The Crowning
After all the strange and deadly traps, the caves had put the group through, what they saw on the room behind the door set them on edge. A large rectangular room decrepit and dark with age, the room was decorated with dust covered adornments of various types. Placed up against the walls sat parallel rows of thrones each independently but, different.
"Look!" Glimmer darted a head her feet echoing loudly in the old hall "On that old tapestry!" She pointed high up on the ceiling to a tapestry that was faded its frayed threads waving like ghostly spiderwebs. The group stared up at the woven decoration despite its faded colors the unmistakable shape of Castle Brightmoon moved over them.
Curious Adora looked around to see if she could find something familiar, her eyes widened and jumped on one of the thrones. "Over here its Mystacor !" She brushes her hand up against a painting depicting the floating mountain Castle.
Curiosity they begin to investigate the room more thoroughly, each of the decorations depicting an area in Etheria. Large kingdoms like Erelandia and Salineas, as well as small independent territories such as Rosewood and Flower Mountain. Each representation accurate despite their decrepit condition.
"Careful, this place has shown me and Bow once before that whatever is in charge can pull from our memories." Zed warned the group "This place could all be a farce."
Glimmer pursed her lips sat his warning "If that's true then what's it pulling from your head?"
"Guys!" Bow's ecstatic voice echoed down the hall.
The other three were quick to join him where he was standing gazing up at the far back wall where a chipped stucco painting of a man in red armor standing statuesque over the whole room. At the feet of the massive wall painting set of thrown cold and stony and upon its seat was a glowing headpiece.
It's light shining so brightly that the details underneath the glow were blurred and indistinct.
"That's the Crown of Knowledge!" Glimmers said awe. Though she was deeply worried for the future of her kingdom now that they were so close to the artifact that had the potential to rip it all part.
With the excitement of one of his lifelong dreams coming through Bow shouted to his friends new and old "Come on let's go!" Then with a mighty step forward, he smacked right into an unseen barrier stopping him in his tracks. "What!" He stated in shock as he thrashed and pushed against what was hindering him.
Adora did the same thing seeing Bow struggle. "An invisible wall!" She tried swinging her sword at it though what was hindering them did not seem to tear or fall away.
Glimmer simply pressed her hand against the barrier. Her body emitted light as she tried to teleport through it, but failed to do so. "I don't get it!" She stomped her foot.
Zed waved his hand in front of him not feeling the same barrier that was hindering the other three. With a pensive feeling in his chest he took if you step forward and tell he was a foot away from the rest of the group. With a puzzled look he looked back on the other three, clearly not understanding the phenomenon that had occurred.
"Wait? Why does he get to go across!" Adora's turned red with anger at the confusing site in front of her.
Glimmer narrowed her eyes and thought before they suddenly want wide and she immitted a small "Oh." Then gave a concern to look to the blonde-haired girl beside her.
Adora's eyes widened, realizing the mistake the two princesses had made.
Bow looked at the two girls concerned and asked "What did you guys do?"
"When we entered here, we told the wind guard thing that we didn't want the crown. Instead we just wanted to get you out safely." Glimmer started to answer looking guiltily.
"I think that riddle spirit must have interpreted that, we also, didn't want you to get the crown." Adora's gaze fell downcast unable to look Bow in the eyes.
Bow's jaw clenched in his fist tightened, then slowly he forced himself to calm down and turned to Zed "I guess it's up to you buddy." He gave the other boy a hopeful look.
Zed's throat clenched at Bow's predicament, the other teen had made so only to be undermined by the ones he had put trust in. He looked at the two girls now understanding why Bow's thoughts would slip to such negative places when he was thinking about them. Then with a nod he turned and made his way towards the thrones the crown.
An angry vortex of wind smashed down on him "Halt! You are unworthy of taking another step further." The cold voice from the entrance door boomed down upon him
Using his arm to block from the whipping no wind Zed called out "You again? What are you?"
"What I am is not important, the only thing that is the crown does not fall into unworthy hands." The wind hissed swirling forcefully enough that Zed fell back.
"That's not fair! You let him get that far and he's unworthy!" Glimmer protested to the voices bizarre sense of logic.
