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Cold…wet…chills…those were the first things the magicat kitten felt as she jolted awake.
Even with her feline eyes, the darkness all around her was encompassing. A tiny sliver of light shone down on her, along with an occasional drip drop of water that mercilessly peppered her face. Shaking her head, the magicat kitten yowled as her bushy, tangled, unkempt hair whipped around her face. Her heterochromia eyes, one bright blue and the other pale yellow, desperately scanned the area around her.
It seemed like she was…in a cardboard box. Normally, that would’ve been comforting, even exciting, as she loved to play in boxes. However, the lack of light and freezing cold made her hate this particular box. Plus, the bottom of the box was wet from soaking in rainwater, which had made the onesie she wore cold, wet, and uncomfortable.
Confusion set in immediately, not knowing where she was or remembering how she got there. Wherever this box was, it wasn’t inside her home. It was clearly sitting out in the rain, judging by the cold and wetness and raging winds. But then…why was she trapped in here? In this strange box outside her nice warm home? She remembered her parents lifting her up and carrying her…somewhere, as she fell asleep. Surely her Mama and Papa hadn’t put her here. They wouldn’t do such a mean thing. They loved her…didn’t they?
Suddenly, it dawned on her that she was completely alone…for the first time in her entire life…and her quiet voice trembled as she panicked.
“M-Mama…! P-P-Papa…!” the kitten cried out, but only howling winds answered her. From the tiny sliver at the top of her prison, a gust of freezing air blasted her, the sudden chill forcing her to wrap her tiny arms around herself. “Mmmroowww! C-Cold…h-h-help…”
The biting chill all around her made her shiver, and she frantically began reaching out in the near total darkness. She was surrounded by four walls, all of which were incredibly high; at least to the barely three-year-old kitten. She pounded her tiny hands against the walls of her cardboard prison, but it refused to budge. She even ran and charged into one side, hoping to knock it over, but alas it didn’t so much as wiggle.
“O-Out…w-want…out…” she yowled as tears burst from her eyes, becoming more and more frightened the longer she was trapped.
Extending her claws, the kitten leapt as high as she could, hoping to climb the sides of the box and escape where the sliver of light shone from above. Sadly, her underdeveloped claws couldn’t dig into the hard cardboard walls, and she tumbled down, her full weight smashing her tail beneath her.
“Mmrroowww!” she yelped, fresh tears erupting as she rolled over and took hold of her throbbing tail. Her breathing quickened as she began to panic even worse than before, the pain and cold and wetness adding to her fear and desperation.
In a blind panic, she repeatedly leapt up and tried to climb the thick walls of her cardboard prison, but each time she lost her grip and fell back onto the damp box floor, a jolt of pain accompanying each fall. The magicat kitten rose to her feet one last time, using the last of her miniscule strength to try and reach the top and free herself.
With a bold leap, she scrambled up the wall, her claws only just finding enough purchase to allow her to kick off and shoot upwards. A wave of hope rushed through the kitten as she prepared to push open the top of the box and finally—
*SMACK*
All of her hopes were dashed as her tiny hands slapped the top of the box…only to discover something heavy had been placed on top, keeping it from opening. The kitten gasped as gravity pulled her down, slamming her tiny body into the wet floor of the box. She’d fallen onto her stomach, unable to properly land on her feet, knocking the air from her still developing lungs. A mixture of gasping and crying sounded as the kitten found herself curling up into a ball, sobbing heavily as water continued to drip from the tiny opening above her, soaking her to the bone.
Deep choking sobs echoed all around her as she cried and cried, completely trapped, reeling from pain, cold…and alone. Snot poured out her nose, sticking to her fur. Her mix-matched eyes were red and puffy, and all she could do was weep as she trembled at the bottom of her cardboard prison.
She was so busy crying and sniffling that she didn’t notice the sounds of something moving just outside her box. Only when another sudden blast of freezing air struck her and a torrent of water pounded onto did she hiss loudly and look up, her eyes widening.
