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lefemmerougewriter · 2 years

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Miko, High Five, and the Etherian "Glitch"

This is set after season 2 of Glitch Techs and after season 5 of She-Ra. After the first mention, High Five is referred to as “Five.” I never thought I could write over 7,000 words in this story, but somehow, I was able to! I hope you enjoy it, and yes, comments (and suggestions for improvement) are welcome. I rated this Teen and Up because the story is basically a YA story, due to some accidental nudity, cursing, and some other stuff, ha.

Romantic pairings: Miko/Zahra, Entrapta/Hordak, Adora/Catra, Castaspella/Juliet, Ridley/Wrong Hordak, Bow/Glimmer,

Friendships: Ridley & Entrapta, Miko & High Five, Adora & Bow & Catra & Glimmer

Words: 7.4k

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27825937

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/1254522917-miko-high-five-and-the-etherian-glitch

Characters: Ridley, Miko Kubota, High Five, Phil Altiere, Haneesh, Adora, Catra, Bow, Hordak, Wrong Hordak, Castaspella, Juliet, Entrapta

Summary: Miko and Five have wild adventures on Earth fighting glitches and are alone, this time, on a mission. Getting an alert that something is wrong, a glowing blue inter-dimensional portal sucks them across the plains of spacetime to another world which is thousands, if not millions of light-years across the cosmos. Their high-tech gloves don’t work, and they find a surprising guest who almost destroyed the headquarters of Hinobi not that long ago. How will they survive in this new world full of magic, futuristic technology, and princesses who are in love with each other? Only time will tell how much they can adapt to this world and make new friendships, making the best of a unique situation.

It was like any other day as a glitch tech for Hinobi. For the first time in a while, Miko Kubota and High Five, who went by Hector Nieves in more formal settings, were on a solo mission. Neither Zahra, Haneesh, or their rival-of-sorts, Mitch, would be joining them. The glove-like gauntlets of Miko and High Five beeped simultaneously, belting it out the warning:

“Unknown anomaly detected. Please…”

The message cut off and began scrambling the words that came next, which recommended that they “take appropriate measures.” Miko and Five cautiously exited their van, scanning the area for any glitches. They were both puzzled. Miko vented her frustration as she stamped her foot on the ground repeatedly.

“What in the world?...There’re no glitches here. Probably these dumbass gloves aren’t working correctly, AGAIN.”

Five concurred. Both were walking toward their van when some unknown force pulled them in. In desperation, Miko and Five fired energy blasts from their high-tech gloves. Miko thought that they could handle this problem on their own, while the situation scared Five. He put out a call to headquarters. Unfortunately, only the words “we need” reached the Hinobi headquarters. Their boss Phil Altiere, on duty, eating a messy pizza for lunch. Phil saw Five’s message as routine and ignored it.

The bluish glow enveloped Miko and Five, who lowered their gloves and accepted their fate. They wrapped their arms around each other for support. Both were transported thousands, if not millions, of light-years away across the rocky plains of spacetime to a magical world littered with futuristic technology and inhabited by genderfluid elemental princesses.

The interdimensional portal threw Five and Miko into the air. Instead of hitting the metal platform below, the prehensile lilac-colored hair of a middle-aged woman snarled them from either certain death or extreme injury. She proceeded to place them both on a soft, and plush, couch, almost like she had been expecting them to arrive through the portal. With a big grin on her face, she presented herself to these confused visitors.

“Hey, fellow travelers! I’m Entrapta! You can call me Apta, E, or just Entrapta.”

As Miko and Five continued to be perplexed at what had been through, Entrapta kept talking. She then loudly declared, “welcome to…Etheria!” While they appreciated that she was friendly, bubbly, and had greeted them affectionately, neither trusted her. They stepped off the couch and raised their gloves toward her, demanding that she release them.

“Thanks for welcoming us, but we’d like to go back NOW!” Miko shouted.

Five followed this up, saying, “yeah, ditto what Miko said. Give it up, lady!”

Cowering in fear, Entrapta accepted her death until a cackle pierced the room, which had become still. Miko knew she recognized it from somewhere but couldn’t place it. A geeky teen with huge round glasses and auburn hair stepped out of the shadows. She stood in front of Entrapta, protecting her from any harm. She spoke to them both.

“You two think those fancy gadgets of yours will work? Ha! Jokes on you. That stuff doesn’t work on this world.”

Miko expressed her astonishment at seeing her former friend, a skilled hacker, again, after they had been apart for so long. Still processing it, her words came out somewhat jumbled:

“Ridley…here…now?”

She nodded in response.

While Five was skeptical of Ridley’s claims about their high-tech gloves, Miko thought that she might be right. Turning her glove away from Entrapta, she aimed it at the wall. She pressed a button and covered her eyes. Her gadget belted out words which confirmed what Ridley had told her and Five only a few minutes earlier:

“Error. Device Inoperable. Error.”

