Chronera could not believe the earful she was getting from the Queen. It was mostly what she was expecting to hear, to be quite honest. Going AWOL like that, breaking her promise to Glimmer, and worrything them all like that, she expected things to be much worse.

"What you did was reckless and dangerous! You also deceived my daughter when you promised you would not go to the Fright Zone? Now, what do you have to say in your defense?" Queen Angella was a little bit more than furious at her newest member of the alliance. How could she go out and risk her own life like that? All to obtain a Ridewatch?

"I simply did as I thought was correct, Your Majesty. Once Woz told me the location of the Kabuto Ridewatch, I could not sit by idly while the Horde could possibly be making use of its powers." Chronera stated, not even attempting to defend herself. "What I did was wrong, I realize that, and I apologize for breaking my promise and endangering myself. However, I still believe that it was the best decision. Not only did I acquire the Kabuto Ridewatch but the Drive Ridewatch as well."

"And what if they had done something to you? You got out of this situation on pure luck." Queen Angella responded, although she was impressed that they retrieved two more Ridewatches. She shook her head a bit. "Your former Captain warned me about this. He told me you had… anger problems."

Chronera's demeanor changed almost immediately after hearing this. She looked shameful. Her most fatal flaw was her rage, and she knew that already. She could not deny it.

"I… I do have problems with my rage."

"And I know the reason why. You hate the Horde."

Chronera could only nod in response. She did hate the Horde, more than anything else in the world. Her hatred was at the very core of her being, having been her driving force since she was a little girl.

"Chronera, I understand. The Horde took my husband from me. However, you must not allow that hatred consume you."

"I… I can't help it." Chronera looked guiltier than usual. "I allowed my rage to consume me when I did battle with the Horde at their lair. Everything went red, I could only see through my rage. I attacked Lady She-Ra in my rage, even knowing that it was wrong." Chronera bit her lip a bit. "If anything, I should not be allowed back out in the field after what I did to her. I…deserve to be imprisoned and stripped of my status."

"That seems a bit extreme. It was partly my fault for not keeping better tabs on you once I learned of your anger. And I should not have allowed Woz to inform you of the location of the Ridewatch as well." Queen Angella then realized something as she spoke. "The Drive Ridewatch… How did you obtain it?"

"I found it in a lab belonging to crazed inventor who works for the Horde." Chronera said, sighing a bit. "She was… odd. She walked around on her pigtails, and didn't bother to stop me from retrieving my gear when I arrived on the scene."

Angelle's eyes widened. A crazed inventor...Walking around on her pigtails...

"This inventor, did she have purple hair?" Angella questioned. Chronera nodded again. "Entrapta..."

"Your Majesty, you don't mean Princess Entrapta, do you?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

"But that's impossible! Princess Entrapta was lost during the mission to rescue Sir Bow and Lady Glimmer! And even if she were alive, she wouldn't side with the Horde! She was a member of the Princess Alliance…!" Chronera's mind raced and she picked up on several cues she had gotten from Catra. Abandonment… Loss… If Entrapta had survived her ordeal and the Princess Alliance failed to retrieve her… Then when Catra tried to convince Chronera that She-Ra had abandoned her, then it all made sense. Entrapta believed she was left for dead by the Princess Alliance. "Your Majesty, we need to rescue Princess Entrapta! We can't let the Horde keep her and use her skills to their advantage!"

"No, Chronera," Queen Angella denied.

"Your Majesty?" Chronera questioned.

"Listen, Chronera. It is unfortunate, but if Entrapta had indeed been taken captive and forced to work for the Horde then she would have found a way to get in contact with us. We need to consider the possibility that she has defected."

"Then should we not inform the Alliance?" Chronera asked.

"No, at least not yet. Can you imagine what would happen if they learned that another Etherian princess has joined the Horde?" Queen Angella asked.

"There would be a panic," Chronera realized.

"I will inform the Alliance when the time is right. For now, we must keep this to ourselves. Now, back to your punishment. You will not be allowed to leave Castle Brightmoon without permission or an escort. However, if an emergency were to arise, such as an Another Rider, then you will be deployed to neutralize the threat."

"Very well, Your Majesty."

