Authors notes: Decided to update sooner this time, as I couldn't wait to start this chapter, and I really wanted the crew to meet a certain winged steed. Enjoy.
Ben 10 (c) Cartoon Network
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (c) Dreamworks animation.
:Light Hope:
Adora yells falling into the darkening caesium below. Suddenly she found herself in what looks like a collapsing data stream. All around her she saw echoes of her memories.
"Hello Adora." Said the voice of Light Hope, which then dissapeared and revealed a memory of her in Mystacor.
"Adora." Shadow Weavers voice echoed.
Still falling she saw another vision of herself, Bow, Ben, Glimmer and Rook in a group hug laughing. Another memory flashed by and a familiar voice.
"Probably because I know how it thrown into a situation you never chose to be in" Bens voice echoed.
"Every hero needs a sidekick…right?" Catra voice then echoed with the memory of Adora and Ben on the ledge to go with it.
"For the Honour of Greyskull!" She heard herself say.
Then as she was falling she saw Ben not too far away from where she was. He was still falling too. "Ben!" She cried and she dived downwards going faster in her descent.
"BEN!" She called which suddenly got the Omnitrix bearers attention.
"Adora?!" Ben cried.
"Hold on!" She quickly tried to reach out to him with her hand and likewise Ben did the same as they heard more and more voices of their friends echo around them.
"I just need a little more time!" Entrapta's voice echoed.
"Adora!" Bows voice called.
"Ben!" Glimmers teary voice echoed.
Adora and Bens hands were now inches away from each other and in one motion. They grabbed onto each other and screamed closing their when they opened them they found themselves in a completely new environment. It looked like a large room with brightly coloured crystals and wall markings. Reminisce of the First Ones.
Ben and Adora were still in shock as they let go of each others hands and looked around.
"Uh….are we dead?" Ben asked.
"I don't think so." Adora breathed then looking at her friend. "You okay?"
"I will be." Ben said then looked at his hands to see some certain injuries made by clawed nails "Just as soon as I get my hands on Catra! No one tosses me into a bottomless pit and gets away with it!"
"Get in line." Adora said.
However their conversation was cut off by the sudden arrival of a certain guardian of the tower. Light Hope herself. "Hello, Adora." She greeted causing the two friends to shriek in fright. "You've come at last."
"Okay do all First Ones holograms sneak up on us like that?!" Ben exclaimed as if having Paradox sneaking up on him was bad enough.
"Light Hope" Adora said to the hologram in surprise seeing her in person well sort of for the first had to admit despite the circumstances he could see they were in a place to get answers. In that moment Light Hope turned her attention to him.
"This place is meant for She-Ra, you are not valid to be here." Light Hope then said. Suddenly something caught her attention. "You carry technology belonging to that of the Galvan, an advanced technological race of beings."
"Wait? You know about them?" Ben said in surprise.
"Its okay." Adora explained. "He's with me. Light Hope, this is Ben Tennyson, he has this device that lets him transform into things. Calls it the Omnitrix."
"Yeah but I'm just here for moral support and we came here seeking answers." Ben explained.
Light Hope was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "Temporary administrator, Ben Tennyson admitted."
Adora was relived but now she had a zillion questions running through her head. "I can't believe I'm really seeing you. I mean, I've seen you in my brain." She said rather nervously chuckling. "I think But this is real! Is this real? Wait, are we dead?"
Light Hope just looked bewildered and confused. "I fell...I'm sorry, I'm freaking out."
"Okay okay I think the hologram lady gets it." Ben assured. "We kinda fell to our deaths and then we ended up here."
Adora then coughed before speaking again "I'm Adora."
"Yes, I know. I have been waiting for you since you were an infant, but I could not reach you." She said with a little regret. "And I could not protect you from the Horde."
Adora could understand why as she was taken into the Fright Zone since she was a baby. "I watched you grow up from afar."
"So your, what like her fairy god mother or something?" Ben wondered.
"Please define a Fairy God Mother?" Light Hope asked.
"Oh uh never mind it take too long to explain, so you're the reason Adora found the sword?" Ben then asked.
"Yes, I have been trying to reach her for so long until the opportunity came for her to be united with the sword." Light Hope explained.
"Wow, that's-that's kind of creepy, honestly." Adora admitted she was more than creeped out.
"Creepy? Yes. I have been called this before." Light Hope said in a monotone way. "I chose this form so as not to alarm you, but if it does not suit you, I will choose another."
Suddenly she just disappeared out of sight, much to the surprise of the pair in the room." Is this better?" Said a voice and the startled pair shrieked and turned to see Light Hope now in the form of a child. She gave off a smile.
"Ye…ah thats not creepy or anything?" Ben said a little unsure.
"Oh, no. That's-that's, um, that's definitely way worse." Adora admitted in agreement.
Light Hope then shifted back to her normal form as she addressed the two. "Forgive me. My human protocol is many years out of date."
"How many years exactly?" Ben wondered.
"One hundred thousand years approximately." Light Hope answered before she tried to find another form. "Allow me to select a new form that you will find appealing." She shifted her form and even her voice was changing.
Adora and Ben covered their eyes as they really didn't like what the hologram was shifting into. "Ooh, no, no, that's, thank you! No, that's enough, tha…no, that's…that's, that's t-totally okay, please stop!" Adora groaned.
"Oh boy looks like we could be here a while." Ben groaned pinching his nose.
Bright Moon:
It was now morning in the ever glowing kingdom of Bright Moon. In the room of the princess, Glimmer was pacing the room rather worried. It had been more than a few hours since Adora left to find knowledge of She-Ra that could help her glitching problem caused by Shadow Weaver and the Black Garnet. However being that she and Ben have not yet returned was now becoming a concern.
"But shouldn't she be" Glimmer glitched grunting in by now? She said she was gonna" She glitched again. "get training to" And again. "fix me! How long is that going to take" In her train of thought she accidentally hit one of her poof chairs with a big thud. "OW!….And what kind of monster puts a chair here?!"
Bow had to admit he was worried for his friends too. But seeing Glimmer taking her frustration out on the furniture wasn't helping anything.
"Okay, I'm worried, too, Glimmer, but taking it out on the furniture isn't going to help." Bow made Glimmer sit down and try to calm her nerves.
"We can't sit here and hope that she and Ben comes back eventually." Glimmer finally decided standing up. "We have to do something."
"Like what, it's not like we can fly over the woods to look for them Rook took the truck when he went to Plumeria." Bow wondered.
Just then came a knocking on the door. Glimmer went over to her bedroom door and saw it was a certain Revonnahgander who had just recently returned.
"Rook! Your back, how'd it go with Perfuma?" Glimmer asked thankfully.
"Is she coming back to the Rebellion?" Bow asked hopefully.
"No, that is a decision only she can make." Rook answered. "But after we talked I feel she seems more at peace with her grief about loosing Entrapta. As do I."
Whilst his friends and comrades were glad to hear there friend was doing well, he could see by their faces they were greatly worried. It wasn't long before Rook realised why.
"By the worried expressions on your faces is it safe to assume that Adora and Ben have not yet returned?" He guessed.
"Yes, they haven't come back yet and I'm getting worried, we should take the truck and see if we can find them." Glimmer suggested.
"But how we don't know where they went?" Bow reminded.
"I think I may have a way." Rook then brought them to attention. "Upon my return trip to Bright Moon I found….something who wanted me to escort him here to see you Glimmer."
The Bright Moon Princess was all but confused. "Uh Rook I know Ben said you still need work on your Earth slang but, don't you mean someone?"
"No my grammar is correct, I actually mean something." Rook then moved aside to show the two friends what he was talking about. They were in for a shock.
For clopping down the hallway towards the room, was a white cream coloured horse with an orange and peach coloured mane and had rainbow coloured wings, and a unicorns horn on its head. It shook its mane and whinnies.
