Chapter 19 - Shadow Weaver, Session 1
And now here's the story of a planet that lost everything, and the one hero who had no choice but to keep them all together...
Aimee Carrero as Adora
Vella Lovell as her coworker
AJ Michalka as her girlfriend
Marcus Scribner as her best friend
Karen Fukuhara as her queen
Lauren Ash as her girlfriend's ex
Jacob Tobia as her therapist
Featuring Keston John as her former boss
and Lorraine Toussaint as her mother
It's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power...
Based on TV Shows created by Noelle Stevenson and Mitchell Hurwitz
Double Trouble had arranged a meeting between Catra and Adora to confront their adoptive mother, Shadow Weaver, on her abusive parenting. So far, their session had not made much progress.
"I don't think there's anything we need to discuss," Shadow Weaver explained before taking a sip of tea, "I don't regret anything I did while raising the two of you."
The two women sitting in opposite chairs loudly groaned simultaneously. The lizard creature sitting across from the sorceress slapped their hand over their face.
"Oh, come on!" screamed Catra.
"Are you serious, right now?!" asked Adora.
"Everything I've done has been to make the two of you strong self-sufficient women," Shadow Weaver continued, "It's not easy raising children in the Fright Zone. It certainly wasn't easy taking care of *you*."
Shadow Weaver's eyes narrowed at Catra.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Catra responded as she unconsciously scratched the bloody bandage that covered the left side of her head, "You know only my left ear is deaf at the moment, right?"
"She thinks I'm overly critical," Shadow Weaver told Double Trouble, before squinting her eyes sinisterly, "That's another flaw of hers..."
Double Trouble was attempting to avoid eye contact as they wrote 'I've made a huge mistake' on their notepad.
"Overly critical? You?" Adora scoffed sarcastically, "Where would she possibly get that idea?"
"Why, really, Adora," Shadow Weaver gasped, "Haven't I done everything possible to make you the perfect soldier."
"You may have completed your objectives without any losses in your squad, Adora" Shadow Weaver said as she reviewed the teenage force captain's latest training excercise, "But don't you think you could have made faster time if you sacrificed Kyle to draw their fire?"
"Well, this is certainly what I expect from a new cadet, Adora," proclaimed Shadow Weaver as she gave a surprise inspection the young child's living quarters, "But your toys do not appear to be organized in any proper order and you have left cat hair all over your bed."
"You had better get this weight problem under control, Missy!" Shadow Weaver ordered the crying baby she was cradling in her arms, "Because the Horde isn't going to be paying for your damned liposuction anytime soon!"
"Look, I'm not sure this was a good idea," Adora told Double Trouble as she got up from her chair to poke her perfectly toned middle, "I think I need to go to the gym. I've been getting behind on my workouts."
"Adora, sit down," Catra ordered, "I know you're uncomfortable, but this has been a long time coming."
As Adora did as she was told and sat back down, Shadow Weaver realized the two women had finally gotten over their differences to unite against her and had decided to put a stop to it.
"I'm surprised you're even talking to each other, Catra," Shadow Weaver said, "After Adora left, you wouldn't stop talking about how happy you were to finally get rid of her, about how terrible it was to be stuck in her shadow..."
"Don't change the subject," said Adora, "That was a long time ago, Catra's changed now."
It was a six months ago.
"But it was much more recent when we last talked, Adora," Shadow Weaver stated smugly, "When you told Glimmer how much you hated that cruel monster and everything she did to you."
"You weren't supposed to be a part of that conversation," Adora shouted, "For all you knew, I was talking about you."
She wasn't.
"I can't believe you're listening to Shadow Weaver over me," Adora told Glimmer as they stood with Bow outside Shadow Weaver's gazebo.
"I'm listening to everyone before I make a decision this big," Glimmer explained, "If we don't do something, the Horde is going to win this war. And so far, the Heart of Etheria looks like our *only* option."
"And what happens if something goes wrong?" asked Bow, "Even if it works the way we intend it too, a lot of people are going to get hurt."
"Yeah, the Horde," Glimmer snarked, "The people we're fighting, remember?"
"They're still people, Glimmer," Adora argued, "We can't risk what might happen to them."
"I can't believe this," Glimmer shouted, pointing a finger in Adora's face, "You're still worried about hurting your girlfriend, Catra."
