Archive of Our Own

Love. A small, simple, yet powerful word. Love. It drives people to care for others, to help and protect them. To keep one safe and to cheer them up when they are down on their luck. Love. It can make you feel in so many ways. Make you head-over-heels for someone and causes someone’s heart to flutter in their chest. Love for your family, love for your friends, love for your partner, love for the world, love for your life, love for yourself, and love for so much more. Love is a powerful, wondrous thing.

But for all the warmth love gives, it can hurt. Rejection, betrayal, one-sidedness, death, all of these cause the heart to ache. And when you want to love and be loved back with every ounce of your being, with all of your heart and soul, the pain of being unable to do either is unimaginable. It tears someone apart and destroys them from the inside out. As much as love can heal and do good, its’ power can easily break someone in two. Funny how it works that way. A double edge sword. One must decide if they are willing to risk that pain and set their hearts free or silently let it wish for more. Nothing rings more true for two beings in Brightmoon.

Adora finds herself sparing in one of the many training areas of Brightmoon. She always goes here when she needs to get her mind off of things. With a war going on since as far back as she can recall, there always is something to keep her brain filled with thoughts. Doesn’t help that those she opposes are the ones who found her as an infant and took her in. Raised her up, gave her her name, and taught her everything she needed to know in life to be a good soldier. Rough to think about sometimes, rough to get over some days.

She hits the hanging sandbag with a enough force it is thrown up, nearly becoming parallel to the ground. Adora catches it as it comes down to avoid being slammed in the face or knocked on her butt. She repostions herself and starts up again with her hits, still trying to avoid her thoughts. The Horde isn’t really what has been bothering her lately. Sure, they are always on her mind, making her wonder what their next move is in this game of chess they play to win over Etheria. Something more closer to home keeps her thoughts running around in circles nonstop.

Adora has lost count of how long she has felt differently for the Princess of Brightmoon. She doesn’t know when it happened. Just that one day, she was with the sparkling girl and she felt her heart beat faster in her chest and her body become warm. She did not have a word for how she felt for Glimmer at that time. She just figured it was just what happens as you became better and closer friends with someone. But after meeting Bow’s dads and seeing the affection they gave to each other, Adora sheepishly asked her friends later on what that was all about. It’s what people do when they are in love with someone. Kisses, hugs, cuddles, so many little affectionate ways to show someone you are in love with them, she was told. Then, it hit Adora. That feeling in her chest, a longing to be with Glimmer more and more, that is what she must feel right? It is the only answer she has and she only ever felt this way once before.

Adora sighs and grabs the bag once more as it comes down. Her thoughts are starting to win.

She had the same feelings for Catra back in the Horde. Like she thought before, she always use to think the warm fuzzy feeling in her chest was just from being incredibly close with someone. Well, that still rings true but not how she once thought. Growing up with Catra, Adora always felt close with her. Eventually she started to long to always be with her and do anything for her. The same way she now feels for Glimmer. But then she found that sword, then Catra refused to leave the Horde, then they started to fight and almost try to kill each other. Then Catra left her hanging in the temple to die. Even if Adora no longer has that fuzziness in her chest for her former friend, deep down she still cares for her. Maybe her love and care for Catra may fade but will never fully leave, but with Glimmer it has only grown and starts to consumes her.

And that  scares  Adora. She knows Glimmer would never hurt her, at least not intentionally. Even if something did happen to cause her pain, she knows Glimmer would apologize and make it up to her. They have had their disagreements. Hell, their first meeting was anything but pleasant but they made up in the end and it started their friendship. Glimmer is a good, honest person who wants to do her best.

But after everything with Catra, how fast the two became bitter enemies in a blink of an eye, that is what scares Adora. The heartache she felt, the nights she spent staring at high ceiling, the hours she spent crying either balled up in her bed or wanting to break everything in sight, and the numbness she felt whenever something reminded her of Catra, she can’t go through that again. She only now is coming to terms with it. Adora would never be able to recover if history repeats itself with Glimmer.     

“Pull yourself together. You got nothing to worry about, especially if you never tell her,” Adora whispers to herself. She gives a hard punch to the bag. It shakes wildly around. Adora doesn’t bother to stop it.

She has no idea how Glimmer feels about her. She never has said anything or given any clues. Though, Adora wouldn’t know what to go off of when people actually like you back. But she told herself one sleepless night when her tears were all dry she wasn’t going to go through it again. Having Glimmer just as a close, best friend is good enough. They still have a bond and still can be together a lot, even if it’s not in the way her heart begs it to be. It’s better this way. Just get over it.

Finally, Adora grabs her things and heads out. She has had enough training for the day. Between her thoughts refusing to settle down and from being covered in sweat, a shower will do her good, at least one way or another. Adora throws her bag over her shoulder and heads out, trying to outpace her own mind.

She does not make it far, her room still a few hallways away, before she bumps into Glimmer. Both the person she wishes to see the most and the least. Adora backs up a bit. “Sorry. Didn’t see you there.”

“It’s fine. Were you training? I was wondering where you went off too,” Glimmer says.

“Yeah. Gotta stay sharp, you know?”

“True. We should try to get some practice sessions in together. Anyway, I was thinking, you wanna do something in a little bit? We got some spare time before anything. A rare breather.”

Adora takes a look at Glimmer. She has a wide smile on her face and her lilac eyes sparkle bright. Whatever she has on her mind, she seems excited for. Adora can feel the side of her mouth twitch, wanting to smile. She won’t lie, she would normally jump on the chance to spend time alone with her but with her mind being eaten away with thoughts, she finds herself not wanting to. Anytime she is with Glimmer, no matter how hard she tries, those feelings she has struggled to bury come out more and threaten to drown her. She really needs to learn how to control that.

