Every fiber of her being seemed to be screaming at her to stop, to remember the painful zap that had followed touching the black garnet all those years ago. However this time it wasn't a stupid dare of children, nor was it a forbidden curiosity that compelled her. No, this time it was under the critical eye of a monarch that seemed to want to prove something to Catra and whatever that was required her to stop being a baby and touch the stone.

After all, the woman had every chance to hurt her in the month that she had stayed there and hadn't outside of one odd accident during training that involved a broken staff and a jagged cut along Catra's upper arm.

Yet here she was, afraid to touch a stupid rock like some kind of child.

Her hand shook as she reached toward the glowing orange stone which oddly felt warm as she grew nearer to it. She paused when her hand was barely an inch from the surface, trying to mentally brace herself for the pain that she was sure was going to consume her as soon as she made contact.

Stop being a wimp. You've been beaten and worse, almost killed your best friend on more than one occasion and nearly committed regicide. She scolded herself mentally before pressing her hand against the smooth, warm surface.

Why doesn't it hurt?

Was the first question that entered her mind however no sooner did she think that, her vision clouded over, images flashing through her mind and it felt as if she was no longer in the throne room and no longer in her own body but seeing through the eyes of someone else.

Her heart was pounding in her ears almost as loudly as the sound of explosions going off nearby as she was shoved into a small cellar.

"Stay here until your mother or I come to get you. They need my help and it's too dangerous to try to go to the main shelter. " a tall tiger-coated Magi-cat said before he drew the sword from his side which zapped to life with red energy.

She could feel herself saying something but she couldn't hear herself over the sounds of shouting.

Making herself small in the small enclosure she squeezed her eyes shut, hands pressed tightly over her ears to try to block out the awful noises around her—although this proved to be in vain as the smell of smoke and blood began to overtake her senses.

"Sire! They got past the main defense! How soon until Bright-Moon gets here?"

she instantly recognized that voice as Anu

"They should get here soon! We'll just have to hold off Hordak's troops until then!"

and that's when it hit her exactly what she was seeing...The fall of Half-Moon.

"What about Hunga's sky patrol? They should have been here by now!"

"Looks like they aren't coming!"

She didn't know how long she sat there, listening to this whole thing—unable to move or speak—however suddenly she heard a yell and a curse—followed by the shout of an all too familiar name.

Tora.

Opening her eyes she saw that the man who had shoved her into the small vent had fallen, the front of his armor quickly covering with blood that seeped from a hole near the chest.

Cyra watched as Catra collapsed, unsure what was exactly happening or why it was happening. But whatever it was couldn't be good if the teenager's face was anything to go by. Her expression was tortured, tears streaming down her face as she seemed to be panting for breath.

"What's going on?" Amur asked, almost afraid to approach the quivering girl.

"I don't know." Cyra answered honestly, brow furrowed "Go get Anu...If anyone understands magic its him."

The scene suddenly changed and she found herself alone in what was basically a cage, her whole body hurt and she couldn't seem to stop crying.

"The mask is proof that she is dead but what do we do with her whelp?" A voice that Catra didn't recognize asked.

"With the proper training and that mask the child will make a good addition to our cause. Take her to Shadow Weaver, she will know what to do."

"Are you okay? What happened? You just suddenly yelled out and collapsed." Queen Cyra began from where she was knelt beside of her—calling her attention toward her.

And that was when it all made sense to her. Tora had been her father's name so that gave the very real possibility that her mother was very well still alive.

And currently kneeling beside her.

And she didn't really know how she felt about that. Especially in that moment with all the things that was running through her mind, memories that had long been repressed. Memories of an actaully happy time in her life...A time before all the chaos and lies.

But as she turned toward Queen Cyra she felt as though she was going to be sick as another wave of emotion hit her.

"You know you queens are all the same...with the fucking secrets." She panted as she stumbled to her feet, tail twitching with irritation although she wasn't angry exactly. She wasn't sure if she would want to have that conversation either if she had been in the Queen's place.

But it did hurt and she really couldn't stop herself from feeling the betrayal at the withheld secrets.

"What do you mean?" The Queen responded, earning a humorless chuckle.

"When were you going to tell me who I am? Who you are? Do you even know what it is like finding out your the one thing that you were trained to hate your whole life?" Catra responded, not even answering the question as she reached up and removed her mask, closing her eyes as she ran a hand over the smooth surface.

"Hordak told me this had once belonged to the queen of Magi-Cat's and that it would give me incredible power. I never could figure out what that meant or why he had it but I figured he had taken her prisoner or something...But I was there at Half-Moon the day it fell...I remember everything...I even remember Shadow Weaver wiping my memory and how painful that was." Her mouth became oddly dry as she turned her attention back toward the Queen, her angry expression crumbling as she asked in a low voice:

"Where you ever going to tell me that you were my mother?"