Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was nothing before her but sky. A sun whose warmth held her face, and right next to it, a moon that surrounded her with a pleasant chill. Clouds, ever changing, danced against pinks and oranges and deep blues.

“Catra!” Adora called over her shoulder. “You have to come see this, it’s amazing!”

There was no response.

Adora frowned. Catra was known to do what she wanted, sure, and maybe she just didn’t want to come see this sky. Still, there was something...wrong. Adora felt hollow. Incomplete. Like someone named Catra had never existed in the first place.

“Catra?” Adora repeated. This time, she looked behind her.

It was a mistake. Suddenly, she was submerged into a bitter shadow, and when Adora tried to turn back, any signs of the sun or moon, any clouds, were gone. Instead, she was now surrounded by an eerie green.

“Hey, Adora!”

Catra. Her voice was strained. She sounded like she was hurting. “Catra! Where are you?” Adora cried, starting to run.

It took her a moment to realize she couldn’t. Her legs were being pulled back with each step- it felt like trying to swim in a puddle of quicksand. Everywhere, Catra’s voice taunted her. “Adora! Adora! Adora!”

Adora tried to call back, tried to tell Catra that everything would be okay, that she was coming...but the words died in her throat. All that came up was a dry, hacking cough, and Adora felt something cold tumble out of her mouth. Blood. Blood that was green. She began to sob.

“You broke my heart.”

Suddenly, there was a flash of white, and a gentle hand slid onto Adora’s chin. She was forced to look up into eyes that matched the liquid all over her hands and clothes.

“Catra, no,” Adora whispered, feeling cold tears slip down her cheeks. She could barely breathe at this point, but there was no way she wasn’t going to save Catra. “I never meant to! I never wanted to hurt you!”

“It’s too late for that.” Razor sharp claws dug into her neck. “You left me. You left me. You broke me. You left me.”

“NO!”

Adora grabbed at the hand. She fought to get it off, she had to save Catra, she had to save Catra, she couldn’t die here-

“Adora! Please! It was just a dream!”

She didn’t stop. She couldn’t believe anything that thing inside Catra said.

Only, when she opened her eyes, Adora saw the stars outside. There was a mattress beneath her, the blankets all strewn across the floor. Darla gave a gentle hum, as if to say everything’s okay.

And, best of all, Catra was holding her hand. A Catra with normal eyes. Well, as normal as mismatched blue and yellow eyes could be.

“Oh, no,” Adora gasped. “Did I hurt you? Are you okay?”

“No! No. You just...kicked around a little,” Catra reassured her. She pulled a sleeve over her arm to hide the obvious scratches.

Adora gave a sigh of relief and fell into her girlfriend’s embrace. They stayed there for a long moment, feeling the occasional shudder or groan of the ship, feeling one another’s comforting warmth (which, to Adora, was a million times better than any blanket).

“Want to talk about it?” Catra asked gently. She planted a soft kiss upon Adora’s cheek.

“It’s nothing new. Don’t worry about me.”

Adora closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. She wanted to stay there forever. Unfortunately, the mood was broken when they heard Glimmer’s shrill laughter from down the hall.

“It’s probably time to get up, anyway,” Adora decided. She pulled away from Catra and looked into the window to fix her hair. Outside, the stars blinked and glittered, with the occasional asteroid passing them by. Space could be peaceful when it wasn’t trying to kill you. “You coming?”

Catra waved her hand. “I’ll catch up. I need, like, at least five more minutes.” She gave an impressive yawn before curling back up.

Adora smiled on her way out of their room. The hall lights were dim, but there was a soft glow and distant chatter from the kitchen. Sure enough, Bow and Glimmer were cooking together.

“I’m just saying, if we wait until Etheria, we wouldn’t have to wait as long to do the wedding,” Bow said as he set a near-empty bag of flour atop the counter. He tossed a measuring cup to Glimmer. “I mean, we have to break the news to everyone, find a venue, a date...”

“Can’t we just have it at Bright Moon?” Glimmer asked.

“Yeah, but my point is that it’s gonna be a lot of planning. If we waited until we got home...”

Adora gasped as the realization hit her. “Are you guys getting married?”

Bow shrieked and dropped the spices he was holding. Glimmer laughed sheepishly.

“Well, okay,” she began. “It’s not official yet, and we’re still talking about things, but...”

“I can’t believe it! My best friends are getting married!” Adora exclaimed. She sprinted forward and pulled them both into a tight hug. “You have no idea how excited I am!”

“Uh, Adora?”

Adora pulled back. Apparently, Glimmer had just picked up the flour, and now the three of them were covered head to toe in white. “Oops,” she said.

“Who’s getting married?” came Catra’s voice from the hall. She turned the corner into the doorway, looked the trio up and down, and turned right back around. “Not even gonna ask.”

