Thursday, November 29, 2012

Look What I Found! Playmobil Figure Series 2

So if you have followed this blog long enough, you might know that I am obsessed with Lego Minifigures and pretty much anything in a blind bag. Last year Playmobil amped up the competition with their own blind bag figures to rival Lego and just about every other toy company. The interesting thing about Playmobil is that they have two different sets per series that are broken down by male and female figures. Well for what seems like an eternity, the first series has been sitting at my local Toysrus collecting dust. (I had already felt my through the blind bags I wanted.) Of course I had heard rumors of newer series, but there wasn't much to go off of.

Until the other day, when I was reading over this great toy blog called Toyriffic. And is this site ever toyriffic. The blogger's name is Eric Stettmeier and he had some images of the second and third series of Playmobil blind bag figures. I was super excited to finally see some nice images of what to possibly one day expect.

Well, that day ended up arriving sooner than I thought, because I actually saw the female series 2 blind bag figures today! So let's check out some pictures, and then we'll talk.










So there are some really fun figures for this second series. I am really hoping to find the vampire lady, because I think everyone should have a vampire lady in their collection. (She'd make a great Vampra Playmobil figure, no?) Anyways, I have included all these pictures to help you study. It is a challenge looking over these darn blind bag figures.

Unlike, say, the Lego mini figures with their obvious pieces to feel for, the Playmobil figures are a struggle to determine. First of all the bags are puffy with air, making it really difficult to grope. Secondly, each figure needs to be put together from scratch. So there are just a ton of similar pieces to sift through without opening the bag.

If any of you find these in stores, study these detailed pictures with all that you have. There are some tall tale signs. First off, the ballerina and cheerleader have a newer leg system that is connected to the bare bones chest piece. Pom Poms are also another obvious sign for the cheerleader, but could be confused for wigs. The ball gown gal is also easy to search for because she is the only one with two big skirt pieces (just don't get the gown confused with the rolled up towel for the bathroom girl.)

Other things to take note, the vet has a distinct green piece that is a tube with a cap. She is the only one with that, just like the flower girl is the only one with the circular petals. Be careful though with the geisha girl and the bathroom girl. They both have removable slippers.

My problem was that the cover on the bag does not show all the details of these figures. And I always feel really weird groping these bags in a store. I mean people always look at me like I'm some crazy lady, and don't think I don't hear the mumbles from those folks either. Sometimes I wonder if I am losing it. Like maybe people aren't saying things or looking at me strange. It might just be my own guilt at geeking out over Playmobil. But what if it isn't? What if there are people out there that despise dorky folks with a passion and just get sick with the thought of seeing people blindly searching for random vampire ladies and Cleopatra wannabes? I think too much on this crap.

Anyways, I am really happy to see these showing up in stores. They are fun and Playmobil always has interesting ideas for their figures. Before the blind bag mania, Playmobil would just release a set of mini figures regularly and one year they had a nun. So yes, I am a proud owner of a Playmobil nun figure. It just seems like an unexpected figure to own. But, I am thinking she'd make for a fun Dorky Snaps edition with an American Horror Story Asylum twist.

So I am off to work on the next chapter of Adora's Search for Honor. I am not sure when it will be done this weekend, because tomorrow I am helping my mom with this really big cooking contest for the best chocolate dessert at some dessert fest thing. I can't cook to save my life, but I am good at passing food out, looking pretty, and trying to get people to vote for her dessert. This should all be highly interesting. So until next time, take care everyone.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Toy Chest Tuesday! Alvin and the Chipmunks

Oh goodness, it is another Toy Chest Tuesday! I've been busy listening to the Shangri-Las on account that Big Lots had their greatest hits for 5 dollars. I mean you can't beat that. I'm just loving it, and as such it only makes sense that today's Toy Chest has some musical element to it.

Alvin and the Chipmunks. Oh those little critters have been in our pop culture conscious for quite awhile. I can't say that I am gaga over their latest turn at the movie multiplex, but I am very fond of their old cartoon from the 80's. Alvin and the Chipmunks lasted for quite awhile. The new cartoon aired in 1983 and lasted until about 1990 I believe. It was a fun show with a really great catchy theme song. However the most notable addition to this show that had me super thrilled was the Chipettes. As evidenced by this blogs title, I am a sucker for putting an "ette" at the end of things. The Chipettes were just great.

What was even better was the various toys and items that were made to celebrate this cartoon. At the end of the Chipmunks run, McDonald's released a very cool Happy Meal line up that was the perfect blend of Chipmunk mania and kitschy cool music. Let's look!

Simon with Video Camera
Here is the card that came with Simon. I really loved the paper cards that came with older Happy Meal toys. For junky gals like me who love packaging as much as the toy it is a nice additional piece.

So here is Simon. Each figure was a soft rubbery pvc and along with their usual sweater outfit, the figures also had some outrageous looking extra piece. Simon had a very interesting yellow jacket on. He was my second favorite Chipmunk. I loved his nerdy side and the glasses.
 
 Theodore with Rap Machine
So Theodore came with a rap machine. And a really cute tuxedo.

The star glasses really let everyone know that Theodore was truly the hidden star of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Theodore was my favorite Chipmunk. I thought he was just the cutest. And as a fellow lover of food, I just feel that Theodore and I would be the best of friends in real life. If I ever wanted to be friends with a talking chipmunk.
 
 Brittany with Juke Box
And here we have Brittany, the only Chipette that made it into the Happy Meal line. I personally would have loved to see the rest of the Chipettes getting their chance at figure form too!

Brittany was one of my favorite Chipettes. Actually all three Chipettes were my favorite, because I just thought they were the coolest. I mean as a dorkette, I totally realize that I am biased in my attitude towards the Chipettes, but they were just fantastic! They always seemed slightly more independent and interested compared to the Chipmunks. There guardian was kinda cruel and I always seem to remember them living on their own. I just have a lot of fond memories of that show and am glad to have these old toys.

All together now, this was one of the last times that the Chipmunks would show up in a McDonald's Happy Meal until the recent films. (I'm missing Alvin from this set.) As such these Happy Meal toys are hard to find in mint condition. They also kinda have a funny rubbery smell with age. But all in all, these are a really fun addition to a person's collection.

Did anyone else like the 80's cartoon? What about the Chipettes? There were other items released during the span of this cartoon that were really fun, but also kinda hard to find. Anyways, I hope this Toy Chest Tuesdays sees you all well. And remember, there are just a couple more Toy Chest Tuesdays before a brief break. Then the new year starts and there will be all kinds of good stuff ahead! (I hope.) Take care everyone!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Adora's Search for Honor Part 2: Chapter 41

She-Ra Saturday is about to begin on Sunday! Alright folks, after this there are just two more chapters left until the end of Part 2! Hold on, because it is going to be a fun ride!

Previously: Thinking she had killed Hordak, Catra found out she was way in over her head as Hordak proclaimed his dominance. However the jealous beauty was far from done. In her attempt to demolish Etheria, Catra found a way to bring the floating Mystacor to the ground... The Great Rebellion joined Castaspella and the Mages of Mystacor to stop the Horde from their attack on Mystacor. Hordak proved successful though has he found the Lunar Stone that will now allow him the ability to communicate to the Star Sisters... On Eternia He-Man and the Masters of the Universe fought to regain control of the Eternos Palace. It was also heroes versus villains as a battle began in front of Castle Grayskull. He-Man and Skeletor were fighting but everyone soon stopped as a massive Horde Ship flew in and decided to hover ominously near Castle Grayskull... After the damage was done to Mystacor and the Great Rebellion was taking stock of their injuries, they all were shocked to see (you guessed it) a large Horde Ship flying across the sky. She-Ra and Swiftwind flew after it and were quite curious as the Horde Ship hovered over the Fright Zone. And now with two similarly large Horde ships on both Eternia and Etheria, one can only wonder what will happen next...

And now...

Adora's Search for Honor
Part 2
Chapter 41

"Has anything changed?" Duncan asks the question simply enough, though he knows the answer. He-Man turns from a turret inside of Grayskull and shakes his head, "No, nothing has changed. It is strange. The Horde Ship is just floating above. If it weren't such an eye sore, no one would even know it was there." The two men look at each other. Most of the Masters and other members of the Eternos Palace are back home. Only a few remain inside Grayskull. The Horde Ship has been sitting in the sky for the past few days, no one knows why. He-Man is concerned that if they let their guard down, that will be the moment that something disastrous happens. So he continues to camp out at Grayskull.

Duncan is there too, and he seems to be looking elsewhere as He-Man continues to talk. He stops He-Man and motions for attention to be given back outside. Skeletor and a few of his Evil Warriors are walking across the barren land, heading for Grayskull. He-Man squints, "Is Skeletor waving a white flag?" Duncan inspects with his own eyes. Sure enough, Skeletor is atop Panthor waving a very large white flag. Shaking his head, Duncan sighs, "He's not very subtle is he?"

Turning away from the conversation, He-Man prepares to leave. Duncan calls after him, "What are you doing?" He-Man thinks about this, and answers with determination, "I'm meeting my enemy half way."

Outside of Grayskull, Skeletor slows down. Evil-Lyn, Beast Man, and Tri-Klops are standing behind him. Tri-Klops folds his arms across his chest, "This is stupid. Why would you ever want to do this?" Skeletor sighs. Lately Tri-Klops has been irking him, and he isn't sure exactly why. Evil-Lyn interrupts, "This actually makes perfect sense. Skeletor has already told us what this Horde Ship is going to do. We can't lose this way." Skeletor looks over at her, "Well Evil-Lyn. Listen to you. I do love it when you have my back... as opposed to the times where you are trying to stab it."

She is making an effort, but nothing works. She simply stands there with a clenched jaw. Why she takes crap from him, she'll never truly understand. For her, this love is a most complicated piece of work. Raising an eyebrow, Evil-Lyn points, "You have an audience Skeletor."

Giving a toothy grin, Skeletor motions for his Evil Warriors to stay behind. Sliding off of Panthor, Skeletor makes his way towards He-Man. The two walk towards each other cautiously. A few of the Masters look on from Grayskull, ready to strike with guns and canons at a moments notice. The Evil Warriors gawk in curiosity, they have never seen something so strange.

Skeletor is the first to speak, "Strange isn't it He-Man?" He-Man shrugs, "What is strange?" Skeletor lifts his head up, his bone face looking spooky under the shadow of the Horde Ship, "Strange that just a few days ago we were fighting each other. Fighting to the death. And now... things have changed drastically. I am here with a truce."

"A truce?" He-Man can't help but feel this is a trap. Skeletor tries to hold onto his patience, "Yes a truce. If you haven't noticed Eternia is in great trouble. I know what this Horde Ship is all about. In fact, I am technically supposed to help." Skeletor proceeds to explain the motivations of Horde Prime and the deal he made long ago, "The Horde thinks they can collect a debt from me. They are foolish. I want this thing gone."

He-Man needs more to go on, "Do you know what is inside the ship?" Skeletor tosses his head back in a cruel laugh, "Of course I do boy. Soon a large drill is going to descend form the ship and it is going to tear this very ground to pieces. It will extract the magic energy of this world. Once the energy is taken, a portal on the ship will take it right to Horde World with the hopes of sustaining that wretched Horde Prime. After that, there will be no precious Grayskull, for which you and I will have to find another reason to hate each other."

