Chapter Text
Boom! Clang!
The noise of battle penetrated the air. Adora was fighting the Horde bots. Bow was busy shooting arrows from a distance. Glimmer, of course, was shooting sparkles and teleporting. She reappeared by Catra. The magicat startled before widening her stance. As usual, the taller woman wore an infuriating smirk.
"Horde scum, you're insufferable enough without the smirk!" Glimmer's hands lit up with magic. She was ready to punch Catra's smug face.
"Oh, please. You're too noble to land a hit. By the way, your magic's gonna run out at some point or another, so why waste time fighting me?" Catra flashed her claws as she circled Glimmer.
Glimmer gritted her teeth. "I'm not above landing a punch or two." She summoned her staff and swung at Catra.
"A wand?" Catra dodged in time, her feline agility protecting her from the hit. "I've seen better."
"Why, you-" Glimmer unleashed a sparkling orb after another, not giving Catra time to react. "You Horde cat!"
"Horde cat? Trying to vary the insults, Sparkles?" Catra dodged before feinting.
Glimmer readied another blast, unaware she was running low on magic until she unfurled her palm. Grunting, she swung the staff through the air. Catra ducked. She aimed for her again. Same result. Within seconds, the magicat gripped Glimmer's staff, their faces not too far apart.
"You think you got me?" Glimmer snarked.
"Well, you're getting tired and resorting to swinging the wand around," Catra replied.
"It's a staff!" Glimmer rammed her foot into Catra's abdomen, forcing the feline warrior to let go.
Catra, upon falling on her back, stood up. "Didn't think you would do that, princess. That was a strong kick."
Catra lunged at Glimmer. The princess held up her staff, shielding herself. Catra grabbed the staff and yanked it away, then tossed it aside. Glimmer reached for it; Catra grabbed her wrists. Glimmer glowered into her eyes. If this kitty wanted to toy with her, fine.
Never mind the fact that Catra was attractive for a Horde soldier. Sharp jawline, the subtle yet toned arm muscles, and curved hips. Glimmer shook her head, realizing she was pining for the enemy. What was she thinking? Catra snickered, leaning closer to her ear. The magicat's tail snaked around Glimmer's leg.
Glimmer's heart rate picked up. Aware of the proximity, she tried to create distance by wriggling free and stepping back. In the distance, the battle continued. The sultry tone as Catra whispered into her ear made her pause. Again, she stared into those mismatched eyes. Heat bloomed within her cheeks.
"Catra, if you don't stop, I'll-" Glimmer began.
"You'll what? Blush more?" Catra's tail waved in front of Glimmer's face, almost brushing her nose.
"I swear, if it's your way of-" Glimmer cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. "If it's your way of trying to trick me, it's not going to work!" She grabbed Catra's shirt and teleported her.
They reappeared in the middle of the Whispering Woods. It wasn't Glimmer's idea of keeping Catra away. But she couldn't risk using up the remaining magic she carried. Catra advanced, her footsteps light and quick.
Not again. Glimmer steeled herself and straightened her spine in an attempt to seem intimidating. There was a mischievous glint in Catra's eyes. How was her enemy so hot? They were loyal to opposite sides. Catra was a Horde soldier. Glimmer was the leader of the Rebellion and a princess. The magicat pinned the princess against a tree.
The bark dug into Glimmer's back. Gritting her teeth, she tried to think of a way out. She had no idea how deep they were in the woods, yet she wanted to return to Bright Moon and be done with this. And hope that her feelings would go away.
"We're both lost, Sparkles," Catra teased.
"I'll find my way back," Glimmer replied.
"You'd run out of magic if you tried. Unless you prefer running the whole way and tripping over a log trying to find your friends."
"I can handle myself fine."
Catra chuckled. "Says the girl who needed her friends to bail her out sometimes."
Glimmer groaned. "As if you'd even navigate the woods without needing directions!"
"I can survive getting lost in natural environments." Catra's tail flicked to the side. "You'd freak out over not getting home before sunset."
Letting out an annoyed grunt, Glimmer yanked her wrists away and elbowed Catra's chest. "Whatever, Horde scum." She stormed past the trees, not realizing she was going in the wrong direction.
