.

Unforgiven

She woke up.

For a brief moment she thought that she was once again in captivity to Queen Angela, that the war was still going on, that Catra and Adora were on opposite sides, that the last few years had been just a dream... And then she touched her face and noticed that she was not wearing a mask She closed her eyes. She felt a pounding pain in her head. She examined her head, it turned out that her wound was bandaged, the inhabitants of Etheria cared even for their enemies. She smiled bitterly and washed herself in the sink. She removed the holographic mask and set it aside. While washing herself, she saw another reflection in the mirror instead of her own. She didn't feel ashamed, even though she was half"naked, nor did she look back, because she knew that a person who contacts someone through a mirror image does not intend to spy on others in negligee, although few would find her body attractive... Or maybe they did? It doesn't matter now. The man on the other side wore SLR glasses and a top hat. He had fair, even pale skin and dark hair, and his features resembled those of a bird. She didn't recognize him, nor did he trust him, but at least he wasn't the certain Horned Saihe she had also met in the mirror so many years ago. It was from him that her journey that led her here began.

„Good afternoon Miss Daisy or I guess Shadow Weaver... The latter name suits you much better." he said and bowed politely, although humbly.

„Yes, of all the names I've had, this one suits me best. However, you know my identity, but I don't know yours. That's a shameful imbalance, don't you think?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. At least it was a polite conversation, she couldn't hope for more like it in the near future.

„Ah, I'm so sorry. My manners have deteriorated a bit over the last few decades, the result of spending too much time in the company of bandits and other people of questionable origin. I am Doctor Sidonius...„ he replied to her, changing his accent several times

„ Ah yes, the scholar who condemned an innocent child to me." she said darkly, feeling a sudden surge of hatred towards both the scientist and herself.

„Oh, dear sorceress, the way you treated her is only your fault." he laughed mockingly. She nodded.

„You're right, but testing a teleportation device on a defenseless child is undoubtedly a monstrosity."

He shrugged and said with mild amusement in his voice.

„I am a vampire, which means for many people one of the worst monsters. Isn't it part of my nature to do atrocities?"

She snorted with anger and contempt.

„I don't feel like playing sophistry. You certainly didn't come here to peek at the scarred elf. If you say that's what you came for, I'll have every right to laugh contemptuously."

He bowed apologetically and said.

„Well, yes, both of us have limited time, although yours is definitely more limited than mine. I came to pay tribute to our mutual friends."

„Which one of them, because I have the impression that we have surprisingly many of them. Catra and her sister, friends Eti, Bina and Lady Ka... I suspect Arkan-tar is among them too. A surprising number of people for two who are just now meet" she said with a bit of venom in her voice. Not enough to kill, but enough for the toxins to enter the blood.

„We have even more. For I travel with Archduke Adamson and Prince Zed." he said, and this time she looked at him with surprise.

„Archduke Adamson and Zed are working with you?" she asked, quickly analyzing the implications of what she had just learned. She could imagine reasons why someone like the Archduke would want to work with someone like this vampire, and although everything she could think of had very unpleasant implications, but the ancient Automaton didn't strike her as the type of person interested in being friends with someone like Doctor Sidonius. Prince Zed was a cunning fox who usually knew more than others, but she couldn't see him as more than a gossip, or at most an information broker.

„Kane and I have known each other for a very long time, and Prince Zed is a really interesting person." said the Vampire with a Carurystal Accent. Something about Sidonius' words disturbed her greatly.

„For a long time? Is that what you mean?" she said slowly.

„Since the time of the Lost Golarion, it seems... The memories of that period are very distant, but I still remember them better than anything that happened during the Gap. Yes, the Archduke is really that old, although for consolation I will tell you that not only you have been deceived, but also all the inhabitants of his planet. It's a matter of an artifact, a very long story for which we neither have time nor inclination."

„So why are you disturbing my peace? Are you willing to trade what I know in exchange for helping to free Me? Or do you just want to chat? I don't drink anymore, even though I want to, but I'm sure the guards will bring me tea whenever I ask for it. The people of Etheria are extremely kind to their captives." she said, not hiding the anger in her voice. She had some really difficult times ahead of her and needed time to prepare for the meeting with Catra and Adora... And Glimmer...

Dr. Sidonius nodded as if he accepted her arguments and said.

