Identity Crisis

by thehonestjedi

Summary:

After discovering the Sword of Protection, Adora decides to stay with the Horde and keep her identity as She-Ra a secret. Now being forced to fight on both sides, she must choose whether to tell her friends the truth or watch everything unravel, including her relationship with Catra who is slowly catching on.

Or basically a self-indulgent secret identity x horde au with sprinkles of angst, drama and all that fun stuff.

Notes:

This is my first ever written fanfiction so I apologize for any major errors or inconsistencies in the pacing. I will probably come back and edit some chapters later if needed. Much like the star wars sequel trilogy, I'm mostly making this up as I go so just have fun with it :) edit: I just got back to fix some typos in the summary lol my bad

Chapter 1

She-Ra Princess of Power. No one knew where she came from nor how she miraculously managed to always show up in their time of need. She-Ra was the main reason the rebellion even stood a chance against the Horde in recent months.

Their attacks around Etheria were becoming more frequent and more organized than ever. It was only a matter of time before the rebellion slipped up and a kingdom under their protection became vulnerable to the Horde’s increasing power.

Glimmer was in the middle of taking down the last of the many bots on the edge of the Whispering Woods until she heard a loud thump behind her.

"Watch out!"

She instinctively teleported a few steps away to see She-Ra jump right on top of the machine and disable it in one swoop.

It's been months since Bow and Glimmer first met She-Ra after investigating a signal coming from ancient First Ones’ tech. It appeared the magical woman wielded a sword made of their technology and was able to read the language of First Ones.

At first, She-Ra seemed completely disoriented about the state of the planet and the war against the evil Horde. However, after witnessing the battle of Thaymor, she soon decided to join their fight and even helped them with recruiting the princess alliance.

"Hey Glimmer!" Shouted She-Ra as she jumped down onto the ground in front of her.

Glimmer quickly regained her focus. "You know I actually had that one this time?" She sighed, "I don't need you always rescuing me whenever you decide to show up."

"But what are friends for?" The woman replied with a smile. While She-Ra was considered a close friend of hers, and by extension Bow, they really didn't know much about her outside of… you know She-Ra.

That didn't really matter to Glimmer though. It's not like she knew every single detail about Bow's life. She never pushed him to talk about his past since he persistently avoided bringing it up. Glimmer could understand that and respected his privacy. Speaking of which, she suddenly noticed Bow running towards them.

"She-Ra!” He said, almost running out of breath, “Right on time. We have reports of Elberon being under attack. Glimmer, these bots were just a distraction"

"Calm down, we got this. What do we know so far?" Glimmer said while putting her hand on his arm. "More than 30 soldiers, and multiple tanks, all led by force captain Catra."

Both of them looked back at She-Ra but her expression was undecipherable. Glimmer always suspected there was something personal the woman had against Catra. Usually when they’ve encountered her, everything about She-Ra seemed to tense, like she's scared of something terrible happening.

"She-Ra, you there?" Bow suddenly asked.

"Oh me, yes? Sorry. Yes, we should go there right away and make sure to tell the other princesses." She quickly replied.

There wasn't much conversation after that. After a short break to prepare and contact their allies, Glimmer teleported the squad to the outskirts of Elberon and the battle would soon follow.

---

Once the fight was over and the villagers were safe, She-Ra was finally able to part ways with her friends. Along with Swift Wind, they went to their usual spot near the Crystal Castle in the heart of the Whispering Woods. He was one of her few friends who knew her true identity, including a mysterious older woman named Madame Razz.

As soon as they landed, she was able to de-transform and her sword shapeshifted back to the form of a bracelet she could hide under her shirt when needed.

Adora was exhausted. Being She-Ra for long periods of time was never a problem but having to stay composed when face to face with Catra was... different.

It's not like looking at Catra's pretty face was the problem. She loved- liked her face. Obviously. More importantly she missed her, which was even more ridiculous since she called her everyday when they were assigned different missions.

Shadow Weaver seemed insistent on separating them whenever she had the chance. Right now 'force captain Adora' is technically supposed to be at an outpost north of Salineas. Not that anyone ever really noticed when she was gone.

"You okay there Adora?" Swift Wind suddenly got her attention again.

"Hmm. I'm fine." He had a hard time believing that.

"Swifty, I need to get back to my outpost as soon as possible."

Great, now she was changing the topic of the conversion. Swift Wind only wanted what was best for her and today she’s been acting a lot more distant. Not to mention-

"Just drop me off near Salineas and I'll find my way. You should go check in on Razz."

"But Adora-" She shook her head.

"Please Swift Wind I need to go."

---

As the night faded away, Adora was nearing closer to her assigned outpost. At this point she had been awake for over 24 hours and the lack of rest was getting to her.

She was however, grateful to have been sent to the most remote and boring base possible. With Adora in charge, it was mostly just sparse reports on Horde defenses and the occasional rebel updates. Most of the other soldiers stationed there weren’t getting a whole lot of action unless in the case of an emergency.

Shortly after getting back, she received a call from Catra on one of their communication pads. Great. Just what she needed right now. She sat down on her bed and answered.

"Hey Adora." She heard Catra's voice through the small speaker. As tired as she was, she couldn't be mad at the sound of her voice.

"Catra. Aren't you kind of busy right now? I heard they sent you all the way to the rebel base of Elberon."

She hated having to lie, knowing that Elboron was a remote village that had no real defense against the Horde without the princesses, but she had to keep up appearances.

"Ughhh. I don't want to talk about it. The most annoying princesses just had to show up and make a mess of everything. Anyway, we're heading back to the Fright Zone now so I guess I'll see you there-"

"Wait, what? That's today?"

Adora suddenly realized she completely forgot about the change in shifts for the outpost defense groups. She looked out the nearest window and noticed the transport below her already loading supplies.

"Wow… they're really overworking you there huh?" Catra said with a tone of irony. Adora sighed. She couldn’t help but mentally slap herself for forgetting.

"I think the days of sitting here and doing nothing are really getting to me that's all." She tried to brush it off with a laugh.

"Well you won't have to worry about that much longer. I heard they're finally giving you another chance at the front lines soon.” Catra responded.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what Adora feared. She never really wanted to fight for the Horde. She never wanted to hurt people. Now it looked like she would have no other choice.

Chapter 2

Catra was not happy about many things. After failing to stop the rebellion at Elberon, she and the remaining uninjured soldiers had to wait for another transport vehicle to get back home. Of course She-Ra had to come and destroy most of their equipment. It would most likely take all day to get back to the Fright Zone now.

She might even miss the one chance to see Adora in person again before they stationed her off somewhere else. Which was the only thing she even could look forward to as of now. She could hardly believe it honestly.

Shadow Weaver would most likely degrade her in front of everyone and then blame her for their failure. How does Adora always get so lucky?

