A bright and sunny day, deep in the Forests of Shinovar, whose peaceful quiet is shattered by the thundering roar of a… Thing coming down, crashing into the ground with earth quaking, tree-shaking force. Smoke trails across the sky, painting a swathe of it in rich, inky black while birds fly to escape.
Catra
Climbs out of the crashed ship, groaning and trying to keep her lunch where it belongs before finally half-tumbling, half-flopping out, into the ground. "I swear, one day, I'm going to kill that stupid horse."
Entrapta
Climbed out more easily, standing on top of the slagged thing with her hands on her hips and a pleased smile as she scanned the horizon. "Ah, it wasn't that bad! Heck, I calculated we'd end up in a lake several miles north of here! So this is pretty good. Granted, finding our way around these trees is going to be very difficult…"
With a 'whump' she dropped off the thing and paced away on her long strands of prehensile hair, "But oh well! Shouldn't take too long."
Swift wind
Poked his head out through the blackened, half-melted, hatch and looked around cautiously until he spotted Catra on the ground. "Yeah, it shouldn't be bad… And if you don't want me to press the button, why didn't you stop me?"
Catra
"No." She sighed, "Why did you press it without me saying to?"
Swift Wind
"It was red, blinky, flashy, and right next to me." He argued while Adora pushed him out and climbed out behind him. "It was asking for it. Begging to be pushed! And team She-Ra doesn't ignore a cry for help."
Catra
"Count to ten… Count to ten… Can't make glue from a friend…"
Adora
"Hey, at least we're all alright."
Catra
"Aside from the everyone else conked out inside…"
Adora
"Y-Yeah, aside from them."
Catra
"I mean I guess…"
Adora
"Look, the rest of us can look around for supplies, maybe a camp-site or something, while they rest up." She pressed, dropping off of the ruined craft and landing beside the feline. She cocked her head and hummed, "Actually… I hear something."
Catra
"Yeah?" She sat up sharply, "What?"
Adora
"You can't hear?"
Catra
"Ears're kinda ringing, but…" She cocked her head, "Kinda startin' to, yeah."
They could hear the sounds of branches breaking and people yelling in an unknown language soon after Adora pointed it out and, soon after, they were met by four men running at them with odd, sort of marbled skin and strange ears. They were the first life-forms - people, she supposed - that they'd met so far, and she couldn't understand their muttering and whispering as they came to a stop and huddled together. But they seemed…
Scared, of something..
But, whatever it was, it wasn't them. And when none of them did anything, the group pushed forward, shuffling off to the side and away from them in a huddle and pushing Adora aside when she got in their way. Talking amongst themselves, they kept going until-
Suddenly, a few feet as something exploded just ahead of them, sending them flailing and screaming into the ground. Several staggered up, eyes wide as they spun, looking for the danger. But the oldest man among them, and another besides, didn't stand. Bloodied and burnt, they lay where they'd fallen while a third limped to the side, clutching at his bloodied head.
CATRA
"What the-"
Adora
"By the power of Gray-Skull!" As the light fades she leaps and turns, sword batting a rock away and into the trees, where it detonates in a shower of branches and splinters far to the side of the survivors, who huddle against the hull of their broken ship is sudden fear.
Szeth
Took a few steps forward, out of the trees the odd men had come from, looking past them and at the people huddling confusedly behind them and bouncing another rock in his hand. Frowning, he watched She-Ra step between them and sighed. "Who are you, in my way now? Hm?"
Catra
Looked between the strangers behind them and then the odd man in front of them and only had one thing in her mind to say as she flicked her claws out. "I hate that horse so much…"
Swift-Wind
"Hey! It's not my-"
Adora
"Catra, protect Entrapta."
Entrapta & Catra
"Yep!"
Adora
"Swift, herd those people away." She ordered, watching the stranger cock his head, brows furrowing in confusion. And then an agitation that had her turning her sword in her hand, bringing it in front of herself defensively. "Dunno what this guy's problem is, but no one else is dying today. Not if I can help it."
