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Chapter Text

Things were getting tense in Bright Moon. They had destroyed a part of the Fright Zone and the Hordak Lab was destroyed, a great achievement for the Rebellion because now the Horde was vulnerable and their attacks no longer came so frequently that gave them time to restore more villages and recover territories. But since then Adora had known almost nothing about Catra.

"My child, you'll never increase your power if you keep worrying about those things." Shadow Weaver said with a look that seemed understanding. She tried to approach Adora and put her hand on her shoulder, but she stopped her.

He frowned and gave her a serious countenance. "You are here now and you have helped me much more than I expected, but I will not forget everything you did to Catra and the things of the past." For a moment Shadow Weaver was surprised, but instantly she calmed her expression, Adora sighed and relaxed her equally.

 "I only did the things that I did for you and her. You gave her the opportunity to change, and even me gave it to her the last time. But if she has denied it, it is because she has chosen this path, and for that fact you can't blame me. " The blonde remained silent for seconds. And then Shadow Weaver left the training room saying she would do other things in the library. Adora thought, on one hand, if he could blame her. And more than she believed.

------- O -------

Since Angella sacrificed herself, Bright Moon has no queen present. Castaspella helps her niece with the tasks of a Queen, because she understands that she is nothing more than a teenager. At first she was reluctant and going through depression and anger, but with the help of her princess friends she was able to leave that aside and integrate back into the situation. Because although they have severely attacked the Horde, the war still continues.

"Tonight, I will go to the Whispering Woods to review the parameters." commented Adora, they were having a meeting about the Alliance with all the princesses, sitting in the chairs while a guard showed them the territories.

"Plumeria has not had such severe attacks since we destroyed that lab. Now that we have less work to defend our kingdoms, we should continue with the task of restoring the planet and peace. Allying ourselves and helping with the Crimson Waste would be a good idea." responds Perfuma, but instantly Huntara who had her feet casually on the table spoke too.

"In the Crimson Waste we are more like lonely wolves. We have survived for a long time without having contact with any kingdom. Besides, now they are on the side of that angry kitty, I don't think that if we go there they will receive us with hospitality." Then she was followed by Mermista, who was in the same position as Huntara.

"Yes, I think this huge woman is right. Maybe we should just keep 'working together' to fix the planet. We're fine like this, I don't want more people to invade my personal space." She emphasized working together. Glimmer only frowned in annoyance while Bow tried to keep calm and Frosta with a neutral expression.

"Well, whatever. Adora will go to the Whispering Woods at night to patrol and inform us if she has seen anything. Netossa and Spinnerella will send some of their soldiers to check Thaymor and rebuild the barn."

After saying goodbye, all princess left. Glimmer left to train his powers with Shadow Weaver, who was something like a mentor in the field of magic for princesses no matter how much she continued to irritate Castaspella.

The rest of the afternoon Adora practiced her sword handling alone, and crossed words with her friends only during dinner. When the brightness of the Moons went out, Adora said goodbye to them towards the Whispering Woods along with her sword and a small bag of candy that had enlisted her.

---- O ----

Twenty minutes had passed since she reached the Whispering Woods. The nature was being reborn but there were still some remains of ice in some parts, and it gave a small sensation of cold along with that air that came from mysterious places. Adora had a better sense of direction than before and luckily she didn't get lost like other times, but she couldn't find anything that seemed suspicious. She walked around where she was and took a rest on a stone and put a couple of candies in his mouth.

"After eat this food and comparing it with that of the Horde, nothing is same anymore." She commented to herself while chewing. She looked around, and for a moment she seemed to see a bush move oddly, and approached to supervise. "Is anyone there? Hello?" she shouted, but silence was her response along with the same cold air. He took the opportunity to continue walking through the forest, observed the butterflies, caterpillars and animals that also rounded around. She tried to touch one more than once, but she was not lucky to be allowed to touching because they ran away as if they were afraid of her.