The icy wind began to shift swirling around the trio that cannot proceed past the unseen barrier "Like a parasite he feeds off in profits from the success of others, like a carrion creature he turns the failures of others into his own proffered goods! His heart is darkened by unrepented guilt and unrelieved grudges!" The voice shook dust from every corner of the room.
Zed looked down at the ground as his hands trembled, his own multi tool which was made with the discarded parts of the artificial life that lived on the Velvet Glove. The spirit spoke only the truth and for the first time in his life he took no pride in his actions, for just like his association his successes were caused by the will of someone else.
"His thoughts are clouded with loyalty, as his very will is controlled by another!" The spirit continued with its judgment of the Horde Prince.
He wished the voice had a more physical form so he could hit it or commanded to go away with more confidence. His father had standards at all below him had to live by, and he was no exception. In order to feel like he was not a waste of his father's efforts, Zed merely just became an extension of Horde Prime's will. Is that why he wanted the crown so? Merely for the fact that he knew his father would be pleased instead of it being his own desires? He clenched his fists as he tried to suppress such traitorous thoughts.
Adora felt her blood boil at the voices cryptic berating "How do you know! You're just going look inside his head and just judge him!" She had been judged by the rebellion before joining for her history in the Horde. Whatever the spirit was trying to convey to them she knew it couldn't have been Zed's whole story.
"Prove it to us! Give him a test to show us that he doesn't deserve the crown!" Bow called to the disembodied voice, even though he couldn't physically retrieve the crown he would do everything in his power to give his new friend a fighting chance.
Zed turned to Bow, I'm expecting the other boy to vouch for him. Especially after with the spirit had said, if he was in the Horde, he would've been questioned rather than defended. Before he could open his mouth to confess his gratitude to the other boy the ground around him began to shake. The brick floor falling away into blackness as the plot form that held that the throne began to rise to an abnormal height.
With a blast of cold the disembodied voice rang down "This is his final trial, failure here will mean his death." Before leaving the room in an empty stillness.
Zed glanced around at his new situation, his eyes always drifting to the empty blackness below him. Despite the disembodied voices seeming departure, it's final words still ring in his ears muting every other sound in the chamber.
The island he was stranded on was too small to vault himself with his multi tool, like he had done in the first trial. He did not have the strength or the endurance to try to jump across the abyss and reach for the high up edge that still seem to be stretching higher and higher. Certainly, there had to have the right answer, but with death being the only result for failure he had to think it through. His mind went back to when he had jumped the gorge, how Bow had managed to find an invisible pathway. Perhaps, there was another pathway up to the throne in crown, yet with no dirt or loose gravel there was only one way to check.
With a shaky step he put his foot out over the edge. His foot made contact to something unseen but slick, with another step it looked as if he was suspended in midair. With one foot he continued to feel along the pathway arms outstretched to keep his balance. Suddenly, the unseen slippery footing he had begun to warp and move under his weight, before eventually disappearing.
"Zed!" Bow screamed as he pushed in random himself against the unseen barrier as he watched a Zed fall into the darkness. "No!" Tears welled up in his eyes as he slid to the floor.
Glimmer felt the pain in her heart seeing her best friend cry, she got down beside him and hugged him consolingly.
To her shock and dismay Bow pushed her away "Don't touch me! This is all your fault!" Tears streamed from his eyes as he shouted at the two girls "If you just trusted me and that wouldn't have just happened! He didn't have to die!" He continued to shout backing away from them.
Glimmer recoiled unable to speak. Never in all the years that she had spent with Bow she had never seen him get so angry, she almost didn't recognize him.
All Adora could do was look at the ground. Whatever negative consequence that could've came from the crown, it wasn't worth somebody losing their life to prevent it. Not like that.
Bow pressed the heels of his palms to his face to dry his tears "He was my friend! Just like you guys!" His eyes still shining with dampness. Even though he spoke bitterly to the two princesses, deep down he blamed himself for goading the spirit into the test that made Zed fall.
Glimmer felt awful, she had never expected this to happen. She had let her paranoia for friends and anxiety caused the worst of consequences to happen. "Bow we're-" her apology was cut off as a weak voice echoed up to them.
"I'm not dead, mo ghile mear." Zed said from the seemingly endless chasm, despite the strain on his body it hurt him more to hear the pain voices above him than his own troubles. He hanged on by his multi tool jammed into the craggy rocks. Below him the pit seemed to stretch endlessly, but he could sense something down there massive yet still as a statue.
