Sunday, June 9, 2013

Adora's Search for Honor Part 3! Chapter 65!

Ok. Are you ready? We have made it to the 65th chapter of Adora's Search for Honor, and this is the chapter I have been waiting for ever since I first posted this fanfic. This is the chapter that is straight from my heart and makes me a mess every time I think about it. When I type these chapters out I tend to voice out what the characters are saying, and if I had the power to do so I would take each and every one of you in my mind to see it all through my eyes. I hope that this is a very entertaining and spectacular chapter. After this chapter there are only two more left, so enough of my babbling, let's get things going!


Previously: Sweet Bee and Frosta took their feud to the next level once Frosta found out that Sweet Bee hooked up with Adam. Fighting aside, these two women won't be in a knitting circle anytime soon... Adora and Bow were set to be married until a few things went awry. Bow was kidnapped by Catra and Entrapta. Hordak busted the wedding and showed off his new Chaos Sword. With the ability to transform into a more powerful version of himself like Adora and her brother Adam, Hordak became Horde Prime while his small pet dragon named Imp was transformed into a very giant and angry dragon. Laying waste to Castle Bright Moon and the Whispering Woods, Horde Prime, Imp, and other Horde members let everyone know that the Horde was indeed back... Flutterina's stomach ripped open unleashing a large amount of tiny Winged Warriors set on helping to even out the fight against the Horde... She-Ra and her friends managed to fight off the Horde for now, but with the Whispering Woods mostly burnt away and Bow missing, no one knows quite what to expect next...

And now...

Adora's Search for Honor
Part 3
Chapter 65

Flutterina opens her eyes from a deep sleep. Before her eyes can even process her surroundings, the first thing that Flutterina is aware of is the immense pain from her abdomen. Screaming out while trying to clutch her stomach, Flutterina thrashes about on a bed inside the Healing Bay in Bright Moon. Her giant wings feel itchy. Roboto is by her side, ready to help her in any way he can, "It's fine Flutterina, you are going to be fine. Listen to my voice processing chip, I will try to calm you."

Looking around in terror and pain, Flutterina rests her eyes on Roboto. His robotic voice is guiding her, helping her to focus on her breathing. Crying out from her wounds, Flutterina looks down at a swath of bandages covering her torso, "What happened to me?" Her words start out slow, but her speech is clearly the best it has ever been. Roboto hovers his hand over her body, checking her vitals, "You have been in a deep sleep for the last couple of days, ever since the wedding. Your stomach was ripped open."

Memories flap around in her mind taking flight. She recalls the wedding and subsequent fight with the Horde. She also remembers the searing hot pain as the tiny Winged Warriors inside her body ripped through, flying out to attack the Horde. Roboto buzzes and beeps, "We were able to save you. Try not to move much, your body is stitched up severely." Flutterina can only cry as she realizes the gravity of the ordeal she went through, "What of the Winged Warriors inside of me?"

Roboto's face plate lights up, "They are flying around protecting and helping to guard the remains of the Whispering Woods. And we are not calling them Winged Warriors. Perfuma insisted on another name for them. She has given them a new name: Butterflies."

***
Deep in the Valley of the Lost, Entrapta arrives home to the tree-plex she shares with Catra. Quietly dropping a bag of supplies, Entrapta spies on Catra and Bow in the main living area. Bow is in a chair, tied to a piece of the tree they are living in. Catra is standing before him, shaking her head in anger. Entrapta listens on before making her presence known.

"Stop this Bow. I want you to reason with me. I've done this for the best. All of this is for the best!" Catra stares at Bow, trying to will him to understand. Feeling hungry and tired, Bow shakes his head, "Catra, just let me go. This isn't going to end well for you. They are going to find you. My friends are going to be here, Adora will be here to stop this." Catra screeches slamming her hand into his face, "Fool! Stop with these false hopes! No one is going to save you Bow, do you hear me? No one!" She leans into his face closely, her green eyes filled with a rage that concerns him.

Slinking away from her prisoner, Catra breezes into the entrance to the tree-plex and notices Entrapta watching her, "Well? Did you bring us back any supplies?" Entrapta nods pointing to a bag on the floor, "Yes. I snuck into a village. We have food among other things." Catra nods, pleased.

