Future in the Stars | Catradora

7 - Dead Planet

Glimmer's POV

"Have we... have we been here before?" I asked.

"What makes you say that?" Catra asked.

I glanced around at the planet's surface again. There weren't any plants, just a lot of rocks, and the soil had been ripped up in various places. The planet looked as if it wasn't inhabited, but there seemed to be remains of what used to be a civilization.

"I don't know why, but this place reminds me of Krytis," I said. "But it can't be—it's on the other side of the galaxy."

"Prime," Adora realized. "He tried to destroy this place... but just like Krytis, he couldn't completely wipe out the magic."

"So... no one lives here anymore?" Bow asked.

"Apparently not," Catra said, kicking a piece of scrap metal. "But maybe we should do a scan, just in case."

"Good idea," Bow said, then pulled out a device. He pressed a button, and an antenna extended up into the air. The thin wand scanned the area, and made a beeping noise once it finished.

"No signs of life detected," the device chimed.

"Great; this place is deserted," Catra said sarcastically. "What should we do?"

We all thought for a moment, until I got an idea. I closed my eyes, and held my hand out. I concentrated as I moved my fingers around a bit.

"What are you doing?" Catra asked, probably folding her arms and narrowing her eyes.

"I'm just checking something."

"You look like an idiot."

I opened one eye to see Adora swat Catra to shut her up. I stifled a laugh.

"I feel a bit of magic, but the signal's really weak," I announced. "If the people who lived here were magical, the planet must have been abandoned for ages."

"Hey, wait," Bow called from further ahead, staring at his tracker pad. "I'm getting something."

We rushed over to him, and he showed us the screen.

"Those readings show magical energy right here," he said. "But I don't see anything abnormal."

"Hmm," I mumbled, thinking. "Can I see that for a second?"

I took the pad and moved it around. I tilted it up, then to the side, but the beeping got faster when I tilted it down. I kneeled and held the pad close to the dirt, and the beeping grew louder.

"It's coming from underground!" I realized. "But how do we get below the planet's surface?"

"Leave that to me," Adora said. "For the honor of Grayskull!"

Adora, now an eight-foot-tall warrior, jumped up into the air, then came crashing down, plunging her sword into the soil. A crack ran through the ground, and opened up to reveal a deep canyon. We all dodged out of the way just before the opening swallowed us up.

"What is that?!" Bow shrieked, his voice cracking. He was pointing at the flame-like substance burning at the bottom of the canyon.

"It looks like fire," I said, then I held out my hand over the crack in the earth. "But... it feels like something else."

"Maybe that's the magic the tracker pad picked up," Bow said. "Uh, Adora? What are you doing?"

I looked over to see She-Ra pressing her ear to the ground. I watched her expression, and a few seconds later, her eyes went wide.

"We need to get out of here," she said urgently.

"Why, what's wrong?" I asked, but she was already running.

She grabbed my waist, and swung me over her shoulder. Catra jumped onto Melog, then Adora picked up Bow and held him under her arm.

"Hey!" he protested. "What's going on?"

"This whole planet is about to explode," she explained, sprinting for the ship. "I don't know how long we have until—"

Just then, a rumble shook the ground. She-Ra managed to keep her balance, and kept running despite the shaking. Catra and Melog made it onto Darla first, with the three of us right behind them. Bow closed the boarding dock, and Adora hurried for the control room.

"Darla! Get us out of here!" she cried.

"Administrator detected. Commencing lift-off procedures in ten seconds."

Fire started to shoot out of the canyon She-Ra had made.

"Seven seconds."

The crack was expanding, and flames were bursting out everywhere.

"Three seconds."

We all screamed as the fire exploded all around the ship's windows. Bow and I clung onto each other, and I shut my eyes so I wouldn't have to watch.

"If we don't make it out of here, I want you to know I love you," I said.

"I love you too," Bow muttered, pulling me in close to him.

As romantic as it was, I really hoped that wouldn't be the last thing we'd ever say to each other.