Breaking the Ice.
"Alright Entrapta, turn it on!" she called to the inventor, adjusting her makeshift goggles. The stove was tied to a stalactite by a long rope that Lance and George were holding. Entrapta calibrated the device and she operated it. Only Netossa was annoyed because because of her shattered hand, she couldn't help, she just sometimes shouted random orders and generally got mad at everyone. The suspended burner from the converted stove was horribly unwieldy, and she considered asking Entrapta to construct shoes that would allow her to hang from the ceiling. It took them more than three hours to implement the plan, though the most time took them to install the ropes and handles on the ceiling of the cave, to which the ropes that hung it and the converted stove were attached. Entrapta needed no security. After all, she came from Dryll, the largest and most mysterious mountain range in all of Etheria. Though as she watched the purple-haired woman work with absolute concentration, she realized she didn't really know her family's origins. She's never met anyone like her, or even anyone else born in Castle Crypto. Another Etheria secret waiting to be solved, but that's a matter for the future, for now they had more important things on their minds.
Fortunately, they were prepared for a mountain trip, so they took a lot of climbing equipment. Worse with welder uniform, and she could only hope she wasn't getting married wearing dark glasses, though Glimmer said it made her look sexy...
Finally got the machine running and it worked. She melted the ice and saw jets of hot water running down the walls and steam billowing on the ceiling. Gradually, they increased the range of the flames, and great chunks of ice began to break off and thud against the bedrock and walls of the cave.
"Be careful up there!" Netossa yelled as she nearly got crushed by a block of ice bigger than her. However, the work went smoothly, and though Melog watched everything anxiously with his ears flattened, after a quarter of an hour it was all over and they didn't die in the explosion... although Lance and George were lowering the stove back, it was a bit battered.
"Okay, me and Melog are going to look for Frosta." Seeing their surprised or, in the case of Netossa, indignant looks, she added. "Netossa has a broken arm, Entrapta will be needed to pilot the Silverwing, and Lance and George, well, you're great librarians, but..." She trailed off meaningfully, and George sighed and said sadly.
"Yes you are right. Find Frosta safe and sound, and look for our sword, it's a treasured family heirloom... And watch out for Lonnie!"
"Better let Lonnie watch out for me." she said, smiling nastily.
First she bandaged her leg as best she could, then groaned as she fell to the floor.
"We're trapped." she said with despair in her voice.
"Apparently, though probably not for long. The prospect of becoming hunters now seems far less enticing than before". said the strange creature sitting down next to no.
"Maybe those creatures downstairs will go away." she asked hopefully.
"Maybe, but it doesn't change much. Sooner or later, such or more terrible monsters will catch us." said this strange creature.
"And our friends?" she asked, feeling resignation wash over her. Not-anymore-Scarlet laughed bitterly.
"I think it would be better for them if they gave up looking for us, or else they'll be found by something terrible."
She felt a cold sweat trickle down her cheeks. Not only will they die, but they will also take their friends with them. It's almost as if she murdered them herself! She got up and looked around. She needed something to occupy her mind. So she limped over to the desiccated corpse, but the no-no-Scarlet stood up immediately and said a warning.
"Be careful, in such a place they can rise from dead!"
At first she wanted to tell her not to talk nonsense, but she remembered the terrible story Catra had told her and walked to body with the utmost care. After a brief inspection, she spotted a small snowflake hairpin, similar to her runestone. She called the person over and showed him the pin, and the other person laughed hoarsely and said.
"It must have been your predecessor, another Ice Princess. Isn't that ironic. That you will die next to her?"
She listened with one ear. She looked from the desiccated corpse to the body trapped in the ice. She wondered what had happened here, who these women were.
"You know, I think they were friends, or even a couple." she stated after a moment, and this strange person accompanying her shrugged her shoulders.
"Who can know? You certainly know more about friendship and love than I do."
She frowned listening to this person and said with surprise in her voice.
"Aren't you Lonnie friends?
