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It's over, another attack on Thaymor repelled by the great new Princess Alliance
Adora's over at the huts, taking care of the sick and wounded
The Princesses are all patching themselves up
Bow is scavenging materials to rebuild
Glimmer's looking for prisoners and survivors alike
There seem to be barely any
And then she hears it
''Adora?'' Comes a broken, shaky voice
Glimmer whirls around to face a bleeding, dying, Catra, covered in her own blood
Glimmer glares, but she can't help but feel a twinge of sympathy, Catra's got hit everywhere, even cuts on her face, in her usually gemstone eyes
''A-Adora, Is that you?'' She asks earnestly
She's so desperate to see her, she thought Glimmer was her
''I'm not Adora'' Glimmer said strictly ''You can see her when you get to Brightmoon and pay for your crimes''
Catra shook her head ''C-can't''
Glimmer scoffed ''What do you mean you can't? You don't have a choice''
Catra shook her head again ''C-Can't, won't make it'' She removes her hand from her chest to reveal a gaping hole ''D-dying too fast''
Glimmer's eyes widen as she stares at the wound
Catra covers the hole again, but she can feel the blood build inside her ''P-please, Adora'' She tries to move forward, stumbles, and falls to the ground ''P-please'' she begs Glimmer
Glimmer's heart aches as she sees the girl desperately fumble closer, for so long she's been so powerful, she's wanted to prove everyone wrong, rise in the ranks, destroy the rebellion
…and now all she wants is her long gone best friend
''Okay, okay, I'll get you to Adora'' Glimmer answers shakily, placing her hands on Catra's back to teleport her
And Catra smiles
It's a weak, watery smile, Glimmer can see her partially blinded eyes, but the small sense of joy in them is still there. Her teeth are broken, her skin is torn, her face is cur apart, disfigured...and she still smiles
''Th-thank you''
And they vanish in a poof of sparkles
They land outside the healing huts
Catra whimpers in pain as her hand shifts, leaving a space for blood to gush out
Mermista walks out first ''Hey, what's-'' She stops short as she sees Glimmer's traumatized face
''Oh my...'' Perfuma gasps in horror, seeing that Catra doesn't have much time left
''A-Adora?'' Catra reaches out, her voice cracking, tears filling her eyes
''She hasn't got long'' Glimmer sighs ''She just wants Adora''
''Hey, did you guys find any survivors?'' Adora asked as she left one of the huts
Everyone freezes
Catra gasps something unintelligible
Her vision is obscured by Perfuma and Mermista
She can't see who Glimmer found
''Who'd you guys-''
The first thing Adora spots is the tail
Her eyes travel up the legs, the same dark crimson pants that were ripped at the knees
Then the Horde uniform
Then the matted hair
She whispers in horror ''C-Catra?''
Blood streams out the side of Catra's mouth as she gasps ''A-Adora...''
Adora falls to her knees at her side ''No, no, no, Catra'' She sees the massive hole in her chest ''I NEED SOME GAUZE OVER HERE!''
Catra just looks at her for a while, heaving as she tries to concentrate on Adora's face, Adora tries to put pressure on the wound
She looks over to the Princesses ''Why aren't you guys helping me?! Come on! We need bandages!''
Glimmer's the first to speak ''Adora, bandages can't help her, she's been stabbed and blinded, we-''
''No! No, Catra, y-you can see me, right?'' She places her hand on the magicat's cheek
Catra gives her that same watery smile, but she's looking slightly away from Adora, the blonde notices and cries harder
Catra takes her hand off the wound, blood gushing out before Adora can cover it again, she uses it to reach for Adora
She reaches and she misses, she reaches the side just shy of Adora's leg, she searches and grasps but Adora's not there ''Catra...Catra-''
''Y-You came back...'' Tears fall from Catra's eyes ''Y-you're here''
''Of- Of course I'm here'' Adora cries
''D-don't leave again'' Catra pleads ''C-Can't see you...P-please don't leave...'' She coughs up more blood
In a moment of desperation, Adora pulls her into her arms, sobbing as her clothes turn red ''P-please there has to be a way, you guys, you-''
Perfuma cries tears of her own and Mermista looks at her sympathetically, ''I'm sorry, Adora, we can't do much here, you have to let her go-''
''NO!'' Adora cradles Catra almost selfishly, weeping ''No- I'm not letting her go. You hear me, Catra? I'm not letting you go''
Catra laughs, it's a weak, hoarse chuckle, but it's there. A genuine laugh, a feeling of happiness that she isn't dying alone
''Adora'' she mouths again, taking the blonde's hand in her weak grip
Smiling like the happiest person in the universe
Others have started to gather around them, looking at the commotion Adora's been causing
Villagers, soldiers and Princesses alike look down at the crying warrior holding her enemy close
More blood leaves Catra's mouth as she asks ''C-can you s-sing? O-one last t-time, please-'' Her voice cuts off in another harsh cough
And only Adora knows what she's talking about, only Adora can remember that lullaby that used the help Catra sleep on cold nights. Only Adora can remember when she'd sing her to sleep when she was abused, or had nightmares
Her eyes widen as she processes the request
The others look to her as tears silently stream down her face
''P-please?'' Catra repeats
Adora takes a deep, shaky breath, nodding even though Catra can't see it
''S-soft kitty''
The reaction is almost immediate, Catra sighs and relaxes, her unseeing pupils dilate, she squeezes Adora's hand one last time
''Warm kitty, L-little ball of f-fur''
Adora has to choke that last part out as she sees Catra's eyelids flutter again, she grits her teeth and tries to continue the rhyme, just as she used to
''H-Happy kitty''
She scratches Catra behind the ear, and Catra smiles one of the happiest smiles Adora has seen
''Sleeping kitty''
Catra uses the little strength she has left to snuggle closer to Adora, she can feel her mind and body slipping
''Purr''
''Purr...''
When she looks down, Catra's eyes have closed over
Adora gasps as she nudges her ''Catra?'' Her breath quickens ''Catra?!''
Catra never heard the last of the rhyme, she fell asleep, a smile of contentment on her face
Adora's breath catches in her throat as she tries to shake her awake ''CATRA! CATRA!!!''
The people around watch on as the Princess of Power dissolves into screams and wails, begging for her enemy to wake up
Glimmer stares down in horror as she sees Adora shrieking in pain, acting like her entire world has just crumbled around her
She thinks back to how she saw Catra
All she wanted to hear was that song to lull her to sleep
That rhyme from her best friend
That rhyme from the girl she loved
The rhyme from the girl now screaming in grief at her demise
Adora holds Catra like she's the most important thing in the universe
And somewhere in the back of her mind, Glimmer knows she's not letting go
She looks away