The Horror of the Old Days, part one.
When the alarm sounded, she didn't actually feel fear. She had risked her life too many times to be scared by a simple alarm. She wasn't surprised either. From the very beginning she expected that something will happen during her wedding. It just had to happen! The only wonder was who was attacking them. Lonnie or one of the Heirs of Horde Prime? This is what he will find out! But the strangest thing was that she felt happy! Finally, no more damned meetings and hours of signing documents, at least for now! Best Friend Squad is back in action! She looked into her new husband's eyes and saw that he felt the same as she did. He also liked that they would return to their old lives, at least for a moment. It will be fun! But now she had to give orders first. She kissed Bow and called out to everyone.
„Okay, listen to me. There is no reason to panic. We've been in much worse trouble and we've gotten through it." She called the other princesses and officers. Catra approached them, smiling predatorily, she too was eager to fight. Adora, however, looked a little worried, as if something had happened that bothered her more than the attack. He needs to talk to her about it, but only after the fight. Scorpia puffed out her chest proudly, ready to receive orders, and Perfuma hugged her wife's strong arm, looking at her with eyes full of pride and tenderness. The Lady of Plumeria looked much less exhausted than before. Mermista stood some distance from Catra, she still didn't like Catra very much because of the cat girl's capture of Salinea. However, she never acted hostile towards the Grand Marshal and always obediently obeyed all orders. Seahawk was grinning as well, looking forward to her next adventure, Netossa was looking at her seriously, and Spinnerella looked concerned. She wasn't surprised, her children were here after all. There was also the matter of her condition... She was actually in the same condition, and Mermista also seemed to be a little rounded ... Oh!... General Juliet stood at attention with one eye, glancing at Lady Cala, who had also approached there uninvited. Perhaps it was a good thing, the girl from Carurystal was, according to Adora, an excellent warrior, although recently her friend had become angry with Cala because of her behavior during a training fight. However, she saw that the aristocrat was dancing with General' Juliet's daughter and even that they had kissed. Whoever was capable of love could not be truly evil. Sheguess that's why the General showed such dislike towards Lady Cala. Juliet was very protective of her daughter Klementine, probably because of her, so as not to make the girl feel sorry, she did not invite Onyx Sky. In her opinion, it was a terrible stupidity, but who was she to tell others how to live her life? She didn't see Entrapta anywhere ... She said that Hordak wouldn't be present at the ceremony, which she was very happy about, and right after the wedding she went somewhere with that tiring ant... Shirren girl, that is, to see the technological wonders brought by the Lord Admiral and his subordinates. She didn't see Auntie Casta or her father anywhere, they had to leave the dance hall and she didn't even notice. She wasn't really surprised by them. They must not have liked being in the company of so many people in love, although for different reasons. She didn't see Frosta anywhere, and she probably didn't like being among so many lovers, since she had no one to dance with.
„Listen, this is the plan. Catra and I will find out where the threat is coming from, and then, undetected, thanks to Melog , we will try to look at the threat and then get back to you. Scorpia, Perfuma and Adora, you will be in the first line... Mermista , you will look for Frosta, and then you will stand together in the second line. Netossa and Juliet, you will lead the troops, Catra will join you later, and Bow, Seahawk and Spinnerella will organize the evacuation of civilians.„ she gave orders, she felt happy that it went so smoothly.
„Why should I look for Frosta and then stand in the second line and does anyone know where she went?" Mermista asked in a suspicious tone. In fact, she was somewhat right, because she did not want the ruler of Salinea to expose herself too much because of her condition. Of course, she was in a similar state herself, but this was something completely different!
„And where is the heroism and adventure in standing at the back?" Seahawk asked with sadness in his voice. She took a deep breath before answering.
"Your and Frosta's powers work together perfectly, and someone needs to be in the second line to intercept those who break through the first line. Seahawk, the greatest heroism, is protecting those who cannot protect themselves.„ she hoped she sounded convincing, because there was no time for deliberation.
"I sent Frosta with Swiftwind to the city to look for something..." added Adora
Seahawk he looked satisfied with her answer, but Mermista wasn't entirely convinced. But she didn't protest. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief and start teleporting when she heard the Lord Admiral's voice behind her. Damn, she completely forgot about him.
