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It was a tiring trek for the trio after they left Thaymore. They awoke at the crack of dawn and ate what little morsels they saved from the party. It wasn't enough to satisfy Adora's hunger but she knew better than to take food for granted. No matter how measly the portions were. Glimmer recovered enough to stand on her own but was still drained from all her warping around. Hence, why she got to ride on Horsey while Bow and Adora walked.

Adora had been through worse while undergoing Horde training. Besides, it was well worth it once their destination came into view. A long white bridge extended over a crystal clear body of water leading towards a golden palace surrounded by violet sea stacks and waterfalls. It was as beautiful as it was well fortified. On a colossal spire standing before the palace was a massive opalescent gem. It was so mesmerizing that Adora almost didn't hear Glimmer tell Bow to take Adora around the back way.

Adora did not like the back way.

"It may seem weird, but we totally come in this way all the time," Assured Bow, as his new friend clung from a rope several stories up in the air. This wasn't the first time she's been suspended hundreds of feet in the air but it was harder now that she had a muffin top. The consequences of her first feeding frenzy had finally caught up with her. Her abdomen had softened but it was easy enough to hide. It couldn't be ignored when it came to exerting herself like this. Bow helped pull her through the window and into a pink room with a pristine floor. Posters hung on the wall, most of them targets, and a set of floating platforms led to a bed suspended by wires. "Oh! Hey, here. Why don't you put this robe on?" Adora was about to get a word in but the robe Bow tossed hit and covered her face. "No reason."

"You're trying to hide me," Adora accused, unsurprised as she raised the robe.

"Whaaaaaat? Noooooooo." If Bow had been brought back to the Fright Zone, Adora was positive he wouldn't last a minute under interrogation. Even Kyle had a better poker face than him. It also didn't help that he proceeded to peek into the hallway every three seconds in case anyone happened to pass by.

"Okay, I get it. I'm guessing the people of Bright Moon are gonna be a little less welcoming of a Horde soldier than you led me to believe."

"Maybe a little."

"How little?" She asked skeptically

"Think pitchforks and torches."

Adora groaned and her stomach joined in. She already felt terrible for not noticing the atrocities the Horde committed sooner but now had to suffer the sting of hunger pangs. As much as she wanted to ask Bow about getting some food, he was in the middle of explaining how everyone here has been hurt by the Horde in some manner. It felt wrong to ask for a snack now so she grabbed a nearby stuffed animal and held it to her stomach. Hoping it would silence her rumbles.

Sensing her turmoil, Bow assured her, "Hey, it's not your fault. Once they get to know you, the people of Bright Moon are going to trust you just like Glimmer and I already- EAEAHHH!"

He shrieked as glitter sparkled and Glimmer appeared in front of them with a pastry in her mouth and another in her hand. "I'm here! I just had to stop by the kitchen. Okay, my mom's on her way, but no one panic."

"What?"

"I SAID NO ONE PANIC!" the princess shouted, lobbing a pastry at Adora. The former Horde soldier caught it but squeezed too hard causing the filling to drip down her fingers. She grimaced at the bloody substance dribbling but dared to give it a taste while Glimmer kept rambling. "Don't worry, she'll love you. All you have to do is use the sword to transform into She-Ra before she gets here."

"Wait, we're jumping straight to She-Ra with your mom?" questioned Bow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I don't think my mom is going to buy, “Hey mom, we found a Horde soldier. Can we keep her?"" Adora wasn't keen on being talked about like she was a pet Glimmer brought home nor was she confident in her newfound abilities. "My mom is gonna love She-Ra. We can ease her into the Horde stuff later."

"Uh, Glimmer, look. I don't know if I can just 'turn on' She-Ra," Adora pointed out, pausing to take another bite of the delicious pastry. "I've only done it when someone was in danger before, and it felt a little out-of-control last time. I'm still figuring out how all of this stuff works." There was also the issue of brandishing her phallic pole to her friend's mother. A ruling dignitary, no less.

"How hard can it be? Sword, magic words, poof!" Glimmer vanished and reappeared on the other side of the room. "She-Ra!" Adora finished her food and gazed at her reflection in the sword. She was far from convinced.... or full.

"Hey, you're gonna do great, okay?" Glimmer comforted. "Bow and I will go buy you some time. Just hang out here with the sword and think She-Ra thoughts. I believe in you!" On that note, the princess hugged Bow and teleported the two of them out of there before he could finish yelping.

Now that it was just her and the sword, Adora sighed and said, "Right. Okay, sword, it's just you and me now. So, uh...let's do this." She held up the sword just as she did the other day before the battle and thought of the phrase she uttered then. "For the honor of Gray- URRP!" Adora stumbled back and her sword got caught on the curtains. When she tried to pull it out, she stepped on a shirt lying on the ground and slid into the wall. A few vials overhead teetered and toppled over their perch. Adora just barely dove in time to catch the bottles but the sudden pressure on her stomach **** another belch out of her.

She groaned and rolled onto her back unsure of how she was going to pull this off. When she stood up, Adora spotted something in her peripheral vision. It was Horsey! All alone grazing in a nearby field. She wondered if she could sneak out to the field and practice there before Glimmer makes it back with her mom?