„I came here to warn you, my dear Shadow Weaver!" exclaimed Doctor Sidonus in a theatrical tone.

„I was at this performance during the Winter Festival when I was visiting a school located on Cala's land." she said in a grave tone. This Vampire was a surprisingly frivolous person for someone who had such a good reputation.

„This is my daughter's favorite story, I have read it to her so many times that I know it by heart. Moreover, it perfectly reflects the situation you find yourself in." said the undead scholar. She rolled her eyes. She appreciated good stories and interesting metaphors, but only when the situation fit, and this one definitely didn't fit.

„Just say what you have to say and leave me the damnedest alone." she said with resignation.

„Today you will be visited by three ghosts! The Ghost of the Vile Past, the Ghost of the Grim Present, and the Ghost of the Lost Future. But don't worry, because later the rescue will come!" he exclaimed, making a face like from a street theater and laughing. She thought for a moment. The first ghost was definitely Catra and Adora... The other two were a much bigger mystery. Lost Future… she suspected who it could be. This possibility was also painful, but it was the pain she deserved. But the Grim Present? She had some guesses, but nothing more. So she decided to see what the Vampire would talk if he asked directly.

„Lady Cala somehow managed to justify her reason for visiting me, or does she care what others think?

The undead scholar laughed and said.

„Unfortunately, your new and noble protégé decided to take off the mask of a noble lady and revealed her true face to the inhabitants of Etheria, and sadly they did not like it very much. Well, apparently she was too flamboyant."

„I suspect it's because she tried to murder someone, am I wrong?„ she said in a resigned tone. This made it all extremely complicated... Their orders from the Creeping Chaos were clear, though in their graciousness they had given them a lot of leeway in interpreting them, but currently they were both grounded and she had no idea how much patience the Great Outer God had left. Although they was a being older than the stars, they existed in the space-time of ordinary mortals. the had to take the passage of time into account. And they lost too much of it with their arrogant pride. It was difficult to count on the understanding of a creature that was the embodiment of evil and chaos. She had to think of something, and fast, or the consequences might be unimaginable, and not just because of Nyarlathotep's Wrath. For she knew that the First Ones were waiting to exact revenge on the those who were so dear to her.

„But how do you know all this, dear doctor? Have you gained prophetic abilities in exchange for losing your beating heart?" she asked sarcastically.

„Oh, nothing like that!" the Vampire laughed, genuinely amused. "These are rather the skills of a hacker and spy drone controller." she had a hard time stopping herself from looking around the room. "You can acquire a lot of different skills during such a long life, unless you are extremely lazy. However, I have to end this fascinating discussion, but someone may come here soon and I don't want to reveal my presence here. I guess you won't report me either, because I think you'd rather have me as a friend, right?" he asked and without waiting for her answer he disappeared. She sighed. So she was left alone. So she finished washing and changed the dressing and made a bandage from a piece of bedclothes. She knew she should ask the guards to bring her some bandages, but she couldn't bring herself to call someone from the castle. She knew it was stupid, but she felt that as long as none of the guards came in, she would remain free... But had she been free in the last thirty years? First she served Hordak, constantly trying to please him, and now her master was Nyarlathotep, who literally possessed her soul. In fact, during the months she was held captive, Glimmer was more free than she was in Castle Grayskull. Even during the occupation, it enjoyed more freedom than in the previous decades. She doubted whether the Queen of Etheria would be so understanding towards her this time. After all, she had broken her trust last time. Besides, Catra was now the Grand Marshal... The thought of facing her terrified her more than the prospect of facing the Wrath of the Great Outer God. She wasn't afraid that her former protégé would do something to her. Adora and Glimmer wouldn't let her anyway... But first of all, it wasn't that same Catra who pulled that lever. This girl has already learned what love and security are... Of course, her return may destroy everything and scratch old wounds. The girl harmed herself by imprisoning her... No, she shouldn't blame her for her mistakes. In the end, she allowed herself to be captured, she didn't take proper precautions, forgetting that her unwanted daughter could recognize her even in a Holographic mask.

