Hello! 🙂
This week begins a new episode of my fanfic, and the title will evoke some deja vu!
As I mentioned before, I retitled the last episode, so now this one is the real "Shutdown Part 1." Thanks for going with me on that.
Here is the grand summary so far:
(Feel free to skip if you already know the story well.)
The battle against Horde Prime is ended, and there is peace.
Hordak pledges to stay in the valley to guard the Heart of Etheria from ever being activated again, as well as to form a new community with his clone brothers. Wrong Hordak (renamed Wink) goes with Entrapta back to Dryl. (Episode 53: On The Plain of Heroes)
Adora (and Swift Wind) brings Catra (and Melog) back to Bright Moon with her, where Glimmer and Bow try to make Catra feel at home. (Episode 54: Just Friends Ship) But Catra has trouble adjusting, still angry at herself and restless. She escapes to the Whispering Woods, where she encounters strange and troubling voices.
Glimmer prepares for Micah's return to Bright Moon, while Castaspella helps to heal Micah and prepares him for his reunion with Glimmer. (Episode 55: Sleeping Arrangements)
Adora and Catra leave on an adventure with Swift Wind, but they end up finding a terrible warning in the Crystal Castle and almost perish in a ferocious windstorm. They are saved by Spinnerella and Netossa on the night of Micah's return to Bright Moon. (Episode 56: Throne Room)
Frosta and Perfuma accompany Scorpia to the Fright Zone, where she looks for a sense of home. There, they meet up with Lonnie and former Horde soldiers who are distrustful of the princesses at first, but Scorpia brings them together and claims her role as ruler of the new kingdom of the Peace Zone.
In a tense meeting, the princesses agree to send an envoy to Mystacor for advice, and Micah goes with Adora and Catra. (Episode 57: Missing Peace) They discover that disaster has befallen the island of the sorcerers, and it has fallen to the ground, its magic weakened by an unknown force. (Episode 58: Peace Zone)
Mermista and Seahawk survive a mysterious and terrible whirlpool together before they finally make it back to Salineas. There, Mermista finds her homeland in ruin and her citizens scattered and missing. With Sea Hawk's help, they make the journey to bring her people back home. (Episode 59: Good Will Tour)
Catra stays in Mystacor to help Micah and Castaspella to tend to the injured and start rebuilding, while Adora is called back to Bright Moon to help Glimmer.
On their returns to their kingdoms, both Perfuma and Frosta discover disasters afflicting their lands. In Bright Moon, the Best Friends Squad reunites to help Glimmer to activate the distress beacon, which calls all of the princesses to Bright Moon for a meeting/sleepover. (Episode 60: Cry For Etheria)
In the meantime, Entrapta and Wink make their way back to Beast Island, where they meet up with Lucinda (the robot vehicle she left there), and travel to the nerve center of the island. There, they discover that the whole planet is threatened by a breakdown of the First One's planet-wide machine systems, which have been broadcasting a warning of the impending disaster.
While in Mystacor, Castaspella and Catra form a friendship that resembles a mother-daughter dynamic. (Episode 61: Stay Close)
At Bright Moon, all princesses gather, and Entrapta reveals that all of the disasters are the effects of glitches in the systems built by the First Ones, and Etheria faces complete destruction if and when the ancient systems fail completely. Time is short. To stop this happening, they must work together to shut the system down. (Episode 62: Chance for the Future, Ghosts from the Past) While the princesses return to their kingdoms to make link with their runestones, Adora and Bow accompany Entrapta, Emily, and Wink to the Valley of the Heart, where they seek Hordak's assistance to gain access to the Heart of Etheria to shut it down.
All princesses assemble to link with their runestones, but Scorpia (with Spinnerella and Netossa) arrives in the Peace Zone to find it in the midst of a lightning storm, one of the final events predicted by Entrapta that will occur before the First Ones system fails. As a result, Scorpia is forced to crash land in an area far removed from her runestone in the old Horde Command Complex. (Episode 63: Welcome . . .) She seeks the help of Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio to help her get there, while Spinnerella and Netossa protect the other former Horde soldiers from the devastation of the storm. And, while, half a world away, Catra makes her way through the Whispering Woods to return to Bright Moon, Adora faces many dangers as she follows after Entrapta when they enter the underground passages leading to the Heart Chamber. (Episode 64: Where There Is Light)
Sorry. That summary was a bit of a mess, as I tried to do something different with how I put all the links. Ah, well.