To her shock, the top of the box was now wide open. And there, peering down at her, was a blonde girl with striking blue eyes, which were as wide as saucers at the moment. A loud gasp escaped the blonde and she smiled a toothy grin, with one tooth strangely missing.
“Kitty!” she abruptly yelled before stretching her hands down toward the trembling kitten.
However, her short arms obviously couldn’t reach the sobbing mess of a kitten. Nevertheless, she wiggled them up and down, as if trying to force them to stretch down to grab hold of the miserable ball of fur. Seeing this, the magicat kitten’s breathing quickened, and her fear of being trapped here forever overrode her instincts.
Scrambling to her feet, she ran on all fours and leapt up, desperately trying to climb the walls of her prison one final time. And just when she lost her grip and was about to tumble back down to the sopping wet floor, the blonde girl’s hands gripped right under the kitten’s arms, pulling her upward.
Kicking against the side of the box to scamper out faster, the kitten suddenly yowled as cold air blasted her face the moment she was lifted over the lip of the box’s edge, her tiny body beginning to slip from her savior’s grasp. However, the blonde girl persisted and reared backward, tumbling onto her back while simultaneously yanking the kitten free from the cardboard prison. Collapsing onto the girl’s chest, the kitten clamped her eyes shut and instantly latched onto her, shivering and sobbing but refusing to let go.
“I got ya. I got ya,” the blonde told her, pushing herself up into a seated position. The kitten then felt her savior begin to pet her, stroking her matted hair and fur while nuzzling her with her cheek. “You’re so cold! Let’s go inside!” the blonde girl told her, wrapping her arms around the kitten’s upper body as she stood up, causing the kitten’s legs to dangle as she was carried somewhere.
Finally opening her eyes, the kitten was horrified to see the world around her was filled with dark clouds, bright red lights, hard concrete, and cold metal buildings everywhere. The only home she’d known before this had been made of wood, so this strange environment was downright unsettling to her.
Even when they made it inside one of the strange metal buildings, it was still so very cold, something that confused and upset the distressed kitten. Wasn’t being inside supposed to be warm? Why was it just as dark and scary inside here as it had been in her cardboard prison?
Suddenly, the blonde girl came to a halt, and she practically dropped the kitten onto the floor, which she only just realized was metallic and just as cold as the ground outside!
“Hiisss!” the kitten growled, startling the blonde girl for a moment.
“What a weird noise!” the blonde shouted, both confused and excited. “I’ve never heard that noise before! Do it again!”
Growing frustrated because of the cold, the kitten growled at her again. “Hiisss! Hiss!”
This time, instead of being entertained by the noise, a profound sadness overtook the blonde girl. “Y-You’re mad, aren’t you?” she nervously asked, still trying to decipher the strange noises the ‘kitty’ was making.
“Hiss!” was all the kitten responded with, wrapping her tail around herself as she shivered and growled loudly.
A spark of realization hit the blonde girl and she said, “Oh, you’re cold! Come with me! I know a warm place!”
At the mention of warm, the kitten abruptly stopped hissing, which gave the blonde enough of an opening to grab onto her and partially lift her up, dragging her down the hallway. The kitten squirmed as her tail and legs scrapped across the floor, but the blonde girl seemed undeterred. However, the kitten didn’t like being handled so crudely and eventually broke free of her savior’s grasp. Instincts took over as she bounded off, running on all fours as the blonde quickly gave chase.
“H-Hey! Wait! Not that way!” the blonde shouted; her stubby legs unable to keep up with the fast-paced kitten.
However, the kitten didn’t pay her any mind. She was in a strange place. She didn’t know where her parents were. This place was dark, cold, and scary. And the blonde girl was being mean and dragging her along the floor! She wanted to run, so she did. And if she kept running, eventually she’d find a way out of this horrible place. And then…she could go home, where it was warm, and safe, and most of all dry!
But more than any of that…she wanted her Papa and Mama!
