Adora's left.

by MoonGrey

Summary:

Adora through herself into the portal without thinking, with one glance of goodbye to Queen Angella.

All the princesses mourn the loss of She-ra.

Catra realizes too late what she has caused and uses all is left in her to make up for all her mistakes. She discovers the truth about her past and now it is up to her to change her legacy.

She collides with Glimmer but... maybe, and just maybe, it will be her salvation.

OR

What if Adora takes the place of Angella in the portal and disappears? AND what if Catra then goes to the Rebellion?

 

This is my own translation about my fic "Adora no está".

Notes:

So... Hi!

Some time ago one User up load a rough translation of my fic "Adora no está". I think it was made with google translate or deepL. And I think, actually it was an accident I even saw it. I guess that user wanna have the translation in epub or pdf.

So here's my work.

I know its not perfect or anything, but I think is a little better than a google translate. Specially with all the pronouns thing. In Spanish we don't need to write every pronoun and gets messy when the translator try to put the correct ones, been the default setup "he". Which is terrible when I am talking about female characters. We don't even mention about Double Trouble.

I hope this would be a better reader's experience.

About the fic itself, it gets worse and darker. I'll put TW on every chapter.

Chapter 1: I love you... Be happy.

The portal had been opened.

Everything was lost.

And there she was. Consumed and saved at the same time by her anger, her spite, her hatred and her pain. The last person Adora would have expected to see again. Not even Glimmer, with all her stubbornness, could compare to Catra's foolishness.

A Catra who now reflected her pain in her appearance. She was just a dark specter of who she used to be. Every word said with complete confidence, every phrase made to harm her in a forceful way. Because she knew her better than anyone.

"You broke the world… you broke me… if you hadn’t left, this would never happen. If you hadn't come back for that stupid sword, no one would have been able to open the portal... this is all your fault!”

"If you had stayed with me, none of this would be happening!".

Even though every word was true, even though every sentence was a direct hit to her worst fears and insecurities, Adora couldn't let Catra drag her into her game. Not today, there was no more time. The whole world was collapsing around them.

Catra watched and delighted in Adora's pain. Enjoying every real and figurative blow. Feeling a bitter and unhealthy pleasure every time she had the opportunity to unload a little of her own pain on the person who represented everything to her. The one who abandoned her as if she were worthless, as if all their years together didn't matter, just because she suddenly discovered that the world was not as she thought, just because some others also suffered.

The pang of uncertainty in Adora's chest had only grown since she started feeling like things weren't right. An unhealthy bubble of anxiety and alarm began to grow as things didn’t match her memories. At first she had let herself be carried away because she had everything she remembered ever wanting. Her friends were with her. Catra was with her. But the events did not enterely match. Now the bubble of alarm was true despair, after seeing Scorpia disappear, all of Bright Moon, Entrapta, who as always, had the answer they were looking for. Bow and Glimmer, the best friends anyone could have in the world, looking at her in peace and full of faith.

And now literally the entire world was collapsing around her to discover that the culprit of everything was -alive-, claiming, making the pain and hopelessness grow in her heart. Yes, she had left Catra behind that day she went for the sword, all the "what if…" were always present. But there was no more time. Adora had fought against her companions, she left them behind. But she had also suffered. She couldn't sleep, she would wake up whimpering, gasping, looking and her heart always broke a little more every time there was nothing at her feet on the bed. She was alone and cold.  She desperately missed knowing what was expected of her, having the security of the path outlined and that uncertainty will not reign every day.

And now she couldn't take any more. 

Catra had crossed all limits. She hadn't forced her to do anything after leaving. The scars on her back burned like stunt bars. As if she had it easy in the Horde. Shadow Weaver demanded much more of her than anyone else, and Adora managed to match Rogelio in strength, Catra in speed, and surpass everyone in combat. Her memory was exceptional and she could list the Horde's strategy and war texts perfectly. Only after much trial and error was her mind the fastest at solving problems under stress, under intense pain, and under the Horde's best judgment. Catra's insolence not only resulted in punishment for the cadet, but for herself for not knowing how to control her. And she firmly believed that it was her obligation and never blamed her friend.

But there was no longer any place for that. They were no longer cadets. They were soldiers. But they didn't follow orders. Adora had been raised to command and govern, to have judgment, and Catra was so intelligent on her own that she was now Second in Command of the entire Horde. It was time to accept the truth: Adora couldn't keep justifying Catra. It was time to make decisions, no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much she wished the circumstances were different.

Adora didn't break the world. But she could repair it and so... yet, she knew that in the end, saving the world was nothing more than saving Catra. In the end, it was always about her. So if the feline couldn't see it or wouldn't want to understand it, it doesn't matter, Adora would be in charge of giving her a new chance. The one she wished for both of them. She wouldn't let Catra fall, she knew how much she had suffered, now better than ever. So she will save everyone.

The last punch that finally put the Dark Catra to sleep almost split the skin on her knuckles. The world fragmented at her feet and one last time she tried to reach Catra's body. 

There was nothing more to hide, she knew that Catra was hers as much as Adora was Catra's. She was sorry for not seeing it sooner and letting things get so complicated.

She couldn't reach it, and with the determination she didn't really feel, she threw herself into the void, finally seeing the sword creating the vortex where everything was converging and collapsing. Little by little she began to make her way among the rocks that gravitated to the sword like asteroids, jumping and hurting her hands a little more.

In the distance, Queen Angella was watching her, and even when she couldn't see the sword beyond, she knew that Adora was trying to reach it. Whether it was because only She-ra could stop this disaster or any other reason, Angella would help her get to the weapon. If only the wind and rocks didn't impede her way.

Adora ran and ran, jumped and climbed. She let her body content itself with the physical activity and allowed her heart to rejoice in the memories of her and Catra running together in the forge. There was nothing more to do now. Just a few more rocks and she would reach the sword.

"Adora! ADORA!"

Angella was so close, but Adora didn't hear her. Adora continued relentlessly. Getting closer and closer to the sword as she gets carried away by the vortex itself.

Just when the queen was within reach and Adora tilted to a new scream, she ran out of time. Adora smiled resignedly at her in farewell. Angella tried with all her might to reach her, but she couldn't. Adora took the sword and disappeared into She-ra. But a different She-ra, with the same but much longer ponytail. The details on her clothing also changed but the only thing Angella could see was that she now wore full pants and the cape was gone. 

She-ra wielded the sword once more, threw it as hard as she could, and everything imploded.

Chapter 2: Crumble

Summary:

Angella discovers what happened to Adora.

Glimmer is full of guilty.

Notes:

Hey, everyone!

here's the second chapter.

I think I'm mixing American and British English, but I'm not sure where. I'm very sorry about that.

The chapters will become longer and longer don't worry for that.

Enjoy!

The queen was floating back near the Moon Stone, she didn't understand anything. Everything seemed to be normal again. The sword was nowhere near there, when she had clearly seen it flying towards her. The General was running towards her. She vaguely remembered that the last place she had seen Juliet was in the room where they were holding Shadow Weaver and had tried to follow the Queen when she fled following Glimmer and the others. Angella must have to trust that Glimmer would return soon.

Everyone in Hordak's sanctum rose from the ground in confusion. Bow and Glimmer were hugging each other, they looked around and jumped happily. Catra held her face, half remembering her fight with Adora.

As they were recovering, a warm, blinding white flash filled the room. It was a specter of She-ra, but it was a different She-ra. It looked bigger, the shape of the tiara wasn't the same and the hair did not float like a second cape, but instead looked long and tied up like a ponytail. A much brighter She-ra, as if Adora won't finish the transition. The glowing spectrum looked at everyone, one by one, for a split second but not at Catra. They could tell it only by the movement of the figure, since there were not even shadows that could give it more familiarity. A feeling like ice settled in Glimmer's gut. Why didn't She-ra finish materializing? After the quick glance, the She-ra of light raised her sword, thinner and more stylized one, she took a step forward and made a lunge, which finally broke the portal machine, but the beam of light from the sword was so powerful that the entire structure began to collapse. Just then the other princesses arrived; Frosta, Perfuma and Mermista, ready to fight and stunned by the scene and the sudden collapse of the Sanctum. Catra looked around worriedly but returned her gaze to the specter after it broke the portal machine. Her eyes, more adaptable to changes in light, perceived shadows that others could not. This She-ra had Adora's same features, taken to the next level of beauty, and while everything was falling apart, their eyes finally met. The bright lips moved but Catra wasn't able to hear anything. Her stomach clenched. Something was very wrong. A large piece of debris fell next to her and she didn’t care, in the end the lips of light pursed in a beatific smile, She-ra raised her sword once again and a much more powerful flash filled the room. When the glow ended, only the Sword of Protection was on the floor. Glimmer had teary eyes. 

No, it couldn't be.

Glimmer’s eyes met Catra's, who was already trying to escape with Hordak now that everything was falling apart faster. And for the first time in her life, since Catra saw a real princess and not the exaggerated animations of the Horde, she was terrified of a princess. A cold weight stuck in the pit of her stomach.

"We have to go now" Shadow Weaver called them all and they looked at each other confused for a moment.

“Where is…?"

"We have to go now, Perfuma… " Bow ran for the abandoned sword and Glimmer held out her hand to the sorceress. And they all disappeared in a vortex of dark magic and purple flashes.

Bow couldn't stop crying and had a cold, determined expression on his face as he held the sword tightly. Glimmer didn't stop crying either but she couldn't stop pouting, trying not to break into a more heartbreaking cry. The queen saw the explosion of magic from the throne window and once again flew towards the base of the Moon Stone. Perfuma didn't understand what was happening but a horrible suspicion was settling in her chest and she began to cry quietly as well. Frosta and Mermista had started to celebrate but upon seeing everyone's expressions they fell silent and looked for answers. Angella arrived, hugging Glimmer before even landing. Tears of relief ran down her cheeks and quickly turned into something more sad when she saw her daughter holding back her own tears.

"Glimmer, you're okay! Everyone is… No, no…" She looked at everyone present. Bow was looking down with the sword pointed at the ground. Perfuma becomes more and more dismayed, Frosta echoes the tears but does not understand anything, and Mermista becomes more and more stoic, reserved, beginning to understand. 

"Where is Adora?" They were the words that no one dared to say. 

And Glimmer finally broke and Bow fell to his knees, slamming his fist into the ground.

"Mom, Adora did it, Adora saves us!"

"Adora saved us…" The queen hugged her daughter. The three princesses hugged each other and began to cry more. "Adora…"

“All of this is your fault!" The queen attacked the sorceress and a beam of light sent her flying, she barely had time to make a shield.

"Adora did what she had to do" Shadow Weaver said with a cold and broken voice.

"Adora didn't have to do it!" The queen cried for the Hordian trash who had become a second daughter. Adora could be a fierce and relentless element in battle, and then be like a child discovering the world in wonder.

"She was like a daughter to me. She did what she had to do to fulfill her mission!"

“A daughter? HOW DARE YOU? You raised her only to follow orders, you tortured her her entire life and you lied to her about the world. I know everything you put her through. To all those children…" The queen spread her wings and everyone stepped back. Glimmer had never seen her mother like that and she was afraid of her, but she knew it wasn't against her. "General, take her back to her prison."

"You can't keep me there forever, Angella" said in cold voice. 

"The Council will decide your fate. Now disappear from my sight" Her gaze softened and she returned to Glimmer, who was hiding in her chest and still crying.

"It was my fault, I took her, I let Shadow Weaver convince me" she said with a broken whisper.

"It's not your fault… I want you to tell me everything, but first recharge, please".

Everyone nodded, and continued crying. Bow was the worst. He didn't say anything, he didn't shout. The tears just kept running down his cheeks without end. His gaze hardens. And his black eyes no longer had any of the warmth that you could always find in them.

"We didn't believe Adora either... But Entrapta had already deciphered what was happening in her readings. We found her in Dryl, she told us that the sword was the source of the portal's power, if we removed it from the portal, everything would return to normal. But she warned us that whoever took it out would be locked inside the portal, between dimensions", Glimmer said once they were all in her room. She was wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the cushions like the others. Her tears had disappeared for a moment, but her eyes were red and swollen and her voice was raspy.

Perfuma continued crying in soft spasms, she felt worse than when they thought Entrapta had died. Mermista had regained her composure but looked extremely sad. And Frosta sobbed silently.

"Adora fought so we could come back and have a chance" A new look full of pain and determination shone on the queen. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain" murmours to the wind. 

When everyone had finished speaking, they retired and left the queen and her daughter alone. Bow left with Perfuma, since she called him. She realized how affected the archer was, she didn't want him to waste away.

“Mom… I made Shadow Weaver take us there… it's my fault.”

“Glimmer, I didn't hear you. I didn't want to pay attention... if I had listened to you, maybe we could have reacted sooner... It's not your fault. It's no one's fault... just Hordak and his lust for power. We have to stop it. My daughter, you've been right all along. I've thought I've been doing the right thing. Retreating. But it is time for that to end. We cannot continue losing our loved ones. We will take the offensive and then Hordak can truly fear the Alliance. It's time to be the queen who should be at your father's side” She said the last thing in a whisper.

Glimmer couldn't believe what was happening. For the first time since the last Princess Alliance, they would go on the offensive.

The next day all of Bright Moon paid tribute to Adora, Princess of Power and defender of Etheria. The soldiers and guards of the castle stoically let their tears fall. Perfuma held up a statue of Adora, smiling and waving. No one mourned She-ra in the castle. Everyone wanted Adora back, and their hearts burned with a desire for justice. Although some were more impetuous, they cried out for blood and revenge.

In each kingdom they mourned She-ra and kept silent about her fate, so as not to alert the Horde, who seemed to be recovering from the last attack, as they had remained very still.

More princesses joined the Alliance, answering the call of the Bright Moon Queen. Spinerella and Netossa could not believe that they had not been ready to support in the moment of greatest need when they had always believed in the Alliance. They responded by bringing troops from their kingdoms to support the defense and future offensive in the Whispering Woods.

Mystacor, who remained on the sidelines, stood up silently at the command of the Great Sorceress Castaspella. Wizards and sorcerers were too valuable assets at the front. The forces were divided so that Mystacor could remain a safe beacon, and enough to have magical healers and combat forces at the front.

The next mission that the Queen entrusted was to recover the First One’s ship lost in the crimson desert. When Huntara found out, she did not shed a single tear, but her face was darkened with storm clouds that promised blood and violence. She promised that the entire Crimson Wasted would support the Alliance and provide all the intelligence they were capable of, once she regained control of her home. And despite everything, the queen managed to get Huntara to promise mercy for any deserters that might exist, just as Huntara herself had seen the truth, just as Adora had had her second chance.

Notes:

Next chapter would be up on Monday!

Thanks for the hits and kudos!! uwu

Chapter 3: Lies

Summary:

Catra is finally aware of what she done.

Notes:

Hey, readers!

Here's the new chapter.

TW. Mentions of blood and injuries.

Glimmer, Bow, Perfuma and Huntara headed towards the Crimson Wasted with gloomy faces and few laughs.

Only a week had passed and the Horde remained silent, just maintaining their territories and the usual patrols. Perfuma used the force of her pain to raise a wall of powerful, thick spiked roots all around Plumeria, since her kingdom was the next in territory after Brightmoon that depended on the defenses offered by the Whispering Woods. Now they looked darker and rumors had begun to circulate of hidden beasts lurking, of presences that never appeared even if you turned your head repeatedly over the shoulder.

She had also helped a lot to Bow, who had regained the warmth in his eyes after a whole cycle of guided meditations. His pain was caused by letting everything fall on his friend's shoulders again.

No one had seen Swift Wind since that day and Perfuma had orders that anyone who saw him attacking the apple trees should stop him and talk to him. But it just seemed to have vanished. Just like Adora.

When they arrived at the place where the ship must have been, they discovered that it was no longer there. Huntara skillfully guided them through the desert until they found a Horde outpost. They started fighting as soon as they saw them. The Horde soldiers retreated before the new ferocity of the princesses. Huntara normally attacked to incapacitate but now she wasn't holding back in breaking bone and armor alike.

Perfuma had discovered the root system of cacti, which for her were as strong as the bonds of friendship that united them all, and she captured dozens of soldiers at a time. And she alone was managing to gain the upper hand in the fight to recover the ship. Until Catra showed up.

With her claws she began to cut Perfuma's roots without much effort. As soon as Bow saw it, his gaze hardened and he warned Glimmer, who with a battle cry launched herself against the feline, who was surprised by the ferocity with which Glimmer was attacking.

"We are angry today, aren't we, Sparkles?”

"Shut up, Horde Scum! Don't you dare say anything! Or they will be the last words that come out of your disgusting mouth!" Catra laughed with true humor.

"Did the sweet little princess, who wants blood today, wake up on the wrong side of the bed?"

Catra was really enjoying the fight. For once Glimmer was representing her a challenge. But she couldn't wait for her true rival. “Bring me a real challenge, I'm tired of plays! Where is your beloved She-ra?”

Glimmer's eyes first widened in surprise, her gaze soon went through the shock of pain and finally acquired a sarcastic and cruel determination, along with a crooked and sad smile. Bow was supporting her with his arrows against Catra, and when he heard the exchange, he couldn't help but start crying again, as he hadn't stopped doing. But Bow did not hide his tears, he carried them with dignity and his pain did not make him merciless, but much more accurate and cold. Catra was confused by the rebels' reaction.

And she had to jump quickly when Huntara attacked her from the flank. The former Horde soldier remembered her quite well. The one who had kidnapped Adora to begin with, the one who had rebelled against the desert gangs. Several soldiers came to help their commander, and were overwhelmed by the warrior woman's muscles and her battle staff. Catra saw blood coming from a helmet crushed by Huntara's fist.

Everything was happening very fast. Perfuma took advantage of Catra's slight distraction to once again strengthen her roots and lift the ship, with all the strength she was capable of.

"Don't you dare say her name!" Bow shouted.

"Don't you dare mention the little girl! " Huntara roared.

Now Catra was more confused and masked it with a grimace of furious defiance.

"I know the last time wasn't the best, but it's not that bad, little princesses!”

“Don't you understand?” Glimmer laughed bitterly. “You killed her,” she said with the cold blood that internal emptiness gives. What did it matter? In her twisted, unhealthy way, Glimmer knew that the feline had feelings for Adora, and that it was a place that neither she nor Bow could ever reach, but over the months it had seemed like they could at least alleviate it and help Adora focus in other things. At best, they would manage to destabilize the Horde Commander now with the new. 

An expressionless mask fell over Catra's face. She didn't say anything else. With a few kicks and jumps, she evaded everyone and was lost among the soldiers who were fleeing in fear of the roots that were releasing rubble throughout the canyon. In one of the nearby quasi-caves, a device fell to the floor.

The real Catra put one hand to her mouth and hugged herself with the other. Before she finished holding back her first sob, she was already kneeling on the floor. It couldn't be true. It had to be a lie. That stupid princess had always hated her, she was jealous of her, because she could never usurp her place in Adora's heart. It had to be a lie.

But that would explain the intelligence they had been receiving from the patrols. Troop movement, ceremonies, statues of She-ra and Adora throughout Rebel territory. She had thought they were due only because she had saved them. That would explain the cold attitude of the rebel soldiers. Arrow boy's tears.

Lies.

All a lie.

Lies.

To screw her.

Lies.

Because they knew that the portal would have been their end. They were desperate.

Lies.

Glimmer looked anything but desperate.

Lies.  

She would force her to talk. Catra would go and get Adora out of her bright, soft hiding place.

Lies.  

Scorpia watched everything in astonishment. Murmuring that everything was wrong, that it was a disaster.

Lies.  

She-ra's light spectrum. Her memory. The last she had seen of her. What did she say? There it was again. "I love you… Be happy." Now her own mind was lying to Catra.

Lies.  

How could she be happy if her only reason no longer existed?

All, lies.

The device continued to give an image on the ground. Out of frame, but she could see how the princesses celebrated their victory over the Horde. How dare they lie to her and then celebrate? Was that the famous integrity of the Rebellion?

Lies!

"No, Catra, wait…!"

But Scorpia could never stop a scared and injured cat.

LIE!

She saw DT running towards her but didn't even really look at them. She continued running until she reached the main canyon. Her crying, angry face was the first thing Glimmer saw,  as she fell heavily to the ground with the feline on top of her. Her shoulders and forearms burned from the scratches that Catra had left when she attacked her. Glimmer’s confused grimace turned into a bitter smile of satisfaction when she saw the pain in the Commander.

“You're lying, damn it. It's a lie, Glimmer!” Glimmer wasn't even sure Catra knew her name “Where is Adora?” and pointed her claws at Glimmer's face, as they grew before her sight. But the Princess Commander was undaunted.

Thick pointed scabbards, the sound of the bow being drawn and the sound of the staff being deployed quickly surrounded them. The three of them were waiting for Catra's next move. But Catra only had eyes and senses for Glimmer. For the first time purple eyes and heterochromatic eyes merged.

In the distance Scorpia came running, very agitated.

Catra was still staring at Glimmer. She tried to hold back her tears, but as she kept her gaze, they began to fall uncontrollably. Her grimace was a silent roar, but as the seconds passed, Glimmer's cruel glee softened to the point where she wanted to start crying too, and Catra's fury and denial began to change to horror and disbelief. Her hand, which had deployed its claws against Glimmer's throat, lost its firmness, the claws sheathing themselves at a less worrying length, and when a sob rose in her throat, she grabbed Glimmer by the armor and lifted her to face her.

“Tell me it's not true,” she almost implored.

Glimmer said nothing. Only two tears fell.

“Why would we lie to you?” It was Perfuma who responded, retracting the pointy roots just a little. Scorpia stopped only a few steps behind them, fearing for her friend, who was completely surrounded. Seeing Perfuma's reaction, Bow also loosened his bow a little, but he didn't stop aiming. Huntara didn't budge one bit. Scorpia prepared her pincers and tail, planting her feet better.

Perfuma's voice was soft but forceful, full of sadness.

Catra looked at her, they had never spoken. And she looked into the fierce and sad face something very like resentment.

“You should be happy, Catra, you finally did it. You got rid of She-ra… and Adora" Catra let go of Glimmer, horrified at her words. She raised her hands to her face again and Scorpia lowered the pincers as her heart broke, in empathy with her commander.

“Glimmer…” Bow thought that was too much, even for Catra.

"It's her fault, Bow! You can't defend her” Catra stood up and took a few steps back. Then Bow came to help Glimmer and Perfuma trapped Catra in her pods, who very late tried to escape. She couldn't do everything. She fell to her knees and Huntara again pointed the sharp tip of her staff at Catra’s throat.

“You will be taken to Bright Moon and you will be judged for your crimes" The princess established.

“No!” Scorpia reacted quickly.

Without waiting for anything else, she charged at everyone, managed to sting Bow, evade Huntara, and hold Catra on her shoulder, who didn't care at all.

“Everything will be fine, Wildcat” But her words didn't make any sense. Nothing will ever be fine again. 

Glimmer's cold, merciless gaze was the last thing Catra saw.

Notes:

Catra really believes Adora was this indestructible mighty hero, nee?

See you!!

Chapter 4: Barren

Summary:

Catra is suffering. She has so little... and now had nothing.

But, somehow, her friends don't let her down.

Notes:

Hey! A new chapter's up.

I think Monday will be my day to upload the new ones.

 

TW: self harm, suicidal toughs, food deprivation.

Once they were safely on the skiff, Double Trouble spoke without humor. 

"When they told about She-ra, I couldn't continue with the interpretation. I still can't establish your relationship with her, although I studied it. That's why I had to leave” They stared at her, in a catatonic state “I see that none of my assumptions would have been right... Really, do you care. I thought they were just rumors from the Rebels…” Catra didn't care at all.

Scorpia had freed her from the roots and carried her almost in her arms to the skiff.

Catra’s head was a whirlwind. Scorpia kept murmuring things, words of comfort surely, but she couldn't make sense of any of the words. Only Glimmer's words attacking her entire existence, everything she had fought for in recent years. She knew that it seemed like her existence was to take down She-ra. She wasn't even sure that was her goal. All she wanted was to capture her, to show her how far she had come alone.

But now... Adora’s left.

She let herself fall and let the memories wash over her, no matter how much it hurt to remember. She and Adora playing with some rocks, simulating a rebel fortress to destroy it. Each one achieved the best times in different stages of training, in different tests. Adora always tries to ensure that her clumsy feet will be able to match her natural agility. In her world only Adora existed. 

The pain that Shadow Weaver inflicted on her no longer mattered... Sleeping at the foot of their bed, because Catra couldn't sleep next to her when they got older. Not for any other reason than the simplest and hardest of all: sleeping next to and at the same level as Adora was becoming harder and harder to suppress her desire to kiss her. Her love only grew and grew.

And now… Now you say you love me too!  

As soon as she noticed that they were approaching Horde’s territory, she jumped off the skiff and ran. She ran as if the world were infinite. As if by running she could leave all her sins behind. She had committed the worst of all. Catra ran until her claws bled and sobs hurt her throat to the point where every breath was agony. And still, she kept running. She destroyed a stunted, lonely tree, further injuring its claws, the same ones that had hurt Adora over and over again. The same ones she had sworn to protect her with.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she simply let herself fall. She would let herself die right there. She looked at the dirty sky, with its immutable moons. The same ones they had looked at again and again, wondering what lay far beyond. And when they discovered it, everything changed.

She had been so blind. So angry. So hurt. She had only lived and breathed through the wound for the last few years. Thirsting for the world to know her own pain. Now the pain was greater, and she no longer felt the need for the world to burn with her. Catra no longer had life. There was nothing else to do. It was empty. She had finally achieved it. Adora no longer existed. Adora’s left.

Catra was broken.

Tears fell down her cheeks to the barren earth, just like her, leaving a path of dirt as they descended through the dust that covered all her fur and hair.

 

 

 

 

 

She woke up in her room in the Fright Zone. There was a tray with a drink and some bars next to it. She threw everything away and hid under the covers again, barely remembering Scorpia and Lonnie coming for her in a skiff, she had fought tooth and claw to let them die there, alone. Alone . Until Scorpia stung her.

She was clean, changed, and her crown rested on a shelf.

Scorpia had come to see her. She had yelled at her to get away. She left her alone, with a look she couldn't stand. With pity. What was it going to be like that? She fell asleep. Again she found some bars, but she wasn't hungry. She didn't want food. But the thirst was too much. Even in her state, the thirst was terrible. She was taking it to the extreme. In a few days the weight loss became noticeable, but not worrying. Catra spent hours crying, others staring into space, and then dreamed and dreamed. Dreams were torture and a terrible relief. She dreamed of everything that was, and everything that could never be.

The worst nightmare was seeing the spectrum of light, smiling at her -she understood now- full of love, repeating her words, soft, like a hoped caress, determined, like a certainty.

“I love you.”

It was the worst possible sentence.

She screamed. And she growled. She whimpered, panted and sobbed. It seemed like she had lost the ability to speak. She wasn't able to purr either.

In almost ten days, her cheekbones were scratching the skin, not that she kept count, Scorpia did, who had suffered from her claws again when she forced her into the shower, but it didn't matter, Scorpia was strong. She was zoning out when the door opened, in one of her catatonic periods. She wouldn't give a damn if Hordak himself was the one walking through the door. A part of her wondered when he would come with a squad to kill or depose her. It was Lonnie, bringing her a new tray. Lonnie picked up the previous one, intact except for one less sip of water. Noticing her condition, she dared to change the bandages on her hands and feet, since Catra had suffered a new attack of paroxysm when she woke up from a new nightmare and saw her claws full of blood from She-ra's wounds. She had tried to tear them off with her own claws, and in fact she had succeeded with three from her left hand and five from her feet, until the screams had attracted Scorpia who had to sedate her again.

“You're a mess…” Lonnie whispered, not expecting a response. Hoping to generate one. And she did: Catra curled further into herself. Lonnie couldn't handle that. They had never been close friends, and a part of her also felt Adora's death, even though she had left them behind, and even though she had fought against them. But in the other reality, the reality of the portal, where they had become a team again, the only family they knew, everyone was fine again, and Adora had tried to take her with her this time. She regretted not having followed her. “Fuck, Catra… You're not like this. Adora… she wouldn't want to see you like this."

This time the response was fiercer. Catra pushed her away from her and hissed at her.

"N-Don't say... Don't say her name” Every word was torture for her broken throat.

"You can't kill yourself here. Adora wouldn't want it. And you always fight" Lonnie was tough.

“Nothing matters anymore” Catra returned to her crouched position.

"You know better than me the things that happened, why she left, and why she was fighting… Fix your mess… It's what she would do."

Her heart squeezed again. Lonnie left and spoke to Scorpia.

Three more days passed in which Lonnie's words affected Catra. 

She was right.

Adora cleaned up everyone's mess around her, even though it wasn't her responsibility. Catra had pulled the lever, and now Adora was gone. She had fought against Adora, tried to make her fail, even if it cost her everything. Because she didn't want to continue living in a world where everyone left her behind. Where she was never enough. Where they weren't together. And congratulations, she had achieved it.

Scorpia appeared again, and she was frowning with the same determined expression that Catra had only seen on her when she decided that breaking the First Ones' disk was the most important thing for them to escape.

“Catra, you can't go on like this. You're going to take a bath, you're going to eat and we're going to make a plan. I know you're sad. Believe me, I get it” Now there was not pity in Scorpia's gaze, but also genuine sadness and sympathy. And against Catra's will, she did all three things before her friend's watchful eye. The only one she had left in the world. And she didn't understand how it was possible.

Scorpia and Entrapta were the only ones who had made her feel a little whole again. Adora had Glitter and Bow, and she now had Scorpia and…

Entrapta.

Notes:

Hope you'd like it uwu

Thanks for kudos and reading!

Chapter 5: Allies

Summary:

Catra turns to her former enemies to find a new path.

She finally had a reason. Something to hold on to. She had to bring Entrapta back. Not back actually. Catra need to start doing things right. She was eating again, little by little, but she didn't dwell on it much.

She had finally found out how she had been able to spend almost two weeks locked up. Lonnie had Scorpia get Double Trouble to pose as Catra in the eyes of the Horde and Hordak himself. There was no one in the Horde cunning and ambitious enough to supplant her, too afraid of her outbursts and claws.

Catra had found that Scorpia hadn't gotten rid of Emily, and she understood why the robot was afraid of her. What she didn't understand was how a robot could be afraid.

“So?”.

“It sounds fun and the pay is good. Count on me” They smiled mischievously “I didn't think you would ever leave that cell again.”

Catra growled after telling DT the plan.

She got ready, dressed again in her role as Second in Command, looked at her polished aluminium mirror one last time and looked into her empty eyes, no longer had tears to give. She left with her elite squad. Nobody questioned her. It was well known that they're her favourites. She was on a reconnaissance mission, to explore rumors about Plumeria. Catra, Scorpia, Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio, Roy and an assistance robot. They barely fit in the skiff.

“We have entered Rebel territory, if you do not receive new orders in eight hours, attack Plumeria with everything we have and let it burn” These were Catra's cold and dispassionate orders to Octavia, whom she had decided to leave in charge in her absence. Octavia had swallowed hard. Catra turned off the transmission.

Everyone got off the skiff and continued the path in silence. After walking for a couple of hours, they finally reached the part of the forests that faced Bright Moon. They looked for a moment at the landscape, not full of tanks and tired warriors, it was clearly extraordinary.

“Wow, my castle never looked like this” Scorpia commented.

"I'll be the one to talk, no matter what," Catra ordered.

Everyone nodded and continued on their way.

As soon as they reached the castle grounds, they could see the statues of vines, roots, and flowers that represented Entrapta and Adora. Catra's broken heart contracted and every part bled in agony. It also increased her guilt and the kind of determination she had acquired. It was more of a lifesaver type. The only thing left for her to not go crazy or let herself be carried away by death.

Finally, a procession of surprised guards surrounded them. They didn't carry weapons or armor, they were just in their usual uniforms. They allowed themselves to be frisked and caught.

"Your Majesty, I think you shall attend this.”

"General, we are in the middle of an important war meeting. Whatever, it can wait.”

"Someone requests your presence, my Queen. I’m sorry to disturb you.”

"Anyone with the power to request me is already in this room. Who else could it be? Let them wait.”

“I'm very sorry, Your Majesty… It's the Commander of the Horde, Catra”.

The silence that fell over the entire room was so thick that even Frosta felt cold. Glimmer couldn't believe it. How dare she? Her mother saw her and understood.

“No, Glimmer!”

Bow didn't wait for anything else, just like the queen, as soon as Glimmer disappeared they ran to the throne room. All the others, after a second, reacted and followed them.

Catra was against the wall, all the spears aimed at her.

Glimmer had materialised, she saw Catra surrounded by her royal guards, in the center of Catra's small team. Scorpia and Rogelio on the flanks, followed by Kyle and the other boy, Lonnie further to her right and the robot calmly in the back. Then she snapped out of her stupor and attacked her. Catra had her hands tied, just like everyone else, so she jumped to dodge, but Glimmer caught her in the air. The horde soldiers had moved to help their Commander but with a glance they backed away.

“Glimmer, put her down” Angella's voice was icy.

