Chapter Text
The journey from Dryl back to Brightmoon was a long trip, even in their mechs. The days bled together and soon they were far from the rocky mountainous terrain of Dryl to the thick forest of the Whispering Woods.
They often slept under the stars, powering down their mechs and chatting over a campfire, She found at least part of it relaxing. She-Ra was never far from her, trying to calm her down from the panic that something was in the woods of her childhood nightmares. But on some nights even her tender ministrations didn’t help. Shadows became monsters, every whistling of the wind through the trees could be the sound of a skiff drawing closer to them. She couldn’t relax, even as Bow and Glimmer slept huddled together under a thick blanket, she stood and watched the night feverishly.
It was on the third day in the forest that Glimmer awoke early and saw Adora sitting in She-Ra. Scanning the forest for signs of danger, that she decided she needed to take action.
Teleporting inside a cockpit was difficult enough, She-Ra had added layers of protection, but if there was one thing that could be said of Princess Glimmer of Brightmoon, she was stubborn.
A warning flared up on She-Ra’s screen, startling Adora, but She-Ra reached over her shoulder and dismissed it, looking at her, worry etching her divine features. A sudden pop and Glimmer was in the cockpit where She-Ra once stood.
“Adora, Get out of the Mech!” Glimmer shouted down her ear, Adora winced but let the power of the mech fall away. She staggered as the mech disappeared in golden light, Glimmer more used to teleporting stood next to her, hands on hips. Bow was gathering their supplies. “Did you sleep at all last night?” Her voice was full of worry and anger, she almost sounded like her mother.
“Someone needed to keep watch” she wanted to shout but her voice was hoarse and rough from lack of sleep and trying to keep to the water rationing they drilled into her in the horde. “The whispering woods is a dangerous place!” Glimmer shoved a water bottle into her hands.
“Drink!” she glared at Adora. Adora glared back. “That was an Order, Adora.” Adora relented and drank the water in sips that turned into gulps. Glimmer's features softened as she drank. “I get it Adora, you’re worried and tired, you need a place to stay safe.” She reached out and put a hand on Adora’s arm, squeezing her bicep gentle, it was a reassuring gesture and also something more. “I’ve organised for us to spend the rest of the week resting up in Mystacor.”
Bow laughed and Adora froze. Mystacor, the realm of the sorcerers, where students practised twisted magics that could break apart the Horde’s soldiers with a gesture and created nightmarish mechs that could change the fabric of the world to suit their sick needs. That was supposed to be relaxing. She looked over at Glimmer who was smiling at her and Bow who was talking about someone at Mystacor. He stopped when saw her expression.
“They talk about Mystacor in the Horde?” He was holding out her backpack with what little she had taken out, and a cooked ration of some animal he had caught in a trap last night. She took it gingerly.
“The Horde called Mystacor the dark land of sorcerers, where people who wanted power above anything else would sell their souls away for the power to control. It drove them mad.” She mumbled the words around the food, stars she was hungry. Had she eaten last night?
Bow and Glimmer gave each other another one of those looks, the ones they had whenever she described something from the Horde, it was infuriating and full of sympathy. After a few seconds Glimmer turned to Adora.
“Mystacor is the place where people go to study magic, that much is true. But the rest of it is nonsense. People go to study magic not just to destroy or control but because they want to help people, there are historians and musicians and healers all who studied in Mystacor.” She stepped forward into Adora’s space. “I wanted to study at Mystacor but mom wouldn’t let me. My aunt Casta is the Head Sorceress there. She’ll give us a warm welcome and then we can get you relaxed, it’s safe, the Horde can’t find it and it has the most amazing beaches. We’ll get your mind off, whatever it is you are worrying over.”
Adora looked over the shorter woman at Bow, who was smiling and nodding along. Another Horde lie for her to get over, was anything she was told in the Horde true? She couldn’t even trust her own senses at the moment, she was seeing Shadows move in the Night and hearing voices on the wind. She-Ra’s sensors were more reliable than her own mind.
