Seacat (She-Ra AU) (Complete)

Chapter 59: The Missing King

“Micah? Who’s Micah?” Seacat blurted as she stared at the sorcerer on top of the ridge. He seemed to have frozen in the act of casting a spell with his staff or something. She was sure she hadn’t seen him before - she would remember such a pale face and those jagged black tattoos covering his skin.

“Micah’s…” Glimmer trailed off.

“My brother,” Castaspella said.

“Dad,” Glimmer added.

What? Seacat blinked. Wasn’t Glimmer’s father dead?

“Rahhh!” Adora yelled as she raced up the last few yards to the top of the ridge.

The sorcerer - Micah - jerked, looked at Adora, then vanished down the other side of the ridge.

“Adora! No!” Glimmer yelled - more than a little belatedly.

And Adora stopped, sword held high, right on top of the ridge, glancing over her shoulder. “What?”

“Don’t kill him!” Glimmer yelled, starting to run up the slope as well.

“What?” Adora turned, then turned back. “He’s gone! What’s going on?” she yelled after a moment.

That was a good question, Seacat thought. A very good question. “Let’s get up the ridge and secure it before the enemies return!” she snapped.

“No! We need to recover Emily!” Entrapta objected. “She was carried away in the landslide! As were Water-Bot and Carrier-Bot!”

Seacat blinked. Right. The bots.

“We don’t have…” Castaspella started to say.

Seacat interrupted her with a raised hand. “Alright. “Scorpia, Perfuma, can you help Entrapta? We’ll secure the ridge.” Those two should be enough to keep her safe and help dig out whatever remained of the three bots.

“Alright,” Perfuma said, smiling at Entrapta. “Don’t worry, we’ll find them!”

Scorpia nodded, though she glanced back at the ridge.

“We won’t leave without you,” Seacat told her.

“I don’t think you would,” she replied. “But something’s...”

“We’ll find out what’s going on,” Seacat said as she started to climb the slope herself. After taking her shirt off her thigh and wrapping it around her chest. Then she had to wait and help Castaspella, who was too exhausted to easily make the climb. But they made it without Seacat having to carry her.

“So…” she asked as soon as she reached the ridge. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know!” Glimmer said, sniffling.

“We were fighting Glimmer’s dad,” Adora said.

“I thought he was dead,” Seacat said.

“So did I!” Glimmer replied, shaking her head.

“Why would your dad fight us? He had to realise that we’re from the Alliance!” Adora shook her head.

“Did we tell him?” Bow asked.

“Yes, we did,” Seacat told her. “Perfuma shouted it out in the first battle.”

“But…” Bow started to object.

“He must be possessed,” Castaspella said. She wasn’t looking at them, Seacat noted - she was staring down the slope, into the crater, which was covered in jungle, with a lake in the middle. “Or cursed. The pale skin, the black lines… That’s not normal!”

“Uh…” Adora grimaced. “Are you sure that’s him? And not some… monster that looks like him?”

“He looks like Micah,” Castaspella said. “Just with different skin. And some of his spells… Micah used them when we sparred.”

“Yes,” Glimmer quickly agreed. “And he didn’t attack me when he saw me!”

Seacat frowned. That was true - the sorcerer had shown some hesitation, at least at directly attacking Glimmer. But he had also sent hordes of bots against them.

“He still attacked us, though,” Bow said. “And with an army of bots. And that monster.” He pointed at the wreck of the giant bot below them.

“He must be magically controlled,” Glimmer said.

Castaspella was still not looking at them. “Or he’s…” She trailed off, biting her lower lip.

“What?” Glimmer scowled and walked up to her aunt, almost slipping on a loose patch of earth. “What do you think happened?”

“I’ve seen those sorts of marks before,” Castaspella said.

“What? Where?” Glimmer

“When Light Spinner became Shadow Weaver,” Castaspella said.

Seacat gasped. Shadow Weaver? That monster? But…

“She did have dark marks on her skin,” Adora said in a small voice. “I saw them once when I entered her room and surprised her. But they didn’t quite look like those, I think.”

“Really?” Glimmer turned. “So, it’s not the same!”

“Shadow Weaver fought differently, too,” Adora added.

“Because she was changed. But she was Micah’s teacher,” Castaspella told them. “Before she was turned into… what she was.”

“No!” Glimmer shook her head. “Dad’s not like Shadow Weaver!”

“But why is he attacking us, then?” Seacat asked.

“He’s under a spell! We just have to break that spell!” Glimmer replied.

Seacat looked at Castaspella. She was glancing at Glimmer, but the sorceress didn’t look as confident - or desperate - as the princess.

“You can break the spell, Auntie!” Glimmer told her, gripping her hands.

“I’ll try,” Castaspella said. “But…”

“No ‘but’! We’ll save Dad!” Glimmer clenched her teeth. “We’ll save him, and then we kill whatever Horde scum did this to him!”

“If they’re still alive,” Seacat pointed out.

“What do you mean?” Glimmer turned to her.

“He was captured by the Horde and sent here instead of having been killed,” Seacat explained. “That probably was done on the orders or with the knowledge of Shadow Weaver.”

“Do you think she did this to him?” Glimmer gasped.

Seacat shrugged. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“Uh… I think it’s possible,” Adora added unprompted. “She did try to kill Ca-Seacat, after all.”

“But if she used the same spell she tried on Micah…” Castaspella said.

“What?” Glimmer asked. “Tell us!”

The sorceress took a deep breath. “If she did… then there might be no way to save him.”

“No!” Glimmer screamed. “We can save him! Adora can heal him!”

“Uh… I don’t know if I can heal… possession?” Adora grimaced.

Glimmer turned and glared at her. “Yes. You. Can.”

“Uh… right!” Adora’s smile wouldn’t have fooled a drunk, blind sailor, but Glimmer nodded. “We need to capture him.”

Well, Seacat could get behind that. Whatever was up with Glimmer’s dad, he was trying to keep them from reaching the First One’s base here.

“And how do we do that?” Bow asked. “He can fade through solid material with his magic. And I have trouble hitting him with my trick arrows.”

“I knock him out?” Adora suggested.

“As long as you don’t accidentally kill him…” Seacat said. Though she couldn’t help wondering - privately - if the sorcerer might have died already, and something was animating his corpse. He was so pale, and those lines on his body… She knew those tales about ghost ships and walking corpses she knew were just scary stories sailors told in taverns, but she also knew magic could do the impossible. A dead body, possessed by magic… She suppressed a shudder.

“Yes. Don’t kill dad,” Glimmer said.

Bow wrapped his arms around her shoulders - he must have noticed as well that she was pressing her lips together and standing far too straight to be OK - and she took a few shivering breaths when she turned to hug him.

Everyone else looked away. Seacat checked on Entrapta and the others down the slope. They were digging out… She narrowed her eyes. Ah, that looked like Emily. Emily after having been keelhauled a few dozen times. But there didn’t seem to be any danger around - Perfuma’s plants had already pushed the bot’s remains to the surface.

When she turned back to the others, Glimmer had recovered her composure. And Adora looked as determined as ever. “I could just blast him with magic healing,” she said, raising her sword.

“He might dodge it,” Bow pointed out. “He dodged most of our attacks.”

“It’s not an attack,” Adora objected.

“It looks like one - you point the sword at him, energy shoots out of it…” Seacat shrugged. “If you don’t know better, it looks pretty much like an attack,”

“But… it’s not!” Adora pouted.

“We know that, but he doesn’t,” Bow told her.

“Yes. Healing magic is very rare - the kind of healing magic that works as fast as yours,” Castaspella said. “And speaking of healing…”

Adora gasped, pressing a hand in front of her mouth. “Oh, no! I totally forgot!”

A moment later, Castaspella was bathed in the magic and sighed with relief. “Ah… thank you.”

“So, you can recharge her?” Glimmer asked Adora.

“She can relieve my physical exhaustion,” Castaspella corrected her. “It’s not replenishing magic - that’s not how a sorceress’s magic works.”

“Ah.” Glimmer nodded. “Didn’t Dad see you heal Seacat in the battle?”

“I’m not sure if he paid attention to that,” Adora replied.

“Well, he kept an eye on all of us - I tried making him split his attention and focus on me, but he still was able to avoid you,” Bow said.

“Micah was one of the brightest, most talented students at Mystacore,” Castaspella said with a sigh and a wry smile. “That’s why Shadow Weaver set her eyes on him.”

“Ew!” Glimmer grimaced.

“Not like that. She tutored him - in order to exploit his talents for her own plans. She used him to cast a very dangerous restricted spell.” The sorceress shook her head. “It changed her when it backfired, but Micah escaped unscathed. Or so we thought.”

“You think this might be the result of the spell?” Glimmer asked.

“I wouldn’t exclude the possibility,” her aunt replied. “But we won’t be able to find out for certain before we can capture Micah.”

Or his body, Seacat silently added. Out loud, she said: “Well, keep an eye on the jungle below us. I’ll go check up on Entrapta. And use the mirror to signal to the Victory’s Daughter that we’re delayed.”

Adora frowned before nodding. She understood that she needed to protect the others.

And Seacat needed to check up on Entrapta. If Emily was destroyed…

*****

“And her control unit and memory banks are OK!” Entrapta announced with a tired but wide smile. “Emily’s OK. Well, she will be, once I fix her legs, and her cannon, and her power supply…”

“How long will that take?” Seacat asked, looking at the broken shell of the bot. A few lights were blinking, but nothing else seemed to be working - the avalanche had smashed the bot like an empty bottle.

“Uh… a few hours - I’ve got lots of spare parts here!” Entrapta nodded while her hair kept meddling with the bot’s innards.

A few hours? That was a little too long, Seacat knew. On the other hand, she couldn’t ask Entrapta to leave Emily behind. And they had no way to take the bot with them. Looking at the princess’s smiling face - she could still see tracks of tears - there was only one answer. “Alright, I’ll tell the others.” She nodded at Scorpia and Perfuma. “We’ll be working on ways to capture King Micah without killing him.”

“I only need to sting him once, and he’ll be out like a light,” Scorpia reminded her - her tail wriggled above the princess’s head.

Seacat smiled. “Then we just need Glimmer to teleport you next to him once he shows up.”

“Exactly!”

*****​

“How much longer will this take?” Glimmer asked. Not for the first time. “We need to press on!”

Seacat sighed as she looked at the princess. Glimmer was staring at the jungle below them, in the caldera. Where her father had vanished. “We can’t abandon Emily,” Seacat told her.

“Yes, we…” Glimmer pressed her lips together, glancing over her shoulder down the slope, where Entrapta was still working on the big bot.

“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” Adora said.

“Of course not,” Glimmer quickly agreed.

Though Seacat had a feeling that if Glimmer didn’t know that leaving the bot behind would mean leaving Entrapta behind, she probably would urge them to move on. Well, Seacat understood the feeling. If someone had cursed Sea Hawk like that, and he was hiding in the jungle somewhere… She pushed the thought away. They wouldn’t leave Entrapta behind. Certainly not in this jungle, where bots could swarm you. And possessed or cursed sorcerers could blast you from ambush.

Seacat didn’t think Micah would hesitate to attack anyone except for Glimmer and Castaspella. If he would hesitate at all. He might have done so - or they might have misinterpreted his actions. Or he had done so, but not because they were his family and he wanted to spare them. Perhaps he was looking for more victims for whatever had taken control of him? And Castaspella would fit the bill. And Glimmer had a staff, like Micah.

“Hey!”

Seacat looked up. Adora was sitting down next to her, stretching her legs. How had she missed that? “Hey,” she replied to cover up her reaction.

“Are you OK?” Adora asked in a low voice.

“Me? I’m fine. You healed me, remember?” Seacat smiled and elbowed her.

“I didn’t mean that,” Adora replied. “I mean… you looked pretty, uh, pensive.”

“Just thinking about our mission,” Seacat replied.

“Ah. The Heart of Etheria, or Micah?”

“Micah,” Seacat replied, glancing at Glimmer. The princess was busy talking to Bow. Probably planning their descent into the crater - again.

“Ah.” Adora swallowed. “Well, if I can heal him… Do you think I can?”

“I don’t know,” Seacat told her. “I’m not a sorceress.”

“But do you think I could?”

“I hope so,” Seacat replied.

“Oh.”

Seacat clenched her teeth. Now Adora looked sad. That wasn’t what she had meant to do. “The important thing is to capture him. We can sort out how to cure him once we’ve saved the world.”

“Right. We’re here to save the world.” Adora nodded firmly, then slumped a little. “From me.”

Seacat hissed and slapped her lover on the back of her head. “No, you idiot! We’re here to save the world from some thousand-years-old plot by people long dead. Not from you.”

“But…”

“No buts!” Seacat moved over, into Adora’s lap, facing her, then leaned in until Adora leaned back. “You’re not responsible for this. Mara stopped it, anyway.”

“But I’m a First One!”

“So? We both were Horde. And we left!” Seacat huffed.

“But…”

“No ‘but’!” Seacat leaned in further until Adora was on her back, and she was straddling the taller woman. “You’re not to blame for this. Not for the First Ones, nor for Micah - whatever happened to him. Probably Shadow Weaver.”

“Yeah,” Adora agreed. “That would fit her.”

And she was sad again. Damn it! “And that wasn’t your fault, either!” Seacat hissed.

“But…”

Seacat kissed her. That, at last, shut her up.

“No ‘but’!” she said once they broke the kiss.

“Uh, alright…” Adora trailed off, biting her lower lip. “I’ll try.”

“Good. We’re here to save the world. And blaming yourself isn’t helping!”

“OK.” Adora licked her lips, then blinked. “Uh… your shirt.”

And Seacat noticed that her battered shirt, which was still sporting some blood stains from when she had used it as a makeshift bandage, had somehow fallen off during their kiss. “Oh.” She blinked, then grinned. “What did you do?”

“What? I didn’t do anything!”

“Really? You didn’t want to strip me?”

“No! I mean… I didn’t do it!”

“But you wanted to.”

“Well…" Adora looked away. And froze. Seacat frowned and glanced to the side. And froze as well.

Glimmer, Bow and the others were staring at them. Or glaring.

Oops.

*****​

“Come on, Emily! I know you can do it! That’s it! One step after the other! Yes!”

Seacat clenched her teeth as she watched the repaired bot slowly make its way up the slope while Entrapta cheered it on. It was now noon - the sun was shining straight down on them - and the remains of the avalanche had dried out, so every step Emily took threw up a small dust cloud. But the bot, despite looking like a steel bucket someone took a few hammers to, ignored that and kept steadily advancing towards them. Entrapta had done it.

A few minutes later, the bit reached the ridge and settled down on all four legs. And Entrapta patted its battered shell. “Perfect! Well done!”

Emily beeped and blinked something in return which cheered up the princess even more.

“Great!” Entrapta turned towards them. “Emily’s fixed. Now I just have to fix Water-Bot and Carrier-Bot.”

Seacat winced. “How long will that take?”

“Uh…” Entrapta fidgetted. “They weren’t as durable as Emily since they weren’t meant for combat, so… Their memory banks are intact!”

But the rest probably not. Seacat shook her head. “Let’s take their memory banks and repair them later when we’ve done what we came here for.”

“But…” Entrapta sighed. “I guess that’s for the best. I’m not sure I have all the parts for both. We have lots of broken bots, but a few specialised parts I took from my stash on the ship.”

Good. Seacat really didn’t want to wait any longer. And Glimmer wouldn’t wait any longer, she was certain.

They had to reach the Heart of Etheria today.

“Let’s go!” she said.

“Yes!” Glimmer jumped up so quickly, Seacat almost thought she had teleported. “Let’s save Dad!”

“And the world,” Seacat reminded her.

“Yes, that too.”

“So...” Adora cleared her throat. “Is the plan still that Scorpia stings him?”

“Unless we find a better plan, yes,” Bow said. “We need to keep him from escaping once we spot him - I have a few trick arrows left that might do the job. But the problem will be holding him once we have him. If he can fade through solid wood and metal, he can probably fade through what rope we could use to tie him up.”

“Or through the hands we hold him with,” Seacat pointed out.

“I’ll keep him sedated,” Castaspella said. “But it means I won’t be able to do much else - keeping someone as strong as my brother asleep will take most of my attention. Unless you can sting him again without endangering his health,” she added, looking at Scorpia.

“Uh…” The big woman scratched the back of her head. “I haven’t actually done that. One sting generally takes out anyone, and, ah - we had prisons for that.”

Prisons designed by Shadow Weaver. Seacat clenched her teeth. Well, the witch was dead. And they didn’t know if the poison in Scorpia’s stinger would work in the first place - whatever controlled him might make him immune to such an attack. But they had gone over that before. “Let’s go!” Seacat repeated herself and started climbing down the slope into the caldera.

Adora overtook her at once, as she had expected. As did Glimmer, which meant Bow did as well. Seacat would’ve preferred keeping the princess in the back, but Glimmer would never agree to that. And if Micah really hesitated to hurt her, she would be pretty safe up front. Hopefully, at least.

The giant bot had left huge tracks in this part of the slope, which made climbing a little harder than it would’ve been, she noticed.

“Eeep!”

Seacat whirled and froze. Emily was stumbling, legs failing to find purchase in the softer earth! If the bot lost its balance, it would roll down the slope. And Entrapta was balanced on top of it - if she didn’t get thrown clear, she’d be crushed!

Seacat started towards them, but vines erupted from the earth, wrapping themselves around the bot’s legs and stopping it from falling over.

“Thanks, Perfuma!” Entrapta cheered. “Emily’s ground pressure is a little too high for this terrain, I think. I need to make climbing claws for her!”

Seacat had a brief vision of a bot with claws on its legs. It wasn’t a nice image. Not at all. “Can you ease Emily down the slope?” she asked.

“Yes,” Perfuma said. “It’ll be slow, though.”

“That’s no problem,” Seacat assured her. Anything was better than risking another landslide here.

She turned and saw that Adora, Glimmer and Bow hadn’t stopped - they were almost at the treeline already. Frowning, she set out to follow them. They could’ve waited for her, at least!

But they stopped at the jungle, and she caught up with them shortly afterwards. “Did you see anything?”

“No,” Adora replied. “But anything could be hiding in there.”

Seacat agreed - the underbrush was denser than in the jungle on the other side of the ridge. And their enemy, Micah or whoever had done it, had already proven that they could hide an army of bots in the jungle.

“So, we agreed to wait for Entrapta and Perfuma,” Bow went on.

Seacat glanced at Glimmer. Judging by the way the princess was scowling, she had disagreed with that decision. But as long as she went along with it, that was fine.

Seacat cocked her head, her ears twitching. “I don’t hear anything suspicious,” she told the other. Then she blinked. “And that is suspicious.”

“What?” Adora asked.

“I don’t hear any animals. Not even birds,” Seacat explained. “Either they are all in hiding and staying silent because something scared them, or… there aren’t any animals in the jungle.”

Bow winced. “Either explanation is bad.” He looked at the jungle with narrowed eyes.

Seacat nodded. “Yes.” She listened again, but she could only hear a few insects buzzing nearby. No sound of anything larger.

She really hoped that the animals had been scared away - she didn’t want to enter a jungle where animals disappeared.

“Whee!” Entrapta arrived on Emily, which slid the last few yards to them, and the princess jumped off, letting her hair catch her fall. “That was fun!”

The bot beeped, and the princess frowned. “You were perfectly safe!”

Seacat wondered - privately - if bots could get scared. After surviving - sort of - a landslide, Emily might not be too keen on risking another. Seacat certainly wasn’t.

Then Castaspella, Scorpia and Perfuma arrived. Perfuma looked a little tired - same as Castaspella.

“Something’s wrong with the jungle,” Bow told them. “Seacat can’t hear any animals.”

“Oh! Let me check my scanner!” Entrapta said.

Perfuma bent down and touched the ground, plants growing under her hand. After a while, she frowned.

“I don’t detect any higher animals near us!” Entrapta announced.

“And I don’t detect the usual signs of animals eating plants, other than insects,” Perfuma added.

“So… something is keeping animals out of this jungle,” Bow said.

“Or wipes them out if they enter,” Seacat pointed out. “What could it be?”

“Something is controlling the plants, but that was the same on the other side,” Perfuma said. “So, that can’t be it.”

Seacat tilted her head. Still, only the buzzing of insects. A lot of buzzing, actually.

Oh, no! She gasped. “Bugs!” she blurted out. “There’re lots of bugs coming!”

“Bugs?” Adora asked.

“A huge swarm!” Seacat explained, looking around. They couldn’t... They had to… How did you fight a swarm of bugs? With fire! “We need fire!”

“What?” Glimmer asked.

“Uh-oh!” Bow paled. “Do you hear this?”

“Yes,” Seacat snapped. “We need to prepare fire to keep them away.”

“Bugs? A swarm of them?” Entrapta asked.

And there they came - Seacat could hear the swarm fly towards them. And crawl.

Then she saw them. A cloud of flying insects and a wave made up of crawling bugs coming at them. They swept through the underbrush like a freak wave.

Emily’s gun bellowed. A second later, a bush blew up in the middle of the swarm. It didn’t seem to affect them at all - they kept coming.

Castaspella raised her hands, and a shining yellow shield appeared - just in time to have the swarm crash into it.

Seacat hissed as she saw the bugs cover it, blotting out the sun as they tried to find a way through it. And those were just the flying bugs. More were on the way. And the noise they made - it hurt her ears!

“I can’t keep this up forever - their weight is adding up!” the sorceress snapped.

“We need fire!” Seacat repeated herself, yelling loudly. “Something to burn them. Oil!”

“I’ve got one flask, but I need it to lubricate Emily!” Entrapta said.

“You can repair her!” Glimmer turned towards the princess. “We can’t be repaired if we get buried under bugs. “Dad!” she yelled. “Call them back!”

“I don’t think he’s hearing us over all the noise from the bugs,” Bow yelled.

“This is bad,” Scorpia said, loud enough to be heard. “I know those bugs. Flying Stone Wasps! They paralyse their prey. A swarm can even take down a minotaur!”

“I can construct a zapper!” Entrapta said. “Just give me an hour or two!”

Damn. Seacat growled. “We need to burn them!” But a flask of oil wouldn’t be enough.

“Wait!” Perfuma held her hands out. Vines shot up from the earth, winding themselves around the magic shield. Forming a wall. But…

“That won’t stop the bugs!” Glimmer yelled.

“Not yet!” Perfuma shot back. “But… Once the walls are ready, set them on fire!”

“What?”

“Set them on fire!” the princess repeated herself.

Adora looked at her for confirmation. Seacat nodded. They didn’t have a better plan, anyway.

Adora grabbed the flask from Entrapta, Soaked a rag with it, then wrapped the rag around a stone. “So… how do I get it through the shield?”

“Drop it, then set the vines on fire and redo the shield!” Perfuma replied. “Hurry!”

That sounded like suicide. But they had no choice now - the rest of the bugs had arrived. “Do it!” Seacat snapped, taking a deep breath

A moment later, the shield disappeared. And a burning rag flew towards the closest vine.

And a new shield appeared around them - a fairly smaller one. And one that hadn’t kept all bugs out. Seacat swiped at the bugs trying to sting her while she heard shrieks and grunts from the others. “Keep them off of Castaspella!” she snapped, standing next to the sorceress. If Castaspella’s concentration broke...

Adora was there, swinging her sword - broadside - and splattering bugs around. But it wouldn’t be enough once the shield broke.

Seacat glanced at the burning vines. The fire was spreading all along the vines. And so was thick, dark smoke. Smoke… She narrowed her eyes. The bugs were… dropping in the smoke. And the scent… “What are you burning?” she yelled.

“The vines have aromatic oils in them. People use them to deal with bees to get the honey from bee hives!” Perfuma explained. “I thought of them after my first visit to Scorpia.”

“Oh.” Seacat smiled. “Good thinking! This will…” She coughed. The smoke was inside the shield, now.

“Uh… They usually wear masks,” Perfuma said before she coughed as well.

Damn, that smoke was nasty! Seacat had another coughing fit.

“Cover your noses with a piece of cloth! Soak it in water!” Adora yelled.

By the time they had managed to soak their rags, Seacat was constantly coughing and could barely see anything inside the shield.

But the bugs were dropping like flies. Or something.

“I don’t… feel… so good!” Entrapta managed to say between coughing,

“Get to the ground!” Perfuma yelled, then coughed, “The.. air… is better here.”

Seacat was already crouching and simply dropped down. The air was better, if not by much, but it helped.

And slowly, the buzzing noise disappeared, followed by the chittering noise of the ground-bound swarm. After a few minutes and more coughing, Seacat spoke up in the sudden silence: “I think you can drop the shield now.”

Castaspella didn’t say anything, but a gust of wind hit Seacat’s face, and the smoke started to clear.

Damn. She turned on her back and drew deep, coughing breaths. That had been close. Too damn close.

“We really need to capture Micah,” she said.

If he had worse tricks of his sleeve, they might not survive.

“We have to find him first,” she heard Adora whisper.

Well, that was the problem, wasn’t it? Although… “I have an idea!” Seacat said, grinning.

Adora would hate it, but it was their best chance.

“We need you to play bait,” she told Glimmer. “Lure him out so we can capture him.”

“What?” “What?” “No!” Glimmer, Bow and Castaspella blurted out.

“It’s too dangerous!” Adora protested.

“We know Micah hesitated to attack you,” Seacat explained. “We don’t know why, but he attacked others like Bow. So you’ve got the best chance here to avoid a fight.”

“Yes. He attacked me quite stubbornly,” Bow said. “But we don’t know if he’d spare Glimmer - if he can spare her.”

“Yes. And he also hesitated to attack me,” Castaspella added. “I should play bait!”

“No!” Glimmer shook her head. “You’re the only one who can deal with whatever spells he can cast. And I can teleport to safety if something goes wrong. And he didn’t attack me.”

“He sent his bots against you,” Adora said. “I should play bait. You can teleport Scorpia to him and strike him as soon as you see him!”

“We didn’t see him most of the time when we fought him before,” Seacat pointed out. “That’s why we need a bait who can make him hesitate.”

“Like I did before,” Glimmer said. She slowly nodded with a firm expression. “I need to do this. For Dad!”

“No, you don’t!” her aunt objected. “I can do it as well. And I can stand up to him, giving you more time to catch him. I’ve countered his attacks before. And we need you to teleport to him.”

“And we need you to deal with magic,” Seacat told Castaspella. “He might not hesitate to attack you.”

“Glimmer’s not expendable.” Bow frowned.

“If anyone is risking their life as bait, it should be me. I can withstand most attacks,” Adora insisted.

Seacat rolled her eyes. “And we need you to heal anyone hurt in the fighting.”

Adora frowned at her. “But I’m She-Ra. It’s my duty to protect you!”

“And that means not sacrificing yourself pointlessly,” Seacat shot back.

“What? You think this is going to be a sacrifice?” Bow looked shocked.

“No!” Seacat trend to face him. “There is a risk, but Glimmer can teleport. And Adora can heal her - if she’s not trying to sacrifice herself.”

“I’m not!” Adora claimed. “But I am the toughest. I will be fine.”

Glimmer rolled her eyes. “And Dad won’t hesitate to attack you. He doesn’t know you. You can’t be bait. It has to be me.”

Seacat nodded in agreement. “And we have to be ready to capture him.”

“And how do we do that if he’s too far away and Glimmer is the only one who can reach him?” Adora asked.

“Simple,” Glimmer replied. “I teleport to Scorpia, then to him.”

That was probably their best shot. It might be better to have Adora play bait, but they hadn’t been often able to spot Micah in the fights so far, and Glimmer couldn’t teleport blindly. She had to lure the sorcerer out. Even though that would also be much more dangerous for Glimmer. Not that Seacat would think that Glimmer would let that stop her.

She glanced at Adora, who was frowning as well. So, her lover probably shared her take on this.

“Glimmer…” Bow started, stepping towards her.

“Bow! I have to do this! I have to save Dad!” Glimmer shook her head.

“But… you don’t have to do it like that!”

“I’m the best choice for this.” She gripped his hand. “Please.”

Bow pressed his lips together, then took a deep breath. “I hate it.”

“But…?” Glimmer faintly smiled, and her eyes looked a little wet.

Another sigh. “I don’t see a better alternative. I really don’t.”

That pretty much summed it up. The two embraced, and Seacat sighed as well.

“Alright,” she said after a while when none of the two seemed to be ready to break their embrace any time soon. “Let’s get this organised. Before we have to fight even more bugs.”

“Oh, I think I’ve cracked that,” Entrapta spoke up.

“What?” Seacat turned to face her. As did everyone else.

“They had to control the bugs somehow, didn’t they?” Entrapta asked.

“Magic,” Castaspella replied at once.

“Well, that was one possibility. But I noticed some weird readings - there was a sound too low to hear by anyone of us. And it was directed at us. I think that was how Micah controlled the bugs. Or whoever controlled them,” Entrapta explained.

“A sound we can’t hear? Huh?” Adora asked. “How would that work?”

“We can’t hear it, but bugs can sense it,” Entrapta told her.

“Ah.”

“Like a whistle that only some people can hear,” Scorpia said. “We - the Horde - experimented with that a while ago, or so I’d heard. It was never fielded because concentrating so many people in the same unit, so they could listen to commands no one else heard, was not worth the effort or something.”

“Whatever,” Adora said. “You can stop another such attack?”

“Emily can! Once I modify her audio and speaker system!”

The bot beeped.

That sounded reassuring, in Seacat’s opinion. “Do that. And we’ll be looking for a good spot to ambush a king,” she told the princess.

“We can’t just walk around in the jungle with Glimmer in the lead,” Adora protested.

“Why not?” Glimmer asked.

“Micah would be suspicious of such a change in our usual tactics,” Adora explained.

“If he’s fully in control of himself,” Bow pointed out. “He’s been on the island for over a decade, at the least,” he said.

“We don’t know that,” Castaspella disagreed. “Shadow Weaver might not have sent him to the island right after he got captured.”

Seacat winced. She had been held by Shadow Weaver; she knew what that meant. And if Shadow Weaver had experimented on Micah or was responsible for his situation… “He might not be stable at all,” she said.

“He didn’t attack me,” Glimmer retorted.

“He did attack us,” Bow told her.

“He doesn’t know you. He knows me. And Auntie.”

“Anyway,” Adora cut in, “if he expects me and Bow to take point, we should do that. For a while, at least. Then we take a rest, and Glimmer plays bait. Close by.”

“How do we know when he notices her?” Bow asked. “If Glimmer yells, then he’ll realise we’ll attack him.”

Another good question.

“If we rest, I can surround us with a network of plants that detect footsteps,” Perfuma said. “I can’t do it while we walk, but give me some time, and I should be able to sense him near us.”

“What if he travels in the canopies?” Bow asked.

“That’s trickier. Trees don’t sense people climbing on them. And if I cover them with vines which could sense someone touching them, he might notice,” the princess replied.

“I can cover the canopies,” Bow said.

“But can you spot him in time for us to react?” Adora asked. “I mean, for us to send out Glimmer?”

Bow frowned. “I have to try.”

“Oh, we could plant sensors around us!” Entrapta said. Apparently, she had finished working on Emily. “I can use some of the sensors from the bots we destroyed. If you place them around our campsite, we’ll have ample warning of his approach. I think. Unless there’s magic that fools sensors.”

“There are ways to hide your presence,” Castaspella said. “But they mostly fool sight, not sound. There are spells to mask the sound of you as well.”

“And ground- and tree-based vibrations?” Entrapta asked.

“I…” Castaspella frowned. “I don’t believe so?”

“Great! Seismic detectors, it is! This will be fun!”

“Yes, fun,” Seacat muttered. “Well, then we rest here while Entrapta works on her sensors and Perfuma grows some plants.” And Seacat would try not to worry too much over the time they were losing - or the possibility of this ambush being turned into a counter-ambush.

*****​

Seacat sighed. Entrapta was happily dismantling more bot parts. Perfuma had her hand on the soil again, eyes closed. Listening to plants. While she sat in Scorpia’s lap. “I missed that,” she said.

“Huh?” Adora stopped looking at the jungle around them, hand twitching over the hilt of her sword, and turned to face her. “What did you miss?”

“That they are a couple,” she explained.

“They?”

Seacat nodded at the two princesses.

“Oh! You didn’t notice?” Adora smiled.

Seacat narrowed her eyes at her lover. “And when did you?”

“Uh…” Adora blushed. “When Scorpia asked me for advice about courting. On the ship.”

Seacat blinked. “She asked you for advice?”

“Hey!” Adora frowned. And pouted. “I courted you, didn’t I?”

“I seduced you,” Seacat countered.

“I started it!”

Seacat chuckled. “Well, you weren’t very good at it, but I’ll grant you that.”