“How dare you show up here, Horde Scum?”

Catra didn't answer her, instead she turned to the queen.

“I request a private audience with the leader of the Princess Alliance”.

Glimmer couldn't stand her presumption. On top of everything, she ignored her. How dare she? The light princess squeezed Catra tighter and again Scorpia intended to move.

"Don't move," Catra ordered through clenched teeth. And with regret Scorpia stepped back.

“Commander Glimmer, put the Horde Commander down” It hurt. Tears began to flow from her eyes. She threw Catra to the floor at the foot of the throne and the queen held back a sigh. The guards forced the other horde soldiers to move to the center and threatened them with spears.

Everyone was quite calm, Kyle watched everything in wonder, half hidden between Lonnie and Rogelio. The guards forced them to kneel when they're directly in front of the queen and Catra tried to sit up but they wouldn't let her.

"You have no right to come and demand anything here, commander"

“I'm not demanding anything. Under the ancient rules of hospitality, I ask for the right of every Etherian to have an audience before the princess of their choice in case of need”. All the princesses snorted, indignant and some even took combat positions.

“That right has been revoked from you in view of your actions and crimes” Catra was not intimidated, she knew that this was not going to be easy. And it was so empty that an overwhelming patience filled her, which had more to do with total indifference to the passage of time.

“Only the full Council can judge me for my actions before settling them as crimes”, Angella was impressed, despite herself, by Catra's skillful tongue.

“What makes you believe that?”

“Your Majesty, you said so. I am the Commander of the Horde, and in the name of Princess Scorpia of the Ancestral Scorpion Kingdom, I request an audience. I am not a civilian who can be judged by the royal will. My rank demands the entire council.”

Mermista, Netossa and Glimmer were openly hostile. But they all respected the queen too much. Frosta remained quite neutral, as befitted a princess of her calibre, and Spinerella and Perfuma looked on without any intention of fighting.

“It's obvious why Hordak chose you as his Second” Catra hadn't thought about it. That could be the impression anyone could have. Hordak had not chosen her, she had come to her place. She felt that she was again not enough on her own, everyone saw Hordak through her ability and not her own name. As if that lab rat had discovered her. “Okay, following the ancient rules of hospitality and taking into account your rank, you are granted an audience, but it will not be private. Speak now, Commander, before the entire Alliance.”

Catra decided it was the best she could get, and it was much more than she expected. These silly princesses, letting themselves be governed by stupid old rules. Everyone was silent.

“Fine.” She took a deep breath and looked at Scorpia, who shook her head “I come here to offer my services to the Alliance, in exchange for their assistance”.

Her words unleashed a furious response. The neutral princesses were increasingly unable to maintain that position.

“Assistance? Services?”

“To end this war once and for all. And your support… to rescue Princess Entrapta.”

“How dare you? It's your fault everything that's happening, it's your fault that Adora...!”

It had to be the stupid sparkly princess. Catra couldn't cry in the middle of all the Rebellion.

“I ask that my companions shall be released. We have come unarmed and in peace” She ignored Glimmer but her words drilled into her. She couldn't let herself go. This wasn't about her. She herself no longer mattered. What they said, what they believed, was no longer important. It was all true. But she wouldn't let them see how much it affected her. The queen nodded and the guards released everyone. Catra, however, did not get up.

“I have deserted, and they're with me. You all can judge me for what I have done, but they have only done their job, as have your guards. However, before judging me, you will want to use me to defeat Hordak.”

“Why do you think we need you for that?”

“Because no more lives will be necessary… I have a plan” And she gestured for Roy to come forward.

All the guards were watching their movements. When he stood next to Catra, he looked at the queen and gave an exaggerated, theatrical bow. When he stood up, instead of blinking horizontally he blinked vertically, and the queen took a step back. After a second and a black mist surrounding the Horde soldier, a second queen stood in front of everyone. Exclamations of astonishment filled the room.

"Your Majesty, I am Double Trouble and I will be at Catra's service.”

"They're loyal to me," Catra repeated. The only thing she was looking for was to maintain her position so she could stay alive at least to save Entrapta.

“Double Trouble will impersonate me within the Horde. They will give my orders and keep us informed of the Horde's plans, so we can prepare an attack and end this once and for all…”

The queen was still impressed. Now there were two Catras literally in front of her. At a gesture from Catra, DT returned to occupy Roy's form, since it was not within her plans that they would know their real appearance so soon.

“I shall ask… Why are you doing all this?”

"I have anything to lose…”

Notes:

Thank you for your kudos!

See ya for more angst next chapter.

Chapter 6: Deliberation

Summary:

Discussions to establish the work that have to be done.

Notes:

Maybe this is a very too short chapter.

Double Trouble had returned to the Horde, as Second in Command, alongside Lonnie and Emily. They had declared Scorpia, Rogelio and Kyle captured. Roy had simply woken up in his barracks with a severe headache after a slight overdose of scorpioni venom.

Catra had been given a room to herself in the castle, after securing it with magic. When her nose got tired of sniffing what was closest, it wandered down the hallway. And it couldn't be true. Her feet carried her to the door, her hand opening the handle. It had to be a joke. Opened the door. She walked out into the hallway and only had to reach the next door on the right to recognize her scent. She didn't dare open the door. Instead, she curled herself into a tight ball next to it, her nose closest to the crack of the doors, and let the smell fill her. The tears fell alone and for one night, she had no nightmares, but when she woke up as soon as the hallway began to light up, she felt much worse, her unconscious had filled her with warm and totally impossible dreams, but awake, they were a hundred times worse than the nightmares. Longing and love burned in her chest. She preferred the sting of guilt and remorse, they were feelings she could deal with, that didn't leave her incapacitated.

She returned to her own room and got ready. Today it all started. She had to somehow get the Rebellion to trust her, at least in her intentions. She prepared her pad with Double Trouble and was ready as soon as her guards arrived for her. They took her to the War Council room, and she was one of the last to arrive. Only the ruling Queen and Princess were missing. Scorpia was there too, flanked by a pair of royal guards as well. Catra watched everything with supreme indifference, ignoring the obvious whispers. She had only one mission, nothing more. Now everything was necessary steps in order to complete the mission. When it was all over, she could rest.

“Well, let's get started... Commander Catra, what is the next step in the Horde plans?”

Catra sighed. There was no comeback from this point.

"In the last… Rebel raid, significant damage was suffered, the last few weeks have been used to reorganise the front lines and repair the forges and factories, but supplies are scarce. The next move is to secure and open a path to Dryl, to exploit its mines and take advantage of its crops.”

"Dryl has been in the hands of the Horde since Entrapta is with them," Glimmer replied bitterly. Catra glanced over her without seeing her. But she responded.

"Nominally, perhaps. Although Entrapta is their princess, many civilians decided to join the Rebellion on their own, which represents us... I mean, it represents a lot of logistical problems for the Horde. In four days, there will be a major offensive to take Dryl for good. We need Entrapta to stop them."

"What happened to Entrapta?” Perfuma asked, generating Catra's first visceral response in days.

“It's... She’s on Beast Island” The princesses did not recoil at the name as the Horde soldiers would have done. Only the Queen and Spinnerella had a more elaborate reaction.

“How is Princess Entrapta in that place? Did Hordak send her to find more of the First One’s technology?” the queen asked.

Catra felt the need to justify herself with the excuse that the queen was accidentally throwing at her. Scorpia looked at the ground sadly. Catra didn't deserve it, she knew it. Scorpia wouldn't tell on her. All her sins had to be atoned for. She didn't matter anymore.

"No. Hordak didn't send her... It was me” A general gasp could be heard "Before activating the portal, Entrapta knew that everything would collapse and tried to stop it and inform Hordak. I didn't let that happen and sent her to Beast Island. Now Hordak is continuing her research and only she is capable of stopping the next robots that will be deployed, without sacrificing any troops, rebels or others.”

“Beast Island… The Horde has not improved their punishments for decades.”

"What is Beast Island?” Frosta questioned.

"It is an island in the middle of the ocean, far beyond the Salineas, where the First Ones dumped their failed experiments. Everything on that island has been corrupted because of that,” Spinnerella answered.

“It must be like an amusement park for the nerdy princess then” Mermista dared to speak. Catra hissed at her immediately.

“That island is full of monsters and even the trees have razors instead of leaves.”

“And who sent her there in the first place!? Didn't you think that before sending Entrapta?” Glimmer counterattacked. They all watched as Catra backed away and began to hyperventilate. She fixed her gaze on Glimmer, and the princess felt a slight sting in her chest.

"Do you think Entrapta can still be alive?” The Queen's simple and bare question took everyone by surprise, all were expecting a greater confrontation between the commanders.

Scorpia moved forward to surround Catra with her pincers, without touching her, and the feline leaned a little to one side, trying to control her breathing.

"If anyone can, it's surely Entrapta,” the lost princess declared.

“Alright. But we only have four days until the attack. There is no way we can rescue her and return in such a short time.”

Catra was trying to calm down, she managed enough composure to answer the queen, as it seemed like she was actually listening to her.

"Then it would be best to only simulate a representative defense of the Rebellion in Dryl, so as not to risk the troops and begin to mobilize the rebels who are still in Dryl’s territory… "

"Your Majesty… Maybe there is a way.”

"You can talk, Bow" And the master archer nodded politely.

"I have been working on Mara's ship, I think it is capable of going and returning. It would be fast.”

“So you volunteer for the mission on Beast Island?” Bow swallowed. An island full of infected technology wasn't very tempting.

"If Bow goes, so do I," Glimmer immediately jumped in. And the queen turned pale.

"And me” The princesses began to declare themselves, which surprised Catra. Even though they all hated her, even though Entrapta had betrayed them, even though she wasn't aware of it, they were speaking out to go save her, when there was no guarantee.

“Scorpia, Rogelio and I can go.”

“And leave you alone with the First Ones' ship? You must be kidding”.

Catra chose not to answer, because she didn't want Glimmer to attack her again. Until now she hadn't realised how incisive and prickly the little princess was. The Queen rubbed the bridge of her nose, she had to think quickly. She couldn't stop Glimmer, after Entrapta, Bow was the best technician they had, only he could use the ship. She would not make the mistake of not listening to her daughter again. It was the only possible solution “It's okay. Bow, as soon as you get the ship ready, you'll go on a rescue mission to Beast Island. Commander Glimmer, you are in charge of the mission. Do whatever it takes to rescue Princess Entrapta. You will be accompanied by the Horde soldiers” Now she specifically addressed Catra "You'll be subjected to a restriction spell. You won't be able to leave the Ship without being accompanied by Commander Glimmer… if you try to hurt my daughter, the spell will incapacitate you.” Catra had to admit that the queen could be just as intimidating as Hordak, which was fascinating, because she didn't need to resort to fear or direct pain.

The meeting continued with the details and one of the sorcerers sent by Mystacor cast the same rune against Catra, Scorpia and Rogelio. Kyle would stay behind to be the bridge to Lonnie and Double Trouble. Bow would need another day to get the ship ready.

The Horde soldiers were all confined to their room after the War Council. All Catra wanted was to return to that hellish hallway and curl up next to the doors of her doom. Now a small interior hallway led from Catra's room to the room that Rogelio, Kyle and Scorpia were sharing, which had its personal divisions. Everyone was intrigued by the strange things the royal guards had brought them at dinner time. And when they tried it, Kyle was crying, an excited Rogelio had devoured everything with heart eyes and Scorpia was almost melting. Catra didn't take a bite. 

That same night, the feline returned to her neighbouring doors. There was no one again. She curled herself tightly there and after sobbing quietly for a while, she fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, Glimmer came out of her room, her eyes swollen. She walked calmly to Adora's room and her surprise was enormous. Catra was a tight ball of fur with her face turned to the floor and her tail almost completely surrounding her. Glimmer was going to wake her up, but then she realized that in her dreams, Catra was crying, and at the same time, her expression was relaxed. She looked almost helpless. She approached the opposite wall and let herself slide until she ended up sitting on the floor. She stayed looking at the cat for a long time, without ever changing her position other than the occasional tail flick. Until Glimmer also fell asleep in the middle of the hallway.

Notes:

I know I took some poetic licenses with the princess' knowledge about Beast Island.

Anyway!! Thanks for reading and leaving kudos uwu

Chapter 7: Copycat

Summary:

The arrive to Beast Island.

Notes:

Glimmer is a great character.

Glimmer woke up when her head hit the floor with a thud. Catra moved a little but didn't wake up, the night was still dark and Glimmer stood up, rubbing her neck and waist, she took one last look at Catra, her gaze held compassion for a second, and then became hard again. She walked silently towards her room.

With the light brightening the hallways, Catra woke up and returned to her own room, which was huge in her opinion. Her room as Second of the Horde was unmatched by this. Her Horde clothes were a mess, a part of her no longer wanted anything from the Horde and she needed to earn even the benefit of the doubt among the foolish princesses. She looked at what the closets and drawers had to offer. She had to admit that the Rebellion was long-winded, the Horde didn't treat their prisoners like that… if they took them. There were clothes of all kinds.

Almost everything was light and pastel colors, but there were some tight black pants, with a gold line running on the outside and at the waist. A long vermilion tunic... she only cut the bottom, the sleeves and opened the boob window that she liked. She put on her mismatched gloves and Crimson Waste jacket again. She decided that the crown was no longer necessary and she adjusted and brushed her long hair so that some strands fell to the sides of her face. No matter how she felt or if she no longer felt anything, she had to prove to her enemies, and her possible allies, that she was still the Commander of the Horde.

Catra ignored her breakfast and only drank the drink the guards brought her, which was too soft. Some time after she knew it was tea. As she entered the War Council room, Mermista gave her a speculative look and a sardonic smirk before looking back to the table filled with markers of Horde advancement.

Glimmer stayed quieter this time, pointing things out and that's it. The entire meeting was dedicated to talking about technical data about the Horde. How many troops, robots, outposts, maneuvers. Catra gave all the data from memory. The queen and the General kept asking and only Scorpia had to correct two of the data, due to the changes that had occurred during the two weeks of Catra's absence.

Catra didn't despair, she answered everything dispassionately, her empty gaze passing without seeing over the faces of those present. The Great Sorceress Castaspella was now in her brother's place, and no one could deny the disgusted look on her face. But Queen Angella was relentless. She didn't allow anyone to deviate from the topic of the meeting and when they obtained all the necessary intelligence, at Catra's request, they carried out a simulation of the false defense of the Rebellion in Dryl, just in case their rescue mission lasted longer. Even the General was amazed at Catra's tactics.

When they broke up the meeting for lunch, all the princesses retreated together. But Frosta approached excitedly with Scorpia, who was next to Catra in her room, since it was Frosta's turn to guard.

“Wow, I've always thought your pincers are impressive. Can you break things or just… cut them?” Scorpia looked sheepesly  at the girl and then at Catra, and Catra only responded with a dismissive movement of her hand.

“Eh, yes, cutting, breaking… I think, everything”.

“Amazing! I want to try it!” Then Frosta created ice tongs, which were capable of moving.

Catra walked away from the excited pair, near to the window and stared wistfully into space. Out of simple curiosity, she brought the claw of her right index finger closer to the free space, and just a few centimetres away from touching the incorporeal “edge,” a tiny spark made the air vibrate. It was a very elegant solution to their imprisonment. Frosta stayed with them for a while longer but left to have dinner with the rest of the princesses.

“You seem to be better, Wildcat” Scorpia approached Catra and moved her pincers nervously, the feline responded with a light growl “Are you ready to go to Beast Island?”.

“Sure” her ears pinned back. 

"Catra… Do you think Entrapta would be okay?”

“If it's an island full of First Ones' technology, we're going to have to drag her out of there" The flat comment brought a small smile to Scorpia.

“I wish Emily could accompany us” Neither of them said anything more, both staring into space. But the void that Scorpia looked at was another, much further away and deeper than the fateful afternoon of Bright Moon with an unfathomable sky, a void that broke her heart. 

She understood that Catra had died along with Adora. Her rage and her fire and her passion, and with it, the best and the worst of the feline.

After a while longer without saying anything, Scorpia retreated to her room, to find Kyle and Rogelio lying together in new clothes, apparently talking and watching Lonnie through a pad. She looked at them with a longing and tender grin.

That night, Catra showed up at the door again and this time she hesitated a little before lying down on the cold, hard floor, not because she cared. She had endured worse punishments and worse places to sleep in the Horde. Her left hand rested on the doorknob. From the index finger to the ring finger, her claws were still missing, which were a greyish mass beginning to form again on the lacerated flesh. The missing claws on his feet followed the same pattern. Every step hurt, but the pain comforted her, made her concentrate in the very present. At the end, she lowered her hand without opening the door and pressed herself on the floor again as much as she could against the crack.

Glimmer teleported out of her room, to find Catra, she didn't know if she expected it or not, but she approached in silence and sat in the same place as the night before. Catra's tail was the only part of Catra that moved suddenly, and she sobbed at times, but never woke up. Glimmer felt accompanied, she knew that Bow suffered too, but it wasn't the same.

Shortly before dawn, Glimmer slipped away to her own bed and let herself be enveloped in that warmth for the little time she had before she was called to the mission.

Bow appeared a while later, calling for the sparkling princess to wake up, he was very excited for the trip itself, since he was proud to be able to tune up Mara's ship. Glimmer let a little of his enthusiasm rub off on her, they would go on an adventure and rescue Entrapta. Her mother had trusted her and it was a new day.

When they arrived at the main hall, the Horde soldiers were there having breakfast. The lizard boy was devouring some cakes and the blonde boy looked amused.

“Catra, please… Wildcat, you have to eat. We’d on the mission soon.”

“For the last time, Scorpia. I won’t-”

Catra was very thin and Glimmer hadn't noticed. 

Catra didn't even bother to yell at Scorpia, she was just beyond annoyed, an attitude that not even Mermista could match. When the feline realized who was coming, she stopped arguing with Scorpia and just to do something with her hands, she grabbed something to eat and started chewing.

“Everything is ready, after breakfast we can leave, Commander Glimmer.”

“Very well, Master Bow” And the pair of best friends smiled, with more intentions in their eyes. They're had always been two, and now they're missing one.

It was a month without Adora.

The change of clothes of Catra and the others didn't go unnoticed but no one said anything. Kyle hugged Rogelio before leaving, then staying next to Perfuma, who had guard duty.

“Good luck, friends. Find Entrapta and return safely. I'm sure the universe will help us”.

After much searching and analysing the ship, Bow had discovered the main panel that had woken it up and put it to work. Scorpia, Rogelio and Catra were already inside the ship. Bow went up and lastly Glimmer, who was carrying one of Catra's recurring nightmares on her back. They took off with some problems and after some jiggling, the slightly feminine voice of the ship told them that it was heading to the waste deposit called Beast Island.

“I hope you don't intend for us to travel the entire journey like this, Bow” Catra rebuked him amidst the complaints of everyone else. Bow laughed nervously.

“No, everything will turn out just fine.”

A new jolt shook the ship and caused the sword to fall from Glimmer's back and that was when Catra saw it.

“What are you doing with that thing!?" The feline walked away to the farthest wall and Scorpia and Rogelio tried to cover her.

“It's the most powerful weapon we still have, plus we're going to an island with First Ones' technology!” Glimmer yelled back.

Catra looked at her with huge eyes and trembling, she tried to hide behind Scorpia.

“It's your fault and you know it, what you're doing won't bring Adora back” Glimmer rebuked to Catra in a quiet, venomous voice, as she took the sword to put it on her back again.

Scorpia looked annoyed at the Princess Commander, Catra regained her bearing only because it was what she always did, no one should see her weakness, much less Glimmer, but her words were always accurate, hard rocks that hit the bullseye every time.

“You don't have to say that, Glimmer.”

"Bow, please! Don't you dare defend her” The three soldiers listened in silence. They couldn't say anything against the princess. “She caused everything, and if now we have to go rescue Entrapta it's because she sent her there in the first place.”

The archer looked away, scratching his head uncomfortably.

"That's true, but now isn’t the time. We have to focus on the mission and work together if we want to be able to rescue Entrapta and come back safe.  Catra, what can you tell us about Beast Island?"

Catra breathed and finally took a step forward. She had to admit that the archer was too nice for his own good. 

"Everything that exists on that island will try to kill us. Don't trust anything you see.”

They continued talking more but Catra stayed as far away from Glimmer and the sword as possible. Scorpia, Bow and Rogelio at one point started talking about other things. Scorpia actually seemed to be doing better and getting along very well with the rebels. They're on their way to rescue Entrapta. Bow, Perfuma, Kyle and Rogelio were great with her. Frosta had spoken to Scorpia and, for Etheria’s sake, that that girl was very wise for her age.

Catra just stared into space from the window. She had no interest in the others' talk and Glimmer was sitting on the captain's chair on the bridge, trying to generate complicated runes.

When they finally arrived, everyone went down with caution. Rogelio and Scorpia extremely nervous and scared, dressed in their Horde uniforms again. Rogelio's scales were slightly bristly, giving him a rather curious appearance.

"Come on, you pair of cowards," Catra ordered in a dull voice and they followed her without questioning.

Bow and Glimmer looked at each other. They had seen Catra fight, they had seen her on the verge of having two anxiety attacks, they had seen her angry and violent, but they had never really seen her lead and they soon realized that her light steps were the same as Adora's.

The Adora who emerged in the middle of the battle, who was not clumsy or hesitant, who went ahead and thought coldly regardless of the difficulties and made the relevant decisions. With her tail relaxed, her shoulders slightly back, and her head turning to look around, you could superimpose an Adora figure on top of Catra's. And Glimmer felt a cold sting as her brain did so.

The ears, the tail and the height were different, but this was the silhouette of a Force Captain and there was no doubt. The way Catra carried herself, the fluid movements, the accurate instructions to her soldiers, everything was a copy of Adora. The smug smile, which indicated that as much as it was an Island that even the Evil Horde gave nightmares to, Catra enjoyed being in charge. It was the same smile of wild joy that had painted Adora's face before a battle. And Rogelio and Scorpia moved fluidly beside their commander. They had stopped trembling and were now cautious, efficient soldiers, extensions of their commanding officer's body and brain.

And it was when Glimmer realize that if she could recognize a Force Captain seeing Catra, but not Scorpia, then the similarities were not because they had received the same training. It was because Catra and Adora had known each other since they were children, they had grown up together, and they probably knew each other as well as she and Bow did. Glimmer could arrange surprise attacks with Bow in the middle of battle just by looking into each other's eyes, and their movements were fluid and synchronized because they knew exactly how the other moved. Catra and Adora were alike. You could never guess if that smug lopsided smile was Catra's or Adora's. Who had copied whom?

Catra, in addition to everything, moved her ears, attentive to the sounds as they advanced and entered the threatening forest, and wrinkled her nose, clearly sniffing. Rogelio opened his mouth from time to time and with concise signs he communicated with Catra, who seemed to confirm what the lizardfolk shared with her. Scorpia had her tail high up, stinger ready.

Bow was also a great lookout. Glimmer felt all the hairs on her arms stand up. There was something very wrong on that island, something… “bad” wasn't the right word. Something disturbed and perverted. The entire island and its nature were a perversion of their similes on the mainland. And the magic that ran through her was black and wet and stunk.

Notes:

See you next monday!

Chapter 8: Team

Summary:

Struggles on Beast Island.

Notes:

Sorry for the delay! Work sometimes is insufferable.

DT was bored. Being the Second in Command of the Horde was not as fun as they had thought, but knowing the nooks and crannies of the Horde was something curious in itself and without a doubt, playing the role of Catra was a constant effort. Know with certainty how hard, hostile and volatile to be, as well as seductive, sarcastic and eloquent. None of the Captains seemed to realize what was happening. And they were surprised to discover that even though Catra was beautiful, no one dared to look at her, not at her face, not anywhere, except the dirt she was on. 

Their interaction with Hordak was dry and direct, they gave reports and Hordak only affirmed. He seemed like someone so flat, they really wondered how such an empty being had managed to overthrow the Scorpion Kingdom and put the rest of the kingdoms in their knees. 

But they had not misjudged the situation, putting themself at Catra's service would bring them the renown and remuneration that someone of their talent deserved.

 

 

 

Catra felt her insides stir at any unusual sound, her soldiers followed her, trusting her judgment to make decisions. Although she wasn't sure “trust” was the word they should use. Training and conditioning within the Horde was hard to avoid after a certain age, and they had passed that age a long time ago. Fear and respect for authority was the basis of the entire system. If any cadet shouted a commanding voice at Catra, she would surely react before she knew it. Especially under the orders of "Sign! Salute! Rest!",  typical of the beginning and end of training.

Scorpia had whispered to her several times already about if she hadn't heard a strange murmur among the trees, or some kind of light squeak. Each time, Catra had shushed her with a sharp motion of her hand.

They didn't have to digress, they're in constant danger of death. An avalanche of Pookas had attacked them at the archer's indiscretion. Rogelio destroyed them with his claws, as did Scorpia, who also incapacitated those she could with her stinger, and Glimmer attacked quickly using the Power Sword but they're outnumbered, there were too many of them. Catra used her hand-to-hand fight and her whip to keep Pookas at bay, creating an angle with the other two Horde soldier. Seeing that the pookas were overwhelming the Rebels, they moved to include them in their defense, since Bow had suffered a bite and couldn’t stand straight, the princess looked around desperately.

"Can't you do better, princess?" Catra snapped at her in the middle of the fight, the three Horde soldiers were great warriors, but they would soon be surpass in numbers and stamina.

“Any ideas? Where do you want to go?” said Glimmer with a quick glare. 

"Anywhere far from here! It doesn't have to be too much! They just have to stop following us!”

"I need to touch you all! You know?"And Catra remembered that Glimmer needed to be in contact with whatever she was going to teleport.

"You, cowards, heard the princess, move!"

And then they moved according to the order, closing in little by little. Bow helped them by shooting a few more arrows. Another pooka caught Rogelio in the arm and Scorpia could barely maintain her position and Rogelio's. Catra was everywhere, kicking, punching, cracking the whip, but she was breathing heavily. Her body resented the lack of food and exercise of the last month, she felt like a fucking snail. 

"Horde Scum, I have an idea, but I need a few seconds!" Catra looked wearily at Glimmer, saw the determination on her face, and nodded.

"Do it then, Sparkles!"

Bow was in the center, squeaking and helping as best he could, Rogelio grunted in pain and attacked with his tail. Scorpia demonstrated her great value as a fighter. Glimmer concentrated for a few seconds that seemed eternal to everyone, her magic shone from her limbs to her chest and as the shine concentrated, it caused a sphere of power that after absorbing them, exploded. They were expelled a few meters from each other, however the pookas closest to them lay dead or fainted, and the furthest ones screamed, escaping uncontrollably but were recovering. Catra urged everyone.

Scorpia carried Bow to reach Rogelio, Bow grabbed Glimmer's arm because she was holding the sword, while the princess offered her open, upturned palm to Catra, who hesitated for a moment. As soon as she took the princess's hand, they teleported away and only an angry pooka who had latched onto Glimmer's cloak at the last moment had reappeared with them. Faced with surprise and fright, the pink haired woman brandished the sword, without really holding it, and it came out of her hand, going directly towards Catra, who at the same second was trying to dodge it and Scorpia was stretching out to try to reach it and Rogelio was turned on himself to send the pooka flying with his tail. Just before the sword passed through Catra's thigh, it simply hit her with the flat part.

Catra was sure the tip of the sword was going to dig into her, Scorpia's pincer wouldn't come soon enough, and Catra was still too tired to move any faster.

The sword had changed its angle just a little, enough to hit her instead of knocking her down.

"Ugh, thank goodness. I thought I couldn't reach it… does no one really hear that sound?” Scorpia started to talk and say more things, but Catra only paid attention to those words. She had clearly seen how Scorpia haddn't even touched the sword.

She hated this place, she hated magic, she hated the constant feeling of having someone looking over her shoulder, she hated that sword and she hated Glimmer for bringing it.

"Be careful, would you, princess?" Only Catra could make a word be an insult and still sound soft at the same time. She returned the sword and Glimmer received it in silence, slightly embarrassed by her slip.

After caring for the wounded as best they could, they continued on their way. They faced a few more beasts, but they're no longer fighting like two different teams, but instead began to synchronize more, presenting a solid defense. At one point, Catra even grabbed a furry, tentacled thing with her whip, looked at Glimmer and followed the spin, releasing the beast with a flick of her wrist for Glimmer to finish it off with a glitter fist.

They felt a little more confident in each other despite the injuries. Scorpia had lightly stung Bow's leg, which had gone numb enough that he could support it without feeling much pain. And the brunette thanked her with a sincere smile that made Scorpia blush with pure pleasure. Her natural abilities were rarely welcomed.

Now that they're moving as a single team, they're presented with a new obstacle: three gigantic bugs, similar to the ones guarding the Crystal Castle, which reminded Glimmer of Light Hope. They're huge and although a little clumsy, they had to move quickly, only Catra's claws and the sword hurt them, so the feline and the princess quickly synchronized attacks. Catra suffered horribly with each blow as the claws she had torn off were still tender and her fingers were bleeding, staining the whip and her gloves. One of the insects' claws was going to pass through Catra and Glimmer was at her side and although she had tried to protect her with the sword, she hadn't been fast enough, when she felt her hand being carried further by the sword itself and blocked the attack, at the expense of her own defense, which was going to cost her dearly.

A flash and a battle cry distracted them all. And they saved Glimmer. Faced with the mysterious attacker and their furious magic, the insects retreated. Catra and everyone prepared themselves, because they're unaware of this threat, but when the person lowered the hood of the rudimentary cloak, Glimmer dropped the sword and fell to her knees on the floor with her hands on her face. And the man with long gray hair, great muscles and dense scars, began to deny and cry. The soldiers lowered their defense, confused, and that's when they heard Bow murmur.

“King Micah…” And Catra then squared the flat images of the Bright Moon murals with the man in front of them.

"Glimmer?" He was the first to be able to speak.

The princess finally regained her speech and mobility and threw herself into the arms of her father, who was still crying.

“Dad?! Dad! Is that really you?” She sobbed in his arms. She didn't understand anything and the other four people looked really embarrassed, uncomfortable.

"What are you doing here, my girl?" And he looked at her again, dismayed, confused, happy, in chaos. “How long did it take for you to be such a big and beautiful woman?” He said with a broken voice and crying, more than the princess herself.

“Almost 20 years, dad" And Glimmer pressed herself closer to him.

“It just can't be! And how are you here?” And he noticed Rogelio and Scorpia, who had worn their Horde uniforms because they felt more comfortable in the field with them.

The king raised a hand, from which a circle of magic flashed menacingly.

"My daughter will not suffer the same as me because of the Evil Horde!"

“No, dad, stop!”

“¡King Micah, stop!” 

Bow and Glimmer had stood in front of the others, defending them, and the three of them looked nervously at each other, slightly defensive. Micah barely had time to stop before releasing the spell, he stopped but without lowering his hand.

"They're coming with us, Dad!" Glimmer put one hand on her chest and pointed at the three of them with the other.

"But they are Horde soldiers…"

"It's a long story, Your Majesty, but we assure you that they're fine. They're coming with us" Bow helped with his calm voice.

"Your Majesty, I am Catra, Commander of the Horde, I have put myself at the service of Queen Angella and the Rebellion to end this war. None of us had any idea that you were here" The feline took a step forward so as not to let the two rebels defend them alone and bowed deferentially.

"The Commander… " Quick flashes passed before his eyes and everyone could see how the weight of the words penetrated him, but without really knowing how it was affecting him.

"King Micah, we came to rescue a friend, Princess Entrapta. Have you seen her?"

"Yes, yes... I have seen her, she is... she entered the central part of the island," he said, not very convinced.

"Dad… " Glimmer ran to his side again. The tears hadn't stopped falling down her cheeks, she was so confused and happy, scared. She hugged his chest and cried some more. The King was also crying and seemed a little more focused.

"My baby girl, Glimmer, my princess" Adoration and infinite relief is what filled the man's voice.

At some point he would have to deal with the full weight of this bit of astonishing news. The new Horde Commander, betraying the Horde, what did that mean for Shadow Weaver? The teacher who taught him everything that had helped him survive on this infernal island, and at the same time, the culprit who had missed his daughter's entire life. And his wife, finally being able to see her after so long.

"We have to move, we're exposed" Catra was pleased to know that this surprise wouldn't be a burden, although she hated that he was a sorcerer too.

"So… Horde Commander, huh?"

"That's right, Your Majesty." When Catra didn't say anything else, Scorpia intervened.

"We're here to help, Your Majesty."

"I think I have met you sometime."

Everyone had already walked and for now, Bow was the one who had taken the sword and put it in his quiver, because Glimmer was enchanted and hanging on her father's arm.

"Maybe you met my… family. I'm Scorpia."

"The princess of the Scorpion kingdom?"

"That's right... but in reality I was Force Captain, and now we are together with the Rebellion" She smiled and her joviality was contagious.

Rogelio went ahead of them and made a great speech full of gestures, grunts and exclamations. Micah looked at him in amazement and everyone looked at each other strangely. Even Catra and Glimmer shared a questioning look, to which Catra shrugged.

