Entrapta couldn't believe all she saw, already wanting to know all about everything around her.
"Never have I seen so many classes of botany! What is this strange purple flower?! Or what is that tree, does it contain any chemicals of the healing sort?! Or perhaps this..TINY MUSHROOM!" Entrapta said very excitedly, loving all forms of tiny food.
She picked it up and attempted to eat it before Hordak slapped it out of her hand.
"Don't eat that! It's poisonous!" Hordak barked not about to let the keeper of his crown.
"Ooooh I do apologize my curiosity tends to over excite me at times." Entrapta apologized.
"I can see that, now come on we have a long journey ahead of us." Hordak said as he started walking forward.
"Then that means I'll have plenty of time to observe life outside the tower! Come on Emily we have much to explore!" Entrapta said as she hopped up on top of Emily's body and rode her to follow Hordak.
From there they walked a good half mile through the Whispering Woods, but as they did so Entrapta talked incessantly.
"New journal log, observations of the outside world. So far the outside world is consumed in various amounts of botany and…" Entrapta rambled much to Hordak's annoyance.
For almost ten minutes this continued but there appeared to be no end in sight and Hordak was getting incredibly annoyed. He almost thought about stepping on Entrapta's long purple hair that dragged behind her to get her to stop, but he then remembered the crown and how he needed her to get it. So he endured it until a devious plan came into his head on how to stop the rambling and possibly get his crown sooner than expected.
"Excuse me uhhh Entrapta, you wouldn't happen to be hungry would you?" Hordak asked, trying his best to fake kindness and friendliness as his fake smile twitched.
Entrapta and Emily stopped in their tracks as the long haired girl listened to her stomach. She almost immediately heard a growl come from it, having been too excited to eat anything.
"Hmmm I do believe I could use some nourishment."
"Well I happen to know of a fantastic place that could satisfy our hunger." Hordak said as mischief brewed inwardly in him.
"Where is this place?" Entrapta asked, excited at the prospect of encountering new things to observe and study.
"Just follow me and you'll know it when you see it." Hordak said as he started to lead the way to a place that would scare the living daylights out of his new companion and hopefully get him his crown sooner than expected.
Another Part of the Whispering Woods
Meanwhile somewhere else Shadow Weaver pushed her way through a particularly bushy part of the woods. However as she did so she heard the sound of rustling in the trees. So defensively she began to glow a mix of purple and gold light with shadow orbs floating above her hands, ready to zap anything that came to close.
She waited with anticipation as the rustle started to get louder, sounding almost like it was coming from above. Then with a great crash a white horse with a gold horn, rainbow colored wings, and similarly colored mane and tail burst down to the ground.
"Halt villain! It is I Swift Wind who shall bring you to jus… and you're not who I'm looking for." Swift Wind realized now feeling rather embarrassed as he harassed this random woman in the woods.
"I see that, now excuse me I must be on my way." Shadow Weaver scoffed as she then turned to leave.
"Wait, have you seen a tall and muscular man with pointed ears and blue and white coloring?!" Swift Wind asked desperately, determined to find his convict.
"I'm afraid I have not, now please stop bothering me." Shadow Weaver retorted, not even turning around.
"Really, ugh, I haven't seen the guy since earlier. I lost near this tall vine covered rock by the creek!" Swift Wind complained.
Shadow Weaver then stopped dead in her tracks.
"What did you just say?" Shadow Weaver asked knowing exactly where that was.
"Uhhh I just said, ugh, I haven't seen the guy since earlier. I lost near this tall vine covered rock by the creek." Swift Wind repeated, a little weirded out by the woman's distressed reaction.
Shadow Weaver's heart stopped as she realized the horse and this escaped convict were near the tower.
"Huh Entrapta..Entrapta!" Shadow Weaver screamed as she dropped her basket of supplies and ran towards the tower.
Meanwhile Swift Wind just stood there stunned unaware of the gravity of the situation going on. As Shadow Weaver bolted through the forest she eventually came to the cavern hidden behind the vines. She ran through that until she was back in front of the tower.
"Entrapta! Entrapta! Entrapta!" Shadow Weaver yelled up in desperation.
But no response was heard nor were there any signs of hair coming down. So out of necessity Shadow Weaver started to conjure up a spell. She held her hands close together creating a purplish black orb as a magic circle of the same color started to form around her. Once it finished Shadow Weaver's body was consumed in dark flames and she disappeared.
