Chapter Three: Search
"This sure doesn't look like a city with ancient ones."
Glimmer followed behind Zip as Bow took in the fact that this place wasn't what he thought. For a city that was underground, she thought it looked pretty amazing. There were houses of all shapes and sizes, shops selling goods, and all manner of creatures and humans living side by side.
"That's because it's not," Catra pointed out. "It looks like nothing but a regular city."
"I mean, it does look cool," Adora added. "But I don't think it's the way you described it in the legend."
"There has to be something though!" He said. "I mean, why would this underground city be created if it weren't special? Why is it so hard to find?"
"It's underground and hard to find because the people living here hate the outside world."
Glimmer looked over at Zip when she answered.
"They what?"
"Ugh. You guys ask too many questions. This place was created by a group of sorcerers hundreds of years ago for the sole purpose of leaving the outside world. They were tired of existing there, and they were even more annoyed with the people. That ideology still exists today. Almost everyone living here despises outsiders. Whatever ancient beings you're talking about don't reside here. Only grumpy people."
Glimmer glanced around the wide variety of residents they were wading through and saw that their guide was right. Some of the townsfolk were whispering, and some of them seemed angry. There were even those who closed up their shops when they walked by.
"So this is basically like the Crimson Waste, but with less sand," Catra said. "Great. So uh, tell me again why we're walking into a place that hates us?"
"We came so the ancient beings could answer our questions." Bow let out a watery-eyed sniffle. "I can't believe they don't exist."
"They may not," Adora replied. "But the residents here are more than real, so maybe they know something."
"Don't count on it."
"What do you mean by that?" Glimmer asked Zip.
"What part of 'they hate the outside world' do you not comprehend? Only a select group of people willingly go to the surface, so don't be surprised if whatever questions you're going to ask don't get answered."
Glimmer shot a frustrated look in the girl's direction. Why was she so negative all the time?
"We're still going to try anyway. We might end up learning something."
Zip shook her head.
"Your positivity is sickening."
Glimmer rolled her eyes but ignored the comment. She wasn't in the mood to argue.
"Where are you taking us anyways?"
The child pointed out a rather large building made of grey stone just ahead of them. People were filing in and out of it sporadically, and over the door hung an oval wooden sign.
"The Brass Leaf Inn." Bow read.
"My brother and sister own it. Remember, before you get to your pointless questions, make sure to tell my sister how you ruined my work. Mind you, she's not a nice person. My brother on the other hand, well, you'll see."
The group entered the inn as soon as they reached it. Almost instantly, Glimmer felt unwelcome. There were round wooden tables filled with residents chatting and drinking, but as soon as they stepped inside, everyone went silent. All eyes were on them, and no one seemed pleased at their presence.
"Zip. What the heck are you thinking?"
The five of them had just reached the bar. Behind it stood a tall woman with long red hair and eyes to match.
"Zip!" The woman shrilled. "I asked you a question, and take that stupid thing off your face when I'm talking to you!"
The girl slipped onto a stool and sat there nonchalantly.
"No thanks, Camilla."
"Zip!"
"Shove it. I don't need to listen to you."
"You will when I- "
"Hey!" Glimmer cut into the conversation with an apologetic smile. "Sorry to bother you, but we- "
"I knew you were a stupid kid from the moment I laid eyes on you, but this?" Camilla pointed to the newcomers. "Really? Are you that dense?"
"Don't look at me!" Zip snapped. "It's your fault they're here in the first place!"
"How is this my fault!"
"Recap. You're the one who wanted me to go out and catch that stupid bug all so you could have some rare meal."
"What does that have anything to do with them?" Camilla asked.
"Uh, everything. It was the stupid furball over there who ruined my damn trap!"
"I am not a furball!" Catra yelled.
"Hmph," Camilla smirked. "Always have to blame someone else for your problems, don't you?"
"I'm telling the truth!"
"Everyone calm down!"
Adora had to yell over the voices to get their attention. She then leaned on the counter to face the woman.