I am dedicating this week's chapter to Wellington ( @WellingtonSmith ), a fine friend, wise wit and wiki-parent to us all. 😊
'Cause you have a soft spot for "our irritating bird horse."
I hope you all enjoy this light-hearted scene at the beginning of the episode.
Because it is short, I will plan to give you another chapter within the week, too!
'Cause you deserve it. 😁
And thank you, as always, for sticking with me on this!
Episode 65: Shutdown Part 1
The light from the brilliant Moon Stone reflects dully off a sheet of gathering clouds, and the sunlight filtering through the occasional break is feeble in comparison to its glow.
General Juliet stands at the great castle gate in full armored garb. She is flanked by a large compliment of Bright Moon guards in ready formation and vigilant. As Juliet looks upward, she can just make out the silhouette of her queen, standing against the light of her runestone, in command of its radiance and power.
Juliet lowers her gaze to survey the crowds below. Citizens and nobles of Bright Moon in scattered groups along the walkways and amidst the shallow moat of the castle. They number in the thousands and comprise the vast majority of the citizenry, present in force in support of their beloved ruler.
A careless shuffling of hooves from nearby attracts Juliet’s attention. She turns, along with a few of her curious guards, to see what it is. Catching Juliet’s look of reproach, the guards quickly shift their attention back to their watch.
General Juliet strides over to Swift Wind, who stops a short distance behind the line of guards looking furtive and uneasy.
Spying the general approaching, Swift Wind immediately alters his bearing and expression into an attitude of casual calm. He begins to try leaning nonchalantly against the wall, reaching out his fore-hoof to touch it, then with a quick glance, notices that there is no wall nearby. He lets his hoof fall to the ground and awkwardly recovers with a cross-legged stance and a cool grin.
General Juliet regards him with a raised eyebrow and the hint of a smile.
Swift Wind: [brightly] Ahh! Good afternoon, General!
General Juliet: [cooly] Good afternoon, Swift Wind.
Swift Wind: Yes! [he pauses] Ah, hmmm. Errr . . .
He looks up at the remarkably bland sky, then back at Juliet.
Swift Wind: Lovely day. Lovely afternoon. [pause] Should be a nice evening!
General Juliet: Mm-hmm.
Swift Wind suddenly stares at his hooves for a moment, absently scraping his right fore-hoof against the ground.
Swift Wind: Yep. Nice day for a little flight.
He looks up to see Juliet’s reaction to this, and she just nods.
He regards her a moment, then nods his head.
Swift Wind: [smiling] You’re right! I should go!
With a quick motion, he crouches, spreads his wings and moves to spring into the air.
However, before he can fully complete this maneuver, General Juliet’s hand shoots out in a lightning motion and grabs a handful of his mane, pulling him up short with a sharp whinny.
General Juliet: [with gentle firmness] Nobody leaves the castle grounds.
Swift Wind: What? Ee-yahh!
He tries to shake his head out of her grasp, but Juliet holds firmly. Finally, he stops struggling, and she releases her grip on his mane. He looks at her pleadingly.
Swift Wind: But, I think somebody said, “Swift Wind.”
General Juliet: [emphasizing] Nobody leaves.
Swift Wind: [bargaining] It’s Adora! She needs me! I really think she needs me.
General Juliet shakes her head.
General Juliet: I’m sorry, Swift Wind. But, nobody is permitted to leave Bright Moon at this time. By order of the Queen.
Swift Wind’s expression brightens, and he straightens up proudly.
Swift Wind: Glimmer?! Glimmer and I are good friends! [continuing with a confident smirk] Yeah, we go back a ways.
He begins slowly prancing back and forth as he speaks, head held high.
Swift Wind: [like he’s reciting a list] Gave me a special chair. Made me special liaison for stables and pastures. Oh, yeah! [turning to General Juliet, with pride] We’ve shared apples together. And she and Adora are veeeery close. She would tooooootally understand.
Swift Wind flashes a winning grin at Juliet, who merely frowns sternly.
Swift Wind startles somewhat at her fierce expression.
Swift Wind: [uncertain] Uuuum . . . oh! [his face perks up, then relaxes] I’ll just go ask her!
And before General Juliet can stop him, he leaps into the air!
General Juliet: [scowling and shaking her head, under her breath] Grrrr!