She let out a long sigh. “Okay, we’ll go to Mystacor. I’ll try to relax…” Glimmer squealed at that. At the edge of the glade, a Shadow of a tree detached itself and began to move towards the Fright Zone.
The halls of the fright zone had been suffering from frequent outages causing the lights to flicker and dim. Around the Black Garnet chamber this only caused the Shadows to behave in strange and unusual ways.
Catra had discovered that the Shadows had served Shadow Weaver when she was seven years old, but that she could hide in complete Darkness. She wasn’t hiding now. Striding down the halls of the Fright Zone, the operation in Salineas had been a failure but her survival had been a miracle. Scorpia had dejectedly written her off as dead before she turned up in the badly damaged Tigers Eye a week later.
She had so much to think about in that week, but survival took priority, no supplies, barely functioning gear, and the panic all threatening to kill her as easily as any rebellion sharpshooter, which was also a problem considering she was traveling on foot to the Fright Zone through rebel held territory in a Horde issue mech.
Her return just a few days ago had made her a hero, someone who had survived a direct battle against not just one, but three princess mechs at once, alone. Then crossed several thousand miles on ‘foot’ to get back to take command. She hadn’t cared about the heroics, only thinking about the absolute terror of the drowning and the worry filling a pair of electric blue eyes seen through the broken cockpits canopy as they dived into the crushing depths after her.
That was a few days ago, she had been forced to go to the infirmary for treatment, and been given several days leave of active duty to recover from her injuries. It was halfway through this leave as she knuckled down into the still mounting pile of paperwork that somehow found its way to her, despite her being declared Killed in Action when Shadow Weaver summoned her yet again. So disengaging from the war that would kill her through boredom, she walked as confidently as she could into the Black Garnet chamber.
Shadow Weaver was hunched over a bowl of foul smelling liquid that shimmered with a mirror silver sheen. The stink of magic hang heavy in the air. Shadow Weaver was chuckling under her breath and muttering strange Arcane words that hung in the air.
“Well you’re being Creepier than usual?” Catra leant against the doorway, she would not show this woman any respect even if the fear was gripping her, too much magic.
“Ah, Catra. I trust you enjoyed your swim?” Shadow Weaver's voice was dripping with sarcasm. “Have you enjoyed your time of being allowed to be worthless to the horde?”
“Yes Actually, it’s let me get through what seems to be half the Hordes paperwork issues.” She could snark back with the best of them, the woman had taught her that much at least.
“Do not be flippant with me, Force Captain.” Shadow Weaver turned back to the bowl of fowl smelling liquid, as a shadow coalesced in the room Catra instinctively stepped back, and a low susurration filled the room. After a minute of the noise that set Catra’s teeth on edge and fur standing on end, Shadow Weaver nodded once. “A vacation in Mystacor, you make things far too easy Adora. You” she said pointing one finger at Catra “Will stand guard outside my door until I am done, your failure to retrieve Adora means I must give this the personal touch.”
She wanted to argue, but as she opened her mouth, the Shadows rose, staring at her with unblinking red eyes, filling the darkness of the chamber, promising pain if she stayed. She fled. It wasn’t cowardice, just wisdom. The Shadows circled the room before plummeting into the bowl and a dark black smoke poured from it filling the air with an acrid sent, before the door slammed closed behind her. It took a minute to catch her breath.
The journey to Mystacor was remarkably short, taking only a few hours of journeying and put them close to the border of Brightmoon at the edge of the Whispering Woods. The journey ended at a cliff face overlooking a misty valley. Adora stared out, this was the realm of the sorcerers, and as she stared out in confusion, Bow and Glimmer both rushed past in their mechs and leapt into the valley.
She watched as their mechs descended into the Mist, had they gone crazy? Is this what sorcerers madness killed people in Mystacor? Causing innocent souls to leap to their deaths, surely their mechs should be able to survive that fall? They might be okay? A comms signal broke through the channel, Bow’s voice breaking her spiraling thoughts.