She wasn't sure what Lady Cala might have done to get her imprisoned, but it must have been something terrible. If she had revealed her true nature to them, it would probably not be easy for her to gain their trust... Though that might have been too far-fetched. The only thing she could count on from Catra and the others was a chance to be heard... But perhaps the fact that Lady Cala revealed her true nature could prove to be auspicious for her. After all, there was no longer a ban on mentioning who she actually worked for, since Lady Cala told who, or rather what, she was... Maybe if she talked about how great a threat could come to Etheria, and even threaten the whole of Etheria. To prevent it, everyone will have to join forces, not only the inhabitants of this planet, or even Horde Prime's Empire, but everyone, perhaps all beings in the Galaxy... But what were the chances that she would be able to convince Glimmer and everyone else? She will be very lucky if she manages to make herself heard. As she looked at it now, the whole thing seemed more and more absurd. What was she thinking? She was just an ugly, bitter woman who never believed in anything or loved anyone... She once again imagined that she would be a hero, that she would stand in the way of empires, even though she was just a blade of grass in front of a hurricane. She laughed loudly at her own Arrogance until one of the guards came in to see if she was okay, but when she looked at him, he let out a strangled scream and ran out. Yep, she forgot to put on the holographic mask she took off while washing. Now she decided not to wear it. Throughout her stay in the Fright Zone, she hid her face as if to deny what she had done. As if, along with the ugliness of her face, she was trying to hide the ugliness of her soul. Never again. If she was to accept her villainy, she could no longer hide behind a mask. Let those she hurt have the opportunity to look her in the face.

She must have fallen asleep for a while as she lay on that soft bed.. This hasn't happened to her in decades, at least when she was sober. She heard footsteps, the clatter of heavy soldiers' boots, reminding her of all those years she spent in the Fright Zone. Someone stopped in front of the door and gave a few instructions to the guards, and then the door opened and a person she had not expected entered. She saw Lord Admiral Felix Antares himself, along with Lady Ka and that terrible wolf monster. The three of them entered the chamber and the woman in the half-mask unfolded a small device.

„This really useful invention will provide us with a bit of discretion, which is so important when talking to people like us." Antares stated in a very polite tone. Lady Ka set up the strange contraption for a few moments, then looked at it and grimaced.

„You're so ugly. Even uglier than everyone says." The Lord Admiral's left hand giggled.

„At least I don't hide my ugly face behind a mask anymore. " she drawled, staring at the wicked woman, who giggled again in response and said.

„If you saw what I hide behind the mask, you would be quite surprised."

But then the Lord Admiral signaled for Lady Ka to be silent and walked up to the magical barrier and said.

„We can finally meet face to face. I must admit that I didn't think Miss Daisy would hide such an interesting secret. Anyway, I feel honored to meet you in person." he bowed to her respectfully.

„I can't say the same about myself. When I was with your second daughter, I heard a little about you. I wonder how Catra will react when I tell her who her father is." she said, summoning her proudest tone, but the Lord Adimral smiled slightly and said.

„If she believes you... But I didn't come here to discuss my past. I'm here to thank you."

„For what?" she asked, honestly surprised.

„For everything you did to make my daughter who she is. You made me proud of her. Yes, you had to be harsh with her, but after all, shouldn't the Scepter of a Monarch be forged in the fire of suffering? You saved me a lot of problems by taking on the burden of hardening her soul. I somewhat regret that we meet under such circumstances, because I cannot in any way show you the gratitude that you have worked hard for all these years to make her a worthy member of House Antares.

She stared at the Lord Admiral for a moment, wondering if she had understood his words correctly. This person was grateful to her for the way she treated his daughter? For years of torment and humiliation just because she was in a bad mood. She took it out on Catra because another experiment failed, because Hordak demanded successes that she couldn't give him, because she couldn't stand her self-hatred. Sometimes she told herself that she was doing all this for the good of her ward, although deep in her black heart she knew that she was just doing something mean. It didn't make Catra strong... It was Catra who found the strength within herself to not break despite years of torment. First she found it in anger and hatred, and then in Love for Adora and friendship. This individual didn't understand it... But what could she expect from an individual who dropped nuclear warheads on his own nation?

