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The Horde was making an attack on a small village to the east. Queen Angella had sent out Adora, Glimmer, and Bow to fight them off once again.
It was the typical scene. Smoke and desolation surrounded their view as they arrived. Screams could be heard in the distance.
Horde soldiers attacked them immediately. With their training, the team fought them off quickly, and once the attackers were disposed of, Adora asked Bow and Glimmer to lead the civilians to safety as she took a look around for any straggling Horde soldiers.
"Well, well, well," a familiar voice sounded behind Adora. "If it ain't Adora. In the flesh."
Adora head snapped toward the source. Seeing through the smoke, it was Catra standing atop some rubble.
"Catra." Adora acknowledged. "You here to fight me again?"
Catra hissed at Adora's nonchalance. "Oh, has this become a game of cat and mouse to you?" Her eyes looked as if they had flames behind them.
Adora didn't move. "It doesn't have to be," she said softly.
Catra hesitated at that. "You don't get it, do you?" She leapt down to gather a better view. She wanted to talk to Adora face to face. "You're too innocent. You always were."
"What are you talking about?" Adora sounded a tad defensive.
"I loved you, Adora." Catra's voice was hard, as if she were fighting back any breaks in her tone.
Despite the sound of dying flames, settling rubble, and debris flapping in the wind, Adora felt the world go quiet. She felt her pulse in her ears.
Deep down, she knew she loved Catra in return, but the Fright Zone didn't teach them that there was a possibility of love. She hardly knew the word. It was Glimmer and Bow and the rest of the world that taught Adora what love actually was. They taught her that word.
"I loved you, but you left me." Catra brought Adora back to this plane of existence.
"I-" Adora's brow furrowed. "Nothing's stopping you from coming with me, Catra. We don't have to be apart anymore."
She could see Bow and Glimmer coming out of the smoke to join her.
Adora smiled, holding out her arm. "Let us show you what real love is. The love you deserve to have."
Catra turned to see the oncoming strangers. She scoffed and turned back to Adora. "No thanks. I can see that I've already been replaced."
The pang of loss that hit Adora in that moment was bone chilling. Guilt crashed over her, and she felt as if she was beneath the coldest ocean, longing for a breath of air.
Catra tightened her haunches and sprung up onto more rubble, and continued jumping until her figure disappeared into the smoke.
Adora didn't realize she was crying until Glimmer silently walked up to her and wiped some of them away.
Bow joined her and they both hugged Adora tenderly as her tears flowed even harder now.
"I loved her," she gasped.
"We know," they both said.