She-Ra (Catradora)

Chapter 20

The elevator rattled as it sank lower into the library.  A tension between Catra and Thrad filled the space. No one said a word. The elevator stopped and Thrad opened the door and stepped out, "The stuff you're looking for is at the back. Follow me." The basement was a smaller reflection of the library. Shelves with books and books on shelves. The shelves were in alphabetical order from X-Z. Thrad turned into one of the shelves and walked over the shelf labelled 'xellon'. Dividers in between books ran down the shelf and when the six pairs of eyes found 'J' they widened. "It's empty." Thrad stepped back, "Yeah, sorry sometimes we don't have everything." Catra though for a moment, "Where do you keep your information on Hord Prime?" The colour fell from Thrad's face and he began to panic and place a hand over Catra's mouth, "Shhhh, what are you trying to get arrested?!" Catra pushed him away, "What are you talking about just show us where we can find information on Hord-" Thrad lept forward and put a hand over Catra's mouth, "Shut. Up." He immediately ran over to the end of the aisle and checked if anyone was there. When he turned around Catra was standing with a knife pointed at Thrad. "Tell us everything."

Adora's shivered as she lay on the metal bench. The beast walked into the room with a bowl in hand. He faced Adora and held the bowl up to Adora's face. "Eat." Adora stared at the beast with eyes of burning hatred. "No." The beast placed the bowl calmy on a small table next to Adora and sat on a chair. "You know what I'm going to ask." Adora laughed. "So this is what were going to do, I'm going to ask a question. You will answer. Then you can ask a question and I will answer." Adora was silent, she grew nervous. "How old were you when you realised you were She-Ra?" Adora sighed refusing to make eye contact. "17." The beast nodded and smiled knowing that Adora was participating. Adora spoke, "What connection do you have with She-ra?" The beast leaned back into his chair, "You believe She-ra is a pillar of peace. My people had a name for you, ignis spiritus mortis. Bringer of death. We are enemies tho we haven't fought in a long, long time." Adora wasn't satisfied with the answer but knew she wasn't in a position to argue. The beast leant forward, "How much do you know of She-ra and the war of worlds?" Adora frowned, "I only know that I am the most recent reincarnation of She-ra the previous was Mara, apart from that I know nothing." The beast although given no information that he didn't already know sat back waiting for his turn. Adora thought for a moment then asked, "How much do you know of She-ra and the war of worlds?"

"This is bad. This is really really bad. We shouldn't be here." Catra poked the knife into Thrad's back, "Just shut up and open the door." After having swiped the key from the safe, Thrad, Catra and Entrapta were entering the restricted section in the lowest level of the library. It was dark and cold only illuminated by a few hanging lights. A mettle door that posed as an electrical coset led into the restricted section, banned from the public. The door opened, Catra and Entrapta stepped inside while Thrad checked that the coast was clear and hadn't been followed. The room that the three of them stepped into was a small room with papers and books and a computer in the corner. Entrata walked over and booted up the computer while Catra walked around and looked on the shelves at all of the information. Catra turned to face Thrad, "Why is this place off-limits." Thrad threw up his hands, "I don't know I swear I've never been down here before." Catra frowned. "Why is this city so against talking about Horde Prime?" Thrad walked over to the table in the centre of the room and sat down. "I don't know. Three years ago, Horde Prime controlled everything. People couldn't leave their homes out of fear of being taken. There were clones and bots everywhere. Then one day it all just stopped, the bots shut down and the clones went crazy screaming about how the link was broken. The government was reinstated and the clones were taken out. Since then there had been a ban on everything Horde Prime. No information could be shared and all knowledge was locked away. They said it was to keep the peace or something. I lost my parents to Prime and I wasn't able to learn what happened to them so I became a librarian like my grandpa but that just led to more questions." Catra sat across from him. "I did too. Lose my parents I mean. But right now is how you can find out." Thrad gave a weak smile a bit confused about why his kidnapper was sympathising with him. "The strangest thing is. Is no one know why Prime stopped or what happened to the clones." Catra and Entrapta shared a look. "I think we can help with that." 

