Chapter Eleven: Tension Building


Trees. Trees here, trees there, trees every which way you looked. And with no other landmarks in sight, it was all but impossible for the trio to tell which way they were going versus which way they had been. "I'm not hearing a lot of whispering," Crita said. "They should call this place the Wandering Woods, because that's all we seem to be doing."

Bluebird turned around in a huff. "Well, that's hardly my fault!" she said in a huff. "Even from above, everything in this place looks the same!"

"I never said it was your fault…" Crita muttered. Tensions had been rising since they arrived, not helped by Catra not being there to keep them in line.

"Why don't we just set this whole place on fire?" suggested Karikon. "We wait for it to burn, and then we march to Brightmoon through the ashes. Problem solved."

Crita shot him a glance. "Are you seriously suggesting that? I shouldn't even need to explain to you why that's a terrible idea…but I will anyway. First of all, a forest fire would only draw attention to us, which is the last thing we want. Second, do you have any idea how long it would take for an entire forest to burn down? More than we have!"

Karikon had stopped listening. "Uh-huh, yeah, cool. Are you sure we aren't gonna die here? Because if I am gonna die on this planet, I'd rather it not be wandering around in some woods."

"We aren't lost!" snapped Bluebird. "Brightmoon is to the east of the Whispering Woods, that much I know. So, all we need to do is keep going west, and we're there! And this way is west." She kept flying on, with the other two following her.

"Is it?" Crita asked, though quietly enough for Bluebird not to hear her. "Maybe your fire idea isn't the worst…"

"Shush!" Bluebird stopped them, hiding behind a tree. The pair joined her. "Enemy approaching! Stay low." She peered around the tree at a sound that she had heard.

It was somebody singing–well, humming, but they weren't alone. A rustic cabin sat in a small clearing that the three of them had stumbled upon, where someone, likely its owner, was hard at work just on the other side. "If we're lost, then whoever that is must be really lost," Crita said. "Who'd want to live out here?"

"An ally of the princesses, no doubt," said Karikon, pounding his claws together. "C'mon, let's give 'em a pounding and get some answers!"

Crita held him back before he could give away their position to someone they knew nothing about. "Hold on there. This place used to be a lot more dangerous than it is now. Someone who actually lives here probably isn't your normal woodsman."

"Exactly as I thought, Crita," said Bluebird. "I'll scout ahead, move in when you hear the signal." She flew up atop the tree, fluttering off to get a better look.

"...What exactly is the signal?" Karikon asked. Crita shrugged.

From up on her perch, Bluebird saw that the source of the noise was an elderly woman, sweeping leaves off her front walkway. "There, looking much nicer for when Mara comes to visit!" she said. "Hmm?" She held her broom up to her ear as though listening to it. "Of course I had to do it myself! Whenever I let you do it, the leaves end up all over the place! Even on the roof!" She walked back into her house.

Bluebird whistled, flying over to another tree. When neither Karikon nor Crita moved, she angrily whistled again, signaling for them to move in. They each flanked from either side of the cabin, with Bluebird herself approaching the door. The old woman opened up after a knock.

"Oh, hello there, little one!" she said, smiling warmly at the visitor. "What's a little Gem doing all the way out here? The woods are no place for a little thing like you–are you lost?"

"Something like that," Bluebird replied. "We were on our way to Castle Brightmoon, but this place is like a maze! If you could point us in the right direction…"

"...It would really help us out." Karikon and Crita emerged to surround the woman, looking as intimidating as possible. Despite that, she wasn't afraid of them in the slightest, responding to their emergence with a cheery grin.

"Oh, more guests!" she said, clasping her hands together. "Come in, come in, I was just about to put the kettle on! It can't have been easy, coming all this way. I'll point you in the right direction just as soon as you've got your strength up!"

Just as she was about to walk back inside, Karikon put his hand on the door. "Quite the gracious host, aren't you? Unfortunately, we don't have the time to hang out. So why don't you tell us what you need to know, and we'll be on our way?"

The old woman stared at him for a moment, but the fact that he was threatening her didn't seem to register. "Oh, that reminds me! I'm running low on firewood." She strolled past the three over to some trees. "You seem like a big, strong lad. Be a dear and help me chop some trees, would you?"

"I'll chop more than those trees!" Karikon angrily made his way over to the woman as she disappeared behind a tree–literally. He arrived to find that she was nowhere to be found. "What the?" He rounded the tree in question a few times, even looking up to see if she had climbed it. "Where'd she go!?"

"You don't look to be around here." Crita jumped as the woman suddenly appeared behind her. "New allies of the princesses? Or are you visiting Brightmoon from a far away land?"

