Where Do We Go From Here?

Kitatanya

A/N: Thank you so much for your support! You're awesome!

Read on, loves!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Adora was fighting mightily to stop her tears as she and Catra settled back into that place of close conversation. She pulled back from Ramel only a fraction after her mate and smiled up at him, offering all the reassurance she could through her tears. "Yes. It's good." Her voice was full of that warmth and that love still ringing from her mate in the face of this new promise between then that his innocence had brought to life in them.

And then she saw a flash of mischief in Catra's watery eyes, before she looked up at him with a very serious expression. "This mush is called a hug." She stated it like she was quoting a great truth and Adora caught a tiny glimpse of what it would be like to see her mate truly interact with a child in the future.

The wonder and the happiness that filled her then was almost painful in its intensity and it almost sent her right back into happy tears all over again. She fought them away with laughter instead only a moment before their friends all broke out laughing too. The tears in the room were swept away in that tide of soft laughter and Adora wanted to kiss her mate so badly. Especially as Catra pushed a pulse of love and devotion and that selfsame urge right back at her with a dazzling smile. Melog's purring was thunderous once more and Adora watched as Ramel looked around at them all, a little confused, before he smiled too, unsure, but sill filled with that gentle wonder.

"A hug." He repeated the term under his breath, like he was trying to memorize it. Adora beamed at him and nodded. He blushed lightly and his smile transformed into that wondering expression again as he laughed softly. "There are many mysteries to life here on Etheria." Again, he said the name of their home like it was a word of wonder.

Glimmer let out a tiny sob behind them and Ramel turned to face her when they did. She relaxed when she saw these were more happy tears, not broken ones, and Glimmer was gazing at the four of them like she'd never seen a greater wonder. "I have the best friends anyone could ever ask for." She reached out in a tiny, obviously unconscious motion to her side and when her fingers met emptiness, a sudden pain flashed through her eyes and Adora almost teared up all over again as she saw Glimmer missing Bow so badly in that moment that it hurt.

"Yeah, we are pretty awesome." A smug voice spoke from the doorway. All of them looked to see Mermista standing there, looking more refreshed and solid than she had in days.

"Mermista!" She was not the only one who cried her name in a happy cheer of greeting and love.

The smugness in her expression surged a little higher and her eyes blazed with love for all of them, not quite drowning ou her happy surprise at their exuberant greeting. "Yep. Now please tell me we have word on these clones, because I am so ready for some action." Then she winced slightly and looked at Ramel. "No offense, clone-boy."

Ramel let out a low laugh of surprise. "I too feel the need to stop this dark tide of my brothers." The words were almost a growl with his sudden determination. That growl was a familiar echo of Hordak and it made the both of them feel a fierce burst of pride in him and shared a smile that blazed with it.

They knew, logically, that of course every clone had deeply rooted mannerisms that were the same if given a true chance to interact with others. Dak's exuberant and child-like nature at times, was mostly in light of the fact that he had been damaged unintentionally by Bow and Entrapta, but they had both seen it in other clones under Dak's command and even in tiny flickers in Hordak as he interacted with them and with Entrapta. All of them had almost the same manner of speaking and their voices were a near echo of each other, with only the slightest of differences in tones and emphasis that echoed each other, but differed as each clone had begun to develop personalities separate from their hive mind. Even in those chilling moments during the transmission from Blood, he had echoed Horde Prime with only the slightest hint of a different sort of smugness and darkness and showmanship from that evil ruler.

They knew all of this was logical, because of course, Prime had created all of them in his own twisted image, but still. Ramel was again to them as different to Hordak and Dak as their friends and others and even themselves were different to each other. But all the same, those little bursts of familiarity towards the other two special clones in their life, only made them love him even more than they already did. Especially in light of that new hope and promise between she and this stunning woman she loved with everything she was, who was smiling at her, echoing every single facet of these blindingly wondrous feelings right back with everything she was. This powerful and gorgeous being that had walked through the fires of evil and hatred and insanity, to be reborn as her shining partner in life and in She-Ra's spirit.