„My soldiers will support your guards, and Lady Sorrowflame and Asindess di Vir will support my daughter-in-Law. My ships haven't detected any ships entering Etheria's orbit , so it's most likely a local threat. I will coordinate our forces from here. – said the Lord Admiral, without asking her opinion at all. Behind him, Lady Sorrowflame smiled mysteriously, this woman gave her chills. Asindesa di Vir, on the other hand, looked determined, even full of grim fatalism. .She swallowed her irritation, then spoke.
„ Agreed, but I wish your people to limit violence to a minimum." she tried to keep the sharpness in her voice. The Lord Admiral nodded and said.
„I always limit collateral damage to the minimum necessary." Catra's father said.
„It wasn't quite what I asked for." she said slowly in a firm voice, but the Lord Admiral seemed unmoved.
„ Sparkle, maybe we should start implementing our plan?" Catra asked, smiling cockily, although she felt very nervous. She understood why, she was now faced with a choice between her family, friends and loved one...
„Okay, you're right, we have to hurry...„ she said, but someone interrupted again.
„Can I Join Adora and the Rest?" Lady Cala asked in her always gentle voice.
„Agreement." she said, although Catra wanted to protest, but there was no time for further discussion.
They moved to a radio listening center built on one of the peaks surrounding Brightmoon. Normally, a newly built one led here magnetic roller coaster , but teleportation has always been much faster. The soldiers were on duty here despite the holiday, but someone was nice enough to bring them cake and other delicacies, she even saw a bottle of sparkling wine. But now everyone was very nervous and staring at the monitors of the radar and listening equipment.
„It's good that you're here, Queen and Grand Marshal! Something is approaching Brightmoon at great speed." the commander of the listening post will exclaim passionately. She seemed very nervous, even a little scared.
„Where can we get a good look at it?" she asked and the commander, along with several other soldiers, looked at the monitor and saw.
„The best will be the Luminous Hills." she mentioned the high hills towering above the Whispering Woods, where before the war there was a small settlement, which was abandoned during the war... Was it rebuilt? If there were residents there…
„Okay, let's go there!" she exclaimed and moved to the mentioned hill.
The stars shone above them. The village was abandoned... Although the area had already been cleared for the reconstruction of the settlement, the first houses would be built here within a year at most... It was quiet here... Too quiet. Catra and Melog flattened their ears. On the horizon they saw a single dark dot rapidly approaching towards them.
„We'd better hide. I don't know how well hiding Melog works at very close range." the cat girl whispered in a low voice. She nodded in agreement. They ran among the trees. There she finally understood what was wrong with this place..., The Whispering Woods fell silent. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She spent weeks in the Whispering Woods during and after the War. It was like a second home to her, if not more so. And he has never been silent before. Even during the occupation, everyone said that his whisper gave them comfort in difficult and terrible moments. Now he was silent, and it filled her with fear. Fear turned to horror as she saw what was approaching... The creature was huge, larger than any land creature that lived on Etheria. It moved on two thick legs, it had two massive paws with claws as big as swords. It had almost no neck, its large and hideous head growing directly from between its powerful shoulders. On its back were webbed wings that seemed far too small to support such a large body. It had no mouth, only a long segmented trunk with a toothed suction cup at the end. Its body seemed to be made of spongy, organic stone. But the worst thing was his eyes. They were huge and set so deep that at first they seemed like empty eye sockets. Unimaginable evil and hunger emanated from them ... Hunger was so great that it was overwhelming. She wanted to be as far away from this creature and its terrifying gaze as possible. She looked into Catra's eyes and saw that she wanted this creature.
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She let out a strangled scream, fortunately Melog's masking also worked on sounds, and she looked behind her. To her extreme surprise, she saw Madam Raz there. She met this strange and unusual old woman several times, although she preferred the company of Adora and Swistwind , as well as Catra, whom she usually called Serenia. She addressed her as if she were her own mother, Angela ... But from the time when she was a small child... which in itself said a lot about the woman's mental state.
„Razz, it's very dangerous here...„ she whispered as quietly as she could.
„I know." the old woman replied in an absolutely conscious voice. She looked at it more closely. Madam Razz looked different than usual. She was much more aware of what was happening around her. Her gaze was clearer and more focused. She pursed her lips with determination.
„Madam Raz?" she asked carefully, unsure how she should react to the new, changed Razz. The older woman looked at her with such a piercing gaze that it was as if she could see right through her soul.
„Someone made a promise and then didn't keep it. Chaugnar Faugn's little brothers really don't like it when others play with them. These beings are always hungry and constantly thirsty for blood... I don't know who awakened them, but I sensed a great evil that had recently arrived on Etheria. An evil that is dark and wicked, but also very powerful. I have already fought against his parent as much as any mortal can, and the price has been very high... Very high indeed." said the older woman in a low voice. Then she looked at her and added in a sharp tone.