“Oh! I had no clue. So it was your idea to come, Commander?" Catra took a step back.

"Could you understand him?" The truth is that even Rogelio looked surprised.

"Of course, most of us sorcerers can understand lizardfolks without a problem."

"Eh... Yes, we have to rescue Entrapta to change the situation of the war. And we're not going to find her if we do not continue moving forward" said finally Catra.

"Very well… let's go to my camp and there we can trace the route."

Notes:

Thank you for reading uwu

Chapter 9: Glim

Summary:

After found King Micah, the party begun to suffer the island's signal.

Catra was honestly impressed by the king. He was certainly weird, eating radioactive spiders or whatever, however he was strong, he was powerful and his magic just didn't make her fur stand. Which she was internally grateful for.

They arrived at a kind of cave between the roots of large trees.

"And so now you're all trying to get Princess Entrapta back to defeat the Horde?"

"That's right, Your Majesty, Entrapta is the best inventor and scientist in Etheria."

"It's very impressive, the last time I saw her was just before the battle of Bright Moon. It's a shame what happened to her parents... " Catra paid attention despite herself.

It was true that the Horde was made up of what was left of the population of the Scorpion kingdom and mostly captured civilians and indoctrinated orphans. It was hard to think of the princesses as orphans too, but Glimmer herself had been fatherless until a few hours ago, Entrapta had lost her parents in the First Battle of Brightmoon, just like Scorpia. And there they had Frosta, ruler of her own kingdom at the age of 12. Catra hadn’t cared to think of the princesses as normal people with problems. Although she had not bought that they're dangerous instigators either.

After regrouping and the king helping Bow and Rogelio heal their wounds, they moved forward with higher morale than at the beginning. The king was excited and suddenly grabbed Bow by the cheeks and had already asked them several times if they're hallucinations. Glimmer swore it was all real and she couldn't wait for her mom to find out about this.

"And then the buzzing became so loud that I couldn't hear the others and when I saw, we were all surrounded by those cute and terrifying creatures."

"Aren't they scary cute?"

“The pookas?” Micah looked doubtful at Bow “Mmma, maybe…  perhaps they taste very good roasted but they like to hunt in huge packs and are difficult to catch... Do you hear the sound?" the asked to Scorpia.

"Almost since we arrived."

"Wait, is that sound really there?" Catra was a little tired of all the talking, they had lost their good pace due to a walk in the park.

“What is it?”

"I'm not sure... but you hear it more and more, it fills you with uncertainty and makes you advance to the center of the island. I never go there, but the princess has moved more and more... the sound sometimes says things" Suddenly the animated chatter faded and King Micah took on an ominous, lost, mystical tone to a certain degree.

"It tells you things that may or may not be true, and not knowing the difference, paying attention to the worst possibilities, is what makes it so dangerous. The island just wants to make you be part of it."

"Dad, don't think about that anymore! As soon as we have Entrapta, we will return home. You'll be able to see mom, and Aunt Casta" Glimmer told him animatedly, afraid that her father would focus on negative thoughts.

He smiled at her, looking at the others. Scorpia and Bow offered him warm smiles and Rogelio nodded excitedly, saying something. But Catra didn't help much. She had no smiles to offer or encouragement to give, all she could do was pretend not to be so broken and put on a serious mask instead of disdain or completely fed up. Seriousness was the best thing she had.

"Then we better hurry up, Sparkles."

They continued advancing and a kind of giant snake attacked them, together they were able to scare it away.

“What is that sound?”

"Do you hear it now too, Bow?"

Scorpia and Bow were scared, looking around. Rogelio covered his ears and then began to growl and whimper desperately at Scorpia's feet, who, terrified, saw that some vines were entangling her, cut them off and ran away.

"Scorpia, come back, damn it!" Catra ran for her as chaos broke out.

The king was on his knees, muttering rapidly, Glimmer was crying trying to free him but Bow was also falling prey to the pods. The princess took the sword, trying to cut the vines with it, but as soon as she cut them, they grew again and lowered further.

"We will never find Entrapta on our own... we left her behind, we didn't come back for her, we owed her even if she hadn't made it... just like we left Adora behind... we won't be able to do this without her..." The archer murmured without stopping.

"Is it all real? I won't be able to handle the hallucinations much longer, they are getting worse... 20 years without seeing my family... I didn't want to believe in the moons to measure the passage of time... everything I lost... "

"No, dad, Bow!" Glimmer implored desperately, watching the two men lose the shine in their eyes, allowing themselves to be consumed by their worst fears and sadnesses “We'll get out of here, everything will be okay! You have to be strong!”

Rogelio was lying on the ground, almost completely covered by vines. Dull, motionless, with weak tears rolling down his scales.

"Please, please!" But the sword had slipped from her hands and was now lying in his father's lap.

Somehow, it was comfortable to be with him again. She felt small again, because they were the only memories she had with him.

"How did we think we could come here and rescue anyone if we couldn't help Adora? We left Entrapta behind when she came to rescue us... my mother was right, I ruin everything... I'm not a commander, just a stupid and impulsive child"

"I didn't know you were so self-indulgent, Sparkles!"

Catra appeared and began to cut the sheaths surrounding the king and princess with her claws and teased Glimmer. Scorpia went for Rogelio, once her own terror crisis calmed down, she cut the vines and put him on her shoulder while she went for Bow, who was also almost on the ground.

"Hang on, little friend, I won't leave you here!"

Catra's claws were an ordeal. She could only cut well with her right hand, but she was so used to combined attacks that she moved her left hand before remembering her injuries, which she had said nothing about because she hated showing weakness. But she couldn't keep up the cutting pace with a single hand, so against all her instincts, she grabbed the sword from the ground next to Glimmer and used it, paying no attention to the slight glow that the sword's runestone emitted.

"Come on, Glimmer! Adora wouldn't want to see you let yourself die here, get up, take the king to your mother, reunite your family! Or are you just the silly little princess this island wants you to think you are?"

Scorpia already had Bow and Rogelio, both on the same shoulder so she could use the other pincer to defend herself if necessary. Catra had already managed to get Glimmer out of the vines but the king was missing, completely wrapped up.

"Damn it, Glimmer, react! We have a mission and you are the damn commander in charge!”

The anger in Glimmer's chest reacted to Catra's motivational insults. The shine of the sword shone brighter and the princess attached to the Moon Stone also shone, her eyes and her body, with the purple light that Catra had already seen on other occasions. The rest of the vines retreated and the cloth in the king's eyes disappeared.

"Quickly, we have to move from here."

After Glimmer stopped shining, she saw the sword in the feline's hand and how the turquoise stone continued to shine a little. The sword hadn't done anything magical since Adora was gone. And since the feline offered it to her, she took it, still a little on automatic. As soon as the sword left Catra's contact, it stopped glowing.

"Come on, boss, my scales are itching here."

"Yeah? Next time I hope you don't run away like a damn first-time cadet."

"I'm so sorry... those vines whispered horrible things to me."

"Anyway, I think I have Entrapta's trail. Over here."

The feline girl moved forward but was stopped by the wrist. The hiss she made was instinctive and the deployment of her claws was the same, Scorpia shifted nervously, tentatively raising a pincer. Glimmer didn't react to all that.

"Thank you" and she let her go.

They were moving forward again, following the trail that Catra had detected, now more focused on the mission. Everyone became agitated as a new threat presented itself as a continuous vibration in the earth. It had to be something big and terrible to produce them. A mechanical beast, almost 12’ high, passed over them.

"That's Trapta!" Scorpia screamed at the top of her lungs, which woke up the other two on her shoulder. "Entrapta, babe, here we are!" and she ran.

Notes:

Thank you for reading!! uwu

Nice week!

Chapter 10: What else could I be wrong about?

Summary:

Entrapta gets a public to ramble about the First One's secrets. Catra is so fucking tired of Beast Island.

There was no marked path and they barely reached Entrapta.

"How the hell did you know that thing was Entrapta?"

"Because it is one of the sketches of new robots that she wanted to make in the Horde" Scorpia smiled nervously and then scratched her head "Well, but I'm sure that now it will be to help us."

"Sparkles!" Catra called, not paying attention to Scorpia's chatter. Glimmer didn't even bother to protest, the feline wasn't the Second of the Horde for nothing.

Glimmer teleported and fell on the mecha beast's head, which stopped suddenly and shook, unable to get the princess off.

"Entrapta, stop! It's us, we're coming for you!" She screamed, trying to stop the huge paw from catching her

"Who are you?" Said the technopath with great curiosity.

The beast's mouth opened and a slightly thinner Entrapta with dirty hair was seen.

"Entrapta! For Etheria’s sake! I am Glimmer, the princess of Bright Moon, your friend!"

"Entrapta, baby, I'm so happy to see you! Oh, you are so thin! I'll get you a bunch of small food when we get back! I'm so glad you're okay" Scorpia had caught the princess in her breastplate with a single powerful jump. Entrapta laughed happy to see Scorpia.

Everyone looked touched by the reunion, except Catra who had stayed behind, her ears flat against her head and her tail wagging nervously from side to side.

"Hello, Entrapta!"

"Bow! What a surprise! And who are you?”

"I'm the one you stole the food from.”

“Oh, it's true! It was delicious.”

"Entrapta, it's good to see you safe and sound. This is my dad, King Micah."

"My latest records indicate that he died in the Battle of Brightmoon. Are you sure it's him?" Glimmer looked at her in a bad way, but took a deep breath.

"Of course, he's my dad."

"Ah, so you came to rescue him."

"No, we came to rescue you!"

“Me?”

"Sure, we're coming for you, Entrapta." Bow smiled at her, and Entrapta lowered her new mask.

"But you left… You left me in the Fright Zone."

"That... It was a misunderstanding, babe" Scorpia took a step forward when she realized that neither Bow nor Glimmer were responding quickly. Hearing Entrapta, Catra hugged one leg with her tail and squeezed her arms tighter. "Now we've all come for you, all your friends."

The whispers began to sound louder and clearer in almost everyone's heads and they shivered.

"It's getting worse, we have to move so the vines can't catch us again" It was Bow who spoke this time.

"Follow me!" Entrapta closed the mouth of the machine again and began to move forward.

Glimmer looked tiredly at Bow and he just shrugged.

"Can you follow us? There didn't seem to be much room in there"

"Sure, easy," Scorpia replied.

Glimmer took her dad and Bow and teleported inside the cabin, leaving everyone a little crowded in there.

"Where are we going, Entrapta?

"To the center of the island! Bow, I want to show you what I've discovered! On this island is everything I ever wanted to know about Etheria!"

The three Hordians began to run after the mechanical beast without much problem, taking care that it did not crush them. Everything around them moved, avoiding the machine, and that made their way incredibly clear. They reached a part where it was impossible to see the sky because of how tightly packed the trees were. And in front of what looked like a wall of vines and lianas is where Entrapta stopped.

"We've arrived!" The cabin opened and the four occupants jumped out. Entrapta already looked a little more relaxed around them.

Bow and Glimmer had apologized profusely and had once again promised the princess that they wouldn't leave her behind again, to which she didn't say much.

"And where have we arrived?" Scorpia looked curious.

"Wait a second" Entrapta got into the vines, making everyone nervous, but she didn't stop talking and finally a murmur of machinery began to move the nearby roots and vines, opening a large portal "Welcome!"

As they advanced in reverent fear, Rogelio covered his ears again and began to groan. Scorpia stayed by his side, but everyone else moved forward. Bow looked at the place in wonder. Entrapta quickly walked forward with her hair with delighted squeals, excited and glad to have someone to tell about her discoveries.

"Since the portal opened, I was able to verify that we did not live the same reality and although all the data I collected was lost, I remember the vast majority and I wanted to contrast it with our own reality and it turns out that everything I was always looking for was here and all my theories are true!" She began very excitedly to display screens and screens, full of writing from the First Ones.

"This is a First One’s temple..." murmured Bow. 

"They wanted to hide their secrets on Beast Island, but they are still alive here" Entrapta murmured excitedly.

"What did you discover, baby?" Scorpia never understood everything Entrapta spoke but she was happy just to see her so excited, even though that often caused explosions.

"The Greatest Secret of the First Ones. The Heart of Etheria! They came here for the magic, extracted and concentrated it into a great weapon called the Heart of Etheria. And you are part of it!" She said excitedly, turning to Glimmer.

“How can that be possible, the magic of the entire planet?” King Micah asked.

"The First Ones were a very advanced civilization, all our technology is garbage compared to theirs. The Rune Stones are an essential part of the Heart, the princesses are their bearers and their powers would grow to extraordinary levels if the power of the Heart is released!"

"How do we free it?" Glimmer was already more than interested.

A diagram with the five rune stones appeared on the main screen. Four were connected with a central circle. One was missing, the red one.

"The Stones and their princesses must be in balance, connected each and every one of them" Entrapta moved between the screens, typing and arranging cables, it was obvious that she had already spent a lot of time there.

"So we just have to reconnect Scorpia to the Black Garnet and we can access the Heart of Etheria?!" Scorpia looked unsure and nervous at Glimmer. Bow didn't look very enthusiastic either. Catra listened to everything but was still far behind. Entrapta was happy that someone was so interested in her research.

"That's just the first step! Right now the planet is not balanced, once that condition is met, we need She-ra and the Sword of Protection to activate the Heart, she is the key! Adora is the key...!" She was excited to finish her speech when she realized something, as the screen now showed a flat animation of She-ra raising the sword to the center of the five runestones. "Wasn't Adora always with you?”

"She-ra? But She-ra is just a legend, she has not appeared in hundreds of years, but it is true that it is important that the rune stones are aligned with their princesses, that way they will get one hundred percent of their elemental power" Micah spoke in bewilderment, without realizing that Scorpia was crossing her arms and shaking her head.

Glimmer's emotion had vanished like someone blowing on a dandelion, she took the sword of power in her hands, and as her tears fell to the floor, she too fell to her knees. Bow knelt next to her, crying too. The pain in Catra's chest echoed them, but her eyes no longer held tears for these blows.

"Adora didn't make it... Entrapta... Adora did what you told her... She saved us..."

"She saved us and we left her alone with everything..."

Entrapta darkened her gaze.

Rogelio screamed and the next moment Scorpia did too. The vines had moved silently across the ground and quickly caught Glimmer and Bow. This time Micah and Scorpia reacted faster, cutting and burning the vines, but the signal increased their strength. The first and last defense of Beast Island. The king was not able to understand why his daughter and her friend had declined so quickly, to the point of being consumed again in one moment. 

Scorpia was very sensitive and that is why the signal had affected her from the beginning, but now they had found the old king and her friend Entrapta, everything she could wish at this moment, she already had and she would not let the signal get in her way. She will protect her friends, because that was what her strength was for.

The king took his daughter and Scorpia had Bow and they began to run, following Catra, who would have walked with her claws along with Rogelio. But Entrapta wasn't coming after them. Scorpia returned for her.

"Come on, Entrapta, we have to go."

“Is alright. This is where I should be. Here is everything I need... and no one needs me there. Everyone leaves me behind, and that's okay. I don't understand them and they don't understand me. I tried to be friends with them, and they left me behind, then I thought it was okay in the Horde, but it wasn't either… "

"Entrapta, none of that was your fault! It was mine! I lied to you. Alright? It was me!" Catra couldn't keep listening to all that. She had done to Entrapta what Shadow Weaver had done to her for so long. Lie to her and manipulate her. Perhaps her methods were not devious, but it was clear that the result was still the same "I told you that they had abandoned you, but they thought you were dead, they didn't know you were fine. Otherwise those silly princesses would have come back for you. There's a big statue of you in Bright Moon. I sent you here because I didn't want you to warn Hordak."

"Catra?" Scorpia was amazed.

"None of that matters... This is where everything I once wanted is... I belong here" Entrapta's empty gaze and smile freeze the blood as they were so opposite.

"Damn it, Scorpia, take her!"

The princess nodded and picked Entrapta up to run after the others, to find Rogelio tangled on the ground, along with Glimmer and Bow, barely being defended by King Micah who was fighting alone against three of those immense snakes with their heads covered. Catra was totally frustrated and fed up with this island. Scorpia adjusted Entrapta over her shoulder better and began to free Rogelio, but halfway through she remained on her knees while her gaze blurred. The signal from the island was stunning them all. Only Micah remained standing because he had to defend his daughter. Catra almost roared and grabbed Glimmer's clothes. She knew it was their best bet.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, stupid princess? Leaving you to die here? We're on a fucking mission and we just have to get back so you can have your whole family together! Don't you want to see them?"

"What's the point? I only serve to leave my friends behind... Adora is gone... Adora is not there… Adora’s left.”

"Adora wouldn't want to see you here, letting you lose everything you've achieved!" Catra really didn't want to hear or talk about Adora but they weren't up for contemplations.

"I lost Adora... but I never had her... she never loved me like she loved you... leave me here" Catra laughed bitterly. She did not expect that answer.

"But you're still here. Fight, Glimmer!" She really, really didn't want to, but she took the sword again and raised it. The sword glowed dimly again and Catra smiled, that stupid sword reacting to her, and only her. Some part of Glimmer's brain processed it and the deeper she sank. "Do you know why I don't hear that disgusting buzz, the voices, their whispers?" She raised the sword and it shone brighter, Catra began to attack all the scabbards. "Yes, I listen to them, but they can't do anything against me because everything they say is nonsense, the worst is over for me, this is child's play for me! I killed Adora! What else could they do to me? What more could I lose?! What else could I be wrong about?!” An almost manic laugh escaped her and Glimmer looked at her surprised, already half awake, because something was happening that she never thought she would see. Catra, awake, crying.

"You recovered your family and yet you are willing to let yourself die here! I thought you were tougher than that..." With her breathing agitated by her speech and the brandishing of the sword, she freed them all. Glimmer heard her, and looked at her father, who was struggling almost without strength against the snakes. The courage and love in her chest grew, backed by the shine of the sword, when the princess came to her senses and her glow drove away all the vines, she looked for Catra.

"Entrapta, we come on a First One ship! Don't you want to see it?" Catra hissed. They were like magic words.

"A First One’s ship? Working?!" She immediately woke up and recovered "Let's go!"

She whistled and the mechanical beast appeared kicking giant snake’s ass.

"I'll come back for you, baby, go get them!"

"Come on, everyone!" yelled Catra. And they ran with Glimmer, who took them to the beach and had to rest for a moment.

“That was incredible! You are really strong, Glimmer. Can you do magic too?” King Micah could be so obtuse.

"Take your silly sword and let's get out of here, now". With Catra's expression, no one dared to say anything and they walked to the ship.

The Brightmoon princess looked at the feline shoulders with a combination of feelings that were hard to express.

Entrapta was totally and positively excited as soon as they arrived at the ship, she was in charge of setting course for Bright Moon and everyone else settled down to rest on the bridge. Catra went to the darkest, tightest corner she found in one of the engine rooms. 

She was exhausted.

Notes:

So! I hope you enjoy it uwu

Chapter 11: Reunion

Summary:

All people deserves a nice rest after everything on beast island

When they returned to Brightmoon, it was already night. They had completed the journey to Beast Island and back in just one day, though they had nearly died trying.

Glimmer was overwhelmed by emotions: happiness, exhaustion, sadness, anger, amazement, excitement, and perplexity all swirled within her. The joy stemmed from thoughts of her father, imagining her mother and aunt reuniting with him and all the moments they could share together. The negative emotions, however, came from her performance during the mission and the harrowing nature of the island itself. Somewhere in between was Catra.

Catra had been the one to hold them together, to keep them focused. She hadn’t hesitated to join forces when they were being overwhelmed individually. She had coordinated everyone, ensuring the best teamwork they could muster. More than that, she had kept them alive—and sane—not once, but twice. As much as Glimmer hated to admit it, Catra was a better commander than she was.

At the Brightmoon entrance leading to the Moon Stone, where their ship was docked, a welcoming committee awaited them. All the princesses, the royal guard, the Great Sorceress, and the Queen herself had gathered. Entrapta was already fussing over the ship, affectionately calling it "Darla," apparently her new best friend.

Scorpia and Entrapta were the first to disembark. Entrapta looked a bit shy, while Scorpia greeted everyone warmly, especially Perfuma and Frosta. The Queen appeared calm, relieved, and proud. Next were Bow and Rogelio, with Rogelio darting over to Kyle’s side. Bow smiled wearily but contentedly as he greeted the group, lingering on Perfuma with a nostalgic look.

Then, Bow turned back and extended a hand to Glimmer. She took it, her posture straightening as she prepared to meet her mother. Tears filled her eyes as she locked gazes with Queen Angella, whose wings twitched with hesitation, unsure whether to approach.

The moment stretched, but Glimmer stepped aside, making way for the unexpected. A figure—familiar yet out of place—descended the ramp.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Netossa and Spinerella froze in disbelief. Guards dropped their spears; one even fainted. Hand in hand, Glimmer and her father stepped forward, flanked by Bow.

Angella’s hand flew to her mouth as her wings instinctively spread wide in shock. Beside her, Castaspella fell to her knees, overcome. The queen sought her daughter’s eyes, and through her tears, Glimmer nodded. That silent confirmation was all it took. The queen and king locked gazes, and in that moment, the rest of the world faded away.

Micah released Glimmer’s hand and took a hesitant step forward, raising his own toward his wife, as if still doubting this was real. Angella, unable to hold back, surged forward, her great wings wrapping around them both.

From a distance, Bow embraced Glimmer as they watched the reunion. It was an intimate, wordless conversation, so deep that witnessing it felt like a trespass. Glimmer closed her eyes and leaned into Bow’s support, letting the moment wash over her.

Unnoticed by most, Catra finally emerged from the ship. She lingered at the edge, watching as Angella’s wings enveloped Micah. Castaspella waited patiently, her joy evident, while the others shifted restlessly, overwhelmed by the scene.

The reunion rippled through the crowd. Netossa and Spinerella held hands tightly, imagining the pain of such a long separation and feeling grateful they had never endured it themselves. Perfuma and Scorpia wept openly, the latter squeezing her companion’s hand. Around them, flowers bloomed with unparalleled beauty.

Micah’s voice trembled as he spoke. “You’re as beautiful as the last time I saw you,” he said, his hand brushing against Angella’s face.

“Tell me this isn’t a dream,” she whispered, tears streaming.

He had lived in a haze, struggling to make sense of the fragmented visions, the relentless passage of time, and the nagging pull to ignore it all. So, when he awoke suddenly beside his wife, in his castle, it felt like a miracle—a sanctuary he thought he had lost forever. The warmth of Angella’s presence, the familiar walls of Bright Moon, and the gentle hum of life around him were a balm to his battered soul.

For a fleeting moment, he dared to believe it was real. He allowed himself to savor the embrace of his home, the sound of her laughter, the way her wings caught the light. He clung to the joy of being back, of feeling whole again. But as he began to piece it together—this strange, inexplicable return to Bright Moon—it slipped away.

The moment shattered like glass. But now, it was real. 

“It’s not. I’m here, Angie. Really.” Micah stepped closer, his voice trembling with disbelief. Despite his words, fear clung to him. Everything was so strange, so sudden. He felt like it could all be taken away at any moment.

She giggled softly at the old nickname, a sound long forgotten. “We’re together,” she murmured, her wings brushing against his arms as they embraced.

“Micah, I’m so sorry…” Angella began, her voice breaking.

“Nothing matters. We’re together again, Angie.”

Immortality came with its burdens, and in that moment, the weight of it all caught up to her. She felt so tired—tired of loss, of duty, of time itself. All she wanted now was to hold the man she had loved through all those endless years.

“We are together,” she murmured, kissing him softly, her lips brushing his. “I can’t believe you’re here. Whole. Alive.”

“You haven’t changed at all,” he said, their foreheads resting together as their hands intertwined.

Angella kissed him again, shyly at first, then smiled despite herself. For once, the world felt small and ordinary in the best way possible.

“I think we should get back to reality. And… you need a bath,” she teased, her tone lighter.

Micah laughed, suddenly self-conscious. It had been so long since he’d cared about such things. “A bath would be a dream come true.”

“I can’t imagine anything more perfect.”

“So, ready?”

“Not really,” he admitted, glancing toward the crowd waiting for them. “But I’m not the only one who wants to see you, I’m sure.”

With one last kiss, they pulled apart, their gazes lingering as Angella spread her wings. The guard stood at attention, and the crowd adjusted itself with anticipation.

Queen Angella’s voice rang out, regal and commanding despite the emotion she barely held back. “Commander Glimmer is not only back with Princess Entrapta from Beast Island… The King has returned!”

A wave of cheers erupted. The joy was fierce and immediate. Castaspella didn’t wait a second longer, rushing forward to embrace her brother, tears streaming as she kissed his cheek. Glimmer joined the hug a moment later, the family finally whole once more.

Later, as the crowd dispersed and the “prisoners” were escorted away, the queen’s eyes caught on Catra. The feline walked stiffly, her steps hesitant, avoiding the gazes of those around her. Angella sighed. These Horde members weren’t the only ones in her castle, and sooner or later, she would have to address the presence of Shadow Weaver. But that, too, could wait.

For now, tonight belonged to them alone.

 

 

 

 

 

Back in her chambers, Glimmer collapsed onto her bed without ceremony. Bow climbed onto the platform to join her, settling beside her with quiet understanding.

“Glimmer, how are you?” he asked softly.

“I’m not sure,” she admitted, staring at the ceiling.

“Aren’t you happy to have your dad back?”

“Of course, Bow. It’s just… there’s too much. Too many things.”

“I know.” He nodded solemnly. “That island… it’s not a good place. I wish we could fix it.”

“For now, it can stay as it is,” Glimmer replied. “There are bigger things to think about.”

Bow tilted his head. “Then what’s really bothering you?”

Glimmer hesitated, then sighed. “Am I that obvious?”

“Not obvious. I just know you,” Bow said with a small smile. “So, what’s got you so deep in thought?”

“I can’t stop thinking about what that signal whispered. It said horrible things, Bow… but what if they’re true?”

“They’re not,” he said firmly. “None of it was true.”

“Why not?” she shot back. “We left Adora alone, over and over again. We thought She-Ra made her invincible, but she wasn’t!”

“Glimmer,” Bow said gently, placing a hand on hers. “Adora wouldn’t want you to miss this moment. She’d want you to be happy, to enjoy your dad being back. We owe it to her.”

Glimmer looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She knew he was right, but it didn’t make the ache any less real. Bow could manage his emotions, but she wasn’t like him. He didn’t miss Adora the same way she did.

“Catra… Catra said the same thing,” Glimmer murmured.

Bow’s expression softened. “I know. I heard her.” He paused, staring at his hands. “In the end, Catra was her best friend, right? She knows exactly what Adora would’ve done.”

Glimmer hadn’t spoken about that. She hadn’t told anyone about finding Catra asleep outside Adora’s room, curled up like a vulnerable furball.

“She’s the one who got us out of there in one piece,” Glimmer admitted quietly.

“And I think you helped a lot with that too,” Bow encouraged, flashing her a warm smile. Glimmer found herself returning it, despite the weight in her chest.

“Thanks, Bow.”

“Anytime,” he said. “Now, you should rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day.”

Glimmer nodded, letting her body sink deeper into the bed. She had so much to process, so much to think about. But for now, she let Bow’s steady presence be her anchor.

 

 

 

 

 

“I’ll give you a moment to feel like yourself again,” Angella said softly.

“That would be great… but not too much time, right?” Micah replied with a faint smile.

Angella smiled back and left him alone in the royal bathroom.

Micah stood there for a moment, looking around. The space felt both familiar and alien, as though it belonged to a life he could barely remember. He was a stranger in his own castle, in his own home—even in his own body. Slowly, he approached the mirror, gazing at his reflection for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

He undressed and let the hot water cascade over him, washing away years of grime and tension. Every muscle protested and then relaxed as the heat seeped into his bones. He scrubbed himself thoroughly, brushed his teeth, and, with a spell, trimmed his beard and tidied his hair. Finally, he sank into one of the large pools of steaming water, allowing it to cradle him as he floated in the quiet.

 

 

 

Angella paced outside the bathroom, nervous and fidgety. Her heart was racing, a blend of excitement and apprehension. So much had changed, yet here he was. She couldn’t stop thinking about everything they needed to discuss—so much time had been stolen from them.

There was Glimmer, their daughter who had grown into a fierce and capable woman. There was Castaspella, who had held Bright Moon together alongside her. And there was the war, a grim reality that had endured far longer than anyone could have anticipated. Before Hordak, war had been nothing but a distant concept, something relegated to the ancient stories of the First Ones.

She sighed, forcing herself to calm down. After what she hoped was an appropriate amount of time, she changed into a more comfortable robe and entered the large royal bathroom.

The space was filled with the soft sound of falling water. Her gaze landed on the pile of clothes left on the floor, and beyond that, Micah, submerged up to his neck in the steaming pool. He had his eyes closed, his face relaxed for the first time in ages.

Angella hesitated. With a deep breath, she let her robe slip to the ground and stepped into the water, her movements tentative. As she approached, Micah opened his eyes. His lips curved into a confident smile, and her heart ached with how familiar and foreign it felt all at once.

“I still can’t believe you’re here,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

“Me neither,” Micah admitted. “You can’t imagine how much I missed you two. I tried not to think about how much time had passed, but… I felt every second.”

“And we missed you,” Angella said, her voice trembling. “I’ve felt so insecure without you—not knowing if I was doing the right thing with Glimmer, for the kingdom… nor the war.”

Micah reached for her hand, his touch grounding her. “Glimmer is incredible, Angella. She’s strong, dedicated, and fearless. She saved us.”

Tears spilled down Angella’s cheeks as she moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her, and she folded her wings, letting herself shrink into his embrace.

“She’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” Angella murmured.

“She’s amazing,” Micah agreed, his voice warm. “But don’t sell yourself short. You’ve done so much, Angie. You held this kingdom together. You held our family together.”

Angella pulled back slightly to look at him, her tears flowing freely now. “Micah, I’ve been so scared. For so long…”

His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away her tears. “We’re together again, love. We’ll get through this—end this war—and finally have peace. No more fear, no more separation.”

“There’s so much I need to tell you,” Angella said, her voice breaking.

Micah smiled gently, his eyes filled with understanding. “I know. But for now, just for tonight, let me enjoy this. Let me enjoy you.”

Angella hesitated, then nodded. She let herself be drawn into his kiss, her worries melting away for a moment.

She didn’t need to think about the war, the kingdom, or even the years they had lost. For now, she let herself feel the warmth of his touch and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

The sound of the waterfalls filled the space as they swayed together in the water, holding each other as though the world outside didn’t exist.

 

 

 

 

Catra sat alone in her room, utterly spent. Every muscle in her body ached, her hand throbbed with the dull, persistent pain of healing wounds, and for the first time in days, she realized she was starving.

Her mind, however, was louder than her body’s complaints. That stupid sword. Had Glimmer been too distracted to notice? Probably not. But Catra would keep her mouth shut, pretending she knew nothing until there was no other choice. Tomorrow would be another battlefield. She’d have to face Entrapta, somehow get her to dismantle her own robots. That was going to be fun.

No, she thought bitterly. Stop thinking like that. Stop trying to manipulate everyone into doing what you want. She’d need Scorpia’s help. For a brief moment, the thought brought a flicker of warmth, but it was swallowed quickly by the ever-present exhaustion.

Catra glanced at the claws on her feet, comparing them to her left hand. The ones on her feet looked better—still sore, but functional. Her hand, however, was a different story. The claws were barely there, raw and jagged, and every nerve in her fingertips pulsed as though still screaming from the damage.

With a sigh, she stripped off her dirty clothes and shuffled into the bathroom. The hot water was a small mercy, pounding gently against her fur and washing away days of grime and sweat. The softness of Brightmoon’s towels was almost insulting, but they dried her quickly enough that she didn’t have to endure more than a minute of being annoyingly fluffy.

She stared at the door for a long moment after leaving the bathroom, considering her nightly ritual. Her hand hovered over the knob, but tonight she was too tired to even feel sorry for herself. With a resigned exhale, she let the door be.

Instead, for the first time, Catra tried the bed. It swallowed her whole. She let out a frustrated growl, wriggling to free herself from the suffocating sea of pillows and softness. After a brief, victorious escape, she glared at the bed as though it had personally betrayed her.

Dragging several cushions to the central rug, Catra sank down and curled up there. The hard floor beneath her felt familiar—something she could rely on.

Her stomach twisted with hunger, but she didn’t care. The physical ache was easier to deal with than everything else. She let the pain in her hand and the hollowness in her stomach dull her emotions, her thoughts, her everything.

Eventually, exhaustion won. Eyes slipping shut, Catra fell into a restless sleep, alone on the floor.

Notes:

There it goes! Another chap, this time with more work put into it, and Grammarly haha

Anyway, I hope that you'd like it!

Thanks for reading uwu

Chapter 12: Friends and Family

Summary:

Catra is a step ahead from her former enemies, her current allies.

The royal family talk, they had to update Micah.

The king remembers something about Catra.

Notes:

Hello!

I was no planning to bring this chap today! But I had some free time and the comments here and in another storys made my night!