"Hey wildcat?" Scorpia. How could she forget that she was just a few steps behind her. "I know it's not great but look on the bright side! Aren't you excited to go home for a bit?"

"I suppose- but not like we're getting there anytime soon." Catra really didn't have the energy to chat right now.

"How about we play a game then?" Scorpia suggested “Just something to lighten the mood while we wait.” Catra just glanced in her direction. This would take a while.

---

Adora, along with the rest of the transport crew, got back to the Fright Zone sometime later in the afternoon. Catra wasn't back yet and she had at least a few more hours of spare time so she tried to make the most of it by going to bed early. Hopefully no one would bother her too much about going off schedule.

At least Shadow Weaver had not managed to find her yet and tell her more stupid lies about how princesses are evil and all. At this point she's met plenty of princesses and they were all incredibly kind and unique in their own ways.

Glimmer and Bow were some of her best friends, besides Catra of course, and she was grateful to have their trust whenever she needed their back. Queen Angella, while not technically still a princess, was nothing like the Horde said she would be like. She could be strict at times but she was also brave, caring and understanding. Adora spent just a few more minutes staring at the bottom of the bunk above her and getting lost in her thoughts before finally drifting into sleep.

---

It was nearing midnight when Catra finally made it back. She didn’t spend a lot of time unloading before heading straight towards the barracks. It was dark but that didn't impede her vision in any way.

She took a quick look around the room and smiled when she noticed Adora in their bed. Catra tried her best to be quiet since she didn’t want to scare her. There was just something so comforting about being next to her again.

Two months. It's been two months since they've been apart and now she's here. Adora was lying on her left side and Catra gently touched her shoulder.

"Hey silly." She whispered. Adora slowly blinked her eyes open.

"Hi Catra." She mumbled back.

Catra didn't expect her to respond. Adora was so cute when she was sleepy. It’s not because she liked her or anything. She was just an idiot sometimes. Instead of her usual spot, Catra snuggled right beside her and quickly fell asleep.

---

Something wasn't right. Adora woke up just a few hours later with Catra still laying right on top of her. She couldn’t help but smile looking at her smaller figure. Oh how much she missed these moments. She carefully got up so as not to move her too much and went to the nearest washroom.

She washed her hands as usual but then looked up to see her face in the mirror.

Her heart sank.

The left side of her face had visible signs of the claw marks from the battle at Elberon. The ones Catra gave her. The red lines sank deep enough into her skin that she could still feel the burning sensation when tried to touch them.

No, it couldn't be real. She-Ra's injuries usually healed whenever she de-transformed. This was never something she thought she would have to worry about.

Who else had noticed? It's not like the people around her would know what happened but someone would. Catra would.

That might’ve been what Swift Wind was trying to tell her before, when he kept asking if she was okay. Now she's stuck with no good explanation other than 'I was lying about everything and I'm also She-Ra actually' She really was such an idiot sometimes.

The more she looked at her face the more her thoughts started spiraling out of control. Catra would know. She would know her secret. She would know that she was fighting her best friend this whole time. If that’s what they still even were at this point.

Or did Catra already know? She went to bed last night cuddled next to her without even knowing she had any signs of injuries. Did she regret hurting her the same way it hurt Adora to lie for almost a half a year just to be able to stay together?

Adora went out of her way to never significantly physically hurt Catra when she was She-Ra. She just had to keep getting in the way whenever the rebellion needed her help to stop the Horde. Always one step ahead of them. Ever since Catra was promoted to force captain she's been exceptionally efficient and it was exactly what Adora was trying to prevent.

If only Catra would’ve listened when she suggested that they leave the Horde together. She brushed it off like it was some kind of joke the first time. But no, instead they both became force captains and now barely even saw each other because of it.

Was she jealous of Scorpia? Yeah maybe a little. Of all the people to pair Catra with together for some reason it wouldn't be her?

At least it gave Adora a valid excuse if anyone were to ask where she happened to be when She-Ra conveniently showed up. Her lack of effort lately was noticed and essentially had her demoted and assigned to the most remote and inconsequential outpost defense missions. Or maybe it was just Shadow Weaver's way of keeping her away from Catra.

She really couldn't complain. It was perfect. At the same time it wasn't though. The only tie she still had to the Horde was Catra and she could lose it so easily. No longer would Catra look at her the same way she looked at her and- but then something suddenly stopped her train of thought.

The sword.

It was trying to speak to her? Light Hope.

It was hard to explain but she was calling to her. She could sense it.

Now didn’t seem like a great time really but maybe this was a good thing? She just had to get out of here before anyone realized she's gone.

Getting out of the Fright Zone wasn't a problem. She's done it before, when she first found the sword. Before she learned how to change its shape in a way to conceal it, she would even hide it by stuffing it under one of the spare mattresses. It's incredible she's been able to keep her double life a secret for this long actually.

Before leaving, she left a small kiss on Catra's head. How was she going to fix this? Hopefully Light Hope had some answers.

Chapter 3

The sun was almost rising when Adora stepped outside of the Fright Zone. She already had a backup skiff that 'mysteriously' went missing from their base last month. Adora made sure to have multiple options when it came to sneaking out. After all, She-Ra had to be prepared to fight at any moment.

While approaching the Whispering Woods she felt the pull getting stronger. It was weird. She hasn't really felt that way since the first time she discovered Light Hope.

Adora jumped off and made sure to hide her vehicle. She then started nearing the crystal ruins on foot. It was hard not getting lost in these woods sometimes but over time she managed to memorize a pattern of directions to follow until she could spot the beacon.

Everything was going smoothly until she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps nearing her. Before she even had time to react, her body was hit with a blast of energy and everything turned dark.

---

"Don't move." Adora recognized that voice.

When she opened her eyes she noticed that her arms were tied. Glimmer was standing right in front of her, with both Bow and Netossa just a bit further behind. That would sure explain the magical rope wrapped neatly around her wrists.

They all stared at her while trying to maintain their guard.

"What are you guys doing here?" Adora asked without a second thought.

"We're the ones asking questions, Horde soldier," Glimmer said, while trying her best to put on her ‘mean voice’.

Oh right she's not She-Ra right now. They don't even know who Adora is. How lucky she was to not be perceived as a Horde soldier when they first met. She really should've changed her clothes so as to not make her position so obvious.

It would be so much easier to just tell them the truth but wouldn't they hate her? It's not like she really worked for the Horde. Or did she? She's been playing both sides really hasn't she?

Adora figured she'd have to get out of this without using She-Ra as a crutch. She's already been incredibly close to accidentally revealing her identity to her best friend. 

"Um sure?" She blurted.

Glimmer raised her brows. "Sure? What are you doing in the Whispering Woods? This place is under the protection of the rebellion" Adora obviously knew that already.

"It's- personal? Nothing to do with the Horde I promise! I don't want to cause you any problems" She nervously replied. Bow came closer and stood beside Glimmer.