Swift-Wind
"Uh, yeah, sure, I'll… Do that, yeah."
ADORA
Adora took another step forward, sword between them but low enough to be obviously defensive, and grunted, "I don't know what's going on here, but I can't just stand back while you kill random people."
Szeth
"Why not?"
Adora
"I'm sorry?"
Szeth
"Not yet." He chuckled, drawing an odd sword and spinning it loosely in his palm. "But why help these… People? Who are they to you?"
ADORA
"People." She shrugged, "They're just scared people. And for a good reason, too, judging from what you just did."
Szeth
"Fair." He smiled thinly, "They should be scared. As should you, and yours, for getting between us without good reason."
ADORA
"It's my job to do that, actually."
Szeth
"Oh, is it?"
CATRA
"Unfortunately, yeah." The woman tossed in, "She makes a business of sticking her nose into other people's business. And you don't want her to stick her fists in, too, believe me. Won't be pretty."
ADORA
"Catra…"
CATRA
"I know, I know." She sighed, "Just not crazy about fighting another crazy cult looking guy…"
SZETH
"You would be wise to listen to your… Beast woman." The man said, striding forward towards the people Swift-Wind was herding away, towards the woods - but who seemed more than happy to stay, with the huge, sword-wielding woman who had appeared in a shower of light between her and the man. "They will die, and if you don't move then-"
ADORA
"Hold it." She grunted, reaching out to grab him when he tried to slip by. He died back, and she turned, stepping in and shoving him instead - hard enough to hurl him back the way he'd come, and through a tree which fell with a thunderous crack while Adora sighed. "Right… She-Ra… Super strength…"
SZETh
"That… Wasn't wise." The man growled, stepping forward and out of the dirt and dust that had been hurled up into the air by her accidental maneuever. He hesitated a moment, though, and added, "Moderately impressive, though, whoever you are."
Adora
"I'm She-Ra, Princess of Power and guardian of etheria and I'm gonna give you one chance to give up."
SZETH
"And what are you?" He asked, pacing forward, "Are you… A Radiant?"
ADORA
"Would it be good if I said yes…?"
CATRA
"That's a no." She murmured as the man turned, settling into a loose, almost simple, combat stance. "Right?"
Szeth
He looked at the strange… Creature then back to the princess. "Presuming you are, I will try not to kill you. But they must die. I am sorry, but so it must be. I hope you may forgive me."
Catra
" Did he just ask for forgiveness? About trying to to kill us? Before trying to kill us?"
Adora
"Yep…"
Catra
"Weirdo."
Adora
"Catra stay with them, I'll deal with him." She rolled her shoulder and flicked her sword up as Seth came charging at her.
In one swift motion his sword swing came straight out of her materializing from air she immediately reacted, grunting the only bit of surprise she could allow herself. Their swords clashed, sparks dancing as they fought for leverage and their metals screamed. Twice, he pushed back against her and turned his sword, and twice she caught it, metal screaming in protest and Ancient Magic flaring around her sword.
Szeth
His gaze was locked upon his prey that stood behind the strange woman, who slowly herded them away, into the shelter of the trees. Though he felt no small amount of pain at the very real possibility of having to end her to reach them, he knew he would if she stood in his path. AT the least, he could make it swift, he supposed - a cold comfort, he knew, but an existent one.
He grimaced, though, he pressed the woman back and she did not budge but four inches, before pressing back against him in turn. He withdrew and tried to hack and parry, but she moved as quickly as he did, meeting his strikes with her own and frowning deeply. As if surprised he could stand against her, power for power.
Adora
Adora grunted as each strike from The Stranger came fast and punishing, already forcing her to move as fast as she could to meet them. She hated to think what this person could be like if they were working for The Horde when she was just starting out, but cut teh thought off as fast as it came - she couldn't afford the distraction.
