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The forest was filled with the soft sounds of a breeze passing through the trees, the faint rustle of leaves, and the rhythmic patter of footsteps on the uneven ground. Adora moved with a steady purpose, her brow furrowing a bit as she scanned the path ahead. She had come out here to clear her mind. Being out in the trees and just walking for a while helped. Catra had insisted on coming with her, despite Adora's protests that she would be fine on her own. Catra had a way of making herself indispensable, especially when it came to staying close to Adora.
"I still don't get why we're doing this," Catra said, her voice cutting through the quiet. Her ears twitched in irritation as she approached another fallen log that blocked the path, even though she effortlessly hopped over it in her usual graceful way. "Why did we need to come out here to the middle of nowhere?”
Adora couldn't help but smile at Catra's tone. "It’s just a walk, Catra," Adora replied, her voice light.
Catra smirked, "Fine, I suppose I’ll humor you. Just don’t expect me to start hugging trees or anything."
Adora’s smile softened. The words came so naturally again, the teasing and banter. Adora let herself enjoy it for once. Enjoy just getting to be themselves, actually together, after so much. But the moment was shattered in an instant.
Without warning, a bright burst of golden light erupted from the ground beneath her, sending a pulse of sudden heat and energy rushing up toward her. Adora’s heart leapt in her chest. Her body instinctively reacted before she could even comprehend what was happening, and her arms shot up, but it was too late. The surge of magic was too fast. A scream tore from her throat as the searing heat hit her, and a jagged line of pain sliced across her right side. The world spun, a whirl of light and agony as her muscles locked in a desperate fight to stay conscious. Her vision blurred, and her breath was ragged as her body trembled, and she felt suddenly paralyzed by the intensity of the burn.
“Adora!” Catra’s voice was sharp and frantic.
Adora felt herself crumpling, the heat of the magic still radiating through her body, the pain so intense it was nearly blinding. She wanted to remain standing, but her legs wouldn’t cooperate. The forest around her spun in dizzying circles. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Catra. The last thing Adora remembered before the darkness took her was Catra’s expression, her usual snark replaced by something desperate.
When Adora awoke, the first thing she felt was a searing pain that throbbed through her side. She flinched, her eyes snapping open, and her breath catching in her throat.
"Easy, Adora," a voice soothed, soft but insistent. It was Catra, her tone low and careful and tinged with fear she was trying to keep at bay. There was a long pause, followed by the sound of a shaky inhale, as Catra tried to control herself. When she spoke, she had mostly steadied her voice, but there was an edge of panic. “You… you got hurt. Really hurt. It’s... it’s okay, you’re okay. You’re here. You’re with me.”
Adora blinked, trying to focus, but her vision was swimming. Catra was kneeling beside her, eyes wide with concern, the edges of her normally sharp gaze softened by tenderness.
"Wh..what happened?" Adora asked, her voice tight with pain.
"You’re lucky I was right there," Catra said, her words sharp despite the worry behind them. "You were hit by some sort of wild burst of energy. I pulled you out, but..." She gestured to Adora’s body, and the sight made Adora’s stomach twist. Her shirt was singed and blackened in several places, and her skin beneath was raw. The burns were dark and angry, scarring her pale skin with jagged patterns of red. Adora winced at the sight.
"You pulled me out?" Adora questioned with some confusion, her voice weak and her mind foggy as she tried to make sense of everything.
The way those words hung in the air, soft and unsure, made something twist in Catra’s chest. Her gaze softened for a moment, her usual snark replaced by something quieter, more vulnerable. "I’d never leave you," she said, her voice low, her fingers brushing over the edge of Adora’s hand in a gentle gesture. "You know that, right?" Catra breathed in sharply, trying to hold herself together.
The tender touch was a small comfort despite her distress, and Adora swallowed hard. Every beat of her heart seemed to send another pulse of pain through her battered body. She tried to lift her hand to touch Catra, but her arm refused to obey, only twitching painfully in protest.
"You’re going to be okay," Catra continued, her voice firm now, as if trying to convince herself more than Adora. "I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen to you."
Adora let those soft words wash over her and nodded weakly, her body still trembling. She shifted slightly, and a sudden wave of searing pain made her gasp. She clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying out, but tears burned her eyes. It was hard to focus on anything other than the pain, but Catra’s presence, her love, grounded Adora. Catra was here, and Adora felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude that she wasn’t alone.
“Stay still,” Catra murmured, her voice firm but with an undertone of softness. “You’re gonna make it worse if you try to move.”
Adora barely had the strength to nod, her body feeling like it was made of lead. She lay back against the rough bark of a tree, staring up at the pale sky and watching the light flicker through the branches above to distract herself from the pain. It was quiet now, the forest returning to its usual calm, but inside her a storm still raged.
“It...really hurts…” Adora admitted, her voice weak, almost a whisper, and forming each word a struggle.
“I have something that might help,” Catra tried to reassure her, although there was a touch of uncertainty in her tone. "But... these burns...” she trailed off, not wanting to complete her thought and say her fears aloud.