Bow and Glimmer were more than surprised but for some reason they recognised this creature. "Our horse!" Bow said in genuine surprise. But the surprises weren't over yet.
"I am my own horse." The horse spoke much to everyones surprise. "Call me….." The horse struck a dynamic reeling pose with its wings out.
"Swift Wind!"
Bow and Glimmer screamed in fright as they clung to each other. They just heard the impossible. "Our horse can talk!" Bow breathed in surprise shockingly pointing at the horse.
"I take it you already know this horse?" Rook guessed.
"Yeah but he was different than he is now!" Glimmer said. "Hey how come you're not freaked out?!"
"Glimmer, I have seen witches, To'kustars, Ectonurites, Incursians, villianous cat ladies and strange men who turn animals into mutant creatures." Rook explained. "This is, as the humans would say just another Monday for me."
"Yeah, yeah he was freaked when he saw me and I can speak my mind now, pretty crazy" Swift Wind said as he entered the room with Rook shutting the door behind him."SO, I was thinking…"
"He's a talking hoooooorse!" Bow screamed in surprise still not believing it.
"As we've established. Now…" Swift Wind tried before Glimmer interrupted. "He has wings!" Glimmer gestured with shrunken pupils.
"Yes, and it would appear that Ben was not seeing things after all." Rook confirmed remembering his partners crazy horse stories which has now been proven.
"I officially take back every mean thing I ever said to him about that." Bow admitted.
"Ditto." Glimmer agreed.
Swift Wind realised they were still freaking out by his sudden appearance and his ability to speak. "Okay, I'll give you a moment to freak out, and then we need to talk."
Glimmer and Bow gasped for a rather long time with jaws dropped still not believing what they were seeing. After a few minutes Rook snapped them back to reality.
"I believe that is sufficient, okay Swift Wind tell them what you told me." Rook said to him.
"Great!" Swift Wind blustered through his nose. "I think Adora needs our help."
This got the trios attention. "And Ben?" Glimmer asked.
"Ben? Oh you mean the guy who I kept seeing yeah maybe." Swift Wind then said. Before looking out the window and at his reflection.
"Since Adora transformed me, I've been able to feel where she is at all times. It's like instinct. But now I feel a pull, as if I'm being summoned to her side." Bow all but looked at Swift Winds wings in complete awe and amazement.
"As part of Adora's herd, I need your help. Will you come?" The horse then requested.
The three of them were in complete mixture of shock and awe not just by Swift Wind but also by what he'd just said. Their thoughts were then derailed by Glimmer glitching again.
"Of course. Lead the way." Glimmer said determined.
Bow and Rook were a little concerned regarding the princesses well being. "But, Glimmer, your glitching." Bow reminded.
"Is what got us into this." Glimmer admitted. "Adora and Ben left to save me. Now it's time for us to save them. You in?"
"Always." Bow said smiling.
"I am still not sure Glimmer, are you sure you are in any condition to travel with these glitches?" Rook wondered.
"Rook your partner and friend could be in serious trouble, besides would Ben go even if he was hurt?" Glimmer reminded.
The Revonnahgander could see they were right. Ben did have a habit of being to stubborn to back away from people in need. Even if he was sick or injured, something Gwen could vouch for.
"Your right we should leave immediately." Rook said confidently.
However as Glimmer headed for the door Bow remembered something. "But...I don't think your mom is going to like us leaving so soon after our last mission."
"Indeed will the Queen not question our leaving so sudden?" Rook agreed.
"She doesn't need to know." Glimmer assured. "We'll sneak out and be back before my mom even realises we're gone."But as she opened the door she saw her mother Queen Angella standing in the doorway ready to knock on the door.
"AHHH!" Glimmer shrieked in fright as she glitched. "Mom!" Angella just stood their clearing her throat as her daughter spoke. "What are you doing here?" Glimmer asked sheepishly.
"Coming to see why Rook was escorting a horse into your room." Angella answered. Said horse then approached the Queen.
"I like to think of myself more as a role model for all horse kind." He said then realising who the Queen was talking about as she looked with knowing smirk. "...I mean, uh, what talking horse? What's happening?" He chuckled nervously.
"Yes he is capable of speech and I found him on my return from Plumeria." Rook explained to the Queen.
The Queen just maintained her knowing smile then turns her attention to her daughter. "You should get going if you want to track down Adora and Ben." Gesturing to the door.
Glimmer was most taken aback, for once her mother wasn't trying to stop her from doing something possibly crazy. "You're not gonna stop us?" She said in surprise.
"Glimmer. I told you I regretted giving up after your father died." The Queen said holding her daughters cheek. "I will not consign you to the same regrets."
Glimmer smiled and looked a little to Rook who all but gave a supportive nod. He was right people could surprise you if given the mother and daughter touched foreheads with supportive smiles. Glimmer looked up smiling as the Queen then took a commanding stance.
"Commander Glimmer. I order you to continue your mission to find Adora and Ben Tennyson, and bring them back home." She said in a queenly manner.
"Right away, Your Majesty." Glimmer saluted smiling then turned to the marksman and Plumber. "...Come on!"
Glimmer hurried out of the room Bow saluted to the Queen as he left and Rook did the same. "We shall return soon your highness." He said as he left with Swift Wind close behind him saluting with his wing then left the was now alone but a little worried for their safety. Just then Swift Wind popped back in.
"Uh, when we're back, I'd like to talk about freeing all the horses in your stables." He said just as Bow arrived with Rook chuckling nervously as they pulled the horse away. "I think that's seriously…"
"Later!" Bow said grunting.
"Come along Swift Wind." Rook agreed grunting.
"…Hey! Hey! I'm still talking to the queen!" Swift Wind neighed in complaint.
The Queen was once again left alone, as she saw her daughter and her friends/companions leave on their mission. "Please be careful." She said.
The Fright Zone:
Meanwhile in the twisted darkness of the Fright Zone, Catra arrived at Entrapta's holding area now turned lab, with a note in her hand as the door opened.
"Okay, I…what is going on here?" She questioned as in the holding area Scorpia was feeding Emily and the whole room was now a lab.
Suddenly Entrapta burst out of a circular vent in the room with her hair as a hand. "Catra! You got my note." She said climbing out the vent.
"The one you dropped on my head from the air vent that says, 'Come to my lab'?" Catra gestured to said note in a rather bored tone screwing up the note.
"Yes, that's the one." Entrapta replied as she plugged in cables and connectors in the computers. "I've made great strides in analysing the data from the First Ones data crystal you brought me" She typed on a keyboard with her hair "Look!" She gestured to the room.
Catra just picked up a piece of stray tech on the ground then tossed it away. "Where did all of this come from?"
"Oh, you know. Here and there…rooms…" Entrapta said plugging in more machines and looking at the data crystal brought back from the Beacon.
"Were there people in these rooms?" Catra asked as she moved her fingers through Entrapta's hair hand.
"Well, not when I went back to take the stuff." Entrapta wondered.
Catra just chuckled. "You definitely belong here with us." She said which was returned with a smile from the tech princess.
"So! The data!" Entrapta got straight to business but couldn't help but squeal in excitement.
She plugged the data crystal into the slot and the computers and machines hummed into life. The screens displayed the data crystal and the data contained within. Scorpia gasped in amazement. "Ha! Wow! Whoa." She laughed amazed and started scribbling on a note pad.
"Look at these readings." Entrapta admired the readings. "It's incredible, this seems to confirm my theories about the techno-organic nature of First Ones machinery resulting in thaumaturlogical compatibility between magic and science!" She laughs like a mad scientist ready to bring its creation to life. Minus the monster.
Catra just couldn't understand a word the princess was saying. She then went up to her. "I'm going to need you to try again, but this time, talk like a normal person."
