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shipwreckedshadows · 1 year

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a while ago, while i was really into my SPOP phase, I developed a shangella story idea that i dubbed the Swap AU. in the AU, angella and shadow weaver swap places - angella performs the spell of obtainment instead of light spinner. I was going through my old work on the blog and decided that I don’t like the way I wrote it - particularly the relationship between angella and shadow weaver. it was toxic and borderline abusive, and while it was interesting to explore that type of relationship at the time that i wrote it, its not really the sort of thing i currently enjoy writing about. it also comes with the caveat that im not really writing the shangella that i wanted to write, and also light spinner eventually leaves angella at some point in the story.

so here is an outline of a potential re-write that ive been thinking about for a couple of weeks now. these are plot points, largely removed from character work. i want angella’s and light spinner’s relationship to be softer and healthier than i originally wrote in the first version of this story. as such, the spell of obtainment doesn’t turn angella into a meaner version of herself. she’s still caring and nurturing like she is in cannon, her priorities are just different.

Act One:

- also i tagged this post as swap AU, which also where all of the older posts are housed, [including this post on the basic set up for the AU]. not necessary to read but there if you want to

- angella has always put her emotions away and hated being vulnerable, so that becomes more predominant now that she’s transformed. the spell of obtainment works off of the main goal and motive the user has. angella’s main goal and motive was to have enough power to eradicate the horde and restore order to etheria. she’s motivated to do so as a good leader. so the spell feeds into and pushes her ideas of being a good leader to top spot priority and makes them stronger.

- magic has always been one of the most powerful resources (next to military weaponry, which is primarily used by the horde) so she enlists the help of mystacore’s military, which is where light spinner comes in.

- LS’s injury has left her unable to perform strong feats of magic so she has stepped down from her posiiton, leaving michah to take it. though she is largely on leave until she fully recovers, she still hangs around micah and casta. kinda like the way seniors sometimes hang around administrators - she has nothing to do except offer advice and research (read also: annoy the shit out of mystacore’s two most prominant leaders). this is how angella and LS meet and develop a bit of a relationship.

- they take down the horde and restore scorpia’s kingdom (scorpia’s parents are still alive, as at this point the horde hasn’t taken over the kingdom yet)

- as a result of using her magic take down so many horde soldiers, the spell of obtainment has weakened Angella’s connection to to brightstone and she starts having trouble drawing from its powers. at first she doesnt notice as the spell of obtainment draws power from the life power of others, which it was draining from the horde soldiers. after a few weeks of peace, she uses up the energy stored up, starts to feel weak, and realizes she can’t draw on the brightsone’s power anymore. she contacts mystacore for help.

- light spinner still holds her career at a priority and recognizes that she is largely a vestigial part of mystacore. she sees that the queen’s unique disorder of magic is an area she can be of use, without having to actually use her own magic. the queen already knows light spinner and agrees to have her stay in the castle. light spinner makes it super clear that this is a job, not a favour (everybody is in a bit of a recession right now bc of the rebellion/war, and money is a bit hard to come by, especially for LS who’s on leave. its a paid leave but she’s still not making as much as she used to and she also refuses to ask michah or casta for help). angella agrees but secretly considers this a favour to mystacore.

Act Two

- angella and LS bond the longer LS is in the kingdom. they spend a lot of time together as LS conducts observational research on angella’s abilities and magic properties. every other day they spend about an hour doing this. on the days they dont meet, LS is going through library materials to figure out whats going on with angella’s connection with the brightstone.

- she takes her breaks in the castle gardens and starts attending to them as a hobby in her down time

- eventually they figure out that they can make an artificial connection by chipping off a small piece of the brightstone and attaching to to angella via a pendant or sth (like the piece of the black garnet shadow weaver embedded in her mask). the risk ofc is that sacrificing the purity of the brightstone by severing a piece of it will lessen its power. angella wont do it for several reasons including: the brightstone is a symbol of her kingdom and she would hate to disgrace it for the sake of her power. also the spell of obtainment makes it so that she has trouble seeing the bigger picture - so she’s more fixated on the downsides of taking a piece of the brightstone.

- they maybe have a fight about this, idk it depends on what the character building demons say when/if i sit down to write this. if they do fight, it’ll be for the sake of character development and they’ll eventually make up.

- LS has a hard time finding methods other than physically draining the life out of others to keep angella’s magic together (and also to keep angella alive, since the spell of obtainment is parasitic in nature). she leaves to go back to mystacore because they have a more extensive library on dark magic. angella eventually loses her magic and then she starts feeling physically weaker. she sends a scroll to LS asking for updates.

- LS has somebody teleport her to brightmoon. at this point she cares about angella enough to want to do anything to help her. she tells angella to take some of her magic. angella, who isn’t very in control of her power right now, accidentally takes all of LS’s magic. unlike my original draft, LS doesn’t lose her memories. she just passes out for a few hours. when she wakes up, her magic is in a very weak state - just barely there.

Act Three

- though she has power again, angella feels extremely bad for what she’s done and does her best to make sure LS is comfortable while she takes a few days to recover from the resulting exhaustion. LS keeps reassure angella that she doesnt blame her and she’s just glad that angella is feeling better.

- the rest of the act is dedicated to resolving angella’s connection with the brightstone, and building LS’s magic back up (by developing her plant-based magic abilities). maybe i’ll do an arc where they find baby adora and raise her together, or find a way to write glimmer back into the story, idk

#swap AU #alumnix writes #spop #shangella

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catracorner962 · 4 years

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Cherished After All

Cleaning up Shadow Weaver's belongings, Adora and Catra make a shocking discovery about Catra's past. A past she never knew.

Or: My take on how Catra ended up in the Horde.

It was bitter, exhausting work. Cleaning out Shadow Weaver’s belongings from the palace. Glimmer had repeatedly offered to have someone do it for them but Adora and Catra were determined to sort through the stuff themselves. It would be fine. There weren’t many items anyway and according to Perfuma it might help bring some catharsis and closure. Catra wasn’t too sure about that, but Adora agreed it would be better for them to do it and so, she conceited.

“She really didn’t have much stuff,” Adora mused, crouched in Shadow Weaver’s old room, over a single chest. Most of the items were innocuous. Several changes of robes, a handful of coins.

“Psh yeah,” Catra scoffed from where she stood, looking out the window at the gardens. “The only thing that old hag ever cared about was the Black Garnet and the last piece of that was in her mask. Which got blown up with the rest of her.” The magicat’s tail twitched at the thought, her lips curling into a resentful smile. Still….a bit of sadness lingered. A sadness Catra knew Adora harborded too. She hated it. Hated herself for feeling anything other than satisfaction at the demise of the only mother figure either of them had ever known.

She hurt you….hurt Adora. Why do you cry for her?

Even Perfuma couldn’t answer that.

Back by the trunk, Adora rummaged through belongings, throwing the robes around without much care. A book, bound in leather with First One’s writing on it.

“It’s a spell book,’ she murmured aloud. Fingers gracing the pages. “Who knows what’s in here?!”

“Adora…” Catra warned, dragging herself back to the task at hand.

“Alright, alright, I’ll give it to Glimmer,” Adora set the book down. “Maybe she and Micah can use it.” She turned back to the trunk, hand fumbling against the flat bottom of the wood.

“What’s this?” Adora curled her fingers around a small metal item.

“It looks like one of Entrapta’s recorders,” Catra peered over her shoulder. “But slightly bigger. There’s a button on it,” she pointed. The two of them exchanged the all too familiar “let’s-do-it,” look. Adora pressed her thumb into the single red button on top. A faded red light blinked, projecting a fuzzy hologram before them. Adora squinted, trying to make out the images. Only static sounded through the small speakers.

