CHAPTER XVIII: MISTAKES

The feline became frozen. She slowly turned around only to find herself face to face with a familiar blonde.

"What do you want?" Catra asked in a dark tone of voice, she wished a snarky comment would come to her, but strangely… she didn't feel like it.

"Catra… w-where are you going?" Adora asked.

The slight panic in her voice… Catra expectred it to be music to her ears, like it had always been, but for some unknown reason, this time… it only made her stomach clench in an unpleasant way. The feline hated it. There was no reason for her to feel this way. In front of her stood someone who betrayed her… who took her heart and stomped on it, crushing it into a million pieces.

"It's none of your business." Catra replied coldly.

"It is if you're going to get hurt."

"Excuse me?! Since when do you even care Adora?!"

Adora's eyes widened before she casted her gaze downwards, pain and guilt written all over her face.

"Always…"

And she did. Adora always cared for Catra, she had always feared for her and even though she believed she had grown to not feel anything anymore, to only feel anger towards her ex best friend… Adora knew that deep down… it wasn't true.

The blonde's voice was barely more audible than a whisper, but when it reached Catra's ears, the feline became red with anger. She took a step forward and before Adora could do something, she clasped her hand around her throat, claws halfway out.

"You wanna say that again? Huh?!" Catra shouted angrily.

How dare she…

How dare Adora say that…

"Catra, maybe you shouldn't-" Scorpia began to talk but as soon as Catra whipped her head around, she closed her mouth.

The look she gave her…

It sent chills down the scorpion princess' spine.

"I… I said… a-always… that I always c-" Adora tried to speak, both of her hands gripping Catra's wrist.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your lies anymore! Everything you ever told me was a lie… everything I clung to in that dark pit I called life, every hug or 'you're my best friend' or 'I love you'… nothing but dirty lies!"

"N-no… I never lied when I said those things, never." The blonde stuttered.

"I swear, if you don't shut up… I'm gonna… I'm gonna-" Catra growled, but she fell silent as Adora had raised a hand to her cheek.

She run her thumb under her eye, softly, wiping a tear Catra didn't know she had cried. The feline gasped in shock and let Adora go. The blonde fell to her knees, her own cheeks stained with tears.

"Please… let me come."

Those words stunned Catra even more than that single, unwanted tear. Adora… wanted to come with her? Adora wanted to be at her side? To fight alongside her? Adora didn't want… she didn't want to leave her behind? Adora… Adora wanted to protect her?

Adora wanted to be the hero, once again…

Adora wanted to take everything from her…

Adora wanted to keep her safe… beside her… on a leash… as always…

"So that you can save the day once more?" Catra chuckled darkly.

"W-what? N-no! I… I know where you're going Catra. Glimmer told us about those ships… but you're not going there to try and join Prime, are you?"

"No!" Catra answered maybe a little too quickly, and the smile she received from Adora only made it worse.

"Horde Prime will be there… Catra, you can't beat him!" Adora cried desperately.

"I won't let you tell me what I can or can't do! I'm done being your pet!"

"M-my… Catra that's not-" The blonde stuttered but became silent as Catra bent down and grabbed her by the hems of her jacket.

"Oh but I was… wasn't I?! Always trying to stand up for poor, little ol' me… but only in ways that wouldn't make Shadow Weaver look at you as if you weren't her golden, perfect child any longer… that way you kept her love and felt like the valiant hero…" Catra spat viciously.

"I'm s-sorry… I wanted to protect you…" The blonde countered weakly.

"No, you never wanted to protect me, you only wanted to feel like a hero. That's why you left…"

"C-Catra… no! That's-"

"Follow me, and I won't hesitate…" Catra raised a clawed hand over the blonde's face, "I'm warning you, Adora."

The feline let go of Adora's jacket and let the girl fall back on the ground.

"Catra, please! I just want to protect you!"

Catra halted in her steps as Adora called out to her. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists to her sides.

"It's too late for that." Catra muttered without turning back.

The feline jumped on the skiff. She gave a swift nod to Scorpia, signaling her to start the engine. Scorpia did so, casting one last glance at Adora. The blonde looked crushed. The scorpion princess gave her one apologetic look before grasping the skiff's helm and starting to drive it away, into the woods. The last thing Catra heard coming from behind her as both her and Scorpia grew further away from Bright Moon was the sound of loud, desperate sobs.

She hated how that sound made her heart ache.

͠

To the young queen, the whole situation felt surreal. It really did. Not only her friends had managed to save her from Horde Prime, but together, they also managed to drive his armies away from Bright Moon. Etheria never had to face such an opponent, but united, the princesses had succeeded in a task that many would have thought impossible. It was true, the war was far from over, but right now, Glimmer felt at ease.