"Scorpia seems like she understands." Entrapta gestured to said Force Captain who looked like she was taking notes on a note pad.
"Scorpia is drawing stick figures holding hands." Catra explained knowing she didn't understand it either.
And she was right. "I call it 'Super Pal Trio'!" Scorpia showed a drawing of three stick figures of themselves and gestured to them. "This is me, this is Catra, and I think it's clear, come on. I mean, I'm a bit of an artist."
Entrapta just looked with lowered eye lids whilst Catra just shook her wasn't surprised at all. The Princess then did what Catra said and explained slowly. This time with syllables.
"I looked at the rock, which is a crys-tal," She explained holding up the crystal. "and used math...wait, do I have to explain math to you?" She then asked.
Catra faced palmed herself and groaned in annoyance. "Yes or no, did the crystal give you enough data to upgrade our weapons?"She said as calmly as she could.
"Weapons? HA!" Entrapta laughed as she looked at the data. "This is so much bigger than weapons. This could change everything. Etheria's not just a planet. Whatever the First Ones did to it, it went deep."
"And what does that mean?" Catra asked.
Entrapta was very taken aback, for once someone was asking her about her about her element of study. "You're asking me about my theories? I've waited years for someone to ask me about my theories! Hang on, I made a model!"
The princess used her hair to pull Catra and Scorpia away and the feline Force Captain grunted as she did so.
Meanwhile: The Crystal Castle:
Back at the Beacon, Adora and Ben were walking down a corridor with Light Hope who was showing them to somewhere.
"I don't want to be rude, but, um...who are you?" Adora asked.
"Yeah and where exactly are we going?" Ben asked also.
"I am Light Hope, Etheria's facilitator. I was created by the First Ones, as you call them." She explained as she and the two went into another room.
"Okay, quick follow up who are the First Ones?" Ben then asked.
"The First Ones were explorers who journeyed from beyond the stars to settle Etheria." Light Hope explained.
"Okay but how do they know the Galvan?" Ben asked.
"Uh question who are the Galvan?" Adora asked.
"Oh right long story short they're the race that Azmuth belongs to, the guy who made the Omnitrix and I can actually turn into one called myself Grey Matter." Ben explained.
"The First Ones met the Galvan, or their ancient ancestors thousands of years ago." The room shifted into a star lit space void, then it showed a group of cloaked individuals greeting a group of Galvan. Ben seemed to recognise them.
"They met them on a planet the Galvan were studying and the First Ones saw they had great knowledge and learnt a lot from them. In turn they taught the Galvan what they learned on their travels throughout the cosmos." Light Hope explained as the visions continued.
"Which lead to their invention of a powerful device that enhanced the First Ones craft to reach the outer boundaries of the universe." Light Hope continued.
The simulation then showed the ancient Galvan holding a large looking carved green device with small wings at the bottom of it. Ben recognised it very well indeed for he used this device once before.
"The Potis Altiare." He gasped as he saw the Galvan used it to enhance the power of the First Ones space craft.
"The what?" Adora asked.
"Its like a power enhancing device, believe it or not this was the forerunner to what soon lead to the Omnitrix and Ultimatrix." Ben explained remembering Azmuth's story. "Used it once to beat an evil Way Big."
"Yes The First Ones also built this place for you Adora." Light Hope continued. They were now in a room full of crystals and crystal shapes. "The Crystal Castle."
"Crystals is right, this place is awesome." Ben breathed while Adora looked around in bewilderment and amazement at the beauty of this Hope then appeared next to them and startled them slightly.
"Adora, I've waited so long for you, and now the time has come to show you your destiny." Light Hope gestured to a stained glass First Ones mural of She-Ra herself.
Ben and Adora couldn't help but admire the mural. For Adora recognised it from the first time she was in a First Ones ruin, which was also when she met Bow and Glimmer.
"Great, because I actually had a quest…" However before Adora could ask.
"You are She-Ra, Etheria's champion, appointed by the First Ones to protect and unite our planet." Light Hope gestured to the mural and it turned into a hologram which then went into a number of holograms. "There have been many before you."
"Hold the phone, there were other She-Ra's before Adora?" Ben asked surprised.
"Yes many have come before her, each chosen by the sword to wield its power." Light Hope explained.
Adora reached out to the She-Ra hologram but suddenly it disappeared causing her to gasp and the other holograms followed. "…but the line was broken. You are the first She-Ra in a thousand years."
It seemed clear to Adora there was more to her princess half than meets the eye. To Ben this origin story was getting more and more interesting by the minute.
The Fright Zone: Entrapta's lab:
Meanwhile Entrapta was showing Catra and Scorpia a large model she'd made. It had small green bulbs on it as well as some wiring on its spherical surface.
"Behold! Etheria." She gestured to the model before explaining her theory. "The First Ones didn't just settle on the surface of Etheria, their technology runs throughout the planet's core." Catra was taken aback about what these beings did to the planet itself. "This whole planet it's…it's all First Ones' tech."
Crystal Castle:
Light Hope meanwhile was explaining the very structure of Etheria itself.
"Everything on Etheria is connected." Light Hope explained as holograms of the princesses, Perfuma, Spinerella, Nettossa, Mermista, Frosta, Scorpia, Glimmer, Angella and many other princesses as well. "The princesses are granted power over the elements through their Runestones. As She-Ra, it is your duty to bring the princesses together."
Adora and Ben were still taking this in but their attention was drawn to the hologram of a certain friend of theirs. "Only then can balance be restored to Etheria."
"Okay, so it's like some kind of balance of power?" Ben guessed. "And She-Ra is tasked with bringing balance to the world, huh why do I feel like I've heard that somewhere before?"
"Indeed." Light Hope acknowledged.
"Well uh not sure if you got the memo but we tried uniting the Princesses, with this alliance, and well." Ben said sheepishly. "It didn't work out so well."
Adora was still looking at Glimmers hologram and moved to touch it only for her hand to pass through it. She then turned back to Light Hope.
"That sounds great, but the things is…" "You are correct. It is great." Light Hope interrupted her.
"Theres more to that isn't there." Ben groaned in boredom.
The Fright Zone:
"And what are these supposed to be?" Catra pointed to the green lights on the model of the planet.
"Runestones. From the data I've managed to extract, they regulate the planet through the princesses." Entrapta explained. "They're directly connected to each other and to the planet's power grid in a delicate balance."
"Which means…?" Catra asked in a hinting way.
Entrapta turns to Catra with eagerness and some insanity in her eyes. "Which means they're our best access point to hack the planet."
Crystal Castle:
"Okay so I get the whole, bring the princesses together thing but what happens if Adora does unite them?" Ben then asked.
"When the princesses and their elements are in balance, Etheria functions as it should. " Light Hope explains but then shows projections of parts of Etheria being destroyed by the Horde.
"But the Horde is destroying us in their quest for power." Ben and Adora gasped at seeing the destruction caused by the Horde, some of it they were there for. Even the battle grounds left in their wake. "There is no predicting what they will do next."
"Tell us something we don't know." Ben said a little angered at what the Horde had done.
Adora was still in shock and horror, she was once part of the Horde and once she knew what they were doing she left it behind. But she still couldn't imagine how her former friends in the Horde were all okay with this. One more than most.
Fright Zone:
"Hack the planet?!" Catra said in surprise she couldn't believe what Entrapta was suggesting hacking into an entire planet?! Is that even possible?
"Hypothetically, but it's not so simple. There's only a handful of Runestones in the whole world." Entrapta explained as she went over to Emily her robot friend.
"Runestone?" Scorpia wondered, then she remembered. "You mean like the Black Garnet? 'Cause we have the Black Garnet." She chuckled.