Two people...a tail? No...two tails...and? Are those…?

Adora’s eyes flitted from the static images of the hologram to Catra. Her own tail was swiping back and forth intrigued. Her ears perked forward.

No...it couldn’t be... No one knew anything about Catra’s species. She herself never expressed any curiosity in knowing...only bitter resentment at her more feline characteristics, thanks to Shadow Weaver.

“H..hello?”

Adora’s attention drew back to the two figures, one of whom spoke in a male voice.

“Is...is it working?”

The second figure, also male, asked.

The image fuzzed and spluttered, in and out.

“If...if you’re seeing this...it...it means you’ve found her.”

Adora leaned closer, the hologram slowly becoming more clear. Two male figures...two male figures with ears and tails like Catra. The one speaking...he was crying. His clothes in tatters. The second one looked no better, but he held something to his chest. A bundle.

“There’s no chance for her here,” the first one spoke in breathy gasps. “If..If she stays with us...she’ll…” The second magicat, the one holding the bundle reached out and gripped the other’s arm tightly. He too, was in tears.

“Please…,” he begged. “We can’t feed her...we can’t take care of her.. Horde Prime..he...he destroyed everything.” The magicat held whatever it was to his chest with a desperation that made Adora’s heart ache. Realization slowly dawning on her. Catra betrayed no such epiphany. Her face...showed nothing. Stone cold.

“We haven’t even named her,” the first one glanced down at the bundle, smiling through her hurried breaths. He reached out, placing one clawed hand atop of it and stroked it gently.

“Kitten,” he whispered. The second man held the baby close to him, looking directly at Adora.

“Please, have mercy on her. Give her food and a bed...that’s more than we have. And when...when she’s old enough please show her this...so...so..” he heaved for air. “So she knows we loved her.”

Adora’s own eyes sparked with tears, looking helplessly at the two desperate magicats and the thing in their arms.

“Kitten, if you ever see this,” the first one began, nearly choking on his words.

“Know that we love you. We love you so much; with all our hearts… that is why we can’t keep you. With the Horde...you...you have a chance….for some sort of life. That’s all we have to give you.”

The second magicat, the one holding the kitten, buried his face into the bundle for a moment, lifting his head eventually. Adora nearly gasped, his eyes...blotchy with tears..they were two different colors. One gold, one blue.

“We love you. We are so proud of you….we…”

The recording fizzed and went blurry. Shorting out.

“No!” Adora panicked, pressing the button fervently. “No, no, no! There’s gotta be more! There has to be…”

The hologram re-appeared. Only this time the two magicats had set the bundle down inside a small box. They each kissed it lovingly. Checking and rechecking the blanket it was swaddled in. The hologram broke out again, then came back. Only this time a baby’s face, thin with signs of unger but serene in blissful sleep, sucked at the end of her stubby tail.

A runt, Adora recalled Shadow Weaver’s exact words.

The image of Catra as an infant lingered for a moment, then the hologram cut out for good.

Adora braced herself, turning to Catra slowly. Eyes wide in shock, she starred forward as though the hologram was still playing.

“Catra….?”

“I…” she whispered. “I...ha...had parents,” she stated monotone. “They didn’t abandon me….th..they loved me.”

“Oh Catra, of course they loved you.” Adora wiped her eyes with the back for her sleeve. One hand reaching out to take her girlfriend’s.

“Shadow Weaver,” Catra’s tone shifted instantly to hatred. “She knew...she knew all this time.” She began to tremble, fists curled.

“Come here,” Adora offered, standing and wrapping her arms around Catra. She remained stiff but didn’t push away. Adora held her tightly, one hand rubbing her back carefully, the other stroking through her short hair. She could feel Catra’s heart racing and her body shaking.

“She knew…” Catra whispered, broken. Tears coming to those heterochromatic eyes...just like her father. “That bitch!” Adora patted her back more incessantly as Catra tightened her grip on Adora’s shoulders, her claws retracted thankfully...but her grip was tight, clinging.

“She knew this whole time and she never told me! She said she found me in a box, abandoned and left half-dead at the edge of the Fright Zone.” Catra was fully crying now, burying her face into Adora’s neck.

“Shhh….they loved you Catra...they loved you so much and so do I.”

Catra sniffed, sinking into Adora’s chest.

“The day Shadow Weaver found you in that box,” Adora sniffled through her own crying, “was the happiest day of my life.”

She rubbed small circles around Catra’s shoulder blades, holding her as they sunk to the floor together. “I didn’t know it at the time but it was.” She could feel Catra nod against her but didn’t say anything more.

“I should’ve known…” Catra whispered, “should’ve trusted that hag….I could’ve found them Adora! I could’ve saved them!” She adjusted her hold on Adora, slumping from a hug farther into Adora until she curled all the way in her lap. Adora held her, tenderly cradling her there the way she should’ve always been comforted. The way both of them should’ve always been comforted as children.

“You already did save them Catra. Look at you! You grew up, you became the Leader of the Horde! You saved all of Etheria! Think of how many parents get to live with their kids now because of what you did!”

Catra withdrew from her chest, face gaunt with grief but somehow still resembled that little peaceful face sleeping in her swaddling.

Adora reached a hand up to Catra’s cheek, caressing her there.

“They would be so proud of you.”

Catra smirked,

“What?”

“Those were Shadow Weaver’s last words to me,” she whispered, the hatred gone from her tone. Her voice now breathy and exhausted. “I’m so proud of you Catra. It was probably a lie.” Adora looked down at the magicat, her fingers gingerly stroking her velvet ears. She bent down, leaning over her until her lips graced against Catra’s ear.

“ I’m proud of you Catra. Your parents...wherever they are. They would be proud of you too, and they loved you.”

She didn’t know what else to say truly. What could she say? It was true. Catra had not been abandoned. Catra only curled around Adora more, burying her face into her stomach. She took the hologram device with twitching hands, holding it against her chest.

“Adora? Catra? George and Lance are here! Come say hello!”

Adora instantly tightened her grip on Catra, pulling her closer instinctively to protect her in this vulnerable moment.

“W...we’ll be right there!”

Too late, shimmer pink sparkles appeared before them. Catra shot up, hissing. Pocketing the hologram device. Glimmer materialized instantly.

“George and Lance! They’ve come to help us clean things up and…” the words died on her face as her eyes shifted between the two.

“Did...did I...interrupt something?” Glimmer asked hesitantly. She gave Adora a silent look, trying to ask what was going on without Catra noticing.

“Yes, Sparkles,” Catra grumbled, composing herself with practiced skill Adora had watched her perfect in the Horde.

“S...sorry I d..didn’t,”

“It’s fine,” Catra pushed past the princess towards the main corridor of the castle. Adora offered Glimmer an apologetic smile, fighting the urge to explain what had happened.

It’s not your place to say. It’s Catra’s.

“Catra! Hello!”

Adora watched as Catra managed a wave. Bow’s fathers threw their arms around her, hugging her tight. The magicat stiffened at first, waiting for them to withdraw their hold. They did, after a moment. Lance looked at her, brows furrowing with concern.

“Catra, honey? What’s wrong?”

Adora and Glimmer approached as Catra tried to fumble for an explanation. The two men enveloping her in a hug once more. Between the men’s loving embraces Adora watched Catra close her eyes, sniffing to suppress her tears. Her own heart inflated with bittersweet emotion watching Catra slowly return their gesture, her arms going around them.

“It’s just...good to see you,” Catra remarked, straightening herself. She offered a small smile.

