"Wah!" Zacian said avoiding an attack from a large beast.
"Of course they would set up a guardian." Adora said, holding her side.
"Yep. Called it." David said. "But still, this guy is very strong. This could be bad."
"And I'm not in any shape to fight." Adora groaned.
"Rar!" a voice shouted as a figure slashed at the beast's eye.
"Whoa...didn't think you would...Catra?" Zacian said.
"Hey...guys." Catra said.
"Catra, you can't be here. It's too dangerous." Adora groaned before being grabbed by Shadow Weaver.
"Get Adora to the Heart! I'll take care of this thing!" Catra said. "I'll catch up...okay?"
"I… I can't do that. I already promised Hope that I won't let anyone else die. That includes you too." David said.
"You honestly think I care?! That guy's brother picked me up by accident! I shouldn't be here!" Catra said. "I don't belong in the same boat as you guys!"
"That's nonsense!" Zacian said slicing a tentacle. "We all saw your performance at the Olympics!"
"Zacian is right. If you truly believed that, then why show all of that imagery, huh?" David asked. "You're only lying to yourself, Catra. You do belong with us, and you know it. I've already made up my mind. I'm not going anywhere until that thing is taken down. Anyone that has a problem with that can slug me afterwards."
"No… you don't all have to do this…" Adora struggled as Shadow Weaver got her.
"No, Adora. We do. We swore we'd protect you, and that's what we're gonna do." David said. "She… She wouldn't run away."
"Wow...you really are complexed by that Cheetah girl." a voice said as they looked to the other end as a figure entered. "Then again, you are a cat person." Barl said.
"Barl? What are you doing here? It's not safe with this thing. Get back." David said.
"Not safe?" Barl laughed. "Who do you think you're speaking to?" he said as it turned its attention to him. "What a unique looking creature. However...you have no place in my peaceful world." he said raising an arm. "Let it loose and blast away my enemy. Barrier...Cannon." he said as the aura inside his barrier blasted at the guardian, completely eradicating it. "Wow...such a beast." he chuckled. "Wish we could have settled this peacefully but...it had to be this way."
"Why...why did you come here?" Catra demanded.
"I got word that Rebellious was in some trouble here on the rebels side so I came to check on him. But I got lost and ended up here. I wasn't going to intervene but...I couldn't help but be moved by your kind words." Barl said.
"Yeah, I can be quite stubborn like that. Besides, I wasn't just going to let Shadow Weaver take the blow like she planned. Adora, Catra, Sheer… They would've been crushed if she died." David said.
"I understand. I would never want any of my precious friends to die either." Barl said. "Now...go and end this." he said, walking off. "I need to take care of other business."
"Come on, everyone. Let's keep moving. We need to deactivate the Heart and put an end to all of this." David said.
Back on Horde Prime's ship, Prime watched in shock as his network of controlled Etherians crumbled.
"This is...impossible. Deploy all clone battalions. Get this under control!" Prime ordered.
"Hahahaha! See? You can't control anything." Brave laughed.
"Rrragh… destroy them!" he ordered his guards as they readied their blasters. Hope then looked at one in particular.
"Hey! You there." Hope said. "Is there anything left of that defiant soul that Hordak had?"
The clone looked at him.
"Even I'm not dumb enough to know that Hordak was a clone that broke free of primes control and came to Etheria to conquer it himself." Hope said. "What happened to that Hordak?"
"Don't listen to him, Little brother!" Prime said. "Kill them all, starting with the Etherian."
The clone raised its weapon and aimed it at Entrapta.
"Come on. The Hordak we faced before didn't take orders from anybody." Hope said. " And you wouldn't admit it, but I guess that you formed a bond with Entrapta, when you were working on the portal with her." The clone suddenly felt something. "So stop being a puppet and wake up already, you bastard!"
"Oh, will you shut up!" Prime said. "Do it now!"
The clone paused for a moment before he open fired on Prime. "I am not yours to command. I do not need you or your will. I came to Etheria, I made a life, gave myself a name, and made...a friend." he said. "And I am not your little brother. My name is Hordak!" he said before tossing Prime off the edge of the platform.
"Wow...he did it. I knew you could…" Entrapta said as Hordak laughed.
"Oh little brother. So you have been thoroughly corrupted." Prime said inside Hordak's body. "All because of these fools."
"He's on a hive network, remember? Unless we can eradicate his soul, he can keep this up forever." Brave said.
"Now you all have forced my hand." Prime said, grabbing Entrapta. "You, me, these heroes and the foolish skeleton man. I shall unleash the heart and we shall die in cleansing flames, together." he said teleporting them all to the battlefield.
"What do we do now?" Aurora asked.
"Nothing we can do." Brave said.