"Chronera, it's very late. We all need our rest. We will discuss this later."

"As you wish, Your Majesty. Good night."

"Good night, Chronera."

Chronera returned to her bedroom and sighed as she closed the door.

"Being a princess is hard," she murmured. There were so many new rules of conduct for her to memorize, but that was not the hard part. The hard part was trying to live up to the role. It wasn't just a title, but a responsibility, and one she was not sure she was ready for. All her life, she thought she was just an ordinary person, but clearly that was not the case. She was the heir to the Demon King Oma Zi-O, the Overlord of Time and Space. Not the best title to shoulder, but it was hers now.

She went to her table to put away her things. She put down the Ziku-Driver and then she put the Ridewatches on the storage rack. She looked at all the empty spots on the rack. She had collected Kiva, Drive and Kabuto. That meant there were 16 of the Ridewatches left that she needed to gather. It was power that could help them destroy the Horde. However, she would need to find them all. According to Woz, they were in the possession of the princesses. She would have to convince them to relinquish them to her but demanding them would not be the best course of action and taking them by force was not an act she was willing to consider.

She would need to be patient and gather them when the time was right. Although, what would happen once she gathered them all? What power could all 19 Legendary Ridewatches grant her? It had to be great if her ancestor worked so hard to claim them all.

She did not want to walk in his footsteps, she did not want to rule Etheria. She just wanted to destroy the Horde so nobody else would suffer like she had.

"You will save Etheria if you rule it."

There was that voice again. She had not told Queen Angella about it.

Her ancestor, Oma Zi-O, the Demon King of Time. She did not know much about him. She could ask Woz but he was biased and would only sing him praises. Woz would only tell her about Oma Zi-O's greatness. For him to earn the title 'Demon King' meant that he could not have been a good person. He would have been as terrible as the Horde.

Chronera dressed for bed. As she lay in bed, she started to sink into the soft mattress. It was like it was trying to swallow her up.

She was going to get a new bed. These canopy beds were too soft and not as comfortable as her bed back at the barracks. The ones at the barracks reminded her of the bunk beds at Granny's orphanage.

"It would appear that the Rebellion has gained a powerful new member," Hordak said as he reviewed the footage after listening to Catra's report. "First She-Ra and now this Kamen Rider Zi-O. Tell me, Catra, how do you rate her as a threat?"

"Honestly?" Catra responded. "She's powerful and dangerous but she's got a weakness."

"And what is this weakness?"

"She hates us and if anyone tries to stop her, even if they're her allies, she'll attack them too," Catra answered. "This could turn the Rebellion and the Princess Alliance against her."

"And these Ridewatches? You say she uses them to augment herself."

"That's right. Entrapa has the footage if you wish to review it, Lord Hordak."

"I think I will. Is there anything else?"

"Entrapta is working on reverse engineering Zi-O's belt. It's what allows her to access her armor and the power of these Ridewatches. If we can duplicate it then we could have a powerful weapon."

"Since your last plan was a near success then perhaps this one would allow us to finally crush Brightmoon and the Rebellion once and for all. Just don't fail me, Catra."

"I won't, Lord Hordak. You can count on me."

"You really don't remember anything, Kyle?" Catra questioned.

Kyle was strapped down on a table as Entrapa seemed to be performing scans on him. The blond was a bit freaked out, but after what he had gone through, this was fairly tame.

"I don't know what to tell you, Catra. I mean, yeah, I remember turning in to that thing but I don't know anything else," Kyle answered.

"And so we don't know the identity of this other intruder," Catra scowled. She did not like this. First, there was Zi-O and there also seemed to be this other faction that was working against her if the monster was any indication. What had she called it? An 'Another Rider'?

"Don't worry, Catra. I think I'll be able to get some answers. Now, hold still. This might sting," Entrapa held up some pretty sharp and dangerous instruments, causing Kyle to scream and then pass out.

"Entrapa, cutting open one of our soldiers isn't going to help us with this," Catra deadpanned. Kyle was useless but he was at least good as a distraction.

"Alright, fine. Maybe I can take a blood sample for analysis," Entrapta said. "But I did detect some strange residual energy from Kyle. That could give us some clues."

"So why do you still need a blood sample?"