---

Entrapta fixed the hologram device some days later. Adora brought it to her asking her to transfer the files from the old device to a new one. Despite Entrapta’s eager questioning, Adora did not tell her what the hologram actually contained. She eventually relented, transferring the data in a blink of an eye.

“Here you go. Just let me know how it turned out so I can jot it down for my notes!”

Adora agreed, thanking her and going off to find Catra.

Catra accepted it with a sad smile, playing the first few moments before switching it off.

“If you’re seeing this...it’s because you found her,”

Adora blinked awake, feeling around for where Catra should’ve been. She shot up, looking around in a hurry.

“Catra?!”

“We love you...we love you so much.”

Adora sighed, the glow of the hologram reflecting off the walls. Catra sat perched on their window seat. Watching unblinking at the hologram of her fathers. Adora tip-toed up behind her, winding her arms around the magicat lovingly and resting her chin on her shoulder. She placed a tender kiss on her temple.

The recording played on. Catra watched it once, then again, and again. She rarely cried when she did so. But when she did, allow the tears to fall, allow herself to be held and comforted, Adora was there for her, clutching her tight.

“If they never brought me to the Horde,” Catra whispered one night as they sat in bed, watching the image of her parents, “I...I never would’ve met you.” She pressed the hologram off. Surrounding the two of them in darkness. Catra’s eyes found Adora’s in the dark. Adora leaned down, winding her arm around Catra’s waist and pulling her close. She kissed her sweetly on the lips.

“That is true,” Adora murmured, not knowing what else to say. Catra smiled returning her kiss.

“I guess I’m glad they brought me to the Horde then. Even if it was horrible. Can you imagine if they brought me to Bright Moon?”

“You might’ve been raised a princess,” Adora giggled at the thought.

“Gross don’t make me puke.”

Catra let out a sigh, sad but content, pressing herself closer to Adora.

“I love you,” Adora murmmed. Catra answered, tucking her head under the other girl’s chin. Her tail wrapping around Adora’s leg.

“Maybe they aren’t dead. Maybe they made it,” Catra whispered after a time. “...I could find them and then...then we could find your parent’s too.”

Adora had never entertained the thought. She always assumed them dead or lost in some galaxy far far away outside Despondos.

“I’d like that,” Adora answered. “Can you imagine introducing your parent’s to She-Ra?” Adora laughed. Catra giggled too, and Adora’s heart exploded with fireworks. Making Catra laugh was something she never got tired of. They laughed the night away, imagining the thought of their parent’s meeting. Introducing each other. Giggling through their shared sorrow. Through the uncertainty. After all that was their specialty.

“Your old family, your parents.” Adora whispered, watching Catra’s tail twitch in her sleep. Trying to come up with the right words. Transforming such thoughts into speech was not her strong suit. She knew it. But here sleeping beside Catra as she slept Adora needed to say it.

“They...they brought you to the Horde, which brought us together and now...despite everything else you...you have a family again.”

Catra only continued to slumber, snoring lightly.

“Me, and Bow, George, Lance, Scorpia, Micah, Entrapta, Glimmer, we’re your family Catra and we love you. Just like your parents did.”

Adora startled, as one golden eye opened, looking at her. Catra shifted curling even smaller into her embrace.

“I love you too…..I love all of you.”

THE END

#catra #adora #catradora #spop #shera #she ra princess of power #sherafanfic #catra origins #catra angst #shadow weaver #shadow weaver A+ parenting #my writing #magicats #spop spoilers #spop post cannon

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fuckass-catra · 4 years

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Chapters: 1/2 Fandom: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adora & Catra (She-Ra) Characters: Adora (She-Ra), Catra (She-Ra), Glimmer (She-Ra), Shadow Weaver | Light Spinner (She-Ra) Additional Tags: Memory Alteration, Magic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Lesbians in trouble, Angst, Shadow Weaver being an abuse dickface, pinning, Forgetfulness, Post-War, Post-Canon, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, torture? Summary:

They really did it, didn’t they?”, she laughs, quietly. “That fucking bitch. If she wasn’t dead I’d kill her myself” says looking at the floor. Taking steps away from Adora.

She grabs Catra’s hand before she manages to turn away.

“Catra, what’s going on? What do you mean? Who did what on me?”

“Adora, I think Shadow Weaver really erased your memory. She erased me from it.” ... AU where Shadow Weaver used to erase Adora's memory back at the Horde. Mostly her moments with Catra.

#she-ra and the princesses of power #catradora #adora catra #adora x catra #Adora greyskull #catra applesauce meowmeow #She-ra #spop #spop post cannon #fanfic #lgbt #my emotional support lesbians #Shadow Weaver #The horde

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saturn-no-sega · 4 years

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Adora be like: This is my girlfriend Catra and our girlfriend Glimmer and her boyfriend Bow and his boyfriend Seahawk and his girlfriend Mermista and her girlfriend Perfuma and her girlfriends Huntara Scorpia and Entrapta and Entrapta's boyfriends Hordak and Wrong Hordak

#everyone is dating each other and that is a fact #can't get mad about a ship not become cannon if you ship everybody #she ra and the princesses of power #she ra #spop #catradora #glitra #glimmadora #glitradora #glimbow #glow #seamista #merfuma #perfuma x huntara #scorfuma #pertrapta #entrapdak #banger posts

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theenoathee · 4 years

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catra, quietly: you look pretty...

adora: what was that?

catra:

catra: uhh i said “you look shitty”

catra, sprinting away: gOODNIGHT ADORA

#she ra #catra #she ra netflix #frosta #glimmer #perfuma #scorpia #adora #bow #source: hot rod #andy samberg #catradora #this is cannon #i have to draw this tonight #spop #text post

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cruelfeline · 4 years

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Question im rewatching She Ra and ive got to the fall of Salineas and im wondering to myself: Why didn't the Horde do anything to their Runestone. As if the minimum that the Horde did was disabled/destroyed the runestone it would have affected the Alliance strength or the Horde could have tried to used it for any means. But nope they leave it alone allowing the Salineas Princess to continue to be poweful. So just wondering did they mention why they couldn't hack/destroy it?

They did not! They did not mention the runestone at all! And y’know, anon, this question has made me do some hard thinking on Hordak, and his abilities, and why he surrounded himself with the people he did, and so we’re in for a long, extrapolated answer that may or may not make sense. So strap in, and enjoy the knowledge that you have just made me talk way more about this than anyone wanted to hear!

I find Hordak to be an incredibly capable individual in terms of organization, enacting plans, utilizing established knowledge, and just... sheer determination. He decides upon a goal, and he is going to achieve that goal. It is going to happen. It may be a difficult road, and he may suffer horribly in his attempt, but he is going to defy the odds and strive doggedly forward and do everything in his power to make things work.

However, the actual methods and strategies he is capable of using appear limited. I’ve spoken about this before, specifically in terms of that time he used uninsulated cables in his experiments, and I’m going to talk about it again in broader terms.

Essentially, the thing to consider is that Hordak, intelligent though he is, is not adept in the art of innovation. He is very capable of taking his own knowledge and utilizing it successfully, but he is not able to easily deviate from learned instructions. He has significant difficulty “thinking outside the box,” so to speak (likely due to being a clone who was never meant to think up new ideas and innovate and do anything meaningful on his own), and this comes into play in terms of how he wages his war, along with why his success in waging said war increases once Entrapta and Catra lend him their skills.