Rounding a corner, the magicat kitten glanced back to see if the blonde girl was still following her. As she did, she collided with something right in front of her, eliciting a yowl as she fell onto her backside. Shaking her head, the kitten opened her eyes and saw as a tall woman dressed in a long flowing red robe stood in front of her. Lifting her gaze up, the kitten shuddered as the woman bore down on her, swiftly swiping her hand down toward the frightened kitten.
And although she rolled over and tried to flee, the kitten felt a firm hand grasp the back of the scruff of her neck, yanking her up off the ground and suspending her in the air. Shakily, the kitten looked back toward the tall woman and yelped as she finally noticed the menacing glare and whirling black tendrils of hair floating upwards.
Even with a mask obscuring her face, the kitten knew the scary lady was scowling at her.
“…How did a filthy little runt like you get in here?” the scary lady seethed, roughly shaking the terrified kitten. “I wish the local riffraff would cease dumping their unwanted children on our doorstep.”
“Mmrroww! Mmrrroww!” the kitten cried, trying to swipe her claws at the hand that held her aloft.
In response, the scary lady’s fingers pinched harder on kitten’s scruffy neck, sending a jolt of pain through the already panicking kitten. Without another word, the scary lady turned and began walking toward a large door. The kitten’s eyes widened as she recognized it as the door the blonde girl had brought her in through. She was going to be thrown back outside into the cold and rain!
“Mmmroww!!” the kitten yelped as she resumed her struggle, growing more and more desperate as they approached the door. Pressing a button on the panel, the door opened, and the kitten was once again assaulted by cold and wetness. Ceasing to try to free herself, the kitten suddenly tried reaching out to the scary lady, as if begging her not to be left out in the pouring rain.
Scoffing at the display, the scary lady forced the kitten to look outside, angling her so she could see the box that had been her prison only a few minutes ago. Realizing she intended to imprison her again, the kitten openly sobbed and began trying to latch onto the lady’s arm, but her tiny hands couldn’t reach far enough.
“Stop struggling, you little beast,” the scary lady hissed, before unexpectedly tossing the kitten into the mud instead of back into the box. Yelping in pain and shock, the kitten glanced up at the scary lady who seethed down at her. “You are worthless to Lord Hordak and have no home to return to. Begone from my sight and never bother me ever again.”
Turning her back on her, the scary lady went back inside, and the door slammed shut, leaving the shivering kitten all alone once more. She looked around and grew more and more frightened with each passing moment. Darkness and gloom were as far as the eye could see, and there was nowhere to take shelter from the freezing rain.
Shivering intensely, the kitten began to sob and her eyes welled up with tears. Why…was that lady being so mean? She only wanted…to go home…and see her Mama and Papa…but where were they…? She…just wanted to go home…to see them again…but she didn’t know how…she was lost…and she was cold…and scared…and wet…and—
“There you are, Kitty!”
Before she knew what was happening, a pair of arms wrapped around her, picking up partially up off the ground and out of the mud. Looking up, the kitten was once again startled to see her blonde savior holding onto her, slowly dragging her back toward the door. Slowly, the kitten latched onto her, this time allowing her to mostly drag her through the doorway back into the metal building.
Once they were ‘safely’ back inside, the blonde girl set her down and used her own shirt to try and wipe the mud from the kitten’s face. And although the kitten squirmed, the blonde’s persistent scrubbing didn’t cease.
“I told you not to run off! There’s a heater in the sleeping room and we can clean you up with hot water—”.
“Hiss! Nyo! Hate water!” the kitten finally spoke, startling the blonde girl. However, her blue eyes soon sparkled as she took the kitten’s hands into her own.
“You can talk?! You’re a kitty who can talk! That’s so cool!” she exclaimed, abruptly squeezing the kitten in a tight hug.
Squirming out of her grasp, the kitten yelped, “Leggo!” before falling back, sliding on her butt a few feet away from the blonde girl. She wasn’t comfortable with such aggressive affection and didn’t like it…but she didn’t exactly hate it either.