Crita looked around awkwardly, unsure of how to deal with this apparently-senile lady. "Um…look…?"

"Madame Razz!" she said. "But please, call me Razz."

"Right. Uh, Ms. Razz, sorry for being rude, but we're actually in somewhat of a hurry. See, we're on a very important mission to find a powerful First Ones artifact, and we think Brightmoon might have a clue to where we can find it. Or…do you think you know where it might be?"

"Oh, sure, just tell her our whole mission while you're at it!" said Bluebird. "She could be an ally of the princesses! She might warn them we're coming! And why would she know where the Heart of Etheria is!?"

"Yeah, and now she knows she should warn them, since you just told her!" Crita shot back. "And she's old, who knows what she's heard! I'm sorry, Razz, tensions have just been a bit high lately…hmm? What's the matter?"

Razz was giving her a strange look. It almost seemed like she was beginning to realize that the three of them were dangerous. "Where…where did you hear that name?" she asked worriedly. "Nobody should know about the Heart of Etheria. Mara made sure it would be lost forever!"

"I don't know who this 'Mara' is, and I don't really care," said Karikon. He approached her, doing his best to loom menacingly over her. "Question is, how do you know about the Heart of Etheria?"

Concern had now washed over the old woman's face, and not due to him. "The Heart of Etheria was the First Ones' greatest weapon. With it, entire planets would have fallen before their might! It was only thanks to Mara that the universe was spared their wrath." She approached Bluebird, trying to grab her hands only for the Gem to recoil. "Please, you must stop searching for this abomination! In the wrong hands, it could doom us all!"

Karikon lifted the woman up to face level. "Enough games, you senile old bag! Just tell us where we can find this thing, and nobody gets–ack!" Razz tossed a handful of dust into the scorpion's face, scampering off as soon as she hit the ground. "Hey! You tricky old biddy!"

Bluebird growled in irritation. "If we get outsmarted by a grandma… Get after her! I'll make sure she isn't hiding anything." She went inside Razz's cabin, while the other two chased after her.

"Has it ever occurred to you that interrogating someone by shaking them like a ragdoll isn't the best means of getting answers?" said Crita, chasing after Razz with her partner.

He shrugged. "Hey, it hasn't failed me yet!" A pause. "Well, before now." They managed to corner Razz in front of a rock. "No way to run, granny. Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

Despite what her surroundings would imply, Razz wasn't as trapped as she seemed. "Please…you must tell the child of Halfmoon that the Heart of Etheria is not to be trifled with." Reaching a hand into her pouch, she threw a handful of dust to the ground. "Razzle Dazzle!" There was a blinding flash of light, disorienting the pair. When the light faded and their vision returned, Razz had disappeared, leaving no trace.

Crita looked around, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Great! Guess she chose the easy way. You're explaining to Bluebird that we really were outsmarted by a grandma."

"Bah, you give up too easily!" he replied. "She can't have gotten far with those old bones of hers. She has to be around here somewhere." While he went off to search for her, Crita went back to the cabin to report their failure.

It didn't seem like Bluebird had much luck either, as she was pacing angrily outside of the cabin. "Worthless!" she exclaimed. "For someone who knows more than she lets on, she doesn't keep a lot of secrets in her home." She noticed Crita approach alone and empty-handed. "Don't tell me she took the big guy!"

Despite her annoyance, the visual of Karikon being spirited away by the old woman made Crita crack a smile. "No, but she didn't stick around, either. She pulled some sort of disappearing act, but…before she left, she said something about 'the child of Halfmoon.' Do you have any idea what that could mean?"

"How should I?" replied Bluebird. "I don't know anything about this lousy planet except what was covered in briefings. She probably meant Brightmoon, but her old lady brain just got confused." She massaged her forehead. "Okay. As disappointing as this is, this wasn't a complete loss. We know more about the Heart of Etheria than we did before we came here. In fact, I'm sure Catra would be pleased to hear about this!" She took out her communicator, trying to contact their commander.

Karikon then returned, unsurprisingly empty-clawed. "That woman is either very fast or very magic," he said. "I couldn't find any trace of her, not even footprints! No wonder she's survived living out here by herself." He was quiet for a moment as they waited for Bluebird to finish her call. "...Did you notice how spooked she was when we brought up the Heart of Etheria? She must really think it's dangerous."

"I'd imagine a powerful First Ones artifact would have to be if both Catra and Entrapta want to get their hands on it," said Crita. "Especially if it really is capable of destroying planets. Though I'm not convinced she wasn't just exaggerating."