Technology-wise, Hordak spends decades on Etheria using and modifying his own technology without seeming to have any interest at all in the powerful First Ones’ tech waiting to be taken advantage of. And while I’ve wondered previously if maybe he thought it too old to be of any use, I now consider the notion that he is simply not adept at incorporating new ideas and techniques into his work. Again: as a clone, this would not be something he’d be expected or even encouraged to do. He would be expected and encouraged to follow orders, to enact instructions as he received them. Innovation would be a display of individual will, wouldn’t it? So, it follows that this is not a skill he would possess or even think to develop.

Enter Entrapta: all she does is innovate. Learning new things, incorporating them into her knowledge-base, trying new methods and building upon what she’s done before are very much a strong part of her character. She sees First Ones’ tech, and she immediately tries to figure out how to use it to improve upon existing technology. This is the advantage she brings to Hordak: whereas he finds it very difficult to deviate from his current methods and knowledge, she does not. And so, with her assistance, he is able to reach technological heights previously unattainable to him.

A more military version of this involves Catra.

Think about how the war has come to what is essentially a standstill by the time SPoP begins. It’s been... thirty years, or so? Since Hordak landed on Etheria. He has absurdly advanced tech, yet he cannot seem to successfully conquer more than the Fright Zone. Seems strange, doesn’t it? That he’s unable to utilize his superior resources to do more than harass some villages. Granted, the princesses have supernatural powers, but they’re unorganized at the series’ start. They’re not putting up a united front. So... what gives? Why is Hordak not more successful? And furthermore, why does this suddenly change when he allows Catra to take over the greater strategic planning of Horde activities?

Well, to my eyes, Hordak is with military strategy the way he is with tech: he is very capable of organizing things in a prescribed way, but he is unable to devise new plans outside of what he is used to. Think about where he came from: the Galactic Horde, yes? And what did the Galactic Horde have? Countless robots. Countless clones. All unfailingly obedient. A never-ending army ready to march in and conquer and occupy everything in its path.

Which is what Hordak tries to do, isn’t it? He appears set on systematically taking territory and holding it, very much balking at Catra’s strategy of consolidating forces in favor of a more grand attack on a single target. He is likely operating under a conquering strategy that depends upon having an entire Horde of clones and robots available to enact it (and, perhaps, a conquering strategy based on Prime’s refusal to appear imperfect via losing ground?). Without this sort of force, he struggles to make meaningful headway. And because of his lack of innovative ability, he finds it difficult to devise a new strategy to compensate for a situation that does not include a battle-ready Galactic Horde.

Catra does not have this problem. Catra is very capable of thinking up new strategies as required, so she comes up with the idea to pull back from the northern perimeter and focus on Salineas, a plan that likely would have never occurred to Hordak.

Now, back to anon’s question regarding the Salineas runestone (I didn’t forget!). The reason it doesn’t come up, via my logic, is that Catra does not know anything about runestones, and Hordak remains uncertain and unable to easily incorporate such things into his working tech. Entrapta innovated with First Ones’ tech, and he is only able to work with it by basing his methods upon her research (which is how he makes his arm cannon). He is still unable to innovate it entirely on his own, so between Catra’s complete lack of knowledge and his inability to freely experiment with new ideas on his own, the Salineas runestone remains unused.

Had Entrapta still been with the Horde at this time, that runestone would have been properly assessed and handled, but she’s not. And it’s just not something Hordak can do on his own.

So! The point of this post. The point of this post is to illustrate how Hordak managed to get as far as he did with limited resources and clone limitations on his abilities: he has a potentially supernatural level of determination and the ability to recognize when others can innovate in ways he cannot. It is his decision to utilize the skills of others to compensate for his lack of innovation, paired with his vicious tenacity, that makes him such a dangerous threat during his attempts to conquer Etheria.

And it is this combination of stubborn will and lack of innovative skill that causes the initial Etherian war to play out in the strange, drawn-out way it does, with a sudden rise in success when Hordak gains access to Entrapta and Catra’s skillsets.

Well! That was much longer than it needed to be. And might be entirely wrong, but it’s a logic that works for me; at the very least, it’s interesting to think about, isn’t it?

#hordak #entrapta #catra #Anonymous

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rebelcourtesan · 4 years

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Hordak - Peeling Back the Layers

Alright, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, then you know how much I like villains. A show is only as good as its villain and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power have given us several awesome villains.

Since it’s a reboot, all of the characters have underwent redesigns. From She-ra’s more modest outfit that brought out raging fanboys, and the wide range of ridiculous 80′s outfits remodeled to be more practical and stylish. Perfuma isn’t wearing a flower on her head and Catra is actually a cat girl and not a lady stalking around in a tight red dress.

long post below

One of the biggest changes is Hordak himself. Instead of some muscle bound brute, they remodel him to have a slimmer build and wearing a tunic/tabard with a technological mind.

In season 1, we actually do not see him in person until the end of the THIRD episode. Though he is the leader of the Horde which should put him as the main antagonist, I consider Shadow Weaver to be the main antagonist of season 1, mainly because she makes more appearances and has more influence over the actions that hamper the heroes (BFF Squad). At best, he’s a recurring character, at least in the first season.

However, even then, I was drawn to him because I liked his redesign so much and was quite intrigued with him. He was shrouded in mystery and kept himself distant from current affairs unless it’s to make a brief appearance to intimidate Shadow Weaver and receive reports on what’s happening outside his sanctum via monitors.

In the original She-Ra series, Hordak was much more attached to Adora. In SPOP, he dismisses her as a lost cause and in turn makes Catra the new Force Captain, overruling Shadow Weaver’s selection, which shows a very pragmatic side to him. He also overruled her when it came to using the Garnet runestone to attack Bright Moon.

He pretty much remains a static character throughout season 1. We still don’t know more about him other than his being the Leader of the Horde and he has a cool disposition towards his underlings.

It not until we hit season 2-3 that multiple layers are stripped away to allow us a closer look. And the one responsible for peeling back those layers is Entrapta.

I’ve gone on in length about why these two work so well together as a couple. With her lack of social skills and obsession with science and experimentation made her to the perfect companion of a man who isolates himself from others and considers Etheria a backwater planet with no concept of interstellar travel. They suited each other as if cut from the same cloth.

Imperfection is beautiful.

These are the words that sparked a deep relationship he had never experienced before, that he had never imagined and we’re given Hordak’s background . . . or a side of it.

Hordak plays the part of an unreliable narrator when he talks about his past. An unreliable narrator. An unreliable narrator is a narrator whose credibility is compromised. Whether its someone who is bias towards events (racist), naive of certain events (a child), has an askew perception (Humbert Humber, the pedophile narrator in Lolita.

In Hordak’s case, it’s his programming as a clone and strong attachment to his ‘brother’ progenitor Horde Prime. We’re given only one part of the story and we’re led to believe that his ‘defection’ was a physical disability that causes his body to break down and chronic pain. And for a long time, until the end of Season 4, this is what we the audience believed was the case.

However, we are quickly shown the true reason why he was discarded. He had attained a mind of his own and individuality.

Which asks the question, did Horde Prime allow Hordak to come to the conclusion that it was a physical defect? Or was it Hordak’s won misconception that led him to believe such? There had to be a reason why his ‘brother’ would reject him so and he body was falling apart. So that must be the reason, and therefore he must rise above his frailties to prove himself strong in Horde Prime’s eyes.

Yet, he meets Entrapta and experiences genuine acceptance. Unconditional love and affection from someone he didn’t have to prove himself to. Entrapta who created a suit to ease his pain and make him more functional without expecting nor asking for anything in return, but did it simply out of friendship and love. It’s literally an eye opening moment for him.

From this point on, he shows a wider range of emotion beyond that of anger, cool reception, or frustration.