While the jealous beauty goes through the bag, Entrapta stands next to her friend, "Catra, how much longer are we going to have him here?" Catra snaps, "As long as it takes." Not content with that answer, Entrapta goes on, "Catra, it has been a few days since we took him. He is right, the members of the Great Rebellion are going to find him soon. We need to do something, we need to let him go."

Catra stops her activities with the bag and looks over at Entrapta with a look of shocked anger, "We aren't letting him go. Bow is mine now. He is going to help me. Now drop it." Entrapta shakes her head, "I won't Catra. We can't leave him here tied up like this! I'm all for destroying the Great Rebellion, but this is our hideaway. We can't bring them to our front door!" Catra clenches her fists and screams, "This is my plan! My dream! We are doing this my way!"

Entrapta stands still looking at her friend devolve into a pit of madness. Returning to the bag, Catra ignores the tricky golden beauty and continues to look through the items. Continuing to stand there, Entrapta turns looking back at Bow. "Catra, when I was in the village, I'd heard word of something interesting." Pausing from her work, Catra snaps for more details. Entrapta pauses before going on, "I heard word that the Whispering Woods had mostly been burned down by a giant dragon. It would seem that we weren't the only unwelcome guests at Adora's event. Hordak showed up as well."

With a grin that spreads to both ears, Catra purrs slightly, "So Hordak managed to finally destroy the Whispering Woods? Fascinating." Imagining what such a scene must look like, Catra leaves the bag of supplies alone. Pacing the room, Catra toys with an idea that becomes impossible to give up. "I'm stepping out Entrapta. Be sure to feed Bow." Entrapta inquires of Catra's intentions. Standing in the doorway, Catra turns with her dazzling green eyes, "I have to see this for myself. I want to see those pathetic fools in agony. I will return soon." Catra is gone in a moment's time. Entrapta stands there, pleased with her trickery. She is alone with the prisoner. Turning to look in on Bow, Entrapta wonders what she will do next, "Sorry Catra, but I just can't let this madness go on any further."

***
She-Ra and Adam walk through the charred remains of the Whispering Woods. Along with the other members of the Great Rebellion, She-Ra and Adam are trying to go through the remains of the mess that Horde Prime and Imp made. Castle Bright Moon looms in the distance, a chilling view since before all this destruction, the woods covered most of the castle's view. She-Ra looks on with sadness as she sees the destruction around her, "How did this happen? How could Hordak be back?"

Adam kneels down to look over the ground, looking for any sign of life, "I don't know. Have there been any new visions from Peekablue?" She-Ra shakes her head, "No. She has been focusing all of her might on her powers, but she can't find where the Horde is now located." Adam sighs, "And there was nothing at the remains of the Fright Zone?" She-Ra hangs her head, "No. The Fright Zone was completely empty. The Bright Moon guards who have been monitoring the area have never seen anything out of the ordinary."

He can tell she is stressed by the recent events, "When was the last time you transformed back to Adora?" The princess of power looks at her brother, "I haven't been Adora since the wedding." Adam is concerned she is exerting her powers too much. She-Ra shakes her head, "No. Not possible brother. I refuse to leave this state. I won't be defenseless like that. What would have happened to us all had I not been able to transform at the wedding? This new stronger version of Hordak would have obliterated us. We had luck on our sides that Kowl was able to deliver my power sword in time. I won't allow a surprise like that to happen ever again. I will remain like this until the Horde is officially over."

Adam reaches out to his sister, "You have to rest. She-Ra, neither of us knows what could happen if we stay in our transformed state for long amounts of time. I worry about you." She-Ra smiles at her brother, her blond hair shining brilliantly in the sun light, "Don't worry for me. I am going to be fine. I just want to find Hordak and stop him. I want to find Bow." She catches herself. The mere mention of his name is enough to upset her so, "I don't know what happened to him Adam. I don't know if he is safe or in danger. We saw the Horde leave, Bow wasn't with them. Did they end up doing something to him? What happened to him? I just want Bow here." Tears begin to form in her eyes. Adam hugs his sister, "Hey, we are going to find him. Etheria is a big planet, but it isn't that big. We are going to find him, and when we get him back, there will be a joyous wedding to resume."

He smiles at his sister, trying to help her feel better. She-Ra nods. The two siblings walk through the remains. They try to change the subject, to talk about other things. She-Ra wants to try and clear her mind, though she knows that is not possible. Adam certainly tries his best though. He talks to She-Ra about his grave mistakes with women and how he really screwed up with Frosta and Sweet Bee both.

