Something is rotten in Mystacor

Night Gale was ordered to follow the Head Sorceress, which wasn't that hard. Castaspella wasn't a very observant person, so it wasn't difficult. Unfortunately, her lack of perceptiveness was leading to a problem.

It was extremely difficult to protect her, but that was her main goal. She was entrusted with this extremely important task and she could not fail. It worked to her advantage that they were both competent sorcerers, though neither was a warrior. Of course, Castaspella had been a hero of the rebellion for nearly twenty years and a member of both alliances. She had to be able to defend herself. Though as she watched the woman nag about nonsense with this weird person from Eridani, she wasn't so sure. After all, she wouldn't have been given this mission if it wasn't needed. Though as a servant of Crawling Chaos, you'd have to be prepared for lies within lies. That was the price of power, and she was willing to pay it.

However, she had a second task, or rather Scarlet had it. Lonnie gave her the mision of infiltrating Mystacor and possibly getting the wedding plans, as the head sorcereress of Mystacor was helping Glimmer organize the wedding, and Comrade General was praparing something special for the occasion, but unfortunately she didn't share it with Scarlet, she thought she didn't trust her, although she did she really didn't even suspect the truth about who her sorcereress actually was.

She didn't even know what identity Scarlet had taken in Mystacor to be able to stay here safely. She suspected she was one of the many guards who kept order at the sorceres school. Well, her cover was much better.

- Oh! Night Gale, great to have you back! - cried Professor Split, a slightly obese satyr and lunarology teacher. A somewhat clumsy individual, teaching the most useless aspects of a subject that had the potential to be one of the most important in the entire academy, even a key field of magic on Etheria ... „But of course, instead of focusing on important matters, the people of Etheris allowed themselves to be distracted by a false sense of triumph., pathetic"

- How can I help you? - Night Gale smiled kindly at the professor.

- As you know, the Head Sorceress Castaspella has been busy with wedding preparations lately, so she's been neglecting her duties a bit. - said the Lunarology teacher. She felt her pulse quicken. "It would be the perfect position to fulfill my tasks as both Night Gale and Scarlet. Being Castaspelia's secretary or assistant, she will always be close to the Head Sorcerer and all documents will always be within my reach." She smiled slyly to herself.

- So, I would ask you to help me take care of my students… you could even lead the lessons for a while." I listened to you discuss with Master Skygazer and it was a wonderful exchange of views. - he said smiling at her. She clenched her teeth, too sharp compared to those of most creatures like her. "So even you have realized the uselessness of your classes?" she thought and turned to the overweight Satyr, looking down at him. As Night Gale, she was taller than most people she encountered. She was one of the few who could look Scorpia straight in the eye, though of course she was no match for her strength... But she had other skills... She walked over to the professor and looked at him with concern, reaching for the bit of power she had been given.

- Something happened? - he asked anxiously.

- No, absolutely nothing... But I'd advise you to take care of your liver, because when I look into your eyes...- She tutted and shook her head anxiously. Split turned pale and walked away from her, probably to go to his apartment and look at himself in the mirror or go straight to the healer. „Problem Solved" But you gave me a great idea, I should have thought of it myself, thought Night Gale, and cursed softly as she turned to see Castaspella talking to Catra. The Grand Marshal was one of the few people she should avoid. She wasn't sure if she could smell her true nature. So she decided to watch them from a distance for now, waiting for an opportunity to get closer to the Head Sorcereress. She had enough time. Night Gale had a lot of time, her job was to archive reports of magical weather phenomena. She came to Mystacor once every two weeks and spent a few hours turning the scrolls. She worked as a volunteer, so no one investigated the quality of her work, and she had an excuse to move freely around the university. Night Gale had never gone to college, but she didn't want to bring up her past in the Horde, it would raise too many questions and draw attention to her, and Night Gale needed to remain as invisible as possible to perform tasks for both of her employers. Of course, only a handful knew of her true past in the Horde, and she didn't want to add too much truth to this so convenient identity. So she came up with that she came from the borderland between the Crimson Wastes and Brightmoon. She was to be trained by a litle known sorcerer, Master Iriam, a loner who died during the occupation. Iriam was a real person she had stayed with for some time after leaving the Fright Zone. She even liked him and thought he was a decent person, but he discovered the truth about her… "Don't think about the past because it distracted you. An important task awaits you, requiring absolute focus. Remember the reward…" she chided herself mentally.