He struggles to give his thanks to Entrapta, even going as far as to assure her she was worth something.

He demonstrates regret at the thought of returning to the Horde Prime.

Hurt when he believes Entrapta betrayed him.

Loss and grief over loosing her.

Pleasure in the battle field.

Embarrassment when the Imp teases him for thinking about Entrapta.

Season 4 has Hordak leaving his shell or sanctum to lead the Horde army in taking over Salineas and has a taste for battle.

For Season 4, he has the mannerisms of something had just been spurned by a lover. He disallows Entrapta’s name to be spoken in his presence, has her things thrown out, and yearns for her while desiring her work and recordings to help him finish his arm cannon. He even wanted to face in her battle as if he wanted to show her up or have a confrontation.

He has become a leader that is more open with his underlings now, more confidant and isn’t a malignant being that intimidates his followers from the shadows as he had done in Season 1.

Then another layer is stripped away when Double Trouble (lauded as a hero for this) reveals what really happened to Entrapta.

Now we see him as a man in pain, suffering loss and grieving for a loved one. He had been the fool that had discounted her loyalty. And with sending someone to Beast Island is considered a death sentence, in his mind, Entrapta is dead, murdered by Catra to gain his trust and steal power.

Then he does something out of character for himself.

Remember, in Season One, he was calm and collected, pragmatic and cold with his mind focus on his goal.

Then as the Horde is posed to win the war, he attacks his second in command Catra. Which is understandable reaction to see revenge, but it’s a very human thing to do. I’m using the term ‘human’ loosely as many of our favorite characters aren’t human as a race, but you know what I mean.

He destroys a good portion of the Fright Zone, his own lair and base, trying to kill Catra, consumed with fury over Entrapta and being tricked. One doesn’t need to be a soldier or a general to know how this would weaken his position in a war. Yet, the emotional pain has put him past caring of how this would weaken him. All he wants is to avenge Entrapta.

Then we have the final layer removed. The false hope.

We are finally given a missing piece of a puzzle that we didn’t know was missing. We learn that Hordak’s true defect was having a will of his own.

When we are introduced to Horde Prime (and brutally so), he completely outstrips Hordak as the main villain of the series and lays him bare to raw vulnerable person seeking affection he never truly had.

Let’s compare.

We went from this, when we first see him in the series. Cold, calculating and feared.

to this. On his knees, begging for approval, and frightened.

What I love about this is that it happened so naturally over the course of four seasons in a way I cannot find fault or call bullshit on. This is a character whose barriers have been stripped from him, first through love and then fury, and then fear and rejection.

His motivation throughout his life had been to please Horde Prime and his actions which has been the cause of so much strife in the series from the war, banishing King Micah, Shadow Weaver betraying Mystacore, Adora’s seperation from her family, Catra, Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogolio’s childhoods, have all been to reunite with an abuser that not only outright rejects him, but then rips away what was left of his mind.

When Season 5 comes around, we’re going to see a new Hordak. Not a reprogram amnesiac (though I believe he’ll start that way), but someone who has to find a new purpose. And in finding a new purpose, he’ll likely become a new man.

But predictions are for another post.

#hordak #essay #she pop

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just-another-human-i-guess · 4 years

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OKAY SO I JUST FINISHED BINGE WATCHING THE LATEST SEASON OF SPOP

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

I’ll be ranting a lil (Okay fine, a lot) about some things that happened in the story so if you haven’t watched the latest season yet then don’t read the rest of this post

First of all,

MY CANON WIVES/FAVORITE SIDE SHIP GOT MORE SCREEN TIME

Spinnerella and Netossa playing ice ball with Frosta

THAT SHIT WAS SO CUTE

THEY WOULD MAKE GREAT PARENTS

But like with that we got hit with a lil angst too

I mean “Happy Anniversary”

YOOO THAT SHIT HURT

Also I should probably mention the lil details in the opening

Usually when the opening ends, it shows a picture of Spinerella and Netossa hugging

But in the episodes after we learn about the mind bug thing and they get Spinnerella, Mermista, and Scorpia

Whenever the opening sequence ends THE PRINCESSES THAT WERE BUGGED ARE REMOVED FROM THE IMAGE AND NETOSSA IS IN A FIGHTING STANCE

But it gets better tho cuz after they get Spinny back the image at the end of the opening sequence that shows the two of them kissing

You go you funky lil lesbians

Okay enough about Spinnertossa

Next I’m gonna be talking about Scorpia

In the whole show, I’d have to say that Scorpia is among my top 5 favorite characters

LIKE WE GOTTA STAN THIS SOFT BUTCH

SHES PRACTICALLY A HUMAN TEDDY BEAR

I like the character development she got

ALSO SHE CAN SING

YAY SCORPIA

Scorpia is so soft I love her

She defends Entrapta whenever there are misunderstandings regarding her in the group

The very SECOND Catra decides to talk to her she immediately forgives her and hugs her

LIKE HOW CAN SOMEONE BE THAT ANGELIC?

Speaking of Entrapta...

Entrapta is also one of my personal favorites. I dunno, I just really like eccentric mad scientists/nerd types in general

I love her

I wanna give her a hug

Apparently she has a thing for attracting Horde clones lol

Now finally, the best part

CATRADORA IS CANNON

FUCK YEAH

I started watching She-Ra because Catradora reminded me of Bubbline

I found out the hard way that it was way angstier than I anticipated

But hey, at least it didn’t take almost a decade for the ship to become canon

Honestly I think this season was really great

That’s all

#she ra spoilers #she-ra #spinnertossa #scorpia #mermista #catradora #forthehonorofgrayskull #morelikeforthehonorofgayskull

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rissa-posts · 4 years

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A quarter of the spop top posts are a couple days old, and they just say "remember that we will NOT attack creators if our ship isn't cannon." We really live in a world where we have to emotionally prepare for the worst.

#spop season five #spop #spop spoilers #she ra spoilers #she ra season 5 #she ra season five #she ra

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northernscruffycat · 4 years

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Fandom: She-Ra! (Don’t worry about spoilers I spoiled myself already!) ...Ship: Mai/Ty Lee ...Character: Inko Midoriya, best mum ...Two fandoms: She-ra and Steven Universe! ...5 Characters: Catra, Zuko, Peridot, Jean Descole and Disney’s Stitch. (All the redemption characters!)

