Well, thank you for being patient with the 24-hour delay on this week's chapter.
It's time for the beginning of a new episode, and I think it's gonna be a good one! 😁
First, a brief summary of the story so far (and if you want to catch up, please follow any of the links below).
Ep 53: On The Plain of Heroes Journeys begin after the final battle with Horde Prime.
Ep 54: Just Friends Ship Sea Hawk and Mermista face a storm at sea, and Catra is not at home in Bright Moon.
Ep 55: Sleeping Arrangements Mermista and Sea Hawk recover from the storm, while Glimmer worries about Micah's return, and Adora sets off on an adventure with Catra and Swift Wind.
Episode 56: Throne Room Glimmer welcomes her father home as Swift Wind, Catra and Adora survive a deadly windstorm with the help of Spinntossa.
Ep 57: Missing Peace Princesses make plans to investigate a dire threat, while, Scorpia returns with Frosta and Perfuma to the Fright Zone.
Ep 58: Peace Zone Entrapta and Wink travel to Beast Island, while Scorpia reclaims her ancestral kingdom, and Catra and Adora, with Micah, discover Mystacor in ruins.
Ep 59: Good Will Tour Sea Hawk helps Mermista to recover Salineans who fled the Horde. Adora, Catra and Micah arrive to help rebuild Mystacor.
Ep 60: Cry For Etheria Glimmer activates the distress beacon as disasters multiply and Entrapta discovers a deadly threat to the entire planet.
Ep 61: Stay Close The princesses gather for an "emergency sleepover," while Catra stays with Castaspella in Mystacor.
Ep 62: Chance for the Future, Ghosts from the Past Bow and Entrapta formulate a plan to save Etheria. Adora and Catra relive past traumas.
Ep 63: Welcome . . . The princesses disperse to their kingdoms ready to work together with Entrapta as she enters the Chamber of the Heart.
Ep 64: Where There Is Light Adora faces trials on her way to the Chamber of the Heart, and Scorpia assembles her old crew to travel to the old Horde Command Complex.
Ep 65: Shutdown Part 1 The princesses and Bow struggle to save the planet, while Scorpia and her crew face deadly risks.
Ep 66: Shutdown Part 2 With the planetary systems approaching critical failure, the princesses race to avert destruction. Victory is achieved, but at an unexpected price.
Ep 67: Light In The Mourning Glimmer recovers from serious injury, and each of the princesses begin to cope with the loss of their magic, while Entrapta begins her investigation to discover the reason.
Ep 68: The Beginnings of Magic Adora and Mara each seek help from Razz, who leads them to each other. Bow returns home, and Glimmer leaves for Mystacor with Catra and Swift Wind. While they are gone, Double Trouble returns to Bright Moon with a hidden agenda!
This week, I am dedicating my chapter to my newest friend here, Fin ( @Night Owl Fin )! 😊
Fin, I think you will like this, even if you don't yet know the context.
Hopefully, you can catch up with the rest of my fanfic at some point.
And now, three good friends are on their way to a destination that has somewhat altered since they were last there, and where they hope to find some answers that can help all the princesses of Etheria.
Onward, friends!
EPISODE 69: Things Everywhere, All At Once
SPACE:
Against a vast field of blackness, sparkling with distant stars, the Tree Moon floats in all its immense glory, clothed in deeply tangled windings of great viny, leaf-bedecked branches.
There is no longer any sign of the deeper structure, for the metallic skeleton of Prime’s old flagship lies hidden beneath layer upon layer of densely woven vegetation.
Across this scene, a sleek, diamond-shaped spacecraft approaches rapidly.
Suddenly, it disappears within the shadow of the much larger organically-enshrouded structure, which dwarfs it by a scale of ten thousand to one.
Within the spacious control room of the spacecraft, Entrapta stands before the console. She wears a form-fitting spacesuit in lavender hues, minus helmet.
Her fingers and hair work in concert to gently tap the surfaces, which glow at her touch.
Just behind her, Wink is occupied with pulling his own spacesuit on over his other clothes. He grunts as he struggles to raise the sleeves of the upper half of the suit over his shoulders.
Entrapta frowns in concentration. She looks up at the view outside the panoramic window around them and overhead.
Entrapta: Almost there, Wink!
While Entrapta continues her work at the controls, two large branches of her hair separate and reach behind her. The hair strands quickly tuck Wink into the rest of his suit, then draw his sleeves upward, and zip the suit up to around his neck. As her hair withdraws, one final wisp makes a quick and efficient brush at Wink’s hair, pushing his forlock out of his face. Wink smiles.
Entrapta presses both hands on the control surface, causing the entire panel to glow.
Entrapta: What do you think, Darla?
A wire-frame holographic sphere pops into view, hovering in the space just before Entrapta’s face.
Darla’s Voice: All landing surfaces are obscured by the vegetation. I have calculated a forced docking procedure and will engage on your command.
Entrapta: [excitedly] Let’s do it!
Darla’s Voice: Engaging now. Brace for impact.
Entrapta quickly reaches one ponytail out to Wink, winding it around his waist and pulling him close beside her. The ends of both ponytails grasp the edge of the console in a many-fingered grip, and Wink buries his hands securely within the bulk of Entrapta’s hair. Each of them tense their bodies into an anticipatory crouch.