As the two siblings talk about the pitfalls of love, other members of the Great Rebellion walk around tree stumps and other reminders of the destruction of the once great Whispering Woods. Glimmer and Romeo work with Mermista and Perfuma on clearing space for new plant life. Castaspella and Frosta try to help find any possible belongings from the people that were living in the woods. Sweet Bee avoids Frosta and helps find new rooms in Bright Moon for people to live in for the time being. Angella works with a few of the Masters of the Universe with plans on figuring out where Hordak could be hiding. Peekablue works with the Star Sisters on amplifying her vision powers. Netossa and Spinnerella watch over some of the children of Bright Moon. They tell stories to the kids, trying to shake away any painful thoughts of the past few days. Mantenna looks on at his surroundings. He recalls the events that played out a few days before. Ever since Hordak returned, Mantenna has noticed that the bright red Horde symbol on his chest has been glowing strangely. He knows exactly what it means. Stealing himself away from the Great Rebellion, Mantenna quietly heads away from the place he has been calling home for awhile. The glowing Horde symbol on his chest is giving him directions to the Horde. He plans on following those directions...

***
"Listen to me very closely. I don't like you very much. Not even very. I actually loathe you and the company you keep. But the truth is, I don't think you belong here." Entrapta is sitting in front of Bow, talking to him carefully. He can only look at her as she gives him some water to drink. "Trust me Entrapta, I don't like you at all either."

"Who would have thought we'd have something in common?" Her braided pony tails move about, preparing a quick plate of food for him. Feeding him carefully, Entrapta goes on, "Now here's what will happen. I am going to set you free." Bow listens, hoping this isn't a trap. Entrapta goes on, "Catra's obsession with Adora and you both is blinding her. My friend is not the same person she once was. You being here is only going to make things dreadfully worse. So I am going to free you. Whatever happens to you afterwards is up to you, I won't lead you out of the Valley of the Lost. But you certainly can't stay here. Now how does that sound?" Bow takes some more bites of food, relishing every morsel, "Not bad for a villain."

Smiling over his approval, Entrapta uses her hair to place his plate down. Standing up quickly, Entrapta goes about freeing Bow. The rope is bound with magic, but Entrapta works furiously on undoing any spells. She wants Bow gone. Her plan is simple, she will just tell Catra that Bow tricked her and fought his way free. She'll never know that I tricked her, Entrapta tells herself. Just when Entrapta feels she has a handle on Bow's binding, a voice rips into the air, startling them both.

Catra stands at the entrance to the living area of the tree-plex. One hand on her hip and the other pointing an accusatory finger at Entrapta, Catra purrs, "Just what are you doing Entrapta?" Pausing from her own work, Entrapta sighs, "I am doing what is on our best interest. Or do you possibly think this could be a good idea? I was willing to follow you anywhere Catra, but nothing can come of this but trouble. I'm saving us!"

Catra strides towards Entrapta with menace, "Leave him alone!" Grabbing hold of Entrapta's arms, Catra shoves her away with slight force. The tricky golden beauty insists, "No, I'm doing no such thing Catra. You will thank me, trust me!" Entrapta whips her hair around, smacking Catra in the face and stomach. The blow knocks Catra back so Entrapta can continue her work. Bow is looking on, hoping to soon be free.

Wailing a loud scream, Catra charges Entrapta. The two women slam into the tree's inner wall. Catra lands a punch into Entrapta's face before yanking her down to the ground. Kicking her forcibly in the side, Catra lifts her silver boot for another kick. Rolling away, Entrapta's moving hair lifts her up, "Catra, stop this!" Elbowing her hard, Entrapta painfully makes her friend wince in pain. Wrapping her long braids around Catra's ankles, Entrapta hurls Catra across the room. Slamming over some furniture, Catra hits the ground hard.

With Catra out of the way, Entrapta works even faster. Bow looks around, "I think the magic seal is weakening." Entrapta kneels down, working on untying him, "Just give me a second..." Entrapta works hard unaware that Catra is stumbling up in a daze. With her green eyes narrowed, Catra sneers at Entrapta. Grabbing hold of a sturdy wooden table, Catra races towards her friend. Bow calls out for Entrapta to look out.