"So you're defecting? Did they hurt you?" He asked, clearly taking note of the scars still visible on her face.

"No I'm not- I mean not exactly? Listen, if you let me go I make sure to never show my face here again deal?" She begged.

"No can do. You're not fooling us. You're clearly a high ranking Horde soldier and you need to be properly questioned" Glimmer continued, while glancing down at her force captain badge. "Just not right here. Come follow us'' There really was no way out.

---

Catra woke up feeling cold. Adora was no longer in bed. Not that she's surprised. Catra usually likes to sleep in anyway. Nothing could ever get her to stick to a schedule. She finally got up and walked her way towards the locker room until she ran into Scorpia. 

"Good morning Catra!" Well that's one way of putting it. Scorpia just loved being overly optimistic sometimes. It was kind of annoying but still endearing in a way.

"Hey, have you seen Adora?" She asked.

"Hmm don't think so. I'd recognize that hair poof anywhere. I don't think I've even seen her since we got here. She disappears a lot you know? This one time when-"

"Yeah I got it thanks" Catra suddenly interrupted. There's no point asking anyway. No one knows Adora better than Catra herself. What the hell was she doing?

---

Brightmoon. Adora's spent plenty of time here as She-Ra except now she just so happens to be a prisoner. She kept following Glimmer, trying to go fast enough in front of Netossa who was trailing close behind her.

She-Ra didn't have a lot of time to spend here with her friends since she's constantly been on the move. Luckily Bow and Glimmer were always very understanding when it came to her 'situation', not that they really knew exactly what that situation of hers would be, and never forced her to stay for too long.

That didn't mean she never felt bad for having to lie to them about who she was- or at least who she thought she was pretending to be? Hiding two different sides of yourself could get very confusing sometimes.

Before she knew it, Adora was left inside one of the spare rooms in the palace. Thankfully they didn't bother with any magical protection, which already gave her a few more options of escape. Though honestly, she was hoping they would just give up and let her go if she tried cooperating.

"Ahem" Glimmer tried getting her attention. "Stay here. We have guards stationed outside so don't think about trying anything funny."

Adora just stared back at her in silence and nodded. She was a little too overwhelmed with everything happening so fast.

"Okay... well... that's settled then?" Glimmer said, raising her voice just slightly, before having to leave the room.

---

Bow waited outside in the hall for Glimmer to come back. He was not expecting a simple scouting mission with Netossa to end up like this.

"So... How's it going?" He inquired as soon as she came out.

"I'm going to have to talk to my mom about this." She answered. ”She’s given us no real information since we got to Brightmoon... Bow, I have no idea what to do. It's not like we ever held a Horde soldier captive like this before."

"Maybe we could ask She-Ra for help?" Bow suggested. Along with being a great fighter, she had a surprising amount of knowledge on strategy and how the Horde seemingly operated.

"Well that might be a problem actually," Glimmer explained, "We haven’t heard from her in a while and it's not like we have a real means of contacting her besides her horse friend?"

Swift Wind was always inconsistently difficult to track down. Sometimes he would come over just to hang out around Brightmoon and other times he would disappear for a week. He did however, seem to have some kind of special bond with She-Ra that would allow him to communicate directly with her regardless of where she was.

They’ve already reached She-Ra through Swift Wind multiple times in the past but it wasn’t always effective. Bow didn't fully understand why She-Ra chose to be so elusive. He could maybe understand how she felt out of place most of the time since she likely came from a completely different world from theirs.

"I say we take it slow," Bow suggested. "I also think the soldier is hiding something but I don't believe she was lying when she said she's not trying to hurt us. We obviously took her by surprise though."

Who knew what those Horde soldiers had to go through? Maybe there was a way to resolve this without bringing the rest of Horde down on them as well.

Chapter 4

It was so quiet and Adora was getting more nervous as time passed. She had to get to Light Hope as soon as possible but her current situation was less than ideal. Glimmer left the room almost an hour ago. At some point though, Adora could barely notice the time and just decided on staying patient.

The doors then suddenly opened. Finally. It was Glimmer.

"Okay let's just get this over with... Who are you?" She asked, while coming closer to face Adora in the center of the room.

Should she lie? No, lying is what got her into this mess. A half-truth perhaps? Yeah that sounded a bit better.

"I'm... Adora" She stated. She looked back at Glimmer who seemed to be waiting for more. "I'm a force captain? I don't know what else I can tell you. I was in the woods visiting... a friend."

"And who would this Horde 'friend' of yours be?" Glimmer questioned.

"That's the thing. They're not from the Horde. I didn't want them finding out that I left." Adora tried her best to explain.

"You're a spy?"

Adora's reaction was quick. "No, not a spy. Just seeing a friend. Listen I know the Horde is well... not good but some of us don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice!" Glimmer shouted.

Adora would like to agree but she's been on the inside and knows it's not always so simple. Sure, for her it was but that's only because she saw the truth when she discovered the sword. Hordak is textbook definition evil but the people who grew up in the Horde couldn't truly see that. Not until they got out of their bubble at least.

She-Ra allowed her to escape all of that. Even escape her past, part of who she really was. Something about her magic made her unrecognizable to even those who had known her all throughout her life. What would it be like if 'Adora' joined the rebellion? She's not a princess but maybe she didn't have to be one.

---

Adora kept debating the various options she had. On one hand, she was a Horde soldier now captured by her rebellion friends who had no idea who she was. Not good. On the other hand, she now had more time to figure out a better cover story for the next time she saw Catra. She already missed her so much again but knew that her main focus still had to be taking down the Horde eventually.

What about Bow and Glimmer? Obviously, she wanted to help them but doing so as ‘Adora’ wasn't really an option right now if she was trying to stay consistent. It was unlikely that she would be accepted into the rebellion just like that and it would only be a matter of time before the Horde found out about it then. She didn't want that to happen, not yet at least.

Staying with the Horde was mostly still a way for her to be with Catra. However, though she hated to admit it, she did also gain a lot of valuable insight from working both sides. Was she really a spy just as Glimmer suggested? No, she quickly dismissed that thought.

---

"Catra."

Catra almost jumped. Shadow Weaver. Why'd she always have to scare her like that? She bet she did on purpose, just like how she was probably now smirking under that mask of hers.

"Where is Adora?" She really took no time at all to get to the point. The point being that she loved playing favorites. So annoying. Catra still tried her best to stay composed and show no signs of what she was thinking.

"Shadow Weaver. You know- I actually don't know right now? Have you asked anyone else?" Catra responded, while also wishing that she didn't sound so nervous when doing so.

"Hmm. Really? I find that quite interesting considering your friendship."

For Etheria, she really prayed she would shut up already. Shadow Weaver was probably going to find some way to blame her for this again wasn't she?

"I don't blame you Catra."

Well that was unexpected.

"I know Adora has been troublesome lately,” she explained,  “that's why I want you to find her."

