Protection of emotions
'Such a disgrace"
Brother horde prime grabbed the neck of Hordak above the ground and Entrapta on the other, right over a cliff. "Disgrace to my plans. Disgrace to our brothers. Disgrace to defy me", He growled as he tighten his grip on the two and made Entrapta give a loud choking noise as tears stream down her face. "Please Brother...", Hordak choked out, "Stop hurting her" Brother prime growled before a sick smile formed and let out a loud laugh with throwing his head back to add to it. "As you wish little brother", He spat out and slowly started releasing his grip.
When he noticed he didn't move Entrapta away from the cliff, it was too late before Prime dropped her to her inevitable death. All Hordak could do was stare as her body was just a dot on the ground. He didn't know when the tears started to fall, but they don't stop falling down his cheeks. "Oh dear brother, no matter what you try you're going to ruin things for others", Primes' smile seem to eerily curl even more to the point it reaches his eyes. "Let's get rid of the problem to make all the pain go away" His hand lets go of Hordak's neck and left him drop like a discarded toy.
-----
Hordak screamed when he awoke, tears going down on his sheets mixed with his cold sweat. Emily, although startled from his scream, beeped beside him reassuringly and wondered why Entraptas lab partner was screaming. Hordak took deep breaths while taking in his surroundings, wondering when he drifted off to sleep and where his Entrapta was. Emily beeped worriedly as Hordak curled into a ball and let out a loud sob. How no one heard him scream was a mystery for both of them, but Emily knew that Hordak would feel better if he was by the side of Entrapta. She rushed out of the tent leaving Hordak in a crying mess.
Entrapta was gathering small foods for breakfast for both her and Hordak as she knew that Hordak wouldn't be wanting to be around others after everything that was happening. She stole some bites before feeling a nudge on her hip. She turned to see Emily in distress as well as beeping widly and in need of her aid for something. "Hordak?", She asked. Emily beeped to confirm and both started to run to Hordaks tent, ignoring other princess requests to chitchat or planning what to do with the clones.
With food still in hand, she steadily whipped the tent flap with her hair and there was Hordak becoming more of a mess than when Emily had left him. "Hordak!", Entrapta called out as she set aside the food. Hordak snapped his head towards and started reaching out to her, just needing her touch. Entrapta engulfed him with her embrace and made a make shift hair cocoon as the morning conversation had started up. She whispered apologies and affirmations towards him and rubbed his back gently as he continued to sob on her shoulder.
Emily knew to stand guard outside to make sure that no one would disturb them as they needed their time alone together. When glimmer tried to get past Emily, she beeped angrily with her lights turning red, she was ready to shoot her if she tried again. To that point, not even if Adora became she-ra, no one tried to interrupt what ever was happening in Entraptas' tent.
Back in the tent, Hordak was able to calm down, but couldn't stop holding on to Entrapta, just wanting to be in her touch. "Feeling better?", she asked. Hordak nodded, knowing that he couldn't keep her in place for so long. They separated, but Entrapta still held his hand as she brought the small foods on their bed. "Sorry for leaving you alone, I wanted to bring you food", She smiled softly. Hordak smiled back, her presence making him happier and how she made way to bring him food was enough to stop his sniffling.
They both ate in silence and only when Emily came in the tent after hearing the chewing, Entrapta started to talk. "Hordak did you have a nightmare?", Entrapta asked. He nodded as he finished a slice of apple and tighten his grip on her hand a bit. "Do you want to talk about it?", Entrapta pushed. Hordak thought for a bit and shook his head. "You know I will listen. I won't push you, but when I saw you cry I just wanted to help you and I still do", She said looking towards him. Their eyes locked on to each other and he sighed, putting down that plate down. He was about to start until Bow popped his head in.
"Entrap- oh sorry I'll come back later", Bow said, embarrassed to intrude on what seemed to be a personal moment. Hordak took this moment to move the subject away from him and said, "No, what do you need... um...." "Bow", he finished as he fidget when entering the tent. Entrapta frowned, but knew that Hordak wouldn't want to seem vulnerable to others. "Bow", He repeated, "What is it that you need?" "Um I think we could use both of you. Clones have been breaking down and others lashing out to those who are trying to come close. Wrong Hordak has tried to calm them down, but I don't think he can handle it alone", He explained.