It is too late. Catra slams the wooden table on Entrapta's head. The blow is so strong it disrupts the cybernetic implants in Entrapta's head allowing her hair to be a living weapon. Slumping to the ground, Entrapta tries to get up. She can't feel her hair moving at all. Dizzy and dazed, Entrapta tries to get up. Catra flips the golden beauty on her back. Straddling her friend, Catra grabs a braid of hair and wraps it around Entrapta's neck, "Hordak was right! You would betray me, just like you did to him and your family!" Catra screams out in burning hot emotional pain. Entrapta rasps out feeling her own hair becoming a noose, "I never betrayed you, stop! Catra..." Entrapta looks up at her friend in a surreal moment. Catra is choking Entrapta to death with her own hair. Losing the ability to properly fight due to her head wound, the last thing Entrapta thinks about before she dies is the painful understanding of what her family must have felt when she killed them so long ago.

Shaking at her own actions, Catra looks down at her friend, "Entrapta? Entrapta?" Releasing the heavy braid of hair, Catra throws her hands to her mouth. Screaming out in pain while rocking back, Catra slides away from her friend's body, "NOOO!" Catra keeps screaming while pawing at her face, trying to scratch away the image in her mind. Bow looks on, hanging his head, he isn't going to be able to escape. He is stuck with her.

With trembling arms and legs, Catra crawls towards Bow. She can't look at Entrapta, she can't face her actions. Getting up on her knees, Catra rests her arms on Bow's legs. She is kneeling between his legs while he is tied to the chair. She looks up at him, "Bow, help me. Please." Bow shakes his head, "I can't help you Catra." Nodding in earnest, Catra shakes out, "Y-y-ess. You can. You can help me. Please Bow. We can fix this, together. You have to be the one to help me." She pleads with him, and all Bow can do is sit there. In an instant though she gets up and drags Entrapta's body to the side of the room. Bow watches her and his heart beats so strongly. The only thing keeping him together is the thought of Adora. He loves her and hopes that she can get him free soon.

***
Back at the Whispering Woods, She-Ra is working with Glimmer and Romeo. They are trying to clear the ground so that new life can grow. Glimmer looks sad, "There must be more we can do. So much seems to be in the air right now." She-Ra understands perfectly well. The friends work together. She-Ra talks with Romeo about any possible information he may have about Hordak's return. The former Horde corporal was just as surprised as anyone else. The group continues to work, until in the distance Glimmer notices a familiar person approaching them.

She-Ra turns, focusing her sight, "Is that Huntara?" The group walks towards Huntara. As they approach each other, Huntara looks around at the destruction all around. Speaking quietly, Huntara continues to look at all the burnt trees, "She really did it, didn't she?" She-Ra is lost, "What do you mean? What are you doing here?"

Huntara is in a daze. Realizing she should have taken Catra with her no matter the fight put up, Huntara sighs, "I have been finding my way here. I'm not used to this world. Catra was planning on an attack, something to do with Adora and Bow. I didn't think she'd actually be able to do all this." She-Ra listens to the words carefully, "Catra did not do this Huntara. This was done by the hands of Hordak." Huntara's eyes burn bright, "He did this? But if that is so, what did she do?" She-Ra asks that Huntara explain further. As the hunter from Silax speaks, She-Ra learns enough of a story to realize that Catra has Bow, "Hurry, Huntara come with me. If Catra has Bow and they are in the Valley of the Lost I will need the perfect set of eyes to guide me on my course." They all rush into Bright Moon to find Peekablue with the hopes that she will show them the way.

***
Back inside Catra's tree-plex, the raven haired beauty returns to Bow, "I didn't mean to kill her. I really didn't Bow." She is kneeling between his legs again. Bow sits uncomfortably in the chair. Catra looks up at him, "We have to leave this place. I should have left long ago, but I just couldn't. We can leave together though, we can help each other." Bow doesn't understand what she is talking about, "Catra, how are we going to help each other?"

Purring slightly while stroking his thighs, Catra smiles, "You have always been so nice to me. When everyone else thought I was strange and shy, you were there to talk to me. I hated it at times, because I wanted to be left alone. I grew to like you though Bow. And when perfect Adora graced us with all her goodness, I knew something would be different. With you. With me. She has consumed both of us." The mere thought of Adora causes Catra to press her nails into Bow's thighs. He winces slightly from the pain. Catra speaks calmly, "I hate her. I hate her so much. How you can love her, I can't understand. But I do understand, that is the problem. We are both consumed by this woman. Don't you see now? Don't you get it? We can save each other Bow, from her! We can find a way to move beyond her. She doesn't have to be in our hearts! We can find a way to heal each other's hearts. We can heal each other..." Catra's hands travel to Bow's crotch.

