Unbroken: Fall of the Universe

Chapter Twelve

H-How, how did you know? Hordak stuttered. He shrank back, the weight of his guilt catching up to him.

Prime's laugh boomed around the mindscape. Prime knows all! Brother, why would you do such a thing? Why would you even dare to take such a strong, noble warrior and send him to die?  We are both murderers. You are no better than me.

No, I'm nothing like you, Hordak swore.

No, brother. We are ONE!

The mindscape changed. From the darkness, color drained into view. Hordak found himself standing in the empty Fright Zone. He breathed heavily, and his emotions were entangled with fear. He knew that he was simply standing in a simulated memory, but that didn't make the terror any less real.

A dark mass seeped from the Fright Zone. The shadows thickened and the smog above swirled faster. Before he could run, Hordak found himself face to face with a monumental wall of pure black fog. From the depths of the cloud, four lime green eyes pulsed with light.

This was what Prime really looked like. This was his truest form.

You are hideous, Hordak seethed.

The cloud began to curl toward Hordak. It doubled in size until the entire Fright Zone was masked in it.

I am PRIME! He screeched. The cry was so loud, the fortress glitched. The demon lunged for Hordak.

He dove out of the way as a dark tendril narrowly missed him. Another tried to impale him, but the creature kept missing. Again and again, he missed.

After what could only have been an eternity, the wisps of smoke retracted. The fog slithered and curled, retreating into one point. The green eyes faded. The fog condensed into a singularity. Out of the dark space, a projection of Horde Prime's former body appeared. When he opened his eyes, they had the brightness of a million stars.

Let's get real, shall we? He seethed as he stalked closer. Hordak was too fatigued, so he could only groan as Horde Prime grabbed him by the collar of his uniform. The hologram felt pretty real.

It flung Hordak to the ground. He grunted, but the earth had shifted. When he opened his eyes, the mindscape changed. They were in the Scorpion Den throne room.

You were the one who brought the Horde to Despondos, Prime recalled. His heel smacked Hordak's head, and the clone was sent tumbling away.

He landed in his old sanctum of the Fright Zone. When he brought himself to his feet, he saw Prime's hand hovering above the lever to the portal machine.

No, don't! Hordak cried out.

You brought death and destruction to the whole world, Prime growled. He yanked the switch, and the portal blazed from the machine. The purple vortex swallowed them whole.

Hordak found himself standing in the halls of the Velvet Glove. Prime was nowhere to be seen.

Admit it! Prime screeched, flinging himself out of the shadows. He slammed Hordak into the wall. The clone let out a pained hiss as he was pinned against a crumbling building in the ruins of Salineas.

You were nothing before I made you anew. You were NOTHING! Dark smoke began to steam off of the projection. It was taking all his might to contain the demon inside. With a cry of furry, he threw Hordak away like a rag doll.