“S-Sorry, Glim. I’m...I’m busy,” Adora looks away from Glimmer, scratching the back of her head. “M-Maybe later?”

Glimmer’s face falls and her shoulders droop. “Oh...Okay. I’ll see you later then.”

Adora watches her leave, holding her arm, without saying another word and disappearing around the corner. Adora sighs before trudging back into her room. It is slow going before she opens the door, enters her bedroom, and shuts the door. Adora leans her back on the wall and runs a hand over her face.

The last thing she ever wants to do is give Glimmer a reason to be sad, to be disappointed. Maybe she should have said yes and done whatever it is she had planned. Adora would almost always love to do something with her so she can see the world she was denied as a child. But now with her heart and mind a mess, she doesn’t know if she could fully enjoy it. Last time they went out, along with Bow, Adora found herself a little more quiet and not as excited. The others noticed as well but she brushed it off as being tired from all the fighting and whatnot. Bow and Glimmer didn’t question it.

Will Glimmer believe this, though? Who knows. Adora doesn’t want to keep thinking about Glimmer’s sadden face. She doesn’t want to think about how she would honestly love to go with her but is afraid. She doesn’t want to think about how she knows it’s stupid to worry but how she can’t help it. She doesn’t want to think of Glimmer, both good and bad, anymore.

Adora finally pushes herself up, throws her things on her bed, and goes into the shower, hoping for some distraction.

Glimmer slowly makes her way down the hall, no destination in mind. She didn’t have one when she asked Adora if she wanted to hang out but she had a vague idea of ‘just going out and probably end up fucking around’. Least that is something other than just walking around doing nothing. Glimmer knows Adora has every right to not want to hang out. She honestly could be busy. But she acted o ff . Nervous. That could be that Adora didn’t want to upset Glimmer. Adora is kind and hates doing that. But Glimmer still feels like there something else is going on. It was a different type of nerves.

Whatever the case, Glimmer tries to brush it off. Maybe, next time, Adora will come along. She hopes so. Adora has been acting quieter and closed-off. Glimmer wishes to ask what is bugging her, she thinks that maybe something about the Horde is worrying her, but she doesn’t. Adora doesn’t always like to talk about her feelings, especially those about her former family, easily. Glimmer doesn’t blame her, must be hard to do so. The next best thing she can think of to help her friend is to unwind somehow.

Friend...

Is that how Glimmer really feels about Adora? She would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t feel otherwise. Glimmer didn’t even realize she was falling for the blonde until Bow poked fun at the fact she never stopped talking about her and lit up like a candle when she saw Adora. Only then did it hit her like a Horde tank that she was in love. Something she vowed never to do.

It’s not like Glimmer never wants to fall in love. It would be nice to be at someone’s side forever and live with them, have a family, wake up to their smiling face, and just grow old with them. But the problem lies with that last part. Growing old. Glimmer is the daughter of a mortal man and an immortal woman. She can get beat up and scratched all to hell but heal quicker than her peers. Never once did she ever get a cold. Her mother’s immortality definitely gave her body amazing healing powers but did it give her the ability to live forever? Glimmer knows she has grown and changed from how she looked as a child to now as an older teenager but that doesn’t answer that question. If she is immortal, or even just has a much longer lifespan than everyone else, that keeps her up at night.

What would should do with her life without Adora? She has forgotten what it was like without her presence. Glimmer wants to be with Adora forever if possible but what if she outlives her? She knows someone is going to outlive the other but in her case, that could be never or a super ass long time. How did her mother ever do it with her father? Glimmer has no idea. But what she does know is she can’t live without Adora.

Glimmer still wants to stay close. Friends are fine. As a friend it is different then being lovers. They can stay close but still be on different paths but still linked together. Glimmer buries her feelings for Adora deep down, hoping they don’t resurface. Still, her heart tells her otherwise. Glimmer thinks if maybe while hanging out with Adora, telling herself during that time they are just friends, it will help her convince herself that is true and stop her heartache. Guess she will have to figure out whenever they two actually do hang out. She’ll ask again later or tomorrow.

Glimmer goes into her room and lies down on her bed. Adora just needs space. She’ll come around eventually. She closes her eyes, trying to let herself find some sleep, but it does not come easy to her.

Her scars itch. Adora rubs her fingers against the left side of her face. The pale skin, a painful reminder of the Battle of Brightmoon and another reminder of Catra, loves to bother Adora every now and again. She is grateful that nothing else is doing so at the moment. Least not physically. Adora stops and looks away from the mirror, she has to stop dwelling on stuff and find things to do.

Adora yawns as she exits her room. She hasn't had much sleep in the past couple of nights. Adora has become use to it, however. Some nights she can sleep like a baby, other nights she is plagued by everything that has happened or could happen or how she could fail everyone if she makes one wrong move. On those nights she either ends up finding something to do in her room until it becomes light out or sleep finds her again, or going into Glimmer’s room and resting with her. The princess always has a way to keep her nightmares and fears at bay even when she is unconscious. Just being near Glimmer is enough to relax Adora. But she hasn’t snuck into her room in quite some time, even if she really wants too.

“Stop thinking about it,” Adora mutters under her breath. She  has  to stop thinking about it. She wishes that she knew more on how to deal with these emotions. The Horde never talked about love or relationships. Adora knew about mothers and fathers and some people had siblings but that was it. She didn’t know how any of that work growing up and no one ever spoke about it. No one really had time for it when every waking hour you were training and having things drilled into you about the war, many of which are wrong. If she had even any inkling about it before, maybe things wouldn’t be as rough.