Looking away, Bow whispers, "Catra, stop this. I can't help you." Catra is rubbing him, trying to arouse him, "No, no. We are going to help each other. We will create our own life and everything that occurred before will be meaningless. I will learn to love you like you will learn to love me. We were friends long ago, we can become so much more now." She continues touching him, trying to get him to respond.

Trying to change things, Catra leaps up straddling him. He looks away, trying to close his eyes. Adora's face is all he can see. Catra grabs hold of his face, she screams at him, "Open your eyes and look at me Bow! Now!" Squeezing his face as hard as she can, Bow opens his eyes. "That's better Bow. Don't make this difficult, we are going to be together for a very long time. An eternity." She reaches down to the band of his pants. Almost close to pulling his pants down, Catra stops as Bow speaks forcefully, "Catra, it won't work. You can touch me all you want, nothing is going to change what is in my heart. I don't love you, I never will. I'm never going to sleep with you. This insanity must end! Adora is the only woman I have ever loved, and nothing you do will change that! We may have been friends once, and I had hopes for you, but now, all I can see is a pathetic woman who has lost her grasp with the world around her. You are crazy Catra!"

The words are more than enough to drive her over the edge. Her green eyes flare in anger. Lashing out in anger, Catra swipes a clawed hand across Bow's face. Bow tosses his head back in pain as Catra screams again. She reaches from behind her back for a dagger that she drives through the magic sealed rope and deep into Bow's stomach. Stabbing him a second time, Catra drags the knife out and continues to scream as Bow shakes from the wound. His eyes widen in shock. Blood begins to spread through the rope.

Shaking from the shock of it all, Bow looks at Catra in the face, he tries to speak, but can't. Catra looks at all the blood beginning to spill around them both. Her face is twisted in rage, but it begins to melt away as she realizes what she has just done, "Oh no. What have I done? What did I do?" She runs her hands over the blood, trying to help him. Ripping Bow free from his confines, Catra tries to fix him, but she can't. All she can do is look at the blood leaving his body...

***
In a dark and scary place on Etheria, Mantenna makes his way into the all new Fright Zone, hidden away from the rest of the world thanks to the all new and powerful Hordak. Mantenna looks around and realizes that the Horde had somehow managed to transform an old Horde base into a new hideout. As he walks further into the area, he notices a mini fortress in front of him. A large twisting tree looms at the top.

Hordak, Leech, Grizzlor, Modulok, Multi-Bot, Octavia, Scorpia, Batros, and Vampra all step out of the shadows standing on top of the mini fortress. Looking down at Mantenna, Hordak snorts, "Look at this. We have a visitor, my fellow Horde." Mantenna looks up at everyone, trying to remain calm. Not so long ago they had all been on the same side. "What are you doing here Mantenna? Do your new friends at Bright Moon know you are here?"

Mantenna shakes his head and speaks in his shrill insectoid voice, "No, I left on my own. My Horde symbol showed the way." Hordak crosses his arms, trying to understand Mantenna's motives, "Now let me guess, you are now going to run off and tell the silly Great Rebellion of the Horde's latest hideout? Hm?"

Shaking his head, Mantenna speaks evenly, "Not at all. Mighty Hordak, I am here to rejoin the Horde; my real family." The Horde members all look at each other, trying to decide if Mantenna is being sincere or not. Mantenna looks at everyone, "If you don't believe me I am sure there is something I can do to prove my loyalty to you all."

Stepping down to Mantenna's level, Hordak pats Mantenna on the back, "I want to believe you Mantenna, I truly do. But there is just only one way you will truly be welcomed back to the Horde with open arms. I must know that you are done with the Great Rebellion." Mantenna shrugs, "I was their prisoner. I had no other choice but to fall in line with their ways. Now that I see you are back, my place is here." Hordak nods, "Yes, yes. That is nice and all Mantenna, but as I said, I want your loyalty." Hordak calls out to Leech and Grizzlor, "Fetch me a barrel of slime. We must wipe the mind clean, it is time we give a new fresh start for our Mantenna." Nearly bugging his eyes out, Mantenna nods. He stands there, waiting for the slimming and his reintroduction into the Horde. He hopes that he will be able to remember who he is and what he has been through. He can't forget who he is and the person he wants to be...