Adora watched Catra as she pulled a small pack from her belt. She always had something up her sleeve, even in the wilds of Etheria. Catra pulled out a vial filled with a pale, glimmering liquid. Adora’s eyes focused on it for a moment, the soft glow almost hypnotic. “Is that...?” Adora started, trying to push through the fog in her mind.
Catra didn’t meet her gaze, eyes fixed on the bottle instead. “It’s a healing salve I got from Glimmer a while ago,” she muttered. “Not something that works on every wound, but I’m hoping it’ll take the edge off. You’ve got burns, not cuts, so we’ll have to see.”
Adora couldn’t hide the flicker of relief that swept over her.
Catra’s hands were steady as she unscrewed the vial, her gaze focused on the task. Adora watched her, her heart giving a soft lurch as she noticed how gently Catra moved and how carefully she worked to keep the pressure on her skin as light as possible. The cool, soothing liquid dripped onto her burns, and the contrast between the warmth of her injury and the relief of the balm was immediate. It didn’t erase the pain, but it dulled it enough that Adora could finally breathe without gasping in agony.
“Thank you,” Adora whispered.
Catra didn’t look up. Instead, she dipped her fingers back into the vial and carefully continued applying the balm. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, her usual sharp edges softened in a way that Adora still wasn’t that used to seeing. “Don't thank me yet," Catra said, her voice sounding like she was forcing the words out. "I'm not a healer. I don't know what the hell I’m doing." She sighed, glancing up for the first time. "But I... I won’t let you suffer. I can’t."
Adora opened her mouth to respond, to reassure Catra, but the words got stuck.
The intensity in Catra’s eyes was a mix of fear and love. “There. That should help for now," she said, her tone lightening.
Adora felt the relief spreading through her, the burning lessening. Her vision wasn’t swimming as much, and she could breathe without flinching. The worst of it, the fiery wave of agony, had subsided.
“Better?” Catra asked, glancing back at her with warmth.
Adora took in a deep breath. She felt the coolness of the salve, soothing her and working its magic. The pain was still there, lingering in the back of her mind, but it was manageable now. “Yeah,” Adora replied, her voice steadier than before. “Better.”
Adora tried to push herself upright. “If I just… if I can transform, She-Ra can finish healing it.” But her body felt drained, and her magic distant. She hated the weakness of it, hated admitting she couldn’t fix this herself. Adora swallowed, feeling the truth of it.
Catra’s hands pressed gently but firmly against her, stopping her from rising further. “Just stay here,” Catra said softly. “You don’t need to be She-Ra right now. Just… breathe. Rest.”
Adora exhaled shakily, letting her head tip back against the tree trunk. Adora managed the faintest smile. The cool shade of the tree and Catra’s steady presence beside her felt like an anchor. For the first time since the burns, she allowed herself to simply rest. They didn’t speak for a while. There was no need for words. The forest around them was still and quiet. The only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the distant chirps of birds. It felt like a small moment of peace. As Adora’s eyes fluttered shut again, she found herself thinking, just before sleep claimed her, that this was what it meant to be cared for.
Catra sat against the tree, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her legs folded beneath her in an attempt to keep herself still. The soft, rhythmic sound of Adora’s breathing was the only thing that kept her grounded as her mind raced, darting from one worry to the next. The burns had taken so much out of Adora. Seeing her like that, in so much pain, had made her heart ache more than she thought possible. She glanced down at the vial of Glimmer’s salve that she had tucked away in her pack. The shimmering liquid had worked wonders, but there was only so much it could do. Magic was unpredictable. It didn’t always heal perfectly, especially with something as volatile as magical burns.
Her eyes flickered to Adora’s still form. She was finally asleep. Her breathing was slow and steady now, the tension in her body having eased. Her skin, though still marked with angry red marks, looked less inflamed than it had moments ago. The salve had helped, but Adora was still vulnerable and weak. Catra couldn’t shake the feeling that if she didn’t keep an eye on her, something could go wrong. She had to stay vigilant. It felt like every nerve in her body was on high alert. Her fingers twitched, itching to move, to do something, anything to make sure Adora was truly okay. But Adora needed rest. She needed time. So Catra sat. She did nothing, and it drove her crazy.
Her tail flicked idly against the ground, though her body was taut with restless energy. There was always something she could do; she had learned to fight, to survive, to claw her way through anything. But right now, there was nothing to fight or claw at. There was just Adora, exhausted, finally safe enough to sleep, and Catra’s own helplessness pressing down on her. Catra leaned her head back against the tree and sighed, trying to shake off the weight in her chest.
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the quiet settle around her. The forest should be an escape, a place to think without being interrupted. But now, with Adora so vulnerable, Catra couldn’t escape her worries. She couldn’t block out the echo of Adora’s scream from earlier, when the magic had burned her alive. She had been there, hadn’t she? She hadn’t left Adora, not for a second. Even when every instinct screamed at her to run before the flare could reach her, she had stayed and protected Adora.