Adora stops when she hears voices. She has been so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize she entered one of the many open areas of the castle. The sound she hears come down from one of the hallways. It grows and grows until the owners appear. Glimmer and Bow. They talk about what seems to be some inside joke between the two of them. They stop when they see Adora standing on the other side of the area. Both smile and wave and come a little closer to her.

“Sup, Adora,” Glimmer says.

“Haven’t seen you all day. What have you’ve been up too?” Bow asks.

Adora shrugs. “Stuff. Nothing much. What are you guys doing?”

“We were thinking about taking a break and going to Mystacor for the day. We were looking for you and were wondering if you wanted to join.”

“Oh, now? I…” Adora thinks for a moment. Like the day before, it would be nice to go out and relax and unwind. Last time she went to Mystacor,Shadow Weaver stalked her and nearly drove her mad until she managed to push her back. But who knows if her mind starts to wander there, especially with Glimmer being right there with her. Though, Bow will be there also.

“You okay, Adora?” Glimmer asks. This snaps Adora out of her thoughts.

“I’m fine, sorry. Just have a lot on my mind.”

“You sure? You’re kind of been acting a little off.”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

Glimmer reaches out for Adora. A normal reaction. All three in the trio comfort each other with hugs or touches to the arm or back, showing they are there for each other. It took Adora sometime to get use to it but did fall in love with it. Now, struggling with her own emotions towards the princess, she back up at the gesture, not thinking about it until she sees Glimmer backup herself before looking at the ground. Before she hides her face, Adora sees a flash of hurt.

“Do you want to come or not?” Glimmer asks, a bit of an edge to her voice.

“I...Yeah, I’ll come. When would be leaving?”

There is a pause, no one answering Adora’s question. After a few moments of waiting to see if Glimmer responds, Bow takes over. “As soon as we can. We can all meet up down at the front in a few minutes. Does that sound good to everyone?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you both down there,” Glimmer quickly says before walking away. Adora makes an attempt to go after Glimmer, but she’s too fast and Adora stops short herself, not wanting to cause more of an issues. A small growl of frustration escapes her.

“Are you sure  you are okay?” Bow asks. He walks up to his friend and places a hand on her shoulder. Adora does not pull away but stays tense.

“I don’t...I don’t really want to talk about it. It’s nothing,” Adora replies. “She’s mad at me though, isn’t she?”

Bow takes a moment to think. “You can say that. She just...to be honest Adora you kind of have been distant lately. I’m not going to push you to tell me if you don’t want to talk but Glimmer does miss being with you. And I am not pushing you either to do anything you don’t want to, but Glimmer does like spending time with you as well and just...is a bit down I guess over it? She just like to spend as much time as possible with people she cares about. Ya know?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Makes sense.”

Adora remembers back to when Bow said to her the first day she was here in Brightmoon how everyone has lost someone in the war against the Horde. Adora is well aware that Glimmer lost her father, someone she was close with and looked up to and still does, to the endless conflict. Who knows who else she has lost. Makes sense why she would push to do things. Though, that doesn’t make sense why recently she has pushed more to hang out whenever they can recently. Whatever it is, Adora knows Glimmer is just trying to have some fun. Adora mentally kicks herself for putting Glimmer in a bad mood again.

“Can I ask a dumb question?” Bow asks.

“What is it?”

“Do you care a lot about Glimmer?”

Adora shoots him a glare. “What type of question is that? Of course I do! I care about her a lot. More than anything!” More than myself.   “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Sorry. I know. I just wanted to ask.”

Adora keeps her eyes on him, trying to figure out why he would ask that question. When she can’t piece it together, she gives up. “I am going to go get ready. I’ll meet you downstairs in a bit?” Adora says to Bow.

“Alright. I will see you a bit.”

Adora watches him leave. Once he is gone, she herself goes to gather the things she will need for the day. All the while, trying to figure out what to do with herself and with Glimmer. The last thing she wants to do is end up somehow driving Glimmer away.

Glimmer rests her back on the stone of the steam bath she is in. The hot water filled with magical minerals relaxes her tense body. She sighs in relief as her thoughts start to slip away from her mind. Glimmer shuts her eyes to further her mind going blank. That is all she wants. To forget for a moment's time. But for all the magic thrown into this water, it can’t fully drown out how she feels. Laying here, her back on the grotto all by her lonesome, feels wrong.

She cracks an eye open and looks towards the other body in the water. Bow is in another pit, looking like he is taking a nap, leaving just the warrior princess to share the grotto with Glimmer.

Adora has sunk so far down, only from her nose up is visible. She doesn’t lay back to try and relax and let the steam take her over. Glimmer notices small ripples forming in front of Adora’s body followed by brief moments of one of her hands appearing. Playing with the water. Adora takes a quick peek in Glimmer’s direction to which the princess quickly snaps her eye shut and slides farther into the grotto.

It’s not like she wants to be mad about it. She knows Adora is going through things. That’s the only thing that makes sense. Things are becoming more heated with the Horde. But Glimmer can’t get help but feel a little hurt. Adora’s shift in personality has caught her off guard. One moment, she was close as ever to her, joking around and being a doof with one another. Playful nudges in the morning to soft moments together at night. Glimmer misses that, especially Adora coming into her room at night.

But all of a sudden, Adora just stopped and drew away. Now she is rejecting her touch. Glimmer sighs. Maybe she should try again to ask her what is going on. Probably won’t get an answer but who knows. Adora still is her friend, after all, even if her heart is saying otherwise. Taking a deep breath, Glimmer opens her eyes again and looks back at the former Horde soldier.

