Bow gripped his bow, his eyes to the sky, keeping an arrow nocked just in case. Prime's forces hadn't fully breached the woods yet, but the spybots were everywhere and the last thing he wanted to do was bring the whole galactic army to his dads' door. He'd wrestled with whether it was worth the risk to go at all, but he couldn't stand not knowing if they were OK. If the Library looked like Bright Moon did, if they hadn't been able to get out in time…
No. They were going to be fine. The library was really remote. The woods had always kept it hidden and it would protect them now, too. Prime wouldn't have any reason to bother with it.
He kept repeating it to himself like a mantra because he didn't even want to consider the alternative. The things he'd seen in the last few days were burned into his memory: entire towns leveled, burned out villages with nobody left alive, ancient places that felt indestructible blasted down to nothing. Every time they moved camp there were less of them.
It wasn't even that long a walk to the library from the rebellion's latest hiding place, but every step felt like an eternity, weighed down by worries. He kept his senses tuned for anything unusual, but that was the thing about the Whispering Woods: everything was unusual, even if you'd grown up here. And it was stupid, because he'd lived in the woods his entire life, but they'd spent so much time here together—playing, adventuring, looking for tech—that the woods had become yet another thing he associated with her.
He could almost pretend he was sneaking off to see her right now. Jumpy, because what if his dads caught him? And then he'd get close to Bright Moon, and she'd appear in a poof of magic, her eyes sparkling, that beautiful smile on her face. Then she'd laugh and wrap her arms around his neck and he'd lift her up and they'd—
"So, you're not, like, together or anything, are you?"
"What?" Bow tensed, so deep in the memory, he hadn't even realized Scorpia had been talking this entire time, and he'd completely tuned her out.
"I mean, I know you two went together but considering I sort of, well, you know, kidnapped you—and sorry about that, by the way. Have I said that already?" She hadn't, but he waved it off. They'd been on opposite sides of a war for years, if they were going to apologize to each other for everything little thing they'd get nowhere. "How about the fan thing? Did I apologize for that? When I was on that boat and the Sea Gate was… You remember? Feeling just… so bad about that one. I mean, first time we ever met and I could have killed you! Honestly, I was just trying to throw you into the water but sometimes I don't know my own strength and I kinda got caught up in the moment and—"
"Scorpia. It's fine." It came out shorter than he meant it. He liked Scorpia, he really did, but it was like she was physically allergic to silence. And after the chaos of the last few days, the last thing he wanted was more sound, especially when he was already keyed up about what awaited them once they reached his dads. "You were asking something before? About when you kidnapped us?"
"Yes! Right. So… you're not dating or anything, are you?" Scorpia scratched at the back of her head with a claw.
He exhaled, forcing himself to loosen his grip on his arrow, or he'd snap it. "No. Glimmer and I are just—"
"Oh! No! Yeah, sorry, I was actually asking about Perfuma. Because she's just so… gosh, you know? She's amazing, isn't she? She sweet and pretty and supportive and she really listens and acts like I matter not anything like— Oh, and I think I might actually like her salads! Crazy right? They grow on you, I guess. Ha! Grow on you. Because she's the… yeah. She is really something." Scorpia's face was the color of her pinchers. "But, wow, yeah, you and Glimmer, huh? You know, honestly, that's on me, I should have realized that with the way you two are always—"
"Scorpia! Glimmer and—" He forced himself to answer evenly, keeping his voice low, the tension still bubbling in his system from the meeting in the war tent earlier threatening to bubble over at any minute. "We're all just friends. Now do you mind if we please walk in silence? There could be bots anywhere."
"Oh, yeah, sure. No problem."
"Thanks."
She mimed shushing herself, and they took a couple of steps in silence.
"But Perfuma is available though, is what you're—"
"Scorpia!"
"Right. Got it. Shutting up."
He really didn't appreciate the babysitter. It seemed ridiculous to leave the camp down a princess on his account, but both Adora AND Micah had insisted. They kept telling him it was because he was so important to the rebellion, not that they didn't have faith in his abilities, but it felt a lot like they was only saying that to make him feel better. He wouldn't have minded as much if Adora had come with him— his dads would have loved to see her— but Entrapta needed her there as Darla's administrator for the next round of upgrades.
