Unbroken: Fall of the Universe

Chapter Ten

The Princesses kept fighting. This puzzled Hordak. They were doomed. Why did they resist? After all, the light of Prime was a better place to be.

Hordak felt a chill run down his spine. Is it? A tiny part of him whispered. 

The screen fell black. A new image popped up on the screen, but the clone already knew. He'd been losing visuals in chipped Etherians. Somehow, Entrapta's jamming frequency had worked! Someone must have finished it. All over Etheria, chips were catapulting away from the backs of peoples' necks, hurling themselves to the grounds. Thousands of dead chips littered the ground. For the first time in weeks, Etherians were waking up to the world around them. Their thoughts had returned.

But why? He asked himself. It was the same with the Princesses. Why are they glad they're no longer with Prime? They're no longer perfect. They have flaws, ambitions, and insecurities. Prime has given all a chance to wipe that all away, yet they refuse.

"Ah ha!" Entrapta cried as the message pulsed on the screen. "My device worked! I knew it would!"

Horde Prime growled. His breathing turned raggad. "Deploy all clone battalions. Get this under control!"

Hordak and the rest of his brothers in the throne room relayed the message across the ship. It wouldn't be long before all Horde soldiers swarmed the planet.

The screen was covered with static. When it faded, a boy was standing there. His dark complexion matched his black eyes. With him, he carried a bow and arrows. He wore a gold and white shirt.

"Hi everyone," the boy called into his communicator. "I'm Bow." All across Etheria, the same message was playing through the spires. "Prime is probably trying to get his channel back right now. I have to make this quick. Prime's controlled the universe for a long time."

Horde Prime's left eye twitched. His jaw set as he glared at the screen.

"Right now, we're the only ones standing in the way of him controlling it forever," Bow explained. You might be feeling hopeless. You might be thinking 'we don't stand a chance.' And maybe? We don't. Prime's too strong. His army is too powerful. But that's not going to stop us. We need to show Prime that we are not afraid of him, because we have each other."

The emperor began to tremble with rage.

"And we have love."

Hordak's heart squeezed. It was that word he was never supposed to know, and yet, he felt something stir.

"We can't give up. And if we go down, we go down together. We need you... all of you. It's time to take back our world! It's time to fight. For She-Ra, for our homes, and for each other!"

As soon as he finished, static overtook the screen. Prime clenched his fists.

"Put an end to this mockery," he seethed. His face was masked with anger. "DESTROY THEM ALL!!!"

Visuals from Horde robots around Etheria flashed across the screen. Bow's words had filled Etherian souls. 

Princesses and non-royals alike.

Little and big.

Young and old.

The spark was the same. They were one, but part of a different kind of whole.  They weren't of the same flesh and blood and mind like the clones of Prime, but they were bonded by their love. 

Bound by their love, Hordak thought.

"Impossible!" Horde Prime seethed.

"You can't control us!" Entrapta cried. "You don't understand what makes us strong! And that's why you'll never win!"