***
Flying high over the Valley of the Lost under a starry night sky, She-Ra motions for Swift Wind to swoop down to the ground. The princess of power can see Catra's tree-plex clearly, even in the midst of night fall. There is nothing but silence in the air. Landing softly on the ground, She-Ra hops off. Petting Swift Wind, She-Ra slowly walks towards Catra's hideout with her sword drawn. She is ready for a fight.

Kicking the door wide open, She-Ra strides into the giant tree home. Looking around with the bright moonlight and stars as her guide, She-Ra tries to work her way through the place. Everything is in disarray. Furniture, books, and other items are strewn all over the place. She-Ra makes her way inside the living room space of the tree-plex.

Her gaze first falls upon the shiny golden armor of Entrapta. Checking on the golden beauty, She-Ra finds the body lifeless. Looking up, She-Ra panics as she finds Bow slumped over on a chair. "Bow!" Rushing to her love, She-Ra grabs hold of his shoulders, "Bow, can you hear me?" His blood is shiny and red in the dim light, "Bow, come on, I need you to hear me!" Holding onto his face, She-Ra kisses his lips, "Please, Bow. Please." She kisses his lips again. They feel slightly cold.

Both of their hearts are beating as one though. Bow coughs up some blood as his eyes open really wide, "She-Ra?" Thankful to see him awake, She-Ra helps him up, "Come on Bow, you're really injured." Bow winces, "I feel really weak." Nodding, She-Ra tries to help him walk to the door, "I know. I'm taking you to the Crystal Castle. Light Hope is going to help you, just like he helped Madame Razz. Come on, Swift Wind will get us there in no time."

The pair make it on Swift Wind and in the quickest of moments, they are off flying through the night clouds with the stars as their guide. "We are almost there." She-Ra calls out to him. One of his arms is wrapped around her wast, and with a free hand, she holds tightly to him.

Swooping down through the opening at the peak of Sky Dancer Mountain, Swift Wind swirls around the majestic Crystal Castle. Helping Bow off her noble companion, She-Ra rushes Bow inside the Crystal Castle. "Light Hope! Light Hope! I need you!" Racing into the grand ball room, She-Ra looks around for the familiar image of Light Hope. His reflective frame of light walks towards her. Embers of light dance off him like a glorious flame.

She helps Bow to the floor, the sparkly crystal floor and walls fade and grow with light, "Bow was injured badly Light Hope. I need you to heal him like you did with Madame Razz. He's lost a lot of blood, but he is still with me. You have to do something!" Her heart is racing. Light Hope is just standing in front of her, doing nothing. She-Ra looks at him, "Light Hope! Hurry!"

Light Hope looks at her, his image fading and lighting up in the same pattern as the castle, "I can't help you She-Ra." Looking tired and worn, She-Ra shakes her head, "Of course you can. Light Hope, you helped Madame Razz. You have to help Bow, only you can." Light Hope looks at her, "I wish I could She-Ra, but I can't. It is too late."

"What?" She-Ra asks feeling so lost. Light Hope motions for her to turn. Slowly looking behind her, She-Ra's heart drops. She feels as if she can't breathe, the wind is stolen from her. Bow stands over his own body, an image made of pure and radiant light. Just like Light Hope, there are embers of light that dance off his body as if from a stunning flame. She-Ra looks at him in awe. She tries to breathe but can't. Her chest keeps rising and falling. She whispers, "Bow?"

Tears form in her eyes as her mouth drops open. The man in front of her is forever changed. She calmly turns to Light Hope, "Ok. This is ok. He is like you now. Bow can stay here in the Crystal Castle. He can stay here with you Light Hope. I will visit him here. I can live with him being here, as long as he is here. It doesn't matter. I will have him here." Bow looks at Light Hope. Shaking his head, Light Hope whispers, "That can't happen my child." Closing her eyes, She-Ra refuses to listen to anything else, "No. He is like you!" Light Hope walks towards her, "Yes, right now he is like me. But I am bound to the Crystal Castle until time tells me something different. Bow is not bound to this place. She-Ra, you don't have much time."