"Look, she's not lying. We were searching for something in the forest and accidentally fell into her trap. Catra tore it up to get us out. While we do have questions we want to ask, we also came to back her story up. She's not at fault here."
Camilla scoffed.
"Shut up you. I don't care what you have to say. Everything is her fault."
"It is not!" Zip snapped. "Did you not hear a word she said? I brought them down here so you could see that I was in the right and that little miss princess and her gang of idiots were the perpetrators!"
"Wait a second." Bow was confused. "We never mentioned that anyone here was a princess."
Zip pointed at Glimmer's hair.
"Come on. She literally sparkles. It's disgusting. If that doesn't yell princess then I don't know what does."
"Did I hear the word princess?"
With a crash, a muscular man sporting the same red hair as Camilla came busting out of a door that was behind the counter, his crimson eyes sparkling.
"Oh boy! Outsiders!"
Zip groaned and flopped her head onto the table.
"Here we go."
"This is perfect!" The man squealed. "I haven't seen outsiders in a long time, and one of them is a princess. Eek!"
Camilla rolled her eyes with disgust before turning to walk away.
"You're a serious embarrassment to our community, Cal."
The male paid no mind to the comment and kept chatting.
"It's honestly great to see you here. Please, sit!"
"Lemme get this straight," Catra said. "You don't hate us?"
"Zip said everyone down here hates outsiders," Glimmer added.
"I said almost everyone. Listen when I speak."
Once the other four had taken a seat, each was given a cup of something warm and fizzy to drink.
"My secret recipe," the man winked. "But yes, Zip is right. You won't be liked by a majority of the people down here, but I find outsiders fascinating, especially princesses. Oh, and in case you didn't hear, my name is Cal. I'm the older brother to both Camilla and Zip."
"Hi," Glimmer smiled. "My name is Glimmer, and I'm a princess on Bright Moon. There are my friends Adora, Catra, and Bow. Adora here is also a princess. She's She-rah!"
Cal's eyes sparked again.
"She-ra? The She-ra? I've heard about you. You're legendary!"
Adora waved her hand meekly.
"Nah, I'm nothing special."
"That's for sure," Zip mumbled.
"Are you kidding me?" Bow asked, a foamy mustache decorating his face. "She's awesome!"
"I'm surprised you even know about princesses," Catra said as she downed her drink. "You know, living underground and all."
"While we don't often interact with the outside world, we do know some stories," Cal told her. "Princesses are one of them, though not too much is known."
"Just that they're glowy and weird," Zip added.
"And perfect!" Cal held out another pitcher. "Refills anyone?"
"Me!" A bright-eyed bow held out his cup. "This drink is delicious!"
"Thanks! Have as much as you ant. Any friends of Zip's are friends of mine."
"Oh please. Don't insult me," Zip grumbled. "They're not my friends. They're a bunch of nobodies."
"Rude much?" Catra asked.
"Always."
"Oh don't take what Zip says to heart," Cal reassured. "She can be a little grumpy when she doesn't get enough sleep. It's quite cute actually."
"Stop calling me cute!"
"Aww, what's the matter?" Catra teased. "Does the little cute Zippy need a nap?"
"Gah! I'll kill you!"
"Oh yes, she definitely sees you as friends. Anyways, what were you guys doing in the woods?"
Glimmer took another sip of her drink before answering.
"We're on a mission. We're searching for something."
"Oh? For what?"
"Well, we don't really know exactly," Glimmer answered. "We're mostly looking for anything that might give us a clue on a missing person."
"Missing person?" Cal questioned.
"Yes. We're looking for clues about my sister, Rose."
There was an odd silence when she said that name, Zip shuffling in her seat as Cal looked at her with piqued interest.
"You don't happen to know someone by that name, do you?" She queried.
"Hmm, it sounds familiar, but I'd have to think about it. How did you lose her?"
"We didn't lose her ourselves," Glimmered answered a little sadly. "She was kidnapped from my home. Six years ago, Bright Moon was attacked by a group who called themselves the Horde. I was eleven at the time. My mom tried getting my sister and me to safety, but she had to go protect the Moon Stone, so she charged me with getting to one of our underground safe rooms. However, when I got to her bedroom, she was being flown away on one of their ships. She called to me, but I couldn't get to her because my powers weren't strong enough."