“Hey!” More pouting.

Seacat grinned, leaned over and kissed her. “And it was cute!”

“Mh.” Adora sighed. “Anyway, I just told her to be honest and ask. And it worked!”

Well, Seacat couldn’t argue with that.

“So, I do give good advice about love!”

Seacat snorted. “Are you trying to claim you helped Glimmer and Bow out as well?”

“Well…” Adora twirled her fingers. “I did nudge them. A little.”

Seacat shook her head. “Adora the matchmaker. Who would’ve thought?”

“Hey!”

More pouting and more kissing. Perhaps, Seacat thought as Adora held her in her arms, they could look for a little more privacy…

“And I’m done with the first batch!”

And there was Entrapta, beaming at them while she held up half a dozen metal boxes with red lights in them. “Here are the first sensors! They’ll detect people moving in a radius of ten yards, so think of that while placing them!”

“Thank you.” Seacat smiled at her as she took a step back from Adora, then looked up at the jungle’s canopy above them and did a quick calculation.

They were going to need a lot more sensors if this was supposed to work.

*****​

 

Chapter 60: The Crater Fight

“And here are a few more!”

“Thank you.” Seacat smiled at Entrapta. And felt guilty about having the princess work so hard on creating sensors when the rest of them weren’t doing anything in particular. Except for keeping their eyes open for Micah. On the other hand, Entrapta was having fun making sensors.

She walked over to the trunk of a particularly large tree under which Glimmer was sitting and waiting.

As soon as the princess saw her approach, she asked: “More sensors for Bow?”

Seacat nodded and dropped the metal cubes into Glimmers’s lap.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” Carrying the sensors from Entrpata’s ‘open-air workshop’ to Glimmer wasn’t really much, but it was better than doing nothing.

Seacat turned to walk away. Perhaps she’d do another perimeter check - she clenched her teeth at Catra’s training resurfacing. Or she would…

“Seacat?”

Seacat stopped and turned back, cocking her head at Glimmer. “Yes?”

Glimmer wet her lips. “Shouldn’t… shouldn’t Dad have… found us by now? It’s been what, one hour?”

Seacat shrugged. “Your dad probably needs more time to come up with his next attack.” After a moment, she added: “And it might be an attack like the swarm or the landslide. An attack that doesn’t care about individual targets.”

“I know,” Glimmer replied. “But he tried that twice. He might try something else this time. And I have to try and stop him.”

Seacat nodded. She didn’t entirely agree, but there was no stopping Glimmer. She didn’t know what she would do if Sea Hawk were possessed or something, but she wouldn’t let anyone stop her either. No matter the risks. “We’ll get him,” she said.

“Yes.”

Seacat didn’t let her smile slip until she was walking away with her back to Glimmer. With every minute that passed, Micah would have more time to prepare. All the sensors of the world wouldn’t help if he just set the jungle on fire or something. Not that a fire would be a great threat - they could outrun any fire thanks to Glimmer, and Adora could probably mow down half the forest to stop it from spreading.

As usual, it wasn’t the things you could think of that you had to worry about. It was the things you didn’t think of. And you couldn’t really prepare for those. So, they’d faced swarms of bots, swarms of bots hidden under the ground, a landslide, a giant bot, and a swarm - two swarms - of killer bugs. And an attempt to poison their drinking water.

What else could a possessed sorcerer and a First One’s bot come up with?

“Ca-Seacat!”

Seacat turned. Adora was walking towards her. “Yes?”

“I’ve finished a patrol. No sign of the enemy.” Adora nodded, though Seacat had half-expected her to salute.

“We’ve been putting up more sensors,” Seacat replied.

“I’ve met Bow on the way.” Adora sighed. “I don’t like waiting.”

“We can’t do much else,” Seacat said.

“What if he’s holed up in the First One’s base?” Adora asked. “Waiting for us to enter his kill zone?”

“We’ll send in bots first,” Seacat told her.

“I mean…” Adora looked around. “How long do we wait here for Micah to attack us?”

“Even after losing Carrier-Bot, we’ve got enough supplies left to spend a day or two here,” Seacat told her. A few dents didn’t mean a can couldn’t be used any more, after all.

“And what if those two days are what we would’ve needed to stop the whole thing?”

Telling her that that would be bad luck wouldn’t cut it. “I doubt that that’s the case,” Seacat said instead.

Adora stared at her for a moment, then sighed and slumped a little. “I hate waiting.”

“Who doesn’t?” Seacat asked. “But it’s either waiting or just pressing on and force our way to the base. I’d rather fight Micah on our terms.” That would make capturing him easier. She looked around. “But yes, we can’t wait forever.”

“No, we can’t.”

“But Micah’s been attacking us pretty regularly,” Seacat pointed out. “I don’t think he’ll wait too long, either. I think he’s just building up his forces.”

“Maybe literally,” Adora agreed. “He has to replace his bots.”

“How long does that take?”

“Light Hope never told me,” Adora said. “But I never asked, either. I should’ve.”

“We don’t know if this base has the same, worse or better resources as Light Hope had,” Seacat told her.

“I think it has more resources.” Adora shook her head. “Light Hope was just… one bunker for She-Ra. This is a base controlling the Heart of Etheria. They have to protect it better.”

“But She-Ra’s controlling the network. Or supposed to,” Seacat objected. “She needs protection as well.”

Adora frowned at her. “She-Ra is a protector.”

“Everyone needs protection sometimes,” Seacat frowned at her. “Even you.” Especially Adora.

“But…” Adora’s frown turned into a pout as she trailed off, and Seacat grinned.

“No one is invincible,” she told her lover.

“But some are harder to hurt than others,” Adora retorted.

Seacat shrugged. “That may be true, but…”

“I’ve got a signal!” Entrapta yelled.

Damn.

Seacat turned. “Where?”

“Uh… west by southwest, forty-five yards,” Entrapta replied. Then her hair moved, pointing. “That way!”

Glimmer was already moving. As was Scorpia. And Adora, of course - she was rushing forward.

“The plants…” Perfuma gasped.

“What?” Seacat turned to the princess.

“They’re dying! They’re… withering! All of them!”

What? “Stop!” Seacat screamed. “Fall back!”

Scorpia stopped, Adora almost crashing into her. “What?”

“Fall back!” Seacat repeated herself. “Something’s killing the plants!”

A moment later, a loud crash sounded from the jungle, Followed by another. And another.

“The trees are toppling!” Bow yelled, scrambling down from the canopy.

“How?” Perfuma asked. “How is this happening? I can’t help them!”

Scorpia picked her up and carried her with her as she fell back.

“Up the slope!” Adora yelled. “There aren’t any plants there! Everyone, up the slope!”

“Go, Emily! Go!”

Seacat clenched her teeth. Everyone was following Adora, except for...

“I don’t see Dad!” Glimmer yelled.

“Glimmer!” Bow grabbed her hand. “Come!”

“Run!” Seacat yelled at them. She was running herself, now. Along the path that Adora had hacked through the jungle before.

Behind her, more trees fell. She pushed on, claws digging into the soil as she jumped over roots and rushed forward towards the slope.

In front of her, Emily was struggling with some denser underbrush. Seacat slashed with her claws, cutting branches as fast as she could until the bot could barrel through the remaining foliage and continue. But that had cost her - she glanced over her shoulder as she dashed past the bot and saw a tree behind her topple - and turning grey as it fell. As did the entire jungle.

What the hell was happening?

“Something’s… disintegrating the plants!” Entrapta gasped. “Down to the molecular bonds!”

Seacat didn’t know what that meant, but she knew that it wasn’t a good thing. And that letting whatever did it catch up with her wouldn’t be good either.

But the thing was spreading quickly - and the edge of the jungle was still a while away.

And Emily’s legs had trouble with the soft soil.

Seacat shook her head. This wouldn’t do.

She sped up, then jumped, landing on top of the bot. “Entrapta!”

“What?”

“Hold on!” Seacat grabbed the princess, then jumped off again.

“Wait!”

Seacat didn’t listen - she kept running. Even with Entrapta’s weight, she was faster than the bot.

“Emily! Run!”

Seacat didn’t look back. There was the edge of the forest!

“Emily!”

“Seacat! Entrapta!”

They crossed the treeline, and Adora was there, grabbing them both - and turning around, scrambling up the slope.

Seacat struggled for a moment - she could scale the slope faster than that - but relented halfway up the slope. Glimmer and Bow were there - they must have teleported - next to the others. And behind them…

Seacat drew a hissing breath. A whole section of the jungle had turned into a grey wasteland, all the trees and bushes gone. Even the grass had withered.

“Emily!”

The bot appeared at the edge of the trees, but too late - the trees next to it crumbled, and Emily vanished in a cloud of dust as they disintegrated.

“Emily!” Entrapta wailed.

Then the bot broke out of the dust cloud and kept going. Apparently none the worse for wear.

“Oh!” Entrapta fumbled with her device. “Stop, Emily!”

The bot stopped halfway up the slope.

“What happened?”

“Oh. It’s organic matter that’s affected,” Entrapta explained. “Doesn’t affect inorganic matter.” She looked at them. “Like stone, metal - or bots. Which are made of metal and crystals.”

“Ah.” Seacat nodded.

“But what did this? And how?” Adora asked.

“Magic,” Castaspella whispered. “It’s a life-draining spell. But the scale of it…”

The jungle looked as if someone had burned a swath of it down to the ground. A gap leading straight to the lake in the centre of the crater.

The sorceress sank to her knees. “The power to do that… And the power it would grant someone…”

“Someone?” Adora asked.

“Like a sorcerer?” Seacat added, narrowing her eyes.

“If Micah cast this…”

Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the lake. Underwater. And it rapidly grew stronger.

“Look!” Bow snapped.

Something rose through the water, breaking the surface. A platform, shining bright enough to make Seacat’s eyes hurt a little even at this distance.

No, the platform wasn’t shining - that was the man standing on it.

“Micah…” Castaspella gasped.

“Dad!”

Seacat had trouble making out anything - the man was shining so brightly, it looked as if he was on fire. Blazing. She could see the staff, though, as it moved. Rose.

Pointed towards them.

“Take cover!” she yelled as the staff started to glow brighter as well.

“Emily! Run!” Entrapta managed to yell before Seacat grabbed her and dragged her over the ridge. They rolled down the other side, followed by the rest of the group.

A moment later, the top of the ridge vanished in a blaze of light, and more mud splattered over Seacat’s fur.

She rolled over and got up just in time to see a cloud of dust rolling down the slope. “Cover your noses!”

The dust cloud engulfed them, and Seacat tried to breathe shallowly until it settled.

Then she looked up. The ridge… whatever spell Micah had used had carved a crescent out of it. Whatever had been there was gone.

If they had been just a little slower…

Seacat shivered.

“How can we fight that?” Scorpia blurted out as she got up, pulling Perfuma with her.

“We…” Glimmer shook her head. She was pale but raised her chin and clenched her teeth. “It’s still Dad. I’ll face him!”

“He just tried to vaporise all of us!” Bow protested.

Glimmer turned to stare at him, blinking away some tears. “What else can we do? He’ll blast the entire crater apart! We have to try it, or we’ll die anyway!”

Seacat cursed under her breath. The princess wasn’t wrong. So much firepower… “He can’t hide that glow. Once you see him, teleport Scorpia and Adora to him.”

Glimmer nodded. Good. That was their best shot.

“Entrapta, Perfuma - fall back and hide! Not in the jungle!” Seacat told her. “Castaspella, you and Bow need to be ready to take your shot if you get an opportunity. Go find a good spot on the ridge.”

“And what will you be doing?” Adora asked.

“I’ll serve as a distraction,” Seacat told her.

“No!” Adora shook her head. “You can’t teleport!”

“I’m the fastest runner,” Seacat retorted. “And we don’t have time to discuss this.” She turned to Entrapta. “I need some signal rockets.”

“Uh… let me check… I have some with me. I think.”

“Ca-Seacat!” Adora shook her head again.

“We don’t have a choice,” Seacat told her while she grabbed the half a dozen rockets Entrapta handed over. “Glimmer can’t teleport more than you and Scorpia - and you two have the best chance to capture Micah.” Or kill him, but she wouldn’t say that out loud.

Adora stared at her for a moment, lips trembling, without saying anything. Then she hugged Seacat. Hard. Seacat closed her eyes and hugged her back.

Then she pulled back and started running up the slope to their right. Castaspella and Bow went up to their left.

And Glimmer, Adora and Scorpia waited below the edge of destruction.

Seacat reached the top of the ridge, crouching to peek over it. Micah was still in the centre, glowing like the sun. But another path had been cut through the jungle - the gap was now double its width. Why would he…? Her eyes widened. Castaspella had called it a life-draining spell. Was that where the power for the giant blast came from?

If so, then they had an opportunity. If they could make him fire another blast, they could attack before he could recharge.

Seacat swallowed, then wet her lips. She glanced down to where Adora and the others were. They couldn’t do this. And letting Glimmer play bait was too dangerous now.

Time to roll the dice.

She quickly laid out the rockets, roughly aiming at Micah. Then she lit them, one after another.

And ran like hell down the slope.

She was barely down the slope when the first rocket went off. Halfway when the fourth fired.

Then the entire slope trembled, and she was thrown down moments before everything disappeared in a cloud of dust. Coughing and sputtering, she tumbled down the slope, rocks and roots hitting her before she came to a stop at the trunk of a tree.

Panting, she got up and stared - half the ridge had disappeared. Again. If she had lingered a little longer… Shaking her head, and cursing the dirt on her fur, she scrambled back up the slope. Glimmer had already teleported with the others. Seacat had no way to reach the centre of the crater before the fight would be over. She should just take cover and wait.

She knew that, yet she ran up the slope. At the very least, she wanted to see Adora fight. See how…

She reached the remains of the ridge and gasped.

Micah, glowing a little dimmer, was flying towards her! And behind him, more jungle turned to dust. Where was Adora? She saw something move in the lake in the centre. Adora! But where was Glimmer? And Scorpia?

And what was Micah doing? He was flying over the ridge! And he was pointing his staff at… Seacat’s ship! No!

“Hey! Bastard!” Seacat screamed, waving her sword at him. When he looked down at her, she threw the blade at him, wishing she had a bomb blade.

Her blade met a glowing shield and fell down again - but a yellow spell hit Micah from behind a moment later - Castaspella’s work! And as Micah turned, a net arrow exploded in his face. Yes!

Seacat scrambled up the slope again. If she could climb high enough… no, Micah was too far away for a jump.

And he shredded the net with a wave from his staff before firing smaller blasts at Castaspella and Bow. The explosions were still large enough to cover that part of the ridge in smoke and dust. And Seacat was stuck here, unable to do anything! She grabbed a rock and threw it, but Micah didn’t even bother moving away. Didn’t even notice, she bet - he was focused on bombarding the ridge on the other side of the gap. And neither spells nor arrows flew back at him.

Seacat cursed again. She couldn’t stop Micah from killing her friends! “Fight me, you Maelstrom-cursed bastard!” she screamed.

And Micah turned towards her. So close, and with the light around him having dimmed, Seacat could finally see his face. He didn’t look angry. He didn’t look smug, either - his unnaturally pale face covered with jagged dark lines didn’t show any expression as he pointed his staff at her.

She tensed, preparing to leap to the side. If she could dodge behind the rock there, she might evade his first blast. The next, though...

The tip of his staff lit up, glowing brighter and brighter. This was it. Seacat started to move.

And a cloud of sparkles appeared above the bastard.

“NOOO!” Adora screamed as she dropped down on Micah, her sword slashing at his staff.

Seacat saw the staff being cut into two pieces, saw the light suddenly shine so bright, it almost blinded her. The next moment, both Micah and Adora vanished in an explosion.

Seacat threw herself to the side, behind the rock, then rolled over her shoulder, jumping up. Above her, Micah and Adora were falling. As were two more bodies - Glimmer and Scorpia!

“Adora!” Seacat yelled, dashing across the rubble and torn earth.

Adora hit the ground, bounced, and started to roll down the slope. Seacat jumped, sliding and scrambling down the slope. “Adora!”

She reached her a few seconds later. “Adora!”

Adora groaned. “What…?”

She was alive! Seacat hugged her. “You dummy!”

Adora tried to laugh. “You’re OK…”

“Of course I am!” Seacat hadn’t been the one who blew herself up by slashing at a sorcerer’s staff!

“Good.” Adora smiled, then groaned.

“You’re hurt!” Her leg was bent the wrong way. And she was bleeding from several cuts.

And yet, the idiot tried to get up. “Have to… stop Micah!”

Right. “Stay here! I’ll fight him!” Seacat yelled, standing to look for the king.

“No!”

“Stay here!” Seacat snapped. Where was the bastard? There was Scorpia, slowly getting up - and trying to dig herself out from the crater she had formed in the soft ground. Glimmer… Seacat couldn’t see Glimmer. And Micah….

She spotted a glow above her, close to what was now the top of the ridge. Seacat scoffed and started to run - on all fours, hands and feet digging into the soil as she raced up the steep slope. The bastard would pay for what he had done to Adora!

“Ca-Seacat!”

She ignored Adora’s shout. They had to stop Micah. A large rock blocked her way, but she jumped, legs propelling her over the rock.

And there was the bastard! Standing in a small round crater. His clothes were torn, but Seacat couldn’t spot any wounds - or any sign that getting blown out of the sky had hurt the sorcerer in any way.

But he had lost his staff! Seacat bared her teeth and pounced on him, claws out.

He didn’t even turn to face her - he moved his hand, and she crashed into a glowing shield, hard enough to hurt. Seacat lashed out with her claws, but they couldn’t dent the thing, and she slid down, landing on the ground.

She rolled over her shoulder, jumping up - then had to throw herself to the side to avoid the spell shooting from Micah’s hand.

Behind her, part of the jungle blew up, but Seacat circled around Micah, her claws digging into the soil, and launched herself at him again.

Once more, a shield stopped her, but she was prepared this time - and jumped up and over it, pushing off and lashing out with her claws.

She raked his outstretched arms, feeling her claws slice through flesh - but Micah didn’t cry. Instead of staggering back and holding his bleeding limbs, he stood his ground - and light flared up between his hands.

Seacat twisted away, but she was too close. Not fast enough. The spell missed her but struck the ground next to her, and she was sent flying in a cloud of mud and rocks, then slammed into the slope above the two before she could recover.

Her breath knocked out of her, she rolled on her belly, fingers digging into the earth to get up.

Micah was turning towards her now - slower than before, but she was too far to… She hissed, closed her hands around the soft earth, ripped and let loose.

The mud hit Micah in the face, and this time, he staggered back. Seacat rolled to the side, avoiding the next blast, then got up and charged him again. If she could reach him before he recovered…

And one of those damned shields stopped her again. She changed direction, circling Micah, but he was readying another of his blasts - she could tell from the glow around his hands, and the next piece of cover was...

Before the sorcerer could finish his spell, though, a hulking figure appeared behind him, pincers raised, and struck. Scorpia smashed Micah into the ground, foiling the spell. While Seacat stopped, sliding a little in the soft soil, the princess’s stinger stabbed down, piercing the man’s skin in his back. “Hah! Got you!”

Micah stopped moving.

Seacat gasped. They had… had they done it? “Let’s tie him up!”

“Uh… do you have any rope?”

No, Seacat didn’t have any. But they could break the bastard’s arms until they could fetch some. That would… She saw Micah’s arm move. “Scorpia! Watch ou…”

Too late. A yellow spell blasted the princess in the face and away from Micah. As Scorpia flew through the air to land on a patch of rubble, Seacat pounced on Micah, slashing at his arm. Once more, her claws cut into the man’s flesh and foiled his aim. A second spell flew over her head, and a third narrowly missed her when she threw herself off Micah. But despite his wounds, Micah seemed none the worse for wear as he rolled to his side, then got up, a few more blasts forcing Seacat to dodge rather than close with him.

Then an arrow struck the sorcerer in the side, exploding into a big glop of glue. Seacat hissed and darted forward, then had to jump to the side when Micah managed to free his left arm - which was healing - and sent another spell at her.

Red chains appeared over his head and fell down, wrapping themselves around his upper body, pinning his arms to his side.

For the first time, his expression changed - he showed his teeth while he grunted and strained his arms.

Seacat was already jumping at him, but just before she reached him, the magic chains were shattered, and she had to shield herself with crossed arms to avoid getting brained by the fragments. Even so, her stomach, arms and legs got hit, and she missed Micah, hitting the ground instead and rolling down the slope before she could stop.

She got up and charged upwards again, angling her approach to strike from Micah’s back while he was busy sending a barrage of spells at Bow and Castaspella. If she could hit him in his blind spot…

He didn’t turn, but his arm moved right before she reached him, and a yellow blast clipped her shoulder, sending her flying and spinning around herself.

She hit a rock when she crashed to the ground and heard her lower arm crack before the pain hit her. Panting, she rolled over on her stomach, then dug her claws in to get up. Before Micah could focus on her.

As she rose, she saw he wasn’t focusing on her at all - he was busy bombarding the ridge above him, where Bow and Castaspella had been. Seacat started up the slope, but she was too slow. She knew it.

Micah turned and raised his right arm when roots shot out from the ground and wrapped themselves around him. Seacat bared her teeth and pressed on, sprinting over torn earth and rubble.

But before she was halfway to the sorcerer, the vines withered and died - and Micah started to glow again. As did the jagged black runes on his skin. A shield appeared, catching canister shot from below - Emily was firing.

Almost lazily, he turned and shot a spell back.

Seacat didn’t see if he hit anything - she was focused on Micah. She was almost upon him, too. Just a few more yards.

Her foot slipped on a softer patch, and she stumbled - and Micah turned to face her. His hand glowed, and Seacat knew this time, she wouldn’t be able to dodge. Vines rose in front of her at the last moment, and the spell hit them. Seacat was pelted with shredded vines and thrown back again from the blast wave. She barely managed to cradle her broken arm before she hit the ground.

A solid shot from Emily was deflected by Micah’s shields. An arrow bounced off them as well. Scorpia charged from the side but ate another blast into the face, sending her tumbling down the slope. And more explosions followed on the other side.

How could they defeat that monster? Seacat shook her head, tried to ignore the pain, and started to scramble up the slope - at an angle. If she got to the higher ground, she might cause a landslide to bury the bastard.

But he had spotted her again. She started to weave back and forth as she ran, trying to present a harder target. One spell missed her, blowing up a rock behind her. But she was still in the middle of the slope, and there was no cover left. She could see him take aim with his next spell.

Then Glimmer and Adora appeared in front of him, and Micah faltered. Seacat saw his mouth open and his eyes widen as he stared at the princess, seemingly frozen for a moment.

Before he could recover, Adora moved her sword and hit him… with healing magic?

And Micah began to scream as the magic hit him. All the marks on his skin glowed while he jerked.

Seacat slowed down, blinking at the man. Instead of glowing, he was now covered in smoke that… that flowed out of the marks. Thick, black smoke.

And Adora kept it up, kept the sword pointed at him, kept the magic pouring at him. Into him.

Until Micah toppled over, ending up face-down on the ground.

Seacat felt like collapsing herself. She accidentally moved her broken arm, wincing at the pain, as she changed direction and started walking directly towards the fallen sorcerer. And Adora and Glimmer.

“Dad!”

“Watch out, Glimmer!” Adora snapped.

But the princess didn’t listen - she rushed forward and knelt down next to her father. “Dad!”

Adora joined her, limping, and they turned Micah over. “Watch out!” Seacat yelled. “He faked it once before!”

But this time, the sorcerer didn’t send a spell at either of the two - he didn’t move at all. He actually looked dead to Seacat. Pale and stiff.

“Dad! No!”

And to Glimmer, apparently.

But Adora bent down and touched the man’s throat. “He’s breathing.”

“Dad! Wake up!” Glimmer gripped his shoulder and started shaking him.

“Glimmer!” Adora grabbed her hand. “I don’t know what is wrong with him!”

Seacat finally reached them. “Watch out!” she repeated herself. “If he wakes up he can blast us all away!”

“He won’t! He didn’t attack us when I teleported next to him!” Gimmer protested.

“He blasted Scorpia across the slope,” Seacat retorted.

“Ca-Seacat! You’re hurt!”

“I’m…” Seacat broke off. A broken arm wasn’t fine. “Others might need more help,” she said. “Your leg. Bow and Castaspella…” She looked at the cratered remains of the other side of the gap.

“Bow!” Glimmer gasped. “Auntie!” She started to get up, then hesitated.

“I’ll look for them,” Adora told her, standing up. “My leg’s healed enough. You two stay here with him.”

Seacat looked around. Down near the jungle, she could see someone moving - more than one. She narrowed her eyes, wishing she still had her telescope. But... those would be Perfuma and Entrapta.

“Ow.”

And there came Scorpia, limping up the slope from the other side. The princess looked battered, but if she could walk without leaving a tail of blood, she probably was OK. Sort of.

“Glimmer!” And there were Bow and Castaspella. They looked singed and Castaspella was limping, Bow dragging her more than carrying her, but they were alive.

Adora limped to them, then grabbed them both and started helping them walk... back to Glimmer and Seacat?

Well, given the powers Micah had demonstrated, it was probably as safe here as in the jungle.

“Bow!” Glimmer left Micah’s side as Adora lowered first Bow then Castaspella to the ground. “Are you hurt?”

“Banged up a bit,” he replied. “Castaspella is worse off.”

“I…” The sorceress groaned. “I got caught by a blast at the end. Micah’s aim is better than I remember.”

“How did we ever capture that guy?” Scorpia blurted out as she sat down in the rubble near them. “He could’ve wiped out the Horde by himself!”

“He couldn’t do this!” Castaspella said. “This power… no sorcerer could do this.”

“It wasn’t something Shadow Weaver did, either,” Seacat pointed out. “If she could’ve done this, she’d have done it to herself. And wiped out the Alliance and Hordak.”

Castaspella nodded. “Draining so much life… and turning it into such powerful spells…” She trailed off.

“But who did this to Dad?” Glimmer asked. “All those marks on his skin…”

Seacat squinted. The marks had faded, but they were still visible. And they looked a little like…”

“That’s First Ones’ writing,” Adora said. “I can’t read those symbols, strangely, but I know that much.”

“First Ones runes!” Castaspella nodded. “That would fit with the bots he controlled.”

“And that he was inside the First Ones base,” Bow added. “The question is: Did he control the base - or did the base control him?”

“What?” Adora stared at them. “Do you think… that the base turned him into this?”

Seacat clenched her teeth. She didn’t want to say it, but… “If they had a bot like Light Hope, but one connected to the runestone network? Is that possible?”

“In theory… perhaps?”

“Is what possible?” Entrapta asked as she arrived with Perfuma. “He destroyed Emily’s shell - I saved her command and memory module, but the shell’s gone.”

“Could the First Ones’ base have taken control of Micah and gave him his power? This power,” Seacat explained.

“Oh. Well… we can’t say it’s impossible,” Entrapta replied.

“The power to drain life itself?” Perfuma shuddered. “I felt the forest die - all the plants withered and died. This is unnatural!”

“It is,” Castaspella agreed. “It’s why such spells are forbidden at Mystacore. Shadow Weaver broke that law, and she got cursed.”

“Dad’s cursed?” Glimmer, arm around Bow, blurted out.

“I fear so,” Castaspella said. “And I have no idea how to cure him.”

“My healing magic did help him,” Adora said. “The runes faded.”

“It also knocked him out,” Seacat told her. “And he hasn’t woken up yet. We need to secure him before he wakes up.”

“Did you find the pieces of his staff? I think that was how he controlled the power he had,” Entrapta said. “Kind of like Adora’s sword.”

Adora stared at her sword as it was about to cut her.

“Not exactly like your sword,” Seacat said, frowning.

“Right.” Adora nodded but she didn’t seem to be convinced.

And, given what Micah had been able to do, Seacat wasn’t sure her lover was wrong. Not when the First Ones had picked her sword to control the Heart of Etheria.

“Let me heal you now,” Adora said.

“No!” Seacat shook her head. Adora looked like she was about to fall over if she used more magic. “Rest first.”

“But you’re wounded!”

“I can wait,” Seacat retorted. “We can’t exactly push on to the base like this.”

“But the bots might recover!” Adora protested.

“We need you there, as we need Entrapta and Castaspella,” Seacat told her. “If you’re out, what can we do?” Adora was She-Ra, and she was a First One. If anyone had a chance to take over the First Ones’ base, it was her.

“But…”

“And we need to get Dad to the ship,” Glimmer spoke up. “And heal him.”

That, too, of course. And that would take time.

“And I need to repair Emily. And Water-Bot and Carrier-Bot!”

“We all need to rest,” Bow said. “You can heal us in the evening. After you heal your leg.”

Adora glanced up at the ridge, pressing her lips together. Seacat refrained from pushing her further. Her lover was stubborn and a dummy when it came to her own health, but she wasn’t a complete idiot.

“Ok.” Adora sighed. “Let’s get the staff - the two pieces - and then go back to the ship and rest so I can heal you.”

*****​

It was dark when Seacat woke up. She must have slept for far longer than she had planned, she realised - when they had reached the Victory’s Daughter, she had told the others to wake her up after an hour.

She sat up, wincing at the pain from her broken and splinted arm, and looked around. At least they hadn’t moved her from the spot on deck to her cabin.

“You needed the rest.”

She turned her head to scowl at Sea Hawk. He smiled at her, leaning against the railing.

“I’m the Captain,” she spat. “I can’t sleep at a time like this.”

“Your ship’s doing fine. And you’re hurt,” Sea Hawk tilted his head and twisted his moustache. “And you can’t help treat the king, can you? So, it was best to let you sleep.”

She scoffed. Her crew was busy on the other side of the ship. They hadn’t woken her up as ordered, but if Sea Hawk had given her that order, she probably wouldn’t have followed it either.

Sighing, she leaned back. “How’re things, then?”

“The king’s still unconscious. Castaspella and Glimmer are watching him.”

“Adora?”

“Still sleeping.” Sea Hawk shook his head. “She must have exhausted herself.”

“Yes,” Seacat agreed. And didn’t that tell them a lot about how bad Micah’s condition was? She-Ra’s magic had been enough to repair the Seagate, and trying to fix Micah had exhausted Adora?

“Everyone else is resting. Well, Entrapta is building a new bot shell for Emily, but she took another tiny teacup of tiny tea, so she wouldn’t be able to rest anyway,” Sea Hawk went on. “And my dear Mermista is keeping an eye on the sea.”

Seacat got up. “Good. Let’s check up on Micah, then.”

“After you.” Sea Hawk stepped aside and walked beside her.

She entered her cabin and suppressed a wince. They had put Micah into her bed. “So, what can we do about him?” she asked.

“I’m still working on that,” Castaspella said. “She-Ra’s magic did a lot, but he’s still affected by whatever changed him. This is unnatural.” She pointed at the markings on Micah’s pale skin.

“I don’t suppose cutting them off would help?” Seacat asked.

Glimmer and Castaspella gasped.

“NO!”

“How can you even suggest that?”

Seacat shrugged. “I’m no expert.” And you cut off rotting body parts to save someone, didn’t you?

“This is a curse. And while it’s focused on him, it’s not anchored on him,” Castaspella said. “I think it’s linked to a sort of collector. Which would explain how he could use so much power without killing himself.”

Like Shadow Weaver did when she connected to the Black Garnet. “And that would be in the base.”

“Yes. Entrapta said the same after examining the remains of his staff.” Glimmer nodded.

“Great.” So, they had to enter the base and hope that Micah wouldn’t wake up and lay waste to the ship while they were away. If he hurt or even killed the rest of their group…

“So far, there haven’t been any sightings of bots or anything else,” Sea Hawk said.

“That probably just means they are gathering in the base,” Seacat pointed out. Perhaps they should’ve pressed on. Letting your enemy recover wasn’t a good idea. Then again, it was also stupid to press on when you were exhausted.

“If they are, we shall cut a path through them!” Sea Hawk declared.

“You need to stay on the ship,” she told him. “With Mermista.”

He frowned at her. “Isn’t the base underwater?”

Damn. Seacat could only handle so many stubborn people who were too brave for their own good. “I’m sure it has an entrance that’s not underwater.”

“Ca-Seacat! Let me heal you now!”

Case in point. Seacat turned in time to see the sword levelled at her and the point of it starting to glow.

*****​

 

Chapter 61: The First Ones’ Base

“And you thought I should stay on the ship!”

Mermista didn’t have to sound so smug, in Seacat’s opinion. “I didn’t expect the entrance to the First Ones’ base to be underwater,” she said with a scowl.

“Didn’t you see Micah rise out of the water on a submersible platform?” the princess asked as they walked up to the shore of the central lake.