“It’s okay Adora, you’re supposed to jump.” well if this was an illusion then She-ra’s sensors couldn’t detect it, she took a breath, and leapt, as she did so this mist rushed up to meet her and for a brief second a warning flashed on her monitor. Something was moving in the mist. She landed harshly, crashing into the ground. Both Glimmer and Bow rushed over in their mechs and helped her up.
Glimmer put her mechs arm around She-Ra and helped her towards what appeared to be some kind of large building, as the rock around her began to rise above the ground. A shimmering shield of light held in the air that surrounded this floating land mass, the mists rising with it.
The building was some kind of school with a huge hanger bay filled with strange mechs and lines of energy, She-Ra manifested next to some of the lines and stared at them almost entranced. As Glimmer and Bow exited their mechs and Adora dismissed the Hull of She-Ra. She saw a woman approaching the three of them.
The Woman was maybe two decades older than Adora. Her dark hair tied in a neat bun with two long strand of hair hanging and a strange diadem depicting a star resting on her brow. She rushed over to Glimmer who had just finished unplugging from her mech and pulled her into an incredibly tight hug.
Adora approaches as the pair separated. “Adora, this is my Aunt Castaspella.” The woman strode over to Adora with the same open arms and expression, but at Adora’s reserved expression she shifted from open arms to holding one out. Adora knew this gesture, a handshake, a standard greeting in Brightmoon amongst not close acquaintances. Adora took the hand and shook.
“Well Adora, it’s lovely to meet you. It’s about time Glimmer made new friends, she’s always struggled so much with it.” Adora looked over to see Glimmers face turning a shade of red. “So tell me what brings the three of you to Mystacor.” as she let go of her hand she pulled Bow into a hug.
“Aunt Casta, I finally managed to convince mom of the idea of rebuilding the Princess Alliance with Bow and Adora’s help, we’ve had several incredible and dangerous adventures and we needed a place to rest and recuperate before heading back to Brightmoon.” Glimmer looked incredibly excitable as she explained the last few weeks of their time.
“Oh that’s lovely dear, I am sure you can enjoy your time here, Adora, was it, would you like the tour? We have the ritual alignment ceremony tonight and is something that I think everyone should see at least once in their lives, if I do say so myself?” Casta had a strange infectious enthusiasm. Was she related to Glimmer somehow?
“Uh…Sure” Adora looked sheepishly at Glimmer who was frowning and shaking her head, the sparkly woman sighed when Adora responded.
“Excellent, I knew I would like you.” Casta put a hand on Adora’s arm and began to pull her into the largest of the buildings.
The tour around Mystacor was strange, Casta was an interesting tour guide full of stories and myths and legends about the ancient building. Apparently it dated all the way back to the first ones, and yeah Adora had noticed some first ones script carved into the oldest parts of the building. Mainly just directions and names. But for every room and building Casta had some story to tell. They had stopped in the Hall of Illusionists, one of the oldest disciplines of Magic, where statues depicted each Master of Illusions throughout Mystacor's past, the two most recent caught their attention. The newest was of a man with a great beard carrying a crescent moon headed staff, both Glimmer and Castaspella stopped before it. They both looked sorrowful.
“We’ll avenge him Aunt Casta, The Princess Alliance will beat the Horde once and for all, for him and everyone else we’ve lost.” Casta just looked sadly down at her.
“You’re so much like him you know, you even look like him, a little.” Casta rested a hand on Glimmer's shoulder.
“He had a Beard!” Glimmer almost shouted. Pointing at her beardless face. Casta spared a glance over at Bow for a split second. Then her eyes flicked towards Adora who was staring up at the features on the statue and looking for similarities. Oblivious to the Conversation. There certainly was some similarities with Glimmer, but why it would be on a statue in Mystacor she didn’t know.