She crossed his arms on his chest. "Okay, I know I look scary with this sword on my back and my cadet uniform. But I'm not hostile! Do I look so mean?", And after his words a rabbit came out of a hollow tree to see who I was making that fuss, Adora smiled. "Until finally someone approaches me. Come here, little bunny." She lowered her thighs and rested her elbows on her knees as the rabbit approached her. She smelled her hand for a moment, after nothing she was surprised and left. Adora raised her hands in resignation, "Oh, come on!".

And she felt something behind her. She turned her head slowly and saw a blue eye peeking out from behind a tree, which disappeared in a moment. And she ran straight to the tree but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

She continued to roam the Wood feeling paranoid and spied on for something, but everything seemed to be normal again. She tried to calm down and convince herself that she was fine. "It's fine, Adora. It's another one of those hallucinations in your mind. Shadow Weaver is with the Rebellion now and this Wood has always been mysterious. Everything is fine!" and she raised his voice in the latter. The birds flew away when they heard their scream and shook the trees causing the detached leaves to fall.
She complained in a shout of resignation and threw her back into a tree. His eyes were tired and begging her to close them. She sighed heavily to close his eyes and pay attention to them.

---- O ----

Adora woke up a little disoriented because she didn't even know that she had woken her up. It was early in the morning even though there was still no light and it showed by the brightness of the Moon, and she could only see it through the leaves of the tree. The sky shone even if there were no stars.

She put his hand inside the bag and took out a letter. It was the letter that Adora had made for Catra that she would never send. Adora read it once more, "This is ridicles.", and began to feel her wet face, touched with her own fingers and verified that tears were being born from the tip of her eyes. "What? But if not even-" She was crying unconsciously.
She crumpled the paper and because of her little delicacy some parts broke and fell into pieces. Certain words were no longer well understood. She must overcome that Catra was her enemy now. It was clear as water, for her there is no hope.

And it is painful to accept that the person she grew up with has become insane, and capable of everything. He had no choice but to keep those pieces in her bag as a memory, and leave the letter next to a tree. Surely if she returned he would no longer be and would be lost.

She dried her tears with the sleeves of her hands and after a while they stopped sprouting. She breathed heavily and decided it was time to leave. She verified that her sword was on her back and in doing so, he removed her hand.

But somehow she felt watched again.

And to see if what he felt was true, she pretended to be normal. And from one second to another, she looked up, encountering a great surprise that when she realized that it had been discovered, she was surprised as the same way.

Catra was on top of that tree.

Chapter Text

She could not avoid her alertness even though she was surprised. And she took her sword from her shoulder, "Catra?" called her name insecurely. But as soon as that expression of surprise appeared in her gaze, it was replaced by a sarcastic one.

"Hey Adora. Didn't you expect to see me again?" Catra sang in a characteristic relaxed but beautiful tone. One of her legs was gathered and the other staggering, was sitting on the tree and with one hand resting on it, while the other was checking it. Her ex-friend was changed, and that Adora noticed. Her hair looked straighter and less messy, the strands of the top were flat, and his light strands were gone. He had a new suit with a red neckline and long black sleeves, but the one on the right arm was from the middle.

"Are your tufts behind your mask?" She pointed at the mask, and Catra denied.

"I cut them. Then they will grow again." She could tell he didn't want to talk about it. She never thought that her hair in rebellious ends could look so good. Now, Adora could see how much Catra had changed in this year. Not only her clothes and hair, her gaze conveyed her safety and power. If I had to describe it, Adora would define her right now as an imposing and powerful boss.

"Has Hordak already kicked you out after seeing that you lied and disappeared Entrapta?"

"Owww, as lost as ever. You really don't know anything."

"And what am I supposed to know?"

"Maybe you should be careful from now on. Because by the time you realize it, The Horde will have already destroyed everything around you."

"The Horde? We'll see that. You should realize that you are just a Hordak pawn and that he is using you, you are very clever Catra."