"The Black Garnet? You have a Runestone?" Entrapta realised in curiosity "The Fright Zone has a Runestone?"
"Uh, duh. It was my family's." Scorpia then explained. "But when the Horde landed, we gave it to Hordak, who then gave it to Shadow Weaver, who…you know, you tell a friend, he tells a friend, it's like, it's kind of one of those things."
Entrapta immediately latched onto Scorpia with excitement."Where is it?! Can I see it, can I touch it?!"
Catra pulled the over ecstatic scientist off of Scorpia just to calm her down. "Okay, calm down. What exactly are you planning on doing to the Black Garnet?"
"If we hack the Runestone grid, we could boost the Garnet's power and use it for...well, anything. As a power source, as…" "A weapon?" Catra interrupted her excitedly.
"Potentially! But if it's like my other experiments, the results will be explosive." Entrapta explained.
"Explosive huh." Catra wondered then she had an idea. "So tell me you've been close to Tennyson right?"
"Yeah?" Entrapta asked.
"So you should know a little about that watch of his, right."
"Well after a base study of the device its encoded with DNA of different species, never got to study its inner workings though." Entrapta explained.
"Well one of those creatures of his was able to tap into the Black Garnet, would you say you'd be able to do that?" Catra then hinted.
"Hm theoretically perhaps and it could even be more powerful then Bens watch, as Runestones regulate the planet itself so yes it should be explosive."
Scorpia wasn't sure however, she had some concerns about this. "I don't think Shadow Weaver will like that."
"Scorpia's right. Shadow Weaver won't like it." Catra agreed, but then she realised. This was the perfect opportunity that she had been waiting for. "...So, I will absolutely get you the Black Garnet. Leave it all to me."
However unbeknownst to the trio, they were being watched. In the darkening ceiling rafters of the lab, A small creature with large ears and yellow eyes and bat like wings on its back with a devil tail. The small imp crawled away into the darkness.
Later it arrived in the throne room of Lord Hordak himself. Who sat on his throne as his pet returned to him.
"What do you have for me, little spy?" He asked.
The Imp opened its mouth and a recording of Entrapta's voice was playing. It had been listening to the whole conversation.
"Catra! I've made great strides in analysing the data from the First Ones data crystal you brought me... Look!"
Hordak listened to the recording with interest, perhaps this information could be a promising means to crush the rebellion and their new weapon for good.
Crystal Castle:
Adora was waving away the holograms of the Horde symbols. She did want to learn more but she was really looking for one particular thing. "This is all super good information, um, and we can't wait to hear more." Adora chuckled nervously. "just one thing, though…"
"Is there something you do not understand? I can start again from the beginning, if you would like." Light Hope offered.
"No no no no no need for…" Ben pleaded. It was too late Light Hope disappeared and reappeared explaining the whole story again.
"I am Light Hope, Etheria's facilitator…" Adora and Ben groaned in frustration as they went over to her and accidentally phases into her to stop her explaining the story again. It did scare Adora a little.
"No, no, I got it." Adora said.
"Have I mentioned that you are chosen?" Light Hope pointed out.
At this point Bens eye twitched in annoyance. "Yes you told us that Adoras chosen by the sword, great power bringer of balance for the Honour of Grey Skull blah blah blah beat the bad guys." Ben explained as best he could. "But look we came here looking for answers about She-Ra's powers?"
"Right." Adora agreed. "I need to learn how to heal my friend."
"Your…friend?" Light Hope said rather hesitantly.
"Yes. Shadow Weaver did something to Glimmer and took her powers away. I need to figure out how to heal her." Adora explained.
"Her connection with her Runestone was disrupted." Light Hope explained.
"Yeah when she was exposed to that Black Garnet thing when she helped me. And now she's glitching is there a way for Adora to fix that?" Ben asked. Adora looked with hopeful eyes.
"Adora will be able to do many incredible things...with training." Light Hope explained.
"So, uh, how long will this training take..like a day, or…" "Years." Light Hope answered Adoras question.
"Years!" Ben and Adora exclaimed.
"Glimmer doesn't have years. She's hurt because of me, I messed up." Adora said in guilt. "I got Glimmer, Rook and Bow captured, and Entrapta…it's my fault! ...I have to fix it."
"Hey Adora, we've been over this!" Ben then added. "What happened to her was on me as much as it was on you. You don't have to do this alone."
"Yes, your mission is to fix the planet." Light Hope explained.
"My mission is to help my friends. That's why I came here." Adora explained.
"You are She-Ra. Your purpose is to protect all of Etheria. You cannot help only your friends." Light Hope explained to Adora.
"Hold up." Ben then said. "You clearly don't know how the hero gig works, a heroes obligation isn't just to the planet its to her friends and loved ones too, why can't she do both?"
"Because, Ben. you do not yet realize the power Adora has." Light Hope said putting her hand on Adora's shoulder. "She has become distracted by her attachments." She then turned to Adora. "There was one before you who could not let go. Her name was Mara."
The guardian of the Crystal Castle then showed the two heroes a projection of someone who was dressed a lot like She-Ra however her outfit was different, she had white boots and leggings that covered her legs a short wavy skirt longer shoulder pads and a more curved version of the star symbol. With a long red cape and tanned skin.
"Mara?" Ben said. "I've heard that name before."
"Mara…Madame Razz's Mara?" Adora then realised and soon Ben remembered it too he remembered what she said to him when he met the hermit of the woods.
"What happened to her?" Adora then asked.
"Mara was the last She-Ra before you." Mara knelt to the ground holding the sword in her hand. "She struggled with a power that she could not control." Maras eyes glowed brighter blue, the two then found themselves in a field under a nebula. "Until it became too much for her mind."
"She snapped." Adora breathed in surprise.
"She was compromised" Light Hope explained.
"So she let the power drive her mad? Makes sense, I've seen people before who wanted great power most to do some real good, but…that kind of power can change people." Ben remembered from his own experiences.
"She gave in to fear and faulty reasoning." Light Hope nodded as she continued. "Her desperate actions led to devastation. Mara stranded us in the empty dimension of Despandos. She broke the She-Ra line. She nearly destroyed us."
In the sky a shooting star then exploded and revealed the planet of Etheria itself now in an empty void of space. Adora and Ben watched as the simulation reverted back to the Crystal Castle.
"Despondos?" Ben wondered. "Whats a Despondos?"
"Despondos is an empty shadow dimension, completely cut off from the rest of the known universe." Light Hope explained.
Ben could see this sounded a little like the Null Void, where the Plumbers store their more dangerous criminals."Well I don't know if you know this lady, but I'm not from Etheria. I'm from another planet called Earth." Ben explained to Light Hope.
"That is. Illogical." Light Hope said surprised.
"No it's true he and another crashed here some weeks ago." Adora explained.
"My partner Rook Blonko and I were sent to investigate some space time anomalies but we got sucked into a worm hole that brought us here." Ben explained.
Light Hope was silent before she spoke again. "Your argument is logical, the Crystal Castle did indeed pick up an unknown craft enter Etheria, not of First Ones make."
"Right." Ben said. "So by that logic if we can get here we can go back, get reinforcements and kick some serious butt!"
"We can stop the Horde and help our friends." Adora agreed with hope in her eyes.
"I am afraid that is impossible." Light Hope said.
This notion had gotten Ben and Adoras attention. It sounded like his optimism was going to be short lived. "What do you mean?"
"When Mara cut us off from the rest of the universe, she also destroyed our capabilities for travel out of Despondos." Light Hope explained. "To attempt to do so would bring destruction. Nothing can ever leave this realm."
That struck Ben straight in the heart with a great blow. He had just been told he might not ever be able to leave Despondos he shook in horror. Adora was all but heart broken for him, she knew he had a home and family back on Earth waiting for him.