Catra told Thrad about Etheria, the Horde, Hordak and the battle with Horde Prime. Thrad looked like he'd seen a ghost. "I had no idea, no one does. I mean your planet isn't exactly on any star charts. Catra laughed, "Oh yeah hah, that's kind of a long story." Thrad was shocked, "You guys are like heroes, and obviously your friend Adora." Catra frowned, "And that why we're here, Adora was taken and we know where she is but the thing. that took her. We need to know how to fight it." Thrad shrugged, "I know and I want to help, Is there anything else I should know before we start looking?" Catra sighed and spoke, "Do you know anything about She-Ra?" Thrad leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment, "I mean I know of the legend." Catra looked confused. "Legend?" "Yeah, the legend of She-ra, the people of Eternia and the war of worlds." Catra spoke, "Adora is She-ra." Thrad's eyes widened, "Wh, WHAT! You mean the legend, the great destroyer. Their real!" Catra was confused, "The great destroyer, what are you talking about. She-ra is supposed to be the peace among worlds." Thrad shook his head. "You really don't know do you." Catra and Entrapta looked at each other and then back at Thrad. Thrad sighed and told them a very old story.

Thrad leaned in and explained everything, "Over a thousand years ago there were two main races the Citecks and the Eternians. Both were at their peak of innovation and technology. The Citecks were a proud race and shared their feats of knowledge and engineering with the Eternians. All was peaceful, both planets a few systems away until the Eternians gained new knowledge. A power never seen before. From what you told me this was probably Etherian "Magic." A conference for the leaders of both planets on Eternia was held and She-ra was unveiled. A bio-weapon, capable of unimaginable power and destruction. The Citecks were impressed but asked why they needed such a thing. The ruler of Eternia offered a "partnership" to the Citecks and said they would rule the galaxy together. The Citecks said that no planet should be ruled by another and that they should destroy what they had created and left. The Eternians didn't like this and waged war on the Citecks. A great war lasting five-hundred years. The war of worlds. The Citecks thought they had the upper hand when they defeated the first She-ra in those early years but the Eternians failed to mention that the bio-weapon they had created would be reincarnated in another form when one vessel had failed. Time and time again She-ra was destroyed and reincarnated leaving death and destruction on it's every return. But the Citecks were smart they knew what had to be done so they captured a She-ra for the first time and studied it, creating their own She-re name: Salvum meaning saviour. Billions were killed on both planets and Billions more on others caught in the crossfire. Knowing they were at a stalemate the Eternians hatched a new plan. A new weapon one that would destroy the Citecks once and for all. A trans-dimensional weapon drawing power from other universes to remove Citeck from the sky. It was built in the final days of the war and fired. And sure enough, destroyed every living thing on Citeck charring it. Burned. But the Eternians must have miss calculated because they vanished. The entire system disappeared never to be seen again. As for She-ra well, people believe they died with Eternia but that obviously isn't true. Same goes for Salvum. People believe that they died with the Citeck but who knows at this point."

Adora felt, shocked, confused and a little sick. The beast had just answered her question and she sat there taking in the information. She spoke, "I had no idea, I didn't know they were such vicious people." Adora remembers the plot to destroy Etheria for its magic, "Actually never mind I can totally believe that." The beast sat staring for a moment then stood and walked over to Adora, "So now tell me, where are your people now?" Adora became nervous. But answered honestly, "I don't know, I fell out of a portal as a baby and never knew where I came from." The beast tutted. "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to She-ra." The beast stepped back and raised a hand to Adora. Suddenly a pain fell over her head. It felt like her brain was pulsating on the inside of her skull ready to burst out at any moment. The beast spoke. "Don't fight it. Please." This continued. Adora could feel his presence in her mind. In her thoughts. In her memories. The beast stopped, Adora was exhausted. A tear rolled down her cheek from the pain. The beast spoke, "Pitty, you don't seem to have access to all of She-ra. There's something blocking it. You don't even know how powerful you really are." The beast left and closed the door behind him. Adora sat in silence and only thought a single thought. 'Something blocking it.'