This does not sound good at all. He-Man knows this, and for Skeletor to want to join forces... He-Man knows this is very bad. "Alright Skeletor. If what you say is true, then I agree. We can't let this ship destroy the planet. But we do this my way. You and the Evil Warriors will not be gallivanting throughout Grayskull, and any meetings we need to have will not be at the Eternos Palace or Snake Mountain. We will meet in a neutral place."

Skeletor nods, "And I want my freedom." He-Man shakes his head, "Sorry Skeletor. The fact that we are talking right now shows this is as close to freedom as you will get. Once we have rid ourselves of the Horde, you will turn yourself in or I will go after you. Your days of terrorizing Eternia will be over." Standing there enjoying the little game, Skeletor shrugs, "We know what happened the last time I was captured. We'll work together and after all this everything will resume as normal, because I'm never giving up." He-Man turns, "I'm done with this conversation. I'll figure this out on my own." Skeletor laughs again, "You won't be able to figure it out without me. We'll be in touch He-Man. Trust me, you don't want to be up against this alone. Everything is at stake here. Everything."

Taking a deep breath, He-Man sighs, "Alright Skeletor. Whatever you say." They walk away from each other. He-Man feels slightly sick, almost as if he made a very bad deal. Skeletor feels joyful. If all can go according to plan, he will find a way to get rid of the Horde as well as squashing He-Man.

Back inside Castle Grayskull, He-Man joins Duncan for a serious conversation. "We're going to need extra help Duncan. This is a serious issue. We are going to work with our enemy to destroy this Horde Ship, I don't know that we will be able to do it alone. I say all this, knowing full well that Skeletor cannot be trusted. We will need his help. But, I also have some ideas about some other help we can have." They sit and talk briefly about the past, "Duncan, explain to me how the mer-people arrived here. King Mercier was from Etheria correct?" Something is slowly dawning on He-Man, answers that have been there this whole time.

Duncan nods, "Yes. During the Great War against the Horde, portals were opened all over the place. King Mercier and his people escaped the torturous experiences on Etheria. Seeking refuge, they luckily joined us. At the time the oceans were a dangerous place, but with the help of the Masters, we cleaned the oceans up and gave them a new home. This all happened at about the time you were born." He-Man nods. He is shocked, "There were a large number of people that went through that portal, which meant it had to be open for a decent amount of time..." He sadly thinks of one woman who didn't make it through the portal with the rest of the mer-people.

"What are you thinking of He-Man?" Duncan asks. He-Man nods his head, to himself, "I'm thinking of a few things. Big things. I need the portal key, and your know-how to make my plan work..." They rush off to figure out their next step.

***
Across worlds on Etheria, She-Ra and Bow are alone in his room. The Great Rebellion is incredibly concerned about the Horde Ship over the Fright Zone. There is a somber mood around the Whispering Woods ever since the destruction of Mystacor. She-Ra looks over one of the walls in Bow's room, it is full of different types of arrows, "And you are sure that some of these will really aid us in the coming battle?"

Bow nods, marveling at his collection, "Of course She-Ra. I've been collecting as well as making some of these arrows. If we hear anything new about the Horde Ship, we will be ready. I know it." She-Ra is listening, but she is also looking around. There are many interesting things to look at. First the arrow collection is insane. Certain arrows have similar shapes at the ends of the nocks, like spades, clubs, diamonds, or electric bolts. However her gaze falls upon a special arrow, one that is unlike the others. The broadhead and shaft is a brilliant gold, while the fletching and nock are one piece, in the shape of a heart. The color is a metallic red. She-Ra points to the arrow, "Bow? What is this one for?"

Looking over at the 'heart' arrow, Bow slightly blushes as his heart beats that familiar pace when he is around She-Ra, much like one other person on Etheria. Bow nods, "That is a special arrow. A magical arrow made from my heart. I'm not quite sure what it can do or what it is capable of, but I feel that it can do great things." She-Ra smiles, "It is beautiful. Do you think you'd be willing to use it in battle? After all, it could help turn the tides if things get grave." Bow approaches She-Ra and the arrow. He reaches out to it, as his hand grazes her arm, "I would be willing to give it a try. After all, we don't know what is coming around the corner."

She-Ra's skin tingles at his closeness. They are experiencing a moment long over due. Bow is nervous, as is she. He whispers, "She-Ra?" The princess of power looks him in the face, "Yes?" He thinks she is incredibly beautiful, especially with what he is thinking of. In a moment that surprises them both, Bow reaches over and kisses She-Ra on the lips.

Wanting to melt, She-Ra shakes her head, "What are you doing?" Bow feels his face grow hot, "I don't mean to be forward, but I know. Or rather, I needed to know. And after that kiss, I know. Adora, it's you." Their gazes meet, and in that instant, Bow knows he is correct. This whole time... She-Ra shakes her head, "I don't know what..." Bow interrupts, "I don't know either. I don't know how it is possible or how it works, but I know that you are Adora, and Adora is you."

Her mouth is wide in surprise, "Bow, we shouldn't be talking about this." Bow shakes his head, "But we have to. I know. I think I've known for awhile, but not on a level that I could actually talk about. I just know that my heart beats a certain way when I am around you, regardless of who you are." Tears form in both their eyes. The love they have for each other is so great. Bow reaches out to wipe a stray tear, "You are simply amazing." She-Ra shakes her head, "Oh Bow, I am no such thing. You shouldn't know this secret..."

He understand much more now, "But I do know. And I understand why you have been so distant. I get that it could be dangerous for others to know your secret identity. But I don't care. The danger will always be there. I just want to love you. You are my heart." She-Ra nods, feeling lost in so much. "Bow, I don't know what to say..."

She wants to say that her love is just as great, but then what of her attraction towards Sea Hawk? What of it all? But something greater washes over her, the realization that time is short. Incredibly short. "Bow. I love you. I never thought I'd be saying it like this, but I do love you." They embrace and it feels good. She can feel his heart beating, and he can feel hers. But this declaration of feelings does not end things, there are still issues that need discussing. "Bow, it is still not easy. Just because we feel this way does not negate the complications that are still around us. I want to be fully honest with you." Bow stands there, unaware of what she could possibly have to tell him, "Ok She-Ra, but can it wait?"

"Umm..." She-Ra is confused, "I thought you liked to talk?" Bow smiles, "Under normal circumstances I would say yes. But it doesn't feel right. I wasn't even expecting to kiss you just now..." She-Ra nods, "Yes. That was a bit unexpected." They look at each other. It is slightly weird for Bow, but now that he knows, he swear he can see the resemblance between She-Ra and Adora. In fact, he can't believe it took him this long. She-Ra squeezes his hands, "We can talk after we've sorted this issue out with the Horde Ship?"

Bow nods and prepares to grab hold of some arrows. She-Ra grabs him towards her and gives him a very passionate kiss. Bow grins feeling so incredibly turned on, "That was very nice." He pauses though, he notices that she looks sad. "She-Ra?" The princess of power smiles, "I just wanted another kiss. I don't know what will happen next, and I want to hold onto this moment. The last time someone found out about my identity, they died." Bow hangs his head, "You mean Spira? She knew?"

She-Ra nods, "Yes. Something lit a spark in her and she just knew. It was moments before she died. And I don't want something happening like that with you..." Bow grins, holding onto her, "Hey, I'm not going anywhere." They smile at each other. Bow then goes back to gathering some arrows as She-Ra walks away to check on her friends. As she turns to leave, she looks back at Bow. He is working at gathering his arrows; his instruments. She watches his body move and captures the loyalty that flows in every movement he makes. Her heart can't help but melt. She truly loves him, and in that moment she realizes that there will be no talks. Whatever her attraction is for Sea Hawk, it means nothing. She only wants to share a life with him, and that is exactly what she is going to do. Her mind feels clear, if only for a little bit. A mound of stress and worry creeps back in with the realization that the world is still in grave danger.

In another part of Bright Moon, Netossa and Spinnerella sit together in the cell room, looking over Mantenna: the Rebellion's lone prisoner. The two rebels deliver his lunch and are in the middle of a dance/combat lesson. Mantenna is staring at them in annoyance, "Stop trying to dance!"

Netossa and Spinnerella ignore the bug eyed Horde member. Laughing, Spinnerella shakes her head, "Oh 'Tossa, the dance steps are very simple." Netossa trips over her own two feet, "Says the woman who can dance to any style imaginable. I can't do it, the footwork is too complicated." Netossa is trying to pick up the dance lessons from Spinnerella, and it is not working.

Spinnerella does the fancy footwork again, a little slower this time, "Ok, do you think you can do that?" Netossa shrugs, "I can try." Netossa does her best, but misses a step. "Shoot! I just can't get it!" Netossa plops down on a chair and shakes her head.

"It's ok 'Tossa. The dance steps are tricky, and then when factored in with weapon use... well it can be a tricky combat skill to master." Netossa grins, "Please. You only just started turning your dance steps into a fighting style. The rest of us just need to catch up on just the dancing part!"

Mantenna rolls his eyes, "I don't need to catch up!" He slams his lunch tray to the floor to get their attention and quickly taps his four legs across the cell floor, completely nailing the routine from Spinnerella. The two rebels sit their in shock. Netossa shakes her head, "How did you pick up on that?" Mantenna laughs, "What? Like it was hard?"

Spinnerella gives Netossa a look, "Alright Mantenna. Let's see if you can do this." She performs a trickier dance routine that ends with a long spin. She highly doubts his four legs will keep up. Mantenna smirks, "Ha! I could do it in my sleep on a ledge!" He masters the dance routine and spin perfectly. Spinnerella and Netossa look on in shock. Mantenna crosses his arms and rolls his eyes, "I'm not that useless." Spinnerella and Netossa nod in unison. Netossa tilts her head, completely amazed at his talents, "You certainly aren't useless. It's a shame you have been so entrenched with the Horde. I'm sure the Rebellion would do well to have someone like you on our side."

Mantenna glares, "Ha! Like I'd ever join the pathetic Rebellion. Keep thinking you are all big shots. We'll see what happens when the Horde comes back for me! You'll be laughing and dancing then, I'm sure!" He continues to glare at them, secretly furious that Hordak has still not sent help for him. Spinnerella and Netossa look at each other. They feel slightly bad for Mantenna, because they aren't sure anyone will be coming for him.

Before the ladies leave, Spinnerella looks over at Mantenna, "I'd rethink who your friends are Mantenna. If I were held prisoner, I know I'd have Netossa and the rest of the Rebellion beating down the doors to get me. Enjoy your lunch." The two women leave and Mantenna angrily kicks his tray across his cell. It pains him, but he knows Spinnerella is right.

In another part of Etheria, two dear friends sit together in the distance of the Fright Zone keeping track of the large Horde Ship present above. Frosta and Mermista are on guard, checking for anything out of the ordinary. In the distance Flutterina is scouting around, searching for any clues or answers as to what the Horde Ship is doing there.

Frosta is filing her nails with a small blade of ice, "Mermista, I think it is the end of the world." Mermista stops her work and looks over at her friend, "Why would you say something like that Frosta?" Continuing to file, Frosta sighs, "Well come on darling. Look around us. I lost my home. Double Trouble died and is now somehow alive again but with some flesh eating tendencies. The great Mystacor has crashed back to Etheria. We have some creepy looking Horde Ship that came out of no where... and at the end of the day no one has seen He-Man. At all."