Bow steps forward, "He is right. I can feel something changing." She-Ra turns to her love, "Oh Bow. No. No." He glides to her, this image of light. They look at each other. Both want to reach out to hold each other, but they can't. Light Hope slides away, "I will leave you two alone."

Bow looks around and notices an opening to a balcony, "Come on, I want to see the stars." She-Ra closes her eyes and walks with him. A doorway leads the two onto a glorious balcony that is on the side of the mountain. Bow and She-Ra both find themselves standing under a blanket of stars. It is as if they can touch them. Flowers bloom around the balcony, remnants left behind from when Perfuma was there.

She-Ra looks at Bow. She wants him to see the real her. Removing her tiara, She-Ra quickly feels the rush of her return to Adora. Standing before him in her wedding dress, Adora fights back tears, "I'm not ready for this. I love you so much." Bow smiles at her, "Oh and how I love you!" Adora aches as her lips tremble. Tears slowly fall down her eyes, "I don't know that I can do this." Bow nods, "I know. You look beautiful. Was this the dress you were going to wear?" Adora nods. Bow smiles, "I am so sorry this is happening." Adora closes her eyes, "No. I'm sorry. I didn't get to you in time."

Reaching out to wipe her tears, Bow's image dances across her face, the specs of light flying away into the night sky. Neither one wants to dwell on apologies, for they both know who is really to blame. And right now, all they wish to do is savor their last few moments together. Adora shakes her head in sadness, the realization that so many things will no longer happen, "I'm never going to be able to kiss you again. We'll never have stories to tell each other, or adventures to embark on." She tries to catch her breath. Bow smiles, "But you will have a world of memories."

"I don't want memories of you Bow. I want you standing next to me. I want our life to grow, together." Bow looks at her with such sadness, "I know." Shaking her head, Adora looks at him trying to smile through the tears, "I'm never going to hear the song." She is referring to the song. A song written for her, his perfect love letter to her. Bow looks up to the sky, up at the stars, and then back at her, "Close your eyes Adora, and listen." For fear of never seeing him again, Adora is reluctant, but she soon closes her eyes.

Bow looks at her and slowly begins to hum out her song. Tears fall down her face as she is transported with the slow and sweeping melody. And soon there is more than just his humming. Soon she hears the familiar strings of his harp. Memories flood into her mind as she plays back all the wonderful times she has ever shared with him. The song is about her, it is about him, it is about their love and everything they have ever meant to each other. The song builds into a sweeping experience. Adora can hear what sounds like an entire orchestra of music playing, as if the stars in the night sky are taking part in playing this song to her.

Unable to take it any longer, she opens her eyes. Her heart is beating so fast. He is leaving her. Embers of his form begin flickering and fading off him, spinning and twirling into the night sky. He is fading away from her. She whispers one last time, "I love you." Her mouth opens in a shock as he fades away, a smile forming on his face. He loves her too, he always will. His image before her is nearly gone; the only thing remaining is the glow of the heart symbol on his chest. Glowing in and out, it looks as if it is beating. She reaches out to it, but even that slowly fades away into the starry night. Adora stands there alone with the song still playing in her mind. Bow is gone. Her life is never going to be the same.

Time passes by as she continues to stand on the balcony looking out over Etheria. The night sky eventually begins to lighten as a new day approaches. Adora isn't sure she can leave the balcony. Her fear is that if she leaves, then it will be official. Bow will be gone. "But he's already gone. He's gone." Adora says it out loud, trying to understand how so much can change in so little of time. She steps into the Crystal Castle, Light Hope is there for her. Trying to catch her breath, Adora falls to the floor of the ball room and sobs. The world is a different place now, and with this new change, Adora knows that she will do everything in her power to make sure that the forces of evil are stopped at all costs. She has lost too much, she can't lose anymore. If she fails, if Hordak or Catra win, it will be the end for everyone.

Up Next!
The battle to save Etheria begins!

5 comments:

  1. omg.the whole thing was one heart break after another . espically catra finaly proving she is so batshit insane she winds up killing both entrapa and bow. which was the most heartbreaking since adora now has to go on with out him. plus mantenna being slimmed again. this has to be one of the cruelest chapters of the story miss. m.

