Adora found she hated relaxing. It was a new thing for her. To do nothing in order to charge some unknowable internal battery. She understood the logic behind the act. That wasn't the problem. But she found it hard to follow through.

Mystacor had been bad enough. At least there she was, also learning about sorcery. She was sure that information would be useful against Shadow Weaver. Castaspella had been especially forthcoming after Adora had stopped Shadow Weaver from destroying Mystacor's defenses.

Princess Prom was a whole new beast for Adora. Her hand tightened around her cup as she watched the various couples glide across the dance floor. If she had been in a better mood, she would have compared the dancers to flowers. Their dresses flaring out like petals, colorful and blooming as they twisted and turned around the giant ballroom.

Right now, however, it just looked like a fancy waste of time.

Across from her was the raised dais where Princess Frosta sat with thin pillars leading up to it. It made the room seem much larger than it actually was. Princess Frosta had set the ballroom up to make a statement. We are not to be trifled with.

That thinking was half of the problem right now. Princess Frosta had been quick to dismiss joining the rebellion. Citing the fact that the Kingdom of Snows was, for the moment, untouched by the Horde. So they didn't need to join the Princess Alliance. Adora didn't care to correct Princess Frosta. Let her decide and live with the consequences.

That's what Adora had to do, after all.

She shivered at the cold of the room. It wasn't as cold in here as it had been outside, but it was still noticeable. A consequence of the icy blue construction of the palace. Why would anyone make their palace out of ice? That was just begging for it to be destroyed.

She downed the rest of her punch and turned around to get more. Bow stood there next to the food bar, his own cup twirling in his hands. "So this is where you've been hiding, huh," he said.

"I haven't been hiding."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Right."

With a huff, Adora returned to watching the dancers. "Speaking of hiding, where's Glimmer?"

Bow let out a sigh, slugging back his punch as well. "She's… Still sulking. I should have never told her Perfuma asked me first."

"Nope."

"Ouch. But you're right."

Adora glared at Bow before closing her eyes and pushing out a calming breath. "Sorry. I guess I'm… Not in a good headspace for a party."

The small smile that had been creeping onto Bow's face slid off to be replaced with a concerned frown. "Right yeah, I guess you wouldn't be."

Adora wanted to get away from the direction this conversation was going. She still hadn't told Bow or Glimmer why she'd been off since Salineas. The only person who knew the full story was Angella. But they had still been treating her like glass. She was She-Ra damn it. She had to keep fighting.

She couldn't lose anyone else.

"Who did Perfuma end up bringing?" Adora asked.

Bow looked like he might press the issue for a moment. He then shook his head and sighed. "I don't know. Some guy named Vader."

Adora's brow furrowed. "Odd name."

"Yeah, but it fits him, in an odd way." Bow refilled his cup and grabbed a new one for Adora. As he handed it to her, he spoke again. "I met him. He's… Interesting."

"Wait. Are you saying you didn't warm up to him right away?" Adora's mouth curved into a sly grin. "That's a new one."

"I couldn't help it." Bow's voice cracked as it increased in pitch. His arms gestured widely, almost spilling his punch. "He's like, Hordak times eleven."

"He can't be that bad." Adora had seen Hordak exactly once. It had not been an experience she wanted to repeat.

"Adora, have you ever heard the saying, a child playing in their parent's armor?" Bow was spinning his cup in his hands again. "Because after seeing Vader? That saying applies to Hordak. It's… The difference between trying to be intimidating and actually being intimidating."

Adora huffed and shook her head. While she was sure Bow believed what he was saying, there was no way it was true. Both Bow and Glimmer had yet to see either Hordak or Shadow Weaver in person. They didn't see Shadow Weaver block all light in a room. Or the red glow of Hordak's eyes and mouth. They were soft, like so many in the rebellion.

"Adora?" Bow's voice interrupted Adora's thoughts. She gave a soft hum in acknowledgment. "Listen, I'm going to see if I can't find Glimmer. Try and patch things up with her."

"Sounds good." Adora finished her second cup and laced it down on the serving table. "I think I'm going to get some air. Clear my head a bit."

She was moving by the time she finished speaking. Weaving herself between the dancers with practiced movements. It was like how she was trained to move through a battlefield. Eyes forward to where she needed to go, using others' movements to slip past them.