Mermista pretends to be shocked, "Oh no! He-Man is still missing?! Whatever will we do?" Frosta purses her lips, "Alright darling! Make your jokes at my expense. But it still feels like the end of the world." Mermista shakes her head, "It is not the end of the world Frosta. We are in a scary time, and things seem completely uncertain, but I believe we are going to get through this." Frosta rolls her eyes, continuing to file, "Says the woman who is the last of her kind. If anyone should feel like the world is ending, it is you Mermista! All you have is some empty undersea kingdom."

Mermista sighs. Anyone else saying such things would be highly offensive, yet Mermista knows this is just the way Frosta is. There is no changing the icy empress. "Frosta, I love you, but I am not going to believe the world to end because I am the only mermaiden on Etheria. Hordak got rid of my family, my people. It was not some omen of end times." The two friends continue to talk.

Frosta looks around growing impatient, "How much longer do we have to sit here? We keep taking turns looking over this stupid ship, and for what? It does nothing. It just floats in the sky. If you ask me darling, I think She-Ra should just knock the thing out of the sky." Mermista notices Flutterina approaching, "Well no one has asked you Frosta. Besides, if She-Ra only needed to knock it out of the sky, I think she'd already have done that by now..." Rolling her eyes while putting her file away, Frosta groans, "Oh listen to you. The voice of reason. Speaking of voices who have reason, have you seen Adora lately?" Mermista shrugs, "Not really. I think she is on some secret mission or something..."

Flutterina flies in and lands near the two women. "Did you see anything Flutterina?" Mermista asks. The winged warrior woman shakes her head, "Not. Much. There was. Some noise. We keep. Our eyes. Ready." Frosta listens and rolls her eyes, "Lovely. We keep waiting."

As the three lookouts observe the floating ship, another Rebel is observing something else in Bright Moon. Peekablue steps inside the healing bay to look after Castaspella. Taking a seat next to her bedside, Peekablue grabs a warm cloth and places it across Castaspella's head. Looking away in sadness, Castaspella whispers, "Has it happened?"

Peekablue shakes her head, "No. Things have stayed the same. How are you?" Castaspella lays there motionless, until ready to speak, "I am just drifting. My head hurts. I just feel lost." Peekablue nods, "Yes, well that seems reasonable considering all that happened." Castaspella chuckles, "Yes. All that happened. Mystacor, the once great kingdom, gone. This is becoming a trend. Soon none of us will have a place to call home." Peekablue is concerned, "We have each other. Our friendships will help us through these struggles." The watchful friend reaches out to Castaspella. She wants to be of help. Castaspella gives out a crooked smile, "Yes, well, I don't know how much Etheria can take with anymore struggle. At some point something needs to give..." Peekablue nods and silently agrees...

Outside in the brilliant courtyard, Perfuma is kneeling on the ground tending to her flowers. She is in her element. The flowers and work she is involved in is clearing her mind. So much so that she is talking to someone very important, and if she focuses just hard enough, it feels like she can hear him, "We're in trouble Minwu. Big trouble. Hordak stole all the items to communicate to the Star Sisters. I don't exactly know what that all means, but Kowl claims that the Star Sisters are like super powerful. Or something. So now Hordak will probably become even more powerful, which really stinks because he already takes what he wants from Etheria."

She keeps focusing on her flowers, pausing to smell a stunning bush of roses that have been growing beautifully, "And I just really wish you were here. I miss you Minwu. I don't know where you are now, but life has been strange without you in it. Some are saying that the world is ending with this Horde ship. By some, I mostly just mean Frosta. She can be such a downer. But I love her. I sometimes wish I could just go somewhere else though. I'd like to live in a world where I know what it means to be truly free."

As she continues to work, a swirling portal opens up behind her. Perfuma is completely unaware, "I wish we had been free to be together. Oh Minwu, sometimes I just feel like you are right here with me. What I wouldn't give to reach out and touch you..." Perfuma pauses to look at her flowers. The portal behind her is fully open and a hand reaches out to touch her shoulder. She can feel the hand on her skin and her heart completely stops. She screams in shock because she thinks that Minwu is touching her.

Jumping up, Perfuma turns to see the giant portal open before her. There are also three visitors. "He-Man?! You scared me!" He-Man stands there with Duncan and King Mercier of the mer-people. He-Man looks slightly embarrassed, "Sorry Perfuma." Perfuma looks over at the new faces and she is soon introduced to them. Her gaze lingers a bit on King Mercier, she swears he looks like someone she knows. "What are you doing here He-Man?" Perfuma turns to look at He-Man and almost adds, "Frosta will be thrilled to see you." She refrains, better not to worry the poor dear.

He-Man looks around the courtyard, "I found my way here, because we need help. Big time." Perfuma nods, hanging onto every word of He-Man's story. "Oh wow He-Man! You know, that is so interesting. We have a large Horde Ship on Etheria too!" He-Man looks over at Duncan with a strange look. "Perfuma, where is everyone? We have a lot to talk about."

***
The gloomy halls of the Fright Zone are filled with even more creepy thrills and secrets as Hordak walks with Entrapta. Snorting lightly, Hordak sighs, "I want Catra and Vampra found. Catra can't release prisoners and try to kill me while getting away with it. I want answers." Entrapta knows a great deal, but she is pretending to play dumb, "I don't understand. Why would Catra want to attack you? Are we sure she even set Vampra free?"

Hordak tosses his arms up in the air, "How should I know Entrapta? She was full of these delusional ideas that I had done certain things to her. It doesn't matter if she set Vampra free or not. She has proven herself a danger, just as I thought. This is why I had you looking after her. Did you have any idea she'd fly off the handle so quick?" Entrapta looks at Hordak blankly and lies, "No Hordak, I had no idea. This is a shock to me as well. Catra seemed so intent to work with the Horde..." Hordak interrupts her, "Yes, well now she is rogue. Just find her. If she puts up a fight kill her, because either way, her life will be over for her actions. The Horde has no use for her anymore." Entrapta nods and hurries off to do the mighty Hordak's bidding, or so Hordak thinks.

Making his way through the halls, Hordak looks around him. He knows there is only a small amount of time left and then he'll never have to see this place again. The mighty true leader of the Horde approaches the heavy doors to Horror Hall. Opening them, he calls out for Shadow Weaver.

Studying a magic book intently, Shadow Weaver looks up in surprise, "Mighty Hordak. I was not expecting a visit from you." Hordak nods, "Yes, well I needed to talk to you Weaver. It has come to my attention that Catra has betrayed the Horde. She was especially full of knowledge and ideas about me. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" He studies her carefully. Hordak is not dumb. Catra's use of magic and attack at Mystacor is too coincidental, "Help me to understand Shadow Weaver. Did you influence Catra in any way?"

Shadow Weaver closes her book and sits there in silence. She isn't sure what to say, "How would I have influenced her? You know that Catra has always been too curious for her own good. It is a shame that her curiosity will now get her killed." Hordak nods, "Yes, Catra will be meeting her end soon, if I have anything to say about it. But so will anyone who helped her. So I'm asking Shadow Weaver, were you a part of this? Do you know anyone that was?" Shadow Weaver stands up and floats near Hordak, "Mighty Hordak, I've done nothing to tarnish the Horde. I can assure you. However, if I hear anything... I will let you know."

Hordak stands there smiling, "Of course. Thank you Shadow Weaver." He turns to leave, but quickly adds, "As you have probably noticed, a Horde ship has arrived. The Horde's time on Etheria will be ending soon. I hope you will join us on Horde World." Shadow Weaver nods and rasps, "That would be nice." Hordak snorts one last time and then leaves the room.

Waiting for just a few moments, Shadow Weaver looks outside of Horror Hall. Noticing that Hordak is fully gone, the mistress of the dark arts quickly begins gathering important items and possessions. She isn't planning on sticking around.

Away from Horror Hall, Hordak makes his way back to his throne room. While heading there, Hordak contacts Multi Bot on a speaker in the Horde Labs, "Are you alone Multi Bot?" The two headed robot heads to the comm pad and whirs, "Yes, I am." Hordak snorts, "Good. I have an important mission for you. Take care of Shadow Weaver. She's lost her status with the Horde."

Continuing to walk, Hordak thinks back to other conquered worlds from the past. "It always gets like this, doesn't it? Once the end is near, you end up finding out who is truly on your side." Making his way inside the throne room, Hordak sits atop his throne and feeds his pet Imp a few fleshy treats.

Waiting for just a little longer, Hordak is soon ready to entertain his guest. Romeo enters the throne room with some pomp with a group of Horde Troopers marching behind him. These Troopers look different from the regular Troopers. They are more sleek with more sharp accents and details on the shoulders and helmet. Hordak booms, "Corporal Romeo! I see Horde Prime is using the latest Trooper model for your arrival."

Romeo stands tall, his muscular jaw looking tough as stone. His pale skin seems to glow in the gloomy light of the Fright Zone. His jet black hair is cut close, but raises up slightly at the top. "Yes Hordak, only the best for an invasion. Horde Prime was more than ready for a new line up."

Sitting in his throne, Hordak brushes his pet Imp away. "A new line up. Well, I suppose you are here to go over the details?" Romeo nods, "Yes. With ships on Eternia and Etheria, we are expecting a large haul back to Horde World." Hordak claps his hands, "Magic energy for all, right?" He snorts in annoyance and goes on, "Who is manning the ship on Eternia?" Looking drolly towards Hordak, Romeo sighs, "Mosquitor has taken over duties for the Eternian mission. In fact I am quite disappointed. Our contact on Eternia has not been responding to the ship."

Hordak curses out loud, "Blasted Skeletor. He knows what he is meant to do." Romeo looks around, "Yes, well, he isn't doing anything. Are you sure that your apprentice is on board with the Horde's plans?" Hordak's red eyes glow, "He better. The Horde gave him a second chance at life. He knows what he needs to do." The two Horde members discuss what might be done about Skeletor. A decision is made and Romeo smiles, "So it is settled. We will begin the drilling soon. I will start warming the machine up." Romeo exits with the Troopers leaving Hordak alone. Sitting atop his throne, Hordak grins, "Yes. Warm the drill up."

He quietly removes the Ice Diamond, Eye of Fire, and Lunar Stone from a compartment in his throne. Hordak marvels at the three pieces, "I just need to do some warming of my own..."

***
Sweet Bee is still in her cell aboard one of the Horde ships. She is biding her time trying to make sense of her surroundings. "It has been awhile since a Trooper has delivered food, so something must be happening." She hears a familiar sound and turns to see a small mouse, "My friend!" Sweet Bee is not sure where the mouse comes from, but he visits her every now and then. Sweet Bee leans down to pet her friend, "Have you brought anything for me?"

The mouse looks at her with round eyes. Sweet Bee is hopeful for anything, and smiles once she finds something tied around his neck. "What is this?" The honey of a guide grins, there is a small item that looks like a make shift key tied to the mouse. "I really need to figure out where you run off too!" Sweet Bee smiles sweetly and strides to the door. Studying the lock, she tries to jiggle it free. Before she can get far, a Horde Trooper begins opening the door.

Backing away to the corner, Sweet Bee motions for the mouse to get behind her. The Horde Trooper walks in, "Here is your food prisoner." The Trooper drops a tray and quickly leaves, locking the door behind him. Sweet Bee gets up and marvels at her makeshift key as the mouse scurries to eat some of the food off the tray. "I will get myself out of here." Sweet Bee says to herself. The mouse looks up at her and then goes back to eating.