Catra and Castaspela, and this strange Eridian person, were talking agitatedly about some book, but she was too far away to see what it was about. Scarlet had never told her that the feline was interested in literature, but she had never been their favorite topic of conversation. Lonnie also never implied that her biggest rival liked to read, even she talked a lot about her. What she saw was interesting. Then the three of them left, and she followed them. After a while she guessed they were going to the library, so she smiled to herself. There, it will probably be easier to talk to Castaspella among these countless bookcases, shelves and alcoves….

Visiting the library was something that happened to other people, not to mention bringing books. She felt… Strange, like she was trying to put herself in someone else's shoes. She had felt this way the last time she had gone shopping with Bowe. She was glad that the library was so large, because it allowed her to avoid being too crowded. Usually she could turn invisible with Melog's help, or simply by sneaking through the shadows like she did in the Fright Zone, but now she was standing in line behind the Mystacor students, waiting until she could scan the book. She was sure that with one word she could make them split up and leave the library or even lock themselves in their rooms. If she put in the effort, she might be able to persuade them to leave Mystacor at all. She just wasn't sure if it would be because of who she was or who she had become. The apprentices and sorceress looked over their shoulders at her and whispered among themselves, thinking she couldn't hear their words full of fear and delight. "That's her!" "Hordak's Former Right Hand" "Is She-Ra Here Too?" "She's a hero" "She saved her" "She's terrifying." She sighed heavily. "Maybe Castaspella or Aize could give me this book? And I would finally light that candle. But they were just beyond her reach. Castaspella was busy talking wit other sorceres who wanted her to decide on some matters related to the administration of the academy. Where Aize was, she had no idea. She sighed and waited, the line moving slowly, incredibly slowly. It felt like hours before she finally got to the end. It turned out that the scanner operated a Reptile-person. When he saw her, he stood at attention. "Yeah, Horde technician. I should have expected it, after all, who else is operating the scanners and library computers"

-Welcome Seccond in Command Catra... That is Grand Marshal Catro... - he said and saluted. She sighed and said.

- Yeah… well, could you scan that book? - she smiled imploringly. - Relatively quickly?

The library lab blinked a few times.

- Well, i cannot ... - he answered her and did not even move. It took her a moment for his words to sink in.

- Why? - she asked, trying to control her voice.

- Well, I can't scan it. he replied calmly.

- Why? - she asked coldly.

- Scanning, copying, or borrowing of books from Mystacor's Great Library requires mebership of sorcerers guild or permission from one of Mystacor's masters or three different professors. Then you have to submit an application and after considering it, it is possible to share…

- But I'm not going to borrow anything. - She interrupted him. - I want to deliver a new book so that it can be copied and placed in the library.- She replied with hope in her voice.

The technician thought.

- Then you have to apply first… - he started to explain, but she didn't let him finish.

- How long have these rules been in place here? - she asked, getting a little suspicious.

- There are a lot of former Horde techs working here and we thought it would be worth organize things up a bit, so we launched a petition to change the rules and it was approved few months ago. - the former Horde technician said it proudly, as if he was talking about his greatest success. She felt her eyelid twitch in anger.

"Shadow Weaver, you are worse than the plague. You have infected the entire Horde with yourself, and now the infection has spread throughout Etheria. Our grandchildren will suffer the consequences of your actions and plans. Even though you're dead, I see you everywhere. Your bloody legacy will outlast us all. If you weren't dead, you could be proud of yourself" she thought and felt like howling in helplessness.

- Where can I get this permit? Where can I submit this application? DO ANYTHING TO GET AWAY FROM THESE TENTACLES OF MADNESS! - She screamed loud enough to be heard throughout the library. Melog flashed bright red, growling menacingly. The Reptile Person stared at her for a moment, blinking slowly. unfazed, he reached under the desk and handed her a four-page document. She didn't even care how much time she would have to waste on filling it out. She absolutely didn't care.

- Can I get something to write with? she asked in a tired voice.

The technician smiled and handed her a pen… On a chain. Keeping her face absolutely stone-faced, she extended her claws and in one quick movement cut the chain, smiled and walked away with the papers.