Wrong Hordak, he heard about him from Entraptas' tales the night before so he would assume that he would be fine after leaving the hive mind so it would make sense he would try to help their brothers. Entrapta rose from the bed and dragged Hordak out of bed "Oooh! They must be feeling the with drawl like he did when we shocked him!", she smiled, finally having her full attention put towards the subject. Bow laughed nervously at the memory and said, "We were thinking you could help bring Hordak and both of you could try to calm them all down"
'Me?", Hordak asked. Bow nodded, "You have knowledge on leaving the hive mind right?" Hordak slowly nodded and said, "I cannot confirm that we will lessen the severity of the situation, but I will try my best' "Great! Bow power up the horde presentation network as there will sure be clones all over Etheria in distress and we could bring instruction for others on what to do from the princesses! For now Hordak and I will help Wrong Hordak with the clones here!", Entrapta grinned as she pulled Hordak with her and Emily trailed behind them. 'Oh Okay! I'll try my best!", He yelled back as they moved to where most of the commotion was.
Before arriving, he saw the princess alliance and many others trying to keep clones in one spot and trying to calm them down. Wrong hordak stood out as one of those who were trying to keep his brothers calm. They approached She-ra, who lifted another crying clone on her shoulder that muttered through tears, "How am I suppose to live if there is no prime to live fooooor" She-ra noticed them with a face of relief, "Please help" Entrapta grinned as she turned to Emily and said, "Emily will you please get every ones attention?"
Emily beeped happily as she brought her head up to the sky and shot a beam. The commotion died down at the loud sound and turned to Hordak and Entrapta. Entrapta stood on top of Emily for every one had a chance to see her. "'Hi! I'm Princess Entrapta from the kingdom of Dryl! And this -"She lifted Hordak above her using both of her hair tendrils which cause him to yelp a bit, "Is my lab partner Hordak who left the hive mind for more than17 years ago and survived for so long!" Hordak gave a small nod and a still silence filled the air, until Entrapta put him down the clones were rushing towards him, asking questions that were in dire need of answers.
How did he calm down? How did he manage to survive alone? What has he been doing with out orders from prime? How is he a lab partner? What is a dryl? Where do they get their fluids? Where do they go now?
How will they survive without prime?
Their questions were silenced again with another blast from Emily and they all turned to her and Entrapta. She smiled and said, "Sit down and we will answer your questions soon, grab a clone near you and stay calm" Surprisingly they paid attention, holding to one and another and sat down and looked at them, waiting for their next command. The alliance all sighed in relief as they fell to the ground, tired from trying to keep every single one of them calm. Bow came marching in with machinery that extended from one of Primes pillars.
"Thanks bow!", Entrapta grabbed what seemed to be a recording device and put it on Emily and faced it towards where Hordak was, still shaken from the ordeal and just wanted Entrapta to hold his hand. Entrapta instructed Bow what to do and how Emily would hold the camera steady for him and all he had to do was make sure everything was rolling correct. The alliance sat up to see what was happening and even the rest of camp came to see what was going on. Hordak felt nervous with so many eyes on him, some glaring at him when they learned that it was him and others just looked at him tiredly.
Entrapta gave a thumbs up to bow and moved towards Hordak and held his hand and then Bow gave the signal. From the pillars near by they could see that the two were being projected. Hordak began to shake, but a squeeze from Entrapta calmed him and then she began, "Hello horde prime clones and people of Etheria! Many may know me as Entrapta from the kingdom of Dryl! Beside me I have my lab partner, former warlord Hordak!" Then, when more learned that it was him, he felt more daggers at him.
"This is for every clones to understand your feelings and for Etherians to understand clones and later get instructions from your respective princess!", Entrapta explained,"But first off , I'll let Hordak explain what he felt like when he left the hive mind many years ago!" Entrapta turned to Hordak and smiled towards him. Hordak nodded slowly and closed his eyes for a bit to find his thoughts and then he began.
'Right now you are scared. You all have different reactions based on how long you have been under the rule of Horde prime. Right now I will tell how I went through it when I crashed to this planet. ", Hordak took a deep breath, trying to keep his posture straight with so many eyes on him now. "I came to this planet after my ship crashed through a portal when I was in the battle field. As many clones who have been under horde prime, those who no longer are of use to Prime or defective were sent to die for him in battles."
