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Chapter Text

Queen Marlena of Eternia hated meetings. She truly did. They were tedious, and rather irrelevant to herself. She especially despised the secret summits of the surrounding planets. Stars above, she’d do anything to avoid them. But this most recent one had sounded urgent. The emissaries who had visited Eternia (very dangerously and stupidly, she thought) had reported that this latest meeting would be of great importance to everyone, but he would not say why. Marlena didn’t want to question him, so she and her husband, King Randor, agreed to go, more out of polite compliance if anything else.

Now that Marlena and Randor's son and heir Adam was 22, he would be left to watch over the planet in their absence. Eternia was unlike the other planets, which had several different kingdoms within them. Its capital city, where Marlena, Randor and Adam reside, is named Eternos, and is at the centremost point of the planet. As the biggest and most colonised city on the planet, it was decided centuries ago that the Royal Family of Eternia would reside here, and so, here we are. Prince Adam was now the eldest child and heir to the throne of Eternia, due to ascend within the next few years, when his parents would hand over the reigns, so to speak. Marlena knew she would have to grow out of the habit of thinking Adam was hers and Randor’s eldest child. The crushing truth was he may be their only child. Marlena and Randor had once had two children; Adam, being their first, and his twin sister, Adora. Rnador and Marlena chose the name Adora for it meant that she was adored, and would always be loved.

But Adora had disappeared mysteriously, a few weeks after hers and Adam’s birth. The King and Queen of Eternia had tried everything to find her, but they’d come up empty handed, no matter how hard they tried. The weeks turned into months, and the months turned into years. Now, here they were, almost 22 years later, with no sign of their daughter. Marlena knew what that meant, but she couldn’t accept it. Something inside her refused to let go of Adora. Whether it was maternal instinct or whether it was something else, she really didn’t know. But Adora's namesake remained. Marlena refused to let go of the memory of her daughter, with those big blue eyes and blonde tuft of hair. Adora was, in short, perfect and adored.

The Queen picks up her golden crown, and placing it on the top of her head. She gently moves a ginger strand of hair away from her face, and gazes at her reflection, heaving a deep, saddened sigh. Losing her little girl had filled her with unimaginable pain. Behind her, King Randor comes into the room, his fingers pinching his nose. He notices his wife stood in front of the mirror, and can immediately tell what Marlena is thinking about. So he walks over to her, smiling softly, and wraps his arms around her waist. Marlena leans her head back into his shoulder, relishing his embrace. They stay like that for a few moments, until there is a knocking on the door. Marlena draws away from Randor, and steadies her crown.

"Come in." She calls. The doors open, and Marlena and Randor's son, Adam, enters the room. He is flicking at his princely attire, something he never normally wore unless on special occasions. His dark blonde hair is swept to the side, a smaller version of his father's crown sat on his head. Marlena smiles with pride at her son. But then she imagined Adora stood next to him, and she cried. Adam immediately strides forward and hugs his mother, understanding what's she's thinking.

Prince Adam had always known about Adora. His parents had never let the memory of the Princess of Eternia be forgotten, and thus he too missed his sister, in his own way. Adam had often felt as a child that it would be fun to have another child around the palace, one who was a sibling to him. Sure, the servants had children that he could play with, but it was not the same. Having a sister would have been fun, he knew that. But someone had stolen her, taken her away from her family. Adam couldn't understand why someone would kidnap a child, a baby no less, and take them away from their home. Adam swore if he ever found the person who took his sister away from him and his family, he would not be held accountable for his actions.

"Mom, it's okay. I understand." Adam consoles.
"I'm sorry, Adam. You look wonderful." Marlena sniffles, as Randor and Adam embrace her.
"Your mother is right, Adam. You look magnificent." Randor says proudly. Adam smiles awkwardly.
"The crown feels a bit weird." He admits. Marlena reaches out her hands, and adjusts the golden headpiece.
"Perfect. Are you sure you'll be okay whilst we're gone?" The Queen asks.
"Of course. I've had the best guidance I can. Plus I have people to help me all over the palace." Adam reassures.

Randor places an arm around Marlena, pressing a gentle kiss into her forehead. He knows how she feels. Adam has always been a little rebellious and adventurous, so he hadn't really paid attention to his royal lessons for a few years when he was younger. But as he grew older, the pressure of being future King rested heavily on his shoulders. He had always been heir to the throne, as he was the eldest twin. But both Randor and Marlena, as much as they loved their son, often wondered if Adora would have been less rebellious, less adventurous, and more focused than Adam.

"We believe in you, son." Randor reassures. Adam smiles, scratching his neck.
“Thank you, Father." Marlena stares at her son, so strong, so kind, so perfect for the throne of Eternia.
"The people are beginning to arrive." Randor observes, gazing out of the bedroom window.
"Then it is time." Marlena responds, holding her arm out to Adam. The prince smiles, and takes it. Together, with his mother and father, he leaves the bedroom behind them, as the mirror glints in the light.