"She's not my girlfriend!" yelled Adora, "Whatever we were before, she's a cruel monster now and I hate her for everything she's done! But that doesn't mean we should use this magic we don't fully understand."
"I think we're getting a bit off topic here," Double Trouble interjected.
Double Trouble could see what was going on, because Shadow Weaver was using the exact same technique that they themselves used to break Glimmer and Adora apart not too long ago.
"Tell me, Shadow Weaver," said Double Trouble, writing down 'I see where Catra gets her possessive tendencies', "Why do you feel the need to instigate discord between Adora and Catra?"
"I'm simply pointing out how nice it is to see two hated enemies working together for once," Shadow Weaver remarked, feigning innocence, "I really don't see how this is any of your business to be honest. I don't even think you're a real therapist."
"I have a diploma in clinical psychiatry that says otherwise," Double Trouble argued.
Double Trouble's 'Diploma' was, in fact, a cardboard poster painted by themself with Lost Valley University stamped on the corner. According to all known records, LVU is not and has never been a recognized academic institution in Etheria.
"Well, if I made as many bad calls as you did last week," Shadow Weaver commented, "I would have asked for my tuition back."
Shadow Weaver was not referring to Double Trouble's profession, but to their performance as an umpire at a baseball game set up with mixed teams of the Princesses of Etheria and former members of Hordak's horde. Double Trouble had hoped the friendly game would help ease tensions between the former combatants, however some players took the competition somewhat too seriously.
"Loose whale," called out Catra, kneeling in a catching position between Mermista and Double Trouble, "I repeat, the Whale is loose."
"Strike one!" announced Double Trouble after Scorpia tossed the ball to Catra.
"No Junk!" shouted Catra, as Hordak stepped up to bat, "No Junk here! Let's go!"
"Strike two!" continued Double Trouble as Hordak's claws bent the aluminium club he was holding.
"Short fuse!" yelled Catra, while Glimmer walked up to the plate, "Oh, wait, Sparkles, is that your dad over there?!"
"What?!" exclaimed Glimmer as a ball flew past her head while she was looking through the trees of the nearby woods, "Where?!"
"Strike three!" Double Trouble finished, "You're out!"
"What are you talking about?!" Shadow Weaver called out from the bleachers, "That ball was so high up you could have hit Mysticore with it!"
"Your drink, ma'am," offered a Brightmoon servant holding a cup in front of her.
"Take it back!" ordered Shadow Weaver, "If I wanted to drink something your thumb touched, I would have made myself a glass of bleach from the supply closet!"
Shadow Weaver looked around wondered why she was getting strange looks from the other spectators, made up of friends and family of the other princesses, as the two teams switched positions for the next inning.
"Hey, Catra," Scorpia said as she snuck up behind Catra to rub her shoulders with her claws.
"Ack!" Catra said, jumping away in pain, "Don't do that! You almost caught my tendon there!"
"Oh, right, you don't like that," Scorpia said apologetically as they both went into the dugout to sit down, "Speaking of things people don't like, don't you think that last one was a little bit too mean?"
"Oh yeah, like the all powerful princesses can't take a little trash talk..." said Catra sarcastically, "If they get to teleport from base to base or use that stupid magic hair to catch balls, I should be able to throw an insult around."
"I just don't want anyone to get hurt over a stupid game," Scorpia said, noticing for the first time Catra's new white uniform representing her new position in the Horde, "Oh, hey, is that a new suit?"
"Huh, oh yeah," Catra replied, "The old one sort of... got destroyed."
"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!" screamed Hordak as he fired his arm mounted laser cannon at the scaffolding above the fleeing catgirl, spilling dust and debris all over her.
"Oh, that's too bad," Scorpia said sympathetically, "I really liked that one. Gave you a real dominator vibe."
"Don't worry about it," Catra said, "It's not a big deal."
Catra did think it was a big deal.
"Hold the door!" called out Kyle from underneath the mess of supplies he was carrying.
"Oh, right, the girl in the one thousand gold ducat suit is going to hold the elevator for the bottom level grunt," Catra shouted sarcastically as the lift doors closed, "COME ON!"
"And so I'm going back to the crimson waste to pick up that stupid first one's ship," Catra groaned as she relaxed on the skiff, "I just hope I don't get sand on this two thousand gold ducat suit. COME ON!"