The silence was broken a moment later when Bow started giggling. Soon, their laughter echoed throughout the whole ship.

“I guess that means breakfast’s going to be a bit late,” Glimmer joked as she wiped a tear from her eye. 

Suddenly, before Adora could bug them for more info, a sharp jolt sent them all sprawling to the ground. Adora just barely managed to catch herself from face-planting onto the kitchen floor. It happened from time to time with Darla, so she was just about to brush it off when-

“ADORA! LOOK OUT!”

Adora pushed herself off the floor, only to be knocked back down. Something metal flew just over her head. Darla was picking up speed. The whole ship snapped into darkness as every light faded. A shrill beep-beep-beep-beep. An angry red began to flash as the world tumbled around them.

“What’s going on?!” Glimmer cried.

“CATRA!” Adora screamed. She tried to crawl, despite the pounding in her chest and the weakness in her legs. It reminded her too much, way too much of the nightmares, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t wake up...she needed Catra. Where was Catra? She was probably scared, and alone, and...

The ship jerked to the right as something collided with it. Somewhere, there was a loud bang, and then a series of popping, one after the other. Adora desperately tried to scale the now vertical floor, but everything was moving too fast, and she was far too weak and afraid.

She-Ra.

Adora held up her trembling hand. “For the honor of Graysk-!”

She didn’t have a chance to finish. Something heavy came barreling toward her, and Adora’s outstretched arm fell limp.

Chapter Text

It was difficult not to think of his exile as they crossed the seas, nearing the Southern Water Tribe. Of course, things were different now: Zuko had been crowned Fire Lord over five years ago, and things were looking up for the Nations, for once. Plus, Zuko was actually prepared for the cold this time, with a fluffy red parka to match his ambassador’s.

Speaking of his ambassador, Sokka was taking his sweet time getting ready. Zuko had been standing outside his room for at least ten minutes now. After a few more, Zuko knocked, the metal door sounding like a clap of thunder.

“Hey, Sokka?” he called. “Are you almost ready?”

“Yeah! Yeah, um, just give me a minute. Until...until the ship docks, or something.” Sokka’s voice was up an octave, with an audible quiver that gave away his nerves.

As if on cue, the floor gave a jolt, and Zuko lost his balance for a moment. It was followed by a sharp crackle. Zuko guessed they’d misjudged how much room it took to stop, causing them to hit the ice.

“The ship docked,” he informed Sokka.

There was no response.

Zuko sighed and pushed open the door. There, on the ground, was the Fire Nation’s Southern Water Tribe ambassador, curled up in every blanket he could find. His face rested in his hands.

Zuko took a step closer. “Hey, are you...”

“Gee, I don’t know. What does it look like?” Sokka snapped. He made the mistake of revealing his bloodshot eyes.

Zuko froze. He didn’t know what to do. Usually, on trips like these, Sokka was the voice of reason while anxiety threatened to overtake the Firelord. He wasn’t too experienced in this department, exactly, but...Sokka looked pretty upset. He couldn’t just leave.

He moved to the floor and took a seat beside his friend, leaning against the foot of the bed. Sokka didn’t protest, but he didn’t bother to look Zuko’s way.

“I’m sorry for barging in,” Zuko apologized. “I should’ve asked first.”

Sokka sighed and looked away. “No, you’re fine. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

Zuko’s shoulders relaxed as the tension in the room began to dip. He glanced in Sokka’s direction. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know how well I can explain it.”

“Could you try?”

“Okay, um...” Sokka took a deep breath. “I haven’t been home in a long time. And I miss it. A lot. I miss my dad, I miss the penguins, and the igloos...even the cold, sometimes.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Yeah. It’s the other thing.”

It was quiet for a moment.

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to,” Zuko said, standing up and offering Sokka a hand. “But we do, um, kind of have to go. Everyone’s probably waiting for us.”

“What if my tribe- what if they all hate me?” Sokka blurted out.

Zuko’s eyes widened in surprise. What was he talking about? “What? Why would they-“

“I don’t know! I feel, like...like I abandoned them.” Sokka buried himself further into his cocoon. “I know, it’s crazy, and I should be excited- I am! But...I don’t know. I’ve been feeling so anxious, lately. All the time. The tribe still isn’t doing too great, and every time I leave, I feel like I need to do more to help...plus, has Katara been returning your letters? She’s not returning mine! And...”

“You’re doing all you can, Sokka. And it’s more than enough,” Zuko reassured him. “I’m sure they recognize all the work you’re putting in at the Fire Nation. Besides, if your tribe was going to hate anyone, it would be me.” He cringed as he remembered his first visit to the South Pole.

“They don’t hate you!”