"Y…you mean….I can never go home?" He stuttered but he shook his head. "N…No I don't believe it I refuse to I've done the impossible before! I'll just use one of my aliens and open a portal!"
"No matter what you attempt to do you could cause more damage by opening a portal." Light Hope explained. "Thereby devastating the entire planet, or tearing apart the very fabric of time and space. This is your home now."
Ben just looked in complete shock and horror at this devastating realisation. His eyes were filling with tears as he collapsed to the ground onto his knees. He breathed heavily as the realisation sunk in. Adora just felt more and more sympathy for Ben now more than ever. She was also worried of how Rook would take the news of never returning to his loved ones.
"Adora." Light Hope turned her attention to Adora. "I have waited here for a thousand years alone. I did not know if I would ever see another She-Ra. You must stay here and train. Learn to be the She-Ra that Mara could not be."
"I will. I will do whatever you want." Adora explained in a pleading tone. "I'll come back, and train, and learn about everything. But I have to heal Glimmer first. I can save the planet, save her and get Ben and Rook home."
However the simulations in the castle then started showing memories that Adora didn't want to remember. One of which was Bow, Glimmer and Rook on the ground unconscious at Mystacor. Another was Glimmer in her restraints made by Shadow Weavers black garnet powers.
"Adora?" Called a voice and she saw Catra then disappearing into the smoke. This was the day of her first fight as She-Ra.
It wasn't just Adoras memories. Ben looked around him and saw memories of his own. Some of his family, his grandfather and cousin at a campfire whilst on their summer vacation. Another of when Ben, Tetrax, Myax and Gwen ventured to Zenon to find Azmuth only for Gwen to nearly sacrifice herself to save Ben.
"GWEN!" FourArms yelled. "It should have been me! It should have been me! It SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!" He hit a wall over and over again.
His future bad memories even included Malware destroying Feedback right in front of his ten year old self."NOOOO!" Young Ben cried.
His final memory was one he really didn't want to see. It was of himself in his green sports jacket with Kevin, Gwen and his cousin Ken. A Highbreed was holding Grandpa Max in his clutcheswho held what looked like a broken Null Void projector which was overloading. Adora looked at this memory too.
"Grandpa Max! No please!" Ben's fifteen year old self begged.
" Sorry Ben. It's the only way to make sure they can't do to the rest of the world what they did to Ken." Max explained to him. "You'll have to take it from here.I know you can do it, I believe in you. In all of you."
He ended that sentence with a wink, but Ben looked in horror as he tried to stop him. But Ken and Kevin held him back."Grandpa! NOOOO!"Ben cried as Max pulled the trigger which exploded in a blast of light.
Adora was in horror whilst Ben held his head low in regret. He wasn't going to see his family again, or his friends. He'd left the earth defenceless. His friend could see the affect this was having on him too. However her thoughts were then interrupted.
"I just need a little more time…I just need a little more time!"She looked at a holographic memory of Entrapta during their escape from the Fright Zone. Adora was in regret over the loss of her friend. As was Ben.
"You feel guilt at these memories." Light Hope observed the two of them. Adora did cringe at this memory whilst Ben was all but silent. "It is as you said, your friends are endangered by your presence. It is better to let go now."
"But...I can't just leave my friends…" Adora said to her but couldn't help but wonder if she was right.
Ever since she joined the Rebellion she's tried to make things right but she just made it worse. She's given her friends nothing but grief. She just hugged herself in guilt whilst Ben was still kneeling down on the ground in his own guilt.
"Grandpa…" He said silently. If only the two of them knew.
Fright Zone:
Meanwhile the very much alive Entrapta was hard at work within the Black Garnet inner sanctum of a certain dark sorceress. Emily handed Entrapta a welding torch which she took and lowered her mask to start welding some components into place.
Scorpia was helping in the operation by hooking up more machinery to the Runestone itself. Catra then entered the chamber overseeing the operation.
"Alright, hurry it up, those machines aren't going to hook up themselves." Catra instructed. But then….
"They won't be hooked up at all!" A rather angered Shadow Weaver had entered the sanctum and caught her failed protege, Scorpia and the Tech princess messing with her Runestone.
"Shadow Weaver! Uh…" Scorpia was so afraid she didn't know what to say as she cleared her throat."….We just, uh…"
"SILENCE!" Shadow Weaver shouted. "Did you really think you could invade my inner sanctum without me noticing?" She said approaching Catra. "I never thought you were so bold as to openly rebel, but it will be my pleasure to put you back in your place!"
However whilst Scorpia, Entrapta and Emily hid and clung to each other in fear. Catra seemed unfazed by the threats made by her commanding officer. All she did was smirk and shake her head.
"Oh, Shadow Weaver. I can do whatever I want with this hunk of rock." She gestured to the runestone.
"Absurd, by whose authority?" Shadow Weaver chuckled.
"By mine" Said a voice then all of a sudden Hordak appeared on every screen in the , Scorpia and Entrapta bowed to their master with respect whilst Shadow Weaver seemed all but startled.
"Lord Hordak! I don't understand." She said trying to be respectful.
"Catra and Entrapta have been working on a way to meld this strange First Ones tech with our machines to weaponise it. I found out…" He petted his pet imp by scratching its chin rewarding it for its efforts "and was intrigued. I gave Force Captain Catra and her team my blessing to go ahead. ...So, understand, Shadow Weaver. I am displeased with your interruption."
Catra just smirked with pleasure seeing that her moment had finally come. Shadow Weaver couldn't believe what she was hearing from her lord and master.
"My Lord, you're really going to let this…this princess tinker with my Runestone?!" She exclaimed rather desperate as she pointed to the princess.
"Her tinkering has increased the firepower of every weapon she's touched." Hordak explained. "So yes, she gets to tinker with whatever she wants. Including the Black Garnet, which is mine to give or take, as I see fit." He then reminded.
"You can't... You can't do this!" The sorceress protested in anger. "I alone have learned how to draw power from it, a feat no sorceress has done before! I have unlocked its potential!"
"And you wasted it on parlour tricks." Hordak simply said. "And to correct your earlier statement."
The screen then showed a visual recording of a certain Conductoid plugging his antenna into the Runestone which surged with power. Feedback then unleashes said power on Shadow Weaver blasting her into a wall.
Catra could only snicker at that part. "You are not the only one to have tapped into the garnets power. If this boy can tap into the Runestone and unleash its true destructive power we shall be able to do the same and have a weapon to crush this rebellion, She-Ra and their new weapon for good." Hordak reminded and looked rather harshly at Shadow Weaver. "Something you have failed to do!"
The sorceress was all but stunned by this, her foolish master was actually taking what was hers by right. "Force Captain Catra, proceed. The Garnet is yours." He then said to his Force Captain.
"Yes, Lord Hordak." Catra said rather smugly at her former tutor.
"NOO!" Shadow Weaver yelled as her dark magic emerged from her robes. Catra ducked out of the way as the sorceress destroyed the screens in the room releasing her rage.
Scorpia and Entrapta shielded themselves from the falling glass. Catra suddenly caught sight of Shadow Weaver trying to get to the Runestone.
"Stop her! Don't let her touch the…." Catra shouted but it was too late.
"YOU WILL NOT TAKE WHAT IS MINE!" The sorceress exclaimed as she grabbed onto the Runestone and drew power from it with the crystal in her mask.
The sorceress surged with power being blasted back from the Runestone and was enveloped in a black sphere. Scorpia charged towards her only for a now red eyed Shadow Weaver to yell and freeze Scorpia and Entrapta in place with her restraint spell.
Then her gaze turned to Catra unleashing a powerful surge of dark magic towards the fleeing Force Captain who then leaped out of the way to avoid it. She leaps from pipe to pipe avoiding the mad sorceress's strikes.
