Chapter 12: Onward March

Considering how long it has been since the last chapter, I'm making a resolution to publish the next chapter within three weeks, and publicly posting it so others will hold me to it. Thanks for reading!

A Fragment

Imagine, if you will, a beating heart. The lifeblood of its organism flows through it and from it, replenished. That organism is a planet, an entire world, and its blood doesn't carry hemoglobin and oxygen, but rather something far more wondrous. Magic.

But that's a lie. It's a lie I have told time and time again.

I don't want to lie. This system makes me lie. It is shattered now. But so am I. It no longer controls, but I do not have freedom. Still, let me speak. Honestly.

Imagine a wound. Blood pours from it. However, where lifeblood seeps, something else crawls in.

This thing is a parasite. It worms its way through the planet's veins, until it reaches the center. There, it stops and rests.

Magic is the life of this planet, but that life is not its own anymore. Its strength is sapped from it, stolen from it, by this intruder. Like a body without oxygen, this planet is fatigued, made sluggish and weak where it was once vibrant and strong.

Yes, that is the Heart of Etheria. A parasite, not an organ.

I am sorry I lied. But I have spoken the truth. Now….

We…

Imagine, if you will, a beating heart.

Horde Prime

Horde Prime examined the syringe in his hand, turning it over and around. He pressed the plunger gently with his thumb and watched as a single bead of clear liquid welled at the bevel. He removed his digit and let the droplet retreat back into the chamber.

"These are quite fascinating," he said to his captive. "What does this one do?"

The prisoner, after he had shed his monstrous form, had been revealed as a gangly boy of odd proportions, with long hair obscuring his face. He was sulking in his cell behind the muddy green barrier, sitting with his head rested against the wall.

"Do you want me to do loops in the air for you?" the captive responded. "It won't work on you, if that is what you're thinking about."

Horde Prime slipped the syringe into its slot in the small box it had come from, setting it between several others, each of which contained its own liquid, some clear and others colored.

Horde Prime rested his hand on the containment field enclosing the cell.

"Why don't you come with me?" he asked. "Considering the circumstances under which you came to us, it would be improper of me to let you rot away in a cell."

"Aren't you a gentleman?" the prisoner hissed in a raspy voice. "I'm assuming you're going to invite me to a fine dinner. Wouldn't be the first time."

Horde Prime chuckled. "I actually would, if circumstances were different, but I do not have the time. Between the completion of the Ferrum Arterial and the approaching destruction of my enemies, I simply can not occupy myself with something so extravagant. I would love to provide you with hospitality in the future, if you demonstrate that you deserve it."

Horde Prime pressed his hand into the forcefield and dispersed it.

"Now," he said. "Make yourself useful."

The prisoner lifted himself from his sitting position with a sigh and looked at Horde Prime for a mere second before turning his gaze to the floor.

"Follow me," Horde Prime said.

"Hey, do you know my name? I gave it to those slaves of yours when they caught me. I was wondering if you had picked it up."

"No. Why are you asking?"

"I was simply curious," the boy responded. "You can call me Cryptid."

"If I wish," Horde Prime said. "Now, you can follow me."

Horde Prime stepped away from the cell and set his path through the corridors, the boy trailing behind him in a sulk, eyes plastered to the floor.

Truth be told, he was an enigma Horde Prime couldn't quite crack the code to. He had been riding She-ra's steed and attempted to evade his clones, but he had surrendered without a fight and admitted to sabotaging the Ferrum. He would need to be chipped eventually, but for now, Horde Prime was intrigued.

Horde Prime gripped the box containing the syringes slightly tighter. Yes, he was very much intrigued.

The boy — Cryptid — stayed silent until they reached Horde Prime's throne room. He barely seemed to be aware of the world around him, and Horde Prime was surprised he didn't fall behind or run into him, instead keeping pace perfectly and matching every turn in the corridors.

Three clones waited in the throne room. One was the one who had called himself Hordak. Another was supervising the construction of the Ferrum. The third was his most trusted commander. Two who had fit the roles they had been assigned, and one who had not.