In those blinding feelings, she felt her mate's gentle chastisement flow between them as Catra touched their bond. In that chastisement she felt that Catra wanted her to realize how strong she was herself and that just because they had suffered differently all that time they were apart, did not mean that her own struggles hadn't been just as great. All the while, while Catra had been lost, Adora had been embracing this life that her mate had only just a few short weeks ago, begun to embrace. She had fought so hard and had faced her own despair and fear and broken feelings for all that time too. Just because those struggles had been in the name of good, while Catra's had been in darkness, did not mean they had been any less of a challenge for her to face. She felt all of those memories Catra had shown her in the moments before their blinding promise had taken on those righteous flames of pure devotion and Catra's glorious and awing rise to power, swimming through her mate's mind now once again. In the feelings she was feeling, she felt her mate reminding her that it was she who had helped Catra see the truth of all of the love now beating within her heart; that heart beating only on because of her own love inside it. Without that love and that hope Adora had given her, and the fact that Adora had still had faith in her even after the flames of hatred towards each other had seared them both in ways that still affected them both to this day, none of this would be happening.

None of these amazing and awing moments and this promise. This unbreakably bonded oath within them to use every ounce of what they were to fight for each other and for everything, big and small, within this spinning universe that was their home. And to fight for that blinding, shining, wonderous future they both so desperately wanted to have after the dust finally settled and their duty was done.

Adora was unable to resist reaching for her, both inside their minds and with her body and Catra was already stepping around Ramel to meet her as their minds connected again in that tumbling space of thought. Neither of them cared how it would seem to anyone outside themselves in this moment, all of these surging, swinging, hidden emotions and thoughts within the everything that they were. This soul-bond, this love that bonded them as mates besides, this promise, and this wonder, was all they cared about in this moment. And they were kissing, exulting in the feel of their lips and bodies, full of life, pressing together. There was hunger deep within it and that need they always felt for one another, but love, those gently blazing flame of pure devotion, was the sparking fire in that firm and deep kiss. They let themselves indulge only for a moment, because again, as right as this was, there in those flames was that new and even keener ruthless determination to fight.

Mermista made a sound somewhere between a scoff and a laugh. "I know I'm like, fantastic and all, but I think you guys can tone it down just a little." Somewhere in those sarcastic and laughing words was a bitterness and a longing that made them part a little further than they already had.

There was no regret in them for wanting to be close, but there was a regret for Mermista's pain and loneliness without Seahawk. As they tugged back apart until Adora was in her own head, she had a sudden, memory of that tense and possessive moment in front of Huntara. It gave that deeply depraved part of her a wickedly mischievous idea, but she was not sure how her mate would feel about this sudden urge. It was something that had never occurred to her before this moment and she sent it in a questioning, and almost guilty, giggling burst of thought, as she gazed into her glittering eyes, waiting breathlessly for her reaction, good or bad.

Almost at once, she saw that her trepidation was unfounded and even more wonderfully surprising, she felt a giddy surge of love from her mate that was almost as strong as her own soaring place of giddiness within her mind. She'd already been feeling it frequently since they'd arrived here back in this town, but it still stunned and amazed her all the same. She felt in that giddy surge that not only did Catra desperately want her to carry out that mischievous urge, but that she was more than willing to play along.

The both of them were all but snickering, smiles of mischief echoing between them and flashing in their eyes as they pressed their bodies tightly together in an openly possessive and winding manner. Then Adora looked to Mermista and gave her a beckoning look full of the sultry flames now licking between she and her mate as she felt her mate do the same. "You're always welcome to join us if your missing Seahawk that badly." She knew the almost purring timbre of her words pleased her mate, even before she let out her own seductive purr flowed out and a burst of giddy and nigh wicked delight rang through the bond.

Mermista's face transformed into an expression of utter shock and she and her mate both had to fight mightily against the urge to laugh and keep giving her those seductive looks. Again, they had not even considered the rest of the room, until Netossa let out a low, breathless sound between a amazed laugh and a husky sigh. Upon hearing that sound, Mermista snapped from her shock and immediately, her face was flaming just as brightly as it did when Seahawk was showering her with his exuberant affection in front of them all. But even through that lingering shock and utter mortification, there was love and laughter sparkling in her eyes.