Five sighed. He remained wary of this woman who called herself Entrapta and even more so of Ridley after what she had done at Hinobi headquarters. He tried out his glove in the same way. It gave him the same message, which completely baffled him. His face flushed a little. He feared that Miko would interpret his actions as meaning that he didn’t believe her, so he spurted out something to throw off any possible “suspicion”:

“We are totally fine, partner! Everything will be ok!”

His words, followed by finger bangs, confused Miko to no end. Not only did she have no idea what he meant, but the word “partner” made her nervous. She remembered that Zahra, about 17-years-old, had wanted her to explain what type of partner Five was to her, with the implication of possible romantic affection between them. She found such a thought absurd. Her and Five as lovers? They were friends, and nothing more, plain, and simple. She wondered if Five thought the same way about her and if Zahra had a crush on him.

She reached out for Five and patted him on the back. She tried to reassure him that everything would be fine, despite the circumstances both found themselves in.

“Yeah, it will…bud.”

She breathed deeply and then explained the next part in a soft voice.

“We are going to be here for a while, so let’s take it all in…then, we can go home.”

Entrapta saw it all differently. She carefully placed Miko and Five on the couch. When both had pointed their high-tech gloves at her, she thought it was all over. She remained forever thankful of Ridley for protecting her. While Miko and Five were unsure what to think of her, but she also remained wary of them. Just as she began to open her mouth, Ridley piped in. She rolled her eyes, declaring that she had been right all along.

“Ha! I told you both. I’ll take you…”

Entrapta abruptly interrupted her and produced an excuse to pull Miko and Five away.

“Rid-ley, it's ok. I’ll take them around with my…uh…partner. You can join us later if you want.”

Ridley nodded. While she wanted to go around with Five and Miko, she thought that Entrapta would be better suited to take them across the planet, and she had some technology tinkering to do. Entrapta had become her good friend. At first, Entrapta saw her with intense interest when she accidentally arrived in Etheria because of one of an experiment gone wrong. At the time, she desperately tried to go back, but Entrapta had calmed her down. Over time they became good friends, and Ridley appreciated Entrapta's partner. In her former world, Hordak would have been described as Entrapta’s boyfriend. People on Etheria used terms like “partner,” “lover,” or any word which would accurately describe a relationship between two or beings of any gender. She had an attraction toward technology, and she loved tinkering with it, as did Entrapta.

Ridley winked at Entrapta and waved to Miko and Five as they left the laboratory in Dryl. Entrapta had moved back there after the Fright Zone had become overgrown with plants following the defeat of Horde Prime and the Horde as a whole by Catra and Adora, and the rest of the Rebellion. Entrapta brought Miko and Five close and spoke to them with a whisper.

“Would you two like to be surprised?”

Miko and Five, seeing the drab conditions of Dryl, hoped that the surprise would be better than where they currently were, underground in a laboratory.

Although Entrapta had Swift Wind on speed dial, she did not like him much. She saw him as extremely annoying as a being usually couldn't speak its mind in the same language as a person like her. She preferred her now-lifelong partner, Hordak. Some, like Adora, Glimmer, and Bow, accepted her newfound relationship, while others, such as Mica, Mermista, and Frosta, were skeptical because Hordak committed countless crimes as the commander of the Horde. No matter what they thought, he had committed himself to her. Every day, he tried to make up for his past actions which had maimed, killed or destroyed the lives of countless others. She-Ra had removed his evilness, but the memories of what he did continued to haunt him every day. He experienced trauma, just as Catra and Adora did, along with most, if not all, of those involved in the fight against the Horde.

To get to the surface, all three traveled through a huge pneumatic tube like a bullet screaming out of a rifle, which scared the willies out of Miko and Five, but Entrapta enjoyed it intensely. Still recovering from that experience, Entrapta covered their eyes. She ripped off a camouflage cloth which had concealed a huge spaceship from any onlookers. When she saw Hordak sleeping inside, it made her uneasy. He was supposed to be in the Fright Zone with other Hordaks from the Velvet Glove, dismantling it so that the area could be put to better use, part of the rehabilitation of the planet. This would include constructing homes for Scorpia and her people, who had been forced from their land by the Horde years ago. She quickly removed her hair from the eyes of Miko and Five, then reformed her hair into a hand that pointed to the ship’s cockpit. She went ahead and the words, “…and that’s my partner, Hordak,” followed.

Five grinned while Miko looked at the ship with glee.

“This is mega cool. It’s like something I’d see in a video game.”

Entrapta responded with complete bewilderment, saying, “video…game?” Miko then patted her on the back and softly spoke in her air. She told her that she would explain it later.

In what seemed like seconds, they entered the gigantic grayish ship, which Entrapta affectionately named “Darla.” She happily showed them around the controls. The ship had once belonged to the earlier She-Ra, Mara. Every time she was inside, the craft’s technological capabilities fascinated her. Pulling a lever, the craft tilted upward and sped ahead at a supersonic rate. Miko and Five gazed out the window, completely terrified, while Entrapta enjoyed herself, happily chuckling, while she cuddled Hordak. The heads of Miko and Five spinning, the ship touched down outside Bright Moon, which sparkled in the sunlight. Stepping outside, Miko stared in awe at the castle and its surroundings, forgetting about the time in the spacecraft which had brought them there. As all four of them walked up to the castle, her eyes wide with excitement, she jabbed Five in the side and chattered to him about a game she had played years ago.