Ten minutes of walking later, Glimmer heard a rustle in the bushes. A rumble in the ground. Her pulse raced, adrenaline escalating. How would she fight off a monster if she was low on magic? She braced herself for whatever was coming. No way she would prove Catra right. She wasn't a scared little girl. And why did it matter to the feline Force Captain anyway? As far as she knew, Catra wasn't a caring person.
A roar erupted nearby, scaring the daylights out of Glimmer as she broke into a run. She could hear it approaching. In a fit of panic, she didn't notice she was going deeper into the woods. Her foot met air and she tumbled down a slope. Twigs and pines embedded into her exposed skin. As she forced herself up, a bug-like monster loomed over her. A lithe, feline form pounced on it and scratched at the eyes. It dawned on her. Catra was fighting this beast? The impact distracted the monster.
Glimmer had questions. First off, why was Catra doing this if they were enemies and hated each other? Second, what was the motive behind this? And-
A thud interrupted Glimmer's thoughts. The bug-like monster was now closing in on Catra. A small part of her wanted to see what would happen. Yet she wanted to shove her enemy out of the way. Summoning her remaining magic, she teleported to Catra and grabbed her. They reappeared in the First Ones building. It should offer some respite. The problem was that the building's security protocols involved robot spiders.
Glimmer leaned against the wall, panting. Catra rose to her height, seeming confused. The magicat put on a tough facade, masking how she might be feeling.
"We're enemies, Sparkles. You could have let the bug maul me right there. Instead, you teleported me," Catra said.
"You tried to distract it," Glimmer replied. "I could have been a goner if you haven't intervened."
Catra let out a 'TCH' sound and averted her gaze. "I don't like you. You're a glittery princess."
"And you're the Force Captain of the Horde."
"We're in this creepy place now. It wouldn't surprise me if holographic illusions appear and lure us into a trap."
Glimmer arched her brows. She'd heard from Adora's story what had happened in here. Catra's description of the place summarized how the First Ones building worked. She made her way down the hallway, Catra following suit. They wouldn't be in this situation if she hadn't teleported them both to the Whispering Woods. Both hated the other's guts. The questions from earlier resurfaced in her mind.
They entered a pitch-black room. Upon detecting a red orb in the center, Glimmer approached. Her fingers brushed it, making it flicker. An array of colors washed away the darkness. Now they were in some room in Bright Moon Castle.
"What the-" Glimmer trailed off, gaze scanning her surroundings.
A younger Glimmer was practicing magic. At first, it was small orbs and short-distance teleports. The older Glimmer watched, realizing it was one of her earlier memories. She continued observing. Her younger self ran to the throne room to show off to Angella and Micah.
"Can I also take magic lessons from you and Auntie?" Young Glimmer asked.
Angella furrowed her brows. "Castaspella's busy, dear. And Micah has to leave the castle today. There are bad people out there attacking the good ones."
"But why does he have to go, mommy?"
"You'll understand the situation when you're older."
The scene progressed until Micah's departure. Young Glimmer waited by the window for which seemed to be forever. Meanwhile, the current Glimmer's heart ached. She knew how the memory ended. As it came to that point, everything went black. Her cheeks were wet, her eyes blurry as she backed away. Remembering she was in the presence of her enemy, she took deep breaths to calm herself.
"At least you had a decent family. As insufferable as you are," Catra said.
Glimmer clenched her fists. "If you had any ounce of empathy, you wouldn't be making such comments! The Horde took away my father!" With a huff, she stomped into an adjacent hallway.
A nearby room vanished. In place of it was a chamber within the Fright Zone. The hairs on Glimmer's neck stood as she recognized the runestone and dark magic. A younger Catra was shaking and crying in the corner. Shadow Weaver was yelling and swearing. The sorceress said words such as "worthless" and "untamed moggy." She yanked strands from Young Catra's hair. The magicat screeched each time.
A blonde girl with a ponytail rushed to Young Catra's side, intervening. Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes at Adora, reaching down and touching her cheek. The poor girl trembled, eyes glistening with tears. In response, the sorceress scolded her for showing weakness.
"You are a special girl, Adora. A person destined for greatness cannot cry. You will be wise to suppress the weakness within you. Anyone can take advantage of your emotions. As for Catra, do not worry about her. All I ask is that you keep the mangy half-cat under control. Do I make myself clear?!" Shadow Weaver said.
"Yes, Shadow Weaver. I understand," Adora replied, her bottom lip trembling.