She is still deep in the water, still playing with it. Glimmer watches her scoop some of it up and let it run through her fingers before repeating the process over again. Glimmer resists the urge to come closer, thinking Adora would just push move away. Instead, she sits up in the grotto.

“How are you feeling?” Glimmer asks.

Adora stops what she is doing and looks at the princess. She shifts up so her head is above the water, allowing her to speak. “Alright I guess. Feels nice to be back in here and not worry about Shadow Weaver looming over me. Or at least, I hope she isn’t…”

“Nothing is going to get you out here. Still is the safest place in all of Etheria. Why don’t you just rest your back and just let the water take you over. Relax.”

“I’m fine like this.”

“You look kind of tired, though. Are you  sure  you don’t want to try and close your eyes for a bit? Could do you some good.”

Adora stays silent, not knowing what to say. She starts to sinks back into the water, withdrawing. Going against her better judgement, Glimmer attempts to draw closer to Adora. However, she stops when she notices Adora suddenly tense up and shift slightly. Glimmer is not surprised by it, she saw it coming a mile away but it still gets under her skin. She doesn’t know why. Maybe it's from the water loosening her mind and getting rid of other thoughts first, maybe it’s being rejected over and over again, maybe it’s Adora habit of keeping things inside, or maybe it's a mix of all. Glimmer stays where she is but narrows her eyes at her.

“Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on or no?” Glimmer asks. Adora gives her a look. “I know something is wrong. I know  something is bothering you. Adora, I know you aren’t one to be all open with shit but...what is wrong? Why are you acting so distant, especially with me. I looked back when I was walking away earlier and saw you were just fine with Bow touching you…

“Did I do something wrong, Adora? Is there something going on with the Horde? What is wrong!”

"You did nothing wrong, Glimmer! I just...I don't know how to explain it. You can say yeah it has to do with the Horde but I just…"

"Just what, Adora? What is so hard that you won't tell me. I want to help you. You're my friend! I care about you. I lo-...I want help." I just want to be with you.

Adora takes a moment to answer, looking unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry, Glimmer. I'm still trying to figure it out myself and I want to deal with it by myself right now."

"...I'm going for a walk then," is all Glimmer says before exiting the water. She doesn't hear Adora attempt to get out.

It's fine. It's fine. You know full well she can stay quiet if she wants to. But urgh  why is she still acting so weird. Why is it only around me? What did I do?

The sounds of footsteps catch her attention. She knows right away they aren't Adora's methodical steps coming at her. It's too uneven for a soldier. Glimmer turns her head around and finds Bow coming at her. He stops, careful not to slip on the slick ground. "What happen?" he asks.

"You know. Trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with Adora and what has been bothering her for so long but she still doesn't want to talk and only seems to be slipping further away.

"I know I shouldn’t get as worked up if she doesn't want to talk but there is something wrong and it's not good for her to bottle that all up. Oh, Bow," Glimmer buries her face in her palms. "Why am I getting so upset."

"You know that answer. And Adora cares about you also. She might just be having trouble expressing it at the moment."

"Moving away from me all the time sure is a hell of a way to say that."

"Glimmer."

"I know. Sorry. Why does love have to mess with you so much? I never asked for it."

Bow wraps an arm around Glimmer and pulls her close. “I don’t know. But things will work out, trust me.”

A couple of days pass. Nothing really changes between Adora and Glimmer. Adora still stays distant, maybe slightly more so. She stays in her room more and doesn’t speak much. There are moments where she passes by Glimmer or has to be with her for whatever reason and she finds words forming in her mind but they stay trapped in her throat, unable to escape. No matter how hard she tries to free them, they don’t move. Instead, she just sits in silence with her thoughts while near the princess.

Glimmer meanwhile starts to give up trying to get to her friend more. Part of her wants to try again and talk to Adora after giving her some space but after so many rejections by her, Glimmer doesn’t want to risk that again. Adora makes it easy by staying away herself. When she does appear she doesn’t say much. There are a few times it seems that Adora is about to say something but she ends up turning her head away and saying nothing. Glimmer just accepts it and just waits to see how these things play out.

One day, however, something does happen. The two find themselves sitting alone in the meeting hall. They stay a few seats apart from one another, only stealing glances when they think the other is not looking. When not doing so, Adora reads one of the books she has acquired through her time at Brightmoon, learning more about Ethiera in the process. Glimmer messes around with her magic, making small sparks of light with the snap of her fingers. There is no need to worry about running out of it when she is home and so close to her runestone. It is quite some time before someone arrives and breaks the silence hanging in the air.

Angella enters the room. Both Glimmer and Adora look up from what they are doing as the queen walks up to the table. She hits a button and a map appears. Angella cuts right to the chase and points to a lit up area on the table. “I am going to send the two of you on a mission today. We have gained intelligence about some development happening near another kingdom and I want you two to go check it out.”

“Wait, just us? What is Bow doing?” Glimmer asks.

“He said he has things to do with his fathers and is unable to come. I am more than confident that you two can handle this yourselves. Now, off to it.”

Angella says nothing more before turning off the map and heading out. Glimmer and Adora actually exchange curious looks with one another. Normally they would get a little more information or something from the queen but she left in a hurry, leaving no chance to ask any questions. Not to mention Bow never said anything about something going on with his fathers. It all is a little too strange for both their likings. Did something happened?

Adora is the first to break away and stands up. “I guess...we should go? Shouldn’t waste time when the Horde is around, right?” Adora says, keeping her gaze away from Glimmer. She fiddles with the end of her sleeve.