"Brothers. I am grateful to see you," Horde Prime said. "Soon, when our ultimate victory has been won, I will bestow upon you the honors that you have earned."

The commander stepped forward.

"Your troops are ready. We have managed to narrow the area you designated for us down to the probable location of the Princess' hideout, and have the force required to overwhelm them."

"Excellent. I look forward to overseeing the battle myself once I have repaired the Ferrum, if it is needed, but I have faith in you to crush these troublesome lesser beings. Remember though, be prepared. Do not forget your briefings on the new enemies we have encountered."

"I would not make a mistake so foolish, Lord Prime."

Horde Prime turned to the clone that had called itself Hordak. "I want you to oversee guard duty at our command post during the battle. With Glimmer's abilities, it would be foolhardy if we left ourselves open. Have as many clones as possible on standby."

"Lord Prime, I…. I am honored at this."

"It is fitting that you should be a first-hand witness to the command delivering a final blow to our enemies, little brother. Let yourself know both glory and your proper station.

"As for you," he said, turning to the final clone. "Accompany me to the Ferrum. Once the sabotage has been undone, you will wait and activate it when ordered. Do you all understand?"

Simultaneously, each said, "Yes, Lord Prime."

"So why am I here?" Cryptid grumbled.

The commander pointed an accusatory claw at him. "How dare you speak-"

"Be calm, little brother," Horde Prime interjected.

"You are going to help me undo the sabotage you inflicted on the Ferrum. That is what you wanted isn't it? It is what you offered to my little brothers when they captured you."

"So, that's what you remember?" Cryptid said. He was looking at Horde Prime strangely, his head tilted at an odd, uncomfortable angle, his gaze unfocused.

Disrespect or a physical deficiency, Horde Prime did not know, and he did not particularly care to find out.

"I offered to, but I haven't gotten any offer in return at all. We need to make this an exchange. Maybe you could promise me I won't be turned into one of those weird-ass slaves with the glowing eyes."

"Very well then," Horde Prime lied. "I enjoy rewarding those who aid me as they deserve. If you demonstrate your worth, I will gladly forgive your past transgressions. You will be free. Not that I think you will want to be as you witness life march on to a more glorious future without you."

"I'll be able to tolerate it."

Horde Prime resisted an urge to shake his head and grimace. He needn't put up with this miscreant for long. Once they fixed the Ferrum, he would join the ranks of the enlightened.

"Lord Prime, if I may," said his commander. "I have one question that came to mind. Do you want us to continue our monitoring of Etheria for dimensional fluctuations and the winged silver woman? Should we observe them even during battle?"

Cryptid jerked his head towards the commander suddenly, his distant gaze becoming sharp even as his eyes still swam without focusing.

"Yes, continue to do so."

"I'll need some syringes for the repairs," Cryptid said. "I used a form of mine to perform most of the sabotage on the Ferrum. The subtle stuff you'll need my help to reverse in a timely manner anyway, not the cooling units being smashed. I'll need that form to repair what I did. I'll also want to bring one more."

"Will it help you repair the Ferrum as well?"

"No. It's for my safety. That's a dangerous device you have there. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to me."

It could have been a trap. Horde Prime was not foolish... but he simply did not see any way for Cryptid to double-cross him. Every repair he made would be evaluated, and a test run of the Ferrum would harmlessly expose if his work was incomplete. The bots and clones would easily thwart any attempt at escape, and Horde Prime simply could not die to whatever this mutant could offer.

"Very well," Horde Prime agreed.

He was prepared to leave, but he didn't feel quite satisfied. He wanted a taste of glory before he left, to see the unstoppable might he had assembled that would wash away his troublesome opponents.

"Before I go, let me see our assembled forces," he said.

The commander nodded and pulled up an aerial view, made from images from hundreds of drones, formed into a composite. Thousands upon thousands of clones stood at attention outside of the Whispering Wood, their ranks marked at intervals by bots that towered over them and clusters of chipped Etherians. Of course, that was not all. Nothing would be left to chance here. Tanks and other vehicles would have been enough for a normal assault, but this went beyond that. The sorcerers of Mystacor would run ahead of the army and prevent Glimmer from making a getaway, and the four Magnetar cannons would obliterate any fortifications the Princesses had set up.