"What do you mean 'find her?' How do you know she's not in the Fright Zone somewhere?" Catra asked.

"I never said that she wasn't."

Crap. Catra had a feeling Adora might be up to something similar to the last time they snuck out but she couldn't think of a reason for why yet. Of course Shadow Weaver already knew that and just wanted Catra to confirm that she’s not here.

"I think we both know Adora would be back by now if this was just some silly idea if hers to sneak out. You'll have 48 hours to search for her until you are sent to our next military target."

"But-" Catra was short for words, "what if we don't find her? It's not like I know anything."

"I trust you will not want to fail me. Besides, if you are unable to complete your task I will see to it myself." Catra really hated the way she delivered that. "Well then, I suggest you hurry now."

---

Scorpia loved hanging out with Catra. Ever since they were put together on a boat that one time nothing was ever the same again. Catra may be temperamental and snarky at times but Scorpia could still tell that she really cared - to some extent at least.

Besides that, Catra was so super smart. Like how she always comes up with those plans of hers? Even when they wouldn’t work out Scorpia was in awe of her leadership and valued the friendship that they had.

She was however, concerned recently, not because of them reuniting with Adora again, but because she'd never seen Catra as worried and on edge as she was right now.

Scorpia in fact, quite liked Adora. Sure she and Catra kind of kept to themselves most of the time but she could understand that. Other times though she hoped someone would look at her the same way that they would stare at each other.

Either way, now was not a great time. Adora's gone missing and now Catra is being questioned by Shadow Weaver. Funny, since it's not like she couldn’t have asked literally anyone else. Poor Catra.

She thought now might also be a good time to mention that she's definitely seen Adora sneak out to hide a spare skiff deep beneath the Fright Zone before.

She herself would sometimes spend her spare time in those abandoned places when she was feeling alone. This place used to be her family’s home after all, and even though most of it is gone now, she liked to imagine what her parents and grandparents would get up to there in the past.

Scorpia always assumed Adora's excursions were kind of similar to hers so she never bothered bringing it up. She also liked getting out for a while just to see something without needing to worry about what the Horde would say about it.

It was sooner than later when Catra finally came back from her little chat with Shadow Weaver and Scorpia would lose her previous train of thought. All she could focus on at the moment was Catra's vaguely distressed look.

"Catra, what'd she say?" Scorpia asked.

"We're going to find Adora and bring her back."

Chapter 5

Honestly, Catra would much usually prefer to do something like this alone, instead of having Scorpia tag along to help her find her best friend.

They were already nearing the treacherous Whispering Woods, where Scorpia suggested that they look. Apperently she noticed her leaving before and didn’t tell anyone? Catra would love to let herself be mad about it but just didn’t have the energy to anymore.

Catra was still rather unsure of what to make of all this. In the back of her mind she recalled Adora once suggesting that they abandon the Horde together, but she refused to believe that. Would she really leave by herself right now?

"Over there! Look." Scorpia said, finally spotting something of notice.

When they got closer, it was clear that this was the 'lost' skiff Scorpia mentioned. A piece of metal from the back was just barely sticking out from behind the vines.

"Split up and look around." Catra commanded.

Catra eyed the surrounding area for any signs of where Adora could have gone until she noticed one thing in particular.

A thin stick left in one of the nearby trees. An arrow to be precise. She pulled it out of the bark to get a closer look. Catra knew exactly who this belonged to. She-Ra's and Sparkle Princess' best friend ‘Arrow Boy’ was the only one around using these.

Based on this there were less than a few other conclusions as to what happened. Catra was beyond sick at this point.

"Scorpia. Over here!" She shouted.

"Oh look that's- oh... oh that's not good."

"Tell me about it. We're too late. The rebellion already got to her first."

---

After one more session of fruitless questioning, Glimmer seemed to have given up and left the room once more.

Adora doubted they would come to some sort of decision anytime soon considering she overheard one of her louder conversations with Bow in the hallway adjacent to her shortly after.

"I don't know what else we can try Bow, but I've been thinking about it, and I do have an idea of how we can try to reach She-Ra now." Glimmer proudly announced to her friend.

"That being?"

"Remember how Princess Prom is just in a couple days? There's no better time to regroup with She-Ra Princess of Power herself and convince Princess Frosta to join the rebellion."

"This is still about Adora, right?" Bow asked.

"We'll keep her for just long enough to talk this over with She-Ra and figure out the truth. It's perfect."

"I hope you're right. How do we even know if she'll show up?"

"Come on Bow, of course she will. If not, maybe we can still get help from the rest of the alliance when we meet them there."

Adora took great notice of everything that they said. She remembered Glimmer once mentioning the ball but didn’t think much of it at the time. That could also be the perfect moment for her to escape and maybe she’ll even get She-Ra to show up if she’s lucky. All she could do now was wait for the right moment.

---

"So... what now?" Scorpia asked.

Catra sighed. She tried her best to contain her emotions but this was worse than she ever could have expected.

"If they've captured her, they're likely already far away in one of their 'kingdoms' by now. I have no idea how'd we even get to them. We'd have to find some other way to lure them out and find out what they did to her."

"Yeah, besides that party in the Kingdom of Snows, it will be hard to find those rebel princesses in the wild y'know?"

"Party?"

"The Princess Ball that takes place every ten years? ‘Princess Prom?’ It says so on this year's invites."

Catra looked back at her in bewilderment.

"Oh, this is embarrassing. All princesses are invited so... I got one."

"You're.. a.. princess?"

"I know! Everyone is always surprised when I tell them." Scorpia tried laughing it off to ease the tension.

As if this day could not get any weirder, Scorpia kept sharing even more tidbits of information she was completely and utterly unaware of.

"So you're saying all of those princesses will be in one place at the same time?"

"Probably. Though I've never been to one myself. I don't really... fit in with the rest of them if you get what I mean. I’ve heard the food is great!"

Catra knew exactly what they had to do.

---

Light Hope was merely an artificial intelligence program with no capability of feeling… abandoned. Her emotions were limited to say the least. Restoring the Heart of Etheria is all that mattered now and Adora was not here despite her attempts to make a connection to the sword wielder.

Balance needed to be restored. If Light Hope was not a program she would consider She-Ra’s behavior rather careless. Training was essential if they were to succeed.

After various calculations she considered other options. Who else could she contact, who was also linked with She-Ra? Adora was taking much longer than needed to complete her task and despite being capable of waiting for millennia, ‘frustrating’ is the Etherian word that came to her mind.

Either way, Light Hope would still wait for as long as it took for She-Ra to complete her destiny. That was her purpose after all.

Chapter 6

Bow and Glimmer arrived right on time for this year’s Princess Prom. They were there to have fun, but more importantly they also had to find a way to connect with She-Ra.

Glimmer was only slightly irritated to find out that Bow was invited by Perfuma as her plus one but he still seemed very excited to hang out with her and that's all that mattered.