"You are insane!" She all but screamed at them, throwing out her hands and stamping her foot to emphasize the playful indignation in the words.

The both of them could no longer fight their laughter at her reaction and all around them, shocked and amazed laughter was torn from their friends too. She had to cling to her all but yowling mate as she tried desperately to keep standing and Catra was clinging to her just as hard as she almost stumbled too. Melog was there, pressing against the backs of their legs to steady them, but they were laughing just as hard. A moment later, Mermista's roaring laughter finally joined in and a part of them registered Ramel's tentative laugher only just beginning to surge too. A tiny little part of them rebelled as they realized perhaps that display had been a little too inappropriate to put on in from of him, but the rest of the both of them was too amused to really care. He was not actually a child and living amongst rowdy soldiers like he'd be doing for a time was going to expose him to much more than this one, tiny instance of this part of living and interacting with others here on Etheria.

The thought did, however, sober them a little and they straightened, blinking away tears of mirth to look towards their hapless victim. Mermista was laughing harder than they'd seen her laugh since before that day of departure that seemed like a lifetime ago. It sent a bittersweet mix of affectionate happiness and sadness through them to see her like this now. Adora was glad she'd had the thought to tease her into cheering up and felt Catra's loving burst of agreement in an instant. In that burst, she felt again how Catra loved her wicked sense of humor as much as she loved Catra's own. And again, like a burst of nostalgic wonder, the both of them realized what an amazing mess the both of them were, apart and together, and the absolutely amazingly wondering mess their lives really were. This time they only let themselves indulge in it for the tiniest of moments, because this, as amazing as it was, was another stolen moment in the face of what needed to be done and neither of them knew how many stolen moments they had left. They had to focus and that burning determination steeled them again.

"So." Catra spoke a moment later as they turned to face the rest of the room too. "Now that the gang's halfway here, what's out next step?" The feigned indifference in the words sobered their friends a little too.

Glimmer shot her a look of fierce love and glowing pride. "Right." That one determined word spoke a world, like it had so many times in the past and again, there was a steel in every eye in the room, even Ramel's. "I actually really do need to hurry, but there are some things I need to talk to you guys about before I go." She gestured at the table and at once, all of them took seats around the table as she did, her mate resuming her place in her lap with a cheeky grin that made her smile as Melog settled on their haunches in a chair beside them, purring, rather that returning to the enormous chair in the corner. That made the both of them smile brighter and since Catra could not easily reach them the way she was sitting, Adora instantly reached out to stroke a gentle touch over their head in a mirror of her mate's usual affectionate touch. The both of their purring surged louder in an instant and only a sharp thought kept her from losing herself in giddiness all over again.

Only Ramel stayed standing, though he did move where he would be visible to everyone again. "If there is no more need of me here, may I return to my self-appointed duties, my Liberating Queen?" He asked Glimmer tentatively, as if unsure he was able to make any requests. He sent the two of them and Melog a slightly helpless look.

Adora instantly wanted to reassure him, even as she felt a curiosity in what exactly his self-appointed duties entailed. Catra was echoing the sentiments, but again, they looked to Glimmer as everyone else did. The young queen was regarding all of them with love and affection and pride, before facing Ramel. "Of course, Ramel. You can go." Relief filled his eyes, but Glimmer continued before he could move. "But I want you to know that you don't need to hesitate to ask anything of us. You're an Etherian now, and Etherians stand as one." Her voice was almost booming now with pride and Adora felt her mate let out a purr as she and Glimmer exchanged a fierce glance full of meaning.

She knew it was something they shared from their time together at the mercy of Horde Prime and it made her very happy to see it now, especially after that brokenness Glimmer had displayed before. She felt her mate's tail lashing again now against her thigh and underneath the arm of the chair with the fierce happiness she could feel echoing from her in a surge through the bond. She was again glad to see her mate so very openly relaxed in her emotional responses now, even more so than she had been since they'd returned to the field of battle in She-Ra's power.