“Hey, doesn’t this remind you of Magical Princess Castle Adventure: Moon Capture? It’s almost like someone came here and copied this castle exactly!”

Five bowed his head in agreement and had a slight smile. He never played the game but did not want to admit it. Instead, he lied, declaring “yeah, I remember that one…it was hella cool…you know, it had…that castle.” She wanted to talk to him more about the video game, but that would not happen. Two Bright Moon guards at the base of the Moonstone spire, stopped them in their tracks. They demanded to know their business in the kingdom, serving as the de facto center of the planet which helped the populace of Bright Moon and the other six kingdoms on Etheria. Rumors had circulated that the Princesses had delegated more of their power to the population and only served in truly ceremonial roles, other than fighting off possible threats and helping to rebuild the world after the destruction wrought in the fight with the Horde. But the reality of the situation was different.

“Who are you and why are you here?”

Entrapta let out a cackle, picking up the guards with her hair, and threw them into the water nearby. The guards gazed up at her and recognized her at once. They bowed, even as their clothes were completely soaked, and said softly, “you may proceed, Princess Entrapta. Sorry for the inconvenience. You and your guests are welcome here.” Entrapta glowered at them for impeding her travel to Castle Bright Moon and for calling her a “princess.” She hated that word and all the royal trappings associated with it. As they continued across the causeway, a familiar face greeted them. He mentioned toward them and told them to come inside. His curly brown hair in an afro buzz captivated Miko, while his medium brown skin sparkled from the light bouncing off the Moonstone and surrounding water. Walking them through the castle’s hallways, he gleefully introduced himself to Miko and Five.

“Hi, I’m Bow. What’s your names? I’ve never seen either of you…ever before…And what’s up with those clothes?” he said, pointing to their Hinobi uniforms.

Five wanted to explain everything, but Miko beat him to the punch. She cleared her throat and began telling him what had occurred. “So, we work for a company that gets rid of video game glitches which manifest in real life and we were pulled into this blue portal thing, which brought us to this planet…and so yeah, that’s basically it, man.” Bow acted like he knew what they meant, even though what they told him did not make a lick of sense even to someone as smart as him. Even so, he recognized that their current outfits would lead to a lot of unnecessary questions. He pointed them to a spare room and recommended they change into something more comfortable.

One at a time, they entered the room, changing into their normal clothing. For Miko, this was a black tank top covered with a yellow t-shirt with a cat in the middle, a blue hoodie about her waist, black tights, red-and-white socks, an orange wristband, and blue sneakers, all of which were somehow stored in her high-tech glove. Five, in contrast, wore a green t-shirt, with a game controller in the middle, atop a black undershirt, grey pants, and sneakers with light and dark grey parts. After both had changed, Bow chuckled and shook his head, remarking, “well, this should be fun.” He banged his hand on the door in the hallway which had “Catradora room” in beautifully written script taped on a piece of paper. A message below it, written in the same handwriting, stated “Knock before entering…if you dare.” He heard a voice shout back “come in!” Bow gingerly opened the door. Entrapta, Hordak, Miko, and Five all came in at the same time. Catra, Adora, and Glimmer were playing a game. If Miko and Five had played it in the human world, it would have been called “Spoons.” On Etheria, people called it “Sparkle” because all the items you had to grab during the game “sparkled” in the light. All three were caught off guard not by Entrapta or Hordak, who they had seen from time to time after the defeat of Horde Prime a few months prior, but by Miko and Five. Glimmer looked at Miko’s hair with amazement. She had never seen someone who had such long purple hair with pink tips. It somewhat resembled her hair, pastel pink on top and sparkling purple underneath, but was different. Similarly, Adora loved the color of Five’s puffy hair which had a galaxy purple hue. Catra adored the cute black winking cat on Miko’s shirt, which had one eye open and the other closed.

To break the ice, Adora giggled, and turned to Miko and Five, proclaiming, “you wanna see something cool?” Catra shook her head, muttering under her breath. She knew exactly what Adora had planned when she summoned a giant sword that had a golden hilt, a turquoise-colored opal, and a light blue blade. She shouted, “for the honor of gayskull!” and transformed into an eight-foot-tall warrior who radiated across the room. While this impressed Five, Miko became entranced, with the feeling that she was staring at a goddess from a video game.

Catra inched closer to Adora, now in the form of She-Ra, whispered that she had said “gayskull,” not “greyskull.” Her cheeks turned a rosy red, as she nervously tried to defend herself. In the process, she tripped and fell backward. Catra rushed in to catch her, but Miko happened to be there, causing Adora to fall into her arms. She chuckled uneasily and set Adora, who came back to her normal self, onto the ground while admiring her. Still somewhat flustered, Adora explained everything, preempting any questions from Miko or Five.