"That's right, run away. It's the only thing you've ever been good at!" Shadow Weaver shouted as pieces of machinery were ripped from their housing where Catra stood running from it.
"You have always been a disappointment. You've learned nothing from me!" She exclaimed as she touched the ground sending a surge of magical power through the floor to hit Catra who used her cat like agility to avoid the attacks.
"Oh, no. I've learned everything from you." Catra defied as she avoided yet another dark blast. "How to predict when you'll strike, how to dodge, how to resist." Catra continued as she avoided and dogged all of the sorceresses attacks. Then climbed up the machinery to a higher vantage point.
"You thought you were punishing me all these years?" Shadow Weaver looked around for any signs of her prey with power in her hand ready to strike. However Catra wasn't there. "Wrong. You were training me for this day!"
She turned around too late as Catra took one swipe at her mask shattering the crystal in her mask. In one strike Shadow Weavers power was gone and large crack remained on her mask.
"NO!" A distraught and powerless Shadow Weaver cried.
Within an instant everything the sorceress did was undone. Her dark magic disappeared, and Scorpia and Entrapta were freed from her restraining spell. Entrapta embraced Emily in a hug which she beeped back happily in response.
The defeated sorceress was trying desperately to piece together her crystal again but it was no use. "Come back...Come back to me! Come back to me!" She cried.
But it was no good. Catra just stood over her triumphant. "Heh, what an interesting turn of events. I guess Tennyson was right about one thing. You were wrong to underestimate me." She smirked Shadow Weaver said nothing as her former protege looked smugly.
"Scorpia, restrain the sorceress." She then ordered and Scorpia restrained the power drained sorceress and was escorted away. "We won't have to worry about her any longer." She then turned her attention to the tech princess.
"Entrapta, if you would." She said getting the princesses attention and gestured to the control gasped with excitement and Emily beeped in the same way. The princess lowered her goggles and was ready to begin.
"Alright, everyone. Let's get weird." She said and with a flick of a switch the machine whirred into life and the Garnet began surging with energy.
Suddenly Scorpia noticed something. "Look." She gasped.
The shadows on the ground were being drawn straight to the Runestone. The lights began to burst sending the lab into darkness which now covered the room. Outside the roof exploded and a large column of dark energy erupted form the tower and into the darkening skies above the Fright Zone. The sky began raining down bolts of red lightning, almost as if the elements themselves had been angered.
Whispering Woods:
Meanwhile unaware of these events, Glimmer, Rook, Bow and Swift Wind were walking through the woods hoping to find their missing friends.
"And then I realized I'm free, but the other horses aren't." Swift Wind was explaining his story to the group as they travelled. "So I named myself Swift Wind after the swift winds of revolution and left to go kick down stable doors. Freedom, equality, and hay for all!"
"That is quite a noble story Swift Wind." Rook said he would be lying if he said he wasn't weirded out by the talking horse. "However, there is one thing all the times Ben claims to have seen you why did you not join us?"
"Oh well I guess I wanted to get to grips with my new powers, and horses don't free themselves so yeah." Swift Wind explained. "Though I gotta say I'm surprised you guys didn't see me."
Before the Revonnahgander could answer back they suddenly heard a rustling sound in the bushes. Rook halted the group raising his hand. He then went up to Glimmer.
"Did you hear that?" Glimmer asked. Rook responded by drawing his Proto tool and formed it into a blaster and took point in the group.
They looked ahead and all was silent until they heard the rustling in the undergrowth of the forest again. Rook stood ready to defend his comrades. The bushes rustled and then emerging from it was a small stampede of turquoise coloured deer like creatures. The group are surprised and grunt as the animals ran past.
They were fortunate it was a small group, but then emerging from the trees was a rather large spider like creature. They were glad not to be trampled on by the deer creatures, but then they didn't want to be crushed by an angry monster shrieked in fright and glitched when she tried using her powers but it was no good. Bow stood with his namesake and arrows at the ready and Rook primed his Proto Tool.
"Get behind us!" Bow exclaimed.
"Stand your ground!" Rook added. However much to their surprise, the creature didn't seem interested in hunting them. It just ran straight past them roaring in a rather fearing tone as it disappeared from view.
"What was that about?" Glimmer breathed in a mix of relief and horror.
"Unclear." Rook observed. "But their movements and their pace indicated that it was not hunting us but, rather running. Those creatures were terrified."
Bow was rather taken aback by this development. "But what would scare them?"
Swift Wind walked forwards towards where the creatures fled. "I feel something. We should run." He was about to flee but turned back. "...No. We have to get Adora. Adora, then run."
"Swift Wind what is it?" Bow asked.
"A bad thing." The horse answered a little afraid. "Hurry." He then whimpered. The group could see something was wrong so they ran to catch up to the fleeing horse.
The Fright Zone:
In the skies above the Fright Zone the large column continued to build power in the sky. In the Black Garnet chamber the Runestone was surging with tremendous power. Entrapta was recording the readings coming from the garnet.
"Amazing! The Garnet is siphoning energy at a near exponential rate. Yet the output is still building…!" Entrapta could hardly contain her excitement.
"What does that mean?" Catra asked.
"It means things are getting interesting." Light shimmered off her goggles as the energy continued to build.
Whispering Woods:
As the group continued to walk through the woods, suddenly Bow was becoming a little cold. Rubbing his arms in an effort to get warm. "Is it just me, or is it really cold?" Bow wondered.
"I agree the low temperatures is rather irregular." Rook wondered in agreement.
It was about to get weirder, for then out of nowhere snow began falling out of the sky. Cold winds began to blow in as the flakes fell. Much to Glimmers surprise.
"It's…snowing?" Glimmer said in surprise catching the flakes in her hands.
"Thats impossible?" Bow said in great concern.
"How is the snow unusual?" Rook wondered. "Are snowfalls not common on Etheria?"
Bow turned to the Revonnahgander with his answer. "Rook its impossible because, It never snows in the Whispering Woods."
Rook was taken aback by this information. Snow falling when it shouldn't. This to him seemed way beyond unusual weather patterns. He could sense it in the of a sudden without warning that air suddenly turned into a massive gale force wind generating a snow storm. They grunted as as Swift Wind raised his wings as a shield while Glimmer, Bow and Rook took shelter close to him.
"What's happening?!" Glimmer exclaimed.
"THE BAD THING!" Swift Wind replied and the group looked up to see red lightning crackling in the sky above them.
"Something is seriously wrong!" Rook exclaimed. "It is like the elements of nature on this planet are turning against us!"
"We can't stay here! Swift Wind, do you sense Adora?" Bow then asked the horse.
Swift Wind concentrated his powers and his horn hummed and glowed with magic. Sooner or later he sensed something.
"There she's over there!" Swift Wind exclaimed and far ahead of them they saw light coming from the trees. Not to far from where they are now.
"Then theres a good chance Ben will be with her!" Rook exclaimed.
With that the group pushed through the ever growing winds with Swift Wind shielding them.
Eventually they arrived at the Beacon. Bow and Glimmer started pounding at the structure and feeling around it to try and find a way inside. Rook even took out his Proto Tool and tried cutting through with a high energy laser.
"This would be a great time for my powers to come back!" Glimmer said angrily really wishing she could teleport noticed Rook was still trying to cut a way inside. Sadly to no success.
"Rook what are you doing?" Bow asked.
"I am trying to cut a way through but this metal is not even burning!" Rook exclaimed.
Then Swift Wind sensed something. "Wait...wait! I know this. Hang on, I think I can.." He concentrated and his horn glowed brightly and upon touching the structure it began to glow on the symbols. The light blinded the group. Suddenly the ground rumbled below their feet and the door below them opened to reveal the way in.
"Well done Swift Wind. Lets move!" Rook then exclaimed and the group hurried the door sealing behind them.