Entrapta would have come with him. She'd been positively drooling at the idea of getting a look at that elemental his dads still hadn't figured out what to do with, but he spent enough time with her these days trying to fix the ship. Plus, he'd rather at least one of them kept working. There was still so much to do, too many things to check off before they could even think about going to get Glimmer.
Netossa and Spinnerella were on guard duty. Mermista and Sea Hawk were sleeping off their night watch. Frosta, Micah and Swift Wind were on patrol. Shadow Weaver and Casta were coordinating with the sorcerers keeping the camp hidden, not that he was real eager to see either of them after their scene at the meeting earlier.
That only left Perfuma and Scorpia. Of the two, Bow would have vastly preferred to take Perfuma, but he just couldn't. Maybe it was ridiculous, but he had the most vivid image of Glimmer finding out that the only person outside of her and Adora that he'd ever brought home to meet his dads was Perfuma and… well… he asked Scorpia instead.
"We're here." Finally. He increased his speed as the Library came into view. It looked intact, at least. Not burned to the ground or reduced to rubble, like it had been in his nightmares.
Still, the walk to the door was the worst part. Not only because there was no tree cover the last few feet, and leaving them completely exposed No, the worst part was being so close it was too easy to imagine opening that door and finding the absolute worst.
His heart nearly stopped when the doorknob stuck— they NEVER locked the door— but he forced himself to be rational. Of course they'd locked it. Locking the door was smart with everything going on. He put away his weapons and knocked, framing his face in the small window so they'd know it was him.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes, he finally saw movement behind the window. In half a second, the door flew open, and he was enveloped immediately in a crushing double hug.
"There are you! We were so worried!" Lance was sobbing into his shoulder and George hugged him so tight he could hardly breathe.
"I know. I'm sorry." Bow didn't particularly want to be crying right now, but he was so relieved it was impossible not to. "It's been crazy."
"We've noticed. WHAT is going on?" George held him at arm's length and fixed him with that glare that still made him feel like he was in trouble, even though it had been a long time since his dad could ground him.
"It's…" Bow let out a long exhale, trying to scrub off at least some of the tears. "… such a long story."
"Well, at least you're in one piece." George looked him over and then ushering him inside. "Come in, come in. It's not safe out there."
"And who is this?" Lance had composed himself enough that he'd finally noticed Scorpia looming awkwardly in the doorway.
Shoot. Bow had completely forgotten she was even there. "Oh, Scorpia, come in. Sorry. Dads, this is Scorpia. Scorpia, these are my dads, Lance and George."
To his credit, Lance only hesitated a second before offering his hand for her to shake with her massive pincer. "A pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." George did the same. "Scorpia… Like the Scorpini princess?"
"Uh, yeah." Scorpia blushed. "Crazy, right? Got this lightning magic and everything. But just Scorpia is fine."
Bow tensed automatically, expecting his dads to be weird about the princess thing, but George gave Scorpia a genuine smile and gestured her inside. "How about that? Well, any friend of Bow's is a friend of ours. We've got some kind of tail armor on display here, probably would have belonged to your great great great grandmother."
"Oo, and a sizable section of a mural depicting the digging of the Scorpini's original underground kingdom! Would you like to see?" Lance didn't wait for an answer, already gesturing Scorpia over to one of the corner displays. Few things cheered him up, like getting to show off their collection.
"Wow, yeah. Sure, sir, uh, Bow Dad with Glasses— sorry I have already forgotten which one of you is which." Scorpia followed, cradling her tail to her chest as she moved between the fragile display cases. "I know basically nothing about my people and what I do know… well, let's just say I've got a feeling the Horde hasn't exactly been a reliable source, if you know what I mean."
