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She can't live in a world without her...
Catra died
Only a hours ago
By Adora's sword
The Rebellion were winning as they advanced deeper and deeper into Horde territory
It was a cause to celebrate for everyone involved
Everyone except Adora...
Her sword dripped red as she pulled it out of the bleeding body
Pure, boiling anger was all Adora could feel as it had cleaved through the air and stabbed right through her enemy
She'd screamed and yelled something, she couldn't remember what, she just remembers that she screamed it in extreme anger
Adora snarled and breathed heavily, now glaring at the almost still body on the ground
She looked at it with a stare of pure hatred
And then something flickered in her mind as she looked down at the dying girl
That face
That beautiful face...
It wasn't full of malicious anger
It wasn't full of hatred
All Adora could see in those gemstone eyes she had loved so much
...was betrayal
Adora's face shifted
The anger slowly morphed into confusion
Her breaths became quicker as she glanced at her sword, and then the dying girl
At Catra
At her best friend
They made eye contact for a second
Just a split second
And then her eyes glazed over and she went completely still
And now Adora's face fell from confusion into a wave of pain
Her sword fell with a clang
Something on her face felt wet
Her eyes were burning
Something in her head felt like it was gonna snap
She stumbled toward the dead body
no, no. no
Adora fell to her knees next to her
Her Catra
No, why isn't she moving?
Why isn't she breathing?
Is- Is She-?
Adora immediately pulled Catra into her arms, clenching her teeth
She pressed her head to Catra's chest
Please
Please, she can't be gone
Catra, please
There's no heartbeat
Adora doesn't know how long she searched for one
Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
But there is none
Catra is dead
Adora's pupils turn to pinpricks as she realizes what she's done
''Come on, Adora! Catch me! Catch me!''
She pulls away to see the body
The colorless skin
The expressionless face
The dead eyes
''Hey Adora, wanna split this ration bar with me?''
Adora begins to hyperventilate
''Adora? Can I sleep with you tonight? I had a bad dream''
''no...no...wake up...wake up'' Adora whispers quietly
''You promise?''
Adora pulls her closer than she ever has, whimpering
''no, no please...no, please..catra- catra...''
''You should've seen your face''
''The two of us look out for each other''
''We'll always be friends, right Adora?''
''NO'' Adora shrieks, holding Catra as tightly as possible and crying her heart out
Nearly everyone on the battlefield stops to see She-Ra cradling Force Captain Catra in her arms, screaming and sobbing
The guilt, the grief, the regret, it all sets in
Glimmer and Bow are the first to rush to her side
They try to talk to her
But Adora can't hear them
She cries something unintelligible and her wails grow louder and louder
Until finally, she passes out
Fainting next to Catra's broken body
They take them both away from the field
Adora stares at her reflection in her sword
The sword that killed the girl she loved
The sword that she mercilessly brought down on- on Catra
It's like she had this permanently shell-shocked face now
She could see it in her own eyes
Living every moment knowing she killed Catra
Adora could hardly look at herself, still as stone
Glimmer opened the door
''We- we dug a grave...'' she whispered
Adora didn't move
''It's a beautiful spot'' she tried ''Right up in the cliffs surrounding Brightmoon...so she always has a good view''
She stepped closer to Adora, who was still staring at the blue blade of her sword
''I don't think she'd want us at her funeral...but if you need us when you bury her...''
Adora looked at Glimmer in shock at the phrase ''Bury her''
Adora had to bury her...
She had to bury the girl she'd known all her life
''She's- She's in the morgue...outside'' Glimmer spoke before finally sighing and leaving
Around an hour later, Adora left her room
She opened up the cold morgue
It was dark and cold, full of shadows
Catra liked to hide in places like that
Adora found Catra's barely decayed body laying frozen, a white sheet draped over her
There was a massive stab wound on her stomach
That was the killing blow
That's what Adora did that made Catra go away forever
Her gemstone eyes were still open
Dazed, soulless, looking up somewhere far away from Adora
There were still tear streaks on her cheeks
She'd cried when Adora killed her
Adora remembered that much
Adora shakily closed her eyes before lifting her body out
She carried it to the grave
And Adora buried her best friend
The world went on
The Rebellion advanced into Horde territory
Their greatest asset was gone
Victory was gonna be a breeze
They didn't even need She-Ra to join them in battle anymore
Adora visited her grave every day
Sometimes she'd bring flowers
She doubted Catra knew what flowers were
But- but maybe she would've liked them
She'd sit next to it and pick at the grass
Talking, thinking, crying
It was a night just like that when she saw her
''Why did you do it?''
Adora whirled around as she saw Catra standing right in front of her
But that was impossible, she was-
''C-Catra?'' Adora whimpered
''Why?'' A wound began to grow on her stomach, blood slowly oozing onto her clothes
Adora sprinted toward her, but Catra pushed her away ''Catra! Wait! We need to get you help!''