“And they don’t hate you, either.” Zuko almost said I don’t think anyone could, but forced himself to hold that back. Instead, he turned around and lifted Sokka’s anorak from a nearby chair. “Come on. Everyone’s waiting for us,” he said, a tiny smile pulling across his lips.

Sokka nodded slowly. A moment later, he stood and took the anorak from Zuko. “Okay,” he muttered to himself.

“Hey.” Before he realized what he was doing, Zuko took Sokka’s hand. “You’ll be okay.”

“Yeah.” Sokka breathed. His face turned a little red. Zuko assumed it was the combination of the Fire Nation ship’s heat and a heavy coat.

They made their way to the main exit. Their luggage was stacked nearby, but Zuko would have a few guards bring it over later. The panel before them cracked open as the ramp lowered, and white light slowly spread across their faces.

Sokka nudged him. “Hey, um, thanks. For that. I’m feeling better.”

“Trust me. All those worries will be out the window when you see your family,” Zuko told him in confidence.

But, as the ramp slowly descended, so did their hopes. Where there should’ve been a lively village was an empty, lifeless horizon.

Sokka frowned. “Huh.”

“That can’t be right,” Zuko said at the same time. His eyebrow furrowed in confusion.

“Did we get off course? Are we off course?” Sokka’s voice was slowly raising in pitch. He turned around to address a guard. “Can you check with someone and confirm we’re not, in fact, on course?”

Zuko pulled his attention away from them. It could’ve been a mistake, like Sokka said, but...

There was a doll lying facedown in the snow.

He did a double take. It wasn’t just the doll. As his eyes adjusted to the haze around them, he could see firewood littered across the ground, and fur blankets, and...

No. No, no, no, no, no.

There weren’t any igloos. There weren’t any homes. Zuko could see their remains being swallowed up by the snow, crumbled, destroyed. A broken tent further away had met the same fate.

He felt faint. This couldn’t be real. They’d just been getting better after the war. And now everything was gone.

Sokka seemed to notice, too. His expression turned grave. “We’re...not off course, are we?”

“No,” Zuko breathed. “We’re not.”

The Firelord went down the steps two at a time, his shoes making a heavy clang each time they met the rusting metal. He wasn’t sure if Sokka was behind him. His thoughts were in a complete jumble. He couldn’t think about anything but the ruins in front of him.

Zuko finally reached the bottom of the ramp. It wasn’t any better than the top.

Eventually, Sokka brushed past him. His boots sank hopelessly into the snow with every step, and it looked like it was taking all his effort to pull them out and take another.

“Everything’s gone,” he said hoarsely.

“No,” Zuko repeated. “There...there has to be something. There has to be something left.”

He moved toward the nearest igloo ruins. He ripped off a glove, and a moment later, a tiny yet burning hot flame blossomed in his palm. He moved it to and fro, melting as much snow as he could, trying desperately to find something. Anything. Anything they could use to figure out what in Agni’s name happened here.

Zuko eventually moved on to the next place. And the next. There were no bodies, as far as he could tell, which was strange. He heard Sokka shuffling around somewhere behind him.

How could this happen? Zuko thought numbly. Tragedy just loves to follow us around, doesn’t it?

His thoughts were interrupted when a gleam of silver caught his eye. Zuko frowned and looked closer, picking it up to see if he knew what it was.

He definitely didn’t know what it was.

It had to be some kind of technology, Zuko concluded, with all those wires and the metal clamps sticking out from its sides. In the center, if he looked closely enough, he could make out a dim green glow that pulsed every few seconds.

Suddenly, there was a strangled cry, and Zuko heard Sokka fall into the snow. He pocketed the disc and whipped around to face the danger. Flames exploded from his hands in a split second.

But there was no danger. At least, not yet. Sokka had fallen to his knees and was staring at the ground.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Zuko asked worriedly. “Sokka, did something happen?”

“Dad,” Sokka whispered, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Zuko’s breath hitched in his throat. Right in front of them was a golden dagger- one that Sokka gifted to Hakoda last year. The engraving on its blade was unmistakable. “Oh, Sokka...”

Sokka didn’t answer. His eyes were suddenly hollow and cold. All the hope that Zuko had given him earlier...it was gone.

“I should’ve been here,” he choked out a moment later. Tears threatened to spill down his cheeks, and Zuko wasn’t sure if they were from anger or despair. Or both. “I should’ve...”

Zuko cut Sokka off by wrapping him in a hug. There was a sharp inhale of shock, but Sokka recovered quickly and returned the embrace. He held Zuko like he’d never let go.

“We’re going to find out who did this. I promise,” Zuko murmured. “And they’re going to pay for it.”

Sokka buried his face into the neck of Zuko’s anorak.

The sky was turning an angry gray. Any minute now, a storm would start, and Zuko didn’t need to be from the South Pole to realize that they needed to get somewhere safe. He was just about to tell this to Sokka when-

“Wait. Do you smell that?” Sokka asked, pulling away.