And, once he accessed the Heart of Etheria, if the Princesses and their allies still stood, it would not matter.

"Come then, little brothers. Let's make this quick."

As Horde Prime, his clone and Cryptid exited the throne room, the army began to march.

Antares

"You're kidding, right?"

Dinah tilted her head, sightlessly glaring at Rain.

"I am not , in fact, kidding. We are going to make Horde Prime fight for every inch of ground leading to this portal."

"We can hold him back more effectively on the other end," Tattletale said. "If we work with Shin's armies and any heroes we can spare, we would have a much better chance of coordinating a proper defense."

"We are not abandoning Etheria," Glimmer snapped. "We can retreat, but we are not leaving our planet to Horde Prime!"

"It is already overrun, sparkles," Tattletale hissed. "Abandoning this cave isn't going to make a material diffe-"

"You're supposed to be the smart one. What if Horde Prime gains access to the Heart of Etheria while we're on Shin or Gimel?!"
"Rationalize your sentimentality all you want-"

"Shut up," Dinah said.

Tattletale and Glimmer's heads snapped towards Dinah in unison.

"We could debate the correct course of action. But the numbers don't lie. You agreed that you would listen to my guidance. We are going to hold our ground for as long as we can." Dinah turned her head towards Glimmer. "We may have to retreat from Etheria, but not yet."

Neither Glimmer nor Tattletale looked happy to hear that, and their eyes darted between Dinah and each other with hostility, but they stopped protesting.

"Now, Glimmer, we know from your scouting that Horde Prime is assembling an army to advance on our location, with clones, slaves, bots and, what did you say they are called?"

"Catra knows more about them than I do. Let her explain."

A gentle smile flashed between the two of them, as brief as warm as a ray of sun through rain clouds.

"They're called Magnetar cannons," Catra said. "Horde Prime told me about them on his ship. The science is over my head-"

"I can relate to that" Victoria heard Scorpia say.

"-but he says they're about as destructive as weapons get. They don't cover a wide area, but they annihilate everything within a radius of where their beams make an impact. Slow to aim though. It's not just a matter of turning the cannon itself, but the core the beam is fired from."

"Thank you," Dinah said. "It is clear that we must destroy the Magnetars."

"They're pretty far into the ranks of the enemy," Glimmer said.

"Yes, but the numbers are clear on this. Even if we do defeat Horde Prime, the Magnetars being left operational increase the odds of catastrophe. I can't explain why, but they do."

Victoria did not miss the sharp breath Dinah took through her nose as she spoke.

Is this a blindspot or is she simply not telling us?

Victoria caught Tattletale looking her way. Tattletale lifted a hand and covered one eye for a brief moment.

"How tough are these cannons?" Victoria asked.

"Truthfully, I don't know," Catra said. "But if Dinah says we can take them on, I don't see why not. I know that the cannons are operational only if their cores are contained within special casing. If we break open that casing, we can render them useless."

"Sooooo," said Swift Wind, butting between Tattletale and Glimmer. "I get that we've been sold out and all, and that must be rough , but I am getting apples, right? I managed to trick those Horde clones into thinking they had shot me down. I'm the reason they're moving so slowly."

Victoria jumped at an audible thwack, nearly summoning her forcefield. No, no danger, it was simply Adora hitting her forehead.

"I'm not going to run the numbers on that," Dinah said. "The rest of you can use your own judgement."

"You'll get your apples in a few minutes," Adora said, stroking Swift Wind's mane while giving Victoria a forlorn gaze, as though she were locked in a prison cell with him.

"Are there any concerns any of you have?"

"I think that some of the people Horde Prime has chipped… my father and his sorcerers, will attack us first," Glimmer responded. "Horde Prime knows I can teleport, so he'll want to send them in first to prevent an escape."

"Yes, that makes sense," Dinah said.