Darla’s Voice: Impact in five . . . four . . . three . . .
Entrapta: [beaming] Here we g--!
A fantastic metallic crash rings out as the entire ship lurches violently, tilting to one side. Entrapta and Wink lose their grips to go flying and sliding across the room, landing on their backs.
Entrapta and Wink: Errraugh!!! Whup! Oo-ahhhh! Mmphh!!
They lie still, stunned.
After a moment, Wink wriggles out of Entrapta’s hair, and Entrapta sits up straight, her eyes blinking wide.
She looks to the console. The holographic sphere there vibrates and distorts . . .
Darla’s Voice: [in wildly modulating pitch] Dock-DOck-ing achieeeee-bbrrble-brllsltzzzzt------!
. . . finally winking out entirely, while Darla’s voice screeches and fizzles into static.
Entrapta: DARLA!!
She leaps up, disentangling from Wink, and rushes to the console.
Entrapta: [with sharp concern] Ohhhhhh. Are you okay? C’mon, girl! Gimme a sign!
Wink stands up and shakes his head, blinking blearily. His vision focuses on Entrapta, and he immediately ambles over to offer her aid. As he joins her, Entrapta’s fingers are flying with anxious desperation across the panels.
Entrapta bites her lip.
Entrapta: Ohhhhhhh!
Displays leap into the air before them, and Entrapta studies them with concern.
Entrapta: Well . . . the energy levels are stable, and . . . no, there’s no damage to her core processing systems, but . . .
Her fingers come to a halt, and she straightens up, stepping backward to take in a wider view of the displays, her hands settling on her hips.
Wink positions himself directly beside her, mirroring her studious posture. He raises an eyebrow and cocks his head to one side, then squints.
Wink: Hmmmm.
Entrapta looks from one screen to the other, and Wink emulates her motions.
Finally, she sighs.
Entrapta: [with some relief] All of her banks for logic and memory are intact. They’re just dormant. The circuitry registers a low-level signal output, so the connections are good. [tentatively] I think she’s just resting.
Just then, she steps up to the console again, this time, lowering her head against it and patting it soothingly.
Entrapta: [sympathetically] There, there, you poor dear! You’ve had a tough day!
Entrapta raises her head and takes one step back, turning toward Wink.
Entrapta: We should take a look at the outside.
As she says this, she reaches out a ponytail tip to tap a segment of the console, and with a whirring sound, part of the floor opens downward behind them.
Wink nods with a smile.
Entrapta reaches out in two different directions with her ponytails, fetching a space helmet with each. She gives one to Wink and one to herself. In simultaneous motions, they lower their helmets over their heads and secure them with clicks.
Entrapta turns back toward the control console.
Entrapta: We’ll be back soon, Darla. [affectionately] Sleep tight.
Outside, the ramp of the ship extends down into the murky darkness. A bobbing light appears on the ramp as first Entrapta, then Wink, exit the ship.
Entrapta walks backwards, shining a bright flashlight over the surface of the vessel, picking out large snarls of tree-branch growths creeping over the outer hull.
Entrapta’s voice emerges slightly muffled, but full of excitement as she narrates her investigation.
Entrapta: [with realization] Ohhhhhhh! So thaat’s what happened!
Wink blinks into the dark beside Entrapta, searching around and trying to adjust his eyes to the extreme dimness.
Wink: Ohhh? What happened?
Entrapta: These branches!! See?! Darla never had a chance to dock with Horde Prime’s ship because it docked with her!
She shines her light in a wider arc, and it is now evident that the ship is covered in the branchlike growths, all extending from the Tree Moon, grasping the ship tightly like a fish in a net. As Entrapta and Wink stare, the branches seem to move slightly, stretching and branching further!
Entrapta: Somehow, it sensed our approach and reacted by latching onto us!
Entrapta reaches out with her ponytail to a nearby branch on the edge of a hull-plate beside her. As she observes, the branch reacts to her touch by immediately growing longer and wrapping itself in a spiral shape around that piece of her hair. It stops its growth, and she gently shakes it off, withdrawing her hair.
Entrapta: [fascinated] The organic plant-forms here are remarkably sensitive and energetic! Behaving almost as if they have conscious will!
Entrapta bends forward to peer at the small branch in the light. She smiles as it inclines forward, as if peering back at her.
Entrapta: [cheerfully] Hahaha!
She straightens up and shines her light up to the top of the spacecraft.
A few branches there are visibly moving, growing slightly thicker and longer by the moment. Entrapta frowns.
Entrapta: Buuuuuut, it’s probably best if we avoid staying here any longer than absolutely necessary.
Wink is staring outward, away from the ship. His mouth hangs open in astonishment.
Wink: Ahhhhhh . . .
Entrapta: [brightly] This shouldn’t take too long, though! We’ve been here before!
Wink: Entrapta . . .
Entrapta turns around, panning her light over the base of the ramp, then tilting the beam upward and outward into . . .
A wild, chaotic, sprawling, impenetrable jungle of twisted trees and vines, extending in every direction, as far as their eyes can see!
Entrapta and Wink stand side-by-side, staring for a beat.
Entrapta: Oh. [pause] Nope. We have never. Been here. Before.