Bluebird returned. "No signal," she grumbled. "The sooner we get out of this forest, the better. So, let's keep moving!" She took to the air, continuing in the direction they were headed before the diversion, with the other two following behind.

"I just hope it doesn't destroy this planet," said Karikon. "Not while I'm on it, at least. …Where were we going again?"

"To Brightmoon, so I can have my revenge on Steven Universe," Bluebird said impatiently. "Please try to keep up. Hopefully, we should be there soon if we keep heading west."

Crita leaned closer to Karikon. "Is this west?" she asked quietly. He shrugged.


"So, how'd you meet Modulok anyhow?" asked Entrapta. Although Leech wasn't much for conversation, it hung onto her every word, staring at her with its beady black eyes. "Interesting! It seems like you and your buddy trust him a lot."

The buddy in question, Mantenna, also seemed to be watching Entrapta, intently watching her while hanging from the ceiling. All the while, she worked at assembling the blueprints for Modulok's device. Exact specifications would come later–for now, a general outline was all she needed.

"I see you've made some new friends." Entrapta turned around to see that Modulok had suddenly returned. "My creations are often distrustful of newcomers, but these two have taken to you quite well. Though I imagine you have that effect on people, don't you?"

She couldn't help grinning. "Oh, I'm not much of a people person, but I try! Anyway, what are you doing back so soon? I thought you had an important mission to run. Actually, how did you get back here so quickly? I didn't hear your ship landing."

It was hard to tell, considering his heavily-mutated facial features, but something seemed to be bothering him. "There was a…slight complication involving someone I was supposed to meet," he said, avoiding meeting her eyes. "As for how I'm back so fast, I simply opened up a portal." He was met with a confused stare from her. "...Oh? Did I forget to mention I had a working portal generator?"

"You do!?" Entrapta shouted excitedly, jumping up from her workstation. "When and how did you make it? Was it back on Etheria? Did you ever manage to make it out of Despondos? Can I see it!?"

Modulok chuckled good-naturedly. "I can see this is something you're very passionate about!" He turned to head down a hallway, gesturing for her to follow. "You've been hard at work, so I guess you deserve a break. Come, I'll let you try it out."

The two of them walked towards the portal chamber, Mantenna and Leech watching as they disappeared down the hall. "Portals were something of a passion for me and Hordak back in the day," she said. "We managed to open a few, but all that led to was capturing Lars and his crew, and resurrecting Skeletor, and Horde Prime invading, and nearly destroying both Etheria and Earth. None of which were ideal outcomes."

"I would imagine so. I, too, spent many years trying to open a way out of Despondos," Modulok explained. "In all my years of experimenting, I only succeeded once, and the portal only remained stable for mere moments. This was many years ago, before the Horde arrived on Etheria. Oftentimes, I wonder if anything–or anyone–came through that day." He didn't know for sure, but he suspected.

Modulok opened a door, letting them into a room that contained a large frame. "Wow…it looks just like Hordak's!" said Entrapta, walking in to examine it. "This…this wasn't based on his specifications, was it?"

"No, no, but it wouldn't surprise me if he based his portal device on previous versions, such as those of the First Ones, or Horde Prime." Modulok stepped up to the control panel to activate the portal frame. A glowing sphere manifested in the device's center. "Now, since Etheria's expulsion from Despondos, I have set up devices like this across many planets all over this galaxy and many others. I could go anywhere…but I want to take you somewhere special."

He activated the portal, which appeared from the sphere as a glowing whirlpool of energy. "Lead the way!" said Entrapta. Modulok entered, and she followed after. She was unsure of what awaited her on the other side. Her mind went through a variety of alien landscapes and wondrous locales, but she was surprised by where she found herself. Her first sight was a view of the stars through a giant window, with a large planet taking up most of the view. "Woah…" she said, walking closer to the glass to get a better look. "Are we on some kind of orbital station?"

"That we are," replied Modulok, looking out the window at the planet below. "This is the planet where my people came from, so many years ago. I returned to this facility once Etheria was freed from Despondos to continue my research." He placed a hand on the glass. "It was abandoned long ago, but still, it holds something of a sentimental value to me. Sometimes, I find myself wondering where they've all gone…"

Entrapta didn't want to interrupt Modulok's sentimentality, so she waited a moment before asking her next question. "Is…is that why you wanted to build that device? To reactivate this station?"

"I…Indeed, yes." Modulok faltered for a moment, but recovered fast enough that it wasn't noticed. "As I said, it's merely sentimental, but it would mean a lot to me."