"Well, if you're looking for a little recommended reading, our Etherian history collection is extensive! Though the section on Scorpius is mostly pre-Horde occupation, you understand. Post occupation texts having been notoriously hard to…"
"Not too long, Lance!" George called, and Lance waved him off, already in tour guide mode. George sighed and clamped his hand down on Bow's shoulder. "He's been going stir crazy with nobody but me to talk at. Let's move to the kitchen. We try to spend as little time in here as possible. Too many windows. So far nothing's bothered us but I don't want to take any chances."
Bow nodded, glancing up at the row of windows along the ceiling. Another familiar part of his world that was suddenly a potential danger. The kitchen was small compared to the dining room where they'd all eaten when everyone was still at home, but these days it looked even more cramped, like he was outgrowing his childhood with every visit. They'd blacked over the windows, making the normally cozy room look dark and unfamiliar. There were papers and empty mugs strewn around the table as if his dads had been spending most of their time in here. Cowering in hiding in their own home.
George sat down at the table and crossed his arms over his chest. "Now. Explain."
Like it was that simple. Or maybe it was. Bow took a deep breath. "Etheria is under attack. And we're fighting back but there are a lot more of them than there are of us."
"Is it the Horde?"
"Yes. Well…" He could hear Scorpia in the other room laughing at something Lance said, and couldn't help but think about the way she'd ripped the Horde insignia off her shirt that first night after the invasion. "Sort of. But worse. Much much worse."
George rubbed his face. "Damn it, Bow. I've been to war. I've seen things, things I hoped you kids would never see. But I've never seen anything like this. The bots, the ships, those soldiers, all with the same face! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes… It's like something out of the pulp shelves, an invasion from another world!"
"Yeah, it's… a lot like that, actually." He could picture those books so vividly, the drawings of creepy creatures from another world with big eyes and glowing ships. Not that different from what they faced now, but somehow the real thing was so much more terrifying.
"And I still can't get over the sky!" George shook his head. "First the world explodes in light. Then, suddenly, stars! The sky's been dark for eons and now we've got an entire galaxy's worth of stars, poof, overnight."
"Yeah. It's really something." The stars. Even now he couldn't look at them without thinking of that first night. A whole new sky and still somehow not half as shocking as the magic pouring out of the ground, the planet bleeding upwards. And then the lead feeling in his chest as she saw that column of power hemorrhaging from the Fright Zone, painting the dark smog with sparkling colors. The one place on there shouldn't be a bit of magic and somehow he just knew. It was her. And he had to get to her.
But what had it mattered, anyway? He was too late. And now everything was ruined.
He tugged off his quiver, setting it on the kitchen table, staring into the dark interior so he didn't have to look too closely at the ball of emotions roiling inside his chest. He felt for the small pocket sewn inside and fished out the data chip. "I wish I could explain it all in detail, but we can't stay long. The spybots do twice hourly sweeps and we've got to time it just right so we don't lead them back to the camp. I wanted to make sure you were OK since I didn't know if… when I'd be able to get back here. But I made this. You can listen to it after I go."
George took the data chip, watching him carefully. "This isn't goodbye, is it?"
"N-no," Bow said quickly, too quickly considering when he'd gotten out the chip his fingers had brushed against the letters marked Only Open This If I Don't Make it Back. He pretended to be busy organizing his arrows so his dad couldn't see how badly his hands were shaking. "It's the whole story of how we got here. From when we met Adora, and she found the sword until… all of this. Everything as best as I could remember."
Not entirely true. A lot of things glossed over. Way too much passive voice when it came to Glimmer's role in activating the Heart of Etheria. Dozens of outtakes where he had to overwrite a rant or breakdown. The whole thing recorded in bits here and there while he was working on the ship and needed to talk so he didn't go crazy obsessing over things he couldn't deal with right now.
"A firsthand account. Well done." His dad turned the chip over in his hand and grinned. "You know, we might make a decent historian of you yet."
Bow groaned inwardly, but let it slide. The last thing he wanted to do right now was argue with his dads. He kept his tone light. "I don't know about that. There's not a single citation or secondary source. If this was schoolwork, dad would have flunked me for sure."
"I would not have!" Bow wasn't sure how long Lance had been standing there, but he swept into the room, remarkably chipper considering the world was ending outside. He wrapped an arm around Bow's shoulders, pulling him into a one-armed hug, and trilled his voice dramatically. "Don't tell me you've forgotten the value of a primary source!"
