CHAPTER XIX: TRUE STRENGHT

"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?"

"Glimmer! I'm s-sorry I should-" Adora stuttered, quickly standing up from the ground and frantically wiping away the tears that had been staining her cheeks.

"Adora? What happened?" Glimmer asked, and as soon as the blonde heard her voice, she began to calm down.

Adora expected Glimmer to be furious, after all, Catra was still a prisoner at Bright Moon and right under everyone's noses, she had managed to escape. But the only thing she heard as the young queen spoke, was the concern she felt for her friend.

"It's… her…" Adora whispered.

"Did Catra do something?! She might have saved me but if she hurt you I'm gonna-" Glimmer muttered through gritted teeth, her fists clenching at her sides.

"She went to the Fright Zone." The blonde quickly informed.

"What?!" Bow yelled in shock without one second of hesitation.

"Yeah…"

"You don't think she went there to… to join-" Glimmer's tone suddenly became quiet, unsure.

"No! No… I said that and she gave a strange look, she didn't want to tell me because she didn't want to say I was right… but she's not going there to join Prime…"

"Then… why?" Bow asked, clearly confused by the former second in command's actions.

"I don't know but… I just wanted to go there together, to face whatever she's going to do together… but… she thought I didn't believe in her enough to let her do this alone… she told me she won't be my pet anymore but I swear don't think of her that way!" Adora explained, grasping Glimmer's and Bow's hands, her eyes filled with fear.

Unbeknown to both the young queen and the archer, in that exact moment, they thoughts were the same. Does… does Adora think we could truly believe that? Does she really think we would ever think of her as a monster? Is that why she's so scared?

"Adora…" Bow gripped the blonde's hand with his own, his tone stern yet… not unkind.

"W-what?" Adora raised her gaze, that fear still present in her eyes.

"We know you don't think of her that way." The archer's stern expression slowly morphed into a friendlier, warmer one, a smile growing on his face.

"And we know you just want to help her… I think Catra is feeling a little bit like me…" Glimmer said, her voice hushed, rubbing her arm as she suddenly felt a little self-conscious.

"What? H-how?" Suddenly, the fear in Adora's eyes was gone, surprise showing in its place.

Glimmer chuckled as she slightly shook her head. Sometimes Adora could be the most naïve dork on the whole planet.

"Adora… when… when I became queen… I wanted to prove myself that I was worth something, that I could do things on my own and be strong like… like my mom. But the truth is that sometimes everyone needs some help… we're just too stubborn and too afraid to look weak to admit it."

"So you think…" The blonde began to guess.

"I think that Catra needs you… more than she'd like to admit. You didn't give up on me, did you?" Glimmer put a hand on Adora's shoulder, a small, encouraging smile on her lips.

"No, I would never!" Adora quickly answered.

"Would you give up on Catra?"

A long silence passed. Would she ever give up on Catra? Adora thought that eventually, she would have had to. After everything that happened between them, after how much harm they've done to each other, the blonde thought that what they shared was long gone. But after what Catra had done for Glimmer on Horde Prime's station? A glimpse of what Adora thought was gone, glimmered in the darkness and suddenly, she found out that…

"No, I don't think I could do that."

"And what are you going to do?" Bow asked in an encouraging tone of voice, a wide smile starting to spread on his face.

"Uhm…" Adora seemed taken aback by the young archer's enthusiasm.

"And what are you going to do?!" The archer asked, his voice booming.

"I'm going to help her." The blonde answered, fear and uncertainty completely gone, while the fire that had guided her through the most difficult times of her life ignited in her heart and shined in her eyes.

"And you won't do it alone." Glimmer said.

They truly were the best friend in the whole universe.

"Indeed!"

The joyful cry made the small group turn around.

Sea Hawk, Mermista, Frosta, Perfuma, Entrapta and Swift Wind quickly made their way towards the trio.

"You thought you could go on an adventure without us?" Sea Hawk held a hand to his chest, gasping dramatically.

"Guys… I can't ask you to do this for me." Adora shook her head.

"We're not gonna do this for you, we're gonna do this with you!" Frosta chimed in, raising both of her fists in the air enthusiastically.

"That's what friends do! Right? Tell me I said that right, it might mean that I'm truly learning something about friendship!" Entrapta pleaded comically.

"Yes Entrapta, you said that right, we won't leave you alone on this." Perfuma said as she patted the pigtailed princess' head.