Princess Adora of Etheria despised meetings. She had endured enough of them over the last four years, with everything that had happened with the war, and the aftermath of it. Meetings had become an ingrained part of her schedule, something unavoidable, due to her role as saviour and representative of her planet. Some mornings, her girlfriend, Catra, will try to get her to stay in bed, and avoid the meetings they so frequently attend, but Adora has never been much of a rule breaker. Though technically speaking, breaking the rules was how she had learned the atrocities that the Evil Horde, an army led by a defect clone of the tyrannical Horde Prime, had committed. Rule breaking had started all of this, really. So every once in a while, Adora will stay in bed, snuggled with Catra, as the brunette gently plays with Adora's blonde hair, and Adora will, in turn, massage Catra's messy hair, which had now grown to just past shoulder length. She often messed with the hair behind Catra's ears, which the feline especially loved.

Now, on a morning where Catra has achieved her goal of keeping Adora distracted long enough to miss the start of the meeting, the brunette girl smirks down at her lover.
"You're a sneaky kitty." Adora groans, pulling herself up from the sheets. Catra's smirk only widens.
"But you love it." Catra's fangs poke through her smirk, and Adora tackles her. Catra lets out a carefree, indulgent laugh, tipping her head back.
"I love you." Adora specifies, her blonde hair falling around her face as she too loses herself to uncontrollable laughter.

For years, both Adora and Catra had been raised as soldiers for the Evil Horde, after being found as infants and taken in. Catra had simply arrived on the Horde's doorstep in an applesauce box, whereas Adora had come through a portal that Hordak had found. He had taken pity on her, as he immediately recognised that she, like him, was not of Etheria. But he did not have the time to focus on her, so he passed her off onto the sorceress Shadow Weaver, who would eventually take in Catra too. Years later, Hordak would see Adora's name again, when considering his next candidate for Force Captain. Both Hordak and Shadow Weaver had seen something special in Adora the day she came through the portal, and now, Hordak had reasoned that it was time she proved it.

Only Adora had proved it in all the ways that Hordak had never expected. Her first act after being promoted to Force Captain was to borrow, or in Catra's opinion, steal a skiff. That had kickstarted it all. Catra and Adora had snuck out into the Whispering Woods, and Catra (yes, it was Catra, Adora would swear by this) crashed the skiff, sending Adora tumbling into the woods below them. She'd then found the Sword of Protection, which would later haunt her dreams. She was unable to think about anything else, so she snuck out again. Except this time, she didn't come back to the Horde. Worst of all, Catra, even after seeing the Horde's horrific activities, had decided to stay with them.

The brunette girl had rose through the ranks, even surpassing Hordak after two years of meticulous and chaotic planning. Catra had never had any real life goal other than spending her life with Adora, as they ruled over Etheria together. It wasn't unrealistic they'd believed, since the Princess Alliance had crumbled years ago, so any remains of the Rebellion were few. Adora had always been ambitious, wanting to climb as high in the ranks as she could, and so help her, she would drag Catra with her if she had to. Catra had never cared much for what happened in her own life, as long as she was with Adora. All they had ever wanted was each other, but they'd become lost along the way. Extremely lost...

But none of that mattered to Adora now. Because finally, after three long years of strained, chaotic and devastating war, Etheria was finally saved. The magic that the First Ones had restricted with the Heart of Etheria had been set free, and the planet was thriving. A year after the war, Adora, Catra and their best friends Glimmer and Bow, were due to embark on a mission to restore magic to the rest of the planets. Their original intention had been to start this mission six months after the war, but there was much to be fixed on Etheria, more than they had originally calculated.

But now, in a matter of weeks, they would be off into space again. Truth be told, Adora was quite excited. Being in space could be chaotic and dangerous at times, or at least it sure had been when she and her friends had gone on the mission to save Glimmer, and later Catra, from the grip of the vindictive and monstrous Horde Prime. But after Catra was saved, and they'd had a few days of blissful travelling, space was incredibly peaceful. It was a nice break from the war, the constant noise of cries of pain, or arguing, or even the noises in her head that had bothered her for the three months she'd lost She-Ra in. But now, going into space seemed like a dream come true, especially since she would be travelling with Catra, without fear of the war, or Prime, or Shadow Weaver, tearing them apart once more. Because now, it was them against the whole universe, for real this time. Nothing could make Adora happier.

Well, maybe there was one thing. But it seemed a little stupid. A few months after posing the idea of this mission, Adora had been charting stars with Castaspella, whilst she and Catra spent a weekend in Mystacor, in order to get away from the busyness in Bright Moon. Castaspella had been delighted to see the girls arrive, and had welcomed them with open arms and the best suite she could offer. After getting settled, Adora had purchased a leather bound journal and feather pen from one of the shops in the town, and had perched herself on one of the floating rock pedestals near the beach. She'd originally intended to sit in the Lunarium, but the last time she'd been in there, she'd accidentally shattered some of the crystal scriptures, and she didn't want to repeat history.

As Adora had began to chart the stars, Castaspella had come to see her, telling her how Catra was going to eat dinner, and turn in for the night. The sorceress had been concerned for Catra, but Adora had assured her that Catra needed rest often. Adora blamed it on her girlfriend's feline ancestry, but the truth was that Catra was plagued with nightmares most nights, so she didn't get a lot of sleep. Mystacor was a chance for Catra to get some peaceful rest, undisturbed by nightmares of the original portal she had set off, or Prime, or the events at the Heart of Etheria. Adora intended to spend the next day devotedly caring for Catra, maybe even trying to ease her into the steam grotto.