George rolled his eyes, and Bow laughed. Gods, he'd really missed them. A primary source, huh? That was kind of cool. His name in one of his dads' dusty books someday, some kid sitting at a desk memorizing his account like he and his siblings had done in daily lessons. It'd be something to see… if he survived to see it.
"I've got some stuff I want you to have." He pulled the wooden bow off his shoulder and handed it to Lance. He turned to George. "Dad, you can teach him how to use it, right?"
George smoothed his mustache, considering the weapon. "Probably. It's been a while, and the bow was never my strong suit."
Not exactly reassuring, but it would have to do. "It's a small one. Not a great range, but easier to draw. There are a bunch of arrows under my old bed, the pointy kind. Hopefully, you won't need it but I'll feel better if you have a way to defend yourselves just in case."
"You know we know nothing about this sort of thing." Lance handed the bow to George. "I'd feel so much better if you just stayed here with us. We just got you back!"
Guilt settled like lead in his middle. "Dad, I… I can't. You know I can't."
"We know. Your father's just talking. We're worried, that's all." George hesitated, turning the bow over in his hands. "Though… I suppose we could come with you."
Bow hesitated. He'd thought about that. Part of him would feel better if his dads were where he could keep a closer eye on them, but the other part knew how dangerous things were right now, how there were fewer people every time they broke camp. "You're safer here. But… look. This will help us stay in contact."
It only took him a few minutes to show them how to work the tracker pad. It couldn't do everything his could, but it could send simple text messages and do video calls so at least they'd be able to contact him if they were in trouble. His dads weren't great with technology, but this was simple enough that he knew they'd be able to handle it. Mostly because the person he'd originally made it for hadn't been great with technology either.
Not like she could use it right now. He ran his fingers over the buttons, buttons she'd touched hundreds of times. The dark screen reflected back his face, his image where hers was supposed to be.
"…your brother Dirk's mentor. Of course, you probably don't remember her. You were so young then. And she'll need training, of course. But she's game— well, more than game, really, was downright giddy about it— and we're not going anywhere yet so there's plenty of time."
Bow turned to Lance, trying to figure out what his dad had been saying while he'd been lost in his thoughts. "What?"
"Melendy? Britt's granddaughter?" Lance asked. The names sounded vaguely familiar, but Bow couldn't put any context to them. "She's agreed! Isn't that wonderful? We were going to go see her, but of course all this happened and, well… Bow?"
Bow blinked, looking between his dads. "Sorry. I was… What are we talking about, exactly?"
"Little Melendy taking over the library when we retire." George rose from his chair and gave Bow an affectionate bump to the shoulder. "You're officially off the hook, kiddo."
"I…" Bow opened and closed his mouth several times but couldn't seem to manage anything more intelligent than. "Oh."
"Hey, Bow?" Scorpia stood against the door frame, looking sheepish. "I'm sorry. I know you're… with the dads and all… but it's getting dark and we really need to start back soon."
"Uh. Yeah. Just…" It took him two tries to shoulder his quiver, a thing that was normally as natural as breathing. His brain was buzzing, and he was barely aware of what he was saying. "I just need a minute. Something upstairs. I'll be right back."
It only took him a moment to run upstairs and lay the Just In Case letters out on the desk in his old room, half buried under an old book, somewhere his dads wouldn't have any reason to look unless… well, hopefully they wouldn't have any reason to look for them at all. There was one for his dads, another for the rest of the family, and third with notes for his friends in the rebellion. Not a goodbye exactly, just… things he wanted to make sure he said in case… well, in case he never got the chance to say them in person.
There was no letter for Adora. He may not know what was going to happen, but he was pretty sure wherever it was, she'd be right there alongside him. He hadn't written one for Glimmer either, though not for want of trying.
He stepped back downstairs into the main room. It was quiet, far enough from the kitchen that the others' voice were barely more than a murmur. The stillness was familiar, but not in a welcome way, like the rest of his childhood home.
