Kale extended his long white wings allowing the sun to warm them as he flew over high above the Whispering Woods. He was thankful that Etheria was now in the same universe as Eternia, travelling here was quick and required less magic, which was in short supply recently after Kwyn's little escapade in space.
This left him in a terrible position because not only did he have to return home to Talon Mountain to ask for more magic he would also need to ask for his mother's help to locate the missing child, that was certainly a conversation he was not looking forward to.
He could see his destination coming into view in the distance. The tall bluish-gray mountain always looked out of place looming over the picturesque forest below, slowly navigating his way through the protruding stone limbs of the mountain making sure to avoid the lower rooms and their cackling inhabitants, the last thing he needed right now was for one of the other harpies to spot him or worse tell his mother.
The closer he got to his room the more his nerves were getting the better of him and he started to think this was a terrible idea, being banished with his sister was bad enough but now having to admit he had abandoned the poor child he was supposed to take care of was going to cause more problems.
Finding the window entrance he flies in and turns into his harpy form as he lands. A large cloud of dirt and dust flies up into the air making him cough, he immediately starts pacing the room rubbing his temples and rehearsing several versions of his speech in his head.
That Magicat queen opened the portal and then something happened which caused me to get separated from my sister and the other small twin Adora...I assumed my sister had gotten through safely and I left the child on the other side where people would find it.
He gave an exasperated sigh, "That is a terrible explanation".
"What pitiful excuse are you trying to think up this time?".
Kale gave a startled squawk as his mother Hunga appeared tapping her brown talons against her folded arms.
"How did you know I was here?". Kale coughs as he tries to regain his composure.
Hunga rolled her eyes, "You chose to come home in the morning sun with bright white feathers, how do you think anyone here couldn't see you", she took a moment to study Kale's expression.
"Although I do have to wonder how serious this must be if you have risked coming home".
"Kwyn found She-ra". Kale expected an outburst, a gasp, anything, but his mother remained stoic and silent which was not the reaction he anticipated at all.
"So I was right, that horde child that defected was She-ra", Hunga said as she played with the feathers under her chin.
"You mean to tell me you knew?". Kale said in a venomous tone.
Hunga narrowed her large black eyes at Kale, "Yes because unlike you Kwyn was able to swallow her pride and ask for help!"
Kale covered his face and laughed, "Of course you would help her without question".
Hunga clicked her talons together, "Careful with your words Kale, I can send you straight back to Eternia quicker than you arrived", she watched as Kale's insolence dissolved with a sigh, "Now do you want my help or not?"
"Yes please, mother".
Kale sarcastically bows, then disgruntledly stamped his feet over to a nearby desk, taking out a map from underneath his chest feathers. Hunga walked over as Kale laid out the map making sure to get out as many creases as he could.
"Why haven't you searched here?". Hunga said, pointing to a section of the Whispering Woods that remained untouched even though every other place within the woods was covered in red X's.
Kale waves his hand in dismissal, "That's where that crazy old coot lives, it would be pointless".
"That crazy old coot is possibly older than time itself, there's a good chance she has roamed Etheria longer than you, me, and every instance of She-ra combined"
...Every instance of She-ra combined.
Kale thought to himself as frowned and folded his arms. He had heard stories about the She-ra that came before, the one called Mara.
"Listening to ancient stories is not going to help me find the child".
Hunga shakes her head, "The key isn't looking for the child, the key would be looking for the sword you need to give the child"
Kale scoffed, "The Sword of Power? That's impossible, it doesn't exist".
"Many people thought the Sword of Protection didn't exist either and yet here you are telling me She-ra has returned".
Kale tapped his talons against the palm of his hand. Maybe visiting the little hut in the woods wouldn't be such a fruitless endeavour after all.
* * *I wish Catra was here
Maybe if she kept saying it to herself Catra would walk right up to her and tell her it'll be ok.
Adora covered her crying eyes to try and stop the room from spinning, it didn't help. It just made her feel more alone.