She found a secluded spot and started going through the papers. She sighed at the name. "Who in Etheri even used surnames besides the Horde and people like Glimmer? And why Horde was doing it? It was definitely not Hordak's idea, because for him the very idea of having his own name was something new." She thought for a moment about leaving the space blank. Her full name sounded cute, Bow said, but he didn't know where it came from. Catra Applesauce Meowmeow. That sounded sweet and silly, and Adora was sure, and somewhat ashamed, that she had thought it up. Recently, an official told her that as a two-year-old, she just walked all over the Fright Zone saying Applesauce and pointing at herself meowing like a little kitten. Sauce, or rather applemousse, was one of the few sweets available in the Horde. It was distributed in tubes, but the cadets never got it out of concern for their teeth. Several days in a row, she walked among the officials, asking them for her dream delicacy. She got that stupid name instead. A few years later, I managed to steal her coveted treat, she found it nasty. She had no sweet taste. Half the day she lay crying over the injustice of the world. "I guess that sums up my whole life. I've always wanted something, and then when I got it, it didin't bring me happines" she thought bitterly, then remembered something. Soon after the war, she discovered whipped cream and it became her favorite treat. Well, she liked greasy food. They decided that their wedding cake would be covered with whipped cream. Castaspelia needs to be reminded of this, or she'll forget about it in all the fuss" she thought, and looked at the application. She managed to fill about half of it. That's enough for now, she thought, and went to look for the Head Sorcereress.

As she walked through the shelves, she smelled a scent. A scent she knew well... Melog bristled... She began sniffing around the wall of the Great Library. "A corpse, there's a corpse here somewhere..." she thought. "A corpse in safest part of Mystacor, ithe safest place on Etheria." The hair on the back of her neck stood up, as did her companion's. She felt that very primal instincts were awakening in both of them. She started tapping on the wall, full of very bad forebodings. "That's how I found Entrapta once. After so many hours in the ventilation tunnels, it smelled so bad that even Scorpia could smell it, but it was still a lot better than what I smell now. It must lie here for a good few days, but no longer, she thought. Finally, she heard a hollow sound, probably no one who did not have such sensitive hearing would not be able to notice anything. She groped the wall, glad that searching the nooks and crannies of the Fright Zone and stealing the officers' belongings had taught her a few skills that would come in handy in her new life. After a moment, she felt an unevenness under her fingers. "Are secret passages a hobby for sorcerers? Have they really turned this whole college into one big maze worse than Castle Crypto, she thought, feeling uneasy. She realized how different the truth about Mystacor must be from what Glimmer and Castaspella thought of it. "But not Mikah, the good old sorcerer sensed something was wrong with this place." She pressed down on the stone with all her strength until she was able to push it into his mum. The wall lifted up, revealing a corridor. It was short and narrow, but it seemed to widen at the end. It was bright enough here that she could see it clearly with her cat eyes…

A corpse lay at her feet. She had a strong stomach, so she didn't feel sick, but the smell was awful. He was a sorcerer, judging by his clothes, but she couldn't tell much more. Her face was blackened, and she saw worms in her mouth and eyes. She wasn't sure what had killed him, but his spine and ribs had been shattered. It seemed to her that he was trying to get away from here, but he couldn't… She looked around worriedly. She was wagging her tail vigorously. She sensed that Melog was very nervous, but not only at the sight of the corpse. Something was going on there, something terrible...

-I think we'd better find Castaspella and show her what we found here... Before someone draws too far-reaching conclusions...- she said to herself slowly and went to look for the Head Sorcereress.

- Yes, of course, this also needs to be copied ... everything needs to be copied to computers ... I'm just not sure if in that order. - she was explaining to a young librarian who was holding a book describing the lichens of the southern part of the northern reaches. The young foxperson looked at her with sad eyes, as if she had said that he would have to sell his beloved puppy. - Really, our… capacity is limited, we have to deal with the most important books first… It doesn't mean that this book isn't important, it's just not the most important, you understand? - She smiled at him, secretly hoping he would go away instead of staring at her

- What about „Vegetation of the northern slopes of the storm mountains in the southern Dryll"? This is probably the only copy of the only book describing the local vegetation. - said the librarian with obvious desperation in his voice.

