Toy Chest Tuesday! Double Trouble

Toy Chest Tuesday is finally ready to begin. I enjoy this time of the week for many reasons. For one I get to actually remember some of the stuff that I have in my archival room. (This Toy Chest is one I could never forget owning though!) Secondly I realize that pretty much every toy I have owned from a child to the present day always has some sort of story attached to it. There are wonderful memories tied to every toy. Hopefully this will all aid me in my prevention of dementia when I gracefully turn 96 years young. I will more than likely have cybernetic parts keeping my raggedy body together, but I will be doing it in style.

Speaking of style, let's look at another stylish addition to the Princess of Power toyline from Mattel. This is not the first time a POP action doll has made an appearance on Toy Chest. The faithfull reader knows that many POP gals have already been colorfully discussed on this blog. Now the spotlight is ready to shine on Double Trouble, the glamorous double agent! Let's look at some photos!

Released in 1984 by Mattel, Double Trouble was a part of the 1st series of POP toys. She came on the standard Series 1 card, with She-Ra riding Swiftwind in the background. I still can't help but smile when I see this packaging. The shades of purples and pinks with some golds mixed in just made me so happy. I would go to Toysrus and just stare at the shelf display of all the POP characters. It was truly magical.

Anyways Double Trouble was the "green" character. Each POP character from the first wave had a specific color scheme. (i.e. Frosta had a lot of blue, She-Ra wore white, Castaspella had some yellows and oranges...) This was a theme for many toylines at the time, like Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Brite. The concept is also used for many toylines in the present. There is just something fun about each character wearing a specific color.

Other items that were packaged with Double Trouble included a removeable cape and skirt as well as the mini-comic titled Journey to Mizar. Unlike the other POP toys, Double Trouble did not have a great deal of rooted hair. She only came with a large ponytail. I can't help but wonder if Madonna stole Double Trouble's look for the Blonde Ambition tour. I really hope I'm not that only one that has ever thought that.

There was a reason though for Double Trouble's ponytail and unique green helmet. She had an action feature! If we flip the toy package over we can see exactly what made her such a big deal. Like Man-E-Faces from the Masters of the Universe toyline, Double Trouble was able to switch her face. By turning the dial on her back, Double Trouble could go from a sweet fresh faced Rebel, to a bold evil Horde-look. (I always enjoyed the evil face more than the goody-two-shoes one.)

The back of the package shows what the two faces look like. The "sweet" one has that dewy look, or maybe it's Maybelline. The "evil" face just has some bold unkempt eyebrows and heavy eye shadow. The artwork for the two heads was very cool. The drawings actually captured what the toy looked like. I would actually bust out my old Double Trouble to show real pictures of the two heads, but I fear switching her head would result in a catastrophic turn of events that would leave me entirely devastated. (And Double Trouble in real toy trouble.)

Either way the rest of the package featured the fantastic characters from Wave 1. Click here for a fun run down on this series. Again, the artwork was always fun. This toyline was truly magical and helped inspire a great deal of my imagination.

For some added factoid goodness, Double Trouble was a very unsual toy. She never appeared in the She-Ra cartoon and was only ever really mentioned in some of the Golden Books, mini-comics, and coloring books. This does not happen often for toylines. Usually a toyline that is based off of a cartoon or movie will feature toys that are in the show. Since Double Trouble never factored into the old cartoon, I have often wondered what her storyline would have been like. Hence why it was important for me to include her in my She-Ra fanfiction, Adora's Search for Honor. Being a double agent is not as glamorous as it seems. (If you haven't been reading the fanfiction yet, give it a shot. It isn't some great masterpiece of literary wonderment, but it is a lot of fun.)

One final little bit of information about Double Trouble and the POP toyline involves the reuse of parts. It is common knowledge that the reason the MOTU and POP toylines were so successful for Mattel was that most of the figures reused the same sculpted parts. For example, Double Trouble and Sweet Bee share the same leg and boot sculpts, they just have different paint jobs. Catra and Sweet Bee also share the same bodice. However, the reuse of shared parts was used far more with the MOTU toyline than with the POP toyline.

This is yet another reason why POP was such a special line. Each action doll was given special detail. Some parts may have been reused for different characters, but each toy had unique clothing and rooted hair to go with the painted faces and other sculpted parts. (No other POP gal dared to wear Frosta's thigh high boots, ok?) Double Trouble was also one of the more unique sculpts for the line. That green helmet was made just for her. (It was never reused for any other character.) This all may be old news for POP fans, but I just find it fascinating at the amount of work that was put into the POP toyline. POP may not have had as many figures as the MOTU line, but POP did have a lot of heart and quality. I hope to see more of that on display with the 4 Horsemen sculpting and designing more POP characters for the new Masters of the Universe Classics line!

So that is about it for this week's Toy Chest Tuesday! I hope you all enjoyed looking back on Double Trouble. I also realize I owe you all a Dorkette Book Club post from last week, I was a bit behind to say the least. I will deliver though. A new month is also approaching, so you all know what that means! (insert catchy theme song for a new Heroic Hottie) So keep it here!

Adora's Search for Honor Part 1: Chapter 19

Adora’s Search for Honor

Part 1

Chapter 19

Previously: Where to begin? A huge battle went down for Castle Chill. Sadly Frosta’s home sort of melted. She was also almost killed by Hordak but fought him off. Sea Hawk and his crew of pirates also helped the Rebels fight against the Horde. He also joined the Great Rebellion, even though he still has the ice diamond that he promised to get for Hordak. Catra finally met up with She-Ra. (It’s safe to say that Catra hates the Princess of Power) After all was said and done the heroes prepared to head back to the Whispering Woods as She-Ra flew off from the rest of the group to take care of some business, which is where we will begin…

Chapter 19

She-Ra takes a few steps inside the Crystal Castle. Flying from Castle Chill has left her slightly exhausted, but before she heads back to the Whispering Woods, She-Ra wants to bring a guest along. Looking around, She-Ra finds herself in good company as Light Hope glides across the floor, “Hello She-Ra. What brings you here?”

Smiling warmly, She-Ra says, “I am looking for Perfuma.” As if on cue, Perfuma descends the grand staircase. The flower maiden is pleased to see her friend, “She-Ra! What a nice surprise!” She-Ra smiles, It is good to see Perfuma. Ever since the events in the Midnight Lair, no one has really seen Perfuma. She-Ra took Perfuma to the Crystal Castle for safe keeping. After being bitten by a Pyre, Perfuma had intense cravings for blood. Away from any human contact, Perfuma hopefully found a way to overcome her desire for the red stuff.




Light Hope looks over at Perfuma, “Do you feel well enough to leave, Perfuma?” She-Ra is not sure what Perfuma has gone through, but she can tell that her friend has formed a close friendship with Light Hope. Smiling, Perfuma says, “Yes. I am ready. I just need to get a few things and say some goodbyes.” Hurrying back up the stairs, Perfuma disappears. She-Ra looks at Light hope, “Goodbyes?”




Beaming pure light, the once protector of Etheria smiles, “Perfuma has found herself quite a home away from home here. The Twiggets have enjoyed her company.” Nodding, She-Ra is curious, “And how has Perfuma been? Do you think she is ready to be around other people?” Pausing to answer, Light Hope goes on, “I do not feel it best to divulge what she went through here, but I do believe she is not a danger to others. Let me be clear though She-Ra, Perfuma may have to struggle with cravings for a long time to come. She has a handle on it now, but it may not always be the case.” Shuddering at the mere thought of her friend dealing with such a horrible process, She-Ra says, “We will all be looking out for her.”




A few moments pass and Perfuma eventually walks down the staircase again. The spritely Twiggets linger behind her. All three call out their goodbyes. On the main floor, Perfuma looks back at them, “Goodbye!” Turning to look at Light Hope, Perfuma smiles, “Oh Light Hope. Thank you for helping me.”




Light Hope smiles as light dances off his frame, “My dear, it was a pleasure helping and getting to know you. I hope you know that your presence is welcome here anytime.” She-Ra looks on at the two. Perfuma thinks of something else to say, “I will be back to visit. In the mean time though, do make sure the flowers continue to grow.” Tossing back a laugh, Light Hope looks at She-Ra, “Perfuma certainly has a way with plants. I don’t think this castle has seen so many flowers before. I will do my best to make sure they shine.” Perfuma nods matter-of-factly. She-Ra looks at Perfuma, “Are you ready?” Taking another look around the castle, Perfuma responds to She-Ra, “Yes. Let’s go home.”




Flying high in the air, Perfuma and She-Ra sit atop Swiftwind. Enjoying the sense of openness, Perfuma shares with She-Ra some of her stories from the Crystal Castle, “And She-Ra you would never believe what the poor Twiggets have been through! They were hunted down, but it just means so much to me that they wanted to talk to me about their journey. They were so shy at first!” Focusing on the flight, She-Ra is also listening, “I’ve never heard them talk. They have always been shy around me.” Perfuma goes on, “Well after I grew some lovely flowers on this little balcony, they really just hung around me! It was very nice.” She-Ra can’t help but notice that Perfuma talks like she has been on holiday, “Perfuma, how are you feeling? Do you want to talk about what you went through at all?”




The tone immediately changes. Perfuma is silent for what feels like an eternity. She-Ra wonders if she should have been silent. Finally Perfuma speaks, “I think I am fine. I can’t talk about what I went through though She-Ra. I just can’t.” Shuddering at the past few days, Perfuma wants to think of the happier moments and not the intense pain that came with cravings for fresh blood. Or the red tinged fantasies involving Perfuma’s teeth tearing into everyone she knows. Perfuma wants to think of the new forms of life she helped to create with the flowers at the Crystal Castle. Instead Perfuma starts to choke back tears. She just wants to feel like her old self.




She-Ra can’t see Perfuma, but she can hear her starting to cry. Oh I have upset her, that was never my intention, She-Ra tells herself. Trying to think of something to say, She-Ra softly speaks, “Perfuma, I’m sorry I asked that. If you don’t want to discuss anything, you don’t have to. That is your choice. Just know that there are a lot of people that are rooting for you. We are all here for you, ok?” She-Ra can feel Perfuma’s arms tightly wrap around her waist. Perfuma whispers, “Thank you She-Ra.” After a few moments, Perfuma composes herself, “So, what all have I missed since my stay in the Crystal Castle?” Looking back, She-Ra smiles, “Where should I begin?” As She-Ra rattles off the recent adventures of the Great Rebellion, they prepare to land in the Whispering Woods.