Then, suddenly, she caught a glow in his hand as he withdrew and turned, slashing at her and forcing her guard up again before his hand moved - and something bright shot by. She turned to meet it, but he was on her again before she could do more than deflect it away. The distraction worked, though, letting him push her back and turn, angling his sword around hers and thrust in for her shoulder before she could recover. She stumbled back a step, but he stumbled back more as his sword was… Repulsed, almost.
Szeth
Szeth looked at his sword in confusion. A Spren blade should have gone through her and this fight ended instantly, with only enough harm done to put her out of the fight rather than be lethal. Instead, it merely… Pinged off her, like when honorblade connected with nightblood . His gaze returned to the Princess of Power, searching for some other answer, some piece of armor or other that could have saved her - but she was largely apparently unprotected, aside from the little about her chest and stomach, and her forearms and calves - none of which he'd struck.
Whatever the case may be, it was a mystery for later. For now, he braced against the woman as she saw her chance and came for him, this time.
Adora
Siezing on his moment of surprise, Adora leapt in, sword coming around in a powerful swing that the man blocked - even if the action pushed him back, feet scraping through the dirt and rocks under them. She followed with a flurry of strikes, guard close to her chest as she did, but he met each one as breezily as the one before it, watching her sword and flicking a look to her shoulders in a sort of rhythm she couldn't find a way to break.
Finally, though, he broke it, stepping in to check a with a shoulder to her arm and cutting across her stomach, that cold, numbing sensation from before carving across her as she pushed him back. Now, though, he didn't just defend. He countered, knicking her thighs, her biceps, her shoulder - wherever he could get even a small strike in, like he was trying to blood her and slow her down.
Finally, she snarled and came to a dumb idea.
But, hey, dumb was at least surprising.
She waited through a few more icy strikes before she swung and 'missed', letting the blade sail by like she'd over-extended and leaving her open. He took the bait, coming in from her side, and she used the opportunity to grab the blade itself. It felt even weirder in her grip - icy and hot and stinging all at once - but it bought her the chance to snap out a kick right into his gut, driving him away and sending him flying off, into a tree across their small clearing.
And then through it, and into the next, with a thunderous 'crack' of the tree falling to the side.
She followed after him, leaping onto the fallen tree and looking into the woodlands past it where he'd struck, hoping that was enough to actually put him down. But, just below the splatter of crimson, she saw something…
Well, something nasty.
The part of his body that smashed against the rock was crushed and mangled but, somehow, it was fixing itself. Light was flowing from his body into the injury, knitting skin and muscle it back in place. As it worked, the man stood, glaring at her and frowning deeply.
"Oh, of course you can heal." She sighed, "But you're unarmed, now. And that had to hurt."
But, somehow, that didn't seem to deter him at all…
Szeth
After a hit like that, he came to the sorry conclusion that this wasn't a fight he could so easily face normally. Every strike he landed bounced off of her, and the blow he'd taken had been devastating. Many others would have died to it - and that was the first proper, clean hit she'd landed, so he presumed it was her par. He didn't want to take it again - possibly couldn't, if she could hit him harder.
Not without Stormlight, at least.
No, he needed a different plan…
Szeth took a moment to look around his environment before spotting the cliff side nearby with a very nice height to fall from. His gaze returned to his opponent and he charged at her. She seemed confused for a moment. odd you think a radiant would know why before summoning the spren not as a blade but as a hammer this time or swinging it straight at her.
The added weight of the hammer let him come down on her sword harder, driving her back with a grunt. A second hit, just as fast as the first, drove her back into a tree behind her and he flicked his hand. His hammer vanished, flowing into a short spear that he drove towards her stomach. She yelped and threw herself aside, and out of the way, letting his spear carve through the tree. He twisted it and turned, ripping it apart and letting it tumble away behind him with a cracking roar.
She turned and leapt for him, but he met it easily, spear shifting form again into a shield. Her blow hammered down hard enough that even then he staggered, the sound echoing through the woods behind him. Then, he followed with his next trick-
He ducked to the side and back, then parried when she turned, swinging a horizontal strike around towards him. It only bought him a second's opening - but he took the chance, lashing out with a kick to drive her back a few steps. Which bought him enough time to change up his tactics again, turning and resting a hand against a smaller tree beside him. His light poured into it along with its will - empowering it even as he directed it.