“Oh…sorry about that,” the blonde girl told her, walking over and crouching in front of her. “I’m Adora. What’s your name, kitty?”
Tilting her head to the side, the kitten asked, “N-Name? What name?” The kitten didn’t have a great grasp of spoken language yet but knew bits and pieces of words. Enough to talk with the blonde gir—with Adora.
Hearing that question, Adora had to think about it for the first time in her life. “Uh, a name is, like, what people call you. People call me ‘Adora’, so that’s my name. What do people call you?”
Even more confused after that ‘explanation’, the kitten tried to think of what people usually called her. She couldn’t remember what her parents had called her, just that they were always speaking softly to her. Eventually, all the kitten could do was shake her head fervently, not knowing how to answer at all.
“Oh…you don’t have a name?” Adora ‘realized’ seeing how confused the kitten was becoming. Strangely, this only excited her more as she emphatically said, “That’s okay! I can give you a name! I’m great at naming! Shadow Weaver called me Adora but I decided my full name is ‘Adora Happysmile Rainbowfist’! Because I like smiling, rainbows, and punching stuff!”
To emphasis her point, the blonde girl punched the air a few times, earning a giggle from the kitten. Hearing that, Adora smiled wide and put a hand on her chin, obviously thinking very hard.
“Let’s see…You’re a kitty…you were in an applesauce box…and kitties go ‘meow meow’.”
“Mrrroww!” the kitten mewled in agreement, making both of them giggle and smile.
“I got it!” Adora abruptly said, throwing her arms around the kitten and saying, “I’m gonna call you—”.
“Adora. Get away from that filthy creature.”
The horrifying tone of the scary lady returned, and the kitten immediately hid behind Adora, peering out as the lady floated toward them, glaring menacingly. As the scary lady got closer, the kitten couldn’t stop herself from shaking, terrified down to her very core. However, before the scary lady could get close enough to grab her again, Adora whirled around and picked up the shaking kitten, holding her tightly.
Seeing that, the scary lady’s eyes narrowed and she said, “Adora…put down that mangey cat and go back to the barracks. I will dispose of her properly this time.”
Her menacing voice made the kitten yelp and bury her face in Adora’s back, visibly shaking. She didn’t want to go back into the rain. She wanted to say here…with the nice girl who wanted to give her a name. And, as if answering her silent prayer, Adora patted her on the head reassuringly, making the kitten lift her face to look up at her.
The kitten was stunned to see Adora bravely holding hand out toward the scary lady, as if telling her to stay back.
“No! She’s my friend! And she’s not…mane-gee! She’s cute!” Adora told the scary lady, before holding onto the kitten even tighter. “I found her in the rain! She’s cold! And she’s probably hunger too—”.
“She doesn’t belong here, Adora…” the scary lady reprimanded, inching closer to both of them. “Now, drop that beast and—”.
“No, Shadow Weaver! I won’t!” Adora bravely told her, taking a defensive step back. “She’s mine! She’s…She’s my Catra! You can’t throw her out!”
“She’s…your…what now?” the scary lady, Shadow Weaver, quizzically asked, obviously taken aback by the comment.
“My Catra!” Adora affirmed, smiling at the kitten warmly. “That’s her name! Catra Applesauce Meowmeow! And she’s mine! I won’t let you take her!”
Hearing that, the kitten loudly gasped. Catra…Catra…she like it! It sounded similar to Adora’s name, and she really like Adora. Deep in her chest a warmth began to spread as she repeated the name silently to herself for a few moments.
“C-Ca…Cat..ra…Catra…” the kitten eventually said aloud, enjoying how it sounded even more now that she’d said it herself. “Like…Catra! Name…Catra!” she insisted, making Adora smile and hug her close.
Sighing heavily, Shadow Weaver’s voice suddenly became gentle as she said, “Adora, I need you to understand. We have no room left in the barracks for her. And she’s another mouth to feed. Besides, you are far too young to take on the responsibility of having a pet.”