- Ugh... How about after "The History and Customs of the Moon Worshipers"? This book is lately constantly borrowed and now we have the opportunity to finally scan and copy it to meet the needs of everyone who uses the library.- she said, hoping her ruse would work. But she had the uneasy feeling that she was going to have to give in to this botany battle anyway.

- Good Morning Lady Castaspello, may I help you with something? - She heard a voice nearby, sonorous but slightly hoarse. She turned to see a tall woman wearing the light blue robes of a sorcerer. She was over six feet tall, almost as tall as Scorpia, though much slimmer. She had long, light blue hair pulled back in a bun, swarthy skin, and dark green eyes. Incredibly penetrating. She was into the weather or something... In fact, she hardly knew it... She had only recently come to Mystacor and had few friends. Her name was... Night Gale!

- Well ... Could you help me sort the documents and help with the bureaucracy a bit, it has grown a bit lately. - she said smiling nervously. In fact, she was slowly losing her grip on what was going on at her own college. She wanted to ask Mikah for help, or Glimmer to delegate some clerks, but truth be told, she was ashamed. She didn't have much authority, not in Mystacor… And now she felt as though she was starting to much responsibilities. Plus the wedding and Victory Day celebrations… She wanted it to be an unforgettable day for all of them.

- Thank you very much for accepting my proposal. - The woman bowed low. - But I'd like a day off on Victory Day.- She said in a slightly apologetic tone.

- Of course, everyone has that day off. - she said and added in her mind. "Apart from me, of course"

- You look tired, Lady Castaspello. Or do you need more help... I can help you with the wedding. I may not know much about throwing parties, but I can help with bills, shopping lists and stuff like that. I have a talent for numbers. - she said with a friendly smile.

- Oh, you will help me with the wedding! It will be a wonderful event! Really! I was a little too young to help with Mikah's wedding, you know, my brother… It's wonderful that he was saved. Besides, it was a war then, and it wasn't appropriate to throw an overly lavish party. But now I'm going to do anything, absolutely anything, to make this the most wonderful day of Glimmer's life…and Bowa too! And She-Ra'y! That is Adora! And Catra, of course! They're getting married together... It doesn't mean together, individually! This is… She felt herself hyperventilating.

- I see, it must be wonderful to organize the wedding not only of your niece, but also of the Hero Reborn and Queen Etheri. It will be a great honor to help with such a historic event. - She bowed low...

- That's good, but why do you want to help me.- she said, feeling a sudden surge of distrust because of such a great desire to help her. Night Gale looked down.

- Well, I admit my motives are all too mundane, even materialistic. I hope that in the future you will show me your gratitude, Lady Castaspello, and allow me to be promoted.

- I understand... - "at least she's honest." - I'll think what can be done."- she said and saw that Catra was standing behind Night Gale's back, she was clearly agitated. – Catra? Something happened? - she asked, seeing that Melog had taken on a slightly bluish color. Night Gale moved away from them but listened to their conversation.

- Let's say... You are very much needed right now. - she said, looking around carefully.

- Are they having trouble copying books again? - It's been happening all the time lately. The bureaucracy has grown on us somehow, I don't know how. - She said embarrassed, because she herself had problems with embracing what was happening in Mystacor.

- No... Just come with me... It's… it's something very important...- Catra said. She understood that something had happened, and a very serious one.

- Okay, I'm on my way... Night Gale, would you please...

- I'll go with you Lady Castaspella, my help may come in handy...- said the younger sorcerer. She shrugged and agreed...

Corpse lay in a hidden corridor. Not what she expected… Not in Mystacor. Not in her house.

- Do you know who it was? - Catra asked. She was pale, but didn't seem to want to regurgitate the last meal, unlike her. She walked over to the decomposing corpse and knelt down. She was green with disgust.

- It's a terrible sight…- Catra said sympathetically. She shook my head

- I've seen corpses and death before. - She said quietly. - During that battle. It was the greatest clash in the history of Etheria. Powerful weapons and terrible spells were used back then... But this is Mystacor... a place that has always been safe, all these years of war... Do you understand? And now… - She closed her eyes. - It's been defiled.

Catra shrugged.

- I've never had a good association with that place... Whenever I'm here, I have the impression that I see falsehood... that everything around is just a mask hiding the true, terrible face. You know how I hate masks?

She nodded thoughtfully.

