Catra stared into the fireplace watching the flames dance along the thick logs, while Adora stood behind her, sharing with the others her newfound discovery of who Adam was; as Catra has suspected, everyone except Bow seemed skeptical.
Ah, young Bow is always such an optimist.
It still seemed to be beyond belief, almost comical in a way that the same wimpy kid that she and Adora grew up with was not only Adora's twin but some mystical figure called He-Man. She smiled to herself thinking about what Lonnie and Rogelio would believe or share the same scepticism she also wondered what her old self would have thought about fighting twice the She-ra.
Madelene tried her best to listen, but her nervous excitement was almost getting the better of her, these last couple of days had been nothing less than emotionally exhausting, Adora finding her way home, thinking her that had lost her son after all those years only to find out there is a chance that he had been so close to Adora all those years, it felt like a blessing in disguise.
"And you're certain that Kyle is your brother?".
Adora nodded, "Here", she handed back the photo she had taken earlier as well as Bow's tracker pad, "If you look at him you'll see he looks exactly like Brendor in that photo".
Madelene couldn't help but noticed how Adora turned up her nose when she said Brendor's name. If only she hadn't heard her and Thad earlier, If only Thad's grief from losing Teela wasn't so fresh, If only he didn't blame his father for it. She shook the intrusive thoughts away, this wasn't the right time to let Adora know the real reason they were fighting.
She smiled. She had always adored this photo it was a freeze frame of how happy she and Brendor were, she had always loved that dark shaggy hair of his, to the point he refused to cut it because of that. She glanced over to the tracker pad that Adora had given her and as soon as she set eyes on Kyle, a lump formed in her throat.
…This is my baby!
She studied his features trying to take in as much as she could, he had her green eyes, Brendor's shaggy hair, and his innocent face. Adora was right the resemblance was uncanny. She was tempted to ask how they were going to get to him but she didn't need to once Catra approached Adora,
"So what's the plan to get him started on his pretty princess journey?".
Adora shook her head, "I wouldn't know where to start now…"
"Now? What happened to that weird hologram lady you used to talk to? She helped you right, why not get her to help Kyle?".
Adora opened her mouth to answer but stopped herself. There was a tense, awkward silence, and Catra narrowed her eyes.
Bow interjected softly, "Adora sort of destroyed her".
As soon as Bow said that Catra knew exactly what Adora was thinking…
She wants to go back to Etheria herself!
"No way, Adora!".
"Catra, who else is going to help him?!".
"He's got Rogelio, Lonnie I mean even Scorpia".
"All Horde people that know nothing about She-ra let alone He-Man!"
"Well, neither do you!". Catra shouted louder than she meant to.
Madelene could sense the frustration coming from Adora, but she had to agree with Catra, whether it was for her selfish reasons or not it was far too dangerous for her to go back to Etheria now.
"Adora? Catra is right, Belthor knows you're here now in Darksmoke so he will be watching closely if you leave, my suggestion is we wait until your father comes back he could help-".
Adora interrupted, "No, no. You can't tell Brendor about Kyle just yet".
Madelene paused for a moment, seemingly stunned by what Adora had said, "I'm not entirely sure I can do that, I mean we know that Kyle is your twin brother he deserves to know about this!".
The tense silence between Madelene and Adora was only broken by Paw's whingy voice, "Buuuut Daaaad!".
Carnivus walked in easily towering over everyone, his hand on Paw's shoulder pouting as if he had just gotten into trouble. Carnivus' nose twitched sensing the tension, "Oh…uh..sorry to interrupt but I need to talk to Kitt for a minute".
Kittrina folded her arms and looked at Paw who shuffled in place but refused to make eye contact with her, so she looked at Carnivus, "What has he done now?".
Carnivus smiled, "Nothing yet, but he does have something interesting to show you", he gives Paw a reassuring tap on the shoulder, who begrudgingly steps forward and handed over a Thulite crystal to Kittrina.
Kittrina takes it and raises an eyebrow, "Yay, a crystal just what I always wanted?".
"This is what Belthor was talking about when he said our boy took something from the wreck".
Kittrina scoffed, "So you're telling me we got into a fight with Belthor over a crystal?! Of all the contraband you have in your room…".
"Ah no I don't have contraband I have merchandise", Paw corrected her sarcastically.
Kittrina narrowed her eyes kneeling to be face to face with Paw, "So my dearest son tell me why this!", she furiously tapped her claws on the crystal, "piece of merchandise got us here…please".
Paw rolled his eyes and pointed to the underside of the crystal. Kittrina turned it around to see some First Ones writing etched on the surface.
"I figured out it must be important because…", he pointed at Adora, "...It has her name on it, a Thulite crystal etched with She-ra's name could've fetched a decent price!".
"Please do not tell me you planned to sell it back to him".
"Noooo", Paw said unconvincingly.
Kittrina stood up and looked at Carnivus who just put up his hand, "I already warned you about encouraging this kind of behaviour"
Kittrina scoffed, "Excuse me? The price gouging comes from your side of the family".
"May I have a look?". Bow asked, Kittrina absently handed him the crystal as she continued to playfully argue with Carnivus.
Bow took a moment to study the crystal, tracing around the rough and jagged edges of the etching, this was unlike anything he had ever seen not even in his father's collection. Usually, First One's writing would be methodical, clean, and geometric, but this was rough and messy, almost as if…Someone had etched it by hand.
But that's impossible!
Adora was the only one Bow knew of that could read First Ones, The odds of someone on Etheria being able to write First Ones would be near impossible, this had to have been something they missed when they first got Mara's ship.
"Where exactly did you find this?".
Paw looked at Bow excitedly, "Oh I found it under the pilot seat".
