Brother, Where Are You?

      A lone figure was sitting in a field of grass near the edge of the valley. To any average passerby, the figure would have seemed like nothing more than a speck against the rich landscape around him. Hardly anything to notice. Especially now, when the sun had just started it's descent below the horizon, showering a cascade of golden-orange light across the land. But if someone had looked beyond the natural beauty of the planet's nightly sunset glow, they would have realized that the small figure amongst the dancing grass was, in fact, Etheria's previously sworn enemy: Lord Hordak.
      Despite the alarming significance of his name, however, Hordak did not, at the moment, appear in any manner that most Etherians equated to him in their minds. That equation, of course, being one of standing tall and imposing, leering through the darkness with his red eyes glowing, and a permanent scowl upon his face. No, today, Hordak could not have appeared any further removed from his usual self. Today, he sat still, unmoved by the wind that played around him. His posture loose, frail, even. And he was quiet, as though any sound made by his own making could break the spell of why he was there to begin with.
      He had been sitting for hours, his eyes staring forward at the wreckage before him. A gigantic ship, of Horde Prime origin. One whose inner workings had held a brilliant display of positive development for the entire planet of Etheria just weeks before. A place of history. A place of Horde Prime's eventual downfall. A place that formed a crack in Hordak's mind.
      A frown slowly spread across Hordak's face. Despite the damage and age of the ship, the silver metal surface still shined beneath. The sight of this once grand ship starting its slow decay before him caused Hordak to swallow an uncomfortable emotion. Nevertheless, his eyes remained locked on the horrid contraption, a chill starting to run up his arms as he did so.
      "Heeey!"
      A familiar voice called out from behind him. Hordak's shoulders twitched at the interruption, but he did not look back to greet his friend. His brows only furrowed, determined to focus on the ship before him and ignore the sound of steps coming towards him. His claws betrayed his attempt to hide his irritation, however, as they gripped into his knees instinctively.
      "So, this is where you've been hiding!" Entrapta said, bounding up beside Lord Hordak with a gleeful grin. "I've been looking for you all day!"
      Hordak resisted replying, believing in his half-hearted hope that perhaps silence would cause the princess to leave. In truth, he knew it would never work, and sure enough, Entrapta continuing to speak.
      "Wow! I haven't seen Horde Prime's ship in so long! It's just as technologically beautiful as I remember. I can't believe I hadn't thought of coming back here to search the place for anything new. Think of all the untapped potential inside of it, just waiting to be discovered!"
      Hordak grimaced, Entrapta's words unknowingly struck a nerve. The princess, enthralled by her own fast-paced thoughts, grinned excitedly at the ship in front of them before suddenly becoming aware of the strange silence behind her. She turned, confusion spreading across her features as she looked at her friend. Hordak refused to look at her, choosing instead to remain as still as possible and continue to ponder in his own private thoughts.
      It was Entrapta's turn to frown. Her shoulders sank and she sat down beside her friend, concern filling her eyes.
      "Hey..." she began, reigning in her usual chipper tone and dropping to a serious one. "What's wrong?"
      "Nothing," snapped Hordak immediately. His typical scowl returned briefly, anger flaring within him at the audacity that she would assume he was displaying any kind of weakness. But no sooner had he snapped, did he frown, and regretted his first reaction. Thankfully, Entrapta did not point out his blunder. She simply waited for him to talk.
      He fumbled for a moment, glancing in various directions in any attempt to avoid conversation. But it was short-lived. After a minute or two of attempted silence, Hordak sighed and decided to speak the truth.
      "I don't... know," he said quietly. The words left his mouth sheepishly, as though admitting them were a strange offense. His brows curled upward while his frown sank further down.
      "You don't know?" Entrapta asked.
      "No," Hordak replied. A short breeze picked up, causing Entrapta's hair to drift momentarily.    The two friends shared a small silence.
      "I just..." began Hordak again. "I don't know what to do."
      "What to do?" Entrapta echoed, leaning forward slightly. Her gaze was secured on Hordak's face, entirely focused on supporting him.
      "Yes," answered Hordak. He waited yet again before continuing to speak. "It has been two weeks since the... death... of my Brother. Of Horde Prime. And... I know that that is a good thing. That his death has freed many from his tyranny, myself included. But..."
      Hordak paused, his hands forming fists and his head lowering to look down at his lap. He looked defeated, unable to form the words. Just as Entrapta opened her mouth to speak for him, however, Hordak raised a hand to signal that he wasn't finished. She obliged, waiting patiently for him to gather himself.
      "...I miss him," Hordak whispered. He could barely say it without tears forming in his eyes. The words had to be practically forced out of his chest. He sucked in a bit of air to restrain his emotions and his tears turned to anger. He glared at Horde Prime's ship. "And I hate him," he spat.
      Entrapta bit her lip, her hands coming together to fidget as she watched her friend.
      "I hate him..." Hordak repeated. He squeezed his fists tighter, clenching his teeth and glaring with all his might at the huge damned object before him. The words he really wanted to say pulled at him, stretching within him like a slingshot ready to fire. Just as he opened his mouth to speak again, his body began to lean forward and the words shot out of him like an uncontrollable force. "...because I don't know what to do without him!!"