Hidden safely in the Whispering Woods is the glorious Castle Bright Moon. Members of the Rebellion go about their evening. Some people are working on various projects while others find time to rest and enjoy a nice meal before turning in for the night. Other people discuss the assault on Castle Chill and how the Empress Frosta was nearly killed. Some Rebels are hopeful that the Rebellion will win the fight against the Horde, while others whisper that they may all be doomed.




Inside a healing room and resting on a bed each, two friends begin to catch up. Frosta and Mermista were both injured in different battles against the Horde. Frosta peers out of the only open window in the room, looking at the last rays of the day shining away into night. Minwu, a powerful healer, is looking over the two ladies. Frosta rolls over in her bed, “Darling, fetch me something sweet please.”




Minwu pauses, “Empress Frosta, you just arrived to Bright Moon. I have not fully gone over all your wounds from the assault at Chill. I would like to make sure you are alright.” Frosta sits up, brushing him off, “Does it look like I’m dying? Please, a little dessert would go a long way. Now that I am… homeless… I would at least like to enjoy something to quell my hunger.”




Looking over at the unfolding mess, Mermista smiles, “You might as well do as she asks Minwu. She won’t stop until she gets her way.” Frosta looks over at her friend, “Finally, someone understands. Now go Minwu. And bring something for Mermista too. She looks like she could use a meal.” Minwu shrugs, exiting quickly. Frosta makes him nervous.




“I think you scared him sufficiently.” Mermista calls out. Frosta rolls her eyes, “Oh darling, he’ll be fine. Now tell me, what is that smell?” Ever since her arrival at Bright Moon, Frosta has been unable to shake a particular scent. Mermista looks around the room sniffing, “I don’t really smell anything Frosta. I think it is in your head.”

“Rubbish! I smell something. It is going to drive me crazy.” Frosta looks around the room, trying to figure the mystery out. Mermista notices the marks on Frosta’s neck, “Does that hurt? What happened?” Frosta runs her fingers across her neck, recalling Hordak’s hands as he tried to strangle her, “Oh this is nothing a draped scarf won’t fix. I am fine. Hordak thought he had me, but I got the last laugh. Honestly, I don’t know why the Horde even bothers. More importantly, who turned you into a pin cushion?”

Mermista looks down at her knife wounds, “Some Horde member calling herself Octavia. I thought I was alright, though I guess I had lost more blood than I thought. I’ve just been feeling woozy.” Frosta starts to chuckle. “Did I say something funny?” Mermista asks bordering on being hurt. Frosta shakes her head, as the chuckles turn into laughs, “Just look at us darling! Disasters in the glorious making.” Mermista looks at her friend and starts to laugh too. They both look disheveled and a mess. “There was a time neither of us would have been caught dead looking like this!” Mermista laughs out.

They continue to laugh until their sides hurt. Actually it is more than just their sides. Their laughter becomes infectious and uncontrollable. The lively laughter between the two changes though as Frosta’s eyes meet Mermista’s. They both nearly died. Frosta watched her home crumble away. Her lip trembles, “It’s all gone Mermista. My home. It’s gone.” Frosta breaks down. Mermista stumbles out of her bed and hugs her friend, “Frosta, it will be ok. You are alive, that is the most important thing. We will help you rebuild.” Mermista gets out of her bed and sits next to Frosta. The two friends hug each other.      

Through the tears and laughter, Frosta thanks Mermista, “What would I do without you Mermista? You are my best friend.” Mermista smiles, “As you are mine. Oh Frosta, how did our world ever become such a mess?” They are both weary and worn down. Soon Minwu brings in gifts of colorful confections.

Upon walking into the room, Minwu pauses as he stares at Frosta and Mermista sitting together on a bed, “Umm. I have brought the desserts.” He does not know what is going on. Frosta blankly stares at the healer, “Well put the treats down darling. They aren’t going to eat themselves.” Frosta looks at Mermista, shaking her head, “I mean really.” Mermista is glad to see Frosta back to her normal icy self. They both start laughing again. Minwu turns to leave and whispers aloud, “Women.”

Inside a newly furnished room inside Castle Bright Moon, Netossa gets comfortable in her new living space. Glimmer and Bow had brought Netossa to the room, helping her to settle in. She marvels at the space and how nice everything is. There is a plush bed with a small table to the side. There are a few book shelves as well as an old cushiony chair. Next to the door is a tall mirror. Suddenly she finds herself in company with Sea Hawk. He walks in the room taking everything in, "This place is different from Castle Chill, huh? Feels a lot warmer." Netossa smiles, "Yes much warmer. It is also better than an airship with smelly men too." Sea Hawk pretends to be hurt.

Netossa walks by an open window, taking in the night air, "And how is your room?" Sea Hawk shrugs, "Don't know yet. My crew and I are actually getting ready to leave." Turning to look at Sea Hawk, Netossa throws up a hand, "Wait. You just got here, why are you leaving?" Netossa is not happy with this bit of news. Her friendship with the pirate has become an important one for her. Sea Hawk grins, "Now 'Tossa, no reason to go and miss me yet." Netossa raises an eyebrow as if to say, don’t be so smug. Sea Hawk continues, "I will be back. There has been word of some resources on the outskirts of the Fright Zone. With a new influx of people to Bright Moon, I think it best to bring in more food. Every little bit helps, right?"


"That is nice of you Sea Hawk. I still can't believe you came back." Netossa is in shock that the pirate had a change of heart. Sea Hawk nods, "I don't think my crew would have forgiven me. It may not seem like I always have my priorities together, but I knew I needed to come back." Thinking of how bad things were in Castle Chill, Netossa shudders, "I'm glad you came back. Things were pretty scary for awhile." Sea Hawk nods, knowing there is much that he is leaving out.


The two talk for a little while longer. Sea Hawk asks if Netossa has seen the rest of the castle. "I would love to see everything Sea Hawk. Bright Moon seems like a wonderful place. However, I think I will rest some before I become familiar with my surroundings. Fighting against the Horde can take a great deal of energy out of you." Netossa says eyeing the bed in her room. She wants nothing more than to hop in and fall asleep under the covers. Sea Hawk understands and says goodbye. The pirate heads out of her room, preparing to leave.


After being dropped off by She-Ra, Perfuma greets Angella inside Bright Moon. "Oh Angella, it is nice to be back!" Perfuma exclaims, giving a hug to the queen of Bright Moon. Angella looks Perfuma over, "And how are you doing? I trust that everything is well?" Perfuma smiles showing no trace of the horrors she has endured, "I am lovely. There is so much that I am ready to just jump right into! I need to see how my flowers are doing. I would love to throw some sort of party. By the way, where is everyone?" Perfuma asks looking around the main hall of Bright Moon. I wasn't planning for a parade, but I had at least hoped to see some of my friends. I hope they aren’t scared of me, Perfuma thinks to herself.


As if reading Perfuma’s mind, Angella says, "With everything that we have all been through, I think everyone is taking some time to rest. Believe me though when I say this, we have all missed you Perfuma." Perfuma hugs Angella, trying to think of the brighter side of things, "Oh yes, I know. Even She-Ra is tired. She just dropped me off and then flew away. I’ll say hello to everyone tomorrow.” Angella nods reaching out to hug Perfuma again, “I will see you tomorrow morning Perfuma. Have a good night.”


Perfuma watches Angella head off towards her quarters. Perfuma whispers to herself, “I can’t sleep though…” Walking through Bright Moon, Perfuma heads to the healing bay. She has to see the sleeping survivor from Poft. Walking into the room, Perfuma can see that Minwu is already there. He is sleeping in a chair. There are flowers in the room. Tears fill her eyes; they remembered to have flowers for the sleeping Poft survivor. Perfuma stands next to the sleeping beauty, the dancer, and says to her, “I am so sorry for the way I was. I never would have hurt you.” Recalling her hunger and desire to rip into the dancer’s body, Perfuma makes a vow that she will not hurt anyone.


In another part of Bright Moon, Spira is quietly walking through a back way to her room. After the events at Castle Chill, Spira found a way to sneak off back to the Whispering Woods. She is tired and has a few important things to take care of before returning to the Fright Zone. Quietly walking down the hall to her room, Spira pauses. She can hear the sound of crying coming from Glimmer’s room.


Slowly approaching the door, Spira knocks. She can hear Glimmer composing herself. The door creaks open, Glimmer focuses her eyes on her cousin, “Spira? Come on in.” Spira walks in, explaining that she came back home for a little rest, “I really wanted to sleep in my own bed tonight.”


Glimmer nods, “I can understand that. I’m glad you are here.” The two sit down on the floor discussing the recent events. They also drift to their childhood and how close they were. Glimmer smiles, “This is so nice, getting the chance to bond. I feel like we don’t do that enough.” Spira agrees, “Yes, well, bouncing all over the place has put a damper on family. I do agree though, it is nice to just spend time with you.” There is a brief pause before Spira talks again, “If you don’t mind my asking Glimmer, why were you crying? I could hear you in the hall just now.”


With eyes wide in embarrassment, Glimmer looks down at the floor, “I didn’t think anyone would hear me.” Trying to look at Glimmer’s face, Spira goes on, “I’m sure no one else heard you, I just happened to be walking towards my room. Is everything ok?” Looking up at her cousin, Glimmer lets out a sigh, “I’ve just been really sad. Now that all the fighting has taken a momentary pause, I just started thinking about the current state of my life.” Before Spira can say anything else, Glimmer launches into a summary of her broken heart and Bow, “It just hurts. I really thought Bow would like me. I almost told him how I felt, but he likes someone else. It is just depressing. I really thought he liked me in that way.”