***
A group is gathered in Angella's throne room in Castle Bright Moon. He-Man and She-Ra are talking. Both are surprised that their worlds each have a large Horde ship to deal with. Bow and Perfuma get to know Duncan a little. Sea Hawk is off to the side, still afraid to be completely open with the group. Netossa and Spinnerella quickly join the group followed by Peekablue. Angella is wheeled in on a wobbly wheelchair by Glimmer and she is very surprised to see the visitors from Eternia. Especially King Mercier, "I can't believe you are alive!" The king smiles, "It is a long story. You look good Angella." The angelic queen smiles wistfully, "Aside from being unable to walk, I suppose I look good."

Frosta, Mermista, and Flutterina rush into the throne room from their post outside the Fright Zone. They have news about a small ship leaving the larger one for the Fright Zone. It is important news, but Frosta can't help but be dazzled at He-Man's return, "Where have you been, He-Man?" Her lower lip quivers, "Oh I just felt a chill!" She-Ra looks at Glimmer. They both roll their eyes.

Mermista sits down with the group, but her gaze is trained on King Mercier. Something seems familiar about him, and it bothers her. With everyone gathered He-Man explains why they are on Etheria and exactly what the Horde ships are going to do. "After the drilling is done, the magic will be extracted. It is not going to be good. The magic energy will be sent to Horde World via portals in the ships. After that they leave, and we have to find a way to keep our worlds on a path of survival. I think we can help each other. There are strong forces on both worlds, and together we can stop this."

She-Ra nods, "Yes, the idea sounds nice, but how are we exactly going to do this?" He-Man looks at the Rebels, "Thanks to King Mercier's story, we know that a portal can be opened for a certain amount of time. The portal key I have that was made by Duncan is at full power. It will remain open in the courtyard. Walking through it will take you into Castle Grayskull, a safe place on Eternia."

Duncan speaks up quickly, "The portal will remain open until the power is drained. Once it is gone it might be awhile before the portal can be reopened." He-Man looks at She-Ra with a knowing look, "Yes, thank you Duncan. This means that you will need to be careful which world you are on. I believe we have a few days worth of power before it closes."

Frosta speaks up, "Why would any of us want to leave Etheria?" He-Man turns to King Mercier, "No one has to leave. It is more like an option." Perfuma stands there feeling interested in seeing a new world suddenly. She-Ra looks at her friends, "Alright, we have a course of action. I think we need to talk and figure out what we individually want to do. It won't make sense for us all to be racing back and forth between the two worlds." He-Man nods, "Yes. And we can figure that out. I already know that there are some Masters that are going to want to fight here. Like Roboto for example. Where is Kowl by the way?" He-Man recalls the friendship between Kowl and Roboto. Angella looks around, "Kowl must be in his room. Ever since Hordak acquired the Lunar Stone, Kowl has been busy reading over a few ancient texts." He-Man nods in understanding. Glimmer looks around the room, "Speaking of other people, where is Adora? She needs to know what is going on." She-Ra smiles darting a look to He-Man, "I believe Adora is spending time with Madame Razz. I'll make sure she is informed of things."

The meeting slowly breaks away into smaller conversations. He-Man and She-Ra quietly sneak out of the room. She-Ra is concerned how this will all work out, but He-Man assures her quietly, "Sis, don't worry. This will all be ok." She-Ra shakes her head, "People keep asking about Adora, but I haven't changed back for awhile now." He-Man nods, "Me too. I have stayed like this. I want to be on guard the whole time." She-Ra hugs her brother, "I am so glad to see you." He-Man smiles, "Just wait until you see Eternia. It is going to be great." Everything hits her all of a sudden, "Yes. That is right. I will be going to Eternia..." She-Ra wonders how this will work out.

Inside the throne room, Duncan looks over at Angella, "Queen Angella?" She smiles, "Please, call me Angella." Duncan nods, "Yes. Angella. I was thinking, I could maybe help you." He motions to the wheelchair, "I have some items in my lab that could help you walk and maybe fly again." Angella sits there in gratitude, "You would help me?" Duncan nods, "Of course I would. I know we are in a bit of a crisis, but if I can help, I will try." There are tears in her eyes, "I would appreciate that very much."

Perfuma and Flutterina talk, "I'm thinking of going to Eternia." Flutterina looks at Perfuma, "And you. Would. Stay?" Perfuma bites her lower lip, "I think I would. It wouldn't be permanent right? I think a new change would be nice, plus I'd love to see the flowers on another planet. Why don't you join me Flutterina?" The winged woman looks away, "I can't. Finally figuring. Out. Who. I am. I'm not. Ready. To. Leave." Perfuma smiles, "I understand. And who knows, I might not be ready either."

Glimmer looks over at Bow, "This is all so much, don't you think? A portal to a whole other world! How amazing." Bow nods. There is much on his mind, "Yeah Glimmer. It is interesting isn't it?" Glimmer looks at her friend, "Is everything ok with you Bow? You seem strange." Bow looks over at his friend, "I'm fine Glimmer. I just want us all to get through this safely." Glimmer nods.

Netossa and Spinnerella stand around with Sea Hawk. Spinnerella sighs, "I think we should just go. Wouldn't this be the best journey?" Sea Hawk is quiet, he keeps looking at the door. Netossa shakes her head, "But this is our home, I can't imagine of leaving." Spinnerella dances around, "But 'Tossa! Just think about it. We loved leaving our village and travelling across Etheria, could you just imagine what it would be like to travel to a whole new world?" Netossa looks over at Sea Hawk, "I don't know. What do you think Sea Hawk?" The pirate looks at his friends, "Do what you want. I'm not leaving here." He walks away, exiting the room.

Peekablue chats with the rebels, but leaves to inform Castaspella about what is going on. Peekablue races into the healing bay, "Casta, you wouldn't believe what is happening..." Peekablue is caught off guard, Casta is not there...

There is still lively conversation in the throne room, and Mermista introduces herself to King Mercier. "Do I know you?" The mer-king looks at Mermista, he seems to be lost, "I believe you do, though you probably do not remember." She looks at the necklace around his neck, it is similar to the one that she wears, "That necklace, mine is the same. Are you my father?" The question is shocking, and Mermista can't believe she asked it. King Mercier has tears in his eyes, "Yes. I believe so." Mermista stands there in shock. Is this is happening? She shakes her head in disbelief, "Wait. This can't be true. The mer-people died. I'm the last of my kind."

He reaches out to her, "But you aren't. I'm here to tell you right now, that you are not alone." Mermista sighs, "I don't understand. How did this happen, why did I get left behind?" The king sighs, "You were taken from us. You were never left behind. Listen, there is much that we need to discuss. He-Man realized the potential connection between us and asked me to join him back to Etheria. I need you to come home with me, and all will be explained. You have to understand..."

Frosta interrupts, "Mermista's home is right here! She doesn't need to travel to another world for answers." Mermista looks at her friend, "Frosta, it is alright." Shaking her head in anger, Frosta snaps, "No it is not darling. It will never be alright." She points a finger at Mermista's father, "There is no excuse! You left your daughter and she grew up thinking the whole lot of you had died! What possible explanation is there?" King Mercier nods his head, "I understand." He ignores Frosta and talks to Mermista, "You have a fierce and loyal friend. I am glad to know this, but you know where I will be. I hope you come to Eternia. The portal will be open for awhile. I know there is much we all need to do, but I would like the chance to explain." He smiles at her, and not really sure what he should do next, he nods and walks away. Mermista simply stands there, nothing making any sense at all.

Frosta rolls her eyes, "How dare he!? Who does he think he is, to just show up like this?" Mermista shakes her head in a daze, "He is my father Frosta. I have questions about my family." Frosta grabs hold of Mermista's arm, "Darling, we are your family. The Great Rebellion. He can't even explain anything to you right now, he wants you to leave in order to hear his answers? What kind of shitty thing is that?"

Mermista shakes her head, "I don't know, he must have a reason for wanting to talk to me on Eternia." Frosta drops her mouth in shock, "You aren't going to seriously go there are you?" Mermista turns to her friend, "Frosta! I just found out that my father is alive! A man that I never knew because I was taken by the Horde and placed in the Horde Academy." Rolling her eyes, Frosta groans, "We all were darling. That doesn't mean we just get to leave our lives and the people we care about." Frosta is being selfish, she knows it. They both do.

"Frosta, your family was royalty above ground. The Salinas kingdom was underwater, there was no one there to cry foul once the Horde attacked. The Horde played a game for a long time with all of us, you at least got to grow up with your family." Frosta snaps her head around, "I also got to watch them die!" Mermista snaps back, "And maybe you are just jealous that I now have a chance to spend time with mine! I just found out they are alive!"

Stepping back in shock, Frosta fights back tears, and succeeds, "I don't need this. How dare you think me jealous darling. Go ahead, do what you want. Leave this place for some strangers that call themselves family." Frosta rushes off. Mermista just stands there in shock. "What is happening?" Mermista goes to sit on a bench. Perfuma and Flutterina walk up to her, "Everything ok Mermista?" Perfuma asks with sincerity.

"Oh Perfuma, what is happening with the world? Nothing makes sense." Perfuma leans down and hugs her friend. Netossa and Spinnerella join in and the friends all look at each other. Decisions will need to be made, and they all realize that from here on out, their lives will never be the same.

***
In a secluded cave on the outskirts of the Fright Zone, a few venomous villains meet up. Catra, Entrapta, Scorpia, Octavia, and Vampra stand around listening to Shadow Weaver. "He knows, and if we don't find a new place to hideout, we are in trouble. He'll kill each and every one of us." Entrapta tilts her head, "But he is only after Catra and Vampra. The rest of us are safe." Shadow Weaver rasps, "Foolishness. You've worked with Hordak the longest, and yet you are so foolish Entrapta. You know he will find out."

Vampra shrugs, "Let him find out. I don't care. I am free and Hordak will be unable to stop me." Catra purrs, "So what should we do? I am tired of hiding out in this cave." Shadow Weaver looks around trying to understand how she suddenly became the one to answer all the questions. "Well first, who is still with us?" Shadow Weaver looks at the other women. Vampra stands up, "I think I can part ways with you ladies. It has been interesting, but the Midnight Lair is perfect this time of year and could use some renovating."

Catra purrs, "You are done with us?" Vampra snaps, "I did my share. I helped destroy Mystacor didn't I? If you expect me to be on the run from Hordak, you are insane." Catra flinches, "I am not insane." Vampra simply shrugs, "Whatever. It has been nice, but I'm done." Vampra exits out into the night.

Entrapta stands tall, "I'm with you Catra." Scorpia casually shrugs, "I'm with you too." Octavia is the last to make a choice, "I was hoping to collect a nice pension with the Horde, but I guess I will stick around here." Entrapta laughs, "Good choice, because I can tell you, there's no pension with the Horde."

Catra grins, "I'm glad you are staying. I guess the next step is to find a safe place." Entrapta's hair twirls around her legs, "There is no place safe if Hordak is hunting us down." Shadow Weaver has a brilliant idea and rasps, "I can think of one place he'll never think to look." Shadow Weaver proceeds to tell them her plans...