He'd never gotten used to it, no matter how hard he tried. The quiet was like a physical pressure, so bad some days he could hardly breathe. Early mornings on fake school breaks, rising before everyone else, only to sit down here and try to convince himself he was OK with this. That someday he'd be able to leave it all— Bright Moon, the rebellion, his friends— and come back and fulfill his duty.
Even Glimmer and Adora didn't really get it. How could they? They'd tease him for being too enthusiastic about friendship and other everyday adventures, but they didn't understand it was because, for him, all of that was only temporary. He had to enjoy it while he still could. Looming over everything was the knowledge that one day all the balls and sleepovers and adventure would end with him, here, alone.
Except suddenly… now it wouldn't.
The thing was, his dads had known about his secret life for over a year now, but they'd never really talked about what that confession meant for the future they'd planned for him. It was a conversation he'd assumed they'd have eventually, but there was never the right moment for it with everything else going on. What if they still expected him back as their good little historian as soon as the war was over? Sometimes it felt like he'd only postponed the deadline, setting him and his dads up for a bigger fight later when he'd have to make them understand.
But apparently they had understood all along. This duty that had been a stone around his neck his entire life was really and truly lifted, the fight for his freedom he'd been expecting no longer necessary.
It should be a relief, right? Instead, it was overwhelming. The future lay out in front of him, wide open. So many things he'd told himself he'd never have were suddenly an option. He could get married without trapping someone else in this solitary life. Start a family without dooming his kids to a life of dusty books. Live anywhere, do anything, with anyone.
He could fall in love.
Glimmer. The need to run, right now, and grab her in his arms and tell her about this was overwhelming, his body tensing with action he couldn't take. But she needed to know! She'd understand what it meant for him, for them. How it changed absolutely everything!
Except what did it change, really? He leaned against one of the thick columns and stared into the dark fireplace. Glimmer was gone. The world was still ending around them. None of them might even have a tomorrow, and it was all her fault. The hopeful thing that had flared up inside him turned cold and he pushed it down with all the rest, the lump of dark emotions collecting in his gut.
He stalked to the kitchen, Scorpia's voice getting clearer as he made his way down the hall.
"…so that's causing tension because, when they're all off getting Glimmer, Mermista thinks we need somebody back home who's good with tech. But Bow wants Entrapta on the ship with them and, honestly, Entrapta and I are like… basically best friends and I would miss her but, gosh, that girl is just… just so excited about space, you know? So I know she's hoping they let her go even if—"
"Scorpia." Bow flung the door open, hard enough that it rattled the pots on the opposite wall. Damn it, WHY had he left her alone with them? "We're leaving. Wait for me outside."
"Oh, uh… sure." Scorpia was pure spiked muscle and raw power but whatever his face looked like right now made her take a full step back. "Well, it was nice meeting you… Bow dads. Again just… completely cannot remember which one of you is which but still… Maybe after all this is over I'll take you up on your offer to go over the…" Scorpia glanced from Bow to his dads and started for the back door. "You know, I'm going to just head out. Uh… yeah. Bye!"
Bow exhaled as Scorpia shut the door behind her, but he was still as tense as a bowstring. "What did she tell you?"
"Something about a ship and… What happened to Glimmer? Scorpia said kidnapped but… Oh, I wondered why she and Adora didn't come with you but I didn't want to pry." Lance was pacing a ravine into the floor in front of the stove.
He didn't want to explain this. They weren't supposed to even find out about Glimmer or the ship or any of it until they listened to his recordings, long after he left. "Prime took her. We were told he won't hurt her, but she's with him on his mothership and we're going to go get her. Adora and I. So if you don't hear from us for a bit—"
"Go get her?" Lance rounded on him. "How?"
It wasn't fair. It's not like he'd told Scorpia not to get his dads all worked up about this, but he was furious at her all the same. "We have a ship. It was Mara's."
"Mara? The old She-Ra?" George's voice had that maddeningly calm edge that was never a good sign.
"Yeah, that's her. It's her spaceship."