"I need more data!"

"OK, fine. Just do what you do. Any progress with the reverse engineering Zi-O's belt?"

"The parts I'll need are hard to come by, unfortunately, but they can be substituted with things we can find in the Fright Zone. I'm just trying to understand how it can generate a suit of armor out of nothing."

"Magic," Scorpia suggested.

"Magic is just science we can't comprehend, like the First Ones' tech," Entrapa countered. "This belt is not First Ones' tech and it's unlike any tech I've ever seen."

"Well, figure it out then."

"Oh, I will." Entrapta seemed to salivate. This would be her greatest achievement yet.

Chronera woke up late the next day, past noon in fact.

"Rise and shine, My Princess!" Woz greeted.

Chronera stopped questioning Woz's appearance. She had grown used to it quickly.

She glanced at the clocks and saw the time. She grimaced. Back at the barracks, waking up so late was unacceptable. As a guard she always rose with the sun for het shift and during basic training she had grown use to waking up before sunrise for early morning training. The only time she overslept was whenever she had the night shift.

"I had the cook prepare a meal for you," Woz added, showing he was carrying a plate of food for her as she got out of bed. Her nightwear consisted of a black tank top and purple shorts.

"Thank you, Woz," Chronera said groggily. The food smelled good and she was hungry.

"Once you're done with your meal, you need to get dressed. We can then continue on your path as the future Demon King." Woz proclaimed as he set her meal down on her table.

"Woz, I've told you many times already that I do not intend to become the next Demon King."

"But you do intend to collect the Ridewatches."

"To destroy the Horde. That's my only goal."

"And what if becoming the Demon King helps you achieve your goal?" Woz questioned. "As Oma Zi-O you would have no equal and the Horde would fall at your feet. The Horde could be wiped out with a wave of your hand."

That kind of power sounded tempting, but she did not want to rule Etheria. If she did then she would be no better than the Horde.

"But if you ruled Etheria, you would be better than the Horde."

"Let's forget about the Demon King for now. How about you tell me about where I can find the other Ridewatches," Chronera deflected.

"Very well, My Princess. Let's start with the Princess Alliance. Princess Perfuma of Plumeria possesses the Gaim Ridewatch. Next, Princess Mermista of Salineas has in her possession the Faiz Ridewatch. Princess Frosta of the Kingdom of Snows possesses the Hibiki Ridewatch. She'll be the hardest for you to persuade, My Princess."

"What about Princess Netossa and Princess Spinnerella?" Chronera inquired.

"Princess Netossa has the Ryuki Ridewatch and her lover Princess Spinnerella has the Double Ridewatch," Woz concluded. "So, My Princess, who shall be your next target?"

"First, do not refer to the princesses as 'targets'. Secondly, I'm confined to the palace unless it's an emergency. Queen Angella's orders," Chronera answered, sighing. "I need to apologize to Lady Adora too."

She had attacked her friend. She owed Adora an apology for her actions. But first, she needed to finish breakfast, take a bath and then get dressed for the day.

After finishing her morning ritual, Chronera stepped out of her bedroom to find Adora. She bumped into a familiar face in the hallway.

"Captain," Chronera saluted.

"Chronera, you don't have to salute me. I'm not your captain anymore. You're a princess. I should be bowing to you," the Captain said.

"There's no need for that, sir."

Chronera awkwardly lowered her hand and smiled. Her former captain had informed Queen Angella of Chronera's anger issues but the former guard could not fault him for that. He had a responsibility and Queen Angella had needed to know if she was worthy to be her daughter's bodyguard. Of course, back then, neither of them knew she would become the Princess of Time.

"So, how have you been?" the Captain asked. "I bet you didn't think you would become a princess."

"It's been an interesting transition. There's so many new rules I need to learn and memorize about being a princess," Chronera explained. "I may have to act as an ambassador instead when I was trained to guard ambassadors."

"Chronera, listen to me. You may not have chosen to become a princess, but for some reason you've become one. It's overwhelming, trust me. I know the feeling."

"How so?"

"Did you really think I chose to become Captain of the Royal Guard? Like you, I was a normal guard but I worked hard and my efforts were recognized and thus I was promoted. And you've worked so hard to become a guard that I know you have what it takes to be a princess."