Castaspella had noticed Adora's charting, and taken interest in it. They got into conversation about how Adora had always recognised stars, even before Etheria was brought out of Despondos and into the wider universe, and eventually Castaspella had (carefully and hesitantly) brought up Adora's home world. The conversation was difficult for Adora. Since learning she was not of Etheria, she had sought answers desperately for where she came from. She had sought them from Shadow Weaver, Light Hope, and even Hordak. But no answers turned up. All Adora could deduce was that she was from a planet that could, by now, be extinct.

Prime had boasted to Adora that he had crushed the race of the First Ones underneath his heel, destroying what was once one of the most fearsome and mightiest empires the universe had ever seen. But he had then mused that some faction may have remained, and that was where Adora had came from. He had proceeded to taunt her, saying that the 'race of tyrants' had abandoned her on a forgotten planet, meaning Etheria, which had, at the time of Adora's arrival, been trapped in Despondos. But Adora had affirmed that she only fought for Etheria, the place that had become her home, and for herself and her friends, rather than the First Ones. For Adora, being She-Ra was never about complying to the wishes of a long-gone race of people. Being She-Ra was a way to prove she was capable of being a good person, it was a way to make up for seventeen years spent serving the Horde. But most of all, it was about feeling that she had a purpose, a destiny. But then she'd shattered the Sword, and that had changed everything.

But now, Adora realises, her destiny was never to become She-Ra. Well, part of it was. But only part of it. As Adora lies with Catra at her side, she feels she has found her destiny in another person, that of course being Catra. They had been through so much together. They had spent their traumatic childhood together, but then had been forced apart by the war, keeping them separate for three years, as they forged their independent paths, away from each other. But now, they had found each other again, and Adora swore she would not let that go. Catra and Glimmer and Bow were the most important people in the universe to Adora. They were her family now.

But often, Adora's mind circles back to the conversation she had had with Castaspella regarding her birthplace, and she had tied it in with Prime's claims about her family abandoning her. But Prime was wrong. Before Adora had inevitably destroyed Light Hope in order to stop the Heart of Etheria from activating, the AI had admitted to Adora that she had used all her strength (stars knew how), and had brought Adora to Etheria. She had stolen Adora away from her family, not Hordak, like Adora had previously been led to believe. All of the questions Adora had always wanted to know, and had voiced to Light Hope, could have been answered. Did she have a family? Had they survived Horde Prime's brutality, or had he found that faction too? Could she find her home planet?

"Adora?" Catra asks, putting a hand on Adora's shoulder. The blonde had not realised, but she'd gone into a trance.
"Oh, uhm, hi. Sorry." Adora sheepishly scratches her neck.
"What's wrong?" Catra asks, snuggling into her girlfriend.
"I was just thinking about the mission, that's all." Adora says. It's not the whole truth, but it's not a lie either.
"Adora, the mission will be fine." Catra scolds, setting her lips in soft smile.
"I-I just...I keep thinking about what Prime said. About my people. What if they're out there?" Adora asks. Catra gasps, momentarily.
"If they're out there, we'll find them. I promise you." Catra gently takes Adora's hand, and presses a kiss to it.

There are days where Catra can be incessantly annoying, where she chooses to tease and annoy everyone around her, including Adora. Old habits die hard, but Catra enjoys teasing people, and Adora loves to hear that delightful laugh that Catra lets out when she gets a desired reaction from someone she's been picking on. However, there are other days, usually days that the couple spend together, where Catra will be soft, understanding and caring. On those days, she becomes Adora's main source of comfort, which she is anyway. Adora cherishes moments like these, where Catra can allow herself to be soft, without feeling insecure.

"What if Prime was right though?" Adora asks, the words tumbling out, before she can even process the very thought of them.
"What do you mean?" Catra responds.
"What if they are tyrants?" Adora chokes back a sob, and Catra gently threads her fingers through Adora's soft hair.
"Then we'll kick their butts." Catra jokes, making Adora smile.
"And if they're not tyrants? What do I do then?" Adora inquires.
"I'm not sure. But I'll be with you, every step of the way." Catra affirms, continuing to gently thread her fingers slowly through her girlfriend's blonde locks.
"You promise?" Adora asks, as tears appear in the crinkles of her eyes. Catra gently wipes one away, and smiles softly.
"I promise." Catra smiles, and kisses her lover, with a tender hand on the blonde girl's chin. She and Adora had been through a lot, but they still had each other. Adora knew, no matter what happened, that would always be true.

As Catra wraps her arms around Adora's waist, the mid-morning sunlight finally bursts into the room, illuminating every last crystal, and every last polished surface. The warm light even makes Adora's hair shine, like hay spun in gold. She truly was a magical sight to behold. Adora gently breaks the kiss, earning a whine from Catra.
"Just because we missed the start of the meeting doesn't mean I can't at least get dressed and get breakfast." The blonde says, guiding Catra in for one last fleeting kiss on the lips, before pulling away, and grabbing her hairbrush from the desk. Catra grunts in response, but follows her girlfriend. As they enter their ensuite bathroom, the sunlight catches the light of the mirror, making it flash once.

