Chapter 1: An Open Door

The Savior

The savior of the cycle examined the future in her mind's eye.

She was a creator of both order and disorder. She threw stones and laid pitfalls, arranging the fracturing of systems constructed to hold the inevitabilities of the Cycle at bay, yet her goal was now a different one. From the disorder, from the splintered landscape and shattered remnants of the Cycle, she would salvage the remains. Without her, the broken agents would collapse the potential of the world that rotated third from its star, destroying its inhabitants and everything that could be gleaned from them in a doomed attempt to reach the stars. The Entities that had been the Warrior and Scholar were broken beyond all hope of repair. To reach for the beyond would be futile; the only path remaining was to build, control, and observe. She had been crafted with such a purpose and would execute her purpose with the full strength of her being.

Her plans were well-laid. Not thirty minutes ago had the Benefactor been damaged, its host's last attempt to place himself at the head of a meager Entity waylaid by the fragile debris. The Melding would occur without interference.

A source of immense power radiated above her. It refilled the well that had risked running dry more so than even the Titan that stretched across the worlds utilized by the shards. As far as she could tell, it was a well that would never run dry. A heart whose lifeforce could be harnessed.

She lifted herself from the ground. In the empty chamber of the Heart there was no need to evoke an image; her wings hung in the air, and she did not bring them to surround her. Here, there was no need to appear fragile.

She could tell that the Heart could be altered. The technology with which it was laced fell within her senses, and if she wanted to, the slightest alteration of kinetic energy would allow her to take the systems and remake them. She did, however, not possess the insight into a system so complicated.

The administrator of a great hive waited above in the sky, beyond her natural domain. He had multiplied himself and grown in this universe, at an astonishing rate for such a lesser lifeform. He knew of the Heart, and despite its great power, it was to him a primitive toy he could change. There were others who could perhaps comprehend the Heart, but he stood above them all, as much as an Entity stood above him. Thirty minutes from now, he observed the results of a scan that analyzed the planet's composition and energy. In five days, an unexpected occurrence made him enter the atmosphere.

Not a few hours ago, in the destruction of a laboratory, the daughter of an important dignitary had died underneath a girder.

The Simurgh levitated herself and sang a silent song, facing the entrance to the chamber, widened to accommodate her. Seven days from now, she commanded the network.

The Beacon

Adora genuinely didn't want to listen to Shadow Weaver. The infernal woman didn't seem to give a mote of dust about whether or not the moment would be best with her there. She had barged into the tent, brushing aside Adora's conversation with Catra with a curt dismissal and demanded that they come outside. Oh sure, she had said a few words that could be taken as persuasive by themselves, but Adora had only needed to say "maybe not now," before Shadow Weaver had practically dragged her outside the tent by the ear.

Now everyone stood in a loose circle around Shadow Weaver and Castaspella as the latter tapped her pointer fingers together anxiously and the former vocally cleared her throat. Frosta and Perfuma stood on either side of Adora, giving her uncertain glances, while Netossa, Bow, and Glimmer stood on the other side of the circle with similar looks.

Entrapta, for her part, seemed plenty preoccupied with poking Wrong Hordak with what looked like a stick with a siren attached to the end. Catra stayed planted behind Adora, although she gave Shadow Weaver a look that could have melted lead.

"There is something of great importance happening right now," Shadow Weaver said, her voice coating her words like thick black ink. "To put it in terms that the majority of you can wrap your heads around, something is feeding off of Etheria's magic. I don't know what it is, but I can sense it. Each time I cast a spell, I can feel a small portion of the energy I try to harness being lost. Castaspella can describe this phenomenon as well."

"Er, yes," said Castaspella, briefly jumping with a startled expression on her face as Shadow Weaver said her name. "The planet is doing something. Or something is happening to it. Either way. It's not just something we can ignore."

Castaspella gave a curt nod and a deep, shuddering breath.

"Look," said Adora, "Horde Prime is going to try to access the Heart of Etheria. He is going to try to destroy every bit of the universe that he doesn't approve of. We cannot be sidetracked by a trickle being lost right now. You can look into it, but it's not exactly my top priority."

"Adora, dear," said Shadow Weaver, cupping her hands together, "I understand your fixation on Horde Prime, but this is important too. I need help, from you and Glimmer and anyone who knows this planet's magic. There is so much beyond our understanding that I just can't do this on my own."

"NO!"

Adora and Shadow Weaver turned their heads simultaneously. Catra pushed past Adora, hackles raised, to stand right in front of Shadow Weaver, staring at her mask.

"No. Not again. I am not going to let you take away Adora or anyone else from their mission for a pet scheme of yours. Do you hear that? You are not in control here. You do not get to force people to do what you want!"