In one smooth movement, he turned and recalled his sword, carving the tree apart near to the roots and letting his power hurl it at her.
Adora
Adora could only think of one thing. She was either fighting a magician, wizard or some kind of wizard magician; either way, this was crazy. At first he had a sword, then a hammer, then a spear - And now he's throwing trees at her. Everything about this fight was already insane just from the 'magically putting himself back together' bit, but now?
It was way worse.
She easily shrugged the tree off with a shoulder-smash, but then had to duck down and to the side as he followed it, swinging an axe around at her. She leapt back and to a tree of her own to throw, roots ripping up soil as it went. He leapt over it easily, turning his back to it and barely sailing over it as it went, crashing into more trees a few yards away and bringing them down as it exploded around them, spratying wood and dirt into the air.
Szeth
He landed and backed away slowly, warding off her strikes and returning his own as he lured her through the woods, ducking around trees and rocks as the terrain worsened. Roughened. Foretold the ridges he knew were nearby, where the earth was more broken and more wild. As the ground steepened he lowered his guard, meeting her attacks from above - but she was getting wary, now. Of the height difference or of how overtly he was leading her, he couldn't be sure.
Either way, they finally reached the ridge-top before she could respond, and he let her force him to the side with a warding strike meant to put them on equal level.
Here, the edge stretched on for a few dozen yards in either direction, trees clutching the edge of its top where the land had sheared away long ago. And collapsed into a rocky, dirty, wood-rotted mess below.
"You are quite talented, and clearly wise enough to know to measure your pace." He grunted as she leapt for him and he leapt forward, rolling under her and coming up where she'd been standing. Calling on his power, he met her lunge with a swipe, the magical metals screaming as they fought for leverage until he pressed her back. "I truly would prefer you surrender, rather than having to crush such talent."
Adora
She rolled her eyes and surged forward, swinging her fist up in an uppercut that he dodged to the side, and then grabbing her sword with the same hand as her other brought its hiilt around and over her head. The hit was heavy, and he caught it on his flat, grunting as it drove him down to a knee. He was trying to distract her, like he'd been luring her before - but to where, and for what?
Regardless, she could distract him, too.
"What makes you so confident that you'll win huh?!" She asked, putting on as much air as she could. "No offense, but you can't even cut me. And nothing you can throw at me works, either."
The strange man smiled at her words before sliding almost unnaturally to the side and pushing himself back with a hand. Her blow came down, hard and powerful, on the ground before she could catch it and she blinked, feeling the earth and rock tremble under her. She stood, but before she could get away the man came back in, this time bringing a heavy hammer around faster than she'd expected - faster than he'd done before.
Fast enough she had to eat it or block - so she blocked, catching it on the flat of her sword and grunting as a suddenly tremendous force slammed into her, and through her, the ground. It broke away as he leapt away, and when she tried to jump as well, the loos soil only came apart underneath her, leaving her to tumble away as he watched, kneeling at the cliff's edge.
Szeth
Sezth watched the blonde warrior fall. A small part of him felt pity but if she was as durable as he thought, she might survive. That is, if she was a radiant, but regardless, the distraction would grant him enough time to finish his objective. Using the power of Gravitation Szeth rose into the air and turned, headed back the way he'd come in search of his targets. Which was an easy enough place to find - whatever they had come down from wherever on was trailing smoke into the air that he could see for miles - along with te distant cloudbank, and the rumble of thunder.
A High Storm was coming…
Just as he began to speed towards it, he caught motion shooting by him and turned as it curved around, bracing for another attack. It bounced off his sword as a familiar voice spoke up, impossibly cheery.
Swiftwind
"Oh wow! So people here can almost, like, fly! That is really cool! And here I thought I was the only one I could fly! And Angela! And Shadow Weaver! And you that one time. Oh hey another flying guy! !hat's fun ain't it Adora?!"