''Why did you kill me, Adora?'' Tears began to pool in Catra's eyes as she clutched her heart
Adora shook her head ''No, no- I didn't mean to! I swear!''
''But you still did it'' Catra whimpered, clearly in pain ''I'm still dead...''
''Please'' Adora begged ''Please, I didn't mean it, please'' She reached out for Catra, but all Catra did was step away
''You killed me, Adora, you know that right?'' Catra spoke so innocently ''I'm dead because of you...''
And she disappeared as Adora continued to cry
It had been a month since she died
Bow and Glimmer usually left the castle deserted these days
They'd be out fighting, for what, Adora couldn't remember
She could barely register anything
Adora had a routine these days
Wake up, shower, pick flowers, and go to the grave
Adora didn't remember whose grave it was
''Just some girl'' Is what most guards told her
Others said it was the grave of a monster
Adora didn't know why she sometimes cried for this monster
Adora didn't know why she picked flowers for it
Adora didn't know why she'd show up to its grave
But she did
She'd hear whispers with Bow and Glimmer outside her room
''She's losing her mind, we need to take time off''
''We can't right now, we're winning, this is our only chance''
''She needs a friend with her, Glimmer''
But Adora already had a friend
Her name was Catra
She'd follow Adora around wherever she went
She'd sit with her and talk to her
She'd always disappear when Adora went to the grave
But otherwise, she was always there
She'd sleep at the foot of Adora's bed
She'd spend time with her and play games with her
Stuff they'd made up together
Catra was her best friend
Adora loved Catra
So she already had a friend, Bow and Glimmer just didn't understand
Adora wasn't allowed to leave the castle anymore
As soon as she told Glimmer about Catra, she had her placed under house arrest
Glimmer had brought her a potion
''Really, Glimmer, I don't need help'' She tried
Glimmer shook her head ''Just drink it, Adora''
''I'm fine! Just because you can't see Catra doesn't mean she doesn't exist'' She convinced
''Adora'' Glimmer convinced ''You're imagining things, Catra isn't here''
''B-But she is! She's always here for me'' Adora teared up
Glimmer stared at her for a moment ''Adora, do you remember what she looks like? What she sounds like? Anything she says?''
Adora closed her mouth, for the life of her she couldn't remember thing they did, she stared at Glimmer
''You're losing your mind, Catra...she died three months ago'' She sat Adora down on her bed
Adora's eyes widened, it was like she'd been hit by a shock baton ''She- She's dead?''
''Adora...you killed her'' Glimmer reminded her
Adora began shivering ''No- No I didn't- No- She- She's always with me, I promised, She- I couldn't-''
''You did'' Glimmer asserted ''And you've been hallucinating ever since, she's not real, Adora''
Adora began to cry again ''No! No, NO! She- She can't be dead- She can't be- You're lying!''
Glimmer pulled her into a hug ''Just drink the potion, it's good for you, it'll clear your mind''
''B-But if my mind clears-'' Adora sobbed
''You'll remember everything, you'll remember her, the real her, what she looked like, what she sounded like, not the imaginary one here'' She tried
Adora looked up at her pleadingly ''But if I drink it- She'll be dead-''
''You can't live like this anymore, Adora, you have to stop'' She gave it to Adora ''Please, drink it''
''N-No more Catra?'' Adora whimpered
''No more Catra'' Glimmer shook her head
Adora was allowed to leave again after she drank it
After she remembered reality
Glimmer and Bow had began the battle for the Fright Zone
They'd win, of course
Hordak's forces were depleted and dead
The entire Horde was
She walked back over to the grave
Reading the headstone after months of denial
''Here Lies Catra of the Horde'' was all it said, no date, no cause, no farewell or insignia, not even the last name Adora had given her years ago
Adora fell to her knees and cried next to it
Catra was gone
She'd been gone for months
And Adora was the one who killed her
'' It's a beautiful spot...so she always has a good view''
Catra would've loved this cliff
High up, just like their place on the Forge
The place she'd discovered
The place where they spent endlessly talking and watching sunsets
The place where if you made one wrong step, you'd fall off
Adora looked back at the gravestone, then at the horizon
One wrong step, and you'd fall off
Adora took a deep breath
''I'm sorry for leaving you'' She whispered ''I'm sorry I broke our promise, I'm sorry I fought you I-'' The tears welled up in her eyes
''I'm sorry I did this to you...''
''Catra'' She whimpered ''I can't live in a world without you...I- I- never wanted to lose you...I just- I never meant to-'' She bit back a sob, nothing could justify what she did
''I wanted to save the world...I wanted us to win...I wanted to beat the Horde...I wanted everyone to be happy'' She traced her hand over the stone ''And now everyone's happy...except me''
She took a deep breath ''So I'm ending this...everything's fine for everyone else now...but- but it'll never be fine for me''
She staggered to the edge
''I'm sorry...''
And she threw herself off