It allowed her to fall into an ebb and flow with her body, which allowed her to observe while she moved. On the balcony that surrounded the dance floor, Lonnie and Entrapta were talking. She tore her gaze away from the pair, stamping down the desire to go up there and break them apart. Entrapta could take care of herself. And Adora had no interest in being near Lonnie right now.

Seeing Lonnie had her automatically scanning the crowd for Scorpia, the Horde princess that had brought Lonnie along. Adora spotted her on the other side of the dancefloor. She was wringing her claws together and kept casting furtive glances at the surrounding people. Their eyes met, and Adora could swear she saw the Horde soldier nod at her. Adora broke away and swept out of the ballroom.

The guards said nothing as she pushed open the doors that led to the outside balcony. Cold air crashed against her and rushed through her thin dress. She squinted her eyes at the brisk wind, using her hand to rub at her arms. She felt the warm flame that she recognized as She-Ra's magic flare-up in her chest. The cold became less biting as her body warmed.

It had been an odd thing ever since Salineas. She-Ra's magic would appear when she wasn't using the sword. They were small things. A little extra strength, a little better reflexes. It felt like there had been a cap on the magic, and now that cap was cracked, leaking out a small amount for her to use.

She shook her head as she leaned against the curved balcony railing. There wasn't a need to think about such things right now. As far as she could tell, this leakage wasn't having an adverse effect on her ability to summon She-Ra, so it wasn't a problem yet.

Her gaze wandered across the mountainous view. The white-capped blue peaks stretched above her. They scraped against the clouds, carving themselves into the sky itself. It was an awe-inspiring sight for Adora, who hadn't been able to appreciate them on the way to the castle.

She was so involved in her sightseeing that she didn't hear the doors creak open behind her. Nor did she hear the clack of boots on hard ice. What she heard sent shivers down her spine.

Khooh Puuhr

Adora spun, fists up, feet slid apart, and faced a panel full of blinking lights and switches. Her neck strained as she tilted her head up, following the curve of the silver and black chest plate to the skull-like helmet that stared down at her. She took a step back, bumping into the railing behind her.

"I apologize," the man said with a bow of his head. Adora clenched her teeth as his voice rumbled around her. "I had not expected to find someone else here."

"It's fine," Adora squeaked out. She cleared her throat and straightened her posture before speaking again. "Totally fine. I didn't think anyone else would come out here either." She rubbed the back of her head as she let out a short laugh that died quickly.

The man tilted his head at her. "If you wish me to leave-"

"No, no, you're fine."

He gave a single nod. "Very well."

Adora watched as he stepped up to the railing beside her. He was stiff as walked. Every movement seemed to be calculated before being taken. Even as he reached to grasp the railing and lean against it, he did not relax.

This had to be who Bow was talking about. Though, while he looked more threatening than Hordak, his demeanor soothed her initial fear. Hordak was never one to apologize, according to what she had heard.

"I sense you have questions."

She had several, but decided on the safest one. "You're… Vader aren't you?"

"I am." He turned his head to look at her. "And I believe you are the one they call Adora."

"You've heard about me?"

"I have. Princess Perfuma has been quite taken with your work."

"Oh, I didn't really do much with her. She was the one to save us, actually."

"You inspired them to take action. A much greater feat than many realize."

Adora scrunched her nose at this. Inspiring people was always Bow's thing. Sometimes Glimmer. Adora knew where her talents lied. She was the fighter, the soldier. She was the Princess of Power.

Vader continued speaking over Adora's thoughts. "Others may lead with words. But often those that do, are the ones to give those words the weight they need to spur action."

"You seem to know what you're talking about."

"I do. And they were hard-won lessons."

"You know, you don't seem to fit in with Perfuma's usual friends."

"I have heard that before."

"So why'd she bring you to this?" Adora asked, gesturing towards the door that led back into the ballroom.

Vader was silent for a moment. A breeze caught the black cloak he wore. It billowed out behind him as he stood again. "I suspect she wishes me to see her friends in an effort to get me to join your rebellion."

"Is it working?" Maybe this party wouldn't be a complete waste of time. Vader wasn't Princess Frosta and her kingdom. But he would be someone.

Vader's next words shattered that hope. "Not at the moment."

Adora's shoulders slumped. "But… Why? The Horde-"

"The Horde will fall," Vader said. "I am waiting to see what my role will be in that."