Seacat rolled her eyes. “I didn’t expect that to be the only entrance.”

“We don’t know whether or not there’s another entrance - or an emergency exit we could use as an entrance,” Entrapta chimed in from where she was watching a row of devices she had put up along the shore. “We didn’t find one, but that doesn’t prove that there isn’t any.”

That was true, but they didn’t have enough time to look more thoroughly for an alternative entrance. Not with Glimmer’s dad still tied to whatever magic the First Ones used, ready to lay waste to the island again should he wake up. And not with the fate of Etheria at stake. She sighed. “So, can you open a path to wherever is down there?”

“Of course I can!” Mermista grinned, then raised her trident.

And the lake started to part in front of her, the water recoiling, forming a gap that quickly widened, all the way down to the ground - and to the centre of the lake.

“Even more impressive than the tunnel you created during the River Campaign, my love!” Sea Hawk told her.

“Thank you!”

It was more impressive. And more terrifying as well. This time, there would be no vines and sealing agents holding back the water. Should Mermista lose control, tons of water would crash down on anyone caught between the walls.

Seacat suppressed a shudder. They couldn’t take long down below. Just enough to figure out how the regular entrance worked. She looked forward, where the water was still parting, revealing mud and confused crabs.

And a structure encrusted with shellfish and covered with algae and other water plants.

“Oh! There it is!” cheered Entrapta. “Let’s go!” She was already climbing up on Emily.

“Wait!” Adora said. “Let me check it first!” She stepped into the gap and started walking through the mud.

“Wait!” Seacat sprinted after her.

“Wait on the shore!” Adora told her. “I’m looking for traps.”

Seacat clenched her teeth. As much as she hated it, Adora was right - she wouldn’t help much and only be a liability. If the water walls crumbled, Adora was about the only one who’d have a chance to survive it. Other than Glimmer, and the princess had nearly exhausted her teleport magic. “Be careful,” she whispered, quickly hugging her lover.

“Of course!”

And Adora turned away and continued her trek down the lakebed towards the First Ones’ base.

Seacat stepped back on the shore and forced herself to watch.

“You know, if Mermista loses control over all that water, we’ll be swept away by a wave anyway,” Entrapta said. “I think the entire shore would be swept away.”

“I won’t lose control,” Mermista hissed.

“Of course not, my love!”

“I’m just pointing out the consequences should you lose control,” Entrapta told her. “There’s no reason I couldn’t go with Adora.”

“It’s easier to survive being swept away on the shore and carried inland than being crushed at the bottom of the lake,” Seacat pointed out.

“Really?”

“Yes.” Not much easier, of course.

“I’m growing a wall,” Perfuma announced.

A moment later, plants started to grow at the shore in front of them, forming a thick wall.

“Will that withstand the water?” Entrapta asked. “Hypothetically, I mean,” she added with a side glance to Mermista.

“It’ll reduce the power of a wave,” Perfuma claimed.

And it was blocking her sight. Seacat climbed on the growing wall to keep Adora insight. “Make sure Mermista has a line of sight to the lake,” she snapped.

“Oh, right, sorry.”

“I don’t need to see the water to control it!” Mermista yelled.

Whatever. Seacat wasn’t going to take any risk when Adora’s life was at stake. Her lover had almost reached the base by now. “Why would they have built a base underwater, anyway?”

“To hide it, I suppose,” Scorpia replied. “We never even suspected that there was anything here. We wouldn’t have deported prisoners to the island if we had known of this. I wonder how Micah discovered the place, anyway.”

“He’s a very good swimmer. He might have tried to escape through the lake,” Castaspella said. ”Or he sensed the magic,”

Seacat turned to glance at the sorceress. “Can you sense any magic?”

“It’s more that I can’t sense much magic where the base is.”

“Yes, Perfuma agreed. “It feels the same to my powers.”

“Oh! A base that blocks magic? Interesting!” Entrapta piped up. “Then again, if they built the base to manipulate and collect the runestone network, it would make sense to be able to block the magic as well. You can’t collect what you cannot contain, after all.”

Well, wasn’t that good news? Their magic powers might be useless inside the base. Seacat pressed her lips together.

Then Adora reached the walls of the base, and Seacat held her breath. If this was some magic trap…

But nothing happened. Adora touched the walls, first with her sword, then with her hand, before she scraped off some shellfish and plants. Yet all that she did was reveal some of the metal underneath.

“Looks like the outside isn’t guarded or trapped,” Glimmer stated the obvious.

“She hasn’t reached the entrance yet,” Seacat retorted.

“One of the entrances,” Entrapta told them. “Since the platform that Micah used is on the top, there should be an entrance on ground level. If we assume that the base was constructed before it was flooded. Unless they sealed that entrance up after finishing construction like some ancient tombs. Though that would make later changes to the complex more difficult without noticeably increasing security. Provided they have proper security at the entrances.”

“I don’t think the First Ones were planning to change much after finishing the base, seeing as they planned to destroy Etheria to destroy their enemies,” Seacat pointed out.

“I’m not sure we can judge how the First Ones thought,” Bow said. “We don’t have enough information - practically everything we know is from Light Hope, which is a biased source.”

Right, Bow’s dads were historians. He had mentioned that once, Seacat remembered.

“And Adora was taken from her family before she could actually learn her own culture,” Glimmer added.

Which was a very good thing, in Seacat’s opinion. And not just because she would have never met Adora otherwise. Any people willing to destroy a world to fight a war weren’t good people.

“Well, we’ll find out soon enough!” Entrapta said. “Too bad I couldn’t make Emily waterproof. If I had the parts, I could have made her able to swim!”

Emily beeped, probably in agreement. Seacat wasn’t quite sure - the bot only looked vaguely the same as before, having been cobbled together from parts from various sources.

“I’m widening the gap around the base,” Mermista announced, “so Adora can walk around it.”

Seacat clenched her teeth. That would take Adora out of her sight. If anything happened to her...

But Adora quickly returned and waved at them before she climbed on the roof of the base - where Seacat could see the lines of the platform Micah had used.

“We should go join her!” Entrapta said. “So Mermista doesn’t have to keep the water at bay for too long.”

“I’m fine,” Mermista snapped. “Don’t rush into a trap.”

“But Adora’s there!”

“And she’s looking for traps,” Seacat said, scowling - Adora was poking the apparent hatch with her sword.

“Perhaps it’s a hidden transponder that needs to be activated,” Entrapta speculated. Or a voice command - no, that wouldn’t work underwater.

“Magic. If Micah managed to get into the base, it must react to magic,” Castaspella said.

“Unless he was caught by bots in the jungle and carried into the base,” Sea Hawk countered.

“We never saw any sign of bots,” Scorpia said. “If they had been roaming the jungle, we would’ve noticed. So, it’s probably magic.”

“But if this was a First Ones’ base and meant to let Adora control the weapon, shouldn’t she be able to use magic to enter? And how would she do that if the entrance was closed and underwater?” Entrapta asked.

“Easily,” Seacat told her. “Hey, Adora!” she yelled. “Heal the door!”

“What?” she heard Adroa faintly reply. Rats.

“It’s too far. I’m going to join her,” Seacat told the others.

“We are going to join her,” Glimmer said.

Everyone nodded. Even Mermista. And Entrapta was already gathering up her gadgets.

Damn. Seacat scowled. But she knew she wouldn’t be able to convince the others to stay back. She looked at Sea Hawk, then at Mermista. He nodded - he wouldn’t let any harm come to her. At least not if he could prevent it.

Seacat could only hope that they weren’t about to trigger a trap that would make Mermista lose control.

She quickly took the lead, ignoring the way her feet sank into the muddy ground beneath the lake, and hastened to the base. Adora had spotted them and was waiting on the roof, waving at them. “Seacat! It’s not safe yet!” she yelled, just loud enough for Seacat’s ears to pick it up.

“Tell that to them!” Seacat yelled back.

“It’s not safe yet!” Adora yelled, louder than before

“It’s safe enough!“ Glimmer screamed.

“You don’t know that!”

Seacat rolled her eyes and sped up. As she reached the building, she shook her head. “You should try to heal the door with your sword.”

“Oh!” Adora frowned. “I should’ve thought of that.”

“I could try a spell myself,” Castaspella said, “but that might trigger an attempt to capture me if whatever is controlling this base is looking for sorcerers and sorceresses to control.”

Seacat felt the fur on her neck raise and her ears flatten. No, they didn’t need a second pale and marked, almost invincible, monster to fight!

“Ok, I’ll try to heal the door.” Adora raised her sword, then pointed it at the roof just as Seacat climbed up.

A moment later, the magic energy hit the roof - the platform - and the lines forming a circle lit up, as did a symbol in the middle of it.

“Entrance,” Adora read.

The light shone brightly for a moment, then faded - and the platform started to descend.

“Oh! They must have sensors checking for water!” Entrapta, stepping from Emily’s back straight to the roof, gushed. “Fascinating!”

Seacat nodded, almost absentmindedly. She was staring down the dimly lit shaft that had been revealed.

Entrapta also peered down. “It’s not very deep. Too deep to jump, though. We could wait and see if the platform returns without any more input, so to speak. An automated system like that would make sense. Perhaps it’s a proximity thing? If you’re close to it, it descends, and if you’re far above it, it ascends?”

“We can’t check that,” Seacat said, looking up. Mermista might create a water bridge, but Seacat didn’t want to strain her even more - holding the entire lake at bay had to be exhausting.

“Oh, look, there comes the platform!” Entrapta beamed, then took a step back as the platform rose again until it was level with the rest of the roof. “Like I thought.”

“So, we could use this elevator,” Adora said. “I just need to use magic on the platform.”

“Let’s test it before we end up floating above the lake,” Glimmer told her.

“Alright.” Adora stepped on the platform and used her sword again.

As before, the platform started to descend again, and Adora jumped onto the roof.

“It works,” she announced. “Once it returns, let’s all step on it.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Castaspella said. “We don’t know what awaits us inside. What if it’s a trap? That might have captured Micah before?”

“I’m She-Ra,” Adora said. “This was made for me.”

“And we can deal with any trap,” Glimmer added. “We did so before!”

“Yes,” Scorpia slammed her pincers against each other. “Whatever is waiting for us down there, we can beat it!”

Perfuma, standing next to her, nodded. “If we work together, we can do it!”

“We barely beat Micah,” Bow pointed out. “And he came from this base.”

“Bow!” Glimmer shook her head. “That’s why we need to go down there: To stop whatever is possessing him!”

“And to save the world,” Mermista commented.

Glimmer blushed and scowled at her. “Yes, of course.”

“And courage and love will see us through the worst this base has to offer! Huzzah!” Sea Hawk declared, raising his sword to the sky.

“Not to mention that you can’t keep the water back forever,” Seacat said. “If we enter the base, you can release the lake. And I don’t see what else we can do out here.”

“But what if She-Ra’s presence triggers a trap?” Castaspella said. “Or mine?”

“This base was made for me,” Adora told her. “Well, for She-Ra. Why would they create a trap for me?”

“Light Hope betrayed you, didn’t she? If she informed this base…” Seacat trailed off and pressed her lips together when she saw Adora flinch at the reminder.

“They captured Dad well before all that,” Glimmer said.

“If he and the base were responsible for the monsters that razed the Horde port,” Bow added.

“Who else could’ve been it?” Glimmer asked. “And we came here to stop this runestone network from destroying the world, and we can’t do that if we stay here!”

Well, the princess was right about that. Still… Seacat had a bad feeling about this. She glanced at Entrapta, but her friend was already in the centre of the platform, smiling widely as she sat on Emily. Sighing, Seacat joined her. “Let’s go then!”

“Yes!”

“Should we leave Emily back here? On the shore, I mean,” Glimmer said as she ducked under the bot. “It’s a little crowded with her.”

“But I need her! She’s carrying a lot of tools and materials!” Entrapta retorted.

“Better take her with us,” Seacat said. The bot had proven her worth a few times already, and if they had to deal with another bot like Light Hope, Seacat didn’t want to find out that Entrpata needed a tool that was outside the base. And Emily would help keep Entrapta safe.

She jumped up, grabbed the top of Emily’s leg and swung herself up to the top of the bot’s shell, next to the princess.

Adora smirked at her, then stood in front of the bot. “Everyone ready?”

The group stepped a little closer to the bot - Scorpia almost hugged it - and Entrapta nodded. “Everyone’s inside the circle!”

Adora raised her sword, then pointed it at the circle, letting magic healing energy shoot out of the tip of the blade.

Seacat felt the platform beneath her feet jerk. A moment later, they started to descend.

There were no markings on the shaft’s walls. No lights. Nothing but dark metal. Seacat reached out and drew a claw over the wall. She smiled when she saw the scratches she left. Good to know that she could cut the walls in a pinch.

Then they stopped, and a section of the wall parted, revealing a long hallway that could’ve been taken straight out of Light Hope’s bunker. Seacat sniffed the air - it smelt… not stale, but not like the jungle or the lake. A hint of something she couldn’t identify. Something she had smelt before, though… Her eyes widened. The air smelt like the air in the Horde’s yard when Shadow Weaver had started to throw lightning around like crazy.

“This could be a trap,” she said. “A lightning trap.”

“You smell ozone?” Entrapta asked. “Fascinating! They must have huge power plants, then. Or unsafe ones.”

That wasn’t reassuring at all - Seacat still remembered how Shadow Weaver had died. And how Hordak would’ve died if not for his special armour. Armour none of them was wearing.

But Adora was already stepping into the hallway, sword raised. “I am She-Ra!” she announced.

Everyone waited, but seconds passed without any answer.

“Uh… we probably should step off the platform before it ascends again,” Entrapta suggested.

“Right.” Seacat joined Adora in the hallway, half-expecting an ‘Intruder Alert’ alarm going off.

But nothing happened.

“Perhaps the base is dead?” Perfuma looked around. “It feels dead to me - no plants at all are nearby. And I can still feel the plants in the lake outside, even though it’s harder than usual.”

“The entrance works,” Adora pointed out the obvious as the door closed behind them. It had door controls on this side, Seacat noted with some relief.

“Perhaps it doesn’t work without Micah,” Bow said.

“Unlikely,” Entrapta said. “My sensors are picking up a huge amount of power! This place is bristling with energy!”

“That doesn’t mean that there’s anyone to direct that power,” Castaspella said.

“Why would they install Light Hope but no bot here?” Seacat asked.

“We don’t know much about the First Ones or their technology,” Bow replied. “Light Hope might be a unique bot, or she was needed for her task - liaising with She-Ra - while this base doesn’t need a bot.”

“Someone captured and possessed Dad,” Glimmer said. “He didn’t do that to himself.”

Seacat pressed her lips together. People changed in prison - especially Horde prisons. But this wasn’t the right moment to point that out. “Let’s go on,” she told the others.

“Yes.” Adora took the lead at a brisk pace.

Seacat rushed to catch up, meeting her lover’s annoyed glare with a flat stare. No way was she letting Adora alone in the front.

“I’m releasing the water,” Mermista announced with a sigh just before they reached another door.

This, too, had controls set in the wall next to it, and Adora touched them before Seacat could say anything.

And a bot’s voice sounded through the hallway: “Scanning.”

Seacat tensed.

“It might be a recording,” Entrapta said. “Not a bot itself.”

Then a line of light ran over Adora, then over them all before returning to Adora.

“What…?”

“Oh! An active sensor! But why are they using visible light?” Entrapta frowned. “Is that meant to show the subject of the scan the progress? Or does using such a frequency grant an advantage?”

“What is this?” Adora asked through clenched teeth.

“A scanner!” Entrapta replied. “It’s scanning you. Analysing you. Gathering data!”

Adora didn’t seem to be reassured - and neither was Seacat. They were in a base whose puppet sorcerer had tried to kill them multiple times already. She didn’t trust anything here.

“She-Ra identified, but vitals differ from saved data. You are not Mara.”

“I’m Adora!”

“Please transform back so your unenhanced vitals can be detected,” the bot - it had to be a bot; it sounded like Light Hope - told her.

“Uh…”

“Fascinating! Your transformation must hide your vitals and other data! So, not even the First Ones can scan or extrapolate your natural body’s data when you’re She-Ra!”

“Uh… should I transform back?” Adora asked.

Hell, no! Seacat shook her head. “No. That might be a trap.”

“It might be what we need to take over the station - proof that you are a First One,” Entrapta retorted. “It would make sense that they restricted the base to First Ones, you know, since they wanted to blow the planet up.”

And wasn’t that reassuring. “We can cut our way in,” Seacat said. Her claws would shred the door.

“That might trigger a hostile reaction,” Bow pointed out. “It would be easier to handle this if we had control over the station and any bots it might have.”

That was correct, but… Seacat had a bad feeling about this. She could feel her fur rising.

“The base that captured Dad,” Glimmer cut in.

“We still don’t know that,” Scorpia told her. “But we know how dangerous the base can be if it considers us enemies. And we’re in a narrow hallway.”

That was also true. Seacat still didn’t like it.

“I can always transform back,” Adora said. Seacat glared at her, and she shrugged. “And I’m not helpless either way. If this is a chance to take over without having to fight an army of bots and traps, then I think we should do it.”

Seacat huffed and took a step closer to Adora.

Her lover smiled at her, then raised her sword again in a brief blaze of light, transforming back.

“Scanning.”

Once more, that infernal light beam ran over Adora - and over Seacat. She resisted the sudden urge to bat at it. That would be pointless - you couldn’t touch it.

“First Ones physiology identified. She-Ra’s status updated. Welcome to Power Station One, She-Ra. The Heart of Etheria is at your command.”

“Yes!” Bow whispered.

“Uh, thanks,” Adora replied. “So… can you open this door?”

“Opening the Door,” the voice replied as the door slid open.

“Thank you.” Adora entered a room that looked very similar to the one in Light Hope’s bunker with all the consoles.

Seacat looked around, ears twitching, as she tried to spot the hidden passages containing bots.

“Control Unit detected. Weapon system charging.”

“What?” Adora blurted out as Seacat held her breath.

“‘Weapon system charging’?” Bow repeated in a slightly higher voice than usual.

“Are we under attack?” Scorpia asked, looking around.

“Uh…” Entrapta grimaced. “I think the weapon system the base means is the Heart of Etheria. All the magic power it has gathered. The thing we are here to stop and dismantle.”

“What?” Seacat yelled - together with pretty much everyone else.

“The weapon is charging? How? We didn’t connect the last Runestone!” Glimmer exclaimed. “It shouldn’t work!”

“It shouldn’t work according to Light Hope’s data, even with Adora’s sword present - the Heart of Etheria can only activate if the network is complete!” Entrapta looked around. “Console! I need to check the readings!”

“What’s happening?” Adora asked. “And how do we stop it, whatever it is?”

“I’m going to find out!” Entrapta yelled as she dashed into the room.

“Warning! Intruder detected. Physiology doesn’t match approved personnel. Countermeasures initiated!”

“Stop! Stop! She’s authorised! By me, She-Ra!” Adora yelled. “I’ve got the sword and everything! After a moment, she raised the sword. “For the Honour of Grayskull!”

Adora transformed into She-Ra again, but the bot’s voice didn’t react. And Seacat heard the sound of doors opening - sliding into walls. Now would come the… She frowned, cocking her head. She didn’t hear any bots scrambling over metal.

“Stop it!” Adora yelled again. “I’m ordering you!”

“Please state the override code,” the bot finally replied.

“Override code? What override code?” Adora asked.

“I don’t know,” Entrapta yelled. “There wasn’t anything in Light Hope’s memories!”

And now Seacat heard the sound of metal legs approaching them. “Here they come!” she yelled, drawing her sword and moving to block one of the passages.

“Base! Stop this! Stop… ah, damn it!” Adora joined her, sword drawn.

Sea Hawk and Mermista followed their example, as did Glimmer and Scorpia, while Bow, as Seacat saw with a glance over her shoulder, moved to cover Entrapta with Perfuma.

A moment later, the first bots appeared in the hidden passages. Seacat hissed. “There they are!”

“I don’t see...oh. There they are!” Adora yelled.

And the bots attacked. About half a dozen of them. Seacat moved to intercept them, but Adora charged ahead, and one swipe of her sword cleaved all but one bot in two, and she got that one with the backswing.

The half a dozen bots coming through the door on the other side were dispatched by Scorpia and Sea Hawk before Seacat reached their position.

“Countermeasures insufficient. Please hold.”

“What?” Mermista said. “Did the bot just ask us to wait until it can make more bots?”

“A novel approach to fighting, I’m sure,” Sea Hawk commented with a grin.

“We must have depleted their stocks of bots,” Glimmer said.

Seacat moved back to Entrapta and Bow, nodding at Perfuma. “What’s going on?”

“The weapon is charging,” Entrapta replied, pointing at a number of blinking lights on the console. “It must be reacting to the control unit - Adora’s sword! But it shouldn’t do that!”

“What?” Adora yelled, staring at her sword as if it was about to attack her. “This is my fault?”

“No!” Seacat snapped. “None of us thought this was possible!”

“It shouldn’t work,” Entrapta said, hands and hair pushing button after button. “The network isn’t completed. The energy readings are far too low for the intended purpose, and it shouldn’t activate without that. The danger was overloading the Heart, not activating it!”

“Well, it seems we were wrong,” Bow said.

“No, no, no!” Entrapta retorted. “The Heart of Etheria is still dormant. But another system is charging in the base here. And… the power readings are much lower than the Heart’s.”

“That’s good, right?” Perfuma asked.

“If this blows up, it won’t destroy the planet,” Entrapta replied without looking up. Seacat was about to smile when the princess continued. “But if the power storage overloads and loses containment, the explosion will destroy the island for sure.”

“What?” Seacat paled. “Isn’t this supposed to hold enough power to destroy the planet?”

“That’s the Heart of Etheria, in the centre of the network. This is the, uh, it’s an auxiliary system… targeting system? Something to be fired before the Heart fires, in any case. It’s not meant to handle even the vastly reduced power it’s using now!”

“We need to evacuate!” Seacat snapped. “How long until it blows up? We need to get back to the ship!”

“Wait!” Mermista held up her hand. “If the island blows up, will it sink?”

“Uh…” Mire tapping of buttons and keys from Entrapta followed. “It’ll vaporise the island. Basically. There might be some larger remains, but it’ll be mostly gone.”

Mermista went pale. Seacat felt her stomach drop to her knees. “That will cause a giant wave,” the princess said, shaking her head. “It’ll lay waste to the entire South Coast - and probably Salineas as well.”

“What?” Glimmer gasped.

“There have been similar catastrophes in the past,” Mermista explained.

“Yes,” Bow agreed. “The Crimson Flood that created the Crimson Waste, for example.

“We can’t let that happen!” Adora looked grim - as if she was ready to… Damn!

“Yes, we can’t,” Entrapta agreed. “Because if the island gets blown up, we lose the control unit the First Ones installed here - and we need that to safely discharge the power gathered in the Heart of Etheria!”

Seacat muttered a curse under her breath.

“If we lose the station… the heart of Etheria will continue to collect magic energy until it can’t contain it any more.” Castaspella sounded shocked. “And then it’ll…”

“...destroy the planet,” Glimmer finished for her. “It might take a while, but Etheria would be doomed.”

“Stop it!” Adora yelled. “We have to stop it!”

“I’m trying! But the console isn’t accepting my commands! It requires an override code!” Entrapta yelled without looking up from where she was hitting buttons all over the place.

She sounded desperate, Seacat noticed. And that made her stomach plummet again. If Entrapta was desperate, their situation had to be even worse than Seacat thought.

“She-Ra must have the override code,” Bow said. “I can’t imagine the First Ones being so negligent as to leave the intended user without a way to stop this!”

“Mara might have known it - and taken the knowledge into the grave.” Mermista shook her head.

“And after a thousand years, the system might not be working correctly any more,” Castaspella added. “Like Light Hope, this bot might be damaged.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s broken - we have to try anyway,” Adora stated. “I’ve got the control unit here.” She raised her sword. “Just tell me where to go.”

“And what will you do? Point the sword at it and heal the thing?” Mermista asked.

Adora firmly nodded. “Yes. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll cleave it into two parts!”

Mermista gasped in surprise - she should’ve known better than to ask Adora that kind of question, in Seacat’s opinion. Her lover always preferred the direct, simple solution.

“But that will likely cause an explosion!” Entrapta said. “If you breach the containment shell…”

Adora drew in a sharp breath. “What? You mean that will cause the explosion?”

“Well… an explosion. If you’re quick enough, it’ll be limited in power,” Entrapta explained. “But it’ll still vaporise the station.”

Damn. “And if we drain this chamber of the power?” Seacat asked.

“That would work - if we had a receptacle to vent the power into,” Entrapta replied. “But it’s magic, and the crystals we’d need for that…” She shook her head, tentacled hair flying back and forth. “I don’t have the crystals to construct such a storing device, and I don’t have the time for it, either.”

No way to drain the magic safely, then. And this was just an auxiliary storage - not even the Heart of Etheria itself, which held far more magic… Seacat blinked. That might… “Can you vent it into the Heart of Etheria?” she asked.

“That would overload it!” Glimmer gasped.

“Not necessarily!” Entrapta retorted. “The Heart can hold magnitudes more power - it’s already doing so, actually. It should be able to safely contain the additional power currently held in the subsystem.”

‘Should’. Not the most encouraging words. But better than certain failure. “Then let’s do this!” Seacat said.

“But we’d need a direct link to the Heart of Etheria. And according to the console, there isn’t any such link,” Bow said, shaking his head.

“But we can build one!” Entrapta exclaimed. “If we can repurpose the parts in the consoles here, and… I’m sorry, Emily, but we’ll need parts of you again!”

Seacat had no idea what the beeping from the bot meant, but Entrapta patted its shell and smiled, so it was probably agreement.

“But the bot here will try to stop us!” Perfuma cut in.

“With what?” Glimmer asked. “If it had anything left, we’d have been fighting it already.”

“We can’t know that. There might be traps,” Seacat said.

“I don’t care. We need to stop this, and I’ll do it. Traps or no traps.” Adora straightened. “Where is this subsystem?”

“It’s two floors down according to the map here,” Bow said. “Let me see if I can… yes!”

A crystal set on a pedestal started to glow. Seacat took a step back and prepared to jump away, but it stopped growing brighter, and in the middle of it, lines appeared. Lines that glowed, and… Oh. They formed a sort of map. No, a sort of transparent model of the base.

Seacat tilted her head. “Just how far down goes this shaft?” she asked, pointing at the model.

“Deeper than the deepest mine shaft I’ve heard of,” Bow said.

“But still within a safe distance from the molten core of Etheria,” Entrapta added.

“How much time do we have left?” Adora asked.

“Uh…” Entrapta cocked her head. “If we hurry, we’ll make it. But we need a powerline and a connection to the crystal storage to drain the magic. And an adapter to the main line leading to the Heart of Etheria.”

“Hurry!” Adora spat.

“I’m hurrying!” Entrapta’s hands and hair were constantly moving, ripping lines out of consoles and gathering other, weird materials.

“We should clear the way to the subsystem…” Seacat started to say,

“Storage crystal!” Entraota interrupted her,

“… whatever.” Seacat clenched her teeth. “We don’t want to be held up when we descend with the power line.”

Adora nodded. “Good idea. Let’s clear the way.” She turned to Scorpia. “Keep them safe.”

Scorpia straightened, then nodded, touching her chest with one pincer in a Horde salute. “I will!”

Adora turned and left the room. Seacat followed her. “This way to the shaft.” The one leading to the storage crystal. Not the one leading down to the bowels of the planet.

They reached it quickly and peered down. “I don’t see a platform,” Seacat said.

“Let me check the controls.” Adora aimed her sword at them, and magic shot out of its tip.

Nothing happened.

“We’ll have to climb,” Seacat muttered.

“Yes,” Adora agreed.

Just like in the Horde airship yard, Seacat thought. Hopefully, this would work better.

She bent down, then stuck her claws into the wall. “I’ll create handholds for you,” she told Adora before scrambling down the shaft.

“Ca-Seacat! Wait for a rope!”

“It’s not too deep,” she replied - this wasn’t the main shaft, after all. And she had only two floors to climb. Half a minute later, she was busy slashing at the door barring her way. The material the First Ones used for the door was, annoyingly, tougher than the one they had used for the wall. But it wasn’t tough enough.

“Watch out!”

Seacat jerked, looking over her shoulder - and kicked her feet against the door, propelling herself away from it. She swung to the side while holding on with one set of claws as a metal arm smashed into the door where she had been a moment ago.

“What is that?” she yelled, scrambling up the wall as the arm - with grasping claws as big as her arms - withdrew to take another swing at her.

This time she was ready - and jumped onto it as it once more missed her. Her claws sliced into the metal, but the arm kept moving - now trying to crush her against the shaft’s wall.

She cursed and jumped off again. But the jerking arm made her lose her footing, and instead of hitting the wall with all four sets of claws, she only managed to drive one set into it, then dangled from it before she managed to regain her footing.

“Watch out!” Adora screamed - and Seacat saw something move from above her. Too fast to dodge.

She tried anyway - but before the arm crushed her, Adora fell onto it and cleaved it into two with her sword. And continued falling.

“Adora!” Seacat screamed.

Adora managed to jump off the broken metal arm and ram her blade into the wall, then hung onto it as it sliced downwards for half a floor before it stopped. “I’m OK!”

“You idiot!” Seacat cursed her and started to scramble down towards her.

“Says you!”

“Damn right I do!” Seacat quickly reached Adora and started creating more hand- and footholds for her reckless lover. “You jumped down a shaft!”

“It wasn’t too deep!”

Seacat hissed in annoyance at hearing her own words. “That’s different!”

“How so?”

“I’m lighter - and I have four sets of claws to stop my fall, not just one sword.”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Adora shot back as she started to climb after Seacat.

“That’s not the point!”

Seacat reached the floor they needed again and vented some of her frustration on the wall there. If Adora had fallen all the way down…

By the time the idiot joined her, she had made a hole wide enough for her to slip through. Which she did.

“Wait!” Adora yelled.

Seacat looked around. She was in a hallway - no dust, no sign of a trap. And the next door was ten yards away. “Looks safe!” she told Adora and started to widen the hole from the inside. That was easier - she didn’t have to hang to the wall while working.

Soon, the hole was wide enough for Adora to enter, and she used her sword to cut the rest of the door down. “The others need to be able to enter.”

“They better bring some rope,” Seacat said. “Let’s clear the way.”

But apart from a single bot trying to kill them with a broom - Adora cut it in two without stopping - they didn’t encounter more traps or defenders and soon reached the storage area Entrapta had found.

And the huge, brightly glowing crystal it housed. The light was so bright, it hurt looking directly at it.

“Wow,” Adora whispered.

“I think we’ll need a bigger line,” Seacat mumbled. She sniffed the air. “It smells like lightning.”

“And it’s getting warm,” Adora added. She reached out with her hand but pulled it back before she touched the crystal. “Yes, it’s growing hot.”

“That’s not a good sign.” Seacat clenched her teeth and felt her ears flatten themselves against her head.

“No, it isn’t.” Adora took a deep breath. “Look…” she started to say.

“I’m staying with you,” Seacat told her with a glare.

And Adora proved that she wasn’t a complete idiot by shutting up.

*****​

“Alright! That’s the line… I’ve connected it to the main shaft!” Entrapta announced. “Now, all we need is to connect it to the crystal and activate it with your sword!”

“Good.” Adora took a deep breath. “Take a step back.”

“Better, leave the room,” Entrapta said. “The adapter could be leaking.”

“‘Leaking’?” Seacat turned towards her.

“I had to improvise. The main part of the magic should be channelled through it, but some part might, uh, leak,” the princess explained. And that could be bad.”

They moved out of the room. All except for… “Adora!” Seacat yelled.

“I have to activate it!” Adora yelled back. “With my sword.”

“Does she know how?” Glimmer asked.

“It should be automated. Or instinctual,” Entrapta told them. “I repurposed the trigger mechanism to start the discharge.”

“What?” Seacat turned back towards the door, but the light from the crystal inside suddenly grew much, much brighter.

And Adora started screaming.

*****​

 

Chapter 62: The Dark Crystal

Adora! Seacat rushed towards the door. Her lover was screaming as if… as if…

“Wait!” Entrapta yelled.

Seacat ignored her. She reached the door - and froze.

The storage crystal was glowing brighter than the sun, sending sparks of magic out into every direction like a lightning storm - and Adora was standing next to it. Her hair was floating, and there was a shining halo around her as magic - like lightning - ran over her body. She had her eyes closed and was still holding her sword which was blazing like the crystal.

“Adora!” Seacat yelled, stepping into the room.