“Hold your questions…let me explain what happened. This sword changed me into a magical warrior named She-Ra who is set to fight evil, I guess…it all started when I found the sword in the Whispering Woods…and the rest is history…The last time I transformed…”

Catra cut her off and continued the thought. “…was when we kissed each other. We had to, in order to save everyone...and everything, ya know.”

Affectionately, Miko looked at them both with big eyes, adding, “Aw. So, love that saved the world…or universe…or whatever?”

Apprehensive, Catra started to say “well, I wouldn’t call it that…,” Adora jumped in and said, “yes! That’s exactly what it!” Catra moaned, not liking to be as open about her feelings. Even so, she accepted Adora’s explanation, since she knew that she had told the story correctly, although she did not like making their relationship that public. Since the fall of the Horde and the beginning of de-Hordeification on Etheria, they had enjoyed each other’s company, going on occasional frolics through the Whispering Woods and other parts of the planet. Sometimes when they passed nearby a town, Adora would shout the loudest she could “I LOVE MY CAT GIRLFRIEND! SHE’S CATRIFIC!,” humiliating Catra every time.

While Catra and Adora chattered away, Entrapta sat in the corner furiously taking notes with Hordak beside her. It would serve as the beginning to her new story, which she titled “Catra, Adora, and fangs of love.” Although she continued to work on her social skills, she did not mind watching social interactions from afar and poured herself into these silly stories she came up with, often on the spot. She then planned to distribute them in book format to all those across the planet, even as she continued to determine how she would complete this goal.

Adora saw that Catra was uncomfortable, so she quickly thought up something to “solve” the situation. She also wanted to know their new guests better. Catra, on the other hand, remained wary of Miko and Five, something that she and Entrapta could agree on, despite their outgoing nature. She suggested traveling to Mystacor, an idea that made Catra roll her eyes. Adora inched closer to Catra and spoke softly in her ear, “it’s ok, CAT-RA. It will be fine. You can trust me.” Adora’s words calmed her down and she agreed to follow along, surprising Bow and Glimmer at the quickness of her concurrence with Adora’s judgment.

In what seemed like an instant later, Adora, Catra, Glimmer, and Bow crammed into Darla, grumbling as they did so. Unlike the previous time, Miko and Five found seats, as did Hordak. Once everyone had come inside, she shouted, “Is everyone ready?...LET’S GO!” They nodded in agreement and she pressed a button, throttling the craft forward at a breakneck pace. As Catra shrieked, Adora comforted her, while an exasperated Five bellowed: “Oh Nerds!” No one understood his catchphrase and looked at him, perplexed. But Miko knew. She patted him on the back, murmuring to him, “it’s ok, Cap. I get you.”

The ship lurched to a sudden stop, with everyone, apart from Entrapta and Hordak, thrown forward. Sheepishly, Entrapta apologized, while pressing a button which opened the landing ramp. Annoyed and complaining about their journey, these thoughts soon faded away. They saw General Juliet and Castaspella, called Casta or Aunt Casta for short, who greeted them with open arms. Glimmer embraced these two lovers as did Adora, while Bow, Catra, Miko, and Five stood at the side. After their hugging ended, Casta walked with a pep in her step toward Miko and Five, excited to see new people. Even though she had become accustomed to Glimmer’s purple and pink hair, originally detesting the colors, Miko’s purple hair with pink tips left her spellbound like nothing else, with her eyes open wide with wonder.

All of them walked together across Mystacor, visiting the sites, whether the steam grottos, the cloud beaches, or any other areas of relaxation. Hordak and Entrapta stayed by the ship, tinkering with technology. This is because Casta had not warmed up to Hordak yet. Even seeing him haunted her with the awful deeds the Horde had committed across Etheria and remembering the time she saw Hordak as a little girl attacking sorcerers. She could not forgive him for his war crimes. He had atoned in some ways. But no trial had occurred, not for him nor for anyone formerly part of the Horde. With the defeat of the Horde, the Princess Alliance had become defunct, as had the Rebellion. It had become part of a new amalgamation that had named itself the Royal Authority Group or RAG. Afterward, a “truth and reconciliation” approach had been adopted, meaning that a commission to discover and reveal wrongdoing by the Horde in hope of resolving any remaining conflict had been created. This proposal had caused much division. While Entrapta, Adora, Catra, Glimmer, Scorpia, Swift Wind, Huntara, Micah, and Perfuma favored this approach, Mermista, Frosta, Casta, Netossa, and Spinnerella did not. Neither did General Juliet and Sea Hawk. This meant that the proposal for truth and reconciliation passed 9-7, with Melog, Emily, and Wrong Hordak as non-voting members.