Glimmer was surprised to find all the Horde scum eating together, including Catra and Entrapta. The two looked much more comfortable with each other than the previous night. Entrapta's hair had regained its shine, and she was now wearing an elegant purple tunic with light gray pants.

Catra was enjoying her breakfast much more than she would admit. Her head and stomach had been aching since she woke up, and for once, Scorpia didn't have to beg her to eat. Especially that fluffy, soft, light yellow thing—whatever it was. With how gluttonous Adora had been, she now understood a little better why she had chosen to stay with the rebels.

The kings sat at the back of the table, together and paying little attention to anyone else. Glimmer smiled happily and approached her parents, who greeted her with a big hug. Bow joined them shortly after. Today, Micah looked much better—clean, with his hair tied up and dressed in royal clothes.

Castaspella also joined them, and soon everyone was laughing and talking. Catra couldn't handle so much brightness all at once, so as soon as she finished breakfast, she retreated to her room. It wasn’t like she could go anywhere else without an escort of four guards following her. She had to endure murmurs that, despite their efforts, she was sure they didn't realize she could hear. Of course, she wasn’t going to be welcomed among the rebels just because she had decided to defect from the Horde. She wondered if Adora had gone through the same thing, but she would never know now. She had been thinking about her too much, and while it still hurt, it was no longer as crippling.

Once in her room, she continued rummaging through the furniture and drawers at her disposal. Her main curiosity was the large desk, which had two lamps hanging above it and drawers on either side. She found all sorts of writing and, possibly, drawing materials. Not just black and red ink like in the Horde, but every color she could think of—liquid paints, strange sticks that smelled of resin, wooden sticks with a bar of color in the center, and compressed bars of soft, powdery clay in various shades, including an extensive range of grays.

Her fascination didn't end there. There were thin sheets of paper that fluttered with the slightest breeze from the large windows, thick porous paper that felt delightful under her fingertips—so soft and smooth. She lingered for what felt like hours, not only checking the drawers but also trying out all the materials she could find. It was a shame that the fingers on her left hand hurt so much; it restricted her mobility.

Meanwhile, the entire royal family was gathered in the War Room.

"As much as I would prefer to make up for lost time, there are matters that demand our attention. We cannot falter at a time like this. For whatever reason, we finally have the definitive advantage to defeat Hordak," the queen said, standing. "Not only have we recovered Entrapta, but your return has restored a hope we lost long ago."

"I'm happy to be back, but I don't think it was just the ongoing war that made you lose hope," Micah said. "After all, Glimmer was able to go to Beast Island."

"It’s not just the war itself… but what it has brought us. Or rather, what it has taken from us. This is Adora.”

The queen displayed a pink-hued image of Adora, focused and serious in battle. "She was the youngest Force Captain in Hordak’s service, but a little over a year ago, she defected and joined the Rebellion. To our surprise, she turned out to be The She-Ra."

Glimmer and Castaspella lowered their gazes as the queen continued updating the king. Now, an image of She-Ra appeared, wielding the sword that Micah recognized—the same sword now resting in Glimmer’s room, guarded by Bow, who was there reviewing his latest designs to show Entrapta.

"With Adora and the Sword of Protection, the Rebellion not only won its first battles in years but also began reclaiming territory and managed to reunite the Princess Alliance. The alliance is now made up of the daughters and heirs of our old comrades. But Adora wasn’t just a warrior to us..."

"Adora was my best friend..."

"She was such a kind and good girl."

"What happened to her?" Micah asked Glimmer. "You and your friend always seem sad when she’s mentioned."

"Almost a month ago, Hordak activated a portal," Castaspella and Micah exchanged a look. "But since it wasn’t properly executed, instead of taking us to another space, universe, or whatever Hordak intended, it caused our reality to collapse," Angella’s voice was cold. "Entrapta determined that the only way to close the portal and restore everything was to remove the Sword of Protection, which was the key to the portal itself. But whoever did so would be… gone forever.” Her voice broke on the last words.

Now Micah understood everything. Only something of that magnitude could have confused a sorcerer of his level. That was why he hadn’t realized anything when he woke up in his castle—because the very fabric of reality had been compromised.

"So… this girl, Adora, was the one who saved us."

"She was the bravest of all."

"Losing Adora was a devastating blow for us. Even with her, we were barely able to contain the Horde. Entrapta was always different, more attached to knowledge itself than the means to obtain it. At some point, she joined Hordak, and her technological advances quickly outpaced us. Without She-Ra, and with the new Horde Commander…"

"The girl who was with you on the ship?" Micah asked. Glimmer nodded, and the queen continued.

"Yes, her. According to Entrapta, under Catra’s leadership as Hordak’s second-in-command, the Horde’s efficiency increased by 400%. Their attacks were relentless, and we lost all the territory we had regained." Glimmer displayed a map of Etheria, showing the different phases of the Horde’s advance and retreat.

"But then how? Why is she with you and Princess Scorpia?"

"More surprises, darling. Not only is Catra Hordak’s new commander, but she was also Adora’s best friend in the Horde. After Adora… saved us, she arrived with her soldiers, her friends, claiming she was defecting in the name of the Rebellion—on the condition that we help her rescue Entrapta from Beast Island."

Micah sighed. "And that’s how we got here again."

"That’s right," Queen Angella confirmed.

"Mom, if it weren’t for Catra… we wouldn’t have made it."

"What do you mean, Glimmer?"

"Bow and I were wrong—again! We’re supposed to be the good guys, the ones who trust people. Adora showed us once and twice that she had also been a Horde soldier and that people can change. But Bow and I weren’t fighting alongside the others—they were a team, and we weren’t. When Catra realized Bow was hurt, she defended us until I could teleport us to another part of the island. She made us work together, right up until the signal started stunning us." Glimmer wiped away her tears.

Micah's gaze turned thoughtful.

"What signal?" asked the Queen.

"I believe it’s the island’s defense system," Micah said, frowning. "It stuns you, forces you to relive your worst sadness and fears, ensuring you don’t try to escape. That’s how the island slowly absorbs you... but the commander seemed immune to it."

"She is a better commander than me… "

"Perhaps, daughter," Glimmer looked at her surprised "Adora and Catra were raised and trained to become Hordak's best weapons, but a leader is more than that. They have to be capable of seeing their own mistakes and recognizing the virtues in others. Even if they are former Horde soldiers." Now her smile was one of relief and gratitude at her mother's words.

"It's not just that, mom… The sword reacts with Catra."

"She took the sword?" Angella couldn't believe it.

"Yes, I mean, she had to use it to rescue us, but she gave it back to me."

"We have to investigate that as soon as possible. But now the urgency is Dryl's attack."

"Do you know they're going to attack Dryl?"

"Catra not only defected and brought her team, but she also offered one of the greatest advantages we have so far: she has a shapeshifter at her service, who is impersonating her within the Horde."

"She seems to be very clever." Said Micah.

"Adora said that Catra was always the best strategist of the two of them..."

"Besides… she learned from the best." Added Angella.

"What are you talking about, Angie?"

"You better sit down, dear."

Micah had gotten up and was pacing, processing all the information that was being transmitted to him, so he sat distracted.

“What's happening?”

"Adora and Catra were not only friends, they were both raised by Shadow Weaver."

"Mom, maybe… "

"It can't be... Where is that woman? Is she a member team from the Horde Commander? 

“No, darling. Please let me explain the rest to you. Shadow Weaver raised these girls, from a very young age. Especially Adora, because she was brought through the first portal that Hordak had managed to open and she felt the magic inside the baby. We were lucky that her upbringing didn't turn off the light inside Adora. Catra, on the other hand... "

"She tortured her! That woman is horrible! She tortured them both. Did you know that’s why Adora couldn't sleep without her dagger? and any noise woke her up? Shadow Weaver attacked her at random so that she would always be prepared." That was a fact that the queen did not know. Glimmer was furious.

"I'm not surprised coming from her." Said Castaspella.

"The point is that Catra doesn't want anything to do with Shadow Weaver. She is imprisoned in one of the cells."

“Wait. Do we have cells now?" Micah asked.

"I'm starting to believe that we really need some dungeons... just so they stop asking. No, I mean one of the guest rooms." The Queen said annoyed.

"I locked it myself. There is no way to break the barrier from the inside" added Casta.

"And how did they capture her?"

"Catra managed to beat her at her own game. She left her so badly injured and without her connection to the Black Garnet, that she was dying. Shadow Weaver managed to get here to ask for help from Adora, from She-ra... Adora never stopped seeing her as her mother. She saved her, cured her from imminent death. And after helping Glimmer get to the Fright Zone to try to stop Hordak from activating the portal, she has dedicated herself to gathering a garden on the balcony of her room... cell" did explain the Queen.

“This is…”

"I know, Micah. Don't worry. You don't have to do anything right now. But you need to know the whole situation."

"And what is the plan? I understand that we needed Princess Entrapta and that's why they went for her."

"We went for her because Catra said she needs her to prevent the attack on Dryl."

"She seems to be a very clever girl." He said again, impressed.

"It's unpleasant."

"She was raised by Shadow Weaver. I'm surprised she's not still in the Horde."

"She only deserted because she feels guilty..." Glimmer frowned at the floor and then with renowned anger at her parents. "If it weren't for her, Adora wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself. She would still be with us."

"We don't know that for certain. Shadow Weaver assures that the portal plan is Hordak's, if so, with or without Catra, with or without sword, Hordak would have found a way to build and put that machine to work. Entrapta's help only sped things up."

"Also," Castaspella intervened, looking carefully at each one. "The first portal you mention, where that woman claims Adora appeared, is true, and the date coincides."

"Casta..." Micah called her with intention.

"Now I am the Great Sorceress, Micah, I can talk about this with whoever I see fit" And she pointed to her crown that indicated her status.

"I'm sorry, sister, you're right. I had not noticed. I congratulate you, I'm not surprised" the king finally indicated with a genuine smile.

“What are you talking about?”

"Almost 20 years ago, as Shadow Weaver said, there was a great alteration in the big currents of magic that converge in Etheria. Nothing like this had ever been seen, and it was decreed to keep it secret, because it was registered near the Fright Zone territory. As apparently there was nothing more than that alteration, it wasn’t considered necessary to inform the other kingdoms."

"How could the sorcerers keep this information to themselves?"

"You know that Mystacor is very jealous of its secrets. I'm sorry, honey. Our oaths bind us."

"I understand your reasons, but these are not normal times."

"We don't want any more sorcerers with forbidden knowledge roaming freely on Etheria."

"Okay" Angella rubbed the bridge of her nose "So that confirms that Shadow Weaver is not lying about Hordak's plans. Now we have to interrogate Entrapta to find out how we are going to solve the attack” What the queen didn't know is that Catra had already beaten her to it.

Long before breakfast, Catra was awake, strangely rested but sore and hungry. She knew she had to move quickly, simply to not lose her usefulness to the Alliance and to better solidify her position. So she got ready and went into the small interior hallway that connected her room with the other one that contained the rest of the team. Her team. As she guessed, Entrapta was already awake. Intrigued by her apparent lack of sleep, she had asked her if she ever slept. The princess had shown her a series of graphs and tables that show that her best performance occurred with two 3-hour sleep sessions every 14 hours, so her sleep cycle was very variable, and not always every 14 hours. It could be earlier or later as her experiments required.

"Entrapta"

"Good morning, Catra" The princess was busy with a device and some tools "Bow gave me this device yesterday. The truth is that he has improved his designs a lot, but there is always an opportunity to… "
"Entrapta," Catra called again, with intention.
“Oh I'm sorry. Attention" She put her things down and turned to look at Catra, although she was swinging and Catra knew she had to be quick.
"Well... Entrapta, I need you to help us..." Scorpia was looking at her from her bed and Catra was cut off a little, but Scorpia encouraged her with a nod. "To dismantle the new pulse bots." Scorpia raised an eyebrow “Please…”

"Oh, but they are so pretty! And Hordak liked them so much."

"Entrapta, concentrate" Catra took a deep breath "We’re no longer with Hordak. Now we are with the Rebellion. Remember, Sparkle and Arrow Boy rescuing you?"

"Was it Bow and Glimmer? Scorpia told me that it had been your idea, to leave the Horde and rescue me because..." Entrapta put on her mask "Adora managed to repair reality."

For once, Catra would have really liked Scorpia to stay quiet. But it couldn't be so bad to let Entrapta know that the idea had been hers, maybe it would be easier to get her to help that way. Kyle and Rogelio were still snoring, so she could talk somewhat freely.

"Yes, She-ra managed to repair the reality that Hordak's machine almost completely broke. We need that not to happen so that he doesn't bring the Galactic Horde, do you understand?"

"I thought you wanted the Horde armies to reach Etheria."

"Not anymore, okay? Let's leave it that way. Let's take back your foolish kingdom for the Princess Alliance and end this war once and for all."

"Catra, but princesses don't... "

"All those princesses were willing to risk their shiny butts on Beast Island to come rescue you. They're not going to do anything against you."

"But I don't have all my equipment here. It's all in the Fright Zone."

"I'll get you everything you need. Make a list.”

“Affirmative. Will I be able to work on the First Ones ship? I think it is susceptible to many improvements and is the best example of technology I have seen."

"I'll see what I can do." Scorpia looked at Catra with a tender smile that she cannot endure. She was already turning around when Entrapta began to speak again.

"Catra, everything you said on Beast Island, is it true?"

"Yes… Everything" The feline did not look straight at the technomancer, because she didn’t like to do this. She had sworn that she would never retract anything. And where does that take her? To lose the only thing that had really mattered to her in all her life.

"I'm not very good with people, I would like to understand: why?" asked Entrapta almost sheepishly. 

"Because I couldn't stand losing again. I'm sorry... for lying to you and sending you to that place."

“Alright. I forgive you. I think I can understand a little, plus... Thanks to that I was able to discover and confirm many theories I had about Etheria! And collect a lot more data! Now I'll just wait for you to bring my laboratory to do new experiments!" Catra looked astonished at Entrapta, who had already returned to her super excitable mode knowing that she was going to have her laboratory again soon. She trusted Catra, if she had told her she was going to bring her things, she will do it.

So Catra walked out into the hallway and when she reached the main entrance to that hallway, two guards joined her.

"Hey, I need some things for Princess Entrapta. Do you have technology around here or is it all sparkles and magic?" The guards looked at each other and shrugged. This was outside of their assignments.

“Wait here, please.”

One of the guards walked away, looking for the General. When they asked for Catra's request, and since it was for the rescued princess and she had no orders against it, Juliet sent the guard back with their instructions. Catra returned to the room and called Entrapta, who was already changed.

"For the moment, Princess Entrapta can work here. You'll have to talk to the queen if you need anything else."

“Good” said Entrapta.

They had taken her to a room that was a kind of multipurpose laboratory, and there was ancient Etherian technology, the same one she had initially worked with in Dryl. Since then she had learned some tricks in the Fright Zone and from the First Ones’ technology, so she would have no problem improving all this. 

“Is this sufficient?” asked Catra. 

"Not bad for a start. What do you need me to do first?"

"That you deactivate the pulsebots as if it were a mistake. I don't want Hordak to realize that someone is interfering. And I also need a more efficient way of communication than pads, that is easy to hide."

"Do you need it to have video?"

"No… I don't think so" Catra wasn't sure about that.

"Great, I have something in mind."

"If you need anything else, tell me and I'll get it. We need to have everything ready for tomorrow, we will take the crypto castle for you again."

“Understood. Come in a little while and I'll tell you how the progress is going."

“Great.”

Catra had returned to her room for her scheduled call with Lonnie. It had to be outside the Fright Zone, because Catra wouldn't let herself be surprised by Hordak's disgusting Imp again. She really wanted to sink her claws into that creature. After their mutual report, Catra gave Lonnie new instructions and a message for DT. The plans had not changed, the attack on Dryl would be carried out first thing in the morning, for which the troops would leave that same night.

So after a pretty busy morning. Catra had sent Scorpia to look for Entrapta and they went to the dining room where the other princesses were also having breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the guards arrived for Catra, she had to ask for a moment, to wash her hands, since she was covered in paint and other things. Her mood had improved a little. The kings were waiting with the rest of the princesses in the War Council room, but they spoke in low voices.

"So do you trust this girl?" Micah asked.

"I'm not sure what to think of her, but so far... I'll listen to her, she brought you to my side again." She smiled.

"That must give her some points in her favor." The king smiled back.

"I can't help it. I never dreamed of having my family back."

"There wasn't a day that I didn't think about returning to your side," the king said romantically and they kissed again. 

"Something about her is vaguely familiar to me..."

"I hope it's not Shadow Weaver's ways," the queen joked.

“No, no. I would never have guessed that she raised her by myself, I mean from her appearance."

"Now that you mention it, it's not something I've thought about. I haven't seen anyone like her in several years" The queen made a movement of her hand, as if chasing away her thoughts "I wanted to ask you, how was her performance on the mission?"

"Cold and efficient" Was the king's dry and forceful response.

"Would you trust her?"

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her and Glimmer. I owe her at least the benefit of the doubt. You should question her motivations and what she’s looking for."

"The deal is to postpone her trial until the war is over.”

"Just that?"

"Postpone her trial, with the full Council, amnesty for her friends and support to rescue Entrapta."

At that moment the doors opened and the two princesses and Catra entered.

"Very well, the meeting can now begin. We are very pleased to have you back among us, Entrapta, reigning princess of Dryl" The queen spoke with great ceremony, standing up “I hope you are feeling better."

Entrapta greeted everyone, staying behind Catra and next to Scorpia, who was wearing her horde uniform again, it was the clothes in which she felt most comfortable. Glimmer noticed that Catra looked calm, not indifferent like she had become accustomed to seeing her. And the ghost of a smile was painted on her face, which did not please the princess at all.

"We're already on it, Your Majesty" Catra stepped forward "Entrapta has managed to enter the Fright Zone network and regain control of the bots thanks to the connection with her own robot" A slight clearing of the throat from Scorpia "I mean, Emily, thanks to Emily we have managed to take control and enter their communications."

"Using the connection with Emily as an antenna, I have managed to hack the horde systems, and at the same time, using it as a repeater, we will be able to see everything that the bots see, since they are integrated with cameras. There is no way for them to detect it since Emily is mainly a Horde robot itself" Entrapta explained.

"And Dryl’s attack?" Glimmer asked.

"Still standing, the troops will mobilize tonight to attack before dawn."
"Well, yesterday the Rebellion Forces began to mobilize civilians within Dryl. Only the troops already established near there will be used. The princesses will arrive only after the attack is detected as rehearsed."

They continued discussing the details of the movements and logistics for a while longer, with Entrapta taking notes of everything for Catra, as usual and given unknown information about the Crypto Castle, the mines and tunnels. It was very different from how they used to work with Adora, in the absence of real intelligence, they had to work on the fly, and only Adora's cleverness and quick decision making was what managed to save the missions, now with all the intelligence provided or the Horde, there were no blind spots or room for improvisation.

"Okay, that would be it, unless someone has something else to add" Angella was quite tired but satisfied with the meeting. Little by little a resolution was taking shape and strength within her, that she would not have taken seriously if Micah had not returned. In a few more years, perhaps.

"Yes, Your Majesty, just one more thing" And Catra took out some balls from her belt that she left on the table for everyone to see "These are the new communicators that Entrapta developed. I need all the princesses to occupy them so I can monitor the mission."

"Who put you in charge of the mission?" Glimmer snapped.

The truth is that Catra had avoided any direct confrontation with her, but perhaps she over-understood her role, so she didn't respond and just looked at Glimmer and Angella alternately.

"Glimmer, you will be in charge, but the Horde Commander will provide remote support. And no, there is no <<but>>"

For once, Glimmer stayed silent, because Catra's expression was one of disgust. It's okay, the feline repeated to herself. All she wanted was to end this, anything to get it done was fine.

The princesses took the balls, small communicators that they could wear in their ears, and dispersed.

“Commander, please stay,” Micah called after her. Catra's ears twitched suspiciously and with one hand she dismissed Entrapta and Scorpia, who were escorted back to the lab.

Catra stood and waited for the king and queen to say something to her, but they waited for everyone else to come out. The catgirl had her arms crossed with her hands holding her elbows, fidgeting. Micah was caught by the movement and that's when he noticed the wounds from Catra's claws.

When they were finally alone, Angella cleared her throat.

"Catra, we want to talk to you since apparently without you, the mission... would not have been as successful" The feline did not say anything, but took a step forward, expectant "And I want to thank you personally for bringing back safely not only my daughter, but also my husband."

"I have to thank you too, you saved us all on Beast Island and I see that you are not completely well" The king pointed to Catra's fingers and she hurried to hide them.

"It's nothing... The mission was necessary to bring Entrapta back" Angella realized that Adora and Catra had points in common, but they expressed and handled them very differently. Among them, the praise.

"And speaking of Entrapta, she seems to work pretty well with you." Catra looked at her suspiciously.

"You just have to know how to focus her."

“I see.”

Micah looked at them for a moment and when neither of them said anything else, he got up and walked over to Catra, who remained still.

"I really want to thank you. Let me see that hand" Catra's tail whipped twice, but in the end she showed him her hand.

"Really, it's nothing..." But the raw fingers said otherwise. Catra now hadn't even bandaged herself, because bandages draw unnecessary attention.

"This doesn't seem like anything... You must have cut something extremely thick to hurt yourself like this."

The feline wasn’t going to tell the king that her claws were capable of breaking through the armor of a Horde tank if she was in a bad mood, nor was she going to mention the nightmare where again and again, her corrupted version during the battle of Bright Moon, had sunk her claws without stopping before Adora's screams of pain, before her pleas, before her apologies and her pleas, no matter what. She wasn’t going to explain that she had woken up from the nightmare seeing her claws full of blood, Adora's blood, and the fear and hatred towards herself was so overwhelming, not being able to distinguish reality from the nightmare, obliterated herself to the point that she began to tear off her own real claws of her left hand and when she could not continue with that hand, she continued with her feet. That in the end the only thing strong enough to damage her claws were her own fangs and claws. That the paroxysm, the fear, the nightmare, the grief, the delirium, had all converged in the blackest night to its lowest point, until Lonnie and Scorpia had arrived because of her screams and only a dose of poison calmed her.

No, of course she wasn't going to say anything about that. Never.

Before Catra could decide if she had to answer anything, the king drew a rune in the air and threw it at the girl, who had to use all her self-control not to hiss or attack, but her tail doubled in volume and her shoulders sagged, shrank. And Angella remembered how Adora didn't react well to Bow and Glimmer's hugs at first, always cowering first.

"Don't worry, this will make you feel better."

The rune exploded in flashes as it collided with Catra and she felt a sharp itch on the tips of her fingers, as it became almost unbearable, new claws of pristine black glistening.

"Now you can cut the things you want again."

“Fine…”

"Again, thanks for rescuing me."

"I was just doing my job, Your Majesty."

"And good work should always be recognized, and sometimes, appreciated. I’m glad," Micah smiled at her.

"My husband is right. Thank you very much, commander. I'm sure tomorrow's mission will go as planned."

And with that, they dismissed Catra, she returned to her room followed by her guards and decided to use her claws against one of the columns. She was pleased to be able to use both hands with impunity again. She remembered how tired she was at the end of the mission and made a mental note that she had to train.

"What do you think of her?" The queen asked.

"That she is proud." Said Micah looking at the closed door. 

"I think her attitude goes far beyond pride."

"Then we must continue observing."

Notes:

Thank you for reading and leaving kudos.

See you soon!

Chapter 13: Interrogatory

Summary:

Dryl's defense and retake is a success, like Catra Promised.

The King and the witch had a chat.

The ship gets its name.

Notes:

Hello!!

Here's another one.

I dunno what got me, but I am energy.

"The lookouts should be able to see the first troops."

Catra was sitting in one of those elegant Bright Moon chairs next to Entrapta, who had a much more advanced pad, and Scorpia, who was ecstatic, could not contain herself with joy. Four guards had their watchful eyes on them but they were as stoic as the Horde soldiers, something Catra had to grant. Entrapta had managed to deploy some old holos where they could see with some static what the pulsebots were recording.

"Very well, everyone in your positions." Catra said into the communicators.

Glimmer and Catra were working together to lead the defense. Double Trouble were in the field, leading their own troops. It was no simulation, Octavia commanded the Second Battalion on the ground, the first wave of Emily's brothers advanced and began to attack over the canyon that surrounded the crypto castle, and which was in turn its main defense. The next attack force was the Pulsobots, which caused the Rebel defenses to fall back and that's when the Horde soldiers entered.

In a second holo, there was a topological map of Dryl displayed, with the location of each communicator, which was each princess and Bow, with a 2D diagram as Entrapta used to. Very educational. As soon as they came into range, the robots and pulsebots also showed up on the map. Catra could play with positions like a tabletop war game. The smile of enjoyment that she always had in battle came to light.

Frosta and Mermista had gotten a little ahead, but that didn't spoil the mission. Lonnie even yelled at Perfuma for her captured comrades in Plumeria. And Catra was surprised when Perfuma responded that they were well taken care of at Bright Moon with a wild smile. Glimmer once again brandished the protection sword, cutting through robots like butter. Even without She-ra's magic, it was a formidable weapon.

Double Trouble acted in frustration, because every time it seemed like they were cornering some princess, some robot would fail and allow them to recover. Entrapta disconnected robots, ordering them to lose limbs or even self-destruct in the midst of other robots if they were far from Horde defenses and rebel troops. Some pulsebots were doing their job, in order to make the battle as believable as possible.

Little by little Catra stopped using Glimmer as an intermediary, giving warnings and raw orders to the princesses directly, even Bow and Glimmer found it easier to work under her supervision. They all worked quite harmoniously, but with Catra as their eyes and ears, they doubled their teamwork. She sent Perfuma to assist Mermista when she ran out of water, and Bow to help Frosta when a pulsebot did not react to Entrapta's commands. She sent Glimmer to support the defense soldiers and help the last civilians, whom had not wanted or been able to evacuate, to escape.

Hordak was furious, throwing tantrums. The attack had been meticulously planned, and their forces far outnumbered the Alliance, but the robots had failed, and the princesses' combined forces overwhelmed his soldiers. Catra (DT) was furious too, lashing out, and yelling at the troops to completely retreat. Octavia replied to her orders, afraid of losing her other eye.

The princesses chased what was left of the army until they left the map in the holo, Catra let a smug smirk fill her face, seeing Hordak out of control lifted her mood like nothing else. Even though the resources were from the Rebellion, she loved being able to see her former master suffering so much for his own decisions. Winning felt pretty good. The truth is that the Horde or the Rebellion, it was the same for her at this point. A victory was a victory, and it was proven once again that Catra could do wonders with any type of resources.

She knew that now the Horde would have a lot of trouble regrouping and would have to withdraw their forces to plunder towns in search of resources. At least, if she were the commander of the Horde, that's what she would do now.

 

 

 

 

 

"Angie... That's... I just came back, and I feel like I owe everyone so much. How could I...?" said Micah. 

“I know, I know. But we’re not going to leave them alone. I feel like it's time. Think about it, please?” she asked.

"I will, you know I will."

"Micah, I know I'm asking too much of you, but for the first time, I'm sure this is the best, not only for us, but for all of Etheria."

"Then why, an immortal being like you, ask a mere mortal like me? If you're sure, and even if you're not, I'll follow you."

The kings were in their bed talking after what was an intense day. Angella had overseen everything. The battle featured very few mortal losses, which were inevitable in war, but they had eliminated all Horde presence in Dryl and recaptured the Crypto Castle. The rebel army was recovering everything they could from the enemy's robotic forces under Catra's orders, Entrapta needed equipment to work with, but she would soon be asked for more materials and Catra wanted to be prepared.

The queen had questioned Rogelio, Scorpia, the General and the guards who usually guarded the Horde soldiers throughout the day. After speaking with Entrapta too. She even talked with Bow and Glimmer when they returned from their mission,  with many questions asked back from Glimmer. 

 

 

 

Glimmer had not been able to get out of her head the information that Entrapta had given them on Beast Island, about balancing the planet and reconnecting Scorpia with the Black Garnet. She was sure that if they could achieve that, their power would be great enough to reach the Fright Zone directly and destroy it. But her mother didn't want to know about any of that. They would see what to do with the Black Garnet once the war was over, but now there was no apparent reason to justify a trip to the Fright Zone. And Glimmer was still very much aware of the outcome of her last unauthorized mission there.

She didn't want to think that it wasn't the right thing to do to try to stop the Horde from opening their portal, but the cost of the mission's success had been Adora's death. She didn't want anyone else to be left behind. Besides, Micah had been strictly opposed to Shadow Weaver getting close to her daughter again.

Paradoxically, he believed that the old sorceress was better off in Bright Moon than in Mystacor, since there she would have access to too much magic. At least in Brightmoon, the sorcerers who lived there were few, but loyal and powerful, and as such, Brightmoon's castle had no magical secrets that the sorceress could exploit, as they did abound in Mystacor. A city that probably held many more mysteries than Shadow Weaver herself had managed to unravel.

Catra had had her own session again with the kings, and she hoped her fur wasn't ruffled with satisfaction… so much. Receiving the praise of the kings turned out to be a plus that she hadn’t glimpsed. Her former enemies were strangely fair. It was increasingly difficult for her to see them as corny old people. Angella was formidable, serene and intimidating on her own form, very different from Hordak same features. And Micah was a sorcerer from whom she didn't have to watch her back. In addition, Catra had always had a certain weakness for authority figures, and what she had always wanted was to receive the recognition she knew she deserved.

Just as the kings had congratulated her and asked about the Horde's next moves, Catra had asked for everything Entrapta had requested and was given permission for the geek princess to entertain herself with the ship, under the supervision and help of Bow, who couldn't be happier to be able to work with her.

A week passed quickly in which Catra found herself strangely stable. Her days were filled with meals in the quasi-communal dining room, training sessions with Scorpia, Rogelio, Bow, and even the princesses who still had to take turns guarding her. Her most difficult rival was always Mermista, who didn’t hesitate to provoke her, but Catra at this point was made of stone. In addition to her now secret drawing sessions, she could get lost in the strokes that her fingers created directly on the canvas, or in the way she was learning to pick up ink with a claw and use it as a fountain pen, to colors and brushes.

She painted and drew everything she had inside. You might think that Adora was the center of her work, and it's true that she took up a large part of it. Adora as a child, Adora growing up, Adora as a teenager, Adora being the youngest Force Captain, Adora in combat armor, Adora smiling under a beam of light, Adora looking at her relentless and annoyed, Adora fighting, massacring robots, Adora laughing afterwards of a prank on Kyle, Adora crying hiding in some musty place in the Fright Zone after a panic attack, Adora holding her hand as they ran in the forge, Adora staring into space from the highest place in the refinery, Adora begging her to stay with her in Thaymor, Adora begging for her help in the Crystal Castle, in the abyss, She-ra's back bleeding after the battle of Bright Moon, an infected She-ra almost killing her, and the specter of Light, the last she had seen of her, with her last words echoing throughout her being. 

Knowing they were true. 

That Adora was once again braver and confessed what Catra's heart longed for. 

And despite all this display of Adora, there were a few more paintings: Scorpia, the Crimson Waste, Entrapta, even Bow. The next big part of her work was her nightmares, not only Adora dying in a thousand different ways, but her punishments of loneliness and darkness as a child, the Black Garnet’s red electricity and Shadow Weaver.

 

 

 

The planning sessions had been reduced, they're more efficient. Two more attacks by the Horde had taken place, one of which Catra had ordered to let half win, to give realism to the plan. She was still evaluating the entire Rebel situation, Dryl was a very specific case, there was still all of Etheria to see. The next big attack was the Salineas. Hordak was firm in his plan and according to Double Trouble and Lonnie, he was in a much worse mood, but he was developing a whole new system of robots. DT meanwhile were sharpening their act by impersonating the different Force Captains, confusing their orders, creating rumors and making everyone tense, recreating Catra's bad mood, spiraling alongside Hordak's.

Her days were full, but her nights had not improved. Every night she kept coming back to the next door. Sometimes she would spend eternal minutes looking at the doorknob, perhaps she would dare to put her hand on it, or she would simply sigh and lie down next to the crack, clinging to the last traces of the smell, which became fainter every night, without suspecting that for most of the night, she would have company. Intense violet and black eyes that looked at her, with a million silent questions, and an idea slowly building and taking shape, barely stopped by a cold doubt.

 

 

 

Glimmer and Catra weren't the only ones to have problems that kept them from sleeping well. Micah had faced Shadow Weaver the next day after Dryl's defense.

"Micah! Is it really you?”

"I can't believe that of all people, you're here."

"I'm glad to see you too."

"I'm not here to play your games" Micah took another step closer to the magical barrier "I'm only here to check your decadence and warn you not to dare approach my daughter again."

"She has more raw power even than you, besides… what can an old sorceress do if the crown princess of the greatest of kingdoms asks to learn?"

"Glimmer would never come to you."he said with a growl.

"She already did it, and if you don't give her what she needs, she will come again."

"I know that you were the one who managed to take her to the Fright Zone. It was a desperate measure and Glimmer believed she had no other option."