A spark of magic hit her, and she collapsed, spasming on the floor. The pain was… the pain… damn, the pain!

Something grabbed her, dragging her out of the room - away from Adora. She tried to resist, to crawl towards her love, but her body wasn’t working.

“Seacat! What were you thinking?”

Entrapta was yelling at her. And Castaspella was doing something with magic.

“Adora,” Seacat spat, trying to get out of Entrapta’s hair.

“You can’t help her!” Bow yelled.

So what? She would try anyway! Seacat rolled over on her belly and got up. Or tried to. Her limbs were still twitching.

“Don’t be stupid!” Glimmer told her. “Stay down!”

She wouldn’t. Not when Adora was suffering.

“Scorpia, do it.”

“No!” Seacat gasped. She couldn’t! She wouldn’t!

She felt a sting, and everything went dark.

*****​

Seacat woke up groaning. Her whole body hurt. And she was… on the ground?

“Seacat! You’re awake!” Entrapta ran a device over her. “You didn’t suffer any permanent damage,” she said. “You’re going to be OK!”

Seacat didn’t feel like she was going to be OK. This had been… one of the most painful experiences of her life. Almost as bad as getting interrogated by Shadow Weaver in prison. And…

She gasped. “Adora!”

Entrapta winced. “She’s alive.”

Seacat forced herself to get up. “Adora!” Where was she? She was in a hallway, but where was Adora?

“We couldn’t stop her until the power had been completely drained,” the princess went on. “The leaking was worse than anticipated - and she absorbed most of it. I’m sorry!”

“Where is she?”

“In the storage room, but…”

Seacat wasn’t listening any more. She walked, stumbled towards the storage room. Towards Adora!

This time, no hair or stinger held her back. She reached the door, leaning against the frame - and saw her.

Adora was on the ground, as if… No! She was alive! She was breathing!

But she looked terrible. Pale, trembling, shivering, eyes closed… “Adora!”

“She’s alive,” Castaspella said from Adora’s side. “But so much magic ran through her…”

“What happened to her?” Seacat asked, snarling, as she stumbled towards her lover.

“We don’t know,” Castaspella said. “Her body’s fine - no worse than yours, according to Entrapta. But what the magic did to her…” She shook her head. “I don’t know of anyone who survived such a thing.”

“Shadow Weaver…” Seacat whispered, reaching out to touch Adora’s cheek. “That’s how she died. Connected to a runestone.”

“Yes. But this wasn’t a runestone. And she’s She-Ra - this whole base was made for her. So…” Entrapta shrugged. “We don’t know what it did to her. We won’t know until she wakes up. But the storage crystal is now empty.”

Seacat didn’t care about that. What good was that if Adora wouldn’t… was… She shook her head, sending tears flying. “Adora! You idiot!” She bent down and rested her head on Adora’s chest. “You stupid idiot!”

Someone coughed. “Not… an… idiot.”

Her ears twitched. That was… “Adora!”

Seacat sat up. Adora was awake! Her eyes were open. And she was smiling at her! “You dummy!”

“Had to… do it.” Adora whispered.

“No!”

“Yes.”

“I think they’re going to be fine,” Glimmer commented.

Seacat ignored her. She hugged Adora. “You idiot!”

Adora chuckled, And Seacat felt an arm on her back, weakly patting it.

She hugged Adora harder.

“So… how do you feel? Any lingering pain?” Entrapta asked. “Hallucinations? Loss of memory? Taste? Sense of touch?”

“Everything hurts,” Adora replied. “Exhausted.”

“That is normal. I wouldn’t recommend transforming back,” Castaspella said. “Your normal body might not be able to survive this.”

“What?” Seacat gasped. “Adora might be stuck like this?”

“Only until she recovers,” Castaspella explained. “And it’s just a security precaution. We don’t know what happened to her.”

“But so far, it looks good. You can talk, you understand us. You aren’t leaking blood or brain fluid, and your nerves haven’t been damaged as far as I can tell. Not permanently, at least.”

That was as comforting as it was terrifying. Adora could’ve died!

“So could’ve you,” Glimmer said. “Stepping into the room!”

Had she said that out loud? Without realising it? She must be hurt worse than she’d thought.

“Idiot,” Adora mumbled.

Seacat scoffed and hugged her lover again.

“Adora, you need to rest. We’ve dismantled the bot controlling the station, and the storage was drained, so we’re good. You don’t need to push yourself. Just get well,” Glimmer said.

“But…”

“No buts.”

Seacat nodded in agreement. “I won’t let you get up anyway,” she said. “I’ll sit on you if I have to.”

“You’re already straddling her,” Glimmer told her.

Seacat ignored her.

*****​

After about an hour, Adora was strong enough to push Seacat away and get up, despite Seacat’s protests. And Seacat was well enough, so the pain was merely an annoyance, not something to worry about.

“Let me heal you!” Adora, predictably, said anyway.

“No! Save your strength for others,” Seacat retorted. “And for yourself.”

“I’m fine. Entrapta and Castaspella said so.”

“They didn’t say that - we don’t know what the magic did to you!”

“Might have done,” Entrapta corrected them. “I think trying to heal someone would be a good test if your magic was influenced by all the other magic!” She smiled at them and raised her device. “Tell me when you’re ready to heal!”

“Uh…” Adora grimaced. “I don’t want to use Seacat for a test? What if I hurt her?”

That was a good question, in Seacat’s opinion.

“Well, you can try it on me!” Entrapta suggested. “Although I’m not hurt.”

“Try it on me,” Seacat told her lover. If anything had changed, it was better to find out now instead of in the middle of a battle.

“But…”

“I trust you.” She smiled at Adora. And hid her tension. If this did go wrong…

Adora took a deep breath - her chest heaved - and nodded. “Alright then.”

“Ready!” Entrapta said.

And Seacat stared at the point of Adora’s sword as it rose. As soon as it pointed at her, magic flowed into Seacat.

She gasped. This… this felt… “Incredible!”

“What?”

Seacat blinked. “I feel… perfect. Better than perfect.” She felt as if she could arm wrestle Adora and everyone else together!

“So... it looks like your healing ability is more effective,” Entrapta said. “Castaspella! Come!”

“What?” The sorceress appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. “Adora! You’re up!”

“And she healed Seacat!” Entrapta beamed at her. “And it was more effective than usual. Can you check them?”

“Why didn’t you call me before they tried this?” Castaspella complained.

“Uh… I forgot.”

“Perhaps you should heal Entrapta next,” Seacat suggested. Her friend did look a little tired. “Once we are sure it’s safe.”

“Let me examine you two.” Castaspella shook her head, and Seacat heard her mutter “Idiots!” under her breath. Soon, both of them were bathed in the light from Castaspella’s magic as she ran her hands over them. “It doesn’t seem to be corrupting you,” she said after a few minutes.

“Good! Do me now!” Entrapta said.

“Wait!” Castaspella raised a hand. “Let’s see if Seacat is actually better - and not just feeling as if she is. If this is a magical stimulant then we don’t want to find out when you exhaust yourself and collapse. Or die.”

Seacat grimaced. “I do feel fine, but… I wouldn’t be able to tell if I was fine, would I?”

“Let’s test it!” Entrapta said.

“Shouldn’t we stop the Heart of Etheria?” Adora asked. “Before we do anything else?”

“I would prefer it if you wouldn’t try to manipulate the Heart of Etheria before we’re sure that you or your magic aren’t negatively affected by what you went through,” Castaspella told her.

“That’s a good point,” Adora agreed.

“So, let’s test Seacat!” Entrapta beamed again.

“Alright. You test her - I’ll continue looking for whatever turned my brother into a monster,” Castaspella said. She nodded at them and left again.

“You didn’t find it yet?” Adora asked.

“It’s not on the blueprints,” Entrapta replied with a pout. “It must have been a later addition, and the system didn’t update the data. That is really sloppy.”

Oh. “So… we can’t trust the magic plans we got?” Seacat asked.

“So it seems. That’s why we’ve been checking the known areas - very carefully! - while you were resting. But enough of that! Let’s see if you are actually better and not just feeling better!” Entrapta smiled. “If you were actually healed, your endurance and fine motor skills should have been restored.”

Seacat had the impression that this testing would be exhausting.

*****​

“That’s it! Your fingers - and claws - are starting to tremble. And you are taking longer now to assemble a sensor!” Entrapta announced. “And all the data I gathered fits your normal profile,” she added.

Seacat set the last set of parts she had been given down and sighed.

“You have a profile of her body?” Adora sounded both surprised and intrigued.

“Yes. I have data on all of my friends!” Entrapta smiled. “On both your forms, too! You have to know your friends, after all, so you don’t hurt them by mistake.”

Adora blinked, but Seacat nodded. Entrapta might have misunderstood the advice, but she didn’t mean them any harm. “Alright. So… we know now that Adora’s magic healing powers weren’t affected.”

“Not negatively!” Entrapta nodded. “So, heal me - us - now!”

Adora did so, and Seacat sighed with relief. The testing had been literally exhausting. “Alright,” she said as she got up, “Let’s get back to actual work!”

“The Heart of Etheria!” Adora nodded with a determined expression.

“Actually,” Entrapta piped up, “We need to map the base out, first. We can’t really plan anything without correct data - and if we make a tiny mistake with the magic in the Heart of Etheria…”

Seacat winced. “Let’s find whatever trap got Micah, then.”

*****​

Finding the hidden parts was easier said than done, though. Whoever had built the base hadn’t kept it simple at all. And whoever had expanded it… “Was the architect drunk?” Mermista complained an hour later as they discovered another winding tunnel in the base. “Couldn’t they build straight corridors?”

“No,” Entrapta replied, smiling as she pointed her device at the wall. “This isn’t a corridor - this is a mine tunnel! Or was one; the base bot must have used this to gather raw materials and then repurposed the tunnel once the ore ran out. How efficient!”

“We’re in a mine?” Gimmer asked.

“Yes, but don’t worry - it’s stable. The First Ones knew about mining in volcanic areas,” Entrapta explained.

“‘Volcanic areas’?” Adora asked.

“They usually have more tectonic activity,” Entrapta told her. “Earthquakes and such,” she added after a moment.

Seacat couldn’t help but worry even more now. “Well, the base lasted a thousand years already,” she said.

“That’s not much of a timespan for earthquakes,” Bow said. “And they probably didn’t plan for the base to last that long, seeing, ah, as it was supposed to be destroyed with the entire planet a thousand years ago.”

“Bow!” Glimmer glared at him. “Don’t scare people!”

“But it’s the truth!”

“Yes. How can that be scary?” Entrapta asked.

“The thought that we could end up buried alive might be scary for some people,” Glimmer replied. The way she was looking at the ceiling probably meant she was included in that number.

Bow must have noticed as well since he gathered her in a hug.

“Bow! I’m fine!” Glimmer protested, as expected.

“Of course.”

“I really am!”

“So, can we, like, get on with this?” Mermista asked. “I would prefer to get out of this as soon as possible.”

“Right!” Entrapta took the lead, visor down and staring at her device. “There’s a large room ahead of us. “No power lines in the walls, though. Probably a raw material storage facility.”

She turned the next corner and stopped. “Or… it’s a magic storage facility.”

“Another one?” Seacat groaned and moved forward. And stopped.

“That’s not a storage crystal,” Castaspella said behind her, looking at a floating, crackling dark crystal. “Not just a storage crystal, at least.”

“Is that… Is that what changed Dad?” Glimmer asked in a small voice.

“It’s active,” Entrapta stated the obvious. “But it’s purely magical.”

“How could a bot have installed a purely magical device after the First Ones had left and Mara and her friends had died?” Bow wondered aloud. “It wasn’t any different than Light Hope.”

“It’s theoretically possible,” Entrapta replied. “First Ones’ technology was very advanced, and they had sophisticated interfaces for magic. We have them as well - Emily could use magic. Theoretically, with the right interface. Which I would have to craft. But to construct something like this… I don’t think the base bot had the capacity for this. This would require… creativity.”

“Something’s here,” Castaspella whispered. “I can feel it.”

Seacat felt the fur on her neck bristle. “I can hear something. Like… a whisper.” Her ears lay flat on her head. A creepy whisper. And she could feel a cold breeze.

“What is it?” Adora asked, looking around.

“Whatever it is, it’s not natural,” Perfuma said. “My magic… I can’t feel anything here. Not even the seeds in my pockets.”

“That’s not good!” Scorpia cut in. “Let’s back off!”

But the whispers were all around them - and behind them.

“We’re surrounded,” Seacat spat. She heard the hint of cackling. “It’s… it’s playing with us!”

“It took Dad! We’ll make it pay!” Glimmer announced. “We can… Eeek!” She jumped, whirling around. “Something touched me. Something cold!”

Perfuma yelped as well. “My seeds! They died!”

Scorpia lashed out with her stinger but only met air as far as Seacat could tell.

“Stop this!” Adora yelled. “Whatever you are, stop this!”

More cackling. Seacat’s entire fur bristled. And her tail was poofing out. She hated this. “It must be the crystal’s doing!”

“Let’s smash it!” Adora blurted out. “Wait - is it safe?”

“I can’t tell,” Entrapta replied. “Castaspella?”

Seacat turned to look at the sorceress and cursed - Castaspella was standing still, eyes staring at the crackling crystal. “Castaspella!”

“Auntie!”

But she wasn’t reacting at all. Instead, she was slowly walking towards the crystal.

But Adora stepped in her way and pointed her sword at her. “Stop!”

Castaspella didn’t stop, but before she could impale herself on Adora’s blade, magic energy hit her, and she collapsed.

“Auntie!”

“Forgotten Stars!” Castaspella shook her head as she got up on all fours. “I was… it possessed me.” She raised her head and stared at the crystal. “We have to destroy it.”

Before anyone could say anything in response, the whispering turned into screeching, and a wave of cold hit them. As they staggered back, transparent figures appeared between them and the crystal, and the floor and walls started to get covered with ice.

Adora swung her sword at the closest figure, but the blade went right through it - and Adora jerked back, staring at the ice covering half the weapon. “Don’t let them touch you!” she yelled.

But they were surrounded. And the damned things were closing in.

“Uh… my sensors don’t show anything!” Entrapta yelled. “Except for cold spots. They’re draining thermal energy!”

Magic. Evil magic.

Scorpia lashed out again with her singer, then hissed and pulled it back, rubbing the frozen tip. “Yikes!”

“Don’t let them touch you!” Adora yelled again, levelling her sword at the closest thing. Magic energy shot at it but passed harmlessly through it. The thing seemed to cackle in their eerie way.

“Did you just try to heal it?” Glimmer asked.

“I thought it might help, like with Micah,” Adora replied.

They were bunched up and surrounded. Caught between the things and the walls. Seacat hissed. “We need to get past them.”

“I’ve got an idea!” Bow drew an arrow out of his quiver and shot it at the closest thing - no, at the floor. Fire erupted from the impact, flames reaching for the ceiling. Seacat could feel the heat from where she stood.

And the things recoiled with a hissing noise - for a moment. Seacat’s hope of beating them with fire died quickly when they swarmed the flames and snuffed them out in moments. But they had reacted. “They’re going after fire! Use it to lure them away so we can escape!”

“No! Open a path to the crystal!” Adora yelled. “Quickly.” She was swimming her sword at two more of the things advancing towards her.

But there were an awful lot of the things between them and the crystal.

“I’ve only got two more fire arrows!” Bow yelled.

“Use them!” Adora snapped. Lure them away!”

“But if the crystal explodes - or if the things don’t die with it…” Glimmer trailed off.

“We have to risk it!” Adora insisted. “Bow! Now!”

Bow grimaced but did as told and fired one arrow to the right, setting up another fire, followed by the second further away.

The ice ghosts or whatever they were drawn to the flames, and Adora charged the crystal, sword held high. A few of the ghosts attempted to intercept her, but she jumped over the first pair, went around the next and ran through the third.

I’m going to kill her for this! Seacat thought as she followed Adora. She wasn’t going to run through the ghosts, of course - she jumped and then slid under one before darting around the rest.

The things were all converging on Adora now, shrieking like stuck pigs, but she was too close to the crystal to be stopped. With a roar, she raised the sword, jumped and brought her blade down on the crystal.

For a horrible moment, caught between two more ghosts, Seacat thought Adora had missed. Or the crystal resisted the force of her blow somehow.

Then, like a burst seam, something seemed to open in the crystal, a gap where Adora’s sword had struck, and energy shot out of it. Two of the things were caught in the stream and ripped apart. And the metal walls started to buckle under the stream as it bounced off them. But the other ghosts were fine.

“We need to flee!” Glimmer yelled. “They’re still attacking!”

But there were too many of the things between them and the exit. And they had nothing to hurt the ghosts with… Seacat’s eyes widened. “Get ready to run!” she yelled - and jumped to the wall. Slashing quickly with her claws, she cut out a sheet of metal, then ripped it off.

“Ca-Seacat! What are you doing?” Adora yelled.

“Clearing a path!” Seacat replied - and dashed towards the steam of magic energy coming from the broken crystal.

A ghost tried to intercept her, but she dived to the ground and slid past it, then jumped up and rushed forward. Straight at the stream.

“Ca-Seacat! No!”

Seacat clenched her teeth and raised the metal plate before stepping into the stream. The impact almost ripped the plate out of her hands, but she held on - and twisted the plate, directing the stream across the room. Two more of the things coming her way were caught in it and dissolved.

She had to dig in her claws to keep from getting bowled over. The plate was starting to bend and buckle, but Seacat managed to move the reflected stream of magic, sweeping it over the room, towards the hallway, ripping the ghosts caught by it to shreds. “Go!” she yelled as soon as the path was clear. “I don’t know how long I can hold this!”

The stream was growing - both in power and width. She was now getting pushed back, the claws on her feet leaving deep gouges on the floor. And her hands were starting to hurt - the beam was almost wider than the plate now.

She couldn’t stop, though. Not when the others were still running away. Not when there were still dozens of the things to keep at bay. Hissing with pain, she held on.

“Ca-Seacat!”

Until strong arms wrapped around her waist, and she was yanked away, the freed stream narrowly missing her tail.

“You idiot!” Adora snapped, squeezing Seacat under her arm and running towards the exit.

“What?” Seacat let the mangled plate drop. “Let me down! I can run!”

Adora didn’t listen. Her friend carried her out of the room and around the corner.

Right before an explosion shook the floor.

Seacat felt a shockwave hit them just before a cloud of dust and smoke engulfed them. Adora was still carrying her, though, and not letting her go even as they stumbled through the smoke. “Put me down!” Seacat yelled, then coughed when she inhaled too much smoke.

And then they were in the old mine tunnel, with the smoke thinning somewhat. She could see others ahead, running as well.

“Put me down!”

Adora finally did, and Seacat whirled, facing the corridor behind them. If they had missed any ghosts…

“Are we still alive?” Bow asked.

“What do you think?” Glimmer shot back.

“After seeing ghosts, I’m not sure what to think,” he said.

“Were those creatures actually ghosts? That would be the find of the century! The existence of ghosts was proposed but never proven!” Entrapta chimed in.

“Can anyone see any ghosts?” Seacat snapped.

“In this smoke?” Glimmer complained.

“My sensors don’t detect any cold patches in the smoke,” Entrapta replied. “Do you think we destroyed them all? So briefly after discovering them?”

“I sure hope so,” Adora said. “They almost killed us.” She shuddered. “And you!” She turned towards Seacat. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking we needed to destroy them,” Seacat replied, scowling. “And I saw the beam being reflected by the metal on the walls.”

“You almost died!” Adora yelled.

“You charged the entire horde of ghosts!” Seacat yelled back. “I had a plan!”

“So had I! And it worked!”

“So did mine!”

“Adora! Seacat!” Mermista interrupted them. “Stop it! You both took serious risks, but it worked out!”

“Exactly!” Sea Hawk beamed at them. “A brave and desperate plan - two plans - that worked out into a harrowing but victorious adventure!”

Seacat closed her mouth. She still glared at Adora, who should’ve known better. If she had managed to slice the crystal in half, instead of creating a small gap, then the explosion would’ve killed her! Probably.

Adora was pouting at her.

“I still don’t detect any colder zones. I think all of the ghosts - if those were ghosts - are destroyed,” Entrapta said.

“Those weren’t ghosts.” Castaspella shook her head. “Probably ethereal constructs. There was some work on such things in Mystacor a few decades ago, but nothing ever came of it.”

“Well, someone managed,” Glimmer said. “Or something.”

“Let’s check the crystal’s remains!” Entrapta cheered. “The smoke’s settling.”

“Carefully,” Perfuma cautioned them.

They quickly made their way back to the chamber with the crystal and the ghosts. The entire room had been torn up - shards of the crystal were stuck in the walls, ceiling and floor. Parts of the walls and ceiling had been caved in as well.

She glanced at Adora and frowned once more. Her friend looked a little shaken, at least - but seemed to glare at her!

“I don’t sense any magic any more, except for a fading impression,” Castaspella stated.

“Does that mean Dad’s safe?” Glimmer asked, biting her lower lip. Bow hugged her.

The sorceress shrugged. “I can’t tell until I check Micah. It’s possible that this is enough to cure him. Or he might need further treatment - this is an unprecedented development.”

“In any case,” Scorpia said, grinning, “this danger’s dealt with!”

“Yes.” Perfuma nodded. “And the area feels… better, now.”

“I wonder who built this,” Entrapta said as she waved her device around. “It wasn’t on the original plans, so it must have been added later. After the First Ones had left, since the mines aren’t on the plans and would’ve taken some time to dig. So, who was here?”

“Well, if they left any clue, it’s probably destroyed by now,” Mermista said, looking pointedly at the wrecked room. “And good riddance, I say!”

“As long as we all survive, I don’t care!” Glimmer shook her head. “This was… we almost all died. Several times.”

“Let’s hope the Heart of Etheria is not as dangerous to get to,” Bow said.

Seacat glared at him. He just had to say it!

*****​

“Sorry.”

Seacat tensed, then turned. Adora was standing behind her in the winding tunnel Seacat had entered to cool off. And she was wincing.

“Sorry for what?” Seacat asked.

“Sorry for dragging you around like that,” Adora replied. She took a deep breath. “And for acting without thinking, I guess.”

“Risking your life at the drop of a hat, you mean,” Seacat shot back.

That earned her a scowl. “I didn’t grab a shield and jumped into the path of a deadly magic beam!”

Seacat clenched her teeth. It wasn’t the same - she hadn’t had any choice. Although… “Sorry,” she mumbled.

They stared at each other for a moment. “I guess we’re both sorry,” Adora said.

Seacat slowly nodded. Her lover was still too quick to risk herself.

“But… I couldn’t do nothing. And... “ Adora sighed, “I’m sorry.”

Seacat nodded, sighing as well. “Yes. It’s just…” She trailed off. How to explain that she couldn’t stand Adora risking herself like that, even though she was fine with risking herself? Without looking like a hypocrite? “I’m the captain of our ship,” she said.

“That doesn’t mean that you get to risk yourself and I can’t,” Adora shot back. “I’m She-Ra.”

“But…” Seacat started.

“No buts. This is my duty - this base was made for me.”

“I’m not going to let you do this alone,” Seacat said.

They stared at each other again. Seacat bit her lower lip, then took a step towards Adora.

And felt herself engulfed in her love’s arms.

*****​

“So, you two good now?” Glimmer asked when they rejoined the others. “Did you kiss and make up?”

“Glimmer!” Adora gasped. “That’s…”

“...an entirely valid question when we are planning to save the world and need you,” the princess went on. “We can’t stop the Heart of Etheria if you’re not fully with us.”

Bow nodded. “This was just one trap. What if the path to the Heart is protected by other, more dangerous traps?”

Seacat winced, then forced herself to grin. “Then we deal with them like we dealt with this.”

“By almost dying and only winning through luck?” Mermista narrowed her eyes at her while she elbowed Sea Hawk. “That was a rhetorical question.”

“Ow!”

“Well, what do we know about the path to the Heart of Etheria?” Seacat asked.

Entrapta smiled. “Well, it’s not a path to the Heart of Etheria. It’s a path to a failsafe of sorts - a way to stop the weapon from being fired in an emergency, as far as I can tell. The data in the bot’s memory was a little corrupted, and I’m not sure if it was complete to begin with; some of the sectors seemed empty but not damaged, although that could be a normal reaction of the crystals used by the First Ones - we don’t have enough experience with them to determine this. Although I think there are a few experiments we could do...”

Seacat smiled and interrupted her: “A failsafe?”

“Oh, right. It’s basically a vent - a vent for magic energy. Instead of channelling it into the weapon’s firing mechanism, which is actually a construct of pure magic, not unlike the Runestone Network, and anchored to this base, the power would be vented into the lake. Probably boiling the water, so we shouldn’t be near it, just in case.”

“Uh…” Adora grimaced. “Enough energy to blow up the planet, vented into a lake? Wouldn’t that, uh, boil the ocean?”

“Glad you asked!” Entrapta beamed at them. “Bow, the diagram!”

Bow sighed and held up a crudely drawn sketch of the world and the island.

“The weapon construct serves to amplify and focus the energy. Like a gun. Only that it blows up in the process of firing since it can’t contain the explosion. Actually, that’s like a badly built gun.” Entrapta nodded to her own explanation. “So… without the amplification and focus, the energy would still be enough to blow the entire island and part of the ocean into space or something. But the failsafe can vent the energy slowly enough so it can, well, disperse into the general magic field, which surrounds us all. The lake serves as a sort of cooling device for the spillover since the process isn’t perfect.”

“And we’re in the lake,” Mermista said.

“Technically, we’re under the lake,” Entrapta said. “Which is a good thing since the facility will be protected - and it’s shielded against magic, which you have noticed, of course; my hair’s not as strong as it usually is because the magic field that is everywhere on Etheria isn’t quite completely here. If you know what I mean.”

Seacat thought she did. “So… we need to activate this thing and hope that whatever the First Ones planned will work?”

Entrapta nodded with a wide smile. “Exactly! Isn’t it exciting?”

That was one word for it. “And how do we do this?”

Entrapta’s smile slipped a little. “Well… we’re not entirely sure…”

“Based on our experiences, Adora using magic on the controls in the failsafe chamber should be enough,” Castaspella said.

Seacat hissed. “And what if the entire energy goes through her - again?”

Entrapta stopped smiling entirely. Castaspella looked away.

Damn. Seacat muttered every curse she knew under her breath. “Adora...”

“I’ll do it anyway.” Adora nodded. “If we don’t stop this weapon, all of us will die anyway.”

Including Adora. Seacat clenched her teeth and managed not to blurt out what she really wanted to say. “I’m coming with you,” she said instead.

Adora opened her mouth, then closed it again as their eyes met. She slowly nodded.

Seacat ignored how everyone else seemed to have held their breaths. And how Sea Hawk was squeezing Mermista’s shoulder and whispering to her, shaking his head. This was how it should be. She wouldn’t let Adora do this alone. Even if she couldn’t actually do anything. But she would be with Adora. Whatever happened, she wouldn’t leave.

“Alright,” Adora said, taking a deep breath. “How do we get to this failsafe?”

“And how is it protected?” Seacat asked.

“Well, the chamber is at the bottom of the main shaft,” Entrapta said. “But that’s all we know.” She smiled. “We’ll see when we go down there, I guess, if anything was added that is not on the models we have.”

“Everyone in the shaft? On the same lift?” Seacat shook her head. You didn’t put everything on a single ship if you expected trouble.

“There’s just one lift - one platform - leading down,” Entrapta said. “We would have to wait until it reaches the chamber and returns if we split up.”

“Yes,” Adora said.

“But…” Entrapta blinked. “Oh.”

Adora nodded. As did Seacat. They wouldn’t drag anyone else down with them.

*****​

“Are you sure it doesn’t go down to the centre of Etheria?” Adora asked, peering down the shaft.

“Yes,” Entrapta replied. “Well, pretty sure - in theory, they could’ve dug deeper after the models in the memory banks were finished, just as they added mines and stuff. But it’s pretty hard to reach the core of the planet - it’s all molten magma, mostly. So, you can’t just keep digging; you’d have to find a way to keep the heat at bay, stabilise the shaft, compensate for the movements of the molten parts - they are a liquid, after all, and the planet’s turning… It’s not impossible, but it’s very difficult, I guess, even for the First Ones. Just the lift to the failsafe chamber is an engineering challenge. Or it would be if they didn’t just use the same magic to make the platform float that they use to blow up the planet. But a proper lift would be a challenge!”

Seacat narrowed her eye at the shaft as well. She couldn’t see the bottom, which was… well, not a good feeling. “It must be at least a mile,” she muttered.

“A bit more,” Entrapta confirmed. “Impressive. I wonder how they dug the shaft. Did they just vanish the earth and stone? Or actually transported the material out of the shaft? And where did they put it?”

Those were interesting questions. Probably - if you were an engineer. Or Entrapta. But Seacat didn’t care about them right now. “So, does the lift work?”

“It should. We haven’t been able to get it to work, but we didn’t have She-Ra’s sword. Or her magic.”

“It didn’t react to my spells,” Castaspella said.

“So I just zap the controls. As usual.” Adora nodded.

“Yes.” Bow nodded. “The controls are the standard ones. There should be no reason why it wouldn’t work.”

Unless someone changed them. Or trapped them. Seacat shook her head. The others would have looked for signs of either. She had to trust them. “Let’s do it.”

“Wait!” Entrapta walked up to her and Adora. “Take this with you!” She handed them a few signal rockets. “They will fly a mile high, so we’ll see them if you fire them. Standard signal colours!”

“Good idea.” Seacat smiled at her as she took them. “Thank you!”

“It’s the least I could do. I wish there was a way to extend speaking tubes, but… they don’t work that way.” Entrapta pouted. “If we had a way to speak to you while you were far away, things would be so much easier.”

Definitely. But they hadn’t and had to make do. And Seacat had something else to do other than just coming along with Adora. “Thank you,” she repeated herself, then hugged Entrapta - and was wrapped in limbs and hair in turn.

“Be safe,” Entrapta whispered, just loud enough for Seacat’s ears. Then she released her and took a step back. “I’ll recheck the controls!” she announced, turning away.

Seacat acted as if she didn’t see the princess wipe her eyes. She exchanged a nod with Castapsella, who turned to join Entrapta.

“Seacat.”

She straightened. Sea Hawk was smiling at her. “Captain.”

“I’m proud of you. Come back safe!”

She hugged him as well. This time, she wiped her eyes when they broke the hug.

“You better come back safe,” Mermista told her. “You hear?” The princess glared at her.

“I will.” Seacat smiled back and hoped she wasn’t lying as she hugged her friend.

“Wildcat!” Scorpia hugged her - and lifted her up - without asking or warning. “Give ‘em hell!”

“Sure.” Seacat swallowed the rest of her remark as Perfuma joined them. The princess didn’t say anything, which was a surprise.

Adora had been hugging Bow and Glimmer, and both had tears in their eyes when they finally released her. While the others turned to Adora, Bow and Glimmer came over to Seacat. “Keep her safe, you hear?” Glimmer whispered. “You know how she is.”

Seacat nodded. “I won’t leave her,” she said.

“Good.” Glimmer gave her a firm nod. “I’ll hold you to that.”

They stared at each other for a moment.

“Group hug!” Bow blurted out, and once more, Seacat felt arms wrap around her.

It felt good.

But then everyone took a step back, and Adora raised her sword at the lift controls.

And Seacat swallowed the lump in her throat. She reached out to Adora and took her lover’s hand, then squeezed gently.

It was time to face whatever was waiting for them down below.

*****​

 

Chapter 63: The Heart of Etheria

Seacat took a deep breath as the lift kept descending. This was it. They were about to enter the Heart of Etheria. Well, the failsafe chamber for the Heart of Etheria. But it was the closest they could get to the actual heart, according to Entrapta. She looked up, but the top of the shaft was just a slightly brighter spot above them by now, even for her sharp eyes.

And even in the dim eerie light in the shaft, it was hard to make out how fast they were going since the walls hardly had any markings on them. On the whole, it was a very unnerving descent. Like disappearing into a dark emptiness. Or something. She shuddered.

Adora squeezed her hand. Gently, of course - Seacat didn’t want to find out what would happen if her love used her actual strength in She-Ra’s form.

“We should’ve asked how long this will take,” Seacat muttered.

“Why?” Adora cocked her head. “Do you want to know if we have time for a nap before we arrive?”

Seacat chuckled. Adora, joking at this moment? That was a good sign. “Well… I have some ideas about what we could do to pass the time,” she said with a wide grin.

“Our friends would never let us forget it if we have to scramble into the failsafe chamber with our pants down because we misjudged the time,” Adora pointed out.

