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Like any other day, Glimmer was busy with royal duties, while Catra was taking care of their child. The young child's name was Artemis, and she was nine years old.
Artemis's appearance was a mix of Catra's and Glimmer's genetics. Feline ears, a tail, claws, and fangs from Catra's magicat DNA. She had heterochromia eyes; turquoise and dusty pink. Her hair was two shades of brown. The darker shade of brown was sparkly.
Artemis's personality was a mix of her mothers. She had Catra's bravery and Glimmer's stubbornness. Also, she got some mischievousness from Catra. And right now? Her mischief was evident in the way she was sneaking to the kitchen. As she stepped into the kitchen, she sniffed the air. The scent of fresh cookies wafted into her nose. With a quick glance at her surroundings, she approached the counter.
Someone had adjusted the handles and other parts of the counters. Anyone would consider it "child-proofing" with extra measures. To Artemis, it was yet another fun challenge to overcome. Tail swishing with excitement and anticipation, she climbed the counter. She reached its surface.
As Artemis grabbed a warm, chocolate-studded cookie, the door opened. Catra was standing in the doorway, hands on hips. There was a subtle amusement in Catra's expression, mingled with sternness.
"You're going to spoil your dinner," Catra said.
Artemis stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry. "I'm having a cookie, mom."
"One's enough, but you're not having any more until after dinner."
"I'll get another."
As Catra approached, Artemis felt a tingle all over her body. Within seconds, she teleported. She winded up in a hallway. It was the first time she used magic. How did it happen? Didn't her other mom, Glimmer, have the full Moonstone power? Then again, Glimmer didn't use magic very much, other than teleporting.
Artemis smirked. She teleported to the kitchen and took another cookie. Catra reached for the cookies, only for Artemis to teleport again. Artemis reappeared in the throne room, when Glimmer was in the middle of talking to someone. The guards and the visitors glanced in Artemis's direction for a second. They looked back to Glimmer.
Glimmer noticed. "Artemis, did you sneak into the kitchen again?" A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
Before Artemis could respond, Glimmer spoke to the stranger again, continuing a conversation. She teleported again, this time to a balcony. Her mothers were still inside the castle. Glimmer in the throne room. Catra in the kitchen or a hallway.
Artemis yawned, already sensing the effects of using up her magic. How many teleports did she use, anyway? She didn't keep count. Snickering, she bit into the soft, chocolate-filled cookie. She savored the sweet, buttery, and rich flavor. The edges were crispy, and the center was soft and gooey. Her ears twitched at the sound of footsteps and an all-too-familiar voice. Catra was saying her name and searching for her.
Artemis summoned the remaining energy in her magical reserves for one more teleport. The last teleport resulted in her winding up in a nearby hallway. She leaned against the wall in an attempt to avoid losing her balance. The exhaustion from using up her magic won over. She didn't register Catra picking her up as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Catra wasn't sure what to do with the cookies that fell to the floor, so she ate them. She watched as Artemis awakened from the temporary nap. Artemis sat up in bed. Catra didn't expect Artemis's powers to show up today. At first, she had expected Artemis to teleport all over the place. Yet Artemis's magic had a limit, as she only possessed a small amount of the Moonstone's magic.
"So... what happened to the cookies?" Artemis asked.
"I ate them. Guess I'm the one who spoiled my appetite," Catra said in a teasing tone. "Anyway, let's get to the dining hall. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Artemis let out a brief laugh. "I'm not even as powerful as my other mom."
"You'll get better with your magic when you're older."
They walked to the dining hall and occupied seats next to Glimmer. Tonight's dinner was salmon with potatoes and garlic rolls. As Catra and Glimmer ate their dinner, they talked about what happened today.
"I was teleporting a lot at that age, too," Glimmer said.
"You did?" Catra asked.
"Yeah. Once, I teleported to a chandelier when running out of magic. My mother had to fly up to the chandelier and help me get down. Besides, I don't have catlike reflexes like you and Artemis do."
"So if you did have catlike reflexes, you would have landed on your feet, right?"
Glimmer chuckled. "Maybe."
Catra sank a fork into her salmon. "I got years of practice with that. Jumping from the floor to a ledge, or a pipe."
"Is it an exaggeration?"
Catra splayed her fingers over her chest. "Who, me? Exaggerate? You know my acrobatics are awesome."
Glimmer snorted. "Of course. We get it, you're a dramatic cat. But I can teleport a hundred feet up into the air. I did it a few times."
"You're the queen of teleports, after all."
"Speaking of teleporting, I bet our little Artemis will get into mischief more often. She could appear and reappear whenever she wanted."
"And then she'd make me chase her."
"Artemis is a miniature version of you." Glimmer sipped her tea, then placed the mug onto the table. "She even has your smile."
Catra snickered. "She also got your stubbornness."
Several hours after they finished dinner, Catra tucked Artemis in bed. She went to the room she and Glimmer shared. Once inside their room, Catra ascended the steps to the bed. She reclined next to Glimmer. Ever since they had a child together, life in the castle got more interesting. There was never a dull moment when it came to raising Artemis.
Their child would be growing up in a peaceful Etheria. Assuming no one tried to start a war or rebuild the Horde. Catra glanced over at Glimmer, who was half-asleep. The queen's eyes fluttered open. Her smile was faint.
"She's sleeping, not teleporting all over the castle, right?" Glimmer murmured.
"I checked her room several times to be sure," Catra said. "She's sound asleep."
Glimmer snuggled closer to Catra, resting her head on the magicat's chest. "Remember when I was pregnant?"
Catra stroked Glimmer's hair. "Yes."
"It was tiring. Artemis was in my womb for nine months. Sometimes it was difficult to focus on royal duties."
"I had to make sure you could get the rest you needed."
Glimmer yawned. "Every day, I think about how lucky I am to have you as my wife. You were there for me when I was pregnant. You were there to comfort me whenever I needed it. I love you so much, furball."
Catra kissed the top of Glimmer's head. "I love you too, Sparkles. You comforted me, too. Whenever I had nightmares, you'd be there to hold me."
Soon, they fell asleep, dreaming of their little family. They dreamed of Artemis teleporting and giggling.