"There was no other option. If we had not gone, now you would not have been able to go and meet your family again. I couldn't even see you again today" she said like if it was something endearing for Micah. 

"What you believe isn't important. Now Glimmer has both of her parents to help her." he exclaimed with vigor and faith.

"But you don't know her. She wants to grow, her soul is full of fire, and you know what happens when a fire like that is not well cared for."

"Shut up, don't talk about Glimmer as if you know her."

"Micah, my boy, I know her. I have fought against her for two years, and I have seen her grow. I never stopped doing it, I knew she would be the next one I would have to face."

Her words horrified Micah, clenching his fists, he spoke again.

"I repeat, it doesn't matter what you think you know. You will not come near my daughter again. And you're lucky we're not sending you to the catacombs of Mystacor" he turned around and didn't back away, even at the woman's laughter.

"I know very well that you would never send me back home." The witch finished laughing.

It took all of Micah's strength to compose himself. But Shadow Weaver's words were like a plague, once you hear them, they get between your skin, between your thoughts and they stick and reproduce. Micah was now more than sure of Angella's idea. They would have to speed it up, because it was true that Glimmer's soul was burning, and he had seen it himself, with the fire of justice, yes, but also with the fire of hate and resentment. It was normal, he felt it himself sometimes, and he feared that was the reason Glimmer was prone to those feelings, in the end, she’s just father's daughter. Angella was the cautious one, the cool-headed one. That's why Glimmer was able to stop once she realized her mistakes, even if she was impulsive. It had taken Micah decades to learn to back out.

So a few days later, he spoke to Angella again, now certain that his decision was not based on fear or haste because of Shadow Weaver.

"So you're sure?"

"It's time for the new generation to take its place." he confirmed. 

"Then I will begin the preparations. Ideally we could do it before the attack on the Salineas next week."

"First, and just to be sure, I want to speak with the commander again."

"Okay, I'll have her brought."

The royal guards showed up in Catra's room and asked her to accompany them to the kings, Bow and Glimmer were also followed by some guards who had called them, which completed the Catra’s guard who always accompanied her out of that hallway.

"And now why do they want us?" Glimmer questioned.

Catra's hands were stained with paint, this time she hadn't had a chance to wash well and her eyes were still shiny, because a scene with Adora she was painted, a girls' hug, when they had made their promise.

"I have no idea, but I hope it's soon because Entrapta is with Darla and I don't want to miss anything."

"Now you too?"

"We couldn't call it Mara's or the First One’s ship forever," Bow laughed.

"No, but it could just be ‘the ship’."

"Oh, come on, Darla is a great name."

“Yeah, whatever,” Glimmer laughed and shoved Bow’s shoulder. 

Catra listened to them annoy each other, and her stomach twisted. It wasn't exactly the same, because she and Adora were very different from Bow and Glimmer, but they also picked on each other and argued, laughed. She missed Adora so much.

The kings received them in their private chambers, since it was not yet a matter for the Throne Room.

“Hello, guys” saluted King Micah, more informal than Queen Angella. 

Glimmer ran into her parents' arms, and Bow smiled behind her, waving wrist to wrist to the king and bowing warmly to the queen. Catra stayed behind, her tail twitching and her ears flattened to her head. Her arms were bare, as she had taken off her gloves and jacket and she felt a little strange, and tried not to hug herself. She put on her most stoic face as the royal family greeted each other and exchanged banal but loving comments. The guards bowed and left, when the doors closed, the royal couple's attitude changed and they focused on her.

"Commander Catra" The queen said by way of greeting "We sent for you because we need to confirm some things, given important decisions and changes that are coming. So far, you have fulfilled everything you promised, and I dare say that with results far beyond what was expected" She said pointing to her husband, who smiled at her.

"All I want is to end the war, your majesty," Catra replied, looking calmer now that the hugs were over.

The warmth of the princesses was something she still hadn't gotten used to, although Scorpia had taken to it excellently. Perfuma had even tried several times to talk to her and invite her to her percussion circle. The flower princess spent long hours with Scorpia, talking, and every time Perfuma cried or did a spiritual drama when she found out about the conditions in which they had grown up, not believing the horrors of living without hugs, without games!, without vegetables!, without the refreshing shade of the trees. Only work, training, repression and punishments if you stepped out of line.

"And we too, as I said: you have fulfilled everything you promised. And I'm sure that if things continued their course, our trust would be total" Catra tensed again, she didn't expect this. She had to admit that the queen moved along many more paths than Catra thought, she really had to stop thinking of them as corny old people. Now that she lived among them, she had discovered that princesses were much more than glitter, magic and pastel colors. Honor, trust, justice and integrity, as well as kindness and mercy, were values ​​that they defended and honored, just as respect for authority, loyalty and order were valued in the Horde. "I'm sure you would accept, if you were in my place, that despite everything, we have certain reservations."

"Of course, your majesty," she said cautiously. It wasn't a lie, of course she would have her reservations. But she was not the queen, and she should never be in her position.

"Bow, Glimmer, we have called you to be aware of this, because we believe you have the necessary experience. However, you have to remain silent" Catra's tail flicked.

"Mom?" Bow and Glimmer were quite confused, they didn't understand what the queen was getting at.

"Commander, to accelerate that trust, we want to interrogate you with a truth spell" Were they really asking Catra if she allowed them to interrogate her? "The spell is painless if you tell the truth."

"And if I don't answer?"

"If you do not respond, by not lying, it will not cause you any pain, but if you resist or lie, the spell will begin to cause damage."

"Fine" Catra had nothing to hide anyway and if this left them trusting her, maybe they would take away her stupid escort. Bow and Glimmer looked at each other in surprise.

"Then now I will proceed" Micah got up from the chair where he was sitting, next to Angella, it was nothing more than a reduced version of their thrones, in a two-seater. Bow and Glimmer stood next to Angella. 

The king drew the rune and threw it at Catra, who still couldn't help but shrink from the magic, no matter how much she hated them seeing her reaction, her fur curling, her tail stiff, her ears drawn back, her shoulders drooping. She realized that they saw her, even though it didn't take long for her to regain a relaxed posture. She realized their pity, and she hated them for it. She hated Shadow Weaver for doing that to her. 

"I'll start now." Said the queen. Catra didn't notice anything different about her, just as she hadn't felt anything different with the rune that was supposed to incapacitate her on Beast Island. It would be that she never wanted to harm Glimmer "Who are you?"

"Catra, Commander of the Horde" And it was here that Catra felt the spell, the words pushed to her throat, she had to elaborate "Deserter of the Horde, best friend of Adora and Princess Scorpia" Many more things were pushing to come out, but she wouldn't leave them. The slight discomfort she felt from not continuing to spit out the words was nothing to her.

Glimmer narrowed her gaze at the response and Bow nodded with a slight sad smile.

"Why have you come to Bright Moon?"

"To end the war, defeat Hordak, rescue Entrapta and recover Scorpia's kingdom" Catra was surprised by that last part, she knew she was at the end of her game, and she had never told Scorpia. But it was true. Again, many more words were stuck to come out.

“Why?”

"I'm tired of fighting. Because I owed it to her, because Scorpia is a princess and deserves what is rightfully hers" Angella's questions did not help what wanted to come out of her throat.

"What are your reasons for deserting the Horde?" Catra remained stoically silent, but her stiff tail gave her away. "Okay, I'll change it. Are you here on Hordak's orders?"

"No" The kings and Bow smiled. Glimmer preferred to stick with her reserves.

“Excellent. Are some of your soldiers, the friends you brought here, our enemy?"

“No. They are under my orders."

"Is Entrapta still working for Hordak?"

“No. She has understood that we're no longer with the Horde."

"Have you ever wanted to harm someone belonging to the Rebellion?"

“Yeah.”

"Do you still want to hurt the members of the Rebellion?"

"No."

"Do you think Princess Scorpia and Entrapta would also agree to undergo interrogation?"

"If I ask them, yes."

"If any member of the Rebellion demanded it?"

“No, I do not think so. Entrapta maybe, Scorpia is loyal to me."

"I understand." The queen took a breath for a moment, the slight suspicions that remained with her slowly dissolving. "Will you put all your resources, your desires and work into ensuring that the Rebellion finally stops the Horde?" That was easy.

"Yes." 

Angella sat down, indicating that she was finished. Catra had a relaxed posture, she wasn't holding anything back. Micah stepped forward.

"Do you have any relationship or alliance with Shadow Weaver?"

"No," was Catra's sincere and passionate response.

"Is it true that she raised you and She-ra within the Horde?"

"She tortured us and she was our commanding officer," Catra learned too quickly. She had already seen that if she answered what was the truth for her, the spell could not harm her.

"Don't you have any kind of feelings for Shadow Weaver?"

“I hate her.”

"At any time, under any circumstances, would you work with or for her again?"

"I'd rather die than have to see her again. I'm done with her. It's dead to me. I know you keep her locked up here, somewhere. The only thing I ask is not to have to see her or talk to her, otherwise I can kill her myself" Her words were cold, but not dispassionate.

"We'll keep her locked up." promised Micah.

"If she comes within my reach, I will kill her. She doesn't belong to the Rebellion." also promised Catra. 

Everyone's gaze was equanimous.

"Thank you for clarifying your… position, Catra" The queen stood up, suddenly having to confirm something "If Glimmer gives you an order, on or off a mission, will you obey it?"

"I will obey the princess within the missions, but outside of them, I will have to assess whether her order is appropriate. But I won't do anything against her" The answer was too elaborate for Angella totally grace, but she supposed it was reasonable.

“I understand. All your answers have…”

"Did you love Adora?" Glimmer spat.

"Glimmer!" The queen's scolding pierced them all, but Catra was clutching her chest with both hands, her eyes had filled with tears that she refused to let out, and she looked at Glimmer with genuine hatred. She fell to his knees and small whimpers of pain came from his throat.

The truth burned her. If she had thought she could manipulate the spell, she wasn't entirely wrong, but not when it was a truth so immense, so relentless, so hidden, that wanted to come out so desperately.

"¡Micah!"

“Answer!” yelled Glimmer. 

But the king broke the spell and Catra was finally able to rest and breathe calmly. Her throat burned, like that day after she ran until she had nothing left inside her in the wastes near the Fright Zone. Bow ran to help Catra and Glimmer's heart burned.

“Are you okay?”

"Save it, Arrow boy."

“I’m serious.”

“Yes, whatever-”
"Catra, we care how you are."

"Speak only for yourself," And Catra looked at Glimmer with resentment.

Catra accepted Bow's help to stand up, but rejected him once she stood up.

"Is that all, your majesties?" She asked laconically.

"From the interrogation, yes" Micah answered "Your answers have assured us that you are not working with Hordak to attack the Rebellion."

"Good," the feline said while rubbing her throat.

"Glimmer… Whenever I think that you've moved on and aren't so impulsive anymore, you come up with something like this. But I understand your reasons. So I hope that knowing our decision, you think things through better" Angella looked at her husband, seeking support.

"My girl, I know it's hard... to lose someone important. But as a princess and future queen, you must see far beyond your own feelings, although you must follow your instinct."

Sparkles crossed her arms, she wasn't going to apologize for anything.

"And the ‘future queen' thing will be sooner than you think." said calmly the queen.

Glimmer looked at her mother surprised, what did she mean? She looked doubtfully at Bow, who was still close to Catra, but he didn't know anything either, so he shrugged.

"What your father and I want to say is that we have decided that we’ll abdicate at your name and you’ll be crowned before the attack on the Salineas."

Notes:

This was a small one, I know.

But we'll have more and more ahead.

See you soon!

Chapter 14: Moons Collision

Notes:

Hello!!

Another chap to drop!! I hope you... enjoy it, maybe it's not the correct sentiment.

Anyway, here it is.

The kings had sent Bow and Glimmer away and asked Catra to stay with them a little longer.

"Please, Catra, excuse our daughter. She is impulsive and has a strong temper, but she didn’t mean any harm."

"She has a curious way of showing it."

The queen sighed. She knew that the two of them would have to move forward, to overcome any misunderstandings that existed between them. Although it wasn't easy, there were more important things to do—more important than the feelings of two young people. She understood this perfectly, but they were two of the people who could most influence the entire future. Their position demanded responsibility and sacrifice. What she was about to offer—or ask for, depending on how one saw it—was just as important as Glimmer’s coronation. Glimmer had always known she would have to face her reality sooner or later, but Catra still had a choice, and it would not be the kings who took it away from her. "We asked you to stay a moment longer because we have something else to tell you."

"In fact, there are two things. An offer and a question," the king corrected.

Catra didn’t say anything; she just wagged her tail.

"They are very important matters, and although they are not related to each other... it may be that once you know one, you will not like the other."

"Get to the point." the feline said. The spouses looked at each other.

"Alright. To show you that our offer is sincere, we will present it first, no matter what: now that Glimmer will be crowned, she will no longer be able to serve as commander. If you want it, the position is yours, Catra." The feline couldn't help but recoil in surprise. There was no precedent for this.

"It's… it's a joke, right?"

"No, Catra. This is very serious. We have spoken with your companions, the princesses—all of them. Even Bow and your guards. Glimmer herself admitted to us that without your help, none of you would have returned from Beast Island," the queen responded.

"And you determined that… I’m good or something corny like that?"

"If you want to call it that… yes."

"What happens if I reject it?"

"You will continue working as before... as War Counselor." Said the Queen with a little hesitation. "However, no matter what you choose, you and your friends will be able to move freely around the castle. But during missions, I’m afraid they will have to remain under the supervision of a princess until everyone agrees to undergo interrogation."

"I accept. But you’ll have to announce it publicly."

"Of course, it couldn't be any other way. It will be my last order as queen."

"Now, Catra, our question is: Do you know where you come from?" asked Micah.

Wow. Today, the kings were quite surprising.

"Shadow Weaver found me in a box in the Fright Zone. Adora saw me before she took me to another area, and that’s the end of the story," she responded, trying not to let the mention of her beginnings upset her.

"I see... Are there more people like you within the Horde?"

"You have to be more specific. There are a lot of orphans."

"I’m referring to your physical characteristics," he said, pointing to her ears.

"There are some other felines, but no one looks quite like me."

"Does the name ‘Magicat’ mean anything to you?"

"No." Catra was getting irritated.

"Okay… Many years ago, there was a neighboring kingdom called Half Moon. Its population was the Magicats." As Angella spoke, King Micah presented a rune that spread and revealed a kingdom with a large castle, more robust than Bright Moon’s, resembling the holograms in the War Hall. It also showed two faceless figures, male and female. "The Magicats were always few, and as time passed, their numbers dwindled, and the kingdom fell into decline. By the time I was young, only a hundreds remained. Over time, only the royal family and a few guards and servants were left. They were one of the few neutral kingdoms, partly because they could not afford a war despite their power. One of their true allies was the Scorpion Kingdom, along with Bright Moon."

"They were quicker to see Hordak's true intentions—they were always very intuitive—but the Scorpio royal house did not heed their warnings. When Hordak finally revealed his true nature, they were the first to attack in defense of the others. Their courage and bravery have almost been forgotten. It cost them everything." The Queen finished. 

Catra watched the figures the king had summoned with hungry eyes. They wore tunics, their strong musculature apparent, male and female equal in height, differentiated only by their body shapes. They walked barefoot, four thick claws protruding from each plantigrade paw—just like Catra’s. Their forms were almost entirely human or elven, except for their ears and tails, unlike the other felines she had seen in the Fright Zone or the Crimson Waste, who had digitigrade legs, more fur, and snouts.

"Today, only the ruins of their kingdom remain. It was built exclusively for those with their physical capabilities, which is why it has never been reclaimed. Some hybrids still exist—those who chose to mix with other races so that the Magicats would not disappear completely. But that was never an option for the royal family. They preferred to witness their clan’s decline rather than dilute their bloodline."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're not just another orphan, Catra... You came here wearing a red ornament," the queen pointed out.

"Shadow Weaver gave it to me… but I don’t want anything from her anymore."

"That woman… I’d like to believe she didn’t know anything, but we don’t have that luxury. I’m afraid it was nothing more than a dark private joke," Micah murmured.

"That ornament is the crown of the Magicats," Angella revealed. "We don’t know if you are a direct descendant of the royal family. But since there were so few, the guards were nobles as well, and sometimes servants married nobles. One way or another, if you are the last of them, it makes you the heir to an entire civilization—the princess of Half Moon."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catra wasn’t in her room. Well, she could stop calling it her cell now, but that was something Glimmer didn’t know. It was the second day since she had learned she would be queen, and she wanted to confront Catra once and for all. She couldn’t let this continue. She teleported to the feline’s room and found that Catra had made her den in one corner, hanging long curtains to enclose the space, leaving only the flattest cushions inside. Just like Adora. Catra couldn't stand places that were too open.

Her heart burned again at how similar they were. And her eyes burned with fresh tears as she recalled her talk with Bow. He had called her out—Catra had helped them. It was clear she had completely given up on the Horde, guilt or not. She was here to help them, and Glimmer wasn’t making it easier for anyone. It was painful enough to see an empty space at every meal, at every meeting. Glimmer had to let it go. Despite all the information she still didn't have.

That was partly why she was here. Maybe if she just let everything out, whether Catra wanted to hear it or not, she could find some peace and move on. They would never be friends, but they had to be allies.

What was her surprise and horror when she saw the walls and curtains lined with images of all kinds, realistic and surreal, of Adora. Adora surrounded her completely. Her smile, her light, her eyes of ice and sky, her silly smile, as a girl, as a teenager, fighting, laughing, fighting with Lonnie, beating Kyle, jumping on Rogelio, suffering a punishment. Everything, everything Adora could be, was there. She was also dead in a thousand different ways, surrounded by red flashes, like lightning, of shadows, drowned, dismembered, full of scratches. They all aroused in her the horror of seeing Adora in such situations, but the scenes... despite their crudeness, was the sadness what identified them. 

She was lost for a few moments in a painting of a kitten stank in the rain, attached to some bars that separated her from the little blonde, who was trying to hug her through the bars. Then Glimmer's gaze was lost in the brightest painting of all:

It was Adora, a little younger than the first time they had met her, smiling with such joy, and looking at whoever appreciated the painting, directly to their soul. She had never seen Adora so happy, and if the horrors of her various deaths had not made Glimmer cry, contemplating so much splendor, lost forever much longer ago, brought tears to her eyes and a sob, realizing that that smile, that light, it was only for one person. 

She never had a chance.

She wasn't that person.

She heard noises and disappeared before thinking about anything else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entrapta was together with Bow in Darla. Between the two of them, they had discovered more functions of the ship, but for the vast majority of commands, access was denied.

"You say Darla belonged to the old She-Ra."Said the princess.

"Yes, Adora activated it the first time with the help of the sword."

"Then we need the sword to continue investigating Darla."

"But now King Micah has it. He asked Glimmer to study it."

"That's fine, I can wait. Although Catra wants me to advance as quickly as possible in developing new weapons for the Rebellion."

"Do you like working for Catra?"

"She helps me with my research. Whenever I need something, she gets it."

"So you don't mind that she sent you to Beast Island?"

"Not really… Catra's not good with people either."

"I've noticed that, but she doesn’t seem that bad to me."

"I don’t mean that. Neither she nor I know how to understand other people; we barely understand each other."

"Oh, wow... Well, the main thing is to speak honestly and ask when we're not sure about something," Bow said, taking Entrapta's hand to reassure her.

"Thank you, Bow, I'll keep that in mind." Bow's warm touch was a sensation the geek princess was not used to. It was nice. "When do you think I can have the sword to continue inspecting Darla?"

"I'll ask King Micah, I promise."

"Thank you, Bow."

They continued talking and working, not only on Darla but on the robot designs and Bow's new enlargement technology.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catra was in the guards' training room. She couldn't stop thinking about everything the kings had told her—not just about her new, as yet unannounced title as Commander of the Princess Alliance. A dark pleasure filled her at this turn of events because she was sure that Glimmer didn't know yet; there was no way she would let it go. That showed, in part, that the kings knew exactly what kind of daughter they had. As far as she knew, thanks to Scorpia and Entrapta's endless chatter, the Last Order of a king or queen was considered law, and the new ruler did not have the authority to dismiss it.

Catra was fighting the same guards who usually had to escort her, though it was no longer necessary. Three of them barely made her break a sweat—no matter how they attacked, they couldn't stop her. Fighting was Catra's nature, allowing her to engage in combat while letting her mind wander freely through the different thoughts that filled it.

Was she really a princess? She didn't believe it. The kings had no reason to lie to her, though. The only way to prove it, once again, was to face the queen of lies. When she was finally willing to leave the witch behind, Catra had to return to her for answers.

The feline continued her training. When everyone else went to dinner, Scorpia and Entrapta kidnapped her to her own room. A scent caught her attention—Glimmer's bright scent. The castle was full of that smell, of course. The hallways reeked of it, and almost all the common areas did too, but in her own room, it was strange. Especially since Catra hadn't seen Glimmer since breakfast, so it couldn't be her clothes. Before she could delve deeper into that idea, she was overwhelmed by the princesses—her two best friends.

The Super Pal Trio was happily reunited, and to strengthen their bond, Scorpia had prepared a picnic, which, as far as she understood, was a nice gathering between friends, where they sat on the floor on a cloth, sharing anecdotes of good times. They enjoyed it, accompanied by a variety of food and drinks to make it even better. Basically, she was right, and Entrapta was more than excited to try a new social experiment. However, since they were in a closed room at night, it was technically a sleepover. They had even changed into pajamas.

Scorpia had prepared as much variety of small food as she could, and Entrapta was ecstatic. She had even included the scrambled eggs that Catra had loved so much for breakfast. Without a doubt, it was the best thing on the menu.

Entrapta and Scorpia had long since fallen asleep in the middle of the blankets and pillows they had gathered for Scorpia's indoor picnic. Catra was tempted not to get up, but something much more powerful than her drew her back to the door. Adora. She was questioning whether she should open it or not. In the midst of doubt, a lot of sparks attacked her, causing her to hiss and back away.

"What the hell...? Sparkles!"

Glimmer had her eyes downcast, looking sad.

"Catra," she greeted the catgirl.

"What the hell are you doing appearing out of nowhere?"

"I was waiting for you."

"What?" Catra spat.

But Glimmer didn't bother to answer again. She just stepped aside and opened the entrance to Adora's room. Catra looked inside in stupor, took a step, and hesitated.

"Go ahead… You want to see it, right? I don't know how you knew... but this is Adora's room."

Catra was drawn inside like a mouse to a snake, Adora's scent hitting her as if she were right in front of her. Tears fought to run down her cheeks.

"Her scent... Her aroma is here," the feline whispered.

"I didn't think... I didn't know you had such a good sense of smell," Glimmer admitted.

Little by little, the cat entered the room, looking at everything. Neither of them spoke, but Glimmer was fully aware of Catra's reactions. The feline approached Adora's bed, the cot hidden between cushions and dark curtains.

"Adora couldn't sleep in a Bright Moon bed, and she felt exposed with the large windows," Glimmer explained.

Catra walked over to Adora's cave and touched the firm purple mattress of the cot with reverent gentleness. It was perfectly arranged, and the pillow was flat and not as soft as the others. She thought she would like one like that too. A sudden doubt assailed her. Carefully lifting the pillow, she found an ornate dagger—despite its beauty, it looked oiled and sharp. She could no longer contain her tears. Adora was Adora, no matter where she was. She had been so blind, so hurt, so stupid.

"Why? Why did you... let me in here?"

Glimmer disappeared and returned a moment later, a piece of paper in her hands. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"Because I finally understood... that you were her friend too." She wasn't sure if she was being clear enough. She showed Catra a drawing of the happiest Adora.

Catra's reaction took her by surprise.

"What the hell are you doing with this, Glimmer?" Catra's voice was cold fury. Her tears had stopped.

"I… I… I'm sorry, I was looking for you in your room."

"Didn't your parents teach you manners? That way you're going to become queen, Glitter?" Catra had ordered Scorpia and the others not to approach that part of her room, and her words were law. And Glimmer came and dared to desecrate with her princess hands the painting into which she had poured all her feelings. Adora smiling just at the mere possibility of being elected Force Captain, just a few weeks before the attack on Thaymor.

"Catra… I don't… really, I'm sorry."

"You will never know what it's like to have no privacy, or your own space, or what Adora represented to us. Do you think that now just because you think you have ‘understood’, I owe you something?"

“Of course not. Catra, I'm really sorry."

"I'm not Adora! Just an apology is not enough! I don't want you messing with my things again! I don't care if you're going to be the next queen! I want you to understand well that I'm only here to end the war, take down Hordak, and kill Shadow Weaver if I get the chance. Just that, Sparkles."

Glimmer was feeling unexpectedly desperate. Catra's words were getting to her. It had never been her intention to invade her privacy, but she understood that that was what she had done.

"I have no idea what you think you understand, or what you think you know. Don't talk about my relationship with Adora again because you never understood it. Remember? ‘I don't know how Adora could stand you?’"She said in clear remembrance of the time Bow and Glimmer tried to kidnap her. Like the creature of instincts that she was, Catra didn't stop. "Maybe you've grown up with Bow your whole life, and you think that might give you clues about my relationship with Adora. But you will never be able to understand what it means to grow up in the Fright Zone, under the gaze of Shadow Weaver and despite all that you don’t lose... this" she said looking at her painting again.

How could Glimmer explain to Catra she was just beginning to see, through their shared pain, everything Adora meant to her? and far beyond Catra's negative actions? That just by spending a few days living with her, forced by the situation, Glimmer saw so many things about Adora: her cocky smile, her seriousness when fighting, her temper when making decisions. She still couldn't decide if Adora looked like Catra or vice versa.

"No, I didn't understand, maybe I never will! I will never understand why Adora insisted on protecting you, on defending you, all the time talking about how wonderful Catra is, about everything Catra could do, about Catra being the fastest, the smartest, the best strategist... I will never understand why she never stop missing you!" It was Catra's turn to recoil.

Glimmer's tears were of shock, sadness, and anger. Turning her back on Catra, she walked over to the chaotic order of Adora's desk and picked up a bound volume, holding in a sob as she flipped through the pages, reaching almost the end, and showing it to the feline. A separate sheet of paper was taped to the page of the book.

"She never stopped waiting for you, despite what she says there... Now I know."

"Dear Catra,"

"You are my enemy now and always will be. Now I understand that. All this time, I've had hope. Hope that you would see the light. Hope you realized that Etheria is a beautiful place that needs to be protected and not destroyed."

"I have no more hope now, and that makes me sad. Very sad. Because I miss you, Catra, and I will always miss you."

"I miss your smile. I miss the shine in your eyes when you beat me in a race during training. I miss laughing with you when we prank the other cadets in the barracks. I even miss your snoring on me."

"Those are the things I remember when I think of you. I'm going to keep trying to remember the good things about you, instead of the bad. Because that breaks my heart."

"I'm so sorry things ended this way. I'm truly sorry. But even if we could go back in time, I wouldn't do things any other way."

"With love, Adora."

She hadn't finished reading and Catra was already on the floor on her knees, trying to hold back her sobs and trying to see through her tears. Along with the last memory of the light spectrum, which was her most precious memory as well as her worst nightmare, this letter was now her doom. Of course Adora would never do it any other way, because it was the right thing to do, despite what she personally wanted. Catra couldn't admit it in time. And now here she was suffering the consequences.

She let the book fall to the floor and could no longer suppress the screams that rose in her throat. Where was the longed-for darkness? She was whole now, stronger than she had been in many days, conscious, ready for all the emotions that the initial shock had not allowed her to express. The loss, the regret, the self-hatred, the sadness, the anger, the injustice. Everything was burning to the point of believing that her body was not going to support it. Crying wasn't enough.

Glimmer was shocked.

Catra hugged herself, trying to hold herself together, threatening to break into a thousand more pieces that perhaps now she couldn't put back together into anything resembling a person. Her claws dug into her arms and blood flowed, the physical pain always a good distraction. She shrank in more.

Glimmer stared in horror at the open wounds, bright blood staining the soft fur. She was frozen.

Catra began to hit the ground, holding her chest as she rocked, gripped by all her feelings. Love burned her. The love that was never told now consumed her in the midst of sadness and rage. Her claws tore the fabric over her chest and she began to cut.

"Glimmer! What did you do?” Bow had gone to find her to tell her about Entrapta's ideas about the ship and the sword, he heard Catra's screams of pure pain down the hallway. Blood continued to flow from her wounds, staining the floor and a few drops rested on the letter.

"Bow, I don't…!"

"I told you to leave her alone!" Glimmer had never seen Bow so angry. "Catra, calm down...! Don't worry, it's over, it's over" The archer seemed sincerely desperate for the girl. He had never seen anyone this bad.

The screams now echoed further down the hallway thanks to the two doors wide open.

Scorpia woke up suddenly, prey to the anxiety of hearing Catra's screams and not being able to locate herself because she hadn't fully woken up. She stood up and stumbled, only certain that she had to find Catra. The nightmares seemed to be over.

Bow grabbed her wrists and had to use all his strength to stop Catra from hurting herself any further. With the burgundy tunic already discarded he could see Catra's inner top, stained red thanks to the deep scratches she had inflicted on herself.

In the midst of their struggle, Catra managed to scratch Bow's face, who grunted in pain, but did not let go. The light red lines on the nose and cheek of the dark-haired boy who looked at her full of compassion, awakened more painful and distant memories in her. Finally Glimmer came out of her stupor to help Bow hold Catra, her strength was amazing, between the two of them they couldn't hold her back. 

“No, no! Let me go! Leave me! What don't you see... You don't realize! I don't want to feel!" She surprised them and she took the opportunity to get a new wound on her chest. She wanted to take out her burning heart.

Scorpia finally came running.

"Catra, Catra, calm down, please!" With tears in Scorpia's dark gaze, she sank her stinger.

Catra didn't fight as the poison stunned her, gratefully receiving the long-awaited darkness. She rested limply in Bow's arms, who was deadly serious.

"Thank you, Scorpia" Bow carried the fainted feline to Adora's cot and began looking for the first aid kit that Adora always had on hand. Prevention.

"What happened? What did you do to Catra?" Scorpia's voice was cold, she was upset and worried.

"I'm sorry, I really am, it was my fault, Catra wanted to see Adora's room..."

“It isn't true! She wasn't ready to do that yet, I know."

Maybe Scorpia wasn't the smartest like Entrapta, but she could put two and two together. When she saw Catra outside the room one night, she got an idea of ​​what was going on, and she didn't say anything. She knew Catra would do it when she was ready. Glimmer looked at the ground, sad. Everything had turned out the opposite of what she wanted. This wasn't her idea of ​​confronting Catra.

Bow worked seriously on Catra's body. He carefully removed the rags of fabric and began to clean the wounds on her arms, which were the worst. Catra had dug her claws deep, trying to hold on, to let the pain save her, but her body was too resilient, or her soul was screaming so much that it didn't matter what happened to her flesh. With her claws dug in, she pulled each hand and each claw opened a channel, more than a centimeter deep. Seeing the severity of the wounds, Bow began looking for a needle and thread to sew them up. The wounds on the chest were more noticeable but superficial, only the skin was lacerated on the chest itself and the upper part of the breasts, almost breaking the top as well.

He was left with no choice but to cut the clothes and bandage the whole thing, while Scorpia and Glimmer seemed to argue. He left Catra lying there once he finished. She looked so calm.

He turned to Glimmer.

"I told you to leave her alone, we can't continue like this. How far do you want to push her?! Until she breaks?"

“No! Bow, I didn't want this to happen! I wanted to clear things up! I swear.”

"You heard her on Beast Island, for her there is nothing worse than facing everything she did to Adora."

"Bow, please!" You know I didn't want to hurt her like that."

"I don't know, Glimmer. I almost didn't recognize you" Bow's gaze was hard.

More tears flowed and Glimmer puffed to her own room.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Scorpia."

"Me too… she was doing so well. Thank you for helping her," she said, referring to the bandages that surrounded Catras’s torso and arms.

"It was nothing..." Compassion once again filled Bow's face "I can't imagine what she's going through. I also thought like Glimmer, that she truly believed that Adora had abandoned her and she didn't care anymore."

"I wish it were true... When I thought we could leave everything behind and control the Crimson Waste together, you all showed up, Adora told her that Shadow Weaver was here and everything got out of control."

"I think we all needed to handle that situation better. We were all scared of what Shadow Weaver had said about Hordak's plans and we just wanted to stop him."

"That woman only generates pain. Everything she touches, it poisons and breaks."

"Catra is not broken, Scorpia, she is just sad… Very sad. I promise you all will be okay."

“I hope you’re right.”

"You're a very good friend"And Scorpia smiled radiantly.

“That is what I am. Catra just needs someone to be there for her no matter what, I know"

"Then it's lucky she has you. I'll talk to Glimmer, this can't be repeated" Bow sighed "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

"I'll stay here with her."

"Okay, there are blankets and more pillows in that closet. All the ones Adora didn't want" he smiled.

"Thank you again, for helping her"

Scorpia was left alone with her commander. She picked up the book on the floor, lightly splattered with blood, and found the crumpled painting. After examining it for a few moments, she left it next to Catra and spent the rest of the night watching the feline sleep and reading the book. When she found the letter, she understood why Catra had exploded again.