“They would never know,” Seacat shot back. She bared her fangs. “We would never tell them. Well, I would never tell them. You’d give it all away by blushing and stuttering as soon as they asked how it went.”

Adora gasped. “I would not!”

“Really?” Seacat narrowed her eyes and leaned towards her. “You’re blushing right now!”

Adora opened her mouth, then closed it and pouted. “That’s your fault!”

“Damn well it is!” Seacat smirked and pushed herself on her tiptoes, pressing a quick kiss on Adora’s lips.

Adora gasped again but quickly rallied - when Seacat was about to drop down, Adora’s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, and the kiss turned into a proper kiss.

Seacat closed her eyes and pressed herself into Adora’s front. She didn’t want this to end. She didn’t want to face whatever trap the First Ones had built into the chamber. She didn’t want to deal with this at all.

She wanted to be with Adora and sail the seas. Enjoy life, have adventures without having to save the planet. She let her hands roam over Adora’s back, her claws gently pricking her lover’s skin through the fabric of her top.

She felt Adora tense in return, then tighten her arms around Seacat’s body, one hand grabbing her ponytail and using it to pull her head back. Then she was kissing Seacat’s throat.

“Yes…” Seacat hissed, running her own hands over and through Adora’s hair. Her lover’s lips were trailing kisses over her collarbone, moving lower…

And Adora pulled back, releasing her.

Seacat growled, panting.

Adora was breathing heavily as well. “We can’t risk a trap catching us… like this.” She bit her lower lip, a blush colouring her cheeks.

Seacat wanted to argue, but Adora was right. She closed her eyes and sighed. Then leaned against Adora again, this time resting her forehead against Adora’s upper chest. “I’m not going to lose you or leave you,” she whispered.

“Me neither. Uh, lose you, that is, or leave you,” Adora replied. “I mean…” She trailed off.

“I know,” Seacat whispered. “You better not,” she added after a moment.

“I won’t.”

“And don’t you dare to sacrifice yourself,” Seacat whispered.

“And what if there’s no other way?”

“Then we both do it.” She opened her eyes and looked up at Adora. “That’s why I’m here.”

“I know.” Adora clenched her teeth - Seacat could see her jaw muscles twitch. But then her lover sighed. “I know,” she repeated herself and hugged Seacat.

They stayed like that while the lift kept descending.

“Did you ever think,” Adora whispered after a while, “that we’d end up here when we met in Seaworthy?”

“No,” Seacat said. “I thought you were a weirdo.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I did. Of course, calling me a Horde cadet didn’t help you with making a good impression.” Seacat snorted at the memory - it was funny in hindsight.

“But… nothing other than that?”

“Well, I noticed how attractive you were.” Only a blind idiot would’ve missed that. “And I had some weird dreams.”

“Oh.”

“Not that kind of dreams! Well, not just that kind,” she added, turning her head away.

“Oh.”

Seacat didn’t have to look up to know Adora was smirking.

“So, your subconsciousness knew.”

“My subconsciousness isn’t the best or trusted source,” Seacat retorted.

“And then came the Princess Prom.”

“When I took you carousing, yes.” The dreams had gotten… steamier afterwards.

Adora squeezed her tighter again. “I liked that.”

“So did I.” Seacat sighed again. They had come a long way since that first meeting. And this stupid trap wouldn’t stop them.

She closed her eyes and hugged Adora.

This time, they stayed like that until the lift stopped.

Seacat took a deep breath and put a hand on the hilt of her blade as she stared at the faintly visible door in front of them. It didn’t move. “Heal it?” she asked without taking her eyes off the wall.

Adora did so, but the magical energy seemed to hit the wall - the door - without any effect. “I guess we have to cut our way through it?”

Seacat looked around but couldn’t see any controls. Not even a hint of controls. It wasn’t a good sign. “Yes, let’s do it,” she said, stepping forward and lashing out with her claws. The material parted, as it had above. “Doesn’t look any sturdier.”

“Good.” Adora took a deep breath, then slashed at the door with her sword, quickly cutting it to pieces that fell to the ground. Behind the door, a straight corridor awaited them. Same lighting, too.

“I’d have expected something a little bit more special for a failsafe chamber,” Adora commented.

“Doesn’t seem to be the First Ones’ style,” Seacat replied. “They seem big on everything looking the same.”

Adora nodded and took a step into the corridor. Seacat followed her. Both stopped. “I doubt that they left the corridor unguarded,” she said. “This is the one room where their plans can be stopped. They wouldn’t let just anyone enter.”

“It might’ve recognised me as She-Ra - and as a First One,” Adora said.

“That didn’t stop Light Hope,” Seacat pointed out. She couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary in the corridor. It was unnerving.

“Light Hope couldn’t stop me, though,” Adora replied.

“But this is the core of the First One’s base.” Seacat shook her head. “There have to be defences.”

“But they would want the failsafe to work when needed,” Adora countered.

“We had to cut our way in,” Seacat replied.

“So… I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Adora took a deep breath, then started walking, sword held in a guard position. “Stay behind me!”

Seacat clenched her teeth. She didn’t want to hide behind Adora, but… there was a chance that Adora would be able to enter without triggering the defences. Which Seacat was sure were present.

Nothing happened. Maybe the defences were only triggered at the door on the other end? It was possible. Trap intruders in the corridor… This was harrowing. And not in the good, adventuring way.

Just about halfway to the door, Seacat heard something. A hissing sound. Like… not like a snake. More like… “Hold!” She muttered a curse under her breath and looked around.

“What did you see?” Adora asked.

“Nothing,” she replied. “But I’m hearing something…” She sniffed, her nostrils flaring. “Gas!”

“Gas?”

Adora looked around. “I don’t see anything. I don’t smell anything!”

“Hold your breath!” Seacat shook her head. “We need to get out of here.” She looked back - the platform was rising. No way back - the gas would fill the corridor before the lift was back. “Forward!”

They rushed towards the door.

“Open it without destroying it!” Seacat hissed.

“What if the room on the other side is full of gas as well?”

Seacat didn’t answer that. The answer was obvious - they would die.

Adora reached the door before her, swinging her sword - and shooting magical energy at the controls. The doors started to slide open in three directions.

Adora climbed through, then turned towards Seacat.

“Close them!” Seacat yelled with her last breath, preparing to jump.

Adora gasped but turned away, and Seacat saw the flash from her sword light up the room a moment before she jumped, clearing the gap moments before it closed again.

She rolled over her shoulder, then went into a crouch, looking around.

“You’re crazy!” Adora complained. “If you had been a little slower…”

Seacat sniffed the air, her ears twitching. “No gas.” She sighed. “We’re safe here.”

“As safe as we can be in a base designed to blow the entire planet,” Adora replied. “I see no other door.”

Seacat didn’t either. “This must be the failsafe, then.” She looked around. There was a glowing triangle set in the floor, matching the walls of the room - and the ceiling. “How do we activate it?”

“I guess… heal the floor? Or the walls?” Adora didn’t quite shrug as she turned around herself, studying the room. “I don’t see any controls. I guess healing the walls it is, then!” Adora said. “Or the floor?” She looked unsure.

Seacat snorted. “I’m not an expert on First Ones’ tech.”

“What if a mistake triggers the whole thing?” Adora shook her head.

“Let’s think this through,” Seacat said - as much to calm down her lover as to try and solve this puzzle. “Triangle on the floor.”

“And on the walls!”

“But they don’t match each other,” Seacat said. “The ceiling, though - it mirrors the floor.”

“So, I stand on the triangle in the floor and heal the ceiling? Or the floor?”

“Either would work,” Seacat said. She took a deep breath. This was it. This was why they were here.

“But which one?” Adora asked.

“None.”

Who…? Seacat whirled, drawing her blade - and froze. A glowing figure floated above the floor. Like Light Hope.

“Light Hope?” Adora asked but shook her head right afterwards. “No, you aren’t Light Hope.”

“No, I’m not,” the bot confirmed. “I’m the guardian of this installation. The last hope of our people.”

“You’re Last Hope?” Adora cocked her head.

“No.”

“We already dismantled the bot of this base,” Seacat pointed out.

“The bot?” The figure frowned. “You mean the crystal computer of the installation?”

“Yes.” It figured that the First Ones would have fancy names for bots. Their bots had an attitude, after all.

“So, who’re you? Another bot like Light Hope?” Adora asked again.

“I’m not a bot at all - although I am using the form of a crystal computer’s interface, which might be a little misleading.”

Seacat rolled her eyes. “Can you be a little clearer?”

The bot frowned at her, then looked at Adora again. “Light Hope is an artificial sentience.”

“A bot,” Seacat cut in. When the bot frowned, she grinned, baring her fangs.

“I, on the other hand, am the same as you - or I was.” The figure nodded at Adora.

“What? You’re a First One like me?” Adora gasped.

“My consciousness and memories, yes.”

“You’re a copy?” Seacat blurted out. The First Ones could copy memories? That was… quite frightening.

“I’m not a copy. I’m like you.” The bot nodded at Adora again. “But my mind inhabits a crystal computer array instead of a flesh and blood body. My natural body has long since turned to dust.”

“You’re a ghost!” Adora replied.

Once more, the figure frowned. “There’s nothing superstitious about this - it’s a perfectly scientific procedure.”

A very creepy procedure, Seacat thought.

“But why would you do this?” Adora asked.

“To save our people, of course.” The bot floated closer to Adora. “This installation is our people’s last hope of salvation. A last, desperate plan to win a war of annihilation. How could I not do everything I could to help with it?”

“Because doing so would doom this world?” Seacat cut in. “Kill everyone?”

“If the enemy wins, this planet is doomed anyway. Our enemy knows no mercy.”

“But that was a thousand years ago!” Adora protested. “If our people’s situation was so desperate, then the war is long over at this point!”

“It isn’t - you are proof of that.”

“What?” Adora blinked.

“Your existence proves that our people are still alive. Your parents. Your siblings. Still fighting desperately against a relentless enemy.”

“You know my family?” Adora sounded… vulnerable. Unsure.

Seacat clenched her teeth.

“I was the one who arranged for you to be transported to his world.”

Both of them gasped at that. “But… it was Hordak…” Adora trailed off. Seacat reached out and squeezed her hand.

“Hordak was trying to open a portal to his wretched home. It was easy to manipulate his supposed right hand and arrange an experiment that managed to pierce the barrier that kept us sealed away from the real universe. After all, this is part of this installation’s purpose.” The bot sounded… proud. But not like Entrapta when she showed off a new invention. Seacat could almost hear the sneer in its voice even though the bot’s expression remained polite. “And I had it aimed at our people, knowing that only one of us could be our saviour.” It nodded at Adora’s sword. “And I was vindicated - you became She-Ra. Ready to fulfil your destiny.”

“No!” Adora yelled. “She-Ra is the protector of Etheria! Not its executor!” She shook her head. “My duty is to protect everyone!”

“She-Ra is the sword of our people,” the bot retorted.

“No!” Adora shook her head again. “She-Ra is older than that. There was a She-Ra before the First Ones… before our people arrived on Etheria.”

“That was then. Now, She-Ra is ours.”

Seacat’s eyes widened. The bot couldn’t mean… “You stole her power?” She blurted out, then wanted to hit herself at the expression on Adora’s face.

“Stole it?” The bot scoffed. “It was there for the taking. So much power, with practically no guidance. It was a terrible waste of potential. Now, the Heart of Etheria is ours. None but those of our people can wield its power. And its power is bound to you.”

“To… to my sword.” Adora looked at her blade.

“Exactly. You are our protector. Our saviour. Your destiny is to end this war and bring peace to our people - and the universe.”

“And doom Etheria?” Adora shook her head almost violently. Seacat saw some tears flying.

“It is already doomed. The enemy will not stop. Will not falter. Will never be satisfied until our people have been purged, our resources taken, our world subjugated to his will. And then he will reach out further.” The bot sneered openly. “You think he won’t reach Etheria? He already has! Hordak was just the first soldier of his. Others will follow! And only you can stop them!”

“What? Hordak… the Horde….?” Adora trailed off.

“The Horde is our enemy. Hordak, for all his power, was but one soldier. Barely more than a mindless drone. The true enemy is his leader. And you are the only one who can defeat him. Only you can destroy his base - his homeworld - where he sits and sends his drone armies through portals to our world.” The bot shook her head. “This is your destiny, Adora.”

“No! Sacrificing - murdering - all of Etheria isn’t my destiny!”

“The people of this planet are already dead. They cannot withstand the Horde.”

“We did it already!” Seacat yelled.

“You beat a pathetic imitation, natives armed with primitive weapons. You cannot stand against the real Horde. The only way to beat them is to destroy their leader - and his world.” The bot stared at Adora. “Sacrifices have to be made. For our people. For your family.”

Seacat narrowed her eyes. “Do you even know Adora’s family? Do you know if they’re still alive?” The bot hadn’t mentioned any details. Her ears twitched, easily picking up Adora’s soft gasp. Damn - the bot was exploiting this!

“Does it matter? If they should’ve fallen fighting the enemy, you can still avenge them. But if they’re alive, then you are the only one who can save them,” the bot replied.

“By murdering all of Etheria,” Adora spat. “What kind of monster would do that?”

“I told you: If our people lose the war, Etheria will be attacked next anyway. The creatures of this world are already doomed.”

“We’ve stood fine for a thousand years,” Seacat countered.

“And a single Horde drone almost conquered the planet.”

She clenched her teeth. As much as she hated to admit it, that was true. “But we beat him in the end.”

“Thanks to us.”

“Thanks to Adora!” Seacat hissed. “You didn’t do anything!”

“I brought her to this world.”

“To destroy it!” Seacat wanted to lash out, shred the bot with her claws, but the figure wasn’t real. And she didn’t know where the bot’s control unit was located. Though it probably was around here since Entrapta hadn’t found it upstairs.

“To fulfil her destiny.”

“Stop!” Adora yelled. “I’m not going to… to destroy Etheria just to win a war. We don’t even know if the war’s still going on!”

“It is. Hordak’s presence and actions are proof of that,” the bot told them.

“Because he tried to conquer Etheria?” Seacat sneered.

“Because he was still alive. If our people had won, none of the enemy’s drones would have been left alive.”

Seacat felt her fur bristle. Even though she already knew that the First Ones were willing to destroy Etheria to win their war, this somehow made it worse.

“You’d kill them all?” Adora asked, shaking her head with apparent shock.

“They are the enemy. And they are just drones. Parts of a hive mind. Not people like our people.”

“And we’re not people either, I guess,” Seacat cut in with a sneer.

“You are doomed either way.”

“How convenient!” Seacat spat.

“I am merely stating the facts. Adora needs to realise her destiny and save our people. Her family.”

“I’ve got my family here!” Adora snapped. “I’m not going to sacrifice them for some people I’ve never met! You don’t even know if they are still alive!”

“If they have been killed, then you can avenge them.”

“And kill even more people?” Adora kept shaking her head. Seacat saw tears run down her cheeks.

“The enemy is a threat to every world. Left alone, he’ll conquer the next world. And another after that. As long as he’s alive, no one is safe.”

Seacat scoffed. “And why do you care about other worlds? You’re willing to sacrifice Etheria for your plans.”

“Etheria is doomed either way. The enemy is aware of its existence.”

“Really?” Seacat sneered. “And why hasn’t this enemy invaded already? Sent more soldiers with Hordak?” This didn’t add up. “It’s been a thousand years, and he hasn’t done anything!”

“Because our people are still fighting him.”

“And he is so hard-pressed, he can’t spare a few more soldiers to conquer Etheria, yet you need to destroy a planet to win the war? This makes no sense!”

Adora nodded, squeezing Seacat’s hand. “You’re just saying anything you think will make me destroy Etheria for you. You’re like Light Hope!”

“No, I’m like you!”

Seacat shook her head. “You sound like a bot. You look like a bot. But most important: You act like a bot. Just following orders without thinking.”

“I am no bot!” the figure spat, finally showing emotion. “I am a First One! I sacrificed everything for our people! I built this installation! I kept it going! I brought things back on track after Mara’s treason!”

“‘Mara’s treason’?” Adora glared at the bot. “She didn’t want to destroy the planet, and you call that treason?”

“It was treason. She betrayed our people. She was made She-Ra to fulfil her destiny, yet betrayed it.”

“She was chosen to be She-Ra by Etheria!” Adora spat.

“We control Etheria!”

“No! You just want to destroy it!” Adora wiped some tears from her eyes.

“To save our people!”

Adora shook her head again and turned to Seacat. “She’s just repeating herself. Like Light Hope.”

“I am not like Light Hope!”

“And it tried to kill us with gas,” Seacat pointed out. “It only started talking after we beat that trap:”

“Oh, right!” Adora glared at the glowing figure. “This is just you trying to stop us with words since you have nothing left, right?”

The bot froze for a moment, then shook its head. “No. I’m telling you about your destiny. That this world is doomed either way.”

“No! Etheria isn’t doomed! We’ll save it! That’s why we came here!” Adora turned away and stepped on the triangle set in the floor, raising her sword.

“No! Think of our people! Your family! Your destiny!”

Seacat scoffed and joined Adora, once more gripping her love’s hand.

“No! Stop!”

Adora sent a wave of magic into the ceiling.

And the bot’s projection rushed towards them. “No!”

Seacat lashed out with her free hand, but her claws harmlessly passed through the figure a moment before it reached them.

Then everything went white.

*****​

Seacat blinked, rubbing her eyes. She was standing in a clearing in a forest. Unfamiliar trees, though. She sniffed the air. Unfamiliar smells, too. Not near the sea, in any case.

“Where are we?” Adora, standing next to her, asked.

“I don’t know,” Seacat replied. “I’ve never seen this place before.”

“Where we… were we transported here?” Adora looked around.

Seacat knelt down and touched the grass. Or tried to - her fingers passed through it. “It’s not real. Or… or we’re not real.”

“A dream?”

“A dream we share?” Seacat cocked her head.

“One of us could be dreaming,” Adora replied.

“Well, it’s not me,” Seacat told her. “Or we wouldn’t be wearing clothes, and we’d be in a place with a bed.”

Adora blushed. “Well… let’s assume that we aren’t drawing, then.”

“Oh!” Seacat grinned at her lover. “That means if this was your dream, we’d be naked too!”

Adora coughed. “Let’s find out where we are. And what happened.”

Right. They still had a world to save. Seacat hissed. “The bot! It rushed us at the last moment!”

“So, this could be Last Hope’s doing?” Adora frowned.

Seacat bared her fangs. ‘Last Hope’ - the bot didn’t like that name, so that made it perfect. “Probably. We should…” She trailed off, her ears twitching. “I hear shouting. And yelling.”

“What? Where?” Adora whirled.

Seacat pointed to her right. “This way.”

“Let’s go!”

They rushed through the forest. Literally - neither trees nor any other plant was real. And the shouting turned into screaming. Finally, they entered another clearing - no, a field - and saw a village covered in smoke. And… “Hordak!” Seacat hissed.

Hordak was there, reloading a crossbow. A figure came running at him from the village, wielding a pike, but before they reached Hordak, he finished reloading, aimed and fired a glowing bolt.

The figure collapsed with a fist-sized hole in their chest. Another smaller figure rushed out of the village towards the fallen one. A child.

And Hordak was reloading his crossbow again.

Adora charged him, but her sword passed through him. He didn’t even react. Just kept reloading, then aimed, and…

Seacat looked away as Adora screamed. Then she walked over to her flailing lover and grabbed her arm. “It’s not real. It’s just… a ghost. Or some projection. Like Last Hope.”

Adora shook her head but stopped trying to kill Hordak. “But…” She took a few deep breaths, her chest heaving, before she continued: “It looked so…” She blinked. “This isn’t Hordak.”

“What? But…” Seacat narrowed her eyes. It wasn’t Hordak. Different armour. Different hair colours. “Oh. This must be one of the ‘drones’.”

“Yes. That means…” Adora looked around. “This is either the First One’s home or the Horde’s home.”

“Well, since they are attacking a village, it’s probably the First One’s home,” Seacat pointed out. The two dead people had blonde hair. Like Adora. It didn’t have to mean anything, but it was another possible clue.

“You mean… this is where I was born?” Adora looked around.

“Well, the same planet, probably.” Seacat shrugged. “I doubt that this is your home village.” Not that they would be able to tell.

“And they’re at war. Like we were,” Adora said.

“As Last Hope claimed.” Seacat nodded.

“Eternia.”

Seacat whirled, hissing. The bot stood behind them. Only, it didn’t look like a bot, all glowing and transparent. It looked like… a person.

“Eternia. Our people’s home,” they said. “Under attack by the Horde.” They stepped past the two of them and watched the village. More Hordaks were walking out of the village, driving blond people before them. “Such scenes are repeated across the entire world. Brutal invaders stepping out of portals to attack and slaughter us.”

“But…” Adora shook her head.

“That’s your memory, isn’t it?” Seacat said.

“One of my memories. It was the same all over the world. We fought back desperately, but…”

The village blew up, both Hordaks and their captives screaming moments before they vanished in a fireball.

Adora gasped. “But… they blew up their own people?”

Why would the Horde do that? They had taken the village. Resistance had been broken, so…

Seacat hissed and looked around. On a hill in the distance, she saw a skiff and two people packing up a… thing. “You blew up your own village!”

“It had fallen to the enemy.”

“You blew up your own people!” Adora yelled.

“They were already doomed. We couldn’t spare the troops to save everyone.”

“But you could spare the troops to blow up the village?” Seacat shook her head.

“Bombards can be fired by two people. One, in a pinch.” Last Hope shrugged. “Taking down Horde drones herding prisoners? That would’ve taken a squad or a platoon. And risked more casualties.”

“You… you sacrificed your own people! Just to hurt the enemy!” Adora spat.

Seacat scoffed. “Like the Headhunters. But even they didn’t sacrifice civilians.”

“We didn’t sacrifice anyone. If we could save our people, we did. But those we couldn’t save… better to die quickly than to suffer in slavery.”

“That’s monstrous!” Adora protested.

“That’s the war you need to win.”

“No!”

“That’s the war you remember,” Seacat cut in. “That’s how it was a thousand years ago.”

“Yes.”

“It… can’t be the same any more,” Adora said. “Things will have changed. You can’t just act as if it were still a thousand years ago!”

“Hordak’s presence, and yours, proves that the war goes on.”

“They might have made peace!” Adora blurted out.

Seacat had her doubts, though Hordak certainly hadn’t acted as if he came from a realm at peace.

Last Hope scoffed. “Peace with the enemy? After all he did to us? Impossible!”

“We’ve made peace with the Horde,” Adora retorted. “After all that they did to us.”

Seacat nodded in agreement. “And it didn’t take us a thousand years.” Granted, they had made peace after killing off Hordak and Shadow Weaver, but still!

“You were never hurt as much as our people! We were peacefully colonising new worlds, spreading civilisation and advanced knowledge to less fortunate indigenous tribes, when we encountered the Horde. And they weren’t interested in peaceful exchange of goods and ideas - the enemy demanded our subjugation. Unlike other civilisations, we were able to resist him, and we fought on all the worlds we had explored,” the bot said. “Countless villages such as this one were wiped out in the war as we slowly lost ground until we were forced back to Eternia, our home, the Horde following us over the burnt and broken remains of the worlds we had abandoned. Nothing could stop them. No number of dead drones gave them pause.”

Seacat frowned. Something was off. “Wait! You lost how many worlds before you had just your homeworld left?”

“We had colonised over a dozen before we ran into the Horde. All were lost as we had to abandon them.”

“And yet you think Eternia held out for a thousand years?” Seacat shook her head. She wasn’t a general, but she knew enough about war to know that this didn’t add up.

“Of course! We might have had to abandon the worlds, but we didn’t let the enemy exploit their resources. We sent everything we could to Eternia to prepare for the final battle.”

“Everything?” Adora asked.

“Their magic and what people we could save.”

“Their magic?” Seacat stared. Had they evacuated the other worlds’ sorcerers? Or… She gasped. “You mean the worlds’ magic? Like the Heart of Etheria?”

Adora gasped as well.

“They weren’t like Eternia or Etheria. But what magic they had, we drained before the enemy could use it. They would have to advance over dead worlds, draining their own planet’s resources to reach us.”

That was monstrous. This… this…

“The Heart of Etheria wasn’t your first attempt, was it? You did this before,” Adora whispered.

“Do you think we would risk our fate on an untested weapon? An experiment? Etheria was the only planet we found which possessed enough magic to make this feasible. Enough magic to wipe out the enemy’s homeworld and save Eternia. Fortunately, the enemy never found it before we completed the Heart of Etheria. But then the traitor struck.”

“Mara and her friends didn’t want to wipe out the entire world just to save yours,” Adora said.

Wait! Seacat scoffed. “I bet she didn’t know what you had been doing either. How many knew who was draining the planets you abandoned?”

The bot sneered. “You cannot wage a war by spreading crucial information to those who had no need to know.”

“You are a monster!” Adora yelled. “You wiped out those worlds!”

“I am not a monster! I’m trying to save our people! All those worlds were doomed anyway - they would be conquered and exploited, their magic and other resources fueling the enemy’s army. It was no worse than burning supplies before they fell into the hands of an advancing enemy.”

Adora fell to her knees. “You… my family…” She sobbed. “All of them…”

Seacat umed to her side. “We don’t know that. We don’t know anything about what happened to them. We only have a bot with memories that are a thousand years old.”

“I am not a bot!”

“But…” Adora shook her head, sniffling.

“We can’t trust Last Hope,” Seacat went on. “It would do anything to manipulate you. It tried to kill us, remember?”

“That was an automated defence. It started before I could stop it.”

Seacat scoffed through clenched teeth. As if anyone would believe that!

“You’re right.” Adora smiled at her, still sniffling, and wiped the tears from her eyes. “But… I don’t know what happened.”

And she would worry and wonder. Seacat hissed under her breath. “It’s not your fault,” she said. “None of this is your fault. And remember Mara and her friends? They did the right thing, too! They didn’t go along with this… this plan!”

Adora nodded. “And neither will we.”

“What a touching gesture. But it’s futile. You cannot save Etheria! Once Eternia falls, the enemy will turn his sight on Etheria. And you know that he can reach you - your own arrival, and Hordak’s, prove it. How many of our people will you sacrifice merely to prolong this planet’s life a few more years?”

“You don’t know what’s happening out there!” Adora snapped.

“I know enough! The war’s still going on!”

“You don’t know that!” Seacat said.

“Then check yourself!” the bot screamed. “Use the power of Etheria to open a portal! Look upon our homeworld! Meet our people!”

Adora froze. “What?”

The bot drew back, seemingly surprised for a moment, then glared at her. “Use the power you are about to drain to open a portal and see for yourself!”

It was desperate, Seacat realised. Or it truly thought it was right. But no matter what, Adora would never sacrifice Etheria.

But, Seacat realised with a sinking feeling in her gut, Adora might very well follow the bot’s suggestion and take a look for herself.

“You want to trick me into releasing the weapon!” Adora snapped.

“Just open a portal and see for yourself!”

“As if I could!”

“Of course you could; it’s really simple with the power at your disposal.” The bot scoffed.

Seacat scoffed back at it. “So simple, it was only achieved once in a thousand years?”

“I had to be careful in choosing my…” The bot trailed off.

“Your tool?” Seacat finished for him.

“Few have the talent to wield magic. Fewer still have the talent to wield magic on such a scale. Most natives are limited to a few tricks, and even those who widen their horizons, not content with their inborn power, rarely stretch their powers. The individuals who can connect to the Heart of Etheria, even only indirectly, are far and few.”

Individuals like Shadow Weaver, Seacat thought. She fit the description perfectly. And… Her eyes widened. “Micah! That’s how you trapped him!”

“What?” Adora stared at her, then at the bot.

“The bot manipulated Shadow Weaver to get you to Etheria,” Seacat explained. “He must have manipulated Micah to become… whatever he became.”

“The guardian?” The bot cocked its head to the side. “He stumbled upon the installation, fleeing his Horde captors. A lucky coincidence but, ultimately, a failure.”

“A lucky coincidence?” Seacat narrowed her eyes at the bot. “Shadow Weaver sending her former pupil to this island? And he managed to escape and ‘stumbled’ upon your base?”

“You manipulated her to get him!” Adora blurted out. “And then you trapped him and controlled him!”

“A necessary move to keep this base safe,” the bot said. “Shadow Weaver was becoming… tiresome. With Micah as my guardian, backed by the installation’s power, I could easily drive the Horde scum from the island.”

“And you tried to kill us with him!” Adora spat.

“That wasn’t my intention. I was… not paying as much attention as I should’ve,” the bot replied. “I would have kept him from trying to kill you, had I known what he was doing.”

“You couldn’t control him. Not outside the base,” Seacat said, slowly shaking her head. “You have no idea what’s happening outside, do you? Your memory banks must be struggling or something.”

The bot didn’t answer.

“And you want to trick me into using the weapon!”

“Just open a portal and see for yourself what you are sacrificing. Don’t you owe your people that much before you abandon them?”

Adora bit her lower lip, Seacat saw. “But…”

“It’s too dangerous!” Seacat interjected. “We can’t trust the bot!” It would lie and cheat to achieve its goal.

“I’m not a bot,” the bot insisted again.

“So you say,” Seacat shot back. “I don’t believe you.”

But Adora still looked torn. Damn it! “Just drain the magic, as we planned,” Seacat told her. “Once Etheria is safe, we can deal with the rest.”

Her love slowly nodded. “Yes.”

“Waste all that power? Risk your life for nothing?” The bot scoffed. “Channelling so much power might kill you - it will kill your friend. If you used it to open a portal, though, the strain would be much less.”

Seacat felt her stomach drop. She hadn’t considered this. Not really. She could die here.

“Ca-Seacat…”

And Adora was staring at her with tears in her eyes.

“I won’t die,” Seacat spat. “You can do this!”

“Maybe you should return to the others…”

“We’ve already started the failsafe,” Seacat reminded her.

“You’ve already started this. You can only continue - or divert the power,” the bot said, gesturing at the land around them. “Open a portal. See the world you are about to doom! Save your friend!”

“You want me to kill everyone! Kill Ca-Seacat!”

The bot smiled. “But you could use a portal to save her. Send her to Eternia. No matter your decision, she would be safe here. I’ll show you how to do it!”

“No!” Seacat spat. “Don’t listen to him, Adora!”

She heard Adora gasp, then sigh. “I see.” A heartbeat later, she whispered: “I’m sorry, Seacat.”

“No!” Seacat yelled.

And everything went dark.

*****​

Everything was dark. Like the night. Seacat was floating in… the sky? Not quite - there was no moon, but small lights dotted it. And… was that the sun? At night?

“No. No. This can’t be!”

That was the bot, screaming.

“I did everything right. I see everything. I have the power. This is…”

“Adora!” Seacat whirled. Her lover - the idiot - was floating behind her, surrounded by a golden glow. Like herself, she realised.

“This can’t be! You must have made a mistake!” It looked like a bot again, like Light Hope. All transparent.

“What did you do?” Seacat asked.

“I opened a portal to Eternia. The First One’s homeworld,” Adora said with a sad smile.

“This doesn’t look like a world,” Seacat pointed out.

“The coordinates match… but the magical signature. Where are the anchors?” the bot rambled. “It’s gone. It can’t be gone!”

“Eternia is gone?” Seacat asked. “A whole world, gone?”

Adora nodded. “There’s no planet to portal to. Just…” She tilted her head. “...pieces. Many, many pieces floating in space.”

“It can’t be! They wouldn’t! No!”

“There’s no magic, either,” Adora went on.

How would she know? What had happened to her? Seacat looked around. “So… we’re where the planet would be?”

“Yes.”

“No! No! No!”

“But how…” Seacat drew a hissing breath. “Did their enemy destroy the entire planet?”

“He couldn’t have!” the bot screamed hysterically. “He couldn’t have! Only we… only we… NOOOOO!”

The First Ones had done this, Seacat realised with a gasp. “They… they used Eternia instead of Etheria. They destroyed their own world. To destroy their enemy.” She shook her head. This was… this was exactly what a people who would destroy their villages rather than let the enemy take them would do.

“The war’s over,” Adora said. “Everyone lost.”

*****​

 

Chapter 64: The Cure

“No! No! They can’t have done this! Not Eternia!”

The bot was losing it. Or had lost it. Seacat shook her head. “So… Eternia is destroyed. And the Horde?”

“They must have lost their leader and homeworld,” Adora told her. “I don’t think the First Ones would’ve sacrificed their world for anything less. But there might be more soldiers left on other planets.”

Seacat nodded. She hoped that the First Ones had managed to kill their enemy. That would make everyone safe. Safer. She shook her head. “It’s… sick.”

“Yes.”