Catra laughed before answering, "Pff!" She laughed again with his mouth shut, "Oh Adora, you're right, I'm too smart to miss it. Maybe you didn't know it, but surprise! Hordak now works for me and I'm the Leader of the Horde."

Adora opened her eyes wide and swallowed to assimilate what Catra said. "You.. are... Now, the Leader of the Horde?"

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be really surprised. That's an insult to me, you know? I thought that now that you were on the side of the Princesses you had learned more manners after the Princess Prom."

"What do you know about manners?"

"Maybe much more than you." Catra tried to ride her tail over Adora, but the answer was that before she could get close enough Adora threatened her with her sword.

Adora looked at him with a serious countenance, "You should go and leave us in pe-" and her response was interrupted frivolously by Catra.

"You know? Surely you think the Horde is weakened, but believe me when I say no, let alone when I am in charge now. It would be so easy that when you least expect it just ... Let's attack your kingdom and destroy it?" She prowled around Adora, and she struggled to follow her gaze. But Catra just watched the bushes and around, didn't think there was anyone else.

"You already tried. And it didn't work."

"The Horde is much stronger now. I am much stronger now. You should probably take me as a true threat from now on Adora, because I am going to destroy you. And not only you, I will destroy that old woman, those kingdoms, even to your friends. Just as I did with Entrapta and that Queen." those words were enough for Adora to get tired, and ran to her to hit her with the sword.

Catra easily dodged with a backflip, and as much as Adora tried to hit her with the sword, she only touched her and did nothing but laugh at her. Beside a growl of despair, she hit the sword vertically and the impact sent Catra to the tree. She let out a grunt of pain and headed towards Adora in a jump, used her back as a thruster for his feet and fell into a bush.

"Do you like to hide now?"

"Actually, if I wanted to waste time, I'd rather do it with many other things. You are very boring." Catra said in a dramatized tone. After a few seconds she left the bush and Adora tried to follow her, but Catra jumped up the trees and was unable to match her in speed. Then the cat turned to look at her and mocked again.

"See you later, princess." It was the only thing Catra said before continuing on her way through the trees.

--- O ---

After staying for a while thinking about the Whispering Woods, Adora left for the castle and brought dawn. Her friends lacked a while to wake up and arrived in silence, just informing two guards of his arrival.

Her eyes were exhausted and under them huge dark circles, and without even caring about the clothes she was wearing, she got rid of his belt next to her jacket and leaned back in her small bed.

After a while she heard her friends open the door and try to go awkwardly.

"Hey, Adora, are you awak--" Bow tried to speak in a low tone, but was quickly interrupted by Glimmer.

"SHH! Of course she's asleep! Let's just go!" Glimmer lowered her voice even more.

"But she-!"

"It's alright! When he wakes up, he'll tell us if he saw anything. He's just exhausted." She took Bow by the head and teleported. But still they had left the door halfway and because of it a huge sound squeaked in the room giving Adora's ears.

She still wanted to keep thinking about Catra, never thought to see her again so soon. After a year, and that way less. She didn't want to have to treat her like a real enemy and to the death, but she was, she IS.

She sighed as she adjusted her pillow and rearranged in her softer than she would like mattress.

Chapter Text

Adora slept until the afternoon. She took some snacks, and went straight to train with Shadow Weaver.

"Very well. Do you think you have mastered the healing power of the sword?"

"I've only used it with you but ... I feel like I'm able to do it at any time now." Adora squeezed and released her hand.

"You'll need it. Maybe you need it at some point, then just remember what I told you to do."

Adora growled a little at Shadow Weaver's attitude. Not that she liked her completely, she just can't stand her attitude. "Okay, something more?"

"No. You've done well. We're done for today. Try training tomorrow in the morning."

"Ok, whatever. Guards!" after Adora's shout, the guards opened the door and passed. Shadow Weaver stared at a flower and then was forced by them to leave, both went out and took different directions.

For safety, Shadow Weaver was not to lurk alone, and there were always two guards supervising her, apart from some guarding the castle.