A small murmur crossed the crowd in front of him as he continued, "I fell into both categories and could not even do the last thing I was meant to do for Horde Prime. When the portal closed, that closed my gate way to the hive mind and that moment I felt I thought I was going to lose my sanity as I was alone mentally and physically to the point that I passed out" The murmur hushed as he said this and many clones might have already experienced this, but not to the extreme like he experienced. They still had each other when Horde Prime died, but to be utterly alone was a fate worse than death for a clone.
Hordak glance around and found Princess Scorpia as he continued, "When I came to I was helped by the Scorpioni people. They were so kind and so generous, but with their help I became confused on what I was feeling" His eyes went down to the ground, " As clones know, we were not allowed to emote unless it was for the good for the name of Horde Prime. I lashed out when I did not know what I was experiencing with what they were trying to do and returned to my ship. I now know what I was feeling was gratefulness for their help"
Hordak turned to Entrapta and smiled, but that soon turned to a frown as he continued, " In the ship all I could think about was horde Prime, hurting myself until I stopped feeling those emotions and only felt the pain I inflicted on myself. There I formed plans to take over Etheria for horde prime, learned of the world, and build weapons out of my ship as well as robots. I would do all this and try to make a portal to have Horde Prime find me and finally be proud of me. Though that was a dream I soon did not want. Deep into my take over, I found signals of another portal appearing, I rushed towards hoping to get a signal for it, but I was to late."
He turned to face Adora and smiled softly, "There was one of the first instances I felt those feelings again. That portal brought through an infant and when I held her, all I wanted to do was to keep her safe, but those feelings again confused me and I soon did not want to do anything with her and sent her with one of my subordinates" Hordaks' mind wondered the fate of the Shadow weaver before continuing, "At that point I allowed there to be children to be cared for and when they were ready, begin training them to be warriors, but even though I did not want to have connections I could not stop watching that child grow to be the hero she is today"
Adora smiled at him, knowing what he was talking about. Hordak sighed, "I closed myself away, only showing the angry and tired side of myself. That is until I met," Hordak faced Entrapta, "The greatest lab partner I could ever ask for. She was not afraid and she was not willing to back down just to get to know me. By then that is all I wanted. To get to know her, to learn about her and just forget about Horde Prime" Gasps from the clones were heard, but he continued, "But as the fail-defect that I was, it was too late and I had opened the portal and let Horde Prime invade what I now consider a beautiful planet. When he erased my memories, I wanted nothing more to forget the emotions, yet I kept remembering and forced myself through the all known purification ritual you clones will know"
Hordak looked at Catra sadly and her ears folded down and looked away from him, "Yet the one thing, the one being that made me keep remembering was her", Hordak truly smiled at Entrapta as her eyes appeared to water and brought him closer. He looked back at the crowd, "When Prime wanted me to kill her, all I felt was rage. Rage that he would want to destroy someone who wanted to create and protect beautiful things. Rage of him for making feel worthless. Rage for what he had done. For the first time, I used that rage for good and shot at Prime" The crowd of clones gasped.
"But it was all for not as he took over my body and tried to finish what he started. He made me hurt the one I cared for the most. He made me continue the destruction. He made me fight for the wrong. That is until the child who I once decided to give a little mercy to, gave that mercy back to me", He smiled brightly, surprising most of the crowd of Etherians as they thought they would see such a genuine smile from the former warlord. "The memory of our first interaction came back, but when my lab partner held on to me, all the memories of her flooded me like a wave and I can now happily say, I am Hordak and I defied Horde Primes will and legacy and I will let myself feel happy"
There were silence and then some of both crowds cheered or gave a clap. Entrapta couldn't help herself and brought him to an embrace, both already forgetting the break down he had this morning. When the crowd calmed down Entrapta started to speak, "I know this might not be enough for you, but after the festivities and if the other princess would allow it after your judgement, I welcome any and all clones to my kingdom and I give you a promise that I will do my hardest to protect all of you, your new experiences and your new emotions here on Etheria."
The clones seemed to show that they like this compromise as she finished, "Right now I will start making robots in case your judgement is good and send them to every single town to lead you to my kingdom. Right now, feast and experience! I have been Entrapta and I can't wait to meet you all" Bow nodded and turned off the projected broadcast and with that Hordak and Entrapta had started something new within Etheria. A new understanding of each clone and knowing their emotions are going to be well protected.