Notes:

I still don't believe I show correctly the scene...

See yaa!!

Chapter 16: New Queen

Summary:

Glimmer have had a few rough days, all the things with Catra are hard and confusing. She tries to make amends, but the circumstances are quite above her desires.

Notes:

Hello!

When I was writing the original fic in 2021, I asked if someone whan to see the Glimmer insight, and so is here.

Glimmer had vanished from Adora's room to fall directly onto her bed, still crying inconsolably. No, she didn't want things to turn out like that. She had never meant to harm Catra, not at least with that last talk. She wanted to close things and try some amendments. She didn't understand when she had taken it against Catra. But what did Bow expect her to do? Catra's actions were what had led to the portal and therefore, Adora's disappearance.

Adora, who was all light, shone brighter than Glimmer herself. Even after spending her entire life being raised by Shadow Weaver and living in the lies of the Fright Zone; kindness, fairness, justice and empathy had persevered in the blonde.

And how did Glimmer correspond to her legacy? Humiliating and harming Adora's friends, those who also miss her, those who had left everything behind and were now helping them repair the damage. Sinking the one who was the only one who understood her own pain.

No matter how much what had happened hurt her, she had to get over it. Bow had already told her. Glimmer herself had felt Catra's pain and hatred, all directed at the feline herself. On Beast Island her worst fears had arisen, but her ultimate guilt was what had killed Catra. Glimmer couldn't first deal with the fact that she had left Entrapta behind. They didn’t even attempt to recover the body, if they had they would have discovered her true fate. Entrapta would have been rescued and the Horde would never have had the tools to open the portal. Which would result in Adora staying with them, but then they would still be fighting Catra and her elite team, who now works for Bright Moon, and without a doubt, they would have lost Dryl's attack, and Double Trouble would be in the feline's service. And surely what they was doing in the Horde, they would be doing in the Rebellion. And they would never have rescued her father!

Everything was so confusing, and she couldn't simply decide if a thing was good or bad, as the war spread before Glimmer it was increasingly difficult to see things in black and white; There were so many nuances, she couldn't believe that just a few weeks ago she believed that the deserts weren’t capable of laughing, of hugging, of crying, of being excited, of needing. It was as if Adora had never been Horde. For Glimmer they were very separate things. Plus she was She-ra. And now she doubted so many things, remembering Scorpia's dedication, the loyalty of Catra's entire team, Kyle's pure and innocent admiration for everything around him, Rogelio's love and care in treating his friend, and the spark with which each one trained and fought. Rogelio had even begun to train some guards and measure strength with some other hybrids, such as fauns.

Attacking Catra was a quick and easy solution to her own guilt and fears. A cowardly way to feel better. As if by blaming the feline she could erase her own sins. She cried until she fell asleep.

She woke up early in the morning when the king knocked on her room to invite the four of them to have breakfast together. Hearing him, Glimmer remembered all her thoughts from the previous night and could only ask him through more tears to leave her alone. The king was frankly embarrassed, he tried to talk to Glimmer but she wouldn't let him and pushed him almost limply until he left the room. Micah knew that it was complicated to be young and that perhaps the coronation had been a strong topic about which they had not talked in more depth and he arrived dismayed to Angella, who upon seeing his somber expression, felt her heart shrink.

"Honey, what's wrong, is everything okay?"

"Yes… I mean, I don't know. I wanted Glimmer to have breakfast with us but… she kicked me out of her room,” he said pouting.

“What?! That girl doesn't learn manners... After the last thing that happened" Angella stood next to her husband and put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him "Don't worry, Micah, Glimmer is very temperamental..." She told him with a smile that made Micah's heart beat. "You're saying it for me, right? That am I her father?" He also responded with a smile.

"She couldn't be more your daughter, my love."

"So you've had some quite hard years."

"And wonderful. Every day, seeing Glimmer's spirit and heart reminded me of you."

"There wasn't a day that I didn't think about you. I talked to you all the time, every night I said goodnight to Glimmer."

"And every morning I went to our balcony, wishing that you could listen and see Glimmer grow wherever you were."

The voices of the kings were full of feeling. The powerful nostalgia that now permeated each of their interactions, they knew that it would take a while for them to let go of the memories. A well deserved adjustment time.

"Let me talk to her. She can't continue with these tantrums." Said the queen after more whispers and kisses. 

Angella went to the room and knocked on the door.

"Go away!" But more than an order or a shout, it was a lament. The queen lost all her anger and became worried. What could have happened? Just a bad day to wake up to?

"Glimmer, it's me... your mother."

"I don't want to see anyone, mom!"

“But…”

And Bow peeked out the door to the Brightmoon Queen's surprise.

"Bow?!"

"Uh, hello... Good morning, your majesty."

She took a step back so the dark-haired boy could leave the room. Her brow furrowed and Bow raised his hands in a sign of peace.

“Explain yourself.”

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, Glimmer is not feeling well to see anyone." Bow's apologetic tone was submissive and conciliatory. It was obvious that he was doing it because he had just left Glimmer's room. "I was just going... to bring her something for breakfast."

"I understand, Bow. Thank you for taking care of my daughter."

"She is my friend, your majesty" And with a nod, the queen retired.

She had breakfast alone with her husband and sister-in-law in the private chambers and suffered listening to all the missing preparations for the coronation. There were only three days left and then the next day would be the assault on the Salinas.

Mermista had been working on some defenses with Frosta under Catra's instructions and suggestions.

That girl was too cunning or Hordak was too stupid. Catra was playing a double role, and she carried them both masterfully.

Bow returned to Glimmer's room with a tray of pancakes and hot chocolate.

"I brought you your favorite breakfast, Glimmer!" She peeked out from her bed, wrapped in several blankets. On top of everything, the weather had cooled down and the sky was covered in clouds on that cold morning. Bow sat at the window spot, and was setting everything up. The still princess understood that he would not consent to breakfast in bed, no matter how much Bow had experience jumping the small platforms to reach her bed with the tray of food. With a sigh, Glimmer appeared in front of Bow still wrapped in the lilac blankets.

"We have to have breakfast now, there is a lot to do these days," he told her in a calm voice. He was so used to her teleportations that in a calm environment like this, she couldn't surprise him.

Glimmer looked at him through unshed tears. She remembered Bow's hard, implacable gaze from the night before, his deadly serious words. And now here he was as warm and caring as ever.

"Bow? Why?”

"Why what?" He asked back while he arranged the things on the tray so that the two of them could have breakfast and served the chocolate from the charming jug.

“Why are you here?”

"Because you have to have breakfast" he said like if Glimmer were a little girl. 

"But what happened yesterday, what you said" Bow sighed. Glimmer was so eager. He looked directly at her, being at once sweet and firm, comforting.

"Very intense things happened last night, Glimmer. But I really think that... I don’t recognize you, I didn't recognize you at that moment. I know the kind girl, who struggles with the queen because she doesn't let you defend our towns and villages, because you know what it’s to suffer from war, someone who is capable of taking a hit for her friends, the girl who gave the sword to a Horde soldier because it was the right thing to do" The archer spoke with a soft voice, but his words were forceful. He didn't want to accuse Glimmer, he better than anyone knew her heart of gold, sometimes wrapped in layers of insecurity or a head that was too hot and ready for conflict, but with a second thought she was able to rectify.

She dropped her hands and with it the blankets fell too. Looking into Bow's warm black eyes, it was alright in the world. Her best friend, the person who knew her better than anyone, the one who reminded her of who she truly was. Not this horrible person, left by rage, resentment and pain. She remembered every cold, biting, sarcastic word thrown at the cat and her stomach twisted.

Catra had barely responded to her attacks, continuing forward with her jaw clenched and ears lowered in annoyance, shoulders straight and tense. But now she had already broken it twice, visibly at least.

She had never seen anyone experience as much pain as the night before with Catra. Her scream was a scream from the soul, heart-wrenching. A heart she didn't think had the other girl. It was undeniable that Catra loved Adora, beyond any assumption she could have invented. The little she knew about magic was that resisting a truth spell was as painful as burns, which was an increasing sensation. And Catra had preferred to suffer that rather than speak.

It was as if a veil had been removed from Glimmer's eyes, from her heart. She had tortured Catra, not only during the interrogation, but since she blamed her for Adora's death.

The scratches on her friend's face only helped increase the feeling of emptiness and nausea in her stomach. It was her fault Bow was hurt too. There was so much to do, not just the coronation, but ending a war itself and Glimmer was using her energies to fight her allies, the ones that Adora would have happily given her life to have on her side again. Well, Glimmer wasn’t doing a great job about that. And that's exactly what Adora had done. The ghost of She-ra did not look sorry or afraid, it was a light full of hope and peace that it emitted. And her last look was directed at the opposite side of her friends, towards her enemy, her friend, her sister, her longing. All. The one she only loved.

Glimmer would have to learn to live with that. She had to move forward. In just a few more days she would be named Queen of Bright Moon, the most powerful kingdom this side of Etheria. She knew she wouldn't be alone, but things would have to change. She was no longer a child, she couldn't let herself be carried away by her impulses. She had to mature, be observant and objective, patient. Be more like Angella. And she had just yelled at her mother again. When was she going to stop making mistakes? To be so selfish?

"Thank you, Bow… " She said with a sad and contrite smile as she accepted the cup of hot chocolate and let the drink warm her body and heart "…For everything."

After a peaceful breakfast together, Bow had to leave her alone to attend to other matters. Bow was so dedicated, to all his friends, his obligations, and his passions. She knew he wanted to go check on Catra.

Glimmer took to bathing and pampering herself for a while. She put on the socks her aunt had knitted for her. Right now she needed everything she could get to feel loved, supported and safe. She knew she had to go out and attend to her royal duties, but she didn't want to leave her room and face the world. Especially because there were Catra and Scorpia in the world.

The princess had seen Scorpia during the battles, firm, strong, giant in her strength, funny, excited, even sad in the battle in the Northern, determined but never as angry as last night. Scorpia was just as upset as Bow, Glimmer had hurt her best friend, she knew it. If someone hurt Bow, Glimmer would tear them to pieces with her bare hands. And Scorpia had pincers.

After a couple of hours and in the midst of her indecision, Bow returned excitedly.

"Glimmer, I know what we can do to make the guys feel better!"

"Weren't they okay?" That lowered Bow's spirit a little.

“You know what I mean. We need something to make them integrate and feel comfortable and welcome to Bright Moon and the Rebellion."

"And what’s it?" Glimmer simple asked. 

"Do you remember what made Adora defect?"

“Food?”

“Yeah! But I mean, the festival in Thaymor. Even you noticed how happy Adora was there and the piñata! Glimmer, Catra doesn't know what a piñata is and she's been out of the Fright Zone longer than Adora! We have to fix this" Bow ready to fix all the injustices in the world.

Glimmer looked at her friend dumbfounded. “A party, do you want to have a party?” Of course.

"Come on, Glim. I need you to help me. Perfuma is already taking care of the decorations and sent for some plumerian artists, and Mermista is in charge of the food and Frosta is looking at the piñatas... I think she's very excited about that" He told her in a playful conspiratory tone. Glimmer couldn't help but giggle.

"Alright, Bow, let's let those Hordians know what a real party is."

This is how Glimmer was in charge of hanging the lights for the night festival and tying the strings of the piñatas as intricately as possible for Bow, in addition to bringing the tables, preparing the balcony and helping complete details for each of the other princesses. She was infected by the general mood and was enjoying herself along with everyone else to have everything ready.

When she saw the Hordians' look of amazement and joy, she realized again that Bow was right. The piñatas were a huge hit and even she could see the excitement in the two-tone eyes.

Glimmer couldn't help but feel a visceral pang of guilt every time she looked at Catra, who was wearing her gloves and jacket over a short gray tunic and black pants, so her bandages couldn't be seen. The feline avoided her as much as possible, her ears would flinch if she saw her. Glimmer didn't know if she was going to agree to take Adora's room. Now she understood that it was appropriate and correct.

That night, Catra didn’t come to the hallway, although she waited for her until just before dawn. Glimmer took a shower, went to the kitchens, and appeared with a breakfast tray in front of Catra's door. How did Bow open the door and not let everything fall out? The temptation to appear inside burned her, but she resisted it. While she was struggling, the feline herself opened the door for her. She didn't look surprised, just annoyed and expectant. Then the princess remembered that Catra had a much better sense of smell than herself.

"What do you want... your majesty?" Any word on Catra's lips could be an insult. The princess only blushed and looked at Catra's bandages, since she was now only wearing her red tunic with the boobwindow, where the scratches on her skin were already closed, leaving only the bristly fur.

"I... brought you breakfast." On the tray were platters of egg, bacon, ham, bread, sweet and sour sauce, tea, and hot chocolate.

Catra only raised an eyebrow and snorted, stepping aside to make way for her. Scorpia was sitting on a couch in the background, and looked at the princess with some suspicion.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were accompanied."

"It's okay, Scorpia was already going to see Entrapta."

"Sure…Entrapta! I promised Bow I would help them move some things" She left the room through the inner hallway and gave Glimmer one last warning look.

Catra's tail moved slowly and studiously.

Glimmer met her gaze and moved somewhat awkwardly to the table with small bean bags to sit on.

"What do you want, Glitter?"

"Do you have to question everything?"

"When something is not clear, I have to ask" She sat on the beanbag that faced the door, so that her back was covered, with her legs crossed. She looked as haughty as Angella. “Only then can you win.”

Glimmer didn't reply anything. She began to arrange the plates, cups and cutlery under the scrutiny of her feline companion. Did all cats gaze like this?

"I want... excuse me..." Before Catra's cynical and skeptical look she changed her words"I want to start apologizing, I know this doesn't change anything. I want you to know that what happened the other night was not my intention in any sense" The bicolor eyes were still hard.

"It doesn't matter," Catra said at the end. "What you believe, whatever it was, doesn't matter anymore. I told you, I'm only here to end this war and I'll take whichever way to make it, princess" Again the smug tone. ‘Even tolerate you’ said Catra’s gaze.

If Glimmer felt indebted to Catra, it might be something to enjoy while it lasted, probably until the coronation and the official announcement of being the new Commander.

Catra had had Entrapta investigate about it: it was quite a title, not as blatant as in the Horde, but just as powerful. The position not only had military connotations, but also civil and political ones, very unlike the General, who only had military power and responded directly to the Queen and the princesses as the case may be, the commander, on the other hand, also paid direct homage and loyalty to the royal family, but she had autonomy in their decisions, a fact that she was willing to exploit, and although she didn’t want to admit it, she liked that it put her on the same level as the rest of the princesses in the chain of command. That is if she didn't resort to the new card of "I'm also a princess". Although it was an empty title, like most of the ones she held.

A Force Captain since the original, Adora, was not, Second in Command only through lies and deception, despite all her effort and hard work to learn all the mechanisms of the Horde and discover that under the nose of Shadow Weaver things were done only as required at the time. If there were supplies and so on, it was only because of the constant complaints from the bosses of each area, but not because there were well-structured procedures, which existed, but Shadow Waever always had to allow each one, being all insufferable burocracy. Catra discovered that she liked to organize things. It started with the correct flow of the materials needed for weapons and ingredients for bars, to end up fixing all the logistics of the Horde. And she intended to do the same with the entire Rebellion.

The smell got the best of Catra in the end. She had a weakness for eggs and meat in general, that was only because Mermista had told everyone that if Catra really managed to stop a massive attack on the coast, she herself would prepare the best feast a cat could dream of.

"Catra… Do you want to try some of this? Adora almost didn't like it, she preferred tea."

“What is this supposed to be?”

"It's called hot chocolate."

Catra tried it. She wanted more. She tried it carefully, since she had already burned her tongue several times. Not only had the materials of the food fascinated her, but the textures and temperatures. In the Horde the bars were always at standard temperature. Here there were hot and cold foods. She wanted more chocolate. She could almost feel a part of her melting, which looked very similar to the little kitten with more hair than body. She composed herself at Glimmer's slightly amused look.

“It’s fine…”

"Yeah, sure," The princess chuckled. "It's my favorite."

After that, they were able to eat breakfast in a less tense silence.

"Catra, seriously, I want us to be able to work together, without trying to kill us."

"I'm not the one who's been trying to blame anyone all the time." Glimmer bit her tongue and held on.

"That’s not the point, horde scum... But I think it's been enough," the princess deflated. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm not going to apologize for anything, Your Majesty."

"I didn't expect you to do it anyway."

“Fine. It's good that we understand each other. I don't have to mess with you if you don't mess with me. Deal?"

“Whatever you want” Glimmer dismay with one hand. 

And with that Glimmer puffed to the kitchens to leave the tray with the remains of breakfast. Catra sighed. She had been greatly surprised that Glimmer came to her room. She would appreciate a little peace. She had enough with her own conscience screaming in the back of her mind without having to put up with Glimmer all the time too, however, she would continue to be careful the next few days, because she didn't believe in magical changes, and she didn't believe that Glimmer was going to take well the announcements during the coronation.

The kings saw with some pleasure that the next two days, Glimmer was finally taking the coronation seriously, being present and active in all the preparations, while Catra continued to supervise the attack on The Salineas on both sides.

After the Horde patrols passed through a certain area, the rebels proceeded to evacuate it and under the orders of DT, the reconnaissance didn’t pass through the same place again, only with certain defensive points, where the civilian population had been exchanged for volunteers and rebel soldiers.

One day before the coronation, Catra, Entrapta, Lonnie, Frosta and Mermista were in The Salineas, preparing the defenses. After Adora repaired the Great Gate, many people returned to their homes within the kingdom of Mermista, and more had been added over the months as the war continued, as the Gate offered much better protection, so mobilizing the entire kingdom was a task that would require more than a week. Instead of wasting time and effort on that bert, Catra decided to use her numbers to her advantage.

She asked Mermista to organize a volunteer levy, as Catra knew well that volunteers would swell their ranks and defend their home fervently. Almost half of the population had responded to the call of the mermaid princess. 

Lonnie was impressed by the kingdom itself, she liked the style of The Salineas much more than the lavish appearance of Brightmoon, and Mermista enjoyed watching Lonnie working to get the defenses ready. Lonnie mischievously looked back at her. Lonnie was on a supposed solo forward reconnaissance mission. Entrapta already had a whole report prepared for her, so that Double Trouble could present it to Hordak.

With almost nightfall, everyone retired, until Catra was satisfied, only small details remained that would be finished by the Royal Guard of the Salineas and the Captain of Mermista, the only one who had stayed by her side when the Sea Gate was deteriorating.

Finally the morning of the coronation. After a frugal breakfast awaiting the afternoon banquet, everyone rushed to finalize details, even Catra helped, since her claws were the perfect complement to finish the features of the large ice statues of the kings and princess.

At noon, everyone ran to their chambers to dress up for the big event, which hopefully happened only once a generation or so. Scorpia wore her well-known black dress that gave her a magnificent back. Entrapta, just under Scorpia's watchful eye, changed her usual work overalls for a very Bright Moon-style tunic, magenta with light gray details.

Catra asked the tailors to make a formal suit according to the Magicat's fashion, in black and cherry. She got tight maroon pants, her black foot protectors, with a red ornament on the back in the shape of her crown, her cherry blouse fell down her hips, adjusted by a wide black belt, where she could hang her whip if she wanted, tight to her arms, which after so much protein and exercise the last two weeks had quickly regained their volume, the sleeves were dark gray and wrapped around her hands without covering her fingers, the collar was tight like Adora usually wore, but she requested her typical boobwindow, where the scratches were no longer noticeable, thanks to her natural healing and Perfuma's ointment. All the clothes in rich fabrics typical of the royal house.

The dot in the i of her outfit was the cape, made of moon silk, the same fabric as Glimmer's cape. It glimmered on the outside, with the deepest black with soft highlights of gray when billowed, and the inside of an intense and dark red, iridescent with a thousand other shades of red. It covered her up to her knees and adjusted to her body thanks to three black brooches on the chest. It had a hood with openings for her ears and at the back, at the height of her tail, the cape split in two up to the bottom to allow her tail all freedom. Thanks to the clasps, she could wear it open in the front, place it on her side so that it fit over her left shoulder, or just rest on her shoulders and back like Glimmer's.

She had already decided that she would take her place among the princesses, as she deserved, and when she put on the crown again, she made it aware that this represented a break point. Then she would be in charge of tying up the last ends.

Glimmer went to look for Catra in her room one last time to apologize again, as she had been doing, under Catra's cold gaze. But she only found Scorpia getting ready, who used her tweezers to make sure that her shave was uniform and she smirked flirtatiously in the mirror.

"I don't want to interrupt you, sorry."

"Oh, sure, but I'm done." Scorpia smiled nervously, not expecting to have company these minutes.

"Do you think... you could help me with that?" Scorpia looked at her without understanding. "I... I was thinking some time ago about changing my hairstyle and you seem very good."

"Really… Do you want me to cut your hair today?"

"Yes, I would like that" The scorpioni princess was glowing. 

No one had ever asked her to do something so personal, so she proceeded with all the enthusiasm and care in the world so as not to accidentally leave the kingdom without a queen.

Castaspella looked so happy and satisfied, everything was perfect. The Throne Room looked much more festive and magnanimous than ever, with long fabrics adorning the ceilings, garlands of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers hanging on the walls and columns, a gift from Perfuma and her kingdom, large waterfalls formed and guided by glowing ice structures.

The kings couldn't be prouder, Glimmer was wearing the queens' ceremonial robes that had been passed down from queen to queen for millennia. Micah wore a long dark blue moon silk cape fitted around her shoulders, and Angella wore a dress that hid her legs but outlined her figure. Two braids gathered her hair on the sides of her head to end in a high bun that let her stellar hair fall in soft waves.

"Today we are all gathered here, being part of history, so that a new leader can rise among us. With joy in their hearts and pride in their souls, the kings of Bright Moon give their turn to the new generation" Castaspella announced with great clamor, beginning the ceremony. 

Glimmer stood in the center and her aunt, reverently, lowered her hood and there was a general sigh of surprise at seeing her new bearing. Casta bowed and retired to the side. A soft music of winds and strings sounded deep in the background.

Micah took a step and offered a hand to Angella. The two walked slowly through the space that separated them from Glimmer, until they were both in front of her. They looked at her and she returned their gaze and smile, then lowered her gaze again, as was the ritual. The kings turned to face the crowd.

“King Micah, the Brave, and Queen Angella, the Benign,” a herald announced.

"Today, a new era is born for all of us. But for something to be born, something else must die. It is the twilight of our time, of our reign, and it is the dawn of a new one,” Micah exclaimed with great pride.

"Today, we abdicate in favor of Princess Glimmer, The Kind, since we are sure that under her leadership, not only her kingdom, Bright Moon, but all those under the protection of the Alliance and the Rebellion will reach their splendor and we will obtain peace." Angella declared with fervor and conviction.

The entire room was plunged into a reverent and expectant silence, which the music only intensified. Catra was under the spell of their majesties, understanding that royalty was much more than showing power. They weren't the only ones: all the princesses shined in their suits and ball gowns, reminding Catra that they were more than they seemed. That each of them was ruler of their own kingdom or territory.

Micah stepped forward and summoned his scepter, raising it with both hands and showing it to the audience. He turned around and, with one knee on the ground, offered it to Glimmer, who without completely looking up, accepted it solemnly with both hands and supported it decisively in the ground.

"Princess Glimmer, I offer you my scepter as a sign of strength and conviction to face any situation without giving in to doubt."

"King Micah, I accept it with joy and humility."

With the words spoken, Micah, now untitled, returned to his previous spot, one step aside. Angella then proceeded to remove the crown with a single tear, which legend said, came from the Moonstone itself, she showed it to the crowd as well and there everyone knew that what was happening was real. Now she turned to Glimmer.

"Princess Glimmer, I offer you the crown of Bright Moon as a sign of benevolence and wisdom, so that all your decisions are from the conscience and the heart." Carefully and slowly, Glimmer knelt at Angella's feet "Look up, princess " And her mother leaned down to place the little crown on her and Glimmer felt the weight of the world on her. Angella smiled at her, supporting her, without anyone else seeing it.

She took a step back and then turned back to the crowd, while her daughter remained kneeling. Angella took the opposite end of Micah.

"Lord Micah and Lady Angella have offered their tributes to Princess Glimmer, who now stands as our new queen" The herald announced, and only at his words, Queen Glimmer finally sat up.

"I accept the crown of Bright Moon with the promise to end the war, bring peace to Etheria and prosperity to all the kingdoms of the Alliance" Everyone present burst into cheers.

The new Lords let the people express their joy for a few moments and only when the clamor began to die down did Angella advance to the center and front again. She knew that this was only the beginning of the ceremony, for the power vested in Glimmer to be fully her, she needed to complete the Queen Search rite, for which she needed two witnesses, which was not fully implied in the old scroll, is that her witnesses would also be her companions in the search.

"Now, not only is a new queen presented to us; With the rise of Queen Glimmer, we need another commander. Using my last words as Queen Angella," Catra had her tail stiff, it was her moment "my Last Will and Order, I named the Half Moon Princess, Catra, as our new Commander" The feline silently advanced from her place next to Scorpia and Entrapta.

Catra knelt in front of Lady Angella and she removed her own hood. Now the silence was total, even the musicians had fallen silent. Angella did not allow the silence to spread or oppress her, it wasn’t the first time that one of her decisions was not well received by her people, but her conviction was what made her strong, and following her instincts is what made her Micah's wife. Glimmer wasn't even able to process it clearly.

"Rise, Princess Catra, Commander of the Alliance and the Rebellion" At her instruction, a servant approached with a purple silk cushion, on which rested a gold pin in the shape of a wing "I offer you this symbol of the Real House of Brigh Moon as a sign of friendship and commitment, as well as your new position."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I, Catra of Halfmoon, as representative of the Magicats, who perished at the hands of the Horde, swear that this war will end and that Hordak will fall."

Those who were old or wise enough to remember the Magicats, as well as the soldiers who had fought in Dryl, the inhabitants of The Salineas and the coast who had seen Catra work for their defense, Perfuma, Entrapta, Scorpia, Kyle and Rogelio shouted and roared to support the oath of the Lost Princess. And she pinned the pin to her shirt over her heart, after a pompous movement of her arm to move the cape away from her chest.

Notes:

That's one up! I have two more.

Thanks for reading and hit the kudos!

Chapter 17: Quest

Catra's ears mindlessly swung back, listening to Glimmer's muffled groan was pure delight. She already knew that her parents had not told her anything about the commitment. The new Queen’s shock echoed in other princesses too. 

Perfuma seemed the least surprised, as regent of Plumeria, the most extensive and diverse kingdom, she had great knowledge not only of plants, but of the different beings that made it up, and although the queen's words were true, the Magicats had been missing, but extinct, more than twenty years, it was a mystery where Catra could have come from to reach the Horde.

Queen Angela, Lady Angella, she had every right to appoint whoever she considered the best option, and it was true that Catra had demonstrated in a short time her enormous value as a strategist. And Scorpia looked so happy, she needed to believe that this would be for the better and that finally all the kingdoms would be at peace.

Catra remained in her position one step below the former queen, facing the crowd, the cheers slowly fading. Glimmer couldn't speak, partly from her own shock and partly from her knowledge of the ritual of the ceremony.

"Now, in order for Queen Glimmer to take full possession of her qualities and responsibilities, the Queen Search must be carried out, where she must bring two witnesses" Angella spread her wings in a dramatic movement. "The witnesses will be Master Archer Bow, and Commander Catra, lost princess of Halfmoon"

Bow moved forward from his place in the crowd to stand next to Catra, who turned around and was now facing Lady Angella. The archer gave her an uncertain smile. Bow could only guess what Glimmer was feeling. He understood the kings' motives, but he would have liked Angella not to use the “royal will” card. Glimmer wouldn't dare break the most sacred rules of the kingdom, but if they had talked to her, sooner or later she would have seen the truth of the decision to name Catra the new Commander.

"May you all contemplate the blessed light after the arduous path," the angelic being exclaimed the words, exactly as she remembered hearing her mother say before her.

Bow and Catra bowed and advanced after Angella, until they reached Glimmer, who watched as Bow received the lamp for the search from her aunt Casta, who with tears in her eyes, smiled at the three of them and stepped back again, beside her brother. Glimmer was still a little shocked and no matter what she was feeling, she had to move on.

Angella bowed, Glimmer did the same, and then Mermista stepped forward, and with great ceremony, used her magic to open the waterfall behind Glimmer to Catra's amazement, inadvertently noticing all the new information, just in case. Mermista, bent over, stepped back again while the two witnesses followed the new queen behind the waterfall and it closed in their path.

The entire hall fell silent, and some looked at each other, including the former kings, who sighed. But now everything had to be prepared for the banquet that would take place after the Search, which should not take too long. The route was not long... and the guard was nothing for such a capable team.

"Alright, it's time to search! We are very good at searches! Right, Glimmer?" Bow said nervously.

"My mom is crazy! You Commander, Horde Scum? Princess?! "

"Uh, yes... I'm afraid so, Majesty " Catra told her in the same tone of incredulous insult.

Glimmer took a deep breath, seeing the cat glowing with satisfaction. She knew it, clearly.

“Since when?”

"After the interrogation."

"I can't believe it, I really don't."

"Well, you'll have to do it, Sparkles" Catra approached her to face her "I thought you were the one who said that you wish we could work together without problems."

"This doesn't give you any rights."

"It gives me all the rights, and a princess should know that better than anyone. I have sworn allegiance to Lady Angella, so you can't order me anything, Majesty, and in battle, you will have to do what I say" Catra was enjoying it too much.

Glimmer had helpless tears in her eyes. It shouldn't be surprising that Catra had done her homework. Now they were equal, and as regent of the Rebellion, Catra could technically raise the other kingdoms against Bright Moon, but if her parents had consented to this, it was because they trusted the cat, and after taking a very deep breath, much to Bow's relief, Glimmer spoke calmer.

"I will be watching you at every step you take, one mistake and it will be the last one you make."

"I don't have any mistakes to make, Sparkles, you should know that well,” Catra’s words were dead cold and dispassionate “Now… What are we looking for?"

"Uh, hum, the old scroll said: “find the shrine where the light dosses, to glow next to the stars.”

"Stars?"

"Don't you know what stars are, cat?"

“Of course not-”

"Hey, girls, what if you better..."

"Well, we have to finish this so we can eat."

"Is that the only thing you think about?"

"No, I also think you look silly with that cape." And Catra began to advance without waiting for them, Bow nervously looked at Glimmer. But Catra's satisfied smirk had penetrated the queen deeply. It was the same smirk Adora had when she won, when she had beaten Sea Hawk at Seaworthy. It was the smirk when She-ra reduced mountains to gravel with her bare hands. Adora liked the raw power of the sword and enjoyed it. Again, seeing Catra walking confident, relaxed, was seeing Adora once more, and her stomach twisted in confusion.

"Glimmer?"

"Come on, Bow" And finally the pair of friends walked.

The archer had nervously watched the exchange between the two women, and with pleasure and amazement he saw that it didn’t go any further, although the words were not kind, at least neither of the two had blamed each other for past faults or mistakes. That had to be a breakthrough, right? but what left him intrigued was the indefinite glow at the end in Glimmer's gaze.

They followed the downward path of the tunnels for a few minutes, where Bow tried to make chit chat, feeling how the tension still didn’t reduce, but all his attempts didn’t go beyond a few dry comments in response. He wished Catra could spoke with Glimmer like she talked with him. Maybe he was just asking for too much. 

Now Glimmer was carrying the lamp and Catra was following behind the two, she had stopped a little earlier pretending to be interested in an old engraving, which had the same nonsensical lines that she had seen in the technological crypt where Adora trained. They reached the glowing cave where they literally found a little shrine and Glimmer and Bow happily ran to meet it, Catra's ears twitched before she thought about anything else. She barely had time to jump, grab Bow and Glimmer by the waist and jump again, avoiding the elemental that attacked them.

"What is that?!" Catra shouted.

The three fell to their knees from the force of Catra's jump and Glimmer was surprised that she was able to carry them as if she was She-ra. She dismissed the feeling in her gut.

"Bow?!"

“I don't know!”

They ran and dispersed so they could continue in the game. Bow used his arrows to slow it down and Catra ran, throwing off her cape. She didn't understand how She-ra could fight with that burden. She felt powerful, yes, but it also restricted her movements. The cape bite the dust silently and behind Catra's hair, they could see two small black embroidered wings, just like the ones Glimmer really had on her back. No, she couldn't be distracted right now.

"Ehm… Maybe the old scroll said something about a guardian!"

"And just now do you remember?"

"Before they wrote very strangely!"

"Why do you always have to fight giant monsters?"

Catra's claws made a dent in the beast's skin, but it didn’t harm it. Then she would have to use force. She jumped as high as she could. "Bow!" She shouted in the middle of the jump and the archer listened and responded, he threw a net arrow to restrain the elemental, Catra spun around in the air to hit the elemental on the head with her heel.

Glimmer ran for the lamp she had lost and then to the shrine.