While they were introducing themselves to this year's host- Frosta, they were surprised to learn that force captain Scorpia and Catra were in attendance.

It was suspicious, but since the party was considered a neutral event, there was nothing to be done about it. There's no telling how She-Ra would react when she found out though. Based on their previous experiences, she would not be happy.

---

Adora could only assume that both of her friends would be on their way to the party by now, leaving her almost completely alone.

Now after having been 'questioned' and not considered a significant threat at Brightmoon, there was only one guard left stationed in front of the room. The guards would usually rotate and check inside every 4 hours or so, which gave her just enough time to be gone by the time the party was finished.

Adora was also working on contacting Swift Wind through their magical connection. She needed his help if she was to get to the party and the Crystal Castle on time. The room she was in only had one larger window but no ground in sight below it, which would make it impossible to escape without assistance.

She would much prefer to visit Light Hope first, considering that was one of the main reasons she left the Fright Zone in the first place, but getting Princess Frosta to join the Alliance was essential and there was no better chance to speak with her and the rest of her friends.

After a few more tries, she finally got Swift Wind's attention and was ready to get going.

---

"So we're not going to talk about it again?" Swift Wind asked, as they were heading towards the Kingdom of Snows.

"I know, letting myself be captured and then escaping just to put myself in another tight situation is irresponsible Adora behavior, but this is important, Swifty."

"Well getting you out was kind of exciting actually, though I was really referring to you know who-"

"Catra will be fine ," Adora replied, while motioning her hand "besides, now I can tell her I was captured by the rebellion if she asks what happened."

She really hoped that she wouldn't require more details because her 'story' still didn't explain why she left the Fright Zone alone in the first place. She truly needed more time to think this through.

---

She-Ra finally arrived at a time that would be considered quite fashionably late and the first problem she had to overcome was the dreaded 'no weapons’ rule.

Generally, She-Ra and the sword were one and she required the weapon to remain in her form. Fortunately, Adora had already found a way to stretch its effects to a greater distance at least for an hour or so. Don't try asking her how many hours she's tried practicing it just in case.

That did not mean she didn't still feel apprehensive about leaving the sword at the entrance, where it could easily get lost or stolen. She just had to be done in less than an hour as well as focus her mind on staying as 'She-Ra' and all would be fine . Though it was quite the draining experience, if she was being honest.

Shortly after entering the main ballroom, she spotted Glimmer and Bow, accompanied by Perfuma who all surprisingly looked ten times more excited to see her.

"She-Ra!" Glimmer exclaimed. "I just knew you'd make it. We need to talk."

"It's good to see you too. Have you spoken with Frosta already?" She asked.

"Yeah, well it was-"

"What is she doing here?" She-Ra suddenly interrupted, noticing Catra glance in her direction from behind the crowded room. She was wearing a dark red suit and unsurprisingly looked great in it too.

"Oh, we were about to mention that. She's Scorpia's plus one… I think? Don't worry we've been keeping a close eye on them.” She responded.

Both She-Ra and Glimmer then looked back in the direction Catra was in prior just to notice that she was no longer there.

"Nevermind. We might have a problem actually."

---

As soon as Catra noticed She-Ra and the rest of her gang arrive, it was time to set her plan in motion. She easily lost them in the crowds of guests on the dance floor.

Her goal right now was to get them distracted, while she tried to get information.

She eventually got close enough to them without being noticed. Her back was up against a cold pillar separating the rooms. Catra could now easily overhear the princesses' current conversation.

"I know you're worried about the Horde soldiers, but if you have a moment- we sort of have another situation of our own which might be… related?" Sparkles said, still looking back at She-Ra who was probably trying to spot Catra in the crowd again. How predictable.

"What situation?" She asked.

"We caught a Horde soldier a couple days ago in the Whispering Woods. We thought she was a spy at first but she hasn't really told us anything."

Catra was only somewhat satisfied that her suspicions were correct since she was now much more concerned for Adora’s safety than before. She briefly peeked from behind the pillar again to see She-Ra, who seemed almost completely unfazed at the information. Gods, it was so easy to hate her.

"Okay… that's new? What are you going to do?" She finally responded.

"We were kinda hoping you could help us with that? Bow suggested that we just let her go but what if that makes things worse?"

"I think it would be better to discuss this in private. Right now, it would be best to split up and keep track of Scorpia and Catra." She-Ra suggested, while trying to keep her voice down. "They might still be planning something so we need to be careful."

Catra quickly slipped away from her hiding spot and proceeded to move onto stage two. Just as planned, the princesses were now going to be much more vulnerable than they ever thought they could be.

---

"So I'm guessing we should both be on the lookout for Catra, right?" Perfuma asked, once she and Bow split up from the rest of their friends.

"Yes. She-Ra thinks that they might be up to something." Bow replied. "Glimmer is currently watching Scorpia if I'm not mistaken."

"That's okay! I just hoped all of us could still have fun together once this is over." Perfuma sighed.

"I don't want you to feel like you can't have fun tonight Perfuma. I'll handle this for now and we can all meet up again once the dance starts, deal?"

"Bow you're amazing!" She quickly hugged him. "Just please don’t do anything dangerous without us.”

Chapter 7

Adora was getting quite overwhelmed with all the crowds of partygoers but she tried her best to stay focused. She had to find Catra again and fast.

She was also still struggling with keeping her She-Ra form for this long, considering the distance between her and the sword. If she knew Catra, and she did, this was probably some elaborate plot to impress Shadow Weaver or Hordak.

It wasn't long until she caught sight of her once more. Catra was suspiciously alone again and walking towards one of the more empty hallways.

"Ughh. This Princess Prom is the worst!" Glimmer said, suddenly appearing from behind.

"Glimmer what's wrong? Aren't you watching Scorpia?"

"I was but she's not doing anything even remotely interesting. Don't worry about it." Glimmer replied. "I know we should focus on everything else going on but now I just feel like Bow has completely forgotten about me!"

"That's not true. We need to work together, Glimmer." She-Ra said.

"But he's alone with Perfuma! I wanted us to go together as friends, like we always do, and I- I just- I feel there's no one else I can vent to about this. I'm sorry. I know how important this is to you."

Adora could almost relate to how Glimmer was feeling. Seeing Catra spend so much time with Scorpia, let alone going as her plus one, definitely triggered some emotions she would much rather not feel.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of both of them if I can. You should go find Bow and talk to him. I'm sure it's not too serious. I know that he really cares about you too."

---

Bow continued to be on the lookout for Catra, until he finally noticed something suspicious. Scorpia was alone and seemingly looking around to check if no one else was watching. He tried his best to quickly hide behind a corner.

From his position, he could see Scorpia now carefully placing crystals? bombs? around the ice pillars. Where was Glimmer? He had to find her and let the others know immediately.