"Hey, I understand completely!" replied Entrapta. "I feel the same way about my robots. Even if they don't turn out the way I wanted, I can never bring myself to recycle them. Now, why don't we see what kind of systems we're working with." She headed over to a nearby door, placing her hand on the adjacent scanner. However, there was no response.

Modulok walked over. "Apologies, but I've had to seal all entryways in the facility once I arrived. No central power also means no oxygen… I will give you the full tour once it is working, but for now this room is all I can show you." He gestured over towards the portal, indicating it was time to go.

She stood in front of the frame as he booted the portal up once again. Before she went through, she noticed that he was standing back aways. "Aren't you coming too?" asked Entrapta.

He shook his head. "I think I would like to stay here a while longer. Keep up the good work, I will join you shortly."

Entrapta shrugged. "Okay then. See you in a bit!" With that, she headed through, the portal closing behind her. Once she was gone, Modulok turned back towards the window…for a split second.

His next move was to head for the door that was apparently sealed. He placed his own hand on the scanner, which reacted by lighting up. The door slid open, giving way to a room filled with plenty of oxygen, within a facility that was already activated.

Not only that, but he wasn't alone. A figure robed in dark red was already in the room, manipulating a ball of black particles before her. "How long do you plan on deceiving her?" asked Shadow Weaver.

"As long as is necessary," Modulok said, strolling over to a nearby workstation. More of the black dust Shadow Weaver was manipulating was on it, sealed in various vials along with other odd substances. "She really is a brilliant young mind, though I doubt she would agree with our end goal." He began mixing several of the substances together.

Shadow Weaver placed the black dust into a pouch, placing it on the table. "While we're on this matter, you have been concerningly vague about what you get from our alliance. I understand what I stand to gain, but what is your angle?"

He smiled. "Beware the skies above, young one, for darkness hides within. The stars have all gone out, young one, they now control the sky. The Many Who Are One, young one, the First Ones' greatest sin. Devour all they see, young one, and now you've caught their eye. Even though now they're gone, young one, they may yet still win. For even a dead god, young one, can never truly die."

The sorceress stared at him like he had gone mad. "I was unaware you were a poet," she said, slightly annoyed. "But would you be so kind as to spare me the pretension?"

"I take it you never heard that poem when you were younger," he said, standing up. "In all your time in Mystacor, you've really never heard of the Many Who Are One?"

She hadn't. "That name doesn't sound familiar. Of course, I was busy training to be a sorceress, I didn't exactly have time to document every fairy tale or nursery rhyme I heard."

Modulok began to pace around the room, giving off a smug aura. "Oh, I think you're more familiar with them than you think. You see, the legend of the Many Who Are One is a legend that permeates both Etherian and Eternean culture alike. Stories of a shadowy entity too horrible to be given a name, merely a title. The myth has taken many forms over the millennia: Keldor and his band of cultists referred to it as 'Skeletor,' suggesting a connection to undeath. Here on Etheria, it is largely known as 'The Many Who Are One,' likely implying a hive mind nature. Meanwhile, the name I knew it by in my childhood has largely been lost to time, only remembered by a handful of ancient sources, most of them forbidden. Its true title, or at least the closest it has to one, is simply…'The Unnamed One.'" He turned to face Shadow Weaver, expecting her to react.

This name she had heard. At the mention of the Unnamed One, a small cluster of shadows began to dance around her fingertips, accompanied by the faintest of disembodied whispers. Memories of grasping hands and peering eyes resurfaced in her mind. "That is why you sought me out?" she asked. "Because of my connection to the Unnamed One?"

"You catch on quick," he said. "Don't worry–I abandoned Keldor's idea of an apocalyptic doomsday cult long ago. I merely seek this being to utilize a fraction of its power. It is a means to an end–nothing more, nothing less."

"I know I am the one who asked, but in truth, your plans are of little concern to me," she responded. Just so long as I get what I was promised."

He nodded, returning to the workstation. "That you shall, my dear." Shadow Weaver returned her gaze to the numerous pods that lined the walls. Dozens of them, each large enough to hold a human being. Many of them did. "That you shall."


"Ladies and Gems, may I present to you the new, improved, First Ones star cruiser formerly owned by Mara!" announced Peridot, standing atop the ship as it was towed into the courtyard. "Please, no need to pretend you're not impressed!"

There it was: Hordak, Bow, and Peridot had completed repairs on Mara's ship, which had just returned to Brightmoon. Pulled by a procession of Horde skiffs, just about everyone in the castle was there to see it. "To be honest, I was expecting something a bit…bigger," noted Perfuma.