She could feel that place of relaxation inside her, that had before been a place of nearly desperate tension and fear. The fear of truly being herself and being open, when all her life before she'd had to hide who she really was in order to survive. This person Catra was now in front of their friends, was the Catra she'd always known was there, even before her mate had begun to truly show it to her in those early, awkward and tender days of their new lives together. Seeing it, feeling it, and being able to enjoy everything her mate was now in front of the people they loved was an entirely new experience that she just wanted to bask in.

Ramel's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she chided herself like she'd felt her mate do herself often today for letting her swinging emotions be so out of control. The both of them were having trouble with it, but neither of them wanted to separate from their bond just yet, even as feeling these feelings from each other wasn't helping in the least. "I will do my best to honor that request, my Queen." Ramel nodded in a short bow. He looked again to they and Melog, full of respect and gratitude and wonder again, before striding to the door and leaving quietly.

Silence filled the room for only a moment, before Glimmer let out a sigh that was happy and sad and tired all at once. Adora looked to her to see her smiling at them in soft apology. "I see why you trust him. He really is a good person. I'm sorry I doubted you."

Her mate snorted. "I'd've doubted you too if you drug him in here out of nowhere and declared he was a good guy. Don't apologize for not being an idiot." She quipped.

Glimmer laughed, affection sparkling in her eyes, before she got serious. "Okay. Let's get to work." All of their smiling friends got serious as she said it. "I sent out a few more scouts to look for the messenger you guys sent for me after the ambush." She started, looking between them, Scorpia, Perfuma, and Mermista. "And I sent a few of our forces out to collect the supplies in the hopes that they're still there." Her tone was grim as all of them considered the alternative with that same feeling. Then Glimmer brightened. "But I do have good news. Overseer Beryl and her people agreed to make us all the charms and crystals we need for as long as the war keeps going. And-" She smiled even brighter, voice surging with pride. "- she undercut our offer by nearly half because of all of our work to save the rest of her city!"

Adora was very happy to hear that and let it show as their friends all let out happy murmurs and quiet cheers. She felt Catra attempting to look interested, though the news did make a part of her happy, and had to fight away the urge to chastise her grumpy mate in the face of more political talk. It wasn't Catra's fault she didn't like it.

Glimmer had paused until their brief celebration had abated, smiling brightly as she continued. "We should have all of the charms we need in a matter of weeks. Every single person in the city with an affinity for magic or jewel crafting is working around the clock to make them, even without being asked to hurry. And almost every citizen in Chrytsalyis had been assisting in cleaning up the city and helping out wherever they can. Some of them have even signed up to join our armed forces and we have a lot of promising recruits with all sorts of skills they want to use to help us save Etheria." Again, she was so full of pride she looked like she could float away and Adora felt like she and her mate would float right along with her at hearing about the efforts of their people; regardless to how Catra loathed politics, she did love their people as much as she and their friends.

Then, Glimmer's expression changed again and she sent the two of them a slightly regretful glance that had them both tensing a little. "I do have some bad news though. Entrapta and I got into an argument about the Spire Network again and she all but forced me to teleport her and Hordak back to Dryl for a little while." She sighed with an apologetic grimace as she and her mate were unable to hide their dismay at the statement. "She wants us to let her and Hordak try to go to one and try to connect to it directly to collect more data, but it's just too dangerous right now." Adora agreed with her, but it still pained her to hear it. Catra leaned a little more firmly, trying to reassure her a little, even as she felt the same way. She let her mate feel her soft gratitude as she squeezed her a little tighter about the waist for a brief moment as Glimmer continued. "They did finish the encryption program though and Hordak tried to make me feel better by saying that having access to the greater computing power of Entrapta's Sanctum in the castle would help them to develop a frequency to allow our transmissions to bypass them with the new encryption more quickly, but… yeah, she was pretty mad at me." She was wretched with guilt as she said it.

Mermista made a small sarcastic sound under her breath. "Geek princess will get over it. She always does." The indifference of her tone was belied by the regret in her eyes.