---

Glimmer was now heading in the direction that Bow and Perfuma went last time she saw them. On her way there she also noticed that Scorpia was already gone from where she'd last seen her. That could not be a good sign.

She suddenly accidentally ran into two guards blocking her way.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Glimmer said. "I could actually use your help. Have you seen my friend Bow anywhere?" He's wearing a white jacket and-"

Before she had time to realize what was happening, she was already hit unconscious from behind and dragged away.

---

After her brief conversation with Glimmer, Adora was now carefully following Catra from a distance. Catra however, kept making numerous unnecessary turns and going in circles.

She obviously knew she was being followed but why? Why would she not try harder to hide again? It’s like she wanted She-Ra to follow her.

Once they were in one of the emptier halls again, she picked up her pace only to accidentally slip on the floor and end up laying with her back against the surprisingly freezing floor. Oh, right- ice floors, nice.

Before she even managed to get up, Catra came out from above and jumped right on top of her. She crouched on her chest, almost letting her claws sink into her. Adora didn't bother trying to move.

"Catra. What do you want?" She-Ra asked.

Catra's face then came closer and her eyes made direct contact with hers. It almost felt like she was staring into her soul.

"What do I want?" Catra giggled. She looked back at her once more. "Where is she?" She asked, her tone shifting to a much more serious one.

"Who are you talking about?"

Catra was obviously looking for Adora. Looking for her . This just got a lot more complicated than it should have been.

"Don't act dumb Blondie. You know who I'm talking about." She scoffed. "All I want is for you to let her go and maybe I won't have to destroy your friends."

Oh, she was very much being serious right now.

"Where's Glimmer?"

Catra laughed again. "Only a fair exchange will get you that answer princess."

Adora hated this. Hated seeing her friends in danger because of her own stupid decisions. Catra was rightfully upset, she supposed, but there had to be a better way than- whatever this was?

"Listen closely, all I really want from this is Adora. If you don't want your friend to be my prisoner this time, I suggest you tell Arrow Boy to release her and we can make a deal."

There was no way Adora could let Glimmer stay captive in the Horde, unlike Brightmoon they had a ctual prison cells and who could tell what would happen to her there.

"Fine. I'm listening." She-Ra finally responded.

"Good." She handed her a piece of paper. "These coordinates. Don't be late."

---

Bow was in complete shock. He needed backup. How could they not see this coming? Of course the Horde has bad intentions but- 

He then ran into She-Ra who was heading in the opposite direction to him.

"Bow. I'm so sorry. Glimmer-"

"She's gone. They already got to her, haven't they?" Bow cried. "We should’ve done something sooner. I saw Scorpia planting bombs but that must’ve been another distraction of theirs."

Hearing the commotion, both Perfuma and Mermista came out from within the nearby crowd and tried to comfort him.

Perfuma turned towards She-Ra. "Why would they take one of our friends?" She was close to tears.

"Catra- she wanted someone in exchange. That Horde prisoner Glimmer was talking about earlier. It's them that they want." She-Ra replied.

"So you're just going to trade them out for Glimmer? How do you know it's not trap?" Mermista asked.

Mermista was right, it could be a trap , but if it was the only way to get back Glimmer, it might be their best option. Adora must mean a whole lot to them if this was their plan all along.

The worst part about this would be having to explain this to Angella. She would lose her mind when she finds out about what happened.

"I need to go. My sword it’s-" She-Ra began speaking again.

"We understand." Perfuma assured, before she could even finish her sentence.

“Catra also gave me this.” She-Ra said, passing a small piece of paper over to them. “Good luck. I’m sorry I can’t come with you but I'll be back as soon as I can.”

Notes:

note: Hello there dear readers! Sorry if these last two chapters are kind of messy. I haven't touched the original draft of them in like a week and I'm still not super happy with how they turned out but they do serve their plot purposes I guess? I hope the character pov changes are not too difficult to follow this time but feedback is always appreciated. Anyway enjoy the update <3

Chapter 8

Once Adora slipped back into her 'prison', or more accurately- the spare room in Brightmoon, she could barely keep her thoughts from spiraling out of control again.

After saying goodbye to Swift Wind, who was now getting quite used to sneaking around all the time, Adora tried to calm herself and prepare to act completely oblivious the next time someone from the alliance showed up.

Poor Glimmer. She could only imagine how worried Angela would be when she finally heard the news. Adora also couldn't help but feel responsible for everything. She-Ra failed. Adora failed. This could probably be avoided if she just didn’t allow herself to get stupidly ‘captured’ in the first place. Turns out Catra only wanted to get to her anyway.

As romantic- no... perhaps… caring…? as that might seem, her friend couldn't help but follow in the same cruel ways that the Horde always operated. Maybe it was just a Catra thing, but she's never seen her quite like this- even when fighting directly against her as She-Ra.

---

It felt like ages until someone showed up to check on Adora. The doors to the room carefully opened to reveal two guards with Bow standing behind them. His emotions couldn't be more clear. He looked miserable.

“I can talk to her myself.” He turned towards the guard closest to his right. “I’ll let you know any other details.”

The two guards left and shut the door behind them, leaving the two alone. Bow spared no time to explain the situation.

“...and that’s how we’ll set you free. Queen Angella is already on board so I don’t think we can make any changes.” Bow said, finally finishing his explanation involving Catra’s prisoner swap. “I’m so sorry for making you a part of this mess.” He sighed. “No offense, but you don’t really seem like the rest of the Horde soldiers.”

They both almost simultaneously looked away from each other for a moment, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm sorry about your friend." Adora finally chimed in.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Adora."

"Either way I don't agree with it- but I will cooperate if you want me too."

Bow made eye contact with her again.

"Maybe it's just because we've never fought directly before but you just kind of feel different? I don't know… are you really sure you want to go back?" Bow asked. Adora could tell from his voice that he was being sincere.

"It's complicated. My best friend is in the Horde. I know you might not understand but I… care about them… a lot and I- I made a promise."

“Catra?”

Adora avoided directly answering.

"If Catra's being honest," and honestly, she really hoped she was, "I think giving me up is the best option. I promise won't let her hurt you or Glimmer if I have anything to say about it."

---

It was noon on the next day when they arrived at Catra’s coordinates on the far edge of the Whispering Woods. Bow was accompanied by Perfuma and Mermista as emergency backup in case anything went wrong. Adora was of course also with them and her hands were once again tied together right before they left.

The alliance members finally spotted Catra standing in front of her transport at the given location but Glimmer was nowhere to be seen.

“Wow, you actually showed up.” Catra remarked, folding her arms.

"Where's Glimmer?" Bow asked, making sure to sound assertive.

"Let her go first, then we'll talk." Catra replied again almost with almost no regard to his question.

"Catra-" Adora tried to intervene.

"I've got this." Catra interrupted, "I'm afraid you have no other choice right now." She turned back towards Bow. "I won't be bargained with."