Although Entrapta could have easily walked around Mystacor, bringing Hordak into the mix could have engendered further tensions, so she stayed by her ship with her partner, while some of the citizenry snarled. They were not ready to accept members of an organization that had destroyed so much of the planet and almost destroyed Mystacor itself, although the latter had been Shadow Weaver's doing, not the Horde. Catra and Entrapta were treated differently because Entrapta continued to develop technical systems that interconnected each of the kingdoms, working to undo the damage she had done. As for Catra, she remained Adora’s girlfriend and tried to do some of the same, working to make the planet a better place. Some held resentments against both, but more against Hordak and the Horde as a general entity.

Miko and Five relaxed in the steam grotto alongside Glimmer and Bow, while Catra and Adora were nearby, in their own grotto together. Casta and Juliet had gone off to the main chambers of the former citadel and current center of Mystacor. Even in all the time Miko and Five had spent on Earth, nothing could compare to this experience. Miko began posing a series of questions to Glimmer as she remained enthralled by this entire world.

“So, like can you use magic? I mean, Adora showed us her transformation into She-Ra earlier.”

Glimmer chuckled. “Yeah, I can and I’m AWESOME at it! Wanna see?” Bow shook his head and hoped she wouldn’t show off her magic to a stranger. He tried to warn her not to and that something bad would ensue. She didn’t listen to his advice. Stepping out of the steam grotto and overconfident, her towel snagged on a rock and pulled off her body. She teleported nearby and stood in front of them, shouting “ta-da!” Miko acknowledged her, then looked at her in horror. Not even 16, the same age as Five, she had never seen a nude female body other than her own. Catra guffawed while Bow shook his head once more, while Adora hollered loudly. “Glimmer, YOU’RE NAKED! Get some damn clothes on!” Scrambling, Glimmer rushed to cover herself, nervous to expose herself in front of strangers. She then began muttering a response as she slunk back into the grotto with Bow.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen…I apologize for anything…”

Miko interrupted her. “…I just had never seen someone without clothes on…it was kinda a bit of a shock to be honest.” Glimmer began crying and continued. “Again, I’m sorry…” About to say something more, Catra interjected with her thoughts. “Sparkles, you don’t need to worry about it…I’ve seen Adora naked a bunch of times and it doesn’t bother me. You should be comfortable with your body.” Glimmer agreed and wiped the tears off her face. For Bow, however, Catra’s comment got him thinking. He then had a realization: had Catra and Adora done the “dirty deed”?

“Uh, Catra, you’ve seen Adora naked? Like when? And what did you do?...did you do the…”

Adora, whose cheeks became as red as a stoplight, struggled to find words to respond to Bow. She did not expect such a question. She was, secretly, a little angry at Catra for mentioning it, although she couldn’t blame her. Waving her arms wildly she tried to set the record straight about their relations, even though it wouldn't clarify anything.

“It��was nothing! We sleep together from time to time…and cuddle…none of that dirty stuff…we aren’t about that thing…all people who love each other do these things, right?”

Bow, just as uncomfortable, did not know what to say, so he accepted her response, although it seemed like a form of evasion. Catra, for her part, did not want to undermine Adora, even as it annoyed her that Adora had downplayed their relationship. As they chattered away, Casta came running toward them, telling them that lunch was about to be served in the former citadel. With everyone acknowledging her, she returned to prepare the table for the meal. Complaining profusely, each person put their clothes back on after drying themselves off with the complimentary towels. They did so in such a way that no one would be uncomfortable at seeing someone else naked in front of them.

A short time later, Adora, Bow, Catra, Glimmer, Miko, and Five all gathered around a medium-sized dining room table, with Casta and Juliet sitting at opposite ends like they were at the “heads” of the table. Each of them ate happily, devouring the food in front of them. Everyone was so caught up in eating, that no conversation ensued. Just as soon as Casta wanted to begin talking about something, she looked up and everyone had left, going their separate ways. Juliet sighed and moved closer to Casta, as magic assistants took away the dishes so they could be cleaned using various spells. She tried to be as frank as she could.

“Those kids. I really wanted to ask them some more questions, especially that girl and guy…I have never seen them around here.”

Casta silently agreed. Awkwardly cracking a smile, she gave her observations.

“Glimmer has grown up so much from the last time I saw her…and that boy, Bow, is nice too. I’m still coming around to Catra…but I am glad that Adora has someone who loves her…she needs that after everything she is been through…and…I’m glad we have each other.”

Juliet’s caramel tan cheeks turned a lighter brown, jesting Casta, shouting, as she tickled her, “Oh, stop that, you!” Giggling a little, she leaned in closer, and told Casta in a soft voice, “I’m glad we are both here, together…we can enjoy our lives now that the war has ended.”

Glimmer, Bow, Catra, Adora, Miko, and Five all hid behind the double-doors leading into the room, watching this all unfold. Bow only went along with this plan because he felt obligated to so, like Five. Even so, neither left, even though this sort of spying wasn’t their style. Catra, Glimmer, Adora, and Miko were like giddy schoolgirls, watching this unfold, liking the intrigue. Then, something changed. The faces of Juliet and Casta came closer together and their lips met. Glimmer’s face went from its usual tan appearance to a darker skin tone. The doors flew open, and she tumbled onto the ground, as did Adora, Catra, and Miko, as the human pyramid which all of them constructed came crumbling down. Casta and Juliet looked at all five of them with interest, then burst out laughing. Both came over to Glimmer, who stared into space and mortified that her aunt would be kissing someone in front of her friends. Casta spoke to her.