Catra bit down on the inside of her cheek, the old self-doubt creeping in. What if it hadn’t been enough? What if she hadn’t done enough? Adora was tough and so strong. She would be okay. But Catra couldn't stop the fear that clawed at her insides. Her eyes flickered down to Adora again, watching the rise and fall of her chest. Watching over the one person who meant everything to her. Her hand curled into a fist as she swallowed down the lump in her throat. Adora was hers to protect now. But what if she couldn’t? No, she could do this. She had to.
She could feel her muscles twitching from the effort of doing nothing. But every time she thought of moving, of trying to make herself feel better by doing something, anything, she stopped. Adora needed her stillness now. She needed her presence and her calmness.
Forcing herself to focus on the present, Catra settled deeper into the tree’s rough bark and closed her eyes for a moment. The tension in her body was slow to loosen, but eventually, it did. The forest was still. Everything was still, and Catra let herself just be. She let herself simply sit there, listening to the sound of Adora’s breathing and knowing that, at least for this moment, she was doing the right thing.
”You're going to be okay," Catra whispered under her breath, her voice soft but steady, the words only for herself, for the fragile thread of hope she was clinging to. She didn’t know if Adora could hear her. But it didn’t really matter.
Adora’s eyes fluttered open, her mind sluggish as she fought to push away the fog of sleep. Her head was heavy, her body sore, and the soft sounds of the forest felt distant. For a moment, she didn’t remember where she was, what had happened, but then the memory of the magic hit her like a wave, and she tensed.
"Adora?" Catra's voice, low and close, immediately pierced through the haze. It was so familiar, so anchored in her, that it steadied her even before she fully registered it. Adora blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings and Catra, crouched beside her, looking over her with a concerned expression. “You’re awake,” Catra said softly, the tension in her voice giving way to something quieter now, something almost relieved. “How do you feel?”
Adora licked her lips, trying to speak, but her throat felt dry. She swallowed and felt some discomfort in her side. But the pain wasn’t as sharp as it had been earlier. The burn still hurt, but the coolness of the salve was still working its magic, taking the edge off.
“Better,” Adora rasped, her voice weak but steady enough for her to hear the truth in it. She tried to sit up but stopped as soon as her body protested. The world spun for a moment, and she placed a hand against the dirt, grounding herself. “Okay, not fully better... but better.”
“Good,” Catra said, her lips quirking up into a faint smile. “You were out for a while. I was starting to think I’d have to drag you back to Bright Moon.” Her tone was light, but there was a tightness in her shoulders that didn’t escape Adora’s notice.
Adora gave her a small smile, the familiar banter grounding her, making her feel a little less fragile. “As if you could drag me anywhere. I’m way stronger than you give me credit for.”
“Yeah, sure you are,” Catra muttered, but the ghost of a smirk tugged at her lips. Then, her expression shifted, and she gave Adora a serious look. “How about you try sitting up first, huh?”
Adora nodded slowly, focusing all her energy on the task. She planted both hands on the ground and, with a deep breath, pushed herself into a sitting position. The ache in her side was sharp, but manageable now. It was more of a deep, lingering throb than the blistering pain it had been before.
When she glanced down at her skin, the salve had begun to cool and settle the rawness of the burns, but the angry red patches were still there. “Not the most flattering sight,” she murmured, studying the damage. On her arm and her side, her skin still looked like it had been kissed by fire, but it didn’t look as raw as it had earlier. She felt more human now, and the dizziness had mostly passed.
“You’ll heal.” Catra said softly, her gaze lingering on Adora for a long moment before she continued with determination, "We need to get you back. You’re stable now. The salve should keep you going for a bit, and we can’t stay here forever."
Adora nodded, looking up at the trail ahead, where the path through the forest stretched out before them. It would be a bit of a tough hike back in her state, but it wasn’t impossible. “I can make it,” Adora said with a confidence that she wasn’t sure she fully felt, but it was enough to convince Catra, and maybe even herself. With Catra here, with her love, the pain didn’t seem as hard to bear.
Catra stood, her eyes scanning the woods around them as if keeping an eye out for danger, but there was an unmistakable softness in the way she moved, the careful way she approached Adora. She extended a hand to help her up with quiet support.
Adora pulled herself up slowly, feeling the slight pull in her muscles, but it wasn’t unbearable. She leaned slightly against Catra, who immediately adjusted her stance to support her weight. Adora felt the warmth of her presence, steady and grounding.
“See?” Catra murmured, her hand settling against Adora’s back. “Tough as ever.”
With a small laugh, breathless but grateful, Adora replied. “Not sure I’d call this my best look.”
Catra’s ears flicked, and she glanced at her with a crooked little grin. “Good thing I don’t care about your look.” Her voice softened, the humor melting into something gentler. “I just care about you.”
Adora’s chest tightened at the honesty in her words. She tilted her head until it rested against Catra’s shoulder. The forest path stretched ahead, but for this moment, she let herself lean into Catra’s strength, into her love. The pain of the burns was still there, but wrapped in Catra’s warmth, it no longer felt so heavy. With Catra beside her, Adora knew that she would truly be alright.