Doing her best to listen with an open mind, Spira can’t help but find the emotional drama a bit annoying. Snapping ever so slightly, Spira says, “Sounds pretty tough. I’m sure you’ll be fine though.” Oblivious to the change in Spira’s tone, Glimmer nods, “I’ll be fine eventually. I just don’t want it to hurt this much. You know what I mean?” Spira fervently shakes her head, “No, no. I don’t know what you mean Glimmer. I’m sorry, but I have no clue. I don’t get many opportunities to develop crushes on anyone. I get to look forward to going back to the Fright Zone, alone, with a group of villainous monsters at every turn. I wish my problems were as simple as a broken heart.”


Glimmer pauses, “Wait a minute Spira, I don’t like that you have to go to the Fright Zone. I wish you didn’t have to spy at all. If I could have taken your place back then, I would have, in a heartbeat.” Spira wants to laugh at the statement, “That’s an easy thing to say.” Hearing the tone in Spira’s voice, Glimmer asks, “What does that mean?” Spira finds herself getting angry, “It means you are full of it. You are a princess Glimmer. Even if you had wanted to be a double agent, no one would have let that happen. You have to continue the line. It is easy to say you’d take my place, because you know it would never happen.”


Dropping her mouth in shock, Glimmer protests, “I disagree! How could you say something like that? I hate that you are all alone in your work against the Horde. I want you to be here safe with us. More importantly, I have been through horrendous experiences. I don’t care if I am a princess, I would be able to make those choices.” Spira nods, “Right, which is why the only choice you can moan about is the fact that Bow doesn’t like you. Look at yourself Glimmer! You are one of the bravest women I know, and yet you want to sob because a boy doesn’t like you? I’ve seen you face down monsters. You are better than this. Who cares that Bow doesn’t like you. Move on, you are better than all of it!”


With arms crossed, Glimmer spits out, “So what are you saying? I have to be focused on the important things only? I know the world we live in is shitty. We are oppressed. People are losing their homes, their lives. Should I be more like you? Bitter and hardened by the horrible things I have done? I can’t help that I also have feelings. I should not have to apologize for being hurt, no matter how trivial it may be to you.” Both women are red in the face, they have never been this upset at each other.




Spira looks at her cousin and instantly hates having to fight with her, “Oh Glimmer, there is nothing wrong with being hurt over a broken heart. I’m sorry for being crude. I just am stressed and concerned about how we will survive. And I look at you… I see this strong willed woman and I don’t want to see you hurting like this, over Bow. No offense, I love Bow, but who cares if he likes you or not? You are pure shining light, don’t let anyone cause you to falter and dim.”




Glimmer knows her cousin is right, “I’m sorry too Spira. You are risking your life every time you step into the Fright Zone. I don’t know that I could do it. Or rather I really wouldn’t want to.” Spira smiles, “You could if you had no other choice. We are cousins; that bravery runs through both of us.” The two cousins hug each other. Glimmer asks, “Do you really have to go back Spira? Can’t you just stay here?” Spira shrugs, “I wish I could. I want nothing more than to give up being a double agent. However I have the ability to find where Kowl is and I must find out more about this Doom Dispenser that the Horde is building to destroy the Whispering Woods.” Glimmer hates the reality that they are in. Spira eventually gets up and heads to the door. Glimmer calls out, “Good night cousin.” Spira hugs Glimmer, “Good night.”




In a clearing off to the side of Bright Moon, Sea Hawk is almost finished with his preparations. His crew is about to start the ship. Before they leave though, a visitor approaches. Adora walks up to a very surprised Sea Hawk, “Wow, Adora, you are alive. I thought you were murdered!” Adora grins, “And I thought you worked for the Horde.” Sea Hawk walks up to her, “That was your job title darlin.’ I was always on contract.” Adora nods, “Right. So what are you doing joining the Rebellion and leaving so soon?”




Sea Hawk crosses his arms, “Is that how this whole Rebellion thing works? Everyone gets into each other’s business?” Adora shakes her head, “Only when there is a question of one’s loyalties.” Walking even closer to Adora, Sea Hawk half grins, “Haven’t you heard? My loyalties are to the Rebellion now. I’m sure you can understand that. Glad you are among the living Adora. You look as beautiful as ever.” The pirate smiles and Adora catches a whiff of his cologne. For some odd reason her heart flutters. Brushing that odd feeling away, Adora prepares for more questions. Before she can ask anything else, Sea Hawk turns. His ship is lifting off the ground. Waving with a wink, Sea Hawk grabs hold of a dangling ladder and the ship flies off. Adora stands there looking at him fly away…

*** 

In another darker part of Etheria, the Fright Zone is bustling with much activity. Locked in a section of cells, Prince Adam sits in darkness. After recalling his memories and trying to fight his way out, Adam was taken as a prisoner. Locked in a dank cold cell, the prince has had to keep himself company. The area he is in is reserved for the most important of prisoners. This is my life now, Adam says to himself. He wonders how he will escape.




He hears the sound of heels walking down the rows of cells. Someone wants a visit. Approaching his cell, Catra peers through the bars, “You fool. You had everything. Now how does it feel to be living in such wretched circumstances?” Adam chuckles, “This little space is great. I’d rather live in this dump than go on living some lie with the likes of you. I have my memories back. I know what real love is. I have people that care about me, and they will be here.”




Catra cackles a laugh. Purring through the bars, Catra taunts, “There are some memories that are missing though, correct? You have no memories of that annoying sister. That’s right; you never got to meet her. Such a shame. Don’t worry; when I killed her she wasn’t hurting. Much.” Adam jumps up rattling the bars, “Say another word about my sister…” Catra purrs, “Oh there are many things I can say about your sister. But what does it matter? She is dead. You traveled all this way, for nothing…” Adam shakes his head, “No not for nothing. Because when I get out of this cell, I will rip your head off your body.” Catra pretends to shiver, “So scary. I’ll be looking forward to it.” Catra laughs again before walking off. Her laughs echo down the hall.




Adam slumps to the ground, tears forming in his eyes. Could it be true? Have I missed the chance to meet my twin sister? I am so sorry I could not save you… Adam cries to himself. Suddenly a voice calls out from a cell next to Adam’s, “Young man, don’t listen to Catra. I know many things, one thing being this: never trust that jealous beauty.” Adam wishes he could see his cell-mate. The darkness forbids any visual contact, but Adam does say hello. The voice calls back, “It is nice to meet you. Now, what are you in here for?”




In another section of the Fright Zone, Hordak and Entrapta are involved in a private meeting. “What have you been finding out on her, Entrapta?” Hordak asks, feeding some scraps to his pet Imp. Entrapta looks on in disgust, “Not much really. I have talked and gotten close, and I have to say, I like becoming her friend. I don’t quite understand why you have asked me to be keeping tabs on Catra.” Hordak pauses from taking care of Imp, “There is no reason to fully understand anything I ask of you Entrapta. I will say this though; Catra is a bit… impulsive. I need her to be watched. I know her feeling towards the Horde is great, but I am not sure where her allegiance could ultimately be.”




Entrapta is full of questions, “Where else would her allegiance follow?” Hordak sits up, “Herself. Make no mistake, Catra believes in the Horde, but her own personal quests may lead her in any direction. I have told you this before, but I firmly believe she wanted Adora out of the way. So she distorted evidence to go in her favor. She knew I would be enraged at anyone who spies on the Horde. Catra’s hatred over Adora led to her murder. I was not finished with Adora. Now we are all suffering from Catra’s own selfish needs. So she must be watched, her motives might be harmful.” Entrapta tilts her head, “Are you saying that Catra could be the real spy?”




Snorting, Hordak brushes Imp away, “I’m not saying a thing. It is possible Catra could have created an environment for a double agent to exist so that she could create proof to justifiably kill Adora, but that is of no importance. It is all too late now. My intent is to ensure that the Horde operates seamlessly. We have a larger mission that must be accomplished. Anyone who deters that mission for any reason is expendable. So keep a close eye on Catra. There have been too many distractions as of late.” Entrapta does not agree with some of Hordak’s ideas, but she can agree on one thing, “I agree. There have been too many distractions going on around here Hordak. I think it is high time that our investigations start finding some answers soon.”

*** 

A new day begins in Castle Bright Moon. Spira is preparing for a visit with Queen Angella about her plans for returning to the Fright Zone. Spira wants nothing more than to stay inside her room. Adora taps on the open bedroom door, “Am I bothering you Spira?” Spira smiles, “Of course not! Come on in Adora.” The two catch up. “So you are going back to the Fright Zone?” Adora asks full of concern. Spira nods. Adora does not like this, “But why Spira? I understand that there is some more information that you need, but it is just too dangerous.” Spira laughs, “It has been dangerous since day one. I will be fine. I must admit though, it is harder now that you are no longer there.”




Adora shrugs, “I could always sneak in and help in the shadows?” Spira laughs, “Oh no. The Horde thinks you are dead. I think that should stay that way.” The two friends discuss their friendship. “It is almost over though Adora, I can feel it. I am so close to finding out where Kowl is, and if I can stop the construction of this Doom Dispenser, than it will have all been worth it. All of it.” Adora knows that Spira is also referring to the horrible acts that they have done as Horde members. “Do you think we will be forgiven for the things we have done Spira?” Adora asks. Spira shrugs, “I’m not sure Adora. I close my eyes at night and think of the terror we have inflicted on people. We may both have our own reasons, but those actions are still there. Nothing can be taken back.”




“I suppose. I hope the people we have hurt can forgive us. I wish I had known better.” Adora shakes her head thinking about all that has been wasted. Spira reminds Adora of all that has also been good in their lives, “We have our lives, our friendships. When the Horde is finally gone all those tough questions can be tackled then.” Adora thinks about that, “What will you do with your time when the Horde is finally gone?”




Pausing before answering, Spira carefully thinks, “There are many things I will do. The biggest one will be writing. I will finally finish writing a story I have been writing my whole life.” Adora has never heard this from Spira before, “You write? After all this time, I never knew that.” Spira blushes, “That is because I have never told anyone. I have always enjoyed writing, ever since I was a child.” Adora is so glad to know this, “Where are your stories? What do you write?” Spira takes a step back, “Whoa, hold on now! I have my stories here, at Bright Moon. I never write anywhere else, they are safe here. As for what I write about, I am too nervous to even share that right now.” Adora smiles, “Well I hope when this nightmare is over you have the courage to share your story with us Spira. I look forward to that.” Warmly smiling, Spira beams, “I just might do that Adora. Thank you for being interested.” Adora thanks Spira for sharing.