"Come on, Adora. The training should whip you back into the correct mindset." Shadow Weaver glared at Catra. "And you, you're a cadet. Stop lazing off and follow Adora's example. No more hindering her."
The scene faded. Behind Glimmer, a sniffle alerted her to Catra. She turned around. The Force Captain of the Horde was crying. She approached, intending to comfort her despite them being enemies. Catra flinched away.
"I don't need pity," Catra said, her voice wavering.
"I'm not pitying you. What Shadow Weaver did was horrible. No child should have to go through that," Glimmer replied.
"She taught me to be strong." Catra paced ahead, her back facing Glimmer. "Damn this place for playing out memories."
As they explored the First Ones building, more memories played out. A commotion garnered their attention. Was someone coming, or was it a trap? The noise became closer - it was metallic. Catra tensed. Glimmer couldn't decide whether to use the last of her magic to fight, or to teleport them out.
"You have any more magic or is it all gone?" Catra asked, her attention darting between Glimmer and the approaching robot spiders.
Glimmer grabbed Catra and conjured the last of her magical energy. A familiar tingle told her they were teleporting. She hoped it was enough to get them out. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for the outcome. The spell transported them outside. Exhaustion washed over Glimmer as she swayed. She put her hand against a tree to catch herself.
"Glimmer!" A familiar voice shouted. It was Adora.
Catra bounded off into the shadows, perhaps returning to the Fright Zone. A blur of blonde hair, and Adora was standing a foot away from Glimmer. Adora was holding Glimmer's staff.
"Are you okay? What happened? Did you run out of magic? I thought the Horde took you!" Adora blurted out, each sentence coming out faster than the last.
"I'm fine. I was getting lost, so I got into the First Ones building," Glimmer lied.
In truth, Glimmer was working with Catra to flee the creepy temple after a narrow escape from a monster. She followed Adora to Bright Moon Castle. As soon as they entered the castle, Glimmer recharged her powers.
Catra walked down the corridor in the Horde headquarters, tail flicking behind her. The mission didn't go as planned today. As for Princess Sparkles, she hadn't expected her to save her from monsters - whether robotic or not. She chalked it up to Glimmer doing it out of wanting to feel heroic. Then again, Catra tried to distract the monstrous bug. It could have mauled both girls. Despite herself, she shuddered at the notion.
Catra's mind drifted to the banter between herself and Glimmer. Their previous encounters were hate-fueled compared to today's scuffle. Also, the proximity? Glimmer's passing glance at her body? Looks aside, it was easy to fluster the princess. Not that it was anything other than teasing. Sighing, she strode to her room and stopped in front of her mirror. She jabbed a finger at her reflection.
"Get a hold of yourself. You're the Force Captain. Not a dummy who has a soft spot for a princess," Catra muttered.
Somehow, the words didn't register as they should. The memory scenes in the First Ones building? Catra's reaction? She had forgotten her tough exterior when hers came up. Was it any wonder the princess mentioned it to her? She sat on the edge of her bed and buried her face in her hands.
Catra shouldn't be vulnerable. She would get hurt as a result of showing weakness. Glimmer didn't like her, either. By now, the princess could be ranting to her friends about the 'evil Horde cat.' Running a hand through her hair, Catra left the room. She had better things to focus on. Not her emotions or rumination. Instead, she could find a way to keep Shadow Weaver in the Fright Zone. Hordak still wanted the sorceress to go to Beast Island.
Though the old woman put Catra through a lot of pain, a small part of the magicat still cared about her. The same witch who always favored Adora, even when the blonde left the Horde. Shadow Weaver had treated Catra with disdain and would punish her for anything. She was sure her former guardian took sadistic pleasure in it. Magical torture was Shadow Weaver's preferred method of dealing with her.
Catra shook the thoughts from her head and stepped into Hordak's sanctum. She kneeled in a swift motion, hoping Hordak would overlook her brief forgetfulness. The leader of the Horde grunted in pain. Entrapta came in and checked on Hordak, helping with his exoskeleton. How did Hordak not mind the lack of kneeling from Entrapta? Did he favor her over Catra?
Entrapta was a brilliant scientist, annoying as she was. She made tech for the Horde and worked on their bots. So what did Hordak see in her? What made him recognize her contributions more than Catra's? Was it due to Catra's recent failures? It would make sense, given the string of her losses. But there wasn't an explanation for his withering glares whenever she was present.
