Hey guys! It's been a while, hasn't it?

Well, here I am with a new chapter! These last few weeks, WAR has been making my emotions go all over the place with her Legacy Redux chapters. Even though Rise Out of the Ashes is from Lion-O's POV, I wanted to give Erica some love.

The song that inspired this one is Daydream by Ruelle.

As per usual, I don't own anything.

Enjoy the chapter!


Dreams were always a strange occurrence for her. The nightmares were sporadic. Here one day and gone the next. The same with happy dreams.

Back then, when she was Echo, the nightmares were a constant companion. Dreams of monsters in the sea. Dreams of a red moth-eaten cloak. Dreams of yellow eyes. She didn't know a thing about them or why she was having them. The idea of them being a clue to her past has occurred to her, but if so, what were they. And what life did she have before entering Thundera?

Of course, there were good dreams as well from before and after the fall of Thundera. Dreams of walking through an ocean of blooming flowers. Dreams of putting together broken technology. Dreams of being with her companions traveling through Third Earth.

If she had to describe them, it would be bittersweet. The bitterness of the nightmares combined with the sweetness of the happy dreams made her dreams somewhat confusing. But she got used to them.

That was then.

Now, as Erica, she understood what the dreams meant. With the help of Markata, she remembers her life clearly. What happened to her before.

It didn't make her happy to know she was a child born into a war, but nevertheless, she continued on with Markata.

That is until he betrayed her.

In a matter of hours, what she thought of her life was now shattered. She was in a frenzy of anger, sadness, and confusion.

Fast-forward to where she was now, in her psyche, her memory.

Soul Sever and the ThunderCats were now in her mind. Just the thought of them seeing her memories made her want to cut them all to tiny pieces. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't do it. What good would it do to her if she attacked? She would definitely be sentenced to death if Sever hands her over to Lion-O. It's not like she had anything else to lose.

So, she allowed them to stay.

As they watched the scenes unfold before them, Erica realized that her memories were nothing more than daydreams. She knew they happened and clearly remembers every little thing. But something about them made her see them as daydreams.

Could it be that they happened a long time ago? Or does she not want to remember them? She was left with more questions than answers.

Finally, they were in the memory of her after her surgery. Where Masai was holding her pinky, gently stroking it.

Erica wanted to reach out and hold Masai, to tell him that she was okay. That she was doing better than the past version lying on the bed. It was a foolish idea, considering this was a memory. Instead, she just stood there, a bystander in her own memory.

She could feel the stares of the Cats on her like they were burning a hole into her head. Clearly, they were confused. This was the first time they had seen their ancestors. The first time they had seen humans. Their questions about her past were finally being answered. Though if she had to guess, they weren't necessarily happy or pleased to see her memories.

The eyes of the Cats of the eyes were on her. But she could practically feel his stare the most. Of all of them, he was the one who wanted answers. He wants to judge her properly. And what better way than to look into her past. Literally.

Erica understood where he was coming from, as much as she hates to admit it. He is a king, after all. What good of a king would he be if he judged someone with their emotions instead of evidence? Following the customs of Thundera. Even after their kingdom had fallen, he still wants to uphold his beliefs. She had to admire him for that. So very few easily give up their morals and beliefs when everything had been taken away from them.

Stealing enough will power from within her, Erica looked back at Lion-O. Those eyes. That Mane. A lot like Masai.

For a moment, she wondered if things would ever be back to the way they were. It was a stupid thought. But a small part of her wishes things was back to the way they were. When she and Lion-O weren't trying to kill each other. Back when they were actual friends. Though she knew it wouldn't work. Even if Pumyra wasn't resurrected by Mumm-Ra, her past would somehow get revealed.

It was a lose-lose situation for her after all.

She tore her gaze away from Lion-O and looked at Masai. She remembers how much they loved each other. The softness of his hands despite them being calloused. This memory, though not a good one, brought a sort of happiness to her. Masai loved her.

Maybe that's why her other memories felt like daydreams. Even the bad ones, they made her who she was now.

She glanced back at Lion-O.

If only things were different. If he reciprocated her feelings of love.

But he probably wouldn't.

A girl can dream. What more could a girl want?