CHAPTER VII: ONE MORE PRINCESS

"You can't do this!" Adora yelled, trashing around as the guards pushed her inside her bedroom.

"We're sorry, but these are Queen Angella's orders… we cannot disobey her." One of the guards told her before slamming the door shut.

Adora threw herself at it, but it had already been locked from the outside. After a few minutes of punching and kicking the door, the blonde sighed heavily, before sliding down against it.

"Shadow Weaver…" Adora hugged her knees, hiding her face between them. "How could that be true… that Catra is…"

She couldn't believe what she was about to say. She couldn't believe what Shadow Weaver had hinted. If Catra really was one of them… if Catra really was… a princess… then why did that witch insult her and berate her for no reason for all of her life, knowing that it could have driven her away from the Horde? Why did she do that knowing how much of a crucial ally for the Rebellion Catra was?

Or maybe… maybe she knew that by doing that, she would have made Catra want nothing but the power, the respect and the recognition Shadow Weaver had always denied her. That way, she could have rested assured that Catra would have never left the Horde.

Adora had so many questions, so many doubts. Not only Shadow Weaver had returned in her life, but she also brought with her a truth that Adora wasn't ready to face. Well… none of them were actually ready for something like.

And then there was Angella… whom she respected. She never told the queen but lately… Adora had started to see her more and more like a maternal figure. The mother she never actually had. That made her only hurt more after what Angella did to her. Maybe she was really just trying to protect her, but what Adora felt was lack of faith. Hadn't she done enough to earn that?

Adora sighed heavily. She didn't know what to believe anymore. But… actually… there was something she could believe, or at least, she hoped it would shed some light on the witch's claims about Catra's true identity.

"If you were willing to give yourself up just to give me this…" Adora spoke as she began to search for something in her pocket. "Then this… this must be the answer."

The blonde stood up, holding a vial that contained a shiny, silver liquid. When the guards entered Shadow Weaver's chambers, she had managed to get the it from her hands without anyone noticing. After a few moments, Adora raised her gaze from it and noticed a small table which stood on the other side of the bedroom. Her eyes went wide as she recalled Shadow Weaver's words.

"A mirror of water…" Adora whispered, as she noticed a pitcher and a cup on it.

She remembered how the witch told her to find a mirror of water. All she had to do was dropping the liquid into it and somehow, what she was searching for, the truth… it would all be revealed to her. She quickly reached the table and released a long sigh of relief as she noticed that there was still a little bit of water in the pitcher. She took it and raised it over the cup, filling it. She opened the vial and started to tilt it. Was she scared? A lot, her hands were trembling like crazy and she was wondering how she had managed not to drop the vial yet. Was this really what she wanted? Yes, Adora knew she wanted to know the truth, the truth about Catra… and whatever it was, no matter how scary… no matter how troubling… if it was going to help her save Catra… then she'd face it head on.

As soon as the liquid was going to start dripping into the water, Adora's hand stopped.

Why are you doing this for her?

She hurt you.

She hates you.

Nothing will change that.

You had to leave.

It was the right choice.

But you still left her.

She's not going to forgive you.

You don't know if she's still alive.

Why even risk?

Adora shook her head. She knew why.

"I'm not going to leave you again."

Adora tilted the vial and a single drop of shiny, silver liquid fell into the cup.

Meanwhile, in Glimmer's room:

"Wait wait wait, so you're telling me that you teleported inside the dungeon just because Adora felt like Shadow Weaver came here for a reason, and that reason is… Catra being on Beast Island and her being… a princess? And then your mom came in and locked Adora away?" Bow scratched his chin as he tried to process what Glimmer had just told him… well more like yelled at him.

"I can't believe my mom would do that!" Glimmer yelled angrily as she kicked her bed's edge before sitting down.

"Well, it was kinda harsh to forbid you to join the alliance's meeting, but to lock Adora in her bedroom and send four guards to keep an eye on her? Jeez, that's a tad too much. Why would she do that?" Bow asked as he sat beside her.

"She thinks Adora is too 'emotionally involved' in this situation to see things clearly." Glimmer let out a long exhale before resting her chin on top of her hands.

"She wants to save her doesn't she?" Bow asked, a small smile on his face.

"I just don't get it! I mean, Adora tried to reason with Catra, she tried to patch up things with her, to show her that the Horde is evil and to bring her on our side and that… that mangy cat still tried to destroy Bright Moon! She kidnapped us, tried to kill us, she must have tried to kill Adora a hundred times!" Glimmer shouted in exasperation, waving her arms in the air.

"Thaaaaat's an exaggeration." Bow commented but immediately shut up as Glimmer shot him a dirty look.

"Why would Adora risk her life for her?!"

Bow remained silent for a few moments. Why would Adora risk her own life to save the one person that tried to kill her and all of her friends? After everything Catra had done to them, why risk everything to help her? And that's when the reason hit Bow. After everything Catra had done to them… that everything… it was nothing compared to what Adora and Catra had been through for the majority of their lives. And they had been through that together.

"If I joined the Horde-" Bow began to speak but was immediately cut off by a shove.

"Bow! Don't say that! You'd never-"

"If I joined the Horde, and then got stranded on an island infested with deadly monsters… would you still try to save?" Bow asked, putting a hand on Glimmer's shoulder.

He could see the confliction in Glimmer's eyes, but it only lasted a few moments before disappearing. She closed them and let a small, sad smile play on her face. She covered Bow's hand with his own, before looking at him straight in the eyes.

"No one will keep her from trying to save her, isn't it?" Glimmer's tone was sad but also… proud, like she had just remembered what kind of person Adora was.