"Entrapta understands what friendship means now." Perfuma said firmly and Adora watched as she and Scorpia exchanged a soft smile and the two shifted in their chairs so they were a little closer to one another as their hands linked atop the table. "She'll be fine."

Glimmer smiled at them. "You're right." Then, the young queen looked back to her. "Has Swift Wind contacted you?"

Adora felt her worry for him surge anew and felt more than a little selfish that she had not actually thought of him once since she'd woken last night. Catra's wordless pulse of reassuring thought that they'd been more than a little busy did little to assuage her guilt. "No." She muttered the word, looking down and away as she felt for the part of her mind that was nebulously connected to him and felt a trickle of relief. "But I can feel that he's safe, wherever he is."

Glimmer let out another tired sigh and Adora saw her sag a little back into her chair with renewed exhaustion. "Well, at least he's safe. I am glad to hear that." The words were tired, but genuine. "And I know he'll do his best. He always does." She smiled at her then and Adora felt a rush of affection for her and a pride in Swift Wind, before Glimmer flinched slightly and shot a look at Mermista. Adora followed her gaze and again, saw that sadness in her eyes. She suddenly wished she could go hug her friend, but Glimmer continued before she could do more than send her a sad smile of affection. "And even if he doesn't manage to find either Huntara or Seahawk, once Entrapta and Hordak get those transmissions ready, we'll be able to contact them freely anyway, even without being able to set up a meeting to give their forces some of the communication charms." Glimmer tried to make the words light, but Mermista only smiled through the sadness in her eyes and didn't reply.

Catra sent her an unexpected flicker of mischievous thought that made her snort a laugh before she could stifle it. All of their friends looked at her with incredulous eyes and she flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry." She apologized quickly. "We were just thinking that Entrapta being mad at you, Glimmer, would fire her up and make her work harder and were feeling a little sorry for Hordak right about now." She explained, halving the blame with her now snickering mate.

"Didn't think about it that way." Glimmer chuckled as smiles broke out through the room. Then, a new glint entered Glimmer's lavender eyes that sent an odd trickle of dread down her spine. Catra felt it and tensed slightly above her, but they didn't have time to do more than exchange a quick, worried glance before Glimmer looked to the others. "I hate to ask this, but do you guys mind letting me talk to Catra and Adora alone for a minute?" The question was apologetic, but firm. "It's important."

Almost all of them reacted with some degree of surprise and a little incredulous suspicion, but none of them argued. They were all silent as they left and now Adora could feel dread echoing from her mate as well. Glimmer stood as the door clicked shut and Adora touched the bond as Catra watched their friend walk to the door and felt her see Glimmer tracing a rune there. They were confused as to what it meant until, with a rush of magic, all of the muted sounds from outside were cut off in an instant. They were frozen, dread and worry and no small hint of fear filling the both of them and Adora let go the bond as Glimmer came back to sit, cutting off those echoing emotions to the distance of their close conversation. They could both still feel them, but the distance helped, because now, more than almost ever, they wanted the touch of each other's minds. Glimmer didn't speak for a moment, letting the silence drag on as she gathered her thoughts and Adora tried her best to push her dread down and away as she felt Catra doing the same.

Then her mate sent her a firm thought. Whatever she has to tell us, we can handle it. It rang with confidence and echoed with their promise and the feelings washed all of her dread away in an instant.

She sent her mate a wordless pulse of love and affection and gratitude and smiled as Catra quickly turned to nuzzle her cheek. The unexpected and sweet gesture almost made her giggle. Glimmer looked to them in just enough time to catch the end of the action and smiled, eyes blazing with her happiness for them. "I'm really glad you guys you guys are okay." The words held a world of wonder and love that made she and her mate blush with pleasure and a low purr rumbled Catra's chest. Then, Glimmer sighed and that strange glint was back, cutting off their happy emotions and that sound in an instant. "Fair warning, you guys are not going to like what I'm about to tell you." Again, the words were apologetic, but firm. Adora didn't reply out loud, instead giving her a prompting look to continue. Glimmer still hesitated for a moment, before gathering herself again and that fierce glint was stronger than ever. "I'm going on a mission with Bow after the communications charms are completed and distributed among our forces." The both of them froze with shock, but Glimmer kept speaking.