"Careful with that, you clumsy oaf!" Catra screamed at Scorpia as she brought her her coffee, "Do you want to spill coffee on this three thousand gold ducat suit? COME ON!"
"I mean it was just a... what? ...Five hundred gold ducat suit?" Catra chuckled as she sat next to Scorpia waiting for her turn at bat, "Come on."
Meanwhile, Adora had decided to take that moment between innings to confront an old enemy who, at one point in her life, she looked up to in reverence. However, because of her new haircut and the fact that they never seriously interacted, Hordak failed to recognize her.
"What do you think you are doing here?" Adora accused Hordak.
"The Princess Entrapta asked me to come," Hordak answered sincerly, "Why? Have we met before?"
"Have we met before?!" Adora shouted angrily, "You lied and manipulated me to fight your stupid war."
"I never lie," Hordak replied, "I think you may have me confused with someone else."
She didn't.
"You took me away from my family when I was a baby," accused Adora as she was handcuffed around a post in Hordak's sanctum, "You lied to me my whole life, about the Princesses, about Etheria, about who I am!"
"I could not have lied to you about who you are," Hordak explained as he worked to complete his portal device, "I have never known nor cared about someone as inconsequential as you."
And he still didn't.
"Ah, yes... Adora," Hordak said, feigning realization, "Entrapta's friend... she speaks very highly of you."
"Entrapta's friend?" Adora repeated in confusion, "I was your Force Captain. Shadow Weaver told me you chose me specifically to lead the attack on the Princess Fortress in Draymore."
"Princess Fortress?" Hordak said as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
"Shadow Weaver," ordered Hordak from his throne, "Queen Angela's forces have retreated to Brightmoon after our assault on Esamir. They have left the border town of Draymore completely undefended. We shall make them pay for their carelessness."
"I shall order Force Captain Grizzlor to attack at once," replied Shadow Weaver.
"No," Hordak commanded, "I want the bulk of our forces to continue marching towards Brightmoon. It is possible that this may be a trap. Send one of your junior officers. If it is a trap, it will be no major loss. If not, then it will be free territory for our cause. In any case, it may prove to be a good distraction from our main offensive and give our new commander some valuable combat experience."
"As you wish, Lord Hordak," Shadow Weaver said, bowing in reverance, "I know the perfect candidate."
"I do not care," Hordak replied, "Just get it done."
"I don't believe it," Adora responded, "I should have known Shadow Weaver was lying to me about that, too."
"Shadow Weaver lies to everyone," Hordak explained, "I do not see how that is, in anyway, unbelievable."
"Whatever," said Adora, "So you and Entrapta are supposed to be fixing my sword after I broke it."
"No, we were fixing the She-Ra's Sword of Protection after *she*..." Hordak began before he finally realized who we was talking to, "You're the She-ra."
Hordak closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose as Adora gave him a look of frustration.
"My apologies," Hordak said, "Entrapta's work on your sword has stalled for the time being. We have instead chosen to make progress on the Heart of Etheria itself."
Hordak and Entrapta have not made any progress, in fact. Entrapta has been spending her time building non-lethal weapons out of First One's technology to give to Bow and the resistance, which Hordak had been testing at night on the criminals of the Fright Zone. In order to keep their activities a secret from Horde Prime and the other clones, Entrapta had developed a drug to induce amnesia in Hordak. Side effects include violent tendencies, recurrant memory loss, increased feelings of camaraderie, numbness of the extremities and damage to pituitary gland. The citizens of the Fright Zone have begun spreading horror stories of the phantom former horde leader who rose from the grave to wreak vengeance on the living.
"Help!" screamed an elderly woman running down the industrial streets of the Fright Zone, "It's the Bat-Ghost! He killed that poor man who tried to rob me!"
"Stop running, you senile crone!" Hordak roared angrily as he chased after the woman, covered in red liquid and clutching a pink purse, "I have procured your valuables receptical from your attacker!"
"I destroyed that sword for a reason," Adora hissed angrily, "The Heart of Etheria is too dangerous for anyone to use."
"Do not speak such treason to me, cur," Hordak hissed back, "And do not forget my brother's mercy in choosing to spare your desolate rock of a planet, lest he decide to rescind this courtesy."