Glimmered sniffled as she remembered. There was always a part of her that blamed herself for Rose's disappearance. If only she hadn't used up all of her magic.
"The last sighting for the ship was over this forest," Bow continued. "Guards checked the area but came back empty-handed. For two years people searched, but when she was never found, everyone assumed she had died. However, a recent discovery has proved otherwise."
"So you came back to the last sighting to recheck for clues," Cal confirmed. Glimmered nodded in turn.
"We planned to scour the entire area," Adora told him. "But then we ran into Zip and learned that there were more people nearby. We were hoping we could question some of them to see if anyone knows anything."
Cal smiled at the group.
"That's awfully brave of you guys. I commend you. Wherever she is, I hope she knows how lucky she is to have a sister like you Glimmer. A strong sister and strong friends."
Glimmer smiled back.
"Thank you."
"Of course. Well, now that you've shared your story, I'm happy to tell you that fate has been quite kind. I don't know much myself, but I can safely say that your journey is not wasted."
"It's not?" Glimmer asked.
"Nope. You see, I've been here all my life, and six years ago, there was a ship that crashed into this very forest."
Glimmer jumped out of her seat.
"What? It did? Was it Horde? Was anyone on it?"
Cal shook his head.
"I'm not sure. It was a hushed situation. Only the Hunter's Guild was involved. They were the ones who found it."
"The Hunter's Guild?" Adora asked. "Who are they? Can we talk to them?"
"You sure can! They're an elite group of fighters who go out into the forest to bring back food and goods we need for the city. However, they don't come back until tomorrow."
"Ugh, tomorrow?" Catra groaned. "They can't just return today?"
"I'm afraid not. They'll be back in the afternoon, but you can feel free to stay in the inn if you'd like, free of charge!"
"Really?" Adora looked excited. "You'd let us stay?"
"Of course! I think what you're doing is amazing, and as I said before, any friend of Zip's is a friend of mine."
"Cal! They are not my friends. Ugh. Not to mention, you forgot one minor detail."
"What's that?" Glimmer asked.
"The Hunter's Guild refuses to speak to outsiders. They won't let an outsider in unless someone in the city accompanies them."
"Oh yeah! I forgot about that. Good thing they have you then, right?"
"Wh-what? Cal! No way! I'm not taking them anywhere!"
"It won't hurt," Cal said back.
"It'll hurt me! They've caused me enough trouble already. I don't want to be near them any more than I have to."
"You're the only one who can though," Cal told her. "The guild knows and trusts you."
"You can really do it?" Bow asked. "That'd be great if you could get us in!"
"Yeah!" Adora exclaimed. "Come with us!"
"I said no! I don't want to help any of you!"
"I'm not thrilled with the idea of being stuck with you either," Catra said. "But the quicker we get help, the quicker you'll be rid of us."
"Please?" Glimmer took Zip's hands into her own. "She's my sister, and my mom and I really miss her. Please help us?"
Zip tore her hands from Glimmer, and for a moment, the princess thought she'd disagree. However, after a loud groan, she gave in.
"You guys are seriously starting to get on my nerves. Fiiiine. But I'm not happy about it. You better be ready on time. Ugh. I'm going to bed. I can't stand the sight of you guys anymore."
With a huff, she slipped from her seat and disappeared through a side door.
Once Zip was gone, the group was left alone with Cal.
"Please take what she says with a grain of salt. She's not a bad kid at all. She's just…troubled."
"Clearly," Catra mumbled.
"Thank you for letting us stay," Adora smiled gratefully. "We appreciate it, that and the information you gave us."
"See Glimmer?" Bow said excitedly. "I told you we'd find something. Hidden city!"
Cal chuckled and beckoned them to the same door Zip had gone through.
"I think you'll find everything you need here, that's for sure. For now, let me show you to your rooms."