"We've lost too many lives in this war. The people need to be able to call for help. Even if Hordak and Entrapta can get those transmissions working, there's no guarantee they'll stay secure enough to risk using in the future. So, we are going to go across Etheria and give at least one of those charms to each city we can get to, so that they'll be able to contact us within moments if Blood's forces strike." Her tone was cutting now, full of rage towards him and fury for their people. "I know that Etheria stands with us, but they need to see it! More than they can right now. There's no telling how many settlements like this one we've already lost who weren't able to contact us like Chrytsalyis and the few others. Some of the people we saved, we just happened across while we were gathering. This war is tearing Etheria apart and everything we're doing… it's not enough!"

She looked at them then, with an almost desperate expression. "I know you guys feel it too. I know you guys feel just as helpless as I do. All of us do. But the reason I'm telling you this now in private is because Bow and I aren't telling anyone else until right before we go to leave. It's too risky to talk about and the more people who know, even if they're our friends, the more chance it'll get out. I trust my people." She said then, in that cutting tone. "But I don't trust Blood and his tricks. You two had to know, because I have something to ask of you both. And it's big. And it's a lot. But you're the only ones I can ask to do this, because I don't think the people will accept anything less in my absence."

And now, no longer were they looking at their friend. Adora found herself looking again the Queen of Brightmoon; furious, imperial, and unshakeable. "I'm naming the both of you honorary Rulers of all of Brightmoon while Bow and I are gone." All of their only just dissipating shock was back in a rush and she and her mate stared blankly at their queen. Adora could scarcely comprehend anything as Glimmer kept speaking, but she knew her mate was hearing the words just like she was. "Having She-Ra take my place is the only option and that is something neither Bow or I could bear just springing on you at the last minute. What I'm asking you to do is a huge responsibility and I know it and the both of us are sorry for laying this on you, but I have to do this! I have to help my people! I cannot stand to see my mother's kingdom torn apart like this any longer!" Tears shimmered in her eyes, but they did not fall. She held them in check, chin held strong and head high with fire to equal the strength of her grief. "If we're lost, Etheria will accept the two of you as the new Queens of Brightmoon and the Alliance Army will follow you just like they follow me. The people believe in She-Ra and if something happens to me, they'll need that belief. It's the only way Etheria will be able to keep fighting back."

Adora could still only sit there, reeling with the strength of Glimmer's passion, with the reality of what she was asking them to do, and that tiny, nearly hidden desperate fear in her glistening eyes for their home, their planet, and their people. But hearing Glimmer speak about being lost… hearing her talk about her death like it was just a token in this awful war?

The building fires of fury now shooting their way up inside her were blasting that shock away and she leveled a glare at Glimmer more furious than any she'd ever sent her way. Catra was all but snarling above her with the force of it and with her own. Melog did snarl, but Catra sensed that they were holding themselves utterly rigid on the chair behind them, holding themselves back against their fury. Sensing that from her mate was the only thing that gave her the strength not to scream at Glimmer now.

Instead, when she spoke, she spoke in a very deliberate tone, weaving her voice around the low growling her mate could not stifle. "Do you seriously except us to just sit here and let you talk about going off and getting yourself killed on a diplomatic mission when we have no idea what Blood and his forces are planning?"

Glimmer did not balk under the force of their anger. Instead, it seemed to give her even more power over her surging emotions until there was nothing left in her lavender eyes but a fury to match their own. "Yes." Her tone was just as deliberately neutral. "I'm doing this and neither of you is going to stop me. Bow is coming because I cannot ask him to stay behind, but I can order you to accept my decision." She stood then, in a controlled and deliberate motion, facing them and staring down at them with that fury and that imperious fire in her eyes and in her rigid stance as she looked down at them. "You are my best friends and I love you. But this is something I have to do. And I am ordering you to stand down and to accept it."

