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The battle was over. The Horde had retreated, now the Princesses could too. All they had to do was stand guard until they were sure it wasn’t a fake out, and then they could leave. Usually, She-Ra would be doing this, as she was who the townspeople usually felt most comfortable and safe around, but this time, Adora felt something was off.
She couldn’t put her finger on what it was, it was just a gut feeling.
So: “Glimmer, would you mind if I go check something out in the forest?”
Glimmer furrowed her brow. “What, did you see something? Want me to come with?”
Adora shook her head. “It’s okay, I just have this weird feeling. It’s probably nothing, but I want to take a look just in case.”
Glimmer hesitated, then nodded. “Sure, okay. I trust your judgment. If you’re not back for a while I’ll come get you, though.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right back!”
Adora transformed out of her She-Ra form and took off for the forest.
The trees were their regular blue-green, and they were swaying in the wind just slightly. She couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but she forged ahead anyway. Animals and bugs skittered about and out of her way. The gut feeling grew stronger. Then, Adora saw it.
A singular footprint, in the middle of the path. There weren’t any others close to it, but Adora saw it for what it was — a clue. In the shape of Catra’s foot.
Catra was always light on her feet, she barely made a sound when she walked. This was definitely on purpose.
And it was definitely for Adora to follow. (That one she had no proof for, just a strong gut feeling, and an intrinsic connection.)
She continued on her path, and suddenly all the signs and clues were jumping out at her. A lock of hair snagged on a twig, upturned dirt and loose pebbles, a broken branch with sap still leaking. Catra had come through here, and she was making it known.
Adora’s previously leisurely pace quickened without her realising. She had broken out into a run before long — following the signs that had gone from whispering at her to screaming. It consumed her, the idea of— the need to see Catra. It didn’t matter that they were on other sides of the war right now, the feeling in her gut was overpowering.
The further she ran, the more she started to think. Why was Catra bringing her here? There had to be a reason for it, and Adora doubted it was a happy one. She started racing through her thoughts thinking of every scenario that could’ve happened that drove Catra to come here — was this actually a trap? Or what if she was hurt? What if Adora had accidentally hurt her—?
Her worries simultaneously quelled and swelled as she broke out into a clearing to find Catra sitting, intact, on a rock. She was curled up with her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees.
“Hey, Adora.” Catra greeted. Her voice was hoarse. Meek.
Adora hadn’t seen her like this in a long time.
“Why did you bring me here?” Adora asked with no mirth.
Catra shrugged. “I’m still wondering that myself, if I’m being honest.”
Adora swallowed. It was sharp going down her throat. “Guess, then.”
“Sit down.” Catra said instead, gesturing to the rock (charming) next to her.
Adora complied.
“So?” She prompted.
Catra sighed. “I miss talking to you. I’m probably still closer to you than I am with anyone in the Horde, which makes it super awkward that we’re actively at war with each other. I’d still trust you with my life, y’know?”
Catra went silent for a moment, looking away. Her tail was twitching, and she was fidgeting with her fingers.
“Keep going.” Adora whispered.
“...Nothing’s really going well for me right now. You’re the only person I can talk to about that. All my cadets hate me anyway. And I’ve scared away Scorpia, who was basically my closest approximation of a friend…” Catra sighed again, “I know that we’re not really… friends… anymore, but I know you’re not going to judge me, which is about as much I can ask of anyone these days.”
Adora’s not sure what possessed her to do this, but her hand shot out to grasp Catra’s. She couldn’t stop it, and she didn’t want to. “We’re still friends, Catra.”
Catra, predictably, ripped her hand out of Adora’s. “Yeah, right. You don’t have to lie to make me feel better.”
Adora sat forward, closer to Catra. “I’m not lying.”
She held out her hand again. Catra eyed it suspiciously, but took it.
“I mean it, we are still friends. We just happen to be… a little at war right now. That doesn’t mean I’d trust you with my life any less.” Adora said earnestly. “I still care for you, and I’d still die for you.”