There was a wave of relief that washed over the trio, the sound of his weak voice seeming to call the sense of darkness around them. Before anyone could get a word in to respond the disembodied voice in the wind returned.
"Fool! Don't delay the inevitable!" There was a palpable sense of irritation in what had once been a distant and cold voice.
The wind whipped down at Zed trying to pull him into the pit below, making the grip on his multi tool sting and burn.
"Shut up, you! Literal windbag!" He had enough of the spirits judging tone "I am Zed Kur! I had to prove myself to get everything I've got and justify my actions to others every step of the way!" He pushed himself up so he was standing on his multi tool grappling for purchase from another high up stone.
The wind continued it to blow down and force, the swirling strength of the ensuing vortex throwing back the trio above the canyon. Despite this that continued to climb each part of him beginning to burn with each lashing of the wind.
Barely able to catch his breath he managed to reach the ledge where the throne sat "I am more than worthy of this crown!" He looked up his eyes still making out the head pieces brilliant glow despite the pain to open them.
Excepting defeat, the force behind the wind subsided leaving the room beyond still.
With every part of his body aching for him to stop he stumbled his way to the crown and took a hold of it "I did it." He croaked as the light seemed to fall away like incandescent smoke "He, well then." He collapsed to his knees as he stared at the myriad of gems that adorned the headpiece. Rubies with dark almost black cores, pronounced by ice like diamond, and iridescent white stones. Each gem framed by etchings of sunrises and waves.
Now that he held the First One's artifact his mind and body would not to do anything more than kneel in front of the throne. Whatever strength of will he had to get to this point had completely evaporated, he hadn't even fully plan through what he would do after this very moment.
As a shimmer of light Glimmer and the other two warriors teleported up to him, the Princess letting out a heavy sigh and exhaustion once appearing.
"Zed you did it!" Though nearly jumped over to the other boy in excitement.
Feebly the Horde Prince looked up at Bow's smiling face "Here." He lifted the crown up to him despite his muscles screaming not to.
"What, you can't be serious." Bow said in shock but took the crown. While it did not shine as brightly when it was alone on its perch it still gave a warm candlelight glow in his hands.
"I know how it feels to have something you put a lot of effort in, to becomes meaningless." Zed said with a breathy sigh as he stared up a Bow "So, you deserve the crown, you wanted it more than me." Then he closed his eyes letting his mind drift elsewhere.
Bow was flooded with a nervous giddiness, it was as if he had managed to pull a shooting star out of the sky. Everything his dads had worked for before the Horde attacked, the one desire of his that had to be pushed aside for his friends and the rebellion.
He now held it in his hands.
He looked at his two best friends, even though they smiled at him he could detect the girl's apprehension underneath.
"Go on, put it on, you earned it." Glimmer said between tired pants, though her eyes showed all the nervousness and worry that she wouldn't say out loud.
"We won!" Adora said encouragingly, happy that the First One's artifact hadn't fallen into the hands of the Horde. As a part of her, the She-ra part worried about the damage the crown could cause even being welded by one of her friends.
Bow could feel his bones vibrate at the idea of wearing the crown. Wisdom's Light in itself was supposed to grant powers that in itself for unimaginable, is seeing how only one person ever knew its full capabilities. The more he stared at the glowing artifact the more the weight of the crown became heavier in his hands.
Slowly he let his eyes fall to Zed, the other young man had done so much to retrieve the crown. Only to give it to him at the very end. Looked longingly and choose Zed's tired and pained face, then to his gal pals who bit their tongues so he could feel pride in this moment.
He turned fully to Zed, the other young man oblivious to Bow's intention "I think it looks more charming on you." Then carefully placed the Crown of Knowledge on Zed's messy hair, his hand lingering to make use the other boy look nice.
Zed opened his eyes as if awaken from a deep sleep "Bow." He reached feeling Bow's hands and crown, staring up at the other Bow like a confused child. "Ghaw!" The light suddenly faded from his eyes, as red lightning violently sprouted from the crown covering the young man and an electrified web as he screamed in pain.
Bow was tossed back as a stray bolt of lightning struck him in the chest, paralyzing him. His body convulsing well every part of his body seemed to burn, before blacking out completely.