Together, Spira and Adora head towards Angella’s throne room. Spira looks at her friend, “You never said what you will do with your time Adora…” Looking over at her friend, Adora says, “I am going to finally meet my family. That is a reunion that is long overdue.”




Both women meet with Angella. Glimmer also joins the small group. Spira announces her plans for her return to the Fright Zone. Angella is not happy, “With the arrival of She-Ra, I am fully confident that we would be able to stop whatever this Doom Dispenser has for us. I want you here with us Spira, it is safer.” Spira understands, “Of course Queen Angella. However we still need Kowl. I firmly believe I will find him. As for She-Ra, I am aware of her strength, but we don’t know what we are dealing with in terms of the Doom Dispenser. I plan on finding it and dismantling it. That is the only way I will feel safe. I promise though, once my mission has been completed, I will return. Permanently.”




Footsteps enter into the throne room behind them. Frosta strides in with a scarf around her neck, “Darling, you have one other mission.” Everyone looks at Frosta. Spira rolls her eyes, “I’m not some short order cook Frosta.” Frosta shrugs, “I realize that darling. That is why we have Minwu.” Glimmer pipes up, “Actually, we have Minwu for healing purposes…” Frosta raises a hand, “I don’t care. I am missing my ice diamond. With all the commotion of my family home melting to the ground, I had forgotten that my ice diamond has been stolen.”




Crossing her arms, Spira bellows, “Frosta, I’m not going on a mission to recover some lost jewels.” Shaking her head, Frosta goes on, “The ice diamond is more than just a jewel darling. It may sound silly, but that diamond is mighty powerful. After I said good riddance to the pirates, I took a rather heavy nap. Once I awoke, that fur ball Grizzlor was looming over me. I have strong reason to believe that he stole my ice diamond. And since you will be in the Fright Zone, I would like you to see what you can find. This isn’t that difficult.” Adora is in disbelief, “I’m not sure Spira will have the time…” Spira speaks up, “That is fine.” Wanting to be done with the conversation, Spira speaks up, “I’ll do my best Frosta.” Looking back at everyone, Spira goes on, “If that is all, I will be gone. I will be back soon.” Spira says her goodbyes, leaving the group.




Frosta watches Spira leave and turns to look at Angella, “Alright, I have one more thing to say. Angella, do you smell anything strange? Your castle has this odd odor. At first I thought it was Mermista, but as I have been walking around, I have noticed that the smell is just everywhere.” Angella sits on her throne, trying to understand, “I don’t know what you mean. I can’t smell anything.” Frosta blankly looks at Adora and Glimmer, “Well?” Glimmer shrugs. Adora shakes her head. Throwing her hands up in the air, Frosta turns to leave.

*** 

Time passes on. In the Fright Zone, Hordak is at the cargo bay area, having a conversation with Sea Hawk. Hordak grins, “So nice to see you pirate. Do you finally have what I need?” Sea Hawk stands tall, hating every second of what he is about to do, “Yeah, I have it. Here.” Sea Hawk produces the ice diamond and hands it to Hordak. The pirate has no idea why the Horde leader has requested such a garish jewel, but Sea Hawk wants the rest of his coin from an earlier job. With the remaining amount of coin, Sea Hawk plans on helping the Rebellion with tons of supplies. Forgive me Empress, I didn’t want to steal from you, Sea Hawk says to himself. Though, he also reasons that Frosta must have plenty of other jewels at her disposal anyway. She probably won’t even realize it is gone, he mutters aloud.




Hordak is pleased to have the ice diamond, “This is wondrous. Here is the rest of your payment pirate.” Hordak promises and delivers a bag of coins for Hawk. Taking the bag from Hordak, Sea Hawk mentions, “Alright. That is it. I got what you want. I’m done now. You’ll have to find someone else to do your deliveries Hordak. I am through being on contract for the Horde.” Sea Hawk stands tall as Hordak laughs at him, “Oh that is truly funny pirate. You don’t get to say when you are finished with the Horde, and you are far from finished. I have more uses for you. If this is a problem, I can certainly find someone else to take your place. But remember pirate, your new place will not be pretty.” Hordak snaps his fingers as Grizzlor and Leech appear from the side.




Knocking Sea Hawk to the ground, the two Hordesmen pin him to the ground. Grizzlor holds a knife to his neck, “Do you want me to kill him Mighty Hordak?” Stepping in front of the laid out pirate, Hordak snorts, “That depends all on Sea Hawk. Come on Sea Hawk, what will it be?” Sea Hawk closes his eyes; he knew this would not be simple, “What do you want me to do?”


“Excellent. Teamwork is a great thing. Well Sea Hawk, since you wanted to help your new friends at Castle Chill earlier, how about from now on you help me with any information I need about them?” Hordak snorts out another loud laugh.

*** 

Inside the courtyard at Bright Moon, Perfuma is working on some flowers. The sun is shining brightly, and for a moment Perfuma has forgotten about her troubles. There is no sadness; just sweet smelling flowers. She is happy to be outside, under the sun, safe. Startling Perfuma out of her reverie, Glimmer taps the flower maiden’s shoulder. Perfuma turns and smiles from ear to ear. All of her friends are standing in the courtyard. One by one, they give Perfuma a hug offering words of encouragement. Bow tells her that they need to work on a special song for someone… Netossa introduces herself to Perfuma… Angella hugs Perfuma tightly… Adora has tears in her eyes, she cares about Perfuma and wants to share that she is She-Ra, and that she will do anything to help her friend, though she refrains… Madame Razz grins, producing some flowers and doing a fun impromptu dance with Perfuma… Mermista smiles and finally gives Perfuma free reign to landscape the Crystal Falls… Glimmer hugs Perfuma and shares a message from Spira as well as Peekablue and Castaspella who were unable to be there… Minwu kisses Perfuma on the cheek, catching the flower maiden off guard… Finally Frosta hugs Perfuma and asks her, “Darling, I have to ask. Do you smell that odor? I can’t get away from it and I am literally going insane.” Perfuma smiles, “Frosta, it is not an odor. You smell the scent of outside, of nature.” Gasping, Frosta groans, “Oh no. Living here is going to be worse than I thought.” Everyone laughs and Perfuma is thrilled to be loved by so many wonderful people.

***

Elsewhere inside the Fright Zone, Spira manages to walk through some passageways and back rooms. Studying over the blueprints of the Doom Dispenser, Spira actually believes she has found the location of the newly constructed Horde Weapon. I can’t believe how many things Hordak has going on all at once, Spira marvels aloud.




Entering a dimly lit room, Spira notices a large piece of canvas material covering a mass in the center of the room. Slowly walking towards the massive structure, Spira looks over the blueprints again. Destroying this device would not be simple, but Spira is confident that she can do it. Lifting her hands up, Spira takes hold of the canvas. She starts pulling it down, awaiting the vision of the mysterious Doom Dispenser.




Nothing is there. Spira steps back confused. There is nothing under the canvas. It was an illusion. Bright lights quickly flood the dimly lit room. The light is blinding. Spira tries to cover her eyes to see what is going on. She is not alone. Horde Troopers are lined against the walls. Hordak enters the room with Entrapta, Catra, and Shadow Weaver.




“Spira. What a surpise.” Hordak calls out approaching her. Spira is cautious, “Mighty Hordak. What is going on?” She can hear a sound of annoyance escape Catra’s lips. Hordak ignores everything and looks at Spira, “I’ll tell you what is going on Spira. I’m a bit unhappy.” Hordak shocks Spira with a gut punch, “I don’t like it when people try to fool me. It is so much better when I get to do the fooling.”




Spira doubles over in pain. This is it. I am caught, Spira shakes. “Did you think you’d make it all work Spira? I am the ruler of the Horde; I make sure this empire works.” Spira looks up at him, “I don’t know what you mean.”




Hordak’s eyes glow red. He grabs Spira by the hair, dragging her across the floor, “There is no Doom Dispenser Spira. It was all a hoax, a way to trap you. Thanks to Catra’s selfish ways, her ineptitude led me to work on finding the real double agent inside the Fright Zone. Adora was too simple to ever be a double agent. I’ve long suspected it was you, and now I have found the ultimate proof. Only a Rebel would have the audacity to come in here and destroy a machine bent on burning the Whispering Woods to a crisp. Good job though on fooling me for this long.” Hordak kicks Spira towards Entrapta and Catra, “Get that filthy piece of trash up. Take her to the cells; she is a prisoner of the Horde now.”




Spira looks at Catra, “Don’t let him do this.” Catra looks on in disgust, “No one will be able to help you now, traitor.” Spira is about to fight her way out, until she feels Entrapta’s hair wrap around her neck. Entrapta grins, “Now, now, now… there will be none of that.” Spira’s heart is beating all too fast. This was not part of the plan! Spira screams to herself. Catra grins, “Alright Double Trouble, let’s see how you like the Fright Zone now.” Spira is led to the slave cells, and the only thing she can think of is that she should have just stayed home…


As Spira is taken away, Shadow Weaver glides next to Hordak, “What are we going to do with her, mighty Hordak?” Looking at Spira being taken away, Hordak grins with glowing red eyes, “Very simple Weaver. The Horde is going to execute her.”




Up next!


Only two more chapters until the exciting end to part 1! I would say more, but what else is there to say? Be here next weekend for She-Ra Saturday!       

Toy Regrets- Attack of the 50 Foot Doll

Hello dear readers. It is time for that wonderful trip down my brutal tragic past of toy collecting memories. For those who are just tuning in, check out this previous installment of Toy Regrets to fully understand what kind of madness that's about to go down.

Growing up I was a Barbie girl. There were many other dolls on the shelves, but I only had eyes for Barbie and her awkward unfolding karate chop arms. She had the best clothes. The coolest cars. And a dreamy man made of plastic. That sounds really weird, but his name was Ken if that changes anything.