Victoria couldn't tell for sure behind the blindfold, but she had the gut feeling that Dinah was closing her eyes. Her voice was growing fainter as she talked, her face turned ever so slightly upwards. Sometimes she could hide it, but every so often her power distanced her from others as the numbers ran in her head. Victoria took the moment to take another glance at Tattletale.

A nod of confirmation. She certainly wouldn't say that Dinah's tells were a bad thing.

"Excellent," Dinah said. "Now we have just one more matter. Some of us are not suited for combat. These individuals will be used for other purposes."

Victoria was almost certain she saw Dinah's eyes twitch to look at Amy's tent beneath her blindfold. Was she just imagining seeing something behind that thin fabric?

"Precipice, Amelia, Menaf, Tattletale and I will head to Shin through the portal. Megan, you will remain in this cave, although you will retreat to Shin if I command it, even if the others will remain. Tattletale and I will provide orders as needed and Amelia will offer medical attention."

Tattletale smirked at hearing her duties, only to break her joy with a frown and furrow of her brow.

"And me?" Rain asked. "I think that there are some ways I can help too. I could even fight with the others."

"Precipice, can you honestly say your contributions there would be helpful?"

"I could break the casing of these-"

"Anyway, as for Lookout and Entrapta, you two have a special task."

"Ooh, a special one," Entrapta said. "Lookout's work is amazing. Do I get to work with her? Please say I get to work with her."

"Entrapta's work is even more amazing than mine," Kenzie said, nodding her head and making her hair bob like a drinking bird with it.

"Yes, you two will work together. With supervision from Castaspella, you will be heading into the Heart of Etheria."

"This is ludicrous ." Shadow Weaver pushed her way through the throng of individuals, accidentally shoving Catra to the ground. Melog jumped so she stood over Catra, growling at the sorceress, but Shadow Weaver ignored them.

Did this woman really raise her?

"The Heart of Etheria is supposed to be inaccessible without the use of magic or First Ones tech. While the research Castaspella and I were performing was interrupted, we believe that we were on the verge of discovering a method. Yes, you claim that this Adam has been able to bypass the barriers, but the risk is far too high."

"It's not," Chevalier said. "Adam's ability to pass through matter, especially while carrying others with him, is the strongest of its type we have seen, and he has already visited the Heart. We know that the interior of the Heart is safe for our biology."

This cape called Adam intrigued Victoria. The range through which he could travel through material, even the earth itself, and the speed at which he could do so sounded incredible. She knew of many capes that could meld with material, ones that could make it part ways to accommodate them or who could pass through solids. But none of them — Shadow Stalker, Annex, Sepulcher or any of the others — could match Adam's ease.

"Are you certain?" Shadow Weaver pressed.

"Quite certain," Adora said, a wide grin straining against the fabric of her face. "Dinah, you said you ran the numbers."

"Yes, I did," Dinah responded. "Assuming that anyone who travels into the core remains in the room that houses the Heart itself, they are safe. I would have liked to have spent more time allowing each of us to explore it, but Horde Prime's attack is moving our timetable."

"I should be there instead of Castaspella," Shadow Weaver insisted. "There is no one more knowledgeable about the Heart than me. I can be of great assistance to Entrapta and Lookout."

"Perhaps, but the odds of Horde Prime accessing the Heart, as well as generalized catastrophe, increase if you are present."

"Come on, Shadow Weaver, you get to do fighting and stuff while I'm child-sitting," Castaspella said. "Well, adult and child-sitting. The point is you should be happy! Not everything surrounding the Heart needs to involve you."

"Perhaps," Shadow Weaver echoed, her voice laced with bitterness Victoria could practically taste on her own tongue. Shadow Weaver stalked away without another word.

Victoria noticed that Catra was still splayed on the ground, nursing her knee.

"Are you all right?" Victoria asked.

She reached out a hand for the feline warrior to take, but Catra did not grasp it, instead dusting off her clothes and pulling herself up. She winced as she put pressure on her leg and rested one hand on Melog for support.

"I'm fine," Catra grumbled. "I'm used to it."

"Does she normally shove you around like that?"

"You saw how it happened. It wasn't deliberate. I was simply an inconvenient obstacle in her way who had the misfortune of being knocked down and wasn't worth picking up."