Thank you for giving me a lot of topics to write about! You’ve made my morning: She-Ra: (Disclaimer that I love this series so much, I just have a lot of mixed feelings in my opinions) Favorite character: SPOP has a great cast of characters who I love, but my fave has to be Scorpia. I was so endeared by her and rooted for her happiness the whole way through. Least Favorite character: Hesitant to post this, but I never... really cared for Catra that much. I can see why she’s an important character to a lot of folks and the wlw representation she brought is so important, but I didn’t really gel with her character personally. 5 Favorite ships (canon or non-canon): Scorpia/Perfuma, Entrapta/Hordak (either or both), Seahawk/Mermista, Bow/Kyle and Catra/Glimmer Character I find most attractive: Scorpia haha Character I would marry: Scorpia again, she’s like the perfect wife. Character I would be best friends with: Kyle, because he needs some good friends who treat him nicely. The “Shut up, Meg” attitude that the rest of the cast had towards him made me kinda uncomfortable tbh, even though I know it was intended as a joke. a random thought: There’s so much potential for this series to carry on and I’d love to see an official comic or something pop up that expands the universe. An unpopular opinion: I actually thought they were hinting towards Bow/Kyle with that one scene back in s1 and was surprised to hear that Kyle hooked up with the lizard guy off-screen haha my canon OTP: Scorpia/Perfuma Non-canon OTP: Adora/Huntara (just for something I haven’t already listed) most badass character: Adora, my fave jock pairing I am not a fan of: I already posted about this in that Glimmer character thing recently, but Bow/Glimmer as a romo ship character I feel the writers screwed up (in one way or another): I feel unfair answering this one, since I’m sure the writers were being restricted by what they could include in the show. But I guess it’s fair to say I’m not a fan of that Bow’s siblings thing that happened, if that counts. Since it’s something that wasn’t revealed until after the show wrapped up and could’ve been completely avoided if there had been more black writers on the team. favourite friendship: The main trio - Adora, Glimmer & Bow. I also got super invested in Catra & Scorpia, so I wish they’d had more of a resolution at the end, since they kinda built that up and then dropped it in the last season. character I want to adopt or be adopted by: Bow’s dads Mai/Ty Lee: when of if I started shipping it: It was sometime after watching the series when I went on deviantART and saw cute fan content of them. my thoughts: They’re a nice ship involving two characters who’d be supportive of each other and help each other heal. Which after all these characters have been through, is what I want for them. What makes me happy about them: Their dynamic is so darn cute! Just seeing these two together makes me feel glad. What makes me sad about them: I mean, they’re probably never gonna be canon. Even if Bryke keep being vague for all eternity about if Zuko is still with Mai, that sadly locks Mai off from being able to be with anyone else by proxy, since she always needs to be at least considered an option for Zuko. things done in fanfic that annoys me: I’ll have to confess that I’ve never read any fics for them. things I look for in fanfic: Same again. I love ATLA, but it’s not a series I’d seek out fic for. Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: I guess I’m not entirely opposed to the Mai/Zuko thing? Maybe? I’m not sure about Ty Lee tho, just someone who’d treat her well, I think. My happily ever after for them: They seek each other out for comfort after everything that’s gone now and just kinda realise they’ve been in love with each other all along. who is the big spoon/little spoon: Ty Lee is the big spoon and Mai is the little spoon. I hope there’s fan art of that. what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Training together, maybe? I’m so rusty on my ATLA knowledge that I need to brush up, so I can answer this better. Inko Midoriya: How I feel about this character: She is perhaps the greatest anime mum I’ve ever seen. I love her, I would die for her, I would marry her. All the people I ship romantically with this character: Mostly just All Might. I guess technically also Aizawa for the OT3, but I don’t think we’ve seen them interact yet. My non-romantic OTP for this character: Obviously I love how supportive she is of Deku, it’s part of one of my favourite moments in the whole show. My unpopular opinion about this character: I’m not familiar enough with the fandom to know what the unpopular opinions are. I hope that everyone likes her. One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: I just want her to be happy knowing that her son is safe. my het ship: All Might/Inko my fem/slash ship: I don’t really have one, since we haven’t seen her interact with any other milfs my OTP: All Might/Inko my OT3: All Might/Inko/Aizawa (also, Aizawa bottoms) a head cannon fact: It is a fact that I blew her a kiss and wished her a good day. She-Ra & SU crossover ship: Hmm... how about Pearl x Huntara? I mean, Pearl seems to have a type when it comes to women and Huntara fits into that type. 5 Redemption Arc Characters rankings: 1. Peridot 2. Stitch 3. Zuko 4. Catra 5. Descole

#*Talking #*SPOP #*Avatar the Last Airbender #*My Hero Academia #*Steven Universe #*Lilo and Stitch #*Professor Layton #long post #101flavoursofweird

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shera-dnd · 5 years

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In response to the "Polygamy ending" post, i don't know why but i really appreciate you for basically saying, "this shit might get kinda sad and depressing, here's a lighter ending and you can consider it cannon as well" don't know why, just felt like saying thx, also i'm new to this blog and started following at the beginning of the masks sidequest, what post should i go to to start catching up?

All my sidequests so far have had some really sad moments and I’m more than happy to offer a little alternative to all the angst I’ve been providing.

This blog is a bit of a mess so I’m just gonna try to give you some tags you might want to take a look at, depending on what you’re looking for. They’ll all be tagged at the end of the post so you can check them all out.

This blog started just as a retelling of SPOP as a D&D campaign and you can find all posts about that under the “#shera d&d” tag

If you wanna check a few minifics about Catra and Adora’s relationship you can look for the “#catradoraweek2018″ tag

And if you’re just interested in learning more details about the AU itself you can read the beautiful mess that is the “#playerqna”

We have also had two mini campaigns (called Sidequests) under the tags “#Ravnica” (Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica) and “#Ravenloft” (Curse of Strahd)

The tags have been listed in chronological order so if you wanna read everything in the order it happened just go down the list

I hope this helps you and any new readers

#shera d&d #catradoraweek2018 #playerqna #ravnica #ravenloft

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catracorner962 · 3 years

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Sisters & Brothers

"I will let you do the honors little brother," Prime gestures to Catra who is still a bloody mess. Former Hordak looks at the girl before him, the girl who was once his Force Captain. Now at his mercy.

Alternating POV's of different instances where Catra and Hordak interact throughout their time on Prime's ship and throughout the years afterward.

Cast out the shadows, cast out the shadows, cast out the shadows, cast out the shadows, cast out the… no!

No...Stop!!

Catra shot upright, every hair on her body pricking, her tail taunt. She looked widely around the room...cell. The clones had moved her to her own cell after the little stunt with Hordak…

Hordak.

The name made her gut twist. Catra swallowed and slowly got to her feet, wincing at the cold metal floor and blinding white walls. She tiptoed to the large green wall, pressing her ear to its surface.

Someone’s there. Just on the other side...it can’t be Sparkles, she thought with a pang of loneliness. The barrier dissolved instantly, making her leap backward. A clone stared at her, striding forward, long arms clasped behind its back. Catra instantly backed herself into a corner, tail lashing. She scrutinized the clone, sniffing.

“H….hordak?”

I was just thinking about him….maybe he does know all, Catra shivered.

In response the clone’s face twitched, expression identical to all the others, and yet there was something about it. Catra slowly stood straight again, her fists clenched with indecision.

“That was really something wasn’t it?” She tried, going instantly to aloofness. “With all the chanting and the speech! So dramatic! You sure fooled them though!” The clone only stared at her, eyes still blank with green. Catra shifted, trying to read his face.

“A….are...you...okay?”

She waited a beat before the clone seemed to hear her words, eyes pinching shut before opening again, familiar red eyes glowing. His voice strained.

“Do….do not pretend to care about me Catra. You were never good at faking compassion.”

Catra smirked, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t,” she smirked, flippant. “I’m asked because of Horde Prime. Not cuz I care about you.” She crossed her arms, tail flicking.

“You used my name again, and you remember me from before.”

She braced herself before him, ears perked and shoulders hunched, claws out, ready to scratch if need be but Hordak only stared at her. Face inscrutable. His eyes blinked back to green. He shuddered, haunched and fists clenched, fighting it. When he opened them again, his hot red eyes were only dull and tired. Catra sucked a breath, chest shuddering.

“It’s hard,” he began slowly. “There are only flashes of...be...before.” His eyes pinched shut. Trembling body betraying an otherwise disaffected facade.

Help him! No!

Catra stopped herself, hand awkwardly poised between them both. She quickly let it fall to her side. Hordak watched her, confused.

“So he didn’t completely wipe your mind?” She cocked her head. “You’re still in there. Aren’t you Hordak?”

He winced. Eyes slipping to green once more. Body rigid.

“Do not call me that! I have no name. I am only a servant of Horde Prime.”

“I don’t believe you!” Catra snarled, “You’re still a mean brooding brat.”