"Mara's spaceship? Bow, that would have to be over a thousand years old!" Lance had finally stopped pacing but was leaning against the edge of the counter with his arms crossed, which was somehow worse.
"Well, yeah, but it works and we're fixing it up."
"And then what?" George was tapping his finger on the kitchen table, and it was like the countdown to a detonation. "You're going to waltz right up to this Prime character that your friend out there says is the leader of the known universe, has destroyed countless world and, is doing his level best to add Etheria to the list? You're going to take him and his entire galactic army on. Just you, some arrows, and She-Ra?"
"Well, no—"
"Thank goodness!" Lance exclaimed.
"—because we don't have She-Ra anymore. Adora broke the sword because…" Why did they keep looking at him like that? "Look, it's all in the recordings if you'd—"
"You mean to tell me." He could tell George was really mad from the way his voice went all quiet. "That you are going to try to cross open space you know nothing about, fly directly into the heart of a galactic fleet, completely outgunned, in a RELIC—"
Bow clutched his hands at his sides. "I told you, we're fixing it up—"
George held up a finger. "I'm not finished. With no plan and not even She-Ra behind you?"
"No." This was from Lance. "You're not doing it. Absolutely not. We're putting our foot down. Someone else can go."
"What?" Blood was rushing in his ears, like the roar of a wildfire.
"Bow, it's a suicide mission." Lance clucked like the matter was already decided, which only stoked Bow's anger. "I am very sorry to hear about your friend. We really did like Glimmer, but she's very powerful, much more than any of us regular folk, and seems perfectly capable of taking care of herself so I don't see any reason why you need to—"
The pressure that had been building since he'd watched his best friend disappear before his eyes finally boiled over. "I was too LATE and now he has her TRAPPED up there! He could be doing ANYTHING to her! She NEEDS me and we FOUGHT! The last time I spoke to her, maybe the last time EVER, I YELLED at her and she probably thinks I HATE her and you—"
"I don't see what that—"
"No! You don't see! You have never seen anything but what you want to see!" His dads exchanged a bewildered look. He had never yelled at his dads like this, never yelled at anyone like this in his life, but he couldn't seem to stop. "You don't see or listen or understand me at all and you never have! I don't care what you want me to do. I don't care who you think I am or if you approve or give your permission or any of that. It's MY life! And I'm going to go get her."
He didn't give them time to reply, just stormed out the back door, slamming it behind him. Scorpia was waiting for him at the edge of the woods, but he stopped, leaning against the old wood on the back porch, trying to get a hold of himself. His hands were shaking, and he balled them at his sides, digging his nails into his palms.
What was wrong with him? Get it together! Guilt and regret simmered around the edge of his rage. He shouldn't have let his emotions get a hold of him like that. If he had to blow up on someone, why couldn't it have been Shadow Weaver or Castaspella or, gods, a clone or something. Anyone but his dads! They didn't know, not really, and he'd given up on trying to explain anything to them a long time ago.
It was ironic, really. He probably should have said half that stuff to his family years ago, saved himself all that sneaking around. But for all his dread at running the library, he'd never once exploded on them about any of that and yet this…
Scorpia waved and then gestured at the sky. They were out of time. But he couldn't leave things like that with his dads, not when he didn't know when or if he'd even see them again. He held up a finger to Scorpia, wishing he had more time to cool down before he had to face them again.
He took a deep breath and pulled open the door. His dads were exactly where he left them. Anger still roiled inside, but he pushed it down with everything else. "Dads, I have to leave now but I'm really sorry for—"
"No." To his surprise, George held out his arm and pulled Bow into his chest. "We're sorry. You're right. We're not good at listening and I'd blame it on the fact that there were just so darn many of you growing up… but that's no excuse."
"I have never seen you mad like that! We are so sorry!" Lance wrapped his arms around Bow's back and sobbed into his shoulder. "We didn't understand that it was like that but now we do and…"
"We trust you, son. And we love you." George pulled him tighter into the hug, rubbing his back.
Lance wiped his eyes. "You go do what you've got to do and we'll be right here when you get back."
"That's right." George held him at arm's length for a moment and then leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Now go on. Go get her."