Catra scoffed, but threaded her fingers through Adora’s anyway. “All this and you’re not giving me any shit about joining the rebellion, or leaving the Horde, or whatever righteous path you’re on now?”
Adora shook her head. “Be honest, if I gave you my spiel right now, would it change your mind, or just anger you?”
“Anger.” Catra admitted.
Adora smiled. “Exactly. You don’t want that right now. You just want someone to talk to, and I can provide that.”
Catra squinted. “Just making sure, this doesn’t mean I like you.”
“Oh, of course not.” Adora said, smile widening.
Catra huffed. “Shut up.”
Adora mimed zipping her lips.
“...Recently I just feel like I’ve been losing control. Of my force, myself… My friends too, I guess. No one really cares about my feelings, but I don’t care about anyone else’s either. I don’t know what’s worse. On one hand, I’ve got nothing left to lose, but on the other, I’ve got nothing to fight for either. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life, or if I even want to…”
She trailed off, dropped her hand. Adora expected her to continue, but she didn’t.
“Want to what?” Adora asked.
“...To live.” Catra whispered.
Adora’s eyes widened. She surged upwards, grasping Catra’s shoulder. “Catra—!”
Catra shoved her away. “Calm down, I’m not gonna kill myself or anything.”
Adora settled back into her seat.
“I just… I don’t know. I think I’d get more satisfaction from my life if I was locked up in a cell. At least that way my purpose could be… escaping. Because you can’t get out of a situation you’re not trapped in.
“My goal in the Horde used to be to climb the ranks, take control, and… conquer Etheria. More I think about it, more I wonder why I ever wanted to do that in the first place. I think it’s because I’ve been doubted my whole life, and I wanted to prove myself. Or maybe I just wanted to defeat you. I was always second best to you, y’know?”
“No, you weren’t. We were always equal.”
Catra huffed. “Not to everyone else’s eyes.”
“That doesn’t change anything.”
“It changes everything.”
Adora met Catra’s eyes. They burned into her, the same way they did when they were kids.
“I miss you.” Adora said.
Catra folded her arms over each other. “I’m here right now.”
Adora shook her head, mimicked Catra’s pose. “But I don’t have you, do I? After this… whatever this is, is over, you’re going to go back to the Horde, and we’re going to be enemies again. At war with each other. Whatever happens here, nothing’s really going to change.”
Catra flicked her tail. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”
Silence for a beat.
“Stay with me for a while, anyway?” Catra asked with an outstretched hand.
Adora took it. “Of course.”
—
“Adora!” A voice came crashing through the forest. “Adora!”
Adora jolted. “Shit!”
Catra jerked upright. “What is it?”
“Glimmer— she said she was going to come find me if I wasn’t back in a while.” Adora stood up.
Catra hissed. “You told her you were going to come see me?!”
Adora shook her head. “No, I didn’t know I was following your tracks at that point, I just told her I was going to the forest.”
“Adora!” Glimmer’s voice was louder now, closer.
“Quick, you should leave before she gets here.” Adora said, urging Catra.
She leaped off from the rock, dusting off her knees. “I’m going. I’m going.”
Catra made to take off.
“Wait!”
She turned around. “What?”
Adora’s head was bowed. She was on one knee, and her sword was balanced over it. “I will save you, Catra. I promise.”
Catra turned heel and ran.
Glimmer crashed through the foliage and into the clearing. “Adora!”
Adora stood up, returning her sword to the cuff on her arm. “Hey! I’m here, I’m okay.”
“What happened, why were you here for so long?” Glimmer asked, grasping Adora’s arm. Before she could respond, they folded through space and time, and appeared in Glimmer’s quarters at Bright Moon.
“I can’t say.”
Glimmer eyed her suspiciously. “You can’t say as in you don’t know what happened, or you won’t tell me?”
“I won’t tell you. Maybe one day. If I can, it’ll have been a very good day.”
Glimmer snorted. “Okay, weirdo. Keep your secrets.”