Her eyes kept drifting though, to the next statue in the line, depicting an elfin woman, wearing a veil across her face, most of the statue had been burnt. It looked familiar and she couldn’t place why, the eyes were burnt and scarred. But they felt like they were watching her.
“Ah” Castaspella had moved to stand behind Adora “Light Spinner, a Stain upon Mystacor’s past, she was a great sorceress who understood much of Etheria and it’s magic but she always sought more power. Eventually after being denied she turned to dark rituals and profane magics, she nearly killed my brother Micah in her last mad experiment, she was banished to die in the crimson wastes, but some say that she never really left. I do not know why the High Assembly will not let me take down and have this statue destroyed.”
“Wait”, Adora just recognized the statue as the same as the mural in Brightmoon. “Glimmer’s dad is your brother?” They all looked at her like she said something weird again.
Bow leant over. “Adora? You do know what an Aunt is right?” his voice quiet as he whispered in her ear.
“No” she said shamefully “I was just hoping someone would eventually explain.” Bow and Glimmer both gave her a look that she couldn’t understand.
Adora continued to stare as the woman ranted as she walked away. After a minute or so, the distinctive shimmering noise of Glimmer teleporting filled the air. “Well, Casta is going to organise us some dinner. Which gives us a few hours to get you relaxed.” Adora jumped at the sudden noise. “Woah, you need some sand and waves stat.”
Glimmer had her change into some new clothes that were like underwear but somehow different and led her from her guest room on Mystacor to the very edge of the floating island, mists moves gently up and down like the sea did in Mystacor and the daymoon poured warm light down on the beach. Bow in a similar outfit was already lying on a towel placed on the sand. Already sleeping away under the warm light.
She took Glimmers suggestion and laid down, on the sand, not moving, just staring up into the sky, as Glimmer suggested, just laying completely still. Without moving. She was going to succeed at lying right here. Completely still. She heard herself beginning to hum, she used to do it when Catra laid on top of her to keep her still, maybe the humming ‘purr’ will help her in staying still. Which she was doing. Completely successfully, no one would accuse her of failing to relax. No, she was going to be completely relaxed. She immated the sound of a horde blaster without thinking, a tick from her training days.
Glimmer turned on the towel. “You really can’t relax can you?” she sounded exasperated and Adora could cry, how can she fail at relaxing? Seeing her expression shift, Glimmer's face softened. “Alright, new tactic. BOW! WAKE UP!” Bow started awake “We’re headed to the Steam Grotto.” Bow, despite the rude awakening, cheered for the Steam Grotto.
The Steam Grotto, it turns out, are a series of natural baths in a large cave at the edge of Mystacor, apparently natural minerals full of magic warm the pools and make them excellent for Sorcerers to clear their minds. They didn’t change as Glimmer gently lowered Adora down into a pool of warm water, the heat was calming, knots in her muscles she hadn’t even noticed because they had always been there began to slowly unwind.
As she lay amidst the warm water she felt her mind begin to drift, calming thoughts, and her eyes became so so heavy, there was a weight across her chest, like Catra was laying across her like she used to do in quiet moments in the Fright Zone. She dreamt of her, of Glimmer, and of She-Ra. Of the calming waters, maybe — she dreamt — maybe one day she could bring Catra here, where the water was not deep enough to hurt her and they could just hold each other.
A voice broke through the peaceful dream like a crack of thunder. A voice she recognised and feared. A voice that had shaped her childhood and given her every formative nightmare.
“Adora”
Every instinct in Adora’s body told her to fight, she clambered upwards, all but leaping out of the pool, leaving a very startled Glimmer who was lying half asleep across her chest flailing in the water. If Shadow Weaver was here, she would need to…
She would need to…
What could she do? Shadow Weaver was the most powerful sorceress in the Horde. Here in the Land of sorcerers. She had grabbed her wrist, and the Blade formed in her hand. She swung it wildly at the encroaching mist, why was this room so full of steam? A Shape loomed out of the Darkness and she lunged towards it. She-Ra was nowhere in sight, where was she? Her swing cut through only empty air.