Adora would have never given up…

"If she's not going to give up on Catra…" Glimmer said, a determined look on her face.

"We're not going to give up on her." Bow finished her sentence, smiling at her.

They would have never abandoned their friend, not in the time when she needed them the most.

"We need to bust Adora out of her room." Glimmer explained, raising up from her bed.

"And then what?"

"I think Adora will know what to do next."

Glimmer grasped Bow's hand and they both disappeared into a cloud of sparkles.

Meanwhile, at the alliance's reunion:

The tension inside the meeting's room was palpable. All the princesses remained silent as Queen Angella sat down in her chair. She was stoic as always, but something small, almost imperceptible was betraying her composure. Was it guilt? Doubt? Sadness? After what felt like an eternity, Mermista decided to break the deafening silence.

"Not to be disrespectful or anything but… it's like… reaaaaaly late Queen Angella. Can't we just postpone this meeting in the morning and-" Mermista's rambling was cut short.

"Princesses, believe me when I tell you that this meeting has the uttermost priority over anything else, sleep included. You may be wondering why my daughter, Adora and Bow are absent…" Queen Angella paused, a pained expression betraying her stoic composure.

"A-are they okay?!" Perfuma stuttered, jumping from her seat.

"They are…"

"Then… why are they not here?" Frosta questioned, her brows furrowed, confusion clear in her voice.

"Shadow Weaver has breached our defenses and infiltrated Bright Moon." Angella stated, her gaze low.

An audible gasp escaped everyone's mouths as the revelation hit all of them. Shadow Weaver? One of Hordak's most formidable allies? The one who tortured Glimmer and tried to wipe Adora's memories away? The princesses' shock was soon replaced by scowls and enraged expressions.

"What did that witch do?" Netossa growled.

"I swear… if she has laid even a single finger on our friends or Bright Moon's inhabitants I'll-" Spinnerella was abruptly cut off by Angella slamming her hands on the meeting's table.

"She's done nothing of the sort! She was restrained before she could harm anyone… but…" Angella's firm composure fell apart as she recalled Shadow Weaver's words, the lies she told Adora to manipulate her, in order to hurt her, to hurt all of them.

Images of the young girl's betrayed expression as the guards brought her away came to Angella's mind, alongside Glimmer's. They both must have felt like she had betrayed them, like she didn't trust them. It wasn't like that, but she knew that Adora would have never been impartial about anything regarding Catra, and she knew that both Glimmer and Bow would have followed her anywhere. She couldn't let that happen, she couldn't let Shadow Weaver trick them with her false promises. She knew what the witch had told them not to be the truth, it couldn't be. The alliance was already complete, the only princess missing was the one who was never brought into this world… an old friend's unborn child…

"But?" Perfuma intervened, braking the Queen's train of thoughts.

"She told Adora something… something regarding Catra." Angella raised her gaze, her eyes now filled with worry.

"Tsk… what about that cat?" Mermista scoffed.

"Shadow Weaver told her that Catra has been banished on Beast Island."

Silence fell upon the entire room. With time, each princess came to know about Adora and Catra's past together, finally beginning to understand why the warrior princess always seemed to hold back when she faced the ferocious cat lady on the battlefield. The implications of what Angella had just told them were clear. If Catra had been banished on Beast Island, it meant she was in danger, and that Adora probably would try to save her. But it couldn't be that easy, even with the power of She-Ra, she would have never been able to survive on Beast Island. She would need help, and how could Shadow Weaver convince the other princesses to help Adora in her quest?

"Ugh… let me guess… Adora wants to save her?" Mermista complained loudly.

Angella released a long exhale, nodding.

"She'll never be able to do it alone… and Shadow Weaver must know this… it's a trap! Adora is going to die on that wretched island!" Frosta exclaimed.

"That is why Shadow Weaver tried to trick Glimmer and Bow into following her…" Angella hissed venomously, how dared that witch try to trick her daughter? How dared she disrespect her husband's memory and… how dared she even try to make them believe that… that Catra was actually… actually her daughter…

"How? How could she do that?" Perfuma questioned, clearly confused.

"She told them Catra is the missing piece of the alliance."

A stunned silence followed Queen Angella's declaration.

"That's impossible." Frosta gritted her teeth.

"She can't be a princess." Mermista stated coldly.

"It… it wouldn't make sense." Perfuma whispered, puzzled.

"Exactly, it wouldn't make sense because it's not the truth." Angella declared.

But before anyone could speak another word, a new voice joined the council.

"You're wrong."

Everyone turned around and noticed Adora standing behind the meeting's table. Glimmer and Bow were at her sides, determined expressions adorned both of their faces.

"Adora… Glimmer… Bow…" Angella whispered, dumbfounded.

"You're wrong, and I'll prove it to you." Adora spoke, and before anyone could do anything, the blonde took a bowl of water and a strange, glowing vial from behind her back.

Adora dripped the content of the vial into the bowl, and a strange mist began to overflow from it, enveloping the entire room into a vast, grey nothingness which slowly mutated into what Angella had hoped never to see again…

"Oh… Katrina…" Angella whispered, her voice trembling, as she covered her mouth with both of hands.

That didn't prevent the princesses from hearing her sob.

I'm baaaaaack! Did you miss me? So, the exams are finally over, I got my degree in psychology and I'm super happy to return to my story, expect new chapters to come out soon. Now that I'm free I'll finally be able to dedicate more time to this fic. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, let me know what you think about it in the comments and as always, I'll see you in the next chapter! To infinity and beyond! (Yes, I just saw Toy Story 4 and I tell you, it's the best one of the entire saga, gosh I loved it so much!)