Immediately she appeared in a burst of dark flames inside the tower and began to frantically search for Entrapta. She looked in every room, checked every possible hiding spot, looked in every nook and cranny, and turned everything upside down but found nothing. Now stressed and freaking out in the worst way, Shadow Weaver sat in the middle of the tower floor in complete disarray and distress. For a good minute she just sat there hyperventilating and ringing her hands in complete panic, until a shine of light hit one of her masked eyes.
Curious she moved towards where the shine was coming from noticing it was coming from under a floor board on the stairs. Kneeling down she easily moved the board to reveal a satchel with a silver crown lined with purple gems. Shadow Weaver nervously picked up the crown knowing in seconds just what it was. Panicking she dropped it without a second thought, afraid of what this all meant.
But after recovering from the initial shock Shadow Weaver stood up and walked up to the Runestone. Once she was directly in front of it Shadow Weaver rested her hands on it amplifying her power as long as she touched it.
"So you thought you could escape me did you, well not for long." Shadow Weaver said as an image began to shimmer on the Runestone.
In the image she saw Entrapta and Hordak traveling together as they walked through the Whispering Woods.
"So you have an accomplice, well that won't be any trouble. I'll be sure to end him after I have taken you back." Shadow Weaver said maliciously as she stared at the image before her, now filling with a deep determination to get what was hers back.
Back in the Whispering Woods
As Entrapta and Hordak continued to walk further into the woods they came upon a large cottage type building with steam rising from the chimney.
"Ah yes, the fright zone, a favorite place of mine." Hordak said, trying to fake as if he were being friendly.
"Sounds like a very interesting place, I want to go in!" Entrapta squealed wanting to observe a place with such a gripping title.
"Well then you go in first." Hordak said with an almost noticeably malicious smile.
Hoping off of Emily, Entrapta ran towards the establishment and threw open the door, only to look absolutely shocked. Right before her eyes was a mix of very unfriendly looking people, some of which looked exactly like Hordak, all of which were staring at the uncharacteristic girl in their doorway. Now as she stood there frozen, many brandished weapons or sharpened swords menacingly leaving a message of you're not welcome here.
"Oh I see you've met the whole group already, well as you can see the fright zone is just full of upstanding individuals. Over there on the right.."
Hordak pointed to a thin lizard-like person with an eyepatch, very rugged clothing, and many tattoos.
"...he murdered at least five people in one night. While the large man over there crushed a man's skull with his own fist I heard. Then that woman… oh my Entrapta you don't look too well." Hordak said, trying to fake concern.
Entrapta remained silent as she just continued to stand paralyzed in the doorway.
"Hmm I think I see the problem, this is just too much for you. So how about I take you back to your tower, you give me my crown, we part, and forget any of this ever happened. What do you think?"
"I..I...I..I love it here!" Entrapta said with great enthusiasm as she ran past a shocked Hordak.
Immediately she went up to the lizard-like man, recorder in one end of her incredibly long pigtail, jumping up and down with excitement.
"Great bolts of electricity! Your body is braised off a reptile like species! Were you conceived like this, or did it gradually come to you?! Do you have any other reptile-like functions on your body?! Or what about…" Entrapta asked rapidly, managing to freak out the man in question as well as those around her.
All the while others just stared at her freakishly long hair and then looked directly at Hordak.
"Is the chatterbox with the moving long hair, with you?" Asked a moderately sized thug with blue skin, red hair, and black eyes,
"Huh yes and yes she always talks this much." Hordak started as he pounded his face with his palm for his plan failing.
He then turned to leave only to have someone who looked exactly like him come in front of him.
"Have I seen you before?" The previous horde member asked looking at Hordak with great suspicion.
"I would guess if you looked in a mirror many times." Hordak said coldly and with great disinterest as he then tried to leave again.
Only this time the fellow clone moved back to block Hordak's way. As he looked at Hordak more closely his face turned into shock as he realized who was standing in front of him.
"It's you! The right hand man of Horde Prime, you helped keep us enslaved!" The clone yelled angrily at Hordak, who looked uncomfortable.
"You imbecile I.." Hordak tried to interject before he was then manhandled by others in the bar.
Even the one Entrapta was talking to joined in, leaving her confused as to what was going on.
"I'll rip you limb from limb scum!"