- Yes, of course... No, I don't recognize him... I don't know all the sorcerers... In fact, I don't know most of them.. - She sighed sadly.

- I know who he was! - Night Gale said. They turned to her, and Catra frowned as if only now realizing her presence.

- Who he was? - asked the Grand Marshal. There seemed to be suspicion in her voice.

- His name was Greycloud, and he was from the Moon Mountains surrounding Brightmoon Castle. I didn't know him very well, but apparently he went to the capital to visit his family and take part in the Victory Day celebrations.

- Well, I don't think he'll come to my wedding anymore... -Catra muttered extremely grimly and looked down the corridor. - What killed him came from there. - she added.

She looked down the corridor and felt… something. As if she felt that something was waiting for her there… Something beautiful and wonderful. Without realizing it, she took two steps over the corpse.

- Castaspella... Shouldn't we call the guards or something? - Catra asked cautiously, looking at her uncertainly. She obviously didn't feel what she felt...

- Interesting ... Have you looked at this corpse? Looks like someone drained this Greycloud of blood… -Night Gale said with obvious interest as she knelt by the corpse. Catra looked at her over her shoulder.

- If they fascinate you so much, you can even cut them up, I don't forbid... I feel like I'm talking to the child of Entrapta and Shadow Weaver. - the Grand Marshal replied quietly. There was a soft snort behind her, but she ignored it. She bent down and began to squeeze through the narrow corridor.

- Castaspello, what are you doing? Are you sure you want to go to the place where the thing that killed that sorcerer is sitting? - Catra asked her, but she didn't listen... She had to keep going towards what was calling her. It was something beautiful and wonderful.

She didn't like how Castaspella was starting to act, just as she didn't like Night Gale's presence. There was something about the strange blue-haired sorcereress that repulsed her. It was hard to describe. At first she thought it was because of her height, but she was used to being around Scorpia, the Clones who had taken up residence in Brightmoon, and finally She-Ra. For a moment, she thought she smelled an indefinable scent from that woman, familiar and alien at the same time. Then everything was covered with the stench of rotting corpses that made Castaspella nearly vomit, though Night Gale didn't seem to be much impressed. She had a vague feeling that the woman was unimpressed by anything. She stepped over the corpse, being careful not to soil Castaspelli's socks, though she feared that the Head Sorcereress paid no attention to her robes and had probably let them get dirty. Night Gale followed, of course, how else with her luck

The corridor widened slowly until they found themselves in a huge hall with several columns. She felt shivers run down her spine. "Not the cursed ruins of the First Ones again... I hate everything that has anything to do with them... Almost everything..." She smiled to herself and looked around. Everywhere were tall stone columns covered with strange writings in a language she did not know, but which was clearly not the language of the First Ones. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign, there was something unsettling here, some overwhelming darkness that seemed to crush her with its weight. Sometimes, once or twice, she'd felt something similar when she walked into Shadow Weaver's workshop after performing some dark ritual. She remembered once finding her lying as if lifeless, the smell of burning and ozone everywhere. She pulled her out of the lab and called the medics. The dark sorcerer even thanked her…then threatened that she would face dire consequences if she entered her workshop without permission again. „Yes, this place has a Shadow Weaver feel to it", she thought. Castaspella summoned the light and the whole room appeared to them in all its glory. It was made entirely of basalt blocks, in the shape of a cube. Attached to the pillars were holders for luminous stones that were now long extinguished. She'd seen the murals on the walls, but they weren't in that spooky style that imitated the art of the First Ones. They were simpler, even conventional, as if those creating them did not care about at least a minimal representation of reality, but only to show the general sense of events. At the far end of the room was a statue made of a single block of stone. It depicted a tall man with a face devoid of details, consisting mainly of sharp planes, whose right side was snow-white and the left black as the darkest abys. But what she was most interested in was another corpse. There were four bodies, two were common folk of Etheria, armed with the well-known electric battle batons, and the other two were sorcerers, one lying among the other corpses, and the last propped on a pedestal, his hand reaching for some jewel. It was like deep blue amber, half transparent, and something seemed to sparkle inside… Something alive…

- Castaspella, something here is wrong. - The hair on her tail stood up. She extended her claws ready to attack. Melog clung to the ground, waiting for her command. However, the Head Sorcereress seemed to pay no attention to her. She was in a trance, slowly walking towards the strange gem

- It possessed her... Very interesting. - said Night Gale in a voice as if commenting on the behavior of a silly animal.