Hidden away, in a castle to the east of the Royal Palace of Eternia, a sorceress flicks her hand over her mirror, as images swipe past. As she is browsing, she notices the image of Prince Adam, and his parents, the current regents of Eternia, Queen Marlena and King Randor, leaving a suite in the palace. She smiles at the image. The Sorceress knows, just as everyone else on Eternia, that today, Queen Marlena and King Randor were leaving for a secret meeting of the Coalition of the surrounding planets. Of course, the meeting wasn't very secret to the inhabitants of Eternia, but it was to other planets outside this coalition. If Horde Prime got wind of their alliance, he would find each of the coalition planets and obliterate them. Given his hatred for Eternians, he would probably start with Eternia.

As the Sorceress flicks through more images, she stops at one that is quite unfamiliar. In the image, there is a clean, sparkling room, one of royal status, but not on Eternia. Crystals hang down various parts of the ceiling, and there is a desk with a few pieces of paper and other such things lying on it. But the room and its décor are not of much interest to the Sorceress. What does catch her eye however, is the two people within the image, one a feline female, with shoulder length brown hair and black ears, whereas the other girl has mid-back-length blonde hair. The way the image has paused, the Sorceress is able to get a glimpse at the side profile of the blonde, but not her female companion. The blonde girl has sharp bluebell eyes, and narrow brown eyebrows, with an athletic build. The Sorceress uses her magic to zoom closer to the image, and quickly identifies the magic swirling inside of the girl's blue eyes. The Sorceress has seen this face before, she is sure of it.

The Sorceress proceeds to wave her hand at the mirror in an almost dismissive manner, and it goes blank, reflecting the Sorceress' own features. She sighs, and walks over to her bed, picking up a teacup from the bed side table. With a flick of her hand, she summons a teapot to her grip, and pours herself some warm tea. She sits on the bed, propping a misplaced pillow up properly, deep in thought. She blows over the tea cup, before taking a sip. Ah, green tea. Typically, the most abundant catechins in green tea are known as EGCG, which is responsible for most of the positive effects of green tea on memory. As the Sorceress finishes her tea, and still cannot remember where she has seen the blonde girl before, she sighs in frustration.

Placing the tea cup back down on her bedside table, the Sorceress picks up the invitation from her desk to the gathering in the kingdom today. Whilst Prince Adam was not being crowned King today, he was being left as temporary ruler of Eternia, as the coalition summit meeting would apparently take several days, rather than the usual one. This had to mean something important had happened, but Eternia tried to keep out of the other planet's affairs, as not to draw attention to themselves, for obvious reasons. As the Sorceress glances at the invitation, she smiles upon the picture of the Royal Family of Eternia. Prince Adam, with his sharp blue eyes and nose, had grown up to become quite handsome.

The Sorceress straightens her shoulders, and regards the image on the invitation again. Adam's eyes...were the same bluebell blue that the girl in the image's had been. The Sorceress swipes the mirror on again, but the image she had seen previously was now different, due to the passage of time. Now, she could see the blonde girl straight on, and identify all of her features. Her feline companion has her arms wrapped around the girl's waist, smiling. The Sorceress pauses the image there. There was no denying the similarities between the blonde girl in this image, and Prince Adam. But it couldn't possibly be her. Could it? The Sorceress' lips part, a name on her tongue, one not uttered by anyone other than those of the Royal Family in years, one that the Sorceress never thought she would utter again.

"Adora?"

Chapter Text

"People of Eternia, honoured citizens of Eternos, we are gathered here today to celebrate the crowning of Prince Adam of Eternia, as he moves forward into his next stage of succession. As many of you know, the coalition has called an emergency meeting, that will last many days. As a result, Prince Adam will be left as temporary King of Eternia. Myself and Queen Marlena have full faith that the planet is being left in capable hands. We will return in a few days time, with the latest news from the coalition summit. Until then, Eternia is Prince Adam's to rule." King Randor smiles as his son approaches the balcony, waving at the people. Many of the women who are gathered fawn over the young prince, as he becomes flustered.

Adam had always been shy growing up, and despite his confidence around his family, he could never quite muster up this same courage around his people. It wasn't ideal, he knew, given his role as future King. He knew that it wouldn't be long before his parents stepped down from the throne, and then he would have to be King full time. It admittedly scared him, but what else could he do? This was his destiny. If only Adora were here. Adam always liked to think that he and his twin sister would have been extremely close growing up. He especially liked to think that they might have ruled together. If only she were still here...

"Adam?" Marlena asks, as she takes her son's hand. Adam breaks his daze, and looks at his mother.
"It's time for us to go, son." Randor says. Adam waves at his people once more, before he and his family leave the balcony.
"Are there still no hints as to what the coalition meeting is about?" Adam asks, awkwardly messing with his cuff.
"I'm afraid not, son. But they wouldn't have called an emergency meeting without a real emergency. Perhaps Prime has been sighted." Randor considers, a frown etched in his features.
"Prime hasn't been sighted near us in nearly ten years. Wherever he is, it's not in our quadrant." Marlena says, holding back the final part of her sentence. I hope.
"Why can't we fight back against him?" Adam asks. Marlena and Randor sigh.
"Son, we merely don't have the strength. Nobody does. It's best we just stay out of the way. If he finds out who we are, who we're descended from, he'll crush us within a moment." Marlena says sadly, brushing some of Adam's hair from his face.