***
Inside Bright Moon, Bow is taking a brief break in the dining hall. He is alone and enjoying a simple dinner of vegetables, bread, and a drink. He hears footsteps approach the table. Looking up from his tray, he grins at the site of the most beautiful woman in the universe, "Adora!" His eyes are wide and full of excitement. Adora sits across from him and reaches out for his hand. "I decided to change back for a little while, lest people get suspicious. Though I do prefer being She-Ra right about now with all this uncertainty."

Bow studies her, "So all you have to do is change?" Adora laughs to herself, "Well I don't mean like changing clothes. More like transforming with a little bit of magic." Bow smiles, "I can see the slight differences. I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out." Adora shakes her head, taking a piece of his bread, "Bow, you shouldn't know at all. It feels so weird to be talking to someone about this."

"I'm glad you are able to talk to me though. I'd imagine you've had quite a few burdens on you." Adora nods, shuddering at the weight of it all. Bow asks, "So, what exactly is the difference between you and She-Ra?"

Pausing before answering, Adora sighs, "Some days I'm not even sure I know. But simply enough, when I am She-Ra I am stronger and practically invincible. My features are more enhanced, so I guess in a way I look perfect." Bow nods, "Well I think you are perfect like this. I am glad to see you." Adora blushes, "Bow, how could you even think that? I'm a mess. You know the things that I have done. She-Ra is my only chance at redemption."

Bow shakes his head, "No. I love you because of the woman I am looking at right now. Flaws and all. She-Ra may be the one to save Etheria, but you are the one that saves me. I love you, no matter what has happened in the past." Adora smiles to herself, "Bow, what am I going to do with you?"

His heart is beating fast, "You could kiss me?" She smiles and leans across the table. They share an intimate kiss. Sitting back down they share some of the food on Bow's tray. "I have another question Adora. If you are She-Ra, who is He-Man?" Adora swallows some of the food in her mouth and bites her lip, "Well the answer is pretty obvious if you think about it." Bow nods and something dawns on him, "Ah. I see. I've got to tell you, this is all very interesting." Adora agrees, "You're telling me."

The conversation soon shifts to something heavy on Adora's mind, "Bow, we need to talk about the portal." Bow stops his eating and looks across the table, "Oh." Biting her lower lip, Adora goes on, "I don't know what to do. I know I will be going to Eternia. I was born there." Bow's heart sinks, he isn't sure he is ready to leave Etheria just yet. Adora goes on, "But Etheria is my home. So I am in a very difficult situation. I'm not sure what I should do." Bow understands, "Well the portal will be open for a few days, and it won't be closed forever."

Adora nods, "This is true. I guess what I am wondering though is, could you ever leave Etheria if I ended up wanting to live on Eternia?" Bow pauses, "I'm not sure. I think so, but I would want to take time on that decision. I mean this has been our home." Adora nods, "I know, which is why I'm going to make Etheria my home for now. I may use the portal to visit Eternia and go up against the Horde ship, but until the Horde is stopped and everything can truly be assessed, well... I just don't know where I will end up. I just want you with me." Bow smiles, "I want you with me too." They smile and lean in for another kiss. Neither can believe how close they are to each other. Adora is happy, ecstatic, to finally be this close to another person. He knows her secrets, save for that tiny little piece about the attraction with Sea Hawk. She shrugs that off though, because in this moment her life makes sense. Scary and terrible things have occurred and will still probably happen, but for now their love for each other is more than enough.

Of course, as if on cue, Sea Hawk wanders into the dining hall catching Adora and Bow kissing. He nods to himself, understanding all to well what that kiss means. The pirate quickly turns away and heads to his room. Feeling defeated, Sea Hawk mumbles to himself, "What did you expect? After everything you've done..."

***
Outside the cave, Shadow Weaver and the sisterhood of Hordewomen are huddled in a circle. "Is this going to work?" Entrapta asks. Shadow Weaver rasps, "Of course it will. The Horde has been doing it for ages, and I believe I have managed to manipulate the fields enough to open one up." Scorpia shivers at the energy in the air, "When is it going to happen?"

Shadow Weaver's yellow eyes glow bright, "It should be happening... now." The women turn around at the forces of magic around them. Shadow Weaver smiles under her cloak as a portal swirls open. Catra stands tall, "You did it. I don't believe it." Entrapta turns to the witch, "And you are sure this will take us to a safe place?" Shadow Weaver nods, "Of course. Now let's go before it closes."

Shadow Weaver is the first to walk through. Scorpia and Octavia follow next. Entrapta and Catra look at each other. "Well Catra, this is it. Do you feel pleased?" Catra purrs, "No. I had such big plans for this world." Entrapta hugs her friend, "But let's bring those plans to a whole new place. What do you say?" Catra nods as Entrapta walks through the portal.

Catra stands still for a moment. She turns to look back at Etheria around her. There are many things she is leaving behind. "Clawdeen will manage just fine," she says out loud. For a split second Catra is upset that she'll never get to kill her enemies, but everything is going to be ok. Time for a new start.

Catra turns to walk through the portal, but stops as she hears her name, "CATRA!" Catra turns around and gasps at an unexpected guest, "Castaspella?" The enchantress who hypnotizes leaps in the air, "We have unfinished business!" Castaspella collides into Catra and they both fall through the portal together. In a flash the portal closes, sending the women on a most a truly new journey.

Up Next!!!!

Two more chapters left before the end of Part 2!
Mantenna finds company with a new prisoner...
Decisions are made for a few on which world they will be living on...
Drilling begins, with major consequences...

Saturday, November 24, 2012

While you are waiting...

So today is She-Ra Saturday and due to the holidays and just being incredibly busy, the latest chapter of Adora's Search for Honor is still in progress. I know there are a few people that enjoy reading the chapters, so I wanted to give that little heads up.

But, while you are waiting, check out this article I wrote for NERD Society on the Crystal Falls! You can find it here. I had a lot of fun writing that, so enjoy!

If you are excited for the next chapter, be sure to check back. I should have it up this weekend. It is a labor of love and will hopefully be really good! Take care everyone.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Alright, I know that not everyone will be celebrating Thanksgiving today, but I wanted to throw out a nice wish for everyone to have a nice day. I hope that it is enjoyable and hopefully no dysfunctional family dramas! Leave that stuff for General Hospital.

I wanted to have some fun today with some Dorky Snaps pictures (I was thinking of He-Man and She-Ra dragging plates to the table) but I just didn't have the time. Instead of the pictures, if you find yourself tired of eating or watching football, indulge in some Diary of a Dorkette! Catch up on some past posts. Or finish up those remaining chapters of Adora's Search for Honor! With only 3 more chapters to go before the end of Part 2, there will be some fun reading ahead.

And finally, for those who love a slugfest sale after chowing down on a turkey leg, try not to trample too many people. But if sales on the computer are more your style, be sure to stop by the Mattycollector shop, because they have started one great sale and it is only going to get better. Catra for 15.40? And other great MOTUC figures too? Not to mention the exclusive Temple of Darkness Sorceress is still available at 22.00 dollars! If you haven't already, go now! There is a lot of cool stuff, with more to be added.

So Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Take care!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Toy Chest Tuesday! Cabbage Patch Kids!

Now that we are approaching the peak of holiday shopping season, I can't help but think about the items that will be highly sought after in the toy aisle. This year is like many others. In fact in some cases it feels like we have stepped back in time. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are flying off shelves!) Anyways, I thought this week's Toy Chest Tuesday would be befitting of one popular toy from a much simpler time. (Was there ever such a thing?)

Once upon a time Cabbage Patch Kids were a tremendously big deal. This is not exactly news for some of us, but it is hard to forget the cultural impact that those old baby dolls from the patch had on countless kids. My parents tried to find one during the height of their popularity for Christmas, but couldn't. I think they got dragged into the hype. After all I was never that interested personally.

I thought CPK was cute, and I loved what the line was all about. However I never cared for playing with baby dolls. As a child I just thought it was strange that I would want to pretend to have a baby. I was like, "I'm way too young to pretend that I'm in charge of another life." So baby dolls were never really on my radar. Fashion dolls were another story. I loved Barbie and the overly melodramatic dinner parties I'd throw in my makeshift Dream House. (It was made from a shoebox.) I was playing Real Housewives of Beverly Hills before that was even an actual show. God help us all.

So I just completely missed the Cabbage Patch fever that my cousins and friends had gotten caught up in. But, I'm never one to fully miss a party. CPK must have realized that there was neurotic dorky children like me, so they created a line of small poseable CPK figures. Now that was something I could get on board with! I had the cute deluxe sets along with the fun stampers. The CPK phenomenon ended up biting me after all.

Sadly I've lost most of that stuff, but luckily the secondary market does not really care much for the little poseable CPK toys. They can be found really cheap in mint condition. So let's get this Toy Chest Tuesday started!

Released by Panosh Place around 1984, the figures were very simple. Every figure had a name. This one was named Cher Joy. (Best name for a CPK ever.) Some of the figures, like Cher, had articulation around the arms, legs, and neck. Others were just solid pvc. They also ranged in ages too, so there would be older Patch Kids and little baby Patch Kids. They were basically like the larger dolls, just in smaller form.

Seriously, how cute were Cabbage Patch Kids? They were decked out in colorful clothes and had hair made of sting/yarn. At about the same height as the vintage poseable Care Bear figures, there was a lot of cute for sale in the 80's.

Since there were so many CPK items to collect, the back of the box did not feature much in the way of other releases. Just a simple bio and adoption certificate adorned the back. I believe I learned an awareness about adoption from CPK. I remember having conversations about what that all meant from my mom. However I will say, my mom wasn't like, "Yes. Adoption involves picking children out of cabbage." But this toy line was really nice in that it created a space for conversing about other experiences in life that I didn't know about.

So the bio is very interesting. If you read that first paragraph it totally sounds like a children's version of the X-Men. I totally like the concept of adoption being part of a toy story, but at the same time it is bios like this that create big time problems for a dorkette like me. This idea of getting as many as you can and loving them like they were your own... I mean that isn't the best marketing plan for a collector hoarder like me, ok? If toys and figures can be adopted as if they were children, well move over Angelina because I have adopted an entire population of action figures, dolls, and stuffed animals that I treat as if they were my children. (You all know how I reacted when I reunited with my long lost Glimmer.) I realize that this makes me seem crazy, but what are ya gonna do?

The certificate of authenticity doubled as your figure's adoption papers. This was actually really fun, because even though the toy already had a name, you could make up your own name and write it on the certificate. It was cute. I remember marking down the birthday of one of the poseable CPK figures I had, and I was like, "I'm going to celebrate your birthday every year!" I didn't. I do have a maternal instinct, I really do, but who was I kidding? I had these crazy illusions that I'd have a birthday party for my figures. Lord knows what I was going to give them as gifts, but the whole thing just got convoluted. This is what happens when you grow up and don't get outside much.
 
Anyways, Cabbage Patch Kids had their moment and though they have stuck around on toy shelves, their popularity would never be quite as out of control as it was in the early 80's. With that said, I am really glad they came out with these little poseable figures. They were really cute. Did anyone else have a Cabbage Patch Kid? If so, did you make up a name? Did anyone else try to have birthday parties for their dolls and toys? (I really hope I'm not the only one.) 
 