- I can see, instead of standing and looking, help me maybe stop her! - she snapped at the tall sorcereress. But she hesitated herself. She could easily overpower Castaspella, but she didn't want to be brutal with Glimmer's Auntie, and that moment of hesitation was enough for the sorcereress to put her hand on the stone. At the last moment, she tried to grab her arm, but the Head Sorcerer used a fiery spark on her arm, she felt a strong pain, so she let go of Castaspella. The sorcereress shot her an angry look.

- Why are you interrupting?! It would be better for everyone if Shadow Weaver never found you! - she said in a venomous tone.

It hurt more than a fier spell. No one has spoken to her that way in five years. It opened wounds she thought had already healed. She pursed her lips, ready to stun the Head Sorceress this time without remorse. But then Castaspelli's eyes and mouth flashed with a blue light. This meant something very bad. She wanted to stop her anyway, but then out of the corner of her eye she saw that it wasn't the sorcerer's corpse closest to the landing that had moved. She felt herself dying of horror. "This can't be... These things don't happen," she thought, disbelieving what she was seeing. The corpse got up, most of its wounds healed. He was tall and pale.

- Don't disturb her if the Watcher's Eye wants to show her something. Please don't move and let me feed. - He smiled, revealing two rows of sharp fangs.

She heard Night Gale say the words of the incantation.

She looked around. She was in the Whispering Woods, in one of its deepest parts. She frowned. She was ashamed to admit it, but she didn't like the forest that Brightmoon owed its survival to. She had spent most of her life in Mystacor and a few surrounding towns, and she was comfortable there. She liked the company of others, meeting them for afternoon tea, going to parties, teaching young people ... And the wildness of the Whispering Woods, its unbridled primal power and the overwhelming feeling that everything was pervaded by some primal presence, as if the whole forest had a consciousness of its own, frightened her. She could feel it even now, but it was something else, as if there had been a change in the forest… A terrible change…

She saw trees around her. They were strangely twisted, no trunk or branch growing straight, as if they had been bent by some terrible disease. The leaves were red, purple or even black. They all had strange, asymmetrical shapes, often covered with bristles. White bony thorns often pierced the bark of the trees, and blood-red resin oozed from the cracks. She saw black butterflies perching to drink her. She shivered. Whispers, usually on the verge of being heard, were louder now, she felt as if they resounded with despair and suffering. "Where i found myse? What happened to the Whispering Woods? What happened to Etheria?" she asked herself. She had no idea how she would find her way to... anywhere... Once, when she was sixteen, Mikah took her into the woods for two weeks, and after she got lost for the sixteenth time, he decided a week is long enough. "Casta, just keep going and it'll be okay, just keep going!" she commanded herself.

Fortunately, she soon came to a path that she recognized quite well, mainly because she had spent some of the most important days of her life here, when the fate of Etheria, and perhaps the entire Galaxy, hung in the balance. She was right outside the Horde's hidden supply base, where the remnants of the rebellion were hiding. Here he will surely find some answers to what is going on here. She crossed the high entrance to the cave.

Adora was on guard in the form of She-Ra, which was probably good, because she would answer all her questions, she would finally know what was going on ... But why was she here, all tense and wielding a sword. She was sitting cross-legged, her side turned to her. She was smiling from the corner of her mouth, grimly and somewhat sarcastically.

- Come here instead of sneaking around! - Adora called, and she did as she was told, but Glimmer came out of the depths of the room. She had obviously grown her hair long since they'd last met, and she wore armor, though she remembered rarely wearing it since the end of the war.

- You've always had good hearing. - her niece said, and Adora stood up, and she drew in a sharp breath, when she looked at her. The heroine of Etheria had a long scar on her cheek, and her right eye was blind. Glimmer walked over to her and touched her mutilated face very… tenderly?

- You know, ever since we found you in the woods, injured and lost... Since then, I knew... I knew we'd be together forever...

"I think you censored the story of how you met a bit..." she thought unconsciously. What happened to Adora? Why had no one told her… not even… Catra…

- Oh Sparkle. - Adora said softly with a clearly mocking smile and kissed Queen of Etheria...