Bright Moon was saved, she had finally been able to patch things up with Adora and despite everything that happened between her and Catra, she felt like the feline could become one of their greatest allies in their fight against Horde Prime. Glimmer's mind went back to the last moments before Adora entered Catra's chamber, a few hours before. The blonde had turned around one last time, a kind smile on her face, one of those the young queen had missed so much, and told her that Angella would have been proud of the queen she had become.

Adora didn't notice the tears that started streaming down Glimmer's cheeks. Not tears of sadness… but happiness.

"Angella would have been proud of the queen you had become."

Proud. Glimmer hadn't felt proud of herself in a long time. But right now? She felt more proud than ever. Because Adora thought so, because wherever she was, her mom thought the same and… and so did her father. King Micah… having her dad back was… strange. It wasn't that Glimmer didn't like the situation. After all, when Adora, Bow and the others had brought her home, and she finally got to see her dad again, she couldn't believe her own eyes. When she felt his arms tighten around her and understood that he was really there, that it wasn't a dream… Glimmer had never felt so happy in her entire life.

However, the truth was that they had been apart for so long that now it felt strange to be around each other, but neither the young queen nor the old king would have ever wanted to change that. With time, things would have gone back to normal, Glimmer was sure of it.

"My Queen?"

The strangely soothing voice made the young queen turn away from her room's balcony.

"Shadow Weaver…" Glimmer muttered.

The irritation in her voice didn't go unnoticed.

"I know you don't approve of the way I acted on the battlefield, but everything I did I did it for-" The witch stared to explain herself but was suddenly interrupted.

"Me?" Glimmer spat indignantly.

"Of course…" Shadow Weaver answered, cradling the queen's cheek.

Her hand was quickly swatted away.

"How could you? How could you take my father's side when he was going to… to…"

"To?"

"She's your daughter!" Glimmer hissed through gritted teeth.

"Hordak ordered me to raise her, to make her a Horde's soldier… she's never been nothing more and now, she's not even that any longer." Shadow Weaver replied casually.

The young queen's eyes widened.

"You're a monster, you… you disgust me."

"I'm being honest, something you should learn to be too, my Queen."

"What are you talking about?" Glimmer asked, taking a step back as the witch came closer.

"After everything she had done to you, you still want to give her a second chance? Are you doing it because you believe she can change or because you don't want to look appear as a merciless queen in the eyes of those around you?" Shadow Weaver questioned.

"She can change! She already did!" Glimmer shouted back in anger.

"Catra will never change, she'll always try to get what she wasn't born to have… power… and she won't care about who gets hurt in the process… she didn't care about the fact that in order to win, she had killed your mother."

Glimmer was fuming. She marched up to Shadow Weaver, the two only inches apart.

"You don't know what she told me on Prime's ship, I get the feeling you don't know her at all."

Shadow Weaver remained silent for a moment, she began to circle around Glimmer, noticing how the young queen's eyes never left her. When she got behind her, she gently put her hands on her shoulders and quietly whispered in her ear.

"I know her well enough to tell you that keeping her here was a grave mistake. As soon as she'll get the chance, she'll run away to join Prime. Don't think she has ever helped you because of something that's not in her interests."

"I… I don't believe you." Glimmer muttered, the resolve in her voice slightly wavering.

SLAM!

Suddenly, the bedroom's door swung open.

"Glimmer!" Bow breathlessly called her as he barged into the room.

"Bow?! W-what's happening?!" Glimmer stuttered.

"It's Catra! She's gone!"

The young queen's face paled.

Her mind immediately went to one and only one person.

Adora…

"Where's Adora? Is she okay?" Glimmer spoke slowly, as if she was afraid to know the answer.

Had it been a good idea to leave Adora alone with Catra?

Could Catra have… hurt her?

"We found her on the edge of the Whispering Woods… she's not hurt but… she's not okay."

Glimmer didn't know whether to feel relieved or not. But there was no time for indecision, she had to be there for Adora, whatever had happened.

"Let's go."

Bow nodded and turned to leave. Glimmer did the same, she began to follow the archer but stopped as she felt Shadow Weaver's eyes on her.

"This doesn't mean anything, we don't know what happened."

"Keep my words in mind, my Queen."

Glimmer didn't answer, she simply turned around and followed Bow down the castle's corridors. A storm of thoughts and worries began to swirl inside her mind. How could she have left Adora alone with Catra? After all that had happened between them she should have expected something like this to happen… but nothing had happened right? Catra couldn't have hurt Adora, she was fine! The cat girl had changed! Glimmer was sure of it… but then again… why would she have left if she had truly changed?

Each and every one of those doubts vanished as the young queen's eyes fell on a figure near the Whispering Woods' edge. It was a blonde girl, kneeled to the ground, her arms locked around herself as her shoulders slightly shook. As Glimmer grew near, she began to hear the sound of quiet sobs.

"A-Adora?"

And here we are at the end of chapter 18, hope you've all enjoyed it! And obviously, that you've enjoyed the story so far. Remember, chapter 19 will come out on 27 March!