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    1. I know! This was a very rough chapter. I was sobbing so much when I wrote this, but trust me on this, the last two chapters are so good! You will understand why everything had to be so sad and cruel in this one. Catra is a tremendous threat to everyone. These last two chapters will hopefully tie everything up with a nice little Bow. : ) From the Great Rebellion, to Mantenna, to the Horde, everything is going to be so good. If you have been following since the beginning it will all come full circle! (And if you haven't don't worry, events from earlier chapters will be summed up in easy ways.) Thank you for reading!

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  2. I have to admit-even though I am a macho, bad ass, man type person, I shed a tear or two at the Bow death scene. I have to imagine you had the image of the heart symbol beating at the end planned out for a long time. The only positive upside to this is that even if he never comes back to life Adora still has Sea Hawk as a potential love someday-if he can deal with the fact that shes she-ra. Although, in my mind he probably just told Adora that She-Ra was no big deal and said that kind of stuff because he didn't want to piss her off by talking about how hot another woman was. I think if he knew she was She-Ra he would deal with it fine.
    One interesting aspect of this chapter of the story was the concept that if He-Man or She-Ra stay in their super power forms for too long they will lose power. Is this something you made up? Or is it already established in the official MOTU story?
    I don't like Mantenna going back to the Horde, I hope it's a trick, but I don't see how it could be if he wants to be slimed.
    Catra is bat shit insane-or I guess Cat-shit insane, but Entrapa deserved what she got! For a minute there I thought you were gonna do a Catra rapes bow scene, but I suppose the catra kills Bow scene was even worse.
    Also, it seems like you took my advice and made the new Fright Zone look like the one in the toys! Nice touch. Doubt you'll have time to fit in the snake monster hand puppet though.

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    1. Well let's see, I don't know what this says about me as a fan, but one of the earliest images and dialogues I had in my mind was the last part with Bow and Adora. I crafted most of this story after this whole scene. I just wanted to tell something that would make a Bow and Adora pairing mean something. And Hawk said all kinds of things, but Adora did sort of jump the gun on him. I mean we don't truly know how he'd react if he found out the truth.

      So I don't know if the original story had anything to say about what happens when Adam or She-Ra stay in their power forms longer. I was meaning it more like, Adam was concerned that if She-Ra never went back to being Adora that she'd lose a part of herself and in a way some of her strength because she wasn't stopping to deal with what she experienced.

      I can't say anything about Mantenna, but I have to say your idea for the Fright Zone did help me with the new location. Originally I was going to have it the story fold out where the Sun Tower crumbled and became a wasteland thus resembling the Fright Zone from the toy, but then after your comment I was like, "It wouldn't be hard to just mix it up for the Horde to leave and find another quick hideout that would then be the toy version of the Fright Zone." So I did change it last minute. And all the fun little tricks from the Fright Zone are going to get a moment to shine.

      The stuff with Catra, I really wanted to make it seem like you were going to have no idea what she was going to do. I just wanted it to be this tense moment where it is like, will she assault him sexually? Will he give into her? Will Adora bust into the room to save the day? I just wanted it to be full of, "What is going to happen next?" type stuff. In the end though, her rage and hatred consumes her so much that she does something she wasn't planning on doing. With both Entrapta and Bow, she wasn't wanting to kill them. She lost control of herself.

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    2. I actually prefer the Fright Zone from the toy. The one from the show made more sense-if the Horde was an empire an all, but I really though the toy version looked more like a place that would be known as "the Fright Zone"! I'm a big fan of the Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits, and both shows names have this eerie vibe to the names. I thought the Fright Zone in the toy was like the last place you would ever go the -outer limits-if you will of Eternia. Thats what I dig about that design.
      The other Fright Zone did have a trapdoor though and I love those! But your use of that trapdoor was better than Filmations. I hated the fact that it was always used as a joke on Mantenna. Catra was the Horde Force Captain and it should have been used on her more-I actually did think it was a bit sexist to not dunk Catra more. Like they were molly coddling the girl characters. Plus, using the trapdoor on Mantenna made it a joke, not scary like it should have been. You made it scarier when Catra was dumped down it.
      What does the fact that you saw that image of She-ra and dying Bow as your first image you wanted to work with? I'll tell you-that you love the toys and the shows and want to mix them for fan enjoyment!Just as you are doing with the Fright Zone.
      The heart thing was amazing.

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