"Scarlet and Lonnie spend some qualify time together, but that's it. I've never had a friend or anyone close to me, except maybe one, but she died during the occupation." Said creature.
She immediately felt a surge of sympathy for this unfortunate creature.
"I'm so sorry for your loss..."
The person looked at her and waved her hand
"It's not your fault. What happened is done."
"Actually, how am I supposed to address you?" Because I think we're going to spend some time together here, and it could be quite embarrassing.
The person stared at her for a while, considering her answer, and finally said.
"I shouldn't be telling you this, but since we're going to die anyway, you can call me Nightgale and I use the pronouns She/ Her ." She offered her clawed hand. She smiled at her and squeezed her hand.
"Nice to meet you Nightgale ... You know, you look quite familiar, as if someone mixed Hordak with Shadow Weaver... Hyyy . Are you their daughter? Does Entrapta know about you? Or Hordak?And how did they do you? It must have been really awful though." She was talking to the stunned woman.
"I'm not their child. Not in that sense, anyway… Hordak crossed his DNA with Shadow Weaver after banishing Catra to the Crimson Wastes to be his new right- hand… But he banished me when he knew Horde Prime would arrive. He called it a failure, an abomination Entrapta and Shadow Weaver never knew about me, but it didn't matter. I'm living Scarlet's life, and it's a really good life. Better not to think about Nightgale as she never existed." The sorcerer said in a depressed voice.
She really felt sorry for the poor woman. She couldn't imagine what it was like to hide in someone else's skin all her life. To be lonely, rejected by the whole world and knowing that when others find out the truth, they will hate you. Even her own father disowned her. "I'll find you, Hordak, and I'll punch that stupid head of yours" she thought, flushing with anger, and said to her companion when she had calmed down a bit.
"You know, you're quite pretty, and also very strong and very athletic, and you're a sorcerer, which means you can use your own magic as if you were your own runestone." You have nothing to be ashamed of. Tell Lonnie, Kyle, and that lizard… Rogelio . They will definitely accept you!" She was absolutely sure of what she said. Nightgale smiled sadly.
"If only anything in life were that simple." said the sorcerer gloomily. – In my veins flows the blood of two people most hated by the cadets. Besides, I tricked them all, especially Lonnie. She's not one to forgive easily."
She thought for a moment and said with delight.
"Then you can come to us. You don't have to meet Hordak , but you'll meet your half-sister, she's so sweet, and Entrapta will be a wonderful stepmother... And actually Catra and Adora are your stepsisters too, and all the clones are your uncles. You have a huge family, you're not lonely."
This time Nightgale burst into laughter, genuine and loud, echoing throughout the room.
"Oh Frosta , no one has made me laugh so much in a long time." Nobody since…" She looked sad for a moment, but then she smiled again and said. "I will consider your offer." Now why don't we search this place, because seriously, it's stupid to die here.
So they looked around this place. Nightgale stated that the ancestor of the Ice Princess must have died of blood loss, judging by the wounds she received and judging by the small picture pendant, her name was either Elsa or Anna. They found nothing else interesting, except for a strange pink crystal, which she decided to give to the sorcerer, who did not own any jewelry. In the second room there was this big pool, but the most interesting thing was the crystal hanging from the ceiling, it sparkled with multicolored light. For a moment she wondered why she had the feeling that she had seen him somewhere before. Only after a few moments did she understand what he really was.
"It's the same crystal those nasty Old Things used to enslave the many-eyes!" she exclaimed indignantly.
"Apparently the First ones were also interested in this technology." Nightgale said anxiously looking at the pool and the walls in it.
"Because the First ones liked to do terrible things and they loved crystal objects… though it looks more like a rainbow icicle. I know much about ice ..." she explained to her new friend.
And then a red light flashed and a woman's, though rather artificial-sounding, voice was heard.
"Attention! Intruder detected! Activation of defense systems. Summon a Cleansing Bioroid to activate combat functions."