Well in the late '80s Barbie got a real run for her money by way of Jem. As in Jem and the Holograms. Needless to say I was obsessed over Jem and all her songs. Unlike Barbie, Jem also had a really nasty arch nemesis. Pizzazz and her other trashily fun bandmates made me yearn for the days when I too would get to wear tight animal print dresses and have a wild mane of green teased hair.

There was only one problem with Hasbro's Jem dolls. They were gigantic compared to Barbie. Couple that with my serious neurotic ways as a child, and there was much back and forth with wanting to have my own Jem doll. Everytime I'd watch an episode of Jem I'd say, "Oh I just would love a Jem doll!" I'd go to the toy aisle with good intentions, fully ready to pick out my first Jem doll. There was always some nervousness about who I'd pick first. Every time I'd chicken out and pick something else instead. I just had serious issues with buying another doll that would be larger than Barbie. How would they coexist? What kind of world would have disproportioned Barbie and glamazonian Jem attending the same parties? These were serious issues.

So I did nothing. I simply played with the idea of wanting Jem dolls. The waiting was fine for me. I truly believed that Jem would be around for a long time, so my indecisiveness would be safe. After all, Jem truly gave Barbie some competition. Would we have even seen Barbie and the Rockers had Jem not come along? These are the important philosophical questions of the day people! However Jem soon began to fade away from the toy scene, apparently her longevity wasn't as strong as I had thought.

As the line of Jem dolls slowly started disappearing from the shelves, my heart started to panic. Would I get over my issues and finally nab a Jem doll before it was too late? Finally my point of personal growth had arrived to the conclusion that I would actually pick out my first Jem doll, if the opportunity were to ever present itself.

One weekend, my baby brother and I were going to spend the weekend with our Nana. Since we didn't see our Nana that much, she enjoyed taking us to a store and spoiling us just a little. On the way to Walmart I whispered to my brother, "I'm finally going to do this, I will get a Jem doll!" He looked at me like I was coo-coo-crazy. I was excited, so it didn't really matter. I felt like I was stepping out of my comfort zone, showing off my wild side and announcing to the world that I was not some neurotic mess of a child!

So there we were, walking through the toy aisle in Walmart. My eyes fell upon the remaining Jem dolls on the shelves. The Glitter 'n Gold Jem doll was smiling at me from her plastic tomb. She was telling me, "Miss M, you are here! Finally. Pick me! You will never regret it! I am wearing gold lamé, your favorite!" I reached out and held the box in my hands. I did love gold lamé. The Glitter 'n Gold Jem doll had that "new look." As did the Glitter 'n Gold Rio. There was even a Glitter 'n Gold Roadster in a badly beaten up box. It was all so new and exciting. I felt like a rebel.

I started to get nervous. I had wasted so much time turning away Jem dolls before, that I wasn't sure what to do. That was when Barbie suddenly appeared, perched up on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, "Oh Miss M, what are you doing? Jem? Just look at how tall she is. And those arms! Does she have cankles? Listen kid, I get that you want to try something new, something different, but stick to what you know. Barbie is the only doll for you." I nodded. Barbie's attack on Jem's character was clear: Jem was a dangerous and new choice. Barbie was the only doll I knew.

Jem cried out in her tomb, "Wait! Barbie has been around forever, don't let her win. Now is your chance, pick me Miss M! I come with a cassette! I'll help you sing, I'll turn you into a star! You won't end up hating yourself twenty years from now!" Oh it had just gotten out of control. All the voices were just too much. I was exhausted. My brain was telling me to listen to Barbie, but my heart was pleading for me to pick Jem.

I picked neither. To end the madness of choosing, I decided to go in the opposite direction with Ariel. Tyco had just come out with a new line of Little Mermaid dolls to accompany the Disney movie. The display for the Little Mermaid dolls was new and shiny. I placed Jem back on her bare shelf and went about my way. Barbie approved of picking Ariel. The Little Mermaid dolls were shorter than Barbie. The blonde bombshell was pleased with my decision. Barbie was still safe, high atop her perch of perfection. No one would be outdoing her.

As for Jem, she sat on that shelf looking on at me as I made a grave mistake. She knew I wouldn't feel it immediately, but Jem knew that there would come a time that I would regret that fateful day. Secretly, I knew she was right.

Years would go by and I would grow older. My love for Barbie would still be there, though our relationship would be different. I realized that Barbie could use her powers for good and evil. She was a bit chaotic with her sense of perfection, and goodness knows I have been far from perfect.

Like most dorky folk, I began to inquire about the toys that got away. A part of me always wanted to correct the wrongs I made as a silly child. I would grow to regret passing on the chance to own a Jem doll. After all, Jem only had her one chance in the spotlight. Unlike Barbie's long storied career on toy shelves, Hasbro had scrapped any future plans of a Jem comeback. And while I patiently waited for Jem's return, I had to settle for stalking ebay with the hopes of finding the dolls. Upon seeing the price for those old Jem dolls, I had this to say, "Hundreds of dollas for Jem dolls!? I ain't got time for that!" I realize I could just buy some loose Jem dolls, but let's be real, I'm still neurotic and won't settle for anything less than mint.

So now I sit by quietly awaiting for the return of Jem. Most things get a second chance, third if their lucky, but I have hope that Hasbro will finally find a way to bring Jem back to the toy aisle. I have some major making up to do.


Or do I? Is it entirely possible that I have somehow managed to own a Jem doll after all this time? I guess there is only one way to find out, and I'm not sayin' a word until then. So until next time dear readers, absolutely no Toy Regrets!

I leave you with this...

Toy Chest Tuesday! Popcorn Pretties

The topic of scented toys is nothing new on Diary of a Dorkette. Who hasn't enjoyed smelling a toy that claims to smell like various types of flowers, fruits, desserts, or even a malodorous evil skunk warrior? Back in the '80s and early '90s there were plenty of scented toys on the shelves that made the sweet smell of success for many toy companies. In the present day, toy shelves are missing the various options that scented toys had back in their heyday. Every now and then a toy line might incorporate scent as a feature for its items. Thankfully the world has yet to grow tired of Strawberry Shortcake's various incarnations as well. So for today's Toy Chest Tuesday, I thought it best to look at an old smelly relic: Popcorn Pretties!

Mattel has always had some great and innovative ideas for its toy properties. Released in 1991, Popcorn Pretties were these little dolls that popped from a kernel to a sweet smelling doll that looked like a southern belle with a large obnoxious hat. Let's look!

The package plays up the images of popcorn with the drawn popcorn bag. I always wanted to eat popcorn whenever I saw these toys. They triggered my addiction to collecting while also adding to my caloric intake and food cravings. The captions also did a great job of explaining the whole toy concept. "She 'pop's from a kernel and becomes Blueberry Betty!" Each Popcorn Prettie had a similar introduction. (And seriously, do these look like southern belle debutantes or what?) To the right another caption read, "Drop it to 'pop' it! Again and again! It really 'pops'!" The doll's skirt folds up and when dropped on a hard surface, the skirt pops back to normal showing the doll on the inside. These were similar to Cupcake Dolls, but smaller and with more of an "action" feature.

Looking more closely at the doll, we can see there was a great amount of detail put into a Popcorn Prettie. Each doll had molded hair with two little rooted ponytails. Some extra material was also placed over the plastic skirt. Each character also had a scent that was unique to them. Blueberry Betty smelled like vomit. I'm totally joking. She smelled like fake blueberry scent. I'm not sure why she had pink hair, but I guess there was some sort of reason behind it. I would have liked her hair to have been a nice shade of blue or indigo. Look at me trying to be all Rainbow Brite in this piece.

Flipping the card over we can see many cool things. There was a pretty little poem to describe the world of Popcorn Pretties. To the right, we find that no child model was hurt while popping this popcorn doll since a drawn diagram was used to show the features of the Popcorn Pretties (though Mattel did use a real hand model for some photos below.) There was also a list of the other Popcorn Pretties up for grabs at the store. One of my favorite things about this item was the ability to see the back of the doll too. I love this packaging concept for certain types of toys. It was a nice way to really get the full visual effect of the doll.

Let's check out the poem about Popcorn Pretties:

When the Sun is at play

& the Moon can't be found,

you might just hear

a new poppin' sound!

Just look for the kernel

that's not like the rest.

You'll find Popcorn Pretties-

they're really the best!

It's inside the kernel

these lovelies reside.

Drop it to pop it (like it's hot)

they're hiding inside!

This whole poem is crazy, but I love it. First of all my hungry bad-self will eat popcorn morning, noon, and night. I don't need the Sun or the Moon tellin' me what to do. And secondly, towards the end of the poem, I find myself wanting to just drop it like it's hot or something. But really, how magical would it be to have little pretty people living in your food? They've been doing it with King Cake for centuries. Would you like to meet the other Popcorn Pretties?

This was probably my favorite part about the card. I loved looking at all the other Popcorn Pretties and which ones I would want the most. From left to right, there was-

Lotta Chocolate (Worst. Name. Ever.)

Grape Jilly

Sherry Cherry

Candi Apple Miss (my favorite)

Blueberry Betty

Fancy Fruity

Patti Peach

Lily Lemon

I had only one of these as a kid, but I wanted them all. With that all said, let us examine a few things, shall we? The top part told us to "Look for all the popular Popcorn Pretties Dolls!" I always imagined a made-up line of unpopular Popcorn Pretties dolls too. They would have had lousy smells like, Burnt Popcorn or Licorice Lucy. (Actually, licorice isn't all that bad. Or so I've been told.)

Speaking of all these scents, one thing that always bothered me about this line was that there was no buttery popcorn scented doll. I would have gone nuts for a Popcorn Prettie that actually smelled like popcorn. It just makes sense, right? How can there be a toyline of scented dolls called Popcorn Pretties, but none of them smell like actual popcorn?

The final photo of Popcorn Pretties shows the back of the doll. The top of her hat was all the popcorn. I was always in awe of the concept for this toy. I loved the idea of something that looked like popcorn but could also turn into a doll. The first time I saw this toy in action, I was like, "There is no way that toy is going to hit the ground and bounce open to a doll! That kind of technology won't exist for at least another 40 years!" I was wrong. Popcorn Pretties knew how to drop it and pop it.