After finishing her training of the day, it was her turn to give Glimmer and Bow accounts at dinner.

"So, did you see anything?" Bow asked as he chewed on the table. Adora still didn't tell them about it.

What should she do? Tell them about what she saw Catra? She had gained a lot of hatred from Glimmer after being indirectly responsible for Angella's sacrifice ... That they are in that situation ... It may not be a good idea.

"No. Everything was normal." She lied, but tried to make it sound natural. Glimmer narrowed her eyes to see if it was true.

"Are you sure? Didn't you see anything weird?"

"No Glimmer, the animals were hidden, there were traces of ice on some sides and the forest was as mysterious as ever." For a moment the pulsations of her heart accelerated, but she managed to calm them. Glimmer believed her and put a melancholy expression low cabiz. Bow swallowed when he saw this reaction.

"I ... I want to thank you. For helping me in recent months, for understanding me, for giving me patience ... For everything. It is not easy knowing that soon they will have to crown me, and I know that due to my new duties we cannot spend so much time together but ... Just thanks for all that. "

Bow's eyes shone with tenderness, "Owwww!", He ran to Glimmer and hugged her. At first Glimmer was uncomfortable, but then she reciprocated affectionately. Bow extended his hand to Adora and rose from her chair to reach her companions and hug them.

"You're welcome Glimmer. We're here for you. That's what friends do."

After a few minutes embraced, they were interrupted by a guard.

"Excuse me, Princess Glimmer. Queen Castaspella is calling you." Glimmer let out a long sigh and said goodbye to her friends and the hug. When Glimmer left, Adora took the opportunity to flee. But she was surprised by Bow.

"Emm, Adora? Where are you going?" asked Bow. Adora turned and made an effort to look credible.

"I go to the Whispering Woods."

"For what? Wasn't everything normal?"

"Yes, but, you know .. She-Ra sessions in the middle of the night are good for training."

Bow for a moment stared at Adora with narrowed eyes, and she felt analyzed. This day, on which she had decided to lie, had been the worst of all for people to think of trying to analyze it. She stopped breathing to keep her from discovering her until Bow formed a smile on her face and those eyes disappeared.

"That sounds good! I would accompany you but, you know how those machines turn when there is someone else besides you."

"Yes, you better not come."

"You know Adora ... I know that you and Glimmer have been doing the best of you two... Even when this situation exploits them. And that's why I'm going to do my best. If you need anything, we'll be there to you!" Bow threw himself to hug Adora. She let out a sneaky nervous laugh as she corresponded.

Was the universe really conspiring against her to make her feel bad after lying to her friends?

She said goodbye to Bow and made her way to the Whispering Woods with the sword transformed into a bracelet.

When she got there, everything seemed as quiet as ever. But she would not be carried away by that. Yesterday, Catra was there. And she was spying on her. Everything made sense now.

Why animals didn't approach her, why she felt spied on, and that eye behind the tree. All the time she was there and had not noticed.

What was Catra doing there? I still couldn't even understand it. Maybe it was a coincidence of life, but it was hard to believe it knowing that Catra always has a plan.

She walked naturally while looking through the retina of her eye everywhere, but this time there seemed to be no one. Even the animals were friendlier this time. But Adora would not give up. Catra COULD be somewhere.

Adora came to walk so much that she came to the side of the Whispering Woods that crossed the Fright Zone, but when she realized, she preferred not to approach there. Because as usual, there were pipes from which smoke came out and soldiers everywhere. It would seem scary to anyone, but as strange as it might sound to admit it, Adora still didn't see it as scary. Maybe it's because she grew up there.

---- O ----

Catra was definitely not there. And because of his paranoia, she was in the Whispering Woods until the morning. It was already beginning to dawn.

From exhaustion, Adora came dragging her own feet. She crossed with more than one guard and few understood her when she stammered that she had already arrived and that nobody bothered her. Soon they stopped asking her as soon as they crossed that message between them.