Least she can talk still.  “Yeah. Alright. Let’s get going. I’ll meet you outside.”

Like her mother, Glimmer darts off and leaves Adora alone. The other girl doesn’t stay long in the meeting hall and gets her things ready much like Glimmer before meeting her outside. Once both have met up with each other again, they head off in the direction of their given mission.

The time it will take to get there is about an hour. Not uncommon. There have been plenty of missions that take a little while to get to, especially when on foot and walking through forest and uphill terrain. Having left relevantly early in the day, as long as nothing goes haywire, they should be able to get back to the castle by nightfall or maybe even before that if things go smoothly. Time usually passes quick on the way to missions. Usually.

What makes time pass beforehand and afterwards is talking and goofing off. Not being alone on a terk helps a lot. A boring walk to a place where you don’t know what will happen, something that could fill someone with anxiety, becomes bearable and fun when with friends. But with how things are between Glimmer and Adora, words are barely spoken. They stay a few feet apart with each other as they walk, only occasionally saying something to each other. Mostly just saying which way to turn or to watch out for a root or rock or low hanging branch. There is a moment where Adora makes a comment about the weather, trying to start something for once, but it quickly dies off. Both fall back into silence.

The area starts to draw close. There still is some time before they draw close enough to be put on guard. As they walk, Adora looks at Glimmer up ahead of her. She keeps her nose in the pad in her hands, looking at the map on the screen. Adora feels her emotions starting to rise to the surface. The love she has for the princess scratches at her, begging to be set free. Adora swallows it, forcing it back down temporarily. Other things start to appear. Sadness and regret for acting like she has been the past few days and not saying a thing. Wishing that the Horde told her more about love and relationship. Some resentment over her heartbreak over Catra and being unable to get over it. They all are becoming too much.

Adora sighs. She needs to get over herself. If she is doing anything, she is just pushing Glimmer away. She fears a repeat with Catra but it's only making things worse. Taking another swallow to push down her pride. She speeds up her pace to walk side by side with Glimmer. The princess doesn't look away from her pad.

"Hey," Adora says.

"We're almost there. Should start getting ready," Glimmer replies. She starts to speed up. Adora matches her pace.

"Hey." No answer. "Glimmer, I want to talk."

"Kind of picked a bad time to do so. Can this wait?"

"Not really."

"Well you better make it quick."

Adora reaches out for Glimmer, grabbing her by the arm and stopping both of them in their tracks. Glimmer slowly lifts her head up. There is puzzlement on her face. This is the first time they have had any contact with each other in days. Adora tightens her grip on Glimmer. She doesn't speak right away, trying to gather her thoughts. Glimmer's face starts to shift to annoyance. She is about to pull away when Adora finally says something.

"I...I'm sorry. Honestly. I just…" Adora makes a noise of frustration through her teeth. "I don't know how to put together what is wrong I'm still learning how to not bottle stuff up but damn it I just...I'm sorry. Sorry I'm hurting you. I know I am I just... Gods! "

Adora lets go and walks a couple feet away from Glimmer and starts to pace. She mutters to herself. "Gods, why do I mess everything up. First Catra and now you. Why!"

Glimmer raises an eyebrow. "Catra? What do you mean?"

Adora stops in her movement and looks at Glimmer. Glimmer has seen Adora worked up before but never like this. She seems like she is about to crack at anymore but something keeps her at bay. Glimmer takes a step closer. For once, Adora does not back away. “Adora, I don’t want to be mad at you. I don’t know what’s going on and you’re not telling me. I’m worried about you. What’s wrong?”

Adora opens her mouth to speak. “I...I think I lo-”

She gets cut off at the sound of a bang. Both Glimmer and Adora snap their heads towards the noise before running off. Whatever Adora wants to say is left hanging in the air as they go see what is going on. They realize that they are much closer to their goal than they thought. The two stop short before breaking through a clearing. Looking through the brush they see what has caught their attention.

Horde soldiers are all around a man-made opening. A large machine is cutting down trees left and right. The blades it uses create a loud, ear piercing noise as they cut through the bark. When the trees can take no more, they topple over and hit the ground so hard, it shakes the earth. There is no signs of the Horde stopping anytime soon. Elsewhere in the clearing, others soldiers walk around and start to make the groundwork for whatever it is they what to build whatever they have planned. They have come at the right time. Adora and Glimmer look at each other and give a nod.

Both split up to cover more ground. Thanks to the sounds of the saws and trees falling, the Horde cannot hear them moving around so close. Adora, now as She-ra, sneaks as close as she can to the edge of the forest and the Horde. She carefully looks out in front of her and watches small movement on the other side of the clearing. Glimmer is getting herself ready for the attack. Adora hopes they can get this over with soon. Her courage for telling Glimmer how she feels is quickly fading away. Hopefully she can get it back.

A soldier comes close to her. They have no idea she is there. She waits a moment before they are right on top of her, still blissfully unaware of who is around. The moment they are in arms reach, Adora reaches out and grabs them. She quickly overpowers the soldier and knocks them unconscious. Now out in the open, it does not take long for everyone else to see what is going on. Still, it is not until Glimmer appears in a puff of sparkles to knock out someone else before anyone starts going after them, getting over their shock.

Normally, Adora and Glimmer would work together, side-by-side, to take down the enemy. But now they stay on opposite sides of the battlefield. That is not uncommon either especially when it is just the two of them but they still usually play off each other and pay attention to one another. This time, they stay on opposite sides, focus on their own battles. Glimmer deals with a number of soldiers while Adora does the same but goes after the machine with the saws.