"Hurry, Sparkles, this thing won't take long to get up!"

The force of the cat's kick was amazing, Catra was surprised, she knew well that with that blow she could break rocks and bones, but the beast just flinched. Her heel hurt. Glimmer didn’t reply and hurried, before the elemental got up, she was able to put the lamp in its place on the shrine and the beast stopped fighting, looked at the queen for a moment and left in peace.

The cave darkened and luminous balls emerged from the shrine that danced in front of them for a few moments and an instinctive knowledge struck Catra. Stars. After her dance, the lights focused on Glimmer, who shone all over, felt the power and was lifted to the very center of the Queens' chamber, two wide wings made of light emerged from her back and surrounded her. Catra and Bow watched the spectacle in amazement, and the feline had to admit that now Glimmer really seemed more powerful. The queen was placed by her wings on the ground again, in front of the shrine, from which a hologram of Angella appeared.

The Lords could see from the throne room, at the exit that led to the Moon Stone pillar, how it gleamed, accepting a new owner. Angella wasn't sure what would happen to her powers, maybe now she would be the one to recharge, but she didn't care. It was time for Glimmer to display all her power and now with Micah teaching her sorcery too, she would be a marvel.

"Glimmer, my girl... I knew you would make it. I am very sorry for doing things the way I did, but you need to understand that with all our power, our responsibility is to always think about the greater good. I love you, my daughter, I know you will be fine. You’re not alone, and I have prepared you to rule, but you have always been ready to lead. Remember what makes a great leader and everything will be fine" Glimmer's frustration subsided and love resonated in her heart. She trusted her parents. Her face softened into a peaceful smile that highlighted all her features and her feeling was such that she didn't mind having Catra in front of her along with Bow. Catra had to admit that this was quite a revelation about the little princess.

"I have never doubted you, Glimmer."

"Bow..." Her friend hugged her "Thank you very much for being there for me, and for you… Princess, thank you for saving us" Catra's ears heated up. She knew Glimmer was teasing her, did she want to be a princess? Well now they would call her what she was.

"No one is left behind, Sparkles." Said Catra with a smirk.

Glimmer was so happy that Catra couldn't bother her. The queen advanced towards them and in the middle of a hug, puffed them to the Moon Stone, but not before Catra recovered her red-black cape. The cat lost all her grace as she fell to her knees and held her stomach with her hands.

"What did you do to me, damn Sparkles?"

"Oh, hahaha, the kitten can't handle a little glitter?"

"You get used to it over time, Catra."

"I don't want to get used to it."

The time on Beast Island she was so lost in her thoughts, in the pain in her claws and in her heart that she hadn’t noticed the horrible feeling of emptiness and vertigo that came with teleportation.

When she got up, she did unsteadily. The rest of the princesses welcomed them all with cheers and hugs. Catra had to stay behind, as Perfuma and Frosta were ready to congratulate her on her new title. But the smile never rose to her eyes.

Catra and Glimmer each had to hold themselves up from inside, because two giant ice statues looked at them, with serene joy on their sculpted faces. Adora on the right, kind and firm, and She-ra on the left, relentless and confident. Spinerella and Netossa were among those who wanted to congratulate them both, and the princess of the whirls had a premonition. Everything had been laid out splendidly for the banquet and all the princesses and lords shared a large circular table, surrounded by other small tables for the enjoyment of all the other guests.

Once the crowd was satisfied. Glimmer was called by her aunt, now she had to take her place, before sharing and tasting with the others. Even with the robe on, the new power coursing through her nerves and under her skin, the queen felt hopeful for the first time in weeks.

She invoked her scepter again and without any sign being necessary, since Bow was not the only one who had studied his part of the scroll, Catra and the General stood, one on the right and the other on the left of the Queen. Glimmer stopped being surprised, it was obvious that Catra was as determined with the details as Adora was when it came to planning and being prepared. And there, under the gaze of her dear friend, she let her heart remember love, and from love she spoke.

"With the power of the Moon Stone vested in a new Queen, the Coronation ceremony has finally concluded, now we can greet the new monarch."

The entire crowd bowed, including the other princesses and lords. Glimmer felt the pressure on her again, but seeing Catra in the cloak again, standing firm at her side and in front of her, immovable as she had been since her arrival on Bright Moon, helped her focus. Not even the presence of the statues had frightened her.

"With the power entrusted to me, I swear to protect, seek and care for every Etherian who trusts in the Rebellion and the Princess Alliance. With the help of each one of them, each one of you, we will finally reach our goal" She took a deep breath "We’re getting closer to ending this senseless war, and the opportunity is thanks to the Princess of Power, Adora, our friend" She pointed to the statue on her right. “Her example of dedication and sacrifice, of duty and love, will remain among us, giving us hope and strength to move forward regardless of adversity, because in her name, and in that of each one of us, we will fight until we win."

With their oath finished, everyone began to take their places at the tables. Glimmer next to her mother, then Micah, Casta, Bow next to Glimmer and so on. Catra sat between the princesses, between Entrapta and Scorpia. Kyle and Rogelio were sitting at a table to their right along with guards and people of some importance.

Catra let the heat of Glimmer's last words wash over her. It was true, everyone was gathered by Adora here. Her last and greatest act was one of sacrifice, yes, but not motivated by lies and assumptions; It was an act of love. And Catra knew it better than anyone. Her last look, her last smile, her last words, they were all Catra's. All the first times were hers, and now all the last times were hers too. Catra couldn't stay there.

She didn't have to be here.

Adora had to be in her place. Leading the Rebellion, and in the best case scenario, Catra would be alongside her. Fighting side by side, for whatever cause Adora chose, because all Catra had ever wanted was to support her dreams and help her make them come true. When Adora was gone, Catra had taken their dreams of greatness in the Horde and made them her own, because she truly thought and felt that it was the last thing she possessed, the only thing she could hold on to. And now she couldn't even hold air in her lungs.

Scorpia was so busy with Perfuma that she didn't notice, Entrapta so absorbed in arguing to have food brought to her in small portions and... Catra got up silently and left. She was almost starting to run. When a hand on her shoulder stopped her. It was a big, warm hand, a firm and kind touch that she didn't recognize. Magenta hair and pink skin greeted her, along with a worried and apologetic smile.

"Hello… it looks like you need to breathe a little. Follow me?"

Catra had never spoken to Spinerella and didn’t expect this princess to ever approach her. She knew she had storm and wind powers, but it was usually Netossa who talked to her. They were always together. It was not a matter that interested her too much. Faced with the disaster in her mind, she let herself be guided to one of the corners with trees, all overflowing with flowers.

"I'm Spinerella."

"I know who you are" Catra leaned against a tree "What I don't know is why we're talking."

"I've noticed... that you have certain reactions when it comes to Adora" And Catra couldn't help but stiffen her tail and shrink her ears.

"That's none of your business, princess."

"Catra… I know it's hard to admit what we feel" Spinerella took her by the wrist, and although Catra showed her teeth, she didn't bite "I just wanted you to know that if you ever want to talk, I can listen to you" She let go of her wrist. " Congratulations on your new position" And finally she left her and returned to her place next to Netossa, who was talking with Mermista and Sea Hawk. But as she sat next to the other princess, Catra finally saw something that moved her beyond even the pain Glimmer had caused her.

A kiss between the princesses, a light, soft, sweet kiss, a brief greeting for a brief absence. Catra knew what kisses were, but kisses between the former kings, for example, only gave her an insane sugar rush. But seeing Netossa and Spinerella gave a new dimension to what a kiss could be. And after the kiss, seeing how Spinni joined her forehead with her wife’s, with a smile full of peace and serene satisfaction. It hit her in the deepest.

She returned to her place and ate and drank with the others. Trying not to look so much at the wives, absorbing every detail. Until hours passed, her pad vibrated.

The Horde advance had begun, and Hordak had a surprise.

Notes:

I really hope you enjoy!

Chapter 18: Filthy Beast

Summary:

Catra asks some important matters to Shadow Weaver.

Everyone is enjoying the party after the Search, but now they had to move.

Notes:

Ok, this is a little redundant chap, to give a bit more insight in some events.

I hope that it's no boring.

Catra.

Princess Catra.

Halfmoon. 

Catra, the princess of Halfmoon.

Catra, a magicat.

Catra, the magicat princess of Halfmoon. Princess and Commander of the Horde, and of the Rebellion.

These thoughts flooded the feline's mind. Since she had left speaking with the kings, she hadn’t stopped thinking about everything their words implied for her. Naming her commander was surprising and she could understand it anyway. But never in her life she would expect to be the same kind as the princesses.

But here she was. Trying to decide if she wanted the rest of the world to know. In the end, the kings had reiterated to her that they were not sure of her ancestry, although she was undoubtedly a magicat, since there were so few of them, almost any bloodline would link her to a greater or lesser extent to the Royal House of D'riluth.

The crown only complicated things, or simplified them. Catra had always liked to see the difficult side. She was so mentally hyperactive that she had no choice but to move. She usually didn’t leave her room except for breakfast and War Council meetings.

She also didn't stop thinking about Adora and all the times she had asked her to go with her to the rebellion, everything they would discovered together, done together. Adora would surely have looked at her mockingly and smugly when they discovered, together, that Catra was a princess. She was sure. She would just look at her like that, with that silly smirk of hers, and wouldn't say anything else.

Even with her escort, she asked to be taken to where Rogelio was training and after competing against him for a while, she asked her own guards to assist her. She needed to hit and she knew Rogelio too much for him to distract her. Catras’s mind was divided. The recognition of the kings made her swell with pleasure, and the discovery of being just another princess confused her too much. She felt a twisted pleasure in savoring, in imagine, the moment when Glimmer find out that Catra would be the new commander.

She was not jealous of her for her role as queen. Princess or something similar was something Catra had never looked for. She was not interested in those titles. She wandered around the castle as much as the escort would allow and wondered how long it would take for the kings to fulfill that part of their offer. As she crossed a hallway, she noticed the closed doors and the pair of guards stationed on the sides. The doors were normally open during the day.

"What's there?" She asked just to distract herself.

"The traitor Shadow Weaver rests behind those doors" Was the laconic response of one of her guards. Catra's tail lashed helplessly. She heard disapproval in the guard's tone of voice, but Catra couldn't tell if they extended it to herself, or if it was just about Shadow Weaver. Well, the guard's opinion or anyone else's didn't matter, now they would have to deal with the new Commander.

The next day, Catra soon discovered that no guard was waiting at the end of the hallway and was able to walk freely with Entrapta and Scorpia to the laboratory, which had a completely different appearance. It now looked much more like the Horde laboratory, at least as far as the machinery was concerned. Because the dim light and the creepy bodies inside their capsules couldn't be seen here.

"Today you seem in a better mood, Wildcat."

"Of course, you’re seeing the new Commander of the Rebellion" She had woken up in an excellent mood and for a change, she was willing to keep it up.

“Oh really? Is it true, isn’t it?” exclaimed Scorpia. 

"Angella will make it official at the coronation of the shiny princess."

"I knew they just needed a little time to see how great you are" And Scorpia caught her in a big hug.

"I congratulate you, Catra. This just shows that the data don't lie" And Entrapta began to blurt out a whole study of how the numbers in the Horde had been just as satisfactory. Catra was pleased to let her talk.

They worked for a while until breakfast, where Scorpia was distracted by Perfuma who noted that they no longer had their escort. Scorpia nervously told her that the queen no longer found it necessary. Perfuma considered it cute and one of Scorpia's best qualities that she tried to save appearances when Catra asked her to keep something to herself, so she didn't press the issue.

Bow caught Entrapta's attention. With one friend on her left and the other on her right, each one with someone else taking their attention, Catra ate breakfast in silence, enjoying the food as her mind wandered. At a certain point, she realized the situation and when she looked further, she found Kyle and Rogelio sharing together. She felt alone.

She was going to leave the table and then Bow turned around and asked her a technical question about the Horde's shock batons and she soon found herself immersed in Entrapta and Bow's talk. The archer wanted to implement an upgrade to his arrows, but was unsure about using voltage. Thus Catra found out about the progress and difficulties they were having with the ship. At some point, Glimmer joined the general atmosphere and seemed to be chatting on the other side with Perfuma and Mermista.

When they were done, Bow had the audacity to squeeze her shoulder as he left with Entrapta to continue working on Darla. A part of Catra that she didn't want to get used to feeling thanked the archer for the gesture in silence. Catra didn't realize how geeky she was becoming.

With Entrapta busy with Bow and Scorpia with Perfuma, Catra would normally retreat to her room, whether to sleep, plan, or draw. Now she went with Rogelio and the lizard was surprised to have her with him again, however, she enjoyed the training together and with the signs and clicks that Catra was able to understand, he told her that he was glad to see her better. The cat pretended that she didn't fully understand and left. Was she really that transparent?

Catra realized that she was no longer in the cesspool of a few weeks ago and the desolation was retreating to give way to a deeper sadness. A state that didn’t disable her, but remained as a dark and gray reminder in the back of her mind. She had tried hard not to think about Adora and had succeeded a little and now Adoras’s memory hit her at the least expected moments.

Catra could remember Adora smiling next to Kyle and Rogelio, she could imagine her fighting and training against her at the Bright Moon facility. She wanted to tell her so much about the latest news. She wanted to tell her that she finally had the courage to go with Shadow Weaver and not beg for her approval. With Adora's ghost in her head, she headed towards where the day before she had been told the witch was.

"I want to see the prisoner" The guards looked at each other for a moment, and opened the door for her.

"Don't go through the barrier, because we won't be able to get you out of there. The Great Sorceress is the only one and she is not in the castle today."

"I won't."

She entered the cell in silence and with a firm step. It was just another one of the lavish rooms, without excessive furniture, without cushions and with a magic bubble surrounding the back of the room and the entire balcony, so Catra had some freedom of movement.

"I was wondering when you would come" Shadow Weaver had been reading, with a drink nearby, in a simple-looking armchair.

"I never thought of doing it. I don't feel like smelling your stench."

"Oh, those are not the manners I taught you, Commander."

"You didn't teach me anything." Catra had to remind herself to keep her mind calm.

"That's debatable. You didn't learn anything I tried to teach you. What a waste. To think that I spent time on you."

“Be quiet.”

"I see that now you look and behave like a princess. What would say your dear Adora to see you so comfortable in Bright Moon? She would surely be radiant."

"Shut up, damn it. And don't you dare put her name on your filthy lips." Maybe Shadow Weaver was the only person with whom Catra didn't have to pretend or hide how much she cared about Adora, especially at this point, so she didn't bother creating any barrier.

"You're just a filthy beast, no matter what you look like. A beast that never learned its place. Get out, I don't want to see you at all" Catra's claws dug slightly into her own palms. Her heart was mutilated and Weaver's words only turned her on. She no longer had any rights.

"You’re no one to talk like that. And you better listen to me. It doesn't matter if we’re in the Horde or the Rebellion. I have surpassed you in everything. I am now the Commander of the Rebellion and your fate will soon be in my hands, so you better understand your place" Catra's voice was cold, controlled, devoid of any emotion other than deadly resentment.

"Have you just come to rub your success in my face? What a pitiful creature."

"Old bitch, you aren’t able to accept that things have changed. I only came to you because you are the only one who knows where I come from."

"So the rebels finally realized what a poor beast you are?"

"Speak," Catra growled.

"Oh, great commander. What can this poor old woman know about an exalted being like you?"

"Stop teasing and start talking" Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes a little.

Catra's shoulders were tense, but not hunched. The tail was kept still and only the tip moved slightly. The ears were erect and slightly back, showing her annoyance. Her clenched fists betrayed her anger, but there was nothing to show the fear that Catra had learned to have.

"I already told you, you're just a poor beast. An animal. A disgusting hybrid like so many others that roam these lands. It was a shame we had to use you."

"Leave your tricks and mazes for someone who doesn't know them. What do you know about Magicats ?"At that, the witch left the book on the arm of the chair and leaned forward.

"An impure race, who did nothing better than let themselves be killed. So useless that they were the first to fall to Hordak."

"You gave me the crown. Where did you get it?”

"If you are as clever as you claim, you must already know where" Catra could see her eyes crinkle into a smile.

So it was true.

“Why me?”

"Because I needed something to entertain Adora while I was busy. A filthy lizard didn't seem appropriate to me. No, just a pet so she could learn how to train it. Adora needed to learn to be in charge, even over little vermin. And nothing better than the most impure vermin, heir to the dirtiest and most useless race on this planet" That had almost made her retreat. Almost.

It had brought Catra a certain calm that she didn't understand. It was not a spoil. She had had a family, and the Horde had taken it from her. She wasn't trash forgotten or left behind by parents who didn't want her.

Confirming what Shadow Weaver had done, or perhaps the Horde, brought hir no more hatred than she already felt against them. It only helped reaffirm her conviction. And to increase the hatred she had for herself. How had she been so blind to expect that this woman would at some point show her even a crumb of her affection? The self-hatred she had was a feeling she knew how to deal with, so she just turned around and left with the same firm step.

Maybe that's why she had exploded like she did with Glimmer. The injustice of her assaulted privacy was a very small echo for a stolen childhood, a life and a family, but it was what Catra had at hand. So it was downloaded into Glimmer. Everything went wrong when Glimmer proved to have more powerful weapons. Catra, who was very aware that she had been wrong all along and had managed to keep hatred, unease and regret at bay, trying not to relive the past and not imagine castles in the air, could not suppress the wave of feelings at Adora's letter.

Love was the cruelest weapon of all. It burned her, made her want to die.

The whole avalanche of emotions consumed her in a tsunami that she was not prepared for.

And the morning surprised her with a bad joke. Now she not only hallucinated Adora, but she smelled her. Seeing Adora's writing was a strange, fleeting relief. And she felt like she wanted to tear her claws off again when she saw Bow's face. She could barely hold back her tears when the archer, in all his sentimentality, showed her little Adora. Now she no longer had to imagine or dream about it. She could hug her, even if it was just a bit.

Catra stabilized, no longer like an open wound, exposed to every element. Perhaps she was healing a little... finding glimmers of peace or joy.. Little pleasures like scrambled eggs, piñatas, warm unexpected touches from her friends, were getting under her skin.

She wanted nothing to do with Glimmer and was too surprised when she caught her odor coming from under the closed door, she even heard her hesitating behind it. She had to appreciate the gesture. She doubted the princess would mess with her things again. At least Catra had to get something out of that night.

As she had thought, Glimmer get away from her and when they met, she was solicitous and even shy, she would have to add. The hot chocolate thing was quite a detail.

The little princess stayed out of her business and Catra thought it was the least she could get. She had enough with her own head.

Now that she knew the crown wasn’t just a meaningless gift from Shadow Weaver, but something with true significance, she could keep wearing it—only now, with a new reason.

 

 

 

 

"Hey, what a surprise" said Lonnie. 

"Where are you?" simple asked Catra. 

"In the eastern training rooms."

"Good. I need you to get me all the available documents from Shadow Weaver's management." Lonnie was surprised.

"You put all those papers in order when you locked her up, remember?"

"I'm talking about the classified reports, not the silly supply reports."

"I don't think that's the best thing to do two nights after the attack." Catra sighed for a moment and Lonnie expected Catra to start yelling at her just to make her obey.

"Alright. But you better have it ready after the attack."

"Take it for granted, Catra."

"Okey. Don't forget everything printed."

"Of course not."

Catra logged off before she could say anything else. They always had to be careful with Hordak's little spy. Entrapta had determined that the little beast didn't need more than a few minutes of sleep each day. Lonnie looked at the dark screen of her wrist communicator, a gift from Entrapta, for a few seconds. She still didn't fully believe the change that was taking place in Catra.

The Force Captain, after Adora, was perhaps the right person to say everything Catra was and had gone through and grown and changed.

Lonnie finished her routine and decided to start taking a look at what she would have to investigate, Catra's new whim. She headed to the old witch's rooms and found that she couldn't get in with her pass. So she would need Double Trouble. Those were the small inconveniences that had to be known beforehand when starting a mission.

She missed the boys. She had never spent so much time without them and although they could talk through the trackers, it wasn't the same. Lonnie  concentrated on work and began searching the database for the records Catra wanted, at least what was virtual.

Finishing the defenses in the Salinas had been a good respite.

 

 

 

 

Catra held in her hands the fine clothing that Brightmoon's tailors had supplied to her specifications. She discovered a new and unexpected taste for the softness and richness of the material. No spandex and synthetic materials that oppressed their fur, but rather fine thread fabrics, so delicate and resistant that it was a pleasure to dress them.

She helped the princesses finish the preparations for the coronation, and even finished modeling the faces of the ice statues of the kings that were in the Throne Room. Catra watched the coronation with some amazement, taking her place between Scorpia and Entrapta, who had not been able to leave her pad behind and was still crunching numbers.

Glimmer certainly wasn't expecting Angella's little addition to the ceremony at all. It didn't matter Frosta's skeptical face, Mermista's harassment or Perfuma's apparent support. The only delight was Glimmer's stunned face, granted, she recovered enough to continue with the ceremony. 

What no one brought up, and only Scorpia seemed to value right now, was Catra's immense loyalty. Bow was slowly starting to see it, but he still didn't understand it. Scorpia knew it first hand. As soon as someone entered Catra's "circle", was entering her loyalty too, without ever showing it openly.

Scorpia verified it for herself on her own person. Catra defended her once and ten against Shadow Weaver and Hordak. Catra never stopped taking accountability for her actions, and if she managed to escape, she did so without directing attention to others. She had tried to keep Entrapta away from Hordak so he wouldn't hurt her, and it was clear that she had felt a little mocked when Entrapta had shown her own abilities to gain Hordak's favor. Also with those two almost anonymous bandits in the Crimson Desert, defending them from Tung Lashor. And now again by defending again and again, protecting Bow and the princess she hated so much at the cost of her integrity. Yes, loyalty was the best thing Catra had. The mistake with Entrapta and sending her to Beast Island only spoke of how pressured and hurt she had felt.

As Perfuma said, that did not excuse her, but we all have the quality to compensate and redeem ourselves. To do things differently, hoping it will be better.

And now it was the entire Rebellion that had Catra's loyalty. Okay, maybe Scorpia was being a little enthusiastic about that idea. The only thing certain is that the feline Princess would take her place and her role seriously and fulfill her oath.

The statues of Adora were something Catra hadn't seen as she hadn't left the Throne Room during the preparations and their likeness and artistry were such that she almost preferred Glimmer to pick her up again and teleport her somewhere else. But she braved it and kept it together during the swearing-in of the new queen. She didn't know that her stoicism, the "if I don't move, I don't break", Glimmer was taking as another example of her relentless strength. And that the queen was relying on that strength.

During the meal was when he had been about to run and only the unexpected intervention of a princess he had never dealt with had saved his entire day.

Discovering the love that those two princesses had for each other had opened a new dimension to what he felt for Adora. Now he could put a better name to his need to be close to her. To his desire to touch her at all times. To jump on him so he would notice her. He knew about kisses and hugs, and everything in between and beyond, but in the Horde they were very different things, they were passions to be brought out and silenced. Here they were much more.

She looked at Scorpia and Perfuma's interactions in a new light, if Scorpia even noticed, and a part of the cat sighed in relief at getting rid of her in that regard.

Catra couldn't continue in the dilemma because her pad rang and she received a message from DT.

She stood up and walked over to Glimmer. I wanted to be queen, so let's start.

"We have to move, majesty " prompted Catra.

"What's the matter?"

"Double Trouble reports Horde troop movement. They are under the direct orders of Hordak. They're heading to Salineas"

"Shouldn't they leave until tomorrow?" said Glimmer with a remark.

"That was the plan."

The princesses who were close enough to hear them made dismayed faces and Mermista immediately stood up. Her grimace promised storm and destruction despite her magnificent dress and headdress.

"Let's go to the War Room." Glimmer exclaimed. 

"No time for that."

The atmosphere began to change little by little as other people began to notice that something was happening.

"Everything is already planned. You just have to put it into action" said Catra again.

"But..." the new queen continued to hesitate. 

"Majesty, there is nothing more to talk about. Are you coming or not?" Catra didn't give Glimmer a chance to respond. She simply faced the rest of the princesses, mainly Mermista. "The situation has advanced, but everything is ready. They won't take us by surprise like they think they will. Everyone, you have 10 minutes to do what you have to and be in the bay."

Glimmer's face burned. She hadn't even had time to use her new powers, the reach of them, and Catra was barking orders all over the place. And it hurt her to see how the rest of the princesses didn't stop to question. Mermista, Frosta and Spinnirella went to their rooms to took off their party clothes. Netossa, Perfuma and Scorpia stayed to calm the others down. Netossa took it upon herself to inform the lords.

"General, let the vehicles be ready for the princesses" Catra ordered. 

"Of course, Commander" and Juliet bowed to her to go give the necessary orders.

"Entrapta, do you have everything ready?"

"Affirmative."

"Fine. We're going to Salineas" Entrapta began to recite facts about the Sea Gate and Glimmer remained planted in her place.

"Are you staying there?" Catra laughed. "This won't be the same as Dryl, Glitter. If you want to go, move" Glimmer just teleported to her room to change, tears in her eyes. 

Notes:

that's all I had, but I wanna see the battle too jaja so I will put my ass to work on that tonigh.

Thank you for the support, coments and bookmarks! all is deeply appreciate.

Chapter 19

Summary:

The Battle at the Sea Gate is large and intense, then on land all continue for hours, but with Glimmer's might, the Rebellion had a chance.

Catra had some ideas that the rest of the princesses didn't like too much. And Catra is surprised with

Notes:

Hello!

I didn't remember how huge was this chapter.

hope you all enjoy!

The attack on The Salineas was everything Catra had promised. Chaos.

It wasn't like Dryl's attack, here they were simply truly defending against a massive attack. Catra was quite intense, installed next to Entrapta in a room with all her equipment inside Mermista's palace.

Controlling both the Horde and the Rebellion's line of action, Double Trouble was following her orders and relaying Hordak's. This wasn't exactly the shapeshifter's field of action but they was doing a pretty reliable job. With each new order from Hordak, Catra let them gain a certain advantage, while thinking of a new rebel formation to stop them. All people still out in the sea, in a 100% naval battle. The only princesses who could move easily in this scenario, apart from Mermista herself, were Frosta and Spinnerela, while Netossa and Perfuma had to stay behind on the parapets. Glimmer was a particular case, because she still needed some surface to land on, and Frosta could always create her own base.

The Horde fleet was more advanced, of course, with thick armor and strong firepower, its only disadvantage being the maneuverability that was limited by its size and which was now offset by the strength of its numbers. Catra had planned a major attack and now to say it was massive was no understatement.

"I thought I told you that no more than three fleets would be sent to attack."She was complaining to her double on the screen.

"And that was the plan, Kitten. All according to your orders, but Hordak finalized his secret weapon and ordered to use all available forces. Immediately. I let you know as soon as it was safe."

Catra grunted and watched the formations on her screen again, as she had done in Dryl. Glimmer was turning out to be a powerful weapon. Catra had not taken into account the Moon Stone factor, now that the shining princess had her complete connection, the number of trips was no longer a limitation and Catra had already seen her teleport an entire ship to avoid a Hordian beam.

Sea Hawk was proving that all his stories weren't just stories. He alone had taken down a couple of Horde ships and masterfully captained the three ships that Mermista had placed under his command, with the help of his helmsman, Bow.

All the rebels' efforts were being overwhelmed regardless. Mermista's fleet did not exceed thirty frigates and only had two battleships. The Horde navy exceeded a hundred cruise ships, as well as destroyers and had six battleships and two skiff carriers, which waited patiently behind the battleships to reach the Sea Gate to deploy their entire flotilla of skiffs and foot soldiers. After sinking nearly forty cruisers with the frigates and two battleships with the combined power of Mermista and Spinnerela, which between them truly created a hurricane, the Horde continued to advance inexorably and there were only a dozen of the frigates left. Catra led rescue missions for both sides and directed Glimmer primarily into defensive positions much to her desdain. The Horde soldiers they managed to rescue from the treacherous waters were taken to battleships and skiff carriers. As soon as the horde's main fleet was within range, they began attacking the Sea Gate directly and Entrapta's charts went to work measuring the hits.

"The Gate is not going to last long with this rate of attack" said Entrapta. 

Catra growled, she had counted on sinking more enemy ships before they got that far. At least her calculations of Horde ballistics had not failed. She ordered at the microphones: "It's time: Frosta, Mermista, release them. Glimmer, Spinnirela, let no one be left behind. Sea Hawk, can you see the flagship?" A destroyer with three bridges and five turrets where Hordak must have been.

"Understood."

"Copied."

Mermista and Frosta responded and quickly went to their positions a hundred meters in front of the Gate. Spinnirela drove the rebel frigates past the mark and Glimmer took it upon herself to check that everyone was safe. Glimmer aimed a flash bomb at the sky then Mermista and Frosta used all their strength to release their last marine defense.A few meters below sea level were hidden ice walls and icebergs that Frosta had created in advance and held to the seabed with thin columns that she was now breaking.

"No, I only see the decoy" was the answer from Sea Hawk.

"Double Trouble, where is Hordak?" Catra asked again. 

"Right behind the battleships." 

"Okay, maneuver and take the wave to leeward."

Mermista conjured a giant wave that passed through the Gate unpunished and displaced all the ice with overwhelming force, which wreaked havoc on the Horde army, but didn't finish it.

With half of his remaining forces shipwrecked, Hordak exploded. He ordered his destroyer to finally leave the shelter of the battleships, of which only three remained, and a single skiff carrier. The soldiers tried to take shelter in the small rescue schooners and now the rebel frigates, along with the rest of the princesses, were fishing for Horde soldiers to capture them under Catra's orders.

"Princesses! I won't let you get away with this. Now all of you will know my power" and at those words, Hordak raised his arm cannon with an intense red beam and fired at the Sea Gate, in conjunction with all the destroyer's cannons and the Gate finally  took down.

Mermista couldn't believe it. Her beautiful Gate. The Gate that Adora had repaired was now torn down. Her anger knew no limits.

A Tsunami rose from the depths of the open sea and swept away another significant portion of the Horde navy. Terror spread among the Hordians as they saw for once the overwhelming power of a princess, just as all their stories said. Dangerous instigators from whom Etheria had to be freed. The rebel frigates were saved only thanks to the prompt response of Glimmer and Spinnirella. It was time for the second Horde army to attack. Thanks to the tsunami that Mermista had generated, the numbers that Catra had calculated were now closer to reality after Hordak's outburst of enthusiasm. They were much closer to the initial forecast. Although this new cannon was outside of Catra's expectations.

"Glimmer, take Frosta to the port, quickly."

"I'm sending you her location," Entrapta said.

"Understood. The second phase begins!"

Glimmer did as she was told and Frosta began to release the ice defenses they had built in the days before the coronation, reinforcing the city bay, from where the first contingent of ground soldiers could already be seen arriving. The roar of the rebel legions was also heard. The Sea Guard was being supported by the Rebellion and the large number of civilians who had decided to stay and defend their home.

The Horde closed the clamp from the sea as well. A dozen cruisers managed to survive, followed by the last two destroyers, as well as Hordak's flagship, the armored cruiser where DT operated and the only remain skiff carrier. Skiffs normally carried two soldiers, now carried four or even five elements due to the overpopulation that occurred from the rescues of the sunken cruise ships. Netossa and Perfuma could finally help in the shore and entered the battle with joy in the heart. Glimmer had used her powers relentlessly all morning and was still feeling elated. She felt the power of her rune stone running beneath her skin without fading or consuming. Was this how the rest of the princesses always felt? She was burning to test her limits, if she had any. Using increasingly concentrated and powerful light beams, she was creating significant damage and distractions that attracted the attention of the Horde's main artillery.

The fight to take the city was savage. After the first wave of Horde soldiers from land, the rebels were managing to hold the territory. All the rest of the population not in the battle were safe in underwater shelters that Frosta had built under the careful supervision of Entrapta.

Catra had at her disposal several buildings in the city that she could take down, such as some old warehouses and shipyards in the port, where she sent DT to disembark the skiff carrier, demolishing an important part of the structures in the process. Mermista knew that this was part of Catra's planned defense, but for the first time she began to question the reasons why the cat did not openly announce her resignation from the Horde. Anger and sadness began to grow in the mermaid's heart, seeing her city being attacked and her people massacred.

The Horde attacked with fatal power and the shocks of the stunt batons left burns where they hit the unarmored bodies of the vast majority of civilians, many were people of the sea and suffered excessively with such wounds, but they fought as if they were not affected. The Horde advanced and maintained positions with the help of their robots and Entrapta was once again working her magic, this time with much more care because she didn't have Emily's repeater, but was directly hacking the network of the ships.

"How do they manage to reorganize so quickly?" Glimmer asked after some specially awful encounter. 

"The coats of arms are not just for intimidation, Sparkles, there's a system of signals too." Catra answered.

"And why didn't you say it before?"

"Cause I don't want any rebels to get ahead of things."

Communication between the princesses was fluid and they commanded their forces with the alacrity that was required, the one who undoubtedly stood out was Netossa, who turned out to be the bravest of all. When they heard Catra's response on the general channel, they knew that she was referring to the fact that in Dryl's attack, Frosta and Mermista had anticipated orders.