Zuko wasn’t sure what he meant, until his eyes travelled to a place behind his friend, where the sky was much darker than anywhere else.

“Smoke,” they said in unison.

They helped each other to stand and hurried off towards its origin. The smoke wasn’t too heavy, it seemed, but it was coming fast.

“Whatever’s burning, it’s big,” Zuko noticed as they neared their destination.

Sokka didn’t need to respond for Zuko to know what he was thinking. Whatever this was...it may have something to do with the village’s disappearance.

When they finally reached their destination, Zuko’s mouth dropped open.

“What is that?” Sokka said quietly, his voice balancing awe and terror at the same time.

“I...I have no idea,” Zuko admitted. “It looks like something the Fire Nation would make. But the colors are all...way too bright, and there’s no insignia, from what I can tell.”

He was cut off by the screech of metal against metal, and a portion of the wreckage shifted. A wide panel fell to the ground, sending a heavy wave of snow at them.

Sokka jumped. “Wait- Zuko, there’s someone in there!”

He was right. Just beyond a pile of debris was a human hand.

“What should we do?” Zuko asked. He had to raise his voice a bit to be heard over the wind, which was now picking up and blowing his hair into his face.

“We’ve gotta get them out of there!”

“Sokka, it’s the South Pole! I doubt anyone’s still alive in there, and...”

Sokka wasn’t listening anymore. He ran toward the wreckage, grabbing pieces of metal and tossing them aside to get to the injured passenger.

Zuko, realizing that it wouldn’t hurt to try, followed his friend and helped to clear the debris. He wrenched a particularly large piece of metal away, finally revealing the face that went with the hand.

“Get her out, get her out,” Sokka muttered to himself as he lifted the body. It looked to be a young woman, wearing a thin red jacket that offered no protection.

“Is she alive?”

Sokka paused and pressed two fingers to the woman’s inner wrist. “Yeah. But barely. I’m not sure how long she’s been out here, so I don’t know how much time she has left.”

“Here. Let me help,” Zuko offered. “You go see if there’s anyone else inside.”

Sokka carefully handed the injured woman over to the Firelord. He was right- she was barely alive, it seemed, with a pulse that was no more than a few light, light taps against Zuko’s fingertips. He took a much needed deep breath. Zuko hadn’t studied healing before, and he was certainly no Katara, but this would have to do.

He moved the limp blond hair from the woman’s face, and gently touched his palms to her white cheeks. Body temperature was a fragile thing, he knew. Zuko would have to be extremely careful.

“Catra?”

Okay. She was talking. This was good, maybe. Probably.

“No, I’m sorry,” Zuko replied softly. “Were they on this ship with you?”

The woman’s head lolled to the side. “Catra...”

“Uh, Zuko? There’s more people in here!”

Zuko was starting to feel sick. There was no way they could pull this off. “How many?”

“I don’t know, like...two? Three? I can’t really tell!” Sokka yelled. His voice was carried away by the wind.

“Okay,” Zuko said, his voice cracking. It wasn’t okay. It was anything but okay. He turned his attention back to the woman, who had seemed to register his presence.

“Catra,” she whispered.

“I- I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is. Were they on the ship with you?” Zuko repeated, more urgently than last time.

The woman opened her graying lips to speak, but the cold won over, and she coughed weakly before her eyes fluttered shut again.

“Sokka!” Zuko cried. He cradled the woman in his arms in an effort to keep her warm. “Hurry up!”

“I’m trying!” came the voice from beneath the rubble. “She’s- they’re- they’re stuck, okay? And I can’t do anything about it unless we want the whole thing to collapse!”

Zuko’s heart thrashed around in his chest. His hands would no longer hold still, either, his fingers trembling violently as he tried to keep his focus. It was hopeless. Wasn’t it? They’d arrived at the South Pole only to find an abandoned settlement, came across a collapsing pile of metal and glass (with who knows how many people inside freezing to death)...and if that wasn’t enough, the gray clouds from earlier were starting to look angry. Within the hour, they’d likely be buried in snow.

“For...”

Zuko glanced back down at the woman. Her arm was slightly raised, and she kept mumbling strings of words that the firebender couldn’t understand.

She was confused. That had to be the only explanation. No matter how many times Zuko brought her arm back down, she raised it again, reaching for something that wasn’t there. He didn’t know what was happening, but it couldn’t be good. “Sokka, I think we have to go!” He shouted.

“But-!”

“She’s going to freeze if we don’t go now!”

“You’re a firebender! Just...I don’t know, make fire!”

“It’s not that easy, Sokka! Body temperature is an extremely complex-“

“...honor of Grayskull!”