“But she’s not a pet! She’s my friend!” Adora insisted, turning the kitten—Catra, away from Shadow Weaver in a protective manner. “And she can sleep in my bed with me! I’ll share my food with her too! That way she won’t—”.
“Adora, you’re being unreasonable,” Shadow Weaver interrupted, a swirling of darkness snaking across the ground and toward the frightened children. “Now…do as I say and drop that beast.”
Adora quivered for a moment but looked down at the shivering Catra. A fire suddenly burned in her eyes, and she angrily shouted at Shadow Weaver, “No!”
The swirling of dark magic drew closer and Shadow Weaver’s voice echoed all around them as she shouted, “Adora! Do as I say!”
Mustering all of her courage, the blonde girl stood her ground and screamed, “No! She’s my Catra! Mine!”
Almost immediately, the little magicat kitten latched onto Adora and shouted, “M-My Adora! Mine!”
Holding onto each other as the dark magic finally reached them, the two girls quivered but held onto each other, refusing to let go. Squeezing their eyes shut, they waited for the inevitable…but it never came. Slowly, they opened their eyes to see the magic receding, and a groaning Shadow Weaver clutching her head.
“I don’t have time for this…” the scary lady said, turning around and glancing at them over her shoulder. “If you wish to keep that filthy creature, then so be it. But she will be your responsibility. If she causes any trouble, it will be you, Adora, who will suffer for it.”
Without another word, Shadow Weaver floated down the hallway toward a room with an ominous red glowing crystal. As she left, Adora waved at her with one hand, nearly dropping Catra in the process.
“Thank you, Shadow Weaver! I’ll take good care of her!” the earnest blonde shouted, before setting Catra on the floor. Smiling at her, Adora said, “Let’s go back to the sleeping room! There are blankets and a heater—oh, and you can meet everyone else in the horde! Plus, today is brown ration day! So you’re in for a treat!”
“B-Brown…ra-shon?” the kitten questioned, having no idea what her new friend was talking about.
Chuckling, Adora said, “It’s food. Are you hungry?”
As if on cue, the kitten’s stomach growled, and she nodded repeatedly.
“Alright then, let’s go get some food!” an enthusiast Adora shouted, raising a fist into the air.
“Food!” Catra mimicked, holding up her own hand as well. Suddenly remembering something, the kitten abruptly curled inward a bit and shouted, “Nyo water!”
Blinking rapidly in confusion, Adora swiftly began laughing and said, “Okay, okay. But sooner or later you’re gonna need to take a bath. Which means water.”
“Nyo!” Catra told her, shaking herself and letting the residual water on her fur and hair spray Adora. As the blonde wiped the droplets off her face, a very proud Catra proclaimed, “Hate water!”
“If you want food…you’ll need to take bath…in water. Those are the rules,” she told the kitten, who frowned at her.
“Hate rules.”
Laughing loudly at that, Adora smiled and nodded, “I don’t like them much either, haha!”
Holding out her hand, the magicat kitten, Catra, stared at it for a moment. She still missed her Mama and Papa, and still wanted to go home. But…she also wanted to stay with Adora. The girl who had pulled her from her cardboard prison. The one who had given her a name. Her very first…friend.
So, while still a little scared and nervous, the kitten grabbed onto her new friend’s hand and let her savior pull her up to her feet and guide her toward what would soon become her new home.
As time went on, all thoughts of trying to discover her origins slowly faded from Catra’s mind. Adora…sweet, beautiful, amazing Adora, became the very center of Catra’s world. And although a certain war nearly drove them apart forever, in the end, their love for each other ended up saving not only themselves, but the entire universe.
And whenever Catra thought back to that fateful day all those years ago, the thing that stuck out in her mind the most were the words they shouted.
“She’s my Catra!”
“M-My Adora!”
And indeed…they belonged to each other. Always had. And they always would…forever. A kitten and her savior...
The End