Glimmer nodded and got up to follow. Her heart was racing with excitement. There had been a part of her that believed nothing would come from visiting the forest, but to hear that a ship had crashed there lifted her spirits. It had to be the Horde ship, right?
"I'm coming for you Rose. I'll bring you home."
"Hey Zip?"
Night had fallen, and the young girl sat on her bed with her back against the wall.
"What do you want, Cal?"
"You never ate dinner, so I thought you might be hungry."
He placed a tray of hot soup and bread on her desk.
"Let her starve," said Camilla from the door. "She lost her hunt. She deserves it."
"Go step in a Venom Snake Pit you piece of dirt," she insulted.
"Why don't you do us all a favor and do it yourself," the woman hissed back.
"Camilla, please."
Cal walked over and shut the door. When his attention was on Zip again, he sighed.
"Are you going to keep hiding behind that mask and hat?"
"Shut up. I'm not taking them off till they're gone."
Cal walked over and sat beside her.
"I know you're curious. You always have been. Why not be open with them?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said lowly. "I'm not curious about anything."
"Now that's a lie. If you weren't, their presence wouldn't affect you. I know you said you brought them down to show Camilla that they were the ones to break the trap, but you really brought them in because of Glimmer, didn't you?"
Zip shuffled uncomfortably in place. While she wouldn't willingly admit it, it was true what he said. She had seen Glimmer before the group had seen her, and almost immediately there was some weird connection. There was something about the princess that seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"You two look alike, just a little," Cal said softly. "You have the same hair color, and the same eye color, too. And when she talked about losing- "
"Screw what she said." That was something that bothered her the most. If seeing Glimmer hadn't woken something inside of her, then hearing the story did.
"Zip," Cal said a little more sternly. "Calm yourself. I'm not saying you have to do anything right now, but you need to come clean to them at some point. Don't push them away. They can help you."
"I don't need their damn help. I never did before and I don't need it now."
Cal sighed and stood.
"Just think about it, okay? I know you lost hope long ago, but try to find it again. This meeting was meant to be. I know it. Good night, Zip."
When he left the room, she scowled.
"I don't want to think about anything, especially them."
Cal had been right. She did give up hope a long time ago. She had given up hope that something like this would ever happen, but now she was faced with the one thing she used to dream of and didn't know how to handle it. She was saddened, hurt, and confused.
"Idiots!"
She tore from her bed and walked to her desk. After pulling the top drawer open, she pulled out a pendent that consisted of two star points. She squeezed it tight and held it to her heart, her eyes filling with tears.
"What do I do?"
The Hunter's Guild. The only group of people who went to the surface to scavenge for goods and food. Sure other individuals went outside here and there, but they were the designated beings who scoured the forest for things the city needed.
"Cal told us that the guild has been after you for a while," Bow said. "They say you're pretty skilled with hunting, and that they wanna train you."
"Cal has a big mouth."
Much to her dismay, Zip was leading the group to the guild, a building that was on the other end of the city. She had no desire to be around either of them, especially since she had barely slept the night before.
"I think that's kind of cool," Bow replied. "Do you often like visiting the surface?"
"Do you often ask too many questions?"
"Ouch," Catra said. "Aww, is little Zippy grouchy again?"
"Shut it stupid face!" Zip snapped.
"You shut it, dimwit."
"Filthy feline!"
"Piece of- "
"Children!" Adora cut in. "Can we not do this right now?"
"She started it," Catra mumbled. Adora shot her a sharp glance in reply.
"You okay this morning?"
Zip kept her eyes straight ahead as Glimmer spoke. Of the group, it was she that Zip had the hardest time being around. She didn't like what her heart felt, and she hated that nagging feeling in her brain that told her she knew Glimmer from somewhere. Zip tried getting out of helping again this morning, but Cal had been adamant, telling her that she needed to be there.
"Try to learn something from them. You might be able to understand your origins if you do. Do it before the opportunity is gone."
She inwardly scowled from the words, and also at the fact that she was indeed a tad curious.
"I'm fine."
Glimmer only shrugged and fiddled with a pink ball of sparkling light in her hands. When Zip saw this, she rolled her eyes.