Glimmer teleported a few steps back to avoid the wild swing. “Woah Adora, it’s okay. Take a deep breath, you're safe." The smaller woman put a hand on Adora’s shoulder and gently lifted the blade out of her hands.
Adora couldn’t calm down, Shadow Weaver was here. She had heard her, as clear as day. “No, no, Shadow Weaver she’s here, I can’t.” her breath was faltering, Bow came to sit next to her, and Glimmer clutched the sword to her chest.
“Who’s Shadow Weaver?” Bow asked, trying to sound kind and understanding but there was a hint of pity in his voice that Adora didn’t miss. The two of them positioning Adora to sit against one of the other pools.
“She’s the Witch of the Horde. She raised me from when I was a baby, took me in, taught me how to read and write, how to tie my shoes, and how to subvert the enemy and see them destroyed.” Adora felt so much welling up within her.
“Okay, Mom stuff.” Glimmer sounded sympathetic, she could understand arguing with your mom.
“No, Commanding Officer stuff!” she needed Glimmer to understand that everyone here was in danger but some small part of her couldn’t turn away from the truth, “and yeah, Mom stuff.”
“Adora, she’s not here! She was never here! You need to relax, Mystacor is completely safe. Come on, let’s get you back to your room, you can rest up before dinner.” Bow and Glimmer lifted her to her feet, and Glimmer handed her back the sword as she finished her speech. She-Ra flickered in at the edge of her vision. Looking worried.
The two of them walked ahead whilst she looked at She-Ra, “You believe me don’t you?”
The avatar of her mech looked at her, smiling softly and said “Of course I do, but you need to be careful, and you do need rest. Perhaps tell Castaspella. Maybe she can help?”
Adora nodded, telling the head of this order, that might be a good idea. She walked towards her rooms, she could get changed and go find her. As she approached the doorway she heard Glimmer speaking.
“Bow, Adora has clearly lost it. She’s seeing and hearing things, who knows if she’ll be useful if we do have to fight!” She heard Glimmer complaining.
Adora stormed out into the Corridor, shouting “I’m not Crazy!” but no one was there. It was just her, alone in the empty corridor. She stepped backwards. “I’m not…”
Laying in the bed that Mystacor had given her, the small room seemed to close in around her. She hadn’t seen Bow or Glimmer since the Steam Grotto. She had rushed back to her room, changing back into the clothes she had brought, including a signature red jacket, she even tied the Sword she had purchased from the market a few weeks ago to her belt. The heavy weight on her hip was a solid comfort.
She had tried to lay down, to get some rest as Bow recommended, maybe Shadow Weaver wasn’t here and she was just seeing things. Maybe, but she couldn’t be sure, if she couldn’t trust her own senses what could she trust? It used to be Catra, who would be able to talk her through any of Shadow Weavers manipulations, but she was far away. Alone, in the Horde, whilst she was alone, amongst friends.
It took her less than ten minutes of laying down before she couldn’t cope anymore, she needed to move, she needed answers. She wrenched the door open and stepped out into the Corridor. It was quiet all the way along the long corridor. She could stop at Glimmer’s door, but if she didn’t trust her, then Adora couldn’t trust her to tell her the truth. Not yet.
She let her feet carry her. She-Ra stood at her side, keeping her sane. She knew if she had to walk all the way alone, she might have broken. Instead she ended up in a large library. Overlooking a courtyard, in the center of the Library was an Ancient looking statue of a Stern looking woman. The statue looked somewhat familiar but Adora couldn’t place it. She-Ra stopped to stare at it, a frown on her face.
Adora walked up to an overlooking balcony, and saw Castaspella sitting at a Desk alongside a woman a few years older than Adora with bright red hair. The two were deep in discussion. But stopped as Adora approached. She looked over at Castaspella. “I think Shadow Weaver is in Mystacor.” she said, her voice loud enough to echo in the chamber. It all went deadly quiet.