There was a flash of light. Zuko was knocked back, hitting the ship with a resounding crash. When he opened his eyes, an array of colors swam before him...right in front of a giant...sparkling...lady. And the girl in red Zuko was holding before was nowhere to be seen. It had to be her. But...how?

She looked down at him. The woman’s skin no longer showed signs of cold or bruising, and her messy blonde hair had become a brilliant gold. Piercing blue eyes that reminded Zuko of Aang moved slowly to examine the debris.

The woman lifted her sword into the air, and in one fowl swoop, sliced clean through a sheet of metal.

Zuko was way too shocked to speak.

The task suddenly seemed less daunting than it had a moment ago. She moved the sword with purpose and strength, pushing aside anything that stood in her way. This included Sokka. She tossed him from the wreckage and into Zuko’s lap. 

“Okay, you have some explaining to do!” Sokka shouted. He pulled himself up by Zuko’s collar, their faces only inches apart. “What’s going on? Who is that and where did she come from?!”

“I don’t know!” Zuko spluttered. “I looked away for one second, and then, the lady from before is gone, and replaced by...” He groaned and buried his face in his hands. “I...I’m so confused.”

They didn’t have time to be confused, Zuko found. The giant lady burst from the wreckage, holding three very sick-looking people, and staring intently back at the Firelord and his ambassador.

“I think she wants us to help,” Zuko realized.

They each took someone in their arms. Zuko found himself carrying a man with a heart on his chest, and skin absolutely freezing to the touch. Probably because his midriff was completely exposed.

“We have to hurry,” Sokka told them as he glanced to the sky. He nodded to the woman. “Follow us back to the ship.”

The woman nodded back. It seemed she was too tired to say anything. Zuko thought he saw the glow around her fade, just for a second.

They trudged back through the ruins of the village. The emotions he and Sokka experienced not ten minutes ago resurfaced within the Firelord, and they threatened to bring up tears, but he pushed them away for the sake of these people. They needed help, and they needed it fast.

The journey up the ramp was excruciating for them all. By the time everyone was safely inside the ship, the giant woman had faded back into the sick girl, and Sokka fell on top of Zuko in a dead faint.

Chapter Text

Catra attempted to blink. It hurt.

The last thing she remembered? Probably going back to bed. Experiencing one last moment of peace and certainty before waking up in bandages, in a place that definitely wasn’t Darla.

She groaned and tried to roll over. When that didn’t happen, she settled for reaching over to her left, feeling around for Adora despite the numbness in her hand.

Wait.

Catra tensed when she realized she was alone. Where was Adora? And Glimmer, and Bow, for that matter? What had happened to them? And why couldn’t she move?

_____

The next time Catra awoke, some of the bandages were gone, and she could move a little. But everything still felt...well, wrong.

She looked down. These were not her clothes. They were too red, and far too loose fitting for her taste.

_____

Someone was talking out in the hallway. Or, at least, what Catra assumed to be a hallway. Their voice was loud, and it bounced all over the place, so it wasn’t exactly hard to miss.

“...just saying, we should probably tell Aang and the others as soon as possible. There’s no way this isn’t Avatar business, right?”

“Sokka, any time something remotely weird or inconvenient happens, you say it’s Avatar business.” This sounded like someone else, with a voice the complete opposite of the other. Quiet, yet firm. “But, yes, you’re probably right this time. This feels a little more, um...serious than a missing shoe.”

“Hey, it was a good shoe!”

“Aang was literally in the middle of saving an Earth Kingdom village.”

“Okay, now I’m not saying that wasn’t important, but…”

The voices faded, and so did the heavy footsteps that thundered across the floor. Catra’s consciousness followed soon after.

_____

The next time the voices appeared, they were much closer. They were accompanied by a screeching door and an elegant flourish of red robes.

“You should get some rest. I just want to see how she’s doing,” the gentler one said. There was an inaudible remark from the other, which earned him a short laugh and a quick goodbye. The door closed.

If anyone asked, Catra would deny it to no end, but she was...scared. A little. Okay, maybe more than a little. She felt lost, and small, and she’d obviously been hurt pretty badly. And what if the others hadn’t made it? She tried to push the thought from her mind, but it was no use. Her heart was already pounding like crazy.

The visitor finally turned to face her. His eyebrows- eyebrow?- raised in surprise. “Oh! Um. Hello,” he said, giving an awkward wave. “You’re, uh...awake.”

Catra narrowed her eyes. The stranger sounded concerned, she’d give him that, but she didn’t trust him one bit. Catra had been through enough of these situations to know she needed to stay skeptical, and stay alert. You know, in case he started shooting fire at her, or something crazy like that.

The stranger continued. “Are you feeling okay? I could send for a healer.”

She didn’t need a healer. What she needed was a way out. And Adora. Catra opened her mouth to say so, but her voice came out rough, and her words were a useless jumble.