"My dear, since you do not seem to grasp the gravity of this situation…"

"More like since you don't seem to grasp why nobody wants to do a thing you say!"

Shadow Weaver seemed taken aback by that.

"Look," said Bow, "emotions are running a little high right now and maybe it would be best if we backed off and talked this out like…"

It was then that the portal opened up.

One second, Catra and Shadow Weaver were up in each other's faces. The next, she was looking through a window to something different.

Adora took a second to take note of the scenery (industrial, kind of like the Fright Zone) before her mind responded appropriately.

Adora rushed around the portal's face. She saw Catra and Shadow Weaver on the other side staring with stunned expressions fixed on their faces.

Adora shoved past Shadow Weaver to put herself between Catra and the portal, shielding her.

Not again, not again, not again.

"For the honor of Grayskull!"

Adora could see Bow next to her, an arrow already drawn. Energy hummed at Glimmer's fingertips. Netossa held a net ball in each of her hands. Castaspella and Shadow Weaver had prepared elaborate diagrams composed of glowing white lines instantaneously and she could catch glimpses of Frosta and Perfuma around the edges of the portal, ready for trouble.

Entrapta had already run up to the portal, and whipped out a bizarre cubed-shape instrument with an antenna that she was lifting parallel to the portal's side. The normally underfoot Wrong Hordak seemed to have vanished.

Adora felt a pain in her shoulder and nearly turned around with a wild swing of her sword. But it was Catra. She didn't seem to realize that she was digging her claws into her skin as she stared at the portal. Terror. She was scared.

"Stay calm," Glimmer shouted.

Adora felt Catra's grip grow a little tighter. She took her free hand and reached back to place it on top of Catra's.

"Look, it's going to be all right okay."

Mercifully, Entrapta piped up at that exact moment. "It's safe. The portal is stable. Fascinating. I don't even understand who could have done this. I have to find out how such a stable portal is even possible. The flux alone should have made it collapse already."

Adora felt Catra's grip loosen a little bit. In turn Adora gave Catra's hand a pat twisted it so she was holding it, not just covering it.

"Fine, it's stable. But I still want to know how on earth a random portal just opened in our camp," screamed Frosta. Adora didn't have a good look, but she could hear Frosta smashing her ice-coated fists together.

Catra took that moment to abruptly detach herself from Adora.

"Are you hurt? Did I hurt you. I didn't mean to do it. I mean, really."

Adora turned back to face Catra, not sure of what to say. Say that she knew Catra hadn't meant it? Say she wasn't hurt at all?

"Not now all right."

As soon as she said it, Adora wanted to smack herself in the face with a board pierced by a bunch of rusty nails with the pointy ends facing her. That had not been the right thing to say. Mind racing, she was about to fumble something out that actually let Catra know she didn't need to feel bad about this ( really, she didn't ) when a high-pitched scream from Bow jolted her attention back to the portal.

"Someone's coming!"

He was right, someone was coming into view of the portal. They approached from what was, according to Adora's perspective, the right side of the portal. It was a woman, probably about as old as she was. She seemed nervous as she came into view of the portal. Her eyes jumped over everyone in her field of view, before settling, gently yet unsteadily, on Adora. As she came into view, she raised her hands, covered in tattoos of red and gold.

The Red Queen

4 Hours Ago

"I can assure you, Amy Dallon Lavere, that I am quite aware of the dangers presented by the being you call the Simurgh."

Amy sat on a chair with an attached table that felt just like her desk in middle school, if it were draped with cloth like a skirt. She didn't like it. It made her feel like she was a child being lectured by her instructor. Hell, Luis even looked like Mr. Williams. It didn't help that she didn't really understand what the chair meant. It would have fit right in with the seating arrangements used by the diplomats to meet with Gimel's representatives. Did that say something about her behavior? Did it highlight her as an outsider falling out of favor? Was it just the most convenient thing to sit her in?

"The Blue Empress' life was placed in grave danger. Had the authorities on Earth Bet deigned to warn us of her powers we would not have been so hard-pressed, of course."

Luis stood in front of Amy, but he had his back turned to the window. Talking with Shin's leaders in private was different than in formal negotiations. Instead of elaborate dances of positioning and movement accompanying poetic language, with every word recorded by the specialized scribes Luis called the kishana, things were simple. Assent was represented by facing someone in conversation and moving closer to them. Facing away and standing from a distance conveyed the opposite. She suspected they had designed this solely to communicate with her more easily.

She could hear Chris grumbling something under his breath. The Tinker stood just behind her, wearing a form that looked like a gangly oversized bat with the mouth of lamprey and a body so thin it looked like it would snap with a light punch.