“Oh, so you were watching us through that doorway, were you now? You could have just asked if we were together…instead of hiding, Glimmer.”

Stuttering a little, Glimmer inched forward while the rest of her compatriots remained on the ground. “I-I-I just didn’t think you…were…like that, Aunt Casta.”

She let out a hearty chuckle. “Oh, Glimmer, I’m so much more than you could ever imagine…I can love people too, you know…”

Glimmer’s face flushed with blood and warmer than usual. She continued to attempt a cogent argument but stumbled over her own words repeatedly, even stuttering a little. “I-it-s just embarrassing with all these guests here…”

Seeing that the emotional state of her niece in shambles, she began to open her mouth to say something. Suddenly, Adora interceded. “So, Castaspella, how you’d both get together…Mystacor isn’t near Bright Moon…so how’d this beautiful romance begin?”

After getting permission from Casta, Juliet answered the question instead. Clearing her throat, she began the story. “Well, in the aftermath of the Horde Prime’s defeat, there was a big feast in Bright Moon. She came there on business and I heard about a dance party...”

The sounds of their voices faded away as Casta, Juliet, and Adora chattered away. Catra tried to slip away, but Adora held her arm tightly. She rolled her eyes. She agreed to stay only because she loved Adora and didn't want to disappoint her. Somehow, Miko, Five, Glimmer, and Bow left, with Glimmer relieved. Soon thereafter, her mind became filled with images of Juliet and Casta smooching each other over and over in the most sexual way possible, while wearing skimpy outfits. She began yelling, running away the fastest speed she could muster. Bow cried out, shouting “wait, Glimmer, wait!” but she ignored his pleas. Having been to Mystacor in the past, he guessed where she would be. Prior to searching for her, he checked to ensure that Miko and Five were ok with coming along.

“So do you both want to join me in this search…or chase I guess…for my girlfriend…I mean partner…or go to Entrapta and her partner?…either one works for me.”

Miko answered in the affirmative. “Yeah, sure, that’s fine with me, how about you, Five?”

He whispered back, “whatever…anything to get away from that PDA in the dining room…I’m just not there with my love life.”

As they walked slowly to Glimmer’s secret hiding place, somewhere that only Bow knew about, he raised his eyebrows. He had no idea what this “PDA” thing meant…

“PDA…what’s that?”

Miko giggled a little, saying in a soft voice, “personal display of affection.”

Bow understood. He didn’t see it as a negative thing. He told them casually, “oh yeah, Glimmer and I express our personal affections, as you call it, for each other all the time, although we aren’t as direct as her Auntie and Juliet were in that room…all the time.”

Despite the fact she had expressed interest in how Adora and Catra had gotten together, his response horrified Miko. She moved her head from side to side, only speaking one word “…right” with a heavy dose of sarcasm in an attempt to push it off. There were many possible reasons for this response. For years upon years, she had channeled many of her emotions into video games, and perhaps the prospect of someone loving her like that scared her, as she saw everyone as friends, not potential romantic partners, or people to have crushes on.

Bow, Miko, and Five had finally reached their destination: Aunt Casta’s private library and study. Glimmer had come here many times in the past, bored by the antics between her late mom and Casta. She had come there as a solace, to calm herself down after seeing Casta and Juliet smooching, giving her visions which, she never wanted to see. Standing by the door, Bow saw Glimmer meditating near the stacks, sitting near the wide and he approached carefully, then announced himself so his presence wouldn’t surprise her.

“Glimmer, are you ok? I came here to make sure you are fine and all…we can leave now if you’d like…there’s no reason to see Juliet or Casta again.”

Breathing deeply, she rushed over to Bow and hugged him. Tears began streaming down her face. He put his arms around her as well and gave her a peck on the head, with her cheeks becoming warm, turning a little darker in its complexion. Together, and holding hands, Glimmer and Bow left this secret hiding place and headed back to the ship, with Miko and Five in tow. Their visit in Mystacor had come to an end, none too soon for Glimmer.