These Horde soldiers are good, well-trained. Adora realizes that they are much older than her. She might be the star-pupil of her own class and she can defend herself and put up a fight against these soldiers but they still have had many more years of training than her. It’s a tough battle. For each time she knocks someone out, she has to pull herself off the ground two times. During one moment when she is pulling herself up and staggering to her feet, she feels pain spread through her body. It becomes hard to breathe. A blow must have cracked or damaged her ribs. Great. Who knows what else she has received and cannot feel yet.

Adora manages to finally knock out the last of the soldiers, gasping for breath. She has no time to rest and turns her attention to the still moving saws. Adora quickly jumps on the top of the machine and breaks into the main panel, stopping it in its tracks. Slowly, the noise it makes dies out. Once she know it will not move again, Adora pulls sword out and looks towards Glimmer. She sees the princess taking on other soldiers and is doing quite well. However, Adora can tell that Glimmer is tiring, her movements slow. But then Adora notices it. Glimmer had failed to pick up on someone making their way up behind her. No!

Glimmer stays focus on what is in front of her. She pants, trying to keep her eyes on the soldiers. They are tougher than usually but that does not stop her from refusing to give up. She is running out of magic and can no longer teleport but she can still throw punches and kicks. Glimmer manages to get an upper hand on one of them and knock them out cold. Once they hit the ground, Glimmer relaxes herself a bit, thinking that she has finished at the moment and can gather her breath and thoughts. However, that moment of peace shatters when she hears a noise behind her. She snaps her head around in time to see another Horde soldier coming at her, a sharp weapon in their hands. Before she can react, something slams into her, knocking her to the ground. Glimmer coughs and pushes herself up onto her arms. She hears a scuffle and shouts before silence. Glimmer looks over to see what is going on.

Adora stands in front of her and over a fallen Horde soldier. Glimmer notices the weapon meant for her laying close by on the ground, the tip stained red. It quickly dawns on her what has happened. Glimmer looks up again in time to see Adora clutch her right side and revert back to herself. She collapses to her hands and knees, coughing. Glimmer quickly scrambles over to her.

“Shit, Adora, are you okay?” Glimmer asks.

Adora looks up at Glimmer and softly smiles. Glimmer sees at the corner of Adora mouth there is a thin red line trickling down her chin. “I’m fine. Just a flesh wound. What about you? Are you okay?”

Glimmer turns her gaze to Adora’s side. Her red jacket now has a discolored patch that is growing. Try as she might, Adora can’t hide the blood seeping through her fingers. How bad was she wounded that even She-ra couldn’t heal her when switching back? Glimmer’s eyes widen and fear starts to take over. Her vision becomes watery.

“Adora you are not  okay. Far from it. Gods, why did you do that? Are you fuckin’ insane? They could have killed you!”

“But, they could have killed you.  I couldn’t stand the thought of that.” Tears are starting to stream down Adora's face. “I...I love you, Glimmer. I love you and I couldn’t let them hurt you or worse. I...I can’t be without you and I am so sorry for everything."

Adora wobbles as she sits up, trying to prove further she is okay and to look at Glimmer better. But she can’t hide the fact she can’t stay up straight or hide the color slowly draining from her face. “I love you and I can’t bear the thought of being without you and I am so sorry for being distant. I just...I just…”

She starts to trail off. Glimmer starts to look around, trying to figure out what to do. They are close to another kingdom, they could get help there before going back to Brightmoon. But she notices something else. Another Horde soldier, injured, crawling their way towards them. A gun is in their hands. Shit, how many are  there and just how tough are they?

But there is not much time to think. The gun is lighting up, ready to fire off at Adora and Glimmer bets it's not set to stun. Adora still is struggling to keep herself up and has no idea what is going on behind her. It is a split second decision, much like Adora's moment before. Glimmer moves.

The next thing Adora knows, she hears the unmistakable sound of a gun going off but nothing hits her. Her mind struggles to process what is going on but she then notices Glimmer has wrapped her arms around her and spun her around, shielding her from the blast. She also notice lilac feather falling down and tickling her face.

Glimmer releases her defensive grasp on Adora and uses the last of her powers to somehow manage a large, sparkling ball of light and throws it at the soldier, knocking them out. “And stay the hell down!” Glimmer growls. “Gods, there better not be more of you.”

“Glimmer…” Adora whispers. She sits up slightly and reaches out and brushes her fingers against what she sees over her. Light purple wings spread out from Glimmer’s back, puffed up from her anger and pulled all the way out to shield Adora. Feathers still fall down, gently touching Adora’s skin.

“What is it, Ad-” Glimmer starts but stops when she notices what Adora is staring at. “What the hell!”

“Your...wings...They grew in. They…” Adora groans suddenly and falls into Glimmer’s body. A brief moment of darkness takes over before everything comes back in a blur. “Gods, I’m dizzy.”

“I’m going to get you help. Just keep your eyes open, okay?” Glimmer says. She scoops Adora. She winces as she stands, her shoulder aching like crazy. She nearly tips over and falls to the ground thanks to a new weight on her back and being drained of all her magic. “Damn it. I can do this…”

“Why did you take that blast for me?” Adora asks.

Glimmer looks down at the girl cradled in her arms. She smiles. “Because I love you also, silly. I wasn’t about to let them hurt you either. Save your strength, don’t talk anymore. I’m going to get you somewhere safe.”

There is no need for Glimmer to tell her this. Adora feels like her body is made of lead. All she can do is give a small nod and rest her head on Glimmer’s chest.