That look in her eyes now filled Adora with a dread that almost stilled her fury in an instant. That look was the look Glimmer had worn when ordering them not to go after Entrapta on Beast Island. That was the last true expression she had seen on Glimmer's face before the Heart of Etheria had almost forced her to destroy everything and she'd had to break the sword of She-Ra and condemn herself to a life without the power to save lives and return to being the broken and useless creature she'd been without it. She'd done so, sacrificing her power to save the universe, only to come back to the surface and see a terrifying army there, looming in the sky above her home after she'd just given up everything she'd had to offer. And worse, even worse, they had Glimmer. They had one of her best friends and there was nothing she could do then to save her or anyone else without She-Ra's power.

Yes, she knew that things had worked out in the end. She was here, Catra's body pressed against her, loving her with every fiber of her being even as she was still facing Glimmer with all of that fury that had not stilled in her upon feeling her own dread. She could not face this expression from Glimmer, but Catra could and she did.

Her mate rose in a burst, facing her and bristling with all of that fury. "We refuse to accept this!" She was shouting. "After everything you've done for us, after giving us the power to come back when we almost died because we were broken, you really expect us to just let you go and die!? This is crazy and we will not accept it!" Her dread was stilling as she watched and felt the power in her mate surging. Catra was facing Glimmer now with all of the fury of She-Ra's spirit, glowing with the power of their soul-bond even as she did not transform. "You're going to stay here and do your job and your duty and you can let us take the charms to the people. She-Ra can do that and she can help us fight off anything we come across. Etheria cannot afford to lose you!" And now there was a desperate edge in all of that power and her mate turned to face her and Adora felt it in that desperation and the look in her mate's shining eyes that now was the time to tell their friend the truth of Catalyst.

Even beyond the fact that neither of them wanted to lose any of their loved ones, there was an even bigger terror to consider. They could not be tasked with the rule of their home if Glimmer were to fall. They had a greater duty to fulfill that could not be delayed any longer than this war would delay it. There was no time.

The clock was ticking. The tug in their hearts pulling, calling them to act and to save it. The universe was dying and they felt it again now just as strongly as they'd felt it when She-Ra had blazed them through it to stand before the evil that was Catalyst and her Dark Swarm and to know the awful truth of their destiny.

Glimmer had to know. She had to know the truth. She had to understand just how important winning this war really was, beyond just the desperate desire in their hearts to save their home.

She was standing now, almost before she'd decided to do so, reaching form her mate so that they could stand as one as they tugged on the bond, becoming that blazing and blinding one within themselves. Melog was there in instant, winding to curl about their legs, facing Glimmer with all of their power, supporting them and willing to face all of this with them just as much as they were with each other. They loved Melog, but in this moment they could not afford to show it, because their duty had to come first and they knew that Melog would understand, just like they always did.

Glimmer was no longer standing over them, facing them like their Queen. Now, she actually took a step back from their power, seeming almost blinded by it. A part of them hated how terrified Glimmer was of them in this moment, but there was no time to comfort her now.

She-Ra flickered from their bond, giving them a burst of even greater strength and clarity, but she did not take them over. She only burned in that flickering flame between them as they began to speak their awful truth. "Glimmer. There is something you have to know. Something we've been hiding since Catra rose to power and She-Ra filled us both. The truth of why we broke and why she is now a vessel of She-Ra too." They saw her fear begin to shift into dread and shock and confusion, but they did not stop. "There is an evil in the universe. And evil bigger than anything Blood is. As much destruction is happening here and as much destruction as Prime caused throughout the universe before him, something worse is happening now and we are the only ones who can stop it. She-Ra told us we have to save Etheria first, because Etheria is our home, but we can't stay here after this war is over. We can't. We have to go and we have to fight and we have to save the entire universe and bring back its magic or no matter how hard we've fought to save our home, it won't matter." And now in Glimmer's eyes, there was something there in her terror, begging them to name this evil they were speaking of, even as she was physically recoiling from it.