The bot was wailing. “How could they do this? How? This is… this is…”

Seacat rolled her eyes. “This is what you wanted to do to us,” she reminded it.

“Not like this! Not Eternia!”

“When did this happen?” Seacat asked. “Did Hordak know about this?”

“If he didn’t, then it must have happened after he arrived on Etheria,” Adora said. “But I don’t think there’s a way to tell.”

“Unless you can check the debris out there.” Seacat nodded towards the empty space.

Adora frowned. “I…” She blinked. “I actually could…”

“What?” Seacat stared at her.

“The power - the magic - from the Heart of Etheria. I can use it,” Adora explained. She was staring at nothing - or at something.

“To check how long ago the planet exploded?” That was… incredible. And creepy. Creepier than floating in empty space, with just some magic protecting them.

“I could pull the planet together…”

“What?”

“You could restore Eternia?” The bot gasped.

“I could pull the parts together,” Adora told it - still looking at empty space.

“Do it! Save Eternia!” The bot’s arms reached out for Adora, then passed through her. “Restore it!”

“Adora…” Seacat trailed off.

“It’s a safer way to use the stored magic,” Adora whispered. “Better than draining it into the sea.”

“Do it! Do it!”

Seacat hissed under her breath. The bot was more annoying than ever. “Is it safe?”

“It’s safer.” Adora slowly tilted her head. “I can see the parts. They’re still… connected. With fading magic.”

“The Heart of Eternia. The source of our power. Restore our homeworld!”

“Don’t kill yourself!” Seacat snapped.

Adora smiled for the first time since they had arrived here. “I won’t,” she breathed. She jerked, then floated towards Seacat, smiling.

Seacat licked her lips. “Don’t… don’t die!”

“I won’t,” Adora repeated herself, then gathered Seacat in a one-armed hug. Their auras melded, and Adora kissed her.

Seacat kissed back, squeezing her love with all her strength.

After a much too brief time, Adora broke the kiss, smiled, and floated away. Then she closed her eyes and craned her neck.

And her glowing aura flared. The shining portal behind them flared as well. Power - Magic - poured out of it. Into Adora.

And her aura grew.

She raised her sword over her head, and its tip started to glow, brighter than the sun!

Seacat squeezed her eyes shut, but the light grew so bright, she still had to shield her eyes with her arms to avoid getting blinded. And she felt warm, warmer than before. What was happening?

“Yes! Yes!” The bot apparently didn’t have eyes that could be blinded. Or didn’t care.

Seacat clenched her teeth as she started to sweat. This was… For a moment, she was afraid that the raw power might kill her. Boil her alive.

But things settled - she was still sweating, but the heat was getting worse. The light didn’t grow weaker, though.

And the bot kept chanting: “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

After some time, the heat finally started to fade, and the light grew dim. Seacat took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

Adora looked exhausted - her aura was dim, almost gone. But she was smiling as she lowered her sword. “It’s done.”

Seacat looked around.

“Where? Where is Eternia?” the bot screamed.

“Around us,” Adora replied, reaching out to Seacat. “Its parts are coming together.”

“That’s… finish it! Restore Eternia!”

Adora squeezed Seacat’s hand and pulled her towards the portal.

“Finish it!”

In front of the portal, Adora turned.

“I said I could pull the parts together. That’s happening now - Eternia will be restored. But it won’t happen at once. It’ll take a long time. And even longer before there’s life on it again. The Heart of Eternia is much too weak for anything.”

“Use the Heart of Etheria! Restore our world! Save our people!”

Adora shook her head. “I did what I could. Etheria is safe. Eternia will reform.”

“But our people! Restore them!”

“Magic can’t restore the dead!” Seacat spat. “The world you knew is gone!” At least she hoped so. If those First Ones returned...

“Magic can do everything!”

“No, it can’t,” Adora said. “I don’t remember everything from, well, just now. But I remember that. And even if I could restore the First Ones, I wouldn’t. Not at the cost of Etheria. No one deserves to die so others can live again.”

“And certainly not people who were willing to sacrifice our world for them!” Seacat asked.

“No! Do it! You can do it! You have to do it!”

Adora shook her head, then flew through the portal, pulling Seacat along.

They were back in the failsafe room. With a sigh, Adora moved her sword, and the portal vanished.

The bot appeared in the room. “No! No! No! Go back!”

“Did you also find out where its control unit is hidden?” Seacat asked. They better took care of the damn bot before it restarted the end of the world or something.

Adora blinked. “I didn’t look for that, but…” She turned. “There was a.. thing connected to everything behind this wall.”

Seacat grinned.

“Let’s shred it,” she said.

“But…” Adora trailed off.

“No! No! You can’t!”

“We can’t kill Last Hope.” Adora swallowed. “They might be the last of us - of the First Ones.”

Together with Adora. But Seacat didn’t say that. Learning your people and your homeworld had been destroyed wasn’t something you just shrugged off - no matter whether or not that might have saved this world. “It’s trying to kill us all,” she pointed out instead.

“But…”

“Let’s just, ah, disconnect the things. Like Entrapta did,” Seacat suggested.

“No! Go back! Restore Eternia!”

“Should we fetch her instead?”

“And risk that Last Hope here finds another trap to trigger? Or redoes the gas? Which is probably still blocking the corridor.” Seacat muttered a curse under her breath.

“Oh. But…”

“No! No! No!”

“Let’s at least take a look at it.” Maybe they would trigger something that took out the bot - Seacat was getting really tired of the wailing.

“Alright, I guess…” Adora didn’t seem to be too enthusiastic, but she didn’t hesitate either, and a few slashes with her sword opened a door into the next room.

The consoles and crystal shelves there looked almost like Light Hope’s. Seacat entered just as the bot’s projection appeared in the room.

“Stop! Don’t! Stop!”

She ignored the stupid thing and looked around. “The crystals… those are the memories there. And that’s the central control unit.” She pointed at the main consoles.

“So, what do we do?”

“We cut off those things over there,” Seacat said. Entrapta had done the same for Light Hope.

“No!” The bot moved to hover over the flatter and darker crystals to the side. “You can’t do that!”

“Of course we can!” Seacat retorted as she moved towards them.

“Please!”

Seacat stopped and cocked her head. “You’ve tried to kill us several times. You enslaved Glimmer’s dad. You want Adora to destroy this world.”

The bot turned to face Adora. “Stop her! You’re like me! We’re the last of our people! You can’t let her do this!”

Adora gasped, then straightened. “I’m… I’m not like you!” she snapped.

Seacat smiled, then lashed out with her foot, opening a gap in the console next to her. Lines and cables spilt out.

“No!”

She crouched down, looked at the bot as she extended the claws on her hand - and cut the lines with a smile on her face.

The bot’s projection flickered a few times, its wailings fading, and disappeared.

Seacat stood and sighed. “Finally!”

Adora slowly nodded. “So… what do we do now?”

Seacat smiled at her and walked over to her. “First, we check if the gas’s still there. If it is, we wait for our friends to come down. If it isn’t, we join the others.”

“But… won’t they run into the gas?”

“Entrapta has her device to detect this. And Castaspella can do magic. They’re better prepared to handle this than we are,” Seacat said. “I trust them.”

“Still…”

“What else can we do?”

Adora bit her lower lip and didn’t answer.

Seacat wrapped her arm around her waist, and they went back to the failsafe room. “Let’s open the door for a moment; let me sniff the air,” she said.

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“We’ve been in there,” Seacat pointed out. “And you can heal me.”

“Right…”

Seacat sighed. “Adora… I’m not going to die from this. Our friends aren’t going to die, either. We’re staying with you.”

“I… I know, It’s just…” Adora sighed as well and looked away. “I saw Eternia die. When I held the power of the Heart of Etheria. I saw a glimpse of how the world had been. And how it had blown up. The life, the magic snuffed out in the blink of an eye.”

Damn. Seacat wrapped her love in a hug. To see such a thing… “I’m here,” she whispered.

Adora hugged her back, not saying anything. But Seacat felt her cry and felt the tears hit her back.

And she wanted to storm back into the control room and smash the bot to dust for doing this to her love.

*****​

Sometime later, Adora had recovered some. And was ready to open the door - and heal Seacat.

Seacat nodded at her and crouched down. As soon as the door’s three parts started to slide back, she sniffed the air. No gas. She took another sniff. Still no gas. “Keep it open,” she said, moving forward. Again, no whiff of the gas.

“I think it’s gone.”

“You think?”

“I don’t smell it. Only way to find out if I’m wrong…” She gestured towards the corridor.

“Right!” Adora took a step forward.

“I actually meant I enter. You wait here in case you need to fetch me. You can hold your breath longer.” As much as it irked her to admit that a landlubber was better at holding her breath.

“Oh!”

Seacat grinned and, before Adora could say anything, entered the corridor. She walked down its whole length without catching a whiff of the gas.

It was safe. They could call the lift down and rejoin their friends.

It was over.

It was finally over.

*****​

“They blew up their own world?” Glimmer sounded shocked. Well, the princess was shocked, as far as Seacat could tell. As were the others. Bow was still shaking his head. And Scorpia was hugging Perfuma, who had taken the news really badly.

“Yes,” Adora said. “They were about to lose the war and decided to take their enemy with them.”

“So, they inflicted the fate they had planned for Etheria on their own homeworld?” Sea Hawk shook his head. “How… I actually lack the words to describe this. That’s new.”

“It fits them,” Mermista said. “If they scorched and drained worlds to deny them to their enemy, then this was just the logical consequence of losing the war. Deny the enemy victory.”

“And kill him in the process,” Seacat added.

“But…” Scorpia spoke up. “They destroyed the enemy’s - the Horde’s - homeworld. Not the entire Horde.”

“They got, or so it looks like, the enemy leader,” Seacat said. “They claim that his soldiers were just mindless drones.”

“Soldiers like Hordak? He wasn’t mindless!” Entrapta objected. “I mean, he could’ve just been recreating technology he was taught, but… he was a leader. Wasn’t he?”

“He was,” Scorpia confirmed. “So… there might be more soldiers like him, left on the other worlds. Unless those worlds were destroyed as well. And we don’t know if the enemy leader is actually dead.”

“He is,” Adora said in a soft voice. “They aimed at him. They used the magic, their own world, their own lives, to utterly erase him. The world he was on was merely…” She trailed off.

Seacat bit her lower lip with a frown. So, there had been more to the whole magic draining thing than Adora had admitted so far.

“Collateral damage?” Entrapta suggested. “Anyway, Last Hope claimed they had a hive mind? That’s fascinating. There are a few species of insects that have hive minds, but not on the level of actually being sentient. But Hordak didn’t act like he was part of a hive mind, either.”

“Could’ve been propaganda,” Seacat pointed out. “Last Hope was trying everything to make Adora destroy Etheria.”

“And they claimed that they were a First One?” Entrapta asked.

“Yes.” Adora nodded.

“A copy,” Seacat corrected her. “A bot with the memories of a person - if that was true in the first place.”

“They broke down like a person,” Adora retorted.

That didn’t rule out a bot, in Seacat’s opinion.

“Fascinating! We have to check it out! Imagine if we could duplicate the feat!”

“We should focus on freeing Micah first,” Castaspella said. “And this bot might be the key to undoing what was done to him.”

“Yes! We’ll have to examine their memories anyway!” Entrapta nodded.

Seacat sighed. She really didn’t like the bot. Or the base here. But Adora was needed to operate the lift, and Seacat wouldn’t leave her love. Not after what she had just gone through.

“Just to be sure,” Mermista spoke up. “The planet’s safe, right? You, like, drained the magic in the Heart to restore the other planet? We won’t blow up a few years down the line?”

“Yes,” Adora said, nodding firmly. “The Heart of Etheria still exists, but it won’t blow up. And Eternia will reform, but it’ll take a long time. And there won’t be any life on it unless someone seeds it.”

“How long will that take?” Perfuma asked.

“Uh… thousands of years? Or longer?” Adora smiled a little weakly. “I’m no expert, and I was just… feeling around as I did it. I know it’ll happen, but not when.”

“We could probably calculate that if we can track the debris left and how it moves,” Entrapta suggested.

“If we want to open another portal,” Seacat said. “And if we can do that.”

“Uh…” Adora pressed her lips together for a moment. “That would require a lot of magic. I had to drain the failsafe for it.”

“Oh.” Perfuma looked disappointed.

As did Entrapta. “I was hoping we could create portals. Imagine the possibilities!”

“Well, we can… if we find a way to gather enough magic,” Adora said.

“Which is incredibly dangerous,” Castaspella said. “You would need to access the runestones. And that could kill you if you aren’t properly attuned.”

Like it killed Shadow Weaver, Seacat remembered with a shudder.

“Let’s not start opening portals into empty space, OK?” Glimmer said. “Focus on finding out how to heal Dad for now!”

“Yes.” Castaspella nodded firmly. “Save anything else until we have saved Micah.”

“Alright.” Entrapta nodded enthusiastically, her hair bopping. “Let’s go down!”

*****​

“So…” Entrapta stepped back from where she had been fiddling with crystals. “I’ve got good news and bad news.”

*Yes?” Seacat tilted her head. She didn’t like bad news.

“The good news is that I found the memories of what was done to Micah. The bad news is that I don’t know what it is.”

“Let me check,” Castaspella said.

“Right. It’s this one.”

The two women bent down over a slightly glowing crystal. Glimmer moved over to hover over them, followed by Bow, who hovered over her.

Seacat shook her head.

“I feel so useless,” Adora whispered next to her.

“Same,” Seacat replied. “I’m a sailor - a captain now - not a sorceress.” She turned to smile at her love. “But our friends know what they are doing. Trust your crew.”

“Indeed!” Sea Hawk beamed at them. “You can’t and shouldn’t do everything yourself!”

Adora slowly nodded with a shy smile.

She obviously hadn’t fully accepted that, Seacat knew. But she was getting there. Or Seacat would drag her there, kicking and screaming.

She looked around. “So… What else is there to do now, except for waiting?” On a ship, there was always something to do. Lines to splice, rigging and sails to fix, decks to swab in a pinch. But in this base?

“Stand guard, I believe,” Sea Hawk told her. “A noble yet not particularly adventurous task.”

“We wait,” Mermista said. “I think we’ve explored the entire base, and we can’t help the others. Well, Adora, you’re needed to transport us up and down the hole, but the rest of us?” She shrugged.

“Should we… should we head back to the island?” Perfuma asked. “With the base secured, we could work on restoring the forest. Well, I could.” She rubbed her shoulders.

“Still feeling bad?” Scorpia asked, wrapping her arms around her.

“No.” Perfuma bit her lower lip. “A little. I’m still… There are no plants around, and I feel weak, weaker, here.”

Seacat nodded. She would feel better up top - and even better back on her ship. But Adora was the only one who could operate the lifts here, and she’d stay with her. That didn’t mean the others had to stay, though. “Well, we could get you out,” she said. “Though you probably need Mermista to get you to the shore, even if the lift goes to the surface of the lake this time.”

“It should,” Adora said. “That’s how it worked for Micah.”

“We can swim,” Perfuma said. “It’s no bother.” Scorpia nodded after a moment.

“And we should inform the others of our mission’s success,” Mermista added. “And check on Micah.”

Seacat winced. If Micah had woken up on her ship...

“We’ve destroyed the crystal that manipulated him,” Adora said.

“And we don’t know what that might’ve done to him.” Mermista glanced at the others studying the bot’s memories. “We should check before getting too invested here…”

Check whether or not the sorcerer was still alive, Seacat realised. She nodded and turned to Adora. “Time to do your job and get us up.”

Adora laughed and picked up her sword. “It feels better to only use this to move us up and down,” she said. “And not…”

“...to cut people in half?” Seacat suggested before she could dwell on what the First Ones had done with it.

“...to blow up planets?” Mermista shrugged at Seacat’s glare. “Pretending it’s not the key to Etheria’s magic won’t help. You have to deal with this, sooner or later.”

Later, much later, if Seacat had anything to say about it. And she did. This wasn’t the time to hash out everything. Not so soon after what they had gone through.

“I could throw it away…” Adora shook her head. “But we need it if we find more First Ones’ bases. And I can heal with it.”

Seacat would be fine with giving up healing to ensure Adora wouldn’t carry that weight around with her. But she knew Adora wouldn’t see things her way in this.

“I guess we won’t be destroying the bot either, then,” Mermista said, looking at the others working on the crystal.”

“I…” Adora pressed her lips together as she trailed off. “We don’t know if this is actually a First One or not. I don’t want to kill them if that’s the case,” she went on. “They were a monster, trying to get me to destroy Etheria, but they were also…” She shrugged. “They were here for a thousand years. Like Light Hope.”

Which, in Seacat’s opinion, should be destroyed as well. But too many wanted to study the bot. Or ‘fix it’ in Adora’s case. She sighed. “I guess we’ll have to look into taking the bot with us.”

“Great idea!” Adora beamed at her. “We can put them with Light Hope; they might help each other!”

Help each other to destroy the planet, probably.

“As long as they’re kept away from any other bots,” Mermista said. “Or anything else that they could use to do anything.” She scowled. “I don’t want to do this again.” She gestured at the room.

“You won’t have to,” Adora told her. “If they… if they try anything, I’ll destroy them myself.”

“Good.” Seacat nodded. Entrapta would hate it, of course. As would Bow, probably - he must hoped to extract everything the bot knew about Etheria’s history that was lost in time.

But Seacat would rather be safe than sorry. Those damned bots had had too many second chances for her taste already. “Well, let’s go upstairs, then,” she said.

*****​

The second lift did take them to the surface of the lake, the water held back by some glowing magic shield. Seacat took a deep breath as soon as they were on the surface. It wasn’t the sea, but close enough. Fresh air, after so long!

“So… I guess we swim?” Scorpia said.

“Unless you can build a raft here, yes,” Seacat told her. “That wouldn’t be a bad idea, actually,” she went on. “You could build a ferry while we wait for the others to find out how to cure Micah.”

“We still need to swim to shore, though,” Scorpia said.

“So?” Mermista grinned, then stepped to the edge of the platform. “The water’s warm.” A moment later, she jumped in.

Seacat shook her head as she watched Mermista slice through the water, then jump out of it, flipping over. She was sporting her mermaid’s tail, obviously showing off.

“Ah, my love!” Sea Hawk, of course, completely approved.

“Well, it seems safe,” Scorpia said.

“Then let’s swim to the shore.” Perfuma nodded

The two entered the water as well, followed by Sea Hawk, leaving Seacat with Adora.

“Want to go for a swim as well?” Adora asked.

Seacat cocked her head. The water looked great, and she felt more than a little sweaty and dusty, but… “Maybe later. Let’s go back and check that the others haven’t caused trouble or something.” Adora held the key to the whole base, after all, and if the others were in trouble, she’d be needed. Seacat still wished they were already gone.

“Alright.” Adora looked at the lake again, then used her word to send the platform down.

“So… how do you feel?” Seacat asked as they made their way back to the failsafe chamber.

“I’m fine,” Adora replied.

Seacat raised her eyebrows.

“Alright, I’m… unsure,” Adora admitted. “Seeing Eternia - my homeworld according to Last Hope - destroyed like that…” She shook her head.

“Your family.” Seacat wrapped her arm around Adora’s waist and leaned onto the taller woman.

“My family’s here. You, my friends,” Adora replied at once. “I don’t even remember anything from before. Or anyone.”

“Still, they were your relatives. And they missed you.”

Adora didn’t look convinced. “But what if they went along with all of this? The plan to blow up Etheria? What if they… were like Last Hope?”

Seacat bit her lip for a moment. After a thousand years of war? Odds were, they would have been desperate like Last Hope. Or worse. “We don’t know if they knew about it. Mara didn’t until she was told to do it, after all.”

“Yes. But…” Adora shrugged. “I don’t want to know, and yet I do.”

And she’d never know. “It’s not your fault,” Seacat told her.

“I know.”

But did she believe it? “You couldn’t have done anything.”

“I know.” Adora sighed. “I did what I could for Eternia, but… it won’t be Eternia even once it’s been restored. It’ll be a new planet.”

“Which isn’t a bad thing,” Seacat said. “A new beginning, of sorts.” Like a new ship.

“Yes. But without some help, it’ll be a really long time before life returns to the planet,” Adora told her. “Maybe I should’ve used the power to restore the scorched and drained planets.”

“You would have had to find them, first. And what if they were occupied by soldiers like Hordak? You’d only help the Horde,” Seacat pointed out.

“I know.”

“Good.”

Adora huffed, but Seacat squeezed her waist. Well, pressed herself into Adora’s waist - Adora was taller and weighed more, after all.

“And I wonder about my sword,” Adora went on.

“It’s just a tool,” Seacat replied.

“A tool made to destroy a world. Worlds.”

“Which you used to save people and restore a world,” Seacat countered.

“Yes. But I could do so much harm with it…”

“And so much good.”

“Yes. But…” Adora sighed once again. “I don’t want to depend on it, either.”

“Then don’t.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Have it sealed in the vaults of Bright Moon or wherever,” Seacat suggested. “Only to be taken out if you need it.”

“But what if I need to heal you? Or anyone?”

That was a problem. “I guess you’ll have to carry it, then.”

“I guess so.”

“And you’ll manage. I trust you.”

“Thanks.” Adora smiled at her.

Seacat hesitated a moment, then shifted around until she was in front of her love.

Then she grinned - she knew how long the trip down to the failsafe chamber took, after all.

*****​

“So… we’ve finished dismantling the core unit of Last Hope. And their memory banks,” Entrapta announced when they entered the failsafe chamber. “Oh, and Castaspella found the data on Micah.”

“That’s good, right?” Adora asked.

“Yes! More data’s always good!”

Seacat held her tongue. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.

“We think we can help my brother,” the sorceress spoke up. “But we need your help.”

“Anything you need!” Adora offered at once.

“We need you to tap into the Heart of Etheria again,” Castaspella said.

“Oh.” Adora looked surprised. And apprehensive.

“With the, ah, dark crystal destroyed, we need more magic to heal Dad,” Glimmer explained. “We know your normal healing won’t be enough. But if you tapped into the runestone network…”

“I could blow up the planet!”

“There’s not enough magic left for that - but still enough for some island sinking, I think,” Entrapta said. “But if you go through the failsafe system, you can safely drain some more magic. It’s still gathering, after all, until we manage to dismantle it.”

“Oh. But…” Adora bit her lower lip.

“Please.” Glimmer took her hand. “It’s my dad. I know you can do it!”

Well, she had restored a planet. Restoring a king should be easy, in Seacat’s opinion.

Adora looked determined. “Alright. Let’s do it.” She blinked again. “Uh, how do we do it? We’re here, and Micah is on the ship…”

“We fetch him, of course,” Glimmer said. “I can teleport to the ship and back. Once I’m outside,” she added.

None of the others seemed to object, so this was probably their best course of action. Seacat suppressed a sigh. The sooner they were done, the sooner they could leave this island.

*****​

It didn’t take Glimmer long - she returned about twenty minutes later with Adora, who was carrying a still unconscious Micah. Seacat and the others had used the time to pack up Last Hope’s parts to transport them, or most of them. And Seacat hadn’t given in to the sudden urge to lose a few key parts or ‘accidentally’ break them.

Still, if this was the last she saw of Last Hope, she wouldn’t complain. Light Hope or Last Hope, actually. On the other hand, Adora probably didn’t want to lose her last link to her family.

“So, where do I put him? Just put him down on the floor?” Adora asked.

“Gently,” Glimmer said.

“Of course.”

Seacat suppressed a snort. It wasn’t funny. Even though the sorcerer had come very close to killing them all. And probably could take a little drop like that.

But Adora lowered him to the floor, and Glimmer laid him out on his back, arms crossed over his chest. It looked like he was dead. Glimmer quickly moved his arms to his side - she must have realised the same.

This time, Seacat snorted. Softly.

Adora didn’t hear it - her love was staring at her sword and mumbling about being able to do this under her breath. Seacat nodded and walked over. “You’ll do fine,” she told her, doing her best to sound utterly convinced.

“I’ll try my best.”

“We know.”

Glimmer nodded. “Yes. You can do it, Adora.”

“Without blowing up the island!”

Seacat winced. Entrapta meant well, but reminding Adora of the possible consequences wasn’t helping. She reached out and squeezed Adora’s hand. “You can do it.”

Adora nodded, then pulled her in for a hug.

“Group hug!” Bow exclaimed.

Seacat managed not to hiss when she was suddenly pushed into Adora by someone on her back, and felt more arms around her and Adora.

She did sneeze, however, when she felt hair in her face - Entrapta had joined them. And the princess must have dragged Castaspella along, judging by the sorceress’s protests.

Still, as gestures went, this was nice. And Adora looked less stressed when they separated. Her love took a deep breath, then raised her sword. “Better stay back.”

Seacat hesitated a moment - she had been with Adora the last time - but stepped back. This was about healing Micah, not saving the planet. There wasn’t a danger of Adora burning out or something, according to Entrapta.

She still held her breath when Adora pointed the tip of her sword at the ceiling, and magic shot out of it. The magic energy hit the triangle, which started to glow. As did the triangle on the floor.

“She’s made contact,” Entrapta mumbled, watching her device. “Magic reservoir… standing by. Flow within expected parameters. All systems nominal.”

“She’s touched the Heart of Etheria,” Castaspella whispered with wide eyes.

Seacat was already squinting - Adora was glowing with power. With magic. No - she was standing in a glowing field of magic. Seacat felt the hairs on her neck stand up. Followed by the rest of her fur. She would look all poofy after this, she knew it.

But Adora… Her love opened her mouth without saying anything, craning her neck to stare at the ceiling. It looked like magic was pouring into her mouth. Or out of it.

Then she straightened and pointed her sword at Micah. The light grew even brighter around her blade - and then around Micah’s body.

Once again, Seacat had to shield her eyes.

“Fascinating! The readings are off the charts! Note to myself: Expand charts.”

“Dad! Dad!”

“Don’t look, Glimmer!”

“The power… it’s unbelievable.

Seacat felt the air grow warmer as well. And there was a tension in the air, like at sea before a storm. As if the air itself was gathering lightning. She clenched her teeth and turned away, one arm pressed against her face. How much longer would this take?

Suddenly, the light dimmed - even through her closed eyes, she could tell. She turned, blinking. Adora was still standing. Still holding her sword. Seacat could see that much with stars flaring in front of her eyes.

“Dad! Dad!” And someone - Glimmer - rushed forward. “Dad!”

Seacat shook her head, then joined Adora. By the time she reached her love, her eyes had adjusted. Adora looked... exhausted. But she was smiling.

And Micah looked… healthy. There weren’t any dark marks on his skin any more. And he wasn’t pale any more - he looked more like Glimmer. She must have inherited his complexion. But… “Did it work?” Seacat whispered.

Adora nodded. How did she know?

A groan answered that - Micah was moving. Opening his eyes.

“Dad!”

“Wha… what?”

And Glimmer dropped on his chest, hugging him. “Dad!”

“Brother!”

“Huh?”

“Your highness.”

“What…?”

“Dad! You’re healed!” Glimmer was sobbing. Micah was holding her, but he still seemed confused.

“I don’t read any lingering contamination,” Entrapta commented.

“I’ve healed you,” Adora said.

But Micah was staring at Glimmer. “Glimmer?”

“Dad!” Glimmer raised her head, and Seacat saw tears running down her cheeks.

She clenched her teeth and started to drag Adora away.

This was a private moment. Or it should be.

*****​

“Thank you! Not just for healing me, but also for defeating me when I was… possessed. I don’t know what I would have done if I had harmed Glimmer! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

It is clear where Glimmer got her own temper from, Seacat thought as Micah shook Adora’s hands once again while they slowly ascended in the lift to the main part of the base.

Adora, despite knowing Glimmer for years, still looked flustered. “Well, I just did what I could, and we all fought you, I mean… you know what I mean.”

“Dad! Don’t scare my friend!”

“Oh! Sorry!” Micah released Adora and all but jumped back. “I’m still… adjusting. I’m so sorry! Also, for attacking you. I wasn’t myself.”

“We know, Micah,” Castaspella said. “No one is blaming you for it.”

Micah nodded, although a little hesitantly. “I’m just glad I didn’t sink your ship or poison your water. I did that to the Horde, you know?” He grinned. “The only good thing that came off being…” He trailed off. “Ah, speaking of the Horde. How goes the war?”

“We beat them, Dad,” Glimmer said, baring her teeth in an almost feral grin.

“We did?” Micah looked surprised. “But… I remember attacking a Horde ship. And razing their port.”

“It’s a recent development,” Bow cut in.

“Well, not so recent,” Seacat corrected him. “The frigate you attacked were stragglers who went pirate after the war.”

“Oh. So the war’s over. The Alliance won.” Micah started to smile.

Adora grimaced. “Uh, yes. And, uh, we like… We’re working with the Horde remnants. Their princess is with us.”

“So please don’t attack her,” Seacat added.

“We’re working with the Horde?” Now Micah looked shocked.

“Yeah, Dad.” Glimmer nodded. “But we have them under our thumb. We’ve crippled their military.”

“Technically, they’re no longer the Horde,” Bow pointed out. “What with Hordak dead.”

“They’ve kept the name,” Glimmer retorted.

“I’m sure they’ll change it sooner or later. It’s just inertia,” Bow told her.

“And stubbornness,” Seacat added. Scorpia was quite friendly, but she had her pride.

“Yes,” Adora said. “But the important thing is that we’re at peace.”

“After we beat them.” Glimmer grinned again. “We pushed them back on all fronts, Dad. And then we sneaked into the heart of the Fright Zone and took out Hordak, Shadow Weaver and their airship.”

Micah stiffened. “Shadow Weaver is dead?”

Glimmer pressed her lips together, Seacat noticed. Probably realised that this was a sore point.

“Yes, Dad.”

“She tried to connect directly to the Black Garnet, and it killed her,” Seacat explained.

“Ah.” Micah slowly nodded. “She was always… too ambitious for her own good.”

Castaspella muttered a curse under her breath. “She handed you over to this base. She’s responsible for what was done to you.”

“I know,” Micah said.

But he didn’t seem overly happy about hearing of her death, Seacat noticed.

“Anyway,” Adora spoke up. “You’ll probably like Scorpia. She’s nice.”

“When she’s not trying to kill you,” Seacat couldn’t help adding. She grinned at Adora’s frown.

“And she’s with Princess Perfuma, of Plumeria,” Adora went on.

“Little Perfuma…”

“Yes. Not so little any more.” Seacat grinned.

“Princess Mermista is also here.” Adora nodded.

“And Admiral Sea Hawk.”

“So much has changed. Who’s Admiral Sea Hawk?” Micah asked.

“The best sailor on all the seas!” Seacat informed him.

“Mermista’s lover,” Glimmer said a moment later. She ignored Seacat’s glare - the Captain was much more than Mermista’s lover!

“Ah.”

“So… you all came to rescue me?” Micah asked.

Oh. “You didn’t tell him?” Adora looked at Glimmer.

“When? We were busy just..:” Glimmer trailed off.

“There wasn’t time,” Bow said.

“Tell me what?” Micah asked.

Adora sighed. “We didn’t know you were here. We were told that you had been killed.”

“Shadow Weaver.”

“Yes,” Seacat confirmed. “She probably didn’t want any records left of handing you over to Last Hope. Hordak probably wasn’t aware of her plans.”

“She did betray him, after all,” Adora said.

“Yes!” Entrapta nodded. “Anyway, we came here to stop Etheria from being destroyed to fuel the First Ones’ ultimate planetary destruction device.”

“WHAT?”

Seacat sighed. That would take some time to explain.

It did. And Micah was quite pale at the end.

*****​

“Weigh anchor!” Seacat yelled.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Horas threw himself against the winch and started turning it. Licy and Alcy helped.

Seacat waited until the anchor had left the water, then used the speaking tube. “Half power forward!”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” she heard Entrapta’s tinny voice.

A moment later, the Victory’s Daughter started picking up speed, and Seacat turned the wheel to point her bow towards the open sea.

“Clear!” Sounded from Mermista, who was at the bow.

Seacat smiled. They still had to navigate the reefs and then travel back to the continent, but they were finally leaving this cursed island.

She took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air of the sea, the wind picking up. Felt the sun on her fur.

Yes! She was a sailor, not a soldier. She wasn’t meant to crawl through tunnels and mines.

She was meant to sail the seas.

With Adora, she added, glancing at her love.

*****​

 

Chapter 65: New Horizons

They had barely entered Bright Moon when Queen Angella appeared, headed straight towards them.

“Mum, look who we…” Glimmer trailed off when the queen rushed past her towards Micah.

“Micah!”

“Angella!”