      Hordak's body suddenly lurched forth and he nearly would have collapsed against the ground had it not been for his hands which automatically sprang out just in time, leaving him to rest on his knees and palms. Entrapta gasped and yelled his name, worry rushing through her as she jumped to aid him. Her arms seized the back of his shoulders, unsure of what else to do to help her hurting friend aside from hold him. She crouched beside him, watching in distress as Hordak's body began to shake from crying. She wasn't sure if she should do anything more beyond simply holding him, but before she could decide, her friend interrupted her thoughts.
      "I spent so long devoting my entire life to him," Hordak sputtered, his tears dripping down onto the grass. "It's all that I did. All that I yearned for. My life was not my own, it was only for him. Nothing more. And I was proud to be apart of it. Proud to stand for nothing more than being a pawn in his own game. I was good at being a pawn. I was great. No, I was the best..."
      Hordak started to weep. In agony, he cried out, his claws digging into the dirt with each new wave of emotion. For once, he let the feeling overwhelm him. It rushed up his body from deep within his belly and splattered upon the ground in gross despair. Meanwhile, Entrapta, trying desperately to soothe him, began to pet his back with one hand, and coax at him calmly.
      "Shhh, shhh..." she hushed gently, her other hand gripping upon Hordak's right wrist and rubbing it softly with her thumb. Entrapta was not surprised to hear Hordak's lament. Concerned, yes, but surprised, no. She had known for a long time that Hordak would eventually face this deep-rooted pain. If anything, she was surprised it had taken him this long to reach this point. It was obvious from the moment she had met him that these feelings were within him. They had been stuck for a very long time.
       Over the course of several minutes, Hordak's sobbing began to lessen. His staggered breathing turned to lengthy, slow intakes of air, every so often disturbed by a small choke. His eyes squinted against the last few tears, slight embarrassment filling the previous space where grief had just been.
      After another solid minute of calming himself, Hordak leaned backward to release the weight off of his hands. Soon, he found himself leaning against the backs of his legs, his hands on his thighs, and his eyes trained back to Horde Prime's ship before him. Entrapta released her grip, backing up slightly as Hordak returned to a steady position.
      "I don't know what to do without him," Hordak said quietly, this time his tone deep with seriousness. It was both matter-of-fact and pessimistic. A gloomy acceptance. Hordak was ready to admit defeat. Entrapta, however, grinned. This time, she knew exactly what to say.
      "Hordak, of course you don't," she said with a slight laugh.
      Surprised by her laugh, Hordak broke his stare and looked at his friend with a quizzical gaze.
      "You said it yourself. You spent your whole life dedicated to serving Horde Prime. You don't know what to do because you've never had that choice before. But now you do have that choice."
      "But how do I know what to choose," Hordak argued. "What kind of life could I possibly live knowing that I failed at the one thing I dedicated my entire existence to?"
      "Any life is better lived when you're yourself, Hordak," Entrapta replied with a smile. "No matter what you choose, it's automatically going to be better because you chose it. The possibilities are endless! Who knows what you could end up doing! Wouldn't it be fun to try new things and see where you end up?"
      Hordak frowned. "It sounds annoying," he muttered.
Entrapta laughed, the sound lifting into the air like a joyous song before ending in an abrupt snort. "There's the Hordak I know!" She teased.
      Hordak did not seem pleased by her joke. In fact, he sneered and turned his head back to look at the wreckage before them, crossing his arms. Entrapta tightened her lips.
      "Really, though," she started. "It's going to be okay. You don't have to decide right away. You don't even have to decide at all. Just take one step at a time and do what makes you happy in the moment. That's all that matters."
      One claw tapped against the inside of Hordak's arm. The nervous twitch caused him to sigh. He knew she was right, he just didn't want to admit it. After a long moment of prolonged defiance, Hordak finally turned his head to look at his friend. Her face was full of nothing but kindness and understanding. He didn't expect this, and thus blushed in response. His shoulders sank sheepishly and his ears lowered as the awkward silence increased.
      "I can't wait to see what you choose, Hordak!!" she exclaimed suddenly, pouncing forward and wrapping her arms around him. Hordak grimaced with a loud, "Oof!" He fell backward, Entrapta laughing as she tightened her embrace against him. After a few seconds, she released, and they both found themselves lying on their backs, side by side, staring up at the darkening night sky. Stars were just beginning to poke out and twinkle, the sun having left it's position on the horizon just a few minutes prior. The last remaining rays of gold were starting to disappear.
Hordak's eyes traced the tiny stars above him. He thought of all the planets he had been to before arriving on Etheria. All of the places that Horde Prime had no doubt journeyed while he himself had been busy gaining control here instead. Space, in it's unlimited form, full of unlimited possibilities, all for him to try if he so choose.
      Yes... if he so choose.
      A smile steadily spread across his face, one of clarity and sound mind.
      "Entrapta," Hordak said.
      "Yes, Hordak?" She asked.
      "Thank you."