Hey! Happy weekend.
It's time for the start of a new episode of my fan fiction, and this one brings a new location into the mix, with a cliffhanger right at the start.
Also, a couple of my very favorite characters! :)
To summarize the plot so far:
Episode 53: On The Plain of Heroes (in 5 parts)
After the final battle with Horde Prime, the heroes regroup and go their separate ways, beginning new adventures to unfold.
Episode 54: Just Friends Ship (in 5 parts)
Catra has trouble feeling at home in her new surroundings at Bright Moon.
On the way to Salineas, Mermista and Sea Hawk struggle together against a freak whirlpool.
Episode 55: Sleeping Arrangements (in 8 parts)
Mermista and Sea Hawk help each other survive.
Catra and Melog battle a mysterious foe.
Glimmer and Bow prepare for Micah's return, while Castaspella helps Micah to know more about his daughter.
And Catra and Adora begin a new adventure with Swift Wind.
Episode 56: Throne Room (in 6 parts)
Sea Hawk brings Mermista home to a broken Salineas, and Mermista vows to restore her people back with Sea Hawk's help.
Adora and Catra start a beautiful adventure, which is ominously interrupted. As Glimmer welcomes her dad back to Bright Moon, a terrible storm threatens Adora, Catra, and Swift Wind. With the help of Spinerella and Netossa, they make it back to Bright Moon with a dire message.
Episode 57: Missing Peace (in 6 parts)
The heroes of Bright Moon debate what to do about a powerful, unknown threat.
Scorpia, Perfuma, and Frosta make their way to the Fright Zone, hoping that Scorpia can reclaim her homeland, but the line there between friend and enemy can be very thin.
And Wink and Entrapta decide to go on a journey to find an old friend.
Now, at the start of Episode 58, we rejoin Entrapta, Wink, and Darla, as they arrive in a strange and ominous place.
Enjoy!
Far away from any civilization, the half-light of early evening streams down through a complicated forest of tree-like growths, metallic structures, and pseudo-organic forms. By the time it filters down to the floor/ground it is diffused to a mysterious twilight gloom, ornamented by a soft glow from myriad crystalline points of illumination -- violet, blue, and red. All of this is enshrouded by a deep, paralyzing quiet. Almost a piercing silence.
Into this silence, an invader shrieks and buzzes out of the sky. A massive, angular shape slowly descends over a large open plain that is ringed by towering vine-like growths. Then, all at once, as if it suddenly can’t bear to delay any longer, the shape leaps to the ground, landing with a magnificent, echoing thump. It is now obvious what it is: the First Ones spacecraft that Entrapta knows as Darla.
A hatch snaps open, and a huge ramp descends. Even before it touches the ground, Entrapta is bounding out, vaulting on her ponytails. She lands half-way down the ramp, gazing out across the silent glowing vista with an expression of delighted anticipation.
Entrapta: We’re back on Beast Island, Darla! Isn’t it wonderful?!
Darla’s voice emanates from somewhere behind her.
Darla’s Voice: [matter-of-factly] I did not think this was a good idea.
Entrapta: [excitedly] This is where I first met you!
Darla’s Voice: Yes. It is in close proximity to the site from which we escaped the island.
Entrapta: [with wondering interest] Every other place on Etheria seems to have altered in response to She-Ra defeating Horde Prime. Yet, . . . this place is remarkably the same . . . Hmmm . . .
She quickly pulls her hand-held recorder out of her tunic.. Behind her, Wink hesitantly pokes his head around the corner of the hatchway, his eyes wide and wary. He stares uneasily out at the gloomy, foreboding landscape.
Entrapta: [to the recorder] Log. Beast Island experiments. Day forty------three. . . four??? [shrugging] Eh. Beast Island follow-up experiments. Day One. [she continues in a tone of objectivity and fascination in equal parts] The planet-wide biological rejuvenation and growth acceleration initiated by the energy release from She-Ra in her fully active biotechnological symbiotic form has been minimally effective in this region of Etheria. Working hypothesis: The concentration of First Ones technology in the area may be creating an opposing force that counters this effect. I will now proceed to investigate by . . . [she pauses, struck by a thought] Heyyy! Wink!
