Work Text:
''ADORA!''
''GLIMMER!''
The two ran towards each other and embraced
Adora held her like she was never gonna let go ''G-Glimmer! We were so worried about you! We were gonna go to space- and we- we'' She felt so relieved
''It's okay, I-I really missed you guys, I thought I was gonna die there...Adora, I missed you so much'' Glimmer was gonna sob uncontrollably
''It's okay, you're here, you're here and that's all that matters...'' Adora scrunched her eyes shut and held Glimmer close
Catra fell to the ground
She'd been stabbed...badly
Glimmer had insisted she came along with her, back to Etheria...
Back to Adora...
She insisted that they could make things right
That wasn't gonna happen now...
Upon their escape, into a teleporter and back to the wasteland that was the Fright Zone, about three minutes ago, Catra had been stabbed by a clone
Glimmer had lead their run 'home' wherever that meant
The stupid sparkly Princess failed to notice she'd got a knife in her side
She failed to notice the blood spilling from her wound, leaving a trail behind them
Catra supposed she should be grateful
If Glimmer noticed...then she'd try to get her help first
And then they'd be in even more trouble
This way, at least one of them would survive
Anyway, she kept running with the girl as long as she could
Then something distracted Glimmer
She ran faster ahead
Leaving Catra behind
And Catra took that time to finally stop running, fall, and be put out of her misery
Glimmer would run forward
Glimmer wouldn't see her fall
Glimmer wouldn't see her die
She felt blood pool around her body
She felt her pain dull
Not long until her heart stops, her mind slows, and she's left for dead again
Glimmer was about 20 feet away from her now
She was holding someone
Good for her
At least she had someone to come back to
Wait
That wasn't just anyone
That was Adora...
That was Adora, holding Glimmer, looking like the most happy and relieved person in the world
Catra tried to smile
Adora was happy
She had to let her go
But something in her heart hurt
Something in her heart felt like it was burning and drowning at the same time
Something in her heart felt like a knife was being twisted into it
Something in her heart felt like breaking
Her ear twitched as she heard Adora's voice
''You're here now, that's all that matters''
Catra felt her blood turn to ice
That's all that matters to her
Catra doesn't matter anymore...
Catra is nothing but a looming shadow cast on her perfectly happy life...
Adora is happy without her...
Adora is happy with someone else...
Catra stares up at the girl 20 feet away
Hear heart is slowing
It's becoming harder to breathe
She tries to memorize her face before her vision and brain blur
She's smiling
Her eyes crinkling like they always do
How she loved that face
How she loved those eyes...
And the pain comes back
Adora only used to smile at her like that
And now she smiles at someone else...
She used to be mine...
There's blood on all sides of her
And everything hurts
It hurts so much
It hurts to see herself replaced
It hurts to see that she doesn't matter to Adora anymore
It hurts to have been let go
It hurts to remember what they used to be
It hurts that Adora looks at her like a stranger
It hurts every fiber of her being
And with whatever is left in her
Catra sobs
She can't breathe anymore
Only make feeble attempts as tears drip down her colorless face
As the loneliness sets in her eyes
Her vision is blurring
She can't tell if it's from the tears or dying
She can't tell how far Adora is now
It's like her vision focuses on her
She can't tell if she's right in front of her, or several feet away
Her hand shakes forward as her mind starts to slow
She reaches in the haze for Adora
Her calloused hand grazes the rough ground and her own blood as she tries to feel her one last time
Catra's heart stops
Adora's not here anymore
Adora's too far away
Adora's with someone else...
Adora's happy without her...
Catra isn't breathing
Her hand stops searching for Adora's touch
Her eyes glaze over
Staring at the last place she saw her best friend
And she dies alone...
Adora slowly cracks her eyes open
She's been relishing in relief as she holds Glimmer close to her
God she missed her so much
She's so glad she found her
They need to make their way back
So Adora opens her eyes
And looks over Glimmer's shoulder
And her entire being seizes
Adora gasps
Her eyes widen an unbelievable amount
She sees Catra
Laying in a pool of blood
About 20 feet from them
Glazed eyes staring just beyond her
A hand reaching for another
dead
Adora's hands go slack as she lets Glimmer go
''Adora, what-''
Adora blinks and shakes her head, but Catra doesn't go away
This isn't real
This can't be real
And Adora runs
''No, no, no, no, no, no, no-''
She runs towards the still body
Adora falls to her knees by her side
She can feel her clothes coat in blood
''NO, NO, NO!''
Adora's hands turn red as she tries to shake her awake
''CATRA! CATRA WAKE UP! CATRA!''
Glimmer has run up behind her, staring in horror at what she finds ''Adora I-''
''NO! NO! CATRA- CATRA PLEASE! WAKE UP!''
Adora screams and sobs
tears run down her face as she wails and wails in grief
She pulls Catra's body into her arms
She holds her close to her chest and refuses to let go
She listens, in complete denial, for Catra's heartbeat
A rhythm that calmed her every time she was hurt, or had a nightmare
She can't hear it anymore
She can't feel Catra anymore
She looks into those eyes
Those eyes that gleamed whenever she beat her in a race
Those eyes she loved
And she finds nothing but the absence of life
And it hurts
it hurts so bad
She's gone
She died all alone
Adora had promised to look out for her
and she died alone
''CATRA- CATRA I'M SORRY!''
Every memory they shared flashed in her mind
Every memory hurt so bad
Catra was so cold
She used to be so warm
Especially when they huddled up together on cold nights
But now she's freezing
And Adora can't warm her
Adora tosses her head back in another scream
She's gone
At some point Bow and the others had found them
Bow and Glimmer had tried to pull her away
''Adora, we're too out in the open, we have to g-''
''NO! NO! I'M NOT LEAVING HER! LET ME GO!''
Adora had scurried back to the body and held her close again
Wishing
Pleading
Begging
She needed her back
She couldn't lose her like this
But Catra was long gone
And she was never coming back
Adora screamed again
She was howling in pain
It was as if she'd been stabbed in the heart
Her Catra was gone
Nothing mattered anymore
Because the person that mattered most to her...
The person that used to be hers...
Was cold and dead