„You know what, Antares? I used to believe that Lady Cala was a wicked and vile creature, but I came to the conclusion that I couldn't blame her for anything, after all, she was born a monster, I can't expect the same from her as I do from mortals... Horde Prime was undoubtedly evil, but If what I heard from the Crawling Chaos was true, then even he was merely a victim... At least to some extent. I am vile and evil to the core, but I am fully aware of my wickedness. But you, Lord Admiral Antares, are a bastard, a miserable wretch in an expensive uniform who is so blind that he cannot even see the ugliness of his own soul. You can wear a mask of righteousness now, but believe me, all masks eventually fall, I know that, and when Catra sees your true colors, she will disown you and you will end up in a place like me now, if you are lucky."

Antares looked at her for a moment. She couldn't read what he was thinking, but she hoped she had put a finger in his inflated ego. He finally said, his voice almost as polite as before. It almost made a big difference.

„Well, on the other hand, you shed a lot of my family's blood, though mostly symbolically. Despite all my gratitude to you, such an offense must be met with a just punishment. It's nothing personal, I assure you. And thank you for the warning, sometimes in my arrogance I forget that I make mistakes.„ and he moved to leave, but before he left the room, she called to him.

„You say you value your blood so much... I respect that, so I'll share some news with you. Ask Lady Ka what happened to your other daughter's left hand... Why does she have to wear a glove. – she said, smiling triumphantly. The Lord Admiral looked at Lady Ka, a blue light flashing in his one living eye.

„What is she talking about... „ Antares said in a voice that froze even her black heart. Lady Ka turned pale and began to slowly back away.

„She started it... she scratched my face to the bone, so I punished her. I ordered her to remove all the claws on her left hand. This is what discipline looked like in our company, do you understand?" she said in a pleading tone.

„I see." said the Lord Admiral, grabbing the hilt of his saber and cutting off Lady Ka's fingers in one fluid movement. The woman let out a loud scream and grabbed her injured hand. However, the guards didn't run in, so apparently the device was working properly and no one heard anything. She herself was in a bit of shock, the sudden brutality of such a composed man as the Lord Admiral even astonished her, but she also felt vindictive satisfaction in seeing Lady Ka receive her well-deserved punishment.

„Lord Admiral... I only followed the Regulations... These were the penalties we had in the Company, this is how Jantar treated us." Lady Ka said. There was no blood flowing from the wound, and the edges of the Lord Admiral's sword blade glowed red, so the wound was definitely cauterized. However, she guessed that the pain must have been terrible, but the clone woman remained conscious and even started dressing the wound. She may have been a crazy psychopath, but in all fairness she was tough.

„You did it not out of concern for my daughter's upbringing, but out of a desire to vent your anger. Normally I would let you two resolve this dispute between you two, but you have permanently crippled her. Perhaps what you did has created a rift between us and that's why he refuses to join me at all costs. Perhaps I shouldn't have let Jantar take care of her upbringing. In his obsessive pursuit of perfection, he tried to suppress her natural temperament, which was so important to the ruler. I don't blame you, your father was a very toxic man, but you still had to be punished somehow. It's nothing serious, eventually you will grow new ones and transplant them, or implant a cybernetic replacement. I assure you that implants are much better than real organs... And believe me, if I didn't respect you so much, you would be punished much more severely for what you did. " he said, while the wolf-like beast devoured the severed fingers. Lady. Ka nodded, then looked at her and smiled a very nasty smile. Well, whatever this woman could do to her was nothing compared to the punishment Nyarlathotep could inflict on her... Or her own conscience...

„ Are you sure you're ready for this?" Glimmer asked her in a gentle voice, and she answered her with a dark smile.

„I won't be any more ready." she replied evasively. She wasn't really ready. Previously, she was aware that Shadow Weaver was alive, but until now it was a distant specter, something you don't think about every day, but you know that you will have to face it. A bit like being aware of your own mortality. Now she also felt that a part of her had died. The part that had been joyful during the past five years... She was afraid she would never be happy again.

"You can't let yourself be consumed by such dark thoughts. Then she will win." she thought, gritting her teeth.

„Are you sure everything's okay?" Glimmer asked, looking at her with concern, but this only irritated her.

„And how can it be when the woman who has been abusing me for almost my entire life and tried to separate me from my beloved comes back from the dead, shows up at my wedding and tries to kill one of my friends!„ she growled at Glimmer, causing her to back away and Melog turning red. She closed her eyes and said.

„I'm sorry, Glimmer. I just don't want to see her, but I know that if I don't look her in the eyes now, I won't find peace."

Her wife embraced her and said in a tender tone.