The woman on the horse's back only rolled her eyes while the stranger looked at the horse in a mix of confusion and something approaching wonder. Like he was impressed. Regardless, he was able to parry their next lunge and Adora sighed as Swiftwind carried her away from him.
Adora
"You know that was a dick move what you did back there, right?"
He only shrugged and Adora kept watching the man just… Float there, while she circled him. She was already not a fan of him, and his slew of surprises hadn't helped. And now he could fly? Talk about unfair… But whatever he was capable of, she couldn't let him throw her. Couldn't let him get to those people.
She flinched as another bom - louder, and bone-shaking - echoed from behind her and, in that moment, the man shot off towards the clouds.
"And of course he's going into the storm clouds…" She sighed, leaning down, "Swiftwind!"
Swiftwind
"Oh, I hate this idea…"
Adora
"I do too." She sighed, "After him! Now!"
Swiftwind
"No offense Adora but that looks like a storm that ate a tornado in a hurricane sandwich and it looks like it's hungry for more!" He shouted, even as he pursued the way too fast flying guy. "Why are we following him?!"
Adora
"Because look where the storm is heading! it's going to pass directly over Catra and the others we don't get to him first." She explained, pointing along its path to the crash site, "If we don't stop him he'll have the perfect cover to strike at us and get at anyone he wants. It's our job gotta stop him!"
Swifttwind neighed unhappily, but turned to bank along an up-draft as he did as she'd asked.
Inside, the storm was just as bad as it had looked. Ice cold rain soaked them, slowing down his wings, and the winds whipped them back and forth. She could barely see as they flew, searching for the man who had so easily vanished into the mess while she kept an eye on the trees below - wary of a darting figure.
Szeth
He had to admit the warrior was impressively brave, dutiful, stupid, or some mix of the three. To be so willing to follow him into a High Storm just like kaladin had all those years ago…
It was a shame, truly.
But it also couldn't be helped.
When he breathed in the storm his body began to glow, power filling him as he took it all in. He saw movement as it made him glimmer and glow, and turned as the woman banked towards him. Too late to stop him, but with wide eyes that told him she knew she had to try - she was wary of what he could do, certainly. Which only proved how astute she was - and made the shame even greater.
Using the gathered energy he shot off even faster than before, causing the torrential winds to part and cloudbanks to part with a crack of raw power. Even so, Adora caught his strike on her sword, but the sheer power nearly drove her off the beast - and did drive it down, wings straining to keep itself aloft from his titanic hit.
He shot off and came in again, each rocketing attack splitting the clouds and sending energy crackling off him. Again and again, he dove for her, crushing against her guard and each time nearly batting the beast out of the air.
"You have made a grave mistake, following me here." He bellowed, circling close enough to her for her to hear while he took in some more energy. "Whether you are radiant or not, you were never meant to touch the skies. You were never meant to be in the storm and I will show you why!"
Adora
Adora panicked as he pulled away and kept coming, striking fast and impossibly hard. She could feel Swiftwin heaving below her, see the strain in his wings. It was terrifying. If he'd been quick on the ground, she actually agreed with him - she'd made a mistake chasing him, he was a nightmare up here. Clouds ripped away from him with every attack, lightning and thunder answered his movements, and his hits felt like bombs - right through her arm and into her shoulder.
And when their blades met, the weird magic he used seemed to… To trail behind him, through the storm and into his attacks. It sent her reeling as she looked around each time seeing a glowing white light streaming towards her like one of the missiles the Horde used to use, but if the missile had a sword.
Keeping up her defence was hard, and as they fought, Swiftwind descended, forced down by the attacks as much as the storm. He wasn't the only one being worn down, though. Her arms were starting to feel heavy. Hers! She-Ra's!
This was not good…
Swiftwind
Swiftwind turned his head to look at Adora looking her in the eyes. When seeing her condition he frowned and felt panicked.
