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''Mom! Mom! I need help!'' A young Glimmer yelled as she grabbed her mother's hand and took her to the palace gardens
Angella yelped as Glimmer pulled her along, she had a meeting in an hour but she was certain she could spare a few minutes
Glimmer went to one of the bushes and pushed the branches apart slightly ''Kittens!''
Between the leaves, in a small shoebox, there were two kittens
''Mom one of them's hurt!''
One was ginger and the other had pristine white fur. They were both covered in mud but the ginger one looked like she was injured badly, there were deep scratch marks all over her
''I put them in a shoebox and put a blanket but the healers won't help me fix her!''
Angella bent down and looked at the injury, it was oozing blood and puss, clearly infected, the kitten looked like it was in alot of pain. The white one laying next to it didn't seem hurt though
''Mom do something!''
She sighed ''Glimmer, she doesn't have long left, there's nothing I can do''
''But- but mom!" the child tried
''I'm sorry dear, this is the way things are, sometimes we cannot save everyone, we have to let it pass'' She held her daughter's hand
The white kitten pawed at the other, nestling close to her and purring
''What's she doing?'' Glimmer asked
''It's a thing the young of their species do. They cling to each other and purr to bring comfort, it's how they sleep'' She reached down and pet the white one softly ''They nestle together to keep each other warm and safe and paw at them to assure that they're here. I'm guessing she's doing it to deal with her grief and comfort the other''
The ginger one meowed softly
''Mom she's still talking!'' Glimmer sobbed
''I know, Glimmer, it's not long now, it'll stop soon'' She stood up and guided Glimmer back to the castle ''Come, there's nothing more we can do here''
Angella came back an hour later once her meeting was cancelled ''Glimmer? Glimmer where are you?''
She ran back out to the gardens to find Glimmer crying next to the shoebox ''Mom! Mom she's not moving!'' She pointed to the still kitten in the box
The white one was still pawing and purring against her, kneading into her fur as if she was still alive
''Oh Glimmer, I'm so sorry'' Angella said sadly, hugging her daughter
''The white one's still purring mom'' Glimmer said through teary eyes ''She's gone and she's still purring...''
''I know sweetheart, I know'' Angella held her close
The white one was grieving as she nestled against the ginger one
And Glimmer couldn't help but be horrified as she watched it
Years later Glimmer had seen death at every turn
It was just a normal part of life
She wouldn't even cry about it anymore
Another battle passed and the princesses regrouped
The smell of smoke flared her nostrils as she navigated the battlefield
''Where's Adora?'' Bow asked as he found them
''I don't know'' Mermista coughed
The other princesses nodded in agreement
''Guys, spread out and look for her'' Glimmer commanded ''She could be hurt''
It was around half an hour until she found Adora
First she heard the sobbing
It was soft, weak, like her voice had been worn so badly she couldn't cry anymore
''...Adora?'' Glimmer said cautiously as she approached
Adora just kept crying, and as Glimmer came closer, she realized why
Catra was lying on the ground, she was a little hard to see, but it was her
She had several cuts and bruises all over her body
Her eyes were peacefully closed, if it wasn't for how still she was, you'd think she was asleep
Adora was curled up against her chest, crying quietly
Her hands were softly kneading against Catra's fur
She was nestled against her chest to keep her warm
And then Glimmer realized
Catra and Adora probably nestled together like this too
''Adora... I- I'm so sorry'' She whispered
But Adora didn't move
She acted like she hadn't even heard Glimmer
She just lay with Catra and continued to cry
The others found them eventually
Each Princess tried to offer her condolences but Adora didn't pay any mind to any of them
''Adora, we need to get home'' Mermista tried
''We have to get out before reinforcements show up'' Bow reasoned
All the while she just kept crying
She kept kneading Catra's fur and crying
Frosta opened her mouth to say something but Glimmer stopped her
''Just- don't bother her guys, she's grieving, we can't help her''
Bow turned around ''Then what do we-''
''She'll pass out from exhaustion soon, then we'll take them both back to Brightmoon'' She added
As the others went to defend against the reinforcements, Glimmer took another glance at them
Catra, hair matted with dust and ash, clothes torn, scars and scabs all over her body and face, eyes closed peacefully, completely cold and limp''
Glimmer wondered if this is how Adora found her. She retreated and saw her best friend's dead body among all the faceless people on the field. Adora stumbling toward her body hoping against all hope that it's someone else, or that she's still alive. She wonders if Adora comforted her before she went or if she was already dead when Adora got there
It doesn't matter anymore
Adora's laying with her, beaten and injured. She's curled up next to Catra and has her head pressed against her chest. She's shaking with every sob as her hands roam Catra's fur, kneading, comforting. Glimmer doesn't know if she's doing it to comfort Catra or herself, especially since the former's already dead. She doesn't stop crying. Even when her tears dry she's wracked with weak sobs, her voice worn from the amount she's already cried against her best friend's corpse
They're laying together, just as they did as kids, just as Adora wished they could again before her Catra was ripped away from her
Two childhood friends, nestled together, one grieving the loss of another