The stranger nodded to himself and turned to a nearby dresser. He reached for what looked like a first aid kit, stocked to the brim with gauze, and tiny bottles that clinked against one another. While was back was turned, Catra’s eyes shifted toward the door.

He left it open.

This might be her only chance of escape.

So, as any reasonable, injured person would do, Catra summoned every bit of strength she had and leapt from the cot.

She landed painfully on her side. But she also quickly gained the upper hand- the stranger certainly hadn’t been expecting that, and fell beneath her with a sharp oof. The former Horde soldier took the opportunity to swipe her claws at his face.

“Wait- no- you shouldn’t be-!” The stranger spluttered protests, attempting to catch his breath. A tapestry detached from the wall and gathered on the floor beside them. A thick cloud of dust rained down shortly after. Catra felt her lungs scream when she inhaled.

Still, she responded with a weak hiss and managed to scramble to her feet. She’d been hoping to come off as intimidating, but all hopes of that faded when her legs buckled. The dreadful robes she wore didn’t exactly enhance her balance.

To top it all off, the stranger’s fingertips dug into her arm, holding her still. “I’m just trying to help you,” he snapped.

“Yeah, that’s what they all say,” Catra managed to spit out. Trying to talk left an unpleasant burning in her throat. “Let me go!”

“Just let me explai-”

With a grunt, Catra pulled the fallen tapestry over his head and started to crawl. She was almost there. She didn’t know what she’d do when she reached the hallway, but it would at least be a step in the right direction.

She never got there. The hands held her back once again, and Catra’s captor slammed the door shut with a swift kick.

“I said, let me go!” Catra shrieked.

“I will, when you stop fighting me!”

She elbowed him in the face.

“Look, I’m not going to have you hurting yourself any more!”

“I don’t care!” Catra gave a final cry, wrenched herself away from her captor, and dove. But she wasn’t even close to escaping. After all that, Catra’s arms and legs refused to listen, and her head throbbed so much she could barely see.

_____

The stranger was still there when Catra opened her eyes again. She was back on the cot. He sat nearby, hands resting in front of his lips, the rest of his face shrouded in a veil of worry.

“If you’re going to kill me, just do it,” Catra growled. “But leave Adora alone, you hear me?”

The stranger’s good eye widened. Catra noticed, for the first time, the burn that encased half his face, and she mentally kicked herself for not spotting the weak point sooner. “I...what? We rescued you. What makes you think I’d…”

“Then what, exactly, do you want?”

“I don’t want anything from you.” His voice was much gentler than before, as if he were trying to calm a small child. “And I’m really sorry for startling you, earlier. Here, let me start over- I’m Zuko.”

“Catra,” the former Horde soldier muttered.

There was a flash of recognition in Zuko’s eye. “You’re Catra?”

“What? Did someone ask about me?” Please let it be Adora. Please let her be okay.

“Yeah, actually.” Zuko ran a hand through his long hair, which had come undone from its styling during the scuffle. “She’s not awake yet, or anything, but she was the only one that spoke when we pulled you from the wreckage.”

Wreckage...so, Darla was gone. But Catra would freak out about that later. For now, she needed to figure out where she was, and what exactly had happened. “What’d she look like?”

“Um, blonde hair, red jacket...actually, she kind of turned into a really tall lady at one point? With a sword? Do you know anything about that?”

Yep, that was definitely Adora. And it sounded like she was okay. “Yeah. That’s normal,” Catra whispered, her heart giving a shuddering sigh of relief.

Zuko said something else, but that was all Catra needed to hear for now. She closed her eyes and finally let herself rest.

Chapter Text

She took the steaming bowl of soup as it was handed to her. “Thanks,” she told the guard, who smiled kindly before leaving the room.

Glimmer still hadn’t quite wrapped her head around what was happening. It had been explained to her several times now: we found you and three other passengers stranded in the snow, and we brought you aboard our ship. We’re heading somewhere you’ll be safe. At least people seemed willing to discuss the situation with her, rather than leave her in the dark.

They were going somewhere called the “fire nation.” While members of the ship’s crew, and occasionally the friendly ambassador Sokka, assured her it was nice there, Glimmer remained in a constant state of worry. After all, by the sound of it, she’d nearly died. Darla was gone, too, along with all their means of contacting Etheria. The four of them were without a way home.

And Glimmer was still yet to see her friends. It was the only thing no one would discuss- she tried to ask about them a few times, only to be told they were still healing. How long had it been? At least a few days, her internal calendar assumed, but she couldn’t be sure of anything.

As Glimmer took a sip from her bowl- gosh, the soup was spicier than it looked- the door opened. Standing there was, finally, a familiar face. Her eyes lit up with joy. “Catra! It’s you!”

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you, Sparkles,” Catra said, relieved. She hastily approached Glimmer’s cot and sat down beside the queen.