„Darling, it's hard for all of us because she hurt us all, but you especially badly. I'm just wondering if you should wait a while after what Lady Cala said."

„ No, I want to get this all over with and focus on freeing Entrapta and the empress."

Glimmer nodded and took their hands.

This time she quickly got over the nausea that usually accompanies teleportation. She was sitting on the bed, but as soon as she noticed their presence, she raised her head. Glimmer let out a strangled cry and Adora looked away. Shadow Weaver wasn't wearing her mask now, and everyone could see her disfigured face. It was probably the first time Glimmer had seen her... It wasn't a pleasant sight for those who weren't prepared for it. Even they, who had spent so many years with her, could hardly look at her. Looking at this hag's face always meant suffering, or at least screaming. Adora instinctively looked away, she felt like it too, but she overcame it, she would look at Shadow Weaver without fear!

„Hi Catra... And Adora and of course Glimmer.„ said the Dark Sorceress, looking at her feet. When she heard her voice, she felt her blood boil in her veins. After everything she had done, after all the countless humiliations and all the suffering she had caused them all, she had the nerve to come back to their wedding after five years and all she had to say to them was hi Catra?... It was as if she had spit in her face.

„You should be dead...„ she drawled, struggling to control her anger. Shadow Weaver looked up at her.

„I said the same thing when I stood before Carsai called the King." said the Dark Sorceress in a low voice. By voice. She remembered the name, it was in the book Aize had shown her… She remembered the creature in the illustration. What was the name of this book? Thousand of Thousand's Masks… The same term was used not long ago by Lady Cala… She was referring to Nyarlathotep…. She smiled at her former tormentor.

„So you read about them in a book... Clever, but you forgot that I also read sometimes... „ She smiled mockingly at Shadow Weaver, but the older woman smiled sadly.

„So you managed to get one copy after all... If I had it, everything would have been different. We would live in a different world." she said, using the same words Mikah used a few weeks ago. This only fueled her fury.

„Fairy tales and fabrications, I would expect something better thought out from someone who has always prided himself on being smarter than everyone she knows." she said, trying to imbue every word she spoke with pure contempt. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adora seem concerned. Her wife approached the dark Sorceress and asked in a firm but calm tone.

„What's the point of all this? Why did you come back here? You had the entire Galaxy to yourself... Do you really hate us so much that you had to come here to take away our joy..."

Shadow Weaver shook her head…

„I don't hate you... I... I was forced to come back here partly because of the agreement I made... But I also did it of my own free will...„ She raised her head and looked them straight in the eyes. "Etheria is in terrible danger…"

„Yes Yes Yes.„ She interrupted in an irritated voice. „Your new ward has already told you everything. You came here to save us all, because we are too stupid and too clumsy and we can't cope on our own, so we have to free you." She looked condescendingly at the Dark Sorcerer. With each sentence she uttered, her contempt for this woman grew.

„She basically said what Catra says, although I'm guessing the Calamity addition is everything about us." Glimmer said thoughtfully, glancing at her sideways. „ She was talking about some Hunger, what did she mean... „ Her friend's voice was filled with concern, as if she believed what Shadow Weaver and her psychopathic minion were saying.

„ The Hunger That Cannot Be Satiated... The Thousand of Thousand's Maws... is a euphemistic term for the Swarm, the greatest Scourge of the Galaxy. You don't have to take my word for it as to how big of a threat it is. Ask anyone outside Horde Prime's Empire, even your Father, and he won't lie to you about this one thing. His ego won't let him do that...„ said the Dark Sorceress, smiling darkly. At the sight, she felt another wave of rage flood her heart.

„I know what you're getting at, you nasty snake! But we can't be manipulated that easily anymore! My father never lied to me, unlike you. He even told me about the Starstone!" it growled at Shadow Weaver.

„What Starstone are you talking about?" Glimmer asked worriedly.

„I'll explain later." she replied without even looking at it. "You want to set me apart from my father, just like you did with Glimmer and Adora, manipulate me just like you did the last time I imprisoned you!"

„Listen to me Catra, your father is different than..." the Dark Sorceress was saying, but she didn't let her continue.