That's it for Toy Chest Tuesday! So now that I have my laptop up and running, be ready for some really great stuff this week! We will be going all chi-chi with a new Dorkette Bookclub entry! And there will be a new Toy Regrets tale! So enjoy some Popcorn Pretties and keep it here!!

Adora's Search for Honor Part 1: Chapter 18

Adora’s Search for Honor

Part 1

Chapter 18

Previously: Catra started losing her mind after seeing Adora in her room. This was a problem because Catra killed Adora, only the faithful reader knows that Adora is very much alive… While at Castle Chill, Sea Hawk finally found the ice diamond. (It was an adornment on Frosta’s top.) After drugging the chilly empress, Sea Hawk grabbed the ice diamond and bolted with his crewmember Lir… A ball went underway at Castle Bright Moon. Glimmer almost told Bow her feelings, but he spoke first and told her about his feelings for Adora. Glimmer was heartbroken. Bow and Adora danced. Peekablue saw a crappy vision… The crappy vision being that the Horde moved up their assault date on Castle Chill. Frosta and Netossa both are in big trouble as their captors figure out what to do with them…

Chapter 18

Alone with Frosta in a bare room inside Castle Chill, Spira does her best to make sense of the current problem, “Frosta, please be reasonable. I did not want this to happen.” Tied to a chair, Frosta glares at the double agent and huffs, “Darling, look at me! I am tied to this heirloom. There are Horde members ransacking my home! You’re plan has blown up all over this place! We are losing, and I am starting to think you like all this.”

The statement rattles Spira, “What does that mean?” Rolling her eyes while trying to get comfortable, Frosta groans, “It means that I’m not so sure you know which side you are really on. If you ask me, I think you have grown to like being a Horde Force Captain. That sense of power has gotten to your head, darling.” Frosta spits out.

Closing her eyes while trying to gain some composure, Spira whispers, “I am on the Rebel’s side. I have always been. Frosta, for the last time, this was never part of the plan. The assault was not supposed to happen for a few more weeks. Hordak gave me no other choice; he had other Horde members join me to leave here.” Shaking her head in disbelief Frosta smiles, “We always have a choice darling. Always. Your choice was just a lousy one, that’s all.”

In her heart Spira knows there was no other choice, “What would you have had me do Frosta? Give myself up as a double agent? Break free from the Horde to warn you, while missing out on other important information I need from the Horde? My job as a double agent cannot be over yet, not until everyone is safe.” Frosta laughs at the statement, “None of us are safe, you miserable fool!” Frosta is ready to speak up even more, only Spira motions for the Empress to be quiet.

Grizzlor and Leech soon enter the room with a report. Leech addresses Spira, “Captain Spira, we have not been successful in apprehending the dark skinned woman. Mantenna is still looking for her as we speak.” Frosta interrupts, “She has a name; it is Netossa you jackal!” Leech walks up to Frosta and threatens, “I don’t care what her name is, you would do best to shut up.” Ready to strike her, Spira stops the Horde member from any harmful actions, “Leech, leave the Empress alone. She is already suffering. I want you to go back and help Mantenna find Netossa. Grizzlor stay here and watch over the Empress.” Leech follows his orders and exits the room.

Grizzlor looks at Spira, “What are you going to do Captain Spira?” Holding her breath, Spira goes on, “I am going to head outside to the Horde post. Soon we will have a visitor.” Everyone knows she means Hordak. This is actually happening, Frosta mutters to herself. Wanting to stay and free Frosta, Spira makes the choice to leave the room. The double agent is sick in the stomach with dread at doing this. However she is not ready to cross the Horde, not with so many loose ends (such as finding Kowl and plans for the Doom Dispenser.) Spira can only hope that everything will work out.

Alone in the room with Grizzlor, Frosta mutters, “Of course I’d be left with just you.” Grizzlor barks, “I’m not thrilled either. Your attitude is appalling.” Glaring at the furry Hordseman Frosta glares, “Darling, when I am free from these constraints I will do my best to skin you alive. Then I will turn you into a fabulous fur.” Having had enough Grizzlor walks towards Frosta, pointing a machete at her, “Not unless I skin you first.”

Grimacing as the hairy beast hovers over her, Frosta manages to bat her eyes, “As riveting as that sounds, what would you say to our having a bit of fun first?” Perking his head up Grizzlor mumbles, “Fun? What kind of fun?” Pursing her lips as if begging for a kiss, Frosta pants, “The type of fun I have not enjoyed for quite some time. Darling, as repulsing as you are, I can’t help but want to have a bit of fun with you. If I’m to die, shouldn’t we both get something out of it?” Grizzlor is unsure what to believe.

Frosta looks at the ferocious figure of fur, beckoning him to lean in for a kiss. Puckering up, Grizzlor gives in to the wild idea. After all, what can she possibly do? This never happens, Grizzlor exclaims to himself. Manipulating her powers of ice, Frosta creates a hardened ice patch on her head. Quickly tossing her head back, the Empress slams her hardened head into Grizzlor’s face, rendering him unconscious. Grizzlor falls to the floor with a loud thud. Wincing in pain, Frosta looks down at the mound of fur, “See, that’s your problem darling, everyone has their own definition of fun.” Laughing to herself, Frosta looks around wondering how she will get free. She also wonders about Netossa, “I do hope you managed to escape.”

In another part of Castle Chill, Netossa is running from a group of Horde Troopers. Confident that she has lost them, Netossa takes a moment to catch her breath. She is tired. I must get to Frosta though, I can’t leave her alone in this place, Netossa tells herself, getting ready to run again.

Slowly walking down an open entryway, Netossa stops. Before her is the group of Horde Troopers. They seem lost, unsure of which way to look. Sneaking behind one of the troopers, Netossa pulls out a dagger. Stabbing the dagger into the back of the metal trooper, Netossa holds onto the dagger and runs down the entryway. Using the trooper as a shield, Netossa manages to avoid any shots from the very angry Horde Troopers.

Traveling further into the castle’s hallways, Netossa tries to recall the pathway to the room that Frosta is in. Suddenly out of a dark corner, Leech jumps out. Screaming in terror, Netossa throws out a punch while dodging the Horde member. Running away from Leech, Netossa comes across Mantenna. His eyes bulge out, sending out a shocking burst of light. Turning her head, Netossa dodges any blinding light. “They are everywhere!” Netossa screams and while thinking quickly the captivating beauty slides across the icy floor under Mantenna’s legs. Mantenna and Leech both curse out loud as Netossa gets away.

Problems quickly mount for Netossa as she starts running out of breath. She has been running all over the castle doing her best to avoid the Horde. While on empty, Netossa stumbles to the ground. Get up! Get up! Don’t let them get you, Netossa screams to herself. Numerous footsteps come charging towards her. Preparing for the worst; Netossa looks up to see a group of unfamiliar people standing near her. There are many women and a single man looking down at her. Netossa cries out, “Are you part of the Horde too?” A tall blonde woman steps forward and smiles, “No, we are not part of the Horde. I am She-Ra, and these are my friends from the Great Rebellion. We are here to help.” Netossa cannot stop crying.

Back in the bare room, Frosta is looking down at Grizzlor’s unconscious body. She is not sure if he keeps twitching or not, but she keeps hoping that he does not wake up. Her little head butting stunt won’t happen a second time. Frosta’s thoughts drift to her life. Why is this happening? How am I going to survive? I just want to be somewhere else, somewhere safe. I am worn down, Frosta quietly thinks.

Loud noises can be heard down the hall and Frosta groans expecting the worst. The doors fly open and to her surprise, Frosta is looking at her friends. She-Ra, Netossa, Glimmer, Angella, Bow, Castaspella, and Peekablue are all looking back at her. Frosta stares at Peekablue, groaning, “What is that crazy woman doing here? I do not need any more visions of death.” Peekablue blushes. Castaspella speaks up, “You should actually be thanking her Frosta. If it wasn’t for Peekablue, no one would have ‘seen’ the assault on Castle Chill.” She-Ra agrees, “We came as soon as we could.”

Frosta laughs, “Well I suppose Peekablue isn’t that crazy. You are all just in time. Someone untie me please.” Castaspella whispers to Peekablue, “That’s the closest thing to an apology from Frosta.” Peekablue is shy and nervous, “I’ll take what I can get.” Bow goes about freeing Frosta. The icy Empress looks at Castaspella, “Darling, why are you here? Aren’t you worried what the Horde will think when they see you?” Castaspella knows that her allegiance to the Rebellion will be fully known if the Horde sees her, but Casta does not mind, “I am not worried. Hordak is going to come after Mystacor at some point. No one is safe.”

Finally free, Frosta says proper hellos to everyone. She finds out that She-Ra and friends helped Netossa. In a matter of seconds, Netossa became a member of the Rebellion. Glimmer jokes, “I think Netossa has been the fastest member to ever join the Rebellion.” Frosta rolls her eyes and looks around her friends, “Wait, where is Mermista?” She-Ra nods her head, “Mermista was injured during a recent mission. Don’t worry, she will be fine. She is just recuperating.”

Glad to hear the information, Frosta shrugs, “Well I’m glad I asked. No one ever tells me anything. Now let’s go free my guards and get out of here.” Frosta is ready to leave and find the remaining guards that are still alive. Bow looks at everyone, “Umm, Frosta? Don’t you want to take a stand and protect your home?” Crossing her arms, Frosta huffs, “Honestly darling, I can’t deal with this anymore. We are facing the Horde. They will be beating down the castle gates at any moment. I’m sorry; I can’t stomach watching them destroy this place.”

She-Ra shakes her head, “But Frosta that does not have to happen. Our numbers may be small, but we can’t just let them win. We have to fight, to show them that Etheria is no longer going to be oppressed.” Glimmer and Angella agree. Frosta groans, “Well isn’t that just a nice sentimentality. I could give a crock. I want to be far away from the Horde. My family heirlooms are safe and walls can always be rebuilt. I want to leave.” Frosta thinks about how lucky she is to have the chance to leave. Her thoughts travel to Chancellor Vivi, his murder was senseless. Frosta does not want anymore death.