Adam had heard all about the infamous Horde Prime whilst he was growing up. The tyrant who had ruled the universe for centuries, slaughtered so many in the name of his twisted 'peace', even killed off many of Eternia's people. Planets had ceased to exist, cultures had become extinct, and slowly, magic had been drained from the universe. It was devastating. Overall, Eternia was a peaceful planet, but just as the whole universe did, it lived under the threat of Horde Prime. Adam had always sworn that when he ruled, something would change, but how could anything change when Prime was basically invincible?

"Your Majesties. The ship is ready for your departure. The fuel sources have been freshly replenished, and there are rations that will last for a very long time in the ship's kitchen. The accommodation rooms are set, and there's a communication line for anytime you need to get in contact with King Adam." A royal servant explains. Adam bristles at the title the servant had given him so casually. He would be hearing it a lot in future.
"That's fantastic, thank you." Randor nods at the servant, and nods, as if to instruct them to show the way.
"Come, my dear. We should take off as soon as possible." Randor continues, guiding Marlena towards the courtyard where the ship resides. Adam walks behind his parents.

Adam had seen his family's ship before. Sure, technology on Eternia was advanced, maybe even more advanced than on some of the other surrounding planets, but this ship was something else entirely. It was magnificent. Majestic even. Fitting, really, given the family's status. Adam would love to travel on it, but someone needed to stay to rule of Eternia. He supposed that would have been another advantage of Adora still being around. He would be able to travel on this ship as she ruled Eternia, despite being the younger twin.

"We'll be back in a few days, Adam. We'll keep in regular contact, but we won't be able to tell you anything until we return. If the communication line is hacked, vital information about the coalition could be leaked, which would put us all in danger. Prime may not be within this quadrant now, but if he gets wind of the coalition-"
"He'll come back faster than we can predict, and we will all be doomed." Adam finishes lazily. Marlena and Randor exchange a glance, frowning.
"Adam..." Marlena sighs.
"I know how you feel, son. You want to fight against him, right? You want to liberate Eternia from him. I understand, Adam. I did too. But he's too powerful." Randor explains.
"So what? We just stand aside and watch as he destroys the universe?" Adam asks.
"We will find a way. Maybe that's what this meeting is about." Marlena reasons. Adam sighs, and moves his hair out of his face.
"Okay. Okay, fine. Just...be safe out there." Adam instructs.

Marlena and Randor embrace their son, reassuring him, before boarding the ship. They wave at him one last time, before the doors slide shut. Adam stands back as the engine roars, and the ship takes flight. He stays in the courtyard, watching as the ship's shape becomes smaller and smaller in the midday sky, until it is merely the size of a star. Adam hoped that the coalition meeting would give useful information on Prime. There had been too little information on him lately for Adam's comfort. Something strange was happening, he could feel it. But he didn't know what.

"King Adam, huh? Very fancy." Adam turns around to see Teela, his childhood best friend, leaning on a pillar post, arms crossed. Her lips are curved in a smug smile. Adam scoffs.
"I should really have the guards prevent riff-raff like you entering the castle grounds." Adam teases back. Teela walks towards Adam, giggling.
"Oh come on, Adam. You would be lost without me." Teela teases, messing with Adam's crown. The temporary king moves his head away, and pouts, readjusting his crown.
"You're such a little annoyance." Adam says, stepping past Teela with a smile on his face.
"You wouldn't have kept me around for so long if you didn't like me a little bit, your Majesty." Teela grins, walking in line with Adam.
"I suppose you're right." Adam chuckles. "So, what brings you here today anyway?"
"Can a girl not come see her best friend after his coronation?" Teela asks.
"It's only temporary, Tee." Adam reminds her.
"In any case, I came to tell you the Sorceress is looking for you. She says it's super important apparently." Teela informs.
"Oh right. Is she in the castle?"
"Yeah, in the Council room. I'll walk you." Teela says. Adam nods, as the pair enter the castle.

"Adora! Catra!" A voice calls into Adora's bedroom. The blonde girl sighs, as she ties her hair half up.
"Go away, Sparkles!" Catra growls from next to Adora.
"I'm coming in!" Queen Glimmer shouts back.
"Oh for the love of-" Catra starts, but does not get a final word, as Glimmer appears in a flurry of sparkles.
"You've really got to get over this invading personal space thing." Catra mutters, pulling on her black fingerless gloves.
"Apparently so. Every time I do, you're both always romancing." Glimmer teases.
"I mean, we were getting ready, but okay." Catra pouts.
"I think Glimmer thinks it's revenge for when I walked in on her and Bow kissing that time in the bunker. Remember, after we saved you from Prime?" Adora smiles at Catra.
"I remember that." Catra smirks back, holding Adora by the hips. Glimmer groans outwardly.

"Hey guys. Glimmer, are you in there?" Another voice shouts.
"Yeah, come in, Bow!" Adora shouts back, as she walks out of the bathroom, and picks up a notepad from her desk.
"I have another meeting in Salineas this afternoon. I'm going to get Swift Wind to fly me there." Adora explains to Catra and Glimmer, chewing a pencil, as Bow enters the room.
"Funny. You couldn't attend this morning's meeting." Glimmer chides. Adora awkwardly scratches her head.