Adora said nothing as she turned away to take her position as pitcher and decided to focus her mind on the game. Perfuma was first at bat, positioning herself in front of Glimmer and Double Trouble at the home plate. Adora threw an underhanded lob over the plate and Perfuma closed her eyes as she swung. The bat gave a loud 'tink' as it connected with the ball, which flew a short distance before hitting the ground in front of the third base. Entrapta ran to pick it up and threw it across the field to Mermista, who caught it just after Perfuma arrived at her base and had begun dusting off her dress.
"I probably should have worn something more practical today, like you and Adora," Perfuma thought aloud, gesturing at Mermista's blue scaled sweatpants as she threw the ball back to Adora, "How have you been doing? I've been meaning to come over to see you, but I didn't know if Salineas was ready to take visitors yet."
"It's... fine..." Mermista grunted, her eye twitching a bit, "Things are starting to get back to... well, not normal... but at least livable."
"Strike one!" called out Double Trouble as Catra swung at Adora's fastball.
"It's nice to get everyone together for once," Perfuma said, taking the hint to change the subject, "Was that Seahawke I saw arriving with you in port?"
"Huh, yeah," Mermista said, "I told him to stay in town to keep an eye on the ship."
"And did he shave his mustache and put on a dress?" Perfuma asked.
"Yeah, I have no idea why he's doing that," Mermista answered.
Mermista did have some idea of why he was doing that. Seahawke had left Salineas to join the rebellion in the Whispering Woods, but had quickly grown homesick and had started to become a something of problem for morale.
"Look, Seahawke," said Bow, "It's really been great having you here. But I have an important mission for you, from the Resistance."
"A mission, you say," Seahawke replied, "Will it be a grand ADVENTURE?!"
"Suuure!" Bow answered, "We need you to go back to Salineas... to... spy... on the Horde there."
"A spy in Salineas..." Seahawke repeated as he twirled his mustache, "I think I see what is going on, here."
"Look, I'm sorry," Bow apologized, "It's just that people have been-"
"My own sweet little cupid!" Seahawke exclaimed as he gave Bow a big hug, "You're trying to reunite me with my lost love across the sea! Well, feel free to stick your arrow in my buttocks anytime!"
"Yeah, speaking of which," Bow replied, handing an electronic device to Seahawke, "I want you to take this audio recorder with you."
"To record any nefarious schemes I might come across?" Seahawke suggested.
"No, I want you to record yourself all day and listen to it before you go to bed," Bow explained, "You've been saying a bunch of things that have starting sounding, kind of inappropriate for the other soldiers."
"Why, whatever do you mean?" Seahawke asked sincerely, "I've taken care that my tongue is clean enough for everyone's ears!"
Seahawke had returned to Salineas in disguise to get a job as Princess Mermista's new handmaiden, Mrs. Suspicious Arson. The cover was based on one of his favorite stories as a child. Mermista had seen through the disguise right away, but decided to hire him anyway because it let her keep him around without having to admit she liked having him around. Also, her palace had never been cleaner.
"Strike Two!" called out Double Trouble as Catra missed another swing at Adora's curveball.
"Well, let me know if she wants any advice from someone with experience in this sort of thing," Perfuma offered Mermista, "I remember how difficult it was when I first realized I was a woman. Is she still going by Seahawke?"
"I don't think Seahawke is even his real name," Mermista theorized, "I mean what kind of a name is that?"
It was his name. Seahawke was found as a baby washed up on a shore about to be pecked to death by a large bird of prey. He was rescued, named and raised by the monks of a local seaside monestary, the Brotherhood of Perpetual Refrain, a religious cult that believed in spreading joy throughout Etheria with the power of music. The monks often took on a vow of singing, only being allowed to communicate in song and rhyme.
"Welcome to our Abbey!" sang Brother Alfred the Bizarre to a group of visitors, "We're really glad you came! We can offer you some food and a no-stakes poker game! Cause we're the monks! Hey, hey! We're the monks!"
"Jazz haaands!" sang a handsome young brown-haired boy from behind, wearing a blue jacket and red scarf.
Mermista and Perfuma were interrupted by a loud 'tink' that rang through the air as Catra managed to hit the ball, sending it flying over Adora. Perfuma picked up her skirt and began running towards Hordak at second base who silently stared at the ball as it flew through the air and landed at his feet.