"Bigger, smaller, as long as it gets us from place to place at faster-than-light speed, that's all that matters," said Glimmer, approaching the ship to examine it. "Seriously, though, you guys did a good job fixing this up. I imagine Hordak didn't cause too much trouble?"

Bow stepped down off a skiff to join her. "No, actually, he was really helpful. I can't believe I'm saying this, but…he's actually not that bad a guy." He looked away from Glimmer's judgemental stare. "Y'know, aside from the whole 'global conquest' thing."

Glimmer laughed. "I believe you–still, though, we should probably keep an eye on him. Lars should be around here somewhere, I'll have to let him know his new ship is here. Did anything else happen out there in the Crimson Waste?"

Looking at Hordak for a brief moment, Bow quickly averted his gaze. "Uh, no, not really. Just a lotta sand, honestly. No sign of the New Horde, if that's what you're asking."

"Good. I've been having Adora keep an eye out for them. Now, where is she–Adora!" Adora made her way over. "Still no new activity on the planetary scanners?"

"Not that I saw," she replied. "According to Hessonite, most of their troops are still occupying Ophidia. She would have alerted us if there was any significant breakaway."

After her initial bombastic entrance, Peridot had disappeared once the ship was in place. Now, she peered out from behind it, trying to get Adora's attention. She was waving at her and not-so-subtly trying to draw her over, trying not to alert Glimmer in the process. Adora cleared her throat when she saw her. "What's up?" asked Glimmer.

She shrugged. "Nothing, nothing. I'm, uh, gonna check this thing out. It belonged to Mara, so there's a chance it has some stuff on She-Ra we don't know yet. Oh look, there's Peridot, she can help me access the ship's databanks! Be right back, Glimmer!" Adora then headed off towards Peridot, just a little too quickly.

Under normal circumstances, Glimmer might have found her behavior suspicious. And while she did pick up that she was acting a little off, there was too much on her mind at the moment. "Bow, the ship is spaceworthy, right? I don't want to send Lars and his crew off on a mission in a faulty ship."

"It's…" Bow paused for a moment. "We should probably run a few tests before we take it up there. Just in case." He wandered off to look for Hordak, with Glimmer close behind. "So, this mission you're sending Lars on…is it that mission?"

"It is," Glimmer said grimly. "I'll be going too: not just to provide backup, but because I want to make sure the job is done." Her hands glowed as she gritted her teeth, something Bow took as a sign to keep his distance. He couldn't help but shake the feeling there was something she wasn't telling him.

Meanwhile, Adora hurried to join Peridot in a nearby garden. "Hey, what's up?" she asked. "Did you find anything?"

"I did, actually," Peridot replied, looking around to make sure they weren't being overheard. "So, um, are you familiar with the Reticulan method of interstellar wayfinding?"

"...No," Adora said.

"That's alright, it's a pretty outdated system. But the point is, you were right: those numbers Light Hope gave you were coordinates. I put them into the ship, and they showed me a First Ones facility somewhere in this very galaxy. A space station, orbiting around an uninhabited planet."

Adora was overjoyed at this information. "Th–that's great! Peridot, this could be where I'm from! It could be my home! Thank you so much for doing this for me, I'll repay you however I can!"

Peridot didn't share her enthusiasm, and indeed seemed a little uncomfortable by how excited she was. "Um, okay, yeah, yes. It could be where you're from. Possibly. Maybe. I wouldn't get your hopes up, it could've been abandoned long ago…"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not expecting to meet any of my relatives–as cool as that would be," said Adora. "Light Hope gave me those coordinates for a reason, so even if nothing comes of this, I owe it to her to at least check it out."

"And, um, how exactly do you plan on getting there?" asked Peridot.

She shrugged. "I dunno. I'm sure there's a Gem who could give me a ride. Or better yet, I'll take Mara's ship for a test flight! I'll zip on down, be back in less than a day, and Glimmer'll be none the wiser! Perfect plan, right?"

Peridot didn't agree. "No, not perfect plan!" she said. "Why are you so focused on keeping this from Glimmer? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell her where you're going?"

"I…" Adora paused to ponder this. "Glimmer's made it clear she doesn't want anything to do with Light Hope's numbers. I don't think she trusts her, and I don't know why. This'll be easier if it's something I do myself." She turned to leave, offering up a grateful glance before she was gone. "Seriously though: thank you for this, Peridot. I mean it when I said I'll pay you back."

"N-no problem," said Peridot, giving an unenthausiastic thumbs-up. With Adora gone, she was left alone in the garden, pondering what this all meant for the Princess Alliance. "I don't think I made the best decision here…"