The woman next to Casta froze, and the older sorcerer stood suddenly. She moved next to Adora. “Are you certain?” Adora stared at her for a second, before nodding. She turned to the red haired woman.
“Ariel, inform the council, I will be handling this, but practice caution, you of all people know how dangerous Shadow Weaver is.” The red haired woman, Ariel stood slowly, leaving the room. Casta turned back to Adora. “May I ask, how do you know Shadow Weaver?”
She felt herself become small, her breathing rapid, every thought locked onto the fact that Shadow Weaver might be here, and back to everything she had suffered through. She couldn’t talk about it, not with anyone. She felt hands moving her to sit. Her chest felt tight, she could see She-Ra trying to talk to her, but couldn’t hear the words.
“Please, Adora. Breath with me.” Casta was in front of her. Breathing in and out slowly. She tried, and after several attempts. Through which Casta patiently tried to guide her through getting her breathing under control. Her breathing final settled into a shallow series of breaths.
“She raised me” she managed to choke out. Around a sob that came unbidden. “She taught me, and made me the best, and hurt me if I failed.” It all came spilling out, she couldn't stop if she wanted to.
“Oh, Oh you poor thing.” she felt the thin arms of Castaspella pulling her into a tight hug. “You got away? Do not worry you are safe here. I promise you.” She felt She-ra’s hand on her shoulder.
It took her several minutes to pull herself together. During which time Castaspella and She-Ra didn’t let go of her, providing warm comfort. Eventually she pulled back, and Castaspella looked at her. Her eyes filled with something that Adora couldn’t identify.
“Adora, try and get some rest, I will ensure your safety to the best of my ability.” Adora could only nod.
Shadow Weaver grunted as the spells began to fail, the child had decided to speak to that fool Castaspella. She was always a second rate sorceress, no real talent, not like her brother. Still with her alerted, Shadow Weaver would have to be more careful, the wards around Mystacor increased in power, preventing outside interference.
To any sorcerer less than herself this would have ended the plan. She was no lesser sorceress though, she had performed and survived the spell of obtainment, she was the youngest master of illusions, she had walked the path of the bleeding heart. She would not be shut out. Most importantly though, was that her child was the source of her magic in Mystacor. She had claimed that child long before she had laid eyes on Queen Angella, long before even the runt outside her door had claimed her.
She focused in again, slipping past the wards she had spent years maintaining. It was a challenge, and she so rarely had a challenge in this day. No one in the Horde dared challenge her, even one day she would remove Hordak from his high throne and she would ascend. Etheria would be hers, and she would return Adora to her service.
With Adora at her side she could find the Crystal castle and pierce down into the very heart of the planet, to find what the spell of obtainment had shown her. What it had shown only one other before and unlike that old mad woman, she had kept her sanity intact.
A smile crept onto her face, she focused down into the scrying pool, forcing the water to become a mirror, and from a mirror to an eye, staring down at her wayward child. Who slept, tossing and turning in her sleep, nothing could calm her when she was in one of her restless moods.
With this Link, she launched through a few Shadow Spies, she would have to hope to the wards failing to detect them until it was too late. With one final incantation she broke down the defenses she had meticulously built years ago around Adora’s Mind, she wouldn’t let others view her plans, but now she needed access.
Adora had barely managed to fall asleep when the Nightmares began, first of Thaymor, of everything that went wrong, no change there. Then of Salineas, of nearly drowning, of watching Catra nearly drown. She screamed into the water taking in lungfulls of it.
Finally Catra stopped writhing, stopped breathing, and all Adora could do was sob over her body as she dragged it to shore. She was too late, always too late. She felt the corpse below her begin to shift. She pulled back, no dream had ever gone like this, to stare at the moving form of Catra, who stared back at her with Pitch Black eyes.
“Oh Adora” the corpse said, in a voice that was Catra’s and Shadow Weaver’s “did you think her dying would set you free? You will never be free.”
Adora screamed…