“We’ll be arriving soon,” came another voice. In the doorway, just behind where Catra stood, was Firelord Zuko. Glimmer had only spoken to him a few times, but he seemed nice enough. “How are you feeling, Glimmer?”

“I’m great,” she assured him. “Anything about Adora or Bow?”

“Not yet, sorry. You both will be the first to know if anything changes,” Zuko promised.

Glimmer and Catra exchanged worried looks. 

As soon as the Firelord was gone, Catra scoffed. Her tail swept back and forth in a frustrated loop. “‘Not yet’? Yeah, right. I bet they’re not telling us everything.”

“Well, maybe they don’t want to overwhelm us,” Glimmer reasoned, although she feared Catra might have a point. “I’m sure Zuko would tell us if something was wrong.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t trust him. And I don’t trust that other guy, either. The obnoxious one.”

“The ambassador?” Glimmer raised an eyebrow. “Sokka’s not so bad, once you get to know him.”

It was quiet for a moment, aside from the crackling fire nearby.

“Are you really doing okay?” Catra finally asked.

Glimmer gave a sad smile. “To be honest? I’m terrified. That crash was horrible enough, but now...we’re totally lost. Aren’t we?”

The former Horde soldier opened her mouth to reply, when suddenly, a loud honk from the ship jostled them from their thoughts. It shook the whole room. Glimmer’s grip around her bowl tightened at the unfamiliar sound.

“This place is so weird,” Catra groaned, once she’d recovered from the startle. “Why does everything have to be so weird?”

“For once, you and I agree on something.” Glimmer looked out the little window at the sea- which, to her surprise, wasn’t much of an empty horizon anymore. Before them was a magnificent gate, which revealed several tall, sturdy buildings as it opened to accept the steamship. Oranges and pinks painted the sky as the sun prepared to set.

“You guys ready?”

The duo looked away from the window to see Ambassador Sokka. Over the past few days, he’d shed his South Pole layers, and now donned a set of robes. To Glimmer, they looked too formal on him. “C’mon. We’ll show you to your rooms first, and then you can join us for dinner, or have it sent. Whatever you feel like.”

“I want to see Adora and Bow,” Glimmer said, using her best “queen” voice. She set down the bowl of soup and tried not to notice the uncertainty in her tone.

“Um...well, we can do that, for sure.” Sokka beckoned them into the hallway. The duo followed him out of the room. “But they probably won’t be very responsive- Bow was especially bad…”

“And Adora?” Glimmer asked. Her stomach twisted at the mention of her fiancé.

“Well, y'know, I’m not super sure of anything,” Sokka answered with a shrug. “And I don’t think our healers are, either. You guys aren’t from around here, so we’re being extra careful with all the medical stuff. Just in case.” They turned a corner to reveal an open door, with a long metal staircase leading down to a dock. “I’ll write my sister to see if she can come down- she’s one of the most gifted healers across the Nations. Assuming she actually gets my letters,” Sokka added in a mumble.

The three of them descended the staircase into hot and very humid weather, despite the night’s approach. A stark difference from the South Pole- well, Glimmer didn’t remember much from there, but she knew it had to be a lot colder than where they were now.

Catra seemed to be on the same page. “You know, compared to here, the Crimson Waste is practically a winter wonderland,” she muttered. Glimmer snickered.

At the bottom of the stairs was Firelord Zuko. He looked very official, speaking to a few heavily-armored guards.

“...I want the patients in the guest quarters nearest to mine,” he was saying. “Alert the palace healers, as well as Avatar Aang and Katara. Even if they can’t make it down here, I think this is something they should know about. Don’t omit any details.”

“Yes, sir.”

The guards marched off toward a tall, magnificent building, just up the mountainside.

“Well, I was going to send a letter to Katara, but it looks like you beat me to it,” Sokka greeted the Firelord. He turned to Glimmer and Catra. “Do you need any water or anything, before we head back? It can be pretty hot here, as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“You know, I think we’ll be okay. But thank you for offering,” Glimmer said. She looked up at the building: although its architecture was unlike anything she’d seen, she knew it radiated power. She guessed it must be where Zuko lived, being royalty and all. “Is that where we’re going?”

“Yes- that’s the Fire Nation palace,” Zuko confirmed her suspicion. “I’m sure Sokka told you, but we’ll be showing you to your rooms first. You both must be tired.”

Glimmer was very thankful to the Firelord for letting them stay, but she doubted she’d get much sleep anytime soon.

They walked away from the docks (the ship was much bigger than Glimmer thought) and made their way toward the palace. The road was steep in some places, and the stairs near the end made Glimmer wish she’d accepted when Sokka offered water. Eventually, though, after what felt like an eternity, the group reached their destination.