Swift Wind led the group down a hallway aligned with First Ones symbols. Suddenly when they reached the end of the hall the room turned read. And heard a sound of snarling.
"What is that?!" Bow exclaimed in fear.
"It must be some form of security system we triggered on the way in." Rook realised.
Swift Wind was deeply worried. But he had to keep on task and after getting his bearings he knew which way to go. "Uh...this way!" The group followed Swift Wind and eventually they reach the main room in the tower. There they found what or rather who they were looking for.
"Adora! Ben!" Glimmer exclaimed as the group found their two friends lying on what looked like First Ones pedestals with crystals on them. The sword was between Ben and Adora who looked lost in sleep.
"Adora! Ben! We're here! Wake up!" Bow called. However there was no response. Rook pulled out his scanner and scanned their vitals.
"Rook are they…" Glimmer asked.
"They are alive, they are just asleep whatever this apparatus is it's put them in a form of stasis." Rook explained. "Their minds however are showing signs of activity meaning this device has placed them in some kind of mind scape."
"So how do we get them out?" Bow asked hastily.
"I think I can reach them. Hold on." Swift Wind stepped forward and held his horn between Adora and Bens heads. His horn glowed brightly. He was unresponsive it would seem he had entered their minds.
"Swift Wind." Glimmer said with worry.
"Uh Glimmer." Bow pointed out a little scared.
Then coming out of the darkness were the Beacons less welcoming residence. Bow and Glimmer screamed in terror as Rook stepped in front of them.
"It would seem we may have bigger concerns!" Rook said drawing his Proto Tool and started blasting at the Spider bots.
Crystal Castle: Adora and Bens shared minds:
Meanwhile in the Crystal Castle all was quiet. Adora looked with a rather guilt ridden sad look on her face. Whilst Ben was still silent kneeling on the ground. Suddenly their trance was broken when they saw the room glitch around them.
"Whats going on?" Ben wondered.
"The Horde is hurting us. Balance Etheria." Light Hope was glitching and her voice was distorting before she disappeared leaving Ben and Adora completely alone.
"Light Hope? Light Hope, come back! I don't-I don't know what to do." Adora panicked before she collapsed to the ground.
Ben wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words to say. However just then.
"Adoraa…" Called a rather disembodied voice in the air. Ben was getting a little spooked as did Adora.
The two of them looked around for the source of the voice. "Adora!" Called the voice again this time in a normal tone.
Then appearing from behind Ben was Swift Wind who had entered the Crystal Castle. Ben shrieked in surprise as he fell on his butt on the ground startled by the horses appearance.
"Wha… Where did you come from?!" He exclaimed.
"Our horse?" Adora said in surprise.
Then the horse spoke. "Once again, I'm no one's horse. I'm Swift Wind." His mane sparkled.
Ben was complexly gob smacked he slapped himself in the face then picked his ear to make sure he heard right. "Oh no..I defiantly heard that."
"You can talk?" Adora said in shock.
"Yes I can talk." Swift Wind said as Ben gasped in complete shock.
"You can talk?" Adora exclaimed still in shock.
Swift Wind had a rather unamused look on his face as he could see the two of them were still in shock. "I can see now why you two friends with Bow and Glimmer." He then felt someone prodding him and it was Ben poking his wings. "What are you doing?" The horse asked.
"Making sure your real this time, not just something messing with my head" Ben said given the last three times he saw this horse his friends thought he was crazy.
"Yes I'm very real, and you must be Ben the guy who keeps spotting me." Swift Wind said to him. Ben was still in shock before he generated a rather ecstatic smile on his face.
"AHAH! I knew I wasn't seeing things!" Ben exclaimed happily. "WHOS THE CRAZY ONE NOW BOW HA!" He yelled to the ceiling.
"Yeah yeah glad to see your proven right. But I gotta admit, I wonder why they haven't seen me until now?" The horse then asked.
"Hey it's not my fault you keep disappearing when I try to point you…" Ben realised what he was doing. "I'm…arguing with a talking horse." Which was not the weirdest thing he's ever done in his life with all the crazy things he's seen.
"Yeah… anyway Bow, Glimmer and Rook need your help, which is why I'm here. So...which way's the exit?" Swift Wind then explained as Adora came to her senses.
"Thats actually a good question." Ben also wondered.
"I don't know. Light Hope disappeared and I-I don't know if I should go back." Adora then wondered in doubt.
Ben was taken aback with what Adora had just said to him and Swift Wind.
"What?" Ben said in disbelief.
"What do you mean?" Swift Wind then asked.
"Light Hope said if I leave here, I'll make things worse. She's right." Adora admitted as the room glitched around them. "Everyone will be better off if I just stay far away from them. It's-It's for the greater good."
Ben just couldn't believe what he was hearing right now. He knew Adora had her doubts about this whole She-Ra situation and how she thinks she gives her friends nothing but grief. But to stay away from them thats a new one.
Swift Wind decided to snap her to her senses. "Well, that's just stupid." He said deadpanned.
"What? No, it's not." Adora disagreed rather surprised.
"Adora, I've had the ability to form complex thought for like...a week, and even I know you can't help anyone by hiding." Swift Wind explained. "Where would all the horses I freed from their barns be if I just sat in a pasture and moped?"
"Yeah I gotta side with Swifty on this Adora." Ben agreed with the horse.
"I am not moping…" Adora scoffed in denial.
However both Ben and Swift Wind both shared the same look with raised eyebrows and straight faces. Swift Wind just blustered and shook his ears.
"I'm not! I hurt people, I ruined my friends' lives!" Adora explained.
"Is that you talking or Light Hope?" Ben then questioned.
"What?" Adora said in disbelief.
"Look normally I wouldn't question wise people, well except Azmuth at times. But Light Hope's wrong staying here isn't going to stop the Horde, thats basically what the other princesses have done from the start." Ben explained.
"Yeah and If what you said is true, then why are Bow Rook and Glimmer here trying to rescue you both?" Swift Wind then pointed out.
The two of them then looked at a projection of what was going on outside. Bow was shooting arrows from his namesake whilst Rook now with duel Proto Tools in his hand were blasting at the Spiderbots. Whilst Glimmer sat close to Adora and Bens limp bodies.
"Bow, Rook and Glimmer are risking their lives. Not because you're She-Ra or because of what powers you have, but because you're their friends." Swift Wind explained. Adora was still a little unconvinced. Until she felt a hand on her shoulder and it was Bens.
"Look I get it." He began. "Believe it or not I've been where you are now Adora. One time when I was a kid, I was fighting these women bikers who were robbing an armoured truck. And my Grandpa was caught in the crossfire and got hurt by falling rubble." Adora just gasped at that.
"I mean he's fine now but, on that day I've never been more afraid for my family's safety. I even wondered if it was safe for them to be around me with this thing on my wrist." Ben pointed to the Omnitrix. "You've seen my memories of Vilgax and how he wanted the Omnitrix, well he wasn't the only one."
"You mean like Malware." Adora then said getting his attention. "And what he did to Feedback?"
The Omnitrix bearer could see that Adora saw that memory that to this day still haunts him, to name a few. "Yeah, and every time Grandpa and Gwen were all caught in the crossfire. I even ran away to go it alone, I thought it would keep them safe. But Gwen still came to help me despite everything. Even when Kevin and Gwen left I tried to do it alone, but since meeting Rook I was reminded that one person can't save the world alone."
Adora listened to every word of Bens speech and took it all in. She had seen his past memories and how much he endured and lost, but to hear it from his own mouth was a lot.
"But Ben, you heard what Light Hope told you, you could be stuck here forever. Your family may not even see you again?" Adora then reminded. " Don't you miss them?"
