Azure's POV

"You positive we're going the right way Glimmer?" Bow asked, and I nodded looking around.

"This part of the woods is familiar but... it's not the way we've come." I agreed.

"I know what I'm doing, can you guys please trust me for once?" Glimmer moaned.

"You know, I always trust you. But I am starting to get a little freaked out... I mean, I pretty much grew up in these woods, and I've never seen this part of them."

It was dark, and the sun was nearing its rise.

"I've heard stories about weird stuff out here." I ran a hand through my hair nervously and groaned.

"Queen Angela is going to kill me..."

"Its fine okay? Just let me figure this out." Glimmer said teleporting away.

"Okay, touchy!" Bow mumbled.

"Sorry about her. She's usually very nice." Bow told the girl.

"Vines Bow." I called back, and he ducked under the tangled vines.

After a small pause Bow spoke again. "Not much for talking huh?" He asked her.

"I prefer not to swap pleasantries with my captures." She replied, and I stepped over a log. I held out my hand and helped her over.

"Suit yourself." Bow said, and I winked at him. We found Glimmer teleporting around, sparkles appearing in pink puffs. We stopped for a small brake while she tried to find a position for the tracker pad to work at.

"You know she's a Princess right, how can you follow her? Princesses are a dangerous threat to Etheria." She said.

I looked back at her, and my hands relaxed. Another lie of Hordak's, why am I not surprised?

"Is that what Hordak told you?" Bow asked, and She shrugged.

"I thought it was common knowledge. They're violent instigators who don't even know how to use their powers." She said, and I frowned.

Petra tightened her grip on my shoulder, and softly bumped her head next to mine. Glimmer yelled angrily as if on cue, and Teleported down from her perch, walking off into the forest.

"You've never actually met a princess, have you?" Bow asked, and I nodded.

"They're not all bad." I added with a small smile.

I cannot believe I was making small talk with the enemy.

"Well... not in person, but-" Petra tugged on my sleeve as a whimper cut through the air.

Hurrying forward I found Glimmer among what once was the city... of Elberon.

The place had been blown apart, the houses where burnt, and merely ruins. Petra, and I split, but I already knew no one was here. A piece of bright red cloth caught my eye, and I overturned a large piece of ceiling shell, and picked up what looked like a doll. It had a cotton face with small button eyes, and a stitched smile, with straw hair, and fury satyr legs. It pained me to think of the child that had once held this doll. Were they still out there? Were they hurt? I pressed the doll to my chest and looked over at Petra. She was whiter than sheet paper.

"What happened to this place?" The girl asked.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Glimmer barked. "I bet you were part of the raiding party that did this." She pointed, and Petra walked over to me, standing next to me.

"What are you talking about? The Horde didn't do this." She said gesturing around.

I looked down at the doll in my hands. I do not think anyone could dismiss this. I think she honestly did not know. She had probably never seen active duty until today.

Grabbing her by the bonds, Glimmer pulled her over to a bot, in the center of one on the broken homes.

"Oh yeah?" she snapped, pointing. "You're a heartless destroyer, just like all the rest of your people!" Glimmer howled.

"I am not a destroyer! Hordak says we're doing what's best for Etheria." She tried, defending her people.

"We're trying to make things better, more orderly." She defended looking between us, and Bow.

"This is what's best for Etheria?" I asked calmly but firmly, taking in all the ruins, making sure she heard me.

"Ever since the Horde got here, they've been poisoning our land, burning out cities, destroying everything in their path, and you're a part of it!" Glimmer shouted.

"So, how's that for orderly?" Glimmer walked away jumping down a small slope and heading down the trail.

"They'll need people who know what it feels like to lose a home, we can really help." I whispered, and Petra smiled softly.

"Azzy, everyone in Bright Moon knows how it feels, they just forget how to live with it at first." I nodded, and I walked over to the girl, just catching the tail end of the conversation.

"They're my family, you don't know them like I do." She said looking away.

"Maybe you don't know them like you think you do." Bow offered calmly.

I put a hand on Bow's shoulder, and he patted my hand. We walked forward to find Glimmer again, and Petra took point with the girl in front of her. A tremble ran though the ground bellow us, and I put my hand on Bow's arm.

"What was that?" I asked.

"What?" He said looking around worriedly.

"You didn't feel that?" I asked narrowing my eyes.

"Feel what?"

Glimmer shouted from up ahead. She ran out of the bushes towards us.

"Okay you're not going ahead anymore." I said placing my hands on my hips.

"Somethings out there, something big!" She yelped.

"How big?" Petra asked, and the ground rumbled again, more intense this time.

"Earthquake?" I tried hopefully.

We were all thrown onto out backs, and I grunted getting up on my side. The ground erupted, and a large bug like creature emerged from the ground with a roar.

"So pretty big then." Bow said, and I jumped up.

"Watch out!" I cried as it slammed its pointed foot down where Glimmer was only a moment ago.

She appeared on the tree behind us, and leapt onto its face, just between its eyes. With a large blast of light, she flew back, and landed in a crouch. The creature roared, and I drew my axe. The ground shuddered as it stomped around, making deep groves appear in the earth. With a yelp the girl was stuck in one. Leaping in front of her as the bug turned to attack her, I deflected its jabs. I slid around as I tried to hold up my axe.

"This is new." I grunted between gritted teeth.

Bow shot an arrow into the face of the creature, spraying a sticky green film into his mouth. It lasted only a few seconds before it was torn away. It roared in anger, and Glimmer jumped forward, flinging blast after blast at the creature screaming, her eyes screwed shut. I could see it coming before it even happened, but the bug slammed its leg into Glimmer sending her flying into a tree with a crack.

The bug charged Glimmer, and Petra leapt in front of her. I tossed my axe, and she caught it, fiercely brandishing it against the creature. Bow shot a second arrow, which spit out a long rope. It looped around the largest horn on the creature's head, and it stumbled back. Sliding around under the creature I looked for a vulnerable spot. Bucking the creature sent Bow flying over its head, and he landed conveniently next to Glimmer. Petra was slamming the axe at every inch of bug she could reach, and I felt helpless as to do anything.

"We have to run!" I shouted over the noise.

Quickly I tore my claws over the sensitive skin on the belly of the beast. It shrieked and swiped a claw at me. I missed the first, and practically ran into the second.

"Hey bug brain!" The creature turned on the girl and, she held up the sword, her stance wobbly considering she was a little tied up.

"Come on magic sword." She muttered. "Where's a blinding flash of light when you need one?" She yelped as the bug ran at her.

Throwing the sword in the air above her instinctively a bright flash blew around us. I watched as she struggled to hold the position, until the pull on my chest got worse. I nearly toppled over when she shouted.

"For the Honor of Gray skull!"

I lay on the ground unaware, of everything trying to stay awake, and looked up to see the girl standing taller than before with billowing golden hair, and a red cape. The bug stared at her, and its quills lowered, as it flattened itself, staring at her.

"Alright, what in the Sam Hill just happened?" I groaned, before falling flat on my face...