"What are you doing?" Adora called out.
"Hordak!" Entrapta instructed, "Pick up the ball and throw it to Mermista."
"As you wish, Princess," Hordak replied, doing as he was told.
Mermista caught the ball long after Catra already arrived at first base and had begun stretching, taking an inordinate amount of pride of her minor victory.
"Don't worry he was pretty much useless when I worked with him too," Catra snarked, facing away from Mermista to look at Adora.
Mermista tried her best to ignore Catra and focus on the game. Scorpia had just stepped up to the plate.
"Honestly, he was such a pathetic nerd hiding out in his lab," Catra explained, "It felt like I had to physically drag him to Salineas to get him to do anything."
Mermista's eyes twitched as she continued staring at Scorpia, who stood perfectly still as a ball was lobbed past her.
"Strike one," called out Double Trouble.
"Oh, well, at least it looks like you guys finally managed to ditch your own loser," Catra observed, playfully stroking her chin, "What was that guy's name again? Had a stupid looking sailboat... I wanna say Ocean Breeze?"
"His name... is Seahawke..." Mermista whispered under her breath, her angry eyes focused on Scorpia continuing to stay still as another easy ball slowly flew past her.
"Strike two," Double Trouble called out
"Oh, for Etheria's sake," Catra cursed, continuing to ignore Mermista in favor of Scorpia, "JUST SWING, YOU GIGANTIC RED CHICKEN! CAW-CA-CAW! CAW-CA-CAW!"
Catra began clapping her hands and hopping on alternating feet. It was something of a tradition amongst Horde soldiers to admonish cowards by performing a dance imitating a popular cowardly flightless bird in Etheria. Unfortunately, most soldiers in the Fright Zone had never actually seen a chicken, only Shadow Weaver had seen an actual bird before, resulting in a wide variety of bad impersonations.
"Swing, you imbecile! They haven't been calling balls all game!" Shadow Weaver shouted from the bleachers, before majestically flapping her arms, "A Coodle-doodle doo! A Coodle-doodle doo!"
Catra's chicken dance in particular just coincidentally happened to be an incredibly offensive gesture in Salineas culture, generally used to refer to one's mother as resembling a sealion. Had Catra known this, she may have not chosen that specific method of motivation. She may also have noticed Mermista sneak away into her team's dugout to pick up the bat Hordak had bent in the previous inning before slowly returning to first base, just as Scorpia missed her third ball.
"Stike Three! You're out!" Double Trouble called out, just before a loud 'tink!' was heard throughout the field, followed by the thump of something soft and furry landing on the dirt.
Uncomfortable silence filled the air as the remaining players waited on the bleachers for news. Adora sat sternly trying not to show how worried she was. Scorpia could tell she was tense and offered to give her a backrub. Perfuma tried to occupy herself with growing a tiny rose on the field. Frosta was doing the same with a small ice sculpture. Hordak held an awkward reassuring claw on Entrapta's shoulder. Shadow Weaver was arguing with Double Trouble about a number of calls during the game. Mermista sulked in the corner with her arms folded, trying to avoid eye contact with everyone else. Glimmer approached her.
"What in Etheria's name was that all about?" Glimmer shouted at Mermista.
"I'm sorry, Glimmer," Mermista said ashamed, "I just... I couldn't control myself."
"Magic spell couldn't control yourself or 'I'm an stupid emotional child' couldn't control yourself," Glimmer scolded.
"That's rich, coming from little Miss Mommy Issues," Mermista shot back.
"Come on, Mermista, work with me here," Glimmer said, "You don't think I haven't wanted to smack Catra in her stupid smug face every single time I see her. But right now we have to be careful-"
"I know, I know," Mermista growled in frustration, "Can't be anything but Horde Prime's perfect little angels right now, until the boys come and rescue us. I don't get you, Glimmer. You sound *just* like your mother right now. Like, whatever happened to the Glimmer who would do whatever it took to stop the Horde?"
"She made the biggest mistake in her life and made everything worse," Glimmer said, "Which is why she's trying to stop you from doing the same."
"She was-!" Mermista shouted before taking a deep breath and whispering, "Catra was gloating about destroying Salineas."
"What?!" Glimmer said in shock, "Wooow, that's horrible. Even for her."