"Hey, hey, it's ok".
Adora excitedly looked up but it was only Glimmer that sat down beside her to hold her, she couldn't help herself she rested her forehead against Glimmer's chest and began to sob.
"So you thought it best to just send her away?!". Thad yelled at Brendor.
"What you see as a selfish act was done to protect everyone!".
Brendor waved his hand around, "Not everyone here is a warrior that wants to fight and we can't expect them to be so we had to think about their safety as well as the safety of our children!"
Thad scoffs, Brendor narrows his eyes at him, "Tell me, son, you have children of your own, what would you have done?"
Thad stands face to face with his father, "You have no right to talk about my-".
"What is going on here!". Said a stern female voice. Thad and Brendor turned around as a tall woman approached her grey armour similar to the other guards outside but with gold embellishments.
"Madelene please, I need to speak with you first", Brendor pleads.
Madelene puts up her hand to silence him, "Haven't you got your own castle to attend to Brendor? Why are you standing in mine, starting yet another fight? I am sick of having to play referee between you and our son!". She takes off her dull golden helmet revealing her high red-haired ponytail, she throws the helmet on the table and narrowed her green eyes at Thad.
"And YOU had better have a good reason for this!"
Thad scoffs several times, "Oh I have a good reason!"
Madelene puts her hands on her hips, "You say that every time-"
"I know about Adora", Thad interrupts in a mocking tone.
Adora looked over at the mention of her name and was stunned to see the woman looked like an older version of her, even her hairstyle except hers was exceptionally longer.
Madelene frowns and looks at Brendor, "You...told..him?!"
"Well that's where things get a little more complicated", Brendor motioned behind him. Madelene looked down and made eye contact with Adora, putting her hand over her mouth with an audible gasp.
"That is why I wanted to talk to you first", Brendor said softly.
"Unbelievable! The fact that both of you continued to argue in front of her is outrageous!". Madelene said, the resentfulness was evident in her voice.
Thad tries to approach her mother to speak, but she simply dismisses him by zipping her lips, taking the hint he backs away. Madelene pauses for a moment looking down at Adora unsure of whether to approach her or not. Adora is certain she can sense the apprehension coming from her as much as she feels it herself.
This is very different from Catra's family, at least she slowly remembered what her life was like before she was taken away. Adora, Adora had no idea, she had no memories of being held and comforted by her mother or father. Everyone here was a stranger.
"May I sit?". Madelene spoke carefully and cautiously.
Adora wiped her eyes and nodded, Madelene kneels in front of them and takes a deep breath, "I apologise Adora for my husband and son, they are as pig-headed as each other. Is it ok to call you Adora?".
Adora gave a half-hearted giggle, "I don't know what to call you".
Madelene shook her head and smiled softly, "I wouldn't expect you to call me anything right now, although we can start simple, my name is Madelene".
"This is Bow and Glimmer, my friends from Brightmoon", Bow and Glimmer waved awkwardly.
"You're both from Etheria as well then?". Madelene asked curiously. They both nodded unsure of what to say.
There was a long moment of silence between them, yet for Adora, the silence was only filled with more questions, all of them with the same starting point.
Why was she given to the horde?
Why hadn't they looked for her all these years?
"I'm sure you have many many questions", Madelene said almost as if she heard the flood of questions running through Adora's mind. "But for now I think we should let you and your friends rest, would that be ok with your friends?". Madelene directs her attention to Bow and Glimmer as she gets to her feet.
Adora stood up slowly, her balance was still a little off. Madelene without thinking held her as she started to sway a little, initially, it caught Adora off guard but strangely the action seemed natural and made her feel safe she wasn't entirely sure how to process it.
"Are you steady enough to walk now?". Madelene asked in a soothing tone.
Adora nodded. Madelene directs her attention to Brendor and the others.
"Now you will stay here until I get back, that includes you little birdy", she points at Kwyn.