Peekablue closes her eyes, “I’m afraid leaving will be out of the question. Horde Troopers are marching towards the Castle as we speak.” The group heads outside towards the gate tower. Much to everyone’s dread, the Rebels notice a large mass of Horde Troopers quickly traveling towards the castle. Some Troopers are on sleds while others are charging rather quickly. Frosta spits out, “I just bet Spira is loving this.” Glimmer looks at her friend, “What does that mean?” Shrugging the question off, Frosta groans, “Somebody must find the remaining guards in this place, they should be held captive in the courtyard.” Frosta looks at her friends with more orders, “Angella, there are ice spears along the front curtain wall. I trust you know what to use them for.” Angella nods flying off. Glimmer and Netossa run off to help free the surviving guards. She-Ra looks at Frosta, “If the Horde wants a war, I will send them a message of our intentions.” Racing off Frosta looks at Castaspella and Peekablue, “Do either of you have any experience with catapults?” Castaspella and Peekablue blankly look at each other.

***

Across Castle Chill, the Horde Post stands tall. A building of steel, it looks odd in the middle of icy barren land. Hordak is inside barking out orders. A wave of Horde Troopers has already been sent out. Catra and Entrapta have just arrived. Spira is filling everyone in, “The Empress is held captive. I have Grizzlor watching her.” Hordak snorts, “Good. Then she is probably already dead.” Spira shakes her head, “Excuse me? I thought you wanted her alive for when you arrived at the castle?”

“That was the plan. But I like multiple plans Spira. I gave Grizzlor orders to kill Frosta if he found himself alone with the annoying Empress. With her gone, we will be able to take over the castle and move one step closer to complete and total domination of this world.” Hordak claps his hands snorting again. With the odd recent run of bad luck, Hordak can feel the tides changing in the Horde’s favor.

The group is perched on a balcony looking out at Castle Chill from a distance. Spira is full of dread, maybe Frosta was right. I’ve made the wrong choices. Now my dear friend is dead… Spira clears her head and looks at Entrapta. Her gaze then falls to Catra. They all seem so confident and mad. Their rage to destroy life is horrifying.

Catra motions for Hordak, “Look Hordak! Out in the distance, something is coming this way.” Taking out some binoculars, Catra looks even further and gasps. They had incoming. Catra screeches, “It is She-Ra!!!” Having never met She-Ra, Catra has heard just enough to know what the blonde powerhouse looks like. Hordak snatches the binoculars from Catra and tries to look. He sees nothing, “Catra, your vision is lousy. There is nothing there.”

Swooping overhead on Swiftwind, She-Ra calls out, “You don’t mind me dropping by… do you Hordak?” Twirling a bulky net in the air, She-Ra tosses the mass towards Hordak. “Blast you She-Ra!” Hordak screams as She-Ra flies off. Entrapta looks at the bulky net, “What’s in there?” Mantenna pokes his head out from the net, “We tried Hordak… we really tried.” Leech and Grizzlor struggle to get out from the net as well. Kicking the net, Hordak snarls, “Get ready. We are destroying that castle along with that miserable She-Ra too.” Spira looks on, secretly smiling to herself, with She-Ra there, everyone will be safe…  

***

Along the front curtain wall of Castle Chill, Frosta is laughing with glee as numerous catapults launch massive blocks of ice upon the Horde Troopers below. Bow, Castaspella, and Peekablue each launch a new block as soon as Frosta has them formed and ready to go. Above the sky, Angella is swooping around taking direct aim with ice spears at that Horde Troopers. Their plan is working for the time being. Frosta calls out to Bow, “Bow, you were all correct! Fighting for this castle is the best plan. Thank you for getting me out of my mood!” Frosta laughs even louder as a huge block of ice launches past her. She-Ra arrives and begins tossing blocks of ice with her bare hands, “We’ve sent a message to Hordak. He isn’t pleased.”

“Ha! Wonderful darling! Let Hordak know exactly who he is dealing with!” Frosta smiles as she looks out at the chaos in front of the castle. The Horde Troopers are unable to get very far. Netossa is busy gathering supplies and various types of nets. After her large net was used to deliver Mantenna, Leech, and Grizzlor back to the Horde post, she wants to make sure the Rebels are ready for anything else. The castle guards are preparing their weapons. Glimmer walks up to Frosta and whispers, “I have a spot ready for your Chancellor, Frosta.” Trying to hold onto her composure, Frosta nods, “Thank you. We will properly bury him once this is over.”

Angella flies back to her friends, “I’m going to need a bigger spear. We have trouble heading this way.” Everyone looks past the wreckage of Horde Troopers. “That bastard!” Frosta shouts.

Across the tundra, a new wave of Horde members is quickly making their way to Castle Chill. Catra is charging in on Clawdeen. Entrapta is driving a sleek three wheeled vehicle. She is sitting in the middle. One of her ponytails is steering while the other is operating a large canon on the side. Her hands are holding two laser guns, ready to aim at anyone in her sight. There are a few more Horde Troopers on sleds and even jetpacks. In the middle of all this is Hordak standing tall in a black chariot with a Horde bat symbol on the front. The chariot is being pulled by four horses made of flames. The chariot is racing across the ice, scorching the ground.

Castaspella looks at her friends, “Alright, any ideas?” Frosta places her hands on the cold ice of the castle, “Keep launching the catapults. I’ve got a little something extra for our unwanted guests.” Frosta keeps her breath centered. Concentrating on her powers over ice, she sends out a small wave of energy. Out on the expanding field, large spikes of ice come forth from the ground. Some Horde Troopers are impaled. Clawdeen leaps over one spike of ice, continuing to charge towards the castle. Entrapta swerves around various forming spikes. Hordak snarls as he blasts through the chunks.

Glimmer and She-Ra notice that Frosta is shaking some. Trying to help She-Ra says, “Frosta, are you over exerting yourself? Maybe you should stop…” Shaking her head and concentrating even harder Frosta gasps, “I just need to focus. They won’t make it to the castle walls, I won’t have it…”

The Horde does though. Entrapta fires various bombs from the canon. She is also shooting at the castle gates as she drives across to the left side of the castle. Catra and Clawdeen ride around towards the back. Hordak raises his arms, magically releasing the flamed horses towards the front castle wall. The chariot rises up becoming air born while the horses made of flames collide into the walls made of ice. Castle Chill shudders ever so slightly.

“Guards, get ready!” Frosta calls out. Preparations lead way to the real thing as everyone embraces for the fight. Bow gets to a high corner, shooting arrow after arrow. Horde Troopers swarm into the castle, blowing past the destroyed gates. Glimmer and Angella team up releasing bursts of light. Castaspella enchants a spell to confuse the Troopers around her. Netossa captures some Troopers in a net, while fighting in close combat with her dagger.

Entrapta drives the vehicle through the side of the castle, crashing into the main bailey. Jumping out, Entrapta shoots at some of Chill’s guards. She-Ra takes off on Swiftwind, flying towards the back of the castle. Netossa is kicking and fighting through more Horde Troopers. Peekablue is doing the same, but finds herself outnumbered. A few Horde Troopers take aim. Reacting quickly to the threat; Peekablue’s feathers fold over the heroine, shielding her from the blasts. Still shielded, Peekablue runs towards the troopers, able to fight easily. Though her eyes may be covered, she has other ways of seeing her targets. A few kicks and flips later, Peekablue comes out from her feathers, “Did I just do that?”

Walking through the main building, Frosta enters back into the madness wielding her staff with snowflake spinner on top. The spinner is made up of blades that resemble the unique design of a snowflake. A group of Horde Troopers come racing towards her, “How about a lil chill, hmm?” Frosta spins the top, while also tossing a few chunks of ice through the blades. Pieces of crushed ice fly towards the troopers, pelting them like the strongest hail.

She-Ra and Swiftwind land towards the back of the castle. Looking for Catra, She-Ra walks around the grounds. <I don’t really see anything> She-Ra telepathically communicates to Swiftwind. <Be careful though She-Ra> Swiftwind responds.

She-Ra knows that she should be helping with the ensuing battle inside the castle; however she saw Catra sneaking off. The princess of power wants to make sure Catra isn’t planning something. She-Ra hears a noise and turns; she is face to face with Catra. The jealous beauty looks on, observing She-Ra. Catra purrs, “We finally meet She-Ra. Though, I must say, it feels like I have known you my whole life.” You have no idea, She-Ra says to herself. She-Ra stares at Catra, “That doesn’t seem very fair, you know who I am, but who are you?”

“I am Catra, Head Force Captain of the Horde. It would be smart to remember that. I will be the one that kills you.” Catra pulls out her sword. She-Ra remembers her fight (as Adora) with Catra on Skydancer Mountain. There would be no repeats, “I’m pretty tough to kill Catra.” Tilting her head and observing She-Ra, Catra smirks, “You don’t look like that much of a big deal.” She-Ra grabs hold of her sword, ready to battle.

Suddenly the loud noise of a machine can be heard above them. Both women look up to see a large airship preparing to land in the castle. A rematch with Catra will have to wait, She-Ra calls out, “I guess that is my cue. Until next time, Catra.” She-Ra runs to Swiftwind taking off into the air to see who else has arrived for the party. Full of anger and hate, Catra looks at She-Ra fly away.

Inside the castle walls, the Rebels and Horde members pause their fighting as a large airship hovers in the air, Netossa smiles, “He came back.”

Aboard the ship, Sea Hawk looks at his crewmembers, “Alright boys, let’s make it right.” The crewmembers all hoot and holler as they all jump off the airship. The crew was not happy that Sea Hawk left Netossa alone in Castle Chill. Brandishing swords and tiny laser pistols, the pirates join the Rebels in fighting the Horde. Lir is piloting the airship and flies it out of harm’s way.

Bow is continuing his fight, while also looking over at the cavalry. Glimmer, Angella, and Castaspella get some much needed help from She-Ra. Frosta looks over at Sea Hawk, “I thought you had left.” Sea Hawk grins, “What can I say; a pirates work is never done.” Netossa joins the group, “Where have you been?” Sea Hawk hugs Netossa, “I’ll explain later ‘Tossa.” Sea Hawk pulls out a sword and begins fighting for Castle Chill.