„BE SILENT AND LISTEN TO ME!" She roared at the top of her throat. She took two deep breaths and continued speaking, calming down a bit. – You raised me for most of my life. During this time, you have given me nothing but contempt and pain. You abused me every chance you got. You can't even imagine what it's like to feel like the whole world hates you! I can't count how many nights I cried myself to sleep. How many times did I just want to disappear? If it weren't for Adora... You couldn't even die without showing me that I was trash." she hid her face in her hands. "Have you ever loved me?" she asked, swallowing tears.

Shadow Weaver thought about her answer for a few moments before finally speaking.

„No... Anyway, not like you deserve... I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything I've done to you."

She stood there not knowing what to do, what to think... What to feel... This apology was worse than if she had slapped her in the face or used dark magic. She took away her hatred... She even took that away from her. Before, it was an important pillar of her being. She was certain of few things in this world until now. One was love for Adora, the other was hatred for Shadow Weaver. Now one of those pillars had fallen, and her whole world was rocking. One more wound inflicted on her by that damned bitch. But she had to pull herself together somehow, at least for a while.

„You will not be forgiven, because what you did to me... to all of us is unforgivable. Just tell me, were you the one who mutilated my sister's hand?" Did you hurt her as much as you hurt me?

Shadow Weaver shook her head.

„I didn't do anything to Eti... I even saved her life several times... To tell you the truth, I've only known her for a little over a month. As for Eti's hand... Ask Lady Ka about it. Also, be sure to ask her where she got her new fingers."

For a moment she felt uneasy, as if the Dark Sorcerer had stirred up some old suspicions, but he dismissed them. She smiled at her former tormentor and said.

„Your charge will rot in the dungeon, choking on its venom, but a different fate awaits you. The Star sisters, especially Halo, will be happy to take care of you." she ignored Glimmer's astonished look. „You know that everyone thought she was crazy until now because she claimed that you were alive... „ she offered her hand to the queens and together with Adora they disappeared in a flash of teleportation.

Everyone recognized Asindesa di Vir as a heroine. After all, she saved Adora, their She-Ra, the One who saved the Galaxy. Everyone looked at her with respect. The previous reserve disappeared completely. Future generations of Hell Knights visiting Etheria will probably be grateful to her for having a good reputation here, of course, as long as they don't ruin it themselves. However, she felt that she had lost her life. The woman she loved so much turned out to be a cultist, a servant of one of the most nefarious forces in the galaxy. The creature she was caring for revealed itself as a monstrous spawn of an Entity worse than demons... And she was actually a traitor or something of that sort. After all, she had developed a close relationship with the enemy, very close even. Revenge was also taken away from her. The monster turned out to be invulnerable to her weapons; she had previously hoped that maybe it was given to her for this purpose. So why did she receive them if not to fight evil that could not be opposed in any other way...

She had no idea what she should do next. She believed that she had to give up command of the contingent of knights, and in the second, much more extensive message, she decided to confess her sins and ask for a quick trial. Until then, she will stay here and pass on hers knowledge of fighting the Great Old Ones to the locals, as the locals have limited knowledge in this field. But now there was one thing left for her to do before she went to sleep.

Due to her newly acquired Hero status, no one stopped her, so she easily reached the room where the prisoner was held. When she asked the guards to let her in, they hesitated for a moment, then parted and let her in... Miss Daisy... Shadow Weaver sat on the bed. She didn't wear a mask, she could see her scarred face, in which she saw so much beauty... Seeing someone enter, the sorceress looked up, and when she recognized her, she cringed.

„Hello, Asindesa Di Vir." said the prisoner.

„Hello... Shadow Weaver „ she said after a moment's thought. Then they were silent... They were silent for a long time, over a quarter of an hour, until she finally spoke.

„You know, before I met you, I only knew war... Fighting against inhuman beasts that pose a threat to the entire universe. I believed that this was the perfect goal of life... I was not completely happy, but at least somewhat satisfied. Thanks to you, I knew love. A feeling I've never felt before. For a moment, a short moment, I felt that I was the happiest person in the universe... And I lost it... Now I have nothing... Only emptiness in the place of my heart... You shattered me, Shadow Weaver...„ she felt herself crying for the first time since childhood. She took a deep breath and finally asked.

„Have you ever loved me?"

There was silence in the room for a moment, broken by one word.

„Yes".

This was too much for the Lady of Blades. She turned and went to her chambers to be alone with her despair.