Adora gasped, as he fondly nuzzled her chest with his muzzle, small nickering noises emitting from his throat, expressing the joy he felt at being reunited with his long absent mistress and friend. Tears once again swam in her eyes, blurring her vision, but this time she wept with joy and a fierce surge of love rose within her breast as she clung tight to Spirit's auburn mane. She allowed herself a few brief moments to revel in the luxury of being loved, before pulling away, and looking into the wide, intelligent eyes of her equine companion.
"Glimmer needs our help Spirit! We can't let her down. She needs She-Ra, though, not me, and Swift-Wind can get her there faster than anything else." Spirit pawed the ground, lifting his head as if in understanding. Taking a breath Adora forced herself to grip the sword in her hand, allowing the crimson material to fall to the ground.
Immediately a wave of malevolence rose from the blade, enveloping her in a dark and malice-filled miasma. Adora was driven to her knees as the assault on her spirit increased in strength. A frightened gasp found its way past her constricted throat and terror engulfed her. A will, not her own was fighting for dominance of her being. Something was inside her head, sifting through her thoughts and memories. It was vicious, ripping and tearing through her mind, visions of her life flashed in brutal clarity across her psyche as she relived every hateful, hurtful action, thought and deed. Pain held her in its thrall now, and refused to let go. Adora suddenly realized she could not release the sword, even if she wanted to.
Spirit reared on his hind legs, nostrils flaring in panic and fear. He knew something was not right. He pranced and bucked nervously around Adora's trembling form, equine screams of fear and concern emitting from his powerful throat as he watched helplessly as his mistress endured a torment he did not understand.
Adora could feel the malice of the will in her mind as it dominated her thoughts with savage enjoyment, causing her to relive every bestial moment of Leeches execution. Suddenly Adora somehow knew that part of the will was Leech. She could feel him, oozing through her thoughts, gloating and triumphant as he forced her to her knees, reveling in his power over his former commander, even in death. Suddenly something shifted in Adora's brain. Pain exploded with feral intensity behind her eyes. If possible she would have screamed. Then, like a marionette, being jerked on a string Adora shot to her feet. An essence other than her own controlled her now, as she thrust her arm into the dark night sky.
Moonlight and starlight caressed the silver blade of precious metal. Words unuttered in thousands of years were forced from her fear fettered throat.
"For the Honor, of Grayskull!" Powerful sparks ejaculated violently from the sword tip, spraying Mysticor's central garden with a starburst of golden ebullience. "I yield to hero's judgment!" Pain splintered and coruscated down Adora's entire body. Emerald fire raced the length and breadth of her limbs. It seemed as if Grayskulls power was flowing into her body and tearing her open from the inside. Then in a flash the pyrotechnics were gone. Adora crumpled to the ground. She was transformed, she thought, with an oddly detached part of her mind.
She didn't think she would be able to heal Glimmer though. Or Ahgo, either. Adora knew, even though she was now She-Ra, she was dying. She could feel her life slipping from her body, she knew a great psychic wound had opened inside her and if it was not closed she would die. The pain was intense, but nowhere near as bad as it had been when she transformed. Adora knew, though part of the will that had invaded her had been almost like an echo of Leech a large part of it- the part that had judged her- was the will governing the power of her sword. Powers bestowed on it by the ones who had forged it, endowing it with all the powers of Grayskull.
Swift Wind stood over his supine friend, worry clouding his doe-eyed gaze.
"She-Ra, what is wrong? I sense your pain." She-Ra smiled sadly at her friend. She reached a trembling hand towards his velvet soft coat, stroking his forelimb, unable to sit up and embrace him, so great was her agony.
"I am dying, my friend." Swift Wind whinnied in angry protest.
"Nay, friend! Etheria needs its champion! She-Ra you must not die!" She- ra sighed softly.
"It is not my choice. I only wish." Her voice faded and tears the pain could not wrest from her welled and fell from eyes blue as cerulean seas, yet clouded with ineffable sadness and world-weary acceptance.
"Tell me, dear friend."
"I will die without telling Bow how I feel. He will live on never knowing I." Her voice cracked and she could not continue. Swift Wind snorted in defiance.
"Hang on my friend. Though I cannot heal you, this I can change. Don't die. Please, just don't die!" With a terrified whinny Swift Wind leapt into the air, flying toward the castle gates at Mysticor.