Bow and She-Ra’s other friends looked around at each other, perhaps hoping for some sort of decision or intervention to be made.

“Fine-” Bow finally responded.

“Wait, are we sure about this?” Mermista interjected.

Bow nodded, motioning for Perfuma to untie Adora.

Once Adora was 'free' again she very carefully ran up to Catra and before she knew it she was in her best friend's arms again. Catra hugged her then quickly moved back to hold Adora's face in her hands.

"You idiot, are you alright?" Catra asked, while still closely examining her face.

The concern in her voice sounded so genuine and that it almost made Adora feel even more guilty. Luckily, Catra didn't seem to notice the now mostly faded scars on her face. She most likely assumed she got them while captive, which wasn’t that much better really.

"I'm fine. I obviously didn't mean to get captured… I can explain but-"

Adora suddenly stopped talking after noticing that Glimmer was most definitely still not here. She looked back towards Bow who was still only a few meters away and most likely was sharing the same concern.

"Oh-" Catra let go of Adora for a moment to stand in front of her and block her view of the rebels. "Sorry, I'm afraid Sparkles was left on the wrong transport so we'll need to figure out a different date I suppose. How’s Monday sound?" She smirked.

They were all suddenly surrounded by noise coming from nearby trees. Of course this was a trap.

"You lied to us." Perfuma shouted but it was already too late.

"An honest mistake. I'm sure you can wait a little longer." She continued, making sure you could hear the irony in her voice.

Catra was never going to make a fair deal was she?

"Wait! Catra, you can't do this. They let me go, remember?" Adora grabbed her hand. "The least you can do is also release their friend."

"They kidnapped you in the first place! If I'm not mistaken they've also done a lot more damage than us anyway so let's say we're even okay? Let's go home."

No. This was all wrong and Adora foolishly fell into the same trap as her friends did. She barely even had time to comprehend what happened after that. Adora was practically dragged towards the transport with Catra barely giving her room to breathe given how close she was.

Bow and the other princesses were helpless against the swarm of bots that ambushed them as soon as they left the ground. They had no chance of catching up. It was over.

Chapter 9

Adora felt defeated and empty. She was back with Catra again but at what cost? Most of the journey back to the Fright Zone was filled with silence until one of them spoke up.

"Did you see the looks on their faces?" Catra tried breaking the silence. Nothing.

"Hey, you're safe now." Still nothing. "Look- I know I kind of looked like an asshole back there but it wasn't exactly my decision, alright?"

Adora finally looked back up at her friend sitting across from her.

"Ugh. I can't take you looking at me like that! Fine, I’ll explain. I guess Shadow Weaver needed Princess Glitter for some weird magic thing of hers and I was already on thin ice anyway with you disappearing… so I just had to... compromise?"

"I'm sorry. This is all my fault, Catra. You shouldn't have had to have gotten involved." Adora finally spoke. "You probably already figured that I left the Fright Zone on my own. I just really needed to get out again but then everything happened so fast and- I don’t know, maybe I was just being an idiot again?”

Adora somewhat believed in what she was saying too. In a way, this all started with her recklessness in the long game of keeping She-Ra’s identity a secret. She wasn’t really thinking about Catra’s side of the situation- at least not in respect to Shadow Weaver’s authority over them. She almost forgot how much her friend still needed her ever-so demanding approval.

"No one but me should be calling you an idiot, silly ." Adora surprisingly smiled back at her in relief. "Look, I don't want us to have to keep things secret like this anyway.” The word 'secret' almost made Adora flinch. Catra continued, “I was talking a bit with Scorpia earlier and I think I get it now."

"Get what?"

"The woods? You clearly really enjoy hanging out in creepy places crawling with dangerous princesses and I have to respect that." Catra answered, her voice still sounding completely neutral. Was she being serious? Adora couldn't help but giggle.

"You're making fun of me." The previous tension completely dissipated.

"Pfft. I would never ." She laughed. "Just remember who had to risk their life saving your butt from those rebels! I can write you a note in case you forget."

"Oh, really? What about all the other soldiers and bots you brought with you? Seemed like a lot of life-risking to me."

"Only some last minute backup. Besides, Scorpia did most of the heavy lifting anyway so I’ll make sure to add her to the ‘list of people who saved Adora’s ass’ if you’d really like. You know that you're surprisingly really easy to track down?"

Noted. Adora wished she could still fully enjoy this conversation but she now had to figure out her own plan for saving Glimmer this time. Catra didn't drop any hints of being suspicious of Adora’s ‘story’ so at the very least maybe there was nothing left to worry about on that front?

Perhaps being in the Horde again could help her? If she's learned anything, it's that she needs to be smarter this time. Adora would have to say goodbye to She-Ra for a while.

---

Being reunited with Adora finally meant that things could go back to normal again. Catra was still cautious and remained very close to her as they stepped off their transport and headed inside one of the buildings.

Adora looked like a mess and there was no hiding that she was also exhausted from whatever she's been through in the past couple days. Catra didn’t want to push too hard for answers, especially since her best friend seemed so closed off when they reunited. With the way Adora was acting, she didn’t even try bringing up the light scars on her face. Did the rebellion really think they would get away with this?

Despite her lingering anger towards them, Catra couldn't keep her eyes off Adora. Her eyes, her smile and even that stupid hair poof of hers which had already fallen apart, meant the world to her. The fear of losing her forever never felt so real before. Now they were together again and that's all that mattered.

As they now walked through one of the hallways towards the barracks, Catra glanced back at Adora’s face to see that she was once again deep in thought. The girl barely seemed to register what was happening around her. Despite their little chat earlier, it was difficult getting her to talk right now. Maybe all she needed was to sleep it out?

Catra wasn’t stupid and knew that her friend was still upset over the whole 'prisoner exchange' situation. If only she could just understand . Adora always felt the need to be overly righteous when the world just wasn't made for that. The princesses were a menace and deserved what was coming to them. They hurt Adora when she was defenseless and still acted like they were some kind of heroes.

"Adora, I’m so happy to see you're back!" Catra’s own thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Scorpia who barged in from behind a corner. She picked up Adora and squeezed her tight.

"Um... Hey, Scor-" Adora let out before running out of breath.

"Oh, sorry, I got a little carried away there!" Scorpia simply smiled and put her back down. "Man, you look awful- wait no offense! Just kind of different?"

"Thanks Scorpia, we’re working on it. We’ll see you later." Catra interrupted and grabbed Adora's hand, leading her away.

"No worries! Get some rest! Adora, remind me and Catra to tell you about that time we went to Princess Prom. It was insane-"

"Sure, that sounds interesting." Adora replied, before being further dragged away by her friend.

---

Glimmer awoke to find herself in a small dark room. She tried to recall the last thing she could remember about last night. Or was that even last night? She had no idea where she was or how much time had passed since the party.