"Oh god, not only does your damn hair sparkle, but your magic is sparkles, too? I'm embarrassed for you."
"Hey! They're actually more powerful than you think!" Glimmer told her. Catra was cracking up in the background, prompting Glimmer to defend herself more. "They are! Whatever. Let's just hurry up and get there."
"You think the guild will be able to help us?" Adora asked.
"How should I know?"
"Well, you know them right?"
"Just because I know them doesn't mean I'll know if they can help you," Zip replied. "How thick can you be?"
"Hey now," Bow said. "There's no need to be so hostile. We're just trying to get answers."
"Yeah, well maybe princess over there should have kept better track of her family. If she had, you wouldn't be here asking me stupid questions in the first place."
She hadn't meant to say those words, but she was feeling angrier than usual. Angry and confused.
"That's not fair!"
Glimmer stopped in her tracks, tears in her eyes.
"I was trying to get to her, and my mom was trying to get to both of us, but she couldn't leave the Moon Stone!"
"Maybe you both should have tried harder."
"Hey, chill out," Catra said. "I'm all for snarky comments, but that's too much. You've been nothing but rude since we met, and now you're worst today. What's your problem?"
"You're all my problem!" She snapped. "You shouldn't have come here!"
"Why not?" Adora asked angrily. "What's it to you?"
"It's everything to me!"
Zip felt her body start to shake when she said these words. She had told herself to stop wishing long ago. That hope couldn't spark back up now. She wasn't ready for it.
Zip took a step closer to Glimmer.
"Answer me this. Why now? Why did you wait so long to look for her?"
"We said this yesterday. For two years we looked for her, but when we couldn't find her, we all assumed she was dead."
"That was a stupid assumption," Zip said back. "If you loved her, you would have kept looking."
"Why would we look for someone if we thought she was dead! We thought we lost her!"
"And now you suddenly think she's alive?"
"Yes! I can't explain to you why or how we know, but we do. She's alive, and we're going to bring her home."
The heated argument left everyone quiet. Zip had tried keeping her emotions under control, but she was hurting. When she was finally able to calm herself, she pushed passed Glitter and continued on.
"Whatever. Let's just do this so you can leave me be."
Not another word was said until they had reached the guild. Two armored guards stood at the wooden doors. They tensed up when they saw four strangers, but when they noticed Zip, they nodded and let her walk inside.
"If I weren't here right now, you would have never made it inside. Whatever you do, be respectful, and don't ask stupid questions. They don't like people who waste their time."
The group traveled down a long white hallway full of many doors before coming to a large brass one at the end of it. When Zip opened it, they found a group of armored beings sorting through what looked to be mounds of different colored plants and animals.
"They collected all this?" Adora asked.
"They're called the Hunter's Guild for a reason."
"Zip?"
As they reached the center of the room, they were greeted by a stout woman dressed up in leather gear. She had two horns protruding from the top of her head and honey-colored eyes. Her skin was grey, and her face resembled something like a fawn.
"Hello, Saber."
The woman smiled.
"Have you finally come to join the guild?"
"In your dreams. Some idiots here want to ask you some questions."
Saber looked up at the four strangers.
"Outsiders?"
"Unfortunately."
"Hello," Adora greeted. "My name is Adora, and this is Glimmer, Bow, and Catra. We're sorry to bother you, but Cal said you might be able to help us."
"My name is Saber. I lead this guild. Despite being a hunter, I don't generally like to converse with outsiders, but if Zip is with you, and since Cal sent you to me, then I will answers your questions as best I can."
"Thank you," Adora replied. "Glimmer?"
The princess stepped up.
"Cal told us that about six years ago, you guys found a ship in the woods."
Saber thought for a moment.
"Oh, yes, we did. It was the first time we had ever seen a craft like that so close."
"Do you know if it was a Horde ship?"
"Ah, the Horde. We haven't spoken about them in awhile. Yes, it was theirs. We saw the markings. We knew who the Horde was from outsiders we had met, but we've never come in contact with anyone from that group. Not any that have been alive anyways."