„Take me to the capital... Where the government is..."
She didn't protest, even though Razz was clearly ordering her, but moved them to Brightmoon . When she appeared in front of the castle, she saw Scorpia and Perfuma surrounded by guards, as well as the Lord Admiral's soldiers armed with heavy weapons. She didn't see Adora, Lady Cala or Asindesa di Vir anywhere.
„What's going on? Is it Lonnie or is it... Someone else?" ruler of Plumeria asked. She was very concerned… Did she suspect something? She knew many old legends that others had forgotten. Maybe one of them talked about a monster that was coming to Brightmoon .
„ Someone Very Different... Where are Adora and the rest? – Catra asked, clearly scared .
"Uh, that's interesting..." Scorpia said, scratching her temple.
„For the Honor of the Grayskull!" she exclaimed while running, transforming into She-Ra. She didn't slow down even for a moment, she felt the battle excitement pulsating in her heart. However, she couldn't shake the anxiety that lingered in the back of her mind. The Lord Admiral spoke with Lady Sorrowflame almost two hours before the attack, pointing in the direction where the threat was coming from. Did he know something beforehand but didn't warn them ? If so, that meant... uh... she didn't even want to think about what it could mean.
The Perfuma almost kept up with her, as did Asindesa di Vir. Despite her age, the woman was in great condition. Scorpia was the only one who couldn't keep up with them, after all, all those muscles weighed much. And Lady Cala didn't even break a sweat... This woman was amazing. They reached the foreground of the castle. Her father-in-law's soldiers and Brightmoon guardswere waiting for backup to arrive. It was calm, a real calm before the storm. As soon as she breathed a little, she saw two flashes of an explosion from the direction of Brightmoon, and immediately afterwards she heard the echoes of the explosion. She turned around, clearly confused.
„This frontal attack is probably just a diversion! The real target was someone in Brightmoon." Lady Cala exclaimed, her voice full of genuine fear. At that exact moment, her communicator went off.
„Help needed! Empress of Eridani delegation has been attacked!"
They looked at each other, apparently they all got the same message.
„They definitely got here through that forgotten tunnel! If we get underground, maybe we can intercept them!" Lady Cala exclaimed, as if she had had a sudden epiphany. They looked at her in surprise.
„What tunnel? What are you talking about?" she said to the woman from Carurystal. She blushed and said.
„I remembered several old legends told in my family for generations. I decided to check them out and went to the castle's basement. There I found a corridor leading outside... I didn't tell you about it because you were mad at me and I didn't know it would be important. The entrance is nearby." her tone was urgent.
She wasn't sure if she should listen. There was something strange about Lady Cala, and Catra clearly didn't trust her. he could also be needed here, fighting alongside everyone else. But if they had a chance to intercept the kidnappers and save the alliance. Besides, she could have moved here. It was still difficult, and with the exception of Catra, she couldn't move to people, only places, but within Etheria itself it was easier. She nodded and said.
„Okay, go ahead!" she said. She was about to set off, but Asindesa di Vir stopped her.
„I'm going with you." Said the Hell Knight.
„Agree." she said, looking at Lady Cala , but she did not protest . Maybe the women started getting along with each other... Together they followed the aristocrat from Carurystal.
„Couldn't we wait here for the kidnappers if it's the only way out?" Asindesa di Vir asked, but Lady Cala shook her head.
„I don't know if this is the only way out, but I know where the intersection of the tunnels is, where they all intersect." replied the Aristocrat of Caryrustal. Asindesa di Vir looked at her suspiciously, but said nothing.
The entrance was in the wall of the Mountain, well hidden by wild plants. It was almost invisible from the outside. Still, it was surprising that it hadn't been discovered all these millennia... Or maybe it had been discovered. Queen Angela didn't have time to tell her daughter many things, especially since she always tried to protect her from dangers...
People of Etheria avoided Ruins of her people, for they were well guarded, but Queen Angela seemed to know a lot about this ancient civilization. This would explain why she preferred to hide the truth from Glimmer. Remnants of the First Ones never meant anything good. She remembered visiting the vaults during Glimmer's coronation. She remembered that guardian.
They walked through the tunnels in silence, following Lady Cala. The aristocrat was dressed only in a white dress. She had her sword on her belt. Asindesa wore a dress uniform and her mysterious sword created by the First Ones. She wasn't sure if she should take them with her since they didn't have enough protection, but since they thought they were willing to take the risk, she couldn't protest.