- NOOOOO - she exclaimed not believing her eyes. This couldn't be happening. - Glimmer, Adora! And the wedding! You are to get married! I mean, not you! But you! Ugh… Why is it so complicated! You didn't think how Bow would feel! And... Catra! Especially Catra! She felt the ground shift from under her feet. "What am I going to tell Catra... She's... She's in the library... I'm in..."

- Oh... how romantic. Entrapta called from the depths of the room, watching the whole scene with delight

Glimmer groaned and teleported away from Adora, who crossed her arms over her chest, looking at her triumphantly. The queen turned beet red in the face.

- But anyway, we don't have time. I just received a transmission from that ship we contacted and… we're already five minutes late. - she exclaimed, speaking quickly and energetically.

- So we're leaving Etheria... - said her niece. Tears ran down her cheeks. "What is going on here? Did someone attack us? When things got so bad?" she thought, then saw Bow.

- Honey, I copied what we managed to salvage from Darla's memory.- He turned to Entrapta and kissed her cheek.

- Poor Darla. - said the Lady of Dryll.

"At least I won't have to explain anything to him... Only Hordek needs someone to explain it... but let him get stuffed..." she thought, but then she saw that everyone was coming to Glimmer to transfer them, so she quickly ran to her and touched her niece's arm...

Her hand passed through Glimmer's body... "I became a ghost... No, ghosts don't exist… It's a vision" she thought, realizing with sudden clarity that she was in a library. In this strange chamber full of corpses, along with Catra and Night Gale…. She suddenly felt a rush of self-delight. "It's wonderful ... Some power has decided ... " she thought, but then Glimmer and the others disappeared. She wandered helplessly.

- What is it supposed to be. For visions to be visions, someone must see them ... „- she said ... to the universe. She closed her eyes. "Maybe if I think hard about where I want to be, that's where I'll be?" thought she wanted you with Glimmer now. She felt her head spinning. And she opened her eyes. Her method worked, but she didn't like what she saw. They were in the Brightmoon mountains. Castle... He has changed. The walls were blackened like teeth turned by decay. It was entwined with a strange black vine that looked more like intestines than a plant.

- Look how beautiful, not like Darla, but still cute. Will they let me look at it closely? Look, I think they has. - Entrapta pointed to a large black ship hovering above them. It was slender, but it looked predatory, no less predatory than the ships of the Galactic Horde. He seemed to blur the space around him. A smaller ship left it and headed for the escarpment where they were arriving. As it flew in, the side door opened and Catra stepped in. But she looked different. She had pageboy hair cut and wore dark purple armor. She had no right arm, only a strange prosthesis, as if made of a single piece of unfamiliar metal. She was different, seemed extremely serious, and exuded the discipline of a soldier…

- I'm First Officer Fenyx. We've got five minutes, then we'll be tracked…and welcome aboard Merciless. - she said in a firm tone.

- Oh, not so fast ... Our beautiful heroine and her charming queen ... They probably shouldn't just leave the inhabitants of this wonderful planet ... Abandon them to evil and darkness. - The voice was gentle and dignified, with a beautiful sound, but there was something ominous about it. It seemed to come from everywhere, She-Ra-Adora turned pale... Something moved in the shadows, and then she felt a terrible pain...

It was Melog who saved her. The Not-Dead creature was already reaching out to slit her throat with its claws. But the creature from Kryat sent her emotions. Fear…anger…and rage… She knew it all too well, but now it was the emotion she needed. She regained control of her body and dodged to the side, then slammed her claws into the creature's shoulder, slicing through the tendons to the bone. Then Night Gale cast a spell that drove the Not-Dead away from her.

- What's that supposed to be? Shadow Weaver told us fairy tales about such monsters, but she did not believe in their existence.

- Then tell him that. - The sorcereress said in a calm voice, as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

The creature slowly began to rise, oblivious to the flesh torn to the bone, and the deep gash gaping in its chest.

- You only make my task more difficult for me... Turn around and don't come again.- the creature hissed. He was wearing sorcerer's robes, though of an unfamiliar style. what was he? She remembered a story Shadow Weaver had once told them...