She turned around to see a translucent green force field barrier though which she could only make out that she was in a cell of sorts. Horde prison. The sudden realization of that fact terrified her. Glimmer had been captured by the Horde.

How could she be so stupid? If only she'd pay closer attention to Scorpia at Princess Prom, then maybe none of this would have happened. She wouldn't risk underestimating them again.

Glimmer attempted to use her magic to teleport out but was only left disappointed. She was completely out of energy and worse- she felt magically drained in a way she's never really felt before. Almost as if someone ripped the magic straight from her.

"Hello?" She finally tried shouting. "Anyone there? Come out you Horde scum!"

That last part was admittedly unnecessary, considering she was a prisoner , but Glimmer felt particularly infuriated and hated being left alone in any circumstance.

"At least show me your faces you cowards! Ugh."

The two guards at the ball earlier had to be responsible for this. She didn’t even remember seeing their faces clearly since it all happened in the span of seconds.

Glimmer gave up and sat down against the wall perpendicular to the barrier for now. She needed to focus her energy on something more productive. For starters, how was she going to get out?

Notes:

note: If Catra seems a little more out of character in this fic (like generally being nicer to Scorpia) it's mostly because I assume being abandoned by Adora in canon really affected her in many ways and hence in this au she would act differently in some situations? idk

also note: The author really just loves Scorpia and wants the best for her.

Chapter 10

Not much more time passed until Adora and Catra were cornered again in the hall. This time, unfortunately, it was Shadow Weaver.

"Adora, how fortunate to see that you are back.” Adora flinched slightly as she came closer. “I won't bother you for long, you should get cleaned up." She said, clearly taking in her disheveled appearance.

"Yes, of course." Adora quickly responded.

Adora could also barely look her in the eyes- or mask? Just knowing that Glimmer was somewhere under her influence made her incredibly anxious. The woman finally turned her attention to Catra who was now clearly feeling irritated with her lack of attention towards her.

"Ah yes, Catra. I cannot say that I am disappointed. It appears you have been successful."

"Yeah well I did what I had to do for Adora. So… you're welcome."

Shadow Weaver did not seem satisfied with that response and only tilted her head in irritation. “We will speak later. I have work for you to do.” She turned around and let the girls leave on their own.

---

Adora woke up sometime next day with the last thing she could really remember being her brief encounter with Shadow Weaver. After everything that happened last night, she almost immediately fell asleep after going to bed.

Catra was nowhere to be found so she wasted no time in getting herself ready. She quickly showered and got dressed in her usual jacket and boots. The Horde facilities were far from great but they still felt like home in some way. Once she was done finally fastening her belt, she walked out into the locker room to be greeted by Catra.

"Well you look happy." Her friend teased.

"As happy as I can be, I suppose. We barely had time to talk earlier so-" Adora replied, "You mind filling me?"

"I spoke with Shadow Weaver again . You're lucky our next mission is delayed for now. At least we get to spend more time together."

"Awe, Catra. You missed me?"

"Pfft. Not like that I-" She looked towards Adora again to judge her reaction. "I just didn't want those princesses hurting you, stupid ."

"That's fine. I like you too, silly ."

Catra stepped closer and carefully grabbed her hands. "You're such an idiot."

"Oh, please, don't remind me-"

Catra carefully leaned closer to her face only to suddenly back away.

"Sorry.” She whispered, most likely getting flustered in embarrassment.

"That's also fine." Adora responded, still holding her friend's hand. She gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and walked away. "See you later, okay?" Catra was left all alone still blushing.

---

Glimmer hated not being able to visually track the change in time. It seemed the Horde was not bothered with integrating windows into the Fright Zone architecture which only made the place more evil in her mind. The only way she could tell a day had passed was based on the sparse meals being brought to her.

She kept thinking about what her mom would say. If Glimmer ever got out of this, there’s no way she wouldn't be grounded for all eternity. That wasn’t her actual concern though. She really just missed her friends and family who were probably just as or even more worried about her safety.

Glimmer finally got up and was ready to attempt trying her magic again but was suddenly startled to see a familiar face looking at her from behind the force field.

"It's you.” She immediately recognized the Horde soldier from before. Adora. Her name was Adora. “How did you get here? Did you do this?" She needed answers.

"Shhh. I'm not supposed to be here! It's a long story but I'll try to get you out. I promise."

"And I'm supposed to trust you after- after all of this?"

“It doesn't really matter now? All I know is that your friend Bow and the other princesses are probably planning something already so when the time is right I'll be here. I don't think getting you out now would work considering you're out of magic and I have no clearance."

"You noticed.” Glimmer sighed. “Why do you want to help me? We literally just captured you before."

"Let's just say it's the right thing to do." Glimmer could only stare back at her in silence. Something about her was so different than she expected. "I also kinda feel guilty about you getting taken in my place.” Adora continued, “My friend was pretty upset when you kidnapped me."

"Catra? Are you like-"

"Not important! I'll be back later. Oh- and don’t trust Shadow Weaver!" She then swiftly disappeared back in the hall she came from.

---

Adora was lucky enough to have gone undetected when she first managed to slip into the detention center but she was even more surprised to have found Glimmer so soon. Their conversation was very brief and she still wasn’t sure on how getting her friend out would work without the part where she completely exposes herself as a rebel.

The last thing she wanted was for Catra to get suspicious of her again. She had barely processed what had just happened before in the locker room but her feelings for Catra were undeniable at this point.

There were rarely any people on guard in the area since escaping alone was practically impossible with those force fields. Still, she had to be careful on her way back.

"Um Adora?" She froze at the sound of another voice behind her.

"Kyle!” She turned around to see her old training friend was standing across from her holding a metal tray. “What are you doing here?" Despite being taken by surprise, she tried her best to shift to her ‘commander' voice.

"What? I'm delivering food to the prisoner? Wait. Am I here at the wrong time again? Oh, no! Honestly, I didn't know you were on shift here. I didn't even notice you were back actually. Catra said-"

"Oh, no, you're good. You're good. I'm just making sure everything here's alright. Y'know force captain inspections and all."

It would be a miracle if he actually believed that. What was she thinking? At least Kyle seemed a lot more on edge than she herself was. Being in charge had its perks... sometimes.

"Oh, thank goodness! Sorry if I just freaked out a little. Apparently I was late last time and I would hate to get in trouble again"

"Yeah don't tell anyone but I'm also off schedule so let's just keep this between us until I report it, okay?"

Kyle sighed in relief and gave her a thumbs up. Well that was easy enough. Now was time to set a real plan in motion.

Notes:

Unsurprisingly I've been pretty busy with school lately but I am super grateful to have already reached over 1000 hits on this work. Thank you so much if you've read this far or are still checking in! I am in no way an experienced writer but it's heartwarming to see people taking a moment out of their day to read my silly story. Anyway enjoy this small chapter update? (and sorry I keep leaving it on cliffhangers) <3