Hordak remained unresponsive. The two of them stared at each other for a long time.

“Hordak?” Catra breathed, trying to keep her voice from breaking.

“Hordak?” The clone turned, her tail stood on end, heart hammering. Catra glanced at her own claws. Just in case. Vacant green eyes examined her.

“I do not have a name. I am but a brother of Horde Prime.”

Catra’s tail twitched back and forth; too scared to run, too curious to want to.

“....what did they do to you?”

Hordak’s voice remained composed but she noticed his brow twitch. His eyes quickly returned to red. He spoke as himself, but...shaken. Small. No longer the great leader of the Horde.

“I...I have been made anew. Reborn.”

“I think I liked mad scientist evil overlord Hordak better than this,” Catra bit her tongue before she could say more. A twinge of sympathy stung deep in her gut.

If I hadn’t reminded him of his name, he wouldn’t have been brainwashed.

“Why do you look at me with pity little sister? I am most happy to be one with Horde Prime.”

Catra tensed as he came closer, fighting every impulse within her to run.

“You really don’t remember anything do you?” She squinted up at him. Searching for any sign of that brooding recluse. Nothing. Only empty green eyes once more.

“Really? Nothing not even Entrapta?”

Her own voice hitched at the name. The former Hordak, now fresh clone blinked.

“No. I do not know an Entrapta. Is that a ship of Horde Prime’s?”

Catra felt her heart sink, lower than she thought possible. Especially for Hordak. If he couldn't fight against it there was little hope for the rest of them. Her least of all.

He looked her up and down, but turned to go.

“I’ll see you around, Hordak,” she affirmed.

He halted where he stood, though she could not see his face.

“Go in peace, little sister.”

---

You don’t have to do this Hordak,” the little sister before him cried; her eyes filling with tears. “We can get out of here, I can get us out of here! Just…”

“Silance little sister, all will be well soon. You will be cleansed by Prime’s light.” He grabbed at her arms, dragging her forward, ignoring her fetal attempts to scratch at him. Ten turns without food or water kept in a bright cell had done much to diminish even her remarkable resilience.

“Hordak please!” She tugged at him, trying to get away, “Please! Don’t do this! I should’ve lied okay?! I shouldn’t have sent Entrapta to Beast Island! I…” He threw her to the band of fellow clones who had joined them in the preparation chamber. He brandished scissors before her, smiling. The little sister’s face collapsed with realization, puffy eyes continuing to cry, watching the scissoring shears. As he stepped forward, she choked for breath, body shaking, tail madly switching this way and that. She cried out as one clone seized her hair and wrenched her head backward.

“Aaargh!”

“Relax little sister, why do you fight so hard against your own happiness?” She winced at the first snip of the blades. Brown locks of hair falling to the ground.

“Hordak! Hordak please!” He cut fervently, ignoring her hissing thrashes. She let out a strangled sob as a sharp blade cut against her scalp. The clone formerly known as Hordak watched in fascination as blood puckered up from her scalp and trickled down her temple. The clones continued to hack away at her unruly hair.

“So wild,” he mused. Handing the scissors over to another clone and fingering a lock of her brown gnarled mane. Catra tried once more to thwart the clones who hacked at her, but exhaustion dripped off her like sweat. Resisting more in a haphazard shrug than actual shoving and fighting.

“So untidy and untamable,” former Hordak continued. “Like you little sister. A pity really. If only you would willingly submit to Prime. You could be happy.” He fixed her with an eerie look. Catra stiffened. “Only by his grace will you achieve true peace.” Catra glared at him, eyes weeping.

“Hordak,” she whimpered.

Begging. Pathetic. Catra had always been pathetic. Desperate, groveling. Catra...the Horde...Etheria. Entrap…

“Very good little brother,” Horde Prime entered the mind of one of the clones cutting Catra’s hair. “Now bring the little sister to my chamber for the final stage of her purification.” Former Hordak grabbed Catra by the shoulders, shoving her forward and down the hall.

“Do not resist,” he commanded as she stumbled down the corridor. “It is better for you...if you do not resist.” A flick of her ear was his only answer. She trudged on, head bowed. Til between her legs. He held her shaking shoulders to keep her from falling. Former Hordak could smell raw flesh and salty sweat, iron blood. It mattered her scalp with the remains of her hair.. Another one of the attending clones pressed in the code and the bright green wall dissolved, leading them to the grand chamber.

“All beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure,” the chorus of clones filled the immense hall, echoing into the galaxy. Horde Prime, resplendent on his throne, smiled down at former Hordak.

Is this not what you wanted? To be praised, to know my love and have my favor?

Prime’s consciousness entered him with ease.

Yes….yes brother. I only want to please you.

And yet, some part of him...was...unfulfilled. Felt nothing, nothing but Catra’s trembling shoulders and heavy weight as he held her up.

“Good little brother, I am so proud of you,” Prime mused. From his throne he examined the former Hordak with interest and intent. What it was, the clone could hardly tell. “So I will let you do the honors,” he gesture to the pool before them as he stood, and walked down the dias towards it. Regal in his stance, Horde Prime grinned. The reflection of the electric water casting light all around him. “You will be the one to purify our little sister.”

“No!! No! S...stop! D...don’t do this!”

Catra shrieked, twisting in the clone’s grasp, tail beating madly against him as she writhed, blood leaking from her wounds and trickling onto his white robes.

Disgusting.

“All beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure! All beings must suffer to become pure!”

Prime and the other clones watched patiently as the former Hordak clasped one claw around the base of Catra’s neck, forcing her forward. Agile little thing, she twisted away, facing him with wide horrified eyes.

“H...hordak! Horday, I know you’re still there! P..please! I said I didn’t mean to lie to you...p...please!”

“Silence little sis…”

Rain, darkness...a box. Two miss matched eyes, a matted mass of brown hair. Tiny claws, little fangs….

“We found it on the edge of the Fright Zone. What should we do with it?”

“Hordak...p...please…” Catra’s voice broke, whatever was left of her resolve and dignity crumbling. “D...D..Don’t let them do this! Don’t do this!”

“All beings must suffer to become pure, all beings must suffer to become pure!”

Go on little brother, prove your loyalty to me. Purify this little wretch! Let her suffering be a boon to us all. To you. Did you not seek to conquer Etheria in my name? Yet you resist purging this wretched creature of her impurities?

The former Hordak looked down at Catra, blood running down the side of her face, her tears tracking down her face. She shook, knees knocking, her tail tucked between her legs, ears pinned to her skull.

“F...force capta…?”

Catra looked up, Hordak met her eyes for a moment before Prime’s consciousness invaded him once more. He...Prime, wracked his claws into Catra’s scalp, seizing her by what little hair she had remaining, hauling her to the edge of the pool. She buckled, hands outstretched, placating, clawing at the air. She heaved for air panicking before he even touched the water. Prime forced the former Hordak forward, into the water. It sizzled and burned but he hardly felt it.

Catra screamed as he forced her in deeper, up to her hips, then to the waist. She tried to grab at his hand, in an attempt to fight him. The electricity sparked up her body, he felt her whole form constrict, wracked with the light.

Force Captain Catra….you betrayed me. Betrayed my trust...my confidence. Sent Entrapta to Beast Island, fury alighted him, encouraged by Horde Prime. You little lying scum. You really thought you could best me. You foolish foolish girl. You will learn your lesson! You will become pure as I have! You will suffer for what you’ve done!

Prime withdrew his hold on former Hordak, giving him over entirely to his own anger. His own malice towards the weeping screaming girl before him. He tightened his grip on her and thrust her downward in once easy swoop beneath the water. She thrashed, muffled screams reaching the surface. Green liquid splashed, all around.