"I know, right?" Mermista said.
Glimmer turned around to see the royal physician arrive on the field. Adora and Scorpia ran up to him together.
"Is Catra going to be okay?" Adora asked the healer, "Can I talk to her?"
"You can talk to her, but she won't have anything to say," the healer replied, "We had to put her to sleep."
"Sweet Etheria, no," Adora gasped as her hand came up to her mouth.
"You euthanized her?" Scorpia asked, a tear falling from her eye.
"No, we put her in a medical coma," the healer explained, "Her concussion should go away in about a week. We're mostly worried about the damage to her ear. Her hearing is going to be all right after we take the bandages off."
"Oh, thank Etheria," Adora breathed in relief.
"Well, that's good to know," Scorpia said.
"I'm so glad to see you taking this so well," the healer observed with a smile, "It's not everyday one of my friends goes deaf."
"But you just said her hearing is alright," Adora replied.
"Yes, it was her left ear that was damaged," the healer said with confusion, "So her hearing is going to be all *right* from now on."
"You son of a Pooka!" Scorpia shouted as her claws grabbed the healer by the collar.
"What is wrong with you?!" Adora shouted at him.
"Yes, that is more how I would react," the healer stated calmly as he held on to Scorpia's claws to keep his balance.
"Scorpia! Let him go," Glimmer ordered, teleporting down from the bleachers in between Scorpia and the physician, "He's just a very *literal* man."
Scorpia opened her pincers and the physician fell to the ground before calmly picking himself up, dusting off his clothes and walking away.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Glimmer said, "If Catra's hearing doesn't return on it's own we can just use magic to heal her. Right, She-Ra?"
"Don't look at me; I broke the sword remember," Adora said, gesturing to Hordak and Entrapta on the bench, "And according to Brightmoon's public enemy number one, it's not coming back."
"Fine, then we'll use good old fashioned Mysticore magic," Glimmer said, before teleporting between Double Trouble and Shadow Weaver's argument, "Enough of that! Do you know any healing spells?"
As Glimmer grabbed Shadow Weaver and both of them disappeared in a cloud of Sparkles, Adora and Scorpia sighed and sat back down on the bleachers in front of Entrapta and Hordak. Entrapta saw this as the perfect moment to test out her attempts at training Hordak in social interaction. She smiled as her hair picked up her lab partner and placed him one rung lower. Hordak silently turned around and shook his head furiously at the Dryl Princess, who only responded with a simple nod. Hordak sighed in defeat as he stood up, cleared his throat and clasped his claws behind his back.
"I... do not believe the Horde Liason will suffer any permanent damage," Hordak said, in his best attempt at being reassuring, "Catra is far too stubborn to let a mere blunt object phase her. And for her many, many... *many* failings of character, Shadow Weaver is still a brilliant sorceress and teacher. I'm sure a matter such as this would be childsplay for her and the Brightmoon Queen."
Adora crossed her arms and tried to ignore the clone behind her.
"You... appear to have a substantial amount of concern for the wellbeing," Hordak observed.
"Well, that's what happens when you love someone," Adora replied.
"Who?" Hordak asked.
Adora turned around and gave Hordak an angry glare.
"My apologies," Hordak said, "I misspoke. What I meant to say was... 'Her?'"
"Okaaay!" interrupted Double Trouble, walking over, "I think we've all had a very trying day, some more than others. So how about we all just go home and we'll find out what happens in the morning."
Double Trouble quickly sat down next to Adora and pulled their mouth close to her ear.
"I am sooo sorry!" Double Trouble nervously whispered to Adora and Scorpia, "I made a huge mistake! This was all my fault! I should have known you guys wouldn't be ready for something like this!"
And it was at that moment when Adora realized, if there was any hope of the two sides truly reconciling, she would have to take the first step.
"Actually..." Adora began, "I'm gonna stay for a bit longer and just throw the ball around. Did any of you guys want to stick around for a bit?"
"I down for that," Scorpia said hopefully, "I mean... if it's alright with you."
"Of course, it's alright," Perfuma said, walking over with the other princesses to place a caring hand on Scorpia's shoulder, "There's so much I wanted to catch up on."
"As long as we all agree Mermista has to stay far away from the bats," said Frosta, playfully patting Mermista's thigh.