Little by little and throughout the afternoon, the battle developed without revealing a clear winner. The Horde gained ground as DT supported them in battle directly, Catra's natural weapons turned out to be overwhelming in combat. Just like Hordak, who swept away the defenses and the rebels themselves with his arm cannon. Catra, seeing the situation, and seeing the rest of her options, was thinking that Glimmer would finally face him.

"Catra, we can't continue like this!" Perfuma called, who saw how her pods were consumed by the Horde leader's shots without problem, while she was trying to protect a rebel group that was looking for a new position to defend. Catra growled.

"Perfuma is right. If a change is not implemented in the current course of action, we have a 60% chance of the city falling" Entrapta remarked with some concern.

Dryl's princess knew she was with the rebels, and remembering Adora's fate at the hands of her experiment with Hordak helped her focus her priorities, but having to fight against the first person who had understood her and shared her passion with her was difficult, hard and confusing. That is to say, now she had Bow as a new companion who was equally enthusiastic and who shared with her the idea that imperfection was beautiful and that was what made everyone special, their own particular imperfections, only that Bow preferred to call them qualities only. She patted her cheeks and concentrated on continuing to sabotage the Horde's robotic defenses.

"Good. Do you want a change of course? Sparkles! You'd listened?"

"Crystal clear" Glimmer glared at nothing, since she couldn't look at the feline.

"How do you feel your energy levels?"

"I've never been better."

"Okay. I want you to go to Hordak and distract him, destroy that cannon if you can."

"He's going to regret leaving his dirty cave." A dangerous smile appeared on the queen's face.

"Make him then," Catra mirrored her smirk without knowing it.

Glimmer finished destroying some bots and helping a few rebels subdue a Horde squad that ended up falling prey to Perfuma's pods, who smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up to encourage her. The queen teleported a couple more times, launching flash bombs until she arrived almost naturally in front of Hordak, who, seeing her with the teardrop crown, showed a disdainful smile.

"So we have a new queen."

"The one that will bring you to your end, Hordak."

Hordak turned out to be a better-prepared fighter than Glimmer had thought, and they engaged in a dizzying fight. Glimmer and Hordak attacked each other with premeditated viciousness. The queen could not compete against his physical strength, so she tried to stay out of his reach, but the lightning attacks of the two were powerful and both rebels and Hordians had moved as far as possible from their combat area to protect themselves. Glimmer teleported only a second before the red rays reached her, in an effort to gauge Hordak and his reactions. It seemed that her new power was finally reaching its limits, while the white-skinned one looked agitated but whole. His red eyes flashed with the promise of victory.

Catra spoke into her ear.

"It's lasted too long. He is volatile. Make him angry, take advantage of the fact that you're a natural nuisance" Glimmer gave an amused snort.

"Look who's saying it," she whispered back so only the microphone can took it. "Even with your entire army you are not able to stop us! Shadow Weaver at least knew when to leave you!" The queen shouted at the cat's advice, seeing Hordak's reaction to the mention of the old sorceress. Did everyone react the same to the witch? "You did not know? Your Second is now with us!"

"No! Catra eliminated her", Hordak shouted. 

"That's what she believes. But Shadow weaver is with us, helping Entrapta finish off the Horde."

Hordak did not say anything else, he only roared in annoyance, losing his calm without return, he attacked in a rampage.

Entrapta cringed a little at Glimmer's words and Catra noticed. She knew it was a lie, but it hurt her to see the confusion on the geek princess's face. Glimmer knew too much how to twist things and a cold admiration unintentionally reached Catra, she put a hand on Entrapta's shoulder and she cringed further in surprise, offering her a small smile afterwards. Entrapta had confused feelings as she watched the fight and realized that Hordak was still using her designs and the First One crystal she had given him. She understood the reasons Catra had given her, her numbers and logic were undeniable and now she could understand a little better the limits that her science must have. So that her friends and Etheria itself would not suffer the consequences. But seeing her former friend was still painful.

Now, with a Hordak out of control, desperate, wounded, just wanting to reach Glimmer, the queen finally managed to break Hordak's cannon with a concentrated beam of light, which almost left the leader of the Horde without his own arm. Double Trouble was not far away, fighting efficiently alongside Lonnie, who was wearing her combat armor. DT arrived kicking Glimmer and grabbed Hordak to escape with him. The queen was so focused on the fight that for a second she thought she was facing the real Catra again in battle and only a minimal shot from Lonnie prevented DT and Hordak from being fried. They escaped in the middle of skiffs that covered them and DT ordered the complete withdrawal of what remained of their forces. The Salineas had suffered much more damage than Dryl, but it was a much larger and more populated kingdom as well.

"Fascinating."

"What?"

"Glimmer's power increased more than 300% compared to demonstrations prior to her connection with her rune stone" Despite everything, the data was the data for Entrapta.

"Be sure to incorporate it into the next simulations."

"After this battle, I think it is the optimal time to attack the Fright Zone."

"We will wait for the perfect moment."

"Understood, boss" Entrapta did not stop working while talking to Catra, who was quite satisfied with the result of the battle.

Hordak, for the first time in all his years on Etheria, felt defeated. He felt the same as when Horde Prime banished him to die on the front. With more than half of his total forces destroyed, it was unclear how he was going to recover from this attack. Double Trouble even felt sorry for him. Until he yelled at them to get out of his sight. Lonnie and the shapeshifter looked at each other for a second before shrugging, giving a reluctant bow, and leaving him alone in his private chamber on the flagship. The rest of his forces followed the ship, only taking care not to cross its wake so as not to capsize. Many Horde soldiers had been captured, in a move the princesses had never managed before. The soldiers watched in terror at the princesses and as their comrades retreated, trying to reach a transport, with few caring to reach out to another troop. Many experienced disappointment and abandonment at that time.

Netossa, Perfuma, and Frosta were going beyond their strength to hold off the soldiers, while the rebels and the rest of the princesses helped seize weapons and began handcuffing them and directing them to the ice prisons that Catra had planned.

"Can we know what all this is for?" Glimmer suddenly appeared to bother the cat, who was finishing reviewing new numbers with Entrapta. Lonnie was watching everything from one of the monitors in the room, on the flagship she just took off her helmet, the truth is that she was curious too.

"May you be more specific, majesty? This is to verify the results of the battle against the forecasts" The feline answered without taking her eyes off her tablet. "We can barely handle so many prisoners. The cells are overcrowded. The Rebellion had never taken prisoners before. It's a risk for the city to have so many Horde together," Glimmer explained angrily, looking at the catgirl in her princess clothes.

"These are calculated risks, Glimmer. The number of captures exceeded forecasts but that only indicates that the loss of lives was minimized. This is just the first step. The second phase will begin tomorrow, and we need you. Besides, I thought it would be a great opportunity to properly gauge the new scope of your powers." Entrapta replied. Glimmer was so surprised by her response that she forgot to be angry for a moment.

"Do you want to measure my powers?"

Catra let the two argue while she focused on discussing the new orders she had for Lonnie.

"Yes of course. Your new abilities were crucial in combating the extra ships and forces that Hordak sent to the front, wasn't that right, Catra?"

"I hate to admit it, but the numbers don't lie. It wouldn't have been the same without your connection to the Moon Stone" said Catra quite distracted, interrupting her conversation with Lonnie.  

Glimmer was much calmer, but upon seeing Lonnie on the screen, she remembered her main point. "I still don't understand why we need prisoners."

"That's why I'm the Commander now, Sparkles. And that's okay, I'll explain. I'm not just the commander of the Rebellion, I'm still the Horde's Commander, and I need to see for all my troops. And I can't do it if they're under Hordak's nose."

Glimmer couldn't believe it. Catra was still in the game, taking into account all the Horde.

"But they're a danger."

"I don't have time to explain everything to you in every little detail."

"Explaining it now will probably help optimize time in the following phases, Catra." Said Entrapta. 

Catra rolled her eyes at Entrapta's response. She couldn't believe she was being diplomatic.

"Alright. Gather the princesses in the Pearl Hall, I only want to talk about this once." she ordered. She had to remember that although she was the Commander, here wasn't equal to the Horde, where she could only dictate orders without anyone questioning her. Here she also had to take care of the ranks and pride of the other princesses, if she wanted them to cooperate properly.

Glimmer grunted and left, taking everyone who wasn't still dealing with soldiers to the palace's Hall.

"Do not look at me like that." Catra warned at Lonnie.

"I still can't believe you're a silly princess too."

"Well, you're not the only one."

"I'm sorry, your highness, did I insult you?"

"Shut up, Lonnie. I await the information I requested from you by tomorrow."

"I have enough, send Emily at noon so I can send her back."

"Good" And Catra cut the communication.

The princesses were helping civilians and volunteers put out fires, help the wounded and do everything necessary after such a long battle, to which they were not accustomed. All the prisoners they managed to capture were being taken to the ice prison that Catra had ordered built, since Mermista, like Bright Moon, did not have anything like that either. Catra had plans for all of them that would bring her closer to the perfect moment.

"I guess I owe Catra a feast", said the water princess. 

"We have to celebrate that we beat the Horde", added Frosta.

"I won't celebrate anything until they repair the Sea Gate."

"But without the sword… " Perfuma wasn't sure that the Gate could be repaired just like that.

"The cat has to find a way."

"And speaking of the cat, she wants a meeting" Glimmer appeared with them.

"Yeah? And who is going to take care of all these soldiers?"Asked Mermista. Almost all the princesses were at the doors of the underwater shelters they had built, which now that they're being cleared of civilians, would serve as an extension of the prison.

"Hey, hello, we're in charge of the prison," Scorpia greeted, flanked by Kyle and Rogelio. They were dressed in black pants with purple outer lines and shirts the same as those of the Horde, only instead of being white and red, they were lilac, their boots were no longer red either, but purple. Scorpia, on the other hand, wore a bodysuit the same as the dark red from the Horde, only black with purple and white edges. The princesses, who had not seen them in those clothes before, remained silent.

"Who put you in charge?"

"It was me, Netossa. I'm waiting," Catra said through the headphones.

"Hello, girls!" Bow came running. He had been fighting alongside Sea Hawk near the docks after the frigates had ceased to serve for the battle on land. "Hi, I'm sorry for the dilate."

"Hello, Little Friend, don't worry. Let's get started."

"What are you going to start?", asked the queen.

"Glimmer, I'm still waiting for y'all"

What was the point of being queen if she had to attend to that Horde Scum? In quick puffs, Glimmer took the princesses away and some prisoners were scared by the queen's upset face. Some had never even had a princess around and now they had suffered the power of all of them.

"Come on, guys, the mission is not going to be accomplished alone", said the scorpioni. 

"Do you really think this will work?" Bow asked Scorpia.

"Catra planned it, so it has to work."

"If you put it like that...", he didn't sound convinced. 

Rogelio grunted and walked to the first cells. The others followed him. The cells had been planned to fit up to six people, with their built-in cots and a small table with benches in the center. But now there were twice as many people in the tiny squares. They silently watched Kyle, Rogelio, Scorpia and Bow pass by. Some recognized them, especially Scorpia, and knew that they had been captured by the enemy. But now they saw them here, free, wearing the opposite colors. Scorpia felt their gazes, some cold, others skeptical, disappointed, strange. This might be harder than Catra had anticipated.

"Well, let's start by designating the corporals."

"What is that?" Bow asked.

"They're the prisoners who are in charge" Kyle responded and Rogelio nodded.

"We're not going to do anything for you, traitors," said a soldier and Rogelio growled louder and viciously. The soldier backed away.

"We'll see about that, dude. You are now under the command of Infantry Captain Scorpia, First Lieutenant Rogelio, and Engineer Sergeant Kyle" Scorpia almost tossed her spikes with pride. Catra was not going to leave them aside, as soon as she had power as Commander, she assigned them to their new positions. Bow looked at the scene impressed and after that they continued checking the cells, doing a count and confiscating any weapons that had been passed to them during the first inspection. Rebel soldiers were helping them too. 

Glimmer puffed with the rest of the princesses at the edge of the Pearl Hall, where Catra was standing in the center, waiting. Entrapta was next to her, working in her tablet. There were some members of the Sea Guard in the Hall and they bowed when they saw the other princesses arrive.

"Finally, Glitter."

"You..."

"Commander Catra to you. We are still in battle territory. I don't want to waste time when there are so many things to do" The feline shut the queen up, to the shock of the rest of the princesses. "First, princesses: this is not a democracy. I'm in charge. Lady Angella has entrusted her judgment to me", she said, showing the wing that was attached to her cape, "second, you will know what is necessary for your missions at the moment. An excess of information only turns out to be harmful. Third, Entrapta is my second in command, so I don't want any hesitation if she gives an order.

"Catra, this is crossing the line. None of us are challenging you" Perfuma began.

"I know, this is purely a general reminder. While we're in battle I expect your full cooperation."

"But we are no longer in battle."

"Everything that comes from battle is still battle. I'm not doing anything other than attending to the outcome of it."

"You mean you won't tell us why you need all those soldiers?" Netossa asked with her arms crossed.

"No. I will tell y'all."

In reality, Catra would have preferred to remain silent, but she needed to follow protocol. The princesses weren't Force Captains, they weren't even part of the army, but each one was owner of their own lands and troops. It was much more complicated than in the Horde, and Catra always had to be on solid ground. The princesses looked at her with varying levels of curiosity and skepticism.

"Half the Horde believe in good faith that they are freeing Etheria from the oppressive princesses. That's why they fight. Some are only loyal to the Horde because they know nothing else, and some others are only there for the blood and glory. Others even chose to join when displaced by war."

"Glory?" Glimmer burst out. "What glory can exist in all this?" she asked, like she haven't feel the rush from a battle. 

"The same glory Adora sought", saying the name burned her, but seeing Glimmer's expression was worth it. Just like the rest of the princesses.

"Adora truly believed that she was going to free us from the terrible princesses, and she also hoped for the glory that the battle would bring her. You feel it too. You like to fight and use your powers freely against Horde."

"Don't confuse things, we fight because it is necessary. We are defending ourselves" Perfuma intervened.

"Oh really? Who won the bet?" Catra returned.

The annoyed expression of Netossa, Frosta, Spinnirella and Mermista turned into a sorrowful grimace. Glimmer looked at them blankly.

"Spinnirela won, but only by two soldiers in the end, during the retreat. Mermista was the one with the highest account" Entrapta responded without taking her eyes off her screen.

"You turn the battle into sport while civilians watch their houses collapse," Catra demanded.

Glimmer couldn't believe it. She was not aware of such a thing.

"What are you talking about, Mermista, Frosta?

"Oh, a simple bet on who would be able to take down the most enemy soldiers," Catra said. She didn't really care if that motivated them to work harder or whatever, but they weren't going to come and complain about anything with their double standards. If they wanted to intimidate her or show her off, she would teach them. Catra had been playing this game since she was a child.

"Really? We're trying to bring peace to Etheria and you play with the soldiers," the queen exclaimed.

"That is the point. You all think that all Horde are evil, monsters or trash" Catra resumed the rhythm and the words that were directed at everyone hit Glimmer especially. Remembering her first impressions of Adora, and all the good she had now seen in Scorpia, Rogelio and Kyle. Now all the princesses seemed saddened on some level, the least affected were Spinni and Perfuma. "I need all those prisoners to teach them that there is more outside the Horde and that the princesses are not a bunch of monsters who want to kill them."

"That… That's what they think about us?" Netossa asked.

"From each one of you. And it's not their fault, it's what they tell all of us in the Horde."

"I had no idea..."Replied the same princess.

"You didn't have to. But y'all know now. The more prisoners we have, the less effective is the Horde for Hordak and the fewer enemies for us to fight."

"But we can't leave them all locked up there. There're in ice dungeons" Mermista said.

"That's not the plan. Trapta", she prompted.

"Emily's brothers and sisters are building a camp between Plumeria and Brightmoon's territory. The prisoners will be reinstalled there over the next few days" the geek princess showed them the images on her tablet; the robots digging, building a large wall and other facilities. "That's why we will need your new powers, Glimmer, it is the safest way to move them there and avoid any leaks. Once there, they'll be dedoctrinated and they'll be able to choose what they want to do next, within certain options."

Perfuma was now sure that her hunch about Catra was correct.

"But they are Horde soldiers, they have to pay!" Glimmer said and Netossa and Mermista supported her.

"Peace is not going to be achieved by imprisoning all the Horde!" yelled Catra back. 

"I agree with Catra", they all turned to look at Frosta. Even Catra. She didn't expect that. In fact, her last ace up hers sleeve was already coming.

"What are you saying, Frosta?" Glimmer felt attacked on a personal level.

"I didn't join the Rebellion just to fight. I joined to defend and protect the people. To all... And the Horde are people too" she said, turning to look towards the hallway, where the Captain of Mermista was approaching, covered in bandages, escorting Scorpia and the others along with more rebels, who were guarding almost thirty prisoners, still with helmets and armor on. Sea Hawk also came with them, without his jacket and with an open wound on his arm, but he was radiant and Mermista almost forgot to look jaded.

The rebels looked suspicious and calmed down quite a bit when they saw the princesses. The contingent of prisoners looked uneasy. The black and gray armor was broken, scratched and worn. Cracked hulls. The rebels didn't look any better, but at least none of them had visible wounds.

"The Kingdom of Snows offers its full support to the Commander of the Rebellion for the Horde dedoctrination program" Frosta said in a pompous formal tone.

"Plumeria will be more than happy to help in any way we can too."

"My kingdom will also support in everything we can" Spinni added.

Mermista and the others couldn't say more, not even Catra, who hadn't expected this.

"On your knees!" The Captain of Mermista ordered.

The Horde prisoners were forced to obey. The princesses were surprised by the new uniforms that Catra's team was wearing.

"Evan. What is this?” the mermaid asked her Captain.

"Commander Catra's orders, princess. We have brought the prisoners you requested."

"Thank you, Captain, you may rest," the feline responded. "This is so you can see the reality of the situation... Although maybe it wasn't necessary," she murmured at the end.

When she approached the Hordes, a general sound of surprise could be heard, because everyone recognized the Second of the Horde, within the territory of the rebels. The captured soldiers looked everywhere, surely amazed or overwhelmed by the magnificence of the Pearl Hall.

The cat walked up to a soldier and motioned to Rogelio, who went and took off their helmet. The rest of the princesses came closer to see. They all stepped back, or almost all of them, when they saw that what was under the helmet was not a monster, not a pile of garbage, not even someone with the face of a murderer, but a child. A teenager who should barely be 15 or 16 years old at most. Even Catra was surprised and a growl grew in her throat. Hordak had gone too far this time. This was a cadet who had not yet finished their training and had already gone out onto the battlefield and had been left behind to die, if those were the intentions of the Rebellion.

"Pick one, your majesty," she demanded of Glimmer, who took a step back.

"I… I don't…"

"Choose!" And the kneeling soldiers trembled visibly, fearful and knowing what Catra was capable of doing.

Her gaze blurred by the tears she wanted to hold back, Glimmer randomly pointed at a soldier in the second row in the middle. This time a rebel went up to the soldier and took off his helmet. It was another child, trembling and looking at Catra and Glimmer alternately with huge eyes. The rebel was also stunned. They all were. The princesses. The castle guards. The rebel soldiers. The only ones who were cold were Catra and Rogelio. Kyle and Scorpia were just sad. The child Glimmer chose had dried blood from an open wound on the side of his head.

"Now you," Catra said to Mermista. They looked at each other for a second and the mermaid pointed to the fifth one to the left of the one Catra chose. Rogelio also took off their helmet. A girl who was crying scared, with her hair disheveled, her face dirty, and blood stains splattered on her pale cheeks.

"Choose," Catra ordered Netossa, who with a cold and even face chose someone from behind.

Another rebel soldier went and took off the helmet. They already knew it was another lizard like Rogelio because of the tail and the crests that came out of the armor. Despite their corpulence, since after the novel stage they grew faster than humans, their snout had not even finished growing, which was half of Rogelio's. None of them knew their age, but Catra did, and she knew that that lizard wasn't even 12 years old. Blood was leaking from the holes that were his ears and the spikes on one side of his head were missing.

Catra forced each princess to unmask someone, and the biggest soldier they saw was Catra's age. Some prisoners did not tremble or cry, remaining stoic despite their young age.

"Take them all off," she ordered at the end. The thirty soldiers were teenagers and they all trembled in fear, even when Perfuma approached one of the girls, who did not stop crying to try to comfort her and only received a more intense cry, but just as silent.

They trembled silently on their knees, afraid of what would happen if they showed themselves more vulnerable, still confused, scared, they cast uncertain glances at Scorpia and Catra before lowering their gaze again. Perfuma and Spinnirela's heart broke a little.

Glimmer received a bitter pill of reality. They were the good ones. Why were those children so scared? 

"Nothing bad will happen to y'all," Catra said at the end. "Rise." All the cadets, because that's what they were, obeyed a voice and the princesses were surprised. "Now you're prisoners of the Rebellion, but I will be with you." Catra promised.

"Commander" One of the cadets dared to speak. He looked about 17 years old and had green hair.

"Yeah?"

"Cadet Renzo"

"You may speak."

"I… I saw you next to Lord Hordak. Is was a princess trick?"

"No. What you saw was a copy of me. The Horde has betrayed us. They have left you behind, to be left to die at the hands of the princesses. You all will no longer fight for the Horde" Catra's speech was met with complete silence.

Catra received the pad from Rogelio and quickly checked each of their files. The princesses realized that they were facing a true military exercise and some like Glimmer and Frosta were beginning to realize the need to modernize their processes and their kingdoms. When the commander was satisfied, she returned the pad to her first lieutenant. "Now each of you is a corporal. Will be assigned a number of cells and prisoners. Obey and you have nothing to fear. Y'all will report directly to Infantry Captain Scorpia and Lieutenant Rogelio, as well as any active member of the Rebellion, even if it is a simple foot soldier. Understood?"

"Understood, Commander Catra!" All the new corporals, whose term they understood perfectly, stood at attention now that they knew a little better what to expect. Catra was terrible to them, that was how she had painted herself, but she was a familiar face among the terror of the princesses, and the princesses stayed behind her, which only reinforced the idea of ​​dark power that the people already had of Catra. Furthermore, each of them was the best of each of their units; obedient, intelligent, active, excellent soldiers, who were not used to questioning the orders of their commanding officer.

Catra had them chosen under those guidelines because she knew they would help her keep all the prisoners under control. The cat dismissed them with a wave of her hand and returned to see the Princesses.

"Did you just give titles to Scorpia and Rogelio?

"Scorpia is the only princess who actually understands military matters, and the cadets know her. Rogelio is the best officer that could be in charge of the camp."

"I think you're going too far," Glimmer said.

"Present it at the next Council meeting" Was Catra's entire response. She wasn't the only one who had to adjust to the protocols. She honestly didn't have time to deal with Glimmer's tantrums. The rest of the princesses seemed to have understood Catra's point. Catra dismissed Rogelio, who left with the prisoners, Scorpia stood on her left, while Entrapta stayed on her right. None of the other princesses knew what else to say.

"Try to rest, because tomorrow there is still a lot of work to do. The Horde is going to start attacking desperately."

"Is that a threat?" Netossa questioned.

"Honey, I don't think..."

"Leave her, Spinnirella. It's not a threat, it's a fact. Hordak has already ordered to gather resources."

They continued arguing for a few moments until everyone got tired. Catra was able to answer even briefly their questions. When they finally left her alone, she returned to the command center she had implemented with Entrapta, accompanied by her friends. She still had to check that the supplies they had inventoried were distributed between the prison camp, Plumeria, and the small towns that were under Brightmoon's protection without actually being part of the kingdom. Another thousand such tasks were coming. She couldn't believe that the Rebellion was as disorganized as the Horde, at least now she could count on the princess of Dryl to help her bring order.

 

 

 

 

 

The next day, Catra walked around the city of Salineas, seeing first-hand the levels of damage, helping a little where she could, her strength allowing her to take care of things several times her size with some ease. She remembered how as she walked through the corridors of the Fright Zone after the Battle of Bright Moon and a few other successful missions, soldiers would make way for her, salute her, and stand at attention without her needing to say a word. She wanted that feeling back, and not the murmurs she could still detect in Bright Moon.

After fulfilling those responsibilities, she could see how Glimmer, Mermista and Spinnirella were also around helping. Catra didn't know when they had imitated her or if it was entirely on their own initiative. Mermista not only helped her people, but she was in charge of preparing the banquet she had promised Catra, without Catra even knowing.

After noon, the results of the help of the princesses and Entrapta's bots were felt. Now Mermista felt in a better mood to celebrate the banquet. Catra was led by Bow, Scorpia and Perfuma to the Pearl Hall, now decked out for the banquet. The smell changed her mind. The fish and shellfish made her mouth water and when she tried the salmon and shrimp, a grimace of pleasure was the reward for Mermista. Glimmer presided over a toast to the nobles of Salineas, as well as the service, Guard, and civilian volunteers who had distinguished themselves in battle. She spoke of the great test they had just overcome, of the combined power of the princesses, and of the compassion and bravery of the people of the sea. The mermaid also found some words to praise her people and managed to thank the commander for her great foresight and performance. After that, Catra made her move.

"Queen Glimmer and Princess Mermista are very gentle with their words. It is true, however, that not even the best forecast could be fulfilled without the support of all those involved. The people of Salineas, its garrison and the fleet were essential. So now, it is my great honor to ask Captain Sea Hawk to step forward." All the people kept an expectant silence, and the aforementioned captain, groomed again, with his mustache trimmed and shiny, his injured arm in a sling, stood up unsteadily and went to meet the commander. "Captain Sea Hawk demonstrated bravery, skill and mettle during the naval battle, so I as Commander of the Rebellion, now name him Commodore Sea Hawk", the public applauded the captain, who looked at the feline in amazement, and received from a small bot, a golden insignia in the shape of a helm with three stars on top, symbolizing the ships he now commanded.

Mermista was very proud.

"Also, I know that the Sea Gate is the jewel and pride of the kingdom of Salineas, so Princess Entrapta has the command to repair it" Entrapta didn't want everyone to look at her, so she just waved and returned to her place sitting next to Scorpia and Perfuma.

After those announcements, the banquet turned into a real party, much to Glimmer's displeasure. Catra was no one's friend and yet she had managed to get almost the entire alliance on her side. Jealousy and anger boiled in the queen. Catra was honestly exhausted. She was tired of having to hold back her tongue and temper, so she took it out on Glimmer whenever she could. Back on Brightmoon the next day, Catra was with Entrapta and Bow on the castle grounds with Darla, they could finally have a respite from the constant threat of the Horde and focus on other tasks. Catra had her tail stiff while the nerds had the sword of power with them, which the king had finally returned to them after analyzing it without any palpable results. The sword had allowed them to access other functions once they had inserted it into its slot, including repeating Mara's recording, and the feline's heart squeezed a little more as she better understood the intensity with which Adora had asked, ordered, and begged her not to play with the portal, and to help her stop Entrapta and Hordak. More than ever she was committed to not allowing Hordak to activate his machine again.

Emily had managed to cross the borders of the Fright Zone and the documents that Catra had asked for from Lonnie were already at her disposal, but between the relocation of the prisoners, the investigations of Entrapta and the organization of the Horde, she had not found a moment. Possibly she was also making the necessary excuses. Lonnie had told her that she really had to look at what she had found, but Lonnie didn't want to say anything else. And they hadn't been able to communicate for three days, because now Hordak had made Lonnie Force Captain and she was busy organizing raids on the border to recover some territory and get supplies.

And now, it seemed that the people, namely the princesses, were forgetting that she was the Commander of the Horde, the one who opened the portal, the one who had murdered Adora. Perfuma tried to talk to her about trivial things, or worse, personal things. Bow included her in his talks with Entrapta. Scorpia always made sure that her favorite foods were always on the table. Rogelio tried to be in the training room at the time Catra was going to train and have a round with her.

Glimmer was the only one who didn't forget. Her heart did not allow her to forget, especially now that Catra could occasionally be seen smiling surrounded by Entrapta and Bow, or eating quietly while arguing with Netossa and Spinnirella about the world and the army. Less now that Catra could laugh at a sarcastic comment from Juliet. Not now that Catra was slowly filling the place that Adora left available in the Rebellion, in the War Room, in the missions, in the lives of her friends. Not when now Adora's room was Catra's room, and next to Adora's small tabletop war figure rested a She-ra doll that some Plumerian had given to the Rebellion's Commander.

Thus another week passed quickly, during which almost Glimmer's only fun was testing the extent of her powers. She could easily teleport a dozen people and was amused by the number of prisoners who fell to their knees after appearing in their new cell at the camp. They couldn't take them all at once on the same day, because the numbers had really overwhelmed them, and when Catra had expected two or three thousand prisoners, they got seven thousand nine hundred. Nearly a third of the Horde's total strength. Therefore, the robots were building more floors of the buildings that Entrapta had already designed with Kyle's help.

Thanks to Micah, Glimmer was improving her magic as well and could now easily generate runes of illusion, fire, and even one of invisibility.

The Queen, on a rare afternoon when she didn't have to be teleporting prisoners, fighting with a cat, attending meetings, signing documents and so on, was enjoying her powers for the sake of it, climbing, kicking, appearing and disappearing around the perimeter of the castle, without feeling tired or limited. With heavy breathing and a light chest, she stopped for a moment on the outside of one of the highest towers of the castle, when in the distance, she saw strange figures arriving from the river that fed the Bright Moon spring.

She appeared on a watchtower and couldn't believe what she was seeing. An alarm sounded and she was startled. A group of soldiers left the main entrance to answer the alarm and the princesses also approached. It was very unusual. All the princesses were there, except Frosta and Scorpia, who were in the camp.

The different figures became clearer and everyone could see that they were animals. Some big and some small. By the time, even Angella was already flying over to land. They seemed to arrive on a small raft and as they got closer, they realized that they were coming on the back of a large creature.

Catra was behind everyone, not knowing anything about what was happening. For a moment she had feared that she had forgotten some surprise attack or something.

"Glimmer, what is happening?" Lady Angella asked.

"They are friends, mom," she responded with a smile.

The animals reached the procession that was waiting for them after jumping and swimming from the creature that was carrying them, until they could not advance any further due to the shallow depth. A beautiful deer, with large antlers like bronze, almost as tall as a horse. A golden montain lion with a black ring on its tail. A little white fox. A skunk. A big porcupine. And a sloth that was... floating, they came to them. Great, more magical things. Catra was already turning around to head back to her room, when she heard a deep, melodic voice greet her.

All the princesses, and Bow, approached the animals, which were wet, to caress them and receive them with cuddles and delight.

"But Lily, what are you doing here?!" Perfuma was heard saying to the skunk.

Glimmer, of all people, was waving and petting the cougar, who reached just below her hips, under the chin. Bow was waving at the porcupine. Mermista had the sloth in her arms after drying it with a movement of her hand. Netossa and Spinnirela praised the magnificent little white fox with eyes like emeralds that seemed to be looking for someone. Interested, Angella had approached the deer, which had a dignified and haughty air. They had already fired the guards who came and only they remained. Catra was still hoping to find out whose voice she heard. Not from any of the guards, she recognized everyone who had shown up by their smell. The cougar purred thanks to Glimmer's caresses. The deer allowed Angella to pet him, but his gaze was fixed on Catra, with a depth full of longing.

"I'm so sorry, Mehira... Now we can't understand you because Swift Wind is missing." Catra listened as Glimmer said to the puma, who apparently had a name, and somehow the queen knew him. The cougar sighed and rested his head once again on Glimmer's hand, seeking her caress. Mehira made a low meow, but Catra heard "we know". Her tail froze.

Mermista did the favor of drying the rest of the animals and after shaking themselves a little to adjust their fur, they looked at each other and the princesses.

"Mom, they're the magical animals that we found on the island that time… After the Battle of Bright Moon" Glimmer looked a little suspiciously at Catra, who really didn't understand anything and had just stood there, without her cape, increasingly nervous under the penetrating gaze of the deer and with her tail puffed. Catra didn't understand how she was able to hear the cougar to speak. The meows. ¡She was understanding the damn cougar's meows". She should have stayed with the Horde.

"This is Mehira," Glimmer introduced, Mehira grunted a little and Catra heard, "Hello." The queen continued pointing to the animals. Lily was the skunk who was with Perfuma, Winda the porcupine with Bow, Felix the sloth with Mermista, Tajana the white fox, and Treeleaf was the deer, who had grown since they had shown up on the island of magical animals. After Angella greeted them, Mehira approached Catra and started sniffing her, and before he could do anything else, she hissed at him.

"You don't have to be like that, I was just trying to say hello," Mehira hissed back at Catra.

"Yeah? Well, no one asked you to do so..." Everyone was shocked when they realized that Catra had responded to the cougar.

Notes:

Well, well, Glimmer and Catra are at each other throats, but that's nothing new.

So I wish you'd enjoy it!

Sorry any mistake! and the little creatures are from the book "She-ra and the Island of Magic Creatures", we all need some pets.

Notes:

I hope you enjoy it and I would love any review or criticism

uwu