So enjoy this Toy Chest Tuesday! I wish good luck to everyone who is searching for any of the hot ticket toys this year! And since we are winding down to the end of the year, there will only be a few more Toy Chest Tuesdays left! Like last year, I will take a brief break from Toy Chesting on a Tuesday and resume in the new year. I have some fun things to come, and I am planning on the last Toy Chest Tuesday of 2012 to really end the year with a bang! I hope you are all doing well. Thanks for stopping by! 

Monday, November 19, 2012

Adora's Search for Honor Part 2: Chapter 40

So I really tried to have this new chapter posted over the weekend, but it took much longer to write than I thought. I hope you all enjoy it!

Previously: Adam/He-Man returned to Eternia to find that things were not as they seemed. His father was struggling to stay alive. His girlfriend broke up with him. And he had to figure out just how he was going to stop Skeletor from his latest round of misdeeds... Adora/She-Ra dealt with her past actions as a member of the Horde and realized that though she had a past, she could still work towards making Etheria safe by ridding the world of the Horde once and for all... In keeping with her plans to tear down Etheria, Catra went from prisoner to the great Rebellion, all the way to renegade madwoman as she fought against Hordak. Driving her sword through his chest, Catra felt highly successful. Let's see if it worked...

And now...
 
Adora's Search for Honor
Part 2
Chapter 40

"She is dead Hordak." Busy with work, a much younger Hordak looks up at his chancellor entering a large spacious room. "Did my sister suffer?" Hordak hopes the answer is no. The chancellor pauses before answering and calmly states, "If there was any suffering, she did not know of it. The techno virus had fully infiltrated her mind, she had no idea of anything."

Hordak sits there in silence. "I want to see her." The chancellor does not like that idea, "You cannot mighty Hordak. Her body has been taken to the incinerary. With more and more of the people getting infected with the virus, we didn't want to run any risks of further contamination."

The thought of his sister burning to nothing goes through him. Hordak quickly rushes past the chancellor and through the sprawling Horde Fortress. The skies are red and the stench of death is everywhere, but Hordak does not care. He will leave the comforts of the inner fortress for this, the final viewing of his sister.

He is too late though, and only briefly catches a glimpse of her legs on a sliding rack, slowly rolling into a chamber of fire. Clenching his fists and utterly furious, Hordak realizes he is now alone. He has no family, barring one other person.

The chancellor races and stops behind Hordak, "Mighty Hordak, I wish you had not seen that." Hordak turns, his red eyes gleaming hot, "Where is he? Horde Prime is responsible for this." The chancellor explains the current location of the supreme ruler of the Horde. That is enough for Hordak.

Taking off yet again, Hordak travels to a section of the Horde Fortress that is usually off limits. "He is in here?" Hordak looks back as the chancellor nods. With a sneer, Hordak throws the heavy steel doors open. He is ready to destroy Horde Prime, only Horde Prime is nowhere to be found. Instead, Hordak is greeted by a strange fog and the lines of a hulking machine. "HORDE PRIME! Show yourself."

A strange voice echoes throughout the room as certain panels light up across the machine, "I am here Hordak." The chancellor stands next to Hordak and marvels at the construct before them. Hordak demands answers from Horde Prime. "Ever since I was exposed with the techno-organic virus from the Space Mutants, I have been helping to create a supreme containing unit. In order to survive and hold off the effects of the virus, I must live in here. Until we can find a cure of course."

Breathing in some of the strange fog, Hordak begins to snort. Focusing on his anger, the true leader of the Horde spits out, "Where was this machine when my sister was alive?" Horde Prime continues to speak in motion with the light panels, "The virus was far to gone by the time the machine was built Hordak. There was nothing left for her to do but see the virus out."

Hordak storms towards the machine, "You bastard! The moment she joined you in union was the moment her life ended." Horde Prime reaches out with a large robotic harm, the fingers sharp as blades, "Don't test me Hordak! Your sister chose me. We joined together for the better good of the Horde. I cannot help that you were the youngest. It was her choice."

Shaking his head, Hordak sneers, "She only wanted to maintain her rule over the Horde. Horde Law has forever stated that a femalian of true Horde blood can never rule unless she is joined with a malian. She didn't want to hand the title over to me, so she picked you. An awful choice." Horde Prime sighs, "But a choice she made nonetheless. And since I am still alive, you will answer to me."

Snorting again, Hordak grins, "For now. Just look at the world around us. People are getting infected every day. Our once great scientific world has devolved into sick people fighting each other. Soon they will tear the walls to this Fortress down, and no one will rule."

Horde Prime slams his new robotic fist to the floor, "Nonsense! The Horde will continue to rule. Just not on this planet. We don't need the boundaries of this world to limit what the Horde can be truly capable of. I have bigger plans for us Hordak. This machine I am in is hardly the only thing I have been working on." Looking over at the chancellor, Hordak realizes that many things have been going on behind his back. "What are you talking about?"

The lights and machine make strange noises, "I am talking about leaving this place. If the Horde is going to survive we are going to have to think beyond the skies. Let the sick kill each other. We should start our own empire, in space." Hordak snorts out a laugh, "Space? What a joke. This is all a pathetic joke."

"But it isn't Hordak. A large chunk of the fortress has already been outfitted for space travel. We are going to shoot it off into space and create a whole new world for our selves, and those who are still well. Only the best of course." Hordak crosses his arms, "What will we do in space?"

Horde Prime laughs. The electronic sounds for his speech sound off and strange when he laughs, "We build the Horde even better than before. Besides, I will require new magical energy from worlds throughout the universe to power the machine I am in. And since we have taken as much as we can from this planet, it only makes sense to leave. I will need your help Hordak." Looking on in shock, Hordak snorts, "My help?! You want me to join you on this deranged plan?"

"Yes Hordak. I do. Your sister would have wanted this too. I am only the supreme ruler because I joined with your sister. But you Hordak, you have real Horde blood in you. We can't lose that. Now, will you join me as we take over the universe?" Hordak holds his head high. He wants to say no, but he realizes there is nothing for him on this planet. His parents have been long gone and he just lost his sister. He snorts, "Agreed. I will leave with you."

Horde Prime lights up. His plan is going to work. "Congratulations. You just maintained the future of the Horde. Prepare yourself Hordak, we will be living for a very long time." All Hordak can do is wish for a short life, either Horde Prime's or his...

***
Catra kneels over Hordak's body, her hands twisting the handle of her sword in his chest. She can hear the sound of the blade scraping the tile floor through Hordak's chest. His usual red eyes are an empty black. She looks down at him lying motionless and let's out a laugh, "I did it. I killed that bastard." Catra spits on him, "That is for what you did to me. And to Huntara." Catra looks back at Castespella's body. The enchantress is still slumped over by her throne.

Smirking, Catra looks around her, "Now let's see about taking destroying the magical Mystacor." The jealous beauty stretches and rolls her head around. Her neck makes a popping sound. Taking hold of her sword, Catra prepares to remove it from Hordak's body. Out of the corner of her eye though, she catches his eyes flicker from an empty void into a bright burning red. Hordak reaches out with his arms and grabs Catra, "You disappoint me." He snorts and flips her over his head.

Landing hard on the tile, Catra scrambles to get up and looks on in horror as Hordak slides the sword out of his chest. Tossing it across the floor, Hordak stands up, "I haven't lived this long without getting stabbed once or twice. You will have to do better than that Catra. In fact, why don't you just give up?"

Catra prepares to fight him. Hordak grins as his left arm transforms into a giant piston. It pumps towards Catra and knocks her across the room. She slams into a stone wall. Hordak slowly approaches her, "I don't know what you think I ever did to you, but you have made the biggest mistake!" Grabbing her by the hair, Hordak lifts Catra up to him, "I knew you were trouble. Always popping off at me. You are trouble Catra." He knees her in the stomach and she falls to the floor, "The sad thing is, you had such promise, because you wanted it so badly. You wanted the power that came with being in the Horde. You thrived on it. What a shame." He tries to slam his foot on her head, but Catra dodges and rolls up.

Kicking him in the knee, thigh and side, Catra watches him double over. "You are just like the Rebellion. Always thinking you know what is right and just. Well I am just, and I will win. Etheria is going to be mine!" Lunging towards Hordak, Catra does just about everything she can to stop him. Having had enough, Hordak grabs hold and slams her to the ground. The pain is almost too much, Catra is not sure she can move anymore. Hordak grins as his arm transforms into a blaster, "Farewell Catra."

As Hordak is about to fire a blast at her, Catra looks up in defeat. She wants to believe that she could stop him, but she can't. There is no hope. Hordak triumphantly grins, but before he can shoot Catra, a large beam of electrical fire smashes into Hordak. The pure force throws him across the room and through a stone wall into another room.

Catra looks up at her help. Castaspella stands up straight. Feeling slightly dizzy, Castaspella slowly walks towards Catra. Offering a hand, Castaspella is lightly pushed away by Catra. "I don't need your help!"

Ignoring the snap, Castaspella steps back, "Fine. But it is alright Catra. He would have killed you." Catra purrs, "Then maybe that would have been an improvement." Catra dusts herself off and prepares to walk away. Castaspella reaches out, grabbing her arm, "Catra. Stop. I'm truly sorry. I know you are my sister's daughter." Turning to look at the enchantress, Catra purrs, "And what makes you say that?" Castaspella has tears in her eyes. She thinks about her sister and that sibling loss. And now, standing before Casta is her niece; the one person that Casta would never want to be related to. Could she ever change? Castaspella smiles thinking back to the memories of her sister Incantatia, "Catra, it is your eyes. You have my sister's eyes; that dazzling green. How did this ever happen?"

Standing there in complete shock at the open exchange, Catra shakes her head and sneers, "You don't need to worry about such things Castaspella. We owe each other nothing!" With that, Catra lowers her mask and transforms into her panther form. Racing out of the room, Catra is gone. Castaspella looks around and feels so alone. "Where are my Mages in all this?" She races out of the room before Hordak can come back. She wants to find out what else is happening on Mystacor.

Outside the floating rock of Mystacor, a few members of the Great Rebellion are making their presence known. Sea Hawk is flying his ship while his crew fires canons towards the small Horde ships that are releasing Horde Troopers across the great Mystacor. She-Ra is aboard and looks at her friends Mermista, Perfuma, Frosta, and Bow. "We have to hurry! Castaspella and the Mages are in trouble." On another part of the ship, Peekablue is using her abilities to see what else is happening on the inside. She gives the details to Netossa who then let's the rest of the Rebels in on the current situation. Spinnerella and Glimmer prepare to jump from the ship.

She-Ra calls out for everyone to be safe and stick together. "Hordak is in there and he is going to stop at nothing to get what he wants." Glimmer looks back before jumping ship, "I'll be looking for the Lunar Stone!" The Rebels take off one by one. Peekablue stays behind to help Sea Hawk in the skies. Netossa uses one of her nets to make a breezy landing. Frosta utilizes her abilities over ice to create a slide onto Mystacor. Mermista creates a flurry of bubbles that she and Perfuma both use to hop and jump to the floating rock. Flutterina simply flies. Glimmer and Bow both make a safe landing, while Spinnerella shows them all up with a graceful spin. She-Ra lands on her feet and raises an eyebrow as a large group of Horde Troopers charge towards the Rebels. She-Ra shouts, "Fight Rebels!" An all new battle begins...