"Yeah... I deserved that," Mermista groaned.
"Unfortunately, the Princess Entrapta and I are very busy and we must-" Hordak began before a tendril of purple hair flicked his ear, "I mean, I'm sure we can fit some physical recreation into our schedule."
And as Adora played catch with her friends and the closest thing to a father she ever knew, she saw the family she always wanted to be a part of.
"Oh, give me a break," said Shadow Weaver from the couch in Double Trouble's office, "Hordak is just trying to get back at me by proving he's closer to you and Catra then I will ever be. But the joke is on him, because he doesn't know how little I care about Catra."
"Gee... Thanks alot," Catra commented sarcastically as she nervously stroked her bandage, "It's the little insults that really make the head trauma all worth it."
"You don't need a smug, 'I told you so' from me," Shadow Weaver said smugly, "Because smug it would be, and told you so I most certainly did."
"What are you even talking about?" Catra asked, "I did everything you told me to."
"Wait," Adora told Catra, "What are *you* even talking about?"
Catra groaned as she struggled to get the catcher's gear on over her new Horde uniform. From behind the chainlink fence, she heard the familiar flutter of Shadow Weaver floating towards her.
"Come to humiliate me for agreeing to this stupid game," Catra said.
"Actually, I came to give you some advice," Shadow Weaver offered, "You are far too weak and powerless to defeat these princesses if you play by their rules. Use every advantage you have at your disposal, use their own secrets and insecurities against them. And then, when they are too distraught to fight, crush them."
"I've been getting by quite fine without your advice," Catra said, "Maybe I'm stronger than you think."
"Fine then, ignore me," Shadow Weaver replied smugly, "I'm sure Adora won't care if you look like a loser in front of all her new friends."
Catra's eye twitched as Shadow Weaver slowly floated back to the bleachers.
"WHY DID YOU LISTEN TO HER?!" Adora shouted in frustration, "Have you learned nothing living with her our entire lives?"
"Well, I'm sorry, okay!" Catra retorted, "Don't you think I've suffered enough?!"
"You're right, I'm sorry," Adora apologized before turning back to Shadow Weaver, "What in Etheria were you thinking?"
"I don't understand the question," Shadow Weaver explained, "And I won't respond to it."
"Why did you tell Catra to insult everyone during the game?" Adora reworded.
"I only did what I've always done for you," Shadow Weaver said, "I've tried to make the two of you strong, self sufficient women who don't need each other or anyone else. The least you could do is so some gratitude for taking care of you all these years."
"You want gratitude!" Adora shouted, "Stop lying! Stop manipulating! Stop pitting us against each other! For once in your life! JUST! BE! NICE!"
"But..." Shadow Weaver began, turning to look at the woman staring angrily at her on her left, the chameleon giving a stern look of judgement in front of her and the bandaged catgirl avoiding her gaze, "I... I've been a terrible mother."
Catra and Adora stared at the woman who raised them in her feigned moment of weakness, and once again fell for another lie and manipulation from her.
"Nooo..." Adora said, "Don't say that."
"Are you kidding?" Catra said, "You've been a great mom."
Double Trouble simply covered their face with their hands and groaned loudly.
~*~
On the next session of therapy...
Seahawke takes Bow's advice and listens to the things he says over the course of a day.
"During the war, I managed to take on fifty strapping young horde soldiers at the same time," the recording said.
"Nothing wrong with that," Seahawke said as he skipped to the next message.
"Now that is one fine man's cave I wouldn't mind exploring," continued the recording.
"Out of context," Seahawke said as he moved on.
"...no matter what it costs me. Even if it means me taking a meaty swing in the mouth, then I will suck it up!"
And realizes that there is indeed something pecular about the way he talks.
"Oh, Seahawke," he told himself, "You blowhard!"
Dreamworks finds out what a multiple award winning filmmaker charges to narrate their streaming cartoon.
"The kid from Happy Days wants how much?!" Spinnerella says in shock.
"Babe, we're still recording," Netossa harshly whispered.
And Double Trouble realizes they may have developed feelings that were less than professional for one their clients.
"Thank you for all your help, DT," Scorpia said as she got up to leave, "I'm going to tell Perfuma right away how I feel about her."
"I've made a huuuge mistake," Double Trouble said to themself as soon as Scorpia was out of earshot.