Glimmer sneaks her way down the hall, towards the separate hospital ward. She groans as she walks. Her shoulder aches from the shot she received the day before. There are other scrapes and bruises on her body from the soldiers. They don’t bother her has much and will disappear quickly. Thank god for having an immoral mother to help you heal faster than most people and not suffer any scars. Her cuts and bruises will heal in a matter of days while her shoulder maybe a week tops.

Even then her mother told her to stay in the less intensive hospital wing for a couple days. When she got word of what happened, Queen Angella rushed over to the other kingdom and took her daughter and Adora, patched up as best as possible by the medics there, back to Brightmoon. Glimmer is grateful that being hurt her mother can’t crush her already hurt ribcage. Bow himself freaked out when they got home and kept apologizing to Glimmer. It didn’t take long for her to piece together why he was saying sorry. She will deal with that later. Right now, she has other things that matter more.

Adora was, is, beaten to hell and back. She was able to make it to the outskirts of the kingdom before blood loss took her consciousness. Glimmer winces remembering trying to get Adora to open her eyes again, only to earn soft moans from her. Even after Adora was taken away to be cared for and she was told Adora would more than likely survive, Glimmer couldn’t rest. Even after she was brought back and told Adora was okay but would need to stay in the more intensive care area, she still couldn’t sit still in her bed. Not until she sees her and  her blue eyes looking back at her. She has at least four bruised ribs, scrapes all over her body much like Glimmer, and then the slash on her side. Deep enough for stitches. A new scar to add to her body. All of this eats at Glimmer and won’t stop until she sees her.

Walking is awkward. Not only does she have a limp from the battle but her new found wings are not helping. They are light but still somehow feel heavy on her back. Not to mention they furl and unfurl at random and without warning. But she continues on. When she reaches the door, only one person stands by it. They don’t question seeing Glimmer there and out of her own bed and don’t stop her from entering at all.

The room is quiet and small. Adora is the only body in a bed. She sleeps on her back, unable to sleep either of her sides. Part of her face is covered by her now loose blonde hair. As Glimmer draws closer she see just how beat up Adora is. From the parts not hidden by the blanket on her body, there are white bandages scattered across her skin. Glimmer notices a small tube coming out of Adora's arm and connects to a bag of clear liquid. At least she is still breathing, on her own she thinks. 

Glimmer reaches down and brushes back some of Adora’s bangs. Normally, Adora would tense up at someone touching her face but unconscious, she only mutters something. There is another bandage, white and square, on her forehead. What part of her body is not injured?

Adora makes another noise. She twitches before her eyes flutter open. They look up at Glimmer, lights forming when they land on the princess, and Adora smiles.

“Hi…” she says in a rough voice.

“Hi. Sorry for touching your face,” Glimmer starts to pull her hand away but Adora only leans her face in closer to Glimmer’s palm.

“It’s okay. Don’t. I’ve missed you. Your hands are so soft and warm.

Glimmer smiles. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ll be okay. How are you?”

“Fine.”

“Sit down.”

Adora starts to shift in her bed and sit up. She whimpers as she pulls herself up into a sitting position. Glimmer helps her up. “You shouldn’t push yourself, Adora.”

“Says the one who probably also should be in bed and helping me,” Adora replies.

“I heal fast. You don’t,” Glimmer takes a seat by Adora. It takes them a moment for them to get comfortable in the small bed and for Adora not to be smacked in the face by Glimmer’s wings. Once they do find something that works for them, Adora runs her fingers against Glimmer's new appendages.

“I still can’t believe you actually grew these in. They look amazing,” Adora comments. “How did that happen?”

“I asked my mom about it. She said they came in because I was willing to give my life up or get seriously to protect someone I love and care about. That is all I was able to get out of her before she started to smother me again."

"Ah."

Both go silent. A feather falls off of Glimmer’s wings. Adora rolls it around her fingers in thought before she speaks. “You know what I said back there I meant...I do love you. I just...was afraid to say it and I started to become distant because of it which I’m still sorry about it. I didn’t mean to hurt you at all.”

“What are you so scared about if I may ask?”

Adora sighs. “I...You know all about Catra. Once I realized what love was and what all of that entailed, I realized before everything happened I loved Catra in that way. I didn’t know it because they didn’t teach any of that in the Horde but after everything that has happened between us they are gone but…

“It still hurts even now. I just was so scared that...that you would...you might somehow do the same. And I don’t mean to say you would hurt me, I know you wouldn’t but I just...that fear just consumed me. I didn’t want to go through that heartbreak I went through with Catra. I cried myself to sleep so many nights I lost count...I’m sorry for thinking you would do something like that…”

Adora sniffs back tears starting to form in her eyes. Some still escape and she reaches up to wipe them away. Glimmer starts to wrap her arms around Adora, carefully hugging her and pulling her close.

“It’s okay, Adora. I know you went through a lot. I can’t imagine what it is like to feel like that but it must be horrible. I don’t know if it will help but I promise I never will hurt you and if I ever do, I’ll make it up to you. I love you. And I’ll do anything for you.”

“So you’re not mad?”

“No. I’m sorry if I was being like that towards you at the end. I didn’t know what to say or what to do. I’ll be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t afraid over things also with being in love with someone.”

“What are you afraid of?”

“My mom is immortal and I have no idea if I will get that or if like how I heal so fast and don’t get sick, I’m just going to live for a long ass time. You said before you couldn’t bare the thought of living without me but I feel the same way to you. If I am like my mother well...ya know.”

Adora can’t help but chuckle. “Sorry for laughing but I guess we both are a mess, aren’t we? Quite the pair, eh?”

Glimmer laughs as well. “Yeah we are.”

