//------------------------------// // Figuring Things Out // Story: Etheria's Sunset // by Wanderer D //------------------------------// Etheria's Sunset By Wanderer D Figuring things out "Open Sesame!" "Eternia!" "Mxyzptlk!" "Eternia!" "Kimota!" "Eternia!" "Uroshnor!" "Seriously, Kyle, do you need to keep shouting 'Eternia'?" Catra finally asked. "It really, really doesn't work." "W-well, Entrapta once said that you can use a brute force attack to hack a password!" Scorpia blinked. "Oh! I remember that!" She then arched an eyebrow and looked at Kyle with a decidedly unsure expression. "But I don't think she meant using the same word over and over." "What else would make it a brute force attack?" "This is stupid." Catra glanced over at her troops, as they tried to use a powerful laser to shoot through the structure's walls, but as fragile as Eternian architecture seemed to be inside, the outside? Diamond-solid. "Alright, Kyle, since you're not helping, go back to stacking the equipment." Kyle deflated, but Catra's orders were law. He headed over to the crates, and started piling them once more. Once he was out of sight, Catra massaged her brow. "Aww, I like how you care about your friends." Scorpia smiled, then tapped her chin. "Well, your underling friends." "Kyle is not my friend," Catra stated, shaking her head. "I just don't like seeing what the others do to him because they think they can get away with it." Scorpia slapped her back. "Ha! And that makes you a good leader! He just needs more training, that's all." "Yes, but that doesn't solve our current problem," Catra replied, wincing. "We need to bring Entrapta along next time, she might not be able to read it, like Adora can—" her voice took a decidedly low tone at the mention of her former friend"—but she understands this technology much better." "Is that a good idea?" Scorpia rubbed the back of her head. "I mean, it can't be that difficult, can it?" Scorpia asked. "The lines are a bit weird, but that there looks like a fish. And that looks like Adora's sword. Hey! Maybe we need the sword to open it!" "In which case, this is all a big waste of time!" Catra hissed. "It's not like we can just borrow it!" "You could always ask?" "Adora isn't even here!" "Then who's that?" Catra cringed and turned slowly to face She-Ra and some friends, which surprisingly included a horse with a horn. She quickly gathered herself, smirking at the group. "Hey, Adora. What a pleasant surprise," she deadpanned. "What brings you here?" Adora took two steps forth, posing mightily, her blonde hair waving in the air. "You know why I'm here, Catra," she said in that tone of voice that just rubbed Catra the wrong way. "We can't let the Horde obtain this First One's technology!" She valiantly pointed her very dangerous sword at Catra and Scorpia. "First ones, first ones… Aha!" the young woman with the red and blonde hair said, snapping her fingers. She turned to look at the little horse with the horn. "That's why it sounded familiar! G'kar and Londo actually knew the First Ones!" The little horned horse smacked her forehead and shook her head. "Of course! No wonder it sounded so familiar!" "Girls?" Adora hissed, holding her sword steady. "Is this really the time?" "So," Catra spoke up, ignoring the odd pair. "Where's my patrol?" "Bow and Glimmer took care of them," Adora said, "give up, Catra. You can't win this." Catra rolled her eyes. "Blah, blah, righteous fury. Blah, blah, can't win this!" She crossed her arms. "Come on, Adora, you can do better than that." She smirked. "In prison." Adora blinked, then her eyes opened wide when she realized what Catra had done. "Well, it seems our villaness is not dumb," a voice said, making Kyle jump, hand on his chest as he stared at the armored, deep purple horse with the half horn. "Who are you?!" he asked, quickly raising his weapon. "At ease, soldier," the horse said, waving a hoof. "I'm just passing by and I noticed what was happening here. I used to serve an evil army too." Kyle sat down on the crates, watching as Catra's ambush proceeded exactly as she had planned. He looked down at his gun, then at the horse. "I guess there's no point in fighting. With my luck, I'll get banged up again." Both of them winced at the loud explosion and then followed the trajectory of a particularly large tank as it was thrown overhead. "Perhaps," the horse said, taking a seat next to him, "but as I said, I have no intention of causing you harm. My name is Tempest Shadow." "Kyle." "Nice to meet you, Kyle. How come you are here and not there, participating in the battle?" Kyle sighed. "I'm just not good at this. Lonnie and the others all scored higher than me during training… not to mention Adora and Catra," he said, motioning at the pair. "Interesting. Are you saying Sunset and Starlight's ally was once one of yours?" "Are they the cute redhead and the little horse with the horn? Yeah," Kyle said, leaning back. "We all grew up together in the Horde. Well, most of us. I was picked up from a town the Horde conquered, but Lonnie and the others had been there before. We all trained together, ate together… I guess, I never realized I wasn't cut for this." Tempest nodded. "We're called unicorns, by the way. Horses with horns." "Oh. Sorry." "Don't worry about it." The pair contemplated the heat from the explosion. "You know, Kyle, not everyone is meant to be part of the frontlines, have you considered an administrative role?" "But… I want to be with my friends." "Hm." Nearby, a pair of troopers landed, unconscious. "I mean, it's not like I enjoy being in a fight, you know?" Kyle admitted. "But these guys are all I know, and… well, it sucks that it's all falling apart. Adora and Catra are at each other's throats, and they used to be best friends!" He shook his head. "I know I'm not important, like them, but we all care. Lonnie, Rogelio, myself… I-I think even Shadow Weaver cares, in her own, twisted, manipulative way." He looked up at the battle. "I hate that Catra and Adora have to fight. They were like sisters… I always thought they'd be there for each other. And they were always nice to me." "I'm not entirely sure what to say. On the one hoof, I don't think there's anything good that can come out of being with an army like this one," Tempest said, "Reminds me a lot of the Storm King's army… but it seems more complicated than that, in your case. You're talking about your family and your friends." Tempest hummed. "I suppose I could try and help you out." Kyle blinked. "What? Really?" Tempest shrugged. "Sure. I was given a second chance after… well, a lot of things. I've been part of something very similar, but where you have the strength to stay to help your friends, I left mine behind and ended up joining evil." She smirked. "At least the Storm King's army didn't have "evil" as part of their title." "I don't think we're particularly evil," Kyle said softly. "Sometimes we can only see what's right in front of us," Tempest said, keeping her eye on the battle. "And it takes some time to realize that the world is not limited to what we can, or cannot see." While Kyle pondered those words, the area shook and several shouts recalled their attention to the battle. Kyle blinked. "I guess they figured out the password." To Be Continued...