"No let's bleed him dry first!"
"No I say we bloody him up and turn him in for profit, I'm sure he'd fetch a good price!"
"I call the money then!"
"No me, I'm completely broke!"
"Unhand me mongrouls!" Hordak bellowed as he tried to escape the grasp of the thugs around him, even pulling out one of his personally invented guns to fight back.
From there the bar became a mob intent on destroying and making money off of Hordak. Meanwhile Entrapta and Emily tried to fight off the horde of thugs, ruffians, and various undesirables around her.
"Hey let go of him, he's my guide! Can we not find a better way to solve this problem!" Entrapta said as she tried to get the men's attention by using random objects to hit them with, while Emily electrocuted them or shot them
For a minute she tried this tactic but it just wasn't working. But she then noticed a large purple and muscular woman with long white hair walk towards Hordak.
"Well well well if it isn't the one who ravaged my desert. I'm gonna enjoy killing you!" Hauntara said gleefully as she pulled out a long sharp stick and poised it to stab Hordak.
Freaking out Entrapta looked around her for ways to stop her guide from being killed. But much to her luck after a moment of looking she saw a large branch coming off a wooden chandelier above them. So thinking on her feet Entrapta made her hair grab a branch and started pulling it back with all her strength. Eventually she got it pulled back far enough to snap it back and it wacked Huntara in the head, stunning her and everyone else in the crowd. Murderously she turned around and stared at Entrapta with an evil eye that burned her to her core. Even Emily was terrified as she hid behind Entrapta shaking like a leaf in the wind out of fear of being torn apart by the large menacing woman.
"Hehe sorry for hitting you but… you can't kill my guide. I need him to get where I'm going and while I'm aware he isn't perfect and possibly has caused you some harm in the future…." Entrapta said trying to be brave only to be interrupted.
"Some harm some harm! This monster has caused my entire world to change! Because of him my whole tribe that ruled the desert was taken over and made part of the horde's conquest! Now despite our trying and due to our destroyed reputation we are considered enemies to the kingdom and ostracized!" Huntara bellowed at Entrapta.
"Uh um while I may not understand exactly what you're talking about or the atrocities that have taken place in your life. Haven't we all made mistakes and have imperfections, I mean I'm certain you have events or actions in your life that bring about emotions or feelings of shame and regret, correct?" Entrapta said as she tried to reason with the woman who probably was about to murder her.
Huntara was about to respond when she thought over the past actions of herself and her people. Though they were conquered by the Horde, it wasn't a hard thing to be done. Even before they weren't the most law abiding citizens and didn't have the best reputation, despite the efforts of others to improve it.
"Huh I guess you're right, my people weren't always the most favorite group to be around. Actually when the Horde took over our tribe almost unanimously joined. I wasn't part of that group but the shame I've felt for our tribe hasn't gone away even with that." Huntara said as she hung her head from the mere memories of her past transgressions and failures.
However as she did so Huntara felt a hand touch her shoulder empathetically. She looked up to see Entrapta, raised up by her hair, looking at her with great compassion.
"There's no need to feel shame from your failure because it's qualities like that and mistakes that lead us to grow and improve." Entrapta said as she took Huntara' hands in hers and looked her right in the eyes.
"But I haven't improved, if anything I've only proved my tribe isn't good no matter who's in charge, even if it's our own individual selves." Huntara tried to reason, unable to forgive herself.
"That's alright, because you still have more than enough time and opportunities to learn and to reinvent your own image. Progress can always be made no matter what our failures and imperfections are, and it's our imperfections that make us beautiful."
"You really think so." Huntara asked, almost hopeful, having never thought of herself as beautiful before.
"How could it no, through imperfection we learn what needs improvement and can become better and closer to reaching our true purpose."
As Entrapta said these things everyone in the fright zone looked at her in pure enamorment. Here stood this strange small girl that unlike everyone else whom they'd met didn't judge their outside but rather saw their potential to improve and be better. However the most stupefied one was Hordak, who had previously planned to scare the girl off but yet she saw good in him. How could this be, no one could actually be like that right?
But having no way to express he just stood there in the crowd of ruffians amazed by Entrapta's powerful words. For a straight minute this went on, till one of the men started to cheer, being filled with so much joy and hope to be better, though imperfect. From there everyone else joined in unable to contain their joy. This joy also caused others around to burst into song and dance, while others gathered around Entrapta, desiring to know more on the girls views of how imperfections were beautiful.