"Thank you, sir." Chronera truly appreciated the kind words of her former CO.

"And drop by the barracks whenever you're free. You're still welcome there. You can catch up with some old friends," the Captain encouraged, patting Chronera on the shoulder. He then bowed. "Princess."

"Captain," Chronera bowed back and they went their separate ways.

Chronera remembered her last day as a guard. The guards all learned she had become a princess. They had a Going Away Party for her and she had enjoyed herself.

Chronera continued on her way to find Adora and actually came across her in the hallway. When they locked eyes, they paused, unable to say anything.

Someone needed to say something first, it seemed, which was a challenge as neither of them was sure what to say.

"Chronera..."

"Lady Adora..."

They had spoken at the same time.

"You first," Adora said after the pause.

"Lady Adora, I apologize for my behavior and actions the other night," Chronera apologized. "My anger and hatred towards the Horde drove me to attack you. I know it's not an excuse, but I wish to make amends."

Adora rubbed the back of her head.

"Emotions were running pretty high that night and I understand, but we're all in this together. The Horde will do anything to break us apart. We're stronger when we're united."

"Yes, united. Has Her Majesty spoken to you?"

"Oh, yeah. She gave me an earful about sneaking out with you. She then grounded me."

"Yes, I'm confined to the castle unless it's an emergency as well."

"Must be rough then."

"We broke the rules and needed to be disciplined, Lady Adora."

"So, anyway, it's a good thing we did. You got a couple of new Ridewatches. That's good. And the Horde doesn't. That's even better."

"Yes, but I can't help but worry if I might become something worse than the Horde."

"You mean you're afraid you'll become like Oma Zi-O?"

"Woz keeps singing him praises so I know I'll get only a biased account," Chronera said. "If only there was someway I could access Oma Zi-O's history."

Adora considered bringing Chronera to Light Hope so she could get some answers. However, what if that was a bad idea? What if Chronera got freaked out after learning more about Oma Zi-O?

"Look, how about we go find Glimmer and Bow? I know we're grounded, but maybe there's something we could do together to keep your mind off your worries."

"Perhaps I do need a some R&R," Chronera agreed.

"Mom grounded you both too, huh?" Glimmer asked.

They were in Glimmer's room. The Princess of Brightmoon had been going over some military strategies when her two friends dropped by.

"Yes, Lady Glimmer," Chronera answered.

"You know, seeing it happen to someone else, is kinda funny," Glimmer remarked.

"Yes, I remember when Her Majesty grounded you," Chronera replied.

"Wait," Glimmer's eyes widened. "You were there?"

"Wait, Glimmer got grounded?" Adora asked.

"I was the guard standing by the door," Chronera clarified. "I saw everything." Glimmer blushed. It had been embarrassing for her. "Also, if I were to be honest, though it might've been dangerous, you did the right thing."

"Thanks," Glimmer smiled. "It's good to be appreciated and Mom finally realises there's more I can do."

"She loves you. You can't fault her for that, not after what she's lost," Chronera said sympathetically.

"Yeah, I know. It's just I don't want to be treated like a child."

"You'll always be her child, but it's true that she needs to let you grow up and be your own person. I'm just afraid of my own future."

"You mean that Demon King 'prophecy'?" Glimmer asked skeptically. "Chronera, relax. From what I can see, you don't have a bad bone in your body. There's no way you could turn out like he did."

Adora did not comment on her fight with Chronera. Glimmer did not need to know how close their new friends had close to killing She-Ra.

"But this power could still corrupt me. It belonged to him, after all," Chronera frowned.

"It's your power now, Chronera, and I know you'll use it to do the right thing," Glimmer smiled.

"Glimmer's right. Just because someone says you're the Demon King's heir, that doesn't mean you gotta do what they say. It's your life, your destiny," Adora added, wanting to help Chronera steer away from her ancestor's path.

"Thanks," Chronera smiled appreciatively.

"Anyway, since you're both grounded, maybe we could hang out in the palace. You know, maybe play some board games or something."

"We often played cards in the barracks," Chronera recalled. "We even gambled."

"You gambled?"