Kwyn squawks in surprise and stands straight up, "Yes your majesty".
* * *"What is taking them so long!". Catra said as she paced behind Troy. He was once again greeted with a busy signal as the screen flashed a red exclamation mark.
Catra had to stop herself from pacing mainly because Troy's room was so small she might as well have been walking in circles. She resorted to clenching her fists and flexing her wrists. She started to get frustrated because she was stuck here while something could be happening or worse already happened to Adora on another planet somewhere she couldn't get to.
"It's usually like this, our contact doesn't always answer the first time", Troy says as he types.
"Uh yes and we've been trying more than once...for several hours!". Catra couldn't even try to hide the annoyance and sarcasm in her voice.
Troy sighed and leaned back in his chair as they all stared at the strange purple static on the screen again. It remained that way for several minutes until a young boy ran his claws through what looked like the start of a mane apparently on the screen.
"Welcome to the Subternia Underground Market, If you've got the coin we can purr-loin", the young boy says without looking at the screen.
"Your point of contact is a child?". Catra whispered.
Troy hushes her, "Paw buddy it's Troy".
Paw looks up at the screen and immediately twirls his chair to one side grabbing a clipboard, he starts flipping through pages, "Troy? Did I forget to send you something?".
"No, no, this time I just need some information".
Paw smirks and wheels himself as close to the screen as possible, "Information you say? Well that will cost you a little extra".
"What are you doing?". Said a deep female voice.
The voice startled Paw enough to make all his hairs stand on end before immediately sitting back down.
"Mum! Um...Nothing"
"It certainly doesn't look like nothing young man", the voice got closer to the screen and suddenly an older female face appeared. She took one look at the screen and then narrowed her eyes at Paw who tried to sink into his seat,
"What have I told you about running your little business in the house? If your father finds out that is one fight I cannot help you with", she looks back at the screen as she pulls up a chair, "Hello Troy, how are you?"
Troy blushes, "I'm...uh...I'm fine Miss Kittrina".
Kittrina nods, "Good now what is this I heard about wanting information?"
Troy clears his throat, "One of our ships has been unreachable and we have a fair idea that might be in Eternia"
Kittrina leans forwards and rests her chin on her hands, "There were some rumblings recently about an ancient First One's ship being shot out of the sky near the capital"
Catra's ears immediately drooped, "What! Do you know what happened to the people inside?!".
Kittrina tilted her head, "And you are?"
"I am Catra, Magicat Ruler of Half-Moon. I want to know if anyone was on that ship...now".
Troy cupped his face anxiously, "Kittrina is a Queen as well", he whispered to Catra.
Catra didn't care who she was, if she knew something about the ship that means she is the only lead to finding Adora.
Kittrina smiles, "Are you trying to pull rank on me, little miss Ruler of Half-Moon?"
"You need to tell me what you know because I need to find Adora!". Catra banged her fist on the keyboard and she was worried she had broken something because Kittrina didn't move, after a few moments her face turned more serious and she folded her arms, "Did you say, Adora?"
"Why are you saying her name like that? What do you know?"
"I have an idea of where she might be, but I need to investigate and let you know",
"No! I am going to come there and help find her",
"No! Don't! If you are a Magicat coming to Eternia and being surrounded by First Ones is the last place you want to be".
Catra takes a deep breath and clears her mind thinking about it logically and remembers the speech that Percival gave about the Magicat and the First Ones being in opposition from almost the beginning of time,
"I will give you a day, but you have to promise that you will contact me as soon as you find anything!.. Please", by the end of her sentence she had lost all her bravado and started to worry.
Kittrina put her hand over her heart, "You have my word".
Both Paw and Kittrina turn as they hear the distant sound of a door opening.
"We have to go, I will be in touch". Kittrina turns the screen off and stares blankly at it for a moment.
"What do you know about this Adora person?". Paw asked curiously.
"Depends on whether we are talking about the same Adora, either way, I need to get to Darksmoke as soon as possible.