***
On Eternia, He-Man and a few of the Masters of the Universe are busy enacting their plan to get the Eternos Palace back. It is pretty simple. "Alright, since Skeletor will be busy trying to get into Grayskull, this is now or never. We have got to regain control of the Palace, and rescue the rest of the Masters who are prisoner." He-Man says this matter-of-factly while looking at Man-At-Arms, Clamp Champ, Stratos, and Teela. When his gaze falls upon Teela, he can't help but sink inward. It is difficult to look at her. The feeling is mutual, because Teela can only turn away, "Alright. We know what to do, let's save our friends." They all nod and break apart through the palace.

Teela hopes the other Masters are doing well against Skeletor and his minions at Grayskull. She wants to hurry this whole ambush along. "They're on to us!" Teela shouts towards Stratos and Clamp Champ. She draws her sword and brings it down upon a ghoulish soldier. Clamp Champ uses his power clamp to wrangle two soldiers together, "Only Skeletor would try to raises these foul beasts from the ground!" The power clamp snaps the soldiers into pieces, their bones crumbling to the ground, "They don't seem to be that strong either." Stratos flies past making sure the area ahead is clear. Man-At-Arms and He-Man bypass another area of the palace, heading to the throne room.

As they are walking, they both meet a large group of ghoulish soldiers. Man-At-Arms quickly opens up his arm canon, "I've got this, get to the throne room!" He-Man nods and barrels his way through. Turning back briefly, He-Man pauses to make sure Man-At-Arms is handling his own.

Feeling confident that everything will work well, He-Man continues on, slicing through a random ghoulish creature here and there. Approaching the throne room, He-Man tries to ignore the damage and destruction around him from Skeletor. He knows that they can repair the damage and markings from the Evil Warriors, the most important thing is to take the riff-raff out.

Striding in confidently, He-Man looks around. "The coast seems clear." As the words are spoken, He-Man hears the crack of a whip that quickly winds itself around his wrist. Turning at his assailant, He-Man smiles, "Beast Man. How have you been?" He-Man tries to yank the whip towards him, but Beast Man won't budge. "I've got you this time, He-Man."

Beast Man raises his free arm up and calls for three ghoulish soldiers. They each strike towards He-Man. While struggling to free himself from the whip, He-Man also fights with his power sword. He catches the blade in between the ribcage of a soldier and quite forcibly hurls the fiend at Beast Man. The soldier falls apart. He-Man looks on, stupefied, "Wow, I go away for just a little while..." Beast Mean tightens the whip while also doing his best to bring He-Man down. Having had enough, He-Man pulls back with all his might, whipping Beast Man towards him. Throwing back a booming punch, He-Man knocks Beast Man back to the ground.

In another section of the palace, Teela and Clamp Champ take care of some ghoulish guards before approaching the prison cells. Stratos quickly zooms in, "We've got everything taken care of." Teela nods and they enter the room. Clamp Champ hurries to a control panel and works at opening the cells. One by one the imprisoned Masters step out, relieved to finally be free. Buzz Off grins, "What took you so long?" Extendar chimes in, "The food was terrible." Teela smiles and raises an eyebrow, "I thought you didn't really eat?" There are some needed laughs. Man-E-Faces and Rio Blast are to the side, very pleased to be free. Man-E-Faces changes one of his faces into an Evil Warrior, "So who do we go after first?"

Clamp Champ smiles, "Well we take this Palace back. Some of you need to stay here and get rid of Skeletor's soldiers. But we will also need some help at Grayskull. Skeletor is working hard to break through the magic field." Rio Blast tips his hat, "I'm ready ya'll." The Masters all nod, and spread out to gather the supplies they need to take back Eternia.

***
Back at Mystacor, a few things are happening outside of the magical kingdom. Sea Hawk is piloting the ship as the crew continues to take out as many Horde Troopers that they can. Peekablue rushes up to the pirate, "Sea Hawk! There is smoke!" Sea Hawk turns to see a steady stream of smoke coming out from the bottom of his airship. He groans, "Aww shit! This is not good. My ship never got fully repaired from the last attack. We have to make a quick landing." Peekablue worries, "What about the others?" Sea Hawk looks back as he flies them away from Mystacor, "They will have to be on their own."

On the grounds below, four woman approach one of the four Chains of Magic connecting the floating Mystacor to Etheria. Entrapta is looking through a pair of binoculars at the battle above. Scorpia and Octavia stand behind Entrapta while Vampra is slightly off to the side. Scorpia sighs, "What are we doing here? I still don't understand what the plan is." Entrapta turns, slightly annoyed, "Hush. Catra has a plan, and I am just waiting on a sign. We've been over this. You knew what you were getting into when you joined our secret group." Vampra looks at the sun going down, "I hope this will happen when it is darker. I am still far too weak." Octavia grins, "And old looking." Vampra bares her sharp rows of teeth, "I'll look much younger soon, and hungrier too." Octavia turns as her tentacles each hold onto a knife, if only to be safe. Entrapta shakes her head at the group before her, "Get along girls. Once we start this it will all go in our favor."

Inside Mystacor, Castaspella is panicking in a large room used for special festivals and games. There are countless Mages and citizens of Mystacor standing in a deep sleep, though their eyes are all wide open. "Oh what am I going to do?" The enchantress tries to speak a spell or two to awaken everyone. Finally a spell works and one of the Mages is released from the sleep, "Castaspella? What is going on?"

Castaspella hurries, "We are under attack. Someone placed a spell on the people of Mystacor, you have all been motionless. I need you help, go up to as many Mages as possible. I can't conjure a spell to wake everyone. Hurry." Castaspella rushes to another person, whispering the same spell.

Down the hall, Mermista and Perfuma taunt a few Horde Troopers before dismantling them. Bow is racing around outside firing bolt arrows trying to stop the enemies. Netossa and Spinnerella combine forces to spin large nets at a menacing group of Horde Troopers and Leech. Flutterina helps carry unconscious Troopers to the edge and simply drops them off of Mystacor.

Frosta is trying to help Glimmer but finds herself alone, with Grizzlor. "Oh. It's you. Again." Frosta crosses her arms at the ferocious villain, she always seems to run into Grizzlor in the most dire of situations. Grizzlor glares, "You don't scare me." Frosta holds her head high, "Didn't I tell you that I'd make you into a fur coat? It sure is getting cold out." Grizzlor wastes no time. He throws a few knives at her. Frosta misses the attacks and creates an ice slick on the floor. Sliding towards Grizzlor, Frosta unleashes a blanket of ice towards the Horde member. Grizzlor recoils at the cold and curses as he feels the ice get into his fur.

Taking a swing, he punches Frosta. Slamming against the wall, Frosta shoots an icy glare, "That was a tremendous mistake darling!" With fists covered in thick ice, Frosta wails on Grizzlor. He tries to fight back, but Frosta takes a big swipe, grabbing a fistful of his hair from his back. Howling in pain, Grizzlor reaches back to feel a piece of raw skin bleeding freely. Frosta looks down at the clumps of fur in her hand, "This won't even make a sleeve!"

He growls and slams into her. They fall to the floor as his leathery hands try to strangle her. "Keep those disgusting things off of me!" Radiating coldness from her body, Frosta grins as Grizzlor scrambles to stay way. "What Grizzlor? That fur of yours can't keep you warm?" He growls again taking hold of his machete. Frosta rolls her eyes dodging another attack. Grizzlor misses and instead finds himself on the receiving end of an icy punch by Frosta. Out cold on the floor, Grizzlor just lays there. Frosta walks over him, "When will you learn darling?" Wiping her hands of any leftover fur, Frosta continues on her way.

Castaspella is still busy working on breaking the spells over the Mages. She is pleased when She-Ra arrives. "Oh She-Ra! I am so glad you are here!" She-Ra looks at all the people standing still with their eyes open, "Casta, my friend, what is going on?" Castaspella stops in the middle of a spell, "Oh I don't know. Someone cast a spell on everyone and I am trying to wake them." She-Ra looks around, "What can I do?" The hypnotizing enchantress looks around at all the people, "I don't know that there is much. I'm just trying to get these spells to work. Just make sure we are safe. How bad is it out there?" The princess of power lowers her eyes, "Do not worry. The Rebellion is here. Hordak won't stand a chance." Castaspella shakes her head, "But it's not just Hordak. Catra is here too."

She-Ra is confused, "What does that mean?" Castaspella shakes her head, "Catra has her own agenda. I'll explain." She-Ra listens as Castaspella shares her experience with Catra and their familial relation, not to mention her deadly intentions towards Hordak. She-Ra sighs, "This is all too much." They continue to work together when all of a sudden the air gets chilly. Casta looks around, "Is Frosta here?" She-Ra feels a sense of dread grow in the pit of her stomach. "Yes, but I don't think that is Frosta."

There is a door that opens from the other end of the room. She-Ra shakes her head, "Castaspella, hurry. Wake them up." She motions to the people under a spell. Somehow, the zombie Double Trouble is in the room with them. Castaspella is curious, "She-Ra, that woman looks like you..." Nodding, She-Ra draws her sword and small axe, "Yes. That is Double Trouble." Castaspella loses color in her face, "But she died..." Both women scream in horror as the undead Double Trouble stumbles towards a Mage caught in a spell. The fearsome woman claws and tears into the Mage's neck. Still in a spell, the Mage simply stands there. She-Ra runs.

Double Trouble has flesh in her mouth and gurgles up some blood. She sets her dead blank eyes on She-Ra and staggers towards the most powerful woman in the universe. They prepare to fight. She-Ra is careful not to knock anyone over, while also distracting her old friend from eating anyone. Castaspella works harder and soon there are enough Mages awake to truly start making a difference. She-Ra looks sad as she tries to inflict harm on a woman that was once so full of life. Double Trouble let's out a loud wail and piercing scream. Filled with hunger, Double Trouble takes hold of She-Ra's arms. Going in for a bite, She-Ra recoils and tries to attack the undead beauty.

Suddenly a swoosh rushes by and Double Trouble arches her back in pain. Bow is standing behind with another arrow ready to fire. Double Trouble gurgles and hisses a loud scream. Rushing for Bow, Double Trouble reaches out to grab him. Bow dodges the attack and She-Ra swings in with a kick to her back. "Bow! We need to get her out of here!" Bow nods and they work together to stop Double Trouble from doing any more damage.

Slinking her way through Mystacor, Catra bypasses most of the action that is occurring. She has her eyes set on a most special target. Sliding behind an unassuming slight wooden door, Catra grins at the sight of a glowing ornate panel of gnarled wood perched in the center of the bare room. The light around it shines all the way to the ceiling while tiny specs of light seem to glow in their intensity in the wood. "The heart of Mystacor." Catra purrs.

The jealous beauty approaches the piece of wood and reaches out to touch it. Her hand weaves through the ornate design of the wood, searching for what, she is not sure. However an idea so brilliant sparks in her mind. Grinning from ear to ear, Catra channels her magical energy right to her fingertips. Grabbing hold of the magical wooden piece, Catra begins to shatter it. Sparks of light and magical dust go every which way. Catra tosses her head back, laughing in ecstasy. A slight rumble shakes the room as well as a brief explosion. Catra looks up at the ceiling falling away exposing the night sky. Light and magic dust pour out. "Perfect." Grinning some more, Catra quickly slinks away.