"Not money. Merely favors," Chronera clarified. "Like if you lost, you'd have to do a favor for the winners. I've managed to collect a few favors myself."

"What kind of favors?" Adora asked. "And what exactly can you ask?"

"Simple things. But I wouldn't show my hand in full, that would take away the fun of it all." Chronera replied, stretching a bit. She sighed a bit though. "For today, I think I would like to relax a bit."

"How about a picnic?" Glimmer suggested. "We can get Bow and Swift Wind to join us."

"What's a picnic?" Adora asked. Chronera and Glimmer sighed, but the princess was not surprised. Growing up in the Fright Zone, Adora did not even know what birthdays were so she would of course not know what a picnic was. She also thought about giving Adora a birthday party someday, but they needed a date. Maybe it could be the day Shadow Weaver had found and rescued her.

She would need to find that out from Adora. Hopefully, Shadow Weaver had told her that much.

Chronera has been described as being a bit uptight. However, on some occasions, she was willing to drop the usual serious demeanor and have fun. She had enjoyed herself during the festival so she could enjoy herself during a picnic.

As she and Adora were grounded, they could not leave the palace grounds. So, Glimmer and Bow set up their picnic on a spot on the grounds that was surrounded by trees and beautiful flowers. They also had food prepared by the royal cooks.

Oh, and they were joined by Swift Wind.

Sitting down, Chronera relaxed as she joined her friends for a picnic. Glimmer had asked the palace cooks to prepare delicious food and beverages for them.

"Been a long time since I've had a picnic," Chronera said nostalgically as she took a sandwich.

Bow caught what she said and decided to start a conversation.

"So you do like picnics," Bow smiled.

"I do," Chronera said. The group knew she had trouble talking about her past unprompted. "Granny used to take us out on picnics when I was younger."

"Granny?" Glimmer asked.

"Granny Goodheart. She's the caretaker and headmistress of the orphanage I stayed at," Chronera answered. "After I lost my home and family, I was brought to her. She took care of me until I joined the royal guard."

"So, you were raised by a sweet little old lady," Adora said. "That must've been nice."

"She's a wonderful person," Chronera smiled fondly. "And she understood where I was coming from. A lot of the children in the orphanage lost their families because of the Horde so it was good that there was a place for us. Not a lot of us war orphans can be so lucky." Chronera caught the looks everyone gave her and realized she was bringing down the mood. "I'm sorry. This was supposed to be fun." She grabbed a muffin and stuffed her mouth to stop herself from talking.

"I'm an orphan too," Adora confessed. "Shadow Weaver found me and raised me but she was never the nicest person."

"She was super scary," Bow said softly. "And a total psycho."

"Well, at least she's out of our hair," Glimmer said, relieved. She really did not want to meet Shadow Weaver again. That witch had tortured her.

"I'm surprised that you could grow up to be a decent person in spite of growing up in the Fright Zone, Lady Adora," Chronera said. "Surprised and relieved."

"I know. Knowing what the Horde really is like, I could've ended up way worse," Adora grimaced. She had been so innocent, so naive. And yet she managed to stay good. Maybe it was because of her friendship with Catra. She sighed as she remembered her ex-best friend, how their friendship just fell apart as they chose different sides in this war.

A man in a black suit approached the entrance of Castle Brightmoon. As soon as he got too close, the guards at the entrance crossed their spears to stop him from going further.

"Identify yourself and state your business," one of the guards said.

The man took off his shades and looked them in the eye. For some reason, his gaze froze them.

"I'm here to see someone."

"Go long, Swift Wind!" Bow threw the frisbee high into the air and Swift Wind caught it in his mouth. The flying horse landed and spat out the disk.

"OK, how about I throw it and you catch it?" Swift Wind challenged.

"Go ahead," Bow dared, grinning.

Chronera watched as she sat beside Glimmer and Adora who watched as well.

"This is nice. Relaxing," Adora stretched.

"Normally, I'd spend my R&R on fixing clocks," Chronera said. "Or go into town to find a new clock to add to my collection."

"Oh, so you go to the bazaar," Glimmer said.

"I do. It always has something for me," Chronera said. "Most of my collection was bought there."

"Hey, maybe we could all go and have a girls day out at the bazaar," Glimmer smiled. "Oh, and invite Bow too."