Glimmer didn't mind Adora missing meetings, not really. The blonde girl was a saviour, a hero. She had worked so hard after joining the Rebellion in order to fulfil her destiny, even if it was not the destiny that others designated to her. Adora needed plenty of rest, even a year later. She had played such a huge part in the reparations of the other kingdoms after the war, and now, they were at a point where they no longer required the help of She-Ra. The fact that Adora was missing meetings that she once would have moved the planet to attend showed Glimmer how much the presence of Catra had calmed Adora down. Glimmer was glad, if anything, that Adora was now at a point where she was learning to relax. Admittedly, however, this morning's meeting had been of critical importance to the Rebellion moving forward.

"Was it anything important?" Adora asks. Glimmer and Bow exchange a look.
"I don't like that look." Catra says, lounging on a chair.
"Okay, first of all, it's a good thing, and there's nothing wrong, and we don't-." Bow rambles.
"Bow." Adora raises a brow, folding her arms.
"So we may need She-Ra." Bow says. Adora blinks.
"Is that it?" She asks.
"Well that was anti-climactic." Catra deadpans.

"Remember a few meetings ago when we spoke of how there was word of a coalition between many of the planets that had resisted against Prime?" Glimmer asks.
"Yeah, you and your dad mentioned that Etheria was asked to be a part of it." Catra replies.
"Well, they sent a letter asking me and Adora, or more specifically She-Ra, to be Etheria's representatives. The first meeting is in a few weeks' time." Glimmer explains.
"Doesn't our mission start in a few weeks?" Catra asks, raising an unpleased brow. She was quite looking forward to this mission, and didn't really want anything else to get in the way of it.

"Well, yes. But the alliance with the coalition is going to be detrimental to Etheria's progress in future. There are planets out there who don't even know Horde Prime is gone. With us as members of the coalition, soon, everyone will know. We can not only bring magic back to the universe, but we can bring hope too. There are planets out there who have been in hiding, just waiting for Prime to end the universe. They're still living in that fear. But the coalition has members from most planets now. We'll know where to restore magic to." Glimmer explains.
"We can focus on the planets which need the most magic restoring!" Adora realises.
"Exactly!" Glimmer grins. "Can you imagine how many different species we're going to find now?"
"Ooo, and we could find new tech as well!" Bow adds. Adora smiles at her friends, but only one thought is swirling through her mind.

What if they could find her home planet too?

Chapter Text

Adam had always found comfort in the Sorceress' company. Something about her magical aura was relaxing, peaceful. He didn't feel the pressures of royal life when the Sorceress came to visit. She was like an aunt almost, not related by blood, but close enough to the family to feel that way. She'd been protecting Eternia for many years, and was well respected in most cities, most prominently in Eternos, Eternia's capital city. Here, she protected Castle Grayskull, an ancient landmark that had stood on the outskirts of Eternos since the time of the first settlers.

The Sorceress smiles when she sees Adam, her eyes crinkling with pride.

"My, my, Adam. The crown suits you well." Adam fidgets nervously with the headpiece, but takes a seat opposite the Sorceress.

"Thank you, Sorceress. Would you like anything to drink or eat at all?" Adam asks, but the Sorceress shakes her head.

"No, thank you, darling. I actually came here to discuss an important matter." The Sorceress says.

"Teela mentioned. I trust everything is alright with Castle Grayskull?"

"Grayskull hasn’t been victim to attacks in quite some time. The forces of Snake Mountain have retreated, for what I can tell. Teela and her team are doing a fabulous job of enhancing defenses just in case, though." The Sorceress tells, giving a gentle nod to Teela, who grins with satisfaction. 

Snake Mountain was once the home of Eternia's trickier criminals and their leader, a vindictive being named Skeletor. He had begun to raise an army a few years ago, planning to overtake Eternos, and eventually Eternia. Attacking Castle Grayskull would be the start of it. Not only was Castle Grayskull a passing point when entering the city of Eternos, but there was also apparently a weapon buried deep within that would aid Skeletor on his mad quest, not that he'd ever revealed what it was. Why would he? Adam knew that Castle Grayskull held many secrets, and he wished he had more time to find them out. But for now, his time was tied to his responsibilities in the Royal Family. Now more than ever, given his current role as the temporary King of Eternia. Even thinking about the title doesn’t seem right. He completely hates it. 

"Adam, do you remember Adora, your twin sister?" The Sorceress inquires. 

"You know I do." Adam responds.

"I'm glad that you're sat down for this. For several years, I tried reaching Adora, hoping I could find where she was. There was a time both I and your parents believed that the forces of Snake Mountain had stolen her away, intending to use her for their army. There was a prophecy, telling of the power that she would have, and-"

"A prophecy?" Teela repeats.

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?" Adam inquires.

"Your parents found out about the prophecy after Adora had disappeared, and for years, they believed that she had been stolen. They never told you, mainly because you were a child, who might become jealous of a prophecy being made for your sister but not for you. Then, as you grew up, and the hopes of finding Adora diminished, they didn't see a point in telling you about the prophecy." The Sorceress explains.

The prophecy had been foretold about one hundred years before Adora and Adam's birth. Queen Marlena and King Randor hadn’t discovered it until Adora went missing, but the Sorceress had always heard whispers. The prophecy declared that the next firstborn Princess of Eternia would be chosen to bear the power of a great legend, and would be the greatest force that the universe had ever seen. There were many Eternian legends that spoke of powers beyond the Eternians comprehension, but the Sorceress had never been sure which of these would be bestowed upon the prophesied Princess.