Sometime later, they came to a nearby area which served as a makeshift landing pad for ships like the one that Hordak and Entrapta flew in across Etheria. Other ships were currently being constructed from old Horde technology in order to create free air travel from place to place, with Mystacor serving as one of the future hubs of such travelers. Some people who had formerly been Horde soldiers were part of the construction, while a truth and reconciliation commission, for all the crimes committed by the Horde, continued. The records of each proceeding were recorded by hand by a robotic scribe, along with video and audio files through various devices put in place by Bow. Each of these records would be deposited in an archives under construction in Bright Moon, thought to be the center of Etheria itself. While the specifics of who would work in the archives had not been fully determined, it appeared that George and Lance would offer their services in a support role as historians and collectors of information, along with Bow, assisting archivists working at the facility. The records from the family library curated by George and Lance would likely form part of the collection, as would accounts of battles against the Horde, oral history interviews, and transcripts from the commission. Unlike a library, however, the records would not be organized by subject matter or by topic. Rather, they would be kept in the original order set by the person or organization who had created the record in the first place, with these records assembled in a hierarchical fashion. Each collection of records became a record group, then subdivided into series and files, with the records arranged so they could be useful and accessible, with original order occasionally disregarded if the archivists deemed it necessary. This all happened after archival appraisal of the records themselves had occurred. The records could be of any form, whether paper, digital or moving pictures. Most were paper because Etheria did not have an internet. Currently, a pilot intranet program named Aptanet, a system created by Entrapta, only remained available within some of the kingdoms. As the archives was only in its first stages, no records schedules had been established. Perhaps, in the future that would be added as a way to ensure that records were processed efficiently and effectively, allowing for access to all the records by Etherian citizens, no matter the kingdom they resided, accompanied by the appropriate description and necessary other archival tasks.

On the landing pad, or what appeared to be one, Entrapta and Hordak sat outside the ship, with Catra and Adora nearby. They happily greeted an approaching Miko, Five, Glimmer, and Bow, with grins on their faces. No one discussed Casta and Juliet smooching, even though they all saw it, apart from Entrapta and Hordak, as they just played a game of Rummy, named Ethumy on this planet for some unknown reason. Both enjoyed each other’s company. Everyone quickly filed inside. Soon thereafter Entrapta, while holding Hordak’s hand tightly, bellowed, “get, ready, set….GO!...” Darla flew forward at an incredible velocity, even quicker than previously, causing Miko to shriek like she had the last time, with Five comforting her. At the same time, Bow, Glimmer, Adora, and Catra were a little terrified but were able to get through it as they all hugged each other so that no one would be alone.

Without warning, the ship came to a stop near Bright Moon, hovering in the air. Since Entrapta didn’t see a safe place to land Darla, this seemed like the only safe option. Glimmer griped but knew what she had to do. She grabbed the arms of Adora, Catra, and Bow, readying themselves to wish the unexpected guests on Etheria goodbye. Miko stopped Glimmer in her tracks with a “wonderful idea”: taking a selfie with her newfound friends, so she could have something to remember them by. Bow, Glimmer, Catra, and Adora agreed, even though they had never taken a selfie. Five decided to join in too. All five of them squeezed together, cheery, and having a jolly time. After they were finished, Bow took out his tracker pad. It resembled what Miko and Five would call a tablet in their world. He set a timer, and all five of them moved to the other side of the craft, beamed, and the tracker pad snapped a picture. Before leaving, Bow checked the picture and satisfied with it, whispered to Glimmer, “ok, let’s go.” Glimmer, Bow, Adora, and Catra all said their goodbyes. Then, they disappeared into thin air, teleporting into the halls of the Bright Moon Castle.

Miko and Five were sad to see their new friends leave but knew they had to get back to Earth, since their families and lives were there. Darla expeditiously reached Dryl, touching down in the courtyard, on top of a pad that Entrapta had designed. She quickly motioned them to leave the ship, which she covered with a net that made it invisible so Darla wouldn’t be stolen. She snickered and turned to them, saying “pretty neat, huh?” Miko and Five nodded their heads. Hordak decided to come down to the laboratory with them this time. He firmly clasped Entrapta’s right hand. All four of them descended underground in an elevator, which Entrapta, of course, had installed. Ridley, still distracted by some former Horde technology, which she loved tinkering with, waved nonchalantly in their direction. She remarked, “oh, you all are back. That’s nice.” Miko approached her and asked, “Ridley, are you sure you don’t want to come with us?...back to Earth?” Ridley let out a loud belly-laugh. “Go back? Ha! I’d never go back to that wretched planet. I can start anew here without all that baggage. I can work with cool technology that no one on Earth would ever dream about.” She followed this, adding, “yeah and there's no cops who want to bust me here.” She then blushed a little, her cheeks becoming as red as ripe strawberries, followed by the words, “and…I have a boyfriend.” These words took Miko aback. She never expected Ridley, of all people, to be the romantic type. Puzzled, she decided to probe a little more with her questioning. “WHO!?” Ridley pointed to Wrong Hordak, standing nearby, and working on the same project as her. Sheepishly, she replied, “I call him WH for Wrong Hordak, a name some people gave him in the past, and he likes that.” She bellowed across the room, “Hey, WH, say hello to our guests, Miko and Five!” WH spun about, smiled, and gave them a thumbs-up. Neither Miko nor Five knew what to make of this gesture, so they nervously grinned back.