"Um Adora I don't mean to sound like a party pooper but I really think we need to get the hell out of this storm! This guy clearly knows what he's doing in it and he clearly doesn't intend to let us survive it so you don't mind I'm going to get goi-"
Swiftwind's words were cut off as when he turned his head a blade passed through his neck not severing it but causing something worse. Adora watched Swift Wind's eyes burn out in front of her his body turning gray and his wings going limp and still as he began to fall.
Adora
Adora was shocked that one simple strike and Swiftwind was gone and she was falling in the storm being hit by rocks and trees as they flew by. She tried her best get free of her Saddle and she did she noticed something hurtling towards her not a tree not a rock but a person she growled and when he was close enough and jumped from Swiftwind grabbing onto the warrior tightly with her legs as and began to pummel him viciously. She could hear crunch and splats but he seemed to heal from every blow all the while she felt a sharp feeling hitting her in the gut every blow she hit him with he followed up with his own knife striking her. And while it did not cut deep, it didn't change the fact that she felt weaker each time she was struck. Both seemed to glare at each other with intense hatred as they continued their fight, each blow covering him with more blood and each hit weakening her until her punches stopped. He ceased striking her as she as they reached their destination
She caught her breath as she realized they were above the storm. In fact, she could almost see the stars. But her breathing was caught in her chest when she realized he'd stopped glowing…
And she'd begun to glow instead.
Szeth
Szeth decided on a new strategy. Now that she didn't have the horse to save her, he decided to see just how much she could take. She was weak enough that he could invest in her, too. Or, no, she wasn't weak - but her power was different, and he could push his in beside it just as well as if she were. He invested her with all of the light he had ever taken in through the storm
All of the gravitational flashing directed in one single direction; Down.
Adora
It felt like the world itself was pulling her down as she shot through the sky, parting the clouds and diving in the storm. Smashing through anything that got in the way of her fall as she tried to right herself up. Adora saw something enter the storm and blaze alight before it came shooting at her. She brought up her sword defensively, blocking a lance blow alongside the force of his own speed, both of them ramping up and heading straight towards the ground at speeds she would never even thought possible. The immense impact was shortly followed by a tone that deafened Adora.
Szeth
Szeth crawled out of the crater caused by their impact. As he stood and looked around, he saw the surrounding area completely destroyed. Trees knocked over, completely decimated, and the ground formed a giant circle. He himself was still healing broken bones, cracked ribs, and even one of his eyes had been destroyed. As vision returned to Szeth, the storm was only just passing, giving him just enough light to glow. When he looked at the center of the crater at the deepest hole in the ground, he sighed in relief as he saw no movement. He wanted to make sure his opponent was defeated this time. Szeth slowly began to walk away from the crater, his Lance disappearing in thin air as he walked away. This had been a fight that even with Stormlight had exhausted him, but thankfully it was over. Though as he took his steps the ground began to shake one last time. His face changed into one of genuine shock before he turned towards the ground shattering behind him and from it the warriors leaping from it and towards him bringing her sword down Seth knew there was probably only one last good strike left in and when she came at him he let her strike hit.
The blow slicing down into his entire shoulder, taking off his arm, but he met her in kind, bringing his own sword that he's summoned upwards slicing from the bottom upward this time cleanly cutting through her connection to her power and her life. He saw the shocked expression as she realized her power was gone as was the light from her eyes. They burned out in her skin, turning gray and her body fell to the ground. Szeth fell to his knees as well, panting.
"Please…..do not…rise again….Warrior."
The Stormlight slowly began to heal his arm, growing a new one in its place along with the chunk of damaged shoulder. Though as he did he heard a scream and the sounds of foot falls following
Catra
"Adora….N-no….."
She dropped to her knees next to Adora's body that was now gray and lifeless. Her once crystal clear eyes burned out. lifting her up and holding her close, crying into her shoulder she ignored the breathing next to her and the sounds of Szeth struggling to stand. Only six words got through her mournful crying.
Szeth
"I am sorry, for your loss"
He bowed to her in apology before he began walking off again. He could hear her weeping as it followed him, chased him. Another set of cries that would haunt him in his sleep