Meanwhile unbeknownst to them Shadow Weaver was outside, having found the remote pub with her magic. As she walked up to it she swore she could hear Entrapta's voice so she went up to the window to see what was going on. And much to her horror there was Entrapta sitting and talking to these ruffians and thugs, unwittingly breaking the narrative she had fed to her that people outside were bad. Quickly she turned away now filled with stress of how she was going to undo the damage done.
However much to her luck, as she was in distress, the royal guard happened to be marching. Immediately Shadow Weaver noticed this and smirked evil under her mask.
"Soldiers! Soldiers! Help me please!" Shadow Weaver cried out faking distress.
Immediately the guards came running up to her, never willing to deny a person in need of help.
"What is it mame! What's happened to you, are you alright?" Adora asked as she took the poor woman's hands comfortingly.
"Oh my daughter was kidnapped by a strange man and taken to this pub. But I'm just a frail woman and there's no way I could rescue her from this den of thugs." Shadow Weaver said weepily, trying to gain the sympathy of the royal guard before her.
"Don't worry mame we will rescue your daughter, thank you for telling us." Adora said as she comforted the mysterious woman she just met.
"Can you please tell us what she looks like?" Glimmer asked, wanting to know who they needed to look for.
"She has…"
Meanwhile as this went on outside, inside all was happy and peaceful. Entrapta had moved on to explaining how she got to the pub in the first place as well as her desire to see the lanterns, a story that amazed everyone. Even Hordak thought it was funny to look back on despite the fact it was just a couple of minutes ago. And yet the more Entrapta talked the more Hordak began to actually like her. Suddenly to him she wasn't just this weird and hard to understand girl but a very compassionate and kind person.
However in the midst of his thoughts Hordak suddenly heard rather familiar voices from outside the pub. He turned to check outside only to have his heart stop as he saw the royal guards who were just chasing him down.
"The royal guard is here!" Hordak cried out to the crowd.
Almost immediately everyone went into panic mode as they went back into their previous positions. All the while Hordak grabbed Entrapta and Emily and brought them behind the bar counter to hide.
"Don't worry mame we'll be sure to rescue your daughter, but stay out here. This could get very dangerous. For the honor of Grayskull!" Adora cried out as she then turned into She-Ra.
"Oh thank you Captain, I couldn't be more grateful!" Shadow Weaver cried out as she smiled maliciously under her mask.
Adora then made the door burst open with her sword allowing the rest of her team to run in. As they did so all the ruffians tried to seem as normal as possible and not give their stowaways location away.
"Alright thugs, where is the thief and kidnapper known as Hordak?!" Adora bellowed ready to bring justice to the criminal in question.
"And don't any of you dare lie!" Frosty said to back her friend up.
All the thugs tried to appear oblivious to distract the guards, who then went on a search for their target. Meanwhile Hordak, Entrapta, and Emily were hiding, with hearts pounding, having no idea how to escape their current situation.
"What is our plan to escape? If we don't move quickly our capture is imminent!" Entrapta said, scared of what was going to happen.
"Does it look like I have a plan?!" Hordak said defensively.
"Well you did bring us to this place." Entrapta pointed out logically.
Hordak was about to respond but only was able to grumble as he realized Entrapta was right. However it was then he felt a tap in his shoulder. He turned around to see Huntara kneeling next to him looking very serious.
"Follow me." Huntara whispered quietly as she motioned to the back of the alcohol rack.
Desperate, the two and Emily followed Huntara till they were right in front of the rack. As they stayed low Huntara reached up and pulled an alcohol tap far down. Immediately the rack lowered down to reveal a secret escape passage that led underground.
"Go on follow that dream of yours, make mistakes, perfect yourself, and we'll help you get there." Huntara said directly towards Entrapta hopefully she'd fulfill all she dreamed of.
"Thank you Huntara, I hope you accomplish the same!" Entrapta said as she affectionately hugged Huntara, causing her to smile, and disappeared into the dark passageway.
Hordak was about to follow down when Huntara stopped him once more.
"I may not like you very much, but take care of her. She's special, and I know you know that as well." Huntara requested protectively.
With no words Hordak just nodded his head and head into the abyss, making the two pass the point of no return in their journey. Together Entrapta and Hordak moved closer to the destiny that would completely change their lives forever.