Inside, Glimmer barely got a good look around before chaos ensued. Zuko and Sokka left the Etherians almost right away- with many apologies, of course, but apparently there was business they had to take care of. A group of important-looking people surrounded them not long after their arrival. They asked all sorts of questions that Glimmer didn’t understand, and eventually whisked the two away to meetings. Glimmer and Catra were left with a young servant. She introduced herself as Ezeya.

“Dinner will likely be late, as the Firelord needs to discuss what to do about the Water Tribe,” Ezeya said briskly. Her pace was difficult to match, especially since Glimmer was barely used to the heat, but she and Catra managed. “Though, don’t hesitate to ask for food or drink, if you need it. We have plenty to go around. You’ll find clothes in the wardrobes, as well as towels, soap...in short, if there’s anything you need, just ask.”

With that, she dropped Glimmer and Catra at two towering doors, and scurried off into the winding halls.

The two Etherians looked at one another, overwhelmed.

“That was...something,” Catra finally said.

“I just wish they’d tell us about Adora and Bow,” Glimmer sighed. She opened the door to her room- it was getting late by now, and the interior was shrouded in darkness. It was difficult to even make out where the bed was. “I’m getting tired of worrying...but I know they're doing their best. And I’m sure Firelord Zuko and Ambassador Sokka have a lot of important things to do.”

“What could possibly be more important than, I don’t know, four aliens crash-landing in the snow and almost dying of frostbite?” Catra snapped. “Oh, come on, don’t look at me like that. You know that’s what we are to these people.”

“Don’t be so hard on them,” Glimmer replied with a frown. “I actually listened to a few conversations back on the ship- I’m not sure if I should have, but from what I can tell, they were travelling to the South Pole for business. And Sokka used to live there, I think.” She and Catra both entered Glimmer’s room, tired of standing out in the corridor.

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Catra asked.

Glimmer paused their conversation for a moment. As it turned out, the room was almost too dark to see anything. Glimmer conjured a tiny ball of light in her palm. Luckily, she found a few candles right away, and used her magic to light each one. The world was swallowed by shades of red and brilliant gold. Which, actually, wasn’t much of a surprise- so far, almost everything in this world seemed to follow that pattern.

She sat down on the bed before continuing. “I think the village they were supposed to stay in was destroyed. And everyone in it was missing. It sounded pretty serious.”

“Huh.” Catra’s voice had softened. Perhaps she’d gained some sympathy. “It makes sense, I guess. If there was any kind of village near where Darla crashed, we would’ve woken up there, instead of on the ship.”

“Yeah. It's sad...I wish we could do something to help.”

Any remaining words between them dwindled. After all, there wasn’t much to say.

They ended up falling asleep, both laying horizontally upon the mattress.

______

Glimmer was woken an hour later by a string of short, impatient knocks on the door.

“Ugh, five more minutes,” Catra groaned beside her.

“You’re fine,” Glimmer whispered. “I’ll go see who it is. Maybe it’s information about Adora and Bow…”

That seemed to draw Catra’s attention. She jolted awake as Glimmer approached the door. The queen opened it to reveal the very topic of their earlier conversation.

“Ambassador Sokka!” Glimmer said. “How were your meetings?”

“Cut short,” Sokka said. “Sorry if I woke you up, but we received word of a visitor. I was wondering if you’d like to meet my sister.”

“Your sister?” Catra asked. “She’s the...healer, right?”

Sokka nodded.

That was all it took. The three of them walked fairly quickly through the halls- Sokka told the Etherians they were going to the front gardens. Glimmer was sure they’d get lost, with how big the place was. Luckily, though, Sokka seemed to know the place pretty well, and eventually led them outside...where a giant, white, fluffy thing waited for them.

Catra’s eyes widened. “What is that?”

Glimmer wanted to know too, but Sokka didn’t answer.

As they neared the beast, which appeared to have an equally giant saddle on its back, a cluster of people came into view. Glimmer only recognized Zuko, along with a few of the officials she’d seen earlier. Beside them stood a woman dressed in blue.

“Sokka,” she said, sounding exhausted.

“Katara!” Sokka greeted her, sounding half friendly, half confused. “What’re you doing here so early? I mean, it’s good to see you, but we just sent for you a couple of hours ago- there’s no way-”

“We actually left a few days ago.” Another woman came into view. Compared to Katara, she was rather short, with dark hair pulled into some kind of updo. Her arms were folded across her chest. “Not a fun trip.”

“You can say that again, Toph,” Katara joked halfheartedly. Her eyes drifted to Catra and Glimmer. She looked curious, but didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned her attention back to the Firelord. “Look, Zuko, we have a big problem on our hands. We didn’t know where else to go.”

“And what’s that? The problem, I mean?” Zuko asked. "And where's Aang?"

“The problem is Aang,” Toph interrupted. “Something’s seriously wrong with him.”