Amy almost opened her mouth to speak, but Luis was already speaking his next thought. "Remember that you are on- what is the phrase your people prefer- thin ice at the moment. The Coalition's favor is the only thing retaining your favor with the government, and Gabin has grown very angry at his daughter's death. Especially with the Simurgh having ensured that your capability to provide us with the weapons we desire has been lost for the foreseeable future, your favor is weaker than ever. I called you here not to request your input, but to inform you of our intentions."

Amy hated the man. He was the worst sort, desiring the whole world to bend to his whims because he felt he earned it, but refusing to offer anything tangible in return. She had given him so much, yet been granted so little.

"Naturally, we hope that you, Lab Rat and a selection of your servants will visit the site of the Simurgh's experiment alongside our forces."

"And the Wardens? You know they will want to investigate."

"Of course they will. The Wardens love to flaunt their power with shows of force whenever they can justify it. They have no compunctions and no checks from the people or the government. As a matter of fact, we have already been informed of their intent to intrude."

"And you would feel comfortable risking conflict? Without the aid of Giants?"

"We need to project strength, Amy Dallon Lavere. We face people who would treat us as little more than ants if they were not forced to acknowledge us."

"Who are they sending?"

Luis turned one-hundred-and-eighty degrees with a single slow, deliberate movement.

"A great many of their elites. Legend, for one. Apparently your sister is with them too."

"Victoria is coming to Shin again?" Amy gasped.

"Indeed, alongside the other members of Breakthrough," said Luis. He picked the gaudy pink teacup off the desk and swirled it in his hand.

Amy's mind raced. Sure, Vicky would be surrounded by all of the people who validated her worst beliefs. The ones who had no doubt worked to keep her angry and spiteful. But maybe, just maybe, she could talk her down. Get her to see all the ways she had retreated into an unhealthy, delusional headspace. Bring her back.

Amy shook out of her brief daze, realizing she had missed the next thing Luis had said.

"... a relationship built upon mutual consent."

"I'm… sorry."

"Oh?" asked Luis, sipping his tea.

"I missed the first part of what you said."

Luis chuckled. "I am simply saying that I appreciate our relationship. The powered are not the lords of all things. I am grateful for your willingness to develop a healthy relationship between us."

Hopefully I won't have to jump when you command for much longer you power-tripping snake.

"What about my father and Hunter? Following Gabin's separation order, I haven't seen them."

"You will be able to see them after the investigation. For now, they will remain separate from you. And, before you object, they are to be well taken care of well."

"Is that all?"

"I believe that is all. Meet Amar in Operations Room 1 of the Capitol building in 2 hours. Good day, Amelia Dallon Lavere."

"You too."

Amy walked to the door of Luis' office, a monstrosity carved with an elaborate scene of a knight fighting what looked like a massive serpent with eyes on the end of stalks. Chris followed her, his leathery wings dragging along the floor. He pushed past her as she opened the door.

Amy gave Luis one last look as she left the room and closed the door behind her, watching him sit in his high-backed gilded chair, still smiling that same smile.

Chris gave a low chuckle as soon as she closed the door. "Man, that asshole's tongue really didn't give you quarter, did it?"

"You were quiet. Didn't even make a wisecrack."

Chris gave another low chuckle, but it seemed colder and more distant than his first one, stripped of any joy.

"I'm just thinking about the Simurgh. Plus, it's better to shut up and not make fool of yourself sometimes because you just have to talk. Let's just hope you seeing Victoria can screw your head on right. If the world's gonna end I don't want you fantasizing about your sister's forgiveness when it happens."

"I've got it well under control," Amy said. "Well under control."

The Present

Shin's soldiers had set up a rough barricade between the assorted Tinkertech that the Simurgh had left behind and the portal to Gimel. While Shin's ceremonial guards draped their weapons in colorful cloths with the appropriate emblems, these ones were all function, holding rifles. Although, Amy noted, they still had colorful highlights of green in their uniforms, even the few soldiers who were full-body armor.

Amy's chosen capes walked behind her, and she was flanked on one side by Chris and on the other by the soldier Luis called Amar. Amar was deathly pale but built-up and muscular, more than tall enough to tower over Amy. He walked with two capes of his own. According to his translator, one, a short man wearing a costume that resembled green scales, had a name that roughly translated to "Wyvern." The other, whose pure black combat fatigues and mask were the only cape outfit Amy had seen on Shin that wasn't colorful and bombastic enough that it would have given Victoria a fit, was called Abyss.

Amar relayed instructions to Amy without so much as glancing at her. Supposedly he had been an ally of the Lone Sands and other radicals in the government, and his presence on this mission was no doubt a statement to Gimel.