"Do you think the prophecy is the reason Adora disappeared?" Teela questions.

"It's always been an option, but now, I'm not sure what to think." The Sorceress pauses for a moment.

"You know, I think I would like some tea."

"Of course. Teela, will you ask the guard outside to bring us a tray of tea?" Adam asks.

"Yeah. If you'll excuse me for a moment." Teela stands and leaves, speaking to the guard outside, as Adam removes his crown from his head.

"I knew you didn't like that crown." The Sorceress' lips twitch in the corners with a knowing smile.

The Sorceress knew everything about everyone. She was highly intuitive, very perceptive. She was one of the few people who knew how much Adam detested his royal title. Spending time with Teela usually helped him forget he was a Prince as well. Teela had a wild spirit, one that was only tamed when she was soaring through the forest on horseback, or amid a battle with her enemies- being best friends with the Prince of Eternia meant Teela had many enemies. She was made for battle, Adam often thinks. Something about her screamed warrior.

"The kitchen is preparing the tea." Teela speaks upon re-entering the room.

"Thanks, Teela." Adam waits before Teela sits down before asking the Sorceress to continue. 

"You know how sometimes I can be quite nosy?" The Sorceress asks. Adam and Teela laugh.

"Well, we wouldn't put it that way." Teela responds politely. The Sorceress smiles. 

"Well, I like to swipe through the mirror system quite a lot. It gives me access to mirrors throughout Eternia, and sometimes other planets. Only occasionally. This morning, I was swiping through, and because of what I can assume was last night's full moon energy above Castle Grayskull, I could see other planets. I saw a castle, not on Eternia, but not on any of the surrounding planets either. I'm not sure where it is, but there was a girl opposite the mirror. Two girls, actually." The Sorceress explains. 

"Alright?" Adam asks, unsure of what is to come.

"I couldn’t shake that I knew one of them from somewhere. She was blonde, had blue eyes, and was about your age. I wasn’t sure at first, Adam, but...I think the girl was Adora." The Sorceress admits. 

At that moment, the guard brings in a tray of tea. He stops when he realizes the silent nature of the room.

"Uhm, is this a bad time, your Majesty?" Adam clears his throat.

"No, Manfred, now is fine. Perfect, actually. Thank you." He smiles as Manfred sets the tray on the table, and sets cups in front of each person. He proceeds to drop a cube of sugar into Adam's cup, and pour tea into all the cups.

"Thank you, Manfred." The guard leaves, and Adam takes a sip of his cup as the door clicks shut.

"So, where were we?"

Adora lifts another box onto Darla, passing an excited Entrapta, and not-so excited Hordak. He does smile more these days though, only around Entrapta. Catra swears they have something going on between them - Bow concurs, but Glimmer and Adora have always laughed it off. Adora supposes she sees it but that doesn't not make it weird. Though, it's Entrapta, so is she really surprised?

"Need a hand there, Princess?" Catra smirks, swooping in and taking the box from Adora. 

“I was loading that.” Adora states, but her lips tug up in a smile.

“Well, I’m bored, so let me help.” Catra shrugs, lifting some more boxes. Adora watches her with a small smile. She enjoys having Catra around, but she can still see a conflict in Catra’s eyes, despite how long it had been since the war had ended. Adora knows Catra still has nightmares, still feels as if she doesn’t belong in Bright Moon - or anywhere, really - so she tries to keep busy. Though there is always the possibility that Catra is actually enjoying being useful. 

(Though she doubts that because Catra has always enjoyed being lazy, unless faced with battle.)

Adora hears a slight ringing, and turns to see Glimmer and Bow appear via teleportation behind her. 

“Are we ready to go?” The Queen excitedly asks. Bow rolls his eyes at Adora, who picks up on the love Bow holds in his eyes for Glimmer. 

“Nearly. We’re just loading the last few boxes.” Adora informs. “We have new space rations. I don’t trust the stuff that Mara left.” 

“We survived on that when we rescued Catra.” Glimmer points out. 

“A year ago,” Adora retorts. “I don’t know if space food has an expiry date, and I don’t want this mission to be where I find out that it does.” 

“Don’t worry Princess. If you get food poisoning, I’ll nurse you back to health.” Catra speaks, having sneaked up behind Adora. Glimmer and Bow laugh as Adora sighs. 

“I’ll write my will now then.” She teases, earning a swat from Catra. 

“I’m gonna load these last two boxes and then I think we’re all set. Though you might want to find Entrapta to make sure everything’s working.” Catra says, picking up the boxes. 

“I’m on it.” Glimmer teleports away, leaving Bow, Adora and Catra behind. Catra walks back up the ramp, and Adora starts fidgeting with her bracelet. She’d started wearing matching bracelets a few months after the war. They’d been designed to look exactly how her Sword had looked just after Glimmer had become Queen. She liked the familiarity. 

“You okay?” Bow asks, waving a hand in front of Adora’s face. She looks up, startled. 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Adora assures, but Bow folds his arms skeptically. 

“I’ve known you for four years. You fidget when you’re nervous. Do you want to try that answer again?” Bow inquires. Adora sighs, rolling her eyes at him. She loves Bow like a brother, so surely he warrants the truth about what’s on her mind, right?