Bow frowned, "Just like this? The amount of time we were in that ship I'm certain we would have seen a random crystal rolling around".
"Nah, it was wrapped in some weird red flag with wings on it"
Catra and Adora exchanged glances. Wings?!
"That makes no sense, how could a horde flag be in Mara's ship?". Adora looked at Catra for a response but she remained silent.
It wasn't hard for Catra to figure out how that flag got there, it was the only time the horde ever had that ship. A place she would have rather never thought of again…whoever etched that crystal was in The Valley of the Lost.
Later that night…Carnivus rubbed his hands together as he silently crossed the dimly lit courtyard, he cursed having to come out in this weather even with the amount of fur he had it still couldn't compete with the icy air of Darksmoke.
He found a secluded spot and watched silently as stable hands moved livestock inside for the night, he felt a little on edge because the longer he stayed out the worse it would be if Kitt found out what he was doing.
"I do hope you weren't waiting for me too long".
Carnivus turned around and looked in the direction of the voice, seeing only a green set of cat eyes in the shadows under one of the towers, the shadow shifted a little forming into a slender black jaguar, wearing a purple flowing dress the plunge accentuated by a bone necklace with a skull in the middle.
Carnivus huffed it was clear that she was unaffected by the cold, "Evelyn", he said tone just as cold as the air around them.
Evelyn approached and gave him a sultry smile, "You don't sound pleased to see me".
"I wouldn't say that, it's a joy seeing you leave".
He flinched as she reached towards his mane and snapped off one of the many icicles that had started to form.
"Well let's not waste any time, tell me what I need to know".
Carnivus composed himself he had to be careful, he couldn't let her find out about He-Man, at least not yet.
* * *"Are you sure you're ok?". Lonnie stood over Kyle as he laid on the floor staring at the ceiling.
"I'm fine". Kyle said although he wasn't entirely sure he believed it himself. Lonnie eyed him suspiciously, so Kyle sat up to reassure her giving her his best grin. Rogelio looked at Lonnie and shook his head.
Lonnie shrugged her shoulders, "I don't believe him either, but if he says he's ok…anyway we should get back to work", she looked at Kyle, "Just don't take too long".
Kyle nodded and opened his hand, staring at the now dull and life stone, he rolled it around in his hand hoping the same brightness he had seen before wasn't just a hallucination.
"Adam, child of Darksmoke and He-Man champion of Eternia"
"What does that even mean?". Kyle whispered to himself, still staring at the small stone secretly hoping it may answer back.
Maybe Swiftwind was right, this is what spiralling is like.
Kyle was still deep in thought and didn't notice Kale watching him from inside his cell, he tilted his head startling Kyle when he spoke, "It's really quite fascinating you are nothing like Adora".
"You did this?"
Kale laughed and waved dismissively, "I did what I was supposed to do and now I can go home".
Juliet approached, eyeing them both suspiciously, "No one is going anywhere, you're still under arrest and..", she points a finger at Kyle, "YOU need to explain what that little display was"
Kale smirked, "Good luck getting that information out of him".
Kwyn slapped her wing into Kale's face, "Stop it, you're being just as insufferable as mother!".
Kale gives her an incredulous look, "WE get roped into whatever she has gotten into and you're angry at me?!".
"Well being rude isn't going to get you anywhere!".
"You've always been too nice, that has always been your downfall". Hungar said as she hung from the ceiling with her eyes closed, unfazed by the current events.
Kwyn huffed loudly she was starting to lose her patience, "Why am I the only one taking this seriously?! We have just found Adam, and rather than going back to Eternia we're stuck in here with you!".
Juliet interrupts, "Enough! Your mother was involved in the kidnapping of the queen several years ago and was never charged with her crimes".
Hungar laughed, "She still can't be angry about that".
"I most certainly can". Angella approached standing very stoic in front of the cell. Hungar sighed and finally got down from the ceiling and stood in front of her.
"What can I say? The horde made me do it?", she gave Angella a fake smile.
Angella ignored her and turned her attention to Kwyn, "Did I hear you say you came from Eternia?"
Kwyn relaxed, "You've heard of Eternia?"
"I have, although Etherian scholars had long believed such a place didn't exist". Angella looked at Kyle, Kyle swallows hard as it feels as though Angella's eyes are burning right through him. "I'm curious does your arrival have anything to do with this young one".
Swiftwind head pops up and frightens everyone," OH OH I CAN I TELL HER!"
Kwyn shrugs her shoulders, "Well it can't make this any worse".
Swiftwind excitedly pulled Kyle into him with his wings and concealed him, "No peeking".
"What are you doing?!". Kyle whispered
"Just work with me here, strike your best hero pose",
Swiftwind mimics a horn, "Yooooour majesty, I present to you…", he opens his wings to reveal Kyle kneeling and hiding his head under his hands, "...He-Man Champion of Eternia".
Swiftwind screwed up his nose a little, "it's ok..we'll get Adora to help you with your posing next time"
Kale clapped his hands together, a massive grin on his face, "Oh this is amazing". Everyone tried to muffle their laughs and Kwyn covered her eyes. She stood corrected it could get much worse.
Juliet still giggled, "He-Man? Impossible he was fairytale told to children".
Angella was the only one not laughing, "There was a time a few years ago when we thought She-ra was also nothing but a fairytale".
Juliet and the others stopped laughing as they slowly realised that Angella was right.
Angella looked at Swiftwind, "Who gave you this information?".
Swiftwind tapped a wing against his head, "Telepathy buddies remember".
Angella looked at Kyle and raised an eyebrow.
Usually, I would trust Adora's word but this seems improbable.
She couldn't help but worry about Adora and the others and what event had caused the mythological hero to appear on Eternia.
That thought was foreshadowing, but Angella didn't realise it.