"That ship," Glimmer said urgently. "It was supposed to be carrying a little girl. She had pink hair like me, and we had the same eye color, too. She would have been six. Did you see her?"
Saber was silent for a moment as if contemplating what to answer.
"No," she finally said. "The only one on board was a pilot, and he was dead."
"Are you sure?" Glimmer asked desperately. "No girl at all? Were there signs that a child may have been on board."
Saber shook her head.
"Nothing."
Glitter's face faltered at the news.
"Where was the ship located?" Catra asked. "Is it still there?"
"Not anymore," the woman replied. "My team and I took it apart. We wanted the metals for our city. However, you can search the area if you need to. There might be something there that missed our eyes."
Glimmer's gaze widened slightly.
"We'll do that! Where is it?"
"Just south of the grand tree. About five miles from here."
"That's perfect!" Adora said. "We'll go check it out now!"
"Just be wary. Many creatures you are not familiar with lurk out there."
"Eh, we'll be fine," Catra said. "We haven't run into anything yet."
"Come on!" Glitter said. "This is our first real lead. We need to see the area before it gets too dark. Thank you, Saber, we appreciate your help."
Saber nodded in reply.
"Zip will open the way out for you, but first I must speak to her. Please give us a few moments."
"Sure," Adora said. "Come on guys, let's go wait outside."
Once they left, Zip crossed her arms and looked away from the other. Saber could only shake her head.
"Are you going to thank me for covering for you?"
Zip still said nothing.
"Why are you hiding? I thought you were braver than this."
"I am brave!" She snapped. "You're starting to sound like Cal. Why does everyone think I'm hiding?"
"Because you are. You've been curious about your past for the entire time I've known you, and now you're just going to ignore this?"
"I stopped being curious a long time ago."
"That's a lie."
"What do you know!"
Saber kneeled to Zip's height.
"Much more than you think. I know you've always wanted to know where you came from. I know there is still a small bit of hope in you even though you claim it's gone. I know you refuse to join this guild because you don't want to commit to anything knowing you might leave someday. And I know, that more than anything, you're scared."
Zip could feel tears burning in her eyes. Half of her hated Saber for telling the truth.
"Speak to them. Tell them your story."
"You make it sound so easy! It's not something I can just do!"
"You must. You know as well as I do that you're not meant for this place."
Zip clenched her fists in anger.
"No one knows anything. We're done here."
She then turned and walked away.
"Show yourself to them," she heard Saber call as she left. "Don't hide from the truth."
Zip made no reply. She was too angry. What did everyone want her to find the truth? Why did fate have to play her like this when she had already resigned herself to being forever lost?
"This is so stupid. Why now? I convinced myself that I was hated. I finally began to understand why I was here, so why is this happening?"
"Zip?"
She had made it out the door. The crew was outside.
"You all right?" Adora asked.
Zip merely pushed passed them and walked on.
"Let's go. The sooner I get you to the entrance, the sooner you can leave."
While the others spoke, Zip took the trip in silence.
"This is so great!" Glimmer said. "There's never been a confirmation of the ship crashing here, which means she must have passed through this forest!"
"And if we can find that spot, then maybe we can trace where she went next," Bow added.
"It shouldn't take too long," Adora told them. "I'd say teleport, but we don't know the forest too well."
"Walking won't be an issue," Catra yawned. "Especially since the Frightening Wilds aren't that frightening."
When they reached the entrance, Zip led them back up the stairs and opened the door, the group stepping out right after.
"Thank you, Zip," Glimmer said. "I know you're not thrilled with us, but we're really thankful for your help."
"It's whatever."
"And you know, if you wanted, you could join us here, too," Bow suggested. "You've been super helpful, and we could always use another pair of eyes."
"Yeah!" Adora exclaimed. "Why don't you come along? You like hunting, right? Maybe if we face a creature, you can help us kill it and use it for food."
"I doubt we'll find some monster," Catra said. "This place is boring fight wise."
