Love is Magic, and Magic is Love

Friendship and Flirting

Melog and I exit the gardens, leaving through the northern archway.

"Did the talking help?" Melog asks.

"I'm not sure yet," I say, shrugging, "but it was interesting."

"Magicats are very curious creatures. Did you know this?"

"Seriously," I ask, rolling my eyes. "Does everyone know more about me than I do?"

Melog huffs, as though laughing. "It appears so."

We walk further up the north hall, and I hear the commotion long before I walk into the massive room. There are seven large, silver pads placed along the floor near the far wall, almost half of which are fitted with tall, silver beams, stacked in sets of three in a triangle formation. The ceiling is higher up than usual, and the floor appears as though almost black, covered with what feels like a rubber lining.

Where is she? I think, looking around.

"Adora is here somewhere," Melog says, sniffing. They wander off, following their nose, while I look around.

I spot Glimmer rummaging through a crate, Hordak and the clones doing who only knows what at the partially-built teleporters, and Entrapta hunched down under a u-shaped control panel near the center of the room, busy with a blowtorch. It reminds me of the state Darla was in, with junk all over the place, and various piles of metal crates stacked so high that they almost reach the ceiling.

"Oh, Catra!" Entrapta says, cutting off her torch and lifting her helmet up. "What do you think? We're making excellent progress!"

I frown, looking across at the teleporters. "Looking good. But why seven?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Entrapta exclaims, moving from beneath the workstation, and raising herself up on her pigtails. "We're building one for each of the other six kingdoms, and one for the Crimson Wastes!"

"So, uh..." I say, my words catching in my throat when an eight-foot Adora strides into view from behind the mountain of crates. She's carrying a giant metal rod over one shoulder, and her back muscles are visibly shifting beneath the weight.

"Is everything okay?" Entrapta asks, leaning forwards and peering at me. "Your pupils are dilated. Are you unwell?"

"I'm fine," I say, swallowing thickly. "Do you really think this will all work?"

"Absolutely. We're finishing the connection to Dryl first, to try it out. I'm so excited!"

"Hmm, makes sense. I guess you haven't been home for a while."

"Oh I'm sure it's all okay. Now that the horde are gone, my babies will be looking after the place like usual."

"A kingdom run by robots," I say, shaking my head. "What could possibly go wrong?"

"Run by Artificial Intelligence, actually!" Entrapta says, holding a finger up. "It's a very similar program to the one I gave to Emily, isn't it girl?" she says, grinning when the large, round bot scuttles over and beeps excitedly.

"I don't get it though, if you're setting up for all six kingdoms, does that mean..."

"The Scorpioni are reclaiming the Fright Zone," Hordak interjects, dropping a crate next to the computer terminal.

"Oh..." I say, my ears dipping slightly. "I guess Scorpia will be headed back there soon, then."

"How can she do that when she'll be in space ?" Entrapta says, her eyes gleaming. She looks at me, eventually registering my confused expression. "Oh. Sorry. We spoke for quite a while, and they're coming with us! Isn't that great?!"