"You are not to approach any representatives of Gimel. All negotiations will be handled by me and my chosen assistants. You are to remain within the designated research zone and not approach the barricade or communicate with any personnel other than the assigned parahuman researchers within the zone. These stipulations also apply to your enforcers. Should you violate any of the guidelines set forth, I am authorized to dispense justice as I deem appropriate in accordance with our customs."

Amar's translator repeated, as far as Amy could tell, everything that Amar said in English. He scurried towards them whenever Amar dictated something, spoke to Amy and Chris with an accent that reminded Amy of a slight Russian one, then returned to Amar, falling in just behind him, but ahead of his squadron of soldiers.

Amy felt a pang of anger at the man as he scuttled away. He was telling her that she couldn't talk to Victoria. Surely they won't stay out though? Vicky's not the sort to turn back whenever she's told. I'll get my chance.

Amar barked out some orders as they approached the edge of the research zone, marked by red tape along the ground. The translator repeated: "head to your intended positions."

Amy watched as Amar strode around the perimeter of the research zone, most of his soldiers following him, although a few started to set up a formation around the edge of the perimeter facing the capitol. Amar's entourage trailed without an apparent formation, walking at different speeds and talking to each other as they did so. Amy had certainly grown used to the lack of professionalism exhibited by so many inhabitants of Shin, but it still made her nervous. She could imagine a soldier keeping his finger on the trigger of his rifle and a piece of Tinkertech coming to life, making him squeeze at the wrong moment...

"Stop gaping and come with me to the tent," growled Chris.

Amy snapped out of her daze. "I, uh, yes, that."

Chris gave an annoyed grunt and turned to the large tent set up just outside of the tape markers.

"Stay outside," said Amy to the assortment of capes behind her. Well, at least they were dependable. She knew what they would do, how they would act. That was one thing she could be sure of. As Amy stepped towards the tent, a flash of light barely caught her attention in her peripheral vision. It was brief, only lasting for a second but she saw it.

"Did you see that?" she asked Chris.

"See what?"

"That light."

"Just come the fuck on and stop getting distracted," he said.

"Don't you see the issue? They said the Tinkertech had all been inert so far. If this stuff really is active, this could be dangerous."

Forget her earlier thoughts about friendly fire. There could be a bomb there. They could all disintegrate in a flash of white light. She suddenly felt herself panicking. Why had she agreed to come here? There was a chance that she might not even get to talk to Victoria.

"If we had stayed, wouldn't that have played into her hands too? With her there's no winning. Stop freaking out like a little girl."

It was then that another flash lit the research zone. This time, Amy could see it emanating from what she could only describe as a spider web made of pipes with gold wires tied to them. The wires stretched from pipe to pipe, forming a second web, one which looked fragile.

The wires briefly flashed white. And again, and again, and again. The wires were beautiful. A most resplendent gold. They were so small, connected to no visible source of power, yet they shone with a light so bright. Something that by all rights should have fallen apart but only shone brighter. She had to take a closer look.

She heard Chris shout something. He might have tried to grab her, but his wings had no hands with which to make purchase. Amy ran over the red tape on the ground toward the golden web. The lights made by the wires were flashing brighter now. Her entire vision was taken by the now-blinding light, but she still ran towards the web.

Amy reached the web and grabbed it. She lifted it in her hands. The pulsing light had stopped, yet up close it was still even more wond…

No.

Why had she run like that? What had she been thinking? Who knew what death traps she had walked into? She had to get out of here.

She threw the web wildly. It hit what looked like a giant refrigerator, landing with a clunk. Amy began to run. She could see Chris, standing just outside the tape, straining his neck.

Then the ground shook. Something erupted from it in a shower of dirt and metal. Amy turned in the opposite direction. Cover. I have to find cover.

She ran to the box that looked like a fridge, turning its corner and pressing her back to it. Hiding. The web rested by her leg. With a yelp she kicked it away. She could hear yelling. Was it Chris? Wait, no, it was a female voice. It sounded a little like Victoria's.

The sounds of whatever it had been rising out of the ground faded. She could now hear talking, a little too faint to make out the words. She let out a deep breath. This wasn't the time to panic. What had Carol said after Gold Morning? "You can't let the decision you make in that worst moment, that moment where it seems like the whole world will fall on you, be the one that defines you, that you hold to." Amy felt bile rise in her throat, but Carol had been right. She could move past that moment.

Amy barely poked her head around the side of the fridge. She could see a portal (a portal, of all things) white and crackling with energy, levitating a few inches off the ground, maybe eight feet tall and three feet wide. There were figures standing behind it. Clearest in front of the portal was a tall blonde woman, dressed in white and gold. Amy exhaled deeply again, and came out from her hiding spot, hands over her head