"Waiting isn't going to stop the Horde any faster." Adora slammed a fist against the railing, causing it to crack as more magic leaked out. "People are suffering as the Horde marches on. We have to end it."

Vader said nothing as he turned to look at her. His mechanical breathing filled her ears as his black lense bored into her. She wouldn't back down, though. The Horde needed to be stopped. And she would burn it down herself if necessary.

"Your conviction is strong. If I may offer some advice." Vader continued speaking, unheeding of whether Adora wanted him to. "Don't become so focused on the fighting, that you lose yourself to it. There is more to life than than that, no matter how righteous you think your cause is."

"I have to fight," Adora said. "We're at war."

"War…" Vader looked back out at the mountainous landscape. "The people of this planet do not truly understand it. What it costs. The tragedy of it all."

Before Adora could formulate a response, the doors slammed open. Bow rushed onto the balcony and slid to a stop in front of Vader and Adora. His chest heaved and his eyes were wide. "Adora! Thank goodness I found you. Have you seen Glimmer at all?"

Adora's brow furrowed, and she shook her head. "Not since she blew up at you. You haven't found her yet?"

"No, I've looked everywhere." He was pacing now, pulling at his hair with his hands. He didn't seem to have noticed Vader. "I don't know-"

"Something is about to happen." Vader was looking towards the palace.

Bow had frozen as Vader spoke, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he tried to speak.

"What do you mean?" Adora asked.

Vader was already moving. "I do not have time to explain. We must go now," he said as he stormed through the doors.

Adora scrambled to follow, grabbing the still frozen Bow as she passed. They followed him into the ballroom. It was much the same as when Adora had left. She noticed something else missing, however.

"Where are Scorpia and Lonnie?"

"They were the Horde soldiers, correct?" Vader asked as he performed his own sweep of the room.

"Yeah," Bow said, having regained his voice. "We've fought them a few times. Apparently, Scorpia is a princess, which is why they got an invite."

"Clever," was all Vader said as he walked off. He swept through the crowd, uncaring of the dancers that parted before him. Adora and Bow followed in his wake. He climbed the dais to stop at Princess Frosta's throne.

"Your Majesty," he said with a bow. "I believe you and your guest are in danger here. Is there a place they can go for safety?"

Frosta's eyes narrowed, though she maintained the rest of her neutral expression. "And what makes you think there is a danger to my guest? Are you insulting the security I prepared?"

"Of course not, Your Majesty." Vader rose. "Your security seems… Sufficient. But that does not mean infallible."

"Do you have any proof of this danger you speak of?"

Vader was silent for a moment. "No. At least, nothing more than conjecture, circumstance, and my experience."

Frosta stood and slammed her staff onto the floor. She glared down at Vader from her raised throne. "Then I see no reason to interrupt this evening. My security has reported nothing amiss this whole-"

Several ear ringing explosions ripped through the ballroom. Pillars collapsed and chunks of the ceiling collapsed as dust and debris flew in every direction. Adora crouched low to the ground, shielding her face as she heard something crack next to her. The patrons screamed as the room rumbled around them, moments from collapsing.

Then everything went silent.

As the dust cleared, Adora stood. Trying to see into the crowd to gauge who needed to help the most. Instead, she saw every large piece of ice that had been blown out-of-place floating in mid-air. She turned to Frosta, who she expected to have been the one responsible for this, only to find her as awestruck as everyone else.

So she turned to Vader.

He was kneeling on the ground, head bowed, a single-arm stretched above him. The floor had cracked where his knee had landed, creating a spider-webbed pattern that extended out across the dais. He stood, straining under some unseen weight, adding his other hand to his effort. The pillars and chunks of the ceiling floated back into place.

"Whoa…"

Vader turned his head to her. "Your friend is still in danger. This was merely a distraction. Get the entrance. Now!"

Adora obeyed, Vader's voice triggering her training and instincts as she and Bow rushed from the ballroom. They ran through the palace, making their way back to the entrance. Adora's heat was pounding in her ears as she outran Bow. The leak was worse now as she focused on getting to Glimmer on time.

She slammed through the front doors, Bow having been left far behind, to find Scorpia and Lonnie. Scorpia was carrying Glimmer over her shoulder as the two of them approached a large Horde aircraft.

"Hey!" Adora shouted, causing the two of them to stop. "Put her down, and I'll let you walk away."