Seacat shook her head and leaned towards the princess. “Did you really think you could surprise her?” she whispered. The queen would have heard the news before they reached Seaworthy.

“I expected her to receive us in the throne room,” Glimmer whispered back while they watched the royal couple embrace each other. Which they managed very well despite the height difference - Seacat took a few notes.

“Well, it’s good to know even the Queen won’t stand for formality at all times,” Seacat replied.

“Glimmer!”

“Yes, Mum? I can...”

Glimmer once more failed to finish her sentence as the Queen dragged her into the embrace. And the people around them cheered. Loudly. Well, it wasn’t every day that a king thought dead returned.

“A moment for the ages!” Sea Hawk commented, beaming. “The lost lover returns!”

“The lost king returns,” Mermista corrected him.

“I doubt that the Queen’s thinking about his position right now,” Sea Hawk retorted. “Unless she is thinking of…” He, too, was cut off when Mermista elbowed him.

Scorpia and Perfuma were holding hands and crying. They weren’t the only ones. Adora was sniffling. Seacat was merely blinking because Bright Moon was so bright.

Entrapta was… recording. Seacat’s ears twitched. “...it seems a romantic couple’s reunion is enough for the Queen to ignore protocol. Fascinating. My data wouldn’t have let me extrapolate this result. I need more data.”

Perhaps Seacat should talk to Entrapta? Tell her to grant the royal family their privacy? Or, maybe… She felt strong arms close around her, followed by a blonde mop of hair pressing into her face as Adora embraced her. Right. She’d do that later.

For now, enjoying the moment would do. They’d probably delve into politics soon enough. There were a couple of issues to settle, after all. Such as the fate of the Heart of Etheria.

But that could wait until after the celebration feast.

*****​

The bed in Adora’s room was a little too soft, in Seacat’s opinion. Just a smidge. She frowned as she squirmed on it, trying to find the perfect position for a little nap. She had a few hours to while away until the celebration, after all, and with the Queen indisposed, there wouldn’t be anything to do, anyway. Not that she minded. So… given the sun’s position, she had to move a bit to the right to catch its rays for another...

“It still doesn’t feel like home.”

“Huh?” Seacat blinked and sat up, looking at Adora. “What do you mean?”

“This room.” Adora sighed. “I’ve been staying here whenever I was in Bright Moon since I, ah, left the Horde. But it doesn’t feel like home.”

“Really?” Seacat cocked her head to the side, then glanced around. “It feels like your room. Weapon rack. Huge pinboard for planning attacks and defences. Snacks hidden in the trunk under your uniform…”

Adora gasped. “How did you know that?”

She rolled her eyes in response and tapped her nose.

“Oh.”

“And you did the same when we were cadets. Only with ration bars.” Seacat grimaced.

“Oh,” Adora repeated herself, though with a smile.

“So, what’s wrong with the room?”

Her love sighed and came to sit down on the bed, next to her. Seacat used the opportunity to undo Adora’s ponytail and start braiding it. “It’s just… it’s too big. Too…” Adora raised her head, and Seacat grabbed it to prevent her from moving. “Hey!”

“Don’t move.”

“But…” Another sigh. “It’s too luxurious. You could fit an entire platoon in here.”

“You haven’t gotten used to having a room for yourself?” Seacat snorted. She had taken a room of her own in Mermista’s palace every time they visited.

“I didn’t actually stay here for very long. I was usually out, campaigning.”

“Ah.” Seacat made a point of sighing. “That shows that you aren’t a sailor.”

“What? Your cabin in the Victory’s Daughter is a tenth this size!”

“Yes. And that’s why a sailor will pick the largest, most luxurious room they can afford once they are on land.” Seacat grinned behind Adora’s back.

“Oh. So...”

“I’m joking. Mostly,” Seacat interrupted her.

“Hey!” Adora glared at her.

Seacat giggled and finished the braid. “All done!”

“Let me see.” Adora stood and went over to the large mirror on the wall. “Oh.”

That was about the fifth time or so.

“So, you don’t feel at home here.”

“The room doesn’t feel like home,” Adora corrected her. “Bright Moon… is different.”

Seacat nodded. Adora’s best friends lived here.

“But it’s still not home. Not…” Adora shrugged. “It’s just…”

“You feel as if you don’t fit in.”

“Yes!”

Seacat nodded again. She knew that feeling. Very well. Perhaps a little too well. “Because you don’t feel like a princess.”

“I’m not really a princess.” Adora sighed and sat down again. “I’m just… a fraud. Picked by people willing to destroy the planet. Raised by a monster.”

“Oh, for Maelstrom’s sake!” Seacat rapped her on the head.

“Ow!”

“Be serious, will you? You are a princess. You are She-Ra. You’ve proven that you deserve the title and the power. Many times over!”

“But it’s based on a lie!” Adora protested.

“Are you sure? We only have the word of Light Hope and Last Hope for that. And they are liars.”

“We also have their memories.”

Seacat shrugged. “And we have our memories. You saved the Alliance. You saved Etheria. It doesn’t matter why and how you were chosen - you are She-Ra.”

“But…” Adora leaned back. “I feel out of place. I wasn’t raised as a princess. I was raised a Horde soldier.”

“So?”

“I can’t be all like… like Angella!”

“And you don’t have to. Does Mermista act like Angella?” Seacat asked.

“If she wants to, she can be very stern.”

Drat. Seacat hid her frown. “What about Perfuma? Or Entrapta?”

“Well…” Adora trailed off. “It’s not the same.”

“Yes, it is!” Seacat yanked on her lover’s braid and pulled her down on the bed.

“Hey!”

But she was already straddling Adora. “Enough moping. Captain’s orders!”

“But we’re not on your ship! We’re...”

Seacat shut her up with a kiss.

*****​

The celebration was almost as big as the one after the victory over the Horde, Seacat noted as she looked down at Bright Moon’s street from the balcony near the Palace’s hall. Well, there was no reason not to party hard if you were given the chance - any sailor worth their salt would agree. Even if it was a little too loud for her taste.

“Hiding from the party?”

She didn’t bother turning around at the sound of Adora’s voice. “I could ask you the same.”

“I came to look for you,” Adora said as she leaned against the railing next to Seacat.

“Well, you found me. And I wasn’t hiding. Just taking a break from being the life of the party.”

“The great carouser.”

Seacat snorted. “We didn’t get to carouse in Seaworthy. We’ll have to do that once we return.” Her ship was there, and she didn’t like being too far away for too long. It wasn’t that she expected anyone to steal it, but… she didn’t really trust the local garrison that far. And Horas, Licy and Alcy were great, but they were no princesses; a determined group of thugs could beat them.

“Right. But that’ll be a few days. We still have things to discuss and settle. And…”

And she didn’t want to leave her friends right away, probably. Seacat didn’t ask. But she turned and faced her love. “And people will have to get over their hangovers. You could make a killing selling cures.”

Adora blinked. “I would never do that! Charge for healing?”

“Healing hangovers,” Seacat corrected her. “That’s just a convenience.” She shrugged. “It would pay nicely in the palace, I bet - everyone wants to look their best.”

“But still…”

“And with the war over, you can use the money.”

“I actually got a life-long stipend from Bright Moon,” Adora told her.

“Ah.” Seacat nodded. That made sense.

“Angella insisted that it wasn’t for saving Micah when I asked. It’s for She-Ra.”

“And you feel guilty about it?” Seacat shook her head. Adora was an idiot. “Don’t be. It’s a bribe.”

“A bribe?” Her love blinked.

“You aren’t just She-Ra; you also control the Heart of Etheria. You can heal, you can cut your way through an army, people love you, you saved everyone’s life at least once - you saved the planet, though that’s secret.” Seacat ticked off her points on her fingers.

“Yes, but… I didn’t do it for money!”

“No. But making sure that you have enough money, so you don’t need to find a source of money ensures that you’ll be unlikely to make trouble for Bright Moon.”

“I would never cause trouble for Bright Moon!” Adora insisted.

“Yes, I know that. And Angella, Glimmer and the others know it as well. But not everyone knows you that well. The others in the Alliance will feel safer with you receiving a stipend from Bright Moon.” Seacat hesitated a moment. “And the other countries will be more cautious about causing trouble for the Alliance.”

“Oh.”

Seacat shrugged. “It’s politics.” She chuckled. “Hell, I’m sure that Mermista has used my relationship with you to silence some of the idiots amongst her officers and nobles who still oppose her relationship with Sea Hawk.”

“What?” Adora stared at her.

“Yeah, some nobles still don’t like Mermista picking the best damn captain on all the seas over some idiot admiral.” Seacat nodded with a feral grin. “But since they know how close I am to him, and that we are a couple, and because those scumbags see everything as having or not having power, Sea Hawk is suddenly tied to She-Ra, Princess of Power, Protector of Etheria. And for the snobs, that makes him more acceptable.”

“That’s… weird.”

“It’s stupid.” She shrugged again. “But that’s what Mermista has to deal with. You saved a relationship!”

Adora didn’t laugh. “It’s… I don’t like this.”

“I know. But that’s how things are. You’re She-Ra. You’re a princess - and the most powerful princess by far.” Only Entrapta and Perfuma could equal her, in Seacat’s opinion, and not in combat.

“I wish I wasn’t!”

“Really? You wish someone else were She-Ra?” Seacat shook her head. “And could you trust her to be as responsible with her power as you are? Could you trust a stranger with the Heart of Etheria?”

Adora opened her mouth but closed it again without saying anything. Then she pouted. “That’s not fair.”

“Life’s not fair,” Seacat told her. “Although we can’t really complain, can we? We made it out of the Horde and through this war pretty well, didn’t we? And Glimmer got her dad back.”

“Yes.” Adora smiled again.

“So, all in all, it’s a very good thing you’re She-Ra and not someone else.” Seacat grinned at her.

“I guess so…”

“You know it. You just don’t like it because you don’t want to brag.” Seacat pointed out. “Something we’ll have to solve, by the way.”

“What?” Adora gaped at her again.

“A proper sailor has to know how to brag, of course! Can’t have you with me on the Victory’s Daughter if you can’t fit in!” Seacat smiled widely at her love.

For a horrible moment, Adora looked confused before she smiled. “Right! That would make you look bad!”

“Exactly!” Seacat hid her relief that Adora was still on board with coming with her by leaning closer and kissing her. It was silly, but she couldn’t help worrying that Adora would suddenly decide she shouldn’t or couldn’t be a sailor.

Seacat didn’t know what she would do in that case. Never ask a sailor to choose between you and the sea, as the saying went. But what if the sailor had to choose? Well, she could dwell on this another time. The celebration was still going on, and the food was great. “Let’s get back to the hall,” she whispered. “Before Glimmer sends out a search party.”

They walked through the wide hallways, past two guards - poor sods, having to stand guard while everyone was celebrating, but someone had to. Just as her own crew had to guard the ship back at Seaworthy.

Even if she wasn’t familiar with the palace by now, Seacat could’ve followed the sound of music and laughter to find the hall. The musicians were giving their all. They sounded better, at least to her, than the musicians at the Princess Prom. And, Seacat added to herself as they entered, and a slightly drunk Glimmer rushed towards them with a loud “There you are!”, the party was also much less formal than the prom.

“Glimmer!” Bow protested as he followed her.

“Ah, shut up, Bow! Not even Mom’s complaining! They’re acting like newlyweds,” Glimmer stage-whispered.

“We can see that,” Seacat told her as she glanced at the main table. Indeed - the usually stern Queen Angella was… feeding King Micah some dessert?

“Uh… Was the Queen like that before, you know…?” Adora asked.

“Before the war? I don’t know,” Glimmer replied. “I’ve only ever known her while the war was on, and I don’t remember too much of the time before Dad… disappeared.” She grinned. “But this is great! Fantastic!”

Bow smiled wryly and shook his head. “It’s also a special occasion,” he pointed out. “I doubt this will be the norm.”

“Aw!” Glimmer pouted. “Don’t destroy my dreams!”

“Dreams?” Adora cocked her head.

“Mom’s not nagging me about duty this and duty that any more!” Glimmer said.

“Ah.” Adora nodded.

“Didn’t that stop when we won the war?” Seacat asked.

“No. She just shifted from nagging me about military matters to diplomacy,” Glimmer explained. “And I so don’t want to deal with that right now! I just want to enjoy having a complete family again!” She blinked. “Ah… I mean… sorry!”

Adora smiled, though it looked a little forced. “Don’t worry on my behalf,” she said. “I never had a family. Other than my friends. Can’t miss what you never had, right?”

“Of course you can,” Seacat told her. “But you have a family. You said so yourself.” She wrapped her arm around her love’s waist.

Adora’s smile shifted, growing more honest. “Right! And I was right!”

“Group hug!” Bow announced.

Adora still had a way to go, Seacat thought as they embraced, but she was getting there.

*****​

They returned to their table, where the rest of the princesses present had finished dessert for the most time. Scorpia was still eating cake, and Entrapta had half a stack of tiny desserts in front of her, her hair tendrils picking up one after another while she argued about something magical with Castaspella, but the others were pretty much done and drinking tea.

“The hero of the hour returns!” Netossa announced, a little too loudly - Glimmer wasn’t the only one who had drunk a little too much wine, Seacat thought. Well, a little too much for such a party - it would be too little for proper carousing.

“Love…” Spinnerella shook her head.

“What? It’s a celebration! And She-Ra’s the hero!”

Seacat glared at the drunk fool.

“I’m really not,” Adora insisted. “We all worked together.”

“So you’re all heroes!”

“Indeed we are!” Sea Hawk used the opportunity to place a boot on the table. “We are…”

Mermista interrupted him by dragging him back down. “Behave!”

“But I am!”

“No, you aren’t!”

Seacat shook her head and smiled.

“So, stop moping!” Glimmer said, sitting down next to them. “It’s a celebration!”

“Sorry,” Adora sighed. “It’s just… It’s been a little much. I thought I was fine after the voyage back, but… with everyone fawning over me, it’s kind of back.”

“Ah, right!” Glimmer nodded. “You’ll get used to it. It’s part of being a princess. At least in Bright Moon,” she added.

Which was one of the reasons Seacat preferred Salineas. That, and the sea, of course. Although… she hadn’t visited with Adora in a while. Perhaps this had changed? She’d have to ask Mermista.

But not now. Now she wanted to enjoy the party. Or what remained of it. She grabbed a piece of cake and turned to Adora. “Open up!”

“What?”

Seacat held the piece in front of Adora’s face. “Open up. You need cake!” And booze, but that could wait as well.

Adora finally did as she was told, and Seacat fed her the cake. Piece by piece. By the time she was done, Adora was giggling past a load of sweet dessert. And reaching for some caramel confections.

Seacat opened her mouth wide and managed to nip at Adora’s fingers when she fed her in return, then grinned at her expression as she licked her lips.

Bright Moon might not have the best grilled fish, Seacat had to admit, but they were hard to beat when it came to dessert.

Though all that wasn’t nearly as important as the company, of course.

*****​

“Welcome, everyone, to this meeting of the Alliance leadership and selected guests.” Queen Angella sounded as she usually did - quite formal and very stern - Seacat noticed. Although… Was that a hint of a smile when the queen glanced towards Micah? Well, they probably had spent the night the same way Seacat and Adora had. And, unlike Netossa, who was staring at the tabletop and gripping a pitcher of juice with both hands while Spinerella shook her head, they didn’t have a hangover, either.

Neither did Seacat, but that was only thanks to Adora. Sea Hawk, of course, had a hangover but didn’t let it affect him, while Mermista was grumpier than usual. As expected, in other words.

“Thank you.” If Frosta was angry that her ship had arrived too late to take part in the celebration, the kid didn’t show it. The youngest amongst them was alert and serious. Or tried to be. She was more focused than Entrapta, at least, who was reading some of her notes. Or Perfuma and Scorpia, who were whispering to each other.

“Thank you.” Glimmer definitely had a hangover and tried not to let it show.

“We’ve gathered here to settle a few crucial issues,” the queen went on. “We have peace with the Horde and no war looming on the horizon, yet we face unprecedented challenges. Etheria itself was almost destroyed. The runestone network was twisted and abused - and is still unbalanced. While She-Ra has dealt with the immediate threat, the fundamental issues remain unresolved. If we do nothing, we risk a repeat of the situation in the future.”

“The far future,” Entrapta piped up. “It should, according to my calculations, take at least decades, close to a hundred years, before the build-up of magic, if left alone, will reach a level usable for the weapon. Much longer until the storage grows critical again.”

“Thank you,” the queen said, nodding at her.

“But it will happen if we do nothing,” Frosta pointed out. “So, we have to do something.”

“First, we need to ensure that the base that is connected to the Heart of Etheria is safe,” Netossa said after downing half the pitcher. “We can’t allow anyone to explore it or take it over. The risk is too high.”

“Yes.” Queen Angella nodded.

“Beast Island has been a part of my kingdom for generations,” Scorpia spoke up. “We’ve had a base there before the bot took over.”

“A prison, you mean,” Glimmer said as Micah winced.

Scorpia shrugged. “In any case, it’s our territory. We can keep it safe.”

“If you think we’ll let the Horde keep such a crucial island, you’re gravely mistaken,” Frosta told her with a glare. It would’ve sounded and looked more impressive if she wasn’t a kid, though.

Perfuma put her hand on Scorpia’s pincer. “But we’re at peace now, and we’re all in this together.”

“We’re at peace because we beat the Horde, and they had to surrender,” Netossa said. “If they have access to the Heart of Etheria, who knows what they’ll do.”

“I gave up control over my own runestone to save Etheria,” Scorpia retorted.

“It’s not as if you’d had a choice,” Netossa told her with a deep frown. “If Etheria had blown up, you’d have died as well.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Only a fool would hand you control over the Heart of Etheria.”

“Technically, the island - or the base - isn’t the Heart of Etheria, nor does the base grant you control over it. Not without the control tool,” Entrapta said, nodding at Adora.

Who winced and fingered her sword. “Sorry,” she muttered under her breath. Seacat patted her hand.

“The Heart of Etheria concerns all of Etheria. Regardless of past history, the island is too important to be left to any one kingdom,” Angella stated.

“If you wish to take the island, then I need some compensation. The situation in my kingdom is still dicey. If people get the impression that you’re running roughshod over us, they might decide to take matters into their own hands,” Scorpia said.

“So?” Frosta sneered. “We beat you before; we can beat you again. More easily this time.”

“You would attack people for the actions of others?” Perfuma asked.

“A princess is responsible for her kingdom,” Frosta replied.

“For everyone in it? What about bandits?” Perfuma retorted.

“If you can’t police your kingdom, why are you a princess?” The kid scoffed.

“It’s not as simple,” Mermista spoke up. “Our navy patrols the seas, but pirates still manage to slip through our waters. That doesn’t make us pirates.”

“But you make efforts to hunt them down. You aren’t letting them go and rob others’ merchantmen,” Netossa said.

“I wouldn’t let anyone start a war, either,” Scorpia exclaimed. “But you can’t control everyone!”

“You tried very hard for decades!” Netossa shot back.

“Please!” Perfuma stood. “This bickering helps no one! We need to find a solution for our problems that is accepted by everyone.”

Which was the crux of the issue. Seacat clenched her teeth. She hated politics. At least during the war, people had had a common enemy to unite them. Now? She shook her head.

“I am guarding the key to the Heart of Etheria,” Adora spoke up. “That is my responsibility.”

“And you deserve our trust,” Queen Angella said. “But you are not immortal.”

No, as Mara had proved, even She-Ra could be killed. Seacat clenched her teeth. Adora wouldn’t die on her watch!

“But we can trust the Heart of Etheria to choose a worthy successor,” Perfuma said. “As worthy as Mara was, despite the First Ones’ plans.”

“We haven’t figured out how She-Ra gets chosen,” Entrapta pointed out. “So, scientifically speaking, we cannot assume that the process involves a test for worthiness. It could be random choice or according to a set of criteria we don’t know.”

Seacat sighed, but the princess was correct.

“Indeed.” Queen Angella nodded. “Which is why we need to secure the island and the base on it to prevent any single kingdom from controlling it.”

“And to prevent She-Ra from accessing the base?” Mermista asked.

“If it’s needed.”

“Good luck stopping She-Ra.” Mermista snorted.

“I could destroy the sword. Remove the possibility of it being abused,” Adora offered.

“No!” Perfuma gasped. She wasn’t the only one. Even Angella looked taken aback.

“That wouldn’t be a good idea,” Entrapta spoke up. “What if we need the failsafe again because we can’t figure out how to fix the Heart of Etheria?”

“Oh.” Adora sighed and hunched over a little. Seacat patted her thigh.

“Our priority should be to fix the Heart of Etheria,” Castaspella said. “She-Ra should be the protector of Etheria - not the guardian of a weapon that can destroy a world to destroy another world.”

“To fix it, we need to secure it first,” Angella replied.

“If you control access to the Heart of Etheria, you control the Heart!” Scorpia objected.

“Not quite,” Entrapta retorted. “Without the key, the entire base is useless. For controlling the Heart, at least. It’s still a fascinating place for the study of First Ones technology and magic.”

“Can you fix the runestone network without the sword?” Seacat asked.

“Well, we don’t know until we try,” Entrapta told her.

“And we won’t try until we know more,” Castaspella added.

“And we won’t let either of you start until we are certain that the base is secure.” Angella nodded. “That’s why I propose to let the Alliance handle it.”

“The Alliance against the Horde?” Scorpia asked. “We have a stake in the island as well - and in the runestone network.”

“You started this war!” Frosta exclaimed.

“The war is over,” Perfuma shook her head. “What we need now is trust and cooperation.”

“Well, I don’t trust the Horde! Or their friends!” Frosta blurted out.

Perfuma gasped. “But…”

“Oh for…!” Glimmer shook her head. “Perfuma is our friend. Without her, we would have lost the war!”

Mermista nodded, although she was still frowning. Netossa nodded almost reluctantly. And Perfuma grabbed Scorpia’s pincer.

And Seacat started to get a headache. “This is stupid!” she mumbled.

Adora nodded. “Scorpia’s right that they got a stake in this as well - all of us do. We need to work together to deal with this. I can’t do this alone. Nor can anyone else.”

“So, we form a coalition force to garrison the island?” Bow asked.

“Or we accept the Horde into the Alliance,” Perfuma proposed.

Frosta scowled at that, but so did Netossa. And Micah… looked quite wary. At the least. He cleared his throat. “Princess Scorpia has fought at your side against, well, the enemies on the island.” He looked down at the table.

“Dad! You were possessed!” Gimmer said.

“Perhaps you should change the name of your… faction,” Queen Angella suggested. “The Horde’s name carries a certain reputation.”

“The Fright Zone Kingdom doesn’t exactly sound very nice, either,” Scorpia retorted.

“No. But it’s better than The Horde,” Angella told her.

“Does that mean the Fright Zone Kingdom could enter the Alliance?” Perfuma asked. She was narrowing her eyes. And she was still holding Scorpia’s pincer.

Seacat had the feeling that Plumeria might not stay in the Alliance, depending on the answer.

Angella exchanged a glance with Mermista. No doubt, they, too, were worried about that. “It would solve a number of issues,” Angella said.

Mermista nodded.

“It would let the Horde enter the Alliance,” Frosta said.

“The Horde’s dead,” Seacat spoke up. “We killed it when we killed Hordak and Shadow Weaver. Without them, you just have a bunch of former Horde soldiers.” And their weapons.

“The same soldiers that fought us for years.”

“I am a former Horde soldier as well,” Adora said.

“You’re She-Ra.”

“Yes. A former Horde soldier. Like Scorpia.” Adora stared at Frosta until the princess looked away. Then she switched to Netossa. The other princess looked away more quickly.

“It would be the logical choice,” Entrapta said. “We’re already working together to solve this problem. Or we were.” She frowned. “I don’t understand why we can’t just continue like that.”

“Yes,” Angella said. “We are facing a new threat, and we must adapt as a result.”

“So… welcome to the new Alliance, I guess?” Mermista commented.

“Huzzah!” Sea Hawk stood.

“No shanties and no posing!”

Sea Hawk sat down again.

But Perfuma and Scorpia were smiling, and it looked like the Alliance would hold together.

They hadn’t solved everything, but it was a good start. At least Seacat thought so.

*****

Of course, just working out - roughly - how the Alliance would change took another few hours. And they debated whether or not it would be better to have two Alliances, the original defensive alliance one and one focused on guarding the Heart of Etheria, twice before dropping the idea. As if making things even more complicated would be a good thing!

By the time they took a break for dinner, they were still trying to work out how to rotate command of the garrison. And whether or not they should rotate command. Given that the garrison force would be formed from detachments from every member of the Alliance, Seacat didn’t think rotating command would be a good idea. She said so, repeatedly and without mincing words, but people didn’t really listen.

“We should just let Emily take command,” she muttered as they left the meeting room to freshen up before dinner.

Adora chuckled. “She can’t talk, or she’d be an ideal commander.”

“Yes,” Seacat agreed. “She could blow up anyone who didn’t follow her orders.”

“I could work on building her a voicebox!” Seacat glanced over her shoulder. Entrapta was beaming at her. “I was thinking about it - bots usually use a series of beeps to communicate, but that was apparently a relic of Hordak’s designs. As Light Hope and Last Hope prove, bots can talk with the right equipment. So, I should work on that.” She nodded. “That way, my troops will be able to talk to the rest of the garrison, too!”

“You’re planning to send bots?” Adora asked.

“Yes, of course,” Entrapta confirmed. “Emily, Water-Bot and Carrier-Bot have experience on the island and prove bots can handle the terrain. And they can be repaired if something happens. Plus, a number of bots don’t feel very welcome in the Alliance. Probably because most of them used to fight for the Horde.”

Seacat didn’t know if those bots felt anything. But… “As long as it’s safe to keep them near the base.”

“Oh, it should be, with Last Hope gone from there. The odds of the base managing to reprogram the bots are very low.”

That wasn’t as comforting as Entrapta meant it.

“And there won’t be any soldiers from Dryl?” Adora asked.

“Unless they volunteer, I don’t think so,” Entrapta said. “We don’t have too many to spare, anyway.”

“But you’ll be working on the Heart of Etheria,” Adora pointed out. “At least part-time. Won’t it be lonely with just bots from your kingdom?”

Seacat bit her lower lip, but Entrapta shook her head. “Oh, no. There’ll be Castaspella. And you, when we need the sword! And that means Seacat will be there as well. And Bow, probably. And his Dads. So I won’t be lonely.”

“Good.” Adora nodded.

“And working on the Heart will be fascinating. Though I probably should build a workshop there to maintain bots. And to do repairs on ships. We might need a yard. Or a small dry dock,” Entrapta went on. “Mermista said something about assigning a squadron to the island, and the engines for the frigates will require maintenance, too. Plus testing grounds for First Ones tech. I’ll be so busy!”

And happy, or so Seacat hoped. She certainly deserved it.

*****​

“So, you’re still set on sailing the seas?” Glimmer asked later, at dinner.

“Yes,” Adora asked while Seacat swallowed the grilled fish - it was still not up to Kingdom of Snows or Salinean standards, but getting better at least.

“Yes,” Seacat said.

“You’ll always have a room here, you know,” Glimmer went on.

“And you can always take a berth on my ship if you get sick of all the politics,” Seacat offered in return with a smile that showed her fangs. Try to make Adora second-guess her decision, will you?

Glimmer sighed. “I might take you up on that. I’m not looking forward to more politics. I thought Mum would handle it, but even though Dad’s back, she’s still talking about letting me take over some of the work.”

“Well, at least you have something to do now that the war’s over?” Adora suggested. “I think you worried about that before we won.”

“I didn’t!” Glimmer replied. Bow sitting at her side, coughed and covered it up by taking a sip from his water when she glared at him. “I wasn’t really worried. Just… speculating about what I’d be doing now.”

“And what were you planning to do?” Seacat asked.

“Helping out with the hunt for the bandits. And research First Ones history and technology,” Glimmer said.

Seacat snorted. Three guesses how that combination had been chosen.

“You can still do that,” Bow said. “Queen Angella just wants you to help out a bit more.”

“I know.” Glimmer pouted. “I’m just… I love Mom and Dad, but I wanted to… to roam a little.”

Seacat nodded - she could understand that.

“Well, talk to your parents?” Adora suggested.

“What? No! I’m not so selfish as to ruin their time together just because I don’t like dealing with trade delegations trying to swindle us out of our peace dividend.”

“‘Peace dividend’?” Adora asked.

“Bow’s term for the savings in our budget, now that we don’t have to fight a war any more,” Glimmer explained.

“Well, it’s a term my Dads have discovered. They’re historians,” Bow explained. “And it fits.”

“Makes sense,” Seacat agreed, filling her plate with more fish. “So, you’ll be mostly here and in the Whispering Woods, studying Light Hopes’s bunker?”

It was Bow’s turn to sigh. “My dads are coming to ‘help’. I just know they’ll take over the whole research.”

“They’re historians; you still have the technology to study,” Glimmer told him, quickly patting his hand.

“I know. Just… I wanted to strike out on my own, you know?”

Glimmer nodded.

Seacat glanced at Adora and frowned. The two should be glad they had a family to complain about. “Well, Sea Hawk’s going to stay most of the time in Salineas,” she said. “But we’ll visit often.” The kingdom was at the centre of the sea trade in this part of the world, after all. “And my offer stands.”

“Thanks.”

“We’ll visit often,” Adora said. “We’ll also have to visit Beast Island, the Whispering Woods, and the Fright Zone.”

“And explore the seas!” Seacat added. Visiting friends was good, but any sailor worth their salt couldn’t be stuck on the same routes forever.”

“Look at us, already planning our lives,” Glimmer said, leaning back. “Where did we go wrong?”

Everyone laughed at that. But Seacat couldn’t help feeling that Glimmer wasn’t completely wrong. Their lives - all their lives - were changing a lot.

*****​

“Glimmer’s not happy,” Adora said later, back in their room.

“She’ll get over it,” Seacat replied, sitting down on the bed. “It’s her duty as a princess, after all. And the Queen won’t be, ah, busy, forever.”

Adora blushed a little. “I didn’t mean that,” she said, removing her tunic. “She doesn’t like ‘everyone splitting up’, as she calls it.

Seacat snorted. “Does she expect everyone to live in Bright Moon? One Big Happy Alliance? Imagine Scorpia moving in. And Entrapta filling the halls with bots!” Or doing destructive tests in the courtyard.

Adora smiled for a moment, then sighed.

Seacat rolled her eyes. “She thinks she’s losing you.”

“Well… She didn’t say that…” Adora shrugged. “But she did mention a few times that I’d always have a room here.”

Seacat snorted again. Predictable. “Well, she could come sail with us as well.”

“And leave Micah and Angella?” Adora started to remove her shirt.

“Not forever. I’m not going to leave Sea Hawk and Mermista forever, either.”

“You’re used to being separated from your family,” Adora pointed out. “You’re a sailor.”

“We left and split up during the war as well,” Seacat opened her shirt, then stretched. Adora was staring, she noted with a grin.

“Ah… I mean, that’s not the same. That was war. Glimmer, well, she thought things would change when the war was over.”

“Things did change. A lot.” Seacat slipped out of the shirt and threw it to the floor.

Adora blinked at her, then went to pick up the shirt and draped it over a chair. Seacat grinned and pondered throwing her leggings on the floor as well. But that would be a bit too much.

“Things changed, yes. Glimmer just expected things to change more, like…” Adora trailed off as soon as she saw Seacat squirming on the bed.

“Yes?” Seacat smiled as if she didn’t know what she was doing.

Her love shook her head with a sigh.

Seacat pouted at her for a moment. “She wants things her way. And things aren’t going her way.” She started pulling her leggings off.

“Uh… yes, I guess so.”

“She’ll get over it. As long as Bow doesn’t go on a tech excavation tour with Entrapta or something.” Seacat threw her leggings at Adora, who caught them.

“He will go back to Beast Island,” Adora said as she put the leggings on the chair. “Once everything’s set up.”

“And Glimmer will come with him.” Seacat watched her undressing. “Either to represent Bright Moon, command the garrison or to protect them, or whatever excuse she can think of.”

“Probably.” Adra sat down to remove her boots.

“And she’ll be fine,” Seacat said. “Eventually.”

“Eventually.” Adora sighed again.

Seacat frowned. “Do you… do you want to stay a little longer than planned?” She didn’t bite her lower lip, though she wanted to. But that would make her look…

“No!” Adora shook her head. “It’s… I like Angella, and Glimmer and Bow are my best friends, but... “ She sighed once more. “It’s all politics. If I stay, people will think I’m with Bright Moon. Which I am, but not in the sense they’ll be thinking. I’m not…”

“You’re not Angella’s princess to order around. You’re She-Ra.”