"Catalyst." This time when they spoke her name it did not fill them with dread. They spat it like an oath of fury as She-Ra flickered a little higher, lending knowledge to their words, but still letting them speak it and helping them to stay strong as they registered more completely what Catalyst really was doing. "She's leeching the life of everything she touches. She has a swarm of evil insects that she's sending out right now to destroy worlds even more completely than Prime ever did. Nothing remains after she's through. Not even the husks that Prime left behind. She's taking no trophies, no prisoners, and each world that falls only lends more power to her darkness. Worlds just like Etheria, full of people. Innocents. Children." The both of them balked at that thought. A screaming denial at the thought of those tiny souls being torn far, far too soon from the universe and eaten by that great darkness they could still only barely comprehend.

It was there again, that keener edge to their fire. That fire and that promise to be mothers one day and to save their own little child from a dark fate. They might not be living at this very moment or they might be on one of those worlds that darkness was bearing down upon in this very moment. That knowledge filled them with an even greater fury, stilling their terror, slicing away their dread and sharpening their focus in an instant.

"We will stop her!" They shouted it, declaring it like a promise to echo the challenge they and Melog had screamed only this very morning out into the universe to all of their enemies, wherever they were. "We will save Etheria. We will stop Blood. We are going to save our home and then we are going to face Catalyst and we are going to destroy her once and for all!" As they made the declarations, their fury finally began to still and they could look now at Glimmer as their friend, whom they loved once more.

"You see now why we were so angry at the thought of you risking yourself, Glimmer. Even beyond the fact that it would kill a part of us to ever lose you, Etheria needs you. The people need you, now more than ever. So let us take this burden and use our power to help you do what needs to be done. Maybe while we're out there, trying to give our people a chance, we can find Blood and we can stop him once and for all!" They were pleading with her now, begging her to say yes, because this was the only way forward from here. They could see it now as her terror finally began to fade and she was slowly straightening from her cowering. "We want to be here with you and our friends and these soldiers risking their lives for our homes just like we are, but if this is what needs to be done, then we'll do it. And we won't stop until every single one of those places is safe and you know it! Let us do this, Glimmer! Please!"

Glimmer didn't respond. As her terror finally faded all the way, she all but fell back into her chair. She was openly reeling, eyes unfocused and wavering and they realized she had all but gone into shock upon finally registering the full reality they'd spoken. At once, they let go of their power, cutting it off even as they remained the one so they could go to her. But even as they reached for her, Glimmer was holding out a hand to stop them and her wavering eyes were focusing, even as they filled with tears.

"Don't." The words was breathless, but firm. "Don't touch me." They recoiled a little with a flash of hurt to join their desperate worry and saw her begin to tremble as she fought not to let those building tears fall. "If you hug me, I'll cry and I can't afford to cry right now." They took a measure of comfort in her words, but it did nothing to still their worry for their friend, even as she gathered herself further. "I knew there was something you guys weren't telling us. Bow and I could feel it. We didn't ask, because we knew it was something important between you and that you'd tell us when you could, but this is…" And again, she wavered and that shock and terror flashed through her eyes with a stronger surge of tears. She shook her head, blinking them away as she sat forward in her chair, hunching over with her elbows on her knees, trembling even further. "You guys can take the mission. I'll tell Bow what you told me, but no one else. You were right to keep this a secret. No one else can know this. Not yet. It could destroy any hope our friends and our people have left and we cannot afford that right now." The words were strong as she said them, even as they wavered with her breathlessness and withheld tears.

She rose then, shaking. She did not look at them, gaze seemingly focused on whatever world lay within her mind. "Just keep doing what you can for now like you have been. I'll let you know more information when we have it. We'll talk later. I love you." And then she was gone in a tinkling burst of magic and all they could do was stand and stare as the sparkling essence of it slowly faded from the air where their friend had just stood.

0o0o0o0o0

And there we go! Thank you so much for reading! Again, I can only apologize for the delay and restate the fact that it is unfortunately a fact that these greater delays will continue for the time being. We're still going forward on this journey, I promise you that. I hope you're enjoying and I hope you continue to enjoy what I can share as we forge on towards the future.

Until next time, loves! Stay safe and read on! Ja!