Turning her head back toward the hatchway, her ponytail springs out at him, stretching crazily. Instinctively, he flinches back, but the the tips of Entrapta’s hair grasp his hand, pulling him forward. In a staggering lurching motion, Wink is compelled to jog down the ramp, as Entrapta pulls him to her. He arrives by her side a little shaken, smiling weakly at Entrapta’s rapt expression.
Entrapta: [full of joy and wonder] You don’t want to miss this! Beast Island is where I spent some of my most fascinating and surprising and strangest . . . ! [she trails off and her voice drops a little] And loneliest. [after a moment’s pause, she brightens up again] And amazing periods of scientific study!
They start walking down the ramp, hand in hair. As they do, Wink raises his head and looks around, smiling as he begins to see this world through Entrapta’s eyes.
Entrapta: I found answers here to questions I had been asking for years, and there are answers here to questions I haven’t even thought to ask! There are so many discoveries I was beginning to make when I had to leave. Now, we can discover them together! What do you think of that, Wink!
He stares around them, his eyes and mouth wide open.
Wink: [slightly breathless with excitement] I . . . Can’t . . . Wait!!
Entrapta holds his hand tightly with her hair, and runs down the ramp with him, then spins around in circles, almost lifting Wink off the ground in her exhuberance.
Entrapta: [in crazy happiness] Hahahahahahahahaha!!!
Finally, they whirl to a stop, staggering dizzily for a moment.
Wink: [weaving, giddy] Ohh-whoahhhh.
Entrapta: [eyes closed and smiling, hugging herself] Ooo-wee. Haha!
They open their eyes and right themselves, Entrapta’s hair across Wink’s shoulders. Suddenly as they look out at the glowing lights, Wink spies a pink glowing orb moving close to the ground. Out of the shadows emerges a small creature, about knee-high to Wink, appearing to be part cat, part monkey, with one large glowing pink eye. It approaches curiously. Wink blinks at it, intrigued but hesitant.
Entrapta: [brightly] Oh, hi! [to Wink] That’s a pooka A fascinating creature that is intelligent, curious, and very sweet. It’s completely harmless and so adorable!
Wink, now emboldened, steps up to the little pooka, bends down to one knee and reaches out a hand. The pooka hops up and down excitedly, then sits peacefully and grins widely. Wink smiles in return. Then suddenly, the grin turns into a menacing grimace, and the pooka tenses, beginning to snarl threateningly. Wink quickly withdraws his hand.
Entrapta: [continuing her previous commentary] By itself, that is. The really interesting thing is that when they’re in a group, pookas tend to become highly aggressive and deadly, pursuing and attacking even much larger creatures than themselves without any mercy.
Looking around them, Wink and Entrapta notice other pink glows beginning to emerge from the bio-techno forest, some on the ground, some in the trees. First several, then several more, then dozens . . .
Entrapta: [wonderingly] It’s a fascinating behavior. I still haven’t quite figured it out, but I was working on a theory.
Wink stands up and backs away slowly as the pooka he was with crouches and is joined by more of its kind, slowly stalking forward. The dozens have become hundreds, creeping from the darkness, dropping out of the trees. Wink looks around, and they are on all sides of them. Closing in.
Wink: [seriously concerned] Entraptaaaaa.
Entrapta: Ah, well. We’ve got time.
Wink: [on the edge of panic] Entraptaaa!
Entrapta: [coming out of her musings] Oh, right. Or maybe not. Ummmm.
She looks around gauging their distance from the ship, the closeness of the pack of pookas. It doesn’t look good. Reaching out her hair, she grabs Wink around the middle, and pulls him in tightly against her side.
Entrapta: [semi-desperately] Stay close! I’ve got an idea!
Wink: [unsure] All right!
Wink looks all around them. They are surrounded, certainly with no chance of escape. He blinks down at Entrapta, as if to say, surely this isn’t your entire idea!
All at once, there is a crashing thumping sound in the near distance. The sound is evidently coming their way. Wink tenses.
Entrapta: [her face lighting up] This should be very interesting!
Wink stares at her. Her expression of wild anticipation is clearly unnerving to him. The crashing sound draws nearer, from somewhere just ahead of them. It is something big. Coming towards them. The pookas stop for a moment, growling low in terrifying unison. Whatever is coming is very big.
Entrapta: [manically eager] Get ready, Wink! It’s time for science!!