Lonnie's shoulders slumped. "Scorpia, get the Princess to you new accommodations please. I'll deal with this."

"Scorpia. Drop her."

Scorpia's head whipped between the two of them. She chewed on her lip before giving Adora an apologetic shrug. She rushed off to the Horde craft. Lonnie still had not moved.

"Adora, do you really think you're gonna stop this?" Lonnie said. "You don't even have that special sword of yours."

Adora dropped into a fighting stance as she glared at the back of Lonnie's head. "I don't need it."

Lonnie laughed, high and cruel. It sounded more like Shadow Weaver than the girl Adora had known. She turned, a twisted smile splitting her face, her eyes now as black as the night. Dark flames licked across her figure, consuming the dress she wore and replacing it with a black version of the Horde uniform.

"Oh, I think you will. Shadow Weaver has given me a few upgrades." She tilted her head. "Though, you really should have checked the weapons holding before you came here." With a thud, she impaled the Sword of Protection into the ground. "Might have realized we took something else."

With a roar, Adora closed the distance between them. She opened with a punch, which Lonnie deflected. Adora drove a knee into the girl's gut, forcing the air out of her, before grabbing Lonnie and throwing her back towards the doors. Lonnie rolled back onto her feet, then jumped the distance between them.

Black smoke poured from her eyes as she attacked Adora. She threw punches and kicks with wild abandon. Adora had a hard time keeping up. Lonnie was faster than she'd ever been. Stronger too, considering how hard the blows that landed were.

Adora needed the sword now. She needed She-Ra.

She ducked a jab from Lonnie and wrapped her arms around her to force her back. Lonnie continued to rain blows on Adora's back. A sharp pain stabbed through Adora's chest, but she kept her head down. A cracked rib would heal once she summoned She-Ra. She pushed back, angling the both of them towards the sword still stuck in the ground.

Lonnie seemed to realize what Adora was doing. With a roar, she slammed both hands on Adora's back, dropping her to the ground. Adora felt like her back was on fire as she struggled to stand back up. Her ankle was grabbed, and Lonnie whipped her around to slam into the Horde ship. Adora collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Lonnie loomed above her, that same twisted smile on her lips. "Wow, I think you've actually gotten worse since joining the rebellion. Come on, where's that fight you were known for?"

Adora got on her hands and knees. She spat out the blood that had been pooling in her mouth and glared up at Lonnie. "You're cheating. If you wanted a fair fight-"

"Nah, I'm done caring about a fair fight. Besides," Lonnie leaned down to look Adora in the eyes. "The Horde trained us to fight people with more power than us. You've just gotten lazy."

An arrow twanged into the ground next to them. Bow held his bow as he stood in the entryway. "Leave her alone. And give us back Glimmer."

"Not going to happen," Lonnie said with a growl as she stood to glare at him.

Bow pulled back on his string, another arrow ready to fly. "I won't give you another warning."

"Shouldn't have given me one in the first place." Black, oily magic pooled in Lonnie's hand. She reared back, ready to throw it at Bow.

She-Ra's power shrugged through Adora's veins. It wasn't enough to transform, but it was enough to ignore her aching back and cracked ribs. She reached out, grabbed Lonnie's ankle, and pulled. Lonnie dropped to the ground, magic going wild and slamming into the wall next to Bow. He jumped back as the ice exploded around him, blocking his way out.

"You little-" Lonnie aimed a kick at Adora, who rolled out of the way.

Using the momentum of the roll, Adora stood, slipping back into her fighting stance. "I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone else." She charged, slamming a knee into Lonnie's gut, doubling the girl over. Adora grabbed her, and with another burst of magic, threw her against the black metal of the Horde ship. Lonnie collapsed to the ground, coughing and spluttering. "Who's lazy now?"

A choked laugh escaped Lonnie's lips. Her head lolled to the side as she looked up at Adora. "Still… You… Forgot to check your six."

A sharp pinch between Adora's shoulder blades had her whipping around. Scorpia was behind her, her tail returning to position. Adora tried to take a step forward, only to have her legs give out from underneath her. She fell to the ground, vision going foggy. She focused on keeping her arms between her and the ice, fighting to stay conscious. Lonnie stepped into her fuzzy vision.

"You lose." With a savage kick from Lonnie, Adora lost the fight against the blackness.

A/N: ... I'll see you in the future.