"I did not do anything!" she called, and summoned ice fists.
"Me neither!" cried the sorceress in a voice full of horror.
And then the pool began to fill up. At first she thought it was mud, but then it became a great gooey creature with dozens of eyes and mouths. It also had great tentacles, thicker than the branches of a tree.
"Shogoth." whispered Nightgale in absolute horror.
"Many-eyes!" She exclaimed happily.
Several eyes looked at her, but most were directed at the crystal or icicle.
"So we're going to die." said the sorcerer resignedly. But she looked at the crystal and smiled triumphantly.
"Not at all. I have a plan." she said, and limped to the edge of the pool.
- Hi, I'm Princess Frost. She waved a friendly hand to the multi-eyes . "I wanted to ask you for help, but I will help you too. I'm a friend of She- Ra'a , you know, that huge light woman. You remember her? She was good to you. She set you free. I know those mean cronies enslaved you, as did the Primes, but you know what? I'll set you free, and you'll help me get back to my friends. And then maybe we'll be friends! she said to Wieloeye and, despite Nightgale's protests , she threw ice bullets at the crystal, smashing it into tiny pieces. There was a roar…
"What do you see there, Kyle?" shouted Lonnie, her voice indistinct from her wounds.
"For now, I see darkness, I see darkness." he replied to his commander and girlfriend at the same time. He heard the angry growl of the General's Companion.
"That's I can see! Would you look around?" The woman yelled, and he hastily obeyed. He squeezed through a narrow corridor full of slimy Mushrooms and clumsy spiders or crabs, he wasn't sure what these creatures were, but they reminded him too much of their new cosmic friends. He volunteered here, only he or an imp could get in here, even Dr. Moors would have problems here, though maybe that's just what he said. He didn't like, and to be honest, he was a little afraid of a brain in a cilinder. He didn't want Imp to put himself at risk, and he felt he should somehow make amends for his failure in their last fight. He never liked to fight, but he was the reason Lonnie got hurt. He didn't take the strange weapon from Mi-Go with him, because he preferred to keep his hands free, and besides, he thought it was quite disgusting, so he only took the sword that they had taken from these two strange men . He liked the weapon very much, it was covered with strange glowing writing that he could somehow read. The inscription read "Sword of Power ". A strange name for a sword, but whatever swords were called, he never had one, never even held one. Hordak supposedly considered fencing weapons worthy of primitive savages or something, and they had no real lessons in swordsmanship. But if Adora could do it and even became a hero of the galaxy after only training with a staff, he had no such ambitions.
He was finally on the other side of the tunnel, came out covered in dirty slime and cobwebs, but at least he wasn't bitten. He stretched his bones contentedly and was about to shout to Lonnie that it was all right when he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard a familiar voice.
"Hey Kyle"
Catra looking at him seriously. Something growled behind him . He glanced in that direction. This strange and half-transparent magical cat was glaring at him.
"Oh, hey Catra." He said with a friendly smile. He hoped the former cadet didn't resent him for the recent fight and for shooting at her.
"Kyle! Is there someone with you? Lonnie asked, but Catra motioned for him to keep quiet. He wasn't going to call Lonnie anyway, he'd want her to come down here and get stuck, or worse, come here and start fighting Catra, and that would end up really bad.
"No, I just got scared of something. he said, knowing that this explanation would sound plausible." Catra motioned for him to follow her. After a while they found themselves in a large room of blue stone, covered with these strange star inscriptions proclaiming that this is the local terminal of the Planetary Archives Heart Gift .
"I hate the ruins of the First ones." said his old friend from the Fright Zone.
These are the inscriptions of the First ones" he thought in surprise, but Catra turned to him.
- What are you doing here?
He threw up his arms.
"I'm helping look for Scarlet. She's our friend after all." He explained in a slightly saddened tone. Catra nodded and said.