"Yeah I do, and maybe I won't ever see them again." Ben then said a little saddened before he looked at the Omnitrix. "But wielding the Omnitrix has given me a lot and taken a lot away, but what hasn't changed is putting others before myself. I don't know if there is a way back home for me or Rook, but right now there are people on this planet that need our help."
Ben placed his hands on his friends shoulder as he spoke. "Besides what does Light Hope know about your friends, nothing." He continued. "Your attachments to those you love isn't a weakness Adora, they're your strength. Thats part of being a hero putting others before yourself and fighting for those you love." Ben added. "A friend once asked me did I help because it was the right thing to do? Or for the thrill of being a hero? I didn't know the answer back then I was just a kid wanting a thrill from his summer vacation, but I know that I use my powers to help because its the right thing to do. "
Swift Wind then stepped forwards as they looked at the projection of their friends protecting them. "He's right Adora, What good is all your power if you don't use it to help the people that you love?" Swift Wind then added.
Adora took in everything that her friends had said to her. But Ben wasn't done speaking yet. "In the end you have to ask yourself Adora….." He said looking her square in the eyes. "…What is your heart telling you to do?"
The wielder of the sword was all but quiet as she took in every word said to her both Swift Wind and Ben. Her mind was telling her to stay for the greater good. However her heart knew it would be like hiding from her responsibilities what the Princesses have been doing since the war started.
"I think…" she began. "I'm not Mara. I'm not the She-Ra's of the past. I didn't do this to fulfil some destiny. I became She-Ra to help others." As Adora spoke Ben and Swift Wind looked with looks of pride. "My attachments, my friends, are a part of who I am."
Ben could only look with a sense of pride, he helped his friend regain her confidence. "Atta girl."
"So. Are you staying? Or going?" Swift Wind then asked.
Adora looked with a confident smirk as she drew the Sword of Protection from her back. "Lets go."
Then almost immediately a triangular shaped portal emerged in the room. Swift Wind stood by them and looked at each other smiling. Ben and Adora held hands as the three of them walked through the portal in a big flash of light.
The Beacon: Reality:
Glimmer held Adora close in her arms and even held onto Ben. A second later the two of them opened their eyes. Glimmer felt someone touching her arm. She looked and saw a smiling Adora in her arms.
"Adora! You're back!" She exclaimed happily as she embraced her friend in a hug.
"Hey what about me?" Called a voice and Glimmer looked to see that Ben was awake too. "Don't I get a hug?"
The next thing he knew Glimmer leaped into his arms and embraced him in a hug. "Ben! You're okay!" She exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
However the tender moment between the three friends was then interrupted by a rather terrified Bow. "Adora! Ben! Spiders!" He screamed.
He and Rook fired more arrows and energy blasts towards the spiders. But every shot made then screech in anger. Adora and Ben looked at each other and knew exactly what to do next.
"Shall we?" Adora asked.
"Ladies first." Ben said as the two of them leaped off the pedestals and into action.
"FOR THE HONOUR OF GREYSKULL!" Adora proclaimed.
"ITS HERO TIME!" Ben exclaimed as he dialled in an alien and slammed down on the dial.
Both were consumed by a bright light and it seemed like they were transforming side by side. Adora grew in height and one sparkling wave of light she transformed into meanwhile grew in muscular size and was transforming into a brown tanned scaled dinosaur about twelve ft tall like alien. With brown armoured skin with a lighter brown chest. Green eyes, black brief pants with a white belt. He wore a green and black sash and the Omnitrix lay in the centre. He let out a loud T-Rex like roar fully transformed. Striking a pose next to She-Ra.
She-Ra glowing in her aura yelled falling to the ground slamming right into the Spider Bots head and stabbed it with her sword. Another Spider bot was about to attack until slamming into its head was none other than.
"HUMUNGOUSAUR!" He yelled out. He looked at himself, for once he got the alien he wanted.
"YEAH! Now thats more like it!" He exclaimed. He and She-Ra saw multiple spider bots approaching them but the dino alien could only smirk.
"Hey you know the thing about bugs your size?" He asked openly. "They make an even bigger mess when I smash'em!" He and She-Ra charged at the bugs.
Humungousaur used his strength and size to crush and tear the Spider Bots in half. She-ra struck the next one and sent out a shockwave of energy which rendered the bots two stood victorious as their friends wasted no time in embracing their friends in a hug. Well they hugged Humungousaur's arm given how tall he was.
"Well done." Rook said. "It is good to have you both back."
"Its good to be back Rook." She-Ra said smiling.
Vaxasaurian then turned his attention to a certain marksman of the group looking rather smug. "Well Bow do you see the winged horse now?"
Bow just rolled his eyes knowing Ben was teasing him about calling his horse story crazy. "Yes Ben I see it, guess you weren't crazy after all." Bow finally admitted.
"Darn right." Humungousaur answered.
Outside the Beacon the door in the ground opened and riding out at top speed was Swift Wind with She-Ra, Glimmer, Bow and Rook riding him with Ben now turned Wildmutt close behind them.
They rode through the ever strengthening storm as the lightning crashed and thundered around them. She-Ra looked ahead and saw some vines in their path she sliced them away with her sword. Then further ahead a tree began to fall. Wildmutt raced on ahead and rammed the tree away from his friends.
"Now Swifty!" She-Ra exclaimed.
"Hold on!" He answered as he flapped his wings carrying the group into the sky.
Wildmutt leaped into the air and slammed on the Omnitrix dial on his collar. He had now transformed into a pterodactyl humanoid alien, with red skin, a large looking beak, black and green clothing on his shoulders with bracers round his wrist and ankles. On his back wings emerged and blasted him into the air in the form of a jet pack. The Omnitrix rested on his left shoulder.
Astrodactyl blasted into the sky following Swift Wind as they emerged from the darkening cloud bank.
"Guys look" Bow pointed out to the group. They all saw the oncoming storm crackling with red lightning in the air. It wasn't just confined to the woods anymore.
"It's not just the woods…it's..." Glimmer realised in horror.
"Its the entire world." She-Ra finished.
"Oh boy the oncoming storm at the end of the world." Astrodactyl said in shock.
"Indeed, if this storm encompasses the entire planet we could be looking at a global catastrophe for all life." Rook observed the storm.
It was in that moment that Glimmer realised something. "Bright Moon. Swift Wind, hurry!" She gasped.
The unicorn pegasus flew through the storm with great urgency with Astrodactyl close behind them flying at top speed. But would they reach Bright Moon in time?
The Fright Zone:
Meanwhile at the heart of this catastrophic storm, was the Fright Zone. Catra and Scorpia walked outside on the balcony and saw the storm around them. The crashing lighting sparkling with electricity.
"Wow…" Lightning struck loud causing Scorpia to jump in fright. She looked to Catra. "What do you think it's doing?"
Said feline was looking completely in awe at the storm caused by boosting the Black Garnet and seeing it spread beyond the borders of the Fright Zone.
"I don't know." She said only to smirk rather evilly. "But I can work with this." The lightning crashed all around her as it now seemed the balance of power had now shifted. To her.
Authors Notes: BOOM! This doesn't look good, the world is out of balance, (see what I did there) Catra has finally put her teacher in her place, and now Ben finds out he and his partner maybe stranded in Despondos forever?! Now they've met Light Hope, and if everyone recalls the Ben 10 Ultimate alien game cosmic destruction the Ancient Galvan created the Potis Altiare the fore runner of the Omnitrix and Ultimatrix. It seemed like a good idea for the First Ones to meet the Ancient Galvan to answer a question put to me in the reviews. It also furthers the idea of Etheria once being in the known universe before, well you know what.
But now it seems a great battle is on the horizon, Ben, Adora and their allies are going to be in for the fight of their lives, but you never know when a glimmer of hope may shine down from the heavens. Literally.
Until next time. ITS HERO TIME!