“I keep thinking about my home planet.” Adora confesses. “I mean, it started during the war, but I kind of pushed it out of my mind with the whole saving the world stuff. Then I spoke with Castaspella about it a few weeks after we came up with our whole plan on how to bring magic back to the universe. I’m just curious, y’know? Prime spoke about him eradicating my people, yet some faction had to have remained for me to be here. I love Etheria, it’s my home. I’m just curious about my past. Not necessarily the First Ones, but more my family. Parents, siblings, aunts, whatever. But every time I think about it, I feel stupid.” 

Bow has also often wondered about Adora’s past. Once Shadow Weaver had told her that she wasn’t born of Etheria, he’d noticed a change in her. A new purpose of trying to find her roots, beyond what others told her. He had to admire her determination. He’d always known his family, but she hadn’t. Yet despite that, he and Adora aren’t that different. Now, they’re like a little family of their own. 

“I don’t think it’s stupid. I actually think it’s brave, and I’ll support you if you want to divert part of the mission so that you can find your family. I’m sure Glimmer and Catra will help too. Do either of them know that you’re feeling this way?” Bow quizzes. Adora shakes her head. 

“Catra doesn’t know her family either. For me to start a search for mine seems…insensitive, I think.” Adora explains. 

“I think she’d support you. By now you should know that she’d do anything for you.” Bow teases. Adora lets out a small laugh. 

“Perhaps.” She utters. Bow places a supporting hand on her shoulder, and squeezes. 

“You’ve got this.” He reassures her. “Hey, who knows? Their representatives might even be at this summit.” 

As Adora goes to reply, Glimmer appears in a flurry of sparkles with Entrapta, Hordak and Micah in tow. 

“Right, everybody on the ship.” She says, letting go of Entrapta, Hordak and Micah and gesturing her hands towards the ship. 

“I still don’t like your teleporting, Queen Glimmer.” Hordak complains, moving toward the ship. Glimmer shrugs. 

“You’ll get used to it. Ask Catra.” Glimmer states. Hordak responds with a simple ‘Tsk.’

“Are you sure you guys will be alright?” Micah asks, regarding Glimmer particularly. 

“We’ll be fine, Dad. Just…look after Bright Moon for me.” Glimmer requests. 

“I still can’t quite believe that we’re already at the point where I look after your kingdom for you.” Micah frowns. Glimmer pulls him into a hug. 

“Don’t worry, Dad. We’ve got all the time in the world.” 

“Be safe up there, all of you.” Micah regards the group. Adora and Bow nod. 

“We will be, your Majesty.” Adora confirms. She and Bow ascend the ramp to the ship as Glimmer and her father hug goodbye. Adora looks over her shoulder to them, taking note of their sweet bond for what seems to her like the millionth time. She wonders if maybe she had a parent or even a set of parents who would treat her like that if she were to ever find her family. It was a nice thought, she supposed. 

When Adora enters the pilot deck, Entrapta is pressing buttons here, there and everywhere, which should be terrifying for Adora, but somehow, it always seemed to work. Darla voices a greeting which Adora returns before taking her place in the pilot’s seat. Darla ran on autopilot flawlessly most of the time, but for take-off, Adora needed to be in the pilot’s seat in case anything went wrong. Glimmer walks in seconds later and stands besides Bow. Entrapta laughs as the ship panel begins to light up. 

“Everything is ready for lift-off! I really wish I was coming with you guys, I’ll miss Darla.” Entrapta whines. 

“Don’t worry, Entrapta, we’ll take care of her.” Adora replies. 

Entrapta claps her hands together and grabs Hordak so that they can exit the ship. Hordak is still awkward around Adora and her friends; Glimmer puts it down to guilt, Adora puts it down to struggling to settle in when he’s been living completely differently for so many years. She relates to his struggle to settle in, but it’s still so strange to be around him in the place she’d come to in order to escape him. 

“Adora? Are you ready for take-off?” Glimmer queries, earning a nod from Adora. She holds onto the sides of the chair as Bow slides the panel up to allow the ship to lift off the ground. Catra takes her place behind Adora’s chair, as Glimmer stands next to a control panel on Adora’s right. As the ship rises from the grounds of Bright Moon, Adora allows herself a glance out of the window. The ground gets further away, and within a few small moments, the spires of Castle Bright Moon become tiny specs the size of pins. The Etherian moons grow closer as the ship rises, before it exits the planet’s atmosphere seconds later. That always feels a little bit like teleporting, yet completely different. 

“How long until we reach the summit, Sparkles?” Catra speaks as Darla goes into autopilot mode. 

“The summit meetings start today, lasting for five days. We should arrive at the beginning of day three.” Glimmer tells. As Glimmer and Catra exchange remarks - and some jokes - about the summit and what is expected of them as representatives of Etheria, Adora allows her mind to wander as she gazes at the stars. She can’t stop thinking about what Bow said.

“Hey, who knows? Their representatives might even be at this summit.” 

Would she know if she was in the same room as people who were the same as her? What would she even say if she did encounter people from her homeworld? What would her friends say? What would Catra say? But still, the question that sticks out most to Adora is what she would do if she found her family…and what would it mean for her life on Etheria?