They followed Lady Cala for fifteen minutes, the woman seemed to be perfectly oriented in the maze of corridors, not slowing down even for a moment . The underground was incredibly vast, she wasn't sure how long it would take her to find her way back. The thought that there were such extensive ruins built by the First Ones beneath Brightmoon was very disturbing. Finally they reached a large circular room with a crystal column in the center, with dozens of corridors leading from it.
„We are et the right place!" Lady Cala shouted in a triumphant tone.
„So now we wait, right?" she asked the Aristocrat, who nodded in response, smiling mysteriously. Suddenly, a translucent figure appeared in front of them. It was a hologram like Light Hope. It showed a girl her age wearing a summer dress. The sight of her made her feel uneasy.
„Hello my friend, I would like you to meet someone." Lady Cala said, standing behind the Hologram. There was a strangely predatory laugh on her face.
„Hi! I am Heart Gift , Planetary Archive! Nice to meet you." she said in a cheerful voice . She looked much more expressive than Light Hope.
„Nice to meet you, Heart Gift. I am Adora, She-Ra of Etheria" she introduced herself, smiling carefully. Heart Gift then laughed loudly, clearly amused by her words.
„It's very funny because what you're saying can't be true because my Mom Mara is She-Ra." She laughed again. She felt fear so great that her insides flickered.
„Your mom?" she asked with a shaky voice
The hologram nodded and said.
„Yes, Mara and Light Hope are my moms... Isn't that wonderful?" Heart Gift jumped happily. She felt a wave of Sadness and guilt wash over her.
„What's going on here Cala!" The Hell knight screamed. The aristocrat giggled softly.
„ I only wish for the truth to be discovered... Can there be a nobler goal for the righteous knight?" she giggled again and then turned to Heart Gift .
„Heart Gift ... Please, my dear friend, can you check Mara's Status? Your Mom? It is very important." her voice was gentle and sweet.
„Please don't do this… „ she whispered pleadingly. Why did Lady Cala suggest this to her?
„But... Why would I do that anyway? This may be secret data... I'm not allowed to look at it!" Heart Gift said, clearly confused.
„Do not listen to her. Adora is a very wicked person... She doesn't want you to know the truth, because then her evil deeds would be revealed." said Lady Cala, her voice filled with concern and compassion… But what she said… What she encouraged this unfortunate creature to do… There was pure evil in it… and truth… Can the truth be evil?
„What are you going to do? Speak!" Asindesa di Vir ordered, clenching both hands on the hilt of her sword.
„You'll see... It'll be something beautiful... „ Lady Cala said happily, taking a few steps back. What pleased her about it!
Heart Gift frowned, then exclaimed indignantly.
„Why was she considered a traitor... After all, it was the highest council that decided to entrust her with the Sword of Protection! She was a Hero! There must have been some terrible mistake." the AI girl looked around scared. She held out her hand and said, feeling tears stream down her cheeks.
„Your mother was a real hero. She saved us all, but it cost her so much. She… „ she hesitated, because how could she break such news? To tell again someone that she is alone again. Her legs gave way under her. Then Lady Cala spoke.
„Your mother was a traitor and she received a well-deserved punishment for her betray... Check her status." her voice was more firm than before. Heart Gift blinked twice, then a look of horror appeared on her face .
„ What it mean Status: Dead! NO! It is impossible! She couldn't die! She just couldn't! I have to ask Light Hope! Mama Light Hope will know the truth!" The AI shouted. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. What happens now will be even worse. She felt She-Ra's power leaving her.
„I don't understand... I can't contact her... „ Heart Gift's voice was close to panic.
„Take a look at the Light Hope Planetary Interface logs." Lady Cala suggested Gently. Si blinked twice, then spoke quietly…almost dispassionately.
„Planetary interface Light Hope has been permanently self-erased due to a conflict with Administrator She-Ra Adora." and she fell silent. The entire room fell silent.
„You are a monster... „ whispered the Lady of Blades, she stared in horror at Lady Cala, who smiled happily, almost inhumanly.
„Yes, but wonderful! one!„ she said and bowed from the waist.
Then Heart Gift looked up and looked straight into the eyes of the one who was responsible for her mother's death, actually killed her.
„I'm sorry, Heart Gift ... I'm so sorry... „ she said, sobbing. Then Heart Gift screamed and the whole of Brightmoon shook .