"And I Frosta, but I only found you, but it wasn't difficult at all. Squeezing through that shaft, you groaned and moaned so much that you sounded like you were being born again." He blushed in embarrassment, but Catra smiled kindly at him and added. "They're both alive. I sensed by the smell that they were here, but they have gone somewhere and now I am looking for them.
He felt an overwhelming relief fill him. He was glad Scarlet was alive, but he didn't want anything bad to happen to Frosta either, though he was afraid of her. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and rested his hand against the wall. Only now did he notice that there was a hand reader or something. A blue light flashed and a woman's voice rang out.
"Administrator detected." she spoke, and suddenly a hologram materialized in front of them. It showed a girl his age or a little younger with a short ponytail and wearing a formal dress who smiled at them and said.
"Hi, I'm Planetary Archives Heart Gift. May I help you."
When this strange hologram appeared, although he thought it looked quite nice, Catra suddenly bristled, her tail became fluffy, and a growl escaped from her throat. Magical Cat turned red. Seeing this, he drew his sword, and then a red light flashed and the voice said.
"Attention! Intruder detected! Activation of defense systems. Summon a Cleansing Bioroid to activate combat functions."
"What happened?" he asked in a scared voice.
"As always, the First One's damn AI is after me. Run away!" Catra called, dragging him behind her. Heart Gift's saddened gaze drove them away.
She's forgotten what it's like to fight together with Kyle ... Doing anything with Kyle together. The blond-haired former cadet keeps tripping, so she had to hold him up all the time, instead of running on all fours limbs or riding Melog, and they would have escaped without a problem. She considered putting Kyle on her companion's back, but he would most likely fall immediately.
"Catra, what exactly are we running from?" her old friend asked as she helped him up again.
"Spiders Kyle. Giant murderous mechanical spiders." she said sharply, hoping to scare him and make him run faster.
The blond looked around in surprise.
"But there are no spiders here ..." he said...
She was about to tell him to stop asking stupid questions, but then she heard a loud buzzing sound.
"Aren't they giant mosquitoes?" Kyle asked anxiously.
"Mosquitos?" she asked unconsciously, and Melog flattened his ears.
"You know, blood-sucking flies. explained the blonde.
"I know what Kyle's Mosquitoes are!" she snapped at him, wondering how often Lonnie wanted to murder him.
"Good thing they aren't bees. Lonnie is allergic to bee venom." Kyle wondered
"Constantly, she thought, but didn't even comment on what her friend had said. They continued running ahead, but the attackers were just coming, they really looked like metal mosquitoes with huge crystal eyes of red color. Their stings were sharp as spears, but some green liquid was dripping from them, so it was probably poisonous. Wonderfully. The first one flew to them, but then she jumped on him and shattered his eyes. But more were coming, hundreds of them. She wondered where I should run to. It would be easiest if she went back to her friends, but then she would expose them to the attack of these monsters. The mosquitoes attacked them constantly, and she and Melog, red with anger, destroyed them one by one, but they kept coming. As she made another dodge, she stumbled and fell painfully to the ground, and the three monsters were about to impale her through when Kyle slashed with his sword, cutting all three in half. She looked at him in disbelief. Only one weapon could do such a thing, but that was only Kyle .
"You have this power…" she said cautiously, but Melog gratefully brushed against him. However, they had lost some precious moments now, and the monsters were closing in on them more and more. It was bad, very bad, and she knew they couldn't count on anyone to save them because they were the rescue team themselves.
Then they heard a great rumble, as if a large amount of something heavy was rolling through the cave. A huge amorphous shape emerged from the darkness. It mainly consists of fodder, eyes and tentacles that captured these terrible mosquitoes. After a while, they were all destroyed... Only now they faced a much more terrifying one.
"It's Shogoth!" said Kyle , who was terrified, but then she heard Frosty's absolutely indignant voice .
"It's not Shogi, it 's Many-eyes!" she cried, and the giant monster lifted the tentacle in which it gently held the Ice Princess.
"How do you like my new friend?" she exclaimed proudly.