Somehow, during their brief time on Etheria, the portal remained open. Since it hadn’t acted as wildly as the one Catra had opened all that time ago, items from Etheria were not pulled inside. Entrapta shook their hands, as did Hordak, both wishing them well. WH and Ridley did the same. Prior to stepping through the portal and returning to Earth, Entrapta handed Miko a pen with her name engraved in the side. She bowed her head and said in a soft voice that it would be her present to them. Miko and Five, about to step inside the portal, gave their farewells. Miko spoke first. “Bye Entrapta, Hordak, WH, and Ridley…it was a pleasure meeting all of you, some for the first time and others…again.” Five followed this up by saying, “I hope to see you all sometime soon.” Both bowed and turned their backs, saying one line in unison: “Just in case I don’t see you, good morning, good evening, and good night!” As they entered the portal, Miko and Five were sent through the plains of spacetime at an alarming rate that it would have boggled their minds to stop and think about it. Before they knew it, the portal spit them out onto the asphalt pavement, right next to their van. Seconds later, Haneesh and Zahra came running toward them. Zahra sat down on the road's surface and came to Miko’s side, then spoke to both of them. “Hey, Miko…and Five, are you ok?”

Both nodded their heads, giving her the sign that they were fine. Zahra moved in and gave Miko a peck on the cheek as a friendly greeting. Remembering what she had seen that day, between the head kiss by Bow on Glimmer’s forehead, the intense kiss between Juliet and Casta, and description of Catra and Adora’s kiss, Entrapta and Hordak holding hands, she immediately thought that this kiss meant that Zahra loved her romantically. In fact, it was a custom for those in the Arab world, especially among Muslims like Zahra, to kiss friends and family on the cheek as a greeting. Whether Zahra had feelings for Miko remained to be seen, although she likely did. Miko scrambled up from the ground, still in a bit of pain, and somehow sprinted into the distance, her face becoming warmer and warmer, the more she thought about the interaction. Five shook his head, while Zahra had no idea what had riled up Miko so much, and neither did Haneesh. She explained to Five that a cheek kiss was a tradition to greet people. Five told her, “yeah I think she knows that, but that’s not what this is about.” He paused. “I’ll tell you about it later when we make a report to Hinobi about our…unusual experience today.” That satisfied Zahra and Haneesh, who got back in the van to chase down Miko, so they could all go back to headquarters together.

All four of them reached headquarters, with Five and Miko explaining their story to their boss, Phil, who thought that they had lost it, as anyone who heard their wild story would think. He told them to turn in their high-tech gloves and to go home for the rest of the day to clear their heads. Off in a huff, Miko and Five returned to their respective homes. Haneesh and Zahra hadn’t heard the story about their day yet, but they would soon enough. Miko, exhausted from the day’s ordeal, laid down on her bed, putting the pen Entrapta gave her on a bedside table. She instantly fell asleep. As she rested, the pen transformed into a small robot that looked like a grasshopper. It cut a hole in the window screen and began scaling the side of the house, and soon reached the slate roof. Once there, the robot changed form once more and began emitting a high-frequency radio wave beam. This energy wave was so powerful that not even the most advanced satellites orbiting the Earth could pick it up. The beam barely reached a dormant beacon, which sent the message speedily onward from beacon to beacon through space, until it reached the one orbiting Etheria, which transmitted the message to the planet’s surface. Working late at night, as usual, the middle-aged woman heard a loud beeping noise from one of her monitors. Yawning, and drinking some home-brewed tea, the screens illuminated her face, revealing her to be none other than Entrapta. She walked toward the screen and snickered. “Good…everything is going according to plan.”

*****

Notes: I used pages for “Mara’s Ship,” “Glimmer,” “Juliet,” “Castaspella,” and “Bow” on the She-Ra fandom site, the “Miko,” “Zahra,” “Haneesh,” and “High Five” pages on the Glitch Techs fandom site. As I wanted to incorporate archives into this story, I summarized Samantha Thompson’s post, “How do archivists organize collections” (https://peelarchivesblog.com/2015/08/26/how-do-archivists-organize-collections/) and incorporated it into this story. As Stephanie Greenhut wrote in NARA’s Education Updates blog (https://education.blogs.archives.gov/2013/04/08/intro-to-national-archives/), for NARA, “archival records are filed in whatever system each contributing agency thought was best for their day to day business.” For this post, I used information from NARA’s Federal Records Management page (https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/scheduling/id, https://www.archives.gov/records-mgmt/scheduling/inventory-elements), the starting guide for Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (https://aad.archives.gov/aad/help/getting-started-guide.html). For the final part of the story about the cheek kiss by Zahra on Miko’s cheek, I used Lindsey Shapka’s article “To Kiss Or Not To Kiss? Your Guide To Cheek Kissing Etiquette” in The Anthrotorian, the Cheek kissing Wikipedia page, Julia Jahanpour’s “8 Ways the Arab Cheek Kiss Can Get Awkward,” “Greet Like a Local: Deciphering the Complicated Culture of Greetings” on EasyExpat.com, and Roger Friedland and Janet Afary’s “The Politics of a Kiss: Islam and Intimate Life in Turkey” in HuffPost. The line “Just in case I don’t see you, good morning, good evening, and good night!” is very close to the one in one of my favorite films. Anyone want to guess which one?

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