Her annoyed face with herself spoke for her. She arrived at her room, took off her shoes along with her jacket and threw herself on her bed. She left the window open and covered the sunlight with the curtains. She tapped his pillow to accommodate it and closed her eyes.
She was so exhausted that she slept all day.

But in her dreams she woke up for a moment, and opened her eyes only for a short time, very numb and looking blurry.

That time was enough for me to differentiate Lonnie by checking between her drawers before falling asleep before total sleep.

Chapter Text

Two days have passed since Adora thought she would see Catra again, and in the first she did nothing but sleep. But something disturbed her thoughts for a moment that day. She saw Lonnie checking through her things like she was looking for something.

Would it be a product of your imagination or real? She wasn't sure how sleepy she was.

She got up from her bed, brushed her teeth and wore her full uniform again. This was definitely not doing her well. She had dark circles and rarely were the times that happened, she was having too much sleep disorder and neglected her routine. And that was something that Adora didn't like, breaking her routine.

She went to the training room and told the Guards to bring Shadow Weaver, and after a few minutes of waiting, she arrived.

"Very good morning, my child. Yesterday you didn't come to train, what happened to you?" said the masked woman, with a smile and a look that wanted to read everything in Adora. That made her feel uncomfortable.

"I took the day off. Now, let's start." Adora replied and became She-Ra.

Most of her training with Shadow Weaver was meditation to use her powers. She taught Adora to concentrate and let her magical power connected to the sword flow while it was transformed.

How to control the rays thrown by the sword, how to aim with them, how to have better control of what the sword becomes, how to dominate the beasts of the First Ones.

She was helping her a lot more than Light Hope was doing with mental tortures of a version her much more cruel former best friend attacking her to death and exposing her to threats that seemed almost real, despite being accustomed to hard training by the Horde and only they were simulations always, it still hurt quite a bit to have to face a moment where he had to hurt Catra.

And although she is her enemy, she did not want to.

Adora didn't want to hurt anyone. Even someone like Catra, or Hordak.

"That's not meditating, Adora." Shadow Weaver's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. But he pretended to her.

"I was meditating until you spoke."

"I know you were submerged thinking about something. Tell me my daughter, is there something that worries you?" Adora sighed at Shadow Weaver's attitude. She made an effort to calm down, she really didn't like it when she treated her like her daughter after all she has done. But she can't complain either.

Because after all, even knowing what kind of woman she is, and everything she has done, she is sure that neither of them can stop seeing her as a mother.

He inhaled and exhaled heavily for the last time before telling her. "I'm going to the Whispering Woods."

"And why are you going there? Are you chasing someone?" she asked. But Adora thought that if he didn't tell her friends anything, it was better to keep it a secret. And with much more reason if it is with Shadow Weaver.

"I make sure that the Horde does not damage the territory. I stay until dawn monitoring, I am a little tired lately."

"I see. Then, you can leave it to the Guards. It's affecting your routine and health, you should take more care." taking advantage of the little moment they were having, the woman tried to reach her hand towards Adora and touch her hair. But as soon as she noticed her hands close, she pushed them sharply as if it were a slap.

"Don't try to touch me."

"Even though you healed me and my skin is not disgusting, you still refuse to touch me. Don't you want to check that I'm already healthy?" She unfastened her mask with a malicious smile. Adora felt the pure terror invading her when she imagined that if she saw her under her mask again it would be like when she was a child. She screamed in terror.

"DON'T DO THAT! YOU NEVER TAKE IT OUT IN FRONT OF ANYONE!"

"Why should I be ashamed of my own face if I'm cured? -"

"I COULD HAVE HEALED YOUR SKIN." Adora interrupted Shadow Weaver abruptly. The sorceress was surprised and Adora continued calmer, looking at her with a serious countenance and even some resentment. "But I didn't heal your heart. Your heart is still frivolous. You can make yourself good all you want, but I grew up seeing you. I know what your heart is like. And because of that, maybe your skin is no longer unpleasant. But your soul is still just as unpleasant as always. " in her words the sincerity of her soul was noted. This surprised the sorceress even more. Adora just headed out of the room, leaving her with the shock of her expression and with two guards forcing her to walk back to her supervisory room.