“Hrmph!!” He grunted, trying to hold her down.

This is what you deserve. You will be made pure again! Rejoice and join me sister! Rejoice in Prime’s light!

He watched her face through the myriad of water. Her eyes stinging, wide and holding such terror like nothing he’d seen before. Her body arched, struggling against him under the water. Covering that face with one hand, pressing against her chest. Her fangs tried to bite at him, her heart hammering against her chest beneath his hold.

“All beings must suffer to become pure! All beings must suffer to become pure! All beings must suffer to become pure!”

Her movements grew sluggish, the former Hordak felt her go somewhat slack than entirely limp in his grip. Hesitantly he un-clenched his hold, allowing her body to rise to the surface. The smell of blood and acrid water and wet fur hit him with such a force he nearly stumbled back. Catra’s face now calm and placid rose fully out of the water. The clones cheered all around them.

The former Hordak looked up from Catra, to where Prime beamed at him. Pride swelling in his chest.

“Very good brother. Now, take our newest sister to be conditioned and issue her new garments.” As if on cue, Catra stood, eyes opening, wholly green and glowing. She smiled.

The former Hordak took her hand, guiding her from the pool. She followed him silently, her tail and ears still and passive. Whatever accomplishment he had felt from Prime moments before was absent as the former Hordak hurried Catra into another empty room. Handing her a set of white robes.

“Dress sister, you will be more comfortable out of those wet clothes.”

Catra did not answer but began to peel her wet red and back garments off herself. Arms jerking almost robotically as she did so. He turned away, facing the wall.

Something was watching him, the former Hordak glanced briefly over his shoulder. Catra’s blue and yellow eyes slipped back one more, the look in her slit irises unmistakable. Whatever parts of himself had not been purified by Prime coiled in shame. He concentrated hard, trying to fight for himself...for her.

“C...catra…?”

She only blinked slowly and resumed removing her garments.

“Yes brother?”

“.....change yourself. Then see to Prime’s will.”

She nodded, smiling too wide.

“Yes brother. Glory be to Horde Prime.”

---

Four Years Later

Catra faced Hordak with all the calmness she could muster, her fingers brushing against Adora’s badge at her shirt for comfort. It was Entrapta’s birthday party after all. Everyone had been welcomed to Dryll and since these past few years has been so busy with everyone all over the place, Adora insisted they attend as a chance to catch up with the other princesses. Hordak being here shouldn’t have been a surprise. Still….Catra wished she could teleport like Sparkles literally anywhere but here. She took a deep breath, what’s done was done. Hordak had recognized her and asked her if he could speak with her, in private.

“Did you know...what Shadow Weaver was doing to Adora and I?”

She mustered the burning question she’d been meaning to ask him.

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t care?!”

“No. I didn’t. It made you both stronger,” Hordak answered shortly, refusing to look at her. Eyes fixing out towards the horizon of the kingdom. Catra snorted, folding her arms around herself for comfort and warmth in the wind.

“Pssh, stronger. That’s all it's ever been about. Strength. Look what good that did.” Hordak had the decency to look ashamed.

“Perhaps I should’ve interceded when it became...too severe.”

“Yeah, well too little too late for that,” Catra snapped.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured quietly. “And I’m sorry for what prime put you through….” he stalled, looking away. “I did not want to do it but…”

“Yes you did. Don’t lie to me,” Catra huffed. “Not like I could blame you,” she finished quieter. “So it was you. I knew it.” Hordak struggled for words, fiddling with his hands.

“No! Yes! I...it was not me, not really.” She waited. “There were flashes, I was part of the hive mind but also myself. I don’t expect you to understand what that is like,” he finished not unkindly.

“Oh I understand perfectly!” Catra snarled, ears folding against her head. In the dark of the sky, her eyes glowed.

Hordak looked at her, wary for a moment then finally conceded.

“I am sorry Catra. For what Horde Prime...for what I put you through.” She only nodded

“Shadow weaver wanted to throw you back out into the wastes beyond the Fright Zone.” Her ears pricked at Hordak’s words. She and Adora rarely discussed their own origins in the Fright Zone. There was no point going on about it. But Hordak...speaking this way? She listened.

“You were a small kitten, sick from exposure. I doubt you would have survived”

“Oh if you and Adora hadn’t saved me?” Catra reared her tone to fight,

“But I saw you in that box,” he faltered. Tone not sanguine but touched with an odd sentiment Catra could not place. “You were….you were defiant from the start. Nearly tearing the box you were in to shreds. It was the only thing keeping you safe.”

She laughed bitterly, shrugging,

“Yeah well, we both have a habit of destroying things that are good for us don’t we?”

Hordak managed the closest thing Catra could compare to a smile. She returned it hesitantly.

“Perhaps you are not unlike me.”

“I’m nothing like you,” she folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at him with skepticism.

“You only wanted to prove yourself...your worth to Shadow Weaver and myself the way I wanted to prove myself or Horde Prime.”

Catra bit her tongue.

“You only wanted validation, acceptance and...affection. You were willing to do anything to get that. Same as me. I was willing to conquer all of Etheria.”

Catra’s ears flicked but she didn’t make a rebuke.

“I...should’ve realized it sooner Catra. I would have given you the praise you were worthy of.”

She mustered a nod,

All beings must suffer to become pure….his hands holding her down under the water. Pushing her down against the stinging water.

He was right of course, but she was not ready to say so. Instead Catra only gave him a weak smile.

“Enjoy the party Hordak,” she turned to go, shivering.

“Catra wait! I….I am sorry.”

He looked at her with those red eyes that had stood above her as she suffocated, those red eyes that sent her to die in the Crimson Wastes, those red eyes that had mocked her. Even before Horde Prime came. She lived in fear of Hordak’s retributions similar to Shadow Weaver. Only now he was bereft, deflated. Asking...and open.

“Yeah,” she looked him over with sympathy, or the closest thing she could manage to it at least. “I am too.”

With that she left, ducking back into the party to find Adora.

---

Hordak takes every day as a fresh start. He helps Entrapta with her tech and her experiments. He does not expect forgiveness from anyone. He’s not sure he wants it. But he tries to be pleasant, to listen and to assist with repairing the damages of the empire he once led. There are times though, like right now when he is in the field when he and Entrapta are working with the other princesses.

Hordak looks up from where Entrapta is laying out plans, over the ridge towards the sea gate.

Catra is directing volunteers to bring in supplies. . Her pragmatism and strategic mind are put to good use. Her fortitude and persistence.

It is good she was able to reclaim the better parts of herself.

That is the difference between us.

He never had much besides his need to prove himself to Prime. The truth of being a clone. One of millions. But Catra for all her flaws was a good person. Was a loving wife to Adora, a good friend to the princesses.

If there is hope for her...maybe I can find something good within myself and use it. Eventually.

She looks up from her directive, meeting his gaze. He waits, wary before mustering the smallest twitch of a lip. It isn’t a smile, not completely. But an acknowledgement. Only the two of them know what it is like to spend such time in the presence of Horde Prime. To be baptized in agony and reborn in a pool no longer yourself. He watches her keenly, until she too returns his expression with a curt nodd. Sometimes that is all they share. And for now Hordak is content that over the years the looks between him and Catra go from death glares to simple acknowledgements. They will never be friendly, never forgive each other. But they can exist and they can maybe sometimes...sympathize. If she has taught him one thing it is this,

All beings need not suffer to be pure. All beings are impure but we can still find something good. We are not beyond all hope.

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