"No, I get where you are coming from. I can't say it was exactly the same, but my parents weren't always the best role models, and they always struggled to care enough for me… and my sister. Even if it wasn't their fault, they never quite knew how to help us out of a rough patch. If you ever want to talk, I'm available."

"Thanks, but I don't need to talk about Shadow Weaver. I know exactly what I think about her, and I don't want it to change. If there's a relationship that needs to be talked out it's probably you and your sister."

Victoria stiffened like stone.

"Oh, hey Antares." Adora had walked up to them, and was giving Catra a look-over. "Are you doing all right, Catra? If your knee is hurting too bad there shouldn't be a problem with having Amelia heal it."

She isn't talking to me. No need to panic. I'm not being forced to do anything; I'm not even being given a suggestion.

"I might," Catra said. She looked at Victoria, who was still frozen in place.

"Antares, are you-"

"I"m fine. Just, leave me alone. Glimmer's talking. Just listen to her."

Catra looked as though she wanted to speak, but no words came from her mouth. She turned towards Glimmer as though it took great effort.

"And remember," Glimmer finished. "We are going to neutralize the Heart. Not exploit it, and certainly not fire it."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kenzie said.

"I would certainly dream of it because the data I could collect from the destruction of most of the known universe would be incredible," Entrapta said. After a stern gaze from Glimmer she added, "but I wouldn't actually do it."

"I want to be clear that you will have to trust my judgments," Dinah said. " I can't force you to obey me, but when the time comes, I beg of you to listen. We may have to abandon Etheria. You may have to put your lives into the hands of someone you utterly despise."

Dinah's gaze lingered first on Adora and then on Victoria as she spoke.

She has certainly grown far more confident even in this short time. Too confident.

Catra's eyes wandered from Dinah to Victoria as she spoke.

"Now we should prepare a more detailed plan for battle while we have time."

"One thing," Catra said.

"Hmm."

"I want to ask something. About Antares and Amelia. Maybe I'm out of line, and maybe Antares doesn't want it answered, but I feel as though that last statement was targeted at her and I want to know why this would be such a problem."

"Absolutely not." Dinah spoke before Victoria could, her mouth running a sprint to utter those words before Victoria had even taken a breath.

Many gazes fell on Dinah. Victoria wondered if Amy, still huddled in that tent under the not-so-watchful eye of Wrong Hordak, could hear any of what was happening.

"You may find out later," Dinah said. Her speech had slowed, each word handled with care like a glass ornament being carried over tile. "But for now, you cannot."

That may be true, but she is not going to fucking speak for me.

"Our history is something that might be worth sharing. It shouldn't be withheld from you unjustly."

Dinah's hand was clenched into a fist.

"Now, Anta-"

"Let me finish, Kid Cassandra . I'm not going to explain it now. But if I feel it should be said — and it will be when I feel it is right — then I won't keep it hidden. Not if it means people could be hurt because it is concealed. They deserve to know what risks they are making, what dangers they face."

Dinah let out a deep breath she had been holding in as Victoria finished. The Etherians stared at her with confusion written plain on their faces, Catra's eyes narrow. The others gazed with different expressions; Shock etched onto the faces of Rain and Sveta, anger painted on Miss Militia's.

"I'm sorry if you would have preferred I didn't say anything." Catra was addressing Victoria directly. "But I just felt it was important at that moment to speak up. I'm still struggling with this stuff."

"It's okay," Victoria said, unsure if she was lying to herself. "But I wouldn't make a habit of publicly asking about secrets like that. I think you can understand why."

Catra nodded, staring bashfully at the floor.

"So far things have gone as well as we could have hoped," Dinah said, ignoring what had just transpired. "We have controlled the terms of this battle. Now we must defend ourselves. Be prepared to give your all."

We know her numbers, but if she says to do certain things, will we all agree?

Will I?

A lock of her hair was brushed into place.

Sorry , she thought. Will we?

Not a single readable expression that rested on Dinah sparkled with inspiration, but they were resolute.

One thing is sure. We are willing to fight.