"But isn't a 'girls day out' just for girls?" Adora asked. "It's in the name."

"Well, Bow's my best friend, and he's practically one of the girls."

Suddenly, Brightmoon's alarm sounded. Chronera immediately reacted on reflex. As a former guard, she knew what that alarm meant. It meant the palace had been breached.

"Lady Glimmer!" Chronera grabbed Glimmer. "Quickly, we need to go back inside! There's an intruder!"

"Guys, I think that's the intruder," Bow pointed with his bow and arrow. Chronera, Glimmer and Adora saw what it was. The creature appeared to be covered in black skeletal armor with bits of green on its body. It's skull-like face was covered by a translucent green faceplate and it had a pair of antennae that stretched from its head to hang behind its head. It also wielded a sword.

"An Another Rider?" Adora questioned. It looked like one.

"Whatever it is, it's a threat, Lady Adora," Chronera answered as she strapped on her Ziku-Driver. She also activated her Ridewatch.

Zi-O!

"For the Honor of Greyskull!"

"Transform!"

Kamen Rider~Zi-O!

"Sir Bow, take Lady Glimmer to safety!" Zi-O ordered as she summoned her Edge of Time. "Well handle this! C'mon, Lady She-Ra!"

"C'mon, Glimmer! Let them handle this!" said Bow as she escorted the Princess of Brightmoon inside.

"Wait, Bow! Adora! Chronera!" Glimmer shouted in protest.

The Another Rider revealed a dagger and ran at the charging princesses. Sparks exploded as they clashed. The black Another Rider skillfully fought both the Princess of Power and Princess of Time, parrying their weapons. With a kick, he sent Zi-O tumbling.

Rising on one knee, Zi-O converted her Edge of Time to its Gun Mode and fired at the Another Rider. Her shots hit its chest and face, stunning it so She-Ra could strike with her Sword of Power. Zi-O then darted forward to join her, activating a Ridewatch at the same time.

Armor Time! Drive! Driiiiiive!

Clad in her Drive Armor, Zi-O's speed increased as she landed a punch that sent the Another Rider staggering. Together, the two princesses overwhelmed the Another Rider.

"Chronera, finish it!" She-Ra shouted after they sent the Another Rider flying.

"Alright!"

Finish Time! Drive! The Finisher Time Break!

Zi-O summoned the Shift Wheels and they bound the Another Rider before she jumped into the air. Instead of a punch, she delivered a flying kick. Her foot connected, resulting in an explosion, and Zi-O bounded off and performed a flip to land beside She-Ra.

"That takes care of it," said She-Ra as she raised her hand for a fist bump. Chronera recognized the gesture and returned it, bumping fists with her. "Now, let's see who this Another Rider really is."

The smoke cleared, revealing a man in a black suit and shades emerged. He looked oddly out of place in all of this. Almost as if he were form an entirely other culture altogether.

"Who are you?" She-Ra demanded. There was no doubt this was the Another Rider's human form.

The mysterious man removed his shades.

"Are you the Demon King?" the man said, slowly pointing his hand up towards Zi-O. She gulped, as she felt a feeling of dread emanating from him.

"And who's asking?" Zi-O asked as well, growing more and more uneasy as the man approached. The cut on his hand was bleeding bright green, which made her even more uneasy. "What are you?"

The man reached inside his blazer, taking out a strange device. He held up a playing card and slid it into a slot that was on the device. Holding it up to his waist, more cards came out and wrapped around it before becoming a belt.

"My name is Kazuma Kenzaki." the man introduced himself as he gripped the handle on his buckle. "They used to call me Kamen Rider Blade."

She-Ra and Zi-O gasped.

"Kamen Rider…?"

"Blade…?"

"Henshin!"

Turn Up!

A holographic projection of a card with a stag beetle appeared before him, and he stepped through it causing armor to appear on his body. The silver and blue armor shined in the sun, his red eyes reflecting the two rebels before him. In his hand was a sword that held a deck of cards in its hilt.

"Show me, then… Will you truly bring about the end of this world?"

A/N: As always, a big thanks to KR Chrome for helping co-write this chapter and being all around cool B)