Hordak is flying around in his chariot, laying waste to the castle. His arm canon has become a flamethrower, “This place will fall!” Angella flies up to him, “You will not win Hordak!” Angella tries to knock Hordak off with an ice spear. Hordak curses at Angella, “Don’t test me woman! I can imprison you all over again!” Hordak presses a button on his chariot that shoots out a laser beam. It hits Angella. The winged queen of Bright Moon falls to the ground. Glimmer and Bow rush to help.

She-Ra is fighting off more Troopers. She feels something wrap around her foot, dragging her to the ground. One of Entrapta’s ponytails has She-Ra by the ankle. With the blink of an eye, Entrapta tosses She-Ra into a wall. Dusting herself off, She-Ra looks at Entrapta, “What kind of weapon is that?” Entrapta laughs, “I like to whip my hair. Back and forth.” Both ponytails whip out at She-Ra, taking hold of her wrists. The two women struggle for control. Entrapta tosses She-Ra across to another wall, the ponytails still tightly wrapped around her wrists. Bow and Sea Hawk both notice what is happening and head over to help.

Standing up, She-Ra shakes her head, “I’m done.” Yanking her arms down, She-Ra pulls the ponytails to the ground. Entrapta loses her balance, landing hard on the ice. Finally free from the deadly hair, She-Ra dusts herself off as Bow and Sea Hawk come running towards her. “Are you ok?” Bow asks full of concern. Sea Hawk is speechless; he has never seen a more beautiful woman. She-Ra looks at the two men, “I am fine, though I’m not so sure about her.” She-Ra points to a dazed Entrapta.

Destruction is occurring all around. Frosta stands in the middle of it, looking at all the fighting. Her castle is crumbling. All the fighting and energy is only making it worse. Parts of the castle are on fire. “No.” Frosta says. We were supposed to win, Frosta sadly thinks. Her attention is brought to Hordak, who has managed to be in a safe distance from all the fighting. He is walking towards the keep, pausing to create flames in his path. Frosta marches after him, determined to make him finally pay for his actions.

Inside the keep, Hordak is looking around for any sort of item that might be of use to him. He notices that many wonderful things are missing. Walking further down a hall, Hordak turns when he hears his name. Frosta is in front of him, “Look at this, alone at last.” Grinning, Hordak snorts, “Love the new decorating Frosta, but where is all your stuff?” Looking around the bare walls and rooms, Frosta shrugs, “Darling, we are living in grave times. I needed to sell a few things to keep this place up. Were you looking for anything in particular? Perhaps an exit?”

Snorting again, Hordak shakes his head, “No, not an exit. Frosta, let’s make this easy. Stop all this fighting. Just give me what I want.”

“And what would that be?” Frosta asks. “Everything.” Hordak replies. He is ready to kill the Empress, “Frosta dear, I enjoyed having your parents killed. But I think killing you with my own bare hands will feel even better.” Frosta feels her chest getting hot, fury burning inside her, “I am going to end you.” In quick reflex, Frosta forms a thick shield of ice on her right arm, as a sharp blade of ice forms in her left hand, “I’m curious Hordak, have you ever been stabbed by a blade of ice?” Hordak stares at the Empress. She goes on, “It burns worse than any pathetic flame you can conjure.” Frosta lunges towards Hordak, planting a kick into his chest. A fist to the face follows.

Blocking off another attack from Frosta, Hordak turns both arms into swords. The two fight in the cold hallway. Frosta dodges a few attacks and goes in with her sword. She misses while Hordak shatters the ice. Hordak creates a flamethrower arm and releases a stream of fire towards her. Raising her shield up, the flames dissolve against the sheer power of the cold. “It’s too cold in here.” Hordak says as he lights up the walls around them. Soon Frosta look around, four walls of flame have contained the two into a square shaped space.

Outside the keep, the Rebels are making great headway in the battle for Castle Chill. Entrapta and Catra have retreated. A few Horde Troopers have left as well. She-Ra looks at her friends, “I think that is about it.” Angella is alright from her fall. Glimmer looks at Peekablue, “For someone that doesn’t get out much, you sure know how to fight.” Peekablue blushes. Castaspella pauses, “Wait, where is Hordak? He didn’t really put up much of a fight.” She-Ra looks around at all the destruction, “True, but even more, where is Frosta?”

Inside the walls of flames, Frosta is holding her own against Hordak. She is feeling herself weakening though; her communication with the cold is not as strong. The flames surrounding them appear to be magically based, because they are incredibly strong. “What’s wrong Frosta? The heat getting to you?” Hordak spits out, punching the empress in the stomach. Frosta coughs out, “I’m perfectly fine. Never better.”

She-Ra and friends make it into the keep; they see the wall of flames in the hallway. Glimmer screams, “Frosta!” Through minor breaks in the flames, everyone can see that Frosta is struggling to fight Hordak. Looking at the Rebels, Hordak snarls, “Welcome Rebels, just in time for the death of the Empress.” Castaspella worries, glancing over at Peekablue. Is this the vision of death that Peekablue saw, Castaspella wonders. Bow shouts, “We need to get through those flames!”

A step ahead, She-Ra tries to create a whirlwind with her sword to dissipate the flames. The flames flicker for a moment, only to swell back up. Shaking her head, Castaspella cries out, “Those flames are too strong. Let me try some magic.” Castaspella fails; her magic can’t make a dent to the magical flames. Everyone starts to panic. Frosta is growing very weak.

Sea Hawk thinks of a plan, “I’ll be back!” He runs off, heading to the stairs. The pirate runs up to the second floor of the keep, approaching the floor that should be right above Hordak and Frosta. Using his sword, Sea Hawk begins cutting through the ice. Hordak notices this and shoots out another wave of flames that burn across the ceiling. Sea Hawk jumps away as the floor starts to burn.

Trying to take aim with an arrow, Bow looks for a clean shot through the moving flames, “Damn it! I can’t get a good shot!” She-Ra looks around, what are they going to do?

Hordak knows he has won; he lifts Frosta up and throws her to the ground. Coughing, Frosta looks at Hordak, “That was weak. Darling.” Snarling Hordak wraps both of his hands around her neck and begins to choke the life out of the icy Empress. She-Ra and everyone else watches on in horror has Hordak strangles Frosta. Castaspella screams. Glimmer is crying, trying to do something. Netossa has her face in her hands, she can’t watch this. She-Ra is preparing to run through the fire.

Frosta is looking up at Hordak, feeling his grip tighten harder around her neck. She can’t breathe. But she focuses; flashes of her parents and Vivi race across her mind, all of her friends smiling back at her. And then coldness. Somewhere deep in her chest, Frosta feels this coldness wash over her. It keeps building, pulsating. She has never felt this type of cold before. Screams and cries ring in her head as Frosta’s friends watch Hordak choking her. Frosta remains focused on the cold.

Drawing upon untapped energy and power, Frosta feels Hordak’s fingers and hands start to grow cold. Hordak notices too, and before he can react, a pulsating wave of cold energy flashes out of Frosta. The wave provides a mini blast of energy that tosses both Hordak and Frosta across the hall, crashing them through brittle walls of ice. The magical flames are extinguished. She-Ra and everyone else are knocked to the ground.

She-Ra is the first up and rushes to Frosta. Lying on the ground motionless, She-Ra sits Frosta up, “Frosta, can you hear me? Are you there?” Her eyes slowly open. Frosta is alive. In the distance Hordak stumbles up and looks around. Rocket blasts form on his feet and before anyone can stop him, Hordak blasts off.

Looking at She-Ra, Frosta rasps, “Why are you helping me. Go after Hordak before he gets away.” She-Ra shakes her head, “We can get him next time. I was more concerned about you.” Frosta smiles, coughing, “Well that is just stupid, darling.” They both chuckle, as Frosta slowly sits up. Everyone rushes up to Frosta. “We thought you were dead!” Glimmer says. Frosta nods, “As did I, but I refused to give that monster the satisfaction of killing me.”

The Rebels walk outside and look at the destruction all around them, “What next?” Castaspella asks. Angella, “I think Minwu needs to check out Frosta.” She-Ra agrees, “Now we just need to hurry back to the Whispering Woods.”

Everyone turns to look at Sea Hawk, “What are you all looking at me for?” Netossa steps forward, “Can your airship get us all there?” The pirate leader looks at the worn down Rebels in front of him, “I guess ship can handle the extra cargo. Does this mean I am a Rebel now?” She-Ra walks up to Sea Hawk. As Adora, She-Ra knows all about Sea Hawk and his role on Etheria, “I don’t know, do you want to be a member of the Great Rebellion?”

Sea Hawk rubs his shoulder, “Don’t know lady. I guess I don’t have much else to do…” Frosta groans, “Oh shut up and say yes you annoying man.” Grinning from ear to ear, Sea Hawk and his band of pirates become members of the Great Rebellion. He only hopes that Frosta doesn’t realize he stole her ice diamond for Hordak though.

In a matter of time, everyone is soon on Hawk’s airship. The massive ship prepares for flight. Frosta gives one last look at the remains of Castle Chill, I will return to rebuild my home. Frosta wants to cry at her loss, but the castle was just frozen ice. Frosta has her friends with her and wonderful memories of her life in the Castle. That will just have to suffice. Wiping away some tears, Frosta talks with Netossa and Glimmer.

Lir can’t believe this many people are able to fit on the ship. The Rebels and a few surviving guards. Not to mention a flying unicorn, “What’s his story?” Lir asks pointing to Swiftwind. She-Ra smiles, “That is my ride.” Sea Hawk walks over to She-Ra, “We weren’t properly introduced earlier. I’m Sea Hawk.” She-Ra reserves a hello for later, “I am aware of who you are.” She-Ra hops on Swiftwind, “I will meet you all in the Whispering Woods later.” As the airship is flying, She-Ra takes off with Swiftwind waving goodbye. They fly off into the air.

Sea Hawk looks on in wonder. Bow nods, “That was She-Ra: The most powerful woman in the universe.”

Up next!

Someone returns…

&

Someone leaves…

Be back next Saturday for Adora’s Search for Honor Part 1: Chapter 19