"Oh, were you two having a meeting? Sorry, again. I guess I should be going," Entrapta said, interrupting Catra's thoughts. Using her hair, she pulled herself up.
Hordak held up a hand. "No, you stay." He scowled at Catra. "You have two days to extract whatever information you can from your prisoner. Then, you will send her to Beast Island."
"But-" Catra was about to reply when Hordak continued speaking.
"Do you understand?" Hordak boomed. "Or do I have to make myself understood?"
Catra pressed her lips together. She didn't need a reminder of what Hordak was capable of. If she wasn't careful, he would asphyxiate her or throw her into a cell. Worse, he could exile her.
"No, Lord Hordak." Catra lowered her head. "I understand."
"Good. You're dismissed," Hordak replied.
On the way out of the sanctum, Catra's gaze swept over her shoulder. Hordak and Entrapta were chatting on his throne. He listened as if interested in what she was saying. There was a mention of the portal.
"We should be able to initiate our first test of the portal machine as soon as I rebuild the electrical grid."
Catra's claws dug into her palms as she stormed through several hallways. She went outside and perched herself on a railing. For all she knew, she could be skating on thin ice when it came to Hordak's perception of her. It wasn't her fault the missions didn't go according to plan. She-Ra always got in the way. The blonde's merry band of princess friends were no different. Her mind focused on Glimmer. Sparkles had tried a hand at capturing her, dragging her all over the place. Oh, and that tendency to grab the neckline of Catra's shirt?
The heat radiating from Glimmer's face when their faces weren't too far apart? A fire in her lavender eyes? Her reaction to Catra's wink? Catra's ears flattened against her head and she let out a hiss. Footsteps approached. The railing shook, making her jump. She tightened the grip on the metal, turning her head in the direction of whoever came.
"How'd you find me?" Catra asked. She stared at the buildings and land surrounding the Horde headquarters. A wind rustled through her hair.
"You always come here when you're upset. Also, I looked everywhere. Now, what's troubling my bestie?" Scorpia nudged Catra.
Catra swatted Scorpia's claw away. "I'm not your bestie."
"Oh, I don't accept any of that."
Catra lowered her brows. "Get used to not getting what you want in life." Her facial muscles relaxed as she glanced down. "Hordak is making me send Shadow Weaver to Beast Island."
"Wait. Beast Island is real?" Scorpia ripped a piece of the railing off with a claw. "Oops."
While the muscular scorpioni was messing up the railing, Catra leapt around a corner. Knowing Scorpia, she wouldn't get the hint. Catra drew her knees to her chest, securing them with her arms. She lost herself in thought. Despite her anger at Shadow Weaver for being cruel, she craved affection, no matter how small. Shadow Weaver, in contrast, acted like she was a waste of space.
What had Catra done to deserve any of it? Compared to the princesses, she had a horrible guardian. Life dealt her a bad hand. Sparkles had loving parents. Queen Angella would be doting on Adora as though she was her own.
"It's so unfair..." Catra whispered.
There was the clatter of the broken railing and some running. Catra didn't care to look up until Scorpia spoke.
"I thought Beast Island was a story they told to keep us in line. Being sent there is a fate worse than death!" Scorpia said.
Catra shot her a glare. "Don't you have better things to do than pestering me?"
Scorpia didn't seem to register the question. "I bet there's some nice stuff, too. Shadow Weaver could write letters and tell us."
Catra hopped down from the railing. "What is wrong with you? People don't send letters from Beast Island. They go and never come back. It's permanent." She pushed past Scorpia. "It doesn't matter how hard I work or what I do. Hordak doesn't trust me. He never listens. Shadow Weaver has useful information."
"She hasn't given us any information. Why do you want to keep her around? She's never been nice to you. I figured you hated her."
"You... you wouldn't understand."
Without another word, Catra raced inside and reached her quarters. She shut the door behind her and leaned against it. Spilling her heart out wasn't her thing. Keeping her walls up kept her safe. It worked with her former friend, and it would serve her well in the present and future. Still, why did she care about Adora or Shadow Weaver? Adora was a traitor. Shadow Weaver was a piece of work.
No one would hurt Catra once she rose to the top... right? She was a fearsome Force Captain. Emotions and attachments shouldn't have a place in her life.