Glimmer let out a startled scream seeing what happened to Bow snapping any composure she had "Get it off him!" She tried to rush for the crown but the threat of being shocked by the crimson lightning, making her shake. The memory of being tortured by Shadow Weaver making it impossible for her to approach that in his current state.
"End user Runefaust detected. An error has occurred: unauthorized connections detected, variable unaccounted for." The disembodied voice rang out one more time even more lifeless than it had ever been.
As the voice faded the entire cave system began to rumble, as shadows began to climb up the chasm walls. From the darkness metal insectoids with gleaming red eyes crammed to their way onto the platform with the group. Limbs and mandibles snapping as they tried swiping at the two princesses.
Glimmer's eyes widened at the sight "What are those!" She screamed as she tried to summon up enough power to protect her friends.
"Trouble!" Was all Adora adore could say and warning recognizing the creatures from when the security system on the Crystal Castle had activated. Then pulled out the sort of protection hoping even without the power of Shira that she would be able to fight against the mechanical creatures.
"What about Zed and Bow?" Glimmer asked throwing some short energy blasts at the insects making them fall back down the pit.
"Right now, don't touch them." The blonde-haired girl said as she swung her sword at the insects.
Together the two princesses did their best to keep the mechanical monsters from encroaching on the platform. Though no matter how much they tossed their components over the edge into the blackness three more were crawling up the wall to replace them.
"I don't think I can keep this up!" Glimmer said feeling her stores of magic from the runestone fading, as her need to recharge became an ever-present danger.
The sparkling haired Princess began to back away as the insect delayed monsters continued to encroach upon her. She braced herself for one of them to lunge down upon her only for it to be monster to be knocked off its path as an arrow was lodged in its side.
Glimmer looked at where the arrow had come from a notice to Bow struggling to his seat. In a flash she moved to his side to steady himself as he came to take another shot.
Adora felt a weight lift off her shoulders seeing Bow recover, which he glanced back at her opponent she noticed that her sword was glowing. Willing to take a risk she called out "By the honor of Grayskull!" Holding up the sword a now familiar light engulfed her becoming She-ra.
Even so, becoming She-ra didn't stop the insectoids from coming. Instead the attacking creatures and increased in numbers focusing their attention on the glowing warrior.
"Child."
Through the haze of red and pain Zed began to hear a voice. His body was tense and he felt like if he lost focus even for a moment it would be his end.
The voice called out again "You must surrender yourself."
Zed did his best to look through the haze and an unnerving site was revealed to him. Hunched over him appeared to be a being of both fire and lightning despite its glow he can make out a face and perpetual agony.
"I don't." The Horde Prince choked out.
"The crown was a gift, that unfortunately had to be taken away." The being leaned in closer pointing a distorted finger at him "Yet you persevered through the trials and with the blessing from a descendent of the frist king, we accept to you both."
Zed shook his head still unable to process what the creature was saying.
"Give in, don't fight the tide." The the creature then reached out with its haggard hands to hold Zed's face.
With an agonizing scream Zed felt his blood boil as the lightning that was dancing around the outside of his body shredded their way into him. Then with an exhale of breath a shockwave of power reverberated out from him.
"What's happening!" Glimmer said as it seemed like the roof above them was about to cave-in.
Then from within the young man's body a blinding light engulfed everything.
Adora turned back to look at Zed as she watched him get up disjointedly like a puppet pulled on strings. "I remember now!" She said out loud as her impression of her memories became clearer in the growing light.
She was young barely learning to walk and Catra was crawling and howling in pain in front of her. Across The room towering like a monster was a man covered in chrome, cannons and projectile weapons retracting into his body like hidden limbs. Besides him was a hideous robot with an ever-morphing face, with its spidery lean limbs it picked up another crying child whose leg was bleeding from deep scratches.
'Kur!' A lesson from her other life smashing down to her, about how that word was forbidden to say even though she heard it from somewhere. Now mere moments ago she had heard it from Zed as he shouted to the wind as a part of his own name. Then like a broken clock that had been given power to check once more, everything started to make sense.
With that realization, she realized what danger they were truly in. Then the light engulfed her and her friends completely and everything turned white.
(AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, things will start wrapping up after the next chapter. Feel free to leave a review and don't be shy to ask questions.)