And Adora in spite of how angry she was, soon a small but great guilt spread from within her heart that had just bloomed.

She thought it had been too hard, even if it's Shadow Weaver. Maybe if he was trying to get close as she did when he arrived. She may have exaggerated, but after all those years, Adora has not yet been able to forget.

The disfigured face of Shadow Weaver that was hiding under his mask. The beating she gave Catra when she discovered them in her living room. Her scolding And how she treated her affectionately, as if she had nothing to do with it. Since Shadow Weaver arrived, all those memories sometimes returned to her mind and caused her pain. The pain of not being able to realize and defend her friend.

"Adora? Adora, what are you doing?" The voice of one of her friends surprised her and made her leave her thoughts.

"Eh? Oh, Glimmer! What's up?"

"You were walking with your eyes lost, tell me, don't you want to stop going to the forest? Since you go to the forest at dawn, you don't look so good anymore." Adora thought about it for a moment and realized something. That they were right.

That going to the Whispering Forest left her too intrigued, and even if she didn't want to, she took up her time and neglected her routine. I should definitely leave it to the Guards.

"... You're right. I won't go to the forest anymore."

"Well, perfect! I'm going to send two guards tonight to patrol the center of the Forest. Don't worry, it's in good hands."

---- O ----

"And .. have you sent the guards tonight yet?" Adora asked while they were having dinner. She was a little curious and restless about it.

"Yes. They just left about 10 minutes ago."

"Ehm.. Well.. Perfect!" Adora spoke in a distracted tone, as if thinking about what to say in this situation.

She worried that this time Catra would go there. Or if she were there and discovered. Although she has faith that she is too cunning not to notice.

"I have an idea girls! Let's make a sleepover!"

"A sleepover Bow, again ...?" Adora began to drink some juice later and when listening to Adora, Bow made a pouty face and sad.

"You didn't love pajamas? You don't want anything to do with us anymore?" She spit out his own tea.

"Of course it's not that! It's just.. You know, I want to rest a little more alone. I need to snore and well... my privacy?"

Glimmer who seemed neutral to the subject, supported Adora. "Yes Bow, you have to let her rest. It will be another time that we make sleepovers, right Adora?"

"Yes! It could be another day this week. Just give me some time."

And time passed as fast as usual in recent days. As soon as they finished eating, Glimmer went to her room to sleep. Bow to his in the castle, and Adora too.

She changed to a pajamas that had been given to her at Bright Moon, and it was one of the few clothes she wore that were not her uniform. She sat on her bed, and began to arrange her sheets to sleep while he thought.

Would Catra have gone to the Whispering Forest that night? What was he doing there?

When did she see Lonnie... Was it a dream or real? Maybe he should warn Glimmer and put more security in the castle, but he couldn't do it without a logical explanation and without them believing she was going crazy. A logical explanation involved betraying herself about her lie.

And like her lie, she didn't want to tell them that he had seen Catra. Because Glimmer had suffered a lot since Catra indirectly caused her mother to disappear. That Glimmer knew of Catra would not be a good idea... Because probably... If she was offered an opportunity, she would kill her.

---- O ----

Again Adora woke up in the early morning.

She rubbed his eyes with her knuckles to return to sleep. But she saw something in his room again, and this time she could see it clearly even though the long curtains of her room covered her.

Catra had small pieces of paper in her hands and put them away.

Adora got up quickly from the bed, and when the cat noticed her, with agility she jumped to the window of Adora, and jumped.

Adora ran to the window and looked down holding herself to keep from falling. There was no guard down her room, and Catra was fine. Maybe he had fallen.

Catra looked up and looked at her with a countenance that showed hatred before straightening her head forward and walking her tail a few times as if it were completely normal for her to be there.

And Adora couldn't understand what Catra was doing there.