"That cat did destroy my kingdom buuuut… I guess that if you care so much about her… plus she did save Glimmer didn't she? That must mean that there's something good in her, right?" Mermista huffed, crossing her arms, although she couldn't prevent a small smile from forming on her face.

"Come on Adora, if you saved me, Bow and Micah on Beast Island, saving Catra in the Fright Zone will be a piece of cake!" Swift Wind neighed joyfully.

"All right."

Adora looked at each and every one of her friends. The battle would have been hard, there was no telling what was waiting for them in the Fright Zone, but whatever it was, they would have faced it together.

"Let's go."

͠

"Catra…"

"I don't want to talk right now, okay Scorpia?"

"Catra… it's not okay. You should talk to me, we're friends, right? That's what friends do… I think…"

"Yeah…"

Catra hated the hesitation in her own voice, and she hated how hard it had been for her to say that single word, as if she was still scared to actually acknowledge the fact… as if… if she said it out loud it would all vanish in an instant.

"You're not made for this… you're not made to be around people."

The voice inside her head cackled darkly, and Catra found herself gripping her hair tightly. It was only when she felt Scorpia's pincer touch her hand that she realized what she was doing. She immediately let go and turned towards the scorpion princess. Her brow was furrowed in a mixture of concern and confusion.

"I… I don't think I can talk right now…" Catra murmured, avoiding Scorpia's gaze.

"I just wanted… I just wanted to say… I just wanted to let you know that she even stood up to Shadow Weaver for you…" The scorpion princess talked in a hushed tone, almost as if she was afraid to see the feline's reaction to her words.

It was like the blast from one of the Horde's tanks had hit her square in the chest. Catra's eyes widened in shock and strangely enough, the cat girl found out that she couldn't breathe.

"W-what?" Catra whispered in disbelief.

"A-ah! S-sorry, I didn't want to upset you! It's just that-" Scorpia rambled frantically before being interrupted by the cat girl's hand grasping her pincer.

"Scorpia… what did you mean by that?"

"King Micah… he… Shadow Weaver told him about the portal… about what happened to Glimmer's mom…"

Catra's ears immediately dropped in shame.

"I guess… I guess he didn't take it well did he?"

"He wanted to kill you Catra… when the battle against Horde Prime's troops ended… he wanted to do it in front of us… he didn't care we were there… he just wanted-"

"Revenge…" Catra concluded, her head hanging low.

"And then… Adora stood between you and him… I-I was terrified… I couldn't even move a muscle but as soon as the king set his gaze upon you… she just… had this fire in her eyes!" Scorpia couldn't refrain from smiling. "That was when Shadow Weaver told her to move aside… to let the king…"

Catra despised herself from almost letting a whimper escape her lips.

"What? Surprised she'd let you die? You were really gonna cry over it?"

That voice needed to shut up…

"But Adora didn't move an inch! She said, and I quote, 'you were just an old, bitter, sad, old woman taking it out on a child'. Gosh, it was awesome! I've never seen anyone but you stand up to her..." Scorpia enthusiastic grin faded as she saw Catra's conflicted expression. "Listen, I know what you think of Adora, but... I don't think she sees you as your pet... or that she wants to protect you so that she can be the hero."

"Doesn't matter... I need to do this alone." Catra muttered, she didn't sound convinced by the slightest.

"All I'm saying is... let people who love you help you Wildcat... that's true strenght..."

Catra didn't answer, she just kept her gaze fixed on the horizon. It was strange, the Whispering Woods seemed more… open… as if a path towards their destination had been created by someone who was secretly aiding them. And soon enough, both the scorpion princess and the former second in command began to notice an opening. As the trees grew scattered, the Fright Zone grew nearer and nearer. The Woods had let them through. Catra would have never believed that it happened because of some "purity of one's intentions" nonsense... they must have simply taken the right way... yeah... that was it.

"Catra…" Scorpia's worried tone interrupted her train of thoughts.

"Scorpia? What's wrong?"

But the scorpion princess didn't answer, she simply pointed a pincer towards the sky, right above their heads. Catra raised her gaze and found herself unable to breathe. The three ships were massive. Gargantuan black shapes obscuring the sky, their forms emerging from above the woods and almost reaching the Fright Zone without being completely in sight.

Catra thought they would have had more time.

Seems even time wouldn't have been on their side.

"Screw time… I can do this… throw at me everything you've got… it won't matter." Catra thought, her eyes never the leaving the ships, but not showing an ounce of fear.

So here we are... at the end of this bomb of chapters... but don't be sad! Soon another one will come! Alongside... a heartbreaking moment... see you soon...