- Release Castaspella... Free our companion. - she ordered the creature, while allowing Melog to disappear…

- I don't hold her... It's the Watcher's Eye that holds her mind and will only release it when it sees fit... If it ever does, and even then there's no guarantee she will come back as she was before. The Watcher has gone through a lot at the hands of the Eternals... - said the being without taking his eyes off her. It looked like a human, with a long, thin beard, but she couldn't tell for sure. The face was haggard and deathly pale with visible bones, as if someone had pulled a previously peeled and dried face back over the skull. "And the Princess of the Night was not dead, for her hunger was stronger than death"

- He won't let us go, he can't, because then this secret will come out. A secret is only safe when everyone who knows it is dead. - Night Gale said grimly. The Not-Dead smiled, showing sharp fangs, and lunged at them with unexpected speed. Then the sorcerer bound the creature's legs with magical bonds, and Melog jumped on its back as the creature fell to the ground. The Not-Dead tried to grab the last of the inhabitants of Kryat, but she grabbed one of his arms and twisted him. But the being who don't know pain cared little, continuing to resist until she heard the sound of bones breaking. But then the creature jerked free, knocking Melog off his back and leaving a severed arm in her hands, which immediately began to crumble to dust. "What else was there? And the brave warrior drove a stake into the wicked breast, putting an end to tyranny... Where am I supposed to find a stake here?" she looked around and saw one of the Horde's old electric batons. She knew how to use them. The Not-Dead stood over her and grinned as he reached for her with his only hand, though the one he had lost had begun to grow back. The sorcereress entwined the creature again, but this time magical bonds wrapped around its neck, and Melog sank its teeth into its calf. Then she got up and jumped, shoved him hard in the chest. The weapon came out the other way, shattering the sternum and spine. The creature stared at her in amazement for a moment, then smiled and began to crumble to dust. She stood up panting heavily, Melog rubbing against her legs.

-Interesting idea... to pierce his heart... How did you come up with that? - Night Gale asked curiously.

- Reminds me of a fairy tale about killing evil princesses. - she murmured and looked at Castaspella - Louse how to wake her up?

Night Gale shook her head.

She looked at the electric baton and thought for a moment, then set the baton to low power and placed it against the Chief Warlock's back. "You'll thank me later." And she pressed the button.

When she regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was a terrible pain in her back. When she opened her eyes, she saw Catra above her with her hands behind her back.

- Are you… well…- Adora's fiancée asked in a strangely innocent voice.

She stood up rubbing her back and nodded her head.

- I'm fine, but my back hurts.- she said, frowning and trying to remember something… something very important.

- And your name is...- Her voice was even more innocent and she took two steps towards her... Very strange for Catra.

- Well, I'm Castaspella, did you forgot? ... - she said, and then suddenly all the memories came back. She grabbed the Grand Marshal by the shoulders

- Oh Catra, I had visions, terrible visions…- she said and shook her. The Grand Marshal stiffened all over.

- That's very interesting, but could you let go of me and step back half a meter? - she said slowly, clearly, barely keeping her nerves under control.

- Oh, sorry, I forgot…- She released her and stepped back. And then she started talking about everything she saw.

- I was in the Whispering Woods but it was changed and scary and we were back in that hideout with Adora and Glimmer and they kiiii…hugging. - she said, realizing she had almost said something that could have unforeseen consequences...

- They hug a lot and it's quite normal for them? - Catra asked with a hint of suspicion.

- Yes, that's quite typical of them, of course, and there's nothing unusual about it. She took a deep breath. - And you were there, but on a spaceship outside of Etheria, and I don't think anyone recognized you… And what exactly happened here? - she asked, looking around.

- I just had to remember one of the spooky stories the Shadow Weaver used to tell us. - Catra said. She looked strangely pale and worried, as if what she'd just heard had upset the Grand Marshal, and she seemed about to say something, something very important, but she looked at Night Gale, who was kneeling by the corpse, and instea she said.

- I'm going to have to take tetanus shots... I hate shots... And thanks Night Gale for your help

-You're welcome... - said the sorcereress, and Catra looked at her surprised.

Night Gale stood over the corpse, pride welling up in her heart. Not only did she manage to gain Castaspelli's trust, but she also unraveled the mystery of a group of traitors... "See? Curiosity doesn't pay" she thought, tearing off the amulet depicting a skull with spikes stuck in its eye sockets. "You see! I'm not a Failure!"

This is probably the longest chapter. I won't post another one this week because I'm going on vacation until the end of the week.