Adora sighs and rests her head on Glimmer’s chest. She closes her eyes and listens to Glimmer’s steady heartbeat. It is a comforting sound. “I know it is your own battle but I don’t mind if you are going to live forever or grow slower or whatever. No matter the case, I still want to be with you even if I am old and grey and you still as beautiful as ever.” She hears Glimmer’s heart speed up at the comment and Adora can’t help but smirk. “We just have to take everything one step at a time.”

“Yeah. You're right. Are you sure about this? You’re not still afraid, are you?”

“Still am but I want to be with you, Glimmer. I can’t keep hiding that. It was killing me. What about you?”

“I’m willing to try. We’ll figure stuff out like we always do.”

“Right.”

Adora opens her eyes again and sits up. Hesitantly, both lean closer to each other before their lips meet. The kiss is soft but perfect, like this was meant to be. It gives both girls a warm, fuzzy, and comforting feeling in her chest. Neither wants to pull away and enjoy that moment for as long as possible but Glimmer’s wings have other ideas. One of them puffs and stretches out all of a sudden. The sudden shift in her balance throws her off so much she falls off the bed, nearly taking Adora with her. “Owwwww…..”

“Crap, are you okay?” Adora asks.

“I’m good! Nothing compared to everything else. Stupid wings.”

Adora sticks out her hands and helps Glimmer back up on the bed. They fix themselves again and get comfortable laying down. Once settled, Glimmer reaches out for Adora's face again. Adora gives a small nod, telling her it's alright, and Glimmer starts to stroke her cheeks. Adora  shuts her eyes and starts to make a low noise. Glimmer snorts when she realized what the sound is.

"Are you purring,  Adora? Oh my gods, that is adorable!"

Adora turns red. "I kind of picked it up from Catra. That's not weird, is it?"

"It's perfect. Makes me love you even more."

Adora relaxes and goes back to enjoying Glimmer's gentle touch. With her body exhausted from the fight, Adora can't stay up long before sleep finds her again. Once she is asleep, Glimmer stops and kisses Adora on the forehead before joining her in sleep for the first time in a long time.

Years Later

Adora takes a step out of the ballroom, starting to get overwhelm from her own party. She has been to many since living in Brightmoon but they still are not always her cup of tea. Some time outside in the cool, summer’s night air will do her some good. She loosens the tie on her white and gold suit, breathing a little easier, and lets her tied up hair have freedom. Adora walks up to a stone bench in the courtyard and takes a seat, looking up at the night sky.

Etheria is at peace, the Horde is no more, and the planet has returned to the universe it once lived in. The world above her no longer is painted in just a black color. Small beads of lights scatter and dance around, lighting everything up. Adora can never get enough of staring up and looking at the stars. They are so beautiful, Adora can rarely keep her eyes away from them. So much so that Glimmer---

“What are you doing, Starlight?” a voice says.

Adora turns her attention away and looks at Glimmer who used her favorite pet name for her. She is dressed in a simple but dazzling dark purple dressed. There is a gold bracelet on her wrist, taking the shape of a rose. It matches the lilac one Adora wears.

No longer is Glimmer her girlfriend. Today they are wives and are about to take the next steps of their life together. Adora stands up and walks to Glimmer, gently putting her arms around her and resting her forehead on hers. She starts to gently rock back and forth.

“Just getting some fresh air. Little bit crazy in there and I was getting antsy. What are you up too, Glitter-Bug?”

“Looking for you, of course. I hope you still having fun.”

“I always am when I am with you.”

“Dork.”

“You love me for it.”

Glimmer can only roll her eyes. She looks over her new wife. Scars from battle after battle are on her face and hidden under her tux. No matter how many she gains, Glimmer always finds Adora breathtaking. Her hands find themselves rubbing Adora’s side where the scar from the battle that helped them confess their feelings is. Such a long time ago but both still remember it so clearly.

“Hey, wanna get a better look at the sky? I don’t think anyone would mind if we dip out for a bit. It’s our day anyway. And we haven’t flown together in a while,” Glimmer suggests.

Adora’s blue eyes lighten up with the idea. She doesn’t need to speak for Glimmer to know that means a ‘yes’. The two break apart from each other. Glimmer happily takes Adora into her arms bridal style and spread out her wings. After so many years of having them, she has become an excellent flyer, maybe even more so than her mother. Adora always loves the feeling of being carried by Glimmer and having the wind on her face. In a few moments, Glimmer finds a spot up high and away from some lights. She lands and lets go of Adora.

“How’s this?” she asks her wife.

“Perfect, Adora replies. The area is a small deck. Adora rests her body on the railing and looks back up at the starry sky. Glimmer joins her. “You still nervous about anything?”

“Yeah, I am. But that’s to be expected with any relationship,” Glimmer replies. “What about you?”

“Same. Honestly, I was so nervous about today, I nearly threw up. Not because I thought you wouldn't show. More so everything else that could happen and mess everything up or me doing something stupid and screwing it all. I only didn’t because Catra said, and I quote, ‘Don’t you fucking throw up I am not cleaning up after you and you’ll have to go covered in your own vomit,'.”

“Brash as ever, I see.”

“Hey, it worked. I didn’t want to clean up after myself either. And she’s trying. Give her that credit at least. She’s come a long way since she defected.”

“I know. So,” Glimmer grabs Adora’s hand and holds it tight. “You ready to start our lives together now that we are forever bonded?”

“I can’t wait. And no matter what happens, one stop at a time, right?’

“Right.”

Glimmer stands on her tippy toes to give Adora a kiss. They stay together for a few moments, enjoying the closeness and letting their hearts beat faster as ecstasy fills them.

“I love you, Adora,” Glimmer says once they let go.

“I love you too, Glimmer.”