The Choice-part 2
*2*
As soon as Hordak receives word that She-Ra has been captured, he goes down to the dungeon. When he enters the cell he is shocked to see the bloody gash above She-Ra's left eye, the gash terminates just below the tiara. Hordak has never seen her injured once in all the time he has spent in battle against her.
As she regains consciousness, she struggles momentarily against the chains that hold her prisoner. A strong wave of dizziness and nausea overcomes her each time she tries to move. "What happened?"
"Your plan to rescue those rebel friends of yours may have worked, but now you are a prisoner of the Horde, She-Ra." Hordak gloats over the last part of his statement.
"My name is not She-Ra and the rebels certainly are not my friends."
"If the rebels aren't your friends, why have you been fighting for them the last two years?"
"I don't fight the Horde, I serve them."
Suddenly Hordak notices that, in her weakened state, She-Ra's voice sounds different-higher than normal, almost familiar. "You don't remember battling the Horde as She-Ra for the rebels the last two years?"
"No."
"You say you serve the Horde, how long have you been a member, She-Ra?"
"That isn't my name."
"How long have you served the Horde?"
"Since I was old enough to become a member. You made me a Force Captain."
Hordak is becoming suspicious, that he knows who She-Ra really is. "When did you come to the Frightzone?"
"I grew up here."
"What is the last memory you have of serving the Horde?"
"Leading a Force Squad into Thaymor to arrest the villagers if the rebels who attacked some troopers there earlier that day didn't give themselves up."
Hordak stands there momentarily stunned as his suspicions are confirmed.
"Adora!?" He removes the tiara from She-Ra's head-wincing as she gasps in pain before continuing. Her hair maybe longer but he would recognize the style of her bangs anywhere. "By Horde World, it really is you!"
"What happened? Why am I chained up?"
Hordak unchains She-Ra before he goes outside the cell and retrieves the Sword of Protection, which was pinned up on the wall outside the cell. He has wanted Adora, who was like a daughter to him, back ever since she left to join the rebellion and he knows this is his chance to make that happen. Hordak makes sure there are no troopers close enough to overhear what he is about to tell She-Ra as he goes back inside the cell.
"It all makes sense now, Adora. You disappeared soon after taking one of the rebels prisoner at Thaymor. He gave you this sword." He holds up the Sword of Protection. "The rebels must have used it to place you under some sort of spell which turned you against the Horde and made you fight for the rebels as She-Ra."
"I don't remember any of that."
"Maybe that's for the best." He pauses momentarily. "This may sound strange, but I think you and I should keep the fact that you are She-Ra to ourselves. You've been gone for so long that everyone thinks you deserted the Horde. I know you would never do that, but I think it would be better if you kept your identity as She-Ra. I don't want anyone to make trouble for you."
"Catra..."
"Yes with her jealously of you she certainly would."
"I understand."
"I wouldn't ask you to do that unless I thought it was necessary. We can make everyone think that She-Ra has joined the Horde."
"What about the rebels?"
"We will deal with them later, right now you need to have a doctor look at that head wound." Hordak helps She-Ra stand up.
She-Ra becomes very dizzy and almost faints.
Hordak helps support She-Ra with on arm and carries the Sword of Protection and the tiara in his other hand. It takes several minutes to reach the infirmary from the dungeons, but once in the infirmary, Hordak helps She-Ra sit down on one of the exam tables. He leaves the tiara with her, then he approaches the doctor.
"Mighty Hordak, what brings you here?"
"It seems we have a situation which could work out to our advantage."
The doctor looks over at She-Ra. "I take it this has something to do with her?"
"It seems that She-Ra can't remember who she is. I want you to see to her injuries and run whatever tests you have to. I want to know if this will be permanent or if I should have Shadow Weaver prepare a spell to keep her under our control. Report to me as soon as you have the results."
"I will get started at once." The doctor gathers what medical equipment he needs then approaches She-Ra.
Hordak turns to a nearby trooper. "You there-have Shadow Weaver report to me at once." As he watches the doctor clean up the wound on She-Ra's forehead, Hordak thinks back to what he told the doctor about using the situation to their advantage. All he really finds himself caring about at the moment is seeing to Adora's well being. He had intended to take Adora from King Randor for defying the Horde, but the infant quickly became like a daughter to him. He had lost her once and he intends to make sure that never happens again.
Shadow Weaver enters the infirmary as the doctor is stitching up the wound on She-Ra's forehead. "You sent for me Hordak?"
"She-Ra was injured."
Shadow Weaver looks over at the exam table in shock. "Injured?"
"She can't remember who she is."
"This is the perfect opportunity to get her to join the Horde."
"Do you think we can let She-Ra keep her sword?"
"Remember what that sword did to Adora-mighty one. It is possible that it could help She-Ra regain her memory." Shadow Weaver looks toward She-Ra as the doctor finishes stitching the wound closed. "On the other hand, if the injury is bad enough even the magic of the sword may not be able to restore her memory."
"I want you to be ready in case She-Ra starts to regain her memories. She is too valuable for us to lose now that we have her."
"I will prepare the necessary spells at once." Shadow Weaver leaves the infirmary.
The doctor bandages the wound on She-Ra's forehead and then begins to run several tests. Based on how serious the wound is, and the fact that She-Ra can't remember who she is, the doctor knows she has a concussion at least. As soon as he finishes running the tests he walks back over to Hordak. "She should get some rest for now." The doctor turns to walk away, but stops. "I can't help but be curious about what happened-the rumors are that She-Ra is invincible."
"She fell a considerable distance from her pegacorn after one of the troopers hit her with a freeze ray. The fall would have surely killed anyone else." Hordak walks over to She-Ra. She tries to stand up on her own, but she is still extremely dizzy. Hordak helps She-Ra steady herself before he leads She-Ra to the room that was hers as she was growing up in the Frightzone.
"You should get some rest Adora. I will come back to check on you once I've heard from the doctor."
"Spirit...is he okay?"
"Spirit?" Hordak stops in the doorway as he realizes that Spirit must also become Swiftwind when Adora becomes She-Ra. "We have him, but he is still under the rebel's spell."
"Can I see him?"
"Later, after you have had a chance to rest." Hordak leaves She-Ra alone to get some rest. For now he keeps her sword with him.
i didn't want to release anymore of a spoiler than i did in the summary-before this part came up in the story. now that it has come out i will explain how this idea was born. i started thinking in the episode where She-Ra takes off the tiara and her bangs it hides which still identical to Adora's after the transformation-what would have happened had Hordak recognized that and discovered that She-Ra is really Adora. i wanted to explore that in a story and what he might do if he discovered that and had the chance to trick her into joining the Horde once again. also how she might react if she didn't remember being She-Ra or leaving the horde for the rebellion-only being who she was before The Secret of the Sword happened. also a note on calling Swiftwind a pegacorn. i'm mildly OCD so far at least and one of the things i get OCD about is just what he is. he isn't a horse obviously at that point. a Pegasus is a horse with wings it has no horn. and a Unicorn is a horse with a horn on its head it has no wings. so in my mind the combination of a horse with both a horn on its head and wings needs its own term even if its only the combination of the two and Pegacorn sounds so much better then Unisus.
poll in my profile-be sure record your answer.