Zip actually considered this. Part of her wanted to run back to hide again, but she couldn't get Saber's words out of her mind. She couldn't push away that little tug she felt from Glimmer.
"Plus, since the forest seems to change, it would be helpful to have you around." Bow poked at his trackpad. "You know this place better than us."
This pulled Zip from her thoughts.
"Wait, what?"
"I said since the forest seems to change, we- "
"What are you talking about?" Zip asked him. "The forest here doesn't change."
Bow looked confused.
"Well, it must. This rock wasn't here before."
He walked over to a nearby blue lump.
"You sure? This wasn't here before."
Zip's eyes widened from behind her metal mask.
"Bow, I need you to walk away slowly."
"What? Why? It's just a rock."
"Move! Now!"
"Calm down." He reached out to touch the object. "See? Just a- oh. Why is this rock so squishy?"
As soon as he touched it, the lump moved and faced Bow, a maw of teeth greeting him. The three-eyed creature then snarled out of hunger.
"What the heck is that?" Glimmer yelled.
"It's a Giga Worm," Zip shouted. "And he's not happy! Bow get out of there!"
Zip ran towards the creature, but before she could get to Bow, the worm's tail slapped her and knocked her to the side.
"Ahh!"
"Zip!" Glimmer took out her staff and teleported closer to the beast. "Catra! Attack from the other side!"
"I'm on it! Adora!"
"I know!" The blond flung out her sword. "For the honor of Gray Skull!"
While this was all going on, a slightly dazed Zip sat up. Her eyes felt a bit blurry. When she went to touch her face, she realized she could feel skin. Panicking, she looked around and saw her mask snapped in half just a few feet away, her hat not far from it.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"
"Shoot it Bow!"
"I'm on it!" He docked one of his arrows and shot it towards the creatures face, an extreme amount of green goo now covering it.
"I've got him!" Adora shouted. She ran towards the best and readied to jump. "You're gonna- what?!"
Before she had a chance to attack, the worm levitated in the air.
"What's going on?" Catra asked. "What the heck kind of move is that?"
"You are gonna pay."
It was Zip who spoke these words, her hand out and pointed to the creature.
"Wait," Bow said in shock. "Is she doing that?"
"No way." Adora couldn't believe what she was seeing. "She's moving it with her- "
"Mind." Glimmer whispered.
Zip pulled the creature towards her. She was beyond pissed. Then, with a yell, she lifted the creature higher and slammed him into the ground.
"Why. Must. People. Break. My. Things!"
The worm hit the ground with every word she spoke, and after another yell, she turned her body and threw her arm behind her, sending the danger flying off into the distance. When it was gone, she knelt to the ground, a bit out of breath.
"Stupid thing."
The other four looked on at the young girl, their eyes wide.
"Did you guys just see that?" Bow asked.
"Yeah, yeah we did," Adora gulped. "And are you guys seeing- "
"Yep," Catra said. "Yep, we are. Now this is interesting."
Zip stood up with the broken mask in hand.
"Why does this always happen to me? First my net, then my mask. Why does the world not want me to have nice things?"
She tossed the mask aside and scowled. When she looked up at the others, she saw them staring back with odd gazes.
"What are you looking at?"
Glimmer took a few steps forward, her eyes welling up at the pink hair and purple eyes she was staring at.
"Rose?"
Zip froze when she heard that name again. It had shocked her the first time Glimmer spoke it, but now that the girl was saying it directly to her, it struck a new nerve.
"Rose," Glimmer said again. "Is that you?"
Zip wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to respond, but fear kept her silent. Her fear was so strong that she could only do what she did best and ran back to her home to hide.
"Rose! Wait!"
Glimmer teleported from her spot and right in front of Zip. The child nearly tripped in her tracks, but caught herself at the last minute.
"Please!"
Without a word, Zip used her magic to push Glimmer to the side before running towards the tree opening again. She wasn't ready for this.
"Come back!"
Zip made it into the entrance just in time to see Glimmer teleporting right outside of it. Zip threw her hands up again to push her away, and the last thing she saw a desperate Glimmer trying to reach out.
"Don't go! Rose!"