Outside Mystacor on the grounds, Entrapta focuses her sights. She spots something interesting, "There! She did it." Entrapta can see some sort of energy leaving a section of Mystacor. Turning back to her devious friends, Entrapta glints, "Alright girls. It is time." They all nod and quickly spread out. Before they are all out of earshot, Entrapta shouts, "They should be weakening as we speak, tear them apart with all your might." Each one is racing towards one of the Four Chains of Magic. Scorpia reaches the first chain and immediately uses her powerful pincers to tear into the chains. Octavia grabs hold of a chain from its base on Etheria. With her tentacles ready, she begins taking the chain apart. The magical seal on the chains that allow Mystacor to hover over Etheria are being dismantled. Vampra uses her strength to bend the links, "Ugh! This is going to take too long!" She hisses in annoyance, until she spots a fallen Horde Trooper from above. Smiling to herself, Vampra saunters over to find any potential weapons. The final chain is rattled by Entrapta. The tricky golden beauty produces a small device with a golden spinning blade. She gets to work.

Mystacor is in turmoil. Freshly woken Mages race around trying to help the Great Rebellion. There is much going on and for Glimmer, her only goal is to find the Lunar Stone. She knows exactly where it is thanks to what her mother said. But the biggest problem facing the rebel princess is that she may be too late. "Drop it Hordak! That isn't yours!" Glimmer shouts catching Hordak in the act of stealing the Lunar Stone.

Lifting his head up, Hordak snorts, "Don't mess with me Glimmer. I am already in a foul mood, and I will think nothing of taking it out on you!" He turns quickly firing a blast towards Glimmer. She dodges the attack and tosses a burst of light at him. Blinking back, Hordak screams, "You annoying half-wit!" He takes aim, but instead of hitting her, Hordak blows a big chunk into the floor beneath Glimmer's feet. Losing her balance, Glimmer shouts as she falls into a Hordak-made pit.

Laughing to himself, Hordak looks down at Glimmer, "Stupid girl." He takes aim yet again and is about to demolish Glimmer. She looks up at him with eyes wide, for a brief moment she is expecting her life to end. But before anything can happen, Glimmer notices three sharp icicles fly through Hordak's chest. Jumping back in pain, Hordak snorts, "Blasted Frosta!" He shoots at the icy empress. Frosta freezes the blast, "Hordak, darling, you have long expired."

Glaring at the rebels, Hordak rattles his feet as they transform into rocket jets. He flies off out of the room with the Lunar Stone. Frosta turns to help Glimmer, but Glimmer shakes her head, "Go! Chase after Hordak! Don't worry about me." Frosta shakes her head, "But you are trapped." Glimmer exasperates, "He has the Lunar Stone! Go after him now!" Realizing that something needs to be done, Frosta creates an ice slide and quickly goes after Hordak.

In another section of Mystacor, Mermista, Perfuma, and Flutterina meet up with She-Ra and Bow. Zombie Double Trouble is gone, so they are all helping Castaspella with the Mages. "Where is everyone else?" She-Ra asks. Mermista looks around, "I don't know, Glimmer went looking for the Lunar Stone." Perfuma looks concerned after she feels a slight rumble, "Did you just feel that?" Castaspella lifts her head up, "Oh no, something..." Before she can finish her sentence, Mystacor dips violently to one side as Scorpia finally breaks through a chain from below.

The rebels lose their balance and fall to the floor. "Hold onto something!" Castaspella shouts. Mermista looks around, "The others." Trying to balance herself, Mermista gets up. "Mermista! Where are you going?" Perfuma asks in fear. Mermista is shaking, "Our friends are spread out! I'm going to help." Mermista slowly makes her way out of the room. Perfuma and Flutterina are helping with some Mages. She-Ra turns to Castaspella, "What is happening?" Hanging her head in total sadness, Castaspella shakes, "The Four Chains of Magic that keep Mystacor above Etheria, I can feel them, they are being unchained."

Outside, Entrapta hangs her head high as her chain comes undone. Mystacor is only held by two more chains that are diagonal from each other. The two remaining chains are becoming weaker while Mystacor starts to sway back and forth. The heavy mass of Mystacor is trembling. Entrapta hurries to see how everyone else is doing.

Above, Mermista races through, bracing against walls while also dodging moving pieces of furniture. She screams in joy at finding Netossa and Spinnerella. Netossa is concerned, "The floor is moving!" Mermista explains and the three women work to find Glimmer and Frosta.

Down below, Catra joins Entrapta, "What of the other two chains?" Entrapta produces her binoculars, "They are very close to coming down." Smirking, Catra purrs, "Let's go help."

Inside Mystacor, Frosta is hot on Hordak's trail. Racing on the ice, Frosta is unaware of Mystacor being shaken up. Her only goal is to stop Hordak. Focusing on his next steps, Frosta quickly creates a thick wall of ice that disrupts Hordak's path. Crashing through the ice, Hordak spins out of control and tumbles to the floor. Frosta jumps off the ice and lands on a wobbly floor.

The hallway they are in is becoming topsy-turvy. Hordak shouts and fires a blast at Frosta. The way the place is moving, Frosta is able to dodge the blast, but for a second she isn't sure she can miss it. Trying to take down Hordak and maintain her balance is difficult. Hordak snorts, and slips to the floor. Neither knows what is happening.

Back inside the Hordak-made pit, Glimmer begins shaking. She can feel Mystacor moving, "I've never felt this before..."

On the ground, Catra and Entrapta help Vampra take down a chain. "What of the last one?" Vampra asks. Catra shrugs, "They'll get it. Let's hurry!" They don't have much time. With the chains moments away from snapping, Catra believes one of two things will happen: either Mystacor will float away off of Etheria with everyone she hates, or it will come crashing down. As they rush off, Catra looks back. The chains are gone and Mystacor is trembling, but still hovering.

Inside, Castaspella is channeling her energies with the Mages. She-Ra looks at Bow, "Can you feel it? The ground isn't moving that much. I think Castaspella is doing something." Bow nods and stands with She-Ra. For some reason his heart can't stop beating, is this because of the danger or is it She-Ra? His heart only feels this way around one other person...

Castaspella is struggling. Her magical powers are straining her. Trying to hold Mystacor up is not going to work. Feeling her skin grow really cold, Castaspella shudders and falls to the floor. As she hits the ground, they all feel the place fall. Mystacor slowly descends into Etheria.

She-Ra tries to help, while Bow smacks items and pieces of furniture from hitting people. Perfuma stops to help Flutterina as the winged woman gets pinned under rubble. Outside the room, Mermista, Netossa, and Spinnerella are knocked around as Mystacor makes impact on ground. Glimmer screams as parts of Mystacor fall around her, covering her in the pit. In the hallway with Hordak, Frosta falls into Hordak and they both scream as the walls crumble around them. Other Mages and members of the Horde all try to find a safe place as Mystacor falls apart.

The massive destruction of Mystacor causes the entire planet to tremble. There is destruction and chaos everywhere. A large floating rock is no more, and Catra looks on in glee.

***
Else where, Corporal Romeo is busy giving orders in a large Horde Ship. Stepping to a screen, he calls out to a Horde Trooper, "We will be landing soon. Make sure we arrive near the source of power." The Horde Trooper nods. Romeo stands tall. After much space travel from Horde World, the next phase for Horde Prime is just getting started.

***

On Eternia, Skeletor is atop Panthor driving home his powers across the magical field over Grayskull. He is not giving up and along with his Evil Warriors, Skeletor can feel the magical force field weakening, "We can finish this! Grayskull will be mine!" He grins with pure evil. After such a long time, Skeletor feels pleased at what he will be looking forward to.

Suddenly though things quickly change. Spikor calls out to Skeletor, "He is here!" Skeletor turns and groans, "He-Man." Pulling back on the reigns, Skeletor motions for Panthor to turn. He-Man races on Battle Cat towards Skeletor. The two shout and clash together. Skeletor wields two swords and tries to destroy He-Man. "I wish I could say I have missed you, but I would have liked you to stay away!" Skeletor shouts trying to attack He-Man. "Skeletor, you can't win. I won't let you get inside Castle Grayskull." The two continue to fight. Skeletor snaps, "You muscle bound fool! I'll only give up once I've taken everything I can from Grayskull!"

The battle rages on between He-Man and Skeletor. Their justice for different things brings them into each other's orbit every time. As they are fighting, neither are aware of what is happening around them. The present assortment of Evil Warriors and Masters of the Universe stop their own fighting and look at the skies.

Soon Skeletor and He-Man realize they can only hear themselves fighting. This fighting soon ebbs as a large shadow covers the ground. He-Man looks up at a huge ship in the sky slowly approaching Castle Grayskull. Skeletor curses out loud, "They're here." He-Man turns to stare at Skeletor, "Who is here?" Skeletor's eyes grow red, "The Horde, courtesy of Horde Prime."

***
The damage around Mystacor is massive. Towers and buildings are no more. There are some remnants of the old Mystacor, but not much is standing. The new Mystacor sits in a giant crater on Etheria. Members of the Great Rebellion search for each other. Mermista and Netossa have some cuts and scrapes. Spinnerella tries to help other people. Glimmer is rescued from the pit by a few Mages and She-Ra. Terrified at being trapped, Glimmer is even more distraught at the damage around them.

Sea Hawk and Peekablue join in the damage and help the Rebels. Flutterina's wings are alright, but Castaspella is injured. She is very frail and weak from the magical power she went through. Frosta stumbles around to the group and explains that Hordak is gone.

Bow looks over at She-Ra arrive with Glimmer. He is glad to see them. Rushing up to them, Bow helps Glimmer sit down. A quick headcount is made, and Mermista shakes, "What do we do now?" Everyone is worn and injured. The world is a different place. Glimmer has tears in her eyes, "Mystacor was always a free place on Etheria... I can't believe it has fallen." Flutterina sits on the ground with her head lowered. Perfuma looks at Peekablue and notices her face going gray, "Peekablue? You don't look so good." Peekablue looks around with her feathers folded out, "It's happening..."

There is a silence in the air. Every now and then sounds can be heard of rocks tumbling or footsteps made by people looking for safety. Suddenly She-Ra hears something strange. Something in the air, "Do any of you hear that?" Sea Hawk looks at her, "No. What do you hear?" She-Ra shakes her head, but soon they all begin to hear the distinct sound of something.

Trouble shoots across the night sky in the form of a very large ship, only made out by the bright moonlight. The rebels all look up in shock. She-Ra instantly communicates with Swiftwind telepathically. Mermista looks shocked, "Is that the Horde?" Bow nods. Frosta is lost, "I've never seen that ship before, have any of you?" Glimmer is worried, "It is a huge ship! What is it doing here?"

She-Ra turns as Swiftwind flies to the ground. The Horde ship flies over the ruined Mystacor. They all look above worried that something disastrous is about to happen. Instead the ship continues to fly overhead passing the destruction. She-Ra hurries to hop on Swiftwind, "I'm going to find out what is going on."

The ship flies across Etheria and She-Ra is close behind. Eventually the ship makes it to a dreary part of Etheria: the Fright Zone. She-Ra motions for Swiftwind to fly a bit behind. "Alright Swifty, this does not look good." The ship hovers over the Fright Zone and doesn't appear to be going anywhere else. She-Ra flies back to the others with a heavy heart. "Why do I feel like the worst is just around the corner?" The princess of power tries to think how the rest of the Rebellion will handle an all new threat from the Horde...

Up next!

Why are there two big Horde ships on Eternia and Etheria?
Will two worlds come together?
Or will they fall apart?