“Yes! I’m supposed to protect Etheria, not fight for a single kingdom or even the Alliance.” Adora finished stripping and joined her on the bed. “I won’t let my friends down, but… I can’t only be their friend.”

She sounded a little too… worked up... just for that, though. “They’ll understand. But what else is bothering you?” Seacat asked, propping her head up with one hand while she shifted so she was lying on her side, facing her lover.

“I’m guarding the key to the Heart of Etheria. And everyone knows it.”

“Yes?”

“What if people, ah, resent me for it? I’m holding their life in my hands. If I wanted to, I could end the planet.”

Oh. “You won’t. And we’re working on making it so you can’t. And you can’t right now, even if you wanted, since you drained the magic reforming Eternia,” Seacat said.

“I know.” Adora rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. “I know.”

But she didn’t really believe it. Seacat shook her head. “You idiot.”

“What?”

“You can handle this. You were…” Seacat trailed off. She couldn’t say ‘born for this’. That would make Adora think of the First Ones again. “You proved it during the war. You are She-Ra. Chosen by Etheria itself.”

“But…”

“No buts. You saved us all. All the time.”

“You saved me. Several times.”

“So? Everyone needs help sometimes,” Seacat pointed out.

“Yes. But…”

“I said ‘no buts’.” Seacat slid over, straddling Adora and staring at her face. “You are going to be just fine. You can do this. You will do this. And I’ll help you. Everyone will help you. Do you understand?”

Adora looked at her. Seacat could see her mouth open, lips parting, then closing again. She could see the corners of Adora’s mouth twist a little, pulling up into a slight, almost shy smile. “Yes, Captain.”

Seacat grinned. “That’s ‘aye aye, Captain.” They would be leaving soon to sail the seas, after all.

“Aye aye, Captain!”

“Better.” Seacat nodded. “Now, no more…” She gasped when Adora grabbed her shoulders and pulled her down into a kiss.

And there was no more need for talking. Or doubting. Or worrying.

They were at peace.

*****​

 

Epilogue

“Sail ahead!” Licy yelled from the top of the mast.

“Is it the Red Reaper?” Adora moved to the railing before Seacat could answer.

“Maybe.” Seacat turned to Horas. “Take the wheel.”

“Aye aye, Captain!”

She pulled her telescope out and jumped on the railing.

“Cat-Seacat!”

Seacat flashed her lover a grin. Adora had turned her stumbling over Seacat’s name into a nickname. “I’m just checking if we’ve found our prey,” she told her love. Then she jumped, grabbing a line with her free hand and swung over to the rigging. Scaling to the top of the mast was as easy as walking across the deck, and she quickly took up a spot next to Licy.

“She’s not flying any colours,” the sailor told her. “But the ship’s the right size. The rigging doesn’t fit, though.”

Which didn’t mean anything - the Victory’s Daughter was currently rigged to look like a ship from the Kingdom of Snows. Seacat took a look through her telescope. The ship sailing towards them was indeed the right size for the Red Reaper, a particularly slippery pirate who had been prowling the Southern Seas for a while now. She belonged to one of the last former Horde Captains who knew their trade, Duncan Daring. Under his leadership, the scum had managed to avoid the Salinean Patrols time and again.

But their luck was about to run out. Seacat grinned as the ship tacked and she could see more of her hull. “Definitely a Seaworthy ship,” she said, which fit the description they had. “And… yes. There’s the air intake midships. They didn’t manage to disguise that.”

“Hah!” Licy grinned.

“It’s the Reaper!” Seacat yelled down. “Get ready!”

“We could just run her down,” Licy said. “We’ve got Entrapta’s latest engine, and they have to make do with an old Horde one.”

An old Horde engine, which they had somehow managed to salvage from their sunk frigate and put into a smaller and better-built ship. Still, the Victory’s Daughter would catch up - as the official testing vessel for Entrapta’s engines, she was and would remain the fastest ship on all the seas.

But even so… “Chasing them would mean we’d have to dodge their stern guns.” And Seacat knew better than most that while the Victory’s Daughter running at full speed and weaving back and forth between the waves was almost impossible to hit at range, even a Horde gunner could get lucky and land a shot - a shot that could cripple or sink them. And the closer she sailed, the easier she would be to hit.

“Letting them close in means hoping that they won’t just sink us,” Licy retorted.

They had been over that. “The risk is minimal - as long as we play our roles.” Seacat was the Captain, and she had made the decision, after all. The pirates would want their cargo - and her ship. They wouldn’t blow them out of the water just to amuse themselves.

As long as they didn’t suspect anything.

Seacat grabbed a line and slid down, landing lightly on the deck. Two jumps saw her back on the bridge. “Alright! Horas, belowdecks!” The big Minotaur was a little too noticeable in such a small crew. He had to get out of sight as long as he was still hidden by their sails.

She took over while Horas climbed down the stairs. “And no transforming!” she told Adora, who was already gripping the hilt of her sword.

Her love huffed but released the sword. “I don’t like this.”

“I know. But it won’t be long until you can board them.”

Her ship still was terribly undergunned compared to the average pirate ship, never mind a frigate, but with She-Ra in their crew, they only needed to get close enough to an enemy so Adora could board and the outcome was decided.

Which was why Adora wasn’t allowed to transform until the pirates were too close to escape. Daring was a pirate scumbag but no fool.

“Just act natural,” Seacat told Adora. “And keep your hat on.”

“I don’t think they would recognise me,” Adora protested. “You’re much more well-known.”

Seacat snorted. She was famous, she had to admit, but she wasn’t nearly as famous as She-Ra. “I’m wearing a bandana,” she retorted. It was a little uncomfortable - her ears were getting squished - but it served as a decent disguise.

“Your tail’s visible.”

“Lots of people have tails.” More than there were minotaur sailors. Or blonde women almost as tall as a minotaur with huge swords.

Adora huffed again. “I don’t like it.”

“You always say that,” Seacat shot back.

“Well, it’s true!”

“A week ago, you were complaining that we haven’t had a decent fight in months,” Seacat pointed out as she checked their course. Still holding steady. And the Reaper hadn’t changed tack again, closing in without appearing to be in a hurry. Good.

“Well, yes. But I didn’t want to do it like this.”

“What would you have done?” Seacat asked. Not much longer now until the pirates would show their true colours. “Try to find them on the back of Swift Wind?” The flying horse wouldn’t last more than a few hours and neither he nor Adora could navigate well enough to find their way back to shore, much less a ship.

“Something that doesn’t have us hoping they won’t see through our disguise.”

“We’ll be fine.” Or so Seacat hoped. The pirate tacked again - too soon for a normal merchant. They wouldn’t tire their crew with unnecessary manoeuvres like that. But a regular merchant might not notice. Still, they couldn’t play too dumb, or Daring might smell the trap.

Seacat changed course herself in an apparent attempt to give the other ship a wider berth.

Not much longer now.

“She’s going to tack again,” Adora said. “Trying to surprise us by using their engine once we’re closer. They don’t want to sink us.”

“Yes.” Seacat agreed. The pirates would expect them to try to run as soon as they saw through the Reaper’s disguise. And if Seacat were the captain of a merchantman, she would expect to be able to outrun the pirates - as long as she could pass them without getting sunk. The pirates would have to turn hard and would still take more time to pick up speed - and the way they were rigged, they wouldn’t match a fast courier.

The engine on the Reaper changed the equations, though. But so did the engine of the Victory’s Daughter. The only question was: Would the pirates see through the deception before it was too late?

“If they grow suspicious, then we’re in trouble at this range,” Adora muttered, echoing Seacat’s thoughts.

“Yes. But they won’t,” Seacat retorted. “They’re seeing what they want - a dumb courier.”

“But if we’re acting too dumb…”

“We won’t.” Seacat adjusted the course again. “Trim the sails!” she yelled!

Adora jumped down to the deck and grabbed the closest line, pulling. Alcy quickly joined her. A moment late, the ship was running as fast as she could at that angle to the wind.

Seacat smiled. She loved how fast their engine was, but there was something to sailing that an engine would never beat: the feeling of handling your ship, edging out the last bit of additional speed, reacting to the slightest changes of the wind...

But they weren’t here to sail. They were here to hunt down pirate scum. Seacat glanced at the Reaper. She was tacking again. Heading almost straight to cut them off. Damn. Even a dumb merchant captain would grow suspicious now. Ah, well - they should be close enough.

She turned further into the wind. As if she had just realised that the pirates were after her.

Adora and Licy pulled on the lines, and the sail caught the wind perfectly as the Victory’s Daughter turned away from the pirates.

Who now started their engine - Seacat saw how the ship suddenly picked up speed without changing sails or course. And the black flag went up.

“For the Honour of Grayskull!”

Adora transformed. Seacat grinned and yelled into the speaking tube: “Start the engine!” Then she turned the wheel, letting the ship turn towards the pirates.

She could see the pirates on the deck of the Reaper acting confused for a moment when the Victory’s Daughter swung around.

Seacat clenched her teeth. This would be tricky. If the pirates suspected something… Yes. The Reaper’s bow started to turn away - they wanted to present their broadside.

“Full speed ahead!” Seacat yelled.

A moment later, Entrapta’s latest engine kicked in, and the Victory’s Daughter flew towards the pirates, eating the distance up faster than the pirates could turn. A hundred yards. Eighty. Sixty. They were skirting the edge of the pirate’s field of fire now. Forty. She saw the first pirates rushing from starboard to port, to man the guns there.

But they were too late. Twenty yards. She turned the wheel and sailed straight at the pirates. Ten yards.

With a howl, Adora jumped off the bowsprit and landed on the foredeck of the Reaper. Seacat spun the steering wheel, and the Victory’s Daughter turned away, narrowly avoiding a collision - and sailing along the enemy’s port side, directly under their guns.

But Adora was already cutting a bloody swath through the pirate gun crews, bodies and limbs flying as she swung her sword. One gun was sent overboard by a kick, barely missing the bowsprit of the Victory’s Daughter. Horas was coming up on deck to board the pirate ship as well.

And Alcy was at the bow now, turning the swivel gun towards the enemy bridge.

“Fire!” Seacat ordered.

A load of grapeshot turned half the pirate ship’s bridge into an abattoir.

By the time the Victory’s Daughter swung away and turned around to approach the pirate ship again, the surviving scum had surrendered to Adora and Horas.

“You got Daring with the swivel gun,” Adora explained as Seacat climbed aboard the larger ship. “They lost the will to fight after that.”

Seacat looked around. A dozen bodies littered the deck, and blood was forming pools on the planks. She saw more than one pirate who had not just been cut down but cut in two. “Or they were too scared of you two,” she suggested.

“Well…” Adora blushed a little. “We couldn’t let them get a shot off.”

Seacat nodded. “Let’s get them tied up and see how we can tow the ship to Port Fright.” That was the closest port, by Seacat’s reckoning.

The pirates started muttering at that. Some of the fools might even expect to be shown mercy by their former comrades.

But Seacat knew better. Scorpia hated pirates as much as Mermista did ever since a pirate ship had attacked a cog carrying Perfuma. Not that the fools had stood a chance - Perfuma had wrapped up their entire ship in seaweed before they had realised what was happening - but Scorpia was a little overprotective with regards to her lover.

Entirely understandable, in Seacat’s opinion.

*****​

Port Fright - and who had thought this would be a good name, Seacat still didn’t know; neither Scorpia nor Perfuma were telling her anything when she asked - was busy as usual when the Victory’s Daughter approached. Several merchantmen from Salineas were moored at the piers, amongst a variety of other ships, including a frigate of the Fright Zone Kingdom’s new navy.

“Not too shabby,” Adora commented as they sailed into the harbour, passing the frigate. “But they should’ve challenged us by now.”

“They’ve recognised us,” Seacat retorted. “But it’s sloppy, yes.” Friends of the princess or not, they should be challenged before entering the harbour. Then again, they were at peace, and there was no threat of someone sailing an enhanced engine bomb into the harbour - they had locked that down, at least.

And if someone were, Seacat doubted that the Fright Zone sailors would spot it, anyway. They weren’t as bad as the regular Horde Navy had been, but they could hardly be called good, either.

“Still no Kingdom of Snows ships.” Adora looked around as they sailed towards the piers reserved for the navy.

Seacat shrugged. “If Frosta wants to keep this up and pour gold into Salineas’ coffers, it’s on her.” The princess wasn’t officially blockading the Fright Zone, but her merchants didn’t trade with the Fright Zone as a rule. Not officially, at least - Salinas served as a go-between. And made a tidy profit, of course.

“She should grow up,” Adora muttered. “It’s been years.”

Seacat shrugged again. Not everyone forgave as easily as Perfuma. And Frosta was barely grown up. “Ah, the marines have finally noticed us.” She pointed towards a squad of soldiers marching on the pier.

“Took them long enough.” Adora shook her head.

Seacat snorted. “Do you want to hire on with Scorpia as their instructor? Instil some discipline and enforce better standards?”

Adora pouted at her. “I’m just commenting on their reaction time.”

“I know,” Seacat told her, reaching over and patting her love’s back. “I’m just teasing you.”

That earned her a huff, but then both were kept too busy getting the Victory’s Daughter to stop. It would’ve been easy with the engine, but… It wasn’t cheating, not really, but Seacat liked sailing under sails. And it wasn’t as if they were in a hurry.

“Cast off the towing line!”

“Aye aye, Captain!”

Behind them, the Red Reaper veered off, Alcy guiding the ship to its own spot on the pier. She was using the engine, of course. The Victory’s Daughter could be handled with two people if they were skilled sailors. The Red Reaper was a sloop, though, and three people weren’t enough to handle her sails. Not in the port, at least.

And even so, Adora tied up the last line, securing the ship, before Alcy managed to touch the pier.

“Ahoy!” Seacat yelled to the soldiers there. “We’ve captured the Red Reaper! The surviving pirates are belowdecks!”

That finally got the marines moving - they must not have recognised the ship, Seacat realised. Maybe Adora was right and they needed a lot more training. It would be good to raise standards - the Fright Zone Kingdom was a member of the Alliance, after all.

“The Fright Zone garrison on Beast Island is much better than them,” Adora mumbled as they prepared to meet the officer on duty.

“They’re the best of the crop,” Seacat agreed. Everyone sent their best to the island, both to ensure it was as safe as possible and to show off. “Victory’s Daughter, Captain Seacat,” she told the officer as soon as he stepped on deck.

“Captain!” The officer started to salute, then stopped, blushing a little. “Sorry, Captain.” Then he glanced at Adora and blushed even more.

Well, even not in She-Ra form, Adora was famous amongst the former Horde soldiers.”So,” Seacat spoke up, “can you handle the prisoners? We have to report to Scorpia that we solved your pirate problem.”

“Of course, Captain!”

The paperwork didn’t take a minute; reminding people that the ruler of the kingdom was a personal friend - as was her lover - never hurt. Seacat smirked as they waited for Alcy to finish her paperwork.

“Shouldn’t we help them?” Adora asked.

“It’s good training,” Seacat replied. “Alcy can handle it.”

“Alright, But…” Adora trailed off as another officer, this one slightly out of breath, approached them.

She looked like she had run to the pier, Seacat realised. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Captain Seacat? First Mate Adora?” the woman asked, straightening.

“Yes?” As if they could be mistaken for anyone else - well, unless they were in disguise, of course!

“I have a message for you from Princess Scorpia.” The officer handed two scrolls over, one for each of them.

Frowning slightly - this was odd - Seacat opened hers. And blinked.

“Scorpia and Perfuma are getting married!” Adora gushed before Seacat could comment. “And we’re invited!”

Of course they were invited - they were their friends. But the marriage… that was a bit of a surprise. Two ruling princesses marrying… Seacat grinned at the thought of how this would affect the Alliance.

“They’re holding the ceremony in the Whispering Woods,” Adora went on after dismissing the courier.

“I hope they mean the edge of the forest,” Seacat commented. “Or we’ll be busy fighting monsters.”

“I think so. After all, you can’t really place tents or pavilions inside the woods. Not the big ones,” Adora said. “And it has to be a big wedding.”

“Two ruling princesses. And not just any two ruling princesses, but two of the six Elemental Princesses?” Seacat snorted. “I wonder if such a marriage ever happened before.”

Adora scrunched her nose. “Well… I don’t know. I bet Angella knows. Or Netossa and Spinnerella. They married each other, after all.”

Seacat shrugged. “They aren’t Elemental Princesses.” They weren’t connected to a Runestone. Or had the potential to connect to a Runestone. “Although I bet the fact that Scorpia isn’t connected to the Black Garnet is making things a little easier.”

“Why so?”

“They won’t have to deal with the question of who gets to connect to which Runestone. If they have kids. Or what happens if someone can connect to both Runestones,” Seacat explained.

“Oh.” Adora slowly nodded. “Kids.”

Seacat blinked. She was thinking about that?

“They’ll have kids.”

“They’re ruling princesses,” Seacat said. Getting heirs was pretty much their duty, after all.

“Can you imagine their kids?” Adora smiled, though she looked a little…

Seacat cocked her head. “Are you thinking about kids?” No need to spell out which kids she was talking about.

Adora blushed. “Well… Not really. Not in a ‘pick names’ kind of thinking. Or even thinking very much, but…” She trailed off.

She was. Seacat forced herself to snort. “Do you want to have kids?” Kids. They were… Seacat didn’t know much about kids.

“I… I don’t know.” Adora sighed. “None of our friends has children, you know.”

Sea Hawk and Mermista supposedly were working on that, but so far without success. No need to mention that, though. Or ask for details. “I know,” Seacat said instead.

“So… I don’t really know. Anything. We didn’t have a normal childhood, did we?”

Seacat nodded. “Raised by the Horde.” No kid deserved that.

“So, I thought… let’s wait and see how our friends deal with kids. Before deciding… before really thinking about kids of, ah, our own.” Adora wasn’t looking at her but at the sea.

Seacat was glad for that. Kids… were terrifying. Or rather, the responsibility was daunting, Sea Hawk once said - without Mermista present - that a Captain was responsible for her crew, but sailors weren’t kids. Usually, they weren’t. It wasn’t the same as raising a kid. “Yeah,” she managed to say. “Let the others test the waters.”

Adora nodded.

“The politics will be murder,” Seacat said after a moment, changing the subject. “Plumeria and the Fright Zone Kingdom formally uniting?”

“They’re not, though,” Adora objected. “Or are they?”

“For all things that matter, they’ll be united. The kingdom made up of former Horde soldiers, and the kingdom that could feed them all if they wanted to form an army again.”

“But… Perfuma and Scorpia would never do that!” Adora protested. “And they already have been working together for years!”

“But they were just friends, as far as the other countries were concerned. This will be more formal. They’ll have heirs to both countries,” Seacat pointed out. “They will be forming a much tighter union, at least as far as some of their rivals are concerned.”

“Great.” Adora scowled. “Politics messing with friendships again.”

“I doubt that those who have issues with this marriage are our friends,” Seacat retorted.

“But they’ll cause trouble anyway. Over love.”

“Scorpia and Perfuma can handle that. And Angella will help.” Also to ensure they remained close friends. Mermista might help as well.

“I hope so.” Adora was scowling now. “I’m not going to let anyone ruin this for them!”

Seacat nodded.

“Captain?”

Alcy was approaching them. Seacat nodded at the sailor. “All done?”

“All done. They’re already moving the pirates to the local prison cells.”

They better keep an eye on that. Desperate pirates might attempt something, and the garrison hadn’t impressed Seacat so far. “Did you hear the latest?” Seacat asked as they walked towards the moored sloop. “Perfuma and Scorpia are getting married.”

“About time!” Alcy replied. “When and where? I’ve got coin riding on Bright Moon and in summer!”

“You’ve bet on this?” Adora blinked.

“Sailors bet on anything,” Seacat told her with a laugh. “But don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of that in time.” She had gotten the hang of almost everything already, after all.

“You don’t bet!”

“I’m the Captain; I have to be responsible.”

“Really? What about carousing?”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“It’s not betting.” And carousing was carousing. “Now focus on guarding the pirates before they try to escape!”

“But…”

“No buts!”

*****​

“Port ahead!” Licy announced.

They had arrived. Or would shortly.

Seacat moved to the bow and studied the port as Horas guided the Victory’s Daughter through the last leg of their trip. It was a river port, of course, built mainly for transport barges and the odd gunboat. Frigates and cogs wouldn’t make it so far inland, not even with an engine, but it could handle couriers like their own ship.

“They’ve expanded it,” Adora said, squinting her eyes against the setting sun.

“Of course they did - this is the biggest wedding in a century or so,” Seacat replied. “They need bigger facilities to handle all the additional traffic.” Two gun boats were guarding the approaches.

“I didn’t think so many people would arrive by ship,” Adora said.

Seacat shrugged. It was the most comfortable way to travel, after all. Princesses and other important people would have their own cabin, and a ship sailed far more smoothly than any wagon - provided there was no storm, of course. And, Seacat added as she saw a yacht moored in the new area of the port, it allowed people to show off their wealth by adding stupid gilding to a perfectly fine ship. “Have you ever seen an uglier figurehead?” she asked as they passed it, pointing at the golden carving of an octopus-woman at the yacht’s bow.

“Does it remind you of Octavia?”

“Yes, but that’s not the point,” Seacat replied. “Sail us to the free spot next to the Barge!” she yelled back to Horas.

“Well, I think the seahorse we saw in Seaworthy was uglier,” Adora said.

“That wasn’t a seahorse but a sea monster,” Seacat corrected her.

“Captain Malk said it was a seahorse.”

“Malk’s a fool. Or he was trying to fool you.”

“Or he hired a carver who wasn’t very good at their craft.”

“As I said, Malk’s a fool.” Seacat smirked. “So…” She trailed off as she noticed Adora looking at the sky, then rolled her eyes. “Swiftwind.”

“Yes!” Adora beamed at her. “I’ve sensed him for a while.”

The flying horse soon came into sight, then dived at them as they pulled up at the pier.

“Adora! It’s so good to see you again! It’s been far too long since we were reunited! And hello, Seacat.”

“Hello, Swiftwind.” Seacat nodded at him.

Adora wasn’t as restrained and jumped on the pier before the lines were tied to hug her ‘horsey’.

Seacat refrained from pointing out that they had seen each other in Port Freedom just before the Victory’s Daughter started her trip upriver. And before that in Seaworthy. Adora wouldn’t like it if they began bickering. And it wasn’t as if she was really jealous or felt threatened by a horse. Even though it could fly.

“So, did you see Glimmer, Bow and the others?” Adora asked.

“Yes. They’re all here. Except for Frosta, who should arrive in a day or two. And the delegation from the Crimson Waste.”

“I can’t believe they invited the bandits,” Seacat grumbled as she checked the lines.

“Perfuma wants to use this opportunity to mend fences,” Adora said.

“The Crimson Waste doesn’t need mended fences - those won’t keep the raiders in check,” Seacat retorted.

“But if their leaders agree to stop the raiding, then that would, well, stop the raiding.” Adora blinked.

“They won’t,” Seacat said, jumping off and landing on the pier as well. An official was headed their way, she noted.

“You said the same about the trading agreements.”

“I should’ve known that greed would overcome grudges.” She should have. But the Waste had nothing to trade to replace raiding.

“Let’s not talk politics on such a fine day!” Swiftwind said. “How about we go for a flight while Seacat handles the paperwork?”

Adora beamed, then glanced at Seacat.

Seacat snorted. “Go on. I know you love this.”

Adora leaned over for a quick kiss, then jumped on Swiftwind’s back, and the two were off.

And Seacat forced herself to smile at the gaping official. “Victory’s Daughter. No passengers, cargo of ale and wine.”

“Ah… of course.” The young woman nodded. “You’re expected elsewhere. I mean… we did expect you. We’ve got a berth at the main pier reserved for you. So...”

“Ah.” Seacat looked over to the old part of the port. “Is there any particular reason why we should move there since we’re already here?”

“Well, we had to, ah, tell a number of princesses and princes that the berth was reserved for you.” The woman smiled weakly.

Seacat sighed. “And if we don’t take it, people will feud over it. We’ll move.”

“Thank you, Captain!”

Politics! They tended to creep up on you when you least expected them. Though, to be fair, this kind of politics was expected at such an occasion.

Which was why Seacat loved to sail the seas. There were no politics to care about when it was just you, your crew and the ocean.

Then again, she was looking forward to seeing their friends again. You just had to take the bad with the good.

*****​

“Adora! Seacat!”

“Hey!”

“Glimmer! Bow!” Adora dropped the jacket she had been pulling out of her sea chest and turned to beam at their friends standing in the doorway.

“We’ve heard you had arrived, so we came to see you,” Bow explained as they entered. “Glimmer was…” He was cut off by Adora hugging him and Glimmer at the same time.

“I’ve missed you guys!”

“Uh…” Glimmer rubbed her arms when Adora released her. “Have you grown even stronger?”

Adora grinned and squeezed her own biceps. “Pull on sails and lines every day, and see what happens.”

“She certainly is pulling her weight,” Seacat commented as she joined the others. “Though she’s still not as strong as Horas, not without cheating.”

Adora snorted. “It’s not cheating! You told me so yourself!”

“That was when I bet on you at the arm wrestling competition in Seaworthy,” Seacat explained. “This is different.” She turned back to Glimmer and Bow. “How are you two doing?” They looked good, at least - dressed in stylish clothes, vaguely similar to how they dressed during the war, but much more elegant. Bow was still showing his midriff, of course. Then again, it was a very nicely built midriff.

Glimmer sighed. “Well, it could be better. I want to enjoy the wedding, not deal with more politics! If Countess Smoking Mountain bothers me one more time about the trade agreements and how we are supposed to subdue the Crimson Waste for her…” She bared her teeth. “I might teleport her into the river!”

Seacat chuckled. Then she saw Bow was wincing. “Don’t tell me you actually did that to someone!”

“I didn’t!” Glimmer protested. “But I know a lot of people who deserve it!”

“Things should improve, now that the actual wedding is about to happen,” Bow said. “A lot of guests arrived early and used the opportunity to, well…”

“Politics,” Adora said with a scowl. “It’s a good thing we weren’t early.”

Glimmer pouted. “I hoped you’d be here early.”

“We can stay a little longer. Or take you back to Bright Moon via Seaworthy,” Seacat offered.

“But that would be a huge detour…” Bow blinked, then smiled sheepishly. “Never mind.”

“Thanks, but Mom would never fall for that,” Glimmer said. “Although if we could visit Salineas, then that would count as a diplomatic trip.”

“We’ve spent days with Mermista already,” Bow pointed out.

“Yes. And I’m sure I can get her to offer to show us the latest ship or something,” Glimmer said. “Dad will support me.”

“Is it really that bad?” Adora asked, obviously concerned.

Glimmer sighed again. “It’s not, actually. I’m just…” She shrugged.

“You want a vacation,” Bow said.

“Kind of, yes.” Glimmer sat down on their bed. “It’s been a long year and a half since the last one.”

“I don’t think many would consider a trip to Beast Island as a vacation,” Seacat pointed out.

“They don’t have to deal with politics,” Gimmer said in a flat voice.

“So you’d rather deal with monsters and magic?” Adora looked concerned.

Seacat was about to remind her that she had asked to go sea monster hunting a few times when Bow spoke up: “There’s not a lot of dangerous magic left. Except for the Heart of Etheria, I mean. We’ve made good progress dismantling the base’s defences.”

Good. Seacat nodded. The last thing they needed was more First Ones magic trouble.

“So, a trip to Beast Island means I get to inspect the garrison and enjoy the island while Bow gets to fiddle with First One technology. It’s like a vacation.” Glimmer grinned. “For both of us. And no one to prod us about our relationship.”

“Your parents want you to marry?” Adora asked.

“Not our parents!” Glimmer replied. “Well, not Mom and Dad. But there’s so many at court who either want me to marry Bow and ‘make it official’ or ‘reconsider the advantages of a dynastic marriage’.” She scowled. “And Scorpia and Perfuma made it worse!”

“What? How?” Adora echoed Seacat’s thoughts.

“With two of the Elemental Princesses marrying, and both with borders with Bright Moon, some idiots feel that Bright Moon needs to do something similar to ‘keep the balance of power’,” Glimmer spat.

Seacat blinked. What did they mean? Marrying another Elemental Princess? But Mermista was all but married to Sea Hawk, so… “They want you to marry Frosta?”

“They want me to consider courting her. I really should teleport the next one who suggests that into the river. Or the ocean.”

“Or you could marry Bow and end the speculation,” Adora suggested with a bright smile.

“We’re going to marry when we’re good and ready,” Glimmer retorted. “I’m not going to marry for convenience or for power!”

Bow nodded, though his smile was a little wry, Seacat noticed. Well, as stubborn as Glimmer was, she probably wouldn’t marry him for years as long as people kept prodding her.

Seacat grinned. You didn’t need to be married to have a relationship. And if Glimmer let such a thing keep her from marrying Bow, then she probably wasn’t ready for marriage yet. She cleared her throat. “So, we’ve got a few more days until the wedding, and you’ve been here a while. You must know the best taverns to carouse!”

Adora nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes!”

Glimmer and Bow blinked.

Seacat grinned. They should be used to that by now.

*****​

“I do.”

A moment ago, Scorpia had all but yelled her words, but Perfuma whispered hers as she clasped the other princess’s pincers in her hands. A glow started where they touched each other and quickly spread, engulfing both of them and growing brighter.

Seacat had to squint as the light turned blindingly bright for an instant, and then she was looking at the two kissing under the huge blooming tree Perfuma had grown for the occasion. Small, white and pink petals were drifting down on them - and on the guests. They matched the couple’s dresses. And the bots Entrapta had built for the ceremony changed their tune.

Sitting in the front row next to her, and holding Seacat’s hand in a vice-like grip, Adora sighed. “It’s so… so...”

“Yes,” Seacat whispered. She glanced at Glimmer and Bow, seated next to Adora. Glimmer looked like she was reconsidering her decision not to marry right now. And on Seacat’s other side, Mermista was holding on to Sea Hawk’s arm as if he was in danger of being blown away by a gale. Not that he seemed to mind. Frosta was… ah, she appeared to be affected as well, though she tried to remain aloof and was failing. Entrapta, on the other hand, was beaming and recording the whole thing. To analyse it later, no doubt. And Netossa and Spinnerella were crying. And trying to hide it.

Well, weddings were supposed to have such an effect. Seacat could imagine her own and Adora’s - on her ship, of course, joining each other on the bridge while the sun was setting on the open sea...

Then the cheering started as the guests stood, quickly forming two rows to let the freshly married couple pass through.

Scorpia was blushing like she had spent a day out under the sun in the Southern Sea, and Perfuma… if the woman’s smile grew any wider, it would split her head. Seacat grinned as the couple passed her, and Adora grabbed her arm, falling in line behind the two.

Soon, everyone was following Scorpia and Perfuma in an orderly procession - like a line of battle - towards the clearing where the food had been prepared. A bunch of musicians were already playing soft music - Seacat’s ears twitched when she heard them - and she could smell the roasted fish.

Servants bowed when the couple stepped into the clearing and faded back into the woods. Scorpia and Perfuma continued to the centre of the clearing while the guests split and started to form a circle around them.

“Now comes the wedding dance!” Adora whispered next to Seacat.

She smiled in return; she knew that, of course, but Adora was a perfectionist.

They ended up standing in front of the buffet while the last guests filed in, and Seacat was tempted to grab a bite - the roast fish was right behind her. No one would notice, not with Scorpia and Perfuma drawing everyone’s attention.

*Don’t,” Adora hissed.

Almost everyone’s attention, Seacat corrected herself. Of course Adora would not ignore her, not even now.

She stuck her tongue out at her love, just for an instant, and grinned. “I wasn’t going to,” she lied in a whisper.

“You’re impossible!”

“Yes!” Her grin grew. She brushed a few petals off her sleeve - they stood out on the dark uniform picked for her by Mermista and Adora, after they had finally accepted that, as a Captain, she wouldn’t wear a dress.

Scorpia and Perfuma were now doing their speech. Seacat tuned them out. She had heard it before, in all the versions. A new beginning, a new union, blah blah. Politics.

She wasn’t here for politics. She was here for her friends. And for her love. Who had tears in her eyes.

Seacat reached up and brushed them away with her free hand. She was so beautiful. And the dress she wore… Such a change from the far too modest one she had worn at the Princess Prom. This one was… Seacat sighed. “We’re really lucky, aren’t we?” she whispered.

Adora blinked, then slowly nodded. “Yes. Yes, we are.”

Then the speeches ended, and the dance began.

And the two stepped forward, holding hands, joining their friends on the dance floor.

Yes, they were really lucky indeed.

*****​

The End.

*****​