"Do not worry. We all shall be dying together." Prime said as the ground began to crack as energy began to leak. "It is almost upon us! There will be peace!"
"Oh boy. Looks like this is it." Hope said before the energy changed to a pink color and washed over the planet, restoring its magical properties. "Huh?"
"What? What is this?" Prime said.
"Your end, Prime." a voice said as Adora and her group rose up from a rising platform.
"Surprise~ Guess you didn't expect us to actually make it, did you?" David asked.
"This...shouldn't be." Prime said watching as the magic washed over his ship along with Skeletor's, covering both in magical plantlife.
"It's over, Prime. This war has come to its end." Zacian said.
"You will never bother another person again." Adora said as her energy washed over the body, forcing Prime's soul out and eradicating it once and for all.
"Whew… Guess that's it. This whole thing is finally over." David said. "Etheria will no longer be haunted by his machinations."
"More than that. All the worlds he enslaved will be free now. No more of his forces will remain." Brave said.
"The Future and Magic Universes are now a little bit safer." Aurora said.
"Yeah… but for now, Etheria is finally handled, and at peace." Hope said seeing the landscape in its cured, natural glory.
"Now there's no one left to use his name." Brave said. "Feels like we're forgetting something though."
"Oh, you mean this guy?" David asked motioning to Skeletor's ship. "He's all yours."
"Good." Brave said. "Hey bonehead. Hope you didn't die yet...you still got a bullet coming with your name on it!" he called out.
"Crap." Skeletor said before running to an escape pod. "You all are fired! I'm running solo now!" he said rocketing out of the escape pod. "Hahaha! Try and stop me now you...huh? Ah!" he said flying right into a warp hole.
"And he gets away. Hope he sends a postcard." David said.
"Won't matter. He could have gone anywhere in that warp. But his company is ruined and his plans are foiled. If he does resurface, he won't be much of a threat." Aurora said. "If he survived that is."
"Shame." Brave said before taking his gun and firing it into a fallen bot. "Ha...now I feel a little better."
"So...guess all is done with?" Hope said.
"Indeed." Barl said arriving. "Shame he got away but his madness has ended. As has Prime. Now we return to the Lost to plan our next move."
"Wait…" Adora said. "I think...you people should stop with these terrorist like theatrics."
"She's right. Although I can understand the intentions… What you're doing is no better than the people you are opposing." David said.
"Is that so?" Barl said.
"We only do stuff like that so we can get our point across." Brave said.
"But no one takes the point seriously unless you show force." Aurora said. "Least that's how me and Brave take it."
"Cut the crap, will you?" David asked. "Your point doesn't justify anything. You claim that what you do is for the sake of a better Multiverse...but forcing good intentions on others is no different from an evil act."
"Is it?" Barl asked. "I never really considered that before."
"Exactly. I noticed that all of your targets were all based on your own personal bias." David said. "Trying to force people to submit to your own justice is no different from playing God. And we're not gods. None of us have a right to decide who lives or dies."
"I see." Barl said. "Seems I don't quite understand the ideals of justice and good as I thought I did."
"So does that mean you'll stop all these terrorist attacks?" Glimmer asked.
"Hmm...no." Barl said as they looked shocked. "Joking. I will be taking time to think all this through. But...we will not be making any major moves in the meantime."
"I'm hoping that we don't have to fight, but… I guess we'll just see how things go." David said.
"Yeah. But what do we do in the meantime while Barl thinks?" Hope asked.
"I dunno about you, but we just finished a war with a galactic overlord." Bow said. "I think we need to go and relax our minds somewhere."
"Hmm...anyone up for Paris?" Rarity asked.
"Sounds good to me." Hope said.
"You know that once we go to our world, you guys'll have to contend with Hawk Moth and his schemes, right?" Cat Noir asked.
"Well, yeah. But compared to this, it's sort of lax." Hope said.
Back inside the Lost Universe…
"Welcome back, Lord Barl." Ursa said.
"Hello." Barl said. "Is everyone back?"
"Indeed." Ursa said.
"I want you to inform them to stop all hero activities." Barl said. "I need to think about this."
"Of course." Ursa said.
"Also...there is something else brought to my attention. According to Brave, there was someone else who incited Prime's actions. Not Murkoff nor that governor. Was it them?" he asked.
"No. They've been hiding in Paris for the last couple of weeks." Ursa said.
"I see...it makes me wonder...what is coming in the future?" Barl said.
Elsewhere in Etheria, a figure in a black coat watched.
"So Prime couldn't do it after all. A shame. I was really hoping he could be part of my little gang." they said turning around and sinking into the darkness. "No worries. I have time to get it together. Then we shall meet...my two sworn brothers." they said with their eyes glowing red as they vanished.
To be continued...